text:
punishing doubt | religious condemnation of thought [cc]
Posted on August 22, 2019 by Diego Goyette
Doubt is an inevitable part of life for every
one of us. We experience doubts about ourselves, about other people and about the ever-changing world around us. Some doubts are easily resolved; with others,
resolution might seem unattainable. Some doubts point to significant personal
implications for us; with others, the implications seem more abstract. In some cases, we might shy away
from investigating our doubts for fear of uncovering realities that seem unbearable. But generally, we at least feel free to choose
whether or not to investigate. But sometimes, other people attempt to block
that freedom, condemning the exercise of doubt as dangerous, destructive and disloyal. This practice is observed
in dogmatic, authoritarian ideologies. Prime examples are found in the realm of religion. Some Muslim apologists have described doubt
as 'a disease of the heart' and cite passages in their primary text — the Qur'an — stating that true believers have no doubts. Some Christian apologists have denounced doubt
as a 'a tool of Satan' and cite passages in their primary text — the Bible — stating that those who doubt should
expect nothing from their god Yahweh. Of course, some theists will protest that
they're completely free to doubt and always have armfuls of questions. Some make themselves out to be
quite the irreverent rebel. And if they are genuinely free, good for them. But look closer and you'll find that many
of these folks aren't as bold as they like to think. In fact their questions fit very comfortably
within a tacitly approved list of commonly voiced complaints that the
major religions have all developed stock responses for — however inadequate or platitudinous
those responses might be. It's when you depart from the approved list — and the patience and compassion of those around you turn to disapproval and condemnation — that the fog begins to clear and the limits imposed
on your freedom become apparent. Investigating your religious doubts, in the face of prohibition, can feel like walking an intimidating path. A steep path that might challenge your most deep-rooted preconceptions, your integrity, your stamina. A rocky path, along which you might experience
criticism, obstruction and abuse from others. An open-ended path that may — or may not
— seem to offer resolution. So why take such a path? That's what I want to address. I want to explore this religious condemnation of doubt, exposing some of the double-standards behind it and the absurdities they lead to, examining the emotional blackmail that leaves some feeling guilty or disloyal for entertaining doubts, and explaining the very real dangers involved
when faith is unrestrained by doubt. When Abraham said: 'Show me, Lord, how you
will raise the dead,' He replied: 'Have you no faith?' He said 'Yes, but just to reassure my heart.' Allah said, 'Take four birds, draw them
to you, and cut their bodies to pieces. 'Scatter them over the mountain-tops, then
call them back. 'They will come swiftly to you. Know that Allah is mighty, wise.' This strange encounter, described in surah
2, verse 260 of the Qur'an, illustrates a common religious double standard. Whether it be major world religions like Islam
and Christianity, or pocket-sized doomsday groups
claiming to channel aliens from distant planets, we see the same old division. There are the chosen ones, deemed worthy of
supernatural proof, and the undeserving hoi polloi, the common masses who are simultaneously
denied knowledge but commanded not to doubt — a double-bind that produces
acute psychological tensions. Let's pick apart some of the layers of problems
with this elitist system. In 'Towards Understanding the Qur'an', Islamic scholar Abul Ala Maududi defends Abraham's request for a divine demonstration, explaining that Abraham is looking for the 'inner peace that one attains as a result of direct personal observation'. This is a striking acknowledgement of the
inadequacy of faith. Think of it. Here we have Abraham, a religious character so iconic that Islam, Christianity and Judiasm are collected
under his name as the Abrahamic religions; a figure who, according to this story,
even converses directly with Allah. And still he needs the kind of reassurance that could only come from a demonstration of divine power. So, why is he granted the peace of mind
that's denied to ordinary believers? Maududi's answer is that: '…. the kind of function
that ordinary believers are required to perform 'requires of them no more than believing in certain truths without perceiving them through their senses. 'The function entrusted by [Allah] to the Prophets 'is such that they ought to have
direct knowledge of the truths.' Maududi argues that the prophets had to tell
the world they spoke from direct experience, possessing reliable information that set them apart from others who employed conjecture, fancy and imagination. The problem is, even if their experience was genuine, it would do precisely nothing
to set them apart. Imagine six prophets who each claim
they've been given a guided tour of hell. These could be the hells of established religions
like Greek religion, Buddhism, Zoroastrianiasm, or hells as yet unimagined. For argument's sake, let's imagine
one of them speaks from direct experience. How would you determine which one that was? This is a supernatural realm we're talking about. By definition, it defies all of our experience
and frameworks of reference. The fact is we have no criteria for assessing
the reliability of this information. Direct experience doesn't set people apart because the act of recounting a direct experience transforms it into another currency. It now becomes a story, an unsubstantiated claim. This instantly nullifies its evidential value.
Nothing is proved by an unsubstantiated claim. To restore its value, substantiation is required. But that's the very thing denied to the common people. Obviously, if you want to play dirty you can get the common people
to accept your revelation claims by manipulation rather than substantiation. You just drill it into them, from birth if
possible, that your religion is perfect while others are corrupt. You fill their minds with visions of dreamy rewards
and nightmarish punishments. And you make doubt a thought-crime. The end result is generally a pleasingly compliant devotee who'll swallow all your unsubstantiated claims while scoffing at those of other religions. The problem is while you're busy manipulating
people into your religion other folks are manipulating people into theirs creating followers who'll favour their revelation stories and become impervious to yours. Which leads us to a deeper problem. Divine characters like Allah and Yahweh are
conceptualised as all-knowing. If they existed, they'd know that people
indoctrinated into other religions are generally immune to all but
their own religion's revelation stories. They would therefore also know that to get
through to those people in other religions, a much more powerful method of persuasion
was needed than revelation stories — ie proof that has the power to transcend
all religious biases and barriers. Proof that has the power to reach every individual. For all the centuries of lip-flapping
about all-powerful gods not one single religion has produced the goods. By an astounding coincidence every single one of them has instead required
their followers to take their word for it. So, in the absence of proof, what do we have? Here we come the biggest problem so far. Taking just Islam and Christianity, in both cases we have a divine character who's
content to do nothing while millions of human beings,
through no fault or desire of their own are indoctrinated into other faiths. It knows that this indoctrination will create
powerful biases in those humans immunising them against its religion. It then watches as these humans descend
to unspeakable torment in hell as punishment for not believing. What we're talking about is a holocaust bystander. To describe this behaviour as 'callous'
limboes beneath understatement. But what I want to highlight is its sheer stupidity. Imagine the following situation.
You're a night security guard for an apartment block. You're stationed in a small hut attached to the block with CCTV screens and speaker access to all areas. There's a fire in the building that forces
everyone down to a basement area where they find a red door and a yellow door. They debate which one to take. They can hear traffic noises behind the yellow door. But then someone sees the faded word 'EXIT'
above the red door. The group becomes sharply divided
into Reds and Yellows each rejecting the arguments of the other. You watch all of this on your CCTV screen, knowing that the red door leads to freedom while the yellow door leads
to a dead-end and certain death. There's a vent next to your desk
connected to a vent in the basement. You can see that one of the Reds is standing near it. If you shout down the vent 'Take the red door' she'll just about hear you and she'll report
receiving advice from a disembodied voice. You know the Reds are already predisposed to believe her. But you also know the Yellows will easily
dismiss this ridiculous ghostly message. Alternatively, you could use
the public address system at your disposal to give an announcement over the basement speakers that'll be clearly heard by everyone identifying yourself as the guard from the security hut and telling them to take the red door. So, do you choose the vent or the PA system? Allah and Yahweh chose the vent. I've said it before. All-knowing gods should be geniuses. But the ill-conceived system of private revelation employed by prophet-based religions has the grubby fingerprints
of limited human thinking all over it. If you want to overcome the doubts of serious thinkers you seriously need to up your game. Many religious people suffer with
tremendous guilt about their doubts. — guilt that's often inspired and reinforced by others In his book 'God in the dark: The assurance
of faith beyond a shadow of doubt', Christian author Os Guinness identifies nine kinds of doubt that he suggests lead people out of faith all of which put the blame
squarely on the doubter. He talks about doubt from ingratitude,
from a faulty view of his god Yahweh, from weak foundations, from lack of commitment,
from lack of growth, from unruly emotion, from hidden conflicts, from inquisitiveness
and from impatience. The possibility that doubt could come from
inconsistencies is dogmatically dismissed. Scare-mongering imagery is used throughout the book. For example, a nameless doubt
is compared to a 'waiting shark' that 'lurks below the conscious mind' with 'no limit to its shadowy potential for destruction'. Guinness warns that preoccupation with doubt
holds 'much danger' comparing it to preoccupation with sickness. But preoccupation in both these areas
can lead to positive outcomes. With sickness, preoccupation can lead to effective treatments. With doubt, preoccupation can expose deception,
expand our knowledge and free us from tyranny. Later on, I'll be talking about
the dangers of not doubting and I won't be resorting to hyperbole,
but offering real-life examples. All these criticisms of religious doubters
are ones many of us have heard before. The charge of ingratitude was levelled at me
when I expressed my own religious doubts as a child. I pled — and still plead — not guilty. It wasn't that I became ungrateful.
I was just putting my gratitude where it belonged. For instance, after the recovery of loved
ones from life-threatening accidents or illness, while some folks have busied themselves telling
everyone about the thanks they gave to their god. you would've found me thanking
the doctors and nurses. You know? The folks who actually saved
those lives, with their knowledge and dedication. Sometimes a sense of gratitude can be experienced
without the need to direct it towards any agent real or imagined. When I'm filling the kettle or standing under the shower, I'm intensely mindful of the fact that access
to running water is a tremendous luxury unknown to vast numbers of humans. When I'm sprinting, either to make up time
or for the sheer joy of it I feel deep appreciation for the physical mobility I enjoy. And when I experience doubt — even crushing doubt — I treasure my fundamental freedom
to think for myself. For many folks, doubts about their religion
get stirred up by distressing life events involving illness, loss, injustice, death. At these times, when many cry out 'Why, Oh Lord?'
and crave robust answers it seems all religions have to offer
is a welter of mimsy platitudes. People are told: 'God doesn't give us
anything we can't handle.' In rebuttal, one word: suicide. When people take their own lives to escape
some anguish whether that anguish comes from chronic pain, relentless bullying, insufferable loss or an inability to construct a future they have, by definition, been given more
than they could handle. People are told: 'God doesn't give you the people
you want. He gives you the people you need.' In rebuttal, again one word: pedophile. Is anyone seriously going to argue that their god gave sexually-abused children the paedophiles they needed? Guinness characterises the question 'Why, Oh Lord?'
as 'doubt from impatient inquisitiveness' and puts the doubter's need to know
down to a lack of trust. A damning accusation. But does it stand up? Leaving gods aside, let's consider
our real relationships with other humans specifically, with the people we most trust in the world. When we ask them questions
about their actions and intentions, does that mean that we're impatiently inquisitive,
or that we lack trust in them? Of course not. In fact, very often it's when we trust people most deeply that we feel most confident about
approaching them with troubling inconsistencies. We trust that they'll understand the genuine
concern behind our questions. We trust they'll be able and willing to
clear things up. But most of all we trust that they won't
respond with abuse and emotional blackmail, accusing us of lacking trust. In fact, it's when people behave in these defensive
and attacking ways that alarms bells start ringing. The tragedy isn't that Christian doubters
lack trust, but often that they have so much trust. Religious apologists might try to whip up
all kinds of scare-mongering rhetoric and emotional blackmail to make doubts seem shameful and dangerous. But doubt is a perfectly healthy response when we perceive problems
in the information we're working with and there's no reason to feel guilty
for wanting to address those problems. As for danger, that comes not when we start
to doubt, but when we stop doubting. HBO's documentary 'Mea Maxima Culpa
— Silence in the House of God' showed how religious suppression
of doubt played several key roles in the perpetuation of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests. For some victims, the status of the priest as a divine agent put his motives and actions beyond doubt. They therefore accepted the abuse,
figuring they must deserve it. Other victims who did seek help found it was the adults they confided in — from parents to police — who refused to doubt the 'holy fathers'. It's hard for some folks to grasp
the height of the pedestal on which the Catholic clergy
were placed in these cases. Ordained priests were considered
to be transformed into semi-divine humans. One victim of Roman Catholic priest Alexander Walsh reportedly believed he was being touched
by the hand of god. Priests are attributed with the divine power
of transubstantiation — the purported ability to turn wafers and wine into the body and blood of the Christian messiah Jesus. In some cases, consecrated wafers were reportedly
pressed against the genitals of victims. Priests are also attributed with the power
to grant absolution, the forgiveness of mortal sins. Some priests used absolution as divine justification for their crimes claiming they were taking
the children's sins on themselves. Absolution could also be used in a more coercive
way, by being withheld if victims didn't submit. The church's aversion to doubt
also played a more far-reaching role. In a scandal that alienated countless Catholics, it was discovered that the Vatican had long
known about the endemic problem
of child sexual abuse within its ranks. Like the Jehovah's Witnesses a religious organisation that also sees itself
as above the reach of worldly laws and has maintained a secret database of known and suspected pedophiles within its membership, the Catholic church also had extensively documented knowledge of offenders which it concealed for years. Victims might be privately paid off, sworn
to secrecy even coerced into signing official apologies for
the true allegations made against their abusers under threat of excommunication. Why? To preserve unquestioning trust in the church. To suppress doubt. Some apologists assert that Yahweh has nothing
to do with this unholy mess; that these are human acts
for which he's unaccountable. But Yahweh isn't so easily absolved. We come back to elitism. According to the Bible, Jesus chose to spread his word not through an egalitarian system
of universal revelation to every individual, but through an elitist system of specially
appointed agents called disciples. The Catholic clergy — from priest to bishop
to pope — continues this legacy of discipleship. In Luke 10 verse 16, Jesus tells the disciples:
'Whoever listens to you listens to me'. More pointedly he continues: '…. whoever
rejects you rejects me'. And just to really drive the point home, he
adds that whoever rejects him rejects Yahweh. So, cutting out the middle Messiah, reject
Yahweh's disciples and you reject Yahweh. By introducing this system of elite disciples that the common people are directed to trust
as Yahweh's representatives, Yahweh becomes implicated in any abuses
that result from the misuse of that trust. And as an all-knowing god, able to foresee every abuse that would result
from this elitist system he has no escape hatch. If he existed, he would absolutely be accountable. Child sexual abuse occurs in all kinds of institutions. But the religious suppression of doubt has given priests a level of immunity
other sexual predators could only dream of allowing some to prey
on hundreds of children over decades under the protection of a church more concerned with its holy reputation than the suffering of its victims. Guinness conceptualised
a nameless doubt as a 'waiting shark' with 'no limit to its shadowy potential for destruction'. But doubt isn't the shark. Doubt is what allows us
to spot the sharks around us: the deceivers, the manipulators and the abusers
who thrive in spaces that suppress doubt. Doubt can sometimes put us in a spin. But lack of doubt leaves us
vulnerable to the spin of others. The hollow metaphors, the deflections, the doublespeak and the emotional blackmail of those who wish
to forcibly confine us in their ideology rather than try to persuade us respectfully. Doubt is the the path out of that confinement. Ideologies that demand
their followers neither know nor doubt put those followers in
an impossible psychological position, denying them both certainty and uncertainty. Sadly, there are still many parts of the world where voicing doubts will attract officially condoned punishments up to and including execution. They might silence some of our mouths,
but we should never let them silence our minds. 'To find yourself, think for yourself' This quote, attributed to Socrates, reminds
us that when we allow others to think for us what we'll find in our heads are their ideas,
their perceptions, their experiences, their beliefs in place of our own. To find ourselves, we need
to exercise our freedom to think and resist ideologies that try to block that freedom
by punishing doubt.
emotional blackmail
scepticism
100 thoughts on "punishing doubt | religious condemnation of thought [cc]"
CH2517Joan says:
This is so illuminating. Your videos help me bring across my point to others. Thank you
79 banjo says:
Absolutely sensational. Wish I'd seen something as faith challenging as this ten or fifteen years ago.
plekkchand says:
the Shatner bit was fairly amusing
TreeHairedGingerAle says:
All of your videos are amazing, I come back to them frequently to help me unearth further unhealthy thinking patterns. My deepest thanks for all of your hard work!
Starmadien2019 says:
I once told my bio mom that we shouldn't forget to thank the nurse's and doctors who heal. I even stated that we should thank them along with god. And she told me that god will relay our thanks to them. Yeah even when I said that we should just remember to include them in our thanks. I was wrong.
BIG BOX/Dr.fresh memes says:
Moshe Finkelstein says:
Believing in a doctrine or not doesn't matter, its the feeling of that controlls reallity
نلت نتنا says:
يخ
C Fletcher says:
It's inconceivable that omnipotence would fail to communicate with us in a convincing manner (especially if combined with omnibenevolence, desiring to have a "personal relationship" with us, etc). There was one time where I really thought God was working in my life, but in retrospect it was confirmation bias and an emotional high.
No doubt an all-powerful entity would be able to transcend the (internal) emotional vagaries most Christians seem to attribute as the basis for their faith (like if you can't distinguish between your own voice in your head and God's voice in your head, God is not doing a very good job – it's also very questionable if that voice of God in one's head always seems to speak according to one's own personal agenda).
As the son of a pastor and an ex-theologian I've listened to numerous conversion stories and testimonies and most boil down to "feel-good stuff happened in my life: therefore God and the Bible are true." I've also noticed that fuckable babes get their prayers answered very quickly in almost every way in situations where human agency is involved.
Shawman Null says:
'"William Shatner shakespear monologue" LOL
J4MF says:
One thing I always found frustrating when I was a Christian was how many groups (Bible-study groups, youth groups, pretty much all of the various churches I attended (I moved a lot once I hit adulthood and got a job that required it, but I also attended several different churches growing up) CLAIM that you're allowed to doubt and question. Just how many times have I heard that?
In reality… it's only allowed if you arrive at the conclusion that they think you should arrive at (they can get QUITE snippy and/or irate if you don't, even when it's "small" stuff such as how much of Leviticus we should continue to follow, and not whether or not God actually exists), you'd better not think you have any right to question God's judgement on anything (you think it was wrong that God killed that baby just to make a point? Well who do you think YOU are? Huh? Huh?), and finally… you're allowed to question for a very short amount of time. VERY short.
Five seconds is way too long. And you'd better not double-back and continue to question the same thing at any later date either, not after they already explained to you that there's nothing to question so you'd better accept it. ("I've already EXPLAINED that!!!" — Er, no, you just said that it didn't bother YOU.)
But you're totally allowed to doubt. They said so, and they're totally trustworthy sources on everything!
James Mac777 says:
This is a fallacy of composition, you grouped all religions together, named them all the same, and then scandalized them as evil. You should be anti-Government, all of the world's laws together is insanity, you doubt them, let us have a revolution, as you are that revolutionary, TheraminTrees. Membership in groups are taken seriously, if you don't belong, then you don't get the benefits. To claim to be all inclusive, but you reject any controls on you, then you declared yourself our god: Like a home invasion, it is your job, and we are to not judge you.
FYI, I am very religious in the Christ-way, and I take an interest in other beliefs to see what people are doing, and why I am viewing your Youtube sites, TheraminTrees. You should know, there are two different doctrines between Islam and the Christ-way. Islam was created by Muhammad the Prophet, and in it, very often, doubt and criticism are persecuted as apostasy, that is the same as actually leaving the religion: This is because Muhammad declared himself the perfect word of Allah without flaw, right down to the sun sets in a muddy pool of water at the end of the day, and people live there, for wild and crazy Muhammad whose education was fables and a lying uncle; Muhammad believed everything that he was told. The Christian Bible is made of doubt, the entire pardon of Jewish law as man-made rules at the sanguine Cross (where the debt is paid) is doubt and an accusation of the wicked hearts of the Jewish priests that only used law for themselves, the Law is a curse according to the Christ-way. There are Christians who claim that it is not religion we follow, because there is no official law, but there is liturgy (how we worship God Almighty in church), and Christianity is based upon grace and forgiveness in a relationship, and not based upon rules. You will find that sometimes there are laws, but they are not Bible based, because there is no law in Christ (grace, forgiveness, and moral principles for the Father in Heaven), and these rules are obviously man-made and can be subject to criticism, when the Government allows criticism. In the Christianity there are no laws, but there are governments, and it is always Government that makes the law. In Islam (as well as the Jewish belief) there are religious laws, where Muhammad the Prophet wanted his own Jewish Temple for gentiles, and he condemned Islam just like the Jewish priests to a set of unbending rules and nobody is getting into heaven, and those who could enter heaven are not allowed, because they need permission and it is not happening.
The Islamic mind is utterly condemned, and shows the works of sin, where they are attempting to enter Heaven by rules, rituals, and sacrament, and we see every lie and twisted thought on them to justify themselves, because their Islamic clerics condemn them for questioning that the earths are on top of a whale, that is in the water, that is on the back of a bull, that is on the rock, that is on the dust, and only Allah knows what is under that, just like the Apollo 11 astronauts photographed from the Moon in 1969. Islam is not even allowed fables, where the Christian Bible has fables (that are stories) told by Jesus Christ to communicate a message by storytelling: We see figures of speech, allegories, symbolism, metaphor, and fables in the Bible, and the entire document is witnessed and not one word was written by God Almighty, where not even Jesus Christ wrote anything and the Son of God was witnessed: That is Jewish law, by witnesses are any matter established, and witnessing yourself is not good enough, where you need other people.
CerberaOdollam says:
Nah. Suicide is not always an "escape from anguish". The rest is ok, though.
mebombu says:
The production value on your videos is unbelievable. There are few channels that I regularly watch, and yours will be one of them as your videos are extremely well done. Thank you for the hard work you do.
NoThing Sacred says:
I have a friend who, when I expressed doubts to her and questions about my Christian faith, scolded me that I wasn't going to be satisfied with any answer and that I wasn't just "trusting God." I was taken aback and hurt and couldn't understand why wanting a legitimate answer was a bad thing.
Kairi Ali says:
Why do i consistently find in these arguments, GOD being charged with The affairs and actions of MEN.
The all knowing all powerful supreme being, does know what will happen in advance, yes , YET does the creator MAKE or FORCE man to do evil ,NO. And to intercede in man's affairs would interfere with man's exercise of our GOD given free choice and will.
Maggot King says:
I'm lucky my relatives think family is more important than religion.
Lok 739 says:
Absolute pleasure. Just found your channel yesterday, this is by far my favorite video.
Solidified Star says:
I wish I could love this video. Thank you for the unbiased and clear conveyance.
retro pika gamer says:
Suicide is usually done by mentally ill people and you made it seem like someone who is of a sound mind would take their life from certain pressures.
August Home says:
Wow, this video is brilliant, I loved the 'vent' versus 'PA system'.
William Jeffrey says:
It is evident that all religions come from the human mind
it all boils down to unflinching manipulation by those doing the theistic preaching. they knowingly do it to entrap their target in a web of lies. they're in a protectionist racket endorsed by governments the world over. protecting us from plain, un-adorned truth.
dtip4life 8472 says:
Organized religion and the multitude of bigotry and evil it produced has stunted this planet's sociological and technological evolution by thousands of years and directly and indirectly cost the lives of billions.
Waltham1892 says:
Does doubting I doubt, mean I'm certain?
MegaChickenfish says:
To think there's any value in punishing doubt just requires the stupid belief that yours is the only religion out there. A person of utter faith, the perfect sheep, would effortlessly be lead away by any shepherd that suits his fancy.
Of course, their troglodyte reaction to that was (and in many regions still is) to simply murder the sheep that wander off to control the rest by fear.
AnduRo says:
13:12 My theology teacer brang up this quote and i said "what about suicide?"
She didnt give me a logical answear
I think i should have said , then why does gond give people so much bad stuff in their lives that they commit suicide , then send them to hell for doing sow
Christer Jervhall says:
Your videos are great. So glad I found them.
Kimberly Kenyon says:
With the sexual abuse, if the churches actually condemned the offenders and sent them to prison they would be seen as 'true' to their god, and people might consider converting to them since they know they'll be trust worthy. So they are getting a bad deal by trying to hush it up.
albino tabby ;; says:
"William Shatner's monologues." Lmao
IronicHoneyBadger says:
one of my biggest questions is why does a god give a shit about us if he's un-understandably powerful and all mighty?
Tom Lawson says:
Why do you put pro-religion adverts on your videos?
Sarah Cousins says:
Doubt is not the enemy. Doubt is a good thing. Doubt can lead us to healthy investigation. To criminalise doubt is illogical from a theists point of view too, because if God created us with the ability to think rationally and question and enquire,then it would be disrespectful not to use that ability.
dankmemerino147 says:
Akko Design and Gaming says:
my mum was pretty upset the first few years i came out as an atheist. I got the usual, tags as "rebellious", "it's just a phase" and "i always do things like this" as i'm naturally argumentative and question things in life.
It was in secondary (High) School. I started at the age of 13 being christian before becoming a conspiracy illuminati alex jones listening nuttjob by the age of 15. It wasn't until my friends publically came out as atheist that they questioned why i believed any of those things, and openly mocked my ignorance. While i could have rejected their mockery and affirmed i was right, i was at a point of my life where i was extremely curious about the world. I particularly became fond of Youtube videos, and slowly went from Listening to Alex Jones, to videos Mocking Alex Jones by Atheists on the internet.
I grew up from 15-19 Listening to the main Atheist crowd, (TJ Kirk, Darkmatter2525, MrRepzion, Sargon of Akkad, Grappling ignorance, Thunderfoot, and Hugo and jake). They were more mature than me by several years and i felt the connection of a bigger brother/little brother relationship with these internet personalities. I would begin to understand many of their arguments, Often listening again and again to the points they made.
Before i didn't really question religion, it was kind of just "there". mum said i was very religious growing up but by about 9-12 I grew tired of church, i felt oppressed by the large looming building, i became disturbed by the homogenous attitude of all the humans in church. People did not behave this way in real life, on everyday streets but it seemed to me the minute they entered church their personalities changed.
There were unspoken rules, Don't look around at other people, Don't speak out loud, Sit/Stand/Kneel when everyone else does. Respond only when the priest speaks. I often disobeyed these rules which resulted in stern looks from church-goers and a few slaps from my mother outside the church halfway through service in the parking lot.
My boredom caused much of this, expecting a child to behave in such a linear manner to any outsider would seem impossible. Yet i was still dragged every sunday.
When i became a teenager a lot of that changed, i would stay up all night gaming, and sleep in until 11-12pm in the day. Often on purpose so i could skip church. This annoyed my mum but she was soft, so she wouldn't drag me to church often. Eventually she got used to my lack of spirituality but grew more concerned of my conspiracies listening to alex jones. Ironically Alex Jones is very religious.
Christmas was the hardest, "why can't you just go?", "it's no big deal", "it's only for an hour". I pondered whether you would say similar questions to a woman when having sex. I rejected every time, it practically drove my mother to tears the first few times. Especially when one christmas she had to go to church alone on christmas eve. But i did not relent, to me church was disgusting and vile and stood against everything i believed in. (it hurt both of us a lot but i had to stand by my principles)
As i matured i made a few exceptions, Funerals and Weddings. No other reason would suffice. It would never be to celebrate god, but to pay respects to the people. I always thought how insulting weddings and funerals were. a 1 hour sermon where 45 minutes of it were spent talking about god and jesus, and 15 minutes were brushed aside to speak of the people getting married/died. I thought to myself "people actually pay money for this? How insulting."
Church unforunately is still something i have to attend once or twice a year, usually for those two reasons. i think of the years my granda and granny wasted on religion. To this day they still attend it. How much time have they lost? When they could have been free. The opportunities they declined because God told them so. It's sad.
Organic Shelter says:
One time my religion teacher made a preach about that we should doubt and do what Doubting Thomas did directly in a church
Klaa2 says:
I may be riddled with doubt, but vids like this one give me hope.
gorillacapers says:
I am glad Buddhism and Hinduism encourage questioning
Green Comms says:
17:47 Huge plothole here. Jesus was white. Duh.
CP 9 says:
SDnikko says:
When I was in the Unification Church doubt was usually ascribed to free range demons and rogue spirits in line with Satan.
Skullmiser says:
Oh no! Willian Shatner's Shakespeare Monologues!? That's probably the real one.
Nicholas Trice says:
It's interesting to notice that these criticisms apply almost as well to political partisanship. It seems that humanity is naturally a "religious" creature (that is, at a species-wide level, we are generally not naturally very good critical thinkers, and always look for leaders to slavishly obey and shill for, those who can remove our doubts and do our thinking for us while selling us fantasies).
keotis says:
Nothing to do with the topic, but the sound in the beginning of your videos always alerts and confuses my cat. He's had an alerting and confusing day today.
Forrest Blah says:
GFish 17 says:
Will you ever confront Kent Hovind? pls. Explain why evolution is NOT a religion. Kent Hovind Never excepts criticism and claims everyone else to be Wrong.
Since you are a psycologist maybe you can help.
NotUsingMyName says:
I lost it with "does anyone think god gave them the pedophiles they needed?"
Donde Merlin says:
For those of you who have even the slightest "doubt" about your faith, or better yet, those leading (misleading) the human race, find (if you can) and read: The Meek and the Militant" by Paul N. Siegel – Zen Books ltd. 1986. A Marxist look at the foundations and principles of virtually all major religions. Bottom line; religions indoctrinate people into observing class orientation. This video touched on this topic and the notion of elitism. In order for the human race to proceed and not thwart progress any more, religions must be put in their place as soon as possible. Enough damage has been done.
Rookie141 says:
both my parents are atheists, and i don't recall ever talking to them about religion (not positively or negatively) until i was in my late teens. nevertheless my father put me into religion classes at school which i promptly exchanged for ethics as soon as i turned 14 and thus was allowed to make the choice on my own. when i asked him why he didn't put me into ethics classes right away, he said he wanted me to have a look a religions and make up my own mind whether i wanted to believe in either of them or not. even if i turned out an atheist anyway, i am glad he did give me a chance to look at both sides and not force his own views on me.
AccentYouLovingheart says:
I have found that a lot of Christians are great pretenders.
tom io says:
Your videos are so great you should have more subscribers man 🙂
James Roberts says:
On the video at approximately 14:08. I disagree with the listed reasons for a persons trust. I feel that many people will agree with you on the points you make in the video and I acknowledge that there is a chance I am overthinking this. But I want to raise this potential caveat, that while many people may think that they are expecting the behaviour you described in the video, which outlines a need for the opposite party to demonstrated honest and reasonable rhetoric concerning inconsistencies, it is possible that we (as the inquisitors) are really trusting in opposite party's consistent behaviour that we have come to know. Unfortunately, this means that we can claim that we want their honest opinions, but we may already know that they are not "willing" / "capable" of doing so. This then becomes a game, which you cover (as a subject) quite well in your TA (Transactional Analysis) videos. When it becomes apparent that a game is being played, it is probably best to ask ourselves the following questions:
1: Is the game destructive (i.e is anyone really getting hurt… including us (as the inquisitors))
2: Do we (as the inquisitors) need the other person to change their outlook on their beliefs that we (as the inquisitors) have identified as not making complete logical sense. (Look at (1)… As an example, I personally think that it should take some serious consideration before someone tries to bring up serious critical points about someones faith if that someone happens to be on their deathbed. But there may be times when it is necessary, i.e. A cure exists for their illness which they won't take on the grounds of their faith)
3: Is there a procedure we can use to break up the game which causes the least damage for all parties involved. This is probably the hardest since points 1 and 2 are essentially prerequisites that must evaluate to "True" before this one even gets considered. The breakup of a game can also be very difficult – We (as the inquisitors) may also rely on the game for our own reasons (i.e. the arguing provides us with our own sense of strokes (positive sense of feedback from the interaction even if the interaction is largely destructive) that we have come to rely on)
This is more of a "food for thought" comment and I do find your videos very informative and well presented.
Verry Kurniawan says:
Why theramin trees use baby as a figure
Pot Head says:
7:11 I'm Muslim and what you said there really hit me.
Connor Thomas says:
Your mistake is this, there is in fact evidence outside of unsubstantiated claims that support certain religions it just hasn't been compelling enough for you
pete garvey says:
You are a fantastic blast of sanity and compassion. Distressing but unfortunately inevitable that you get hate messages: I recently asked some simple questions on a fundamentalist website and received sneering evasions and a barely concealed aggression while they were justifying killing children in the OT. (GotQuestions if you fancy a go). As a composer I appreciate your theramin and excellent music. I watch your videos again and again. The reviewers who push for these to be shown in schools is spot on.
Katherine G says:
I have never been religious but I love your series; it's so intelligent and it explains why theists believe what they believe. I find your deep look into religious texts and the psychology of belief very valuable. The need to be skeptical, doubt, and explore why one believes something applies to other areas of life too. I find the idea of a god ridiculous and it's hard to understand why anyone would believe except that they have been taught it and have never thought about what they believe. I would think your videos would give reassurance and strength to any theist that wanted to explore why they believe. I encourage theists to listen to this series, you can always stop if you want to. But give it a try.
Craig Hewlett says:
All Religion has been infiltrated by Satanist's to control people, Doubt it not. We are all God having a human experience find the connection to the source within your Spiritual Heart.
Bruce Pierson says:
"William Shatner's Shakespeare monologues." 😅 That tears it. I hereby officially accept every religion.
Jo Fox says:
I love your spiral graphic inside the 'o' of 'doubt'. You illustrate these talks superbly well. Thanks for another great video.
LIITEMIES says:
Duobt is good. I doubt my self to be better.
orangejello says:
I used to be Catholic and I definitely feel like this punishment of doubt is what kept me in the church for so long. I was doubting as young as 8. After finding out that Santa wasn't real I began to wonder if God was like Santa in the way that Santa is used by parents to help their children behave. Anytime i had a doubt like this throughout my whole religious life i would instantly denounce it and pretend i hadn't even thought about it in the first place because i believed that doubting was blasphemy! i believed that i even acknowledged my doubt that i would be sinning. now i understand that i was actually just worried that my doubts might have been true and i worried that my doubts would lead o me leaving the church and inevitably lead to me going to hell to be tortured for all eternity. The day i decided i wasn't catholic anymore it felt like a veil had lifted and i was able to recognize the fact that i even used to have doubts. The indoctrination was so strong that as soon as i pushed a doubt away i even made MYSELF believe that i was without doubt. Its sick. Religion needs to seen for all the abuse that it inflicts on anyone around it. whether it be mental, emotional, or physical.
Mike Mike says:
If it can't be questioned it shouldn't be followed.
Shut In says:
thank you for the captions
Curtis Franks says:
Liz Edwards says:
Really enjoyed listening to this, spot on!
Kartissa says:
5:34 Love the fact that "hells as yet unimagined" includes "William Shatner's Shakespeare monologues."
Max Covfefe says:
I was punished for doubt by my parents. It took me well into adulthood to realize how much Christianity played a part in that. Let me be clear: it is absolutely possible for Christianity to be followed to the letter AND still lose your kids to the state. When that day came in my life, I was about 14 years old, and it felt like a RESCUE. I was sent to a school up north as a ward of the state. I had been labeled a "chronic runaway." I was being "punished" and sent to live with some kinda scary/fun kids… Looking back, I realize now it was a reform school. I remember being told for a year and a half that my parents shoulda been there, not me, but I LOVED IT. I cried when they sent me back home. (The state can't always rescue you forever if parents eventually comply with mandatory counseling.) "Spare the rod, spoil the child" is an ABUSIVE phrase. Some of the most UNholy words ever uttered.
Also, I want to make clear: there is NO AGE OF REASON in a human lifetime. We all make mistakes at ANY AGE, and there is no cut off point that suddenly makes anyone understand morality the way Jesus wants. You CANNOT blame the kid. No one in their right mind blames a child for being abused. If anyone ever does it to you, it's NOT TRUE.
I went to Catholic school when I was in first grade before my parents went full fundamentalist. I remember a nun teaching my class saying, "Always obey your parents," and I asked "what if your parents tell you to do something wrong?" She told me "they won't." lol, just like that, they simply won't. You're never too young to have a mind-shattering moment.
Dale Reynolds says:
10 stars‼
The Cost says:
Humans are 50 shades of wrong, it's only now with the internet that we are figuring this stuff out by learning from each other.
robbes7rh says:
I love how you put that: "the 'truths' that come from private revelation have the grubby fingerprints of human thinking all over them." To any Christian, a revelation reported by Mohamed may as well have come from the Devil himself. And to suggest to a Muslim that Mohammed couldn't possibly be the one true prophet of God because Jesus was; and then for good measure mention that Yahweh is the one true God, not Allah — you might just as well have slapped him across the face in public and then spit on him. Among the certain impossibilities of this universe is the non-coerced mass conversions of either or. And then within both Islam and Christianity there are sects that think of one another in similar diametrically opposite terms. Rational thinkers across the globe rightfully point out the abject absurdity of proclaiming unsubstantiated beliefs with such certainty and forcefulness. It is an untenable sticking point for the progress and future of humanity. And God just looks on with detached bemusement as the drama unfolds now with nuclear weapons in the mix? Somebody needs to hit the pause button so regular folk in these societies can reassess this march to total destruction.
Mnogojazyk says:
Forget punishing doubt of fact. Many religions will do so no matter what. What really gets my attention is the punishment over contradictions and inconsistencies in religious dogma.
Adam Mangler says:
I think 'Doubting' Thomas must have been created by some rather sneaky scribe in maybe the 2nd Century or later – to try to pre-empt the 'doubters' amongst the faithful.
Connor S says:
what's the intro music called?
Ja Boi says:
Theramin, did you make the opening song? If so it sounds really good.
Tapashya Rasaily says:
Thank You for daring to say what we think but never express..
Horst Nietzsche says:
inquisitiveness? bit on the nose isn't it?
RhondaH says:
This video was published on my 64th birthday. I am a new subscriber and I must say I find your videos very well done and extremely inspiring. I came out of religion in the early 1980s, way before the internet and YouTube. It has been so great being able to access videos such as these since people like you have been putting them online. Thank you for doing this and I hope you are well.
Juad white says:
I used to be Catholic but the rampant children molesting issues among the priests who are supposed to be representative to Jesus according to Bible and church concealing this scandal deliberately for decades destroyed my faith entirely and ignited my doubts in all the beliefs that i was raised on,now after deep objective researches i can confirm that crucified Jesus was the biggest lie that i wasted my life on,iam now superstitions free!
yoooyoyooo says:
To be quite honest I have shit ton of doubts in everything. It's really crippling. I don't trust anything that makes me me analyze everything and each time concluding that I don't have enough information to know what the best course of action would be. It's funny how the very thing that frees you from one prison puts you in to the other.
david brettell says:
This is why unsubstantiated claims are not allowed in a court of law. It's also called hearsay evidence.
medexamtoolsdotcom says:
The punchline is, that ALL the followers are either the hoi polloi, or batshit insane. It's just to calm the hoi polloi's misgivings that they're told that so and so or whatsisface was given proof at some point, as such stories are part of the religion's mythology itself. But so and so and whatsisface never actually existed, or the stories of them getting proof are fake, or they were batshit insane. Or con artists, like L Ron Hubbard, or Joseph Smith, there's that possibility too.
judith Rix-Brown says:
Beware the true believers..
Ramaraksha says:
Basically what we think is illegal and wrong is the norm in religion
Take getting a job or a promotion – you see a guy or a woman getting ahead because well ahem they "knew" the boss – you think that is pure scum
Well, that is the norm in religion – you have to pray to the "right" God, kiss the right butt to get to Heaven!
God is like a Dictator/Strongman doling out comforts of Heaven but only if you make sure to join "his" religion and pray to him using the "right" name
Religion turns good people into scum buckets so quickly it's unbelievable
CJFCarlsson Ensign says:
playing the victim is so useful among people with empathy
Amy Xoxo says:
Having been raised in a religious family, I wondered why God let other religions thrive if Christianity was true? Like if there is only One God, why didn't he talk to the Greeks who believed in Zeus?
Steve Osborne says:
Without doubt there is no open-mindedness ; one is a prisoner of one's own mind.
Enjoy and Travel The World! says:
I tell Christians. I have asked God. If God was me and I was God would he believe in me with no evidence….yeah the answer is simple. Its stupid that any God would require people to not use their minds and just follow like blind sheep…
Jeff Dunnage says:
I'm a Christian and I have never experience such rejection and hostility since I found from the bible that there is no Trinity, future second comming and the Jews are not Gods "chosen people". I stand with "Voltair" and say " Belief is the greatest obstacle to truth" If I misquoted then please correct me. Your channel is really helping me out, thank you.
Lloyd Succes says:
Doubt is completely healthy. Contrary to the lies and manipulations of religion, doubt is like the natural immune system that fights invading organisms like manipulation, emotional blackmail, double speak and flat out coercion.
zEN60 says:
I found the analogy of the red door and yellow door amusing, as it reminded me of a place I used to work. The fire exit was through doors that led to the "Shiny Hallways" They were literally a shiny hallways. The walls, floors and ceilings were shiny and they were very well lit, and yet, one of the things we learned when we went through training, is that people will refuse to use the emergency exits unless you are very clear that, "yes, the is an emergency and it's okay to go through this door".
ANNABELL CANNON says:
I mean tecnicaly I'm religious, but I'm satanist… And we don't have a god. It's really just what you think is morally right or wrong. Like how consenting adults can do anything they want to each other, as long as there's consent. Also we belive gluttonly is good (as long as you aren't a pig) and birthdays are the most important holiday, right next to hollloween
David Renwick says:
I appreciate the analogies of Abrahamic special knowledge. Katherine G (above) is on the money and in good company. Albert Einstein said that belief in god/s was "childish."
Camkitsune says:
The right-most one, obviously.
Robert Buchanan says:
I have placed my trust in Allah
I love your Content, Arguement and Train of Thought
Good Work, effort
Daniel Auto says:
William Shatner Shakespeare monologue 🙂
Susan Kerr says:
I view religion as a voluntary mental illness
Xavier X says:
so well worded!


