I would guess that most people assume that their "elected representatives" represent them. Conversely, they probably assume that their representatives understand that's what they were elected to do.
The Greeks are credited with inventing democracy and representative governance, and the Romans are credited with perfecting it, though it's important to keep in mind that the terms "democracy" and "rights" are not directly connected. However, as was the case when our own Constitution was written, representative government was adopted not just because of our democratic ideals but also as matter of practicality. If it took days or weeks to reach Washington on horseback, there was no other way to make local voices heard than to send elected representatives. After all, a whole town couldn't just get up and ride to the capital every time something was being debated. And so, trusting that your representative would speak for your concerns came with the territory.
Today, most people believe representative democracy automatically means having a say in government decisions. But even if that were the case (which unfortunately, it's not), human nature being what it is, there's always been the danger that your "representative" will get a big head or start playing all sides against the middle for personal gain, or make decisions without consulting you.
And there's the rub, which continues to plague us. However, there is an even bigger problem, which is that some elected representatives think that caring about what you think is not part of their job description.
In any case, representative government is the system we've got, even though I find myself wondering some days if in this Internet Age, it hasn't outlived its usefulness. Shouldn't we be trying to move toward more direct and immediate interaction with our government?
So, there's an 18th century view and a 21st century view. But do both systems lead to the same outcomes?
My contention is that the more Edmund Burke's version of being a "representative" takes hold, this leads to a disconnection between government officials and the citizens they serve in a way that inherently breeds a culture of secrecy, political influence peddling, and ultimately the corruption of our democratic process.
Today, in Marin, we routinely see too many elected officials, and even more so their administrators, town managers, staff and government legal counsel treating resident's complaints as an affront, evidence of disloyalty, and an unwanted intrusion. Requests of staff for information under California's Private Records Act, for example, are routinely met with trumped up excuses for why public documents are unavailable for inspection. Or worse, supplicants are often told that no records exist even when that could not possibly be true.
Legally, this was nonsensical and they eventually had to back down and provide many of the documents requested. But, the fact that they would choose to obstruct the public's right to know, as their first response, is telling and increasingly typical.
When the stakes get even higher (i.e., when a law suit is filed), we see reactions that are best described as "scorched earth tactics" that involve defamatory denials, sanctimonious diatribes, and throwing large sums of the public's money at lawyers in an attempt to bully the petitioner into going away. Combine this with more mundane, business as usual government inefficiencies and dysfunction and you end up with a cascade of negative impacts and unintended consequences.
People continue to ask this question. In their minds, it seems unfathomable that the monstrosity that is now years behind schedule could have been the result of anything except some kind of extraordinary conspiracy, complete with bags of money changing hands in subterranean garages. But in reading the Staff Reports and Minutes of planning commission and town council meetings, and studying the course of events that resulted in the development's approval, its gestation was much less nefarious that one might assume.
If you read the minutes from the hearings, you find that some commissioners and council members did ask important questions about environmental regulations, traffic, and community impacts. Unfortunately, the laconic answers they received from the Planning Director, the Town Manager, staff, and paid consultants made "brevity" look like a big word.
Their questions were often met with half-answers, erroneous opinions, and obfuscation. In many instances, the Corte Madera Planning Director, responded by citing inapplicable regulations (ABAG requires it), or assuring questioners not to worry and that planners had things covered. With that, the line of inquiry usually ended and everyone voted unanimous approval without requiring an Environmental Impact Report, even though the site was known to have used and produced a number of toxic chemicals on the EPA's lists. At times, it certainly appears that decision makers were led to a predetermined conclusion.
Why, I don't really know. Maybe he really believed it was a good project.
However, the more important question is how were a few individuals are able to manipulate the planning process of an entire community and shape its future, so easily? The answer, again, is perhaps more mundane and far more commonplace than you might think.
Put simply, I think it all starts when elected officials and the special interest groups who support and protect them, believe they are no longer required to consider the wishes of all resident in the community, and it spreads from there, infecting the entire system.
A lack of government transparency and accountability arises either to cover up corruption and mismanagement, or its existence invites it and enables it. Today, the financial and political stakes become higher for each decision and the unbridled power of unelected regional agencies warps sensibilities, few are capable of saintly decisions unless they know they have a good chance of getting caught.
Political favoritism, fudging facts, knowingly misleading the public and elected officials, plus considerable amounts of ignorance and incompetence, are the stepchildren of decreased transparency and accountability, and create a culture of dysfunction.
As the public has become increasingly aware of what's going on and demanding greater transparency and participation, instead of responding positively and embracing our new inter-active age, we're seeing government doing the exact opposite. And as government becomes more defensive, public protest only grows louder.
A decision-making process grounded in opaque dealings and led by political influence, ideological agendas and personal ambition, usually leads to inequitable, counterproductive public policy, the outcomes of which usually include a long list of unintended, negative impacts.
These impacts are eventually brought to the attention of elected representatives by their constituents, though it's usually long past the time anything can be done about it. However, instead of reversing misguided policies, local government today seems to concentrate more on saving face, better marketing, pointless public "workshops" (more marketing), and enlisting the services of high paid handlers and consultants of all descriptions.
Public "study sessions" in Marin have become vapid, dog and pony shows without any real opportunity for meaningful input. People are divided into small "discussion" groups led by professional handlers, and not allowed to comment on anything off the agenda. Questions are summarily ignored unless they support predetermined "choices." In other words, the public is allowed to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic but not allowed to question its route.
Ill-conceived public policy too often results in the need for more revenues to deal with unforeseen, negative consequences. Myopic planning and development approvals that fail to take into account the cumulative impacts on schools, infrastructure, and public services demand more revenue sources to address those impacts. And, in an attempt to avoid public criticism, government too often resorts to quick fix "just throw more money at it" thinking to appease critics and show that they are "doing something" about the problems.
In this environment, policy decisions become increasingly influenced more by special interests and attempts to stimulate growth than focused on serving the community being impacted. And the solutions proposed often make everything worse. This is particularly true on the national, state and regional levels, which filter down to local government in the form of mandates and overriding regulations.
As a result, new committees are formed, more consultants are hired, and planning policy becomes more aligned with the politicized visions of state and regional agencies, which promise to help "fix" the problems in exchange for sizable grants (bribes).
Zoning becomes less about enhancing and preserving the community's character and quality of life than about bringing in as many government grants and new development fees as possible. The focus of planning also becomes more driven by avoiding penalties or currying favor with powerful agencies, than addressing local problems (i.e., actually building enough affordable housing).
As we continue to mint new quasi-governmental agencies at a rapid rate, the financial burdens of supporting this ever expanding mess, with the concomitant salary and benefits excesses required, results in a never-ending cascade of regressive fees, bond measures, and new taxes levied on those least able to pay, just to enable local government to continue to provide basic public services.
Public services and management responsibilities that only a few decades ago were easily paid out of a municipality's general fund are today constantly being broken out as "new" taxes and fees, resulting in an a la carte government financing model that forces residents to essentially pay twice for the same service. All of these additional fees and taxes are passed through by real estate developers and directly impact the costs of home ownership and renting, making it harder for young people, service workers, retirees and teachers to live in our community.
Worse still, in the fine print, few of these measures indicate how the money will actually be spent, or guarantee that the funds raised will be allocated to the purposes intended. Add to this that many of these taxes and fees have regressive "inflation" escalation clauses that increase their costs by as much as a 5% compounded rate, per year (at a time when the U.S. CPI is running at 0.8%).
There are micro-economic and social forces that are driving current trends in planning, affordable housing, public transportation, and how Marin's government operates, and there are larger, macro-economic forces connected to regional, state, national and international dynamics that are also likely to shape our future.
The truth is most of our local challenges may no longer be able to be solved only at the local level. It is impossible to address affordable housing or social justice without talking about outside subsidy, public transportation, income inequality, and tax law. We can't really talk about city planning without considering how traditional business models are rapidly being transformed and deconstructed. While academic planners may still pine for a Norman Rockwell-esque vision of apartments over quaint shops, with retailing and service industries increasingly becoming virtual, who will actually fill all those retail spaces?
There is no doubt that a great deal is at stake, locally, regionally, and beyond. And, as things stand, there's a risk that the future of Marin may bear little resemblance to its past. So, how do we as communities, make decisions in this environment? And what is the proper role now of our locally elected representatives?
There's also no doubt that the rising concerns for local control are not unique to Marin. Community voices for bottom-up control are steadily growing everywhere. It's a national and international phenomenon that in some cases is getting very ugly but unless government becomes more responsive it is not going away any time soon.
We also need to ask ourselves if the present dysfunctions we see in our local government are only the result of bad decisions and bad actors, or are the forces outside of our control creating pressures that are bringing out the worse in people.
Are city officials becoming more defensive these days because that's what human beings do when they feel overloaded? Or, is Warren Buffet's old adage about tough times applicable that "When the tide goes out, you get to see who's been swimming naked?" Or, maybe we just find ourselves in a time when things have gotten so complicated and the consequences of our actions are so interconnected that our beloved "Mayberry by the Bay" style of local government (I'll be "mayor" today and you can be mayor tomorrow ) just isn't up to the task of dealing with it all.
One thing is certain. Without greater government transparency and accountability at the local level, there is little chance of stemming the tide of regionalism that is tightening a noose around our ability to retain some semblance of control over our destiny.
About now you may be feeling that these challenges seem hopelessly complicated and intractable. What, you might ask, could any one person do about it, even if they wanted to?
As the old saying goes, if you want to get somewhere, start where you are.
Read Part II - Will the suburbs be hunted to extinction?
Read Part VII - What will you do when Marin is no longer Marin?
 Former Corte Madera Planning Director, Robert Pendoley, has since moved on to be the Chairman of the Marin Workforce Housing Trust, a quasi-government organization funded primarily by Marin County and the Marin Community Foundation.


approx. 13.5 ft x 3.5 ft.
Visitors are allowed to walk on this piece. Although "On the Road" looks like asphalt, stepping on it is a surprisingly squishy, spongy experience.
This 2-person show was by artists Lois Bryant and John Cynar.


