text:
John MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to:

J. Roderick MacArthur (1920–1984), American businessman
John MacArthur (American pastor) (born 1939), American evangelical minister, televangelist, and author
John Macarthur (priest), 20th-century provost of the Cathedral of the Isles in Scotland
John Macarthur (wool pioneer) (1767–1834), Australian wool industry pioneer and Rum Rebel
John D. MacArthur (1897–1978), American philanthropist
John Gordon MacArthur, fictional murder victim from Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None
John Knox MacArthur (1891–1918), American World War I flying ace
John R. MacArthur (born 1956), American journalist
John Stewart MacArthur (died 1920), Scottish inventor of the MacArthur-Forrest process for gold cyanidation (1887)

See also
 John McArthur (disambiguation)


Cher and I went to Clarke Quay last night.
Wah! Since when did it become touristy?! As I was walking to The Clinic I saw so many Chinese and Japanese tourists complete with camera dangling from neckstraps and waist pouches. Also have you noticed that tourists always wear tee-shirts, berms and sport shoes?! Why???
We went to Clinic, which is nice. I wanted quite badly to try the drink that is served in IV drip format but in the end settled for 3 shots of something blue-y that tastes of butterscotch and strawberry. Yummy.
Then we went to Barfly, which I like much much much better!
Very nice ambience and the staff was really polite and non-snob. As in they asked if it was our first time and if we wanted to be shown around. 🙂 The only downside I can think of it the toilet is located in such a weird place.
It was really funny. Cher and I were standing in the middle of Barfly thinking 'Should we stay here or go to Kandi Bar?' And the staff who was showing us around said 'We have a promotion tonight, 1 for 1 on all martinis'.
We were immediately sold. 'OK! Table for 2 please!' We said brightly.
I love love love the chocolate martini. I preferred it to the one I had at The Balcony.


The head of the New South Wales Council of Civil Liberties, Stephen Blanks, said Australia had made security determinations about Tamil asylum seekers based on its close relationship with the Sri Lankan government.
Sri Lanka's outgoing president Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was unexpectedly defeated in last week's election, has been accused of committing war crimes against the Tamil minority in the dying days of the civil war.
"Given the election result in Sri Lanka, it is time for Asio to reassess whether assessments made of Tamils are still relevant," Blanks told Guardian Australia.
He said he hoped Dutton would take a "fresh look" at the refugees who were still in limbo following adverse security assessments.
"It was never appropriate to lock these people up," he said.
Blanks said the fact that the refugees had been released quietly over the past few years meant it was likely they were never a real threat to in the first place, but he said the secrecy around the issue meant the public would never know for sure.


text:
using Thinktecture.IdentityServer.Models;

namespace Thinktecture.IdentityServer.Repositories
{
    public interface IStoredGrantRepository
    {
        void Add(StoredGrant grant);
        StoredGrant Get(string id);
        void Delete(string id);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Federalism: Secession Lite, by Patrissimo
Welcome to our fourth post for Secession Week, in celebration of Independence Day this weekend. Today's theme is federalism, which Wikipedia defines as:
"The term federalism is … used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (like states or provinces). Federalism is a system in which the power to govern is shared between national and central (state) governments, creating what is often called a federation. Proponents are often called federalists."
Confusingly, in Europe the word is sometimes used for those who support a strong federal government, like the EU, but we are using the earlier meaning of a federation of fairly independent political units, whose central government restricts itself to activities with interstate implications, like national defense.
Federalism is not a fringe issue – the battle over states rights reached the nations highest levels in recent Supreme Court cases like Raich vs. Gonzalez and Kelo vs. New London. And as Real Clear Politics reports in "Can Federalism Solve America's Culture War?", popular blogger Andrew Sullivan recently defended federalism in The New Republic: "The whole point of federalism is that different states can have different public policies on matters of burning controversy–and that this is okay."
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy points out that federalism vs. centralization has been an issue since the founding of the United States:
The Articles of Confederation of 1781 among the 13 American states fighting British rule had established a center too weak for law enforcement, defense and for securing interstate commerce. What has become known as the U.S. Constitutional Convention met May 25 — September 17 1787. It was explicitly restricted to revise the Articles, but ended up recommending more fundamental changes. The proposed constitution prompted widespread debate arguments addressing the benefits and risks of federalism versus confederal arrangements, leading eventually to the Constitution taking effect in 1789.
The "Anti-federalists" were fearful of undue centralization. They worried that the powers of central authorities were not sufficiently constrained e.g. by a bill of rights (John DeWitt 1787, Richard Henry Lee) — which was eventually ratified in 1791. They also feared that the center might gradually usurp the sub-units' powers. Citing Montesquieu, another pseudonymous 'Brutus' doubted whether a republic of such geographical size with so many inhabitants with conflicting interests could avoid tyranny and would allow common deliberation and decision based on local knowledge (Brutus (Robert Yates?) 1787).
In what has become known as The Federalist Papers, James Madison (1751-1836), Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) and John Jay (1745-1829) argued vigorously for the suggested model of interlocking federal arrangements (Federalist 10, 45, 51, 62). Madison and Hamilton agreed with Hume that the risk of tyranny by passionate majorities was reduced in larger republics where sub-units of shared interest could and would check each other: "A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any improper or wicked project, will be less likely to pervade the whole body of the Union than a particular member of it." (Federalist 10).
3 Responses to Federalism: Secession Lite, by Patrissimo
Federal Farmer says:
I have been writing on the US and the EU as both empire-level (and scale) federal systems at I've been dealing with it at http://soozah.wordpress.com/, esp in comparision with the US . you might be interested in some of the posts.
euandus says:
I suspect that the latest compromise regarding state banking regulation in the midst of pressure for financial reform in Washington points to the influence of large corporations on the Congress as a culprit in the on-going eclipse of federalism. Pls see my blog if interested. Thanks.
See if you think I've got it right in how I depict federalism. I had several replies to my posts so I wrote another in defense of the governmance system. If you are interested in having a look, here is the link. http://euandus3.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/coming-soon-a-post-on-problems-with-a-resurgent-federalism/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


