Two column layout (can be reduced to one, could be thought of as three if you count the vertical toolbox on the right) that provides simple presentation with extensive customization; not just for the developer, but for the user. The toolbox showcases the power of stylesheet switching. Users can pick their own color, font type, font size, and even dictate what style of layout they view your web page in. Navigation is kept brief and easily accessible at the top of the page, allowing for a wider area in the content region. A min/max width allows you to control your layout, but remain flexible for low resolution users.
Where does this show up?
God is a missionary God and He has sent the Church to participate in His mission of reconciling the world to Himself. That mission is the purpose of the Church on this earth, and the message is the good news of the kingdom. Missional activity encompasses the redemptive mission of Jesus. Just as Jesus was sent to seek and to save what was lost, the Church is sent to seek and to save what was lost.-- Dr. David DeVries
WOW!!!!! I have never seen so many comments on the blog……whaaaaaaaaat???? Truly LOVE is the greatest Commandment of all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As my boss Blake Hounshell noted this morning, Syrian activists are having a field day trawling through the hacked e-mails of officials in President Bashar al-Assad's regime. One particularly interesting note was sent by former British parliamentarian George Galloway to Assad advisor Bouthaina Shaaban.
Galloway was writing to request the Syrian government's help in organizing a convoy to the Gaza Strip. The plan was for vehicles to travel over land from London and the Gulf to the Syrian city Latakia, at which point they would board the Mavi Marmara - which had been the scene of a deadly raid by Israel Defense Forces solders only months earlier, as it tried to breach the Gaza blockade -- and travel to the Egyptian port city of al-Arish. From there, they would enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing. While the convoy did complete its mission, the Mavi Marmara does not appear to have ultimately taken part.
In securing Assad's help, Galloway recited the Baath Party's own rhetoric back to Shaaban. "Syria is as I have often said is the last castle of Arab dignity," he writes.
Von: b.shaaban@mopa.gov.sy
Reply-to: b.shaaban@mopa.gov.sy
An: buthainak1@hotmail.co.uk
Betreff: Fwd: IMPORTANT - private and confidential
Datum: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 06:03:38 +0300 (14.08.2010 05:03:38)
Your Excellency Dr Bouthaina Sha'aban
Special Advisor to President Bashar al Asad
President of the Syrian Arab Republic
Your Excellency, dear Dr Sha'aban
I hope this letter finds you well. Please be assured of my warmest fraternal greetings always. I am writing on behalf of Viva Palestina whose world-wide family of solidarity organisiations and registered charities will soon be setting out for beseiged Gaza again with our fifth convoy of aid. You will recall the outstanding assistance afforded us in Syria on previous occasions over the last period. I am writing once again to ask for Syria's co-operation although I do not doubt it for one moment. Syria is as I have often said is the last castle of Arab dignity. My only regret is to have to ask for your help again.
This convoy sets out simulataneously on September 18th 2010 from London, from Casablanca and from the Gulf. The London and Gulf columns of vehicles would like to converge on Latakia and sail from there to Al Arish. The Casablanca column hopes to join us in Al Arish and we hope all three columns - hundreds of vehicles strong - will enter Gaza through Rafah without hinderance.
The aid on board the vehicles will be 50% medical equipment and 50% educational, construction and other aid. The organisers of the convoy are Viva Palestina UK, Viva Palestina USA, Viva Palestina Arabia, Viva Palestina Malaysia, Viva Palestina Ireland, the Turkish NGO IHH,the International Committee to break the Seige on Gaza, Kia Ora - the Viva Palestina sister organisation in New Zealand, Viva Palestina Australia, Viva Palestina South Africa, Viva Palestina Spain, Viva Palestina Italia, and Viva Palestina France.
It is intended that the vehicles and passengers should sail to Al Arish on board the Mavi Marmara, which as you know is owned by IHH. If His Excellency the President Bashar al Asad and his government can accept this proposal in principle perhaps you could nominate partner organisation(s) and individuals with whom my colleagues could liaise about the practical details? The liaison from our side would be Mr Kevin Ovenden and Mr Zaher Birawi of Viva Palestina UK (as we believe 2 is enough).
In any case please convey my respect and my admiration to His Excellency the President.
With all good wishes
George Galloway
What jobs did people do in medieval Europe? Here's a list, broken down by category. Criminals had jobs too:
silk-snatcher - one who steals bonnets
stewsman - probably a brothel keeper - "since the words stew and stewholder both mean a bawd, I'm guessing that a stewsman would be a brothel-keeper as well. Whether bawdry counts as a criminal activity varies at different times and places."
thimblerigger - a professional sharper who runs a thimblerig (a game in which a pea is ostensibly hidden under a thimble and players guess which thimble it is under)
(via @zachklein)
Tags: lists working
A correspondent in Doha, Qatar, sends in these pictures of Libyan ex-foreign minister and spy chief Musa Kusa taking a stroll near his "villa" in the outskirts of town. During the war, following his dramatic defection from Muammar al-Qaddafi's regime, Kusa first fled to London before setting up shop at the five-star Four Seasons Doha, where he was often seen enjoying Italian cuisine and smoking in the lobby, I'm told:
Funny story: a retired CIA case officer, whose name I won't share, was coincidentally placed into a room next to Kusa's, a fact my source discovered when the ex-diplomat at one point was banished from the lobby by either the hotel or his Qatari hosts, and had to resort to pacing the hall outside his room. At one point, Kusa knocked on the former CIA guy's door and asked for a cigarette; on another occasion he tried to enter the wrong room by mistake. Eventually, the Qataris (and the hotel management) got sick of him and he moved out.
In any case, as you can see, Kusa's new digs are not quite so luxurious:
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati answered questions on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, one day after Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria - a step that seems virtually guaranteed to plunge Lebanon's eastern neighbor into further violence. So what did the premier want to talk about? Spoiled spuds.
"I realize that some of you are being kept busy with a story on expired potato chips which clearly changes the usual focus of the discussion," Mikati wrote. "Let me reassure you that instructions have been given to investigate expired potato chips story, perform related Lab tests&take measures."
Mikati was referring to a dastardly plot to alter the expiration date of 35 tons of potato chips at a warehouse owned by his brother-in-law. Whatever the facts of the case, it is something less than the great struggles against dictatorship seizing the rest of the Middle East. It also says volumes about the issue Mikati doesn't want to talk about: The slow-motion collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Mikati's line is that Lebanon will "disassociate" itself from events in Syria, remaining neutral in order to avoid the blowback from the incipient civil war. But all the major political actors in Beirut are doing precisely the opposite -- even those within Mikati's own government. Lebanese Ambassador to the U.N. Nawaf Salam, for example, was talking with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice on the floor of the Security Council just before the key vote on Syria. Salam reports to Lebanon's Foreign Ministry, which is run by a representative of the Amal party, a close ally of Hezbollah. It's difficult to see how inserting himself into the proceedings serves the purpose of "disassociating" Lebanon from events to the east.
The examples are piling up. As Hezbollah stages raids on towns in search of Syrian dissidents, arms smugglers carry weapons across the border to Syrian militiamen. Hassan Nasrallah promises to stand by Assad to the end, and Sunni leader Saad Hariri says that "change is imminent" in Damascus.
Violence is also piling up. Eight Lebanese have reportedly been killed in Syrian incursions across the border since the uprising began, and the Lebanese Army is now using helicopters in the north to search for "terrorist groups" at the request of the Syrian regime. And twice in the past three months, Lebanese parliamentarians have gotten into fistfights on live television.
There is little point in criticizing Lebanon's prime minister, who is picking from a series of bad options, of being disingenuous. But from the rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser to the civil war, Lebanon has a sad history of being destabilized by regional forces beyond its control. If Syria is poised to become 1980s Lebanon on steroids, as my colleague Marc Lynch writes, Beirut will get pulled down into the tragedy sooner or later.
Can you keep a secret? So can i!!!!!”
All of us have secrets, deep inside our hearts.
We kept them deep not because we don’t want anyone to find out, we are only waiting for the right person to tell…I love the story of Cinderella like so many people do. I think her story continues to be told in many different cultures and generations because in one way or another, we can all relate to her. Every gal is searching for a happy ever after ending. 
Kate Middleton’s story is one of those fairy tale Cinderella come alive worlds and is living the life/ Oh blimey she did look fabulous..
Away with that and to the secret which might not b a strange tale, his prince charming though may not own a castle (am blaming fairy tales for saying that he owns a castle, rides a horse and has an armor). My prince is sweet and charming kindhearted. No matter how bad i look he’ll call me beautiful. It’s his beauty that i draw my strength from. The fact that i can sit all day by my office desk and plan my dream wedding, cathedral style.
Guess you can say that he can make it snow in the crazy summer kenyan weather and make it shine during the cold rainy seasons in may. His my heaven on earth. Its really fun when at the end of the day coming home to a listening ear an hug that makes the spirit lifted……..
