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Illinois' business climate in decline since 2018, as most neighbors improve
Dylan Sharkey
by Dylan Sharkey
During the past five years, Illinois' business tax climate has gotten worse while all neighboring states improved or held steady. Six companies this year said they are relocating, and the exodus may not be over.
New business rankings found Illinois has gotten more hostile towards business as its neighbors improved or stayed the same, according to the Tax Foundation's 2023 State Business Tax Climate rankings.
Illinois ranked 36th in the nation for business tax climate, down seven spots from the 2018 rankings.
The rankings use five major taxes: corporate, income, sales, property and unemployment insurance.
This year, businesses such as Tyson, Citadel, Boeing, Caterpillar, FTX and Highland Ventures announced moves out of Illinois. Caterpillar's former CEO warned Illinois a decade ago that changes needed to be made, yet the state has moved in the wrong direction for the past five years as far as tax policy.
McDonald's Restaurants CEO Chris Kempczinski said his company might also leave.
"It has become increasingly difficult to operate a global business out of the city of Chicago," Kempczinski said. "Make no mistake… McDonald's commitment to Chicago is not corporate altruism. It's not open-ended. It's not unconditional. As a publicly traded company, our shareholders wouldn't tolerate that."
The stifling business atmosphere takes a toll on the working class. As of September, Illinois had the highest unemployment rate in the nation.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who's up for re-election, claims his administration has focused on working families. Taxes and unemployment make that questionable.
Illinois' tax burden is largely driven by property taxes, which are the second highest in the nation. The Tax Foundation said Illinois' flat state income tax is a bright spot that keeps its tax ranking from sinking lower.
Pritzker tried to change that in 2020, putting $58 million of his own money into the campaign for a progressive state income tax. Voters rejected his proposal.
Now Amendment 1, a property tax hike disguised as a "workers' rights amendment," would worsen Illinois' business climate by keeping commercial property taxes on the rise. The proposal at the top of the Nov. 8 ballot would empower government unions to make significantly greater demands, which taxpayers would be forced to fund.


Just in time for New Year's parties and all those bowl games – we've gathered 10 mouth-watering recipes for healthy, easy, hot appetizer dips. We absolutely can't wait to try these, and are super-excited to share them with you!
After hours reading our fave blogs and sifting through our megalodon-sized recipe collections, we finally agreed on the 10 recipes for hot appetizer dips that we are dying to make.
For our Top 10 lists, we specifically look for recipes that generally fit our THK requirements of being healthy or offering nutritious advantages. Of course, whenever possible, we're always fans of subbing lower-fat dairy products, and adding in a few more whole grains or veggies – all those usual THK tricks. But, with maybe just a minor tweak here or there, these are all recipes we would feel good about serving to family and friends. We think you'll feel good about them, too!
Happy New Year, friends! We can't wait to share 2014 with you!
These all look so yummy! I'm super hungry right now! 🙂 thanks for doing this great round-up!
Haha Jenn – I know what you mean! I can't stand too close to the dip or I'll eat every last bit! It's definitely a fave at our house!
This is such a fantastic group of recipes! Hot dips have such a bad rap for being heavy and greasy, but I LOVE them! I'm so impressed by these gorgeous, healthy recipes. Great resource for entertaining! Pinning now! Happy Healthy New Year to you lovely ladies! It's been such a pleasure getting to know you this year and hope that at some point in 2014, our paths will cross and we'll get to meet in person!
Happy New Year Caroline! We've really enjoyed getting to know you as well – meeting in person would be sooo much fun!
Thanks for sharing my Black Bean Dip!! 🙂 Great round-up. Happy Holidays!
Loving this round-up! I'm always up for new apps ideas!
I never knew there was such a thing as a healthy dip! You made my day! Can't wait to try some of these!
What a fabulous and delicious top 10 line up! Hope you are both enjoying your Holidays.
Thanks for the round-up, girls! I'm bookmarking it, as I think I'll be making one of those chicken dips for New Year's party! They all look scrumptious!


On the weekend of August 11-12, the U-18 Glengarry Hearts girls soccer team played in the 'AC Douglas Tournament' in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The team won its first two games on Saturday, placing the team first in its group and then the team went directly to semi-finals. The team finally came away victorious from the tournament after quite an exciting final which was settled by the way of a shootout.
Coaches and parents send their congratulations to U-18 Glengarry Hearts for their hard work during that tournament and thank you to their coach and manager for their dedication!


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In pure evolutionary terms, it's understandable and quite normal for people to experience some internal resistance to the change process and please let me explain. An important function of our non-conscious brain is to keep us safe, whereby it determines the most appropriate emotional response and initial behaviours for any given situation. For example, if you're walking along a bush track and sense a snake near your feet, you'll automatically jump away before you consciously think about it. This process which operates exclusively at the non-conscious level is part of the "fight or flight" instinct. Without such a mechanism, the human race would have struggled to evolve through past environments that were physically dangerous and unforgiving.
Nowadays, the non-conscious brain stills maintains its constant vigil and stays on alert for any threats to our survival. Because we are creatures of habit who crave established routines, any changes to the environment creates discomfort and anxiety. These negative emotions activate the "fight or flight" mechanism and we're once again at the mercy of our evolutionary instincts.
Typically, our "flight" response to modern day change involves sealing ourselves off from those around us and attempting to ignore what's happening. The other common response is to "fight", where individuals actively resist change through negativity, destructive criticism and even sabotage. Neither response delivers a productive outcome when attempting to negotiate a world of change.
I believe the most effective way to function in a world of change is for individuals to develop and nurture a "can-do" mindset whilst staying relaxed and in a positive emotional state wherever possible.
Make the effort to understand the "bigger picture" perspective of the change that you may be experiencing at a local level.
Have confidence in the knowledge that amidst a sea of external change, we currently have access to all the tools necessary to create and live a life of health, happiness and abundance!


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Frostbite #1 Review
Posted September 28, 2016 by Josh McCullough in Comic Books
Art by: Jason Shawn Alexander
Publisher: DC Vertigo
Now that writer Joshua Williamson is a DC Exclusive, his creator owned works are now set to be appearing a Vertigo, which is seeing a bit of a resurgence after some shaking years following an influx of new talent. I'm a big fan of Williamson's Birthright, so was eager to see what he could do for Vertigo. This introductory issue of Frostbite manages to be a solid start, although a little bit formulaic.
Frostbite is set 57 years into a new global ice age, the world runs on heat, a limited resource, leaving many to freeze to death. An even worse fate is to succumb to frostbite, reducing the victim to a block of ice. Our comic follows a small group of people tasked with transporting two scientists across the plains of ice. Things go south fast however as the scientists' pasts make them targets.
I won't lie, I found a lot of this plot to feel a bit formulaic. It often felt a little too much like a young adult dysptopian novel as opposed to the more mature entertainment I associate with Vertigo. You've got an altered apocalyptic world, a limited resource paralleling the real world, a group of hardened survivors and a deadly viral outbreak. The reveals and world building is admittedly pretty interesting and well paced, but it was hard to shake the feeling it was a story I'd read many times before.
Thing do start to heat up (I went back and forth over this, I'm keeping the pun) towards the end however, when something I previously thought of as a negative becomes the books' biggest strength. When the, admittedly obvious, twist about the scientists comes out, the reaction of our main character is rather unexpected, and leave the book in an interesting position moving on to issue 2. It caught me off guard in that way only Williamson manages to do, and my previous criticism about not knowing much about the characters was wiped away when I realised that was exactly the point. I don't know anything about the characters we're travelling with in the story, which make me excited to see how future conflicts will be solved.
Jason Shawn Alexander has some nicely creative artwork in the book. Some backgrounds are blank which initially feels a bit lazy, but it does do a good job generating a feeling of a cold and snow swept landscape. It carries the oppressive feeling of the environment well and contributes a good deal to the world building. There are some really weird angles though, such as when a character is shot, it was really hard to tell where each character was in position to where. The perspective felt quite off, and while it sounds like nitpicking, it did suck me out of the moment a bit.
Overall though, Frostbite is a solid debut to a book that has potential, though right now feels a little formulaic. Williamson is at his best when he plays with old tropes twisting them into new possibilities, and given how the issue ends I'm excited to see how things deviate from the norm as we go forward. Though right now, unfortunately nothing about this screams "must read", though it is nicely solid if you're looking for a new sci fi book on your pull.
comics, DC, featured, Frosbite, Jason Shawn Alexander, Joshua Williamson, review, sci-fi, slider, Thriller, Vertigo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Apex & the Limits is a band made up of current Salesforce MVPs. We produce parody songs and original compositions to give back the community we hold so dear. Want to know more about the band? Check out our blog post: Why A Band?


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text:
Q: Asp.Net Core: How do I display an image? Hey I tried to make a page in Asp.Net Core and I want to put an image in the background but the way I tried wasn't very successfully.