GORGEOUS HOME - NEW PAINT, CABINETS REDONE ETC!! OAK HILLS HORSE PROPERTY!! COMMUTER FRIENDLY 5/3 (SHOWS 4 ON TITLE BUT ONE ROOM IS A BONUS AS A BEDROOM)!! 3 CAR GARAGE, LARGE LOT - ALMOST 2.5 ACRES! TILE FLOORING THROUGHOUT, FIREPLACE, COVERED PATIO, FULLY FENCED, RIGHT OFF THE 395! IN HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER SNOWLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT (BUYER TO VERIFY ALL INFO), FORMAL DINING ROOM, LIVING ROOM, OPEN FLOOR PLAN, SPLIT MASTERS ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE HOME!
Main street west from the 15 fwy, cross over 395 make a rt on the first street which is lilac. Take down to Wilmot.
I am interested in #508746.


Your dog or cat starts itching, licking, digging...all day and all NIGHT! His ears may be goopy and stinky. His fur gets thin, sheds CONSTANTLY and may even fall out in patches. The stink, well, you know it when you walk in the door! So, you head to the vet!
Then it begins - the steroids, shots, creams, pills, medicated shampoos to the tune of $200+. That's just the first visit. Now, you are three years and $2000 into the cycle. Your wallet is thinner and so is your pet's coat! Nothing really has changed except that MAYBE the symptoms let up a bit right after the shot, cream, pill. All your companion does is itch, lick, dig and stink! No more fun romps in the park. No more sitting together on the sofa watching your favorite Lassie reruns. And heaven forbid actually taking your dog in your car!
Why are you actually at this point with your pet? There's simply one reason. Misdiagnosis! A nutritional deficiency cannot be cured using medications!
If all the shots, pills and medicated shampoos aren't actually working, there's a good chance it's a nutritional deficiency!
Makes sense, doesn't it? You feed the same commercial, highly processed, heat processed food for months, even years. Even if you switch foods, the symptoms lessen, but then return. Of course there would be gaps in your pet's nutrition! Because heat processing actually destroys and kills nutrients required by your pet, where would he get these required building blocks for good health, strong immune system, strong digestive tract, healthy skin and coat? The truth is, he's not.
So, where do you start? Eliminate the nutritional gaps -> eliminate the nutrition deficiencies -> eliminate the nutrition deficiency symptoms! Now THAT'S the cycle you should be aiming for!
Whether you are using a commercial pet food, making homemade food or feeding a raw diet, the main foundation of your pet's diet should be meat. Check the ingredients in the commercial food and make sure the first ingredient is meat and that meat is listed again in the next 2 or 3 ingredients.
Dogs and cats are carnivores. They do not actually have a requirement for grains in their diet. However, most commercial foods and treats are loaded with carbs/grains. Once you have minimized the carbs in your pet's food, check your pet's treats. You know those meat and bone shaped biscuits? Most of them are simply meat-flavored corn! Feed a meaty treat instead!
You may be feeding an expensive, meaty diet but still may be leaving nutritional gaps in your pet's diet. The pet food industry's definition of "complete" and the true definition of "complete" for your pet may be two very different things. Even a raw or homemade diet may be lacking because of the state of our soils and what is being fed to commercially farmed animals. Giving your pet a quality, all natural supplement to compliment their meaty diet is a great way to assure your pet is getting all those required and delicate nutrients that he may be lacking. Just like in our diets. It's a hard task to make sure all the nutritional bases are covered every single day, so adding that quality supplement for dogs or that quality supplement for cats is the simple solution!
Fresh air and sunshine are two ingredients that just can't be bottled and sold...or you'd find it in our store! Walking, running, romping or just getting outside and moving, benefits both you and your pet! Take a few minutes every day to let your pet know that he's important to you!


text:
Geotechnical and Environmental Consulting Services Qualified Pool
From: Eugene(City)
29 Oct, 2018 (about 4 years ago)
15 Oct, 2023 (in 8 months)
Bid Notification
City of Eugene
125 East 8th Avenue, 2nd Floor Eugene, Oregon 97401
CITY OF EUGENE INVITATION TO SUBMIT QUALIFICATIONS 2019200025 Notice to Offerors Statements of Qualifications for Geotechnical and Environmental Consulting Services for the City of Eugene will be accepted by the Purchasing Office, 100 West 10th Avenue, Suite 400, Eugene, Oregon 97401. The City intends to establish a pool of qualified Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants. Inclusion in the pool does not guarantee that a contract for services will be offered to the consultant. Qualifications may be submitted at any time prior to October 15, 2023. Qualifications will be reviewed as they are submitted. All consultants will be notified of acceptance or rejection of qualifications. Contracts may be issued to pool participants at any time. Statements of qualifications need only be submitted once. If found qualified, the consultants will remain on the Qualified Pool list. Periodic requests for an updated statement of qualifications may be requested by the City. The City may reject any statement of qualifications not in compliance with all prescribed public bidding procedures and requirements and may reject for good cause any or all statements of qualifications or waive any specification or requirement upon a finding of the City it is in the public interest to do so. The City, in accordance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252. 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally-Assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all proposers/bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that all business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin in consideration for an award. Project Description In general, work includes providing geotechnical and environmental consulting services for the City of Eugene on a contractual and/or as-needed basis. When a need arises the City may review the qualifications of the planners within the pool. If an appropriate provider is available, the City may enter into a contract with that provider. Previous Offerors Offerors who have previously been accepted into City of Eugene qualifications pool for Geotechnical and Environmental Consulting Services need not re-apply. Those offerors will be automatically accepted into this new pool and are still eligible for contracts with the City of Eugene under Administrative Rule 1415, Article 4.5.4; Selection from a Qualified Pool. If an offeror's statement of qualifications on file is over five (5) years old, the City may ask the offeror to resubmit their SOQ to this updated Request for Qualifications to ensure that City staff has access to recent and relevant experience when selecting from the pool Solicitation Documents Solicitation documents may be examined at the City of Eugene Purchasing Office, 100 West 10th Avenue, Suite 400, Eugene, Oregon 97401 or electronically by logging in to the Oregon Procurement Information Network (ORPIN) system at http://orpin.oregon.gov/open.dll/welcome To view City of Eugene solicitations: • Login to ORPIN • Select Browse Opportunities • Select By Organization • Click Search • Select City of Eugene (ORCPP) RFQu 2019200025 Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants Qualified Pool pg. 2 • Select the solicitation and express interest • Select the yellow folder next to Attachments Exist and Questions & Answers to view available files. A paper copy of the Solicitation may be obtained at the City's Purchasing Office at 100 West 10th Avenue, Suite 400, Eugene, Oregon 97401. Please call ahead to request a copy. Dated: October 29, 2018 Shawn Hubbell Purchasing Analyst City of Eugene 100 West 10th Avenue, Suite 400 Eugene, Oregon 97401 (541) 682-5050
Publication Date/Time:
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Lorelei Crystal Boho Turquoise Fringe Earrings. Stand out in the crowd! Lorelei shines with Turquoise, crystals and worn brass fringe and accents. The crystals mixed with the turquoise take them to another level of fabulous and unique! They dangle at 3.25 inches long. Wear them with a sundress in the spring or a cute off the shoulder top and ripped denim for Festival Season or with a shift dress and tall boots in the cooler months!


