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Home Collingwood Failures in Cwood's Typography and Design
Failures in Cwood's Typography and Design
© June 24, 2021 © June 24, 2021 Collingwood / Local media / Publicity & Communications / Staff and administration
Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form. Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style (Hartley & Marks Publishers, 2001)
I'm neither a graphic designer nor a typographer, but I spent many, many years working with design and type, as well as designers and typographers, enough to acquire at least a patina of their arts. I've read and studied them enough to know the basics, more than enough to see when they have not been applied, and enough to appreciate good and bad style. Looking at the ads on the Town of Collingwood's pages in the Connection, I see the bad pretty much everywhere.
There are skills that whoever puts together the ads SHOULD have, along with a good command of the English language and its peccadilloes; these are skills every communication or public relations officer should have, too*.
I always assumed every town ad was designed and laid out by the town's communications or PR officer, or at the very least sent to them for approval (after all, why have someone in that position if they aren't managing all municipal communications?). But now I wonder: are these instead designed and laid out by someone at the "news" paper? Maybe someone was recruited from stuffing flyers into plastic bags to do it?**
How do such bad typography and design get into print? How do grammatical and spelling errors go unnoticed?
I'm not suggesting town pages need to be the model of modern graphic design or the pinnacle of artistic endeavour, but they do represent Collingwood and are the source of municipal information for many readers. At the very least they should be clear, legible, well-made, free of errors, and reasonably good-looking. Not boring, dull, and error-laden. They should adhere to the basic design and grammatic principles. These pages should reflect the town's brand and self-image, not look like a graphic yard sale.
Advertisements promise a benefit or call for action from the reader, or sometimes do both. Notices are meant to inform. Town pages have both. The layout and design should be carefully thought out so both form and content effectively fulfill the town's objectives while engaging the readers. But have the objectives of these pages been clearly stated and expressed to staff and shared with the "news" paper? Who wrote them? When? Have they been re-examined since? Is there a process to re-evaluate town communications at regular intervals? Has anyone measured the effectiveness of these pages or public response to them?
Let's start with the basic principles of design. Yes, I am aware that many town ads are rather clunky, text-dense slabs required for mundane uses such as planning notices, and have to contain material required by legislation. However, these advertising pages still represent and portray the town There's no reason why proper design, style, and typography should not be applied to a major conduit for municipal communications.
And let's be clear: Microsoft Word is not — let me repeat that forcefully: NOT — not an effective tool for layout or design. If a program can't do kerning or tracking, it's not appropriate for layout. No, not even Microsoft Publisher is adequate for the task. Look to CorelDraw, Adobe inDesign, Adobe Illustrator, or Quark Xpress for the proper tools.
According to Robin Williams in her book, The Non-Designer's Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice (4th end., Peachpit Press 2015, p. 15), the four design principles are:
Contrast: makes the reader look, and clarifies the communications;
Repetition: Develops the organization and strengthens the unity (This is also related to consistent use of style);
Alignment: Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily;
Proximity: Place related items close together to organize information, reduce clutter, and give readers a clear structure.
Williams notes (p. 55) that "repetition goes beyond just being naturally consistent — it is a conscious effort to unify all parts of a design." There are further principles for typography to consider when writing anything for others to read, including:
Font (or typeface) choice and size;
Alignment;
Measure (the width of a line in a paragraph or column);
Letter spacing and line-height (aka leading);
Weight (the thickness of a font compared to its base typeface);
Readability (will people want to read this text?).
All these details matter and should be carefully considered and managed. You need to sweat the 'small stuff' in design and typography. Don't take my word for it: check out any of the dozens of books on typography available, or on the many typography websites.
In Making Digital Type Look Good (Watson-Guptill, 2001, p. 24), Bob Gordon lists other features that designers should consider, including hanging punctuation, first-line indents, raised or dropped initial capitals, hyphenation, character spacing (tracking), alignment, and more. "We cannot let decisions on these matters go by default," he cautions, "for all aspects of paragraph design have a profound effect on tone, texture, page coloring, and overall effectiveness of our work."
Type influences what we read and affects our choices because we all instinctively understand what it is communicating to us, and we have been learning to interpret the references all our lives… Type functions as a carrier of words. It displays these efficiently so that the reader's eyes can glide seemingly effortlessly across the page as they read it… There is more to type than just being an invisible transmitter of words. The different shapes and styles of the typefaces themselves stimulate responses independently of the words they spell out, and before we even read them. Sarah Hyndman, Why Fonts Matter, Virgin Books, Penguin Random House, 2016.
About line length, Robert Bringhurst notes (p.26-27):
Anything from 45 to 75 characters is widely regarded as a satisfactory length of line for a single-column page set in a serifed text face in a text size. The 66-character line (counting both letters and spaces) is widely regarded as ideal. For multiple-column work, a better average is 40 to 50 characters.
In Making Digital Type Look Good (Watson Guptill, 2001), author Bob Gordon writes (p.57), "The best length is widely accepted at around 60 characters or 10 to 12 words." In Designing With Type: The Essential Guide to Typography (5th edn., Watson and Guptill, 2006), James Craig says to keep line lengths between 35 and 70 characters (including spaces).
The human eye moves across a line of type in saccadic jumps, processing the text subconsciously as it travels. When the line is too long, the processing tends to falter; the content is lost and the eye is forced to go back to re-read more carefully. The eye has to travel too far to return to the start of the next line for effective reading. Yet on page 8 of the June 17 Connection, the town's ad in the right column (property tax interest) is 85-90 characters wide or 12-17 words. Clearly, the lines in this ad are too wide for the size of the type. That reduces the text's readability.
As a small digression, town ads also use an apparently random, yet annoying form of capitalization. Words like Tax Roll Number, Pre-authorized Payment Plans, Town Hall Drop Box, Property Taxes, and Pandemic should all be written in lower case. This is not the only ad with such errors: look at "Resident Parking Pass," "Town Page," "Optional Site Meeting," "Provision of Professional Engineering Services Roster," "Standing Committees," "Virtual Town Hall," "E-Billing (note that "Pre-authorized" uses lowercase to begin the suffix, but this uses uppercase)" "Resident Parking Pass," and "WIN." Inappropriate capitalization is a failed attempt by flaccid bureaucracies to make the mundane in their world seem formal and important. They are simply wrong and it makes the text look fusty and awkward.
This sort of mistaken capitalization would not happen if the person(s) approving the ads relied on a credible style guide, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, the APA Style Guide, CP Stylebook, or any of a number of such books (I prefer the CMOS, 17th edn). Plus, of course, a usage guide to language like Fowler's, Strunk and White, Oxford, etc., to make sure the grammar, punctuation, and spelling are correct.
Any why so many exclamation marks? Although the one after patio on the Patiolicious ad can be argued as appropriate, the rest are unnecessary and look amateurish. Save the exclamations for really important stuff, not tax interest deferrals.
Black-and-white design, when appropriate, yields the highest level of contrast to command attention and create legibility. And using color conservatively helps call attention to spot- or full-color elements placed strategically within the design. Jason Tselentis, Type Form & Function: A Handbook on the Fundamentals of Typography, Rockport Publishers, 2011.
*NEW* — using asterisks to highlight a word or phrase is a method used in unformatted text forums like Facebook, but is redundant and risible in print when you have bold and italic options available. And it doesn't need to be in all-caps. Use just one formatting style for this word, not three.
A hyphen should separate combinations of words like 10-month, or strings like phone numbers. It is not a dash or a separator for clauses. An em dash is what the town ad should use after *NEW*.
A proper style or usage guide will tell you, for example, that a single space is required after a period, not two (an amateur's mistake, but you will find it in far too many lines on these pages). And that in point 2 of the "property tax" ad, the comma after institution should be either a semi-colon or a period, not a comma. And after the word "needs" in point 3 there should be a colon, not a comma. In person should be hyphenated in points 5 and 6. There should be a comma after May in the first paragraph of that ad. Current year should be hyphenated. The forms of payments are not "channels" by any proper definition of that word (they are simply methods). Livestreamed should be two words, hyphenated. The line "Details on participating at Standing Committees that doesn't require…" is grammatically incorrect. The verb should be don't. And you participate in or with, not at for this usage. 10 month and current year should be hyphenated.
One begins to wonder if the town actually has anyone to oversee and proofread these ads, because these errata are quite evident, even to a novice such as myself. Basic tools like Grammarly or Word's spelling and grammar checker underscore these errors on the screen so they can be corrected. So why are they present in the print version?
