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COVID-19 Infected Many More Americans in 2020 than Official Tallies Show
Posted on September 7th, 2021 by Dr. Francis Collins
Caption: Percentage of people in communities across the United States infected by the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 as of December 2020. Credit: Pei S, Nature, 2021.
At the end of last year, you may recall hearing news reports that the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States had topped 20 million. While that number came as truly sobering news, it also likely was an underestimate. Many cases went undetected due to limited testing early in the year and a large number of infections that produced mild or no symptoms.
Now, a recent article published in Nature offers a more-comprehensive estimate that puts the true number of infections by the end of 2020 at more than 100 million [1]. That's equal to just under a third of the U.S. population of 328 million. This revised number shows just how rapidly this novel coronavirus spread through the country last year. It also brings home just how timely the vaccines have been—and continue to be in 2021—to protect our nation's health in this time of pandemic.
The work comes from NIH grantee Jeffrey Shaman, Sen Pei, and colleagues, Columbia University, New York. As shown above in the map, the researchers estimated the percentage of people who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, in communities across the country through December 2020.
To generate this map, they started with existing national data on the number of coronavirus cases (both detected and undetected) in 3,142 U.S. counties and major metropolitan areas. They then factored in data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the number of people who tested positive for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. These CDC data are useful for picking up on past infections, including those that went undetected.
From these data, the researchers calculated that only about 11 percent of all COVID-19 cases were confirmed by a positive test result in March 2020. By the end of the year, with testing improvements and heightened public awareness of COVID-19, the ascertainment rate (the number of infections that were known versus unknown) rose to about 25 percent on average. This measure also varied a lot across the country. For instance, the ascertainment rates in Miami and Phoenix were higher than the national average, while rates in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago were lower than average.
How many people were potentially walking around with a contagious SARS-CoV-2 infection? The model helps to answer this, too. On December 31, 2020, the researchers estimate that 0.77 percent of the U.S. population had a contagious infection. That's about 1 in every 130 people on average. In some places, it was much higher. In Los Angeles, for example, nearly 1 in 40 (or 2.42 percent) had a SARS-CoV-2 infection as they rang in the New Year.
Over the course of the year, the fatality rate associated with COVID-19 dropped, at least in part due to earlier diagnosis and advances in treatment. The fatality rate went from 0.77 percent in April to 0.31 percent in December. While this is great news, it still shows that COVID-19 remains much more dangerous than seasonal influenza (which has a fatality rate of 0.08 percent).
Today, the landscape has changed considerably. Vaccines are now widely available, giving many more people immune protection without ever having to get infected. And yet, the rise of the Delta and other variants means that breakthrough infections and reinfections—which the researchers didn't account for in their model—have become a much bigger concern.
Looking ahead to the end of 2021, Americans must continue to do everything they can to protect their communities from the spread of this terrible virus. That means getting vaccinated if you haven't already, staying home and getting tested if you've got symptoms or know of an exposure, and taking other measures to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and well. These measures we take now will influence the infection rates and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in our communities going forward. That will determine what the map of SARS-CoV-2 infections will look like in 2021 and beyond and, ultimately, how soon we can finally put this pandemic behind us.
[1] Burden and characteristics of COVID-19 in the United States during 2020. Pei S, Yamana TK, Kandula S, Galanti M, Shaman J. Nature. 2021 Aug 26.
Sen Pei (Columbia University, New York)
Jeffrey Shaman (Columbia University, New York)
Tags: 2020, CDC, coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID-19 infections, COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccine, epidemiology, mathematical model, novel coronavirus, pandemic, public health, SARS-CoV-2, seasonal influenza, United States
Genes, Blood Type Tied to Risk of Severe COVID-19
Posted on June 18th, 2020 by Dr. Francis Collins
Caption: Micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles isolated from a patient.
Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
Many people who contract COVID-19 have only a mild illness, or sometimes no symptoms at all. But others develop respiratory failure that requires oxygen support or even a ventilator to help them recover [1]. It's clear that this happens more often in men than in women, as well as in people who are older or who have chronic health conditions. But why does respiratory failure also sometimes occur in people who are young and seemingly healthy?
A new study suggests that part of the answer to this question may be found in the genes that each one of us carries [2]. While more research is needed to pinpoint the precise underlying genes and mechanisms responsible, a recent genome-wide association (GWAS) study, just published in the New England Journal of Medicine, finds that gene variants in two regions of the human genome are associated with severe COVID-19 and correspondingly carry a greater risk of COVID-19-related death.
The two stretches of DNA implicated as harboring risks for severe COVID-19 are known to carry some intriguing genes, including one that determines blood type and others that play various roles in the immune system. In fact, the findings suggest that people with blood type A face a 50 percent greater risk of needing oxygen support or a ventilator should they become infected with the novel coronavirus. In contrast, people with blood type O appear to have about a 50 percent reduced risk of severe COVID-19.
These new findings—the first to identify statistically significant susceptibility genes for the severity of COVID-19—come from a large research effort led by Andre Franke, a scientist at Christian-Albrecht-University, Kiel, Germany, along with Tom Karlsen, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Norway. Their study included 1,980 people undergoing treatment for severe COVID-19 and respiratory failure at seven medical centers in Italy and Spain.
In search of gene variants that might play a role in the severe illness, the team analyzed patient genome data for more than 8.5 million so-called single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs. The vast majority of these single "letter" nucleotide substitutions found all across the genome are of no health significance, but they can help to pinpoint the locations of gene variants that turn up more often in association with particular traits or conditions—in this case, COVID-19-related respiratory failure. To find them, the researchers compared SNPs in people with severe COVID-19 to those in more than 1,200 healthy blood donors from the same population groups.
The analysis identified two places that turned up significantly more often in the individuals with severe COVID-19 than in the healthy folks. One of them is found on chromosome 3 and covers a cluster of six genes with potentially relevant functions. For instance, this portion of the genome encodes a transporter protein known to interact with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the surface receptor that allows the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, to bind to and infect human cells. It also encodes a collection of chemokine receptors, which play a role in the immune response in the airways of our lungs.
The other association signal popped up on chromosome 9, right over the area of the genome that determines blood type. Whether you are classified as an A, B, AB, or O blood type, depends on how your genes instruct your blood cells to produce (or not produce) a certain set of proteins. The researchers did find evidence suggesting a relationship between blood type and COVID-19 risk. They noted that this area also includes a genetic variant associated with increased levels of interleukin-6, which plays a role in inflammation and may have implications for COVID-19 as well.
These findings, completed in two months under very difficult clinical conditions, clearly warrant further study to understand the implications more fully. Indeed, Franke, Karlsen, and many of their colleagues are part of the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, an ongoing international collaborative effort to learn the genetic determinants of COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and outcomes. Some NIH research groups are taking part in the initiative, and they recently launched a study to look for informative gene variants in 5,000 COVID-19 patients in the United States and Canada.
The hope is that these and other findings yet to come will point the way to a more thorough understanding of the biology of COVID-19. They also suggest that a genetic test and a person's blood type might provide useful tools for identifying those who may be at greater risk of serious illness.
[1] Characteristics of and important lessons from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: Summary of a report of 72 314 cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Wu Z, McGoogan JM, et. al. 2020 Feb 24. [published online ahead of print]
[2] Genomewide association study of severe Covid-19 with respiratory failure. Ellinghaus D, Degenhardt F, et. a. NEJM. June 17, 2020.
The COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative
Andre Franke (Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany)
Tom Karlsen (Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Norway)
Tags: ACE2, blood, blood type, Canada, chemokine receptors, COVID-19, gene variants, genes, genome, genome-wide association studies, genomics, GWAS, IL-6, immune system, interleukin-6, Italy, novel coronavirus, oxygen support, pandemic, respiratory failure, SARS-CoV-2, severe COVID-19, Spain, susceptibility, The COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, type A, type O, United States, ventilator
One Nation in Support of Biomedical Research?
Posted on September 24th, 2013 by Dr. Sally Rockey and Dr. Francis Collins
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Until recently, we'd never have dreamed of mentioning the famous opening line of Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities in the context of U.S. biomedical research. But now those words ring all too true.
The "best of times" reflects the amazing technological advances and unprecedented scientific opportunities that exist right now. We've never had a better chance to make rapid progress in preventing, diagnosing, and curing human disease. But the "worst of times" is the other reality: NIH's ability to support vital research at more than 2,500 universities and organizations across the nation is reeling from a decline in funding that threatens our health, our economy, and our standing as the world leader in biomedical innovation.
Posted In: Health, Science
Tags: biomedical research, budget, cancer, clinical trials, Funding, grants, Medical research, National Institutes of Health, NIH, NIH grantees, research, sequestration, United States
Smoking: It's Killing Us
Source: Smokefree.gov
Smoking harms just about every body part—from heart and lungs to bladder and blood vessels. What's new is that smoking is more of a health hazard than we thought. Two new, NIH-funded reports make the persuasive, and alarming, case—on average, smoking takes an entire decade off of your life! But smokers take note: there are tremendous benefits from quitting, regardless of your age.
Posted In: Health
Tags: cigarettes, COPD, quit, quitting, smoke, smoker, smoking, United States
A View of the U.S. Obesity Epidemic
Posted on November 7th, 2012 by Dr. Francis Collins
These snapshots reveal a very disturbing trend: the rise in obesity in the US from 1985 to 2010. Today one third of adults in the US are obese, another third are overweight.
Because obesity has risen to epidemic levels—causing devastating and costly health problems, reducing life expectancy, and provoking stigma and discrimination—the NIH has established the NIH Obesity Research Task Force to accelerate progress in obesity research. For example, why are some individuals more susceptible to obesity? Can knowledge of biology and behavior be leveraged to develop better intervention strategies? What strategies work? For whom? Can these approaches be scaled up?
Tags: epidemic, obese, obesity, Obesity Research Task Force, overweight, United States


