text:
package br.alysson.crudsqlite;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.AlertDialog;
import android.content.ContentValues;
import android.content.DialogInterface;
import android.content.res.Configuration;
import android.database.SQLException;
import android.support.annotation.Nullable;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuInflater;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.LinearLayout;
import android.widget.ScrollView;
import android.widget.Toast;

import com.github.clans.fab.FloatingActionButton;
import com.github.clans.fab.FloatingActionMenu;

import java.util.List;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements View.OnClickListener{

    private static final String TAG = "CRUDSQLite";

    String id, name, phone, address;

    List<Person> people;
    private int peopleCount;
    PersonDao personDao;

    // Widgets
    Toolbar toolbar;
    LinearLayout llPrevNext;
    EditText etId,etName,etPhone,etAddress;
    Button btPrevious,btNext;
    FloatingActionMenu fab;
    FloatingActionButton fab1,fab2,fab3;

    private Menu menu;
    private MenuItem searchItem, saveItem;

    // Flags
    boolean isCreating = false;
    boolean isSearching = false;
    boolean isUpdating = false;
    boolean isOnSearch = false;
    boolean thereIsRecords = false;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState){
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        // Instatiation of widgets
        toolbar = (Toolbar) findViewById(R.id.toolbar);

        fab = (FloatingActionMenu) findViewById(R.id.fab);
        fab1 = (FloatingActionButton) findViewById(R.id.fab1);
        fab2 = (FloatingActionButton) findViewById(R.id.fab2);
        fab3 = (FloatingActionButton) findViewById(R.id.fab3);

        llPrevNext = (LinearLayout) findViewById(R.id.llPrevNext);

        etId      = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.etID);
        etName    = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.etName);
        etPhone   = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.etPhone);
        etAddress = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.etAddress);

        btPrevious = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btPrevious);
        btNext     = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btNext);

        // Request focus to the etName
        //etName.requestFocus();

        toolbar.setTitle(getString(R.string.app_name));
        setSupportActionBar(toolbar);

        toolbar.setNavigationOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                cancel();
            }
        });

        toggleEnableEditText(false);

        // Button listeners;

        fab1.setOnClickListener(this);
        fab2.setOnClickListener(this);
        fab3.setOnClickListener(this);

        btPrevious.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                previousResult();
            }
        });

        btNext.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                nextResult();
            }
        });

        try{
            personDao = new PersonDao(MainActivity.this);
            personDao.open();
            search(null);

        }catch(SQLException e){
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttOpenCreate), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            Log.e(TAG,getString(R.string.ttOpenCreate)+": "+e.getMessage());
        }

    }

    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();

        // Closes database on activity destruction
        try {
            personDao.close();
        }catch (SQLException e){
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttDestroy), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttDestroy)+": "+e.getMessage());
        }

    }

    @Override
    public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
        super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.toolbar_itens, menu);

        // Hide action items, you don't want to display
        menu.findItem(R.id.search).setVisible(false);
        menu.findItem(R.id.save).setVisible(false);

        return true;

    }

    @Override
    public boolean onPrepareOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        menu.findItem(R.id.save).setVisible((isCreating || isUpdating));
        menu.findItem(R.id.search).setVisible(isSearching || isOnSearch);

        menu.findItem(R.id.delete).setVisible((!isCreating && !isUpdating && !isSearching && thereIsRecords || isOnSearch && thereIsRecords));

        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
        if(item.getItemId() == R.id.save) {
            if (isCreating) {
                create();
                invalidateOptionsMenu();
            }else if(isUpdating){
                update();
                invalidateOptionsMenu();
            }
            return true;
        }

        if(item.getItemId() == R.id.search){
            actionSearch();
            isOnSearch = !isOnSearch;
            invalidateOptionsMenu();
            return true;
        }

        if(item.getItemId() == R.id.delete){
            delete();
            return true;
        }

        return false;
    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v){

        switch(v.getId()){

            case R.id.fab1:
                fab.hideMenuButton(true);
                toolbar.setTitle((getString(R.string.tbNew)));
                newP();
                invalidateOptionsMenu();
                cancelActionToggle(true);
                break;

            case R.id.fab2:
                fab.hideMenuButton(true);
                toolbar.setTitle((getString(R.string.tbSearch)));
                actionSearch();
                invalidateOptionsMenu();
                cancelActionToggle(true);
                break;

            case  R.id.fab3:
                fab.hideMenuButton(true);
                toolbar.setTitle((getString(R.string.tbUpdate)));
                update();
                invalidateOptionsMenu();
                cancelActionToggle(true);
                break;

        }

    }

    public void cancelActionToggle(boolean enable){
        if(enable) {
            toolbar.setNavigationIcon(R.mipmap.clear);
        }else{
            toolbar.setNavigationIcon(null);
        }
    }

    public void cancel(){
        // Sets all Flags to false
        isCreating = false;
        isSearching = false;
        isUpdating = false;
        isOnSearch = false;

        invalidateOptionsMenu();

        fab.showMenuButton(true);

        toggleEnableEditText(false);

        toolbar.setNavigationIcon(null);
        toolbar.setTitle(getString(R.string.app_name));

        // Make all other buttons visible again
        llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

        // Calls the default search
        search(null);
    }

    public void actionSearch(){
        if(!isSearching){

            // Makes only the Read and Cancel Button Visible
            llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.GONE);

            // Makes only the etName enabled
            toggleEnableEditText(false);
            etName.setEnabled(true);
            etName.requestFocus();

            // Clear all fields
            clear();

            // Sets the flag to true
            isSearching=true;
        }else {
            // Gets the value
            name = etName.getText().toString();

            // calls the search function with the values
            search(name);

            invalidateOptionsMenu();

            // Set as visible the Next and Previous Buttons
            //llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

            // Resets the flag
            isSearching = false;
        }
    }

    private void newP(){
        // Clear all fields
        clear();

        // Enables all fields but etId
        toggleEnableEditText(true);
        etId.setEnabled(false);

        // Request focus to the etName
        etName.requestFocus();

        // Hides all buttons but btCreate
        llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.GONE);
        //btCreate.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

        // Sets Flag to true
        isCreating = true;
    }

    private void create(){

        // Gets the values of the EditText Widgets
        getValues();

            if(!name.equals("") && !phone.equals("") && !address.equals("")) {
                try {

                    Person person = new Person();

                    person.setName(name);
                    person.setPhone(phone);
                    person.setAddress(address);

                    // Executes the query
                    personDao.create(person);

                    // Clear all fields
                    clear();

                    // Show all buttons again
                    llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

                    // Calls default search
                    search(null);

                    fab.showMenuButton(true);
                    toolbar.setTitle(getString(R.string.app_name));
                    cancelActionToggle(false);

                    // Resets flag
                    isCreating = false;

                }catch (SQLException e){
                    Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttCreate), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttCreate)+": "+e.getMessage());
                }

            }else{
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttFillF), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }

        }

    private boolean search(String name){

        try{
            // Runs the querry with the values passed to the function
            Person person = new Person();
            person.setName(name);
            people = personDao.read(person);

            // If they're null, the query will be like SELECT * FROM people

            // If there is any result
            if(people.size()>0){
                thereIsRecords = true;
                if(isCreating){
                    // Moves to the record that was just created
                    peopleCount = people.size()-1;

                    boolean isFirst = (peopleCount == 0);

                    // Disables the next button
                    // Enables the previous button if the record isn't the first
                    btNext.setEnabled(false);
                    btPrevious.setEnabled(!isFirst);
                }else{

                    // Moves to first record
                    peopleCount = 0;

                    boolean isLast = (peopleCount+1 == people.size());

                    // Disables the previous button
                    // Enables the next button if the record isn't the last
                    btNext.setEnabled(!isLast);
                    btPrevious.setEnabled(false);
                }

                // Displays the data in the fields
                displayData(peopleCount);

                //cancelActionToggle(false);

                llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

                return true;

            }else{
                thereIsRecords = false;
                llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.GONE);

                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttRead), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                return false;
            }

        }catch(SQLException e){
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttRead2), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttRead2)+": "+e.getMessage());
            return false;
        }

    }

    private boolean update(){

        // Gets the values of the EditText Widgets
        getValues();

        if(!etId.isEnabled() && !id.equals("") && !isUpdating){

            // Hide all buttons but btUpdate
            llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.GONE);

            // Enabled all EditText Widgets but etId
            toggleEnableEditText(true);
            etId.setEnabled(false);

            // Sets the flag to true
            isUpdating = true;
        }else if(!etId.isEnabled() && !id.equals("") && isUpdating && !name.equals("") && !phone.equals("") && !address.equals("")){
            try {

                Person person = new Person();
                person.setId(Long.valueOf(id));
                person.setName(name);
                person.setPhone(phone);
                person.setAddress(address);

