It's almost unbelievable how beautiful the views are in every direction from anywhere and everywhere you go in Sedona.
For most Americans, water just...shows up. We take it for granted. But it's not guaranteed - and it makes good sense for us to know its source.


Concepts for better Business Agility have grown really fast over the past few years. And it seems pretty clear, that society and business have been entering a phase of shifting paradigms, how we create new products & services, awesome places for collaboration, outperforming businesses. It is finally all about Business Agility!
In 2017 we will bring Business Agility on Enterprise Level. Last year we kicked of our initiatives for faster growing Business Agility around the globe. We are looking forward continuing and expanding this awesome journey.
One of our initiatives will deliver and contribute to events across the globe, diving into powerful concepts for fast and effective growth of Business Agility. Whether it is about product innovation, adaptive organizations, adaptive change or the agile way of powerful service delivery. One of our packages contributing to this roadmap for Business Agility is our #KanbanTour17.
And of course there will be Business Agility with Kanban in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, definitely coming back to Barcelona "At The Beach". More to come soon! Wanna know, how this can work? Check our newsletter or stop by from time to time for catching up! Hope to meet you at one of our events! Interested running an event in your city? Then please get in touch with us.
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How an 18-year-old cricketer is winning hearts at home—and is leaving the game's titans speechless abroad
Just over a year ago, Nepal's aspirations of featuring in the international cricket leagues were confined to the imagination. The country now watches as its young prodigy is lauded by legends at the game's global stage.
Adarsha Dhakal
Published at : December 7, 2018
Updated at : June 25, 2019 13:21
Sandeep Lamichhane was hit for seven sixes out of the 12 deliveries he got to bowl while playing for the Kerala Knights in a T10 League Super League match against the Northern Warriors at Sharjah on November 29. For a cricketer hailed as a leg spin prodigy before his meteoric rise led him to an Indian Premier League (IPL) debut with the Delhi Daredevils in May this year, these stats are devastating. But that's not the story here.
The real story was developing on the other side of the grounds—in the commentary box —where world-renowned former players and cricket pundits were awestruck by Nepali sports' new poster boy, who is now among the few cricketers to play internationally. The T10 League was Lamichhane's fifth cash-spinning franchise tournament, but concurrently, the 18-year old had performed so well that he was on on the radar of team owners and management worldwide.
"I am fascinated by his temperament. Here is a young guy who has got things under control," said former Pakistani cricketer and popular commentator Ramiz Raja during the Knights' last Super League match against the Bengal Tigers as Lamichhane came in to bowl the second over.
Just over a year ago, Nepal's aspirations of featuring in the world's money-spinning cricket leagues were confined to the imagination. The country now watches as its young prodigy is lauded by legends at the game's global stage, thanks to his performance and the manner in which he has projected himself—as a mature player, capable of handling all the pressure stacked against him.
"There is plenty of potential and guile in this kid. He is superb under pressure. He has this ability to bowl with the new ball and he is only 18. There is a serious threat to the opponent when he is on," Raja continued to tell his compatriot and fast bowling legend Waqar Younis during the only over Lamichhane got from his captain Eoin Morgan—the England national team skipper—after he was clubbed for 20 runs.
T10—a 10-over a side game—is cricket's shortest version and it was where Lamichhane made his debut. In contrast to the preconceived notion that he might wilt under pressure while bowling the two overs he got, Lamichhane surprised everyone. He began the tournament by returning the figures of 3-17 against the Pakhtoons and bowled a tight line to take an economical 1-14 against the Sindhis.
Lamichhane's dream T10 debut continued with another 2-23 against the Rajputs in the third league match until the nightmare began in the Super League matches. Lamichhane was up against a few brutal smashers in Twenty20 cricket and considering the format of the game, maintaining the same rhythm was always going to be tough for him.
"He's got plenty of variation, and he knows what he's doing. He had tough run (against the Warriors) but he can always make a comeback. He is brave to bowl with a new ball," Younis said as the Knights were taking on the Tigers.
Irrespective of how he fared in the latter half of the T10 League, Lamichhane has now become cricket's global star as he will now head to Australia to realise his dream of playing in the Big Bash League, which begins from December 19. With two pending lucrative stints in the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistani Super League, the Big Bash League will be one more feather in globe-trotting Lamichhane's cap.
Lamichhane now shares a dressing room with world-renowned players, an opportunity that will only enable him to gain more learning opportunities. "It feels really great when I line up with the best players in the world. They have always backed me and I am privileged to learn a lot from them," Lamichhane told the Post.
Former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori predicts that the Nepali teen's career can go higher. "The T10 League must have been a great learning experience for him. The guy is so young and playing a lot of cricket. This kind of performance and tournament in different conditions will help to raise his standard. He can go even farther from here," the Kiwi spinner said.
A sensational journey to the top
Lamichhane was just 15 when he took the cricket world by storm after becoming the fifth player in the ICC U-19 World Cup history to take a hat-trick—a feat he performed in a five-wicket haul against Ireland during the 2016 age group showpiece event in Bangladesh. He ended up as the tournament's second highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps.
The Bangladesh World Cup put him on the game's global map with multiple electronic and print media telling his story and drawing comparisons with Australian spin wizard Shane Warne. Lamichhane's career took a turn when he crossed paths with the Australian World Cup winning captain Michael Clarke during the 2016 Hong Kong Twenty20 Blitz where both played for the Kowloon Cantons.
Impressed by his bowling skills in the few matches the duo played together, Clarke invited Lamichhane to train at his academy and play Australian Grade Cricket for the Western Suburbs the same year. Lamichhane was equally giving a consistent performance for the national team, gradually becoming 'unplayable,' particularly because of his variation, for many players from the top non-Test playing nations.
The hype surrounding Lamichhane had already indicated that he was destined for the big leagues and on January 18, destiny came calling—he was snapped up by the Delhi Daredevils for the Indian Premier League (IPL). Clarke is believed to have been behind the Daredevils' pick as his compatriot Ricky Ponting was coaching the team.
However, the talent and bowling variations Lamichhane possesses would make it clear that he was well worth the INR 20 lakhs the Daredevils spent on him, taking five wickets in the last three matches for the franchise with an economy of 6.833—a decent job from a spinner bowling with a new ball--which is when a bowler comes on inside the first 10 overs.
Lamichhane's dismissal of a few world-class batsmen and his economy in a brief IPL debut would ensure at least another IPL stint, soon to be followed by multiple leagues elsewhere.
Soon after the IPL, Lamichhane featured in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), playing for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots where he played under Twenty20 cricket's 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle. The CPL debut turned out even better for Lamichhane after he picked up seven wickets from five matches, with an economy of 6.23.
In a span of seven months, Lamichhane has already featured in five global leagues where he has been a major weapon for almost all the teams he's played for, barring his first IPL season. With adventures in Australia, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the teen sensation discovered on the plains of Nepal had now become a global star.
Centre of the team
On the backs of his power-packed performance at the U-19 World Cup, Lamichhane first made his debut on the world stage, on April 16, 2016, at an ICC World Cricket League Championship (WCLC) match against Namibia at the Tribhuvan University Stadium. In just over two years since then, Lamichhane now occupies the heart of every match that the Nepali national team plays in.
"I never shoulder myself with the burden of overthinking," Lamichhane said when asked how he manages to perform so consistently in every format and on every stage. "I just want to keep my game simple and play naturally. If I play with a positive mindset and just think of doing my job, wickets come with ease."
After debuting in the senior leagues on April 16, Lamichhane ended up taking 12 wickets throughout the WCLC—a premier 50-over three-year programme under the International Cricket Council for the top eight non-Test playing nations. The leg-spinning sensation has since amassed 50 wickets in 24 List A games for the national team. His 5-20 against Kenya is so far the best bowling figures for any Nepali bowler in the country's List A history.
