text:
Post Malone Announces New 2020 'Runaway' Tour Dates With Swae Lee
Post Malone has announced a new run of "Runaway" tour dates.
Meanwhile, Malone's Hollywood's Bleeding recently became the longest-running No. 1 album of the year.
02/04/2020 — Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center
02/05/2020 — Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
02/07/2020 — St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
02/09/2020 — Indianapolis, IN @ Banker's Life Fieldhouse
02/11/2020 — Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
02/12/2020 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
02/14/2020 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
02/16/2020 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Center
02/18/2020 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
02/19/2020 — Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum
02/21/2020 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
02/22/2020 — Hershey, PA @ Giant Center
02/24/2020 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
02/27/2020 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
02/29/2020 — Columbia, SC @ Colonial Life Arena
03/01/2020 — Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
03/03/2020 — Duluth, GA @ Infinite Energy Center
03/04/2020 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
03/06/2020 — Memphis, TN @ FedExForum
03/09/2020 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
03/10/2020 — Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
03/12/2020 — Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
03/14/2020 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
03/15/2020 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Arena *
03/17/2020 — Ontario, CA @ Toyota Arena *
03/19/2020 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
03/21/2020 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
* Swae Lee not performing


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from TECHNOLOGY NETWORKS
The Right Mouse Is Key for Huntington's Drug Development
News Dec 12, 2019 | Original story from IOS Press
Credit: Photo by Yunu Dinata on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/@yunu06_dinata
Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable and fatal hereditary disease. Developing disease-modifying drugs to treat patients with HD depends on studying them in animal models. Scientists evaluated the mouse models used for developing new treatments for mood disorders in HD and recommended which of these models are most relevant to their studies. Their findings are published in the Journal of Huntington's Disease.
"Patients with HD commonly suffer from debilitating mood disorders, but developing disease-modifying drugs for HD has proved to be extremely challenging," explained lead investigator Robert M. Friedlander, MD, MA, Chair and Walter E. Dandy Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurobiology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. "One reason could be that we are not using the right animal models in research."
The amount of serotonin transporter (SERT), a molecule commonly targeted by medications to regulate mood, is increased in the brain of patients with HD. Investigators compared SERT levels in normal and Huntington's brain tissue samples, as well as brain tissues from two different mouse models of the disease. They found that the amount of SERT was increased in HD patients compared with controls, and that this finding was modeled in one type of mouse model, but not another.
Investigators found that HD patients have significantly increased SERT protein levels in one region of the brain, the striatum, which coordinates multiple aspects of cognition, but not in the globus pallidus, which regulates voluntary movement. The neurodegenerative process commences in and most severely affects the striatum, affecting other brain regions as the disease progresses. This likely has an impact on the prevalent mood disorder in HD. Increased SERT levels are demonstrated in the brain of CAG140 mice, a full-length knock-in mouse model of the disease, but not in the striatum of the R6/2 fragment murine model of the disease.
Based on this parameter, the investigators recommend that the CAG140 huntingtin knock-in mouse model is more suitable than the R6/2 model for the study of serotonergic pathway pathology in HD. This is important because researchers should be sure to use the appropriate disease models when designing experiments. However, they conclude, there is no mouse model that completely recapitulates human HD. Each mouse model has its strengths and weaknesses and it is therefore important to use complementary models and always relate to known findings in human tissue.
"We found that not all HD mouse models are the same, so researchers need to use the models that are most relevant to their studies," commented Dr. Friedlander. "This advance in our understanding of the mood-related symptoms in HD is key to designing treatments that will improve the quality of life for patients with this disease."
HD is a fatal genetic neurodegenerative disease characterized by atrophy of certain regions of the brain. It causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. HD patients experience behavioral changes and uncontrolled movements. Symptoms include personality changes, mood swings and depression, forgetfulness and impaired judgment, and unsteady gait and involuntary movements (chorea). Every child of an HD parent has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the gene. Patients usually survive ten to twenty years after diagnosis.
Reference: He, Y., Suofu, Y., Yablonska, S., Wang, X., Larkin, T. M., Kim, J., … Friedlander, R. M. (2019). Increased Serotonin Transporter Expression in Huntington's Disease Patients Is Not Consistently Replicated in Murine Models. Journal of Huntington's Disease, 8(4), 449–457. https://doi.org/10.3233/JHD-180318
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Doubt Cast on the Use of Viagra for Fetal Therapy
University of Manchester scientists investigating a possible treatment for fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition in which babies grow poorly in the womb, have urged further caution on the use of Viagra.
Widely Consumed Oil Is Linked With Genetic Changes in the Brain
New UC Riverside research shows soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, and depression.
Why Have Multiple Sclerosis Drug Costs Tripled in Seven Years?
The cost of prescriptions for multiple sclerosis (MS) in the US drugs nearly tripled over seven years, and the introduction of a generic version of one of the most common drugs had little overall effect on prices, according to a new study .
Drug Discovery Neuroscience
Sourcing Fresh Human Blood Products for Research
Ligand-Receptor Binding Kinetics on the PHERAstar® Microplate Reader
Exploring Methods for Host Cell Protein Analysis
PAA to Showcase New Laboratory Automation Solutions at SLAS2020
Can Blue Light Help Heal Traumatic Brain Injury?
News Jan 17, 2020
Unraveling Parkinson's Protein Insights
How Alcohol Addiction – and Abstinence – Remodel the Brain
A Bigger Hippocampus Doesn't Mean Better Memory
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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social news desk
Social News Desk president, founder set to moderate social media panel
Kim Wilson, president and founder of Social News Desk, is set to moderate a social media panel discussion next month.
Wilson will do so following the Social Media Excellence Awards, presented Dec. 10 at TVNewsCheck's NewsTECHForum.
The event is intended to honor the innovative, creative and effective use of social media.
"Winners were selected by a panel of judges from an initial pool of nominees culled from Social News Desk's live database of 12,000 local news Facebook pages," TVNewsCheck said on its website. "Social News Desk calculated 15 million posts by those pages and identified those with the highest engagement per post as nominees in the awards' four categories."
The sixth annual NewsTECHForum will be held at the New York Hilton. It brings together engineering, news, production and digital leaders to discuss excellence in news storytelling and workflow.
Wilson founded Social News Desk in 2010 after having started her career in local TV news. She created the SND platform with the needs of a newsroom in mind. Graham Media Group acquired the company in 2014, and Wilson remains at the helm of Social News Desk as president and founder.
Today, more than 2,500 newsrooms across five continents use Social News Desk to post, manage, display and monetize social media. Wilson regularly speaks to news organizations and industry groups about social media strategy and routinely contributes to several popular social media publications.
Wilson is a graduate of the University of Florida with a BS in Telecommunications. She has served as a member of the University of Florida's Advisory Council to the College of Journalism since 2004. And, Social News Desk has been named one of the Top 15 Fastest Growing Companies led by a University of Florida graduate.
Tagged: social news desk, kim wilson


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JET 'update'
stainrod's elbow
Post by stainrod's elbow » Thu Nov 23, 2017 6:16 pm
http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/fo ... r-13944210
Taken from the fans' forum. I would love it (really loorve it) if the likes of JET had to rock up at the above events and answer to the fans in person. This is a player, ladies and gentlemen, who hasn't started a competitive game for us since April 2016, apparently! With our low-scoring forwards, you'd think he'd be busting a gut to break in to the starting XI. On his day, he could be a matchwinner; as it is, he's a lazy loser/tosser who clearly has little respect for his club, the fans, or his own profession.
His presence at HQ also represents a pretty pitiful crimp in the 'due diligence' of our DoF that it amazes me Les never seems to be challenged over - which I think there are (bad) reasons for. (And don't get me started on Caulker! If you're too to play the professional game, do the decent thing and tear up your contract.)