Type size is another important element for clarity and legibility. Look at the ad on page 9 for Georgian Bay Reads and examine the line of type at the top: perhaps 6 point, in all uppercase. Difficult to read, for both size and form. It's confounded by the mechanics of newspaper printing which is grainier than, say, book printing or even online display. Newspaper printing tends to blur small type, so that top line needs to be larger to be seen effectively. It might also be better set in a proper upper-and-lowercase form rather than the shouting ALL CAPS currently used.
And the type in the property tax interest ad is simply too large for the content (14 or maybe even 16pt?). Such an ungainly font warns the reader dense bureaucratese lurks within. What might be a positive notice for some readers instead becomes a bland, grey box of words, words, words. And don't get me started on how those words are written: surely there are better ways to say this sort of thing. This notice is hardly more engaging than the instruction manual for a power bar.
Contrast is equally important: text needs to have a high contrast from the background to be able to read it properly. It needs to stand out. Look at the "canopy" ad***on page 8 and the Georgian Bay Reads ad on page 9: both have dark green text set against a black background, making the works difficult if not impossible to see without considerable effort. For any low-contrast design to work, that text needs to be much larger and thicker (bolder) otherwise the eye passes over it without seeing the words.
You might also note both these ads have green-on-black graphics, which are equally difficult to see properly in that size, and made fuzzy by the printing process.
Almost every ad on those pages uses the same typeface, a sans-serif (likely Swiss, Helvetica, or possibly Arial). The dullness is sleep-inducing. First, contrast is not simply light and dark or making some words bold: it is also found in mixing typefaces so some lines or blocks make a statement. Designers typically use a different typeface for headlines than for body text so that the eye sees the hierarchy of importance easily. Simply making a headline bold is not creating contrast. Headlines should stand out.
Helvetica is good for typographers who do not know what to say. Thomas Bohm
With the exception of a line in the museum ad on page 8, and the graphics for Bahangra Dancing and Patiolicious on page 9, everything appears to be set in just a single typeface. Aside from being boring, this shows a remarkable lack of imagination. It can be argued that sans serif typefaces are generally less readable in blocks of printed text than serif typefaces, but more to the point, there are better-designed sans-serif typefaces that improve readability if you want to use one.
Don't just pick a font from what comes free with your computer or program. That's the lazy approach. Pick a typeface that conveys to the reader a sense that you actually care about what you're telling them, that you care about the message; not just one from a list of freebies. Does the type convey gravitas? Friendliness? Authority? Tradition? Modernity? Competence? Or just laziness?
But whichever font or typeface you use, its height (size) and weight need to be matched with the appropriate letter, word, and line spacing for optimum readability. You can't rely on the default settings of any program (and certainly NOT Word) to produce the most readable text in their default settings.
Typography has a threefold purpose. First of all, it is about rousing people's interest to read a text. The second purpose is to enhance legibility, and finally, typography determines the direction and speed of reading. Joep Pohlen, Letter Fountain: The Ultimate Type Reference Guide, Taschen, 2015, p.182.
Pohlen adds (p.184) that the first impression a page makes determines whether a reader is interested enough to begin reading and that it is important to catch and guide the 'searching eye'. "Where does the reader look first?" he asks. "In what way is he drawn into the text and how does he read the information to be conveyed?" Look at the town pages and ask yourself these questions — as should have been asked by the person(s) proofreading and approving them. If there is anyone doing that.
Consistency matters, too. Why is the top part of the ad in the leftmost column of page 8 set ragged right (flush left) while the bottom part is set centred? Why is the indent after the bullet in the bottom left ad wider than the indent in the list of the ad for property taxes? Why are the headlines for the ad on waterfront parking passes when the text is flush left? Why doesn't the headline in the "share the road" ad fill the line length? It all feels so slapdash.
Why are FREE, COUNCIL CORNER, and BID OPPORTUNITIES in all caps when other words in headlines aren't? Why are the words "until" and "end" not capitalized like the rest of the headline? Why is the contact information line in the parking pass ad centred when the text is flush left? Why is the Patiolicious ad centred when other ads are flush left? Why are hours shown like a.m. and p.m. and as am and pm? Pick one style (CMOS recommends small caps with periods for printed documents)! Why is the BID OPPORTUNITIES text in royal blue and some (apparently at random) words in bold?
The union of uppercase and lowercase roman letters — in which the uppercase has seniority but the lowercase has the power — has held firm for twelve centuries. This constitutional monarchy of the alphabet is one of the most durable of European cultural institutions. Robert Bringhurst: The Elements of Typographic Style, p. 53.
Why does the masthead on both pages call it a "weekly town page" when it is clearly two pages?
The image on the "Share the Road" ad appears to have been lifted from an online site (for example versions of it appear here, and here) but I see no credit or copyright: did the town get permission to use it? If so, the image source needs proper credit. If not, was copyright violated?
Design and typography matter because these pages convey a message to readers about the town. They should look professional, thoughtfully prepared, consistent, and clear as to their purpose — not like a high-school project prepared in Word and slapped together in a hurry. They should be error-free because those errors send a message about municipal competence and credibility.
Collingwood can and should do better in presenting itself to the public.
* Examine the bookshelf in the office of any person employed in communications: it will speak volumes about their credibility and knowledge. What style guide(s) do you see? Do they have the Chicago Manual of Style, Fowler's, Strunk & White, or the CP Stylebook? If not, which guides do they have for ready reference? What dictionary or thesaurus are they using? Oxford, Random House, Chambers, or Merriam-Webster? If it's a generic Webster's and not a credible publisher you know you're in trouble. Do they have books on graphic design and typography or subscribe to industry journals about them? If you don't see any of these, you should consider hiring someone with those skills and resources (and perhaps ask why your current staff person lacks essential skills!). Give them extra marks for having Bringhurst or other manuals on typography and design. And if they use Publisher or Word for layout and design, consider replacing them ASAP.
** What is the "news" paper's role in these ads? I assume that the advertising staff must advise the town that, say, green type on a black background is illegible, and warn about tiny type being difficult to read, and that two spaces after a period are incorrect. But do I assume too much? In a perfect world, a business looks after its clients' interests, gives them advice and recommendations, helps with the layout, does some proofreading, and does whatever else is required to make their clients' ads be their best. But I have no idea what the "news" paper does in relation to town pages. Perhaps they do the very least possible: just take the ads, print them, and cash the cheques.
*** The canopy project is "a community forest project aimed at increasing the Town's urban tree canopy on private lands." I suppose it's on private lands because the town has a terrible record with trees on public property. It plants them, then abandons them to die without water or care (as it did along Third Street, in the Second Street dog park, and along Heritage Drive for example). And it cuts them down easily (as it did with more than 50 mature trees along Hurontario Street to build a sidewalk so one of our laziest councillors wouldn't have to cross the road to use the existing sidewalk there) but never seems to replant (and care for) new ones to replace them. So, rather hypocritically, the town turns to private owners to do what our tax dollars should be funding and makes it look like a community project.
Words: 3,278
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© June 25, 2021 at 7:16 AM 2 years ago
I just glanced at the current town pages in the Connection this morning and grimaced. Everything I said above goes for this week's dreary, unimaginative, poorly-designed, typographically inept advertising. I'll post more details when I have enough tea in me to stomach facing another example of bad communication from Collingwood.
