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Jewish Lemonade
September 5, 2014 bentzis	Leave a comment
"I have often been downcast, but never in despair; I regard our hiding as a dangerous adventure, romantic and interesting at the same time. In my diary I treat all the privations as amusing. I have made up my mind now to lead a different life from other girls and, later on, different from ordinary housewives. My start has been so very full of interest, and that is the sole reason why I have to laugh at the humorous side of the most dangerous moments." -Anne Frank
At one point in my biblical studies, I came to the sad realization that the life of a biblical character was filled with pain and misery. The heroes from the holy pages rarely live happily ever after. Their lives are filled with struggle, hardship and disappointment. Adam, the first man to commune with God is exiled from the Garden of Eden, cursed, and lives to see one of his children murder the other. We see Noah, the new hope for mankind, drunk and cursing his disappointing son. Even the great patriarch Abraham goes from one trial to another and never lives to see the multiple promises of God fulfilled in his lifetime. The list goes on. Isaac and Jacob, similarly lead lives of fear, mourning and anguish. Moses, the great redeemer, leader and lawgiver, is subject to constant harassment and disappointment, the last being the prohibition of him entering the Promised Land, the land to which he so faithfully led the nation of Israel.
Nonetheless, or even perhaps because of their trials and how they faced them, we look up to these figures, to these ancestors. Their stories are filled with lessons and their personalities often serve as role models for how we should live our own lives.
One of the common threads that join the progenitors of the Jewish nation, from Abraham onwards, is how they continued, overcame and even triumphed in the face of adversity, as per the adage, "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade."
The lemonade phrase is a curious one and perhaps one that overly maligns the innocent yet highly useful lemon. In researching the sources of the phrase it becomes apparent that in the early uses of the citrus fruit, it was not thought of very well as a fruit. Its first use was strictly ornamental. Over the centuries it started to be used for its sharp flavoring, as on salads and fish, and then for medicinal purposes, including preventing scurvy amongst sailors. Lemons have also been used for their acid content as well as a cleaning agent. But lemons were always considered a second-rate fruit whose sourness made you pucker your lips and the term was administered to many second-rate, unpleasant items in life, and most specifically in later years to faulty cars. The phrase "He sold you a lemon," would become ubiquitous with purchasing a defective automobile.
Only in recent history has the lemon triumphed as a major juice product thanks to the addition of copious amounts of sugar. Hence the even more popular cliché: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." (First credited to Elbert Hubbard in 1915, but also attributed to Dale Carnegie, who himself credited Julius Rosenwald). The phrase has come to represent an optimistic attitude of overcoming adversity, turning it somehow to your advantage and making the best of a bad situation.
In honor of yet another painting by the talented artist, Mrs. Nira Spitz, commissioned by noted art patron, Mr. Egbert Pijfers, of a picturesque lemon tree, the author thought it appropriate to explore the lemon/lemonade dichotomy in biblical and rabbinic sources.
But first, as it has become our custom, a brief analysis of the famed painting itself.
One can immediately see why the lemon tree was sought and prized initially as an ornamental tree. The bright, lush, vibrant fruit is a colorful contrast to the multi-hued greens of the foliage. There is an appealing geometry and size to the tree that invites the viewer to reach out and pick its yellow/orange fruit. The asymmetry of the trunk to the geometrically full branches instinctively draws ones interest to the greco-roman bannister. It is clearly not an accident that the color and the lighting upon the human construction so nearly replicates the colors of the divinely-designed fruit. In the distance one can make out what is surely the Mediterranean coast within view of the veranda of this ancestral home. One can imagine the modern-day descendant of some Roman patrician or freed legionnaire, sitting on the porch, gazing upon the horizon, while the humidity of the summer air shimmers and rises in waves from the ground in a continuous mix of blues and whites until the eye reaches the gentle white clouds of the stratosphere. The tanned descendant lounges in shorts and a T-shirt, sipping on some cool lemonade, the ice tinkling in his tall glass.
But let us return to the symbolism of converting bitter lemons to sweet lemonade. Back in our biblical review, we noted the theme of suffering and even failure in our ancestral heroes. They struggled, they lived lives of trial and disappointment, rarely, if ever, living to see the hoped-for promise or salvation. Why do we venerate these people? Why are they models in the Jewish tradition? In the modern age of the ambitious drive to success and the diligent search for happiness, do these antiquated figures still have a role to play? Do we truly want to learn from these sad men and women? What about their lives do we wish to emulate? What deeper understanding of these personalities can provide lessons to modern man?
The answer is simple, yet profound, ties directly to our tree and its fruit, and its message is perhaps more important now than ever in the history of humanity. The lemon is a fruit that does not lend itself to instant gratification. One cannot bite into it as one would an apple and savor its delectable flavor. One cannot even squeeze it as one would an orange and expect to enjoy its sweet and rejuvenating juice. No. To enjoy a lemon is a relatively long and complicated process as far as fruit are concerned. It must be squeezed and then it must be sweetened. Only then is the lemon useful, meaningful, enjoyable.
So too with our ancestors. Nothing was handed to them easily. There was no instant gratification. In most cases they did not live to see the sweet fruit of their efforts. But that did not make it any less worthwhile. If anything, it teaches us a vital lesson. A lesson that needs to be shouted, repeated, reinforced and replayed so that cultures around the world will hear it. Ours is not the quick race. Ours is not the selfish, self-centered, self-indulgence that thinks of nothing else but oneself, of ones self-gratification, of ones personal glutenous happiness and material success to the exclusion of all else, of anything meaningful or important or lasting. Ours is an eternal march, passing the baton from one generation to the next, of making investments and sacrifices that will only be enjoyed by our descendants, of not only hoping for a better today, but planning and working for a better tomorrow, of constructing for our children the infrastructure and tools, the physical, intellectual and spiritual capacity to reach higher than we ever could. That is what we struggle for.
There is a famous story in the Talmud of a sage seeing a man planting a carob tree. This tree was attributed as giving fruit only after seventy years. The sage asks the man: "And do you think you will live another seventy years and eat the fruit of this tree?"
The man answered, "Perhaps not. However, when I was born into this world, I found many carob trees planted by my father and grandfather. Just as they planted trees for me, I am planting trees for my children and grandchildren so they will be able to eat the fruit of these trees."
Our ancestors who planted trees, who dug the land and sowed the seeds, knew what they were struggling for. They knew they wouldn't live to see or enjoy the ultimate fruits. They more often than not lived lives of suffering and anguish. Such is the human condition. But it did not deter them. Against incredible odds, with tremendous dedication, they persevered. They retained the greater goals and ideals in the face of opposition and even rationale human hope. They carried faith as a precious ember that was passed from father to son, from mother to daughter, from teacher to pupil. That is an indomitable will. That is the significance of being part of an eternal chain of tradition. That is the patrimony our ancestors have left us. That is how we can look at a lemon and instinctively see the sweet and refreshing.
"Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valleys you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always a seed of good. Find it and prosper." -Og Mandino
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text:
Q: c++ macro sideeffect I don't understand why the result is going to be 36. Can somebody explain to me what is happening here and what the preprocessor does?
#include <iostream>
#define QUADRAT(x) ((x) * (x))

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    double no = 4.0;
    double result = QUADRAT(++no);

    cout << result;
    return 0;
}

Thanks alot :>

A: The preprocessor will replace QUADRAT(++no) with ((++no) * (++no)) in that example.
That would increment no twice, if it weren't for the fact that there are no sequence points between the two increments, so you are actually causing undefined behaviour. Any output you see is valid because no one can tell what will happen.

A: The preprocessor is a basically a copy-and-paste engine.  Note that a macro is not a function; instead, it's expanded inline.  Consider what happens to your code when the macro is expanded.

A: This line:
double result = QUADRAT(++no);

gets expanded to this:
double result = ((++no) * (++no));

The way that this ends up running is equivalent to:
no = no + 1;
no = no + 1;
result = no * no;

It runs this way because the increments are performed before the multiplication: the preprocessor does a textual copy of what you pass it, so it copies the "++no" so that it shows up twice in the final code, and the increment of each ++no happens before the result is computed. The way to fix this is to use an inline function:
inline double QUADRAT(double x) { return x * x; }

Most modern compilers will expand this code out without doing a textual substitution - they'll give you something as fast as a preprocessor definition, but without the danger of having issues like the one you are facing.

