Merry Christmas, one and all! What a Christmas we Canadians have!
How is our Canadian Christmas unique from others around the world? We celebrate our cultural diversity. We embrace it. We have it written into our constitution. Across our vast country, we are a microcosm of the world. The understanding that has developed from neighbour to neighbour, sea to sea, through celebration food has found many of us embracing foreign celebrations. Yes, because we love the food. Yet, our heritage recipes are precious to our history and hold stories that wrote themselves across newly forged paths from East to West as our nation grew and settlements struggled to survive our long cold winters. It is the food that has brought us together. Our food that has evolved through time and change. This is our Canadian Christmas.
On a personal note, this round up is late, though still timely, as my dear old dad continues to decline. He is truly my hero and we are absolutely blessed to have him with us during this holiday season. I was also blessed to meet Elizabeth Baird and see so many of our Canadian Food Heroes and Canadian Food Friends at Christmas in November last month at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. My interview with Elizabeth addresses her Canadian Food Experiences as she shared some of her life stories and a recipe for Quick Chicken in Wine that has been a family staple for the past 50 years at her home.
Margaret, at Kitchen Frau, from Stony Plain, Alberta, writes about a favourite Christmas fruitcake recipe that has been passed down for generations from prairie woman to prairie woman for The Canadian Food Experience Project Challenge this month: a traditional Christmas recipe from your family or region. Margaret says "this old fruitcake recipe has converted many a non-fruitcake-lover into a fruitcake fan" as it is an Old Prairie Recipe (Gluten-free version, too) for Gumdrop Fruitcake. If you have the opportunity to read old fruitcake recipes, they tell such rich stories of our past. Brendi copied a recipe from her family dating back to the 1700's in the comment section of my fruitcake post that is a must read. Definitely a tale of harder times holding the spirit of celebration and family together all within a cherished family recipe.
I also wrote about our Traditional family Christmas fruitcake and that story is definitely worth the read. Fruitcake isn't very pretty, but it is delicious and I hope my own gals will carry on his tradition. This is a cake that has traveled through time and generations like few others and has always had a place of honour on our family Christmas table.
Carole at The Yum Yum Factor from Toronto, Ontario writes "over the last two decades, my little family has never celebrated the holidays exactly the same way twice and we are happy with that. I guess our Christmas tradition is our habit of ignoring tradition to keep the holidays fluid and interesting." I am all for change, as well. Each year, I do hold fast to the traditions that are dear, but definitely explore new territory in the savory and sweet realm. Some recipes survive and become family favourites while others were just fun to try. Building a Gingerbread House is difficult, yet the reward is the magic of the memory shared within the family and I have no doubt that Carole's family will cherish this memory and the eventual feasting on the house.
Karlynn at The Kitchen Magpie from Edmonton, Alberta, writes about perfecting her Whipped Shortbread recipe. Light as air shortbread cookies that have been gracing her family's Christmas dessert table for as long as anyone can remember.There's a few tricks and tips she's learned along the way to making this shortbread absolutely perfect! I can attest to their ethereal quality as I have had the pleasure of feasting on her Christmas fare. Part of the magic of this cookie at Karlynn's house is her husband's passion for these cookies. He literally casts a spell on you with his adoration of the cookie and Karlynn and you simply cannot resist.
Barbara, a food blogger from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, at My Island Bistro Kitchen, tells us about some of the symbolism surrounding plum pudding and shares her recipe for a traditional plum pudding and buttered rum brown sugar sauce. This Plum Pudding is a vision, isn't it? You can see such a blend of Canada's British and French history in our heritage holiday recipes.
Bridget Oland of Bridget's Green Kitchen from Rothesay New Brunswick writes about her family's traditional Tourtiere, an Acadian and French Canadian meat pie that has always been served Christmas Eve at her family table.
Bridget Oland of Grandma Molasses Test kitchen from Rothesay New Brunswick provides a great recipe and tutorial for painted cookies: a wonderful tradition for family fun through the holidays, for years!
Wanda at bakersbeans in Calgary, Alberta, talks about the first time she tasted her Mother-In-Law's Steamed Carrot Pudding. This family tradition has been passed down for many years from Grandma Stimson and is one of her husband's favourite Christmas Traditions. She plans on keeping this special memory and tradition alive for her family and I am thrilled she has shared it with us. I think I might find myself making this pudding, myself. It looks scrumptious.
Charmian at The Messy Baker from Guelph, Ontario, celebrates Zdena's Walnut Crescent Cookies and says, "There's a story behind how this classic Czech Christmas cookie ended up on our annual cookie tray. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and read on." This is my kind of morning coffee. I am all over this kind of morning reading.
Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction from Laval, Quebec, shares two family recipes for traditional Italian Christmas cookies with us. I love honey. I love biscotti. Take a look at her Honey Biscotti recipe!
Rosemary Mantini at The Eloquent Word from Brampton, Ontario, is obsessed with helping others write their best and trying to discover the recipe for the yummy meals of her childhood. This bocconotti recipe, for instance, is the perfect example! Having never heard of this, I am all over the idea of trying it out!
Anna at Hidden Ponies from Abbotsford, British Columbia, (home of Hedley, one of my favourite crazy Canadian Rock groups) took her first stab at canning and the result was this lovely Red Pepper Jelly, perfect for giving as gifts, for serving last minute guests, or for dressing up a cheese platter. This is a great recipe for canning beginners and you can sense the pride and satisfaction Anna has derived from investing herself in preserving food. Bravo, Anna!
You can take the girl out of Alberta, but you can't take the Alberta out of the girl. Christine at Manning Canning from Scarborough, Ontario, who has lived in Ontario now for longer than she lived in Alberta, takes us back to her family Christmases in Drayton Valley where Christmas was loud and rambunctious, but also delicious thanks to her nonna's cream puffs.
This month, Shari from Tales from a Small Kitchen in Grande Prairie, Alberta, tells us how her family has celebrated Christmas over the years in her post titled: Cookin Bakin' and Memory Makin'. Times have changed, people have gone, but Christmas is still one of her favourite times of the year. Shari also shares her mom's trusted sugar cookie recipe which is prepared each and every year.
Korena at Korena in the Kitchen from Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia writes, "While baking Christmas cookies is my "signature" Christmas tradition, our Christmas Eve Potluck, defined by delicious food, lots of kids, and Christmas carols, is a tradition that I've shared with family and friends my whole life." Potluck dinners play a special part in the social fabric of Salt Spring Island, BC, where Korena grew up and still celebrates Christmas, and she shares an appetizer of bacon-wrapped apricots with almonds, balsamic, and Stilton that is the perfect finger food to take to a holiday potluck.
If you visit Helene at La Cuisine d'Hélène from Ottawa Ontario, during the holidays, you will find on the table meat pies, meatballs and pork hock stew, mashed potatoes and desserts. She likes to cook the old-fashioned way and that reminds her of the big family parties she had with her big family years ago.
Rhonda at Olive and Ruby from Toronto, Ontario, shares her cherished family recipe for Trinidad Black Cake. This looks too delicious to miss!
Isabelle de Rawdon, Quebec, du blogue les gourmandises d' isa a importé de son pays d'origine (la France) une tradition familiale: faire son foie gras au torchon pour Noël. La méthode présentée ici est une cuisson lente, super facile à réaliser avec un résultat qui en étonnera plus d'un.
Isabelle of Rawdon, Quebec, at les gourmandises d' isa shares a family Christmas tradition imported to his country from France: foie gras au torchen. The method presented here is slow cooking, super easy to achieve with a result that will surprise more than one.
Dale at A Delectable Life from Boucherville, Quebec, shares a recipe for a quick Christmas fruitcake. For those of us too busy to get the cake started in November and brush it lovingly with a choice tasty alcohol concoction, this recipe may be for you.
Bernice at Dish 'n the Kitchen from Calgary, Alberta shares her family's tradition regarding French Canadian Tourtière. "In our family, we attend mass as near to midnight as possible, then come back to find that Santa has visited the house and made us Tourtière! We eat the mini pies with gravy or ketchup and stay up until all the presents are unwrapped; it's almost time for breakfast!" I would be so antsy Christmas Eve Day as a child, if this was my family tradition. I can feel the excitement. The little piggy on the pie is adorable, too, isn't it?
Deborah of Sustainable Slow Stylish from Edmonton, Alberta writes about her grandmother's Mock Cherry Pie made with cranberries! Perfect for the holiday season.
