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Category Archives: Joseph
The Story of Mary and the Birth of the King: Conclusion
Herod's troubles
Herod spent his last decade in the grips of turmoil fueled by an ever-growing paranoia. While he had achieved a degree of peace in Judea (despite the financial rigors imposed on his subjects due to Imperial taxes and his own extravagant building projects), there were always trouble spots to be dealt with, especially within his own family. During his seventy years Herod married ten wives and fathered fifteen children. Needless to say, troublesome rivalries found fertile soil.
To make matters worse, Herod suffered the effects of a painful degenerative disease which affected not only his body but also his mind. He knew death was inevitable and imminent—there was no cure for his malady. The time had come for him to nominate, by Emperor Augustus's request, an heir to assume his kingdom upon his demise. Obviously it would be a son—but which one?
Early on, Herod divorced his first wife, Doris (a "commoner" so to speak), and banished her and his firstborn son, Antipater, in order to marry a true "royal," the Princess Mariamme 1, of Hasmonean descent. She also bore him sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, and two daughters. The ensuing years were littered with political intrigue as mothers and sons, jealous siblings, shrewd sycophants and toadies, connived and maneuvered to grab the reins the instant of his death. The demented king saw threats everywhere—some quite real, others figments of his tormented mind.
As Augustus requested, Herod put forth the names of three sons, Antipater, Alexander and Aristobulus, for consideration; in response, each ambition-driven mother with her cohorts sought to claim the throne for her son by whatever means at her disposal. In the end, it finished badly for them all: Antipater, Herod's firstborn, was executed on a charge of plotting to murder his father; Mariamme was executed because of an alleged murder plot; her two sons were strangled on charges of treason; and Doris was once again sent into exile.
Reconstruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Herod (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Maniacal obsessions
Herod was increasingly plagued with fears of treason and impending overthrow, and the palpable Jewish expectation of a coming Messiah did nothing to calm his apprehensions. Just yesterday his spies brought word of a caravan arriving from the east, and among its travelers, Magi, wise men of some stature, with their gift-laden entourage, inquiring about one born King of the Jews. "We have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." A King of the Jews?!
Summoning all the chief priests and scribes, Herod got straight to the point: Where was this Christ to be born? Their reply: according to the prophet, in Bethlehem.[1] His minions were no doubt already combing all Jerusalem to find out more, sneaking, demanding, investigating, threatening; before long the whole city knew that Herod was on a rampage, and braced itself for his growing fury.
These wise men…they could be pivotal players in his manic search. Herod arranged for a private audience with them, and a plan took shape. First, a question. Exactly when did they see this star? If it took several weeks, or months even, for these Magi to make their journey,[2] how old might this…this king be—days, months, even a year or more? Then suppose he feigned a shared interest in paying homage also, and encouraged them to continue on their quest and keep him informed? Once Herod knew the child's whereabouts, he could quickly dispatch this interloper. The Magi, unaware of such a murderous plot, played into his hands, and set off for Bethlehem, still guided by the star.
Herod waited.
Sometime earlier
Jesus was eight days old, and according to the Law, it was time for his circumcision. Joseph and Mary sought out the local Mohel to perform the age-old rite. The young mother comforted her crying infant, and soothed away his tears with the gentle sound of her voice. Their bond was already strong, and she found herself pondering many of the recent events which had so dramatically changed their lives. What did the future hold for this Son of God?
Perhaps this question loomed large a month or so later. Mary's days of purification were completed and the time for Jesus to be consecrated to the Lord had arrived. Both events required sacrifices, and so Mary and Joseph with their precious son journeyed to Jerusalem and climbed the steps to the temple courtyard, making their way to the Court of the Women to fulfill their duties.
Unexpectedly, out of those gathered in the temple precincts, a man appeared, one Simeon by name, and took the infant Jesus in his arms, blessing God, saying, "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32). The parents marveled as he continued, speaking directly to Mary, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Surely she would revisit this scene in the years to come as she and Jesus lived through the full implications of Simeon's foreboding words.
A very old woman, a prophetess named Anna, upon witnessing this encounter, added her blessing, thanking the Lord, and explaining to all who would hear that the long-awaited Messiah had been born.
Visitors from the east
Mary must have watched with interest as the group of foreigners approached, fascinated by their strange accents, their quick gestures, and their obvious delight at what appeared to be a star hovering directly over the couple's house. She learned these were Magi, dignitaries from the east, who were on a quest.
Was it a whimper or a full-blown cry that attracted their attention, stopping all conversation, and causing the strangers to turn in her direction? Perhaps as she shifted position and lifted Jesus to her shoulder, the realization hit them: They had come in search of the one born King of the Jews; they were led to this very place by a star; and now here he was, in the arms of his mother. Scripture records that the wise men dropped to their knees and worshiped him. Then they presented the little child with chests of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, gifts carefully guarded and transported over hundreds of miles, gifts in honor of the King.
Herod's plan was about to be thwarted by God Himself with two dreams. First He warned the wise men not to return to Herod, but rather to choose another route for the journey home. And He warned Joseph to take his family and leave immediately, that very night, and flee to Egypt. By the next day, both parties were well en route.
The Massacre of the Innocents at Bethlehem, by Matteo di Giovanni (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When Herod realized that his plan had gone awry and he had been outwitted by the Magi, he flew into a murderous rage, and issued a chilling edict: All boys[3] from two years old and under living in Bethlehem and its environs would be killed. Scripture records, "Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more'" (Matt 2:17-18). To this day, the event, sometimes referred to as the Massacre of the Innocents, is synonymous in the minds of many with Herod.
One last slaughter
According to historical records Herod the Great, King of the Jews, died in 4 BC in great pain, suffering from among other things, gangrene and dropsy.[4] But he did not go without one more grand design. "During his sickness Herod meditated only upon ways and means by which he might make the Jews mourn the day of his death. When he had returned from the baths of Callirrhoe to Jericho, he is said to have given orders that upon his death the most distinguished of the nation, whom he had caused to be shut up in the arena of that place, should be slain, so that there might be a great lamentation on his passing away. In his delirium he tried to kill himself, and the palace resounded with lamentations."[5]
After Herod's death Joseph had one last dream. It was finally safe for his young charge to return to Galilee, and particularly to Nazareth, thus fulfilling yet another prophecy: "He shall be called a Nazarene" (Matt. 2:23). Mary's son, One born King of the Jews, would live to fulfill many more.
[1] See Micah 5:2.
[2] There is no easy identification of who these individuals were. Possibilities include Babylonians and Persians. See The Expositor's Bible Commentary comments on Matthew 2.
[3] Scholars estimate that based on the size of Bethlehem (a small village), perhaps a dozen or so baby boys were murdered in Herod's attempt to stop a threat to his throne.
[4] Stewart Perowne, Herod the Great, His Life and Times (1956), pp. 172-173.
[5] http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7598-herod-i
Posted in Bethlehem, Bible women, Birth of Christ, Caravans, Circumcision, Herod the Great, Herod's family, High priest, Jerusalem, Joseph, Mary, Massacre of the innocents, Rites of purification after childbirth, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
The Story of Mary and the Birth of the King: Part 4
Posted on November 6, 2013 by womenfromthebook
For unto us a Child is born , Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV)
Mary barely heard the urging of the women as her body responded to contraction after contraction, unrelenting waves of pain, each closer to the one before, until finally… one huge push, and there were no more. Seconds later, a baby's cry filled the air and she felt tension drain from her body like wine from a ruptured wineskin. Swiftly deft hands cut the umbilical cord and lifted her squalling infant, wiping away amniotic fluids and washing him gently with warm soothing water.
Swaddling (How to) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
She held out her arms to comfort her little one, his arms and legs flailing, searching the familiarity of her warm body. Holding him close and stroking away his tears, she rocked gently, humming a melody only mothers know, until his crying gave way to silence as he listened. She pulled back the blanket, marveling at his beautiful fingers and tiny toes, the plump softness of his body, the wisps of fine dark hair framing his brow. He was perfect in every way. Reluctantly she handed him back and watched, taking note, as he was swaddled securely with linen strips. Then, in her arms once again, she put him to her breast and smiled, wincing a little as he nuzzled, then latched on and suckled contentedly to drink his fill. In one sublime moment their eyes locked on each other, mother and son, and her heart soared.
The love of a remarkable man
Joseph[1] quietly entered upon this touching scene and stood watching, his curiosity and awe obvious. The past nine months had not been easy. The shock and indignation when the truth of Mary's swelling belly could no longer be denied. The feelings fueled by trust betrayed. Struggling with what must be done. Law in the extreme dictated stoning even when parties were only betrothed, but few, if any, did that these days. A quiet divorce with no reason given, in the presence of two witnesses—that seemed the only just thing to do. He did not want to shame Mary publicly, even in his hurt and anger. This way she could quietly prepare for the consequences to come. And he could begin putting his life back together.
While that was the course he intended to follow, a heavenly messenger cast a new light of understanding on an otherwise dismal situation. "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Joseph himself was destined to be part of a grander plan.
Now he stood looking at the fulfillment of the angel's word, sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms. "Jesus," he said to Mary. "He will be called[2] Jesus." "Yes. He will be called Jesus," Mary responded softly, and gently placed her swaddled babe in his make-shift manger bed.
The world would soon know that the Son of God was born in Bethlehem that autumn day.
(To be continued.)
[1] Joseph's part in the story of the birth of Christ is often overlooked. But in the opinion of The Expositor's Bible Commentary, a comment concerning Matthew 1:24-25 observes, "While the story is told simply, Joseph's obedience and submission under these circumstances is scarcely less remarkable than Mary's." Barnes' Notes adds, concerning Joseph as a "just" man: "The meaning is that he was kind, tender, merciful; that he was so attached to Mary that he was not willing that she should be exposed to public shame. He sought therefore, secretly to dissolve the connection, and to restore her to her friends without the punishment commonly inflicted on adultery" (see note on Matthew 1:19).
[2] Naming a child was of the utmost importance, and the Bible reveals instances where both mothers and fathers did the naming. In Jesus' case, God, His Father, chose His name, and both Mary and Joseph complied. In that day, sons were often named during the circumcision ceremony. Scripture seems to indicate Jesus was called by His name from the time He was born.
Posted in Bethlehem, Bible women, Birth of Christ, Breastfeeding, Joseph, Manger, Mary, Mothers, Nursing, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
The End in Sight
It was the last day of a long, tiring journey. Five or so miles further, and Joseph and Mary would be in Bethlehem. At last, a respite from all the jouncing and jarring over hard-packed country roads. Just to stay in one place for a while—what a relief!
This wasn't Mary's only trip out of Galilee that year. Not so many months before, after her remarkable encounter with Gabriel, she had hurried south to the hill country of Judea to see her cousin Elizabeth[1] and share her wonderful news.[2] Would she ever forget Elizabeth's greeting that day? "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Her cousin already knew! Mary, her heart filled with adoration, humbly responded, "For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). The two of them, one, aged and past child-bearing years, the other, young and a virgin, both pious, both miraculously pregnant and favored before God, spent three months together before Mary returned to Nazareth, and her future.
If she understood the prophecy in Micah 5:2, she knew it meant that she would make yet another journey—this time to Bethlehem, the city of David—where her miracle son, Jesus, would be born. How ironic that Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor, and his edict, served as the impetus to get her there, and bring about the fulfillment of inspired words uttered 600 years earlier.
Bethlehem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A place to stay
Joseph came to terms (after some angelic intervention) with Mary's bewildering condition, and with her role in his life and in God's plan. Now he had to ensure the safety and well-being of his very special charges. The first order was to find a place to stay. Bethlehem, normally a quiet little village of 1000 or so, was struggling to accommodate the numbers who had come to be counted in Caesar's census.
Rules of hospitality dictated that villagers open guest rooms[3] in their own homes to travelers in need of food and lodging. In this instance, registrants might have had relatives who would take them in since they were in their ancestral home. That may have even been the case with Joseph and Mary. Otherwise strangers were to be welcomed wherever there was space.
Making room
Homes of that day were made of mud brick, and normally consisted of one to two rooms on one level and a terrace area containing a permanent stone manger for fodder to accommodate the family's livestock. It was not uncommon that guests be housed there in the event of an overflow. It's easy to imagine beds being rolled out in one area and perhaps a donkey or cow slumbering in another. Not only did their body heat add warmth for the household and the guests, the critters were kept safe from thieves and predators.[4] At morning light animals were led to pasture and the terrace floor routinely cleaned and swept.
It is likely that Joseph and Mary found lodging in a private home,[5] not in the usual guest room, but on just such a terrace level. They were warm and secure; food and water were available; they had access to help if they were still there when Mary's labor began; and there would be a suitable place for a newborn in the security of the manger.
Bust of Emperor Augustus wearing the Corona Civica, on display in the Musei Capitolini (Rome). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Caesar's due
Within the next several days they were obliged to make their way to the official place for registration. Mary found herself standing beside Joseph, waiting impatiently for the line in front of the Emperor's bureaucrats to shorten, shifting her weight from time to time, rubbing the small of her back to ease the strain, acutely conscious of the little life within her belly, pushing and nudging.
It wouldn't be long now.
[1] There is some discussion as to whether Elizabeth and Mary were first cousins, or distant cousins, or how exactly they were related. The New King James version simply calls her a "relative." The general opinion is that they were cousins.
[2] The Bible gives no details concerning Mary's route, the mode of her travel, or the time it took. In looking at a map, it seems likely that months later she and Joseph retraced at least a portion of her travels, especially the part that avoided Samaria.
[3] Normally these were in the home itself, but sometimes a separate room was built alongside the house itself to house guests. A guest room could have been in a cave if the cave was part of the home itself, which was sometimes the case. The current tradition of Jesus being born in a stable in a cave, essentially isolated from the town and away from helping hands, does not jive with the cultural standards of hospitality of the day.
[4] In a visit to Switzerland some years ago, we noted houses with animals sheltered under the living area, so the practice has endured over time, not only in the Middle East, but other areas of the world as well.
[5]The phrase, "no room in the inn," has led to a distorted view of the story of Christ's birth, due largely to the interpretation of the Greek word, kataluma. According to Kenneth Bailey, in his article, "The Manger and the Inn," this word can be translated several ways, including "inn," "house," and "guest room." The author questions whether Bethlehem would have had a commercial inn since no major Roman road passed through it, stating that "small villages on minor roads had no inns."
Bailey continues, "No unkindness or lack of hospitality is implied when the Holy Family is taken into the main family room of the home in which they are entertained. The guest room is full. The host is not expected to ask prior guests (or a recently married son) to leave." His conclusion concerning lodging for Joseph and Mary is,"They find shelter with a family whose separate guest room is full, and are accommodated among the family in acceptable village style. The birth takes place there on the raised terrace of the family home, and the baby is laid in a manger."
Posted in Bethlehem, Birth of Christ, Caesar Augustus, Guest rooms, Inn, Joseph, Manger, Mary, Taxation, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
Posted on October 28, 2013 by womenfromthebook
The Journey to Bethlehem
Mary packed as though she and Joseph were changing residences rather than making a round trip—that's what astute travelers of her day did. Perhaps she had an idea or premonition that it would be a long time before they would return to Nazareth and home. There would be caravanserais[1] along the way, usually situated where roads crossed, for food and water, bathing, supplies, fodder for the animals, and places to sleep; but the wise and experienced often brought along their own tents and blankets as well as clothing and containers of dried raisins and other foodstuffs, water, oil, and flour, prepared for any eventuality.
Joseph was well aware of the difficulties of such a journey, not just for Mary in her condition, but for their safety as well. The eighty-mile trip could take as many as five days or possibly more, depending on the route and traveling conditions. The shortest and most direct way, through Samaria, was not an option for most Jewish travelers in light of long-standing animosities. They would rather face the threat of robbers and bandits[2] who often menaced the next best highway.
Caravans frequently traversed Roman roads, including the one he likely chose[3]—the road that went east from Nazareth, crossed the Jordan, and ran south through Perea toward Jerusalem. Ideally they could join such a convoy and lessen the danger along the way. Such a group contained a lively cross-section of humanity. Along with the average traveler and perhaps courses of priests on their way to fulfill their duties in the Temple, opportunistic hawkers often joined these odysseys, producing the latest articles of commerce or luxury, and passing on the most titillating news of the day. Nighttime chatter around campfires must have been a welcome relief from the monotony of seemingly endless miles of travel.
Taxed to the limit
Did Joseph and Mary hear grumbling about the latest demands and scandals of Rome? Most likely, and with good reason. The general population was already taxed to the limit[4], and now this. Word had it that Caesar was displeased at the declining birthrate[5] in his empire, and this census would confirm his annoyance. It would not only give him his numbers, but replenish his coffers as well. Resentment seethed under the surface at the injustice of it all, a malignant stow-away on this mandatory trek to be counted. What they needed was a deliverer, and soon!
[1] Follow the link below for a picture of an Ottoman caravanserais built in the 1700s. Those available to Mary and Joseph were probably much smaller, but were also walled enclosures with guest rooms on upper levels, and the terrace level below, used for bedding down the animals. At night the gate was secured to protect travelers from robbers and wild beasts.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Akko_BW_13.JPG
[2] Palestine was home to highwaymen who robbed only for personal gain, and guerrilla warriors who directed their aggression against Roman Authorities and/or the Jewish authorities and persons who collaborated with them. Even the Apostle Paul was alert to such dangers in his travels (2 Corinthians 11:26). For more information on the social world of bandits, see the following link: http://bibleresources.americanbible.org/node/1511 .
[3] Alfred Edersheim, in his Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ (1980), mentions six different highways or main arteries of commerce in Palestine. See Chapter IV, pp. 42-45. The one I chose for the journey of Joseph and Mary seems to me to be the most likely.
[4] Richard A. Horsely with John S. Hanson, Bandits, Prophets, and Messiahs (1985). During the time of Julius Caesar, "the Jewish agricultural producers were now subject to a double taxation, probably amounting to well over 40 percent of their production. There were other Roman taxes as well, which further added to the burden of the people, but the tribute was the major drain" p. 56. "If a peasant family, after rendering up 40 percent or more of its harvest, then had too little left to survive until the next harvest, it would have to borrow grain for food, or for seed for the next sowing….Continued borrowing would increase a family's debt significantly, with great risk of complete loss of land …[and] sink into the ranks of…the landless day laborers, or…become a sharecropping tenant" (pp.58-59).
[5] Dio Cassius, Roman History, 1vi, 1-10. Dio Cassius tells of one occasion when Augustus was so vexed by the declining marriage and birth rates that he strode into the Forum, separated the married men and bachelors he found there into two different groups and then let the bachelors have it: "What shall I call you? Men? But you aren't fulfilling the duties of men. Citizens? But for all your efforts, the city is perishing. Romans? But you are in the process of blotting out this name altogether! . . . What humanity would be left if all the rest of mankind should do what you are doing? . . . You are committing murder in not fathering in the first place those who ought to be your descendants!" Quoted in Paul L. Maier's In the Fullness of Time (1991), p.6.
Posted in Alfred Edersheim, Bandits and robbers in Palestine, Bethlehem, Bible women, Caravans, Caravanserais, Census, Jerusalem, Joseph, Mary, Nazareth, Taxation, Uncategorized and tagged Alfred Edersheim. Bookmark the permalink.
The Story of Mary and the Birth of the King
For over 500 years the nation of Israel chafed under the thumb of first one Gentile kingdom and then another—Babylon, Persia, the Greco Macedonians, and now Rome, with its absolute ruler Caesar Augustus, and Herod the Great, one of his ruthless client kings. It wasn't unusual, particularly during Passover season, for passions to ignite as the tribes of Israel revisited the story of God's intervention and the stunning liberation of their ancestors. When the white-hot flames of resistance and rebellion flared, they were summarily stamped out under the cruel boot of Herod's soldiers.
English: Herod the Great Suomi: Herodes Suuri (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Exorbitant taxation compounded the misery of oppression in pre- and first-century Palestine: the mandatory tribute to Rome; locally imposed taxes; several layers of temple tax; impromptu levies to fund military expeditions and building projects. Privation and hardship enveloped the land like a dank, smothering blanket, and peasants found themselves forced to sell their land holdings—inheritances from generations past—in order to survive. The swelling ranks of day laborers told the tale.
No relief
After a reign of more than 40 years, Herod the Great died in agony—some say from intestinal cancer, and many assert, a fate fitting for such a tyrant. Instead of relief, what ensued was a mad scramble for power and outright revolt. Research professor in the classics and religion at the University of Massachusetts, Richard Horsley, describes the aftermath: "As for the scribal rabbinic elite, so also for the ordinary people, resistance under Herod's iron-fisted rule was futile and suicidal. But the minute Herod died, revolt erupted in every major district of the land, and the Romans mounted a massive expedition to reconquer Galilee and Judea. Thus, Jesus' parents' generation and his own generation as children in villages such as Nazareth suffered the slaughter or enslavement of family members, burning of their houses and goods, and the general trauma of war."
As things worsened the dream of a messiah-deliverer flourished, only to fall prey to opportunists and pretenders. Pseudo-messiahs deluded the people with false hopes, created dissensions, and gave rise to sects. Their influence was mostly local and temporary; some, however, succeeded in attracting large numbers of followers, and created movements that lasted for considerable periods. Others, along with their ardent followers, died as insurrectionists.
A quiet miracle in Nazareth
From The Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1923. via http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/history_middle_east.html Category:Historical maps by William R. Shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On a cool autumn morning sometime before Herod's death, in the frontier town of Nazareth in Lower Galilee, a young woman prepared for a long trip to Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus called for a census, declaring "all the world should be taxed" (Luke 2:1-5) and ordered that everyone[1] must register in their ancestral home. And so, Mary, nearly full-term in her pregnancy, helped Joseph load the cart with the necessities they would need to see them through their journey to the ancient city of David.
She must have replayed the angelic visit innumerable times, and marveled at Gabriel's amazing pronouncement. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:30-33).
While Herod in his paranoia planted spies and scoured the countryside for seditious plots and traitors, the prophesied King of Israel, the longed-for Deliverer, quietly and miraculously grew in the safety of the womb of a young virgin, Mary of Nazareth, waiting to be born.
[1] The Archaeological Study Bible (2005), p. 1669, a note on Luke 2:5 states that in Syria (the Romans included Palestine under Syrian jurisdiction) "women twelve years of age and older were required to pay a poll tax and therefore to register." This would explain the historical impetus for Mary's making this trip, and the advancing of a divine plan.
Posted in Bandits and robbers in Palestine, Bethlehem, Birth of Christ, Herod the Great, Joseph, Mary, Nazareth, Pseudo-messiah, Roman census in Palestin, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
The Power of the Ring
Posted on August 12, 2013 by womenfromthebook
Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke."
So the king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds. (Esther 8:7-10)
One of the most powerful pieces of ornamentation mentioned in the Bible is a ring—particularly the signet ring. It was worn not as an accessory, but rather the wearing of it represented the personal legal signature or status of the owner. For Mordecai to have access to the king's own signet ring indicates the trust and power he had been afforded, and his badge of office.
Cylinder seals
A signet could be shaped as a ring to be worn usually on the right finger, or as a cylinder or rod of metal suspended from a cord worn around the neck. Exodus 28:9-14 indicates that signets were engraved, in this case, on stone. Cylinder seals were incised on many hard surfaces, from baked clay to lapis lazuli, gold, silver, carnelian, blue chalcedony, rock crystal, pink marble, jasper, shell-core, ivory, and glazed pottery.[1]
When an ancient letter-writer had finished his message on a clay tablet, "he had the sender and any witnesses remove from around their necks their own small cylinder seals and roll them over the still-wet clay to make their signatures."[2] Often these were written by professional letter-writers—some of whom were women—who stationed themselves at the city gates.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
The Babylonians used cylinder-seals to insure safe shipment of valuable papers or commodities to distant destinations. Items were inserted into a jar which was then covered with cloth and tied with cord at the neck. The sender covered the binding cord with soft clay and rolled his cylinder-seal across the wet mud. If the jar arrived with the seal intact, its contents had arrived secure.
Hundreds of such cylinders have been found at various archaeological sites, and it seems that T. E. Laurence was himself an avid "seal-hunter," searching for these small treasures to send back to his friends in England.
Matters of state
The principle uses for the signet ring were to provide legal signatures, and/or proof of authority. A hard, flat substance associated with the ring—perhaps a precious stone, a bit of marble, or the metal of the ring itself—was engraved with its owner's unique symbol or signature. The resulting inscription could then be pressed into wax or clay as needed, leaving an impression which amounted to a seal of authorship or authority.
When Joseph was appointed vizier or governor in Egypt, Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it on Joseph's finger (Genesis 43:42), clothed him in fine linen (court dress), and further rewarded him with a gold chain. In effect Joseph was awarded the accouterments to signal him as the second in command.
Used for good …
One of the most-loved of Christ's parables concerns the return of the prodigal son to his ever-watchful, ever-hopeful father. After an emotional reunion and period of reconciliation, the father called for the best robe and put it on his beloved son. Then he put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. The celebration culminated with music, dancing, and the killing of a fatted calf. (See Luke 15:20-24.) The Woman's Study Bible, in a note on Luke 15:17-24, comments that "the best robe was a sign of position; the 'ring' indicated authority[3], the 'sandals' [a sign of freedom and luxury] put on his bare feet set him apart from the barefoot slaves."
…Or ill
When authority is wrested by evil hands, wickedness is sure to follow. Jezebel well understood power, and she was not afraid to use it, especially when her husband Ahab was in a funk. A prophet of God had given him terrible news. Because he failed to obey God's instructions concerning Ben-Hadad, the prophet said: ""Thus says the LORD: 'Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people'" So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria" (1 Kings 20:41-43).
English: Jezabel and Ahab Meeting Elijah in Naboth's Vineyard Giclee. Print by Sir Frank Dicksee. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As if that weren't enough, the petulant king coveted a piece of property that belonged to his neighbor Naboth. It had been passed down as an inheritance in his family for generations, and Naboth stubbornly refused to sell.
Ahab did not handle rejection well. The scripture says, "And he [Ahab] lay down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food" (21:4).
Tiring of her husband's fit of depression, Jezebel took matters into her own hands. She wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent them out. The missives contained orders that eventually led to the death of innocent Naboth. But as an unintended consequence, her actions also sealed the fate of the despicable pair—ignominious deaths.
Its power endures
Alan King, in his Ezine article, "Signet Rings Have Significance Today," comments that "in Europe the rings were commissioned by nobility and created by artists. Therefore, they were works of art, often made of gold and very much valued for their beauty as well as for their material value. Sometimes they were even embellished with designs and calligraphy on the side to add to the appearance. The rings were guarded and treasured by the owner, and passed on to successive generations in much the same way that a crown would be passed on to a prince or princess. They were a symbol of authority and power, indicating that the owner had the right to bear arms (the crest or shield) in medieval Europe. The Pope's ring was kissed to honor the supreme authority of the position, and when a Pope died, his ring was destroyed to symbolize the clearing of the way for a new Pope."
Medieval gold signet ring from England, with a ruby and the arms of de Grailly, now in the British Museum. Tag reads: "Signet ring with the arms of de Grailly." and "About 1351-99, England, Gold, ruby. PE 1982,0501.1". See British Museum Database entry for further details. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
He further explains that the tradition surrounding the signet ring continues to this day. In Europe, each country (and its nobility) has its own preferences as to how the ring is to be worn, on which finger and on which hand. "French, German, and some Spanish nobles wear it on the ring finger of their left hands. The Swiss wear signets on the right hand, and nobles of the United Kingdom wear them on the little finger of the left hand. Of course, it is worn with the impressing outward to enable the wearer to turn his hand over and press it into the wax."
From ancient times to modern day, the signet ring has endured and continues to symbolize power and authority.
For further study, the following scriptures may be of interest concerning this topic. Some contain historical references; others are viewed metaphorically.
Genesis 38:18 Tamar requests Judah's signet and his bracelets and his staff.
Exodus 28:11, 21, 36 engravings of a signet
Isaiah 3:18-23 jewelry worn by the haughty daughters of Babylon
Song of Solomon 8:6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm.
Haggai 2:23 God's statement to Zerubbabel: " . . .will make you like a signet ring: for I have chosen you. . . ."
Revelation 7:3-4 servants of God sealed in their foreheads
[1] Miller, Madeleine S. and J. Lane, Encyclopedia of Bible Life (1944), p. 134
[2] Ibid., pp. 127, 134
[3] It is the author's opinion that this was likely a signet ring.
Posted in Ahab, Ahasuerus, Cylinder seals, Esther, Jewelry, Jezebel, Joseph, Letter writing, Signet ring, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.