Three musicians have, as composers, bandleaders, sidemen and soloists with prolific, partly collective experience at their disposal ('Cadavre exquis', 'Rouge, frisé et acide7', 'Les Passeurs d'Instants', 'Pane per Tutti') here teamed up to form an extraordinary trio.
Originating from 'classical' piano jazz trio but with the attitude of freely improvising musicians develops, beyond stylistic criteria, a music full of esprit, refraction, surprises and set tos sometimes dangerously out of hand but always finding its way back to unexpected conclusions.
The decline into total chaos is, thanks to an idiosyncratic form and the tact of the three gents, mostly avoided.
Since 1991 the trio has performed at festivals and concerts the world over.
"First impressions deceive: what at first sounds monolithic, through-composed, fixed and optimally rehearsed is infact played each time anew and differently by the pianist from Baden Christoph Baumann, the Bassist from Geneva Jacques Siron and the percussionist from Zurich Dieter Ulrich. Their Trio Afrogarage, however, do not simply improvise over habitual chords and repetitive formulas as do the mainstream. The three build up their pieces ad hoc, from quasi prefabricated structural elements; from single fragments which they stick together spontaneously and at lightning speed rather like the pieces of a puzzle. So develops, from the most disparate of individual parts, a new and adventurous musical arrangement on the basis of improvisation. In short: Improvisation squared, a balancing act. A geared music where the piano, bass and percussion interlock like cog wheels. Three master puzzlers."


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Gulani is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Bara.

It has an area of 2,090 km and a population of 103,510 at the 2006 census.

The postal code of the area is 621.

See also
 List of Local Government Areas in Yobe State

References

Local Government Areas in Yobe State

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Betsy Kuehl - How We G.L.O.W.
A Wisconsin native, Betsy Kuehl is a New York-based actor and educator. A graduate of Tisch's Acting Program and of Steinhardt's Educational Theatre Program, Betsy is passionate about social justice, reading, drinking wine, and practicing yoga.


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Quantum Science and Engineering
The PhD program in quantum science and engineering (QSE) lies at the interface of physics, chemistry, and engineering, providing students with exciting opportunities to explore the fundamentals, realizations, and applications of QSE. Students of diverse backgrounds will benefit from an integrated curriculum designed to dramatically reduce the time to basic quantum proficiency and to equip students with experimental and theoretical education that reflects the nuanced intellectual approaches brought by both the sciences and engineering. Students will have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art experimental and computational facilities. Integrating a new approach to interdisciplinary scholarship, graduates of the program will be prepared for careers in academia, industry, and national laboratories.
Research is a primary focus of the program, with students beginning research rotations in their first year. Extensive mentoring and advising is embedded in the program: graduate students in QSE are part of an academic community that cuts across departments and schools and, as such, are strongly encouraged to pursue cross-disciplinary research. In addition to their research, QSE PhD students will receive training in communication and professional opportunities, such as industry internships.
Students with bachelor's degrees in physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, engineering, or related fields are invited to apply for admission. Prospective students should demonstrate depth of background in one or more relevant fields including (but not limited to) physics, electrical engineering, engineering sciences, materials science, computer science, and chemistry. Typically, applicants will have devoted approximately half of their undergraduate work to one or more of these fields and will have demonstrated overall academic excellence.
As part of the Statement of Interest, prospective students should detail their reason for pursuing the PhD degree in QSE and explain why this program is particularly well-suited for them. A student who has a marked interest in a particular area of quantum science and engineering should include this information in the online application. If possible, applicants should also indicate whether they are inclined toward experimental or theoretical (mathematical) research. This statement of preference will not be treated as a binding commitment to any course of study and research.
Quantum science and engineering (QSE) is an interdisciplinary field, and cross-disciplinary research is strongly encouraged. The QSE PhD program overlaps with the Department of Physics, the Harvard John A. Paulson School for Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.
Quantum Science and Engineering Faculty
See list of Quantum Science and Engineering faculty
GRE General: Not accepted
GRE Subject Test: Not accepted
Deadline 5 p.m. Eastern Time
Harvard Quantum Initiative
qse-admissions@fas.harvard.edu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In ancient Greek religion, Nike was a goddess who personified victory. Her Roman equivalent was Victoria. Nike was variously described as the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, and the sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal). Nike is seen with wings in most statues and paintings, with one of the most famous being the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Most other winged deities in the Greek pantheon had shed their wings by Classical times. Nike is the goddess of strength, speed and victory.