For the last few years, Marilyn at Here and There from Calgary, Alberta, and her husband been returning to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas in rural Manitoba. There is something magical in returning to the country to spend this time with family and friends. For Marilyn, the time is a spiritual renewal and a reconnection to the past and present. Marilyn features Kutya, a cooked wheat dish, sweetened with honey. This is a ritual dish that starts the traditional twelve lenten dishes on Christmas Eve in a ceremonial manner with greetings of "Christ is Born!" to which the reply is "Let us glorify him!' With that, the Christmas season begins as does the wonderful feast! This is a familiar ritual for Edmontonians as the area was settled with many Ukrainians and those of us in the area have had the privilege of sharing in the rich tradition of Ukrainian foods that have grown to become a part of our regional culinary cuisine.
Jen at The Victorian Food Blog from Victoria, British Columbia, has produced The Food Nerd Podcast Episode 15: Christmas Food Traditions on Vancouver Island with Aaron Hall, host of the Victoria Shaw cable show. Delicious joined Jen to debate the very idea of the possibility of a distinctly local Vancouver Island food tradition. Although they did not reach any kind of conclusive conclusion, you will hear a very delicious discussion of the foods they both enjoy around the holidays.
Mallory at Because I Like Chocolate from Calgary, Alberta says "Somehow virtually all of my Christmas shopping is done, but I have barely started on Christmas baking. What is wrong with that picture?" When it comes to Christmas traditions in her family, Mallory says that her grandma always gives her about a years worth of baking. Now that she is older, she has taken on a lot of it. "One of our family favourites is straight out of the Lutheran Church cookbook; no-bake chocolate cookies. Me being me I couldn't leave the recipe alone and decided to veganize it. Just cocoa, oats, brown sugar, vanilla and coconut oil, the recipe holds its own with the original." Good for Mallory!
Valerie at More Than Burnt Toast from Kelowna (Okanagan area) British Columbia writes "today making ice wine is a Canadian game. We may not have invented it, but we have perfected it." The ice wine harvest in the Okanagan area of British Columbia is done entirely by hand and commences once he temperatures drop below -8 to -13 degrees Celsius. The grapes freeze naturally on the vine and are quickly harvested and pressed immediately. A tiny, but precious, ration of highly concentrated juice is expressed. "Here, in the Okanagan Valley. as well as the Niagara region in Ontario, and regions in Nova Scotia and Quebec, vintners make some outstanding ice wines." Icewine harvests often begin at night so that grapes may be picked and delivered to processing facilities before daytime temperatures warm. The grapes must be processed while still frozen. Valerie has taken it upon herself to become well versed in the wine and icewine of her region and, as always, her articles are steeped with well researched detailed information.
Jessica Giesbrecht at Inside Out from Ottawa, Ontario, shares her family holiday tradition of Hungarian Pork and Sauerkraut Stew as she continues to pay homage to her Hungarian heritage and the influence of her grandmother's cooking to her evolving Canadian food identity this month at The Canadian Food Experience Project. "This is true comfort food for the holidays which warms from the inside-out." Sadly, the photo isn't doing justice to the flavour that this dish holds. Personally, I cannot wait to make it. I know my uber carnivore is going to go ga-ga over this dish.
Nathalie Gauvin at Délinquances et saveurs from Shefford, Québec, shares The Cipaille, a traditional Quebec dish that dates back as far as at least 1747, when Hannah Glasse's cookbook gave the recipe for a 'Cheshire Pork Pie for Sea' consisting of layers of salt pork, meat, and potatoes. This traditional Quebec layered meat pie called cipaille (pronounced 'sea pie'). is no coincidence as it is has evolved from the original recipe. Some recipes take two days in total, including six hours of baking, but with modern ways, you can really cut down on the time in the kitchen. If you have game, then by all means substitute duck, goose, moose, deer, elk, &c. for the other meats.
Nathalie Gauvin a la Délinquances et saveurs Le cipaille, une tradition bien québécoise.
Mimi from Ajax, Ontario at her blog Tummy Grumbles writes about her multicultural Christmas that's she's been celebrating since before being multicultural was cool. Can you guess what recipe she is sharing?
Ashley from The Localize Project Blog in Edmonton, Alberta, writes about perogies and cornmeal, two dishes prepared every Christmas in her family, passed from generation to generation. In learning to prepare each dish, she uncovered her family's rich history, learning about her great and great-great grandparents who immigrated to Canada from Poland and the Ukraine. These are the heritage recipes precious to our personal history that hold the stories written across the newly forged paths from East to West as Ashley's family settled and struggled to survive our long cold winters. It is the food that holds the ties that bind to those that came before that makes the remaking of these dishes so precious.
Kathryne at Food Musings from Winnipeg and Lester Beach, Manitoba, writes about the last Christmas in their family house. The expression above, "Is it present time yet?" is a familiar one. Kathryne and her family are all about getting together at Christmas, but this year will be a bittersweet gathering as it is the last one in the family home.
Sarah from Delish in a Dish in Victoria, British Columbia, shares her family holiday tradition of baking cookies with a new favourite: Cranberry Pistachio Trees.
Anna at Hidden Ponies from Abbotsford, British Columbia, talks about a crowd-pleasing meat pie, also known as tourtiere. This French Canadian Christmas tradition, with it's enticing comfort-food smell, was adopted by her non-French mother and is being carried on now that she has a family of her own to build memories with.
Lesli at True Sustenance from Calgary, Alberta has me swooning here as Chocolate Pie is a holiday favourite at her house. Yes, please!
Nadia Helal at Instantly Personalised Foods from Montreal, Quebec shares her Christmas tradition memories growing up in Montreal in the 90s.
We have over 95 participants in The Canadian Food Experience Project to date.
Some did not participate this round, but 36 did. If you are interested in participating, wonderful. It is never too late.
Oh Valerie, what a delightful round up! So delicious. Wishing you a peaceful and happy Christmas my friend!
I cherish our cyber friendship and like-mindedness. I wish good health for you in this coming new year.
What memories shared on such a celebrated day, today is a very quiet day, Peter and I are enjoying the silence tonight, we had our festivities last night with the family. I made a great feast of turkey and all the trimmings for us today, I look forward to the coming of leftovers over the next couple days.
What a lovely message. Thank you. Yes, the silence of the season i the still quiet of that moment just before and just after "it all" is so full and a time I cherish so much, as well. If I am so lucky, the crystal clear night air… the lights, the warmth of a winter's eve on Christmas is pure magic. Thank you for that reminder.
Warmest wishes to you and Peter. Happy Happy New Year with all of the promises it holds.
So, so many delicious foods and wonderful family traditions and stories. Merry Christmas Valerie, and best wishes for your dad too.
So happy you have joined the journey of The Canadian Food Experience Project!
An awesome roundup for this special day. Merry Christmas and all the best in 2014!
An awesome round up showcasing our multicultural celebrations. Merry Christmas, Valerie, and all the best in 2014!
Thank you so much, Helene – and to you… and thank you for your continued support and contributions to the texture and vibrancy of "A Canadian Foodie" through your knowledge and expertise as you participate in actively in the food discussions.
I am very sorry to hear about your dad Valerie. I am sure that many more traditions were made over the holidays surrounded by family and friends. So many traditions to explore here in this roundup. Enjoy the rat of your holidays and have a joyous New Year.
Meeting you has been such a pleasure and our continued relationship through food and food stories is important and precious to me. Thank you so much for your well wishes. Were your children surprised at Christmas by your parents? Hope you have a wonderful break.
Looks like tourtiere and steam pudding reigns supreme! They are on my Christmas baking list too. Two of my Christmas puddings became gifts with Michael Smith Carmel sauce, one to Vancouver and another to some who has her mom here for Christmas from Turkey! Merry Christmas Valerie .. We are half way through this marathon!
You have some very lucky friends. Beautiful gifts!
Wow, some amazing recipes! Thanks for sharing Valerie, sorry I didn't make it in time to contribute.
Merry Christmas! Yes, your contributions are always missed as they are so well put together. Looking forward to the next one!
Wonderful post, Valerie. Sorry to hear your dad is declining. We still have John's 93 year old dad with us and now his mum is up here in a nursing home because she's got Alzheimer's Disease. I know what you mean when you say life's busy when caring for an elder.
Thanks for your support, Maureen, and enthusiasm! Both are so welcome!
Wow, there are some really delicious looking traditional Canadian Christmas foods here. Who knew Tortiere was so popular from coast to coast and beyond!
I have a question…Does anyone have a Christmas cake recipe that doesn't involve all the dried and candied bits n bobs? I once tasted one with tart cherries and hazelnuts and man was it good! Anyone have a similar recipe?
I hope someone will answer you – if you google fruit cake with cherries and hazelnuts you will find many recipes. I have had one with brazil nuts and cherries that was scrumptious, too.
Bernice, here is a post David Lebovitz posted.. Anything he posts is delicious!


