News for today's 2018

BumbleBar Review

1:31 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweQlrJ3ZHeT-fo3F0YrfX6J_k1tuYz80hLaesd1juhmlXdr0cC390YSLeFxuVtiz328P4LGdqjg6HkMDcg0ufPBuzDOy9yuoRjE7sH_VXLMIbIWeGY16zfuDgE5JCqZA3JW317fjHd_s/s1600/bumble+bar+banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweQlrJ3ZHeT-fo3F0YrfX6J_k1tuYz80hLaesd1juhmlXdr0cC390YSLeFxuVtiz328P4LGdqjg6HkMDcg0ufPBuzDOy9yuoRjE7sH_VXLMIbIWeGY16zfuDgE5JCqZA3JW317fjHd_s/s1600/bumble+bar+banner.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was sent some of <a href="http://bumblebar.com/index.html">Bumble Bar's</a> sesame snacks for review.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The great thing about these bars is that they are tiny and you can put them in any bag to take along with you anywhere to enjoy a snack without over eating, or just as a pick me up!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The flavors I was sent were:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chocolate Crisp</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amazing Almond</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Original Peanut</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpGBIG3zR8o-l_dAfx_mE3R3nTM_-ceNFCP_Z5JoDvnsksJuXntykJAW2xMiJqX1ZY7UvKU_PjaTZv5VvVmwogdDPbtrgJA8eHmXar85g-xDIY6mz11Vs2iqmYrgA4VB88YdnQtFzUwo/s1600/bumble+bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpGBIG3zR8o-l_dAfx_mE3R3nTM_-ceNFCP_Z5JoDvnsksJuXntykJAW2xMiJqX1ZY7UvKU_PjaTZv5VvVmwogdDPbtrgJA8eHmXar85g-xDIY6mz11Vs2iqmYrgA4VB88YdnQtFzUwo/s320/bumble+bars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Facts:</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">organic</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">kid approved</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">gluten free</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">packed with energy</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">healthy</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">delicious</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">vegan approved</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can order them here!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Website:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bumblebar.com/index.html">http://bumblebar.com/index.html</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like them on Face Book here:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BumbleBar/182186641796901?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/pages/BumbleBar/182186641796901?fref=ts</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Follow them Via Twitter here:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/bumblebar"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/bumblebar</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Due to FCC guidelines:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bumbe Bar sent me their sesame bars in exchange for a product review. All the opinions expressed are my own.</span></div></div>

BumbleBar Review

I was sent some of Bumble Bar's sesame snacks for review. The great thing about these bars is that they are tiny and you can put them ...

Library Director - Milford Public Library

1:28 PM Anonymous 0

<strong>Library Director - </strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">Milford Public Library</span></strong> is seeking a community oriented, adaptive and technically proficient  Director to lead a growing, progressive library toward the next  generation library. This is a unique opportunity to work in the  wonderful shoreline community of Milford, Connecticut, located just 90  minutes outside of New York City. The Director will work with a dynamic  Board of Directors, in a team environment composed of 15 full time,  dedicated staff members, temporary workers and volunteers, to design and  implement programs and services to serve a variety of cultures and age  groups. Duties: For a complete job description and application, please  visit our website, <a _fcksavedurl="http://www.ci.milford.ct.us" href="http://www.ci.milford.ct.us/" target="_blank">www.ci.milford.ct.us</a>.  Click on City Departments, then Personnel, then Employment  Opportunities. Requirements: Master’s Degree in Library Science from an  accredited ALA Institution and 7 years public library experience,  including five years of increasing administrative experience. Able to  effectively administer and supervise the work of the Library, work well  with government offices and community organizations, be a visionary for  technology and libraries of the future, and act as a community outreach  collaborator. Experience with SIRSI DYNIX (or similar) automated book  circulation system preferred. Good sense of library public relations and  publicity. Salary Range: $83 - $89.6K per year (2% increase scheduled  for July 2013). Benefits: Defined benefit pension plan, medical, dental  and life insurance. Paid time off includes sick time, personal business  time and vacation leave. To Apply: Submit cover letter, three  references, completed/signed application, and resume by <span style="color: red;">April 12, 2013</span> to John O’Connell, Personnel Director, 70 West River Street, Milford, CT  06460, or email <a _fcksavedurl="mailto:lpisacane@ci.milford.ct.us" href="mailto:lpisacane@ci.milford.ct.us">lpisacane@ci.milford.ct.us</a>.

Library Director - Milford Public Library

Library Director - Milford Public Library is seeking a community oriented, adaptive and technically proficient Director to lead a growing,...

Garnier Hydra Recharge Results

1:05 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/garnierHydra.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5610521272&Campaign=6404167871&Uid=1264101&token=ab48985081c0a672d08bd2a42a668be9" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I've been using my Hydra Recharge products that I've received from Bzzagent and Garnier for quite some time now and love how soft it's made my hair feel.  </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm so glad I was a part of this campaign on Bzzagent because before I started using this product my hair was full of static, and sort of dried out looking.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only does it make it oh so soft but it smells amazing!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is a shot of me after I have been using it!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFp7wmr24yiRxAr18cZDRG3wZrZxw4isjTS8iqGLp8HnZrV_iafzdWOr09cVtNmM31Sfh6jWeAC9bg2lYZZnJMRGy4_IjZaWMreVlNf018TovExh8wgR94cffaq0Oh53YuM0LTMEFBVE/s1600/Hydra+Recharge+results.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFp7wmr24yiRxAr18cZDRG3wZrZxw4isjTS8iqGLp8HnZrV_iafzdWOr09cVtNmM31Sfh6jWeAC9bg2lYZZnJMRGy4_IjZaWMreVlNf018TovExh8wgR94cffaq0Oh53YuM0LTMEFBVE/s320/Hydra+Recharge+results.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>

Garnier Hydra Recharge Results

I've been using my Hydra Recharge products that I've received from Bzzagent and Garnier for quite some time now and love how soft...

30 Days of writing #2: Get your students writing for 60 seconds with oneword.com

11:50 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>_____________________________________________</b></i></span><br /><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>If you are a South African teacher reading this we would like to tell you about a writing opportunity and a free online writing course that is coming up with SchoolNetSA  as part of the amazing <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/03/30-days-of-writing-1-welcome-to-african.html" target="_blank">African Storybook project</a> and website that is being developed for Africa. Our 30 days of writing posts will lead up to giving more information about this. WATCH THIS SPACE!</b></i></span><br /><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>__________________________________________________________</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More and more one can see how amazing it could be if all the students in a class have tablets. Imagine having just one or two minutes each day to get the students writing! This website <a href="http://oneworld.com/">http://oneworld.com</a> is designed for just that. All you have to do is:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll see <strong>one word</strong> at the top of the following screen.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You have <strong>sixty seconds</strong> to write about it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Click <strong>go</strong> and the page will load with the cursor in place.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t <strong>think</strong>. Just <strong>write</strong>.</span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx9GHB4MGHcDBzdrTLBOcFbUA11g3c3dteUnR4QBFAQoiayETj3sqXXNDNOSkPrI7rOiCKB4sDO2dpPCCHSVu1ooEhsPzDAMfwMt6mOFYDytbnYYdd6STgFm0Nwr_KwYl82L1YZNMM5E/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="242" /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Advantages of daily writing practise:</b></span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This could get students into the habit of just writing and thinking out of the box. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By writing every day, the students gain fluency while getting a chance to practice important punctuation, spelling, and style skills in context</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The students will soon start writing more fluently. </span></li></ul><div><br /></div></div>

30 Days of Writing Writing 30 Days of writing #2: Get your students writing for 60 seconds with oneword.com

_____________________________________________ If you are a South African teacher reading this we would like to tell you about a writing oppo...