To be continued tmrw
AFTER nine games out Luis Suarez was available for selection again tonight – but he makes his first appearance on a teamsheet in 2012 as one of the subs.
Liverpool scored three in the last game, against Wolves, and all three scorers start tonight – Kuyt, Bellamy and Carroll. It’s up to those three to perform well enough to keep Suarez on the bench and in turn keep their own places, to leave Kenny Dalglish with a selection dilemma he’ll not mind having.
Charlie Adam played a big part in those goals last week and also starts, with Steven Gerrard back in the starting line up having been rested for the game at Molyneux.
Jordan Henderson is left out of the 11, something that hasn’t happened too often this season, and he’s keeping Stewart Downing company on the bench.
Jose Enrique has picked up an injury meaning Martin Kelly returns to the side, possibly on the right with Glen Johnson switching to the left.
Liverpool need the points, having seen Arsenal and Newcastle pick up three apiece at the weekend – but Spurs are in the race for the title and need to win this to keep on the tails of the two Manchester sides.
The fog that was floating around before kick-off has cleared and as long as it stays that way the game is on.
Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Spearing, Gerrard, Adam, Kuyt, Carroll, Bellamy
Subs: Doni, Aurelio, Coates, Carra, Downing, Henderson, Suarez.
Tottenham: Friedel, Walker, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto, Parker, Livermore, Kranjcar, Modric, Bale, Adebayor.
Subs: Cudicini, Saha, Rose, Nelsen, Khumalo, Luongo, Lancaster.
cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by cogdogblog
I made this as an example for a new ds106 Visual Assignment, Splash The Color- this is the effect of accentuating parts of an image by reducing it to black and white, and then re-coloring or restoring the color of parts of the photo. See examples from Photobucket or many groups on flickr.
Color splash is a technique to emphasize details- you remove all color from a photo, and then restore original color to a single object, e.g. a green apple on a table. Think of the Girl in the red dress from Schindler’s List.
You can do this in a number of ways with photo editing software or using mobile apps. The answer lies in the Google
The tags for this assignment are: VisualAssignments, VisualAssignments340
I’ve come across a few variations on how to do this, the easiest (how I did it) via Photoshop and the history brush, a slient demo is here:
In my words–
Selcet the History Brush tool.
A more complicated approach would be to paint an object a different color than the original…. That might be for another day.
Thanks for that message.
You’ve lifted an enormous burden off the shoulders of lotsa bro’s & sistas.
You see, often times we meet individuals with whom we are attracted to, and just like Jacob, we pursue them with all we have. But ultimately disappointment follows conquest simply because impossible standards have been set.
Sometimes it feels like to please some ladies, one has to be a small god. You’re judged against an unknown and ever-changing standard, accused of sins we’re yet to imagine and even likened to people you’ve never met.
I’m sure ladies can confess similar stories of us guys. And like you say, it all boils down to wronfully expecting someone else to magically ‘fix’ you in the name of love.
I must also say I have found your teachings to be true. The prescence of a woman who is happy and joyous in her own being is so refreshing, whether as a companion or a friend. Likewise, I have found that the more comfortable I am in myself the better I relate to women.
I look forward to next weeks message.
Barikiwa.
Thanks Pastor M for invading my comfort zone. No apologies required or expected though.
Early in January my lifegroup challenged me to stay off a relationship, even a hint of one, for 6 months.I declined feeling it was too long. Yesterday I made a commitment to stay off relationships until December. Still convinced it’s too long. That time fades against the mess I’ve left in my wake.I’ve sponsored an abortion, reneged on another, two others had miscarriages and in all of them disillusioned women was the result.
Recently, I went through another breakup.This one, i even heard the specific instruction not to mess with her. She came to Mavuno a couple of times, liked it but ‘us’ messed it. With that, I’m also left filled with regret, vengefulness and guilt.
Resolutions and new commitments to reforms are quickly forgotten when another one needing rescuing shows up. And it always looks like the one. Yet it ends up in a way that has become predictable to all my close pals and totally blind to me.
I’m taking on this commitment with the awareness that it’s not going to be easy.
From MUBI notebook, a selection of great movies posters from 2011, including Chris Ware's lovely one for Uncle Boonmee.
(via dooce)
Tags: best of best of 2011 Chris Ware design lists movies Uncle BoonmeeHeh!what can I say?God bless u Pastor M!!hiyo ilikuwa sermon na nusu!!All i can say is that I have been in enough rships where I just seemed 2 attract men who just used me for sex and just walked away,i was left an empty shell n my heart in a million pieces!Long story short I did mizizi last year,got to know the Lover of my soul,Jesus Christ n got born again:),finally got healed from all the years of rejection and hurt,laid them down at the feet of Christ!and stopped looking 4 a man to make me happy but resolved 2 always put God first!Twas the best decision I ever made and I have never been happier walking this path of salvation.I am definitely well on way 2 becoming ‘the one’ Bottom line-only Christ can truly satisfy!:)He loves you infinitely and we can trust Him to steer our chosen Mr. Right into our paths!!I am the daughter of the King,a princess and a precious jewel in the sight of God n He loves me with an unfathomable love!it doesnt get any better than that!:):):)
A GOP senatorial candidate in Michigan, Pete Hoekstra, ran a Super Bowl advertisement featuring an Asian woman speaking broken English and thanking Hoekstra's opponent, Debbie Stabenow, for her free-spending ways. The ad hit a nerve in America, angering many for its portrayal of an Asian-American woman speaking broken English. The Michigan chapter of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote group said it was "deeply disappointed" by the ad, and political commentators criticized it across the board. The 'blame China' ad is becoming a fixture in American political campaigns; see for example the 'xiexie Mr. Gibbs', or the 'Chinese professor.'
While the woman in the Super Bowl ad wears a hat more often associated with Vietnam, the ad's website, www.debbiespenditnow.com, makes it clear that it is targeting China: Chinese coins, fans, an airplane, and the phrase "The Great Wall of Debt" decorate the site.
This ad, however, received almost no attention in China. There is scant chatter of it on Sina Weibo or Tencent Weibo, the two most popular Twitter-like microblogging services. The NFL, lacking the popularity that Yao Ming brought to the NBA, is rarely watched in China anyway, and the ads this year that drew any attention were mostly car commercials.
Only a handful of Twitter users wrote about it in simplified Mandarin (the way Chinese is written in Mainland China, unlike the traditional characters which the Debbiespenditnow website inexplicably employs). One who did so is a software engineer working in the Netherlands who tweets under the name lihlii. "I don't think it's racist," he said in a phone interview. "It's about America losing jobs."
Broadly speaking, there is a whole different idea of political correctness in China. Asking how much someone makes a month within the first minute of meeting them doesn't raise eyebrows in China, and neither, generally speaking, do blanket racial statements, like commenting on the perceived cleverness of the Jews. On the other hand, questioning Hu Jintao's ability to govern makes for awkward cocktail party chatter.
Those who did object to the ad generally did so in an American context. Michael Anti, a popular blogger who has lived in the U.S. as a Nieman Fellow, wrote on Twitter:
"I think the problem with the ad is that it's racist, not anti-Chinese. As a Chinese I should be amused by this ad, because it seems more like Southeast Asia. But Chinese in America are easily enraged by that sort of prejudicial defamation of the image of a Chinese woman. Also, her English is not the Chinglish of a Mainland Chinese."
So what Super Bowl ads are controversial in China? Last year Groupon ran one featuring actor Timothy Hutton saying: "The people of Tibet are in trouble, their very culture in jeopardy. But they still whip up an amazing fish curry." This ruffled feathers for contravening state policy and conventional wisdom that Han Chinese are helping Tibet (and for its inaccuracy: fish curry is probably eaten more in Vermont than Tibet). Groupon employees at the time said that the advertisement complicated the company's expansion plans into China, and they eventually pulled the advertisement.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is taking some heat from conservative blogs for this recent interview with Egypt's Al-Hayat TV, (skip to 9:30) in which she suggests that the U.S. constitution might not be the best model for post-revolutionary Egypt. Here's a summary from ABC:
Asked by the English-speaking interviewer whether she thought Egypt should use the Constitutions of other countries as a model, Ginsburg said Egyptians should be “aided by all Constitution-writing that has gone on since the end of World War II.”
“I would not look to the U.S. Constitution, if I were drafting a Constitution in the year 2012. I might look at the Constitution of South Africa,” says Ginsburg, whom President Clinton nominated to the court in 1993. “That was a deliberate attempt to have a fundamental instrument of government that embraced basic human rights, had an independent judiciary. … It really is, I think, a great piece of work that was done. Much more recent than the U.S. Constitution.”
Ginsburg, who spent her career before taking the bench advocating for gender equality, praised the U.S. Constitution and the founders, saying, “we were just tremendously fortunate in the U.S. that the men that met in Philadelphia were very wise.” But “it’s true that they were lacking one thing, that is there were no women as part of the Constitutional Convention, but there were women around who sparked the idea.”
