GB&W Successfully Battles for Ownership of the Bahia Emerald

The Bahia Emerald, weighing in at 840 pounds and worth an estimated $372 million, is considered the biggest uncut emerald ever unearthed. The gemstone has had a long and dramatic journey since it first surfaced in a Brazilian mine in 2001. The odyssey of the Bahia Emerald has gone from an abandoned gas station in San Jose to a bank vault submerged underwater after Hurricane Katrina.

The Bahia's colorful past only adds to its appeal. "It has a huge magic and luster to it in terms of its background. And whoever gets this and they saw this as a wise investment, they're going to have a very, very rare piece to display and to enjoy," said Greene. The LA County Sheriff's Department has maintained possession of the Bahia Emerald with the expectation it will be released at the conclusion of the civil trial. In the National Geographic Special, "The 400 Million Dollar Emerald," researchers and experts follow the Bahia Emerald from the mines of Brazil's Bahia Region. Considered a renowned lawsuit in California history, this case has gained an international following.


The beginner’s guide to organic soil

HiFi Farms
HiFi Farms

There are a million different places online that can tell you about growing marijuana. At the Cannabis Institute, we teach many different techniques and ways to grow marijuana, but our primary method – what we truly believe in and preach about – is living-organic soil. Living-organic soil is a productive organic system that produces healthy harvests with very little input – and is arguably the best kept secret among growers. We often asked questions about living-organic soil, such as what is living organic soil? Why is it considered “living”? How does it work? What makes organic soil better? What effect does living-organic soil have on a plant? I will answer these questions, and more, in this guide about living-organic soil.

Cannabis Classic

WHAT IS LIVING-ORGANIC SOIL? Basically, living-organic soil is soil that has been naturally amended by the decomposition of plants and animals.

IF LIVING-ORGANIC SOIL IS MADE UP OF PLANT AND ANIMAL RESIDUES IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DECOMPOSITION, THEN WHY IS IT CALLED “LIVING”? Living organisms are also part of living-organic soil, and play a large role in contributing organic residues to the soil and in formation of more stable types of organic matter (Grubinger). Plant roots and various soil animals, such as earthworms, all provide organic materials to the soil that eventually become part of the soil organic matter life cycle (Grubinger).

OK, I NOW GET WHY IT’S “LIVING,” BUT WHY IS IT CONSIDERED ORGANIC? Because the life in the soil is naturally, or organically, creating all of the nutrients the plant needs to grow. This means the grower isn’t using any chemical salts, synthetic fertilizers, or inorganic pesticides at any time during the growing process.

SO HOW DOES LIVING-ORGANIC SOIL WORK? It’s crazy, but in one teaspoon of living-organic soil there are 100 million to 1 billion bacteria (Hussey). When this microlife “eat” and “digest” chemical compounds to create energy for themselves and “poop out” the waste from the process, they create the compounds that plants need to grow. It’s an elegant system in which the waste from one organism becomes food for the next, creating a cycle that can sustain itself without any outside help (Shenassa)

WHY SHOULD A GROWER CONVERT TO LIVING-ORGANIC SOIL? First-and-foremost, a living soil replaces the need for chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides. Cannabis grown in a living-organic soil is far healthier than cannabis that has been fed salty-chemicals and potentially sprayed with pesticides.

But beyond health reasons, marijuana grown in living-organic soil generally produces larger yields, increased potency, and improved flavor and aroma.

WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT FERTILIZERS? The truth is, chemical fertilizers produce immediate results. Remember what you learned about osmosis? Basically, it’s the movement of water through a cell membrane from a solution of low solute concentration to a solution with high solute concentration. So, where is the water in the soil located? It’s locked up in the cells of the microlife. When salts in the form of chemical inputs are added to the soil, water is drawn out of the microlife in the soil, and they are either killed or go into dormant state. Now the plant is dependent on the grower to provide all of its food and protection, which results in more fertilizers (Hussey).

WHAT ARE SOME ADDITIONAL PROS FOR LIVING-ORGANIC SOIL? Again, the No.1 benefit of living-organic soil is it’s healthy. Some additional benefits include:

  1. cannabis grown in living-organic soil produces stronger and more complex smells when compared to cannabis grown in other mediums.
  2. usually, there’s no need to add extra nutrients. All you have to do is water.
  3. by using living-organic soil, you are recreating an ecosystem that most resembles how cannabis grows in the wild.

WHAT ARE SOME CONS OF LIVING-ORGANIC SOIL? Some people don’t have the patience for living-organic soil. Making your own living-organic soil can be a real hassle, although you can buy it. The soil is really smelly because it does have decay in it. And plants tend to grow slower when compared to plants being fed liquid nutrients.

Growing in a living-organic soil is the main proficiency top growers are using throughout the industry. The secret is out: soil life is the key to happy and healthy plants. Bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and worms all play a vital role in the life of plants by breaking down organic matter to make the nutrients available for plant roots. Soil life is complex, but it’s also the secret to growing more potent and better tasting weed.

About Aaron Waters 73 Articles
Aaron is a cannabis writer living in Eagle River with his wife and two dogs, Indica and Sativa.


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To find the missing contacts, choose Contacts in the Dashboard menu and click Undelivered list for a listing of subscribers to whom delivery was not successful.


ROTC Scholarships

ROTC Scholarship

ROTC scholarships are available to high school students, current college students, and others. For students currently in high school, the Army offers the Four-Year High School Scholarship. In exchange for a generous financial package for college, students incur a service requirement after graduation.

The Four-Year High School Scholarship is open only to current high school students who intend to study at a four-year college or university. The requirements for this award dictate that students must be U.S. citizens who have at least a 2.50 high school grade point average. This is one of the awards that imposes an age requirement, so students must be between 17-26 years old. Furthermore, applicants must be able to meet the physical standards of the program (which includes a one mile run, push ups, and curls), and have a high school diploma or GED. In exchange for tuition and a stipend for all four years, students incur an eight-year service requirement with the Army. Four years of service are full-time while the other four are serving with the Individual Ready Reserve. Students may opt to serve part-time.

ROTC Scholarship

In addition to the four-year scholarships, the Army ROTC also offers two- and three-years scholarships. All of these awards cover the full cost of tuition and associated fees. A book allowance along with a monthly stipend is also provided to students. In addition to the financial awards, students gain valuable leadership skills. Interested high school students can contact their guidance counselor for additional information.

Army ROTC also has scholarships available to current college students. Current college students may opt for the two-, three-, or four-year ROTC scholarships. The requirements and benefits are the same, but the service requirement may be less.