SUPERSØNGE, a surprising character wearing a mask of gorilla, made his first appearance on the Internet in November, 2016 with his clip " TOURDEVERRE ", which counts more than 100 000 views. With this first title, this young Parisian, author-composer, graduate of art school reveals his musical universe between the genres. With hip-hop influences, the heady pop melodies get involved in an electro production.
SUPERSØNGE is preparing a new EP to come soon, « ENFER DIGITAL ».


Song Confirmation - Check details like cost per play etc.
Yup, the search does work!
You can BUY more album slots too!
You can read more about O2Jam and other music games I write about here, here and here.
p/s: For those who didnt manage to play O2Jam Analog because of the HanGame account problem, try it now, its working again and it uses Google Play Store for in game micro transaction. I will write a post on how to create an account later.
Very useful review:) thanks a lot!
Oh you made me feel like buying an Idevice! Cool game!
hi… im using iconia tab which is running on windows os…can it work?


The Sun in the Second House: The Sun in the 2nd house indicates that monetary concerns are important. This is a good time to budget your expenses or focus on money making ideas. Though your salary may not increase this year, this is the year you decide you deserve more and begin to push for a higher income. The actual increase might not come until the end of the Solar Return year or as the Sun moves into the 11th. Self-worth issues are to the forefront. You will expect appreciation. If you are in an abusive relationship, consider getting out and ending it. Aren't you worth it? This is a good time to prioritize your values and limit any indulgence you might have like smoking. Thinking tends to be traditional and conservative. The CHALLENGE for the coming year when the Sun moves into the 11th is to foster new goals off of your present stability and develop friendships with people who really appreciate you. The ASSET from the previous year when the Sun was in the 5th house is ability to express yourself. Creative outlets can lead to money- making projects and increased self-worth.


The above photo was taken at their Zumba dance floor/Crossfit training center/Playing room, and the three below photos were taken at their Coffee Shop – Fika.
After seeing all this, I wanted to ask if the employees (also) work or only play? 😛 Fortunately, the CEO, whom I wanted to ask this question, wasn't around 🙂 If you didn't know already, Ramco Systems is the creator of Ramco ERP on the Cloud software product.
I loved the Suryanamaskar wall sticker in the first pic. Sadly , I can't work there, but I loved the interiors.
On an entirely different note, you have changed your blog so much, I feel I am reading a new blog!
Yea, they need to attract and retain top talent no?


the what it takes to prepare for a fitness model comp….this time only plant-based, Vegan!
Yes, I said this time….
I competed over 20 years ago, as a carnivore at 19 years old, back then I was an instructor, a trainer, the traditionally educated fitness leader, the meat and dairy industry funded and educated way – aka – the only way…starving and depriving my way to the stage!
My memories of doing the fitness/muscle shaping comps are tragic, the hardest thing, the most depressing thing I had ever done til this time around.
Sure it was great on the day, but getting there was hard…and yes most competitors still go through this, most trainers, still preach the same stuff I was preaching 20 years ago…the system of education, doesn't like change.
23 years old versus now 40 years old.
to inspire people of ALL ages and of course to promote the VEGAN message.
This time around I was armed with wisdom, knowledge and experience….
they say knowledge is power, and not only did i have power, I had energy til the stage!
I decided to enter a few different category's, and possibly 2 different competitions….but i had one huge obstacle…I had under 8 weeks, I hadn't been training for years and years….except the occasional power walking, riding my oldskool bike & 2 or 3 chin-ups at the park, and that's it!
I joined a gym, wrote myself a training program based on my years of prior knowledge, studied Vegan bodybuilders (yep-there are many out there!) and then wrote myself a Vegan prep diet based on a healthy split in macros, using all my plant based education and nutritional medicine experience.
Ok, Ok, before you jump up and down…let's say you want to build muscle!? This amount could be increased to a level, so that the body can regenerate and build upon what you already have. Most bodybuilders and trainers suggest as high as 60-70% protein!!….whaaaa!!! Going this high, would have your carbohydrates dropped to an all time low, and your fat….well, if your a meat eater it would all be in that! So, as a fitness model competitor, the boring old chicken/fish and broccoli is on the meal plan for you….I'm not sure about you, but eating that for nearly 3 months, would have me gagging, constipated, withdrawn, light headed, foggy…well, it did all those years ago…not to mention, you miss out on vital micro-nutrients with such restrictive one-sided diet.
We humans are built for high carb, low fat diets, nothing processed just straight from mother natures garden….so think the 'Garden of Vegan!' Yep, easy….fruits and vegetables, all too easy, these are all first foods, they come in a ready to eat form, have all the fibre, vitamins, minerals and enzymes all intact ready for our digestion and for the body use.
Now that's real FAST FOODS right there!
No need for supplements, bodyfat burners, digestive aids, enzymes….and all that crapola!
So if your in training, or thinking about it and have been wanting to build lean muscle, whilst losing fat and require a little more protein in concentrated form, add in foods like grains, legumes, tempe, tofu, nuts and seeds….However, limit these foods, as you can get most of your requirements from the first foods group. And wait…you can eat a truckload more of these too!!
Firstly, start an account on My Fitness Pal or Cronometer….these are great to track your progress and actually, you learn what you are putting into your body. These are great for you to reach health or weight-loss goals or preparing for comps.
When it comes to macro's, I am for balance and if your building muscle a lil more is recommended…but NOT the extreme protein requirements that ones body cant process. So if we can survive on 10-15% protein, than surely an increase of 10-15% is enough to build muscle?
Yes, it is…I increase muscle size, whilst depleting for my competition. I had a short term goal, that require rapid fat loss, without losing muscle tone…on well balanced macros and plant foods, I gained muscle!!!!…1.5kgs of muscle on my tiny 50kg frame.
I haven't mentioned I lost a total of 7-8kg of fat, and over 8-10% total bodyfat! All in 8-10 weeks preparations.
Keep the Carbs high my people!!!…keep the fat low, a minimum of 10% is all that is required by the body….now do the maths???
Remember Carbs are brain food, happy food, energy foods….just make sure you get most of your carbs from mothers 'Garden of Vegan'.
My next blog, will have my training regime, photos of my progress and body composition. An easy to follow plan and results when you combine these 2 blogs together, actually all the blogs I post on here are what it took me to get to this point. To reset my body, I had to detox, cleanse and re-build it to a point of pure awesomeness!! Feeling lighter, tighter, happier and more youthful.
The energy in, and the energy out….must all be good for your temple, your body!


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When I bought this shirt I remember feeling excited about owning a Colo-Colo shirt. It arrived and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Or at least that was what I thought then. Now looking back and looking at the shirt itself I cant help feel that I wish I had bought a different version. I am not a huge fan of owning third shirts unless they have a really unique design, with which this shirt does not. Also I don't really like how high up the Umbro logo is on the shirt. If I get an opportunity to replace this shirt with a better version I will most likely do so.
Colo-Colo is the club with the largest following in Chile, with over 12 million fans or hinchada. This represents approximately 42% of the total Chilean football fans according to research published in August 2012 by Spanish newspaper agency Marca,. The study showed a 4% growth in comparison to a 2006 research by Fundación Futuro that ranked the club in first place with the 38% of the preferences, leaving its rival Universidad de Chile in second place.