Ginsburg said “we are still forming the more perfect union” and noted that “when the Constitution was new in the 1780s, we still had slavery in the U.S.”
But, she added, ”The genius of the Constitution, I think, is that it has this notion of who composes ‘We the people’. It has expanded and expanded over the years so now it includes people who were left out in the beginning. Native Americans were left out, certainly people held in human bondage, women, and people that were new comers to our shores. “
The backlash is pretty predictable, (Hot Air's Allahpundit quips that "I’m actually sort of charmed that a left-wing jurist thinks it matters much what’s written in a nation’s constitution.") and falls into a larger debate on the court's about whether it's appropriate for American jurists to look to other countries' laws for precedent. Ginsburg's job security is pretty solid, so the fallout of this incident is likely to be pretty minimal, though I could see it as a future applause line on the campaign trail. But Ginsburg's comments also raise the question of what exactly is so great about South Africa's constitution.
What makes the post-apartheid document, which came into effect in 1997, so unique, is its inclusion of positive rights. In addition to freedom from discrimination -- including on the basis of sexual orientation, disability or religion -- and freedom of speech, under chapter two of the constitution, South Africans have the right to "make decisions concerning reproduction," "form a political party," or "form and join a trade union."
Even more notable, the constitutions requires the state to enact policies that minimize inequality:
The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to foster conditions which enable citizens to gain access to land on an equitable basis.
It also stipulates that citizens have the right to housing and adequate healthcare.
Needless to say, the South African state is often in violation of many of these goals, but the argument for the constitution is that it gives citizens legal recourse to demand government action on economic matters. It's also the case that a constitution that essentially includes an explicit guarantee of abortion rights, mandates government-provided healthcare, and encourages income redistribution, is something of a Tea Party dystopia.
Ginsburg is not alone in her admiration of the South African model. Cass Sunstein, the legal scholar who current runs the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, has called it ''the most admirable constitution in the history of the world.'" Though given Sunstein's own reputation among Tea Partiers, I'm guessing we won't hear him speaking up on Ginsburg's behalf during an election year.
This is my once-monthly post on the Puritan John Owen. In this series of posts I am sharing some of what John Owen says about putting sin to death, or what he calls mortification. I have been going through John Owen’s book Overcoming Sin and Temptation and trying to distill each chapter to its essence—to a few choice quotes that capture the flavor of what Owen is trying to communicate.
So far we’ve looked at The Foundation of Mortification, we’ve been encouraged to Daily Put Sin to Death, to understand that It Is the Holy Spirit Who Puts Sin to Death and to acknowledge that Your Spiritual Life Depends Upon Killing Sin. Last month we saw What It Is Not to Put Sin to Death. Today we look to the flip-side of last month’s teaching and see what it is to put sin to death.
Here are the three things Owen teaches…
Mortification Consists of a Habitual Weakening of SinThough this quote serves as introduction rather than the main point, I thought it was too good not to share:
The reason why a natural man is not always perpetually in the pursuit of some one lust, night and day, is because he has many to serve, every one crying to be satisfied; thence he is carried on with great variety, but still in general he lies toward the satisfaction of self.
Owen is a straight-shooter! He says that the only reason you are not absolutely consumed with any one sin is that you have many other sins to serve. And then he goes on to share the first thing you need to know about putting sin to death.
The first thing in mortification is the weakening of this habit of sin or lust, that it shall not, with that violence, earnestness, frequency, rise up, conceive, tumultuate, provoke, entice, disquiet as naturally as it is apt to do.
The first thing to observe as you begin to put sin to death is that sin becomes progressively weaker so that over time it does not rise up with the same violence, frequency or force. This means that success against sin is not only in destroying it entirely, but in weakening its grasp on us.
Owen goes on to draw an amazing parallel between the cruficixion of a man and the mortification of a sin:
Mortification Consists in Constant Fighting and Contending Against SinAs a man nailed to the cross he rst struggles and strives and cries out with great strength and might, but, as his blood and spirits waste, his strivings are faint and seldom, his cries low and hoarse, scarce to be heard; when a man rst sets on a lust or distemper, to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satised and relieved; but when by mortication the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart; it may have sometimes a dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigor and strength, but it is quickly over, especially if it be kept from considerable success.
Putting sin to death requires constantly fighting and contending against it. It is not a one-time pursuit but a life-long battle.
When sin is strong and vigorous, the soul is scarce able to make any head against it; it sighs, and groans, and mourns, and is troubled, as David speaks of himself, but seldom has sin in the pursuit.
Owen goes on to show that to fight against sin you need to know that…
- … a man has such an enemy to deal with it, to take notice of it, to consider it as an enemy indeed, and one that is to be destroyed by all means possible.
- … to labor to be acquainted with the ways, wiles, methods, advantages, and occasions of its success is the beginning of this warfare.
- … to load it daily with all the things which shall after be mentioned, that are grevious, killing, and destructive to it is the height of this contest.
In that final bullet point he hints at what he will soon teach—the long-awaited method of actually putting sin to death. For now, though, he offers only this teaser, saying that putting sin to death will require daily discipline. In the second bullet point he says that we need to know our sin, to understand how any particular sin tends to manifest itself in our lives and what occasions tend to bring it about. And in the first point he tells us that in order to fight against sin we must understand and acknowledge that sin is a great enemy and one that needs to be dealt with. In other words, admit your sin, know your sin, and then do battle with it.
Mortification Consists in Frequent SuccessHe closes with a note of encouragement:
Frequent success against any lust is another part and evidence of mortification. By success I understand not a mere disappointment of sin, that it be not brought forth nor accomplished, but a victory over it and pursuit of it to a complete conquest. For instance, when the heart finds sin at any time at work, seducing, forming imaginations to make provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof, it instantly apprehends sin and brings it to the law of God and love of Christ, condemns it, follows it with execution to the uttermost.
He has already told us to understand that we will never completely and absolutely eradicate any one sin in this lifetime. We aim at the utter destruction of sin and genuinely expect to see particular sins weakened and nearly destroyed. Yet we know that the final destruction of sin will come only when we die or when the Lord returns. In the meantime we battle against sin, seeing frequent success and glorifying God for victory in every battle.
Don’t miss that as we discover sin in our lives, we need to “bring it to the law of God and love of Christ.” Here is the law as the revealer of sin and the love of Christ, the gospel, as God’s power of forgiveness. Owen was gospel-centered long before it was cool to be!
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Adapted from her upcoming book Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting, Pamela Druckerman shares why French parents are superior in this WSJ article.
The French, I found, seem to have a whole different framework for raising kids. When I asked French parents how they disciplined their children, it took them a few beats just to understand what I meant. "Ah, you mean how do we educate them?" they asked. "Discipline," I soon realized, is a narrow, seldom-used notion that deals with punishment. Whereas "educating" (which has nothing to do with school) is something they imagined themselves to be doing all the time.
One of the keys to this education is the simple act of learning how to wait. It is why the French babies I meet mostly sleep through the night from two or three months old. Their parents don't pick them up the second they start crying, allowing the babies to learn how to fall back asleep. It is also why French toddlers will sit happily at a restaurant. Rather than snacking all day like American children, they mostly have to wait until mealtime to eat. (French kids consistently have three meals a day and one snack around 4 p.m.)
We have a French pediatrician who advised us to do almost exactly what is in this article and we've had pretty good success with it. It's not all roses (kids are kids after all) and a lot of work, especially for the first couple of years, because you have to be consistent and steady and firm (but also flexible) and I know I haven't always done a great job, but the dividends have been totally worth it so far.
Tags: books Bringing Up Bebe France Pamela Druckerman parentingReblogged this on Munene Gangi.
hey, just read the sermon, guess its what i needed to here, im 25, and ive been in enough relationships and Im done searching, right now im not in a relationship, i call it detox time coz I figured i needed to slow down abit and ask myself a few questions including what I want in a man, and what I do need in a man,theres a clear distinction..but even the bible says that if we seek first the kingdom of God then all these things..including a good husband in my case, will be added to you…so I greatly appreciate what you are doing to help young people like me put their priorities right and desire to be ‘the one’..my friend told me ..be what you expect the other person to be…and I think if I want him to be the right one for me,then i need to be the right one for him…thanks pastor..barakas
Wow! what a sermon that was! I left church affirmed as a mature girl. Especially when you told men, ‘the best gal is the one who doesnt need you.’
For the last year, I have hanged out with a Christian man who has been torn between me and another girl he has history with. Several times I asked him to let our friendship go but we both found it difficult to walk away. In the end, I had to be greater person and walk away though it hurt deeply. The deal breaker was that he said the other gal was desparately in love with him and he thought I didn’t need him enough.
Though we are not together, I left church praying the sermon resonated with him in the same way it did with him. I love this man am hoping we can re-kindle what we had. Regardless, I am glad to know that I am not a Leah!