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Panthers 2019 first-round pick Brian Burns lost a lot of his bulk weight last season while recovering from a broken wrist injury that wouldn't allow the former Florida State star to work out as he wanted. It didn't hurt him too badly because he was for much of the season playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. But with new Carolina coach Matt Rhule switching back to a 4-3 set, Burns said he's added 15 pounds despite having to work out at home during the pandemic. He hopes to keep his weight between 250 and 255 pounds because at end he'll be taking on 300-pound tackles. His versatility fits the "positionless'' player Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow want to build around. Burns wants to build on the 7.5 sacks he had as a rookie and believes having Kawann Short and 2020 first-round pick Derrick Brown at tackle will free him up because of the double-teams they'll command. As for what his goals are outside of winning, Burns said those are "classified." -- David Newton
After having what he called "long and tough" discussions about opting out of the season, Niners running back Raheem Mostert decided to play, and he's returned with the attitude of a legitimate No. 1 running back who is planning on a big season for him and his team. "I just want to go out there and be dominant," Mostert said. "When I step out onto that field, I want everybody to say, 'That's a bad m-f-,' you know? He's somebody that we can't take lightly. I want to put fear in other teams' eyes. That's my mindset." Mostert finished the season as the Niners' top back and after a short contract dispute came back to the team on a reworked deal. It's unrealistic to think any running back will average 20 carries per game in Kyle Shanahan's offense, but Mostert sounds like a guy prepared to take on such a workload if given the opportunity. -- Nick Wagoner
One of the reasons Colts quarterback Philip Rivers, 38, didn't think about opting out amid the pandemic is because he knows that likely would have ended his 16-year NFL career. "Making that decision [to opt out] for me would have been making the decision to be done, period," Rivers said. "Retiring, which is nowhere on my mind." Rivers instead is at the Colts' facility preparing to play for just the second team in his career. "Andrew [Luck] is the closest I've been with that is like a little kid out there, and as old as Philip is, he's youthful in terms of his energy," left tackle Anthony Castonzo said. "I haven't been on the field with him yet but just being around him in the locker room and hearing him talk and the messages he gives, he's got that kiddish excitement." -- Mike Wells
The Falcons weren't on the field Wednesday but did have some good news. Four of the players previously placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list were activated: DT Tyler Davison, LB Foye Oluokun, S Jaylinn Hawkins and QB Danny Etling. The team still has two players on the list in FB Keith Smith and S Jamal Carter, who both tested positive for COVID-19, according to sources. Carter has been quarantined, while Smith's status is unclear. The team cannot comment on the medical status of the players. The Falcons also waived LB Ahmad Thomas on Wednesday. -- Vaughn McClure
All-Pro cornerback Tre'Davious White admitted he is still unsure whether he will opt out of the 2020 season, citing his family's safety and well-being as the two factors weighing on his mind. White, 25, has two children under the age of 3 and does not want to risk their health by possibly exposing them to COVID-19. He said his decision likely will take him all the way up to Thursday's deadline. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
Wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown had the biggest physical transformation this offseason, adding 23 pounds. He ended the season at 157 pounds and reported to training camp at 180 pounds. Brown believes the extra bulk will help him withstand hits better and allow him to generate more yards after contact. "I feel I got bright days ahead," Brown said. "I feel 100 times better than last season." -- Jamison Hensley
A day after Amari Cooper said the expectation is for the Cowboys to have three 1,000-yard receivers with him, Michael Gallup and rookie CeeDee Lamb, Dallas' first-round pick was introduced as an endorser of BodyArmor Sports Drink. He's in pretty good company with Trae Young, Kemba Walker, Sabrina Ionescu, Christian McCaffrey, Ronald Acuna and Drew Lock. -- Todd Archer
Washington corner Kendall Fuller got a first glimpse of new defensive teammate, rookie end Chase Young, earlier this week. He was impressed -- not necessarily by what he saw on the field considering they didn't do much, but by how he carried himself. "He just kind of has that vibe when you walk by him. He doesn't seem like a rookie. He seems like a professional. He wants to work. He was the No. 2 pick... it seems like he's not even thinking about that." -- John Keim
Texans wide receivers coach John Perry said Keke Coutee "has come back with a great attitude and you can tell he's ready to work." Coutee, who dealt with injuries in his first two NFL seasons, was also a healthy scratch for multiple games in 2019 after head coach Bill O'Brien said he needed to pay more attention to detail in practice. Even after trading DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, the Texans have a crowded wide receivers room and Coutee is not a lock to make the roster. "When you take ownership of who you are and what you're all about, that's where your improvement comes from," Perry said. "He's got such an internal fire." -- Sarah Barshop

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Nate Stevens loves three things: Work, Family, Women. In that order. Having absolutely no desire to follow in three of his siblings' footsteps by settling down, Nate lives for his work as a firefighter. That's why his chance meeting with Lia leaves him unsettled like never before. There's just something about the beautifully shy and reserved woman that he can't walk away from.
Run. Hide. Keep moving. That's exactly what Lia Walker has done for the last nine months. Escaping from her past, Lia continues to move from place to place before finding herself in the small town of Rivers Edge, Missouri. Following a chance encounter with her new boss' brother, Nate, which leaves Lia feeling confused and vulnerable for the first time in months, Lia has to make a decision: to run or to stay.
When pasts are finally exposed, Nate and Lia find themselves at a crossroads. Nate will do anything to protect Lia from her past, but the question remains: Will Lia let him? When Lia's past finally catches up with her, will running be the only way to protect the ones they love most in this world?
Protect Me 5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 3 reviews.
Once again, Lacey has not disappointed. I have read every book in this series, and have enjoyed meeting each of the Stevens siblings as they find their true love. This book has it all- suspense, humor and deep love as Nate realizes that falling in love as a firefighter is possible. Now I will await Will 's story.
5 star I was pulled right into this story. The story flowed well I read it in one sitting. The story has laughs, betrayal, secrets, pain, abuse, and heartbreak. If you have not I would recommend reading the below books first: Trust Me (Rivers Edge, #1) Fight Me (Rivers Edge, #2) Expect Me (Rivers Edge, #3) Promise Me: A Novella This is Lia and Nate's story. Lia is running from her past. She settles in Rivers Edge but knows she can't stay forever. Nate does not want to settle down after being rejected in his past. He wants no woman or child to wonder about him coming home at night. He's a firefighter and anything can happen on the job. No one should be at home waiting on news if he made it home. When he meets Lia he wants her but knows she has issues and is skittish. He needs to find out why. He gets her to trust him and they grow closer. When all her secrets are exposed will he still want her? When her past comes back will he be able to protect her or will he just let her go? I felt I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read. I highly recommend this book, this series and this author.
If you didn't think you could fall more in love with a Rivers Edge hero more than Maddox, Jake, Travis, and Jase, wait until you meet Nate Stevens! He will make you swoon and sigh, as well as laugh and cry. This book had a little bit of everything (humor, romance, suspense, heat, angst) that makes up a good romance novel, and the story was perfectly paced. This book is a little darker and more suspenseful than the earlier books in the series. It starts with a glimpse into the heroine's past, 9 months prior. Lia endures significant trauma and pain to escape, and in order to be free, she assumes a new identity, never letting anyone get too close, and a life on the run. Even if she could allow herself to trust another man, falling in love could put him in danger if her past catches up to her. Having his heart broken at a young age by his first love Jill, Nate has dedicated himself to his dream job of firefighting, while only casually dating and steering clear of committed relationships. With his dangerous line of work, he can't stand the possibility of leaving a family behind if something happened to him. Before they even have a chance to get together (and what a fun meeting they have!), there are obstacles that both have to overcome if they ever want to open their hearts to someone. Their chemistry is instantaneous, but will their growing feelings be strong enough to defeat each other's demons? Lia wants to open her heart to Nate. Her head tells her that maybe she should walk away and find the strength to keep Nate and his family safe from her dangerous ex, while her heart tells her that she just can't do it. OH, THE FEELS!!!!!!!!!


Hi, I'm Snarfy and I'm a Chicken-Wing-A-Holic. I'm only enabling myself because I bought an air fryer recently and that makes having super crispy chicken wings easier than it should be.
There's a Vietnamese restaurant in my hometown that has curry chicken wings on their appetizer menu and I've never seen them anywhere else. They were my absolute favorite, but I can't go there every time I want them. My wallet will hate me. While my homemade version isn't quite a copycat recipe, they're good and satisfy that craving when it comes up. Plus it helps to have them at home so I can stay a little more accountable in regards to what I eat them with. Lately, I've just been having them with steamed veggies, like broccoli.
Put your chicken wings in a medium bowl. Season with curry powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. In a small bowl, lightly whisk egg white, and then add to the bowl with chicken wings. Toss to coat. Spread some starch on a plate to lightly coat wings before you add them to the hopper of your air fryer. If you hate dirtying extra dishes like me, you can get away with doing all this in one bowl if you dust and coat carefully.
If you need to pre-heat your air fryer, go ahead and get her going. The one that I have likes a 5 minute pre-heat, but my good friend doesn't have to pre-heat hers, so make sure you know your appliances. Arrange your party wings in a single layer if possible and air fry at 375 deg F for 25 minutes. Pause your machine half way through and toss the wings to make sure everything's coming along nicely. Once the 25 minutes are up, up the temperature to 400 deg F. Cook for an addition 5 minutes or until the wings are beautifully golden brown. These wings should be flavorful enough to where you don't need a dipping sauce, but they definitely aren't bad accompanied by some Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.
