Meet me at the pub--we'll solve all the world's problems.
I recently received my issue #63 of BeerAdvocate, and on page 12 found this fabulous article by Andy Crouch, which has led me to put Great American Craft Beer and The Good Beer Guide to New England on my to-read list. (Full disclosure: I have my first BeerAdvocate article in this issue. YAY!).
In his article, Andy talks about the decrease in bars for the sake of bars and an increase in gastropubs and other similar establishments that make you feel bad about not ordering food or just stopping in to have a drink, perhaps--gasp!--alone (lush! bum! mooch!).
His musings made me think of The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehring. Sure, some of the people in this book were alcoholics, heavy gamblers, and screwed up. But good things happened in that bar--a sense of community, a bright spot for when you were troubled, and probably most of all, acceptance.
Pubs have long been a place were people congregate to talk, meet new people, and drink good beer. Yet, even in my city of Savannah, Georgia, obscure laws impede on a good time at some restaurants, where rumor has it once upon a time a cranky old neighbor didn't want unsavory types spilling into the streets near her home, so she got a law passed that people could not order alcohol unless they ordered food as well (Even more scandalous is that she got the law passed because she had some dirt on a politician). And Savannah is one of the more liberal cities when it comes to alcohol, allowing open containers while walking!
But the most noteworthy issue that Crouch's article brings up for me is that in a time when we lean on digital social networks more than ever, isn't getting out and rubbing elbows with neighbors and fellow citizens a good thing? Don't bars cause good cheer more than trouble? Isn't friendship strengthened over a few laughs, epic conversations, and shared experiences worth fostering?
I sure as heck think so. Long live plain ol', no food, dive-y, conversation havens...er, bars.


Padres 8, Indians 3 (10): Kevin Kouzmanoff may not have seen the irony, but the Indians certainly did.
Kouzmanoff's grand slam highlighted San Diego's five-run 10th inning, and the Padres beat the host Indians on Saturday night.
Kouzmanoff, acquired from the Indians following the 2006 season, hit a 1-1 pitch off Edward Mujica (0-1) into the left-field bleachers for his 10th home run of the season and third career grand slam.
The third baseman, who put up big numbers throughout his minor-league career with Cleveland, was traded to San Diego for second baseman Josh Barfield a few months later.
Kouzmanoff didn't view his home run as revenge against his former team.
Yankees 8, Astros 4: Mike Mussina pitched six solid innings for his 10th win and helped put the visiting Yankees three games above .500 for the first time this season. Alex Rodriguez needed some help from a fan in right field to get his 11th home run in the second inning. Hunter Pence tracked A-Rod's drive to the wall in right and leaped. Replays showed that it appeared the ball hit Pence's glove, but a man in the front row wearing an Astros jersey pushed Pence's glove out of the way with his glove and the ball dropped into the stands for the homer. Mussina (10-4) allowed three runs and six hits to reach 10 wins for the 17th straight season.
Rockies 2, White Sox 0: Willy Taveras stole a career-high five bases, spot starter Jorge De La Rosa pitched the best game of his career and the Rockies snapped Chicago's nine-game home winning streak. The Rockies won despite going 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Taveras failed to score a run despite his five swipes. He has 29 in 31 attempts this season, most in the National League and just five shy of his career high. De La Rosa struck out a career-high eight and allowed one hit and one walk in five innings.
Rays 4, Marlins 1: Matt Garza pitched seven strong innings and Jonny Gomes homered in his first at-bat since serving a five-game suspension for his part in a bench-clearing brawl, leading the host Rays to a victory over Florida. Garza (5-3) allowed one run and three hits, walked one and struck out three. Jason Bartlett's two-run single off Mark Hendrickson (7-5) snapped a 1-all tie in the fourth inning.


text:
Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di calcio italiano
 Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di calcio a 5 femminile italiano
 Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di calcio a 5 italiano
 Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di calcio femminile italiano
 Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di hockey su ghiaccio italiano
 Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di pallacanestro maschile italiano
 Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di rugby a 15 femminile italiano
 Serie A 2012-2013 – edizione del campionato di tchoukball italiano

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Send email according to option select value I would like to restrict sending email to only a few addresses. My idea was to have a drop down with the name of the people you could mail to and then in the .php file, the selected names would be matched up to email addresses (to protect them from spam) and sent. If this isn't necessary, the values of the drop downs could just be the email addresses. The way the script is set up right now, you can only send to the 1 address that you specify before hand.
I'm using the jquery and php from here: http://www.twostepmedia.co.uk/send-html-form-results-in-an-email-from-php-using-jquery-ajax/
PHP
<?php
$email = $_POST['email'];
$msg = $_POST['msg'];
$agents = array(1 => "jill@smith.com", 2 => "gjack@smith.com");
$agent = $agents[(int) $_POST['agents']];
// $agent will have your selected e-mail address
$message = "From: " . $email . " Message: " . $msg;
$message = wordwrap($message, 70);
mail($agent, 'The Subject', $message);
?>

jQuery

Form
    <form id="contact">

From
<input type="text" name="email" />

Message
<textarea name="msg"></textarea>

<select id="agents">
    <option value="1">Jill Smith</option>
    <option value="2">Jack Smith</option>
</select>

<input type="submit" id="submit" value="Send" />
</form>

A: If you want to protect the addresses from spam, you´d better not have them in the html. You can use just the name or a number as a value and do a lookup in php to get the address (either from a database or from a fixed list).
An example:
html:
<select name="agents" id="agents">
    <option value="1">Jill Smith</option>
    <option value="2">Jack Smith</option>
</select>

php:
$agents = array(1 => "jill@smith.com", 2 => "gjack@smith.com");
$agent = $agents[(int) $_POST['agents']];
// $agent will have your selected e-mail address

Normally you would use your array as well to fill the select so that they always match and it´s easy to add new addresses.
Edit: Based on your comments and edits, it seems you forgot to name your agents select, it has an id but no name so you need to change it to:
<select name="agents" id="agents">

A: It sounds like you know what to do.  Instead of sending the email address, pass a name, or some sort of distinct identifier to match up on the server side.  You could use an associative array or a switch statement to map a name to an email address.  Is that what you are asking for help for...?

A: You'd need an array with emails for select names, then just add ids for values in the select and use those ids as indexes in the array.
Or you can run a query to select an email by id. That's if you have a table with those people id's/names.
In .php file you create a new variable ($agents perhaps) and assign value of $_POST['agents'] to it. If you're to use db, also use mysql_real_escape_string().

A: In your mail.php file, you have to retrieve the "agent" from the POST variables, as you do with "msg" and "email".
Use something like Firebug to check what is being sent via POST.

A: use this : http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpmailer/files/phpmailer%20for%20php5_6/
phpmailer is a class that will allow you sending mails to more than on receiver with a function like : $phpmailer->receiver('receiver1'), $phpmailer->receiver('receiver2') and so on then for your multiple list, as said above, put id's in your drop down list and then in your mail.php code you associate the id's to the mail adresses and send your mail with phpmailer that sends mail in a very simple way
you can have this for your mails if ou already know them
$my_allowed_mails = array (
'id1' => 'mail@mail1.com',
'id2' => 'mail@mail2.com',
'id3' => 'mail@mail3.com'
);

   $receiver = $my_allowed_mails[$_POST['mail_choosed']];

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


[Shell] – How to create a spinner with shell script? How to create a spinner which will be finished and do not will output kill termination?
Following an example to do it.
Following an example about how to use the above spinner.


