text:
Where does it hurt?
November 20, 2007
Probably my favorite scene from the book is when our narrator meets Albie. Our first introduction to Albie is him pulling up in his Bentley, leading us to believe that he is still living the sweet life from all that barbed wire money. But the narrator enters the car to find it filled with groceries and a make shift cup holder. Albie's house is nothing but emptiness; a place left with nothing but animal heads and plenty of hot dogs. We learn this comes from his divorce, after which his wife made off with most everything. Like Albie's ex-wife, the town has taken and used his name, Winthrop, but now the town is leaving him too. Soon the name will be changed and he will be left with nothing. He'll just be the crazy guy in town who walks around in a sweat-suit who thinks he's everybody's friend.
The part where the narrator is describing the scene at the awards ceremony at which all those in attendance are constantly looking at each others name tags so that they may engage in useless chit chat with their new friend. I likened this to a particular episode of Seinfeld in which Elaine is going out with Lloyd Braun, who is an adviser to Dinkins, a man who is running for mayor of New York. While in casual conversation with Lloyd, Elaine mentions that she always thought the citizens of New York should have name tags, that way everybody would know everybody and it would be a friendlier place. Lloyd passes the idea along to Dinkins, who puts it on his mayoral platform. This move makes Dinkins a laughing stock and costs him the election. While at the awards ceremony, the narrator believes that the name tags should be labeled with what people really are, and not their names, which is what they want people to think they are.
The two defeats the narrator suffers the night of the barbecue are interesting. The first coming at the Border Cafe which is "a Mexican joint that belonged to that robust tradition of lone ethnic restaurants in the middle of nowhere, beloved by the natives in direct proportion to the lack of competition." I love that description. The narrator feels a sense of belonging among the help tourists, he equates to the giddiness that goes along with the last day of anything. The final sense of connection seems to come with the party-wide recognition of the song "Peep This". The narrator is so moved that he jumps atop a table and is about to announce his new name for the town when his leg gives out and the whole moment is ruined.
The second defeat comes when upon returning to the hotel after the embarrassment, the narrator finds that the cleaning woman finally forced her way into his room and organized it. The narrator also finds his "do not disturb" sign neatly torn and placed on his bed. The privacy the narrator has sought to keep since his injury is now gone.
The fate of Winthrop is similar to that of the narrator's toe. Lucky is well on his way to making the new Winthrop into a haven for commercialism and yuppies who wear their college sweatshirts on the weekends and drink too many half-priced margaritas and sing karaoke. But along the way there is some stubbing. The first came in Regina's surprise vote against him, thus putting on hold their coup of Albie. Then there are people like Muttonchops and all those others who do not want the name of the town to change and do not like the direction Lucky is taking their home. There are little bumps along the way, little stubs on the way to New Prospera. Each time, a band-aid is placed over the wound. But it doesn't hide the hurt in the town, there are infections festering underneath that band-aid; eventually something is going to have to be amputated from Winthrop. And it would seem that Lucky is the one holding the scissors.
Apex Hides the Hurt
November 13, 2007
Just to get this out of the way, when I was reading the first section of this book and we get the description of our narrator as a man who not only isolates himself from other people but also walks with a limp as a result of an unfortunate incident, I mean is there any other connection that can be made there except for this?
Aside from that, I didn't see a whole lot else in the first fifty-three pages of this book. We learn that the narrator has a job as a nomenclature consultant, which as a profession is probably even cooler than it sounds. In talking about his job, the narrator hits on just how important names are to products. No matter what the product is, a bad name could kill it commercially. He also mentions how he has names for things that don't even exist yet, but when the time comes, he'll have to perfect name for it. This notion kind of brings back a little bit of Saussure and Baudrillard. With Saussure, there is the whole sign, signifier thing. The names which he creates become more important than the products they represent. Baudrillard comes in with the mention of having names for things which don't exist yet. According to Baudrillard, the creation of simulacra and hyper-reality comes from the creation of needs for things which we don't actually need but are made to think we can't live without. So the narrator already has a named stored away for something that doesn't exist, but when it does come to be, it will have a fancy name to help persuade the public that it is the next great thing they couldn't possibly live without.
The situation the narrator finds himself in is something new to him, is not being asked to come up with a new for the newest anti-depressant or sure fire cure for natural male enhancement, he is being summoned out of his seclusion to rename a town. The once quaint little town of Winthrop is looking to become more modern and there are some who feel the town needs a new name to go with its corporate face-lift. There are those who see no problem with it, the couple the narrator meets in the hotel bar; but then there are those like old Muttonchops, who have a long history in Winthrop and don't want to see any changes to the town's moniker. So we wait for the rest of the novel to unfold to find out what new name the narrator will come up with for Winthrop. If I had any say in the matter, I would probably rename my town Fort Awesome.
What paper?
November 12, 2007
So last Thursday maybe I was a little less than prepared when it came to a possible post modern paper idea.
So here's what I got so far; it only seem fitting that to go along with this paper I bring back an old friend from days past, Mr. Baudrillard. In reading up on Baudrillard, I came across some interesting stuff on opinion polls, media, and politics. I was thinking taking those ideas and writing my paper about today's society and how even with the influx of new forms of technology which should make access to information easier, we are still left in the dark on most important of things. For the text to go along with this idea, I plan on using the film V for Vendetta. I know this seems a little scrambled and the idea needs a lot of polishing, but at least it's a start.
The Rest of Galatea
November 1, 2007
It seems we get a different side of Lentz when he and Powers go to visit Audrey. We see that he is capable of caring for another person. We also get the idea that this experiment may have some implications in regards to Audrey and her deteriorating mental status. On page 170 it reads, "We could eliminate death. That was the long-term idea. We might freeze the temperament of our choice. Suspend it painlessly above experience. Hold it forever at twenty-two." It would appear that Lentz is much like Dr. Freeze (from Batman), in that while both may not seem to be nice guys, all that they do, they do in an attempt to help their wives, both of whom are severely sick. But as we later learn, that is merely a side effect of this experiment, and was never the desired outcome.
In Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse, there is a scene where Mr. Ramsay equates his life's accomplishment with letters in the alphabet. Mr. Ramsay feels that he has reached Q, which apparently is pretty good because, "Very few people in the whole of England reach Q." And as far as completing the alphabet, "Z is only reached by one man in a generation." (on a personal note, I would probably put myself at about L for my life thus far) There's a connection to Galatea, I swear. I connected this to the different imps that Powers and Lentz are going through. Each ascending lettered imp is more advanced than the one before it. I find it interesting that it was imp H, that was the one they felt was the most advanced and suitable for use in the competition. Had they kept going and developing new imps, how advanced would imps T or W have been? And it seems like to keep going forward, imp Z would have to be a human.
And it's gotta make you feel at least a little proud that when Powers feeds Helen info from the nightly news that this absolutely horrifies the machine and Helen shuts herself off from people for a few days. It's nice to know the human touch can have that effect on something. And I think I finally get a chance to break out transhistorical party. Powers was constantly feeding Helen literature, some of which had to contain tragedy of some sort. But this has no effect on Helen, this is the brand of transhistorical party which is contained by some sort of literary device, thus making it more acceptable. However, when Helen gets fed the stories of actual human behavior, like the road rage incident, this horrifies her because it is not contained in a story, but is actual human behavior.
I think my favorite piece from the text comes on page 317 when Diana's son William comes home and is feeling a bit distraught about school, "'First grade,' he choked. 'Done. Perfect.' He swept his palm in an arc through the air. 'Everything they wanted. Now I'm supposed to do second. There's another one after that, Mom. I can't. It's never-ending.'" He has no idea how right he actually is. This idea of never-ending relates back to something which Powers discusses with Helen on page 291 about literature, "Always more books, each one read less.' She thought. 'The world will fill with unread print. Unless print dies.'" So it would appear that in the world of academics and literature there is no end. Literature will continue to be printed, and as long as that is happening, scholars will be forced to analyze it and decide what it means and whether or not they hate it. And in the end, Powers makes this all the more true by saying that he has some more fiction left in him, and goes off to write another novel.
