text:
package io.opentracing.util;

import io.opentracing.Tracer;
import io.opentracing.noop.NoopTracerFactory;

import java.lang.reflect.Field;

/**
 * Utility class for manipulating the {@link GlobalTracer} when testing.
 *

 * The {@linkplain GlobalTracer} has register-once semantics, but for testing purposes it is useful to
 * manipulate the globaltracer to guarantee certain preconditions.
 *

 * The {@code GlobalTracerTestUtil} can be included in your own code by adding the following dependency:
 *

 *     <dependency>
 *         <groupId>io.opentracing</groupId>
 *         <artifactId>opentracing-util</artifactId>
 *         <version>version</version>
 *         <type>test-jar</type>
 *         <scope>test</scope>
 *      </dependency>
 *

 */
public class GlobalTracerTestUtil {

    private GlobalTracerTestUtil() {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Cannot instantiate static test utility class.");
    }

    /**
     * Resets the {@link GlobalTracer} to its initial, unregistered state.
     */
    public static void resetGlobalTracer() {
        setGlobalTracerUnconditionally(NoopTracerFactory.create());

        try {
            Field isRegisteredField = GlobalTracer.class.getDeclaredField("isRegistered");
            isRegisteredField.setAccessible(true);
            isRegisteredField.set(null, false);
            isRegisteredField.setAccessible(false);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("Error reflecting GlobalTracer.tracer: " + e.getMessage(), e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Unconditionally sets the {@link GlobalTracer} to the specified {@link Tracer tracer} instance.
     *
     * @param tracer The tracer to become the GlobalTracer's delegate.
     */
    public static void setGlobalTracerUnconditionally(Tracer tracer) {
        try {
            Field globalTracerField = GlobalTracer.class.getDeclaredField("tracer");
            globalTracerField.setAccessible(true);
            globalTracerField.set(null, tracer);
            globalTracerField.setAccessible(false);

            Field isRegisteredField = GlobalTracer.class.getDeclaredField("isRegistered");
            isRegisteredField.setAccessible(true);
            isRegisteredField.set(null, true);
            isRegisteredField.setAccessible(false);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("Error reflecting GlobalTracer.tracer: " + e.getMessage(), e);
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Nomination of Barry Goldwater at the Republican National Convention
"The Peddler's Grandson"
delivered 15 July 1964, San Francisco, California
click for pdf click for flash
[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio. (2)]
I prefer not to proceed until the overtone has subsided. And I think you'll accord everyone who will appear on this platform this privilege. Will you be quiet, please?
Mr. Chairman, Delegates, Alternates, and my fellow countrymen:
In a few days we shall return home. We shall have had the energizing fellowship of a spirited convention. We shall carry back with us a set of principles we have adopted declaring where we stand. We shall have selected the leaders to command our forces and we shall be prepared to march to victory. Let neither doubt nor defeatism impair our forces or our strength. Beyond the rough terrain of the intervening months before November, there lies the sweet, green valley of victory -- and it can be ours.
In that spirit, let me tell you simply and briefly about a man. He is the grandson of a peddler -- a peddler who was a proud, honorable and spirited man, who left his ancestral country in Europe at an early age and came to this land over a century ago. He arrived nine years before the Civil War. Almost immediately he set cross country to make a home on the high frontier of the West. There he peddled his wares among mining camps, among lumbering camps, and the people of this western land. When he came, there were but 31 states in the Union. He was a merchant and became a frontier leader. And it is about his grandson that I would speak to you this afternoon -- and that grandson's name is Barry Goldwater.
I want to speak of him as the whole man, moving forward toward whatever destiny may provide. There is today a strange cynicism that has fastened upon our thinking. It may be a kind of sadistic sport to hear a statement made and then to hear somebody go back into history and unleash an attack because the statement of the act was not consistent with something that happened 10, 12, or 15 years ago. That doesn't bother me because my appraisal and your appraisal of an individual must not be fragmented -- instead of thinking of the whole man, impelled by conviction to do and to say at a given time what he believes must be said or done.
It is a common experience that quoting only a part of what a man has said has become truly a favorite indoor sport. By this standard -- By this standard no man ever lived, no hero was ever born, who by some utterance, some vote, some opinion can't lead destiny.
I believe the time has come to think of the whole man in terms of a more tolerant spirit and to consider his actions, his works, his attributes measured against the problems and duties and the responsibilities which loom upon the horizon, both at home and abroad.
Consider his moral courage -- the courage of this settler's grandson. When a poll was taken some years ago to select the five greatest Senators no longer serving or living to grace the unfilled ovals in the Senate Reception Room, who do you think was selected: Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster, Robert Marion La Follette, and Robert Alonzo Taft! Their common attribute was courage in facing the challenges of their day. Each one took to heart what came from the vaults of the heavens when the Lord talked to Joshua and said that he took over that ancient host, "Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; neither be thou dismayed, neither be thou afraid." That was the Lord's command, that to Joshua be courageous.
Already in 12 short years in the Senate of the United States, Barry Goldwater has repeatedly cast votes that won him no applause, that did nothing for his political advancement, but it did show the blazing courage of the man -- in refusing to take the easy course.
In the days and years ahead, as we assess the fevers abroad and we appraise the problems at home, it will take courage of a high order to make the decisions and to withstand the beckoning of the multitude to go down an unsound path. The peddler's grandson has the courage and it is a part of the whole man.
Secondly, he has a conscience. How commonly we think of conscience as a still, small accusing voice when one is set suddenly upon a certain act or a course of conduct. But it is something more than that. It's always there to monitor the morals and the conduct and the action of any man. It is like a fixed star in the firmament to light the way. What is deemed snap judgment is more often than not a judgment arrested by the acute conscience which operates faster than reason. And whether it be in the domain of peace or rearmament or the scrapping of weapons or internal security or domestic affairs, the peddler's grandson has a conscience to chart his course -- and when he committed the fruit of his conscience to paper four years ago, in that volume The Conscience of a Conservative, over two and a half million copies were printed and sold as a great, incredible testament to the interests of the American people.
Courage and conscience are a part of the whole man. Now whether in commerce or industry, in finance or in public service, there is such a thing as competence. What is it but the right touch, the right vision, in the right way, at the right time. What man could be a jet pilot without it? But Barry Goldwater -- and listen -- Barry Goldwater has demonstrated it over and over again in every activity.
As chief of state, of staff for the Arizona National Guard, he desegregated that Guard after World War II, long before civil rights became a burning issue in this country. He brought integration to his own business enterprises. For his own employees he provided a five day week and life insurance and all those benefits that go with it. All this was done without fanfare or the blathering of trumpets. And in an age, my friends, of self-congratulated do-gooders, he was a good doer!
Yes, the grandson of that man who came here a 112 years ago from his ancestral home has demonstrated his courage, his conscience, and his competence. But he's demonstrated more. In an age when gratitude is scant for services rendered, we overlook so often the matter of contribution to the well-being of the party. Yet the whole man can be judged only when you consider his fidelity to his party and his willingness to go forth and help to make it a vital political instrument.
From the moment he came to the Senate 12 years ago until this good hour, I can name no man -- and I make no exception -- I can name no man in the Republican Party in this country who day after day and year after year has applied his talents, his zeal to the Republican cause as the grandson of that peddler.
No weather was too foul, no journey too long, no sacrifice too great to take him forward on a mission for his party and its candidates. He has raised money and made speeches and has rallied organization support. And I ask you: Who will forget his great speech in a dark hour for his supporters in the 1960 Republican Convention when they were trying to force the nomination on him? And he stood before that convention and spoke to his reporters and asked them to support the Republican Party and its candidates and to stand united. And in the next 90 days, he made 126 speeches in 26 states for the Nixon-Lodge ticket. I haven't forgotten it and neither have you.
Courage, conscience, competence, contribution -- those are a part of the whole man.
In my office in Washington, is a set of silver spurs that I received for my devotion to the party. I doubt whether I deserve the generous inscription on that plaque. But I know it's for him. He deserves a set of golden spurs for his immeasurable effort -- the energy, and sacrifice. Contribution is part of the whole man.
Now all of us were raised to love our country, to take pride in its glorious history, and to defend it with our lives if necessary. We call it "patriotism" -- a word once revered by everybody. Today it's the fashion to sneer at that word and to label positions of strength as extremism, to find other nations' points of views better than our own. Perhaps too long the bugles of retreat have sounded! And I put my chips on a man who has that fidelity to his country.
Consider our diplomatic representative in Zanzibar. He's at the point of a bayonet, marched to the dock, and said get out. In Ghana, where we're spending over 250 million dollars, they hauled down our flag from the embassy flagpole and desecrated it. A nation like Panama, that could not exist today were it not for the United States and a great Republican Teddy Roosevelt, can fuss and scold at us with impunity. And then along with it, there is that bearded Communist in Cuba who reviles and scolds and castigates the world's greatest country -- and confiscates our property. There is such a thing as the Scripture says about going the first mile -- you get no credit for it. That's the compelled mile. There is such a thing as going the second mile, but there's also such a thing as a nation's honor and a nation's prestige!
Twenty centuries ago when the captain of the Roman Guard had the Apostle Paul in thongs1 and was ready to discourage him -- that great apostolate sales manager said, "I am a Roman citizen!" -- and they took off the thongs. It meant something. But we've come a long ways, since that time.
What oh what has become of that vital thrill, that pride of being an American? We heard so much about American prestige in the 1960 campaign. It was a phony issue -- believe me. But that was four years ago. The time is here for America to retrieve her selfishness. I cling back to the firmness of the grandson of that peddler, Barry Goldwater! But it will be a...
[Demonstration on convention floor.]
Please. Music. [Gavel pounding.]
(Commentator: Defying all tradition in these matters, Senator Dirksen has mentioned the name prematurely and set off the invest -- the demonstration early. Now he's trying to get it back so he can finish.)
Let me finish. Let me finish this nominating speech and the Chairman is anxious that I complete it and I want to comply. So will you be quiet please?
I add to all these things -- to courage and confidence and contribution and all the rest -- the devotion to the Constitution of the United States. That document not only created a balanced government in this country -- it did more than that -- it was a charter of freedom as well.
Barry Goldwater's father could come here 112 years ago and share in the benefits and the protection of that great document, which lends itself to the high and low, to the mighty, to the rich, to the poor, and to the humble. It's been the central core of Republican gospel. One hundred years ago our party met in Maryland in Baltimore .They nominated Lincoln for the second time. What did they put in that platform? Let me read one sentence, the first pledge, "Resolved, That it is the highest duty of every American citizen to maintain against all their enemies the integrity of the union and the permanent authority of the Constitution of the United States."
Do you know -- let me finish. You can't sit in the Senate of the United States or the House of Representatives without holding up your hand and affirming or taking an oath that you'll uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of the country. But what is it -- words on parchment? Yes, until human brain and human application gives it meaning and form. Just as is being done by people in judicial robes everywhere in this land almost every day.
Is it not then proper for a United States Senator like Barry Goldwater, who has sworn to uphold and defend and to bear true faith to the Constitution, to share a view of his own on the controversial issues -- the most controversial -- that we've had for a long, long time. So it was with him -- this grandson of an immigrant peddler. He took his stand on the constitutionality of two titles in the most controversial bill with which I never had anything to do. And in so doing, he exhibited a moral courage not excelled anywhere in any part of the body of which I have any knowledge.
And along with it, he's been a soldier and took the oath to his country. He has been a Senator and with equal fidelity, Barry Goldwater would discharge his presidential oath to enforce and execute -- execute all the laws of the land and uphold the Constitution and that's a part of the whole man.
Now let me conclude with one thought. We come then to the last consideration -- as we contemplate his courage, his conscience, his competence, his contribution to party service, the pride in his country, his constitutional devotion -- and that consideration is the opportunity for an ideological choice for the Republican party and for the country.
For twenty years -- and you know it as well as I do -- the conservative position has hovered -- or they have hovered over us, the controversy over the conservative position, like a menacing specter. Simply expressed, it is men that like Bismarck, whose federated Germany withered away, like Britain's almost nonexistent Liberal Party. We've give an inch here, a foot there, a mile there and finally embrace a socialist philosophy that has enervated and debilitated three quarters of the whole globe.
Gradually -- Gradually, the weakening effect and the divisive effect has become noticeable. Those strongly wedded to Republican philosophy have so often sat on their hands on election day or taken a walk. Others, perceiving no difference between our party and the other party, have taken the ADA version straight. Still others with high and fervent hopes have felt the -- the gentle hands of time might bring about unity of purpose and action -- and that with banners unfurled and trumpets sounding a common note, we could inscribe the great shining "V" of victory upon our Republican shield once more.
But even as the Apostle Paul wrote centuries ago: "For if the trumpet sounds an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" The time has come for a certain sound. The time has come and the chance has come to make a choice. Ask yourselves why is it that this man who certainly has sounded the call to conservativism should be subjected to the abuse which has been heaped upon him. Is it because he favors a clear -- a choice that the Democrat Party as now constituted doesn't dare face? Is it because there is a fear that the American people in their traditional sense of fair play are beginning to grasp the truth that this man utters? Delegates to this convention: Believe me -- the tide is turning. And let's give that philosophy of the peddler's grandson the chance.
So with the platform as our chart in conquer, with a militant son of an immigrant peddler as our leader, let's give a hundred and ninety million Americans the choice they've been waiting for. Let's place before the people, the cause of a party which was born to preserve the union, and to give sane constitutional government, and to keep government from becoming the master instead of the servant of the people. Let's rededicate ourselves and our nation.
And I'm honored indeed and I'm proud to nominate my colleague from Arizona to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States.
1 A thong is a narrow strip of leather used for binding or lashing; a whip of plated leather or cord (the freedictionary.com).
Research Note: Transcription by Diane Wiegand
Also in this database: Barry Goldwater's RNC Nomination Acceptance Speech
Audio Source: The Vincent Voice Sound Library
U.S. Copyright Status: This text = Property of AmericanRhetoric.com. Audio & Image (portrait) = Public domain.
Movie Speeches

