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PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE ARCHDIOCESE OF BELGIUM AND EXARCHATE OF THE NETHERLANDS AND LUXEMBURG
ORTHODOX PARISH OF SAINT NEKTARIOS
Archbishopric
Life of St.Nektarios
The last sermon
Our holy Father Nektarios was born on 1 October 1846 at Selymbria in Thrace. His parents, Dimos and Maria Kephalas, were pious Christians but not rich in this world's goods. Their son was baptized Anastasios and, from infancy, showed great piety and love for study. When his mother taught him Psalm 50, he liked to repeat the verse: I shall teach thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee. After finishing elementary school, he was sent by his parents to Constantinople to continue his education, at the same time as working in a shop. The boy did not become entangled in worldly cares, but fixed his mind entirely upon building up the inner man in the image of Christ by prayer and meditation on the writings of the holy Fathers.
When he was twenty, he left Constantinople for a teaching post on the island of Chios. The young people and villagers where he taught were encouraged to live in piety and virtue by his words and above all by the example of his ascetic, prayerful life. On November 7, 1876, he became a monk in the famous Monastery of Nea Moni, for he had long desired to embrace the Aesthetic life. Seeking only those things which are above, he was beloved by all the brethren as the very pattern of gentleness and obedience, and was ordained deacon after one year. Thanks to the generosity of a pious islander and to the protection of Patriarch Sophronius of Alexandria, he was able to complete his studies in Athens and to obtain the diploma of the Faculty of Theology. In 1885, he arrived in Alexandria where he was soon ordained priest, then consecrated Metropolitan of Pentapolis (an ancient diocese in Cyrenaica, in what is now Libya). He was appointed preacher and secretary to the Patriarch, whose representative he became in Cairo, where he had charge of the Church of Saint Nicholas.
Nektarios lost nothing of his humility through these honors, and was able to inspire his flock with zeal for the evangelic virtues. But the love and admiration of the people for him turned to his disadvantage. Certain members of the Patriarchate became jealous of his success and, led on by the Devil, put it about that he was currying favor with the people with the aim of seating himself on the patriarchal throne of Alexandria. The Saint made no attempt to justify himself but placed all his hope in the promise of Christ who has said: Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account (Matt. 5:11). He was dismissed from his Episcopal Throne; and he embarked for Athens where he found himself alone, ignored, despised and even lacking his daily bread, for he would keep nothing for himself and gave away what little he had to the poor. The meek and humble follower of Jesus Christ planned at first to withdraw to Mount Athos but gave up the idea, for he put the salvation of his neighbor before his own love of monastic retreat. He spent several years as a preacher (1891-1894) and was then appointed director of the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School for the education of priests. The School's spiritual and intellectual standing rose rapidly under his direction. The students found in him a teacher with a deep knowledge of Scripture, of the holy Fathers, and even of secular learning, and a director who exercised his authority with great kindness and consideration. His administrative and teaching responsibilities – he taught pastoral theology – did not prevent him as a monk from living a life of ascesis, meditation and prayer, nor from fulfilling the high calling of preaching and serving regularly the holy Mysteries, at the School as well as in the Athens region.
However, there glowed in the depths of his heart a burning love for the peace and quiet of life in the monasteries; and this led him to respond warmly to the desire expressed by some of his spiritual daughters that he should found a women's monastery on the island of Egina. This he did between 1904 and 1907 and he retired there in 1908, on his resignation as director of the Rizarios School. Despite countless cares and difficulties, Saint Nektarios saw to the restoration of a type of life that was wholly in the spirit of the ancient Fathers. He gave his utmost bodily and spiritual strength to the construction of the buildings, to divine service and to the spiritual direction of each one of his disciples. They would often see him in his worn-out cassock working in the garden or, when he disappeared for many hours, they would guess he had shut himself in his cell to raise his intellect to God by bringing it down into his heart, to taste there the sweetness of the holy Name of Jesus. Although he desired to flee all contact with the world and strictly limited visits to the Monastery, the fame of his virtues and of his God-given graces spread in the region, and the faithful were drawn to him like iron to a magnet. He healed many lay-people and nuns of their sicknesses, and brought rain to the island in a time of draught. He comforted, consoled and encouraged; he was all things to all men. He could do all things through Christ who dwelt in him by the Grace of the Holy Spirit. He kept company with the Saints and with the Mother of God, and they often appeared to him during the holy Liturgy or in his cell. During the difficult years that followed the First World War, he taught his nuns to rely from day to day on the mercy of God. He utterly forbade them to keep any food in reserve for their use, instructing them to give away to the poor everything that remained over. Saint Nektarios also found time to write a large number of works on theology, ethics and Church history, in order to strengthen the Church of Greece in the holy tradition of the Fathers, which was often unknown in those days because of Western influences.
