A perfect EFF score! We're proud to have your back.
Yep, this is where I work. And I couldn't be more proud.
Concerns about online privacy and illicit government snooping are at the top of users' minds, now more than ever. We appreciate that you trust us to safeguard your sensitive information on WordPress.com, and Automattic has a long-standing commitment to defending your rights and holding firm against legal bullying and over-reaching government requests. We work to have the most stringent, user-friendly policies possible within the law, and to be as transparent as we can about information requests we receive and how we respond to them.
Holy cow, this entire post just zipped me back 30 years to the summer of 1985, when I would hang around the living room with my cousins in Manila on Sunday mornings and wait with eager anticipation for that one precious hour when VH-1 would air. (Yes, it was only a show, not an entire station, at the time, at least in the Philippines.) The entire neighborhood would hear our screams anytime a Duran Duran video would come in. Such good times.
Synopsis: This Classic Albums film tells the story behind the writing, recording and subsequent success of 'Rio' through interviews, musical demonstrations, and archive footage. Original band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor are all interviewed along with director Russell Mulcahy, former manager Paul Berrow, journalist Beverley Glick, designer Anthony Price and Bob Geldof amongst others. 'Rio' captures Duran Duran at the height of their powers, with wall-to-wall hits and great videos: a Classic Album of its time.
eyelights: the interviews. the overview of the making of the band and album. the wealth of supplemental material.
As someone deeply interested in ensuring the financial stability of my family, all of this is excellent, timely advice.
Someone recently asked me what I thought was the most important contributor to growing net worth. For someone in the accumulation stage, the most important thing to do is balance the three prongs of growth: (1) maximizing income, (2) minimizing expenses, and (3) investing. Ignoring any one of these prongs will handicap your NW growth.
TL:DR – go to http://www.considerbernie.com and share it with your friends. Thanks!
As some of you know, I am mildly obsessed with the prospect of Bernie Sanders, United States Senator from Vermont, making a run for the Democratic nomination for the Presidential election in 2016.
When Bernie officially announced, and this is serious, I called his office in Washington, I called his office in Burlington, I emailed every email address on his website, and I posted to Reddit, hoping to use my weird collection of internet and technology skills to work for his campaign – Google Analytics? Done. Growth engineering? Give me the keys to Optimizely and _get out of the way_.
I never heard back. I was, and am, seriously disappointed. As an employed tech professional offering a valuable skillset for $0, it's a real bummer to make a genuine, heartfelt effort and have it fall upon deaf ears.
I attended a Longreads storytelling event during the Portland Press Publish event a few weeks ago and was enthralled. If you're in the San Francisco area on June 24, I highly recommend that you attend this!
Wednesday, June 24, 7:30 p.m.
Great interview with a full-time, working freelance writer, including a peek into her daily routine and how she manages to fit in writing books, writing blog posts, and pitching stories in her packed schedule.
First, I should note: I am not related to Jennifer Armstrong. But! I have followed her writing closely over the years — first during her years at Entertainment Weekly, and more recently as the author of books like Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted (Simon & Schuster), which offered a definitive history of the classic TV series. Her blog also happens to be a must-follow on WordPress.com: She gives glimpses into her current work (she's doing a Seinfeld book next) and she's refreshingly transparent about the business (and hard truths) of being a freelance writer in 2015. I spoke with her via email about the business of writing and tips for how she makes time for her own blog.
I worked the event as well as part of my job as an Automattician and loved just about all of it. More thoughts of my own about the event, but in the meantime my colleague and friend Karen wrote a great post about it as well. Enjoy!
This past Saturday, April 18th, I got to hang out with about 130 amazing bloggers and 13 of my coworkers at Press Publish in Phoenix, a new WordPress.com offering. The first one was in Portland a couple weeks ago.
I gave a 15 minute presentation about Blogging on the Go with the WP mobile app and spent the rest of the time at the Happiness Bar helping people with WordPress questions and issues.
Anyone wanna adopt a Chihuahua mix?
Video of my WordCamp San Antonio talk about DIY PR for Bloggers is out!
Been wanting to get a treadmill desk for awhile. Now that I have the Bekant standing desk from IKEA, now I just need to get the actual "tread" part suitable for it.
Quite a few of my colleagues at Automattic have already jumped on the treadmill desk bandwagon, including Aaron (below). I'm suffering now from tread-desking envy, especially as I glance at my FitBit and see just how woefully low my numbers are. Snow and ice outside the window will do that to you.
I'm not going to link to any articles or research about the benefits of walking while you work. I've been standing at my desk since I started working at home and to me this is the next progression. I have ADHD and I'm always trying to find ways to hack my brain. I decided to get in on the treadmill desk game.
A couple months back I ended up buying a cheapie treadmill on Amazon to experiment with walking while working. I used it a couple of times with some success but I ultimately felt it didn't provide much help for my focus. I kept doing research to determine what the issue was and spent time observing myself during a walking session with it. I was surprised it wasn't obvious why I didn't like this experiment.


Nigeria international Aaron Samuel bagged a hat-trick as CSKA Moscow crushed Spanish club FC Torrevieja 7-0 in their final warmup game staged at their training camp in Campoamor on Wednesday afternoon.
Samuel broke the deadlock in the 13th minute and the scoreboard was unchanged at the end of the first half.
Two minutes after the intermission, the Nigerian doubled CSKA Moscow's advantage and any hopes the opponents had of mounting a comeback were put to bed when he grabbed in his first hat-trick for the club in the 56th minute.
Fedor Chalov netted a treble in the second half plus an additional goal from Vitalik Gironkin secured a win for the Muscovites.
Leicester City loanee Ahmed Musa was not utilized by manager Viktor Goncharenko after going the distance and scoring two goals against Elche on Tuesday.
Samuel recently dismissed speculation linking him with a move to Norwegian team Molde before the close of the winter transfer market in the country.


text:
Winds of War: The Veiling of Europe
Posted on March 7th, 2008
by WC in All News
From The Gathering Storm Blog
There are still small lamps of freedom burning in Europe – the Veiling of Sculptures in a Europe is one such campaign.
Throughout the night on 6th of March they have successfully continued their statue veiling campaign hoping to inspire the public to discussion concerning Islamisation and associated taboo subjects. By veiling statues in Berlin, Braunschweig, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Helsinki, Moscow, Tampere, and Turku, the campaign has expanded their activities to Germany, Finland and Russia within six months.
Each of 8 city statues has been veiled with a Burqa or headscarf, and referring to basic European values, the statues have been fitted with an armband reading "gender equality!"
In addition, every statue has been fitted with a signboard comparing an Article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 1948, and on the other hand quotation from Quran regarding its treatment towards women.
Here are some pictures from their site.
See others here.
From their press release.
The aim of the campaign is to refer to the creeping Islamisation endangering the European idea of UNITY IN DIVERSITY and other similar cultural achievements of the liberal thinking world. Particularly, the phenomenom that Muslim women wear increasingly Burqa or headscarfs, is a visible _expression of the challenge and threat to our liberal societies with their values such as women's rights, democracy, liberal and secular thinking.
With this campaign, we would like to increase public awareness of our liberal values and to advocate them. The liberal achievements such as equal rights of men and women, individual freedom, Human Rights, and the dignity of each individual are no negotiable values! We would like to point out that substantial and partly irreconcilable differences exist between the Muslim and the liberal thinking world.
Every citizen – native or foreign – need to aware of all basic laws which are enacted in their country. One of these basic laws is the equality of men and women. The fact that in our liberal western societies people have to live inhibited is a sign for the failed integration as well as a sign that liberal thinking and Muslim values are hardly compatible.
Get a FREE TRIAL COPY of the The Gathering Storm eBook which includes the Forward by Walid Shoebat, Introduction, and first 50 pages of The Gathering Storm eBook. And sign up for my free WEEKLY STORM REPORT and receive a synopsis of the most important weekly news revealing the intimidation, infiltration and disinformation tactics used to soften-up the non-Muslim world for domination.
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text:
Irakli Sirbiladze (gruz. ირაკლი სირბილაძე, ur. 23 marca 1982 w Tbilisi) – gruziński piłkarz występujący na pozycji napastnika. Zawodnik klubu KPV.

Kariera klubowa
Sirbiladze karierę rozpoczynał w zespole Lokomotiwi Tbilisi. W sezonie 2001/2002 wywalczył z nim wicemistrzostwo Gruzji oraz Puchar Gruzji, po czym odszedł do rosyjskiej Bałtiki Kaliningrad, grającej w trzeciej lidze. Po sezonie 2002 wrócił do Gruzji, gdzie został graczem Dinama Batumi. Występował tam do końca sezonu 2003/2004.

Następnie Sirbiladze wrócił do Lokomotiwi Tbilisi. W sezonie 2004/2005 zdobył z nim Puchar Gruzji. Na początku 2006 roku odszedł do drużyny Sioni Bolnisi, z którą w sezonie 2005/2006 wywalczył mistrzostwo Gruzji. Po tym sukcesie odszedł do Olimpi Rustawi. W trakcie sezonu 2006/2007 przeniósł się jednak do Dinama Batumi. Z kolei po jego zakończeniu został graczem klubu Gällivare/Malmbergets FF z piątej ligi szwedzkiej. Po sezonie 2007 wrócił do Gruzji, gdzie grał w Norczi Dinamoeli, Spartaku Cchinwali oraz Olimpi Rustawi.