Students typically have many questions about the ROTC scholarships. Below is a list of the most common questions:

How much is the award? ROTC provides high school seniors with full tuition remission, coverage of student fees, a book allowance, and a monthly stipend that ranges from around $100 to $150 per month.

ROTC Scholarship Grant

Where are ROTC units located? They are located on many college campuses, which makes it easy and convenient for students to participate in the required training a few hours per week.

What is required? Students are considered part-time midshipmen or cadets. As such, they must adhere to discipline requirements during ROTC classes and wear a uniform. The ROTC requirements generally take about four hours out of your week, but otherwise students enjoy a typical college student life. However, students do receive training to prepare them for greater responsibilities once they graduate.

How can I improve my chances of getting an ROTC scholarship?  Students who rank high in their class and achieve good grades have an excellent chance at qualifying for this award. Students who want a leg up may want to consider joining the National Honor society, being active in their high school’s student government, participating in high school athletics, and achieving strong SAT scores.


Along the Pentland Road, 25 May 2017

Sunday, 30 November 2008

Sunday 30 November

Darkness has fallen on a grey and overcast day, pretty non-descript in actual fact. The Dutch fishing vessel departed late last night for the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic.

The post-mortem is in full progress on the attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai, which has claimed nearly 200 lives, as well as more than 300 injured. Nine attackers were killed, one survived. He has admitted coming from Pakistan, but this does not imply that the attack was necessarily carried out or sanctioned by the government of that country. Western Pakistan is a pretty lawless place, outwith the control of Islamabad - Osama bin Laden is holed up there by all accounts. Although not bearing the specific wholemarks of Al Qa'eda, the attacks could well be attributable to that Medusa of the modern world. Security experts are still mulling that one over.

Today is the last day of the North Atlantic hurricane season.

I copy the review by the National Hurricane Center:

During this season, 16 named tropical cyclones occurred. Of these, 8 were hurricanes, and 5 were major hurricanes of Saffir-Simpson category III strength or stronger. This season was the first ever when 6 consecutive tropical cyclones made landfall on the US mainland. Overall, the 2008 hurricane season is tied as the 4th most active in terms of number of named storms and major hurricanes, and is also tied as the 5th most active in terms of number of hurricanes since 1944, when aerial reconnaissance was commenced. This is the 10th season to produce above-normal tropical cyclone activity since 1995, when the current active hurricane era began.
Finally, a total of 64 tropical waves moved off the coast of Africa this season, which is near the seasonal average.


DEADLY SEDUCTION Release Day!!!!!!

Available NOW!

I’m so excited that today is the book birthday of the 6th book in my bestselling NY State Trooper Series: DEADLY SEDUCTION.

I started this book on this idea: What if the woman you were sleeping with was sent to destroy you?

The only other thing I knew was the hero’s name: Josh Burdett, who showed up for the first time in TO PROTECT HIS OWN. I knew he was an only child and that had been shot in the line of duty, nearly dying while undercover in NYC, but I didn’t know much more than that. I had to ask myself why would someone want to destroy him and why would the heroine sleep with him to do it? Once I answered that question, I had my story.

Delaney Mervis is a bit naive of the world and was easily taken advantage of because of her deep loyalty to what little ‘blood’ family she had left. This book dives deep into the bonds that tie both family and friends together and when to break those bonds. Both Josh and Delaney will have to over come betrayal and harsh truths about themselves and those they loved in order to find each other in the end.

I hope you will enjoy the ride to Josh and Delaney’s happily-ever-after. As also, please feel free to leave an HONEST review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Also, if you’re not on my newsletter, please join here.

Finally, I have a private Facebook Group where I give away swag, free eBooks, early excerpts, character naming contents, and Advanced Reader Copies.

Jen Talty

a dash of suspense and a dollop of love…

I love how writing works.

Happy reading!


An estimated 40 million Americans have allergies. Allergies are most common among children, but can develop at any age. An allergic reaction is the immune system’s response to an abnormal substance in the body. While allergies are genetic conditions, the underlying cause of an allergy is unknown.

Your immunologist may use skin testing as a way to identify what you are allergic to. From these tests, we will be able to create a personalized treatment plan to meet your specific needs.

Treatment for allergies centers on three basic approaches: avoiding contact with the allergen, medications to alleviate the allergy symptoms and allergy shots. Depending on what type of allergy you have, you can avoid allergens by taking special precautions such as wearing a pollen mask when doing yard work or cleaning, being aware of the ingredients in foods by reading the labels, closing windows and doors during heavy pollination, keeping pets outdoors, washing your bedding in hot water every 7-10 days and doing other things or taking other precautions to reduce contact with dust and pollen.


World Media

Trump Travel Ban Blocked as Budget Plan Looms on Social Programs

The United States government on Saturday called for proposals to build a "physically imposing" wall along its border with Mexico, Reuters reported on Saturday.

We now have an idea of what President Trump's "big, attractive wall" is going to look like after US Customs and Border Protection released two requests for prototypes Friday night, ABC News reports.

A reason for the hikes could be because of the Trump administration's proposed border barrier and tougher immigration policies. The proposal has earmarked $2.6 billion for the wall. The wall's construction will require about $1 billion worth of concrete and cement, according to estimates.

Omitted from the requests is the word "impenetrable" - a quality Trump vowed the wall would have.

Even if the company does not directly participate in building the barrier, the company's leaders believe construction of a border wall could help business.

As for how hard it would be to cut through the wall, the notices say it should take at least 60 minutes using a "sledgehammer, vehicle jack, pick axe, chisel, battery operated impact tools, battery operated cutting tools, Oxy/acetylene torch or other similar hand-held tools".

The wall must also be impossible to climb without a ladder, and should make it hard to use "common and more sophisticated climbing aids", like grappling hooks.

They would have to withstand prolonged attacks with "sledgehammer, auto jack, pick axe, chisel, battery operated impact tools, battery operated cutting tools, Oxy/acetylene torch or other similar hand-held tools".

One design calls for a solid concrete wall while others call for a see-through structure. There is no similar language for the Mexican side of the wall.

The port of entry from Mexico to the seen next to the border wall in San Ysidro, Calif.

The documents stipulate that the wall should be "pleasing in color, anti-climb texture, etc.", and should be "consistent with general surrounding environment".

Either way, the side of the wall facing the USA has to be "aesthetically pleasing in colour".

"They used to come over every day", Marshall said.

The deadline for submitting proposals is March 29 and a federal official said the first contracts will be issued this summer.

Trump proposed a wall in 2016, and now, as president, he's pushing to make it happen.