Galatea 2.2 Pages 1-138
October 25, 2007
Alright, I've been a bit tardy on my blog posts, so here is an extended post about our latest text. So with this book, I'm not of the constituency in the class who utterly despises the text. However, I'm not in love with it either. It's kind of like when you eat something, and it doesn't taste bad per-say, but you probably won't eat it again.
To start off, I mentioned this in class, but the fact that the building Powers goes to everyday, and which contains all of these different sciences and advancements, is called simply The Center. And for the rest of my days, when someone says the center, I say Derrida. I think this book does note shift in the center. That shift being from literature to technology. For Powers, this would be a shift back to science for him. With his first book being heavy on the science, then shifting to literature; but has now seemingly abandoned literature in his pursuit of helping Lentz. When Powers attempts to go back to literature and write the novel which he is supposed to be writing with his time off, he cannot get further than his opening image of the train. There are several instances where Powers notes how he feels he has nothing in terms of writing his novel, and we get further proof on page 138 when he says, "I went home to chosen loneliness. To the book I would never be able to write." So for Powers, his center has shifted away from writing, and he will be stuck until the center shifts again.
As for this machine that Powers and Lentz are supposed to be making, I can't say that I fully understand the technical terms; but I do grasp that they are attempting to make a device that would be able to understand and interpret literature as well as a college educated person. The machine could probably do more with Mrs. Dalloway or Robert Frost than I ever could. In trying to understand how their machine would work, I kind of got the impression that it's heading into Terminator 3 territory, where the machines have finally become self aware and decide to wipe out people. I didn't mention this in class because, well, just didn't seem like a Terminator 3 kind of crowd.
Finally, I'm starting to notice what could be described as a softening in Lentz. He really seems to have taken a liking to Powers, and enjoys his company. When the 2 first met, Lentz made a concentrated effort to put Powers down every chance he got, but now it's almost like Lentz considers Powers a friend. It was a little creepy when Diana asks Powers if he's ever been in the office with Lentz when he has the door closed. And she doesn't give him an answer as to why, leaving Powers to figure that out when the time comes.
So we march onward through the text, eagerly waiting to see if Powers and Lentz can devise a machine which can give you an in-depth analysis of Shakespeare, and maybe attempt to wipe out the human race and travel through time.
Self Evaluation
October 16, 2007
I feel kind of the same way writing this evaluation as I did when writing the evaluation for theory. In the course so far, the things I get, I get and can apply. The things I don't get, good luck. One of the things that will always get me about postmodernism is that there is no set and accepted definition, as any introductory reading on postmodernism will be sure to tell you. There are times in the reading when it feels like I'm trying to pin the tail on a donkey that has no back side.
There are, however, some on going themes that I am noticing in the works. One is the idea of going against the established norm and what is readily accepted by society. An example of this is in Written on the Body; as I wrote in my blog post, (eloquently titled, "Written on the Body"): "Postmodernism is a moving away from old standards and rigid structures, and it seems that this guy is moving away from what we would consider the norm when it comes to love and relationships." The narrator from the text, who I have since realized could be either male orfemale, begins the story firmly against the preconceived notions of love and relationships. Throughout the text, the narrator debunks the institution of marriage and dismisses the phrase "I love you". But as the book progresses, the narrator falls into the cliches of love with their relationship to Louise. So even the most ardent against the establishments of love isn't immune to falling into the stereotypes.
The theme of going against the grain is also in Fight Club. In both film and text versions, Tyler's mission is to disrupt the natural order of things and to start a new order. In the film, he plans to erase everyone's credit debt making all people equal; and in the novel, he plans to disrupt the social class order as well as eliminate evidence of the oppressive past, done by destroying the museum. As I wrote in my award winning blog "Fight Club 6-19", "The repeated mantra in the text about how the best and strongest of the generation are serving food and pumping gas, shows Tyler's belief that society is built upon the backs of the working class and they should no longer be taken advantage of." In the text, the antics of Project Mayhem were meant to be attacks on the upper class; altering the movies, tampering with the food, vandalizing corporate symbols, and the soap. It is interesting that while Tyler succeeds in the film of destroying his primary target, he is unsuccessful in the novel. In both texts, Fight Club and Written on the Body, the characters do not succeed in their attempts to get as far away from established norms as they can. I don't know what, if anything, that says about postmodernism as a whole.
Another reoccurring theme I continue to find is how most things we read have a relationship to Baudrillard. I almost feel like it's my job to find connections to Baudrillard in everything we do, as I wrote in my blog on Cindy Sherman, "it almost seems like it's my job to find the connections to Baudrillard in everything we do." Pithy. For example, Baudrillard's idea of society needing a visible past is shown in Fight Club (book), in Tyler wanting to destroy the museum, the place where we keep all our mummies. Tyler wants to get rid of our visual representation of the past so that we are finally able to move forward. Most recently, there is a connection to Baudrillard in the works of Cindy Sherman and Nikki Lee. As I wrote in my blog on Sherman, "she had "nothing more to say," and it seemed like in painting she was simply "copying other art." And in speaking of photography, Sherman said, "I appreciate the idea that the images can be reproduced and seen anytime, anywhere, by anyone." It is the same with Nikki Lee, her photographs are based on assumed stereotypes of how we think certain groups should act and look like. These two are simply contributing to the simulacra.
As far as choosing my 2 best blog posts, I guess my post on Jameson was pretty good. In this post I was able to tie several different things together from the Jameson reading. I was able to bring in Fight Club, Baudrillard, and what we had discussed in class earlier that day. I think the class discussion on Titanic helped me to grasp what Jameson was saying about history being represented in fiction; "And on page 25, "The historical novel can no longer set out to represent the historical past; it can only 'represent' our ideas and stereotypes about the past." We don't know what happened on that boat, all we know for sure is that it went down. We have an idea of how people dressed in that era and how they talked. We put all of our preconceived notions of that time period together, put them on a boat, add a Celine Deion song, and there is Titanic." I think what made this post was that I was able to bring in several sources to aid in my understanding on this particular text.
I consider the blog I wrote on masculinity in Fight Club also to be one of my better posts. In it, I was able to pick one particular topic and trace it throughout an entire text. I felt that this post was focused and using the examples I was able to make a pretty strong point, " The novel gives no set definition for masculinity. What it does present is a notion that masculinity/manliness is its own underground society, bordering on cult-like status. And men must seek out these underground groups, such as the cancer support group and fight club, and join in an attempt to be around other men and discover what it is to be a man."
One of my better comments was on Marina's post on the film Fight Club. In her post, Marina presents an idea that I had not previously considered, " like your comment that maybe it was Marla, who helped with the creation of Tyler. The narrator's life has no freedom and none of the characteristics which Tyler and Marla posses. And while the narrator had the notions of what he wanted his life to be like, it wasn't until he met Marla that he was able to externalize those thoughts and feelings, and this maybe is what helped him to create Tyler." In this comment, I was able to expand upon an idea that was new to me, and I was also able to elaborate off of other points she had made in the post.
Sticking to Fight Club, I was fond of my comment on one of Esther's post on the novel. In the post, Esther writes on Tyler's contradiction of himself in terms of being a legend and the notion of perfection. In my comment, I was able to continue with her original ideas, she also picked up on the notion of masculinity in the text, something I also commented on, "As you wrote, this speaks to the idea of manliness and a man feeling that he isn't enough of a man to attract a woman, so he acts the part of what he considers to be a man in order to win her affections"
