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Lillo Gets 10 Years
CNN reports on the sentencing of Lillo Brancato, the Soprano's actor who was convicted of burglary in connection with the break in which resulted in the death of an off-duty policeman.
In our previous discussions of this case, here and here, we went over the question of culpability of an "unknowing" accomplice in a murder case. I feel the benefit of the doubt should be given whenever possible, that only the trigger man should pay. Others feel differently.
Today perhaps we can discuss the merits of severe sentencing, which is what I think happened here. I was hoping he'd get out on time served, having already been in for three years. My idea is that if any hope of rehabilitation exists, it is inversely proportional to the severity of the sentence. In other words, the circumstances of Lillo's case, his addiction, crime, arrest and conviction followed by sitting in jail for three years might have combined to sufficiently get his attention and turn him around. Perhaps this could be determined through psychological testing. In such a case, serving another five or so years might do more harm than good.
Another aspect of this case is the cop-killer liability. I wonder if the fact that the victim was an off-duty police officer contributed to the judge's decision. Even though Lillo was not guilty of the murder, perhaps a message was sent nevertheless, cop-killers pay a heavier price than regular killers. What do you think?
Do you agree that his 10-year sentence is a heavy one? Do you think cop-killers should be punished more severely? Do you see any similarity between this situation and the O.J. one?
Labels: lillo brancato, murder, sopranos
The Year of the Diamond Dogs - 1974
Twenty-one years old, not a care in the world, I was cruising along in South Jersey one sunny afternoon when I came within range of the Philadelphia radio stations. David Bowie was appearing in the Tower Theater, said the DJ. As a special promotion, he explained, listeners could send in a self-addressed stamped envelope in order to win four free tickets. Three weeks later my friends and I sat in the front row having received what must have been the very first tickets issued, Row A, seats 1 through 4.
That was July 1974. The album, David Live, was recorded there. Looking back, what amazes me is that Bowie was just 27 years old then, already the author of a huge body of artistic work.
Yesterday was his 62nd birthday. Happy Birthday David. May you have many many more.
Here's a wonderful interview from a few years ago where he talks about growing older, about where the idea of "Ziggy" came from and about his father.
Labels: david bowie, great music, music of the 70s, tower theater
Houston Police Shoot Unarmed Robbie Tolan
CNN reports on another tragic police shooting. Houston police shot Robbie Tolan, the son of the famous baseball player, Bobby Tolan who played with the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was 2 a.m. on December 31 when Tolan and his cousin, Anthony Cooper, were confronted in the driveway of their home by Bellaire, Texas, police officers. Police officials say the officers suspected the two young men were driving a stolen car.
Bellaire is a prominent, mostly white suburb in southwest Houston.
What the police described as an altercation took place. In the end, a white cop shot an unarmed black man, again.
I guess this story has been in Texas papers but only now, nine days later is it hitting the national media. Just the other day, Preaching to the Choir posted an essay about police violence, even offering the benefit of the doubt: "Or are our police doing the best they can at a difficult and dangerous job?"
Here's my comment to her post in its entirety:
My idea is that many police officers are unfit psychologically. These need to be weeded out or given desk jobs. New hires should meet higher standards; there must be ways to screen for extreme racism or the tendency to abuse power.
However, all that should always be accompanied with recognition of the fact that most officers are "doing the best they can at a difficult and dangerous job," as you said.
I'd like to add something to that. I think it may be about power. It may be about how people tend to abuse their power. What better examples are there than policemen shooting unarmed "suspects?" But, involved in this age-old problem of power management, if you will, is the continually expanding attitude in America of violence, or the threat thereof, being the answer.
Our frequent commenters who promote arming citizens as the best response to the violence in our society, I feel, have it wrong. They are perpetuating an increasingly bloody cycle which has no good end. I can understand, let's say the shop owner in Newark or Jersey City, who has to close up the store late in the evening, alone on the dark streets walking to his car with the days receipts in pocket. I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about the rest of you.
What's your opinion? Should young Tolan have been armed to protect himself from the police? Would that have helped?
Do you think there's a connection between the legitimate gun owners and all the misuse of firearms we read about, whether by the police or by criminals?
Labels: gun violence, police brutality, racial shooting, robbie tolan
Canada Prosecuting Polygamists
CNN reports on the landmark case in British Columbia Canada in which the government has decided to go after the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or FLDS.
Two leaders of a Canadian polygamist sect were arrested Wednesday and charged with polygamy in what could be a landmark case, said Wally Oppal, attorney general of British Columbia.
Winston Blackmore, 52, and James Oler, 44, were taken into custody in Bountiful, a western town of about 1,000 residents, Oppal said.
Blackmore has married 19 women and Oler married five, the official said.
The men are members of the polygamist sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or FLDS church, he added.
The immediate reaction on the part of many, myself included, is this is too much government interference. It's not so much that I buy into that "religious freedom" argument, as much as I just don't feel comfortable with the federal government butting into people's private lives.
However, in discussing the famous case of Warren Jeffs a few months ago, I came to a conclusion. Perhaps it shouldn't have taken me so long; my only excuse is my deep distrust of the Feds.
I believe these are, in many cases, middle aged men who are hiding behind the facade of church and religion to act out their lustful pleasures. Warren Jeffs married a twelve-year-old. I'd be interested to hear the ages at the time of marriage of the 19 wives of Mr. Blackmore.
What's your opinion? The pro-Mormon site, Messenger and Advocate made a big deal about the fact that Canada supports gay marriage but opposes polygamy. Do you think that's a valid comparison? I believe their idea is that homosexuality is an abomination, while polygamy practiced within their church is blessed. How does that work for you?
Please feel free to comment. The commenting policy on this blog is very easy to live with.
Labels: FLDS, polygamy, warren jeffs
Hudson County Murders - Interactive Map
The NJ.com site has a fascinating interactive map of the murders which took place in Hudson County in 2008, 36 in all. The details of each case were of particular interest to me for several reasons:
One, I graduated from St. Peter's College in Jersey City, just walking distance from most of the murder sites. I remember in the 80s, between the PATH train and the school, I was most impressed with the litter and debris left on the street and sidewalks. There was an awful degredation in the neighborhood. It seemed there was a large Egyptian population in the area.
Two, so many of the murders were by stabbing. One of the commenters in the NJ.com article provided the count: more knife killings than gun killings. I must admit, I found this surprising; there were even several by strangulation.
Three, almost all of the names looked Hispanic.
What does it all mean? If I had to attend St. Peter's College today, twenty years later, would it be more dangerous than it was back then? Would I want to carry a gun? Perhaps.
On the other hand, perhaps 38 murders in Hudson County in one year is not all that big a deal. What do you think?
Labels: gun violence, knife violence, murder
Isaac Asimov Quote
All the quantum mechanics in the world cannot make it possible to predict the behavior of one lone electron, only the average behavior of many.
Prelude to Foundation
Labels: foundation, isaac asomov, prelude to foundation, sci-fi, science fiction
Charlie Daniels' Wager
Labels: charlie daniels, great music, music of the 70s
What Would Pascal Have to Say?
The New York Times has a report on an unusual ad campaign in Britain in which atheists are trying to reach the people. The idea was born in response to the Christian advertising already in place.
The advertisement on the bus was fairly mild, just a passage from the Bible and the address of a Christian Web site. But when Ariane Sherine, a comedy writer, looked on the Web site in June, she was startled to learn that she and her nonbelieving friends were headed straight to hell, to "spend all eternity in torment."
I'm not completely objective in this, but comparing the two messages, one threatening hell and the other suggesting to enjoy life, I have to side with the enjoy life crowd.
When I was a kid growing up in New Jersey in the 50s and 60s, the standard fare at Catholic school was pretty much the same and the Christian message cited above. Only baptized Catholics who died in the state of grace could get into Heaven, they said. I think that was the very first thing I rebelled against. Something deep inside me knew God would never have it that way. And, I'm happy to report the Catholic Church has lightened up on its teaching in this area since the Second Vatican Council.
What do you think about this spending "all eternity in torment" bit? Isn't it self-contradicting to preach "love thy neighbor" while threatening something like this? If there really is a God, wouldn't he or she be bigger than that? If God could create the universe and keep it running, wouldn't the same God be able to reconcile that which the little human mind finds irreconcilable?
Pascal made it very simple.
What's your opinion?
Labels: atheism, christianity, pascal, philosophy
Miami Trial Begins in Turnpike Slayings
The Miami Herald reports on the start of the death penalty trial of Daniel Troya and Ricardo Sanchez Jr. Danny Varela and Liana Lee Lopez will stand trial as well on drug charges that could bring life sentences for each if convicted. All four allegedly were involved in a massive drug-trafficking operation managed by Jose Luis Escobedo.
Murdered was the entire Escobedo family of four.
The Escobedo slayings became national news on Oct. 13, 2006, when the family's bullet-riddled bodies were found a few feet from the turnpike. Investigators found Yessica's arms wrapped protectively around her sons, 4-year-old Luis Damien and 3-year-old Luis Julian, but the mother's body failed to shield the boys from multiple gunshots.
It seems to me there's a big difference between a crime like this and that of George Jenewicz, for example. Although I oppose the death penalty in any case, the crime committed here, the cold-blooded execution of an entire family, comes about as close as one can. Men who kill for a living are the worst.
What's your opinion? Do you think Jose Escobedo had it coming, being that he was in the drug business? That's how Hyman Roth would see it.
Labels: capital punishment, daniel troya, danny varela, death penalty, drugs, liana lee lopez, murder, ricardo sanchez jr.
Another Guantánamo Survivor
The International Herald Tribune reports on the release from custody of Muhammad Saad Iqbal. His incredible story is now coming to light. Arrested in Jakarta in 2002, he was shuttled around the world to different American-run prisons, aggressively interrogated and ended up spending almost 6 years in Guantánamo. Not unlike the Muslim family we talked about the other day, this guy was arrested for having said something suspicious.
But the full stories of individual detainees like Iqbal are only now emerging after years in which they were shuttled around the globe under the Bush administration's system of extraordinary rendition, which used foreign countries to interrogate and detain terrorism suspects in sites beyond the reach of American courts.
Iqbal was never convicted of any crime, or even charged with one. He was quietly released from Guantánamo with a routine explanation that he was no longer considered an enemy combatant, part of an effort by the Bush administration to reduce the prison's population.
How far should the American Security Forces go to protect us from terrorism? Do you feel like Cheney said last week that it's acceptable to torture people? Wasn't America supposed to be a safe haven from this kind of activity? Weren't we called "The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?"
One thing occurs to me about this is that it's not only Muslim men who look like Iqbal who have been subjected to this kind of treatment. We've got a long history of incarcerating real Americans who turn out to be innocent, as we've discussed before.
Labels: bush administration, Muhammad Saad Iqbal, terrorism
The Airplane, Anyone Remember Them?
In loyalty to their kind
They cannot tolerate our minds.
In loyalty to our kind
We cannot tolerate their obstruction.
Labels: great music, jefferson airplane, music of the 60s and 70s
Pat Robertson and the 700 Club
Bostonherald.com reports on the 2009 predictions by Pat Robertson (H/T Alan Colmes' Liberaland). He said socialism is coming to America, which will probably end up being a judgment call; he mentioned oil and gold going up to levels they've already reached in 2007. But this is the thing that caught my attention.
On Friday, Robertson said God told him Islam was losing its grip on Muslims repelled by the violence and bloodshed of a "religion of hate."
First of all, I ask myself about this "hearing the word of God" business. Doesn't his broadcasting these Divine Communications to the 700 Club and to the world, turn something that should be sacred into something very profane? In other words, a believing person who actually achieves communion with God in his heart through prayer and meditation would possess something of awesome value, something more fit for the written word perhaps but not to be blasted out over the air waves and the internet like this.
Secondly, there's the content of the message. It reminds me of the outrageous scandal of a couple years ago when he called for the assassination of Chavez. In this message he's calling Islam a "religion of hate." Aren't there rules against saying things like that? Common sense for one thing, would indicate that it's simply false. Furthermore, the underlying premise is also false, that Islam is so replete with "violence and bloodshed" that its adherents are being turned off. This is not the Islam that I know about.
I tend to agree with the commenters I've read in both Liberaland and the Boston Herald who ask, "Does anybody take this guy seriously?" Unfortunately I think I know the answer, so my question is, "why?"
Labels: 700 club, christian right, fundamentalist christian movement, pat robertson
First Marijuana Citation in Massachusetts
The Boston Globe reports on the first citation issued for possession of marijuana since the voters decided it should be decriminalized. This particular case involved other drugs, however.
A Holyoke man could be the first person in Massachusetts cited for possession of marijuana, an action that lost its criminal status Friday because voters approved a decriminalization referendum in November. However, 29-year-old Jose Burgos could still face prison time on charges of trafficking cocaine and possession of a Class A substance with intent to distribute.
I find it a bit funny that the first guy to "benefit" from the new law won't benefit at all. The actual practical application of the law is yet to be worked out. In theory it'll be much like a traffic citation.
Sergeant Richard Perry of the Bellingham Police Department said officers expect to issue tickets for possession, but have not worked out the logistics.
"I can tell you that they're working on how we would fine the person," Perry said. "So right now it would be pretty much the way most departments are handling it: We'd confiscate [the marijuana] and identify the person and send them on their way."
Under the marijuana decriminalization law, offenders who are caught with an ounce or less of marijuana get a ticket for a civil violation, but are not criminally charged. Juveniles have to pay the $100 fine and attend a drug abuse counseling course, or the fine will be increased to $1,000.
What do you think about that? Should we be concerned that it sends the wrong message to young people? What about other drugs? If they are in small enough quantities to indicate personal use, shouldn't they be handled this way too? What about out and out legalization? Wouldn't that allow for better control and taxation? We talked about that before.
Labels: decriminalization, drug laws, drugs, marijuana
Security in America
Preaching to the choir has published a thought-provoking post about the Muslim family that was removed from and Air Tran flight because other passengers overheard some of their conversation and reported it to the authorities.
In the past few months, I have heard many people say one thing we have to acknowledge about the Bush presidency is that it has kept us safe from terrorist attack. I disagree with that premise and I think this case highlights what the real legacy of the Bush administration will be on terrorism. The administration has succeeded in fostering a culture of fear that leads to neighbors eavesdropping on neighbors and to innocent American citizens being pulled off planes. This is not safety. Not if every Muslim American or American of middle-eastern descent has to monitor public conversations so as not to risk being misconstrued and reported to the FBI.
Does the Bush Administration deserve some credit for the fact that since 9/11 there have been no major terrorist attacks in the U.S.? Do you think we've gone too far with the invasion of privacy, in this case private conversation, but frequently it's digital and electronic surveillance? Can this kind of thing be justified by an honest effort on the part of federal law enforcement to keep us safe?
I tend to agree with Sarah that they've "succeeded in fostering a culture of fear." The fact that Bush and Co. were so quick to capitalize on the fear and shock which followed the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers made me question their true intentions. While claiming to have American security as their chief goal, they mounted an intricate campaign to increase fear in order to generate support for invading Iraq. And it worked. Sad and pathetic is what I call it, and dark days in American history.
As the years passed, each one accompanied by a diminished percentage of support for the war and the administration, we're left with this legacy: "neighbors eavesdropping on neighbors and innocent American citizens being pulled off planes."
What's your opinion? Is America safer today?
Labels: Homeland security, terrorism