His performance was pivotal in Nepal's elevation to One Day International status after he walked away with the player-of-the-series award at the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 event in Namibia, picking up 17 wickets. Nepal's second place finish in Division 2 earned the team a spot at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in March in Zimbabwe, where Lamichhane took 13 wickets—the most for a Nepali bowler in the event.
After his return from the T10 League at the United Arab Emirates, Lamichhane will now switch focus for a brief appearance in the Everest Premier League–Nepal's one of the three city-based Twenty20 events beginning on December 8. But Lamichhane is really preparing for his appearance in the Australian Big Bash League.
"The Big Bash is a big opportunity for me. When I played in Australia last time, I was backed by a number of Nepali supporters," he said. "I just want to send a clear message at that stage that I am from Nepal and that I am proud to be representing my country."
[Top illustration by Abin Shrestha; Photos by Board of Control for Cricket in India, and Peter Della Pena]
Adarsha Dhakal is a sports reporter for The Kathmandu Post. He has been reporting on sports for more than a decade, focusing on cricket, basketball and sports features. He has been with the Post for over five years and has worked for various other national publications.
New sports chief faces major challenges ahead
Silwal appointed member secretary of National Sports Council
Nepal barely plays 50 different sports, but hosts nearly 200 sports associations
Rokaya receives the lifetime achievement award
Gurung, Bhandari named player of the year

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Using QStackedLayout to view differant Layouts I have a dialog that has a widget/layout full of pushbuttons.   I can generate a layout that is QHBoxLayout and one that is QGridLayout.  Both work fine.   But now I want to provide the user the option to switch between the two.   So I thought the QStackedLayout with a separate mechanism to setCurrentIndex would be the right answer. Sadly, the code below shows only one set of pushbuttons.  I am missing something, but I can not find out what.  I would hope that I could reuse - and not have two sets - of QCheckBox.  Having 2 sets would cause others programming nightmares.
    # Check box's layout ... List
    checksLayoutW0 = QtGui.QWidget()
    checksLayout0 = QtGui.QVBoxLayout(checksLayoutW0)
    checksLayout0.setMargin(1)
    checksLayout0.setSpacing(1)
    self.cbList = []
    for head in self.headers:
        show = not head.hidden and (not head.phase or (head.phase and self.phase))
        if show:
            head_str = str(head)
            checksItem = QtGui.QCheckBox(head_str)
            checksItem.setToolTip("Channel {}".format(head_str))
            checksItem.setObjectName(head_str)
            if head.phase:
                checksItem.setStyleSheet("QWidget {background-color:Green}")
            self.cbList.append(checksItem)
            checksLayout0.addWidget(checksItem)
    # End Check box layuout - List
    # Check box's layout ... Grid
    checksLayoutW1 = QtGui.QWidget()
    checksLayout1 = QtGui.QGridLayout(checksLayoutW1)
    checksLayout1.setColumnStretch(200,5)
    checksLayout1.setMargin(1)
    checksLayout1.setSpacing(1)
    column_index = 0
    row_index = 0
    for checkbox in self.cbList:
            checksLayout1.addWidget(checkbox, row_index, column_index)
            if column_index < 4:
                column_index += 1
            else:
                row_index += 1
                column_index = 0
    # End Check box layuout - Grid
    self.checkerHlayout = QtGui.QHBoxLayout(self.scroll_viewWidget)
    self.stackedLayout = QtGui.QStackedLayout()
    self.stackedLayout.addWidget(checksLayoutW0)
    self.stackedLayout.addWidget(checksLayoutW1)
    self.stackedLayout.setCurrentIndex(0)
    self.checkerHlayout.addLayout(self.stackedLayout)

A: A widget cannot belong to more than layout. Whenever a widget is added to a layout, it is automatically reparented:
>>> w = Qt.QWidget()
>>> vbox = Qt.QVBoxLayout(w)
>>> x = Qt.QWidget()
>>> hbox = Qt.QHBoxLayout(x)
>>> b = Qt.QCheckBox()
>>> vbox.addWidget(b)
>>> b.parent() is w
True
>>> vbox.count()
1
>>> hbox.addWidget(b)
>>> vbox.count()
0
>>> b.parent() is x
True

So if you want to change the layout of a set of widgets, you will have to do it dynamically. However, you should be aware that whenever items are removed from a grid-layout, the number of logical rows and columns will never decrease, even though the number of visual rows or colums may do. Because of this, it may be better to start with a fresh layout each time, rather than trying to re-use an existing one.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


On nights out, I sometimes catch myself watching my child-free friends. I clock the ease and insouciance of their movements. When they chug a sixth gin and cranberry juice, dance freely without realizing it's 3:00 a.m., catch the midnight showing of a new movie, roll yet another cigarette, or make plans with someone they just met at the bar, they are beautifully impulsive. They have no one to think about but themselves.
My friends remind me of a version of myself that existed only a year ago. Although I worked full time, my out-of-office life was not too different from theirs. I was still the epicenter of my own existence, and proudly so. My baby's happiness and wellness rest largely in my hands, and that's a big f*cking responsibility that I don't take lightly. It also means that I can't behave the way most 20-somethings in my social circle behave. It means that sometimes, I can't help but resent my child-free friends.
Now that I have a baby, everything I do — every plan I make, every drink I drink, every errand I run — involves preparation and forethought. I can no longer get too drunk or take recreational drugs, because I'm breastfeeding and I'm afraid of ingesting anything that will contaminate my milk. I can't take a spontaneous weekend trip away with my pals, either. I wouldn't want to leave the baby with a sitter for that long, even if someone was miraculously willing to watch her for more than 24 hours. I can't stay up until sunrise every weekend. Even if I wanted to, my body is too sleep-deprived as is to allow for such a luxury. I haven't even seen Wonder Woman yet. My partner and I keep meaning to go, but by the time he gets off work, we're both too damn exhausted.
When I say that I resent my non-parent friends, it's not to say that I'm angry with them. I feel no hatred towards them. I don't even feel that much jealousy. I know I love them just as much as I ever have.
It's more like I resent their lack of appreciation for this time in their lives, and I resent my child-free self along with them. She didn't know how easy she had it. She didn't realize that being able to get up and go, at any time of the day or night, was a kind of privilege. She didn't know, like the majority of my friend's can't possibly yet know, that leaving the house when you have a baby is a legitimate process. Before going to my in-laws for lunch, for instance, I have to ask myself: are there enough diapers in the changing bag? Have I packed the baby wipes? Do I have enough milk pumped or compotes prepared to get wherever it is I'm going? Is there a change of clothes in case she has a blowout?
In truth, I still enjoy visiting with my pals when the opportunity presents itself. These getaways are rare, but it makes me appreciate them more. Regardless of what we're doing, however, someone always tells me to savor the moment. "This is your you-time, so do whatever you want," they may suggest. Or, "Tonight you're not a mom, so live a little."
Even if my pre-baby life was chaotic and weird, it was sort of freeing, too. It's a kind of freedom I miss sometimes, even if I wouldn't trade my daughter for anything in this world.
This is where things get a bit complicated. My friends mean well, but they don't understand that I'm always a mom now. Even during my me-time, I'm constantly thinking of this little person at home, and that limits what I can do. I'll never want to drink quite as much as my friends do at parties, because I know I won't get to sleep it off the next day. I'll never want to risk being so hungover that watching the baby the following morning feels impossible. I'll never want to leave my kid for multiple days at a time because someone found a cool holiday deal via a budget airline.
Although I fully believe that mothers should be allowed their space, independence, privacy, and alone time, there will always be limitations. These limitations will always be at the back of my mind, both when I'm with my daughter and when I'm not. I could never have comprehended this mindset before having a kid, so I know I cannot blame my friends for being unable to comprehend it, either.
That said, I do wish they were able to value this part of their lives a little bit more. I wish they could understand that being your own highest priority is a luxury, as is the ability to be spontaneous. I wish my child-free friends could appreciate these things, largely because I didn't.
