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Rumors of War
Posted on February 29, 2008 by Joel
Vol: 77 Issue: 29 Friday, February 29, 2008
If you were challenged to give a complete summary of the political history of Israel from 1948 to the present in as few words as possible, how would you meet it?
What words would you choose? Since I am the one who made up the parlor game, I'll go first.
Of all the countries in the world, Israel is unique in that it is still fighting its War of Independence sixty years after recognition.
The modern state of Israel is the product of war, arising out of the ashes of the Holocaust. It was founded by survivors for survivors.
Israel has been in a fight for its continued survival since the day David ben-Gurion petitioned the United Nations for international recognition on May 14, 1948.
The next day, the Arabs attacked. Israel's short history is divided by its wars; the War of Independence, the 1956 Sinai War, the 1967 Six Days War, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, etc.
"Israel" has a different definition geopolitically, depending on which of its wars one uses to define it. The UN defines Israel according to the 1947 Partition Plan. The Bush administration defines it by the borders as they existed following the War of Independence, the so-called "Green Line".
The 1993 Oslo Agreement, as signed, defined Israel's borders according to the Six Days War Armistice lines, which include the Golan, Gaza and West Bank, excluding Jericho.
Since Oslo, a mainly one-sided war against Israel by the Palestinians has effectively pushed Israel back within the 1947 Partition lines where it began.
I am sure that there are those that take exception to my characterizing the Arab-Israeli War as "mainly one-sided." Think it through.
The Palestinians are throwing everything they have against Israel. If packing women and children with explosives and throwing them against the enemy doesn't qualify as total war, what would?
But if the Israelis were to throw everything they had at the Palestinians, there wouldn't be a Palestinian 'problem'.
(I'm not advocating that Israel commit genocide against the Palestinians. I'm simply pointing out that as wars go, this one is remarkably one-sided.)
"And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3)
Let's step back first and look at the bigger picture behind the question.
His questioners were Jews who'd lived their entire lives within a day's journey of Jerusalem. Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came unto Him 'privately'.
He replied to them 'privately', which infers that He spoke from the perspective of Jews living near the Mount of Olives.
In verse 6 He said, "And YE shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matthew 24:7)
We began with my effort to summarize Israel's geopolitical history in as few words as possible. My summary ran 202 words.
Jesus needed five: "Wars and rumours of wars."
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert termed its conflict in Gaza a "war". The same day, his peace 'partner' the allegedly 'moderate' PA leader Mahmoud Abbas told a Jordanian newspaper:
"I do not rule out a return to the way of armed struggle against Israel."
Abbas specifically rejected any recognition of Israel as 'a Jewish state' and categorically stated he would not disarm Hamas or demand Hamas recognize Israel.
Abbas pointedly told his Arab audience that "the only "recognition" of Israel he demands of a Palestinian unity government is to recognize Israel as its adversary."
Insofar as his being Israel's only hope for peace, Abbas admitted that he is really only "against armed conflict because we are unable. In the future stages, things may be different… "
In the interview, Abbas bragged that he personally fired the first shot in the PLO's terror war with Israel.
"I was honored to be the one to shoot the first bullet in 1965," he told the Jordanian paper. He also bragged that, together with Yasser Arafat, they:
"[T]aught resistance to many in this area and around the world, defining it and when it is beneficial and when it is not… we had the honor of leading the resistance.We taught everyone what resistance is, including the Hezbollah, who were trained in our camps."
Note that this remarkable confession of responsibility for virtually every Islamic-inspired terror death linked to Israel's existence since 1965 is being made by the West's last, best hope for peace between Israel and the Arab world.
Is this war? Or just a rumor of war? (Were it any place other than Israel, as seen from the perspective of the Mount of Olives, nobody would have to ask.)
What else is the "Mount of Olives Gazette" reporting?
A Kuwait newspaper reported that Hezbollah is making plans for a large-scale attack against Israel in March.
According to the report, the attack is being planned in coordination with Syria and Iran, and is to take place before the Arab summit next month.
The paper also said the coordinated assault against Israel would include attacks from Hamas and Islamic Jihad from Gaza and the West Bank.
In preparation, arms, munitions and fighters are flowing into Gaza through Egypt, signaling a possible direct Egyptian involvement in a new pan-Arab war against Israel.
Gaza, which until 1967 had been part of Egypt, is being converted into a military staging area via an Egyptian pipeline.
And now, Jordan has joined Egypt in breaking the Israeli embargo and supplying electricity to cities in the West Bank.
Indeed, the AP report detailing the electricity-supply deal under the headline, "Jordan Denies Wanting West Bank Back."
Under that headline, the AP noted:
"In the past few years, speculation has ebbed and flowed on whether Jordan harbors ambitions to regain control of the West Bank. With Jordan now training a Palestinian security force, which the kingdom also insists is meant to assist Abbas, the question is rising again."
Today, February 29, a date that occurs only once every four years, this is the overall Middle East sit rep.
To the north, Hezbollah, backed by Syria and supported through Iran, are preparing for a March assault aimed at triggering a 'disproportionate' Israeli response that will justify wider Arab involvement.
To the east, Jordan's King Abdullah finds it necessary to deny reports Jordan wants to recover its lost West Bank territory, while Egypt issues similar denials from Israel's southern flank.
Abbas is assuring the Arab world that he has not abandoned the 'armed struggle' as Islamic Jihad and Hamas prepare for simultaneous assaults on Israel's east and southwest flanks.
Yesterday's Jerusalem Post reported that Israel foiled a plot to blow up its nuclear reactor at Dimona.
While all this is going on, the United States is accelerating efforts to force the creation of what now appears to be two separate terrorist states before war breaks out, claiming that peace is just around the next corner.
You just can't make this stuff up. If somebody were to make a movie about it, it would flop because the plot line was too unbelievable.
But that's what the critics say about Bible prophecy, too. Even as it unfolds before them.
Special Report: Death of an Era
Vol: 77 Issue: 28 Thursday, February 28, 2008
Of all the things in this world that I find admirable, there is nothing I find more admirable than intellect.
Particularly when it is possessed by someone who truly understands its power.
Such a man can be a great force, regardless of whether it is a force for evil or for good.
Yesterday, one of the greatest intellects of the 20th century drew his last breath and left this earth.
William F Buckley died at aged 82 at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. Buckley was reportedly found sitting at his desk in the study of his home.
At the moment of his death, said his son, Christopher, Buckley was busily working on a column.
(That's the way I'd like to go. His son sent a message to President Bush saying that his dad 'died with his boots on').
William F Buckley was the author of at least fifty-five different books, ranging from political commentary to novels to books about sailing.
He rose to prominence when he declared war on the postwar liberal order, beginning with his blistering assault on Yale as a 'traitorous den of atheistic collectivism' immediately after his graduation.
"God and Man at Yale" earned him the undying hatred of the liberal Establishment, not that it bothered Bill Buckley. Buckley was delighted when historian Arthur Schlesinger labeled him, "the scourge of liberalism."
Buckley worked for the CIA for a year (under the supervision of E Howard Hunt of later Watergate fame), before founding the conservative magazine, the National Review, in 1955.
Buckley had a special love for young conservatives, forming the group "Young Americans for Freedom" in the 1960's.
But he was best known to the public through his television program, "Firing Line" which ran from 1966 to 1999, beating Johnny Carson's record by more than three years.
His wit was legendary. Buckley once published a particularly nasty letter from a Dr. Marshall Prickman that insulted Buckley for everything from his 'stupidity' to his 'ugly face.'
Buckley responded to the letter publicly in his magazine, opening his reply with the words;
"Dear Doc. Please call me Bill. May I address you by your nickname?"
I hate death almost as much as I admire intellect. One gets a sense of the wastefulness of death when somebody like Bill Buckley succumbs to Adam's curse.
Here is a man who dedicated his entire life to the accumulation (and categorization) of knowledge. He had written more books than some people read in a lifetime.
His brilliant wit was honed over a lifetime of debates with some of the most cynical and nasty liberal opponents imaginable.
Gore Vidal once called Buckley a 'crypto Nazi'. Buckley responded by calling Vidal a 'queer' — on national television.
Testifying in a libel suit in which the National Review was a defendant, Buckley was asked if he called Jesse Jackson an 'ignoramus.'
Buckley told the court, "If I didn't, I shouldn't have." In the same trial, he turned to the judge at one point and said, "I decline to answer that question. It's too stupid."
When asked what job he wanted in the Reagan administration, Buckley replied "ventriloquist."
Although a rock-hard conservative, Buckley supported Democrat Joe Leiberman over Republican challenger Lowell Weicker.
He explained his reasoning by saying that: Lieberman "doesn't have the tendency of appalling you every time he opens his mouth."
I thank God for the life and times of William F Buckley and celebrate his passing with a deep sense of personal loss. My hatred of death for the thief that it is has gone up another notch.
America has lost one of its greatest champions. And I have lost one of my favorite thinkers. William F Buckley was one of a kind. His death marks the end of an era.
I shall miss him.
"Repent and Be Saved! I Said, REPENT AND BE SAVED!"
Vol: 77 Issue: 27 Wednesday, February 27, 2008
I believe that the Bible calls us to be witnesses of Christ, and that there is no more perfect expression of God's will in the life of a Christian than when he works to lead others to Christ,
That said, what does one do, as one of our readers related recently in one of our forums, when somebody is clearly not interested in hearing the Gospel?
The forum comment describes an experience we've all shared in some variation. You strike up a conversation, and somehow, Jesus comes up in the discussion.
Your conversation suddenly stalls, and when you try to revive it, you meet a wall of stony silence.
Eventually, you come to recognize the signals and past experience tells you its time to say something cheery and take your leave.
But then it bothers you all the way home. . . "why didn't I press the issue? Am I a coward for Christ? Jesus endured the collective hatred of the human race. Am I so weak I can't bear a little rejection?"
You are convinced you failed Him. You had a chance to share the Gospel, and you blew it.
Maybe if you had tried a little harder, they might have listened. But no, you were too chicken!
It isn't like you don't know what is at stake — especially if you have been an OL member for any length of time at all.
You know that every person you meet is destined to spend eternity somewhere. You already know that they will either spend eternity in the joyful presence of Christ.
Or they will spend a Christ less eternity alone, tormented by the punishments of hell and their memory of rejecting their chance to escape it.
You know it because I remind you of it every chance that I get to do so. The redemption of a single sinner is worth the whole world, the Scriptures say. When one sinner repents, the angels rejoice.
Nothing in our walk though this world is of greater eternal value than leading a lost sinner to Christ.
But instead of pressing the issue, you walked away.
Knowing all that you know, you gave up without a fight. What kind of soldier are you?
If that is your story, or you have one like it, then the answer is, a smart one. A smart soldier would not press a battle against the odds — just so he could say he was in the fight.
Once you've use up all your resources in an unwise and ill-prepared assault, then those resources are no longer available to be deployed elsewhere where they can be of greater tactical value.
You offered Jesus, the offer was rejected. But in making the offer, you planted a seed. What you do next will affect the probability that your seed will take root.
You can continue to pour water on it until it drowns. Or you can plant it, give it as much water as conditions demand, give it a chance to germinate, and let nature take its course.
Planting the Gospel is sometimes like that. You plant it by sharing the Gospel, but sometimes, like planting in saturated ground, you can overwater and drown the seed.
Sometimes, just planting the seed is all that is necessary, and then its time to let the Holy Spirit take care of the nurturing.
Instead of drowning the seed in your eagerness to get it to take root, sometimes its better to let it germinate, even if it means somebody else will get to reap the harvest.
If your concern is for the health of the seed rather than your profit from the harvest, then it is not such a big deal if somebody else gets to harvest it.
Should you have pressed that person who clearly didn't want to be pressed?
Ask yourself how you react when a salesman keeps pestering you after you tell him you'll think about it.
Not only won't you buy from that salesman, odds are that you won't buy that brand, either, even though the salesman had nothing to do with the quality of the product.
Jesus knows whether or not you've done the job He sent you to do. How does He tell us to handle rejection? Does He tell us to press the issue until it comes to blows?
