text:
US Probe Into Russia 'Consuming First 150 Days of Trump's Administration'
© REUTERS / Joshua Roberts
According to the findings of the latest Harvard-Harris Poll survey, the majority of US citizens believe the Russia investigations are damaging to the country and Congress should focus on domestic policy instead.
A total of 64 percent of voters said the investigations into President Trump and Russia are hurting the US.
Along with that, 56 percent of voters said it's time for Congress and the media to move on to other issues such as health care, terrorism, national security, the economy and jobs, compared to 44 percent who said the focus should stay on Russia.
Radio Sputnik talked to an American political analyst and professor of political science at Iona College, Dr. Jeanne Zaino, about what the recent survey indicates.
"I am surprised that it wasn't more than 6 out of 10 because this story has almost consumed the first 150 days of Trump's administration. It is coming at a time when the Americans are feeling that so many other things need to be addressed," Zaino said.
She further said that although the Americans would like to see the investigation move forward they would also like to see the administration move forward with the important business of the country.
"This includes such things as health care, which is starting to unravel in this country, immigration, which has been a really hot issue and of course jobs, the economy, security and education," the professor said.
She said that the voters are getting frustrated because not a single law has been passed that was promised during the campaign.
According to her, the Trump administration is having a tough time because this hype over the Russian investigations has stalled everything else.
© Photo: Kmccoy / wikipedia.org
Senate Using Anti-Russia Sanctions to Hinder Trump-Moscow Dialogue - Russian MP
"It is amazing how much time, energy, resources, money, people and power it takes just to fend off or even address these kinds of investigations. These are coming not only from the special prosecutor but from Congress," Zaino said.
She also said that the FBI, Capitol Hill and even the Senate are all involved in this issue and that is totally consuming the Trump administration's time.
"We are getting reports now that Donald Trump is spending early mornings every day on phone calls just about the Russian investigation," Zaino said.
Talking about whether some political forces are on purpose drumming the anti-Russia hysteria, the analyst said that the mainstream media outlets aim to generate public viewing and such intriguing stories get them ratings, hence the media focuses on highlighting this instead of reporting on the "intricacies of political debates on issues such as health care."
"The media really had a field day with this story. The Washington Post, The New York Times, the cable news networks, although I don't have statistics, I would say they spend half their time covering this issue," Zaino said.
The Harvard-Harris online survey of 2,237 registered voters was conducted between June 19 and June 21. The partisan breakdown is 35 percent Democrat, 29 percent Republican, 30 percent independent and 6 percent other.
The survey is a collaboration of the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and The Harris Poll.
What Syria Has to Do With the Expansion of US' Anti-Russian Sanctions
CIA Chief Says Russia Has Tried to Undermine US Democracy for Years
US-Led Coalition Expands Geography of Syria Airstrikes After Russia's Warning
Trade War: US Pressures EU to Nix Nord Stream 2 to Remove Russia From Gas Market
US Congress Deprives Trump of Flexibility in Talks With Russia, Ex-Official Says
campaign, probe, anti-Russian policy, political agenda, interview, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), US Senate, US Congress, Donald Trump, United States


Designed to fit and protect your weight-integrated BC, bags are made using a Nylon mesh and are filled with lead spheres. For easy identification, each bag is labeled coded and has a tag indicating their weight. These soft weight bags are ideal also for diving belts with pockets.
Buy Marine Diving Shot Lead 4lb Weight from Divers Supply at the best price. Marine Diving Shot Lead 4lb Weight comes with full Manufacturers warranty because Divers Supply is an authorized dealer for everything we sell.


Today I would like to bring back to you a brother of action. Brother Divine Allah has been active in the community, and lately he has been teaching the children, "Health is Wealth". Check out our recent Q&A below.
1. Peace Brother it's been 3 and a half yrs since our previous interview and the first thing I want to know is will you be running for city council?
Well as long as I'm a North Ward resident that option will always be on the table. A lot of people still believe in and support me. I have some ideas to get the people involved so we can bring home a victory when it's time to campaign.
2. Trenton seems to be at a crossroads. I see plenty of positive people doing their part to help improve our condition as a community. What actions do you believe need to be taken immediately? And how do we get MORE community involvement?
There's always been positive people doing things in this community – however, the issue has been the lack of BLACK UNITY and the support for individuals/groups who want to see BLACK 'community' progress. It takes a different type of commitment and dedication to address the root cause(s) of the conditions we face. Many people are simply doing things to get noticed or build some type of resume. Unfortunately, those of us who are truly serious – working because it's our duty to serve – and not wanting any parts of the political and religious cliques in the city, we are viewed as outcasts. The fact remains for us as a people that our conditions are deep-rooted and multi-layered. So a multi-layered, culturally-conscious, uncompromising and unafraid approach needs to be taken to address what we are dealing with.
3. "The Bartendaz", are you still affiliated with them? If so, in what capacity?
Yes sir! The BARTENDAZ are my extended [worldwide] fitness family that utilizes exercise as metaphor for life. We are known in the Trenton area as MiNDBODY ACTiViSM, which was designed to create a culture of health centered around 'movement' in the Trenton community, and to inspire people to take charge of their health.
4. I have seen you out there in the park training kids and adults, "MindBodyActivism", explain the concept. Is it just working out or is it a lifestyle?
It's definitely a lifestyle. The concept is drawn my community activism which has been infused with a desire to see our people healthy – especially the youth. A large number of youth are dealing with the issue of obesity and its side effects. Our aim is to help them, their families and the community as a whole recognize the benefits of physical fitness – while exposing them to our innovative and progressive [exercise] movements. My affiliation with theBARTENDAZ and The DefinitionFitness Team has inspired me to become a certified personal trainer, youth fitness and functional movement specialist.
5. Lastly, in our previous interview my last question was about legacy. Well this time I want to keep it inthe present. What do tge people need to know about Brother Divine Allah now?
That I'm Still On The Front Lines At War With Racism/White Supremacy . . . And I'm Striving To Embody True Black Manhood/Brotherhood While Advocating Health, True Wealth And Knowledge Of Self!


Wrestling - Do You Remember?
Saturday lunchtimes, just after Tiswas (ahhh, Sally James) meant wrestling on ITV. Even then, at the tender age of 8 it was apparent that it was more theatre than sport.
My Gran loved Saturday afternoon wrestling. Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks. Incidentally, The British Bulldog was on ITV's World of Sport wrestling in his teens.
Saturday afternoon wrestling, my granny's favourite. Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy. Better than WWF. Well, seemed better entertainment when I was younger, now I know they're putting it on!
I loved the British Bulldog! I nearly cried when I read in the paper about him dying. He was a wrestling legend and did the UK proud! Haven't found anyone to beat him yet!
WWF wrestling..... the British Bulldog, I remember! My big bro liked to practice wrestling moves on me and my little bro and sister, until he pulled my little bro's arm out of the socket (he was about 2 at the time)And we had to take a trip to the Hospital! Wrestling was then BANNED in my house!!
Sadly I didn't watch it when I was younger I started to watch in december 2003 but I'm so addicted to wwe right now its not even funny ^_^. If you live in the states, or maybe they have something similar in the uk. They have this ch that shows old matches every wed. night at 8 to 9.
Giant Haystacks or his Doppelganger used to work as a guard at Acton Town underground station in the late 70's. a saw him on my way home from school.


text:
Harassment Injunctions
Harassment is when someone, or a number of people behave in a way which makes you feel distressed, alarmed, humiliated or threatened. For the harassment to become a crime, it must have happened on at least two occasions. It could be by someone you know, like a neighbour or people from you local area, or it could be a stranger - for example, someone using social media.
Examples of harassment include:
Unwanted phone calls, letters, emails or visits
Verbal abuse and threats
Smashing windows or using dogs to frighten you
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 has purposely not fully defined the term "Harassment" so as to allow the courts discretion to decide whether a case is harassment or not. The courts will look at whether most people or a "reasonable" person would think the behaviour amounts to harassment.
We can help. Call us on 01935 823883
More about Harassment Injunctions
What action can you take?
If you believe you're being harassed and you would like it to stop, there are two main things you can do, depending on the level of harassment and how it is making you feel.
Contact the police - If you're being harassed and you feel you're in danger you should contact the police. If you think you're being harassed because of your disability, race, religion, transgender identity or sexual orientation, you can report the harassment to the police as a hate incident or crime. Find your local police station here www.police.uk. They will then investigate and decide whether to start a criminal case against the abuser. If found guilty the offence carries a maximum prison term of five years.
Take action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 - Harassment is both a criminal offence and a civil action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. This means someone can be prosecuted in the criminal courts if they harass you. It also means you can take action against the person in the civil courts to prevent them from doing it again in the future.
When can you take civil court action about harassment?
If you've been the victim of harassment you can take action in the civil courts against the person harassing you, as long as it is within six years of when the harassment happened. Even if the person harassing you has not been found guilty of an offence in the criminal courts, you can still take civil court action to prevent the harassment taking place in the future.
What can the civil court do about harassment?
The court can make an order or injunction - this means the person harassing you must stop their behaviour. If they don't stop harassing you after the court has made an injunction against them, it's a criminal offence and they can be prosecuted in the criminal courts.
The court can award compensation - if you've suffered financial or emotional loss due to the harassment
What if a Harassment Injunction is broken?
It is a criminal offence to break a harassment injunction and could carry up to a five year prison sentence.
What should you do next?
This area of law is comparatively recent and case law is resetting the boundaries all the time. If you are being harassed or stalked and would like to discuss your options, contact us now on 01935 823883 for a no-obligation chat to see how we can help you.
For a free consultation call us on 01935 823883

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is probably one of the craziest stories that I never knew could be true.
As my sophomore novel, The Hidden Side, is introduced to the world, I can't help but think how it changed me more than any novel I've ever written. I think this is good.
This story of self discovery and identity in Christ is keeping me thirsty for the next page.
Devotionals can help us discover God's attributes and character throughout Scripture.
I've read hundreds of books that have impacted me with profound teachings, inspired me to be a better person, and encouraged me in my walk with God.


