text:
On the Christian Burial of the Dead
by Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, D.D., J.C.D.
In Bishop Raymond Burke's Pastoral Letter on Christian Burial, he discusses the spiritual significance of the Christian tomb, the Catholic cemetery, ministry to the dying, prayers for the dead, the wake, the funeral and funeral homily, committal, eulogies and other concerns.
Diocese of La Crosse, November 2, 2000
The care with which we bury the dead expresses our faith in the victory over everlasting death which Our Lord Jesus Christ has won in our human nature by His own Death and Resurrection. We bury the dead in the sure hope of the resurrection of the body, when their mortal bodies will share fully in the glory of the Risen Christ.
Saint Paul encountered a certain lack of faith in the resurrection of the body among the early Christians at Corinth. He responded by pointing out that to deny the resurrection of the body is to deny the Resurrection of Christ, and to deny the Resurrection of Christ is to empty the Christian faith of its content. (Cf. 1 Cor 15, 12-14) Saint Paul went on to teach about the transformation of our bodies which will take place at the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ:
The trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, this mortal body with immortality. (1 Cor 15, 52b-53 NAB)
Saint Paul likened the glorification of our earthly body at the Lord's Coming to the transformation of the seed which is buried in the ground, decays and then comes forth from the earth as a living plant.
Saint Paul, using this image from agriculture, taught the truth about the resurrection of the body to the early Christians at Corinth:
What is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible.
What is sown is ignoble, what rises is glorious. Weakness is sown, strength rises up. A natural body is put down and a spiritual body comes up. (1 Cor 15, 42b-44 NAB)
The Christian gives up his spirit in death with hope in the resurrection of the body when body and soul will be united once again in the glory which is without end. We bring the body of the deceased Christian to reverent burial in anticipation of the resurrection of the body in glory on the Last Day.
Because of the important place which the Christian burial of the dead has in the life of faith and because of many questions which are raised today about Christian burial, I offer you the following reflections and directives, so that the manner of burying our deceased brothers and sisters in the Church may express with integrity the truth of our Catholic faith.
The Christian Grave or Tomb
Since the beginning of the Church, special liturgical rites have accompanied the burial of the dead. They express the faith both of the deceased member of the faithful and of the Christian community entrusted with the responsibility of burying reverently her members who have died. Central to the liturgical rites is the place of the final disposition of the body: the grave or tomb. The prayer which we offer as we commit the body to the grave or tomb at the conclusion of the rites of Christian burial expresses our faith in the Resurrection of Our Lord and in the resurrection of the body, by which we share fully in His Resurrection:
Lord Jesus Christ,
by your own three days in the tomb,
you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you
and so made the grave a sign of hope
that promises resurrection
even as it claims our mortal bodies. (Order of Christian Funerals, 1998 ed., No. 218; hereafter, OCF)
Although the place of burial evokes sadness at parting with the earthly company of a brother or sister in the Christian community, it is also a symbol of hope in God and in His promise to raise our bodies in glory like the Risen Body of His Son seated at His right hand.
The place of burial is sacred, for it receives the human body which has been a temple of the Holy Spirit, the instrument by which the Christian soul expressed itself in the world. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 19 and 411-412) What is more, the body received by the grave or tomb in burial is destined for resurrection on the Last Day. After the celebration of the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy with the body of the deceased present, the body is interred or entombed in expectation of its resurrection on the Last Day. Burial of the body of the deceased is done in imitation of the burial of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the sure hope of sharing in His Resurrection.
Because of the central place which care for the burial of the dead has in the life of faith, burying the dead is one of the corporal works of mercy (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2447). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us about respect for the body of the dead:
The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy; it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit. (No. 2300)
The love which we are called to show to one another in life continues in death through our reverent burial of the dead and our prayers for their eternal rest.
The carrying out of the rites of Christian burial is one of the principal works of the parish priest who with "generous love" is "to help the sick, particularly those close to death, by refreshing them solicitously with the sacraments and commending their souls to God." (Can. 529, § 1; cf. 530, no. 5)
The body of the deceased Christian is either buried in the ground (interment) or entombed in a mausoleum (entombment). Both interment and entombment symbolize the placing of the body in a sacred place while it awaits the resurrection on the Last Day.
Keeping this in mind, one understands why the rite of committal of the body is an integral part of the rites of Christian burial. Today, there is a certain tendency to detach the rite of committal from the other rites or even to eliminate it completely. Unless it is impossible to bury or entomb the body after the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy, the committal should take place immediately. In the same line, the priest who celebrates the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy should also conduct the rite of committal. If the priest is unable to conduct the committal, especially when it does not follow immediately the celebration of the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy, it may be conducted by a deacon or Leader of Prayer. (Diocese of La Crosse, Revised Norms for Leaders of Prayer in the Diocese of La Crosse, 1 October 1997, No. 21; hereafter, RNLP)
The Catholic Cemetery
The word which early Christians gave to the place for the burial or entombment of the dead, cemetery, comes from the Greek word for dormitory. It expresses the belief of the Christian that the bodies of the dead rest in their place of burial or entombment until the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. Like the Christian grave or tomb, the Catholic cemetery is sacred and is to be maintained accordingly. In the Catholic cemetery, the ground is blessed for the purpose of burials. The Church has a special rite for the blessing of a cemetery, which is to be properly documented. (Cf. Can. 1208)
Church law requires that, when possible, the Church have its own cemeteries or, at least, a part of the civil cemetery designated for Catholic burials. (Cf. Can. 1240, § 1) If it is not possible to inter or entomb the dead in a Catholic cemetery or a Catholic section of a public cemetery, in which the ground or tomb is already blessed, then the individual grave or tomb is to be blessed during the rite of committal. (Cf. Can. 1240, § 2) The Order of Christian Funerals provides distinct prayers for the committal of the mortal remains in each situation. (Cf. OCF, No. 218)
The Church cares for her cemeteries in perpetuity even if the parish which established the cemetery no longer exists. In the case of the suppression of a parish with its proper cemetery, the care of the cemetery is assigned to the pastor and faithful of a neighboring parish. The perpetual care funds of the cemetery remain inviolate and are administered so that they may provide for the ongoing maintenance of the cemetery. The cemetery retains its own committee or association which is governed by proper statutes.
The Catholic cemetery is arranged and adorned in a way which expresses the truth about death and the resurrection of the body. The direct care of the cemetery by the Church permits a strong witness to the Christian belief regarding death and provides the opportunity for the Church to carry out, to the fullest extent possible, her responsibilities toward the dead. The Catholic cemetery offers a permanent invitation to reflect upon death as the gateway to eternal life.
The Diocese of La Crosse is required to have its own norms regarding Catholic cemeteries, "especially with regard to protecting and fostering their sacred character." (Can. 1243) The Acts of the Fourth Diocesan Synod have provided such norms, as will the Acts of the Fifth Diocesan Synod which was celebrated from June 11 to 14 of this year. (Cf. The Bishop with His People: Fourth Synod of the Diocese of La Crosse, Celebrated April 28-May 1, 1986, pp. 208-212) Diocesan law is to be followed in the establishment and care of every Catholic cemetery in the Diocese.
Parishes and their Catholic cemetery committees or associations are to exercise vigilant care over the Catholic cemetery in order that it may be maintained as an effective sign of Christian faith. The Catholic cemetery committee or association should meet at least once a year. Among its principal concerns is the perpetual care fund which provides for the fitting maintenance of the cemetery in perpetuity. Perpetual care funds constitute an inviolable trust which may not be invaded for any other purpose, no matter how worthy. (Cf. Can. 1302, §§ 1-2)
Questions regarding Catholic cemeteries, their administration and their care are to be referred to the Diocesan Director of Catholic Cemeteries. I also recommend two excellent publications of the National Catholic Cemetery Conference: Guidelines for Christian Burial in the Catholic Church (1996), and The Catholic Cemetery: A Vision for the Millennium (1997). They may be obtained from:
National Catholic Cemetery Conference
710 North River Road
Des Plaines, Illinois 60016
The Catholic cemetery should be a familiar place, in which we visit the graves or tombs of the deceased to pray for their eternal rest and find in their burial places a sign of faith and hope.
Prayer for the Dead
At the time of death, the priest should be called to pray for the dying person and to celebrate the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist in the form of Viaticum. The Roman Ritual contains a special section, Pastoral Care of the Dying (Part II of Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum), to direct the priest and the other faithful in assisting spiritually the dying person. The Roman Ritual indicates the distinct purpose of this special section:
The ministry to the dying places emphasis on trust in the Lord's promise of eternal life rather than on the struggle against illness which is characteristic of the pastoral care of the sick. (Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum, 1983 ed., No. 161)
Care should be taken to call upon the ministry of the priest in a timely manner, not waiting until the moment of death. The greatest help to the dying person is the prayer of the Church and, most of all, the reception of the Holy Eucharist as Viaticum, the spiritual food for the journey from this life to the life which is to come.
If the person has already died, the priest should also be called to offer the Church's prayers for the dead and to bless the body. (Cf. Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum, Nos. 223-231)
When the priest or deacon is not available or is unable to bring Viaticum, an extraordinary minister of the Holy Eucharist or Leader of Prayer should be called to bring the Sacrament to the dying. (Cf. RNLP, No. 9) When the priest or deacon is not available or is unable to come to offer the prayers for the dying or for one already deceased, a Leader of Prayer should be called to assist the dying person and the family. (Cf. RNLP, No. 16)
Praying for the dead is an integral part of our Christian life; it is one of the spiritual works of mercy. Our prayer for the dead both honors their memory and expresses our faithful love as we assist them to be purified of any temporal punishment due to sin and to reach their final destiny and lasting home with God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs us about the importance of prayer for the dead:
From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead. (No. 1032)
Prayer should be encouraged for all the dead. Even though a person may have lived a most exemplary life from all appearances, no one knows the soul of the departed and the temptations which he or she may have suffered in life. Often enough, as we know from the lives of the saints, those who practice the greatest virtue also suffer the greatest temptations. It is a grave injustice to the dead to say that they do not need our prayers. Rather, we should continue to express our love for the faithful departed by our prayers for their eternal rest. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 6-7)
The age-old custom of making an offering so that Mass may be celebrated for the eternal rest of the deceased is to be commended. The faithful who participate in the wake should be encouraged to make Mass offerings for the intention of the eternal rest of the deceased brother or sister. Offerings which are given for Masses for the deceased may not be used for any other purpose. Mass offerings should be given directly to the parish priest either by the family or by the funeral director. Mass offerings given at the time of death and burial should be turned over to the parish priest as soon as possible so that arrangements may be made for the celebration of the Masses requested.
In our time, for whatever reason, fewer Mass offerings are received at the time of death. The failure to have Masses offered for the dead is a failure of love for the deceased person. There is no more effective means to express our love and provide spiritual help for those who have died than to have the Mass offered for the eternal repose of their souls.
Relatives and friends should understand that it may not be possible for the parish priest to offer all of the Masses in the home parish but that Mass offerings above and beyond what can be fulfilled in the local parish will be sent to priests in need of Mass intentions, both in the Diocese and especially in the Missions. With fewer priests in the service of the Diocese, fewer Masses are offered and there are fewer occasions to have a Mass offered for a deceased brother or sister in one's own parish. The senior priests of the Diocese, priests offering Mass in our Catholic schools and other Catholic institutions, and priests serving in the Missions are, however, able to offer the Masses requested. In fact, these priests, especially those in the Missions, depend upon Mass offerings for a part or the whole of their sustenance. There is ample possibility to have Masses offered for the dead, although they may not be offered in our own home parish.
In every parish of the Diocese of La Crosse, the spiritual work of participating in the Funeral Mass of a deceased parishioner is to be regularly taught and encouraged. Those who have time free should take special joy in honoring and assisting the dead by participating in the Funeral Mass.
November 2, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), should be a special time to participate in the Mass for the Dead, praying for the eternal rest of one's deceased relatives, friends and fellow parishioners. Participation in the Mass on the anniversary of death is also to be encouraged.
Prayers for the dead should be part of our daily prayer. The custom of praying for the dead at the end of each family meal is a most effective way of fulfilling our duty to pray for the dead. As mentioned above, visits to the graves or tombs of the dead to pray for their eternal rest should be a regular part of our Christian life.
Planning the Funeral Rites
The family or those in charge of the funeral arrangements should contact the parish priest at the same time as the funeral director is contacted. The planning of the funeral rites should be directed by the parish priest in accord with the Order of Christian Funerals. The Church's rites, which express the perennial faith of the Church, are to be respected in their integrity.
The time of death is usually heavy with emotion and can also be confusing for those who have been close to the deceased. It is important that those making the funeral arrangements have immediately the assistance of the priest and other parish ministers in planning well the funeral rites, in accord with the Church's teaching and practice.
Sometimes there is a question about the church from which the deceased is to be buried. Usually, the parish church of the deceased is chosen. (Cf. Can. 1177, § 1) A member of the faithful has the right, however, to be buried from any church, a right which should always be respected. (Cf. Can. 1177, § 2) Often, when a person is elderly and has lived away from his or her home parish for a number of years, the choice is made to return to the home parish for the rites of Christian burial, even though the deceased person may no longer be known in the parish. The parish priest and all the faithful of the parish should always welcome the opportunity to provide the funeral rites, whether the deceased is personally known to the parish priest and parishioners or not.
The practice of celebrating the funeral rites in the care center in which the deceased person may have been living is to be discouraged. The deceased person should be brought to a parish church, even as it was in a parish church that he or she celebrated the mysteries of the faith, was united with Christ in the mystery of His Suffering, Death and Resurrection, and received His Body and Blood in Holy Communion. The parish has the solemn duty to bury the dead and to pray for the dead, and rejoices to carry out these corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The parish church is the usual place for the celebration of the Sacraments and other sacred rites. Rightly, at death, the body of the deceased is brought to the church for a final time, especially for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist for the repose of his or her soul.
The Vigil or Wake
The vigil for the deceased or the wake, as it is popularly called, is the important first part of the Church's funeral rites. It provides the opportunity for the expression of grief on the part of those to whom the deceased had been close either by reason of family, friendship or work. "At the vigil the Christian community keeps watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and finds strength in Christ's presence." (OCF, No. 56) It is most fitting for the priest, deacon or Leader of Prayer to be present for the first gathering in the presence of the body of the deceased. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 112-118; RNLP, No. 17)