Practicing yoga: yoga is a gentle, all-body exercise that helps calm the mind and reduce stress. Those who practice yoga do it to improve and enhance both mind and body. Today, we will focus on the physical benefits of a regular yoga practice.
The longer you do yoga, the more proficient you'll become, and the greater benefits you'll experience. As with any regular movement program, you should do yoga at least three times a week to reap the maximum results.
When you begin yoga, you may feel as flexible as a board. Keep at it. As you continue, you'll find you can hold poses a little longer each week, and you can move a little further each class. You'll bend, stretch, and twist with less effort.
All these changes come gradually and won't happen overnight… but they will happen.
During yoga, you learn to control your breathing by taking long, deep breaths. This improves your lung function and blood oxygen saturation. Your endurance will improve, and you'll feel more energized from the extra oxygen.
Certain types of yoga, such as hot yoga (Bikram) or Ashtanga, offer a cardiovascular workout that can boost your metabolism and heart rate. And unlike other cardio, yoga gives you many more benefits for mind and body.
As you do yoga, you build muscle strength without the need for weights or other equipment. Your body weight is your resistance. It's gentle muscle sculpting without risking injury as you would by using weights or machines.
Yoga is often the first step to healthier lifestyle, which includes weight loss—or at least lack of weight gain. A study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that overweight people who performed yoga once per week for at least four years lost an average of five pounds, while those who didn't do yoga gained 13.5 pounds.
Increased blood flow helps the heart work better, transports more nutrients and oxygen through your body, reduces inflammation, and improves the circulation in your extremities.
The movements in yoga use gravity to pull blood to all areas of the body. Increased circulation helps with pain management and organ health.
A flexible body is less prone to injury. Often, we hurt ourselves by straining tight muscles or forcing our bodies into unnatural positions. Yoga loosens the body, moves joints through the full range of motion, and allows you to move more fluidly, reducing the risk of injury.
Yoga reduces depression and helps your body lower its levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol. At the same time, your serotonin levels rise, and your mood is elevated.
Many who practice yoga find themselves improving their diets, reducing alcohol and soda intake, and sleeping more soundly.
The level of concentration needed to perform yoga is soothing to the mind and reduces stress. Again, you may not experience this right away, but the more you practice yoga, the less anxious you'll feel.
When you do feel stress at work or at home, you'll automatically begin yoga breathing to calm down, or you may go into your favorite pose to relieve anxiety.
Yoga's typical slow pace teaches you to relax and experience each moment as it happens. You learn to concentrate on what you want your body to do, which calms and rejuvenates you at the same time.
Your body responds with slower respiration and heart rates. Your mind quiets, and you go into a meditative state, which further relaxes you.
Yoga is often the first step in making life changes that improve health and happiness. Those who enjoy yoga become more mindful of healthy changes they can make in other areas of their lives. They tend to be more mindful of their diets, cope better with stress, sleep more soundly, and avoid unhealthy behaviors.
If you'd like to start a yoga practice today, try this video.