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CD Projekt Red Is Being Investigated By The Polish Office Of Competition & Consumer Protection
Paul David Nuñez January 11th, 2021 - 12:49 PM
Polish business newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna has reported that UOKiK, the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is investigating CD Projekt Red regarding Cyberpunk 2077 amid the game's rough launch and other issues with bugs and glitches. When the game launched last month, many were shocked with how bad the experience was on the base PS4 and Xbox One platforms. It became such a big deal that PlayStation removed the game from their store and offered refunds. The game is riddled with lots of bugs and glitches that CD Projekt Red is still fixing. Over the holidays, CD Projekt Red also got handed a class-action lawsuit filed against them.
"We approach the entrepreneur to explain the problems with the game and the actions he has taken," Malgorzata Cieloch, press spokesman of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection said. "We will check how the manufacturer is working on introducing corrections or solving difficulties that prevent the game from playing on different consoles, but also how it intends to act in relation to people who have submitted complaints and are dissatisfied with the purchase due to the inability to play the game on their equipment despite the manufacturer's earlier assurances."
Analyzing what UOKiK can do against CD Projekt Red, attorney-at-law and partner at Kaszubiak Jedrzejko Dominik Jedrzejko said that in his opinion, even a policy of accepting returns and fixing the game immediately may not cover unfair market practice for which there is administrative responsibility. The UOKiK may impose a fine of up to 10%.
"Unfortunately, the decision obliging the president of UOKiK is not always guaranteed if the entrepreneur wants it, and impressing the income, it encourages the penalty," Jedrzejko said. "This shows that you cannot market digital products completely detached from reality and you cannot distort the facts about the product."
PS4|PS5
Paul David Nuñez

