Look what came in the mail today! One of you kind readers sent me that book as a Christmas present. I was so excited to receive it, because I had been thinking about buying this very book, having recently learned that the eminent Traditionalist philosopher Burckhardt had written a study about Chartres. What an incredibly thoughtful present (and it was also thoughtful to include a book for my kids, too). I won't say the reader's name because people don't always like their names publicized, but if he wants to step forward, by all means do. I am truly grateful for this Christmas present (these Christmas presents), and grateful to God for giving me such wonderful readers. I hope to be in the position one day to repay this reader's kindness.
Just this morning I saw the Atlantic's compilation of the best books its editors read this year. What I liked about their list is that it doesn't limit itself to books published in 2013. Rather, it lists the single best book each editor read in 2013, no matter when the book was first published.
If you haven't yet read the Divine Comedy—you know who you are—now is the time, because Robert and Jean Hollander have just completed a beautiful translation of the astonishing fourteenth-century poem. The Hollanders' Inferno was published in 2000, their Purgatorio in 2003. Now their Paradiso (Doubleday; $40) is out. It is more idiomatic than any other English version I know. At the same time, it is lofty, the more so for being plain. Jean Hollander, a poet, was in charge of the verse; Robert Hollander, her husband, oversaw its accuracy. The notes are by Robert, who is a Dante scholar and a professor emeritus at Princeton, where he taught the Divine Comedy for forty-two years.
Acocella advises buying the Hollander translation, but also, if you can swing it, ponying up for the older Ciardi translation, because its notes are much better (and you do have to have notes to really understand the poem and its references).
So, why was the Commedia the best book I read in 2013? Because it is perhaps the most astonishing thing I've ever read, in terms of its vaulting literary ambition and sheer imaginative power. It's like a medieval cathedral constructed out of verse. It seems like all of life is in that long poem. I knew the basic story, and expected something like a medieval morality play, with simple characterization, and crude moralizing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dante is an Italian Catholic of the High Middle Ages, but he is also one of the few artists in human history who can truly be said to have spoken to and about that which is universal to all men. Aside from the sheer literary, philosophical, and theological pleasure it has given me, the Commedia has also been — and in fact, is foremost — a story about a seeker trying to make sense of his life and its tragedies, to understand how they came about (especially what role he played), and how they might be redeemed under Heaven. I needed Dante at this time in my life. And in that light, if the Commedia cannot at some deep level speak to you, you don't know what it's like to live.
That's my best book of 2013, and why I chose it. How about you? What's the best book you read this year? Please explain why. You only need a few lines, but really, let us know why you chose it.
Posted in Books. Tagged books, Chartres, Dante, Divine Comedy, Titus Burckhardt, Acocella, Commedia.
Anna Reid's 'Leningrad: The Epic Siege of World War II – 1941-1944' has stuck with me in a way the myriad sci-fi, fantasy and urban fantasy books have not. Makes me want to find more books about the Great Patriotic War. Sadly, the Albuquerque Public Libraries- an otherwise fine library system – have very little about the Eastern Front in WW2.
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. One might think an account of the Dust Bowl would be unbearably dry (grin), but it's riveting. I couldn't put it down. It's one of those up-till-oh-dark-thirty books, and worth every moment of lost sleep.
If you also want the opposite extreme, my biggest disappointment this year was Stephen King's Doctor Sleep. No suspense at all. Save your money and check it out from the library.
The Sound and the Fury. This was my third time through, this time for a 5-week Faulkner class offered at church. The young teacher – he must be in his mid-twenties – estimates he's read it 10 times, and hopes to write a book about it some day. And we could see why. Faulkner goes right to the heart of death, despair and disintegration, and comes up with hope. So beautiful.
I might add that I'm just beginning Alan Jacobs' critical edition of Auden's For the Time Being, and thanks to your recommendations have purchased The Cave and the Light and put The Divine Comedy on my read/reread list for 2014.
Have you read the Pinsky translation of the Inferno? This was the version recommended to me, although its a bit old now.
I also have heard him recite some of the passages of the passages and it blew my socks off. It was poetry, but it spoke to me directly in a way few poems ever have. Its one of the first things I plan to read in the new year.
Right now I'm just finishing up Middlemarch and its been the highlight of my year of reading. All of the relationships depicted in the novel are so spot on- I know more than a few unhappy couples who match up detail for detail with what the characters go through.
I particularly saw some uncanny similarities between Lydgate's personality and my own.
Three way tie for first place.
Mary Karr's "Lit" is my new favorite memoir. Karr's is a more inspiring testimony to the power of unvarnished, need-driven, from-the-gut prayer than any of the half dozen "religious" books I've read on the subject.
Alan Jacob's "The Pleasure of Reading in an Age of Distraction." A wonderful recalibration for those of us who love to read, encouraging us to do it for the pure pleasure of it.
And, "Little Way." A funny, touching, unflinchingly honest, sometimes devastating, thought-provoking study of family, small-town life, grace, faith, the surprising differences that exist between us, and the nearly unbridgeable chasms those differences create even with those we love.
You phrased the question two ways: "best" book and "favorite" book. When I think "favorite" book, it's always a novel, and the novel this year was Dara Horn's A Guide for the Perplexed. It works on three levels: historical fiction about Maimonides and the Cairo Geniza; historical fiction about Solomon Schechter and the "sisters of Sinai"'s discovery of the Cairo Geniza, and a modern story playing with the implications of a geniza (a storage cache of physical documents) in the digital age. This last level is also a retelling of a biblical tale (realizing which one is part of the delight of reading the book) and a great story about love, family, and sacrifice. I've probably made it sound a little boring, but the plot really kicks, too. The book is a wonder for anyone interested in the Bible, Judaism, permanence, impermanence, memory, and how all of that relates to family–especially sibling rivalry.
I love all these great book recommendations!
The book that sticks with me the most is yours, Rod. (I'm such a fangirl.) It's a very emotionally intimate book, to where, when Ruthie died, I cried like I was losing a friend, too.
It might be a good thing I live on the opposite side of the US from you guys, because if I were there I'd bring homemade bread to Mike and hug your Mam. I feel like I know them.
Memoirs of a Poor Relation by my great, great Aunt, Marietta Minnigerode Andrews. The oldest of ten children in a family impoverished after the Civil War, she had to make a living after her father's death. She found many ways – among them as an art teacher, an illustrator, a stained glass artist, a columnist (she bluffed her way into that gig). She was also deeply religious.
I have worked it out with the parents of my godchildren to do something similar for them this Christmas.
I was pleased to read a book written by a woman who has published in big liberal publications that challenged the feminist worldview of female victim hood/male patriarchy. She also has sympathy for the struggling men unlike Charles Murray who views them with contempt in his Coming Apart book.
My favorite novel of the year: Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset, translated by Tiina Nunally. A three-volume bildungsroman written by a Norwegian Nobel Prize winner, about the life of a strong-willed medieval Norse woman. Full of Christian themes and heartbreaking family drama. I saw it discussed on Twitter by people like Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, and thought it would be right up my alley. It was.
In nonfiction/ideas/academic stuff, Glenn Adamson's The Invention of Craft was tremendously thought-provoking. He shows how our idea that "craft" is something utterly opposed to "industry" is an invention of the Industrial Revolution, and how that binary actually helps marginalize craft. (Matt Crawford's Shop Class as Soulcraft comes in for some criticism.) Very helpful for thinking about our Etsyfied age, and germane to we AmCon types prone to romanticize handiwork.
Hard to say because I read lots of excellent books this year, some of which strongly influenced the way I see the world. But I'll pick the story collection Selected Prose of Heinrich von Kleist. These stories just knocked me out, they were amazing. Especially the story "Michael Kohlhaas" (Kafka's favorite and an obvious influence on his own writing), which I had to read two or three times to appreciate.
COLUMBINE, by Dave Cullen: it's horrific, mesmerizing, and impossible to put down. In addition to reconstructing the events, it also indicts the media for their rush to judgment and their misreporting of what actually happened.
Oh, and I loved that he makes it okay to just quit trying to intellectually defend faith. I can't and it's always bothered me. To me, you either have it or you don't–nothing can be said to argue somebody into a belief in a Creator/Redeemer.
This is the second in the Frank Bascombe trilogy. I read the first, The Sportswriter, years ago in college and was awe-struck by Ford's ability to take the minutiae of every day life and it's struggles, and find something profound. It is the same feeling I had when first reading Winesburg, Ohio.
Independence Day navigates the "Existence Period," that time after life-changing tragedies, and how Frank adapts to the new facts of one's life and still looks for small moments of grace.
OK, didn't follow the instructions and explain why. Kleist wrote elegant, classical prose that dealt with extreme, operatic emotions in an analytical, detached way. "Michael Kohlhaas" was a profound exploration of law, justice, and legitimacy, as deep as similar treatments of those themes by his admirer Kafka a century or so later. But mostly, the prose is beautiful.
Very difficult to make a choice on this sort of thing, very difficult indeed. There are a lot of candidates coming from a variety of different angles. In terms of my academic reading (I'm a grad student working on 4th century Church history), I re-read, and once again adored, Ed Watts' "City and School in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria". While it is first-rate scholarship, it is also one of the most evocative books I've ever read on the time period. Watts explores the passing of the pagan schools of philosophy, the rising tide of Christianity, and the social context of the whole thing. At least by academic standards Watts is an excellent writer, and I found myself deeply connecting with many of the people (both pagans & Christians) depicted.
The Divine Comedy also deserves some thought here, which I was inspired to pick up due to Rod's comments on it. I will admit that by the end I was a bit tired, and I don't expect to re-read it any time soon, but it is a truly majestic piece of literature. The Purgatorio especially is truly beautiful.