When I say that I resent my non-parent friends, that's not to say that I'm angry with them. I love them just as much as I ever have. I just resent their lack of appreciation for this time in their lives.
When you're in your 20s, your life is usually a mess, and when I think about my life pre-baby, I almost always think about the sh*tty things that happened. I think about the nights out that were never as good as I thought they would be. I remember all those damn trips to the 24/7 grocery store in the middle of the night because we'd run out of cheap beer. I remember the questionable dates and the not-so-nice people I met on any given evening after 2:00 a.m.
But even if a lot of my pre-baby life was chaotic and weird, it was sort of freeing, too. It's a kind of freedom I miss sometimes, even if I wouldn't trade my daughter for anything in this world. It's a kind of freedom that's worth holding onto and laughing over, so you can better appreciate it when it's gone.


text:
Excommunication for Getting Divorced?
by gbaskerville | Jul 1, 2020 | Christians and Divorce, First-person stories, Gaslighting Examples, Safe Churches & Friends
Churches that Excommunicate for Divorce
And How to Protect Yourself and Your Children
About Me: If you're new to my blog, read this first. I started leading Christian divorce recovery groups in Evangelical churches in 1998. I write about "life-saving divorces," those divorces that are for very serious reasons. "Life-Saving divorces" make up nearly half of divorces in the United States. Read the definition HERE. If you want to know why you should should have a nuanced view of divorce, see THIS. And here is the biblical rationale and the Bible passages for condoning divorce. Although I believe many divorces are treacherous and/or sinful, I also believe a loving God gave divorce to protect the lives of his beloved people, who are made in his image, by allowing them to get out of destructive marriages.
If your church tries to put you under church discipline for getting a divorce
If your church tries to put you under church discipline for getting a divorce, you can resign (in writing), even if you are already under church discipline and have signed a membership contract. Church membership is voluntary under the United States First Amendment.
This blog post contains several links:
(1) to an actual case,
(2) to answers to your questions,
(3) to a sample resignation letter,
(4) to some survivor stories, and
(5) to Reformed pastor Jeff Crippen's insights on how the Church can handle physical and emotional abuse cases better.
What if the church threatens to excommunicate me?
What if the church threatens to excommunicate me? You can resign before they excommunicate you, even if you have a membership contract that requires you to submit to church discipline. Once you resign, they may still be able to remove you and tell the congregation the reason, but you don't have to obey them, meet with them, speak with them, or answer their communications. Also, there is a line they cannot step over. They cannot use violence, force, or threats of physical force, "intentional outrageous conduct," or fraud. They cannot engage in criminal behavior such as hacking, stalking, vandalism, false imprisonment or involuntary servitude. Also if the church attempts to harm you in other ways "outside of the church's interest in its own institutional integrity," for example, to spoil your chances as a candidate in a political election, or presumably to defame you to your secular employer, that may be out of bounds, according to West Virginia Law Review, Vol. 89, pp. 103-111.
Is a Church Membership Agreement Binding?
Is a church membership agreement binding? No, not according to Church Discipline, Jan 11, 2008, "The court held that binding commitments to a church had no effect in law."
Has anyone won a lawsuit against a church that was trying to discipline them? Here's a rare case where a woman sued her former church after being disciplined by the elders and won. She had resigned her membership, but the elders told four other congregations about her private life. "In a much publicized trial, the jury awarded Guinn $827,000 in actual and punitive damages. This amount was reduced by the trial court, and judgment was entered in the amount of $390,000" for invading her privacy. http://thewartburgwatch.com/permpage-how-to-resign-from.../ Also, read the legal verdict and a discussion of the case here. It is rare to win an "invasion of privacy" lawsuit against a church. But as stated above, a church cannot use violence, force, or threats of physical force, "intentional outrageous conduct," or fraud against a former member. It is illegal for a church to engage in criminal behavior such as hacking, stalking, vandalism, false imprisonment or involuntary servitude.
Don't sign membership contracts. If you have, you may want to resign. Some churches wish to exert control over your life, some are aggressively harassing and defaming divorcing couples, stepping over the line of acceptable church discipline. At the bottom of this blog post, you'll see two case studies. You may want to resign or let your membership lapse or switch churches before you tell anyone at the church you're considering divorce.
Can My Church Stop Me From Getting a Divorce?
Can my church stop me from getting a divorce? In the United States, churches don't have a say legally about whether you divorce or not. They may choose not to remarry you on their premises, but they cannot block you from divorcing. They also cannot block you from remarrying.
Do my pastors have a say about me getting a divorce? Many pastors are well-meaning and caring, but they are completely naive about the deceit and tactics of charming spouses who abuse, cheat, or are addicted...even those who molest children. Many pastors love the Lord and believe in miracles, but they are unaware of the health dangers and safety dangers (to you and your children) of living long-term with such a person. They are idealistic and optimistic and convey confidence that God will fix all highly destructive spouses if you just pray and try harder. These pastors are often very good and moral people themselves, and often they lack discernment about abusers, addicts, and others with characterological problems. Many pastors also live with the misconception that only a small handful of marriages are highly destructive. They were never told that half of divorces in the U.S. are for very serious problems. As much as we love our pastors, some pastors are Pollyanna-ish, unsophisticated, and unsafe. (40 devout Christian divorcees tell their good and bad pastoral counseling stories HERE.) It's easy for them to show you Bible verses, but it's YOUR life. Alas, even the kindest pastor has no skin in the game. It's not the pastor's life that's in danger. It's not their sanity, their reputation, their body, their children, their financial stability, or their safety. Safe churches are like the Good Samaritan, they don't look away. They side with the victim, get involved, run the risk of criticism, and help them get away. Another issue to consider is the Bible's emphasis on leaving the decision about reconciliation up to the victim. Notice the story of Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus, where Paul took 6 steps to protect the victim from further injury. https://lifesavingdivorce.com/philemon
Sample Resignation Letter
How Can I Find a Sample Resignation Letter? Near the bottom of this page is a sample letter and instructions on how to send it. http://thewartburgwatch.com/permpage-how-to-resign-from-a-church-whether-or-not-you-are-under-church-discipline/
People Who Are Thriving...After Being Excommunicated
Do you have any examples of people who've been excommunicated after a divorce — and went on to survive and thrive? Yes. Read the story of Natalie Hoffman, a Christian wife (and homeschool mother of nine) who was excommunicated by her church. She went through with her divorce from an emotionally abusive husband and is now very happily remarried. She loves the Lord and has no regrets. She is thriving. She shares her story on her blog in several posts: HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE. She is now a blogger and runs a special group for women in abusive marriages. I interviewed her and she told her story in the video embedded below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCuLn_6joDc
Another woman's story, Stephanie's, is told in six parts on Pastor Jeff Crippen's anti-abuse blog UnholyCharade.com. Stephanie is an emotional and physical abuse survivor who was excommunicated from her church. Today she is thriving. Reformed Pastor Jeff Crippen tells her story and points out the evil her church had done to Stephanie. He takes Stephanie's side, and offers churches a better way to handle these situations, complete with biblical rationale.
Most Churchgoing Christians Switch Churches When They Divorce
Switching churches before you file for divorce. See the image below. It shows that more than half of churchgoers who divorce switch churches and are no longer at the church they attended before the divorce, according to a LifeWay Research survey conducted in 2015 for Focus on the Family. Many people aren't comfortable staying at their old church, so changing churches is very common. I was leading a divorce recovery group at a church that supported people who needed divorces for emotional abuse. A woman came to me and said she had had checked her church's website. Her church rejected abuse as grounds for divorce. So did her denomination. So she switched to another church before she filed. She didn't want to deal with criticism in addition to going through the divorce process in court. It was a matter of picking her battles. She knew that the divorce itself would demand time and money and emotion. She needed support to get away from her deeply disturbed husband, not condemnation from her church. She didn't want to fight two battles at once. She's happy she switched to loving and supportive church with a good humble pastor.
