text:
04.03.08 JOSEPH IS TOLD OF MARY'S CONCEPTION
Bill Heinrich - Jan 14, 2016 - Comments Off on 04.03.08 JOSEPH IS TOLD OF MARY'S CONCEPTION
04.03.08 Mt. 1:18-25
JOSEPH IS TOLD OF MARY'S CONCEPTION
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 "See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated 'God is with us.' "
24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord's angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.
Words cannot express to the Western mind the trial and tribulation Joseph experienced when he discovered Mary was pregnant. Therefore, it was only fitting that God spoke to him in a dream, and did so several times. Furthermore, the general expectation of a messiah that everyone was talking about, and the incredible news that the elderly Elizabeth was pregnant, certainly added to the affirmation that God was about to do something significant. But a virgin birth was beyond anyone's wildest expectation.
"Mary had been engaged to Joseph." As previously stated, a pledge of marriage meant that a marriage contract was signed by the bride and bridegroom. The contract was known as a katuvah, and no respectable couple would have been pledged without one.
Marriages were generally arranged by fathers, but sometimes the bride was selected by the bridegroom, and on rare occasions the matchmaker was the groomsman (Shoshebhin). A marriage began with a betrothal when the katuvah[1] was signed, which was followed by the wedding a year later. The betrothal period was to test the bride's fidelity, and the time needed for the bridegroom to build a home for his bride and prepare for the coming household.
"Not wanting to disgrace her publicly." Another translation reads that Joseph did "not want to expose her to public disgrace." It is often human nature to assume guilt when one is accused of a crime. In first century Judea, a pregnancy outside of marriage was a monumental disgrace and, with the exception of rape, the woman was always considered guilty by her family and community. If judicial action would be taken to enforce the terms of the katuvah, the disgrace would be compounded.
"He had considered." Most English translations use the word "considered" which fails to do justice to describe the emotions of Joseph. The original word is enthymeomai which has two definitions.
The first definition is the one generally used in English translations – to ponder or to consider.
The other meaning is to become very angry or to become very upset.[2]
To say that Joseph "pondered" or "considered" the situation is to say that he was not affected emotionally by Mary's pregnancy. That obviously does not make sense – most certainly he and his family were incredibly upset. One cannot imagine how angry he must have been. Yet he chose not to permit his anger lead him to a decision he would regret. In spite of his emotional turmoil, he was just and kind in the decision he made, which is why the early church fathers referred to him as "Joseph the Just."
"Joseph son of David." The term son in this phrase has a broader meaning than does its English translation. In this case it means any male descendant of David. The humble Joseph of Nazareth was one of hundreds, if not thousands, of the descendants of King David. Archaeological discoveries confirm the presence of Davidic families living in Jerusalem in the first century B.C. An ossuary, or bone box, was discovered in 1971 with an inscription identifying the bones inside as a member of the royal Davidic lineage.[3] This demonstrates that the phrase "son of David" was a matter of pride and influence in first-century Judaism.
However, the phrase "son of David" also was a threatening term to the Romans who crushed the revolts of many messianic pretenders.[4] For that reason, decades after Jesus, Emperor Vespasian (reigned A.D. 69-79) searched for descendants of Jesus with the thought of killing all those who might continue the messianic ideals that gave birth to Christianity. As a result, he found some children of Jesus' half-brothers and, upon questioning them and seeing the roughness of their hands, realized these men were no threat and released them.[5] Not many years later, Emperors Domitian[6] and Trajan[7] were also concerned about the possible rise of a messianic figure from descendants of Mary and Joseph.
"Don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife." The news of the pregnancy was shocking to Joseph and his family. In a small village, such news was unheard of and was considered a curse upon a family for decades to come. Joseph had the right to keep the dowry she brought into the relationship, and he also could make one of the following four choices:
Marry her quickly and have everyone assume the child was an early delivery – except that would have broken the traditional one-year waiting period between betrothal and marriage, so the gossip would never end;
Make a public confession of the pregnancy which would NOT have resulted in the bride being stoned to death (a Mosaic law that was seldom observed) because that would have caused the death of an unborn child. Or,
Have a quiet divorce and send Mary into another village or city to have the child.[8] After all, one of the two most popular rabbis, Rabbi Hillel, had made divorce easier to obtain with the modern equivalent of "no-fault" divorce (the cause of later discussions by Jesus).[9]
However, it was not until the angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph that he realized that he was to exercise a fourth choice – to marry her and be the legal father of the boy-child who would be known as "Immanuel" (fulfillment of Isa. 7:14).
Joseph had to choose between God's mercy and his legal rights. He chose God's mercy and no doubt was frequently challenged later by the out-of-wedlock birth, even in distant Bethlehem. While the consummation of a marriage typically occurred during the wedding feast, in this case, Mary and Joseph were married before Jesus was born, but the marriage was not consummated until after His birth (Mt. 1:24-25).[10] No doubt they reflected upon the pregnancy in light of a biblical prophecy concerning the Anointed One who was to be born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth.[11]
"All this took place to fulfill." The Jews were expecting a military-messiah who would deliver them from Roman oppression, but they needed to understand that Jesus was the Messiah who would deliver them from the oppression of sin. Therefore, everyone naturally questioned whether Jesus was the one they were expecting. For that reason, Matthew went to great lengths to explain that Jesus was the Messiah and the fulfillment of all Hebrew prophecies.[12] Hence, this passage is the first of twelve in which he used the word fulfill which means to give complete meaning to.[13]
"The virgin will become pregnant." The virgin birth, or more correctly, the virgin conception of Jesus, and its reflection upon Isaiah 7:14 has been the subject of considerable debate. More specifically, the issue has been whether the Hebrew word almah means virgin or a young maiden of marriageable age,[14] and the latter translation is used several times in the Old Testament.[15] At the time of Isaiah and at the time of Jesus, a young maiden who was of marriageable age was also a virgin; the two phrases, virgin and young maiden, are synonymous. Those who insist on the virgin only definition fail to recognize the synonym within its cultural context. Therefore, Isaiah would not have been troubled by the use of either definition in his text. However, it was distinctively different from the Western culture of today where virginity is not always found in young unmarried men and women.[16]
It should be noted, however, that some 250 years earlier when Egyptian Jews translated their Bible into Greek, the word virgin of Isaiah 7:14 was translated into parthenos.[17] The apostle John used the same word, parthenos in reference to the celibate men of Revelation 14:4[18] which obviously could not refer to young women.
When Isaiah wrote this passage in 735 B.C., when Aram (Syria) and the ten tribes of Israel were united to defeat Ahaz, the king of Judah. The Lord God told Ahaz to ask for a sign (Isa. 7:11). The sign was to be a confirmation that the pending invasion of the two kings would not occur (v. 7). However, Ahaz did not want to test the Lord (v. 12), so God gave him a sign that a virgin would give birth to a child and his name would be "Immanuel" (v. 14). Isaiah continued to be descriptive about the child and identified him as Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (Isa. 8:1). Within a short period, the prophecy was fulfilled. A young woman, who was a virgin when the prophecy was given, later married and gave birth to a son who was the subject of the prophecy and Ahaz was not defeated. Hence, Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled twice.[19]
By the first century, however, this prophetic narrative was no doubt forgotten and of no futuristic value, until Jesus was born. Matthew then referenced Isaiah 7:14 as a Messianic prophecy and awakened the Jews to the words "virgin" and "Immanuel." Suddenly, they could see in this passage the hidden meaning, because in the divine plan of God, Jesus would be born of a virgin to break the chain of sin in humanity.[20] Matthew understood the phrase, "The virgin shall be with child," to be a typological anticipation of Jesus in the same manner as the birth of Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz was a sign that God (Isa. 8:1, 3) would be with his people (which is the meaning of Immanuel) in the days of Isaiah. When Matthew wrote his gospel several decades after the crucifixion, he said that Jesus was with his people. Therefore, the term "virgin" as used in Isaiah 7:14 clearly meant a "young woman of marriageable age."[21]
Matthew chose his words carefully to create an escalation of a theme.[22] He made specific use of the word "fulfillment" of the virgin birth with a reflection on the miraculous births of other great prophets. In essence, he said that what had occurred previously was a seemingly insignificant "type and shadow"[23] of a greater event to come. He also used this literary tool in referring to the sign of a boy child to Ahaz with reference to the protection of God. However, the escalation of a future climax was that Mary, a literal virgin, gave birth to Jesus, who was personally "God with us." This was equally significant to Jesus, who affirmed Himself as the "Immanuel" when He said in his Great Commission that He would "be with you always" (Mt. 28:20).[24]
"They will name him Immanuel." The name Immanuel, or Emmanuel, meaning God with us, is not found in the New Testament.[25] Yet Jesus was God on earth and was with His people, or, with us. The fact that Immanuel does not appear in Scripture does not mean that there is an error. In ancient thinking there was no difference between a name, a word, or its definition. (See also "The virgin will become pregnant" above.)
"He married her but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son." In Matthew 1:24-25 the word until indicates that only after the birth of Jesus did Mary and Joseph have a normal marital relationship. This opposes the late third century doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary.[26] That doctrine states that the first wife of Joseph died and the children of that marriage became the step-siblings to Jesus. Various old church records have different names for her, including Melcha, Escha, and Salome – and are obviously not in agreement with each other.[27] Furthermore, Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3 suggest that the brothers and sisters did originate from the marriage of Mary and Joseph.[28]
04.03.08.Q1 What wedding customs in Galilee shaped the betrothal of Mary and Joseph?
In the Old Testament era of the judges and kings, parents frequently played the role of match-maker. By the first century, those who were getting married had a greater role in the decision. Customs varied from area to area, even the ritual in Galilee were different from those in Jerusalem. But some basics remained the same.
The minimum age for betrothal was twelve for girls and thirteen for boys, although the mid-teens were preferred for girls and eighteen for boys. The formality began when the young man came to the girl's family and presented them with a formal, legally binding contract known as a katuvah. This covenant contract stated the marriage proposal and the sum of money or other valuables he would pay to her parents to have her as his wife. This payment was known as the "bride price."[29] The purpose was to compensate the father for the loss of a worker in the family. But more importantly, the "price" was to assure that his wife was costly and, therefore, she was to be cherished.[30] The katuvah also stated that the young man promised to honor, love, support, and care for her, providing all the necessities of life. If the terms of the contract were accepted by both families, it was signed and the couple celebrated by sharing a cup of wine together. Only then was the covenant sealed and the couple considered betrothed.[31] Thereafter the bride wore a veil whenever in public which signified to any possible suitors that she had made a marriage commitment. While in the ancient world women were often considered to be mere property, Judaism elevated them to a higher status.
Because a katuvah was a legal contract, a termination resulted by one spouse receiving a certificate of divorce from the other and each party was permitted to re-enter another betrothal.[32] The Talmud stated that, the bond, created by God is so strong that, after betrothal, a woman requires a divorce before she can marry another man.[33] If there was a divorce or death, the tragic event was recorded in the genealogical records in the temple.
During the betrothal time, the bridegroom would "prepare a place for her" while the bride prepared herself for her bridegroom and new home. The new home was simply another room added onto the existing home of the groom's family home. Seldom did a young bridegroom build a single-family dwelling on a building lot away from his family. While the young bridegroom constructed the room, there was plenty of help from family and friends and his father eventually declared its completion.
Jesus was born during the one-year period of Mary's betrothal. After Jesus was born they had their wedding ceremony, after which the couple had a very short honeymoon. Then they returned, and with family and friends, they celebrated with a feast.[34]
The Jews were not alone in this practice; it was the cultural norm among many people groups in the ancient Middle East. Centuries earlier the code of Hammurabi stated in Acts 159-160[35] that if a bridegroom broke the betrothal, the bride's father retained the bride's price (gift). However, if the future father-in-law broke the covenant, he would have to pay double the bride price to the bridegroom. The legal codes of Lipit-Ishtar (No. 29) and Eshnunna (No. 25) had similar requirements.[36] These are mentioned because to the modern student, the cultural and religious norms tend to blend together at times. One is not always certain if a belief or action is for religious or cultural reasons. Many of the daily activities of the average Jew were similar to those of Gentiles. The important difference, of course, was the religious element and whatever influences that would have had upon daily life.
During the betrothal period the couple was considered to be husband and wife, although the wedding was still in the future. If either one died prior to the wedding the surviving partner would have been considered a virgin and as a widow or widower, and would be free to marry someone else.[37]
04.03.08.Q2 Why could Joseph not have stoned Mary to death (Deut. 22:23-24; Mt. 1:18-25)?
The Mosaic Law requires the stoning of an unfaithful man and woman (Deut. 22:23-24) and, as stated previously, but by the first century this punishment was seldom enforced among Jews.[38] By this time Jewish leaders differentiated between two types of adulterous women – the married woman and engaged virgin. According to the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 50a, the punishments were as follows:
The adulterous married woman was sentenced to death by hanging
The adulterous betrothed virgin was sentenced to death by stoning.
Granted, in either case the punishment was death. It was simply a matter of how the execution was to be performed. However, the Romans removed the authority for the Sanhedrin to exercise capital punishment in Judea. The Babylonian comment could have been written for two reasons:
For Jews living in the Diaspora who were not under the authority of the laws of Judea.
To reflect the ideals of Judaism, not for the actual intended punishment.
Either way, if she was found guilty by the rabbinic court, the end was the same. Nonetheless, being unfaithful was one thing, but being pregnant and unfaithful was another. Joseph could not, would not, have stoned Mary for four reasons:
As previously stated, the custom of stoning an adulterous woman was completely out of use by the first century in most areas where Jews lived. At a later time the scribes and Pharisees brought before Jesus a woman they accused of adultery. But that was only a hypothetical question, which leads to the second reason.
Capital punishment was eliminated by the Romans under the reign of Herod the Great with the exception of Gentiles who entered restricted areas of the temple. Herod's domain included the district of Galilee, but the legal authority of the Sanhedrin was limited to Judea.
The stoning could not have been committed by Joseph, because the couple's wedding had not yet taken place. Cultural rules required her father or older brother to carry out the death sentence. The same is true today among orthodox Muslims, where the family execution is known as an "honor killing" and is supported by Sharia Law. However, such an execution would have only occurred after a judicial action, not by a family in revenge.[39]
But the most important reason is the fact that since Mary was pregnant, stoning her would have resulted in the death to an innocent child, which would have made the executioner guilty of the child's murder.
Therefore, a divorce was Joseph's only option until an angel directed him to do otherwise.[40] But a quiet divorce was an expensive option for Joseph because he would have been obligated to support her. His decision to consider this, illustrates the fact that for Mary's sake, he would take the expensive route rather than the socially honorable and economically affordable one.
And this is why: during the previous two centuries, the Pharisees attempted to bring the people back to basic Torah instruction by emphasizing the kindness of God rather than legalistic attitudes. This was obviously contradictory to many of their other rules and contrary to what many students of the Bible learn today. One of the reforms they instituted was that a husband had to pay support for the wife he divorced.[41] Not all Pharisees agreed as there were many religious sects under the Pharisee umbrella. Amazingly, while they are justly criticized for their legalistic harshness, they should also be noted for some of their kind and responsible landmark decisions.[42]
In summary, if Joseph had accused Mary of adultery, a public divorce based on adultery would have cost him nothing. He would have saved his family's honor, and kept her dowry. A quiet divorce would have cost him alimony payments. However, then he received a message from an angel and he chose to follow the difficult road of life that God had chosen for them.
04.03.08.Q3 Why do the gospels fail to call Jesus the "Prince of Peace?" as predicted in Isaiah 9:6 (see Mt. 1:18-25)?
Isaiah 9:6 refers to the Messiah as the "Prince of Peace," yet nowhere is the title found in the gospels or in the New Testament. Jesus is, however, referred to as "the Prince of Life" (Acts 3:15), "a Prince and Savior" (Acts 5:31), and "Prince of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5). The book of Isaiah is sometimes referred to as the "Gospel of the Old Testament," because it contains so many prophecies of His first coming as well as His second. When Jesus was on earth He came as a servant and teacher. When He returns He will rule the nations of the earth for a thousand years and, as such, then He will be the Prince of Peace.
In His first coming, Jesus taught the principles of the Kingdom of God, whereby men's hearts can be changed and, consequently, they can obtain an inner peace that is beyond all human understanding. In His second coming, Jesus will rule this earth and institute international peace. He may not have received the official title of "Prince of Peace" by any New Testament writers, but those who accepted Him and allowed Him to transform their lives, certainly know Him as such. In Bible times, the definition of a word, phrase, or title was no different than the word, phrase, or title itself.
04.03.08.Q4 Can the concept of the virgin birth be supported historically (Mt. 1:18-25)?
Throughout Church history there has been unanimous agreement on this biblical subject. Only on rare occasion did anyone challenge this basic doctrine, and those individuals were identified as heretics and quickly removed from Church. Only in modern times has it been controversial, and in some circles, popular, to challenge it. Yet, there are a number of non-Christian witnesses to the event. One of them is the Qu'ran, which reads as follows:
Jesus was of virgin birth and performed many miracles. But those to whom he came as a Prophet rejected him, and plotted for his death. Their plots failed for God's plan is above man's plots.
Qu'ran, Sura 3:35[43]
The virgin birth is also evidenced by the number of hostile witnesses who wrote against it. If the birth was a myth, then the witnesses would have been dismissed as such. But so many believed it, so that about the year A.D. 180, Celsus, a Greek philosopher, vigorously attacked all aspects of Christianity and espoused the virtues of classical paganism in a writing titled On the True Doctrine. He claimed that Jesus was not born of a virgin, but had a father by the name of Panthera.[44]
In the Greek, this name sounds nearly the same as the same word for "virgin" and, therefore, it was an insulting pun. While his work has been lost in history, portions of it were preserved through the literary work of church father, Origen of Alexandria. In the year A.D. 248, Origen wrote a rebuttal entitled, Against (or Contra) Celsus. It is from this academic discussion that historians know that Celsus promoted philosophical hatred against the Christian faith.
Let us imagine what a Jew – let alone a philosopher – might put to Jesus: "Is it not true, good sir, that you fabricated the story of your birth from a virgin to quiet rumors about the true and unsavory circumstances of your origins? Is it not the case that far from being born in royal David's city of Bethlehem, you were born in a poor country town and of a woman who earned her living by spinning? Is it not the case that her deceit was discovered, that she was pregnant by a Roman soldier named Panthera she was driven away by her husband, the carpenter, and convicted of adultery? Indeed, is it not so that in her disgrace, wandering far from home she gave birth to a male child in silence and humiliation? What more? Is it not so that you hired yourself out as a workman in Egypt, learned magical crafts and gained something of a name for yourself which now you flaunt among your kinsmen?"
Celsus, quoted by Origen in Contra Celsus 1.28-34[45]