This program ended on 05/18/2014 (SUN) 14:25 .
This program ended on 05/18/2014 (SUN) 14:25.
The last day of the live Niconico webcast starting May 18, Sunday at 10:00 pm Japan time. The live program has complete access to the Pro Tour: live match coverage, deck techs, behind-the-scenes interviews with R&D members and much more!


text:
Harrow 10°c
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Newsquest Papers Online
Pereyra returns to Udinese
Roberto Pereyra has rejoined Udinese from Watford
By Ryan Gray @ObserverRyan Senior Sport Reporter
Roberto Pereyra has returned to Udinese, Picture: Action Images
Roberto Pereyra has left Watford and rejoined Italian side Udinese.
The Hornets confirmed that the Argentine winger's future was to be away from Vicarage Road on Wednesday, when they announced that both he and Etienne Capoue would be departing after handing in transfer requests.
The club stated: "Étienne Capoue and Roberto Pereyra are not in Head Coach Vladimir Ivić's first-team squad, given both players have requested a transfer away from the Hornets. The club will confirm their departures officially once moves have been finalised."
Pereyra has since completed a move back to the fellow Pozzo-owned club from whom he joined Juventus in 2014, initially on loan and then permanently.
The 29-year-old moved to Watford in 2016 and went on to make 115 appearances in all competitions, scoring 18 goals.
He scored his final goal for the Hornets against Everton in a 3-2 home defeat in February.


text:
Baseball: Ohtani, Trout homer as Angels sweep Blue Jays
Sports Aug 29, 2022 11:27; updated Aug 29, 2022 12:09 (JST)
Shohei Ohtani hit his first homer in 10 games as the visiting Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 to complete a three-game series sweep on Sunday. Ohtani had a two-run homer off lefty Tim Mayza in the seventh inning among his three hits at Rogers Centre, and Mike Trout, Kurt Suzuki and Luis Rengifo also homered to highlight the Angels' 13-hit offense. Ohtani and Trout each hit their 28th homers of the season. With two more, Ohtani, who hit 46 homers last season, will become the first Japan-born MLB player to have back-to-back 30-homer seasons. Yusei Kikuchi worked out of a two-ou...


2017 Audi A4 2.0T Premium Plus! ** ACCIDENT FREE CARFAX HISTORY ** ONE OWNER VEHICLE ** Audi Advanced Key, Audi MMI Navigation Plus, Pre Sense Rear, Side Assist, Virtual Cockpit, Bang & Olufsen Sound System, Cold Weather Package, Convenience Package, Full LED Headlights, Heated Steering Wheel, Heated Front Seats, Heated Rear Seats, Parking System Plus, Power Sunroof, Technology Package Quattro All Wheel Drive! 31/24 Highway/City MPG!


Grease Trap Waste (GTW) is a high lipid waste stream from the waste water management system that is underutilized despite its potential for conversion into valuable biodiesel. Unlike the leading sources of biodiesel – soybean oil, corn oil, and used cooling oil – GTW is treated as a liability, making it one of the few liquid hydrocarbons remaining without value. However, GTW is dirty, inhomogeneous, and contains degraded, acidic lipids. Processing GTW to biodiesel requires additional separation and purification steps but has potential to be an economic and environmentally benign drop in fuel.