What with the seeming disappearance of grief-stricken/injured/ditched LuaLua, that seems to be three 'players' at least the squad is carrying. Is it me or is this something only QPR specialise in?
"There's a blue light/in my best friend's room" -Mazzy Star
willesdenr
Re: JET 'update'
Post by willesdenr » Thu Nov 23, 2017 7:43 pm
This is the answer from Clive, LFW to this clickbait site.
"That's a rehash of what Ferdinand said at the fans forum a week ago, with a clickbait headline stuck on the top that bears little relation to the tone in which it was said.
Full quote
"JET is still alive, but as Ian alluded to earlier there is criteria at the club that every player needs to follow and if he doesn't want to follow that he's not going to be part of the first team. It's down to him to get to where we need him to get to, if he gets there he'll be part of it."
No fcking chance. "
Post by westlondonlalala » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:00 pm
And I take it Goss adheres to the clubs expectations?
That's why he is also reported to be alive after not being seen all season.
Nick_Hammersmith
Post by Nick_Hammersmith » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:23 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ZENITH R
Location: North Derbyshire
Post by ZENITH R » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:58 pm
willesdenr wrote: ↑
No FLIPPING chance. "
Stop paying him! That would get him where we want him to be pdq!
Saturday 9th November 1968: QPR V Burnley in the First Division - I saw the Hoops for the first time and my obsession began!
Growing old is inevitable.
Growing up is optional.
Post by stainrod's elbow » Thu Nov 23, 2017 10:42 pm
It's not a 'rehash', is it - it's pretty much word for word what Les said, as far as I can see. If his tone was dismissive, that makes both him (as recruiter) and JET look even worse in my book.
It's amazing, isn't it? How many on this board could sign a contract, not put in the graft, and be allowed to carry on as if nothing were untoward? Football, eh?
UxbridgeR
Post by UxbridgeR » Fri Nov 24, 2017 9:26 am
stainrod's elbow wrote: ↑
Bad reasons ? Let me guess. Is it because he is.......Les' "mate" ?
You can understand the thinking in offering him a deal in the first place. He'd played his part in winning Bristol City promotion, and was available on a free. Always a gamble though, so the madness was in giving him a 3 year contract, which has left us stuck with a player who is clearly happy to just pick up his money every week for doing nothing.
Caulker was down to the previous regime. And honestly, how many players in the history of professional football have voluntarily torn up contracts worth tens of thousands of pounds a week ?
Are headphones getting bigger, or are idiots getting smaller ?
Post by stainrod's elbow » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:24 pm
You're missing the point I was wanting to make - which is about the seeming seclusion zone around Lesley when it comes to questioning/challenging him around player recruitment. (I'm still smouldering since the recent fans' forum, tbh - not least around Hoos smilingly telling us he's glad to be a selling club, all our players are always for sale, and IH not raising a murmur of dissent.)
You're also missing my point about Caulker - if the guy cannot/will not do his job on grounds of ill health, it ought to be possible (indeed mandatory) to let him go with some kind of payoff, as it would be in any other walk of working life. His actual salary shouldn't be here or there, but, given the fact that he'll still be on Prem wages, it's extra embarrassing for the club, or ought to be. This is where Hoos should be weighing in, I would have thought, not warbling on about free tickets for kids and whatever else.
Or, you're right, we could just grin and bear it where he and JET are concerned, because that's the way pro football is, and 'whoever heard of . . . ?' etc. etc.
Post by UxbridgeR » Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:08 pm
We're already in one protracted legal battle over FFP that has been dragging on for two and a half years and looks set to continue for another couple at least. God only knows what that's costing us. Would it really be sensible for a club with a potential £40M + fine hanging over its head and already cutting costs to the bone to be the first to try and force out two players are out of contract at the end of the season anyway ?
I appreciate the frustration but I really don't think we're in the best position to take a stand here.
Post by Nick_Hammersmith » Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:41 pm
I expect that they wouldn't be able to talk about specific contract situations in the forum.
I'd imagine that the contract is pretty ironclad though, geared as much as to stop Caulker leaving on a free (protecting our £8m investment) as trying to force him out.
Post by 222gers » Fri Nov 24, 2017 2:40 pm
It's even more galling when you see in this morning's papers that workers can expect their wages to fall in real terms for the next two DECADES. Also even people in work are relying on foodbanks.
These two parasites, possibly adding LuaLua as well to make three, just breeze along picking up thousands of pounds a week. You'd do the same in their situation some say. Actually, I don't think I would. It's a different situation, but I was put on gardening leave some years ago. I could have gone on for months just collecting my pay but got browned off, resigned and got another job that week.
Post by ZENITH R » Fri Nov 24, 2017 5:22 pm
Why is football so different from the 'real world' of employment.
If I sat on my backside and didn't do any work, I would be subject to disciplinary proceedings and finally sacked.
At the forum, it was said he (JET) is not where we want him to be. That means it's down to him, not the club. I think football in general should review it's policies for employee conduct.
It's one thing if you are injured - Onouha, Hall, Perch. It is totally another if you make yourself unavailable - JET Caulker
The club employs them, and pays their wages. If they are physically fit but not available to play - get them doing something else to earn their keep. The toilets will always need cleaning!
deadendjob
Post by deadendjob » Fri Nov 24, 2017 7:29 pm
ZENITH R wrote: ↑
I don't think that's a fair statement. Caulker's suffering from psychological issues, not making himself intentionally unavailable.
It's hard to know with Caulker. Some are giving him the benefit of the doubt but others saying he's taking the pi$$ ( no pun intended ). JET is bang to rights as a conniving layabout. LuaLua, on the odd occasion that he plays always looks as if he's doing his best to fall arse over tit and go on the list again.
SheepRanger
Location: Swine Down
Post by SheepRanger » Sat Nov 25, 2017 7:41 am
I seem to remember an interview with after is outting in the league cup this year. He looked and sounded a very troubled man from my view. A negative vibe in every sense and I really hope he gets better. I would guess hes picking up the last of his money for pension purposes and that will be him done from a football perspective. Perhaps lower leagues or overseas


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The Shear Must Go On
Last night, I bid farewell to the Kennedy Center, at least for now. My Spring Fling with the phenomenon known as "Shear Madness" went out with a real bang. Our shows earlier this week had small audiences of largely adults, a refreshing change for us. We've spent the last 18 weeks entertaining huge crowds of teens and pre-teens.
Our final performance did have the usual school groups, but what made the show memorable was the reaffirmation of that oldest of professional mottos: "The Show Must Go On." One of our cast members started the show feeling quite queasy, and truth be told, he probably should not have attempted to go on. But it was the last show for our company, and replacing him would have been more than problematic, so on he went.
Anyone who has seen the show recalls that the audience interaction is integral to the proceedings. Just as that section of the show began, Mark muttered something about leaving his toothbrush upstairs (it made sense at the time), and he bolted backstage. The rest of us gamely moved forward, covering Mark's absence while still making the plot points necessary for the Murder Mystery to progress.
Mark returned to us after several long, harrowing minutes, and the show continued as scripted (or as planned, I guess I should say, since much of the show is dependant on the non-scripted responses from the audience.)
It was a memorable show to take us out. I left the theatre knowing that "Shear Madness" remains the most challenging, but probably the most fun, gig in DC. I had a ball this session, only my third trip to "the salon" in about 10 years. We had a dynamite cast and raucously enthusiastic houses.
The administration worked very hard to allow me to do "Opus" at the Stage Guild simultaneously, and for that I'll be always grateful.
Because it is an ongoing show, the creators are very hands-on. This is not a production where the director checks out after opening night. We had consistent notes sessions, and notes emailed, throughout our run. It is the only way to keep such a show fresh and sharp. Not every actor is amenable to that kind of on-going attention, but the show is doing something right. It turns 20 years old next month.
Today is the first day since March that I have not been under contract to perform in one show or another. I have lots of fun stuff lined up for the summer and fall, so I am not complaining.