From racing slips to lottery tickets, where barcodes can't fail and variable data and advanced security features are required we have the breadth of gaming products to meet your diverse set of needs. We have the expertise to help chose the right paper for your application.
Custom printing; brand awareness, fraud prevention security feature, return policy, coupons, customer survey and marketing message.


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Q: How to configure 'Pre Token Generation' lambda trigger via SAM? Pre Token Generation trigger: This Lambda trigger allows you to customize an identity token before it is generated: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cognito/latest/developerguide/user-pool-lambda-pre-token-generation.html
I am looking for a way to configure this trigger via SAM. Something like:
ApiJWTAddCustomClaimFunction:
    Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
    Properties:
      FunctionName: !Sub ${AWS::StackName}-ApiJWTAddCustomClaimFunction
      Description: Modify JWT before token generation
      Handler: main
      Environment:
        Variables:
          AUTH_API_URL: !Ref AuthApiUrl
          AUTH_SDK_KEYS: !Ref AuthSdkKeys
      Policies:
        - AWSXrayWriteOnlyAccess
        - Statement:
            - Sid: Cognito
              Effect: Allow
              Action:
                - cognito-idp:*
              Resource: '*'

      Events:
        ???

I found another thread on the same question, but this time via CloudFormation. It says support for this feature is on the roadmap.
PS I am a complete newbie on AWS and cloud computing in general. I apologize if my assumptions make no sense whatsoever.

A: The documentation says these events are exists. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/serverless-application-model/latest/developerguide/sam-property-function-cognito.html#sam-function-cognito-trigger
From this I would try something like:
ApiJWTAddCustomClaimFunction:
    Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
    Properties:
      FunctionName: !Sub ${AWS::StackName}-ApiJWTAddCustomClaimFunction
      Description: Modify JWT before token generation
      Handler: main
      Environment:
        Variables:
          AUTH_API_URL: !Ref AuthApiUrl
          AUTH_SDK_KEYS: !Ref AuthSdkKeys
      Policies:
        - AWSXrayWriteOnlyAccess
        - Statement:
            - Sid: Cognito
              Effect: Allow
              Action:
                - cognito-idp:*
              Resource: '*'
      Events:
        CognitoUserPoolPreTokenGeneration:
          Type: Cognito
          Properties:
            UserPool:
              Ref: <<<MyCognitoUserPool>>>
            Trigger: PreTokenGeneration

