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24 September 2013
His Highness the Amir’s Speech at the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly
In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful
Excellences and Highnesses,
Your Excellency the President of the United Nations General Assembly Your
Excellency the UN Secretary General,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like, first, to congratulate His Excellency Mr. John Ashe for his election as President of the 68th session of the General Assembly and I wish him all success in his mission. I would like also to express our appreciation for His Excellency Mr. Vuka Jeremic, the former President of the 67th session for the efforts he made for its success. I would like also to commend all the efforts made by His Excellency the Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon for strengthening the role of the United Nations.
The international community faces different problems related to peace and security in addition to the challenges facing the efforts made to solve disputes peacefully. This calls for reinforcing the capacity of the United Nations to tackle these challenges and problems.
The peoples of different regions are looking forward for the institutions of the international community to dedicate their efforts for finding solutions to the issues of poverty, hunger, and sustainable development in a way that
goes beyond convening conferences and adopting resolution and even beyond the necessary collective attention and campaigns that are called for from time to time important as they might be.
The Arab region is full of events and accelerating changes of historical importance. It has recently witnessed turbulent events as a result of the movement of its peoples and their forceful entry into the public political domain.
Stalemate remains a characteristic of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which comes at the forefront of the issues threatening international peace and security. This is a result of the continued Israeli occupation and the injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people as well as the failure in reaching a just and lasting peace according to the resolutions of the international legality. Continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories with its resulting practices, changing their demographic conditions particularly by extending the scope of settlement activity, Judaizing the city of Jerusalem, the unjust embargo of Gaza strip in addition to the intensification of settlement in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and changing its status quo, cannot be accepted as normal. That is not because they represent flagrant violations of the international laws and covenants, but also because the Palestinian issue is a just issue and the historical injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people should end.
The organizations of the international community have been established on
the basis of granting the right of self-determination after the world wars.
And it is unreasonable that they could not do anything about the last colonial issue of our world.
Israel should know that coercion and de facto policies do not bring peace. Itis wrong for it to establish a state which sees peace in subjugating the other peoples and denying their rights and make that a priority over peace. In fact, there is no security without peace. Real peace comes only through coexistence between peoples on the grounds of good neighbourliness, mutual respect, and caring for the interests of all.
The peace we look for is the peace that is built on dignity, justice and the principles of international legality as well as the UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative under the principle of the two-state solution and the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories. In fact, the experiences of different nations and peoples confirm that unjust settlements did not endure but were just pretexts for new conflicts. The continued de facto policy in Palestine would not make the issue disappear.
It actually transforms before our eyes into a more complicated issue, for the continuation of the settlements leads to the destruction of the basis for establishing a Palestinian state, while the current status changes to one that resembles an apartheid under the domination of one state or even within the state. This would be a grounds for new conflict since no people will accept enduring injustice and keep silent.
The inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people in establishing its independent state with Jerusalem as its capital within the limits of 1967borders as well as the right of return for the Palestinian refugees are not only an Arab demand, but they also represent an international standard for testing the credibility of international legality, which should not be divisible.
Just as the international community has applied the principles of international legality in the past for other crises in the world, we should apply the same legal principles for all issues. Therefore, we call upon the Security Council to uphold its responsibility to maintain international peace and security and adopt the required decisions to stop the illegitimate Israeli practices.
Mr. President, Destructive actions and horrible massacres are continuing at the hands of the Syrian regime against its peoples in addition to the policies of scorched land upon the Syrian people crossing all the red lines set by ethics and mandated by law, particularly after the regime’s use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people.
It is unfortunate that the perpetrators of these brutal crimes and massacres, which have shocked every human conscience, are enjoying impunity from deterrence or accountability. This questions the credibility of the human rights and international legality mechanisms of the international community.
The issue is not whether or not Syria possesses to chemical weapons, for Syria is a state that is in conflict with another state that owns chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons. But the issue is the use of such weapons by the regime against its own people. The Syrian people has not risen up for putting the Syrian chemical weapons under the international supervision but for getting rid of despotism and corruption and to end the injustice it has been facing.
We all know that the responsibility for failure to impose the political settlement we all prefer for Syria is due basically to the inability of the Security Council to take the required decision to stop the bloodshed and the continued intransigence of the Syrian regime and its refusal of all regional and international initiatives.
From this perspective, the decision-making process at the Security Council has become in need of change since it lacks fairness and objectivity. It has
also become a major obstacle to preserving international peace and security and to the punishment of war criminals and perpetrators of crimes against humanity. Therefore, we affirm the importance of accelerating the process of Security Council reform in order for it to be more capable for dealing objectively with global challenges and responding to the aspirations of people. But this will not be achieved except through the fair representation of the international community in the Council and only when it becomes expressive of the democracy in the international multilateral work. It is obviously impossible to take any decision without the support of the majority of the permanent member States, but taking a decision should not be monopolised for a long period by one or two states.
I take this opportunity to call upon our Syrian brothers to unify their ranks for entering a transitional period that leads to establishing a governing system that guarantees freedom and dignity for all Syrians without discrimination on the grounds of gender, nationality, sect or creed. These large numbers of martyrs have not fallen and all these sacrifices have not been made by this great people so that despotism could be exchanged for chaos or another kind of despotism.
The Arab spring revolutions, during which the Arab people have risen up calling for freedom, dignity and social justice, are now facing difficulties that seem to be trying to go back in time. In fact these difficulties were expected, but what is strange is that some politicians do not succeed in avoiding even expected problems. Everyone who knows the reality of the issues in the Arab region and their historical context discovers that these revolutions come within a long-term historical process, which is known before to different peoples in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. The transformation to a just rule and meeting the demands of the people in all states of the world have never been an easy path but one full of sacrifices. It has not been easy to go through it without patience and determination. Rarely have there been revolutions that have not been followed by desperate attempts by the former regimes to abort them. That is why wise people prefer all the time that regime change
should be through gradual reform and not through revolutions that also entail the possibility of counter-revolutions. There are cases in our region and in other regions of the world, which we know very well, where there was no way for change through reform.
At any rate, we should not jump to hasty conclusions about the future of the Arab revolutions. This is a historical necessity. It is clear that things will not revert in the Arab world and that the Arab peoples have become more aware of their rights and more involved in the public domain.
The State of Qatar has always opted to become an active and effective party taking a constructive role at the international level through its balanced economic and political relations at the bilateral and multilateral levels. We will continue fostering this approach so that the State of Qatar could keep its responsibilities and commitments at the national, regional and international levels. The State of Qatar aims to be a hub for dialogue and discussion among different parties to conflicts and not to be a party in these conflicts. We aim also to open windows for cultural and information dialogue between peoples.
Within this context, the process of reform and modernity initiated by Qatar, which has made it a state of institutions, is interacting positively with the international community. It was not possible to achieve it without a genuine commitment in applying the rule of law and principles of governance, combatting corruption and protecting human rights and the basic freedoms, as well as the empowerment of women to participate in the public life on equal steps with men and creating a healthy environment for children. In addition, attention to the concerns of the youth and creating the suitable educational environment to ensure maximum use of their capacities was and will be one of the priorities of our national policies.
Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and in particular nuclear weapons is a very alarming issue. In this context, I affirm the position of the State of Qatar that every state in the region has an absolute right in using nuclear power for peaceful purposes according to the standards and procedures of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
We also look forward for convening the Helsinki conference as a step that contributes to the efforts made to make the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
The issue of climate change is still at the top of our concerns with all its ramifications to the global system as a whole. I would like to confirm the commitment of the State of Qatar to continued cooperation with the international community in facing this challenge and implementing the measures agreed upon during the 18th Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was hosted by Qatar at the end of last year, in order to develop a road map for tackling the negative environmental and economic consequences of this dangerous phenomenon.
It is worth mentioning here that the State of Qatar has gone a long way in implementing the initiative of the Global Dry Lands Alliance, which it launched for establishing an international organization to tackle the implications of this phenomenon. This proposed organization will complement the work of the other relevant international organizations in combating desertification and drought and preserving the environment without duplicating their work. I call upon all of you to support this initiative.
The State of Qatar participates as an effective partner in the efforts made to achieve sustainable development at the international level as it has pledged to allocate the required percentage from its national product for the least developed countries, in addition to the humanitarian and relief assistance that it provides in cases of emergency and disaster.
In this context, the State of Qatar has achieved the great majority of the Millennium Development Goals and is working towards achieving all these goals before 2015 as demonstrated by United Nations and regional reports in this field.
Thank you for listening.