Please contact me via phone or email to make an appointment for your initial consultation. If you have any questions before you commit to this please call or email with your enquiries.
Kaleidoscope Psychotherapy is based at Tealstone Therapy Rooms, located at 55a Beam Street, Nantwich CW5 5NF. Car parking is available over the road in Civic Hall Car Park or Marks & Spencers. The door to the building is on the left-hand side of the Well Pharmacy, on the corner of Beam Street and Lady Helen Walk – there is a door entry system in operation. Please try to avoid being early for your appointment as there may be a delay in answering, each practitioner manages their clients access to the building.
Tealstone Therapy Rooms in Nantwich, a medieval timbered building market town, based in the county of Cheshire. Bordering counties include Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south and Wales and Wrexham to the west.
Locations covered include Alsager, Chester, Crewe, Keele University, Winsford, Holmes Chapel, Northwich, Sandbach, Knutsford, Warrington, Whitchurch, Tarporley, Tarvin Stoke on Trent, Newcastle under Lyme and neighbouring areas.


text:
Franklin Pest Solutions Receives Angie's List 2016 Super Service Award
Franklin Pest Solutions was recently awarded the coveted Angie's List Super Service Award for 2016.
With more than 4.5 million consumers and their highly rated service providers in more than 720 categories, Angie's List is the go-to place to find a service provider for any commercial or residential services… like pest control. Your reviews and recommendations made us a favorite in the Pest Control category, and that's why we're so excited to stand out as best exterminator in Northwest Indiana among more than 10 million verified reviews of local services.
As always, we're here to help. Thank you again for choosing Franklin Pest Solutions in 2016, and we look forward to being your pest provider of choice in 2017!
Find the full press release below:
Franklin Pest Solutions has earned the home service industry's coveted Angie's List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of customer service to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2016.
This achievement is particularly significant as Angie's List experienced unprecedented member growth in 2016. More than 1.6 million consumers, many of whom were eager to quickly hire highly qualified service pros, joined Angie's List after the company added a new, free membership tier.
"Companies that can meet higher demands without missing a beat in their exemplary performance standards truly do stand apart from their peers," said Angie's List Founder Angie Hicks. "Only a fraction of the Pest Control companies in Michigan City and Hammond were able to do it."
Angie's List Super Service Award 2016 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an "A" rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. The SSA winners must also be in good standing with Angie's List, pass a background check and abide by Angie's List operational guidelines.
Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie's List as new, verified consumer reviews are submitted. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality.
For more than 21 years, Angie's List restricted access to its verified reviews to consumers who paid membership fees. When the company removed that barrier, some companies worried that the new, non-paying members would not be as engaged as members of the past. Experience has shown, however, that these newly added members are just as engaged – across all age groups – as prior members. Also, because the company continues to adhere to its review verification process, there has been no degradation of review quality.
"The biggest change at Angie's List is that we are connecting even more consumers to high quality service professionals," Hicks said. "And that's good for everyone."
If you need help with food pests, rodents, bed bugs, or pests in general, contact us today for a free quote!
{{cta('5e57bd48-a533-4e0a-97e2-bfa37816dfe3')}}{{cta('31798f97-dbe8-46df-b125-5e8b22ebd070')}}{{cta('a7726071-df1a-47bf-b0b7-97d190251df2')}}
You've got a pest problem. We've got your pest solution.
Whether you've got wasps, rodents, spiders (or you name it), we can assist with your pest situation. Drop us a line to tell us what's going on and we'll schedule your pest control services!
We're licensed, trained, and certified by the Departments of Public Health and Agriculture, using safe, EPA-regulated materials, always.
We don't come in spraying. We evaluate the root of your problem, and recommend and enact pre-emptive measures before any chemicals are used.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Game Pairings: Red Faction: Guerrilla + The Hurt Locker = ?
bitmob	 October 31, 2009 11:53 PM
Editor's note: Brian uses The Hurt Locker and Red Faction: Guerrilla as a jumping-off point for a pretty fascinating post about when a game is just a game, and when it's something more. -Demian
Tyler Miller recently wrote a piece on pairing other media with your games. While his idea is to choose different media items that go well together and enhance your experience, sometimes a serendipitous pairing can send you down a rabbit hole of mechanics, morality, and mortality. And then you write about it. Consider yourself warned — here be navel-gazing.
Why this comes up now: Last week's Mobcast discussed doing things one finds morally questionable in order to advance in a game's story. Manhunt came up, as it often does in discussions like these (Edge magazine did a good job of considering the questions of morality and control Manhunt raises).
Sometimes, though, this kind of behavior is less explicit. In Pikmin, I've enslaved an entire race (twice!) in order to collect and repair the parts of my ship. But they're so willing (I give you "Colonialism as Gameplay Mechanic" — your free game studies dissertation idea of the week). The behavior's coded into the gameplay. In this case, it's even in the damned title.
It's June 2009. Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, a film about an explosive disposal squad's last months in Iraq, has just opened in Pittsburgh. I watch, tense, as SSgt. William James and his men defuse a variety of explosives, including a large number of bombs in the trunk of a lone car.
Around this time, I'm playing Red Faction: Guerrilla, a game about a freedom fighter who uses a variety of explosives to strike at the occupying (and militarily superior) Earth Defense Force on Mars. I've got a target to take out, a bridge in EDF-controlled territory. Occasionally, the game provides you with a high-damage vehicle-based bomb — I have one several minutes' drive away. I spawn near it, grab a vehicle and drive to the pickup point. The bomb, now on-board, will explode after the car takes enough damage.
A quick note on how the game works: Each sector of the planet has a number of EDF-controlled targets. You destroy these, their control is lessened. Take out enough targets (and perform a few other missions) and you can force the EDF out of that sector. Repeat in each sector and reclaim Mars for the Martians (who are actually human colonists, which doesn't complicate matters in the way one would expect). Also, the Geo-Mod 2 game engine makes buildings fall down in spectacular ways, so much of the game is focused on that.
The area where I pick up the bomb has already been cleared of EDF — most of my drive across the map is uninterrupted by conflict. During this lull, the car bomb scene from The Hurt Locker forces its way back into my head. Someone had to drive that car, set those bombs. What was that like? What would cause someone to do that? Occupation by an outside force? Watching their brother get gunned down by that force? The game has me considering things that didn't occur to me during the movie, which dealt with the psychological effect these situations had on the people removing the bombs, not placing them.
And then my mind makes another jump. A guy I graduated from high school with lost a leg to an IED during a tour of duty in Iraq. Another acquaintance (who sat two seats in front of me in Chemistry) died from injuries inflicted by one. And here I am, sitting on my couch playing a game where I'm essentially planting one of these explosive devices on a bridge.
I stop playing for a second. I think about what I'm doing. I realize that I'm using this movie that I've seen and the experience of these people (connected through the transitive property of video games) that I haven't talked to in ten years to really understand the characters and the actions within the game. And I don't really like the questions it's raising. Am I making light of their experiences, what they and their families went through? Am I acknowledging that certain circumstances warrant the use of car bombs (and, by extension, other guerrilla tactics)? What are those circumstances, exactly?
So I retract. I use that skill that TV news magazines and overenthusiastic lawyers like to assume gamers don't have: I make the distinction between the game and real life. I break the immersion. They're not actual people, the enemies in the game. They don't exist the way I exist. They're bytes. None of this matters. It's just a game. Play it, don't think about it.
The game mechanics have made your choice for you: lower EDF control, the only way you can. Geo-Mod 2 isn't designed for nonviolent protest, so that's not even an option. As the game title indicates, "guerrilla" is the only way to go. This is what I signed up for, right? So why is it bothering me?
Immersion broken (and behavior rationalized), I continue on my mission. I take out the bridge. I kill a thousand or so faceless enemies. I destroy a whole lot of buildings. I eventually finish the game, untroubled by the amount of virtual carnage I just caused.
Question: if a game requires that much detachment from the events within it…well, maybe empathy can be such an issue in this medium because if we really buy into the game world, the things we do could be too troubling? Maybe our agency as gamers is a block to the usual forms of identification with characters that other media/entertainment is based on? The flipside being that agency allows this medium to challenge us on a philosophical level like no other (I'm not talking about branching morality paths, but rather the questions we could ask ourselves about how we play the game).
One last thing: Obviously, Red Faction's Alec Mason and The Hurt Locker's William James aren't on opposite sides of the same conflict. Mason isn't taking down US bases using nanotechnology, and James isn't defusing singularity bombs on Mars. I don't believe that the EDF occupation of Mars should be seen as a metaphor for the US's actions in the Middle East (shortchanging the complexity of the situation). But a good story has layers, and one of the great things about storytelling is that you look at these layers and realize one story can help you understand another. And maybe a little bit about yourself.