Director - Simsbury Public Library

11:40 AM Anonymous 0

<b>Director - </b><b><span style="color: #48286d;">Simsbury Public Library</span></b>.  The Town of Simsbury, population 23,500, is consistently ranked as one  of the best places to live in the country. The Library Director is  responsible for leading this progressive and innovative Library with a  staff of 18 FTE and $1.4m annual budget. The Director advocates for the  Library, plans and oversees a comprehensive offering of valuable  programs serving all facets of the community, and implements policies  established by the Library Board of Trustees. The Library is a  Department of the Town of Simsbury. This 40 hrs/wk position has a salary  range of $70,000-$105,000 and full benefits package. Minimum  Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Library Science from an  ALA-accredited program. 6 years of progressively responsible experience  in library work. A minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience. All  applications must be submitted online only at: <a _fcksavedurl="http://www.simsbury-ct.gov/jobs" href="http://www.simsbury-ct.gov/jobs" target="_blank">www.simsbury-ct.gov/jobs</a> by Sunday, <span style="color: red;">April 14th, 2013</span>.  The full job description is available on the Town’s website. If you  have any problems while using the online application system, call (860)  658-3230.

Director - Simsbury Public Library

Director - Simsbury Public Library . The Town of Simsbury, population 23,500, is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in ...

Director of Library and Information Services (LIS), Academic Affairs - Mitchell College, New London

11:35 AM Anonymous 0

<strong>Director of Library and Information Services (LIS), Academic Affairs - </strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">Mitchell College</span></strong> (New London) is currently seeking a Director of Library and Information  Services to provide the oversight, vision and leadership for Library  and Information Services (LIS), which extends both throughout and beyond  the institution. The Director will be responsible for the delivery of  services and ensuring a supportive and collaborative environment that  enables the members of the campus community to access and use  information resources and technologies confidently in teaching,  learning, research, administration, and outreach. The Director must  support the College’s mission and values, encouraging a strong service  orientation on the part of the Library and Information Services team for  building working relationships campus-wide. This position reports  directly to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. For a full position  description, <a _fcksavedurl="http://community.mitchell.edu/document.doc?id=1411" href="http://community.mitchell.edu/document.doc?id=1411" target="_blank">click here</a>.  Required Education and Experience: ALA-accredited graduate degree. Five  years of supervisory, administrative, and management experience in a  higher education library setting blending traditional services and an  educational technology component. Exemplary communication abilities.  Experience in furthering information and communication technology  literacy in a higher education environment. Awareness and understanding  of current and emerging technologies in higher education. Knowledge of  current issues and trends in academic information services such as  instructional technology and design, assessment, copyright and fair use,  and scholarly communication. Demonstrated success in fostering a  team-oriented, collaborative, and collegial environment. Proven record  of professional ethics and a commitment to building strong relationships  that are reflective of the College’s <a _fcksavedurl="http://community.mitchell.edu/Mission" href="http://community.mitchell.edu/Mission" target="_blank">mission and core values</a>,  embracing individuality, inclusion, involvement, innovation, and  integrity. This is an FLSA exempt (37.5 hr week) position and is paid  bi-weekly, as a 100% full-time appointment, with regular College  benefits. The salary is commensurate with experience and the start date  will be as soon as possible after the close of the search. For full  consideration, please send a cover letter, your CV/resume and 3  references (contact information or letters) by <span style="color: red;">April 16, 2013</span> to <a _fcksavedurl="mailto:jobs@mitchell.edu" href="mailto:jobs@mitchell.edu">jobs@mitchell.edu</a>. For further information regarding our application procedures, you may visit <a _fcksavedurl="http://community.mitchell.edu/Employment" href="http://community.mitchell.edu/Employment" target="_blank">http://community.mitchell.edu/Employment</a>.  Mitchell College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not  discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,  national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender  identity, marital status, disability and genetic information, age,  membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.

Director of Library and Information Services (LIS), Academic Affairs - Mitchell College, New London

Director of Library and Information Services (LIS), Academic Affairs - Mitchell College (New London) is currently seeking a Director of Lib...

Head of Facilities and Security - Russell Library, Middletown

11:26 AM Anonymous 0

<strong>Head of Facilities and Security - </strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">Russell Library</span></strong> (Middletown) seeks a building and maintenance manager with supervisory  and construction project management experience to develop and direct the  maintenance, repair and upkeep of the Library’s buildings, grounds and  capital equipment. This position oversees and performs security services  to ensure safety of staff, patrons, and property.  Applicants should  have project management and supervisory experience, as well as hands-on  maintenance and repair skills. The beginning salary is $58,486 per year,  with benefits, for a 40-hour work week. The Head of Facilities and  Security: Develops near-term and long-range plans and objectives for the  department. Recommends appointments and trains, supervises and  evaluates employees. Oversees the maintenance, cleaning and repair of  buildings and grounds to ensure the safety and appearance of facilities.  Evaluates the safety and energy efficiency of buildings and equipment  and recommends repair, replacement or procedures as needed. Serves as  liaison with architects, engineers, contractors and public officials on  building repair or equipment replacement and with local safety officials  on emergency and security issues. Develops and administers security  procedures for public, employees and property, and serves as security  officer while on duty. Recommends department budget and administers  approved budget. Oversees purchases of equipment, materials, supplies,  and vendor contracts as needed. The skills and knowledge required would  generally be acquired with graduation from a vocational technical  school, or successful completion of an apprenticeship training program,  and five years of progressively responsible experience in building  maintenance or construction work, including three years of supervisory  or lead maintenance experience; or any equivalent combination of  education and skills which demonstrates possession of the required  knowledge, skills, and abilities.  Experience and/or training in  security, public safety, or law enforcement are also preferred.   Candidate must be flexible about scheduling, have strong interpersonal  communication skills, and the ability to maintain composure in difficult  situations, sometimes involving unruly members of the public.  Applications are available online at the Russell Library website: <a _fcksavedurl="http://www.russelllibrary.org/about_us/employment.html" href="http://www.russelllibrary.org/about_us/employment.html" target="_blank"> http://russelllibrary.org/about_us/employment.html</a>. Applications must be submitted by Monday, <span style="color: red;">April 1, 2013</span> to: Arthur Meyers, Library Director, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown, CT 06457.

Head of Facilities and Security - Russell Library, Middletown

Head of Facilities and Security - Russell Library (Middletown) seeks a building and maintenance manager with supervisory and construction ...