A: What happens is a sort of literal substitution of ++no in place of x, it is like you have written:
double result = ((++no) * (++no));

What is the result... it should be undefined behaviour (you get 36 by chance), and g++ with -Wall agrees with me.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
/*
 * string.cpp
 *
 *  Created on: 17.3.2010
 *      Author: ondra
 */

#include "winpch.h"
#include "../containers/string.tcc"
#include <string.h>
#include <wchar.h>
#include "../exceptions/stringException.h"
#include <memory>

namespace LightSpeed {

	template struct StrCmpCS<wchar_t>;
	template struct StrCmpCS<char>;

CompareResult StrCmpCI<char>::operator()(const ConstStringT<char> &a, const ConstStringT<char> &b) const {
	natural la = a.length();
	natural lb = b.length();
	natural cnt = std::min(la,lb);
	CompareResult res;
	if (cnt != 0) {
		res = (CompareResult)_strnicmp(a.data(), b.data(), cnt);
	} else {
		res = cmpResultEqual;
	}

	if (res == cmpResultEqual) {
		return cnt == la?(cnt == lb?cmpResultEqual
				:cmpResultLess):cmpResultGreater;
	} else {
		return res;
	}
}

CompareResult StrCmpCI<wchar_t>::operator()(const ConstStringT<wchar_t> &a, const ConstStringT<wchar_t> &b) const {
	natural la = a.length();
	natural lb = b.length();
	natural cnt = std::min(la,lb);
	int res = _wcsnicmp(a.data(), b.data(), cnt);
	if (res == 0) {
		return cnt == la?(cnt == lb?cmpResultEqual:cmpResultLess):cmpResultGreater;
	} else {
		return (CompareResult)res;
	}
}

void  convertWideToCP(ConstStrW input, ICharConvertOutput<char> &output, CodePageDef cp) {
	throw UnsupportedFeatureOnClass<String>(THISLOCATION,"");
}
void convertCPToWide(ConstStrA input, ICharConvertOutput<wchar_t> &output, CodePageDef cp) {
	throw UnsupportedFeatureOnClass<String>(THISLOCATION,"");
}

static char zeroStringA[1]="";
static wchar_t zeroStringW[1]=L"";

bool safeCompareMemory ( const void * a, const void *b, natural count ) {
	__try {
		return memcmp(a,b,count) == 0;
	} __except(EXCEPTION_EXECUTE_HANDLER) {
		return false;
	}
}

const char * cStr( ConstStrA source, StringA &tmp )
{

	if (source.empty()) return zeroStringA;
	const char *p = source.data() + source.length();
	char zero = 0;
	if (safeCompareMemory(p,&zero,sizeof(char))) return source.data();
	else {
		tmp = source;
		return tmp.c_str();
	}

}

const wchar_t * cStr( ConstStrW source, StringW &tmp )
{
	if (source.empty()) return zeroStringW;
	const wchar_t *p = source.data() + source.length();
	wchar_t zero = 0;
	if (safeCompareMemory(p,&zero,sizeof(char))) return source.data();
	else {
		tmp = source;
		return tmp.c_str();
	}

}

}  // namespace LightSpeed

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Roy Blunt is the junior U.S. senator from Missouri. He was formerly a U.S. representative from Missouri's 7th district, and served for six years as the Republican whip in that chamber.
Roy Blunt's Website
Latest Fact-checks of Roy Blunt
stated on April 4, 2021 in remarks on "Fox News Sunday":
The proposal by President Joe Biden would put the U.S. "No. 2 in the world" for the highest corporate tax rate.
By Louis Jacobson • April 6, 2021
stated on March 21, 2021 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press":
Under H.R. 1, the Federal Election Commission "for the first time ever, instead of being an equal number of Republicans and Democrats (would be) three of one side and two of the other."
By Louis Jacobson • March 22, 2021
stated on February 25, 2021 in a tweet:
Says his amendment on a budget bill "would have helped get kids back in school after teachers were vaccinated. Every single Senate Democrat voted against it."
By William Skipworth • March 10, 2021
stated on November 24, 2020 in an Interview with the Southeast Missourian:
"The president got the highest percentage of minority votes of any Republican candidate for president in over 100 years."
By Simone Esters • December 8, 2020
stated on August 13, 2019 in a Facebook post:
"U.S. agricultural & food exports are expected to increase more than $2 billion annually under #USMCA"
By Greta Serrin • September 17, 2019
Latest Fact-checks About Roy Blunt
Jason Kander
stated on August 10, 2016 in a campaign ad:
Roy Blunt "voted to raise his own pay 12 times" while in Congress.
By George Ash • November 6, 2016
Commonsense Ten
stated on September 15, 2010 in a TV ad:
Says Roy Blunt "secretly inserts language to benefit tobacco giant Philip Morris" into a national security bill while "Blunt's girlfriend and son are lobbyists for the cigarette company, and just days earlier, 26 Philip Morris executives wrote checks to Blunt totaling $23,000."
By Robert Farley • October 5, 2010
stated on August 12, 2009 in an editorial board meeting with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
"I'm 59. In either Canada or Great Britain, if I broke my hip, I couldn't get it replaced."
By Louis Jacobson • August 19, 2009

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Gow School's program of study is based on an in-depth understanding of language-based learning disabilities. At the heart of the curriculum is Reconstructive Language (RL), our core language remediation program, but content-area courses are also designed and redesigned with student success in mind. Multisensory instruction, executive function skills, and study strategies are emphasized throughout. Faculty members receive ongoing training in methods that maximize student learning potential, and they are committed to providing individualized attention and extra help. Gow teachers know that students' futures depend on this expertise and dedication.
Gow students attend classes of three to seven students, six days a week. They take at least six academic courses, including RL. A daily 30-minute tutorial period and supervised two-hour evening study hall provide time to complete assignments and receive faculty assistance. Study hall also includes a reading period, when students read books of their choice... for fun. Assistive technology, including our laptop program, is integrated into all courses and plays a central role in supporting student success.
Graduation requirements include English (4 credits), history (3), math (3), science (3, including 2 in lab science), arts (1½), and health (½). Reconstructive Language is required throughout students' time at Gow, while electives let them customize their course of study.
The Gow School communicates with parents in eight report mailings a year: one-page reports for each class at the end of the four marking periods and one-page advisor reports, summarizing all classes, athletics, and dorm life, sent mid-marking period.
Because Gow understands the strengths of dyslexic students as well as their weaknesses, many courses incorporate hands-on components, especially in the arts, sciences, and technology.
Gow also gets students out into Western New York and beyond to experience real-world applications of what they are learning. Field trip destinations include the local Corning Museum of Glass and New York City for theater and museums (art), Old Fort Niagara and Gettysburg (history), and the Niagara Power Vista and Buffalo Science Museum as part of the annual Science Day. The Spanish Department offers a language-immersion trip.


Priyanka Chopra has become the Internet's favorite muse. And as of late, there are dozens of side-by-side photos popping up of fans and other celebs who believe the Indian actress is their possible doppelgänger.
The most recent lookalike to surface is Megan Milan. The MMG Model, who has over 67,000 Instagram followers and is known for her work with brands like Hennessy and Chevy bears what many deem an uncanny resemblance to the "Quantico" star.
After posting a series of recent photos to her Twitter account, followers flooded her Twitter and Instagram feeds to note the similarities between the two. While some are convinced Milan and Chopra look like twins, others aren't exactly on board.
Prior to Milan, Canadian fitness vlogger Navpreet Banga and Pakistani model Zhalay Sarhadi, were also called doppelgängers of the actress.
We have no idea if Chopra has seen her lookalikes, but the Internet has certainly spoken. Do you agree?


It is official guys...Cardi B and Offset are officially back as they both walked up the stage to accept Cardi B's Grammys award.
The couple didn't just show up on stage to collect her award but also caused a lot of steer on the red carpet. Cardi B came to slay and she indeed wore one of the most talked about outfits of the night.
However, the reunion according to TMZ didn't come without some new rules as Offset had to change his phone number which is going to strictly for business purposes and family. Another new rule will be that Offset is going to be staying away from his 'groupies' and stay faithful to his wife.
''I have been trying to work things out with my baby father and we are really good friends and business partners and we've got a lot of love for each other...things haven't been working out between us for a long time and it's nobody's fault. I don't know it might take time to get a divorce and I am always going to love him forever because he is my daughter's father," she said.