It must be kept in mind that the wake is fully part of the funeral rites. Therefore, it should be planned and carried out with great respect for our faith, especially faith in the resurrection of the body. Whenever possible, music should be provided for the vigil liturgy. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 30-33)
Today, some believe that eliminating the wake lessens the grief of family and friends. In fact, foregoing the wake prevents the natural grief from having its appropriate expression among those who respected and loved the deceased. It also takes away the opportunity for the Christian community to offer the encouragement of faith to the grieving. (Cf. 1 Thes 4, 18; and OCF, Nos. 9 and 11) The lack of a proper wake risks distancing us from death as a part of life, the passage from this life to the life which is to come.
The celebration of the Office of the Dead from the Liturgy of the Hours during the time of wake or vigil is encouraged, especially when the wake takes place in the parish church. The public recitation of the Rosary of our Blessed Mother is also a most efficacious prayer for the eternal rest of the deceased. The vigil or wake may be conducted by a priest, deacon or Leader of Prayer. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 54-81; RNLP, No.18)
It is fitting to hold the wake in the parish church which is truly a home for the deceased. When the wake is to take place in the church, the rite of reception at the church is to be observed. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 82-97) Some churches have a special room in the narthex or gathering area which is used for wakes. If the wake must take place in the main body of the church, care must be taken to respect the presence of the Blessed Sacrament reposed in the tabernacle.
The wake is the appropriate time for members of the family and friends to share memories of the deceased or to pay tribute to the deceased. It is the appropriate time for the giving of a eulogy or eulogies. Also, it is the appropriate time to recall those things which were dear to the deceased through photographs and other objects, and through the singing of favorite songs.
Usually it is not possible for the priest to be present for the transfer of the body from the place of the wake to the church, when the wake is not held in the church. It is fitting that a deacon or Leader of Prayer be present for the transfer of the body. (OCF, Nos. 119-127; and RNLP, No. 19)
The Funeral Mass
Every member of the faithful has the right to the Funeral Mass, except on the days prohibited by Church law. (Cf. OCF, No. 178) The body of the deceased member of the faithful should be brought to the Eucharistic Sacrifice one final time in order that the whole Church may pray that he or she who ate the Bread of Eternal Life may now share in the eternal life of Heaven. The Funeral Mass should never be considered an accessory rite for the deceased but rather it should be considered, as it truly is, the heart of the funeral rites. (Cf. OCF, No. 128)
For a serious reason, in accord with the norm of Church law, the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy may be denied. (Cf. Can. 1184)
If the member of the faithful had not been practicing the Catholic faith, especially if he or she without good cause had not been participating in the Sunday Eucharist, it may be more appropriate to celebrate the Funeral Liturgy outside of Mass. The judgment regarding the matter belongs to the parish priest. In this case, it is not inappropriate to have Masses offered for the eternal rest of the deceased.
If the funeral rites are conducted without a Mass, as is provided for in the Order of Christian Funerals, the Funeral Liturgy is reserved to the priest or deacon. This rite is intended for the use of priests when liturgical law prohibits a priest from celebrating the Funeral Mass, or when the priest is unable to celebrate the funeral rites and a deacon conducts them. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 183-203; RNLP, No. 20)
Today, it sometimes happens that the family of a very elderly relative who has few or no surviving relatives and friends decides that, since probably only a few of the faithful will participate in the Funeral Mass, it should be eliminated from the funeral rites. This is certainly erroneous thinking. First of all, no matter how few faithful participate in the Mass, it remains the solemn and efficacious prayer of the whole Church on behalf of the dead person, the Church's way of bringing to reverent burial her deceased member.
Secondly, members of the parish who are able should participate in the Funeral Mass, whether they knew well the deceased person or not. Participation in the Funeral Mass is, after all, not a question of a social requirement but of carrying out in the fullest manner possible the spiritual work of mercy, "to pray for the dead."
An important part of the planning of the Funeral Mass is the choice of the readings from the Sacred Scriptures. The readings are to be chosen from those indicated in Part III of the Order of Christian Funerals (No. 344). Readings from sources other than the Sacred Scriptures are not permitted.
Sacred music should also be chosen for the Funeral Mass and other parts of the funeral rites, if possible. If at all possible, the parish should have the service of a cantor and of a choir or schola, so that the Funeral Mass may be celebrated with proper dignity. Singing for the Funeral Mass is a high form of prayer for the dead and a wonderful service offered to the family and friends of the deceased.
Sacred music is integral to the funeral rites. (Cf. OCF, No. 30) The music at the Funeral Mass is to be truly sacred. Sometimes, family members or friends desire that some secular song or music, which was favorite to the deceased, be sung or performed. The appropriate time for the singing or playing of any favorite secular music is the wake. It may not be introduced into the Funeral Mass, not even during the carrying of the body from the church at the end of the Mass.
The homily, which is reserved to the priest or deacon, opens up the Holy Scriptures to our understanding so that our faith may be strengthened and our hope nourished. The homily is not to be a eulogy. The Order of Christian Funerals tells us regarding the homily:
The homilist should also help the members of the assembly to understand that the mystery of God's love and the mystery of Jesus' victorious death and resurrection were present in the life and death of the deceased and that these mysteries are active in their own lives as well." (OCF, No. 27)
The central message of the homily is the mystery of the Redemption. In holding up this mystery for the faithful, the homilist will indicate signs of the redeeming love of God in the life of the deceased person.
Sometimes, family members or friends desire to express appreciation or to read a prayer or other inspirational text at the conclusion of the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy. Words of appreciation or the reading of a prayer or inspirational prayer may take place after the Prayer after Communion and before the Final Commendation. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 170 and 197) Only one family member or friend is to speak, and he or she is to be brief, that is speaking no longer than five minutes. In other words, the length of the remarks should be appropriate to the length of the entire rite. The words of appreciation are not to be a eulogy. Also, because of the intensity of the emotions at the time of the funeral, the words or prayer or inspirational text should be consigned to writing and shared in advance with the celebrant. Those who wish to give a eulogy fittingly do so during the wake.
The tradition of the parish offering a luncheon for those participating in the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy is most commendable. The luncheon provides yet a further opportunity for those who are grieving to visit with one another and to encourage one another in faith and in hope. The funeral luncheon is a form of hospitality which is so much appreciated by the family and relatives of the deceased.
The Final Disposition of the Body and Cremation
For many centuries, the Church did not permit the practice of cremation. First of all, cremation, which amounts to the artificial decomposition of the human body, does not fully represent the Christian symbolism of placing the body in the ground or in a mausoleum in anticipation of the resurrection on the Last Day. Secondly, some who despised the Church's teaching on the resurrection of the body chose cremation to express their disdain for the Church's teaching and to make a statement against faith in the Resurrection.
The use of cremation to call into question the Church's belief in the resurrection of the body is seemingly no longer common. Cremation has grown in popularity as a regular way to dispose of the body of the deceased, especially in places where interment or entombment is very difficult or economically prohibitive. For that reason, the Church has permitted cremation as long as it does not represent any lack of faith in the resurrection of the body. Whenever possible, however, the Church always prefers interment or entombment of the body because it gives fuller expression to our Christian faith.
When cremation is chosen, the preferred sequence for the funeral rites is the celebration of the Funeral Mass with the body of the deceased person present, then cremation, and then the interment or entombment of the cremated remains. Such a sequence respects the integrity of the funeral rites, and gives relatives and friends the occasion to pay proper respect to the body of the deceased before it is cremated.
In recent years, some have chosen to have the body of the deceased cremated immediately upon death. In such a case, the funeral rites are to be adapted according to the prescriptions of "Appendix 2" of the Order of Christian Funerals. (Cf. Nos. 422-425) It is preferable that the Rite of Committal with the Final Commendation be celebrated prior to the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy. "Prayers which do not make reference to the honoring or burying of the body of the deceased should be chosen instead of those which have these themes." (OCF, No. 423) The Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy may be celebrated but without the Rite of Commendation and Committal, since these have already taken place.
Not infrequently, in such circumstances, family members have asked to bring the cremated remains to the church as a limited expression of respect for the remains of the deceased. The Bishops of the United States have studied the matter carefully. On November 12, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved an addition to the Order of Christian Funerals so that the cremated remains of the body could be present at the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments confirmed the decree of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops on July 30, 1997 (Prot. No. 1589/96/L). By his decree of August 15, 1997, the Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla, then President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, ordered the publication of the appendix to the Order of Christian Funerals and permitted its use, effective October 4, 1997. By the same decree, its use became mandatory on November 2, 1997.
In accord with the just-noted decree, the celebration of the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy in the presence of the cremated remains of the body of the deceased person is permitted in the dioceses of the United States of America under two conditions: 1) cremation must not be chosen for reasons contrary to the Church's teaching, in accord with the norm of can. 1176, § 3 of the Code of Canon Law; and 2) each diocesan bishop must judge the pastoral appropriateness of the practice. (Cf. OCF, No. 426)
Having considered carefully the pastoral situation in the Diocese of La Crosse and having responded to many requests for the presence of cremated remains at the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy, I have judged the practice to be pastorally appropriate for our Diocese. By the present letter, I grant permission for the celebration of the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy in the presence of the cremated remains of the deceased in the Diocese of La Crosse when cremation is chosen with due respect for the Church's teaching, especially the teaching regarding the resurrection of the body.
When this practice is employed in the Diocese of La Crosse, the following conditions are to be observed:
1) the cremated remains are to be brought to the Church in a worthy vessel, that is in a solid and durable container which is appropriately marked with the name of the deceased;
2) the vessel may be carried in the entrance procession or it may be put in place before the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy begins; (Cf. OCF, No. 427)
3) the vessel is to be placed on a table in the same place in which the coffin is usually placed; (Cf. Ibid.)
4) the covering of the vessel with the pall is to be omitted; (Cf. OCF, No. 434)
5) the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy is to be celebrated in accord with the Roman Missal and the special ritual prepared by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops; (Cf. OCF, No. 428)
6) texts should be chosen in view of the fact that the body of the deceased has been cremated and is not present; (Cf. OCF, Nos. 428-429)
7) in the Funeral Mass, the Rite of Final Commendation is to take place after the Prayer after Communion; in the Funeral Liturgy, the Rite of Final Commendation takes place after the Lord's Prayer;
8) the alternate form of the dismissal is to be used; (OCF, No. 437)
9) the Rite of Committal is to be celebrated at the cemetery, mausoleum or columbarium as soon as possible following the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy, using the alternate form; (OCF, No. 438)
10) the cremated remains are to be buried in the ground or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium;
11) the place of burial or entombment is to be memorialized appropriately.
With the growing practice of cremation, there has also developed a certain lack of care for the cremated remains of the dead. Funeral directors who have been asked to store the cremated remains report that those remains often are left unclaimed by family or friends. Those charged with the arrangements for the funeral rites of the deceased should see that the cremated remains are interred or entombed at the earliest possible time.
Cremated remains must be placed in a worthy vessel, and they must be interred or entombed. It is not permitted to scatter cremated remains over a favorite place, and it is not permitted to keep cremated remains in one's home or place other than a cemetery. (Cf. OCF, No. 417)
The integrity of the cremated remains is to be respected. The cremated remains of one deceased person may not be mixed with the cremated remains of another person. It is not permitted to divide the cremated remains and inter or entomb them in more than one place.
With regard to the practice of cremation, I highly recommend the study of a document of the Committee on the Liturgy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Reflections on the Body, Cremation, and Catholic Funeral Rites, 1997 (Publication No. 5-033). The text of this document has been included in "Appendix 2" of the Order of Christian Funerals in its publication as a separate document.
With the more common use of cremation, the Church's preference for the burial or entombment of the body must be kept in mind, and due care must be taken to avoid any erosion of the faith regarding the resurrection of the body. (Cf. "Appendix 2;" and OCF, Nos. 413-414)
In closing, I express esteem and gratitude, in the name of all the faithful of the Diocese, to those who carry out the corporal work of mercy of burying the dead and the spiritual work of mercy of praying for the dead. As Bishop, I express heartfelt gratitude to funeral directors, cemetery workers, cemetery committees and associations, and all who serve our deceased brothers and sisters with full respect for the Church's teaching about death and the resurrection of the body. It is my hope that the reflections and directives contained in this letter will confirm your work and respond to the questions and concerns which come up in carrying out your noble service of the dead and of their families and friends.
Death for the faithful Christian is not annihilation but final passage to our lasting home with God in heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by His Passion, Death and Resurrection, has won for us the victory which gives us the sure hope of life, body and soul, with God without end in Heaven.
In him [Jesus Christ our Lord], who rose from the dead,
our hope of resurrection dawned.
The sadness of death gives way
to the bright promise of immortality.
Lord, for your faithful people life is changed, not ended.
When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death
we gain an everlasting dwelling in heaven. (Roman Missal, Preface "Christian Death I")
In this Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, we celebrate the beginning of our Redemption when God the Son took our human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Our Redemption reached its completion when the Incarnate Redeemer won in our human nature the victory over sin and everlasting death by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. In every aspect of our care to pray for the dead and to bring the dead to reverent burial, we profess our faith in Jesus Christ, Lord of Earth and Heaven. Through our care in praying for the dead and in bringing them to reverent burial, the work of the new evangelization will be accomplished, the Gospel regarding death and the resurrection of the body will be proclaimed anew. With Saint Paul, we assure one another regarding the truth about life and about death:
As you well know, we have our citizenship in heaven; it is from there that we await the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of his glorified body, by his power to subject everything to himself. (Phil 3, 20-21)
As faithful disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we profess our faith in the resurrection of the body as we await His return in glory on the Last Day.
May our celebration of the funeral rites always express our firm faith and sure hope in the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. May our prayers for the dead assist them on the final stage of their pilgrimage home to God the Father. May we prepare ourselves each day for our own death, praying that it may be happy and may bring us safely home to
Given at the offices of the Diocesan Curia on the second day of November, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, in the Jubilee Year of Our Lord 2000.
+Raymond L. Burke
Bishop of La Crosse
Sister Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA
This item 3448 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
Free eBook: Making Sense of Society