No. He says: "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." (Matthew 10:14)
"And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them." (Luke 9:5)
"He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me." (Luke 10:16)
When Paul and Barnabas attempted to preach the Gospel, "the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts."
Paul and Barnabas did their best. They preached the Word, the offered the salvation of Christ, and the Word was rejected. What did they do next?
"[T]hey shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium." (Acts 13:50-51)
"And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ."
Notice that Paul and Timothy were moved by the Holy Spirit to witness to the Macedonians. Notice also what happened when the Macedonians didn't want to hear it.
"And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." (Acts 18:6)
This was the Apostle Paul, and the Bible says it was the Holy Spirit moved him to preach. But the Macedonians were free to choose.
Paul and Timothy didn't browbeat them, but rather, Paul said, "I've done what the Lord sent me to do. From here on out, it is up to you."
Paul was not a bad Christian. He wasn't weak, he wasn't wishy-washy, he wasn't uncaring. Paul was God's chosen evangelist to the Gentiles.
But Paul understood that the seeds he planted would grow unto the Lord, or they would NOT grow unto the Lord.
There is an old saying to the effect that "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
And if you try, you'll probably drown the horse.
It wasn't up to Paul to do more than the task that God put before him. Neither is it up to you.
It is our duty and our solemn responsibility to make sure everyone we meet has a chance to choose whom they will serve in this life and where they will spend eternity.
But it is not up to them to make the choice for them. Or to feel responsible when they choose badly. It's not we that we failed Him.
The seed we plant may not germinate for decades, but that's up to God, not us. That's where the 'trust' part takes over.
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)
Don't beat yourself up. Your job is to take the stand as a witness. It's up to the Holy Spirit to obtain a conviction.
"Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it." (1st Thessalonians 5:24)
There are times when its our job to plant the seeds, then get out of the way and let Him take it from there.
Beginning of Wisdom
Vol: 77 Issue: 26 Tuesday, February 26, 2008
For most of the 20th century, the best-known, and arguably most influential atheist in the English-speaking world was English philosophy professor Antony Flew.
The Oxford-educated Flew was the son of a Methodist minister who regularly attended lectures by famed Christian apologist C. S. Lewis.
Although his field was the philosophy of religion, Flew's reputation as a prominent atheist thinker and apologist with the 1966 publication of "God and Philosophy" and his 1984 work, "The Presumption of Atheism."
In 2004, at age eighty-one, Professor Flew renounced his belief in atheism with the publication of a new book entitled, "There is a God."
Flew's 'conversion' was primarily intellectual, rather than spiritual — he didn't convert to Christianity, but rather, he came to the intellectual conclusion that atheism was unsupportable and that the evidence supported the existence of a Deity.
To a Christian, that doesn't seem like much of a leap, but the atheist community was scandalized.
In 2006, when Flew joined eleven other British academics in petitioning the British government to teach Intelligent Design, the secular community lashed out.
The New York Times Mark Oppenheimer reported that Flew's book had been ghost-written by Roy Abraham Varghese and that the book reflected Varghese's religious perspective — and not Professor Flew's.
In his article, Oppenheimer characterizes Flew as a senile old man being manipulated and exploited by evangelical Christians for their own ends.
Varghese denied it, but the New York Times seldom allows the truth to interfere with a good story, and the Flew story was no exception.
Finally, Flew himself issued a statement through his publisher, Harper Collins, in which he set the record straight:
"My name is on the book and it represents exactly my opinions. I would not have a book issued in my name that I do not 100 percent agree with. I needed someone to do the actual writing because I'm 84 and that was Roy Varghese's role. The idea that someone manipulated me because I'm old is exactly wrong. I may be old but it is hard to manipulate me. This is my book and it represents my thinking."
Flew's conversion was, as I noted earlier, intellectual, rather than spiritual. Professor Flew changed his mind as a result of what he considered to be hard evidence, not faith.
In an interview following his book's publication, Flew explained;
"What I think the DNA material has done is that it has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce (life), that intelligence must have been involved in getting these extraordinary diverse elements to work together."
The antipathy of the secular humanist community for their former champion is understandable. Flew's transformation, in the eyes of his followers, from 'enlightened thinker' to 'demented old man' was a necessity.
Had Flew simply become a Christian, his 'conversion' would have been much easier to dismiss. Atheists don't view Christians as demented, but rather as delusional, which is both a distinction and a difference.
Christians might be irrationally optimistic, but no intellectually honest thinker would care tp argue that C. S. Lewis was mentally defective.
Christians come to faith as the result of being convicted of their sinful state, which to the secular mind is the same as being motivated by guilt.
A secular thinker understands what 'guilt' means, even if he finds the concept of an Eternal Judge irrational. But Flew's conversion wasn't motivated by an understandable, if "irrational" sense of guilt.
Flew's conversion was the consequence of reasoned analysis, based on the otherwise inexplicable scientific evidence of Intelligent Design revealed by DNA research.
That is why his book, "There Is A God" had to be dismissed as either the confused ravings of a demented old man, or as a fraud perpetrated by a manipulative ghost writer.
A Deist is really a rational atheist stripped of both his intellectual comfort level, and of most of his best arguments.
An atheist is convinced there is no God, no heaven, (and especially!) no hell, no eternal accountability and, most importantly of all, in the supremacy of man.
At the end of this life, there is only the certain darkness of the grave. Nothing to worry about. Just a cessation of consciousness.
Deists, on the other hand, have neither the confidence of the atheist, nor the assurance of salvation that motivates the Christian. They arrive at their conclusion that there is an Intelligent Designer behind our existence based on reason, logic and evidence, but refuse to accept the notion of a personal God by faith.
Deists leave the questions of heaven, hell, eternity, etc., to theologians, but in so doing, leave themselves with fewer answers than either atheists or Christians do.
To a Deist "Intelligent Design" can mean anything from a Creator God to space aliens.
The atheist's insurance is that he is accountable only to himself. The Christian's assurance is that Christ has made Himself accountable on his behalf.
The Deist has neither insurance nor assurance, just a vague sense of ultimate accountability to some kind of Deity.
It takes little faith to acknowledge what can't be explained away, but for Dr. Flew, it's a beginning.
The Bible teaches that the "fool hath said in his heart, there is no God" but that, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
"God Only Wrote One Bible"
Vol: 77 Issue: 25 Monday, February 25, 2008
There has been a battle raging within the Church since about the middle part of the 19th century, when a Coptic monk at an Egyptian monastery was building a fire for a guest.
The guest was Friedrich Constantine Tischendorff, who was traveling under the patronage of Fredrick, King of Saxony, in search of old manuscripts.
While staying at the Convent of St Catharine, he noticed some old-looking documents in a basketful of papers for lighting the stove.
On closer examination, he recognized it to be an ancient piece of the Bible. Ultimately, the convent yielded a complete New Testament manuscript dating to about 400 AD.
Tischendorf stunned the world when he unveiled his 'Codex Sinaiticanus' the oldest known complete 'autograph' [hand-copied manuscript] of the Bible in existence.
"Not so fast," said the Vatican. "We just happened to have discovered an old manuscript in one of our vaults. Interestingly enough, ours dates to about 400 AD, as well."
The Vatican's manuscript was dubbed "Codex Vaticanus" for obvious reasons. The year was 1845.
Until then, the English-speaking world had relied primarily on the 1611 King James Version of the Bible.
But the Age of Enlightenment was sweeping Europe, and the discovery of the two previously unknown codexes (a 'codex' is really just a scroll) coincided with the wave of New Thinking.
The discovery of significant differences between the two older manuscripts and the Textus Receptus (Received Text) manuscript relied on by the KJV translators 250 years earlier created an intellectual Perfect Storm.
The oldest existing copy of the Textus Receptus dates to around the tenth century, and was recopied in secret as each old manuscript wore out from the 1st century forward.
King James rejected the Latin Version, and ordered a new English Common Bible be translated from the Textus Receptus.
That set the stage for the battle (that continues to rage to this day) within the Church between the KJV purists and users of other translations.
Many of the combatants aren't even sure what the battle is about, defending their chosen version primarily on the grounds that it is easier to read.
The controversy behind the battle revolves around those differences between the manuscripts used for the translations. Some of them are very suspicious.
For example, a fundamental doctrine of Roman Catholicism that separates it from most other branches of Christianity is that of infant baptism. Wars were fought over it during the Reformation.
But it seems so clear from the Scriptures. . .
In Acts Chapter 8, the Ethiopian eunuch is reading Isaiah 53 when Philip happens by. The eunuch asks Philip about the passage, and the Scripture says,
"Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus."
Clearly, Philip's preaching bore fruit, for the Scripture continues, saying, "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" (Acts 8:35:36)
Okay, checklist time. Philip shared the Gospel with the Ethiopian. The next thing he asked was, in essence, 'what are the requirements for baptism?'
There's no other way to interpret the question. "I heard the Gospel. There's the water. What's stopping me from being baptized?"
According to the Textus Receptus, "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:37)
See? I told you the whole infant baptism thing seems so clear from Scripture.
If an infant can say that he believes with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, then the infant is eligible, by the authority of Scripture, to be baptized.
So what is the controversy? Well, it kinda depends on what translation you are using to support your argument.
If you are using the New International Version that was translated from the Codex Vaticanus, you will discover that your Bible doesn't have an Acts 8:38.
Acts 8:36 is there, and Acts 8:38 is there, but either you don't have an Acts 8:37 or there's an asterisk to the notation, "this verse isn't found in the best (meaning Vaticanus/Sinaiticus) translations."
If you are reaching for your NIV to support your argument against infant baptism, the problem becomes immediately apparent.
Ok, that's the argument in favor of the T.R. in a nutshell. Obviously, I barely scratched the surface of the argument in a few hundred words.
I personally study the KJV. And I believe there are flaws in the other translations. But I don't insist that all other versions are either worthless or Satanic.
You see, the reason that I believe there are flaws in the other translations is because guys who CAN read Greek, Latin and Coptic Egyptian compared all three and THEY said there were differences.
Things that are different are not the same, so, if there are differences, it is clear that there are flaws somewhere.
But since I can't read Greek, Latin and Coptic, never translated the TR or the CV/CS, in the end, I am choosing the KJV as the superior text primarily on faith, am I not?
Where have I placed my faith? In God? Or is my faith in what one set of translators say, rather than that of another set of translators? Or faith in what one group of writers and thinkers say, rather than that of another group of writers and thinkers? And so on.
After all, if I am to charge out there and defend the King James Version of the Bible, I should be sure I am defending God's Word, and not that I am defending what a group of 15th century translators said was God's Word.
I have my reasons for being suspicious of the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts, but when you get right down to it, I don't know without first looking it up which modern translations are from CV/CS and which are not.
I don't know what the motives of the translators were, don't know where they went to school, don't know their names, actually, I don't know much about them at all.
But I doubt they are all demoniacs united in some shared conspiracy.
Actually, I don't know the names of the KJV translators, where they went to school, or what their motivations were, either.
About all I know for sure is that they translated the KJV first.
As to which is the superior translation, well, by faith in the translators whom I've never met, the intellectuals and scholars whom I've never met, and tradition passed down through the generations, I can confidently pronounce the KJV the superior version.
But based on what my 'superior' translation says, my faith is supposed to be in the Holy Spirit to illuminate God's Word to me, to make it real, to lead me and guide me, and to be confident that He will not steer me wrong.
Here's what I know. I know the Holy Spirit speaks to me through my KJV. I can study and learn from the other versions, but He speaks to me through the KJV.
But I also know some intellectually honest and spiritually sincere Christians who cannot understand a word of it. It isn't because they are too thick. It's because they can hear Him speak to them through another translation.