Saint Nektarios lived like an angel in the flesh with the rays of the uncreated light shining around him, yet once again he was calumniated by certain members of the hierarchy who made malicious accusations about his monastery. He bore these latter trials with the patience of Christ, meekly and without complaint, as he did the painful illness which afflicted him for more that eighteen months before he spoke of it. He thanked God for putting him to the test in this way, and did his best to keep the pain he suffered secret until the last days of his life. After a final pilgrimage to an icon of the Mother of God venerated not far from the monastery, he told his disciples of his coming departure for Heaven and was taken to a hospital in Athens where, after fifty days of suffering borne with a patience that edified all who visited him, he gave up his soul in peace to God on November 8. 1920.
The faithful of Egina, the nuns of his monastery and all the Christians who had come close to him, mourned the loss of the meek and compassionate disciple of Christ who, in the likeness of the divine Paso of his Master, endured all his life calumnies, persecutions and false accusations. But God has glorified him, and miracles have abounded since his departure for those who approach his relics with faith or who rely on his powerful intercession. His body remained incorrupt for more that twenty years, distilling a delicate, heavenly scent, and then returned to the earth in the usual way. His relics were strongly redolent with the same perfume at the time of their translation in June 1953. This perfume has continued ever since to rejoice the faithful who come to venerate his precious relics with the assurance that Saint Nektarios has been received by God into the abode of the righteous. His veneration was formally recognized in 1961. The list of his miracles grows longer every day, and his shrine at Egina has become the most popular place of pilgrimage in Greece.
Relics of Holy Nektarios


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Q: Contact form 7 - How to send mail to two different E-mail Address I am using Contact form 7 plugin for my WordPress website. When User submit the form E-mail is sent to Admin with subject and all the details like name, email, phone, city, zip-code etc..At the same time I also want to send another E-mail to another Admin with fewer details like different subject line and name, email and phone. How to achieve this ??

A:
 please see screenshot. go to Contact form > open your desire form > Click on Mail tab enter emails use comma "," to make them separated

A: For your second question (how to send separate email with different info): see the mail2 tab below the first mail entry on the Mail tab. Click the checkbox to get another Mail form where you can set up the second email.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Under Victorian law, it is an offence to intentionally cause the destruction of, or cause damage to property belonging to another. Destruction means to render the item useless for the purposes of which it exists. Damage means to cause temporary or permanent harm to the property, thereby reducing its value, utility or functionality.
'Property' is defined as tangible items (real or personal) and includes money and domestic animals (dogs, cats etc). Intangible items are not included for the purposes of this offence (unlike a theft offence). Ownership can include having custody or charge of an item or having certain proprietary rights to it.
Examples of this offence can include smashing the front windscreen of someone else's car, or destroying someone's mobile phone.
Had no lawful excuse to do so.
In Victoria, the maximum penalty for the damage or destruction to property is 10 years imprisonment.
You could also be charged with an alternate offence of 'wilful damage' if the alleged damage to the property is less than $5,000. This offence carries a maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment.
You were protecting property belonging to yourself during the commission of the alleged offence.
Belief in a lawful excuse is not required to be justified or honestly held.
It is imperative that the Police prove that you intended to commit the offence. 'Intent' is where you believed your conduct would result in damage or destruction to property, or that your conduct is more than likely to result in the damage or destruction. You may have the defence of lack of intent available if it was not your intention to cause damage to or destroy the property.
Other defences such as duress may also exist. However, it is important to seek legal advice as soon as practicable if you have been charged with a damage or destruction to property offence.
You did not have a lawful excuse.
Threatening or endangering the life of another in the commission of the offence is treated more seriously and can carry a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment. Further, the defence of lawful excuse is not available to this charge, however there are defences available at common law.
Have a question about destruction or damage to property?
 Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 197(1).
 Samuels v Stubbs  4 SASR 200.
 Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 196(1).
 Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 196 (2).
 Summary Offences Act 1966 (Vic) s 9(1)(c).
 Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 201(2)(a).
 Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 201(3).
 Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 197(4).
 Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 197(2).


There have been 90 homicides in Toronto in 2018 (Dec. 6, 2018) which breaks the 1991 record of 89 homicides in the city over a one year period. Toronto Mayor, John Tory, recently remarked to CTV News that the homicides that have occurred this year "is not something anyone, including me, can accept." He went on further to say that he'd hope that government would support law enforcement by dealing with the guns debate to help the number of gun-related incidents decrease.
For the top toronto criminal lawyer and most people, this begs the question of what is truly causing, one of Canada's largest cities, to see such violence. Who or what is really responsible for the violence and what can be done after Toronto's deadliest year on record.
The causes are up for much debate among the public, law enforcement, and government officials. Whoever comments on the violent statistics and their cause, determines the kind of answer you get in return.
Here is where the debate goes.
Gang Activity – Authorities in Law Enforcement Agencies are blaming a record-breaking homicide count to an uptick in gang activity in Toronto. Toronto Police Cheif tells CPTV24 "When we look at who is causing the violence, especially the gunplay, it is street gangs." In response to these stats, Ontario officials approved a $25 million dollar budget (to be used over a 4-year period) to support police and courts in the fight against gang-specific resources.