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Welcome Home, Loser peut faire référence à :
 Welcome Home, Loser, une série télévisée (titre en français : Bienvenue à la Maison, Perdant)
 , un album musical

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Phones play important roles in businesses. Communication within and outside of the office is crucial to success. Whether it is for speaking with other members of your team, or if it's to communicate with a client, phones are key. Call routing is a must have feature with a phone system because it allows you to seamlessly connect to the correct party. Having the right software in place will determine your success.
DYL is focused on providing the best communication solutions for your business. Our phones combine sales automation to allow businesses to effectively connect with their potential and existing customers. We understand the importance of getting in touch with your clients. With that said, here is how we improve communication with our call routing software.
What Is Call Routing Software?
As businesses grow, they have more and more departments and people within the company. Keeping them all in order can easily become difficult. Call routing software allows you to easily direct calls to the appropriate party. This type of software is highly automated so you can easily program calls to fit your business needs.
There are different rules that your business can utilize to automate call routing. Routing calls could be time-based, skill-based, or distributed using round-robin. This will allow you to direct the calls in a way that is appropriate for your team and save on customer wait time. They will quickly get connected with the appropriate person.
Time-based routing will depend on what time the customer calls. Skills-based is great for businesses that offer different products and have certain salespeople who handle certain products. Round robins will distribute calls evenly among reps or in an amount that is right for your business. Often, it is normal to see more calls directed toward newer staff so they can receive extra training.
Our software offers excellent automation capabilities that save a lot of time on transferring calls. Running a streamlined call center makes sure callers don't have an overwhelming wait time to speak to a rep. This leads to less dropped calls and more potential sales. Meanwhile, sales reps can easily connect with callers or direct them as needed.
Our software also ties in our Lead & Contact Management service that gives your sales team much more control over every lead. Your business is fully equipped with lead scoring, lead nurturing, appointment reminders, and many other tools that will keep the conversation going. It is important to handle calls effectively, and we do it in a way that boosts your sales.
If you'd like to start getting more success out of your phones, DYL offers the best tools to streamline sales and calls. Our software is focused on giving you the proper communication with potential and existing clients. We provide ease with our phones, so you spend less time on the phone with us, and more time on the phone with leads. Your business can start taking advantage of our tools today! You can request a demo of our phones by clicking here or give us a call at 855.357.9249!


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As part of our #VirtualAHA promotions, offered in conjunction with the 2021 virtual conference of the American Historical Association, Pacific Historical Review invites you to read the following award-winning scholarship published within …
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The Imperial Presidency and the Irrelevant Congress
In the wake of the U.S. drone attack on Qassim Suleimani and the subsequent Congressional action to restrict further presidential military action against Iran, Andrew L. Johns, whose presidential address at the …
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Congratulations to Pacific Historical Review's #WHA2019 Award Winners
Congratulations are in order for Pacific Historical Review and three of its contributors who are being honored this week with awards from the Western History Association. This year's WHA Awards (for which …
Kelly Lytle Hernández Awarded MacArthur Fellowship
UC Press is thrilled to share that UCLA professor and UC Press author Kelly Lytle Hernández has been named a 2019 MacArthur Fellow. Distributed annually since 1981, the MacArthur Fellowship includes a …
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The Western Association of Women Historians is celebrating "50 years of telling it like it was" at this year's WAWH annual conference (April 25-27, 2019 in Portland, Oregon) marking the organization's 50th …