text:
Episode 39: All About Northrend...
There was a brief moment where I thought that Christine might not believe my story about dying in an underwater cave, and being confronted by the time-traveling bronze dragon, before being magically teleported to Northrend where she could find me.
Of course, it was a very brief moment as she squinted her nose and pursed her lips. Then, she gave a firm nod and stood up from her dinner table to offer him her hand.
"What can I do to help?" she asked.
I was glad to hear those words. I was going to need a lot of help if this was going to play out as the bronze dragon had said. Fortunately, helping was something that Christine knew how to handle without issue.
For the next seven weeks we travelled all across Northrend, pulling favors from friends and eliminating lingering threats of the old Lich King every step of the way. During the first week, I had tried to keep a checklist of friends that I made and lives that I managed to save, but that task quickly became too challenging.
Despite the lack of the Lich King, the dangers of Northrend were not lessened by any means. The amount of people that Christine and I helped in the first few days of our adventures were well over one hundred.
At the end of the second week, I got word from Stormwind that my death had been reported. According to Taylor, I died in the underwater caves of Vashj'ir, which was the name they had given to this new area of Azeroth. I quickly sent word to the King of Stormwind, and the official record keeper of the city, to let them know that I had teleported out of the cave at the last second, securing safety in the northern continent of Northrend. This wouldn't be the first time that they learned my death had been exaggerated. In hindsight, I started to wonder if when I finally really did die, would anyone believe it?
As our eighth week began, I found himself marching through the land of Zul'Drak. Christine explained to me that this was what had drawn her back to Grizzly Hills after the Cataclysm. The troll Drakuru, the same one that betrayed us at Drak'theron Keep years before, was causing a massive upheaval here. He had apparently been killed by the Lich King before Arthas had been stopped, but his forces had already caused enough chaos to leave Zul'Drak in ruins. The area was just to the North of the Grizzly Hills, so Christine knew that putting down the scourge threat here would keep her new home safe for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, that had proven a difficult task.
With the addition of my purging fire, that changed. We swept through Zul'Drak like it was nothing more than a small bump in our crusade of the North.
By the tenth week we had become a household name through the lands. The word of our noble deeds was spreading fast. New adventurers began to appear in the Grizzly Hills asking where they could sign up to help. Seeing this as an opportunity to build strength in Northrend, I instructed Christine to add their numbers to the team.
At the end of the twelfth week, I stood in Vengeance Landing with a large sack over my shoulder and a massive Alliance ship at the docks with other men and women boarding. Not far away, Christine stood with three of her newest recruits, waving to him with a great big smile on her face.
"You sure you want to go?" she shouted to me. "We've been having a great time!"
"We have," I admitted. "You will have a blast bringing these newbies up to speed on things. I don't need to be around for that or I might teach them some bad qualities."
She laughed.
"Seriously though, Christine," I added. "Keep this momentum going. You and I both know we're going to need all the help we can get."
The paladin saluted and her smile turned to a straight face. "So, where will you go now? Off to fight Deathwing?"
"I'm not worried about him," I replied with a sly grin. "It's what comes after him that I need to worry about. I'll make my way through the Eastern Kingdoms. I've got a lot of old friends out there that I want to visit and help out if I can."
Christine frowned. "I understand. Just remember to call on us when you need us, okay?"
"Of course," I replied. "The second I get into trouble I'm calling for you."
"If I find you a stellar recruit, I'll send them your way for the future. I don't like you traveling alone."
"They'll have to be better than you," I joked.
"You'll have to wait a while then," she replied. "Now get out of here, Sionis Sepher."
I gave a final nod and headed to the ship.
"Oh!" Christine shouted. "One last thing!"
The paladin whistled loudly and I heard a roar in the air. I turned around as a loud whoosh of air whipped over my head. The enormous creature set down on the ground not far from us and let out a deep growl as it stepped forward.
"That's a proto-drake!" I shouted.
"A blue one too," Christine replied. "It's a rare creature, and a strong one too. It'll serve you well on your adventures, I think."
I shook my head. "There's no way I can accept this."
"It's too late," Christine said with a smile. "I already trained him on your scent. He's your buddy now. You'll have to take care of him."
The drake stepped closer to me and nudged me with it's large head.
"I guess it likes me," I said, half-terrified. "What's his name?"
"I've been calling him Cookie."
"Cookie?"
"Yeah, Cookie."
"Alright, Cookie," I said. "How about we take you for a test run?"
The dragon lowered its head, ready for me to climb aboard. A few moments later and we were airborne while Christine waved up at us from the ground. With a few flaps of his mighty wings, the dragon set us off on the next adventure.
Three months. In that time I had created a network in Northrend. Now I needed to see to it that I did the same in Azeroth and Kalimdor as quickly as I could. I heard rumors of trouble with Garrosh Hellscream leading the Horde. If the bronze dragons knew what they were talking about, which I assumed they did, then things would only get worse from here. There was a part of me that wanted to warn the Horde of the coming dangers, maybe through Lady Jaina Proudmoore, but I wasn't sure that Jaina would be so willing to believe my story at all, much less accuse the Horde of crimes they had yet to commit.
I bit my tongue for now and landed Cookie aboard the ship that would take me on the next step toward a new future.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Four Horseshit Men of the Apocalypse...
I cannot lie - my new telepathic powers have been an excruciating experience to manage, however, I have been stimulated to no end by the access it grants me. For sixty-four years of my life, I was physically blind, cut off from sensory access that most people took for granted. After the dark energy surge, I have been able to take control of the minds of almost all humanity and am able to telepathically examine them to the depths of their unconscious psyches. It has bestowed a certain knowledge and compelled revelations. However, one of the additional points of access that is granted to me is in the realm of the political. I am privy to the most confidential of communications in the upper echelons of politics. My understanding is that enigmas, such as Xanadu and the young tech phenom known as "001" have more physical means of accessing the same information. Perhaps, they have drawn conclusions similar to my own for this report.
From the foundation of their independence, The United States has been the hegemonic national power in the world. Pax Americana has not been consolidated without strife and turmoil. They were needed in European wars and then had to stand relatively on their own against dictatorships that spread through the cultures of old mankind like an aggressive cancer. The United States are a nation hated by some, resented by most, and underappreciated by all other nations. Some of their diplomatic missteps are not properly recognized by historians and political science scholars. Most consider Franklin D. Roosevelt to have been one of the great Presidents of the greatest nation. Many still understand Ronald Reagan to have managed his terms with determination and good sense. In that, the academic world is sorely mistaken. There are Four Horseshit Men of the Apocalypse whose mandates during their Presidential terms led old mankind toward the brink of a third World War. That war - had my actions not evaded it - would have brought about a new dawning in robotics technology that would have eventually destroyed old mankind and thrust them globally into a Dark Age. I will explain the history and then confess my dramatic intervention.
FDR was the most harmful President in two major ways. He took office and immediately had to cope with an economy entrenched in a Great Depression. His program for rebounding the American economy was dubbed, "The New Deal". The implementation of this program was fluid over several years and where it failed, voters forgave Roosevelt because he smartly repealed Prohibition Laws during that time. Some of the provisions of The New Deal were somewhat informal and FDR used his public support to make sure that he could enact these provisions without much resistance. One of these provisions was to take the teeth out of the Sherman Antitrust Act which had been enacted in 1890. The Act effectively empowered the government to break up monopolies and oligopolies in the private sector. FDR felt that by removing antitrust law, aggressive entrepreneurs could exploit the political climate, ambitiously strive for dominance, and create industries that consolidated resources and manpower establishing stability in the economy.
Once FDR was warned by fellow politicians that the tactic was dangerous, he heeded that warning and arranged for a committee to effectively dampen the thrust of the monopolies and oligopolies that had developed and prospered. World War II broke up that initiative, and was all-too convenient for the oligopolies. Antitrust law never regained its force and effect again. Throughout the 20th century, trusts formed and eventually decimated their competition or swallowed them into their own conglomerate corporation. That has been the bane of mature capitalism - there are no longer checks and balances on the growth of corporations in the private sector.
Additionally, the stress on the American political body from having had the same President complete an unprecedented three terms led FDR's disgruntled Republican opponent to push for a limit of two terms through a ratification of the 22nd Amendment. It was deemed that the limitation ensured that a cult of personality leader mesmerizing the public with dogmatic ideology would never come to pass. A reasonable anxiety regarding Caesar complex aside, the upshot of Thomas Dewey's push for amendment ratification setup a terrible condition for the future. Once a popular and competent President served two terms, the public might have to choose between a couple of lemons - one perhaps corrupt and the other ineffectual. Such, an "inexperience" was upon us recently when the corrupt, Hillary Clinton faced off against the reckless neophyte, Donald Trump.
FDR failed to make a powerful statement on the proposed amendment as he was overly concerned with how history would critique his personal character. He failed to advise the nation on the failings of a two-term limit because he feared it would cause him to be viewed as an arrogant despot. He let down the world twice then and can be considered one of the Horseshitmen of the Apocalypse - Conquest - for his ineffectual leadership on economic and political structure and what it has permitted in the successful conquest of greedy private corporations and inept political leaders.
The second Horseshitman of the Apocalypse was Richard M. Nixon. John F. Kennedy was assassinated through the machinations of the Chinese Communist Politburo. JFK was adamant that opening trade networks with China was dangerous to the West because of the great population of China and the temperament of its people. It was obvious to him that the Chinese population would not effectively revolt against Communism and thus a massive chunk of the world's population would be controlled by a handful of ambitious, unethical leaders. In addition, the effects of WWII had thrust China into an industrial revolution. Their future was too murky to encourage their growth through trade with the West. The Chinese Triad mafia and Chinese Communist secret service conspired to assassinate JFK. Lee Harvey Oswald had served in the US military and was stationed in the South China Sea for a time in the late 1950s. He met a villager and became smitten. Considering his feelings to reflect true love, he acted rashly by shooting himself in the arm. His hope was that he could recover in the village and his unit would move on without him, thus allowing him the opportunity to spend time with his new love. The Chinese secret service searched for borderline personalities that might have commitments in the East and they discovered Oswald.
It was a simple matter to threaten the life of Oswald's love to ensure his cooperation with the assassination plot. Jack Ruby on the other hand was blackmailed by Republican supporters in the FBI. It was important to silence Oswald for fear that he would establish the connection for the public between the Republicans and the Chinese Communist Politburo. Nixon was voted in during the 1968 election and was immediately set to task on ameliorating relations with China. He forged a new trade agreement a few years later that has since economically manacled the West to an unethical and greedy foreign oligopoly. Nixon has ensured that the West's economy is now dependent on that of the Chinese and for that he is one of the Horseshitmen of the Apocalypse - War. Nixon's collusion in the Sino-American relations of the late 20th century has tied the hands of Western nations with regard to waging economic wars with the East. The West has become an economic servant to a cold and calculating Eastern master.
Ronald Reagan is often considered by political scholars and the public as one of the better Presidents, but he has actually been more destructive to Western society than any other. Reagan's name is associated with both a political paradigm and economic structure - Reaganism and Reaganomics, respectively. Reagan's generation suffered from an acute anxiety that they had failed their children's generation through being remembered as part of a war-mongering era of humanity. They noted that post-WWII youth were asserting peace over war and had a greater awareness of human rights than any previous generation. The student protests of 1968 ravaged cities and university campuses in the West. Older generations were scolded for their archaic war codes that had allowed fascism to take hold in the thirties and forties. Reagan's generation did not want to accept that history would create a sundering whereby their generation would be part of the backward past and their children's generation would be part of the progressive future. As such, Reagan, through the support of his generation, pushed for an economic shift away from manufacturing-based industry.
The future was deemed as being focused on services and that the West would come to dominate this industry first. Manufacturing was granted to developing nations. The private sector lapped up this mandate because with toothless antitrust laws, courtesy of FDR and with open trade with the industrializing billion-person workforce of China, courtesy Nixon, Western corporations could begin conglomerating on a multinational and globalized level. Reaganomics ushered in the age of multinationals which has effectively destroyed the Western economy. Manufacturing has been shifted to developing nations where workers are paid a pittance for their labour in extensive networks of sweatshop factories. Services is all that is left for Westerners, but the information revolution has led to technological software that easily replaces service workers. Unemployment is now the bane of Western economy, yet Western culture is dependent on consumerism.
When Reagan pushed for manufacturing to be shifted away from the West, it was in hopes that cheap labour would create luxury goods that any Westerner could afford. This was how the war mongering generation would appease their children's generation and be remembered fondly. They would be remembered as enlightened despots who brought about an economy where every family member had their own television, fridge, telephone, computer, full wardrobe of clothes, etc. For a time, Reaganomics was a huge success - the war babies and the baby boomers were raised humbly but as adults did manage to accumulate enough wealth to be able to afford any luxury consumer good their heart desired. Western culture became a consumerist culture. The novelty of new technology and products developed in the pre-WWII era were now coveted as a sign on the guarantee for lavish Western lifestyles.
However, recent generations have been condemned by both the development of a Western consumerist culture that covets luxury goods as well as a service industry that has failed to grow and a manufacturing industry that has been hijacked by multinationals and will not be returned to the West. The Rust Belt is a band of bankrupt cities, youth unemployment is at an all-time high and careers for young people cannot be established in order to provide them with social security and adequate pensions for the future. Boomerang and Echo Boom generations have to still rely on the wealth of their parents well into their thirties, thus families are started later and are smaller. Millennials will likely find that their old age is spent in large tenements barely funded with the little resources accumulated by an overtaxed government. Multinationals will bail out some of the population through developing privately-funded complexes that inundate their inhabitants with consumerist propaganda. Incidents of senility, dementia and schizophrenia will skyrocket.
Reagan led a brave new world for his generation that has become the ruins of our future. Perhaps, it was necessary that the dark energy surge occurred when it did, transforming the world and putting control of its fate into the hands of a few that were granted the appropriate power to see to its proper tending. Nevertheless, there is a lot of mess to clean up, especially from the Four Horseshitmen of the Apocalypse. Reagan was the third - Famine - for it was through his initiatives and accomplishments that many generations of Westerners have become famished for work and starved of a bright future with security. The relative deprivation is reaching critical mass.
The final Horseshitman of the Apocalypse was he who won the most recent Presidential election - Donald Trump. Trump seduced the masses feeding them lies about rebuilding the United States as a great nation. The populace was disillusioned with the ineffectual leadership of Obama once he began his second term and they had an acute anxiety regarding the turmoil in the Islamic world. Meanwhile, one of the quiet storms was happening in the Far East. After the Korean War, China supported its satellite state of North Korea with some degree of aid, primarily in the form of military support and technology. As a result, North Korea was able to develop nuclear weapons. China has used North Korea as its greatest propaganda tool for subduing its own people. North Korea is a living nightmare for its citizens and exemplifies the failure of Communism in practice - it is yet another military dictatorship. China has kept North Korea struggling intentionally because the reputation of North Korea being the worst place to live in the East keeps Chinese citizens from realizing their own impoverishment. It is all about relative deprivation. Chinese citizens do not become revolutionary partly because they can point to North Korea as an example of how Chinese life could be so much worse. When the North Korean military leaders decide to get uppity on the world stage, the West reacts with sanctions but there is a limit to their control of the situation because China intervenes. China must control the poor development of North Korea to ensure its use as propaganda against its own citizens. Donald Trump spoke a big game against China, but his strongest business ties were with Chinese industrialists. He had no intention of having a strong hand with the Chinese government.
What many were not aware of was that Kim Jong Un was descending into a paranoid schizophrenic madness, well managed and maintained by his lover so that even the military elites didn't have a clear idea of the gravity of the illness. Kim was going to launch a nuclear missile and because of Trump's soft treatment of the Chinese, the West would have been rendered limp in their attempts to intervene. This is why I used my power to mentally control Trump and have him abdicate. He was the fourth Horseshitman of the Apocalypse - Death. Some of you were troubled by this seemingly impromptu action on my part because you feared that it represented a wholesale change in world politics. I remember the Londoners, Evangeline and Guinness being particularly anxious about my actions. As you might have noticed, wholesale political upheaval has not been my plan for old mankind as I find it to be relatively moot given the control that telepathic minds are exerting, especially my own. Trump required removal because his bumbling rhetoric was influencing world culture and over time I hope that you all will join me in reversing the damage that has been wrought by the Four Horseshitmen of the Apocalypse.
This was more of a historical report than a recommendation on socio-cultural changes, and the knowledge that I have imparted here was gleaned from classified reports and the memories of high-ranking officials. My powers must be used to set up the right world for the Richers because old mankind is incapable of maintaining a progressive civilization on this planet. That is a fact that has been proven over more than a thousand years of old mankind being at the helm.
Last: Report on Meso Psychosexuality
Next: Recommendation on Dog Breeding


