text:
Ebertfest Remainders: Boys II Men (Mario Van Peebles, Jason Patric, Guy Maddin, Darrell Roodt)
May 4, 2005 in Broad View Posts
Classic me to still dwell on Ebertfest eight days later, especially since I saw a bunch of Tribeca screenings last week that merit discussion. But I've a bit more to say before I lay it to rest, and Tribeca, well, everyone chatters about Tribeca. Much more delicious to linger in the land of Steak N Shake. I swear after this I will lay yesterday's lunch aside.
It's just I was struck by the presiding theme of boys transitioning to men. Mario Van Peebles, the scion of madcap Melvin (he of Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song), won me over but good when he spoke at length about childrearing at a women and film panel on which we both spoke. I like, not love, Mario's Baadasssss!, which for sure deserved more press and population than it garnered. Its strength stemmed from dry humor and big convictions, but what struck me most about the film, focusing on how his dad (played by Mario clad in black and a sober expression) wrung out Sweet Sweet despite wildly extenuating circumstances, is where it didn't go. As a dad, Melvin was clearly a bust in the way that many groundbreaking artists tend to be. His rampant narcissism prevented him from placing first the needs of his own children, especially Mario, whom he forced to enact a sex scene that no professional child actor would today be allowed to enact. Obviously, how Mario feels about his dad is his own business, but I couldn't help but suspect that his unwillingness to fully strip down that cultural linchpin called his dad resulted in a certain surfaceness in his own movie. He scratches at it, but a deeper, untreated wound still lurks as the elephant in every scene.
The result of that hit-or-miss childhood, however, is that he's a clear thinker and a really kick-ass dad. He said many things on the panel and in the question-and-answer discussion that I'm still mulling a full week later, but my favorite (besides the eminently quotable "There's a Baldwin for every budget") was "We have an obligation to continue the conversation that our culture begins." It was in reaction to a parent's expressed concern about the impact of the media on her kids. He's right. These days, we can't entirely monitor or censor what children, or anyone, watches. But we can make it a dialogue. A 24-7 Mystery Science Theater 3000. Mario lit up most when speaking about his kids, whom he featured in a little short he made called Baadasssss Grandkids. I wish he were my dad.
Along the same lines, Jason Patric (grandson of Jackie Gleason) surprised the hell out of me when he spoke with Ebert when After Dark, My Sweet (1990) screened. Patric's career could be most charitably described as bumpy, and he directly addressed that fact with a frankness that seemed to take even him by surprise. Basically, he acknowledged that after Lost Boys, (which my friends and I loved loved loved at the time, and which still tickles my fancy even now), he was loathe to cash in on his teen-king status by starring in the usual spate of action movies. Likewise after the misbegotten Speed 2 (which Ebert hastened to acknowledge he liked; ah, the cheese stands alone), he didn't jump at the offers that appeared, at least until box-office returns were counted. The result was that the clamorers became naysayers, Patric explained slowly with a low level of amusement. Or at least bemusement. His refusals were perceived as holier than thou rather than as simple no's by La-la bigwigs, and he's been kind of blacklisted since. He still works a lot, cutting his chops in theater and the odd but well-received project. Narc, for example, was terribly underrated; everytime it plays on Showtime, it stops me in my tracks. But where he's to go now as a Hollywood player mystifies him as much as anyone.
What occurred to me while he was talking, with a marked lack of surliness, I might add, is that Patric has a chance to accomplish something very few American male actors really achieve: transition from a boy to a man. Seriously, very few American men, whether it be in Hollywood or elsewhere, really ever step into grownup shoes. Even their features remain painfully boyish, albeit with a few smile lines and stray grey hairs, as they age. And it's not to their advantage as artists. Youth remains impervious to all but black and white, and it's the colors that lend art any lasting weight or intrigue. By suffering a bit, by being forced by either the powers-that-be or his own prescient unconscious to marinate on the sidelines, Patric has been granted the chance to develop into a fine actor with all the gravity and stillness of a man. It'll be interesting to see whether the landscape of American film makes room for him. When I said as much to him at ye olde S n S, he responded that he hoped it'd work that way — while his lip inadvertently curled. But politely, I swear.
Also of note: A true Canadian, Guy Maddin, he of the movies Lynch only wishes he'd remained pure enough to make, is as mild-mannered and sweet-tempered as his films are spiky and flamboyant. That said, he did reveal in a discussion that he has a very rare neurological disorder in which, unless medicated, he experiences phantom fingers randomly prodding various parts of his body. Hear ye, hear ye: The phantom limbs of all his films doth be officially explained.
And, finally, Yesterday, one of 2004's foreign film Oscar nominations, made me cry like a teenaged girl three weeks late. Somber, still and terrifically brave, it's the story, relayed in a Swahili dialect, of a young, small-village mother who discovers her mostly MIA husband has infected her with HIV. When the lights came up, I was still crying, and my only consolation was that so was pretty much everyone else. Including Ebert himself, who surely had seen the film a few times if he'd decided to include it in his festival. Talk about Boys II Men, for when South African director Darrell Roodt bounded on stage and started jabbering to Ebert, "Wow, you're crying!" I stopped in my tracks. That he was white and clownish was surprise enough. I kept waiting for his hypoglycemic-child-going-at-the-birthday-cake affect to wear away, but it didn't. Let the record show that you cannot judge a film by its director's cover. Because the film is, er, not to be overlooked.
Ebertfest 2005: Murderball
Dickless Jane (Klute with Just a Dash of Leaving Las Vegas)


I am sure that there are other numbers which paint a whole different picture of ETH and KMD.
Correct! The fact that Ethereum aims to improve upon the shortcomings of BTC and other coins and its introduction to the concept of smart contracts is an amazing achievement itself and I think this is just the beginning because I see a future where it will continue to produce more innovative and useful features never been imagined before in crypto industry.
People so many choices available in the market now some other project also performing really well. ETH have to keep showing good performance to stay steady on 2nd place I hope so this time it is still on cheap price before this rally get started.
How much TPS doesn't important if the platform didn't have a lot of demand. Remember EOS and TRON have claimed it so many times and nothing changed. Whatever people said about that and ethereum will always be used and adopted.
Nah! Not really matter but china still thinks that investors will follow them like many investors followed JP.
Yeah you are right this ratings not affected bitcoin price even that ethereum price is not rise so far by China ratings.
Bitcoin will be not down by any news, now btc getting ready for next bull run.
True, a lot of coins are now providing (or at least claiming) limits of thousands of transactions per second, while Ethereum is still stuck with tens of transactions per second. Let's see if Ethereum can scale more than that by EOY with new sharding upgrades, otherwise it'll slowly lose ground to better alternatives.
tron dont have any roadmap so is neo and cardano is worse because of its supply..
and all these are not regulated by Sec only Ethereum and bitcoin.
What if you had the balls to hold during the bull run, not sell, and are now there with empty hands. Do you call that having balls or being not very smart because of hodling?
OMG, WTF did I just read?!? Are you serious with that stuff? When (year) do you think that Chinese people are going to push Ethereum to new limits?
2017 Was year of rooster means awakeness so the world came to know about it the bitcoin and last year 2018 was the year of the dog means controlling and dominant so bitcoin price was controlled.
You are not alone with that mate, I am also holding a good number of ETH now and even ETH tokens.
It's going to be a long wait but I still believe ETH will not fail us, it will recover and will hit a new ATH, that's I'm very optimistic will happen.
I am looking at Ethereum under Vitalik's fresh statement which shows he feels some kind of uncertainty and uncomfortable with fast progress of Tron. He will loose faith in humanity if Tron succeeds, in other words he isn't sure faith in Ethereum's with its current structure. At least for me this is first time when I see him feeling competitor for Ethereum. There will be many flipping in coming months this is obvious.


text:
Grandfather's Story Cloth / Yawg Daim Paj Ntaub Dab Neeg
by Gerdner, Linda; Langford, Sarah; Loughridge, Stuart (ILT)
Ten-year-old Chersheng helps his beloved grandfather cope with his failing memory, brought on by Alzheimer's disease, by showing him the story quilt Grandfather made after fleeing his homeland, Laos, during wartime.
Linda A. Gerdner was born in Iowa and is a registered nurse. She is dedicated to helping persons with Alzheimer's disease and the family members who are care for them. Although Grandfather's Story Cloth is her first children's book she has published extensively in professional journals and received international and national awards for these contributions. Gerdner has traveled to northern Laos where she visited three Hmong villages in the rural province of Xieng Khouang. The bonds and friendships established with members of the Hmong American community have enriched her life and expanded her world. Sarah Langford is currently a student at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She is especially interested in the health care needs of immigrants and refugees living in United States. She has a long-standing interest in childrens' literature and has enjoyed the opportunity to combine her talent in this area with her nursing focus. Stuart Loughridge lives and works in St. Paul, MN. Most of his waking hours are spent in his studio, drawing, painting, printmaking, and filling the bird feeder. His work can be viewed at www.Stuartloughridge.com. This is his first children's book.
Chersheng, a third-grader, observes his grandfather's growing confusion as his memory loss becomes more profound. Grandfather gathers sticks for a cooking fire, though Mother cooks on a gas stove. More disturbing, he calls Chersheng Fong, the name of his younger brother who died when their family fled from soldiers in Laos. Looking at a traditional Hmong story cloth that he made years before, Grandfather relates his family's history to Chersheng, who makes a collage showing his grandfather's life in America. Written in a straightforward manner, the text smoothly weaves Grandfather's history into the contemporary tale, which shows how Alzheimer's disease affects the whole family. Watercolor paintings sensitively depict this intergenerational story. The dual-language text appears side by side, English on a white background and Hmong on light blue, green, or tan. Reminiscent of Hmong geometric needlework, patterned squares decorate the end panels of this well-designed book. Notes on Alzheimer's disease and on the Hmong and their story cloths are appended. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I have a regular monthly slot with Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine illustrating a page called "Fergus's Table" written by English chef Fergus Henderson, founder of St John restaurant in London.
"Slice of life" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, January 2017.
"O sacred ham" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, December 2016.
"Lunch position" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, November 2016.
"Little wonders" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, October 2016.
"Fowl play" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, August 2016.
"Mexican rave" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, July 2016.
"Reatined heat" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, May 2016.
"Chocolate ice-cream" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, March 2016.
"Knight moves" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, February 2016.
"Vote for Venice" article by Fergus Henderson. Australian Gourmet Traveller, January 2016.
"Vote for Venice" Quarter page illustration. Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine.