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Blog Government & Politics
National Lobbying Firm Establishes Md. Operation
By Josh Kurtz
Husch Blackwell Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm, is setting up a government relations practice in Maryland, and Sarah Peters, a veteran of the Hogan administration, is the firm's first hire in the Free State.
Peters, who most recently worked as a lobbyist with the Annapolis firm Bellamy-Genn Group LLC, is starting her new gig on Thursday. Maryland is the fifth state in the firm's government practice group, joining Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin.
Peters' previous work in government includes serving as the legislative manager for the Maryland Transit Administration during Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.'s first term.
"Sarah brings a deep understanding of law and policy, and a proven track record of successfully navigating the
intricacies of legislation and government at large," said Andy Blunt, chief operating officer for Husch Blackwell
Strategies. "Her skill set will be immediately beneficial to our team and the clients we serve."
The firm has a long client list at the federal and state levels, many of whom already have Annapolis-based lobbyists, from Altria to Exelon to Facebook, so it isn't clear who Peters will be representing at first. At Bellamy-Genn, her clients included the American Forest and Paper Association, Kaiser Permanente, and the Wine Institute.
"HBS has a very unique strategic vision, and the opportunity to join a team with HBS' level of character and capabilities doesn't come around every day," Peters said.
Tags: Sarah Peters
Founding editor
Founding Editor Josh Kurtz is a veteran chronicler of Maryland politics and government. He began covering the State House in 1995 for The Gazette newspapers, and has been writing about state and local politics ever since. He was an editor at Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, for eight years, and for eight years was the editor of E&E Daily, which covers energy and environmental policy on Capitol Hill. For 6 1/2 years Kurtz wrote a weekly column on state politics for Center Maryland and has written for several other Maryland publications as well. Kurtz regularly gives speeches and appears on TV and radio shows to discuss Maryland politics.
All posts by Josh Kurtz
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I had a plan for something much less sloppy in covering teachings that must not be lost. Apparently God did not share the same plans. Maybe by looking at Jesus' church circumspectly, from several possible angles, we can paint a picture that will bring light to those who read.
If you haven't, you might want to read part one and part two.
The actual video is called "Protestantism and Authority," and it is found on Youtube.
The video is a Roman Catholic apologetic. I disagree with its premise, but I completely agree with its charges against Protestantism. How can I not? They're obviously correct.
Hopefully, my response will direct Protestants and Catholics both to the right question.
Father Robert Barron states this as the central issue of this short video at 0:52 in. On the surface this is an excellent question. I blame no one for asking it.
I just think it's already been answered.
At about 1:15 of the video Fr. Barron tells us that Martin Luther's answer was that because of the priesthood of all believers, we are all capable of reading the Bible and interpreting it.
Do you need Fr. Barron to tell you what his argument against this Protestant teaching is? You probably don't. You know the problem with Martin Luther's assertion. These "capable" Bible interpreters have come up with at least 30,000 different answers to what the church ought to be.
Oops! That didn't work very well.
At around 1:53, Fr. Barron then tells us that Alister McGrath's answer (Barron is critiquing a book by McGrath) is to reject any absolute authority and rely on a consensus that gradually builds up.
Fr. Barron is apparently pretty smart because he tears that argument apart several ways. Really, though, the objection to Martin Luther's answer is just as valid when applied to McGrath's. There are at least 30,000 consensuses that have gradually built up. Which one should we rely on?
At 2:40, Fr. Barron gets to his own answer.
We do need a voice, finally, that can determine for us the truth of things when there is this tremendous disagreement.
He adds Cardinal John Henry Newman's answer, basically the same.
There has to be a living voice that can determine the truth of things when the church is divided about central matters.
Fr. Barron compares this to the role of a referee in a sporting event. A referee doesn't tell everyone what to do, but when there is a dispute, everyone agrees there needs to be a referee.
This is the role of the church, he says, in Cardinal Newman's eyes.
Fr. Barron tells us that Cardinal Newman's opinion, while he was Anglican, was that the referee, the final interpreter of the Word of God, would be the consensus of the fathers. Newman realized, however, that their voice was not a "living" voice. They had to be interpreted as well. They can no longer speak for themselves.
Fr. Barron foresees my objection. At 5:35 he tells us that the umpire analogy breaks down. Umpires and referees can be wrong. In fact, referees are sometimes fired because they are incompetent or biased.
I figured a few Protestants might be offended because I'm referring to Mr. Barron as Fr. Barron, so I threw in a "Bob" here. Now that I've pretended to obey the letter (as opposed to the spirit) of Matthew 23:8, I'm going to go back to being polite.
By the way, Protestants who object to the Catholic use of "father", while referring to men as Pastor Hagee or Dr. Stanley are hypocrites anyway. Our reference should be to Matt. 23:5-12, not just v. 8.
Sorry. pet peeve of mine.
Anyway, Fr. Barron's defense to the charge that I would make, that the Roman Catholic "magisterium" is not a competent referee and should be fired, is that the Holy Spirit shares his and Cardinal Newman's opinion that we must have a living voice to be the final interpreter of God's Word. Thus, the Holy Spirit would ensure that the truth given to the apostolic churches was preserved by some organization that descended from those churches, in this case the Roman Catholic Church.
My answer to Fr. Barron is the same answer he gave to the Protestant idea that an ongoing consensus could be the final authority on the truth. That Protestant answer clearly did not work. Thirty thousand denominations is his evidence.
The answer Fr. Barron gives, that the Holy Spirit would ensure that the truth would be preserved in the Roman Catholic Church, clearly did not happen. Numerous significant false doctrines are my evidence. Prayer to saints, the assumption of Mary, her immaculate conception, a philosophy of leadership bolstered by an invented history, a priesthood class in the church, and so many more.
It is a nice theory that the Holy Spirit would preserve truth in the Roman Catholic Church, but the proof is in the pudding. Bad fruit does not come from a good tree. If the fruit is bad, make the tree bad.
I think the right question makes it clear that the wrong question leads us to the wrong tree.
Jesus said that a true prophet would be known by his fruit. A good tree produces good fruit.
Who is producing the fruit that Jesus and the apostles produced?
The fruit of properly interpreting the Scriptures—and thus the rest of God's Word—is Christians who are thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Every good work includes the prayer that Fr. Barron mentioned. Jesus prayed that his disciples would be as united with one another as he is with the Father (Jn. 17:20-23). Every good work also includes love between the disciples (Jn. 13:34-35), obviously meaning a love that exceeeds typical love in the world, or else that love would be no proof of anything.
The authoritative interpreter of the Word of God is any church that is producing a unity between disciples that is so like the unity between God and his Son that the world believes God sent him (Jn. 17:20-23).
The authoritative interpreter of the Word of God is any church that produces disciples that love one another so much that the world knows they are Jesus' disciples by their love for one another (Jn. 13:34-35), not by an organization they hold in common.
The authoritative interpreter of the Word of God is any church that consistently raises up disciples who are thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
If you want to be able to argue that you are joined to the right church, join yourself to people that effectively argue that they are the true church.
If you want to feel like you are correctly interpreting the Scriptures, join yourself to people that win all the doctrinal arguments in which they engage.
If you want to be a part of the family of God, united in love, sharing and being shared with, growing in godliness and experiencing the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, join yourself to people living that way.
Each one of these illustrate the truth that trees produce fruit in accordance with their nature.
I would argue that the goal of Scripture interpretation is to produce people who keep God's commandments (1 Jn. 2:4), walk in the light (1 Jn. 1:7; 2:6), practice righteous (1 Jn. 3:7), and love one another (1 Jn. 4:7-8; Jn. 15:12).
If you find a tree producing that fruit, you can be sure it is a good tree, a true and trustworthy interpreter of the Word of God.
This entry was posted in Bible, Church, Protestants, Roman Catholic & Orthodox, Teachings that must not be lost, Unity and tagged bible interpretation, primacy, protestantism, roman catholicism, the church. Bookmark the permalink.
Oh, great. I'm supposed to be eliminating the word "clear" from my writing. I'm failing miserably. I am going to have to redouble my efforts. There are better ways to say that I think I'm right, lol.
In fact, I remembered to take "clear" out of my response to you. I'm obviously not very consistent with it.
I think both you and I said enough for our exchange to be fairly judged by others. Trying to convince each other is probably not a good use of my time or yours.
Well, here's my concise answer.
1. I made it clear what fruit I was looking for.
So, I don't really have an answer to that comment. I only give this to say I think my post is already on answer to this comment.
That's my concise answer. The following is a new take based on something you said in your comment.
Call me a heretic or whatever you want. I absolutely reject the assertion that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against [my church]" means that the organization that developed from the apostolic churches cannot fall. I think it obviously fell. I think that anyone who reads Eusebius _Ecclesiastical History_, written in AD 323, and who also reads the ecclesiastical histories of Socrates, Sozomen, & Theodotus in the 5th century–I think that anyone who reads Eusebius and the other set of histories has to see the remarkable difference in them. The church, as it was known before Constantine, was lost. It fell.
That's reality. You can interpret the Scriptures to say it could not be so, but all anyone could accomplish by that is to prove the Scriptures wrong. The church, as it was known before Constantine, is lost … competely, totally lost.
The only kind of reasoning that could deny that is the kind that would compare the RCC of today (or the Protestants) to the fellowship of the church described in Acts. It may exist somewhere, just as it exists here and there in the Protestants. It's worth everything to be a part of that for me. I can't see how joining the organization that lost the life of the church in the 4th century is going to help me get back to it in the 21st century.
Further, I did find a route that led me back to the life of the early church. I live it. I experience it. That's my argument that there are people who can be a final authority without being connected to an ancient organization.
1. I thought I made it clear that the fruit you're looking for does not follow a reliable criteria without first answering the "great question" of authority.
2. I know you gave some doctrines that you disagree with or don't understand, but as I thought I explained, to make a judgment on the Church by those doctrines rather than directly addressing the "great question" of authority is putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.
It sounds like you're still thinking of the Catholic Church as just another denomination. That's why I spent so much time addressing that in my comment, because it must be challenged. "It fell." What fell? An effective living voice and authority?
I hate to ask you to wade through my crazy long comment again, but if we need an authoritative "living voice" (think councils), who do you propose to compete against the Catholic Church? And by what authority do you declare the Catholic Church's pre-eminent authority to have expired? By what authority do you claim to be part of a Church that is effectively producing proper fruit and emulating Acts? The great question.
Yes, you did make it clear, and you did explain. Once again I have two answers.
1. I think I explained what I felt to be the great question of authority. It's fruit, and the judge of that fruit is me or anyone else. I know you disagree with that, so once you did, I figured I'd just let your comment stand against my original post. No sense repeating our arguments.
2. In justification of that position, let me say I can't do the religious thing that says, "We can't really know." I (and almost everyone else) can look at Acts 2:42-47, Justin's First Apology 14, and Tertullian's Apology 39, along with the commands in The Didache and in the apostles' writings and see that hardly any churches of any persuasion live like that. I (and almost everyone else) can look at where it is being produced, and recognize that people are living like that or not.
We can even recognize when community is forced by rules or inheritance.
We can judge whether there is any apostolic or historical accuracy to the assumption of Mary and to the way Mary is spoken about in the Roman Catholic parishes. I can look at Scripture and see that Scripture's treatment of Mary is different than the RCC's, and not by a little. I can read the writings of Ignatius, Clement of Rome, Justin, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Polycarp, etc., and I can tell that the things they talk about are nothing like what I experienced in the RCC.
I've listened to their explanations for the huge differences. I reject them, and I most certainly reject the charge that I'm not qualified to reject their doctrines and explanations for them.
When I quote the early church fathers, I can quote them freely because I'm trying to understand what they taught. When the RCC quotes the early church fathers, they have to hide things–lots of things. They quote Cyprian as an authority, but they never tell you about the 7th Council of Carthage, which he led, rejecting Stephen of Rome's authority to rule other bishops. Then, when I point out the 7th Council of Carthage, then suddenly Cyprian has no authority, and worse, he might be a heretic!
I quote Irenaeus, and when I do, I don't dodge the famous passage in Bk. III, ch. 3, par. 2 which says that Rome has "more powerful preeminence," but you'll be hard pressed to find a Roman Catholic who quotes anything surrounding that quote.
It's just what I experience with the creationists. I find them picking and choosing, purposely leaving things out in an attempt to deceive me and others, and I am distressed to find that the much more honest side of that debate is the mostly secular, 40% atheist scientific community.
Sorry, I am not even close to being willing to say that I am unqualified to pass judgment on such obvious errors.
Finally, my authority, I suppose, includes an appeal to reason. A lot of Christians have rejected reason. I haven't found the fruit of that choice to be very impressive, either. Quite the contrary.
I appreciate you offering further clarification of your position, and since it's your blog, I'd like to let you have the last word on the matter.
I only want to make sure you know that I was mirroring your statement of "I made it clear" from your numbered points, and did not mean to sound rude, although I did wonder if perhaps you had disregarded my points too quickly.
Your knowledge of history is indeed inspiring, and I know I have a lot to continue learning from you, and from others on the subject.
I was pleasantly surprised to see this post and your thoughtful consideration and treatment of Fr. Barron's video. I could not possibly be offended by your honest differences with the Catholic Church, although I believe your differences are largely based upon misunderstandings. I'll be curious to see if others wish to add their thoughts to the discussion, but I'd like to come back later and address some specifics if I can.
By the way, would you mind double checking your links?
I fixed the link. I look forward to hearing from you.
First of all, Fr. Robert Barron's video speaks for itself, and if anyone has not yet watched it, they should. It really needs no further clarification from me, and my thoughts will be directed primarily toward your post.
1.	"Scripture Alone" as the authority in the Church is an idea that breaks down very quickly when put to the test. Many people never get past this step, but it is crucial to understand if someone wishes to proceed.
2.	The "invisible church" concept is sketchy at best. I see it as illegitimate as an authority, and 30,000 denominations demonstrate this. Can it even be accurately defined?
3.	Therefore, the Church must be in some way visible, and this visible Church must ultimately possess some kind of authority, or "living voice", to settle doctrinal disputes and interpret the Scriptures. Someone must be able to declare a council to combat heresy. What Church can do this?
So, to me, the question of "who finally has the authority to interpret the Word of God" is not only the right question, it is indeed the Great Question. It is at least not unreasonable to ponder, especially for anyone who has ever disagreed with anyone over what a passage of Scripture means.
So, WHO has this authority? We've basically agreed that Martin Luther's ideas have led to doctrinal anarchy, and Alister McGrath's "consensus" idea is unworkable. This is where the options narrow down to a small handful of contenders. However, something you can note about the (Roman) Catholic Church, is that much like Jesus could not have simply been a great teacher, the Catholic Church cannot simply be another denomination. Those who look into its teachings at any deep level know that it must be either diabolical, or the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Teachings regarding the Eucharist, Mary, papal authority, etc. set it apart from all of the other options. It is not simply an organization, or "that church". It claims to be THE Church, in possession of THE Truth, and THE spiritual authority. Who would even dare to make such claims with the sort of boldness that Jesus had with His claims? Could it be possible that the Catholic Church has God-given authority? Let's not be too quick to rule out the possibility.
So it becomes a question of legitimacy, because legitimacy=authority in this case. There are many things that took me awhile to come to terms with in regard to Catholic doctrines (I had been trained well by Protestants in how to think), but because I was able to deduce that the Catholic Church's authority is legitimate, it could therefore legitimately declare an issue (like prayers to saints, the assumption of Mary, her immaculate conception, etc.) to be true. If these issues are used as distractions from the issue of authority, then we've missed the question of authority itself, which would allow the Church to legitimately declare these things to be true. Now, there is evidence to support these things way beyond "the Church says so", but the answer CAN be "because the Church says so" if its authority is legitimate to say so. What if I refused to believe in God because I refused to believe in the miracle of the resurrection? I'd be missing out on the ability to understand that the resurrection is possible precisely because of God's involvement. Do you get what I'm driving at? By the way, don't misunderstand me, I don't believe the Church can create Truth, or work miracles apart from God or anything like that, but if the Church declares something to be true, and God really is working through the Church, then we can trust the proclamations of the leadership far more than we trust our own assumptions.
By the way, as we've seen, the question "where is that in the Bible?!" is not the final and ultimate test to see if something can be true.
1. If logic leads us to the conclusion that there must be a visible Church possessing spiritual authority in matters of doctrine (and many people don't get this far, I know), then how many contenders are there, really? God promised that the gates of hell would not prevail over His Church. Christ is protecting His bride to this day.
2.	The Pharisees did not have the Holy Spirit like the Church does, and this ties back into Fr. Barron's point. The Holy Spirit offers the guidance. Who has the Holy Spirit as a doctrinal guide? Well, we can see that many individual people do not. However, it is reasonable to consider that people do have guidance from the Church that is guided by the Holy Spirit.
We can obviously see that there is a need on this earth for someone to have the power to bind and loose, and interpret the Scriptures. Again, who are even contenders for the position? What Church is the Church that God guides through His Holy Spirit to guide the people and interpret the Scriptures?
I must say, I disagree with your conclusion that the Catholic Church's fruit is bad, but if that's the qualifier, then who's fruit is good? Who fits the role of the authoritative "living voice"?
The apparent crux of your argument, that there are "numerous significant false doctrines" within the Catholic Church, is debatable at best… or by what authority do you declare the "evidence" to be conclusive? The Protestant Reformers had some ideas that didn't work out very well at all. How are you different? I contend that you can test any Catholic doctrine biblically, and it will pass the test, although something does not need to be specifically located in a specific verse in order to be true, as we know.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about John 17:20-23, and I do not agree that it is fulfilled by "any church that is producing a unity between disciples". I could sit in my backyard with my wife and kids and the occasional visitor, believing and teaching whatever pseudo-Christian doctrines I want, completely separated from the rest of the Body of Christ, and technically fulfill your criteria in that regard. Dare I suggest that Jesus was referring to a unity of all believers around the entire world? What Church has a significant global presence? Again, if the Catholic Church is anything, it is NOT just another denomination or organization. It helps Protestant arguments sound more legitimate to refer to it that way, but it's either the Church, or it's an ingenious evil lie. Some choose the latter, and their arguments from that standpoint in my opinion are all-too-often embarrassingly lame.
Regarding the "right question" as you see it… how do we know that someone is producing fruit as part of the Body of Christ? Are the Mormons producing fruit? Are the Swedenborgians producing fruit that is just as good as the Lutherans? How do you know that your Church's fruit won't eventually become Gnostic fruit, or that it isn't already? Or is Gnosticism fine if the question of doctrinal authority (and therefore orthodoxy) is not as important? If you wish to clarify what proper fruit looks like, by what authority do you declare someone else's clarification to be less accurate, and who do you go to in order to get the final answer in the dispute? What do you do if a Jehovah's Witness tells you that he keeps God's commandments, walks in the light, practices righteousness, and loves other people according to the verses you reference? Proof texting is all-too-often insufficient.
You said that "the authoritative interpreter of the Word of God is any church that consistently raises up disciples who are thoroughly equipped for every good work". ANY church? Paul was referring to the usefulness of Old Testament Scripture for equipping believers in 2 Timothy 3:16 ("profitable" was the word he used), and it seems to me that it would be a stretch to contend that this passage qualifies "any church" to be authoritative.
P.S. Sorry about the long comment. I normally try to be more concise.
I was taught that christ added us to the church. That we were members of His body. That our fellowship and union with other believers was enabled by the spirit that we were to maintain the bond also by recognizing and honoring the presence of God s spirit within other believers who could and do confess or testify that Jesus is lord. That a tree is known by it s fruit. That the fruit that identifies individual members is love that wheat and tares grow together and I should not try to weed. that the spirit Would lead me to all truth that the truth would set me free. So I am alReady a member of Christ s church which is his body and have fellowship with a wide spectrum of believers who differ at times theologically but follow Christ and bear the fruit of love and show that in obedience by walking in the spirit not the flesh. I have yet to find any one physical group where all members includiNg myself do this flawlessly but I am still a member of Christ s body which is the church. Right?
Well, in theory that's true. There is a universal church, the heavenly Zion, of which all disciples are a part (Heb. 12:22-24). However, if you're a single mom who just got evicted from your home because you couldn't pay rent, that true theory isn't going to do you much good. If you feel overwhelmed by the world and can't figure out how you're going to get free from your obsessive sins, then that true theory won't do you any good.
What is true in theory needs to become true in practice. Practically, there is an experience of the church that is powerful and transforming and the majority of Christians do not experience it because they are attending meetings not joining a family.