LA Street Food Fest returns Saturday, June 29th at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. Tickets are available for $50 for general admission and $75 for VIP/early bird access. Boasting of over 100 participants, this event features food trucks, chefs, restaurants, beverages, 2 beer gardens and more. Here's a sneak peak of some of the tasty treats you will find!


We had the absolute pleasure of taking charge of the opulent floral concept for the recent Noosa wedding of Sarah and James. This gorgeous loved up couple set forth to make their wedding day truly memorable, with glamorous styling elements, a divine floral concept, and a sophisticated and chic celebration with family and friends, their Noosa wedding day was not only extraordinary it was certainly unforgettable. Each part of this impressive love story paints a picture of absolute perfection, from the incredible wedding gown that Sarah wore to the decadent tablescapes we created at the lavish reception, it was sophisticated style at it's very finest. I knew that this wedding was always going to be memorable, the amazing suppliers that Sarah and James engaged to ensure the WOW factor was created for their wedding day, were some of the very best in the biz, it takes a large group of suppliers to make a day like this a success, and with so many talented creators on board it was always going to be a wonderful event. Photographed by Marcus Bell from Studio Impressions, we were certainly in wonderful company, and as Sarah and James shared with me their extensive flower brief that highlighted the importance of the styling and floral designs, I knew instantly that these creative components were an integral and essential part of their wedding day.
Sarah's favourite flower was the beautiful peony, and flowering for only 5 weeks a year, the wedding day was planned immaculately in the right time frame to highlight these beautiful blooms, every single floral component showcased these glorious treasures, and the magnificent fluffy heads of the divine peony stole the styling show, featuring over 1000 heads of these decadent flowers, this exquisite floral concept was an exceptional display of absolute beauty.
The wedding bouquets consisted of hand held bouquets of fluffy fabulous peonies, simple, sophisticated and opulent in design they were the perfect accent to the dresses and the start of this beautiful bloom story. Sarah and James' daughter Hannah also wore a pretty flower crown and carried a petite posy of peonies. The glamorous and gorgeous bridal party were a vision in white and ivory, the bridesmaids wearing eclectic Zimmerman dresses simple yet chic designs, that highlighted the white on white styling of the beautiful day.
The ceremony was held by the Noosa River, amongst a canopy of trees and by the glistening water an absolute picture of styling was captured featuring over 100 Bentwood chairs provided by Epic Empire , these white delights were draped with greenery garlands and the most opulent canopy adorned with peonies and a lush greenery garland took centre stage. We worked closely with CL Weddings and Events to ensure this incredible ceremony space was the perfect start to this styled up celebration.
The reception at Rickys Noosa featured lush greenery garlands of camellia, gardenia and ivy berry foliage's, and on each garland was a mass of peony blooms, fluffy white and delicious these little delights sat perfectly amongst the gardenesque greenery features. The chairs from the ceremony were featured within the reception once again and were the perfect finish to the garden glamour. Each table also featured crisp linen and a mass of candles also provided by CL Weddings and Events, and many more featured on the window features around the restaurant, and we placed a sprig of sweet green on each beautiful plate, to put that final touch of texture on the table.
The incredible cake was created by Cake Designs, and we loved filling the tier spaces with more pretty peonies, to the corners of the room the buffet area of the beautiful restaurant was filled with vases of more peonies and gorgeous greenery features. All in all this event was an incredible display of divine decadence and gave us the opportunity to play with one of our favourites blooms, it was a delight to be involved in this very special day and we adored creating this white glamour inspired floral concept for Sarah and James on their Ricky's Noosa wedding Day!