Social Causes – As Canada evolves over time, social issues play a roll in violence which speaks to struggling individuals who are desperate or have a lack of resources to survive or thrive. Research is beginning to show how specific social assistance programs are failing Canadians and taking a toll on their health and well-being.
A Liberal gun law proposed in March of 2018 has added heat to the discussion on violence taking place in Canada and specifically, Toronto. The new law targets more than 2-million legal federal firearm carriers. The law would increase the tracking of license holders, increase restrictions on holding onto the license, increase restrictions on the ability to purchase firearms, restrict the selling and transporting of firearms and even increase their confiscation. The new gun law passed in the House of Commons and now awaits a second reading.
Law enforcement backs many aspects of the new law equating gun violence to the record-breaking homicide rate.
At its most basic level, access to guns places more people at risk to violence than less access to guns.
The government has not informed legal gun owners how they would be directly impacted by the new gun law. The vagueness of the law causes concern.
Gun owners believe the government is using the gun law to win the next political election. Not to keep Canadians safer.
Grandfathering would no longer be allowed under the new law.
Gun owners believe the new law will only invite more restrictions to gun ownership through more confiscations and even firearm bans.
Gun law allows the government to "track" and "trace" gun owners and impedes on their rights to privacy.
There is no clear remedy for Toronto's increased violence statistics from either government, tasks forces, law enforcement or citizens. The solution will surely be found when all parties can work together on a bipartisan level to protect the citizens of Toronto so they can live a violent free future.


In many households, the kitchen is the most frequented room. However, if your cabinets aren't organized, using your kitchen can be difficult and inefficient. If you've ever opened a cabinet only to have dishes come tumbling out, or you're hurting your back digging through messy lower cabinet shelves to find what you need, it might be time to reorganize.
If you want to change your kitchen from a disorganized headache into an orderly and efficient dream, there are a lot of organizing tools that can make it easier. Whether you are a die hard DIY-er and want to add the additions yourself or you want to have a contractor do it for you, these upgrades will transform your home. So what are you waiting for? Let's get cooking!
When you have a small kitchen, every inch of floor space is valuable. Don't let an unsightly trash can take up valuable room! Pull-out trash cans keep your trash out of sight while still making it easy to access. Simply pull on the handle and slide your trash cans out when you need them. Keep the cabinet closed when you don't. No more tripping over your trash can or worrying about your pet spreading trash around.
Don't you hate when you have to reach to the very back of a shelf in one of your lower cabinets and can't reach what you're looking for? Say goodbye to this problem with pull-out shelves. Pull-out shelves make reaching the back of your cabinets easy. Simply open the cabinet and pull out the sliding drawer or shelf and grab whatever you need.
Lazy susans are another great option for making everything in your cabinets easy to reach. Rather than pulling them all the way out, however, you simple spin the lazy susan. You can buy small, freestanding lazy susans to organize smaller kitchen objects, or you can install large lazy susans in blind corner cabinets to make the space more usable.
Organizing your spices alone can be a pain in the neck to figure out. What do you do with all those small containers? One solution is a door-mount spice rack. Simply install the rack inside a cabinet door, and fill it up with your spices. This not only makes it convenient to reach your spices, it also frees up extra shelf space.
The back of your cabinet doors aren't just great for storing spices, there is a huge variety of organizational units that turn your cabinet doors into usable space. You can mount a cutting board, install a tray perfect for storing cleaning supplies, or put in a rack that perfectly organizes your tinfoil and plastic wrap.
If you are remodeling your kitchen or building a new one, consider adding wall or base cabinet fillers. These organizers cannot be retrofitted to fit existing cabinets, but you'll want a new kitchen once you see these brilliant organizing additions. These cabinet fillers are the perfect size for storing spices, oil, baking supplies, and other small grocery items. You can also install peg wall organizers that make it easy to hang and store pots, pans, spatulas, and measuring spoons.
If you keep your mixer on the counter, it takes up valuable counter space; if you put it in a cabinet, you have to lift up your heavy mixer to the counter every time you want to use it. The solution? A heavy duty mixer lift. Your mixer is hidden in your cabinet when you don't need it, but with an easy pull of the shelf it lifts up to counter level.
Maximize your kitchen storage with a pull-out kitchen pantry. Simply pull out the mounted door to reveal storage baskets or shelves perfect for storing dry goods, cookware, and any other non-perishable food.
Stemware is a pain to fit in a cabinet. It is thin at the bottom, but the wide top means it takes up a lot of room. It's also fragile and prone to breaking. It turns out the best way to store stemware is upside down! Wine and stemware racks turn your wine glasses and stemware on their heads and allow you to hang them underneath your cabinets, freeing up shelf space.