W 2009 roku Sirbiladze przeszedł do fińskiego czwartoligowca, AC Kajaani. W 2010 roku został zawodnikiem drugoligowego KPV. W sezonie 2010 z 16 bramkami został królem strzelców drugiej ligi. W kolejnym sezonie przebywał na wypożyczeniu w pierwszoligowym FF Jaro. W 2012 roku podpisał kontrakt z Interem Turku. W sezonie 2012 wywalczył z nim wicemistrzostwo Finlandii, a 17 golami został też królem strzelców ligi.

Sezon 2015 Sirbiladze spędził jako gracz pierwszoligowego zespołu KuPS, a w 2016 roku odszedł do drugoligowego KPV.

Kariera reprezentacyjna
W reprezentacji Gruzji Sirbiladze zadebiutował 15 sierpnia 2012 w wygranym 2:1 towarzyskim meczu z Luksemburgiem.

Bibliografia
 Irakli Sirbiladze w bazie EU.FOOTBALL

 Irakli Sirbiladze w bazie Weltfussball

Reprezentanci Gruzji w piłce nożnej
Królowie strzelców fińskiej ekstraklasy piłkarskiej
Piłkarze Lokomotiwi Tbilisi
Piłkarze Bałtiki Kaliningrad
Piłkarze Dinama Batumi
Piłkarze Sioni Bolnisi
Piłkarze SK Rustawi
Piłkarze Kokkolan Palloveikot
Piłkarze FF Jaro
Piłkarze Interu Turku
Piłkarze Kuopion Palloseura
Urodzeni w 1982
Ludzie urodzeni w Tbilisi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


OXT, the digital rock unit formed by Oishi Masayoshi and Tom-H@ck, releases their first original album! Hello New World collects the duo's anime tie-ins, including Hand Shakers opening theme One Hand Message, Prince of Stride: Alternative opening theme Strider's High and their songs for the Overload franchise. It also reveals new songs in a variety of styles ranging from hard rock to ballad.
This edition includes a Blu-ray with music videos and Hello New World making-of video.
Other Versions of "Hello New World (ALBUM+BLU-RAY) (First Press Limited Edition) (Japan Version)"


Wall Street stocks rose early Tuesday, continuing their upward push ahead of President Donald Trump's annual State of the Union address.
About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 25,361.69, an increase of 0.5 percent.
The broad-based S&P 500 rose 0.3 percent to 2,733.37, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.6 percent to 7,393.66.
US stocks have risen almost without interruption since late December on optimism that Federal Reserve monetary policy will be benign, and the US and China will reach a trade deal.
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump is expected to emphasize infrastructure spending and argue the need for a wall along the Mexican border after a dispute with congressional Democrats shut the government for more than a month.
Among individual companies, Google-parent Alphabet declined 0.7 percent on worries about rising costs even as the tech giant reported better-than-expected profits Monday.
But other large tech companies advanced. Apple, Amazon and Netflix all gained at least one percent.


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What Does Rampant Mean?
Lovika Grover answered
Rampant means 'a wide spread', speedy effect on a vast expanse. Precise meaning – moving fast using hind legs, also brings out the meaning that it is speedy or galloping action. Example: The disease was rampant amongst the birds in the poultry. Unchecked, unrestrained, un-suppressed growth are few synonyms for rampant. The adjective rampant has been the origin for words like rampancy and rampantly.
michelle clough answered
It means out of control, some could say fast, epidemic or wide spread
What Does Sydney Mean?
Meanings of Names
The name Sydney is an Old French name which was given to people from the city of St Denis, and was formed...
What Does Ceramic Mean?
The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word keramikos, meaning "potter's earth, or pottery". The...
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Dandelions are a huge part of the family Asteraceae. They can be tap-rooted biennial or perennial herbaceous...
What Does Soul Mean?
The term 'soul' has been defined in various ways by different philosophers, scientists, intellectualists...
What Does Parboil Mean?
Parboil means to boil food partially. This term is used to refer the action to boil a food partially...
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Consistent means the ability to do the same thing over and over again. Being consistent can have positive...
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A Franciscan is a follower of the Christian religious order founded by St Francis and Clare of Assisi...
What Does Wehrmacht Mean?
Wehrmacht which means defense force in German was the name used to refer to the army, navy and air force...
What Does Doe Mean?
Doe is the female counterpart of a deer or even of a related animal. The term doe is given to the female...
What Does The 'Lion Rampant' Mean?
The term 'lion rampant' is used as a design term and it is a kind of embellishment in which a lion is...
What Does Mulligan Mean?
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What Does Masonic Mean?
What Does Lion Mean?
I'm Going To Be A Grandmother In May. Our Son Wants To Know What The Baby Should Call Me,so I Was Wondering If There Was A Name For Grandma In Celtic?
What Does The Phrase "Make A Leg" Mean?
How do I write a helpful answer on Blurtit?
How do I explain a failed degree in an interview? I did law and spanish, failed the spanish by one element. I repeated several times, but by the end, exhausted and defeated I couldnt face repeating it so its gone. ADVICE?


