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Is the United States the Final Superpower?*
Is the United States the Final Superpower?
Pastor Mark A. Finley
General Conference Vice President for World Evangelism
Speaker Emeritus, It Is Written
The vote was deadlocked on July 2, 1776. Should the band of British colonies declare their independence from England? The Continental Congress debated all that day. The Delaware delegation had three votes. Of the two delegates present, one voted for independence. The other opposed it. The third delegate was at home on his farm, marooned there because of a heavy rainstorm. But he received word that the congress had reached an impasse. And his vote might decide the future. And so on horseback he rode all night through the mud and rain to the Continental Congress to cast the deciding vote.
Legend has it that a little boy watched the delegates through the crack in the door. His grandfather had assigned him the task, because the grandfather was the local bell-ringer. And the old man waited at the bell tower, ready to ring the bell if the assembly signed the declaration. As the lad looked through the door, he saw quill pens signing the document and heard the shuffling of feet. The grandfather kept walking back and forth, muttering that they would never approve it.
But then the delegate from Delaware arrived to cast the deciding vote. The little boy ran over and shouted, "Ring, Grandpa, ring for liberty."
The United States has always pictured itself as the place that cherishes liberty. It has become a stronghold of democracy in the modern world. In fact, the nation has become the dominant world power. The issues of liberty and human conscience loom large in the end-time drama that the Biblical book of Revelation highlights. Will the United States still be ringing the liberty bell in the last days?
Perhaps it does. Look at Revelation 13:11. John has just pictured the rise of the medieval church, the papal power, and predicted its role in the end-times. Now he introduces a second prophetic symbol: "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb." What clues do we have to identify this lamblike beast?
CLUE 1: Where this beast arises. The second beast, separate and distinct from the first, arises from the earth.
Letting the Bible act as its own interpreter, Daniel 7:17 reveals that prophetic beasts represent kingdoms or nations. So this second beast in Revelation 13 is a nation. And it develops out of the earth. Now where did the first beast of Revelation 13 come from? It had its origin in the sea. All the other beasts (that is, nations) had a similar origin.
Revelation 17:15 indicates that the sea symbol represents peoples, nations, and tongues—tumultuous masses of people. As an apocalyptic symbol, the sea had a negative connotation, and the nations that arose from it opposed God and His chosen people. (Interestingly, Revelation 21:1 tells us that the world to come will have no sea.) But this second beast (nation) of Revelation 13:11 arises from the earth—unique in apocalyptic predictions. In the book of Revelation the earth, the opposite of the sea, has a positive connotation. In fact, in Revelation 12:16, the earth helps the persecuted woman (symbol of God's people) by swallowing the deluge that the satanic dragon spewed out in an attempt to drown it. The beast (nation) from the earth, unlike the beasts (nations) from the sea is on God's side!
CLUE 2: The time period of the origin for the second beast.
Revelation 13:10 describes the first beast as going "into captivity." Then the very next verse speaks of the rise of the second beast. The second beast (nation) thus came into being about the same time as the first beast went into captivity, the time it received that wound in its head (verse 3).
The first beast, the papacy, received a serious wound in 1798. That's when the French took the pope prisoner, breaking the political supremacy of the papacy. The second prophetic beast began to gain prominence after this time. Does that fit the history of the United States? Yes it does. In 1798 the new country was gaining a reputation as a nation to be reckoned with. Thus when we scan history we discover that only one world power was "arising" in 1798—the United States of America.
CLUE 3: How this second beast rose up. Revelation 13:11 tells us that it had two horns like a lamb. What significance do they have? Scripture uses horns as a symbol of authority or power, religious or political. The lamb is young with only a little apparent power. Furthermore, the book of Revelation uses the lamb to symbolize Jesus Christ 28 times. Here is another indication that this beast (nation) is not an enemy of God and His people.
CLUE 4: Previous beasts had crowns on their horns. Crowns indicate kingly power in prophecy. But here we see no sign of kingly authority, in contrast to the first beast in Revelation 13. "I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns" (Revelation 13:1). This suggests a different form of government.
CLUE 5: This lamblike beast has worldwide influence. It causes those who dwell on the earth to worship "the first beast" power (verse 12).
The United States didn't fit that picture a century or more ago. Like a lamb with its little horns, it seemed to have little power or authority. But now its global influence affects people everywhere financially, politically, and culturally.
So let's review the five clues about the second beast, the lamblike nation of Revelation 13. We know that it would arise around 1798. It would be a new nation that would not be opposed to God, and would have no crowned head or kinglike authority. And it would rise to a position of worldwide influence.
John the Revelator has pinpointed the rise of the United States of America precisely.
The nation that rose to champion religious and civil liberty will be a major player in the final end-time drama. But what exactly will that role be? Let's look at the evidence in Revelation 13:11: "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon." I'm afraid that the picture becomes grim rather quickly. The beast that had two horns like a lamb begins to speak "like a dragon."
What Happened to the Nation?
Obviously something happens to this nation. It started out lamblike, but eventually it will have a dragonlike roar. How do nations speak? They speak through their legislative bodies. The officials of nations speak for that nation as they enact laws. Revelation 13 describes the change from a lamblike beast to that of one sounding like a dragon, suggesting that it will begin to use its growing power in a coercive manner. The picture gets darker as we read verse 12: "He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed."
Note carefully what this is saying. The second beast (nation) actually causes the inhabitants of Earth to worship the first beast. That is, it will persuade people to adopt the fundamental principle of the medieval church—the fusion of church and state. Once again, aspects of society that have been kept apart will unite to enforce religious practices. The strong arm of the state will again coerce in a way similar to religious practices through the centuries. Once Protestant America will join hands with religious oppression in a dangerous alliance of church and state.
You may wonder, How could something like that ever happen? It seems impossible.
But wait, there's more. Look at Revelation 13:13, 14. Speaking of the second lamblike beast, John says: "He performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to Earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth."
How can a country such as the United States give its allegiance to the beast of Revelation 13? Because of the miracles and wonders that soon will take place.
Many people assume that any miracle is God's doing, that it confirms someone's claims to truth. And God indeed performs signs and wonders as He thinks best. Sometimes miracles accompany the work of God, as in the case of Elijah on Mount Carmel. The fire that comes down from heaven is an allusion to the story in 1 Kings 18. But Satan, too, can work miracles. He can perform counterfeit signs and wonders. He can even bring miraculous-seeming fire.
As we saw before. Jesus warned His followers about what would happen during the last days. "For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible" (Matthew 24:24).
Spectacular signs and wonders are not necessarily a sign of divine favor. They can be an effort of our archenemy to deceive. And people who would rather have a sensational sign than the simple, straightforward truth of God's Word are setting themselves up for a fall. They will find themselves deceived by the spectacular works of a sinister power.
John reminds us: "They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:14).
Even the greatest individuals, including politicians and national leaders, will unwittingly accept the wonder-working power of the great deceiver. That power enables the lamblike beast to cause all to worship the first beast. That's what will enable the United States to enforce religious intolerance.
A False Religious Revival
Does it sound hard to believe? Think about what would happen if a religious revival swept across a country, one featuring great miracles or other wonders. Consider how easy it would be to rally around what appears to be the work of God, perhaps the last chance to save the nation from moral ruin—especially if a national crisis occurs at the same time.
As miracles happen a spirit of unity prevails. People want to push the revival as far as it can go. They look for something that can unite everyone, some symbol of common worship. Why not emphasize the worship day itself? After all, it's something that most Christians share. At first glance, the proposal seems so logical. Each Sunday the nation would all unite and worship in a spirit of brotherhood. Wouldn't that bring a troubled country together and make it truly one nation under God?
Does this sound far-fetched? Some religious leaders already have boldly suggested that a common day of worship may be a partial solution to America's recurring energy crisis. By forbidding all driving on Sunday, except to church, the United States could save up to 15 percent of its gasoline supply.