Weathering steel

10:31 AM Tukiyooo 0

<p>Check out the patina that has developed on our Corten Steel.  It will continue to change and get darker. I love it, so organic.  </p><p>Here are some <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.505707469465594.1073741831.122333021136376&type=1">Before & After</a> pics.</p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdpQdmgKMpyfzWs4njcIVBBq980EuDQNVyoXmx1mCYUjW6pcbrj4sXg2JMolIj04HtsabM1vItAyPVcTwBImz-mDHNWI833M5CxpPL_6W6uM1th2mFNEzn_r9Y4XxMW0efzzUWLpZ_rp7/s1600/20130318_151929.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdpQdmgKMpyfzWs4njcIVBBq980EuDQNVyoXmx1mCYUjW6pcbrj4sXg2JMolIj04HtsabM1vItAyPVcTwBImz-mDHNWI833M5CxpPL_6W6uM1th2mFNEzn_r9Y4XxMW0efzzUWLpZ_rp7/s400/20130318_151929.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTJRwcFaL8tO2JY-rp5f9FJD97ivYILA4PdunmEM0ZhQOcYPTjcf6KSUqhGTikzBk0Gkp3FYHvct_6l1fTOjQ6SYXwFvpgn-pI4NpyYyj2cgZqJLqgFQjdujcY65hML1P-lV37JQdePOL/s1600/20130318_152047.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTJRwcFaL8tO2JY-rp5f9FJD97ivYILA4PdunmEM0ZhQOcYPTjcf6KSUqhGTikzBk0Gkp3FYHvct_6l1fTOjQ6SYXwFvpgn-pI4NpyYyj2cgZqJLqgFQjdujcY65hML1P-lV37JQdePOL/s400/20130318_152047.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4TJcUzhLhBd6G-I6R6dF14HM_Eg3l7-xcZwnHPWLTTLgHfnhgi_KekUlnP3uZlTMSSGWDaftrUW6xR05asJvSRWEwy66tTdO3JcYBlDv_f6sitDNqwA9qAiwJp5QkEVpSpS8M5hY4Bdj/s1600/20130318_152059.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4TJcUzhLhBd6G-I6R6dF14HM_Eg3l7-xcZwnHPWLTTLgHfnhgi_KekUlnP3uZlTMSSGWDaftrUW6xR05asJvSRWEwy66tTdO3JcYBlDv_f6sitDNqwA9qAiwJp5QkEVpSpS8M5hY4Bdj/s400/20130318_152059.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQU4yFrWQcgs44CTqPcnqkYdisk73ajfmfKLrqoAjHPsJVYEoZ_gn20Fij7NlyI7feCGgi9W4PjRXRSwTeY8nvvHA2yB3xMu87h6Ol5FllH-HASAAtyRrZ_CBTWu_MXKpLpntN8vMjKoDd/s1600/20130318_152006.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQU4yFrWQcgs44CTqPcnqkYdisk73ajfmfKLrqoAjHPsJVYEoZ_gn20Fij7NlyI7feCGgi9W4PjRXRSwTeY8nvvHA2yB3xMu87h6Ol5FllH-HASAAtyRrZ_CBTWu_MXKpLpntN8vMjKoDd/s400/20130318_152006.jpg" /> </a> </div>

Weathering steel

Check out the patina that has developed on our Corten Steel. It will continue to change and get darker. I love it, so organic. Here are so...

Wilkies Chocolate

10:18 AM Tukiyooo 0

<p>I saw an article in the Irish Times about a new chocolate maker in Dublin.  <a href="http://wilkieschocolate.ie/">Wilkies Chocolate</a> is handmade in Dun Laoghaire using a process that takes five days or so .  I saw that bars were available in<a href="http://www.fixxcoffeehouse.ie/"> Fixx Coffee</a> in Dawson street for €4.95 so we popped in to get a bar and see what it tasted like.</p><p>It is nicely packaged (a little too much glue on the seal however makes it difficult to open without breaking the chocolate thereby robbing you of your first chocolate "snap") in brown paper with an attractive print.</p><p>Taste wise it is a very bitter chocolate that goes well with coffee. I love bitter chocolate so I thought it was delicious.</p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefHwPCbTygMZSe2hB21WLx6fClklFZGrWaYHDNcJ_K3xaVFaSe2p2N7Smd1eruFxfV7iucozYGqNGcGzhW0Kaq27Xc9ZuN3KpU1WKoEETnuIrUfboZP6TxcOwvspe5rbSMT5RQzWDlxOc/s1600/20130318_154848.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefHwPCbTygMZSe2hB21WLx6fClklFZGrWaYHDNcJ_K3xaVFaSe2p2N7Smd1eruFxfV7iucozYGqNGcGzhW0Kaq27Xc9ZuN3KpU1WKoEETnuIrUfboZP6TxcOwvspe5rbSMT5RQzWDlxOc/s400/20130318_154848.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEF3N_SixEfzckdtUO5HIgPauHbGEkNEc3kJGgxhmkdAMf65UA5ATideKyrat3YdieLGsEZiBvY35fB87qD7AeB8jzU07-LARwM1cIMV6ZLZnXv0au2q1jHOFY0S8o3Uagadb5Ahw2OquZ/s1600/20130318_154654.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEF3N_SixEfzckdtUO5HIgPauHbGEkNEc3kJGgxhmkdAMf65UA5ATideKyrat3YdieLGsEZiBvY35fB87qD7AeB8jzU07-LARwM1cIMV6ZLZnXv0au2q1jHOFY0S8o3Uagadb5Ahw2OquZ/s400/20130318_154654.jpg" /> </a> </div>

Wilkies Chocolate

I saw an article in the Irish Times about a new chocolate maker in Dublin. Wilkies Chocolate is handmade in Dun Laoghaire using a process ...