Christians have assembled in houses since the beginning of Christianity; the house church movement began in the 1960s as an attempt at reformation of the structure of "church" as it was commonly practiced in almost all of the denominations of the day. Its followers attempt to return to New Testament norms and believe that house churches represent a superior way to achieve the goals of the church according to the New Testament. Groups within the house church movement are noted for networking, various doctrinal stands, a charismatic influence, and multiple models and patterns of their own particular house church practices. While there is no inherent Biblical difficulty with meeting in homes, the theology of the house church movement, along with their understanding of the church, assemblies, and the Lord's Supper, marks it off as its own movement worthy of consideration.
House Churches or Churches Assembling in Houses?
As has been said above, Christians have met in houses throughout time; many groups did so during times of persecution or where it was not practical to use another facility. As will be seen, throughout the majority of this time, there was no house church theology per se: Christians simply met in homes when such was necessary or desirable, but did not attach much significance to it.
Beginning in the 1960s, and especially in the 1970s, a concerted movement began, especially among evangelicals, to return to the structure of New Testament churches and thus established house churches1. Such, in many ways, was a reaction to perceived failures and abuses within the "institutional" church organization. House church movement participants began establishing a theology of the house church, combining certain scholastic interpretations of history with aspects of New Testament belief and practice, and this endeavor continues to this day. The movement remains small but is growing throughout the country and the world.
Many house churches exist outside of any specific denominational structure; they represent nondenominational groups having association with one another. All kinds of models for house churches exist.
There are many movements within various denominations that are somewhat similar to the house church movement, especially the "cell church movement" present within many denominations. Small group tendencies within denominations are also similar to the house church concept, but do not go to the same lengths, nor represent singular cohesive units as do house churches.
Furthermore, house churches can be found within almost every denomination and/or movement; many Anabaptist and Pietist groups are known for having many house churches.
Many of those in the house church movement would consider themselves evangelicals; house churches often manifest ecumenical tendencies in their associations and networks.
Since house churches are extremely diverse, it is impossible to make entirely accurate characterizations of any individual congregation. The list below represents a likely range of doctrines consistent with many in house churches.
As we begin, it is important that we establish that early Christians in the New Testament did indeed assemble in houses, and that there is nothing wrong per se with Christians assembling in a house. The house church movement came quite a bit later than the New Testament and has developed a "theology of the house church": it is now posited that the house church represents the fundamental building block to corporate Christian life and is superior to churches meeting in buildings in almost every way2. Many in the house church movement, therefore, believe that early Christians deliberately chose to meet in houses and that God expects house churches to remain normative. This belief is justified by appealing to the family imagery used in relation the church in passages such as Matthew 12:46-50 and the idea that the house church is the base unit in passages like 1 Corinthians 11:18, 333. Do the Scriptures teach that house churches were established, or did churches simply assemble in houses?
As we have said, Christians met in houses, but the New Testament betrays no indication that the presence of the church in a house was considered important or critical. Christians also assembled in the Temple/Solomon's Portico (Acts 2:46, 5:12; house church movement perspectives on these assemblies will be spoken of below) and in schools (Acts 19:9). Such locations are mentioned quite simply; to believe that the early Christians placed great value in meeting in houses per se goes beyond the evidence provided by the New Testament.
Paul here indicates the quality of assembling: "come together in the church". While it is most likely true that the Corinthians met in a house, specifically the house of Gaius (Romans 16:23), there is no mention of this here. All that is important is that the church "comes together"; extrapolating that the location of the coming together is significant reads too much into the text.
We can clearly see, therefore, that the assumption that the "house church" was God's deliberate intention for the church comes without Biblical merit. Based upon the New Testament evidence, all that can be firmly established is that most often, early Christians assembled in houses.
Many in the house church movement also posit a different perspective regarding the nature of the local church in the New Testament. In this view, house churches of between 12-20 (the size based upon the assumption of what an average Roman house could fit) would assemble frequently; there would be many such house churches in a given city or region. These house churches would occasionally come together for a "celebration" as what is often called a home church-based congregation4. According to this view, when Paul writes to the church in, say, Rome, he is writing to the "home church-based congregation" of the city or the network of house churches in Rome. This view is justified by interpretation of historical data, along with Romans 16:15, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, and Philemon 1:1-2; Acts 2:42-47 is the quintessential example of the "house church" and the "celebration" of the "home church-based congregation5." Let us consider the matter.
Here Gaius is called the "host of the whole church". House church movement advocates may attempt to say that such represents the "celebration" of the "home church based congregation", but such an entity must be first proved to actually exist before it can be considered evidence. What is stopping Gaius from continually being the host of the whole church?
In the rest of the passages, an interesting trend exists. In Romans 16, the brethren are to salute the church that is in the house of Aquila and Priscilla (Romans 16:4-5), yet the "households" of Aristobulus and Narcissus are to be greeted (Romans 16:10-11). Why are they not listed as having "churches" in their houses? It may be argued that it is odd for Paul to tell the church in Rome to greet the "church in the house" of Aquila and Priscilla if they all represent that church. Is it not just as odd, however, if the "church in the house" of Aquila and Priscilla represents a constituent part of the church in Rome and no other such "church" is mentioned?
When Paul speaks of the "churches in Asia", would anyone think that he refers to individual house churches or the collective churches in the various cities in Asia (cf. Revelation 2:1-3:22)? Why would he speak of the "home church-based congregation" and then turn around and speak of the "church" in the house of Aquila and Prisca, a house church, using the same terminology? Such is entirely inconsistent with the evidence.
The whole basis of this delineation derives from Acts 2:42-47, which is considered the normative pattern for the church by many adherents to the house church movement.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need. And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they did take their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved.
Many things are immediately apparent in this passage: no collective is called "the church" in this passage, and the breaking of bread was done "at home", not indicating the pluralities assumed by house church movement advocates. This interpretation is based on assumptions about Roman houses and the inference that the Christians in Jerusalem met in multiple homes and then came together in the Temple as one. Even if it were true that they met to eat meals in various houses, such is not called "the church" or even an "assembly". Their assemblies, in reality, took place in the Temple, as established in Acts 2:46, with the events of Acts 2:42 dictating much of what was done in those assemblies. There is no indication that the Christians in Jerusalem perceived themselves as being part of "house churches" at home and then part of a "home church-based congregation" when meeting in the Temple.
The belief that Acts 2:42-7:58 is considered normative for Christians also should be challenged. Selling of all possessions, the unity of the accord of the brethren, and their level of togetherness (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32) are not seen in any other church. Paul must tell Timothy to counsel the rich among the brethren regarding how they should conduct themselves (1 Timothy 6:17-19); James and John both speak regarding Christians who do not help their own in need (James 2:1-9, 1 John 3:17). Christians assembled on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-3); there is no indication of daily assemblies as in the early church in Jerusalem. When we see these contrasts and examine the context, we can see that the early church in Jerusalem did extraordinary things on account of extraordinary circumstances: many from all over the world had been converted and needed support, and the foundation of the church led to great zeal and determination to follow in the footsteps of the Christ. The fact that the example of Jerusalem is not enjoined on later churches– weekly assemblies are not condemned for being too infrequent, James and John do not indicate that selling all one has is normative– indicates that the situation is not expected to represent the norm. Christians should be willing to do everything that the early Christians in Jerusalem did if circumstances demand it. When circumstance provides no such demand, there is more liberty. There is no basis, in the New Testament, to consider the situation of the early church in Jerusalem as being the norm.
When Paul writes to various churches, and later Jesus through John in the Revelation, the authors do not betray the idea that the local church represents multiple house churches as a home church-based congregation. In all circumstances, the authors speak of a coherent church: they address the strengths and weaknesses of the brethren, even speaking of different factions within a given church. Are we to believe that in a given city, each individual house church had the same strengths and weaknesses as its fellow house churches? No two New Testament city churches are the same: how then are we expected to believe that Paul, John, and others can write to multiple individual house churches in such a way that we only see a coherent unity within the church of that city, whether for good or ill? That is indeed too much to swallow! The New Testament makes it clear that there was normally one church per city and that when Paul wrote to Rome or John to Ephesus, they were writing to one coherent body that very well might have met in the house of one of the brethren. The house church movement view of the churches of the New Testament is without Biblical foundation.
Many in the house church movement, in various ways, overemphasize the role of the church and particularly that of the local church. Some go so far as to say that Paul only speaks of local churches in the New Testament6. Others have such an exalted view of the local church that the individual has no room for existence: the focus is not to be on Christian growth as much as multiplication of churches, mission is seen as the church sending itself out in a multipliable unit, the church is the good news (the Gospel), and the church must be part of everyday life7. Do the Scriptures support these assertions?
While Paul often speaks of churches in a local sense, there are other times where such an identification is not so simple. Paul speaks of "the church" in Ephesians 5:22-32, going so far as to call "the church" the "body" of Christ (Ephesians 5:29-30). A chapter before, in Ephesians 4:4-5, the same author confidently establishes that there is "one body". It is manifest that there are many local churches and yet the "body" under discussion is clearly singular. Paul does not speak only of the local church; he also has the "universal church" in view in many passages.
As can be seen in detail in The Church Treasury, I: Benevolence: The Individual and the Church, 1 Timothy 5:16 indicates that there are responsibilities that individuals should bear so that the church would not be burdened. This principle illustrates the reality that while the church consists of its constituent individuals, each individual is more than the church. Christians went out and promoted the Gospel (Acts 8, 13:1-3), and the Gospel was always the "good news" about Jesus Christ and His redemptive work for man, not the church per se (Romans 1:16, 2:16, 1 Corinthians 1:17). The individual Christian, not the church, represents the basic unit of Christianity (e.g. James 1:27). A strong emphasis on the collective to the exclusion of the individual is not Biblically justifiable.
Since the house church movement is a reaction to the perceived failings of "institutional" churches, it should not be surprising to find some elements in the movement going beyond the Scriptures in their opposition to those failings. Many house church movement advocates will present a dichotomy between "church as life" and "church as meeting," contrasting "family fellowship" with "impersonal structures8." Is this a legitimate dichotomy?
There is no doubt that institutional structures have often hindered family-type fellowship which ought to exist among brethren. On the other hand, we must remember that the Greek word translated as church is ekklesia, which has a base meaning of "assembly". The "assembly" could be as disorganized as a mob or as organized as a legislative body (Acts 19:32, 39), but they are all marked by a group of people "coming together" or "assembling". If we speak of "assemblies" and not "churches," the ludicrousness of the statement is clear: "the assembly is not a series of assemblies". Yes, the members of the church should interact with one another, both inside and outside of the assemblies (cf. Acts 2:42, 1 Peter 4:9). There is no Biblical justification, however, for the dichotomy. Christianity can be a way of life that involves assemblies with other Christians. Christians can share in family-type fellowship and assemble in buildings with a structured service. Responding to excess with excess is not finding the truth!
The hallmark of many house churches within the house church movement is the focus upon what is called the Lord's Supper. Many believe that the Lord's Supper was originally a meal; many, in fact, do not see the Lord's Supper as a separate ritual, but "an ordinary meal with extraordinary significance." They justify this with Acts 2:46 and 1 Corinthians 11:339. This has led many to abandon bread and fruit of the vine entirely, considering whatever is eaten during the meal to be the "Lord's Supper"10. This represents a focus entirely on the "communion" aspect of the Lord's Supper. Is this the way that the Lord's Supper is presented in the Scriptures?
Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait one for another. If any man is hungry, let him eat at home; that your coming together be not unto judgment. And the rest will I set in order whensoever I come.
This is no mere condemnation of "excess"; if any is "hungry," they should eat at home. If the Lord's Supper in the assemblies of the saints was supposed to represent a full meal, why would anyone need to "eat at home" if they were "hungry"? Would they not eat fully at the meal?
Notice that Jesus takes the cup "after supper". The Lord's Supper was inaugurated in the context of the Passover meal (Luke 22:15), yet it was not the Passover meal. It was a ritual act done after the actual meal was eaten, and it was designed to have significance.
If Christians do not eat "this bread", and do not drink "the cup", do they still proclaim the Lord's death?
There is certainly the aspect of communion within the Lord's Supper: it is to be shared together (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). "Communion," however, is not the only aspect involved in the Lord's Supper. Paul has provided an explicit tradition that he enjoins upon the Corinthians, and we by all means should observe it likewise. The Lord's Supper represents a ritual meal designed to bring Christians together in a memorial of the sacrifice which reconciled them to God and the resurrection which gives us hope, and it should not be confused with a common meal.
Different house churches and house church networks maintain varying structures of leadership. One model of the house church promotes a "fivefold ministry" concept based on Ephesians 4:11-13, with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers working with house church networks11. The "apostles" and "prophets" are recognized as leaders, moved by God to establish vision and purpose, seeking others to train to be "apostles" and "prophets". The presence of apostles today is justified by Ephesians 2:20 and Revelation 2:212. Do the Scriptures teach a continuing line of apostles and prophets within the church?
Such a view has many affinities with pentecostal doctrines and represents another manifestation of the charismatic movement within the house church movement. Many of the comments made previously are relevant here. Regardless, let us examine the nature of the apostles and prophets further.
Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone.
I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them which call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false.
Do these passages indicate that there are more apostles and prophets than present in the first century? Do false apostles in the 90s mean that more true apostles than John were around, too? What do the Scriptures teach about the apostles?
Of the men therefore which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as unto one born out of due time, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
One was not automatically made an apostle because of one's faith or training; the Twelve and Paul were especially chosen by God, saw the risen Christ, and met certain standards. These standards are impossible to achieve after the first century. This, along with the lack of any evidence of succession of apostles or prophets (along with the confession that the apostolic ministry needs "restoration"13), provides ample evidence to see that the apostolic office was held by a few select men in the first century to meet a specific purpose of God (cf. Matthew 18:18). Their office was not to be taken over by any other.
Ephesians 2:20 is still true: for a church to represent a New Testament church, it must be built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. We all have that foundation from the writings of the Scripture, whereby we may have confidence that the apostolic doctrine is still able to be taught from its pages (Acts 2:42, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). We can see, therefore, that it is sufficient to trust in the apostles and prophets of the New Testament era, and that we must continue to devote ourselves to their doctrines.
Some valid concerns and also some good research on the history of house church movements. One must also though look at the book of Acts as a model of house church for this is the first house church movement of the Lord.