The book I really want to choose would require me to cheat a little, since I actually finished it in late 2012, that being "The Once and Future King". TH White's grasp of Medieval Catholic piety & sacramentality, the depth of his characters, and the beauty of his prose are all truly remarkable. Also, as a tip for anyone who reads it, be sure that when you read the final chapter of "Candle in the Wind" that you are in the comfort of your home, away from prying eyes. That chapter is one of the most beautiful & moving things I've ever read.
But, to put my stalling & cheating aside, the best book I read in 2013 would probably have to be the best book I read every year (it is the subject both of my academic work and much of my personal devotion) – "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers". The simple, direct wisdom of these early monks in Egypt pierces my soul to the depths. I have learned more about Christian life – prayer, community, spiritual growth, and, above all, love of God & neighbor – from this text than I have from almost everything else I've read combined. If you're a Christian & haven't read the Sayings, I cannot recommend them highly enough. Benedicta Ward's translation in the Penguin Classics series is a good place to start.
Indian Boyhood by Charles Eastman. I am anybody who is interested in nature or the life of native americans would like this classical work. Kids may love it.
The top three books this year were all non-fiction, but then with me they're always non-fiction. Wilhelm von Humboldt's "The Limits of State Action" is in 3rd place and John Jay Chapman's "William Lloyd Garrison" in second. Chapman was introduced to me by a very good article in TAC btw. The best book imo though was the long out of print book on political theory by James Burnham, "The Managerial Revolution" . . . really explains a lot about our current national political dysfunctions.
Unfortunately I haven't read any good books this year. I've read an insane amount, but it was all technical books for work. They were helpful, but not page turners. They also drained away desire to read anything else.
I'll say C. S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces, which I read this year for the tenth time. It's a peer of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird or Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day.
"The Case for the Psalms" by N. T. Wright. As you said re Dante, needed because of what's going on in my life (and my wife's life) right now.
PS Have you ever read the Sayers translation of the Commedia? I took a course at Bexley Hall some years ago where we used that translation … largely because of Sayers' theological commentary.
"The Unraveling" by George Packer. An update on John Dos Passos's U.S.A. trilogy, set during today's financial crisis. How people find new sources of order. See review in University Bookman's website for my take on it. Merry Christmas!
Donald Olsen. A tour-de-force of 19th-century cultural history.
Incredibly moving, challenging, thought-provoking, gut-wrenching, and beautiful.
I haven't read all that many books this year compared to previous years, but the following three are the ones I found most compelling.
Neil Gordon's The Company You Keep. As a student of the sixties, I found the subject matter interesting but it's stuck with me because of it served as a reminder of just how much of the sixties is still with us in terms of the shaping of our culture and it's conflict.
Naomi Levy's Hope Will Find You. The book tells the story of Levy's return to life and faith after her youngest child is diagnosed with a rare and fatal neurological disorder whose victims rarely live past their teens. Levy, a rabbi, is no stranger to tragedy. Her father was killed by a robber when she was 15. Her recollection of how she found her way past a paralyzing depression and back to G-d is beautifully written and inspiring, particularly for me because Levy draws from my own faith tradition.
Levy's book explores similar themes to my third favorite book of this year, which would be Little Way. Both use personal stories to address larger issues and, most compelling to me, both show how people cope with and bring positive changes out of grief and tragedy in ways that don't sugarcoat nor sentimentalize the process.
My favorite work of fiction this year (not published, but read this year) is The Wreck of the River of Stars by Michael Flynn. A lyrical, strongly character-driven drama that doesn't feel dramatic, but meditative. The characters are fully fleshed and imperfect, and you care deeply about every. last. one. Better than Eifelheim, which is high praise.
Non-fiction? It's probably between two books; I read a lot of non-fiction.
First, there's Little Way, which moved me profoundly and recalled the — not strained relations, but more like lack of sympathy between me and my older siblings. No easy answers, nothing cheap, but satisfyingly human, if not humanly satisfying.
Then, there's The Empire of the Summer Moon. Quanah Parker is a fascinating character, and there's no whitewashing here at all, of anybody — unlike the similar book I'm reading now, The Heart of Everything That Is, the biography of Red Cloud which tries for impartiality but can't seem to get the Noble Savage out of the authors' heads. Still a good book, but not up there with Empire.
Four books that made a trip to the UK even more spectacular. "Notes on the Cambridgeshire Churches (1827)" by George Richard Boissier, "Lincolnshire Churches Revisited" by H. Thorold, "The Guide to Norfolk Churches" by D.P. Morlock and C.V. Roberts, and "Church Bells and Bell-Ringing" by Paul Cattermole. The volume on the Norfolk churches was particularly invaluable because it mapped the location of every church in the County.
The Quest for Community by Robert Nisbet. It significantly changed my worldview, much more so than any other book I have ever read.
My favourite book of the year was To Kill a Mocking Bird. I lived my whole life in the South and never read the book till this year. I am 28 now. I loved the book because it gave me a greater insight to how people during that time period lived. It gave me an insight into what my grandfather struggled against. It did not help that it had a very riveting story.
Rod I am going to be in Paris in 3 weeks from tomorrow. Is there anything you would like from France? I feel like I owe something because I enjoy your blog so much, it is one of two blogs I read everyday, and it is all for free.
I'm actually only halfway through this book at present, but I'm really enjoying "The Longer I'm Prime Minister" by Paul Wells. I think Wells is unquestionably the best Canadian political journalist writing today (and he ranks pretty high on the list of English-language political journalists worldwide), and this book is an engaging and insightful look at how Prime Minister Stephen Harper slowly but steadily won a majority government leading a conservative party in a generally liberal country. More than anything, Harper has been the anti-Tea Party in not seeking a revolutionary refashioning of the government, but instead leading careful and incremental peck, peck, pecking away at the edifice of Liberal establishment that hasn't really spooked anyone, but has resulted in some pretty huge results integrated over time.
It could be a bit challenging if you're not acquainted with Canadian politics though – if you aren't, then you'll either have to do a bit of looking up backstories on Wikipedia or wherever or risk having about 20% of the book whiz by you without comprehension.
Since people are recommending multiple books, let me also put in a word for a fine, solid novelist of the South, the late Madison Jones, author of A Cry of Absence, A Buried Land, Passage Through Gehenna, An Exile, Forest of the Night, etc. I just "discovered" him recently thanks to someone's recommendations, and this North Dakotan has ended up collecting all of his books and starting to reread some of them already.
I join stuart and thehova83 in praise of My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard. And I cannot explain why. I don't even like mainstream fiction. Perhaps it is the honesty.
The book which has most influenced my daily approach to life is Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson. It convinced me to notice the many things I have to be grateful for.
Hard to choose. I wore out my Kindle this past year, but here's what comes to mind.
For fiction, Justin Cronin's "The Summer Guest," a wonderful story about love, redemption, and the inexplicable bond between a fathers and daughters. Reminded me a bit of Wallace Stegner at his best.
For non-fiction, "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business." Many takeaways from this book, but in particular it helped me understand why "habit" is so powerful, and forced me to re-examine those things I don't like about myself, and offered some ideas for changing them.
Looking back at the books I have read this year, several have been very impactful but my favorite by far is Lanterns on the Levee by William A. Percy. Percy's insights into Southern culture, and even life in general, resonated with this 22 year old southern-bred, student. After reading this book, I passed it along to my grandmother. She is 89 and up until this past year has spent her entire life in Southern, rural Alabama in a town much like the one Percy called home. I treasure our dialogues over the book even more than I treasure this book. My grandmother was able to give insight into the book and the life Percy described in a way only someone from that place and time period can give. Lanterns and our conversations have helped me to understand and appreciate my family and my heritage in a much deeper way.For me, it has become one of those books that will serve as a reference when trying to understand the south or even just to live in the south.
The true story of the 1936 US Men's Olympic rowing team's quest for a gold medal in Berlin.
Don't know anything about rowing? Doesn't matter…you will not be able to put down this book. There were times during the descriptions of races (especially the Olympic final)that I realized that I was holding my breath and my heart was beating a bit faster than normal! My writing skills do not allow me to do this story justice…do yourself a favor…READ THIS BOOK!
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy- because it makes the Old West look like the Ninth Circle of Hell. Louis L'amour it aint. It's also the most "literary" of anything of his I've read. Most of his prose is spare and arid- like the deserts of Texas and Mexico that comprise many of his settings. The imagery in this book is rich, though startlingly brutal at times. The grotesque is there for a purpose, though.
I think my favorite was 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann. This is a follow up to his 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus where he discussed the Americas before Columbus. In 1493 he explains how the "discovery" of the new world changed the entire world.
The Social Conquest of the Earth by EO Wilson. He writes clearly, the examples supporting his arguments are always intrinsically interesting. He's authoritative and controversial in his field, a southerner, always a gentleman.
The view of human nature he presents in the book is compelling. He says that humans evolved subject to individual competition and subject also to group competition. Individual competition, within a group, is often seen to be sin, and behaviors that strengthen the group, sometimes by doing harm to competing groups, are seen to be virtue.
The absence of individual self interest in man would render the group social structure too rigid to adapt and so unviable. It's a balance that causes us poor creatures crawling between Earth and Heaven great angst.
To me, this view informs the teachings of Jesus in a fascinating way.