text:
function meansofbins(N, M, v)
    # M cannot be larger thn the size of v
    cuts = [N:N:M];         # Cut points for each bucket
    means = Float64[];      # Array holding mean values
    start = 1;
    for cut in cuts
        push!(means,mean(v[start:cut]));
        start = cut + 1;
    end
    return means;
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home Scores Bracket Rankings Stats Video History CWS
Oklahoma State Athletics | April 24, 2017
Unranked Oklahoma State outlasts No. 5 Texas Tech in extra-inning affair
Oklahoma State earned a big victory on Sunday in defeating the fifth-ranked Red Raiders of Texas Tech.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Oklahoma State recorded its second conference series win of the season Sunday with an 11-inning triumph over No. 5 Texas Tech as the Cowboys prevailed in a 3-1 contest at Rip Griffin Park.
With the win, OSU improved to 23-16 overall and 6-9 in Big 12 play, while the Red Raiders are now 33-10 and 9-6 in the league.
COWBOYS WIN!!! #okstate gets a huge series win at #4 Texas Tech with an 11-inning triumph in series finale! pic.twitter.com/ptUP8BPjJI
— Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 23, 2017
Garrett Benge drove in two of OSU's three runs in the contest, tying the game with an RBI single in the ninth and driving in another run with a single to put the Cowboys ahead in the 11th.
OSU used four pitchers in the contest, and that group combined to hold the Big 12's top hitting team to only six hits. Starter Blake Battenfield was masterful in 7 1/3 innings of work as the junior right-hander allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five and allowing one walk.
Carson Teel earned his second victory of the weekend in relief – he was also the winner in Friday's opener – as the southpaw kept TTU off the scoreboard in the 10th and 11th innings to improve to 4-3 on the year.
RELATED: Pitt drops No. 3 UNC | Little shake-up among top four in latest poll | Rankings
Sunday's game proved to be a pitcher's duel between Battenfield and TTU starter Ryan Shetter over the first five innings as neither offense could get much going.
The scoreless affair extended into the bottom of the seventh when, with two outs, Orlando Garcia delivered his 10th home run of the season, a solo blast to left field to put the Red Raiders up 1-0.
TTU clung to that lead going into the ninth and called on closer John McMillon to seal the deal. But the freshman righty issued back-to-back walks on nine pitches to Ryan Cash and Garrett McCain to open the inning and was pulled after going down in the count 2-0 to Benge.
Jose Quezada came out of the bullpen and on the first pitch he threw, Benge deposited the ball into center field for an RBI single to tie the score at 1-1.
A strikeout and a double play ended OSU's threat to take the lead, but Trey Cobb worked a scoreless ninth for the Pokes to send the game into extra innings.
Recap & highlights from the Cowboys' thrilling 11-inning win Sunday to clinch series at #4 Texas Tech: https://t.co/OphVkSzRH8 #okstate pic.twitter.com/AIzEika4Vk
After OSU failed to score in the 10th, TTU looked poised to win in the bottom of the inning following back-to-back singles to open the frame.
Tech's next batter, Cody Farhat, laid down a bunt that Teel fielded and fired to third base for the force out. But the Cowboys were not out of trouble as a wild pitch and intentional walk loaded the bases with just one out.
However, Teel rose to the occasion. With the infield in, first baseman Michael Neustifter snagged a ground ball off the bat of Connor Beck and fired home for out number two, and Teel then struck out Josh Jung to end the inning.
That momentum carried into the 11th. Cash would reach base on a fielder's choice, then advance to second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch. Benge then came through with the clutch two-out single to make the score 2-1, and Colin Simpson followed with an RBI double into the right-center field gap to add an insurance run.
Teel retired the Red Raiders in order in the bottom of the inning, striking out Cameron Warren to end it.
OSU returns to action Tuesday when the Cowboys host Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The Pokes do not leave the state of Oklahoma to play for the remainder of the regular season.
Matthew Wolff joins Tiger, Ben Crenshaw as only golfers to win NCAA and PGA Tour titles in same year
At 20 years old, just off the college circuit with Oklahoma State, the All-American has now won a PGA Tour event and NCAA individual title in the same year – something only Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw had achieved before.
Here are the college baseball programs with the most appearances in the College World Series
Let's take a look at the college baseball teams that have found their way to Omaha and the College World Series with the most frequency over the past 73 years.
UCLA wins Women's College World Series against Oklahoma on walk-off single
The 2019 NCAA Softball tournament continues with the Women's College World Series Finals. Check out the bracket, schedule and scores below.
TD Ameritrade Park | Omaha, NE
Vanderbilt wins 2019 College World Series over Michigan in three games
DI baseball news
Vanderbilt storms past Michigan to claim the College World Series title, 8-2
Team USA Baseball roster: Collegiate National Team players, conferences
College World Series 2020 schedule
11 fast facts to know about Mike Martin Jr., FSU's new head coach
Follow DI Baseball
Vanderbilt knocks off Michigan 8-2 to win 2019 College World Series title
Here are the baseball programs with the most College World Series titles
Everything you need to know about how the College World Series works


For my new project I need assembler initialization files like the ones RadAsm had.
I can't download RadAsm because all the links are broken.
The program is not finished again, there a great collection of bugs.
The program can Open, Save, Search, Replace, Compile (rc/asm), link and build.
I would like to understand CvtRes, why using it.
I created a project with ProStart and I found it. Why?
The program will store the files in it and then create them at the first run.
The program does not need any dll.
I thank You for Your collaboration.
The attached exe runs on my win10.
CVTRES.EXE converts a RES file to an object module which the linker then links into the finished exe. From memory LINK.EXE will directly call it but I have always preferred to do the conversion seperately.