Trump's proposal also calls for adding $1.5 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's budget to find, detain and deport immigrants living in the US illegally, along with more than $300 million to hire 500 new Border Patrol agents and 1,000 immigration agents. Judges were previously shifted to two immigration detention centers in California.

The current fencing is of mixed construction, including 15-foot steel posts set inches apart in an effort to keep people from crossing and shorter posts that are meant to block cars.

In the request, CBP lists its requirements for several 30-foot long prototypes to be built for inspection.


A cheerful heart is good medicine…- Proverbs 17:22

If you want to be happy, be.  ~Leo Tolstoy

Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy.  ~Cynthia Nelms

Happiness and sadness run parallel to each other.  When one takes a rest, the other one tends to take up the slack.  ~Hazelmarie Elliott (“Mattie”)

Happiness?  That's nothing more than health and a poor memory.  ~Albert Schweitzer

Most people are about as happy as they  make up their minds to be.  -Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

The joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days. -Proverbs 10: 2

Our most empowering moments often arise after our most difficult setbacks  -Ryan Biddulph

Happiness is liberty from everything that makes us unhappy. -Vernon Howard

Laughter is the greatest weapon we have and we, as humans, use it the least. - Mark Twain.

Happiness is a direction, not a place.  ~Sydney J. Harris

Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.  ~Author Unknown

There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.  ~Lady Blessington

A smile is the beginning of peace. -Mother Teresa

Learn to be calm and you will always be happy  --Paramhansa Yogananda

A happy life consists in tranquility of mind.  --Marcus Tullius Cicero

Your life is the only thing that you'll ever own that doesn't come with a warranty. You can't ever replace it. So take good care of yourself, accept yourself, respect yourself and fill your days with love and happiness. --Shadonna Richards

Jumping for joy is good exercise.  ~Author Unknown

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition. -William Arthur Ward
A day without laughter is a day wasted. -Charlie Chaplin
A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. -Mother Teresa
Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results.  --Dennis Wholey

One joy scatters a hundred griefs.  ~Chinese Proverb

Misery is almost always the result of thinking.  ~Joseph Joubert

Be happy.  It's one way of being wise.  ~Colette

If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.  ~Taisen Deshimaru

In order to have great happiness you have to have great pain and unhappiness - otherwise how would you know when you're happy?  ~Leslie Caron

Happiness is the interval between periods of unhappiness.  ~Don Marquis

Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit.  ~Hosea Ballou

Gather the crumbs of happiness and they will make you a loaf of contentment.  ~Author Unknown

Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.  ~Thomas Jefferson

A smile is a curved line that sets things straight.- unknown author

Joy is the grace we say to God.  ~Jean Ingelow

Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.  ~Mildred Barthel

Whoever is happy will make others happy, too. - Mark Twain

Beginning today make it a habit to count your blessings everyday. -Shadonna Richards
You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation.  - Bette Davis

There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy. - His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

Things work out best for those who make the best of how  things work out -John Wooden

Very little is needed to make a happy life, it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. –Marcus Aurelius

Many of us waste time on petty worries or frivolities, but those who know the value of how limited time is seem to cherish every moment they have as a gift. –Shadonna Richards

Your life is whatever you focus on.  –Shadonna Richards

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.  -Marcus Aurelius

If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier. –John Wooden

Where there is life, there is hope.  –Terence.

Always remember that every day and every moment you are alive is a special occasion.
- Shadonna Richards

Forgiveness is a funny thing, it warms the hearts and cools the sting -Peter Allen

Happiness is a choice we make. It is not dependent on anything outside of yourself,
but acts independently. –Shadonna Richards

Don’t tell God you have a big problem, tell your problem you have a BIG God! -Author Unknown

Being rich doesn’t always have to do with money but…lasting and harmonious relationships - Napoleon Hill

Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it. -Jean-Antoine Petit-Senn

- William Arthur Ward

Be grateful for all you can do. Appreciation often leads to satisfaction, one of the key ingredients in the recipe for happiness. - Shadonna Richards

Being wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.- Confucius

happens inside us. — Benjamin Franklin

When you’re at peace, you’re in a position of power.- Joel Osteen

We are the hero in our own life story. We must act our unique parts and emerge with glory. - Shadonna Richards

To the world you are one person, but to one person you are the world. - Author Unknown

Successful people keep moving forward. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.
- Conrad Hilton


RRA Mission

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) was established in 1974. The RRA is the professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis. Comprised of over 300 rabbis, the RRA has three primary missions:

  1. It serves as a collegial community, in which professional and personal support and resources are provided to rabbis.
  2. The RRA represents the rabbinic voice within the Reconstructionist movement, bringing the teachings, stories, and traditions of Judaism to bear on contemporary issues and challenges, and helping to define Reconstructionist positions on Jewish issues for our time.
  3. The RRA represents the Reconstructionist rabbinate to the larger Jewish and general communities, through participation in programs, commissions, and other activities.

The RRA establishes rituals, documents, liturgy and policies around moments of the Jewish lifecycle. It publishes a Reconstructionist Rabbi's Manual, documents and procedures for egalitarian Jewish divorce, lifecycle certificates, and is currently preparing a series of ketubot. Regional events as well as the annual RRA convention serve to connect colleagues with each other and provide ongoing education and professional development.

To learn about our partner organizations in the Reconstructionist Movement, visit Jewish Reconstructionist Movement and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.


Caen: Anvil of Victory

By Alexander McKee

A outstanding reconstruction of the fight that ravaged Normandy in the course of the summer season of 1944 within the wake of the D-Day landings, this paintings culls own money owed of these who took half within the combating, either Allied and German, and of the French civilians stuck in a single of the main bad and heroic episodes of the second one international warfare. With nervous losses on each side and unspeakable ache for the French, who needed to suffer consistent mammoth bombardments from the air, this acclaimed account re-creates a brilliant portrait of the motion and emotions felt through all concerned. a big commemoration of the position performed via the typical soldiers—those who witnessed the landings and skilled the conflict for Caen—this variation comprises revisions and new fabric and is additional better by means of archival photographs.

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By Sinclair McKay

This nation condominium within the Buckinghamshire geographical region used to be domestic to Britain’s such a lot extraordinary mathematical brains and the scene of mammoth advances in technology—indeed, the start of contemporary computing. the army codes deciphered there have been instrumental in turning either the conflict of the Atlantic and the struggle in North Africa. McKay's book is the 1st heritage for the final reader of existence at Bletchley Park, and an awesome compendium of stories from those that have been as soon as its habitants—of skating at the frozen lake within the grounds, of the excessive jinks at within reach lodging hostels—and of the implacable secrecy that intended female friend and boyfriend operating in adjoining huts knew not anything approximately every one other’s work.