                // Executes the update querry
                personDao.update(person);

                // Disables all Fields
                toggleEnableEditText(false);

                // Show all Buttons
                llPrevNext.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

                // Calls default search
                search(null);

                fab.showMenuButton(true);
                toolbar.setTitle(getString(R.string.app_name));
                cancelActionToggle(false);

                // Resets flag
                isUpdating = false;

            }catch (SQLException e){
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttUpdate), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttUpdate)+": "+e.getMessage());
            }

        }else{
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttFillF), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

        }

        return true;
    }

    private void delete(){
        // Getting the id

        // Making sure that there is a record
        if(!etId.isEnabled() && !etId.getText().toString().equals("")){

            // Creating the AlertDialog to prevent accidental clicks
            AlertDialog.Builder dialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);
            dialog.setTitle(getString(R.string.adTitle));
            dialog.setMessage(getString(R.string.adMessage) + etName.getText().toString() + "?");

            // If the no button was clicked it dimisses the dialog
            dialog.setNegativeButton(getString(R.string.adbtNo), new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                @Override
                public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                    fab.showMenuButton(true);
                    dialog.dismiss();
                }
            });

            // If the yes button was clicked
            dialog.setPositiveButton(getString(R.string.adbtYes), new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                @Override
                public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                    try {
                        Person person = new Person();
                        person.setId(Long.valueOf(etId.getText().toString()));
                        // runs the delete querry
                        personDao.delete(person);

                        clear();

                        fab.showMenuButton(true);

                        // calls the default search
                        search(null);
                    } catch (SQLException e) {
                        Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttDelete), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                        Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttDelete)+": " + e.getMessage());
                    }
                }
            });

            // Displays the AlertDialog
            dialog.create().show();

        }else{
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttDelete2), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }

    }

    private void previousResult(){
        try{
            // Move to previous record
            //cursor.moveToPrevious();
            peopleCount--;

            boolean isFirst = (peopleCount == 0);
            boolean isLast = (peopleCount+1 == people.size());

            // Enables or disables the browse button
            // if there's any record foward or backward
            btPrevious.setEnabled(!isFirst);
            btNext.setEnabled(!isLast);

            // Displays content in the fields
            displayData(peopleCount);

        }catch (SQLException e){
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttPrevR), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttPrevR)+": "+e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    private void nextResult(){
        try{
            // Move to next record
            //cursor.moveToNext();
            peopleCount++;

            boolean isFirst = (peopleCount == 0);
            boolean isLast = (peopleCount+1 == people.size());

            // Enables or disables the browse button
            // if there's any record foward or backward
            btNext.setEnabled(!isLast);
            btPrevious.setEnabled(!isFirst);

            // Displays content in the fields
            displayData(peopleCount);

        }catch (SQLException e){
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttNextR), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttNextR)+": "+e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    private void displayData(int index){
        try {
            // Setting the content of the fields with their proper values
            etId.setText(String.valueOf(people.get(index).getId()));
            etName.setText(people.get(index).getName());
            etPhone.setText(people.get(index).getPhone());
            etAddress.setText(people.get(index).getAddress());

            // Disables all fields
            toggleEnableEditText(false);

        }catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e){
            Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, getString(R.string.ttDisplayD), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            Log.e(TAG, getString(R.string.ttDisplayD)+": "+e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    private void getValues(){
        // Gets all EditText values
        id = etId.getText().toString();
        name = etName.getText().toString();
        phone = etPhone.getText().toString();
        address = etAddress.getText().toString();

    }

    private void toggleEnableEditText(boolean enabled){
        // Enables or disables the EditText Widgets
        // based on the enabled variable
        etId.setEnabled(enabled);
        etName.setEnabled(enabled);
        etPhone.setEnabled(enabled);
        etAddress.setEnabled(enabled);
    }

    private void clear(){
        // Clear all fields
        etId.setText("");
        etName.setText("");
        etPhone.setText("");
        etAddress.setText("");
    }

}


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text:
The Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Dilemma in California
Southern California Uninsured Drivers
Believe it or not, the exact number of uninsured drivers in California is unknown. The estimates range from about 14% to 20% depending on how the numbers were evaluated. All of the experts agree to the following:
The number of uninsured motorists is rising in the State of California;
In some areas of California the number of uninsured drivers exceed 50%;
Uninsured drivers are far more likely to be involved in a significant car accident.
Reliable studies have concluded that uninsured motorists tend to be younger, less educated, receive less income, rent their homes, and are recognized minorities. The factors that made these California drivers uninsured motorists in the first place are heightened by the current economic downturn. However, the alarming trend is for formerly insured drivers to become uninsured motorists due to the economic downturn. It is easy to understand that a family that loses employment or other income must make difficult economic choices including non-payment of automobile insurance. It is a priority to have food on the table and a roof overhead. Insurance is a distant concern contingent on a mere potential of liability.
You should be concerned. Even in so-called "good" neighborhoods, more and more vehicles which pass you and you pass are uninsured! Just because you live in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, La Canada, Pasadena, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Agoura, Thousand Oaks does not mean that you will be hit by an uninsured motorist—you will!
Many families from "good" neighborhoods that have weathered the economic downturn still must travel into heavily uninsured areas for work and school. With the uninsured rate in these difficult areas exceeding 50%, it is more than likely that any car accident you have in your travels through these areas will be with an uninsured motorist. Consider how often you travel through Los Angeles, Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Panorama City, East Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside. Also, consider how often drivers from these areas pass you on the freeways or main highways.
The same factors that make drivers uninsured play a role in why they are more likely to be involved in an accident. Generally, the education level is lower and driver training is less. But, it is fair to assume that an uninsured motorist is less likely to operate premium equipment with all its various safety features. Brakes are less likely to be changed or be in optimum repair. Tires are more likely to be bald or sustain a blow out. Headlights and taillights are less likely to be repaired or replaced. Bad weather magnifies the risk from these "deferred" maintenance issues.
Responsible drivers should not assume that a car accident, motorcycle accident, bicycle accident or pedestrian accident with an uninsured driver will not happen to them.
Uninsured Motorist Resource Center
ACCIDENT RESOURCE CENTER
What to do First After an Accident
Responsible Parties to a Crash
9 Parts of Auto Insurance
Neck and Back Injury Risk Factors
You Can Handle Your Own Case
How are Damages Calculated in a Personal Injury Case?
Types of Car Crashes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home / Lifestyle / Health / Hospitals go the virtual way as health apps gain popularity
Hospitals go the virtual way as health apps gain popularity
An increasing number of hospitals are now using customised and popular mobile applications to reach out to patients.
By Snehal Tripathi | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON APR 06, 2015 07:29 AM IST
These mobile apps are also helping patients to seek appointments, get ready reckoners and get laboratory reports on their smartphones, saving them a visit to the hospital.
Max Healthcare launched Max MyHealth application for Android and iOS users last month. The app provides patients immediate access to doctors, emergency services, cost transparency and personal healthcare. The app can be also used to book and pay for an annual health check-up, home-care services, cancel appointments, find directions to the nearest Max hospital, view lab reports and use payment option for non-paid appointments using multiple payment methods.
"It is a bit like choosing your airline seat online; patients can now choose doctors and slot an appointment with them through the app. We plan to roll out this app to other mobile platforms as well like Windows and start voice-activation for people with disabilities," said Anas Abdul Wajid, director of sales and marketing, Max Healthcare.
Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in Vasant Kunj encourages people to use WhatsApp to fix appointments and give feedback, including on resolution of complaints. "Apart from reaching us online, patients can contact us directly through mobile messaging applications like WhatsApp," said Dr Param Hans Mishra, medical superintendent, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre.
Then there's the subscription website 'Doctor on call (DOC)' on 0120-4886500, where people can buy annual plans that entitles them to medical services. The gold plan costs Rs 2000 annually and offers subscriber free blood tests, 24x7 doctor and nutritionist access, special discounts and home visits. The Silver Plan is for Rs 1,500 and offers all of the above sans home visits.
Patients can register themselves on the website by clicking on 'CALL ME BACK' option. They will be asked to enter their names, email id and phone number. DOC officers either connect patients with a general physician or fix and share appointments/check-up details.
Rohini-resident Rakesh Arora, 50, called — Doctor on call— when his wife suddenly fell ill at midnight last week.
"They recommended medicines that helped her feel better. She was fine within a couple of hours. Also, about months ago, my mother too consulted doctors on phone for itching in her eyes," said Arora.
"We are aiming at patients not needing to go to hospitals. They can to speak to doctors on phone," said Dr Randhir Sud, director, Doctor On Call.
Even government hospitals are gradually going the virtual way with the Delhi government and hospitals like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) having started patient registration online.
AIIMS' Trauma Centre also provides online information on wait period for various procedures, number of patients seen, admissions and discharges made in a day, etc. that gets automatically updated every minute.
"We started it because people were complaining about being unaware of how long they were to wait to get a test done or get their wound dressed. We wanted a mechanism in place to see where things were going wrong and how we could inform people about the exact wait time," said Dr Deepak Agrawal, professor, neurosurgery at the hospital.
Tele-consultation, telemedicine, online registration, live surgeries relayed online, etc. all come under the ambit of mobile health.
Online consultation is proving to be a boon for people living in tier two - tier three cities for whom it is not feasible to travel to the metropolitan cities to seek a second opinion or even for frequent follow ups.
Patients who are diagnosed for any tertiary level procedure/ surgery/ medical intervention tend to seek a second opinion before they undergo the procedure.
Since the popular doctors of the country largely live in metropolitan cities, getting access to them becomes an issue for these patients, and online facilities help bridging this gap.
"It allows patients to seek medical care without personally visiting a doctor. With this technology, they are also able to share their medical reports for diagnosis and consultation. I get queries and even report images on WhatsApp," said Dr Anupam Sibal, group medical director, Apollo Hospitals that has 120 telemedicine centres running.