Back in the 1970s Harold Lindsell proposed that for the purpose of conserving energy that "all businesses, including gasoline stations and restaurants, should close every Sunday" (Christianity Today, May 7, 1976). Lindsell expressed his conviction that such a move would satisfy both natural laws and the "will of God for all men." Sensing that it was highly unlikely that Sunday would voluntarily become a day of rest, he further suggested that one way to accomplish this would be "by force of legislative fiat through the duly elected officials of the people."
Some time ago, the U.S. Supreme Court (McGowan et al. v. Maryland) ruled that in some instances Sunday laws may be enforced, not on the basis of religious considerations, but in the interests of safeguarding the health and welfare of the American people. The late Justice William O. Douglas disagreed and stated the following in his dissenting opinion to the majority decision of the Court: "It seems to me plain that by these laws, the states compel one, under sanction of law, to refrain from work or recreation on Sunday because of the majority's religious views on that day. The state by law makes Sunday a symbol of respect or adherence."
Are you aware that in the United States of America, right now, many are seeking to redefine religious liberty? U.S. Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote in 1985 (Wallace v. Jaffree) that "the 'wall of separation between church and state' is a metaphor based on bad history. . . . It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned." A vocal element of American society is reevaluating the entire issue of the wall of separation between church and state. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 1991, made an interesting observation: "As the second century of the Bill of Rights draws to a close, the Supreme Court is redefining what religious liberty will mean in the third century. Broadly, the Court's new approach helps conventional religions while hurting unconventional ones."
The editorial proposes that the Court is moving in the direction of stating what an acceptable religion is. And if you happen to fall into that conventional religion you can have the stamp of approval.
Events are moving us toward that day when the lamblike beast will roar like a dragon. Let's look at one more characteristic of this second beast: "He deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed" (Revelation 13: 14, 15).
What does the phrase "set up an image in honor of the beast" mean?
An image of anything is something that looks like or resembles in some way something else. If a little boy is his dad's "spittin' image," he has many characteristics in common with his father.
Remember, we're dealing with symbols in Revelation. Thus the image of this beast won't be some literal object, that is, a statue or an idol. Rather it will be a repeat performance of what the beast did before—the religious intolerance and oppression that happened during the Dark Ages.
Religious With Civil Power
At the height of its power, the medieval church—both West and East—clothed itself with civil power. It had the authority to appoint civil officials, punish dissenters, confiscate goods, imprison people, and even execute them. It was a powerful union of church and state.
Think about this scenario. Consider a nation ripped apart by crime and riddled with lawlessness. People anguish because moral principles seem to have gone out the window. Kids are mowing down other kids in the schools. Violence and obscenity and abuse intensify. Society seems unable to win the war on drugs, terrorism, or the many other problems that disturb it.
People even now are demanding solutions. And the most instinctive reaction is: "There ought to be a law." Well-meaning citizens will band together to pass laws to save the country. They will think that they can rescue the nation by enforcing morality. "We've got to make our nation Christian (or Orthodox or Islamic or Hindu or whatever) again," they will say. Although it's a good motive, it's a bad procedure. The temptation is to pass laws forcing people to do by civil power what religion has failed to do by persuasive teaching and preaching.
Think of how powerful this new approach will become when legislative initiatives are endorsed by a religious revival backed by signs and wonders.
In the United States Robert Grant, head of the Christian Voice organization, has said: "If Christians unite, we can do anything. We can pass any law or any amendment. And that's exactly what we intend to do." Another leader, Pat Robertson, wrote: "The next obligation that a citizen of God's world order owes is to himself. 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy' is a command for the personal benefit of each citizen. . . . Higher civilizations rise when people can rest, think, and draw inspiration from God. Laws in America that mandated a day of rest [Sunday laws] . . . have been nullified as a violation of the separation of church and state. . . . As an outright insult to God and His plan, only those policies that can be shown to have a clearly secular purpose are recognized" (The New World Order, p. 236).
Do you see his reasoning? He is saying we have outlawed the Sunday laws. But if we're going to bring this whole nation back to God, we have to worship God together. Therefore, it is logical in a time when moral values are waning—in a time of crisis—to unite on a point held in common, which is Sunday observance among most of the Christian churches. And it will require great conviction to hold on to the Biblical Sabbath.
No, the United States is not the final superpower. That is yet to come when the rock cut without hands smashes all human nations and sets up God's divine kingdom.
Let me tell you about a man named Milton Schustek. He lived in Czechoslovakia during the years of Soviet domination and great religious oppression. When the Communists took over his country, he wanted to be free to read his Bible and continue his work as a pastor. But the Communists had other ideas. They had determined to turn all ministers into laborers. Milton knew that they wanted to send him as far away from his congregation as possible—far away to the coal mines.
But then he got an idea, one that might allow him to stay close to his pastoral work in the city of Prague. He thought of a job that nobody wanted—cleaning out the sewers. Nobody wanted to climb into those narrow, filthy culverts and clean them, hundreds of feet under the city.
Milton decided to see the Communist officials about taking that job. But first he got down on his knees and prayed. "Jesus," he said, "I want to worship You every Sabbath. Please help me to keep Your law and to be honest and faithful to You."
After being ushered in to see the local party official, Milton said to her, "I understand you want to ship me to the mines to work. Let me tell you something. My grandfather worked in the mines, and my father worked in the mines, and I'm willing to work in whatever mine you send me to. But I have a suggestion. You need someone to do the worst job you have—climbing down into those sewers. And I'm willing to do it. Why don't you assign me to clean the sewage system of Prague? I'd be happy to do it, because that would give me the privilege of worshipping my God here."
Something touched that Communist official's heart. She looked down at her desk, then glanced up at him and said, "Pastor, I'm not a godly woman. I'm just trying to fulfill work assignments. But I'll let you worship your God. Go and clean the sewer system."
I'll never forget the look on Milton's face as he related his story. He admitted it was a very tough, very dark, and very stressful job. But every day it was worth it, he said, because "I could worship my God in loyalty, in truth."
Someday each believer will be called upon to demonstrate that same kind of faith.
* Slightly adapted from Mark A. Finley, The Next Superpower: Ancient Prophecies, Global Events, and Your Future (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2005), chapter 13.


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Wu Ching-chin 吳景欽(作者為真理大學法律系副教授兼系主任、永社理事)
Translated by Ethan Zhan
TAIPEI TIMES / Editorials 2014.12.30
www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2014/12/30/2003607905/1
According to Article 52 of the Constitution, the president is not, without having been recalled or having been relieved of his duties, liable to criminal prosecution unless he is charged with having committed an act of rebellion or treason.
This article explains presidential immunity, and since that is a privilege that is given in order to protect the office of the president, not the president as an individual, the president does not have the right to relinquish it. As for the right to immunity itself, that is merely a temporary procedural barrier; once the president steps down, any criminal offense that he or she might have committed during the presidency can still be prosecuted.
However, whether the immunity also precludes searches of the president's office or summoning the president to testify is not clearly stipulated in the article.
This lack of clarity became more controversial when the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's anti-corruption team searched the president's office in connection to investigations into the special allowance fund when former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was still in office. This forced Chen to file a request for a constitutional interpretation, to which the Council of Grand Justices gave Interpretation No. 627. Pursuant to the intent of this interpretation, although no investigation, prosecution or trial may be commenced against an incumbent president, necessary evidentiary preservation may still be conducted, such as the investigation of a crime scene and inspection of objects.
The problem is that such an investigation could invade the president's right to maintain secrecy. Hence the Council of Grand Justices explicitly stated that, unless relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法) are amended to restrict the search and seizure in places where the president carries out his functions and resides, law enforcement agencies should, in order to protect state secrets, call on the president to willingly produce the evidence. If the president refuses to do so, prosecutors can file a motion with the High Court, which can assemble a special tribunal made up of five judges to decide if a search warrant should be issued.
However, not only does the Council of Grand Justices' explanation conflict with the Code of Criminal Procedure and give the impression that the justices are superior to lawmakers, it also complicates the procedure, erecting more barriers against investigations into any criminal offenses committed by the president.
As such, regarding the case of illegal political donations in which President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) might be involved, the Special Investigation Division can, if necessary, file an application for a search warrant with the court in order to search the president's offices, residence and the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) offices. It can also summon the president to testify as a witness or a relevant party.