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"Another awesome stay - puurrrfect peace of mind! "
"my dogs seemed very happy & well cared for A big thankyou to Michael I also appreciated the..."
"Thank you Emily!"
"Kobe had a great time thanks Stephanie!"
"Allie was fantastic with our cats and great communication with us while we were away . Our cats..."
"Jay responded to my request quickly and was able to provide us with the service we needed on a very ..."
"Thanks Jen, Tyler had a great time again ."
"Kevin was an excellent carer for my dog over the time I was away. Unlike other kenels and carers,..."
"Hannah has just looked after Oscar and Stella and my house for 10 days. She kept in contact while I ..."
"Kate was absolutely wonderful with our active Freddy. She was super friendly and easy to..."
"Thank you Muya"
"Jiawei was awesome as always "
"Fantastic and a great job well done"
"Luci did a great job looking after our pets over the Easter break. They were both very happy and..."
"Dusty enjoyed his stay and obviously had a lot of fun. As soon as we got home he crashed and slept..."
"Meg was excellent"
"All good! my dog was so happy!"
"Tania was fantastic! She gave me regular updates and made Jenni's stay a stress free and happy one"
"Absolutely wonderful people who made me comfortable leaving a very important member our family..."

domain: pet


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Dog Trainer Reveals Why You Shouldn't Walk Your Dog Every Day
| Last updated
For most dog owners, the daily walk is something of a ritual; a way for you and your furry friend to get a bit of fresh air and exercise. But according to a dog trainer, it could be totally unnecessary.
Shocking, isn't it? While most of us think we're doing the right thing for our pets by taking them on a stroll every day, Niki French says it could having a negative impact:
Speaking to the Mirror, the 53-year-old said: "It might come as a surprise, but traditional walks are a human invention and aren't helpful for many of our dogs.
"Replacing walk time with training games at home can give the dogs the skills they're missing to live calm and happy lives."
She added: "Contrary to popular belief, dogs with behaviour struggles can get more reactive or more excitable when we try to exhaust them through too much exercise."
Niki says her two-year-old rescue dog is 'noticeably calmer' after taking him on fewer walks and playing specially designed games with him, such as hide-and-seek.
It's something her clients have noticed too.
She said: "A growing number of my clients have nervous or reactive dogs and I've shown them all the amazing activities you can do at home to help dogs grow the skills they’re lacking to be happy on walks.
"Skipping some walks can help both dogs and owners alike destress. When more than half of walks are stressful (for the dog or you), it's time to do something different."
She added: "Playing games at home is a great way to build skills our dogs need and boost our relationship with them.
"It's good to have other things in your toolkit. This applies to all dogs and surprisingly it can work best for breeds that need lots of exercise."
But if you're struggling to train your pet pooch, we might have a story that will change your mind.
Take Bailey – he was once described as 'unruly, untrainable, unsociable, rude and stubborn', but the stray Labrador has proven the haters wrong and found a new life as a service dog.
Dogs Trust in Loughborough asked if someone out there was able to take Bailey home, and were worried the pooch was a lost cause because of his complex nature.
Luckily, Essex Fire Service dog handler Graham Currie came to the rescue, and Bailey soon proved his natural talents.
Currie told the BBC he had been looking for a new dog to train, and while he knew Labradors had a reputation of being 'greedy', he soon discovered there was something Bailey loved more than food.
"After testing Bailey's drive for a tennis ball and checking he had no aggression towards other dogs or people, I offered to take him on a six-week trial," he said.
"He was described as unruly, untrainable, unsociable, rude and stubborn. But a dog that cost us £185 has turned out to be the most incredible creature."


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London College of Communication is taking part in Creative Elephant – a collaboration between Elephant and Castle institutions aiming to demonstrate the amount of talent and number of hidden gems based in the area
Thirteen cultural Elephant and Castle institutions are hosting 20 events in just five days, taking place from 19 to 23 June 2019
Creative Elephant is a celebration of the galleries, dance studios, theatres, creative education institutions, clubs and more – all based in this diverse Southwark community.
Events range from family friendly street dance classes to exhibitions of paintings, a live radio broadcast, club nights, and even a Degree Show exhibition featuring work from hundreds of students across design and screen. Many of the events are completely free of charge.
Some of the events have been produced specifically for Creative Elephant. But most are events that were already taking place, aiming to highlight the volume and quality of events, exhibitions and workshops on offer every week at Elephant and Castle.
Gill Henderson, Cultural and Communities Partnerships Manager at London College of Communication, UAL, and one of the key organisers of Creative Elephant, said: “There’s so much going on in the Elephant, and much more than many people seem to be aware of.
“We want members of the public to explore the wide range of venues we have here, be the first to spot the rising stars across theatre, film, music, design, dance, and perhaps even surprise themselves.
“Creative Elephant aims to show people that Elephant and Castle is a destination, not just a route.”
Creative Elephant features institutions including Siobhan Davies Dance, Draper Hall, Corsica Studios, Southwark Playhouse, London College of Communication and more. A special website mapping out all of the activities on offer has been developed, as well as a printed map.
Creative Elephant is supported by Elephant and Castle Partnership and London Borough of Southwark
See the full programme at CreativeElephant.uk.

domain: artistic


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Badass Popeye Drawing Tutorials Easy Face
|Include In Article|
|Published Date||Saturday , September 28th 2019|
|Uploaded By||Claudelle Mercer|
Drawing. Saturday , September 28th 2019.
Quote from Popeye Drawing :
Explore the methods by which modern conveniences have had a negative effect on pollution. The outcomes of sterilization experiments by way of X-ray irradiation proved disappointing. This method helps students to consider the underlying structure of objects and leads to an analytical drawing, that’s rather mechanical in appearance. The practice starts with original documents that have been made on a translucent medium. Third, when the process was externailized, it can be done by other people. It’s a contact printing process which accurately reproduces the original in proportion, but can’t reproduce continuous tones or colours. Simply write out each step as though you were instructing someone about how to execute the undertaking.
Pencil sketches and drawings are unquestionably awesome and enjoyable. Then place a date on them so you may see how you’re developing your drawings! It’s possible to also see Cool Drawings. Landscape drawing is a fun way to devote time and a wonderful method to develop your drawing abilities. You are able to also see Pencil Drawings.
Road trip drawing prompts are a wonderful approach to receive kids drawing rather than staring at the iPad in the vehicle. There are several fun and intriguing drawing suggestions and activities to try! My kids like to draw, and we do lots of drawing. You may also recruit your buddy and co-workers to come up with a doodle quilt utilizing sticky notes in distinct colors. Thus, let’s all start creating and inspire other people to do the exact same.
Since you may anticipate, as it’s so hard to get right, there are rather few artists around who can accomplish this kind of intricate feat. The artist says of wonderful artwork it is not, necessary to consume a lot of resources to accomplish something interesting.
Any content, trademark/s, or other material that might be found on this site that is not this site property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does LocalHost claim ownership or responsibility for such items and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner.


In this chapter, we discuss how a leading telecommunications software development company went about outsourcing some phases of the system development life cycle (SDLC) of network management systems in order to achieve both the short-term tactical goals as well as the long-term strategic goals. We present a framework consisting of seven factors that should be used by companies using outsourcing as a business strategy. This framework was used to analyze the outsourcing practices used by this company. The framework includes the driving forces for offshore outsourcing, the selection process of outsourcing vendors and the infrastructure (communication links, hardware, software, and organizational structure) that was needed to insure that the outsourced work meets company’s internal quality requirements, which are derived from CMM5 and ISO9001 certifications. We also present the challenges of making these things happen, what worked well, and the lessons learned.


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South Reinforcement Maintains Wave Heights
Alerts (as of 1:00 a.m.)
A High Surf Advisory is posted for all islands through 6 a.m. Wednesday for south shores and 6 p.m. Wednesday for east shores.
A Small Craft Advisory is posted for all Hawaii County waters and channels through 6 p.m. Wednesday.
**Click directly on the images below to make them larger. Charts include: Big Island projected winds, tides, swell direction & period and expected wave heights.**
Hilo side: Wave heights for spots exposed to the swell are expected to be around shoulder high today for spots exposed to the trade swell.
Kona side: Wave heights are expected to be waist/chest high today with the best breaks hitting shoulder/head high on the sets.
South: Wave heights are expected to be waist/chest high with occasional shoulder/head high sets today.
Quiet in the North Pacific at this time with nothing of note generating swell energy for the foreseeable future.
Keep in mind, surf heights are measured on the face of the wave from trough to crest. Heights vary from beach to beach, and at the same beach, from break to break.