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Tag Archives: exile
Old Testament Lectionary 6th Sept Trinity 14 Isaiah 35:4-7a
Regular thoughts on the oft-neglected Old Testament Lectionary passages.
We begin by noting two somewhat strange things about this passage. The first is that it reads much more like Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40-55) than Isaiah of Jerusalem, in whose section of the whole book is it placed. It seems as though this chapter has become detached, although the bigger context demonstrates well why this might be an appropriate place for it. The second strange thing is why on earth our dear friends the lectionary compilers have whipped an odd three and a half verses out of a chapter which makes perfect sense, and which falls neatly into two halves midway through our passage.
In a bigger context still chapter 35 contrasts dramatically with the preceding chapter, an announcement of God's judgement. Edom in particular is singled out for punishment, and there are vivid pictures of a thriving land reverting to desert under the Lord's vengeance. By contrast, therefore, the Israelites in chapter 35 are to experience two events: God himself coming among them (v 1-6a) and the nation's return from exile as the desert once again becomes fruitful (v 6b-10).
One key word which links all these thoughts together is the word 'vengeance' in v 4. We usually tend to see rescue and vengeance as two equal and opposite things, which show God as nice and nasty respectively. But the Hebrew word naqam is more nuanced than that: it refers to judgement and punishment by a legitimate authority, and so that justice can be restored for those who have been treated badly. Sometimes you can't have justice and liberation without punishment: Moses as well as Isaiah knew that.
Like many prophecies there is something of a telescope effect here. Just when are we to expect the fulfilment of these words? On an immediate level the text clearly refers to the return from exile in Babylon, and the language of highways and blossoming deserts is unmistakably linked to later passages such as chapter 40. But the healing of v 5-6 sounds more Messianic and even eschatological. Does 'entering Zion' in v 10 refer merely to the return to Jerusalem, or does it seek fulfilment much further ahead in the heavenly city? The Bible often uses this multi-staged approach, and seems to remain deliberately vague. Sometimes the small positives in our lives can point to a much bigger and eternal reality, and hope can sustain us and spur us on in our discipleship.
Note also the language of separation implicit in this passage, as it is throughout the Bible, making life very difficult for universalists. The fearful, the weak, the blind, deaf and lame are to the be recipients of God's favour, while the unclean wicked fools will be excluded. Only the redeemed, those whom God has rescued, will enter Zion. We need to make sure that through Christ our Messiah we are those who will receive the restitution part of God's naqam, and not the punishment.
Image: By Rennett Stowe from USA (Desert Flowers Uploaded by russavia) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
Tagged exile, heaven, justice, restoration
OT Lectionary June 14thrd Trinity 2 Ezekiel 17:22-24
Last week we considered the need of God not just to tweak his ruptured world but to re-create it from scratch, but in this poem or parable from the prophet Ezekiel we see that in the meantime God is not above a bit of tweaking. This poem is about both the sovereignty of God, but also the continuation of the remnant of Israel after the time of exile which forms the backdrop for this oracle.
As humans we are very happy for God to act in what we would call 'positive' ways, but less so when things begin to go pear-shaped. Nowadays we have a Devil to blame for life's disasters, but the fiercely monotheistic Jews were reluctant to allow anyone or anything apart from Yahweh any spiritual authority. Good and bad both came from the hand of God, and if his ways and purposes are inscrutable, we simply have to have faith that he knows what he is doing. He is perfectly entitled both to plant and prune, to make flourish and to make wither, to plant and to uproot. He is the one who reverses human fortunes by his mighty hand, bringing down rulers from their thrones, but lifting up the humble, filling the hungry with good things but sending the rich away empty, as Mary was later to sing. If my fortunes suddenly plummet, it might just be that I was a bit too rich, and a bit lacking in humility.
So Israel in exile had to accept by faith that what had happened to them was all somehow contained within God's good purposes, just as we have to when life kicks us in the teeth. Believing that God's will can contain our dark times is not, of course, the same as saying that they are directly his will for us: Christians do believe in evil, and, as we saw last week, in the consequences of sin. But this parable speaks also of God's purposes beyond suffering. A nation which feels like a tree which has all but lost its life, rather like the Mediterranean cypress which I grew from seed but which doesn't seem to like the Lincolnshire climate, can be encouraged by the thought that from the smallest cutting God is able to replant, and that in time new growth can result. A key word here, as any gardener will know, is the word 'tender' in v 22. The Hebrew rak means soft and pliable, both physically and of heart. It's no good trying to replant woody stems, usually. Cuttings come from small and pliable sprigs, and it is the sadder but wiser nation which will be restored, just as the tough and rigid one had to be cut down and punished.
But the second motif, which probably guided our compilers to this somewhat obscure little passage, is that of the birds finding shelter, picked up in today's gospel. It is the universality of bird-life which is striking here ('birds of every kind' v 23): in Mark 4 the point is the size of the tree growing from such a tiny seed, but Ezekiel may have a different purpose, reminding Israel once again of her vocation, which goes back to Abraham, to be blessed and to be a blessing. In God's kingdom there is room for all; among God's people there is a mission to all. Re-creation will happen, but the more people ready for it, the better.
Image: "Cedar Tree (7853418286)" by Smabs Sputzer from Stockport, UK – Cedar TreeUploaded by Kurpfalzbilder.de. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org
Tagged exile, humility, Remnant, sovereignty
Old Testament Lectionary April 19th Easter 3 Zephaniah 3:14-20
This week we have another Easter-tide celebration of the victory of God, this time from around 700 BC, wedged in between the ministries of Isaiah of Jerusalem and Jeremiah. Whilst the book itself tells us that it is set in the reign of king Josiah, and is therefore a dire warning not just of exile but even of the possibility of utter annihilation for Israel, our passage is markedly different in tone, leading scholars to suggest that it might be a later, post-exilic addition to the book, celebrating (as does Deutero-Isaiah) the fact that punishment is over, sentence has been commuted and the people are free.
But there is a subtle change of tone from that of Deutero-Isaiah. Zephaniah does talk about forgiveness and restoration, but he talks much more about the victory of God over oppressive enemies. God, the king of Israel, the mighty warrior, has triumphed, and has rescued his battered and wounded people from all those who would hurt and harm them. The setting of the passage in the Easter season by our lectionaryists (I just made that word up) gives the cross and resurrection a much more Johannine feel. For John the victory comes on the cross, and not on Easter Sunday morning[1]. The cross is not a temporary triumph for human evil, which God has to undo by raising Christ from death (cf the frequent use of the term 'but God' by Luke in the Acts speeches). John's Christ is not a sacrificial victim slain to atone for sins. He is the true king being crowned not after the cross and in spite of it, but on it. His cry 'It is accomplished!' says that it is all over, done and finished with.
Zephaniah's words of comfort to the exiles have this same kind of ring about them. Their need is less forgiveness and restoration than rescue. God comes not like a shepherd to regather his wandering lambs, but like a warrior to save them from the marauding wolves. The reign of God is less about forgiving sin than about defeating the Enemy behind it.
But Zephaniah takes it even further than this. In the one purple passage from this book, in 3:17, a text well loved by charismatics, God the mighty warrior is seen rejoicing and singing over his people. Considering the number of biblical passages about us singing to God, this comes as a fascinating reversal and a beautiful truth about the feel of our salvation, as opposed to a forensic account of how it works. In a famous passage in his 1990 book The Forgotten Father Tom Smail describes a rather grudging and grumpy acceptance of the returned prodigal son who is allowed back into the family home but only just, and must now carry on all interactions through his brother, as no personal contact is allowed with the father directly. Zephaniah neatly gives the lie to this approach, which I have found is surprisingly common among Christians who kind of know that they are forgiven but somehow can't seem to manage to believe that God actually likes them in any way. Zephaniah tells us that God delights in us, and some of us need to hear that.
[1] You can hear me teaching on this here
Tagged Deutero-Isaiah, exile, forgiveness, victory
Through the Bible in Just Over a Year – Jeremiah
This far through our odyssey we're beginning to get a broad overview of OT history. We've seen the judges and the monarchy, the decline and fall of Israel and the exile in Babylon, and then Ezra and Nehemiah's return and rebuilding in Jerusalem. This big picture will be helpful to keep in mind as we explore the remaining prophetic books, each of which will be positioned somewhere in this story.
Jeremiah has the reputation of being the most miserable of the prophets, and it is easy to see why. His ministry crossed the time before and into the exile, and his words fall pretty much into two halves, firstly warning the unrepentant Israelites that it has become too late for repentance: they simply have to accept their punishment at the hands of Babylon and suck it up. Then, as Jerusalem falls and the people are carried off, he turns to speaking to the ruling classes in exile, telling them that God was still in control and would fulfil his purposes through them if they just kept the faith. Meanwhile the peasants who remained in the now devastated Judah were encouraged simply to accept their lot and wait patiently for God's salvation.
This is familiar stuff – Jeremiah was roughly contemporary with Isaiah of Jerusalem, and had a similar if much harder message. Isaiah believed that repentance and salvation were still possible, while Jeremiah's message was that the nation's apostasy had gone beyond the point of no return. But there are two things which make this book stand out from the crowd. The first is the high proportion of biographical material. Most of the prophetic books give at least some detail about the prophet himself, but Jeremiah has given us not just many narrative details of his career, but also some very poignant outpourings of his own emotions as he is ignored, rejected and persecuted. We also feel something of his pain as the city he loves is razed to the ground by foreign invaders, although nowhere near as much as we are going to feel next week. We are reminded that we are reading about a real person, whose calling from God meant that his life was one of almost complete rejection. The promise from God in 29:11 that he had plans to prosper the people, and that he would not harm them, a purple passage owned by Christians down the years, certainly didn't seem to be fulfilled in Jeremiah's own life. We are reminded of the cost of Christian ministry, and the fact that in his love for us God is not committed to giving us an easy life if we obey him.
The other significance of Jeremiah's prophecy is its strong relevance to today's culture. He ministered at a time when society was literally crumbling and giving way to a new order. Culture-watchers have defined the late 20th century, with the death of enlightenment modernism and the tectonic shift to postmodernity and beyond as a time which parallels the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the settled lifestyle which had been Israel's since the days of the judges. We watch with Jeremiah at the end of an era; we feel his pain, confusion and uncertainty, and we hear his reassurances that the unchanging God is still somehow in charge, even if, like his original hearers, we find it all a bit hard to believe. Jeremiah makes good reading for Christians who feel that the world is going to hell in a handcart. He validates our grief but yet holds out to us the offer of hope.
Tagged exile, Grief, Jeremiah, protection
Through the Bible in Just Over a Year – Isaiah Part 2
I said last week that it is generally reckoned to be the case that what we call the book of Isaiah is actually three books by three authors widely separated in time. Isaiah of Jerusalem, who is responsible largely for the first 39 chapters, warned the people about the danger of exile if they didn't buck their spiritual ideas up, and of course they didn't, and exile was indeed their lot.
We have already mentioned the exile when we were looking at Ezra and Nehemiah, but may I invite you for a moment to think yourself into the situation of those whose home city had been besieged and ransacked, and who had been carried off, with great violence, to become slaves and prisoners in a foreign land many hundreds of miles away. What must that have felt like? What hardships did they have to endure? And, perhaps worse, what theological agonising did they spend their time in? This certainly felt like punishment from God: Isaiah had been right all along.
But what are we to do about it now? Maybe our God simply wasn't powerful enough to prevent Nebuchadnezzar from conquering us. Is there any point praying to him now? After all, we're not in his patch any longer; maybe we should try praying to a god more local to here, Bel, Nebo or one of those the natives worship. And even if we could get through to Yahweh from 500 miles away, is he going to forgive us? Isaiah wasn't wrong, if we're really honest. We were a pretty rotten lot to God, after all he's done for our people in the past. Maybe we've crossed the line. So is there any basis for hope? Or have we blown it once and for all with God? Have we broken our covenant relationship in a way which simply can't be mended?
You can just imagine the agonised debating which took place, and the increasing despair with which they faced nearly 70 years of silence on God's part.
Then suddenly, just as all hope must have virtually evaporated away, a new voice was heard in the land. A new prophet had been raised up by God, and his message was as different from that of Isaiah as chalk from cheese. Although we have 15 chapters of his work, actually it is only the first seven words which are really significant. We know nothing about the guy, except that scholars have christened him 'Deutero-Isaiah' which you must admit is catchy.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1)
It is almost impossible to grasp the depth of relief with which people would have received these words, but to them the centuries would have echoed with resonances. From the earliest times the deal, the covenant with God and his chosen people had been expressed in the terms 'I will be your God, and you will be my people'. You can find that phrase again and again in the OT. And now, in the midst of despair, the prophet was saying to those exiles 'The deal is still on!' Comfort my people, says your God. He goes on to explain that Israel's' sins have been paid for exactly: the word 'double' in 40:2 doesn't mean twice as much as they really deserved, but double in the sense of people who are exactly alike. The punishment has fitted the crime exactly, no more, no less. The prophet then spends the next 15 chapters answering all their theological questions: of course Yahweh is still God, even in Babylon. God only allowed them to go into exile so that it would stop the degradation of their national life: in fact there is no other god, only him. He is the God of all creation, and these so-called Babylonian deities are nothing more than dead scraps of wood: how dare you think that he's powerless? And the best news of all is that the people will return, the ruins of Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and they will know blessing after their hardships. All the themes of the book are there in the first chapter, but all of it is well worth a read through, particularly by those who feel themselves to have a God who has given up on them.
Tagged Comfort, exile, forgiveness, Isaiah
Through the Bible in Just Over a Year – Ezra
Ok, let's begin with a little quiz to see if you've been listening.
Have a glance (you don't even need to read it all) at Ezra chapters 2, 8 and 10. So which stream of writing does this book belong to? That's right – it's those boring Priests again with their lists of funny names and tedious attention to detail. We're going to find the same in our next book, Nehemiah, in chapters 7, 10 and 12, so that looks like a priestly work too. These two books tell a complimentary story of what happened when the exiles returned from Babylon to Jerusalem, and much scholarly dispute has raged about the exact chronology of the two books and the relationship between them, not least as the character of Ezra plays a major part in the book of Nehemiah. But leaving that aside, the two books are basically about rebuilding, Nehemiah, as we'll see next week, with the city walls of Jerusalem, and Ezra with the worship and right ordering of society.
Ezra was a priest and a teacher of the law, so when King Cyrus, who had conquered Babylon right at the end of 2 Chronicles, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, he was sent along to help them rediscover the Law's teachings, which had been so long neglected, even before the exile. This necessitated the rebuilding of the Temple, so that the right sacrifices could once again be offered. This work went ahead, and soon the altar was functioning again, although it was not long before subterfuge and opposition from 'the enemies of Judah and Benjamin', almost certainly Samaritans, remnants of the old Northern Kingdom who had become tainted by their syncretistic religion and intermarriage, halted the work. Finally, with royal help from King Darius of Persia, the Temple is completed and rededicated, and the Passover is celebrated. Once the physical building had been completed Ezra is sent to rebuild the spiritual life of the nation, but he soon discovers what he believes is the root cause of a major problem: the people had intermarried with the surrounding nations, a concern, you'll remember, of the Deuteronomic historians. When you took a foreign wife you almost always took her foreign gods too, so all kinds of practices contrary to Yahweh's Law had become part and parcel of their lives.
Ezra turns to prayer, and confesses to God the people's infidelity, and as he does so, using, interestingly, the first person, the people catch his broken heartedness and join in with the confession. Eventually the foreign wives are sent packing, but not before the careful chronicler has written down a list of all the guilty parties.
We can read this book as being about the primacy of worship, about the need for integrity as we worship, and the opposition which will surely come as we seek to live with that integrity. We're going to see a load more opposition next week, and some pretty dirty tactics, and I am reminded that in a church where political correctness has removed most of the language of spiritual warfare from our liturgy and hymnody, we can easily lose sight of the battle which rages all around us. But then as Keyser Soze said: 'The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.'
I personally love the idea that what the community really needed, perhaps more than it needed carpenters and stonemasons, was Bible teachers. In the next book we're going to see the power of the teaching ministry in action, but I find it interesting that for all their concern about the right ordering of worship the Priests have written up not the story of a superstar worship-leader but a humble scribe. Maybe today's church could listen to that a bit more.
Tagged exile, Ezra, marriage, Passover, sacrifice, temple
Through the Bible in Just Over a Year – 1 Chronicles
Our next few books are going to be the same but different. We've met the Dueteronomic Historians, who, from the vantage point of the Babylonian exile, were able to reflect on the period of the monarchy and explain what went wrong. I now need to introduce you to a new strand of literature, that coming from what is called the 'Priestly' source (P). Generally reckoned to date from the 5th Century, Israel had returned from exile to Jerusalem, and were living under Persian rule. The same period of history is written up, so it will feel a bit as though we are rewinding, but the interests and style of the Priestly writers are completely different from those of the Deuteronomists. Imagine two lectures or sermons, one given by a hellfire preacher passionate about the gospel, and the other by the archive curator of your local museum of history. That'll give you some idea of the flavour of our next few books. In fact we have met P before, as some of the sections of the first five books (the 'Pentateuch') look as though they come from this source. The main concern is the careful documentation of facts and figures, the listing of people involved, and liturgical details of worship. P is not as easy to read, which is why it is often neglected. In fact the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are simply a long list of names, starting with Adam and going right through to Saul and his family. (You are allowed to skip this bit, although if you like funny Hebrew names this is a rich trawling-ground. I particularly like Zelophehad.)
The actual story is picked up in chapter 10 with the death of Saul and the crowning of David, and continues to the preparations for the building of the Temple and David's death. There are some well-told stories, but there are regular interruptions for more lists, of David's key soldiers, various people involved in the building of the Temple, priests, musicians and Levites, and so on. In places it feels as though you've somehow put down the Bible and picked up the phone book instead.
But in spite of this rather archivy approach, the books contain some deeply spiritual and significant passages. David's psalm of praise in chapter 16, written to celebrate the return of the Ark to Jerusalem, is a highspot of worship. The exploits of his mighty warriors in chapter 11 make great reading, especially for blokes, and David's touching call to the people to give generously to the work on the Temple, and his own leading by example, is a great stewardship passage from which to preach. This is not merely a historical record: like everything in the Bible is has a theological point of view. The Priests are keen to exalt the place of worship in the community, to trace its origins back to David, to demonstrate how much care and attention ought to be paid to it, and perhaps therefore to raise awareness among those returned from exile but more intereste in home improvements than the worship of God. A fascinating insight into this period can be found in the writings of Haggai, who found a nation at comfortable ease, living in their panelled houses rather than working on the Temple of God. This book is a call back to the priority of worship, to the careful attention which must be given to it, and to the reverence with which God is to be treated.
Tagged exile, Priestly source, temple, Worship
Through the Bible in Just Over a Year – 2 Kings
The downward spiral of decline and apostasy continues with more of the same as we move into the final book of the Deuteronomic history, although there are some highspots too. The ministry of the prophet Elijah draws to a close and Elisha is appointed to succeed him. There are several stories about his prophetic work in chapters 2 to 9, my personal favourite of which is the cursing of the 'children' in 2:23-24, resulting in them being attacked by two bears. If you go down in the woods today …
This is a book of quite black and white heroes and villains. Ahab and his queen Jezebel stand out as highly evil characters, although it is interesting that 'secular' histories of this period laud Ahab and a great king and a mighty warrior. But of course the Deuteronomic historians aren't interested in that, but only in the centralisation of worship in Jerusalem and the idolatry of the nation and its leaders. Later on Judah's king Manasseh sinks to an all-time low by promoting mass occultism and the practice of child sacrifice, but in between are a few more minor villains who are assessed, as we have now come to expect, on their perpetuation or not of the rival sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan. Typical is this summing up of the reign of Pekahiah of Israel from 2 Kings 15:
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for two years. 24 Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
the sins of Jeroboam, of course, being the setting up of the rival shrines.
However there are some heroes too, leaders whose hearts seemed set on God and therefore the renewal of the nation's life. After Ahab's death Joash sets about restoring the physical Temple, opening its doors once again for worship, and later Hezekiah, with the help of his contemporary prophet Isaiah, attempts reform. After him Josiah again sets out of building renovations, and discovers some lost scrolls, probably parts of the book of Leviticus, which cause him to realise how far wrong the nation has gone.
But the reforms are short-lived, and in chapter 17 the Northern Kingdom of Israel goes off into exile in Assyria, followed in the final chapter by Jerusalem falling and people being deported to Babylon.
All in all it is a sorry tale. Like watching with a terminal cancer patient we read this history knowing that death is inevitable, and that even if there is an occasional better day, the direction is inexorably downhill. Later on, when the sadder and wiser historians seek to write up this sad tale and learn lessons from it, their viewpoint is simple: people abandoned God, so eventually he abandoned them. It's pure Romans 1 theology, or, if you've ever read it, straight out of The Tale of Georgie Grubb.
We're going, of course, to see that the exile was far from being the last word, but before we move on from this sad period we're going to read it all over again, but written up from a very different point of view.
Tagged 2 Kings, Elisha, exile, Reform
Old Testament Lectionary December 21st Advent 4 2 Samuel 11:1-16
Our passage today is about two houses: the physical house of the Jerusalem Temple, and the dynastic house of David the King. The first is easily dealt with. The fact is that Solomon built it, but you can't help but get the impression that it is a bit of an embarrassment to the writers that it wasn't David himself, who in so many ways epitomises the golden age of Israel. So to have David getting the idea to do it but then being told by the prophet that in fact God wants Solomon to carry out the work is a win-win situation.
But more difficult is the royal and dynastic house which God promises to build on David's line. This passage is full of promises, promises built on recollections of the past. God called and used David, he has been faithfully present throughout his ministry, and he has led the nation down the years. Whilst it obviously wasn't his will to build a physical house at this point, he did intend to continue David's royal line for ever: the text is full of promises to that effect. Note that the promises are completely unconditional: elsewhere God's promises are dependent on the continued faithfulness of the people, and their avoidance of idolatry, but not here. There is one small clause, conveniently filleted out by our lectionary compliers, in v 14, which says that if one of David's descendants does go off the rails God will punish him at the hands of human oppressors, but that will not invalidate the promises or remove his love and favour from him.
So of course the huge question is simply put: why did God not keep his promises? Why is the ongoing story in 1 and 2 Kings a story of rebellion, depravity, and final abandonment by God to the Babylonian exile? Why are the extravagant and unconditional promises in this chapter not followed up in real life?
It is true to say that God's favour does to some extent form a buffer between the nation and punishment. Without this favoured relationship one gets the impression that they would have been in exile much sooner, but God is patient and faithful, and withholds punishment as long as he can. But the fact remains that the promises of this chapter don't seem to be fulfilled as the history of Israel unfolds.
Maybe that's why this text is set just before Christmas, when the church focusses on the calling of Mary to bear the Christ to a waiting world. Great David's greater king is soon to appear, and in him the royal line continues, and will continue for ever, although like his ancestor David it will take a while before he is recognised and acknowledged as king, and he will have to face opposition and violence before he is crowned through his victory on the cross.
The take home from this, I think, is that sometimes the stream of God's promises flows underground. We can lose sight of it, and it appears to have drizzled away into the soil and come to nothing. But then when we least expect it, it can spring up again as the flow continues. Like that famous but somewhat twee footprints poem, there are sometimes only one set of prints in the sand. The challenge is to keep believing that the river of God's purposes and promises continues to flow when we can't actually see it for ourselves.
In the words of Tim Vine:
"My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I thought it would be fun if we both hopped."
Tagged David, exile, temple
Old Testament Lectionary December 14th Advent 3 Isaiah 61:1-11
I don't know about you, but I'm a bit confused about Advent themes. In the good old days it was all about death, judgement, heaven and hell, but there's also that stuff about prophets, patriarchs and the rest. The ASB helpfully gave us weekly themes, and Bible Sunday used to be around here somewhere too, but then in reaction to the ASB themes Common Worship is a bit shy and prefers us to see what we hear as we meditate on the readings, rather than telling us what we've got to find in them. Confused …? However, from the gospel for today we're apparently supposed to be thinking about John the Baptist, so what does Isaiah have to say about that?
The first thing which strikes one is the similarity of this passage to the 'Servant Songs' from the middle chapters of the book. The Spirit of God had anointed someone or other (discuss!) to bring redemption to Israel through sacrificial suffering. Indeed the nation had suffered in exile, but now they are back in their homeland and have the task of rebuilding not just the physical city but also the national life. So now a new 'servant' is being called and anointed, like the previous one unidentified, but probably in this case the prophet himself. His message is one of hope, new life, restoration and redemption, and he speaks to a people whom one might imagine literally standing in the ruins of the city, among the broken and scattered stones of the once great buildings, hearing his good news of a new start. It's not difficult to see how the ministry of John was foreshadowed in this passage.
But what is interesting is the hints we get here about the foundations of this renewed community. In v 8 we get a glimpse of God's values, the things which are important to him: he loves justice, and he hates robbery and wrongdoing. And then again in v 11 God promises to make righteousness and praise spring up. This, I think, helps us to deal with the question prompted by all the lovely stuff in this chapter 'Well where is it then?' The ongoing history of Israel after the return from exile was anything but as rosy as this text paints it. We're still waiting today for the glorious future of Israel as they fight within their own land and as a mosque occupies pride of place in Jerusalem.
Righteousness and praise, robbery and wrongdoing. We know clearly what God likes and doesn't like, but, as with the people in the time of John the Baptist, we have a choice as to how we live. Choose the right things and we choose life, hope and a future. Choose the other way, and there is no certainly of God's best will becoming reality. God never forces his blessings on us, and the story of the Bible as a whole is the story of God's plans for blessing and prosperity being thwarted again and again by twisted human rebellion. There is hope, there is a future, but as a human race we need to hear again, more urgently than ever, John's cry to repent.
Tagged exile, Isaiah, Jerusalem, John the Baptist