text:
One in five buy now, pay later users is missing payments
Updated Nov 16, 2020 – 6.35pm, first published at 9.34am
$43mFees charged in 2018-19 for missed payments
$398mIndustry revenue in 2018-19
50%Growth in industry revenue compared to 2017-18
Afterpay said an ASIC report, which found many buy now, pay later users are struggling with repayments, also recognised any consumer harm in the fast-growing sector would be addressed via a combination of self-regulation and new, targeted regulatory tools, rather than prescriptive compliance obligations applying to the entire industry.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission found one in five buy now, pay later users is missing payments, half of users aged between 18 to 29 cut back on essential items to make repayments, and more than 1.1 million transactions in 2019 incurred multiple missed payment fees.
It also warned 15 per cent of users, and half under 29, had taken out an additional loan to pay for the services, while 55 per cent of consumers paying late had used at least two different buy now, pay later providers in the past six months.
While Afterpay had a 73 per cent share of the buy now, pay later market, it only represented 27 per cent of outstanding debt. Will Willitts
Consumer groups said the findings highlighted the need for more protections but ASIC didn't call for any new regulation. Rather, it backed self-regulation via a new code of conduct being developed by the Australian Finance Industry Association, and the potential application of its new "design and distribution obligation" and "product intervention power". ASIC flagged a new expectation that providers interrogate data on late payers to ensure products are suitable and potentially adjust marketing.
Afterpay, Zip and FlexiGroup all welcomed the report in ASX announcements on Monday that pointed to particulars in their business models which limited excessive fees.
Afterpay's head of public policy Damian Kassabgi told the UBS Australasia Conference on Monday afternoon the report had recognised the differences in products labelled as "buy now, pay later" and between Afterpay and credit cards.
"One of the things we are picking up from ASIC and the government is fit-for-purpose regulation is important," he said. "They are recognising the fact that a product that has an average order value of $150 is very different from someone applying for a $300,000 home loan or even a $20,000 credit card line."
Afterpay took comfort from ASIC's finding that while it had a 73 per cent share of the market, it only represented 27 per cent of the total outstanding debt, he added.
Treasury is preparing to review regulation of the payments system, including consumer protections, and ASIC recognised "policy and regulation of the buy now, pay later industry remain a matter for government and, ultimately, the parliament".
With the amount of credit being extended by the industry almost doubling in 12 months, ASIC also flagged it could target any hidden surcharging by merchants attempting to recoup the cost of buy now, pay later products. Providers prevent merchants from passing on the costs to customers in their contracts.
ASIC and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission had written to more than 5000 merchants offering buy now, pay later services, "warning them that it is illegal to mislead or deceive consumers" about the price of goods and services under the Australian Consumer Law and the cost of using credit arrangements, such as buy now pay later, under the ASIC Act.
The Reserve Bank of Australia is also conducting its own review of payments regulation including whether providers should continue to be able to prevent retailers from passing on the costs of the products to users.
ASIC's focus on buy now, pay later late fees comes after the Hayne royal commission put the spotlight on banks' non-interest income, including fees, which has seen this remain under pressure over the past two years.
The Consumer Action Law Centre said it remains concerned a lack of standards in the buy now, pay later sector results in young people "being set up to fail" and it maintained its call for credit laws to be applied.
"Taking out additional credit is concerning, particularly if young people are going to have to turn to credit cards or personal loans, and responsible lending rules are to be removed," Consumer Action CEO Gerard Brody said.
"New design and distribution obligations may help, but to be effective they need to result in far less people getting stung with late payment fees or struggling to meet other commitments. I think the best way that can be done is through responsible lending and other credit laws applying to the buy now pay later sector [so] the community will have confidence that all lending is suitable, safe and affordable."
Mr Kassabgi told the UBS event credit checks "are there to protect companies lending money. They were never seen, or created, as some kind of consumer protection." He said that in the US, credit checking is now seen as discriminatory.
Investors are bracing for ongoing scrutiny of fees by ASIC, but said this would lift standards. "There will clearly be a focus by ASIC on buy now, pay later providers being more responsible around offering their product to consumers who had missed payments multiple times or those who were using multiple platforms," Milford Asset Management investment analyst Roland Houghton said.
"This could result in more stringent vetting required by the buy now, pay later providers or penalties for lending to a consumer who owes debt elsewhere. Increased focus by buy now, pay later on these more vulnerable customers is ultimately a positive outcome for consumers and the industry."
Despite the findings on fees, Afterpay said it had built-in consumer protections, including ensuring average transaction values are the lowest of providers, payment terms are strictly short-dated, and users who don't repay can't use the service again.
"ASIC's report recognises the significant shift from traditional forms of payment and the declining usage of credit cards," Afterpay said.
"Afterpay looks forward to participating in the government's upcoming review of the regulatory architecture of the Australian payments system, including whether the general policy and regulatory framework adequately accommodates new and innovative technology, such as the [buy now, pay later] sector."
As the market opened on Monday morning, Afterpay shares cooled slightly, down 26¢ to $101.59, while Zip fell 5¢ to $6.00, before the ASX hit technical difficulties and trading was halted.
Afterpay CEO Anthony Eisen and Mr Brody will both discuss the report at The Australian Financial Review's special virtual Banking & Wealth Summit on Wednesday.
Late payment fees
Missed payment fee revenue for all six buy now, pay later providers in the review rose 38 per cent from the previous year to more than $43 million, as the number of transactions jumped 90 per cent. Most users link debit cards to buy now, pay later services, and repayments are taken automatically from bank accounts, so the missed payment revenue suggests many users have low bank balances not able to fund the purchases despite the repayments being pushed into instalments.
Openpay, Oxipay and then Afterpay had the highest percentage of transactions incurring missed payment fees. Ten per cent of Afterpay transactions in 2019 incurred missed payment fees, ASIC said; at Oxipay it was 14 per cent and at Openpay, 19 per cent.
Late fees as a percentage of underlying sales fell to less than 14 per cent globally in the year ended June 30, Afterpay said in a statement to the stock exchange. In its full-year results, Afterpay said it earned $68.8 million in late fees in financial 2020, up 49 per cent in dollar terms as customer numbers rose, but lower as a percentage of total income, at 16 per cent, compared with the year-earlier 23 per cent.
The percentage of buy now pay later transactions incurring missed payment fees fluctuated between 9 per cent and 15 per cent each month between June 2016 to June 2019, ASIC said, but has fallen during COVID-19 to less than 3 per cent – possibly because of government-stimulus payments assisting users with repayments.
Of those who missed repayments, almost half were aged between 18 and 29, ASIC said, while 39 per cent also held other small credit contracts and 55 per cent had used at least two different buy now, pay later arrangements.
"While working for the majority of users, some consumers are suffering harm," ASIC said.
ASIC's consumer research found "negative consequences" for some users went beyond missed or late payment fees, with 20 per cent of consumers saying they had cut back on, or went without, essentials such as meals to make their payments on time; and 15 per cent of consumers surveyed said they had taken out an additional loan. Half of the users falling into these results were aged between 19 and 29.
Of the consumers who missed repayments, the other payments that were missed were household bills (44 per cent), credit card payments (32 per cent), and mortgage payments (22 per cent).
Significant growth
ASIC's report, an update to a November 2018 study of the sector, found the number of buy now pay later transactions increased 90 per cent to 32 million in financial 2019 from 16.8 million in fiscal 2018.
Total revenue from buy now pay later arrangements across the six providers rose 50 per cent to $398 million in financial 2019 from $266 million the year before.
The buy now pay later providers reviewed were Afterpay, BrightePay, Humm (run by Flexigroup), Openpay, Payright and Zip Pay. The consumer survey in the ASIC report took place in October 2019 and involved 1655 customers of the services.
ASIC's report contains analysis of users who link credit cards to buy now, pay later providers, saying this group had "consistently higher" interest charges on their cards than credit card users not using buy now, pay later services.
Zip responded to the report pointing to its low level of late fees. However, its model differs because it allows customers to pay an "account fee" to roll a balance from one month to the next, which Afterpay does not.
The report shows Zip earns 61 per cent of its revenue from customers, including these account fees, compared to Afterpay's 20 per cent of revenue from customers, all from the missed payment fees.
On the code of conduct being developed with AFIA, which has been pushed back to start on March 1 to allow providers to incorporate ASIC's views on fees, ASIC said it expects players "to work collectively to develop a code that provides good consumer outcomes across the diverse range of business models operating in the industry".
ASIC said development of the buy now, pay later code will be challenging given the diverse business models of providers.
It said where the new code "sets standards or different obligations at different thresholds – for example, operating differently for products with higher credit limits or longer terms – these thresholds should be supported by data and evidence indicating why the particular threshold is suitable" and the thresholds "should be reviewed periodically as the industry matures and new features and products emerge".
AFIA CEO Diane Tate said its members will work with ASIC to understand the report's findings "and appropriately address them" in the final industry code of practice.
"The buy now pay later industry is focused on protecting vulnerable consumers, whilst ensuring an innovative new sector broadens consumer choice, and deepens competition in the Australian financial services sector," she said. "AFIA's world-first BNPL code of practice will play a significant role in all these elements as the industry matures."
Zip chief operating officer Peter Gray described the AFIA code as "a very good start" but indicated Zip "will continue to implement its own higher standards, particularly around customer suitability". Unlike Afterpay, Zip performs credit checks on all applicants.
DDO guidance
ASIC said from October 2021, its design and distribution obligations will apply to buy now pay later, requiring players "to design fit-for-purpose products that meet consumer needs" and that they "take steps to ensure their products are reaching the right consumers".
ASIC provided guidance on how it might enforce the obligation, saying if the buy now pay later provider's data indicates consumers are paying missed payment fees repeatedly, "the provider will need to consider why this is occurring, for example, whether the arrangement is being inappropriately distributed" and "how this can be addressed, for example by amending the target market for the arrangement or improving the controls in the distribution process".
It also pointed to its product intervention power as being able to protect users of the products.
The ASIC report also flags international regulatory developments that may lift consumer protections in jurisdictions abroad where Australian players are also seeking to grow.
This includes the UK, where the Financial Conduct Authority is reviewing unsecured credit and expected to complete its findings early next year; New Zealand, where a law was passed last December allowing the government to make a regulation that a buy now pay later arrangement was a consumer credit contract; and Sweden, where Afterpay competitor Klarna is based, which has introduced a law to respond to "unnecessary debt that credit options such as buy now, pay later arrangements can create".
ASIC's light-touch report comes after warnings from the government it does not want the regulator acting as a quasi policy maker, and after the Senate select committee on financial technology also called for ASIC and the RBA to avoid making policy decisions that could nobble the growth of new technology-based export industries.
Afterpay Touch Group
Zipmoney Ltd