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Become part of a growing brand that's empowering people to experience the full joy of living. Our current franchisees have built their business with Talem Home Care through passionate and personalized care. Here's just some of what they love about owning a Talem Home Care franchise in their community.


text:
Leicester 1 Stoke City 1 - I loved hearing the fans chanting my name says teen ace Campbell
Teen striker Tyrese Campbell made his Stoke City debut at Leicester... and had golden opportunity to bag winning goal
Keith WalesCVS Editor - Midland Sport
Tyrese Campbell was delighted to hear Stoke City fans singing his name at Leicester City today… because he didn't know they had a chant for him.
The big-scoring under-23s frontman made his Stoke debut at Leicester this afternoon and could have made a stunning impact if he had only read a Xherdan Shaqiri pass correctly.
Leicester City 1 Stoke City 1 90-second verdict on promising performance
But reflecting on the game, the 18-year-old was just happy to take the next step in his career, while acknowledging he still has a lot to learn.
He said: "It was a big honour to play for the first team and make my Premier League debut. I'm buzzing about it, but now I need to keep on working to get more chances."
The 18-year-old had only been on the pitch for a few minutes when Stoke goalscorer Shaqiri made room to play a ball across the Foxes box… but agonisingly too far in front of the youngster when the goal was at his mercy.
Campbell told the Stoke City FC website: "It was a good ball from him to be fair, and I felt I should have gone towards the back post, but I thought he was going to shoot.
Leicester 1, Stoke City 1 – Star man Allen acknowledges big improvement since change of manager
"But a striker should always try to get in the box and get to the back post, and that's something I need to do more."
Campbell, the son for former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin Campbell, only found out this morning he would be on the bench for Paul Lambert's Premier League strugglers. And with the Potters only 1-0 ahead, it was something of a surprise when he was called from the bench after an hour of the game.
Tyrese Campbell shields the ball from Wes Morgan during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Stoke City at the King Power Stadium.
He explained: "I found out this morning. I was just encouraged by the gaffer to enjoy it. When I got the call he told me to press and try to get a goal, nothing too heavy really, just run my socks off and that's what I tried to do.
"I could see that the game was getting a little stretched and when the gaffer called on me and I was ready.
"But it was hard, a much different level to the under-23s, much quicker. Everyone is always at it, no rest … it is full on so it is something I need to prepare for and bring into my game."
Leicester City 1, Stoke City 1: Fans have their say on frustrating draw at King Power Stadium
Not that Campbell, who has scored 12 goals in 15 Premier League 2 appearances this season, is resting on his laurels.
He added: "It is always nice to make your debut, but I don't want to rest on that… I want to make more appearances. It's just the start.
"It was nice hearing the fans sing my name. I didn't know they had a chant for me. But I just tried to get on with the game, not let it get to my head too much."
Leicester City 1 Stoke City 1: Paul Lambert forgives Jack Butland for costly error
In truth, we reckon Stoke fans quickly improvised to put his name to a ditty previously dedicated to Ryan Shawcross, but with the Stoke skipper injured, why not. For now, Campbell is just focused on getting better… with an eye on next week's trip to Southampton.
He said: "I've now been training with the first team for a couple of weeks, and I've been enjoying it… I feel comfortable. I don't feel out of place. I'm earning the rewards.
"I need to improve my decision-making on and off the ball, like when to make your run, when to press, when not to press… but all the players have been supporting me, telling me what to do – no bad words, all good."
And as for Stoke's immediate future in the Premier League, despite still being in the drop zone, Campbell added: "I think well be able to do it comfortably. With the talent we've got I think we've got more than enough to stay up."
Paul Lambert