Logically, if the only valid translation is the KJV, does that mean that anybody who uses a different version is a bad Christian? Or more susceptible to deception?
Is the Holy Spirit limited in what He can impart spiritually to a sincere believer by the physical arrangements of English words on paper?
Is that all it takes to shut God down?
So, you may ask, "how many Bibles are there? God only wrote one Bible."
(I agree. But He published it in Hebrew and Greek, so He left His Spirit here to help the rest of us understand it all — without it losing anything He wants us to know in the translation. )
Must the Swahili Bible be translated from the English KJV to be valid? Or the Russian Bible? What about the French? (Well, theirs would be in French, and therefore, superior in any case, so that's a bad example)
Debating about the superiority of the various Bible versions is as much an exercise in intellectual pride than theology.
Don't believe me? What does it mean if you win the argument? Think that through for a second.
He won't be any more saved, but you can bet you haven't strengthened his faith in the Bible. If he still can't understand the KJV, and he goes back to his more comfortable version, he'll be too guilt ridden and suspicious of it to get anything out of it.
And since he can't follow the KJV, it means that you won the debate — but he's left without his Bible. Congratulations.
Ok, one might argue, why can't he follow the KJV? He's clearly not trying!
(Well, ok, then, but when you finish making this argument, be sure and get up. God may want to take His throne back.)
"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12)
Now, that verse raises yet another debating question. Which is 'milk' and which is 'strong meat'?
Trusting in a particular English translation of a Book? Or trusting in the Personal tutelage of its Author?
You tell me.
Is The New Testament?
This Is The New Testament?
Vol: 77 Issue: 23 Saturday, February 23, 2008
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2nd Timothy 4:3-4)
At this point in the process, nobody can yet say with 100% certainty who will be on the November presidential ballot, although the smart money right now is betting on McCain vs Obama.
Or, if one is taking one's political cues from the mainstream media, its the Antichrist vs. the Messiah.
According to the New York Times, (and many conservative commentators) the Antichrist is John McCain. There's something about John McCain . . .
Last month, the NYTimes endorsed his candidacy. Last week, the New York Times ran a negative story about him so thin that even many Democrats leaped to his defense — including uber-Clintonite loyalist Lanny Davis.
I won't go into all the details — you can get that from the news, but Davis called the NYTimes' charges 'meritless' and even argued in McCain's defense.
"It is sad and unfortunate that facts are not included to make a fair story and that good journalism rules were not followed," Davis said, while emphasizing he does NOT support McCain.
The fact that prominent Democrats are coming out in McCain's defense has McCain's critics on the Right flummoxed, as well.
They were all set to launch their own assault on McCain, but the NYTimes' hit piece forced them to rally around their antichrist candidate.
David Brody, writing for CBN, noted: "In [the] conservative world, if The New York Times does a 'hit job' on you, then you wear that as a conservative badge of honor. This story could actually help John McCain."
Indeed it could. Sean Hannity has been among McCain's most vocal conservative critics. But when the McCain gossip column appeared on Page One, and above the fold, Hannity was livid.
"This is the most despicable act of liberal bias that I have seen in my life," he thundered.
"They wanted you to come to a conclusion, and that is that Senator McCain had some kind of relationship with a female lobbyist and did special favors for her. It is beyond disgusting and despicable."
While conservatives struggle to find something they like about the antichrist, liberals have unabashedly embraced Barack Obama as their Messiah.
Last year, Tim Noah at "Slate" inaugurated the "Obama Messiah Watch," asking:
"Is Barack Obama–junior U.S. senator from Illinois, best-selling author, Harvard Law Review editor, Men's Vogue cover model, and 'exploratory' presidential candidate–the second coming of our Savior and our Redeemer, Prince of Peace and King of Kings, Jesus Christ? His press coverage suggests we can't dismiss this possibility out of hand."
That was a year ago. A Google search for the words "Obama" and "messiah" this morning returned more than a quarter million results.
There is even a blog called, "Is Barack Obama The Messiah?" that tracks quotes from True Believers.
For example, this quote from the Dallas Morning News February 28:
It was more like church – not the stuffy kind, but roof-shaking soul church where people testify and dance in the aisles when the spirit's upon them.
"It's electric! Can't you feel it?" said one man, who told me he was headed for work at the IRS after the rally. I could feel it, because it's a fundamental element of crowd psychology that the expectation of "electricity" creates it. . . . "
This photo of Barack Obama was taken at a fund-raiser in April and published in New York Magazine under the title, "The Transfiguration."
Notice the man sitting to the right in the picture (on Obama's left) in the blue shirt. That is billionaire and Moveon.org patron George Soros. Notice also, the reverent, misty-eyed adoration of his followers.
Also listed among Obama's Apostles are Oprah Winfrey, who gushed that Obama's 'eloquence' is rooted in the fact he has "a tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth."
MSNBC's Chris Matthews, (who actually moderated MSNBC's presidential debates) abandoned any pretense of journalistic impartiality, babbling of Obama;
"I've never seen anything like this. This is bigger than Kennedy. [Obama] comes along, and he seems to have the answers. This is the New Testament."
A few other Obama quotes out there on the net include:
"The atmosphere at his events is such that one wonders if Obama is about to walk out with a basket with some loaves and fishes to feed the thousands," wrote Geoff Elliott in The Australian.
"It's almost like the Messiah, you know?" said a young woman at one of his rallies, according to WCCO in Minnesota.
"It was raw, naked, complete, worship, love, heart-whole passionate stunned and almost unbelieving but desperately wanting to believe him adoration," wrote one skeptic who was quoted after attending an Obama rally.
"He is their Messiah. It's a cult."
In a piece called "The Liberal Messiah" in the American Thinker, J.R. Dunn says that the cult of personality surrounding Obama is symptomatic of how liberals see their leaders.
"A leader is a transcendent being, someone more than human, someone with a touch of the divine," writes Dunn.
"Leaders don't handle tasks, they lead movements, they embody the spirit of the age. They transform. Leaders, to put it simply, are fuhrers. This explains why liberals are so attracted to tyrants on the international scene."
What I find so fascinating is the role reversal. The secular media literally worships Obama, using adjectives like 'messiah" and 'messianic' in almost every story covering his campaign.
In the meantime, conservatives are doing their level best to find something defensible about their Antichrist candidate.
Before the Silly Season is over, I expect to see at least one pro-McCain rally where they are holding up signs saying, "McCain – Not the Messiah."
A 'New Testament' election — between the Messiah and the Antichrist — to see who will govern the 'Great Satan' — that's a lot of religious imagery for a 'secular' nation like America.
And the timing is interesting, isn't it?
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:24)
Belgrade Burning. . ..
Following Kosovo's declaration of independence last weekend, NATO Secretary-General said KFOR would "respond swiftly and firmly against anyone who might resort to violence in Kosovo."
Moscow warned that it would not rule out the use of force, if necessary, to resolve the dispute over Kosovo's recent declaration of independence — especially if NATO gets involved.
"If the EU works out a single position or if NATO steps beyond its mandate in Kosovo, these organizations will be in conflict with the U.N., and then I think we will also begin operating under the assumption that in order to be respected, one needs to use force," Dmitry Rogozin said, in comments carried by Russia's Interfax news agency.
The Russians have refused to recognize Kosovo's independence, triggering a diplomatic standoff with the US and a number of EU states who had immediately recognized Kosovo's declaration.
On Thursday, Belgrade erupted into rioting as angry Serbs protested the US extension of recognition, changing, "Kosovo is Serbia" and vowing never to accept its independence.
In an massive case of understatement, Richard Holbrooke, former Clinton negotiator to the Balkans was quoted telling reporters:
"The fact that (independence has) not happened as peacefully as people had hoped is the direct result of the incitement to violence by extremist elements in Belgrade, implicitly and privately supported by the Russians."
Ya think?
America's instantaneous recognition of Kosovo's independence raises what seem to me to be two significant questions. The first question is also the most obvious (and the most difficult to answer): Why?
Thanks for a decade of NATO-supervised ethnic cleansing, the majority of modern Kosovars are actually Albanian Muslims.
Kosovo was historically the center of medieval Serbia, until it was captured by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Consequently, to the Serbs, Kosovo is the heart and soul of its medieval history.
The displacement of the Serbs under Ottoman rule in the 14th century is called "the great migration' by Serbians to the present day. Serbians have as long a memory as do their Islamic counterparts.
In the First Balkan War in 1912, Serbian forces joined a Balkan alliance against Albania to avenge their defeat by the Turks 400 years earlier.
The Balkan Wars revived Balkan aspirations for independence, and Kosovo became its symbol. To Serbs, Kosovo is a legendary symbol of Greater Serbia, a symbol of the ideology of rebellion against foreign rule.
On June 28, 1914, a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo. The Serb separatists chose June 28 for the assassination deliberately.
In Serbia, June 28 is "Kosovo Day". British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans emphasized the enduring power of Kosovo in the Serbian pysche:
"The memory of Kosovo, one of the greatest battles of the world, decisive even in its indecisiveness, remained alive up to contemporary times."
American journalist John Reed also noted the power of the Kosovo legend.
"The Serbs carry on a hero cult, and today with the name of Milos Obilic they bracket that of Gavrilo Princip; the former stands for Serbian heroism in the tragedy of the Kosovo Field, the latter for Serbian heroism in the final liberation.
Gavrilo Princip's assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the culmination of the Kosovo ethos of self-sacrifice and martyrdom on behalf of one's people or nation."
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo was the fuse that ignited World War I. The spark that lit the fuse was Kosovo.
In a sense, Kosovo is Serbia's Jerusalem. Which returns us to the question of why Washington was so quick to recognize its independence.
While Kosovo represents the historic and spiritual soul of Serbia, under the Ottomans (and later in the 1990's under NATO and UN supervision) Kosovo was ethnically cleansed of its Serbian population, leaving modern Kosovo primarily inhabited by Albanian Muslims.
American recognition of Kosovo is therefore as much a slap in the face of Serbia as US recognition of an independent Kurdistan would be to the Iraqis, Iranians and Turks. And by extension, a slap in the face to Moscow.
The fallout from the Kosovo declaration, as already noted, includes a Russian threat of military force against NATO. It resulted in the burning of the US Embassy in Belgrade, and has split the world down the middle over the issue.
Serbian President Boris Tadic warned the United Nations (UN) Security Council yesterday that Kosovo s unilateral secession was likely to shake the world order for years to come.
"This arbitrary decision represents a precedent, which will cause irreparable damage to the international order," Tadic told the 15-member council.
China, concerned that Taiwan will be next, expressed its 'grave concern' over the US decision. Spain, Romania, Cyprus, Greece and Slovakia have all joined the Russians and Chinese in denying Kosovo recognition, Brazil and India say they are studying 'the ramifications" of Kosovo's declaration.
Would that Washington had done the same thing – because the answer to the question of why the US stuck its neck out for Kosovo is, "I haven't got a clue."
Just about the last thing either the United States or the EU needs is another independent Islamic state, particularly one located in the heart of Europe.
Why embrace Islamic Kosovo at the cost of further alienation of Russia, China, Serbia and half of Europe, including Spain?
President Bush said he was extending recognition to Kosovo in the "interests of peace." Maybe its just me, but shouldn't the 'interests of peace' result in, well, peace?
Do you remember the last time Belgrade erupted into violence? It was when Bosnia-Hercegovina broke away from Serbia. US recognition resulted in a Serbian-NATO war.
Interests of peace? Perhaps we need to redefine the term, then.
Which brings us to the second question: What will Russia do if the NATO 'peacekeeping' forces attack the Serbian Army, should it attempt to recover its breakaway province by force?
It is not hard to envision the outbreak of war between Russia and NATO in such a scenario.
And it conjures up the spectacle of America, Old Europe and Osama bin Laden on one side, fighting China, Russia and the other half of Europe that opposes recognition of a new Islamic Republic on its doorstep.
How many sides can we be on at the same time?
What would America do if the Latino population of California declared independence and suggested unification with Mexico? Would China and Russia be justified in bombing the US to prevent a US military effort to reclaim California?
There is no logic to be found in America's decision to support the creation of a majority Muslim state in the birthplace of Serbian Orthodox Christianity, and plenty of logical reasons for opposing it.
One need look no further than what happened last time, following the events of Kosovo Day, 1914, to find a really good one.
Is Kosovo worth another World War?