However, the president can still easily reject such searches or summons to testify on the grounds that state secrets are involved. In addition, since the Council of Grand Justices set up such high barriers against issuing a search warrant, the chances that prosecutors will be allowed to search the president's offices and residence are indeed very slim.
Besides, there is unfortunately also a big question mark as to whether the Special Investigation Division has the wisdom, as well as the courage, to uncover any corruption or criminal offenses committed by the person in power.
標籤: -司法正義, -民主永續, -法律人權, ■ 永社評論

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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HOME > 90 Day Fiance > 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days
TLC / Reality TV World
'90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days' recap: Mike faces Ximena's family, Gino and Jasmine sleep together, Alina keeps a secret, Memphis disappoints Hamza's mother, and Johnny has second thoughts!
90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days featured Mike trying to impress Ximena's entire family, Gino and Jasmine dishing on their first sexual encounter, Caleb and Alina kissing for the first time, Alina keeping a secret, Johnny having doubts about his move to America, Memphis disappointing Hamza's mother, and Usman "SojaBoy" Umar mentioning marriage during the fifth-season episode Sunday night on TLC.
90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days' new season stars Usman, a 32-year-old from Sokoto, Nigeria, and Kim, a 50-year-old from San Diego, CA; Caleb, a 28-year-old from Chandler, AZ, and Alina, a 27-year-old from Saint Petersburg, Russia; Gino, a 51-year-old from Canton, MI, and Jasmine, a 34-year-old from Panama City, Panama; Memphis, a 34-year-old from Muskegon, MI, and Hamza, a 28-year-old from Kairouan, Tunisia; Mike, a 34-year-old from Thiells, NY, and Ximena, a 24-year-old from Pereira, Colombia; and Ella, a 29-year-old from Idaho Falls, ID, and Johnny, a 34-year-old from Jinan, China.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Ben, a 52-year-old from Fraser, MI, and Mahogany, a 24-year-old from San Bartolo, Peru, have yet to be featured on the show.
Usman was previously married to Lisa Hamme, 54, whom he had met on Facebook two years before filming 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days' fourth season.
Lisa struggled to trust Usman during their relationship and they split in May 2020. Usman later served Lisa with divorce papers in December 2020 and Lisa has since remarried with a childhood friend.
90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days will follow long-distance relationships and document how each couple found each other as well as their first in-person meeting in a foreign country "and the countless surprises, drama and culture clashes along the way."
In most 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days cases, lovebirds are hoping to get engaged and begin the K-1 Visa process.
After traveling across the world, the couples will determine if love can conquer all as they experience challenges such as language barriers, interfering families, cultural differences, age gaps, ex partners, and "shady pasts," according to TLC.
Below is what happened on the fourth episode of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days' fifth season:
MIKE AND XIMENA
Mike just landed in Colombia to meet Ximena after investing a full year into their relationship. Mike was wondering if Ximena was going to be who she said she is and if the couple was going to have chemistry in person.
Ximena ran up to Mike in the airport and hugged him and gave him a sweet little kiss on the lips, and Mike said he was "extremely happy" seeing Ximena for the first time.
But Ximena admitted her first kiss with Mike wasn't passionate, adding, "I think there will be more kisses better than that one."
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW
See which 90 Day Fiance couples are still together, and who has split and broken up! (PHOTO GALLERY)
Ximena said Mike looked like "a sweetie" with his little glasses but he's also shorter than she thought he'd be.
In the cab ride to a restaurant, Ximena grilled Mike on the text messages in his phone, and he just hoped Ximena would learn to trust him. However, he appreciated Ximena acting like he's all hers and didn't seem to mind her being a little jealous.
There was clearly a language barrier between the pair as they ate lunch, and Ximena wasn't sure if something was bothering her man. Mike found it hard to connect with Ximena since they couldn't really understand each other.
"We only have two weeks to get to know each other, and I want to propose by the end of this trip," Mike shared in a confessional.
Mike and Ximena just kept repeating, "I love you," to each other.
RELATED LINK: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO BROKE UP? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Ximena proceeded to introduce Mike to her family, including her sister, brother, stepmother Derly and father Jamir. Mike also met Ximena's sons, Juan, 9, and Harold, 3.
Mike was a little overwhelmed and nervous to meet Ximena's entire extended family, and Ximena explained how Mike was tired after a long trip. Mike also turned red because he was so nervous.
Mike attempted to communicate with everyone by using a language-translator device, but it didn't work very well.
Since Mike doesn't speak Spanish, Jamir wasn't sure Mike would be an adequate match for his daughter, and he pointed out how Mike's technology was useless for communicating. Ximena felt bad because Mike clearly appeared to be uncomfortable, but her boys said they loved Mike after meeting him and would want him to be their stepfather.
Mike's toys for the kids were also a big hit since Juan and Harold never had much of a father figure.
Mike had been waiting a year to be intimate with Ximena, but the couple couldn't get Harold to sleep in his own room happily since the boys had apparently been sleeping with Ximena in her bed.
"I've been imagining this night ever since I first met Ximena and said, 'I love you,' online, so it's just all of this build up and anticipation for tonight. It's a really big deal and I just want this to work and be perfect," Mike shared in a confessional.
CALEB AND ALINA
Alina woke up to Caleb bringing her coffee in bed. Caleb recalled how he and Alina didn't kiss or have sex because he was in his head about their physical differences. Caleb also insisted he was exhausted after traveling and didn't anticipate having a magical night.
Alina admitted to Caleb he had upset her by falling asleep before they could even cuddle.
"You're getting cuddles now," Caleb said.
"I wanted them yesterday," Alina complained.
Caleb apparently hurt Alina's feelings since she had been hoping to receive some affection from Caleb.
"I'm not begging you for d-ck. I'm not a thirsty-ass b-tch," Alina told Caleb, which made him laugh. "Is this a joke for you? I don't get it."
Caleb insisted he was in a better mood and would start the day with a whole new vibe, and Alina said she liked touching Caleb and looking at his muscular sexy body.
Caleb gifted Alina an eco-friendly, recycled tumbleweed necklace, which he called "a little piece of my home," and then showed his girlfriend a large black backpack he had purchased to carry Alina around on hikes through the mountains.
Alina was touched Caleb had come up with different ways to do activities together, and then Caleb told Alina that he'd like to meet her best friend Elijah.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE: BEFORE THE 90 DAYS' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
"I think we have a lot of chemistry," Caleb said of Alina, "but I think it might be awkward to have a third wheel. We'll see how this goes."
When Caleb met Elijah for the first time, Elijah expressed disappointment in the fact Caleb had not kissed Alina after meeting her in person for the first time after knowing each other for 13 years.
Caleb said Elijah was being divisive and creating issues that didn't actually exist, and so he was worried Elijah was going to ruin his trip.
Elijah taught Caleb how to maneuver Alina's wheelchair through the city streets, and Elijah admitted being in a mosque with Caleb was a little awkward due to his spiritual feelings and beliefs about chakras and energies.
Elijah wanted Caleb to treat Alina like a queen, and Caleb certainly didn't win over Alina's protective pal that day. Caleb thought Elijah was acting like Alina needed more help than necessary.
Caleb announced at dinner that evening how he really cared about Alina and she was going to be his focus going forward. Caleb didn't want to talk about his ex-girlfriends or former flames.
Alina shared how her previous relationship lasted for six months and she was keeping a secret that could potentially ruin everything.
"I've been living with this ex-boyfriend kind of until recently. [Caleb] doesn't know that," Alina said.
"I didn't tell Caleb about my living situation... because I was afraid he would stop pursuing me and he would back off. I know I need to come clean with Caleb as soon as possible, but I'm afraid when he finds out the truth, he is going to think I am a liar and maybe have some suspicions that I hid something else from him."
Alina told the cameras that she wasn't hiding anything else from Caleb.
After dinner that night, Elijah left Caleb and Alina alone, and the pair proceeded to go to their hotel room and make out on the bed.
MEMPHIS AND HAMZA
Memphis had just landed in Tunisia, where she met her fiance Hamza for the first time in person after eight months of talking on the phone and videochatting.