These super easy Easter egg hunt cupcakes have a vanilla sponge cupcake base topped with green 'grass' frosting. They're then finished off with a few mini candy Easter eggs. Ready in under an hour, they're perfect for some Easter baking with the kids!
I can't believe it's already mid-March and I'm thinking about Easter cakes and bakes again already! I swear the years are going by even faster than they used to. Our youngest just turned 10. He was 3 when I started this blog, and themed Easter bakes have been a regular part of his childhood.
I'm delighted to say he's still as keen to help me out in the kitchen as he used to be when it comes to whipping up some easy recipes, and last weekend he and his big sister (now 12!) helped me make a batch of these super easy Easter Egg Hunt Cupcakes. It was a chance for us to spend some proper time together in the kitchen (it's been ages!) and to try out the grass piping nozzle I'd bought this time last year (or was it the year before?!). I've been planning to make a Spring themed garden cupcake recipe for some time ago, and now here it is!
These cupcakes were originally for a sponsored Instagram post, but I liked how they turned out so I thought I'd share the recipe on the blog too.
mini candy Easter eggs – three for each cupcake.
Cream butter and sugar together and add eggs.
Add vanilla and milk, and stir to combine.
Spoon into prepared baking cases.
Bake in a preheated 200 C/ 180 C fan/ 375 F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Cool and decorate with green tinted 'grass' frosting and mini candy Easter eggs.
I prefer to use disposable piping bags, simply for ease of clean up. Also, years ago I discovered it's really hard to hygienically clean the reusable fabric ones. Don't believe me? Go give your reusable piping bag a sniff just now, you'll see.
Snip the bottom of your piping bag with a sharp pair of scissors (or roll up a piece of greaseproof paper into a point) and fit your piping nozzle. Use a large glass to help with getting the icing in the bag. I find it's easiest to pop the piping bag and nozzle into a large pint glass when assembled, rolling over the bottom edges of the bag to hold it open, before filling it. Check out our video below to see.
Then, spoon in your frosting and squeeze the frosting in the bag to remove any air bubbles. Twist the open end of the piping bag to close it. To frost your cupcake, gently squeeze the bottom of the piping bag to push the frosting out through the nozzle, using your other hand to guide the nozzle where you'd like it.
First, you need to get yourself a grass piping nozzle. I use the JEM Large Grass Piping Nozzle #235 with a tip diameter of 2.5mm.
Tint your vanilla frosting with green gel food colouring (I find gel gives a richer colour compared to liquid colours), and fill your piping bag fit with the grass piping nozzle.
Gently squeeze the frosting out through the nozzle, and pull the nozzle sharply back from the cupcake to get long, grass-like strands. Check out our video below to see our 12-year-old demonstrate!
You can use this technique to make animal fur too – why not make a white Easter bunny with vanilla frosting, or use chocolate frosting to make teddy bear fur?
These super easy Easter egg hunt cupcakes have a vanilla sponge cupcake base topped with green 'grass' frosting. They're finished off with a few mini candy Easter eggs.
Preheat oven to 200 C/ 180 C fan/ 375 F and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with Easter themed cupcake cases.
Sift over the flour and stir.
Add the vanilla and milk, and stir until combined. The batter should be a soft, dropping consistency.
Spoon into the prepared cupcake cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Cool completely before decorating. To make the frosting, tint your favourite vanilla frosting green with a few drops of colour.
Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a grass nozzle and pipe a small clump of grass on the top of each cupcake.
Finish off with three mini candy Easter eggs.
This recipe contains 12 Smart Points per cupcake.
A few other Easter themed recipes you might like!
A deliciously moist super chocolatey brownie baked with Creme Egg Easter eggs and drizzled with milk and white chocolates.
These cute Dairy Free Easter Cookies are such a treat, and you (or your little helpers) can go mad with the food colouring and icing bag!
Celebrate spring and Easter with a tasty 3 ingredient hot cross bun ice cream sandwich! So simple and so delicious!
This simple Rocky Road Cake is the perfect make-ahead Easter cake packed full of favourites like chocolate, chocolate fingers, mini eggs, marshmallows and Haribo.
Use the iconic Scottish Tunnock's Teacake along with chocolate buttons and marshmallow tails to make oh so cute Easter Bunny Bums.
The perfect vegan carrot cake. It's so simple, moist and flavourful! The batter is prepared in just 15 minutes, then the cake is baked till perfection for an hour.
I'm so motivated to cook because of your recipe. Easter is coming, so it's time to do some Easter cooking! Thanks to your recipe, I got a lot of ideas. I'm going to make your Easter Egg Hunt cupcakes for my family. I love cupcakes and for sure when they are nicely decorated like yours! The recipe is very clear and like you said in the introduction, it's not difficult to make. This is perfect for me because I'm not that great in the kitchen. All the materials and the steps are well explained. Due to the special recipe, nobody tasted these delicious Easter Egg Hunt cupcakes here before. I even learned a new technique to do the topping! The video adds more value to your food blog. I can't wait until Easter to make these lovely cupcakes!
Thank you for the amazing recipe.
These are so pretty, perfect for a special Easter tea.
I think the easter Hunt cupcakes are a great idea for Easter.
Because we celebrate Easter every year with the whole family and every year everyone has to make something to eat, this year I got the dessert and it is ideal for that.
I've already tried it before with my birthday, but without decorating it.
I love how simple this is but, tastes amazing. I got all positive reactions: they are not dry, tasted good, filled well,….. To make the cupcakes even more fun, you may also want to add colorants or some cocoa powder to the dough, which gives the cupcakes a different but delicious taste. Thanks for the amazing and tasty idea of the easter Hunt cupcakes, it is definitely a must!
I just love these cupcakes they are so cute! I will have to have a go at the grass icing, I'm not very good at piping but think I might be able to pull it off with your tips and video! So cute for Easter.
Ah these are so cute! Must try them, my children love everything Easter egg related!
I can't take my eyes off the photo, these cup cakes looks delicious. I need to try this.
These cupcakes look so fun and festive! Kids and adults will love these at Easter!
OMG! These cupcakes are so cute! I love this idea for Easter Egg Hunting! My little guy would go crazy for these!
These are absolutely adorable! I can't wait to make these for Easter!
I love how fun and easy these are! It's great to be able to include the kiddos in helping out!
These are so cute! I love the whimsical decorations on top!
I haven't baked anything for the longest time. These have just inspired me to do some baking!


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3 winning ways to ice summer bass!
A guy from Tennessee I'd been chatting with at the boat ramp tells me he's never seen smallmouth fishing this good. I can't resist asking.
"What's the magic bait?" I inquire.
"A Rapala Jigging Rap, of course," he states.
Yeah, of course! Never in my life had I thought to try one in open water. Yet, wintertime bait does work, and not just through the ice.
Here are three exceptional, though underused, ice fishing baits that perform amazingly well in open water for bass.
If you ice fish, you'll likely be a master at the Damiki rig. Centred on the 3-inch Damiki Armor Shad minnow bait on a VMC Halfmoon Jighead (hence the name), this is one of the best methods for teasing moody or suspended smallmouth bass.
Locally nicknamed "mopping," it's a proven technique.
"First, find bass using electronics, then get on top of them and "hang" the bait just over the fish," instructs Jeff Gustafson, OOD writer and FLW Tour pro. The Kenora resident has fattened his wallet more than a few times using this technique.
According to him, keeping the bait just above them makes all the difference, as bass will lose interest if the bait is at or below their level. Mopping follows many of the same principles as ice fishing for panfish or lakers.
Mopping baits should be lifelike and between 2 1/2 to 4 inches long, but experiment with brand and sizes within that range. Albino, smelt, Arkansas shiner, or hints of watermelon should be perfect. Best bait bets will be minnow-shaped, with a forked or long thin tail that quivers. The VMC Mooneye jighead is a popular choice that's reasonably priced with a distinct eye and a decent hook.
The Damiki rig caters to the bass's appetite rather than its curiosity, making it a presentation everyone should learn.
The decades-old Rapala Jigging Rap is cherished by ice anglers, but is rarely put to the test in open water. It can be magic under the correct conditions. When finding schools of bass hovering over long points, suspended around bait, or dispersed along deep flats, drop a Jigging Rap.
With hooks protruding from all ends, it's not an ideal grass bait. Search for sand, rock, or hard bottom areas.
Also worth checking out are the Freedom Tackle Turnback jig, Johnson Johnny Darter, Lunkerhunt Straight Up jig, or Northland Puppet Minnow. The best bass sizes are heavy. One refinement is to use a snap instead of knotting directly to the baits. The snap permits it to shimmy as it swims.
Medium-heavy, stout-spinning, or casting gear with a fast tip work well. Hooks are small, so a bit of flex is needed. Spool up with fluorocarbon, or braid with a fluorocarbon leader.
Blade baits might be the best cold-water, trophy smallmouth baits ever made. Yet they are rarely tied on before Thanksgiving. The Silver Buddy, Lucky Craft ILV, Molix Trago or Reef Runner Cicada are all popular examples of blade baits.
Niagara Falls angler, Jason Clay is a huge fan of these baits. Fishing Lake Simcoe in October of 2017, Clay and Matt Belzil used them to capture the Canadian record for heaviest five bass in a tournament, with a total of 31.84 pounds.
"The key is the fall rate. It makes all the difference," insists Clay. Select the heavier models, up to an ounce, as they're the most versatile. With a snap through the front hole, Jason loves to drag this bait along sand or gravel flats using the wind or the trolling motor to guide him. "I'll jig it as I drift waters from 25 to 45 feet. Sometimes all you need is a little 6-inch lift, but most often I move the rod about two feet," states Jason. Bites occur as the bait jumps off bottom or when sitting stationary between jigs.
Another cool way to fish this bait is vertically. If Clay sees a fish on the electronics, he'll drop right on top of it. He'll jig it off bottom, then work it up a few feet and let it rest. "They'll usually eat it when I keep it still," says Clay. For this approach, he'll move the snap to the back hole for a more vertical swim.
For the hottest summer smallmouth action look no further than your ice-fishing gear. It's been neglected too long.


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Spring is coming and that means for many people allergies are coming. That also means a lot of pain and suffering from headaches, runny noses and more. Perhaps you've already been diagnosed with spring allergies or perhaps you'll just wake up and notice something is different this year. Many people have wondered if allergies can be treated by visiting with our Edmond chiropractor.
To answer this question you, first, have to understand what having allergies does to your body. When you have allergies your body's immune system is overreacting to allergens such as pollen, dust, flowers, grass and trees.
It's your immune system's job to remove these allergens that it determines are foreign entities. This is what causes the reactions such as watery eyes and sneezing. The "junk" has to get sent out of your body by your immune system in the only way it knows how. If you are among the thousands of Oklahomans who suffer from a wide range of allergies, there may be a solution to help minimize your symptoms.
Our Edmond chiropractor can help identify any underlying neck or back misalignments which may be compromising your immune system. Our Edmond chiropractor can give chiropractic care that naturally releases pressure on the nervous system. Of course, the nervous system ties in with the immune system.
By being able to reduce pressure on your nervous system it enables the immune system to work more effectively. In this way, it could be said that chiropractic care is a hands-on approach to being able to overcome springtime allergies. Everyone is different and not everyone will see results, but those that do report being able to breathe better, have reduced "sniffles" and minimal to no sinus drainage.
Our Edmond chiropractor enjoys being able to make others feel better. Having regular adjustments can allow your body to function properly and you can maintain your overall health.
To book an appointment with our Edmond chiropractor, please feel free to give us a call @405-285-7325.
http://hooperchiropractic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Edmond-Chiropractor1.jpg 432 645 Dr Hooper http://hooperchiropractic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/logo-762.png Dr Hooper2016-03-16 08:00:292016-01-21 14:48:21Can Allergies Be Treated By Visiting An Edmond Chiropractor?
Edmond Chiropractor: Aiding With Osteoarthritis Pain Relief What Is Fibromyalgia And Can Chiropractic Care Help?


ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — A missing persons investigation that began early Friday afternoon in Abbotsford, B.C., ended with the man's body found in his home.
B.C.'s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has confirmed that 32-year-old Sukhpreet Grewal (SOOK'-preet GREW'-all) of Abbotsford was found dead Friday evening.
The team says in a statement that the Abbotsford Police Department was called in early Friday afternoon by a family member who reported Grewal missing.
Once his death was confirmed as a homicide, IHIT took control of the case.
Cpl. Frank Jang of IHIT says in a release that investigators believe people who knew Grewal will be able to help them solve his murder.
IHIT says they believe Grewal's slaying was a targeted attack, and that a forensic investigation in conjunction with the Abbotsford Police Department and the B.C. Coroners Service is underway.
Abbotsford is about an hour's drive southeast of Vancouver, in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.


text:
SU's Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble to present free concert Oct. 18
Friday, October 12, 2012, By Erica Blust
Syracuse University's Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble will present a concert on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m. in the Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium,Crouse College. The concert is free and open to the public.
Free and accessible parking is available in the Q1 lot. Additional parking is available in the Irving Garage. Campus parking availability is subject to change; call 315-443-2191 for current information.
The ensemble will perform under the direction of Joseph Riposo, faculty member in the Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in SU's College of Visual and Performing Arts. The program will include works by Riposo, Larry Shay and Vernon Duke.
For more information or Setnor concert status updates, contact 315-443-2191.
Erica Blust


'Selling' and 'Making a prospect buy' – Not two sides of the same coin!!
he objective, in the 'selling' approach and 'making my prospect buy' approach is the same, but there is an enormous gap in the messaging. In 'Selling' we have 'We' (our company, our product, our service, our culture) as the centrepiece while in 'making my prospect buy' approach the centrepiece is the Buyer.
At this point, we have lot of us nodding our heads in a 'yes we know' but typically the connect and the pride that we have with all that is ours (our company, our product, our service, our culture) makes it very difficult to even try to understand what our prospect actually wants.
Companies have become large, just by focusing on 'how to make my prospects buy' while those which focused on their greatest product have just perished – we know of the successful companies and for each of them there are a dozen or more companies which got their product right and they felt nothing could be better, not even a prospect which thought a bit otherwise.
One of the key aspects in 'making prospects buy' approach, is creating the perception of the product that it is good and is what it promises to be. Perception is a purely one sided word. We can show, tell, write everything about the product but 'perceiving' it the way a customer wants, is purely his/her prerogative.
This is where, it becomes an art. 'Perception' equates very closely with value. Not the value of the product but the value of the benefit the buyer derives from acquiring the product. Value also equates with the Price of the product, including the effort and the resources that the buyer is going to invest for the value, the buyer 'Perceives'. Therefore, the key to creating the 'Perception' is to understand the customer, its business, need, preferences, dislikes and whatever is possible. In a larger context, a clear understanding of the market from the perspective of the buyers, themselves is essential to create the 'Perception'. In essence, depending on how it is positioned, Perception becomes the real value.
The last and a critical parameter is 'Association' of the product. All buyers have subconscious favourites and the favourites could be ideologies, people, fantasies, places, events and there are those standard memory joggers – like a life occasion, a childhood memory, a song. For e.g. associating with happy occasions could be better to get a mindshare for a chocolate brand than listing out the nuts and the flavors; likewise associating with 'time with family' could influence a buyer to make a decision on choosing a home internet connection. 'Association', in fact is a very powerful sales agent.
Having talked of Perception, Likeability and Association, it might sound little 'Consumerish' but almost everything stated above works even in a B2B scenario, after all it is always a human being that buys, not the business.


Peppa AND modelling dough? Last week we were playing with the Peppa Pig Alphaphonics Campervan and now we're back with more Peppa Pig toys – but today I'm getting a bit of rest. I'm looking forward to a semi-peaceful cup of tea this evening when the boys all get in from school and join Hero. The Peppa Pig Softee Dough Picnic Playset arrived just before J and L left this morning [reminding Hero not to open it before they got home] and I'm betting it was all they talked about on the drive to school with the mister.
Most importantly, a big picnic box to keep it all [and more] in!
The boys have played together with the Peppa Pig Softee Dough Picnic Playset for about 50 minutes so far.
That there's a purpose to the set – you're creating a picnic for Peppa and friends. Often we get playdoh and if they're not feeling creative, at least one of them is complaining that they don't know what to make.
That it's so easy to pack away, with no excuses. Everything fits into the picnic basket.
George was featured in the Peppa Pig Softee Dough Picnic Playset – the boys have been cutting Peppa's dress into a rounded shape at the bottom to make George.
The mat was plastic so that it could be used more. We don't think it will last long.
There had been some little plastic plates for the picnic food to be displayed on.
We were sent the Peppa Pig Softee Dough Picnic Playset in exchange for our honest review – you can buy yours at Character Online for £12.99.
This looks like a lot of fun and a great way to introduce dough play to little ones.


SACRAMENTO – On January 28 ,2019 the California Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) announced it would be sending additional disaster relief money to several California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) members as a result of additional donations earmarked for Camp Fire victims.
Following the fires, CSLEA affiliates and FOP provided disaster relief assistance to Camp Fire victims who applied.
The California FOP Foundation, founded in 2010 to provide emergency benefits to California FOP members, law enforcement employees and the members of their families in times of crisis, accepts donations year-round.


Under the Marriage Act of 1994 civil marriages and civil partnerships may be solemnised in a variety of premises. These include hotels, stately homes and historic buildings licensed by the local authority. These locations are known as 'approved venues'.
Is there a charge for ceremonies at an approved venue?
In addition to the costs of giving notice, there is also a charge for ceremonies to be held at approved venues. These fees include a copy of the marriage certificate and are due at least one month prior to the date of the marriage.
For the latest fees visit the charges and fees for marriages and civil partnerships webpage.
When you provisionally book the ceremony, we will confirm the dates when you are legally able to give notice and will expect legal notice to be given as soon as you are able to do so. Giving legal notice will allow us to confirm the ceremony booking.


text:
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
You've been telling me lies and I know it
There's no love in your eyes 'cause it's showing
Cause every time I hold you in my arms
You just lie, lie, lie, lie, lie
You said you wanted me for your honey
But all you wanted was my money
You didn't even try to make me satisfied
You know you made me love you
When your rolled those great big eyes
Although I didn't know it
They were only stirring up lies
You've been doing me dirty, and you hide it
I know I can't leave 'cause I've tried it
So, just as long as you hold me in your arms
You can lie, lie, lie, lie, lie
You know you made me love me
When you rolled those great big eyes
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, EARL PALMER
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Discuss the Telling Lies Lyrics with the community:
"Telling Lies Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2022. Web. 22 Jan. 2022. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/742271/Fats+Domino>.
Which of the following songs has won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'?
A. Memories - Maroon 5
B. Happy - Pharrell Williams
C. Everything Is Awesome - Shawn Patterson
D. Skyfall - Adele