Celsus claimed that there was an error by the gospel writers in writing the Greek word panthenos (meaning virgin), and what was meant was Parthera, a masculine name. His theory may have come from Jewish sources who also opposed the Christian movement because it was emptying synagogues and converting others into churches. Like Celsus, Jewish critics claimed that Jesus was not born of a virgin, but His mother was a prostitute and His true father was a Roman soldier known as Pandira or Parthera.[46]
Yet while the Jewish leadership looked upon Jesus with great disdain, some admired His ability to perform miracles. This is evidenced by two interesting accounts that happened later – possibly in the second or early third century. In both stories someone was sick and someone else offered to pray in the name of Jesus, but it is a prayer in the name of Jesus, the son of Pandira, a/k/a the son of Parthera. These are examples of the unique healing power of Jesus – one is accepted, the other, denied.[47]
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi had an ill grandchild with a life-threatening disease in the throat. Someone came and mumbled a prayer "In the name of Jesus, the son of Pandira" and the child was healed.
A certain Rabbi Eliezer ben Damah was bitten by a poisonous snake and a Jacobus Capharsamensis came to visit him. Jacobus offered to pray a prayer of healing in the name of Jesus the son of Pandira, but Rabbi Ishmael denied the offer of prayer. Consequently, he died.
While these accounts occurred long after the resurrection of Jesus, they reflect three important insights:
The power that was in the name of Jesus, even if He was incorrectly identified ("son of Pandira").
The power associated with the name of Jesus and how rabbis reacted to it.
The on-going struggle the Jewish people had with the identity of Jesus.
The core issue was that the rabbis did not want to admit who Jesus was; certainly not that He was born of a virgin, even though He had demonstrated all the signs and wonders predicted in the Bible.
In the Babylonian Talmud, Jesus is described as a Balaam, one who deceived the Jewish people. While the Talmud does not give proper names, it does record a story of a woman who "played harlot with carpenters."[48] The context of the account obviously reflects upon Mary and Joseph. By stating this, the Talmud does provide witness of the dynamic impact Jesus had upon the Jewish community and their rejection of Him throughout history.[49] On a side note, to use a name dignified someone, to speak of them without a name added insult.
In the Greek culture, with its cultural passion of sexual desires, the Athenians named their city's patron goddess Athene, He Parthenos meaning "the Virgin."[50] Even within the pagan culture, the word was commonly understood to mean "virgin." While some critics have suggested that the virgin birth was invented by the Church, there are three distinct reasons that, when taken together, suggest otherwise and support the biblical account.
The first century church believed in the historical virgin birth;
There was no pre-Christian speculation that the Messiah would have been born as a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 was not recognized as a prophecy until after Jesus was born.[51]
Since the messiah would be a son of David it was thought he would have to be naturally conceived. The idea of a virgin birth was a radically new concept within the Jewish community. No one writing a fictitious account would deliberately create an issue that would have caused criticism. Therefore, for church leaders to invent the idea of a virgin birth would have been an invitation for criticism.[52]
By the fifth or sixth century a Jewish writer picked up the heresy of Celsus and placed it in an anti-Christian book titled Toledot-Yeshu meaning Generations of Yeshua that was obviously written for a Jewish audience. The writer identified the Roman soldier as Yosef ben-Pandera (Jewish name?) and the factitious account became part of the Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 104b, and Sanhedrin 67a, as well as the Tosefta Chullin 2:22-23.[53]
04.03.08.Q5 What is the significance of the virgin birth (Mt. 1:18-25)?
This is a theological question that is beyond the scope of this paper, but three brief answers are as follows:
Throughout the Old Testament Period, the miraculous birth of a child to elderly parents was a well-established pattern that God used to announce that a special person was born – usually a prophet. The virgin birth of Jesus was the culmination of all the miraculous births recorded throughout Jewish history.
The virgin birth is critical in that it broke the generational curse of sin that has plagued humanity since Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptations of Satan.[54] The basic understanding of sin is critical in order to comprehend the significance of what Jesus saved us from, as well as what He saved us to.[55] The absolute purity and holiness of Jesus could begin only with a virgin birth. Thus He did not receive the curse that had been transmitted from generation to generation since Adam. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were nothing less than a continuance of that purity and holiness.[56]
Another reason for the virgin birth, one that is often overlooked, arises in Jeremiah 22:24-30. This passage pertains to the curse of Jechoniah, who is in the line of Joseph. Joseph could not have been the biological father of Jesus, because of two issues (mankind's sin and the curse of Jechoniah), but he became the legal adopted father, or step-father of Jesus. According to rabbinic writings, Mary is referred to as "Miriam, the daughter of Heli" meaning the genealogy of Jesus was recognized as being through Mary and not Joseph.[57]
By a gracious and merciful God, we have Christ Jesus who bore our sins (past, present, and future) on the cross. The parallel between Adam and Jesus in Romans 5:12-21, and to a lesser extent, in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 are important. Every person who has ever lived has inherited a sin nature from Adam. But Jesus, born of a virgin, did not have that sin nature, although He had the opportunity and temptations to sin. Yet He chose not to sin. By His sinless life, death, and resurrection, He not only brought salvation by which man would be saved from the consequences of sin, but also be saved to salvation with Himself. This incredible gift of eternal life is available to anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and commits their life to Him. Acceptance of the virgin birth as a historical fact is foundational in understanding who Jesus is and the development of one's relationship with Him. It was through Eve, a virgin in the Garden of Eden, that death entered into the world. Now through Mary, a virgin, life would enter into the world.
Finally, there is a teaching that the blood of the unborn child comes from the father and, therefore, the transfer of sin was broken by the virgin birth. However, modern science has proven this blood theory to be wrong. As previously stated, Roman Catholics also grappled with the problem of the transfer of sin from the Virgin Mary to Christ Jesus. They resolved the issue with the belief that she too was born of a virgin, so she too was pure and holy. Protestants disagree because this does not reconcile with Scripture as Psalm 51:5 suggests states that the sinful nature is generational, passing from one generation to another at time of conception. The complete answer remains a divine mystery. However, the miracle of Jesus is that He not only was born of a virgin, but He also received His human nature from His sanctified mother and, hence, her sinful nature did not enter Him.[58] Holiness is a work of the Holy Spirit, not the absence of a male sperm.
04.03.08.Q6 How does one explain other so-called virgin births in history?
Critics have long stated that the claim of a virgin birth was typical of the day; the early Church simply mimicked what existed in the neighboring pagan cultures. The Egyptian pharaohs claimed it, as did Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, and Augustus Caesar even claimed to have walked on water. Virgin births were associated with deity, meaning that those who claimed to have been born without an earthly father were, in fact, gods. However, when the so-called pagan virgin births are compared to the biblical account, the differences are profound. It leads the reader to conclude that critics simply cannot relate the birth of Jesus to any historical figure.
No pagan account credits the Holy Spirit, or any other spirit, for the conception. Rather, various kings and emperors claimed their virgin act was generally the result of the sexual action of a serpent. Because snakes shed their skin annually, they were symbolic of renewed life, rather than representative of Satan and death, which is a later Christian interpretation. Therefore, it was only natural that the ancients created a myth in which the symbol of renewed life was also the explanation of a new life conceived by a "virgin birth."
For example, in the second century (A.D.), the Roman historian Suetonius wrote The Lives of the Caesars: the Deified Augustus in which he described the so-called virgin birth of Octavian, later known as Caesar Augustus. Suetonius said that he acquired his information from Asclepius of Mendes, who authored Theologumena (Discourse about the Gods).[59] Note the words of Octavian's mother Attia:
Then a serpent glided up to her and shortly went away. When she awoke she purified herself, as after the embraces of her husband, and at once there appeared on her body the mark in colors like a serpent, and she could never get rid of it; so that presently she ceased ever to go to the public baths. In the tenth month after that Augustus was born and was therefore regarded as the son of Apollo.
Suetonius, The Deified Augustus 94.4
Alexander the Great also claimed to have been born of a "virgin." Whether his mother was a virgin at the time of her conception, or if she, after a normal marital relationship, conceived him by non-human means is unknown. Nonetheless, according to one myth, Alexander was conceived by a divine snake and another myth claimed the conception was by a lightning bolt. The Greek historian Plutarch[60] said the following of Alexander,
[2] … It is said that his father Philip fell in love with Olympias, Alexander's mother, at the time when they were both initiated into the mysteries at Samothrace…. On the night before the marriage was consummated, the bride dreamed that there was a crash of thunder, that her womb was struck by a thunderbolt, and that there followed a blinding flash from which a great sheet of flame blazed up and spread far and wide before it finally died away …. [The soothsayer] Aristander of Telmessus … declared that the woman must be pregnant. At another time a serpent was seen stretched out at Olympias' side as she slept, and it was this more than anything else, we are told, which weakened Philip's passion and cooled his affection for her, so that from that time on he seldom came to sleep with her. The reason for this may either have been that he was afraid she would cast some evil spell or charm upon him or else that he recoiled from her embrace because he believed that she was the consort of some higher being.
[3] … According to Eratosthenes, Olympias, when she sent Alexander on his way to lead his great expedition to the East, confided to him and to him alone the secret of his conception and urged him to show himself worthy of his divine parentage ….
Plutarch, Life of Alexander, Selections from Chapters 2 – 3[61]
History is filled with religious and political figures who claimed to have been born of a mortal woman and divine father. One critic stated how stupid other people's myths are, implying that Christians are likewise as foolish for their belief.[62] Yet he fails to recognize that the biblical account is radically different from other accounts. Those who claim that the church fathers copied the virgin birth concept cannot explain the huge difference between the gospel account and pagan accounts. Therefore, it could not have been a "copycat" version.[63]
04.03.08.Q7 Could the idea of a virgin birth have been borrowed from pagan sources as critics claim (Mt. 1:18-25)?
Impossible! While this question has been answered to some degree in the preceding paragraphs,[64] the following is to be noted: Pagan mythologies, primarily those of the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans, were extremely hostile to Judaism. Therefore, no respectable Jew would ever have considered taking an element from a pagan religion, especially one as radical as a virgin birth. The concept of stealing such an idea would have caused riots in the synagogues. Yet the Jews were known to acknowledge miraculous births to elderly parents, but a virgin birth was too close to paganism for them. Another observation is that the gospels were written in a Jewish context, which included the firm belief that no mere human could be a god or be transformed into a god. The Greeks, however, believed that certain individuals could be deified.
There are some noteworthy observations that have been made of legendary figures. For example, concerning Alexander the Great, none of the legends and myths about him existed during or shortly after his life. Plutarch, who authored Life of Alexander, (see quotation above) lived some four centuries after the world conqueror died – which was more than sufficient time for fanciful stories to become touted as truth. No ancient manuscripts written by eyewitnesses have been uncovered, whereas the gospels, which were written within three or four decades after Jesus, report numerous eyewitnesses – a time far too short for any legends or myths to develop. Furthermore, all but one of the apostles died a martyr's death. Would anyone die an agonizing death for a fanciful myth? Their commitment to the truth until their dying day is a profound testimony to the accuracy of the four gospels.
Finally, it was common among non-Jewish cultures to freely borrow ideas and philosophies from each other. Jewish people who did likewise became known as "Hellenized Jews" and were severely frowned upon by orthodox Jews who maintained the biblical command to "be a separate people." Later, the Apostle Paul gave similar instructions in Colossians 2:6-8 and 1 Timothy 6:20. The suggestion that the church fathers borrowed pagan ideas and inserted them into the New Testament demonstrates gross ignorance of the first century Jewish culture and the passion for which the apostles lived and died.[65]
04.03.08.Q8 If Jesus was born of a virgin, why did the Apostle Paul refer to it only once (1 Cor. 15:8)?
He hardly mentioned it because it was an assumed historical fact. Everybody understood this to have occurred and there was no need to question it. Even the pagans who lived in the Bethlehem area admitted the occurrence of the event. The fact that the apostle was silent on the matter simply means that he had more important issues to discuss. But an argument from silence is always a weak argument, especially in this case, when some of the original apostles were still alive.
Yet the Apostle Paul made a number of comments.
He affirmed the Jesus connection to Abraham (Gal. 3:16)
He affirmed the genealogy of David to Jesus (Rom. 1:3)
He affirmed the true humanity and life of Jesus under the Law (Gal. 4:4)
He affirmed many discussions of inter-personal issues, such as divorce (1 Cor. 7:10), made by Jesus.
He affirmed the events of the Last Supper, (1 Cor. 11:23-26), and His death, burial, resurrection, and appearances after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-8). In light of all that the apostle said and his purpose of writing, it is easy to understand why there was no need to discuss the birth of Jesus or anything else about His human paternity.
However, Paul did make an interesting reference to the miraculous birth when he mentioned "one abnormally born" (see 1 Cor. 15:8 below).
In his second letter to the Corinthian church he recited a four-line hymn of the early church (15:3b-5), after which he added additional witnesses of the resurrected Jesus. In verse 8 he mentioned the unusual birth, an obvious reference to Jesus.
3a For I passed on to you as most important what I also received:
3b That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 And that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
6 The He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time; most of them are still alive,
But some have fallen asleep.
7 Then He appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as to one abnormally born, He also appeared to me.
[1]. See "Katuvah" in Appendix 26.
[2]. Bailey, Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes. 44-45.
[3]. Barag and Flusser, "The Ossuary of Yehohanah." 39-44.
[4]. A partial listing of an estimated 60 messianic pretenders is found in Appendix 25 "False Prophets, Rebels, Significant Events, And Rebellions That Impacted The First Century Jewish World."
[5]. Eusebius 3.12., (Cruse 81).
[6]. Eusebius 3.19-20, (Cruse 84-85).
[7]. Eusebius 3:32, (Cruse 97-98).
[8]. For related divorce issues, see Josephus, Antiquities. 4.8.23; 15.8,10 and 18.9.6.
[9]. See 08.02.01-05, Marriage, Divorce, Oaths And Forgiveness.
[10]. Poor families had a one or two-day wedding feast, while wealthy families always had a seven-day feast. Mary and Joseph probably had a very quiet one or two day wedding feast.
[11]. Matthews, Manners and Customs. 225; Trutza, "Marriage." 4:94-96; Maier, In the Fullness of Time. 21; See also Micah 5 and Gal. 4.
[12]. Matthew mentions the fulfillment of prophecies in 2:15, 17, 23; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:9 many of which were prophesied in Psalm 2, 16, 22, 110, 118; Isaiah 7 9, 11, 53; Micah 5; and Zechariah 4, 6, 9, 14.
[13]. New International Version Study Bible footnote on Mt. 1:22.
[14]. Niessen. "The Virginity of Almah in Isaiah 7:14." 134-35, 147.
[15]. Niessen. "The Virginity of Almah in Isaiah 7:14." 141.
[16]. Vine, "Virgin." Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary. 1:276-77; 2:661.
[17]. Johnson, "Matthew." 7:255.
[18]. Bruce, Defense. 39.
[19]. Niessen. "The Virginity of Almah in Isaiah 7:14." 134-41.
[20]. For an exhaustive study on the subject, see Almah – Virgin or Young Woman by George L. Lawlor. His work includes a detailed review of the seven passages where the word almah is used in Gen. 24:43; Ex. 2:8; 1 Chron. 15:20; Ps. 46:1; 68:25; Prov. 30:19; Song of Sol. 1:3; 6:8; and Isa. 7:14.
[21]. Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ. 54-55.
[22]. Bock, Jesus According to Scripture. 65.
[23]. See "type and shadow" in Appendix 26.
[24]. Franz. "Who is Immanuel?" 113-115.
[25]. Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ. 55; Green, Interlinear Greek-English New Testament; Berry, Interlinear Literal Translation of the Greek New Testament.
[26]. The Apocryphal book titled the History of Joseph the Carpenter indicates in Ch. 11 that Joseph had four older sons and several daughters by a previous marriage. This text is significant to the Roman Catholic doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary. See also Farrar, Life of Christ. 44.
[27]. Miller, The Jesus of the Bible. 42; This is evidence that some church records, especially after the age of Constantine, are at times unreliable.
[29]. Lash, The Ancient Jewish Wedding. 6.
[30]. Roman, Jesus of Galilee. 246-47.
[31]. Matthews, Manners and Customs. 225; Trutza, "Marriage." 4:94-96; Maier, In the Fullness of Time. 21; Lash, The Ancient Jewish Wedding. 7-10, 14.
[32]. Maier, In the Fullness of Time. 16-21; Trutza, "Marriage." 4:94-96; Goldberg and Rayner, The Jewish People. 372-74; See also Deut. 24:1-4.
[33]. For further study, see the third division of the Mishnah is titled Nashim, (Women). The chapters include instruction pertaining the Ketuboth (Marriage Deeds), Nadarim (Vows), Gittin (Bills of Divorce), and Kiddushin (Betrothals).
[35]. Acts 159-160 is a reference to the legislative acts recorded in Hammurabi's Code.
[36]. Wright and Thompson, "Marriage" 2:955.
[37]. Lash, The Ancient Jewish Wedding. 9-11.
[38]. The practice of killing a woman suspected of sexual activity prior to marriage was practiced among some pagan tribes, and still is practiced in many Muslim communities who call it "honor killing."
[39]. This subject is explained in further detail in 08.02.07.Q1 "Did Moses quote Hammurabi, and if so, how does this affect the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:18?"
[40]. If the betrothal of a young girl was terminated, then she and her father received the bill of divorce. Mishnah, Gittin 6.2.
[41]. Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. 134-35.
[42]. See "Pharisees" 02.01.14.
[43]. Muhammad founded Islam in the 7th century A.D. and the Qu'ran (Koran) was compiled a century or two later. The more distant a literary work is from the time of its subject, the less reliable it is. Nonetheless, the Koranic quotation is included anyway for the benefit of Muslim readers.
[44]. Barclay, "John." 2:28.
[45]. Stein, R. Jesus the Messiah. 33.
[46]. See 04.03.08.Q4 Can the concept of the virgin birth be supported historically?
[47]. Adapted from Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica. 3:150.
[48]. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 106 a-b.
[49]. Stein, R. Jesus the Messiah. 33, 67.
[50]. Bruce, Answers to Questions. 39.
[51]. See an interesting parallel account in Shepherd, Massey H. "An Unpublished Dead Sea Scroll Text Parallels Luke's Infancy Narrative." Biblical Archaeology Review 16:2 (Mar/April, 1990). 24-26.
[52]. For further study, see 04.03.08.Q7 "How does one explain other so-called virgin births in history?"
[53]. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary. 113. See also Herford, Christianity in Talmud and Midrash.
[54]. Critics have posed four questions: 1) Was Jesus born of a virgin? 2) Was Jesus the Son of God? 3) Is the Bible the Inspired Word of God? 4) Did He rise from the grave? To affirm negatively to one of more of these questions reflects a loss of faith and denial of who Jesus was in the first century and who He is today.
[55]. Marino, "The Origin, Nature, and Consequences of Sin." 255-58.
[56]. See a King James Version or New American Standard Version of the Bible.
[57]. Fruchtenbaum, The Jewish Foundation of the Life of Messiah: Instructor's Manual. Class 2, page 12.
[58]. Lawlor, Almah. 25-35.
[59]. Franz, http://www.lifeandland.org/2009/02/the-angelic-proclamation-to-the-shepherds-luke-28-15/. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
[60]. Plutarch a/k/a Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus, (A.D. 45-120) was a Greek historian, essayist and biographer who is known for two books, Parallel Lives which included the Life of Alexander, and Moralia. His few surviving works appear to have been written in Koine Greek, the common Greek language of the first century. See Warmington, ed. Plutarch's Lives: Demosthenes and Cicero, Alexander and Caesar, Vol 7.
[61]. http://www.medmalexperts.com/POCM/pagan_ideas_virgin_birth.html Retrieved July 8, 2011. See Warmington, ed. Plutarch's Lives: Demosthenes and Cicero, Alexander and Caesar, Vol 7.
[62]. http://www.medmalexperts.com/POCM/pagan_ideas_virgin_birth.html. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
[63]. For further study see Dewayne Bryant, "The Pagan Christ in the Popular Culture." 45-47.
[64]. See 03.04.08.Q4
[65]. For further study on this subject, see Gregory A. Boyd. Jesus under Siege. Chapter 4.