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Scottish Opinion
At yearly pledge drive Hands to Hands brings back famous Sharon Randall to talk
March 6, 2020 March 6, 2020 - by Kaylee Brown - Leave a Comment
The Hands to Hands Community Fund is bringing Sharon Randall once again into Wichita Falls Tuesday, March 10, to talk at Grace Church for a pledge drive.
A night with Randall has been for quite some time mentioned since they recently talked in Wichita Falls eight years back, as per Nancy Brown, official executive of the Hands to Hands Community Fund.
"She was wildly popular," Brown said. "Ever since that time people have just begged me to bring her back."
Tickets sold out quick that year. It was held at The Forum which didn't give them enough space for the group that needed to see Randall.
Darker said they concluded it was at long last time to get Randall back in Wichita Falls, and they likewise made a point to get a bigger scene at Grace Church.
Of the 800 seats accessible at the congregation they are selling 750 of them, and they are nearly sold out.
"I think I have 40 tickets left. If people step up and buy those, then we'll be a packed house," Brown said.
This won't be the second time Randall has been in Wichita Falls. They has been a couple of times throughout the years and said that it's constantly been a delight.
"It's like going to a family reunion — without the fist fights," Randall said.
Randall said they experienced childhood in the Carolinas and that is were they figured out how to be a storyteller. They said the Carolinas are the place everyone recounts anecdotes about everything and nothing.
"If you wake up and nothing happens, you tell a story about it. I never wrote stories except for school, or later, for work. But I learned to tell them before I learned to walk," Randall said.
They said what they needed most was to be a mother and after their youngsters began school they accepting a vocation as a document assistant at their neighborhood paper.
There they composed a couple of stories for their paper's magazine, which lead to their turning into a component essayist.
"In 1991, I began writing a column about life and whatever came along. Three years later, it was syndicated and I got to work at home in my pajamas," they said.
They never imagined they'd be a feature writer, not to mention despite everything think of one 30 years after the fact.
"I was fortunate to have good people who dreamed it for me. I'm now self-syndicated, still writing about life and whatever comes along, still working at home in my pajamas," they said.
They despite everything recalls that first segment they composed. They despite everything has it since their proofreader had it surrounded. They expounded on their grandma and their visually impaired sibling who instructed their to see the world.
"And I promised readers that in future columns, I'd take a good look at whatever came along, and try to tell them about it as honestly as I could. It's a promise I've worked hard to keep," Randall said.
In the wake of composing for over 30 years, Randall said there are three different ways she has developed as an essayist.
They figured out how to confide in their voice as it's the main thing exceptional about composition. They recites all that they works for all to hear.
"If it doesn't sound like me, I rewrite it until it does," they said.
They accepts all inventive work comes, not from the individuals who accomplish the work, however from God, the genuine Creator.
"I ask him for a story. When it shows up — as it has every week, all these years — I try my best to tell it well," they said. "When it stops showing up, I'll know it's time to retire and chase my grandkids."
Lastly they figured out how to confide in their perusers.
"Writing isn't complete until it's read. It doesn't matter what we "mean" to say. What matters is how the words are understood. The best compliment for me as a writer is to hear from readers that my story rings true, and that it is somehow their story, too," they said.
Numerous individuals of various foundations are attracted to Randall's sections. Darker said that the initial 20 tickets she sold were to men.
Randall said when they composes she gets a kick out of the chance to concentrate on ways that individuals are indistinguishable as opposed to the distinctions.
"I want the column to be a place where everyone is welcome and, when reading it, most everyone will feel at home. I think we're all a little hungry for that," they said.
At the pledge drive this year Randall plans to recount to a couple of stories and give a valiant effort to ensure everybody is making some acceptable memories.
The pledge drive is held each year, regularly in March. It's one of two pledge drives Hands to Hands Community Fund needs to pay for their offices working expenses.
The eight organizations that Hands to Hands underpins are The Arc of Wichita County, Boy Scouts of America, Boys and Girls Club of Burkburnett, Camp Fire, Child Advocates (CASA), The Children's Aid Society of West Texas, Friendly Door and Straight Street.
Darker said the gathering pledges occasion is their method for offering back to the network.
"The ticket prices are very inexpensive so that everybody can afford to go," Brown said.
Randall said it's a respect and a gift to be a piece of the work that Hands to Hands and the organizations it bolsters are doing in our locale to support our neighbors.
Kaylee Brown
Kaylee is author of several novels for young adults. Her debut novel Threads, won the Times/Chicken House competition in 2009, and in 2017 'Love Song' won the Goldsboro Books Romantic Novel of the Year. Her books have been published around the world.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Scottish Opinion journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
TaggedAid Society of West TexasCamp FireChild Advocates (CASA)Friendly Door and Straight StreetGrace ChurchHands Community FundWichita Falls
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About Kaylee Brown
Kaylee is author of several novels for young adults. Her debut novel Threads, won the Times/Chicken House competition in 2009, and in 2017 'Love Song' won the Goldsboro Books Romantic Novel of the Year. Her books have been published around the world.
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There's nothing more exciting than waking up on Christmas morning to find a stocking filled with surprises just waiting to be discovered. From luxe beauty products and snugly accessories for her, to quirky gadgets and stylish knitwear for him, here's our edit of stocking fillers – the little extras that make all the difference.
Often left to the very last moment, there is usually a tendency to panic and fill a loved one's stocking with all sorts of random bits and bobs you threw in your basket on that last minute shopping dash. Instead of wasting your money on Christmas gifts that will lie dormant for years, make the stocking the most thrilling part of the day with carefully chosen gifts they're sure to love.
Impress the lady in your life with well thought-out stocking fillers. If she's a beauty queen, spoil her with pampering products, her signature scent or a luxe makeup palette or gift set that shows you've done your research. We recommend the best-selling Clarisonic cleansing system or Yves Saint Laurent touché éclat gift set – trust us on this one. Accessories work perfectly for stockings and are sure to delight fashionistas – treat her to a sumptuously soft faux fur stole, a statement jewelled necklace or a luxurious pair of leather gloves. Choose gifts that appeal to her interests, for example, if she loves to cook and is a big fan of the Great British Bake Off, you can't go wrong with one of Mary Berry's popular cook books. And finally, for the lady who has everything, an exquisite lace lingerie set is sure to tick all the festive boxes.
There's something about the mystery of the stocking that turns us into excitable children again. Give him an enticing stocking to delve into this Christmas, filled with all of his favourite things. From headphones for music aficionados to leather wallets for luxury lovers and useful gadgets for DIY enthusiasts, you can tailor his stocking to suit his personality and style perfectly.