A post which I found to be very well written was Christine's on the film version of Fight Club. In it, Christine picks out several different vantage points from which to view the film. There is masculinity, capitalism, and how parts of the film can be related to what we had discussed so far on what it means to be post modern. To me, this seems like a complete post, and one to model future posts after.
I feel that to improve my own posts, I could use Christine's as a model. I feel that sometimes I get tunnel vision and focus merely on the text at hand. I should be attempting to bring in as many other texts as I can in relation to the current text, in the past this has greatly enhanced my understanding of certain topics. I also find that sometimes I get discouraged when I am unable to completely understand a text, I think I would benefit more from not feeling the need to understand everything, but try to understand certain parts as much as I can.
So that's how postmodernism is going for me so far, I can't wait for the exciting conclusion.
Nikki Lee
October 15, 2007
The photography of Nikki Lee and Cindy Sherman look different, but both contain much attention to detail. The major difference being that Nikki Lee's photos look like anything you would find on some-body's myspace page or any family photo album ever.
In her photography, Lee ingrains herself in a different sub group of culture. She does a very convincing job of this, blending is extremely well. A common criticism of her work is that is doesn't look like what we would perceive to be art, her photos look like "drug store prints push pinned to the wall" as described in one of the background pieces. Another criticism of her work could be that she simply plays off of preconceived stereotypes of what we think all these groups would look like. Her Yuppie Project involves, 2 well dressed women standing in front a department store, holding shopping bags with one of those ridiculous little dogs. The Tourist Project involves cheesy poses made by people in cheesy clothes. And the Oklahoma Project plays off our visions of the red-neck. Jameson would argue that Lee's pictures don't represent the real past, but only "our ideas and stereotypes about the past." *[Obligatory Baudrillard reference] * Baudrillard would argue that Lee is simply taking those old stereotypes and reproducing them, thus losing touch with the original idea.
However, you could argue that the point of Lee using those stereotypes is to expose them as being ridiculous and foolish; and that we shouldn't judge people based on preconceived notions going along with a particular group they are associated with.
Cindy Sherman
October 15, 2007
I will start with the background information we read on Sherman. I her reason for giving painting to be interesting. According to her, she had "nothing more to say," and it seemed like in painting she was simply "copying other art." And in speaking of photography, Sherman said, "I appreciate the idea that the images can be reproduced and seen anytime, anywhere, by anyone." Now it almost seems like it's my job to find the connections to Baudrillard in everything we do; but this time, it's right there in Sherman's words. In speaking about painting and photography, Sherman may as well have been saying a copy of a copy of a copy….
Sherman also has something in common with Tyler Durden in that they share a dislike for museums. According to the background information Sherman did not appreciate museums, "I worked out of books and reproductions." Jameson would probably have a little something to say about that,"it can only 'represent' our ideas and stereotypes abut the past (which thereby at once becomes 'pop history'") It seems neither Baudrillard nor Jameson would be fans of Sherman's work. Baudrillard would have to point out how it simply contributes to the simulacra; and Jameson would chime in by saying he's not too keen on her not sticking to historical accuracies.
Another thing Sherman has in common with Tyler, her use of dolls and prosthetics for the purpose of exposure is very similar to Tyler using movies as a way of exposing a large audience to the same type of usually censored material. I can't really form more of a connection beyond that, but I'm sure there's something to be found.
Masculinity in Fight Club
October 3, 2007
This blog post is brought to you courtesy of Tammy, Zena, Misti, and Ryan
The treatment of masculinity and manliness is a major theme throughout Fight Club.
The first passage from the book we chose is on page 17, and takes place while the narrator is at the support group for testicular cancer, and is in the clutches of Bob:
"You cry," Bob says and inhales and sob, sob, sobs. "Go on now and cry." The big wet face settles down on top of my head, and I am lost inside. This is when I'd cry. Crying is right at hand in the smothering dark, closed inside someone else, when you see how everything you can ever accomplish will end up as trash."
There is the obvious significance of the fact this is a group for men with testicular cancer, many of whom have lost their testicles. This leaves them feeling empty, and without their manhood and what it is that defines them as men. The male organ is featured prominently throughout the text; in the testicular cancer group, in the pieces of film Tyler splices into family movies, and threat of castration, which is the strongest weapon project mayhem uses. Whenever someone poses a threat to project mayhem, they are not killed, they are simply held down and shown a rubber band and a rather large knife. This is a bigger threat to most men than even death. Because if any man were to suffer this fate, they would end up in that same church basement locked in a big wet hug with Bob.
The second piece from the novel we used is on page 141:
The mechanic says, "If you're male and you're Christian and living in America, your father is your model for God. And if you never know your father, if your father bails out or dies or is never at home, what do you believe about God?… "What you end up doing," the mechanic says, "is you spend your life searching for a father and God."
In this example, God is a symbol of masculinity, and another father figure. A boy's father is his example and role-model for what manliness is supposed to be; and when a boy is without a father and without God, they have no model for manliness and spend their life searching. It is also worth noting that the person delivering this speech is known as the mechanic. The mechanic is regarded as a manly profession, with the cars and working with your hands.
The novel gives no set definition for masculinity. What it does present is a notion that masculinity/manliness is its own underground society, bordering on cult-like status. And men must seek out these underground groups, such as the cancer support group and fight club, and join in an attempt to be around other men and discover what it is to be a man.
This notion of masculinity is the opposite of what we saw when we read Written on the Body. In that text, the use of the ambigious narrator illustrates how gender does not matter and either sex is capable of acting in such a way. This goes against what we see in Fight Club, which is an attempt to discovery the exact meaning of what it is to be a man. Switching to Jameson, we could say that the historical image of masculinity does not exist, and what we have is only a representation of what we think manliness is supposed to be.
I am the end of Joe's book
October 3, 2007
In this last section of the novel we are made aware of the 2 casualties of project mayhem, Bob and Patrick Madden. We learn that Bob was killed by the police while out on a mission for project mayhem. And no matter how many times you see the movie or read the book, you cannot help but feel sorry for Big Bob. I thought it was interesting that Patrick Madden was murdered. We learn that he worked for the mayor and was compiling a list of all the fight club locations and was most likely going to make an attempt at shutting them down. When it looked like this was happening in Seattle, the space monkeys got to the judge and with the help of a rubber band and a large knife, got him to back off. I am curious why the same tactics were not used on Patrick Madden, why he instead was murdered. This is the first outright violent act of project mayhem, instead of an act of vandalism to make a point.
The end of the novel is quite different from that of the film. The narrator still shoots off part of his own face to try and get rid of Tyler, but the building does not explode and destroy the museum beneath it, as was the original goal. It's interesting that in the end it is Marla, along with the others from the support group, who show up and save the narrator.
"'We followed you," Marla yells. 'All the people from the support group. You don't have to do this. Put the gun down.' Behind Marla, all the bowel cancers, the brain parasites, the melanoma people, the tuberculosis people are walking, limping, wheeling toward me. They're saying 'Wait.' Their voices come to me on the cold wind, saying, 'Stop.' And, 'We can help you.' 'Let us help you'"
These are the same people who the narrator who has been lying to each night for the past two years. He made them all think he was dying like they were; he even cried with them. And it is even revealed to these people that he has been lying to them, this occurs during his argument with Marla. But for some reason these people show up anyway. It seems to again prove the narrator's notion that when people think you're dying, they will do anything for you. And even though he is not dying in the same way they are, he is still dying.
There seems to be no real end however. The narrator is in the hospital, which is filled with the disciples of Tyler Durden. Fight club has become able to function on its own and seems to be thriving, even without the creator/leader. It would seem as if the center has shifted, and fight club/project mayhem now has a new center. As the hospital employee whispers, "Everything's going according to plan," "We're going to break up civilization so we can make something better out of the world," and "We look forward to getting you back."