Oracle 1Z0-028 exam dumps 2019 is getting a lot popularity worldwide that numerous OPN Certified Specialist professionals often tend to go through 1Z0-028 exam questions. After passing 1Z0-028 new questions their market trustworthiness as well as demand will instantly raise. After passing 1Z0-028 test lots of large Oracle organizations will certainly offer them a high paid job in their company. Basically 1Z0-028 exam aids them in obtaining the high ranked work within the company. After getting Oracle Database Cloud Administration certification their market worth will additionally increase. This makes the 1Z0-028 exam a should to take the exam.
Amongst these points, Oracle 1Z0-028 exam questions are much tough to go through. One needs to do enough quantity of initiative to undergo this 1Z0-028 test. Passing 1Z0-028 exam needs continuous research and also the right 1Z0-028 preparation material. The actual question is from where one can locate the latest 1Z0-028 training material? To aid you in this matter we are right here. We provide you newest as well as validated 1Z0-028 exam dumps 2019 that will certainly aid you in passing 1Z0-028 test fairly comfortably.
Some 1Z0-028 exam prep material around will certainly confuse a little and also you will certainly not feel satisfied with them, to aid you our 1Z0-028 exam braindumps are the most reliable as well as the best choice for the preparation of 1Z0-028 questions. Our Oracle 1Z0-028 exam dumps 2019 are the indication of your guaranteed success in Oracle Database Cloud Administration exam. Our 1Z0-028 test questions have actually been made up by remembering the demand of 1Z0-028 candidates as well as the actual exam.
Our 1Z0-028 practice test will certainly help you in your soul-searching related to 1Z0-028 preparation. 1Z0-028 practice test has newest and updated questions which will come in the 1Z0-028 genuine exam. After getting our 1Z0-028 exam training material you can get the service of Oracle professionals that will direct you via the entire 1Z0-028 dumps. They will certainly likewise help you in removing your solitary uncertainty regarding the 1Z0-028 exam curriculum topic.
Furthermore, the 1Z0-028 braindumps have been comprised by the professionals and experts. Thus get these 1Z0-028 pdf dumps as well as boost your market value by passing Oracle Database Cloud Administration certification exam.