text:
Soccer beats Cal's stifling defense in 1-0 victory
Wednesday, September 28th, 2016 at 9:30 PM
By Michael McLaughlin
Published in: Vol. 116, No. 4
Photo: Edinboro Sports Information
Following their first loss of the season the women's soccer team edged out California University (Pa.) with a 1-0 win Wednesday evening.
Freshman Sidney Dobbins scored her first career goal at 73:20 with a shot from 20 yards out that the goalie, Meghan Jayes, misplayed, resulting in the score.
The Vulcans played a very defensive game, trying to keep seven or eight players behind the ball at all times. This style of play made it difficult for Edinboro to get any quality shots on net.
"They allow us to shoot from far out, but they won't allow you to try and get in behind them. It makes it easier to maintain possession, but makes it extremely difficult to score," head coach Gary Kagiavas said.
Kagiavas said they trained for two days prior to the game, so they were prepared to go against Cal's specific style of play.
Edinboro led the shot category, 20-2, but most of those came from 18, or more yards out.
"We had two or three decent chances; we could have done better. One was the offside goal we scored, they disallowed it, but we should have done better on that one," Kagiavas said.
He noted that Cal's keeper is one of the best in the conference and that they try to get draw games against the better teams and win by one goal against the weaker teams. Most of Cal's losses have been by one goal.
If the offside goal would have counted, Kagiavas believed they could have had a bigger margin of victory because it would have forced Cal's team to come out more.
"The longer the game goes on, the more frustrated we become. The more they believe they have a chance to beat us and [then] they play harder," Kagiavas said.
The defense didn't have much of a challenge because Cal usually only played one player up throughout the game. Cal's offensive objective was to try to get a goal past Sarah Baskey, while playing well enough defensively, so that Edinboro would not be able to get the ball past their defenders and goaltender.
Kagiavas compared the game to a game of basketball with no shot clock. They were able to keep the ball, but wouldn't shoot due to the lack of quality opportunities.
Baskey did not have to make a save in the game, but picked up her third shutout victory of the season.
Kagiavas recorded his 199th victory as head coach of the team.
Michael McLaughlin is a sports editor for The Spectator. He can be reached at sports.spectator@gmail.com.
Tags: edinboro sports, womens soccer
Parsons runs NCAA provisional time at YSU
By Steven McGarvie
The Edinboro women's indoor track and field team battled through tough travel conditions this past weekend, making the trek to Youngstown State University worth their time.
Swimmer's senior night; Men lose, women win against Gannon
By Jackson Loepp
On Jan. 17 the men and women's swimming teams celebrated senior night at their senior night.
Injuries, #7 IUP defeat EU, 88-53
By Sam Bohen
The Fighting Scots men's basketball team fell to Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Jan. 15 at home, 88-53.
EU beats Golden Eagles
By Erica Burkholder
The Edinboro women's basketball team rebounded from their loss to IUP, defeating Clarion in the follow-up, 63-47.
Women battle versus #8 IUP, lose 66-63
The Edinboro women's basketball team faced off against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Jan. 15 at McComb Fieldhouse, falling in a close contest, 66-63.
Despite Simpson's 38, Scots fall 93-81
By Paul Petrianni
After the weather forces an earlier start time than expected Jaryn Simpson puts up a career high of 38 points against Clarion on Jan. 17.
Vol. 119, No. 13
« Past Issues
Inside This Issue »
Bed bugs discovered in 2 Highlands rooms, officials say cases are isolated
By Jamie Heinrich
According to Jim Dahle, director of Edinboro safety and risk management, two confirmed cases of bed bugs — in Highlands 3 and 6 — have been isolated to those two rooms.
Centennial, Miller on track for demolition
By Shayma Musa
News editor Shayma Musa reports on the future of several University buildings.
Employee killed during Wendy's robbery, state police make arrest
By Nathan Brennan
An employee was shot and killed during a robbery Saturday at the Edinboro area Wendy's restaurant. According to local reports, the victim is 22-year-old Alexander Cavanah of Edinboro.
The new season of Were You Even Listening? kicks off with BROCKHAMPTON's newest release, and the highlights of music this summer. Subscribe to WYEL v...
An update on John's Wildwood Pizzeria post fire.
7/2/2019, 12:44 PM
https://www.facebook.com/events/703858006711598/?ti=icl
6/29/2019, 11:15 AM
Clay Club is sponsoring a series of ceramic demonstrations by Stuart Gair throughout the day today and tomorrow in… https://t.co/wvbCtW3c18
EdinboroNow on 1/29/2020, 2:22 PM
There is currently a line of cars that stretches out onto the highway in front of Wendy's as well as a crowd outsid… https://t.co/61jUyFaHP2
EdinboroNow on 1/29/2020, 12:43 PM
Last night, several hundred people gathered at the Edinboro Wendy's for the "Light in Darkness" vigil to honor the… https://t.co/nOpd0uWLc1
2020 © Edinboro Campus Media. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Epic Web Studios, LLC