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Zazie Todd in the News
Fellow Creatures: New Post on Avoiding Puppy Mills and Scams
Why it's buyer beware when it comes to puppies. By Zazie Todd, PhD I have a new post on my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures . Two recent news stories highlight the need to be careful when getting a puppy in order to avoid puppies from puppy mills and being scammed. The post considers what to look for in a responsible breeder. As well it mentions some of the warning signs to be careful of if you're getting a puppy. Check it out: Why it's buyer beware when it comes to puppies. Photo: Chevanon Photography/Pexels This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy . She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, writes The Pawsitive Post premium newsletter, and also has a column at Psychology Today . Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with h
Three Tips for Happier Dogs from Wag
Three tips from my book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. When I was writing my book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy , I wanted to make it as practical as possible. So I included a set of tips at the end of every chapter (except chapter one). Three of those tips are shown in these graphics. Tip no. 73 is: If your dog has a behavior problem, don't use punishment. It does not teach your dog what to do instead of the problem behavior, and it interfere's with the dog's feeling of safety. Tip no 7 is: Give the puppy a choice, encourage (don't force) them, and protect a shy puppy. Remember that socialization means giving your dog happy, positive experiences. As you can tell from the numbers, there are many such tips in the book! Tip no 36 is: Understand that you're important to your dog. Y
Fellow Creatures: Diversity in Animal Behaviour Science
Chronicling the history of diversity within Animal Behaviour Science and the Animal Behavior Society. By Zazie Todd, PhD I have a new post on my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures. It looks at some new historical research by Dr. Danielle N. Lee on the contributions of under-represented minorities to animal behaviour science, and the people who showed leadership in improving diversity and inclusion within the field. The post includes the amazing contributions of Charles Henry Turner, the first African American to get a PhD from the University of Chicago, through to the present-day scholars who are making their mark on the field itself and on diversity and inclusion within the discipline. You can read it here: Pioneers, mentors, and diversity in animal behavior science . Photo: Tolu Bamwo/Nappy This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The
Companion Animal Psychology News June 2020
Dogs helping with archaeological digs and understanding cats' body language in the latest news from CAP. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. My Favourites This Month "Nonetheless, the archaeologists dug. And dug. They went down nearly three feet — and there they found a human toe bone more than 1,300 years old". When cadaver dogs pick up a scent, archaeologists know where to dig by Cat Warren . "Fostering cats is one of the few unambiguously positive things I've done in my life." In 18 months we've had 30 cats – and it's been wonderful by Tom Hawking . "Dominance "training" causes stress and is a dog's worst nightmare" says Dr. Marc Bekoff in his post, Dominant alpha humans don't garner dogs' respect and trust (I am quoted in this one). "But while losing weight is relatively easy in the short run, keeping it off is difficult and, for many people, it is
Don't Tether Dogs, and Other Insights into Dog Bite Prevention from Detroit
Despite common belief, owned dogs escaping from yards – not free-roaming dogs – are the main risk for dog bites in Detroit. Photo: Carla Burke/Pixabay By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Dog bites can have serious consequences and so understanding the circumstances in which they occur is important. New research by Dr. Laura Reese and Dr. Joshua Vertalka (Michigan State University) and published in Animals looks at the factors involved in all of the dog bites reported to police in Detroit from 2007 to 2015. It's important to note that Detroit is a special case, as unlike many other cities in the USA, it has a free-roaming (i.e. unowned) dog population, on whom bites are often blamed. At the same time, the effects of poverty and economic malaise in Detroit mean that foreclosures and vacancies have created circumstances in which there are many stray dogs, an environment in which the
How Much Do Cats Sleep, and Where Do They Prefer to Sleep?
Does it seem that your cat is always napping? Here's how much sleep the average cat gets. Photo: Koldunov Alexey/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. "Cats sleep, anywhere," by Eleanor Farjeon was a favourite poem when I was a child. We see cats sleeping in so many places. My cat Harley's favourite places are stretched out in the sunshine by a window, on his back on the heat vent with his paws in the air, up in his favourite cat tree, or on our bed (often cuddled up to my feet). My other cat Melina likes what used to be my dog's bed (though she avoided it for a few days after he passed), and she has a couple of chairs that she particularly likes to sleep on. How Much Do Cats Sleep? Cats are said to be naturally crepuscular, meaning they are more active at dawn and dusk. This makes sense because this is the time their prey –
Animal Book Club June 2020
"This inspirational memoir is, above all, a book about redemption."—Cat Warren By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. This month, the Animal Book Club is reading The Education of Will: Healing a Dog, Facing My Fears, Reclaiming My Life , by Patricia B. McConnell. ( This page contains affiliate links ). From the back cover: "When a troubled and aggressive young border collie named Will enters Dr. Patricia McConnell's life, she is confronted with a problem that she has never faced in her decades working as a world-renowned animal behaviourist. Her special connection with Will triggers memories of harrowing traumas in Patricia's own life and unearths a secret she had long repressed. In order to save Will from his dangerous behaviour, Patricia must summon the courage to address her own buried emotional pain. On her journey to healing, with Will as her trusted companion, she transf
Photo: Maria Oswalt/Unsplash By Zazie Todd, PhD There seems to be only one thing to say this week: Black Lives Matter. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others are the result of systemic racism that has deep historical roots. It cannot be allowed to continue. We need to see justice for their families and we need changes in society to prevent it from ever happening again. I'm writing this from Canada, but racism exists in Canada too. If you want to donate, you can help the family of Regis Korchinski Paquet in Toronto. The official fundraiser for George Floyd's family is here . You can also support the civil rights work being done by the NAACP in the US. And there are many Black organizations and bail funds to which you can donate if you want to support people in your local community. The Georgia Straight has compiled a list of Black organizations and fundraisers in BC . There is also a COVID-19 Protest Relief Fund to help protestors w
Fellow Creatures: New Post on Avoiding Puppy Mills...
Fellow Creatures: Diversity in Animal Behaviour Sc...
Don't Tether Dogs, and Other Insights into Dog Bit...
How Much Do Cats Sleep, and Where Do They Prefer t...