The Farm

9:07 AM Tukiyooo 0

Ciaran ate breakfast in The Farm awhile back and said it was the best breakfast ever. This a restaurant that prides itself on the quality of its food and is fully organic. We went this morning and I can honestly say it was the best  poached eggs and sausage I have ever tasted. It was cooked unbelievably well and service was great too. This is another place that we will now have to try for dinner! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB9YdpQZYHhdcLUZwVpUf6UUk-Xm_nBHvr52UBDDQkjbRlE_ot2oXpjK_YlJUTTEavChrx0MPZDhM2Paa0e1he0_A6CFdn7e-YfKDzeXRgYU-lXt5EV5R7aNrd_fvV6zU7zILfGEO20OR/s640/blogger-image-1432608353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB9YdpQZYHhdcLUZwVpUf6UUk-Xm_nBHvr52UBDDQkjbRlE_ot2oXpjK_YlJUTTEavChrx0MPZDhM2Paa0e1he0_A6CFdn7e-YfKDzeXRgYU-lXt5EV5R7aNrd_fvV6zU7zILfGEO20OR/s640/blogger-image-1432608353.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxu72Tjl388uWgt8eBd14HY1TDnwt-EhVzR8TohLPQwdQclFsSkGZlw0VQJttzVHLahuKDRX1A0rNLOAGzP5P_T6sdxASSuxvsd5Yukifkr9PiND1Ql42mTYw1oFr99Uod-GXWIpeo1x3/s640/blogger-image--783833532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxu72Tjl388uWgt8eBd14HY1TDnwt-EhVzR8TohLPQwdQclFsSkGZlw0VQJttzVHLahuKDRX1A0rNLOAGzP5P_T6sdxASSuxvsd5Yukifkr9PiND1Ql42mTYw1oFr99Uod-GXWIpeo1x3/s640/blogger-image--783833532.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTRvbKniX-8gnNAqQeEx-GHp0gv8Pamu0WRGmHZ1npfUQqihDCgJ119qbfTKJb1Oq95B0GwUhar10mKyCMUB-qYKMyaYQT8B6wyv4oJwZ17D5T7K27BQChGwKGeE26OJKvKuL8AO5-kmU/s640/blogger-image--1722800222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTRvbKniX-8gnNAqQeEx-GHp0gv8Pamu0WRGmHZ1npfUQqihDCgJ119qbfTKJb1Oq95B0GwUhar10mKyCMUB-qYKMyaYQT8B6wyv4oJwZ17D5T7K27BQChGwKGeE26OJKvKuL8AO5-kmU/s640/blogger-image--1722800222.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPKrU0fUG-NxFupEEsU2LfxB0ZK4GYKKa1U2Y61bw4tjUSsiEJ2aMymYNiNAvba-2v_197lz64aqL04DGWm-UvfMS_ZOn6d6uO6AZLnnVaMN2DpspYNg_OhLgZOXjRJSlh7RhukOTMKs2/s640/blogger-image--393086799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPKrU0fUG-NxFupEEsU2LfxB0ZK4GYKKa1U2Y61bw4tjUSsiEJ2aMymYNiNAvba-2v_197lz64aqL04DGWm-UvfMS_ZOn6d6uO6AZLnnVaMN2DpspYNg_OhLgZOXjRJSlh7RhukOTMKs2/s640/blogger-image--393086799.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvD_8Vx6wEH_r2odc0XBNdOBEQHqXEnhbndA156_SDzofYlUbeWjm9rhCnmGiLMe0iuc_CJ-xmrUupHjTm-VIx95ERYsJzQ_4e-lN5dpHErdK_fDSCxJvnQCMwXOQoZCdtWia8R1XIyoM/s640/blogger-image--257645456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvD_8Vx6wEH_r2odc0XBNdOBEQHqXEnhbndA156_SDzofYlUbeWjm9rhCnmGiLMe0iuc_CJ-xmrUupHjTm-VIx95ERYsJzQ_4e-lN5dpHErdK_fDSCxJvnQCMwXOQoZCdtWia8R1XIyoM/s640/blogger-image--257645456.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodKUcixAYpHUhEZXpcqeV_q5sdkb5m-kg2H5yF-1ZRGEUhzu4rq7fUrEPR2H7Mgp-vSpG6juoGKk9eMqiJiRM3LmK6r-MAXsUUrXFFRJGjJJMD415fOGRIN0_aO5D0dGAychR6NXpz23D/s640/blogger-image--825263454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodKUcixAYpHUhEZXpcqeV_q5sdkb5m-kg2H5yF-1ZRGEUhzu4rq7fUrEPR2H7Mgp-vSpG6juoGKk9eMqiJiRM3LmK6r-MAXsUUrXFFRJGjJJMD415fOGRIN0_aO5D0dGAychR6NXpz23D/s640/blogger-image--825263454.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43okKOEBKG5BqpgKCyavpeneR8cW59N1_4nofmNK90Q6JzmNDQRx7wO2csed3ujqICIc5vnrmavQLKGVNw7Mg7TpJbksJm8Ov1leJPmzEEKXcFuTEs9We0SkZOyYGWYJc5147QxvO-lwH/s640/blogger-image--2036545777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43okKOEBKG5BqpgKCyavpeneR8cW59N1_4nofmNK90Q6JzmNDQRx7wO2csed3ujqICIc5vnrmavQLKGVNw7Mg7TpJbksJm8Ov1leJPmzEEKXcFuTEs9We0SkZOyYGWYJc5147QxvO-lwH/s640/blogger-image--2036545777.jpg" /></a></div>

The Farm

Ciaran ate breakfast in The Farm awhile back and said it was the best breakfast ever. This a restaurant that prides itself on the quality of...

Women and the Treatment of Pain - NYTimes.com

9:06 AM Tukiyooo 0

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><nyt_text style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div id="articleBody"><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">To the list of differences between men and women, we can add one more: the drug-dose gender gap. Doctors and researchers increasingly understand that there can be striking variations in the way men and women respond to drugs, many of which are tested almost exclusively on males. Early this year, for instance, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was cutting in half the<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/health/fda-requires-cuts-to-dosages-of-ambien-and-other-sleep-drugs.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">prescribed dose of Ambien</a> for women, who remained drowsy for longer than men after taking the drug.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Women have hormonal cycles, smaller organs, higher body fat composition — all of which are thought to play a role in how drugs affect our bodies. We also have basic differences in gene expression, which can make <a href="http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hs_healthfacts_dat" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">differences in the way we metabolize drugs</a>. For example, men metabolize caffeine more quickly, while women metabolize certain antibiotics and anxiety medications more quickly. In some cases, drugs work less effectively depending on sex; women are less responsive to anesthesia and ibuprofen for instance. In other cases, women are at more risk for adverse — even lethal — side effects.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">These differences are particularly important for the millions of women living with chronic pain. An estimated 25 percent of Americans experience chronic pain, and a disproportionate number of them are women. A review published in the Journal of Pain in 2009 found that women faced a substantially greater risk of developing pain conditions. They are twice as likely to have multiple sclerosis, two to three times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis and four times more likely to have chronic fatigue syndrome than men. As a whole, autoimmune diseases, which often include debilitating pain, <a href="https://www.aarda.org/women_and_autoimmunity.php" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">strike women three times more frequently than men</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">While hormonal, genetic and even environmental factors might influence the manifestation and progression of autoimmune diseases, we don't yet know the reason for this high prevalence in women.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Pain conditions are a particularly good example of the interplay between sex (our biological and chromosomal differences) and gender (the cultural roles and expectations attributed to a person). In 2011, the Institute of Medicine published a report on the public health impact of chronic pain, called "Relieving Pain in America." It found that not only did women appear to suffer more from pain, but that women's reports of pain were more likely to be dismissed.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">This is a serious problem, because pain is subjective and self-reported, and diagnosis and treatment depend on the assumption that the person reporting symptoms is beyond doubt.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The oft-cited study "The Girl Who Cried Pain: A Bias Against Women in the Treatment of Pain" found that women were less likely to receive aggressive treatment when diagnosed, and were more likely to have their pain characterized as "emotional," "psychogenic" and therefore "not real."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Instead of appropriate care for physical pain, this can lead to treatment for mental health issues that might not even exist. The situation is further complicated by the fact that antidepressants are absorbed differently in women and vary in effectiveness, depending on hormonal cycles.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The routine attribution of abdominal pain from conditions like appendicitis or gastrointestinal disease to gynecological problems can also delay or complicate the diagnostic process. A 2008 study published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine, designed to gauge gender disparities among emergency room patients complaining of abdominal pain, found that even after adjusting for race, class and triage assessment, women were still 13 to 25 percent less likely than men to receive high-strength "opioid" pain medication. Those who did get opioid pain relievers waited an average of 16 minutes longer to receive them.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Conditions like fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, for which definitive causes have not been identified and concrete diagnostic tests are not available, illustrate the problems associated with the perceived reliability of the female patient as narrator of her pain. Women are more likely to receive diagnoses of many of these more nebulous conditions — fibromyalgia, which affects about six million patients in the United States, is nine times more likely to be diagnosed in women than in men — and this discrepancy surely contributes to the widespread skepticism that still exists over the legitimacy of these disorders.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I AM a sufferer of pain and chronic disease. Like many, I've had physical symptoms (in my case, respiratory problems and infections) explained away as emotional. My freshman year in college, I was in the emergency room, flanked by machines and struggling to breathe while doctors lobbed questions at me: Why wasn't I responding to the medication the way they expected I would? Was I just too anxious? Could I not handle stress, and was that making me sick?</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I was 23 before I was given a correct diagnosis of a rare genetic lung disease called primary ciliary dyskinesia. I'd been sick since birth, but long diagnostic journeys are occupational hazards of living with conditions doctors don't often see. Still, my journey was unnecessarily protracted by my doctors' dismissal of my symptoms as those of a neurotic young woman.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">For all the medical advances of the past few decades, we still know shockingly little about pain and how to control it. Sex-based research is a crucial part of understanding not just the underlying mechanisms of pain, but the most effective ways to treat it for men and women alike. The Institute of Medicine report found gaps in research, particularly in terms of effective treatments, as well as in the oversight of pain research. The report recommended that these problems be addressed and that strategies to resolve them be implemented by 2015.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Among those improvements must be a renewed focus on discovering why women respond differently to some drugs and diseases, as well as an emphasis on training physicians to better diagnose and manage women's pain. A report by the Campaign to End Chronic Pain in Women found that inadequate physician training in diagnosing and treating just six pain disorders that affect women either exclusively or predominantly, including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, added as much as $80 billion a year to America's health care bills.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Part of the reason the diagnosis and treatment of women's pain lag so much is simply the pace of medical research itself, which is slow to move from publication to clinical practice. Unfortunately, if anything, changes in assumptions about gender evolve even more slowly.</p><nyt_author_id><div class="authorIdentification" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em; "><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 15px !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 24px; font-style: italic; ">Laurie Edwards is <a href="http://www.laurieedwardswriter.com/blog/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px !important; line-height: 22px; ">the author</a> of the forthcoming book "In the Kingdom of the Sick: A Social History of Chronic Illness in America" and a writing teacher at Northeastern University.</div></div></nyt_author_id><nyt_correction_bottom><div class="articleCorrection" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em; "></div></nyt_correction_bottom><nyt_update_bottom></nyt_update_bottom></div></nyt_text><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important; float: none; "></span></div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/opinion/sunday/women-and-the-treatment-of-pain.html?_r=1&&pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/opinion/sunday/women-and-the-treatment-of-pain.html?_r=1&&pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Women and the Treatment of Pain - NYTimes.com