Do your baking sheets, cutting boards, and serving platters all sit jumbled together at the bottom of your cabinet? Tray dividers are the perfect solution for decluttering your cabinet and keeping your trays organized. Available in a variety of heights and easy to install, you will never regret this purchase.
Upgrade your vegetable and fruit storage with pull-out woven baskets. Not only can woven baskets add organization to a room design, but they also add simplicity, texture, and a European sensibility. These baskets are perfect for storing produce and come with a machine-washable canvas liner.
People often say that a clean home is a clean mind. If that's true, then I believe an organized kitchen must mean an organized life! Don't waste time trying to find your cooking tools in a messy cabinet. Put everything in its place with these amazing cabinet organizers.


the subject of consent decrees with the Department of Justice.
first-ever congressionally mandated review of its broadcast-ownership rules.
continue to serve the public interest in promoting competition and ownership diversity.
common ownership of a cable system and a TV station located in the same market.
Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo.
changed hands in transactions with an estimated value of about $15 billion.
percent within one year of repeal.
the call letters of all the stations they own."
But she might be fighting a losing battle.
time sustaining them in court.
to head the agency, is hoping to boost minority ownership of mass-media properties.
medium? Of course it is."
FCC's two Republican commissioners, Michael Powell and Harold Furchtgott-Roth.
"The politics of this are intense," Lloyd said.
for the National Cable Television Association, said there was "a good chance"
of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
dim view of unnecessary cross-ownership rules," Brenner said.
If Brenner's prediction comes true, Time Warner Inc.
of either the cable system or WTBS.
operator had a direct or indirect financial interest in the station.
position and maintain a station's picture quality.
eliminated. It's definitely served its purpose."
and mergers. It is inappropriate to start changing it even more."
restrictions and protect them in court.
a finite number of speakers.
identified, said that rationale was rapidly losing credibility.
overturn the ban on their entry into cable television within their phone territories.
antagonistic" opinions reaching the public.
independently owned outlets, not a variety of content controlled by one owner."
restrictions based on a poorly defined "diversity" rationale.
ownership rules designed to support women and minorities could survive in court.


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text:
HAZY, HOT AND WHO CARES?
The founder or Carrier®, Willis Carrier, invented the first modern air conditioning system in 1902. So when sliced bread was invented in 1912, it was the greatest thing to happen since air conditioning. That's how long ago Carrier has been working on Air Conditioning Technology. Carrier has been perfecting this idea ever since, and we here at Bovio are bringing it to your home, whether it's in Cherry Hill, Monroe Township, Gloucester, Washington Township, Voorhees or Moorestown! Ask Bovio's Carrier® experts which air conditioner is the best fit for your home and budget.
Air Conditioner FYIs
Here is some straighforward information to help you decide which Carrier air conditioning solution is right for your home and budget. If you have any questions about this, our experts at Bovio would be glad to help you out as well!
What Does SEER Rating Mean?
SEER, Seasonal Energy Efficient Ration, is "The total heat removed from the conditioned space during the annual cooling season, expressed in BTUs, divided by the total electrical energy consumed by the air conditioner or heat pump during the same season, expressed in watt-hours," according to the Air-Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute. Basically it's the heat removed compared to the energy used in the warm months, a measure of the efficiency of a cooling system. The higher the SEER rating the better the system. To give you some comparison, most window air conditioners have a SEER rating of around 10, and most whole home systems have minimum SEER ratings of 14.
Different Compressor Types
What's the difference between single, two-stage and variable speed compressors? Single-stage compressors have one output speed - high. Two-stage compressors operate most often at about 65% of total capacity, but full capacity during extreme temps. A variable-speed compressor has a fan motor that can move at different speeds and controls the amount of air dispersed in a home. A single-stage unit may offer the lowest initial investment, but it can cause high monthly energy bills. A two-stage unit is quieter and more efficient, while variable speed units are the most intelligent on the market and can save you big on energy costs over their lifetime.
Infinity® Series Air Conditioners
These units are the quietest, most efficient models available from Carrier, which is saying a lot, considering they make many quiet, efficient models. These particular units are built for total home comfort. The Infinity series central air conditioners offer a great SEER rating of up to 21. Combine that with Carrier's innovative Infinity® control and you'll be able to keep everyone in the house comfortable, no matter where you live in New Jersey.
Model $
(Decibels) Compressor
Infinity 19VS - 24VNA9
$$$ Up to 19 SEER As low as 56 dB Variable-Speed
Infinity 17 - 24ANB7
$$$ Up to 17 SEER As low as 67 dB Two-Stage
Performance Series Air Conditioners
The Performance Series models present a reliable, energy efficient and quiet way to cool your space—no matter how big or small it is. Along with a traditional air conditioner unit, our Performance series line includes a compact unit for tighter installations into smaller spaces. Both types can operate more quietly than most dishwashers and offer impressive SEER ratings. Ask us here at Bovio about ensuring your new air conditioner meeting government regulations for your area. Our experitse will make sure you have the best unit for your home, and ensure you qualify for any incentives and rebates for adding energy efficient technology to your home.