Boat charters are commonly used for day or multi day drips and can accommodate group sizes ranging from a small fishing crew to an entire wedding party. Depending on the purpose of your trip determining whether a boat or sail charter is right for you often boils down to the size of your party and whether a driver is required or just straight boat hire.
While these are the important questions it's also worth noting that boat charter companies offer a vast range of vessels of all ages. This means that the quality of boat will also differ and while each company will likely display lavish and fresh photos, few will have current and up to date pictures.
At Fix My Boat we believe the best way to find the right boat charter or boat hire company for your needs is with a good amount of prior research and we're aiming to make that research as simple as possible. You can find a list of reputable companies and their offerings on this page and their contact info and reviews are all front and centre so you can be armed with all the information you need to make the right choice.
BHS was born in 2010 out of passion for boating, customer service and the internet. We can help as much or as little as you like in organising your perfect cruise on Sydney Harbour.
Today EastSail is at the forefront of Sydney Harbour Sailing Events, specialising in: corporate sailing events, boat charter aboard luxury sailing yachts and learning to sail.
Joe Farr Fishing Charters is a specialty small group fishing charter for up to 6 people, departing Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria and fishing Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait, the Rip and Port Phillip Heads. We also fish from Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula by appointment.
MV Kondor is a 53 ft powered catamaran with twin hulls, offering great stability and cruising conditions. It has two levels, with the bridge deck boasting a fully enclosed air-conditioned wheelhouse with lounge area, as well as an outdoor dining area. The MV Kondor also has plenty of undercover areas making it ideal in all weather conditions. The flexible open floor plan makes it suitable for a variety of occasions and the entertaining areas and large front deck capture superb views of the harbour.
If you are looking for an exclusive and spectacular way to celebrate your next special occasion or corporate function, contact Party Boats Sydney Harbour for professional boat charter services. We can offer a variety of different boat hire options available in Sydney.
Prestige Harbour Cruises is your Sydney Harbour Cruise specialist. Our large range of private charter boats provide a great Sydney Harbour venue for corporate events, social occasion, weddings, product launches and more - all with 360 degree views.
Quayside Charters Sydney Harbour Cruise Specialists customise private charters, events and itineraries to fit the specific and budget of your organisation. Whether entertaining dignitaries, corporate clients or hosting a private function, such as a wedding or birthday, Quayside Charters Sydney Harbour Cruise Specialists can provide cruise boats ideal for group sizes from 2 to 1000 people.


