Aggression between Motives and Results

The Chemical Again

On Sunday morning, the world woke up to a new propaganda campaign on the use of chemical weapons, after the problem of Al-Gouta was nearing an end, after restoration of large areas back to the authority of the Syrian state.…

US Retreat and Filling of the Gap

The gradual US retreat became evident, tangible, and outside of debate, and more importantly, it became steady, continuous, and obligatory irreplaceable trend.

Guarantees of Syria's Unity

The threat to Syria's unity began with the beginning of the armed conflict in the country on the basis of the "Quell vs. Overthrow" duality.

The Threat of Aggression and Inevitable Result

The war forces in the US administration are again threatening to resort to the military option and direct intervention in Syria, in parallel with a wide propaganda campaign alternated by Western and Arab media, to convince public opinion of the…

Despite Escalation...The Solution is Coming!

There are different analyses, about the recent military escalation, in and around Syria, and about its consequences. This makes the general impression, that things are decided by military weapons, prevail again.

“The American Age” Irreversible Fall

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the world has been in a tug of war between two conflicting poles: Imperialism, with its quest for survival and expansion, on the one hand, and the peoples of the world, with their…

2401: The Significance and Messages

Security Council Resolution 2401 which was issued on 24 February 2018 has brought many indications and messages, on the Syrian, regional and international levels, in the context of the conflict in and around Syria:

«Constitutional reform», a new opportunity

There is no doubt that the constitution of any country is a sovereign matter. It goes without saying that it would have been better if the crisis had not reached what it had reached, and would have been better if…

The Last Attempts of Obstruction

The forces of obstruction have spared no effort, since the Geneva 1 Communiqué up to the present date, to prevent the political solution. With every step of progress in the political process, and whenever the circumstances became suitable for turning…


Enlaces Primarios Ingles

Environmental benefits of using LEDs

The current shortage of resoures has made energy saving a principal concern for large companies. Optimising energy resources is now undeniably one of the mainstays for making companies work properly.

In ecological terms, development and progress are normally synonymous with depletion of natural resources and pollution.

Environmental problems, coupled with the need to reduce dependence on traditional energy sources such as oil and other fossil fuels, have led to the search for alternative sources through which to achieve sustainable development; that is, a balance between social wellbeing, environment and economic health. In this respect, using LED technology generates a series of environmental benefits that positively affect company dynamics:

- LEDs contain no mercury or gaseous pollutants: mercury is one of the most toxic natural substances for humans, and yet it’s found in conventional fluorescent tubes. Fluorescent tubes and energy-saving light bulbs are full of mercury vapour, a highly toxic substance with irreversible effects on the nervous system.

- They don’t emit UV rays: over exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays is harmful to the eyes, as it affects the cornea and damages the retina. Using LEDs is beneficial to the health of workers.

- Low heat emission into the environment: this also affects energy saving on air conditioning, because units are used less.

- 90% energy efficiency: energy efficiency is understood as the relation between the amount of energy consumed and the end products and services obtained. These days energy has to be obtained economically and with respect for the environment. That’s why we have to move on from obsolete energy systems like conventional fluorescent tubes. An LED light bulb consumes 10 times less than an incandescent light bulb, 25% less than a fluorescent tube and 50% less than an energy-saving light bulb.

- Directed light: this avoids light pollution, defined as the emission of light flow from artificial light sources with unnecessary intensities, directions or spectral ranges.

- High light efficiency: the relation between the electrical energy consumed by LEDs and the light energy they provide gives vastly better performance than other types of lighting.

- Instant start without flickering: LEDs start immediately at maximum brightness without needing to warm up first or use energy unnecessarily.

- Lifetime of more than 50,000 hours: this is roughly equivalent to 15 years of having the light on 10 hours a day and has economic repercussions on spending on light bulbs and maintenance.

- Made from recyclable materials: LEDs produce 95% less waste because of their long lifetime. LED lightbulbs are also easy to recycle, as they contain no pollutants.


Kids’ brains are being changed by media immersion

How the Web Became Our ‘External Brain,’ and What It Means for Our Kids. Wired, August 6, 2014.

A thought-provoking article, which is an excerpt of a book by Michael Harris, entitled The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection. The article leaves the reader sobered, thoughtful. Relying much on recent brain research, the article argues that the human brain of the child is literally being changed by its daily immersion in the Internet and media.

An old adage among brain researchers is that neurons and fire together wire together. What is means is that, if neuronal cells being to fire electrically in a fashion that elicits a certain pattern of response, then the cells knit together and begin to fire in concert more often and continuously.

Another well-known discovery of brain researchers is that, as the human brain develops in the first few months and years of life, certain neuronal connections strength while others atrophy.

If one takes these two ideas and considers how the young brain of so many humans, from age one onward, now takes much of its input from screens rather than human interactions, we can see how the brain that are now developing among humans can be quite different in its actual micro-anatomy by age 5 or so, versus brains of humans born, say, fifty years ago.

How would these differences manifest themselves? Harris contends that a major difference would be in the area of shallowness of thought versus deeper thinking. With instant gratification be a sine qua non among those reared in front of screens, we may end up with a world flooded with individuals who cannot tolerate complexity and profundity, as they’ve been reared on sound bites and simplistic explanations rather than deeper, richer modes of thought. They may not be able to tolerate the reading of long and expansive modes of thought and want instant answers, glib explanations.


Mellette driving directions and distance

Mellette : Route planner and distance

Location of Mellette

Mellette is a city located in the middle west of the united states in the county of Spink, and the state of South Dakota. Mellette lies near cities of Warner, Chelsea, Athol, Ashton, Brentford, and Northville. Mellette is geographically situated on 45.1544202 latitude and -98.4975935 longitude.carte-plan-Mellette


Nunda driving directions and distance

Nunda : Route planner and distance

Location of Nunda

Nunda is a town located in the middle west of the united states in the county of Lake, and the state of South Dakota. Nunda lies near cities of Volga, Madison, Wentworth, Ramona, Sinai, and Rutland. Nunda is geographically situated on 44.1621934 latitude and -97.0189491 longitude.carte-plan-Nunda


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Germanic Mythology (Norse, Germanic, and Continental Germanic)

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"[4] Late 19th and early 20th century philologist James Bright proposes that the variant neorxena- element derives from the phrase ne wyrcan, meaning "no working".[5] See also[edit] Nine Herbs Charm. The Nine Herbs Charm is an Old English charm recorded in the 10th-century[1] Lacnunga manuscript.[2] The charm is intended for the treatment of poisoning and infection by a preparation of nine herbs.

Nine Herbs Charm

Anglo-Saxon Gods

Other Mythological creatures. Beowulf. Beowulf (/ˈbeɪ.ɵwʊlf/; in Old English [ˈbeːo̯wʊlf] or [ˈbeːəwʊlf]) is the conventional title of an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature due to the fact that it is the oldest surviving epic poem of Old English and also the earliest vernacular English literature.[2] The full poem survives in the manuscript known as the Nowell Codex, located in the British Library.

Written in England, its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet[a] is dated between the 8th[5] and the early 11th century.[6] In 1731, the manuscript was badly damaged by a fire that swept through Ashburnham House in London that had a collection of medieval manuscripts assembled by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton. Historical background[edit] Approximate central regions of tribes mentioned in Beowulf, with the location of the Angles in Angeln. Summary[edit] While earlier scholars (such as J.R.R.

Creatures in Beowulf

Characters in Beowulf. Continental Germanic mythology. Continental Germanic mythology is a subtype of Germanic mythology as practiced in parts of Central Europe during the 6th to 8th centuries, a period of Christianization.

Continental Germanic mythology

It continued in the legends, and Middle High German epics of the Middle Ages. Traces of these stories, with the sacred elements largely removed, may be found throughout European folklore and fairy tales. Tribes[edit] The mythologies of the following tribes are included in this category: Paganism[edit] Compared to North Germanic and, to a lesser extent, Anglo-Saxon mythology, examples of Continental Germanic paganism are extremely fragmentary.

Texts[edit] Old High German[edit] Middle High German[edit] See also[edit]

Storys of Continental Germanic mytholology

Norse mythology

The druid class included law-speakers, poets and doctors, among other learned professions, although the best known among the druids were the religious leaders. Very little is known about the ancient druids. They left no written accounts of themselves, and the only evidence is a few descriptions left by Greek, Roman, and various scattered authors and artists, as well as stories created by later medieval Irish writers.[2] While archaeological evidence has been uncovered pertaining to the religious practices of the Iron Age people, "not one single artefact or image has been unearthed that can undoubtedly be connected with the ancient Druids. The earliest known reference to the druids dates to 200 BCE, although the oldest actual description comes from the Roman military general Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (50s BCE).