text:
The principle of plenitude asserts that the universe contains all possible forms of existence.  Arthur Lovejoy, a historian of ideas, was the first to trace the history of this philosophically important principle explicitly.  Lovejoy distinguishes two versions of the principle: a static version, in which the universe displays a constant fullness and diversity, and a temporalized version, in which fullness and diversity gradually increase over time.

Lovejoy traces the principle of plenitude to the writings of Plato, finding in the Timaeus an insistence on "the necessarily complete translation of all the ideal possibilities into actuality".  By contrast, he takes Aristotle to reject the principle in his Metaphysics, when he writes that "it is not necessary that everything that is possible should exist in actuality".

Since Plato, the principle of plenitude has had the following adherents:

Epicurus reiterated the principle in fr.266 Us. His follower Lucretius (DRN V 526-33) famously applied the principle to the sets of multiple explanations by which the Epicureans account for astronomical and meteorological phenomena: every possible explanation is also true, if not in our world, then elsewhere in the infinite universe.
Augustine of Hippo brought the principle from Neo-Platonic thought into early Christian Theology.
St Anselm's ontological arguments for God's existence used the principle's implication that nature will become as complete as it possibly can be, to argue that existence is a "perfection" in the sense of a completeness or fullness.
Thomas Aquinas accepted a modified form of the principle, but qualified it by making several distinctions that safeguard the freedom of God.
Giordano Bruno's insistence on an infinity of worlds was not based on the theories of Copernicus, or on observation, but on the principle applied to God. His death may then be attributed to his conviction of its truth, as he refused to recant even while facing capital punishment for his view about this and other matters, which caused him to be convicted of heresy.
Spinoza, according to Lovejoy, "expressed the principle of plenitude in its most uncompromising form" and "represented it as necessary in the strict logical sense".
Kant believed in the principle but not in the possibility of its empirical verification.
 Leibniz believed that the best of all possible worlds would actualize every genuine possibility.

See also
Great chain of being
Meinong's jungle
Modal realism
Murphy's law
Pleroma
Multiverse

Notes

References
Arthur Lovejoy, The Great Chain of Being. Harvard University Press, 1936:
Chapter IV "The Principle of Plenitude and the New Cosmography", p. 99–143.
Chapter V "Plenitude and Sufficient Reason in Leibniz and Spinoza", p. 144–182.

Principles
Concepts in metaphysics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


With the aim of helping to enhance the competitiveness of Taiwan's Internet of Things (IoT) industry, Taipei City Government has established the Taipei IoT Experimental Platform, which makes Taipei City available as a test-bed for experimentation; companies in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry can use the Platform to experiment with implementation of their innovative applications. The Taipei IoT Experimental Platform is collaborating with UnaBiz and with AVNET (Taiwan branch) on the adoption of SIGFOX technology and applications, with the aim of giving start-up development teams exposure to new IoT technologies.
To help start-up teams develop a more in-depth understanding of a wider range of technologies and unleash the full potential of their innovative applications, the Taipei IoT Experimental Platform is making available 10,000 free accounts that development teams can apply for, and is also organizing a special "SIGFOX IoT Workshop." Academics, start-up teams and ordinary members of the public are welcome to register to attend the Workshop, which it is hoped will help innovation to bloom in Taipei City, stimulating the emergence of new IoT applications.
* This Workshop is a "one-stop" opportunity to learn how to get connected to the SIGFOX network!
- The Workshop will cover the special features of the SIGFOX network, how sensors, gateways, the global cloud and back-end operations work together, how to use Callbacks, and the realization of "cloud-to-cloud" IoT architecture.
* Start-up teams that register to attend the Workshop and apply for a free account will be eligible to receive a free gift of two WiSOL modules on the day of the Workshop.
Friday February 9th, 2018, 13:30 - 15:30 p.m.
Thanks for your interest in our event. You may click below to download the presentation material of this event.