A well planned FIVE BEDROOM two storey executive detached family home, situated in this superb position on the highly regarded Century Drive on the desirable Grange Farm development.
The property enjoys a good size plot, TWO DRIVEWAYS providing off street parking for many vehicles and double length garage.
Internally comprising entrance hallway, ground floor cloakroom, study, large kitchen breakfast room, dining room and conservatory. On the first floor there are five excellent sized bedrooms, two en-suites and family bathroom.
Brand New Baxi Gas Boiler installed in 2019 with a 7 year warranty.
The position of this property provides an excellent amount of privacy and is within a short walk to the Millennium fields and bridle path.
Falling within the Kesgrave High School catchment and has excellent access to BT's Adastral Park and Suffolk Constabulary Head Quarters.
Pedestal wash basin, low level W.C., single radiator, tiled floor and tiled walls.
Large double-glazed sliding window to the rear. Double-glazed door leading to the conservatory.
Large range of work surfaces, cupboards and drawers under and eye level cupboards over. Range style oven, extractor over, space for dishwasher, two single radiators, one and a half sink with mixer taps set in work surfaces. Half tiled surround, display cabinet.
Brand New Baxi Boiler installed in 2019 with 7 year guarantee.
Double-glazed doors leading to conservatory, double radiator.
Double-glazed window to the front, two single radiators, fireplace with an inset gas fire and surround. Glazed double casement doors leading to dining room.
Under floor heating, door to garage, wall lights, double-glazed windows and doors overlooking the rear garden, vaulted ceiling.
Double-glazed window to the front, radiator, fitted wardrobe.
Double-glazed window to the front, vanity wash basin, shower cubicle, towel rail, low level W.C., half tiled surround.
Shower cubicle, low level W.C., vanity wash basin, double-glazed window to the side, half tiled surround.
Double-glazed window to the rear, single radiator, built in wardrobes.
Double-glazed window to the side, low level W.C., pedestal wash basin, mixer taps, shower attachment, panel enclosed bath, half tiled surround, towel rail.
Located in a superb position with a good size frontage and with a great amount of privacy in our opinion.
Block paved driveway to the right hand side, off street parking for vehicles, front garden, paved pathway, further tarmac double driveway to the side providing further off street parking, leading to double length garage with up and over door, power and lighting connected.
Rear access door from garage which also has plumbing for washing machine, side access to the rear garden.
The rear garden has a paved patio, predominately laid to lawn, well stocked with flowers and shrubs, further patio to the rear of the garden, enclosed by panel fencing.
Disclaimer - Property reference AWK1002500. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by Austwick Berry Estate Agents, Kesgrave. Please contact the selling agent or developer directly to obtain any information which may be available under the terms of The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.


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Peter R. Eelman
Chief Experience Officer
Peter Eelman's business career has always been centered around IMTS. Peter entered the manufacturing technology industry in 1980, working for an exhibitor. Today, 40 years later, Peter heads all things IMTS, including IMTS.com, IMTS Network, and IMTS spark. In addition to IMTS, Peter runs AMT's international trade shows, including major events in China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and throughout Europe.
Posts by Peter R. Eelman
By Peter R. EelmanNov 24, 2022
In Case You Missed It ... Revisiting the Highlights of IMTS 2022
What a show! We are incredibly grateful to each of you who gathered in Chicago and joined in the excitement of IMTS 2022. Here are just a few highlights that impact the future of manufacturing.
By Peter R. EelmanOct 01, 2022
MT Community Reconnects at IMTS 2022
We're back, better, and implementing digital technology.
By Peter R. EelmanSep 06, 2022
Five Days until Manufacturing Technology Leaps Forward
As soon as IMTS 2022 kicks off in just five days, you'll notice time moving a little quicker. IMTS allows ideas that were germinating to leap toward reality.
By Peter R. EelmanJul 28, 2022
Beyond the Exhibits
From software to hardware, and from ideas to implementation, IMTS is the place for solutions. But what too often gets overlooked is that IMTS is also the place for You!
By Peter R. EelmanMay 27, 2022
Why Is IMTS 2022 the Place for Job Shops?
IMTS 2022 offers job shop stakeholders the technology, new products, practical learning, and networking opportunities that will grow their businesses and profit margins, make them more resilient, and help them adapt to changing markets and ...
By Peter R. EelmanApr 04, 2022
Digital Manufacturing. Implemented.
IMTS 2022 is coming to Chicago Sept. 12-17. Get a sneak peek at the digital manufacturing practices and products designed to address the industry's most pressing needs.
By Peter R. EelmanFeb 23, 2022
Illinois and Chicago's Vaccine and Mask Mandates to End Feb. 28, Anticipation Builds for IMTS 2022
The lifting of mask mandates and vaccine requirements in Illinois and Chicago mark a major step toward a more normal environment as plans take shape for IMTS 2022, to be held at Chicago's McCormick Place, Sept. 12-17.
New IMTS Initiatives: The Onshoring Project and IMTS+
The Onshoring Project and IMTS+ are new programs to strengthen and promote the positive impact of the manufacturing technology industry.
By Peter R. EelmanJan 18, 2022
Happy New Year! Happy IMTS Show Year!
We sincerely wish you a year filled with happiness, health, and prosperity! While we don't feature content to enhance your personal happiness, every even-numbered year we host the Western hemisphere's largest manufacturing technology event, IMTS ...
By Peter R. EelmanDec 15, 2021
2021: From online to on-the-ground and in-person
In the past three months, more than a dozen industry trade shows have taken place in the United States and around the world. We are once again interacting face to face, exchanging ideas, sharing experiences, and rekindling connections...


Using an MPEG4 format, iVocab Syriac will help advanced students in their reading of the Syriac New Testament through the use of vocabulary flashcards. Designed to work with the Apple iPod and iPhone line of digital media players, it also can be used on desktop and laptop computers using iTunes and on many other digital media players and video capable cell phones.
J. Michael Thigpen is completing his PhD in Hebraic and Cognate Studies at Hebrew Union College. He has taught Hebrew on both the undergraduate and graduate levels.


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Q: Jquery disabling auto window scrolling I've created a simply Jquery image transition viewer, and every time a new photo is loaded, the window automatically scrolls up to the top of the new image that just loaded. I am trying to stop this, so that the transition does not interrupt wherever the user may be on the page.
Here is my code so far:
$(document).ready(function() {

var slideShow = function()
{
current_img = $("#current_img"); // <img> element with src to be changed
height_width = 'width="100%" height="100%"';
photos = new Array('images/home_s1.png','images/home_s2.png', 'images/home_s3.png');
setTimeout(function() { current_img.fadeOut('fast', function() { current_img.attr('src', photos[0]); current_img.fadeIn('slow'); }); }, 0);
setTimeout(function() { current_img.fadeOut('fast', function() { current_img.attr('src', photos[1]); current_img.fadeIn('slow'); }); }, 5000);
setTimeout(function() { current_img.fadeOut('fast', function() { current_img.attr('src', photos[2]); current_img.fadeIn('slow'); }); }, 10000);
setTimeout(function() { slideShow(); }, 15000);
}

$("img").ready(slideShow);

});

I've tried multiple different ways of manipulating the preventDefault() function, and I have also tried different variations of loading the image (i.e. loading into html() instead of img.attr('src')), but no luck... Any suggestions on the most efficient way of achieving this?

A: The problem you seem to be having is that the default implementation of .fadeIn() and .fadeOut() set the display property to none. That would make the element have 0 height and width, which would cause a sort of jumping effect.
You should use something like .fadeTo() instead and don't take the opacity down all the way to 0 when you are switching the image. A value of something like 0.01 would also suffice and won't make jQuery change the display attribute to none.
Here's an example of what you need to do inside your setTimeout callback:
setTimeout( function() {
    current_img.fadeTo( 'fast', 0.01, function() {
        current_img.attr('src', photos[0]);
        current_img.fadeTo('slow', 1);
    });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


William Atherton talks about whether he ever got into trouble with his Ghostbusters character Walter Peck and why he'd like to return for a Ghostbusters 3 movie.
Peck and Zeddemore working together? Mass hysteria! http://ghostbustersnews.com Special thanks to Scanner Productions for making this possible!
Channel 6 news in San Diego inteview Ben Gourley and William Atherton about the world premier of The Kane Files.
William Atherton (born July 30, 1947), born William Atherton Knight, is an American film, stage and television actor. This video is targeted to blind users.
Gee's GoPro from getting back up to speed in time practice during the weekend in Fort William.
not long till i start sit fly.
William at AirKix aged 10.
On board with Gee - pinned all the way down Fort William's beast of a track.


Is your child entertainging herself with toys for short periods of time?
Does your child show an interest in other children -try to attract their attention through eye gaze, smiles and vocalizations?
Does your child repsond to his name?
Is your child feeding self with her fingers?
Does your child enjoy playing in water?
Is your child able to find an object hidden under one of two covers, alternately?
Does your child orient materials appropriately(e.g., turn cup right side up, place cars on wheels)?
Does your child retrieve toys from container when they have been dropped through a hole in the top?
Does your child play manipulate books by looking, patting, pointing or turning pages?
Does your child point to three objects or people on request?
Does your child vocalize consonant-vowel combinations?
Does your child respond to "give me"
Is your child playing reciprocal games (e.g., peek-a-boo, clapping, taking turns making sounds)?
Does your child imitate simple gestures such as "bye-bye" or "no"?
Does your child use her index finger to poke?
Is your child clapping his hands?
Is your child pulling himslef to her hands and knees?
Is your child creeping forward while on his hands and knees?
Is your child pulling himself to a standing position?