Move over, WikiLeaks: There's a new sheriff in town.
The shadowy hacker collective Anonymous struck again late Sunday evening, exposing the email accounts of top aides to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and posting the passwords online for all to see (most of them were -- literally -- "12345").
Expatriate Syrians pounced, gleefully delving through this treasure trove and pulling out newsworthy gems (some even joked about sending replies from the accounts, for example, "Curse your soul, Hafez"). There were few smoking guns, but one email, from U.N.-based press aide Sheherazad Jaafari to Damascus-based press aide Luna Chebel, was particularly interesting. It advises the presidential office on how to best handle Assad's Dec. 7 interview with ABC's Barbara Walters. If this is the quality of staff work Bashar al-Assad is getting... well, it explains a lot:
Hello dear,
Please let me know if you need anything else.
Barbara will be here on the 2nd and the interview will be on the 4th because she is leaving on the 6th so that would give you some time to do the editing.Thank you.
After doing a major research on the American Media's coverage on the Syrian issue and the American Society's perspective of what is happening on the Syrian ground, I have concluded some important points that might be helpful for the preparation of the upcoming interview with Barbara Walters.
I based my research on online articles written about the Syrian issue, my personal contacts with the American journalists, my father and Syrian expatriates in the States.
The Major points and dimensions that has been mentioned a lot in the American media are:
The Violence:
* The idea of violence has been one of the major subjects brought up in every article. They use the phrases "the Syrian government is killing its own people", "Tanks have been used in many cities", "airplanes have been used to suppress the peaceful demonstrations" and "Security forces are criminals and bloody".Bloodshed:
· Bloodshed is another subject brought up in the American media. There is no mention of how many "soldiers and security forces have been killed". They think that bloodshed is done by the government to attack the "innocent civilians" and "peaceful demonstrators". Mentioning "armed groups" in the interview is extremely important and we can use "American and British articles" to prove that there are "armed gangs".Reform:
· The American audience doesn't really care about reforms. They won't understand it and they are not interested to do so. Thus, a brief mention of the reforms done in the past couple of months is more than enough.
· It is very important to mention the huge economical and political transformation that Syria has gone through in the last 11 years. Somehow, there needs to be a clarification that reform started since H.E took the office.Mistakes:
· It is hugely important and worth mentioning that "mistakes" have been done in the beginning of the crises because we did not have a well-organized "police force". American Psyche can be easily manipulated when they hear that there are "mistakes" done and now we are "fixing it". Its worth mentioning also what is happening now in Wall Street and the way the demonstrations are been suppressed by police men, police dogs and beatings.Torture Policy:
"Syria doesn't have a policy to torture people" unlike the USA, where there are courses and schools that specializes in teaching police men and officers how to torture criminals and "outlaws". For instace, "the electric chair and killing through injecting an overdose amount of medicine"...etc.
*We can use Abu Ghraib in Iraq as an example.The Comments:
· The comments that follow any article in the American Media are a very important tool to use in the interview. The Americans now believe that their government has failed two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are asking their government to stop interfering in other countries businesses and sovereignty and to start taking care of the American internal issues.Obama popularity's decline and incline through the past 3 years:
· It is worth mentioning that when Obama asked H.E to step down he himself have had a 70% decrease of his popularity in the States.
· It would be worth mentioning how your personality has been attacked and praised in the last decade according to the media. At one point H.E was viewed as a hero and in other times H.E was the "bad guy". Americans love these kinds of things and get convinced by it.Facebook and You tube:
This is very important to the American mindset. The fact that Facebook and youtube are open now-especially during the crises- is important.The International media:
· We should mention that in the first month the international media was allowed in Syria. Both al Jazeera and al Arabia's offices were open but when they started to manipulate what is happening and "make up facts", the Syrian government became more cautious about who will enter the country.10) Civil war in Syria and the neighboring countries:
We can use Noland and Hillary's statements encouraging armed groups to not give up their weapons as a "clear" way of asking for a civil war in Syria.11) The opposition:
* a brief mention of the opposition "figures". Syria doesn't have an opposition leader with a "ready" agenda; they are all from the previous generation. The opposition was asked to meet by the Syrian government but most of them refused to attend.Key Points:
The government's crackdown, the bloody regime, civil war, security forces and violence, Tanks, you tube torture clips, Pres. Assad IGNORES the bloodshed and the "help" of other countries and the Arab League", Army defectors, Robert Fords return to the US for "Security reasons", Syria is an authoritarian government.The Broadcasting hours and channels:
· The interview will be broadcast across ABC News platforms - including World News, Good Morning America, This Week, ABC Radio, a full edition of Nightline, and full-length treatment across the digital space (for ABC News this now includes Yahoo as well - which means you can reach as many as 100 million people. ABC News and Yahoo recently joined forces - which is another reason why so many people now bring their interviews to us).
The exact dates/times for all these broadcasts depends on when the interview is done.
This is all ABC News - every platform. The entire interview would run on ABC News Digital; "Nightline" will devote an entire broadcast; "World News" at least one night, maybe two; "Good Morning America" a segment; "This Week" a segment. And so on.
Thanks to Fadi Mqayed for the pointer.
- Elizabeth Spiers, Hiring! Betabeat, social reporters, commercial mortgages via spiersblr
I have to agree with Spiers, the editor of the New York Observer and BetaBeat: there is a decided tendency in the tech world to pull punches, or to never punch at all. Just consider the lovefest over the Facebook IPO.
Wyatt Hodgson took Koyaanisqatsi and sped it up 1552% so you can watch the whole movie in about five minutes.
Reggio uses time lapse in the film to great effect -- you notice different things at different playback speeds -- and Hodgson's clever use of the same technique reveals the overall structure of the film much more than watching it in realtime...but the emotion of the film is completely removed. (via the candler blog)
Tags: Godfrey Reggio Koyaanisqatsi movies time lapse Wyatt HodgsonThis sermon was one of my best sermons i have had to sit through. I have been for the longest time trying to post on Facebook how we should try to have the same or better characters than the characters on our checklists… But enyewe it has not been easy, I have faced rejection from men who i thought fitted my checklist, But i think the one thing that encouraged me, is that like attracts like, so i have to do is be like the man i want to attract.. Yipee.. am happy to be part of Mavuno church.
WITH the transfer window closing last week it looked like football squads all over the UK had been finalised for the rest of the season…..however with the first set of Bidding positions closing at www.footballaid.com tomorrow there’s still the chance to book your place in the Liverpool starting 11 for 2012!
Football Aid promises you a unique opportunity to Live the Dream of an authentic match day experience; gaining exclusive access to the pitch and tunnel areas, pulling on your own personalised shirt in the official changing rooms, walking down the tunnel to the sound of a cheering crowd and ultimately to step out onto the hallowed turf and represent Liverpool in a never to be forgotten football match. And it’s all for charity as well!
Getting involved couldn’t be easier, just visit www.footballaid.com, select Liverpool and position, then place your bid – it really is that simple. Bidding’s available throughout the month of February with the last available positions closing on Wed 7th March and there promises to be some hugely exciting auction action in the weeks to come.
Week 1 should appeal to any Midfield Maestros out there, with the 45 min No 6 (CM), 90 min No 7 (RM) and 45 min No 8 (LM) closing on consecutive days between Tue 7th and Thu 9th February.
Week 2 features the always popular 90 min No 9 (CF), No 10 (CM) and No 11 (CF) positions closing Tue 14th, Wed 15th and Thu 16th.
Week 3 gives an opportunity for any defensive stalwarts to claim their place at the back with the 45 min No 2 (RB), 90 min No 4 (CH) and 45 min No 5 (CH) closing Tue 21st, Wed 22nd and Thu 23rd.
Week 4 gives a chance for any super subs to claim their place with the No 14 (CM), No 15 (CH), No 16 (RB) and No 17 (LM) closing between Mon 27th Feb and Thu 1st March.
All that’s left is the last line of the defence, the 90 min No 1 GK position which closes on Fri 2nd. Finally, Wed 7th March sees any remaining positions made available in our always frenetic final day of bidding.
Home Team positions close at 15:00 pm with the Away Team closing at 16:00 pm. If you’re concerned about losing out in injury time, or won’t be available to monitor your bid for any reason, make sure and use the automated Maximum Bid option and remember you can close an auction early by using the Buy Now option on selected positions.
So don’t get left on the bench, visit www.footballaid.com now and make your bid to secure a place on your Field of Dreams!
Football Aid celebrated their 11th anniversary in 2011 and have allowed over 12,225 football fans the chance to ‘Live the Dream’ in more than 460 matches. They are a groundbreaking organisation which generates funds annually by hosting charity football matches at iconic stadiums all over the UK. The unique concept was the brainchild of businessman and Football Aid Chairman Craig Paterson and funds raised from the event will benefit the work of a charitable project nominated by the club, as well as projects nominated by Football Aid’s parent charity Field of Dreams.