Or when I tried to make a normal picture it didn't work either:

A: first make sure your picture folder is in wwwroot and make sure you have
app.UseStaticFiles() in startup. ,after than, try this :

or

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Deadline by J.J. Livingston
L.A. Times journalist Whit McKenna is recovering from a harrowing assignment in Afghanistan. Seeking refuge she moves with her two daughters to a small Southern Oregon town and works as a crime reporter for the local newspaper.
A month on the job and she's assigned to cover the murder of a famous actress. Thrust into the media firestorm, Whit's PTSD kicks in full force with disturbing flashbacks, each one exposing repressed memories of her nightmare in Afghanistan. Years of journalistic instincts strengthen her resolve and with dogged determination she pursues the sensational story.
When two more high profile members of the community end up in the morgue with the same gruesome detail, Whit joins forces with medical examiner detective Katie Riggs. Quid pro quo they follow a trail of deception.
Medical science has played a twisted part in this deadly drama and each front page article she writes brings her closer to a vicious killer who will stop at nothing to silence his victims.
DEADLINES is available from Amazon.
Jeffery Deaver, The Bone Collector and Solitude Creek
"A nonstop thrill ride! Turn the first page and your hooked. And Livingston has given us one of the most memorable heroes in recent crime fiction, Whit McKenna–love her!"
J.J. began her writing career as a journalist. She graduated from California State University, Fresno with a degree in journalism and worked as a crime reporter for the Fresno Bee.
Interested in foreign affairs she traveled to Russia in the late 80's and lived in London studying art and literature.
After touring much of Europe the hard way, on foot with a backpack, she later returned to Berlin for a foreign correspondents seminar.
While abroad she traveled into the war regions of Croatia and wrote an award winning article on the women and children refugees.
Notable interviews as a journalist: President Jimmy Carter, Israeli Prime Minister Abba Eban, activist Ralph Nader and authors Isabel Allende and Francine Rivers.
She has two daughters and lives in Oregon with her pug, George.
Previous ArticleThe Warrior Monk (A Seventeen Series Short Story) by AD StarrlingNext ArticleLegend of War Creek by Randall Reneau


text:
from __future__ import absolute_import
from ....scan import Dispatcher
from ...comm import _merge_path_item
from ..objects import PathItem
from ..attrs import PathItemAttributeGroup

class Merge(object):
    """ pre-merge these objects with 'normalized_ref' """

    class Disp(Dispatcher):
        pass

    def __init__(self, app):
        self.app = app

    @Disp.register([PathItem])
    def _path_item(self, path, obj):
        if obj.ref:
            obj.get_attrs('migration',
                          PathItemAttributeGroup).final_obj = _merge_path_item(
                              obj, path, '2.0', '2.0', self.app, PathItem,
                              PathItemAttributeGroup)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Die Filialkirche Maria Hohenburg steht weithin sichtbar auf einem nach Süden steil abfallenden Felsen nordwestlich von Pusarnitz in der Gemeinde Lurnfeld. Die Filialkirche der Pfarre Pusarnitz wurde 1706 über der 1473 erwähnten Markuskirche zu einer Wallfahrtskirche ausgebaut.

Baubeschreibung
Die Kirche besteht aus einem kurzen, einschiffigen Langhaus über unregelmäßigem Grundriss und einer halbkreisförmigen Apsis, die von der romanischen Vorgängerkapelle stammt. An der Nordseite ist eine Sakristei angebaut. Der gotische Südturm wird von einem barocken Zwiebelhelm bekrönt. Am romanischen Südportal ist ein ornamentaler Relieffries mit Flechtbandwerk und einer Tiergestalt sowie eine Reliefplatte mit Kreuz aus dem 12./13. Jahrhundert eingemauert.

Im Inneren ist das Langhaus flach gedeckt, der Triumphbogen durch Chronogramm mit 1765 bezeichnet. Ein kunstvoll geschmiedetes Gitter trennt den Altarraum vom Langhaus.

Einrichtung
Der reich mit Akanthus geschmückte Hochaltar von 1714 trägt über dem Tabernakel eine Kopie des Gnadenbildes "Unsere Liebe Frau von Altötting" und darüber eine Schnitzgruppe der Krönung Mariens. Die Marienfigur dieser Figurengruppe sowie das ursprüngliche Gnadenbild wurden 1973 gestohlen. Die Oberbilder zeigen den Evangelisten Markus und seitlich die Heiligen Erasmus und Laurentius.
Die Seitenaltäre entstanden um 1720. Der Altar links vorne trägt die Statue des heiligen Johannes Nepomuk und zeigt am Altarblatt den heiligen Bruder Konrad von Altötting und am Oberbild den heiligen Georg. Am rechten Altar sind die Heiligen Antonius von Padua und Florian dargestellt. Am zweiten nördlichen Seitenaltar steht die Figur der heiligen Anna, flankiert von den Heiligen Katharina und Barbara. Das Mittelbild gibt die Heilige Sippe wieder, das Oberbild den heiligen Franz Xaver.

Die Kanzel aus dem ersten Viertel des 18. Jahrhunderts wurde 1739 von Anton Miller gefasst und trägt am Kanzelkorb die Statuetten der Evangelisten und am Schalldeckel die Büste Gottvaters. Das daneben angebrachte Holzrelief der Kreuztragung Christi vom Anfang des 16. Jahrhunderts war wohl die Predella eines zerstörten Altars. Neben dem Seitenportal steht ein eisenbeschlagener Opferstock.
Zur weiteren Ausstattung der Kirche zählen Votivbilder aus dem frühen 18. Jahrhundert, wie die Darstellung eines Kranken und der zwölf Nothelfer von 1724, ein Votivbild der Christina Priesinger von 1712 und ein Votivbild von 1703.

Literatur
Dehio-Handbuch. Die Kunstdenkmäler Österreichs. Kärnten. Anton Schroll, Wien 2001, ISBN 3-7031-0712-X, S. 971 f.

Weblinks

Hohenburg
Hohenburg
Hohenburg
Hohenburg
Gotisches Bauwerk in Kärnten
Hohenburg
Baudenkmal (Kärnten)
Hohenburg

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Simangele (aka Sima) is a full time student at Stellenbosch University studying B.A Language and Culture. She is a radio presenter and news reader on The FrequenC , a weekly show Sunday afternoons on MFM 92.6.
Voice clients include: Cape Town Fish Market, 4home.co.za and Telkom Mobile, Optinose Nasal Spray; Zulu voice work, TransPerfect (US) and Zulu voice work for telephone voice prompts.


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The 2018-19 elections in Russia and Ukraine (1) will change Eastern Europe's political landscape. That could mean new chances for an end to (or escalation of) the war between Russia-led irregular separatists and Russian regulars, on the one side, and Ukrainian governmental forces (as well as some paramilitary units) in the eastern parts of the Ukrainian Donets Basin, on the other.
In both cases the Russian and Ukrainian political leaders' behaviour has more to do with internal than foreign factors. But the domestic political implications of the Russia/Ukraine conflict in both countries diverge, contradicting the widespread belief that the two countries' leaderships of Ukraine are equally big winners of the war on both sides of the 'contact line'.
Read also Laurent Geslin & Sébastien Gobert, "Ukraine's energy dilemma", Le Monde diplomatique, March 2015. Vladimir Putin's Ukraine adventure has been a principal source of his increased popularity. It has even led sociologists to speak of a new 'Crimea consensus' in Russian society – a largely manufactured, yet widespread, collective agreement among much of Russia's population about the justice and legitimacy of Moscow's territorial, political, cultural and economic claims in regard to Ukraine. Moving the date of the 2018 Russian elections to that of the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Russian-Crimean annexation treaty (18 March), and Putin's electoral win, show the importance of the aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign to Putin's support.
This is in contrast to Ukraine, and to the sudden rise of the once secondary Petro Poroshenko in spring 2014 to contender for, then holder of, the first post-Maidan presidency. His unexpected post-revolutionary prominence came from a presumption in large parts of Ukrainian society that the experienced politician and negotiator would be the right choice to bring peace and security, under the difficult conditions of an increasingly aggressive Russia and rapid socio-economic decline of post-Maidan Ukraine.
Initially, the victory of the anti-oligarchic 2014 Revolution of Dignity had pointed to a new political era with statesmen and -women from outside the old oligarchic system. This prospect changed with Russia's covert military annexation of Crimea and invasion in the Donets Basin or Donbas (2). Under the shock of the loss of territory, escalating war in eastern Ukraine and resulting economic dislocations, the Ukrainians gave their vote to the former minister. Poroshenko had (and still has) the defect of being one of Ukraine's leading oligarchs but he was, in spring 2014, widely assumed to be able to lead the Ukrainian state out of the deepening crisis in its foreign affairs, and absence of internal cohesion and industrial potential.
The recent drop in Poroshenko's popularity has more to do with his failures in domestic affairs than his inability to bring peace and re-establish full control over eastern Ukraine (not to mention Crimea). Most Ukrainians criticise his unwillingness to change the country's oligarchic order – or to fully disengage from his own business interests, in and outside Ukraine. But his political descent is also because of his inability to fulfil the hopes of his 2014 voters – to improve relations with Russia, end the war in the east, and restore the 'People's Republics' in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to government control. Had Poroshenko delivered on this campaign theme, voters might have partly forgiven him the inconsistencies of his domestic reforms.
Poroshenko was unable to solve the major foreign issue, Ukraine's bloody confrontation with Russia, and was not willing to push through any real domestic transformation. Now he seems doomed to lose the coming elections. He could even rival the embarrassing record of his former patron Viktor Yushchenko, who lost the 2010 presidential elections coming fifth place with a miserable 5.45% of the vote.
The forecast for 2019 is that the leadership in the Ukrainian executive and legislature could provide an international pretext for – and domestic impulse to – the solution of the Donbass conflict. The hope is that a change in Ukraine's leadership will, with the accumulating effects of western sanctions against Moscow, lead to a reset in Russian-Ukrainian relations, and motivate Putin at last to decide to pull out from the Donets Basin.
(1) Russia's presidential took place in March 2018; Ukraine will have presidential and parliamentary polls in 2019.
(2) The Donets Basin or Donbas region is named after its small Siverskyy Donets river, and not after the city of Donetsk or the large Russian river Don, as sometimes wrongly assumed in western commentaries.