text:
Q: Zend Session destroyed if page requested too quick My application is not built on MVC pattern but it partially using Zend Framework components like Config, Loader, Session, Auth, Service and XmlRpc.
Recently I have discovered that in some occasions, if user would navigate through pages too fast or press F5 too quick, his session would be destroyed and he would be logged out of the system. There is a similar question but his solution did not helped me to solve this issue.
How the application works
Session Config:
cookie_domain = ".mydomain.com"
name = "myApplicationName"
remember_me_seconds = 864000
save_path = "/path/to/my/session/storage/"
save_handler = "files"
strict = true
use_only_cookies = true

On page initialisation:
$config = new Zend_Config_Ini(CONFIG_DIR . 'session.ini');

Zend_Session::setOptions($config->toArray());

Zend_Session::start();

Account Controller:
function __construct(...)
{
    /**
     * @var $session Zend_Session_Namespace
     */
    $session = Zend_Registry::get('Zend_Auth');

    if(isset($session->identity))
    {
        Zend_Session::rememberMe();
    }
}

Log out process:
if(isset($_GET['logout']))
{
    Zend_Session::destroy(TRUE);
}

Did any one else experienced this issue and have some clues what can be wrong and how to fix it?
Update
I have disabled Zend_Session::rememberMe() and everything seems to work fine now. As I understand, on every request this method refresh session_id and rename session file, and due to read/write performance issue it cannot find newly created session, and because of that session handler is lost.
Just wondering, would changing session storage to database could fix this issue?

A: I encountered this problem before with raw PHP. The problem was that session_regenerate_id() was being called too frequently (every HTTP request).
Check to see if something (whether the Zend framework or some other code) is regenerating your session ID. You might be running into an HTTP race condition where the ID it gets is not as new as the one PHP expects.

A: I use it and havent experienced this problem. I would recomend to a) track your save path and see if there are any scripts modifying the rights of this path b) take a closer look if the session handler can open files simultaneously.
Simply put: Zend_Session doesn't do any magic by itself, it is a really simple wrapper.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Make your horse stand out with this former US Equestrian Team groom's time-tested techniques.
To me, trying to revive the classic American look and attention to detail, not only in the hunters — where stricter rules still require some conformity — but in other divisions as well, might help bring a revival of our international successes, while producing many more happy horses in our country at all levels. Horses love the grooming techniques my peers and I have been using since the '70s. Learning to use them on your horse will provide valuable bonding time, while improving your ability to evaluate his health and well-being.
You don't need fancy equipment or products to create this clean, elegant look. Between shows, horses only need thorough grooming once or twice a week, which should take no more than 30 minutes. During the winter, I do minimal grooming on my young hunter breeding show horses. It takes only a week of more intensive grooming in the spring to get them looking fabulous again — because they're in such excellent health. Here's what you need.
Maximizing coat shine is all about smoothing down the hairs as much as possible in the direction of natural growth. The closer attention you pay to these patterns, the more shine your grooming will create.
Curry comb: Use with vigorous, circular motions all over his body, avoiding the face and lower legs. Loosen dirt on these more sensitive areas with a grooming mitt, in a scrubbing motion.
Stiff/dandy brush: Use short strokes in the direction of hair growth, applying as much pressure as your horse comfortably tolerates. End each brush stroke with a brief flick up and away from the coat to whisk the dirt off the body.
Body brush: Use longer strokes to smooth the hairs down. Pay close attention to areas where the natural hair growth changes direction, such as the "wheat-ear" pattern over the flank.
If your horse is particularly dusty, carry a damp sponge in your free hand during the body-brush grooming step. After each stroke with the brush, slightly dampen the ends of the bristles by running the brush across the sponge. This will help to remove the dust from the coat and the brush.
Rub rag: Many people conclude a grooming with a quick "going-over" with the rub rag. I spend at least three to five minutes rubbing each side, more time than with any of my other grooming tools. Apply quite a bit of pressure with each stroke of the rag, always following the direction of the hair growth. Your horse will love it!
Clean, damp sponge: Wipe over his eyes, muzzle, insides of ears and under his dock — always finishing with the dock. If you need to untangle his tail, spread the hairs on your thigh and, with a wide-toothed comb, start at the ends and work up.
The classic American look is a very clean outline, with no "fuzzy edges." You'd be amazed how dramatically a horse's appearance is changed by trimming a few areas on the body. Using a Size 10 clipper blade, trim under his jawline, along the backs of his lower legs, his fetlocks and his coronet bands. Use this blade, too, to trim his bridle path and remove long hairs from his throatlatch area. Use the finer Size 30 or 40 blades on his muzzle, eye whiskers, and insides and edges of his ears. Your horse may need a twitch to trim his ears, because he must be absolutely still for you to do the edges without making gouges.
At home, the most you need to do to your horse's tail before a ride is shake out the shavings. If it's absolutely necessary to tidy a tangled tail, say before a lesson or clinic, use a detangling product on it. Allow it to dry before carefully combing with a plastic, wide-toothed comb.
The classic American tail is long and natural-looking — not banged or enhanced with a fake tail attachment. It's OK to trim the longest hairs, but I never shorten them by more than an inch at a time. Ask a friend to put an arm under the top of your horse's tail to simulate its natural carriage, while you trim the hairs at the bottom.
If you plan to braid for shows, pull your horse's mane to a length of three to four inches. If you don't plan to to six inches — so that it will lie down more easily.
A medium to thin mane can be trimmed with scissors instead of by pulling. To avoid the look of a cut mane, back-comb a small section of hair as if you were going to pull it, and then, with the scissors held vertically, cut the longest strands.
Even the most unruly mane can be trained to lie flat on the right side of the neck. Braid the mane down and leave the braids in for several days. Then wet the mane daily with a water brush or braid spray, brushing it across from the left side to gather the smaller hairs, then brushing it down flat on the right side.
"Clean" is always the name of the game. The day before a horse show, I bathe my horses in a simple equine shampoo. To remove really stubborn leg stains, run the Size 10 clipper blades down the leg in the direction of the with a good scrubbing. After your horse dries, preserve all of your hard work by covering him with a sheet — or if the temperatures are higher, a fly sheet or light scrim — over-night and in the trailer on the way to the show.
Smooth his coat one last time with a rub rag. It goes without saying that your tack and equipment should be as clean, elegant and polished as your nicely groomed horse.
In the 1970s and '80s, Laurie Pitts worked for some of the top professionals in the country, including Joan Boyce, Frances Rowe, Rodney Jenkins, Joe Fargis and Conrad Homfeld. She traveled with the US Equestrian Team to the 1978 World Championships in Aachen, Germany, and the 1978 World Championships in Aachen, Germany, and the first World Cup in 1979 in Sweden.