But, as usual with a piece that you love, it's a bittersweet feeling to be leaving "Shear Madness" behind. It's surely one of the hardest jobs I have ever worked, and one of the most rewarding.


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Months to marry and years to split as Chinese millionaire battles Vegas spouse | CBC News Loaded
British Columbia·In Depth
Months to marry and years to split as Chinese millionaire battles Vegas spouse
Peipei Li and Luhua Rao got married in a Las Vegas fever in April 2016. The B.C. courts have been sweating the dissolution of their union ever since.
Legal battle between former lovers and business partners spans continents and levels of B.C. justice
Jason Proctor · CBC News · Posted: Jun 11, 2019 5:00 AM PT | Last Updated: June 11, 2019
The battle between Chinese millionaire Luhua Rao and his Las Vegas bride Peipei Li has consumed the B.C. courts for nearly three years. (Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press)
Peipei Li and Luhua Rao got married in a Las Vegas fever in April 2016.
The B.C. courts have been sweating the dissolution of their union ever since.
The former romantic and business partners have faced off in both civil and family court. They've claimed and counterclaimed and accused each other of trying to manipulate both the Canadian and Chinese legal systems.
Three separate B.C. Supreme Court justices have already weighed in on elements of the case.
And this week, three Appeal Court justices will dissect the saga once again as Rao — a Chinese millionaire businessman — attempts to undo Li's lower court victories.
Who can settle this mess?
The Appeal Court actions centre on issues underlying the "multiplicity of legal proceedings" the pair have launched in Canada and in China — where Li is suing Rao for bigamy and he's trying to force her into trade arbitration.
They're questions that affect both the B.C. taxpayers footing the bill for the province's legal system as well as the couple using the courts to settle personal and financial grudges.
Judges at both the B.C. Supreme and B.C. Appeal Court levels have been asked to consider the saga of Peipei Li and Luhua Rao. (David Horemans/CBC)
What is the relationship between domestic courts and international bodies when parties have ties to both countries?
Who should have the final word on this messiest of marriages?
And is there a judge anywhere who can satisfy both parties?
Surprise! Another wife!
The basic facts of the case are quite simple. Rao was introduced to Li — an office administrator — during a business trip to Canada in August 2015.
They got married and also started a corporation called LPP Properties to invest in Vancouver real estate.
Luhua Rao alleges Peipei Li used $7 million of his money to buy this home in Vancouver's Shaughnessy neighbourhood. (Google Maps)
Li is the sole director of the company and although they are equal shareholders, Rao put in $17.6 million while Li contributed $1,000 to the venture.
About $7 million was used to purchase a home on Vancouver's west side.
According to Li's version of events, she didn't know Rao also had a wife in China.
"In late autumn 2016, the relationship between Ms. Li and Mr. Rao collapsed, and relations between the parties became acrimonious," reads a statement of claim filed by Li last summer.
"At no time prior to the breakdown in the relationship did Mr. Rao disclose to Ms. Li that he remained married in China."
'Unfair tactical advantage'
It's at this point in the story — nearly three years ago — that Li and Rao turned to the courts.
He sued her to get back the money he'd sunk into their business partnership — failing to mention the fact they'd been married — and then she sued him for divorce.
Luhua Rao and Peipei Li were married in Las Vegas in April 2016. They've been splitting up in B.C. courts almost ever since. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Sun via Associated Press)
Rao ultimately wanted to discontinue his lawsuit — asking a Chinese trade arbitration panel to rule on the matter instead.
One B.C. Supreme Court judge accused Rao of "attempting to achieve an unfair tactical advantage" and ordered him to stop taking further action in China.
Another judge annulled the marriage but wouldn't strike Li's demands for spousal support and a division of property.
Rao will argue to overturn both decisions in Appeal Court this week.
A Hong Kong meeting ...
But that's by no means the end of the tale.
Their Appeal Court seats will still be warm when the unhappy couple suit up in B.C. Supreme Court next week to argue another claim Li filed last summer alleging that she and Rao met in person in Hong Kong in March 2018 to agree on a settlement to the whole mess.
In a lawsuit filed last summer, Peipei Li claims she and Luhua Rao met in Hong Kong in March 2018 to discuss a settlement to their legal battle. (Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty)
She claims they agreed that he would get about $8 million and she would keep the house and all the remaining assets of LPP Properties.
Rao hasn't filed a response because he claims that if he did so Li might argue that he was acknowledging the jurisdiction of the B.C. courts to settle a claim he's hoping to have handled by Chinese arbitration.
Instead, Rao has applied to have the proceedings stayed.
And besides, he says, "that settlement agreement was never agreed to."
P.S. One more lawsuit
Oh, and one more thing.
LPP Properties, the real estate investment partnership Li and Rao formed when they were still in love — the one in which she's the sole director — filed a new lawsuit last week against Rao seeking $16 million plus interest for money he allegedly borrowed from the company.
No response has been filed and no hearing date has been set.
Alleged ex-lover's claim muddles multimillion-dollar battle over Vegas marriage
FINAL EPISODE of Sanctioned: The Arrest of a Telecom Giant
In one of his court filings, Rao claims he and Li spent at most 20 days together during the time they were actually married.
It's a fraction of the time it has taken them to split up.
Jason Proctor
@proctor_jason
Jason Proctor is a reporter in British Columbia for CBC News and has covered the B.C. courts and mental health issues in the justice system extensively.
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Import Deadline Approaching for Certain Off-Road Diesel Engines or Machines
Trade Update • DECEMBER 7, 2021
Importers and manufacturers of off-road engines or machines are reminded that the December 31st, 2021 importation deadline for the last remaining transition engine timeframe is fast approaching.
This deadline applies to so-called "transition engines" (see below) manufactured in 2015 or later with a power rating over 560 kW and an interim EPA Tier4 emission standard.
Emission standards for off-road diesel engines were introduced in 2006. Under a cross-border air quality agreement, Canada's emission standards and test methods for diesel engines are now directly aligned with those of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States.
Updated regulations that came into effect earlier this year, impose stricter standards and new requirements starting with engines of the 2012 and later model years. They apply to persons in the business of manufacturing, distributing, or importing for sale in Canada off-road diesel engines and machines, and to persons who import these engines and machines for their own use.
These standards apply to engines whether they are on their own (loose) or already installed in machines. Off-road diesel engines are commonly used in machines for construction, forestry, mining, and agriculture. Some examples of these machines include tractors, bulldozers, heavy haulers, and portable generators.
Transition Engines
Transition engines are those which meet previous emission standards (i.e. Interim Tier 4), instead of meeting the standards in place at the time they were made. Transition engines can be identified by the affixed emission control information label.
The importation and manufacture of transition engines have been allowed for two set time periods, the last of which concludes at the end of this year. Import or manufacture of transition engines must be done prior to the end of the set time frame. Also, all loose transition engines must be installed in or on a machine prior to the deadline.
Under these transitional provisions, engines that were manufactured in 2015 or later with a power rating over 560 kW meeting previous-tier standards can be imported into Canada until December 31, 2021, but not after this date.
Effective January 1, 2022, engines of any power category and model year meeting previous emission standards, instead of those in place at the time of their manufacture, will no longer be admissible into Canada.
Note: There are no provisions under the regulations that provide Environment Canada and Climate Change with the authority to extend the importation period or allow for the importation of transition engines after the deadline, regardless of the date of manufacture or the location of the engine or the machine equipped with such engine.
Importers who are bringing a regulated product into Canada or manufacturers producing such a product in Canada are responsible for ensuring they meet the applicable emission standards and administrative requirements. Individuals or companies who do not meet the requirements of the regulations may be subject to Administrative Monetary Penalties in accordance with ECCC's compliance and enforcement policy.
Should you have any questions about this regulatory deadline, don't hesitate to contact our Global Trade Services team.