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Blood Red Sea

By Jack Hayes

The 12 months is 1944. After 5 hard-fought years, the Allies are with regards to victory. yet Germany nonetheless has one final mystery - and person who may nonetheless flip the battle in its favour. vacationing on a U-boat to Japan is a hugely explosive uranium bomb, the 1st of its type. yet why are the Nazis giving this kind of invaluable weapon to the japanese? And the place may possibly the japanese use it? In London, targeted Operations govt Captain Maddox is given an easy activity. cease the U-boat in any respect bills. A British, French and American workforce is assembled for the venture. they are going to strike a mysterious island managed by way of the Nazis the place the U-boat is scheduled to forestall. yet not anything approximately this task is what it sounds as if to be. The British, the French and the americans all have their very own agendas -- and so do the Germans. And none of them contain Captain Maddox making it to the top of the warfare alive. ‘Blood pink Sea’ is a full-throttle international conflict mystery that mixes meticulous learn with gripping story-telling to create a memorable story of motion and experience. it's excellent for lovers of Jack Higgins and Alistair MacLean. 'An explosive motion mystery that throws new gentle on WWII'.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling writer of 'The Dante Conspiracy'. Jack Hayes is an writer and journalist dwelling in London.

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Defense of the Third Reich 1941-45 (Fortress)

During global struggle II Germany was once subjected to the growing to be risk of Allied bomber assault, from RAF evening bombing to American sunlight bombing. From flak artillery to fortified constructions, this publication makes a speciality of the land-based infrastructure of Germany's protection opposed to the air onslaught.

The 3rd Reich created the main lavish Flak defenses of any kingdom in international struggle II. This booklet offers an summary of the Flak artillery, with a unique emphasis on how Flak was once deployed and a few of the original fortified constructions that have been created to reinforce Flak functionality akin to the mythical Flak towers of the German towns. It additionally in brief examines the progressive capability of anti-aircraft missiles for Flak safety that have been at the verge of deployment on the finish of the battle. even though the artillery component of Flak is the main widely recognized, Flak effectiveness was once hugely depending on complicated digital sensors, specifically radar, for hearth regulate and special focusing on. This booklet examines how the 3rd Reich deployed radar and different complex sensors in its protecting belts resembling the Kammhuber Line.
Besides energetic security opposed to air assault, Germany additionally invested seriously in passive safeguard resembling air raid shelters. whereas a lot of this protection was once traditional corresponding to underground shelters and the twin use of subways and different constructions, Germany confronted a few specific dilemmas in retaining towns opposed to evening fireplace bomb raids. a few towns have been positioned in areas the place the soil stipulations and shortage of bedrock didn't allow deep underground bunkers. hence, German architects designed mammoth above-ground protection shelters that have been among the main huge protecting buildings in-built international warfare II.

The luck of the U.S. military Air strength offensive opposed to Germany in early 1944 threatened to overwhelm German army creation. A software used to be initiated within the spring of 1944 to shield the by way of dispersion and fortification. An problematic application was once created to deal with the main important industries in underground shelters. a few of these have been situated in caves or tunnels, yet in different parts, huge bolstered concrete buildings have been created the place caves weren't a pragmatic resolution. those buildings have been among the main complicated for his or her day, and in lots of methods presaged the seriously strengthened shelters created through the chilly battle for defense opposed to nuclear attack.

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Moscow 1941: A City and Its People at War

By Rodric Braithwaite

A brilliantly researched and learned heritage, an important addition to the literature of worldwide warfare II.

The 1941 conflict of Moscow—unquestionably essentially the most decisive battles of the second one global War—marked the 1st strategic defeat of the German defense force of their probably unstoppable march throughout Europe. The Soviets misplaced many extra humans in that one conflict than the British and american citizens misplaced within the entire of the warfare. Now, with authority and narrative strength, Rodric Braithwaite tells the tale largely in the course of the person studies of standard Russian women and men.

Setting his narrative firmly opposed to the historical past of Moscow and its humans, Braithwaite starts off in early 1941, whilst the Soviet Union used to be nonetheless untouched by means of the conflict raging to the west. We see how—despite considerable mystery intelligence—the breaching of the border via the Wehrmacht in June took the rustic unexpectedly, and the way, whilst the Germans driven to Moscow in November, the purple military and the capital’s population undertook to protect their urban. eventually, within the iciness of 1941–1942, they became the Germans again at the very outskirts.

Braithwaite’s dramatic, richly illustrated narrative of the army motion bargains telling pix of Stalin and his generals. by means of interweaving the private remembrances of squaddies, politicians, writers, artists, employees, and schoolchildren, he provides us an unheard of knowing of the way the struggle affected the lifestyle of Moscow, and of the intense bravery, patience, and sacrifice—both voluntary and involuntary—that used to be required of its voters.

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Wojtek the Bear: Polish War Hero

By Aileen Orr

This can be the inspiring and fascinating precise tale of 1 of the second one global War’s most unique opponents – a 500-pound cigarette smoking, beer-drinking brown undergo. initially followed as a mascot by means of the Polish military in Iran, Wojtek quickly took on a more effective position, sporting heavy mortar rounds for the troops and occurring to play his half as a completely enlisted ‘soldier’ together with his personal rank and quantity through the Italian campaign.
After the conflict, Wojtek, in addition to a few of his Polish compatriots from II Corps, got here to Berwickshire, the place he grew to become an important member of the local people earlier than thus relocating to Edinburgh Zoo. Wojtek’s retirement used to be faraway from quiet: a powerful image of freedom and cohesion for Poles world wide, he attracted an incredible volume of media curiosity that exhibits no signal of abating virtually 50 years after his demise.

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By John Toland

Book Details:

ISBN: 0812968581
EAN: 9780812968583
ASIN: 0812968581
Publisher: smooth Library
Publication Date: 2003-05-27
Number of Pages: 976
Website: Amazon, LibraryThing, Google Books, Goodreads

Synopsis from Amazon:

This Pulitzer Prize–winning heritage of worldwide struggle II chronicles the dramatic upward push and fall of the japanese empire, from the invasion of Manchuria and China to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. advised from the japanese point of view, The emerging Sun is, within the author's phrases, "a real saga of individuals stuck up within the flood of the main overwhelming battle of mankind, informed because it happened-muddled, ennobling, disgraceful, tricky, jam-packed with paradox."

In weaving jointly the historic proof and human drama best as much as and culminating within the conflict within the Pacific, Toland crafts a riveting and independent narrative background. In his Foreword, Toland says that if we're to attract any end from The emerging Sun, it really is "that there are not any uncomplicated classes in background, that it really is human nature that repeats itself, no longer history."