I ran the first 'Introduction to circuit racing' session at Stourport for those riders aspiring to give the Mamil Cycling 'Woolly Mamil' winter series in January and February 2016 a bash. Of course, it's useful for any rider who needs to improve their technical skills, not those just entering the series.
We cut down the Stourport circuit for coaching purposes. It means I can keep everybody in sight and give them feedback on their group riding skills. We used the 'top' 180 degree corner nearest the club house to practice and improve cornering technique. Honestly, if you can get around that at race speed you can apply the same principles to pretty much any corner you need to tackle.
We had a mixed group of men and women, including a youth rider and a National Vets road race champion. It's skills focused so physiological differences don't matter – in fact it makes it more fun and a better learning experience. Similarly, there was a split between riders who focus on time trials and road/circuit races. Fair play to the testers – it something I enjoy as a discipline and I'm constantly surprised that riders will happily pay two grand on a disc wheel to go faster but won't invest an hour of their time learning how to go around a corner, which would, of course, make them faster. Personally, I'd do both!
We had a great bunch who felt free to share their experience and feedback. Without fail, every rider progressed with the common theme of technique improving confidence which supported better technique we gave them more confidence... you get the picture. We were also blessed with a warm dry day which doesn't always reflect the reality of racing, but put a smile on everybody's face.
The class of October 2015 are below. If you'd like to join us for the next session on 15th November, please drop me a line here or take a look at the Coaching page on the Mamil Cycling website here and use the contact form. Group size is limited to 16 – that way I'm able to give you some proper individual attention – so spaces are limited.


Nancy and I are once again hiking the Arizona Trail. We started this together in 2010 and are finally completing the last leg up and over Mt Lemon to Oracle. After a long ride from Phoenix, we head out at dark to find a campsite away from the road.