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text:
The Book of Parables
August 7, 2020 August 7, 2020 · Fr. Stephen De Young
The second major portion of the Book of Enoch is the 'Book of Parables' which now constitutes 1 Enoch 37-71. This is something of a misnomer as the Book of Parables proper, composed of three 'parables' or visions received by Enoch, really only makes up chapters 37-59. Chapters 60-71 appear to be the incorporation of another, independent source into the Book of Parables and thence 1 Enoch. The material in chapters 60-71 is primarily designated as the Book of Noah. It is sometimes labeled as portions or fragments of a Book of Noah. It is not as simple, however, as just another book having been incorporated with all the others into 1 Enoch. Its independence is attested to by the fact that the speaker shifts from Enoch to Noah. Yet within those chapters at several points the identity of the speaker, sometimes abruptly, shifts back and forth between Noah and his forefather Enoch. Further, material in the final chapters of the Book of Parables seems to be attempting, by way of a summary to unite all of the material as a unit. The Book of Parables was in its present form by the first century BC. This likely indicates that both the three visions of Enoch and the Book of Noah represent older material which has here been incorporated and edited together. The Book of Noah material is likely the oldest based on the sometimes awkward means of its incorporation, i.e. the later editor felt free to work with the Enochic material in order to make that incorporation happen but not with the Noahic material which is preserved intact even where it creates difficulties.
There are two major themes of the Book of Parables woven throughout. The first is the description of a figure, the Son of Man, the Elect One, the Messiah, the Righteous One, who is a divine figure who is eternally pre-existent with the Most High. This figure has been hidden from everlasting and revealed only to the elect, indicating Israel or, more likely, the faithful within Israel. This leads to the second major theme, the coming of this figure among men which will culminate with his enthronement on the throne of the Most High, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of the heavens and the earth, and the initiation of the age to come. Even in this broad strokes summary, one might get the impression that this all seems a little too 'on the nose' regarding later Christian Christology and eschatology to be found in a pre-Christian document. This is because of the misunderstanding that the New Testament, or portions thereof, are in some sense starting from scratch or just starting over to reveal a whole new theology and new facts to produce a new religion. This is not how the New Testament documents present themselves, of course. The substance of the Christian religion had already existed and been believed and practiced for centuries by the time of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The theme of all of the New Testament documents is that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messianic Divine Son of Man in whom faithful Judeans already believed. The Book of Parables gives us one particularly clear window into the understanding of those in the Second Temple period of the pre-existent Divine Messiah.
First Enoch 37 begins by identifying the forthcoming Book of Parables as the "second vision" of Enoch the seventh from Adam. This connective tissue frames the foregoing Book of the Watchers as Enoch's first vision. In the verses following which introduce what is to come, however, this vision is reframed as three "parables" received by Enoch. The language of parables as well as frequent references to wisdom within these chapters places it within earlier Hebrew wisdom traditions. This is not a wisdom genre as opposed to the apocalyptic genre of the Book of the Watchers. While these categorizations are sometimes helpful, genres blend throughout the Scriptures. One example particularly apropos of the Book of Parables' contents would be Proverbs 8 and its depiction of pre-existent Wisdom begotten by God. Apocalyptic represents a divine perspective on earthly events. The wisdom gained by Enoch through his apocalyptic visions is here communicated by him to those on earth through these parables.
Chapter 38 begins with a preface describing what will occur at the end of days. The depiction of judgment here is twofold. First, the kings and the mighty upon the earth will perish and come to an end. Second, the wicked who rejected the Lord of Spirits will be driven from the face of the earth and will have nowhere to go or hide. While this will be the subject of further description in what follows, already there is a clear distinction being made between these 'rulers' who "possess the earth" at the present time and the unrepentantly sinful. This is not only a verbal distinction but a distinction in their fate. The unrepentantly sinful are driven not only from the presence of the Lord of Spirits, being unable to bear it, but also from the presence of the righteous who themselves shine with the light of his glory, particularly from their faces (v. 3-4). The wording regarding the permanence of their fate is also important. It is not that they are now unable to repent, but rather that none of them will. The rulers and possessors of the earth, in contrast, perish utterly and are destroyed. All of this happens when the Righteous One appears before the eyes of the righteous (v. 2). The Righteous One is here clearly delineated from the Lord of Spirits. The righteous to whom he appears are those who have participated in the works of the Lord of Spirits (v. 2).
The parables are then framed within a vision received by Enoch after he was taken to the heavens in a whirlwind. He sees the heavens and the angels in their places. The Book of Parables here goes farther than the Book of the Watchers, however, in Enoch beholding "the Elect One of righteousness and of faithfulness" (39:6; cf. 1 Pet 2:6; 1 Cor 1:30). He dwells under the wings of the Lord of Spirits and his characteristic attribute is righteousness. All of the righteous, through their participation in his righteousness, become "flaming lights" (v. 6-7). Before the throne of the Lord of Spirits, Enoch sees a thousand thousands and ten-thousand ten-thousands who never sleep (i.e. are immortal) endlessly praising God (39:12-40:2; cf. Rev 5:11). On the four sides of the throne, Enoch sees four of the archangels performing particular tasks through their voices. St. Michael unceasingly praises the Lord of Spirits. St. Raphael endlessly praises the Elect One and blesses the elect ones who are his brethren. St. Gabriel is said to endlessly intercede for those who dwell on Earth and make supplications for them. He is further identified as the leader of the powers of heaven, leading them in precisely this task of intercession. The fourth, the Archangel Phanuel, is said to fight back the satans who wish to come and accuse those who dwell on the earth. How he does this is then defined as being through repentance and hope which he conveys through prayer to the Lord of Spirits (1 Enoch 40:4-9). This gives a pattern to the understanding of worship in this period. It consists in praise offered to God Most High, praise offered to his Elect One through whom the saints are made righteous and receive blessings, intercessory prayers and supplications, and prayers of repentance with hope of reconciliation. It is not difficult to see how this understanding of worship passed directly into and formed early Christian worship with the Elect One identified as the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven intercedes for earth. The congregation of the righteous on earth intercedes for the rest of creation.
Throughout the Book of Parables, themes regarding the Messiah and of a second hypostasis of Yahweh the God of Israel are drawn together into one single figure from throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. This includes not only Isaiah's elect one, servant, and anointed one and Daniel's heavenly Son of Man, but also Wisdom despite it being grammatically feminine. Enoch takes a familiar theme from midrashic commentary about Wisdom seeking a dwelling on earth and finding none and applies it to the Elect One. Wisdom comes to earth among humans and is rejected after which she returns to be enthroned in the heavens. In the process, however, she ends up finding a certain few with whom to dwell who are not the ones she first sought but who desperately had need of Wisdom (1 Enoch 42:1-3). St. John uses these same themes in the prologue to his Gospel (John 1:9-13). Much of the remainder of the first parable focuses on the movements of celestial bodies which will be a greater focus in the following Book of Luminaries. Here, however, the stars are identified not only with the angelic beings but with the destiny of the righteous (Enoch 43:4-44:1).
The second parable then begins by describing the Day of the Lord, here referred to as "that day" (1 Enoch 45:3; cf. Matt 7:22; 24:36; 26:29; Mark 13:32; 14:25; Luke 10:12; 17:31; 21:34; Rom 2:16; 1 Thess 5:4; 2 Thess 1:10; 2:3). On that day, the Elect One will sit to judge on the throne of glory which is the throne of the Lord of Spirits himself (Enoch 45:3; cf. Matt 25:31-32). The result of this judgment is a transformed and renewed heavens and earth, not only the latter (1 Enoch 45:4-5; Heb 12:26-28; 2 Pet 3:12-13; Rev 21:1). Both the aforementioned rulers and possessors of the earth, the wicked spiritual powers and principalities in the heavenly places and the wicked of the earth are judged. The purification of the earth in particular makes it a blessing to man, reversing the cursed state brought about by sin (1 Enoch 45:5). Chapter 46 then describes a parallel scene to that of Daniel 7. Enoch beholds the Ancient of Days and with him another being like a Son of Man (46:1). Enoch asks who the Son of Man is, and is told by his angelic guide that he is identical to the Elect One and the Righteous One whom he saw previously. He is further identified as the one who has the right of the firstborn from the Lord of Spirits (v. 3). This single figure then is both the divine figure previously seen and this human figure now beheld with the Ancient of Days. He further has the character of the one who reveals the treasures of that which is hidden (cf. Col 2:2-3). In his judgment, he is prophesied to have victory over the rulers of the world casting them down from their throne and casting them into Sheol, using the language of Isaiah regarding the fall of the devil in parallel (1 Enoch 46:4-6; cf. Is 14:9-11). They are cast down for not extolling and praising the Son of Man and for not acknowledging whence they had received the kingdom (1 Enoch 46:5). This is further describing the heavenly judgment which is coming when the principalities and powers which have enslaved the nations will be cast down and destroyed by the Son of Man. The specific language used here, "[he] shall raise up the kings and the mighty from their seats…and he shall put down the kings from their thrones and kingdoms" (v. 4-5), is also used by the Theotokos in her song of praise as recorded by St. Luke (1:52).
This judgment is not performed by the Son of Man independently from the Ancient of Days, as Enoch immediately describes the Ancient of Days sitting upon the same throne and opening the books to render judgment, and so the activity of judgment is one (1 Enoch 47:3-4). Though the title Son of Man or Son of Adam points to a human nature for this being, at the same time, he continues to be described in divine terms. "And at that hour the Son of Man was named in the presence of the Lord of Spirits and his name before the Ancient of Days. Even before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of the heaven were made, his name was named before the Lord of Spirits. He will be a staff for the righteous with which for them to stand and not to fall. And he will be the light of the nations and the hope of those whose hearts are troubled. All who dwell on the earth will fall down and worship him and they will praise and bless and celebrate with song the Lord of Spirits. For this reason, he has been chosen and hidden before him from before the creation of the world and forevermore" (1 Enoch 48:2-6). He is the recipient of worship, but that worship is not in addition to the worship of the Lord of Hosts, it is one worship (Phil 2:11). This section culminates with the first identification of the Son of Man as the Messiah, Christ, the Anointed One (1 Enoch 48:10). The language used by Enoch regarding the Son of Man is echoed in St. Symeon's identification of Jesus as Messiah (Luke 2:32).
A recurrent motif in the Book of Parables is the Elect One producing a fountain of wisdom which flows like water (1 Enoch 48:1; 49:1). This language is utilized in relation to Christ by St. John in his Gospel on multiple occasions (4:14; 7:37-39; also Rev 21:6). What designates him as the Elect One and allows this life-giving flow of Wisdom is that he is indwelt by the Spirit of Wisdom (1 Enoch 49:3). As he has already been represented as Wisdom, this is his Spirit, but also the Spirit of the Lord of Spirits. St. John's Gospel focuses much of its latter half on the Holy Spirit whom Christ will send, but also refers to the Spirit coming to rest and stay upon Christ at his baptism as the marker of his identity as the Messianic Son of Man (1:32-33).
Before the judgment of that day, Enoch presents a period of time during which human persons are able to see the fate of the wicked powers and of unrepentant sinners and find repentance themselves, even the worst of them (1 Enoch 50:1-4). After the judgment, however, there is no more repentance or mercy (v. 5). Enoch also explicitly ties the resurrection of the dead to this day of judgment. Though the Book of the Watchers described the realms of the dead and the abodes of their eventual fate, the bodily resurrection was not discussed in that context. Here, however, it is said that Sheol and Hades will give back those whom they have received (51:1; cf. Rev 20:13). Throughout these judgment descriptions, the figure on the throne is described alternately as the Lord of Spirits or Ancient of Days and the Son of Man or Elect One, parallel to the way in which God and the Lamb are described seated on the throne in St. John's Apocalypse.
The remainder of the second parable describes the fate of the wicked. Angels of punishment are depicted preparing a fiery pit or gorge with chains and scourges of punishment. This lake of fire is not, however, when Enoch asks being prepared for sinners who dwell upon the earth, but for Azazel and the wicked spiritual powers, the rulers of the earth (1 Enoch 53:5; 54:4-5;55:3-4; cf. Matt 25:41). These rebellious powers are said to have made themselves subject to Satan and to have deceived and led astray into sinfulness those who dwell upon the earth (1 Enoch 54:6). These hostile powers and the empires they govern are depicted here as mountains made of various metals, combining together several of Daniel's visions regarding world empires (52:1-9), which mountains melt like wax before the Elect One. The unrepentant wicked who dwell upon earth end up sharing this same fate because they are driven to the lake of fire by their inability to withstand the glory of God either directly or as reflected in the faces of the righteous. They go to that place of torment in order to hide from what they perceive as worse torment by the righteousness of the Lord of Spirits and his Anointed.
In the final brief parable, Enoch describes what he sees as the fate of the righteous following the judgment, now free of oppression by wicked spirits and the sinners who serve them (53:7). Their life is described as eternal not merely in the sense of being unending, but of such a quality that time cannot be numbered (58:3-6). This life without end is characterized by peace and justice (v. 4). It will also be one of unending light. The light, righteousness, and peace proceed from the Elect One who stands before the Lord of Spirits who will become as bright as the sun but upon the earth to dwell with the righteous forevermore (cf. Rev 21:23-24).
Next week's post will discuss the remainder of the Book of Parables, the incorporated elements of the Book of Noah.
The Book of the Watchers
The Book of Noah
Thank you so much for going through these books in detail, Father!
This isn't directly related to the Book of Parables, but I was wondering if you had any information about the Ophanim. I know they come up later in Enoch, but I can't find very much information about them. Are they borrowed from another culture's cosmology, like Cherubim and Seraphim? Are they beings in their own right, or just a symbolic way of talking about the wheels of the heavenly chariot? They're definitely the oddest of the angels, and I'd appreciate hearing what you had to say about them (assuming you aren't saving it for a subsequent article).
So, the Ophanim are literally 'Wheels' as you point out and surround the chariot throne of God. They are classed with the Cherubim and Seraphim because they, like them, are throne guardians. That's why they are described in 1 Enoch as never sleeping. The word that describes them can also mean 'whirlwind' which is important in understanding the way the 'whirlwind' that is sometimes said to have taken Enoch or Elijah to heaven is also construed as a throne chariot in other places. They are an additional classification of those heavenly beings that constantly surround the divine throne chariot and who we frequently see in our iconography of Christ enthroned. I've talked about the Merkabah, the throne chariot, in a couple of other places.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/wholecounsel/2018/07/24/st-paul-the-mystic/
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/wholecounsel/2018/09/04/humans-in-the-divine-council/
Can you recommend a good copy of these works available in English? It would be interesting to read the texts and follow along with the blog posts.
Charlesworth is perfectly serviceable and available for free online. Same with R.H. Charles.