Memphis and Hamza had a difficult time communicating due to the language barrier, and then Memphis -- who admittedly struggles with low self-esteem due to a past relationship with little to no intimacy -- complained in the taxi about how she wasn't featured in the picture on Hamza's phone.
Hamza, however, assured Memphis that he liked her and wasn't trying to hide her from the world.
"Me mama told me not to sleep before marriage," Memphis revealed. "I am not with you."
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Memphis lamented. "You told me I was going to sleep with you, and so you told me a lie!"
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE: HAPPILY EVER AFTER?' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Memphis said she was pissed, especially since the couple only had two weeks until their wedding day. Memphis wanted to find out if the pair had intimacy before walking down the aisle and committing to him for the rest of her life.
Memphis was okay with staying with Hamza's mother and sisters temporarily during her stay, but she told Hamza they needed to have sex before marriage to make sure they're compatible physically.
The next morning, Hamza's mother discovered Memphis and Hamza were in the same room together, and so she seemed to assume Memphis had spent the night with her son.
Hamza's mother appeared to be disappointed and angry, and Memphis blurted out "oh sh-t" in a confessional.
KIM AND USMAN
Usman invited Kim to his "team meeting" that morning in Tanzania in regards to Usman's music video shoot, but she was just looking forward to spending some time with him alone.
Usman told his co-workers that he was catching feelings for Kim after she had gifted him a laptop and the latest video game, but his manager had set up a meeting for Usman and a Nigerian rapper and actress Rosa Ree so the two artists could bond and potentially work together.
Usman held Kim's hand at the table, and Usman's management team confessed how being with "another old lady" wouldn't be good for his image. Kim also wondered if this meeting with Rosa Ree was planned to try to push Kim out of the way or make her angry.
She wondered if the men were trying to prove "this is the kind of woman Usman should be dating."
Kim told the cameras that if she saw Usman and Rosa Ree flirt, she'd have a meltdown and flip a table because that's not the way she plays.
Kim was frustrated and angry before meeting Rosa Ree at a restaurant, but Usman reminded Kim that he had never met Rosa Ree before and needed to have this interaction for his career.
Once Rosa Ree arrived, Rosa Ree said she'd hook Usman up with some dancers, and Kim acknowledged how she felt like a third wheel with this beautiful and young addition to their table.
Usman told Rosa Ree that Kim was "a fan and more" and they could possibly get married down the line -- which blew Kim's mind -- and Kim added how they definitely had "potential" to be a romantic couple.
Rosa Ree called their romance "beautiful," and Kim said she liked the female artist and no longer viewed her as being intimidating or a threat to her relationship with Usman.
ELLA AND JOHNNY
Ella was shown doing witchcraft with her coven to do a love spell on Johnny so that her relationship would thrive and flourish.
Johnny, Ella's Asian prince, dressed up in protective gear so he wouldn't contract COVID-19 when flying to the United States. Johnny said Ella "has a beautiful face and "fantastic" personality, but he seemed to have an issue with her size and "belly."
Johnny told the cameras that he wanted to help Ella with weight loss so she would become more beautiful and healthy. Johnny intended on dieting and exercising with Ella as well as introducing her to some prescriptions of Chinese herbs to help her lose weight.
Johnny said he's attracted to American women because they are "very sexy" and tend to be more independent than the women he had met in China.
"I hope I become a redneck cowboy. Like yee-haw!" Johnny said.
Before getting on a plane, Johnny spent some time with his friends, parents and son Stony, who lives with Johnny's parents ever since Johnny had gotten a divorce.
One of Johnny's friends joked about how Johnny would feel "pressed and suffocated" when having sex with Ella because of her size, but Johnny insisted it's easy for a person to lose weight as long as he or she wants to.
Johnny said he'd be willing to quit his job as an electrical car manufacturer and stop renting his place in Shanghai. Johnny also revealed he wanted to apply for a Singapore visa, where he would quarantine for two weeks before entering the United States.
Johnny wanted to spend three months with Ella in America and recognized that would require big sacrifices on his part, especially since he loved his job.
"Ella has gotten me through my darkest days," Johnny told his friends, adding how he wanted to be a gentleman and essentially court Ella and make the first move.
Johnny was apparently lonely and ready to take a risk on love. He said he really wanted to get married again at age 35 and hopefully propose marriage to Ella during his trip.
Ella later dressed up in anime for a videochat session with Johnny, and she teased him about how they were about to have some good times in the intimacy department, with Cosplay in and out of the bedroom. Johnny also couldn't wait to try life on a ranch with all the animals.
But Johnny was scared about leaving his son and potentially getting stuck in America for a very long time due to the coronavirus pandemic. He was seemingly having doubts about his trip, and Ella feared Johnny would ultimately determine she's not worth the sacrifice.
GINO AND JASMINE
Gino, who had flown from Detroit to Panama City, said he had slept great after enjoying his first night with Jasmine.
"She blew me away," Gino said, before bursting into laughter.
Jasmine told Gino that he's a good kisser, and Jasmine said she was actually surprised about Gino's performance in bed.
"I wasn't expecting him being kind of savage," Jasmine bragged. "And everything was working better than I expected."
Jasmine told Gino that he had done better than expected, and Gino bragged about not needing one of the little blue pills.
"It was not average. It was outstanding," Jasmine said of her first sexual encounter with Gino. "We have such good sex."
Gino even took his hat off for Jasmine, who said she loved Gino's bald head since it felt like a baby.
Jasmine then showed Gino Old Town in Panama City and looked forward to becoming even more comfortable around her man.
While shopping, Jasmine called Gino's ex-wife "stupid," which rubbed him the wrong way. And Gino's reaction made Jasmine frustrated, as she sarcastically called his ex-wife intelligent and perfect.
"I hate that Gino has a past and has been married before with a Brazilian girl. And I saw a video chat -- his house screams her, every corner," Jasmine complained.
"But if we're going to have a future together and you're expecting me to move to the United States, I don't want to live in a house that someone else decorated."
Gino said he couldn't talk about his exes with Jasmine and that Jasmine would probably be incredibly angry if she found out he's still friends with one of them.
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Novotel Hamilton Tainui
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**Property Location**.With a stay at Novotel Tainui Hamilton, you'll be centrally located in Hamilton, a 1-minute drive from SkyCity Hamilton and 8 minutes from Waikato Hospital. This 4.5-star hotel is 3.1 mi (5 km) from Hamilton Gardens and 4.3 mi (7 km) from The Base. Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometer. .Hamilton Central Business District - 0.1 km / 0.1 mi Hamilton Centre Place - 0.2 km / 0.1 mi SkyCity Hamilton - 0.2 km / 0.1 mi Waikato Museum of Art and History - 0.6 km / 0.4 mi Memorial Park - 1.1 km / 0.7 mi Claudelands Arena - 1.1 km / 0.7 mi Seddon Park - 1.1 km / 0.7 mi Founders Theatre - 1.1 km / 0.7 mi Southern Cross Hospital - 1.3 km / 0.8 mi Claudelands Park - 1.4 km / 0.9 mi Lake Rotoroa - 1.5 km / 1 mi Waikato Stadium - 1.8 km / 1.1 mi Prodrive Golf - 2.1 km / 1.3 mi Waikato Hospital - 2.8 km / 1.7 mi Braemar Hospital \- 2.8 km / 1.8 mi .The preferred airport for Novotel Tainui Hamilton is Hamilton (HLZ-Hamilton Intl.) - 15.5 km / 9.6 mi. **Rooms**.Make yourself at home in one of the 177 air- conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, while iPod docking stations and satellite programming provide entertainment. Private bathrooms have complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as laptop-compatible safes and desks.**Dining**.Satisfy your appetite for lunch or dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Restaurant On Alma, or stay in and take advantage of the 24-hour room service. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. Full breakfasts are served on weekdays from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM and on weekends from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM for a fee.**Business, Other Amenities**.Featured amenities include a business center, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services.