text:
kj chap. 17 pp. 312-334
A "Garden of Eden" for the Sake of His Name
"The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah"—How?
GREATER BEAUTIFICATION OF THE SPIRITUAL ESTATE
HAVING COMPASSION ON HIS HOLY NAME
"LIKE THE GARDEN OF EDEN" WITH A POPULATION
The Wilderness Transformed into a Paradise
A Spiritual Paradise on a Polluted Earth
Man's Salvation out of World Distress at Hand!
Resurrection to Unity in a "Garden of Eden"
Requirements for Entering the Spiritual Paradise
1, 2. In the twentieth century B.C.E. what portion of the land of Palestine was like the "garden of Jehovah," and how did the land of the Kingdom of Judah become like a jungle?
IN THE twentieth century before our Common Era, at least a portion of the land of Palestine looked like the garden of Eden in which the Creator placed the first man, Adam.
2 Genesis 13:10 tells us: "So Lot raised his eyes and saw the whole District of the Jordan, that all of it was a well-watered region before Jehovah brought Sodom and Gomorrah to ruin, like the garden of Jehovah." (Genesis 2:7-15) Four hundred years later the Promised Land of Palestine was still beautiful, like a "decoration" on our earth. Jehovah spoke of it as "a land that I had spied out for them [the Israelites], one flowing with milk and honey. It was the decoration of all the lands." (Ezekiel 20:5, 6) That included what became the territory of the Kingdom of Judah, of which Jerusalem was the capital. The Babylonian conquest of the land of Judah in 607 B.C.E. resulted in the land's being left desolate, without human inhabitant and domestic animal. It became like a jungle. (Micah 3:12; Jeremiah 26:17, 18) Would it ever again be transformed into a land like the garden of Eden?
3, 4. After Jerusalem's destruction, what heartwarming message concerning the land did Jehovah give to Ezekiel, and when did the enemies speak about the spiritual estate of His anointed remnant, as in Ezekiel 36:1, 2?
3 Shortly after Jewish exiles in Babylon had learned from a fugitive firsthand that Jerusalem had been struck down by the Babylonians, Jehovah gave the heartwarming assurance that the now desolated land of Judah would not always lie thus without man or domestic animal. He would lift the reproach off his name and would magnify his name by what he would miraculously do for that land. To his faithful prophet Ezekiel he said: "And as for you, O son of man, prophesy concerning the mountains of Israel, and you must say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah. This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "For the reason that the enemy has said against you, 'Aha! Even the high places of old time—as a possession it has become ours!'"'"—Ezekiel 36:1, 2.
4 That is the way the worldly enemies talked against the spiritual estate of the anointed remnant of spiritual Israel after this estate had been desolated by religious persecution and suppression during World War I. Christendom was then ready to take over the whole religious field during the postwar period, to the exclusion of the downtrodden remnant of spiritual Israelites. But Jehovah had other thoughts and said prophetically through Ezekiel:
5. Into what condition had the various features of the land of Israel come, and what was the attitude of the remaining nations toward the land?
5 "Therefore prophesy, and you must say, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "For the reason, even for the reason that there has been a lying desolate and a snapping at you from all sides, in order for you to become a possession to the remaining ones of the nations and you continue being talked about with the tongue and there is a bad report among people, therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah! This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said to the mountains and to the hills, to the stream beds and to the valleys and to the devastated places that were laid desolate and to the abandoned cities that have come to be for plunder and for ridicule to the remaining ones of the nations that are round about; therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said,
6. How did Jehovah say that he would address himself to such nations?
6 "'"'Certainly in the fire of my zeal I will speak against the remaining ones of the nations and against Edom, all of it, those who have given my land to themselves as a possession with the rejoicing of all the heart, with scorn in the soul, for the sake of its pasture ground and for the plunder.'"'"—Ezekiel 36:3-5.
7, 8. What was Jehovah's will concerning the land, how would he have to speak in order to block the greedy efforts of the nations against his will, and so what would the land of Edom become?
7 By repeated reference to himself Jehovah leaves no room for question as to who is speaking. The enemy nations right around the desolated land of Judah had their own selfish purpose regarding the vacant territory, but He, Jehovah, had another and different purpose. Those nations showed their hatred of Jehovah by coveting the desolated land of His exiled people, but he had decreed that the land should keep a sabbath of being unoccupied and unworked for seventy years. (2 Chronicles 36:19-21; Daniel 9:2) Those self-seeking nations had to be blocked in carrying out their greedy efforts against Jehovah's will. This obliged Jehovah to speak, not just with words but more fully with deeds, "against the remaining ones of the nations and against Edom, all of it," in the fire of his zeal for his name and his cause. This would fulfill, for instance, what he had said in the previous chapter against Edom and its mountainous region of Seir:
8 "Indefinitely lasting desolate wastes are what I shall make you, and your own cities will not be inhabited; and you people will have to know that I am Jehovah. . . . A desolate waste is what you will become, O mountainous region of Seir, even all Edom, all of it; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah."—Ezekiel 35:9, 15.
9. Must the land of Israel lie desolate as long as the land of Edom, and what has the land of Israel borne that obliges Jehovah to speak?
9 The land of Jehovah's exiled people was to lie desolate with no Edomites and no other enemy nationalities plundering its abandoned cities and using its pasture ground. Yes, "desolate" the land must lie, but not forever as the land of Edom was decreed to lie. "Therefore," said Jehovah to his prophet Ezekiel, "prophesy concerning the soil of Israel, and you must say to the mountains and to the hills, to the stream beds and to the valleys, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Look! I myself in my zeal and in my rage must speak, for the reason that humiliation by nations is what you have borne."'"—Ezekiel 36:6.
10. By the end of World War I, why was Jehovah displeased at the way enemy religionists (particularly those of Christendom) had acted, and why should the spiritual estate of his spiritual Israel have been respected?
10 Jehovah was enraged at the way the enemy nations were humiliating the "soil of Israel" because he had permitted it to be desolated in the punishment of the Israelites because of their bloodguiltiness and idolatry. To no less degree was Jehovah displeased at the close of World War I in 1918 C.E. because of the way that the enemy religionists, particularly those of Christendom, were talking about the religious estate of Jehovah's dedicated people (spiritual Israel). They had desolated that estate by persecution and high-handed action during the hysterical days of mankind's first world war. True, there was some faultiness on the record back there of his remnant of spiritual Israelites, but still their religious estate ought to be respected. Why? Because it was connected with His holy name and his name ought to be respected, not misrepresented. How, then, would he speak in his zeal and rage in postwar times? Would there be any beautification again of the spiritual estate of the spiritual Israelites who were devoted to His name? Listen:
11. In Ezekiel 36:7-12, what did Jehovah say to the mountains of Israel as to whether they would be beautified again?
11 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, 'I myself have raised my hand in an oath that the nations that you have round about—they themselves will bear their own humiliation. And you yourselves, O mountains of Israel, will give forth your very own boughs and bear your own fruitage for my people Israel, for they have drawn near to the point of coming in. For here I am in favor of you, and I shall certainly turn toward you, and you will actually be cultivated and sown with seed. And I will multiply upon you humankind, the whole house of Israel, all of it, and the cities must become inhabited, and the devastated places themselves will be rebuilt. Yes, I will multiply upon you humankind and animalkind, and they will certainly multiply and become fruitful, and I shall actually cause you to be inhabited as in your former condition and I will do more good than in your initial state; and you will have to know that I am Jehovah. And upon you I will cause humankind to walk, even my people Israel, and they must take possession of you, and you must become a hereditary possession to them, and you will not bereave them again of any more children.'"—Ezekiel 36:7-12.
12. What kind of guarantee is Jehovah's swearing with an oath to his statement of purpose, and what fulfillment of prophecy was there in 537 B.C.E., but what humiliation came upon enemy nations?
12 When Jehovah raises his hand in an oath and swears to anything that he purposes to do, it is impossible for it to fail of coming true. (Hebrews 6:17, 18) The solid facts of history prove that Jehovah's sworn words were fulfilled upon the land of Judah after its lying desolate without man and domestic animal ended in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 1:1 to 3:7) But as for Edom, before the desolation of the land of Judah ended, the prophecy of Jeremiah 25:15-21 went into fulfillment upon this age-old enemy of Israel, when the king of Babylon subjugated the land of Edom in 602-601 B.C.E. Later, according to the movement of the tides of history, the Edomites became a displaced people and, after the second destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., the Edomites ceased to exist as a people. Other enemy nations that had rejoiced at the desolating of Judah bore their own respective humiliation at the hand of the king of Babylon. (Jeremiah 25:21-24) A divine retribution!
13. As regards her predictions and hopes concerning the remnant of spiritual Israelites, how did Christendom undergo a great humiliation in 1919 C.E.?
13 In the modern outworking of Ezekiel's prophecy, Christendom with its hundreds of religious sects underwent a great humiliation in 1919 C.E. How so? Because the humiliating things that she had predicted and hoped for against the persecuted remnant of spiritual Israelites failed to be realized. The spiritual estate of these spiritual Israelites did not continue desolate, but in that year it began to become alive with them as they fearlessly renewed their worldwide work of witnessing to Jehovah's kingdom.—Matthew 24:14.
14. In view of what threat was there a swell in Christendom's membership, but what happened to her membership according to the 1969 report, and what did American Roman Catholics report in 1970?
14 Because of the increased threat of world domination by atheistic communism, Christendom was recommended by democratic politicians as a powerful religious buffer against the menacing tide of international communism. At length, according to the Britannica Book of the Year 1968 church membership of Christendom swelled up to a maximum number of 977,383,000 Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox church members and Protestants. But the very next year Christendom reportedly experienced a decline, noticeably so! According to the Britannica Book of the Year 1969 (page 647) Christendom's membership dropped to 924,274,000. This is a drop back to less than the total of 933,055,000 as estimated for the year 1963.* The following two years (1970 and 1971) no recovery of the loss was reported, no new figures being given. Indicative of what is actually taking place, however, the New York Times, under date of May 21, 1970, under the bold headlines "Catholics Report Drop in U.S. Rolls, First This Century," stated the following:
The Roman Catholic Church in the United States experienced its first decline in membership in this century, according to figures released in the latest edition of The Official Catholic Directory.
The new total of members of the Church is 47,872,089 a decrease of 1,149 below the figure of a year ago, according to the 1970 edition of the statistical compilation issued by P. J. Keney & Sons of New York.
As for the seminaries, the total enrollments there were down to 17,317, a drop of 2,256, and there were a total of 118 of the diocesan seminaries, 19 fewer than in the preceding year. . . .
In the meantime the world population has exploded to more than 3,552,000,000.
15. What question, though, is asked about the population on the symbolic "mountains" of the spiritual estate of the "Israel of God"?
15 How, though, about the symbolic "mountains" of the spiritual estate of the "Israel of God" since the end of World War I in 1918? By the population thereof do such "mountains" now have reason to know that Jehovah is in favor of them and that the One who swore to his good word of promise with an oath is really Jehovah? Let these symbolic "mountains of Israel" recall their own recent history.
16. How was desolation brought upon the public activities of the remnant of spiritual Israel in 1918, but what occurred in the following year?
16 At the time that the government of Canada banned the book The Finished Mystery in February of 1918 and then this Bible commentary was withdrawn from circulation in March of 1918 because of the United States government's censorship, there were 7,000 members of the anointed remnant that were actively engaged in circulating this book and other Watch Tower Society publications by personally going from house to house. (See The Watch Tower as of September 15, 1919, page 281, paragraph 3; and March 1, 1918, page 78.) Shortly thereafter there was a desolating of the public activities of the remnant of spiritual Israel on the "mountains of Israel." But in the following year (1919) the desolated condition was brought to a halt, and those "mountains" began to be repeopled with a courageous revived remnant of spiritual Israelites.
17. From then onward, what took place upon the "mountains" of the spiritual estate of spiritual Israel, and how have the spiritual Israelites shown that they know the Doer of this to be Jehovah?
17 From then onward there was a steady increase in the active spiritual Israelites upon those mountains of their spiritual estate, enjoying the rich fruitage with which Jehovah blessed their restored relationship with Him. In the year 1928 there were 44,080 of the remnant who were reporting an active part in the proclamation of the good news of Jehovah's Messianic kingdom. By that time they knew that the Divine One who was doing such wonderful things for them in spite of worldwide opposition was Jehovah. After the question was raised in the Watch Tower issue of January 1, 1926, page 3, "Who will honor Jehovah?" they responded: "We will do so." This decision they backed up with vigorous action. They appreciated that the time had come for Jehovah to "make an indefinitely lasting name for his own self." (Isaiah 63:12; 2 Samuel 7:23) Realizing more keenly than ever that he was taking out of all nations a "people for his name," the anointed remnant saw good to identify themselves before all the world by the name drawn from the Holy Scriptures, Jehovah's witnesses.—Isaiah 43:10; 44:8.
18. In 1935 who began to become active with the anointed remnant of the symbolic "mountains of Israel," and today how have those "mountains" more reason than ever before to "know that I am Jehovah"?
18 By the year 1935 the "great crowd" of the Fine Shepherd's "other sheep" began to get associated with the anointed remnant of spiritual Israelites and thus became active upon the symbolic "mountains of Israel." Consequently the number active in the preaching of the good news of God's kingdom rose to 59,047 in 1938, this including a number of those "other sheep." (John 10:16; Revelation 7:9-17) Even the worldwide persecutions during World War II did not bereave the symbolic "mountains of Israel" of its population or even reduce it, for at the close of World War II in 1945 there were 127,478 world wide who were announcing Jehovah's established Messianic kingdom. In the years since then the growth each year of the population on those symbolic "mountains of Israel" has been steady, until in February of this year 1971 there were 1,502,180 who reported a share in the worldwide witness to God's name and kingdom. It has been truly from Jehovah that humankind has been multiplied upon those "mountains of Israel," and today, more than ever, they have reason to know "that I am Jehovah."
19. As regards the symbolic "mountains of Israel" becoming a "hereditary possession" of restored spiritual Israel, what question arose as to occupancy thereof as well as to their identifying name?
19 So since 1919 the remnant of spiritual Israel has taken possession of those "mountains of Israel," and these have become a "hereditary possession to them." (Ezekiel 36:12) They have shared the Kingdom fruitage and privileges of this spiritual estate with the increasing "great crowd" of sheeplike ones whom the reigning King, Jesus Christ, is now separating from the goatlike people of all the nations. (Matthew 25:31-46) When the name, Jehovah's witnesses, was first embraced by the anointed remnant in the year 1931, the question arose in the mind of many worldly observers: "Will the name stick?" Likewise, another question called for an answer: "Will the spiritual estate pictured by the 'mountains of Israel' prove to be too difficult a responsibility and hardship for the anointed remnant of spiritual Israelites to occupy and hold? Especially so in the postwar period with its atheistic communism, Fascism and Nazism, dictators, militant 'Catholic Action,' nationalism, Brain Age intellectualism, irreligiousness and lowered moral standards."
20, 21. Because of the pressures of such worldly things, what question arose as to how the "mountains" would deal with their occupants, and what assurance did Jehovah give in addressing those "mountains"?
20 Would the pressures from such worldly things in this age of anarchy and violence cause the restored spiritual Israelites to disappear from their newly occupied spiritual estate, as if they were devoured, swallowed up by invading aggressors or by a famine in their land? No! This post-restoration spiritual estate was certain to retain and sustain a faithful remnant of spiritual Israelites. Of this their God gave the assurance in these prophetic words addressed to the land of Israel:
21 "This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, 'For the reason that there are those saying to you: "A devourer of humankind is what you yourself are, and a land bereaving your nations of children is what you have become,"' 'therefore humankind you will no more devour, and your nations you will no more bereave of children,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. 'And I shall cause no further humiliating talk by the nations to be heard concerning you, and reproach by peoples you will bear no more, and your nations you will no more cause to stumble,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah."—Ezekiel 36:13-15.
22, 23. How had the land of Canaan gained a bad reputation as a devourer of its inhabitants, and how did Jehovah remove that "reproach" both in the case of natural Israel and in the case of spiritual Israel?
22 The land of Canaan had a bad reputation respecting the destruction of its peoples as if being devoured by the land. (Numbers 13:32) When Jehovah brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan in 1473 B.C.E. and they proceeded to destroy seven nations, it was as if the land ate up, devoured those inhabitants.
23 In 607 B.C.E. the king of Babylon conquered the land of Judah and deported many hundreds of surviving Jews and the land became desolate without man and domestic beast. It again appeared as if the land had devoured its inhabitants and had bereaved the nation of the Kingdom of Judah of its children just as earlier, in 740 B.C.E., it had bereaved the nation of the Kingdom of Israel of its children. But by Jehovah's special blessing and protection the once desolated land was not to have another experience like this in connection with the remnant of faithful Israelites that were restored from exile in Babylon in 537 B.C.E. and thereafter. So too it has been with the spiritual estate to which a remnant were restored in the postwar year of 1919 C.E. They are still there, alive, fruitful, multiplying.
24, 25. Was it because of their own worthiness or merit that such divine goodness came upon Jehovah's remnant, and how does He explain the matter in Ezekiel 36:16-21?
24 Was it because of their own worthiness or merit that all such divine goodness came upon the typical remnant in 537 B.C.E. and afterward and upon the antitypical remnant in 1919 C.E. and afterward? No! Why not? Because they had made their former God-given estate unclean by bloodshed and idolatry. Hence Jehovah explains:
25 "And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: 'Son of man, the house of Israel were dwelling upon their soil, and they kept making it unclean with their way and with their dealings. Like the uncleanness of menstruation their way has become before me. And I proceeded to pour out my rage upon them on account of the blood that they had poured out upon the land, which land they had made unclean with their dungy idols. And I proceeded to scatter them among the nations, so that they were dispersed among the lands. According to their way and according to their dealings I judged them. So they came in to the nations where they came in, and people proceeded to profane my holy name in saying with reference to them, "These are the people of Jehovah, and from his land they have gone out." And I shall have compassion on my holy name, which the house of Israel have profaned among the nations where they have come in.'"—Ezekiel 36:16-21.
26. Israel's going as exiles out of their own land gave what appearance to Jehovah, so affecting his name in what way, and why did he have to show self-respect also in the case of His modern-day remnant?
26 Because the Israelites had gone out from Jehovah's land as exiles, it appeared that Jehovah, their professed God, was not able to protect them against their enemies. This brought reproach upon his holy name. It caused the Gentile nations to speak profanely of his name. Similarly when the anointed remnant of spiritual Israelites were brought into bondage to Babylon the Great and her political and military paramours during World War I, it made it seem as if they as members of the International Bible Students Association were not genuine Christians. It seemed as if the true God was not on their side and was not protecting them. This brought reproach upon the name of the God of the Bible to whom they were truly dedicated as baptized disciples of Christ. Hence Jehovah was obliged to show self-respect by having compassion on his own name. It was a holy name and did not deserve to be profaned by worldlings. Because he had a devoted remnant who were connected with his name, then whatever he did in compassion on his name would call for compassion on that remnant.
27, 28. For the sake of whom or what was Jehovah bringing the Israelites back onto their own soil, and what relationship would then exist between Him and them?
27 That his own holy name and its reputation was the main thing to be taken into account, God made plain to Ezekiel, saying:
28 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Not for your sakes am I doing it, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have come in."' 'And I shall certainly sanctify my great name, which was being profaned among the nations, which you profaned in the midst of them; and the nations will have to know that I am Jehovah,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 'when I am sanctified among you before their eyes. And I will take you out of the nations and collect you together out of all the lands and bring you in upon your soil. And I will sprinkle upon you clean water, and you will become clean; from all your impurities and from all your dungy idols I shall cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I shall put inside you, and I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And my spirit I shall put inside you, and I will act so that in my regulations you will walk, and my judicial decisions you will keep and actually carry out. And you will certainly dwell in the land that I gave to your forefathers, and you must become my people and I myself shall become your God.'"—Ezekiel 36:22-28.
29. For the sake of what did Jehovah restore his anointed remnant in 1919, and how did it become apparent that He was their liberator and restorer?
29 Not for any worthiness on their part, but for the sake of his own holy name Jehovah restored the anointed remnant of spiritual Israel to their privileged estate in 1919 C.E., soon after World War I ended. This surprised the nations of Christendom and of heathendom. It became evident to them that the Lord God was acting in favor of them after all. And when they plainly made public that the name of their God is Jehovah (as on page 14 of The Harp of God, published in 1921),* then the nations had no excuse for not knowing who the liberator and restorer of the remnant of spiritual Israelites was. Then Jehovah's declaration of purpose that applies to nations who profaned God's name because of what happened to the spiritual Israelites went into effect:
30. What divine purpose of international importance then went into effect?
30 "'And the nations will have to know that I am Jehovah,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 'when I am sanctified among you before their eyes.'"—Ezekiel 36:23, NW; AS.
31. Despite what procedure on the part of modern Bible translators has the divine name become more widely known?
31 Evidently because the divine name has become so prominently connected with Jehovah's Christian witnesses, translators in Christendom who are bringing out new, modern versions of the Holy Bible omit the name Jehovah, almost or altogether, and substitute for it the word "GOD" or "the LORD." Nonetheless, the name of Jehovah becomes more widely known because He has sanctified it among his remnant of spiritual Israelites before the eyes of the Gentile nations inside and outside Christendom.
32. How have Jehovah's dedicated people endeavored to sanctify his name among the nations, and what have nations that tamper with his faithful people found out?
32 The nations are being shown that Jehovah has produced a dedicated people who regard His name as so holy, so sacred, so worthy of reverence, that they seek to keep it from reproach due to any misconduct on their part; rather, they seek to do all things for the glory of His name. So they choose to obey Him as Ruler rather than men when there is any conflict between God's law and laws framed by God-ignoring men. (Acts 5:29) When the nations harass and persecute the people whom Jehovah has taken out for his name, these nations find that they have an embarrassing problem on their hands. They find that when they use their political power to frame "trouble by decree," frame "mischief by a law" against the people bearing Jehovah's name, this legal subterfuge does not work out in the end and Jehovah makes it public that he has no alliance or fellowship with such troublemakers. (Psalm 94:20, NW; AV; Zechariah 12:2-4) No nation can unrighteously tamper with His faithful witnesses without having eventually to reckon with Jehovah.
33. How has Jehovah cleansed his restored remnant, even from "dungy idols," and what kind of "heart" has he given them?
33 As the impurities of menstruation are washed away with clean water, so Jehovah has cleansed his restored remnant from religious uncleanness by his cleansing agencies, like sprinkling clean water upon them. Since he has cleansed them from the "dungy idols" of this worldly system of things, how consistent it is for them to refuse to idolize political, military or religious dignitaries or to make idolatrous gestures and attitudes toward images, statues or emblems! He has taken away from them any stoniness of heart and given them a "heart of flesh" that has love and affection to move them to keep his judicial decision and to walk in his regulations.
34. What does the "new spirit" that he has given to them produce, and to what extent has he become their God?
34 He has put a "new spirit," that is, "my spirit," inside them, so that they produce the fruitage of His spirit such as "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control," against which things there is no divine law. (Galatians 5:22, 23) As baptized followers of his Son Jesus Christ they have indeed become Jehovah's people, and he has become their God to whom their exclusive devotion is given.—Ezekiel 36:25-28.
35. Jehovah promised to bless his restored people in what way, and why would their feelings show that it was not for their sakes that He did this?
35 In order to correct any misimpression that the nations got about Him because of his disciplining his people, Jehovah has thus abundantly blessed his restored remnant since 1919. It has been just as he prophetically promised through his prophet Ezekiel: "'And I will save you from all your impurities and call to the grain and make it abound, and I shall put upon you no famine. And I shall certainly make the fruitage of the tree abound, and the produce of the field, in order that you may no more receive among the nations the reproach of famine. And you will be bound to remember your bad ways and your dealings that were not good, and you will be bound to feel a loathing at your own person on account of your errors and on account of your detestable things. Not for your sakes am I doing this,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 'let it be known to you. Be ashamed and feel humiliation because of your ways, O house of Israel.'"—Ezekiel 36:29-32.
36. Because of such undeserved goodness to them, how do they feel respecting the things they did in the past, and for God's letting what be known to them are they grateful?
36 Because of such divine goodness to them in their restored spiritual estate, the members of the anointed remnant feel a loathing of themselves when they look back at what they were in the past, taking note of their errors and bad dealings that were not glorifying to God's name. It makes them ashamed, it makes them feel humiliated, just to think about it. This attitude takes away from them any inclination to engage in spiritual and immoral impurities once again, willingly. Thus, because of the effect that Jehovah's undeserved kindness has upon them in their restored estate, he saves them from all their impurities. They keenly appreciate that it was not for any past goodness of theirs, not for their sakes, that, figuratively speaking, he called for the life-sustaining grain to sprout up from the ground and produce so abundantly, so that worldly nations cannot reproach them for having any famine of spiritual food and provisions. They are thankful for God's letting it be known to them that for the sake of his holy name he has done all this for them. So in all humility they sanctify the name of Jehovah in their lives.
37, 38. Consequently, what has the spiritual estate of the restored remnant now become, and how did Jehovah foretell this to Ezekiel?
37 Because of such divine compassion in behalf of Jehovah's name, the spiritual estate of the restored remnant has become a spiritual Paradise. Informed observers who noted the transformation have acknowledged this. It is just as the name-respecting God has foretold, saying:
38 "This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, 'In the day of my cleansing you from all your errors I will also cause the cities to be inhabited, and the devastated places must be rebuilt. And the desolated land itself will be cultivated, whereas it had become a desolate waste before the eyes of every passerby. And people will certainly say: "That land yonder which was laid desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the cities that were a waste and that were laid desolate and that were torn down are fortified; they have become inhabited." And the nations that will be left remaining round about you will have to know that I myself, Jehovah, have built the things torn down, I have planted what has been laid desolate. I myself, Jehovah, have spoken and I have done it.'"—Ezekiel 36:33-36.
39. What does Ezra 3:1, 2 tell us about the start of the ancient fulfillment of that prophecy?
39 Regarding the start of the ancient fulfillment of that bright prophecy, it is written, in Ezra 3:1, 2: "When the seventh month [Tishri] arrived [at the close of the seventy years of desolation in 537 B.C.E.] the sons of Israel were in their cities. And the people began to gather themselves as one man to Jerusalem. And Jeshua the son of Jehozadak and his brothers the priests and [Governor] Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers proceeded to rise up and build the altar of the God of Israel, to offer up burnt sacrifices upon it, according to what is written in the law of Moses the man of the true God." The Israelites that returned from Babylon then numbered 42,360, along with whom there came 7,337 slaves and some 200 to 245 professional singers. This amounted to almost 50,000 persons.—Ezra 2:64, 65; Nehemiah 7:66, 67.
40. What, corresponding with that first postexile gathering in Jerusalem, took place in 1919 C.E. concerning Jehovah's restored people?
40 Likewise in the year 1919 of our Common Era, the release in March of eight prominent officials and agents of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society from the federal penitentiary at Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., occurred as a symbol of the release of the International Bible Students from Babylonish bondage and oppression. The very next month, on Sunday night, April 13, many thousands of these dedicated Bible Students gratefully gathered together in their congregations around the world to celebrate the Lord's Supper, that being the anniversary of Jesus' instituting of this memorial of his death. Early reports from congregations that had an attendance of thirty or more in just eight European cities and 164 other cities in North and South America showed a total attendance of 17,961. Later additional reports were not published. (See The Watch Tower under date of May 15, 1919, page 151.) Later that year, on September 1-8, the first postwar general convention of the International Bible Students Association was held in Cedar Point, Ohio, U.S.A., attended by some 6,000 Bible Students. The public attendance was 7,000 on Sunday, September 7, 1919.
41. How did the figurative "cities" that had been desolated become "fortified" and "inhabited"?
41 The congregations of the restored remnant of spiritual Israelites were like the cities of ancient Israel. They became "fortified" especially by the better organization of them for actively carrying out Jesus' prophecy of Matthew 24:14, to preach the good news of God's established kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations. They became more fully fortified in the year 1938 when the centralized theocratic rule, rather than the local congregational rule, of organization was applied to all the congregations around the globe. The number of these fortified congregations and their inhabitants increased.
42. Why was it manifestly Jehovah that did this, and how was the presenting of the "fruits" of God's kingdom amplified?
42 Jehovah himself was manifestly the One who did this, forasmuch as the nations of Christendom and of the world were in opposition to it or not cooperative with it. He was the One that blessed the spiritual estate of his restored remnant so that it became very fruitful and productive. To amplify the presenting of the "fruits" of God's kingdom to all the inhabited earth, printing plants were established by the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society and enlarged in many parts of the earth for the production of Bible literature by the millions of copies in many languages, for the restored remnant to distribute free to the people or at a surprisingly small nominal contribution. The terrible havoc wrought by World War II of 1939-1945 did not decrease this.—Matthew 21:43.
43. Besides the "fruits" of God's kingdom, in what other way did the congregation of Jehovah's people become fruitful, and what were honest observers obliged to exclaim about their spiritual estate?
43 Not only did the offering of the "fruits" of the Kingdom increase by the expanding of the Kingdom preaching world wide, but the spirituality of the congregations grew also. Especially so after World War II, despite the now increased tempo in the demoralization of human society inside Christendom as well as outside. Among the congregations the "fruitage of the spirit" of God became more luxuriant with "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22, 23) This has become manifest not only in the local congregations of Jehovah's witnesses but also in the more public gatherings, in circuit, district, national and international assemblies throughout the earth. In contrast with the dilapidated religious condition of Christendom, honest observers of the spiritual prosperity of the spiritual estate of Jehovah's witnesses have been obliged to exclaim: "That land yonder which was laid desolate has become like the garden of Eden." (Ezekiel 36:35) To whom is this due?
44. To whom was this transformation due, and who should take note of that fact?
44 The real credit for this goes, not to the anointed remnant and the "great crowd" of Christ's "other sheep," but to Jehovah. Long ago he had spoken of it prophetically. In our time He has done it. For the sake of his much-maligned Name he has transformed the once desolated spiritual estate of his anointed remnant into a spiritual Paradise, a "garden of Eden," which, like the original garden of Eden in Adam's day, is the planting of Jehovah. (Genesis 2:7-9) Let the nations of the world take note of that fact.
45. Through Ezekiel, what did Jehovah promise to do about the uninhabited cities of Judah, and what were the exiled Israelites then to do about this?
45 Back there in the days of the prophet Ezekiel in exile in Babylon this Paradisaic transformation of the desolated homeland was something yet to be sought and searched for, with decades of exile for them yet to undergo in Babylon. This state of affairs at that time is what God commented upon to his prophet Ezekiel, saying: "This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, 'This is what I shall yet let myself be searched for by the house of Israel to do for them: I shall multiply them like a flock with men. Like a flock of holy persons, like the flock of Jerusalem in her festal seasons, thus the cities that had been a waste will become full of a flock of men; and people will have to know that I am Jehovah.'"—Ezekiel 36:37, 38.
46. As regards the prophecy of the repeopling of the cities of the land of Judah, how does the situation of the anointed remnant today contrast with that of the exiled Jews?
46 Back there, over two thousand five hundred years ago, that repeopling of the devastated cities of the land of Judah needed to be searched for from Jehovah by those exiled Jews who repented and who desired the fulfillment of Jehovah's merciful promises, especially for the sanctifying and vindicating of his holy name. A number of those exiled Jews did survive and return to their homeland to see the realization of Jehovah's promise to repopulate their beloved homeland. (Ezra 3:12) Today, in this twentieth century, we are decades removed from the liberation year of 1919. For the anointed remnant it is no longer a matter of searching for Jehovah to repopulate with holy persons the spiritual estate of the "Israel of God." This is now an accomplished fact, and the end of the fulfillment of the prophecy is not yet.—Galatians 6:16.
47. How extensively have the congregations of Jehovah's Christian witnesses increased, and how, as regards a "flock of holy persons," is it manifest that He has done better for their spiritual estate than at its beginning?
47 On the six great continents above the Antarctic region and on the islands of the seven seas the number of congregations of Jehovah's Christian witnesses has increased, in order to enjoy as widely as possible the spiritual estate, the spiritual Paradise, of the Christian Israel of God. In doing better or more good for the spiritual estate of his Christian witnesses than at its beginnings or in its "initial state," Jehovah has filled it with a vast "flock of men." (Ezekiel 36:11) As the twelve tribes of Israel used to flock to Jerusalem and its temple during the three "festal seasons" of the year (at Passover, at Pentecost, and at the festival of booths), so Jehovah's Christian witnesses have enjoyed flocking together, not only to their local Kingdom Halls, but, in an amazing manner, to their regular circuit, district, national and international assemblies.
48. How is the case of the "Men of Goodwill" District Assemblies from June to December, 1970, an example of such flocking?
48 For instance, during the district assemblies designated as for "Men of Goodwill," in the year 1970, the attendances surpassed expectations. At these district assemblies on all six continents the talk for the general public was mainly on the subject "Saving the Human Race—in the Kingdom Way."* The attendances at these from June into December totaled over a million.
49. In what way of salvation, as stated by Peter to Jews on the day of Pentecost, do Jehovah's Christian witnesses still believe?
49 Back in the year 33 C.E., at the festal season of Pentecost, at the beginning of the Christian congregation, the apostle Peter said to a flock of Jews who were interested in everlasting salvation: "And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved." (Acts 2:21; quoted from Joel 2:32) Jehovah's Christian witnesses of today still believe in that unchangeable way of salvation.
50. How does God's name become known through this flocking together of Jehovah's Christian witnesses, and what may be said about the people seeking life-giving association with them?
50 For that reason they not only flock together, but also make known the name of Jehovah as the divine Author of salvation through his Son Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:10-14) Otherwise, from just the flocking of His dedicated people it would not become known by the people that, as He said, "I am Jehovah." But because the increasing flock of Jehovah's Christian witnesses proclaim his name everywhere as the one name to call upon for salvation through Jesus Christ, more and more people are seeking the life-giving association with these witnesses. At the annual celebration of the Lord's Supper on March 22, 1970, what was the attendance world wide? The total of reports received showed it to be 3,226,168. (Page 43 of 1971 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses) This was for over 26,000 congregations of Jehovah's witnesses.
51. From a comparison of the published number of Kingdom proclaimers and the number of attenders at the Lord's Supper, what is evident regarding Jehovah's declared purpose, and why?
51 At the time of their celebrating that annual memorial of the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world," there was just an average of 1,384,782 witnesses of Jehovah who were regularly proclaiming the good news of Jehovah's Messianic kingdom in more than two hundred lands. From the difference between that number of active proclaimers and the worldwide attendance at the Lord's Supper, it is evident that nearly two million persons were then experiencing what the accredited Doer of all these marvelous things foretold, namely, "people will have to know that I am Jehovah." (Ezekiel 36:38) Beyond all contradiction this Jehovah has transformed the once desolated spiritual estate of his anointed witnesses, the present remnant of spiritual Israel, into a spiritual "garden of Eden," and this He has done for the sake of his own worthy name.—Ezekiel 36:22.
[Footnotes]
See Britannica Book of the Year 1964, page 728, column 1.
The Harp of God reached a printing of 5,819,037 copies, in 22 languages. It is now out of print and out of stock.
In Freetown, Sierra Leone, Lagos, Nigeria, and in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa, the public talk was entitled "Restoration of All Things of Which God Spoke."
[Graph on page 321]
Increase in number of proclaimers of GOD'S NAME
(Each person represents 100,000 proclaimers)
1971 1,502,180 (Feb.)