domain: geography


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How GovTech developed fit for purpose temperature scanners – Part 3
This temperature scanner developed by GovTech’s Smart Nation Platform Solutions (SNPS) team combines hardware and software for the best of both worlds.
While areas with low footfall can tap on GovTech’s self-service temperature scanner and gated venues like libraries can quickly implement VigilantGantry, many other places need to screen potentially large numbers of people with very little infrastructural support. Places like shopping malls and supermarkets, for example, are likely to see a high number of visitors despite the on-going “circuit breaker” social distancing measures, but do not have physical barriers to manage the flow of people.
In this final instalment of a three-part series on temperature scanning solutions for different challenges, we turn the spotlight on how GovTech’s Smart Nation Platform Solutions (SNPS) team developed a scalable, low-cost and accurate temperature scanning technology for mass screening that can be rapidly deployed.
“Our solution is focused on three things: being able to do crowd temperature screening, real-time screening and also screening at a safe distance,” said Mr Chong Jiayi, the engineer who led the SNPS team in the project.
Letting software do its magic
The SNSP system doesn’t rely on fancy equipment to do its job. All it requires are commercial off-the-shelf hardware such as a thermal sensor and a webcam mounted on a 3D-printed case. This case is then hooked to a tripod that can be adjusted to an optimal height for detecting human body temperature. Unlike other detection systems that require permanent fixtures at certain locations, this one is mobile and can be set up without much ado.
“It’s the software that’s doing the magic,” said Mr Chong as he explained the inner workings of the temperature screening device. Footage from both the thermal sensor and webcam are used to train the software to contextualise the information captured by both sensors, he explained. Once trained, the artificial intelligence (AI) can then automatically measure the temperature of the faces that come into its view. If anyone with a fever enters the frame, the device alerts the person-in-charge.
“This solution is unique because it uses a hybrid hardware and software, AI-driven solution. I don’t think there’s many of those in the market today,” he added.
Keeping it accessible
The challenge of building this temperature screening solution did not merely depend getting the technology right, but also making sure that it could be widely implemented. “Our entire design is developed on the philosophy that hardware today is a commodity and that the solution should not be limited by the hardware it uses,” he said.
“We’re not just saying that we can do something efficiently; efficiency allows our solution to be deployed on a wider range of lower-tier hardware, which increases the coverage of our solution,” Mr Chong explained. “It’s the reason why we could drive the cost of our solution so low.”
It is precisely this design principle that sets their model apart from VigilantGantry, a contactless, mass temperature screening solution developed by another team at GovTech. Instead of leveraging on existing infrastructure like gantries at the entrance of libraries, the SNSP solution can be deployed anywhere using low-cost hardware. “The actual setup takes less than five minutes, and it still manages to be cheap and effective all at once,” Mr Chong said.
Rolled out in record time
Building on a flexible robotics framework that the team was already working on helped to shorten the development process, Mr Chong shared. “We got the core system up and running in just seven days, but we did not build it from scratch,” he said. Just two days after building the prototype, the team was able to set up their first live trial at Downtown East, where the device screened over 400 people.
Ms Felice Low, the head of Infrastructure, Engineering and Security at NTUC Club which runs Downtown East, told TechNews that the device had been effective in speeding up the process of temperature screening for visitors and also streamlining of manpower resources.
The temperature screening device is currently under trial at several government agencies and partner sites.https://www.tech.gov.sg/media/technews/how-gt-developed-fit-for-purpose-temperature-scanners-part-3


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One of the most prominent critics of the Morrison government’s handling of Covid-19 outbreaks in aged care has entered the race to replace health minister Greg Hunt in the seat of Flinders.
Dr Sarah Russell, a public health researcher and the director of Aged Care Matters, was selected by the Voices of Mornington Peninsula group on Sunday evening to contest the Liberal-held seat at the May election.
Russell is one of a number of high-profile women challenging Liberal members in ordinarily safe seats, seeking to capitalise on concern about Coalition climate change policy and lack of action on a national integrity commission.
Russell told the preselection meeting she had been an aged care advocate for six years and climate activist for 30, seeking endorsement to help defeat “the worst government we have had in my lifetime”.
“It is unforgivable that all political parties – including the Greens – who know the evidence and understand the science to have chosen to politicise climate action,” she said.
Russell previously contested the inner north Melbourne seat of Cooper for Fiona Patten’s Reason Australia party, garnering just 2% of the vote, but will be on home turf in Flinders, as she lives in Mount Martha on a property that was owned by her grandparents since 1935.
Russell has been a critic of the pace of the vaccine booster rollout in aged care, and workforce shortages that have caused poor standards of care during the Omicron outbreak.
Russell joins a crowded field in which local councillor Despi O’Connor is also contesting Flinders as an independent, a decision Russell has slammed as “having a bet each ways” after O’Connor had expressed interest in running as the Voices candidate.
Russell replaces Claire Boardman, who resigned in December as the deputy public health commander for infection prevention and control in the Victorian health department’s Covid-19 team to contest the seat as the Voices candidate but pulled out due to the difficulty of winning with a split independent vote.
Hunt won Flinders in 2019 with a 46.7% primary vote and 55.6% two-party-preferred, defeating Labor despite a challenge from former Liberal MP Julia Banks, who won 13.8% of the vote as an independent.
Hunt is retiring at the 2022 election, potentially putting the seat in play. Zoe McKenzie, a former National Broadband Network director and trade adviser, is contesting the seat for the Liberals.
Scott Morrison is yet to say who would replace Hunt as health minister if he wins a fourth term for the Coalition.
In comments to Guardian Australia, Russell acknowledged the race to replace Hunt had become a “clusterfuck” and promised to be a strident voice for the climate-conscious community if elected to federal parliament. “I’ll be the Jacqui Lambie of the left,” she said.
Russell also cited the independent candidate for Goldstein, Zoe Daniel, as inspiration for the run. Russell told the meeting she hopes that “all independents agree to give preferences to each other and put Liberals last” in the contest.

domain: politics


text:
• In Minnesota, the number of people experiencing homelessness is up 10% but the number of homeless individuals seeking help has drastically decreased since 2015.
• 51% of homeless in Minnesota are children aged 17 and under.
Did you know . . .
Connect To Care's Mission:
To provide everyone a chance to be the change in their lives and empower themselves to carve their own future.

domain: sociology


text:
Contestants in the Miss Hilton Head Island Pageant, including Anna Holloway, center, and Samee Cannon, foreground, rehearse the opening number Friday. Fifteen women are competing in the contest -- a preliminary to the Miss America pageant -- that will crown both a Miss Hilton Head Island and a Miss Teen Hilton Head Island. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. today at the Hilton Head Island High School Visual and Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door.
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Get six months of free digital access to The Island Packet

domain: news


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Air Nigeria and Delta Air Lines have applied with the US Department of Transport for authorisation to engage in codesharing services to the full extent permitted by the U.S.-Nigeria Open Skies Agreement (Nigerian Aviation, 28-Sep-2010). Delta is currently conducting a codeshare safety audit of Air Nigeria and will communicate the result of that audit to FAA. Air Nigeria requests that the Department approve its authority to display Delta’s code on its flights as soon as the FAA has advised that it has reviewed the audit report and found it to be acceptable. If permitted, Air Nigeria will place its VK-code on Delta-operated flights between Abuja-Accra and between Accra-Atlanta. The carriers are yet to agree on Delta codesharing on Air Nigeria services.
29-Sep-2010 12:58 PM


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According to a report from CNBC, experts are blaming the adverse effects of the pandemic – namely the economic impacts – on why college enrollment rates continue to plummet.
"Due to Covid" or due to an inherently broken system?https://t.co/Fm9PYg91Tf
— Albertus Magnus Institute, Inc. (@amifellowship) October 26, 2021
Apparently, there were projections that college enrollments were slated to climb back up during the fall of 2021, likely from pundits assuming that with Covid vaccines being heavily administered through the U.S. population, those who clamored about pandemic fears would be less afraid of returning to school.
Except, college enrollment rates didn’t bounce back as anticipated, and in fact, fell further. Reports show that undergraduate rates dropped an additional 3.2% from 2020, per the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
When combining the total decline between 2021 and 2020, the number of undergraduate students in college is now down 6.5% compared to 2019 figures, marking the largest two-year drop in enrollments over the last 50 years.
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Executive Director Doug Shapiro remarked on that matter, stating that things are continuing to get worse:
“Enrollments are not getting better; they’re still getting worse. Far from filling the hole of last year’s enrollment declines, we are still digging it deeper.”
Shapiro added that among the hardest hit in the enrollment rate decline were community colleges:
“As you go down the selectivity scale, the overall declines start to grow. Community colleges remain the most adversely affected sector, experiencing a 14.1% total enrollment decline since fall 2019.”
Back in April of 2020, during the onset of the pandemic, CNBC reported that “community colleges could see a surge in popularity,” citing that economic downturns typically favored well for community colleges historically due to them being the less expensive option in the realm of higher education.
Which community colleges experiencing surges during economic turmoil does logically make sense when one considers that two-year community colleges bear an annual tuition that runs roughly about a third of the cost when compared to in-state four-year public universities. And with private universities, community colleges are about a tenth of the annual cost for tuition.
Obviously, despite being the most economically favorable of higher education, community colleges did not get that “surge in popularity” that CNBC predicted last April.