LifeWay Research: Marriage Ministry and the Cost of Divorce on Churches , 2015. Done for Focus on the Family.
Be careful what you say to anyone at your church. It is not legally confidential. "... churches are not required to maintain confidences [and] there is no expectation of privacy.... This is something that comes up again and again in discussions regarding church discipline so its worth commenting here, that a member that talks within a church to another member has no legal rights of confidentiality. Readers here should note that if they want to maintain their legal rights, they should not discuss things in church or in a church capacity!" per the Church Discipline website.
See licensed therapists who are not connected to your church. Churches that hold the "permanence view" do not condone divorce for any reason. Churches that hold the "two-reason" view (adultery and abandonment by an unbeliever) prohibit divorce for physical or emotional abuse. (Sadly, they won't tell you this up front. So I created an 8-page chart comparing more than 40 denominations so you can look up your denomination's official list of condoned and prohibited reasons for divorce.) They will refer you to in-house or affiliated counselors who agree with the church's view. These churches have policies that are dangerous to anyone who is depressed or suicidal or who fears for their life or safety. Divorce saves lives. See the next image.
Chapter 8 of my book, The Life-Saving Divorce, will guide you on how to find safe friends and a safe church.
Lawsuits over church discipline: http://www.bpnews.net/3880/72597-lawsuits-over-church-discipline-among-new-challenges-to-churches
Discipline of Religious Groups' Members: https://www.pewforum.org/2011/03/31/churches-in-court4/
A woman got sued by her pastor for defamation (leaving a negative online review). She won and the pastor had to pay her legal fees: Beaverton Grace Bible Church vs. Smith. https://spiritualsoundingboard.com/about/bgbc-defamation-lawsuit-archive/
Is Your Church Safe? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Video of Natalie Hoffman, devout Christian and homeschool mother of nine children, telling her story of being excommunicated by her church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, for divorcing on the grounds of abuse. After she divorced, she went on to thrive, remarry, and now runs a very active group for Christian women (and other devout women of faith) who are experiencing control, abuse, or confusion in their marriage.
Are you going through a life-saving divorce and need support and clarity? I'd like to invite you to my private Facebook group, "Life-Saving Divorce for Separated or Divorced Christians." Just click the link and ANSWER the 4 QUESTIONS. This is a group for women and men of faith who have walked this path, or are considering it. Supporters and people helpers are also welcome. I've written a book on divorce for Christians and other people of faith, The Life-Saving Divorce: Paperback: https://amzn.to/3cF1j25 Or eBook: https://amzn.to/3CCBsnr
Also, sign up for my email list below or HERE www.lifesavingdivorce.com/courage
What is a Life-Saving Divorce? How Do We Know Half of Divorces in the U.S. Sre "Life-Saving"? (or watch the video)
Life-Saving Divorce: Introduction What Is this Book About? (audio and transcript)
About Me: Why Is a Nice Christian Girl Like Me Promoting Divorce?
How Can I Get the Book, The Life-Saving Divorce? (Amazon affiliate link.) — FREE study guides for each chapter. — FREE videos for each chapter.
Does God Hate Divorce? God Gave Divorce Due to Hardhearted Abusers & Betrayers
Myth: Divorce is the Unpardonable Sin and "God Hates Divorce"
Abuse is Biblical Grounds for Divorce
Malachi 2:16 Haven't Our English Bibles Always Said, "God hates divorce"? No.
"But He Never Hit Me": Divorce for Neglect, Emotional, and Financial Abuse
Physical and Emotional Abuse & Infidelity
130 Examples of Abuse: Emotional, Physical, Financial, Spiritual and Gaslighting
Pastors Who Accept Physical and Emotional Abuse as Grounds for Divorce
Severe Emotional Neglect: Toni's Story of Finding Freedom (video)
40 Years of Murderous Rages and How I Got Free! Karen's story (video)
How Churches Should Handle Abuse Victims (video with Pastor Neil Schori)
Help! I'm Married to a Cheater: Should I Stay or Go?
Married to a Pedophile: How I Got Out – Pam's Story (video)
Help! I Am Alone with the Abuser
God Allows Divorce to Protect Victims
Jesus' Greatest Divorce Sermon - Luke 13 (or watch the Video)
Myth: The Person Who Files for Divorce Caused the Divorce
Haven't Our English Bibles Always Said, "God hates divorce"? No.
Jesus Said, "Love My Enemy"—Can I Still Divorce Them?
But I Thought it Was God's Will for Me to Marry this Person!
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Opened on August 6, 2011, Guyantian (Ancient Saltern) golf course is located in Danzhou city, the westline of Hainan. Ancient saltpans landscape is natural landscape formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, the golf course along the coastline of about 5 km with natural mangrove forest natural scenery.
Hainan White Stone (Baishiling) hot spring Golf Club is located in Qionghai Guantang hot spring resort area, Near East Hainan Highway, the transportation is convenient. It is a mysterious and fascinating world.


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Novelty song
Novelty song, popular song that is either written and performed as a novelty or that becomes a novelty when removed from its original context. Regardless of which of these two categories applies, the assumption is that the song is popular because of its novelty, because it sounds different from everything else being played on the radio or jukebox. It follows that novelty hits are unique; the second time around, the sound is no longer novel. However, a novelty song can change people's listening assumptions, and hits that the record industry has treated as novelties have often turned out to be precursors of new musical styles.
Songs written and performed as novelties have usually been comic songs, in a tradition that goes back to British music hall hits such as "Laughing Policeman." Comic records, such as Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman's "The Flying Saucer" (1956) and Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater" (1958), sold particularly well in the 1950s. Comedians such as Stan Freberg and Peter Sellers were specializing in musical satire and directing their wit at the new music at the time when rock and roll records were first heard.
The market for joke records, however, declined after the 1950s for a variety of reasons. First, in the 1950s there was a perceived children's music market, the demands of which were met partly by singing cartoon characters. By the end of the decade, children had become, in commercial terms, miniteenagers; since then the appeal of cartoon groups such as the Chipmunks or the Wombles has been limited. Second, the comedy and music scenes diverged as comedians moved from radio to television. There were TV comedies aimed primarily at the youth audience (e.g., Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Simpsons, Beavis and Butt-head), but the musical output of those programs and their central characters rarely received much airplay or generated many sales. Third, records that parodied rock music lost their bite as rock became the dominant form of popular music. Freberg's version of Elvis Presley in the 1950s was much sharper than "Weird Al" Yankovic's version of Michael Jackson in the 1980s because it was much more contemptuous.
Noncomic novelty songs either reflect nonmusical events (the British charts fill up with football-related songs during the World Cup competition, for instance) or show off new instrumental sounds (the Tornadoes' 1962 hit "Telstar" was the first of many electronic novelties). This is the context in which the second category of novelty song is significant: "exotic" hits cross the world to be heard on Western radio (early examples were the South African song "Tom Hark" in 1957 and the Japanese recording "Sukiyaki" in 1962); and tracks from specialist genres turn out to have unexpected pop appeal (Dave Brubeck's jazz number "Take Five,"a hit in 1961; Laurie Anderson's performance art work "O Superman," in 1981).
Such records are treated as novelties and, in pop terms, remain so—their commercial success leaves no mark on either pop history or the musicians concerned. But there are also songs that are at first treated as novelties and then become normalized. This reflects in part the way in which the media react to any new phenomenon—Presley made to sing to a real hound dog during an early television appearance, for example, or a TV producer's determination to show Jimi Hendrix using his teeth to play "Hey Joe" on the guitar. And new musical genres are often best sold to radio and record companies in a simplified comic form, as were ska, disco, and hip-hop, respectively, with Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop" (1964), Rick Dees's "Disco Duck" (1976), and the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (1979). It is also true, however, that records that initially sound peculiar cease to as people learn their language. It is in this way—as an entry point—that novelty songs have played an important role in the history of rock music.