text:
Latest News.....Pre Season friendly fixture....Tuesday evening, 16th July.....The 1st Team are at home against LANCASTER CITY, kick off 7.45pm
Officials & Contacts
Junior Website
Scores Predictions
Charnock Richard Football Club
Welcome to the official website of Charnock Richard FC. The club is a full member of the Lancashire County Football Association and has two senior teams playing in the Hallmark Security League and the West Lancashire League. The club is also represented by a number of junior teams playing in the Central Lancashire Junior Football League and Mid Lancs Colts Junior Football League. Charnock Richard FC is an Unincorporated Association run by the Club members and holds FA Charter Standard Club status.
Oppositon
K/O
16/07/19 1st Team Lancaster City (Friendly) Home Friendly 7.45pm (Tues)
20/07/19 1st Team Clitheroe (Friendly) Home Friendly 3pm
20/07/19 Reserves Standish St Wilfreds (Friendly) Home Friendly 2pm
23/07/19 1st Team Lostock St Gerards (Friendly) Away Friendly 7.15pm (Tues)
25/07/19 Reserves Burnley Belvedere (Friendly) Away Friendly 6.30pm (Thurs)
27/07/19 Reserves Newburgh Harrock Utd (Friendly) Away Friendly 3pm
14/07/2019 FA Cup - Ex Preliminary Round - 10th August
The 1st Team have been drawn at home against Liverpool based side Lower Breck FC (NWCL Division 1 North)
FA Vase - 1st Qualifying Round - 31st August
The 1st Team have been drawn away against Birkenhead side Cammell Laird (NWCL Division 1 South)
12/07/2019 The Reserves team commence their West Lancashire League season with fixtures against three of the new team that have joined the league this season.
Saturday, 3rd August v Storeys of Lancaster, away, kick off 3pm
Saturday, 10th August v Burnley United, away, kick off 3pm
Tuesday, 13th August v Burscough Dynamo , home, kick off 6.45pm
06/07/2019 The First team lost 2-1 at home to Chorley in their first pre-season fixture of the 2019/20 season. Carl Grimshaw scored Charnock's only goal from the penalty spot in front of a record crowd of just over 400 at Mossie Park.
02/07/2019 The 100 Club weekly winners for June 2019 were as follows:-
Week 36 : Dave Sanderson wins £40
Week 37 : Susan Neave wins £40
Week 38 : Bob Fallon wins £40
Week 39 : Simon Taylor wins £40
The draws were made by Tom Charnley.
25/06/2019 The teams taking part in the Premier Division of the North West Counties Football League, and Division 2 of the West Lancashire League, for season 2019 / 2020, are listed in the 1st Team and Reserves league tables selectable from this Home page.
Note - Two of the new teams promoted to the NWCFL Premier Division - Avro and Rylands are based at Oldham and Warrington.
15/06/2019 MAIN COMMITTEE - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Main Committee AGM meeting will take place in the club house on Monday 17th June starting at 8.00pm. All club members are welcome to attend.
Clitheroe (Friendly)
1 1874 Northwich 0 0
2 Ashton Athletic 0 0
3 Avro 0 0
4 Barnoldswick Town 0 0
5 Bootle 0 0
6 Burscough 0 0
7 Charnock Richard 0 0
8 Congleton Town 0 0
9 Hanley Town 0 0
10 Irlam 0 0
Powered By Process Equipment Solutions


text:
Q: How to detect character set encoding? For example, chinese text(GB2312) is pasted into a text box(or text area) of a html page and the form is posted. At the server side, is there any means by which this character set gets detected?
How would this detection behave if texts belonging to different character sets are pasted in a text box?

A: You need to tell the browser what encoding to use by adding an accept-charset="UTF-8" (or similar) attribute to the form. Apparently this defaults to the character set of the page, but I wouldn't count on that. The browser won't tell you what encoding it used when it submits the form, so you need to assume it used the one you told it to.

A: The web browser should send up a content type including encoding when it posts the data.
I find it helpful to think of text as "just text" (without any particular encoding) until an encoding is required. So the browser shouldn't care what encoding (if any) was used to originally produce the text (e.g. if it was copied and pasted from a file, the file's encoding is irrelevant). It decides what encoding to use when posting it to the server, obviously making sure that it's an encoding which covers all the characters it needs to send.