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Massive drum circle for Bloomberg! Come one, come all!
By Andy Bichlbaum on Nov 19 2011 - 3:48pm Tagged: Project: Occupy Wall Street actions
Now, finally, a drum circle you don't have to be high to enjoy: this Sunday at 2pm, for 24 hours, bring the love to Mayor Bloomberg's personal townhouse: 17 East 79th Street.
Tie-dye, didgeridoo, hackeysack welcome! No shirt, no shoes, no problem! And if you don't have talent, don't worry: FREE DRUM LESSONS offered! Also on offer: collaborative drumming with the police!
Even though this is a 24-hour drum circle, don't be late! The mayor loves evictions. Who knows what'll happen? But no matter how long it lasts, there'll be an afterparty and love-in in world-famous Central Park just next door.
Please spread this announcement (www.yeslab.org/drumcircle) as far and fast as you can!
Nov. 17 Day of Action, and "Grampa Was a Terrorist"
By Andy Bichlbaum on Nov 15 2011 - 1:10pm Tagged:
Thanks to Bloomberg's insane attempt at eviction, things have heated up very dramatically in advance of this Thursday's mass non-violent direct action in New York City. This Thursday was already going to be epic—now, we can only expect the mindblowing. Visit http://occupywallst.org/action/november-17th/ for the partial schedule of events.
Towards the end of the day, if you need a short break to discuss what's happening, come see former Weather Underground member Mark Rudd, live, in "GRAMPA WAS A TERRORIST," at NYU's Steinhardt Auditorium, 34 Stuyvesant Street, Room 105, at 7:30pm. Then head back into the fray, together with Mark.
Mark Rudd led the legendary 1968 occupation of five buildings at Columbia University, a dramatic act of protest against the university's support for the Vietnam War. As charismatic chairman of the Columbia chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, the largest radical student organization in the United States, Rudd became a national symbol of student revolt, and went on to co-found the Weathermen faction of SDS, which helped organize the notorious Days of Rage in Chicago in 1969 before going underground. Mark will speak about the intended and unintended humor of '60s activism.
Mark's talk is part of the "Revolutionaries Live!" lecture series, that examines both the successes and failures of revolutions and moments of social change by speaking with those in the thick of it. (RSVP on the Facebook page if you like.)
APEC World Leaders Dinner Gets Occupied
By Andy Bichlbaum on Nov 13 2011 - 9:18am Tagged: Project: Occupy Wall Street actions
Within secure zone, musician sings on behalf of the many
Video and photos below
Honolulu - A change in the programmed entertainment at last night's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gala left a few world leaders slack-jawed, though most seemed not to notice that anything was amiss.
During the gala dinner, renowned Hawaiian guitarist Makana, who performed at the White House in 2009, opened his suit jacket to reveal a home-made "Occupy with Aloha" T-shirt. Then, instead of playing the expected instrumental background music, he spent almost 45 minutes repeatedly singing his protest ballad released earlier that day. The ballad, called "We Are the Many," includes lines such as "The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw.... And until they are purged, we won't withdraw," and ends with the refrain: "We'll occupy the streets, we'll occupy the courts, we'll occupy the offices of you, till you do the bidding of the many, not the few."
Those who could hear Makana's message included Presidents Barack Obama of the United States of America, Hu Jintao of China, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, and over a dozen other heads of state.
"At first, I was worried about playing 'We Are The Many,'" said Makana. "But I found it odd that I was afraid to sing a song I'd written, especially since I'd written it with these people in mind."
The gala was the most secure event of the summit. It was held inside the Hale Koa hotel, a 72-acre facility owned and controlled by the US Defense Department; the site was fortified with an additional three miles of fencing constructed solely for the APEC summit.
Makana was surprised that no one objected to him playing the overtly critical song. "I just kept doing different versions," he said. "I must've repeated 'the bidding of the many, not the few' at least 50 times, like a mantra. It was surreal and sobering."
Makana's new song is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has taken root in cities worldwide. Last Saturday, eight protesters were arrested when they refused to leave the Occupy Honolulu encampment at Thomas Square Park. Occupy Honolulu has joined other groups, including Moana Nui, to protest the APEC meeting, and while Makana performed, hundreds of people protested outside.
After facing large-scale protests in South Korea, Australia, Peru, and Japan, APEC moved this year's event to Hawaii, the most isolated piece of land on earth. In preparation for the meeting, homeless families were moved out of sight and millions of taxpayer dollars were spent on security—including over $700,000 on non-lethal weapons for crowd control. In a bitter twist, the multi-million dollar security plans backfired when a local Hawaiian man was shot and killed by a 27-year-old DC-based federal agent providing security for dignitaries.
Makana's action was assisted by the Yes Lab and Occupy the Boardroom. In recent weeks, Occupy protesters have been showing up at corporate events, headquarters and even on the doorsteps of those in power. "Makana really raised the bar by delivering the Occupy message inside what is probably the most secure place on the planet right now," said Mike Bonanno of the Yes Lab.
"My uncle taught me to feel out the audience and play what my heart tells me to," said Makana. "That's what I did tonight."
Mike Bonanno: music@yeslab.org, 917-209-3282
John Sweeney: hawaii@yeslab.org, 808-230-0799
Video of H-M07v8N_eU
Photos (click some for high-res):
Lyrics to "We Are the Many":
Ye come here, gather 'round the stage
The time has come for us to voice our rage
Against the ones who've trapped us in a cage
To steal from us the value of our wage
From underneath the vestiture of law
The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw
At liberty, the bureaucrats guffaw
And until they are purged, we won't withdraw
We'll occupy the streets
We'll occupy the courts
We'll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few
Our nation was built upon the right
Of every person to improve their plight
But laws of this Republic they rewrite
And now a few own everything in sight
They own it free of liability
They own, but they are not like you and me
Their influence dictates legality
And until they are stopped we are not free
You enforce your monopolies with guns
While sacrificing our daughters and sons
But certain things belong to everyone
Your thievery has left the people none
So take heed of our notice to redress
We have little to lose, we must confess
Your empty words do leave us unimpressed
A growing number join us in protest
We occupy the streets
We occupy the courts
We occupy the offices of you
You can't divide us into sides
And from our gaze, you cannot hide
Denial serves to amplify
And our allegiance you can't buy
Our government is not for sale
The banks do not deserve a bail
We will not reward those who fail
We will not move till we prevail
We are the many
You are the few
Wall Street bull survives attack by matador; clowns arrested
By Andy Bichlbaum on Nov 9 2011 - 8:21am Tagged: Project: Occupy Wall Street actions
CLOWNS ARRESTED IN NEAR-SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON WALL STREET BULL
Matador, bull both survive to fight another day
Photos: www.yeslab.org/bull#photos
Video: www.yeslab.org/bull#video
Contact: bull@yeslab.org
Earlier today, a small group of Occupy Wall Street activists engaged in a near-successful corrida against the Wall Street Bull.
The incident began when two clowns, Hannah Morgan and Louis Jargow, scaled the steel barricades protecting the landmark. The clowns began spanking and climbing the beast, traditional ways of coaxing a bull into anger in preparation for a Castilian corrida, or bullfight.
Within seconds, police officers grabbed both clowns by their colorful shirts and wrestled one of them (Jargow) to the ground. The other (Morgan) continued to play the harmonica until an officer removed it from her mouth.
With the officers thus occupied, a matador in full traje de luces leapt onto the hood of the patrol vehicle parked in front of the bull and boldly presented his blood-red cape to the beast.
"I wondered whether I, neophyte matador, could bring down this behemoth, world-famous for charging towards profit while trampling underfoot the average worker," said the OWS activist/torero whose first fight this was. "Come what may, I knew I must try."
Police officers took no notice of the matador, occupied as they were with the clowns.
"This bull has ruined millions of lives!" wailed clown Jargow as he lay on the ground face-down. "Yet he and his accomplices have been rewarded with billions of our tax dollars—and we, here to put a stop to it all, are thrown to the ground. ¡Un escándalo!"
Both clowns were charged with disorderly conduct and released an hour later; they returned to Zuccotti Park to great fanfare. The Wall Street bull continues to rage.
Video of pfrf71ALsEs
Click photos for high-resolution versions. Photo credit: Bess Adler.
Below photos by Jason Nicholas.
The climate campaigners the U.S. doesn't want you to hear
By Andy Bichlbaum on Nov 1 2011 - 10:51pm Tagged:
This week for Revolutionaries Live!, we're joined by UK climate campaign campaigners John Stewart and Dan Glass. These guys are celebrated environmentalists, recognized by the Independent and the Guardian as the "most effective and innovative green activists in the UK." They won support from direct action activists and even Conservatives in Parliament, waging a successful (and cheeky!) campaign to reduce carbon emissions and stop the expansion of Heathrow airport.
For some reason, our own government isn't keen on them coming here. But we're bringing them to you anyway, via Skype (no transcontinental air emissions involved!).
Thursday, November 3, 7pm
Department of Performance Studies
NY, NY 10003
(photo ID required)
Brokers and Police for the Occupation
By Andy Bichlbaum on Oct 23 2011 - 12:00am Tagged: Project: Occupy Wall Street actions
This morning, two members of the Yes Lab brought a dozen thrift-store suits to Zuccotti Park and asked for volunteers. Then, within earshot of the police, the group made a human microphone announcement about a "highly risky, very arrestable" action. Then, together with a brand-new police escort, the group headed towards the Wall Street Bull chanting "Castrate the bull!" and other angry slogans. More police joined.
Finally, the "brokers" reversed the empty pizza boxes they were holding and held them up to reveal their message for the two dozen photographers present: "POLICE AND BROKERS FOR THE OCCUPATION." At least a few of the photos were shared on Facebook thousands of times, and one appeared in a Long Island tabloid, without any comment, to illustrate an article about police overtime. (Click for high-resolution.)
Become BFFs with a banker!
By Andy Bichlbaum on Oct 17 2011 - 9:35am Tagged: Project: Occupy Wall Street actions
A couple of the results from the BFF tumblr:
If you like the Yes Men's corporate crime-fighting mischief, it's now time to spring into action yourself—by becoming Best Friends Forever (BFFs) with the 1% who have wrecked the economy and left us with the bill.
Visit www.occupytheboardroom.org to find hundreds of available 1%ers today; then figure out how to reach them. The idea is to reveal, through hilarious action (like that phone call to Gov. Walker, for instance), something about your new 1% BFF and their nasty, people-destructive practices.
There are many ways to do this. There's the telephone, of course, and there's email. Or how about giving them an award, or paying them a visit in costume? For more suggestions, go pick your new BFF now! Whatever you do, make it revealing, nonviolent, and funny; document it well, and email images, video, audio or text to bff@occupytheboardroom.org. The funniest interactions, that reveal the most about the 1% (or just your particular BFF), will win prizes.
This isn't easy to do—but then neither is sleeping out in the rain, let alone digging ourselves out of the mess that the 1% have created.
This is a big project by a whole bunch of people who can't wait to see what you come up with!
Three lessons from the Chevron campaign
By Andy Bichlbaum on Oct 12 2011 - 1:40pm Tagged:
(From the Yes Men's acceptance speech for the Art of Activism award given them at RAN's annual fundraising dinner.)
It's nice to be here among the 1%. And it's really nice to know that even the 1% has a 99%.
One year ago, Ginger Cassady from RAN contacted us with some amazing news: RAN had been leaked the files for Chevron's upcoming multimillion-dollar rebranding campaign, which featured slogans like "Oil companies should get real... We agree!"
Ginger thought RAN could do better; we agreed. And shortly afterwards, we all started working on a much-improved version of Chevron's campaign. Ours would have slogans like "Oil companies should clean up their messes" and "Oil companies should stop endangering life," and would feature images of Chevron's massive destruction in Ecuador.
Two days later, we suddenly found out that Chevron's campaign was going to launch in just 12 hours. Thanks to the incredible team from RAN and AmazonWatch, we finished our version in just under 8. We launched it just ahead of Chevron's-—and totally ruined their launch. (To see just how much we ruined it, do a google image search today on "Chevron we agree.")
There are three lessons we've learned from this experience.
Lesson: Humor works
The first lesson is that we can laugh, and that funny actions have a real role in activist struggles today.
We knew this, of course, in part from talking with Serbian revolutionaries who told us that funny actions were critical in their struggle to overthrow Milosevic, and that the Egyptian activists' primary tool in bringing Mubarak down wasn't Twitter, but rather humor.
Here in the US, our own sudden revolution is a bit more complicated than Serbia's or Egypt's—it's not just a single tyrant we're bringing down, but, as with segregation, a whole unjust system we're changing. At the very least, our "we agree" campaign meant that millions of people learned of one more grisly symptom of this system, the same one greed run amok, and of the system the folks in the Occupy movement have set out to change forever.
Lesson: Victory happens
The second lesson we learned, much more important than that one, was that victory is possible.
Today, the perseverance of Chevron's victims, together with the longstanding assistance of RAN and AmazonWatch, is paying off. Chevron was recently ordered to pay $18 billion to clean up their mess in Ecuador, and all their appeals are failing. Chevron's assets will be seized, and there's not much Chevron can do to stop it.
Even getting this far is a really huge victory, and it shows—concretely, clearly, unambiguously—that a different world is possible, and that when the 99% decide something, the 1% can't do squat about it. We can vanquish Chevron, and we can vanquish the whole system of corruption that's holding democracy captive.
Lesson: Kick 'em in the balls
But the most important lesson we've learned from RAN's Chevron campaign is how corporations are vulnerable, and what actually works against them.
What works isn't trying to change corporations. What works isn't trying to appeal to their shareholders, or trying to inflict "brand damage." What works certainly isn't trying to appeal to the decency of people within corporations.
What works is what RAN and AmazonWatch, together with Chevron's victims, have done: kicking them in the proverbial balls. (And corporations are male, I'm afraid.)
Chevron hasn't agreed to anything, and they never will. Nor will the companies involved in the Tar Sands. Nor will the banks or any other part of the democracy-kidnapping system called Wall Street.
The only thing that can work to make corporations serve us, instead of the other way around, is real action—legal, legislative, and political.
Street action also works. Is it a coincidence that Obama is finally starting, now that America is being occupied, to act in some small ways as we elected him to? I don't think it is, any more than it's a coincidence that Chevron is now going to have to pony up billions.
That's an incredibly important lesson, and we'll always be grateful for it.
Activists barred from US; march on Wall St.
By Andy Bichlbaum on Oct 4 2011 - 1:33pm Tagged:
This Wednesday's Revolutionaries Live! lecture with UK climate campaign activists John Stewart and Dan Glass has been postponed.
A few days ago, Stewart landed in JFK Airport for a month-long US speaking tour, only to be escorted off the plane by 6 police officers; interrogated for six hours by the FBI, Secret Service, NY police, and Immigration; and put on a plane back to the UK. The other tour member, environmental activist Dan Glass, was stopped by the CIA on the UK side.
Stewart and Glass are celebrated environmentalists who have won support from direct action activists and even Conservatives in the UK Parliament for successful efforts to reduce carbon emissions and stop the expansion of Heathrow airport. For some reason, however, our own government isn't keen on them coming here.
We're going to bring them to you anyway. Join us on Thursday, November 3rd for a special Skype session with these revered (and reviled?) climate revolutionaries. The best part: no transcontinental air emissions involved!
And now that your Wednesday is freed up, consider joining us at OccupyWallStreet! Wednesday is the biggest action yet, with the Steelworkers, Transit Workers Union, United Federation of Teachers, Working Families Party, MoveOn.org, Rebuild the Dream, and countless economic justice and community organizations taking part in a massive march to the Liberty Plaza encampment. Starts at 4:30pm at City Hall, 250 Broadway Ave
Help put it in print! #occupywallstreet
Quick alert about two really important projects that badly need funding:
1. The Occupy Wall Street Journal. The title speaks for itself. This newspaper will be printed in 50,000 copies and will spread all over New York City the news of what's happening right now in the heart of the world's financial capital. Help the movement grow! And if you're anywhere near New York and haven't been to Liberty Plaza, the experience is highly recommended as a treatment for most personal and societal ills.
2. Beautiful Trouble will be a collectively-written book and website that makes the best of creative activism available to all. It's already largely written, but needs a boost to finish and to develop the website. Read more here about what we think of this project, and click here to support it.
Also, a funny thing that happened accidentally yesterday: "Twitter was abuzz" with "evidence" that we'd created a fake evil trader. Not. He's not fake, doesn't even look like us, and—at least by comparison with the real deal—is hardly evil at all. Here's what we wrote about the whole surreal episode.
And if you're in New York, stop by tonight to hear two members of Otpor describe how they brought down Milosevic, and to offer suggestions on bringing down other forms of tyranny.