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Tensions rise ahead of Kenya polls
NAIROBI – ALLEGATIONS of vote rigging have marred the registration exercise and heightened tensions ahead of crucial elections scheduled for Kenya in August.
Opposition leader and former prime minister, Raila Odinga, has claimed the National Intelligence Service was illegally registered people in neighbouring Uganda and Ethiopia to boost the votes of the ruling Jubilee Alliance.
Odinga said the NIS-driven process was responsible for the multiple registrations, shared identity card numbers and many cases of ghost voters.
"It is a disgrace and a betrayal of public trust when an institution that is supposed to safeguard the interests of the nation takes the lead in undermining those very interests," he said.
More than 15,8 million Kenyans are registered to vote in the August elections which will pit incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and Odinga, who has lost
the elections thrice times before.
The number of voters could rise to more than 24 million after the end of the current registration exercise ending on February 14.
Tensions have characterized the run up to the poll in the East African country of 47 million.
Kenyatta has accused Western countries of planning regime change through non-governmental organisations working in the country.
Clashes following the disputed 2007/08 election left 1 000 dead and 600 000 displaced.
The International Criminal Court cited Kenyatta as a suspect but he was cleared.
Networks Unltd first Africa Silver Peak distributor
AFCON champs Ivory Coast staring elimination