Hello and Happy Monday! I am writing this post late today because I was hanging out with my husband before he leaves for a long business trip. I am going to miss him but I have a busy week ahead that will hopefully distract me a bit. First, how was your weekend? I hope it was relaxing and fun. We hosted a group of my family over our house to watch a playoff game. I make myself laugh because for some strange reason, I love trying out new recipes when I have company. Now some might call that cool and adventurous but I think it only adds to the stress factor a little when you want to feed a large group. I can say most of the time, it turns out alright but I do recall some losers. However, this time was a winner and luckily I made a large portion so we could eat throughout the game. It was really fun to catch up with my family and laugh at our old family memories.
Tomorrow I will begin another 21-day cleanse. My last cleanse was in June of last year. I have to admit I have slipped off my clean eating big time. But like the rest of the New Year's resolution planners, I too made a promise to get my act together. I have been doing cleanses every 6 months for several years and I like to do them to help reset my habits and renew my love of good food. I mean let's face it, the winter time is pure comfort food, slowing down and indulging in decadent desserts. So it always presents a challenge for me but I am willing to take it one day at a time.
That all said, I started planning what meals I would like to eat throughout the cleanse. I find that my success really relies on me being organized. I plan the week's meals then shop for them and assign them a day to make. I put in a lot of soups this week. Because they can replace the less than clean comfort food I have been eating since the holidays.
I will check in with updates on my status and share recipes so be sure to check back.
Well I have to get ready for pick-up but I wish for you a blessed day!
Hello Everyone! I have been running around busy with spring cleaning projects, administrative work, preparing for some upcoming home renovations and sticking to my Cleanse. The picture above is me at pick-up trying to soothe my sweet craving with a clean smoothie. It was actually really delicious.
As if that isn't enough, I officially will begin garden clean-up this afternoon. It's quite a process that takes days to work through but the weather is warming up and I'm am anxious to get out there and work on the first steps in preparation for planting season. It's too soon for me to plant much so I focus on cleaning up areas, assessing what survived winter and what might need replacing and then plan my flower beds and vegetable gardens. The hard part is that once garden season kicks in, I really abandon my craft table. I am going to look ways to keep a few projects going but I won't make promises because outdoors is where I like to be. So I may change up my features on this blog during the late spring and summer months. Stay tuned for any announcements.
This is a yummy clean dish I made this week, it is Eggplant Curry and it's delish!
I love Whole Foods because it is always an adventure. I feel like I am on holiday at some exotic location because some of the fruits and vegetables I see are so foreign. This one I had to take a picture of – Jackfruit. It's massive.
This upcoming week is also spring break for my boys so I will be doing a lot of staycation activities throughout the week. I think Apollo has even started a list (definitely taking after his mom). I will also be catching up on my reading for book club and my personal selections so some reviews will be fast approaching. I am also working on videos for a YouTube channel to talk books that will be included in the Book Nook section of this website. I have been toying with starting a channel for a while and my youngest has been pushing me to do it. So it just might happen once I shake the nerves off.
Well have a blessed weekend and I will be back with more soon as I go play in my garden a bit!
Well last May, I did my first cleanse and really felt great after completing the 21-day Clean Gut Challenge. I really enjoyed the new recipes I learned along the way and I liked how I felt. So about a month ago, I decided I wanted to repeat a cleanse every 6 months to make sure I regularly detox my body. So since the last one was in May, November became the next time for me to do it again. I decided I would start November 1st so that I would not have to cry my way through Thanksgiving. So I will complete this cleanse on November 21.
I thought I would buy a few new things to get me ready. I love this multicolor pen by Yoobi from Target. It reminds me of a similar type of pens from my childhood. I loved the ability to write with one pen so many colors and this one has even more colors. The page flags are for my reading. I like to use them to mark great quotes or things I want to remember in my books. I found this great 'Fit Happens' book at TJ Maxx and it is so perfect for me to journal my experience each day as well as track my food and exercise. This cleanse really tries to take a more wholistic approach by not only food but overall wellness. So I like how this book has a place for me to write three things I am grateful for each day. And one of my favorite aspects of the book is the quotes. Each they have the most amazing quotes to help motivate. So today is day one and I had my breakfast smoothie and really enjoyed it. It had two dates in it to add sweetness (something I have never done before) but it tasted really nice and kept me full for quite a long time. I woke up early and after I made my smoothie I started preparing the ingredients for my soup for dinner tonight. I soaked the beans overnight and cut up the vegetables this morning. I tasted it before packing up a serving to go with me to our weekly visit with my in-laws and it tasted really good. Then I started work on my lunch which was an Asian Turkey wrap. Then once this cooked up I could eat them for lunch wrapped in Boston lettuce. I very much enjoyed lunch and look forward to dinner which all I will need to do now is heat it up.
One thing I learned from the from the first cleanse is the importance of planning. So yesterday I took the time to pick my recipes and smoothies for week one. Then I used an application called Evernote to put in my week's menu. I also created a master grocery list so I could buy all of this week's foods. I used the Clean cookbook for my dinner recipe for today. I have enough for several leftovers so now I don't need to cook every night. I also have enough of my lunch meal to last a few days so the only thing I have to make daily is my smoothies. That way I can focus on my family's meals with ease. I use a notepad to write out the ingredients needed for each meal I plan to eat and where I can find the directions to make them. Then I go through and check off what I already have before making my master grocery list on my phone. I am ready Week One! I will post from time to time my struggles and progress throughout the three weeks.
Happy Clean eating my friends!
No, I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth. I can't believe how long it has been since I have written a post. This time of year is usually a bit crazy but this year even more so with my oldest getting ready to graduate from elementary school. I feel like I am inside a tornado and occasionally I get peeks out to see the possibilities and then I am swept back inside.
I had every intention of posting regularly even if I had to cut back on a few posts but boom… time was not on my side.
This cleanse by no means was a deprivation diet where I ate crackers and yucky stuff. I had hearty delicious meals that included fish and meat. So I don't feel like I am missing out on much.
One of my favorite meals was the zucchini noodles with a homemade beef bolognese sauce. I could have eaten this every day. And Apollo loves using my spiralizer to make the noodles for me!
One of my favorite snacks was slices of cumber with avocado spread on top with a dash of salt. Pure yummy. After I complete this cleanse, I will slowly reintroduce the trigger foods to help to determine any problems. What a facinating journey that I found daunting as I approached the start date but now reflect and know that this was right for me and will help me to continue on my goal of great health.
I will probably resume my normal posting schedule next week, as I try desperately to grab the reins to this extremely active time. I hope that you all are well and hope you have been crafting, reading and finding time with nature now that the weather has warmed.


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Professor Robert Geraci Discusses Epic and Alternative Life in AI
Dr. Robert M Geraci is Professor of Religious Studies at Manhattan College and author of Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics (Oxford University Press, 2010), Virtually Sacred: Myth and Meaning in World of Warcraft and Second Life (Oxford University Press, 2014), Temples of Modernity: Nationalism, Hinduism, and Transhumanism in South Indian Science (Lexington 2018), and Futures of Artificial Intelligence: Perspectives from India and the United States (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2021). His work has been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Research Foundation of Korea, the American Academy of Religion, and twice by Fulbright-Nehru Professional Excellence (Research) Awards. His research and writing flows out of his interest in how we use technology to enchant and give meaning to the world. To study this, he uses ethnographic fieldwork, methods from science & technology studies, literature (science fiction) studies, and what he calls "the hodgepodge of methods that all of us in 'religion and science studies' put to use." He is a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion.
Q: Professor Geraci, thanks for connecting with us! This issue of our Newsletter is about how AI-powered technologies enable new ways of telling epic stories and engaging the big questions of mankind. One of your key research and writing themes over the past decade and a half is "Apocalyptic AI". Indeed, that is the title of your 2010 book, subtitled "Visions of Heaven, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality." That certainly sounds epic! What do you mean by "Apocalyptic AI" and what draws you to that theme?
A: Broadly speaking, my engagement with such ideas probably traces to my ongoing love of fantasy and science fiction (SF) gaming. From a young age, I have been a fan of games like Dungeons & Dragons and, more directly relevant, the post-apocalyptic game Shadowrun, which merges magic and modern tech. Along with playing games like that, I read vociferously in fantasy and SF, and I have always enjoyed rigorous, creative worldbuilding. The apocalyptic predictions about our technological future certainly fit into that mental landscape.