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Kathleen Florence Lynn (28 January 1874 – 14 September 1955) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician, activist and medical doctor. She was born to a Dublin Church of Ireland family and educated in England and Germany before graduating as a doctor in 1899 from the Royal University of Ireland.
An active suffragette, labour activist and nationalist, Lynn was a member of the Irish Citizen Army and chief medical officer during the 1916 Easter Rising. For her part in the rising, she was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol, with her friends Constance Markiewicz, Madeline ffrench-Mullen and Helena Moloney. In 1923, Lynn was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin County constituency at the 1923 general election. In accordance with Sinn Féin abstentionist policy of the time, she did not take her seat in Dáil Éireann. She lost her seat at the June 1927 general election. She unsuccessfully contested the August 1927 by-election for Dublin County.
Lynn's medical career was defined by her work at Saint Ultan's Hospital for Infants, which she established in Dublin in 1919, with a group of female activists. Lynn's work with Dublin's inner city poor had convinced her of the need for a hospital to provide medical and educational facilities for impoverished mothers and infants. Earlier in her career Lynn has experienced discrimination in applying for hospital position due to her gender, and Saint Ultan's was the only hospital in Ireland entirely managed by women. Saint Ultan's Hospital grew rapidly, and from 1937 became the centre for BCG vaccination in Ireland. The hospital closed in 1984.
Lynn lived in Rathmines from 1903 to her death in 1955, sharing her home with her friend and confidante Madeline ffrench-Mullen. Lynn died on 14 September 1955, and is buried in the family plot at Deansgrange Cemetery. In acknowledgement of the role she played in the 1916 Rising and the Irish War of Independence, she was buried with full military honours.
Lynn's personal diaries for the period 1916–1955, and the administrative papers of Saint Ultan's Hospital are available in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland's archive.

domain: library


Rivaling the number of Horcruxes that Lord Voldemort created for himself, Geek Pop Alliance Podcast #7 brings you the best in this week in geek. Some of the main topics this week include the spoilery rumor-filled plot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Ash vs. The Evil Dead plot details; Zack Snyder reveals the first pic of Jason Momoa as Aquaman; Apple could be making it’s own car; the Apple Watch could be ridiculously expensive for the top end model; Samsung can’t stop teasing the Galaxy S6; the NSA and GCHQ will do just about anything to unlock your phone’s data; the Exploding Kittens Kickstarter ends with huge numbers; Twitch announces its first convention; and Epic Games has set aside a lot of money for indie Unreal Engine 4 projects. Not to mention our Beat the Villain trivia game, and all our thoughts on TV we have watched and comics we have read. All this and so much more!
Also available on iTunes: Geek Pop Alliance on iTunes
This week, the GPA delivers the best in geek news that includes some spoiler territory with Star Wars: The Force Awakens plot rumors; more Ash vs. the Evil Dead news; the first picture of Jason Momoa as Aquaman is revealed; the Apple iCar looks to be a possibility; the NSA and GCHQ may have all they need to read your phone’s sim card; Todd McFarlane gives the ok for Spawn to be in Mortal Kombat X; Exploding Kittens ends its Kickstarter with some huge numbers; and Twitch announces its first convention. Plus our review for our picks of the week in comics, Plunder and Secret Identities!


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@KanyeWest shut it down in Singapore, performing his lead single Power, off his new album which has yet to be titled. He also did an extended freestyle for over 6 minutes.
@SmokeDZA put out a new tape today which features production from Ski Beatz, guest appearances by Big K.R.I.T., Kent Money, Dom Kennedy, Mickey Factz and more. Presented by Cinematic Music Group, GFCNY and DJ Booth. DOWNLOAD: Smoke DZA – George Kush Da Button (Mixtape) 1. Continental Kush Breakfast feat. Den10 (Produced by Kenny Beats) 2.…Details
@TheRealEternia put on a stellar performance in Lincoln Park. She gave the crowd a live rendition of her single At Last.
You may remember the homie @KentMoney from the joint he did with Chase a while back. Well the Surf Club homie has his own mixtape now and you should download it below. Features production from Chase N Cashe, Hit Boy and Boi1da. DOWNLOAD: Kent M$ney – Becoming (Mixtape)Details
Here’s a look at how @KanyeWest video was made and a description of it, made me shit myself twice. The video premieres tomorrow night, according to MTVJams. POWER shows a continuous camera move from extreme close-up of Mr. West revealing an a neoclassical video tableau showing characters and creatures surrounding him in an abstract environment…Details

domain: entertainment


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Updated: August 12, 2020 11:56:46 pm
California Senator Kamala Harris wasn’t waiting by the phone when Joe Biden asked her to be his running mate. President Donald Trump praises a QAnon-supporting House candidate. And new polls shows Biden ahead in Pennsylvania and close races in Arizona and North Carolina. There are 83 days until the election.
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris wasn’t exactly waiting by her phone for Biden to call.
In a video of the moment he asked her to be his running mate released by the campaign, Harris is clearly running a little late to the videochat.
.@KamalaHarris is the daughter of proud immigrants—a mother from India and a father from Jamaica—who raised her to take action.
That’s exactly what this moment calls for: action. And we hope you’ll take action with us: https://t.co/K3mVwfTxXJ pic.twitter.com/MZLAx9IN6C
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 12, 2020
“Hi, hi, hi, hi, sorry to keep you,” she says.
Biden, who is folding a face mask he has just taken off, cuts right to the chase: “That’s alright. Are you ready to go to work?”
“Oh my God,” she says. “I am so ready to go to work.”
Another clip of the video shows Biden smiling broadly and laughing as he asks her if the answer is yes.
“The answer is absolutely yes, Joe,” she says. “And I am ready to work. I am ready to do this with you, for you, I am just deeply honored and I’m very excited.”
Trump Praises QAnon-Supporting House Candidate as ‘Future Star’
Trump praised a QAnon-supporting House candidate as a “future Republican star” on Wednesday.
During the primary for a strongly Republican seat in Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene caused headaches for party leaders due to her support of QAnon, a far-right online conspiracy theory about the “deep state” that ties in everything from the sinking of the Titanic to Satan worship.
She was also condemned by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, among others, for videos in which she demeaned Black, Muslim and Jewish people.
In the videos, first reported by Politico, she compared Black Lives Matter activists to neo-Nazis, said Islamic nations are places where men “marry their sisters” and “their cousins,” and called financier George Soros a Nazi.
“Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent,” Trump tweeted. “Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up – a real WINNER!”
Poll Shows Biden Up in Pennsylvania, Close Races in Arizona and North Carolina
New Emerson College polls of three battleground states show Biden ahead by a wide margin in Pennsylvania and close races in Arizona and North Carolina.
In the Pennsylvania poll, 52% of likely voters supported Biden and 43% backed Trump, with 5% undecided.
In the Arizona poll, 49% of likely voters supported Biden and 45% backed Trump, with 5% undecided.
And in the North Carolina poll, 48% of likely voters supported Trump and 46% backed Biden, with 6% undecided — a lead that was within the survey’s 3.8 percentage-point margin of error.
The polls were conducted August 8-10, before Biden’s announcement that he’d chosen California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.
Likely Voter Screens Aren’t Helping Trump in the Polls
As the days tick down to the election, a number of pollsters have switched to a likely voter model, but it’s not changing the results much.
Biden has been ahead of Trump in nearly every national poll of registered voters over the last few months.
But national polls of likely voters taken by Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics, Emerson College, CNBC, CBS News and ABC News in recent weeks have also shown Biden ahead by a similar range.
Starting in late summer of an election year, pollsters start looking for likely voters, often by asking a series of questions such as how often they voted in the past and whether they think they will vote this year. Some pollsters also match respondents to publicly available databases of voters or weight them according to past turnout.
After some misfires in recent years, pollsters have begun looking at different ways to screen for likely voters. Still, likely voter polls tend to get more accurate as the election gets closer.
Trump Is Going Retro With ‘60s Themed Ads on Peace
The Trump campaign has run a series of ads with ‘60s themes on Facebook promoting the president as a “negotiator of peace.”
The ads feature the peace symbol surrounded by colorful slogans like “Support Peace,” “Stop the Endless Wars” and “Make Peace Not War” in HWT Arabesque, a flowy typeface used on psychedelic posters in the 1960s.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, his administration has taken out two of the world’s top terrorist leaders, successfully decimated ISIS, and has been committed to getting the United States OUT of Endless Wars,” the ad reads.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.