Bringing a new pet into a home can be a bit of an adventure. Redditor DontStartUnbelieving had no idea how his roommate's dog, Bodhi, would react when he brought home Maxx, his little rescue kitten. So he decided to document it.
"This is my roommate's dog Bodhi."
"And this is my boy Maxx. I got Maxx shortly after I moved in with my roommate."
"We were worried at first that they wouldn't get along."
"We didn't worry for long."
Bodhi even introduced Maxx to all his favorite activities ... like "chinchilla stalking."
Maxx has gotten a lot bigger since he first moved in, but a more recent picture of the two of them shows he and Bodhi are still totally BFFs.
Maybe Bodhi could sense that tiny Maxx needed a big brother, or maybe he was just psyched to have a new playmate in the house, but somehow these two became the best of friends.
DontStartUnbelieving posted on Reddit that if he and Maxx ever move out, "I would bring him by for visits."


text:
package org.gislers.tomcat.jndi.service;

import org.gislers.tomcat.jndi.dao.PlayerDao;
import org.gislers.tomcat.jndi.dao.TeamDao;
import org.gislers.tomcat.jndi.dao.vo.PlayerVo;
import org.gislers.tomcat.jndi.dao.vo.TeamVo;
import org.gislers.tomcat.jndi.service.model.Player;
import org.gislers.tomcat.jndi.service.model.Team;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

@Component
public class SportService {

    private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger( SportService.class );

    private TeamDao teamDao;
    private PlayerDao playerDao;

    @Autowired
    public void setTeamDao(TeamDao teamDao) {
        this.teamDao = teamDao;
    }

    @Autowired
    public void setPlayerDao(PlayerDao playerDao) {
        this.playerDao = playerDao;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
La masacre de Moura ocurrió del 27 al 31 de marzo de 2022, las Fuerzas Armadas de Malí, supuestamente en colaboración con la compañía mercenaria rusa Grupo Wagner, sitiaron la ciudad central maliense de Moura, región de Mopti, durante una operación de nueve días contra los yihadistas. Las fuerzas malienses atrajeron la protesta internacional después de que Human Rights Watch acusara a Malí y al Grupo Wagner de cometer una masacre contra civiles.