text:
ICC announces League 2 schedule for 2023 men's World Cup qualification
The League 2 will witness seven teams – Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, UAE and the USA – contesting in 126 One Day Internationals.
Aug 12, 2019 · 06:59 pm
The ICC Men's World Cup trophy [Representational Image] | AFP
A month after England were crowned world champions, the International Cricket Council on Monday launched the men's Cricket World Cup League 2, a part of the new four-year qualification for the 2023 World Cup.
The League 2 will witness seven teams – Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, UAE and the USA – contesting in 126 One Day Internationals, to be played across 21 tri-series. Each of the seven teams will play 36 ODIs over a period of two-and-half-year from August 2019 to January 2022.
The inaugural League 2 series will be played among Scotland, PNG and Oman at Mannofield Park, Scotland, from August 14 to 21, which will include four ODIs for each team, worth two points per ODI that will contribute to the Men's CWC League 2 table.
After the completion of the 21 tri-series, the top three teams will confirm their places in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2022.
The bottom four teams will drop into the Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-Off 2022, which is a repechage event to the Global Qualifier, and will be joined by the winner of Challenge League A and B.
The top two teams from the Play-Off will keep their hopes alive of participating in the 2023 World Cup, by qualifying for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2022.
ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley is excited by the prospect of four years of competitive men's 50-over cricket.
"The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup provided us with great entertainment and competitive cricket, I am delighted to see the start of the qualification process to India 2023. The new structure has given meaningful context to bilateral cricket for the Men's Cricket World Super League, but also more competitive opportunities to Associate Members," he said.
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 Series one schedule:
Wednesday, August 14: Oman vs PNG at Mannofield Park, Aberdeen.
Thursday, August 15: Scotland vs Oman at Mannofield Park, Aberdeen.
Saturday, August 17: Scotland vs PNG at Mannofield Park, Aberdeen.
Sunday, August 18: Scotland vs Oman at Mannofield Park, Aberdeen.
Tuesday, August 20: Scotland vs PNG at Mannofield Park, Aberdeen.
First Test: Thirimanne, Perera lead Sri Lanka resistance against England after Root's double ton