Mythological Things of the Norse


Become a WoWoman City Director
WoWoman is a women empowerment platform, which creates the space and tools for women to be able to achieve the coolest, craziest and most “impossible" dreams they have.
Question is "How can SHE make this world more Awesome?"
Our answer is by daring to Follow her Dreams, Living to her full potential and Enjoying the process itself.
If you agree with the answer then we WANT YOU :)

So what happens when you apply for WoWoman City Director position?

Each City Director will be chosen for a year with a possibility to renew the license or nominate the next City Director for the city. City Director is responsible for running WoWoman chapter in her city and is required to organize a minimum of 1 event every 2 months ( no maximums here, sky is the limit ;) ), with a support of headquarters team.

Even though we don’t have any fixed schedules, we do have a loooot to do. WoWoman becomes our family in a way, and we invest a lot of love and energy into it. No one said following your dreams and impacting the world is easy, but WoWoman Loves challenges ;)

So here is what you will be responsible for in a bit more details:

— Finding a venue partner
— Finding a speaker each month that relates to one of the 12 themes
— Finding sponsors / partners to cover event costs if necessary
— Leading the Chapter team (usually Marketing coordinator, Event coordinator and photographer / videographer)
— Being the main point of contact for HQ

Current themes are:

- "WoWoman in Me
- Dreams
- Doing the "impossible""
- Education
- Career
- Confidence
- Fears / Challenges / Failures
- Leadership
- Being Entrepreneurial
- Design / Creative thinking
- Networking
- Emotional Intelligence
- Wellbeing / Mindfulness
- Mentorship
- Relationships

Who we are looking for?

- Women, which are willing to volunteer their time to join this fast growing platform
- Women, which like challenges and want to grow themselves as well as help others grow both personally and professionally all the time
- Women, which are proactive, responsible and make things happen
- Women, which are willing to follow their dreams, live up to their full potential and to enjoy the process itself

We are just at the beginning of our journey creating the global movement of empowering women around the world to achieve their dreams. If you are not afraid of starting something new, if you are willing to risk, if you care about the topic, if this sounds exciting to you, and you are ready to accept the challenge, then fill in this form and we will get back to you for the next steps.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Gospel Coalition's Claim that Due to Human Sinfulness Truth Is Not Truly Knowable at All (Part 1)

      In this post, I examine Phillips' claim that “humans may not be able to know the truth truly” because of the effects of sin on the mind (pp. 14-15). About this, Phillips says: “When we add the problem of sin [to that of finitude—jnp], humans are no longer able to know truth truly at all.” Again, the answer at least in part to this problem, according to Phillips, is that Jesus Christ “sends the Holy Spirit to animate the spirits of sinful men and women to know and believe the truth.” He then adds, “Thus, in the same passage where Paul directly states that sinful humans cannot know truth, he reveals that God’s Holy Spirit solves this problem by giving new life to undeserving sinners: ‘Now we have received not the spirit of the world,’ Paul explains, ‘but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God’ (1 Cor. 2:12).”[1] As indicated already, Phillips’ point seems to be that even before sin humans (as finite) had a problem with knowing truth and after sin things are much, much worse.

     Again, we are faced with the self-contradictory nature of such claims. What are we to make of a statement that sinful humans do not know truth truly at all? Aren’t we all sinful humans? Then, can we know the truth truly that we cannot know truth truly at all? And, if we can know it to be true—we, though finite and sinful—then, it isn’t true, because we—though finite and sinful—know at least one truth, namely, that sinful humans cannot know truth truly at all. Besides this, do we not commonly observe that unregenerate people can know truth generally (scientists, farmers, physicians, teachers, business executives, engineers, architects, builders and construction workers, etc.)?
     Consequently, again, the question which serves as title to Phillips' booklet, Can We Know the Truth?, is answered, but this time there is more than skepticism expressed about the innate quality of human knowing or capacity for truth; it is a categorical statement that humans cannot know truth (implication: cannot know anything reliably or verifiably). Or, as Phillips says elsewhere, “With the postmoderns we are skeptical that finite, fallible humans are the agents of truth, though we insist that truth is real and that we can know it.”[2] What it means to be skeptical that humans are “the agents of truth” would seem to entail, at a minimum, serious doubts that humans can either have truth or convey it to others.

     Admittedly, in this quotation Phillips also adds, “though we insist that truth is real and that we can know it.” Frankly, I am not sure what Phillips means by his qualification here. Whatever he means, to avoid contradiction, he must mean something different from the proposition which precedes it. If he is contradicting himself, he would seem to be saying something like this: “With the postmoderns we don’t believe humans can know and be carriers for truth, though we insist that truth is real and knowable such that humans indeed can know and be carriers for truth.” So, to avoid such a blatant contradiction, I offer an alternative. Phillips may mean by his qualification something like this: “though we insist that truth is real [that is, truth exists or is actually there—jnp] and that we can know it” [that is, we can know it in some imperfect, non-verifiable, and yet coherent or meaningful sense—jnp]. (This is how many of the modern philosophers think about truth.) I offer this possible reading because skepticism about humans as agents of truth (what Phillips says before the “though”) is, of course, inseparable from skepticism about the ability of humans to have or know truth.

     What is the origin of Phillips’ skepticism about truth, particularly, for finite, fallen humans? Though Scripture is enlisted for its support, again, I don’t believe that it derives from or has any firm grounding in a faithful exegesis of Scripture. I will make a case for this last statement in a moment but for now I wish to point out that as far as I can tell (and as I’ve been saying) Phillips’ account of knowing originates with modern philosophy (Descartes and his successors), in spite of the fact that on certain points (such as, its reliance on autonomous reason) he is so critical of the same.

     Moreover, what Phillips’ adoption of certain skeptical tenets of modern philosophy accomplishes is not without a certain appeal, especially for Reformed theology. For instance, it seems to provide the doctrine of original sin greater depth, even as making us as humans bereft of knowledge or truth in general. Consequently, when God’s regenerating Spirit in Christ meets that need, it seems that greater glory is given to God. That is, the grace of God makes possible, in this case, not just an internal and subjective principle of righteousness (Rom. 8:2, 11) but also, of knowledge itself.

     However, with this philosophical “enhancement” of biblical doctrine, what Scripture portrays as a hamartological problem (that is, a problem of sin—which requires a certain level of knowledge as Romans 1-3 explicitly makes clear) tends to become an epistemological problem. Whereas the Law of God as truth (what is not presented in Scripture as a problem for knowledge—indeed works only successfully as reliable knowledge) closes every mouth, imprisons or shuts everyone up under sin (Rom. 3:19; Gal. 3:22), this new or different law put into place with the aid of philosophy, on the other hand, closes every mouth, etc., under a state of unknowing. Consequently, there is, understandably and commensurate with this change, an alteration in approach to evangelizing the lost: what comes to the foreground to meet mankind’s greatest need becomes not so much (or primarily) the Savior as a way of knowing (a Christian view of truth) which includes the Savior. This means as Christians we are, in effect, saying to the world: “Yes, we agree with you that truth is relative; however, it is relative only to our more coherent view of things as Christians, since our view of things comes from the Holy Spirit who regenerates us to know truth, generally, and the truth of the gospel, particularly.”

     There are also other significant problems. If what we presuppose radically conditions knowledge such that those with unbelieving presuppositions basically don’t know anything and if it is only through accepting Christian presuppositions through regeneration by the Holy Spirit that one can in this life know things (including Jesus as Lord), then why is it that Christians are not markedly smarter and more successful in the various fields of learning and vocation than the unregenerate? Furthermore, how is it (as Scripture tells us) that unbelievers in their unregenerate state will at the coming of Christ know things sufficiently well to mourn, bow the knee to Jesus, and confess him as Lord? And, again, how do the demons—certainly not regenerate—know and confess Jesus as the Son of God? In sum, neither the unregenerate nor demons are regenerate such that they can, on Phillips’ account, have “a Christian view of truth,” and yet both categories of beings in the end seem to know, non-savingly and eternally, a lot of things including the truth of all truths, namely, that Jesus is Lord.