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Billed as the world's greatest photo game, GuruShots is an online platform that provides a fun, structured way to showcase your images while gaining global exposure for your work.
By competing in epic challenges against millions of photographers, you can get instant feedback from over three billion monthly votes and increase your ranking from Newbie to achieve the ultimate status (and bragging rights) of Guru.
GuruShots' challenges are voted on by the platform's Gurus and the wider community, and there’s a fresh challenge every day. Winners can receive prizes from GuruShots' sponsors such as Adorama, Kodak, Lowepro and Lensbaby.
The latest 'Your Magazine Shot' gave members the ultimate challenge: to summon their creativity, push their abilities to the limit, and produce shots worthy of appearing in a magazine.
Entrants welcomed the challenge, putting their best feet forward across a wide variety of disciplines. We saw some stunning compositions, such as the perfectly framed mono entry from Nicholas Palmer and the immensely geometrically satisfying shot from Matt Specht.
Twilight shots with a twist also featured heavily, such as Bajkó Tamás city scene featuring light trails and Félicien Mille's capture of serene reflections after dark. And of course we had plenty of amazing animals, such as the squirrel doing yoga from Valdemar Varona and a trio of dancing birds from Tamar Alazraki.
True to the competition's name, the 20 highest ranked images were published in N-Photo magazine and we're pleased to showcase these images below along with the rest of the top 500 featured photographs in the gallery that follows.
Here are the remaining images from the top 500 entries in GuruShots' 'Your Magazine Shot' contest – simply click on the arrows to scroll through the full gallery of photos.
To find out more, and to sign up and take part in the next challenge, visit www.gurushots.com.