Simon Frith
Article Title: Novelty song
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
URL: https://www.britannica.com/art/novelty-song


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Nurhan Torun, MD, named Chief of Ophthalmology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Chloe Meck (BIDMC Communications) 617-667-7367, cmeck@bidmc.harvard.edu
BOSTON – Nurhan Torun, MD, an accomplished ophthalmologist internationally recognized for her expertise in ocular motility disorders, has been named Chief of Ophthalmology in the Department of Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). In addition to her surgical practice, Torun is a leader in ophthalmologic research and education.
"Dr. Torun is an outstanding colleague who has already contributed much to BIDMC and to the field of ophthalmology," says Elliot Chaikof, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Surgery. "In her new position, she will build on a strong foundation, and provide a fresh vision for how the division can continue to evolve and grow."
Since she first joined the division in 2006 as the Director of the Neuro-opthalmology Clinic at BIDMC, Torun has provided expert care to patients with a wide range of ophthalmological disorders, including unexplained vision loss, undiagnosed neurological conditions, cranial nerve palsies, double vision and a wide variety of other disorders. Her surgical practice includes the treatment of cataracts and various anterior segment laser procedures.
"I have been privileged to be a part of this dynamic institution as a clinician, educator and researcher for more than ten years," said Torun. "I am honored to now lead our division in my new role, where I will work closely with our talented team as we grow to meet the increasing need for our services while continuing to provide excellent care for our patients."
Also an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Torun commits much of her time to training and mentoring students, resident and fellows. She was honored as the 2015 recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Harvard Neurology Residents at BIDMC and is also a member of both the BIDMC Academy of Medical Educators and The Academy at Harvard Medical School.
With having published more than 30 peer-reviewed manuscripts, reviews, monographs, and book chapters, Torun is also dedicated to clinical research and scholarship. She is currently conducting research to utilize eye movement as a novel quantitative biomarker to assess, diagnose, and monitor the progression of Huntington's disease in collaboration with the Movement Disorders Clinic. Previously, she investigated the dynamic contour tonometry as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for giant cell arteritis. She has also served as Associate Editor of Neuro-ophthalmology.
Torun earned her medical degree from and graduated as the Gold Medalist of her class at Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey. She completed her residency in ophthalmology, as well as clinical and research fellowships in neuro-ophthalmology, at the University of Toronto, where she served as the Elizabeth Barford Fellow in Neurological Sciences. Torun is board certified in ophthalmology.
About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding.
BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org.
Ophthalmology (Eyes)


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Microsoft Lumia 640 and 640 XL officially revealed
By Marc Chacksfield published 2 March 15
Two mid-range handsets announced
Microsoft Lumia 640 revealed
Microsoft has unveiled the latest handset in its burgeoning Lumia range - the Microsoft Lumia 640.
There's been plenty rumours about the handset so there wasn't too much surprise when Stephen Elop took to the stage at MWC 2015 to revealed the Microsoft Lumia 640.
The Microsoft Lumia 640 won't come with Windows 10 straight out of the box, but Elop noted that it will be fully upgradeable to the new mobile OS later in the year.
Full specs include a 5-inch screen, 1.2Ghz quad core chip inside, 3G & LTE functionality, an 8MP camera, 2500mAh, gorilla glass, Windows 8.1 and it is also NFC enabled. There will also be single and dual sim variants of the device.
The phones will be available later this year in: orange, blue, white and cyan
If five inches is just too small for your pocket, then you will be pleased to read that Microsoft has also released an XL version of the device.
Unsurprisingly, the bigger handset has been called the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL and it comes packing a 1080p 5.7inch screen, 13mp camera and LTE. The device will also come with a one-year subscription to Office 365 and the Windows 8.1 OS will be upgradeable to Windows 10 when it is released.
You get all this for 189 Euros. Microsoft said that, among others, Carphone Warehouse, T-Mobile, O2 and Orange will be stocking the device in Europe. AT&T in the US will stock the Lumia 640 and 640 XL.
If this is all a little too middle of the range for you, then don't panic: Elop insisted that its flagship Lumia will be unveiled later this year.
Check the rest of our MWC 2015 coverage
Marc Chacksfield
Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.
See more Mobile phones news
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Tag: Don Rickles
'Toy Story 4': Every Story Detail and Behind-the-Scenes Fact We Learned at Pixar Studios
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More than 30 things to know about the upcoming Disney animated adventure.
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The Toy Story shorts have been a nice way of continuing the franchise without the burden of heavy expectations that would come with a new feature film. Thus far, they've been fun little episodes that are nice ways to warm …
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5 Movie Clips and 18 High Resolution Stills from Pixar's TOY STORY 3
by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub June 11, 2010
With Toy Story 3 getting released next weekend, we've been given 5 clips and 18 high resolution images from the film. Also, Matt was just at Pixar to do interviews with the voice cast and the filmmakers, so you can …
TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2 Blu-ray Reviews
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It was less than fifteen years ago that Toy Story debuted for the Holiday season of 1995. At the time Disney was taking a chance with an entirely computer animated film, especially after their amazing resurgence and recent run of …
New TOY STORY 3 Trailer with 10 New High Resolution Images
by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub February 11, 2010
A new trailer for Toy Story 3 has been released and as you might expect from the company that only makes amazing movies (Pixar), the trailer makes me wish TS3 was in theaters this weekend. Loaded with funny scenes and …
TOY STORY 3 Teaser Trailer #2 Sneak Peak
Pixar will be unveiling a new trailer for Toy Story 3 tomorrow. But if you can't wait till then, 30 seconds of the trailer has already hit the net and it's after the jump. Featuring some of the new characters …
New TOY STORY 3 Footage Features Introduction to Mr. Pricklepants
by Brendan Bettinger January 1, 2010
On New Year's Eve, before the clock struck midnight, director Lee Unkrich tweeted, "Enjoying the last day I can say 'Toy Story 3′ doesn't come out next year'". Indeed we have entered 2010, the year of the latest update in …


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Home > User galleries > joedunning > Joseph Dunning Astrophotography
Joseph Dunning Astrophotography
M421071 viewsMessier 42 (M42, NGC 1976) The Orion Nebula is the brightest star forming, and the brightest diffuse nebula in the sky. Shining with the brightness of a star of 4th magnitude, it is visible to the naked eye under moderately good conditions. The Orion Nebula is located at a distance of about 1,600 (or perhaps 1,500) light-years.
M46793 viewsMessier 46 (M46, NGC 2437) This open cluster is very rich, with 150 stars of mag 10-13 and probably a total population of over 500. The brightest of these stars are of spectral type A0, and each about 100 times more luminous than the Sun (the brightest is of apparent magnitude 8.7). This indicates an age of about 300 million years. As a special and famous feature which is also obvious in my photograph, a planetary nebula (NGC 2438, also FC 87) appears within the apparent borders of M46. This object appears to lie near the northern fringes of the cluster. However, this nebula is not a true member but is superimposed, or perhaps a passing "guest". The distance of the cluster is 4,600 light years and only about 2,900 light years for the nebula
M1940 viewsMessier 1, (M1, NGC 1952), The Crab Nebula is the most famous and conspicuous known supernova remnant, the expanding cloud of gas created in the explosion of a star as supernova which was observed in the year 1054 AD. It shines as a nebula of magnitude 8.4 near the southern "horn" of Taurus, the Bull. The distance is 6,300 light years.
M27910 viewsMessier 27, (M27, NGC 6853) The Dumbbell Nebula is perhaps the finest planetary nebula in the sky, and was the first planetary nebula ever discovered. Existing estimates for the distance reach from 490 to 3500 light years.
M20953 views Messier 20 (M20, NGC 6514) The Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius is a remarkable and beautiful object as it consists of both a conspicuous emission nebula and a remarkable reflection nebula component. The distance is 5200 light year.