text:
Vientiane Again, After All of These Years
Stickman's Weekly Column › October 5th, 2008
Dirt roads from the border all the way to the heart of downtown. Plain white-skinned girls in old, often scruffy clothes who looked like a deer in the headlights if you approached them or God forbid, said something to them. The magic there letters in Asia, ATM, were yet to arrive and the term "walking ATM machine" was light years from being included in the local lingo. Great bread, pate and cheese available on every corner. These are my memories of Laos, a country I have visited a handful of times, the last way back in 1999.
It's holiday time so with a friend in tow, we hit Highway 2 and headed up through Isaan, all the way to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.
It's not my intention to talk about the journey through Isaan, but a couple of spots are worthy of a mention. Two old favourites continue to deliver, high on quality, low on price. Thumbs up go to the Kiwi Cafe in Khon Kaen and Piccolo Roma in Udon Thani, the latter better than ever. Unlike pretty much every business in Bangkok that caters to foreigners, neither of these Isaan bastions of Farangdom appear to have so much as raised their prices by a single baht since my last visit. I cannot reiterate enough just how good Piccolo Roma is. Italian food as good as most Italian spots in the capital and prices, well, prices you just cannot find in Bangkok.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Nongkhai Grand which seems to have adopted that most odious of Thai business practices – when trade is down you put your prices up! Since my last stay there in the middle of last year, prices have increased 50%. We were able to wrangle a 25%+ discount from the pretty receptionist. With only 20 rooms taken, they should be grateful for customers in the slowest period of the year.
But this report is not about Thailand. Let me introduce you to the Lao People's Democratic Republic!
Actually, this report is primarily about Vientiane because that is as much of the country that we managed to see. The idea of the trip was to show a pal from home another country without jumping on an aircraft – and with the Lao capital just 20 km from the Thai border, it was the obvious choice.
Vientiane has been described as one of the world's sleepiest capitals, a deserved title that will do nothing to entice the naughty boys or the party animals. In what is still a Communist country, perhaps in name only, most locals have an incredibly laid back attitude to life and seemingly no-one is in a hurry to get anything done. Service is polite and friendly, but often rather slow. It's not a party town and there is a limited number of nightspots in this city of barely 250,000, most of which close as early as 11:00 or 11:30 PM. Frankly Laos ranks even lower on the party scale than it does in the world corruption index where it can be found at about number 150 of 175 territories.
But don't let you this put you off. If you're looking for a party, Laos might not be your dream destination, but in many other respects, it delivers in spades. Set against the Mekong River, Vientiane is a wonderful mix of East meets West, the remnants of once being a French colony clear for even the briefest visitor. The Asians bring friendliness, a ready smile and low prices to the mix while the French refuse to be outdone, contributing beautiful wide boulevards, colonial architecture and the best of French gastronomy with French wines, cheeses, pates and one of the world's most wonderful cuisines very well represented in the Lao capital.
Vientiane and Laos are clearly on the South East Asian tourist travel and the last decade has seen tremendous growth with guesthouses and hotels popping up everywhere. The issue my travelling companion noticed in Bangkok exists in Vientiane, namely that of there being all sorts of odd white fellows rampaging through the countryside which brings me to the first story of the day.
I just have to tell you about the plonker we met on the bus the morning we crossed the Friendship Bridge, the stretch of tarmac connecting Thailand with Laos. There are fools in this world….and there is this guy. This is the type of guy that just encourages the locals to try and rip Westerners off. Even with a Thai wife he was most proud to tell us about, he was completely clueless. He sat down next to me on the very brief bus ride across the Mekong River and me being me, I said hello and engaged him in conversation. A Yorkshireman living in Isaan with his Thai wife, I just knew from the outset that he didn't have a clue. As I had not taken this journey for many years and was out of touch with current prices, I asked him how much it cost to get from the border to downtown Vientiane.
"Mate, I paid 800 baht but I don't know if you'll get such a good price", he said, looking at me like I was some sort of fool.
I mentally filed that away, thinking that such a price was outrageous for a 20 km journey.
I couldn't help myself and asked him if he could speak Thai. "No mate, my wife looks after all that stuff for me."
I then asked him about the price of the visa to enter Laos.
"1,500 baht, mate", was his response.
I explained that I would be paying in dollars and that I had heard that doing so was much cheaper.
"They hiked the price, mate. You're going to get ripped", he said, a gleam in his eye, unable to hide his excitement that the two Kiwi lads wouldn't get the same good deal he would. Uncontrollable laughter followed.
As it turned out, the price in US dollars was $30, or the equivalent of about 1,000 baht whereas if you wished to pay in Thai baht, the price was 1,500 baht. You wonder why his Thai wife doesn't put him straight…
I was a little worried that my travelling companion, a long time friend from NZ, might ask him the question I told him that you just do not ask in Thailand. Yeah, that one – you know the question! You don't? What do you mean you don't?! The question you never ask in these parts is "Where did you meet your girlfriend / wife?" My mate was giving me looks like he just had to put this guy on the spot…
We passed through border control quickly and negotiated a car into town for 300 baht, a 50% premium on what a Bangkok taxi would charge for a similar distance but hey, this isn't Bangkok.
Vientiane is a smallish place with the main area where tourists hang out spread over a few small blocks near the river. You'd be lying if you said the city was full of tourist highlights with Pra Tat Luang (the main temple), Patuxai (local version of the Arc de Triopmhe) and the riverfront area dominating most tourists' agenda. There's a Buddha park 20 odd kilometres outside the city centre but it pales in comparison with the far more impressive Buddha park over the border in Nongkhai which, incidentally, was the handiwork of the very same man. If you were in town for the sights, you could probably do them all in a day and even then that wouldn't feel like a whirlwind tour.
Vientiane's appeal is not so much its attractions, but its vibe. It is the genuinely relaxed, laid-back approach to life of the Laotians and their friendliness and genuine desire to help visitors which is much of the appeal. The Lao people may not be as openly friendly and gregarious as the Thais, but I couldn't help but feel that they were genuine, more sincere. Younger people have a ready smile whereas the older are less likely to grin. But engage them in conversation and you'll be rewarded with a discussion which transcends food, seemingly the only topic many Thais are capable of talking about.
Language difficulties are an issue and the level of English spoken in Laos is generally not that good. The locals who work with and deal with tourists generally speak functional English but few are at what could be termed conversational level. However, most Laotians understand and speak Thai to some degree so if you're comfortable in Thai, you can get by just fine in Laos. The only issue is that while many understand Thai, they respond in Lao. The languages are sufficiently similar for you to catch the gist, sufficiently different for you to miss the detail. Some of the older folks I spoke to asked me if I spoke French so Francophiles have a chance to use their native tongue.
My impression of the Lao people was extremely positive. For a country so poor – those in good jobs earn a mere 2,000 – 3,000 baht equivalent per month – they had a resilience and pleasant manner that endeared you to them and more than anything, I felt it was the people who make the place what it is. Where the Thais seem to want to get their hands on your money without any great concern for whether you're happy or not, the people of Vientiane seem concerned that first and foremost you are satisfied. Parting you with your money does not seem to be their primary desire – and that makes a refreshing change for those jaded by Thailand.
Being such a poor country, many products and services are extremely cheap, but that does not apply to everything. Prices have shot up since my last visit. Decent hotel rooms, for example, aren't cheap. For short journeys, the tuktuks ask rates that would make a Bangkok cabby blush and while the city abounds in French restaurants, a single dish at some establishments could blow a backpacker's daily budget.
These days there is clearly money in Laos. There were a number of large late model Mercedes-Benz being driven around and no shortage of new Japanese sports cars. Party members, perhaps?
The official currency of Laos is the kip, but in Vientiane, and I gather much of the country, US dollars and Thai baht are preferred.
The internet works well in Laos with speeds comparable to what you get in Thailand. Internet cafes are everywhere and in the hotel wireless worked a treat. That said, few hotels seemed to offer free wi-fi.
The general infrastructure in the country has come along in leaps and bounds. Everything from improved street lights to new roads to a seemingly decent power supply in the capital that doesn't cut out like it used to. The city really has come of age. It might not be Bangkok, but then it doesn't suffer from all the ills of Bangkok, traffic jams, pollution and tourist areas infected with money hungry touts and scammers.
Beer Lao needs no introduction and regular readers of this column know that I am a huge fan. I don't know what it goes for in lower end places, but in mid to upper end restaurants we were paying about 20 baht for a handle of Beer Lao draft which really is even better than the bottled variety. 20 baht for a handle of fine beer in a decent restaurant. You just cannot complain at that price, can you? 660 ml bottles typically went for less than 50 baht and if you were really on a budget and hunted around, you could probably get it for a lot less.
Vientiane's nightlife is something of a letdown although that was the last thing on our minds. Most venues shut up shop around 11 PM although some venues run much later. The riverfront is pleasant early evening but come 9:30 or 10:00 PM another of the odious aspects of life in Bangkok and Pattaya comes out, the katoeys! Calls of "where you go, handsome man" echo around some dark alleys. And those Laotian women who are on the game are just as brazen as their Thai sisters. After 10 PM I had single girls on motorbikes stopping next to me, offering themselves for the night for 3,000 baht, which as it happens would be about the average monthly salary for a graduate who had secured a good job.
The nightlife was never part of the plan, but when asked by a tuktuk driver if we wanted to check out bars with women, we thought what the hell. It was early evening and sitting in the back of the tuktuk as it screamed through, dark empty city streets I admit some trepidation about where we were going. I hadn't planned for this and was carrying all my valuables, a wallet full of cash and a camera with a big lens, obvious items of value. That said, we needn't have been too concerned as the crime rate in Laos is extremely low.
The tuktuk pulled outside a venue. We'd been brought to a Lao style low-end bar. Thai music filled the air and 10 or so pretty, fair-skinned girls looked a little bemused to see foreigners getting out of the tuktuk and entering the dark, sleazy low-end bar. A few red lights illuminated the grim venue and we were led to a table. Two large bottles of Beer Lao were produced. Before we knew it, five of us were slugging back the most famous of Laos' exports. A lady had joined each of us and the tuktuk driver had seized the opportunity to enjoy the local brew, a treat often out of reach.
If you've ever been in a low end Thai brothel – and they are awful places – then you know what this was like. Our ever entrepreneurial tuktuk driver tried his best to convince us to take a lady out the back to do our bit for international relations and it would be a snip at 1,000 baht he said. My best guess is that such a price would be at least 10 times the going rate. But the idea of being naughty was the last thing on our minds and we were quite content to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the fine beer. I have no doubt that we were overcharged at 13,000 Lao kip per 660 ml bottle of Beer Lao, but who is going to complain? That's 56 baht a bottle and no, there were no lady drinks. The concept doesn't exist. No lady drinks, no whiskey. There's only one beer available. You simply say how many bottles you want. Everyone drinks Beer Lao. Ice is optional. With the local brew so good, who would complain?
On to another such venue – there were many along this particular suburban street, and the format was exactly the same. While my travelling companion took in the surroundings and slugged back the local brew, I engaged the girls in conversation, keen to understand how they had ended up there. Just like in the whorehouses of Bangkok, these girls were not from the capital but the countryside. They claimed to be there of their own volition. Most were young with the age range 18 through to 22 or 23. Attempts made to find out just how much they usually charge were met with hushed comments to Khun Tuktuk. What made me somewhat depressed was that every girl – and I mean every girl – had a brand new mobile phone with a massive LCD screen, the sort that must run 10,000 – 15,000 baht. If you start to do the maths of how they earned that phone, well, it isn't pretty…
I was to learn that few foreigners make it to these venues, but all are welcome. I couldn't help but think that such domains are not to your average foreigner's liking. There was a complete lack of English – not one girl spoke one word. The girls didn't have the smiles that you associate with Thai girls although once engaged in conversation they began to relax and appear more comfortable.
I couldn't help but notice the other customers in these venues, the local boys. They were young, most looked to be early to mid 20s and they really treated the girls like dirt. The girls were being groped, kissed and there were hands and fingers darting in all directions as the local boys – young blokes themselves – saw the cost of the Beer Lao as an invitation to do almost anything. Even with so much beer in the system, desensitising you to the surroundings, when you opened your eyes and tuned into what was going on, it really was a little bit much. After four such venues, we decided that we couldn't stomach it any more and it was time to return to the hotel.
Forgetting the naughty stuff, there's something about Lao women that endears you to them, that try as hard as you can, you cannot repel the feelings. With fair skin, soft features and a smaller stature than even their Thai sisters, Lao women are like a delicate flower, so pretty and oh so feminine. They may not have the same infectious playfulness about them as the Thais but I couldn't help but feel that their desire to be a good woman would mean they would make good wives. In fact a number of Thai guys I know speak fondly of their Lao wife, convinced that they made the right choice steering clear of a local Thai girl.
There was something about Vientiane and the Lao people that made me think that the Thais and the Thai culture that we read about in guidebooks largely does not exist (perhaps with the exception of the north). But it does exist in Laos. The women of Laos are pretty – though in a different way to Thai women – and you would have to say that while Thai women are more beautiful, more confident, more playful and easier to meet, the evocative mix of fair skin, soft features and genuine femininity of the Lao women is hard to resist.
Laos has developed hugely since my last visit. The hotels and restaurants are much better with better service, more English spoken (there remains much room for improvement) and a far wider choice of dining options. The quality of produce was every bit as good as Thailand. Actually, make that as good as what you find in Bangkok. The power supply didn't cut out despite the rain. The internet was fast. Wireless could be found everywhere. People seem to be better dressed and there are far more vehicles and motorbikes on the roads. What was once an open market, Dalat Sao, is now the country's first air-conditioned shopping centre. There are many, many air-conditioned appliance and mobile phone shops. The list goes on and on and on. Vientiane has come on in leaps and bounds over the past decade.
Anyone who travels around the region speaks up Thailand's neighbours, particularly Vietnam. Word is that Vietnam and perhaps some other countries are going to overtake Thailand. What I think Thailand needs to wake up to is that the Lao capital, Vientiane, once a sleepy back water, has undergone significant development and infrastructure upgrade to the point that it now feels more developed than many Isaan cities.
Compare that with Nongkhai, the nearest Thai town, which doesn't seem to have changed much in the last decade. OK, it has. Everything is ten years older and apart from a riverfront promenade there seems to be little improvement. The hotels get older, streets are in disrepair and there is very much a feeling of decay in the air.
Compare that to Vientiane which, despite its sleepy nature, feels as if it is moving ahead. Life for the locals seems to be improving rapidly. There are more vehicles, more motorbikes, more buildings and most importantly, people seem happier. There is less poverty and a general feeling of perhaps not prosperity, but a feeling that the country is moving in the right direction. And I am thrilled about that. It couldn't happen to nicer people.
Thais can be rally cruel towards Laos and the Lao people who are the butt of many jokes in Thailand. But frankly the last laugh is on the Thais. Thailand might be a much wealthier country, but when it comes to decency, sincerity and downright charm, the Laos have it all over the Thais. They really, really do. And as Thailand seems to be standing still, Laos is moving ahead. Thailand has been caught with its pants down.
* If Laos interests you, check out my Laos photo gallery.
Where was this picture taken?
Last week's picture was taken outside King's Castle, one of the most popular chrome pole palaces on the main Patpong soi. It was easy and heaps of people got it right. This week's picture will be easy for those who know Bangkok, difficult for those who don't! The first person to email me with the correct location of the picture wins a 500 baht credit at Oh My Cod, the British Fish And Chips restaurant. The second person to get it right wins a free jug of margarita, valued at 840 baht from Charley Brown's, a popular Tex-Mex restaurant, offering authentic cuisine and delicious margaritas. Charley Brown's is located in the small sub-soi off Sukhumvit Soi 11. The third prize is offered by ThailandFriends.com, an online dating community that boasts over 50,000 members, hosts live events in and around Thailand and allows basic members to send 5 messages a day for free. The prize offered is one month premium membership which adds more to the ThailandFriends' experience with unlimited messaging, detailed member searches, 24 profile pictures, and a whole lot more.