Where the Tsuchikage does all his work. No one enters, unless the Tsuchikage lets you in.
These large upturned rocks mark the entrance to the Stone Country.
This small post town sits near the border of the country. Marked by many low-life characters, the town is full of shady bars, motels and businesses.
This head temple overlooks the capital city. It is home to the large golden bell, a landmark which attracts tourists to the capital.


text:
Golden Gate Xpress
Puck is life
Gabriel Agurcia|March 7, 2018
The hour hand and minute hand meet at the apex of the clock. It's another 12 o'clock practice.
12 a.m., that is.
For SF State's ice hockey club, this is one of several obstacles that must be dealt with in order to maintain their team.
"Hockey's a really expensive sport as it is, which is why we're out here at midnight," said Brian Lu, treasurer of the club. "It's the only ice we can really afford. Since I work here they give us a pretty good discount."
The "here" Lu referenced is the Yerba Buena Ice Skating Center. The community rink in downtown San Francisco is where the Gators practice on Thursday and Sunday nights, and it serves as the location for most of their home games.
"I know (UC) Berkeley pays up to like $1,000 an hour for practice time. We pay $200," Lu said.
Without any funding from the school, the players fund the team fully out-of-pocket, with each member having to provide roughly $1,500, according to Lu. The money covers the rink rental, referees, travel costs and all other expenses the team may accrue.
SF State Hockey club member Andrew Wizig rushing toward the puck at practice at the Yerba Buena Center in downtown San Francisco on March 1, 2018. (Kyler Knox/Golden Gate Xpress)
The members voiced their frustration over the lack of support from the University, but their tones were void of hostility. They've accepted their reality, and they do everything in their power to keep the club running. Recruiting is currently at the top of that list.
"A couple years back we had a lot more players, maybe like 18 to 20 guys, so funding wasn't as difficult," said Collin Finegan, president of the club. "But it's getting to that point where a lot of our players are at the point of graduation, so about half our team is leaving."
Publicity is the most glaring issue for the club.
"Every time I mention it in my communication class or something that I play ice hockey, I always get a 'Oh, you guys have a hockey team?'" Finegan said.
Finegan, a junior, said that he "basically played hockey before [he] could walk," and even he wasn't even aware of the team until right before the start of his freshman year.
Jessie Dzuranyi, a marketing major, is the club's marketing manager. After gaining access to the Instagram account in October 2017, she has nearly tripled their amount of followers by liking and commenting on pictures, posting frequently, using relevant hashtags, and following other SF State and hockey-related accounts. Dzuranya found Instagram useful for connecting with peers and supporters, but she said, "We've had people reach out to our Facebook page inquiring about details on how to join."
That's how Ryan McNulty, a business administration major, found out about the club when he transferred to SF State this past fall. Finegan responded to his inquiry, invited him out to a practice and McNulty became a member of the team shortly after.
"I'm really close with all the guys, even though I've only been here for a semester and a half," McNulty said.
Camaraderie and passion have driven the team to push through adversity, which hit again when they lost their coach right before this season's first practice.
"It is tough not having a coach, but I think at the same time it's really built a trust between us because we all have to trust each other to do our part," McNulty said. "We don't have a coach that's watching the whole time, telling us, 'You're doing this wrong, switch this line.' We really rely on one another. I think that's helped us grow a lot."
Along with a void at head coach, the team is working with a lack of roster depth. Although it could be a burden, McNulty sees a silver lining.
"Since we're a short team, each person gets a lot of ice time," he said. McNulty appreciates the heavy playing time, because he said it helps him get better quicker.
Gordon Riley, a night manager at the ice skating center, said he's seen the team improve during the couple years he's been there. "I've seen a few games here, and they've got a lot of energy," Riley said. "And it's tough because it's full-contact. The adult leagues we have here are non-contact, there's no checking. These boys are doing a checking game, which is entirely different."
The guys take the game seriously, but they use their time on and off the ice to bond and relax as well.
"When we're out here, you kinda just forget about everything going on," Finegan said. "It's gets you away from everything else. It's a great way to relieve stress."
"We're all pretty tight-knit, we're all friends," Lu said. "And it's a very unique similarity, with hockey, that we have. You don't find too many hockey guys out here, so when you find some, it's pretty cool to stay close to them."
Club & intramural sports
SF State
SFSU
Yerba Buena Ice Skating Center
The Quarantined Sports Podcast Episode 2
UFC sets the stage for sports to possibly return
The Quarantined Sports Podcast
Surfers react to beach closures
NBA should pick up right where it left off
The Student News Site of San Francisco State University
© 2021 Golden Gate Xpress, All Rights Reserved. • Advertise • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in
<# print( 'Golden Gate Xpress' ) #>


text:
A thrilla in Barranquilla
Carnival Queen Angie de la Cruz waves to the crowd during the Barranquilla parade.Daniel Munoz / Reuters
Feb. 7, 2008, 11:26 PM UTC / Source: Special to msnbc.com
By By David Appell
Suddenly, it's snowing, the fluffy white stuff swirling madly under the streetlights. Not unusual on an early February night, right? Except that it's 70-something degrees, and I'm hanging with my local friends Stefano and Marcelo over Águila beers at a bar on Colombia's subtropical Caribbean coast.
Something moist lands on my head as some guy in a colorful cloth mask leaps around in front of our outdoor table, cackling and shaking a can of foam as a girl sporting a striped straw hat flings white corn flour on our shirts. We wipe off with a shrug and a rueful grin — it's par for the course for Carnival in the city of Barranquilla (sometimes dubbed "Quilla" for short), Colombia's fourth largest and home town of singer Shakira and Detroit Tigers shortstop Edgar Rentería, and the old stomping grounds of lit lion Gabriel García Márquez.
Yep, it's that time of year again. And it's not just New Orleanians — millions of others south of the border are still recovering from the mad multi-day partying and parades of the last days before Lent, in places like Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Bolivia and, most famously, Brazil.
The one I'm recovering from, though, you've probably never heard of, even though it's the biggest in the world after Rio de Janeiro's (more than 550,000 participants this year), yet a good bit less commercialized, glitzy and pricey to attend. It's also closer to its 19th century folkloric roots — indeed, UNESCO recently gave it the nod as a World Heritage treasure because of the way it showcases this coast's mix of European, African and indigenous cultures — and especially since the 1960s it's been growing bigger and better every year. Carnival in Barranquilla is also safe (safer than Rio these days, some would say), lots of fun and definitely something to keep in mind for next year.
In fact, it feels kind of like Mardi Gras and New Year's Eve and Halloween and New York City's Puerto Rican Day Parade all rolled into one — normal life in this burg of 1.7 million all but shuts down, and everyone goes on a joyous, sometimes raucous spree.
I got a glimmer of what was coming when I saw the Avianca flight attendants decked out in spangly vests and red-black-gold jester caps. Then the troop of kids prancing around the airport in marimonda outfits (bright blue pants, red vests, and hoods that looked like gas masks on LSD but were supposed to represent monkeys, with big floppy ears, spectacle-like eyes, and long, droopy probosces à la bonobo). And of course the bit of business I glimpsed while heading into town: a pair of jeans trailing from the trunk of a taxi, outfitted with stockings stuffed and arranged like a comically bulging pair of male genitalia.
Viva la burla! Clowns and larger-than-life puppets are part of the Barranquilla Carnival's tradition of making fun of everything and everyone.David Appell / Special to msnbc.com
Such hijinks and plenty more were on display during Carnival's central highlight, this past Saturday afternoon's Batalla de Flores (Battle of Flowers), a three-mile, six-hour cavalcade of floats, marchers, firebreathers, and folkloric dance and music groups. Then there were the endless squads of distinctive Carnival characters, especially marimondas, masked harlequins, and congos, African-derived characters in whiteface, dark glasses and two-foot-tall headdresses resembling chefs' toques riotous with feathers, flowers, and/or other colorful doodads (the Spaniards brought African slaves to this coast, leaving Barranquilla and nearby Cartagena with its multculti mix). Many of the floats were loaded with either hot chicks in skimpy bikinis or various beauty queens, including Carnival's "Queen of Queens," a sweetheart of a 22-year-old industrial design student named Angie de la Cruz; another held her co-ruler, the Rey Momo ("clown king"), 40-something mustachioed musician José Ignacio Cassiani.
And of course there was burla up the wazoo.
Young people play a huge role in Barranquilla's Carnival parades. Here they march in the highlight, Saturday's Battalla de Flores (Flower Battle).David Appell / Special to msnbc.com
As I learned from a visit to Barranquilla's Museo Romántico, a museum of the city's lore which naturally includes a hefty chunk of Carnival, one of the celebration's central concepts is la burla (making fun of something or somebody). Back in the old days, that usually meant slaveowners, colonizing Spaniards in general and stuffed-shirts from Bogotá. Last Saturday that translated into pokes at Colombian drug lords, FARC terrorists, pols and soccer players, as well as past and present characters from pop culture and the world stage. I spotted an obese drag Shakira, a couple of Osama bin Ladens and another pair spoofing strongman Hugo Chavez of next-door Venezuela (one was strolling with Fidel Castro, the other palling around with George Bush). Another Bush was dressed as the Devil, leading a pack of demonic minions and aiming a penis-shape watergun at the crowds. And then there was Adolf Hitler, sieg-heiling his way down the street in the company of a girl with a sign plugging a local optician. Good times — but by the time a gaggle of zombies came staggering by four-plus hours later, I was starting to feel like one myself.
The one off note was the location — the "official" parades are held out at the grubby cargo port zone on the Magdalena River because it has Via 40, the longest, straightest avenue in the city. But it's ugly. Shade is hard to come by and they charge for bleacher seats.
Back in town, though, two free street parades were happening at the same time, sometimes with the same floats and marchers after they left Via 40. It's here you'll really find the locals cutting loose (complete with plenty of foam and flour — a big no-no on Via 40) and keeping up the hoopla long into the wee hours. Sitting at that bar just before it started "snowing," I gazed out at hundreds of people jamming other watering holes up and down Calle 84, along with a folk group at the entrance to the Bogaloo Casino cavorting with a red gorilla. A few blocks away, a televised "beer carnaval" was packing an entire stadium with thousands of revelers and high-profile music acts. My friend Marcelo is from Bogotá, and he seemed a tad bemused by it all — while quilleros think bogotanos are prudish stuffed-shirts, bogotanos tend to view quilleros as lazy, hot-blooded types who just want to laisser les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll).
But apart from one of the biggest, most kick-butt parties in the hemisphere, is there any reason to visit this mostly low-rise city? Honestly, not so much. Besides the Museo Romántico, there are a couple of museums and some nice old houses. There's the historic bar eatery called La Cueva, famous as the hangout of García Márquez and his cronies. And there are some nice beaches nearby. But what you'll really want to do is couple Carnaval here with a visit to Cartagena de Indias, about an hour's drive west, famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the largest and most spectacular colonial Old Towns in the Americas. You might want to make it your first stop, though; after all that partying, my head is still spinning and my voice is gone. Good times ...
By David Appell