text:
How heavy was your child when born?
My daughetr Marie was born weighing 8lb 11oz, and at 12 months weighed 28lbs. At first I was really worried because she was on the 98th percentile line for weight, but i was...
Started by Camilla on 01/15/2010 in I GAVE BIRTH TO A BIG BABY (8LBS OR MORE)
Last update on 03/19/2013 by Hollie

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DEGENERATION generates plenty of news these days. Who hasn't felt pummeled by all the headlines about degenerating credit flows in global financial markets? By political news that degenerates into personal attacks? And there's the constant drumbeat of stories on the degeneration-prone human body and its vulnerability to debilitating conditions.
Medical sources define a degenerative illness as a condition resulting in progressive loss of bodily function and marked by deteriorating cells, organs, or systems. The number of people suffering from such conditions is said to be on the rise.
But wait a minute. Don't these thought-pictures of bodies and social systems in decline have something fundamental in common? Isn't the whole notion of inevitable degeneration premised on a material model of life and community? In terms of the generally accepted view of life's basis – what we're made of and how systems work – we may well be in the contemporary equivalent of a pre-Copernican world.
Copernicus revolutionized astronomical science by reorienting humanity's view of the Earth-sun relationship. Science in its divine meaning and practice is working an even more radical change – in the public understanding of the God-creation relationship. Human consciousness has only begun to grapple with the proposition that we're not made of matter. That the essential stuff of us and the universe is idea, and that our source isn't the human mind, but the divine Mind.
Spiritual idea-hood comes with profound implications. Ideas do not deteriorate, wear out, or die. After all, a 1 is a 1 and always will be. After millennia of heavy use, the number one has not degenerated into something less, hasn't declined in value, and hasn't lost any of its meaning, substance, purpose, or singularity. Even when it's involved in a computation mistake – as in 1 + 1 = 3 – the truth and integrity of 1 don't change. Numerical ideas are distinct, unchangeable, and, from a spiritual perspective, eternal.
And so are you. So is each woman, man, and child. To the loving God who originates us, each of us is a unique idea composed of spiritual attributes. That's not a new concept. It's as ancient as the first account of creation in the Bible, which speaks of the male and female whom God made as "image" and "likeness" (see Gen. 1). True, the image of a manlike god would be a material and time-bound personality – just a lesser version of a lesser deity.
Change your concept of God, however, to the infinite, all-creative Spirit – as Mary Baker Eddy's lifelong search led her to do over a century ago – and you must also change your concept of God's creation.
As Mrs. Eddy wrote with arresting logic in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "The likeness of Spirit cannot be so unlike Spirit." As the image of limitless Mind, we must be intelligent ideas, equally limitless and spiritual. In answering the question "What is man?" she concluded, "He is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas; ... " (p. 475).
Christian Science turns to Christ Jesus for a radically different, revelatory life-model. Science and Health calls Jesus "the most scientific man that ever trod the globe" (p. 313), yet all the discoveries of organic chemistry and biophysics would come centuries after his era. The scientific truth he knew and lived – the Science of the Christ – wasn't a product of human knowledge. Jesus practiced the laws of Spirit and spiritual existence.
Luke's Gospel describes Jesus as moving "in the power of the Spirit" (4:14), or under the supreme law of Spirit. His understanding of divine law enabled him to heal blindness, hemorrhage, palsy, and mental illness – and to save people lost in moral degeneracy. He reversed the age-old curse of degeneration.
What the world calls "Jesus' miracles" were instances in which the Christ revealed something of the marvelous truth of life in God. That life is actually spiritual and by nature whole, well, vibrant, and constant. Let that fact's healing power speak, and it will be heard and felt.
Adapted from the Christian Science Sentinel.