By the way, none of my links are affiliate links at this time. I occasionally provide links to products that I actually use as example only, but please use whichever products you are comfortable with.


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Dress For The Job You Want
By Sean Kleefeld | Monday, January 07, 2013 Leave a Comment
My buddy, cartoonist Frank Page, changed his profile picture on Facebook recently. It's a self-portrait of him at his drawing board. In a space suit. It seems a bit odd, of course. Kind of amusing, especially with Bob the Squirrel doing a face-plant off the helmet.
But I seem to recall him saying at one point that he wanted to be an astronaut when he was a kid. Which makes the suit a little more interesting. I'm not going to spend a lot of time playing armchair psychologist here, trying to suss out if he's harboring some long-repressed regret for signing up for the regular science class in high school instead of the AP one, but I am reminded of the maxim: "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have."
I can't seem to find the origin of the phrase, but I know I saw it in ready circulation last year with an addendum about wearing a Batman costume.
Of course, the phrase isn't meant to be taken precisely literally. Wearing a space suit or a superhero cape alone doesn't get you your dream job. The phrase is more metaphorical. You need to see yourself in whatever role you're attempting to get into before you actually step into it, and to make that step, you need to convince others that you're prepared for it. You need to show the people who might elect to put you in that role that they may as well put you in that role because you're as good as in there already. You think the way you need to, you act the way you need to and, yes, you dress the way you need to.
In the field of comics these days, there's fortunately a pretty minimal dress code for creators. But how you dress still affects how you're treated. You ever see fans come up and talk to Seth in person? There's a distinctly different tone and style than when fans come up to, say, Mark Waid. Waid's appearance is not that far removed from most fans, while Seth tends to look like he stepped out of a 1930's accountant's office. Consequently, fans tend to address Waid more casually.
Some of it is personality and attitude, of course, but creators' appearance is both a reflection of that and a signal to others how they want to be seen. Take a look at pictures of notable comic book creators. Robert Crumb, Jim Steranko, Stan Lee, Lynda Barry, Frank Miller, Art Spiegelman... They don't wear uniforms per se, but they showcase a distinctive style every time they go out. And I know in at least half of those cases I just cited, that's very conscious and deliberate. That's part of who they are, and how they're treated.
As a creator, you certainly can go around wearing jeans and a t-shirt with your favorite superhero on it, and it's not a huge deal. But now that we're living in a particularly media-savvy age, I think your appearance has more of an impact on how you're received by both fans and other professionals. You maybe don't need to go to the lengths that James Sime does, but just throwing on whatever happens to be in your closet seems like less and less of a viable option any more.
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It is no coincidence that the ABCCM Medical Ministry has a keen interest in all the meanings of "common ground". The Medical Clinic, Dental and Pharmacy services exist on the premise that our community believes in and has found common ground in a place to serve. The not-so-small miracle is that this kind of common ground circumvents the barriers that are often found in the way that patients have to seek care. To date, those living in Buncombe County who are uninsured, and earn less than 200% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) can approach the clinic for evaluation and receive treatment free of charge.
The clinic reaches common ground with many community partners. They see and understand that every patient who is helped by a volunteer or staff member in the clinic, is a patient who avoids a costly, uncovered emergency visit or an advancement of illness that requires admission without insurance coverage. Our primary care partners, WNCCHS/Minnie Jones FHC and MAHEC FHC, reach common ground when we are able to refer patients, who will remain in our county, for long-term/ongoing healthcare.
When we all look at our commonalities and our differences, we see a newer path. It is not the path that we use to "reach" common ground. It is a harder, uphill path. We all use our strengths, money and skills to take this path. We work hard to climb this hill, each from a different direction. When we reach the same spot at the end of the climb, then we have "achieved" common ground. The safety net is an example of how this concept of achieving common ground works in our community. Our "same spot" is an outcome- based collaboration among partners who care for those who are uninsured.
The last thing on our list was that we all used volunteers to staff our services. This is not true of all of our community partners. In some settings, there is just no way to make a volunteer experience happen. The Medical Ministry works hard to achieve this common ground in a medical practice. Our volunteers work hard to achieve this common ground for patients. For instance, a Buncombe County resident who had been out of state for treatment and had lived in a sheltered situation, was sent back to his home town of Asheville because he was no longer eligible for care at their facility. His family called to ask for help in his care because they were at a loss for knowing where to begin. This patient had ridden the bus back to town, got off the bus and promptly fell hitting his head and sustaining injury requiring an emergency department visit. He made it to the clinic with his discharge papers and was placed in a room for a visit. The physician came out of his visit and just stated "this patient cannot see anything". He really could not see to go down the hallway. Within an hour, Asheville Eye Associates had him a new patient appointment, and he was driven there from the clinic. In that same hour, Services for the Blind had an intake from his family and was on the way to approving care at Asheville Eye. He has since had surgery with his vision improving. Common ground was truly "achieved".
In every season of thankfulness and giving, the Medical Ministry feels a huge amount of pride in this achievement of common ground for our community. If you share this same commitment to use any of your uphill skills in volunteering, find us on the web at ABCCM.org or call us at 828-259-5339.


Bubble Watch: Who is in? Who is out? Who still doesn't know?
It's all about the bubble during Champ Week.
The first games of the 2017-18 season were played on Nov. 10, and sometimes it seems we still haven't really settled anything.
Selection Sunday is here and we still don't know every team that will play for a national championship. Those last bids are still there for the taking.
The monthslong preamble to the NCAA tournament is almost over. It all gets decided now.
Boston College jumped on the Wolfpack from the opening tip and hung on for a 91-87 win in the ACC tournament second round. Bubble Watch expects the loss still won't be enough to knock NC State out of the field of 68, but failing to even make the ACC quarterfinals could drop it to a double-digit seed.
The Wolfpack have been a great story this season, and the lift Kevin Keatts gave the program in Year 1 has already been dramatic. Still, this is a defense that benefited from opponents missing an unusually high percentage of their 3s in ACC play. If NC State does get in and makes a run in the field of 68, it will likely be a highly entertaining series of shootouts.
Florida State went 9-9 in the ACC, but that so-so mark is offset by the fact that FSU owns a win over North Carolina, as well as road victories at Florida and Virginia Tech.
The Seminoles missed a chance for a Quadrant 1 win against Louisville in the ACC quarterfinals, and thus, a chance to improve its seed.
The Cardinals faced what everyone agreed was a "win-and-you're-in" situation against Virginia, so what happens when you lose 75-58? The simple answer is David Padgett's team could be in the tournament anyway, but it will be very close.
With a profile that includes a road win at Virginia Tech, road and neutral-floor victories over Florida State and a .500 record in ACC play, the Cards present a classic bubble look. Their fate now will depend on what happens with the rest of the bubble, but that "strategy" invariably means tense moments. There are always teams that clearly play their way in. Louisville just missed being such a team.
That was an impressive late-season run by Bonzie Colson and Notre Dame, but it appears it won't be enough to earn an at-large bid. Even after beating Virginia Tech on Wednesday, the Fighting Irish are on the outside looking in at the field of 68.
Then again, maybe the committee will make a special exemption for a team that was missing a potential national player of the year for the balance of the conference season. It appears it will indeed be necessary. Teams as varied as Alabama, Providence and UCLA were simultaneously improving their respective positions, and spots in the field are limited. This profile would usually fall short, but we'll have to see if the committee recognizes a Bonzie Factor.
Bubble Watch will cut to the chase: Syracuse could still be alive, even after a loss to North Carolina. No, it's certainly not a sure thing, and, yes, beating the Tar Heels would have sent this discussion in a far more hopeful direction.
But the Orange entered their game against UNC right on the cut line, and it's not clear that losing on a neutral floor to one of the best teams in the country will change that status dramatically for the worse. Stay tuned.
Also, is Syracuse planning to do this bubble thing every year from now on?
The Wildcats' thrilling 66-64 win in overtime against TCU in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals might have been more important than we'll know. Bubble Watch suspects K-State would have made the field of 68 even with a loss to the Horned Frogs, but the victory should now put it into the bracket with room to spare.