Although I've been an SF reader since childhood, my interest in the apocalyptic perspectives on technology began when I took up reading pop science books in robotics and AI in graduate school. I first read Hans Moravec, later complementing that with a host of subsequent authors (and now Ray Kurzweil is most famous for these kinds of things), and was astounded by the kinds of religious promises being made by scientists. Going back to the late 1970s, Moravec argued for the scientific coherence of things like uploaded minds, simulated universes, and universal computation. Regardless of the actual likelihood of such promises, when you look at them from the lens of immortality, transcendence, cosmogony, and cosmic purpose the religious side leaps right out at you! As I continued thinking about those things, I started seeing the structural parallels between those ideas about technology and ancient apocalyptic theologies. In its simplest description, both perspectives put their faith in an imminent transition to a glorious and perfect new world that resolves the problems of the present world and of human life.
The search for transcendence and cosmic purpose in Apocalyptic AI is one of those beautiful illustrations of what I call cultural hydras, many headed monsters of religion, science, and technology. Those goals–established and defended by scientists and engineers–show a powerful integration of human interests in religion, science, and technology and indeed epic in their sweep! They attempt to answer the grand questions of life, from its origins to its ultimate fulfillment. I expect that the capacity of Apocalyptic AI to provide a worldview is what makes it such an important part of contemporary life. When Moravec was first composing his ideas, the audience for them was limited to SF fans and a few tech aficionados but "serious" roboticists largely ignored them. But with a few decades of mulling it over, the universal deployment of the Internet and mobile phones, and the cultural triumph of SF and fantasy in our pop culture landscape, suddenly the Apocalyptic AI is everywhere you look.
Q: Many readers like to get lost in a story. That seems to be the attraction of fantasy literature and its visual equivalents, whether a screen epic like Game of Thrones or a massively played game like World of Warcraft. You have written a lot about the avatar-based game Second Life. How have you explored the Second Life world and what do you see as the appeal to people who "live" in it?
I joined Second Life (SL) in 2007 along with the rest of the hype wave after free accounts were enabled and I spent several years there, even making friends who carried over into conventional life, though I haven't been back in a while. Initially, I told my wife about a news article I was reading and she joined first. She's also a scholar of religion so she immediately went looking to see if people were building churches and that kind of thing, which they were. So we started exploring and it became a key location of my ethnographic research for both my first book on Apocalyptic AI and my second book on videogames, which engaged SL and World of Warcraft (WoW). What I found back then was that a tremendous number of people see SL as an opportunity to rebuild the world in a better image–or in better images, since what Christians intend when they build churches or Narnian landscapes is not the same as what transhumanists intend when they build cyberpunk utopias.
But quite powerfully, an environment like SL leans on people, helping them see the potential for digital transcendence. To a considerable extent, the same is true of a game like WoW, in which players have the opportunity to become the most magical and heroic versions of themselves in a world of enchantment and meaning. Second Life, however, has no predetermined purpose so inhabitants have to create that themselves. For a lot of newcomers to SL the question of "what am I supposed to do here?" and, in particular, their inability to come up with an answer to that question prohibited them from really enjoying the digital world. The folks who took up SL and really inhabit it are people who see an opportunity to develop connections with other people and create new opportunities in their own lives. I think that people are all deeply committed to the search for meaning and transcendence, though that search takes many forms, and SL provides creative users with the potential to realize that search.
Q: Alternate Reality – blessing or curse for the life of the mind? Is this a new path to creative engagement with the world or a new form of "opiate of the people"?
A: Let's go with both/and. 🙂 Virtual realities can provide opportunities for creative expression but they can also permit unproductive escapism. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that when Marx labeled religion the opiate of the people he did not mean that as just a criticism of it. He genuinely thought that religion was a form of resistance, an attack on the purposelessness of life that was inflicted by unjust social and material structures. But of course he thought there were more productive modes of resistance. He argues that the sigh of despair that led one to religion would be better resolved by his economic utopia. Similarly the joy and even transcendent experiences of virtual worlds are an indictment of the everyday banality of life, and they give people powerful experiences and allow them to build wonderful communities. But when we fall into the trap of seeing enchantment solely in virtual worlds, we miss out on so much in life.
As an avid hiker, I experience beauty and wonder while in the wilderness. But there are many, many ways of getting those experiences in daily life–from handcrafts to architecture. We don't have to be trapped into dull routines of wake up — go to work — get stuck in traffic — go to sleep. We can learn to witness the enchantment of the world sneaking through the cracks of all that! And for many people virtual worlds are an opportunity to do so. That's a great thing as long as it doesn't come at the expense of other forms of relationship building and social participation.
Q: In the last half dozen years, you have written extensively about engagement with AI technologies from the perspective of the Hindu faith and your book forthcoming this fall/winter compares AI narratives in the US and India. How did your research and writing take this turn and why do you find this interesting and important?
A: Most of the research on religion and science has been centered around Europe and the United States. I thought there was room for more careful engagement with other cultures but I didn't have grad students I could ship out to the far corners of the world! So, I applied for a Fulbright-Nehru research grant to study the intersections of religion, science, and technology in India. I was fortunate to receive that first one (I've had another more recently) and was able to join the Indian Institute of Science where I could observe, interview, and ultimately become friends with scientists and engineers in India. I didn't have any particular axe to grind upon arrival; I just wanted to see what people did.
My initial interviews with scientists and engineers generally began with something like "well, religion and science don't have much to do with one another here in India but sure I'm happy to talk with you" and then quickly became fascinating conversations about the social role of science, the participation of religious rituals in laboratories, and more. Just as I'd found that in American approaches to robotics there were all kinds of religious things happening, I found that the "siloes" of religion and science in India were really a matter of discourse rather than actual practice. Of course, as a scholar of religion perhaps I'm inclined to see it wherever I go, just as the proverbial worker with a hammer for whom everything looks like a nail. But I don't think I'm too far off the mark in seeing something religious about Apocalyptic AI or in the practice of Ayudha Puja in laboratories.
To me, these intersections of religion, science, and technology are part of the human effort to experience enchantment in the world. We vigorously resist the idea that the world is without meaning or purpose, and one outcome of that is to fuse things like religion and technology. That's a perfectly okay response to the world. Sometimes, those combinations can in fact be pernicious so it's worthwhile to explore them and encourage our collective efforts in positive directions. But it's also just fun to see what directions human creativity can take!
Ultimately, however, learning to live in another culture and gain a small inkling as to how other people see the world changed the way I was conducting my research. I'm far more interested now in how we build collective solutions to global problems than I was previously. I have been an ardent environmentalist since I was a child; but my approach to religion and technology changed when I started learning from people in India. I realized that we needed more global solutions to political and social problems. So my new book ends with an exploration into how we can start that process in the design of artificial intelligence. I don't want to dispute that there might be some social good in promises of cosmic transformation (not least because we really need solutions to our self-inflicted environmental woes!), but Silicon Valley shouldn't be the hegemonic source for all the values that undergird our approach to AI. We very much need to think about what cultural resources are available in the world and deploy them as necessary in our design of technologies and government policies.
Q: I understand your own faith tradition is Judaism. Manhattan College in the Bronx where you teach in the Religious Studies Department, is part of the Lasallian Order of Brothers of the Christian Schools. It requires every student to take three religious studies courses, including a course on Catholicism and a course that focuses on global studies or contemporary issues. And here you are writing about crossover perspectives between the Abrahamic and Eastern religions. Does drawing on such diverse traditions influence your understanding of how faith adherents can encourage beneficial AI and avoid its destructive effects?