Robbery in the state of New York is a felony-level offense that can carry severe consequences if convicted, including years of prison time for the most serious of cases. When someone faces charges involving robbery, it is understandable for that person to be concerned and unsure of what to do next.
If you are facing robbery charges, speak with an experienced and aggressive Westchester County robbery lawyer. An experienced theft attorney could help you fully understand the charges being brought against you, develop a defense strategy, and put this strategy into effect in fighting for an appropriate outcome to your case.
What Acts Are Classified as Robbery?
At their core, all robbery charges share a common definition. According to New York Penal Law §160.00, a robbery is any act of forcible stealing from another person. In this context, forcible stealing involves the use or threat of force to compel another person to give their property.
An important aspect of robbery to bear to mind is that the taking must be by force. In practice, this means that a court cannot convict a person of robbery if the taking was by mistake or if the alleged victim affirms that the defendant merely failed to return lent property.
The least severe robbery charge applicable to residents of Westchester County is robbery in the third degree. This is a robbery that does not involve the use of a weapon or the aid of any other person. According to New York Penal Law §160.05, robbery in the third degree is a class D felony and carries a potential prison sentence of between two to seven years.
Robbery charges become more severe when the accused acts in concert with a second person, as well as when the act results in any physical injury or involves the display of a firearm. As outlined in New York Penal Law §160.10, these extenuating circumstances constitute a robbery in the second degree, a class C felony for which penalties can range from three and a half to 15 years in prison.
Robberies in the first degree are defined in New York Penal Law §160.15 as class B felonies. A robbery is considered to be in the first degree when the act results in serious physical injury, involves the use of a deadly weapon or involves a threat by the perpetrator of firearm usage. These aggravating factors also apply when the resulting injury or threats are committed against any other person, not just the victim of the alleged crime.
Any allegation of a criminal act is a serious matter, but when the allegations rise to the level of a felony offense, you should provide yourself with every possible advantage. One way to do this may be to hire an experienced Westchester County robbery lawyer.
A dedicated attorney could work to dissect every aspect of the state's case in order to provide you with the best possible chance for a positive outcome. Depending on the circumstances, they could also file evidentiary motions to exclude damaging testimony from trial, question witnesses, and help you explain your side of the story in court.