text:
Legal Preparedness: Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement
Task Force for Mass Critical Care
Sustainability, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of (GIOS)
BACKGROUND: Significant legal challenges arise when health-care resources become scarce and population-based approaches to care are implemented during severe disasters and pandemics. Recent emergencies highlight the serious legal, economic, and health impacts that can be associated with responding in austere conditions and the critical importance of comprehensive, collaborative health response system planning. This article discusses legal suggestions developed by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Task Force for Mass Critical Care to support planning and response efforts for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. The suggestions in this chapter are important for all of those involved in a pandemic or disaster with multiple critically ill or injured patients, including front-line clinicians, hospital administrators, and public health or government officials. METHODS: Following the CHEST Guidelines Oversight Committee's methodology, the Legal Panel developed 35 key questions for which specific literature searches were then conducted. The literature in this field is not suitable to provide support for evidence-based recommendations. Therefore, the panel developed expert opinion-based suggestions using a modified Delphi process resulting in seven final suggestions. RESULTS: Acceptance is widespread for the health-care community's duty to appropriately plan for and respond to severe disasters and pandemics. Hospitals, public health entities, and clinicians have an obligation to develop comprehensive, vetted plans for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. Such plans should address processes for evacuation and limited appeals and reviews of care decisions. To legitimize responses, deter independent actions, and trigger liability protections, mass critical care (MCC) plans should be formally activated when facilities and practitioners shift to providing MCC. Adherence to official MCC plans should contribute to protecting hospitals and practitioners who act in good faith from liability. Finally, to address anticipated staffing shortages during severe and prolonged disasters and pandemics, governments should develop approaches to formally expand the availability of qualified health-care workers, such as through using official foreign medical teams. CONCLUSIONS: As a fundamental element of health-care and public health emergency planning and preparedness, the law underlies critical aspects of disaster and pandemic responses. Effective responses require comprehensive advance planning efforts that include assessments of complex legal issues and authorities. Recent disasters have shown that although law is a critical response tool, it can also be used to hold health-care stakeholders who fail to appropriately plan for or respond to disasters and pandemics accountable for resulting patient or staff harm. Claims of liability from harms allegedly suffered during disasters and pandemics cannot be avoided altogether. However, appropriate planning and legal protections can help facilitate sound, consistent decision-making and support response participation among health-care entities and practitioners.
e134S-e144S
https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.14-0741
Pandemics
Mass Casualty Incidents
Hospital Administrators
Task Force for Mass Critical Care (2014). Legal Preparedness: Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement. Chest, 146, e134S-e144S. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.14-0741
Legal Preparedness : Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement. / Task Force for Mass Critical Care.
In: Chest, Vol. 146, 01.10.2014, p. e134S-e144S.
Task Force for Mass Critical Care 2014, 'Legal Preparedness: Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement', Chest, vol. 146, pp. e134S-e144S. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.14-0741
Task Force for Mass Critical Care. Legal Preparedness: Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement. Chest. 2014 Oct 1;146:e134S-e144S. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.14-0741
Task Force for Mass Critical Care. / Legal Preparedness : Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement. In: Chest. 2014 ; Vol. 146. pp. e134S-e144S.
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title = "Legal Preparedness: Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement",
abstract = "BACKGROUND: Significant legal challenges arise when health-care resources become scarce and population-based approaches to care are implemented during severe disasters and pandemics. Recent emergencies highlight the serious legal, economic, and health impacts that can be associated with responding in austere conditions and the critical importance of comprehensive, collaborative health response system planning. This article discusses legal suggestions developed by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Task Force for Mass Critical Care to support planning and response efforts for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. The suggestions in this chapter are important for all of those involved in a pandemic or disaster with multiple critically ill or injured patients, including front-line clinicians, hospital administrators, and public health or government officials. METHODS: Following the CHEST Guidelines Oversight Committee's methodology, the Legal Panel developed 35 key questions for which specific literature searches were then conducted. The literature in this field is not suitable to provide support for evidence-based recommendations. Therefore, the panel developed expert opinion-based suggestions using a modified Delphi process resulting in seven final suggestions. RESULTS: Acceptance is widespread for the health-care community's duty to appropriately plan for and respond to severe disasters and pandemics. Hospitals, public health entities, and clinicians have an obligation to develop comprehensive, vetted plans for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. Such plans should address processes for evacuation and limited appeals and reviews of care decisions. To legitimize responses, deter independent actions, and trigger liability protections, mass critical care (MCC) plans should be formally activated when facilities and practitioners shift to providing MCC. Adherence to official MCC plans should contribute to protecting hospitals and practitioners who act in good faith from liability. Finally, to address anticipated staffing shortages during severe and prolonged disasters and pandemics, governments should develop approaches to formally expand the availability of qualified health-care workers, such as through using official foreign medical teams. CONCLUSIONS: As a fundamental element of health-care and public health emergency planning and preparedness, the law underlies critical aspects of disaster and pandemic responses. Effective responses require comprehensive advance planning efforts that include assessments of complex legal issues and authorities. Recent disasters have shown that although law is a critical response tool, it can also be used to hold health-care stakeholders who fail to appropriately plan for or respond to disasters and pandemics accountable for resulting patient or staff harm. Claims of liability from harms allegedly suffered during disasters and pandemics cannot be avoided altogether. However, appropriate planning and legal protections can help facilitate sound, consistent decision-making and support response participation among health-care entities and practitioners.",
author = "{Task Force for Mass Critical Care} and Brooke Courtney and James Hodge and Toner, {Eric S.} and Roxland, {Beth E.} and Penn, {Matthew S.} and Devereaux, {Asha V.} and Dichter, {Jeffrey R.} and Niranjan Kissoon and Christian, {Michael D.} and Tia Powell",
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pages = "e134S--e144S",
journal = "Chest",
publisher = "American College of Chest Physicians",
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T2 - Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: CHEST consensus statement
AU - Task Force for Mass Critical Care
AU - Courtney, Brooke
AU - Hodge, James
AU - Toner, Eric S.
AU - Roxland, Beth E.
AU - Penn, Matthew S.
AU - Devereaux, Asha V.
AU - Dichter, Jeffrey R.
AU - Kissoon, Niranjan
AU - Christian, Michael D.
AU - Powell, Tia
N2 - BACKGROUND: Significant legal challenges arise when health-care resources become scarce and population-based approaches to care are implemented during severe disasters and pandemics. Recent emergencies highlight the serious legal, economic, and health impacts that can be associated with responding in austere conditions and the critical importance of comprehensive, collaborative health response system planning. This article discusses legal suggestions developed by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Task Force for Mass Critical Care to support planning and response efforts for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. The suggestions in this chapter are important for all of those involved in a pandemic or disaster with multiple critically ill or injured patients, including front-line clinicians, hospital administrators, and public health or government officials. METHODS: Following the CHEST Guidelines Oversight Committee's methodology, the Legal Panel developed 35 key questions for which specific literature searches were then conducted. The literature in this field is not suitable to provide support for evidence-based recommendations. Therefore, the panel developed expert opinion-based suggestions using a modified Delphi process resulting in seven final suggestions. RESULTS: Acceptance is widespread for the health-care community's duty to appropriately plan for and respond to severe disasters and pandemics. Hospitals, public health entities, and clinicians have an obligation to develop comprehensive, vetted plans for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. Such plans should address processes for evacuation and limited appeals and reviews of care decisions. To legitimize responses, deter independent actions, and trigger liability protections, mass critical care (MCC) plans should be formally activated when facilities and practitioners shift to providing MCC. Adherence to official MCC plans should contribute to protecting hospitals and practitioners who act in good faith from liability. Finally, to address anticipated staffing shortages during severe and prolonged disasters and pandemics, governments should develop approaches to formally expand the availability of qualified health-care workers, such as through using official foreign medical teams. CONCLUSIONS: As a fundamental element of health-care and public health emergency planning and preparedness, the law underlies critical aspects of disaster and pandemic responses. Effective responses require comprehensive advance planning efforts that include assessments of complex legal issues and authorities. Recent disasters have shown that although law is a critical response tool, it can also be used to hold health-care stakeholders who fail to appropriately plan for or respond to disasters and pandemics accountable for resulting patient or staff harm. Claims of liability from harms allegedly suffered during disasters and pandemics cannot be avoided altogether. However, appropriate planning and legal protections can help facilitate sound, consistent decision-making and support response participation among health-care entities and practitioners.
AB - BACKGROUND: Significant legal challenges arise when health-care resources become scarce and population-based approaches to care are implemented during severe disasters and pandemics. Recent emergencies highlight the serious legal, economic, and health impacts that can be associated with responding in austere conditions and the critical importance of comprehensive, collaborative health response system planning. This article discusses legal suggestions developed by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Task Force for Mass Critical Care to support planning and response efforts for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. The suggestions in this chapter are important for all of those involved in a pandemic or disaster with multiple critically ill or injured patients, including front-line clinicians, hospital administrators, and public health or government officials. METHODS: Following the CHEST Guidelines Oversight Committee's methodology, the Legal Panel developed 35 key questions for which specific literature searches were then conducted. The literature in this field is not suitable to provide support for evidence-based recommendations. Therefore, the panel developed expert opinion-based suggestions using a modified Delphi process resulting in seven final suggestions. RESULTS: Acceptance is widespread for the health-care community's duty to appropriately plan for and respond to severe disasters and pandemics. Hospitals, public health entities, and clinicians have an obligation to develop comprehensive, vetted plans for mass casualty incidents involving critically ill or injured patients. Such plans should address processes for evacuation and limited appeals and reviews of care decisions. To legitimize responses, deter independent actions, and trigger liability protections, mass critical care (MCC) plans should be formally activated when facilities and practitioners shift to providing MCC. Adherence to official MCC plans should contribute to protecting hospitals and practitioners who act in good faith from liability. Finally, to address anticipated staffing shortages during severe and prolonged disasters and pandemics, governments should develop approaches to formally expand the availability of qualified health-care workers, such as through using official foreign medical teams. CONCLUSIONS: As a fundamental element of health-care and public health emergency planning and preparedness, the law underlies critical aspects of disaster and pandemic responses. Effective responses require comprehensive advance planning efforts that include assessments of complex legal issues and authorities. Recent disasters have shown that although law is a critical response tool, it can also be used to hold health-care stakeholders who fail to appropriately plan for or respond to disasters and pandemics accountable for resulting patient or staff harm. Claims of liability from harms allegedly suffered during disasters and pandemics cannot be avoided altogether. However, appropriate planning and legal protections can help facilitate sound, consistent decision-making and support response participation among health-care entities and practitioners.
U2 - 10.1378/chest.14-0741
DO - 10.1378/chest.14-0741
SP - e134S-e144S
JO - Chest
JF - Chest
10.1378/chest.14-0741