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Home / Filer's Files / Filer's Files # 27 -2013 Abductee Letter
Photo from Glenolden, Pennsylvania on June 19, 2013
Filer's Files # 27 -2013 Abductee Letter
in Filer's Files July 4, 2013 0 2,624 Views
The Filer Research Institute feels the scientific study of UFOs is for the benefit of humankind and is an important endeavor. The weekly intelligence report provides you with information on the latest sightings and UFO news that you need to understand the world situation. The Institute now provides advanced research and consultation on a wide range of subjects.
In special reports, this week's files cover:
Abductee Letter, Is God Angry or is China Controlling Our Weather, Apollo 17 Films Craft,
Mars Has Boron, Oxygen and Domes, Peru Winged Beings,
John Jaeger, Director PUFOIN Alien Threat,
Orb Outside My Bedroom and British UFO Document Release,
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings were reported over: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
Sightings of UFOs were also reported in: Australia, Canada, Eire, Germany, Italy, and England in the United Kingdom.
The purpose of these files is to report the UFO eyewitness and photo/video evidence that occurs on a daily basis around the world and in space. These Files assume that extraterrestrial intelligent life not only exists, but my hypothesis is that the over a thousand UFOs reported each month represent technologically advanced spacecraft conducting surveillance of Earth. I personally became interested in UFOs when London Control ordered me to intercept one over England while flying for the US Air Force and Prince Phillip told me of his personal interest in UFOs. The US Air Force investigated UFOs for more than twenty years under Project Blue Book; and I continue this advanced research. I believe the God of the universe has spread life throughout the cosmos and UFO's are visiting us in ever-increasing numbers.
Filer's Files are now being emailed to 19,000 addresses each week plus 500 copies are forwarded to more thousands. Consider forwarding them to your friends and neighbors.
Dedicated to 5 year old Georgie Filer V whose motto was "Be Happy" and Eddie Pedrick my grandsons who drowned and my two beautiful daughters Elizabeth Lynn died March 8, 2013 and Dr. Victoria Anne Filer died April 27, 2013.
Abductee Letter
Susan writes, "I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for faithfully sending out the Filer's Files on a regular basis. I've had ET encounters for several years now, starting with an abduction in 1995. Back then I had a difficult time accepting what happened. It hasn't been until recently that I've "come out" so to speak with my experiences." I started posting a few of my sightings, including my abduction case on MUFON.
The experiences I have had beyond sightings would be a difficult thing to explain to someone unless they were very open minded. Luckily my fiancée has an open mind and I can discuss these things with him. You might find this interesting: My most recent experiences with the grays happened last fall at my parent's house. There's something that has helped me accept these encounters as a reality.
Because of the nature of the way the grays have interacted with me, it is difficult to pinpoint it to an actual entity encounter. What made me feel less crazy is that when we last visited my parent's house; my partner actually saw one of the entities that were previously interacting with me. He was packing up our things downstairs getting ready for us to go back home and saw a tall grey being emerge from the wall of the room. This grey had on a typical suit, like a dress suit that humans would wear. He didn't see a physical 3D being in the room but definitely saw this grey guy come through the wall. When my partner described him to me, the personality of this grey exactly matched the personality of the guy that interacted with me that fall. This guy had kind of an ego, like he was "cool" or whatever!
He then told my partner something along the lines of being part of a "ground crew", whatever that means. He said that they were taking on more human qualities in order to interact with us better or something of that nature. I had extensive "discussions" with this guy the previous fall and became well acquainted with his ego personality type. Maybe the ego/macho kind of thing just stands out more than the other ones.
The Filer's Files emails you send are tremendous encouragement. They help me feel like I'm not alone in this, that there are others out there who experience these amazing and unusual encounters as well. Thanks to Susan
Is God Angry or is China Controlling Our Weather
The history of the world is often written that when a nation chooses not to follow God's commandments and that nation suffers his wrath. The jet streams are setting up patterns that are very unusual in the spring and summer causing excessive heat and precipitation in many parts of the world. The US West is having monster hot high pressure with many Western weather stations reaching all-time record high temperatures while the South and East of the US have record rainfalls and flooding.
During the Olympics the Chinese controlled the weather preventing rain and have been conducting significant weather modification. Allegedly HARRP and similar projects can disrupt the world's weather patterns. The US has been suffering from massive tornadoes and the hot weather is setting up for a disastrous hurricane season. Thunderstorms with numerous lightning strikes and high winds are causing fire storms and the recent of hundreds of homes and the loss of 19 fire fighters in Prescott, Arizona. The news claims Mother Nature is angry. There is something strange happening causing the drastic changes in the weather. On top of the heat there are lightning strikes creating fires. The East and South is receiving record rain fall and flooding.
3 July 2013 – Shows a hot monster ridge of high pressure over Nevada/Idaho with a northerly jet stream arching from the Canadian NWT down to the Texas Gulf Coast Typical for January, but not July. Not ever during the summer months is this pattern normal.
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
The weather patterns are abnormal with a highly anomalous flow that leads to scorching heat in the west and days of cloudbursts in the east. Philadelphia has had cloudbursts on nine out of ten days and another seven days are predicted with flooding. Meanwhile the West is suffering with
triple-digit daily maximum temperatures, with some locations exceeding all-time highs. The duration of the string of triple-digit days in normally hot places like the central valley of California, the great basin, and the deserts of the southwest may even outdo themselves, with new all-time records.
The Mountain Pine Beetle is flourishing and thereby decimating our precious Western National Forests making them vulnerable to fires. The rains in the East are causing unusually heavy mosquito population. The Earth is in trouble as a living entity and is fighting for its survival. If internal or external events begin to throw Earth out of balance i.e. orbital, tilt, or magnetic alignment – it begins to correct itself. We are in trouble with If my people who are called by name will turn from their wicked ways, will humble themselves and pray I will heal their land.
Apollo 17 Films Craft
Photo of UFO taken from Apollo 17
This is one of numerous Apollo image anomalies that I have cataloged over my years of researching this incredible subject matter. Hope you enjoy!
Peru Winged Beings
A rare, undisturbed royal tomb has been unearthed in Peru, revealing the graves of three Wari queens buried alongside gold and silver riches and possible human sacrifices. Though the surrounding site has been looted many times, this mausoleum has managed to evade grave robbers for hundreds of years, archaeologists say. The Wari Empire flourished between A.D. 700 and 1000 throughout much of present-day Peru. At a time when Paris had just 25,000 residents, the Wari capital Huari was home to 40,000 people at its height, according to National Geographic, which reported the find.
But a team led by Polish and Peruvian archaeologists discovered an underground mausoleum sealed for centuries under 30 tons (27 metric tons) of loose stone fill is being billed as the first unlooted Wari imperial tomb. View gallery
Images of winged beings adorn a pair of gold-and-silver ear ornaments a high-ranking Wari woman wore …
The 1,200-year-old chamber was found in El Castillo de Huarmey, north of Lima. Milosz Giersz, an archaeologist at the University of Warsaw in Poland, told National Geographic that he first saw a faint outline of the mausoleum in aerial photographs of the site. In digging through to the "temple of the dead," the team reportedly discovered rows of human bodies buried in a seated position. They also found three Wari queens in small side chambers among valuable grave goods, such as gold tools for weaving, brilliantly painted ceramic vessels and a drinking cup carved from alabaster.
Over months of digging, the team unearthed more than a thousand artifacts from the site, including semi-precious stone beads, carved wooden artifacts, bronze axes and jewelry made from gold and silver. Peru's Minister of Culture announced the discovery on June 27.
http://www.livescience.com/37810-royal-wari-tomb-found-in-peru.html
Mars Has Domes, Boron and Oxygen
Martian clay may have harbored boron — a key component for one of the life's molecular building blocks — at a time when life was just starting on the Earth, scientists say.
Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa NASA Astrobiology Institute (UHNAI) have discovered high concentrations of boron in a Martian meteorite. When present in its oxidized form (borate), boron may have played a key role in the formation of RNA, one of the building blocks for life. Researchers found the Martian meteorite used in this study in Antarctica during 2010. The minerals it contains, clearly show that it is of Martian origin.
Using the ion microprobe in the WM Keck Cosmochemistry Laboratory at UH, the team was able to analyze veins of Martian clay in the meteorite. They determined boron abundances in these clays are over ten times higher than in any previously measured meteorite.
On Earth, borate-enriched salt, sediment and clay deposits are relatively common, but such deposits had never previously been found on an extra-terrestrial body. The study was published in journal PLOS One.
Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere 4,000 million years ago — more than a billion years before Earth and may still have some. Mars Spirit' rover examined surface rocks in the Gusev crater. "What we have shown is that both meteorites and surface volcanic rocks are consistent with similar origins in the deep interior of Mars but that the surface rocks come from a more oxygen-rich environment, probably caused by recycling of oxygen-rich materials into the interior," said Professor Bernard Wood, of Oxford University's Department of Earth Sciences.
Note: The Dome between the two black arrows and a large tunnel like opening with light streaming out next to the white arrow. These structures and lights indicate intelligent creatures living on Mars at Longitude 296.42 W. – Latitude 19.88 N image M0305715.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/mars-was-oxygenrich-billion-years-before-earth-study/article4833661.ece. Thanks to j.P.Skipper LINK
John Jaeger, Director PUFOIN Alien Threat
John Jaeger writes, "I have to say that I don't at all agree with Dr. David Jacob's perspective in his book, "The Threat, the Secret Agenda." If we are being visited and IF we have aliens among us I believe they would need to be benevolent because frankly, what would be the purpose of creating hybrids to take over our planet? They could have done that all on their own without all of the "middle-men" involved. It simply isn't logical."