text:
6 ATV Riding Tips for Beginners
When it comes to ATVs, looks can be deceiving. While those four wheels evoke a sense of confidence, ATVs can pack a punch of dirt bike-style adrenaline. It's a unique riding experience that requires plenty of practice time to perfect. Here are some ATV safety tips and riding advice for beginners to make 4-wheeling fun.
Make sure you have solid footing. As a new rider, you'll have enough to think about without worrying about what to do with your feet. With Nerf bars and heel guards, you'll get the stability you need. Nerf bars are like giant foot pegs that allow you to keep your feet planted during your ride. Heel guards keep your feet where you want them, giving you more control while riding.
Easy on the gas. The accelerator on an ATV is actually a thumb throttle that you press. Getting the feel of the throttle is important for new riders to help build confidence. Go slowly at first. Giving it too much gas can cause the front of the machine to pop up. Practice easing onto the throttle and you'll find the delicate balance that will keep you riding safe and stable.
Wear protective clothing. As a new rider, you should invest in all the necessary protective clothing and gear you need. Make sure you have a protective jacket, boots that go above your ankle, a helmet, goggles and gloves. When you graduate to more challenging terrain, add a chest protector and knee/shin guards for further protection.
Practice changing gears. If anyone ever taught you how to drive a stick shift, they probably took you to a parking lot or a field and you practiced working the clutch and shifting gears over and over until you felt confident. This same lesson should apply to new ATV riders. Get on the dirt and practice, and when you've accomplished smooth, intuitive shifting, you're ready to join the group for some trail riding.
Work on your riding position. While an ATV has handlebars like a dirt bike, steering an ATV is different. You'll still use your body to help distribute the weight, but while you'd lean into a curve on a dirt bike, on an ATV you lean to the opposite side of momentum. So, if you're turning right you'll feel pushed to the left and you'll want to lean right.
When you're on a flat trail enjoying the sights, go ahead and sit down. But if you're picking up speed on a livelier track you'll need to stand up. It's easier, gives you great visibility and will end up making you a better rider. Hover just above the seat, with your elbows out and knees bent.
Remember that you're riding on terrain that can have unexpected bumps and dips. Avoid locking your elbows, and keep your knees loose to absorb the movement along the way.
Make your controls second nature. Over time, your ATV's controls will become second nature. But in the beginning, they're easy to confuse. So, practice with all your controls. The clutch lever is on the left side of the handlebars, and the brake lever is on the right. Get in the habit of grabbing the handlebars and draping your fingers over these levers every time you sit down.
Becoming a skilled rider and feeling confident comes with time. Your most important challenge as a beginner is learning to shift and work the brake and thumb throttle. Just suit up and practice on various terrains, and as you slowly increase your speed, your coordination and riding will improve, and you'll experience real 4-wheeling fun.
Related Topics: Recreational , Boat , Snowmobile , RV , ATV