     Then there is also this problem: if everyone because of finitude is “subjective,” “partial,” and selective in what they know of truth (with all the problems already noted with that proposal) and, because of sin’s effect on the mind, unable to know truth truly at all, then how would someone so errant in their ability to know be able to reliably read and understand the Bible to learn of Jesus?[3] If the answer to that is, what was just stated, namely, that the Holy Spirit supernaturally animates and imparts to them such understanding, are there no natural aspects or requirements to that process—such as, people who are physically alive (able to see and hear), dealing with physical words on the page, mentally understanding the words themselves?[4]

     What is, admittedly, confusing about this syncretism of Christian or Reformed theology with modern epistemology is that it sounds critical (as it does in Phillips) of the very philosophy it has adopted. And, indeed, the Christian or Reformed view of sin and regeneration by the Spirit in Christ serves as a strong rebuke to that philosophy, particularly, as rational, God-denying, independent, and autonomous. However, in this case, it does not reject modern philosophy’s basic theory of knowledge itself, specifically, that truth is subjective or relative in nature. This has, apparently, been adopted or imported (with little to no fanfare) as an important insight from philosophy.

     Returning now to the Scriptural support Phillips employs for his view that sinful humans cannot know truth, what does Paul mean when he says “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them” (1 Cor. 2:14)? Or, again, “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12)? It is clear that in the context of 1 Corinthians chapters one and two, Paul is contrasting the wisdom of this age with the wisdom of God in Christ which he and the other apostles by the Spirit were making known to others. He is also saying something about the spiritual nature of the apostolic instruction and how the sinful nature of man (whether regenerate or unregenerate) does not “accept” or “understand” these things. He says in 1 Cor. 2:13, “And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” A bit later, Paul will say to the saints at Corinth (those he is addressing), “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1). Putting all this together, if what Paul meant by 1 Cor. 2:14’s “natural” (non-spiritual) man—his non-acceptance or understanding of the things of the Spirit, his counting such as “folly”—is that such a one, generally, does not or cannot know truth in general, as Phillips maintains, then when Paul says to the Corinthian saints, “I could not address you as spiritual people” but as “infants,” does that mean he is saying to them, “Generally, you have not known—or do not, cannot know truth”? Is that Paul’s point? Is he not rather teaching these Corinthian saints that the wisdom of God in Christ is not something relished or spiritually understood by the flesh (again, whether in unbelievers or believers) but only by the Spirit? I suggest that Paul is not saying that sinful humans are unable to have knowledge (things like: at what temperature water boils, the law of gravity, 2+2=4, etc.); rather, he intends a spiritual knowledge, acceptance, and understanding of things revealed to us by God in Christ through the apostles.

     On this point, Phillips also enlists Rom. 1:18, which speaks globally of how sinful people “suppress the truth” that God exists, a truth evident in the design and wonder of creation itself. What Phillips needs from this verse is support for his claim that sinful humans “are no longer able to know truth truly at all” (p. 14), in contrast to the always partial and selective knowledge of truth which, he says, characterizes human finitude in its innocence. However, what Paul is talking about is the suppression of what people know—what has been “clearly perceived,” “because God has shown it to them” such that “they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:18-21). When someone does not know something at all (Phillips’ claim), he cannot suppress or hold it down; there is nothing, in that case, to be suppressed. Also, if the sinful people of Rom. 1:18-21 (as Phillips interprets this passage) know nothing at all, then they are not “without excuse” but have a legitimate excuse to plead, namely, ignorance—that is, they did not know anything, including the knowledge that might be derived from creation that God exists.
     To elaborate, suppose we identify three levels of seeing necessary for the level of understanding in Christ God wants us to have. The first level is physical seeing; the second, mental seeing; and the third, spiritual seeing. Without physical seeing, which, let’s say, stands for sensory perception in general, there would not be mental seeing (understanding or knowledge gained through the physical senses). Without mental seeing (understanding or knowledge which takes place internally), there would not be spiritual seeing (a spiritual understanding of the things of the Spirit). So there is a tri-level structure in place for us who are in Christ in order “that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12). Importantly, all three levels are essential and even have a kind of founding order among them; that is, without a certain level of integrity or reliability both in physical and mental seeing, there would not be integrity or reliability in seeing by the Spirit as offered in Christ. My point is that God does not bypass those two common sense or natural levels of seeing in the process of giving us spiritual sight or understanding by the regenerating power of the Spirit. For instance, when Scripture says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17), this involves both physical hearing (what is included in physical seeing as sensory perception) and mental hearing (what is included in mental seeing as understanding or knowledge). If someone hears the gospel in a foreign language, that person experiences physical hearing without mental hearing or understanding (1 Cor. 12:14, 16). Also, someone may hear the gospel in their own language, such that both a first (physical) and second (mental) level of seeing occur and yet not experience the third level (spiritual) seeing necessary for salvation. This is because regeneration by the Spirit in Christ (receiving new eyes and ears spiritually) is necessary before that can happen. But I wish to emphasize, again, that in the latter case, a person may be seeing just fine at the first two levels of this tri-structure for knowing (may, physically hear and intellectually understand the gospel) and yet not experience what someone born again means when they sing these words from Amazing Grace, “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”

     In his sermon, A Divine and Supernatural Light, Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God, Jonathan Edwards recognizes the important role for what I am calling physical and mental seeing in relation to spiritual illumination:

And, of course, my argument is that a certain integrity for these “natural” or “human” faculties (with respect to everyday reality) is critical—even foundational in an important sense—to the successful reception of the Christ of Scripture as the truth.

     Hence, we cannot, in the manner of the philosophers and contrary to Scripture, (1) charge these faculties with innate or inherent errancy, (2) appeal to the Spirit of truth to somehow save us from these artificially created, philosophical problems, and then (3) go our way trusting that somehow the truth of the gospel will nonetheless be as strong, liberating, and sound as God intended for it to be.

     Now in this tri-level structure of knowing (as just implied), where philosophy and the Bible identify problems of knowing is quite different. Based on its mind-body dualism, modern philosophy locates the problems for knowing with the first (physical) and second (mental) level of seeing. The Bible locates the problems for knowing at the third level of spiritual seeing. Having said that, we could also add that philosophy does not address (or, for the most part, even recognize) the spiritual seeing or understanding with which the Bible is concerned. And, we might also add, that the Bible (with its assumption of more of an interrelationship between the mind and body) does not recognize any special problems (of the sort with which philosophy is concerned) associated with the first two levels of physical and mental seeing.

     How does all this apply to the discussion at hand? As just indicated, most modern philosophers in lock-step with Descartes’ mind-body dualism and subjectivism, believe that there are problems for knowledge at the first and second level of mental seeing. And, as I’ve been saying, those who are Reformed (like TGC represented by Phillips) tend to uncritically accept as well as integrate these problems into Reformed theology, whether as explicating human finitude or the effects of sin on the mind. Put differently, both these philosophers and Christians, in general, posit a certain blindness pertaining to truth. But what certain Christian Reformed theologians and leaders have done is conflate the blindness Scripture speaks about with the blindness the modern philosophers have invented.

     John Calvin dealt with a similar view that had crept into the church in his time. How he responded to it is instructive:

 To translate this into the present discussion, a claim that there is a second level blindness (with respect to mental or intellectual seeing) common to mankind is repugnant to the Word of God means, obviously, that it is contrary to what Scripture teaches. That is, the Bible simply does not recognize such but assumes, for its purposes, that people are generally able to know truth in an ordinary sense. The same is true for our common experience: even skeptical philosophers most of the time and the rest of us all of the time know that in real life there are things that are objectively true and things that are objectively false, that knowing the difference between the two is fundamental to our well being, and that, by God’s common grace, we as humans may indeed know reliably quite a lot about many things in general.

     On this score, surely no one would charge Calvin with being insufficiently Reformed or not adequately believing in original sin or, especially, not taking into account the effects of sin on the mind. However, the question is whether these effects are understood as problems for knowing and truth in general, as proposed, for example, by the philosophers, or as spiritual problems (distinct from philosophical ones) for knowing God. That is, spiritual blindness—being blind to who God is and what he is saying to us in Christ—is not the same as a mental blindness defined as skeptical problems for knowing introduced by philosophers. This holds true, importantly, even though such blindness seems to be a convenient point at which to integrate or merge philosophy with Christianity or Reformed theology. Obviously, it also does not mean or imply literal blindess (pertaining to physical seeing), nor mental blindness (pertaining to mental seeing or general comprehension). For instance (and to state the obvious), Paul was not telling the Corinthian saints (1 Cor. 2:14) that they could not physically see the epistle he had written them, nor was he saying that because they were not “spiritual” that they could not mentally (intellectually) see or understand what he had written. He was saying, as already indicated, that they were not mature enough to receive, appreciate, or relate to the spiritual things Paul wished to say to them (1 Cor. 3:1-4).