My mom's family witnessed a cigar shaped UFO over a lake in upstate NY in the 50's. My grandmother told me there were multiple objects while my mom and grandfather only saw the one. They were out on the lake and my grandfather decided to quickly row back to the shore. My grandmother and my mom's sisters were on the shore. No one ever knew what the objects were but my grandfather wasn't one to become unsettled easily.
"Who knows what these objects are. We know the government is at least 50 years ahead of our current level of technology on the market. A lot of what we see may be man-made."
Thanks to John Jaeger, Director PUFOIN
Orb Outside My Bedroom
Jeannette writes, "I went to bed very early on June 11, 2013, and woke up at 11:03 PM. due to persistent feelings of arousal. The dreams I was having had nothing to do with my physical sensation. I noticed the lattes on the bedroom window. Two were flat nearly 7" below my view level and the remaining were nearly at 35 degree angle. I fixed these two lattes to match the rest and went back to bed. Still feeling as I had I rolled over to look at the window and saw that one of the lattes returned to its original position. I got up again to match it against the others. Because of my physical feelings I took pictures of the room. I recently charged my camera battery but it held little charge after taking five previous pictures. This is highly unusual as it has never happened before. I went out in the backyard and looked where my instincts told me toward the S.E. and saw an orange orb.
"The more intensity I directed toward the orb the brighter it glowed. When I diminished my glance or looked away then back again its glow diminished. The orb had a hard edge to it and there was no soft light haze around it. I experimented with my looking at it and as I consistently altered the intensity of my gaze it responded in kind either increasing or decreasing its light intensity. When my feelings of arousal had gone the orb turned white. I was pretty tired and was losing interest. The orb was fading and it seemed to blink off and on until only part of the rim remained before finally disappearing from my view. I tried again to take pictures but the camera failed probably due to its diminished capacity. I have often thought that orbs either gather to or provoke energy so that they can collect it." Thanks to Jeannette
British UFO Document Release Designed to Deflect Public and Media Interest
Former Ministry of Defence UFO Specialist
WASHINGTON – On June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A claim by the British Ministry of Defence that UFOs have no defense significance is "designed solely to keep Parliament, the media and the public off our backs," according to former MoD UFO Desk administrator Nick Pope.
Pope's startling statement was in response to the MoD's release last week of what it says is its final batch of UFO documents. Official MoD spokesmen and one self-styled UFO expert, David Clarke, claim that the MoD found no evidence of a UFO threat to the UK and, therefore, closed its UFO Desk. The subsequent, widely-publicized declassification of its UFO documents—the implication being that nothing remained hidden—was intended to demonstrate the MoD's public transparency on the UFO issue.
In reality, Pope says, "the UK's Freedom of Information Act contains wide-ranging exemptions covering areas such as defense, security and intelligence" and the newly-available documents had already been "judged to be unclassified" before their release.
Regarding David Clarke, Pope says, "Some people would probably use the term 'useful idiot' to describe his parroting the MoD 'no defense significance' sound bite."
These and other provocative comments by Pope have just been published in an article by UFOs and Nukes researcher Robert Hastings, who discovered a credible UFO involvement in the famous Rendlesham Forest/RAF Bentwaters case, which occurred in Suffolk, England.
Hastings interviewed the two U.S. Air Force air traffic controllers on duty at Bentwaters during a week of UFO activity there, and the nearby forest, in December 1980, who say they tracked a bona fide UFO on radar and saw the object hover—it appeared as an orange-colored sphere—before it raced away.
Hastings says that the UFO later hovered near the USAF's Weapons Storage Area (WSA), containing tactical nuclear bombs, and directed laser-like beams down into the facility. Bentwaters' former deputy base commander, now-retired Col. Charles Halt, first acknowledged the dramatic incident in 1991, saying that he had heard frantic radio chatter from Security Policemen at the WSA, describing the UFO and the beams, while he was investigating reports of strange lights in nearby Rendlesham Forest. Hastings says, "If the incident at the WSA actually occurred, and it appears that it did, then UFOs do indeed pose a defense threat to the UK."
Thanks to Robert Hastings
In June 2013 there were 744 sightings reported to MUFON through CMS from the following countries; 638 in the US, 43 in Canada, 17 in the UK, and 7 in Australia, 5 in Argentina. Below are a few of the interesting ones.
Sightings in the United States
Arizona Colored Lights.
CHANDLER — On June 18, 2013, I was on my balcony looking west when I saw a very bright light, hovering. It was west of the Chandler Mall. It has to be within 10-20 miles from me. It would move extremely slow in different directions, right to left, but mainly stayed hovering or stationary. It would start flickering with colored lights, rapidly, then go back to just a bright white light. The flickering lights kept the same distance and pattern. It has been back to the same location for 5 nights since June 18th. Sometimes its stays 2 1/2 hours or so and other times I've seen it, it stays maybe not 2 hours. It will either just disappear or seem to fade out.
Thanks to MUFON CMS
California Spacecraft
PETALUMA — On July 1, 2013 at 10:35 PM, I was driving northbound on Highway 101 between Novato, Ca and Petaluma, CA when I witnessed two enormous spacecraft on the east side of Highway 101 hovering for 15 minutes. The spacecraft closest to the highway was 300 yards east of the highway and 500 feet high was outlined in white lights with rotating circular colored lights near the front of the aircraft. They were not helicopters or airplanes. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Colorado Orbs
LONE TREE — I saw two aircraft creating zigzag pattern in the sky with their contrail/exhaust on July 2, 2013. When I was observing the crossing flight pattern I drew notice to a rod shaped/aligned light sources/orbs floating against the contrail wake from the two jets at 11:14 AM MST. The orbs drifted north along the contrail wake in the brilliant blue sky. At 11:30 AM, the orbs continued in aligned rod shape and drifted west until 12:50MST when the Orbs faded away. Thanks to MUFON CMS
District of Columbia Disc
WASHINGTON — On June 25th 2013 approx. 7:30 PM, I took pictures of my car. While downloading the pix to PC, I noticed a strange object in the sky. After noticing the object I went outside to take more pictures of that area of the western sky. That object did not show, but other objects showed in the photos. Strange objects were not detected in some of the pictures. I also, zoomed in on the object by using pc software and was able to capture a close-up.
The following day on the 26th, after a thunderstorm, approx. 6:30 PM, I decided to take pictures of the same area of the sky. I could not see any objects with my naked eye, but did see an object showing in the photos. Some of the specs are from raindrops on the window, because I took those pictures through the glass on the porch, but there is a distinct object directly in front of the sun breaking through the clouds.
Today 6/27/13 at approx. 9:00 am I once an again took pictures of the western sky. At first I thought there was nothing. However, as I looked harder I see approx. 4 objects in the clouds at a distance.
There seems to be a lot of UFO activity going on in the western skies. One cannot detect this with their naked eye, but my Aiptek MPVR 2k6 camcorder can detect the objects.
Florida Light
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS — I took my dog out about 12:30 PM, on May 28, 2013 and noticed a light coming in over the lake.
I went back in the house and grabbed my phone thinking it might be a cool picture and took photos of it coming in hovering over the lake and then leaving.
I have photos. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Kansas Cylinder
BONNER SPRINGS — I was grilling last night, it was very HOT out, and I remember thinking to myself, why did I even suggest I do this. I heard a BOOM sound, not like an explosion, almost like a sonic boom but softer Looking around the area, I see nothing. I look up into the sky and I see a jet with obvious contrails behind it, chasing a UFO? It left no trace of contrails and it seemed to really be moving. I grab my cell phone and take some photos, of what best photos I can. Then a second jet appears from the opposite direction, heading for the object head on. The Object seems to slow and move out of the way and the jets fly by and the object takes off again – I remember thinking to myself, what am I seeing here. That has to be a jet. But where are the contrails, and why does it slow down and take off so erratic, Oh my food was burning too. – Unfortunately I was the only one around that seen it. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Kentucky Light
INDEPENDENCE — Shortly after 10 PM, on June 26, 2013, from my porch, I witnessed a very strange object in the sky about a half mile away and screamed for my wife to bring a camera. She took three photos with her Iphone5. Initially, the object was close enough to see the periphery, which was clearly rectangular with a giant yellow-orange-white flame inside that filled most of the rectangle shape. There was a bright light inside the rectangle with a halo of light around it. I heard what I thought was the sound of propane fuel burning, a low steady dull rumble sound. The rectangle object moved slowly and then faster than a jet airplane ascending rapidly and southeast.
The rectangular borders seemed black and very thin while the flame inside took up most of the object. I thought hot air balloons just moved at the same speed as the wind. On a side note, I have also seen once a few months back a huge black triangle at night with at least seven or eight lights around it moving east with some of the lights blinking. This object moved faster than any other I have ever seen in the sky. Thanks to MUFON CMS
New York Object
MANHATTAN — I was on a trip with a group of people I know and bought tickets for a double decker bus tour around the city on June 5th, 2013. It was around 6 PM, and we were on the bus tour and we were taking pictures. I had taken pictures of the New York Times building.
I never went through the pictures until today June 30th, 2013, when I saw a dark blimp like structure in the sky next to the New York Times building. I never actually saw it in real life but it showed up in my pictures. Thanks to MUFON CMS
NEW YORK CITY — It seems some craft were seen "drinking" from the river. I hope they have a stalwart constitution.
Yuck! Perhaps they were members of the environmental crew Dr. Boylan spoke of and they were taking water samples for analysis.
There are at least two different kinds of craft in this video, including the cigar-shaped ship.
http://universalangelicview.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/undeniable-footage-of-galactic-craft-over-new-york-city-june-23-24-2012/
North Dakota Box
NEW ENGLAND — I was taking pictures with a disposable 35mm camera of our house exterior admiring the siding in our small town. I came around to the east side of the house and snapped the picture of my husband filling a bird feeder on July 11, 2006, about 7 PM. It was only after the prints were returned that we noticed a strange large box-kite looking thing in the sky.
Roughly NE from our house two crafts are visible in the photo. I didn't even notice the second one until I got the photo onto my computer. As best we could tell, the second, more distant object looked very much like the closest object.