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text:
Q: In Excel, how to return the month for the LA value? I wanted to get the returned value of Nov-18.
How is that possible?
Please take a look at the Excel snippet example:

Thank you very much in advance!

A: Use AGGREGATE in and INDEX formula:
=INDEX(6:6,AGGREGATE(15,6,COLUMN(G7:M10)/(G7:M10 = F14),1))

A: Hi Looking at your data assuming you have data in F6:M10. you can use below formula in cell against your input cell where you are giving LA i.e. G12 is your input cell and H12 is for formula : =INDEX(G6:L6,1,MAX(IF(G7:L10=G12,ROW(G7:L10),0))-5) then press Ctrl+shft+Enter..it will work.Now keep changing input in G12 and you will get output.

A: You can use below array formula in cell F7 :
=INDEX(A1:H1,1,MAX(IF(B2:H5=E7,COLUMN(B1:H5),0)))
Considering Your data is available in cells A1:H5 and your input(i.e. LA) in cell E7.
Do not forget to press CTRL+SHFT+ENter after writing the formula
If you want to riturn the house name as well type formula in cell F8:
=INDEX(A1:A5,MAX(IF(B2:G5=E7,ROW(B2:H5),0)),1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Weird Behaviour of Enumerate while using pandas dataframe I have a dataframe(df):
df = pd.DataFrame({'a':[1],'l':[2],'m':[3],'k':[4],'s':[5],'f':[6]},index=[0])

I am using enumerate on row.
res = [tuple(x) for x in enumerate(df.values)]
print(res)
>>> [(1, 1, 6, 4, 2, 3, 5)]  ### the elements are int type

Now when i change the datatype of one column of my dataframe df:
df2 = pd.DataFrame({'a':[1],'l':[2],'m':[3],'k':[4],'s':[5.5],'f':[6]},index=[0])

and again use enumerate, i get:
res2 = [tuple(x) for x in enumerate(df2.values)]
print(res2)
>>> [(1, 1.0, 6.0, 4.0, 2.0, 3.0, 5.5)]  ### the elements data type has changed

I am not getting why?
Also i am looking for a solution where i have to get it in its own datatype.
For eg.
res = [(1, 1, 6, 4, 2, 3, 5.5)]

How can i Achieve this?

A: This has nothing to do with enumerate, that's a red herring. The issue is you are looking for mixed type output whereas Pandas prefers storing homogeneous data.
What you are looking for is not recommended with Pandas. Your data type should be int or float, not a combination. This has performance repercussions, since the only straightforward alternative is to use object dtype series, which only permits operations in Python time. Converting to object dtype is inefficient.
So here's what you can do:
res2 = df2.astype(object).values.tolist()[0]

print(res2)

[1, 6, 4, 2, 3, 5.5]

One method which avoids the object conversion:
from itertools import chain
from operator import itemgetter, methodcaller

iter_series = map(itemgetter(1), df2.items())
res2 = list(chain.from_iterable(map(methodcaller('tolist'), iter_series)))

[1, 6, 4, 2, 3, 5.5]

Performance benchmarking
If you want a list of tuples as output, one tuple for each row, then the series-based solution performs better:-
# Python 3.6.0, Pandas 0.19.2

df2 = pd.DataFrame({'a':[1],'l':[2],'m':[3],'k':[4],'s':[5.5],'f':[6]},index=[0])

from itertools import chain
from operator import itemgetter, methodcaller

n = 10**5
df2 = pd.concat([df2]*n)

def jpp_series(df2):
    iter_series = map(itemgetter(1), df2.items())
    return list(zip(*map(methodcaller('tolist'), iter_series)))

def jpp_object1(df2):
    return df2.astype(object).values.tolist()

def jpp_object2(df2):
    return list(map(tuple, df2.astype(object).values.tolist()))

assert jpp_series(df2) == jpp_object2(df2)

%timeit jpp_series(df2)   # 39.7 ms per loop
%timeit jpp_object1(df2)  # 43.7 ms per loop
%timeit jpp_object2(df2)  # 68.2 ms per loop

A: The issue is that calling df2.values will cause df2's data to be returned as a numpy array having a single dtype, where all the integers are also coerced to float.
You can prevent this coercion by operating on object arrays.

Use astype(object) to convert the underlying numpy array to object and prevent type coercion:
>>> [(i, *x) for i, x in df2.astype(object).iterrows()]
[(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.5, 6)]

Or,
>>> [(i, *x) for i, x in enumerate(df2.astype(object).values)]
[(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.5, 6)]

Or, on older versions,
>>> [(i,) + tuple(x) for i, x in enumerate(df2.astype(object).values)]
[(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.5, 6)]

A: Your df2 has mixed dtypes:
In [23]: df2 = pd.DataFrame({'a':[1],'l':[2],'m':[3],'k':[4],'s':[5.5],'f':[6]},index=[0])
    ...:

In [24]: df2.dtypes
Out[24]:
a      int64
f      int64
k      int64
l      int64
m      int64
s    float64
dtype: object

therefore, using .values will "upcast" to the lowest common denominator. From the doces:

The dtype will be a lower-common-denominator dtype (implicit
  upcasting); that is to say if the dtypes (even of numeric types) are
  mixed, the one that accommodates all will be chosen. Use this with
  care if you are not dealing with the blocks.