The Wildcats swept Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma State during the regular season, and they've won five of their last seven games. True, K-State struggles on the glass at both ends of the floor, but it makes its 2s and excels at forcing opponents to commit turnovers. This group can make some noise in the NCAA tournament.
The Sooners have made things interesting -- for themselves and the committee -- by losing to Oklahoma State. Make no mistake, part of the selection difficulty here is the good part of OU's profile. Which is to say Oklahoma should be really happy it beat Wichita State and TCU on the road.
Those are top-quality wins, even if they were recorded in December. Since Jan. 1, Oklahoma has not won a game outside of Norman, a streak that extended to 10 games after losing to the Cowboys. There's probably a bid waiting for the Sooners anyway, but there might not be a long tournament run around the corner.
An amazing turnaround after a 2-7 start in Big 12 play put the Bears in contention for a bid. Losing four of their last five games, however, may have taken them right back out of the running. A bid now looks unlikely.
No, nothing's final until Sunday evening, but Baylor's 78-65 loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 tournament leaves Scott Drew's team 18-14 overall. That's not a record that customarily leads teams to take a relaxed "let's see what seed we get" attitude toward Selection Sunday. (Yes, Oklahoma's also right to be nervous at 18-13.) BU looked to be in pretty good shape two weeks ago, but the Bears couldn't sustain their February momentum.
The Longhorns could have erased every last bit of doubt with a win over Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament. That didn't happen, and now there is some doubt. But maybe not that much.
Texas was a near-universal projection as a double-digit seed before the loss to the Red Raiders. Now it's likely a little closer to the cut line than it was before, but the chances are still good that this team is going to be in the field of 68. If it does turn out that way, the essential games in the sequence were the season-finale, overtime victory over West Virginia in Austin and the Big 12 tournament win over Iowa State.
An amazing late run by the Cowboys has come to an end in the form of an 82-68 defeat at the hands of Kansas. Now the battle cry from anyone advocating on behalf of a bid for OSU is likely to be: "If you take Oklahoma at 18-13 and 8-10 in the Big 12, you have to take Oklahoma State at 19-14 and 8-10 in the Big 12, right?"
Here's why Bubble Watch doesn't think that will work, and it's actually very simple (and quite unfortunate). The committee still uses the RPI. It will go to any lengths necessary to avoid speaking its name, but it's there. Well, the Cowboys' RPI is up around 80, far lower than OU's and measurably weaker than that of any other tournament-track Big 12 team.
OSU came achingly close, but it looks like the Cowboys came up just short.
The only bubble matter at issue in what turned out to be a thrilling Big East tournament title game was whether the Friars' bid would be automatic or an at-large. Turns out it will be the latter. Barely.
PC's third consecutive overtime game at the Big East tournament brought Ed Cooley's men their first loss of the weekend. But the Friars are now sitting pretty, with a projected seed as high as No. 9 or possibly even No. 8. It was a highly entertaining and even more productive 135 minutes of basketball for Providence.
Bubble Watch nominates the Golden Eagles as the ultimate bubble boundary team of 2018. After losing to Villanova in the Big East tournament, they're almost perfectly positioned to be either the last team in or the first team out when the bracket is announced Sunday night.
With plenty of Champ Week basketball still to be played, the above description should spell bad news for Marquette. There should be plenty of eager bubble rivals still playing who are poised to bump the Golden Eagles out of the bracket.
With some cooperation from the hoops gods, Marquette may yet sneak in.
Welcome to the suspenseful delights of an early conference tournament, Nittany Lions. It's like you're in a coma but aware of everything going on around you. There's nothing you can do to control events, but you see everything.
All Penn State can do is wait out Champ Week and hope for the best after losing to Purdue in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. It will be tough to get an at-large bid. Three wins against Ohio State -- and no other Quadrant 1 victories to go with eight Q1 losses -- might not be enough to get the job done.
On more than one occasion in recent years, the committee has shown itself capable of surprising us utterly and completely. Whether it was the bid UCLA received in 2015 or the one that Tulsa snagged in 2016, it has almost seemed at times that the committee affirmatively enjoys zigging when every other projected bracket zags.
Which brings Bubble Watch to Nebraska. The Cornhuskers likely need a Tulsa-level hand grenade from the committee in order to get into this field. They have a home win against Michigan, and that's it in terms of victories against at-large-level opponents.
As Tim Miles himself pointed out, that one-point loss to Kansas in Lincoln in December looms rather large.
The "raise this newly safe at-large team's seed" project came to an abrupt halt, and the Bruins lost to Arizona 78-67 in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals in overtime. The key terms there are "safe at-large team," because, with due allowance for the future tense and for past committee craziness, Steve Alford's team appears to be safe.
Brackets aren't fair, so taking the top seed of your conference tournament to OT but losing could cost UCLA a seed line. Even so, that would drop the Bruins to perhaps only a No. 10 seed in the field of 68. Alford will take that. It wasn't too long ago that his team was instead showing up on "first four out" or even "next four out" lists. The Bruins look as if they got the job done.
For weeks, Bubble Watch has talked in terms of a Trojans team that is demonstrably good at basketball but was carrying a deceptively so-so profile. The Pac-12 tournament changed that, even with a title game loss to Arizona. Now, USC's level of performance and its tournament résumé are in much closer alignment. Which is to say this team will almost certainly get its bid and will likely earn a spot around the No. 10 seed line.
If it does play out that way, Andy Enfield's team can most certainly make life interesting for a No. 7 seed in a matter of days.
For weeks now, Bubble Watch has been wondering if the Sun Devils are as safe as everyone seems to think they are. Well, that question is more timely than ever now that Arizona State lost to Colorado 97-85 in the Pac-12 tournament first round.
ASU went 8-10 during the conference season and has now lost five of its last six games. Yes, it does have the road win at Kansas and the neutral-floor victory over Xavier. Could a team with wins like that really miss the field entirely? Yes, it could happen, and, even if it doesn't, it's going to be really close.
The loss to Georgia in the SEC tournament second round will probably cost the Tigers a seed line or two. That's it. Missouri would doubtless prefer not to be a double-digit seed, but with Michael Porter Jr. now available, there are certainly higher seeds that would prefer not to see the Tigers.
Missouri is a dangerous perimeter team, even if it did not show this aspect of its game against the Bulldogs. The Tigers hit 39 percent of their 3s in SEC play, and with Porter Jr. on the floor alongside a host of perimeter threats, facing this particular "low" seed will be no easy task.
Collin Sexton and the Crimson Tide ran up against the irresistible force known as Wenyen Gabriel's 3-point shooting, and, surely, we all saw that coming. Fine, Bubble Watch is being facetious, that was a surprise. The even larger surprise, though, is how solid Alabama's position has become in the bracket in a very short time.
Barring the most epic of Selection Sunday surprises, Avery Johnson's men will get their bid. Moreover, Alabama has boosted its seed all the way up to single-digit territory. It's been a remarkable ascent, and always remember it started with Sexton's game-winner against Texas A&M.
The Bonnies fell short of an Atlantic 10 tournament championship matchup against Rhode Island, instead losing to Davidson in the semifinals. That's not a shocking upset in basketball terms, and, anyway, St. Bonaventure was without both Courtney Stockard (hamstring) and Josh Ayeni (who injured his leg in the first half). In other words, the team still figures to be safely in the NCAA tournament.
It's not even clear that losing to the Wildcats will inflict any damage on the seed Mark Schmidt's team is about to receive. The Bonnies may yet earn a single-digit seed, and, even if they don't, they'll still be giving the program its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012.
For the entirety of February, Bubble Watch speculated on whether the Blue Raiders could get an at-large bid if they lost in the Conference USA tournament.
That hypothetical is now an urgent question facing Middle Tennessee after it lost to Southern Miss in the C-USA tournament quarterfinals. The two Quadrant 1 wins recorded by the Blue Raiders were at Murray State and at Western Kentucky. Then there's the fact that they were dominant for much of the regular season, reeling off 11 consecutive wins.
Will that be enough for an at-large bid? If it is, and it's going to be close either way, a very good RPI will have been a big help.
Losing to BYU in the WCC tournament semifinals doesn't necessarily end Saint Mary's chances of earning an at-large bid. It does, however, put the Gaels in a tough spot.
SMC's profile is now frozen as is. That includes a huge win at Gonzaga, yes, but it also shows a 1-1 record in Quadrant 1 games. Will that be enough for an at-large bid? The boundary between "in" and "out" will be shifting the rest of the week, and all the Gaels can do is watch.