Terms and conditions: The Oh My Cod prize MUST be claimed within 14 days. The Charley Brown's prize MUST be claimed within 7 days. Prizes are not transferable. Prize winners cannot claim more than one prize per month. The ThailandFriends prize must be claimed within one week.
EMAIL OF THE WEEK – Thai retail bliss.
Buying electrical goods in Thailand can be risky at the best of times. You can often get a good deal but if anything goes wrong with your purchase, more often than not the retailer will do nothing to help and just refer you to the manufacturer. That's why these days I don't make major purchases at places like MBK or Panthip Plaza. In fact, more often than not I buy computers, cameras and the like back in the UK. Curry's are hard to beat on price and if there's a problem the Sale Of Goods Act kicks in and you get a replacement or your money back, no questions asked. I broke my own rule last week and bought a Sony portable DVD player, a snip at just over 10,000 baht. I bought it at the Sony shop on the third floor of the Emporium. As I was buying it, the sales girl asked me if I wanted her to take it out of the box to check it. That's something that never happens in the UK – you buy it in the box and bring it back if there's a problem. The Thais like you to wait while they slowly unpack the box, carefully inspect all the contents, and repack it. I figured that Sony were always reliable (I'm a big fan of the company's products and have five Sony TVs, two laptops, two digital cameras – you get the picture!) so I said I wouldn't bother. Big mistake, of course. That night I'm lying in bed watching a video and notice that the right hand quarter of the LCD is slightly darker than the left hand side three quarters. Just a fraction, as if that part of the picture was in shadow, but after a while it became really annoying and I knew that I had to take it back. I spent a sleepless night knowing what lay ahead of me. They'd shake their heads, they'd sigh and they'd tell me to take it up with Sony, and the best I could hope for was for them to send it away and to get it back in a couple of months. I couldn't have been more wrong. The girl remembered me, agreed that there was a problem and offered me a replacement immediately. And she apologised! That was what amazed me. She was apologising for something which wasn't even her fault, and that's as rare as hen's teeth in Thailand. Great customer service, and a nice smile too. If only all Thai retailers were the same.
The perils of riding a bike in Thailand.
Driving into Pattaya last Friday, the taxi slowed to a crawl along Beach Road. I soon found out why. A farang had come off his motorcycle and was lying on the ground. There was a crowd of Thais and few foreigners watching, but no one was doing anything to help and there was no sign of the police or an ambulance. I reckoned it couldn't have happened more than a minute or two earlier, but already there was a glistening pool of blood around his head, at least a pint. I'm pretty sure he died, and if he didn't he'll be brain damaged for sure. Beach Road is busy and usually so crowded that fast driving isn't really possible, and the accident probably happened at below 30 mph, probably a lot less. The lesson is obvious – if you drive a motorcycle in Thailand, wear a helmet. Just because the Thais often go without a helmet doesn't mean foreigners should. In the UK we brought in helmet laws decades ago for a simple reason – in any sort of collision, a motorcyclist stands a very good chance of hitting his head. The UK helmet laws have saved thousand of lives and kept thousands more from becoming vegetables. So wear a helmet, and not one of the plastic buckets that the Thais wear. They are worse than useless. If you ride bikes back in your own country, then bring your helmet and gloves with you. And if you don't ride bikes back in your own country, don't even think about renting one in Thailand. The risks are just too great.
The best Thai dating experience
Bemoaning Bangkok.
Bangkok. Honestly, how can you live there? I found it quite fascinating watching a rat the size and length of a friggin' Labrador go scurrying on to and then leaping off the front of my right foot recently. Arriving in Bangkok late at night is real badlands shit! Cities are supposed to get better. This cesspit is worse than I've ever seen it. My midnight drop off by the airport bus on Silom Road to then go try and look for my hotel room down some steaming, putrid side street looked like I'd been deposited into the gates of hell. Rodin would have been proud of this scene. Beggars, the insane and deranged, the criminal, the touts, the transvestite hookers who appeared to be ghostly imitations of discarded shop mannequins, the feasting rats and the running, ever conniving cats, just like their human peers were brushed to the side as I, sweat soaked more from the adrenalin than the humidity tried to weave my luggage and self through this detritus of filth. For the extra touch there was thunder for effect and lightning for the pyrotechnics show. It doesn't matter where you stay in Bangkok, whether it be the Marriott or a hovel on Khao San Road, you're only ever a few minutes walk away from your very own localised version of the gates of hell. Walking along Sukhumvit Road last night, famous for embassies and fine hotels, I counted 6 beggars within metres of one stretch either crawling, hopping or sitting. Welcome to Bangkok folks. I'm outta here in four days!
Daughter repossessed!
I have two Thai friends. One is a news anchor for Channel 11 in Isaan and another is a news anchor for KTV and an editor for The Nation newspaper. Both of them have travelled the world. My friend who works for Channel 11 said to me last week that he has no idea why his Thai wife left him and went to America other than greed. He had a great job and no second wives. My other friend is living with a nitwit so he has gigs. Can you blame him? My friend from Canada who had a Thai wife of 10 years went back to his country for 6 months and came back to find her cheating on him with another Westerner. My other friend found out after 6 years his wife had always had a Thai husband! And I, who always believed that I had the perfect Thai wife, who was never asked for money from her parents, just had her "repossessed". And she went like a whipped puppy. Incredible! She cried like a baby before she left. I asked "Why are you going then?" She said she did not want to lose her family. Again, incredible, sick, abusive mind control on their daughters. You don't marry a Thai girl, you just lease her until her family revokes the contract. It is sick. I am American and have friends from all around the world here. All of them, including my 2 Thai buddies, have said that Thai culture for married daughters is awful. Laos and Vietnam has better families to marry into. Screw it. I'm moving to Budapest, Hungary because I hate Thai food and Thai racist culture. Thai people do not have the same concept of love as we do. That is why you see millions of strangely located resorts around here because they are made for cheating. The men have screwed the women for so long here that it has changed the women's ability to love. Three years ago I read on the huge list of complaints from western men on your site many stories but I was dumb enough to think it would never happen to me. I do remember one in particular and it has always stood out in my mind. It said "Thai women, your hearts are as black as your ass."
Farang food, Thai style.
I have finally given up trying to eat Western food in any Thai establishment. They really are not up to the job. This week I tried Sante Fa, a chain of restaurants that serve steaks as their main theme. But the so-called 'imported' NZ sirloin I had was small, completely tasteless, and TOUGH. It was also served cold. And the three of us all had our meals served at different times. Why can't Thais understand that when people go into a restaurant together they actually want to EAT together. My wife and her brother both ordered exactly the same meal, yet one was served 10 minutes after the other. I've lost count of the times I or my wife has finished a meal before the other's meal has arrived. Okay, in Thai restaurants they serve a dozen dishes and they keep rolling in, but a western meal is not like that. Haven't they noticed? <I bet it was a Thai steak and not sourced from NZ at all – Stick>
Hollywood Hotel is the name of the new short time hotel (with a long-time option) to be opened in Nana Plaza in the space previously occupied by the Big Mango Bar. Owner Peter has said short-time rooms will go for around 300 baht and he is optimistic that the venue painted a garish bright yellow and currently resembling a warzone, will open next month.
The beer bar area outside Pretty Lady and Red Lips bars in Nana has been tastefully transformed and features a palm tree. Could this be the start of much-needed major renovations to the plaza?
Word coming out of Pattaya is that business has picked up in Sin City. Frankly, I don't believe it but I guess I should keep an open mind and report after my next trip down there.
As mentioned in a previous column, there is a new Manchester United bar opening soon on Sukhumvit's Soi 11. In addition to that there is supposed to be an Irish bar coming to the soi as well as a new nightclub. The club is in the old Genesis spot – the last building on the left at the top of the soi and is expected to open in the next couple of weeks. To be called Diva, it is said to be owned by those who were behind the now defunct Mystique club.
There was a major fracas at Ekamai bus station this week involving a well-dressed American resident of Bangkok. Walking through the bus station with two Thais, he was grabbed and shoved up against the wall by two of the boys in brown. Being a New Yorker, he is used to fighting fire with fire and let rip with a barrage of abuse and the foulest language you could possibly imagine. The cops appeared almost scared as the furious Westerner refused to back down and they took their hands off him. The American's two Thai friends, also well-dressed, had words with the cops and the situation de-escalated, but not before the American was seen yelling and screaming at the cops, questioning their honesty, integrity and reasons for grabbing him, which I can't help but think was rather bold, perhaps even antagonistic. He proceeded going about his business. Exactly why the police grabbed him is unclear but it should be noted that police have long been known for checking the belongings of Westerners getting off buses at Ekamai as well as those getting off at destinations on the Eastern seaboard where the bus originated at Ekamai. Were they perhaps looking for drugs? Needless to say, if you're going to the eastern seaboard, anyone taking anything to enhance their mood should think twice about it.
At 145 baht a drink, are Kiss Bar's drinks the most expensive in Cowboy? Ouch, that's pricey, especially if you have just walked out of a Cowboy bar at happy hour.
There is still no word about possible closures of bars or prohibition on alcohol sales in November when the official cremation of HM The King's oldest sister will take place. The rumour mill has it that bars could be closed from anywhere from 2 – 5 days. My feeling is that one day is most likely, but that is just a feeling and not based on anything concrete. In all likelihood, we won't know until the very last minute. Keep an eye on Dave The Rave's site around the middle of November as he updates his site with last minute bar closure news.
Punters visiting Bangkok's bar areas last night were disappointed with Cowboy closed, Nana open but with no alcohol available. Alcohol was hard to come by in the capital last night and tonight won't be any different. It's election day for the Bangkok governor and as such, alcohol sales are prohibited. Alcohol will be hard to come by tonight too with the law stating that it cannot go on sale before midnight. Some bars may have food and lolly water available but many establishments expect to close early, around 10 or 10:30 PM. Some of the city's naughtier establishments have indicated that they hope to have alcohol available from "mid evening". Each bar, and each bar area, will be different so if you're in desperate need of a drop, you might need to look around…
Between Sukhumvit sois 27 and 29 is a new bar which opened on September 25 from the team behind Tilac bar on Soi Cowboy. Called The Penalty Spot, it's pretty hard to miss and is trying to be all things to all men. They have a small smoking section outside, staffed by barkers, you know, the "Hello, welcome please" crowd. Inside it's a sports bar with big screen TVs, pool tables upstairs and lots of wooden paneling. They also have a live Thai band playing, oh God, you guessed it, Hotel California, Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Desperado etc, all the usual 70s hits you hear all over Asia. Small draft beer costs 100 baht each and the staff are friendly with the occasional cutie. One downside is they have brought the "You buy me Cola" mentality from Cowboy to what could perhaps be termed mainstream Sukhumvit. It's also a hostess venue with barfines an eyebrow-raising 900 baht. There are a few pretty girls there, but whether any warrant the princely sum of 900 baht, I'll leave up to you to decide.
In Sukhumvit Soi 11, which is becoming a lively lane, comes news that the sub-soi that includes Cheap Charlies, Charley Brown's, Tapas Cafe and The Pickled Liver will be turning into a night market from 15th October. Every night from 6 PM until midnight there will be an arts and crafts market, sort of like a little Chatuchak Market. Food and drinks will be available and traditional Thai entertainment will be staged on various nights. This is a lively little soi with a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere that makes a change from the big name bar areas. With it being a sub soi and largely out of sight, many do not even know that it exists. This new promotion should bring many new customers into the lane and obviously the restaurants and bars are looking forward to increased trade.
Thai Immigration is set to issue a new "immigration card" which will entitle the holder to various privileges. Details are scarce for the time being but from what I can work out, it looks to be similar to the APEC card, a card available to Australians and New Zealanders with privileges such as priority processing at Immigration control and unlimited 90 day entries into Thailand. If this new card is similar to the APEC card, it can only be a good thing. More details as they become available.
In last week's column I mentioned the alcohol content of Singha beer had been reduced some time ago. Apparently this happened way back in early 2007 but as someone who doesn't touch the stuff – too many bad experiences on that stuff in the early days in Thailand – I never noticed it. It has been mooted that perhaps they did it to save money on liquor tax. The change was made on the sly and there was no announcement made at the time as best I can remember.
And just to show what a snob I am shirking the local beers, I have just realised that Chang beer's alcohol content is down to 5% from 6 or 6.5% before. Hmm, just what is going on?
The Deutsch and Italiano versions of "Hello My Big Big Honey" can now be found on the shelves of Asia Books branches.
Quote of the week comes from a reader. "Usufruct – I have never come across this loophole in all my years worth of research, it sounds however to be very distinctly close to a Glaswegian expression, "Yous're fucked!"
The Age reports deaths by lightning in Thailand.
The New Zealand Herald is a most unlikely place for a well put together article about former Premier Taksin.
The Nation reports that an American was beaten up in Pattaya for refusing to pay 170 baht for his beer. Pictures here.
The Bangkok Post ran this item on foreigners married to Buriram women and the money this brings into the province.
The rains at the end of the rainy season are causing flooding resulting in death and disease in Thailand.
Question 1: I've been here so long now that I no longer ask straightforward questions as there's every chance that I will fall at the first post with a long string of mai mees. For example, in trying to establish a person's identity, I now phrase this enquiry by asking, "Does this person have a name?" This sometimes produces results but is not always guaranteed, only to be followed up with, "If they don't have a name, do they have a number?" It's got to be a conspiracy. I mean when you first enquire as to someone's Thai name, there's every chance that not only are they going to use all of the alphabet, but also that you stand no chance at all of pronouncing or remembering it. To compound this identification crisis, they then go on to abbreviate it into a handful of nicknames, so when you ask to speak to Noi half the office puts up their hands. What is this? Why is it so difficult just to have easy, straightforward names, that are not only different from one another but easy to say and remember?
Mrs. Stick says: Do you respect or even try to understand our culture? We have nicknames that are short and easy to remember to help people like you who have memory problems. I never once heard someone complain that English needs many more words to say things than in Thai. In my office we have many people and no-one called Noi! I don't have any friends called Noi. There are many different nicknames and you know nowadays Thai people use words from English too for nicknames so it should be easy for you to remember them. Why do some foreigners complain about silly little things like this? You're Mr. Ngee-ngow, right?
Question 2: After living in Thailand for a number of years my wife and I returned to the west to raise our family. We soon made new friends with Thai / Farang couples that were living in our district. My wife has one problem with her Thai women friends and that is she gets very jealous of them. The Thai friends do flaunt what they own but that sort of goes with the territory and should really be of no concern. But what I find quite odd is that my wife is only jealous if she perceives the woman to be less attractive than her and with the more attractive friends she is not jealous at all. So my wife's way of thinking is if you're "damn ugly" you're somehow less deserving of wealth or to have a rich husband. Is this sort of jealously common between Thai women?
Mrs. Stick says: You know that women of all nationalities compare each other and look at their husband and their house and possessions and we want to feel that our life is good compared to others. This is not only Thai people but for farang and all cultures. So I can understand how your wife feels. If she knows someone who is not so pretty or comes from a background that is not so good and she is given a fabulous life then it is natural for another to feel that maybe their life is not as good as it could be. This is natural human nature. All women have this feeling.
As the world economy's problems bite, I cannot help but think that Thailand is an ideal place to ride out the recession in. Around the world jobs will be lost and new positions increasingly hard to find. Life in the West will become more difficult. Thailand's adequate infrastructure combined with its low cost of living mean that anyone who is genuinely willing to tighten their belt and live a quiet, but ultimately low cost life, could survive quite nicely. I wonder if the Thai government should look at some way to accommodate these people? The way the visa situation is currently structured makes it difficult for such people to remain in Thailand, especially if they are under 50 and not married to a local. There could be an opportunity here for Thailand to promote long-stay to foreigners who bring in xx,xxx baht each month and as I say, an opportunity for foreigners to see out the recession in an inexpensive country. As many become more frugal – and my prediction is that it will become more and more uncool to blow money, such as spending several dollars on a cup of coffee. As people begin to eschew luxuries and extravagances, Bangkok's appeal will broaden. I wonder if the Thais will seize the opportunity and promote long stays in the country?
Bruce, Lord Of TEFL
An Amateur Armchair Economist's Outlook