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What is Proteomics?
Proteomics Timeline
CompMS
HUPO External Development Initiative (HEDI)
Human Proteome Project
Initiative on MultiOrganism Proteomes
Proteomics Standards Initiative
Clinical Proteome Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC)
Early Career Researcher (ECR) Initiative
Industrial Advisory Board (IAB)
National and Regional Societies
HUPO History
Contact HUPO
Human Proteome Project (HPP)
About the HPP
C-HPP
B/D-HPP
HPP Resource Pillars
Antibody Resource Pillar
Pathology Pillar
Mass Spectrometry Pillar
Knowledge-Base Pillar
Human Proteome Reference Library
Donate to HPP Resources
HPP Q & A
World Congress and Meetings
HUPO Connect 2020 On-Demand
2020 HUPO AWARDS
Early Career Researcher Competition
Past Early Career Researcher Manuscript Competition Winners
PhD Poster Competition
HPP Clinical Scientist Travel Grants
HUPOST
HUPO Guidelines
HPP Data Interpretation Guidelines
HUPO Minimum Information Publication Guidelines
HUPO Bylaws
HOME / JOIN / MAILING LIST / CONTACT US
How did HUPO evolve?
HUPO was launched on February 9, 2001. On that date, a global advisory council was officially formed that included leading global experts in the field of proteomics from the academic, government, and commercial sectors. Over the next 12 months, the council, in consultation with industry, identified major proteomics issues and initiatives that needed to be addressed by HUPO. Since its inception, HUPO has received substantial financial assistance from Genome Quebec, Montreal International, McGill University, the National Institutes of Health, and pharmaceutical companies, among others. In addition, it has benefited from considerable in-kind contributions of time and energy from HUPO Council members, research institutes, and pharmaceutical company partners around the world.
HUPO Initiatives are prominently showcased at each Annual HUPO World Congress, which are held as per a three year rotation in the Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe. Past congresses have been held in cities such as Versailles, France (2002), Montreal, Canada (2003), Beijing, China (2004), Munich, Germany (2005). Long Beach, USA (2006), Seoul, Korea (2007), Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2008) and Toronto, Canada (2009). The number of participants and exhibitors has significantly increased over the years and the Congresses are a must attend for anyone involved in proteomics.
The HUPO Office Headquarters is located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
History of the HUPO logo
Author: Young-Ki Paik, Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Republic of Korea
The current HUPO logo was created on July 24, 2001 while Prof. Sam Hanash was serving his first year as HUPO Inaugural President (2001-2004). Sometime in June, Prof. Sam Hanash (Sam) and Prof. Young-Ki Paik (Young-Ki), HUPO Secretary General (2001-2006), discussed the idea of creating a HUPO logo. After this chat, Young-Ki started looking for a reputable and successful branding and naming company in Seoul, Korea. One day, Dr. Sang Yun Cho, one of Young-Ki's staff members at Yonsei Proteome Research Center (Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea), introduced Prof. Hyewon Sohn, CEO of Crosspoint International Branding and Design Company, located at Hongick University, near YPRC. Her company had had much previous success creating names and logos for major famous companies. Young-Ki met Prof. Sohn and her colleague, Mr. Seoung Woo Hong, and requested that they design the HUPO logo. She asked Mr. Hong, her associate, to do this work, and later he presented three different versions of the HUPO logo as seen in Fig. 1. Because Young-Ki wanted feedback on these three candidate HUPO logos from the proteomics experts, he put them to a vote at KHUPO's inauguration meeting in Seoul on July 24, 2001. As seen in the image (Fig. 1), the current version received the majority of votes from the attendees at the inaugural KHUPO meeting. Young-Ki immediately sent the current HUPO logo to Sam for his approval. Sam and the HUPO Executive members very much liked it and accepted it as the official HUPO logo.
After the HUPO logo was created, KHUPO used it to produce the KHUPO logo simply by adding the letter 'K' in front of the HUPO logo. Young-Ki and KHUPO thanked both Prof. Sohn and her associate Seoung Woo Hong for their excellent work on the HUPO logo, which they did free of charge. Later on, as a gesture of appreciation to both, Young-Ki presented them with some compensatory gifts on behalf of the KHUPO members. Some years later, Young-Ki also formally offered to donate the logo to HUPO for permanent ownership. Sam and HUPO EC gladly accepted this HUPO logo and authorized it for HUPO administration.
Note that the 8 blue dots inside the letter "P" each symbolize one letter of the word "proteome".
When HPP was launched in 2010 in Sydney HUPO Congress, Young-Ki's team (Dr. Seul-Ki Jeong) created the current HPP and C-HPP logos by using the "P" (in blue color). The character, 'P' now becomes very popular letter for HUPO projects (Fig. 2)
Figure 1: Shown here are three candidates of HUPO logo which were subjected to voting by KHUPO members in 2001. The current version (middle) received the most popular votes and thus was taken by HUPO.
Figure 2: Types of Logos of HUPO, HPP and C-HPP
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Arthur Guinness founded his brewery in Dublin beside the City Basin, the reservoir that supplied drinking water to the city and was itself supplied by the Grand Canal (and in turn by various feeders, notably the springs of Pollardstown Fen).
A peaceful scene at Oughterard graveyard
Some Britons affect to believe that Guinness was brewed with Liffey water, but that is of course nonsense: it was made with good canal water (although nowadays that water, passed through filter beds off the canal, is used only for washing).
The round tower at Oughterard graveyard
Uncle Arthur's brewery was supplied by canal and in turn it distributed much of its product by canal. It also used its own fleet of barges on the Liffey to convey its product to the Dublin docks and thence to the thirsty millions in Britain, otherwise forced to drink inferior beer. The Grand Canal Company distributed Guinness along its routes within Ireland; the last cargo carried on the canal was Guinness to Limerick.
Oughterard graveyard at Ardclough
The ruined church
Inside the ruined church
Uncle Arthur is buried at Oughterard graveyard near Ardclough, overlooking the Grand Canal (not the Oughterard in Co Galway).
The full inscription on the family vault
In recognition of his contribution to Irish waterways, his ghost was recently presented with a bottle of Guinness at his family vault. These photographs record the ceremony.
The relevant portion of the inscription
Making the presentation: the late Arthur Guinness is the stout fellow on the right
His graveyard is marked by a "ruined castle" icon on Map 4 of the Grand Canal Guide. The icon is between two roads; the entrance is from the road further from the canal, on the right just before the sharp bend shown on the map.
9 responses to "Uncle Arthur's resting-place"
Louis Manka | Wednesday 22 September 2010 at 21:50 |
Your pictures are amazing!!! seeing as tomorrow is Arthurs day I would love to be able to visit him, however I am having a hard time finding the map for the grand canal gude that you refer to. could you please send me a link to the map or give me better directions so that I may be able to pay my respects to uncle?? Thank you so much. look forward to hearing back from you.
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bjg | Sunday 3 October 2010 at 19:15 |
I hope you got the email I sent you about that, because the copy didn't show up here. This is what I said:
See the Grand Canal map on the IWAI website. Towards the top right of the page, you can see a little castle symbol,
which is roughly where the graveyard is. Notice that the road to the right of the symbol has a sharp bend; the entrance to the graveyard is just north of that bend.
The orientation is slightly different on the google map but you'll recognise the shape of the area enclosed by the roads. And
the google map shows it in relation to the N7.
On the Ordnance Survey map you can see the path leading in to the graveyard.
Póló | Saturday 23 July 2011 at 16:24 |
There is an interesting parallel to the bottle for the ghost here:
http://photopol.blogspot.com/2011/04/king-jamess-thunder.html#250
Nice one; thanks. bjg
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Robert MFoley | Sunday 5 February 2017 at 17:48 |
A place of peace and beauty, a fitting place for a man of the Guinness.


entertaining Orpheus Award ceremony that was headlined by Greek entertainer Panos Mouzourakis almost a month ago. The Festival hosted 42 filmmakers and screened 35 films from all over the world. Among the high quality films that I watched here are some that I think that are worth another look.
moved from Australia to Crete, their love for the music and their aspirations for the future. It was also great to see that Psarandonis continues to perform passionately. However if you were expecting to see a tribute to the most famous singer of the family, the legendary Nikos Xylouris, that is not the case here. Nikos Xylouris only gets a couple of brief mentions in the film and I think that is a significant omission. Despite that it is definitely worth checking out. Also special thanks to the Cretan community for the reception in the courtyard after the screening. S. Zoumberakis from the S.C. Cretan Association for the delicious treats, called kalitsounia, and L. Bestakis from the Omonoian Cretans of O.C for bringing his homemade tsikoudia and especially his "rakomelo", a special blend from raki and honey, fantastic!
denial of the unbearable crimes she has committed.
crisis. Then we witnessed a reincarnation of the agora as a civic center with tens of citizens waiting in line to address an issue of importance and engage in dialogue.
director Spiros Charalambous, a celebration of love, intimacy and hope.