text:
You are about to enter a website that may contain content of an adult nature.
Hello everyone, this is black cam girl CherrryLinn here. I'm 28 year old Female speak English in the ebony live sex chat action. Ready to full fill all your wildest fantasies and make you feel like a new person. I am the girl next door that you always wanted to meet or sneak on it... now is the time. naked and fun is my expertise and also what I will do in private black sex cam show. I have Brown eyes, Long Blonde hairs and my measurements are 38-26-38. For Turn ons: nice words and horny atiitude. For TurnsOff: people with an ugly soul. If you prefer kinks, then Shaved, are mine. I'm just hungry for a HARD cock, can't wait to see u at my ebony sex chat room! :)
Show more models
This website contains ebony sex webcam, live ebony cams and ebony live adult cam related sexually explicit content.
You must be at least 18 years of age to enter this website. © Since 2012 ebonycamsplus.com All Rights Reserved
AllHosts1 - AllHosts2 - AllHosts3 - AllHosts4 - AllHosts5 - AllHosts6 - AllHosts7 - AllHosts8 - AllHosts9 - AllHosts10 - AllHosts11 - AllHosts12


text:
Gothic art
It is difficult to find the right words to describe impressions
of a Gothic Cathedral. They are high and reach for the sky infinite arrows
towers and turrets, visperhof, finials, pointed arches. But more striking
not so much height. how much wealth aspects. opening when
you circle around the Cathedral.
Gothic cathedrals are not only high, but also very long: for example
has a length of 130 meters and the length of the transept is 64 meters, and to
around it is required to pass at least half a kilometer. Continue reading
Review of Great Wall Badaling
Stunning views from the wall, great construction in the history of China
it's hard to walk 1 km uphill, a very steep climb to the top, very high prices on the spot for drinks and Souvenirs
When in September I went to Beijing, the tour of the "Great wall" was one of the most anticipated, because to see one of the seven "wonders of the world" should try every person.
You go on this excursion for quite a long time, about an hour since the wall itself is located outside the city, and Chinese beliefs from the town there is only one road for exit from the North side because on perimetre the city is surrounded by mountains and the Chinese believed that from the North to the city attack is unlikely. Continue reading
Gothic style – Gothic style in the interior
The culmination of the development of medieval European art is restrained mystical Gothic style, which replaced the lush extravagance of the Romanesque style. Bright mosaic stained glass Windows, soaring spires of the needles, the glow of gold, expression, a Symphony of harmonious combination of light, glass and stone – can be figuratively characterized the Gothic style in the interior. The term "Gothic" appeared in Sunny Italy during the Renaissance. So ironically the Romans called the primitive barbaric cultures of the passing into oblivion of the middle ages. First, the word "Gothic" was used in literature when the author wanted to somewhat ironic to denote in the text distorted Latin. Later Gothic became a definite architectural style, which in a nutshell can be called eerily majestic.
To reproduce in modern homes the Gothic style is not so easy, but its individual elements are often used when creating projects of country houses. Continue reading


text:
I. Fairy Cara Red
I-Codi Colors Of The Wind No 23 Turquoise
Sweety Nudy 3 Tones Grey
Lens Story Dolly + Red
Contact lenses help you achieve the look of your dreams. They create dolly illusion & make your eyes enlarged that shine bright. Colored contact lenses do not necessarily come in prescription as they are aimed at changing your eye color than fixing your vision. If you are looking for colored contact lenses that bring a pleasant change to your personality then continue reading below:
1. Colored contact lenses are slightly expensive than regular contacts. Since regular contact lenses don't carry a design or tint in them; they are produced cheaply. On the other hand colored contact lenses boast a wide range of designs and multiple hues that are incorporated ingeniously to help you create a realistic eye effect yet an effect that is out of the world.
2. Colored lenses feature patterns, specifically lines & dots that are arranged radially to create harmony of vision. Lines & dots also replicate the natural pattern of human iris due to which the overall effect remains sophisticatedly genuine.
3. Contrary to the regular contact lenses; the significant feature of colored contacts is the "Limbal Ring". This limbal ring surrounds the outer edge and is often solid, darker & bold. The ring is most prominent during infancy which gradually fades with age. Colored lenses help you regain the limbal ring that certainly helps you hide your calendar age.
4. Colored contact lenses are available in both plano and prescription. Plano lenses are zero power, so they are only resorted to when you need a change in your eye color. Depending on your mood, you have the liberty to either go for a fierce color change effect or stay subtle. Prescription contact lenses on the other help correct refractive index error and are available for hyperopia, myopia & astigmatism. Prices may vary from type to type and brand to brand.
There are endless possibilities with colored lenses. Hail to advanced technology that has made it possible for even people with sensitive eyes to opt for colored contacts. Today, with silicone hydrogel material; more comfortable, soft & oxygen friendly contacts are being produced that keep your eyes hydrated. Whilst immensely beautifying your eyes; 21st century lenses also strive to maintain optimum vision. Don't forget to meet your eye care professional before getting yourself the first pair!


text:
One my user leaves the office and I'd like to disable her access to our UNIX / Linux system. How do I delete ssh key from the UNIX systems so that user can not log in?
The first step is to disable user login using command as follows:
Linux Lock An Account
# passwd -l userName
# passwd -l vivek
FreeBSD Local An Account
# pw lock userName
# pw local vivek
Solaris / HP-UX UNIX Lock An Account
# passwd -l userName
# passwd -l vivek
Remove SSH Keys
$HOME/.ssh/ stores all required keys. Simply rename the directory or delete the directory:
# mv /home/vivek/.ssh /home/vivek/nosshlogin
# rm -rf /home/vivek/.ssh
For remote server edit $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys or $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys2 file and remove public key. This will delete login from home computer into your server. Finally, you can always delete user from your system using the pw (FreeBSD) or userdel (Linux / UNIX) command.