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


You are currently browsing the archives for the Antifa category.
Antifa's spinners have been trying to convince people that they aren't a domestic terrorist organization, that they're just misunderstood and that they come out to protect people from evil right-wingers and the police. This article demolishes that myth.
This isn't surprising in that President Obama didn't hesitate in punishing his enemies. (See Lois Lerner, IRS vs. TEA Party groups.) This isn't surprising. It's just disgusting.
When I wrote that Daryle Jenkins was Antifa's unofficial spokesman, I highlighted how he spun things to make his cause seem justified. There's no way Antifa can spin this article successfully.
According to the newscaster, Antifa protesters "broke through police barricades during a rally against hate and clashed with right wing activists." It's impossible to explain why Antifa rioters needed to break through police barricades and fight with right wing activists while protecting "nonviolent protesters from right wing protesters." If there's a police barricade separating the non-violent protesters and Antifa, then all that's needed to 'protect' Antifa is for them to stay separated. Let the police do their job of protecting the peace.
I'm pretty certain that thoughtful people might dispute who's trying to create a fascist state. Activists that crash through police barricades to attack peaceful protesters aren't likely to be considered peaceful protesters. They're most likely to be called anarchists and/or rioters.
Let's get serious. Antifa's tactics look a lot like the Black Panthers. They don't look like anything that Martin Luther King would've sanctioned. Jenkins' attempt to portray himself as a civil rights activist isn't honest. It's spin.
Sean Illing: Antifa endorses violence as a justifiable means, and I assume you do as well. Why?
Daryle Jenkins: I'm glad you brought this up, because I've noticed a lot of attention has been placed on Antifa's use of violence. But it's not as though we're running around like the nihilists in A Clockwork Orange looking for a nasty fight. Violence is not a central component of what we do and it's definitely not the only thing we do. It's not preferred or even the first option.
Sean Illing: And you, personally, how do you think about violence in defense of your political goals?
Daryle Jenkins: Look, I was a police officer in the Air Force. I was trained to deescalate situations. That's how I approach things. I try as much as I can to deescalate, and if I can't, I'm prepared to do what I have to do to protect myself and anyone around me.
Sean Illing: Do you think your emphasis on de-escalation is shared by most of the people in Antifa?
Daryle Jenkins: While we do have some people who go on the offensive, that's not what I do. I try to encourage folks to not put themselves in bad positions. I tell them to not make themselves the aggressor or the bad guy when you're not. But what's happened over the last couple of years is that the frustration levels have gone way up. People are lashing out now. There's a desperation setting in and people don't know what to do.
Sean Illing: When you say expose them, you mean dox them, right?
Daryle Jenkins: Exactly. Our belief is that we research and report on these groups and encourage communities to be proactive in dealing with them. This diminishes their ability to hide and function. This is why we expose them.
Sean Illing: So you take their pictures, find out their names, and share that information with their communities, their friends, their employers?
Daryle Jenkins: Yes, all of that. We share it with communities and employers in particular. We contact anybody that may be receptive to this particular information. Most importantly, we make sure it's on our website. We write new stories, and we also write mini-bios of various individuals as well. And that exposes them. They don't like that.
I expected to see a dust-up, a handful of white supremacists in MAGA hats, angry that that they'd been denied a permit to spew their reprehensible bile due to a "culture of political correctness" or some other preposterous catchphrase. What I saw was a photographer—a white guy, thirty-something, pink shorts, black tee-shirt; media affiliation, if any, still unknown—taking blows to the head and body while cradling his camera like a football recovered post-fumble. Evidently, he'd captured something the Antifas didn't want him to document. They wanted to destroy the evidence, and he wasn't going to hand it over.


Like many entrepreneurial women you are holding down one job (designing bathing suits) while working hard to launch your own business www.milagrosclothingdesign.com. Tell us about your "day" job designing bathing suits. After all these years can bathing suits really be re-designed and improved?
Nadine: The design is really based on the fabric prints. The silhouette really does not change that much. You have your basic triangle top, halter top, tankini top, bandeau top. Then as for the bottoms you have scoop, side ties, and boy shorts. And you have your one piece.
Starting from high school what has been your career path?
Nadine: My high school teacher encouraged me to take a patternmaking class in F.I.T. I was learning how different garments were constructed. It was a great experience. When I attended F.I.T. I was an intern for Gabriella Zanzani, a ready-to-wear clothing company. After I graduated FIT she offered me a job. It was a great experience and I had the opportunity to work with a high end clothing company. It was fun working behind the scenes for her fashion shows. My second job was with Anakha, a bridle company. I worked very closely with the customers on creating their dresses. I was working for her for three years. My third job in the industry was with Liz Lange Maternity, another high end company. My present job is with Inmocean, a swim suit company. It's one of the largest manufacturing companies in the USA.
Where did you get your interest in becoming a clothing designer?
Nadine: I got my interest while watching my grandmother fixing garments, from hemming a pair of pants to altering a shirt.
When did you first starting thinking about developing your own clothing line? And how did that happen?
Nadine: A lot of my friends would constantly ask me to design something for them to wear, or they would go thru my closet to find something that they can borrow. I did some thinking and then decided to go with it.
How long have you been developing your own line? Is Milagros Clothing Design the original name of your own company?
Nadine: I have been developing my line for four years. Yes, Milagros is the original name to my company.
Who are the target women for your line of clothing? What is the price point you are aiming at?
Nadine: My target ranges from women in their late 20's to early 50's. The prices are affordable, anywhere from $30-$200. I carry lines from different designers as well as jewelry, candles and lotions.
Eventually how far do you expect to expand your designs, i.e. into a broader range of clothes, shoes, jewelry, bags, and accessories?
Nadine: I would like to expand my designs into handbags, and candles.
What do you think are the keys to you growing your own design company successfully?
Nadine: To me the main key is having good relationships with vendors and customers.
What is your vision for your business? How do you want to develop it? For example, will you focus on selling through other boutiques, start your own retail outlet(s) or concentrate on selling on-line?
Nadine: My vision is to open a boutique on a main avenue. I will continue to have Fashion Brunch events. I want to keep my line elite and exclusive I don't think I'll have my designs in other stores. I want my boutique to be special, and want my customers to feel special.
You are doing an interesting thing by having showings of your line in your apartment. Tell us about that. How did you get the idea? How is it working? What are you learning from the experience? When is the next event?
Is anyone else helping you develop your own business? How are you financing the development of the business?
Nadine: I received help from friends and family for events. However I'm the only designer. No one has helped me to develop my line. I have a full time job and I've been financing the line myself.
What advice can you share with other women who are either thinking about starting their own business or already have started one? What are the keys to success in your mind? What are the biggest mistakes to avoid?
Nadine: The advice that I can share with other women is to do your research from A to Z. Learn as much as you can about your business first. Also try to find a good mentor. Try to get recommendations from other business owners that are in your field of business. Be surrounded by positive people and stay focused. Your hard work and dedication in time it will be rewarding.
What do your parents think about you launching your own business? What do they do?
Nadine: My mom thinks is great. She is very proud of me. I know if my grandmother was here she would too.
Where did you grow up? Have you always lived in Jersey City?
Nadine: I grew up in Brooklyn New York. When I graduated from the sixth grade my mom decided to relocate to Union City, NJ. Years later I relocated to Jersey City. It's a great city. It's hip and trendy. Everything is near by. It's like a mini New York City.
When you are not working, how do you spend your free time?
Nadine: I try to spend my free time with my family, and friends. Or I'm enjoying some of my activities like golf, belly dancing, watching football, and baseball. I enjoy reading a good book. I also like to watch a really good comedy movie. Sometimes I need a good laugh.
We are always looking to find good restaurants, i.e. where the locals go. Do you have any suggestions for Garden State Woman web viewers?
Nadine: The restaurants that I can recommend in Hoboken are: Teak, Madison, Margarita, Zafra, and Cucharamama. In Jersey City I recommend: HardGrove Café, Bar Majestic, York Bar, Azucar, Iron Monkey, and Latin Lounge.
Click here if you would like to share thinkling or questions with Nadine.


text:
<?php

namespace SR\Tests\Utilities\Loader;

use SR\Tests\Utilities\Loader\Model\Fixture;
use Symfony\Component\Yaml\Exception\ParseException;
use Symfony\Component\Yaml\Yaml;

class FixtureLoader
{
    /**
     * @var string
     */
    private const DEFAULT_ROOT = __DIR__ . '/../Resources/Fixtures/';

    /**
     * @var bool
     */
    private $fresh;

    /**
     * @var string
     */
    private $rootPath;