text:
Q: form in react not submitting to mongoDB ATLAS yet REST client submits Im building a simple MERN app , in my backend i use REST client  to test whether data submits to the database and it works fine , but in my frontend the form handling submission to database does not work data being submitted is a product object with name, image, price and available attributes
backend:
server.js
const express = require('express')
const app = express()
const mongoose = require('mongoose')
const dotenv = require('dotenv')
const userURLS = require('./api/auth')
const multer = require('multer')
const productsURLS = require('./api/products')

dotenv.config()

mongoose.connect(process.env.DB_ACCESS, { useNewUrlParser: true }, () => {
    console.log('DB CONNECTED!')
})
app.use(express.json())
app.use('/user', userURLS)
app.use(multer({ dest: "./uploads/" ,
    rename:  (fieldname, filename) => {
      return filename;
    }
   }).single('photo'));
app.use('/products', productsURLS)

app.listen(7000, ()=> {
    console.log('Server is Up & Running!')
})

product.js
const express = require('express')
const router = express.Router()
const fs = require('fs')
const product = require('../models/products');
const { request } = require('http');
const { response } = require('express');

router.post('/add-product', (request,response) => {
    var newItem = new product({
        name:request.body.name,
        img:request.body.img,
        price:request.body.price,
        available:request.body.available
    });
    newItem.img.data = fs.readFileSync(request.body.img)
    newItem.img.contentType = 'image/png';
    newItem.save()
            .then((data)=>{
                response.json(data)
            })
            .catch((error)=> {
                response.json(error)
            })
   });

router.get('/', (request, response) => {
       product.find()
            .then((data)=>{
            response.json(data)
            })
            .catch((error)=> {
                response.json(error)
            })
   })

test.http file used with Rest client
POST http://localhost:7000/products/add-product http/1.1
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "name":"dji drone",
    "img":"./uploads/dose-media-r6WkZ0gcDa0-unsplash-removebg-preview.png",
    "price":"300",
    "available":true
}

frontend:
AddProduct.jsx
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import axios from 'axios'

class AddProduct extends Component {
    constructor(){
        super()
        this.state = {
            //products:[],
            name:'',
            img:'',
            price:'',
            available:''
        }
        this.changedProductname = this.changedProductname.bind(this)
        this.changedProductimg = this.changedProductimg.bind(this)
        this.changedProductprice = this.changedProductprice.bind(this)
        this.changedProductavail = this.changedProductavail.bind(this)
        this.onSubmit = this.onSubmit.bind(this)

    }

    /*
    componentDidMount(){
        axios.get('http://localhost:7000/products')
            .then(response =>{
                if (response.data.length > 0) {
                    this.setState({
                        products:response.data.map(product => product.name),
                        name: response.data[0].name
                    })
                }
            })
    }
    */

    changedProductname(event){
        this.setState({
            name:event.target.value
        })
    }

    changedProductimg(event){
        this.setState({
            img:event.target.value
        })
    }

    changedProductprice(event){
        this.setState({
            price:event.target.value
        })
    }

    changedProductavail(event){
        this.setState({
            available:event.target.value
        })
    }

    onSubmit(event){
        event.preventDefault()
        const product = {
            name: this.state.name,
            img: this.state.img,
            price: this.state.price,
            available: this.state.available
        }
        console.log(product)
        axios.post('http://localhost:7000/products/add-product', product)
            .then(response => console.log(response.data))
        window.location = '/'
        alert("product added successfully")
    }

    render() {
        return (

                    <form onSubmit={this.onSubmit} method="post" style={{ width:'380px', textAlign:'', marginLeft:'70px', paddingTop:'90px'}}>