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EasySections
Why do we make cross-sections
How to use and make EasySections
EasySections Components
How to purchase EasySections
Valentine Walsh invented EasySections because Clients are rarely willing to pay for cross-section analysis to be carried out on paintings of low value yet the conservator needs to have as much information on the nature of the painting before and during treatment. EasySections allow the conservator to make effective cross-sections in a private studio and are used in museums and training institutions worldwide.
Valentine is the founder of the Pigment Project and a leading conservator in the UK with long and extensive experience in the conservation, restoration and scientific analysis of paintings. After an apprenticeship with the Chief Conservator for the National Portrait Gallery and an internship at the Kunstmuseum, Basel, she set up her own studio in 1979 and works on paintings from 1300 to present. An advocate for her profession, Valentine is a longstanding member of national and international conservation bodies promoting the work of the profession and the conservator in the UK and overseas.
Valentine has an all absorbing interest in the technical nature of paintings which lead to the setting up of the Pigmentum Project with the University of Oxford hosting numerous internships for conservation students, archaeology students and forensic scientists from University College London and King's College London. Valentine has led extensive research on the characterisation and history of pigments culminating in the publication of "The Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments" and "the Optical Microscopy of Historical Pigments" in conjunction with Dr Nicholas Eastaugh, Dr Ruth Siddall and Dr Tracey Chaplin.
For more information on The Pigmentum Project visit http://pigmentum.org
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments" please contact us as we have a few available at a discounted rate.
VW Fecit 3 Whitehorse Mews London. SE1 7QD. Tel: + 44 261 1691 email: info@easysections.com


text:
Perioperative use of transthoracic echocardiography in a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries, atrial septal defect and severe pulmonary stenosis for lower segment cesarean section
Vikas Saini, Tanvir Samra, Gurpreet Kaur
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
Date of Web Publication 9-Jan-2018
Tanvir Samra
Department of Anaesthesia, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector 12, Chandigarh - 160 012
A 25-year-old female with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries (CCTGAs), atrial septal defect, and severe pulmonary stenosis underwent lower segment cesarean section at 34 weeks of gestation using combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA). We used transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for intraoperative monitoring of the cardiovascular system because these patients are reported to have a high prevalence of myocardial perfusion defects, regional wall motion abnormalities, and impaired ventricular contractility. Scanning was done at four different time intervals; preoperatively, after initiation of CSEA, after delivery of child and postoperatively (6 and 24 h postdelivery) to detect regional wall motion and valvular abnormalities, calculate ejection fractions and optimize fluid administration. In this case report, we thus discuss the anatomical defects of CCTGA, physiologic concerns and emphasize on the use of TTE for perioperative management of such cases.
Keywords: Anesthesia, arteries, cesarean section, congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, combined spinal epidural anesthesia, complications, labor, obstetric, pregnancy
Saini V, Samra T, Kaur G. Perioperative use of transthoracic echocardiography in a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries, atrial septal defect and severe pulmonary stenosis for lower segment cesarean section. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol 2017;33:544-6
Saini V, Samra T, Kaur G. Perioperative use of transthoracic echocardiography in a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries, atrial septal defect and severe pulmonary stenosis for lower segment cesarean section. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol [serial online] 2017 [cited 2020 Jan 21];33:544-6. Available from: http://www.joacp.org/text.asp?2017/33/4/544/173342
In congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGAs) the stronger left ventricle (LV) with the mitral valve pumps blood to the lungs and the weaker right ventricle (RV) with the tricuspid valve pumps blood to the entire body. The arteries coming off the ventricles are also inverted and so the blood flow pathway is normal. The associated lesions of the valve, septum, and electrical conduction pathway complicate the patient's cardiovascular physiology and anesthetic management.
A 25-year-old primigravida presented to the hospital at 33 weeks of gestation with history of dyspnea on exertion (NYHA II), frequent chest infections and palpitations for the last 4-5 years. On examination, she had peripheral cyanosis and clubbing. Ejection systolic murmur was present on cardiac auscultation. Airway and spine were normal on examination. Biochemical and hematological investigations, chest X-ray and electrocardiogram (ECG) were within normal limits. Echocardiography reported an ostium secundum ASD (25 mm) with bidirectional shunt, atrioventricular/ventriculoarterial disconcordance, transposition of great arteries, thickened pulmonary valve, PS with a peak gradient across pulmonary valve = 93 mmHg. Patient was on drug combination of amiloride and furosemide for the last 1-month. There was no history of any previous surgery or drug allergy. She was scheduled for an elective cesarean section at 34 weeks in view of severe intrauterine growth restriction.
Prophylaxis against aspiration pneumonitis and infective endocarditis (IE) was administered, and the patient shifted to the operation theatre after 8 h of fasting for solids. Right radial artery was cannulated for invasive pressure monitoring in addition to routine monitors; ECG and plethysmography. Baseline heart rate and blood pressures were normal, but saturation was 83%. Venturi mask was attached to FiO2 of 0.5 and wedge was placed under right hip. A baseline focus assessed transthoracic echo (FATE) was done [Table 1].[1],[2]
Table 1: FATE protocol
Combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA) was planned. Co-loading was done with 10 ml/kg of fluid. Epidural catheter was placed in L3-L4 interspace with the patient in the left lateral position. Spinal anesthesia was administered with 1.5 ml of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine and 25 μg of fentanyl with 26 gauge spinal needle. Epidural volume expansion was done with 5 ml of 2% lignocaine, and T4 level of sensory block was achieved. Phenylephrine infusion was initiated at 60 μg/min and titrated to maintain blood pressures within 20% of baseline. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TTE) done after CSEA was suggestive of hypovolemia, and a bolus of 500 ml of NS was given, which facilitated discontinuation of phenylephrine infusion.
Baby cried immediately at birth and was born with weight of 1.9 kg. Methylergometrine (0.2 mg) and oxytocin (10 units in 500 ml normal saline at 100 ml/h) were administered. No episode of desaturation or bradycardia was observed during the intraoperative period. TTE was repeated after delivery of child and postoperatively (6 and 24 h postdelivery) to detect regional wall motion and valvular abnormalities, systolic/diastolic dysfunctions and optimize fluid status. Epidural catheter was removed on 2nd postoperative day and the patient was administered low molecular weight heparin for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis.
Congenitally corrected transposition of the great artery is a rare disorder with an incidence of 1/33,000 live births (0.05% of all congenital cardiac malformations). It is associated with ventricular septal defect in 78%, PS in 50% and ASD in 20% of the cases.[3] It is due to discordant ventriculoarterial and atrioventricular alignments during embryogenesis. The double discordance physiologically corrects the discordance intrinsic to each malalignment and thus systemic venous blood from the right atrium enters the pulmonary artery via LV and pulmonary venous blood enters the aorta from the left atrium via RV. Thus, the patient will be asymptomatic if there is no other associated anomaly. Cyanosis will be present if there is PS and a ventricular septal defect while heart failure will develop in patients with hemodynamically significant ventricular septal defect.[4]
Our patient had CCTGA with PS and ASD; the co-existence of PS increased the LV work and decreased the volume of blood circulated to the pulmonary vasculature. Right to left shunt through the ASD led to cyanosis. PS in a patient with an anatomically oriented heart is poorly tolerated as the RV is not accustomed to pumping at high pressures. This is in contrast to patients with CCTGA in which the PS is relatively better tolerated as the LV is accustomed to work against high pressures. However, still the risk of contractile dysfunction is very high, and this necessitates the need of peri-operative TTE.
Parturients with cyanotic heart disease have been reported to have a high incidence of cardiovascular complications (32%). The likelihood of a live birth is reported to be higher in patients with arterial oxygen saturation >85% at rest and hemoglobin <20 g/dL at the start of pregnancy.[5]
Goals of anesthesia in our patient were maintenance of preload and prevention of the increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), heart rate and myocardial contractility.[6] This was accomplished by preventing hypoxia, hypercarbia, hypothermia, acidosis and high peak airway pressures.
In our patient, the administration of CSEA led to a decrease in preload and SVR and this was clinically evident by the development of hypotension. It was initially managed by phenylephrine infusion, but TTE helped in identifying the etiology, which is hypovolemia and facilitated discontinuation of the vasopressor after appropriate volume expansion. Static and dynamic parameters of fluid responsiveness may not be accurate in a parturient with CCTGA. Echocardiography is an ideal noninvasive tool for optimum fluid management in such cases.[7]
Interest in the application of TTE to anesthesia is now developing, and various training courses for perioperative and critical care physicians have been established.[8] Feasibility study conducted by Cowie [1] on the perioperative use of FATE by anesthesiologists has reported a change in management in 84% of the patients. Reliability of the echocardiographic examinations has been reported to be 87% and this favors the perioperative use of TTE examinations for hemodynamic stabilization of patients with congenital cardiac lesions.
It is of paramount importance to assess the systemic (morphologic right) ventricle for systolic and diastolic dysfunction in patients with CCTGA. End diastolic volume, stroke volume and cardiac output (reaches approximately 140% of pre-pregnancy level by 20-28 weeks of gestation) increase significantly during pregnancy and thus the systemic (morphologic right) ventricle in patients with CCTGA may dilate and decrease in function.[9] This increases the risk of congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema during the peripartum period.[10] TTE is the best modality for cardiovascular assessment of such patients; pulmonary artery catheter placement may result in cardiac dysrhythmias and is thus avoided. Its use is further limited in patients with severe sub pulmonary and pulmonary valve stenosis.
We administered antibiotic prophylaxis against IE in our patient because of an institutional protocol. ACC/AHA 2008 guidelines for the management of adults with congenital heart disease recommend antibiotic prophylaxis (before vaginal delivery and at the time of membrane rupture) in only selected patients with CCTGA:[11]
Patients with prosthetic cardiac valve or a prosthetic material used for cardiac valve repair.
With unrepaired and palliated cyanotic congenital heart disease, including surgically constructed palliative shunts and conduits.
Prophylaxis against IE is not recommended for non-dental procedures in the absence of active infection.
Thus to conclude anesthetic management in patients with CCTGA should be tailored on an individual basis depending on the type and severity of associated intracardiac lesion, systemic ventricular dysfunction and rhythm disturbance. Patients with isolated CCTGA and good functional capacity are at low risk, but patients with symptoms of heart failure, cyanosis or arrhythmia are at high risk for peri-operative adverse cardiovascular events. These patients are extremely difficult to resuscitate if cardiac arrest occurs as external chest compression is not effective in forcing blood across a stenotic pulmonary valve. Decreases in systemic blood pressure need to be promptly treated with sympathomimetic drugs. Cardiac dysrhythmias leading to hemodynamic compromise need to be rapidly corrected with antiarrhythmics; An electrical defibrillator should be available when anesthesia is administered to patients with PS. Patients with severe PS can be administered either general or regional anesthesia. CSEA is advantageous as it obviates the risk of aspiration, difficult tracheal intubation and prevents pressor response to laryngoscopy and intubation. However, it decreases SVR and may lead to hypotension, which can be minimized by optimization of volume status of the parturient. Prompt detection and management of a cardiogenic cause of hemodynamic compromise is paramount for safety of the mother and the fetus. We thus advocate the peri-operative use of TTE in parturients with complex congenital cardiac lesions.
Cowie B. Focused cardiovascular ultrasound performed by anesthesiologists in the perioperative period: Feasible and alters patient management. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2009;23:450-6.
Jensen MB, Sloth E, Larsen KM, Schmidt MB. Transthoracic echocardiography for cardiopulmonary monitoring in intensive care. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2004;21:700-7.
Warnes CA. Congenital heart disease for the adult cardiologist: Transposition of the great arteries. Circ J 2006;114:2699-709.
Presbitero P, Somerville J, Stone S, Aruta E, Spiegelhalter D, Rabajoli F. Pregnancy in cyanotic congenital heart disease. Outcome of mother and fetus. Circulation 1994;89:2673-6.
Head CE, Thorne SA. Congenital heart disease in pregnancy. Postgrad Med J 2005;81:292-8.
Santos A, O'Gorman D, Finster M. Obstetric anesthesia. In: Barash P, Cullen B, Stoelting R, editors. Clinical Anesthesia. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2001. p. 1141-70.
Filipovic M, Seeberger MD, Schneider MC, Schmid M, Pargger H, Hunziker P, et al. Transthoracic echocardiography for perioperative haemodynamic monitoring. Br J Anaesth 2000;84:800-3.
Hornung TS, Bernard EJ, Jaeggi ET, Howman-Giles RB, Celermajer DS, Hawker RE. Myocardial perfusion defects and associated systemic ventricular dysfunction in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. Heart 1998;80:322-6.
Connolly HM, Grogan M, Warnes CA. Pregnancy among women with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries. J Am Coll Cardiol 1999;33:1692-5.
Warnes CA, Williams RG, Bashore TM, Child JS, Connolly HM, Dearani JA, et al. ACC/AHA 2008 Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (writing committee to develop guidelines on the management of adults with congenital heart disease). Circulation 2008;118:e714-833.
Freedom RM. Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries: definitions and pathologic anatomy. Prog Ped Cardiol 1999;10:3-16.
Saini V
Samra T
Kaur G
combined spinal epidural anesthesia