Model $ SEER
Rating Sound
Performance 17 - 24ACB7
$$ Up to 17 SEER As low as 72 dB Two-Stage
Performance 16 - 24ACC6
$$ Up to 16 SEER As low as 72 dB Single-Stage
Performance 14 - 24AHA4
COMFORT™ SERIES AIR CONDITIONERS
If you are looking for the most economical way to improve the reliability and efficiency of your central air conditioning system, check out Carrier's Comfort series. With impressive SEER efficiency ratings ranging up to 16, they're likely to cut your utility bills, while making the house more comfortable. Because these models can run even quieter than a common hair dryer, it doesn't have the same bother as a loud window unit. If you need someone to help reccomend a unit we would be happy to help you out, no matter where you are in the area- Pennsauken, Delran, Medford, Collingswood, Mount Laurel or Mount Holly!
Comfort 16 - 24ABC6
$ Up to 16 SEER As low as 76 dB Single-Stage
Comfort 13 - 24ABB3
$ 13 SEER As low as 72 dB Single-Stage
Comfort 13 Coastal - 24ABB3**C
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In our world today it seems like manmade (e.g., terrorist attacks, oil spills, etc.) and natural (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, etc.) driven events are becoming even more common place. As a resident of Manhattan the after effects of 9/11 are part of the everyday landscape such as a multitude of barriers on Wall Street and increased security at key travel hubs (Grand Central Station, Penn Station, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal). Also, my travels have exposed me to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Hurricane Ike (2008) by speaking with those affected. Work with various open-standards organizations (AIIM, OASIS, and W3C), along with Emergency Management (EM) research has led to this study exploring common ground between The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Road Map and Strategy Markup Language (StratML) Mission – To specify an XML-based voluntary consensus standard for the information commonly contained in strategic and performance plans and reports.
The goal of this exploratory piece is to find a common thread between the Department of Commerce Public Safety Communications (Boulder Laboratories) report and prior and current work being done regarding the StratML effort. The team that crafted the Department of Commerce Public Safety Communications report must be commended in their presentation of visuals and text in a concise and easy to understand document. It far less stoic and far more contemporary in nature that most government reports of this type, and makes my job easier in finding common ground between the two technology-centric efforts.
This is a mantra that is chased both the public and private sectors – To better align organizations, partners, and other related entities. Regarding Strategic and Performance Planning, my main takeaway regarding the StratML message is that it is an open, machine readable format that enables organizations that share the same goals and interest to better align via better focused Strategic Plans, while holding those responsible parties account able via more transparent Performance Plans. Also, the open-standards route seems to be the logical foundation for both.
The Department of Commerce Public Safety Communications report has excellent visuals presenting a defined audience that includes the following.
Ranjeeth Kumar Thunga and I have also looked into this area with our StratML: Private & Public Uses report. It explains how an open-standard such as StratML could be used to better align federal, state, and local entities in their response to manmade and natural driven events. Its message is to reduce loss of life, while minimizing injury and property damage.
When a manmade or natural event happens it is usually followed by a response by various public and private entities. DHS/FEMA is most often involved at the federal level, while entities like the Cal OES help to coordinate things at the state level. At the local level first responders (e.g., police, fire, ems, etc.) are acting and reacting to help stabilize things on the ground. Things can get rather complicated as outlined in StratML Toolkit & Cloud report that presents how public & private entities would respond to an oil spill.
A medium size tanker (Panamax Class) is hit off the coast of Newport Beach, California by large fishing vessel and leaks out approximately 40,000 of crude oil into the water. The EPA is notified and gets its response infrastructure in motion.
Regarding the oil spill, StraML's various features could be leveraged to augment other technologies and protocols already in place to enable "alignment" between potential partners who share common goals and objectives. The twin goals in this case would be reduce injury to wildlife, while minimizing environmental damage. This is where we have to take a step back before we can move forward in regards to dealing with the oil spill scenario. Let us for a moment assume that a StratML was in effect at the EPA, then the agreed upon strategic plans could then be put into motion to better deal with the situation.
Agreements may exist with the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers in respect to the public sector and also private vendors to help better align the overall clean-up effort. Volunteer groups may also want to be involved in the process to reduce injury to wildlife and minimize environmental damage.
On a micro level, strategic agreements could be in place with numerous retail vendors to supply dishwashing liquid, paper towels, and rubber gloves to deal with cleaning wildlife such as birds. It would also make sense to have strategic agreements in place with suppliers of portable toilets because if people are sent to the shoreline to help clean-up the oil spill, then human waste is to be expected. In addition, strategic agreements with food vendors would also seem to make a great deal of sense because these people will need nourishment throughout the day to perform their designated tasks. This is where StratML may be leveraged in the sharing, indexing, referencing, discovery, reuse, and analysis of embedded elements within these plans, along with the names and descriptions of stakeholder groups. Again, it must be made clear that StratML is not meant to replace technologies and protocols already in place, but is meant to augment them to enable enhanced alignment between all parties involved.