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Dialogue & Rebuttal: Dramaturgy Note
Written by: Carol Ann Tan
The playwright of 對話與反詰 (1992; Dialogue and Rebuttal), Gao Xingjian, is the first writer of Chinese descent to win the Nobel Prize for Literature — "for an œuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama." This achievement has gone largely ignored by his homeland: All of his works have been banned in China since 1989. But while many people will be captivated first and foremost by Gao's relationship to Chinese society and politics, Gao arguably resists classification as a "Chinese" artist — he became a French citizen in 1998 — and instead, his work is better viewed through a transnational lens.
Born in 1940 in Jiangxi province in eastern China, Gao graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University with a degree in French. In 1966, when the Cultural Revolution began, Gao feared that his intellectual interest in European culture would invite persecution under Mao Zedong's government, and so burned an entire suitcase filled with his writings. Despite this, he was still sent to a reeducation camp in the countryside to perform hard labor for six years. "It was only during this period, when literature became utterly impossible, that I came to comprehend why it was so essential," Gao said.
Gao was not allowed to travel abroad or publish his work until 1979. Once that restriction was lifted, Gao began establishing a prolific body of work that encompassed short stories, novels, essays, and plays. As the resident playwright of Beijing People's Art Theatre, Gao became a pioneering voice for experimental theater in the country. However, because his work often challenged the central tenets and beliefs of Maoism, plays like 車站 (1983; Bus Stop) and 彼岸 (1986; The Other Shore) ended up drawing heavy condemnation from Communist Party officials. As a result, Gao decided to leave China in 1987 — moving first to Germany, and then to France.
But it was Gao's reaction to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 that sealed his exile from the country. The Chinese government had attempted to quell the protests by force, leading to a death toll that may have exceeded 10,000. Appalled by the government's actions, Gao publicly renounced his Communist Party membership and published the play 逃亡 (1989; Escape). The Chinese government retaliated by banning all of his works and declaring him persona non grata. Gao was unruffled: "I heard the news on the radio that people were gunned down, and right then, I knew I was looking at exile." He tore up his Chinese passport and applied for political asylum in France.
So by the time Gao won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2000, he had already been living in France for over a decade. During this time, he lost interest in China — a country that no longer welcomed his voice — and instead, turned his attention towards European issues. He also began writing separate works using two languages (Chinese and French). Notably, Dialogue and Rebuttal was written during this shift in Gao's priorities and perspective, though relatively early on — in 1992, some five years after he'd first left China.
And today, Gao disavows all political or national labels — directly contradicting the scholars and organizations who seek to frame his identity and work as "Chinese." According to Gao, "In my creative work, you can't distinguish between influences from East and West and there is no need to; they are all my culture." And perhaps Gao resists such labels because of the high value he places on individuality and autonomy. After all, he sees his departure from China as entirely voluntary. As he once declared, "If I have chosen to live in exile, it is to be able to express myself freely without constraints."
Despite Gao's many claims to fame, his work is not often produced on American stages. But this seems like a missed opportunity, considering the degree to which his voice has influenced the landscape of contemporary global literature. As a fellow immigrant artist, I'm delighted to be directing Dialogue and Rebuttal and sharing Gao Xingjian's words with Chicago audiences this August.
Learn More About The Performance
Malik Gillani August 8, 2018 Silk Road Rising
Sand on a Distant Star: Dramaturgy Note
Brent Eickhoff August 15, 2018
Speaking As Then: Dramaturgy Note
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text:
Akvarij je lahko:

 Akvarij - običajno steklena posoda za ribe idr. v vodi živečih živali
Akvarij (ustanova) - ustanova za prikazovanje življenja vodnih (morskih ali skladkovodnih) bitij (živali in rastlin)
Akvarij-terarij Maribor
Akvarij Piran
 Akvarij (drama) - drama Evalda Flisarja


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5th March 2012: The first malaria vaccine clinical trial to be carried out in Ireland is currently underway. It is the only clinical trial of an interventional vaccine currently being carried out in Ireland, and is the first clinical trial of its kind to be conducted in Ireland. The aim of the trial is to determine whether the vaccine is safe and produces an immunological response to malaria.
The clinical trial is being carried out by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) in collaboration with the Jenner Institute at Oxford University in the UK. It is funded by the European Vaccine Initiative (EVI), a European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG).
Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD, said: "I am very encouraged to see Irish researchers becoming part of this international effort, directing their well recognised skills and talents towards this important work.
Malaria is a huge global public health problem. Approximately 1.24 million(1) people die from malaria annually. The deaths are predominantly of children under five years in Africa. About half of the world's population are at risk of infection.
The clinical trial is contributing to building Ireland's international reputation as a world-class centre for innovation and research and development of new medicines and builds on Ireland's existing large pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing industrial base.
To date, 18 people have volunteered for a pre-enrolment health check-up, and 9 people have begun the study. Further healthy adults who have not had malaria are needed. People interested in finding out more can visit the RCSI website www.rcsi.ie/tropmedresearch or email tropmed@rcsi.ie for further information. The first results from the trial are expected later this year.
The next step in the development of this vaccine will be to establish the effectiveness of the vaccine in a phase IIa challenge model and through a phase IIb study in a country where malaria is common, with 200 – 300 adults.
The research is being undertaken by RCSI at its Clinical Research Centre at Beaumont Hospital as part of the new Academic Health Centre (AHC) with Connolly Hospital. The AHC aims to increase the capacity and speed of translating basic research ideas into improved clinical outcomes for patients.


text:
Dwayne Johnson recreated this iconic '90s picture of himself for a super inspiring Instagram post
If you were ever in doubt that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was one of the greatest humans ever then you need not look any further.
Following his announcement that he wanted to run for President (something we're 100% behind), and his absolutely killer Saturday Night Live hosting duties over the weekend where he announced that he wanted non-other than Tom Hanks to be his running mate (again, something that we're 100% behind), Johnson shared a touching and heartfelt message on to Instagram, all while retaining his signature humour.
The actor, whose latest movie Baywatch is released tomorrow (May 25th), shared an old school picture of himself, and fans of internet memes might recognise it.
Johnson posed in the '90s wearing a black turtleneck, a fanny pack, a silver chain, blue dad jeans, and even had flattop hair. The whole thing is incredibly iconic, and one heck of a look.
However, the actor put a more recent picture of himself recreating the iconic look up as comparison, and wrote one incredibly touching Instagram post, too.
When I took this iconic absurdity of a picture in 1996 I was one year removed from sleeping on a used mattress I took from a garbage dumpster in the back of an hourly sex motel. Couldn't afford to buy a bed so we do what we gotta do to get by. You can imagine all the fun colorful bodily fluids I tried my best to clean off. 21 years later I'm taking the same photo backstage hosting #SaturdayNightLive for the fifth time. If you're going thru your own tough times "used mattress" stage, do your best to have faith things'll get better and always be willing to outwork your competition because you never know where life is gonna take you. And ALWAYS remember to place a soft tissue under your left elbow as to protect the fabric of the cheap ass swag turtleneck that had you out here looking like a bad ass buff lesbian. Oh and tuck the thumb in the fanny pack. Always tuck the thumb. 🤙🏾
A post shared by therock (@therock) on May 23, 2017 at 6:57pm PDT
"When I took this iconic absurdity of a picture in 1996 I was one year removed from sleeping on a used mattress I took from a garbage dumpster in the back of an hourly sex motel," he recalled. "Couldn't afford to buy a bed so we do what we gotta do to get by. You can imagine all the fun colourful bodily fluids I tried my best to clean off."
The actor then went on to say how his life had changed in the resulting 21 years, and how he was now hosting SNL for the fifth time. He then went on to share an super inspiring message.
"If you're going thru your own tough times 'used mattress' stage, do your best to have faith things'll get better and always be willing to outwork your competition because you never know where life is gonna take you," he wrote. "And ALWAYS remember to place a soft tissue under your left elbow as to protect the fabric of the cheap ass swag turtleneck that had you out here looking like a bad ass buff lesbian.
"Oh and tuck the thumb in the fanny pack. Always tuck the thumb."
Tbh, with wise words like this, we can't think of someone we'd like to run for President more than Dwayne Johnson.
Originally from Thought Catalog
Tags: 90s, dwayne johnson, instagram, the rock
This dog got a yearbook picture for the most heartwarming reason
Quinoa: The superfood that could feed the UAE in the future…
Editorial May 24, 2017
Instagram adds new features on home screen, adds Reels and Shop tabs
HH Shaikh Nasser posts a poem on Instagram for Turki Al-Sheikh
Vinita October 11, 2020
Vinita September 18, 2020