Stay in the loop, stay compliant! Get weekly or daily insights into all things trade and event invites, delivered right to your inbox.
GHY2021-12-14T20:10:32+00:00December 8th, 2021|Canada Customs, Other Government Agencies/Depts.|
Expect Strict Enforcement of Xinjian Import Ban, Lawyers Warn
Reminder: HS2022 U.S. Tariff Changes Take Effect on January 27
Dems Propose Closing De Minimus Loophole for Imports from China
Canadian Government Sets New Limits on VOC Levels in Certain Consumer Products
Importing Live Horses into Canada – A Horse Is a Horse Unless It Is a Horse and Trailer
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Surprising New Concept for Boosting the Power of Flu Vaccines May Work for Future COVID-19 Vaccines
CincinnatiChildrens.org
Many people have understood that our immune systems get weaker as we age, which in part explains why older people often get less protection than younger ones from annual influenza vaccines.
Now a team of scientists led by experts at Cincinnati Children's have taken a deeper look at how the immune system changes with age--and what they've found could make often-mediocre flu vaccines much more protective.
Their study, published online July 29, 2020, in the journal Science Advances, reports that rather than being weaker, the immune system in the elderly is actively suppressed and that this suppression is reversible. Their data show that triggering a strong response to vaccination in the elderly depends on relieving this suppression, which is driven by a key group of cells within our immune system. The co-authors call them "Tfh 10" cells, which stands for Interleukin 10–producing T follicular helper cells.
"These Tfh10 cells accumulate dramatically in our bodies as we age, and they have the effect of making older individuals less responsive to invading pathogens and less responsive to vaccines," says corresponding author David Hildeman, Ph.D., Interim Director, Division of Immunobiology.
The good news: it appears possible to boost vaccine power by managing Tfh 10 cells in a way that avoids harming the useful roles the cells play in fending off other types of disease.
If successful in the years to come, their approach may increase vaccine efficacy in the elderly, potentially reducing deaths caused by yearly influenza outbreaks, which have claimed 12,000 to 61,000 American lives per year since 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The age-related variation in response to vaccines is a huge issue," Hildeman says. "The current influenza vaccine is roughly 90% protective in young people, but only about 30% effective in the elderly."
Could This Discovery Apply to Future COVID Vaccines?
"Yes, it could. As the elderly do not respond well to multiple vaccines, it is highly likely that the elderly will also not respond as well as the young to new vaccines, either for COVID-19 or other emerging pathogens," Hildeman says.
While some might be surprised to see a discovery that could help seniors coming from a pediatric medical center, many lines of research have no real age boundaries.
"Aging starts at birth," Hildeman says. "Often the lessons we learn about the decline of the immune system in later years can teach us about how the immune system begins in the young. The more we learn about defective immune responses in general, and strategies to overcome them, the more we can help kids with primary immunodeficiencies, and other immunologic diseases."
A Non-Stop Quest for Balance
Scientists at Cincinnati Children's have been studying the intricate details of the immune system for decades. Since the 1950s and the introduction of the Sabin oral polio vaccine, the medical center has been a leader in vaccine research—including working every year to help update influenza vaccine formulas and most recently recruiting thousands of people to test hopeful vaccines against COVID-19.
The new paper was co-authored by 20 experts at Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati plus colleagues in Germany, Alabama, and Indiana. It details a number of forces that act against each other as our immune systems respond over and over to infections. The study also describes how the balance of these elements changes as we age, with certain types of cells building up over the years to become more like harmful clutter instead of useful weapons.
In this study, the co-authors describe Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a force that contributes to a persistent low-grade state of immune activation called "inflammaging." This state gets worse with age and appears to make people more likely to become frail, develop Alzheimer's disease, or suffer the fatal effects of cardiovascular disease.
Meanwhile, the body fights high levels of IL-6 by producing IL-10, known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Over the years, repeated cycles of response and counter-response result in an interleukin arms race that often leaves older bodies with excess levels of both IL-6 and IL-10.
One of the breakthroughs laid out in the new paper was pinpointing exactly where undesirable levels of IL-10 come from. The team conducted dozens of different experiments to chase down false leads and rule out competing ideas, using several of the highest tech methods available today.
"These findings are the result of five years of work stemming from a long-standing collaboration between my lab and Dr. Claire Chougnet's lab, contributions from several faculty-level scientists, and particularly the hard work of one amazing former graduate student, Dr. Maha Almanan," Hildeman says.
The detectives ultimately traced excess IL-10 production to the cell type they dubbed Tfh 10. Then, in mouse models, they showed that simple blockade of IL-10 at the time of vaccination could restore the antibody response nearly to the level of young animals.
"Our data suggest that, instead of enhancing proinflammation, transient blockade of IL-10 could be a novel strategy to enhance vaccine responses in the elderly and, due to its transient nature, is unlikely to have untoward effects on autoimmunity, cardiovascular disease, or frailty," the co-authors state.
While the new paper reflects a combination of advanced computational and experimental lab work, much of which was confirmed in experiments involving mouse models and human cells, more studies are needed to demonstrate that Tfh 10 cells can be safely managed in people. Then more research will be needed to see how much of a boost to vaccine power can be achieved.
"We are currently in the process of testing whether IL-10 blockade will restore vaccine responses in larger mammals," Hildeman says. "If that proves effective, that would open the door to clinical trials."
Cincinnati Children's and the co-authors have filed a patent application for their discovery. Someday, if future projects succeed, the co-authors envision seniors receiving one shot that would temporarily prevent IL-10 from interfering with the body's response to a vaccine, but not permanently diminish IL-10 levels, and then the vaccine.
"If we can achieve that, the potential impact on lives could be felt worldwide," Hildeman says.
About This Study
In addition to Hildeman, Cincinnati Children's co-authors include: first author Maha Almanan, contributing authors Jana Raynor (now at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), Anna Malyshkina, Shibabrata Mukherjee, Sarah Hummel, Ankur Saini, Theresa Alenghat, Sing Sing Way, Senad Divanovic, Harinder Singh, Emily Miraldi, and Claire Chougnet.
Co-authors also included Markus Xie and George Deepe Jr. from the University of Cincinnati; Ireti Ogunsulire and Christoph Hölscher of the Research Center Borstel in Germany; Jennifer Ingram and Allan Zajac of the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and A. L. Dent of Indiana University.
This work was supported by five NIH grants (AG033057, AI132771, DK114123, DK116868, and AI049360). The patent application "Methods of improving vaccine responsiveness" is filed under docket number 47108-535001US.


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Verizon and Cisco to Extend Software-defined Networking to Support Future 5G Mobile Devices for Enterprise
BARCELONA - Mobile World Congress - February 24, 2019 – As businesses aim to stay ahead of an increasingly digital economy, Verizon is expanding its offerings to help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation to support future 5G capabilities. Verizon's Virtual Network Services will support 5G devices on Cisco's software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) platform, making it easier to manage network traffic and application performance across a wide area network on both public and private networks.
Verizon's Virtual Network Services will now support Cisco's SD-WAN portfolio using Cisco's intent-based networking capabilities, allowingenterprises to leverage the performance of 5G when using services such as network slicing and mobile edge computing.
"These solutions highlight what a transformative platform 5G will be for enterprises," said Shawn Hakl, senior vice president, Business Products, Verizon. "Cisco has been a close technology partner in driving SD-WAN based transformation in campus and branch environments, and we look forward to bridging those same best practices to mobile devices."
"We're excited to partner with Verizon to take the next step in SD-WAN. 5G is a transformational technology, and when combined with Cisco SD-WAN, users' application experience can be better than ever before," said Scott Harrell, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Networking Business, Cisco."Verizon's new Mobile SD-WAN will help enterprise customers quickly and easily transition to 5G, giving them an edge as we embrace the next generation of mobile connectivity."