text:
The Rich Man and Lazarus
William Bacon Stevens, 1857
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire!'
"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!'"
In some respects, this is one of the most remarkable parables uttered by our Lord. It brings before us . . .
the two extremes of life,
the two extremes of death, and
the two extremes of existence beyond the grave.
Each of these couplets may be regarded as an act in the parabolic drama. The characters employed in their representation, being . . .
a beggar,
a rich man,
the patriarch Abraham,
and attending angels.
While the scene is laid . . .
in Earth,
and in Heaven,
and in Hell.
The consideration of these several acts will put us in possession of the true scope of the parable, and enable us to explain its minor features and design.
The first act exhibited before us, is the two extremes of life — a very rich man — and a very poor man.
The RICH MAN presents himself as being "dressed in purple and fine linen and living in luxury every day." Nothing could more clearly indicate his wealth and splendor; for though, in later times, robes of purple have been appropriated to royalty alone — yet in Christ's day it was the dress of the rich, the great, and the favorites in the courts of princes. Robes of purple were very costly, because of the scarcity of the shell-fish (murex trunculus) from which the Tyrians obtained their celebrated dye; or from the rareness of the purple fish, from which, according to Pliny, the Phoenicians extracted their rich varieties of purple.
Of nearly equal costliness was the "fine linen," in which the rich man was clothed; consisting of an under-vest or tunic, composed chiefly of the Egyptian flax or Bambusa, which was of a soft texture, and so expensive, being worth its weight in gold, as to be worn only by princes, priests, or people of great estate. In saying, then, that he was "dressed in purple and fine linen," nothing more was needed to indicate the costliness and magnificence of his attire.
But he "lived in luxury," as well as dressed royally; and that not occasionally — but "every day." His life was a daily feast, full of everything that could gratify the palate of an epicurean lord. Of course, his dwelling was in keeping with his wardrobe and his table. And when we say, therefore, that he was gorgeously arrayed, sumptuously fed, and nobly lodged — we cover the whole ground of luxurious living, and that outward splendor which is so much coveted by men.
Turn now to the BEGGAR. His name is Lazarus. The name of the rich man has not been mentioned (for the term Dives, the Latin word for "rich, magnificent," is a conventional name given to him by uninspired writers) — but that of the beggar has been recorded. The names of multitudes of the poor, whom the world knows not of — will be found recorded in "the Lamb's Book of Life," and engraved on the palms of the hands of the crucified One — while the names of but few of the rich, the wise, the noble, are written there; for they are the "men of the world who have their portion in this life."
Of this Lazarus (a name derived, as some think, from a Hebrew word, signifying a helpless person; or according to others, from a word which is interpreted God is my helper), it is said, that he was laid at the gate of this rich man, full of sores, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table; moreover even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The portal of a great mansion was often a place of resort for beggars, that the passers in and out might give them alms; a custom mentioned as far back as Homer, in the Iliad and the Odyssey, and still kept up in many parts of the Eastern world. This description of Lazarus, like that of the rich man, is brief — but emphatic, the strokes which draw his condition are few — but masterly, and give us a full insight into his wretchedness and want. He was helpless, for the verb, was laid, being in the passive voice, implies that he was borne and placed there by the aid of others — consequently was himself helpless. "Was laid at his gate" like a common beggar, a miserable dependent mendicant.
"Full of sores" diseased all over his body with grievous ulcers, which must have been intensely painful by their number and malignity, increased by his daily exposure and by the lack of proper sanatives and emollients.
"Desiring to be fed with the crumbs," not asking to sit at the rich man's table, nor yet to eat with his servants — but only for the broken refuse crumbs which fell from the platters and was swept into the streets.
"Even the dogs came and licked his sores" — he was so miserable that he was unable to fray away the dogs, which, attracted by the blood and sores of his diseased limbs, came and licked them, thus reducing him almost to the level of the brute creation.
These are the outlines of a misery rarely met with — and present to our imaginations, a loathsome and repulsive object.
Such was the relative condition of the two in this life. The one, with a stately mansion, princely clothing, sumptuous fare, numerous servants, courtly friends — having all that heart could wish or money buy; filling himself day by day with these objects of sensuality and pride, and neither thinking nor caring for the poor, the sick, the houseless, the hungry; absorbed in self, living for the present, reckless of the future!
The other, without a home, a bed, a table, with no companions but dogs, no resting-place but the gateway, no clothing but rags; hungry, diseased, helpless; a burden to himself, an offence to the rich; gathering a scanty pittance from the alms of travelers, and satisfying a craving hunger with the crumbs which he shared with dogs!
Who would not envy the rich man?
Who would not shun the condition of Lazarus?
But the scene changes, and brings us to the close of their respective lives. "And it came to pass that the beggar died; the rich man also died and was buried." Death is the common lot of all. Death blends the scepter and the spade, and knocks with equal pace at the gates of the palace, and the hovels of the poor.
The beggar died first. There is, however, no record of his funeral. He was hurried into the ground, perhaps unhonored, unwept, uncared for, "buried with the burial of an donkey, cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem."
Not so with the rich man: "He died and was buried;" interred, doubtless, with pomp and ceremony; for the wealth which commanded friends when living, could command mourners when dead.
Here, again, who would not prefer the condition of the rich man to that of Lazarus? The one dies surrounded by skillful physicians, faithful nurses, helpful attendants, and is borne to the costly tomb with all the insignia of courtly grief. The other passes away alone, is coffined in his rags, and, without a mourner to drop a tear, and is hurried out of sight.
Thus closes the earthly history of Dives and Lazarus. Here the curtain of life drops — and the bodies return to the worm, their native dust, and corruption.
The scene again changes, and the future, with its vast consequences, opens before us.
Dives and Lazarus again come into view — but how changed their eternal destinies!
The rich man! Where is he? "In Hell, lifting up his eyes in torment!" Where were his riches, his purple robes, his sumptuous fare, his lordly mansion? Could none of these save him? Could none of these buy him a place in Heaven? No! stripped of his wealth, his robes, his feasts, his friends — he is thrust into Hell, where his riches and luxuries but feed the flames which burn, but never consume their victim.
The beggar! where is he? His body, perhaps, had scarcely the semblance of an earthly burial — yet his soul was borne "by angels into Abraham's bosom." What though princes even carried the body of Dives to the tomb? Lazarus had the higher honor, for celestial spirits conveyed his soul to glory!
The Jews expressed the happiness of the righteous at death in three ways:
"They go to the garden of Eden;"
"they go to be under the throne of glory;"
"they go to the bosom of Abraham." And it was in reference to this general idea, that our Lord introduced this expression, to denote the future happiness of Lazarus.
He was in the bosom of Abraham, "the Father of the faithful." He whom the rich man scorned to have at his table — was received into the arms of Abraham, "the friend of God;" resting in the highest felicity which the Jewish mind could imagine!
The repose of Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham is represented in the parable as being seen by Dives, for it is stated that "in Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." Here again our Savior accommodates his language to the common notions of the Jews, who were taught by the rabbinical writers to believe, that the gates of Paradise, were near by the gates of Hell; separated, indeed, by an impassable gulf — yet within eye-range and ear-shot of each other.
As soon as the rich man saw Lazarus he recognized him, and calls him by name, and begs to Abraham, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire!" Brief words — yet expressive of intense woe. The tormenting flame, the parched tongue, the quenchless thirst — a thirst so great that the only blessing it asks is one drop of water from the "tip of one finger" — superadded to the humbling position of a beggar — asking like a miserable mendicant for a favor from the hands of him whom, on earth, he spurned with contempt, constitute the elements of his unearthly agony.
His request, as small as it is, is denied. He is bid to remember, that he, "in his lifetime, received his good things;" he was one of those "men of the world" described by the Psalmist, "who have their portion in this life," who flourish here "like a green bay-tree," "whose hearts were as fat as brawn," and who, in consequence, lifted up their proud spirits against God, asking, with all the insulting haughtiness of Pharaoh, "Who is the Lord that I should serve Him?"
All this he is bid remember, and as his busy memory wakes into more than usual activity — he remembers God's calls of mercy rejected, his opportunities of grace slighted, his vows of obedience broken — and guilt, transgression, rebellion, gather around his mind with most harassing power. Among all the fearful torments of the lost — none will exceed those which memory will furnish in the perpetual review of the past!
Undaunted by the denial of this request, he begs another: "Then I beg you, father — send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment!" By the first reply of Abraham, he ascertained that there was no hope for him, and abandoning all attempt to get a personal favor — he turns his thoughts to his relatives on earth, who, pursuing, as he knew, the same course which he had followed — would, like him, take up their abode in everlasting burnings!
For their sakes, therefore, he pleads that Abraham would "send Lazarus to his father's house," to warn them by his horrendous end — of the dreadful fate which awaited them, if they continued in their sinful course. Abraham replies, "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them!"
In the request of Dives, there was a virtual implication that he had not been sufficiently warned, an idea which is still further sustained in his rejoinder: "No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent!" evidently hinting that Moses and the Prophets were not a sufficient warning, and that had a messenger from the unseen world visited him, as he wished Lazarus to do his brethren — he would have repented, and avoided that place of torment; thus aiming to charge upon God, what he had brought upon himself!
But Abraham closes the dialogue with the solemn yet emphatic assertion, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!"
The phrase "Moses and the Prophets" is a common formula to express the writings of the Old Testament. And the assertion of Abraham proves that where the teachings of these sacred books are disregarded — no amount of personal revelation will be productive of benefit. For the same evil dispositions and perverse will which hinder men from believing the truths contained in the Scriptures, attested as they are by signs and wonders of most miraculous power, would lead them, after the first startling excitement was over — to disbelieve even though one went unto them from the dead.
The point at issue between Dives and Abraham, resolves itself into this question: Is a standing Revelation from God, better suited to man as an accountable being — than a special and individual one? This opens too wide a subject to be fully discussed here — yet it cannot be dismissed without some statements which will go far to solve the question.
We might settle the matter in a very summary way by saying that whatever plan a God of infinite wisdom has devised — is that which is best adapted to man as a spiritual and immortal being. A standing Revelation is that plan which God has devised — therefore a standing Revelation is that which is best adapted to man as a spiritual and immortal being.
Those who acknowledge both the major and the minor premises, as duly assumed, will unhesitatingly adopt the conclusion — for the syllogism is a perfect one, and in the simplest form.
Waiving however this strictly logical argument, which is amply sufficient for all honest and reverent minds — we can discover many reasons why there is more weight, and should be more influence, in a standing Revelation than in a private revelation, made to particular people, in different times, places, and conditions.
A standing Revelation is not so easily counterfeited. It is of universal application, and thus bears equally on all. It is more easily appreciated and understood, as it concentrates upon itself the interpretation of thousands of strong, educated, and prayerful minds. It is more permanent and unchanging. It is better fitted to unfold the great lineaments of Jehovah's character. It is more consonant to the analogy of nature, wherein God operates through general laws, those standing and irreversible statutes of His physical kingdom, which we term the laws of nature, and upon the permanence of which is based all human science.
We go further, and assert that the evidence which sustains our standing Revelation, is greater than any which could be given by one coming from the spirit world. For consider what would be the nature of the evidence which such a messenger from the dead would give! It would be that of a private individual, who could tell only his personal experience, and would possess merely the authority of a traveler to the spirit land, narrating what he had seen and heard.
But is the evidence of such a one, at all comparable to the evidence of the Bible? Is the narrative of a finite creature — to be preferred to the Revelation of the infinite God? Is the story of one who tells only what his limited observation has gathered — better than the words of Him who knows the end from the beginning? Did Lazarus who rose from the dead — have a better knowledge of the unseen world than He by whom He was raised?
Let us look a moment at the respective value of the two kinds of evidence. In the case of the Bible, the grounds on which we receive and believe it, are its public, unimpeached, and wondrous miracles; its numerous, comprehensive, and far-reaching prophecies; the unparalleled preservation of its sacred books; the ever accumulating mass of historical proof; its numerous collateral and corroborative monuments; its peculiar and supernatural doctrines; its perfectly demonstrable inspiration by the Holy Spirit; its reception by the universal Church; its minute adaptation to the multifarious needs of the soul; the regenerating power which it has already exercised upon the human race. And this evidence appeals to the affections of the heart, to the faculties of the mind, to the conscience, reason, and judgment of mankind.
In the case of an apparition from the dead — there would only be the personal irresponsible authority of a single individual — appealing not to your judgment and reason, for that would be lost in your fright; not to the sober faculties of your mind, for those would be paralyzed with fear; but to your excited imagination, to your stimulated imagination, startled into intense action by the standing before you of one "from the dead."
Let any candid mind say if this is any evidence at all, worthy to be compared to that which underlies the massive fabric of Scriptural Revelation! We know that just in proportion as the imagination is excited beyond its healthful operations, or the passions stimulated beyond their legitimate action, that . . .
the reflective and judicial faculties of the mind are depressed and weakened;
the perceptions of the intellect are distorted;
the decisions of the judgment are perverted;
the operation of the will is irregular;
and no true judgment or decision can be had or reached by an individual whose mind is either paralyzed with fear, or bewildered by excitement.
It is perfectly absurd, therefore, to place the evidence afforded by an apparition from the dead — on a footing with that which upholds "Moses and the Prophets."
But, further, the very grounds on which men object to the testimony of the Bible, apply with greater force to the evidence of "one from the dead." The objections to the Bible are mainly on two grounds, namely, as a revelation of the will of God, and as a system of moral doctrines. The objection to the Bible because it is a revelation from God — lies harder against a man from the dead, than against the Scriptures — for what would his message be but a revelation? And a revelation of things beyond the cognisance of your senses, or the testimony of your fellow men! And so, of course, on Hume's principles — it must be discarded, or else you are placed in the dilemma of accepting the evidence of a solitary and individual revelation, and rejecting the vast and ever accumulating evidence which sustains the Word of God. Which is most reasonable? Which demands the greatest credulity?
If the objection to a standing revelation be on account of its doctrines — then, if the man from the dead taught the doctrines of the Bible, you would no more believe him than you would "Moses and the Prophets." And if he taught doctrines contrary to the Gospel — then, before you can receive them, you must demand for their confirmation a proof as strong at least as that by which we prove the Scriptures to be of God, and even stronger, to counterbalance the prima facie authority of Revelation.
When such evidence can be produced, then will we "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it;" but as no such has been given, and none possibly can be — we dismiss the objection as one originating in the pride of the sinful heart, unwilling to bow to the humbling doctrines of the Cross — rather than in the deductions of a calm reason, or an unbiased judgment.
But the falsity of these subterfuges will still more strongly appear, if we remember the fact that the very condition of things desired by the rich man in the parable has already taken place — and yet the anticipated results have not followed. One has come to us from the dead! Jesus Christ has already risen from the dead. And, what is of great importance to our case — he rose for the very purpose of confirming the doctrines of Revelation; for Paul so rests the whole superstructure of the Gospel on the resurrection of Christ, that he says, with great emphasis, "If Christ has not risen — then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain — and you are yet in your sins!" Yet how few believe the words of Jesus; how few repent at His warnings of wrath, or His invitations of grace!
The very men who most clamorously say "but if one came unto us from the dead, and told us the facts concerning the unseen world, that sin is punished with unspeakable woe, and that persistence in our present course, will bring us to that place of torment — we would certainly repent," are those who most sedulously refuse to listen to the teachings of the Savior who did come from the dead, and who tells us in the Gospel what He sees and knows of the world to come.
To the open ear of the sincere inquirer, the Scriptures speak out clear and full — and he who yields to their guiding voice will, at death, be "carried by angels into Abraham's bosom!" But, to the willfully closed ear — no attestations, come from wherever they may — will prove effectual, for persistent unbelief will cast them all aside, and rush with infatuated step over every barrier, until death ends his earthly career, and "in Hell, he lifts up his eyes, being in torment!"
This parable is full of instructive suggestions:
This parable teaches that the condition of the soul, in the eternal world — is not at all affected by the condition of the body in this world. "God is no respecter of people." Spiritual qualifications alone, shall decide our position in eternity.
This parable teaches that a man may be poor and miserable and despised on earth — and yet be dear to saints, to angels, and to God. Joseph in Pharaoh's dungeon, David hiding in caves, Elijah "hunted like a partridge upon the mountains," the Apostles regarded as "the off-scouring of all things;" and above all, the personal history of our blessed Lord, who was "a man of sorrows," and "had nowhere to lay his head" — amply sustain this precious truth.
This parable teaches that riches, honors, and friends — are no security against death and Hell. "Riches," says Solomon, "are no profit in the day of wrath!" And Zephaniah boldly declares of the ungodly, "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath!"
HONORS are but rainbows painted on the spray of popular applause, vanishing as soon as formed; even as the Psalmist says, "Man being in honor, abides not."
FRIENDS are but flesh and blood, as mortal and as impotent as ourselves; "none of them" writes David, "can, by any means, redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." He, therefore, who trusts in either of these, trusts in that which will fail him in the day of judgement!
This parable teaches that those who revile the godly and the poor in this life — shall respect and envy them in the life to come. The rich man took no notice of Lazarus when living — but was most anxious to secure his services when in eternity. And who are they "of whom" the Apostle says "the world was not worthy?" Its kings? its poets? its heroes? its philosophers? No! but the lowly, despised, and persecuted servants of God — those who "had trial of mockings and scourgings; yes, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments, who were stoned, were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, who wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented." The world does not write these names in its history with illuminated capitals — but they are written in the "Lamb's Book of Life!" They are not decked with earthly honors — but they are dressed with kingly robes, and wear kingly crowns in Heaven!
This parable teaches that all those who have their "good things in this life" — can expect none in the eternal world. So much are we under the dominion of the temporal and the material — that the present too often absorbs our thoughts to the exclusion of the spiritual and the eternal. The cry of most men, like that of the departing Prodigal, is, "Father, give me the portion of the estate now." They are under the sway of sense — they do not walk by faith. They live only for the present, and come under the class described by David, "men of the world, who have their portion in this life." They have chosen their part — but it is a worldly one, and when called hence they lose it, and have no heavenly portion in the future.
This parable conveys a solemn warning to the rich. It is to be observed that our Lord does not charge the rich man with any positive crime or immorality. He merely states that he was rich, and lived in a style corresponding to his wealth, which may be said of many a truly good man. But he was evidently one who "trusted in his riches," of whom the Savior declared, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle — than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The snare of wealth lies in "its deceitfulness," and he who would avoid its entangling meshes, must use his riches as a steward's trust, for which he must give account at the judgment-seat of Christ.
This parable should prove a consolation to the pious poor. What though he begs his daily bread, and lies in rags at the gates of the rich? Was not Jesus born in a stable? And were not the birds and the foxes better housed than He?
The poor Christian may have no earthly treasure — but he has "an inheritance reserved for him in Heaven."
His body may be full of sores — but God says to his soul, "Your beauty was perfect through my loveliness, which I had put upon you."
He may have but "crumbs" to eat here — but he has an invitation "to the marriage-supper of the Lamb!"
He may have no companions now — but angels minister to him as one of the heirs of salvation, the Holy Spirit dwells in his heart as a Comforter, and Christ is to him "a friend who sticks closer than a brother!" And, from the lowest deep of earthly abasement, he can look up to God, and say, "Abba, Father."
Therefore, to all the poor and humbled Christians, we say, in the words of the once lowly and despised — but now glorious and exalted Savior, "Look up, and lift up your heads — for your redemption draws near!"
And finally, this parable teaches that our eternal future corresponds to our earthly character. We enter the world of spirits with precisely the same moral feelings with which we leave this present world. "As the tree falls — so it lies." He who at death is sinful — will be sinful still. He who at death is holy — will be holy still. This being the case, as God's Word positively assures us, and there being guarantied to us only the present moment of time in which to prepare for this unending future, with how much emphasis should this consideration speak to us of the necessity of making immediate preparations to meet our God!
We may be summoned before Him at any moment. If called hence in an unrepenting and unbelieving state — we shall enter that unseen world only to spend an eternity amidst the torments of the lost, with an impassable gulf between us and the land of bliss! An "impassable gulf!" No passing now! No passing ten thousand ages hence! No passing forever! Once in Hell, lifting up our eyes in torment — and we are there forever!
For though there is remorse in Hell,
though there is sorrow there,
though there is weeping and wailing there —
there is no repentance there, no faith there, no Savior there!
Now, there is mercy and forgiveness! Now, the blood-filled fountain is open! Now, the arms of Jesus are outstretched to receive us! Now, the Spirit pleads and moves upon our hearts! Now, the instrumentalities of grace are freely offered. Seize them now, "for now is the accepted time! Now is the day of salvation."