We did not see the objects but I can tell you that there were no kids out in the field behind us flying box kites. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Ohio Sightings
LEBANON — I was at work as a staff member at a group home on June 21, 2013, at 11:45 PM. I was summoned outside to look at what he thought was an airplane on fire. Upon going outside with five others, I saw the object moving straight at a low altitude. It was pulsing a fiery orange color which gave the illusion of an object on fire, but it had no tail or trace of light in its wake. I took a photo/video of the object that only shows as a small light in the sky.
When the object was overhead it smelled like a skunk and took a minute for the object to disappear north of us. The skunk smell was gone by the time it passed out of sight. We remained outside long after the sighting, but witnessed nothing further. Thanks to MUFON CMS
EAST LIVDRPOO — My daughters and I were sitting on my front porch around 9 PM, on June 29, 2013, when we saw a brilliant red , yellow and orange light.
It appears toward the west of us as it got closer to us, it turned a greenish-yellow and shot straight up into the ski.
Thanks to MUFON Thanks to MUFON CMS
Oregon Blinking Light
MT. RAINER — On June 14, 2013, about 9:10 PM, I was cooking steaks and had my camera set up with a 1500 MM electronic lens near Mt. Rainer. I was imaging the mountain and I noticed an object looking like it just entered the atmosphere. It was trailing black smoke unlike vapor contrails from an aircraft. Maybe it was a meteor? It suddenly made a 90 degree turn toward the north unlike any meteor. Then another object identical object appeared. I took many images as
the second object intersected the first's trail. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Pennsylvania Orbs
GLENOLDEN — I was visiting my Mom at her house on June 19, 2013 and we looked up and noticed what looked like a moving star. At first, I thought it was probably a bundle of Mylar balloons. I ran and got my camera and snapped away. I took five photos and a short video clip using my Nikon Coolpix P500. I don't really think this is anything alien, probably a satellite.
It appears to be turning but has no visible propulsion. Would I be able to take photos of a craft in orbit in broad daylight using 36X zoom? Thanks to MUFON CMS
CAMBRIA — On June 9, 2013, I was taking pictures while driving through the mountains of Pennsylvania on Route 219 near N. Cambria, PA.
I was on the back of a motorcycle. I did not see the UFO until I downloaded the pictures. The 1st picture is the original photo. The 2nd photo is cropped and zoomed in.
GALVESTON — About 5 minutes after 10 PM, on June 30, 2013, I let the dog out but he came right back in and called for me to come look at something in the sky. It was a UFO. Then there was a second one, and then a third one.
After I saw the first one, I ran back in the house and got my mobile phone and came back outside and took one short video and one photo. The UFOs looked like hot air balloons might look with bright, flame-like, flickering, intensely red lights in the center, but they did not move like hot air balloons would move. The clouds were moving south toward the ocean, but these UFOs were not moving that direction. The first one moved quickly inland and became blurry and larger and dimmer as it went, and moved faster and faster. Before the first one disappeared, the second one appeared and it was very bright and red and flickering like fire in the center. It was up really high, like they all were, and it also moved inland and became smaller and smaller and disappeared. The third one appeared, all bright and red and flickering and distinct, but it soon started moving up higher and moving away upwards and to the South/Southwest.
The next morning I called the local Air National Guard and Coast Guard but they denied any military exercises last night. Thanks to MUFON CMS
June 29, 2013 – Sighting Wave of Fireballs and Orbs Seen in Night Sky.
– San Diego, CA – 10:05 PM PDT
– Salmon, ID – 10:30 PM MDT
– Natchez, MS – 9:45 PM CDT
– Avon Lake, OH – 10:30 PM EDT
Lake Eire, Northeast, PA -10:00 PM EDT
Livonia, MI – 3:30 AM EDT
Thanks to William Puckett,
Director http://www.UFOsnw.com
Worldwide UFO Reports
Australia Light
MURGAN –As we left the house of a friend, I noticed an unusual light in the sky that appeared to be hovering over a nearby hill on June 21, 2013. I told my children who took a short while to locate it. I said "There's a UFO" and they saw it and agreed it was an unidentified flying object. We watched for two minutes as it hovered, but may have been moving closer directly toward us as it did appear to get slightly larger. I took three photos on my iPhone, but it was so far away it was not visible on the screen of the phone. When I downloaded
the photos to my computer, I could see a single light, but in the sky it looked about two centimeters across I estimate it was a couple of kilometers away when it disappeared behind the cloud cover. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Canada Brilliant White UFO
SCARBOROUGH I was at work outside on my morning break June 21, 2013. The sky was relatively clear and noticed a high flying Airliner. The direction of the Airliner came from the northwest and was heading southeast towards Lake Ontario so I took four zoomed in pictures. One photo appears to have captured a brilliant white UFO above the Airliner at 10:03 AM. This unknown white anomaly was not seen with the naked eye yet my camera picked up something strange near the Airliner. It would appear there is a constant activity in our skies even near our conventional aircraft.
PS I have actually witnessed two white UFO's follow an Airliner back August, 2003 in southern Oshawa. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Eire Triangle
MULLINGAR – During the month of May and June every night my partner and I have seen the same lights appeared and then more appear and form a triangular shape of three lights on June 2, 2013. More appear out of this triangle and start to move, disappear and reappear in different parts of the sky. They also seem to take turns being in the triangle. One seems to dominate and doesn't move but gets different levels of brightness. At one point it gets so bright it's like a huge fireball with flares.
It is not outside our atmosphere. They must be miles away from where we were viewing them because I zoomed in on my camera. Everything looked closer apart from the lights. I also noticed that when I photographed it, it reflected a light on the lens of my camera. The same events happened almost every night and had very similar patterns. These are not lights from plane or Chinese lanterns. Thanks to MUFON CMS
BALLINCOLLIG — I was letting my dogs out last Saturday, June 1, 2013, around 11:20 PM, and was going to show my boyfriend the North Star. I started to admire a bright star that stood out from the others when to my surprise I saw it just fade away. I was shocked, when the 'star-like' sphere lit up in another area of the sky before slowly fading away once again. A perfect almost controlled dimming, as if someone was purposely dimming the light. It did this for a few more seconds, fading before moving somewhere else.
I called my boyfriend, but like me he was skeptical, until the star like sphere descended a good bit and it increased to a tenth of its previous size and brightened up to a beautiful blue-white like color. It moved in a determined direction, with controlled dimming and had no sound descending and ascended, hovered and changed in size. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Germany UFOs
DAADEN – I was looking up the sky at night on June 17, /2013, and starting a CE5 contact. It worked. After a few minutes I saw three different UFOs in a five-minute-tact. I do this every night. It's an amazing feeling to have contact with extraterrestrial beings. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Italy Flying Object
VILLAGGIO MOSÈ, SICILY — The flying object had a strange movements, it would accelerate, then stop, make a shooting start immediately. The lights were chasing each other and constantly changing color. Thanks to MUFON CMS
Merseyside, England Top-secret Documents Reveal UFO Sightings
A Merseyside family begged the Government for help, claiming they were being terrorized by aliens. Their sightings of lights above their home are among the UFO files revealed this week. The Ministry of Defence released thousands of reports of extra-terrestrial objects made to its UFO desk. Among the previously top-secret documents was the tale of a Kirkby family desperate for help after a string of UFO sightings near their home. Turning to the Government for help, the family revealed: "We saw three bright objects flying in the same direction near our home. "They hovered for around five minutes before ascending straight up into the sky. Bright orange and strangely shaped, changing colours as we zoomed in, green, yellow, white, orange etc."
The apparent visit occurred three times on October 26, 2009, leaving the family desperate for help. They pleaded: "Can you please tell us what these things are as my children are terrified that they are aliens; my son has seen these on two other occasions and is very worried. I have video footage if you require it." The MoD responded to the request by saying they only investigate sightings "where there is evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom from an external source, and to date no UFO report has revealed such evidence." The reports released by the MoD yesterday were the last batch of sightings sent to its UFO Desk before it closed in 2009, and cover the period from late 2007 to the department's closure. It was closed after the MoD decided "investigations into UFO sightings, even from more reliable sources, serve no useful purpose and merely divert air defence specialists from their primary tasks."
But Merseyside UFO expert Pat Regan argued the UFO Desk's closure was a decision that left British airspace vulnerable to attack and witnesses forced to rely on the media and other experts to investigate their fears. He said: "I think it leaves us wide open. I have always said 95% of sightings can be passed off with mundane explanations – fair enough. "But there's possibly 5% that remain unexplained. It is something going through our sovereign airspace and the MoD are washing their hands of it." Mr. Regan, from Southport, added: "A few years back Liverpool was a bit of a hotspot, it was buzzing. We noticed that large bodies of water such as the Mersey and Ribble Estuary always seem to attract UFO interest for whatever reason. There are all sorts of outlandish theories – some they are fuelling up, other people are saying they are testing drones." The Kirkby sighting was one of many in Merseyside that year. Back in May 2009 dozens of people reported lights moving across the Merseyside sky, with sightings from Mossley Hill to Southport. In 2008 reports of an alien spacecraft over Wallasey and UFOs over Liverpool were included in Government UFO files. NOTE: the above image is a rendering. Ken Pfeifer MUFON NJ www.worldufophotos.org
LIVERPOOL — Robert Newton shared publicly a main craft in an alien fleet, going past me, very close, and silently, on April 7, 2010. It is morphing and tumbling. See the video at: http://youtube.com/watch&v=oD3ap0JmOyl&t , or try, Robert Newton on Twitter, with 115 more videos uncensored or Google Robert Newton,19 miles east of Liverpool.
www.MUFONsymposium.com
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http://contactinthedesert.net/tickets/
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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If I sign up for a Facebook account using the email-id 'xyz@gmail.com' and then sign up internally using the "WebSecurity.CreateUserAndAccount method" with the same email-id 'xyz@gmail.com' it gives the error:

The username is already in use

Is it possible to create an account after the creation of an external account, such as Facebook ?

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Naija American Girl: Good February 1st to ya!
This year, I 'm turning 22. Hmmmm......let me think back a little..........As a kid, every birthday was exciting for me. Even if I didn't have a party (which usually was the case) my mom still got cake and made sure the living room was decorated, and got the birthday girl at least one present. And pictures are a must. Here are some from my 8th, 9th, and 11th birthdays respectively.
I'm involved in the planning of an event called "Help for Haiti" on February 20. The event will be at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. I invite all who are in the area to come. It will prove to be a great event with musical performances, words from Haitians and people who have been to Haiti recently, a great dinner, and so on. 100 percent of the proceeds are going to the Red Cross for relief in Haiti. Here's the flyer. If you look up 'Help for Haiti' ion Facebook, you should be able to find it. But if you have any questions about it, let me know.
A Valentine's Day baby! Aww, you're truly a child born of love. Any current and future beaus of yours must be sure to celebrate both events as distinct from one another. 22 is plenty young still, coming from someone who's almost 9 whole years older!
I hope the benefit is a huge success - great initiative on your part and on the part of the other organizers!
I'm sure you'll get used to being 22. Just that by that time, 23 will be around the corner. hahahaha. The days are so flying by!
Hope the dinner goes well. It'll really be a big help to Haiti. Well done.
Thanks for stopping by naija mom abroad! The years really do seem to be flying, but God dey. Lol. Thanks for your well wishes on the Haiti dinner.


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Home News and Updates 2015-2016 July 22 Announcing Ash Creek Homes' Next Creative Community!
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text:
Sharon investigated over campaign funds
January 9, 2003 — 11.00am
Israel's Attorney-General is investigating the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, over an allegation that he lied to police about the source of $US1.5million ($2.6million) used to repay illegal campaign funds.
Mr Sharon's party is already reeling from a spate of allegations about vote-buying and organised crime as it approaches a general election in three weeks.
The newspaper Ha'aretz disclosed on Tuesday a request from Israeli justice authorities to their South African counterparts for help in investigating the funding of Mr Sharon's campaign for the Likud leadership in 1999.
Papers sent to the South Africans indicate that Mr Sharon and his sons, Omri and Gilad, may be open to charges of fraud, deception and lying to the police.
Mr Sharon's advisers dismissed the charge as an election ploy to discredit him, while the Israeli opposition called for his resignation.
In October 2001 the state comptroller issued a report concluding that Mr Sharon's then lawyer (and present head of the Prime Minister's office), Dov Weisglass, had set up a front company to channel more than $US1.5million in illegal contributions to the campaign.
The comptroller ruled that the money violated election law, although it was not a criminal offence, and ordered Mr Sharon to repay it.
The Prime Minister mortgaged a family ranch in the Negev desert and used the money to return the illegal campaign funds.
But the bank subsequently discovered that Mr Sharon did not own the ranch. It is leased from the Israeli Land Agency with donations from around the world. The bank demanded immediate repayment of the mortgage and collateral for a new loan.
Someone - it is not immediately clear whether it was Mr Sharon or his sons - is alleged to have turned to Cyril Kern, a British citizen living in South Africa who served under Mr Sharon during Israel's war of independence in 1948.
Mr Kern is said to have provided a loan to repay the mortgage in April last year.
At that time the fraud squad interviewed Mr Sharon and asked if he had fulfilled the state comptroller's order to repay the money to the front company.
He allegedly told investigators the money had come from the mortgage on the ranch.
In the papers seeking South African assistance, the investigators say that was a lie.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Mr Kern.
The Guardian, agencies


text:
/*  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 *  You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 *  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 *  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 *  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 *  limitations under the License.
 */
package edu.ndsu.eci.tapestry5cayenne.pages;

import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.Map;

import org.apache.tapestry5.annotations.Environmental;
import org.apache.tapestry5.annotations.Property;
import org.apache.tapestry5.commons.Messages;
import org.apache.tapestry5.ioc.annotations.Inject;
import org.apache.tapestry5.services.PropertyOutputContext;

import edu.ndsu.eci.tapestry5cayenne.internal.Labeler;

/**
 *
 * Contains all of the custom "bean display" blocks used for displaying cayenne
 * objects.
 *
 * @author robertz
 *
 */
public class CayenneViewBlockContributions {

  @Environmental
  private PropertyOutputContext _context;

  @Inject
  private Messages _messages;

  @Property
  @SuppressWarnings("unused")
  private Object _tmp;

  public Collection<?> getCollection() {
    Object val = _context.getPropertyValue();
    if (!(val instanceof Collection)) {
      bad_state("bad_state_collection", val);
    }
    return (Collection<?>) _context.getPropertyValue();
  }

  public String getToOneString() throws Exception {
    return Labeler.htmlLabelForObject(_context.getPropertyValue());
  }

  public Collection<?> getMapValues() {
    Object val = _context.getPropertyValue();
    if (!(val instanceof Map)) {
      bad_state("bad_state_map", val);
    }
    return ((Map<?, ?>) val).values();
  }

  private void bad_state(String key, Object val) {
    throw new IllegalStateException(
        _messages.format(key, (val == null ? null : val.getClass().getName()), _context.getPropertyName()));
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
SM Hotels and Conventions Inc. Signs Up Hilton Worldwide First Conrad Hotel in the Philippines now being built at Mall of Asia Complex
Seated from left to right: Mr. Henry T. Sy, Jr, Vice Chairman of SM Investments Corporation (SMIC); Ms. Elizabeth T. Sy, President of SM Hotels and Conventions (SMHCC); and Mr.
SM Investments Expands Net Income 16.3% to PHP24.7 billion
(06 March 2013. Pasay City, Philippines) SM Investments Corporation (SM) reported that net income for full-year 2012 amounted to Php24.7 billion, for a higher than expected growth of 16.3% from
SMX Opens in Davao City
(17 December 2012) SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, a leading player in the country's MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) industry, recently opened a new convention center in Davao City.
SM Land Awards ThreeE-com Center Project to EEI
(04 December 2012. Pasay City, Philippines) SM Land has recently awarded EEI Corp. as general contractor for the construction of the Php3-billion ThreeE-comCenter office building at the Mall of Asia
SM Investments 9-Month Net Income Rises 14% to PHP16.1 billion
(8 November 2012. Pasay City, Philippines) SM Investments Corporation (SM) reported that net income for the first nine months of 2012 amounted to Php16.1 billion, up 14% from the Php14.2
SM Foundation Scholars Top CPA Board Exams
(19 October 2012. Pasay City, Philippines). SM Foundation scholars continue to excel as four of them topped the recent Certified Public Accountants (CPA) board examinations. Wayjorie Depayso, magna cum laude
SM Land Obtains PEZA Registration for SM Seaside City IT Centers in Cebu
(16 October 2012. Pasay City, Philippines) SM Land, Inc., the real estate arm of SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) signed on October 10, 2012 the Registration Agreement for SM Seaside City
SMIC Prices US$500M 7-Year Bond Issue
(10 October 2012. Pasay City, Philippines) SM Investments Corporation ("SMIC") announced today that it has priced a US$500 million 7-year bond issue at a fixed rate of 4.25% per annum.
SM to Issue Long-Term US Dollar Bonds
(3 October 2012. Pasay City, Philippines) SM Investments Corporation (SM) announced today that its Board of Directors approved the issuance of seven- and ten-year US Dollar Bonds. SM appointed Citi,
SM to Issue New Shares to Institutional Investors
SM Investments Corporation (SM) announced that its Board of Directors approved the placement of primary common shares worth USD150.0 million to institutional investors via a top up placement. Apart from
Prev 1 … 54 55 56 57 58 59 Next
SM Foundation gives free health assistance to Puerto Princesans
True to its mission of providing public service to its host communities, SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) sponsored a comprehensive medical and dental mission to more than a thousand residents of
Manila International Book Fair is back and bigger than ever
Manila International Book Fair, the country's biggest and longest-running book fair, has returned for its 39th installment, inviting book lovers to once again celebrate the joy of reading in its
'Kids with disabilities most vulnerable to disasters'
MANILA, Philippines — About 5.1 million Filipino children with disabilities are the most vulnerable sector to big major calamities that could strike the country, according to the United Nations Children's
Themed enclaves at Tagaytay Highlands
MASTER-PLANNED community Tagaytay Highlands is known for its themed residential enclaves. One of these is Sycamore Heights, situated within the Tagaytay Midlands communities and bounded by views of Taal Lake
5.1-M Filipino children with disabilities most vulnerable to calamities in PH
A member of an international cause-oriented group said the country's estimated 5.1 million Filipino children with disabilities are the most vulnerable to calamities or emergency incidents in the Philippines. At
Inspiring young minds to strive for excellence
While education is globally acknowledged as a right and not a privilege, it is not always accessible to a large number of aspiring students, especially when it comes to college.
SM Foundation and its volunteer programs
The volunteerism spirit is very high among the diversified SM Group of Companies be it for church-based activities, BrigadaEskwela for school repairs, disaster relief and response and livelihood programs. The
BDO Foundation tack for PWDs wins AREA plum
For the second straight year, BDO Foundation was honored in the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) for promoting the welfare of marginalized members of society and empowering disadvantaged communities. This
SMDC tips on decorating a condo
The key to decorating a condo is to break it down into steps and develop a system for working, according to SM Development Corporation. If one plans on decorating his