     Now the version of Christian theology integrated with philosophy that I have been addressing employs philosophy’s problems for knowing, even conflates them with the third level or biblical problem of knowing (spiritual seeing). Because this mix of Christian/Reformed theology and philosophy has adopted, as I’ve been suggesting, the problems for knowing introduced by modern philosophy’s mind-body dualism, it construes the remedy provided in the gospel and by regeneration through the Spirit as primarily an epistemological remedy (with everything else about the grace of God—such as, forgiveness of sins, the imputed righteousness of Christ, eternal life, etc.—following from that). Whereas Descartes takes refuge in a bodiless and worldless, thinking ego as his foundational certainty and from which he builds his edifice for knowledge, this mix of Christianity and philosophy finds its foundation for knowledge, spiritually, in a subjective regeneration of the heart which connects us with the only one (or so they claim) who has objective, true knowledge, which is, God himself as revealed in Scripture. However, in thus bypassing the natural, human faculties (what Scripture never does) this approach for knowing truth (both initially and continually) gets entangled in problems such as: without these faculties how does one know, in the first place, what Scripture says such that one can become regenerate or trust in Christ? Do the body and mind—with a certain level of functional integrity—have no place in that process? And are the body and mind without a participating role somehow for us as Christians who desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pe. 3:18)?

     Now this inversion is not far from what Descartes himself proposed, except, of course, that Descartes made no attempt to introduce regeneration (spiritual seeing) and God’s Word as foundational for knowledge. Descartes has the ego (mental seeing) as a disembodied, thinking being serving as that foundation. On the other hand, the syncretism of Christianity and philosophy I’ve been considering attempts to make God—through a subjective regeneration—the foundation of knowledge, somehow bypassing the body and mind or natural and rational faculties (due to finitude and sin) in their possible role for knowledge. The problem is that Descartes is at least doing something theoretically plausible as an account of knowledge. On the other hand, the Christian-philosophical mixture I’ve been considering has not only no basis in Scripture but also no viable explanation for the role of the body and mind in relation to God as the foundation for knowledge. That is, God is obviously transcendent or external to the subjective ego; hence, one has to get outside oneself somehow (or, rather, be reached by God from the outside). How does this happen altogether without the senses (physical seeing) and intelligence (mental seeing), even if we acknowledge its supernatural source?

     Addressing a concern similar to this helps explain why Edwards in the sermon mentioned earlier makes it clear that the natural and rational faculties are not bypassed when one is spiritually illuminated in Christ with the revelation of God. His account of regeneration is that it is a change, renewal, or dynamic “sense of the heart” or “due apprehension” as to the reality, excellence, and sublimity of the spiritual things of God in Christ. And, with our earlier consideration of 1 Corinthians 2:12-13, I have no doubt but that Edwards would explain that text in the same manner, denying that this divinely imparted principle of the Spirit for knowledge somehow sidesteps or replaces our natural faculties or reason. He would say that this principle removes hindrances and prejudices from those faculties, while unflinchingly stating, “Reason indeed is necessary in order to it.”
     Now if one requires proof that I am not misrepresenting the view under consideration, that is, that this Reformed approach to epistemology inverts my proposed tri-level structure for knowing, one may consider, for instance, what our dear brother and popularizer of presupposition - alism John Frame says, after presenting his argument that “these faculties” (of the unregenerate — and notice that he is locating the fault in the faculties themselves and not just a sinful misuse of such) “are not suited to serve as ultimate judges of anything.” Having stated that, however, Frame seems to recognize that this presents a problem. Notice the objection he includes as a reasonable response to this problem and what he says in response:

After all, do we not rely on our human senses and reasons to understand and distinguish the Words of God?...By way of reply...Scripture says there is a difference between God’s Words and ours, and it implies that we are able to discern that difference and to judge our words by God’s. Even if we cannot answer the objection, therefore, we must believe (on blind faith if nothing else) that it can be answered, if we are to believe in biblical authority at all.[6]

Frame continues from there, somewhat incoherently, in my opinion, to affirm that God reveals himself through the means of the human senses and reason without explaining how this is consistent with his prior statement that the faculties themselves have innate problems due to sin. That is, he does not tell us by what self-critical, objective criteria fallen minds can differentiate human from divine thoughts—even while seeking to honor biblical authority. He also seems to conflate the human ability to know things (the capacity for wisdom) with what has been done with that ability (what the world counts as wisdom), as if, human words, wisdom, or comprehension itself among the unregenerate are always and only radically, sinfully different from God, even to the point of being useless for knowing God in any sense (what I know, if put in those terms, Frame does not believe). However that may be, what I wish to emphasize here is the obvious problem Frame has with clearly accounting for the role our natural and rational faculties (the first two levels of my tri-structure for knowing) in receiving God’s Word. Why is that? And why do we find no such difficulty, as Frame defines it, in Scripture somewhere? Furthermore, if on such an important question, a thoughtful, wise, and seasoned presuppositionalist of the stature of John Frame has to play— even if only for the uncomfortable moment—the “blind faith” card, should that not in itself make us pause and perhaps reconsider whether our account of knowing is truly biblical or consistent with our “common experience” (as Calvin says)?

     If this problem for knowing at the first (physical seeing) and second (mental seeing) levels are philosophical in origin and foreign to Scripture (as I’ve been suggesting), then what is the effect of sin on the mind? Though this isn’t the context for an extended discussion on this point, I will say that I believe sin’s effect on the mind concerns not whether we can know things in general (again, reflective of what happens at the first two levels) but, rather, what we do with what we know (that is, a third level issue). Dutch Reformed Anthony Hoekema, formerly a Systematic Theology professor at Calvin Theological Seminary, in a work entitled Created in God's Image argues that the structural aspects of God's image in humanity were retained after the Fall—viz., our reason, moral sensitivity, and capacity for relationships. Hoekema states that these structural aspects are employed in a corrupt manner but remain intact in their integrity. In other words, the effect of the Fall on the mind in terms of human rationality is such that there is not a breakdown (or defectiveness) in the mental structure of rationality itself but rather a misuse or perversion of such for sin.

     For example, one could use a ball point pen to write or to stab a person; the structural and mechanical integrity of the pen as an object remains the same either way but how it is used is quite different in that case. So also, with respect to knowing (I reiterate), it is not a question of whether we can know things in general (such as the problems for knowing one finds in Plato, Descartes, Kant, etc.) but what we do with what we know that reflects the effects of sin on the mind.

     To my mind, this seems to account well for all that Scripture teaches about sin in relation to the mind. It also explains problems I mentioned earlier, such as, why people who have heard the gospel are accountable to God for not obeying it, since they could not disobey something they could not understand in any sense (see 2 Thess. 1:8; Rom. 1:19-20; Jn. 15:22-25). Or, it accounts for why, in our common experience, people who are not regenerate can be just as knowledgeable in various professions and fields of learning (if not more) than the regenerate. Or, put differently, it accounts for why regenerate Christians, who supposedly have by regeneration the only conditions to know anything, are not by that fact necessarily assured to exceed the unregenerate in knowledge with respect to all these professions and fields of learning.

[1] Can We Know the Truth?, pp.14-15.
[2] Can We Know the Truth?, p. 12.
[3] I recall a Christian philosophy major, highly intelligent, who told me one day that she was arriving at the conclusion that she didn’t know anything but that Jesus is her Lord and Savior. Perhaps, I failed her, but it seemed too sacred a sentiment for her. I couldn’t bring myself to reply: “Then how do you know Jesus is your Lord and Savior?”
[4] In TGC’s “Confessional Statement” (at their website), section 2 on “Revelation,” after declaring the full authority and sufficiency of Scripture as God’s Word, TGC writes: “We confess that both our finitude and our sinfulness preclude the possibility of knowing God’s truth exhaustively, but we affirm that, enlightened by the Spirit of God, we can know God’s revealed truth truly.” What seems to be missing here is any indication that the content of Scripture is itself a reliably knowable, objective standard as truth—particularly, a standard by which Christians may sufficiently know God’s will and mind or better: what Paul calls, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Why is it that, when talking about Scripture, there is, on the one hand, a disclaimor about “knowing God’s truth exhaustively” (who claims that?) due to finitude and sin and, on the other, there is the vague promise of the Holy Spirit who somehow fixes things by revealing God’s “truth truly”? Nowhere, however, is there a clear statement about how we know objectively what Scripture says sufficiently to be assured that our faith and practice as Christians is according to God’s Word.
[5] Institutes of the Christian Religion, book 2, chapter 2, section 12.
[6] From John Frame’s online article, “Presuppositional Apologetics: An Introduction” (Part 1 of 2: “Introduction and Creation”).