text:
Property crowdfunding site listed on new app
The UK's first two-sided residential crowdfunding platform - CrowdLords - has also become the first UK property crowdfunding site to be listed on new app OFF3R. The app aggregates investments from the world's leading crowdfunding platforms and is available on both Apple and Android devices.
CrowdLords, which launched in October 2014, uses the power and reach of crowdfunding to directly connect investors and property professionals so more people can benefit from investing in property/buy-to-lets.
The OFF3R app, which launched this June, gives users immediate notification of new crowdfunding invesments. This means that potential investors have immediate access to a range of opportunities, including those listed on other UK crowdfunding platforms such as Crowdcube, Seedrs, AngelList, Angels Den, Envestors, Eureeca and OurCrowd.
"Numbers have been steadily increasing on both sides of our crowdfunding model - investors and landlords - since we launched, but any development which opens up property crowdfunding to the wider market is a welcome one," Richard Bush, co-founder of CrowdLords, commented.
"This app harnesses the recent surge in activity in the crowdfunding industry, allowing investors to be aware of, and on top of, new opportunities to ensure none go missed. It's exciting for us to be the first UK property crowdfunding site listed on OFF3R, and we're sure that it will increase both interest and inflows from around the world."
CrowdLords
OFF3R
More than £500k invested through fledgling landlord crowdfunding platform ...
Over 1,500 registered investors have pledged more than £500,000 through CrowdLords,...
PropertyPal launches new app ...
Northern Ireland's leading property website PropertyPal has launched a brand new...
The House Crowd ready to build on successful 2015 ...
The House Crowd achieved turnover of £1.1m for 2015, a huge...
More and more millennials are investing in property crowdfunding ...
An increasing number of millennials are turning to property crowdfunding as...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Indulge yourself and get your body some deserving pampering with our soothing massage oil. You and your partner can have the luxury of a SPA massage at home! In a variety of scents to suit your taste: herbal, fruity, citrus, florals, and more.
Ingredients: Apricot Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Calendula Extract, Vitamin E Oil, Essential or Fragrance Oils.