The World's Deepest Pool Is Scarily . . . Deep!
Crazy cool, but super scary!
athlete08 added a news bookmark.
Veteran Skydiver Luke Aikins Makes History By Jumping 25,000 Feet Without A Parachute!
athlete08 added a movie review.
SO GOOD! It is my favorite!
My least favorite, but still really good!!
This movie was really good but a little sad! Maybe, Maybe not the best for kids, 6 and under, but otherwise, it was really good!!
athlete08 added a book review.
It Is AMAZING!! The story plot is very creative!!!
This book is incredible! But... it is like Football Genius. Still... five star!!!
athlete08 is not following anyone yet.


One day, Little Kate went with her Daddy to Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries.
Little Kate brought along her small tin pail and her Daddy brought his large tin pail to put berries in. "We will take our berries home and can them," said her Daddy. "Then we will have food for the winter."


I am trying to post a little wrap-up of each week of grades seven, four and five year old kindergarten year throughout the 36 weeks I have planned for school this year. I hope this will encourage mothers that are homeschooling multiple children (or who want to but are worried!), and encourage mothers that even homeschooling children of multiple ages who are far apart in age is doable.
Living with the Seasons: We had a lovely Feast of the Ascension Day, and are now gearing up for Pentecost Sunday. What a beautiful time of year! The pools are open and we have been swimming frequently, and summer feels as if it is just around the corner!
Homeschool Planning: I am not sure I have made substantial progress since the last time I posted in this series, but still feel confident that it is possible to finish planning by the end of June and just focus on artistic work the rest of the summer. Fifth grade pretty much has a flow for every block, as does eighth grade at this point, along with plans for a once a week World Geography wrap-up in the autumn and American Government in the spring semester. My little six year old year is still only about half-way done, and obviously I still have many presentations to write and mull over to go with the flow of the blocks planned out.
Kindergarten: We have had a lovely spring circle and Feast of the Ascension story (found in "All Year Round"). We have added in many spring fingerplays and songs as well. This week we are moving into a new story for the last two weeks of school, and I am thinking about all kinds of plans for the six-year-old kindergarten year. Cooking, baking, water play and swimming, seasonal crafts, sand play, walking distances are just a few of the things we have been doing the past few weeks.
Fourth Grade: We are still working hard on math – both practice math of all four processes, games involving multiplication, Extra Lesson kinds of activities, spelling, and fractions. We will be ending school soon, next week, and have a well-deserved break. We only have a few chapter left to read in "Heroes of the Kalevala", which has been enjoyed by our fourth grader.
A summary of the Amazon Basin; drawing of toucans!
A lovely map of the four voyages of Christopher Columbus, a map of Hispaniola and a discussion and summary of the Taino people.
A very lively discussion and delving into the life and religion of the Mayan civilization. I feel strongly that the Maya should be in Fifth Grade for those of us in North America, but since we didn't include it there, we are doing it now. Our daughter composed her own summary from notes taken, and we have looked at sections of the Popol Vuh. We also worked in clay and in using vivid chalks for a picture.
Now we are moving into the Aztec civilization, and will do the Incan Empire in our final week of school this year.
I would love to hear what you are working on right now!
I would love to know more about your study of the Kalevala. This is not something I ever heard of growing up or in any of my schooing, but I am reading several of the episodes (from Tales of the Kalevala, mostly the ones centered around the Sampo) with my son over a couple of weeks before we do a winding-down couple of weeks next month around bees and animals. Have you found any references for traditional drawing styles from this country? Close to the end of our study we will read the Aaron Shepherd book The Maiden of Northland with its nice rhythms and illustrations, and another book our library has with Louhi in the title (and illustrator Cooney). But I'm not sure what to do to help the stories sink in a little more. We'll try reciting "the Rune of Iron" together with contact and motion, but I was wondering about the art of this culture. Thank you for sharing your progress!
I have not done a full block on the Kalevala either of my times through fourth grade, so I don't know as I have the best answer for you. My original idea was to use it for a weekly painting lesson, but we ended up just using it is a read -aloud because I made the mistake of putting it at the end of the year. I think sections of it would lend itself well to painting, as I originally planned, making models of Norse ships, work in grammar, poetry as you mentioned. For drawing styles, at least what I usually do, is to do an image search for textiles of that country and time period and see what comes up. Many of the textile designs can be translated into form drawing at least, if not more. I have this idea to eventually write a little block guide to the Kalevala and the Norse Hero Myths by Wyatt a few years down the road….Would love to hear how your block goes!


text:
Technologies within the transport sector could help improve air quality
Posted: 12 December 2018 | Diego Pavia - InnoEnergy | No comments yet
Diego Pavia, CEO at InnoEnergy, discusses the potential technologies within the transport sector that could help improve air quality, and the need for society to engage with tackling air pollution – from businesses and the public sector, to individuals and families.
Air pollution causes one in 10 deaths worldwide, and while it adversely impacts developing countries more, approximately 400,000 people still die prematurely from air pollution in Europe every year. That number does not cover the millions of people that do not die prematurely, but instead are affected by lung disease and heart problems that permanently impact their quality of life.
Air pollution in Europe is primarily caused by transport and heat generation. There are regional differences but broadly, there are still many European cities that fall below the World Health Organization's safe air quality recommendations.
For a region that has some of the most progressive energy and climate technologies and policies in the world, the number of premature deaths is shocking. In this day and age, smog should not still pose a risk to our health and happiness. We have the ingenuity and we certainly have the resources with the latest research in our Clean Air Challenge1 report. The industry has the power to make a sizeable change, and if the latest forecasts are to be heeded, we only have 12 years to make a difference. We must act now.
What is clear from the Clean Air Challenge is that innovative transport solutions are critical for combatting air pollution. Of top priority is the continued roll out of electric vehicles and an interconnected network of fast charging solutions to support them. Smart transport systems, such as hybrid fuel trains and artificial intelligence traffic management, also have high market and technological attractiveness. Together, with the heat technologies identified in our report, European citizens stand to benefit from a significant reduction in the impact air pollution has on health, which will be particularly beneficial for the elderly and the young, while also, under a conservative take-up scenario, saving €183 billion between now and 2025.
But this is not a challenge the market can meet by itself. Supportive policies are required to help overcome some of the barriers that we face in securing investment and stimulating transport technology adoption. There is substantial opportunity for synergy between different sectors including transport, heat, storage and renewable generation, but we must take a more integrated and holistic view and create an overarching policy for sustainable growth. Equally, this is not just a matter for government and the market; everybody's choices have an impact.
At InnoEnergy we work across several sectors and actively facilitate opportunities where companies can collaborate to bring innovative solutions to market. We offer support in lots of different ways, whether that is investment, business skills or market access. As the sustainable energy engine for Europe we see it as a vital part of our role to support innovative transport solutions that can tackle air pollution – making Europe a healthier, happier place to live.
https://cleanair.innoenergy.com/
Diego Pavia has been CEO of InnoEnergy since 2010. He graduated as an electrical engineer, specialising in electronics and automation, from the Polytechnical University of Madrid, before co-founding start-up company Knowledge Engineering in 1988. Three years later, he joined Sema Group (which became SchlumbergerSema), heading multicultural working groups all over the world in the field of energy with revenues of $650 million. Between 2002 and 2010, Diego was the CEO of Atos Origin, a leading international IT service provider, where he was responsible for Spain and South America, about 9,000 employees, and an annual turnover of €450 million.
Air Quality, Alternative Power, Sustainable Urban Transport
Diego Pavia
By Diego Pavia - InnoEnergy
UK government funding helps launch world's first autonomous bus in Edinburgh
Kinetic reaches new milestone in Melbourne electric bus roll-out
300 new zero-emission buses to be deployed across the West Midlands
By Sharon Cooney - San Diego Metropolitan Transit System