Add product

                            Name
                            <input onChange={ this.changedProductname } value={ this.state.name } type="text" className="form-control" id='name'/>

                            Image
                            <input name='photo' onChange={ this.changedProductimg } value={ this.state.img } type="file" class="form-control-file" id='img'/>

                            Price
                            <input onChange={ this.changedProductprice } value={ this.state.price } type="text" className="form-control" id='price'/>

                            <input onChange={ this.changedProductavail } value={ this.state.available } type="checkbox" class="form-check-input" id="avail"/>
                            Available

                        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Submit</button>
                    </form>

         );
    }
}

export default AddProduct;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Knowing how to write a paper is one of the most essential skills a student can have. No matter how knowledgeable you are about a subject, if you cannot express your thoughts clearly in a good essay, then you simply will not make the grade. Learning how to excel in academic writing can quickly place you at the top of the class. Here is how to master the art of the term paper, standard report, or college paper.
A good thesis is the central focus of your essay. Everything else in the paper will serve to support this one statement. Therefore, writing the thesis first can help you organize your thoughts and make composing the rest of the essay much easier. Your thesis should include a statement of belief as well as the main supporting details of your argument.
The vast majority of high school reports and college papers require that you conduct a certain amount of research. Information gleaned from credible sources of information such as academic databases, can help you make a strong case for your thesis and make your paper a compelling one.
Once you have written your thesis statement, the next step is to create an outline. Ideally, the outline should include each of your supporting points in the order that you will address them, along with any relevant research you plan to cite in order to add credibility to each point. Making an outline will not only help you clarify your thoughts, but it will have the added advantage of keeping you on topic as you draft your report.
Although there are exceptions to the rule, most good essays follow a general format. While you may not be required to adhere to the guidelines of a standard, 5-paragraph essay, you will likely need an introduction, body, and conclusion. In addition, be sure that each of your body paragraphs addresses just one topic on your outline. When you finish writing about one topic, go on to the next paragraph.
The first draft of your essay or term paper is just that—a first draft. Even the most talented and proficient writers make mistakes. That is why it is always wise to take a second, third, or even fourth look at your paper before submitting it for grading. Take the time to revise your paper first, looking for any weak points in the essay or gaps in logic that may confuse your reader. Once you are satisfied that you have made a logical and convincing argument, you can then begin the proofreading phase. As you proofread, look for any errors in spelling or grammar that may distract your audience or undermine your credibility.
Once you unlock the secrets of how to write a paper, the benefits will last you a lifetime! Not only will your academic standing increase by leaps and bounds as you begin to express your ideas more clearly, but you will also possess the skills necessary to wow your future employers and accomplish your professional goals.


Are you looking for tactics that will undoubtedly increase your law firm's content strategy? If yes, the undisputed tricks covered in this write- up will certainly be vital to your needs. If you are a lawyer, your marketing strategy is the main factor that will determine if your firm will grow or not. Basically, if your marketing technique is not pleasant, you are not going to experience the growth you are hoping for. However, an effective marketing trick will assist you generate more referrals, secure new and existing clients as well as enable you to even justify higher rates. Since law as a business is mostly based on billable time, marketing is something usually overlooked or underestimated by most law firms. As a lawyer, it is recommended you adhere to various tricks that will contribute to improving your online presence. Be informed that most potential clients will likely research online about their legal situation as well as the law firm they will engage. This makes it ideal for you to look for ways you can use to increase your law firm's content strategy.
SEO i.e. search engine optimization refers to making use of specific goal- oriented methods that will ensure your website improve rankings, drive traffic as well as increase recognition in search engines. If you are not informed or knowledgeable about how SEO works, it is essential you consider hiring a trustworthy, competent and experienced SEO pro to give your website an overhaul.
Most law firms often offer different services or have multiple specialists. This is also the case with many hyper- specialized law firms. For instance, firms that specifically concentrate in family law may provide divorce services, estate planning, postnuptial or prenuptial agreements, or custody arrangements. All these fall under one classification of marital or family law. It is important you know that there are people looking for these specific services and want to find them promptly when in need of them. It is therefore suitable you make each and every service you offer defined and/ or explained clearly on its own in your website. According to studies, if you're advertising yourself as a family law attorney and a person comes to your website looking for assistance with a custody issue, he or she may ignore your law firm if the problem is not clearly listed as an option. Ensure you have committed landing pages on your website for every service you offer.
Ensuring your site has valuable content will keep your new or existing clients always want to come back to your law firm. It is appropriate you create extra content on your website which will provide more information that people in need of lawyers are desperately searching for. Creating extra content will also make your keywords rank higher; a factor that can contribute to driving more traffic to your site. Valuable content can be classified in different forms in your website. For instance, you can create a FAQ area and place it on a common page of your website. The FAQ should cover questions and answers to most inquiries you often hear.
Despite the fact that pictures can contribute to enhancing your branding, videos will broadly promote your intention and make you secure a good number of potential clients. Videos are naturally engaging and having them on your website or on your social media site like Twitter and Facebook will contribute to building a quick rapport with people.
*Accessible Any Time: Local SEO Lawyer is a result- driven search engine optimization agency that operates 24/ 7. You can therefore access our pros and/ or services at any time of night or day when in need of a reliable SEO firm to sort your website needs. *Very Experienced: An experienced SEO agency will definitely provide better services than newbies in this line of profession. Local SEO Lawyer has been striving to sort the needs of its clients in an expertise manner for many years. Be assured you'll not only deal with dependable and competent SEO experts once you choose us, but also very experienced. *We offer Online Solutions: You don't require coming to where our offices are situated when in need of us. You can visit our official website and any of your queries or law firm's website needs will be sorted promptly *Our SEO Services are Affordable: In addition to assuring you with very satisfactory SEO services, we will offer affordable quotes. Bottom Line for more tips about how you can increase your law firm's content strategy or the various merits you'll experience once you hire us, ensure you visit the following site i.e. https://localseolawyer.com.


text:
Q: Problem changing desktop background in Mountain Lion (10.8.1) I have performed an upgrade to the latest Snow Leopard and now to Mountain Lion (10.8.1). Post upgrade my desktop background isn't no longer changing. The background will not change when I try and select a different background via system preferences. Even if I reset it to the default background the same behavior persists. My system has exhibited this problem for almost 7 months now, I have this ugly plain blue background I cannot look at any more. Can anyone offer a solution that might resolve this?

A: Try deleting /Users/username/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist
Then, empty your trash and reboot.  This file stores the preferences for desktop wallpaper and deleting it will give you a clean slate.  Your system should default to the standard Mountain Lion wallpaper.

A: Open Terminal (Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app) and paste this command
rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Desktop.plist

press 'return' on the keyboard.
Log out, log back in again. Change the wallpaper to what you want. Log out, log back in once more to test.
Any improvement?

A: My steps (on El Capitan 10.11.2):

*

*Deleted com.apple.desktop.plist- problem persisted

*Replaced /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg (req. disabling System Integrity Protection here) - problem persisted

*Repaired permission for /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg as detailed here - problem SOLVED (can choose new desktop image via Sys Pref. as normal)

A: Note that you have to delete the com.apple.desktop.plist file as another user. Otherwise, the original settings will be restored from cache.

A: By any chance have you performed a repair permissions using disk utility lately? Perhaps there is a problem with the OS accessing the files it needs.

A: The easiest fix for this is to just go into your desktop and screen saver settings, under the system preferences tab, and click on the "change picture" button. Then it should allow you to set the background to what you want again.


text:
625 'militant associates' arrested in 2020 : Police
Jammu and Kashmir police have detained around 625 alleged Over Ground Workers of militants in J&K this year.
The crackdown against OGW's also referred to as 'militant associates' in the official handouts, is part of the larger policy to scuttle militant networks and limit their capabilities to regroup, operate or attack.
The OGWs are the eyes and ears of militants, who facilitate their movement in a particular area, manage logistical support and sometimes are part of the reconnaissance missions as well.
Most of the alleged OGWs arrested this year, were booked under stringent sections of the law including arms act for possession of weapons, which increases the possibility of their confinement for longer periods.
Last week in Awantipora area of Pulwama in southern Kashmir, police claimed to have arrested ten OGWs in two separate incidents, including six locals associated with Jaish-e-Muhammad and four others with Al Badr outfit.
The armed forces under 'Operation All Out' launched in 2017 to end militancy in J&K eliminated several militant networks especially in southern Kashmir and killed almost all top commanders.
The clampdown against OGWs has remained a successful constituent of 'Operation All Out', to dismantle the eco-system for militancy.As of now, official figures reveal that around 220 militants are still active in Kashmir, which includes around 70 to 80 foreign militants.
"625 Over Ground Workers were detained this year till now. A total of 206 militants were killed this year and 57 militants were arrested. Around 46 of the arrested militants had joined this year. So, far only two civilians were killed at the encounter sites," said Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of police in Kashmir.
Around 12 militants were captured or convinced to surrender at the encounter sites during this year. Kumar also informed that around 36 youngsters, who were allegedly planning to join the militant ranks, were brought back with proactive support of their families.
On the other hand over 165 locals have joined the militants ranks this year till now. The armed forces majorly J&K Police, claimed to have recovered 210 rifles including AK-47s, SLR, INSAS, M4, M16 and Pikka Gun. They have also recovered 226 pistols and 228 grenades as well.
"Crackdown against the OGWs has been the priority for us. They are the sleeper cells and more connected on the ground. Besides, they have the potential to create more trouble on the ground. We have cases in the past when many OGWs formally joined the militant ranks," said a senior counter insurgency official.
The crackdown however, had also attracted condemnation and criticism especially in rural areas of Kashmir, as many families blamed armed forces for detaining their children without any evidence of their association with the militant networks.
Meanwhile, this year also witnessed emergence of new outfits on the militancy landscape of J&K. Apart from traditional organization like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad outfits like The Resistance Front, People's Anti Fascist Front and more recently Ghaznavi Force and Lashkar-e-Mustafa showed their fledgling footprints online and on ground as well.
J&K police officials claim that old organizations like Al Badr and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, are also being revived.