SD-WAN technology has become a popular approach to connecting enterprise wide area networks, including branch offices and data centers, over public and private connectivity services. The new offer from Verizon and Cisco sets the stage for enterprises to use Verizon's future 5G network as an extension of their campus and branch infrastructure and enable more control of the application performance on mobile and IoT devices. Potential use cases include the ability to enable an intelligent security perimeter for mobile workers, ensuring that access to corporate assets are governed by their security posture, with a different slice or policy on per application basis from the users' devices. IoT devices that sit outside the campus or branch could be managed and secured with the same network and security tools used inside the campus, giving enterprises a unified approach to applying networking and security policy across any environment.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York City, generated revenues of $130.9 billion in 2018. The company operates America's most reliable wireless network and the nation's premier all-fiber network, and delivers integrated solutions to businesses worldwide. With brands like Yahoo, TechCrunch and HuffPost, the company's media group helps consumers stay informed and entertained, communicate and transact, while creating new ways for advertisers and partners to connect. Verizon's corporate responsibility prioritizes the environmental, social and governance issues most relevant to its business and impact to society.
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.
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Cisco and EOLO Team Up to Knock Down the Digital Divide in Italy
News Summary: EOLO is first service provider in southern Europe
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News Summary: WebSprix to deploy Cisco Routed Optical Networking
TIM Launching Open Caching to Improve Video Streaming Experience
News Summary TIM is the first service provider in Brazil to


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If this is an emergency and you are in need of immediate assistance dial 911
Violent Offenders
Northwoods Inn & Suites manager John Pontes charged with 'extorting tenants for sexual favours' 74-year-old charged with three counts of sexual assault
Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre Inc., EGADZ will to support any victim that comes forward. Please contact EGADZ Outreach 306.221.3719.
By Dan Zakreski, CBC News Posted: Nov 28, 2017 11:08 AM CT
The owner-manager of the Northwoods Inn & Suites in Saskatoon has been charged with three counts of sexual assault and two counts of uttering threats.
John Pontes, 74, appeared in provincial court Tuesday morning.
The Crown opposed his release. Pontes returns to court Wednesday.
According to court documents, the assaults are alleged to have taken place in Saskatoon between Jan. 5 and June 4 of this year.
The sister of one of the alleged victims told CBC that Pontes used his position of authority at the motel to extort sex from her sister, who was a tenant. Her sister has since left the motel.
In a news release, police said they began investigating the suspect in February of 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct. Police allege their investigation found that the suspect was extorting tenants for sexual favours.
Pontes previously fined $45K
The hotel is on Idylwyld Drive. (CBC)
In July 2014, Pontes was fined $45,000.
The Court of Queen's Bench had found that Pontes sexually harassed a female hotel clerk in 2009.
Northwoods Inn & Suites Manager John Pontes fined for sexual harassment
In a news release at the time, David Arnot, chief commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, said the case set a significant legal precedent.
"The judgment is financially notable as the damages provided by the Code far exceed usual damages for wrongful dismissal," he said. "This is a clear message that egregious human rights violations will not be tolerated in the workplace."
Crackdown at Saskatoon motel forces vulnerable tenants out
According to the judgment, an investigator from the commission said Pontes had broken the Human Rights Code four times before this.
In 2015, a Public Health investigation into living conditions at the motel displaced people — including Social Services clients — who were living at the hotel.
The investigation found that several suites at the motel were unfit for habitation and others were found to have hazardous conditions.
Family forced out of Northwoods finds new home
Saskatoon police probe suspicious death at motel on Idylwyld Drive
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/northwood-inn-and-suites-manager-john-pontes-charges-with-sexual-assault-1.4422807
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Alan Weiss's Monday Morning Memo® – 01/13/2020
Alan Weiss's Monday Morning Memo®
This was a week of escape. Carlos Ghosn, an arrogant, profligate businessman who led a life of nearly unrivaled opulence, was spirited out of Japan in a plebian box otherwise used for concert equipment. But his treatment by what is by any account a draconian Japanese justice system, with a "thumb-on-the-scale" in favor of conviction (prosecutors have a 95%+ conviction rate), creates a certain sympathy for him. He was denied seeing his wife for months over the holidays, for example, and the case could easily have dragged on for years.
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, decided to head for North America, a slap in the face to the royal family, to shed the flypaper of royal claustrophobia, and live in Canada and probably southern California. What might seem like a forfeiture of the accountability that accompanies privilege for the couple, pales in the face of aggressive, non-relenting racism by the British press and even the royal family (Princess Michael of Kent flaunted what was deemed a racist broach in Meghan's presence and made a later, lame apology). This is a country where the tabloids should have been indicted as co-conspirators in the death of Harry's mother, Princess Diana. And now they pursue his wife.
Normally, I don't like people who run away instead of staying to fight, or prove their innocence, or change the system. But there comes a time when you realize the very institutions in which you are embedded are implacably against you.
Which is why, paraphrasing Jefferson, "I tremble when I reflect that God is just," when I consider the US education and justice systems. Unless we can manifest fairness in society, we can expect people to try to opt out of it.
Children need to get a high-quality education, avoid violence and the criminal-justice system, and gain jobs. But they deserve more. We want them to learn not only reading and math but fairness, caring, self-respect, family commitment, and civic duty. — Colin Powell
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Episode 118: Why We Believe What We Believe
Episode 117: Limited Responses


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Dutchman creates art in the Nevada desert
An odd group of figures has appeared on the grounds of Goldwell Open Air Museum at Rhyolite. Life-size puppets, they are the work of Dutch artist Onny Huisink.
By Richard Stephens Special to the Pahrump Valley Times
Richard Stephens/Special to the Pahrump Valley Times Dutch artist Onny Huisink, left, and his young carpenter, Koen Broersen, sit with the puppets. The artist says the crudeness of the puppets is intentional.
Richard Stephens/Special to the Pahrump Valley Times A look at work on the installation. Dutch artist Onny Huisink and his carpenter, Koen Broersen, enjoyed their brief sojourn to the Nevada desert.
The puppets, moved not by strings but by the wind, were originally characters in a play in Amsterdam presented by Speeltheater Holland. Made of coarse fabric stuffed with sheep's wool, they are intended to suffer the ravages of the weather as part of Huisink's project, "The Beauty of Decay."
The artist says the crudeness of the puppets is intentional. "They are rough like the people in the village in the play."
"Starmaker" was the title of the play, and it was about a con man who convinced the people of a village, including a mafioso, that he was making a movie in which they would star.
One of the puppets is sitting on a bench, and the others are around it. Visitors are encouraged to take selfies with them and to email the photos to the artist. This will enable him to monitor their condition.
When the puppets have reached a certain state of decay, Huisink plans to return to recover them and place them in an exhibit along with others he has installed in various locations around the world. A selection of visitor selfies will also become part of the exhibit.
Huisink, who was knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands in 2013 for his contributions to the arts, has had a varied career as a puppeteer, actor, director, and artist. During his days in the theater, he frequently worked in the United States, including at Robert Redford's Sundance.
The artist and his carpenter, Koen Broersen, enjoyed their brief sojourn to the Nevada desert. Huisink was particularly impressed by the open spaces and the quiet. "Holland is so crowded. Everywhere there is noise. Everywhere are people."
"I have seen a lot of the world in my work. This is one of the most beautiful places I've worked. Really amazing."
The Dutchmen stayed in Beatty while working on the project, frequently visiting with locals in the Happy Burro Chili and Beer or KC's Outpost.
"They think I am crazy, but you can be crazy in Beatty. There are a lot of crazy people, and very open, very welcoming. The social feeling in a good way is very strong. You can be crazy, and they accept you."
Huisink said he was saddened by the impression that there were a lot of poor people in Beatty. "In Holland, there are not so many rich people and poor people. Everyone can study. Everyone can go to the hospital."