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← Wide Awakes and the Turners
The Baby-faced Rose of White Privilege →
Jesus Was A Nazarite
Jesus was a Nazarite. Jesus died a Nazarite. Queen Helena of Adiabene took the Vow of the Nazarite – for life. She and her HEATHEN husband were converts to Judaism. Heathens are not allowed to take the Nazarite Vow. Paul took the vow, and may have caused a commotion when he brought HEATHENS to the temple to complete the Nazarite Vow they took, I suspect in Greece, or, Rome.
Being a Jew and being a part of the Judaic Religion, was very desirable, even amongst the powerful and rich. Paul invents HIS OWN RELIGION in order to OPEN THE DOOR WIDER. Are people paying Paul for admittance, he employing his Pharisistic training in Judaic Law to bypass Mosaic restrictions? There was a DEBT REBELLION! The debt archives were burned – by INDENTURED SLAVES. Rome sent an army to crush the ABOLITIONIST REVOLT. The war with Rome, was on!
"Simon held the upper city, and the great walls as far as Cedron, and as much of the old wall as bent from Siloam to the east, and which went down to the palace of Monobazus, who was king of the Adiabeni, beyond Euphrates; he also held the fountain, and the Acra, which was no other than the lower city; he also held all that reached to the palace of queen Helena, the mother of Monobazus; but John held the temple, and the parts thereto adjoining, for a great way, as also Ophla, and the valley called "Valley of Cedron;"
Judaism in Adiabene survived the death of Izates and Helena. History indicates that the Jewish religion continued to play a part in the kingdom of Adiabene; non-royal Adiabenians converted. "The names of the Adiabenite [sic] Jews Jacob Hadyaba and Zuga (Zuwa) of Hadyab,"33 indicate a non-Hebrew origin and possible conversion to Judaism.
Mindful of the events which in her view were of a positive nature, Helena journeyed with her retinue to Jerusalem and the Great Temple to worship and offer thank-offerings while the throne in Arbela had been safeguarded. Queen Helena offered items of blessing including a special addition to the Kodesh, or Inner Sanctuary of the Great Temple:
The doorway of the Kodesh was 10 cubits wide and 20 cubits high. Over the doorway was a carving of a golden menorah donated by Queen Helena, a convert to Judaism. The morning service could not begin before sunrise. The Temple was surrounded by high walls, and it was not possible to see the rising sun, so priest had to be sent outside to see if it was time for the service to begin. After Queen Helena donated the Menorah, it was no longer necessary to send a priest outside the Temple. As the sun rose in the east it shone against the menorah and the reflected light was cast into the Azarah. The priests then knew that the morning service could begin.18
https://rosamondpress.com/2015/09/24/sermon-on-hill-jubilee/
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Jesus is offered the WINE – twice! He refuses the first offering because he is not ready to die, not ready to give up the Holy Spirit he received from John, who was the embodiment of Elijah, thus THE MESSIAH OF THE JEWS. Jesus knew this, as did the people who gave him the wine IN ORDER TO END HIS NAZARITE VOW. The spirit of John-Elijah was expected to come AND TAKE JESUS UP.
Mary knows Elizabeth is going to give birth to THE MESSIAH, the EMBODIMENT OF ELIJAH, and wants her son in her womb to come in contact with the Messiah of the Jews, and, wants her UNBORN SON to be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT – TOO!
There were two very Holy Nazarites in the world. Jesus was destined to be THE KING OF JUDAH, and sit on David's throne. I know this, because a Nazarite expecting the arrival of the Messiah "the son of David" drank only on certain days. When John was beheaded, Jesus was a candidate for the Messiah. His refusal to drink the first offering of WINE – not vinigar – was before sunset, and thus, before THE SABBATH.
The End of Jesus' life is a Nazarite Argument that has nothing to do with the pagan converts to Christianity, accept in the case of Helen. Then there is the Judging of the Sotah. But here is what is extremely interesting. Slave could take the Nazarite Vow with the consent of their owners.
This is so key! The Laws of the Jubilee had been abolished a hundred years before Jesus was born. When he announced he had come to restore these laws, some Jews were elated, while others, were threatened. Some Jews owned slaves, while others did not. Consider our Civil War.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
"Women and slaves, who did not have full rights before the religious law, could take the Nazarite vow, but only with the consent of their husbands or owners, while the vow was not valid among the heathen (Naz. iv. 1-5, ix. 1, et passim). Fathers were allowed to dedicate minors, but mothers were forbidden to do so (ib. iv. 29b)"
Slaves all over the Diaspora could now be elevated in their station in life – including women! If tens of thousands of slaves wanted to become Nazarites, then you have a revolution on your hand – a slave revolt! Of course an owner would consent.
Jesus 'The Goel-El Redeemer' restored the Jubilee Laws of God and purchased slaves so he could set them free. This led to the burning of the debt archives and the War with Roman Slave Masters. The Jews recognized Jesus as their Goel. It is a egregious lie – that he didn't! Paul took the Vow of the Nazarite who was bid by James the Nazarite to redeem Jews in the Diaspora, and bring them to Jerusalem to complete their vow.
https://rosamondpress.com/2015/08/10/judging-the-adulteress/
Jon Presco
'The Nazarite'
Some said: "I shall not die before I have become a Nazarite" (Ned. 3b), or, "Let me be a Nazarite on the day when the son of David [the Messiah] shall come." Such a Nazarite was allowed to drink wine only on the Sabbath and on feast-days, since the Messiah will not appear on these days ('Er. 43a).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goel
https://rosamondpress.com/2015/03/19/the-liberation-of-all-humanity-on-the-jubilee/
Luke 1:39-45New International Version (NIV)
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/luke-1-15.html
Jesus' drink of vinegar
There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
Did Jesus drink the wine or not?
Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23 are referring to a separate event from the other passages (this is evident from the fact that both Matthew and Mark describe Jesus refusing the blended wine at the start of his crucifixion, but later accepting wine vinegar from a sponge and stick). In that instance, Jesus tasted the wine but didn't drink it (i.e. he took a sip but not a mouthful).
Concerning the latter offer of wine vinegar, Matthew and Mark don't explicitly state that Jesus drank the vinegar, but that doesn't mean that he didn't. We sometimes use "offered" to imply both an offer and its acceptance in everyday conversation. Someone might say, "Joe came by and I offered him a drink, and we talked for a while," meaning that Joe accepted the drink. Also, some translations (NASB, RSV) use "gave" instead of "offered."
Who said to leave Jesus alone and wait for Elijah: the crowd, or the man offering the vinegar?
Both the crowd and the man could have said it. One possible scenario is that the man gave Jesus vinegar to drink, then said to the crowd, "Okay, now let's leave him alone and see if Elijah comes," and the crowd agreed with him and said, "Yes, let's do that." Another possibility is that someone in the crowd suggested it first, and the man offering the vinegar agreed and addressed his agreement to the whole crowd.
Did Jesus ask for the vinegar, or did the man decide to offer it after hearing him call Elijah?
Again, Matthew and Mark don't record Jesus' question, but that doesn't mean that Jesus couldn't have asked for a drink. Combining the three accounts gives us this sequence of events:
Jesus called out to God
The crowd said, "He's calling Elijah"
Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
Someone in the crowd ran and got the drink of vinegar, and offered it to Jesus
Jesus drank the vinegar
Jesus said, "It is finished," and died
Was the first wine mixed with gall or myrrh?
Responses (offsite):
What was Jesus given to drink at the cross? by J. P. Holding
Was the vinegar mingled with gall or myrrh? by Matt J. Slick
The Term Nazarene Is Counterfeit!
As a geographical place, Nazareth did not exist
The references in the Gospels are to a spiritual Nazireth — the Nazirene Vow
The evidence for a 1st century town of Nazareth does not exist – not literary, not archaeologically, and not historically.
Biblical scholars and clergy alike have always had difficulty accepting the possibility that at the time of Jesus there was no city called "Nazareth." They have always resisted this possibility and sometimes, quite vigorously.
The Encyclopaedia Biblica, a work written by theologians, and perhaps the greatest biblical reference work in the English language, says: "We cannot venture to assert positively that there was a city of Nazareth in Jesus' time."