On November 16 2015, Marriott and Starwood agreed to an acquisition transaction valued at $12.2bn that will create the world's largest hotel company so far.
Marriott International (MAR) lining up a takeover bid for Starwood hotels and Resorts (HOT) caught everyone by surprise since Marriott did not take part in the initial offer. The combination of these two companies would create the number one hotel company globally. The deal represents one of the biggest in the industry since the acquisition of Hilton by Blackstone, which was valued at $26bn.
The features of the deal clearly shows how relevant scale is to succeed in the hotel business. The industry's high fixed – to – variable costs ratio prompts companies to exploit economies of scale. A merger is a useful tool to capitalise on unutilized capacity, if any. The competitive environment poses constant and ever – growing threats such as Airbnb, which has established its foothold in 150 countries with more than 640,000 hosts and 50m users around the globe.
The combined company will have the largest high-quality, internationally recognized brand portfolio in the industry operating or franchising more than 5,500 hotels with 1.1m rooms worldwide. Moreover, the deal would enhance Marriott's position in emerging markets and would enable a broader customer reach.
The transaction brings together Marriot's strong presence in the US high – end hotel sector as measured by 10% market share by number of rooms, its multi – channel central reservation system and Starwood's leading lifestyle brands and international footprint, with an impressive 78% of its core business line that represented growth outside North America.
However, the deal has triggered growing concerns regarding the future of Starwood's loyalty program known as "Starwood Preferred Guest". Most clients fear that the merger of the two hotel companies would mean the end of the prestigious Starwood points giving place to a new, less generous and user-rewarding loyalty program.
This transaction offers substantial economies of scale as well as significant synergies. Marriott expects to save $200m annually thanks to cost synergies by leveraging general, administrative and operating costs. This would provide more cash to invest in R&D and technology, a must to win the biggest turf in its fiercely competitive industry.
The $12.2bn deal saw Marriott as the truly surprise winner of the takeover bid launched by Starwood. After competing with Hyatt Hotels Corp., Marriott managed to propose an initial bid for $71.9904 per share, a 4% discount with respect to November 13 Starwood's adjusted closing price of $74.99 per share. The terms of the final deal spoke for a cash component of $2 per share and a stock component of 0.92 Marriott shares for Starwood share, thus resulting in a bid of $72.08 per share. Furthermore, Starwood shareholders would also receive an additional $7.80 per Starwood share following the spin – off of Starwood's timeshare business, Vistana, and its subsequent sale to Interval Leisure Group for a total approximate value of $1.3bn. Therefore, the final price per share agreed to in this transaction amounts to $79.88 per share. As of November 16, Starwood's price per share plunged 3.4% to $72.45 (still above the deal price) while Marriott's surged 2.4% to $74.49.
It is worth pointing out that there was no remarkable difference between the takeover bids proposed by Marriott and Hyatt Hotels. However, as firmly stated by Starwood CEO Adam Aron, the strategic goal of the transaction was to obtain a greater number of shares. At least for the time being cash did not represent a necessity for the company. Therefore, Starwood's shareholders preferred not to engage in any transaction with Hyatt Hotels, controlled for the 75% by the Pritzker family. Eager to finalise the deal, Hyatt Hotels was willing to alter its ownership structure by eliminating the special shares of the family for a specified time period. Notwithstanding this proposal, Starwood ended up striking a deal with Marriott in the light of its wider brand base and greater number of price points.
Another relevant aspect of the transaction involves the payment of a $400m break – up fee in case either one of the parties entered an alternative agreement According to some analysts, Marriott's offer was clearly undervaluing Starwood, whose fair value instead would amount to more than $75 a share based on its earnings forecasts.
As far as the Board of Directors of the combined entity, Marriott's former CEO Arne M. Sorenson will be the CEO of the combined company and the new company will increase its board to 14 members by adding three executives from Starwood.
The transaction is to be completed by mid-2016 but meanwhile Starwood CEO still leaves open the auction for other more favourable offers.
Lazard and Citigroup acted as financial advisors for Starwood, while Deutsche Bank advised Marriott. Swaine & Moore and Cravath served as legal counsels for Starwood and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher backed Marriott.
On March 21, 2016, Marriott proposed a sweetened bid for Starwood because rumor had it that another player would have soon waged a bidding war. After the amendment of the deal, Marriott suffered a 6.18% decline in its stock price (from 73.16$ a share on March 18 to 68.64$ a share on March 24). This was due to the presence of its rival that on March 26 made a non – binding offer of $81 a share, or $14bn, from a business group led by China's Anbang Insurance Group Co and supervised by the private equity Primavera Capital Group and the private investment firm J.C. Flowers & Co.
This bid can be justified in the light of China's buying spree and true M&A appetite. This trend is going to last for this year reflecting Chinese companies' desire to expand and diversify their portfolios abroad. One of the "commanding heights" in this respect is doubtlessly the hotel industry. It is recently less volatile than the technology industry and it appeals to a broad range of different investors. The odds are that Anbang launched this bid to secure a foreign investment as a currency hedge against the devaluation of the renminbi.
Anbang is surely not as transparent as Marriott is. Analysts do not know pretty much what its business is about but they are fully aware of what it has bought up to now. Anbang has been famous for its interest in hotel companies since its acquisition of Waldorf Astoria for $1.95bn on October 6, 2014. However, its opaque financial position led Starwood to negotiate for a higher break – up fee to account for the increased risk.
Since Anbang came along with its last all – cash offer of $82.75 a share, Marriott was forced to bump up its sweetened bid to $79.53 in cash and stock.
If Marriott further raised its offer, the transaction would prove to be earnings dilutive for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and shareholders probably would not approve the deal. The different characteristics of the two offers reflect the companies' goals. Marriott went for a binding cash – and – stock deal whereas Anbang chose a nonbinding all – cash offer. It is apparent that the luxurious hospitality company aims at creating greater stockholder value in the medium – to long – run while the opaque Chinese business cares about investments diversification and short – term earnings.
Starwood's shareholders did not have enough time to think about the rivals' proposals since Anbang unexpectedly withdrew from the deal on March 31. Starwood's shares dropped 4.1% to $80.05 a share and Marriott's decreased 4.9% to $67.69 a share. Primavera Capital Group suggested that it did not want to drag out the bidding war any longer. However, the most likely motivations for its act are either that Anbang could not invest abroad more than 15% of its total assets due to regulatory issues or that it could not prove to have the capital to back up its offer.
Either case, Anbang's withdrawal paved the way for a revival of the Marriott – Starwood deal.
The hotel sector can be seen as an independent business unit when compared to the four main real estate sectors (apartments, industrial facilities, office buildings, and retail shopping centers). This is primarily due to the fact that it mixes the traditional operating business with the others pertaining to the real estate. Another important aspect in this industry is the importance of branding. A hotel's brand (or "flag") could convey various meanings to potential guests, including the consistency, quality, or type of experience. It is this intangible asset to play a vital role in M&A transactions regarding the hotel industry.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ensuing recessionary period in the United States, the U.S. hotel sector suffered from sluggish demand and, accordingly, sector market transactions plunged ridiculously.
However, hotels became very popular with real estate investors between 2003 and 2007, as investors sought to capitalise on the cyclical upturn in the hotel sector and the favorable credit environment. Hotel acquisitions during the height of the market, from 2005 to 2007, totaled nearly $100bn and included several multibillion-dollar acquisitions of public hotel real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other portfolios.
By the end of 2007, the market environment for hotels had changed dramatically. A collapse in the market for subprime residential mortgages started what soon became a truly global credit crunch. Similar to the previous cyclical downturn, hotel performance deteriorated as demand from leisure and business travellers rapidly declined.
However, during past years the market reacted in order to stabilise supply-and-demand dynamics: significantly lower valuations began to draw the attention of opportunistic real estate investors, especially traded and non-traded REITs, as well as large private equity companies.
Demand seemed to have bottomed out and was showing signs of possible revival. In the second quarter of 2015, STR Global forecasted that U.S. hotel industry revenues was going to increase by an average of 5.7% each of the next seven quarters.
Market research firm Real Capital Analytics estimated that half of all hotel sales that did occur were associated with some sort of distress, and many of those were real estate owned properties.
The possible forecasts of the future for this industry are good but not optimal as it is still very difficult to find attractive investments in the hotel industry. Yet, to becalm investors' frustration, attractive terms on debt financing for this kind of transactions are now taking place and probably the sector will start flourishing once again.