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To purchase copies for personal home use, please visit Amazon. Please note that the individual purchase price does not grant public performance rights, including classroom screenings. It is for home viewing purposes only. Contact MG Productions at for further information about public exhibition fees.


text:
Keyword : Voting
Voting made mandatory in Gujarat for local elections
The Gujarat government has finally taken a huge leap in democratic process in the country. It has issued a notification making voting in local body elections compulsory.
Mandatory voting law stayed by Gujarat HC
Gujarat government`s notification issued last month making voting compulsory in civic body polls has been stayed by the high court. In response to a petition filed by advocate KR Kos
Bihar poll campaign going from mad to worse
As Bihar waits to vote in last two phases to elect its representatives to the legislative assembly, the leaders are letting out their fears and frustrations. In the bargain, the people are being su
E-Voting: Elections take a technological leap
The election commission of India (ECI) is exploring the use of information technology in the voting process, as stated by the chief election commissioner, Nasim Zaidi, at an international seminar o
E-Voting: Ballot booth on your desktop
In 2004, a major technological push in the Indian electoral history took place when 1.5-million electronic voting machines (EVMs) replaced ballot boxes and papers for vote casting. The journey howe
Seven in ten Indians say they are likely to take political action: Pew
A large majority of Indians report having voted in an election, either in the past year or in the more distant past. Far fewer Indians have engaged in other forms of political participation and onl
Where is my right to vote?
Today was the election day for Western Uttar Pradesh. There was so much excitement in people coming out of polling booths, just as the people coming from a Dusshera Mela (The festival of triumph
The election process has been on in five states. All eyes are of course on Uttar Pradesh, where voting began on February 11 with the first phase. Arun Kumar visited Muzaffarnag
Probe EVMs, demands Kejriwal
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday sought a probe into Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and demanded that the VVPAT chits be counted and matched with the EVM re
A Dirty Dozen from the campaign lexicon
NRIs may finally get to vote soon
Non-resident Indians (NRIs) may be able to soon exercise their electoral franchise. The supreme court has told the union government to decide within a week to give
Himachal goes to polls on November 9
Ballotting will take place on November 9 in Himachal Pradesh, chief election commissioner Achal Kumar Joti announced on Thursday. The votes polled in the 68 assem
India Votes: Scenes from first phase of polling
The world`s largest democracy goes to vote this summer. Polls are taking place in India`s 543 constituencies from April 11 to May 19, in seven phases.The first phase of polling on Apri
Voting for Mumbai meri jaan
"Voting is an important constitutional duty and a right that turns our
"Sometimes we wonder if we are living in a democracy at all"
Sharad Pawar is the grand old man of Indian politics. He is among the last stalwarts from a generation that is fading out. He has served as chief minister of Maharashtra four times and held crucial
The Elephant dances
The 2019 parliamentary election in India is a humungous affair: about 890 million voters, nearly thrice the population of the United States, many months of planning, over a month of actual voting a


text:
I 8/29/08
8th inning disaster for Madson and Durbin and the Phils cough up game 1 in Chicago. They do pick up Matt Stairs to help out the bench with Jenkins out even though we're worried the season is slipping away. . The trade for Stairs is called one of the worst moves the team has made in years by a poster who's threatening to stop watching the sport because we traded Fabio Castro*.
Meanwhile, GameThread 8/29/08: Phillies (Blanton) @ Chicago (Harden)
Elsewhere, Republican Presidential nominee John McCain selects Sarah Palin as his running mate. I'm sure that if he passes far off in the future she will have nothing but good things to say about the man who put her into the national spotlight, even if they end up losing the election to the Muslim guy.
*Spoiler: Fabio Castro never pitched in the majors after the year 2007
A poignant anniversary indeed, re Sarah Palin. The buzz is very positive about McCain's bold choice. She is called a "game-changer" and that is meant as a compliment. Who expects that she will turn out to be McCain's "Frankenstein's monster", a right wing populist who would flame out quickly herself but blaze the trail that another Republican would ultimately follow all the way to the White House years later while consigning McCain to political isolation for the last couple years of his life?
Another painful loss to the Cubs, who look pretty unbeatable here in 2008. Maybe Brett Myers can break this losing streak. Phils are 2 games back.
GameThread 8/30/08: Phillies (Myers) @ Chicago (Lilly)
A nice win yesterday, another today would get us a split in Chicago.
Game Thread 8/31: Moyer (Phillies) vs. Marshall (Chicago)
It's September and the Phils are in second place, a game out, with 3 games in DC to start the month. Have to take advantage of the also rans.
Phils have the best September winning percentage from 2004 to 2007 (.625). They need to do something like that again. But it's Redding time again.
Game Thread 9/1: Kendrick (Phillies) vs. Redding (Wash)
Kendrick rocked by the lowly Nats and the Phils are 2 games back.
Some of us are convinced it's the Mets year.
Phils called up some guys who've been up and down already this year: Walrond, Tracy and Cervenek.
Cole looks to win a game vs DC for the first time in '08:
Game Thread 9/2: Hamels (Phillies) vs. Lannon (Wash)
Hamels gets it done, takes care of the Nats. He leads in NL in innings pitched as his arm will take more abuse in '08 than in any previous season.
Phils have a night game while the Mets have already won. A loss puts us 3 games out.
Game Thread 9/3: Blanton (Phillies) vs. Perez (Wash)
Phils lose, are 3 games behind the Mets. Day off before 3 big ones up at Shea.
Three games out and it's time for "the most important game of the season", as some call it. It's Brett Myers, who knows what we'll get out of him?
Game Thread 9/5: Myers (Phillies) vs. Pelfrey (NYM)
Three games out on 9/5, seems insurmountable.
But, but, but last year.
Silly you, lightning doesn't strike the same place twice.
It doesn't, right?
I honestly don't remember anything about September 2008 without looking at this thread. 2007 was just so freaking memorable, and since we know how it turned out, whatever stress existed at the time has been wiped from my memory.
Ok, that's not entirely true, I do remember the final weekend of the regular season (no spoilers).
Big game for Myers, and Dobbs chips in again in a big spot, and the Phils are 2 games back of the Mets. Weather forecast does not look good for game 2 though. Tropical Storm Hanna causing havoc. Phils did pick up Tadahito Iguchi again, although he's not playoff eligible.
This is the Phillies last visit to Shea Stadium, BTW. Many memorable Phillies memories there--both happy and tragic--from Bunning's perfect game, Schmidt's 300th career home run, the passing of Rich Ashburn at his Manhattan hotel room in the middle of a series there and the two dramatic sweeps of the Mets there in 2007 which played a big role in the Phillies acing the Mets out of the NL East title that year.
ButlerBulldog 2018-09-06 21:53:23 UTC #617
Philsmania:
Shea was also the site of the fictitious Keith Hernandez error leading to a five-run rally and a Phillies victory, ultimately providing the spark for the spitting incident described in Seinfeld's third season.
Game cancelled, day/night double header today, going up against the Eagles opener in the first game.
Game Thread #1 9/7: Moyer (Phillies) vs. Martinez (NYM)
Game Thread #2 9/7/08: Philadelphia (Hamels) @ Shea(Santana)
Phils and Mets split the 'doubleheader'. Moyer was clutch and Hamels was not. The kid never comes up big when it really matters. So Phils leave Shea (never to return) 2 games back of the Mets. Mets will be without Billy Wagner down the stretch, he could only face one 'batter' in his simulated game.
Phils start a 7 game homestand...
Game Thread 9/8: Sanchez (Florida) vs. Blanton (Phillies)
Phils win despite Blanton, 8-6. A game and a half behind NY. Kyle Kendrick in game 2, he's struggled more than usual of late.
Game Thread 9/9: Volstad (Florida) vs. Kendrick (Phillies)
After last night's loss, Phans are discussing if we can even win the Wild Card. . 3 games behind the Mets again. Jenkins is active again.
Game Thread 9/10: Phillies (Myers) vs. Marlins (Nolasco)
Phils lose 2 of 3 to Florida. Gloom and doom on the game thread. And in other threads too.
Charlie seemed casual after the game, saying something like 'you never know when you'll get hot'. Milwaukee coming in for 4 as it's now a battle for the Wild Card as division might be lost, with deficit at 3 and a half games.
Metsblog is debating whether to post the magic number countdown again after having it cause much controversy in '07. But playoff ticket registration is on the website. Moyer goes on short rest as it's getting desperate.
Game Thread 9/11: Sheets (Milwaukee) vs. Moyer (Phillies)


Clubs Added to Club Directory!
Thank you to the following clubs that we have added to our club directory. The same club directory that we started in 2012 and continue to maintain to this day. Many have copied and taken our information that we worked so hard for and passed it off as their own.
The map that we use is an open source Google Maps platform that anyone can use. We have had listings since 2012 that many websites have stolen from Vaulter Magazine and called their own. Thank you for sticking with us and the hard work that we have shown over the years.
Click here to add/update/remove your posting.