text:
Job Duties
Geographic information systems (GIS) specialists use specialized computer programs and software to create maps. The world of cartography (map making) has undergone significant changes in the last decade. Most of this change revolves around the emerging technology of GIS, a type of software that can combine socioeconomic, demographic, political, and environmental data. GIS specialists use this software to create maps or graphs. They consult with users to identify the needs of their project and determine the necessary applications. They conduct research and locate any existing databases that may help with the project. They gather data and figure out how to best display it using GIS software.
The data they collect may come from a number of different types of sources, such as aerial photographs, existing maps, satellite photography, and field analysis. They apply their knowledge of spatial feature representations to design appropriate databases. They often use digitizers or direct inputs to enter and coordinate information about the land. They are also responsible for maintaining the various GIS equipment, including plotters, digitizers, color printers, and video cameras.
Job Skills
GIS specialists should have good visual abilities. Excellent eyesight, coordination, and hearing to communicate if they work in the field. They should also be in good physical shape. Teamwork is essential in this profession, and GIS specialists must be very good at working cooperatively with other people. They should also have good clerical, organizational, and research skills.
In 2002, GIS specialists earned a median annual salary of $42,870. Earnings ranged from the lowest 10%, who earned less than $25,810, to the highest 10%, who earned more than $69,320.
Training and Education
Most GIS specialists have a bachelor's degree in engineering, forestry, geography, physical sciences, or a related discipline. Others have earned GIS certificates through colleges and universities offering these programs. One of the most desirable educational backgrounds is GIS training combined with a bachelor's degree in business, sociology, political science, or economics. Some specialists enter the occupation by starting as a technician and working their way up as they gain experience. This is changing because most positions require specialized training from a postsecondary college or school. Technical skills, especially in computers, is becoming a prerequisite for entry into the profession. High school students interested in developing a career as a GIS specialist should take courses in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, drafting, mechanical drawing, and computer science. Visit this page about trade schools for more information on related careers.
In 2002, GIS specialists and closely related workers held about 124,000 jobs. Two-thirds worked in architectural, engineering, and related services. About 1 in 6 worked fro Federal, State, and local government agencies.
Job Outlook
Between 2002 and 2012, employment of GIS specialists is expected to increase about as fast as the average. Advancing technologies will improve the productivity of these workers, which will somewhat inhibit job growth. However, workers who leave the occupation will still need to be replaced. Most job opportunities will be concentrated in architectural, engineering, and related services. New opportunities will arise in the areas of urban planning, emergency preparedness, and natural resource exploration and mapping. Opportunities will be best for those who have the strongest technical and computer skills and at least a bachelor's degree.


text:
It seems, the folks over at Wink Bingo been working harder than a Huggies salesman at a convention of bedwetters. The result is shiny, new, better promos that glow in the dark. The wrapping's already off so let's take a look at the goodies in store for you this weekend!
At Bingo HQ, we love a good bonus. And even a bad one is better than a blow on the side of the head. Our philosophy is that a bonus is always… er, a bonus. A bit like the Lottery. Which is, frankly, just a lottery. Anyway, mark your calendar and don't forget to take advantage of the classic Wink Bingo weekend Round up Free Bingo Bonus lovers special. (Only available to Wink Bingo members)
|4th Aug
|1 x 80% free bonus on deposit £10 - £100
|Play Now
|5th Aug
|1 x 85% free bonus on deposit £10 - £100
|Play Now
|6th Aug
|1 x 90% free bonus on deposit £10 - £100
|Play Now
|7th Aug
|1 x 85% free bonus on deposit £10 - £100
|Play Now
Other Goodies at WinkBingo.com
Okay, so that's the bonus fun part of it, now let's see what else is brewing this weekend at WinkBingo.com
Between The Sheets
It's Getting HOT in Here and even out there: To win one of three £50 vouchers from Figleaves, players must bingo most on the bikini top, call number #11 or wager the most on the Shopping Spree IG from 4th – 7th August.
IG of the Weekend – Joy of Bingo!
The top five wink bingo wagerers on this BRAND NEW GAME from 4th – 7th August will win £15 cash each.
Weekend IG Tourney:
The top ten players on ANY of the Progressive Slots from 4th – 7th August will win the following cash funds: 1st: £30, 2nd: £20, 3rd: £15 & 4th – 10th: £5.
NEW!! Joy Carnival – Risk Free £15,000!
Wink Bingo players can win £15k for 15p over 5 days across 5 sites! The Wink game plays on Monday 29th August @ 9.45pm. Prizes: FH: £3,000, 2L: £2,000, 1L: £1,000. Good luck
Hidden Treasures:
Game plays Sunday 7th August @ 9:15pm and this week's prize is a Digital camera.
There you have it, your Wink Bingo Weekend Promo round up – now what are you waiting for, the fun is waiting for you at www.WinkBingo.com right now.
But, I don't Have An Account?
No need for the red panic button – to get started at WinkBingo, simply click here to get started or read our complete review on Wink Bingo Here.
Have a great, yet responsible weekend!


text:
Jessica Biel Post Baby
It's hard to believe Jessica Biel gave birth in April. I didn't even know, she was pregnant! haha I am so behind, I thought maybe you guys didn't know either!! Or are you all informed ? 😉
The 33-year-old actress body looks good! But damn her clothes is UUUUUGLY ew- Just cos you are a mom, it dosen't mean you have to dress like an idiot!- No style Jess – was up with you!
She was making a rare public appearance on Thursday night in Los Angeles. Jessica was out to support her younger brother, Justin Biel, and the latest collection of his eco-friendly accessories line called Bare.
The new mama in a lacy sheer top and high-waist blue gaucho pants, making it obvious that she's lost all of the baby weight. She also highlighted her flawless skin, pulling back her hair in a topknot.
Jessica and husband Justin Timberlake's trainer – Jason Walsh of Rise Nation gym in West Hollywood, talked about how Jessica's looking so great post-baby.
"Breastfeeding! It helps," "We just started getting back into it — I don't pressure people. When you're mentally ready, we've got to start moving again, rebuilding the foundation and work our way up from there."
"Strong is beautiful now … [Jessica] is a great example of that," Remember that peeps!! STRONG – not skinny with no muscles 😉
Banging body aside, Jessica's number-one focus is clearly her first child with husband Justin, their adorable son Silas. She recently dished about what she finds is the most magical thing about motherhood — when Silas wakes up from a nap.
"He's sort of looking around and you sort of creep up and look over the crib and he looks up and he goes [sighing sound]," Just a gummy mouth, no teeth, just a big smile, happy that you're alive and you're just looking at him."