text:
Tag: Jamie Bartlett
Anatomy of a crypto con (review of The Missing Cryptoqueen by Jamie Bartlett)
OneCoin's just the latest chapter in the never-ending story of fools being parted from their money.
It's estimated that a million people were conned in the $4 billion global Ponzi scheme.
OneCoin was dreamed up by Ruja Ignatova, an Oxford University graduate and two-time Bulgarian Businesswoman of the Year who's fluent in five languages.
Ignatova pitched OneCoin as a world-changing cryptocurrency for the masses. She promised it would be bigger and better than Bitcoin.
The original plan was to have 2.1 billion OneCoins in circulation – 100 times the number of Bitcoins. But just 18 months later, Ignatova announced at a sold-out corporate event in Wembley Arena that there would now be 120 billion OneCoins. The coin would still be worth just shy of $10 CDN. And every investor who got in early was having their OneCoins doubled in a show of appreciation.
"With the click of her fingers, Dr. Ruja doubled the wealth of every single person in the crowd," says Jamie Bartlett, tech journalist and author of The Missing Cryptoqueen. "Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of investors who hadn't made it to London. It didn't seem to matter that she was breaking rule 101 of economics: that when the supply of something goes up, the price goes down. Nor did it matter that she was breaking her own promise: that there would only ever be 2.1 billion OneCoin in circulation and that 'fixed supply' was the whole point of cryptocurrency. So how was it possible to increase the number of coins by a factor of 50? And without affecting the price?"
Ignatova pulled off this magic trick because she was running the biggest scam of the 21st century, says Bartlett.
While there were other cryptocurrencies, OneCoin was the first to embrace multilevel marketing. Promoters were paid generous commissions for selling the coin and signing up family, friends and strangers to do the same.
"The single most important word in multilevel marketing is momentum," says Bartlett. "It happens when a team is big enough to start growing by itself, just like when a virus reaches an unstoppable tipping point. Most new MLM companies never reach that moment and peter out within a year or two."
Instead of selling coins, promoters sold education packages at different price points. The packages came with training videos, a plagarized PDF and free tokens that would someday soon be converted into OneCoins. The starter package, which cost just over $150 CDN, came with 1,000 tokens. The "Tycoon Trader" package sold for nearly $8,000 and included as many as 48,000 tokens.
A blockchain was needed to convert the tokens into coins. Think of this specialized piece of software as a public diary for each coin that lists every transaction and continually updates itself every few minutes.
OneCoin never built a real blockchain. A fake one was posted on its website. Ignatova made up the price and no coins were ever traded. "OneCoin's blockchain display looked like the real thing but it was some kind of pre-programmed 'script', an off-the-shelf piece of kit that was running phoney and meaningless transactions between imaginary wallets," says Bartlett.
"The display was just a clever ruse to fool investors into thinking their coins were held on a brand-new mathematically secure state-of-the-art blockchain. But all they owned were meaningless entries on a database. A million people had bought Ponzi tokens. Monopoly money that was controlled not by computer code, but by Ruja."
Momentum eventually stalled, top promoters bailed, OneCoin was exposed as a scam and the pyramid scheme collapsed on itself, says Bartlett. Investors lost their money and life savings. Senior executives went to jail. And Ignatova, who's one of the FBI's ten most wanted fugitives, has been on the lam since 2017.
"Good scams aren't about facts or logic," says Bartlett. "They are built on the manipulation of common human irrationalities: hope, belief, greed and, above all, by the nagging 'fear of missing out'. Although OneCoin investors were victims, they weren't entirely without blame. FOMO is driven by a desire to get rich quick, a willingness to replace work or effort with a risky bet."
If you're looking for a safe bet, bank on a future scam that dwarfs OneCoin and parts even more fools from their money. It's the story that never ends.
Posted on August 29, 2022 Categories UncategorizedTags business book review, crypto currency, Hamilton Spectator, Jamie Bartlett, Jay Robb, OneCoin, The Missing Crypto QueenLeave a comment on Anatomy of a crypto con (review of The Missing Cryptoqueen by Jamie Bartlett)


"Fujitsu and NetApp take IT energy management systems to the next level."
With 5.5 million customers, approximately 20,000 employees, and annual sales of over EUR 19 billion in 2016, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG is one of the biggest energy utility companies in Germany.
To migrate the existing storage system to a scalable and cost-effective flash solution to meet the high I/O requirements and backup processes of energy management systems.
NetApp All-Flash improved the systems' performance and capacity. With deduplication and inline compression, the three systems were consolidated into one MetroCluster. Fujitsu's on-demand model also offers scalability and flexible expansion options.


Update your Western look with the modern look of the Lucchese® HL1512.73 boot.
Distressed leather upper with a light burnished finish.
Features unique Lucchese Western stitching on shaft.
Leather outsole and a rubber heel tap for long-lasting durability and traction.


We had an awesome Frosty Kid's race this year! Most of the thirty-four kids raced the entire 2.5k course; a handful of the smallest racers took a shortened route. The fastest skier of the day was Mateo Lung who skated the race. He even took a wrong turn and ended up doing two laps in the woods before still finishing ahead of the other skiers.
The Frosty Kid's race is part of the Brighton Schools recreation program. Twenty-four of the skiers attend three skiing classes hosted by Team NordicSkiRacer. An all volunteer effort, Team NordicSkiRacer has held these classes for the past eight years to bring new skiers into the sport. Several of the parents also took to class and learned to ski as well, or learned to ski better.
The proceeds from past Frosty Freestyle and Krazy Klassic races were used to help fund new rental skis for Huron Meadows Metropark that were used for the kid's classes.
Frosty the Snowman hosted the event, skiing out on the course with the kids and making sure everyone had a fun time in the cold conditions!


text:
Q: PHP: Class Scope - external class best practice? I'm pretty new to classes.
I am using a PDO connection, and all is well so far. I can login/logout, display the users information on the screen. all updates inserts etc all works. I have a general query about the strcuture of my website before i go any further.
My main question is,
Is it better to pass the variables that i need into the methods that i call (Most use the user_id, so i would be calling $user -> user_id in most method calls), but then how should i contact an external method such as a method from the $user object?
Or is it better to pass the $user object when creating a new $task object?
See below for code snippets and examples
I dont want to start from scratch, so extending BaseModel will be my way forward with this project...
I have a similar setup to the below;
//main class

class BaseModel(){
//configure db here $db
//subclasses can use as self:$db
//there is if($db doesnt exist).. to stop multiple connection threads being
//created when multiple objects are created.
}

//...and I have 2 subclasses

class User Extends BaseModel
//create new user object, confirm login details (cookie, ip etc)
//returns user object as array.
}

class Tasks Extends BaseModel

//do various cleanup tasks
}

In the main script I create a new instance of each:
$user = new User();
$task = new Task();