Melbourne is a vibrant, urban metropolis of skyscrapers, giant structures towering upwards to dizzying heights. The heart and soul of the city is a concrete jungle of high-rise commercial and residential buildings constructed in a fusion of architectural styles, which suits Melbourne's evolving cosmopolitan landscape.
Standing at a height of 300 metres, Eureka Towers is one of the world's tallest residential structures, consisting of 576 apartments in addition to office, retail and hospitality facilities.
Designed in collaboration with Hassell Architects and Daryl Jackson, this 53-storey landmark echoes characteristics of art deco architecture, including a central mast and setbacks similar to New York's Empire State Building.
This entry was posted in Architecture, Art, Design, Fitness, Food, Health, Inspiration, Interior Decorating, Life, Lifestyle, Music, News, Pets, Photography, Recipes, Religion, Summer, Travel, Women and tagged 101 Collins Street, 120 Collins Street, 568 Collins Street, Abode 318, Bourke Place, Eureka Towers, Freshwater Place, Melbourne Central, Prima Pearl, Telstra Corporate Centre. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Crusades and Crusaders
Book Marketing for History Writers
God's Kingdom: A Novel
About the Crusades
Massacre in Semlin
Peter the Hermit departed Cologne with his following on around 20 April. He had a much larger following than Walter and it grew bigger as he passed through villages along the Danube River. By the time Peter arrived in Oedenburg, the gateway into Hungary, his force numbered more than 20,000 pilgrims. King Coloman must have forgiven the first wave of crusaders for the trouble they caused in Semlin, or else news of their attempted theft did not reach him. He granted Peter and his followers' food, other supplies and safe passage through his kingdom on condition they would not pillage and commit murder.
All went well until they entered Semlin. Steven Runciman credited Peter the Hermit as being a genuinely pious and humble man; he sought to build friendly relations with the kings and bishops of Europe because he wanted safe passage for himself and for his followers. He did not, according to Runciman, want his followers to pillage and murder their way through the various villages. Unfortunately, in Semlin dispute over the sale of a pair of shoes escalated into a pitched battle in which Geoffrey Burel, a knight led an attack on the town, killing four thousand Hungarians.
Albert, a chronicler of the First Crusade, painted a much different picture of the events that transpired in Semlin. Word of what the Hungarians had done to several of Walter's men, reached Peter at Oedenburg, but Peter refused to believe that fellow Christians would do such a thing to their own men until he "saw hanging from the walls the arms and spoils of the sixteen companions of Walter who had stayed behind a short time before, and whom the Hungarians had treacherously presumed to rob." At the site of their clothes and arms, Peter "urged his companions to avenge their wrongs."
They raised their banners high and attacked the Hungarians, letting loose a hail of arrows from their bows. The Hungarians, completely caught off guard and unprepared for battle, gathered their strongest knights — who numbered about seven thousand — but they were quickly overwhelmed by Peter's far more numerical force. Four thousand Hungarians were massacred in that pitched battle, while Albert wrote, only one hundred pilgrims perished.
After their quick victory, Peter and his followers remained in the city for a few days where they gathered enough grain, sheep, cattle, horses and wine to feed and supply the entire army. Then Peter learnt that King Soloman was marching on Semlin with an army to avenge his slain people. Taking all their newly acquired supplies, Peter hastened with his followers to the Save River, but they found very few boats to carry them safely across the river. On the other side, Nicetas ordered his Pecheneg mercenaries to restrict the crusaders' crossing to one area. Desperate to get away from the Hungarian king's army, the crusaders repelled the Pecheneg mercenaries; they sank the boats that carried Pechenegs and slay those who had not drowned. Very few of Nicetas' mercenaries escaped the wrath of Peter and his pilgrims. Furious and unstoppable, the crusaders descended upon Belgrade, a prosperous city in Bulgaria. There, they found the city abandoned. The townspeople, after undoubtedly hearing about the brutal massacre in Semlin, fled the city. They were wise to do that, for many–if not most–of them would have been slaughtered. Peter and his followers pillaged the city and then razed
Author Deanna ProachPosted on October 19, 2020 Categories The First CrusadeTags 11th century, Crusaders, Crusades, crusading era, Holy Land, Holy War, knights, medieval history, medieval times, Medieval warfare, Peter the Hermit, pilgrims, the people's crusadeLeave a comment on Massacre in Semlin
The People's Crusade
The first army that left for the Holy Land was that of Peter the Hermit's. It wasn't an actual army because the vast majority of his followers were peasants and laymen; many men had taken their entire families with them. Only a small minority of Peter's following were knights, commanded by the pious knight, Walter Sans Avoir (The Penniless).
Nevertheless, Peter had amassed a great following. Historians estimate that his following was anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 people, large enough to be considered an army. Today, Peter the Hermit's expedition is widely known as the People's Crusade.
The biggest challenge Peter faced with leading such a large army was how he was going to keep them all well fed throughout the entire journey. There were very few districts in Europe that had enough food to feed such a large group of pilgrims, so the only way he was going to keep them fed was to keep them moving. Though, the district of Cologne lay strategically near the Rhine River so the land in that area was more fertile. Peter assumed that the townspeople of Cologne would have enough food to feed him and his following. That was probably why he decided to stay there for a number of days. He also wanted to preach to the Germans with the intent to recruit more nobles to his crusade.
Peter was successful: the German nobles, Count Hugh of Tubingen, Count Henry of Schwarzenberg, Walter of Tech, Count Emich of Lusingen, Gottchalk and the three sons of the count of Zimmern, all inspired by Peter's preaching, made their crusader vows.
However, not everyone left Cologne when Peter left. Walter Sans Avoir grew impatient and so he left Cologne, taking a few thousand of Peter's followers with him, all of them probably knights. They marched alongside the great Rhine and Neckar rivers, then down the Danube, arriving in Hungary in early May of 1096. "When his (Walter's) intention and the reason for his taking this journey became known to Lord Coloman, most Christian king of Hungary, he was kindly received and was given peaceful transit across the entire realm, with permission to trade. And so without giving offence, and without being attacked, he set out even to Belgrade a Bulgarian city, passing over to MaleviUa, where the realm of the kingdom of Hungary ends. Thence he peacefully crossed the Morava (Save) river," wrote Albert, a chronicler of the First Crusade.
The moment they set foot in Semlin, discipline in Walter's small army of crusaders disintegrated. As sixteen men attempted to rob a bazaar, they were caught in the act by the Hungarians. They were consequently stripped of all their arms and clothes and sent across the Save river naked. The Hungarians hung their clothes on the town wall as a warning to all.
Conditions for the crusaders deteriorated even more once they entered Belgrade. Since it was mid spring, the harvest had not yet been gathered, so the townspeople could not feed Walter's army. They were probably just as suspicious of these foreigners as was their king and his military commanders. In any case, they forbade the sale of anything to Walter and the crusaders. Furious, Walter and his troops pillaged the countryside, stealing herds of cattle and sheep. In the process, the crusaders got separated from each other, so when the Bulgarians counter-attacked, they were quickly scattered and many of Walter's men were massacred.
Walter fled with what remained of his army to Nish. "There he found the duke and prince of the land and reported to him the injury and damage which had been done him. From the duke he obtained justice for all; nay, more, in reconciliation the duke bestowed upon him arms and money, and the same lord of the land gave him peaceful conduct through the cities of Bulgaria, Sofia, Philippopolis, and Adrianople, and also license to trade." They arrived at the gates of Constantinople in the middle of July and were received well by the Emperor Alexius. There, they waited for the arrival of Peter the Hermit and his much larger force.
Author Deanna ProachPosted on October 15, 2020 Categories The First CrusadeTags 11th century, Crusade, Crusaders, First Crusade, historic, History, Holy War, medieval germany, medieval history, medieval times, Medieval warfare, Peter the Hermit, the people's crusadeLeave a comment on The People's Crusade
Bernard of Clairvaux: Preacher of the Second Crusade
This is a guest article by Kathryn Helstrom.
Bernard was born into a prominent noble family of Dijon in the year 1090. In school, the boy showed great promise in literature and poetry. He received the call from God to enter the Benedictine order in his early 20s. His testimony was so powerful that 30 of his relatives and friends followed him into the monastic life. Less than three years later, he established the abbey at Clairvaux. From there, Bernard founded the Cistercian order, which soon eclipsed the Cluniacs, causing much jealousy and strife among the clergy.
His piety and intellect were immensely respected throughout Christendom, he wrote profusely, and he was called to many councils and synods. Bernardhad written treatises explaining how physical violence was not necessarily a violation of Christian doctrine. Hewas therefore asked to createthe rules for the new military order of monks, The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, commonly known as the Templars.
On Christmas Eve 1144, a Turkish lord,Imad al-Din Zengi, captured Edessa, one of the oldest Christian cities. Shock waves reverberated throughout Christendom.In the spring of 1145, Pope Eugene III received emissaries from Jerusalem, Antioch, and Armeniapleading for aid to recover the Christian lands. Eugene and Bernard had long been friends and allies, so the pope personally asked his fellow Cistercian to recruit an army from the kings of France and Germany.
Eugene officially launched the Second Crusade when he issuedthe bull Quantum praedecessoreson December 1, 1145 atVetrella, just north of Rome. The bull was specifically addressed to the King of France, Louis VII, wherein the pope reminded him of the valor of the first crusaders, deplored the loss of Christian lands, and promised remission of sins for anyone who went to recover them.
Louis quickly announced his intention to march to Holy War at his Christmas Court. However, the French nobility were not convinced.It wasn't until Bernardpassionately preached from a hillside in Vezelay the following spring that they embraced the summons. Here is an excerpt from Bernard's sermon:
Oh, ye who listen to me, hasten then to appease the anger of Heaven, but no longer implore His goodness by vain complaints; clothe not yourselves in sackcloth, but cover yourselves with your impenetrable bucklers; the din of arms, the dangers, the labors, the fatigues of war are the penances that God now imposes upon you. Hasten then to expiate your sins by victories over the infidels, and let the deliverance of holy places be the reward of your repentance.
Fly then to arms; let a holy rage animate you in the fight, and let the Christian world resound with these words of the prophet, "Cursed be he who does not stain his sword with blood!"
The crowd was so enraptured that many tore their clothes and rejected all material life until the victory was won. Priests pinned white linen crosses to anyone who vowed to go. Miracles, signs, and wonders followed Bernard's preaching. "Cities and castles are emptied," he wrote to the pope, "There is not left one man to seven women, and everywhere there are widows to still living husbands."
Bernard carried the message extensively throughout France and Flanders for the next several months. In November of 1146, he met with Conrad III, King of the Germans, in Frankfurt. Conrad had many disputesamong his nobles to resolve before he could commit to gathering an army and taking it to the other side of the world. Bernard was instrumental in negotiating with the various dukes and counts to bring them to heel. As part of the agreements, some noblemen were authorized to conduct a Holy War against the pagan Wends in the northeast, and others against the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula.
Conrad and Bernard arrived in Speyer for Christmas, and Bernard preached to the Germans from the steps of the cathedral on December 28. Bernard pinned the white cross on Conrad himself. Again, thousands took up the cross in religious fervor and ecstasy.
The following spring Bernard was burdened with more protracted travel and negotiating, and finally, between April and May of 1147, Conrad collected his army at Nuremburg and Ratisbon and set out for Constantinople. Louis followedbehind in July.