A: I'm very proud that in our world we at Manhattan College stand behind the importance of understanding religious life and practice. Former Secretary of State John Kerry was right on in stating that the global connections of contemporary life mean that to do politics, business, or almost anything else well requires that we understand religion. Maybe it's just self-interest, but I think it's a wonderful thing that our students all get exposed to a wide variety of themes in human religion. The world's religious traditions are far from perfect and none of them has exclusive access to truth. But when you consider the scope and depth of human religious work, you can't discount the many ways that people have tried to understand ourselves and the world. In that process, many people have developed valuable insights about what the world could be, even if we aren't particularly good at bringing that about. When we approach our religious practices and traditions humbly, recognizing that they are just part of the larger human effort to understand the world, we have an opportunity to draw from them and from others' traditions to develop a better approach to AI. We really do need to design and deploy AI toward a better world. We cannot let the political or economic will to power be the guiding principle of our technologies, and I think a careful and open approach to the study of religion–both as insiders to a tradition and as outsiders–can help us do that.
Thank you, Professor Geraci!
Welcome to Four New Founding Members, bringing our Expert Community to almost 80
An Interview with Maryanne Wolf and Karen Swallow Prior on The Reading Brain


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Home frontpage S. Sudan grapples with Shaky Economy
S. Sudan grapples with Shaky Economy
JUBA (HAN) May 9 .2016. Public Diplomacy & Regional Security News. South Sudan's new Transitional Government of National Unity faces an uphill task of reviving an economy dependent on oil resources to fund its budget.
The oil sector, accounting for 98% of government revenues, has been badly affected the recent war, in addition to the global decline in oil prices.
Commodity prices also shot up due to the devaluation of the local currency, South Sudanese pound, which has gravely impacted on the transport sector in the country.
The most affected are importers of food items and general household goods who have to deal with sharply increased prices to bring in goods from its neighbouring countries.
South Sudan is one of poorest countries in the world with the worst indicators on development, health and education.
The conflict, which broke out in 2013, has negatively impacted on the nation's citizens, including pushing the country to the brink of famine with 5.8 million people, nearly half of the population, in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, a joint U.N assessment report recently-showed.
Observers say despite being oil-rich, South Sudan is likely to record negative gross domestic product growth in 2016 after growing by 30.7 percent two years ago, largely due its conflict, decline in oil production and global fall in oil prices.
As the country's leaders form a unity government, among its first challenges, analysts say, will be to overcome mistrust between them. Besides, there are other rebel groups which did not sign the peace deal and this could prove a setback.
Edmund Yakani, a South Sudanese activist, said the new government should make a resolution on the economic situation in the country, especially in terms of revenue control, financial management and administration decisions and practices.
"The TGoNU should immediately start the process of reconciliation, healing and accountability," he stressed.
Jok Madut Jok, a researcher with the Sudd Institute, says the unity government needs to quickly internalize six key issues it must start to be tackled, including security matters, economic challenges, humanitarian crisis, selling the peace agreement to the ordinary population, justice and reconciliation and ensuring that the members of the newly formed government work together for the country's welfare.
"For a country that has depleted its foreign exchange reserves, lost nearly half of its oil revenues due to the war induced discontinuation of oil production and the decline of global prices, it will be even more crucial that the public finance management systems are strengthened, accountability enforced and the sources of revenue diversified," he said in a position paper published recently.
Fuel costs $4 per litre at the pump, but between $8 and $24 per litre in the black market, but it depends on the demand.
In December 2015, the Central Bank devalued the pound by 84 per cent, which led to immediate hikes prices of basic commodities and pushed the local currency to an all-time low of 42 to the dollar. In recent weeks, however, the pound has been largely unstable as traders continue speculating.
Abraham Awolic, a Juba-based economist, says that it still unclear whether the local South Sudanese pound will stabilise in the near future as the market responds positively to the pending peace or whether it's relative strengthening is due to speculation by currency traders in black markets.
The Central Bank, he said, must review its policies because the regulation is not proper and would not achieve it aims.
GOVERNMENT OPTIMISTIC
But government officials say the currency devaluation was necessary since South Sudan could not sustain a currency not backed by revenue, production and good reserves.
"Since 2005, we have been depending on oil and stopped agricultural-based production, which had been our source of survival. War came and most of the oil wells were shut down, while the global oil prices drastically declined," said David Deng Athobei, the South Sudanese finance minister.
In June 2014, oil prices dropped from $112 to $30 per barrel. South Sudan currently produces 160,000 barrels of crude oil per day, down from 350,000 per day before war broke out.
Analysts are optimistic that will the transitional government of national unity in place, donor nations like the U.S., Japan and China will aid the economy. Such assistance, however, will require that South Sudan to initiate economic reforms, fight corruption and improving its human-right records.
Last week, the U.S. government announced more than $86 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help conflict-affected people in South Sudan and refugees in the region.
The new funding, it said, will provide much-needed safe drinking water, emergency health care, nutrition services, shelter, improved sanitation facilities, agricultural training, and seeds, tools, and fishing supplies for the most vulnerable families and communities.
South Sudan's largest single donor of humanitarian assistance, the US has reportedly donated nearly $1.6 billion since the start of conflict in the country in December 2013.
SOURCEsudantribune
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Flights resume at New York airports following blizzard
JFK and LaGuardia have reopened their runways, and officials expect planes to start landing in Newark soon
By Deepti Hajela - Samantha Henry
December 28, 2010 6:58AM (UTC)
Planes have begun landing again in the New York metropolitan area after a blizzard clobbered the Northeast and closed the region's three airports.
Steve Coleman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airports, says the first flight arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly before 7 p.m. Monday. It's a Royal Jordanian flight.
An Air Canada flight from Toronto landed at LaGuardia shortly before 7:40 p.m.
Passenger Patrick Wacker, who had been stranded in Toronto for a day, said everybody aboard was clapping by the end of the flight.
Thousands of travelers trying to get home after the holiday weekend have been stranded by the storm, which dropped more than 2 feet of snow on parts of the Northeast.
Flights were expected to begin arriving at Newark and airport later in the evening.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Planes began landing again Monday at one of the nation's busiest airports after a blizzard clobbered the Northeast with more than 2 feet of snow and closed the New York metropolitan area's three airports, stranding thousands of travelers trying to get home after the holidays.
A Royal Jordanian flight was the first to arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport, shortly before 7 p.m., said Steve Coleman, of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airports. Flights were expected to begin arriving at Newark and LaGuardia airports later in the evening.
Vikki Walker, 24, and her boyfriend Kevin Berryman, 26, were among those in line at a security checkpoint at LaGuardia. They had been in New York for Christmas and were trying to get home to Halifax. They originally planned to fly out of Newark on Monday morning and said they had been rebooked four times before getting seats on the flight out of LaGuardia.
"It feels incredible. Hopefully it will work out, though," Walker said. "I don't want to get my hopes too high."
The storm walloped the Northeast on Sunday, stymieing most means of transportation. Flights were grounded. Buses sputtered to a halt in snow drifts. Trains stopped in their tracks. Taxi drivers abandoned their cabs in the middle of New York's snow-clogged streets. Even the New York City subway system -- usually dependable during a snowstorm -- broke down in spots, trapping riders for hours.
Snowfall totals included a foot in Tidewater, Va., and Philadelphia, 29 inches in parts of northern New Jersey, 2 feet north of New York City, and more than 18 inches in Boston.
Cold, hungry and tired passengers spent the night in airports, train stations and bus depots. Some were given cots and blankets. Others used their luggage as pillows, curled into chairs, or made beds by spreading towels on the floor or overturning the plastic bins used for sending items through airport security.
Some airline passengers could be stuck for days. Many planes are booked solid because of the busy holiday season, and airlines are operating fewer flights because of the economic downturn.
As bad as the storm was, it could have been worse if it had been an ordinary work day. Children are home from school all week on Christmas vacation, and lots of people had taken off from work.
Many youngsters went out and frolicked in the snow, some of them using the sleds they got for Christmas.
Many side streets in New York City remained unplowed well into the day, and pedestrians stumbled over drifts and trudged through knee-deep snow in some places. Numerous people simply gave up trying to use the sidewalks, instead walking down the middle of partially plowed streets. Some New Yorkers complained that snowplow crews were neglecting neighborhoods in the outer boroughs in favor of Manhattan.