If i want to call the redirect task (PHP's header("Location:...) i can include the user_id in the method call;
$task -> redirect($user -> user_id, "newloc.php")

this will forward the user to the requested page, and also logs it in the database with the user id (useful while in development mode to eradicate too many page loops).
Obviously this is pretty simple, however how about if I want to communicate with the $user class directly within the $task class? I have found that I can instead create a $task object passing the $user object;
$task = new Task($user);

In my tests I have found that i can then access the $user data and methods (such as $this -> user->user_id), and allows me to access the methods in there, for example;
(Note: i dont log the user redirects. this is the simplest example i can think of);
$task -> redirect("newurl.php");

//within redirect
public function redirect($url){
$this -> user -> increaseTotalRedirects();

The system is obviously much more complicated than this. the example in this post is literally just an example to get my point across
Thanks for your time.

A: You can use a protected class attribute like $_user in Task class like this:
class Task extends BaseModel
{
    protected $_user;

    public function __construct(User $user)
    {
        $this->_user = $user;
    }
}

and add a getter method of this attribute like this:
public function getUser()
{
    return $this->_user;
}

so you can use User class methods in Task class like this:
$this->getUser()->userMethod(); // this is a method in User class

Note: i declared $_user protected and not private because it can be accessible in all subclass of Task class (if you want to extends this class)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I strongly value environmental stewardship, so I was concerned about working in the chemicals industry. An unfortunate record stretching from Bhopal to Deepwater Horizon, combined with political lobbying to weaken environmental regulations, made me feel like I was selling my soul. Many big chemical firms visited the University of Delaware, handing out business cards with logos in barely distinguishable shades of red, and talked through barely distinguishable "environmental commitment" slides with a series of platitudes.
Air Products was among the last companies to visit campus, yet it ably stood out from the crowd. The recruiters' business cards contrasted the pile of red in my drawer with a green logo. It sounds silly now, but I distinctly remember the contrast. More importantly, its presentation didn't simply promise me that they cared for the environment--it listed the numerous awards the company has won for doing so.
The more I researched and read for myself, the more I saw a company that put real effort into its commitments.
I came to work for Air Products, happy to have a career that is not only challenging and rewarding, but one that I can be proud of. In my first year working here, that expectation has been borne out. I have seen and lived the dedication we have to protect our environment as well as our employees and nearby communities.
I look forward to many more years of meeting these high standards and expanding our company's reputation as both a leader in the industry and as a concerned corporate citizen.