Earlier this fall, the bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories released guidelines to help priests offer pastoral care to individuals and families contemplating voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. The guidelines were fully Catholic, comprehensive, compassionate and courageous, as detailed then by Peter Stockland in these pages.
Where I am able to organize things — in my parish, at the chaplaincy — we sing Advent hymns in Advent. But otherwise, Christmas concerts are the order of the day by early December. And so it was that last Saturday I had the privilege of attending the annual Christmas concert of St. Michael's Choir School in the afternoon at Massey Hall, and then the Christmas pageant ("Gaudy" to employ the local nomenclature) at Massey College in the evening.
Fidel Castro is dead. Canada's prime minister, whose father was an admirer and friend of the tyrant, is struck with grief, but it is not widely shared. Fidel's death is an advance for Cuba. A more significant step forward will be when Fidel's brother Raul, to whom power was handed over in 2006, follows his brother into eternity.
The election of Donald Trump must have distressed Pope Francis. Or did it?
Is music part of the missionary activity of the Church? Or does it remain part of her internal life, as it were, reserved to the worship of God?
This week Toronto hosts the head of the largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). Within the UGCC, Shevchuk is referred to as the Patriarch of Kyiv, the common title for the head of an Eastern Catholic Church. Due to tensions with the Orthodox though, especially in Russia, the Holy See grants him the title of "major archbishop," equivalent in all aspects to a patriarch.
For centuries there was only one Teresa, the Carmelite reformer who was canonized on March 12, 1622, in the single most impressive canonization in the history of the Church. Gregory XV crowned the Catholic Counter-Reformation that day, canonizing in one ceremony the great Teresa of Avila, along with St. Francis Xavier, St. Philip Neri and St. Ignatius Loyola.