GoodReads writer Information:

Author Name: John Toland (Born: 1912/06/29 / Died: 2004/06/04)

Author Description: John Willard Toland (June 29, 1912 in l. a. Crosse, Wisconsin - January four, 2004 in Danbury, Connecticut) used to be an American writer and historian. he's most sensible identified for his biography of Adolf Hitler.[1]

Toland attempted to jot down background as a simple narrative, with minimum research or judgment. this technique can have stemmed from his unique objective of turning into a playwright. within the summers among his collage years, he travelled with hobos and wrote a number of performs with hobos as relevant characters, none of which accomplished the stage.[2] At one aspect he controlled to submit a piece of writing on dirigibles in glance journal; it proved highly regarded and resulted in his profession as a historian.

One exception to his basic method is his Infamy: Pearl Harbor and Its Aftermath in regards to the Pearl Harbor assault and the investigations of it, within which he wrote approximately proof that President Franklin Roosevelt knew earlier than plans to assault the naval base yet remained silent. The booklet was once commonly criticized on the time. because the unique booklet, Toland additional new facts and rebutted early critics. additionally, an nameless resource, often called "Seaman Z" (Robert D. Ogg) has because come forth to publicly inform his story.

Perhaps his most crucial paintings, for which he gained the Pulitzer Prize in 1971, is The emerging solar. in line with unique and broad interviews with excessive eastern officers who survived the battle, the booklet chronicles Imperial Japan from the army uprising of February 1936 to the top of worldwide battle II. The publication gained the Pulitzer since it used to be the 1st publication in English to inform the background of the battle within the Pacific from the japanese viewpoint, instead of from an American perspective.

The tales of the battles for the stepping stones to Japan, the islands within the Pacific which had come lower than jap domination, are instructed from the viewpoint of the commander sitting in his cave instead of from that of the heroic forces engaged within the attack. each one of these commanders dedicated suicide on the end of the conflict, yet Toland used to be in a position to reconstruct their point of view from letters to their other halves and from experiences they despatched to Tokyo. Toland died in 2004 of pneumonia.

While predominantly a non-fiction writer, Toland additionally wrote ancient novels, Gods of conflict and career. He says in his autobiography that he earned little funds from his Pulitzer Prize-winning, The emerging solar, yet was once set for all times from the profits of his biography of Hitler, for which he additionally did unique research.

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Retreat to the Reich: The German Defeat in France, 1944 (Stackpole Military History Series)

  • The tale of the Normandy crusade from a German viewpoint
  • Covers each perspective, from squaddies within the box to generals at excessive command

    The Allied landings in France on June 6, 1944, marked the start of the German defeat within the West. army historian Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr., vividly recaptures the desperation of the Wehrmacht as its skinny grey line ultimately snapped amidst brutal hedgerow-to-hedgerow battling in Normandy and because the survivors fled the Allied steamroller in a mad sprint again to the Reich. With colourful descriptions and informative info, Mitcham recounts the German army retreat and the erosion of Germany's stronghold in Europe--as seen throughout the eyes of a defiant, yet finally defeated, Wehrmacht.

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The Trend of Dining Room Furniture Sets

Usually, dining room furniture sets contain tables and chairs. You do not have access to to limit yourself to one type of chairs inside your dining room. Rather, you can blend several types. Make sure that you select pieces that work together both practically and visually. For example, the chairs must have compatible scales. The height of the seats is the most important aspect. Your dining sets may look wanting if some chairs are higher than the others. The people sitting on high chairs may seem like monsters while those seated on the low ones like dwarfs.

In some situations, you could have a rectangular or oval table. You could place a set of seats at the table ends and various seat types at the sides of the table. In such a case, the end chairs may tower over the side ones. This can be a common arrangement and it will look simply fine. When choosing your dining room furniture sets, think about the width and depth variations. The width and also the depth of different chairs can vary. However, the variation shouldn't be by an crazy amount. Choose size which will accommodate a person of average size.

If you have a variety of dining chairs, it's imperative for the chairs to talk about a common design element. This can make your dining room furniture sets look harmonious. The shared design element could either be the finish material or the shape of the chair. The color could be the shared element. You can have some antique dining chairs which are painted in exactly the same color. As long since the items share a typical design characteristic, they don't have to be of exactly the same make or materials.

Most people often find it difficult to get uniformity for his or her interiors. You don't have to conform to this. There is nothing wrong in tugging together different style of dining room furniture sets. You may have some amazing result. These rooms are suitable by the blend and match trend. Thus most people are embracing the trend of mixing various types of dining room sets. You could additionally be courageous enough to mix and match dining room furniture. The results you get will be amazing.

Nice Traditional Dining Room Furniture Sets The Trend of Dining Room Furniture SetsMix and Match Dining Room Chairs Ideas The Trend of Dining Room Furniture SetsCustom Small Dining Table with Oval Shaped The Trend of Dining Room Furniture Sets

Tags: Dining Room Furniture, Dining Room Sets, Trend Dining Room,

beautiful modern master bedrooms, really nice master bedrooms, small french country kitchens


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Dividends - Preferred and Common

I need a "walk through"or demonstration on how to:
calculate the current preferred dividend for each year
calculate the preferred dividend in arrears for each year
calculate total preferred dividends per year
calculate preferred shares outstanding per year
calculate preferred dividend per share for each year
calculate dividend for common shares per year
calculate common shares outstanding per year
calculate common dividend per share per year

Solution Summary

The solution explains how to calculate the amount of preferred and common dividends for the given years


An actor's movement is translated into a 3d model

Motion Capture

Motion capture or motion tracking, describes the process of using technology to record and translate movement into a digital model. It is used in many industries, including the entertainment industry, military applications, medical technologies, and sports coverage. In film it is used to record actors and recreate them in digitally animated characters using computer animation. Motion capture can be detailed enough to capture and recognize facial expressions, individual finger movements, and multiple objects.

Optical Systems

The traditional method for motion capture relies on actors in a plain environment, sometimes in front of blue/green screens with various cameras stationed around the stage. The actor must wear a form-fitting outfit lined with special sensors the cameras are able to detect in 3 degrees of movement. The sensors are often placed on joints and appendages to make a virtual skeleton with which the animators can create a model.

external image thumb.jpg

Passive Markers-Passive optical system use markers coated with a retroreflective material to reflect light back that is generated near the cameras lens. The camera's threshold can be adjusted so only the bright reflective markers will be sampled, ignoring skin and fabric.

Example: The TV series ("Stargate SG1") episode was produced using an active optical system for the VFX. The actor had to walk around props that would make motion capture difficult for other non-active optical systems.