The artist speaks of his puppets almost as if they were real people, actors in a play. "I once was the director," he says, "but now they are directed by the elements. The puppets need movement; then they can come alive. When it is rough weather, they get nervous and want to run away."
"Because they are rough, some people will think they are rubbish. But sometimes they think the same thing about people."
Of this project, Huisink says it is a return to the spirit of play he had as a child. "When you keep the freedom of play you had as a child, then you can be happy all of your life."
Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.
Posted on: Community, News


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Antonio Marras Pre-Fall 2022
Marshawn Lynch's Beast Mode Web Site to Be Operated by Fanatics
The NFL running back started the lifestyle apparel brand in 2014.
By Jean E. Palmieri Plus Icon
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A screen shot of the Beast Mode web site.
NFL running back and free agent Marshawn Lynch has tapped Fanatics to operate the online and mobile experience for his Beast Mode apparel brand. This marks the first time Fanatics, the leader in the sale of officially licensed sports merchandise, has worked directly with an athlete, celebrity or influencer.
Lynch launched Beast Mode during the 2014-15 NFL season and the line posted strong sales during Superbowl XLIX when Lynch's team at the time, the Seattle Seahawks, won the contest in Phoenix. It got another boost late last year when Lynch came out of retirement to return to the Seahawks.
"Being the first athlete to have this deal with Fanatics is dope," Lynch said. "I'm hella honored to be part of their family. They're the best in the biz when it comes to online shopping in this category, and this partnership gives fans around the world the ability to proudly rep the Beast Mode brand and gear."
Under Fanatics' tutelage, the online platform will be enhanced with a wider assortment of products, high-resolution photos and easier checkouts. It will be available to fans around the world through their phones, desktop computers and tablets.
Beast Mode offers tops, bottoms, hats, underwear, accessories for men and women and there are plans to collaborate with other athletes in the future, Lynch said without providing any names.
Lynch will donate a percentage of sales from every Beast Mode item sold to the Fam1st Family Foundation, which assists in the education and empowerment of underserved youth in Oakland, Calif., Lynch's hometown where the brand is based.
Lynch was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2007 and gained more than 10,000 rushing yards during his career with the Bills, Seahawks and Raiders. He appeared in five Super Bowls. Beast Mode also operates a retail store n Oakland and plans to open another at the Manadalay Bay in Las Vegas in the fall of 2020.


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« Sermonette: Did Peter, Paul, & John keep Easter Sunday or Passover?
'China's Belt and Road Continues to Win Over Europe While Technocrats Scream and Howl' »
Terrorists strike churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, killing hundreds; What were 'St. Thomas Christians'?
St. Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade (AntanO)
Terrorists killed hundreds throughout Sri Lanka:
Sri Lankan military officials stand guard in front of the St. Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 21, 2019.
In the deadliest violence in Sri Lanka in a decade, multiple explosions ripped through churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday leaving more than 200 dead and more than 400 others wounded.
The first six blasts that began around 8.45 am local time were coordinated and claimed most of the fatalities while two smaller blasts took place several hours later. The targets of the bombings were Catholic worshippers attending Easter prayers at churches in three cities and tourists. ..
The capital Colombo, where three major hotels and one church were targeted, bore the brunt of the mayhem. …
Sri Lanka witnessed nearly a quarter century of violence, bombings and terror attacks that often hit high profile targets during a bloody civil war led by Tamil guerrillas for an independent homeland for the ethnic community, but the insurgency was crushed in 2009.
Since then the tiny country has witnessed some political instability and sporadic incidents religious and ethnic violence, but no violence of the kind that shattered its calm on Sunday.
Christian groups have said they face increasing intimidation from hardline Buddhist monks in recent years. However such harassment is on a relatively minor level, says Jehan Perera who heads the National Peace Council in Colombo. https://www.voanews.com/a/d-deadly-blasts-hit-sri-lankan-churches-on-easter/4884872.html
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — At least 207 people were killed and hundreds more injured in eight blasts that rocked churches and hotels in and just outside Sri Lanka's capital on Easter Sunday, officials said, pitching the South Asian island nation into the worst chaos it has seen since a bloody civil war ended a decade ago.
Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena, who described the blasts as a terrorist attack by religious extremists, told reporters Sunday evening that seven suspects had been arrested, though no one immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the violence could trigger instability in the country and its economy. …
Two of the blasts were suspected to have been carried out by suicide bombers, a senior official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with reporters. Worshippers and hotel guests were among the dead, the official said.
Sri Lanka's foreign secretary, Ravinath Aryasinghe, said the bodies of 27 foreigners were recovered from the blast sites. …
St. Anthony's Shrine and the three hotels where the blasts took place are frequented by foreign tourists.
Local TV showed damage at the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels.
The Shangri-La's second-floor restaurant was gutted in the blast, with the ceiling and windows blown out. Loose wires hung and tables were overturned in the blackened space.
A police magistrate was at the hotel to inspect the bodies recovered from the restaurant. From outside the police cordon, three bodies could be seen covered in white sheets.
Alex Agieleson, who was near St. Anthony's Shrine, said buildings shook with the blast, and that a number of injured people were carried away in ambulances.
The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, called on Sri Lanka's government to launch a "very impartial strong inquiry" and to punish those found responsible "mercilessly because only animals can behave like that." https://www.apnews.com/55d93daed99c4f76baf7deec1bce5c72
Sri Lankan officials know the identity of at least one group involved in this, but have refrained from making that public as of the time I am writing this.
As far as the locations of the attacks go (ignore the death count as they went up after the following Tweets), the map in the final Tweet shows their locations:
Map of the locations of the attacks in #SriLanka #Easter in which more than 100 murdered, we can see the important hotels struck all in a line in the central areas, churches were struck also north and east of the city, one on east coast. pic.twitter.com/OnZL9HBmBd
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) April 21, 2019
The families of those affected are in my prayers.
The facade of 'St. Anthony's Shrine' looks a lot like that of Notre Dame, part of which was destroyed by a fire several days ago (see Notre Dame on Fire).
In 1984, my wife and I went to Sri Lanka for the Feast of Tabernacles. About 100 or so attended. Here are two photos taken at that feast:
Some day, I suspect I will go back to Sri Lanka.
While Sri Lanka is predominantly Buddhist, it has significant numbers of Hindus and Muslims.
Anyway, as far as these terrible attacks go, they brought the following to mind:
13 "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips";
14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known."
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:13-18)
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (2 Timothy 3:1-4).
Terroristic murderers are brutal. Many are boasters, proud, without self-control. Sadly, the attacks in Sri Lanka are part of the many terrorist incidents in these times that fit many of the warnings in 2 Timothy 3.
Notice that terror for the corrupt was prophesied:
5 They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. … 25 The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within (Deuteronomy 32:5,25)
We continue to see shootings and other terroristic acts.
The Bible teaches:
9…You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:9-10)
The Bible shows that God is against violence and that destruction will come because of it:
23 'Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled. (Ezekiel 7:23-24)
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality…30…violent, proud, boasters,…31…unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity. 4 No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. (Isaiah 59:3-4)
Jesus warned:
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)
We are in a time of "troubles." We are in the "beginning of sorrows."
A worse time of 'tribulation' is coming (Mark 13:19) and is getting closer.
As far as religious history goes, the article by the Associated Press also stated:
Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas the Apostle visited Sri Lanka and southern India in the decades after the death of Christ. 04/21/19 https://www.apnews.com/55d93daed99c4f76baf7deec1bce5c72
It is believed that Christianity came to India, and perhaps Sri Lanka, in the first century.
Jesus named twelve men to be apostles and commissioned them to take the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:19-20). One of those was Bartholomew, and another was Thomas who was called "the twin" (John 20:24).