David's experience includes a broad array of project types including healthcare, governmental, educational, and commercial work in the states of Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. As a Project Architect, his attention to detail and understanding of construction methods help him to creatively address the challenges that arise during project assessment, design and construction.
David grew up in Litchfield, NE, population 296. While growing up, his father always told us, "You can't learn any younger" whenever one of us kids told him that we didn't know how to do a particular task. He now proudly share that philosophy with his own children. They seem unimpressed with the wisdom…for now. David enjoys working in the yard and on small home improvement projects. His favorite team colors are scarlet and cream (University of Nebraska), of course blue (KC Royals).


Veteran Ghanaian rapper Obrafour releases the official video to his brand new single titled "Moesha". On this afrobeats song, the indigenous rapper features rap heavyweight Sarkodie. The song was produced by JMJ. Check out the visuals, and download the tune below!


Aaand ID's last working brain cells are gone..
In his defense, he only had one line of drool until he misinterpreted the third panel. I don't think he could handle his wife and a second woman being in his head doing with him what his brain thought up.
How many knots did Desi tie him into?
I'm also pretty sure how he replied out loud.
in his defense Desi forgot to add "pretend (to be)". Her way of proposing left the door open for double entendre.
In other news: IT support had to replace ID's keyboard and screen.
The former was sunk in drool and the latter was smashed on his head.
Where the sun don't shine . . . Seattle?
That was a no win scenario for Iron Dragon.
I think the only reason she hasn't dumped him is that good men are hard to find among villains.
And as we know he is the worst villain ever. Otherwise he could not have gotten her.
And Lightning Lady is /entirely/ unsurprised by this turn of events.
… and is now on his way to the emergency room.


The last shopping opportunity of the year at a trade show! Top up your Christmas boardgames and figures to paint over the festive season. After this it has to be mail order!!
A small and friendly show in Bristol at Lincombe Barn Community Centre.


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90 Day Workout Plan
A History of Muscular Christianity
Your Spiritual Six Pack
Muscular Mindset
Muscular Christianity: 90 Day Workout Plan
Loose Cannon Fitness
90 Day Bible Study Plan
A Faith That Wears Slippers vs A Faith That Wears Boots
According to Who, Based on What…
What Does it Mean to be Saved?
Chapters and Verses
The Current State of Affairs in Seven Easy Steps
Trump and McCain
A Righteous Hatred
Christmas: Pointlessly Pagan or Especially Sacred?
Dec 19, 2016Bruce GustDiscipleship, Social Issues0
So, the question on the table is:
Christmas: A celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, or is it a pagan holiday as some others suggest?
In the aftermath of Constantine's conversion, persecution of Christians came to a halt and dates set aside to honor pagan deities were "retooled" and made into "holy days" (holidays [click here for more information]). This campaign would contribute to what we now know as Christmas Day, celebrated on the 25th of December. Initially, it was a pagan celebration, but in the end, it's a date. What matters is what's being focused on today in the context of "Christ's Mass."
Corrupt Clergy
Some get distracted by the way both clergy and laypeople alike, supposedly acting on behalf of Christ, have been revealed as being more focused on their own agenda than they were on the gospel. Dickens refers to this dynamic via the Ghost of Christmas Present who responds to one of Scrooge's sarcastic remarks about corrupt clergy and the established church by saying:
There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.
It's true. But while it's easy to be distracted by whatever corruption or distortion has clouded the purity and the profound nature of the Christmas holiday, you don't ever want to evaluate a system according to the way its abused. Yet, that's the foundation upon which most of the cynicism directed towards Christmas and Christianity in general is based.
Medal of Honor Winners and Comic Book Characters
It's sad the way the significance of Christmas gets lost. Instead of a reverent celebration of the arrival of Immanuel, some sneer and even spit, convinced that it's a hold over from some ancient con designed to intimidate the less enlightened. They say Christ is nothing more than a random member of a fairly large club of fictitious religious figures and the narrative of Jesus is more nostalgic than it is profound.
But to compare Christ to a mythological figure is like comparing a Medal of Honor winner to a comic book character. How many revival meetings have been scheduled to promote Odin or when was the last fund raising campaign scheduled to raise funds for a new building dedicated to the worship of Zeus? And it's not that Christ is more popular as much as it's the distinctive nature and the substance of the Gospel.
Have you ever really considered what Christianity would look like if it was the sham that some insist it truly is? Why make your hero an unemployed carpenter who is neither rich nor especially smart, given the way he goes on and on about the fact that he's a god? In the mind of Rome, he's a traitor. In the mind of the established religious infrastructure, he's a heretic. Either way, he's dead and so is anyone foolish enough to side with him. It gets even ludicrous when he says he's going to be killed, but then he's going to rise from the grave. He could've just as easily said that he was going to rise "spiritually" and people would've embraced it. Instead, he said he was going to rise bodily. How are you going to pull that off? Even his closest followers tried to reason with him and talk him off the ledge (Matt 16:23). They didn't get it and they certainly didn't believe it (Lk 18:33).
In the aftermath of the crucifixion, though, they were right where you would expect them to be. They knew their Champion would rise and they were willing to brave the Sanhedrin and the Roman government and be there to greet Christ as He emerged victorious from the tomb…
Makes for a great brochure, doesn't it?
A Divine Solution
But the Bible isn't a promotional piece. The disciples were hiding, doing their best to stay out of sight, knowing full well that their association with Christ represented a huge liability. They deserted their Teacher and silenced all former proclamations of His Messianic Identity (Mk 14:31, 50; 14:71; Jn 20:19).
But then the next thing you know, there they are in the middle of a crowd, taking their lives into their own hands, telling the masses that they had crucified their King, but it was all part of a greater Plan (Acts 2:23-24). He did die, but He is risen which means that the human experience has just been revamped. No longer are we pursuing significance in the context of things that are destined to die, quit and change. No more do we reach for our Creator, knowing full well that we are forever separated by a debt measured in eternal terms that we are incapable of satisfying. It's all good, because it's all God and it's all done!
Do you smell that? That's the aroma of a Divine Solution that only God could engineer and while the Ultimate Exclamation Point was the empty tomb, the beginning of the sentence was…
…a teenage virgin giving birth to her first born in a barn.
Hark, the herald angels sing
Glory to the new born King
Peace on Earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Don't make the mistake of dismissing Christmas as a pointless reinvention of an ancient, pagan ritual. Regardless of the all-to-human heritage associated with the day, in the end, it's not the date on the calendar that matters, as much as it's the Event that's being acknowledged.
And it is an Event. It's not a stained glass fiction or a sanctified tradition that borrows from ancient superstition. It's the best news the human race has ever heard and the best decision a man could ever make is to accept the gift that's represented by that baby in the manger.
Christmas Christmas Carol Dickens
Muscular Christianity: 90 Day Workout Plan The Ten Commandments of Leading a Group Fitness Class for Guys
Bruce Gust
Jan 08, 2021Bruce Gust0
Why I Will Vote for Donald Trump
Oct 12, 2016Bruce Gust1
Islam, Syrian Refugees and How to Love Your Enemy
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Maundy Thursday | Part II
Aug 05, 2015Bruce Gust1
Copyright 2014 Muscular Christianity / All rights reserved