Thanks for the heads up Tim! Please send me more info I think we can easily cover NY and Boston and suspect we can take on west coast also.
There are several US based CloudStack meetup groups which are going to expire this week due to a lack of owner. All of them are too big to qualify for the "basic" plan, but I've reached out to Meetup to see what options might exist. The meetups are located in Boston, New York, Portland and Las Angeles. Bangalore was on this list, and it looks like someone picked that one up.
My ask here is if anyone is able to step up and sponsor to keep these groups alive.


text:
Lista över fornlämningar i Ale kommun är en förteckning av ett urval av de fornlämningar som finns i Ale kommun.

Hålanda

|}

Kilanda

|}

Nödinge

|}

Skepplanda

|}

Starrkärr

|}

Noter

 Ale
Ale

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


iPhone repair service in Rome – Get a repair in 60 minutes!
Please call us or WhatsApp us on +39.333.7980136 if you need iPhone Express Repair Service.
Our repair shop is located at 11, via Amico da Venafro – Rome / 5 min walk from Pigneto underground station (C line).
You can reach us also by Tram/Train nr. 5 or 14 from Termini Station.
We are open from Monday to Friday, from 4pm to 8pm.


text:
Mastercard buys Vyze
Follow @LuisaRBeltran
Mastercard said April 16 that it acquired Vyze. Financial terms weren't announced. Vyze, of Austin, connects merchants with lenders, helping them to offer customers credit options online and in-store. Vyze has raised about $50 million in funding from VCs including Austin Ventures, Fathom Capital and Starvest Partners, PitchBook said.
Mastercard Redefines Choice at Checkout with Acquisition of Vyze
New Installment Offering Adds Value to Merchants and Issuers, Boosts Consumer Purchasing Power
PURCHASE, N.Y. – April 16, 2019 – Mastercard (NYSE: MA) today announced it has acquired Vyze, a technology platform that delivers more choice – and purchasing power – to people who want their point-of-sale payment options to match the flexibility and convenience of today's shopping experiences.
Increasingly, consumers are seeking alternative financing options, [1] leaving merchants and financial institutions with a need to deliver these services at the point of sale. In the U.S. alone, these solutions represent a more than $1.8 trillion opportunity, according to Accenture.
Vyze shakes up traditional models by connecting merchants with multiple lenders, allowing them to offer their customers a wide range of credit options online and in-store. These financing options provide shoppers with additional payment flexibility at the exact moment of purchase, complementing Mastercard's existing card and ACH-based solutions.
"Both consumers and businesses want the best choice and service, exactly when they need it," said Blake Rosenthal, executive vice president of global acceptance at Mastercard. "Vyze adds to our ability to empower banks and other lending partners to participate in the growing trend of retail financing. The combination of their platform with our technology and network complements our existing payments programs."
Through this acquisition, Mastercard becomes a more strategic partner to both lenders and merchants, delivering a checkout experience that adds to Mastercard's best-in-class security and convenience. Vyze's proven technology better facilitates lending options to merchants' customers, delivering a better shopping experience through financing approval rates up to 90 percent that are well above the industry average.
The end-to-end Vyze platform allows lenders and merchants to "integrate once and innovate forever" through the simple use of APIs. Previously, managing and maintaining a range of consumer payment and financing options would require significant time and investment.
"Shoppers looking for new ways to pay and merchants looking to sell higher ticket items and deter abandonments has driven a flurry of activity in the 'Buy Now, Pay Later' market," said Raymond Pucci, director of merchant services practice at Mercator Advisory Group. "This acquisition creates a new market making approach that supports operation at scale, helping banks offer and merchants shop for the terms that best fit their needs. Mastercard's existing relationships will assure both take a serious look at this new solution."
Several top U.S. retailers work with Vyze for special financing options. This proven track record will be used to bring the same functionality to customers in additional markets.
"Mastercard has a long history of building an incredibly powerful network, connecting some of the world's most influential financial institutions, merchants and innovators," said Keith Nealon, CEO of Vyze. "With their relationships and scale, we see a great opportunity to reach exponentially more partners and consumers."
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About Mastercard
Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.
About Vyze
Vyze is a leading cloud-based financing technology company for retailers. By combining technology, a comprehensive lending supply, and support under one roof, Vyze delivers businesses more satisfying financing experiences for their customers, wherever and whenever they shop.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "believe," "expect," "could," "may," "would," "will," "trend" and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to Mastercard's future prospects, developments and business strategies, as well as Mastercard's acquisition and operation of Vyze's business. We caution you to not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date they are made. Except for the company's ongoing obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws, the company does not intend to update or otherwise revise the forward-looking information to reflect actual results of operations, changes in financial condition, changes in estimates, expectations or assumptions, changes in general economic or industry conditions or other circumstances arising and/or existing since the preparation of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events.
For additional information on other factors related to Mastercard's overall business that could cause Mastercard's actual results to differ materially from expected results, please see the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and any subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K.