It looks like you actually just want .itertuples:
In [25]: list(df2.itertuples())
Out[25]: [Pandas(Index=0, a=1, f=6, k=4, l=2, m=3, s=5.5)]

Note, this conveniently returns a list of namedtuple objects, if you really just want plain tuples, map tuple on to it:
In [26]: list(map(tuple, df2.itertuples()))
Out[26]: [(0, 1, 6, 4, 2, 3, 5.5)]

But there's really no need.


text:
Q: Is there a way to get access properties from a multiple nested looping groovy test step to utilize the values in other test steps in readyapi I have a project which consists of a rest step and utilizing these values to sql and another groovy step that takes values from the data source of the rest request.
Now for certain dynamic values I need to utilize another rest request and have to write a groovy script to get properties to the existing project.
Problem : I have a nested json and I need to grab 3 to 4 values from multiple objects and utilize them in the existing script

A: A good way to reuse values generated or reuse values in general in ReadyAPI is to leverage the "Property Transfer Test Step" This test-step will allow you to store values that you may come to use later.
Take a look for more information on property-transfer here
https://support.smartbear.com/readyapi/docs/functional/steps/property-transfer.html


Little Mae's big sister clearly adored her baby sister from day one! Just look at the sparkle in her eyes!
Grandma came to the session with the family, so I was sure to create a couple of images of with her son and new granddaughter.
Heather Glude, award-winning Newborn Photographer in Seattle, specializes in posed newborn sessions in her studio in Greenwood, Seattle. She also offers fine art maternity sessions and milestone sessions for your older babies.