[...] his boss says 'yes' and even agrees to pay for the wedding fiesta See the original post: Be The One « Blog.Mavuno Are Hippie Bridal Gowns Different From Bohemian Wedding …The newspaper wedding announcements 16 | [...]
Hi ya’ll,
Beginning of this year I sort to ‘Look FROM the place where I am at’. I need several new beginnings and I cannot search for a new beginning without looking from where I am.
Looking from where you are is looking further ahead; to see that which can be even if it currently is not, as if it is.
I can’t pass the buck on this one and neither can you…Look from where you are and take the leap.
Blessed year!
Very good…
We’ve all had dreams growing up. Here we are now years later am wondering if it would have been better for me to have filmed my dreams and watched them later on in life like right now when am still miles away from them. I dint stop dreaming just that now i dream in HD.
I miss the innocence; the days with imaginary friends and pretending to be grown up. Everyone used to tell me, “These are the best years of your life, enjoy them while you can.” All i wanted then was to dress up like them, wear my 6 inch heels ( truth is i can’t stand them but i got pairs of them in my shoe rack
Anyway I did not realize that those youthful days would come to an end and growing up would not be as easy as it was in my mind.
So as you know a child you has no worries, at least not when you look at the big picture. When I was a little girl I did not have to worry about getting a job or making money, instead I pretended to “work” by my own rules and my own made up hours. My occupation changed depending on my mood; some days I taught a group of imaginary students, other days I saved lives, and occasionally I would serve food, concocted from grass, flowers and dirt, to make-believe customers or work like my mom at home “cha mama”. Although I did not make any real money, I made some unforgettable memories and had the time of my life. As a young girl I did not dread going to school because I loved school; it made me feel older and important. Going to school meant that I was growing up and that I would finally be able to live my dreams. Those were the days, the days I had time to run around in the yard play chobo ua, kati, skip ropes and whatever games you can think of including shake and rounders. Now i miss that innocence.
“We’re growing up; we’ve changed so much…Another morning here I am, between a deadline and a traffic jam.” I have come a long way since I was that carefree girl with dreams that stretched for miles. I have grown up and have been stripped of the innocence that I had as a little girl. My mind goes crazy with all of the things I have to keep track of and worry about these days. Instead of playing in my innocent world, I am bombarded by the daunting stories on the news about the recent shootings and the dangers we should be aware of. My mind is constantly occupied by health concerns and body image. I find myself lost in a gigantic world full of uncertainty and full of worry.
“When dreams were all we had…” Those dreams from my younger days are turning into realities. I went from yearning to be in school, to wishing I was in high school, to fast forwarding to college. Now I dream of going to medical school and becoming a doctor. College is so different than what I expected; I thought it would be like high school but with some bonuses like choosing your schedule and having more freedom. I imagined that college would be so much better. I was wrong; those were the best years of my life. I miss the innocence I had, even in high school. At my high school, Mutz, everyone knew each other (it’s only logical since we all came from the same village. It is a village school afterall) and we were one big family. I was comforted by the walls that protected me from the outside world; now there are not any walls protecting me and I do not know anyone. The people in town are not friendly like the ones in high school; if you are not part of a “group” then you do not fit in. “Days like this, I miss the innocence.”
One day I will probably look back at college and think, “I wish I could go back,” just like I wish I could go back to my younger days and to high school. I know, now, that no matter what path life decides to take me down it is important to enjoy every moment because I cannot go back. I need to find the innocence in myself, today and in the future, so I can fully get the most out of all my experiences. With every new encounter, we are all innocent in some way; no matter how old we get we will never truly be stripped of our innocence and we will never stop dreaming, even if that innocence and those dreams are modified along way.
Syrian violence escalates as U.N. action collapses
Top story: There are fresh reports today of a heavy Syrian assault on the flashpoint city of Homs (pictured above during a protest on Friday), two days after Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Bashar al-Assad's crackdown and pressuring the Syrian president to step down. As activists report hundreds of deaths in Homs over the weekend, the state-run news agency is blaming "terrorists" for bombing a gas pipeline near the flashpoint city.
Russia and China, meanwhile, are defending their vetoes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has argued that supporting the U.N. resolution would have meant taking sides in a civil war, while a commentary in China's People's Daily noted that "simplistically supporting one side and suppressing the other" would "be sowing fresh seeds of disaster."
Lavrov will hold talks with Assad in Damascus on Tuesday and call for the swift "implementation of democratic reforms whose time has come."
Palestinian unity deal: In a news conference in Doha on Monday, the rival Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah announced that they've formed an interim unity government led initially by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of elections. Israel and the West have said they will not negotiate with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless the group recognizes Israel and renounces violence.
Europe
Middle East
Americas
Asia
Africa
AFP/Getty Images
I have now released the first two infographics in a series I am titling “Visual Theology.” Just as there are many words that can be used to describe any one fact, there are also many ways to display facts. I have been working with a few graphic designers in an attempt to display theological realities in infographic form. If you scroll down a little bit you can find links to infographics dealing with The Ordo Salutis and The Attributes of God.
Today I have the third entry in this series and it looks at the books of the Bible. Our inspiration for the way they are displayed was the periodic table of elements. I guess that means that you can consider this the periodic table of the books of the Bible.
Note: If you click on the graphic you will be able to see it full-size.
(NOTE: When I first release this graphic Titus was missing; it has now been restored. You may need to download this newer version)
You can also download this infographic in a high-quality PDF (1.2 MB). As with all of the inforgraphics in this series, you are free to print it, copy it, distribute it, and so on. Just don’t sell it, please. (Be careful printing it as that black background will gobble up your toner!)
Also, as a bonus, we’ve made up some desktop wallpapers if you’d like to use it for that purpose:
iPhone, iPad, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1920x1200, 2560x1600
If you have other ideas for theological infographics, please feel free to leave a comment.
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Thanks to God, it is so profound. He alone planned it in such a time as this..and there goes a testimony in millions from this wisdom.
My prayer is that all of us (His own) shall trully be broken to surrender to God and allow Him to transform us in His will of being the One. God bless Pastor M, God bles His church.
Dear Pst M! It was a beautiful sermon, I like the “animated” way you bring out the scripture it makes me wish I lived in those medieval days. Any way back to your sermon, THANK YOU for speaking what has been unspoken by our spiritual fathers. It is about time our way of relating is mended. Now my story, I’ve gotten to the age where pressure seems to emanate from everyone be it me moms, aunt, bros…the list goes on. They want to see a ring and or this man. I’ve also become that one person in my clique of friends who’s always the “third person” …. SIGH~~
All this has turned me into the “apparent finder”..always searching for the one… I seem to be constantly on the lookout for a potential other. As you spoke about you attract what you are I felt so SAD… cause it hit me I might as well have turned into this lonely, desperate person. When did the tables turn because I know that is not the sort of person I am … modesty taken into consideration… I don’t even look it : ) ).. GOODNESS frustration to “deliver” has gotten to me.
But, Ps M I wonder, can you be more practical than asking to do the church marathons so that you may be the one! I know there isn’t a formula but SERIOUSLY…you’ve been there, and there were no marathons. Anyway I’ve done them, name it, Mizizi, Ombi… etc my prayers still seem to be hitting some rock place yet compromise and temptation are looming…
YES! I desire to have my man, family and home but I need your prayers. I WANT to and NEED to walk the right path that’s why I feel or wish that the Spiritual Sermon needs some Practical Counsel …
Blessings
Christian
11 Things Thabiti’s Thinking - Thabiti Anyabwile (can we agree that, like Price and Madonna, we can just refer to him by only his first name?) shares 11 things he’s thinking about the whole Elephant Room controversy. You may also enjoy Carson’s and Keller’s take. I think we’re all growing a little weary of this issue, but it’s an important one as it highlights some real fault lines within evangelicalism today.
Servanthood as Worship - This book is on sale at Amazon for just $0.99 (in Kindle format).
Tattoos - I appreciate Clint Archer’s take on tattoos and hermeneutics. “This is not a pointed tirade against tattoos, nor a defense of them; it’s a jab at bad hermeneutics. I have found that some like to decorate their arguments with Bible verses that have no place in the debate.”
JOB - In case you aren’t a weekend reader of the site, be sure to check out these amazing wallpapers Chris Koelle designed.
Finding a Solid Church - Bob Glenn offers some useful pointers on how to find yourself a solid church.
Reality Snapshot of Missions Teams - Here’s an interesting Q&A with a missionary on whether or not he finds short-terms missions teams to be helpful in his ministry.
A Pastor’s Final Words - This is something for pastors to think about: “Pastors, if you had one last word to give your congregation before you died, what would it be? Most congregations do not get that final word, but Dayspring Fellowship was given such a gift.”
I am walking toward a bright light and the nearer I get the brighter it is. —D.L. Moody
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On point! May we sort out issues and embrace 2012 as the year to get right in our romantic relationships!
Great stuff! Relevant to our day-to-day lives.