M16832 viewsMessier 16 (M16) The Eagle Nebula is a conspicuous region of active star formation, situated in Serpens Cauda. The starforming nebula, a giant cloud of interstellar gas and dust, has already created a considerable cluster of young stars. The cluster is also referred to as NGC 6611, the nebula as IC 4703. The distance is 7000 light years.
My 7" refractor838 viewsThis is my 7" f/9 refractor mounted on an AP-1200 GTO.
Bubble Nebula997 viewsNGC 7635, also called the Bubble Nebula, is an emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. It lies close to the direction of the open cluster Messier 52. The "bubble" is created by the stellar wind from a massive hot, 8.7 magnitude young central star. The distance is 11,000 light years.
M571142 viewsMessier 57 the Ring Nebula appears in the northern constellation of Lyra is a prominent example of a planetary nebula. This is a shell of ionized gas expelled into the surrounding interstellar medium by a red giant star, which was passing through the last stage in its evolution before becoming a white dwarf. The distance is 2300 light years.
Moon915 viewsThe moon southern polar region.
M331011 viewsMessier 33 (M33, NGC 598) The Triangulum Galaxy is a prominent member of the local group of galaxies. This galaxy is small compared to its big apparent neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy M31, and to our Milky Way galaxy, but is more of average size for spiral galaxies in the universe. The distance is approximately 3 million light years.
62_Erato 1022 views62 Erato is a large and dark, probably carbonaceous main-belt asteroid. It is a member of the Themis asteroid family.Erato is the first asteroid to have been credited with co-discoverers, Oskar Lesser and Wilhelm Forster, who discovered it on September 14, 1860 from the Berlin Observatory. It was their first and only asteroid discovery.
This image is a stack of 25 5 min exposures creating the line showing it's movement.


In Xing Yi Quan the most fundamental exercise is the standing pole (Zhan Zhuang) posture of San Ti Shi 三体式 (Traditional Chinese: 三體式). It consists of moving between 3 stances, the Wu Ji stance, The Tai Ji stance and the San Cai Stance where typically the third stance is held for an extensive period.
The purpose of this practise is to develop root and whole body power. Root it partly a matter of developing balance, stability and leg strength but also a matter of relaxing and sinking so to the extent where you can be almost unmovable while at the same time agile in a natural and effortless way.
Whole body power (Zheng Ti Jin) is developed by unifying heart, intent, Qi and force and aligning the body to be able to move as one coherent and unified unit by aligning feet and hands, elbows and knees, and shoulders and hips (these alignments are known as the six harmonies or Liu He). As you progress you will find many more connections between different parts of the body as well as between the "inner" qualities (heart, intent, qi and force) and the "outer" physical body.
When standing you need to find a balance between active curiosity and investigation, cultivating intention and relaxed openness. The idea is to relax as much as possible but not to be slacking while at the same time have power but without any tensing or hard efforting. This is similar to how a tiger relaxes when preparing to leap for its prey i.e. it is very alert and its power is all there to be released in an instant but neither tensing in any way nor dozing off or slacking.
How are things connected together?
How does one thing affect another?
Is the posture whole without hollows and protuberances?
What is the experience of standing like this?
Standing like this you pay attention to physical sensations, feelings and moods, thoughts and longings etc. in order to understand oneself, where you are and how things work.
Cultivating intention means to hold certain images or ideas that will develop gong fu (refined skill). Let's take the quality of rootedness as an example. By focusing on stability and rootedness while standing I help to develop it faster. I can also add mental images to enhance this development e.g. I imagine that my legs are tree trunks and that there are roots going out from my feet into the ground.
Relaxed openness means to allow things to develop naturally, to give up myself and just stand there open to and accepting of whatever happens. This balances cultivating intention so that practise just does not turn into artificial effort and allows the posture to start speaking to you.
There are two kinds of practice of San Ti – a static practice and a dynamic one. The dynamic one is basically moving back and forth between contracting and expanding from left side to right side while standing for a short time (10 breaths or so) in each posture whereas the static practice means to stand for much longer time in the San Ti posture. Sun Jian Yun recommended an hour of San Ti every day but said that her father would sometimes stand for 4-5 hours without a break.
When practising San Ti, you transition between 4 postures i.e.
Wuji (Non-polarity) is the state you are in before commencing practice, without thoughts or ideas, without form or shape, without a sense of "me" or "him". In the mind, all is without distinction, without intention and nothing being thought about… In the starting position, begin by facing straight, your hands hanging down, your feet positioned at a ninety-degree angle. This posture goes along with the natural way of heaven and earth.
In order for us to be able to find natural, effortless movement we need to reconnect with emptiness and stillness. This is the idea and meaning of the Wuji stance. "Natural" means the opposite of artificial, false and acquired i.e. inherent and true.
Before we start to direct our intention and create something we need to return to our original self, otherwise our actions will be filled with the obscurities of the everyday mind. The emptiness stance is like the "just sitting" of Zen returning to our original face before our parents were born. Sun Lu Tang speaks of this returning as Ni Yun (逆運) whereby turning the mechanism of Qi in post heaven (i.e. the manifested) one can return to pre-heaven (the non-manifested) and from there returning to the original source (復出歸元).
The gate to enter stillness (入靜, ru jing) lays in not doing (无为, wu wei) anything about what is experienced.
The practice of not doing is learning to give up (舍, she). Most importantly it is giving up wanting things to be different.
The practice of giving up is to neither drop nor resist (不丢不顶, bu diu bu ding).
It is not just standing there like a moron, it is completely alert as if the hair was on fire, vitally interested in what is going on and at the same time completely without unnecessary tension and striving.
Here opens the gate to true stillness. In the vital aliveness of spacious awareness where right action (正業, zheng ye) or the action of no action (无为之为, wu wei zhi wei) spontaneously (自然, ziran) arises.
In practical terms you assume the Wu Ji stance and then relax and let go. There are probably some thoughts and tensions in the bodymind. When you notice those, let them go and return to the experience of just standing in Wu Ji. It is not suppressing thoughts or tensions but rather a letting go and a return to the state before thought and tension arises similar to the Chan practice of Hua Tou. It is not becoming dull but on the contrary a very vibrant alertness that at the same time is without tension or effort. After practising like this for some time, you will start to get glimpses of stillness. Gradually these glimpses will be longer and eventually the experience of stillness will be the prevalent experience. Once you start to become familiar with the experience of this stillness you can enter it directly by just directing your intention towards it. Entering stillness is the fundament not only for internal martial arts but of Qi Gong, Daoist practise, and Buddhist meditation.
From the starting position, turn halfway to the right, hands hanging down, left foot in front and closing toward your right ankle until your feet are now making a forty-five degree angle. Inside, your tongue touches your upper palate and your perineum is lifted. This posture is about grasping the passive and active aspects and getting them to switch, reversing Qian and Kun, turning the energies and thus reverting to the innate true active energy in place of the acquired fake active energy that is so harmful to us.
True active energy is that which truly our own and is an expression of our true self. Fake active energy is that which is artificial, the result of "trying" and efforting.
In practical terms you need to find a way to move the foot without effort, so pay close attention to the transition from no-movement in the Wu Ji stance to the effortless movement of the One Qi stance. One important key in making this work is to really find Wu Ji. If you find yourself exerting effort then you need to go deeper into Wu Ji and the connection to manifesting the single qi through alignment with the mind, intent and body. The manifestation, i.e. movement of the foot, connecting Ren channel and Du channel through touching the upper palette with your tongue and lifting the perineum and the reverse circulation of energy is all happening as one movement and as an expression of the intent. It is not like "first imagining it and then do it" but more like "intending it is doing it" or "the intention of doing it and the physical action are two sides of the same coin".
The front foot is empty but with a spark of fullness in it. This is accomplished by keeping the foot very lightly on the ground. If you imagine that there was an ant under your foot, it would not be able to move but it would not be crushed either.