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Ways Toronto Can Dramatically Improve The City Bus Network

Ways Toronto Can Dramatically Improve The City Bus Network

A relatively small investment can equal a huge improvement in the experience of Toronto transit riders.

bus network

Photo by PJMixer via Torontoist’s Flickr pool.

Consider the bus. The lowly bus. It plays such an important role in Toronto’s transit network, where buses carry 60 per cent of TTC riders, but it gets so little respect.

Buses are the most flexible form of public transit and usually have the lowest capital and operating costs, but they are also the most vulnerable to interference from other traffic congestion and if not protected, they easily become the least reliable.

In a multimodal system, buses can do two things really well: short trips to connect to rail lines, and express service over long distances not well served by rail. Because Toronto’s rail network is so limited (while we await LRT lines that will make huge improvements), our bus network has to do a lot of heavy lifting. Unfortunately, in places where it does the most work, it isn’t given the road priority it needs to provide reliable and timely service.

One of the most obvious ways to improve the speed and reliability of bus travel is to create and enforce bus-only lanes.

More bus lanes, with real enforcement, could do a lot of good in this city, particularly along the longer routes. This would require the cooperation of City Council. So. Well. You see the problem.

Fortunately, there are other things that can be done to increase bus ridership and the quality of travelling by bus. These will also require some cooperation from City Council, but they are less likely to invoke the “war on cars” nonsense, so maybe they have a fighting chance.

The first thing is better, easily available information about wait time. Riders do not like to wait, but when they have to, it helps to know how long the wait will be. In many cities, at many stops, they have electronic signs linked to a GPS network on the buses that indicate when the next several buses are due to arrive. At other stops, sending a text with the stop number will instantly give you the same information.

When riders have this information—and most importantly, when it is simply presented to you rather than making you look it up—it gives riders choices. They can decide it isn’t worth the wait and make another plan. They can decide that yes, there is enough time to run into the shop and get a snack. They can decide not to take the 14 that comes in two minutes, but the 56A that comes in four minutes, because it will take them closer to their destination.

When you, as a rider, can make choices, it reduces feelings of uncertainty. You feel less “trapped” by the system and more in control. That is a better transit experience.

The second thing is a bus network with its own internal logic that serves the breadth of the city, as well as feeding the subway and streetcar lines.

If you want to take a bus across the city, north of Bloor, you will have to change buses when you hit the Yonge subway line. Taking a bus from Bathurst to Mount Pleasant along Lawrence? You may be going in a straight line, for all of three kilometres, but that will take you two buses and 15 to 20 minutes, not including your initial wait. A certain map program I know suggests you just walk from Yonge Street instead of waiting for the second bus.

A grid is good, but it is not the best, especially when it gets broken up by the subway lines. I live eight kilometres from my brother. We both live on or near major boulevards with bus routes. It’s maybe a 15-minute drive. But it’s about 40 minutes on the TTC, because I have to take three different buses.

It is good to have a system that cuts across the grid lines in places, and has lots of lines that overlap. Many metro lines even have such overlap—see Shanghai, for example.

In London and Dublin, there are several points in the central city where you can pick up almost any bus that comes downtown. Bus stops stretch down the block to accommodate the many different routes picking up passengers there. If the bus network is sufficiently dense, lots of people should some choice about which route they can take to work or home. If a bus stop serves those multiple choices, it’s much easier for them.

Screen Shot 2017-07-07 at 3.16.04 PM

Electronic bus sign in Dublin with handy arrival times for each stop. Photo via datadisplay.com

One of the reasons we don’t have this in Toronto is because the downtown is dominated by rail lines, especially streetcars, that don’t have this flexibility. But some creative thinking around Bloor Street and Avenue Road or Bay Street has some potential, and it would be good to see a few blocks of an east-west corridor, such as College or Dundas, serve a similar purpose, with buses from multiple destinations overlapping with the streetcar.

The third thing is more and better use of express buses. This is where the flexibility of buses as a mode can be put to excellent use. Without extra sets of rails, we can’t introduce express service on the subway or streetcar lines. But buses can go around other buses easily. Even if there is an accident, a bus can reroute itself and still make its journey.

The TTC currently has 10 express bus routes that run all day, including four to York University. It adds several more at rush hour (for a total of 24), including a few downtown express routes, for which the TTC charges—inexcusably—double fare.

Moving more passengers through the system quickly is a good thing. It improves the efficiency of the system overall. No one should have to pay extra for that. We don’t charge people more for the subway than the bus, even though it’s faster; the same logic, and the same fare, should apply to faster buses.

The TTC has identified express buses as an idea they want to expand, which is encouraging. They added five new routes last year, which they anticipated would immediately add 400,000 new riders to the system (per year). It cost $3.4 million.

In June, the TTC proposed a 10-year plan for adding more express routes. Sadly, these don’t start to kick in until 2019. Anything and everything that can be done to advance the introduction of these express buses would be welcome.

Bus lanes, easily accessible arrival information, overlapping routes, and more express routes—and yes, more actual buses: these would significantly improve travel times and rider experience. These improvements have their costs, but in the context of the billions we throw at other projects that will make much less difference, these are small potatoes. Investing in a better bus network will give the city a good return.

And you know what? None of what I’m saying here is news to the TTC. Over to you, City Council. Back them up.


Science and peer review

There is a lot of information on climate change science available in the media and on the web, but how can you ensure what you are reading is independent and not influenced by personal, social or political agendas?

The peer-review process provides a mechanism to quality control scientific discourse and therefore peer-reviewed papers provide a reliable and quality-assured source of information on climate change science. Science relies on the continued questioning and challenging of ideas. When a new hypothesis or finding is published in a scientific journal, other scientists will take it seriously because it has been through the peer-review process.

Once an article is published in a peer-reviewed journal, its ideas can be challenged or supported by other scientists with peer-reviewed articles of their own. when a new idea is published in a paper, it’s interesting and thought- provoking. When the same idea is supported by multiple papers, then it becomes compelling.

The peer-review process

For scientific journals, the peer-review process starts with the submission of a manuscript. The editorial staff refer the manuscript to at least two impartial reviewers who are qualified to judge the competence, significance and originality of the research.

Credible sources

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assesses the peer-reviewed literature on climate change every five to six years. Their assessment reports, which are themselves peer-reviewed, are a very credible source of information. The reports are subject to an intense peer-review process involving hundreds of scientific experts and government reviewers. This unprecedented level of peer and government review makes this compendium of climate change science one of the most scrutinised documents in the history of science.

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Machine Learning with WEKA: An Interview with Mark Hall

Apr 16, 2012, 11:01 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by edwood)

How to Help Your Business Become an AI Early Adopter

[ Thanks to Edwood Ocasio for this link. ]

"F4S: Why and when did WEKA come to be?

"WEKA grew out of a project funded by the New Zealand government in the early 1990′s for investigating the application of machine learning to agricultural domains. The software came about through the perceived need for a uniﬁed workbench that would allow researchers easy access to state-of-the-art techniques in machine learning. At the time of the project?s inception in 1992, learning algorithms were available in various languages, for use on different platforms, and operated on a variety of data formats.

"F4S: In which language(s) and platform(s) is the project developed?

"Originally, the workbench was developed to run under Unix systems and was written primarily in C, with some Prolog-based evaluation routines and a TCL/TK-based user interface. However, by the late 1990′s it was becoming difficult to maintain and difficult for users to get installed and working. This was due to factors such as changes to supporting libraries, management of dependencies and complexity of configuration. In 1999 the software was completely re-written in Java."