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text:
Costești – wieś w Rumunii, w okręgu Botoszany, w gminie Răchiți. W 2011 roku liczyła 1545 mieszkańców.

Przypisy

Wsie w okręgu Botoszany

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Trike Daily Travel
The Obon Festival, honoring the dead, and the last of the Japantowns
By Tricycle
The Obon Festival is a Japanese Buddhist three-day observance during which families honor their deceased ancestors. According to scholar and Shin priest Alfred Bloom,
The Obon observance has deep roots in Asian ancestor cults from India to Japan. It is based on the legend of the monk Mogallana's rescue of his mother from the hell of hungry ghosts. The story dramatizes the son's anxiety for his mother's welfare after her death and how it was resolved through Buddhist practice. Practicing meditation, Mogallana gained spiritual insight and vision, which enabled him to see his mother's true condition. He then asked the Buddha how to free her from her suffering. The Buddha advised him to practice compassion and to give offerings to the monks. When his mother was released, Mogallana danced for joy. His response is regarded as the origin of the Bon dance.
There will be plenty of dancing for joy in the streets of San Jose this weekend, as the San Jose Mercury News reports in its coverage of the annual Obon Festival in that city's Japantown. The family gatherings, music (Taiko drums are common) and dancing typically end when festival participants float lanterns down a river (or on the ocean), symbolizing the return of their ancestors to the land of the dead. Often, fireworks displays follow.
The festival in San Jose is sponsored by the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, a member of the the
Jodo Shinshu organization's Buddhist Churches of America.
"Shin Buddhism is about the community," church member Kenji Akahoshi tells the Mercury News. "The attitude we take is an attitude of gratitude."
There are only three Japantowns left in the continental United States. San Francisco's Japantown and LA's Little Tokyo are the other two. At one time, there were more than 40 Japantowns in California alone. There is an effort now to ensure awareness of Japanese history and culture among American descendants of Japanese and to preserve the vitality of the Japantowns that remain. 21-year-old Michelle Mitsuda tells the Mercury News, "a lot of us are fourth generation and we all grew up together in the Junior Young Buddhist Association throughout California. Part of [the Obon Festival] is getting together once a year and seeing all of your friends, and the other is gaining insight into how Japantown works, how to preserve Japantown for future generations."
(Obon-lantern image from video of an Obon Festival adapted to Memorial Day in 2006, in Hawaii. You
can watch the video here.)
Nagarjuna's Wisdom: The Middle Way
Barry Kerzin
Magazine Society & Environment
Letter from the Editor: Unmasking the Guru
By James Shaheen
Anime's Ancestor
By Gabriel Lefferts
Finding the Pure Land in Nature
By Alex Tzelnic

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Why the crisis in A&E?
An all too familiar story has dominated the headlines in recent weeks. Queues are mounting up at Accident and Emergency Departments across the country. Apparently A&E performance is now at its worst for 10 years, with hospitals missing their target that 95% of patients are seen within 4 hours.
Labour's Health spokesman, Andy Burnham, blames the crisis on government cuts, while the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt maintains that he has given the NHS the £700m that it asked for to tackle rising demand. Nick Clegg has responded by pledging an additional £8m for the NHS.
So, here is my question: is lack of money really the problem here? Pumping in more money doesn't seem to have had the desired effect so far.
It was Albert Einstein who famously quipped that you can't do the same thing in the same way and expect different results. Yet this is exactly what all three parties seem to be doing.
There is one other potential cause of the A&E crisis which rarely gets a mention… that of the target itself.
It seems to me that there is a real attribution problem here. The fact that so many A&E departments are falling behind on their targets shows that there are factors at play which are beyond the scope of an individual A&E unit to influence. A&Es are part of a bigger system.
Faced with a penalty for something that is outside of your control, how would you respond?
Gaming of targets in the NHS is clearly endemic - there are countless tales of patients waiting longer in ambulances so that the 4 hour wait is not breached. One A&E Doctor told me that if he has a patient who he feels needs urgent support, and another patient is about to go over the 4 hour target waiting limit but who needs less urgent support, the hospital tells him to prioritise the second patient. But once someone passes the 4 hour marker they could be waiting there for hours - the actual length of time they have to wait is not captured in the figures. Indeed, when my own mum went to A&E she was asked to leave and come back in again so that they would not breach their target.
What we need to be doing is working out why more people are coming into A&E and using this learning to redesign the health and social care system as a whole.
A lot of the demand in A&E is a result of failures in the system earlier on. Referrals to A&E from 111 call centres have risen markedly. 111 call centres are staffed by low-skilled and low-paid staff, who follow computer scripts and have a target for whether they pick up the phone within 60 seconds. So naturally, this is what staff focus on, rather than how they can best advise the person on the line. No wonder they have high staff turnover figures.
Health and social care staff should be allowed to get on with their job: helping people get well as soon as possible. With this as their purpose, they don't need targets. In fact, removing the targets would probably (and paradoxically) result in lower waiting times and save the NHS money at the same time.
The government's attempts to integrate health and social care demonstrate some appreciation of the need to see these services as a whole. But they're planning more targets (the Better Care Fund will be conditional on A&E waiting times reducing year on year).
A better measure would be how long it takes to resolve someone's health issue from start to finish, across the whole health and social care system, not just the time they're waiting in A&E. Then the real reasons for any delays can be identified and ironed out, and staff would be incentivised to do the right thing for patients rather than merely meet/game their department's target.
At the Glasgow Autumn Conference in 2014, Lib Dems voted in favour of targets that should be used "with extreme caution" in public services. Ministers would do well to take this on board.
This is completely awesome thing to consider and this conference is a big success as per my observation. I am willing to upload it on my https://www.paperwritingpro.com/our-services/book-review/ blogs to let every one know about it.


If you are someone who totally cannot relate to home cooks who spend hours in the kitchen each week, you are not alone. You are also not doomed to eating frozen or fast food 24/7. Cooking from home can save us tons of money and provide us with more healthy, nutrient-packed meals. This is especially true for vegans, who might have a harder time finding balanced vegan fare in restaurants.
So, where does a vegan with limited time to cook even start? Below you will find a sample meal plan with some quick and easy recipes that don't skimp on taste or nutrition. Fuel your body with some of these foods, as opposed to "convenient" fare, and you just might feel better-fueled to take on your busy day.
Breakfast: On Sunday night, throw together a container of Overnight Oats and you will be good to go come Monday morning.
Lunch: A fun way to use up some of the groceries from the previous week is to mix your favorite beans, greens and veggies into a Kitchen Sink Salad for work the next day. You will avoid wasting food and wasting money on an impromptu restaurant meal for lunch.
Dinner: Start simmering this Pumpkin Chili the moment you get home and you'll have a hearty, delicious meal ready in just a few hours.
Breakfast: Before you walk out the door, blend together a Green Smoothie with a banana, some frozen fruit, almond milk and fresh spinach. Add a scoop of protein powder if you think you'll be hungry before lunch time.
Lunch: Bring a container of leftover Pumpkin Chili with you to work to avoid a mid-day junk food craving.
Dinner: Steam a bag of frozen vegetables for a Quick Stir Fry. For protein, cube up a block of tofu and dry-fry it in a pan until it gets a little crispy. Add the tofu in with the vegetables, drizzle with your favorite stir fry sauce and microwave some instant brown rice to round everything out.
Breakfast: Throw together some more Overnight Oats for Wednesday's breakfast—maybe with different toppings this time. Walnuts? Maple syrup? Peanut butter? Get creative!
Lunch: Pack some of that leftover Quick Stir Fry for lunch—just remember to plop the brown rice on top, so it doesn't get too soggy.
Dinner: Throw together the ingredients for this Curried Garbanzo Beans recipe in the morning and set your slow cooker. By the time you get home from work, you'll be ready to heat up some instant brown rice and enjoy a warm and filling vegan meal.
Breakfast: Nothing satisfies like some slices of Avocado Toast—just customize your toast to what your taste buds are craving and your day is off to an awesome start.
Lunch: Leftover Curried Garbanzo Beans will keep you satisfied and focused throughout the work day.
Dinner: Do you have time to boil pasta? Then you have time to whip up this light and fresh Italian Pasta Salad. Brown up some vegan sausage while it's boiling to give the meal a protein punch.
Breakfast: Because Overnight Oats are so simple to make, your end-of-the-week self will appreciate this grab-and-go breakfast.
Lunch: Leftover Italian Pasta Salad is sure to satisfy!
Dinner: Get ready for Pizza Night! There are a few accidentally vegan pizza kits out there with both sauce and crust. Top your pizza with vegan cheese, vegan pepperoni or go full-veggie with your favorite flavors. Toss a side salad together while it's baking and find a moment to kick back after your busy week.
The Baha'i Faith states: What will be the food of the future? Fruit and grains. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown that our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground. The people will gradually develop up to the condition of this natural food. – Abdu'l-Baha, The Days in the Light of Akka, pp.8- 9.
Here Abdu'l-Baha refers not only to fruit and grains–in other writings, he speaks of legumes, nuts, oils, and vegetables as part of the diet humanity will eventually adopt.


text:
Klopp Rules Out Messi Move To Liverpool
LISTEN AUG 28, 2020
Jurgen Klopp and Messi
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has ruled out a move for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi but admits the Argentine would be "great" for the Premier League.
Messi's future has been surrounded by speculation since asking to leave Barca but Klopp says there is "no chance" he will join the English champions.
Asked if he was interested in signing the 33-year-old, Klopp said: "Who doesn't want Messi in their team?
"The numbers are not for us, but a good player, to be honest."
Messi has been linked with a reunion with former Barca boss Pep Guardiola at Manchester City - something Klopp says will "obviously" help his rivals and make them "harder to beat".
City, who were Liverpool's closest rivals in the top flight last season and their predecessors as titleholders, have remained tight-lipped on the rumours and have ruled out letting first-team regulars Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus leave in any exchange deal for Argentina international Messi.
"For the Premier League, it would be great, but I am not sure the Premier League needs that boost," added Klopp.
"He's never played in another league. Football is different here. I'd like to see it but I'm not sure I will."
Liverpool continue their pre-season preparations against FA Cup winners Arsenal in the Community Shield on Saturday (16:30 BST), and Klopp says he is "happy" with his squad.
However, while remaining coy on the subject, he did not rule out further transfer activity before the Premier League window closes on 5 October.
"Numbers in the squad make sense, we have a big squad at the moment with a lot of young boys, and the size of the squad is OK," he said.
"I'm happy with what we have but we look constantly for improvement - internally too.
"It will be interesting to see what other teams do but we will deal with our situation as we always have. The philosophy of this club is clear and we will see how much we want to spend."


text:
Louis Walsh (born 1952) is an Irish entertainment manager and television personality.