i.e. God - that' right.
> sincere.  From what I've heard.  I could be wrong.
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate"
> Ah, that's unexpectedly charitable, isn't it?
Yet too often IMHO muslims are lumped together as intolerant 'bin Ladens'.
and alienated youngsters are what people like Bin Laden prey upon.
of us many lessons in courage and hospitality."


The Cure: Pictures of You live at Perth Arena from Vienna Parreno on Vimeo.
I have this book called 10 Songs that Changed the World, and I'm pretty sure Amazing Grace is in it. If not, it should be- especially when sung by the Soweto Gospel Choir.


Choosing to become an entrepreneur is a difficult and risky career move at any time. But, within the ever-changing digital landscape, breaking into the world of entrepreneurship has additional risks that you should consider before trying to make it on your own. Though starting your own business is certainly a challenge, it can be a very rewarding feat, especially if you succeed in your endeavor.
Before quitting your day job, be sure that you're aware of the challenges associated with being your own boss as well as the outside factors that can affect your business. Every entrepreneur experiences failures and struggles at the beginning, but motivation and preparation go a long way toward overcoming obstacles.
One of the most difficult aspects of being an entrepreneur in modern times is the never-ending developments that take place across the digital landscape. When you're running your own business, you're the CEO, the receptionist and everything in between, which means you're responsible for staying on top of changes in trends, laws and processes.
It can be overwhelming to learn about everything from accounting and eCommerce store management to social media campaigns and analytical data when you're just starting out. Expect to feel overwhelmed, and try to add the right people to your team once you have the means. Many entrepreneurs succeed because they stay resilient and adjust well to change.
Though the number of millennial entrepreneurs is declining, there are still hundreds of startups popping up every day. While this has led to an explosion of creativity and innovation, a huge issue that today's innovators face is how to make their idea or business different from the competition. The internet has provided a wide range of people the ability to bring their ideas to fruition, but, like a needle in a haystack, it can be difficult for investors and users to identify the companies that have the most potential.
Standing out from the crowd is not simply about providing a different kind of service or product. It's about showing people why you can do it better than anyone else in the industry. Motivation also plays a huge role in getting ahead of the competition. While a good idea is a solid starting point, your ventures will suffer if you don't have the ability and the drive to bring that idea into reality.
While technology initially helped new business owners cut costs in areas like rent, employee expenses and print advertising, eCommerce has become the new norm, and the costs associated with the industry are beginning to rise.
With the recent Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., small- and medium-sized eCommerce businesses will now be subject to a sales tax in every state where they have customers. This change, in combination with the update to the EU's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), will likely lead to small eCommerce businesses needing outside help from tax and data management companies.
How can new entrepreneurs overcome these issues?
Established as a result of the large number of new startups, accelerator programs have become increasingly popular with digital entrepreneurs. As the name suggests, these programs are created to speed up the process of starting a new business.
Entrepreneurs who have the means – and the time – to participate in accelerator programs are at an advantage because they are provided with mentors, potential investors and other avenues of support. The Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program is a popular course to enroll in, but depending on the industry you're looking to get into, there are dozens of similar programs across the country.
As previously mentioned, all businesses are subject to change at any given moment, so it's best not to get too attached to any one long-term strategy. In fact, preparing several different business tactics is a smart practice to ensure that you always have a back-up plan if something isn't working the way you envisioned. Always be ready to alter your approach, whether the shift is a result of laws and practices or the outcome of your performance.
Every entrepreneur experiences some level of struggle when they first embark on the journey. Seeking advice from people who have already been through the early stages of creating a new company can provide new business owners with expert insights. Accept the fact that you will always be learning, and that will help you stay open to new ideas and possibilities. Whenever you have the opportunity to ask for advice, seek out successful mentors and heed the warnings and guidance of others.
It can be difficult not to feel disheartened when an idea doesn't pan out, but your failures can turn into some of your most important successes. Always consider a mistake as an opportunity for growth and further development. Don't be afraid to try something new because you never know when it will lead to your next big idea.
Brooks Robinson is the CEO and co-founder of Springbot. As an entrepreneur and marketing enthusiast, he is passionate about helping small retailers compete against much larger competitors, such as Amazon and Walmart. He and his team created Springbot to make advanced marketing technologies accessible to the small companies that traditionally couldn't afford them. He mentors other entrepreneurs through Techstars and the Entrepreneurs Organization.