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“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” But Peter received no confirmation that he was right, only the command to silence, not to tell anyone about Jesus.
In today’s lesson, then, on that journey, Jesus tells the disciples that the Son of Man will suffer, will be rejected, will be killed, and three days later will rise again. This is the first of three pronouncements about Jesus’ suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection that he gives in Mark, the first written of the Gospels. Years later, Matthew & Luke provide similar accounts in their gospels. Each telling is followed, of course, by the disciples’ failure to understand. (Those disciples always get a bad rap.)
Everything they had seen Jesus do and heard him say until this moment had been impressive and had no doubt spurred within them big hopes for the future. But now this. Jesus astonished and dismayed them with the news that – contrary to all their hopes and expectations – he would undergo suffering, be rejected by the religious leaders, be killed, and then rise again in three days. It was about the worst possible thing Jesus could have said.
Did Jesus really know ahead that he would suffer the shame of death by crucifixion, as he suggests here? Probably. Jesus was not the only miracle worker trolling through Palistine healing the sick and casting out demons. For the Jews of Palistine, the First Century was an era of apocalyptic expectations. Countless self-proclaimed prophets, preachers, and messiahs trampted through the Holy Land delivering messages of God’s imminent judgment, many also offering healing and exorcisms, for a fee.
We even know many of these so-called Messiahs by name. The book of Acts tells us that the prophet Theudas had 400 disciples before Rome cut off his head. A mysterious charismatic figure referred to as “the Egyptian” raised an army of followers in the desert, nearly all of whom were massacred by Roman troops. Another messianic hopeful, called simply “the Samaritan,” was crucified by Pontius Pilate even though he raised no army and in no way challenged Rome – a sure sign the authorities had become sensitive to apocalyptic fever being in the air with a hint of sedition. There was Hezekiah the bandit chief, Judas the Galilean, Simon son of Kochba, and many hundreds more – all of whom had Messianic ambitions, and all of whom were killed for doing so. Add to this the Essenes, the Zealots, and the Sicarii (or Daggermen), and it’s not hard to imagine an era full of Messianic energy. Jesus surely would have been aware of the fate that met the false Messiahs ahead of him, so he could probably predict his future too.
Crucifixion was a widespread and exceedingly common form of execution in New Testament days, used by many nations. One reason it was so common was that it was cheap, it could be carried out most anywhere; all one needed was a tree. The torture could last for days without needing an actual torturer. The procedure for the crucifixion was usually left entirely up to the executioner. Some victims were hooded, some were suspended upside down, some had their privates impaled, most were stripped naked. But, strangly perhaps, it would be wrong to think of crucifixions as a death penalty, for often the victim was first executed and then nailed to a cross. The purpose of the crucifixion was not so much to kill the criminal, as it was to serve as a deterrent to others who might defy the state (although people kept on doing the things for which they could be executed, so I’m not sure capital punishment served as such a great deterent then – or now). For the deterrent reason, crucifixions were always carried out in public – at crossroads, on high ground – anywhere the population had a good view of the gruesome scene. The crucified were rarely buried, nobody claiming the body, usually being left for dogs and birds of prey to strip bare before the bones were discarded.
Simply put, crucifixion was more than a capital punishment for Rome; it was a public reminder of what happens when one challenges the empire. And so it was reserved solely for the most extreme political crimes: especially rebellion, sedition, and treason – which is how the authorities looked at Jesus’ behavior.
From our perspective today, the cross is the symbol of Christianity. That Jesus was crucified for our sins gave us the cross as an icon for our religion. While Jesus was alive, of course, the cross had had nothing to do with the cult of Jesus. The great hope of the Israelite people at that time was freedom from the Roman overlords. Having seen Jesus’ miracles, experienced his magnetic personality as they followed him, and watched him draw enthusiastic crowds, it would have been natural for them to assume that Jesus would somehow challenge their subservient role under the Romans.
So after Peter tries to rebuke Jesus, Jesus responds that such an opinion is a “human” way of thinking. It’s what we all would have thought had we been among those first disciples. Jesus not only rebukes Peter, but then shocks them all even more deeply by telling them that his way of the cross may well be their future too. Those who would follow him will “deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” As if that’s not enough, Jesus
continues with even more unexpected and totally unforeseen news: To save your life you must lose it. You may lose your lives for Jesus sake.
This news was so contrary to the disciple’s expectations and so difficult to comprehend that Jesus would have to repeat it twice more in Mark. The second time he spoke of this they still did not understand him, but “were afraid to ask him,” probably for fear of being rebuked again.
We do not follow Jesus by demeaning ourselves. We are called upon to do the very best we can with the talents and abilities God has given us. To “deny oneself” means to keep one’s priorities in harmony with what Jesus told us in the two “great commandments” – love God and love your neighbor.
There was a ray of hope in what Jesus said that day, although the disciples may not have heard it or understood it. Jesus will be killed, but he will also rise again. That was a whole new concept that would have been quite hard to comprehend.
Jesus gives us this hope for the future, but in this text we are called upon to follow him not just for this future, but in this life. Furthermore, to follow him now means as he said: a life “more abundant.”
At a critical point in our Gospel lesson, Jesus called his hearers to follow him. On more than twenty specific occasions in the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry he asked the people, individually or in groups, to leave what they were doing and come after him. The question – Who is willing to follow Jesus Christ? – may be the defining question for Christians today.
Jesus’ charge is not a demand to deny some substance or casual practice, but rather it is his invitation for us to imagine living a life of concern for others, a life of true compassion for the suffering, a life of giving to those in need.
This is what I hope we learn from our Gospel lesson for today. Every time we open ourselves to the needs of those around us … every time we actually take time to love someone who desperately needs our love … every time we get out of ourselves a little and seek not just what we want but what the world needs … we get a little closer to what Jesus was talking about when he spoke of … “taking up your cross and following me.”
As we move deeper into the Lenten season, I hope that we will take seriously the call that first came to us in baptism, a call that hopefully takes on greater meaning as we make decisions and order the priorities of life.
I feel drawn to close with a well-known prayer from St. Francis of Assisi that feels right for today:
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
A long time since we broke bread together. Since we felt that peace which passeth all understanding as it spreads throughout our entire body as we receive communion alongside our fellow parishioners. Such a very long time since we harmonized a favorite hymn or embraced one another in a hug or handshake at the Peace. For the first time in our lives, we may now have a glimmer of understanding for what it was like for the Israelites wandering or for Jesus wrestling with his identity in the wilderness. Before it was just a story, and now, as a community we understand the quality, the feel in our bones, of what it means when we say a very long time.
When we began the season of Lent last year, we had no idea it would come to be so different from every other Lent in our lives. We entered the wilderness, and we have remained here. Don’t get me wrong, we have observed other liturgical seasons, marking Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Yet the quality of this time has been of a year long Lent. No one needs to tell us about the meaning of fasting this year. We understand in our core what it means to fast from communion. Both the communion we experience when we are in-person worshiping together as well as the communion we experience when we break bread together and receive the Holy Eucharist.
We also know that while this wilderness seems to drag ever onwards, that there really is an end insight. Vaccines are being distributed. Case numbers are lowering. The vestry is working on fixing our sound system so we will be able to offer streaming and in-person worship sooner than later.
As we climb this mountain, we might imagine that soon we will be greeted with a beautiful vista; then we will descend down the mountain to the way things were. Right? We can go back to the way things were, and finally sit back and relax.
That’s what usually happens isn’t it? I mean, when Jesus emerged from the wilderness, it was to go have lunch at his mom’s house, right? And the Israelites, they got to set up camp and relax, right? Unfortunately, the version of these stories where people get to relax after their time in the wilderness, did not seem to make the canonical version of the holy scriptures. Instead, when people reemerge from the wilderness it tends to be when the real work sets in. For Jesus, it is when his public ministry began. For us, it will be a time to reimagine what it means to be the Church.
A wise colleague said to me recently that once all of our churches have reopened to in-person worship, churches will choose one of two paths. Some will return to in-person worship, take a deep breath, relax, and in their exhaustion, stop actively being the Church, which will ultimately lead to their decline and closure. Some churches will return to in-person worship, take a deep breath, and double down in their efforts to reimagine who they are and what their mission is NOW, having lived through this experience together. It is these churches who embrace the work before them that will survive, and even thrive, in the ever shifting sands of the changing Church. This will happen across the Episcopal Church and every branch of the Jesus Movement. This will happen across every kind of institution, period.
I realize, this is not what anyone wants to hear. We are tired, and ready to resume what we once thought of as normal. But that’s now how this faith business works. When we emerge from the wilderness, our most vital work will just be beginning.
Some of you have heard the story of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson hired the team to explore the newly acquired territory of the unexplored west. At the time, there was a working assumption that the geography of the west would be similar to what folks knew of the east. The team carried canoes, presuming they would be a vital tool as they relied on waterways to make their journey. Instead, when they reached Lemhi Pass, the view they beheld was not a river that would take them further west, but rather an endless and terrifying range of mountains (Bolsinger 27). It was here that Lewis & Clark were forced to shift the mental model they had been working with. They abandoned their boats, found horses, and shifted gears (Bolsinger 93).
Tod Bolsinger reflects on the journey of Lewis & Clark in his book, Canoeing the Mountains.
He writes something that I think is pertinent for all of us to sit and pray with:
“And at that moment everything that Meriwether Lewis assumed about his journey had changed. He was planning on exploring the new world by boat. He was a river explorer. They planned on rowing, and they thought the hardest part was behind them. But in truth everything they had accomplished was only a prelude to what was in front of them.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery were about to go off the map and into unchartered territory. They would have to change plans, give up expectations, even reframe their entire mission. What lay before them was nothing like what was behind them. There were no experts, no maps, no ‘best practices’ and no sure guides who could lead them safely and successfully. The true adventure--the real discovery--was just beginning” (Bolsinger 27).***
We know that in the not-so-distant future we will emerge from this wilderness and begin our own true adventure. Which is why these last weeks in the wilderness could be a gift if we shift the mental model we have been working with to see our situation somewhat differently. It is also why this is the Lent to double down in our spiritual practices. This is the Lent to embed scripture into our daily life. This is the Lent to pray every day. This is the Lent to meet regularly with a spiritual companion and share what is happening in our lives and pray together. This is the Lent for us to double down in our efforts to be still, and know that I am God, as the psalmist writes.** This is a season of preparation.
When we finally emerge from this wilderness, this year long Lent, we will have our most important work together to date. And we are a merged congregation, who already knows and understands a thing or two about change, grief, resilience, leaning into our faith and onto one another. Remember, when we tell our story, we always say we emerged. This idea of ever-evolving into something new, stronger, and more whole. This might be an important time for us to remember we did not only emerge on Emerging Sunday on April 23, 2017. We did not just emerge in our first year together. We are the people of Saints James and Andrew, and we are an ever emerging Church, as we seek to follow God’s ongoing call.
As we begin Lent this week, I invite us to lean fully into our faith and embrace this season in the wilderness. May it prepare us for the vital and important work of mission and ministry that lay before us. Amen.
*The number of days since COVID-19 was identified as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.
*** Bolsinger, Tod. Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Unchartered Territory. InterVarsity Press, 2015, Downers Grove, Illinois.
Last Lent, knowing it was my first, I admit I had preconceived notions about how Lent should be observed. Growing up, I had noticed friends of other faiths not eating meat on Friday or looking for things to abstain from during the Lenten season. I thought maybe I should choose to give up wine or chocolate… both felt like a sacrifice. But I was moved when Molly and Heather had other ideas and suggestions. Not so much about what we would “give up”, but what we could contribute. These ideas were appreciated and Bryant and I adopted several of them as we entered this season of reflection and preparation before Easter.
Father Michael Marsh of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in West Texas describes Lent as a time of recognizing that everything matters. He asks What if it’s about remembering and reclaiming our treasures? What if it’s about re-treasuring the things and people we’ve forgotten, taken for granted, ignored, devalued?
Marsh suggests that this may not be how we usually think of Lent or hear today’s gospel from Matthew. More often than not we focus on what’s wrong and how we’ve taken hold of the wrong treasures or our heart is in the wrong place. He encourages us that perhaps this year we should come at Lent in a different way. Maybe we should look for and reclaim what’s right. To re-treasure the things of our life that are of ultimate importance, the people and things that are of infinite value, worth more than money, prestige, position. Maybe failing to treasure is the sin from which we need to turn away.
In thinking about the words of Father Marsh, it gave me pause to think about the things that I treasure and how they might require more focus. Am I focusing on things that really matter or things that are merely expedient or things that feel necessary? If you were to ask me what I treasure most in life, I would instantly respond that it is my family, my marriage, my friends, my relationship with the Lord, my health. But a full reflection would show that perhaps that is not always where I expend my time, talent, and treasure. I don’t say this to discount the requirements and realities of life. It is important that I stay employed and engage in the practical aspects of every day living, but do those people and things that I truly treasure know of my commitment and love for them? Or do I just assume that they do?
Marsh encourages us to evaluate --Who or what are the treasures that hold your heart? What is of ultimate importance in your life? I like Marsh’s suggestion to take this Lenten season as a time of re-treasuring. To re-treasure people and relationships, to re-treasure justice and compassion, to re-treasure love, forgiveness, hope, beauty.
As we reflect on our Gospel this evening from Matthew, I am struck by the opportunity for reflection that this presents. The commandment of giving alms or other gifts in private is a corollary to this type of private reflection in consultation with the Lord that takes place in the Lenten season. A truly unique partnership with a loving God that knows us and our hearts; he sees what is commendable and what might need redirection in a way that no one else can… even those who know us and love us best. Taking time to assess the actions of our minds and hearts is key to determining what our desires and intentions are.
To me, Lent seems like an invitation for greater self-awareness and self-reflection. Two things that often do not come naturally. One phrase I have come to love in the Episcopal tradition is “With God’s help”. I know I will be seeking God’s help as I enter this period of self-reflection. I am grateful to know that there is a loving God who knows I can be better and will help me continue to grow.
The website Anglican Compass has a section call “Lent for Rookies” which seemed to be a good spot to find myself. They suggest that “Ash Wednesday and Lent remind us that we still live in a fallen world, and that we are a part of that fallenness. No one is free of sin. It gives us permission, in fact it calls us, to acknowledge the reality we see within ourselves, and around us.” It gives us the invitation to refocus and re-treasure. I thought this was excellent advice.
During this season, we remember that we are dust and to dust we will return. This is an inevitable part of our eternal life. But as we continue down the earthly portion of our journey, we are blessed with the constancy and timeless nature of the scriptures. In Matthew, we so sagely learn “That for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). How often do we see this play out in our own lives and the lives of others?
In closing, I wish you the beauty and grace of this important reflective time. My first Sunday at Saints James and Andrew was an Easter Sunday and I was struck then by the quote from Ephesians “Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself in offering and sacrifice to God.” I didn’t know at the time that I would have the pleasure of hearing that favorite scripture each week – but as we enter the season of Lent I pray that we will all continue to walk in love as Christ loved us. I say these things in Jesus’ name, amen.
We know Mark’s gospel was the first of the four canonical gospels to be written. It is a brief and fast-paced read.
The author intends for us to take in every detail and moment.
The gospel begins by introducing us to John the Baptist, who by verse nine is baptizing Jesus in the Jordan. In Mark’s version of the baptism, when Jesus comes up and out of the water, he alone witnesses something spectacular. The heavens are torn apart and the Spirit descended on him like a dove, while a voice from heaven said, just to him: ”You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased”(1:10).
From there, Jesus retreated into the wilderness. When he reemerges, he does so as a leader of a movement. In this role he proclaims the good news of God’s love in his preaching, teaching, healing, and in the way he models being in relationship with society’s most vulnerable and marginalized. Seemingly everyone who encounters him comes to understand there is something special about Jesus. His disciples know he is a servant of God, a prophet, maybe something more.
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain for some time away from their robust ministry. While together in this sacred space, Jesus takes on a blinding brightness. It is only then the disciples notice Jesus talking with Elijah and Moses.
These three disciples are in a state of shock, even terrified. Peter’s first reaction is to recognize the sacredness, the presence of the holy. He longs to do what we all tend to do when we encounter the holy--build a box or container or in this case dwellings--where the holy could remain forever.
Yet before Jesus could respond, a cloud moved into the space, making it difficult to see much of anything. From within the cloud came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” (1:7)
This time when God calls Jesus, ‘my Son, the Beloved’...
Elijah and Moses heard.
In the overarching narrative of Mark’s gospel, this is a critical moment where the circle is widened. God has not only spoken directly to Jesus, but now has spoken to his inner circle. This was not just some wild and crazy experience that only Jesus can vouch for at his baptism. Those he loves the most have now heard from their Creator that Jesus is somehow both human and divine.
It did not need to make sense to ring true for the disciples. Nor does it really need to make sense to ring true for us. Like the disciples, we may have more questions than answers, and that's okay.
The aspect of this story that I find most powerful is actually the vulnerability shown by Jesus in the transfiguration. He takes his innermost circle with him for some sacred time apart. With God’s help, Jesus reveals the fullness of who he is. Jesus can let down his guard; be vulnerable; and share with those who understand him the most*.
It’s poignant that God did not transfigure Jesus in the feeding of the 5,000, or while he was teaching in the temple. This was not a public act meant for the people. This was a tender and private moment, for Jesus to name for his own beloved exactly what he has been holding onto all by himself.
Think about your own innermost circle. When one of your beloved has named something tender and private, as part of their ongoing journey of transformation. Maybe your beloved found the courage and the vulnerability to…
...express their gender or sexual identity.
...share a hope and dream they’ve been holding onto.
...reveal abuse or a decaying marriage.
...get brutally honest about the amount of racial reconciliation work they must do.
...admit just how empty their well is as we approach the one year anniversary of living in this pandemic.
The thing about being human is we need one another. Jesus, in the fullness of his humanity, needed to share what was really happening with a few trusted friends. We may like to put on stoic faces and march ever onwards, but generally all we are doing is burying tender and sacred parts of who we are that God means for us to share with one another. To hold one another in support and friendship.
Some of you have probably seen the show Grey’s Anatomy, where the lead character routinely refers to another character as “My Person”. They were not childhood best friends. They met as residents in a surgical program and as different as they were from one another, found deep and lasting friendship.
We all need to be able to look at another human being and say, “You’re my person”. We need to ask our inner circle to join us and get real about what’s happening in our lives, just as we see Jesus model in the transfiguration.
Twelves months into this pandemic, it’s easy for us to give surface level answers when friends or family ask us how we are.
“Will be glad when this is over.”
What if this week we got honest with one person about what is happening in our own inner life? To share the burden we are carrying or the dream we are nurturing. Call one friend or zoom your inner circle. It’s easy to think we do not need to be so vulnerable.
Yet if even Jesus in all his full divinity and humanity needed to be vulnerable with a few close and trusted friends, surely we do as well. This kind of vulnerability and rigorous honesty is part of our own ongoing transformation. Without it our faith and growth can remain stagnant. In the coming week, I invite each of us to lean into our own inner circles. Find a time to connect virtually or in person, and share what’s really happening in our lives--the joys, the fears, the challenges, and the hopes. Amen.
*St. Stephen's introduced this idea in their weekly bible study reflection February 14, 2021, Last Sunday of Epiphany, Year B. This is a great weekly resource which I encourage folks to check out as part of ongoing scripture study.
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It’s been a little more than week since the NFL free agency period opened. The Broncos have been busy, adding a bevy of players from cornerback A.J. Bouye to guard Graham Glasgow to running back Melvin Gordon.
So, how have they done? Here’s what some national writers are grading Denver’s moves:
Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab (Grade: B): Getting (Jurrell) Casey for a seventh-round pick is a steal. Even if he doesn’t work out, will Denver miss that pick? Bouye is a reasonable replacement for Harris. Glasgow helps the offensive line. Gordon seems a bit redundant with Phillip Lindsay around, but Gordon is a good back. The Broncos finished last season on a high note, have a good young offensive core and got better in free agency.
Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash (Grade: Above average): “If it weren’t for handing $13.5 million guaranteed to Melvin Gordon over the next two seasons while rostering Phillip Lindsay, who has generated a higher overall grade over the past two years and costs under $1 million in 2020, the Broncos would have had an excellent grade.”
NFL.com’s Marc Sessler on the Casey trade (Grade: A+): “In what amounts to a cap-easing cash dump for the Titans, Denver paid next to nothing for a five-time Pro Bowler who can still generate havoc. Casey finished as a top-10 performer against the run last season, per PFF, and leaves Tennessee as one of the AFC’s more consistent inside maulers over the past decade. He’ll fit right into a Denver defense loaded with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on the edge.”
Sessler on the Bouye trade (Grade: B): “Jacksonville moving Bouye has everything to do with the team’s previously mentioned roster-gutting salary dump. With Chris Harris Jr. heading out the door, Denver adds a 28-year-old corner coming off a down year. It’s up to Broncos coach and defensive guru Vic Fangio to return Bouye to his Pro Bowl heights of 2017.”
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on the Gordon signing (Grade: D+): “For all of Gordon’s versatility as a runner and receiver, though, he just hasn’t been consistently healthy or good for very long as a pro.”
Barnwell on the Casey trade (Grade: B+): “Casey isn’t in the top tier of interior pass-rushers, but he’s a tough two-way player who should help create pass-rushing opportunities off of stunts and twists for Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.”