Louis Walsh may also refer to:
Louis Walsh (footballer), English footballer
Louis Walsh (politician), member of Seanad Éireann
Louis Joseph Walsh (1880–1942), Irish republican activist and author
Louis Sebastian Walsh (1858–1924), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church


text:
, 1er baró Tweedsmuir d'Elsfield, va ser un estadista britànic.

Va ser el quinzè governador general del Canadà, de 1935 a 1940. També advocat, és conegut sobretot com a editor i autor de novel·les d'espionatge, la més famosa de les quals és , publicada el 1915.

Biografia

Fill d'un clergue calvinista, va rebre estudis de postgrau a la Universitat de Glasgow i al Brasenose College de la Universitat d'Oxford abans d'estudiar dret al Middle Temple.

Buchan va començar la seva carrera professional com a advocat a Londres. Havent esdevingut secretari de Lord Alfred Milner, el va acompanyar a Sud-àfrica just després de la Guerra dels Bòers que va enfrontar els britànics a colons d'origen holandès durant dos anys i mig entre 1901 i 1903, per participar en la reconstrucció d'aquest país. Aquesta fita on contraurà una infecció que l'esgotarà durant anys tindrà conseqüències en la seva vida d'escriptor. Allà freqüentarà els serveis secrets britànics, un dels agents dels quals, Edmund Ironside, servirà de model a Richard Hannay.

De tornada a Londres, va treballar en l'edició, amb Nelson a partir de 1907 on gairebé només va escriure una història de la guerra en . Es casa amb Susan Grosvenor (1882-1977) de la petita aristocràcia el 15 de juliol de 1907, i publicarà molts llibres a partir de 1928. El seu germà, un alt funcionari de l'Índia britànica, va morir d'una infecció pulmonar el 1912 amb 32 anys.

El 1915, s'embarca en el periodisme que més s'adaptava al seu tarannà i al seu desig de testimoniar la vida i el sofriment dels homes. Va cobrir la Primera Guerra Mundial per a The Times.

L'any 1916 va entrar al Ministeri d'Afers Exteriors i va optar per una carrera més discreta però activa. Al front de la Somme, va coordinar l'esforç propagandístic i després es va convertir en el director del nou departament d'informació. A finals de 1917 es va jubilar per malaltia.

Paral·lelament a les seves activitats professionals i polítiques, va publicar biografies (Walter Scott, Oliver Cromwell i Juli Cèsar), assaigs (sobre l'Església d'Escòcia i les colònies britàniques a l'Àfrica) i textos autobiogràfics. Tanmateix, la notorietat de Buchan prové de les seves nombroses novel·les d'aventures (Prester John, Salute to Adventurers) i sobretot de les seves novel·les d'espionatge, entre les quals destaquen la sèrie de les cinc aventures de Richard Hannay, entre les quals  (1915), adaptada al cinema el 1935 per Alfred Hitchcock) i The Three Hostages (1928).

Power Plant (1916) compta amb un altre heroi recurrent de Buchan, el jove advocat londinenc Edward Leithen.

El 1927, John Buchan va ser elegit al Parlament. L'any 1935, va ser nomenat governador general del Canadà, esdevingué al mateix temps baró i signà l'entrada a la guerra d'aquest domini durant la Segona Guerra Mundial el 1939, la seva dona es va convertir en la consort viceregnal del Canadà. Va rebre un doctorat honoris causa de quaranta-nou universitats, inclosa Oxford el 1934.

El 1936, va instituir els Premis Literaris del Governador General.

Va morir d'una hemorràgia cerebral a Mont-real l'11 de febrer de 1940. És reemplaçat al càrrec per Lyman Poore Duff, el president del Tribunal Suprem del Canadà que actua com a administrador del govern.

Obres

Novel·les

Sèrie Richard Hannay
 Els trenta-nou esglaons (1915). Barcelona: Editorial Clandestina, 2023. Traducció de Sílvia Aymerich i Lemos
 Greenmantle (1916)
 Mr Standfast (1919)
 Els tres ostatges (1924)
 The Courts of the Morning (1929), Hannay només fa una breu aparició en aquesta novel·la
 Sick Heart River (1941), també titulat Mountain Meadow als Estats Units. En aquesta novel·la, Hannay només fa una breu aparició.

Sèrie Edward Leithen
 The Power House (1916)
 La pista de ball (1926)
 John Macnab (1925)
 The Gap in the Curtain (1932)

Sèrie Dickson McCunn
 Huntingtower (1922)
 Castle Gay (1930)
 La casa dels quatre vents (1935)

Altres novel·les
 Sir Quixote of the Moors (1896)
 John Burnet of Barns (1898)
 No-Man's Land (1899)
 Grey Weather (1899)
 A Lost Lady of Old Years (1899)
 The Half-Hearted (1900)
 A Lodge in the Wilderness (1906)
 Prester John (1910)
 Salute to Adventurers (1915)
 The Island of Sheep (1919)
 The Path of the King (1921)
 Midwinter (1923)
 Witch Wood (1927)
 The Blanket of the Dark (1931)
 A Prince of the Captivity (1933)
 The Free Fishers (1934)}}

Col·leccions de novel·les curtes
 The Watcher by the Threshold (1902)
 The Moon Endureth (1912), recueil incluant quelques poèmes
 The Runagates Club (1928)
 The Long Traverse (1941)

Novel·les curtes
 Fountainblue (1901)
 The Company of the Marjolaine (1909)
 God's Providence (1910)
 The Grove of Ashtaroth (1910)
 The Lemnian (1911)
 The King of Orion (1912)
 Divus Jonhston (1913)
 Fullcircle (1920)
 The Railroad Raid (1923)
 The Loathly Opposite (1927)
 Sing a Song of Sixpence (1928)
 Skule Skerry (1928)
 Dr. Latius (1928)

Biografies històriques
 Sir Walter Raleigh (1897)
 The Marquis of Montrose (1913)
 Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall (1913)
 Francis and Riversdale Grenfell: A Memoir (1920)
 Lord Minto: A Memoir (1924)
 The Man and the Book: Sir Walter Scott (1925)
 Montrose and Leadership (1930) - James Tait Black Memorial Prize
 Sir Walter Scott (1932)
 Julius Caesar (1932)
 Oliver Cromwell (1934)
 Augustus (1937)

Assajos, obres històriques i fulletons
 Scholar-Gipsies (1896)
 A History of Brasenose College (1896)
 The African Colony (1903)
 The Law Relating to the Taxation of Foreign Income (1905)
 Some Eighteenth Century Byways (1908)
 Nine Brasenose Worthies (1909)
 What the Home Rule Bill Means (1912)
 Nelson's History of the War, en 24 vol. (1914-1919)
 Britain's War by Land (1915)
 The Achievement of France (1915)
 Ordeal by Marriage (1915)
 The Future of the War (1916)
 The Battle of the Somme, First Phase (1916)
 The Purpose of War (1916)
 The Battle of Jutland (1916)
 The Battle of the Somme, Second Phase (1917)
 These for Remembrance (1919)
 The Battle Honours of Scotland 1914–1918 (1919)
 The History of the South African Forces in France (1920)
 A History of the Great War (1922)
 A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys (1922)
 The Last Secrets (1923)
 The Margins of Life (1923)
 Days to Remember (1923)
 The History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers 1678–1918 (1925)
 Two Ordeals of Democracy (1925)
 The Fifteenth (Scottish) Division 1914-1919 (1925)
 Homilles and Recreation (1926)
 The Causal and the Casual in History (1929)
 The Kirk in Scotland, 1560-1929 (1930)
 Montrose and Leadership (1930)
 The Novel and the Fairy Tale (1931)
 Andrew Lang and the Borders (1932)
 The Massacre of Glencoe (1933)
 Gordon at Khartoum (1934)
 The King's Grace (1935)
 Naval Episodes Of The Great War (1938)
 The Interpreter's House (1938)
 Presbyterianism Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1938)
 Comments and Characters (1940)
 Canadian Occasions (1940)

Poesia
 The Pilgrim Fathers (1898)
 Grey Weather (1899)
 Poems: Scots and English (1917)

Autobiografia
 Memory Hold-The-Door (1940)

Llibres infantils
 Sir Walter Raleigh (1911), versió infantil de la biografia històrica publicada el 1897
 The Magic Walking-Stick (1932)