We believe that God has a unique purpose for your life found in Jesus Christ, and Christ Lutheran Church exists to connect you to Jesus.
If you are exploring Christianity and wondering about Christ Lutheran's core beliefs, if you are looking for a place to experience the healing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or if you're seeking how to put your faith into action, we'd love to talk with you! Contact or visit us.
Learn more about our core beliefs below.
Our Vision: Christ Lutheran Church is a 21st Century outpost where people are supported, equipped, and launched into ministry, acting locally and impacting globally.
Our Mission: The people of Christ Lutheran live out this vision by expressing their personal discipleship model of UP, IN and OUT.
UP –Your personal relationship with God. Engaged in worship, Bible study and prayer.
IN – Your connection to other believers in Biblical Community. Engaged in small groups, acts of service and caring.
OUT - Your expression of participating in the advancement of the Mission of God. Engaged in witnessing, supporting mission.
Our statement of faith summarizes our beliefs as a Church. Our theology is not innovative -- anyone familiar with historic Christian doctrine will find that these statements fall in the center of evangelical theology ("evangelical" means theology derived from the evangel, or the Gospel; in other words, it is Biblical theology rather than speculative theology or theology rooted in tradition).
We believe that there is one true, Holy God, eternally in three persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. By His Power He continues to sustain His creation. By His Providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended to heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. Through the Word of God and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Holy Spirit works and sustains faith in the hearts of people. The Holy Spirit enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need of a Savior, and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become his/her source of assurance, strength, wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the edification of the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His indwelling presence, power, and control are appropriated by faith, making possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father.
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and that it was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, history, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
We believe and teach that since Adam and Eve sinned, all men and women are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God and without trust in God. This nature, state, or origin (spiritual depravity), will bring condemnation and eternal death upon those not born again. People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by this sinful attitude of disobedience toward God.
The central purpose of God's revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and thus was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature (original sin), rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals thus born in the image of Adam have suffered these consequences and are in need of the saving grace of God.
The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God's free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works of goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. Therefore, a person is made right (justified) with God when he/she believes that he/she is forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for his/her sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Therefore, a person is justified by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
We believe that Baptism is one of the miraculous means of grace (another is God's Word as it is written or spoken), through which God creates and/or strengthens the gift of faith in a person's heart (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:1-4; Colossians 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:13). We believe that the Bible says that infants can believe (Matthew 18:6) and that new birth (regeneration) happens in Baptism (John 3:5-7; Titus 3:5-6). The infant's faith cannot yet, of course, be verbally expressed or articulated by the child, yet it is real and present all the same (Acts 2:38-39; Luke 1:15; 2 Timothy 3:15). The faith of the infant, like the faith of adults, also needs to be fed and nurtured by God's Word (Matthew 28:18-20), or it will die. Lutherans do not believe that only those baptized as infants receive faith. Faith is also created in a person's heart by the power of the Holy Spirit working through God's (written or spoken) Word.
Baptism should soon follow conversion for the purpose of confirming and strengthening faith in accordance with God's command and promise. Lutherans baptize people of all ages - from infancy to adulthood. We do not believe that Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation. All true believers in the Old Testament era were saved without baptism. The thief crucified alongside Jesus was promised eternal life even though he died unbaptized (Luke 23:39-43). Mark 16:16 implies that it is not the absence of Baptism that condemns a person but the absence of faith. At the same time, Baptism is not to be despised or willfully neglected, since it is explicitly commanded by God and has His precious promises attached to it. It is not a mere "ritual" or "symbol," but a powerful means of grace by which God grants faith and the forgiveness of sins.
We also believe and teach that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present in, with and under the bread and wine as they are distributed to those who eat in the Supper of the Lord. Those who receive the Lord's Supper -- those confessing their sins, trusting in Christ, and promising with the aid of the Holy Spirit to live a life of obedience -- receive forgiveness of all sins, the assurance of salvation, and strength in their Christian lives.
The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, the administration of Baptism and Holy Communion as established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world. Wherever God's people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the Church. Under the watch-care of elders and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying God.
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation. God's judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life. Moreover, we believe and teach that at the consummation of the world, Christ will appear for judgment, and will raise up all the dead; He will give to all who trusted in Him eternal life and everlasting joys; but those who did not trust in Him, He will condemn to be tormented without end.
Lutherans are "Amillennialists," different from popular "millennial" views of the end times. We agree with all Christians that Jesus will come again at the end of time; that his return is imminent and motivates us to be diligent and passionate in outreach. We believe that no one can predict when his return will occur, only God the Father knows. We do not believe that the Bible teaches a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ. The millennial reign of Jesus began when he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. His millennial reign continues forever (Ephesians 1:19-23). We believe that the tribulation of the Christian church began when Jesus ascended into heaven and will continue until his return. The tribulation will significantly intensify in the time period immediately prior to Jesus' second coming. The Church is simultaneously living in the tribulation and under the authority and power of Jesus' millennial reign. We believe that the rapture will take place when Jesus comes at the end of time (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). We do not teach a "pre-, mid- or post-tribulation rapture." We believe in a God who will accomplish his plan and purpose at the end of time regardless of the various views of the Body of Christ. We believe that the Church's time and energy is best spent on Kingdom work and the growth of our individual lives of faith rather than on the mysteries of end-times prophecies.
We believe and teach what the Christian Church has confessed since early times as contained in the ancient creeds: Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. We believe and teach that the doctrinal writings of the Lutheran Church, as contained in the Book of Concord, are true and correct expositions of the Word of God.


Mestre Pastinha is one of two capoeiristas responsible for the modernization of capoeira, the other being Mestre Bimba. Pastinha is considered the father of the Angola form. Like Bimba, he hailed from Bahia in Brazil.
Born Vicente Ferreira Pastinha in April 1889, he began studying capoeira in 1897 with a man named Benedito. He was taken on as a student after Benedito noticed young Pastinha being beaten up by a neighborhood bully. Benedito taught him a few moves initially to help him deal with the bully and Pastinha was victorious. He would study under Benedito until 1900 while also pursuing a number of jobs. Young Pastinha would continue doing these jobs in old age as a means to support himself while practicing Angola.
In the decades that followed Pastinha continued practicing capoeira and had since trained several students. He was a fixture at rodas in the area so it wasn't unusual for him to receive an invite to one of the games.
Ladeira do Gengibirra was where a number of mestres and capoeiristas met to talk and participate in rodas. Here, Mestre Pastinha would meet Mestre Amorzinho who had heard of his reputation. It is also at this very roda that Pastinha is put in charge of teaching and preserving Capoeira Angola.
Later that year in 1941, Pastinha opened the first Capoeria Angola school: the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola. In constrast to Capoeira Regional's all white uniforms, Angola's were black pants with yellow t-shirts.
Angola would have several decades of good fortune, especially during the 1950s and 1960s. Capoeira Angola seemed to be recognized as a part of Brazilian culture and was given favorable treatment. However, the recession of the 1970s was hard globally and some countries were very slow to recover. As a result, capoeira suffered a number of blows.
In later years the Angola academy and Pastinha were plagued with misfortune. By the late 1960s, Mestre Pastinha was in poor health. In 1971, the local government requests that he leave the academy's building for renovations. Instead, it became a part of the commercial district. Following his final roda in April 1981, he passed several months later on November 13, 1981 in a Salvador homeless shelter. He was 92 years old.
In his years of teaching Angola, he trained seven future mestres. Three of them are significant for different reasons. While Aberee was responsible for bringing Mestre Pastinha to that chance roda where he became Angola's patron. The other two are his most important students as Pastinha put a lot of time training them.
João Oliveira dos Santos, also known as Mestre João Grand, is the one who continues to teach Capoeira Angola today. He retired after things went downhill for the style and some time prior to Pastinha's death. He would return during the 1980s and has been active since with a school in New York. João Pereira dos Santos, known as Mestre João Pequeno, continued practicing and teaching Angola after the demise of Pastinha. He was responsible for continuing the form and goal of Angola in the same vein through economic woes.