At Global Harvest Initiative, we believe that the right policies and investments can improve productivity throughout the value chain and that appropriate technology improvements empower the smallholder farmer. Some of these improvements include information to support better agricultural decisions, improvements in post-harvest technologies, and the adoption of current animal- and crop-based technologies and practices.
Greater use of machine labor at the farm level, in processing, and transportation has the potential to increase yields and decrease post-harvest loss. The result will be improvements in the quality of life for farmers and communities all over the world.
The United Nations FAO finds that most farmers in developing countries experience a greater annual expenditure on farm power inputs than on fertilizer, seeds or agrochemicals. Households in sub-Saharan Africa using farm-power technologies other than a hoe gain significant advantages: area cultivated, crop diversity, yields, levels of drudgery, opportunities to redeploy family labor, and household food security.
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) developed a hand-held, low-till seeder, ideal for small fields in areas where farmers currently scatter seeds over the soil. Use of the seeder helps ensure proper plant spacing and higher yields.
New access to mechanization benefits the machine owner, but the effects spillover into their communities as owners generate more income through greater productivity and offer services to neighbors who may be unable to afford to own the equipment.
Farmers in Nepal traditionally thresh rice by having the cows used to plow the field walk over the stalks, Small, mobile threshing services are reducing post-harvest losses from an estimated 30-50% with the traditional method down to less than 20%.
In India, where the average farm is about three acres, large farm equipment is impractical due to its size and its price for smallholder farmers with limited access to financing. In 2010, GHI member company John Deere introduced small, 36- to 41-horsepower, tractors in India.
I recently traveled to the Philippines where the government is leading the region in creating a regulatory system that supports agriculture technology. In the 1990s, the Philippines had one of the lowest rates of mechanical equipment use in Southeast Asia, about 0.5 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha), less than most American kitchen blenders. As of a December 2012 survey by the Philippine Center for Mechanization and Postharvest Development (PhilMech), the Philippines mechanization level is on par with Pakistan and India, about 1 hp/ha, and could double to 2 hp/ha by 2014. Rice cultivation areas were already reaching 1.60 hp/ha at the end of 2012.
Appropriate use of mechanization increases productivity along the entire value chain, improving yields and reducing on-farm and post-harvest loss, all critical elements in the sustainable intensification of agriculture. By implementing the right policies, engaging the private sector, research and development, trade, and effective international development, smallholder producers can play a vital role in feeding the world.