The body method in the starting position goes from stillness to motion. You must not lean forward or back, or incline to the left or right. You should be balanced and not drift away from balance, standing centred and not leaning away. Your left foot is in front, your right foot behind. Your left heel is close to your right ankle, making a forty-five degree angle, as in the photo. Your shoulders loosen and have an energy of hanging down. Your elbows are close to your ribs. Your hands cover your heart, left hand below, right hand on top. Your left forefinger extends forward underneath and your right middle finger extends forward on top, covering your left forefinger, the two fingers coming together. Your head should be pressing up and your neck should be upright. Your waist have an energy of sinking down. Your hips have an energy of drawing in. Your heels have an energy of twisting outward. Your legs slowly bend downward, as in the photo. The bending of your legs should have a rounded fullness, and must not be a dead bend. Your body still must not have the slightest bit of crookedness, and there must not be the slightest bit of effort in your mind. During this starting position, your intention is to be like a vertical pole that has been placed in level ground. Once this pole starts to stand stably, your mind and energy become naturally calm and still, without inclining toward anything. It is said the mind unites with the intention, the intention unites with the energy, and the energy unites with the power. These are called the "three internal unions". If your mind is not uniting with your intention, then being off by a hair will make you miss by a thousand miles. Therefore, if you want to learn this art, you have to delve deeply.
Rooster leg: to differentiate the weight and to stand firmly, grasping the ground. This ability means the inner quality of integrity and independence.
Dragon body: The body is folded into sections yet at the same time all united as one. Nothing is stiff but free like a dragon floating in the sky. This ability means the inner quality of adaptation and change while maintaining power and integrity.
Bear shoulders: The neck is straight and has vertical power (bai hui i.e. top of the head is pressing up). Shoulders relax down so that Qi sinks to Dan Tian. Back is rounded and chest relaxed. This means the inner quality of stability and groundedness.
Tiger embracing head: It is like a cat catching its pray i.e. alert and yet relaxed. It is also like a tiger exiting its cave (ferocious and fearless) where the contraction is manifested as the hands embracing each other. This means the inner quality of relaxed awareness.
Eagle claw: The eagle catches its prey with great power in its claws but without strenuous effort. The strength of the grip is from the Dan Tian. This means the inner quality of focus as a natural way of being (rather than exhausting concentration).
Although the back is not leaning or bending, power is gathered there. This is achieved by sinking the tailbone and filling the gate of life (ming men) while suspending the head top (bai hui). When we talk about using the power of the five bows, the arms and the legs store power by bending but the back stores power by straightening. However the arms and legs are not overly bent adhering to the principle of "looks bent but is not bent" (似曲非曲).
Originally, when Sun Lu Tang learned it, this was practised by moving the hands straight up into position but he later modified it to be done as follows: The posture begins with expanding and ends with contracting. In the expanding phase, both arms move out and away from the body until the arms are level with the ground. From there the knees start to bend while the arms move towards the heart. This movement of the arms is reminiscent of a tiger leaving it cave. It ends up in a posture reminiscent of a tiger holding the head of its pray, hence the alternative name.
This posture can be practised by itself, alternating between the one qi stance and the taiji stance. To shift sides, go back to wu ji stance and from there, move into the one qi stance on the opposite side.
After travelling to Shanxi and meeting Song Shi Rong and Che Yi Zhai who both had the front palm more vertical, Sun Lu Tang modified the San Ti stance that he had learned from Li Kui Yuan and Guo Yun Shen as he discovered that this way of practising was greatly conductive to developing internal energy.
When going through your practice, the myriad techniques all come out of the San Ti [three-substance] posture. This posture is the gateway to the method, the main tool in Xingyi Boxing.
The index finger and He Gu (acupoint located on the highest spot of the muscle when the thumb and index fingers are brought close together) of the upper hand aligns with the centre line. The tip of the index finger of the front hand is at the level of the lips.
The base of the thumb is on the lower side of the navel.
The body is slightly turned but only slightly.
The weight is about 60%-70% on the back leg.
The top of the head suspends upwards, the perineum lifts gently, the tip of the tongue rest against the upper palette.
The breath sinks to the lower abdomen, the shoulders and elbows sink down, and the coccyx sinks down. Breathe naturally do not force or hold your breath. Shoulders and elbows should sink down with intent but not in a forced way. The coccyx sinks or drops down so that the "gate of life" (ming men) fills but do not tuck in the buttocks in a forced way to try to accomplish this. Done properly this will protect the back and give it strength. You can test this by pushing against a tree or wall. If the force is evenly distributed throughout the back then you are doing it correctly. If otherwise, you will feel that the force concentrates in a certain area of the spine.
The lower side of each arm pushes forward and the upper side of each arm pulls back. Hence, the extending withdrawing movement balance each other so dynamic stillness is achieved.
Legs expand outwards on the inside (crotch rounded, heels press outward) and inward on the outside (hips move inward, knees press inward, toes press inward). Hence the inward contracting and outward expanding movement balance each other resulting in stable unmovingness.
Knees are aligned with the feet i.e. each knee is not twisted away at an angle compared to the foot), hand is aligned with the arm i.e. the hand extends straight out from the arm and is not in an angle to the side compared to the arm.
1. One the back leg, the hip joint and lao gong (middle of the foot) are one vertical. This corresponds to the heel and buttocks being on a vertical.
2. The front knee and the heel form the second vertical.
3. The tip of the toes and the wrist form the third vertical.
The "three substances" are the representations of the three materials of heaven, earth, and mankind. Within the boxing art, they are the head, hands, and feet. The three substances also each separate into three sections. The waist is a root section (outwardly the waist, inwardly the dan tian (elixir field)). The spine is a middle section (outwardly the spine, inwardly the chest). The head is a twig section (outwardly the head, inwardly the Ni Wan area [upper dan tian]). The shoulder is a root section. The elbow is a middle section. The hand is a twig section. The hip is a root section. The knee is a middle section. The foot is a twig section. Each of the three sections has three sections within it.
The idea of manifesting heaven earth and man in the body follows the alchemical principle of "as above so below, as below so above" and opens up a very interesting line of investigation. When you stand in San Ti you probably do not have the feeling that your head corresponds to heaven in a meaningful way and yet this is how grandmaster Sun Lu Tang describes it. Investigating this is quite similar to working with Gong An (Koan) in Chan (Zen) i.e. on the one hand you have great faith that there is really some truth to this and on the other hand great doubt that this is really something that can be directly experienced. In the meeting of this great doubt and great faith there is something that you will start to discover if you inquire deeply with sincerity, openness and curiosity.
By discerning root, balance point and twig it becomes possible to use the lever principle. When you combine several levers in a movement tremendous power can be generated with very little effort.
This principle thus merges with the Luo River Document's count of nine.
The Elixir Book says: "The Way: from emptiness arises a single energy, then from the single energy yin and yang is generated, yin and yang then combine to make san cai (the three substances), and then from the three substances all things are born and raised." This is the idea. And so it is said that nothingness and the one qi (oneness) are the root of heaven and earth, the ancestor of the passive and active, the progenitor of all things, the "golden elixir". It is also the internal power within Xingyi Boxing.
In the meeting of yin and yang you have a third. Although this is similar to Fichtes "thesis, anti-thesis, synthesis", it goes much deeper than that. Sometimes the third is found in between the opposites, something it transcends them, sometimes it is the result of a merging of the two. Qi in this regard can be seen as a relational concept i.e. that which flows when there is dialogue. From this we can say that the internal power in Xing Yi comes from the dialogue between oppositions or paradoxes. We need to discern the opposition clearly but not keep them isolated from each other.
From a practical point of view you should investigate how you can move in any direction from the San Ti posture and hence practically manifest the idea of "San Cai gives birth to the ten thousand things". This is also why all forms in Xing Yi starts with San Ti (technically there is a "lower hand San Ti" that we start some forms with e.g. Ba Shi Chui but that is a variation and not a breach of this principle).