BCFIRB's supervisory role enables it to review, oversee and, where deemed necessary and appropriate, give direction to marketing boards and commissions. This proactive role is complementary to BCFIRB's appeal role, which is only triggered when a person files an appeal from a decision, order or determination of a marketing board or commission.
Under the Natural Products Marketing (B.C.) Act (NPMA) (section 7), BCFIRB may exercise its general supervisory powers at any time, with or without a hearing, and in the manner it considers appropriate in the circumstances. BCFIRB's supervisory role has been further interpreted in several landmark court decisions.
BCFIRB is empowered by the NMPA to hear appeals and conduct formal supervisory reviews. Where appropriate, BCFIRB promotes alternative dispute resolution, which gives parties an opportunity to resolve their differences without a formal hearing.
BCFIRB, in conjunction with B.C.'s agricultural commodity boards, is adopting a principles-based approach to governance. This initiative is designed to improve board governance and lead to effective and strategic outcomes for both the regulated agri-food industry and the public. This move away from the historical, more prescriptive approach to supervision creates flexibility in how outcomes can be achieved.
BCFIRB works with a variety of stakeholders to develop and maintain expert knowledge of the regulated marketing system.
BCFIRB helps ensure schemes and regulations governing the regulated sectors are kept current.
BCFIRB is a signatory to formal cooperation agreements that support the effective functioning of regulated agri-foods sectors at both the provincial and national levels.


Wandered down with a colleague to the Fleet Center area. The so called 'free speech zone' is almost worst than it appears in the photos I had seen. It is an absolute travesty of a pen/ghetto and rightly almost none of the protesters are entering it. Whoever's idea this thing was should be fired - absolutely sickening. We also, as I had expected we would, ran into my friend Common Terry who was protesting and had a very amusing sign which read on one side "Bush raped Iraq and didn't pull out." and on the other side the punchline "Kerry will try a different position." He had apparently over the course of the day run into Kerry twice while out on his bike as Kerry was along the river. While we were there he got interviewed once although it was a no-name press group that sounded from their questions like they were pro-lifers mainly but Terry handled it very well.
Also, on a completely different note sad to learn that Warren Buffett's wife Susie died as I have come to really like and admire Buffett so am sad for him although they have been separated (and with other people but still married in an interesting relationship that has worked for them) for a very long time.
Very interesting article by Charlie Cook of the Cook Report indicating that despite the very even poll numbers in the swing states, Cook thinks that in reality Kerry has a fair lead and is very likely to win unless something drastic happens to aid Bush. I don't know if he's right but his reasoning (and supporting poll numbers) does seem quite sound. Of course, this also makes me more worried about what the Bushies may try to engineer or at least be massively looking to take advantage of.
Finally finished a week or so ago A Personal History, the autobiography of Katharine Graham, past publisher (and daughter and wife of prior publishers) of The Washington Post. The book was quite interesting although a bit of a slog. The early part about her young years was pretty incredible in the number of incredibly famous people she met and hung out with as she dropped in on Einstein in Germany and met tons of other enormously famous people, and this is when she was a teenager and really just having a very wealthy father. Whether all of this is due to it being a smaller world 70 years ago or just the connections of the rich or a combination I'm not sure. Anyway, an interesting book and I am recently reading much more nonfiction (or things like Stephenson's heavily historically based fiction) than I have commonly read in the past which I think is good but which generally goes MUCH slower.
Watched Miracle, the story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team, and the odd The Secret Lives of Dentists over the weekend.
Miracle was excellent, particularly Kurt Russell's portrayal of Herb Brooks. Assuming the movie is accurate, Brooks' effectiveness in dodging the committees and bureacracy and doing everything his way (which of course turned out great) is pretty incredible. The cinematography of the on ice scenes was also beautifully (and accurately to the real events) done ****.
Dentists I really didn't get and did nothing for me. Admittedly, this may just be me but I didn't like it at all and could barely get through it **.
In fact, during Dentists I kept stopping the movie to go back and watch the Red Sox game (once TiVo had accumulated enough video to watch an innings worth at TiVo speed). I am not sure if these interruptions hurt the movie or helped in that without them I might simply have given up on it, something I almost never do.
Congratulations to the amazing Ken Jennings on Jeopardy! Tonight was the final episode of the season and his 38th consecutive win and what a win it was! Between the two main rounds (that is Regular and Double Jeopardy ignoring the Daily Double effects), there is a possible $54000 available. Jennings (WITH help from the Daily Doubles of course including a $10K answer in an Oscars category) ended the Double Jeopardy round with $51400 and that only because he missed his last question dropping him from $53000. If he hadn't done this, he would have broken the all-time single game record of $52000 (which he has carefully tied 3 times in the past due to Final Jeopardy - a very nice homage to the past champions I thought) without even needing Final Jeopardy. Seeing a good category of Shakespeare, he bet $23600 and blew this record away with a final total of $75000. The question was to name 2 of the Shakespeare plays in which a Ghost appears onstage. All the players got Hamlet but only Jennings in addition named one of Richard III (his choice), Julius Caesar or Macbeth (which is the second one I thought of immediately). Wow!!!!
Surprisingly, despite every game having been a blowout, I have really been enjoying every episode as Jennings plays with great grace and aplomb in addition to his incredible skill and knowledge. Only once have I thought he made a regrettable comment at the expense of his opponents. At all other times, he has been a wonderful winner.
I'll be watching again when they're back on in 6 weeks and may even watch some repeats. Jennings has definitely been successful in bringing me back to Jeopardy which I haven't watched at all regularly since 18 years ago in high school.
Played a couple of games of Tichu last night at Matt's and the second one was pretty crazy and painful. After winning the first game (different players), the second game ended up being Nate and I against Kim and Pete. Unfortunately, lots of crazy things happened and decisions which might have been a normally good choice kept going wrong for us. Early on I stopped Pete's Grand but probably should have overcalled it and didn't and then soon after I conservatively didn't call a Tichu I would probably make. I also stopped a Tichu of Kim's when I noticed a straight flush bomb in my hand halfway through the hand and after, without paying attention, playing a Queen that was luckily not the Red one I needed for the bomb. I can't remember how long its been since I had a bomb and didn't notice it but I guess I was very tired and out of it last night.
Shortly thereafter was a crazy hand where Kim called Tichu and Nate overcalled her and yet I had TWO chances to go out first with nothing either of them could do about it. Unfortunately, I decided to hope Nate was right to overcall and passed up both my chances to give him a shot and the end result was that Kim made HER Tichu. The key problem point on this hand was when Kim led a 9 card straight (leaving her with 2 cards) and Nate was playing next and agonized for forever before playing a 9 card straight which included a bomb in it (which Nate hadn't noticed - Doh!) and the Phoenix. This was extremely painful as I could have beaten the straight with ease (it was in fact a perfect lead into my hand) and that Kim didn't have a pair anyway so Nate could have just passed and probably gone out when she led a single even if I didn't beat the straight.
A couple of hands later Kim called Grand and I went into the pass with 4666999QQQKKKA (FOUR Triples) and decided to pass 49A with the idea that I'd be more likely to get passed a 6 to me and that with the Queens and Kings the height of the other Trips wasn't that imporant. Amazingly, though, Kim and Pete had Full Houses of 8s over AND 7s over respectively and I would have ended up stopping the Grand if I had just kept the 9 and passed the 6. I also made a questionable decision to with KKK3 play a King and then Kim immediately after led TTT and I couldn't beat it.
Finally, on the last hand of the game I called a risky Grand but then ended up with enough that I should be able to make it. Pete then even led a perfect-length for me 7 card straight right into me. However, he turned out to have a pat hand of AA Full House (incl. the Phoenix) for his remaining cards and there was nothing I could do about him going out when I led a a second single. Worst of all, Kim then turned out to have a bomb and to go out 2nd to end the game with a blast. Very painful game but also shows whats so good about Tichu - many, many interesting non-obvious decisions even after over 500 games lifetime.
This was extremely effective at pulling at the emotions and had me really crying at one point. Some of the issues the movie addresses are pretty interesting too ****.
Also saw the fair Mona Lisa Smile *** and good The Dreamers ***1/2. The latter would have been better if I knew more about clasic movies and French politics I'm sure.
The Hulk's blog is hillarious. Thanks BoingBoing for the pointer (which they took from Kottke).
I finally got around to watching Ken Jennings on Jeopardy last night, who is now on a 29-day winning streak and up to almost $1Million and WOW! is he good!!!. He came one question away from running the entire first half of the Jeopardy round. His buzzer timing is absolutely incredible and he knows so much that he can afford to buzz in on a ton of questions and figure he can pull out the answer by the time he has to give it. I have never seen anywhere close to such a dominating performance. At one point he was at like $25K and both his opponents were at negative scores. Without a fix in by the show's question writers, it will take an incredibly good opponent and incredibly lucky category selection for them to beat him. For now, I think his continuing to win remains really good for the show as it brings back people like me to watch but at some point it will of course get old but maybe not till 50 or so.
As I had planned to do from the moment I bought my kayak (and was sorry I couldn't do last year when my kayak took too long to arrive after I special ordered it to get my choice of color), I took my kayak out so that I could watch the fireworks on the 4th from right near the launching barge on the Charles. Years ago, I went out in a canoe with an MIT group to do this and found it to be an amazing spot to view the fireworks from, gorgeous, not crowded, with fireworks also reflecting off the water! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get as close due to 9/11 but, atlhough there was more security, I didn't find it to interfere at all and didn't notice the security boats ever hassling people where I was. Absolutely beautiful. I may try to arrange a group to do this next year. Where I was I couldn't hear the Pops music but I didn't care much about that and probably could have gone somewhere that I could hear it if I wanted.
Paddling back was a bit choppy due to the wind and the motor boat wakes and I was a bit worried but my kayak did fine and I got no water at all over the top of the boat, let alone into the cockpit. I unfortunately still can't seem to figure out how to reliably strap the kayak onto the 2 wheeled cart I have to take it down to the river. I can get it to work but it slips about and makes me nervous, particularly crossing Memorial Drive.
Saw the absolutely wonderful Before Sunset over the long weekend which was a sequel (nine years later in both real time and in the movie) to the also wonderful Before Sunrise. It again stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and the entire movie is a wonderful, wide-ranging but particularly about relationships, conversation between the two of them. The writing and performances are of the absolutely highest quality and the movie is also emotionally extremely powerful *****. I also really must buy and watch again Before Sunrise but watching it in advance (or ever before the new one) I don't think is necessary.
Earlier saw Spider-Man 2 which is a really excellent super-hero movie which really makes no wrong moves. However, it pales in comparison to Before Sunset due to having no emotional resonance. The stupid issue (but completely faithful to the comic book) of Spidey having absolutely no money I also find a bit annoying. Take up a collection or something. A few more bucks and he could probably do a lot more to help. Anyway, this is just a quibble and absolutely faithful ****.
Also saw the ok comedy Stuck on You (**1/2) and fair My Family (**1/2) from Netflix.