Antecedentes

Desde enero de 2012, Malí se ha visto envuelto en una guerra civil entre los insurgentes islamistas y el gobierno maliense. Francia se unió al conflicto al año siguiente, pero anunció después del golpe de Estado en Malí de 2020 su intención de reducir gradualmente el número de fuerzas francesas y retirarlas del país. Desde entonces, Malí ha buscado otras formas de adquirir ayuda extranjera y, según los informes, ha recibido ayuda de una empresa militar privada rusa llamada Grupo Wagner, que las fuerzas malienses y rusas insistieron en que estaban allí solo para servir como asesores militares. Human Rights Watch documentó al menos 71 casos individuales de civiles ejecutados sumariamente por las fuerzas de seguridad entre diciembre de 2021 y marzo de 2022. Las actividades islamistas también han generado preocupación, con el periodista de France24 Wassim Nasr sugiriendo que el asedio fue en parte una represalia por los repetidos ataques contra la aldea de Dogofry, Ségou por parte de miembros del islamista Frente de Liberación de Macina.

La ciudad de Moura, en particular, ha sido comparada con haber estado bajo el «cuasi control» de los yihadistas, particularmente Al Qaeda del Magreb Islámico (AQMI), que aplicó la ley sharia a los aldeanos. En 2022, Muhammed Kufa, el segundo líder al mando de AQMI, fue visto en la ciudad.

Masacre
El asedio comenzó el 27 de marzo cuando las fuerzas gubernamentales ordenaron una operación para despejar a los yihadistas de Moura. Helicópteros militares aterrizaron cerca del mercado de la ciudad cuando los soldados salieron y se acercaron a un grupo de alrededor de 30 yihadistas, que dispararon contra ellos, matando al menos a dos soldados blancos (muy probablemente del Grupo Wagner) y a una cantidad desconocida de militares del gobierno. Las fuerzas malienses respondieron disparando, matando a varias personas. Varios civiles vieron la escena desarrollarse e intentaron huir, pero fueron seguidos por un helicóptero que parecía estar disparando deliberadamente contra civiles que corrían.

Según los testimonios, los soldados malienses y rusos procedieron desplegándose por toda la ciudad, bloqueando las salidas y matando a cualquiera que intentara escapar. Las fuerzas de seguridad detuvieron e interrogaron a cientos de hombres civiles, a menudo confiscando sus pertenencias, incluidos sus teléfonos. Los hombres que se negaron a ser detenidos fueron fusilados en el acto por mercenarios rusos. Los detenidos fueron enviados a la orilla del río, donde fueron detenidos en grupos de 4, 6 o 10 y luego ejecutados en masa.

Los testigos no estuvieron de acuerdo sobre las razones por las que los hombres fueron señalados para su ejecución, y algunos afirmaron que los hombres con barba y ropa islámica tradicional tenían más probabilidades de ser atacados debido a sus apariencias similares a las de los islamistas. Otros dijeron a Human Rights Watch que las personas que habían sido ejecutadas fueron atacadas debido a su origen étnico fulani.

La operación llegó a su fin el 31 de marzo. Un testigo dijo a Human Rights Watch que había escuchado a un funcionario del gobierno decirle a alguien por su walkie-talkie que «deje de matar gente, déjelos ir», y los asesinatos se detuvieron.

Según los informes, alrededor de 100 soldados blancos que hablaban un idioma distinto al francés participaron en el asedio. Los aldeanos creían que eran mercenarios rusos del Grupo Wagner, ya que habían escuchado historias sobre su participación en el conflicto a principios de año. Muchos de estos mercenarios fueron acusados de ser responsables de interrogatorios, torturas y ejecuciones masivas de civiles.

Consecuencias
El 1 de abril, el gobierno maliense anunció que había concluido una operación militar de nueve días centrada en la región de Moura y que más de 203 terroristas habían muerto.

Las publicaciones en las redes sociales que pretendían que una masacre había tenido lugar en la ciudad se extendieron rápidamente en el país, lo que provocó una controversia. El 5 de abril, Human Rights Watch publicó un importante informe detallando el asedio, que afirmaba que más de 300 civiles habían sido asesinados por las fuerzas malienses en lo que calificó como la «peor atrocidad individual» en la historia de la guerra de Malí.

El informe atrajo la atención internacional, y la masacre recibió condenas del Ministerio Federal de Relaciones Exteriores de Alemania, Francia, el Centro para Civiles en Conflicto (CIVIC), el funcionario de la Unión Europea Josep Borrell, Asuntos Globales de Canadá, y el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos.

El funcionario de las Naciones Unidas Alioune Tine solicitó una investigación sobre el incidente el 6 de abril. El gobierno maliense abrió una investigación al día siguiente, que fue felicitada por representantes de la Misión Multidimensional Integrada de Estabilización de las Naciones Unidas en Malí.

La ministra federal alemana de Defensa, Christine Lambrecht, dijo a los periodistas el 9 de abril que tenía crecientes dudas sobre la participación de su país en el conflicto, ya que «surge entonces la pregunta de si esta [intervención militar alemana] puede ser compatible con nuestros valores, especialmente si luego tenemos que presenciar atrocidades como en Moura». La Ministra de Asuntos Exteriores Annalena Baerbock expresó preocupaciones similares.

El 8 de abril, el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Rusia felicitó las acciones de Malí, describiendo los informes de una masacre como «desinformación». Ese día, Francia redactó una propuesta en el Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas para investigar las presuntas atrocidades durante la batalla, que fue rechazada por Rusia y China con el argumento de que era prematuro abrir una investigación hasta que las fuerzas malienses hubieran anunciado una.

Referencias

Malí en 2022
Región de Mopti
Masacres en Malí
Moura


Easy fruit Sherbet Punch recipe with Jello, Kool Aid, pineapple juice and lemon-lime soda. Make any color or flavor you'd like and serve with fruit sherbet on top for that delicious, easy punch!
We're throwing back to the old days today with this classic sherbet punch recipe. I remember sipping on sweet, cool, sherbet punch at baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, church potlucks, family reunions…and even small holiday family dinners. Sherbet punch is so versatile and it's easy to make.
Red punch fits so many different holidays and seasons, so we decided to whip up a strawberry sherbet punch. We used strawberry Kool Aid and strawberry Jello as the base for this recipe. It made a gorgeous red color that is pretty as a Christmas punch, Valentine's Day punch or July 4th punch. Cool strawberry flavor is good any time of the year, right?
Dissolve the strawberry gelatin in boiling water. Set it aside.
Dissolve the Kool Aid in a large punch bowl with 2 quarts of cold water. Add in the sugar and mix it well.
Add the strawberry gelatin mixture to the punch bowl and mix.
This is base of your punch. If you're not serving it immediately, place the punch in the refrigerator at this point.
Right before serving, add the soda. Taste the punch to make sure it doesn't need more sugar or soda.
Scoop out the sherbet and place it in the punch bowl. You can just place the whole block of sherbet in or you can use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the sherbet in smaller scoops to place in the punch.
Sherbet punch is best served from the punch bowl rather than a beverage dispenser so everyone gets a taste of that delicious sherbet foam!
Easy fruit Sherbet Punch recipe with Jello, Kool Aid, pineapple juice and lemon-lime soda. Make any color or flavor you'd like and serve with fruit sherbet on top for that delicious, easy punch!
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir well.
Dissolve drink mix in cold water in a large punchbowl. Add sugar and stir well.
Add pineapple juice and gelatin to Kool Aid mixture.
Add lemon-lime soda and sherbert just before serving.