Referències

Doctors honoris causa per la Universitat Laval
Morts d'hemorràgia cerebral
Morts a Montreal
Gran Creu de Cavaller de l'orde de Sant Miquel i Sant Jordi
Membres de l'Orde dels Companys d'Honor
Barons britànics
Alumnes del Brasenose College
Alumnes de la Universitat de Glasgow
Autors britànics de literatura detectivesca
Escriptors en anglès
Poetes britànics
Membres del Consell Privat del Regne Unit


text:
REVIEW: Devilish by Maureen Johnson
JiaBook Reviews / C Reviews Category / C+ Reviewsdemons / Maureen Johnson / Young-Adult8 Comments
Dear Ms. Johnson,
While I've read many reviews about your books, I've actually never read one myself. I have occasionally read a blog post or two of yours when linked to it and even though I can't remember which posts those were, I recall thinking they were funny and charming. So for this month's TBR challenge review, I dug Devilish out of my TBR pile. Even more shocking, given my sad history in this endeavor, it actually fits the monthly theme — paranormal!
Jane Jarvis is a senior at Saint Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls. She's short, fiercely smart, and perhaps not what you'd expect of a Catholic school girl with her spiky, bleached blond hair. She's also in the process of getting over her ex-boyfriend, despite her claims otherwise, and trying to help her best friend, Allison Concord, maintain her cool during one of the school's annual traditions. Unfortunately, Ally is something of a nervous wreck at the best of times and embarrassingly awkward at the worst and after a humiliating incident involving a cupcake, vomit, and a poor underclassman, Ally becomes the laughingstock of the school.
But to Jane's surprise, Ally bounces back quickly. She returns to school with a new haircut, pretty clothes, and improved confidence. Jane tries to be happy for her friend but she can't help but feel that something strange is going on. After all, when you've been friends for as long as they have, you don't just suddenly stop talking to each other for no good reason at all. But that's exactly what Ally does — she starts ignoring Jane. And then Jane learns the truth: in exchange for popularity, Ally has sold her soul to the devil.
What I liked best about this book was Jane's skepticism. After all, when confronted with the fact that your best friend has sold her soul to the devil in order to be popular, I think most people would say that's ridiculous. I know I would. Especially in circumstances like those described in the book — where the changes are unusual but not necessarily out of the realm of impossibility. Like the golf-sized hail that fell when Ally apparently made her pact with the demon, for example. It's a little strange but freak weather storms aren't unheard of. Weren't there some major hailstorms in the United States just a couple weeks ago?
Another thing I enjoyed was how strained the relationship between Jane and Ally became after Ally's transformation. Since we follow the story from Jane's POV, it was very easy to sympathize with how Jane wanted to feel happy for her best friend but felt shut out at the same time. I think we've all felt that way at one point or another in our lives when we feel excluded by our friends, whether inadvertently or not. It was great to see Jane juggle her feelings of loneliness — after all, they've always had each other but Ally's new persona doesn't seem to need Jane anymore — and her feelings of jealousy, which becomes even more apparent when the whole thing involving Jane's ex comes up.
On the other hand, I wonder if I would have enjoyed this book far more if I'd read it when it first came out a few years ago. Let's face it — while demons aren't as ubiquitous as vampires, they're pretty common these days. And the horrors of demons juxtaposed with the horrors of high school? Hardly a new concept.
I think that's where most of my dissatisfaction comes from. There's much in the book that reads and feels familiar: the pact to become beautiful and popular, the new girl who's trouble, the brainy main character with an attitude who's a problem student and almost-outsider at her school, the relationships between the best friends and an ex-boyfriend and so on. Those things, in and of themselves, aren't dealbreakers because these are the building blocks of many a great story. Why they didn't work as well for me here is because I found the book to lack a certain level of nuance and detail to put a new spin on these elements. As I said before, maybe if I'd read this book a few years ago, I would feel differently but these days, with paranormal malaise setting in, that can be a tall order.
I would have liked to see more of the demon-hunting order, especially their history with the demon in question, and Jane's evolving relationship with Owen, which certainly poses some interesting complications. And while I thought the demon's ultimate plot was clever — sort of a bait and switch — I would have preferred more back and forth in the power struggle once Jane enters the playing field to win Ally's soul back.
Ultimately, this book's potential fell flat for me. It has a great concept but the fact that it uses elements that have become very familiar and standard in the genre work against it. This is one of the dangers of reading a work of fiction years after it's come out. What you've read in the meantime will have an effect despite your best intentions, especially if the book in question is in a popular genre. So even though I do wonder what the Jia of three years ago would have thought, the Jia of today gives this book a C+.
My regards,
This book can be purchased in mass market from an independent bookstore. No ebook format.
Jia is an avid reader who loves fantasy and young adult novels. She's also currently dipping her toes in the new adult genre but remains unconvinced by the prevalent need for traumatic pasts. Her favorite authors are Michelle West and Jacqueline Carey. YA authors whose works she's enjoyed include Holly Black, Laini Taylor, Ally Carter, and Megan Miranda. Jia's on a neverending quest for novels with diverse casts and multicultural settings. Feel free to email her with recommendations at [email protected]!
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Oh, I am sorry you couldn't give it a higher grade. I did read it when it came out and thought it was a treat– a chocolate cupcake of a book . . . buttercream frosting, but not too much. I loved Jane's skepticism, and I liked the way Johnson finessed the demon hunter stuff — I think that any more detail would have broken the bridge of the plot and building up the plot to carry the detail would have made a heavier book. I was unimpressed by Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but I really enjoyed this one– I think because it didn't overreach.
carolyn jean
Oh, interesting how when you read a book can sometimes affect so much.
April 17, 2009 @ 7:43 am
This is the only Maureen Johnson book I've read, too, and I didn't like it. I'm hoping to give something else by her a chance.
August 23, 2009 @ 11:56 am
Oh, bummer, sorry you didn't like this one that much! I enjoyed it.
But my favorite Maureen Johnson has to be The Key to the Golden Firebird. It's got heart.
@Kelly: this book was kinda werid all these soul and other things it kind of hard to understand
I thought this book was wonderful in every way, and I keep rereading it…
Yes, the concept is familiar. You could argue any book that comes out nowadays is nothing new. But the reason why I love it so much is because Johnson breathes so much life into all of her characters– we all know a Jane, an Allison, an Elton. I for one, loved Lanalee because yeah, she's technically a bad guy but it's because she had terrible morals, not really her personality. She's supposed to be amiable and personable so people will want to follow her. And that's exactly how Johnson depicts her.
Johnson paints all her characters (even minor ones) so well, and this is why I think this book is so good. Too many authors choose plot over character development, so it was really really refreshing to read a book that had the best of both.


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Deryck Whibley Released From Hospital
May 27, 2014 | 6:55pm EST
Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley has returned home after spending more than a month in hospital.
The rocker stunned fans recently when he went public with his health battle, revealing he almost died after his liver and kidneys collapsed following years of alcohol abuse.
He further shocked devotees when he was photographed looking extremely frail as he took a walk around a Los Angeles neighborhood, assisted by his fiancee Jocelyn Aguilar and a friend.
Now Whibley has reached out to fans once again to express his gratitude for the outpouring of support following his health crisis.
The 34 year old, who was briefly married to Avril Lavigne, shared a new photo of himself back at home on his official website, alongside the message: "hey everyone, i just wanted to thank you all so much for sending gifts and all of the compassion and support you have shown me. it really means a lot to me in this time of recovery.
"I will be better soon and back out on stage before you know it."


Running Time Approximately 95 minutes plus interval Suitable for 14+ years A new comedy by Steve Trafford with songs by Henry Purcell Full of humour and bawdy wit, this new comedy transports us into the wanton world of the English Restoration. King Charles II lies ill, Nell Gwyn, his royal whore, once the brightest star of the Restoration theatre, rages against her fate. What will become of her if Charles is summoned to his Maker? What perils will befall the English nation? Mistress Gwyn and Margery, her maid, lead us a merry dance, filled with their laughter, their tears and Nell's enchanting songs of the Baroque: a rollicking romp with a sting in its tail. Mansfield and her co-writer, Steve Trafford manage to get to the heart and soul of their subjects, and the songs are so skilfully interwoven that they truly add to the story. *** What's On Stage for Portraits in Song Post Show Discussion with Professor Brean Hammond on 17 November.