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Home»Reviews»Films This Week»Soul (2020) Review: Pixar's Latest is a Gorgeous Meditation on Living and Dying
Films This Week/Reviews
Soul (2020) Review: Pixar's Latest is a Gorgeous Meditation on Living and Dying
Shashwat Sisodiya 2020-12-27
Shashwat Sisodiya / June 24, 2021 / 0 / 1.5k
The thing which sets apart Pixar from other Animation studios is the life-affirming storytelling that drives the proceedings. The themes Pixar discusses through its work abound with surprising maturity but the storytelling has as much simplicity as it has the smack of candor. The latest offering from Pixar, which is Soul, comes from Pete Docter, whose last film Inside Out is my favorite Pixar movie of all time. By turning the characters into concepts in their own right, the film manages to be both very busy as well as calm and pensive in the manner in which it examined the various themes of a coming-of-age narrative.
This is something that can be said about Soul as well. The narrative follows a middle-aged man called Joe Gardener who teaches music in a middle school in New York. He happens to fall into a street drain while walking through the streets in the excitement of some fabulous news, and he becomes unconscious, which is when his soul leaves his body to the place at the confluence of heaven and hell, and that's majorly where the heart of Soul's adventure lies. It's a familiar gamble for the Pixar studios: death and letting go have previously been explored in the Pixar oeuvre with films such as Coco (2017) and Ratatouille (2007). Yet, somehow, they work thoroughly this time as well, with nearly as much inventiveness and humor.
SIMILAR TO SOUL (2020): INSIDE OUT [2015]: "FEELINGS CAN CREEP UP JUST LIKE THAT"
Soul is old wine in a new bottle, but there are some unusual aspects that the film shifts its focus on- the wandering soul serves as a unique allegory to depict midlife crises. What also strikes you is a subtle undertone of middle-age longing as we come to know about Joe's love for a woman called Lisa. The film also functions as an enjoyable portrayal of how a man's greatness becomes his baggage when something about the ways of the world becomes hard to comprehend. The creative team needs to be lauded to finally give us a black protagonist living in a society of racial minority: in fact, the African-American representation of the film is one of the most subtle ways that it works- perhaps the second chance given to Joe is a politically shrewd metaphor for a black man to live a life of dignity and to live life his way, to his full potential. The film's 'souls': bluish minions who are extremely small in size- elevate the film's suggestive anti-racist symbolism.
Soul might not be one of the most amazing Pixar films in the way the other more amazing Pixar films are, but its knack for realism needs to be celebrated. The conflicts of a central character seem more resonant to the real world than most of what Pixar has produced to date. The three-dimensional animation is beautiful: the film's display of colors is heightened, perhaps fitting for the film that features the first protagonist of a racial minority. Steve Pilcher's production design is in perfect sync with the overall melody of the narrative- it's a film about a man for whom the jazz music he makes is his only purpose, and the immersive atmosphere does perfect justice to that. Trent Reznor's compositions are so melodious that you want a feature-length music video that just keeps on playing the same symphony again and again.
Similar to Soul (2020) : Pixar Finds A Groove On It's B-Side With Luca (2019)
The attention to detail is sharp and immaculate, and there's a lot of artfulness in the way the characters share conversations. This, in fact, is not a film meant for children at all, as its Disney+ Hotstar release might put it. The film is anything but meant for children. The conversations these small and big characters share are simple in dialogue and honest in intent but the content has not the least bit of a kiddie charm, which comes off as totally unexpected from a studio this committed to the entertainment of a younger section of the audience. The film takes its own sweet time to unfold and it is meant to reward a degree of patience.
RECOMMENDED: ONWARD [2020] REVIEW: ANOTHER FORWARD STEP FOR PIXAR
But the film's narrative uses manipulation more frequently than it should. The film has the style and substance of Inside Out and adopts a similar structure of characters being mere concepts. Sadly though, Soul misses the rawness and layers of that film and adopts a more simplistic method. The film's music delivers promise and solidity but it would have been nicer if the makers expanded on the film's musicality. But by all means, Soul is a swooning marriage of metaphorical and animated storytelling, which makes it an essentially sumptuous meditation on living, dying, and everything in between.
WATCH SOUL (2020) TRAILER
WATCH SOUL ONLINE ON DISNEY+ HOTSTAR
Tags:Black Lives MatterDisney + HotstarDisney AnimationFilms about DeathInside OutJamie FoxxPete DocterPixarPixar Animation StudiosSoul
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text:
/*
 * MinIO Cloud Storage, (C) 2018 MinIO, Inc.
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */

package cmd

import (
	"bytes"
	"context"
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"path"
	"strings"
	"sync"

	miniogopolicy "github.com/minio/minio-go/v6/pkg/policy"
	"github.com/minio/minio-go/v6/pkg/set"
	"github.com/minio/minio/cmd/logger"
	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/event"
	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/handlers"
	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/policy"
)

// PolicySys - policy subsystem.
type PolicySys struct {
	sync.RWMutex
	bucketPolicyMap map[string]policy.Policy
}

// removeDeletedBuckets - to handle a corner case where we have cached the policy for a deleted
// bucket. i.e if we miss a delete-bucket notification we should delete the corresponding
// bucket policy during sys.refresh()
func (sys *PolicySys) removeDeletedBuckets(bucketInfos []BucketInfo) {
	buckets := set.NewStringSet()
	for _, info := range bucketInfos {
		buckets.Add(info.Name)
	}
	sys.Lock()
	defer sys.Unlock()

	for bucket := range sys.bucketPolicyMap {
		if !buckets.Contains(bucket) {
			delete(sys.bucketPolicyMap, bucket)
		}
	}
}

// Set - sets policy to given bucket name.  If policy is empty, existing policy is removed.
func (sys *PolicySys) Set(bucketName string, policy policy.Policy) {
	if globalIsGateway {
		// Set policy is a non-op under gateway mode.
		return
	}

	sys.Lock()
	defer sys.Unlock()

	if policy.IsEmpty() {
		delete(sys.bucketPolicyMap, bucketName)
	} else {
		sys.bucketPolicyMap[bucketName] = policy
	}
}