In the early third century, Hippolytus wrote about Bartholomew and Thomas:
Bartholomew, again, preached to the Indians, to whom he also gave the Gospel according to Matthew, and was crucified with his head downward, and was buried in Allanum, a town of the great Armenia…
And Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Margians, and was thrust through in the four members of his body with a pine spears at Calamene, the city of India, and was buried there (Hippolytus. On The Twelve Apostles).
This may be the earliest reference to any form of Christianity coming to the Indian subcontinent. Thus, apparently at least two of the original apostles made it to India.
The 4th century historian Eusbius wrote:
Pantænus was one of these, and is said to have gone to India. It is reported that among persons there who knew of Christ, he found the Gospel according to Matthew, which had anticipated his own arrival. For Bartholomew, one of the apostles, had preached to them, and left with them the writing of Matthew in the Hebrew language, which they had preserved till that time (Eusebius. The History of the Church History, Book V, Chapter X, Verse 3. Translated by A. Cushman McGiffert. Digireads.com Publishing, Stilwell (KS), 2005, p. 105).
Probably because they were Christians who held more in common with the true Christians in Asia Minor, Pantænus left and returned to Alexandria as he was NOT a Judaeo-Christian (Ibid, verse 4).
And that seems to be the view of a modern Catholic scholar, who also apparently believes that the type of Christianity to first make it to India was that of the Judaeo-Christians:
At the end of the 2nd century the Alexandrine Pantanaenus went to India to preach the Gospel. The inhabitants already had the Hebrew text of the Gospel of St. Matthew, which they received from St. Bartholomew (HE 5,10,3). Recapitualting these short notices on the Judaeo-Christians…
(Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Circumcision. Nihil obstat: Marcus Adinolfi. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 26 Junii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, p.29).
Judaeo-Christians kept the Sabbath, observed the Passover on the 14th of Nisan, did not eat pork, etc. (Ibid, pp. 13-14,34).
One legend, that was written down in the late 1800s, but has been questioned, concerns Thomas:
The Rabban Song, which has been passed down orally by generations of Indian Christians, recounts Thomas' career in India in some detail. It states that the apostle arrived in India in late A.D. 49, stayed briefly then went to China. This generally agrees with Indian traditions. Such a trip would have occurred shortly after Thomas's arrival in South India. Farquhar and Garitte believe that it is unlikely that Thomas actually went to China proper–certainly not Peking–within the short space of perhaps a year alotted by the Indian narratives. They believe that he did evangelize in what are now Burma and Malaysia for a short time before returning to South India. According to the Rabban Song, between A.D. 52 and 59 Thomas founded seven churches and baptized one king…In A.D. 69, Thomas settled permanently in Mylapore…According to most Indian traditions, Thomas died of stab wounds on July 3, A.D. 72. The Braham priests of Mylapore feared that Christianity would eclipse Hinduism (Ruffin C.B. The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary. Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington (IN), 1997, pp. 132-134).
"St. Thomas Christians" are claimed to be an ancient body of professing Christians on the east and west coasts of India. They claim spiritual descent from the Apostle Thomas and also claim various versions of the Ramban Pattu (Rabban Song). While none that I am aware of still keep the same faith that the Apostle Thomas kept, as they eventually accepted Roman dominance, it is probable that the Apostle Thomas was there and that there have been Christians in India since the times of the apostles (it should also be noted that there is, however, a congregation in the South-east coastal region of India in the area of Bhimavaram that does practice true Christianity–it is just that they do not refer to themselves as "St. Thomas Christians."
Some have claimed that Thomas built the first Christian church building there, though that is denied by others (Grey LE. No early church buildings because God called early Christians to build church communities (Part 002), September 8, 2009. http://www.examiner.com/article/no-early-church-buildings-because-god-called-early-christians-to-build-church-communities-part-002).
The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions this about the "St. Thomas Christians":
St. Thomas Christians An ancient body of Christians on the east and west coasts of India, claiming spiritual descent from the Apostle St. Thomas …
Theophilus (surnamed the Indian) — an Arian, sent by Emperor Constantius (about 354) on a mission to Arabia Felix and Abyssinia — is one of the earliest, if not the first, who draws our attention to them … The people referred to were the Christians known as a body who had their liturgy in the Syriac language and inhabited the west coast of India, i.e. Malabar …
Gregory of Tours (Glor. Mart.), before 590, reports that Theodore, a pilgrim who had gone to Gaul, told him that in that part of India where the corpus (bones) of Thomas the Apostle had first rested (Mylapur on the east or the Coromandel Coast of India) there stood a monastery and a church of striking dimensions and elaboratedly adorned, adding: "After a long interval of time these remains had been removed thence to the city of Edessa." The location of the first tomb of the Apostle in India is proof both of his martyrdom and of its Apostolate in India. The evidence of Theodore is that of an eyewitness who had visited both tombs — the first in India, while the second was at Edessa. The primitive Christians, therefore, found on both coasts, east and west, witness to and locate the tomb at Mylapur, "St. Thomas", a little to the south of Madras; no other place in India lays any claim to possess the tomb, nor does any other country. On these facts is based their claim to be known as St. Thomas Christians…
There is one incident of the long period of isolation of the St. Thomas Christians from the rest of the Christian world which they are never tired of relating, and it is one of considerable importance to them for the civil status it conferred and secured to them in the country. This is the narrative of the arrival of a Syrian merchant on their shores, a certain Mar Thoma Cana — the Portuguese have named him Cananeo and styled him an Armenian, which he was not. He arrived by ship on the coast and entered the port of Cranganore. The King of Malabar, Cheruman Perumal, was in the vicinity, and receiving information of his arrival sent for him and admitted him to his presence…
It was only after the conversion of Sulaka in 1552 that the Chaldeans in part returned to the unity of faith. The truth is that the Malabar Church remained from A.D. 496 up till then in heresy….
During the centuries that these Christians were isolated from the rest of Christendom, their sole intercourse was limited to Mesopotamia…But from the close of the thirteenth century Western travellers, chiefly missionaries sent out by the popes, sent to the West occasional news of their existence (Medlycott, A.E. Transcribed by Mary and Joseph P. Thomas. St. Thomas Christians. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV. Published 1912. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, July 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
Whether or not Thomas Cana was completely Syrian or part Armenian, the religion that his followers embraced was not one that allowed them to accept the authority of the Roman Church. Thomas Cana is believed to have died around 346 A.D. But eventually (after 1552) the bulk of the "St. Thomas Christians" accepted Roman authority–hence would no longer have some of the characteristics of the early Christian church.
A once eminent church historian, Michael Geddes, wrote of some in Malabar who claimed to come from Armenia:
"The three great doctrines of popery, the pope's supremacy, transubstantiation, the adoration of images, were never believed nor practiced at any time in this ancient apostolical church. . . . I think one may venture to say that before the time of the late Reformation, there was no church that we know of, no, not that of the the Vaudois, . . . that had so few errors in doctrine as the church of Malabar." He adds concerning those churches "where never within the bounds of the Roman Empire," "it is in those churches that we are to meet with the least of the leaven of popery." (Preface to: Acts and Decrees of the Synod of Diamper. Cited in Andrews J.N. History of the Sabbath and the First Day of the Week. 3rd edition, 1887. Reprint Teach Services, Brushton (NY), 1997, p. 430).
J.W. Massie further describes them:
"The creed with which these representatives of an ancient line of Christians cherished was not in conformity with papal decrees, and has with difficulty been squared with the thirty-nine articles of the Anglican episcopacy. Separated from the western world for a thousand years, they were naturally ignorant of many novelties introduced by the councils and decrees of the Lateran; and their conformity with the faith and practice of the first ages, laid them open to the unpardonable guilt of heresy and schism as estimated by the church of Rome. 'We are Christians and not idolators,' was their expressive reply when required to do homage to the image of the Virgin Mary. . . . La Croze states them at fifteen hundred churches, and as many towns and villages. They refused to recognize the pope, and declared they have never heard of him; they asserted the purity and primitive truth of their faith since they came, and their bishops had for thirteen hundred years been sent from the place where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians." (Continental India, vol. 2, pp. 116,117. Cited in Andrews J.N. History of the Sabbath and the First Day of the Week. 3rd edition, 1887. Reprint Teach Services, Brushton (NY), 1997, p. 430).