Ecovision, 2-day conference about textile and surface design, initially organised for members of the SDA in Europe. These days will be held at the AUDAX Textilemuseum and at Zijdelings in Tilburg on October 21 and 22. Also 1 pre and 4 post conference workshops have been organised plus a textile study tour to Vlisco and the Lace Factory on October 20.


text:
Q: Azure Data Factory - connect to onprem accdb I need to retrieve data from Access onprem database by using adf. I have integration runtime installed on azure vm. Access database is on the other virtual machine. I know that on the azure virtual machine I should have a path to that Access database but how to do that?

A:
I know that on the azure virtual machine I should have a path to that Access database but how to do that?

*

*To connect on-premises Access database with Data factory you need to install SHIR on that particular Virtual Machine. Only for port 443 outbound traffic. This may be open by default.

*The Integration Runtime Machine needs to have the Microsoft Access ODBC driver installed for the data storage.

Microsoft Access 2016 version of ODBC driver doesn't work with this connector. Use Microsoft Access 2013 or 2010 version of ODBC driver instead.

*

*In linked service select that particular SHIR hosted on that particular Virtual Machine.

*Provide correct values to the linked service properties like connectionString, authenticationType.

Reference- Copy data from and to Microsoft Access using Azure Data Factory follow this official document.


text:
Morgan Stanley Seeks Authority for Majority Stake in China JV
Zacks Equity Research June 13, 2019
JPM	UBS	NMR	MS
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After becoming the largest shareholder in its China mutual funds joint venture — Morgan Stanley Huaxin Fund Management Co, Morgan Stanley (MS - Free Report)	now wants to acquire majority ownership of one of its joint ventures in the country. However, the company's chief executive officer (CEO), James Gorman said that the country's regulators have not yet given their approval on the same. The news was first reported by Reuters.
In addition to this mutual funds joint venture, Morgan Stanley also has a securities joint venture with Huaxin Securities. In 2017, the company raised its stake in this securities joint venture to 49% and expressed an interest in increasing it further.
While Morgan Stanley did become the largest shareholder in its mutual funds joint venture in April, it still remains a minority owner.
And, while no particular joint venture has been mentioned, the company does intend to gain majority ownership of one of its two China joint ventures now.
At the International Economic Forum of the Americas in Montreal, Gorman stated, "China is, I think, the only country in the world where we do business (and) don't have 50% or more ownership of our business. That is unacceptable."
Notably, Gorman said that he did interact with the regulators in China recently to seek authority to obtain majority stake in one of its joint ventures. While the regulators did discuss the matter with him, the idea has not been signed off as yet.
This is because the increasing U.S.-China trade war-related tensions are having an adverse impact on the economies of both countries. Gorman added, "There's a hardening of attitudes on both sides."
Global investment banks' expansion has been limited in China for the past few years due to restrictions imposed on ownership.
However, in recent times, China eased restrictions in its financial markets, allowing greater foreign participation. Indicating its readiness to allow greater access to global banks into the country's financial markets, the China securities regulator now allows foreign companies to increase their stake to 51% in securities joint ventures, up from the existing ceiling of 49%.
Notably, JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report)	and Nomura Holdings Inc. (NMR - Free Report)	already received regulatory nod for setting up brokerage joint ventures in China. Last December, UBS Group AG (UBS - Free Report)	became the first foreign bank to receive the regulator's consent, since the rules on foreign investment in brokerages were announced in 2017.
Shares of Morgan Stanley have gained 7.5% over the past six months, outperforming 6.7% growth of the industry.
Currently, the stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Well before members of the Class of 2019 graduate, they — and other students — will enjoy major new facilities on campus.
Their fields of study are very different: the evolution of marine invertebrates that date back more than 500 million years and the quest to make a new generation of biofuels from yeast.
When Naomi Williams entered UC Davis' Masters in Creative Writing Program in 2005, she had already started a novel based on an 18th century French voyage of discovery.