The conduct of the Second Crusade was a disaster, ruined by the kings of France, Germany, and Jerusalem being unable to agree on anything. After several crippling defeats they assembled what few men were left and laid siege to Damascus, but Conrad pulled out after only two weeks. The Holy War collapsed. By spring of 1149 Louis and Conrad were on their way home.
Afterward, Bernard, in his Apologetica, compared the crusade to Moses leading his people out of Egypt, and absolved the pope and himself of any fault.
The sad and unexpected outcome, however, cannot be laid to the rashness of the leader, for he did everything at the Lord's command, with "the Lord aiding them and attesting his word by the miracles that went with them." [Mark 16:20] But, you may say, they were a stiff-necked race forever contending against the Lord and Moses his servant. Very well, they were rebellious and unbelieving; but what about these other people? [i.e. The Crusaders] Ask them. Why should it be my task to speak of what they have done?
Kathryn is a fellow writer and historian who's focus is on Medieval Germany. To learn more about the 12thcentury, check out her blog Medieval Germany at https://kathrynhelstrom.com/.
Author Deanna ProachPosted on October 12, 2020 Categories The Second CrusadeTags 12th century, Bernard of Clairvaux, Crusade, Crusaders, historic, historical, History, Holy Land, Holy War, knights, medieval germany, medieval history, medieval times, Medieval warfare, Pope, Second Crusade, warriorsLeave a comment on Bernard of Clairvaux: Preacher of the Second Crusade
Peter the Hermit: Charismatic Preacher
Everyone who filled the field in Clermont on that crisp day in late November made the vow to save Byzantium and restore Jerusalem to Christian rule. But how, in a time when there was no such thing as TV, computers, internet or printing press, and no advocacy for mass literacy, did Urban's cry for Holy War travel so far so fast?
The people went home and told their families' what their beloved Pope had just commanded them to do. Hence, Urban's message was spread via word of mouth. However, there was one man who would help Urban spread the message far and wide: Peter the Hermit.
There is very little known about Peter's background, so there is some historical debate as to whether he was born into nobility or poverty. According to Barbara Hutton, a scholar of the past, Peter once served as a soldier under Eustace de Bouillon, father of Godfrey de Bouillon. Peter married a lady of rank, but did not love her, so he chose to live his life in solidarity confinement as a means to end the marriage. Daniel Goodsell, on the other hand, suggested that Peter came from a poor family.
Regardless of Peter's background, he possessed enough passion, imagination, reverence and charisma to move mountains. "He was small in stature and his external appearance contemptible," William of Tyre wrote: Peter the Hermit wore a woolen tunic that had no sleeves and a coarse brown tunic overtop. He lived only on fish and wine, and traveled from village to village on top of a mule. However, "greater valor ruled in his slight frame. For he was sharp witted, his glance was bright and captivating, and he spoke with ease and eloquence."
Historians of an earlier age believed that it was Peter the Hermit who prompted and inspired Pope Urban to initiate the First Crusade. Historians of today, though, have disregarded this belief, choosing instead to believe that it was Pope Urban who was the sole initiator of the First Crusade. Even though Urban was the perpetrator of this momentous historical event, Peter the Hermit's involvement in the preaching of the Holy War should not be undermined.
It is quite possible that he travelled throughout France and preached Holy War prior to Urban's speech at Clermont. Regardless, two things are for certain: whether Peter preached the crusade before Clermont or not, Pope Urban did sanction him to spread the message and Peter appealed to the commoners. He travelled on his mule from village to village, preaching Holy War, mimicking Urban in style and charisma. The reason he appealed so strongly to the commoners was because he addressed their needs. If they should take up the cross, God would forgive all their sins and bless them. Those who should die on the road to Jerusalem would look forward to spending the rest of eternity with Christ in Heaven. Those who should survive would reap the rewards, for the land in the east ran with milk and honey. That was what Peter probably told them anyway.
The people believed Peter because they wanted some kind of relief. Life in eleventh-century Europe wasn't kind to peasants and laymen. The famine of 1094-5 left them starving and, possibly in some cases, on the brink of death. To make matters worse, the commoners were constantly caught in the cross-fire of warring lords; their lords were unable (or unwilling) to protect them. Thus, the Holy War provided them with a one-way ticket out of Europe.
To the commoners, Peter was the embodiment of true Christianity: he gave liberally, kept nothing for himself and took great pleasure in abstinence. He even mended broken marriages, restoring husbands to their wives. Given everything Peter did, it's no wonder why people rallied to his side and took the cross. They even inspired family, relatives, friends and acquaintances to join them just as their wealthier counterparts had done. The message spread fast until every corner of Europe heard the call to Holy War and responded to it.
Author Deanna ProachPosted on October 8, 2020 Categories The First CrusadeTags catholic, Crusade, First Crusade, historic, History, Holy Land, Holy War, medieval history, medieval times, Medieval warfare, Peter the Hermit, preacherLeave a comment on Peter the Hermit: Charismatic Preacher
Pope Urban Sets The Crusading Era in Motion
Pope Urban II was the man who set the crusading era in motion. However, did he truly expect peasants and labourers to take up the cross and fight the Muslims alongside the most wealthy, powerful Lords of the land, and other highly skilled soldiers? Many historians maintain the belief that Pope Urban did in fact urge everyone, regardless of rank, to take part in the crusade. Urban's very words as recorded by Robert the Monk: 'And we do not command or advise that the old or feeble, or those unfit for bearing arms, undertake this journey; nor ought women to set out at all, without their husbands or brothers or legal guardians. For such are more of a hindrance than aid, more of a burden than advantage…' implies that Pope Urban addressed only the aristocracy and knightly class to make the armed pilgrimage. Though, Robert's account was written in around 1116, twenty-one years after Urban's speech at Clermont.
Regardless of Pope Urban's real intentions, he inspired tens of thousands of men, women and even children to take up the cross. Peace reigned and every human mind, how great or simple, was renewed with passion, hope and a sense of purpose. Everywhere, knights' and princes' swords were blessed by their priests with these words: "Take this sword and these arms in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost! May they and it serve you in this good cause, but never may they shed innocent blood!"
Entire families abandoned their professions so they could prepare for the long journey to the Holy Land. "The Welshman left his Hunting, the Dane his drinking party, and the Norwegian his raw fish–all eager to join the expedition to the Holy Land," said William of Malmesburry.
One reason why Urban had managed to gain tremendous support from kings, nobles and peasants was because his speech addressed the mentality of the time. Eleventh century Christianity was extremely black and white. King, noble and peasant alike lived in perpetual fear of sin. They were surrounded by sin. Failure to repent would lead to an eternity of excruciating suffering. But repentance lead to the promise of eternal salvation and peace with Christ in heaven. People were continually seeking perfection, closeness to God and absolution from any and all sins they committed.
God and Church were one and Popes believed that they were descendents of St. Peter; they had been given the keys to heaven. They appointed other men (clergy) to do God's will on earth. The Medieval Catholic Church upheld the firm belief that it was up to God's disciples to feed the people with God's word, while requiring the people, including kings, to submit entirely to the teachings of the Church. In order to seek forgiveness, one must seek out a priest or bishop to confess to. In the eleventh century, the idea of a 'personal relationship with God' did not exist. People took the pope's word as the truth and based their faith on his teachings.
Author Deanna ProachPosted on October 5, 2020 Categories The First CrusadeTags Catholic history, Crusade, Crusaders, crusading era, Holy War, knights, medieval history, medieval times, Medieval warfare, Pope UrbanLeave a comment on Pope Urban Sets The Crusading Era in Motion
The Rise of Islam
To fully understand the reasoning behind Pope Urban's call to Holy War in 1095, one must understand the historical events that took place in the centuries leading up to the late eleventh century. Those historical events were essentially the rise of Islam.
Islam was born in around 610 AD when a man named Muhammad started receiving revelations from God through the Archangel Gabriel. Muhammad bears much resemblance to Jesus in that he was from a poor family and he was also illiterate.
After he started receiving these revelations, Muhammad had his family and a few others converted to Islam, but the people of Mecca clung to Zoroastrianism — the ancient, pagan religion Mecca adhered to. Like Jesus, Muhammad was forced to flee his hometown (which was Mecca) and seek refuge in a neighboring city. For Muhammad, that neighboring city was Medina. Unlike Jesus who traversed the Holy Land peacefully, preaching the word of God and performing miracles, Muhammad took up the sword and waged war against Mecca. The war was long and bloody, but it finally fell to Muhammad and his followers in 632, just a few years before Muhammad's death.
Muhammad took what he learnt from the teachings of Christianity and Judaism, but made a new religion that was much more refined and profound: Islam.
'Islam' means total submission to God's (Allah's) will.
Islam took root in Medina during Muhammad's life, but much more so after his death thanks to his ardent, loyal followers.
Caliph and common Arab alike believed that Islam was the one and only true religion; the only path to salvation. Every man — Islam regarded women as second class citizens and still does to this day — must submit themselves to the will of God (Allah). This ultimately resulted in an insatiable desire to unite the entire world under the banner of Islam.
From the mid seventh century until the early eighth century, the Muslim armies were unconquerable. Within the second half of the seventh century, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, most of Persia, and the entire north coast of Africa fell to the Muslims. Then, in 711, Islamic forces invaded the Iberian Peninsula which is Spain and within two decades, they conquered most of Iberia.
The booty and slaves captured from conquered territory brought the Muslims immense wealth. They were also united under one Caliph and their armies, organized. That is what enabled them to keep on expanding. They would have taken over Europe—the whole world for that matter –had not Charles "The Hammer" Martel roundly defeated them at the Battle of Poitiers in 732 AD. Badly beaten and significantly mowed down in size, the Muslim army retreated back to Spain and never again set foot on French soil.
It should also be noted that, as early as the eighth century, Muslim unity had begun to splinter into several factions; another reason why Muslim expansion westward was halted. They began to direct their conflict inwards, against each other, rather than against the 'infidel'.
What happened to Christians and Jews in conquered territories?
Ironically, the Muslims did not force immediate conversion upon the Christians and Jews. In fact, the Muslims referred to them as "Peoples of the Book." For this reason, Christians and Jews were allowed to practice their religion, but not without consequence. They were considered as second class citizens, so were required to pay a heavy poll tax. Having to choose between poverty, other forms of persecution, and their faith, many Christians and Jews chose to convert to Islam.
The Treatment of Christians Under Muslim Rule Deteriorated
Christians were never treated well under Muslim domination, but under the rule of Caliph al-Hakim in the early eleventh century, they faced severe persecution.
"The Christians were ordered to dress in black and to hang wooden crosses from their necks, half a metre long, half a metre wide, weighing five ratls. Several people were flogged for playing chess. Churches were destroyed and their contents pillaged as also were their tenement houses and the houses pertaining to them," wrote Egyptian Scholar, Al-Maqrizi in the fifteenth century.
When pilgrims and other Christians living within the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire heard of al-Hakim's persecution of Christians, they were horrified. Stories inevitably found their way back west and fuelled Christian hatred of the Muslims, especially among the clergy.
In the early eleventh century, Pope Sergius IV attempted to start a crusade against al-Hakim.
"Let all Christians know that news has come from the east to the seat of the apostles that the church of the Holy Sepulcher has been destroyed from roof to foundations at the impious hands of the pagans…With the Lord's help we intend to kill all these enemies and to restore and Redeemer's Holy Sepulcher," wrote Pope Sergius IV.