J.N. Andrews wrote:
The Sabbatarian character of these Christians is hinted by Mr. Yeates. He says that Saturday "amongst them in a festival day, agreeable to the ancient practice of the church."
"The ancient practice of the church," as we have seen, was to hallow the seventh day in memory of the Creator's rest. This practice has been suppressed wherever the great apostasy has had power to do it. But the Christians of the East Indies, like those of Abyssinia, have lived sufficiently remote from Rome to be preserved in some degree from its blasting influence. The same fact is further hinted by the same writer in the following language:
"The inquisition was set up at Goa in the Indies, at the instance of Francis Xaverius [a famous Romish saint] who signified by letters to Pope John lll., Nov. 10, 1545, `That the JEWISH WICKEDNESS spread every day more and more in the parts of the East Indies subject to the kingdom of Portugal, and therefore he earnestly besought the said king, that to cure so great an evil he would take care to send the office of the inquisition into those countries."
"The Jewish wickedness" was doubtless the observance of Saturday as "a festival day agreeable to the ancient practice of the church" of which this author has just spoken. The history of the past, as we have seen, shows the hatred of the papal church toward the Sabbath. And the struggle of that church to suppress the Sabbath in Abyssinia, and to subject that people to the pope which at this very point of time was just commencing, shows that the Jesuits would not willingly tolerate Sabbatic observance in the East Indies, even though united with the observance of Sunday also (Andrews J.N. History of the Sabbath and the First Day of the Week. 3rd edition, 1887. Reprint Teach Services, Brushton (NY), 1997, pp. 430-431).
Notice that Christians who kept the Sabbath in India were condemned, not as Christians, but as Jews:
The Judges of the Holy Office might readily ascertain the truth or falsehood of the charge of Judaism, would they take the trouble to investigate the matter without prejudice; and to consider, that of an hundred persons condemned to be burnt as Jews, there are scarcely four who profess that faith at their death; the rest exclaiming and protesting to their last gasp, that they are Christians, and have been so during their whole lives; that they worship our Saviour … (Dellon, Charles and Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy. I. Wilson and B. (Benjamin) Crosby, editors. Dellon's account of the Inquisition at Goa: translated from the French. Joseph Simmons, 1812. Original from the Complutense University of Madrid. Digitized Jan 12, 2009, p. 64)
And this happened in other areas of the Inquisition, too, like Spain.
In the early 1800s, a Church of England clergyman named C. Buchanan reported more about various beliefs and history of those who professed Christ outside of Rome in southern India:
The Syrian Christians inhabit the interior of Travancore and Malabar, in the South of India, and have been settled there from the early ages of Christianity. The first notices of this ancient people, in recent times, are to be found in the Portuguese histories. When Vasco de Gama arrived at Cochin, on the coast of Malabar, in the year 1503, he saw the sceptre of the Chris? tian King; for the Syrian Christians had formerly regal power in Malay-Ala. The name or title of their last King was Beliarte; and he dying without issue, the dominion devolved on the King of Cochin and Diamper.
When the Portuguese arrived, they were agreeably surprised to find upwards of a hundred Christian Churches on the coast of Malabar. But when they became acquainted with the purity and simplicity of their worship, they were offended. "These Churches," said the Portuguese, "belong to the Pope."—" Who is the Pope ?" said the natives, "we never heard of him." The European priests were yet more alarmed, when they found that these Hindoo Christians maintained the order and discipline of a regular Church under Episcopal Jurisdiction: and that for 1300 years past, they had enjoyed a succession of Bishops appointed by the Patriarch of Antioch. " We," said they, "are of the true faith, whatever you from the West may be; for we come from the place where the followers of Christ were first called 'Christians.' "
When the power of the Portuguese became sufficient for their purpose, they invaded these tranquil Churches, seized some of the Clergy, and devoted them, to the death of heretics. Then the inhabitants heard for the first time that there was a place called the Inquisition; and that its fires had been lately lighted at Goa, near their own land. But the Portuguese, finding that the people were resolute in defending their ancient faith, began to try more conciliatory measures. They seized the Syrian Bishop, Mar Joseph, and sent him prisoner to Lisbon, and then convened a Synod at one of the Syrian Churches called Diamper, near Cochin, at which the Romish Archbishop Menezes presided. At this compulsory Synod, 150 of the Syrian Clergy appeared. They were accused of the following practices and opinions, "That they had married wives; that they owned but two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper; that they neither invoked Saints, nor worshipped images, nor believed in Purgatory: and that they had no other orders or names of dignity in the Church, than Priest and Deacon." These tenets they were called on to abjure, or to suffer suspension from all Church benefices. It was also decreed that all the Syrian books on Ecclesiastical subjects, that could be found, should be burned; " in order," said the Inquisitors, "that no pretended apostolical monuments may remain." (Buchanon C. Christian researches in Asia, 10th edition. T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1814. Original from the New York Public Library. Digitized Jul 21, 2006, pp. 106-109)
Hence, those in India claimed "apostolic succession" and had nothing to do with Roman pontiffs until they were persecuted.
C. Buchanan also reported:
"The history of the Armenian church is very interesting. Of all the Christians in Central Asia, they have preserved themselves most free from Mahometan and papal corruptions. The pope assailed them for a time with great violence, but with little effect. The churches in lesser Armenia indeed consented to an union, which did not long continue; but those in Persian Armenia maintained their independence; and they retain their ancient Scriptures, doctrines, and worship, to this day. `It is marvelous,' says an intelligent traveler who was much among them, `how the Armenian Christians have preserved their faith, equally against the vexatious oppression of the Mahometans, their sovereigns, and against the persuasions of the Romish church which for more than two centuries has endeavored, by missionaries, priests and monks, to attach them to her communion. It is impossible to describe the artifices and expenses of the court of Rome to effect this object, but all in vain.'
"The Bible was translated into the Armenian language in the fifth century, under very auspicious circumstances, the history of which has come down to us. It has been allowed by competent judges of the language, to be a most faithful translation. La Cruze calls it the `Queen of Versions.' This Bible has ever remained in the possession of the Armenian people; and many illustrious instances of genuine and enlightened piety occur in their history. . . .
"The Armenians in Hindoostan are our own subjects. They acknowledge our government in India, as they do that of the Sophi in Persia; and they are entitled to our regard. They have preserved the Bible in its purity; and their doctrines are, as far as the author knows, the doctrines of the Bible. Besides, they maintain the solemn observance of Christian worship throughout our empire, ON THE SEVENTH DAY, and they have as many spires pointing to heaven among the Hindoos as we ourselves. Are such a people then entitled to no acknowledgment on our part, as fellow Christians? Are they forever to be ranked by us with Jews, Mahometans, and Hindoos?" (Buchanon C. Christian researches in Asia, 10th edition. T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1814. Original from the New York Public Library. Digitized Jul 21, 2006, pp. 260-261).
Hence, this group originally kept the seventh day Sabbath, but apparently by the time Buchanan found out about them, they adopted some non-Church of God practices like spires.
This sadly, has been the case with the Church of God throughout history–eventually many who become associated with it adopt non-COG practices. This happened relatively early as even the Apostles Peter (e.g. Simon Magus) and John (see Doctrines of Antichrist) had this occur. Also, there were relatively soon apostasies in Alexandria and Rome in the first and second centuries respectively (please see the article on Apostolic Succession).
More on Church history can be found on the History of Early Christianity page as well as the free online book: Continuing History of the Church of God.
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This entry was posted on Sunday, April 21st, 2019 at 7:45 am	and is filed under Religious News.
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