A: if you use php on the server, you can use mb_detect_encoding


Whether you're a seasoned paleo foodie, a chronic dieter or a newcomer to the world of clean eating, there's a good chance that you've struggled at one point or another with how to stick to your program in social situations. Going out to a restaurant or a party can be pure torture (read: relatively inconvenient) for those enduring any kind of elimination diet or simply trying to eat healthier, especially when the people you go out with are ordering all the unhealthy foods you still crave.
Luckily, there are ways to make your social life a whole lot easier to maintain while still making your health a priority. Here are a few tips to get you started!
"But what will I eat at Tiffany's?" Holly asked herself, wondering if she could find a menu of their breakfast options online.
Research the menus ahead of time.
Your friend calls you up and says, "We're going to that trendy new restaurant downtown tonight. They serve cupcakes in champagne glasses for dessert so bring your appetite." You immediately jump into a panic because: (a) Cupcakes sound amazing right now but you're trying to kick your sugar habit. (b) You aren't really sure what you'll be able to eat because you've never been there. (c) Parking is horrible downtown, especially on a Saturday night.
Luckily, there's an easy solution to problems A and B: go online and look up the restaurant's menu online! As both a picky eater and someone who has completed a few rounds of Whole30, I do this all the time before going to a new restaurant. If I can make a decision before I leave the house, I am less likely to order a bucket of tater tots in a fit of hunger and panic. Knowing what you're going to order beforehand takes away most of the pressure you may be feeling, so that instead you can focus your energy on finding the right parking garage. Planning ahead is key to your success!
Know your staples and substitutions.
Most of the time, I know I am safest ordering a salad or some combination of grilled chicken and veggies, and I am totally fine with it! Have an idea of what works for you before perusing the menu, and don't be afraid to make substitutions. I am constantly replacing rice with veggies or asking for the sauce/dressing on the side, and most places are ok with these changes to an extent. I even keep a running list of my favorite healthy options and substitutions at local chain restaurants that allow me to stick to my program if I go out for the night.
Sabrina didn't have the heart to tell Linus that alcohol wasn't permitted on the Whole30.
If you decide to go out with friends, pick the restaurant. No more of this back-and-forth "I don't know, where do you want to eat?" that seems to land you at the Olive Garden every time. (Mmmmm, endless breadsticks.) I have a few friends who are kind enough to ask me if I'm on Whole30 before we go out, but there are plenty of times I'll take charge on a restaurant choice because I already know there won't be anything compliant for me at other restaurants. Don't be afraid to speak up and make the decision yourself!
Bring food to the party.
I'm guilty of snacking at parties. No matter how many people are present, there always seems to be more than enough food to nosh on between conversations and awkward one-armed hugs. I have never been to a single party where healthy food outnumbered the junk food (although one can only dream of a secret paleo society that hosts monthly parties featuring sweet potato gnocchi and cauliflower poppers). To keep yourself from gravitating toward the Cheetos, bring a healthy snack that people will enjoy and fits your own program. There are about a million ways to make a fun fruit salad, or if you are on a less restrictive program, you can always opt for healthier versions of your favorite junk food (Skinny Pop Popcorn and The Better Chip spinach/kale chips are two of my favorites). Besides, bringing food to a party is the proper thing to do!
Ann didn't want to spend her entire Roman holiday focused on food, so she and Joe hopped on a Vespa to cruise around the city instead.
Focus your activities on something other than food.
Fun fact: Not every social activity needs to involve a meal. If you find it difficult to stick to your program while out in a restaurant (because, let's face it, this is no easy feat), stop going out to restaurants. Invite your friends to go bowling or visit an art festival. Watch a movie in the park. Find a museum in the area that you've never been to before. Have fun without bonding over how much you'll hate yourselves for ordering the mozzarella sticks.
In general, a lot of experts suggest avoiding the scale (or cutting back on its use) regardless of your social life, but my tip in particular focuses on restaurant visits. Most restaurants will pack your food with tons of salt, so if you're planning a weigh-in any time soon, you may want to wait.
"Do I look like I care what you think?" Jo asked, posing fabulously with the Nike of Samothrace.
Stop caring about what others think.
When you change your lifestyle, especially when that leads to dietary restrictions, there will be naysayers. Don't listen to them. Remember that different food groups and chemicals affect everyone differently. I would love to lose weight while eating endless bowls of pasta and laughing in the faces of my enemies, who have gained weight eating that same pasta, I know this is not possible for me. I know how gluten affects my skin, mood and stomach, so when people comment that I should be eating "whole grains" and "in moderation," I'll smile, thank them for their suggestions, and keep doing what I've been doing. You know what works for you better than anyone else does (except your doctor, of course), so if your friends start giving you unwarranted dietary advice, ignore them or change the subject.
What are your tips for maintaining a social life while still eating healthy? Sound off in the comments section below!
Embarking on a new diet or wellness program can often be challenging. As you attempt to eliminate those "problem foods" or to introduce new super foods to your lifestyle, you may not know where to begin! Those regular staples you once fell back on are now out of the picture, and you might find yourself struggling to figure out what to eat or how best to stock your kitchen.
Meal planning can be a simple and effective answer to the overwhelming questions, "What groceries should I buy and what should I make for dinner tonight?" No matter what your dietary preferences or limitations may be, a meal plan is a great way to prepare yourself for the week ahead and to avoid wasting food!
I've created a meal planning template of my own that I use regularly, and I find it extremely useful to incorporate into my busy schedule. Click here to download my meal plan template as a Microsoft Excel file that you can edit, or click here to download the PDF version to print.
Having a meal plan keeps me on track and helps me avoid going to Publix four times in one week (as much as I love grocery shopping). It also allows me to turn my "hey-I-saw-this-on-Pinterest-and-I-want-to-make-it" dreams into a reality because I know which ingredients to purchase ahead of time.
Think about what you will be doing that week. In my event-driven job, I am constantly working during meal times and often exposed to delicious but unhealthy free foods. (I'm thinking of you, pizza!) When I think about my schedule when meal planning, I can determine when I will need to pack a lunch that will keep me away from the pizza box, or (if I know I'll be working late), I can decide ahead of time to pack a snack to tide me over until I get home. On my personal downloadable meal plan, you can actually fill in your daily activities and add notes for these days.
Think critically about meal prep. On my meal plan, I like to include certain tasks, such as "defrost chicken" or "hard-boil eggs," to ensure that these foods are ready by the time I am ready for them. I may also incorporate my weekly schedule by adding the reminder to "pack lunch for tomorrow." These "meal prep tasks for the next day" are the perfect way to make sure your ingredients are ready to go.
Consider packaging and portion sizes. Buying a fresh head of broccoli? Think about how many servings you will make with that, and implement those into your plan. For example, if a package of cauliflower florets yields two individual recipes with cauliflower, you should include two cauliflower meals on your meal plan so that your produce doesn't go bad.
Keep staples on hand. If you know that you regularly use a certain ingredient, such as almond flour or coconut oil, always make sure you are fully stocked. It's always disappointing when you are dying to try a new recipe but have to run to the store at the last minute to pick up a basic ingredient. Always check your cupboards before shopping.
Once again, you can download my weekly meal planner template as an Excel file here or as a PDF here. For recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest boards!
What are your weekly meal plan tips? Share yours in the comments section below!
Ahhhh, college weight gain. It's the reason the term "Freshman 15," which I've borrowed for my blog's college advice series, even exists at all! Although the Freshman 15 is a popular subject (and fear!) among college students, I have avoided writing about it in the past because of my personal struggles with weight and body image.
My weight fluctuated in college, and crept up on the scale in the months following my graduation. Much like college, my job is very event focused, and I found myself making some unhealthy food decisions based on convenience and stress. However, in February 2014, I decided to make a huge change, adopting a much cleaner diet and dropping nearly 20 pounds in the process. My journey to better health is ongoing (and I could probably write an entire book about it!), but I've learned a lot of important lessons along the way that will benefit any college student – or graduate – looking to avoid that dreaded weight gain.
1. Even if it's free, you don't have to eat it.
Free food is abundant in a college environment, and it's the perfect way to draw students in to events on campus. As a college student, I was a sucker for free pizza. Even worse, I consumed tons of free pizza as a college grad because I worked at a lot of university events and pizza was always available. Over time, I learned that free food was NOT always the best option for my waistline! Now, when I know I'm going to be surrounded by unhealthy free foods, I'll try to eat something beforehand to curb temptations, or I'll bring along a healthy snack. If you are going to indulge, stick to one slice.
2. Don't drink your calories.
Alcohol is filled with hidden calories! We often think about foods being high in calories, but it's easy to forget that our beverages can be, too. (Personally, if I were allotted 500 calories and could choose between alcohol and chocolate cake, I would always choose the chocolate cake, but that's just me.) It's okay to order a drink once in a while, but be wary of how much you consume! Opt for water or make your drinks skinny to trim back some of the calories.
3. Prepare meals at home.
Not only are you saving money by eating at home, but you are also more likely to cut your calories and avoid many of the unhealthy hidden ingredients found in restaurant food. While many menus do have some "lighter fare" options, you still don't always know how much sodium or what quality ingredients are used in your meal. When you cook at home, you are the one in control!
Unless your college campus is spread widely throughout the city, walking to classes can be the perfect way to burn calories throughout the day and sneak in some exercise. My university has horrible parking problems, so walking instead of driving between classes was actually faster for me and a good way to save on gas. If you don't like to walk, consider riding your bike or skateboard instead!
5. Make it work in the dorms.
A full kitchen is ideal for meal preparation, but even if you live in the dorms, you can still live a healthy lifestyle. Look for easy, healthy recipes you can prepare in the microwave or store in your mini-fridge. You may not be able to create gourmet dinners you're comfortable posting on Instagram, but you can still manage some simple meals using the bare minimum.
6. Bring healthy alternatives to parties.
7. Find coupons to buy healthy foods at a lower price.
Since I started eating more produce and keeping certain specialty items in the house for healthy cooking, I've noticed my grocery bills have gone up. (I've also noticed my restaurant bills have gone down… but I digress.) Look out for coupons at your local grocery store and buy in bulk when possible. Generic brands are usually fine as long as you check your ingredients, and organic doesn't always make a difference when it comes to certain fruits and veggies. You don't have to break the bank when shopping for healthier foods, but keep in mind that even when you do spend a little more, you are investing in a healthier future.
When I began my first Whole 30, I was amazed to see how many unhealthy (and unnecessary) ingredients were hidden away in many of the foods I commonly bought. In fact, I had to go to a specialty store to buy pickles that didn't have food dye OR sugar/corn syrup in them! Did you know that many tomato sauces and chicken broths also have sugar in them? As someone who tries to avoid added sugar, I am still amazed at how hard it is to find foods without these sweeteners in them. Keep in mind that "low-calorie" doesn't always mean "healthy," and try to purchase foods with better ingredients in them as often as you can.
9. Find convenient snack and meal options.
Let's face it – for many of us, preparing clean and beautiful dishes for every meal can be a little unrealistic. When balancing coursework, a job, extra-curricular activities and a social life, there just aren't enough hours in the day to always have the perfect dinner on-hand. However, this is not an excuse to eat TV dinners and run to the vending machines between classes! Figure out what you can eat when you're in a major hurry or just too tired to cook. For me, this means stocking up on fruit, carrots and Lara Bars that are perfect for my grab-and-go lifestyle. I also like to hard boil a few eggs at a time and have them ready in my fridge when I need a quick protein-filled fix. Meal replacement shakes can also be a good way to go!
10. Figure out your healthiest options on campus.
Does your college have a dining hall or food court? Do your research and figure out what meals you can enjoy without sabotaging yourself. The university where I often work has a well-stocked salad bar, which can be a great option when I don't feel like packing a meal that day. Are you a sandwich enthusiast? Swap out your usual fried chicken for grilled, and consider doing away with the bread altogether! Craving a burrito? Make it a burrito bowl. You can make small changes to cut back while still enjoying the same tastes you love.
11. Participate in more active social activities.
You don't have to live at the gym in order to live an active lifestyle. Instead of letting all social activities revolve around food and drinks, consider going for a walk around a new area of town with your friends, or hike in a place you've never been before. Go to the beach. Spend the day mini-golfing. Go to a group exercise class together. Power walk around your mall before the stores open, and then go shopping. (Mall Walking: It's not just for old ladies anymore!) You don't have to sweat or do anything particularly strenuous, but find ways to get out and move around while still enjoying your friends' company.
12. Don't eat late at night.
Nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m. Even after 9 p.m., I've noticed that food choices tend to become a lot less healthy the later it gets. Pick a cut-off time to stop eating, and stick to it! This will help you skip the late night snacking that plagues so many of us throughout the college years and beyond.
13. Out of kitchen, out of mind.
14. Build your support system.
Find friends who will be a good influence on you! Ignore the naysayers – they will be out there. When I decided to change my diet for good, I did receive some negative comments from friends and acquaintances, and chances are, you will too. Don't listen to them. You need to do what is best for you and your health, so spend time with people who also live a healthy lifestyle and are not looking to sabotage yours.
For me, diets just don't work. I have severely cut back on calories and tested out fad diets, and ultimately I learned nothing from the experience and wound up gaining the weight back. This time around, I completed two rounds of the Whole 30, an elimination program designed to help you discover food sensitivities and improve your overall health. Once this was over, I learned that my body hates gluten, sugar gives me headaches and super-processed junk food makes me cranky! (Yes, food really can affect you in more ways than just your weight.) Through this program, I lost a lot of weight and kept it off because I created a lot of new habits and began a lifestyle of about 80/20 clean eating. You can't just change your food choices temporarily – you have to develop healthy habits if you want to achieve lasting results!
Readers, have you struggled with college weight gain? What are you doing to combat that? What other topics would you like to read about on The Freshman 15?
Happy Sunday, friends! As some of you may know (especially if you follow me on social media), last week marked the end of my second Whole 30. For those unfamiliar with the Whole 30, it is a 30-day program designed to improve your health by eliminating some of the major problem foods: sugar/sweeteners, grains, dairy, legumes and various others.
I don't claim to be an expert in nutrition, and in the past I have avoided discussing my journey to better health on this blog. However, in the past few months since I began experimenting with cleaner eating, I have had dramatic improvements in my skin, energy levels and mood that I never thought possible through diet alone. (I also managed to lose a lot of weight!) Because of my positive experiences with the program, friends have approached me with questions, so I decided to devote an entire Weekend Five to it!
When I started really reading the labels on my food, I was amazed at all of the hidden ingredients I found! For example, every jar of pickles in my local grocery store either contained corn syrup, yellow food dye or both. To fulfill my random pickle craving without compromising my diet with unnecessary ingredients, I drove out to a nearby health food store. They tasted just as good as any other pickles, except they wouldn't make my skin break out the way that food dye does, and they wouldn't give me a headache the way sugars often do. You'd be shocked at how easily the manufacturers sneak sweeteners into places we wouldn't expect: sauces, chicken broth, etc. If you aren't keeping a close eye on what is in your food, then you could be sabotaging your diet in the process! The fewer the ingredients, the better, because it generally means that your food is closer to the original source.
2. Do things the RIGHT way, not the quick way.
When I look back at some of the ridiculous ways I tried to lose weight in high school and early in college, I have to laugh. There are a lot of fad diets out there, and we've all tested them out. But as much as we like to complicate things, it's really quite simple: cut out the junk food, eat healthier foods, watch your portions and exercise. Doing it the right way will lead to better habits and weight loss that sticks! Slow and steady wins the race.
3. Find ways to beat the excuses.
For the past few years, I wanted to lose weight through cleaner eating, but I always had my excuses: I can't cook. I'm too busy to prepare meals. When I'm tired, I need my food to be quick to make.However, out of necessity during my Whole 30, I discovered snacks that were easy to make ahead of time, meals that didn't require much preparation and pre-packaged foods like Lara Bars that were a better alternative to any other "nutrition" bar in the aisle. (Seriously, read the ingredients!) I also learned that washing some fruit or cracking open a hard boiled egg really didn't add much time to my daily routine, and that my excuses were actually invalid. Figure out your excuses now and then figure out how you are going to beat them in the long run, so that they don't beat you!
4. Weigh the pros and cons.
The next time you are having a craving, ask yourself: "Do I want 30 seconds of gratification, or do I want a lifetime of good health?" The program is only 30 days – to give into temptations early on is to cheat yourself! In the long run, you should allow yourself indulgences every once in a while, but remind yourself that there is a trade-off. Do I miss certain foods? Yes. I have even brought them in as an occasional treat now that my program is over. But I also know that, while delicious, some tempting foods will ultimately make me tired and grumpy, and will make my skin break out. Do I want to eat unlimited amounts of junk food, or do I want glowing skin and a body I'm proud of? The answer to that one is quite simple!
5. There are seven days in the week. Someday isn't one of them.
Readers, have you ever completed the Whole 30 or another clean eating program? What would you suggest to others considering it? What did you learn during the program?
Are you considering a program like this? What questions do you have about getting started?


text:
extern "C"
{
    #include "ocstack.h"
    #include "ocpayload.h"
    #include "ocpayloadcbor.h"
    #include "logger.h"
    #include "oic_malloc.h"
}