However, it wouldn't be until the end of the eleventh century that this call to arms, call for Holy War, would take on more vigor and intensity. Only one man would set Christendom on fire with crusading zeal: Pope Urban II.
Author Deanna ProachPosted on October 5, 2020 Categories Pre-CrusadesTags Crusaders, Crusades, historical events, History, Holy War, Islam, medieval history, Medieval warfare, muhammad, rise of IslamLeave a comment on The Rise of Islam
Pope Urban Preaches Holy War: November 1095
When Pope Urban II got a hold of the Byzantine Emperor's letter — Alexius Comnenus had intended for the letter to be passed on to him — he took matters into his own hands. Not only did he hate the Muslims, Urban shared the same deep rooted fear as did Emperor Alexius: Should military help not arrive in Constantinople soon enough, Byzantium, the gateway to the Holy Land, would fall to the Muslims. Pope Urban cared for the Eastern Christians and he wanted to help preserve their empire, but he was also a man of high ambition. So, it was very likely that his fear stemmed from the fact that the Muslims posed to threaten his papal expansion, the ultimate goal he held onto for several years.
Pope Urban inherited a mess when he assumed the papal throne in 1088. The papacy was embroiled in a power struggle with the German Emperor. This conflict was so bitter that it took Urban six years to reassert papal authority over Rome's Lateran palace. In that time, Urban created a series of policies that were non-confrontational, designed to persuade the German Emperor, Henry IV to submit to Rome without force. Even those reforms did not succeed over night. Even when they did, Urban's divine right to act as head of the Latin Church and spiritual overlord of every Christian in western Europe was still far from his reach.
Urban realized that his 'Crusade' — then termed as holy war or armed pilgrimage — would improve relations with the Greek church, which would enable him to expand papal authority into the eastern realm. He also believed that a crusade would unite all of Western Europe under one cause: to fight the Muslims in God's Holy name. Only then could Urban's goal become a reality.
In order to set his holy war in motion, Pope Urban needed to find a method to persuade all of Christendom to make the armed pilgrimage. He had to somehow reconcile murder, a deadly sin, with God's divine will. However, Urban didn't worry too much about that because he knew just the right thing to say and how to say it.
Several versions of Pope Urban's speech have been recorded and passed down through the generations. This version was written by Robert the Monk, Chronicler of the First Crusade.
'Oh, race of Franks, race from across the mountains, race chosen and beloved by God as shines forth in very many of your works set apart from all nations by the situation of your country, as well as by your catholic faith and the honor of the holy church! To you our discourse is addressed and for you our exhortation is intended. We wish you to know what a grievous cause has led us to Your country, what peril threatening you and all the faithful has brought us.
From the confines of Jerusalem and the city of Constantinople a horrible tale has gone forth and very frequently has been brought to our ears, namely, that a race from the kingdom of the Persians, an accursed race, a race utterly alienated from God, a generation forsooth which has not directed its heart and has not entrusted its spirit to God, has invaded the lands of those Christians and has depopulated them by the sword, pillage and fire; it has led away a part of the captives into its own country, and a part it has destroyed by cruel tortures; it has either entirely destroyed the churches of God or appropriated them for the rites of its own religion. They destroy the altars, after having defiled them with their uncleanness. They circumcise the Christians, and the blood of the circumcision they either spread upon the altars or pour into the vases of the baptismal font.
When they wish to torture people by a base death, they perforate their navels, and dragging forth the extremity of the intestines, bind it to a stake; then with flogging they lead the victim around until the viscera having gushed forth the victim falls prostrate upon the ground. Others they bind to a post and pierce with arrows. Others they compel to extend their necks and then, attacking them with naked swords, attempt to cut through the neck with a single blow. What shall I say of the abominable rape of the women? To speak of it is worse than to be silent. The kingdom of the Greeks is now dismembered by them and deprived of territory so vast in extent that it cannot be traversed in a march of two months. On whom therefore is the labor of avenging these wrongs and of recovering this territory incumbent, if not upon you? You, upon whom above other nations God has conferred remarkable glory in arms, great courage, bodily activity, and strength to humble the hairy scalp of those who resist you.
Let the deeds of your ancestors move you and incite your minds to manly achievements; the glory and greatness of king Charles the Great, and of his son Louis, and of your other kings, who have destroyed the kingdoms of the pagans, and have extended in these lands the territory of the holy church. Let the holy sepulcher of the Lord our Savior, which is possessed by unclean nations, especially incite you, and the holy places which are now treated with ignominy and irreverently polluted with their filthiness. Oh, most valiant soldiers and descendants of invincible ancestors, be not degenerate, but recall the valor of your progenitors.
But if you are hindered by love of children, parents and wives, remember what the Lord says in the Gospel, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." "Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life."
Let none of your possessions detain you, no solicitude for your family affairs, since this land which you inhabit, shut in on all sides by the seas and surrounded by the mountain peaks, is too narrow for your large population; nor does it abound in wealth; and it furnishes scarcely food enough for its cultivators. Hence it is that you murder one another, that you wage war, and that frequently you perish by mutual wounds. Let therefore hatred depart from among you, let your quarrels end, let wars cease, and let all dissensions and controversies slumber.
Enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulcher; wrest that land from the wicked race, and subject it to yourselves. That land which as the Scripture says "floweth with milk and honey," was given by God into the possession of the children of Israel Jerusalem is the navel of the world; the land is fruitful above others, like another paradise of delights. This the Redeemer of the human race has made illustrious by His advent, has beautified by residence, has consecrated by suffering, has redeemed by death, has glorified by burial.
This royal city, therefore, situated at the centre of the world, is now held captive by His enemies, and is in subjection to those who do not know God, to the worship of the heathens. She seeks therefore and desires to be liberated, and does not cease to implore you to come to her aid. From you especially she asks succor, because, as we have already said, God has conferred upon you above all nations great glory in arms. Accordingly undertake this journey for the remission of your sins, with the assurance of the imperishable glory of the kingdom of heaven.'
When Pope Urban had said these and very many similar things in his urbane discourse, he so influenced to one purpose the desires of all who were present, that they cried out, "It is the will of God! It is the will of God!" When the venerable Roman pontiff heard that, with eyes uplifted to heaven he gave thanks to God and, with his hand commanding silence, said:
'Most beloved brethren, today is manifest in you what the Lord says in the Gospel, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them." Unless the Lord God had been present in your spirits, all of you would not have uttered the same cry. For, although the cry issued from numerous mouths, yet the origin of the cry was one. Therefore I say to you that God, who implanted this in your breasts, has drawn it forth from you. Let this then be your war-cry in combats, because this word is given to you by God. When an armed attack is made upon the enemy, let this one cry be raised by all the soldiers of God: It is the will of God! It is the will of God!
And we do not command or advise that the old or feeble, or those unfit for bearing arms, undertake this journey; nor ought women to set out at all, without their husbands or brothers or legal guardians. For such are more of a hindrance than aid, more of a burden than advantage. Let the rich aid the needy; and according to their wealth, let them take with them experienced soldiers. The priests and clerks of any order are not to go without the consent of their bishop; for this journey would profit them nothing if they went without permission of these. Also, it is not fitting that laymen should enter upon the pilgrimage without the blessing of their priests.
Whoever, therefore, shall determine upon this holy pilgrimage and shall make his vow to God to that effect and shall offer himself to Him as a, living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, shall wear the sign of the cross of the Lord on his forehead or on his breast. When,' truly',' having fulfilled his vow be wishes to return, let him place the cross on his back between his shoulders. Such, indeed, by the twofold action will fulfill the precept of the Lord, as He commands in the Gospel, "He that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."'
Author Deanna ProachPosted on October 1, 2020 Categories The First CrusadeTags 11th century, catholic, Christian history, Crusade, First Crusade, Holy Land, Holy War, knights, medieval history, medieval times, Medieval warfare, Pope UrbanLeave a comment on Pope Urban Preaches Holy War: November 1095
The Byzantine Empire on The Brink of Destruction
News of al-Hakim's ruthless persecution of Christians wasn't the sole event that triggered hatred in the west. The Byzantine Empire, in the eleventh century, was on the brink of destruction. In the 1040s, Turkish warriors migrated from the steppes of central Asia and conquered Persia, then invaded Armenia and Iraq, and conquered Baghdad in the year of 1055.
The Turkish invasions jeopardized the safety of pilgrims and threatened to sever Europe's ties with Jerusalem. To make matters worse, Byzantium was severely weakened by the Bubonic Plague. Many people had died, leaving the emperor unable to protect the pilgrims and his people from Muslim raids.
In the summer of 1071 Emperor Romanus IV Diogenes decisively chose to fight back with two goals in mind: recapture all territory lost to the Turks and crush Sultan Alp-Arslan and his armies for good. However, it was not so. The Emperor's army numbered approximately 40,000 troops, but Caliph Alp-Arslan's army held the upper hand in strategy. At the battle of Manzikert, Emperor Romanus was captured and his armies, defeated.
Romanus was not held captive for long, but shortly after he returned to his people, he was "deposed, and then blinded and finally killed after great torture and torment."
When Alexius I Comnenus took the imperial throne in 1081, only a few coastal towns in the north belonged to the Byzantine Empire. Not only were his coffers empty, Alexius was bombarded with perpetual threats from the Turks. At the same time, ferocious Pecheneg and Cuman nomads from the Russian steppes raided the Danube frontier. It was at this crucial moment that Emperor Alexius decided he needed help.
In 1093, Alexius wrote a letter to Robert, Count of Flanders, requesting military aid against the Seljuk Turks. In his letter, Alexius wrote of all the horrible deeds the Seljuk Turks had committed. Emperor Alexius feared — no, he knew — that all of Byzantium would fall to the Turks and Christianity in the East would be stamped out. These fears weren't imagined; they were very real, and they were certainly spelled out to Count Robert.
Alexius also took the extra measure to provide Count Robert with other reasons why Robert should send military aid to Constantinople:
"Remember that you will find all those treasures and also the most beautiful women of the Orient. The incomparable beauty of the Greek women would seem to be a sufficient reason to attract the armies of the Franks," Alexius wrote.
Beautiful women! That would have provided any man with enough incentive to travel a long distance and fight in a foreign land. However, Emperor Alexius needed only a small army of barons and their strongest knights to fight the Turks. That's what he wanted. He had not anticipated the enormous armed force that would arrive at the shores of Constantinople three years later.
Sources Used:
Alexius I Comnenus: Byzantine Emperor: http://www.rdsinc.com/pdf/samples/sp691771.pdf
The Battle of Manzikert (1071 A.D.): http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/manzikert.html
Author Deanna ProachPosted on September 28, 2020 October 5, 2020 Categories Pre-CrusadesTags Alexius Comnenus, Byzantine, Byzantine Emperor, First Crusade, medieval history, Medieval warfare, roman emperorLeave a comment on The Byzantine Empire on The Brink of Destruction
Crusades and Crusaders Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.