1. Mix your pancake ingredients together: eggs, wheat flour, almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon and 1 plantain (you'll use the remaining ¼ for your syrup), until you get a smooth thick paste. I used a blender because whisking the plantain would have taken ages.
2. Now heat up whatever you love to cook your pancakes on. I used a non stick frying pan and added a teaspoon of coconut oil.
3. Add a small amount of your pancake mix to the hot frying pan and cook until bubbles begin to appear in the batter then flip. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, depending how big you make them. I find that wheat flour makes the pancakes fluffy and softer than normal pancakes, so it breaks a lot easier. I would suggest making the pancakes small. The smaller you make them, the easier they are to flip and not break apart.
4. Make all your pancakes.
5. Dice the left over plantain into small pieces and fry for about 2-3 minutes.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of honey and a handful of blueberries to the diced plantain and let it simmer for a minute.
7. Stack your pancakes and pour your syrup on top.


The InterFAX online fax services enables businesses to send and receive faxes easily and cost-effectively, while meeting the most demanding business requirements.... Discover how to send a fax online and other functions of the Internet fax system by Fax.com.
How To Send A Fax … This how to send a fax tutorial is specific to the Fax.Asia online fax service which features a one page send a fax form that is easy to navigate.


In the early years of the British empire, cohabitation between Indian women and British men was commonplace and to some degree tolerated. However, as Durba Ghosh argues in a challenge to the existing historiography, anxieties about social status, appropriate sexuality, and the question of who could be counted as 'British' or 'Indian' were constant concerns of the colonial government even at this time. By following the stories of a number of mixed-race families, at all levels of the social scale, from high-ranking officials and noblewomen to rank-and-file soldiers and camp followers, and also the activities of indigenous female concubines, mistresses and wives, the author offers a fascinating account of how gender, class and race affected the cultural, social and even political mores of the period. The book makes an original and signal contribution to scholarship on colonialism, gender and sexuality.
A very well documented and analyzed research work!Congrats to the author !
Durba Ghosh is Assistant Professor in History at Cornell University. She has co-edited, with Dane Kennedy, Decentering Empire: Britain, India and the Transcolonial World (2006).


Christmas comes early for a few folks separated by distance.
Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet has done it again: the airline has released another tear-jerking holiday video as part of what's become a Christmas tradition.
Last year, WestJet brought cheer to the victims of wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta., by throwing a big Christmas party and giving away free flight vouchers.
This year, the campaign kicks off with a stunt that reunited a long-distance family, friends and loved ones in London, England.
Watch: WestJet Christmas Miracle. Story continues below.
Halifax parents Kathleen and Bob are flown to London to help shoot what they think will be a commercial for the airline. But the carrier has also flown out their eldest daughter Jennifer, who lives in Seoul, South Korea, to surprise her parents.
When she sidles up to their side as they're window-gazing and surprises them, the reaction is priceless. The kind of delighted surprise you can't feign.
Every day until Dec. 25, WestJet's Advent Calendar campaign will showcase new videos that highlight holiday traditions around the world.


At dinner with our guide, José Luis, he told how he had studied with professors of archaeology, anthropology, and cosmology at the University of California Berkeley and Yale. "Study" probably isn't the right word. He had spent months at a time consulting with these professors in Berkeley and New Haven and had hosted them here. I don't think he had an actual degree in anything, but so what—he was from the local area, had been a guide for 30 years, and had read and studied and consulted with other experts. He was a seeker, curious, open minded. José Luis was soft spoken, with a shaggy mane of hair and big mustache that make me think of Albert Einstein. He was also that wisest kind of man—who knew there was much he didn't know.
The rooms at Casa de Don David were basic. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling, and the beds were so crammed into the small space I had to climb over the foot of Liz's bed to get to the bathroom. My mattress sagged in the middle and the pillow was lumpy.
"Do you prefer to have the window open?" I asked.
"I'm fine either way," she said.
"Okay, then I'll turn on the AC." I waved the remote toward the window unit above her bed.
"What if we opened the window?" Liz hinted again.
"You said you didn't care either way," I answered.
"Well maybe we could sort of open the window just a little bit." And so we turned on the AC and left the window open a crack.
The next morning we assembled at 5:30am in the lodge, gulped down cups of coffee, and inspected the bag lunches the kitchen had prepared. The gluten-free people handed over their sandwiches and cookies to others.
Mike's wife, Joan, appeared with a black eye and her arm in a makeshift sling. Her hand and wrist were puffed up to twice their normal size, and horribly bruised. "I tripped on a sidewalk paver," she explained. We suggested she see a doctor.
That's good, I thought. It would be really inconvenient if her wrist was broken and she had to be airlifted from Tikal.
We piled into the van with one extra person, José Luis. Stan was a good sport and huddled in the luggage section in the fetal position.
As we entered the grounds of Tikal, José Luis warned that we must never, never, never wander off by ourselves.
"The jungle is so dense," he explained, "that once you are a few meters in, you can't hear or see the road.
"Close enough for government work," Liz said. I had never heard this phrase before and didn't give it much thought until the third or fourth time Liz used it.
This entry was posted in Adventure, Budget travel, Culture shock, Travel and tagged Guatemala, Passive Agressive Behavior, Tikal, travel on May 4, 2017 by Breaking Free.