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Titanfall (PC)
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Welcome to Titanfall Welcome to the edge of civilisation. view larger Crafted by one... more
Product information "Titanfall (PC)"
Welcome to Titanfall
Welcome to the edge of civilisation. view larger
Welcome to the edge of civilisation
In Titanfall, many generations of humanity live in the deepest reaches of explored space. This vast region is known as the Frontier. It contains many well-known and inhabited solar systems, but many more worlds remain uncharted. Most people will never travel this far away from normal civilisation; but for pioneers, explorers, mercenaries, outlaws, and soldiers the Frontier offers both adventure and opportunity.
The factions
The IMC
The Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation started out small, in natural resource extraction industries, under the name Hammond Engineering. Increasing demand for Titan manufacturing materials, combined with Hammond's market-cornering planetary survey technology and map database rights, contributed to explosive growth for the company. Over the course of a century, a series of acquisitions, mergers, and rebrandings lead to the transformation of Hammond Engineering into the ruthless commercial empire that is the IMC.
With the Frontier's valuable shipping lanes and vast planetary resources ripe for exploitation, the IMC is dedicated to maximising profits and shareholder wealth, using the legal application of force when necessary.
The Frontier Militia represents the military arm of the Frontier systems' territorial defense pact. The Militia is a loosely governed mishmash of homesteaders, bandits, mercenaries, and pirates, all rising up as 'citizen soldiers' when the need arises. Each brigade within the Militia is responsible for fighting in an assigned section of Frontier territory. Although some brigades are little more than vast pirate organisations, the Militia has enough resources to be a real obstacle to the IMC's ambitions on the Frontier.
The Militia often claims that direct action against the IMC is in the best interest of the homesteaders whom they allegedly represent, but not everyone on the Frontier sees it that way.
The combatants
Titans are descendants of present-day fledgling military exoskeletons. In addition to the obvious combat applications, unarmed forms of Titans are used in heavy industries like cargo transport and deep space ship salvage. They are also used in special applications such as deep space search and rescue, and are very effective in inhospitable environments. The use of Titans is widespread throughout the Frontier in both combat and civilian life.
As a multi-role Titan, the Atlas excels where all other models fall short. The Atlas represents the state-of-the-art in weapons platforms and provides good protection and increased mobility over the Ogre chassis. Whether the mission demands reconnaissance, rapid assault, fire support, tactical support, or a combination of all these, Atlas frontline elements are dependable, powerful, and, importantly, get results.
There are no two ways about it – the Ogre is engineered to be the ultimate battle tank, in Titan's clothing. As a consequence, the Ogre places a premium on its armour and offensive capabilities. When your mission demands maximum survivability, the Ogre is the only battle platform which consistently out-performs, out-shines, out-lasts, and out-lives everything else on the battlefield.
Stryder
Survivability through speed and agility is the key to the Stryder's considerable battlefield prowess. Faster than every other Titan chassis on the market today, the Stryder's mobility is the culmination of many years of award-winning R&D into linear and rotary actuator technology. Of course, even with this agility advantage, the Stryder does not sacrifice any of the superior features your mission has come to depend on in the Hammond Robotics line of Titan battle platforms.
As with Titans, the Frontier contains Pilots of many different styles and experiences. Titan Pilots are rated by 'certifications', most of which apply to civilian applications, such as construction, shipping, and heavy salvage industries. The most prestigious of these is the Full Combat Certification, a widely published series of tests that grade a Titan Pilot's abilities. Because of the extreme physical and mental challenges of mastering both Titan combat and dismounted parkour movement, a fully combat certified Titan pilot is a rare find, and the combat skills of active Pilots in the field varies widely throughout the Frontier.
If you have never played classic Titanfall before, this is the place to start. Kill anything on the enemy team to earn Attrition Points! This includes enemy Grunts, Spectres, Pilots, Titans, and Dropships. The winning team is the one that hits the score limit first, or has the highest score when the time is up.
Last Titan Standing
In Last Titan Standing, all Pilots start in a Titan. Your team must eliminate all of the enemy team's Titans or Pilots to win. This is a round-based mode, and the team that wins the best of five rounds wins the match. Within each round, there is no respawning, and there are no replacement Titans, until the next round starts. However, if your Titan is destroyed, and you successfully eject, you can continue to play as a Pilot, helping your teammates eliminate the other team's Titans.
Hardpoint Domination
This game mode is all about capturing and holding three system nodes, known as hardpoints. Capture and hold the three hardpoints on the map for your team to earn points – the more hardpoints you hold, the faster you accrue points. Capture neutral hardpoints by standing near them for a short period of time. Retake enemy-held hardpoints by standing near them for a longer period of time – a hardpoint must be rendered neutral before you can begin to capture it. If enemies are near a hardpoint, you must find and eliminate them before any capturing or neutralising can occur.
Steal the enemy flag and return it to your base, while stopping the enemy team from grabbing your flag! To score a capture, your team's flag must be present at your base, set into its pedestal. Then, if you have the enemy flag, capture it by running through your team's flag at your base. The winning team is the one with the most captures when the match timer runs out.
Pilot Hunter
In Pilot Hunter, it's all about hunting or being hunted! Kill the enemy team's Pilots to reach the score limit and win – one point is awarded for each Pilot killed. Although killing Grunts and Spectres in this mode will not earn points towards your team's score, doing so will still give you build time reductions on your replacement Titans and Titan Core Ability.
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Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg > Animal > "I Started Early, Took My Dog": Everyday Magic, Day 544
"I Started Early, Took My Dog": Everyday Magic, Day 544
Okay, so 9 a.m. isn't exactly early, but it's earlier than I usually take my dog for a walk, and it's the start of what I'm hoping to make into a summer tradition. Summer in May? Absolutely: it arrived over a month early and acts like it'll be around a while. In any case, I set out, leash in hand, in the tradition of other poets. Emily Dickinson, who wrote "I started early, took my dog," obviously did the same, and it seems, from reading Mary Oliver's poems, that she's always out early and often with the dog.
I soon realized the wonder and goodness of such a walk, first thing after drinking my coffee-almond-milk concoction in the tub. Beyond the reality that Shay needs a lot of activity (and lord knows, I need more too), there's the sheer beauty of the morning. Dainty pale yellow butterflies, slips of love notes, fluttered through. Other butterflies were equally abundant (and was that a monarch I saw?). The birds sang, phoebe to phoebe in that squeaky song of, "I'm here, are you there?" as if they were checking in on cell phones. Butterfly milkweed, the bundles of future flowers still green, filled the field.
The dog, like all dogs, had to stop and add his contribution to certain key locations. My friend Danny says it's like a comment section after an on-line article, a way of saying, "Okay, I read what you said, and here's what I have to add." He pees in the exact places along walks in the country and in town as if each spot is a toll booth only dogs can see.
We rambled down to the mailbox, got the paper for our household and my mother-in-law's, and walked the longer way up to her house to greet her and drop off the news. Then it was uphill toward home, the air sweet around us in its brightness and breeze.
While 70 degrees in May is an ideal time to walk with a dog, so is the morning, before my head fills up beyond recognition of projects in various states of completion or disarray. It's enough to make me imagine waking up even earlier on hotter days, maybe eventually as early as Dickinson and Oliver, to see where the dog and day leads me.
In Praise of the Aunties: Everyday Magic, Day 543 →
← How One Weekend Gathering 30 Years Ago Changed Everything: Everyday Magic, Day 545
2 thoughts on ""I Started Early, Took My Dog": Everyday Magic, Day 544"
I especially loved this line: "Dainty pale yellow butterflies, slips of love notes, fluttered through."
jane frydman says:
Caryn, I love your references to doggy toll booths and letters to the editor. Keep on enjoying your walks.
Caryn with her administrative assistant, Shay
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, 2009-13 Kansas Poet Laureate, is a poet, writer, and founder of Transformative Language Arts at Goddard College, where she teaches. Author of more than 20 books of poetry, fiction, memoirs, and anthologies, her most recent and forthcoming publications include Miriam's Well, a novel; Everyday Magic: A Field Guide to the Mundane and Miraculous, and Following the Curve, a collection of embodied poetry. With singer Kelley Hunt, she co-leads Brave Voice writing and singing retreats. Caryn leads writing workshops widely, offers one-on-one writing coaches, and roams the prairies as a visiting scholar.
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Nike Hoop Summit Team USA Report
Nate Duncan is reporting from the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. Today, he looks at the NBA prospects on Team USA.
The United States Junior Select team took a two-game losing streak against the World Select Team into Saturday's Nike Hoop Summit, a game that annually pits the best of the American senior high school class against the some of the best players 19-and-under from the rest of the world. It is the premier scouting event of the high school All-Star circuit because the coaches and players actually try to win. The World team began practicing in Portland on Monday, while a smarting USA basketball* brought in its players a day earlier than normal, beginning practices Wednesday before staging two-a-days Thursday and Friday.
*In the postgame press conference, USA coach Mike Jones of DeMatha High School in Maryland alluded to the fact that he wasn't sure he'd be brought back after the last two losses.
This US team was notable for its vocal, positive attitude in the practices, and they played like it in the game. Team USA fell behind early as they initially struggled to solve World coach Roy Rana's extended 3-2 zone, which he deployed from the jump on makes and dead balls. The US trailed 24-15 at one point after some temporarily hot shooting by the World team, but roared back to take the lead by halftime with the help of foul trouble for the World's three best big men. Ultimately, Team USA's withering press and overall athleticism forced the World into 21 turnovers and held them to an offensive rating of 82.9 over 88 possessions in an 84-73 win. USA basketball did well to assemble a team and coaching staff that brought home a win against a World team that probably would have been favored by most of the NBA personnel in attendance.*
*Those scouts were only allowed to view one USA practice, a Thursday scrimmage against local collegians and low-level pros in which the US made two jumpers outside the paint the entire night.
Although much of the World was comprised of US high schoolers, they lacked any athletic wings the quality of Americans Justise Winslow, Stanley Johnson, Kelly Oubre and Theo Pinson. Much like at the senior national level, where international teams have no answer for the American wings, they proved the difference in this game as well. Here is how the individual American prospects break down.
Potential Stars
Jahlil Okafor, Center, Committed to Duke
Okafor is by far the best known player in this class. By now, most are aware of his strengths and weaknesses. He has fantastic post moves and touch with either hand. The Chicago native is quite light on his feet for someone his size–6'11, 272. His wingspan and standing reach easily check the boxes for a center.
His weakness is exactly what you would expect for a heftier big guy with limited explosion: rim protection. However, his quick feet make him a reasonable pick-and-roll defender, and he was able to switch onto guards on occasion without getting absolutely torched.
Okafor could stand to get into better cardio shape, like most high school big men. When he is fresh though he can get out in transition and is a capable finisher due to his great hands and footwork. While he has become more explosive, he is not going to go up and dunk on anyone, and needs to continue to work on using his body to create space. With his frame, he could also work much harder on Zach Randolph-style duck-ins. If Okafor gets into good enough shape to outwork guys in addition to outskilling them, he could be an absolute terror. At times he over-relies on his balletic post moves when he needs to just put his shoulder into guys, back down and shoot a jump hook. Instead, he likes to catch the ball pretty far out and work his way into the lane with spin moves, but these proved easy to strip from guards digging down. Dealing with double teams is also an enormous weakness of his, as he will simply retreat into the corner when this occurs and rarely makes an incisive pass from the post. All of that should improve in time, and he will likely have plenty of space to operate regardless in Duke's open system.