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The Republican Race Is About to Go Massively Negative
By Ed Kilgore, political columnist for Intelligencer since 2015
Candidates with money to burn and nothing to lose could launch a real air war of negative ads. Photo: Corbis
Donald Trump has made a habit of putting down his Republican rivals with personal insults, and there's been some skirmishing involving Bush, Rubio, and Cruz. But the kind of massive and highly targeted air strikes that characterized Mitt Romney's lethal attacks on Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum in the 2012 presidential cycle have by and large been missing.
That's about to change, according to Jonathan Martin of the New York Times, who is predicting a hailstorm of negative ads between now and the February 1 Iowa caucuses.
Supporters of Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum, and Mike Huckabee are poised to unleash a wave of ferocious attacks this month, according to Republicans familiar with their planning, plunging the muddled contest into a multidimensional war in the coming weeks.
You're going to see even sharper elbows" starting this week, said Jon Seaton, a Republican strategist not affiliated with any of the campaigns. "And by the middle of January, everybody will have their pads on and helmets buckled."
Ted Cruz has eschewed the standard football analogies for political violence and gone with a religious metaphor, as one might expect from the self-styled champion of Christian soldiers:
"Strap on the full armor of God," he told supporters in a conference call on Thursday. "Come the month of January, we ain't seen nothing yet.
But one of Cruz's super-pacs stuck with football in a new ad (using some humorous footage released by Team Rubio showing its candidate pretending to be focused on fantasy football instead of stressing over a debate) challenging the Floridian's seriousness in the face of multiple threats to national security. It's probably just the beginning of a wild multi-candidate onslaught.
By month's end, the candidates and their allied groups could spend as much as $100 million combined, much of it on negative advertising delivered via television, radio, mailers and digital spots. And after the effectiveness of positive television commercials came under question last year when tens of millions of dollars failed to lift Mr. Bush, January will offer insights into whether attack ads still have the power they did in past presidential elections.
Speaking of Jeb Bush, his super-pac, Right to Rise, the purveyor of those failed positive ads, is almost certain to go negative with a big chunk of its remaining $50 million to $60 million. Like Jeb, John Kasich and Chris Christie (the latest Establishment champion to show some momentum) are in a life-and-death battle for survival in both Iowa and especially New Hampshire, and are likely to go after each other and fellow Establishment vehicle Marco Rubio (already under attack from Team Jeb over his Senate attendance record). Rubio and Cruz have been tangling over immigration policy in an increasingly fractious manner. And Huckabee and Santorum might as well fling their remaining resources at Cruz, who is gobbling up the very conservative Evangelical voters on which both have relied in the past.
The one candidate nobody's talking about going after is the one who's leading the polls nearly everywhere other than Iowa: Donald Trump. Martin calls it a "de facto non-aggression pact" toward Trump, and suggests it reflects a fear of the old murder-suicide dynamic helping candidates left out of the fray, along with hopes that Trump supporters who look so powerful in the polls won't actually show up to vote. You can make a case that in the long run the biggest threat to Trump is a consolidation of voters behind one or two other candidates. So maybe a little strategic bloodletting and controlled gore that "winnows" the field is just what the doctor ordered. If not, and the demagogic tycoon soars above the battleground even higher, it will soon be time for a full-on Republican Establishment/movement conservative freak-out, and we'll see some negative ads that will make your toes curl.
GOP Race Is About to Go Massively Negative


A concept map is a graphical representation of a student's knowledge of a domain and constructing a concept map provides a way to expose, reflect on, deepen, and share your understanding. A concept map presents the relationships among a set of connected concepts and ideas. It is a tangible way to display how your mind "sees" a particular topic.
In addition, concepts are presented in hierarchical manner, the most general concepts on top.
In problem-based learning, each student group is like a party of explorers entering new territory. As a group they decide what neighboring areas they should reconnoiter, the individual members scout these areas and return to describe things they discovered that are relevant to the party's interests. It is important in this process that the scouts know what they are looking for. In this effort, each member learns different things that get integrated and used to make decisions. Not all of the information will be transmitted to the others. When the expedition is over and the party needs to summarize their explorations, they draw a map that captures the important features of the territory. This would correspond to a PBL group constructing a concept map. The instructor or tutor serves as a native guide in this analogy.


The lazy days of summer are about to be replaced with some manic mornings in metro Atlanta.
The back-to-school routine is not always a smooth adjustment for kids or their parents, since it's not easy to get used to a new sleep schedule as well as handling all the assignments and responsibilities.
Start by talking to your child a week or two in advance about the change in schedule that's necessary when school starts.
"What you want to do is help you child imagine the earlier bedtime necessary, the early morning wake-up, and have her visualizing spending the day in school," parenting expert Bob Lancer said in an e-mail.
There's nothing like new notebooks, crayons and clothes to help make the mental transition to back-to-school time. As you shop, let them make some of their own choices – within reason.
Getting them a small school-related surprise like fun eraser-toppers for the first day of school can also help start them off on the right foot, Susan Morley, parenting expert and founder of Parent Coach Atlanta, said.
Bedtimes tend to be a lot more relaxed during the summer, and getting up early can be a definite shock to a child's system. A child who hasn't gotten enough sleep is more likely to be cranky – aren't we all? – and may be sleepy in their first class or in the afternoon.
Adjust their sleep schedule by moving their bedtime closer to their school bedtime the week before school begins. Two nights before they'll be heading back to school, have them go to bed at their school bedtime, Lancer said.
"I always try the graduated approach to waking up early," she explained. By the end of the last week, Morley advised getting kids dressed in the morning as well.
Your child should have a clean, well lit, comfortable space for homework. Make sure they have the supplies they need at hand so they don't waste time searching for a ruler, highlighter or other item.
"Get them in the habit of going to this place regularly at a time that works for you, and then back off," Morley suggested.
Each year brings its own scheduling challenges. Find out when your child has lunchtime, since they may need an extra snack to tide them over if they eat very early or late.
And if you find yourself waiting in one child's pick-up line while another sits in the car with you, be prepared with a portable homework kit. Keep a laptop desk and some basic supplies in a small bag that stays in the car. Your child will be able to get a jumpstart on his or her homework while they wait.
QUIZ: How much do you know about your child's metro Atlanta school lunch?
QUIZ: How well do you know your metro Atlanta school?


text:
Q: Is there a way to color the command you type into the prompt in bash? I use quick navigation shortcuts a lot in bash to jump a word back or forward or delete a word. The problem is, I never know where exactly the cursor ends up after the jump, especially when punctuation is involved.
I thought it would be a nice productivity addition if I could color the word before/after the cursor in a way that I could tell from that where the cursor will jump or what would be deleted.
Examples:
$ grep '^[0-9]+$' /var/tmp/foo-bar/whatever
$ grep '^[0-9]+$' /var/tmp/foo-bar/whatever
$ grep '^[0-9]+$' /var/tmp/foo-bar/whatever