Just the sort of publicly HD needs right now.
Never had an issue with Dunlaps. I also pre ride check air pressure and if I get a nail in the tire I rece it as soon as possible. Do not trust plugs when my life is in the balance.
I would have thought they'd be talking about the D408, not the D402. We didn't see many posts on the 2008 and earlier touring models (D402) with regard to sudden failures, just complaints about the lousy tread wear and short life. The Dunlop complaints went through the roof when the D408 and D407 were introduced in 2009. Those were the tires I thought should have been recalled.


SOUTH Wales Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses following a fatal road traffic collision that occurred at approximately 19:05 on Sunday 27th January 2019 on the M4 off-slip at junction 45, Ynysforgan, Swansea.
A silver coloured Mercedes SLK 200 was involved in the collision, and 54 year old driver Anthony David Lewis of Port Mead, Swansea, died at the scene of the single-vehicle collision.
This is continuing to be investigated, and South Wales Police would like to speak with any witnesses of the collision, anyone who may have dash cam footage of the incident, or anyone who witnessed the manner of driving of the Mercedes SLK 200 prior to the collision.
Anyone who has not yet spoken to police, is urged to do so via 101, quoting occurrence 1900032991.


PHOENIX – Arizona legislators, meeting in a one-day special session Friday, imposed an immediate one-year moratorium on the state's runaway subsidy program for vehicles burning alternative clean fuels, a program now projected to cost at least 140 times what was first expected.
The program allows residents to use rebates and tax credits to purchase alternative-fuel vehicles at about half the price of conventional cars or to convert their cars. It was initially estimated to cost $3 million. Projections now say it will cost taxpayers $420 million or more if not stopped.
The Legislature voted Friday afternoon to pass the moratorium bill, which would cover contracts signed beginning Friday to buy alternative fuel vehicles or convert conventional cars. Gov. Jane Hull signed the bill two hours later.
In hearings Thursday, lawmakers questioned how the program could have been so far off the mark.
The Legislature's budget director said it wasn't clear last spring how popular the generous tax credits and incentives would become.
A Hull aide said the surge in interest did not become apparent until late August and that action was taken once the trend was confirmed in September.
But some senators said lawmakers should look in the mirror before second-guessing, noting the bill was rushed through in the closing days of the session.
"When we do these things ... we run the risk that these types of things will slip through," said Republican Sen. Ed Cirillo. He said he was "extremely embarrassed" by the legislation and its problems.
Hull and lawmakers said they hope to use the one-year moratorium to craft changes in the loophole-riddled program to salvage it, in hopes of getting clean-air benefits.
Some of the changes being discussed would require subsidized vehicles to actually use alternative fuels – they aren't now – and would limit subsidies to the manufacturers' suggested retail prices, excluding expensive add-ons such as leather seats and stereos that now are subsidized.


Start a Facebook account, LinkedIn account, Twitter account, and a blog. Set everything up, so it looks like activity is imminent. Then let the accounts sit there, abandoned. Do not revisit them. Forget your passwords.
Start the same way as above, but this time, start the accounts armed with information you want to share. The key point here is that you want to start all of the accounts without researching whether your competitors and customers are there. Do not under any circumstances give careful thought to your avatars, your design, your usernames, or any other such details. Feel confident that your content is important enough that people will gravitate to it.
Measure your success based on leads, not sales.
Assume that marketing has nothing to do with public relations, sales, customer service, or anything else. You are autonomous. Marketing is as marketing does. Silos are popular. Just look at the Midwest.
Once you silo yourself, make sure that your marketing tactics are similarly separate from each other. Do not give any thought to how advertising could support a social media campaign. Do not ponder how exhibiting at a trade show could have anything to do with lead nurturing. Every tactic is an island.
Interpret levels of success in social media based on the numbers of fans or followers you have. Once you reach a pre-established milestone on both sites, it's a good idea to add the word "expert" or "guru" to your profile.
Do not under any circumstances consider search engine optimization in anything you do. You don't need to optimize your website or anything else. You're on Facebook and Twitter!
Assume that nobody understands anything you are talking about because you reside in the new and in the details.
Do not share tips, tricks, or information. You worked hard for that data. If someone wants it, they'll have to work with you. And pay you. A lot.
Act like a marketer. Everywhere you go, pitch something that someone can purchase. Send automatic direct messages enticing people to buy your services or your products. And remember: Promote yourself as much as possible.
I can guarantee that following even following just a few of these steps, in no particular order, will deliver the marketing misery for which you are striving. Trust me. I'm a guru.
Marjorie Clayman is director of Client Development at Clayman Advertising, a full-service marketing communications firm located in Akron, Ohio.
After receiving her bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster (Ohio), Marjorie went on to earn a Master of Library Science as well as a master's degree in history from Kent State University. Five years ago, she became the third generation to join the family firm, which her grandfather founded in 1954. Recently, Margie has spearheaded the company's efforts in promoting social media to the agency's business-to-business and medical clients as a viable part of their overall integrated marketing campaigns.


I started a mini container garden this week in what I call my "front yard." It's more like a teensy patch of ground perched before my front door, half of which is covered by the ugliest bush known to the Americas (although I am grateful for the privacy it gives me), a quarter of which is blanketed in little white flowers, "ground cover," and the rest of which is a wasteland of randomly-planted perennials. I also have a long narrow driveway that would be awesome for a plethora of plants and flowers…if it weren't completely covered in rocks—and not the pretty kind. I'm a renter; I don't care that much about the aesthetics of my outside space.
I do, however, want a little more control over my front patch; I also want to see if I could nurture some veggies from starts to the dinner plate. This is the first time since I've flown the coop that I've had any kind of room for gardening, albeit container gardening. I remember my father with the rototiller in the backyard garden behind our old farmhouse when I was a young girl. I also remember not wanting to help with any of it, but I sure did like the fresh corn on the cob!
I have been exponentially more excited each day this week as my "garden pimp," as I fondly named her, brings me more vegetable starts and herbs from her large garden in Warren, Oregon. She's like my own personal farmer's market. First there were the lobelia flowers, planted in painted cone-shaped containers, which I stuck in the ground to the right of the ugly bush. The next day it was my "salad bowl," a big planter containing arugula, romaine, the red "giggly lettuce" (I don't know the name of this one…I've always called it that.), and chives. In addition I got oregano in a pot made out of a decorated recycled tin can. Next week: tomatoes, mint, cilantro, and potatoes! As I write this I am positively giddy at the amount I am taking on and the adventurous spirit I have claimed in this project.
I feel like I am growing a centimeter or two every time I add something to my garden. I am continually surprised by the things that have come to interest me in my adulthood; gardening was never something I thought I would be absorbed by. Maybe the Pacific Northwest mindset has taken over my brain. Portland is a haven for DIY (Do It Yourself), from gardening, to building structures, to recycling and reusing anything and everything.
Maybe it's my biological clock ticking. I'm responsible for a living thing! Granted, I'm not going to mourn if my plants don't make it, but I will probably burst with pride as they bloom to succulent perfection during the summer.


This building was originally the paymasters shed at Perry's Mill, on Beach Rd. Batemans Bay (The current site of Spinnaker's Reach Apartments). During the first half of the 1900's, the economy of Batemans Bay like many coastal towns, relied heavily on the production of sawn timber and timber products.
The Barbers Shop, Apothecary and Undertaker were typical of the multi-tasking businesses of many traders in the mining areas. They sprang up to fill a need in wealthy communities. People sold meat, vegetables, water, mining supplies and other commodities out of the back of a wagon. Some very large trading companies (e.g. Myers in Victoria) had their origins in the gold rush.
Barber shops were usually indicated by a barber's pole, often just a verandah support, painted in the traditional colours of red and white spiralling. The colours represented blood and bandages.
The barber was quite accustomed to the fine and accurate use of sharp blades (safety razors did not exist back then ~ shaving was done with the dangerous, straight edged "cut-throat" razor and required a steady hand). It was only natural then, for the barber to also fill the role of doctor and surgeon in those areas where a doctor was not available. Sometimes a doctor would only visit on a weekly or a fortnightly basis. It was thus quite normal for the barber to also dispense drugs as an Apothecary. In this era, laudanum (a mixture of opium and alcohol) was most commonly used as a painkiller. It seems then quite logical, in the natural scheme of things, that the hairdresser should also be the undertaker. Some say it was so that he could bury his mistakes.
Two fine examples of Tasmanian Death masks are on display. One has a plump face indicative of a middle class well fed man. The other with its heavy scaring around the neck is a multi-offending convict.


text:
Q: Random sample of rows from subset of an R dataframe Is there a good way of getting a sample of rows from part of a dataframe?
If I just have data such as
gender <- c("F", "M", "M", "F", "F", "M", "F", "F")
age    <- c(23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37)

then I can easily sample the ages of three of the Fs with
sample(age[gender == "F"], 3)

and get something like
[1] 31 35 29

but if I turn this data into a dataframe
mydf <- data.frame(gender, age)

I cannot use the obvious
sample(mydf[mydf$gender == "F", ], 3)

though I can concoct something convoluted with an absurd number of brackets like
mydf[sample((1:nrow(mydf))[mydf$gender == "F"], 3), ]

and get what I want which is something like
  gender age
7      F  35
4      F  29
1      F  23

Is there a better way that takes me less time to work out how to write?

A: You say I cannot use the obvious:
sample(mydf[mydf$gender == "F", ], 3)

but you could write your own function for doing it:
sample.df <- function(df, n) df[sample(nrow(df), n), , drop = FALSE]

then run it on your subset selection:
sample.df(mydf[mydf$gender == "F", ], 3)
#   gender age
# 5      F  31
# 4      F  29
# 1      F  23

(Personally I find sample.df(subset(mydf, gender == "F"), 3) easier to read.)