A testy Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the city's cleanup effort, saying the furious pace of the snowfall -- 2 to 3 inches per hour -- required crews to plow streets repeatedly to keep them open. And abandoned cars slowed the process further because plows could not get through, he said.
"It's being handled by the best professionals in the business," Bloomberg said, urging people not to get upset. "It's a snowstorm, and it really is inconvenient for a lot of people."
At the Manchester Boston Regional Airport outside Manchester, N.H., 25-year-old Alicia Kinney slept overnight on benches in the baggage claim area before moving to the food court for a soda in the morning.
"I'm trying to stay positive," she said.
The blizzard had a ripple effect on air travel, stranding thousands of people at airports around the country.
"I know the Northeast was hit by snow. I get it. But still, this is Monday and I still haven't gotten a flight yet," said Sam Rogers, who had planned to fly back to New York on Sunday after visiting his brother in Charlotte, N.C., for the holiday. He was supposed to be back Monday at the mortgage company where he works, but no one was answering the phone at his office. "I guess they took a snow day, too."
In New York, many passengers tired of waiting around couldn't have left even if they wanted to. Taxis were hard to find, and many airport shuttles and trains were also a lost cause.
"There's literally no way to leave," said Jason Cochran of New York City, stuck at Kennedy.
Yoann Uzan of France, on a first-ever trip to New York City with his girlfriend, said their airline had promised to put passengers up at hotels overnight. "But we waited for the shuttle buses to take us there, and then the buses couldn't get through because of the weather, so we were stuck here," he said.
Passengers stuck at New York City's main bus terminal -- where all service was canceled -- tried to get some shuteye as they awaited word on when buses might start rolling again.
"It's really, really cold here," said 12-year-old Terry Huang. "The luggage was really hard to sleep on. It was hard and lumpy."
Two passenger buses headed back to New York City from the Atlantic City, N.J., casinos became stuck on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. State troopers, worried about diabetics aboard, brought water and food as emergency workers worked to free the vehicles.
In Virginia, the National Guard had to rescue three people trapped in a car for more than four hours in the Eastern Shore area.
Not even professional hockey players could beat the frozen conditions. The Toronto Maple Leafs, after defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-1 in Newark, N.J., got stuck in traffic for four hours on their way to the team hotel. It was supposed to be a 20-minute ride. Center Tyler Bozak tweeted in one middle-of-the-night dispatch: "Roads closed in new jersey stuck on the bussss. Brutaallll!!"
Christopher Mullen was among the New York City subway riders stranded for several hours aboard a cold train Monday. "I just huddled with my girlfriend. We just tried to stay close," he said.
The train was stopped by snow drifts on the tracks and ice on the electrified third rail. It took hours to rescue the passengers because crews first tried to push the train, and when that didn't work, a snow-covered diesel locomotive had to be dug out of a railyard and brought in to move it.
Getting around cities in the Northeast was an adventure. In one Brooklyn neighborhood, cars drove the wrong way up a one-way street because it was the only plowed thoroughfare in the area. In Philadelphia, pedestrians dodged chunks of ice blown off skyscrapers.
New York taxi driver Shafqat Hayat spent the night in his cab on 33rd Street in Manhattan, unable to move his vehicle down the unplowed road. "I've seen a lot of snow before, but on the roads, I've never seen so many cars stuck in 22 years," he said.
Hajela reported from Fort Lee, N.J. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Glen Johnson in Haverhill, Mass,; David Sharp in Portland, Maine; Leon Drouin-Keith, Meghan Barr, Sara Kugler Frazier, Samantha Gross, Karen Matthews, Adam Pemble and David Porter in New York; Eric Tucker in Providence, R.I.; Kathy Matheson in Philadelphia; Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, N.J.; Chris Hawley in Newark, N.J.; George Walsh in Albany, N.Y.; Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J., and Mitch Weiss in Charlotte, N.C.
Deepti Hajela
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Samantha Henry
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Home Rangers Is Steven Gerrard ready to take a big risk tonight?
Is Steven Gerrard ready to take a big risk tonight?
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has confirmed Ryan Jack is 'available' (slightly ahead of schedule), but the question is whether he'll start.
When we look back to the same recent example of James Tavernier, his first match back saw him benched – he wasn't ready to play, but Stevie benched him anyway to 'give him a taste' of the team again.
And we'd be very surprised if Ryan Jack, having been out for a similar period, is anything other than benched either.
The former Aberdeen captain is not match fit, but is physically sound again, for now, with his recurring calf issues being monitored and managed, so he is possibly capable of playing a small role.
But we'd be genuinely shocked if his name is in the XI.
Is Steven Gerrard ready to take a big risk in starting him at the first chance available?
The midfield has certainly been partially misfiring, with Steven Davis off form and missing out on Jack's hard graft, while Glen Kamara had a better game in Davis' usual position, but previously struggled with form more advanced up. Scott Arfield has been consistent, and delivered particularly well at the weekend, while Joe Aribo in the hole benefited from the presence of both Hagi and Tavernier.
But Killie are a tough nut at home when it comes to Rangers, and with that pitch in consideration as well, we'd be genuinely surprised if Stevie elects to takes the risk with Jack.
We expect the same team pretty much as v Hamilton, truth be told, but as long as we get the win, we don't really mind who starts.
Ryan Jack
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text:
Nuwa ist der Name

 eines Asteroids, siehe (150) Nuwa
 einer Gestalt in der chinesischen Mythologie, siehe Nüwa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Acting on a tip, Cannon County Sheriff's Deputy Travis Turney caught a man driving on Aug. 3 who has not had a license since 1990.
Tony Lynn McPeake, 636 Center Hill Rd., Woodbury, was driving inbound toward Woodbury on McMinnville Hwy. on that date when Deputy Turney received information he was doing so and that he did not have a license.
Deputy Turney soon thereafter observed a white Chrevrolet Blazer pass him going the other way on McMinnville Hwy. and turned his patrol unit around.
While observing the vehicle, Deputy Turney noticed the rear passenger taillight was broken out and had what appeared to be a piece of cardboard covering the light. He initiating a traffic stop of the Blazer in the Woodbury Co-op parking lot.
Upon making contact with McPeake, he advised Deputy Turney he did not have a license and handed him a Tennessee ID card.
McPeake gave the deputy consent to search the vehicle. Upon doing so he found four syringes, a burned tablespoon with blue residue and an open 40-ounce beer bottle. McPeake stated that persons had been in his vehicle injecting morphine.
McPeake submitted to field sobriety tests and performed them to the satisfaction of Deputy Turney.
McPeake's driving history showed two prior arrests for driving on a revoked license in the past seven years, and that he has not possessed a valid driver's license since 1990.
McPeake was charged in an arrest warrant with driving on a revoked license 3rd offense. He was written citations for possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of the open container and financial responsibility laws.
Bond was set at $6,000. Initial court date is Sept. 6.


Pioneer of Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI), BPU Holdings (BPU) had another successful year as the demand for its shares grows, hitting the 6,000 stakeholders mark in just the span of a year.
Founded in 2012, BPU has built ZimOS, the world's first Artificial Emotional Intelligent operating system platform. Since the launch of ZimOS, BPU has thrived globally establishing offices in Las Vegas in 2016, as BPU International and in Bosnia Herzegovina in 2018, as BPU Europe. Recently, BPU has partnered with the United States National Science Foundation (USNSF) and University of Arizona to develop BPU's automated AEI assistant, aiMei Framework. aiMei is an AEI chatbot that can help assist physicians detect signs of dementia and delirium. With the ever-increasing innovations BPU is leading, the company has seen an increase in stock value and shareholder demands. This has been the result of the growing interest the company has experienced.
BPU Holdings is dedicated to generating the first Artificial Emotional Intelligent (AEI) platform — ZimOS. ZimOS is the foundation of AEI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) emulates how people think — AEI emulates how people feel. BPU International is dedicated to generating the most advanced, usable, secure and innovative Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI) technology in the world. AEI technology advances the human condition by providing rigorous tools to improve emotional intelligence.
BPU gives back. Our acronym translated in Korean means 'to giveaway'. We strive to do exactly that as we have set our company Articles to allocate 30% of our Company's profit to the public good.