#include <gtest/gtest.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
#include <unistd.h>
#endif
#include <stdlib.h>

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Includes
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

#include <iostream>
#include <stdint.h>

#include "gtest_helper.h"

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG may be defined when compiling to save the output of
// the OC payload conversion to CBOR to a file for further examination with any
// CBOR related tools.
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
//#define CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG

class CborByteStringTest : public ::testing::Test {
    protected:
        virtual void SetUp() {
            // Create Payload
            payload_in = OCRepPayloadCreate();
            ASSERT_TRUE(payload_in != NULL);
        }

        virtual void TearDown() {
            OCPayloadDestroy((OCPayload*)payload_in);
        }

        OCRepPayload* payload_in;
};

TEST_F(CborByteStringTest, ByteStringSetGetTest)
{
    OCRepPayloadSetUri(payload_in, "/a/quake_sensor");
    OCRepPayloadSetPropInt(payload_in, "scale", 4);

    uint8_t binval[] = {0x1, 0x2, 0x3, 0x4, 0x5, 0x6, 0x7, 0x8, 0x9, 0x0, 0xA, 0xB, 0xC,
                        0xD, 0xE, 0xF};
    OCByteString quakedata_in = { binval, sizeof(binval)};

    EXPECT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadSetPropByteString(payload_in, "quakedata", quakedata_in));

    OCByteString quakedata_out = { NULL, 0};
    ASSERT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadGetPropByteString(payload_in, "quakedata", &quakedata_out));
    ASSERT_NE((uint8_t*)NULL, quakedata_out.bytes);
    EXPECT_EQ(quakedata_in.len, quakedata_out.len);
    EXPECT_EQ(0, memcmp(quakedata_in.bytes, quakedata_out.bytes, quakedata_in.len));

    // Cleanup
    OICFree(quakedata_out.bytes);
}

TEST_F(CborByteStringTest, ByteStringConvertParseTest)
{
    OCRepPayloadSetUri(payload_in, "/a/quake_sensor");
    OCRepPayloadSetPropInt(payload_in, "scale", 4);

    uint8_t binval[] = {0x1, 0x2, 0x3, 0x4, 0x5, 0x6, 0x7, 0x8, 0x9, 0x0, 0xA, 0xB, 0xC,
                        0xD, 0xE, 0xF};
    OCByteString quakedata_in = { binval, sizeof(binval)};

    // Set ByteString in Payload
    EXPECT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadSetPropByteString(payload_in, "quakedata", quakedata_in));

    // Convert OCPayload to CBOR
    uint8_t *payload_cbor = NULL;
    size_t payload_cbor_size = 0;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCConvertPayload((OCPayload*) payload_in, OC_FORMAT_CBOR,
            &payload_cbor, &payload_cbor_size));

#ifdef CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG
    FILE *fp = fopen("binstring.cbor", "wb+");
    if (fp)
    {
        fwrite(payload_cbor, 1, payload_cbor_size, fp);
        fclose(fp);
    }
#endif //CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG

    // Parse CBOR back to OCPayload
    OCPayload* payload_out = NULL;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCParsePayload(&payload_out, OC_FORMAT_CBOR, PAYLOAD_TYPE_REPRESENTATION,
                 payload_cbor, payload_cbor_size));

    OCByteString quakedata_out = {NULL, 0};
    ASSERT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadGetPropByteString((OCRepPayload*)payload_out, "quakedata", &quakedata_out));

    // Compare input and output data
    ASSERT_NE((uint8_t*)NULL, quakedata_out.bytes);
    EXPECT_EQ(quakedata_in.len, quakedata_out.len);
    EXPECT_EQ(0, memcmp(quakedata_in.bytes, quakedata_out.bytes, quakedata_in.len));

    // Cleanup
    OICFree(payload_cbor);
    OICFree(quakedata_out.bytes);
    OCPayloadDestroy((OCPayload*)payload_out);
}

TEST_F(CborByteStringTest, ByteStringArraySetGetTest )
{
    OCRepPayloadSetUri(payload_in, "/a/quake_sensor");
    OCRepPayloadSetPropInt(payload_in, "scale", 4);

    size_t dimensions_in[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = { 3, 0, 0};
    uint8_t binval1[] = {0x11, 0x12, 0x13, 0x14, 0x15, 0x16, 0x17, 0x18, 0x19};
    uint8_t binval2[] = {0x21, 0x22, 0x23, 0x24, 0x25, 0x26, 0x27, 0x28, 0x29};
    uint8_t binval3[] = {0x31, 0x32, 0x33, 0x34, 0x35, 0x36, 0x37, 0x38, 0x39};

    OCByteString quakedata_in[3] = {{binval1, sizeof(binval1)},
                                    {binval2, sizeof(binval2)},
                                    {binval3, sizeof(binval3)}};

    EXPECT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadSetByteStringArray(payload_in, "quakedata",
                quakedata_in, dimensions_in));

    OCByteString* quakedata_out = NULL;
    size_t dimensions_out[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = {0};
    ASSERT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadGetByteStringArray(payload_in, "quakedata",
                &quakedata_out, dimensions_out));

    for(size_t i = 0; i < dimensions_in[0]; i++)
    {
        EXPECT_EQ(quakedata_in[i].len, quakedata_out[i].len);
        EXPECT_EQ(0, memcmp(quakedata_in[i].bytes, quakedata_out[i].bytes, quakedata_in[i].len));
    }

    // Cleanup
    for(size_t i = 0; i < dimensions_out[0]; i++)
    {
        OICFree(quakedata_out[i].bytes);
    }
    OICFree(quakedata_out);
}

TEST_F(CborByteStringTest, ByteStringArrayConvertParseTest)
{
    OCRepPayloadSetUri(payload_in, "/a/quake_sensor");
    OCRepPayloadSetPropInt(payload_in, "scale", 4);

    size_t dimensions_in[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = { 3, 0, 0};
    uint8_t binval1[] = {0x11, 0x12, 0x13, 0x14, 0x15, 0x16, 0x17, 0x18, 0x19};
    uint8_t binval2[] = {0x21, 0x22, 0x23, 0x24, 0x25, 0x26, 0x27, 0x28, 0x29};
    uint8_t binval3[] = {0x31, 0x32, 0x33, 0x34, 0x35, 0x36, 0x37, 0x38, 0x39};

    OCByteString quakedata_in[3] = {{binval1, sizeof(binval1)},
                                    {binval2, sizeof(binval2)},
                                    {binval3, sizeof(binval3)}};

    EXPECT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadSetByteStringArray(payload_in, "quakedata",
                quakedata_in, dimensions_in));

    // Convert OCPayload to CBOR
    uint8_t *payload_cbor = NULL;
    size_t payload_cbor_size = 0;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCConvertPayload((OCPayload*) payload_in, OC_FORMAT_CBOR,
            &payload_cbor, &payload_cbor_size));
#ifdef CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG
    FILE *fp = fopen("binstringarr.cbor", "wb+");
    if (fp)
    {
        fwrite(payload_cbor, 1, payload_cbor_size, fp);
        fclose(fp);
    }
#endif //CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG

    // Parse CBOR back to OCPayload
    OCPayload* payload_out = NULL;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCParsePayload(&payload_out, OC_FORMAT_CBOR, PAYLOAD_TYPE_REPRESENTATION,
                payload_cbor, payload_cbor_size));

    OCByteString* quakedata_out = NULL;
    size_t dimensions_out[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = {0};
    ASSERT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadGetByteStringArray((OCRepPayload*)payload_out, "quakedata",
                &quakedata_out, dimensions_out));

    for(size_t i = 0; i < dimensions_in[0]; i++)
    {
        EXPECT_EQ(quakedata_in[i].len, quakedata_out[i].len);
        EXPECT_EQ(0, memcmp(quakedata_in[i].bytes, quakedata_out[i].bytes, quakedata_in[i].len));
    }

    // Cleanup
    OICFree(payload_cbor);
    for(size_t i = 0; i < dimensions_out[0]; i++)
    {
        OICFree(quakedata_out[i].bytes);
    }
    OICFree(quakedata_out);

    OCPayloadDestroy((OCPayload*)payload_out);
}

TEST_F(CborByteStringTest, EmptyByteStringConvertParseTest)
{
    OCByteString bytestring_in = {NULL, 0};

    // Set ByteString in Payload
    EXPECT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadSetPropByteString(payload_in, "bytestring", bytestring_in));

    // Convert OCPayload to CBOR
    uint8_t *payload_cbor = NULL;
    size_t payload_cbor_size = 0;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCConvertPayload((OCPayload*) payload_in, OC_FORMAT_CBOR,
            &payload_cbor, &payload_cbor_size));

#ifdef CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG
    FILE *fp = fopen("emptybinstring.cbor", "wb+");
    if (fp)
    {
        fwrite(payload_cbor, 1, payload_cbor_size, fp);
        fclose(fp);
    }
#endif //CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG

    // Parse CBOR back to OCPayload
    OCPayload* payload_out = NULL;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCParsePayload(&payload_out, OC_FORMAT_CBOR, PAYLOAD_TYPE_REPRESENTATION,
                 payload_cbor, payload_cbor_size));

    OCByteString bytestring_out = {NULL, 0};
    ASSERT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadGetPropByteString((OCRepPayload*)payload_out, "bytestring", &bytestring_out));

    // Compare input and output data
    ASSERT_EQ((uint8_t*)NULL, bytestring_out.bytes);
    EXPECT_EQ(bytestring_in.len, bytestring_out.len);

    // Cleanup
    OICFree(payload_cbor);
    OICFree(bytestring_out.bytes);
    OCPayloadDestroy((OCPayload*)payload_out);
}

TEST_F(CborByteStringTest, EmptyByteStringArrayConvertParseTest)
{
    size_t dimensions_in[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = { 3, 0, 0};

    OCByteString bytestring_in[3] = {{NULL, 0},
                                    {NULL, 0},
                                    {NULL, 0}};

    EXPECT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadSetByteStringArray(payload_in, "bytestring",
                bytestring_in, dimensions_in));