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Common Jewelry Symbols Meaning

lotus flower

What Does Lotus Flower Mean?
The lotus flower meaning changes according to different religions and cultures. The Egyption people believed the lotus flower is associated with the sun because the lotus flower retracts at night and emerges beautifully the next morning. In buddism counties, such as Thailand, Sri Lanka and China, the lotus flower is a symbolism of purity, spiritual awakening, and exactness. Because the lotus flower grows in the dirty and dark waters and then transforms into a beautiful pink and white flower, so in Buddhism, it is a symbol of something very clean and pure. The lotus flower has the similar meaning in Hinduism, which symbolize spirituality, affluence, fruitfullness, attractiveness, purity and eternity. In Asian countries, the lotus flower jewelry items are very common. Usually it can be engraved on a necklace, or a lotus flower necklace in silver or gold. Mainly it means purity, beauty and eternity for lotus flower jewelry pieces.

buddhaWhat Does Buddha Mean in Jewelry?
Buddha is a Sanskrit word which means “The Awakened One”. The symbolism meaning of Buddha in jewelry pieces means protection, awakening sense, and real joy. The real person of Buddha represents Siddhartha who is an ancient Indian prince born in 563 B.C. He gave up the throne and renounced his royal upbring with his luxury lifestyle to devote his life to seeking for the Truth. Siddhartha first met with the most reputed religious teachers and sought guidance from them. He studied for more than eight years with these teachers and lifed all the ignorance and then he started his journey again to achieve true piece and joy by teaching more people of his time. His lifelong teaching is called “Dharma”. By wearing a Buddha jewelry means the person gets protection from Buddha and he is studing to gain true wisdom, see reality and believes in Buddha.

ankhWhat Does Ankh Mean?
The Ankh meaning changes because different religion and cultures interprete it differently. In Egyption, people believe that the Ankh represents the Nile. There are a great amount of portrays show many Egyption gods holding the Ankh by its loops. One belief of the Ankh is that it represents eternal life. Another meaning of the Ankh is refered to the Crux Ansata which means the key of life. Some people also believed that the Ankh is a symbol of power to sustain the person holding it. People who wear the Ankh pendant or jewelry piece in Ankh design are supposed to have a long life.

omWhat Does “OM” Mean?
The Om is a Sanskrit word, which means Creation, Gold and the Oneness of all creation. Om is most commonly used in Buddism and Hinddusm. Om is also called Pranava, which means “it infiltrates life and run though our breath”. In Buddhism, Om is believed to be the first sound when the univers was first created. Today Om is often practiced as a part of yoga. It is believed that the person can get protection from all Gods by wearing the Om jewelry piece.

ganeshWhat Does Ganesh Mean?
Ganesh is a Hindu God that is depicted with the head of an elephant. Ganesh emerged as a widely worshipped God in the 4th and 5th centuries C.E. It is believed that Ganesh can remove arrogance, narcissism, selfishness, and obstacles. People also believe that Garnesh is a benevolent supernatural being of great intellect and appreciation of sciences and arts. People wearing Ganesh jewelry pieces believed to get this God’s protection.

peace signWhat Does the Peace Sign Mean?
The peace sign, which was first created as a symbol for the Direct Action Committe Against Nuclear War by British artist Gerald Holtom in 1958, symbolizes universal peace. The two lines on the bottom of the peace sign represents two flgas held at 45 degree angle, which means the letter “N”. The straight line in the middle of the peace sign represents the letter D(disarmament). The peace sign became a very popular symbol of peace movement in the United States in 1960s. It was widely spreaded during the Vietnam War and now the peace sign is an internationally known symbol for peace among all people.

heartWhat Is the Heart Symbol Origin?
The heart symbol is a mostly common tatto for love, affection and caring. The heart symbol dates back to the mid 13th century and it was first found in a manuscript. According to history records, the heart shape symbol became more frequently used symbol for love by the end of the Middle Ages. The heart with an arrow in the center means a captured heart and the arrow is believed to be the cupid’s arrow. A heart that is broken into two pieces means separate or a broken heart. In 1977, the heart shaped was created in the “I Love NY” slogan in New York and it gained its popularity quickly and universally since then. The heart is mostly used symbol in wedding jewelry designs because of its love meaing.

hamsa handWhat Does The Hamas Hand Mean?
The Hamsa Hand is also called the Hand of Fatima. It is very popular in Muslim and Jewish communities. Jewish call the symbol the Hamsa Hand or the Hand of Miriam, while Muslims call it the Hand of Fatima or the Khamsa. Both Hamsa and Khamsa mean word five, but Hamsa is Herew language, while Khamsa is Arabic word. In all faiths, it is a protective sign and used as amulet for people. It is believed the holder can get happiness, health, luck and good fortune.

the evil eyeWhat Does the Evil Eye Mean?
The evil eye is an amulet which is believed to provide protection again evil powers. The evil eye symbol is very popular and has its meanings in almost every country in the world. It is believed that the evil eye is a look given to inflict suffering, harm or bad luck that it is cast upon. In many cultures, people believed that exacessive praise or admiration can bring upon scorn of the evil eye and thus cause physical illness. But wearing the evil eye as amulet can protect the person against from evil powers. The evil eye gains its popularity in jewelry design today and can be seen on many movie stars as a stylish fashion statement.

tree of lifeWhat is the Tree of Life Meaning?
The Tree of Life is sign of many-branched tree which represents the interconnectedness of all life on earth. The Tree of Life means that all life on our planet is related with each other and we all have the same root. The family tree design is a similar understanding of the Tree of Life and personalized family tree jewelry pieces with names and birthstones are very popular in modern world.

crossWhat is the Definition for Cross?
The Cross is a common symbol for Christianity. Wearing a cross is believed to proect the person from the winds of misfortune. The cross also symbolizes Jesus’ salvation to the world. In Western Culture, there are many meanings of the cross. Some people believe that all four physical elements, which are fire, water, air and earth, make up the cross. Others believe that the cross symbolizes north, south, west and east.

star of davidWhat Is the Star of David?
The Star of David is a symbol associated with the Jewish people for centuries. The Star of David means “Shield of David”, which is also called the Magen David in Hebrew. The six sided symbol represents that God rules over the universe and protects us from six directions: Up and Down, North and South, East and West. There are many legends about Star of David origin. One legend goes that King David won a battle against his enemy and his shield had the two interlocking trangles on it, then it became known as the “Shield of David”. Another legend is that God represents to the shield who gave King David his devine protection. The Star of David symbol is very popular among jewish people, which not only represents their religion, but also a symbol of the Jews’ homeland.

infinityWhat Does Infinity Mean?
The word “infinity” is derived from a Latin word “infinitas”, which means boundless and etenal. The infinity symbol was first created by an English mathematician in 17th century, John Wallis. He introduced the symbol when he was looking for a shape which can signify the mathematical concept of a quantity larger than any number. The infinity symbol resembles the number weight in resting style, but the spiritual meaning has nothing to do with the numeral. The infinity means something eternal, everlasting and boundless. Nowadays, it is very popuplar to express love and care. The infinity jewelry pieces have increased in popularity due to the symbol’s elegance and meaning.

Infinity Symbol Meaning

Jewelry pieces incorporating the infinity design have increased in popularity due to the symbol’s elegance and beauty. The infinity symbol appears like the number eight resting on its side, but the spiritual meaning and significance of this ancient symbol has nothing to do with the numeral. The infinity symbol is multifaceted in meaning, which makes it so unique. To some, the infinity symbolizes everlasting love and eternity. Others feel drawn to the infinity because in ancient times it symbolized perfection, empowerment and duality.

infinity symbol

The Mathematical Concept of Infinity

John Wallis, an English mathematician back in the 17th Century, originally introduced the infinity symbol, which is so popular today. This simple shape and image, was originally called the Lemniscate by ancient Greek philosophers and mathematicians, which meant “ribbon.” Wallis resurrected this symbol when he was looking for a shape to signify the mathematical concept of a quantity larger than any number or infinity. The word “infinity” is derived from “infinitas”, which means “boundlessness” in Latin.

infinity tatoo

Infinity in Various Cultures

Throughout the centuries and in different cultures the infinity symbol has been used to signify different ideas and concepts. In the ancient cultures of India and Tibet, the symbol represented dualism, perfection, and the equality of men and women. In the Tarot, a form of the occult, the infinity symbol is displayed on the Magician card to represent the balance or equilibrium of surrounding forces. The symbol also appears quite often in a variety of knot designs used by the mystical Celtics. Celtic knots have no beginning or end, just like the infinity symbol.

infinity necklace

Why theInfinity Design is So Popular Infinity jewelry conveys the meaning of forever. Because the symbol has no beginning or end and can be drawn in a single continuous movement, the infinity symbol represents infinite possibilities with no limitations. Although the concept of forever or infinity cannot be truly comprehended, it signifies the desire or wish for something, like love, to be everlasting. Because of this, many couples choose this design to symbolize their love and commitment, some even have the infinity symbol tattooed on their skin. Because the infinity symbol is so closely associated with love and even friendship, this makes infinity jewelry the ideal gift for lovers to bestow on one another and for someone to give a best friend.

gold infinity necklace with 2 names   rose gold infinity necklace with 4 names and 4 birthstones   vertical infinity necklace with name in silver

Infinity Symbol Necklaces sold at

The Infinity symbol looks wonderful when designed into earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets. You can find a wonderful collection of jewelry incorporating the infinity symbol at GetPersonalizedJewelry, which can even be personalized to fit your needs. Now that you understand the deeper meaning of the infinity symbol, you can look for the perfect piece of infinity necklace to give someone very special to you.