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text:
Julian Alaphilippe: I don't blame moto rider for Tour of Flanders crash
By Cyclingnews published 29 October 20
Frenchman recovering from fractured hand in readiness for new season
Road race world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Deceuninck-QuickStep's Julian Alaphilippe says that he doesn't blame the motorbike rider with whom he collided during the Tour of Flanders in mid-October – a crash that ended his race while part of a lead breakaway trio with Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and eventual winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix).
The Frenchman broke two of the metacarpal bones in his right hand in the crash, but was operated on the day after the accident and is now recovering at home in Andorra, according to French sports newspaper L'Equipe.
The crash happened with around 35 kilometres left to race. It appeared from the TV images that Alaphilippe had his left arm up to talk into his team radio just before hitting the motorbike, meaning that perhaps he would have also leaned his head over to the left to speak into the microphone and so not have seen first Van Aert and then Van der Poel flick left to avoid 'moto' rider Eddy Lissens' slowing vehicle.
"I was behind Van der Poel, on the left side of the road, and then [followed him] to the right side to take the draft, and, as he pulled away, I took the full force of the motorbike right in the face," Alaphilippe recalled to L'Equipe in an interview published on Wednesday. "I'm skilled on the bike – I manage to avoid obstacles, and to squeeze through tight spaces – but in this case, there was nothing I could do.
Julian Alaphilippe dreams of Tour of Flanders return in 2021
Motorbike rider involved in Alaphilippe crash: I feel terrible
Julian Alaphilippe crashes out of Tour of Flanders
"I've heard people say, 'Yeah, but he was talking on the radio – he wasn't focused.' Whether I was looking ahead or behind me, whether I had my hands on the handlebars or not, whether I was having a drink… It wouldn't have changed anything. When Van der Poel moved across at the last moment, there was nothing I could do," he said.
"I didn't hear the sound of the motorbike, as we were riding so fast," continued Alaphilippe. "I'm not saying it was Van der Poel's fault for not warning me, and I'm not saying it was the motorbike rider's fault, as he had nothing to do with it – no, no, no.
"I heard that the motorbike rider felt guilty about what had happened, but he mustn't worry, and I hope that this interview will reassure him. I don't blame him; it was just a racing incident," he added. "Besides, I'm not a vindictive person anyway. And both Van Aert and Van der Poel sent me messages afterwards, too, which was nice of them."
Alaphilippe also described his fall as "frightening", saying that he'd never experienced any kind of similar crash during his career.
"Usually, you know when it's about to happen: you're going around a corner and it's slippery, for example, and you know you can't avoid it, but when it came to this crash…
"I'm doing OK now, and I know it could have been so much worse," he said. "In the days following the operation, I didn't expect to be in such pain. My hand was very swollen, and I couldn't sleep very wellI slept badly. But it's good to have had the operation, even though this isn't how I thought I'd be enjoying my winter break. I'm happy to be home and, above all, I'm happy not to be in so much pain anymore."
According to Alaphilippe, his Deceuninck-QuickStep team will meet up in Belgium at the start of November, which will give him the opportunity to visit his surgeon in Herentals to check on the progress of his hand.
"And to find out when I'll be able to go out on my bike again, for fun," Alaphilippe said. "It's autumn, and I love all the colours. It's my favourite season."
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Few brands are able to market themselves with one foot in the B2C space and another in the B2Bworld.
The Sun Hung Kai-owned sky100, best known as a landmark for tourists, stuck one foot out into B2B by launching an event management sub-brand sky100 Events last October.
Its events management team existed prior to the launch and grew from a one person in 2013 to a team of five people team today.
When an event is being held at the venue, the entire floor or parts of it remain closed to tourists, creating an opportunity when the company chooses to allow an event to be held at the venue, compared to opening up the space to visitors.
Iris Liu, associate marketing director at sky100 said the company strikes a balance between the two revenue streams.
"March to May and September to November are slow months in the tourism industry and many corporate events are held then. The summer and Christmas represent peak seasons for tourists and that's also when few corporate events are organized. It works out for us," Liu said.
She predicts corporate events to be the biggest growth market for sky100 in the next few years, followed by weddings, which is why Sky 100 set up a booth in last year's Wedding Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
"We opened up our venue to weddings this year but it's hard to focus on this market because there are a variety of venues that cater to weddings. Another challenge we encounter in the wedding planning sector is that we are not a mass-market brand – we position ourselves as a premium event management brand," Liu said.
Since its launch, 80% of Sky 100 Events' marketing mix has been digital. The company places online banners through programmatic buying as well as doing search and Facebook marketing and producing videos.
The company sends out eDMs about the venue and events management offerings to tenants of Grade A offices owned by Sun Hung Kai and to conference organisers. Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, also owned by the property developer, has referred clients to sky100's events team in the past.
"Digital marketing allows us to be very targeted with our messages since there is more segmentation in the market for corporate events and we want to make a visual impact with our ad creatives," Liu said.
In its marketing materials, sky100 focuses on leveraging brand Hong Kong by showing off its views of Kowloon, Hong Kong Island and infrastructure iconic of Hong Kong, such as cargo ships.
A high-speed railway near the Elements shopping mall is under construction and will allow corporate visitors to travel to and from mainland China once completed.
In contrast, only half of its marketing mix for tourists in the B2C space is digital. This allows the company to reach overseas and mainland Chinese tourists. The other half is comprised of traditional forms of marketing such as print ads in maps and guidebooks.
Tourists visiting sky100 are evenly split between local Hongkongers, mainland Chinese and overseas visitors.
Danone, world leader in the food industry launches a new campaign for AQUA, inspiring Indonesians by championing acts of everyday ..
The agencies will be tasked to conceptualise, plan and implement integrated marketing and communication campaigns for HPB's health..


text:
Smarter Faster Better
The Transformative Power of Real Productivity
PrintEbookAudiobook
Smarter Faster Better uncover how high achievers get so much done and accomplished while having the same time like everyone else does. In the author's own words:
Productivity, put simply, is the name we give our attempts to figure out the best uses of our energy, intellect, and time as we try to seize the most meaningful rewards with the least wasted effort.
The author has broken down productivity, the hairy topic, into eight parts that include motivation, teams, focus, goal setting, managing others, decision making, innovation, and absorbing data.
People who know how to self-motivate, according to studies, earn more money than their peers, report higher levels of happiness, and say they are more satisfied with their families, jobs, and lives.
A prerequisite to motivation is believing we have authority over our actions and surroundings. To motivate ourselves, we must feel like we are in control.
People with an internal locus of control tend to praise or blame themselves for success or failure, rather than assigning responsibility to things outside their influence.
If you can link something hard to a choice you care about, it makes the task easier.
We should reward initiative, congratulate people for self-motivation, celebrate when an infant wants to feed herself. We should applaud a child who shows defiant, self-righteous stubbornness and reward a student who finds a way to get things done by working around the rules.
A good manager:
is a good coach
empowers and does not micromanage
expresses interest and concern in subordinates' success and well-being
is results oriented
listens and shares information
helps with career development
has a clear vision and strategy
has key technical skills
On the best teams, for instance, leaders encouraged people to speak up; teammates felt like they could expose their vulnerabilities to one another; people said they could suggest ideas without fear of retribution; the culture discouraged people from making harsh judgments.
For psychological safety to emerge among a group, teammates don't have to be friends. They do, however, need to be socially sensitive and ensure everyone feels heard.
Once in a cognitive tunnel, we lose our ability to direct our focus. Instead, we latch on to the easiest and most obvious stimulus, often at the cost of common sense.
Reactive thinking is at the core of how we allocate our attention, and in many settings, it's a tremendous asset.
Reactive thinking is how we build habits, and it's why to-do lists and calendar alerts are so helpful: Rather than needing to decide what to do next, we can take advantage of our reactive instincts and automatically proceed. Reactive thinking, in a sense, outsources the choices and control that, in other settings, create motivation.
The downside of reactive thinking is that habits and reactions can become so automatic they overpower our judgment. Once our motivation is outsourced, we simply react.
The superstars weren't choosing tasks that leveraged existing skills. Instead, they were signing up for projects that required them to seek out new colleagues and demanded new abilities.
The superstars also shared a particular behavior, almost an intellectual and conversation tic: They loved to generate theories—lots and lots of theories.
Mental models help us by providing a scaffold for the torrent of information that constantly surround us. Models help us choose where to direct our attention, so we can make decisions, rather than just react.
You can't delegate thinking. Computers fail, everything can fail. But people can't. We have to make decisions, and that includes deciding what deserves our attention.
No one goes to work wanting to suck. If you put people in a position to succeed, they will.
Most commitment companies avoided layoffs unless there was no other alternative. They invested heavily in training. There were higher levels of teamwork and psychological safety.
Employees work smarter and better when they believe they have more decision-making authority and when they believe their colleagues are committed to their success.
The paradox of learning how to make better decisions is that it requires developing a comfort with doubt.
We only live on one reality, and so when we force ourselves to think about the future as numerous possibilities, it can be unsettling for some people because it forces us to think about things we hope won't come true. — Barbara Mellers
Learning to think probabilistically requires us to question our assumptions and live with uncertainty. To become better at predicting the future—at making good decisions—we need to know the difference between what we hope will happen and what is more and less likely to occur.
How do we learn to make better decisions? In part, by training ourselves to think probabilistically. To do that, we must force ourselves to envision various futures—to hold contradictory scenarios in our minds simultaneously—and then expose ourselves to a wide spectrum of successes and failures to develop an intuition about which forecasts are more or less likely to come true.
Almost all of the creative papers had at least one thing in common: They were usually combinations of previously known ideas mixed together in new ways.
"Creativity is just connecting things," Apple cofounder Steve Jobs said in 1996. "When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was they've had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people."
When strong ideas take root, they can sometimes crowd out competitors so thoroughly that alternatives can't prosper. So sometimes the best way to spark creativity is by disturbing things just enough to let some light through.
Humans are exceptionally good at absorbing information—as long as we can break data into a series of smaller and smaller pieces. This process is known as "winnowing" or "scaffolding."
One way to overcome information blindness is to force ourselves to grapple with the data in front of us, to manipulate information by transforming it into a sequence of questions to be answered or choices to be made. This is sometimes referred to as "creating disfluency" because it relies on doing a little bit of work.
The engineering design process was built around the idea that many problems that seem overwhelming at first can be broken into smaller pieces, and then solutions tested, again and again, until an insight emerges.
Psychologists say learning how to make decisions this way is important, particularly for young people, because it makes it easier for them to learn from their experiences and to see choices from different perspectives.
Our brain wants to find a simple frame and stick with it, the same way it wants to make a binary decision.
One of the best ways to help people cast experiences in a new light is to provide a formal decision-making system—such as a flowchart, a prescribed series of questions, or the engineering design process—that denies our brains the easy options we crave. Systems teach us how to force ourselves to make questions look unfamiliar. It's a way to see alternatives.
When we encounter new information and want to learn from it, we should force ourselves to do something with the data.
Productive people and companies force themselves to make choices most other people are content to ignore. Productivity emerges when people push themselves to think differently.
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