    // Convert OCPayload to CBOR
    uint8_t *payload_cbor = NULL;
    size_t payload_cbor_size = 0;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCConvertPayload((OCPayload*) payload_in, OC_FORMAT_CBOR,
            &payload_cbor, &payload_cbor_size));
#ifdef CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG
    FILE *fp = fopen("emptybinstringarr.cbor", "wb+");
    if (fp)
    {
        fwrite(payload_cbor, 1, payload_cbor_size, fp);
        fclose(fp);
    }
#endif //CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG

    // Parse CBOR back to OCPayload
    OCPayload* payload_out = NULL;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCParsePayload(&payload_out, OC_FORMAT_CBOR, PAYLOAD_TYPE_REPRESENTATION,
                payload_cbor, payload_cbor_size));

    OCByteString* bytestring_out = NULL;
    size_t dimensions_out[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = {0};
    ASSERT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadGetByteStringArray((OCRepPayload*)payload_out, "bytestring",
                &bytestring_out, dimensions_out));

    for(size_t i = 0; i < dimensions_in[0]; i++)
    {
        EXPECT_EQ(bytestring_in[i].len, bytestring_out[i].len);
        EXPECT_EQ(0, memcmp(bytestring_in[i].bytes, bytestring_out[i].bytes, bytestring_in[i].len));
    }

    // Cleanup
    OICFree(payload_cbor);
    for(size_t i = 0; i < dimensions_out[0]; i++)
    {
        OICFree(bytestring_out[i].bytes);
    }
    OICFree(bytestring_out);

    OCPayloadDestroy((OCPayload*)payload_out);
}

TEST(CborHeterogeneousArrayTest, ConvertParseTest)
{
    OCRepPayload *arr = OCRepPayloadCreate();
    ASSERT_TRUE(arr != NULL);
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadSetPropString(arr, "0", "string"));
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadSetPropDouble(arr, "1", 1.0));
    OCRepPayload *obj = OCRepPayloadCreate();
    ASSERT_TRUE(obj != NULL);
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadSetPropString(obj, "member", "value"));
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadSetPropObjectAsOwner(arr, "2", obj));
    const char *strArray[] = { "string" };
    size_t dim[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = { 1, 0, 0 };
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadSetStringArray(arr, "3", strArray, dim));

    OCRepPayload* payload_in = OCRepPayloadCreate();
    ASSERT_TRUE(payload_in != NULL);
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadSetPropObjectAsOwner(payload_in, "property", arr));

    // Convert OCPayload to CBOR
    uint8_t *payload_cbor = NULL;
    size_t payload_cbor_size = 0;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCConvertPayload((OCPayload*) payload_in, OC_FORMAT_CBOR,
            &payload_cbor, &payload_cbor_size));
#ifdef CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG
    FILE *fp = fopen("binstringhetarr.cbor", "wb+");
    if (fp)
    {
        fwrite(payload_cbor, 1, payload_cbor_size, fp);
        fclose(fp);
    }
#endif //CBOR_BIN_STRING_DEBUG
    OCRepPayloadDestroy(payload_in);

    // Compare that array encoding was used
    uint8_t binstring[] = {
        0xbf, 0x68, 0x70, 0x72, 0x6f, 0x70, 0x65, 0x72, 0x74, 0x79, 0x84, 0x66, 0x73, 0x74, 0x72, 0x69,
        0x6e, 0x67, 0xfb, 0x3f, 0xf0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xbf, 0x66, 0x6d, 0x65, 0x6d,
        0x62, 0x65, 0x72, 0x65, 0x76, 0x61, 0x6c, 0x75, 0x65, 0xff, 0x81, 0x66, 0x73, 0x74, 0x72, 0x69,
        0x6e, 0x67, 0xff
    };
    ASSERT_EQ(sizeof(binstring), payload_cbor_size);
    EXPECT_EQ(0, memcmp(binstring, payload_cbor, payload_cbor_size));

    // Parse CBOR back to OCPayload
    OCPayload* payload_out = NULL;
    EXPECT_EQ(OC_STACK_OK, OCParsePayload(&payload_out, OC_FORMAT_CBOR, PAYLOAD_TYPE_REPRESENTATION,
                                          payload_cbor, payload_cbor_size));

    // Compare values
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadGetPropObject((OCRepPayload*) payload_out, "property", &arr));
    char *str;
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadGetPropString(arr, "0", &str));
    EXPECT_STREQ("string", str);
    OICFree(str);
    double d;
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadGetPropDouble(arr, "1", &d));
    EXPECT_EQ(1.0, d);
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadGetPropObject(arr, "2", &obj));
    OCRepPayloadDestroy(obj);
    char **strArr;
    EXPECT_TRUE(OCRepPayloadGetStringArray(arr, "3", &strArr, dim));
    EXPECT_EQ(1u, dim[0]);
    EXPECT_EQ(0u, dim[1]);
    EXPECT_EQ(0u, dim[2]);
    EXPECT_STREQ("string", strArr[0]);
    for (size_t i = 0; i < dim[0]; ++i)
    {
        OICFree(strArr[i]);
    }
    OICFree(strArr);
    OCRepPayloadDestroy(arr);

    // Cleanup
    OICFree(payload_cbor);
    OCPayloadDestroy(payload_out);
}

TEST(CborEmptyArrayTest, EmptyArrayArraySetGetTest)
{
    OCRepPayload* payload_in = OCRepPayloadCreate();
    ASSERT_TRUE(payload_in != NULL);

    OCRepPayloadSetUri(payload_in, "/a/quake_sensor");
    OCRepPayloadSetPropInt(payload_in, "scale", 4);

    size_t dimensions_in[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = {0, 0, 0};

    EXPECT_EQ(true, OCRepPayloadSetIntArray(payload_in, "quakedata",
                NULL, dimensions_in));

    int64_t* quakedata_out = NULL;
    size_t dimensions_out[MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH] = {0};

    ///TODO: Change Assert to true after fixing OCRepPayloadGetIntArray behaviour
    ASSERT_FALSE(OCRepPayloadGetIntArray(payload_in, "quakedata", &quakedata_out, dimensions_out));

    ASSERT_TRUE(quakedata_out == NULL);

    for(size_t i = 0; i < MAX_REP_ARRAY_DEPTH; i++)
    {
        EXPECT_EQ(0u, dimensions_out[i]);
    }

    // Cleanup
    OCRepPayloadDestroy(payload_in);
}


text:
5 Jul, 2021 07:43
Venezuelan crude exports soar 66% year-on-year
FILE PHOTO: An oil tanker is seen at Jose refinery cargo terminal in Venezuela © Reuters
Crude oil exports from Venezuela inched up last month as traders rushed to sell Venezuelan crude to Chinese buyers ahead of the entry into effect of a new tax.
Reuters reports Venezuelan exports for Asia were most commonly masked as Malaysian oil, and the biggest portion of these entered Asia before June 12, when the new Chinese import tax entered into effect, raising the costs of fuel imports by as much as 40%.
Yet Venezuela also reported a rare increase in production last month, thanks to the restart of a crude upgrader under PDVSA's joint venture with TotalEnergies and Norway's Equinor. A blending plant was also restarted last month, contributing to the production increase.
According to shipping data cited by Reuters, PDVSA exported some 631,900 barrels per day (bpd) of crude last month, up by 6.5% from May and as much as 66% from June 2020.
Also on rt.com Iran and Venezuela swap jet fuel & gasoline cargoes
A couple of weeks ago, Venezuela's oil minister, Tareck el Assaimi, told Bloomberg in an interview the government was investing in a reversal of its oil production decline and had plans to quadruple output by the end of the year.
"Without any financing, with our own money, we've been able to invest enough to stop the slide and start a gradual recovery," El Aissami said.
Venezuela boosting oil production to 1.5 million bpd by end-2021 is an "impossible" target, Francisco Monaldi, an expert on Venezuela's oil industry at Rice University, told Bloomberg.
"Even getting to that would be implausible in the medium term; production capacity has been falling since 2014 and there have been no oil rigs operating in Venezuela for a year," Monaldi also said.
Earlier this year, state-owned PDVSA calculated it would need investments of $58 billion to boost production to where it was before Hugo Chavez rose to power in the late 90s. In 1998, Venezuela was pumping 2.3 million barrels of crude daily. The company said it planned to seek investments from both local and foreign companies to that end.
This article was originally published on Oilprice.com
OilVenezuela
Russia doubles electricity exports as cold winter & hot summer ensure lucrative price environment
Russia's wheat exports surge over 7% during current agricultural season