text:
Victoria Carodine, Engagement Editor
Victoria manages the social media accounts for both 5280 and 5280 Home and identifies opportunities for growth and engagement. She also writes and edits stories for 5280.com. She studied religion and ancient studies at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Before coming to 5280, Victoria was the digital intern at Architect Magazine in Washington, D.C., where she covered international and local architecture projects. A Texas native, Victoria loves trail running, climbing, and enjoying all that the Front Range has to offer.
Denver's Newest Nail Salon Goes Beyond the Basic Mani-Pedi
Prose, which opened June 17 in Southmoor Park, uses nontoxic and hypoallergenic products that actually can help rescue damaged nails.
Icelantic's New Swimwear Is Built for Epic Colorado Adventures
The Golden-based ski company invites you to cool off this summer in their new swimwear collection.
Does Hanging Lake's New Permit System Work?
The new online reservation system, which launched May 1, limits the number of people who can hike to one of Colorado's most scenic destinations.
Dog-Friendly Denver: Health Risks to Watch for When Adventuring With Your Hound
We asked local veterinarians what dog owners should be wary of when getting outside this summer.
10 Dog-Friendly Hikes Near Denver
Here are some of our favorite Fido-friendly Front Range trails—all less than (or about) an hour's drive from Denver.
By Jerilyn Forsythe, Victoria Carodine
DAM's Newest Exhibition Challenges Visitors to Think About Light
The Light Show explores the many ways light is used and understood in art, and features 250 pieces from the DAM's nine curatorial departments.
Dairy Block's Newest Resident Is Fetch
The new brick-and-mortar on Blake Street will rotate up to 50 artisans from Centennial State and beyond.
Denver's Grant-Humphreys Mansion Is a Wedding Venue for Everyone
The historic building and wedding venue is going the extra mile for its clients.
Meow Wolf's New Ride Is a Trip for the Mind and Body
Kaleidoscape, Meow Wolf's recently opened ride at Elitch Gardens, features installations by seven local artists and gives Denverites a taste of what's to come from the immersive arts collective.
5 New Vendors to Look for at the Fetch Spring Market
More than 180 local vendors will be slinging their crafts at this weekend's Fetch Market (formerly the Denver Flea), but here are a handful of new makers to seek out.
From mountaintop to lakeside, we found ten of Colorado's most breathtaking Airbnb homes.
This Art Installation Is a Walking Tour of RiNo
For eight nights, select walls in Denver's River North Arts District will act as large-format art installations.
United Flight 232 Recognizes the Bravery of Ordinary People
The one-act play, which premieres February 16, tells the stories of the brave men and women who survived the 1989 plane crash that took off from the Stapleton International Airport.
You Can Book a State Park Campsite Online—and You Should Do It, Now
Reserving a camping spot in Colorado just got a whole lot easier.
Step Into an Alternate Dimension at MOA's Natura Obscura
Get ready to transport your body and mind—this trippy installation at Englewood's Museum of Outdoor Arts is out of this world.
7 Free Things to Do in Colorado This Month, January 2019
Whether your funds are still recovering from holiday travel or plumping your savings is on this year's bucket list, these budget-friendly events are sure to please.
Refill Revolution Wants to Change Your Plastic Habits
This Boulder-based store is helping locals reduce waste and add simple, sustainable habits to their lives.
First-Timer's Guide: Georgetown
We know you're in a hurry to get to the mountains come Saturday morning. But instead of zooming past, take exit 228 for Georgetown, a quaint and historic mountain town with a lot to offer.
A Beginner's Guide to Hitting the Slopes
Don't be intimidated by Colorado's preeminent winter sports. Follow our step-by-step guide to getting started with skiing and snowboarding, and you'll be shredding fresh pow in no time.
5 Organizations That Will Help You Support Local Charities
This Colorado Gives Day, these vetted groups can help narrow down the philanthropic causes you're hoping to support.
Gift Guide 2018: How You Can Give Back This Holiday Season
This holiday season, consider supporting one of these five worthy nonprofits in the Denver metro area.
Gift Guide 2018: Local Gifts that Promote Self-Care
Everyone needs some R&R from time to time. From meditation courses to cozy slippers, give the gift of #selfcare this holiday season.
Gift Guide 2018: Great Gear for All Kinds of Adventurers
From camping to traveling to staying comfy in the great outdoors, this list of (mostly) local product picks has something for everyone.
Don't Miss the Denver Art Museum's Remarkable Dior Retrospective
Explore 70 years of haute couture from the House of Dior at this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, open November 19 through March 17.
7 Free Things to Do in Denver and Beyond, November 2018
From Denver Arts Week to a Bighorn Sheep Festival, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the Front Range on a budget this month.
How the Denver Art Museum Curated Its 2019 Monet Exhibition
One of the largest-ever selections of Claude Monet paintings is coming to the Denver Art Museum in 2019. Here's a look at how the museum organized this extraordinary exhibition.
Getting Married? Try This Virtual Wedding Planning Service
Founded by a DU grad, the Wedfuly website takes the hassle (and some of the expense) out of planning your nuptials.
First-Timer's Guide: Louisville
Head to the playful and charming town of Louisville for the simple pleasure of a walkable downtown with plenty of shops, restaurants and, of course, easy access to the Rockies.
Rejoice! Opening Day for Colorado Ski Resorts Is Here
Wolf Creek Ski Area opens Saturday, October 13, marking the beginning of arguably the best time of the year—ski season.
Hike We Like: Loch Lomond
If St. Mary's Glacier is too crowded for you, head to it's neighbor—Loch Lomond.