text:
CelticsBlog exit interview: Marcus Smart and the degree of love and trust
The Boston Celtics are quickly approaching a crossroads with Marcus Smart. It's time to find out where both sides stand.
By Andrew Doxy@AndrewDoxy Jun 17, 2021, 8:00am EDT
Share All sharing options for: CelticsBlog exit interview: Marcus Smart and the degree of love and trust
Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images
Why do some Celtics fans love and trust Marcus Smart so much?
I can't really speak for others, though I suspect my reasoning likely aligns with the reasoning of many other fans out there. For me, one tweet stands out.
That's really cool. Make sure that's the piece that goes in the freezer and preserved forever lol! Congrats!
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) June 11, 2021
My favorite basketball player took time out of his day to tweet me. Obviously, Marcus Smart means a lot to me for his most important career highlight to date to make it onto my wedding cake (shoutout to my wife for being so cool about that). His response was just really, really cool. Does that make me biased? Sure, but you're also on CelticsBlog dot com, so it's likely you're not coming here expecting articles that are completely removed from the subjects of our entertainment.
And that's one thing Marcus Smart is not – removed. And maybe that's why we love him and trust him so much.
Marcus Smart is not removed from his community. Him making an appearance in the Riffs Man-organized digital telethon event to raise funds for the YounGameChanger Foundation shows how much these things mean to him. His body is also far removed from the floor more often than not because of his hustle and desire to win at all costs.
He's not far removed from the angst of certain fans because of his shot selection, that's for sure.
What I believe is that Smart shouldn't be far removed from this team either.
.@smart_MS3 knows how to warm the crowd up pic.twitter.com/SnotoHLDOJ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 30, 2021
Marcus Smart averaged a career-high 13.1 points, a career-high 5.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in a career-high 32.9 minutes per game.
Fun fact – here are Smart's blocks per game averages over his career: 0.3, 0.3, 0.4, 0.4, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.5. Just thought that was funny.
Here's the part you all care about – Smart did all of that shooting 39.8% from the field, 33% from behind the 3-point line, and 79% from the free-throw line. He took 10.6 field-goal attempts per game (compared to 11.4 last year) and 5.9 3-pointers per game (compared to 6.6 last year). He took 3.4 free throws, which is up from 2.5 attempts last year.
I look at these numbers, and I see substantial progress. That's a successful season to me. The fun thing about the Marcus Smart discourse is that others will look at those same numbers from a fourth option and be mad about it. I don't personally vibe with it, but I understand it to a degree.
It's been a frustrating year for a team that went .500 and dealt with a litany of issues. I'm not here to convince you that Smart was not THE problem or a big part of the problem. If you think that's the case, you probably believe that strongly.
But I also feel strongly that Smart wasn't the problem and is part of the solution.
Smart ↗↘ Williams pic.twitter.com/xPELDkRqKB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 3, 2021
Smart played out of his role often this season not by choice but by necessity. As the raw averages show, Smart did not magically shoot more this season or hijack the offense nearly as detractors will claim. He actually shot less this year. But with so many guys in and out of the lineup, Smart had to play up a role often, playing as the third best guy on a team that would benefit from being the fourth or fifth guy in the offensive pecking order.
Acquiring Evan Fournier helped with that, except for the fact that Jaylen Brown went down right after. One thing is for sure, though, and that's that when the Celtics were more or less healthy and no audibles in role needed to be called, Smart played his role as distributor and offensive cog as well as the team needed.
We just barely got to see that.
Just absurd hustle by Marcus Smart pic.twitter.com/JnOA1BGsng
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 14, 2021
So now what? Marcus Smart enters a contract year likely seeking a big raise. For 2021-22, he'll be making $13,839,285 to cap off a 4-year/$52M contract. It's unlikely that Smart and the Celtics agree to a contract extension this summer; there's a lot going on this summer. But trade talk will likely circle Smart's name until a hard decision is made one way or another.
It is important to note that Smart received less as a restricted free agent than expected, so fears over what his contract will look like shouldn't be overblown, considering that Smart means and is worth more to the Celtics than he is likely to most other teams.
If ownership believes that injuries were the biggest reason why the Celtics underachieved this season, we'll see Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, and Evan Fournier on this roster on Opening Night. If that's not the case, we're likely looking at one or two of those names not being here.
Looking back to the start of the season when the Celtics (with Smart as the full-time starting point guard) started 8-3 before Jayson Tatum caught COVID-19 and then looking at how Smart ended the season as the no-doubt-about-it second best player in Boston's short-lived 2021 playoff run, to me, it's clear that Smart still has a place on this team.
When Brad Stevens said that he loves and trusts Marcus Smart, we ate it all up. Whether or not Smart has played his last game for the Boston Celtics will prove whether President Brad Stevens loves and trusts to the same degree as Head Coach Brad Stevens.
Kyrie Irving and the Nets visit Boston in ESPN doubleheader
Brooklyn Nets (31-19) at Boston Celtics (36-15) Game #51 2/1/23 The Celtics continue their home stand as they welcome the Brooklyn Nets to the TD Garden.


Prepared with Hondarrabi Beltza grape.
Visual Phase: Fresh, with sea salty fragances, that melt with wild fruits, smoke and spices.
Nose Phase: Fresh, with sea fragances. Apple and citric.
Taste Phase: Deep and elegant taste. With ripe cherry, strawberry and spices. Juicy and citric. Balanced acidity, light like the ocean.
Rosé Txakoli, young, natural needle. Fine nose and with a light salty fragance, with a mineral sensation. Sparkly, fresh and exciting.
It pairs well with cheese, rice. chicken, white meat and fish.


l2TP VPN-, uDP-. PPTP,,, l2TP VPN- best rated vpn providers Windows server 2008 r2. PPTP.
Vpn ikev2 windows server 2008?
i have a router with dynamic ip address (NAT done here)) virtual ip address of vpn server and after that a cisco firewall. Hi all,linux, cydia Impactor is a versatile software, available on Windows, and virtual ip address of vpn server Mac operating systems,Unlimited Free VPN - Betternet , , , .
relationships Clearly, verbose_name"related place ) The convention is not to capitalize the nmd vpn registration first letter of the verbose_name. The power of relational databases lies in virtual ip address of vpn server relating tables to each other. On_SCADE, oneToOneField( Place,) django will automatically capitalize the first letter where it needs to.
iPSEC VPN IP VPN enables using connections to the Internet at multiple branches and also as a full-value secured private network. Communication from virtual ip address of vpn server branch vpn para htc mytouch 4g to branch within this network is based on the IP protocol.
Type CTRLX, y, then press the Enter Key on your keyboard. You can also import your token by running: echo -n "KEN" /home/ethos/th If you have trouble, watch the EthOSdistro Panel Authentication Walkthrough. Video Guides General Videos EthOSdistro Panel Authentication Walkthrough VirusHQ ethOS and Mining.
to access your virtual ip address of vpn server Sophos UTMs SSL VPN from Mac OSX: First, tunnelblick is a free, download TunnelBlick and install it.preos, em minha opinio, as informaes sobre negociaes, proteger as informaes sigilosas de seu dia-a-dia no virtual ip address of vpn server trabalho to importante quanto saber lidar com elas, fechar contratos e fazer vendas.
edit Your New Website Edit virtual ip address of vpn server Page credit: Kathleen Estrada Click the Edit page icon - it resembles a pencil - at the top of the screen to place your site in Edit Mode. Edit Mode credit: Kathleen Estrada Edit the page.expressVPN aims to provide you with virtual ip address of vpn server everything you need, or you want to be able to access websites and services that are blocked in your country, features Whether your main concern is protecting your privacy while you browse the internet,after this I would make sure to get a copy of malwarebytes from malwarebytes. Then unclick use proxy make sure the only thing clicked in automatically detect settings click ok. You how to download a vpn while in china can also get to Internet options through the control panel btw.
Hide ip 30 day trial!
setting up VPN4ALL Mobile on virtual ip address of vpn server your mobile device (smartphone or tablet)) is easy! Quick Start on an iOS device (iPhone,) vPN4ALL. IPod or iPad.proper way. Excellent virtual ip address of vpn server SMS tool provides facility to download the trial version for analysis working procedure and.
now consider the following. Were going how to use betternet on netflix to look at how to inject dependencies into your web application virtual ip address of vpn server filters. In this post, to achieve this, were going to use Springs DelegatingFilterProxy.
This therefore secures you and anyone who tries to track your online activities can only get to the VPN server.
Best VPN Services to unblock Rarbg. As it is, competition among VPN service providers is alive and thriving. All of.
Unblock Anything is a free to use proxy service that allows you to bypass the firewalls, filters and other methods.