text:
It's the story of Ned Henry who is badly in need of a rest. He's been shuttling between the 21st century and the 1940's searching for a Victorian atrocity called the bishop's bird stump. It's part of a project to restore the famed Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in a Nazi raid over a hundred years earlier. But then Verity Kindle, a fellow time traveler, inadvertently brings back something from the past. Now Ned must jump back to the Victorian era to help Verity put things right -- not only to save the project, but to prevent altering history itself.
Connie Willis is a multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards winner, and I felt as if I got some Jane Austen mixed into my sci-fi. As a Jane Austen fan [big time, bet you'd not guess that], this book was a winner for me. I'll definitely give Connie's other books a read.
Novel Films Blogfest, hosted by Madeleine of Scribble and Edit, August 1-3. Listing of novels, comics and plays that you have BOTH read and seen the film/ TV adaptations. Madeleine provides a link on her site to help you pick out what you've seen and read.
The Spark Blogfest, hosted by Christine Tyler of The Writer Coaster, August 22-26. What book made you realize you were doomed to be a writer? What author was the spark of inspiration for your first ms?
My free reads have been accepted into the premium catalog, so soon they'll be available for download from B&N, Apple, Sony and more. Currently available in all ereader formats from Smashwords:
Other recommended reads:
Burning Love by Nomar Knight. I first read this story as a serial on Nomar's blog. Raw, original, dark and creative, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nomar kept surprising me, which kept me wanting more. I now thrill in owning a copy of it to read through again. Available from Amazon.
Twist and Burn by Libby Heily. A collection of flash fiction. Having read several pieces by Libby on her blog, I look forward to delving into this collection. She's always original and usually quirky and surprising. I love quirky and odd.


text:
Those waiting a change in the economy after the presidential election may not want to hold their breath, unless they can do it for two years. New research finds that political change produces little immediate impact.
In fact, the four business and finance professors who conducted the research found that the most-favorable returns in the stock market often are not seen until the third year of a presidency.
Their study, based on data from 1965 through 2008, also throws some cold water on the claims of both candidates regarding their economic policies. In particular, the researchers say, the political affiliation of the winning candidate has little bearing on the performance of the stock market. Stock returns for smaller stocks generally perform better when Democrats occupy the White House and bonds perform better with Republicans in office, they found, but political affiliation has little impact on the overall economy.
"While the party of the president garners much of the attention of the press, it appears that other factors have a much more prominent relationship with security returns," said researcher Gerald Jensen, a professor of finance at the Northern Illinois University College of Business.
Regardless of which party held office, the study found that political harmony between the White House and Congress is good for the market. Stock indexes – particularly those for smaller stocks – were 22 percent higher during times of political harmony, the researchers found.
"We have identified a relationship, but we aren't saying that one causes the other," said Jensen, a longtime researcher of the topics covered in the study.
Investors would be wise to focus more on how the election will affect the Federal Reserve, Jensen said.
"A tightening of Fed monetary policy generally precedes poor equity market performance and increased inflationary pressures," he said. "Ultimately, that factor seems to carry the greatest weight, so that is what investors should pay attention to. While the chairman of the Federal Reserve is appointed by the president, I don't think people pay much attention to what party he comes from. Instead they watch what he is doing.
"Perhaps they should look at politicians the same way. It's not their party affiliations that are important, but the policies that they put forth."
The results of the research appear in the paper "What to Expect When You're Electing," co-authored by Jensen; Scott B. Beyer, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business; Luis Garcia-Feijoo, assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University College of Business; and Robert R. Johnson, professor of finance at Creighton University College of Business.
Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89 or BusinessNewsDaily @bndarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.


text:
World Outreach International invites you to prayerfully consider taking up the decision to "GO" – that the Good News may be taken to the Least Reached People of the world. With growth happening and expansion needed, a number of WOI teams have opportunities to serve in a range of ways.
Please note that these opportunities are unsalaried roles. As with all WOI personnel, individuals have the privilege to gather a network of people to give financial and prayer support. We provide guidance on developing this team during the application process. Even if you cannot go yourself, please pray that workers will be sent or invite someone you know to take up one of these opportunities.


text:
Free PlayStation and Xbox Games for June
Free stuff is cool, and if you're signed-up with Sony's PlayStation Plus service (which will cost you £3.33 a month, if you've been thinking about getting it; or Microsoft's Xbox Gold service, you'll know that you get free games every month.
For your money, with PS+, you also get access to the online multiplayer service on your PlayStation 4, as well as the option to share games with your friends even if they don't own a copy.
You also get 10GB of cloud storage for your PS4 game saves.
For Xbox Live Gold members, you get free games (which are available for a limited period), discounts on an array of things, and basically it is the same thing as what Sony offer.
With all that, here's the games you can download for free for your PlayStation or Xbox.
Free PlayStation Games
Available on PlayStation 4
- Gone Home
Available on PlayStation 3
- Echochrome
- Siren: Blood Curse (Episodes 1-12)
Available on PS Vita
- God of War: Chains of Olympus
- Little Deviants
Free Xbox Games
Xbox One:
- Goat Simulator - June 1 - 30
- The Crew - June 16 - July 15
Xbox 360:
- Super Meat Boy - June 1 - June 15
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown - June 16 - June 30


text:
Zombie Cafe Wiki is Brought to you by:
Host Merchant Services. Reliable industry leader in merchant services. With 24 x 7 technical support and low rates, host merchant services can help you online business grow rapidly.
FocusArrow. Do you know what your customers really think of your business? FocusArrow provides unrivaled simplistic approache to creating actionable analytics about your customers utilizes a net promoter score discipline.
I'm a good friend to have I'll deliver any food unless it take a day or more to prepare