To the list of differences between men and women, we can add one more: the drug-dose gender gap. Doctors and researchers increasingly unders...

How to Watch March Madness Live Online

8:34 AM Tukiyooo 0

NCAA March Madness 2013 starts off with the selection Sunday on 17th March and the Final 4 on April 6th.The Final Four weekend will have loads of action with a Special Pre-Game Musical Performance, Final 4 team open practices, Reese's College All-Star Game and more.<br /><br />The <b>March Madness Schedule for 2013</b> starts off with 68 teams and looks like this<br /><br />March 19-20 - First Round<br /><br />March 21 - 22 - Second Round<br /><br />March 23-24 - Third Round <br /><br />Regionals<br /><br />March 28-29th - Sweet 16<br /><br />March 30th - 31st - Elite 8<br /><br />April - 6th  - Final Four<br /><br />The culmination of NCAA Championship Games with the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Games Finals on April 8th to be held at the Georgia Dome at Georgia, Atlanta.<br /><br />Watch the NCAA Championship Games or the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Games Finals or the <b>March Madness Live Online Streaming</b> at the official NCAA Basketball MMOD website.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness.">http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness.</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can collect your printable March Madness Bracket at any of the sports website. Here is a link to one<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2013/3/17/4116652/ncaa-bracket-2013-full-printable-march-madness-bracket">http://www.sbnation.com/2013/3/17/4116652/ncaa-bracket-2013-full-printable-march-madness-bracket</a><br /><br />Here is something interesting that says its a complete "Idiots Guide to Filling Out Multiple March Madness Brackets" at Bleacher Report!<br /><br /><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1571559-complete-idiots-guide-to-filling-out-multiple-march-madness-brackets">http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1571559-complete-idiots-guide-to-filling-out-multiple-march-madness-brackets</a><br /><br />So Basketball buffs  - March is for you!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

NCAA March Madness 2013 starts off with the selection Sunday on 17th March and the Final 4 on April 6th.The Final Four weekend will have loa...

Giveaway Reminders

6:13 AM Tukiyooo 0

Giveaway Reminders

Just a reminder if you enter any of my giveaways you have to follow my blog and also do the tasks to enter such as follow me on Twitter etc....

Sometimes Ya Got Nothing...And Everything!!

6:09 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Cheeeeeeers!!  Post-St. Patrick’s Day Matt-Man here…<br /><br />Hey…I have a question for you all.  Have you ever fallen asleep at you’re your computer at say, 10:30 at night when you are supposed to have something up on your website by midnight?<br /><br />No…Well I have!!  And that happened to me last night…go figure, right?<br /><br />So, I wake up 7:30 this morning and I…gots…nothin’.<br /><br />So I say to myself…”Hey the Irish had<i> their</i> day yesterday, let’s give the Colombians and the British<i> their</i> day today.”  So Here I go…<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7b0R8zefrOytgUc-hutAQqBBpRr74HqjG1xslzp_wZhnMZQoLu_3IY92ziK10PZuODKYIg6svm7BgdwLYX8TX_Xh4COqk5Vdi8AFy78Mvq1iA9lti5x4cn6ADaC7E6LzdS09qRcbRaY/s1600/Sofia+Vergara+Sexy+Hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7b0R8zefrOytgUc-hutAQqBBpRr74HqjG1xslzp_wZhnMZQoLu_3IY92ziK10PZuODKYIg6svm7BgdwLYX8TX_Xh4COqk5Vdi8AFy78Mvq1iA9lti5x4cn6ADaC7E6LzdS09qRcbRaY/s400/Sofia+Vergara+Sexy+Hot.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Brilliant right?  Hell yes it is and thank you, this concludes my post.<br /><br />Ohhhhhhhh okay…I really don’t have anything, so let’s talk about yesterday’s IWS Radio Show which was AWESOME!!<br /><br />Jayman and I launched our new two hour format, and by golly, we filled 1 hour and 58 minutes of it.  Not too bad for our first foray into a long show.<br /><br />In addition to Jay and I being our typical charming and witty selves, we had laughter, music, and entertainment galore!!<br /><br />We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and all things Ireland as only IWS Radio can.<br /><br />We had music from The Cranberries, The Irish Rovers, Denis Leary, and many others.<br /><br />We called out and got LIVE, on the street reports of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, from Billy the Kid who was tending the Beer Mine, and my brother Marty who was setting up for his band’s gig at the Buckeye Club here in Bagwine, Ohio!!  Those two provided us and everyone with some good radio right there.<br /><br />Kirk Douglas gave a very impassioned weather report.  We drooled uncontrollably as we listened to a piece from the Dick Morris political file.  And we had local Redneckville news covered with a straightforward report by Dixie Ozark on chickens gone bad.<br /><br />We talked Pope Francis, CPAC, and St. Patrick’s Day plans.  And in addition…<br /><br />Joshua revealed the low down happenings in Hollywood, Paul Piatt read some very moving and uplifting Irish poetry, Slyder Balzcock reported on the All-Ireland Hurling Finals, and our very own Buddy Acapella sang Lily the Pink.<br /><br />Folks, you need to listen to this show, because you won’t find funnier shows this on Cable TV.<br /><br />Thanks to those of you listened LIVE and if you’d like to listen to the show in archives you can click on the IWS Funny Machine right c’here…<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4547455&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4547455&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object></div><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;"></div><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><i>Matt-Man</i><br />  <a href="http://mattmaniws@ymail.com%20/">mattmaniws@ymail.com </a><br /><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS">@mattman_iws</a></span></div>

Sometimes Ya Got Nothing...And Everything!!