Nazareth is not mentioned in any historical records or biblical texts of the time and receives no mention by any contemporary historian. Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud (the Jewish law code), nor in the Apocrypha and it does not appear in any early rabbinic literature.
Nazareth was not included in the list of settlements of the tribes of Zebulon (Joshua 19:10-16) which mentions twelve towns and six villages, and Nazareth is not included among the 45 cities of Galilee that were mentioned by Josephus (37AD-100AD), a widely traveled historian who never missed anything and who voluminously describes the region. The name is also missing from the 63 towns of Galilee mentioned in the Talmud.
The first reference to Nazareth is in the New Testament where it can be found 29 different times. However, there is still cause for speculation as to whether or not the city existed at the time of Jesus. It is mentioned only in the Gospels and Acts. These books do refer to Nazareth, but they did not originate at this time, they are later writings. The earlier writings of the NT (Paul etc) mention Jesus 221 times – but never mention Nazareth.
In The Armageddon Script, a book by Peter Lemesurier, we read: "… historical evidence that it (Nazareth) existed at the time is entirely lacking. The tradition almost certainly goes back to the fact that the family were members of the Nazarene sect of the Essenes. This group seems to have become the dominant one on Carmel, to the point where the word 'Nazarene' came to be applied to the Northern Essenes in general. It is possible, of course, that the Essenes had a camp in the vicinity of the modern Nazareth."
The early Christian writer Epiphanius admits that the Nazarenes "eat no meat", and modern scholars concur; Hugh Shonfield, in The Passover Plot:
"There has been emerging ever clearer evidence that in the Galilean region an ancient Israelitish type of religion persisted in the time of Jesus, defying Judean efforts to obliterate it…. The name he bears, Jesus the Nazorean, has northern sectarian implications…. The name borne by the earliest followers of Jesus was not Christians: they were called Nazoreans (Nazarenes)…. They were vegetarians and rejected animal sacrifices."
In regard to Schonfield's reference to the Nazarenes as "an ancient Israelitish type of religion… defying Judean efforts to obliterate it", it is important to note that the term "Judean" refers to southern Israel and especially the orthodox Jewish temple at Jerusalem. Like Schonfield, H.P. Blavatsky demonstrates that the northern Nazarene-Essene religion was much more ancient and authentic than the orthodox Judaism that held power in Yahshua's day, pre-dating even the authentic versions of the several books of Moses (Moses was attempting to reestablish the Essene Nazarene religion after the captivity) and certainly pre-dating the falsified versions; in her Isis Unveiled:
"The Nazireate [her spelling] sect existed long before the laws of Moses, and originated among… the people of Galilee… where was built Nazara, the present Nazareth. It is in Nazara that the ancient Nazoria or Nazireates held their "Mysteries of Life…."
In reference to Epiphanius charge that the Nazarenes believed the books of Moses had been falsified — modern scholarship again concurs; Schonfield writes:
"The old Nazareans ("Nazarenes"), like the Samaritans, were opposed to the Judean traditions, holding that the southerners had falsified the Law of Moses."
Nazarite vs. Nazarene
Jesus is rightly called a Nazarene, as he grew up in the town of Nazareth. But a Nazarene is not the same as a Nazarite. Being a Nazarite had nothing to do with a location, race or nationality, but was the title given to those who maintained a specific code of conduct as a way to demonstrate dedication to God. A Nazarite had to fulfill at least three main requirements: abstain from drinking alcohol or any product of the grapevine, and from eating grapes in all their forms; abstain from cutting the hair on the head; and avoid touching dead bodies.
Becoming a Nazarite
A person became a Nazarite in at least three ways: by making a voluntary Nazarite vow to God, to be maintained for a specific period of time; by one of his parents offering him to God, to be a Nazarite from birth onward; and by God appointing a person as a lifetime Nazarite. The Bible character Samson, for example, was a Nazarite from birth because an angel appeared to his parents before he was conceived and told them that he would be a Nazarite. The boy Samuel was promised to God as a Nazarite by his mother before he was conceived. Although John the Baptist was never directly called a Nazarite, it's likely that he was one because God directed him, via his parents, to abstain from wine and other liquor.
Jesus Drank Wine
Avoiding wine drinking is one factor that disqualifies Jesus Christ from having been a Nazarite, since Jesus not only miraculously turned water into wine, according to the Bible book of John, but also drank it. In Luke's scriptural record, Luke quotes Jesus saying to his accusers: "The Son of Man [Jesus] has come eating and drinking, and you say, behold, a man who is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and notorious sinners." The fact that Jesus acknowledged that he drank wine shows clearly that he was not a Nazarite.
Jesus' Physical Appearance
Not being a Nazarite has implications regarding Jesus' appearance. The stereotypical portrayal of Jesus is the thin, long-haired, white-robed man, seen commonly in Christian artwork. But some, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, believe that since Jesus was not under a Nazarite vow, he was not required to grow out his hair. Therefore, according to some, it's likely that Jesus' hair was neatly trimmed in a style similar to other Jewish men of the day.
http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/jesus-nazarite-3013.html
https://pppministries.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/was-jesus-a-nazarite-the-nazareth-and-priestly-connections/
http://idahobaptist.com/matthew/matt025.htm
The word Nazirite is a general designation rather than a name. It denotes men and women (Numbers 6:2) who made a special vow to the Lord, or whose parents did (in the case ofSamuel, for instance; Samuel 1:11). What that vow exactly entailed is not clear, but it could either be temporary or permanent, and the rules of behavior for people who were under that vow were set out precisely (Numbers 6). The Nazirite could not drink alcohol or eat any fruit of the vine, or touch a dead person, or cut their hair. The famous life-long Nazirite Samson managed to break every single one of these statutes (Judges 13-16).
The word Nazirite occurs much more frequently in the early Old Testament than in the later books. But that the practice hadn't died out until the New Testament era is shown by Acts 18:18, which reads that Paul had his head shaven because he was previously under a vow. In Acts 21:27-26 Paul seeks to appease the Jews and declares that he has four Nazirites among his following and goes in for another stint himself (see v 23).
Since John the Baptist was probably a Nazirite (Luke 1:15), it is often supposed that Jesus was a Nazirite as well, but that is by no means certain, and actually highly unlikely. If He had been a Nazirite, He would have sinned as He touched the coffin of the widow's dead son (Luke 7:14) and as He called into Lazarus' grave (John 11:43, compare with Numbers 6:6), and also when He drank wine, although it isn't clear if He ever did (Matthew 11:19, compare with Numbers 6:3).
Jesus was not a Nazirite but a Nazarene, meaning: someone from Nazareth. Matthew explains the move of Jesus and His parents to Nazareth as something that was predicted by the prophets (Matthew 2:23) but the name Nazareth does not occur in the Old Testament and there is no canonized reference to the Messiah having to be a Nazarene. The disciple Nathanael seconds this when he declares that he has no knowledge of any prediction of something good having to come from Nazareth (John 1:46). Judging from the little discussion of John 1:43-51, it seems likely that Nathanael didn't just sneer but reviewed his knowledge of Moses and the prophets and concluded that they contained no reference to anything good coming from Nazareth (and 'good' is a very big word; see Matthew 19:17).
Still, even though some claim it from an Aramaic word meaning 'watchtower,' it's sort of half-defendable that the name Nazareth came from the same root as the word Nazirite (but see our article on the name Nazareth for a rebuttal and an alternative).
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11395-nazarite
ns for the Vow.
There were different reasons for taking the Nazarite vow. "It is usual with those that had been afflicted either with a distemper, or with any other distress, to make vows; and for thirty days before they are to offer their sacrifices, to abstain from wine, and to shave the hair of their heads" (Josephus, l.c.). The vow was taken also for the fulfilment of a wish, such as for the birth of a child (Naz. i. 7; comp. 9 and 10). "The pious in ancient times took such a vow, that they might have an opportunity to make a sin-offering" (Ned. 10b). "If one sees a woman suspected of adultery and convicted by the water of jealousy [Num. v.] let him become a Nazarite, since the law of Nazariteship follows immediately in Num. vi." (Ber. 63a). Some said: "I shall not die before I have become a Nazarite" (Ned. 3b), or, "Let me be a Nazarite on the day when the son of David [the Messiah] shall come." Such a Nazarite was allowed to drink wine only on the Sabbath and on feast-days, since the Messiah will not appear on these days ('Er. 43a). A shepherd who saw a lock of his own beautiful hair reflected in the water, and was tempted thereby to sin, took a Nazarite vow (Tosef., Naz. iv. 7; Ned. 9b). Although Nazariteship was marked by asceticism, many abstained from wine and meat even without taking the vow (B. B. 60b; Shab. 139a). Because of this some prominent rabbis who were opposed to asceticism regarded as sinners those who fasted or became Nazarites or took any vow whatsoever, and held that the person in question was an evil-doer, even if the vow was fulfilled (Ned. 9a, b, 20a, 77b; Naz. 4a; Ta'an. 11a).