This is a more dynamic way of practising San Ti where each posture is held for a shorter time. Typically, you spend 6 breaths in Wu Ji, 12 breaths in Hu Bao Tou and 24 breaths in San Ti then back to Hu Bao Tou for 12 breaths and then return to Wu Ji. Continue this way passing through the postures for as long as you decided.
The basic mental attitude in San Ti is Hu Bao Tou (虎抱头, Tiger embracing head). It is relaxed and yet alert like a big cat hunting for prey. You are completely aware of what is embraced (the whole body) yet at the same time vibrantly alert and aware of surroundings.
With regards to Yinian Huodong (visualizations), you start with imagining or focusing on a certain aspect or principle, then once it is established you allow for more and more curiosity and investigation. This makes for a transition from "making it happen" to "discovering that this is so".
If you experience distractions and random thoughts then focus on your interest in what is going on and what you are trying to cultivate. It begins with curiosity which then turns into interest. When there is wholehearted interest, random thoughts simply does not arise.
You can progress your practise slowly. First you need to be able to stand correctly so focus is just on correct posture. Then focus on a principle and start investigating. E.g.
Relaxing here does not mean slacking or any kind of dozing off relaxation but rather a kind of relaxation that is open and receptive and that does not hinder you from expressing force. It is similar to the way a big cat relaxes when preparing to attack its prey.
Liu mian ba fang is an expression in Chinese that means 6 sides (up, down, left, right, forward, back) and 8 directions (south, north, east, west and the 4 in between) i.e. in all directions. This is how we should think about the power in Xing Yi. It should be up, down, left, right, forward and backward at the same time. This must not be in a tensed way but rather as true potential simultaneously manifested. Whole body power (Zhengti jin) is sometimes called Hun Yuan Li and is the same thing as the 6 harmonies. It means the whole system is engaged in the action (of standing in this case) i.e. we do not stand and think about something else or try to stand e.g. by resisting the pain in the legs. Better in that case to take a break and then stand again. This way you slowly and gradually increase the time you can stand. If you try to force it too much, bad habits tend to develop.
Root is vital for stability and the ability to direct force to and from the ground. One aspect of developing root is understanding, and learning to control, your centre of gravity. A great help in making progress faster is to have a friend push and pull you gently on various parts of the body. You should not resist by purposefully moving in the opposite direction but rather redirect the force down into the ground.
In order to really be able to manifest whole body power you need investigate opposing forces. The legs are simultaneously expanding outwards and contracting inwards and hence remain in a dynamic stillness. The hand is pushing forward from the underside and pulling back from the upper side etc. Focus on one opposing aspect at a time, and then integrate it with the other ones and so forth until you have a clear understand of opposing forces in all directions. When emitting force you will then experience it as a relaxing discharge rather than a strenuous build up of directed force in a direction. This is something you practise in Pi Quan which is practised as moving from San Ti on one side to San Ti on the other side so will not be further elaborated on here.
The five bows are the two legs, the two arms and the back. When issuing force, all bows collaborate in a coordinated manner, coordinated by the dan tian, to mobilize the entire body. The firmer the bow is, the more power it can hold until you reach the point where it is too rigid when no power can be generated. This is especially true for the back which looses power if it is bent in an exaggerated way.
The three dantian (lower belly, solar plexus, middle of the head) align vertically. The 3 dan tian are like "Qi hearts" in the body. They are connected with the flow of Qi e.g. in Ren channel and Du Channel. The lower dantian is connected to the transformation of essence to qi and is the source of intuition and the development of manifested/obvious power (Ming jin). The middle dan tian is connected to the transformation of qi into spirit and is the source of the true mind and the development of hidden power (An jin). The upper dan tian is connected to the reconnection of the spirit with the great void and is the source of intent and the development of transforming power (Hua jin). Although this might seem esoteric when starting, the point is that when you are ready to transition from the first accomplishment of obvious power to cultivate hidden power, you return to San Ti standing to find the true source of the power before working on manifesting it in the five elements and twelve animals.
The six gates are the top of the head (bai hui), the perineum (hui yin), the centre of the palms (lao gong), and the centre of the soles (yong quan). The top of the head and perineum lifts up. Centre of the soles and hands empties up/inwards.
The three flows are: The flow of qi from up to down (heavenly qi or tian qi). The flow of qi from down to up (earth qi or di qi). The circulating qi of man as expressed in the small and large heavenly circulations.
Keep a dynamic balance between engagement and allowing things to happen, cultivation and natural growth.
Do not tense or slack off but find the middle path between the two where you can be vigorous, alert and natural.
Do not resist but find a way to work together with whatever you are resisting instead.
Do not try, just do it whole heartedly.
Do not overdo practice but do not refrain from practising diligently – find the level of practise that keeps you constantly evolving and growing.
If you have a good friend or training partner he/she can help you improve more rapidly by gently pushing and pulling your body in all directions. You should find a way to handle the push or pull by redirecting the force into the ground. You should also make sure that you do not have to tense a certain area of the body to compensate for the force. If you do, it is a sign that your understanding of whole body needs further refinement. The push or pull should be at all areas of the body e.g. the left leg, back of the head, right arm, elbow, hip etc. so that you have the chance to get feed-back from all angles.
I would recommend that you do some warm up exercises before starting to practise standing. This could be taking a brisk walk for 10 minutes followed by some gentle dao yin or some gentle loosening exercises and a few minutes of jump rope or running. In the beginning do not stand too long; a few minutes on each side and a total of 10 – 15 minutes is good. As your body awareness and skill increases, gradually increase the time you stand to about half an hour or so. I would not recommend standing longer than that regularly until you have had a competent practitioner correct your posture hands on.
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Josh Richardson about Future Trends of the Esports Industry
Over recent years, if we are to believe numerous cybersport news, the esports industry has demonstrated impressive growth, both in terms of viewership and revenue. To find out what are the main reasons for this and what to expect from the industry in the future, we talked to Josh Richardson, the well-known esports consultant from the USA.
As the latest studies show, the esports industry may reach $1.8 billion by 2022. What are the background and basis for these hypothetic figures?
I think the growth of the industry from athletes being involved (David Beckham) and celebrities being involved (Post Malone) have substantially benefitted the esports growth as people see this now as more of mainstream industry. Currently, there are multiple esports teams that are valued at over 400 million USD. That number seems to be increasing at an alarming rate.
What are the industry's future trends?
I believe esports is heading to more of a lifestyle type of industry. The generation that really loves esports (16-35) also really loves being able to pair clothing and accessories to their favorite passion or hobby. We see this very blatantly with esports organizations such as 100 Thieves and FaZe Clan. While esports (the competition side) will always be a huge part of each organization, I feel that content creators and merch will weigh just as heavy.
If to compare the esports markets of the USA and Europe, what are the main differences and similarities?
Well, this is a loaded question, and I will try to answer it the best I can. The US has certain titles (games) that do better in the US vs EU. And the same could be said for vice versa. I would use the game Call of Duty. The game has a MASSIVE following in the US, but not so much in the EU.
What is the role of sports and other celebrities participating in esports events and the industry in general? Do they drive the market by their presence?
Celebrities and athletes are actually a huge part in getting esports recognized as an actual industry that should be taken seriously. To people of my age (mid 30's and below) we understand esports and how massive it is, but to someone above my age that doesn't understand esports, when they see a name associated with an esports organization or an esports event they immediately associate esports with something much bigger. So yes, having recognizable names on an esports brand greatly impacts the value of said esports brand.
What game genre (multiplayer online battle arena, sports games, first-person shooter, etc.) will be the most popular for esports in the nearest future?
This is an easy one for me. Rocket League. Rocket League is the most viewer-friendly esport since it is soccer with cars (and rockets on them). The game is also not franchised, meaning that anyone can qualify for a major tournament, rather than having to get signed to a professional team. Plus the game is growing like nothing we have seen before thanks in part to Epic Games acquiring the game from Psyonix (Epic Games is also the creator of Fortnite).
Read more: What are the best esports teams in the world now?
Read more: Detailed guidelines to selling Dota 2 items
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