    /**
     * @var Fixture[]
     */
    private static $cache;

    public function __construct(bool $fresh = false, string $rootPath = null)
    {
        $this->fresh = $fresh;
        $this->rootPath = $rootPath;
    }

    public function load(string $file): Fixture
    {
        if (!$this->isLoaded($file)) {
            $this->set($file, new Fixture($this->readData($file), $file));
        }

        return $this->get($file);
    }

    public function isLoaded(string $file): bool
    {
        return isset(static::$cache[$this->getCacheIndex($file)]);
    }

    private function set(string $file, Fixture $fixture): void
    {
        static::$cache[$this->getCacheIndex($file)] = $fixture;
    }

    private function get(string $file): Fixture
    {
        return static::$cache[$this->getCacheIndex($file)];
    }

    private function getCacheIndex(string $file): string
    {
        return md5(__CLASS__ . $this->rootPath . $file);
    }

    private function buildFilePath(string $file): string
    {
        if (false === $real = realpath($this->rootPath ?? static::DEFAULT_ROOT)) {
            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('Unable to resolve fixture root path "%s"', $file));
        }

        $absolute = $real . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $file;

        if (false === file_exists($absolute) || false === is_readable($absolute)) {
            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('Fixture data file "%s" does not exist or is not readable!', $absolute));
        }

        return $absolute;
    }

    /**
     * @return mixed[]
     */
    private function readData(string $file): array
    {
        if (!is_readable($absolute = $this->buildFilePath($file)) || false === $contents = file_get_contents($absolute)) {
            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('Unable to read file contents of "%s"', $absolute));
        }

        try {
            return Yaml::parse($contents, Yaml::PARSE_EXCEPTION_ON_INVALID_TYPE | Yaml::PARSE_CUSTOM_TAGS);
        } catch (ParseException $e) {
            throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('Unable to parse fixture YAML data in "%s"', $absolute), null, $e);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: What exactly is a Deluminator?
"No, I heard you coming out of my pocket. Your voice," he held up the Deluminator again, "came out of this."
"And what exactly did I say?" asked Hermione, her tone somewhere between skepticism and curiosity.
"My name. 'Ron.' And you said… something about a wand…."
— Deathly Hallows, chapter 19, The Silver Doe

Ron and Dumbledore often used the device called Deluminator.

He had found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.
— Philosopher's Stone, chapter 1, The Boy Who Lived

How was it used, except for playing with lights?

A: From the Harry Potter wiki:

The Deluminator, also known as the Put-Outer, is a device used by Albus Dumbledore (the first known owner and designer of the one Deluminator known to exist) to remove light sources from the Deluminator's immediate surroundings, as well as bestow them.

In Deathly Hallows

It seemed to also act like a homing device. Whenever Hermione and Harry mentioned Ron's name, he could hear snippets of conversation before and after, even though he was far away. It then acted as a guide, leading Ron back to Harry and Hermione after he left them following an argument.

And:

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ron explains that the Deluminator creates a blue light which, after entering his chest near his heart, allows him to disapparate to where his love interest (Hermione) and his best friend (Harry) are located. The ability to transport a wizard, via a light through the heart, to where his or her favourite (or most treasured) people are is curiously similar to the epitaph Dumbledore selected for his mother and sister: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Customers expect the products they buy to work safely and effectively. And for the most part, the companies who manufacture those products work hard to win consumer confidence and trust. From time to time, however, an incident involving a faulty product design – or even a failure on the part of a manufacturer to adequately warn consumers of certain product risks – can lead to a catastrophic loss. In these cases, an attorney needs to be equal parts advocate and engineer. Our founding partners frequently lecture on this complex area of law, and have successfully handled hundreds of product defect cases.