Cheeeeeeers!! Post-St. Patrick’s Day Matt-Man here… Hey…I have a question for you all. Have you ever fallen asleep at you’re your computer...

monday monday

2:30 AM Anonymous 0

Top 'o the morning to ya. (sorry, I couldn't resist) I trust you had a wonderful weekend and are just pleased as punch for another Monday.<br /><br />Spring break has begun at my house so I have two girls at home just waiting to be entertained. They will be so excited to hear that they get to spend the day running <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/p/one-room-challenge.html" target="_blank">ORC</a> errands with me. That is what I call spring break fun.<br /><br />While I give the girls the good news I'll leave you with this picture. A last bit of green to wrap up the holiday weekend.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1WVCFWkltKJV1RlSdzrl6kkV8caAX8Hif8J4JMmXp9vDMe2gMySuwi616P5rZoWvivRn-Ck9W0ddH0siMBc0GHeDHyM8pSbUUpTdZTAGKzwHb0g2wpA83eKxRXJDkgJIf1l1dTLy9qNV/s1600/beach-house-decorating-ideas-0710.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1WVCFWkltKJV1RlSdzrl6kkV8caAX8Hif8J4JMmXp9vDMe2gMySuwi616P5rZoWvivRn-Ck9W0ddH0siMBc0GHeDHyM8pSbUUpTdZTAGKzwHb0g2wpA83eKxRXJDkgJIf1l1dTLy9qNV/s640/beach-house-decorating-ideas-0710.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/beach-house-decorating-ideas-0710?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1451_7298511" target="_blank">source</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>See you back here on Wednesday for the <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/p/one-room-challenge.html" target="_blank">big reveal!!!</a><div><br /></div>

spring monday monday

Top 'o the morning to ya. (sorry, I couldn't resist) I trust you had a wonderful weekend and are just pleased as punch for another M...

Bracket Pointers

8:33 PM Tukiyooo 0

68 teams, and you can only pick one? But in the process you have to narrow down 67 different games?<br /><br />No problem!<br /><br />I have been doing brackets for over 15 years, and each time I do them badly. I follow the same pattern, and each time the result is less than ideal. But I'm here to give you some pointers - rather, I'm here to tell you the stuff I <i>used</i> to do, and tell you <i>not</i> to do it that way!<br /><br /><b>Step 1: Take Your Time</b><br />I always was so eager to get to my bracket, I would fill them out right away Sunday night or Monday morning. I even managed to draw out my own brackets so I could fill it out right away! <br /><br />But that was always a mistake. I never wanted to change my picks after I made them ("first instinct" rule), but as the week went on, players would get hurt, shots would be tossed around by a player or coach, and sometimes even momentum would shift from the power team to the underdog. Then I'd look back at my schedule on Thursday morning and go, "Man, I wish I'd waited to fill this out."<br /><br />It's a little different now, at least for brackets that include the Dayton Tuesday games as part of their contest. That takes away two days of wondering and tinkering. Other online bracket contests may just skip those four games and wait till Thursday, and in those cases it's best to wait until right before tipoff of the first game to send in your picks.<br /><br /><b>Step 2: Ignore the Records</b><br />I got mildly irritated if I printed out a bracket that didn't have team records on them. If a team had 25 wins while another one had only 19, well it was only <i>natural</i> to select the team with more wins, right?<br /><b> </b><br />Not entirely. Sometimes I would get so focused on the records that I would forget that some teams played mostly second-tier squads, while those who had a few more losses than most had tough schedules.<br /><br /><b>Step 3: Follow Momentum</b><br />If a team has made a tough run in their respective conference tournament, especially a team that wasn't favored to win (Ole Miss, for example?), it doesn't hurt to pick them to get through the first weekend of play.<br /><br />Case in point: in 2011 Connecticut was the #9 seed in the Big East Tournament. But they won that tournament, and then blew off six straight wins to take the whole NCAA tournament. Momentum is huge. <b> </b><br /><br /><b>Step 4: Your Favorite Team Won't Last the First Weekend</b><br />It is common to have young children pick their favorite team to go all the way - forget the fact that their favorite team is a 10-seed and their second round opponent is probably going to be Duke. Kids don't care about that.<br /><b> </b><br />Usually I don't pick Michigan to get past the Sweet Sixteen. I remember having friends who picked Michigan, and I just shake my head. Don't let loyalty sway your picks.<br /><br /><b>Step 5: Don't Pick too Many Upsets</b><br />One year I decided to have three brackets: one of my normal picks, one where I had all upper seeds winning, and one where I had all lower seeds winning. I knew the lower seed bracket wouldn't have too many wins, but I was shocked to see how few I had! But I think what really surprised me was that my upper seed bracket did a lot better than my normal bracket.<br /><b> </b><br />It's savvy to pick the upset teams, but make sure to keep it to the few that have a shaky top seed. More importantly, the brackets tend to burst on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so pick those upsets in the <i>second</i> round. That's when the top seeds will fall. (VCU over Michigan, anyone?)<br /><br /><b>Step 6: Have Your Champion in Mind</b><br />I used to pick game-by-game, and then I'd get to the championship with the same two teams four years straight! Now, I try to have my Final Four in mind when I make my picks. Every other pick revolves around those Four teams, but doesn't affect what I pick in the long run.<br /><b> </b><br />So there you have it: all the stuff that I used to do that I'm trying to get you to avoid. No need to make the same mistakes as me, eh? Of course, you may have your own methods: coin flip, best colors, mascots, or more technical thoughts, but the most important step to consider in all of this:<br /><br /><b>Step 7: Don't Think Too Hard.</b>

Bracket Pointers

68 teams, and you can only pick one? But in the process you have to narrow down 67 different games? No problem! I have been doing brackets f...

THE MR ROGERS POST: WHOSE FAULT IS OUR BAD REP?