Okafor has a long windup on his jumpshot, but it goes in pretty well for him from midrange. This will likely be an effective weapon for him in time. I am less sanguine on his prospects as a pick-and-roll finisher due to his lack of explosion, but his great hands and footwork should enable him to be moderately effective rolling to the basket a la Marc Gasol as long as there are not great shot-blockers in his way.
It seems likely that Okafor will be a top five pick next year, but his limited rim protection somewhat limits his ceiling. At this point, I would compare his game, if not his temperament, to a less physical version of DeMarcus Cousins.
Cliff Alexander, Power Forward, Committed to Kansas
Unlike the rest of these players, this was Alexander's first USA basketball event. Alexander's best attribute right now is his ability to power up strong with two-foot dunks around the rim. If he gets the ball on a dump off, it's a bucket or a foul every time. Because he is such an explosive finisher on film, it was surprising to see how short he was in person. He is 6'8 in shoes, although with a 9'0 standing reach and 7'3.5 wingspan. He can also be an impressive shot blocker, although it takes him quite a while to load up and jump so he barely misses a lot of shots in the air. He also has a fledgling jump hook shot, although no real counters at this point.
If he were center-sized with his explosiveness, he would probably be the favorite for the number one pick in 2015. As it is, he will need to develop more of an outside game to become an elite NBA prospect. This may be in the offing, as he shoots his jumper easily with solid form and shoots free throws acceptably for a high school big man. Aside from working on his outside game, Alexander needs to get in better shape from both a cardiovascular and physical standpoint. At 251 pounds, he could stand to lose about 10 pounds and really cut up. It would also help him to slide his feet on defense and jump more quickly.
Alexander's other main weakness right now is his basketball IQ. He only started playing the game a few years ago, and has absolutely no idea how to deal with double teams.* At times in practice his attention seemed to wander, and although he was not awful mentally he was the most likely on the team to mess up a drill or a play.
*He was not helped by the fact that the US team did not practice this at all, despite the fact most of their plays were designed to elicit postups for Alexander and Okafor.
If Alexander can increase his skill level and slim down a bit, he could be a top five pick next year. His upside might be something like Amar'e Stoudemire if he really improves, but there is also the possibility he never develops and remains a raw dunker.
Potential NBA Rotation Players
Stanley Johnson, Wing, Committed to Arizona
Johnson earned his frequent Ron Artest comparisons this week, weighing in at a giant 237 pounds on his 6'7 frame. In fact, I cannot think of a prospect in recent history who has a more apt NBA comparison. He is going to be a terror on defense with his 6'11 wingspan, as he gets copious steals on his man or off ball through anticipation. One on one, he moves his feet much faster than someone his weight should be able to. He really gets into his man and takes pride in his defense. Johnson was particularly impressive in Friday night's scrimmage, when the US overwhelmed local collegians with their press and he had at least five steals. He is a bit handsy out on the perimeter, but that should be easy for Sean Miller to clean up next year. In the game itself, Johnson actually guarded World team point guard Emmanuel Mudiay most of the time. But he then was able to switch to playing as a four and blow by the bigs at the base of the World's 3-2 zone. That lineup was key to the US comeback in the second quarter.
On offense, the Mater Dei high school product is a good one foot jumper, although he is less explosive off two. He did not appear to possess a ton of advanced dribble moves, but the spacing was rarely there for such attempts. His jumper is improving, and he was able to hit about 50 percent of FIBA threes in warmups when he was shooting set shots directly off the catch. Unfortunately, his release is very low in front of his head and he is much less effective shooting actual jump shots off the dribble.
Johnson is not going to be an offensive superstar, but much like Artest he should be able to manufacture points using his strength and an adequate jumper in time. His defense alone should ensure a long career.
Kelly Oubre, Wing, Committed to Kansas
The 6'6, 204 pound lefty might have the best physical profile of anyone on the USA team with his 7'2 wingspan and nuclear powered right calf, as evidenced by his dunk on former Oregon Duck Mike Moser during a scrimmage.
Oubre can also heat up from outside on occasion, hitting two key FIBA threes (the line is a little over two feet beyond the high school line) to spark the US comeback, though he finished 2-7 overall. His jumper waxed and waned, and he looks like he'll be more of a streak shooter than a knockdown spotup guy for the time being.
The Houston area native played his part getting steals in the US pressure defense, although he doesn't D up quite like Winslow or Johnson. For weaknesses, he did not seem to have a lot of advanced dribble moves (though it could be difficult to tell due to the lack of spacing for the US in the halfcourt) and did not shoot a shot with his right hand all week.
With his physical profile and ability to get to the basket and at least shoot passably, Oubre has the makings of a lottery pick. If he can improve his intensity and become a lockdown defender under Bill Self, he can cement that status. Among the four US wings, he has the most upside.
Myles Turner, Center, Undecided
Turner was not at his best this week due to a knee injury. He ran with an awkward limp and pretty much was unable to sprint all week, finally succumbing to a sprained ankle in the game after only seven minutes. Scouts were very concerned about his body, but he was not nearly as awkward when I saw him last year at adidas Nations so it could simply be the result of the injury. He has grown an inch and added 1.5 inches to his standing reach since October, while putting on 12 pounds to get up to 242. He has enormous feet, leading one to think he might grow even more.
At his best, the now 6'11.5 Turner is effective challenging shots with his 7'4 wingspan and 9'1.5 standing reach, but he was not really able to make his presence felt to his usual extent, this week. He also possesses a solid jump shot out to the FIBA three point line, although he had few chances to display this in Team USA's post-centric offense. The Texas native has little feel on the block, and does not look like he'll be comfortable putting the ball on the floor facing up or off closeouts either. Still, a player who can block shots and shoot threes is quite valuable, and Turner could be that assuming his health issues subside. For this week, he gets an incomplete.
Justise Winslow, Wing, Committed to Duke
The Houston native has an NBA body right now at 6'6, 221 lbs, and really has since he was a rising junior in high school. The lefty also has NBA athleticism, showing an ability to sky behind the defense for alley oops off one or two feet, pressure the ball and get out for dunks in transition. He also exhibited a quick first step in the half court going to his left, although he struggled to finish over challenges at the rim when he couldn't dunk the ball.
In the actual game, Winslow overwhelmed the World team at times with his athleticism and intensity, much as he did for Team USA at the U-19 World Championships in Prague last summer. Against higher quality athletes at adidas Nations last summer and in the practices here, he was not able to exert his will on the glass and in transition quite as easily. In those settings, his deficiencies are more apparent. His jumper is a work in progress, and while he is clearly working on going right and finishing right handed neither is an effective weapon for him yet. He can dribble the ball upcourt, but largely dribbles defensively because he is not confident enough in his handle when smaller guards are around in transition. He is also very handsy on defense when defending on the perimeter, a tactic he should soon be disabused of at Duke with the new college emphasis preventing contact on the perimeter.
At a minimum, Winslow's physical profile, good character and motor should give him an NBA future. Whether he can become more than just a back of rotation defensive wing depends on how much he can improve his shooting, non-dunk finishing and moves off the dribble.
Theo Pinson, Wing, Committed to North Carolina
As the thinnest of the US wings, the 6'6 Pinson was not the physical force of nature that the rest of the US wings were, but he probably has the best game off the dribble. He is a good but not great athlete who can slither to the basket and is effective in transition. He also has a nascent in between game for shots in the lane where he can't get all the way to the rim. Pinson got going from outside in Friday night's scrimmage, but aside from that his flat jumper was not falling and did not really appear to be a great weapon at this point, at least from the FIBA line.
His biggest project right now is to get stronger. He has only gained six pounds in the last two years, and weighed in at only 188 at the Hoop Summit. Strength will help his finishing at the rim and ability to get there to begin with when he hasn't completely beat his man. On defense he too has a huge wingspan of 6'11, but was not a stopper on the level of Johnson or Winslow. Adding strength will help there as well. Right now, he is reminiscent of a worse-shooting Tony Snell. To become an NBA rotation player in the future he will have to get much stronger or become a much better shooter.
Of note, Pinson managed to tough out an ankle injury sustained in Thursday's scrimmage to make it through two practices Friday and the game on Saturday.
Tyus Jones, Point Guard, Committed to Duke
Jones is going to be a very steady college point guard. He runs the team, knows when to make incisive passes or simply the right one and generally avoids turnovers. His in between game is wonderful, as his floaters from the dreaded 3-9 foot range were money all week no matter what angle he was penetrating from. Down the stretch, he abused the World team's Jamal Murray for a couple of buckets to ice it for Team USA.
Unfortunately, he lacks a standout offensive skill aside from his passing. He lacked the ability to finish at the rim even at this level, which has resulted in his developing the aforementioned floater. At 6'1 with a 6'3 wingspan and only 7'10 standing reach, he does not have impressive size for a pro point guard. He also is not really a leaper–he doesn't dunk even on fast breaks–and his quickness is perhaps slightly below average by NBA standards. He exhibits solid form on his jumper, but was not willing to shoot when the defense went under the pick and roll. He took a few wide open threes but largely missed them. I suspect he will improve his shooting in time though, as his jumper is not broken by any means.
Jones is a high character player who doesn't make mistakes. That could eventually get him a role in the league as a backup point guard. But he's unlikely to be a starting level player unless he can improve his jumper to nearly automatic.
Good College Players
Reid Travis, Power Forward, Committed to Stanford
Despite being listed at only 6'7, the Hoop Summit roster listed Travis as a center. This proved accurate, as he doesn't really have the quickness to play away from the basket. While he readily takes 17 footers, his jumper is pretty hitchy and does not project to be a major weapon without some refinement. Travis is a sculpted 6'8, 241, with commensurate 7'0 wingspan and 8'8.5 standing reach that is adequate but not spectacular. His game evokes Carlos Boozer's in college, before he evolved into a solid midrange shooter. However, he is not quite as strong as Boozer, nor does he jump as high at this point. He does show more defensive effort though, and moves his feet well for his size.
Travis' best attribute right now is how hard he plays, which manifests on the offensive glass and racing the floor in transition. He crashes the glass hard for tip-ins, although he can't quite get up for follow dunks. The key for Travis' NBA future will be developing a midrange jumper (ironing out the kinks in his form) and increasing his explosiveness. Right now to these eyes he projects as the type of player who will stay in college and could eventually be a second round pick, but lacks much more upside than that.
Joel Berry, Point Guard, Committed to North Carolina
Joel Berry struggled more this week than anyone on either team. He goes 6'2, 185 with a 6'3 wingspan, and appears to be an average NCAA athlete for the point guard position. He has solid form on his jumper, but didn't appear comfortable shooting even at the college three point line. The North Carolina commit struggled with turnovers throughout the week, with entry passes to the US post players proving a particular foible. Other than odd man fast breaks, he wasn't really able to get to the basket either.
Berry didn't hurt the US in the actual game, but Tyus Jones played 32 of the 40 point guard minutes for a reason. Throw in the fact he just turned 19 on April 1, and it is hard to see Berry as much of a prospect at this point. Frankly, it was surprising that Berry was considered the second-best point guard in this class by USA Basketball.
James Blackmon, Jr., Shooting Guard, Committed to Indiana
The 6'3 Blackmon has one outstanding skill: His jumper was money all week when left open out to the international three point line. With a 6'8.5 wingspan, he should be able to hold down the shooting guard position just fine at Indiana. However, he probably is not athletic enough to really qualify as an NBA prospect either, especially since he turns 19 in a few days himself. The only way that might change is if he can develop some point guard skills and become a lockdown defender a la the similarly sized George Hill, but Blackmon did not display that type of mentality or quite that level of athleticism this week. Although not a top-level prospect, Blackmon was a good choice for a Hoop Summit team that needed shooting.
Programming Note:
We previously ran a preliminary report after last Thursday's practices, and will have a full report on the World team, including Karl Towns, Emmanuel Mudiay and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk in the next few days.


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