Thanks Mavuno!
mmmhhhh I call this Loud Truth…..I want to be the one…
WHAAAAAT! 1 year!!! Will i hack it? By the way, get this straight, I din’t chose to wake up, something lifted me up my seat. I came to church with a girl that i really like now this???? Whaaaaat. God is on my case this year and I just don’t know how its gonna be. Either way, i chose to obey, This is the full DETOX – Mavuno = truth being taught in love n’ sincerity. “THIS TIME I’MMA DO IT DIFFERENTLY”
Reality check!!! i got into a come we stay marriage with lots of issues! Got pregrant out of wedlock then forced myself into his life with hopes of being happy but as King Solomon puts it ” its like chasing the wind”. Yesterday’s sermon was a reality check for me coz have been hoping that my husband would complete me…make me happy, affirm me and maybe find my identity in him but God has taught me that it all starts with me….that for me to find the one i need to have found myself!! I have found the solution to my life’s problems…….stop searching for the one be the one!!! with God’s help my hubby is in for a surprise!!!! I have changed my focus no more petty fighting, complaining and some time nagging as Leah said it ” this time, I will praise the Lord……. Thank you Lord.
What if you have been waiting for healing and it has not happened? Does it mean marriage is for perfect people? I keep wondering what a whole person looks like so that i can tell how i should look like to be accepted by a man. I thought we are all in a journey….and if along the way someone comes and they accompany you and you them on that journey then great. Do we have to be ‘whole’ for us to get married or marry? Is this healing an event? How do you know you are healed so that you can be the one? All very confusing!
Pastor M , I was in awe of your service , but more in awe of God’s Grace on my Life, he never gave me the wife I deserved, for surely she would have been a trifling ,, golddigging… for a lack of a better word …garden utensil, instead he gave me a kind , intelligent, warm, loving generous partner who has my back no matter the weather!
I fell on my knees when i got home to give thanks to God for such a wonderful woman that I know I don’t deserve, now I need to sep up to her level cos game recognises game!
Thank you. I really needed to read this.
Quite Inspiring as a take it home for reference ‘to be The One’. I was not there for the sermon but some one special shared with me the sermon and I have also read more from this blog. I am really inspired.
Thanks Pastor M.
THIS IS AMAZING!!
Great….!This has really empowered me.Looking forward to others God bless you!!
If he needs help in his captaincy dilemma then perhaps Fabio Capello could take a leaf out of the book of Marcelo Bielsa.
Currently with Athletic Bilbao after spells in charge of the national teams of Chile and his native Argentina, Bielsa believes that the role of the captain is to represent the squad - and on that basis he usually lets the players vote to determine who should lead them out. But that is where Bielsa's democracy ends.
In the late 90s when he first took the Argentine job there were some early problems - hardly a surprise given the unorthodox nature of his trademark 3-3-1-3 system.
Training sessions were not going as Bielsa would have liked. He felt that some resistance to his methods. He called his players together and asked them to write on a piece of paper whether they would prefer the team to line up with four or three at the back.
Then he sifted through the answers, almost all of which were in favour of a back four. "Well," he said to the group, "this shows which model has your preference. I would like to announce, then, that we are going to be playing with a back three. Bye." And with that he strode off.
Of course, the role of the coach is not to impose, but to persuade. And before long Bielsa had transformed his men into devout believers in his way of doing things.
After cruising through qualification in superb style, it is a great pity that Argentina turned up at the 2002 World Cup without enough gas in the tank to do justice to their attacking intentions.
Former Argentina and Chile boss Bielsa is an attack-minded coach. Photo: Getty
Because what Bielsa really wants to do is attack, playing the game in the opponents' half of the field, keeping them under mental and physical pressure and constantly seeking to create two against one situations down the flanks - hence the need to play two wingers.
The back three may have been controversial. But even more important is the front three.
Bielsa may have won over his players, but he would always suffer resistance in Argentina. His dynamic football had no room for the old style Argentine foot-on-the-ball playmaker, such as Boca Juniors' Juan Roman Riquelme.
Once he went to Boca's stadium, where the entire crowd jeered him for ignoring Riquelme. In typical Bielsa style, he loved it. The crowd's reaction, he said, was "the essence of football".
But he was always likely to get a better response in Chile, whose football, as legendary defender Elias Figueroa once explained to me, has been marked by an absence of identity. Moreover, Bielsa's emphasis on quick wide players seemed to suit the physical characteristics of many Chilean players.
During his time in charge of Chile Bielsa kept his distance from the country's domestic game. He was not in the habit of chatting with club coaches, for example. But it is now clear that he has made his mark.
Towards the end of last year I wrote a few times about Universidad de Chile, by some distance the best South American club in the second half of 2011. Their coach Jorge Sampaoli is a self-confessed Bielsa disciple, and in December his methods carried the club to its first international title, South America's Europa League equivalent.
But now comes the big one. This week the group phase kicks off in the Copa Libertadores, the continent's Champions League. It will be very hard for Universidad de Chile to keep their winning streak going.
They have paid the normal price for success in South America - it puts the team in the shop window with the result that key players are sold.
The good news is that the new recruits had excellent league debuts on Saturday. Rangy striker Junior Fernandes and little Peruvian attacker Raul Ruidiaz struck up an instant understanding, and should feature strongly in Sampaoli's 2012 front three.
Santiago neighbours Universidad Catolica have played two league games so far, and coach Mario Lepe is still struggling to find the right collective blend.
But going forward, at least, he has a lot of talent available to him, and one option he has already looked at is an attacking trident of Paraguayan centre forward Roberto Ovelar, good with his back to goal, Argentine attacker Nicholas Trecco playing from the right and the hugely promising Kevin Harbottle operating down the left.
And Chile's third participant in the Libertadores, Union Espanola, seem certain to use a front three. That is the way they were set up for the second half of the home leg and all of the return match in their qualifying round tie against Tigres of Mexico. Such a bold strategy paid off especially well in the away game.
Indeed, the trend for front threes is not just restricted to Bielsa clones. Coaches spent years removing strikers from their teams. Now they seem to be putting them back.
I could hardly believe my eyes last year when I saw the team-sheet of Libertad of Paraguay.
They were visiting Fluminense of Rio in the knock out stages of the 2011 Libertadores, and in this first, away leg I had expected a safety first approach.
Instead they went with 3 strikers. The 3-1 defeat they suffered was a gross miscarriage of justice, righted the following week when they won the home leg and progressed to the quarter-finals.
Indeed, Brazilian clubs had lots of problems last year with this type of approach. Defending against attackers in wide spaces caused them a problem. If their attacking full backs pushed up, there was space behind. If they stayed back, then midfield limitations were exposed and the opponent took a grip on the game.
In theory Brazil should be dominating the Libertadores. Its clubs are paying higher wages than elsewhere on the continent. Brazil has produced nine of the last 14 finalists, and can boast the reigning champions, Santos.
But last year - the very moment when the financial gap was widening in Brazil's favour - its clubs had a very unconvincing time in international competition.
On paper Brazil is sending a very strong group of participants into this year's Libertadores. A theme to look for in the competition is how well they cope with different tactical approaches - such as the front threes set to be unleashed against them by coaches who may have been influenced by Marcelo Bielsa.
Comments on the piece in the space provided. Questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag;
Q) I'm planning to visit Venezuela at the end of March and wanted to see a football match. Do you recommend I watch any particular team? Are there any hidden gems there that you would recommend?
Abdul Miah
I was there for the 2007 Copa America, when they had invested heavily in new stadiums, and I would love to go back to check on the advances made to the country's football culture.
It's a big place, so obviously it depends on where you're going to be, but Caracas in the capital are certainly worth seeing. They've slipped a bit over the past 18 months, but in the last decade they've been the strongest club with the best youth development work.
To the west I would try to check out Lara in the city of Barquisimeto. The team are doing well, and they have a wonderful stadium, though spectacularly badly located. It wasn't strictly ready when inaugurated during the 2007 Copa. I would love to see what it looks like now.
Q) I read a story a couple of weeks ago regarding Keirrison's future, with his agent stating he would favour a move back to Coritiba.
When he signed for Barcelona for €14m in 2009 he looked a real prospect. Would be interesting to hear your take on his career so far. What went wrong? Will he ever fulfil his potential?
Nick McKuhen
I've been wrong countless times in the past, but this was one where it wasn't too hard to get it right. He was nowhere near ready for such a move at that time. He was a front to goal right footed finisher and nothing more.
There is plenty of time for him to come again, but it's not easy for a much hyped young player to come to terms with the fact that he is not as good as he has been allowed to believe.
Established in 1952 Glass Blowing Industries products include pharmaceutical containers, optical windows and sandblasted trophies.
Like 
and am learning
pastor M,
forgot to point out how you ended the sermon in style…
I drove off the guy I loved so much because of nagging…the part were you pointed out to the ladies how attractive they seem when they don’t act needy explains why he comes back after i give him a period of silence and space…
my concience has every positivity to the revival of lost love this year… am different and courageous enough to build myself in the Lord and be the Mrs RIGHT…
THANKYOU!