Villa Elena is a sea front villa, with panoramic views on a 4.000m² plot with 486m² of living space, including balconies and terraces located within a 10 minute walk of the Kalathas beach, Chania, Crete.
The ground floor is of an open plan design including a generous living room with a fireplace and under floor heating for the winter period. Next to this is a dining area set for eight people with a large balcony over looking the bay of Kalathas. After this comes the fully equipped large kitchen area with modern facilities. Leading off from the living room, is a large covered veranda with enough space for 15 people to enjoy the sun sets. There is also a guest toilet on this level.
This consist of an 80m² room with a walk-in wardrobe, sitting area, a safety box, control of the security cameras that cover the house and garden,ceiling mounted plasma TV, DVD and air conditioning units. The en-suite bathroom has a Jacuzzi, toilet, 2 sinks and shower. On this level is also a smaller bedroom that shares the bathroom of the master bedroom, ideal for instance for younger children.
There are 4 double bedrooms, 2 with en-suite plus a further bathroom, all three of them newly refurbished. Also there are 2 storage rooms and a laundry area. Air-condition is provided in every room, and a large floor unit in the hall way. Television and DVD are installed in every room together with wardrobes.
There are 3 balconies around the house, plus the side terrace of 400m², including a swimming pool of 110m². There is also a large well tended garden with palm trees.
There are solar powered water heating systems for the house and pool all year round. A power generator system is in place for black outs and there is a pool storage room.
To the side of the house is a large parking area for 12 cars, a small garage/storage room, and a big double garage for 2 cars with electrically controlled door. The main entrance is a large electronic gate with an intercom.


Pittsford Town Supervisor Bill Smith today announced the Town of Pittsford received a $50,000 Clean Energy Community grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the Town's proposal entitled "Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction." The Town became eligible for the funding when it was designated in 2017, by the State of New York, as a "Clean Energy Community." The Town earned the Clean Energy Community designation by completing "high impact" sustainability initiatives defined by the State and aimed at reducing energy use and carbon emissions, cutting costs and driving use of clean energy locally.
The Town's proposal entitled "Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction" takes a multi-faceted approach to green energy, with community benefit at the forefront. Part of the $50,000 funding will support the installation of a new EV (electric vehicle) charging station at the newly renovated Paul M. Spiegel Pittsford Community Center. This will be the Town's second EV charging station. The first was installed in the municipal parking lot behind the Pittsford Community Library in 2017. The charging stations are offered free of charge to users. The existing station has been used by hundreds of residents and visitors. Funds from the grant have also been allocated for the installation of solar panels on Town-owned buildings. The solar panels will make Town buildings more energy efficient and will reduce the Town's energy costs, which in turn saves taxpayer dollars.
Pittsford has a long history of policy commitments that benefit the environment, starting with its Greenprint plan in 1996. Hailed as a national model for community conservation, it preserved nearly 2,400 acres of open space and agricultural lands. Among other green initiatives, the Town has adopted a law enabling Community Choice Aggregation as a sustainable and lower-cost option for electric power for Pittsford residents. The Town is working on conversion of street lights to high-efficiency LED lights bulbs, and is exploring practicalities of a solar energy farm in the Town of Pittsford.
New York State adopted the Clean Energy Communities initiative in order to encourage local governments throughout New York to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development projects and to support them in that effort. The program is administered by (NYSERDA.
Grant funds are being provided through New York State's Clean Energy Fund and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. For more information on Clean Energy Communities, visit www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec.


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Culpa Innata
Comments Off on Culpa Innata
I just finished a PC game called Culpa Innata. I liked it, but it's rather bizarre, and it isn't exactly the adventure game it's billed as. It's a police procedural, and though the mystery gets solved it's really an excuse to build up and then deconstruct a utopian society.
You play Phoenix Wallis, police officer and loyal citizen of the World Union, who has a murder to solve in the year 2047 and only your mouse to do it with.
Essentially you have to talk to people, gradually uncovering clues that lead to new people or locations to visit; there's also a fair number of (generally not very difficult) puzzles to solve. Most of the game, in fact, consists of interviews. This starts out slow as (e.g.) you ask sales clerks about what kind of boss Mr. Bogdanov was, but eventually it picks up, as you get some solid clues. The characters are varied but few really stand out (one that does is Bogdanov's stylist).
Movement is rather clunky… it's a 3-D environment, yet mostly presented from static camera angles that snap you from one scene to another. Memo to designers: never do that again.
An odd little recurring activity is near-daily gossip sessions with Phoenix's best friend Sandra. As these recap events you just went through, they don't add much except insight into Phoenix's somewhat prissy personality. Sandra is more lively than most of the characters, however, and I ended up following all the conversational paths.
I like the fact that the game seems to take a feminine approach… there's no violence; it's highly story-oriented; Phoenix is usually kind to the interviewees and always shares her emotional reactions to things. She also has a makeup kit whose pieces are used to solve several puzzles.
My main complaint is that the non-linear structure wears thin, especially towards the end, when one event after another simply forces Phoenix into particular encounters. There are a few side activities (including a large side quest designed to show up the failures of the World Union) but the game could have used more diversions and dead ends. Phoenix can watch holovision, for instance, but after the first night (when an important clue is presented), it's always the same show. You never get to ask Sandra about her life, or shoot down your obnoxious junior colleage Julio. At one point you go clothes shopping (your dowdy duds won't get you into a fancy nightclub); but you don't get to choose your outfit (and the outfit you get is hideous).
For a long time I was puzzled at the game's politics. The World Union isn't exactly an Orwellian nightmare; it's capitalist, peaceful, and obviously comfortable, though stiff and self-righteous. The underlying philosophy seems to be Rand-libertarian (greed, selfishness, and ambition are praised; Phoenix's police organization is a private company; there's no taxation); but children are raised by teachers, sex is highly liberated, and there's a lot of talk of NGOs which are a parody of various leftist causes.
The clue lies in the credits– most of the names are Turkish, and the game is a loose adaptation of a novel by a Turkish writer, Alev Alatlı. Now it makes sense: the World Union is an outsider's parody of the entire West: general prosperity and a careless dismissal of the rest of the world, American individualism and laissez-faire economics, European hostility to religion and violence. Right-wing economics and left-wing do-gooders are thrown together because both have disproportionate influence outside the West. In the game there's a glimpse of Alatlı's preoccupation with quantum physics and chaos theory; apparently in the novel she links these with an eccentric form of Turkish nationalism.


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text:
import process.tasks.io
import process.tasks.slack

# this determines which modules are displayed in the registry API:
MODULE_REGISTRY = [
    process.tasks.io,
    process.tasks.slack
]

PROCESS_REGISTRY = {
    'hello-world': 'HelloWorld',
    'hello-slack': 'HelloSlack'
}

# PROCRESS_REGISTRY.setattr(key, value)


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text:
Why Dave Hughes really left The Project.
Elissa Ratliff
When he was 22, Dave Hughes decided that he liked himself better sober.
And he hasn't looked back since.
The former The Project co-host and all 'round genuinely funny guy, believes that some people are meant to drink, and others just aren't.
"I've never been to AA, I've never been a sponsor for anyone. But I tell anyone life can be just as good." He told Mia Freedman on the latest episode of the No Filter podcast.
"Some people have it in their DNA that they just shouldn't drink."
Hughsie moved to Perth soon after he quit drinking to try his hand at stand-up comedy.
"I thought I had talent," he said. But on his first night doing it, nobody laughed.
So he went back the second night, and things got better.
In 2013, after five years of co-hosting The Project, he decided it was time to move on.
At the time, he stated that he wanted to focus on his stand-up. Which he did. But he revealed to Mia that that wasn't the real reason for leaving.
It was the news cycle.
"The news cycle rarely changes. Nothing changes in so long. To sit there and talk about the same things every night, it was too much."
"I felt ill for almost 5 years, because I did not get enough sleep."
"I quit radio at the same time. I was sick of doing breakfast radio. And I was sick of doing TV every night. And I just wanted to do stand-up comedy."
Hughes farewelled The Project in December, 2013.
"It's definitely a tough decision, as we have had so many unbelievable moments on the desk. You meet some of the biggest stars in the world and chat with them and have some wonderful times" he said at the time.
Hughesy at this years Logies.
But like most things in his life, he hasn't looked back.
He's taken his young family to Europe with him, so he could do stand-up. He's toured the country. Hosted the Logies. Hosted Australia's Got Talent. And is back on the airwaves with his radio partner Kate Langbroek nationally.
Listen to the full interview with Hughsey in itunes, or here:
Tags: celebrity , no-filter , podcast
Are Lip Fillers The New Lower Back Tattoo?
Mamamia Out Loud