text:
Q: how to fix "TypeError: x and y must have the same dtype, got tf.uint8 != tf.float32" when I try to resize an image in Tensorflow I try to setup an images pipeline that builds an images dataset for Tensorflow that crops the images, but I fail at cropping the picture.
I followed this tutorial but I want to crop the file to a square and not resize it without preserving the aspect ratio.
Here is my code :
#
import tensorflow as tf
#

img_raw = tf.io.read_file('./images/4c34476047bcbbfd10b1fd3342605659.jpeg/')

img_tensor = tf.image.decode_jpeg(img_raw, channels=3)

img_final = tf.image.crop_to_bounding_box(
    img_tensor,
    0,
    0,
    200,
    200
)

img_final /= 255.0  # normalize to [0,1] range

When I use simple image resize as in the tutorial it works:
#
import tensorflow as tf
#

img_raw = tf.io.read_file('./images/4c34476047bcbbfd10b1fd3342605659.jpeg/')

img_tensor = tf.image.decode_jpeg(img_raw, channels=3)

img_final = tf.image.resize(img_tensor, [192, 192])

img_final /= 255.0  #

Here is the log :
    img_final /= 255.0  # normalize to [0,1] range
  File ".../.local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/tensorflow/python/ops/math_ops.py", line 876, in binary_op_wrapper
    return func(x, y, name=name)
  File ".../.local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/tensorflow/python/ops/math_ops.py", line 964, in _truediv_python3
    (x_dtype, y_dtype))
TypeError: x and y must have the same dtype, got tf.uint8 != tf.float32

A: Tensorflow doesn't do automatic type casting. It seems that the decoded image is a tensor with dtype tf.uint8, you have to cast it to tf.float32 for the division to work as you expect.
Replace
img_final /= 255.0
with
img_final = tf.cast(img_final, tf.float32) / 255.0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home Sports Islanders come out on top in battle of Major Midget powerhouses
Islanders come out on top in battle of Major Midget powerhouses
Grant McDaniel
Photo by Grant McDaniel Islander Craig Ryan stands at the Dartmouth net in recent Major Midget action.
PORT HOOD: It was a battle that saw over 100 shots leveled at the netminders, and Cape Breton West star Colton Ellis turned away 51 of 52 pucks to backstop the Islanders to a 5-1 win over the Cole Harbour Wolfpack.
Wolfpack goalie Max Walford deserves credit too, as he faced 54 shots during the Saturday game at Cole Harbour Place.
However, he was unable to stop Logan Chisholm and Spencer Barron, both of whom had a goal and assist; Craig Ryan, Calum MacPherson, and Malcolm MacEachern, all connecting for a goal; and Matthew MacNeil, Dylan MacDonald, and Stephen Fox, all playing set-up men.
"We were really proud of this weekend," said coach Kyle MacDonald. "The results spoke to the depth that we have on our team. We were without two players who have a significant role on our team, with [Logan] Timmons and [Jacob] Hudson getting called up to Major Junior.
"It was probably the best game we played all year. That really speaks to the depth of our team."
Hudson played two games with the Moncton Wildcats, and Timmons was in Val-d-'Or for three games.
MacDonald said it was great to see two of his players visit the Major Junior level, and it's also great to see the Islanders playing so well, especially against the best team in the provincial league.
"We were without two of our main players, but our team isn't built around one or two guys," he said. "Everybody chips in, and it's nice to be part of.
"This was a great group to inherit, and they make it pretty easy on me."
The dominant win was the Islanders' first meeting of the season against Cole Harbour, and it was also a battle of the first and second place teams in the league. The Islanders are now 11-0 (one win via shootout) and sit three points above and beyond Cole Harbour.
This Saturday, the Islanders will host the Moncton Flyers on Saturday at 6 p.m. and, on Sunday, they host to the Miramichi Rivermen at noon. This will be the Islanders first taste of inter-league play with teams from the New Brunswick Major Midget league.
Previous articleBREAKING: Recounts requested in Richmond County
Next articlePirates drop number two team in NSJHL
Sports reporter Grant McDaniel is a Port Hood native, who after graduating from StFX University, joined The Reporter in 2001.
Hawks suffer first loss of season
Grand opening of ballfields in Judique and Antigonish
PHAST swimmers close out season
Carving out their niche
Nominations sought for Sports Wall of Fame
Hart wins at Calabogie Motorsports Park


text:
Sean Mc Manus & former boxing champ, Muhammed Ali.
DUP founder: I'm bewildered that Protestant church leaders would welcome Pope NI visit
Wallace Thompson
News Letter. Belfast. Friday, May 4, 2018
Sign up A DUP founder has spoken of his "bewilderment" after Protestant church leaders said they would welcome a papal visit to Northern Ireland this summer. Wallace Thompson, secretary of the Evangelical Protestant Society, said a visit by Pope Francis north of the border during his planned trip to the Republic of Ireland in August would not promote peace and reconciliation and could, in fact, sow divisions.
And the former political advisor urged Protestant church leaders to focus on their own teachings rather than "pandering" to the head of the Catholic Church. He was speaking after The Irish Catholic newspaper revealed details of correspondence sent to the Pope last December by Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Richard Clarke, Presbyterian Moderator Dr. Noble McNeely, Methodist President Dr. Laurence Graham, and the President of the Irish Council of Churches Bishop John McDowell.
"The potential that a visit to Northern Ireland could have in promoting peace and reconciliation throughout the island cannot be underestimated," it read. But Mr. Thompson slammed the move and said he is opposed to a papal visit on spiritual grounds.
Wallace Thompson, secretary of the Evangelical Protestant Society.
He also felt that the authors of the letter were "over-exaggerating" the positive impact a visit from the head of the Catholic Church would have on society in the Province. He told the News Letter: "I fail to see how it would bring people together. Depending on what type of visit this would be and how it would be promoted, it has the potential to cause divisions rather than unite people."
Mr. Thompson spoke of his "bewilderment" at the welcome extended by Protestant church leaders, adding: "They would be better employed promoting the teachings of the Protestant faith. "The issues outlined by Martin Luther 500 years ago have not gone away, they are still there and are every bit as significant now as they were back then. "So would it not be better for these Protestant church leaders to seek to proclaim the reformed truth and promote that rather than pandering to the head of a church with whose teachings they should not be in agreement?"
However, Methodist President Dr. Laurence Graham said the visit could help "build bridges" in Northern Ireland. Though Dr. Graham stressed the letter was not an invitation, he said Pope Francis would be very welcome should he choose to visit. He told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback program yesterday: "There were two key things we said in the letter. "First of all, that his attendance would enhance and affirm the place of the family at the of the heart of society, and secondly, we felt that the visit had the potential to help in promoting the cause of peace and reconciliation throughout this island, which cannot be underestimated."
Pope Francis is visiting the Republic in August for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. It will be the first Papal visit to Ireland since Pope John Paul visited in 1979. In a statement to the News Letter, Rev. Trevor Gribben, general secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland said: "When the announcement was made in March that Pope Francis would visit the Republic of Ireland this August, I said that it would be a significant event for our Roman Catholic neighbors and friends and, therefore, should be significant for all of us. "Along with others at the time, I made the point that if Pope Francis were to come to Northern Ireland at some stage in the future, that would be welcomed as a significant step in assisting peace and reconciliation."
Read more at https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/dup-founder-i-m-bewildered-that-protestant-church-leaders-would-welcome-pope-ni-visit-1-8488269