Creating a sense of harmony may better explain the theme of StratML's capability to help organizations and individuals find prospective partners, which share common goal and objectives. Working alongside other technologies that an entity such as the EPA may already have to reduce the loss of wildlife, and minimize damage to the environment look to be important and logical goals, and support a very strong business case for deploying StratML.
No question that the authors of Department of Commerce Public Safety Communications report got the Software/Applications, Networks, and Devices segment right. They truly understand what goes on during a crisis. The Greek word "Chaos" comes to mind and our goal in StratML: Private & Public Uses was to expose what areas could be affected.
Below are a number of event driven scenarios where StratML could be used at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition, other parties (e.g., utilities, garbage haulers, mobile providers, etc.) could play key roles during a catastrophic event via systems built with StratML and have been showcased accordingly. Please Note: Over 90% of military facilities rely on commercial power, which is controlled by investor owned companies or municipal or regional agencies. Hence, there are complex interdependencies between the public and private sectors.
Improved strategic planning can save lives, minimize injuries, and reduce property damage in relation to a catastrophic event. For our event driven scenarios an "event" will be termed either natural (e.g., earthquake, hurricane, volcano eruption, etc.) or manmade (e.g., oil spill, terrorist attack. cyber-attack, etc.). Below are a number of scenarios in which effective action could be facilitated by usage of the StratML standard in advance.
Loss of Life & Sustained Injuries: On 9/11 approximately 3,000 people were killed. These types of events often lead to rising numbers because more people usually surface onto the injured or death lists after the initial event. Case in point: The injured who die within 72 hours.
Disruption of Essential Services: Services that include hospitals, power plants, water processing plants, and sanitation removal & processing facilities are critical to maintaining an organized and stable infrastructure. While local police forces can be augmented by National Guard troops, it is another case when a major service provider's operations are severely damaged or destroyed. For example, on March 11, 2011 an earthquake rocked Japan and caused massive damage to the Fukushima nuclear facility. Reactors 1, 2, and 3 experienced full-meltdown, which merited a 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). Hundreds of thousands were left without power in cold weather, which only further substantiates the reliance on basic services such as power generation to support a stable and organized infrastructure.
Disruption of Communication Systems: While cellphones and smartphones take precedence in regards to numbers, landlines are still used by many. In addition, the cable routers that people connect via wireless routers could be rendered inoperable because both are powered by electricity, which could be unavailable as a result of large-scale earthquake or severe hurricane. For example, many businesses and residents in Lower Manhattan had their communication systems completely knocked out as a result of a Category 2 Hurricane called Sandy. Not only were communications adversely affected in America's "Financial Capital" over the short-term, but many businesses and residents were not back to pre-storm level communication performance until months after the initial event. Lack of AC power will render cable and wireless routers useless, and also affect a plethora of digital devices (e.g., smartphone, tablet, notebook, etc.) because all of these devices require 120v power via direct connection (routers) or AC adaptor (digital devices).
Disruption of Transportation Systems: Properly functioning transportation systems (e.g., roads, railways, airports, etc.) are vital during a time of crisis, and can have a direct bearing on lives lost and injuries sustained. Case in point: The ability to quickly and efficiently evacuate people in mass via roads and railways before a natural event such as major hurricane could save many lives. For example, on October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy hit the New York Tri-State area and caused havoc on roadways, railways, and airports. Busy railways such as Metro North and the Northeast Corridor ground to near halt, while subways were running with greatly reduced schedules, and cars were visibly absent from the all major roadways. It is important to note that places like Manhattan and Galveston are true islands and it is logical to assume that mass evacuation would pose many substantial logistical hurdles.
Property Damage: The damage to property (e.g., government, commercial, and residential, etc.) resulting from as catastrophic event will most often run into the billions of dollars at the outset, and just keep rising as a result of lower overall output of goods and services. For example, two twentieth century San Francisco earthquakes make for good real-world examples because they provide a glimpse of the possible damage costs. First, The Great San Francisco Earthquake 1906 struck the Bay-Area on April 18, 1906. It measured 7.9, and over 3,000 people lost their lives, while property damage was estimated to be approximately $400 million in 1906 dollars. In retrospect, The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 sustained massive damage to government, commercial, and residential property. Second, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the Bay-Area on October 17, 1989. It measured 6.9, and over 50 people lost their lives, while property damage was estimated to be approximately $6 billion. It is fair to say that if an earthquake were to take place in major cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco today, property damage could easily hit in the tens of billions of dollars. 159 people lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Sandy and damages have been estimated to be in the realm of $65 billion dollars.
It stands to reason that Software/Applications, Networks, and Devices are an integral part of any type of manmade or natural driven event response.