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Because we so often hear worship used to mean music or meeting, we may ask: Does that even matter? It does, because we can easily read those narrowed meanings back into the Bible, our standard for what we believe and do. The New Testament mentions singing and music perhaps a half-dozen times in connection with Christians gathering. But—and this may come as a surprise—the word worship does not appear in those verses. Nor does the New Testament say worship is the reason for meeting together.
Can we worship through singing? Yes. Should worship take place when we meet? Of course. But the New Testament does not confine worship to the gathered church. Biblical worship also extends into every corner of our involvement in the scattered church. If we worship only in gathered-church mode, then worship narrows to only about one percent of our waking hours.
Four main words in the Greek New Testament sometimes get translated into English as worship. Those words also appear in our Bibles as kneel, bow, (or prostrate), serve, and minister. It follows that worship may take many different forms. For example, the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch worshiped as they fasted and prayed (Acts 13:1-2). The women at the empty tomb worshiped by holding onto Jesus' feet (Mt. 28:9). Jacob, says the writer of Hebrews, "worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff" (Heb. 11:21). None of these examples of worship took place in what we call a church service.
God to Moses: "When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship [avad] God on this mountain" (Ex. 3:22).
"You shall work [avad] six days . . . ." (Ex. 34:21).
To us, work and worship may seem unrelated, as different as land and sea. How, then, can the same Hebrew word describe both? What connects the two? The link is that third meaning of avad: to serve. Both worshiping and working are ways in which we serve God. This means I can offer my daily work—paid or unpaid—to God as service/worship he accepts.
How Can Work be Worship?
"But how," you may be asking, "can I actually offer my work to God as worship. My work seems so—well—ordinary. So earthly." True, our culture and perhaps even our church traditions can condition us to think our work has zero spiritual value.
Old Covenant worship centered in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple. There, the people brought animals and cakes made of grain to place on an altar. So the essence of worship back then involved offering sacrifices in a particular place. Because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins on the cross, we no longer worship God by bringing him bulls or birds. Today, we worship by offering sacrifices of another kind.
Now stop and think about your work—paid or not. Does it help to provide products or services that do good for others? Does it supply you with the means to share with others? In his book, Work: The Meaning of Your Life, Lester DeKoster says, "Work is the form in which we make ourselves useful to others." And typically, our work actually does require us to sacrifice—giving up our own time, comfort, and pleasure to serve others with what we produce.
"But wait," someone may object, "I can't always be thinking about God while I work. I drive a bus. My mind must focus on my passengers and the traffic around me." The good news is that offering your work to God as worship does not require you to consciously think or feel excited about him every second. As Jesus told the woman at the well, the Father is looking for those who worship him "in spirit and in truth." While your work demands the full attention of your mind, your spirit--energized by the Holy Spirit--can continue in unbroken fellowship with God.
Talk about truth that transforms! Suddenly, when you realize you may worship as you work, that narrowed word worship suddenly widens. Work now becomes God's good gift (click here for brief video). Work is now something to love rather than hate. If we have come to God through faith in Christ, we can stop hating Mondays and start looking forward to them. This lets worship out of its narrow space in a "Sunday box." Worship on Sunday, yes, and on every other day of the week--including workdays.
The previous blog explored how the clergy-laity divide works against shared church. In Part Two, we'll look at how misuse of the word ministry has a similar effect.
"When words shrink, people get smaller," wrote musical composer Paul Crabtree.
Among us Christians, the withering of the word ministry has done just that to people. Originally, any Christ-follower could engage in ministry. But the term has undergone something like what happens when you drag the corners of a computer image to resize it. What began as large-box ministry has become small-box ministry.
Diakonia. That's the Greek word usually translated into English as ministry. One Greek-English dictionary says it means "the role or position of serving" or "a procedure for taking care of the needs of people." Most legitimate work, paid or unpaid, serves and cares for the needs of others. "Work is the form in which we make ourselves useful to others," says Lester DeKoster in Work: The Meaning of Your Life.
It seems, then, that the resized ministry has come to resemble a room with a swinging door. You may enter it today and leave it tomorrow. Which raises serious questions. If you, as a mature believer, enter the ministry, what were you doing before that? And if you leave the ministry, does that mean you have now entered "non-ministry"?
What if you switch back and forth? A friend of mine asked an acquaintance, "You're retired, aren't you?" The reply: "I'm still working part time with a parachurch, international students' organization. We recently spent a year where many of these students had come from. So we taught them English for 20-30 hours a week. The rest of the time we did ministry." Was this person stuck inside a revolving-door: entering-leaving-entering-leaving? Did Paul rotate in and out of ministry, making tents now, doing ministry then?
Does the Small-Box Ministry Issue Matter?
Yes. First, because the resized word works against shared church. It tends to supersize those in the ministry. This only increases the distance between "clergy" and "laity." Pedestals do not promote healthy one-anothering.
Second, small-box ministry lets far too many Christians slip, so to speak, off the hook. It is easy to justify not laying down our lives in service for others by thinking, "But I'm not in the ministry." Shared-church means every-member ministry. No one called by God gets a pass on serving him and others full time.
Third, countless Christians who wholeheartedly desire to serve the Lord in their work, get the strong impression—some are even taught—that this means they ought to "enter full-time ministry." This is, they are often led to believe, a "higher calling." Far too many learn too late that God has not wired them to be pastors or missionaries. Some even end up needing the help of a psychiatrist or counselor.
Can We Find More Accurate Words?
The church operates in two modes—gathered and scattered. Neither outranks the other. Each needs the other. Some have compared the rhythm to the body's circulatory system. Blood gathers in the heart and lungs to be replenished, then scatters to the extremities to deliver life-giving oxygen and nutrients. Practicing shared church requires that we recognize both church gathered and church scattered and to give each its rightful place.
God has called all of us to serve him and others—to minister—both with our words and our works. Many Scriptures emphasize both kinds of serving. For example, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed [literally, work], do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col. 3:17). The word-to-work proportion varies from member to member within the Body of Christ. Some are more word-focused. Some more work-focused. But each of us should engage in both.
"Words are powerful; take them seriously" (Matt. 12:36, The Message).


I believe we all have an obligation to share the light. What I personally want to focus more on going into the new year is making a conscious and concerted effort to be a positive influence on others. To put it simply at risk of diminishing or narrowing the focus too much, I want to be, and I think we all need to be, mentors.
There may be places for these kinds of relationships but I think it needs to be a little less formal and a lot more natural, and in reality, if we are looking for it, there are opportunities all around us. The obvious and most important being parents, investing time and wisdom into your children. There are grandchildren, in laws, the new guy at work, the apprentice or intern, church family and friends, seemingly passing acquaintances that become regular. Like a package delivery person, a fast food clerk, a waitress.
And you don't have to be old, age has nothing to do with it. We all have something someone else needs, we all have someone younger than us either in years, experience or spiritual wisdom, and the relationship may shift back and forth. That's why I don't like the formal mentoring thing, it designates one person as the mentor and takes away the back and forth mentoring aspect that could benefit both.
Back when Donna and I first got married we used to go with a few other folks to Hardee's after church every Sunday and or Wednesday nights. I always looked forward to those times and the relationships we built and the things we gleaned from one another still affects us in big ways. We did many things together, like camping and sledding, but the lunch after church thing was the foundation that led to those other things, it was where we refueled both physically and spiritually.
At that Hardee's there was a lobby hostess named Vera, a sweet lady who actually did her job, keeping the lobby clean and making sure everyone had whatever they needed. She was probably nearly twice my age but after a while she started to ask me questions now and then about the scriptures. She had overheard us talking about the Lord often and we always treated and greeted her as a friend so she was comfortable to ask.
I said, "I'll be right back." I went to the car and came back with my Bible and showed her from scripture what it really says, assuring her that no one is going to accidently or unknowingly receive the mark and be sent to hell. In fact there is a new theory every few years about the mark of the beast. In the 70's I read a book on the coming tribulation that was just sure that bar codes were the mark of the beast.
Vera was greatly relieved and thanked me profusely. Her ever present smile returning to her face. Now, why was I, a twenty something year old fast food patron able to reassure a fifty some year old? Because I had been interacting with her, side note—always with my wife—and we had been courteous, shining the light of Jesus even as we just came to hang out with our noisy kids making messes and enjoying one another's company. We had something she wanted and was drawn to—the truth.
We need to be those who are ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us, who know where to find the answers and are asked the question. People ask us the hard questions, not because they thumped someone over the head with their Bibles and said; 'you need to know this', like the woman who told Vera she was going to hell probably did, but that they would get asked the questions because people can see Jesus in them. The light is uncovered and not artificial.
There are already too many bible thumpers out there cursing people, ask my wife, she gets told she is going to Hell by her customers on a semi-regular basis at McDonalds, always by a member of a fundamentalist church with a serious religious spirit who is trying to win them over to their religion until they find out her husband is a radical Foursquare preacher.
But more often she gets asked questions about Jesus by people who are starved for truth because they see Him in her.
Mentoring relationships can happen and be built on while working together, fishing, hiking, ministering together, we are building lives, we are building the kingdom. Let's focus less on buildings and perfection in the program and more on each other. The Holy Spirit is in the heart, not the latest study from a famous preacher or the professionalism of a church service put on by stressed out servants.
Look for others to join your hearts to. Hearts never thrive alone.
Next > I Want a Redo!


In reaction to the significant demographic and epidemiological transition that is taking place in Europe, digital innovation has quickly emerged as a solution to develop new and more integrated care models. By strengthening prevention and patient-centred care, digital health technologies can relieve the economic burden on our healthcare systems and increase healthy life years expectancy. Through the empowerment of patients and their families and by providing a continuous support through training and communication tools to health professionals, ICT4Life, like other EU-funded projects, contributes to this revolution. The ICT4Life Final Conference is aimed at discovering how the platform responds to the needs of integrated care systems and provides tailored solutions for diverse regional contexts. A specific session addresses the pilots and the strategic approach based on end-users' feedback. The event will gather experts from other EU-funded projects to discuss the challenges faced by digital health innovators when it comes to exploiting in the market H2020 projects' results.


I've just had a quote from a decorator about painting a house I've just completed on and he mentioned that the polystyrene tiles in one of the bedrooms are illegal.
The tiles are in good condition and I wouldn't have been looking to replace them at this time , but if illegal they will have to go.
Does anybody have experience of this?
Not recommended as they 're a fire hazard.
If you have just brought a house did you not think about it. Regardless of the cost get rid of them. If renting the property they are considered a health and safety issue and can be subject to a Improvement Notice by the local authority.Failure to comply with an improvement Notice is a criminal offence, for which local authorities can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecute in the courts which have the power to impose an unlimited fine.
I did not say it was against the law just that if renting and the council tells you to remove them under notice you need to comply.
I have come across many houses with polystyrene tiles; I'm told there was a local factory which produced them.
Having done some research in a professional capacity I have never established that polystyrene tiles are illegal. However, best advice is to remove them, especially in a rented house where the landlord has a greater obligation than an owner occupier.
If there is ever a fire and you haven't removed the tiles then you may have some culpability in the event if injury.
They were all the rage in the 60s. My dad put them up in the kitchen and bathroom, and so did my uncle, plus lots of other people. One or two of them fell down (the tiles, that is), as the glue used, I suspect, was not very good, or maybe the old plaster ceiling they were stuck to was crumbling. I think they look blooming awful and would not hesitate to rip them down. I also suspect they are treated like asbestos (I have to do the asbestos refresher course every year): if you've got asbestos in a building, provided it's all out of harm's way, i.e. sealed, and not disturbed, then it's ok to leave as is, i.e. not illegal retrospectively. But I'd still rip polystyrene tiles down!
Later product variants had to be fire resistant, but in reality they burn like hell. Remove at once, if only for the sake of good taste!
I agree: remove, skim and paint. As you are doing the whole house it won't add much additional cost proportionately.
We were required to remove polystyrene tiles for an HMO licence and they were a nightmare.
We spent days scraping them off and had to get the ceiling re-plastered.
But then we removed them from a room in our own house and they just fell off as soon as we started pulling them. We just got the ceiling there re-lined and it was fine.
So it just depends on the glue used.