// Remove - removes policy for given bucket name.
func (sys *PolicySys) Remove(bucketName string) {
	sys.Lock()
	defer sys.Unlock()

	delete(sys.bucketPolicyMap, bucketName)
}

// IsAllowed - checks given policy args is allowed to continue the Rest API.
func (sys *PolicySys) IsAllowed(args policy.Args) bool {
	if globalIsGateway {
		// When gateway is enabled, no cached value
		// is used to validate bucket policies.
		objAPI := newObjectLayerFn()
		if objAPI != nil {
			config, err := objAPI.GetBucketPolicy(context.Background(), args.BucketName)
			if err == nil {
				return config.IsAllowed(args)
			}
		}
	} else {
		sys.RLock()
		defer sys.RUnlock()

		// If policy is available for given bucket, check the policy.
		if p, found := sys.bucketPolicyMap[args.BucketName]; found {
			return p.IsAllowed(args)
		}
	}

	// As policy is not available for given bucket name, returns IsOwner i.e.
	// operation is allowed only for owner.
	return args.IsOwner
}

// Refresh PolicySys.
func (sys *PolicySys) refresh(objAPI ObjectLayer) error {
	buckets, err := objAPI.ListBuckets(context.Background())
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	sys.removeDeletedBuckets(buckets)
	for _, bucket := range buckets {
		config, err := objAPI.GetBucketPolicy(context.Background(), bucket.Name)
		if err != nil {
			if _, ok := err.(BucketPolicyNotFound); ok {
				sys.Remove(bucket.Name)
			}
			continue
		}
		// This part is specifically written to handle migration
		// when the Version string is empty, this was allowed
		// in all previous minio releases but we need to migrate
		// those policies by properly setting the Version string
		// from now on.
		if config.Version == "" {
			logger.Info("Found in-consistent bucket policies, Migrating them for Bucket: (%s)", bucket.Name)
			config.Version = policy.DefaultVersion

			if err = savePolicyConfig(context.Background(), objAPI, bucket.Name, config); err != nil {
				logger.LogIf(context.Background(), err)
				return err
			}
		}
		sys.Set(bucket.Name, *config)
	}
	return nil
}

// Init - initializes policy system from policy.json of all buckets.
func (sys *PolicySys) Init(objAPI ObjectLayer) error {
	if objAPI == nil {
		return errInvalidArgument
	}

	// In gateway mode, we don't need to load the policies
	// from the backend.
	if globalIsGateway {
		return nil
	}

	doneCh := make(chan struct{})
	defer close(doneCh)

	// Initializing policy needs a retry mechanism for
	// the following reasons:
	//  - Read quorum is lost just after the initialization
	//    of the object layer.
	for range newRetryTimerSimple(doneCh) {
		// Load PolicySys once during boot.
		if err := sys.refresh(objAPI); err != nil {
			if err == errDiskNotFound ||
				strings.Contains(err.Error(), InsufficientReadQuorum{}.Error()) ||
				strings.Contains(err.Error(), InsufficientWriteQuorum{}.Error()) {
				logger.Info("Waiting for policy subsystem to be initialized..")
				continue
			}
			return err
		}
		break
	}
	return nil
}

// NewPolicySys - creates new policy system.
func NewPolicySys() *PolicySys {
	return &PolicySys{
		bucketPolicyMap: make(map[string]policy.Policy),
	}
}

func getConditionValues(request *http.Request, locationConstraint string, username string) map[string][]string {
	currTime := UTCNow()
	principalType := func() string {
		if username != "" {
			return "User"
		}
		return "Anonymous"
	}()
	args := map[string][]string{
		"CurrenTime":      {currTime.Format(event.AMZTimeFormat)},
		"EpochTime":       {fmt.Sprintf("%d", currTime.Unix())},
		"principaltype":   {principalType},
		"SecureTransport": {fmt.Sprintf("%t", request.TLS != nil)},
		"SourceIp":        {handlers.GetSourceIP(request)},
		"UserAgent":       {request.UserAgent()},
		"Referer":         {request.Referer()},
		"userid":          {username},
		"username":        {username},
	}

	for key, values := range request.Header {
		if existingValues, found := args[key]; found {
			args[key] = append(existingValues, values...)
		} else {
			args[key] = values
		}
	}

	for key, values := range request.URL.Query() {
		if existingValues, found := args[key]; found {
			args[key] = append(existingValues, values...)
		} else {
			args[key] = values
		}
	}

	if locationConstraint != "" {
		args["LocationConstraint"] = []string{locationConstraint}
	}

	return args
}

// getPolicyConfig - get policy config for given bucket name.
func getPolicyConfig(objAPI ObjectLayer, bucketName string) (*policy.Policy, error) {
	// Construct path to policy.json for the given bucket.
	configFile := path.Join(bucketConfigPrefix, bucketName, bucketPolicyConfig)

	configData, err := readConfig(context.Background(), objAPI, configFile)
	if err != nil {
		if err == errConfigNotFound {
			err = BucketPolicyNotFound{Bucket: bucketName}
		}

		return nil, err
	}

	return policy.ParseConfig(bytes.NewReader(configData), bucketName)
}

func savePolicyConfig(ctx context.Context, objAPI ObjectLayer, bucketName string, bucketPolicy *policy.Policy) error {
	data, err := json.Marshal(bucketPolicy)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	// Construct path to policy.json for the given bucket.
	configFile := path.Join(bucketConfigPrefix, bucketName, bucketPolicyConfig)

	return saveConfig(ctx, objAPI, configFile, data)
}

func removePolicyConfig(ctx context.Context, objAPI ObjectLayer, bucketName string) error {
	// Construct path to policy.json for the given bucket.
	configFile := path.Join(bucketConfigPrefix, bucketName, bucketPolicyConfig)

	if err := objAPI.DeleteObject(ctx, minioMetaBucket, configFile); err != nil {
		if _, ok := err.(ObjectNotFound); ok {
			return BucketPolicyNotFound{Bucket: bucketName}
		}

		return err
	}

	return nil
}

// PolicyToBucketAccessPolicy - converts policy.Policy to minio-go/policy.BucketAccessPolicy.
func PolicyToBucketAccessPolicy(bucketPolicy *policy.Policy) (*miniogopolicy.BucketAccessPolicy, error) {
	// Return empty BucketAccessPolicy for empty bucket policy.
	if bucketPolicy == nil {
		return &miniogopolicy.BucketAccessPolicy{Version: policy.DefaultVersion}, nil
	}

	data, err := json.Marshal(bucketPolicy)
	if err != nil {
		// This should not happen because bucketPolicy is valid to convert to JSON data.
		return nil, err
	}

	var policyInfo miniogopolicy.BucketAccessPolicy
	if err = json.Unmarshal(data, &policyInfo); err != nil {
		// This should not happen because data is valid to JSON data.
		return nil, err
	}

	return &policyInfo, nil
}

// BucketAccessPolicyToPolicy - converts minio-go/policy.BucketAccessPolicy to policy.Policy.
func BucketAccessPolicyToPolicy(policyInfo *miniogopolicy.BucketAccessPolicy) (*policy.Policy, error) {
	data, err := json.Marshal(policyInfo)
	if err != nil {
		// This should not happen because policyInfo is valid to convert to JSON data.
		return nil, err
	}

	var bucketPolicy policy.Policy
	if err = json.Unmarshal(data, &bucketPolicy); err != nil {
		// This should not happen because data is valid to JSON data.
		return nil, err
	}