text:
"A Farewell to Kings" är en låt av den kanadensiska progrockbandet Rush. Låten är titelspåret på albumet A Farewell to Kings släppt 1 september 1977. Den var även med på livealbumet Different Stages.

"A Farewell to Kings" var ej kvar länge i bandets konserter. Den spelades endast från 20 augusti 1977 till 29 maj 1979. Totalt spelades den 288 gånger.

En musikvideo till låten släpptes på YouTube mars 2018.

Källor

Sånger 1977


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Fourteen years ago I bought the Star Wars Monopoly and today was the first time the board game was freed from dust and played – the premiere. After some hours we had to crown the winner: 1st place did the young rookie Stormtrooper (N.) with a possession of 75.780 Imperial Credits incl. all 4 spaceships (X-Wing Fighter, TIE-Fighter, Star Destroyer and the Millennium Falcon), Hoth, Yavin Four, Dagobah, the Moisture Farm and the Reactor Core, 2nd was Boba Fett (Y.) with a possession of 48.060 Imperial Credits incl. Tatooine, Coruscant and the Death Star, and on the 3rd and last place Chewbacca (T.) with a possession of 32.740 Imperial Credits incl. Bespin and Endor.
Oh, I forgot … the answer for the question about «Star Wars and Capitalism» could be answered maybe by the book «Culture, Identities and Technology in the Star Wars Films». I didn't read it — yet.
I hate Jar-Jar Bings but I love Boba Fett, and this is awesome — and there is even a Star-Wars-Theme-Reggae track at the end (→ 04:15), yay!
AT-AT day afternoon from Patrick Boivin.


New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's lawsuit against one of the state's largest utility companies is a recipe for disaster, critics claim.
Cantrell sued Entergy New Orleans, Chevron U.S.A. Inc,, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company and eight other oil and gas companies, demanding they repair damage caused by exploration, production and pipeline construction activities to wetlands along the city's eastern edges.
The lawsuit is among dozens filed against oil and gas firms by six Louisiana parishes, which are all pending before federal judges in New Orleans and Lafayette.
"We are filing this lawsuit to ensure that the residents of Orleans Parish are safe, our economy is protected, and to help restore our coast," City Attorney Sunni LeBeouf added.
But the impact of these companies on the local community is completely different than what Cantrell claims, Marc Ehrhardt, executive director of the Grow Louisiana Coalition, responded. "Nothing good comes from suing an industry that means so much to New Orleans. Right now, there are more than 1,600 New Orleanians and a couple hundred New Orleans-based businesses working in the energy industry. These businesses employ citizens from every corner of the city.
Lawsuits such as this don't build relationships, he continued.
Similar coastal lawsuits filed in 2013 were thrown out of federal court four times, including a final decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Existing coastal lawsuits have languished in the court system for five years after they were first filed.
Entergy is the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans. New Orleans levied a $5 million fine on Entergy for allegedly hiring paid actors to demonstrate support before the City Council for its plan to build a new power plant in New Orleans East.
These lawsuits also kill jobs, James Baehr, general counsel for the Pelican Institute, said.


Shiny red finish. With LAMY ink cartridge T 10 (can be modified for use with converter Z 24).
SKU: L16. Categories: Lamy, Lamy Safari Fountain Pens. Tags: fountain pen, L16, lamy, Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Shiny Red L16, safari.


Network and connect with key trade visitors and exhibitors relevant to your business! A comprehensive and user-friendly suite of business matching services dedicated to helping you identify and screen potential business partners. With this free service, you get an ideal method to seek out potential new professional partners and suppliers. If you are looking to expand your footprint into the Southeast Asian region or looking to connect with international companies, take advantage of the business matching and secure valuable meetings even before your respective participation and visit to the exhibition.
As an integral element of the Medical Fair Thailand 2019 experience, the free service has been very successful in assisting delegates to make their relevant connections and facilitate the necessary meetings, allowing them to maximise their networking opportunities at the event.
Making relevant connections and meetings is the reason why Medical Fair Thailand 2019 is the must-visit exhibition for the healthcare sectors. We recognise the value and importance of networking to you, and we aim to value-add your experience and networking potential here.
Business matching at the exhibition is powered by Jublia, the official provider selected by Messe Düsseldorf Asia. Jublia's extensive experience in business matching uses their software technology, combined with a personalised service, provides an easy-to-use approach for our delegates to facilitate quality networking opportunities.
All exhibitors will automatically be registered for the Business Matching programme.
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This source is taken from the account of the Crusades written by Raymond of Aguilers. He had been educated as a clerk in a monastery in Vezelay, was ordained during the journey to the east, and was a chaplain in the household of Raymond of St Gilles, count of Toulouse. He produced one of four eyewitness narratives of the Crusades and is considered a very important chronicler, even though he was mostly describing visions and miracles. His language and imagery tend to biblical and liturgical rather than descriptive, but this is not unusual for the time. One of the visions and miracles he described was the discovery, at which he was present, of the relic of the Holy Lance, under the floor of the cathedral of Antioch. In Christian mythology the Holy Lance is the lance used at the crucifixion.
The Lance's hiding place had been revealed to the visionary Peter Bartholomew. Although many of the leaders of the crusade were sceptical about the discovery, believing Peter Bartholomew to be a charlatan, it proved to be a turning point and boosted the morale of the Crusaders at a time when they themselves were besieged.
Finally, take all these sources together and look at the following statements. For each statement decide to what extent it is supported by the evidence of these extracts. It may be shown to be true; shown to be probably true; shown to be possibly true; shown to be untrue; or not shown (which does not necessarily mean it is not true, merely that no evidence for it has been shown here).