text:
Federated Garden Clubs of CTClub CornerFeatured ClubColchester Garden Club Print Page
Children's Garden at Colchester StoryWalk
Ruby and Elizabeth Cohen Woodlands
In Colchester, How a Children's Garden Grows (Bigger and Better!)
The Colchester Garden Club understands the importance of encouraging children to get out in nature, as they will be the next generation of gardeners and stewards. Through the years, the club has worked to encourage children to garden – creating a butterfly pollinator garden to visit, giving away plants and seeds, supporting gardening/wildlife badges and conservation project hours with the Scouts, hosting family nature activities to earn points for Community Wildlife Habitat ongoing certification through the National Wildlife Federation, teaching some basic gardening skills to children volunteering in the town's Spring Clean-up Day, and more.
The club's most recent effort is the renovation of a small children's garden the club originally installed as a project of opportunity for the ribbon cutting ceremony of an Eagle Scout's StoryWalk installation. An unmowed turnaround circle was a perfect location for this garden to have children view flowers and their insect visitors close up. The original 12-ft circle garden was roughed out in November 2017 and planted the next year. (CF News Dec 2017-Jan 2018)
Over time, garden edging increased the size to 16-ft making it difficult for visitors to experience the garden, and more difficult for maintenance. A major redesign was needed to better fulfill the original vision of bringing children into the garden to experience some of what nature offers. The plan was to add 4 paver paths radiating from a center circle, and a paver pad for the donated granite StoryWalk bench.
In April 2020, a former CGC member brought his tractor to clear the area and dig out a large boulder moving it to the woods' edge for children to climb on, while members did other tasks. Later a member laid out the garden and installed all the pavers acquired, however more material was needed to widen the paths for safety and aesthetics. With the COVID pandemic and increased home improvement projects, there were no pavers to be found. The garden was covered with cardboard and tarps to protect the work done and keep the weeds from emerging until more materials could be secured.
Calls were made to the store regularly throughout the summer; finally in September backorders were being filled and more material became available. However, the member volunteer who did the original paver work was not. No other club member had this experience to contribute, and help was needed. A request was shared with three local Boy Scouts troops, and one quickly responded that they would assist with finishing the paver installation and garden preparation. Club members with their children came to remove the coverings and rake the area, rewarded with creatures hiding beneath – frogs, snakes and a salamander. Later, the Boy Scouts laid the pavers, added topsoil, amendments and mulched the area, resulting in beautiful hardscape and much needed garden preparation for the now 23-ft round garden.
The decision was made to plant in Spring 2021 when there would be a better selection of plants. A Master Gardener club member secured a Connecticut Master Gardener Association Grant (CMGA) to fund these plants. Club members and Master Gardener interns needing community service hours worked together for the initial planting. A club member and master gardener intern created a Parents' brochure for the garden, and another CMGA grant award funded its printing along with additional perennials and bulbs later that year.
In 2022, plans are being developed to add more host plants and natives to further enhance the nature experience, as well as revise the brochure to add in-garden activities parents can do to encourage early childhood learning of colors, numbers/counting, shapes, sizes and more.
The club is grateful for the many businesses and individuals that helped make this project a success: Lowes, Baldi Stone and Gravel, Coast of Maine, Connecticut Master Gardener Association, Boy Scout Troop 72, UConn Master Gardener Interns, other community volunteers, and the many Colchester Garden Club members and their children who supported and were involved in the project.
Original site (2017)
Garden in 2018
Partially completed garden covered with tarps pending more pavers (backordered in pandemic)
Getting ready to plant after pavers completed
Pavers finally completed and planting underway (2021)
Planted garden and memorial stone bench, 2021


Are you unsure of whether you need HubSpot for your marketing campaigns?
If you're like many of the businesses that approach me, you've probably been told by one agency or another that you're going to absolutely need HubSpot, and you'll be lost without it.
Of course, that's not really the case.
And not all agencies actually take the time to explain why HubSpot is important, or what it'll actually do (and fail to do) for your business.
If you're feeling confused about the main role of HubSpot and how it's actually used in a truly successful inbound marketing campaign, this blog should help shed some light on the subject.
So, let's get started with the basics, shall we?
Essentially, HubSpot is a sales platform that really helps you deliver on every aspect of inbound marketing. It gives you clarity on what's working and what's not, as well as your return on investment and which areas can be improved on.
So, to sum it up, HubSpot allows you to create an inbound marketing campaign quickly, simply and effectively – it's also a fraction of the cost if you were to undertake all of these tasks on your own.
HubSpot is generally a great tool if you're looking to increase the number of quality leads for your business – which is essential for business growth.
At Stargazer, we recommend HubSpot to our clients – but only if it's a good fit for their business. One of our clients has so far managed to increase his sales by 187% since signing up.
You may be thinking about purchasing HubSpot if you're looking to hire an inbound agency, or perhaps take on inbound marketing in-house.
Firstly, the most obvious reason HubSpot is NOT a good fit for your business is simple: you can't afford it. If you're a small business that isn't generating a lot of revenue yet, you might want to wait.
HubSpot's prices currently range from £140 to £1600 per month.
Another reason HubSpot may not be right for you is if you don't currently have a marketing plan or inbound content strategy in place before you buy.
Especially if you're planning to use HubSpot in-house, you should be fully confident with how to successfully use and understand the various features before you purchase.
You should also have a clear indication of how it is going to help you business, and how it is going to fit in with your current marketing efforts.
Without knowing this, there's a good chance your HubSpot platform will simply sit there gathering dust while wasting you money.
An inbound marketing agency will help you to understand all of this, and can even take on most of the technical stuff for you so that you can learn more as you go along.
Finally, if you're still unsure of whether HubSpot is right for your business, you can always sign up to the free 30-day demo to help you get a better feel for the software.
It's also worth mentioning that HubSpot is not the only sales platform out there.
HubSpot is basically a sales platform that can help you every step of the way during your inbound marketing campaign and make it a success.
It shows you what's working and what isn't, as well as showing you a clear return on investment and which areas still need some work. However, HubSpot isn't right for everyone, and with prices ranging from £140 – £1600 per month, budget is one of the main reasons it may not be the best fit.
I'd also recommend only buying HubSpot once you have a clear strategy in place and are confident with using its various features – although any good inbound marketing agency should be able to help you with this and take control of all of the technical stuff, so you can learn as you go.
What aspects of HubSpot do you find particularly attractive, and what puts you off? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Having just started with hubspot I can't see how any business serious about growing via inbound marketing could really do with out it.


text:
Hebrew University Secondary School
The Hebrew University Secondary School (LEYADA) was founded in 1935 as a pedagogical laboratory for gifted and talented students in Jerusalem. Today, with more than 1,150 students and 200 teaching professionals, Leyada is one of the country's leading high schools for outstanding learners and is widely acclaimed for its capacity to nurture intellectual curiosity, creativity, and academic excellence. It offers a unique educational experience, combining a challenging STEM curriculum, humanities studies experiential learning, and community engagement to foster the development of ethical, curious, and knowledgeable citizens who are capable of meeting the challenges of an evolving world and assuming leadership roles based on broad social awareness.
While learners who have consistently excelled academically continue to represent the majority of our student body, Leyada also embraces underprivileged children, including from the Ethiopian community who were unable to reach their full potential in elementary school. Leyada provides intensive support to help them close gaps and fully integrate into the mainstream program. The School's diverse student population also includes young people from Jerusalem's religious and Arab communities. Twelve years ago we also opened a program for gifted and talented students who had been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum. This is the only program in Israel that addresses these two special needs simultaneously. Our institution is committed to multiculturalism, pluralism, inclusion, and equality, and to the educational success of all its students.
Located adjacent to the Hebrew University's Givat Ram Campus, Leyada enjoys fruitful ties with the University, which enrich our curriculum with guest lectures, academic courses, visits to academic laboratories, and research supervision delivered by leading faculty members. In addition, aspiring educators and student teachers intern at Leyada. Many of our teachers are indeed Hebrew University graduates.
Since its establishment, Leyada has seen thousands of students graduate. Among our Alumni Nobel Prize laureates, a Fields Medal winner and Wolf Prize recipient, Israel Prize recipients, and prominent figures in the fields of politics, science, the arts and letters, law, high-tech, medicine, and the military.
Our school's primary mission is to develop gifted and talented students from all parts of Israeli society in Jerusalem and the region toward future leadership in a democratic society. Leyada aspires to sustain its position as a role model both in the education system and in society as a whole.
Erez Hacker, Principal
Video by Jerusalem Education Authority