text:
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Spring News Article
GROWING YOUR OWN BEETS
Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus
Each year the National Garden Bureau chooses plants of the year to feature. For vegetable, they have proclaimed 2018 as Year of the Beet. This isn't one of the more popular vegetables, perhaps as most just know it from cans in the back of the pantry, or the "earthy" taste of traditional varieties. Yet beets are easy to grow, particularly in cool climates.
Beets are rich in fiber, vitamins, iron, and antioxidants. The roots come in various colors and shapes, and can be harvested young and small or left to mature larger. Tops—beet greens—can be cooked too, or used in salads. Several new varieties, such as 'Merlin' and 'Fresh Pak,' are grown just for this purpose. Beet roots can be sliced, roasted, and used in salads as well. You may find beet juice sold as an energy drink, or slices dried as beet chips.
Beets are more popular in many countries; in some, it is a menu staple. In Australia, you may see them sliced on hamburgers. The beet-based soup "borscht" is a staple of Eastern European, Jewish, and Mennonite cuisine. Beets were even used medicinally in ancient Rome as a laxative or to cure fevers, and to promote amorous feelings. Beets were used even earlier in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and even the Netherlands, going back to at least 2000 BCE.
Ancient beets had thin, fibrous roots and so were consumed for their stems and greens, as we do chard today (a beet relative). One of the earliest records of eating the roots was from Germany or Italy in 1542. At that time, beet roots more resembled a parsnip than the generally rounded shape of modern beets, which began appearing during the late 1500's. These are believed to have come from an ancient North African vegetable. Medieval cooks used beets in pies. Elizabethans used them in tarts and stews. Thomas Jefferson planted them at Monticello.
Another use of beets began in 1747 in Berlin, where the chemist Andreas Marggraf discovered how to extract sugar from beets. His student perfected this process, the King of Prussia supported it, the first sugar beet factory was built in western Poland, and today about 20 percent of the world's sugar comes from beets. Beet sugar production requires about four times less water than cane sugar production, so it is popular in countries with limited water supplies. Sugar beets are different from our table varieties, being white and cone-shaped.
As with most vegetables, there are a range of beet cultivars (cultivated varieties) to choose from. The most common shape is rounded, like 'Ruby Queen', but you also may find cylindrical beets like 'Cylindra' (a great one for canning), or even flattened ones like the heirloom 'Flat of Egypt'.
Beets are commonly dark red to purple, such as the classic 'Detroit Dark Red'. But there are newer cultivars in other colors, such as the golden 'Touchstone Gold' or yellow-fleshed 'Boldor'. 'Avalanche' is, as you might guess from the name, a white beet. Then there are the Chioggia or candy-stripe beets, with spirals of pink and white.
While beet lovers refer to the taste of older varieties as "earthy", those that dislike beets refer to it as a dirt taste. This comes from the organic compound "geosmin" which is produced by soil bacteria and is the same earthy smell after a summer rain. While it is believed by many that beets get this flavor from these soil bacteria, recent research and breeding shows that this can be produced within the beet root itself. If you don't like the taste of traditional beets, try one of the newer cultivars with a much sweeter flavor such as 'Merlin', 'Boro', or 'Red Ace'.
Although beets are "biennial"— flowering in their second year of growth—they are not grown for their flowers, but as an annual vegetable. You'll want to make sure the soil, prior to sowing, is amended with compost and deeply dug, or loosened with a spading fork. Beet roots often grow a foot deep, and can reach three feet deep in loose soils.
Beets will tolerate some shade, but full sun is best. Avoid planting them in the same bed or area where other members of their family, such as spinach or Swiss chard, grew the last year or two. This avoids potential problems such as nutrient disorders.
Beets don't need, or want, much fertility. In particular, avoid high nitrogen. Use an organic fertilizer, or one low in nitrogen, and moderate in phosphorus (if a soil test indicates you need this at all), and moderate in potassium (potash). Beets prefer an almost neutral to slightly alkaline soil (around pH 7 or above). Brown, scab patches on roots indicates a too acidic soil.
Depending on climate, and the root size you wish to harvest, beets need from 50 to 60 days from sowing to full maturity. Sow seeds directly in the garden, about one-quarter to one-half inch deep. Although beets grow best in cooler climates, don't sow too early in spring as best germination occurs with soil temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees (F). Beet "seeds" actually are a cluster of two to six seeds, so the clusters of seedlings that germinate will need thinning out.
For greens, space (or thin seedlings) to about two inches apart if harvesting for greens; three inches apart if harvesting in summer; four inches apart if harvesting later for storage. To thin seedlings, use fine scissors or snips to cut plants, rather than pulling and disturbing remaining seedlings. The roots left behind will decompose, enriching the soil.
Beets grow best with cool soil temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees (F). A light straw mulch or layer of compost helps moderate soil temperatures. Or, interplant or "companion crop" with other vegetables that will shade the soil, and provide other benefits such as deterring weeds. Bush beans (not pole or runner beans), radishes, lettuce, and members of the cabbage family are good to grow in between rows of beets.
Once beets have formed a rosette of leaves, an extended cold period, as we sometimes get in northern climates—two or more weeks getting below 50 degrees (F)—can cause them to bolt (form flower stalks), which puts a halt to their root production. If the weather turns cool with cold nights, cover plants with a floating row cover to help keep temperatures higher underneath.
Harvest beets when they are about one and a half to two and a half inches wide for best taste. When they get larger they lose some flavor and develop a coarser texture. Unless the soil is quite porous, gently loosen it first with a spading fork. To avoid "bleeding" (of red and purple beets, not white or gold ones), don't cut tops off but rather twist them off. Hold the root in one hand, then twist off the tops with the other hand, leaving an inch or two of stems on the roots. Wash soil off before storage. If you don't plan to use the greens, leave them to decompose and release their nutrients back into the soil.
You can store the tops, wrapped in a moist paper towel, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for two to five days. Roots can be stored two to three weeks in plastic bags in the refrigerator. For longer storage—two to three months for roots— store them in a root cellar or similar cold place (unheated garage for instance) at 32 to 40 degrees (F), and about 95 percent humidity. A tub with a cover helps to maintain humidity, layering roots with damp sand, peat moss, sawdust, compost or similar material.
Beets can be sown in spring for an early to mid-summer crop, sowing about three to four weeks before the last usual frost date. Or, sow them in late summer about a month before the first usual frost date for a fall crop. Although beets prefer cool temperatures, and will tolerate some light frost, make sure to cover with heavy row cover fabric if hard frost is predicted.
You can learn interesting background and useful growing details on other vegetables of the year, as well as for flowers of the year, from the National Garden Bureau (ngb.org/year-of).
Return to Perry's Perennial Pages: Green Mountain Gardener Articles-- your reliable source of gardening information for over 50 years.