This image gallery named as Working At Action Automatic Door Gate Glassdoor might be ideal solution for your decoration. As the author has insert this image into Action Automatic Door post section, would ease you to find the perfect match of you decor desire.
Something else you ought to know that the wise locks offer you some thing different therefore that you need to find out about your choices. The major difference which you have to consider is if your bolt action is genuinely a quality lock with its own deadbolt. You have to be certain that working at action automatic door gate glassdoor will get the job done together with all the deadbolt which is now attached on your door. Ensure that you inspect the perspective of sensible lock's program which is a excellent location to start with. Do not forget to learn your door first before purchasing. You may want to learn about how each sensible lock will consider your needs.
You also ought to know that the chief features of your working at action automatic door gate glassdoor will be that they enable you to optimize your visibility and encouraging the all-natural light yo get into your home. If your family area facing the patio or balcony with a beautiful view, subsequently installing the automatic action gun to divide the 2 spaces can help you to earn high-light as the view may be enjoyed by the entire family and guests, even although they simply sit within the residence. This door will function as smartest choice and produce your space lighter along with the mild illumination.
working at action automatic door gate glassdoor looks like a very great inspiration for developing a light house detail from your house spot, resort, or the other buildings. This appears unique, entertaining, and amazing with its own elegance as well as beauties. It will become a sign of the protection and strength around door County. You may locate the action automatic doors there. The first one is Cana Island Lighthouse. It's the absolute most iconic lighthouse in this area that might be captured. It was started in 1869 and served as the people for ages. It's started for tour and travel. You may elect to climb spiral up staircase to accomplish the light house gallery. You may become welcomed by the view of some stunning subway of Michigan.
Your working at action automatic door gate glassdoor can suffer in the gathered injury, inducing it to be less useful as it should be. If your own garage door is a semi-automatic action, the pedal can break and resulting the door to stop halfway whenever you're starting the door. The harm may lead to a screeching noise once you try to open and shut the door, that may create an insecurity into the operator. If you by chance see this problem, then the initial point to accomplish is always to look in the cables and pedal. Check whether there's any broken or damaged part. Exhausted ballbearings are ordinarily the cause of your semi automatic garage door.


Picture of Starbuck Island, Kiribati. This is Starbuck Island, seen from space. Receive the Starbuck Island weather forecast. Pacific/Australia/New Zealand cruises: Daisy Bidens Kiribatiensis.
STARBUCCK Island is 336 sea leagues southward of the Eq. It' s 235 northeastern of Tongareva (Penrhyn), 345 northeastern of Vostok, 400 northeastern of Jarvis, 450 northeastern of Christmas and 108 northeastern of Malden. It' a low, shallow island of corals, with a maximum altitude, along the ridge of the sea, of about 15ft.
Inside this ridge the island is pressed down, with small saline lakes at the easterly end. It' 5. 1/2 mile long, eastward and westerly, by 2. 1/4 mile widest width and tapers towards both ends. Enjoy the charming sound of the sun-drenched Oceania/Pacific Islands in 64 kbps FM stereo!
" As he landed through the corridor in the cliff, Arundel said he barely managed to capsize as he drove past the shells. For a period of up to two week it was not possible to reach or depart the island even though the vessel was only an 8thm.
The island is so unimpressive, with a powerful westward and southwesterly flow, that many beautiful boats have accumulated on its islets. There were seven of Arundel's wreckage when he touched down. Arundel said that at the east end there were several saline lakes "where thousand of tonnes of the cleanest salts in various shapes, rough and delicate, were found.
At the western end of the lighthouse, one burr after the other of old corals could be seen, which surrounded the bed of guanos. A different portrayal was given by a seaman on the UK vessel George Thompson under Captain William Shepherd, who landed in October 1872 to dumpeguano. "It is indeed a dismal area.
Corals are all over it, grinded into thin powders that look like sands. "Starbuck Island was spotted in 1823 by Captain Valentine Starbuck on the British whaling vessel L'Aigle. It was what he used to call Volunteer Island. The blonde walked past Starbuck on August 1, 1825, after she left Hawaii, but did not make the landing.
In the story it says: "Its look was even less interesting than that of Malden's island, there were not even the vegetation that animated the shallow rocks of cork. Recordings in The Friend (Honolulu) from and to Starbuck, in the harbour of Honolulu are common in the years 1871-1874. When Arundel abandoned the island, it was visited again by the firm that worked on Malden Island.
A stipulation of the English tenancy was that a high lighthouse should be built so that the island could be seen at more than four mile. By 1926 it was made up of a large 25-foot high wood pyramide, which was in good shape even though the island had long since been deserted. There is a ship visiting the island at regular interval to see if there have been any wreckage.
Aside from Starbuck and Volunteer, the island is known under various different brands, among them Low, Star, Starve, Hero, Barren and Coral Queen.


I'm entering a contest, something I rarely do. Sponsored by Saveur magazine, it's their Cook the Cover, and here's how it works. As the title suggests, you follow their recipe for Crazy Day Crepes, photograph it, then post it onto Instagram. Saveur picks their favorite and the winner receives a prize of cookbooks. It sounded like such a fun challenge, I just couldn't resist entering.


Hi Roxanne! Breakfast with Mickey sounds like the perfect ending to your Disney World vacation! I think you'll have plenty of time to eat at Chef Mickey's and then get to the airport for your return trip. Since your flight is around 2 p.m., Disney's Magical Express (if you're using it) would likely pick you up at your resort around 11 a.m.. That gives you three hours to eat breakfast and return to the All-Star Movies, which is more than enough time.