Well, here are two attempts at this month's Scrap365 Sketch Challenge - thanks to Morag Cutts for the sketch, which you can see in my previous post or there is a link to Scrap365 on the right.
This first one is all about making the decision to sign up to eHarmony and trying to take a photo for my profile - it's much harder than you would think! I ended up with one or two pictures I could use and a whole load of me falling about laughing!
For this page, I've used Basic Grey Porcelain patterned papers and the bracket shape was a piece of Kaiser Craft Duchess Collection. The smaller bracket shapes were hand cut from Core'dinations cardstock and Stampin' Up! patterned paper and there's a small strip of paper lace from Paper Cellar www.papercellar.com . Embellishments include a Cosmo Cricket Spinner Card bought from Paper Maze ages ago www.papermaze.co.uk, a Vintage Tag from Stampin' Up! and a couple of Filmstrips cut with the Tim Holtz Alterations die on my Cuttlebug. Recycled items - some buttons, a piece of the necklace I'm wearing in the photo and a couple of Scrabble tiles.
I still have to do some journalling - I've left a space to the right of the pictures.
This second page shows me a few months later with John - we had only just met when this picture was taken, but we already knew ... and a year after this we were married. Blimey!!!
For this layout, I've used patterned papers from My Mind's Eye and Stampin' Up! and the leftover piece of Kaiser Craft paper from where I'd cut out the bracket shape on the first layout. The small bracket shape is an Artisan Elements Frame from Pink Paislee www.pinkpaislee.com (I got some of these in a kit and can't wait to play with the rest now!) I used a lot of distress ink on the frame, the flowers, alphas and papers to pull everything together.Recycled items - the beer mat brought back from a holiday, unwanted embroidery silk donated by a friend, and of course me and John, courtesy of eHarmony!
Such a great lo! Love the whimsicali feel of it!
..and you did it! I'm glad you linked them up becasue I have really enjoyed a peep at your thoughtful pages. Great stuff!
Hi Sian, just been and had a nose around your blog - love it!!!