text:
Tuition reset leads to increase in applications
Megan Postol
Since Utica College announced a radical tuition decrease earlier this semester, the admissions office has noticed a significant increase in applications. "Our application volume has increased," Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Jeffery Gates said. "Our strategy has changed in that we can have an earlier conversation about college costs and value. Families who would not consider Utica in the past are now putting us on their list for consideration due to the tuition reset." The admissions office saw a sharp spike in applications directly following the announcement of the slash in tuition price. The college received a lot of attention, including national coverage, after announcing the cut. The reset takes effect next fall. The cost of tuition will drop from $34,466 to $19,996. After factoring in the average rate of room and board, the sticker price for cost of attendance will total $30,430. "Early on in October we were experiencing double the number of applications and the growth of applications is now around 15 percent," Gates said. "It is very early in the college admissions cycle." Gates told the Albany Business Review that UC has a rolling admissions cycle and usually receives about 5,400 applications a year. He said he anticipates the college will receive close to 7,000 applications this year. This fall, UC saw a record class of 650 incoming freshman and 150 transfer students. Gates said that the goal for the upcoming academic year is an admitted freshman class of 625 and a transfer class of 170. He expects class sizes to remain constant over the next few years. "What we hope is that families who are interested in a private, personal, individual educational experience will come and talk with us and visit campus to see all of the opportunities that are available here," Gates said. The record number of students attending UC this fall will have an impact on the growth and stability of the college. If the increase in applications continues, the college will have to be more selective in choosing candidates to accept. Because of the college's limited space, UC will have to tighten the admissions standards. Effective marketing strategies, in conjunction with the tuition reset, have proved successful in recruiting applicants. Assistant Vice President for Advancement/ Marketing and Communication Kelly Adams said marketing efforts this year have been consistent with the strategies, tactics, and investment of the previous two years. "The objective of our marketing strategies is to raise brand awareness levels and promote UC to prospective students as well as their parents," Adams said. "In short, we want to increase familiarity and favorability of UC." That has included broadcast, out-of-home, and digital media campaigns, mostly concentrated in the upstate New York region as well as select out-of-state regions where UC recruits significant numbers of students. The biggest draw for recent applicants has been the increased affordability of tuition. "While our marketing performed very well the past two years, it's fair to say that more people have taken notice this year due to the reset announcement," Adams said. M


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text:
Patronyme
 Émile Hoffet, (1873-1946), était un paléographe et un religieux.
 Frédéric Hoffet, (1906-1969), était un avocat et écrivain protestant français, essayiste et pamphlétaire.
 Josué Hoffet, (1901-1945), est un géologue et paléontologue français.
 Marieleine Hoffet (1905-1996) était une femme pasteure, épouse de Frédéric Hoffet.

Homonymie
Homonymie de patronyme


text:
1. Combined formative and summative evaluation.
In Halo 2 most of our user-testing efforts on the
single-player campaign were formative. Every ses-
sion was about drilling down into that week's version
of the game, finding problems, and fixing problems
from the previous week. In Halo 3 we extended this
by adding a summative component to our measures.
It was important to us to track how we were doing on
several important high-level constructs from week
to week and over the course of all of our testing. We
were measuring the entire game experience as a
whole, as opposed to just focusing on the drill-down
2. Address broader organizational needs. We're all
familiar with reasons why user experience profes-
sionals use real consumers as the major source of
data collection. What we need to remember, though,
is that many of our processes for data collection can
also be applied to those working on the product.
The Halo 3 team participated in internal playtesting
at strategic points in the development cycle to give
them a chance to experience the entire game experi-
ence in a "clean" way. This was critical, because it
forced the team to step out of their normal role and
become "player" again, giving them the ability to see
things they normally wouldn't have.
Although this work has also been described in
some depth in Wired ( http://www.wired.com/wired/
issue/15-09/), in this essay we've presented the
theory behind the work and the strategic context of
Finally and most important, without the com-
mitment and creativity of the Bungie team, the best
research in the world would make no difference. Our
duty as user researchers is to produce the clearest,
timeliest, most holistic, and most actionable data
possible. We've outlined how we did that for Halo 3.
We wish every user research the opportunity to work
with a team like Bungie at least once in their career.
Life is short, have fun.
Permission to make digital
or hard copies of all or part
of this work for personal or
classroom use is granted
without the fee, provided
that copies are not made
or distributed for profit or
commercial advantage,
and that copies bear this
notice and the full citation
on the first page. To copy
otherwise, to republish,
to post on services or to
redistribute to lists, requires
prior specific permission
and/or a fee. © ACM
1072-5220/08/0100 $5.00
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Dennis Wixon leads a team of more than 20 at Microsoft Game Studios,
which provides consulting and research to make
games fun. He is also a member of the User
Experience Leadership Team, a corporate steering
group. Dennis previously worked at Digital
Entertainment Corporation and has been an active member of CHI.
He has authored many articles on methodology and co-edited Field
Methods Casebook for Software Design (John Wiley & Sons).
Randy Pagulayan has led user research efforts on multiple games at Microsoft Game Studios, includ-
ing Halo 2 (Xbox) and Halo 3 (Xbox 360). Randy
also co-authored several book chapters on user-
centered design in games and has been an invited
speaker for the Nielsen Norman User Experience
Event in 2003 and the Center for Computer Games Research at the
IT University of Copenhagen in 2005. Most recently, he was fea-
tured in a cover story in Wired magazine (September 2007).


text:
Police to escort stem cell transport from Leiden to Amsterdam
By Janene Pieters on October 17, 2018 - 09:30
Hematopoietic stem cell. (Photo: Fnaq / Wikimedia Commons)
A large shipment of stem cells will be slowly and carefully transported from Leiden to Amsterdam, under police escort, on Wednesday. This is expected to cause some inconvenience for motorists on the A4 highway, where at least one lane will be closed, a spokesperson for blood bank Sanquin told NU.nl.
The transport will start around noon, the spokesperson said.
In the cities the transport will move very slowly. On the highway, it will drive at a speed between 60 and 80 kilometers per hour. "On the road the truck carrying the stem cells can not bump too much, because then the nitrogen escapes", the spokesperson said. "The nitrogen ensures that the stem cells stay at a temperature of -160 degrees. If nitrogen escapes, it needs to be replenished. We've already figured out where it could be done on the way, but we'd prefer to avoid it naturally."
Rijkswaterstaat could not confirm the transport to ANP. "We have not received an application for this special transport", a spokesperson said. "That can still happen. If measures must be taken on the road, we must of course be informed. We also do not know anything about the lane that is being closed."
Stem cells are collected from the umbilical cord at birth. Expectant mothers can register to have it done. The process is not burdensome for mother or child, but very important, the Sanquin spokesperson said to NU.nl. "In the umbilical cord of a newborn baby there are valuable stem cells. They are kept for patients. This especially involves cancer patients in whom chemotherapy destroyed their stem cells. Without new stem cells, they often don't survive."
Around 1,500 umbilical cord donations are taken each year at the OLVG in Amsterdam, the Bravis Hospital in Bergen op Zoom, and the Reinier de Graaf Hospital in Delft. These stem cells used to be kept in Leiden, but Sanquin has been concentrating its activities on its head office in Amsterdam for a number of years.
Sanquin
police escort