The Evil Eye Symbol Meaning

The Evil Eye is one of the most popular symbolic images throughout the world, and it is also very hot in jewelry items. The evil eye dates back to ancient Greece and Rome in almost 3,000 years ago. According to legends, wearing an evil eye as an amulet can protect the owner from evil powers. The evil eye has symbolism meaning in almost every cultures in the world, such as Hindu, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism.

the evil eyeThe evil eye is a curse believed to be cast by evil powers to a person and it will bring bad luck when one is unaware. In many cultures and religions, it is believed that receiving the evil eye will bring bad luck, harm, suffering or injury. Belief in the evil eye is the strongest in West Asia, Easter and West Africa, Latin America and Central Asia, especially the mediterranean countries.

The evil eye symbol still has its power on moder life, home decoration, pop culture, jewelry, and designs. In Turkey, the evil eye is with every day life and used commonly throughout the whole culture. Wearing an evil eye pendant is said to perceive to attract ill-will, greed, envy, or hatred. You can even found evil symbol on currencies, evil eye paiting on walls and even buildings in most Western Asian countries.

The evil eye jewelry is very popular in modern cultures. In recent years, many celebrities have been photograpphed wearing evil eye jewelry pieces, such as Madonna, Olsen Twins, Britney Spears, and Nicole Richie, just to name a few. Some celebrities even told the media that the evil eye bracelet or necklace can help her or him against the evil eye. Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Linday Lohan, Rhianna were also seen wearing their evil eye amulet in public. Obviously, this stylish and iconic image of Evil Eye has increased a lot in popularity.

The Hamsa Hand Meaning

When looking for lucky symbols, are you confused about The Hamsa Hand and the Hand of Fatima? When crafting personalized Hamsa necklaces, i have always been asked “what does Hamsa mean? what’s the difference with the Hand of Fatima? What is Fatima?“. I have decided to write a blog post to help you understand the meaning, origin, differece and symbolism of The Hamsa Hand and The Hand of Fatima.

the hamas handThe Hasma Hand and The Hand of Fatima is actually the exactly same symbol. It is very common and important in both Jewish and Muslim communities. Jewish call the symbol the Hamsa Hand or the Hand of Miriam, while Muslims call it the Hand of Fatima or the Khamsa. Both Hamsa and Khamsa mean word five, but Hamsa is Herew language, while Khamsa is Arabic word.

Origin of the Hamsa Hand
It is believed that the Hamsa Hand has the power to protect one from the evil eye and brings good luck, and happiness to the symbol holder. The Hamsa Hand has a various different spellings which are Hamsa, Khamsa, Chamsa, and Hamesh. The Hand of Fatima symbol is thought to symbolize “The Five Books of Moses“, which are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The first book Genesis tells the story of the creation of the world, while the bookd Deuteronomy ends with Moses dying in the land of Moab. Sometimes, the symbol is also called ” The Hand of Miriam“. Miriam, according to the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, was the only daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the elder sister of Moses by six years and Aaron by three years. Moses led the Israelities out of Egypt and Aaron became the first high priest. Miriam played an important role during Moses times and she was highly respected then. She was a prophet and first appears in the Book of Exodus. According to legends, it was due to Miriam’s virtues that the Israelites could always find water during forty-years of wandering on the desert. And the well that always followed the people of Israel is called Miriam’s well. So Miriam became to represent protection, good luck and happiness.

Fish on The Hamsa Hand
Fish drawing is commonly decorated on the Hamsa Hand and it is a traditionally symbol of good luck. It is thought that fish lives in the water and it is completely immune to the powers of the evil eye, therefore, the fish symbol on the Hamsa Hand strengthens the protection from evil eye.

Eye on The Hamsa Hand
Many times the Hamsa Hand is decorated with eye drawing. It means the eye can see everything and nothing escapes from this eye. The eye in possession of the Hamsa watches out for the person, warns about the evil things and protect the symbol holder.

Tthe hand of fatimahe Hamas Hand has various different spellings, such as Hamsa, Khamsa, Hamesh, and Chamsa. There are two main styles of The Hamas Hand. One is shaped like a regular hand, while the other decorated with two symmetical thumbs on each finger. The later is the most popular throughout the world. The Hamsa Hand can be worn facing up or down and it is believed to protect the owner from The Evil Eye, also called “Ayin Ha’ra“. Nowadays people believe that wearing the Hamas Hand can bring success, good luck, harmony and happiness.

Depending on different cutures, the interpretation of the Hamsa Hand varies. The word “hamsa” means the five fingers on the hand. The number 5 is “hamesh” in Herew, while the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “Hey“. “Hey” is one of God’s holy names. The word ” Hamesh” represents the five books of the Torah. In jewish communities, it is also called “five books of Miriam“. Therefor, it is also interpreted to be the Hand of Miriam and it is a symbolic of five senses in an effort to praise God.

In Arabic community, it is Khamesh. According to Sunni culture, the hamsa is associated with the Five Pillas of Islam; While for the Shi’tes, it represents the Five People of the Cloak. In Muslim faith, the symbol represents The Hand of Fatima,the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed.

the hamas hand necklace with initialThe Hamsa Hand symbol is often worn as a pendant necklace, a charm for bracelet, a key chain pendant. It is also a fashion to hang pictures of the Hamsa Hand/ The Hand of Fatima on the wall in homes for protection and good blessings. A decoration of the Hamsa Hand on the baby carriage is believed to protect the baby from the evil things. The Hand of Fatima is widely used for jewelry items, more and more people are seen wearing the Hamas Hand or the Hand of Fatima as amulets. The Hamas Hand jewelry items are also very popular throughout the world because of its good meaning and symbolism. Giving someone a hamas hand necklace personalized with his or her own names or initials would be a great idea for Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation, Wedding and more occasions.

Tree of Life Meaning

tree of life

People who have special interests in inspirational and symbolic jewelry should rather consider the tree of life necklace which is a symbol appearing in the folklore of various cultures having ties with both metaphysics and religion. Today, the tree of life has become a very common theme for spiritual, symbolic and fashion jewelry.

Tree of Life Symbolism and Jewelry

Known as an ancient symbol which has cut across cultures and religions for thousands of years, the tree of life is a symbol wisdom, knowledge and interconnection of all life. In places like ancient Egypt, artwork and jewelry had the tree of life displayed on them.

Egyptian Mythology and Jewelry

In ancient Egypt, there was a belief that the tree of life had a connection with the god Orisis, who was associated with fertility and death. The trunk was seen as the center of the universe with the roots leading to the underworld while the branches led to the heavens.

 tree of life

Celtic Lore and Jewelry

Many years ago, the tree of life viewed by the Celts as a figure that holds all life; the roots reaching the underworld, branches stretching towards heaven and trunk resting on the earth. Celtic Druids viewed the tree as a doorway between the human world and spirit world, giving the gods the ability to communicate with their people.