Persons and Duration.
Women and slaves, who did not have full rights before the religious law, could take the Nazarite vow, but only with the consent of their husbands or owners, while the vow was not valid among the heathen (Naz. iv. 1-5, ix. 1, et passim). Fathers were allowed to dedicate minors, but mothers were forbidden to do so (ib. iv. 29b). The proper name "Nazira" may be connected with some such custom (Gen. R. lxxxii. end, et passim). Jesus is said to have been dedicated while still in the womb (Luke i. 15). Tradition regards not only Samson and Samuel, but also Absalom, as Nazarites, the last on account of his long hair (Naz. 4b). The duration of Nazariteship was voluntary, and ranged from one hour to a lifetime. In the former case, however, it really lasted for thirty days, which was also the period when no definite time was set (ib. i. 3; Sifre, Deut. 357). While the usual time was thirty days, two or more additional vows were generally taken, in which case each period was regarded as a separate Nazariteship, to be immediately followed, when duly completed, by the succeeding one (Maimonides, "Yad," Nezirut, iii. 6). The period was at times measured by the number of days of the solar or the lunar year (Naz. i., end; Yer. Naz. 54b); or one might say: "Let the number of my Nazariteships be as the hairs of my head, or as the dust-particles of the earth, or as the sands of the sea" (Naz. i. 4). A Nazarite for life might cut his too abundant hair once a year, but a Samson Nazarite might not cut his hair under any circumstances, although he might defile himself by touching a corpse (ib. 4a). While no comb was allowed to touch the hair, it might be cleansed and arranged by other means (ib. vi., end). A proverb says, "Let the Nazarite go around the vineyard, but let him not approach it" (Shab. 13a and parallels; Num. R. x.).
Outside of Palestine and in the Middle Ages.
Nazarite vows were taken also outside of Palestine (Naz. v. 4; iii. 6). Besides Helena, Queen of Adiabene, Miriam of Palmyra is mentioned as a Nazarite (Tos. to Naz. iv. 10). While the Law stated that Nazariteship was equally valid in the country and outside it, in the time of the Temple and after its destruction there was a difference of opinion between the followers of Shammai and of Hillel: the former held that one who entered Palestine after the fulfilment of a prolonged period of Nazariteship must live there thirty days longer as a Nazarite, while the latter maintained that he must begin his vow anew (Naz. iii. 6; comp. Maimonides, "Yad," Nezirut, ii. 20-21). The earlier and more universal custom agreed with the view of the school of Shammai, Josephus referring to the thirty days demanded, as above, in the passage already quoted—"B. J." ii. 15, § 1. The observance of the Nazarite vow probably continued for many centuries, but was finally lost in asceticism and mysticism. No Nazarites are known in the Middle Ages.
http://messianic.nazirene.org/nazir.htm
Years ago I suggested Nazarite Queen Helena of Abiabene was the Sleeping Beauty Princess, Rosamond. Her sarcophagus lies at rest under the pyramid of the Louvre, the place where Dan Brown's Fairytale suggests Mary Magdalene, the wife of Jesus is interred. There is not name in the whole internet like that of my grandmother, Mary Magdalene Rosamond, whose granddaughter married a Benton. Jessie Benton and her husband, John Fremont, had Hungarian ex-patriots in their bodyguard, that fought against the Confederated slave masters of the new Roman empire whose false evangelical prophets have taken over Fremont's party in order to take from the poor, the widow, and the elderly in order to give to the Imperial Billionaires of America.
The Roman swine who pretend to be wolves captured the beuatiful Menorah that Queen Helena gave as a gift to the Jewish people. My story 'Capturing Beauty' will bring the Light of God – home! I will overcome the world!
Johanne Wolferose
Kevin Brook cites that the Jewish kings of Adiabene were regularly involved in policy and military affairs. In 61 CE, Monobazus II, the king who Izates meant to succeed him, sent troops to Armenia to try to thwart an invasion of Adiabene. Two years later, he was in attendance at a peace settlement between Parthia and Rome. During the war of Judea against the Roman Empire (66-70 CE), the Adiabenian royal family supported the Judean side.34
According to Paul E. Kahle, there were many Jews in the city of Arbela even after the establishment of bishops and the spread of Christianity in Adiabene.35
1 Response to Jesus Was A Nazarite
What did Jesus write in the dust? If any Christian does not give me an answer by sunrise tommorow, than, all of Christiandom – IS DEAD!


text:
Casavant Opus 3507 available for purchase
St Paul's Episcopal Church in Beaufort, NC, wishes to sell their Casavant Tracker Organ. Opus 3507 (1981) has 12 ranks and is a free standing unit tracker. The instrument has two 56 note manuals and a 30 note concave radiating pedal board. All keys and stops are full tracker action.
Dimensions: 164" tall x 93" wide x 100" deep w/pedalboard
Man I:
8' Flute a chiminee; 4' Prestant; Fourniture III
Man II:
8' Bourdon; 4' Flute; 2' Doublette; Cornet III; Tremblant
Pedal:
16' Soubasse; II-I; I-Ped; II-Ped
All stops are enclosed except for the 4' Prestant speaking facade, and the 16' Soubasse which is located behind the case.
For more information, please contact: Rick Smith; (252)240-4955; ricksmith.organist@yahoo.com
Installing Officers
On Sunday, September 26, your Region IV Councillor traveled to Vero Beach, FL, to install the 2010-2011 officers of the Treasure Coast Chapter. The Great Choral Gathering and Service, held at First Baptist Church, Vero Beach, featured a combined choir conducted by guest Daniel Koh. A reception at the church was followed by dinner with AGO members at Citrus Grillhouse. Ah, fun and fellowship!
"Saints and Souls Alive!"
Brennan Szafron, organist, will present an organ recital of music for Halloween and All Saints Day at Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Tryon, NC, Friday, October 29, 2010, 7:00 p.m. Entitled "Saints and Souls Alive!", the concert will include compositions by J. S. Bach, Marcel Dupre, and Leon Boellmann.
A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Brennan is the first full time organist and choirmaster of the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Spartanburg, SC. He is also an adjunct instructor in organ performance at Converse College and is the college organist.
Brennan's training as an organist began in Ottawa, ON, Canada, in 1990. He finished high school in Regina, Saskatchewan, where he held his first professional organist positions at St. Peter's Anglican Church and Christ Lutheran Church.
Brennan is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree, with distinction, from the University of Alberta. At the age of 21, he became a Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. Further degrees include a Master of Music degree from Yale University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan.
Brennan is an active recitalist, and Holy Cross Tryon is fortunate to feature him on the William E. Seifert Memorial Organ Recital Series. Come and hear the scary and not so scary sounds of the 43-rank chancel organ at Holy Cross, rebuilt by John Dower & Company, Lincolnton, NC in 1994-1995, and played by one of the finest organists in the Southeast.
Brennan Szafron is represented by Concert Artist Cooperative of Sebastopal, CA.
For more information, please contact Susie Mahnke, Organist/Choir Director
150 Melrose Avenue
Tryon, NC 28782
www.holycrosstryon.org
Visiting Region IV Chapters
Your Region IV Councillor is on the road! On Sunday, September 12, Laura traveled to the Ocala (FL) chapter for the kick-off dinner at the home of Dean Dr. Wayne Earnest (catering from Sonny's BBQ!) On Friday, September 17, Laura 'crashed' the Jacksonville (FL) member BBQ held at the home of Tamara and Thor Wenzel (burgers and a splendid pot-luck!)
Watch this blog for periodic updates from your wandering councillor!
"Around the World in 80 Minutes"
Join R. Monty Bennett for a Sonic World Tour of organ music from North America, Asia, Europe and South America. The program will be on Sunday, October 17, 2010, 3:30 pm at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC. For more information, please visit: www.friendshipcharlotte.org Phone: 704-392-0392