Again, I must applaud the authors of Department of Commerce Public Safety Communications report for tackling the interoperability issue head-on and below is an excerpt.
This is also the theme of Creating a Seamless & Agnostic Ecosystem report written in 2013.
It stands to reason that narrowing the amount of standards used and supported, along with data center consolidation will help to improve overall IT efficiency. However, it would also seem logical to foster data transparency in the improvement process to form a more cohesive IT ecosystem. Accountability can be had in the form of metrics, and it will be open, machine-readable solutions that will help reach the goals of important initiatives like the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Case in point: Section 10 of the GPRA Modernization Act (GPRAMA), particularly now that Office of Management and Budget (OMB) M-13-13 has reiterated the direction previously set forth in Circular A-119 to use voluntary consensus standards whenever possible. To circle back, standards play a key role and adopting ones that help with data transparency will help to improve accountability of public sector entities, as mandated in GPRAMA.
Over a decade ago I was asked to contribute to a Terms & Definitions Glossary leveraging the NIST Model, and it was this exposure, along with following StratML effort that helped me to connect the dots. My involvement in various pilots presented at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington exposed to me to how "kicking-the-tires" at the federal level could be used to usher in new ideas and concepts. As a result of this study, I would recommend that the federal government view StratML as a possible alignment solution, and separate pilots should be explored by Agencies involved in EM related activities.
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It's not something people like to talk about much, but Washington City was built on a malarial swamp. If you didn't know that, thanks to modern communications, at least you almost did if you could just remember the link. But first remember this: the man-made component was the "building" not the swamp.
Although American Foreign Policy has long put great emphasis on exporting Democratic traditions, Washington City has always measured itself forward with federalist accounting agnosticism. A very cool tool, BTW, and code well worth reusing.
— This is why we will be voting in the 58th Presidential Election this November.
— This is why having 12 members on a jury of peers is a good idea. Name them Jan, Feb, Mar … and you will see why so: a jury is a congressional assembly by other name.
I appreciate the parallel. On the topic of structure, it seems that it makes sense that all interested parties (federal state, and local) with the same goals and interests be on the same page. It is logical that Strategic Plans & Performance Plans be part of the response mechanism.
Not only could StratML be used to co-ordinate different public and private agencies responding to a disaster, but the Performance Reporting capability could vastly enhance communication with the media and therefore with the rest of the world, during and after the event: who was responsible for what, in terms of goals, objectives, and targets, and how did they deliver against those targets, in terms of actual performance metrics. Although this might not immediately and directly impact the relief efforts, it will indirectly impact them in (1) giving family members comfort, as well as (2) helping those raising funds to demonstrate what is being delivered (and thereby collect event greater amounts of support for future efforts).
Here is the view from holistic view – How do we look down from a Starry Night via VVG and make sense of natural and manmade events. StratML is only one piece in the equation. It is still very immature and needs tools to promote wide-spread adoption. It is what it is.
150 years of improving parts has taught that a better part rarely means a better whole. Improve a process by understanding how the parts relate to make the whole aand you are doing something that makes a difference.
The active tool is communication. Like Natural Systems, hierarchy should evolve from the point of contact with reality in order to ensure the tail knows what the bark is doing. STRATml presents the easiest and simplest way to ensure good relationships by clarifying who we are and what we are good for, in relation to a shared goal.
Dr. Deming said "defend your rights and you have already lost." We get so much more when we optimize the whole than we can ever hope to get, each fighting over the crumbs.
We needs a true fabric that runs through federal, state, and local entities that is an open, machine readable format to better deal with manmade and natural events. It seems that we are supporting too many technologies and trimming down would not be bad advice. Case in point: Federal Datacenter Consolidation.
This is such a timely study. With all of the unpredictable events taking place worldwide, we need new and innovative ways to communicate, mobilize resources in such circumstances.
Although we have had so many advancements in telecom and technology, emergency management has a long way to go in terms of effeciency. NIST-STRATML is a much-needed step in the right direction, and this report highlights the advantages perfectly. I can see this being an integral part of public sector strategy. I would not be surprised to see wide-spread use not only at the federal, but at the state and local levels as well.
The goal is to create a strategy that deals with the "pre" – "during" – "post" manmade and natural events. For example, how do we deal with not only random terror attacks like San Bernardino, but also massive fires such as have occurred in California over the past year?
Let's not get bogged down by technology trends. It is about creating a fabric that can help to tie Strategic and Performance Plans in a more cohesive manner.
Currently, working on a JSON/XML/RDF report that puts biases aside and looks at knowledge sharing at the topic of interest. The Cloud is only a piece of the plumbing and is only one component. The technologies exist, and reengineering to reduce redundancies, while expanding capabilities is currently taking place. Make no mistake, we are improving systems, but more innovative technologies need to be created to better deal with the new world we live in.
Bottom line, what is needed is a more cohesive EM ecosystem (federal, state, and local) that can better deal with these types of events.