God allows situations into our lives to test-drive our faith. In other words, testy people or unlikeable circumstances may be permitted into our lives in order for us to put our faith into action.
Do we really believe what we say? Or are we just talking the talk and not walking the walk?
For example, let's say I wanted to buy a new car. First of all, I would sit down with my husband Coby and talk about what we could afford. Then, I would spend countless hours meandering through the worldwide web looking at cars that would best suite our family. And of course, I would probably glance at a few options that may not be a good choice, but nonetheless, are quite tempting. I would also read some car reviews by actual owners and peruse the Consumer Magazine car rating (just because my dad always told me to). And then, the day would come that my hubby and I would drive to the car dealer and look at the car we wanted. We would try out the seats and the beautiful amenities. Satellite radio. Sun-roof. Internet for the kids. The car salesman would now be hounding us and we would comply by asking to take it for a test drive. Why? Because we want to know first-hand how the car handles. We don't want to just hear it from somebody else.
In much the same way, you can say you believe in God. You can memorize a few bible verses and sing a few worship songs. You can go to church and even be arm-twisted into serving in the kid's area. You can take a bible study class. You can even be extremely bold and tell someone else you believe in God. You can go through the all the motions. But you will never know God in the deep, rich, abundant way that you should until you experience Him for yourself. It must become personal.
May you find hope in knowing that our trials are but for a little while. They are temporary. They will not last forever. And yes, we will be grieved by our various trials, but we can hold on to this truth: "We are tested so that the genuineness of our faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." God allows us to be tested over and over again so that we become seasoned faith walkers.
So that we grow deep roots.
So that we are not easily shaken.
So that we are tenacious and steadfast in our pursuit of Him.
Stick in there, my friend. Heaven is worth this crazy ride!
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