Wall tiles have been used in homes for centuries, across the world from ancient Egypt to China and beyond. They have remained a part of people's homes consistently throughout this time. Ceramic tiles are durable, made from natural materials and are practical. They can withstand regular cleaning and the moisture, humidity and temperature fluctuations of a kitchen or bathroom. But they don't just have to be practical. Decorative wall tiles can be a beautiful addition to home decor – turning a plain wall or splashback into a striking feature wall. In this blog, we are going to look at some decorative tiles ideas for your interior design project.
Decorative tiles have been used to create incredibly beautiful designs, while protecting walls, for centuries.
These red rose border tiles add a subtle little touch of colour to a otherwise plain wall.
Another popular and subtle way to use decorative tiles to add interest to a tiled wall and break up a large tiled area is to just choose a few to scatter here and there on your wall. Single flower tiles work well in this type of design, either using the same tile and repeating – or a selection of different decorative wall tiles adds even more interest.
These decorative wall tiles with pale pink roses were originally painted in watercolours, giving them a hand-painted effect, with delicate colours and lots of detail. Another way to break up a plain tiled wall by using just a few decorative tiles.
But there's no need to stick to one colour or style – this pattern has both blue and pink Hydrangea flower decorative tiles.
Alternating plain and decorative tiles in a check pattern is another popular tiling pattern. Using tiles in a checker pattern includes lots of detail and interest while keeping an element of plain tiles too.
Until recent years, decorative tiles have often been either brightly coloured without a pattern, or geometric patterns. Moroccan and Mexican tiles are often colourful and brightly patterned, but at Floral Tiles we wanted to create wall tiles which were more detailed, with softer colours and vintage-inspired. So Floral Tiles have created a range of more than forty floral patterned tiles, in a range of styles and colours.
Some of the decorative tiles in Floral Tiles' range.
Some of our decorative wall tiles are based on antique botanical illustrations, which is a great way to use tiles in a room with vintage decor. Other tiles in the range were originally painted in delicate watercolours, giving them a hand-painted look.
Patterned decorative wall tiles are 'seamless' in some cases – meaning that they can be placed together to create a larger pattern. Patterned tiles can be a good choice if you would like to create a feature wall in a kitchen or bathroom – where patterned wallpaper often struggles to withstand the moisture and humidity for long.
Here is an example of a seamless pattern – with a grey and white roses design – where the pattern continues when the tiles are placed together. There are many grout colours available, so it could be possible to choose a grout to match the tile too. If you like this pattern but not the colour, it is available in dark blue, light blue, pink and yellow, too.
A highly decorative seamless pattern, this time in a retro, mid century style floral pattern with bright pinks, yellows and teal.
These vintage style floral tiles can be placed together to create a pretty pattern, almost Victorian in style.
Of course, not all decorative tiles have seamless patterns or need to be used as part of a repeated pattern. Some, such as this blue and white roses design could be used as part of a checker pattern, or with other decorative wall tiles to create a patchwork feature wall (more on that later).
There are companies who will take your own photo or illustration and print it onto tiles – a good option if you have very specific colours or style in mind, or you have a favourite photo you'd like to use to create permanent wall art.
A tile mural is a design or image which covers multiple tiles – some can be huge and cover entire walls. Floral Tiles don't currently offer photo tile printing or tile murals, but a quick Google should turn up lots of options if this is what you had in mind for your decorative tiles.
Tile murals are usually images which cover multiple tiles and can be highly decorative.
If you'd like to be really creative with your decorative wall tiles and create a unique and eye-catching feature wall, patchwork tile patterns are an excellent way to do this. Patchwork patterns tend to use an eclectic mix of decorative tiles with different colours, patterns and styles to create a colourful interior design statement.
Patchwork patterns can be based around a certain colour scheme, such as this pink example.
Or as in this example of decorative wall tiles being used to create a patchwork pattern – in greens.
Alternatively, the pattern can be based on your favourite type of flower – such as this pink Hydrangea example.
Using plain coloured tiles among your decorative tiles can also work well when creating a patchwork pattern.
I hope these ideas have inspired you to use some decorative wall tiles in your interior design – the possibilities are endless and some really beautiful feature walls can be created with them. For more tiles ideas and inspiration, you can find our other blog posts here. To take a look at all of the decorative tiles in our range, you can find our shop here. Best of luck with redecorating!


Amanda Brighton is an Anglo-Tibetan jewellery designer based in London. Early years spent in Thailand and India ignited a passion for the exotic. With influences from both East and West, she has created a fine jewellery collection which merges a Western contemporary aesthetic with an Oriental exuberance and sense of colour, delicate craftsmanship and harmony.
Her work is collected by an international clientele.


text:
Q: Wrong queue of events in TRIGGER I have got table person which have got 2 triggers (if data is inserted, triggers make update) all triggers are after insert later I insert information about events to other table and I get (Update, Update, Insert) but should be this (Insert, Update, Update) do you know why?
I have got problem with this example:
    DECLARE @HistoryType CHAR(1) --"I"=insert, "U"=update, "D"=delete
    SET @HistoryType=NULL

    IF EXISTS (SELECT *
               FROM   inserted)
      BEGIN
          IF EXISTS (SELECT *
                     FROM   deleted)
            BEGIN
                --UPDATE
                SET @HistoryType='U'
            END
          ELSE
            BEGIN
                --INSERT
                SET @HistoryType='I'
            END
      END
    ELSE IF EXISTS(SELECT *
              FROM   deleted)
      BEGIN
          --DELETE
          SET @HistoryType='D'
      END
    IF @HistoryType='U' or @HistoryType='I'
   //do something
    END

Example from this post:
How to copy an inserted,updated,deleted row in a SQL Server trigger(s)

A: There is no guaranteed order to trigger firing, unless you use sp_settriggerorder.
But then you'll have to set this every time you run ALTER TRIGGER.
Personally, I would never have 2 triggers on the same action, so I would do one of these

*

*Use a single trigger to make things simpler

*Use a stored procedure so the logic is more transparent

This includes things having both before and after triggers: this begs for a stored procedure.