What changes have been adopted applicable to the wind energy industry?
The Act includes several significant changes relating to tax credits, including the production tax credit and the investment tax credit. The wind industry had lobbied for, at a minimum, an extension of the then deadline (December 31, 2012) to place a turbine in service and have that turbine qualify for the production tax credit. The Act not only extends the deadline for both production tax credits and investment tax credits, but also replaces the "placed in service" concept in the statute with a "beginning of construction" requirement. Given the lead time required to develop a wind facility, the industry had argued that a simple one-year extension of the placed in service deadline would not sufficiently encourage investment, especially given that many in the industry had adopted a wait-and-see approach to new construction as the pending deadline approached. Under the statute as modified, an otherwise qualifying wind facility will be eligible for the production tax credit or, if the taxpayer elects, the investment tax credit if construction of the facility began prior to January 1, 2014, without regard to the placed in service date.
Were other types of alternative energy facilities affected?
Several. While only wind facilities faced a placed-in-service deadline of December 31, 2012 to be eligible for production tax credits and investment tax credits, several other types of renewable energy facilities, including electric generating facilities that use closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal deposits, landfill gas, municipal trash, hydropower and marine and hydrokinetic energy, faced a placed-in-service deadline of December 31, 2013.
For these types of facilities, the Act replaces the "placed in service" concept with the "beginning of construction" concept, extending the production tax credit and investment tax credit to these facilities even if placed in service after 2013, so long as construction began prior to January 1, 2014.
The solar industry has not had the benefit of the production tax credit since 2006. Solar energy has remained viable supported by the availability of the investment tax credit and, in recent years, the Treasury cash grant program.
Congress was simply not faced with the same industry concerns from the solar industry as it faced from the wind industry. Solar projects remain eligible for an investment tax credit or a Treasury cash grant if placed in service prior to January 1, 2017 although, in the case of a Treasury cash grant, construction of the project must have commenced between 2009 and 2011.
Were there other legislative changes that affect alternative energy projects or investments?
The Act extends the availability of bonus depreciation to qualifying property that is placed in service prior to January 1, 2014. Unlike the extensions of the production tax credit and the investment tax credit, the extension of bonus depreciation is not keyed to commencement of construction. This is still, however, a signficant benefit to projects that will be placed in service in 2013.
Of more narrow application, the Act provides an additional benefit for renewable energy facilities, and other property, located on Indian reservations and placed in service prior to January 1, 2014. The cost of such property can be depreciated over even shorter recovery periods than normal MACRS periods. This special rule had expired for property placed in service after 2011, but the Act, in addition to extending the shorter recovery periods to property placed in service in 2013, retroactively applies to qualified property placed in service in 2012.
One item that will continue to impact renewable energy projects that are eligible for Section 1603 Treasury Cash Grants, including those projects that have been recently completed, is the possibility of "sequestration" as a result of a failure of Congress to reach mandated deficit reduction levels. The Office of Management and Budget had suggested that Section 1603 Grants would be subject to a 7.6% reduction if sequestration applied. Unfortunately, the Act addresses this issue only by delaying a sequestration order, if required, until March of this year. Thus, Congress has more time to work out a potential budget deal and avoid mandatory sequestration.
What impact will these changes have on the various industries?
Clearly, those wind developers who have held back developing new projects for fear that they would not be profitable or could not be financed without a production tax credit or investment tax credit can now go forward. There remain uncertainties as to what will satisfy the commence construction requirement, particularly for wind facilities where the IRS has historically taken the view that each standalone wind turbine generator is a separate asset. In light of the urgency of having certainty on this question in time to be meaningful, we would hope that the IRS will act quickly to publish guidance.
Is there a large backlog of projects that are now ready to break ground based on the new legislation?
I really don't have an overview of the entire market, but we do know that there are developers with sites, both onshore and offshore, that they would like to develop and for whom the Act will provide welcome relief.
How likely is it that the rules applicable to real estate investment trusts (REITs) or master limited partnerships (MLPs) will be relaxed to permit investments in alternative energy facilities?
Although various industry groups have been lobbying Congress to relax the investment rules for REITs and MLPs, I fear that with the budget issues we are now facing, and expressed Congressional concern with an ever-shrinking corporate tax base, that changes to these rules in the near future is unlikely.
Is there other legislation due to be ruled on in the near future that will affect the alternative energy industry?
Certainly, the most pressing matter remaining is addressing sequestration if a budget deal is not reached. Congress now has until March to approve a budget that would avoid sequestration.
Are you generally optimistic about the future of the industry or do you feel that this is to be only a one year bubble that will fizzle with the current political atmosphere?
Mark Regante is a partner in the New York office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy and a member of the firm's Tax Group.
A partner since 1987, Mr. Regante's practice is devoted primarily to the tax aspects of asset financings, including leasing, project finance, securitization transactions and municipal finance transactions. He works closely with Milbank's Space and Transportation Finance Department and its Project Finance Department and regularly represents major financial institutions, project developers, underwriters, airlines, aircraft leasing companies and other parties in public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, partnership interests, and other tax-advantaged financing transactions. Most recently, he has represented a major developer of solar energy facilities in one of the first transactions to receive a loan guaranty from the Department of Energy under its innovative technologies program and has represented two leading financial institutions in one of the first leveraged leases of a wind energy facility.
He has been recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the areas of asset finance and taxation by Chambers USA and New York Super Lawyers. Mr. Regante has been a frequent speaker at conferences on renewable energy and asset finance techniques and has written a number of recent articles on those subjects. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the International Bar Association and the National Association of Bond Lawyers.


Most frequently asked questions from our past Australian customers.
With over 20 years experience working with Australian clients, we are confident we know what it is you're looking for in terms of location, style and pricing. We have an extensive checklist of facilities, amenities and features that we individually inspect for in each villa before we begin our relationship. Some of these include daily housekeeping, a private pool, a villa manager, free WiFi and the option to have breakfast included. High standards and up to date information is of upmost importance to us.
Absolutely! We would never advertise a villa without undertaking a thorough check of the entire property (including the management of the villa) first. We pride ourselves on the quality and comfort of each of the villas we work with. We have a team on the ground in Bali that perform regular inspections and check that everything is being properly maintained.
Here at Bali Villas we pride ourselves on our strong quality control of each of the villas we offer. Upon working with a new villa, we have a thorough checklist of standards, amenities that the villa must meet and maintain throughout our entire relationship. This means each one is regularly inspected and photographed, keeping information up to date and ensuring clients are given detailed information about villas including realistic photographs, layouts, inclusions and location.
At Bali Villas, we want to ensure you are getting the best value for your money. Listed in AUD only, we negotiate the lowest possible price directly with the villa owners. The price you see listed on our website includes all taxes and service fees with no hidden extras. If you believe you have found a lower price on another website, be sure to let us know so that we can price match.
They way in which we negotiate prices with villa owners means that they are paying us a fee for our services. Therefore none of the service fees or costs fall onto you and you are therefore getting the best possible price for the villa.
You certainly can! Give us a call on our Australian toll free number (1800 431 343) and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Our team of travel consultant lives in Bali and will give you their personal advice on what to do while in Bali. If you're still searching for ideas, jump online and check out our blog to get some ideas and inspiration from the hundreds of articles about the beautiful island of Bali!
You certainly can! Thanks to our close relationship with each and every villa owner, we are able to hold villas for 3 days without any commitments (no credit card required). This will give you plenty of time to decide whether the villa is right for you and suits your travel plans.
In order to confirm the booking you must pay a 50% deposit. You can settle this amount either via credit card (3 % surcharge) or with a simple local Australian bank transfer.
We require a non-refundable deposit of 50% in order to secure your booking. The rest of the payment should be made 60 days prior to your villa check in via bank transfer, or credit card (3% surcharge applicable).
All payment are non-refundable. If you think there is a reason you might no be able to travel, we advise that you purchase a travel insurance that will cover your villa booking as well as your flights and anything that might happen during your stay.
There are absolutely no taxes or hidden costs when booking a villa with Bali Villas. All inclusions will be detailed in your booking confirmation. Generally your rental will include daily housekeeping, a private pool, a villa manager, free WiFi and the option to have breakfast included. Further inclusions are based on the individual villa and booking and can include things such as a private chef, private car and driver, staff etc. You may incur extra costs for things such as international phone calls or food bills, however these will be discussed with you at the start of your stay.
What payment method do you accept? Are there any specific payment methods for people in Australia?
All payments are through a trusted, secure payment method. We offer secure online credit card payments and a Westpac bank account for all money transactions.
Simply ask our clients! You will find plenty of reviews on the pages of the website.
Airport transfers can be arranged by our Bali Villas concierge team who will be there to help you at any point of your stay. Please ensure you arrange this transfer prior to your travels.
When checking in, either a member of our concierge team or the villa management will be there to assist you. Please get in contact with us prior to travel with any specific requests upon check in.
Our concierge team will be your main point of contact during your Bali holiday. They will take care of your every need from picking you up at the airport and checking you into your villa to helping you arrange any tours/ activities you may want to experience during your stay! Please don't hesitate to contact them at any point!
This is something that will need to be specified when booking the villa. Not all travellers like to have their breakfast included as they like to explore Bali's myriad of fantastic cafés, however we ensure each of the villas offer the option to prepare breakfast should you want it to be.
There are endless activities available in Bali to suit all types of traveller, from solo adventurers to families with young children. Please contact us for further information on activity options or alternatively, jump onto our blog and get some inspiration from the myriad of topics including waterfall visits, festivals, beaches, bars, restaurants, theme parks and more! Once you have chosen, simply let us know and we will arrange it for you!
What if I need help during my stay? What if the villa is not as described?
We have a team within Bali that are available 7 days a week to help you with any problems should they occur. Do not hesitate to contact them at any time during your trip. They are available all day long and will be more than happy to send someone out to you should it be necessary.
What if something doesn't work? Do you have a team on the ground?
If something doesn't work, our experienced concierge team on the ground in Bali will be there to assist you 7 days a week. Our office is located in the heart of Seminyak, meaning only a short travel time between most of our villas and the office should any problems arise.
Our Bali villas team have a number of office locations in Indonesia and Singapore. Bali Villas was founded in 2014 in an effort to make travel and accommodation in Bali easier for the Australian visitor. We have a fantastic team behind Bali Villas who will be there for you during the entire booking process and during your stay.
The website was designed by our founder David in 2014 when he noticed that booking a villa in Bali was a bit of a challenge. His aim was to make the task of finding and booking a villa a seamless, hassle-free experience for users. His focus was, and remains to be, on high quality villas displayed on an easily navigable website.
My friend Stefanie said you are the best company to book with, why?
Bali villas have been in operation for over 4 years now and are one of Bali's favourite villa booking sites. We cater directly to Australian clients and ensure all of your favourite aspects of booking a villa are included (free WIFI, swimming pool, daily housekeeping, a villa manager and the option to have breakfast included.) On top of this we have a strong quality control system in which we perform systematic, thorough checks of all villas including photographing them and a detailed description of all layouts, inclusions and location. We pride ourselves on the quality of all of the villas as well as our own attention to detail! If you're still not sure about us, head over to our testimonials page and check out what our myriad of happy clients have to say about us!
Our company is as real as it gets! Started by founder David in 2014, it is a branch out from our parent company 'Villa Finder', a reputable booking agency. Our friendly staff are available 7 days a week from 8am until 8pm to answer any questions you might have and you are able to pop into any of our three offices to say hello!
I have a villa, how can I list it with Bali Villas?
This is easy, simply send us an email with the details and location of your villa via our contact us page. We will send out a staff member to inspect the villa and move forward from here. We look forward to having you a part of the Bali Villas team!
You certainly can! Simply give us a call and let us know about your clients preferences and we will help you organize a villa. We offer specific rates to registered travel agents, contact us to find out more.