In many clients we see the fine art of BI implementation is a challenge similar to a high-wire act, avoiding a fiscal cliff or landing a person on the moon. The adage that "things worth doing are never easy" holds true, especially with BI. Doing nothing may be the absolute wrong thing to do also. Truth is that all companies must adapt to a changing competitive landscape.
How to avoid implementation issues? Coordination to avoid the high-wire act alone is an extremely focused management effort. The balance in executing BI implementations is in fact not all art but is mostly a science based on proven fundamentals that yield results as consistently as the natural laws of physics—or in this case the natural laws of BI implementation success/failure.
Get initial support from key stakeholders and users, then keep it. It is conceptually as simple as allowing users to be truly involved throughout the entire strategy, design and project implementation. Most projects fail here somewhere along the line, but it is absolutely essential for success. The high-wire act here is as easy as tight roping Niagara Falls on a blustery day.
Successful BI implementations do not rob Peter to pay Paul. A favorite quote is, "Whenever you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can be sure that Paul's outrage will be less than Peter's". This is done by ensuring that everyone on the team has the responsibility and accountability to make things work, daily, through each entire project, throughout the entire strategic implementation.
Your goal is to never allow project elitism—better known as the "us against them blame game", leading to unfavorable results.
Tailor the BI information delivery for each targeted BI consumer group. This may include power users, technical report writers, executives or other user groups, including customers. Businesses move too quickly and change too often for the expectation that static reporting or one delivery mechanism will satisfy BI decision needs. For actionable BI, you must have a fool-proof plan to deliver usable information via practical accessible means to each key user group. This can take many forms, including a variety of mobile & self-service BI possibilities.
If you don't have it within your own team, consider partnering with a firm that has BI experience and repeatable processes to balance success inputs of a BI implementation. This is not a blog level conversation, but a serious strategic BI lifecycle and project planning exercise. Develop a strategy to implement BI for actionable business decisions, then implement using experience. Gravity kills only if you fall, so avoid the fall and provide yourself the full opportunity for success.


An unexpected pregnancy sends Frankie home just in time for the holidays. Determined to figure out the tangled mess of her life, she finds comfort in her childhood traditions. The last thing she expects is for Alex, her baby daddy an overgrown frat boy, to show up on her parent's doorstep.
Alex never wanted to grow up, always on the search for the next party, but when he met Frankie he felt a shift in his carefree world. Now he needs to find a way to convince her that he's done partying and ready to be the man and father to their unborn child that he knows he can be.
There is twelve days until Christmas. And twelve days for him to prove to Frankie that he's ready to be more than just her baby daddy. He's ready to make them a family.
The book is full of sugar sweet moments . No excess drama between Frankie and Alex. Alex was Ginni's colleague in Across the Street.
Alex had a past, a sad past which makes you understand him better.
When Frankie tells him that she is pregnant he realizes how much he wants to be with her. He asks Frankie for 12 days to show her how he is worth the risk and her trust.
Those 12 days to Christmas are all adorable, hilarious, romantic ( though not candle light dinner & walking on beach romantic but baking cookies together & doing Christmas shopping together romantic).
I received an ARC from the Author in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.


Palm Beach Yacht Club License Plate | Maritime Signal Flags, Nautical Art for home, office or yacht.
Made especially for the 2016 31st annual Palm Beach International Boat Show, March 17, 18, 19 & 20. Four 2" x 2" signal flags that spell out the letters P-B-Y-C for Palm Beach Yacht Club.
Stop by booth #330, introduce yourself to me & see this and other great nautical signal flag art in person! See you there!
For other tag designs and samples, shop under the category "SIGNAL FLAGS FOR YOUR CAR"


Infants in this age group are taught the essential survival skills of rotating from a face down position in the water to a face up position and independently maintain a comfortable floating posture; rest and breathe until help arrives. These life savings skills are also practiced while fully clothed for aquatic problem solving opportunities. Lessons are custom tailored to meet the physical, developmental and emotional needs of each child. Lessons are conducted one-on-one, four days per week , Monday - Thursday. Each lesson for this age group is approximately 10 minutes in length. Students are required to attend 4 lesson per week at their same scheduled lesson time each day, Monday - Thursday. for the duration of the 3-4 week course. Students generally master these skills in approximately 3-4 weeks. Please Note: All lessons have a performance based exit and not a time based exit. No two children are exactly alike therefore; no two lessons are conducted exactly alike. Parents or caretakers observe each lesson from the pool deck. Weekly lesson fees are $80 per week.
Children in this age group are taught the essential survival skill of rolling back to float as well as independent swimming (basic front crawl swim). Students will swim with their head down for approximately 3-5 seconds, when they are tired and need to breathe, they will independently rotate onto their backs, float, rest and when ready, they will flip over to resume swimming. They will repeat the Swim-Float-Swim sequence as many times as needed until they can swim to safety. Upon completion of the course, your child will have the survival skills necessary to save himself from a potential drowning situation along with the enjoyment of recreational swimming. Toys & games are incorporated in these lessons for a more enjoyable lesson experience. Lessons are custom tailored to meet the physical, developmental and emotional needs of each child. Lessons are conducted one-on-one, four days per week , Monday - Thursday. Each lesson for this age group is approximately 10 minutes in length. Students are required to attend 4 lessons per week at their same scheduled lesson time each day, Monday - Thursday for the duration of the 4-6 week course. Please Note: All lessons have a performance based exit and not a time based exit. No two children are exactly alike therefore; no two lessons are conducted exactly alike. Parents or caretakers observe each lesson from the pool deck. Weekly lesson fees are $80 per week.
Once basic swimming and floating skills are mastered, students can begin to learn the basics of freestyle swimming with a focus on breathing patterns, refining their swimming strokes and proper propulsive kicking for a more streamline swim. Students in this age group can also learn the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, diving for toys, treading water & swim team preparation. Games and fun swim drills will be incorporated into lessons to enhance your child's ability to swim for safety, fun and fitness. Lessons are conducted one-on-one for approximately 15 minutes per session, Monday - Thursday. A two week commitment is required for the Strokes-N-More course. Lesson fees are $80.00 per week.
Lessons are customized on an individual basis. Fearful adults and teens welcome!