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On UN International Migrants Day, Sheba Nandkeolyar, co-founder and CEO of MultiConnexions, questions if multicultural marketing is simply a blip on the radar, or something more permanent.
It's the end of the year, and I have worked really hard. It's time to reward myself with a little gift – a Google Home from Kogan.
I head to the mall to buy my Christmas presents for my family and friends. Chatswood Westfield has an amazing range of shops to choose my gifts from, and it's packed. It's almost lunchtime, and I meet a couple of friends. One of them suggests a quick lunch at Oporto. After more shopping, we decide to meet a friend for dinner that evening at his swanky Meriton apartment.
Just a day in my life, but it gets me thinking about how inextricably the Australian lifestyle has become integrated with the migrant story.
My favourite online shopping site was founded by Ruslan Kogan. He was born to Belarusian parents, and moved to Australia in 1989. Kogan had a frugal upbringing living in a housing commission flat, but soon found his entrepreneurial stride and started his first business at the age of ten by finding lost golf balls. His passion for technology and entrepreneurship led him to found Kogan – one of the most popular e-commerce sites in Australia.
My favourite mall was founded by Frank Lowy of Westfield Group. Lowy was born in Czechoslovakia and lived in a ghetto in Hungary during World War II. During Australia's European immigration boom in the '50s, Lowy met fellow immigrant John Saunders and the pair founded Westfield Development Corporation.
My favourite chicken place was founded by Antonio Cerqueira, a migrant who left Portugal at the age of 18, and never left his roots. In fact, it was his background that encouraged him to start up his own business. In 1986, he opened his first Oporto in Bondi selling Portuguese chicken with peri-peri– a rarity in Australia at the time, which has since come to be a most sought-after flavouring.
My friend's apartment was built by Harry Triguboff, the son of Russian Jews who fled to China after the rise of Lenin. He migrated to Australia in 1947 where he ran a taxi fleet among other humble jobs. He bought a piece of land in Roseville to build a house and hired a builder who let him down. Unperturbed, he rolled up his sleeves and built it himself. This year, Triguboff was listed by the Financial Review Rich List, as having a personal net worth of AUD$11.4bn.
These are just a few examples of migrant successes in Australia – migrants whose contributions have changed the landscape of Australia forever.
It is certainly worth remembering and celebrating such successes this UN International Migrants Day.
Indeed, the stupid arguments raised over and over again questioning the validity and contribution of migrants are ringing hollow.
Pope Francis may have unknowingly used marketing jargon when he recently declared: "Immigration is not a threat, but an opportunity." Although he is not an acknowledged marketer, I think his insight is razor-sharp.
Migration has changed the landscape of Australia from what we eat, to what we read, to where we live, to how we dress, to our purchasing habits and more.
The alarm bell is ringing. Marketers need to wake up to the fact that today one in three Australians were actually born overseas. When you consider that in 2016, nearly half of all Australians were either born overseas or had at least one parent who was born overseas, the true extent our unique and truly remarkable multiculturalism becomes even more impressive.
New migrants bring new ideas, new ways of thinking and unheard-of skills to this great southern land. They bring their unique cuisines, rich culture, art, music, fashion and creative ideas. They bring experiences, hopes, dreams, commitment and passion.
They bring waves of opportunity for Australians.
The question marketers need to ask themselves is: are they still living in an insulated world, pre 1940s where the majority of Australians were Anglo-Saxon? Or are they really in tune with the changing profile of Australia, and the reality of international migration?
For a marketer, this day of international migration holds immense potential and possibilities if they just open their minds to fully understand the marketing implications, potential and possibilities that international migration represents.
With 50 percent of Australia being of a multicultural background, do they question what percentage of their marketing budget is targeted to multicultural Australians?
And what percentage of budget is allocated to grab a piece of the $100bn+ pie that these multicultural audiences command?
While some marketers will certainly be celebrating International Migration Day, for others it will remain a tiny blip on their radar or – at best – a tokenistic approach.
"Just add in a few Asians to your mainstream television ad, and it should take care of your marketing." Will it really?
Sheba Nandkeolyar is co-founder and CEO of multicultural marketing agency MultiConnexions.
My mechanic is from England. The bloke playing guitar and singing in the pub is originally from Ireland.
How bloody multicultural can you get!
I am glad you read my opinion piece and shared your observations.
Again, no robust support except anecdotal evidence that migrants (people born overseas) have been successful in Australia.
ABS data is publicly available so it would be nice to hear some sophistication and science from experts…or maybe people just don't know where to look.
Each of those business successes represent hard stats / facts of profits and employment generated for Australia. Nothing anecdotal about these successes.
It is an interesting article but I would contend that the other areas marketers are ignoring altogether is the disability community especially in the areas of leisure and travel. The ageing population is fuelling enormous growth in accessible tourism and accessible leisure but it is ignored altogether in the marketing community. Given that in some areas it represents more than 20% of the total spend it is an opportunity lost.
Agree these are all Niche segments representing immense potential. Infact the older generation have the maximum spend segment but unfortunately the ads and marketing strategy are not created by an age group that reflect this audience.
Sorry, gonna be a long comment; as I have been researching into opportunities in this segment at a personal level. Only cos I'm an immigrant and I believe there is stro g opportunity in this demographic.
I do have some question, as an Asian immigrant (not migrant, clear distinction here, and very different definitions despite incorrect conventional usage).
I am keen to know the sources in quantifying this 100B economy. It's very hard to find reliable data to put a number on their economic output; considering the vast cash economy that exists (not just from a business PoV, but also individual incomes etc). Also, considering that large parts of this economy would arguably be of little value to Aussie brands, what would be a reasonably adjusted figure? (Ie. Chinese businesses set up to cater for Chinese specific needs, with Goods sourced from China, and consumers paying for this from Chinese derived income; think Chinese international students for example).
My guess is that brands could want to invest more in this space if the multicultural channels come up to speed on at least the basics. Currently I would say that the risks out-weigh the opportunity cost hence being a barrier to investment? I think brands definitely see opportunity here, but the lack of data etc are putting brakes on quantifying the opportunity value.
Perhaps the multicultural vendors should be demanded a minimum level of industry standard transparency with their reporting if they want to play with the big fish? Should they not up their game first if they want a bigger slice of the pie? What sort of developments are happening in this space?
I agree with your views, there is a lot to be done in this area. As a thought leader in this space our agency has been pushing the boundaries. The spend figures are easily calculated based on consumption basket patterns of these audiences. Be it housing, education, groceries, travel, Health etc. family size including longstay visitors VFR all add to these numbers. Infact my calculatio s exceed the $ quoted. These do not include Daigou Marketing Billings.
On another note my company has been pushing Media to get themselves accredited if they want business from us. ROI calculations are getting smarter with more sophisticated independent software usage as a double check on all figures provided by our industry partners.
As I say Multicultural Marketing is an art as you need detailed insights about these audiences but is also a science. And we should never lose sight of this. Very heartening to read your observations.
A basic question that should be but is not asked at the beginning of any strategy.A glaring example are the Ads we see/hear on Australian TV and Radio channels. you could could the number of migrant models/faces you see(if any). A poor reflection of your market out there not only in metros but regional ares too.


Ika, you spent 6 month in Athens, volunteering for SCI both on local and international level. What were the highlights for you?
It was a great chance for me to be involved in Peers to Peace project especially for the Seminar on Project Management. The people were so inspiring and motivated and the seminar itself give me a lot of knowledge and inspiration in the frame of project management and fundraising.
I was able to be involved and organize intercultural sharing through movie and national dishes in SCI Hellas - it was super nice as well working together with my colleague Federico Spadoni to attend "Random Conversation" radio show and publish some newsletter. I got so much support from both organizations which was really helpful for my job and daily circumstance.
You had an opportunity to work on Peers to Peace project that is supporting cooperation among SCI branches all over the world. What did you enjoy the most in the project? Were there any challenges you had to overcome?
I enjoy to do communication with people from others branches. I really like to build connection with them and share ideas. Because even after this project ends we never know if maybe in the future we can always meet them again.
Some challenge was maybe only the time differences, because we do the coordination mostly by email or skype before and after the seminar. So sometimes we needed to set the same schedule to have the meetings or I had email replies quite late, but overall it was fine and fun. When I finally met the participants in the seminar, it was interesting to guess who was who by remembering their previous pictures on Peers wall.
Would you recommend EVS to others? Why yes or no?
Yes of course. It gave me the chance to live and know other cultures better. Also working with other people from different countries is really interesting. It gave me the chance to improve my personal development, skills and my English. This six-month experience gave me a lot of knowledge and better understanding of myself and other people and I hope there will be more people who will get this experience as well.
Thanks a lot to SCI IS and SCI Hellas for giving me this chance, I am fully grateful to be part of your big family.


text:
The findings are a result of a survey that polled more than 1,100 women about their beauty habits and their interest in natural products.
According to the findings, more than half of all women read beauty care labels before making purchasing decisions. And they do so in order to avoid chemical ingredients known to be harmful such as phthalates, parabens, and detergents.
The women surveyed also said they're motivated to spend more money on "clean" skin care over the next several years—especially with children at home. Nearly 70 percent of mothers said they value natural beauty products compared with 56 percent of women without children.
"This is now on people's radars," Kari Gran, commissioner of the Harris Poll survey and founder of an eponymous line of holistic cosmetics, told Yahoo Beauty. "I think that when organic and green skin care came out, the [beauty] industry thought it was a fad. But the slow-food movement just built and built and built, and this now feels the same to me."
While there's no question that consumer demand is increasing, U.S. regulators have been slow to phase out toxic ingredients, put restrictions on their use, or require transparency in labeling to alert consumers to their health risks.
Many shoppers rely on blind faith in the cosmetics industry—assuming that in order to be on a store shelf, products meet safety criteria ensuring all products are harmless.
But that's not the case; most ingredients are barely regulated for use. The USDA and FDA typically only step in after an issue such as acute adverse reactions to a product have been reported.
Making matters worse is the liberal use of misleading terms, such as "natural" or "pure."
"When it comes to 'natural cosmetics,' the word natural means nonsense," Scott Faber, EWG's vice president of government affairs, tells Yahoo Beauty. "There is no definition for natural and no guarantee that so-called natural products are safer or better for the environment. It's time for regulators to define natural in a way that protects consumers from misleading claims."
But with increasing demand for truly natural products, the tide is turning.
"The upside here is that consumers are much more educated than they used to be," says Gran. "People are no longer buying in at face value. They are listening to their friends and reading blogs and labels."