text:
Airport: The Complete Collection Blu-ray
Airport: The Complete Collection
2 Pack, Widescreen
""Airport"" (1974) is a taut adaptation of Arthur Hailey's novel about a snowbound Chicago airport that must prepare for the arrival of a Boeing 707 passenger plane that's been damaged by a suicide bomber. Burt Lancaster stars as the airport manager who leads a desperate scramble to clear the runway in time for the emergency landing, and Dean Martin is the veteran pilot who has his hands full in the air. Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes co-star. Then, a 747 and a small private plane collide in mid-air and now the pilotless jumbo jet is on a collision course with destruction, in "Airport 1975" (1974). Charlton Heston, Karen Black, and George Kennedy star. "Airport '77" (1977) stars Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, and Olivia de Havilland as passengers trapped in a jetliner that crashes in the Bermuda Triangle. A ruthless businessman tries to blow up a goodwill U.S.-Soviet flight in "The Concorde: Airport '79" (1979). With Robert Wagner, Kennedy. 8 hrs. total on four discs. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English DTS 5.1 Master Audio, Dolby Digital stereo Master Audio, Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish.
Title: Airport: The Complete Collection
Studio: Universal Studios
Attributes: Boxed Set, Snap Case
Rated: PG


text:
Q: Route change events while trying to avoid using $rootScope As the Angular team (and severals blogs) adviced, I try to avoid using $rootScope as possible in my apps.

$rootScope exists, but it can be used for evil
"Of course, global state sucks and you should use $rootScope sparingly,
  like you would (hopefully) use with global variables in any language.
  In particular, don't use it for code, only data. If you're tempted to
  put a function on $rootScope, it's almost always better to put it in a
  service that can be injected where it's needed, and more easily
  tested." - from Angular FAQ

But in one of my apps, I use several times events such as $routeChangeStart that are broadcast events using $rootScope:
/* Force redirection to home page when a connected user calls login page */
$rootScope.$on("$routeChangeStart", function(event, next, current) {
    if(next.$$route.originalPath == '/login' && Session.isUserConnected()) {
        $location.path("/home");
    }
}

I don't see a way to avoid $rootScope in these cases.

*

*Is there a more elegant way to do this kind of tricks?

*Is that a design error of my app to use it?

*Must I resign myself to use it when absolutely necessary?

Tell me if you want me to provide more code samples.

A: If you don't want to use $rootScope in this scenario yyou can achieve this this using the powerful resolve.
Since I have seen you are using the ngRoute module, I created the Plunker and code for ngRoute resolve.I can create one for ui-router if you want it also.
Using Resolve makes the code to execute faster since it will not undergo the DigestCycle
You can get the user flag from the Session.isUserConnected() by injecting the session.
Then you can use that variable to redirect the route.

// Code goes here

angular.module('Test', ['ngRoute'])
.config(function($routeProvider) {
     var user = true;
     //var user = Session.isUserConnected(); You can use your logic here
    $routeProvider
   .when("/login", {
        template: "Login View",
        resolve: {

         data: function($q, $timeout,$location) {
             var deferred = $q.defer();
            $timeout(function() {

              if (user) {
                $location.path("/home");
                deferred.reject();
              } else {
                deferred.resolve();
              }
            });

            return deferred.promise;
            }
        }
    })
     .when("/home", {
        template: "Home View. It is redirected from Login by checking the user condition. Without using the rootscope",
      })
    .otherwise({redirectTo:'/login'});
})

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html ng-app="Test">
  <head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />
  </head>

  <body>
    <div ng-view></div>

    <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.3.15/angular.js"></script>
    <script src="http://angular-ui.github.io/ui-router/release/angular-ui-router.js"></script>
    <script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.5.0/angular-route.js"></script>
  </body>
</html>

The main part goes here:
data: function($q, $timeout, $location) {
    var deferred = $q.defer();
    $timeout(function() {
        if (user) {
            $location.path("/home");
            deferred.reject();
        } else {
            deferred.resolve();
        }
    });
    return deferred.promise;
}

HERE IS A WORKING DEMO

A: You missread that.
First of all, this event was added by Angular team - do you think they recommend not to use it?:D That article is about that you should not put everything to $rootScope, which seems to be an easy way for beginners.
Actually, using $rootScope - for for global events is absolutely ok -- that is actual purpose of this service.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Attempting to create meaning from a senseless act and focus attention on the presence of hate groups in the Midwest, a coalition of religious and civic leaders on Thursday launched a three-day journey along the deadly route of Benjamin Smith.
Vowing to let "light drive away the darkness" by embarking on a "Journey Against Hate," the group began its trek outside a Skokie church blocks from where former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong was gunned down by Smith three weeks ago.
Killed during Smith's two-state shooting spree were Byrdsong, who is black, and a Korean doctoral candidate in Bloomington, Ind. Nine others were injured, including six Orthodox Jews in West Rogers Park.
Later Thursday, the 16 activists gathered in prayer outside the East Peoria home of Matt Hale, leader of the white supremacist World Church of the Creator. Smith had been a member of the group before his rampage.
"It's one way to try to create meaning, but it's also a moment to build what's emerging in many local communities--active opposition to these sorts of groups," said Rev. David Ostendorf of the Oak Park-based Center for New Community, which tracks hatemongers in Illinois and is organizing the initiative.
But the effort hasn't been universally embraced, even by anti-hate groups. Some critics said that gathering in places where Smith shot people is inappropriate and that the meeting at Hale's house gives too much attention to his organization.
Two vanloads of activists plan on driving to each stop, where they hope to draw hundreds to their series of news conferences, rallies and prayer vigils aimed at deepening intolerance of intolerance.
After Peoria, the caravan travels Friday to Springfield, where Smith shot at a pair of black men; Decatur, where he wounded a black minister; and Urbana-Champaign, where he injured a student of Taiwanese descent from Northbrook.
On Saturday, the group will finish its journey in Bloomington, Ind., where Smith became well-known for disseminating hate literature as a student and where he killed Korean student Won-Joon Yoon.
East Peoria Mayor Charles F. Dobbelaire defended the campaign by saying now is the time to focus on the destructiveness of hate groups.
"They believe that if we quietly go about our everyday life, those who preach hate will fade slowly into the night," Dobbelaire said at a separate afternoon rally in downtown East Peoria that drew more than 200.
"But I ask you this: If we do not speak out loud and clear when the hate messages spewing forth from this so-called church lead to death, then when do we speak out?"
At some of the group's stops, organizers displayed a large Illinois map covered with 51 colored dots indicating the presence of various hate groups in 35 communities.
As the activists prayed, Hale sat calmly on his porch near hand-written posters reading "I forgive you white liberals" and "White pride." He raised his copy of the "White Man's Bible" as the group began singing "We Shall Overcome."
"They may have this today, but they leave today," Hale said. "I remain."
The activists' intentions--fostering a greater sense of community out of the tragedy-- inadvertently created something else: a bit of friction with at least one other anti-hate group.
"We have a general sense of unease with the entire notion of this event on a few levels," said Richard Hirschhaut, Chicago regional director for the Anti-Defamation League. "First, it strikes us as a bit ghoulish for this vigil to effectively retrace Ben Smith's path of terror and violence.
"We are particularly troubled by this group stopping at the doorstep of Matt Hale, and in our judgment serving up yet another dose of unsolicited and undue attention upon this bigot."
Despite the rift, religious and community leaders agree that vocal opposition to hate groups should be sustained.
On a smaller scale, a group of residents are trying to accomplish that in the neighborhood where Byrdsong lived.
Every night at 8 p.m. since the shootings, from 15 to 50 residents have been taking walks, usually altering their route each time, to get to know each other, create solidarity and talk about how to raise tolerant children.
Walkers come from Wilmette, where Smith grew up, Skokie, Evanston, Chicago and as far away as Bloomington, Ind.
Meanwhile, more racist and anti-Semitic pamphlets from Hale's group were distributed this week in another predominantly white neighborhood, this time in the Sauganash neighborhood.
World Church literature already has been distributed in at least four suburban communities, including Schaumburg, Rolling Meadows, Palatine and Waukegan.
In another development, a Peoria grand jury Thursday indicted a man who told authorities that he sold Smith the two handguns used on the shooting spree. Donald R. Fiessinger, 64, of Pekin, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a federal license.