For sermon audio click here.
What if over this past year, you went to church every single Sunday? What if you sang all the songs, listened to all the sermons, and served on every ministry team? And what if God hated every bit of it? What if God would have rather shut the church doors then for you to have worshiped him in the way that you have for the last year? What if all your religious steps that you thought were appeasing God were actually angering him? This is exactly what the people of Israel come to find out in the book of Malachi.
From the very first verse, we know what kind of prophecy this book of Malachi is going to be. The word oracle sets the tone for everything that is to follow. The word means "burden". From the beginning, there is a sense of heaviness to the message presented. The message of Malachi is heavy, hard, and convicting. Its designed to awaken the hearts and open the eyes of people who have drifted far away from the Lord. Its written for a people who stunningly have no idea just how far they actually have drifted. In fact, the whole book is structured according to six different disputations in which God accuses the people of a particular sin and they argue back with God. They make justifications, excuses, and arguments for why God's accusation is actually unfounded.
Israel finds themselves asking the most audacious question that a child of God could ever ask. Perhaps it's not such an audacious question for you though. Perhaps it is actually a quite familiar question. Has life every hit you so hard, that you look around and find no reason to believe that God has loved you at all? Have you ever looked around and seen all the pain, hurt, and heartache and asked where God was in all of this? Perhaps, like Israel, your expectations have not been met and God seems slow on his promises.
There are countless ways God could have responded to this question, but the way he responds is shockingly specific. He points his people back to the very beginning of their history and to the birth of Jacob and Esau. God recounts how he specifically and uniquely chose Jacob to be the father of the people of Israel through which God would establish the blessed family line. If you look back to the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25, you will remember that Jacob and Esau were twin brothers, but God sovereignly selected Jacob to receive the blessing of his Father. Now why in the world did God choose this as his argument to prove his love for the people of Israel? How did God argue his love for his people by saying, "Just look at the people that came from Esau" What does God's judgment on Esau have to do with God's love for the people of Israel?
God is making a very important point in regard to the nature of God's love for his people. God's love for Israel was a totally undeserved covenant love. God's love for Israel was not a love based upon Israel's loveliness. Esau was Jacob's twin brother. In fact, Esau was born first so he was technically the oldest and according to custom the deserving brother of his father's blessing. They had the same parents.They were both sinners and they both made pretty bad mistakes. A great nation came from the seed of Esau called the Edomites and a great nation came from the seed of Jacob called the Israelites. Both nations sinned greatly against God. Both nations suffered at the hands of their enemies, but only one nation had been redeemed, restored, and forgiven as God's chosen people. Only one nation was returning to their land and being rebuilt after the recent Babylonian and Assyrian conquests.
God freely chose to bestow unique favor upon the family of Jacob when the family of Jacob deserved absolutely no more favor than anyone else. God is humbling his readers in this moment under the riches of God's grace for them though they deserved none of it. God is taking away any reason for boasting. Every provision and protection ever experienced by Israel including the present moment where they are back in the promised land and safe from their enemies is simply a result of divine grace for a people who deserved God's wrath. There is no nation that has earned God's favor by good behavior. The Edomites received the judgment they earned and the Israelites for some reason were not receiving it. God showed them mercy simply because he is God and he had chosen to set his love upon them though they had been totally and entirely unlovable.
This principle of God's unmerited love is not a principle that stays in the Old Testament. May we as Christians never ask, "How has God loved me?" If you are a Christian saved from your sins by the grace of God you have been loved beyond measure totally set apart from any merit or worth of your own. I do not claim to understand with totality the ways God works in saving sinners, but this I know, I was lost but now I am found. I was blind but now I see. I have been saved by the grace of God alone totally independent of any good work done by me. There is no conceivable reason that I would be born to Christian parents and that I would have the opportunity to hear the Christian gospel at the age of eight. There is no conceivable reason why you were born in a day in age where you can read this post about God's love with just the swipe of a finger and a click of a button. It's all by his grace and its all for his glory. All Christians can say with the utmost humility the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1.
The beginning of sin for these Israelites, was their failure to see and savor the sovereign and gracious love of God poured out for them though they were totally and entirely undeserving of it. But their sin goes deeper still.
God makes this comparison between two earthly relationships that demand honor and reverence – the father and the master. There is a natural reverence that any good father should receive even without him asking for it. He is the provider of the family, the protector of the family, the leader of the family, and the disciplinarian of the family. The same goes for the master of his servant. Masters hold the keys to the livelihood of their servants. If a servant is disobedient, or disrespectful, he may lose his job, his house, and life as he knows it. Masters, therefore, naturally demand a certain respect from their servants.
Having established these earthly positions that naturally demand honor, God asks these piercing questions, "If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear?" The implication is that God is the ultimate father and he is the ultimate master of the universe yet he is receiving no honor from his people. God accuses the priests of despising his name. To despise in this context means to think lightly of or to make contempt. The priests were guilty of making little of God's name as if he was not glorious at all.
This failure is foundational to understanding how sin works because this is where sin starts – the belittlement of God. When you fail to see God as glorious you will inevitably begin to view something else as more glorious, and you will pursue that something to your own destruction. The great purpose for which we and the world were created is the glorification of God and the great sin of which we are all guilty is the de-glorification of God.
God sets out through the prophet Malachi to show just how ridiculous it is to make little of God. Even in the word usage that Malachi uses to describe God's name throughout chapter 1, we find these incomparable concepts of God's divine glory. Eight times in chapter 1 God is referred to as "the Lord of hosts" That word "hosts" is used in the Old Testament as a descriptor of three major things: armies, angels, and stars.
"What Malachi wants us to see and feel is that our Father in heaven has infinite authority in the universe. He can wield any and all armies on the earth to accomplish his purposes among the nations, whether they know it or not, He has myriads of unstoppable angels who do his bidding flawlessly and never fail in their errands. And he has appointed every star in the universe its position. He holds them in place – all trillion trillion of them – and he calls them by name.
-John Piper, Sermon on Malachi 1, desiringgod.org.
In Malachi, God is the father of all things, the master of all things, the Lord of armies, the Lord of angels, the Lord of stars, and finally, he is the great King of the nations.
Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 1:14 For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
There is coming a day where every single nation across the planet will recognize God as the rightful King of the nations and he will be worshipped as the Lord of hosts. It is this Lord of hosts, the King of Nations, that the priests are despising. They are out of step with the course of history which will ultimately end with God's glory lifted up for all to see and they don't even realize that they are despising God's name.
Malachi 1:7-14 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the Lord's table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
God had ordained in the Old Testament that he be worshipped by way of animal sacrifices. Animals were valuable assets. Animals were food, they were valuable for trade, they were tools for survival, and they were the livelihood of the family. But as an act of worship, God had called his people to sacrifice their best to God. By sacrificing what was most valuable to God in the temple, they declared God to be most valuable. By sacrificing resources they relied upon for survival, they declared God to be most reliable.Their worship was designed to be God-glorifying because it was through their worship that God was made known to be glorious and trustworthy!
Over time, their worship was no longer an overflow of how loving and glorious they believed God to be. Over time, it became just another task they had to get done. Their worship became outward religious activity with no inward spiritual awe of God. Because it ceased to be an overflow of their worshipping hearts God no longer got the best. He got the leftovers.
Instead of making sacrifices that illustrated God's infinite worth, they made sacrifices that were really no sacrifices at all. They gave God only what they could spare. They gave God only what did not cost them anything. They gave to God as long as it did not inconvenience them or cause any discomfort. They gave blind animals that could not pull carts to tread the grain. They gave sick animals that were no good for eating anyway. In the process, they were defeating the purpose of worship altogether. In fact, their worship had the opposite effect of the designed purpose. This worship did not make God look glorious, rather it made God look of no value at all. Having healthy sheep they could count on was more important to the people than God.
Translate this unacceptable worship into our day and our lives over the past year. God no longer commands his people to make animal sacrifice, but he does command his people to worship through many God-ordained avenues. The question we must ask ourselves is what our lives over the past year said about the God we claimed to serve? How did you spend your time, money, and talents? What were your priorities? If someone were to examine your life over the last year would they say that the God you serve is glorious? Would they say that he is worthy of great sacrifice? Would they say that he is trustworthy? Or would they say that your God is an inconvenient additive to an already busy life? Is your obedience totally contingent upon whether it inconveniences you or not?
In a culture obsessed with convenience, comfort, and security it is very difficult to worship a Jesus you said things like, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk. 9:23). Christianity spreads like wildfire in countries undergoing severe persecution because worshipping God comes at great cost in those countries. If worshipping this God is worth the cost of your life, then the unbelievers begin to recognize that this God must be worthy of worship.
What does my obedience and worship say about how much I value the God I claim to worship? Maybe you can answer that question with a long list of all the good religious things you did, but remember God is not after the material things. God doesn't need perfect adherence to religious activity. He is after your heart. He is after worship that overflows from a heart that is in awe of Him!
Malachi 1:13 But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.
Symptom #2 Their Worship Was a Wearisome Task.
What does it mean that their worship was a wearisome task? It means that worship was a hardship. It was a burden. It was boring. Translated into our day, this may look like grumbling adherence to any number of religious things. It looks like reading your Bible just to check off a box. It looks like gathering for church on Sunday with no eager expectation of communing with God. It looks like falling asleep in the sermon out of boredom because you are not listening for God's voice in the Scriptures. It's doing worshipful things without a worshipping heart. And God hates that kind of worship. According to verse 10, God would rather someone shut the doors then for that kind of worship to be offered. God does not need our worship or our service. He wants our hearts. He wants us to do things that make him look valuable because we actually believe him to be supremely valuable.
Psalm 51:15-17 O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
The Israelites did not only need worship practice reform. They needed total heart reform. They needed a miracle of supernatural proportions. They needed the miracle that their sacrifices were supposed to be foreshadowing.
One of the reasons that the sacrifices of the people of Israel were supposed to be spotless, perfect, and chosen was that God was foreshadowing what he would actually do by sending Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice for sin. God was going to make the ultimately costly sacrifice of the most valuable proportions.
Even when we refused to sacrifice anything for the Lord the Lord sacrificed everything for us. He died in our place to accomplish forgiveness for all of our failed worship and now through faith in him we not only are forgiven of our sins, but the Bible says that we are given a new heart. We are given a heart that is finally capable of genuine worship of God without it being wearisome! Look at the cross and see the depths of God's love. Look at the cross and see the heights of God's glory! Resolve not to give God your leftovers in 2018. Resolve to worship in ways that illustrate God's infinite worth. Live under the influence of thanksgiving that God provided the most precious sacrifice for the salvation of our souls. Plead with God to give you a heart that is overjoyed with worship rather than overburdened with worship.
May we enter into 2018 with renewed resolve to offer God acceptable worship!
Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.


What should I do for debts with a person whose contacts I have lost? What should I do for debts when the debtor is already dead?
If you tried finding the one you owed the money to and could not, then you should give the money away in charity with the intention that the reward will be for that person. If you find him after that, then you tell him you gave the amount in charity. If he is pleased, then no further action is necessary. Otherwise, pay him the money that you owe and the charity will be for you.
As for the deceased debtor, then you should give the money to his heirs according to the Islamic equation of inheritance. If you are in a Muslim country, then you can allow the judge to divide it up.


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On 7 May, 40-year-old Joshua Brown died in a car crash near Williston, Florida. So many people die in car crashes that this in itself is hardly remarkable, but Brown was driving a Tesla Model S in Autopilot mode at the time. So the Tesla was in fact driving Brown as it collided with a tractor trailer turning left. The large white side of the trailer against a brightly lit sky apparently rendered the truck 'invisible' to the Tesla's systems, and so the brake was not applied.
This is not the first time a human has been killed by a robot or autonomous machinery, but it is a very high profile death, partly because of the massive systemic change suggested by autonomous vehicles (AVs). This change is replete with unknown consequences. Indeed, paraphrasing Cedric Price, if autonomous vehicles are the answer, is the question that most 21st-century of puzzles: which jobs are best done by people, and which are best done by code?
Airliners still have pilots despite being largely flown by autonomous systems, as much systems design orthodoxy recommends "the human in the loop". With this in mind, should driving be a joint effort between human and code, or is code increasingly so much better at driving that the addition of people can only make it worse? Or is "the human in the loop" simply so we have someone to blame when things go wrong?
A fully autonomous service may be the most transformative approach. Research by ETH, a science, technology, engineering and mathematics university situated in Zürich, suggests that a shared autonomous on-demand fleet of taxibots could remove 80 per cent of private vehicles from many of our cities. Imagine the impact on city space and street life, never mind safety. But how did all those cars get there in the first place? Are we so incapable of making good decisions about urbanism that we need autonomous chariots as Trojan Horses?
The mass introduction of cars was one of the worst non-decisions we've taken as a society – in terms of deaths and injuries, carbon, air quality, obesity, social fabric, and general deterioration of urban space and city life. Now we are on the verge of a similar revolution with AVs, yet this time it is intentional. But are we any better prepared for this broader debate about our cities? Is Tesla driving towards this future too fast? Are legacy car manufacturers too resistant? Are policymakers better practiced in urbanism either way? Design's role in framing questions here may be more useful than styling a chassis.
Perhaps we could take a more active decision this time – a choice with civic gain in mind as well as individual – and which actively looks to prevent people dying in the process? Could Joshua Brown be the first and last casualty of this transformation?