Dear Pastor M
Since 2007, i have been in 3 different relationships. The first guy not only took my virginity but also cheated on me enough times and got me pregnant twice. I had two abortions. i knew i had to leave when he started being violent en threatened to kill himself if i left him. In 2009, i met this guy, he was prince charming en had zero drama. after a while he went quiet en just when i decided to get over him i discovered i was pregnant. I contacted him en he dint deny it, he took me to get an abortion. What hurt me the most pastor is he stayed with me that day, the next day he left en he has never called nor sent a text to just know how am doing or at least if i recovered from the surgery. This is when i hit rock bottom en started to put my life back together. in November 2009, i met this guy, you must think am a mad person now… When we got serious, i shared with him my past en he accepted me just as i was. in 2010 i started craving for Jesus en i shared this with Him as he aint born again. On 10th March 2010 at around 11pm, i gave my life to Christ. Things in our relationship had to change but he never left.As the year stared, i sterted having a strong conviction that God dint want me to be in a relationship and 2012 is my year of healing from all the anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and guilt. I felt that God wants this year to be all about Him and me. In church when you spoke and said that God is speaking to people that they shouldnt be in relationships i was in shock as you just reconfirmed that word. My pastor, please pray for me as i end it with this guy who has bn nothing but kind to me. its hard but i know this is God speaking. at times i hear voices teln me that i may never get such a nice guy but i choose to step out in faith en i know my ever faithful God will catch me. Pastor i know this series is the start of my healing. Thank you for letn God use you en i thank God soooooo very much that you are my pastor. I need guidance en prayer in this journey to healing en being the best me. God bless you my pastor.
Dear Pastor M,
I thank God when I see the progress we are making at Mavuno, I am a mavinite and accepted christ as my personal saviour in 2010 March while taking my Mizizi class. I will always be grateful to the mavuno team put in place to facilitate the various classes that the church offers.
After completing the mizizi classes people are put in smaller Life Groups which to me is very important, the people are then left on their own and most of the time the small groups fall apart.
In my own view I wish to suggest that since this are young christians trying to walk it would be prudent if the LG’s are assigned someone who is mature in their christian walk to help them journey through their faith and only be left alone when they are strong enough to walk for them to be able to mentor other christians.
The idea of people being left alone to walk is not very practicle.
I also suggest that the women ministry be made active where we can also have single mothers contributing to the church.
It is sad to know that getting an appointment with you is very difficult, I know that you are a very busy Pastor but still believe that one could always get an appointment with their Senior Pastor however busy he is it could always be scheduled.
I want not only to see Mavuno grow in numbers but also in their walk with christ because that is the main agenda of the church naturing souls. The congregation has a hunger for the word and as much as we have our minds preached to we also need to have our souls preached to.
God bless you and thank you.
Reblogged this on Passiona Njeri.
Rule one: You can build a business on the foundation of great customer service.
Rule two: The only way to do great customer service is to treat different customers differently.
The question: Who is your customer?
It's not obvious.
Zappos is a classic customer service company, and their customer is the person who buys the shoes.
Nike, on the other hand, doesn't care very much at all about the people who buy the shoes, or even the retailers. They care about the athletes (often famous) that wear the shoes, sometimes for money. They name buildings after these athletes, court them, erect statues...
Columbia Records has no idea who buys their music and never has. On the other hand, they understand that their customer is the musician, and they have an entire department devoted to keeping that 'customer' happy. (Their other customer was the program director at the radio station, but we know where that's going...)
Many manufacturers have retailers as their customer. If Wal-Mart is happy, they're happy.
Apple had just one customer. He passed away last year.
And some companies and politicians choose the media as their customer.
If you can only build one statue, who is it going to be a statue of?
Words of wisdom right there Pst M
Thank you for taking the time to synthesize your experiences and knowledge into words that are pointing us to the truth. Your sermon confirmed a resolve a made three years ago to following a script that resulted in cycle of fruitless relationships… I am a living thrivetestimony.
I was not in church yesterday but after reading the sermon on the blog all I can say is Pastor M you are truly God sent!! Talk about hitting the nail on the head!!
Thanks for this past sermon Pastor M. sometimes God upsets me with giving me the truth. And in committing to trust him I realize how much of a control freak I am. I recently found ‘the one’ ( he found me actually ) and I have been thanking God for finally answering my prayer. Now “the one” tells me he is not ready to commit as he is still healing from a past relationship. While I appreciate his honesty, I’m now looking at God and asking, SERIOUSLY? whats this all about now??” I’m confused, hurt and livid.. at both “the one” and God. But after the sermon I have a yucky feeling that God wants me to look at me first..something tells me God will be speak clearly to me by the end of this series.
Wow! thanx so much i have learned alot.i will b the one from now on.GOD BLESS U!
Guy enters church with relationship issues from jana. worship was uplifting and some cares faded kidogo, then the pastor kicks in the door(military style) and says, (albeit in another style) ‘look carefully at yourself in the mirror what do you see. Enyewe the sermon was life changing. the spiritual and intellectual engagement I had was fascinating and on top of that this can be applied to all sort of friendships. Thank you saannaaaaa
Pastor M that sermon was amazing you were real with us and as you had said in Jan its good to be real in order to help someone i was blessed and am inviting more people to listen to the same wonderful sermon, you are blessed! we need to change this society we are living in so that we may live a Godly generation I am a fearless influencer and i have to influence others whether by actions or by talk i am in the kingdom of God and am not afraid of anything because He is for me God bless you
wow really impressed. keep it up and God bless you.
Hey?I would like 2 hav more of this.Pliz send me in my e-mail
Am still in shock about the things I’ve done thinking that its the other person who is not being right, shame on me, kumbe its me who is wrong!! God please help me to stay pure this year as you heal me. From a one year separation, I’ve hopped from one man to the other. I always find imperfections in each one of them and am thinking, its the time i needed that rest, til God brings forth the right person for me or rather he could as well restore the marriage. I don’t know what His plans are for sure. God please fix my heart. Help me to change my focus. I so nid you!!!
Hi Pastor M, Kobz hapa.A friend once asked me why do we lack the desires of our hearts.Is it A.lack of faith or B.faith and no works.i believe the answer is not so much that we lack faith but we have faith but dont act on it. In regards to finding the one i now realize that to find the one i ought to be the one.meaning i need not only believe but also make sure i work on myself first and deal with any unresloved issues that has held me back and thus being the cause of bad relationships in my life. i now realize that others are not the problem but i am. With God’s help i will purpose to be a better person thanks to your sermon as it has ministered to me in very many aspects of my life. In a nutshell life gives us what we ask from it and in relation to finding a mate we attract what we are.Great message. Keep em coming.One
You hit the msumari on the head…..
I had my heart broken last year and I have been struggling since to trust and love. But I have realized the problem is with me, I need to work on me. I vow to be brilliant and take every problem as an opportunity in disguise!
cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by cogdogblog
Today (or technically yesterday since it is some early AM hour) would have been my parent’s 62nd wedding anniversary. Alyce and Morris (aka “Mickey”) look so serious in their pose here, though Dad, in his pseudi Desi Arnez style, seems to have a twinkle in his eye.
Yes it is sad to think they are both gone, but I am holding on to their memories living on if I retell the stories. I have some images I had scanned from the scrapbook my Mom had worked on- here they do look a bit more relaxed (after the ceremony?)
And this is the family photo on my Dad’s side- this is left to right my grnffather, Abraham (for whom I am named after, but never met), my grandmother who outlived everyone in this picture except for my Mom, Dad, Mom, and that is Dad’s younger sister Eve in front.
There is so much about these old photos that make them seem distant in time and place. The look, the clothes, the grain of the photo– this all says “Memories”. Will my digital photos now have that same dated look to some future person? Will on its own speak to this time? Hmmmm.
We had a bigger celebration in 2000 for their 50th anniversary; I remember laboring in Director to create a multimedia CD-ROM of photos and videos. I still have the discs though I need an old computer to play them anymore. That media does not hold up as well to time, but content on the web, in terms of being in standard media formats and HTML, are still accessible (c.f. tribute to Dad)
I so miss that time of assurance they would be there forever; that is how it felt, naive, not realistic, but can anything be more part of what you count on in the world than your parents– if you are fortunate as I was to have them in my lives, and supporting me always, unconditionally.
My conversations with Mom took on such a more fun and laugh filled mode in the last few years. I called Mom a year ago, and had a conversation like this.
“I’m just calling to share the memories of your anniversary, Mom…”
“Do you know what I was doing 61 years ago today, Alan?” she asks. “Your Dad and I were on te train to Niagara Falls for our honeymoon.”
“That’s nice Mom, was it a long trip?”
(We talked a bit more about some other things)
Mom comes back to her memories. “And do you know what happened 61 years ago tonight?”