A: This is now simpler with the enhanced version of sample in my package:
library(devtools); install_github('kimisc', 'krlmlr')

library(kimisc)
sample.rows(subset(mydf, gender == "F"), 3)

See also this related answer for more detail.

A: Your convoluted way is pretty much how to do it - I think all the answers will be variations on that theme.
For example, I like to generate the mydf$gender=="F" indices first:
idx <- which(mydf$gender=="F")

Then I sample from that:
mydf[ sample(idx,3), ]

So in one line (although, you reduce the absurd number of brackets and possibly make your code easier to understand by having multiple lines):
mydf[ sample( which(mydf$gender=='F'), 3 ), ]

While the "wheee I'm a hacker!" part of me prefers the one-liner, the sensible part of me says that even though the two-liner is two lines, it is much more understandable - it's just your choice.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Columbia County, Georgia welcomes you to "The Gateway to Fort Gordon"! Just two hours east of Atlanta, Columbia County is the neighbor to Augusta. Made up of five communities (Appling-Evans-Grovetown-Harlem-Martinez) where the beautiful outdoors create an abundance of recreation. We hope you will enjoy your visit and Stay Awhile!


I've a sad notice today, someone, something that I loved for years left me, left us.
It is a sad and difficult moment for me and my family.
Sorry if I'm not creating anything on the web now, but I can't. It's hard.
One week ago my graphic pen died.
This is an horrible shock for a graphic designer or a "photoshopper".
I need time, just time.
My fiansé ordered a new one, but it's not the same… one day, maybe, I will love it, but not now. My heart is broken.
Goodbye my old friend! Gods are waiting you in the Valhalla, you will get a sit near them, for your honor in battles. Goodbye.


Rod Martin has just published a new video class on using Mautic, the open source platform for marketing automation.
In a world where marketing automation tools often cost over $1,000 per month even to get started, why not look at open source alternatives?
In this podcast, Rod introduces you to Mautic, and why you should consider adding it to your toolkit.
Follow Rod on Twitter at @imrodmartin and via his site at NavigateTomorrow.com.


This Interactive Map shows the new proposed district map submissions. Residents can zoom in or out on map details, change which map is being viewed, overlay maps on street maps or satellite images, and/or search for a specific address.
The initial draft maps are also available below in PDF format, which is suitable for viewing and/or printing. The PDF file contains a map and a demographic profile of the districts in that map.
The City's historic Council election cycle has two Councilmembers up for election in 2020 and three in 2022. That cycle will continue with two districts up for election in 2020, and three districts in 2022.
Under federal law, districts must contain nearly equal populations. The difference between the largest and smallest district cannot vary by more than 10% of the ideal population size. For a five-district map, each district should therefore have about 12,726 people. The largest district and the smallest district should have no more than a 1,273 people difference.
On June 27th, the City Council introduced an ordinance adopting district-based elections using Map 109. Districts 2 and 4 will have elections in November 2020, and Districts 1, 3, and 5 to have elections in November 2022. On July 11th, the ordinance was adopted.
At the May 23rd public hearing the City Council eliminated the following maps: 115, 111, 113, 103, 112.
Maps submitted by students at El Camino High School as part of Erin Perusse's American Government class.
Three student maps—s16, s27, and s44—will be presented for consideration at the June 20 public hearing because they were the most compact and represented distinctly new ideas that reasonably fit within the map drawing criteria. Most notably, ten of the student maps submissions were similar to focus map 106b, and none of the student maps were similar to focus map 101 or focus map 109. Unfortunately, seven of the student maps were not population balanced.
These maps may also be viewed on the interactive review map.
Closely balanced 5 district map with a 37 vote differential from the largest to smallest districts.
More compact 5 district map mostly preserving boundaries between historic neighborhoods Westborough Sunshine Gardens Avalon Paradise Valley etc.
Starting with the 5 District equitable population based map, adjusted the lines in Districts 4 and 5 to group Oyster point East of 101 residents with the newer developments around Terra Bay and San Bruno Mountain. Residents of Oyster Point and residents around Downtown may have competing different interests and would each have their own representative on the Council. Homeowners of South Westborough / Westborough Blvd as the dividing line; grouped together with other single family homeowner area Avalon Park due to likelihood of similar interests.
102(b) A population-balanced version of map 102.


text:
Do You Hear in the Mountains... and Other Stories
Maïssa Bey. Translated by Erin Lamm. Afterword by Alison Rice
Sep 2018 196 pages ISBN: 9780813940281
CARAF Books: Caribbean and African Literature Translated from French
Caribbean & African Literature
This new translation brings together two of Algerian author Maïssa Bey's important works for the first time in English. "Do You Hear in the Mountains..." is a compelling piece of autofiction in which three destinies meet dramatically on a train moving through France. We meet an Algerian refugee, whom we recognize as Bey herself. She has escaped the civil war and cannot forget her father's commitment to independence nor his death under the torture of the French soldiers. Sitting near her is a retired doctor whose military service in Algeria coincidentally took him to the same area at the time of that tragedy. Their neighbor is a girl who would like to understand this past that is so painful to discuss. The eleven diverse tales that follow, presented under the title "Under the Jasmin, at Night," exemplify some of Bey's recurring themes—the Franco-Algerian colonial legacy and the feminine condition. Together, these works provide an unforgettable picture of a turbulent history that reaches across generations and continents.
CARAF: Caribbean and African Literature Translated from French


Elegant living room furniture formal design is one images from top 24 photos designs for elegant livingrooms of Cute Homes photos gallery. This image has dimension 800x600 Pixel and File Size 77 KB, you can click the image above to see the large or full size photo. Previous photo in the gallery is white elegant living room fabric sofa house. For next photo in the gallery is luxurious elegant living room design classics meets modern style. You are viewing image #7 of 24, you can see the complete gallery at the bottom below.


The twelve paired stories in Shobha Rao's An Unrestored Woman trace their origins to the formation of India and Pakistan in 1947, but they transcend that historical moment.
A young woman in a crushingly loveless marriage seizes freedom in the only way left to her; a mother is forced to confront a chilling, unforgiveable crime she committed out of love; an ambitious servant seduces both master and mistress; a young prostitute quietly, inexorably plots revenge on the madam who holds her hostage; a husband and wife must forgive each other for the death of their child.
Caught in extreme states of tension, in a world of shifting borders, of instability, Rao's characters must rely on their own wits. When Partition established Pakistan and India as sovereign states, the new boundary resulted in a colossal transfer of people, the largest peacetime migration in human history. This mass displacement echoes throughout Rao's story couplets, which range across the twentieth century, moving beyond the subcontinent to Europe and America. Told with dark humor and ravaging beauty, An Unrestored Woman unleashes a fearless new voice on the literary scene.


Featuring the Work of Bob Doyle from "The Secret"
Boundless Living was built upon our outstanding and highly acclaimed digitally delivered educational programs.
Since that time, we have built an extensive library of educational programs, teleseminars, webinars, and audio meditations, all designed to help you define and REALIZE the life you've always wanted - and perhaps given up on ever achieving.
You don't have to give up. We have your answers...and we have them in many, many forms depending on the way you like to learn!
Start with Our Free Masterclass!


Reliable, easy-to-use, low-maintenance support for large boats.
Find the perfect lift for your boat.
For boaters who want the smooth reliability of hydraulics, the option of DC power, and the ability to fit into narrower, shorter slips and boathouses.
All the power and smooth reliability of a hydraulic lift, tailored for boats stored in shallow, fluctuating water levels.
Gives you the advantage of shallow water suitability in a more cost-conscious configuration.


Our Lisi wide leg side stripe ponte pants are constructed with a luxe, substantial-weight stretch knit ponte fabric featuring snaps along the side seam and a 3" waistband for a nice, 'tucked in', look and feel. High-waisted to compliment the wide legs, these pants work effortlessly from desk to dinner. Style with the Glenn or Decker Top for sleek, professional polish.
Rise and inseam length: 10" & 30"
Crafted from robust stretch knit ponte fabric with pin-tuck detail on front seams. Wide waistband with hidden elastic for a flexible fit. Snaps along the side seams to wear open or closed. Faux front pocket details. Sharp stitched pleats down center front pant legs to elongate the leg. Flattering wide-leg silhouette. 50% nylon, 42% rayon, 8% spandex. Machine wash cold with like colors, gentle cycle only. Lay flat to dry.


text:
Q: Set BroadcastReceiver to be inactive I have a BroadcastReceiver set up in my Android application that receives SMS receive events. This works fine, but I want to be able to toggle SMS receiving on and off by toggling the BroadcastReceiver on and off. Because if I have a simple boolean inside the onReceive method, even if the SMS receiving is off, my application will start.
Is this possible to do?
Cheers!

A: You can use PackageManager#setComponentEnabledSetting to enable/disable a component in your manifest file. You create a ComponentName with your package name and class name of your broadcast receiver. Then use the COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED flag to disable it. And depending on if you want the entire Application object to die or not use the DONT_KILL_APP flag or 0. Though the documentation warns against not killing the Application.


text:
SlangLang » Emotes » VapeNation
Last updated: 04/03/2020 | 242 views | Report error
What does the emote VapeNation mean?
VapeNation is a Twitch.tv emote as part of the BTTV (Better Twitch TV) browser extension, which is available to all viewers/users that have it installed.
The emote features a picture YouTube personality Ethan "H3H3" Klein, that was taken from his parody video, where he can be see making fun of vapers and those who smoke marihuana.
The emote can be used when mocking or making fun of someone in a sarcastic way on Twitch.tv.
Ethan wanted to address vaping's rise in popularity, as the habit was deemed "gay" by the online community endlessly.
He has created a sarcastic video, to acknowledge the memes on the internet about vaping.
The original video was uploaded to YouTube in early 2016 and has since spawned endless reaction videos, images and memes, thus prompting an emote to be added to the BTTV collection on Twitch.tv, later that year.
As of 10/12/2019 according to the website StreamElements, VapeNation is the 73rd on the list of most popular/used emotes on the website Twitch.tv, making it one of the more popular emotes.
Urban Dictionary – Vape Nation
Know Your Meme – Vape Nation