text:
Compare Translations for Acts 4:11
Acts /
Acts 4 /
Acts 4:11 (ASV) He is the stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (BBE) He is the stone which you builders had no use for, but which has been made the chief stone of the building.
Acts 4:11 (CEB) This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected; he has become the cornerstone!
Acts 4:11 (CEBA) This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected; he has become the cornerstone!
Acts 4:11 (CJB) "This Yeshua is the stone rejected by you builders which has become the cornerstone.
Acts 4:11 (CSB) This [Jesus] is The stone despised by you builders, who has become the cornerstone.
Acts 4:11 (DBY) *He* is the stone which has been set at nought by you the builders, which is become the corner stone.
Acts 4:11 (ESV) This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
Acts 4:11 (GNT) Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says, "The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.'
Acts 4:11 (GNTA) Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says, "The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.'
Acts 4:11 (GW) He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone.
Acts 4:11 (HNV) He is 'the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which was made the head of the corner.'
Acts 4:11 (JUB) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (KJV) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (KJVA) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders , which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (LEB) This one is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become {the cornerstone}.
Acts 4:11 (MSG) Jesus is 'the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.'
Acts 4:11 (NAS) "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.
Acts 4:11 (NCV) Jesus is 'the stonen that you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.'
Acts 4:11 (NIRV) Scripture says that Jesus is " 'the stone you builders did not accept. But it has become the most important stone of all.' (Psalm 118:22)
Acts 4:11 (NIV) Jesus is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.'
Acts 4:11 (NKJV) This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
Acts 4:11 (NLT) For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'
Acts 4:11 (NRS) This Jesus is "the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'
Acts 4:11 (NRSA) This Jesus is "the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'
Gevurot 4:11 (OJB) "He [Yehoshua] is HAEVEN MA'ASU ("the Stone which was rejected") by you, HABONIM ("the builders"), which HAY'TAH LEROSH PINNAH ("became the very corner") stone. [Ps 118:22; Isa 28:16; Zech 10:4]
Acts 4:11 (RHE) This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (RSV) This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (RSVA) This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner.
SBL Greek New Testament
Acts 4:11 (SBLG) οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐξουθενηθεὶς ὑφ' ὑμῶν τῶν οἰκοδόμων, ὁ γενόμενος εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας.
Acts 4:11 (TMB) This is `the stone which was set at nought by you builders and which has become the head of the corner.'
Acts 4:11 (TMBA) This is `the stone which was set at nought by you builders and which has become the head of the corner.'
Acts 4:11 (TYN) This is ye stone cast a syde of you bylders which is set in the chefe place of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (WBT) This is the stone which was set at naught by you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (WEB) He is 'the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which was made the head of the corner.'
Acts 4:11 (WNT) This Jesus is the Stone treated with contempt by you the builders, but it has been made the Cornerstone.
Acts 4:11 (WYC) This is the stone, which was reproved of you building, which is made into the head of the corner;
Acts 4:11 (YLT) `This is the stone that was set at nought by you -- the builders, that became head of a corner;
Commentaries For Acts 4
Peter and John imprisoned. (1-4) The apostles boldly testify to Christ. (5-14) Peter and John refuse to be silenced. (15-22) The believers unite in prayer and praise. (23-31) The holy charity of the Christians. (32-37)
Verses 1-4 The apostles preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. It includes all the happiness of the future state; this they preached through Jesus Christ, to be had through him only. Miserable is their case, to whom the glory of Christ's kingdom is a grief; for since the glory of that kingdom is everlasting, their grief will be everlasting also. The harmless and useful servants of Christ, like the apostles, have often been troubled for their work of faith and labour of love, when wicked men have escaped. And to this day instances are not wanting, in which reading the Scriptures, social prayer, and religious conversation meet with frowns and checks. But if we obey the precepts of Christ, he will support us.
Verses 5-14 Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must perish for ever. The name of Jesus is given to men of every age and nation, as that whereby alone believers are saved from the wrath to come. But when covetousness, pride, or any corrupt passion, rules within, men shut their eyes, and close their hearts, in enmity against the light; considering all as ignorant and unlearned, who desire to know nothing in comparison with Christ crucified. And the followers of Christ should act so that all who converse with them, may take knowledge that they have been with Jesus. That makes them holy, heavenly, spiritual, and cheerful, and raises them above this world.
Verses 15-22 All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world's threatenings. The apostles look with concern on perishing souls, and know they cannot escape eternal ruin but by Jesus Christ, therefore they are faithful in warning, and showing the right way. None will enjoy peace of mind, nor act uprightly, till they have learned to guide their conduct by the fixed standard of truth, and not by the shifting opinions and fancies of men. Especially beware of a vain attempt to serve two masters, God and the world; the end will be, you can serve neither fully.
Verses 23-31 Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement for sin. But sin is not the less evil for God's bringing good out of it. In threatening times, our care should not be so much that troubles may be prevented, as that we may go on with cheerfulness and courage in our work and duty. They do not pray, Lord let us go away from our work, now that it is become dangerous, but, Lord, give us thy grace to go on stedfastly in our work, and not to fear the face of man. Those who desire Divine aid and encouragement, may depend upon having them, and they ought to go forth, and go on, in the strength of the Lord God. God gave a sign of acceptance of their prayers. The place was shaken, that their faith might be established and unshaken. God gave them greater degrees of his Spirit; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, more than ever; by which they were not only encouraged, but enabled to speak the word of God with boldness. When they find the Lord God help them by his Spirit, they know they shall not be confounded, ( Isaiah 1.7 ) .
Verses 32-37 The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, and comforts of Christians. There were evident fruits of Christ's grace in all they said and did. They were dead to this world. This was a great evidence of the grace of God in them. They did not take away others' property, but they were indifferent to it. They did not call it their own; because they had, in affection, forsaken all for Christ, and were expecting to be stripped of all for cleaving to him. No marvel that they were of one heart and soul, when they sat so loose to the wealth of this world. In effect, they had all things common; for there was not any among them who lacked, care was taken for their supply. The money was laid at the apostles' feet. Great care ought to be taken in the distribution of public charity, that it be given to such as have need, such as are not able to procure a maintenance for themselves; those who are reduced to want for well-doing, and for the testimony of a good conscience, ought to be provided for. Here is one in particular mentioned, remarkable for this generous charity; it was Barnabas. As one designed to be a preacher of the gospel, he disentangled himself from the affairs of this life. When such dispositions prevail, and are exercised according to the circumstances of the times, the testimony will have very great power upon others.
Acts 4:1-13 . PETER AND JOHN BEFORE THE SAMHEDRIM.
1-12. the captain--of the Levitical guard.
of the temple--annoyed at the disturbance created around it.
and the Sadducees--who "say that there is no resurrection" ( Acts 23:8 ), irritated at the apostles "preaching through (rather, 'in') Jesus the resurrection from the dead"; for the resurrection of Christ, if a fact, effectually overthrew the Sadducean doctrine.
4. the number of the men--or males, exclusive of women; though the word sometimes includes both.
about five thousand--and this in Jerusalem, where the means of detecting the imposture or crushing the fanaticism, if such it had been, were within everyone's reach, and where there was every inducement to sift it to the bottom.
5. their rulers, &c.--This was a regular meeting of the Sanhedrim
6. Annas . . . and Caiaphas--(See on Lu 3:2 ).
John and Alexander--of whom nothing is known.
7. By what power or . . . name have ye done this--thus admitting the reality of the miracle, which afterwards they confess themselves unable to deny ( Acts 4:16 ).
8. Then, filled with the Holy Ghost, said--(See 13:11 , Luke 21:15 ).
10. Be it known unto you . . . and to all the people of Israel--as if emitting a formal judicial testimony to the entire nation through its rulers now convened.
by the name of Jesus,
even by him doth this man stand before you whole--for from Acts 4:14 it appears that the healed man was at that moment before their eyes.
11. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, &c.--This application of Psalms 118:22 , already made by our Lord Himself before some of the same "builders" ( Matthew 21:42 ), is here repeated with peculiar propriety after the deed of rejection had been consummated, and the rejected One had, by His exaltation to the right hand of the Majesty on high, become "the head of the corner."
12. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved--How sublimely does the apostle, in these closing words, shut up these rulers of Israel to Jesus for salvation, and in what universal and emphatic terms does he hold up his Lord as the one Hope of men!
13-17. perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men--that is, uninstructed in the learning of the Jewish schools, and of the common sort; men in private life, untrained to teaching.
took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus--recognized them as having been in His company; remembering possibly, that they had seen them with Him [MEYER, BLOOMFIELD, ALFORD]; but, more probably, perceiving in their whole bearing what identified them with Jesus: that is, "We thought we had got rid of Him; but lo! He reappears in these men, and all that troubled us in the Nazarene Himself has yet to be put down in these His disciples." What a testimony to these primitive witnesses! Would that the same could be said of their successors!
16. a notable miracle . . . done by them is manifest to all . . . in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it--And why should ye wish to deny it, O ye rulers, but that ye hate the light, and will not come to the light lest your deeds should be reproved?
17. But that it spread no further . . . let us straitly--strictly.
threaten . . . that they speak henceforth to no man in this name--Impotent device! Little knew they the fire that was burning in the bones of those heroic disciples.
18-22. Whether it be right . . . to hearken to you more than . . . God, judge ye.
20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard--There is here a wonderful union of sober, respectful appeal to the better reason of their judges, and calm, deep determination to abide the consequences of a constrained testimony, which betokens a power above their own resting upon them, according to promise.
21. finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people--not at a loss for a pretext, but at a loss how to do it so as not to rouse the opposition of the people.
Acts 4:23-37 . PETER AND JOHN DISMISSED FROM THE SAMHEDRIM, REPORT THE PROCEEDINGS TO THE ASSEMBLED DISCIPLES--THEY ENGAGE IN PRAYER--THE ASTONISHING ANSWER AND RESULTS.
23-30. being let go, they went to their own company--Observe the two opposite classes, representing the two interests which were about to come into deadly conflict.
24. they lifted up their voice--the assembled disciples, on hearing Peter's report.
with one accord--the breasts of all present echoing every word of this sublime prayer. Applied to God, the term expresses absolute authority.
God which hast made heaven and earth--against whom, therefore, all creatures are powerless.
25. by the mouth of . . . David--to whom the Jews ascribed the second Psalm, though anonymous; and internal evidence confirms it. David's spirit sees with astonishment "the heathen, the people, the kings and princes of the earth," in deadly combination against the sway of Jehovah and His Anointed (his Messiah, or Christ), and asks "why" it is. This fierce confederacy our praying disciples see in full operation, in the "gathering together of Herod and Pilate, the Gentiles (the Roman authority), and the people of Israel, against God's holy Child ('Servant') Jesus." read, after "were gathered together," "in this city," which probably answers to "upon my holy hill of Zion," in the Psalms 2:6 .
28. thy hand and thy counsel determined . . . to be done--that is, "Thy counsel" determined to be done by "Thy hand."
29. now, Lord, behold their threatenings--Recognizing in the threatenings of the Sanhedrim a declaration of war by the combined powers of the world against their infant cause, they seek not enthusiastically to hide from themselves its critical position, but calmly ask the Lord of heaven and earth to "look upon their threatenings."
that with all boldness they may speak thy word--Rising above self, they ask only fearless courage to testify for their Master, and divine attestation to their testimony by miracles of healing, &c., in His name.
31-37. place was shaken--glorious token of the commotion which the Gospel was to make ( Acts 17:6 ; compare Acts 16:26 ), and the overthrow of all opposing powers in which this was to issue.
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake, &c.--The Spirit rested upon the entire community, first, in the very way they had asked, so that they "spake the word with boldness" ( Acts 4:29 Acts 4:31 ); next, in melting down all selfishness, and absorbing even the feeling of individuality in an intense and glowing realization of Christian unity. The community of goods was but an outward expression of this, and natural in such circumstances.
33. with great power--effect on men's minds.
great grace was upon them all--The grace of God copiously rested on the whole community.
35. laid . . . at the apostles' feet--sitting, it may be, above the rest. But the expression may be merely derived from that practice, and here meant figuratively.
36. Joses, &c.--This is specified merely as an eminent example of that spirit of generous sacrifice which pervaded all.
son of consolation--no doubt so surnamed from the character of his ministry.
a Levite--who, though as a tribe having no inheritance, might and did acquire property as individuals ( Deuteronomy 18:8 ).
Cyprus--a well-known island in the Mediterranean.