Israel's a big mess after Joshua dies. The people are scattered, and the LORD has allowed other tribes to defeat the Israelites in battle because they keep worshipping the Baals and Asherahs (gods and goddesses) of other people.
In chapter four, we learn that "Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel" (v. 4). At this time, Israel has been under the oppression of the Canaanites for twenty years. As far as I can tell, Deborah is the first woman of authority to be mentioned in the Bible. I've got to wonder how the heck she got to a position of power in such a misogynistic culture, but it's nice to see nonetheless. Deborah gives orders to a man named Barak to deploy troops to fight against Jabin's army (the king of Canaan), under a man named Sisera. So, they go out to fight Sisera and his army, and Sisera flees on foot. He comes to the tent of an Israelite woman named Jael, who plays innocent and lures him into her tent for a rest. He falls asleep, and not-so-innocent Jael drives a tent peg through his temple. Barak comes along, pursuing Sisera, and Jael's all like, oh he's here with a tent peg in his head. So the Israelites gain favor with the LORD once again, and eventually defeat King Jabin. In chapter five, Deborah sings a song of victory and praise to the LORD. So it's the same old blood and gore, but refreshing because the women get to represent for a change.
What follows is the account of Gideon subduing the Midianites with a small army of just 300 men. It's a good story, and reinforces the recurrent idea in the Old Testament that if the Israelites follow the LORD's commands, He will protect them and fight alongside them. The Israelites have a time of peace until Gideon's death, when they again begin to worship Baals. As a side note, Gideon had 70 sons "for he had many wives." One of his sons, Abimelech, rules Israel for three years after Gideon's death, followed by Tola for twenty-three years, and then Jair for twenty-two years. Then, the Israelites again "do evil in the sight of the LORD and fall under the rule of the Ammonites.
Seems to me that he's troubling her, not the other way around. She's given two months to roam the hills and "bewail her virginity" with her friends, at her request, and then she's put to death by her father. "And it became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite." (v. 40) We never learn her name.
If you can recover from that, we move on to learn about Samson, who was a judge over Israel for 20 years (15:20). He has supernatural strength, which comes from the LORD but is also dependent on his hair not being cut. (This has to do with him being called a Nazirite, which I'd like to study more later.) He takes a Philistine wife, but it's not Delilah. She comes later. One day, Samson makes a bet with 30 men concerning a riddle. If they can solve the riddle, he has to give them 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothing. If they cannot, they have to give Samson those things. They get his wife to find out the answer and tell them, and so they solve the riddle and Samson becomes very angry, saying "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!" (ahem). Then, we're told, "the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkerlon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle." (v. 18-19) I say lack of impulse control, you say Spirit of the LORD. Let's call the whole thing off. Angry, he goes home to his father's house and has a little cooling off period. When he returns to see his wife, she's been given to another man. So, he lights 300 foxes' tails on fire and sends them running through the Philistines' grain fields, vineyards and olive groves. The Philistines respond by burning his wife and her father to death. Samson responds by killing 1000 Philistines with a donkey's jawbone.
The Philistines get revenge when Samson falls in love with the devious Delilah. He discloses to her that if his hair is cut, he will lose his strength, and so she cuts his hair while he's sleeping and the Philistines capture him. They put out his eyes, and bind him, and put him in prison. At the very end of chapter 17, though, Samson has the final revenge. He's brought out to perform for the Philistines, and he's standing between two pillars. He prays for the LORD to strengthen him just one more time, and pushes the pillars, causing the temple to fall on everyone in it. So he dies with the Philistines.
I know this is getting really long, but there's one more story that I'll share, before we move on to Ruth, which thankfully is only four chapters long. Trigger alert: if you've been raped or sexually abused, you may want to skip this part.
Sound familiar? The first part of the story mirrors the experience of Lot and the two angels of the LORD in Sodom, found in Genesis 19. The difference, of course, is that there are no angels here to protect the concubine by blinding the mob, so she's gang-raped and left to die. Her status as an expendable female stands in stark contrast to the authority and position of Deborah the judge. Perhaps the most maddening thing is that the Levite turns her out to the mob, unprotected, and then has the nerve to be upset when he finds her dead.
As the Israelites see the pieces of the concubine that her husband sent out, they are angry and go to war with the people of Gibeah. I'm guessing the Levite's call for revenge is much more about personal honor than love for her, since his actions show no love or concern whatsoever, even to the point of defiling her corpse by cutting it into pieces. There is usually some moral we can lift from the stories of the Old Testament, but it's hard to find anything here other than my own disgust. If I impose my own morality on the story and ignore a few things, I guess I could say it's about preventing injustice rather than just avenging it. That seems naive, though, within this cultural context.
Judges is a tough book. As I read these stories, I think of what Jesus said: "those who live by the sword will die by the sword." Violence begets violence begets violence. I really have nothing new to say about these texts that I haven't said before. It's just more of the human condition, with a view of God that fits the times.
Where you die, I will die, And there I will be buried.
So Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem, and Naomi (meaning "sweet") tells the women there to call her Mara (meaning "bitter"). Ruth goes to a field to glean what the harvesters have left behind, hoping to gather enough for herself and Naomi to eat. She meets Boaz, who owns the field, and is also a relative of Naomi's late husband. He is very kind to her, and even commands the harvesters to drop extra for her. So begins the romance.
In chapter three, the story takes an interesting turn. We see how women get things done in a society where they're essentially powerless. One evening, Naomi tells Ruth to go to the threshing floor where Boaz is working. She tells Ruth "then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will tell you what you should do." (v. 4). Ruth follows her instructions. Basically, she seduces Boaz. To "uncover one's feet" is a euphemism. When I first learned this I was quite shocked; they didn't teach this part in Sunday School.
What I love about Ruth is that she's an outsider, but she overcomes that with her love and loyalty to Naomi, and they're both blessed because of it (well, that and Naomi's clever little plan.) This story points the way to the things Jesus is going to emphasize when he spends time with people that are "other", like the Samaritan woman and Zaccheus, to name a few. It's not hard at all to find Him in this story.
It's a pretty cool redemption story. Ruth and Boaz' son is Obed, whose son is Jesse, whose son is David, whose story is coming up next.
I'm about halfway through the Historical Books, and things are still pretty bloody. I was going to write about Joshua, Judges and Ruth but the Joshua section is pretty long in itself, so here it is. Again, this is not comprehensive by any means, just what stood out to me.
Joshua was Moses' successor as leader of Israel. He led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua is an interesting character. He's an effective, energetic leader (and I would say the book of Joshua has a different energy to it than previous books, largely because of his character) and a person of great integrity within this cultural construct. He calls the people to be "strong and of good courage" repeatedly, stirring them up to take the land their ancestors were promised. In chapter six, they take the walled city of Jericho, sparing no one except Rahab the prostitute and her family and their possessions, as well as the "silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron" which go into the LORD's treasury. Rahab and her relatives are spared because she had previously helped two Israelite spies by hiding them (we see Rahab again later in the genealogy of Christ.) We are told, "the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country." It's a fearsome fame; if the Israelites could take down Jericho, the other cities know they're not safe.
We see again here that this LORD is not slow to anger. He's pretty much angry right away when someone disobeys His commands. Unfortunately, the punishment isn't only on Achan, but on his children and animals as well.
Israel's military success depends on them keeping up their part of the covenant with the LORD. As a warring society, this means they must destroy everything He tells them to. They fumble again when they make a treaty with the Gibeonites, other inhabitants of the land (chapter 9). The Gibeonites pretend to be from a far-off land, and ask to make a peace covenant with the Israelites, and they do, "but they did not ask counsel of the LORD." Joshua makes a covenant with them, but upon finding out who they really are, says "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell near us? Now therefore you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves--woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." (v. 23). Joshua can't break the covenant with them (kill them), so he makes them slaves.
This all leads into an interesting turn of events in chapter ten. The kings of five different tribes decide to attack the Gibeonites because they have made "peace" with the Israelites. Joshua receives word of this, and goes out to fight with his "mighty men of valor", having received assurance from the LORD that they will win. They fight, and the attackers flee, and the LORD drops hailstones on them (the text says that more die from the hailstones than are killed by the Israelites' swords.) Then, Joshua prays quite a prayer: he asks God to make the sun stand still. Then, we are told, the sun does not go down for about a whole day, and Joshua and the Israelites are able to finish killing their enemies. While I appreciate the bold nature of Joshua's prayer, I struggle with the reason for it. But it's in keeping with the commands that this LORD gives, so in this context, it makes perfect sense.
Again, we see the emphasis on separation. The Israelites will struggle with this choice, and in the books to come we'll see a scattering and coming together, over and over, as they attempt stability under different types of leaders: judges, prophets, and kings.
So where does Jesus come in? I think what all these events point to is the fickle nature of the human heart. We fail, a lot. There's a certain hopelessness to all our striving. We need a savior. The Israelites, in all their warring and rule-making, point to that, in a longing, hopeful and yet broken way. I feel a sense of connectedness to the Israelites, even though I abhor many of their actions, because of my own brokenness. In this admittedly questionable practice of speed-reading through complex texts, I'm making contact with some of own deep sorrow as I encounter all of this darkness in the Old Testament. I feel in a way like I'm crying out for us all to be delivered. If nothing else, theological issues aside, all of this points to my need for Jesus.
I finished the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy) earlier this week....keeping up with the schedule decently, although I did fall a day behind after a long shift on Wednesday and very heavy eyelids the next morning.
So, I thought I'd share a few observations and unsolicited opinions. This will be super general, just because of how fast this reading has to go. I'm making some notes to go back and study in more detail later.
A few things stand out as I re-read these books. One is the sophistication of the writing. This wasn't just a crude list of do's and don'ts. There are literary devices: poetry, imagery, metaphor, suspense. There's a great deal of beauty in the language. Whoever wrote these books (most people say Moses, but there's some dispute among scholars) was educated. The characters are familiar, like childhood friends, and it's good to get to know them again, although they all seem a bit more complex than what I remember. When I read the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Rachel, of Dinah, of Joseph and his brothers, of the Israelites as slaves and then nomads, of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, I see a LOT of humanity, and a teeny tiny glimpse of divinity. I see the culture of the day and its best understanding of God. There's some pretty dark stuff in there; there are things that just don't seem compatible with the God that Jesus later reveals. I keep saying that, to myself and out loud, over and over. The LORD, as he's called in these texts, seems like a different character than the God we later get to know.
In high school, one of my more memorable assignments was to try to design a perfect society with a group. We had to think about and develop all the details of a society: where people will live, how they'll make money, what infrastructure the government will provide, what to do with people who break the society's codes, etc. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy detail the complexity of trying to form a functioning society: chapter after chapter of case law, ledgers, protective hygiene practices, and repeated calls for justice and kindness to the foreigner (this concept of justice, though selective, seems ahead of its time.) Moses served as a judge much of the time, hearing case after case and, the text says, consulting the LORD for the answer. That's how many of the laws came to be written. He was so overwhelmed with this job that his father-in-law advised him to set up trusted men to bear some of the load.
An ever present theme in the Pentateuch is that the Israelites have special favor with the LORD. I always took that idea for granted, without questioning it--after all, the LORD is presented as saying this, not the Israelites. Now, I would really like to know why--is the purpose of excluding everyone but the Jews to later dramatically include Gentiles also? Or was it a human thing attributed to God? Then there's the idea that the LORD gives the Israelites land and possessions to plunder; that the land ultimately belongs to them and others are occupying it (not, the text says, because the Israelites are more righteous; the LORD calls them a "stiff-necked people", but because the other people are exceedingly wicked, and also because of the promises that the LORD made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.) So they wander in the desert for forty years, figuring out the whole functioning society thing and preparing to take the land that the LORD promised their ancestors.
Now, I realize that a lot of the hard stuff is setting up for a redemption or re-definition later. The animal sacrifice will be over once Jesus takes all that on himself. Paul will extend a controversial welcome to the Gentiles. Jesus will take the "eye for an eye" laws and turn them upside down. He'll tell people to love their enemies. New covenants will be made. But, in the meantime, this stuff is terrible. As a metaphor, it's tolerable I suppose. You can find applicable lessons in it. But are we to accept that God, our God, commanded all of these things? Something deep within me says no.
It's entertaining and a little sad to see what I've underlined in my Bible in past years. Lots of verses sound pretty good on their own, but read the whole passage and you might want to bang your head on the table (or maybe that's just me.) When I was younger, I approached the Bible with the assumption that it was all true, that it all happened. God really did command the Israelites to plunder and kill....it was in the text, and that made it more palatable somehow. If I read something I didn't like, it didn't really matter because if it was in there, I had to accept it. I think now, in retrospect, that that kind of reading caused a coldness, a numbness, in me.
Hints of the divine, in an oh-so-human situation. The God who Sees. That's familiar, that rings true. God is not monstrous here; he's compassionate.
The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
It's important to note that on several occasions Moses pleads for LORD to forgive guilty parties and He does. He doesn't seem very slow to anger though; His anger is often swift and fierce. Of course, I'm reading these stories with twenty-first century eyes, with a very different perspective on justice, and with VERY different ideas about women and slaves. What's heinous to one culture is commonplace to another. But the big question, the question that transcends culture is this: what is the nature of God? I personally believe that God's true nature and the human perception of it don't always line up. I hope that's the case anyway. It seems quite likely that the Israelites were giving the God credit/blame for things He didn't actually do, because of their own lack of knowledge and superstition about things like miscarriage (if a woman miscarried, she must have sinned, or if she was barren, the LORD had made her so), and natural disasters, and also just because they lived in a survival-of-the-fittest world. I've heard that our political views are shaped by what we see out our own front door; I would add that our view of God is largely shaped the same way.
The point of this whole endeavor is to read the Bible through the lens of Christ. Here's where I am with that right now: I think that maybe as long as we're human we're going to mis-characterize God. I see what I think is the Israelites doing it in the text and I see us doing it today. We're still cruel; we still use God to justify our wars and greed; we still think we're God's favorite. But, and it's a big but: Jesus makes such a difference. I'm not there yet in the text so I'm going to leave that for another post, but let me just say that as I've read these books, I've often been left with a feeling of hollowness and sadness. I think this comes from the way God/the LORD is described as such a monster in the text. But I remember that the Jesus part is coming. He's going to change the face of God; wipe off some of the weird stuff we've pasted on it. Grace will show up.
Abram and Sarai (Abraham and Sarah) were half brother and sister. They had the same father. (Genesis 20:12) The practice of marrying one's sibling, whether half or full, is later condemned in Leviticus 20:17. So, when Abraham lies to and says Sarah is his sister, he's actually sort of telling the truth.
After getting off the ark, Noah sacrificed one of every clean animal and bird (Genesis 8:20). I'm guessing they must have already reproduced on the ark, otherwise there wasn't much of a point of carrying around two of every kind on the boat for all that time.
Exodus 33:11 tells us that Moses spoke with the LORD "face to face, as a man speaks with his friend." Later, in verse 18-23, Moses asks to see the LORD's glory. The LORD tells him, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." So Moses hides in a cleft of a rock and the LORD allows him to catch a glimpse of His back. Perhaps when Moses was speaking face to face with the LORD, His glory was hidden somehow? Pretty interesting.
In Numbers 27:1-11, a case is brought before Moses in which five daughters, whose father has died, are asking to be able to have his inheritance. They have no brothers, and so a new law is made to say that daughters may inherit if there are no sons. Seems a bit ahead of the times, although later (in Deuteronomy, I believe, I forgot to make a note of it) the law states that if a woman has inherited property, it goes to her husband when they marry.
Next up are the Historical Books.
This past weekend Ricky and I made a quick dash up to Colorado. Neither of us have ever been to our northern neighbor state, and we had a long weekend and grandparents who wanted to spend time with the littles (God bless them, seriously.) Denver is definitely on the "places we would love to live" list, and lately we're keeping our eyes open for Possibilities.
It was lovely, as expected. Colorado is beautiful in a similar way to New Mexico, actually. Lots of high desert in the southern part. And then, more mountains and snow, but the same big blue sky and wide views. I re-discovered the joy of night driving on the way up (thank you, This American Life, the Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, and Ray LeMontagne, for that) and we made it to Pueblo late, got some sleep, and then drove up to Denver the next morning. I have to say, I think Denver is the friendliest place I've ever been. I think NM is pretty friendly, but we felt downright rude in comparison. Everyone seems to have time to talk. We had fun exploring downtown Denver....went to the Denver Art Museum (they had a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit that was interesting, and the whole museum was super kid-friendly), checked out the Colorado State Capitol, and went to see this play. We both enjoyed it--it dealt with a lot of universal themes, like grief and being stuck, and the slow process of moving on, and I was, as always, so impressed with what theater actors can do with a small space and very few props, and how we can find so much of ourselves in someone else's story.
On Sunday morning we ate crepes at a cute restaurant next to the City Park, then drove north to Boulder (the happiest town in the U.S., apparently.) We wandered around the university, walked downtown (very crunchy-outdoorsy, very happy-looking). Everyone was out and about--reading books, drinking coffee, watching their kids play on kid-sized climbing rocks (Nicky would be in heaven.) It was colorful and interesting. I didn't see a single overweight person, and there's kind of a dress code. North Face jacket or vest, khakis or long flowing skirt, Minnetonka moccasins (want), hand-knit beanie, cute dog, kids in adorably mismatched clothes, bicycle, vegan snacks in your backpack, etc. I guess if you have to have a dress code, that's not a bad one. We had just a little time to drive up into the mountains, then headed back to Denver.
Sunday night was really special. We went to a service at House for all Sinners and Saints, an inclusive Lutheran church that I've been interested in ever since I saw a video of their pastor here. She was actually out of town so we didn't get to meet her, but the service was beautiful and nourishing, and I'm so glad we went.
It was a group of 50 or so, gathered in a parish hall, with chairs set up in an oval formation. I loved the simplicity and humility of the liturgy, the acapella singing, the depth of the songs, and even though I have differing theological views on the Eucharist, I loved that part too (I doubt I'll ever find a church that I completely agree with, and I'm working on being okay with that.) I loved the quiet, the reverence, the poetry, the opportunity for stillness and reflection. I could have easily been a shaky mess the entire time, because I was so hopeful, and because it was so, so good, but I mostly kept it together. Church has been complicated for a long time; this was just peace. Just. peace. What a gift.
Afterward, we walked around in the cold, got some Thai food, and processed the experience out loud. I'm still processing inwardly.
We drove back in a straight shot on Monday, and picked up the littles late that night. They all looked bigger. I want to go back, and take them along next time. Maybe this summer.
Nicky will spend a few minutes describing to you the "features" of whatever weaponized Lego spaceship he just built, then run off to watch Tinker Bell on Netflix. He's well-rounded like that ;). He's a bit more emotional these days. I read something once about a six year-old developing more of an internal life, and I think that's happening with him. This is the part of parenting where kids start to need their own tools, it seems, more than before. I can't climb inside his head and fix things, but I can try to help him express his feelings and adjust his expectations (bedtime often comes as a harsh blow, when he's trying to squeeze 17,000 things into one evening.) He can recite his times tables like a pro, and play his chords and scales on the piano more easily and in time with the metronome, thanks to lots of practice with Papa. He comes home from school talking about girlfriends and break-ups, and generally has no idea what he's saying, but it's leading to some Conversations. We're trying to balance maintaining his sweet innocence with not throwing him to the wolves at school. He loves pizza and a movie night, usually Friday, and I love how he reminds us of it and takes joy in picking out a movie. He's still so little, but getting so big.
Silas says "beedy" for really. As in: beedy hot, beedy cold, beedy good. He's putting lots of phrases together, like can I see this? and singing his abc's and counting to ten; it's the magical memorization stage. He's all about Youtube toddler songs, playing swords with Nicky, reading books before his nap, and saying "I say" before letting us know just what he wants. He's mastered the art of being a cute scoundrel (how do toddlers know these things?). When we pray before dinner, he covers his face and whispers something like thank you for this food and then Amen! and looks around smiling. He breaks into song here and there throughout the day. Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle and BINGO are favorites.
Little Miss loves baths these days. She and Silas have that in common; it's a source of entertainment some days. Another development: she's a squealer, especially when she sees Ricky. She's scootching around on the floor a bit more, and looking bigger too. She has two bottom teeth, holds her own bottle, and loves to stand while holding onto things. She also doesn't mess around when she wants something. The girl is loud when she wants to be. She's more of a snuggler lately. She cries to be picked up, not necessarily just because she's hungry or tired or needs something else. I love that she misses us, and how much more connected everything feels these days.
letting go of Facebook and Twitter. It's fairly obvious I guess--I need more time in my day and I spend a lot of time mindlessly checking them. I love keeping up with friends and laughing at witty banter, but there's a darker side too. There's a temptation to see the worst in people, and I would really like to resist that. Not sure about long term solutions, but this is a start.
Reading just one blog post per day, and taking some time to reflect on it. I read a lot of blogs, and some of them are really quite profound, encouraging, and inspiring. For this season, I want to focus more on letting their messages really sink in, and maybe taking a little time to engage in conversation there, instead of just reading one after another.
I was hoping to attend an Ash Wednesday service, but we'll be watching Little Miss' big sister and another sweet girl for the evening, so that will have to happen another year.
So, I haven't posted any Sunday Reading links lately because I've been doing my darndest to stay off of social media on Sundays (one of my resolutions for 2013). I do love to share posts that have meant something to me, or made me laugh, or made me cry (or even made me mad) or made me see something new....so how about Weekend Reading instead ;-) Here we go!
I read Come Weary, and then I breathed a huge sigh of relief and cried a few grateful tears. And then I took my weary self to a patch of sunlight and prayed. There's nothing like raw honesty to draw me close to Jesus, to remind me what this is all about.
Daddy Loves You, a post for the One Good Phrase series was a simple but powerful reminder for me. I found myself whispering Mommy loves you to my littles more after reading it, and how those words calm everything down a bit.
I've been pondering the phrase love your neighbor as yourself quite a bit lately, and really liked Kathy Escobar's take on it. We do so often fall into the trap of exceptionalism.
Jamie the VWM makes me laugh, and she does it while making a really good point about the kingdom of God and getting low. And, while we're talking about her, she wrote a brave and blunt post a while back about some weird ideas concerning depression that you run into sometimes in church culture. Also, missionaries who cuss just make me happy.
Happy weekending to you! I have big plans to mostly stay out of the wind, snuggle with my loves, make Valentines, put something involving ginger and curry in the crockpot, go out tonight (we have a babysitter!), make some plans for Lent, and get in some quality reading time. Wishing you a deep peace and joy as you do what you do. And, if any of these posts meant something (positive, negative, whatever) to you, I'd love to hear about it.
*Little Miss had a playdate with her big sister. One of these days we'll attempt a hike with all three littles.
What exactly are we supposed to do with our anger? A good friend of mine once called it the healthiest emotion, which I think it certainly can be. Be angry and do not sin.
Feeling angry on a regular basis and not sinning is fairly exhausting in my own strength. Placing people into categories puts a band-aid on anger; making it easier to dismiss those with whom I disagree. Underneath, though, the wound festers.
My own personal Battle of the Categories has been largely internal. I feel compelled (Holy Spirit, is that you?) to let some light in. I want to see people for who they really are: a great many things.
My husband does something that I love: he wanders the halls at church, and talks to people. He's brave and curious enough to ask the good questions, and talk about the real things. Back when we first met, I used to think man, he makes a lot of eye contact. It's disconcerting to be noticed when you're trying to hide, but don't we all need that? He is a listener, in a world of people who just want to be heard.
Here's a thing: as I've moved from a place of struggling with the nature of God to a place of struggling with evangelical culture, as I've come closer to conclusions about questions I once didn't have answers for, I find it much easier to place people in categories. I find I've become less interested in the stories of people I don't agree with. Yikes. That needs to stop.
Here's another thing: I like having a few more answers these days. I like it that when I hear something that misrepresents who I've found God to be, a voice in my head firmly says no. There is so much more peace in my heart this way. But at the same time, I don't want to ever be comfortable with writing people off.
Something I love about Christianity, in its purest form, is that it offers another way. The only agenda we have to cling to is that of Jesus.
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Loving God with all my heart means I stay vulnerable, sensitive, open to the idea that I may be wrong.
Loving God with all my soul means I keep a sacred space for Him to work on me, with me, through me. It means I'm careful about what ideas about Him I let in.
Loving God with all my mind means I get to ponder, deconstruct, find the holes, imagine, and rejoice when He reveals new things to me. It means I get to grow at my own speed.
And loving my neighbor as myself? That means other people get to grow at their own speed. It means they get to protect their treasures from the harsh light, too. It means I should strive to create a safe space for them to be vulnerable.
the compassion you save for yourself in your solitude.
Admiration isn't necessary; neither is judgment. There is another way.