Markerless-Emerging techniques and research in computer vision are leading to the rapid development of the markerless approach to motion capture. Markerless systems such as those developed at Stanford, MIT, and Max Planck Institute, do not require subjects to wear special equipment for tracking. Special computer algorithms are designed to allow the system to analyze multiple streams of optical input and identify human forms, breaking them down into constituent parts for tracking. Applications of this technology extend deeply into popular imagination about the future of computing technology. Several commercial solutions for markerless motion capture have also been introduced.

Non-Optical Systems
The Gypsy(Gyro) IGS-190
The Gypsy(Gyro) IGS-190

Inertial Systems: Inertial gyroscopes which measure, record and transmit movement or rotations of the subject to a computer where the data is applied to a skeletal puppet.

Mechanical Motion- Mechanical motion capture systems directly track body joint angles and are often referred to as exo-skeleton motion capture systems, due to the way the sensors are attached to the body. Performers attaches the skeletal-like structure to their body and as they move so do the articulated mechanical parts, measuring the performer’s relative motion. Mechanical motion capture systems are real-time, relatively low-cost, free-of-occlusion, and wireless (untethered) systems that have unlimited capture volume. Typically, they are rigid structures of jointed, straight metal or plastic rods linked together with potentiometers that articulate at the joints of the body. These suits tend to be in the $25,000 to $75,000 range plus an external absolute positioning

Motion Capturing was originally used for military tracking purposes. It was also used to study and analyze ballistics. Military simulators have improved and benefited greatly from motion capture technology. The military uses various motion capturing techniques to develop simulators for fighter jet and helicopter pilots, open field combat, and stinger missile training.

The film industry uses Prosthetic(electromechanical) and electromagnetic Motion Capture to enhance our view of certain filmmakers imaginations. An actor will put on a plastic exoskeleton, equipped with Potentiometers; or several receivers are attached to their body. The movement of the actor is measured by these sensors, recorded and translated into the context of the movies action.

The use of Motion Capturing in the entertainment industry has changed immensely from it's start in the 1970s. A method developed in the early 1900s called "Rotoscoping" made it possible to successfully imitate human movement in animation. Rotoscoping is a method where animators draw over motion captured live-action film. The first use of Rotoscoping was seen in the Out of the Inkwell, by Max Fleischer in 1915. He invented the technique to make his character, Koko the Clown, more realistic. Starting in the seventies, the Rotoscoping method was adapted so it was able to be used with computer animation, giving birth to the new age of Motion Capturing.

Motion capture is used by athletes to improve their technique. Most sports related motion capture programs will concentrate on joint angles, body alignment, velocities, and power flows. Athletes ranging from runners to tennis players to cricket bowlers have used motion capturing to improve and hone their skills. Innovative Sports Training has developed The MotionMonitor to assist in your golf swing, among other helpful applications. external image MMSGolfSwing.jpg

Video Games
Motion Capturing has been used in the development of video games by having people acting out what is supposed to be in the game. In sports games, athletes are used so that game can be authentic by having player's real batting stances or pitching motions and other things.
Toronto's Maurice Edu during a motion capturing session for FIFA Soccer '09

Motion capturing doesn't only affect the way video games are made but also how they are played. Wii uses a motion sensing controller and lets the person playing the game take a more active role in the gameplay. Project Natal for Xbox promises to eliminate the need for the game-controller altogether, or more accurately, the player's body will be the controller.

Project Natal
Project Natal

Medical students have used Motion Capturing to help them learn more about the body and how it works. This also gives them more insight of the body when the body is moving. Use of motion capture also helps medical students quantify the improvement over time of their rehabilitation or surgical efforts. Motion Capturing also is used with physical therapy and can be used to help with injury prevention with not only sports related activities but with day-to-day actions that we all do.
A person using "The Lift Trainer"
Motion and Gait Analysis
Motion and Gait Analysis

Motion capture research labs all over the country are working to find new ways to use the technology. Ohio State University’s Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD) is one of those labs. The ACCAD captures human, animal, and other motion in order to collect data for various purposes.

The Ford Motor Company has recently started using motion capture to research and study how people actually move while they are in a car. Ford’s system is called the Human Occupant Package Simulator (HOPS). The human test subject is equipped with 50 motion capturing sensors and performs various everyday movements such as reaching for their seat belt. The goal of HOPS is to provide data to help produce more ergonomic and safer cars.

Motion Capture Technology is used in research like National Geographic's Fight Science.

This scenario displayed that the impact of a Muay Thai knee kick produced an effect equivalent to that of a car going 35 mph

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Tag Archives: bible

I AM : The ultimate experience

I am is the ultimate mystery.
The ultimate experience .

McMass: Would you like fries with that sermon?

What are they going to think of next?  DisneyMass?

“I’m loving it.”

Just Wondering….

I have been wondering lately:
Is God truly speaking to me…?

See?  I can’t stop questioning and wondering about these things.

Just Wondering….

Tuned in: Testing God once again

I am tuned in.

“Blessed are the violent” : A book review on Zealot

Since it was published, I became interested in reading the book Zealot, by Reza Aslan.  I finally got the chance to read it and decided to share a book review with my readers.

The book starts with stressing on how the Roman empire took dominion over Jerusalem. It focuses on the fact that the Jews were jealous people who strongly believed they were God’s chosen people and that every foreign invasion and cultural “impurity ” had to be abolished at all cost. In spite of this nation wide grandiosity, Jerusalem was simply a small province at the corner of the great Roman empire. The author emphasizes that the Jews did not see this exceptionalism as arrogance or pride, but a direct command from a jealous God.  But out of this insignificant portion of human history, a great figure submerges which proved to influence history forever. In chapter two,  the author explains that Jesus was executed mainly for being one of many “bandits ” who rebelled against Roman dominion.  Jesus is then described as a leader who declared war on Rome by identifying himself as a Messiah or “King of the Jews “. However, Herod was the “king ” chosen by Rome (client -king) to maintained control and peace in Judea, although he was hated by the Jews for working for Rome and not God.  Herod was followed by one of his sons, Herod Antipas, who took over Galilee when Jesus became famous.  The idea that Jesus was originally a violent enemy of Rome brings a lot of questions to mind.