text:
Breaking City News
Agarwal votes against Anglo American board appointment
* New board member backed by 74 percent
* Chairman says next appointment will reflect South African ties
LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - Billionaire Anil Agarwal voted against Anglo American's appointment of a new Brazilian board member, saying the focus should be on South Africa, in a clash between the company's biggest shareholder and the board.
Marcelo Bastos, whose appointment as a non-executive director was announced in March, has more than 30 years of operational and project experience in mining, particularly throughout South America. He was backed by 74 percent of shareholder votes, Anglo American said in an email.
Agarwal's private family trust Volcan Investments issued a statement saying Agarwal had voted against.
"Volcan believes Anglo American should renew its focus on opportunities in South Africa," the statement said.
"It had recommended the company increase the number of South Africans on the board to more closely align board composition to the importance of Anglo American's businesses in South Africa."
Agarwal, chairman of India's Vedanta who has more than 19 percent of Anglo American, began amassing a stake in Anglo American in 2017.
He has made clear his interest in South Africa, where Vedanta has assets, but he has repeatedly denied that he is planning a takeover and says the stake is an investment based on his belief in Anglo as a company, for his family trust.
Anglo American Chairman Stuart Chambers told Tuesday's annual general meeting in London the company's aim was to reflect "the areas of expertise that we feel we need most pressingly".
"Given that South America currently represents roughly one third of our business, and that is before the addition of our major new copper project at Quellaveco in Peru, the nomination committee's first priority was to identify someone of Marcelo's calibre and expertise," he said.
He also said the next non-executive director would "reinforce the board's experience in relation to South Africa".
In an interview with Reuters earlier this year, Anglo American said the company was betting on South America as its main growth area for base metals, including copper, in the coming years.
The company's share price has outperformed peers in part because of its promising exposure to copper, a metal expected to be in high demand from increased electrifiction and battery vehicles. (Reporting by Barbara Lewis; editing by Jonathan Oatis)


Quality people - motivated, highly trained experts committed to their work.
Quality process - full managed from the initial work and safety planning, down to the finished structure.
Quality relationship - with our clients, our partners, and our community.
Quality measurement, analysis and improvement of the system verfication, validation, monitoring, inspection, and testing during each phase of the project.


text:
Home Dirty Water Sports Patriots Patriots showed they can hang with big boys
Dirty Water Now
Patriots showed they can hang with big boys
Jon Lyons
There are no moral victories in the NFL, but Sunday night's Patriots vs Seahawks classic left New England with some significantly positive signs for their future. The 35-30 defeat showed that the Patriots offense can compete with the best units in the NFL and that despite no longer having Tom Brady the Patriots are still a threat to put up big numbers. New England was one yard away on the game's final play from beating the Seahawks in Seattle. Nothing to sneeze at.
Cam Newton was sensational, throwing for 397 yards and rushing for 47 more while accounting for three total touchdowns. Most notably, once the Patriots got down 28-17 in the second half they opened up the attack for Newton to continue passing and he looked terrific. Despite one interception when he made a poor decision on an out throw to his left, Newton led the Patriots on two touchdown drives in the final 20 minutes of the game and came one yard short of a third touchdown. On the final play, the Patriots tried to run Newton into the end zone and Seattle made a terrific play. Sometimes that just happens.
The Seahawks defense is a strong unit and the Patriots were unable to muster much of a rushing attack, which put the game in Newton's hands. He responded by going toe to toe with Russell Wilson, who himself looks like the league MVP. Perhaps most impressive was Newton's work on third down, in which he was 6-6 for 74 yards and five first downs while taking one sack. Julian Edelman set a career high in receiving yards with 179 and N'Keal Harry had one of his best games as a Patriot with eight catches for 72 yards. Damiere Byrd also had 72 yards receiving including some clutch work on third down.
The normally stout Patriots pass defense was torched by Wilson for five passing touchdowns. There is no denying that the Patriots defense has to be better for the team to win, but the Seahawks also pulled off some plays that only a handful of teams in the league can make. And they did it more than once. Wilson's long touchdown to D.K. Metcalf saw the league's best corner, Stephon Gilmore, get beat initially but recover to get a hand inside Metcalf's arms. Metcalf caught it anyway for a huge touchdown.
Wilson's throw to David Moore for their 38-yard touchdown connection was even more impressive. With Jason McCourty draped all over him, Moore caught a perfect pass and landed backwards into the pylon for the score. The last two Seattle touchdowns were great play designs that would have fooled pretty much any defense seeing them for the first time. The Patriots did have a pick-six on the first series on the game and forced two late Seattle punts to keep New England close, so the performance wasn't all bad. The biggest positive for Patriots fans is that the defense is much closer to what they showed against Miami than what they showed against the Seahawks.
A loss is a loss in the NFL and the Patriots don't get to be 2-0 because they came close to winning. But the fact remains that the 1-1 Patriots showed that they are capable to hanging with the NFL's best. Seattle deserves immense credit for making more plays than the Patriots, but New England heads into Week 3 with some key questions answered.
Previous articleNew age for BC Football
Next articleCeltics not quite there yet
Jon Lyons is a contributor to Dirty Water Media and is a co-host of the Straight Facts Homie T.V. show on TCAM-TV. He is also a regular guest on Boston sports radio. Jon holds an MBA and M. Ed from Endicott College.


text:
The Red Bull Holden Racing Team Commodores will take on the Bathurst 1000 bedecked in a special edition, retro-inspired livery, revealed today at the team's pre-endurance test.
Drawing inspiration from Peter Brock and Colin Bond's 1971 Sandown 250 and Bathurst 500 Holden Toranas, the striking red and white livery celebrates Holden's 50th anniversary of factory involvement in motorsport.
GM Design Australia Exterior Manager, Peter Hughes created a design to capture Holden's celebrated motorsport history and evoke a strong link to the past.
"We tried many variations, but the 1971 HDT livery ended up being the perfect inspiration because of its unique historical appearance," he said.
"The horizontal heritage stripes over the roof, for example, are unmistakable and should make a statement over the top of the mountain, just as they did back in 1971.
"It's a great way for everyone to celebrate a wonderful history of factory Holden Bathurst entries and the heroic drivers, both past and present, that race them," Hughes said.
And the milestones keep coming as this year will also mark 10 years since Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes last drove together in an endurance race.
"Craig and I are obviously looking forward to racing together again and it's a great that we will be doing it with such an iconic livery on our car," Whincup said.
"Being the factory Holden team is something that Triple Eight is really proud of, so it's pretty special to be marking their 50th anniversary in this way. Holden has had a lot of success at Mount Panorama and we're very lucky to say we've played a small part in that. Lowndesy and I will certainly be trying to add to that next week."
Having claimed a hat-trick between 2006-08, the pair are ready to battle it out for the top spot on the mountain.
"Jamie and I individually have a lot of experience at Bathurst, but we also have a great history racing together," Lowndes said.
"To be teaming up with him again in the year that marks the 50th anniversary of Holden's involvement in motorsport will be something we will remember for years to come."
Having conquered the mountain for the seventh time last year, the spotlight will be on Lowndes as he attempts to edge closer to the great Peter Brock's record of nine Bathurst wins.
"Preparation is always key at Bathurst," Lowndes said.
"Mechanically, last year was tough in the build-up to the race with all the power steering issues. Come race day we had pace and a good strategy which meant we were able to be there in the end to fight for the win. You never know what's going to happen at Bathurst!"
On the #97 side of the Red Bull Holden garage, Shane van Gisbergen will be trying to maximise the experience of his new co-driver, three-time Bathurst 1000 winner Garth Tander, as he hunts down his first win at the mountain in a supercar.
"Garth has settled into the team really well. He's been coming to test days, ride days and spent quite a lot of time at the workshop, as well as doing plenty of racing in other cars, so we're both looking forward to getting on track at Bathurst," said the 2016 Supercars champion.
"It's very cool to have a different livery on the cars for Bathurst. Hopefully the fans like it as much as we do, and we represent Holden well for their anniversary."
For fans, the retro-themed team kit is available for pre-order online from midday Monday, September 30 and track side at the Red Bull Holden Racing Team merchandise shop during the Bathurst 1000, 10-13 October.
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Next post>Nike Tempo running short backlash!
>We definitely have a lot of the same imperfections 🙂 Great post!
>Honest statements of imperfections inspire me far more than dishonest statements of imagined perfection.
>So I totally could relate on like 75% of this. For real! I completely feel the same way.Oh and I visiited Brittany Ann's blog. Totally agree there too! And I saw your comment and I have a feeling I know who you're talking about and I totally feel the same way. I actually deleted one in particular but I was like I kinda like just being in the know cause so many relate back. So I re-added. Ha. (I'm so lame) And I feel like I comment and comment and they don't even acknowledge me. I know people are busy but I try really hard because I appreciate what people have to say and actually finding my little piece of the internet interesting and all ya know. I don't want a bazillion followers. I want people to genuinely like me and want to read what I have to say. And I want to relate back to them. Not be in a contest to have a crap load of followers.Ok. I'm done ranting in your comment section! Just wanted you to know you're not alone at all! 🙂 Have a great day girl. I hope you had safe trips to Tuscaloosa!
>Thanks for the shout out! I relate to so much of this, too. I love you even more for all of it! And I know what you mean about some bloggers we all read, but aren't entirely sure are good for our psyches. I totally struggle with that, too.
>Embrace the imperfection : ) we all have pounds to lose, don't tear yourself up over it. I cave into my cravings all the time, too!
>Love this!! I could relate to so many of these!
>Thanks for all the wonderful comments and support, ladies! I appreciate all of you!
>Great post! Honesty is so refreshing. I can totally relate to a TON of this list.
>Oh goodness…we have a lot in common! I went through the "kids????" thing, I sometimes judge-get jealous-and covet others and their stuff, I don't always have/want a gaggle of girlfriends around me, and I def have the tumbleweed issue!