Taka fra det japanske bandet med det fete navnet og de mon(o)mentale låtene slo på tråden for å ta en sjappesnakk her med oss på Tiger, i anledning den ferske skiva "Nowhere Now Here"!
The title of the new album is "Nowhere Now Here". What do you mean by this title?
What records influenced "Nowhere Now Here"?
When I write songs, I don't really listen to music so there are no albums that gave me a direct influence but always, I'm listening to Beethoven, My Bloody Valentine, Ennio Morricone, Arvo Part and Philip Grass and recently, I listen to a lot of Johan Johansson and Nils Frahm.
Years ago Mono played at the now closed Oslo club Mono, and this gig featured on your live DVD. Do you have any fond memories from this gig?
I don't remember clearly but I still haven't forgotten that the venue's name was the same. It was when I was still young. Our live back then's volume was extremely loud.
We're still really loud now but I remember the amp was often smoking back then.
Any particular Norwegian artists you are into at the time?
Dette innlegget ble skrevet i Høydepunkt, Livet i sjappa, Sjappesnakk og merket mono, pelagic records, sjappesnakk, tigertips, 15. februar 2019 av Erik Egenes.


text:
Q: Soundcloud api get user tracks I am using soundcloud resolve. This example is working:
http://api.soundcloud.com/resolve.json?url=https://soundcloud.com/katermukke/tracks&client_id=CLIENT_ID

However this is not working:
http://api.soundcloud.com/resolve.json?url=https://soundcloud.com/ferry-corsten/tracks&client_id=CLIENT_ID

If you add CLIENT_ID and open in browser you will see the results. Second one returns empty array.
Can anybody explain why?


In the latest in Hotel News Now's Running the Show series, Mark Salquist, GM of the Avatar Hotel in Santa Clara, California, discusses the joys of being hands-on in the hotel industry.
SANTA CLARA, California—Mark Salquist, GM for Joie De Vivre's Avatar Hotel, is the type of person who likes to get things done.
Just minutes before sitting down for an interview with Hotel News Now, Salquist was helping unload a shipment of chairs to keep operations flowing smoothly at a moment the property was a little short staffed. He said that hands-on ethos permeates the culture of the hotel.
He said that variety in his day-to-day routine is also something he craves and what drove him to the hotel business.
Variety is all the more important at his property, which sees a wide array of demand drivers, from business travelers visiting Silicon Valley to families traveling to the California's Great American amusement park just across the street or people going to San Francisco 49ers games or other events at Levi Stadium less than a mile away.
He said the feeling of the hotel needs to adapt to each of those different audiences.
To adjust, the hotel offers happy hours on week days to give business travelers the chance to relax and mingle, while the interactions on the weekends will be about creating communal spaces around the property's outdoor pool with fire pits and more towels available.
"We constantly have to be nimble so we can react to whatever we need to," he said.
At the same time, the Avatar Hotel maintains a consistent personality, tying in both the nearby elements of fun and technology with a lobby display full of toy robots.
Salquist said he was originally drawn to the hotel industry by a life-long love of travel, which was the result of tagging along with his father on business trips as a teen.
"That gave me that ability to travel abroad at a young age and was a unique opportunity for to get the travel bug in me," he said.
His early days in the hotel industry were spent working for Hyatt Hotels Corporation, which he said was a fantastic company to start his career with. His very first job at a hotel was working at the front desk at a Hyatt property in Sacramento, where he got his first management role at the age of 21.
"Having that strong corporate structure (at Hyatt) provided a great backbone for my career," he said.
That job set the tone for the rest of his career.
He said he tries to install that thirst for learning about the business in his staff.
After leaving Hyatt, Salquist worked at a few different companies, including a stint with Joie de Vivre in the early 2000s, before coming back to the company to transition in some newly acquired properties in the Bay Area. He developed a niche as a transition specialist, which scratched that itch for diverse challenges, before settling in as GM at the Avatar Hotel in 2013. That need is also what drew him over time to focus on the boutique hotel space.


On the occasion of the 71st anniversary of Independence of Lebanon, Charge d'Affaires (CDA) Youssef Raggi of Lebanon in Seoul hosted a reception at the Lotte Hotel on Nov. 24, 2014 to celebrate the auspicious day of his country.
▲From left: Charge d'Affaires Youssef Raggi, Newly accredited Charge d'Affaires Elias Nicolas, Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post and Mrs. Nicolas.
It was also an occasion to introduce newly accredited CDA Elias Nicolas who will succeed Raggi upon the latter's successful completion of his tour of duty in Korea.
There were no rigid or boring formalities, and this appeared to be appreciated by a good number of guests who felt tired of hearing long speeches made by many people at some social events.
▲From left: Ambassadors Mohamed Abdulla Al-Dehaimi of Qatar, Jasem Albudaiwi of Kuwait and Mohammed Chraibi of Morocco; Senior Advisor Shin Woong-Shik of Shin & Kim law firm; Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-ski of The Korea Post; and Ambassador Mohamed Ali Nafti of Tunisia.
In a brief interview with The Korea Post, CDA Nicolas said that he had never visited Korea before but that he liked Korea as he leaned about Korea while in Lebanon.
It was only a short time since he arrived in Korea and that he was very deeply impressed with the ultra-modernity he witnessed since his arrival in Seoul.
There were many congratulatory flowers presented by the leaders of the business, civic and religious orgaqnizations. They included those of Chairman Cho Yang-Ho of Korean Air, President Kim Choong-ho of Hyundai Motor Company, CEO M.H. Park of Silk Road and representative of the Korea Muslim Federation.
There came many distinguished guests from Korean society as well as from the international community and, in particular, from the Diplomatic Corps where the guests were mostly mission chiefs who included Ambassadors Natallia Jhylevich of Belarus, Dato Haji Harun Ismail of Brunei Darussalam, Petar Andonov of Bulgaria, Hernan Brantes Glavic of Chile, Grecia Fiodalicia Pichardo of Dominican Republic, Dibaba Abdetta (Dr.) of Ethiopia, Tomasz Kozlowski of Delegation of The Europan Union, Nikoloz Apkhazava of Georgia, Hassan Taherian of Iran, Khalil Ismai Abdul Sahib Al-Mosawi of Iraq, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi of Kuwait, Dato Rohana binti Ramli of Malaysia, Mohammed Chraibi of Morocco, Mohamed Salim Alharthy of Oman, Zahid Nasrulah Khan of Pakistan, Mohammed Bin Abdalla Obaid Al-Dohaimi of Qatar, Ahmad Y. Al-Barrak of Saudi Arabia, Mamadou Ndiaye of Senegal, Zoran Kazazovic of Serbia, Omrie Michael Golley of Sierra Leone, Milan Lajciak of Slovak Republic, Tissa Wijeratne of Sri Lanka, Mohamed Ali Nafti of Tunisia and Bakhtier N. Ibragimov of Uzbekistan.
▲Ice logo work showing the symbol of Lebaon.
From the Korean society came many distinguished guests who included Senior Advisor Shin Woong-shik of Shin & Kim law firm and Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post.


text:
'Isle of Dogs': An Impressive, Charming Aesthetic Masks an Underwhelming Story
In Ben Escobar, Featured, Movie Reviews, Reviews by Impact Admin April 16, 2018 Leave a Comment
– By Ben Escobar –
I love dogs. Who doesn't? Wes Anderson definitely does, and it shines throughout his latest film, cleverly titled, Isle of Dogs.
Known for his signature style that replicates that of a quirky perfectionist telling a story around a campfire, Wes Anderson's latest film is no exception to that reputation. While I found the film to be a charming love letter to canines across the world, Isle of Dogs never seemed to evolve beyond a simple tale of "Cats vs. Dogs" with some eye-catching imagery. But even then, despite a simple story, the style gradually wore out after what felt like two hours—so much that the person seated next to me fell asleep.
Now, while I don't entirely doubt the artistic ability of Wes Anderson, I will say that Isle of Dogs is something that will definitely not be forgotten in the coming years. However, if I am going to try to forget anything about the film, it will likely be the underwhelming story and failed gags scattered throughout the film.
Isle of Dogs showcases a beautiful disaster of a trash-ridden island inhabited by exiled dogs from a cat-loving society. Shot with impressive stop-motion techniques, the dogs are the obvious highlight of the film. Their look, movements, and dialogue are all unique to their respective breeds and characters, and it is impossible to overlook the amount of attention to detail and love that went into the film's creation. It rekindled a new appreciation for dogs that I haven't felt since childhood, and reciprocated an almost Toy Story-like approach to bringing a humanity to dogs, as Toy Story did for toys.
Packed with a stellar voice acting cast including Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Greta Gerwig, and more, the cast brings charming character to the many breeds of dogs that flood the Japanese-inspired world. While the film contains many simple conclusions to large problems that felt almost too easily won, there are a handful of undeniably hilarious and charming repeating gags that Wes Anderson includes—specifically cotton ball dust clouds with a storm of limbs, claws, and teeth being thrown at whatever obstacle stands in the way of the dogs. It was through moments like this, and other ongoing jokes of "all in favor of…" being repeated amongst the dogs, that kept my attention throughout, reminding me not to take everything Anderson shows too seriously.
Still, after seriously thinking about what exactly the story was attempting to say beyond the surface level of exiled pets, I am struggling to find anything relevant in regard to the film's thematic statements that aren't too far-fetched. Perhaps after lengthy discussions there could be something to retain from Isle of Dogs, however it feels right to settle with the film serving as a charming experience at the movies that appeals to an audience looking for a fun, but mature story to remember for the coming years—and a friendly reminder of our sometimes forgotten family pets that are meant always stay as man's best friend.
VERDICT: 7.5/10
+ Charming Characters/Aesthetic For All Animal Lovers
+ Impressive Stop-Motion Animation
+ Memorable World
+ Will Rekindle Your Love For Your Dog
-Forgettable Story
-Not For Everyone
-Vague/Non-Existent Thematic Statement(s)
Ben Escobar is a screenwriting and production student at JPCatholic (Class of 2018) who boasts an immense love for all things relating to the art of cinema. His favorite director is Richard Linklater and his favorite movie is Swiss Army Man.
To read more posts by Ben, click here.


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