	return &bucketPolicy, nil
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home » Latest News » US supports Haitian-led solution, unity for Haiti to overcome challenges | Opinion by Brian A. Nichols
Posted inLatest News, Opinion
US supports Haitian-led solution, unity for Haiti to overcome challenges | Opinion by Brian A. Nichols
by Guest Author Oct. 28, 2021 Aug. 28, 2022
A man looks on at protesters gathered in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to protest against the shortage of fuel and against the government. Photo by: REUTERS / Andres Martinez Casares
By Brian A. Nichols
Brian A. Nichols is the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the United States Department of State.
Haiti faces a crossroads in its journey to a safe, democratic, and thriving future. The July assassination of President Jovenel Moise occurred during great political uncertainty, with long-postponed elections, only 10 of 149 elected positions in the legislature filled, and gangs perpetrating rising violence that victimized innocent people. Thousands of Haitian migrants embarked on the dangerous path of irregular migration across the Americas. In August, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Haiti killed more than 2,200 people and destroyed 138,000 homes. Then in October, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for kidnapping 17 missionaries, including 16 United States citizens.
U.S. embassies and consulates have no higher responsibility than protecting U.S. citizens. This core responsibility comes with extraordinary challenges right now. Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible crime, their families and communities, and all those impacted by kidnappings in Haiti. We continue to work with Haitian authorities, including the Haitian National Police and our international partners, to bring these U.S. citizens to safety.
These kidnappings and other incidents might lead outsiders to question if Haiti can hope for a better future. But after more than two decades of working on Haiti-related issues, I've learned that Haitians have a remarkable and steadfast commitment to define their own future. Their active debate about the political way forward reflects this reality.
The Biden-Harris administration committed to supporting a Haitian-led solution to the country's challenges. Already, the U.S. supported Haiti in the wake of these recent challenges, mobilizing support for the investigation into Moise's assassination, including by investigating links to possible crimes committed in the United States. After the earthquake, the President designated USAID Administrator Samantha Power to personally oversee the U.S. response, which included more than $56 million in humanitarian assistance.
It will not be easy, but and unity remain essential for charting a new course forward.
Even as we mobilized quickly to help the Haitian government receive returning Haitians and provide immediate support, we enhanced our focus on the country's long-term future by working with Haitians to address the underlying causes that drive many of them to leave their families and communities behind.
U.S. won't pick winners and losers in Haiti
I travelled to Haiti for my first foreign trip as Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere. During my visit a few weeks ago, I heard the voices of civil society, business and political leaders, along with Prime Minister Ariel Henry, all calling for unity and dialogue. I emphasized that the U.S. government seeks a broad and inclusive, and most importantly, Haitian vision, of the way forward — as it should be.
A divide separates the many political actors in Haiti, as well as members of the diaspora. The United States won't pick winners and losers in the challenge to establish a durable, transparent government acceptable to a majority of Haitians. We hope that Haitians with ideas and dreams about building a democratic future will engage broadly with each other to chart their own path to restoring democracy through free and fair elections when conditions permit.
Successful restoration of Haiti's democratic institutions and faith in the country's democracy requires dialogue and unity.
The Haitian diaspora's constructive role
I also want to underscore the important and constructive role the Haitian diaspora can, should and does play in supporting a Haitian solution. In meetings with the diaspora, both in Miami before I traveled to Haiti and in a follow-up call on Oct. 5, we discussed how they can contribute their energy and experiences to support Haiti's civil society. In turn, we listened to the desires of the diaspora in how to rebuild Haiti and committed to working with them, and Haitian citizens, to secure a better future for the next generations of Haitians.
I have seen the Haitian people confront and rise above many challenges. I know they face a difficult time and realize that the future can look bleak. It will not be easy, but and unity remain essential for charting a new course forward. The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to supporting the Haitian people, as you take the path to restore your democracy, make your country safer and more secure and create opportunities to build a better future in Haiti.
Two American diplomats visit Haiti after special envoy's resignation
Millions to help Haiti's police fight gangs on the way, US says
US training of Haitian police underway, ahead of $48M to fight crime, official says
In "Haiti Politics"
Tagged: Brian A. Nichols, Haitian civil society, haitian unity, Haitian-led solution, joe biden, kamala harris, Miami, State Department and Haiti, US haiti policy
Glenn Brooks says:
Oct. 28, 2021 at 12:31 pm
Haiti can make biodiesel in house, employ millions, create free animal feed & produce cows, pigs, chicken with free feed – by commercially growing Jatropha curves called medseyen there
James Grant says:
Oct. 28, 2021 at 5:27 pm
An unusually and refreshingly optimistic perspective of the situation in Haiti and the need for change, but no substance WRT how anything might be accomplished. A Haitian led solution must have support from the US, the UN, and of Haiti's other supporters (and exploiters, to be blunt). The current piecemeal government of Haiti and its ministries have no hope of restoring order and security, and moving Haiti forward as a nation without significant and direct outside support. Port-au-Prince is a prison for it own residents; in the far southwest, the town of Jeremie has been cut off from any real commerce and relief aid since the August earthquake, but it's not in the news and nobody mentions it. Gas prices in the south have soared to US $75 per gallon, prevention people from seeking medical care, going to markets to sell or buy produce, and shutting down hospitals and other critical services. In time, it's possible even the generator operated cell towers will shut down due to the lack of fuel. Why are these issues being addressed and resolutions being planned and implemented?


Sly! I wish there were a way out of this madness.
I guess the netting would be to keep pigeons away.
Interesting shot & spot : it is unusual to see the carrying figures being turned inward, facing directly into the wall. I wonder about the architect and history of this building.


I got a lot done today but there is still more to do in the following hours. The heat and humidity made my running around at the last minute uncomfortable. I still found time for an hour of relaxing before class, kicking the ball, squirting the guns, and drinking from cups. The good thing is when I got home the toilet stopped leaking so the floor was dry. Did I ever mention I feel like Shrek living in this basement apartment?


2012-08-18T08:32:10-04:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/287/307657-04-m.jpgAngela Kelley and Jose Magana discussed the deportation reprieve going into effect this week and how it will affect illegal aliens. The deportation reprieve would give some illegal aliens the freedom to pursue education and work without fear of being deported. The guests also discussed the fear of illegal aliens to enter information into a database that may be utilized later to deport them under a different president. Viewer questions were taken via telephone and electronic devices.


How Much (if at all) will Big Ben Make Rosetta 800's Sound Quality Better?
Studio Monitors to run alongside NS10's ???
Is a passive DI the best way to go?
Neumann TLM49...why am I not impressed?
Experiences withRTT mkl 101 "the Bottle"?
When to use the "Solo" button during a Mix?
Time to hang my foam, but where? can you help?
Tascam 80-8 to ProTools transfer in L.A.?
Effectron I ADM 1020 and Effectron II ADM 1024 Differences?
summing in my daw or in a low-cost mixer?
How i eq a REVERB return on cubase 5?
pmc, aps or adam ?
melodyne direct note access, WHEN?
Hey! Have anyone idea when will Celemony release the melodyne direct note access?
where to buy macpro memory in NZ?
Why would/wouldnt the HipHop philosophy work in rock?!
JL Cooper vs Euphonix Artist Series. any users?
a better way to reach your USB/firewire ports?
Connecting my Blue Robbie to my 003r in input 5?
Anyone here ditch 500 series and go w/ Mackie Onyx?
Soundtracs Topaz Project 8 better than Yamaha 02R?
ICON... The death of analog!


Prasad: Pranam swamiji. Swamiji my question is as we all know that one cannot select ones parents i.e. mother or father than what are those karm that decide this relation and does one have same parents in his next birth? Swamiji please try to solve this mystery for me.
Swami Ramswarup: My blessings to you. In several cases, parents remain alive and a child dies. So, naturally, when the soul of child will get new birth, within thirteen days, as per Yajurveda chapter 39, his parents will be new. Similarly, children remain alive and parents go to heavenly abode. Naturally, the parents will get next birth either in human life or in other yonis. So, the present children will never get same parent. The philosophy of pious /bad deeds is very much typical to understand. Yet, the learned, based on his hard Tapasya, gets success to understand it. To, have good or bad parents is based on previous lives' deeds of a child.
Varun: I want to know my job and career. I have done my MBA.
As you know, my dear, this all is always in the hands of Almighty God Parmatma. But God helps those who help themselves. So, I am sure that you've been doing hard work to seek the job. I pray to God to fulfill your desire soon. Also, please chant Gayatri mantra daily and do hawan with Gayatri mantra daily both times. In the end of hawan, please pray to God to fulfill your desires. I hope God will sure listen to you.
Monica: Please suggest a good date and time for mundan done.
Swami Ramswarup: All days are auspicious having been made by God so any date accordingly to suitability can be chosen.
Lalit: Swamiji I and my friend want to learn yoga from you. When can we visit your ashram?
Swami Ramswarup: Yes, please. You are most welcome.
Lalit: Swamiji can you send me simple English or Hindi translation of the 4 Vedas or you could give me the name of the author and the book and I can purchase. Thank you.
M/s Vijay Kumar Govindram Hasanand, Nai Sadak, Delhi.
Manoj: I want to know about my future.
Swami Ramswarup: Future is based on pious deeds, hard working towards a right path and God helps those who help themselves. It depends on your hard working and pious deeds. One should worship God daily to get His blessings in every matter. Good job, education, richness, happiness etc., is the result of previous life's pious deeds and present life's hard working, dedication, devotion, hard-working, honesty etc. And in this life one should always also do real worship of God to finish the obstacles if any which may be due to previous life's bad deeds. So worship is always required along with hard working, devotion, dedication towards right path to get progress in the life.


Did you ever think about what would life be without music? Well, I did and I think that the world would be a very quiet place. In my opinion music is something extraordinary; it is what makes humans human. Music is in a number of ways the fabric to our lives and the definition of society.
It can be described as one of the most treasured human experiences, everyone enjoy music and this becomes more apparent in every significant event from weddings and funerals to graduation ceremonies formal inaugurations and birthdays. No matter what it is used for, music is the perfect art and our lives would be incomplete without it. The ambience in any room can be set just by adding some music. There are many different styles, something for every occasion as it is very soothing and relaxing which can make our bad days better.
Every culture makes music and every past culture has created music too. Studies show how music affects many parts of our brain very deeply. Music creates strong feelings and a lot of memories. The more we learn about music the more we will be able to say what we want in music and also understand better what it means to be human. Listening to music has proved to be like therapy for our souls.
Music is important for creativity: Music is considered to be one of the best ways to enter a 'mind- wandering mode' which was discovered by neurologist Marcus Raichle in 2001. This is the state the brain enters into most easily and music is one of the most effective ways of allowing you to enter this mode. Music fuels the mind and thus it fuels our creativity. A creative mind allows making great discoveries and innovations.
Music makes learning more fun and memorable: Music can make learning more fun and engaging which is a great tool for memorization. Music can help kids keep focus and remember things they learnt for a long time. Far from being a distraction it helps people remember better. Evidence that music helps with memory has led to researchers to study more about the impact of music on people who suffer memory loss.
Music is a universal language: Musicians claim that with music you can communicate across cultural and linguistic boundaries in ways that you cannot do with ordinary languages. It has the ability to evoke deep feeling at the core of the shared human experience.
Music brings people together: Although music can certainly be played and listened to alone it is a powerful social magnet. There is something about listening to music or playing it with other people that makes you feel connected with those around you. The more we use music to bring us together the more potential for increased empathy, social connection and cooperation.
Music reduces stress and anxiety: Research has shown that listening to music at least music with slow tempo and low pitch can calm people down even during highly stressful and painful event. It also has the ability to help with pain management for example during childbirth.