In chapter three the author writes that Jesus was born and raised in the insignificant town of Nazareth, and not in Bethlehem (which was added to link Jesus to King David and only mentioned in Matthew and Luke ). When Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem to the festivities, he admitted people knew who he was and where he was from (as opposed to what the scriptures say about the Messiah) but instead made emphasis on his heavenly origins.  So instead of being an earthly king and Messiah, he is described by gospel writer John more as a divine being or logos. (“The verb was with God from the beginning …” Jn 1:3).  The author then asserts that Luke’s story about the Roman census during Jesus ‘s infancy is inaccurate.  He mentions this to explain that these ancient authors did not write to show historical “facts ” but revealing “truths .” Readers back then were not interested in what actually happened but were more interested in what it means, which may have been the case.  In chapter four, the author talks about Jesus’s mother being raped, Jesus having siblings, and probably being married.  He also stressed on how impossible it is to say anything about Jesus ‘s early life because before he was declared Messiah it did not matter what kind of childhood a Jewish peasant had.  And after he was called the Messiah, the “only aspect of his childhood that mattered were those that could be creatively imagined to buttress whatever theological claim ” about Jesus’s identity as Christ.  Out of many rebellious gangs, the author then describes an extreme group of extreme rebels called “zealots “, thus the title of this book.

Chapter five starts with describing Pilate as a cruel and bloodthirsty governor, different from how the gospels describe him. After many massacres, the Jews declare war on Rome. Chapter six is simply a narrative going back and forth in history after Jesus’s death on how the Jews regained control of the Temple but lost their land back to the Romans.

In Part two, the author is fixated on the idea that Jesus was also an extremist or “zealous” rebel fighting for freedom and return the land to God.  He explains that when Jesus answered the question about whether to pay tribute to Rome or not, Jesus was “clear ” on the argument of God ‘s sovereignty over the land.  However the author does not point out the possibility that Jesus was probably wisely preventing to fall into the trap that his interrogators were desperately trying to set for him.  It was a tricky question very difficult to answer without creating more controversy.  If Jesus answered yes to paying tribute to Caesar, then he would be seen as a traitor and friend of the Romans.  If he would have answered no, then he was publicly claiming to be a rebel and a “zealot .”   Either way, Jesus was going to be targeted as a trouble maker.  But he apparently chose a more peaceful and neutral response, avoiding to engage in a political argument based on Jewish ambition to regain the land. Furthermore, the gospels don’t agree what kind of soldiers (Romans vs. Temple guards) came to arrest Jesus, but they all agree that he was targeted mainly because of his threat to the Sanhedrin, not to Rome .  The high priests tried to use political reason to justify execution, (“he called himself the King of the Jews! ” vs. …”son of God “) which worked.  But Jesus’s true crime did not necessarily involve a pure political rebellion against Rome, but against the Sanhedrin.  His mission was mainly emphasized on rescuing and serving the “least of these” or the poor, in my opinion.

In his notes at end of the book, the author stresses that those who perceive Jesus’s response as “apolitical ” are “blind to the political and religious context of Jesus ‘s times ” (pg. 241). He also argues that the “titulus ” above Jesus ‘s head on the cross was not a sarcastic sign because Romans were not humorous.  I wonder if this author remembers all the mocking and ridicule that Jesus received by the Roman soldiers before his death, which all four gospels wrote about.  This is another example of the author’s attempt to justify his view of Jesus as a political extremist rebel and threat to Rome among many other violent rebels on his time.

In chapter seven, Jesus is described as John the Baptist’s disciple, not the other way around, which may explain further Jesus fleeing back to Galilee after John’s execution.  Nevertheless, Jesus became much more powerful and influential than the Baptist.

In chapter eight, the author makes a statement which reflects more my understanding of Jesus ‘s teachings when he writes that Jesus was less concerned with the “pagan empire occupying Palestine than the imposter occupying the temple, ” specifically Caiaphas (Pg. 99). Jesus was clearly enraged by how the temple authority treated the poor. The author  then continues to describe Jesus as a unique teacher and leader such as including women as disciples, doing exorcism for free, and speaking with authority unlike the common religious leader in spite of being a peasant.  The author further emphasizes that Jesus ‘s miracles or magical powers were “something unique and distinctive” (pg. 111). They were done, which I could not agree more, as manifestation of God ‘s kingdom on earth as prophesized in Isaiah 35:5-6.  The author explains that Jesus healed a leper, for example, to make him pure and clean enough to enter the temple and be accepted in God’s presence, without all the traditional rituals, thus manifesting the kingdom of God.

However, in chapter 10, the author points out that, in addition to being a new order where the rich will be poor and the poor will be exalted, it will also be a total overthrow of the Roman Empire.  And this could only be done through violence.  The author explicitly writes that he thinks Jesus was “not a pacifist ” (pg. 120) and then uses one biblical verse to justify this view (Mathews 10:34, Luke 12:51) but does not include verses that point to the contrary, which are the majority ( Mark 9:50;  Mathew 5:9,  5:44, 11:28, 18:21-22, 26:52; Luke 6:35, 23:34; John 14:27, 16:33, 20:21, 24:36, ) . If the gospel writers and early church members were desperately trying to distant Jesus from a violent and “zealous nationalism ” as the author points out, wouldn’t they have omitted the few verses that mention swords and war? And yes, Jesus was a Jew, but his teachings were full of invitations that included Gentiles. He prophesized to a Samaritan woman, healed another Samaritan woman and also healed a Centurion’s servant. He also commanded his disciples to spread the good news to the “ends of the earth.” Israel was NOT all that mattered to Jesus. The author only presented questions as to whether Jesus was planning to become an earthly king in the Kingdom of God.  But he wisely mentioned that Jesus was clearly the personification of the new Kingdom as evidenced by his miracles and signs.

In chapter eleven, the author repeatedly points out that Jesus did not openly call himself the Messiah, which, as the author says and I agree, may have different definitions according to the time in history.  It was most commonly used to describe an earthly king who would deliver the Jews from earthly foreign domination, which Jesus did not accomplish.  The Son of God was also a title given to past kings such as David and Solomon (Psalm 2:7, 1 Chronicles 28:6).  Son of Man, on the other hand, was a self claim title more frequently stated by Jesus, which may have been a humble way of Jesus referring himself as a mere man, thus manifesting his humaneness. In chapter twelve, the author insists that most of what the gospels say about Jesus ‘s last moment is false, simply because he believes that early Christians were trying to avoid appearing as zealots themselves to the Romans after the Jewish war and so they’d depicted Pilate as a considerate governor manipulated by the “blood thirsty ” Jews.   It is more credible that early Christians invented some details to depict Jesus more as a Messiah.  But it is ridiculous to assume that early Christians chose to change Jesus from a violent revolutionary to a pacifist leader.