text:
Chicago Launches First Building Energy Rating System in the U.S.
December 3, 2018 | Amy Jewel
Cities are prime venues in which we can tackle climate change by crafting and implementing proven, common-sense building energy efficiency interventions that reduce energy consumption, save money, and cut back harmful emissions associated with energy generation and use. In this post, we take a look at Chicago's new building energy rating system and how it aims to make building energy performance scores easier to understand and more visible to the public—helping renters and investors evaluate the energy efficiency of a building before making a decision.
As 2019 approaches, the city of Chicago is preparing to launch the Chicago Energy Rating System, a required building energy performance rating. This new label system builds upon the city's successful Energy Benchmarking & Transparency Ordinance—Chicago continues to see significant energy and cost savings associated with energy benchmarking—in 2017 alone, ENERGY STAR scores increased by 8 percent over scores reported in 2016. Cumulative energy savings over the past three years equal $39.2 million in reduced costs, and investments associated with these savings have supported an estimated 900 jobs while greenhouse gas intensity is down by 19 percent from 2015 to 2017.
The new energy rating system will be the first requirement of its kind from a U.S. city, following similar initiatives in Australia and the European Union. In Australia, rated office buildings have saved over $400 million in energy bills since 2010. In Chicago, all properties over 50,000 square feet (sq. ft.) are required to complete energy benchmarking and report the results to the city annually. This new rating system will use the results from existing energy benchmarking reports, specifically 1–100 ENERGY STAR scores, and will assign each reporting building an energy performance rating from 1–4 stars. Labels aim to make energy efficiency—which is typically invisible—visible to everyone. This provides a clearer picture to those who value efficiency so they can put their money where their values are, sending market signals that highlight a demand for efficient buildings. With increased demand for efficient building, will come increased action that will provide outsize economic, social, and environmental benefits.
The four-star rating system is based on the four-starred Chicago flag, which is a really big deal in Chicago and a ubiquitous civic symbol across the city. Buildings that do not comply with the energy benchmarking requirements will receive zero out of four stars. Also, properties that are not eligible to receive an ENERGY STAR score (about 13 percent of the properties reporting in Chicago) will be assigned a rating based on their energy use per sq. ft., as compared to national medians for similar properties.
Once a rating is assigned, the building owner will be required to post it in a prominent location, (such as a lobby, front door, or elevator bank), as well as share it at the time of listing the property or a portion thereof for sale or for lease. Building owners will have a six-month grace period after the initial energy ratings are assigned before they are required to post the new Energy Rating Placards.
Current draft of the Chicago Energy Rating Placard:
Importantly, any property that has voluntarily improved its 1–100 ENERGY STAR score by 10 or more points receives an extra star as recognition for making the improvement. This rating system thus recognizes both current performance and recent improvements.
Initially, the ratings will be assigned based on the scale below:
Why the New Rating System Matters
The Chicago Energy Rating System is intended to increase the transparency of reported building energy information while making the data easier to understand. While most energy professionals know and understand the meaning of the 1–100 ENERGY STAR score, the average person may not know it even exists. In addition, while a score of 75 is considered a high performer on the ENERGY STAR scale, a score of 75 on your math test is typically not considered good, leading to possible confusion among the general public. By providing a simple rating and making these ratings more transparent, the city is attempting to further increase awareness of energy performance and costs, thus driving new action to improve energy efficiency. As I mentioned earlier, raising awareness helps for cities and businesses looking to reduce carbon emissions and save money.
In addition, the new system recognizes that in order for a rating system to be effective, real estate stakeholders need to believe that the ratings are appropriate and accurate. One of the most unique features of Chicago's initial energy benchmarking policy is its data verification requirement. All reporting properties are required to complete professional data verification once every three years, in addition to providing energy benchmarking reports every year. Data verification does not have to be done by a third party, but must be completed by a person with a city-recognized license or training credential (the full list of recognized licenses is online here.) By sourcing the new rating system's stars on this benchmarking data and including this extra level of data verification, the city ensures that the new ratings can be trusted.
As cities like Chicago continue to lead the charge on solutions to make buildings more efficient, stay tuned to IMT's blog where we'll periodically share their stories and provide updates on key challenges, best practices, and lessons learned along the way. Have a question about the Chicago Energy Rating System? Visit here to learn more or send me an email at amy.jewel@imt.org.
Amy Jewel
City Energy Project City Advisor, City of Chicago
amy.jewel@imt.org
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Barcelona is not short on smart boutique hotels.
The new Casa Bonay could be dismissed as another, were it not for its tangible personality, meticulous restoration and handpicked ethos.
The original 'casa', which is situated in Barcelona's Eixample district on the Gran Via and very close to the Plaça Tetuan, once belonged to Antonio Bonay, who had a prosperous wood and carpentry business. It dates from 1869, and like many buildings in the area of the same epoch, features galleries and balconies, French doors and a regal threshold- in this case with magnificent carved doors made of fine wood. The interior, as was fitting for a family of the bourgeoisie, was noted for iron columns, sculptured corbels, marble fireplaces and Nolla patterned floor tiles. (Nolla floor tiles were made of stoneware, and considered superior quality to those made of tinted cement).
Abandoned for decades, much of these elements were in a deplorable state when Inés Miro-Sans decided to turn the Casa Bonay into a hotel. Although the structure had to be completely remodelled in order to accommodate 67 hotel rooms, the restored common areas provide a snapshot of the building's glorious past juxtaposed with a modern design ethic, 'makers' attitude, and considered selection of details.
Perhaps the most spectacular space in the hotel is the ground rear floor room - now a lounge area named 'Libertine.' Its décor features muted green walls, clubby furniture, Moroccan rugs and is reigned over by Antoni Arola's 'Cirio' suspended light flitting – a spectacular circular composition inspired by the grand lamps of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia mosque. The café area, with bare brick walls and pine furniture is more Scandinavian in style, and has stations for coffee from the craft roasters of Satan's Coffee Corner and Mother cold pressed juices. Opposite the reception desk, there's a pop up shop of shirts from baTabasTa, whose retro tropicalia prints have been made into wallpaper for the downstairs areas. Another inspired idea is the installation of a mini shop in the original, enclosed concierge desk retailing in Blackie Books – the Barcelonese publisher with the most inspired illustrated covers around.
The rooms at the Casa Bonay are less composed– the rich floor tiles have been salvaged where possible and bathroom fittings nod to original styles. Beds are swathed in luxurious yak blankets from Teixidors, the Terrassa-based textile company run as social enterprise, and the sunny rear balconies look out onto one of the widest pati interiors in the Eixample. The intricate mise en scène that Inés has created in her hotel doesn't result in it feeling 'branded' or 'on-trend', but rather the vision of someone with an eclectic taste and eye for quality. Already it has become popular with local mums for a drop-in coffee and travellers looking to tap into something genuinely Barcelonese.


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Prince William jokes with medics about spreading coronavirus with Kate Middleton on Ireland trip – The Sun
PRINCE William has joked with medics about spreading coronavirus with Kate Middleton on the couple's Ireland trip.
The Duke of Cambridge poked fun at himself as he shook hands with locals as the number of cases for the deadly bug in the UK reaches 53.
Read our coronavirus live blog for all the latest news and updates
It came after the Queen took precautions against coronavirus – wearing gloves for the investitures ceremony yesterday.
The 93-year-old donned the white gloves as she recognised worth Brits – the first time she has worn the accessory for the event at Buckingham Palace.
And Prince William talked about the infection as he chatted to emergency workers at a reception hosted by Britain's Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett in the Gravity Bar at Dublin's Guinness Storehouse.
The dad-of-three asked Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service: "I bet everyone's like 'I've got coronavirus, I'm dying', and you're like 'no, you've just got a cough'.
"Does it seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?"
And he later grimaced with mock horror as he said: "By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, Sorry.
"We're keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop."
The couple shook hands with dozens of people on the first day of their tour and are expected to continue to do so, based on advice they are being given.
A royal source said last night the couple were following guidance from Public Health England and the Department of Health and that meant "business as usual" for now.
"This is a discussion we have been having and everything we are doing should continue as usual," said the source.
William and Kate enjoyed a pint of Guinness at the Storehouse – a major visitor attraction which tells the story of the famous drink – with the duke toasting his hosts in Gaelic, raising his pint and saying "Slainte".
GLOWING IN GREEN
Speaking at the reception, William joked that he never imagined to follow the Queen into a pub.
Addressing his hosts and fellow guests, he said: "We are retracing the footsteps of my grandmother, who was shown how to pour the perfect pint here in 2011.
"Ladies and Gentlemen let me tell you it is not often that I find myself following the Queen to a pub!"
The duke and duchess's outing came after a day of formal engagements to launch their first official visit to Ireland, nine years after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the country since its independence.
DEATH THREAT Coronavirus will kill Brits warns medical chief as two more cases confirmed and NHS declares highest level of emergency
DEADLY coronavirus will kill a number of Brits as the spread of the virus gathers pace, the chief medical officer has warned.
England and Wales' Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty today said the UK will see a "significant number" of coronavirus cases and "some deaths".
He told Sky News a "sensible" forecast for the NHS and businesses to plan towards is up to 20 per cent of Britain's work force being sick at one time.
Two new cases in Scotland has brought the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to 53, with a peak expected in 'months rather than weeks'.
Professor Whitty said: "It is almost certain there will be more cases, probably a lot of cases, and we would expect some deaths."
The health chief added commuters and shoppers wearing face masks will have 'little effect' on stopping the spread of the virus.
The World Health Organisation has advised healthy people should only wear a mask if they are taking care of someone suspected to have the virus.
They met Irish President Michael D Higgins at the statesman's official residence Aras an Uachtarain where they discussed the implications of Brexit and talked about building on the foundations of the Good Friday Agreement which ushered in peace in Northern Ireland.
In Dublin's Garden of Remembrance, the royals also honoured the memory of those who gave their lives for Irish Independence from Britain, echoing the Queen's symbolic visit there in 2011 when she bowed her head in tribute to the fallen.
The couple then met the outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Ireland's Government Buildings.
Their three-day tour will focus on the themes of reconciliation, youth, culture, sustainability and the environment, and will see the couple visit the counties of Meath, Kildare and Galway.
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It's November, meaning we've already started blasting the Maine's …And A Happy New Year a few times. Not to mention, we've already watched Elf once… Or twice. Freeform is in the holiday spirit as well and have released their "25 Days Of Christmas" lineup, and we're stoked.
What movies are you most excited to see on the list? Let us know in the comments below!