text:
NHF‐McMaster Guideline on Care Models for Haemophilia Management
- M. Pai, N. S. Key, M. Skinner, R. Curtis, M. Feinstein, C. Kessler, S. J. Lane, M. Makris, E. Riker, N. Santesso, J. M. Soucie, C. H. T. Yeung, A. Iorio, H. J. Schünemann
- Haemophilia SCI(E) SCOPUS
- Wiley in 2016
- Cited Count
This guideline was developed to identify evidence‐based best practices in haemophilia care delivery, and discuss the range of care providers and services that are most important to optimize outcomes for persons with haemophilia (PWH) across the United States. The guideline was developed following specific methods described in detail in this supplement and based on the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach). Direct evidence from published literature and the haemophilia community, as well as indirect evidence from other chronic diseases, were reviewed, synthesized and applied to create evidence‐based recommendations. The Guideline panel suggests that the integrated care model be used over non‐integrated care models for PWH (conditional recommendation, moderate certainty in the evidence). For PWH with inhibitors and those at high risk for inhibitor development, the same recommendation was graded as strong, with moderate certainty in the evidence. The panel suggests that a haematologist, a specialized haemophilia nurse, a physical therapist, a social worker and round‐the‐clock access to a specialized coagulation laboratory be part of the integrated care team, over an integrated care team that does not include all of these components (conditional recommendation, very low certainty in the evidence). Based on available evidence, the integrated model of care in its current structure, is suggested for optimal care of PWH. There is a need for further appropriately designed studies that address unanswered questions about specific outcomes and the optimal structure of the integrated care delivery model in haemophilia.
1.Strategic Summit Report.(2012)
2.Guidelines for the management of hemophilia. Haemophilia. Vol. 19. e147(2013) A Srivastava et al.
3.European principles of haemophilia care. Haemophilia. Vol. 14. 36174(2008) BT Colvin et al.
4.Hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease. 1. Diagnosis, comprehensive care and assessment. Association of Hemophilia Clinic Directors of Canada. CMAJ. Vol. 153. 1925(1995)
5.Developing models of haemophilia care. Haemophilia. Vol. 18. 8993(2012) A Street
6.Comprehensive care for haemophilia around the world. Haemophilia. Vol. 10. 913(2004) BL Evatt et al.
7.Comprehensive care in hemophilia. Hematology. Vol. 17. S1413(2012) A Ruiz‐Sáez
8.A community‐based partnership to promote information infrastructure for bleeding disorders. Am J Prev Med. Vol. 41. S3327(2011) DJ Aschman et al.
9.Differences between developed and developing countries in paediatric care in haemophilia. Haemophilia. Vol. 18. 94100(2012) P De Kleijn et al.
10.Management of haemophilia in the developing world. Haemophilia. Vol. 4. 47480(1998) A Srivastava et al.