The author starts Part 3 by emphasizing that most of Jesus’s followers and writers of the New Testament did not meet Jesus or lived in Jerusalem during Jesus ‘s a time, which is an important key to point out.  In spite of this, this fact does not necessarily discredit what these authors wrote about what Jesus could have really represented. In Chapter thirteen the author interestingly points out that no where in the Old Testament is the messiah prophesied to suffer and die, like Jesus claims about himself.  The image of Jesus must have been evolved from being an earthly messiah to a celestial king seating at the right hand of God. The author is right by stressing that Paul perceived Jesus as not human , distant from the Jewish background and more like a cosmic being. And this makes sense since Paul admits he did not learn from any apostle but claims that God himself revealed it to him (Galatians 1:15-17).  Paul, in my opinion , created his own version of Jesus based on Roman pagan religion.   I agree with the author that Paul’s version of Jesus is the standard doctrine of today’s church.  In chapter fourteen the author is right when he  stresses on James ‘s role in the early church as the most accurate version of what Jesus is all about: helping the poor.

We  are all  guilty of interpreting, choosing and dismissing verses according to our preconceived ideas of what Jesus really taught and  who he was.  What must be kept in mind, however, is the inevitable conclusion that Jesus’s presence in human history, with or without some fabrication and embellishment in his story, has surpassed all other historical figure in the last 2000 years. Whether we perceive Jesus as a violent rebel (which I personally doubt), the messiah (which he did not fulfill according to Hebrew Scriptures), the son of God (which title was also given to king David ), or a peaceful rebellious leader concerned for the poor and sick of the whole world and not just Jerusalem,  Jesus was (or is) the manifestation of what God represents... Unconditional love.

God versus Humans: Part 2

We, humans, have declared war on God.  But this is not an ordinary war.   It is a different kind of war.  We have tried very hard to fight Him, not with guns, tanks, and bombs, but with our egos. Our weapons are our egos.  We try to use human logic to explain away the existence of God.  We attempt to justify the non existence of God by using suffering and evil as evidence.  We try very hard to live independently. We try to own our lives.  But we truly own nothing.  Not even our own bodies. Once our bodies die, we lose them forever.

No matter how many rules, regulations, and laws we create, we humans will continue to break them.  And when we break the rules and laws, we must create consequences to enforce the laws.  And when we enforce the laws, we are also creating a hierarchy of those who have the power to enforce the laws, and those who must obey the laws.  This creates different classes based on different levels of authority.  And by doing so, we create inequalities among ourselves.  Those who can and those who cannot. Those who must obey, and those who must be obeyed.  And this almost always leads to injustice, abuse of power, and hatred.  It is a dead end.

This dead end is even more enforced by a very powerful armor that we tend to use: Pride.

Pride is a very dangerous thing to live with.  It blinds us to the point of exalting us to a level that is more than we really are, but is truly an illusion.  Pride gives us a false sense of security that is temporary and shallow.  It makes us even more vulnerable to suffering and pain.

But someone once said “love your enemies.”  He also said “be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect,” “walk the extra mile,” “turn the other cheek,” “forgive seventy times seven,” and “those who are free of sins can throw the first stone.” How can you do all of these things, and still enforce rules, create hierarchies, and maintain our pride?

We simply cannot.  It is either us with our own strengths, or something else.  Something outside of us.

We humans cannot ever function perfectly without failing with our own limitations, unless we rely on something greater than us. Because, after all, it is not about us and our limited strengths.    Like a community is not built with an individual but a combination of different individuals, humans cannot surpass our limited ways of living without the collaboration of something beyond us. And it is through this collaboration that we can move beyond the strict set of rules and regulations that we cannot escape from on our own.  This collaboration is with something greater than us. Something transcendent.

I think we need to surrender to the fact that we cannot do this on our own.  We need to empty ourselves from our arrogant ways of living. We surrender ourselves by being poor in spirit.  In this spiritual poverty, we will then have the space to fill ourselves with something greater.  We will cease to look at other humans as inferior, but will see them as worthy.  And the key word here is Surrendersimilar to when soldiers surrender in a battle field.

We would not need to maintain a hierarchy.  We would not need to keep ourselves segregated or compartmentalized.  We would not need to create fear, abuse, or hatred. We simply would need to Surrender. And by surrendering, we are automatically welcoming Grace.

And when you have grace, then we start experiencing forgiveness.  We start having true harmony.  We begin to love our enemies.  We experience strong communities.  We encounter and start living a new way of existence.

“…for God, nothing is impossible.”

And by doing the above, we humans are already making peace…. With God.

What kind of Atheist or Believer are you?

The above link has been a popular blog post that CNN published recently regarding a new study that identified different atheists.  It invites some of us to try to identify with a particular type of atheism.

It looks to me like the beginning of the development of various “non-religious” denominations.

In the “religious”  or Christian world, there are those who identify themselves as Catholic, Pentecostal, or Episcopal.  There are also those who prefer to be called Baptists, Lutherans, or Methodists.  There is also the Church of God, The Church of Christ, the Assemblies of God, and the Church of the Nazarene.  Furthermore, there are others who attend the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Unitarian Church, the Orthodox Church, and the Scientology Church.

There are people who are labeled as conservatives, moderates,  liberals, creationists, evangelicals, and missionaries.  There are those who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible, and those who believe in the symbolism of the scriptures.  There are those who believe in the story of creation, and those who believe in evolution.  There are those who believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Sacraments, Baptism in water, praying to saints, and the intervention of angels and saints. There are those who believe in the Rapture, others in the second coming of Christ, and others believe in the Resurrection of our bodies in the latter days.

Not to mention Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jewish, the Baha’i faith, Wicca, and many other organized  religious affiliation.  The list goes on and on of the different kinds of churches and belief systems.

How much more division and labeling are we going to embrace?  How much contrasting are we going to endure?

According to CNN’s article, there are six main types of Atheists (is it a coincidence that they came up with the number 6?).  There is the “Intellectual”, the Activist,  the Seeker/Agnostic (which does not sound like an Atheist since it implies seeking something transcendent with an open mind), the Anti-theist, the Non-theist, and the Ritual Atheist.  What will they come up with next?

This is why I don’t necessarily like the idea of using labels to identify myself.  It tends to separate us from each other and from ourselves.   I have written that I call myself a Reflective Christian.  This does not imply any particular religious denomination or philosophy.  I am just a person who seeks and strongly believes in serving the poor, like Jesus, Ghandi, and Buddha taught.  Period.  If this description is not enough to fit the popular method of labeling and categorizing, too bad.

Do you identify yourself with a particular religious group?  Or are you more like one of the six kinds of Atheists?  Are you an “ABC” (Atheist, Believer, or Confused)?

I would like to hear about your opinion on this matter.

Thanks for reading.