Image. However, text such "Information Security" or "InfoSec" will be added at the bottom or to the side (e.g. for letter heads, websites) so the logo cannot be "weirdly shaped" or problematic edges.
Please check our current logo (see link below).


Explains how the University Research Studentship Allowance (URSA) awards are allocated.
Each year, the Faculty is allocated a number of URSA studentships to award to potential PhD students. There are two selection rounds, one in semester 1 and the other in semester 2. This is to give as many students as possible the opportunity to apply for an award.
After the closing date for the first round, the Doctoral College prepared the applications for Professor Davide Mattia, Associate Dean (Research) and me to review. We were really impressed by the quality and number of applications (there were 23 in total).
Davide and I independently drew up our shortlists. I created my shortlist by carefully reading through each application first and then removing any which were not a first class (or international equivalent) profile. There were 18 outstanding applications in total.
Next, any applications with Faculty priority group supervisors (new members of academic staff not previously in receipt of a studentship award) were put at the top of the list for funding. There were 5 of these. Then the student with the strongest academic background from the rest of the applications was identified and added to my proposed list.
Once we had created our shortlists, Davide and I met to agree a combined list, which was not difficult as we were pretty much in agreement. Our final list of 6 proposed awards was then considered, and subsequently approved, by the Dean. The Doctoral College then notified both successful and unsuccessful students and supervisors.
We were very pleased that colleagues had secured such strong applicants, but we were disappointed that we were unable to offer studentships to all of the outstanding students who applied.