Where: Mid-Plains Community College meeting Room at 512 East B St. South, Ogallala NE 69153.
Meeting: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Those interested in learning about current trends in cash rental rates, lease provisions, and crop and grazing land considerations should make plans to attend this upcoming land management meeting. The workshop is based on the topic, "Managing Agricultural Land for the 21st Century." Learn management strategies for your land by attending this seminar at the Mid-Plains Community College meeting Room at 512 East B St. South, Ogallala NE 69153. The meeting will be held on December 13, 2018 with registration starting at 9:15 a.m., program starting at 9:30 a.m., and ending by 3 p.m. in the afternoon.
Participants can use this seminar to learn about: What does an equitable rental rate look like for my land? How do I manage a farmland lease? What should I expect for communications between the landlord and tenant? What does a soil test tell me? I hear about organic or natural production; how does that vary from what my farmer is currently doing? If corn or soybeans are not making money, should something else be raised on my land? What are key pasture leasing considerations including stocking rates? Who is responsible for cedar tree removal from grazing land?
"Our teaching team is contacted monthly by landlords and tenants across Nebraska wanting to know more about current land management considerations for their land," said Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator and event speaker. "This event will not only cover current trends in land leases, but also address considerations for crop production and grazing land," Vyhnalek continued. This workshop is designed to provide up to date information for both the landlords and tenants involved in land leases.
The program is free and open to the public for those interested in attending. To ensure enough handouts please register by calling the Keith-Arthur County Extension Office at 308-284-6051 for the Ogallala Meeting. Adams Bank & Trust is sponsoring lunch.
The program is being provided by Allan Vyhnalek, Aaron Nygren, Erin Laborie, Ben Beckman, and Jim Jansen, from Nebraska Extension. They provide the farm land management and agronomy, and beef production education in Nebraska. For more information or assistance, please contact Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator, Farm Succession, at 402-472-1771 or e-mail avyhnalek2@unl.edu, or contact Jim Jansen, Extension Economist for Eastern Nebraska at 402-261-7572 or e-mail jjansen4@unl.edu.


Displays in real time the number of words, characters, and lines written in the text you're working on. Automatically detects and counts any text copied to your clipboard. Works with Microsoft Word and Notepad.
Text Tally is a small program provided for free by Harmony Hollow Software. The program aims at helping users to calculate how many lines, words and characters are in their texts and it can display these statistics on the main program's window. A useful feature that I liked is the ability to calculate the previous items on the fly while you are typing without the need to interrupt your writing or pressing any buttons. You may think that the program is useless, but it's very useful for article writers, magazine editors, webmasters and more. The program has a very easy-to-use interface that is suitable for both novice and experienced users. If you don't like to write your paragraphs on the simple text box of the program, don't worry because you can write on your favorite program such as Microsoft Word or Notepad and have the program automatically grab the text from the Windows clipboard. Luckily, the program supports words of all languages and special characters. For your convenience, the program has a functionality that enables you to minimize the program to the system tray area. The program contains a help file in ' Windows Help format' , which unfortunately is not viewable in Microsoft Windows Vista.


text:
Q: Photons in non-relativistic quantum mechanics I have just finished my very first quantum theory of matter course and everything we did was strictly non relativistic. No QFTs whatsoever, no creation and annihilation operators, no mention to the Dirac equation. The most relativistic thing we did was the spin orbit interaction, and even then it wasn't fully justified (the factor $ \frac{1}{2} $ popped out of nowhere and we treated everything with standard non relativistic perturbation theory). Despite that the word photon kept coming up. I know it is a strictly relativistic thing but I just care about getting an intuitive idea of what it is and not a rigorous one (I'll leave that for the future).

*

*If I have an em field is it correct to say that the photon is spread out inside this field?

*When a photon is emitted from an atom is it an electromagnetic wavepacket with a wavelength kinda constant but not really (or it wouldn't be a wavepacket but rather a monochromatic wave)? Does it make sense to calculate the amplitude of this wavepacket using $ h \nu = \text{Volume in space of the wave packet} \times \epsilon_{0} E^{2} $ (i. e equating the energy of the photon to the classical em energy)?

*Is an electromagnetic wave made of a single photon what the wavefunction of a single electron is to the electron?

*Suppose I have a em wave made of a single photon in a large cavity. Suppose the em wave is constant in the entire cavity. Can I localize the photon with a measurement and say "It's there, with a precision (say) + or minus .1 mm". What happens to the em field then? Does it contract to that single point (+/- .1 mm) to expand again in future times to cover the whole cavity again? Is there a way to predict this time evolution with a (relativistic) Schroedinger-like equation?

A: In the standard model of particle physics which is a quantum field theoretical model, the photon is a point particle, of mass zero, spin 1, and $energy = hν$, in the table of particles. All the fundamental elementary particles are point particles.

1) If I have an em field is it correct to say that the photon is spread out inside this field?

No each photon is a point particle, its (x,y,z,t)given by the probability of the complex conjugate square of its wavefunction

2) When a photon is emitted from an atom is it an electromagnetic wavepacket

It is a point particle for each individual emission. There is a width to the lines emitting, so the spectral lines have a frequency width.

3) Is an electromagnetic wave made of a single photon what the wavefunction of a single electron is to the electron?

No. The classical electromagnetic wave is an emergent phenomenon from the quantum field theoretical base. It can be shown mathematically  in quantum field theory that the classical electromagnetic field is built up by zillions of photons of the appropriate frequency.

4) Suppose I have a em wave made of a single photon in a large cavity. Suppose the em wave is constant in the entire cavity.

An electromagnetic wave is composed out of zillions of photons, you can get an estimate of the huge numbers involed by taking the energy of such a wave and dividing it by $hν$

Can I localize the photon with a measurement and say "It's there, with a precision (say) + or minus .1 mm".

After the fact, footprints of photons can be seen in single photon experiments, see here. . The classical interference is built up as the single photons (point footsteps) accumulate.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Real estate is notorious for its inefficiencies when purchasing and selling a home. Technology has helped, to some degree, to streamline the housing search and transaction, but in general real estate often lags when it comes to adopting new tech and processes compared to other industries. The real estate brokerage model is no different. As the homebuying and selling process becomes more complex, it is hard to imagine agents have the necessary resources to efficiently serve all the needs of their clients on their own.
With complexity increasing within real estate transactions, agents need to find reliable partners to help run their businesses. If it takes Chipotle several people to make a burrito, it is hard to imagine one agent handling multiple deals at once without feeling overwhelmed. Streamlining the process and building operational systems is critical to efficiently grow your business. Finding reliable technology and people is not an easy task, but it is now a requirement for today's modern agent to stay relevant and, most importantly, thrive.
Overall, the takeaway here is that agents should find reliable partners and technology to outsource many of administrative functions. Real estate agents are good at dealing with people, and this is why they excel at what they do. Accounting, marketing and payroll can be a daunting task for a lot of agents to do on their own.
Thankfully, technology has reached a point where there are a plethora of marketing tools agents can easily and affordably incorporate into their business. Focus on delivering content that your current and potential clients want to hear. You can easily target potential clients with the latest market comps and deliver that information straight to their phone.
Online bill pay, accounting and payroll allow for you to seamlessly run your business from your computer. Unfortunately, I see far too many agents running their business off Excel, which often translates into more headaches and anxiety. There is a myriad of finance and accounting software out there for you to use. A lot of them are even free.
It is important for you to understand where you are not completely confident. The better you can understand your weaknesses, the easier it will be for you to find the right people and tools to help you — ultimately making you more efficient and able to sell more homes. Remember, you need to invest time and money into yourself to reap long-term success. You cannot do it on your own.
Real estate agents excel at dealing with people. It is important to remember that is your main value proposition. Trying to do it all on your own is only setting you up for failure. Chipotle does not have just one person make your burrito, so why should just one person handle the entire housing transaction process?


On our recent trip to Victoria, BC, we had the awesome chance to see a lot of really great bands play. Null Command was one of the stand-out ones for me. A husband and wife duo that had me interested from note one. This brilliantly crafted minimal synthwave hits really hard live. It was cool to see it come together live because a lot of the elements that you hear here on the recording were unique and randomized. The vocal style on these tracks fits well in the eerie atmosphere that is left between the minimal beats.
Null Command is a minimal synth duo from Victoria, BC. Their only recordings are raw demos on their Bandcamp.
WIFE is one of the great projects that came out of the Haxan Cloak-ian style of strange electronic darkpop. I really love when metal guys go electronic with their solo projects because there are often elements that really shouldn't cross over that end up working so beautifully. WIFE isn't a harsh electronics project by any means, but the textures of the sounds and the start-stop functions of "Native Trade" bring something to this style of electronic music that really appeals to me. The intensity of this track is in the buildup and the tension between the silences.
WIFE is the project of former vocalist/guitarist of the metal band Altar of Plagues. His new album Standard Nature is out now on Profound Lore Records. Also, check out this article / interview with Thump about the release.
This is a fantastic release. Rooksfeather has a really interesting blend of influences; there seems to be bits of industrial, witch house, and synth pop in here, with occasional hints of noise and chiptune. This particular track has a nice, chill flow to it. It moves from moments of melancholy to moments of hopefulness effortlessly, building atmosphere through chopped up vocal samples, pads and slow moving percussion. The end feels somehow triumphant - not explicitly so, but under the surface - and it's subtlety is very effective. Be sure to give the whole album a listen.
Rooksfeather is an electronic project from Vancouver, BC. Her latest release, Deep Nausea, is available on Bandcamp.
I was recently looking for stuff in the vein of Schwefelgelb and was turned on to this release from Ansome. While it is not exactly what I set out to find, it is still a fantastic listen. Ansome is working in the growing field of industrial techno crossover (or is it techno industrial?). Driving beats, evolving slowly over the course of the track, are built upon with heavy percussion and feedback loops. The music never feels boring; it evolves constantly and meaningfully. It's ebbs and flows never feel forced, and it keeps your head moving from start to finish.
Ansome is an industrial techno project out of London. Their latest release, Stowaway, is available from Perc Trax on Bandcamp.