text:
Sacremento & Seattle
Posted on April 30, 2013 by Ben Berger
After the 2007-2008 season, the Seattle Supersonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. At the time, the move ended 40 years of Seattle basketball. In 2009 the Seattle Sounders took the field for the first time as a Major League Soccer franchise. The City embraced the soccer team and crowds in excess of 35k soon crowded Qwest Field to cheer on their franchise.
Right away, they signed an impressive local broadcast deal, allowing a revered local voice to bring Sounders soccer over the air (that didn't work out). They also had an immediate a presence on cable. At the beginning of 2009, Fox Sports Northwest sponsored a weekly Sounders show and ran game replays. They have spent on players, including a DP, and have created an outstanding website. If MLS Executives were to imagine the perfect off the field scenario for an expansion team, Seattle, circa March 16, 2009 would be the dream.
The NBA's relocation committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend that owners reject the application for the Sacramento Kings to relocate to Seattle. While the vote doesn't guarantee that Seattle will forever be denied professional basketball, but it makes it highly unlikely that the Sacramento Kings will relocate to Seattle. For the Sounders, this means one less professional sports competitor in town.
There are only so many disposable sports dollars in any community and as unfortunate as the loss of basketball may be for many in Seattle, the absence of basketball could serve the Sounders well. With only baseball and football as professional sports competitors, the Sounders can retain their prominent role in the Seattle sports scene.
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Monday After
Before we get to attendance, a quick look at some disappointing MLS attendance numbers. Even looking at NBCSN numbers, the numbers reveal that the league is struggling to gain viewers. In a week with two MLS games, neither broke the top 20 of NBCSN programming for the week, trailing a number of fishing shows and plenty of NHL hockey. Despite the occasional match drawing more than 100k, many of the recent NBCSN games have drawn closer to 50k. More recent numbers can be found here.
On to the somewhat more rosy attendance figures from the past week. The Canadian teams all did well with TFC starting the show with a rare 20k plus number at BMO Field. Montreal hosted the NBCSN match with just under 20k in attendance at Stade Saputo. Later in the day, just under 20k packed BC Place for an exciting the match featuring the Canadian side. Buoyed by 7k free tickets to first responders at Gillette, the Revs managed more than 18k for their resounding win over over Philly, while Columbus just crept across the 14k number. KC became the second team to cross the 20k boundary as they just made it over that hump.
Later in the evening more than 16,500 filled Rio Tinto for Saturday evening match. Oddly, the number was less than half the amount that recently watched an RSL reserve match. Chivas USA once again failed to cross the 10k threshold. On Sunday Houston brought in a solid number, falling just shy of 20k at BBVA Compass.
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Soccer Business Bits: Expansion Close, Chivas Sale & More
Multiple news outlets are reporting statements from Commissioner Garber that the announcement of the next MLS expansion team may only be 4-6 weeks away. Among the rampant speculation rumors is a suggestion that Manchester City's wealthy ownership group is the possible leader to land the next franchise. We have long discussed that a New York II franchise is the anticipated 20th team, and a prominent ownership group like Abu Dahbi United Group would likely revel in the opportunity to own a high profile franchise in the Big Apple. Philly.com is also reporting that the likely expansion fee for a New York team would be $100 million. While that fee would likely price new ownership groups in other expansion cities out of later expansion, the effort to secure a stadium in such a prominent locale certainly adds to the expansion fee.
There are also multiple reports circulating that famed Mexican Club Chivas is closes to being sold. In addition to the Mexican side, MLS franchise Chivas USA would be part of the sale. The potential buyer is Carlos Slim, reputed to be the world's wealthiest individual. The sale price is apparently near $700 million dollars and would also include Chivas' stadium. Jose Vergara has owned Chivas for just over a decade and both franchises have struggled over the last years on the field.
One final note. American soccer fans will get national television games on NBCSN, Univision Deportes and UniMas this weekend. Canadian fans will have a game on TSN. There will be no ESPN game this weekend.
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It has been way too long since we last posted an update on the status of stadium construction around American soccer. Over the years we have repeatedly written about efforts to build stadium for the Earthquakes in San Jose. San Jose city officials approved the Planned Development permit for the construction of the proposed Earthquakes stadium a number of months ago. A rendering of the proposed stadium is here and the team is keeping a stadium blog here. For a look at ticket prices, click here.
Steve Goff of Soccer Insider reported last week that United's wandering eye is now peeking towards Maryland. Despite ongoing efforts to secure a permanent home within the District at Buzzards Point. Per Goff, "United has pledged to pay all costs of the new stadium, which would accommodate at least 20,000 spectators and also host college sports, non-MLS soccer events and concerts. The team has asked the city to pay for land acquisition and infrastructure costs. PEPCO, the utility company, and Akridge, a prominent developer, are the primary land owners in the area where United wants to build."
One of the other big stadium stories of the last few months involves the league's efforts to secure a stadium site in Queens. Recall that in December, members of the league office (including the Commissioner), fans, youth players and more joined a reportedly raucous meeting to discuss the possibility of construction a 25k seat stadium in Queens. According to the New York Times, "Garber said the stadium would be financed privately and create at least 3,000 permanent and temporary jobs." Further according to the Times, "the league said every inch of parkland used for the new stadium would be replaced elsewhere in the community. The stadium's footprint would be 10 to 13 acres, Garber said, adding that six and a half of those acres would replace the Fountain of Planets, a site that is currently fenced off. Less than two acres of the proposed stadium site is grassland, he said." It is no secret that Mayor Bloomberg is a supporter of the stadium effort. However, it is also no secret that the Mayor's term is coming to an end. Those vying for his seat are at best non-committal to a stadium and with other opportunities percolating (perhaps Orlando), the possibility of a stadium in New York may be on the wane.
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Charity & MLS
With all of the focus on the community response to the events in Boston, the efforts of Major League Soccer and its franchises should not go unnoticed. Whether its the charitable contributions of the Revolution and Bob Kraft or the in-stadium signage and demonstrations, soccer has been a big part of the show of support. Major League Soccer has long been an important partner in its community through individual team efforts and the league's charitable arm, MLS Works. Below is a three year old interview we did with JoAnne Neale regarding Works.
The charitable efforts of professional sports leagues and teams are typically overlooked by their fans, yet they are an important component of the community outreach programs in which almost all leagues are involved. In addition to providing a way to give back to the community, local charitable efforts often provide teams with an outstanding opportunity to connect with fans and potential fans.
This week we will focus on the charitable efforts of the American Soccer Community. We have interviewed league representatives from MLS and WPS and individual teams to find out how soccer "gives back". We start today with MLS Executive Vice President JoAnn Neale who overseas MLS W.O.R.K.S., the charitable arm of MLS. Thanks to Ms. Neale for her thoughts on MLS W.O.R.K.S., and check back during the week more stories about soccer and charity.
Footiebusiness.com: What is MLS W.O.R.K.S. What was the impetus for forming it in 2007?
JoAnn Neale: MLS W.O.R.K.S. is Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative, dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people, and it serves as a platform for both League and club philanthropic programs. MLS W.O.R.K.S. seeks to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people through sport. MLS W.O.R.K.S. was launched in April 2007 as way for the League to partner with charitable organizations on a national level, but to also highlight and promote the charitable efforts of its clubs and players who give back to their local communities.
FB: MLS W.O.R.K.S. is involved with many different organizations. How is it decided where to allocate time and resources from WORKS to these organizations?
JN: MLS W.O.R.K.S. supports many organizations on various levels, but we try to partner with organizations that align with our objectives and make sense both nationally and in local markets with MLS clubs.
FB: Do MLS teams participate in W.O.R.K.S. or are there individual charities and outreach groups associated with individual teams? How is it determined which players participate in W.O.R.K.S. events?
JN: Although most of our clubs have their own charitable foundations and support local organizations, all 16 clubs support MLS W.O.R.K.S. and our initiatives. Because our markets vary so much, we create our programs with flexibility so they can be shaped to have relevance in each community. We work closely with our clubs to find player ambassadors that support our initiatives, but we also work to highlight all the charitable efforts of our players in each market, even if they are not W.O.R.K.S. specific.
FB: How can fans get involved? Are there any specific auction items fans should be on the lookout for?
JN: We recently launched the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Community Service Program, a collaborative effort to combine sport and service, promote goodwill within MLS markets and improve lives and communities at the grassroots level. Part of the program, which we will be expanding during the 2010 season, is to highlight what our fans are doing to make a difference in their communities. We will launch a contest during the 2010 season to recognize fans from each market that are going above and beyond.
Currently, we are conducting an online auction to help raise additional awareness and funds to support Unicef and their relief efforts for children and families in Haiti.
FB: W.O.R.K.S. advertising is present on signboards during games and on MLS broadcasts. How is it determined when/where W.O.R.K.S. programs are advertised.
JN: We will be increasing our marketing efforts during the 2010 season to try and give our initiative and charitable partners additional exposure during various times of the season. For instance, leading up to and surrounding Earth Day, we will promote MLS W.O.R.K.S. Greener Goals and during October, W.O.R.K.S. field boards will be pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness.
Marketing gimmicks come in all forms, from game day promotions, to fan events to ….Star Wars themed nights? For it May 4 game, the Union have announced that they will have a series of events invoking the film. From the official release "The game, a 4 p.m. kickoff, will feature interactive games, contests and promotional giveaways in conjunction with the iconic film series created by George Lucas. Union fans attending the match will have the opportunity to watch pre-game training from field level, as the first 100 participants to check in for a Star Wars costume contest will receive access. Additionally, one grand-prize winner from the contest will be named honorary captain for the match and participate in pre-game ceremonies on the field.
Let's get to the attendance figures from another busy weekend of soccer in the United States. Before we to MLS, a quick note about attendance in the NWSL. The Portland Thorns kicked off their home slate before more than 16k, a remarkable number for Women's Soccer in the United States.
On the MLS side, the week got started in New York with a disappointing mid-week crowd of just over 12k for their claim with Sporting. The weekend started with a crowd of 16k at BMO in Toronto for another TFC draw. The low numbers continued with just over 12k in Colorado later in the day. the 18k plus at Red Bull Arena was raucous for their Saturday night clash with New England. Less than 13k were in Bridgeview for Chicago's home match, while more than 14k were in Dallas on Saturday night. Even RSL came in with a low number, with just under 15k Chivas USA. Only LA managed a solid number, with almost 26k in Carson for the Galaxy's home match. It is remarkable that the absence of home dates for Seattle, Vancouver and Portland can make the weekend numbers look ordinary.
Looking at the Adidas & AT&T Relationships
adidas has long been a strong partner of MLS. Back in 2010 the company increased their MLS deal by $25 million per year over 8 years, and in 2011 the merchandise giant cozied up to MLS' youth academies. adidas is outfitting all teams under the MLS development umbrella, sponsoring the Generation U-17 tournament and investing significant resources in the highest levels of American youth soccer. These players will grow with adidas products hopefully (from the company's perspective), becoming stars the are wed to the brand. From the league's perspective, the adidas relationship continues to grow and ensures that a dynamic and prominent corporate entity remains a partner with the league for the long term.
At the time adidas re-negotiated its deal, Commissioner Garberg had this to say: "One of the major reasons Major League Soccer has become one of the top soccer leagues in the world is due to the support and commitment of adidas. "They have a clear vision for the sport in North America, and they see MLS as a cornerstone of that vision. Our extension with adidas is a major statement by an internationally respected brand that MLS is increasing in value and that our commitments to stadium construction, strategic expansion, player development and improvement in the overall quality of play are playing dividends."
AT&T has also had a long-term relationship with MLS. Recently, reports suggest that the relationship has expanded with rights for MLS, Mexican Soccer Federation and US Soccer. The telecommunications company has been the long time sponsor of the league's All Star Game, the provider of mi-coach and a constant presence on stadium signage. From the quoted article, ""We've recognised the growing passion for soccer in the US," said Greg Skasko, director of sponsorships for AT&T. "The engagement from our promotions has been very strong. It's a multicultural fan base and really hits the 18-34 demographic. We also love that MLS is tech-savvy and so are their fans."
The deal was negotiated on behalf of AT&T by The Marketing Arm agency."
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Is this a common CG bug?
Can't get text to center vertically or horz.
Any workarounds for long scrolls?
VT3 CG Hangs when saving project file.
Title Crawl compressed to MPEG 2 creates distortion.
Online library of CG fonts/styles?
Masks and keyframes in CG?
Deko Character Generator to VTCG: its possible ?
Default image file size for CG png's?
Maximum No of lines in a scroll ?
Help, my CG is too fast!
Any way to auto line spaces?
What i need to use VT-CG in a liveproduction studio ?
Poll: Would you like to see the CG overhauled?
live type for T3 ??
rendered cg motion file incorrect.
CGPLAYER does not auto load correctly.
VT Freezes when saving config.
VT CG Projects and "CG-Post"
VT2 CG documented bugs / crashes?
Newsticker scrolls while pulling up anchor names..
VT CG and VTvision: bug?
Where can I find original templates?
How to remove texture-images from menu ?
Where does CG "Styles" get saved?
animated cg imported into vt3?
HAs this ever happened before a crash for you?
Title Templates: Where are they to edit?