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The Gunners spent more than £70million on new players last summer.
The Gunners are keen to add a defender and a winger to their ranks but head coach Emery has confirmed there is no money available for permanent deals.
Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League and have an upcoming FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Manchester United.
Emery's side are also in the last 32 of the Europa League where they will face BATE Borisov over two legs next month.
The Gunners signed Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi in the summer at a cost of over £70million – but Emery conceded the winter window will be much more frugal from Arsenal.
"We cannot sign (players) permanently," he said.
"We can only loan players. Only loan players. I can say to you that the club is working, the club is telling me the different situations in each moment. At the moment, we haven't had any news today about that."
Arsenal have been linked with Barcelona winger Denis Suarez, Yannick Carrasco of Dalian Yifang and Ever Banega from Emery's former club Sevilla.
#AFC spent less than £75million in the summer but Emery admits now that club can only bring in loan signings in January.The battle to finish in the top four is made so much harder considering what rivals (other than Spurs) can and will spend.
Asked specifically about a move for Suarez, Emery said: "I don't know his situation now.
"We can only sign players later on. I know the club is working on possibilities of which players can help us with big performances like we need now."
Emery also praised the attitude of Aaron Ramsey as the Wales international continues to be linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium.
Juventus are reportedly close to agreeing a deal with Ramsey, who can leave for free in the summer when his contract expires or in January if a fee can be agreed, but Emery is pleased with the continued application of the 28-year-old.
"My idea and focus, I say to him every day, is that we need his performance for us," he said.
"In the last match I was very happy with him. I asked in the last match at Blackpool (in the FA Cup) if he is okay to help us play and he said, 'Yeah, coach, I want to play' and he played with a very big commitment to us.
"After, his future belongs to him, his family and agent. Every day he's here with us, he's working very well. I want his behaviour and his focus to be on West Ham on Saturday."
There was better news for Emery ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to face London rivals West Ham.
Arsenal struggled with injuries throughout the festive fixtures but can welcome back a host of players for the derby at the London Stadium.
Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny, Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal. Shkodran Mustafi and Konstantinos Mavropanos are all back in full training and under consideration for the weekend.