The Celtic tree of life pendants is the most common with the pendant and necklace including detailed engravings of trees with abundant leaves reaching towards the sky, a broad trunk with roots firmly buried deep down into the earth. A cross is included in the tree trunk in Celtic designs while Neopagan style pendants may have a green man or the image of a woman engraved in the trunk representing the goddess.

 tree of life pendant

Chinese Folklore and Jewelry

This describes a mystical tree of life bearing fruits once every 3000 years and anybody who ate the fruit becomes immortal. The designs depicting the Chinese folklore show a tree with fruits in abundance with some pendants having symbols like yin and yang.

 tree of life necklace

Christian Biblical References and Jewelry

The Bible of the Judeo-Christian tradition describes a tree of life found in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the were cast out of the garden by God before could go to eat from the tree of life, which was supposed to make them live forever. Jewelry for the Christian tree of life ranges from simple engravings of a tree that has roots to trees that are heavily foliaged having fruits directed to the heavens and roots going into the earth.

 tree of life jewelry

Jewish Kabbalah Teachings and Jewelry

In Jewish Kabbalah teaching, the tree of life is very prominent and is described in the Sefer Yetzire (Book of Creation), explaining creation in a precise set of letters of the Hebrew alphabet and numbers forming the “32 paths of secret wisdom.” Pendants inspired are usually based on sacred geometry concepts symbolizing joy and unity.

birthstone tree of life

African Baobab Tree and Jewelry

The baobab, grown in Africa for centuries, is referred to as the “tree of life”. There’s a Senegalese legend claiming that the baobab tree was thrown by the god Thora out of his paradise garden and it landed on earth upside down and grew. It is referred to as “tree of life” because it can store up to 4,500 liters of water in its trunk and bear fruit that has an abundance of antioxidants, calcium and vitamin C, and is used as a herbal remedy. The trunk can shelter as many as 40 people. Pendant designs are simple engraved images of baobab trees while elaborate designs have baobab trees with gemstones.

 engraved tree of life necklace

Popularity of the Tree of Life Necklaces

The tree of life is very important because of its history and meanings with its mass appeal making it a trend for jewelry. The most popular forms are necklaces and pendants with designs ranging from engravings of a tree on metal to sculpted metal tree. There are several pieces which come in yellow gold, white gold, sterling silver and other forms.

The theme of the tree of life will continue being common due to its diverse audience. The following is some picture of tree of life necklace.


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Motor Drive – Back Mobe

back mobe

Learning to perform new tricks takes time and requires a lot of practice, but in the end it is worthwhile.  One of the coolest kiteboarding tricks is the back mobe. It is sensational and it is guaranteed to attract the acclaim of the people watching you. It is not a simple trick to perform and you need to train before getting it right. Back mobe combines a 540 degrees backroll with a 180 degrees backside, with the pass of the bar behind the back.

- Before attempting the trick try to visualize the execution to set the exact moment when you are going to perform the 180 degrees rotation with the handle pass.
- Begin the trick with the kite positioned at 45 degrees or lower and the edge ready to pop (be careful not to over rotate).
- Once you are airborne keep rotating as you perform your initial back roll and do not leave your legs behind.
- Lift your legs until they are in a horizontal position by the time you spun 540 degrees.
- Your body should keep rotating the last 180 degrees with the handle pass. Practice until you can grab the bar behind your back without hassle.
- As you descend prepare for the landing depending on the height and speed you are at.
- If you land in force bend your knees to attenuate the impact and prevent injuries.

This move is spectacular and requires training and skills. By the way, it is the favorite move of pro rider and champ Alex Pastor.


Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis

Explanation of liver function

The liver is the main warehouse for nutrients absorbed from the small intestine. Its job is to store, package and change these nutrients according to the needs of the body and then supply them to the blood stream for delivery to the various organs. The liver is a very large organ located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen protected by the rib cage. It also produces bile that is stored in the gallbladder. Bile is necessary for the digestion and absorption of fat in the diet.

Definition of Fatty Liver

Fatty Liver is a very common cause of abnormal liver blood tests. Although fatty liver is often benign, in some individuals, it can cause hepatitis and even advance to cirrhosis

If fat accumulates inside liver cells, these cells may become irritated or inflamed. This may produce raised or abnormal liver enzymes. This can advance to longer lasting liver damage. Certain conditions such as being overweight, having diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol or fat content in the blood may be risk factors for fatty liver.

Symptoms and Diagnosis: Most people with fatty liver feel well and are not aware that they have a liver problem. Fatty liver is usually first suspected in a person who is found to have elevations in liver tests that are included in routine blood test panels.

Explanation of Steatohepatitis

For a liver biopsy, a needle is inserted through the skin to remove a small piece of the liver. Currently, no specific therapies for NASH exist. The most important recommendations given to persons with this disease are to

  1. Reduce their weight (if obese or overweight)
  2. Follow a balanced and healthy diet
  3. Increase physical activity
  4. Avoid alcohol
  5. Avoid unnecessary medications

  1. American Gastroenterological Association -
  2. American College of Gastroenterology -
  3. American Liver Foundation -

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Report: 142,000 Montanans Could Lose Coverage If Obamacare Repealed

Jan 5, 2017

The healthcare law that Republicans have vowed to repeal includes the major expansion of Medicaid that Montana signed onto last year. The Budget and Policy Center’s Heather O’Loughlin says repealing Obamacare would end that.

"In Montana there are approximately 61,000 Montanans that have gained healthcare coverage through Medicaid expansion," O'Loughlin says, "that number is slated to continue to increase, we know that there is upwards of 70,000 or a little more than that eligible for Medicaid expansion."

O’Loughlin said another 52,000 Montanans who get Affordable Care Act subsidies to help them buy private health insurance would lose them if the law is repealed. The federal government says that 83 percent of Montanans who buy coverage through get subsidies, and that most people who do can get a policy for less than $75 a month.

The Budget and Policy Center's report says 8,000 Native Americans in Montana would likely lose their health coverage if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

The report by the Montana Budget and Policy Center says that’s how many Indian people have enrolled in Medicaid since Montana expanded it last year as part of Obamacare.

"There’s also a lot of questions about what the repeal of the Affordable Care Act means for the Indian Health Service," O'Loughlin says.

Right now, it can mean significantly more revenue for IHS and tribal health facilities, because they can bill Medicaid. That potentially goes away with an Obamacare repeal.


Past Continuous Tense - English for Students

What to study and how to study to improve your essay writing enough to hopefully! get a five mark on the LPI essay.

How to write good paragraphs.

How to join paragraphs together smoothly.

Using the right kind of word for emphasis.

Correct these sentences - intermediate to advanced English.

Correct these sentences - beginning to intermediate English.

Choose the correct sentence in each pair - intermediate to advanced English.

Printable grammar errors worksheet of word-level, phrase-level, and clause-level coordination and parallel construction. Answer sheet.

Present Tense - English for Students

I am still confused how a present tense can talk about past and future

A Quick Refresher on Present and Past Tense

This handout will help you understand this common grammar problem. This handout explains and describes the sequence of verb tenses in English. This handout gives some examples of the different tenses verbs can have. This handout contains a list and discussion of common irregular verbs.

Online Tense Exercises - English Grammar

phrasal verbs and prepositions with "out".

phrasal verbs and prepositions with "up".

examples of the forms of verbs in past, present, and future, with names and parts used to form the tenses.

While it's possible to describe the historical past in the present tense, ..

prefers the past tense for academic essays.

The answer is simple. If your paper is part of a historical study and you must by definition spend the majority of your time in the past tense, it's best just to stay there as much as possible. Whatever you do, try not to flip back and forth between past and present verb forms.

of the present simple and the present ..

For example, while it's true that Caesar ruled long ago, the conclusions which current researchers infer from the surviving evidence about his life and reign are modern, living things. Thus, "Caesar's generalship leaves behind the impression of the right man at the right moment in history." In other words, if your point is that some thesis about the past exists today, state that opinion in the present tense: "This promotes the idea that . . ." or "Justinian's failures suggest that the internal disarray of the Byzantine Empire was his responsibility because . . ."

In contrast, the past could be ..

Culture english essay history in past, Coursework Service

Writer's Web: Verbs: Past Tense? Present?

Tense use in essays. To simplify, tenses are used in the following ways: The present tense is used for: a generalisation; in overviews, statements of main points etc.

Tense use in essays - Monash University

English Grammar Index Past Continuous Tense : Rules : It is used to express an action going on at sometime in the past. Examples : 1. It was raining throughout the night.

How to Use Present Tense in an Academic Essay ..

There is one notable exception to the rule of excluding present-tense verbs in academic prose. When modern scholars are drawing conclusions about the past, their words should be expressed in the present tense. Despite the fact that the data are taken from history, the opinion exists now and should be stated as such.