5:38 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last week, I shared this Rollie Williams link in praise of Fred Rogers on my FB page: <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/the-nicest-man-in-history-had-a-shocking-secret-you-never-knew-about?c=ufb1">http://www.upworthy.com/the-nicest-man-in-history-had-a-shocking-secret-you-never-knew-about?c=ufb1</a>The basic point was that Fred Rogers was a great guy and his shocking secret was that he was a Christian. The author said Mr. Rogers’ message was the opposite of the  “lack of love and compassion” that characterizes most of Christianity. It praised Rogers for his caring, generous spirit (my words) and for keeping his faith secret (actually, he was not at all secret about his faith. See. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eliot-daley/fred-rogers_b_862976.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eliot-daley/fred-rogers_b_862976.html</a>While proselytizing was not his ministry – and that could never have happened on publicly funded TV even if he had wanted to – Mr. Rogers’s religion was never a secret. He even concluded his acceptance speech for his Emmy, “May God be with you.”) I take the thrust of Rollie Williams’ post to mean that secularists should not despise all Christians because, although most of us are harsh, judgmental jerks, some Christians are ok – so long as they keep their relationship with Christ a secret. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feeling my faith damned by faint praise, I shared the Williams link saying I was left perplexed. While Rollie Williams’ view of Christians is wrong on the facts, I still want to know how he came to think this of us. He is clearly a well-intentioned person trying to be magnanimous and affirming the core values we actually hold. His objection isn’t to our message, but to us, the messengers. He reminds me of a seminary classmate who in her younger days rejected Jesus, claiming she believed instead in Aslan – only later to learn that Aslan was C. S. Lewis’s fantasy avatar (so to speak) of Jesus. I want to understand how we look to Rollie Williams and why. I received a number of very good, insightful comments. I was particularly engaged by three comments taking different perspectives:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fr. Torey understood the Mr. Rogers article as reflecting the narcissistic, solipsistic (my words) culture in which “there is nothing more worship-worthy than one’s opinions.” (He was not talking about the author of the article but the cultural context). I agree wholeheartedly with Torey’s view of our culture and the state of religion in it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dave was one of several voices denying that Christianity is generally “lacking in love and compassion.” I focus on Dave because of his broad encounter with Christianity. He has been an Episcopalian, a Presbyterian, a Southern Baptist, and a “contemporary Evangelical.” Yet he has not found the kind of Christianity Williams decries in any of the churches where he has worshiped. I mostly concur with Dave. While I have, on occasion, encountered mean-spirited bigotry in churches of several stripes, I have encountered more of it in secular settings. Like, Dave, I have never personally been in a church where love and compassion were not the overwhelming moral message. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Deacon Scot may, at first, seem to be at odds with Torey and Dave. But I am going to substantially agree with him too. Scott lays the blame for the ill-repute of Christians with the Christians themselves, saying we have portrayed Christ as a fool and God as a “petty tyrant,” and that if we presented a faith people with half a brain or half a heart could accept, the churches would be full. I don’t think Dave is talking about the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church or Franklin Graham’s Islamophobic prejudice. He is a Deacon of a progressive Episcopal Diocese. But Dave is saying that we mainline Christians have not presented a true account of our faith, that we have not been outspoken in presenting the God of Love in contrast to the hateful God of the Left Behind Series brand of Christianity. We have ceded the name “Christian” to the crazies. I think Scott is right. We, mainline Christians and moderate Evangelicals, bear our share of responsibility for the low stock of the gospel in society, and the part about our portraying  God as “a petty tyrant” is precisely right. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So after giving credit to these insightful commenters who have sparked my thoughts, here’s my take on why so many people regard Christians as mean-spirited bigots, when on the whole we are not. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I. PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Psalm 44: 22; Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 3 & 4; and Matthew 5: 10 all say that righteousness will subject us to persecution. “Righteousness” does not mean stern faced judgmental piety. It means “right relationship” with God, the earth, and each other – right relationship with the past, with the present, with the future, and with eternity. In a culture drunk on subjectivity and pathologically averse to deep or committed relationships, especially those rooted in tradition, faith in transcendent mystery, and inconvenient moral duties, a lot of people are going to find us problematic. The Wisdom of Solomon Ch. 2 is in point. To the extent that we assert that there is such a thing as righteousness (a network of right relationship) and try to adhere to it, we make ourselves unpopular in a culture that finds righteousness objectionable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But is that what is going on? 1 Peter 4:15 reminds us that just because we are Christians, that does not mean our persecutions are necessarily unjust. Christians can do wrong and be called to account for it by non-Christians. Which of these two scenarios is going on?<sup> </sup>The answer is: both.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are Christians who are hate-mongers. Take a look at <a href="http://www.godhatesfags.com/">http://www.godhatesfags.com</a>. There are also Christians who have stood silent while the hate-mongers act in our name. Good people, like Rollie Williams, object. So let’s give our critics that much.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But then there are times when Christians act righteously and are persecuted for it, sometimes by other Christians. Christians were beaten and jailed in the Civil Rights Movement and various peace movements. Those churches, such as the Episcopal Church, that have defended the rights and dignity of LGBT persons have paid a huge price. We have been slow and inadequate in our stand for LGBT persons, but to the extent we have done the right thing, we have paid a price.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But mostly we are judged, not from the religious right, but from the secularist perspective of the Williams post. What is going on there? Sometimes it may be innocent confusion. But I know Christians whose secular friends know good and well that they are not bigots. Yet the friends are distinctly uncomfortable with their religion. It is an elephant in the room. It is a disfigurement from which even our friends avert their eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If asked their view of Christians, such secularists will say it is our judgmental bigotry, though they know that is not the case. It is our inconvenient insistence on a transcendent reality from which arises a moral order, our claim that there is a network of right relationships in which life flourishes. Some things are true which is inconvenient for those that are false; some things are right and others wrong. We may be wrong about truth and we may behave wrongly, but we still insist that there is Truth, there is Goodness, there is Beauty – which just makes us Platonists – but we go on to insist that all these transcendent values are One and that One is personal, which makes us Theists, and so on until we turn out to claim that God has come to us in Jesus – we are, like it or not – and many do not – Christians. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe this is Fr. Torey’s point. Some of our persecution is “blessed” and it is our place in a fragmenting disempowering society of solipsists to be Socratically inconvenient.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">II. DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE WORLD<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But what about the increasingly large number of people who genuinely, sincerely believe what the Mr. Rogers article says – that “love and compassion” are the opposite of the Christian message presumably of hatred and dismissal? Let me tell you a few very short, super simple stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">After my mission trip to Kenya, my luggage needed a new zipper. The young man at the luggage repair shop asked me what I’d been doing in Africa. I told him about the Anglican Church’s work to save young women from genital mutilation and forced marriages and our efforts to fund their education. He said, “Where is your church? That’s a church I’d go to.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">When I went to help clean up a community center in Las Vegas on MLK Day, several young people who were there working on behalf of Starbuck’s or their fraternity, discovered I was a bishop and said, “Where is your church? If you’re here, we want to be there.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">I went a community organizing training in Texas this year. All of us trainees who were over 50 were church folks. The ones under 30 were not.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">But two of the young adults said, each in their own way, “if I’d known Christians like the ones here I’d still be in the Church. In fact, I’m going to give it another try.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">My point: a lot of people, especially young people, don’t know anything about Christians except the bigots. Whose fault is that?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">James Davison Hunter, in his book, To Change The World: The irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_17?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=hunter+to+change+the+world&sprefix=Hunter+to+change+%2Cstripbooks%2C295">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_17?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=hunter+to+change+the+world&sprefix=Hunter+to+change+%2Cstripbooks%2C295</a>traces the story of how mainline Christianity began to systematically withdraw from the wider culture in the mid-19<sup>th</sup> Century. We sold the hospitals, gave away the colleges, entrusted social services to the state and to secular non-profit agencies. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Mainline Christianity withdrew from a challenging world in which righteousness makes inconvenient demands on us. We withdrew inside the four walls of our churches and became a spiritual support group to each other. We have progressively made ourselves largely unknown and utterly irrelevant. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Those Christians who still live “in the world,” confront the larger culture in aggressive domineering ways reflective of their belief in an aggressive domineering God. Hunter analyzes the failures of both the Christian right and the Christian left to dominate the culture through power politics. Another example of aggressive domineering confrontation is proselytizing, selling the gospel like a product, using manipulative threats and promises. People rightly reject aggressive domineering confrontation in both cases. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hunter invites Christians to “faithful participation” in the larger society, working alongside people of other faiths and people of no faith, for the common good. His point is that “faithful participation” is socially and politically effective. My experience is that when we engage the world through “faithful participation,” people learn that we are not bigots and some of them even want to join us. Those who continue to despise us will at least be harder pressed to despise us for the wrong reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">In sum, the negative impression so many secular people have of Christians is, as Scott says, a case of our reaping the whirlwind. If we want people to believe we stand for something good, decent, kind, and compassionate, then it is incumbent on us, not just as individuals, but as churches, to act boldly in the larger society. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">III. UNPERSUASIVE, BORING, AND BANAL BELIEFS<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Scott also argued that our belief system isn’t persuasive to people who have half a mind and half a heart. In my opinion, Scott is right, but I want to take this more expansive format to flesh out the problem more than he could in a FB comment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">A.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">   </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Petty Tyrant Versus The Fellow Sufferer<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Many clergy today are more at home with a simplified psychology than they are with a mature theology. The result is that some of us don’t talk about God much and those who do don’t speak of God very well. Even in mainline churches, I hear God talk that betrays a very problematic image of God. In fact, some mainline Christians don’t like to talk about God because the only God they know is the Petty Tyrant. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Petty Tyrant God is the one who sends all sorts of blessings and curses into our lives to reward, punish, teach, test, or otherwise manipulate us into doing what pleases him. Or he (and it is a “he”) pulls the strings of the universe to accomplish a secret plan in which all will work out – but he doesn’t plan to let us in on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">No one with half a heart is going to love that kind of God – fear maybe; cow tow before, maybe – but love, no way. So 20<sup>th</sup> Century theologians gave us another God – the helpless God who really can’t do anything about this mess the world is in, but this God is infinitely empathetic – the Fellow Sufferer Who Cares. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Misery loves company. The folks with half a heart can like this God well enough, but the folks with half a brain will know such a God is not much help in a crisis. The Fellow Sufferer is an Innocent Bystander – but is that what we mean by God. It’s a far cry from “Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light in accessible hid from our eyes” or “King of Gory, King of Peace.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Short simple point: We aren’t offering the world a compelling portrait of God. Our better theologians actually are offering a profound, beautiful, intellectually credible, compelling portrait of God. Unfortunately, they don’t speak the language of the people in the pews or even a lot of the people in the pulpits. It isn’t that people aren’t smart enough. People are plenty smart. The problem is that academic theologians are talking to each other in the language of academic theology. That’s what they are supposed to do. But we are not training clergy to translate the deep wisdom of our faith into English – not dumb it down – people are smart – translate deep truths into common language. Take the trouble to explain it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">This is do-able. Commercial break for a moment of shameless self-promotion: My forthcoming book God Of Our Silent Tears may be challenging at times, but it is in English. It does take the God images of Rahner, Hart, Sobrino, Hick, Adams, et al and make them accessible to bright people who want to think about what they believe. I am not alone. Shirley Guthrie’s Christian Theology does a good job of it as well. If clergy make the effort, we can present a God who will be more than acceptable to people with half a brain and half a heart. We can present a God who will enrich people’s lives beyond the reach of imagination. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">B.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">   </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Triumph of the Therapeutic<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Know that I write this as one who has spent more time on the metaphoric couch than most and do not regret it. I respect therapy. Three members of the next generation of my family are therapists. I have been to Esalen, Omega, the Gestalt Institute, etc. etc. etc. I do psychosynthesis work almost daily.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">But therapy and religion, while touching each other and sometimes overlapping each other, are not the same thing. Philip Reif wrote 40 years ago about the displacement of religion, which offers a large frame of reference for life, with the therapeutic model focused on the individual self. Eventually we came, as Reif predicted, to a society in which the most influential spiritual leader was a talk show host. <a href="http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/oprah-and-triumph-therapeutic">http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/oprah-and-triumph-therapeutic</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Since mainline Christianity abandoned the larger society, I am glad someone as beneficent as Oprah stepped in to take our place. But the cultural shift in Western religion has been the replacement of Christianity with a creed that is currently known as Moral Therapeutic Deism. This short article truly is worth a read. <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/aprilweb-only/116-11.0.html">http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/aprilweb-only/116-11.0.html</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Again in the absence of a healthy robust Christian presence in the world, MTD is not that bad. As a trend of the rock of intellectual culture rolling steadily downhill from Kant to Kierkegaard to Camus to – God help us – John Lennon, it was inevitable. In the absence of authentic witness from Christianity and other world religions, this is what we got. God became the “cosmic butler and on call therapist.” We learned to be nice, get help as needed, and hope to go to heaven when we die. As secularism goes, it could be a lot worse. But the Christianity Today version of MTD<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">[i]</span></span></span></a>is sometimes not so different from what mainline churches, mega-churches, and even contemporary evangelical churches offer as an alternative to the angry judgmental religion that rightly offends moral secularists. Such an innocuous worldview is a far cry from the Christian faith people have gone to the stake to defend.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Another social media discussion I am following has leading Christians saying of MTD, “what’s wrong with it?” Again, I say, “not much” for secularists. For the intentionally “spiritual but not religious,” it’s fine. But for the Church: As practiced by some, it is the brand of religion Marx called the “opiate of the masses” helping people adjust to the world instead of changing it. MTD can easily reinforce the ego; indeed make ego-goals the be all and end all of life, instead of the fundamental problem with life as it has been held to be by the great religious teachers from Buddha to Jesus to Mohammed. For the Church, it is offering a cut rate watered down version of what psychotherapy can do considerably better than we can.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Finally, if Christians are right that Creation and our spiritual journey through it are wonderful and mysterious gifts, we need a word view larger than the version of MTD that Christianity Today describes. If St. Augustine is right that human beings have an innate sense of the vast mystery, that we are wired for God (and there is neurological evidence that we are wired for God), that “our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee,” then MTD is ultimately not satisfying. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">I offer no defense for aggressive domineering Christianity. I am against it. I offer no defense for the inward looking disengaged from the world support group churchianity of the modern mainline denominations – except that I do deny that they are hate-mongers or bigots. For those who are outside the Church, if MTD offers them some modicum of grace and comfort, then I am glad for it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">But if the Church is to be the Body of Christ, we need meatier stuff. We need faith and spiritual disciplines that equip us to engage in the world-changing Kingdom Mission. We need spiritual resources for an adventure in which we will have to contend against powers and principalities – both spiritual and temporal that repress the children of God and make us less than we were created to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">If we are not a crucible of transformation in which lives are set on fire for a mission that invests this life with deep meaning and offers hope for joy in eternity, then we are boring. Domineering aggressive Christianity is at least interesting, albeit in a bad way. If we are boring, then we will understandably be either ignored entirely or tarred with the same brush as the bigots.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">IV. CONCLUSION<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">The stock of the gospel in our culture is low. We can blame the culture for that, and we will be partly right. The technological juggernaut of consumerist culture is not as God would want it to be. If this were the Kingdom, if this world were already as God wants it, we would not be praying, “Your Kingdom come.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">But our mission is not to blame the culture. It is not to condemn, harangue, or berate the culture. Our mission is to faithfully participate in the culture. That will not be easy. But as Chesterton said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried.” I hope we try it and see if it changes Rollie Williams’ opinion of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div><br clear="all" /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />  <div id="edn1"> <div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span></span></a> From following social media conversations, I know that some people like to embrace the label of MTD but actually adhere to a larger worldview than the definition that arose from a survey of adolescent beliefs.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><br /></div></div></div>

THE MR ROGERS POST: WHOSE FAULT IS OUR BAD REP?

Last week, I shared this Rollie Williams link in praise of Fred Rogers on my FB page: http://www.upworthy.com/the-nicest-man-in...