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ERIC ANDRE: From the Hideout to Adult Swim and Beyond: By Prateek Srivastava
Eric Andre caught my eye last year while I was watching Comedy Central. His wild afro and bugged out eyes defined his persona and fit in well with his high energy absurdist comedy. Don't let the crazy hair fool you, the guy's hardly a slacker and has been working like crazy to break into the world of television. Currently he's added talk show host to his resume with his new Adult Swim show. The aptly titled "Eric Andre Show" is a talk show, filmed "cable access" style but ultimately it morphs into a playhouse with no boundaries. On TV Eric is joined by the very laid back Hannibal Buress. Buress(a Chicago native originally) dabbled in TV writing stints at 30 Rock and SNL; he plays the sidekick on the show. The back and forth between the manic Eric and the chill Hannibal is the key to the show's success! I have to say that sometimes it's hard to understand why you're laughing. The clip below begins with Eric's usual intro involving destruction of his set but it devolves into him singing an R and B-esque number about bananas and Obama. I never thought I would see Hannibal Buress happily crooning in a matching white outfit.
The Hideout show itself was part of his live tour of the Adult Swim show. Kudos to JFL Chicago for recognizing Eric's talent and providing a great venue! The Hideout housed some great shows during JFL Chicago including the previously mentioned REDACTED featuring a who's who of talent. Getting back to the Eric Andre show, the sold out crowd packed into the intimate space! No chairs were provided and that would prove to wise choice after all. Things kicked off with Hannibal Buress! The rowdy rock club type crowd was a loud at first but like a pro Hannibal was able to reel them in with some bits about taking a shit on an airplane and scrambled eggs. He quickly introduced the opening act, Chicago's own Junior Stopka. I'm always happy to see Junior perform anywhere whether it's at a local show like CYSK or at 1 in the morning at an open mic like Coles. The Hideout's crowd shared my opinion and rolled with Junior's punchlines going along for the ride. I've mentioned this before but it's great to see JFL recognizing local talent like Stopka and give them the chance to perform alongside the headliners.
Things went into hyper-drive by the time Eric Andre came out! Much like the opening of the show on TV, Eric dismantled the entire stage! Diving back and forth, knocking over both of his desks, and even tossing potted plants into the audience, it was a melee. But a fun melee, Eric made sure to run through the crowd a couple times literally biting a dude's leg for no reason. That's a recurring theme of the show, things happening for no reason but you roll with it. There were some slight technical difficulties audio miscues, etc. But the audience kept the energy going and like Hannibal said "y'all probably thought these glitches were some high minded adult swim shit" no there were technical difficulties. The show itself went from a random monologue to Eric Andre pulling random audience members on the stage. Loads of short films were presented to the crowd. one my favorites involved Eric and a few other guys dressed up in slave garb and running through a Civil War re-enactment!
Many TV shows are going on tour now, Portlandia, Tim and Eric, etc. and it's oftentimes an interesting experiment. The Hideout's indie rock club was the perfect fit for the no-boundaries show. Overall, the show full of hilarious insanity, between Eric tossing a red bat into the audience, Musical cues going haywire and a "Gangsta Rap Act" that ended bananas being tossed onto the stage. Also, check out this clip taken from the Live show at the Hideout.
Another thing to take away from Eric Andre is that he's a big stand up workhouse he was hitting up shows all week including opening up for Amy Schumer dropping by at Lincoln Lodge, Up Comedy Club and even the Laugh Factory. While he's not from Chicago originally, he's supportive of the local scene, in the past he's dropped by shows CYSK, Entertaining Julia. During JFL he dropped by the very fun Wind Up Chicago as well even doing a set during the open mic at Coles Bar.
Check out the Eric Andre show on Adult Swim and don't be bummed that you missed out on the Live Eric Andre Show. On July 15th, Eric Andre will be performing the Eric Andre Show at Bottom Lounge as part of the Pitchfork music Festival After Party!
Prateek Srivastava


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Britain's Best ZERO-CARBON Day was on Easter Monday when 80% of Electricity was rated Zero-Carbon.
Great Britain's electricity system recorded its greenest ever day on bank holiday Monday as sunshine and windy weather led to a surge in renewable energy. At its peak on Monday 5th April 2021, zero-carbon sources made up 80 per cent of the UK's energy mix. Whilst a large proportion of the population sat down to enjoy their Easter lunch, wind turbines and solar farms generated 60% of all electricity, whilst the UK's nuclear reactors provided an additional 16%, meaning that almost 80% of the grid was powered by low-carbon sources. This effective combination of green energy sources meant that power plants in England, Scotland and Wales produced only 39g of carbon dioxide for every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed, which according to the National Grid's Electricity System Operator (ESO), is the lowest carbon intensity recorded since National Grid records began in 1935!
This impressive result was achieved due to a combination of factors. Take the ingredients of sunny, windy weather conditions on a bank holiday, when factories and large industries are not working – coupled with a national lockdown, and you are sure to cook up some impressive figures!
To put this into context, the very next day, 24.8% of Britain's energy came from fossil fuels, most of which was gas (combined cycle), whilst 45.2% was a renewable energy source. The real test for renewables comes however, when we are faced with a cold, still, overcast winter's day, when the demand for heating and lighting soars, and the ability to produce wind-power is non-existent. But as investments in renewables increases, breaking records for green energy production is surely something we will become increasingly more accustomed to.
The way in which the UK harnesses power has changed over recent years, It is now a fairly regular occurrence for more than half of the grid's electricity to be supplied by wind, while last year the country went 55 days without relying on coal for power in the summer of 2020.
Becoming Carbon-free by 2025
National Grid ESO director, Fintan Slye stated: "This latest record is another example of how the grid continues to transform at an astonishing rate as we move away from fossil fuel generation and harness the growth of renewable power sources. It's an exciting time, and the progress we're seeing with these records underlines the significant strides we're taking towards our ambition of being able to operate the system carbon-free by 2025."
Over 2020 as a whole, carbon intensity fell to 181g of CO²/kWh, which was in part caused by the collapse in demand for electricity during the Coronavirus lockdowns. To stay on track with the UK's climate targets the electricity industry will need to cut its carbon intensity to 50g of CO²/kWh by 2030, so there is still a long way to go and each and every person needs to play their part in this global challenge.
How is Zioxi helping to reduce Carbon Emissions ?
Here at zioxi we are committed to helping you use less energy in schools, universities and businesses. Therefore, we have developed our onView technology which has an automatic 'Green Charge' function that communicates with the National Grid and forecasts when the greenest times to consume energy will be over the coming 48 hours. When you are charging your laptops in your charging trolley, or rechargeable powerHubs or your ipads in their charging cart you can be sure that you are only consuming energy at the times of day and night when the power generation from renewable sources is at its peak. Our onView technology can also be implemented in desks, tables, lecterns and other power consuming items of furniture so power can be automatically turned off when not in use.
The Zioxi powerHubs Towers and powerHub Quad and Cube use our OnView patented technology to store Green Energy in batteries for distribution anytime and anywhere it is needed. We are committed to a greener future for all.