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Posted 4:15 PM 5/8/2013 : Kidnapping and Rape Charges Filed Against Ariel Castro
CLEVELAND (AP) - Authorities have filed kidnapping and rape charges against a Cleveland man arrested after three women missing for about a decade were found alive at his home. Homeowner Ariel Castro was charged Wednesday. Brothers Pedro and Onil Castro are held but face no charges
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NORTHROP GRUMMAN has received a $77 million contract increase for the third phase of B-2 bomber Long Term Software Support effort, the Pentagon said Monday. Included in the contract, it said, are a detailed design document, weapons avionics simulator, a radar real time simulator, test line 2 integration, creation of an integrated test plan, and updates to the laboratory system specification. Work is to conclude by May 2000.
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text:
“Miss, can you please step onto the travelator? Miss, move across to the travelator!” The train station attendant manipulated his way through the crowd effortlessly in comparison to Julie’s awkward tripping and fumbling, as he approached and urged her towards one of the many snaking walkways. “Oh, sorry. I’m not using a device so…” “Move across, please, madam. You’re blocking the exit.” “I only stopped because you started talking to me. I’m going to walk. I’ll walk, please. I’m not using a phone.” The attendant gave her a dismissive nudge towards the middle of the concourse, as Julie tried to wade through the streams of commuters stepping directly from the trains onto the moving walkways, all the while staring out into virtual glasses or down into “smart” devices. Every day she would insist on walking out on her own two feet, and every day she’d get pushed, knocked, shouted at and even kicked, from time to time. It wasn’t like she’d have no opportunity to walk around once she left the grounds of the station, but there was something about the “congestion easing pathways” that irked her beyond submission. “It’s just one scam after another, is this, you know!” she’d complain to nobody in particular. “Just look up for five ruddy minutes,” she’d bellow at anyone with with an unplugged ear, which was mostly no-one. She’d officially become a ranter, harping back to the shit old days when it was the numpty on their phone that would get knocked about for not looking where they were going, not the conscientious walker who actually possesses an attention span longer than that of a fly and is therefore perfectly capable of walking out of a train station on their own two feet. All of this being carried out on a conveyor belt bollocks because you can’t tear your smug face away from your latest i-gimmick or “smart” pacifier was too much for Julie to take. So on she’d stomp, making her two-foot protest, that, frankly, nobody gave two shits about, but Julie.
It was customary for Julie to head straight out of the station and into her cousin’s pub, where she’d park at the end of the bar, eat a free dinner and read trashy romance novels that she’d found in a bin a couple of years ago, before eventually heading home to bed. Only now, her treasured week night sanctuary had been tainted by the overly chatty bar manager that had taken over while cousin Michael was away on training. “I believe Michael told you about the arrangement that I have with him?” she asked new guy Nige, the tallest man she’d ever met in real life. “That’s right, yeah, Michael told me all about the arrangement that you have with him so, while I’m here, I can take charge of sorting that out for you.” “OK, great, I’ll have my usual,” she said.“Yeah, exactly, that’s just it, Michael explained everything, so I’ll go and get your usual for you.” “OK, super. Thanks.” Nigel, unmoving, stared at her as though awaiting further instruction. “My usual meal…” “Exactly that, yeah, I’ll get your usual meal for you now,” he echoed. “From the kitchen upstairs…” she prompted. “Well, that’s just it, isn’t it. I’ll go upstairs to the kitchen and put your order in with one of the lads that I used to work with in my old job at the pub over the road. Dead sound lads, they are.” “Right… And I won’t be giving you any money for my meal because…?” “That’s just it, yeah, it’s all on the house, like. Michael explained it all to me before he left, so it’s all sorted.” Julie took off her glasses for a moment and peered up at Nigel’s vacant face, envisaging the vast wasteland between the ears of the giant where a brain might once have formed. “Michael then leaves me alone for the rest of the night. No conversation.” Peering back down, Nigel readied his next round of information-recycle-and-regurgitate, only pausing momentarily for an actual thought of his own to manifest and flutter around the barren cranial landscape, before nestling upon his lips. “That’s just it, like, it seems a bit sad that no one talks to you, really, so I think I’d like to take that on myself, if that’s alright with you? Oh, hang on a second, love, will you…” A flash of light from a mobile device, sat upon its mount behind the bar, attracted Nigel in a way that a flame might attract a moth on a dark night. He glared into the light for a long while, before erupting into a roar of laughter seemingly unfit for the quiet and subdued atmosphere around them. “Have you seen this?” He thrust the light into Julie’s face as she cowered away like a vampire at dawn. “It’s dead funny, have you seen it?” Without even looking at the screen, Julie replied, “No.” “Here y’are then, have a look. It’s the new Cat Fails video.” Julie got up from her seat at the bar, picked up her belongings, and left.
The next evening, she tentatively approached cousin Michael’s pub, in the hopes that a great bright light from the sky may have beamed Nigel up, overnight, and taken him back to his dimwitted homeland, but to her dismay, she could see the glow of his face from across the street as the light of his phone illuminated the giant nut atop his neck like a crossing beacon. She really wasn’t in any mood to go home and attempt to cook around the nightly horror scene that her flatmates left in the kitchen, so she decided to give Nigel another opportunity to follow instruction, and chalked the previous night up to teething problems. She walked in to the familiar peaceful scene that drew her in, night after night. A low buzz of conversation from the few regular patrons entwined amongst a gentle suggestion of mellow jazz creeping from the ceiling speakers. It was dimly lit, with just enough of a soft glow of candle light to read under. The illuminated faced giant was resting in his nook behind the bar, silent and pacified by whatever it was on the screen he contently glared into. For the first time, Julie found herself grateful for the ruddy little devices she had come to despise, as she sat down at her usual spot, unnoticed by big Nigel. She settled comfortably into her book, but as the time passed, she began to feel hungry. Not wanting to stir the giant, she contemplated heading upstairs to the kitchen herself, but the door to the stairway was located right behind the giants nook. She thought about telephoning the kitchen directly, but alas, she didn’t have the phone number, nor did she have a device with internet access to look it up. She was left with only one choice. “Nigel, if you could call up my dinner order, that would be great. Thanks.” He didn’t move. “Nigel…” Still, he stood glaring into the light. “NIGEL!” she shouted in frustration. He quickly whipped the headphones from his ears and approached where she sat. “Sorry, love. So, it’s the same meal as every day, I’ll call up the lads. Do you want it now, like?” “No, Nigel, I’ll have it in the morning for breakfast instead, just to mix things up a bit.” Looking at her, confused and anxious not to cause offence after receiving a call from cousin Michael that afternoon reiterating and reinforcing the stringency of his instruction, he replied, “Really, like? You want to come in for breakfast instead? Erm, yeah, OK, I can sort that out for you, just give me two minutes.” “Nigel, the pub doesn’t open til 4pm. Of course I want it now.” “Oh.” He pottered off to the phone and called the order in. Roughly 20 minutes later, a bell rang, and out from the elevator hatch, he collected Julie’s meal and carried it over to her. “Sorry about that,” he said in a muted tone. “It’s fine,” she replied, as she unfolded the napkin that was tightly wrapped around her cutlery. “Your Michael gave me a call, so I know all about the arrangement and stuff.” “Good.” “It’s just you left so quickly yesterday, I didn’t have the chance to get to know you properly…” And just like that, another perfectly good evening was ruined. She endured Nigel’s incessant waffling about everything and nothing throughout the duration of her meal, too hungry to get up and leave as she had done the night before. Despite her efforts to block out his talk, far too much had seeped in, leaving her to wonder if this man had ever had an independent thought in his entire life. He regurgitated one nonsense after the other that he’d picked up from that tiresome device that he peered into for most of his waking life, and she knew as much because he proudly told her so. He bragged about tweets and vines, virals and trends, products and consumerism, followers following, capitalists conditioning. She left the pub that night feeling a bleak sense of despair after witnessing, first hand, the widely accepted state of zombification that had swept across an ever increasing, willing and obliging, thoughtless society. She had no intention of ever repeating such an experience…
..Until the next night, when her stomach rumbled and her mind reeled at the thought of what awaited her at home. It was more than just the state of the kitchen, it was the resentment of not being able to afford a place of her own in which to live. It was the fact that she was priced into living with complete strangers that she had no care for, yet there they were in her home, the place in which her heart should live, rubbing their privileged upbringing in her face by having absolutely no inclination that one should tidy up after oneself after making a mess. She simply did not want to spend anymore time in the place she reluctantly called home than was absolutely necessary. As she looked across the street, through the window of cousin Michael’s pub, at the human crossing beacon behind the bar, her eye wandered to the shop next door and an unexpected thought swept across her. Feeling ashamed of what she was about to do, she ran across the road and into the shop, made a swift purchase and ran back out before her principles could kick in and put a stop to the whole thing.
She crept into the bar and found her seat before Nigel found her presence. Faffing around with her shopping, she fidgeted away until eventually Nigel noticed her arrival and marched on over. “Jules!! Today has been mad! Have you seen what the Prime Minister did on twitter? They’re calling it Roast Beef Day.” Julie lifted a tablet computer from her lap and held the screen up to Nigel’s face. I wish to communicate my lack of desire to communicate, using this, the medium with which you are most receptive. Now, kindly bugger off, I’m reading an e-book, which, FYI, is just as respectable as reading a traditional book. Julie unwrapped a pair of headphones and plunged them into her ears, as Nigel beamed with joy as he watched the scene unfold. “You’ve got the same one as me! Mine started off as an e-book reader as well, then I thought, well I might as well try out some audio books cuz then I can, like, jog, or something, at the same time, only I don’t really jog so now I watch loads of TV and that on mine. But then I don’t always have time to watch a whole programme so I watch short viral vids instead now, while I’m on twitter and Facebook. I looked for you on Facebook last night, but I couldn’t find you. Go on there now and add me, like, we can be friends and that, and I’ll show you what I was on about last night….” Julie pressed her finger hard against the volume increase button and flooded her world with that mellow sound of jazz music she’d so been pining for, slowly craning her neck down toward her very own not-so-brightly-lit-screen-because-she-turned-the-contrast-down and found her escape, once again, in the world of trashy romantic literature. Blocking out the hypocrisy and saving her justifications for another day, she had been conquered by the silly big giant.