There is no such thing as having too much "pre" time for Emergency Management. It is the resources we take for granted which are missed the most. Planning ahead enables drills and dry-runs which can reveal deficiencies. We have always had more icebergs than Titanic's. How are we fixed for lifeboats, by the way ?
But formulating strategic plans can also help us to put aside some primal fears which should have no traction in a modern world. For example, in the 18th Century it was very possible for pirates to lure the most powerful warship off to a distant place and overwhelm it. Danger will always be with us, unfortunately. But not a dread fear of abandonment. That can stop.
Agreed, never too much time spent on the "pre" part of the event.
What do we really need in place to get through this (8.0 earthquake in SF)? Let's look at today vs. 1906. It seems like almost everyone uses a smartphone for everything from getting directions to texting. What happens if there is an earthquake and power is out for the entire city for 10 days? How do people find disaster centers (e.g., food, water, medial, etc.) if carrier networks are down and power in nowhere to be found? Maybe those little green sheets of paper handed out during the event could help save lives and reduce injury because they show people where things are, independent of a smartphone. Bottom line, this form of communication was good in 1906 and still can be of value today.
The "pre" could include portable charging stations at key locations, but since people are "so" dependent on these devices, the proper number (TBD) of stations could mean the difference between chaos and order.
Again, power charging stations are but a component in an event where federal, state, and local entities are trying to respond in an efficient manner. However, they are a key component.


New York: DC Comics. Fine with No dust jacket as issued. 1991. Softcover. International orders may require additional postage. ; This is a three-volume collection of "The Sandman" comic books from DC Comics. Each of the three volumes is a 1st Printing and are a collection of several reprints of the the comic books. "The Sandman" discusses mature concepts of life and death, waking and dreaming, and time and the Grim Reaper. It generally seems to be what would be thought of during a drug induced stupor. The three softcover volumes come IN A SLIPCASE. .


It's a miracle! This kind of things happens all the time in the Old Testament. Miracles happened to Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the other prophets. They conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, shut lions' mouths, and in this case, they quenched the power of fire! And Paul in his letter to the Hebrews claims that all this came about through faith!
Faith in what? We automatically assume that Paul is talking about faith in the miracles themselves. It makes sense, doesn't it? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went willingly into the fiery furnace, because they had faith that a miracle was going to happen. Paul says at the beginning of chapter 11 that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen," and the miracle that took place in the fiery furnace was something hoped for and not seen, right?
Well, look at what the text says after that. Here are verse two and three of Hebrews 11: "For by [faith] the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." This hearkens back to John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." It also hearkens toward our Nicene Creed, "I believe in on God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible." Our faith may be in things hoped for, which are unseen, but they are things which we already know are going to happen, things that God has promised. If we go through the pantheon of faith, we see that it begins with Cain and Abel. Abel had faith in the promise of the coming messiah (Genesis 3:15), and that was where his faith was focused. So, we're not talking about faith in unforeseen miracles, but faith in God's Word, his word written, and in Jesus Christ himself.
So, Abel had faith in Jesus to come, and he was commended. Such is the case of the faith in all the saints. Hebrews 11:6 states, "And without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Do you have to believe that God exists to believe in his miracles only? Not really. People who believe in karma as the ultimate force in the universe don't believe in an actual God, but in an impersonal force that is fueled by our own actions. What goes in, comes out. Essentially, if one is putting faith in the temporal blessings and miracles (or judgments), one is putting faith in him- or herself. To believe in the God who exists is to seek not the "bread and fish" as Jesus so aptly puts it in John 6, but to seek the bread of life, which is Jesus himself.
The discussion between Jesus and the woman at the well is very relevant here. She is pressing the issue of where to worship. In other words, what is important to her is if the worship itself is correct. Am I doing it right? she is asking. Jesus tells her that the question is wrong. The issue is not where we worship but who we worship. It doesn't matter where you worship. It doesn't matter what clothes you are wearing. It doesn't matter whether you pray first and sing second or sing first and pray second. It doesn't matter if you collect money or distribute money. It doesn't matter if you have a worship service at 9am or 5pm. What matters is who you are worshiping. Our faith is not in earthly things but in heavenly things. Our faith is not in a God whom we don't know but in a God whom we know. That God is Jesus Christ, the righteous, and he is the propitiation for all our sins. That is the God whom we worship and none other. When we worship the correct God, the one whom Abel worshiped, whom Daniel and his friends worshiped, when we seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all other things are added unto us. When we seek Christ, we are spared from the fiery furnace. Ours is not one fueled by the forests of Babylon. Ours is the eternal fire fueled by God himself. Seeking Christ spares us those flames, so that not one hair of our heads is singed, not one article of clothing is in flames, and no odor of damnation is found on us.
Seek Jesus, the one, true God. Put your faith in him, and the miracle, the great miracle of salvation for eternity, will happen.