According to Curbed Atlanta, there are more than 40 major construction projects either under way or planned in Midtown.
Below are several projects that are expected to be delivered in the coming years and are currently underway. We are focusing on developments that are transformative and will help redefine and enrich the community for decades.
We included a list of the apartment and office renovation projects at the end, each of which will also have a positive impact on the core of Midtown not only through their residential offerings, but by bringing retail to the streets below.
We purposely excluded projects that have not yet started. We have been in Atlanta long enough to know not to get too excited about projects that have been announced but are not yet underway. Trump Tower, anyone?
The $375 million, John Portman & Associates-designed mixed use complex is expected to open in early 2019. The massive development will be largely occupied by Georgia Tech and will total 22 stories and 770,000 square feet of office space, a computing center and retail around an open plaza.
The Southeast's first mixed-use development with two office towers totaling 720,000 square feet, residential condos, a 467-room hotel and a 163,000-square-foot retail center is undergoing a major renovation, which will transform the corner of Peachtree and 14th streets and boost the Midtown icon's retail offerings. It is expected to be completed in the summer of 2018.
The venerable Fox Theatre is redoing its northeast corner, which once included Churchill Grounds, as well as the rooftop. The new lounge will have 8,000 square feet of combined indoor/outdoor space. It is expected to be completed in the fall.
Atlanta's premier arts collective - home to the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theatre - raised a record-breaking $110 million, part of which will be invested in a new theater for the Alliance. The Emmy-award winning troupe will be on the road until the fall of 2018, when it's new Coca-Cola Stage opens just in time for its 50th anniversary season.
Located at Centergy North at Technology Square on Spring Street, this 750,000 square foot office building will provide the global technology company with a state-of-the-art presence close to Atlanta's rich innovation centers and leading academic institutions, including Georgia Tech. It is expected to be complete in 2018.
Northside Hospital is bringing its world-class healthcare to Midtown with the help of Brand Properties and Cooper Carry. Northside will occupy a majority of the 12-story, 170,000 square-foot building with the Northside Hospital Imaging Center, primary care offices, a cardiology department and a street-level urgent care center.
Proton therapy is the next generation of radiation oncology, using protons to precisely treat cancerous tumors. Located across the street from the Fox Theatre, the building is underway though a completion date has not been announced.
This will be a 38-story tower with 400 units and 6,500 square feet of street level retail. We gave this particular project an "honorable mention" because right next door, Whole Foods is building a three-story, 72,000 square-foot grocery store.


For the past 6 weeks, I have been entering a new world: The world of commuting. Being a commuter is no easy endeavor as it requires me to be leave my house at 6:30am to catch a 7:16am train to get to the office by 8:30 each day. This was a hard transition because I am accustomed to just hopping in the car and going as I please. But now, with this new professional step, I find myself bowing down to the CalTrain weekday schedule.
My favorite part of my commute is the 15 minute walk from the train station to my new office. The hustle and bustle of the other commuters screaming for taxis, searching for ubers, and dodging crazy drivers is the most exhilarating and calming feeling at 8:00am. I feel like I belong to part of something bigger than myself because while I do not know any of these people personally, we all have the same morning goal: Get to work in one piece.
My safety blanket during this whole experience is my iPod. (Yes, I still use an iPod because I like to keep my phone and my music separate.) For me, music is more than a sick beat or a smooth melody, it is also a reminder of memories. Last week, Kirk Franklin's "Stomp" came on via shuffle and all I could think about were those hot St. Louis childhood summers sipping slushies and catching fireflies after Vacation Bible School. When T-Pain "Can't Believe It" came through my speakers this morning, I smiled and thought about sophomore year in college when Robert Watkins and I themed a full year program on the rapper. (Literally, 9 months of T-Pain themed parties, work sessions, and events for new freshman). By the time I get to my office, change out of my "commuter flats" and take that first step in my heels, I ready to take on anything as the new compliance project manager at Airbnb.
Transitioning to Airbnb was an emotional rollercoaster that started last September. I had been at my previous tech company for 4 years and I started to wonder if staying was the best decision for my career. I learned so much for my previous employer. Scratch That. I learned everything that I know about tech from my previous employer. Without my 4 years of experience, I would not have my strong foundation in project and program management. But it was time to start researching new adventures and challenges. As much as I don't want to publicly admit it, I was terrified about the interview process for the next career move. I had not professionally interviewed in over 4 years and I was so comfortable at my company. The idea of learning new cultural rules and starting relationship building was daunting. My comfort level stopped me from seeking new opportunities and I tabled the idea until late November.
A job opportunity approached me right before Thanksgiving and I decided to move forward with it because why not?! While this specific opportunity did not work out in my favor, the "interview bug" bit me hard and I made a plan to start pursuing new employment when I came back from winter break. Airbnb was never really on my radar. I knew of the organization and it's incredible company culture, but I was not convinced that I had a chance. It is one of the hottest start ups in the Silicon Valley and receives thousands of applications for each opening. Why would my resume stand out in a crowd of people from all over the world with experiences that I could only dream of? I went to the website, scouted for a job description that both interested me and could potentially match my resume, and pressed send.
I never thought I would be working here, within a group of such diverse people. I strategically use the word diverse because when I describe my organization as diverse, I am not referring to the usual physical definition that we always assume. I am talking about having lunch with a former wine maker turned chef to having coffee with a former tattoo artist turned graphic designer. That's the best part of working here. Each day, I can hear the oral stories of fascinating people and they encourage me to share mine. I feel like I am part of a family even though I have not met all of my work siblings. The culture of this organization makes me want to be a better person in my personal life. It makes me want to experience more, live louder, and love harder. It has been a crazy 6 weeks, but I have made some wonderful new friends and fantastic travel arrangements. Our mission is simple: We want to create a world where everyone can belong anywhere. After my first day, I knew that Airbnb was where I truly belonged.
So if there is one thing you should take away from my job searching experience, here it is: Do not allow your comfort and security to stop you from finding the next big thing. The only thing that is constant in the world is change and you need to learn how to successfully handle the anxiety of new environments and new people.


Handicapped divers are now able to enjoy the taste of freedom and the joys of diving at the Miracle Waters Dive Centre, thanks to a generous sponsorship by Pioneer Plastics and coordination by Plastics|SA.
Situated just outside Brits and surrounded by the beautiful Magaliesberg mountain range, Miracle Waters is an old open cast chrome mine that has been transformed into a large, clear diving lake filled with fresh spring water. Although the resort had paved paths leading to the lake, two plastic rotational moulded jetties now makes it possible for handicapped and wheelchair bound divers to fully access and enjoy the facility. A toilet facility for disabled people, buoys and recycling stations were also generously sponsored by Pioneer Plastics.
Speaking at the unveiling of the new facilities, Douw Steyn, Sustainability Director of Plastics|SA highlighted the importance of physical activity for handicapped people, and diving is one of the few sports that allow them freedom from their chairs. 'We are very honoured to be part of this exciting initiative as part of our Clean-up and Recycle SA / Berg-2-Beach Project'.
Sporting five training platforms, Miracle Waters is the perfect place for recreational divers of all levels. Steyn, an avid diver and a qualified diving instructor, used the opportunity to highlight the fact that 80% of marine litter is land based.
In 2010 Jacaranda Children's Home started the scuba diving project – Dive for Life. Dive for Life is a sanctioned PADI certified Educational facility that aims to develop the skills and self-esteem of selected learners. Through the Dive for Life project and further training this will create employment opportunities for the children.
Their aim is also to qualify some of the children as Dive masters (DM) so that they can secure a future with ample job opportunities in this fast growing industry. One of the children, Lerato Mokone has been working as a DM in Malongane, Mozambique since January 2013.
Plastics SA will be supporting 9 children (qualified divers) from Jakaranda Childrens Home (Pretoria) to dive with the handicapped Divers at the next Diveathon, taking place From Friday 9 March to Sunday 11 March 2018, at Miracle Waters near Brits.
"We want to encourage all South Africans to help keep the country clean – from the mountains to the oceans. Water is our most precious resource and our water sources need all the protection they can get. We hope that this project will help to raise awareness amongst sportspeople using rivers and dams for recreational purposes that is vitally important to keep our environment litter free. Even litter that falls from our hands hundreds of kilometers away could end up in one of our dams and rivers and find its way to the ocean. If used properly, however, plastics are incredibly versatile and makes it possible for them to enjoy their sports," Steyn said.
Plastics|SA would like to thank our partners Pioneer Plastics, the Miracle Waters team, the Scubadoo Diving Centre's Braam le Roux and the Handicapped Scuba Association Directors and members for making a dream come true for these divers and many more who will derive pleasure from these new additions at Miracle Waters.