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We offer a broad selection of Power Resistors to worldwide customers in the industrial, medical, military, and aerospace industries. Through ongoing product development, we continue to provide the latest in resistor technology required by today's sophisticated high voltage, high current, and high energy circuit designs.


Agile organizations are fundamentally learning organizations at all levels; whether small & specific (e.g. this feature didn't sell well, so let's change it) or large & systemic (we need to change our governance model based on this new information). Learning is more than just observing. It's taking the observations, determining its worth, then internalizing & making it the new reality for the organization.
Sometimes referred to as a Learning Mindset, the application of a Growth Mindset results in continuous improvement. Feedback loops, such as "inspect and adapt", and practices, such as the retrospective, enable teams, divisions and organizations to improve both what they do and (more importantly) how they do it. Like the woodcutter who refuses to sharpen his ax because he has too many trees to cut down, organizations that do not improve both the way they work and their products themselves will ultimately be out-competed in the market.
This also brings in the important concept of slack. Create the space to slow down, identify opportunity, experiment, and learn. Individuals who always work at capacity are generally so hyperfocused on their work that they are unable to identify opportunities to improve. Slack also helps to build change resilience – the ability to mentally deal with organizational change and adaptation.
Central to a Growth Mindset is the ability to experiment, fail fast (with a small "blast radius") and recover faster. Don't think of failure as making a mistake, but rather as an opportunity to learn. Organizations can make it "safe to fail" by recognizing that failure is part of daily work and not something you blame or judge people for. Some organizations go further by introducing formal or informal support mechanisms like Failure KPIs, parallel experiments, (and selecting the highest performing option) or simply providing an environment where learning from failure is easily identified, recognized and rewarded.
Your goal is to promote a culture of learning and experimentation across the organization.
A learning culture starts with managers leading by example. Leaders need to acknowledge; "I don't know" and "let's find out together". Teams need to have time to explore and research new ideas, even if they might fail. Start using the language of experimentation and reward evidence of learning rather than the answer.
While having a growth mindset does mean being willing to push boundaries and try new things, it also comes with a commensurate reality of failure. Failure needs to be seen as an opportunity to learn, rather than a failure to do. Promote ceremonies that recognize, celebrate, and reward experimentation and learning from failure. Adopting practices like failure KPIs and experimentation retrospectives are some effective tools available to you.
Feedback can come from many different sources; customers, colleagues, partners, etc. Regardless of its source, the ability to listen and use this feedback is fundamental to a learning organization. The faster you can learn, the faster you will adapt. Develop processes to capture feedback as early as reasonably possible and share it with the appropriate teams so they can act upon it quickly. Set yourself a goal to halve your current feedback loop.
We have an organizational expectation of learning and experimentation. Failure is not seen as making a mistake, but rather as an opportunity to learn. We provide an environment where it is "safe to fail". We encourage people (especially leaders) to speak up and share their failures as learning opportunities. We regularly (but safely) push both leaders and teams outside their comfort zones to provide opportunities for personal growth. Learning is no longer just "safe", but expected. We have an organization that requires (and funds) people to experiment, learn and fail.
Feedback loops (e.g. "inspect and adapt") and associated practices (such as the retrospective) are in place at a team level. Teams focus on improving both what they do and (more importantly) how they do it. Process improvement is generally triggered by an internal drive to improve and to be more customer-centric. A learning culture with feedback loops and associated practices has taken root throughout the organization. Teams, divisions, and our entire organization focus on improving both what they do and (more importantly) how they do it. We have built a culture of excellence through learning and experimentation. It is a critical part of who we are.


Welcome to The Arc Rockland.
We provide supports and services to more than 1,200 people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
The Arc offers a Preschool; residential offerings; employment and volunteer opportunities; a program designed specifically for adults with autism spectrum disorders; community activities; senior citizen programming; family resources and support; a medical practice; recreational activities and more.
With a professional staff of 700, The Arc has the expertise and experience necessary to focus on abilities.
We work hand-in-hand with individuals and families to ensure that each person is an integral member of the community.
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We have downloaded about 10 MB of engineering telemetry from the first two ST-16RT2 star trackers on-orbit, and it looks amazing. Successful quaternion generation rate is in excess of 99.9%. The overall angular error is half that of the previous generation ST-16.
Both the ST-16 and ST-16RT2 have the same basic optical parameters: 16 mm focal length, 10 mm entry pupil. The difference is that the ST-16 uses an industrial video lens, while the ST-16RT2 uses a full custom lens that we designed from scratch. The electronics and software are identical between the two. Designing and manufacturing this new lens was incredibly expensive and painful, and we often wondered whether it was worthwhile. We can say now that yes, it absolutely was.


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Electricity price increase to be settled within 2 months, applied in July - Daily News Egypt
Business Electricity price increase to be settled within 2 months, applied in July
Electricity price increase to be settled within 2 months, applied in July
Committee based its study on EGP 17.5 as dollar exchange rate, changes could result in modifications
Mohamed Farag March 13, 2019 Be the first to comment
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), and the Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) will be settling the new electricity prices within two months, and they will come in force by July.
Government sources told Daily News Egypt that the committee, formed from the Electricity Holding Company, the ERA, and the CPA, is preparing proposals and scenarios for the increase in electricity tariffs. The final form which is to be presented to the cabinet has not been decided yet.
The sources explained that the needier segments will be taken into consideration. An increase in the tariff will be for households by 18-22%, while 30-40% will be for factories with an expected gradual increase.
Another proposal also includes settling on higher prices for those who consume more than 1,000kW. The price difference will go to the needier segments, which is a system applied this fiscal year (FY).
The last increase in the electricity tariff this FY included a 20.9% increase for the low voltage tariff, 30.0% for medium voltage, 40.9% for high voltage, and 41.8% for ultra-high voltage. The number of people who will be receiving electricity are 26.6 million, who consume 76.4bn kW/h.
The sources added that the exchange rate of the pound against the dollar, and the increase of the price of natural gas are the main factors in determining the increase in the tariff to sell electricity, as the committee has based its proposals and studies on an EGP 17.5 as the dollar price. The price of natural gas is $3m for each thermal unit. It is very likely to see changes in these numbers which could result in a modification to the increase.
The government's plan in 2014 was to gradually eliminate electricity subsidies for all sectors in five years in order to apply full liberalisation by 2019, however, the subsidies period was extended to three years as citizens cannot bear additional burdens.
According to Electricity Law No 87 for year 2016 and its executive regulations, the ERA and the CPA are responsible for calculating the value of the economic tariff for selling electricity.
Topics: electricity era The Electricity Regulatory Authority
Mohamed Farag
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My life has been spent around horses and country life. Finding North Salem as a teenager led to managing a large boarding and training stable. In 1972 I purchased my own Artemis Farm where I continued training adults and children. I was also a judge with the American Horse Shows Association judging over 100 days a year including major show in the US and Canada. This career led to getting my real estate license in 1989 with Vincent & Whittemore in Bedford and then later acquiring my Associate Broker license. I was President of the No. Salem Open Land Foundation for 15 years and now serve as the Vice-President. I was named by Westchester Wag Magazine as one of Westchester's top Realtorsand also received the Westchester MLS "Diamond Award" for the last four years, the highest achievement for sales.I am proud of my impeccable national reputation that I brought from my horse business into my real estate career.
An equestrian estate in North Salem is transformed into a dreamy garden landscape punctuated with stone walls and statuary and dramatic bursts of color.