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» Home » Sports » (E) Karlovic magic back again
(E) Karlovic magic back again
By Nenad N. Bach | Published 08/30/2003 | Sports | Unrated
Karlovic magic back again in Wimbledon repeat
By Stephen Wood
New York - Ivo Karlovic has left the real world behind again to embrace more unexpected grand slam infamy.
The towering Croatian, a regular at Challenger and lower-tier events, stunned the tennis world by knocking out defending champion Lleyton Hewitt in the first round at Wimbledon in June.
He won one more match in London and on Friday, Karlovic repeated the feat at the US Open by beating Moroccan Hicham Arazi 3-6 7-6 7-6 7-6 to reach the third round.
'I hope that soon I won't have to qualify for any more tournaments'Yet Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows aside, the 24-year-old has only played in two other ATP Tour events this year - at Queen's Club in London and Umag, Croatia.
From the end of 2000 to the beginning of this season, he had improved his ranking by just 124 places, from 299 to 175.
In February of this year, he was coming to terms with a first round loss to Britain's oft-mocked Jamie Delgado at a challenger in Wrexham, Wales.
So for Karlovic to claim that success in New York at the final grand slam of the year is business as usual, takes some fathoming.
"But life for me is just the same," said Karlovic, who next faces 12th seed Sjeng Schalken.
"Okay, I get recognised a bit more because of my height and I have some (potential) sponsors to choose (between)...
"But since Wimbledon, I have played the same sort of tournaments. Life is the same.
"At the grand slams, I think I like the excitement. Now I try to stay focused."
A qualifier here after being refused a wildcard, Karlovic struggles with a stutter, which is exaggerated when the shy interviewee is faced by a bank of reporters.
On court, however, the bigger his audience the better his performance.
Now ranked 109, he intends to improve his ranking still further so that he can gain direct entry into main ATP events.
"It is my goal and I hope that soon I won't have to qualify for any more tournaments," he said.
Out of future equations is the prospect of military service, from which he says he has been excused.
So all he needs now to complete his perfect week is some contact from 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, his fellow Croatian and someone Karlovic referred to at the All England Club as his "god".
"I haven't heard from Goran," said Karlovic. "But maybe I will, maybe there will be a phone call."
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=4&art_id=qw1062244982738B216&set_id=6
Karlovic upsets Blake in San Jose, February 15, 2007
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Cardinals QB will leave program
Ozzie Mann, a redshirt sophomore quarterback on the Ball State football team for the 2014 season, has decided to transfer from the university and pursue other opportunities.
"We want to thank Ozzie for his hard work and for representing our program in a first class manner," Ball State head coach Pete Lembo said. "Depth chart decisions are never easy, but they need to be made. Ozzie has our full support and we will do whatever we can to help him with this next step in his career."
(CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE . . . )
Mann played in seven games and started six games at quarterback for the Cardinals in 2014. He made his first collegiate start in the season opener last fall vs. Colgate in Scheumann Stadium. Mann completed 20-of-32 passes for 203 yards with two touchdowns and one interception vs. Colgate. He completed 116-of-197 passes for 1,281 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions last season. Mann redshirted at Ball State in 2012 before playing in six games in 2013 as a redshirt freshman.


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