I pause. Uh oh, where is she going with this?
“This was 61 years since the first time I had sex!”
“MOM I DON’T NEED TO KNOW THAT! ALL I NEED TO KNOW IS YOU DID IT 4 TIMES, NO MORE!!!”
We laughed so much. I miss that more than anything.
Happy 62nd Anniversary Mom and Dad, all I got you was a blog post.
Reblogged this on Kuhusu Maisha (About Life).
Very true…Like attracts like..
Week 3 of ds106 was full of action, from digging out of the rubble that hacker Emre5807 caused to working through the readings of Tim O’Reilly on Web 2.0 and Bryan Alexander on Web storytelling. The flow of activity in The Daily Create has been impressive, especially now that we have our students in the mix.
I’m liking the bit of doing a weekly recap, as a way of mini reflection on what one did with these in a week.
TDC28 (Feb 5): Withut saying any words, make a 10 second ringtone with your voice
I had some ideas for this one, including trying to replicate the old sound of a modem, but Jim Groom’s kids were eager to help me out with this “Jungle Beat” recording (can you imagine kids not wanting to make noise into a microphone?)
TDC27 (Feb 4): Take a picture that represents or expresses something loud
Maybe I am relying on Jim’s kids too much, but they were pretty enthusiastic.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37996646802@N01/6820499863/
TDC26 (Feb 3): Take a picture of your feet that shows what kind of day you are having
This one was popular, with 67 photos submitted! I tried to capture the good feeling of being out on the sun, and with my hiking boots, I am thinking I should have been out on a trail. For this one, I made it more graphic using the ToonCamera app on my iPhone
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37996646802@N01/6813014375/
TDC25 (Feb 2): Record the sound of something that gives you comfort or makes you feel safe
Comfort for me is going down the steps out getting outside, especially with all the great weather we have had since I got to Virginia
TDC24 (Feb 1): Make a creative photo silhouette by aiming the camera into a bright light
This assignment is meant to get you thinking about creatively breaking rules (“always keep your back to the sun for photos”). There was great direct light walking into campus; this light caught my eye, but I liked the complementary shape of the tree. The brightness blew out the whites, but it looks like a super nova.
TDC23 (Jan 31): Make a photo that freezes or isolates the motion of an object
Oops, I goofed up this assignment, I did the opposite, blurring the motion around Jim Groom.
TDC22 (Jan 30): Take a photo of two objects of drastically different sizes
I did this one while still driving to Fredericksburg, but had seen the assignment early and was thinking about it as I noticed a lot of cell phone towers along I-81… then the connection occurred to me given I have used a Verizon mifi for my internet as I drove across country.
Woah, I am 7/7 this week.
Nice
Speaking to me!!!!
Reblogged this on A thoroughbred living like a donkey and commented:
Finders Keeps
“As I jogged down Wall Street in New York in October through the barricades, police horses, and thousands of activists, something became clear. The masses had self-organized and social media had added yet another social movement to its résumé. At the same time, something else became clear to me. Much higher than street level, in the boardrooms of America’s largest companies, social media expertise was far from entering the résumés of most C-suites.
Why is there confusion inside these glass fortresses around the world? Senior executives are struggling to get a grasp of what to do about the social opportunity for their kingdom. But hey, it’s new, right? The kids only started signing up eight years ago. ”
MICHAEL SCISSONS Fast Company (December 15, 2011)
“Social media? Kids, right? That’s where they hang out, arrange dates, all that stuff? What on earth has that got to do with my business?”
That sentence would be the reaction of many a CEO to the social media phenomenon. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+ et al are usually dismissed as a trivial social pursuit. Surely only the very young or the very idle have time for it.
Here’s the thing, though: your staff, your customers and your competitors have plenty of time for it.
It is indeed true, much of what constitutes social media content is irredeemably trite and banal. But that is NOT all there is to it. Social media has become an essential tool of life for the online generation. Social media is also where information is found, news is tracked, views are exchanged, opinions are refined, networks are grown, deals are done, careers are advanced, brands are built, reputations are polished.
Why would you not want to be part of that?
Consider this, too: social media is ALSO where brands are destroyed; where complaints about your organizations reach thousands of people in minutes; where you can gauge the reaction to your new product instantaneously.
If you’re an enlightened chief executive, you should be rubbing your hands in glee. One of the biggest problems most leaders have is getting hold of the right information. Leaders are usually separated from reality by many layers of bureaucracy. Market information passes through many minders before it reaches the boss. Courtiers prevent people with valuable insights from accessing the head honcho.
Now, simply having a (visible or invisible) Twitter account can allow a CEO to gain real-time, direct access to customer feedback. Unfiltered and unaltered. Straight from the horse’s mouth. And it’s free. Is this not leadership nirvana? Try it and see how your data is enriched daily.
In addition, many social media platforms allow you to follow experts, thinkers and news sources. They allow you to track opinion and competitor activity. They allow you to gain easy access to the knowledge you want to keep abreast of.
Social media, like life in general, is what you make of it. It can be noisy and meaningless and trivial. It can also be a powerful tool for leadership engagement, personal awareness and keeping tabs on the world.
Sadly, many CEOs either dismiss it out of hand, or lead botched attempts to enter the social space without any clear thinking, objectives or rules of engagement. The result is the brainlessly obvious marketing and robotic customer engagement many corporates are guilty of.
Social media is a conversation, not a brochure. It’s where things are discussed, debated, criticized, praised, rubbished, adored. To benefit from it, you have to enter the conversation without trying to control or manipulate it. Honest, open engagement is the best policy.
You can’t leave your social media engagement to a ‘department.’ In today’s and tomorrow’s world, it’s a leadership issue. It requires judgement and insight to get right, and no consultant or techie is going to do that for you.
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My life has truly changed coz of the sermon series’ @ mavuno…God Bless u Pastor M.
Am looking forward to the coming Feb series…
Hi Pst M,the series has started on a super note.
Am Wanjiku Gitonga,am in a relationship.
What struck me the most is that most of the time we are looking for the right person who meets a particular criteria.Clearly we forget that the most important person to work on the most is ME.
This was such an eye opener in so many ways,as we continue,i intend to work on me to be the ONE……
Big lesson Like Attracts Like: If you think a good man is hard to find or that all the good ones are taken, you are going to manifest what you think about. People who fear living alone, most often end up alone. If you are jealous and fearful, you will attract situations to be jealous and fearful about. If you believe that women are only after your money, they will be.
Pastor,you are totally right and i love your preaching.it has taught me that i should start being the one.Thanks alot n may God bless you and increase you all the days of ur life.truly a blessing
I could not agree more satisfaction can only come from God. Human beings are wired to dissapoint… thats their nature but our God is good and thats His nature!
Hey Pastor M. May God bless you for being such an inspiration to me and i also want to thank you for agreeing to be used by God. We always have a ‘no’ option but you did not take it.
The sermon was a great one. It made me smile. Last year, towards the end, on 12th November, i wrote down a list of the man i wanted. Being a lady, the list is long. It includes eye color and the degree of the softness of the hands. Lol! Before writing it, i prayed for guidance from God. After a long while, my list was done. A few days later, i went back to that list and at the bottom, i wrote a small prayer. ‘God help me to be all the above qualities and more.’ since then i have been living those qualities. I dont know what made me write down that prayer but i felt that if i want someone with all this things, i must be all that. Thank you for confirming to me that i must be the one to find the one. Btw Pastor M, should ladies chase after men? Is it godly? I love you Pastor M.
Reblogged this on Life, Lemons and Lemonade.
My first shot at photos of kendo, at the All Japan Kendo Championship last December. The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan ran them in their January issue.
I did Kendo for a few years when I first came to Japan, so this shoot brought back a few memories.
As usual, the annual event was held at the Budokan in Tokyo (it’s easy to forget that the Budokan was built to host martial arts tournaments, not just rock concerts). It’s open to the public, but I got my press pass and a competitor’s eye view from some friends at the excellent Kendo World magazine.
I think that the grimacing competitor in the main photo had just lost. It looks like a mixture of pain, frustration and exhaustion. The tournament is a long, gruelling day for everyone – competitors, judges and photographers alike.
I had a fairly pained expression myself after several hours sitting on a cold gymnasium floor waiting for the one winning strike in each bout.
I took a few hundred photos, mostly of ’zanshin’, the kendo name for the moment after a strike. It’s not easy to catch the decisive moment in kendo.
Perhaps video is the answer? There’s youtube video of the end of the last bout after the photos. It’s pretty dramatic.
Desknots: I love this idea.
More and more, when we refer to mobile, what we really mean is “non-traditional computing devices and environments,” a stodgy mouthful that really boils down to not the desktop. Our usage overloads poor mobile to include gizmos like phones, tablets, game consoles, e-readers, even TVs. Let’s give mobile a break. I propose a new catch-all term for our myriad non-desktop screens: desknots.