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Tag Archives: Zuhama
Two Reincarnations You Need to Know About
This week's parasha, Yitro, begins: "So Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, took Tzipporah, Moses' wife, after she had been sent away, and her two sons… to the desert where [Moses] was encamped, to the mountain of God." (Exodus 18:2-5) After the Israelites safely made it to Mt. Sinai following the Exodus, Moses' family returned to join him. However, we had previously read that when Moses first left Midian for Egypt before the Exodus, he had taken his family with him! (Exodus 4:20) Where did they go? Continue reading →
This entry was posted in Kabbalah & Mysticism, Midrash, Mysteries & Origins and tagged Aaron, Abraham, Ba'al HaTurim, Barak, Battle of Mount Tabor, Chariots, Circumcision, Curse, Deborah, Deborah's Song, Derekh Eretz Zuta, Eliezer, Eliezer (son of Moses), Gematria, Gilgul, Ibn Ezra, Jethro, Judges, Kishon Brook, Midrash Rabbah, Moses, Or HaChaim, Prophetess, Rabbi Menachem Azariah de Fano, Rashi, Reincarnation, Sefer Gilgulei Neshamot, Shoftim, Sinai Revelation, Sisera, Song of the Sea, Splitting of the Sea, Ten Commandments, Tikkun, Tzipporah, Yitro (parasha), Zuhama on February 12, 2020 by Efraim Palvanov.
The 24 Ornaments of a Bride and Tikkun Leil Shavuot
In this week's parasha, Emor, we read the command to count the days between Pesach and Shavuot. The Torah doesn't explicitly say why we should do this. The Zohar (III, 97b) comments on the parasha that when the Torah says to count sheva shabbatot temimot ("seven complete [or pure] weeks") there is a hint in there that we are supposed to become tamim, "pure". The point is to purify ourselves over these seven weeks in preparation for the great revelation at Sinai which took place on Shavuot. The Sages always describe the Sinai Revelation as a wedding between God and His people. In fact, the Zohar compares the counting of the seven weeks to a woman's counting of seven "clean days" following menstruation and before immersing in the mikveh, after which she can reunite with her husband.
On the next page, the Zohar goes on to describe the "wedding", where God is the "groom" and the Jewish people are the "bride". The Zohar alludes to an ancient teaching that a bride should be adorned with 24 ornaments on her wedding day. This actually goes back to the Garden of Eden, where God made Eve and adorned her with 24 ornaments before her marriage to Adam. The Midrash (Beresheet Rabbah 18:1) brings Scriptural proof for this, citing Ezekiel 28:13, which says:
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby [odem], the topaz [pitdah], and the diamond [yahalom], the beryl [tarshish], the onyx [shoham], and the jasper [yashfe], the sapphire [sapir], the carbuncle [nofech], and the emerald [varkat or bareket], and gold [zahav]; the workmanship of your settings and of your sockets was in you, in the day that you were created they were prepared.
If we count the precious stones and metals in the verse, we find only ten, not 24. However, one of the minor principles of Torah interpretation is when a general statement is introduced followed by a specific list, the general statement both includes the specific list, and adds to it (כְּלַל וּפְרַט, עָשָׂה אֶת הַכְּלַל מוֹסֶפֶת לַפְּרַט). So, since the verse begins with a general statement ("every precious stone") and then goes on to list ten precious materials, we actually learn from this that there was a total of twenty precious materials. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish held that one should also add "every precious stone" as a special stone of its own, meaning there were eleven stones, and since we double that, we have a total of 22. Plus, the verse goes on to speak of "your settings and your sockets", bringing us to a total of 24 ornaments!
Alternatively, there is another Scriptural verse which brings us the 24 ornaments more simply and directly (though without mentioning Eden), listing explicitly what each specific piece of jewellery was. This is Isaiah 3:17-23, which says how the daughters of Zion were adorned with
…the anklets ['achasim], and the ribbons [shvisim], and the crescents [saharonim]; the pendants [netifot], and the bracelets [sheyrot], and the veils [ra'alot]; the headdresses [pe'erim], and the armlets [tza'adot], and the sashes [kishurim], and the corselettes [batei hanefesh], and the amulets [lehashim]; the rings [taba'ot], and the nose-rings [nizmei ha'af]; the aprons [mahalatzot], and the shawls [ma'atafot], and the hair-coverings [mitpachot], and the girdles [charitim]; and the robes [gilyonim], and the fine linen [sadinim], and the headscarves [tzenifot], and the mantles [redimim]…
A count of these brings us 21. In addition, the verse that follows speaks of perfume [bosem], a belt [chagorah], and hair curls [petigil], giving us a total of 24 ornaments. Rashi references these 24 ornaments in his commentary on Exodus 31:18, which says how God concluded speaking with Moses on Sinai using the term k'khalloto, which can also be read as "like His bride".
Elijah confronts the priests on Mount Carmel
Kabbalistically, these 24 ornaments have tremendous meaning. The sefirah of Chessed, which represents love and kindness, has three inner states, each of which is made up of 24 parts. (The gematria of Chessed [חסד] is 72, and dividing that number by three gives us 24.) This is why Eliyahu poured an extra three measures of water (water being Chessed) on his altar when he went head-to-head with the idolatrous priests (see I Kings 18). The altar which he built was actually made up of precious stones, too (I Kings 18:31-32), and then he had water poured from a jug called a kad (18:34). The gematria of kad (כד) is, as we might expect, 24.
That word is the exact same used when the Torah introduces Rebecca: "And it came to pass, before [Eliezer] had done speaking, that, behold, Rebecca came out… with her jug [kadah] upon her shoulder." (Genesis 24:15). Kabbalistically, Rebecca is the embodiment of Chessed (see Zohar I, 137a) and she graciously provides water for Eliezer and all of his camels. Eliezer realizes that she is the perfect one for Isaac, and immediately proceeds to adorn her with all kinds of jewellery: "And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden nose-ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, of ten shekels weight of gold…" (Genesis 24:22) After the marriage was arranged, Eliezer gave the soon-to-be bride even more jewellery: "And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebecca…"
If one looks carefully at these verses in Genesis 24 (not a coincidental number), and applies the classic rules of interpretation, they will find that Eliezer also brought for Rebecca 24 ornaments in preparation for her wedding! Rebecca went on to marry Isaac, and they had the purest love of all the forefathers and figures in the Torah. In fact, the first time that the Torah describes a husband loving his wife is with Isaac and Rebecca (Genesis 24:67). This is one reason why there was an old custom to adorn a Jewish bride with 24 ornaments. Alternatively, a husband may fulfil this special segulah by purchasing 24 adornments or pieces of jewellery for his wife—not necessarily all at once! (It is especially good to get white gold, since it is symbolic of Chessed, while yellow gold is the opposite, Gevurah.)
24 Ornaments of the Jewish People
If a bride is adorned with 24 ornaments, and the Jewish people were God's "bride" at Sinai on Shavuot, what were our 24 ornaments? They are the 24 books of the Tanakh! The Ba'al HaTurim (Rabbi Yakov ben Asher, 1269-1343, on Exodus 31:18) comments that every Torah scholar is adorned with these 24 books just as a bride is adorned with 24 ornaments. And this is why, the Zohar states, one should stay up all night on Shavuot and study Torah, especially the 24 books of the Tanakh (Zohar I, 8a; though in Zohar III, 98a there is an alternate suggestion to study the Oral Torah at night and the Tanakh in the day). In so doing, one is spiritually adorning himself in preparation for the wedding (as well as adorning the Shekhinah herself).
Today, it has become the norm in all synagogues and yeshivas around the world for everyone to stay up all night and learn Torah, as the Zohar instructs. This practice was initially popularized by the kabbalists of Tzfat in the 16th century. The earliest reference to a tikkun leil Shavuot, a fixed text of study for the night of Shavuot, comes from a letter of Rabbi Shlomo HaLevy Alkabetz (c. 1500-1576), most famous for composing Lecha Dodi. He was born to a Sephardic family in Thessaloniki, or Salonica (then in the Ottoman Empire, now the second largest city in Greece).
In 1533, Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575) settled in Salonica (he was born in Toledo, Spain before the Expulsion), and the two became close. One Shavuot night, they stayed up together studying Torah as the Zohar states. (In addition to Tanakh, they learned a little bit of Mishnah). Suddenly, the Shekhinah filled Rabbi Karo and spoke out of his mouth! Such revelations would continue for most of his life, and are recorded in his book, Maggid Mesharim. On that Shavuot night, the Shekhinah revealed many secrets and instructions. Among other things, She instructed the pair to move to Israel. In 1535, they did so and settled in Tzfat, the centre of Jewish mysticism.
In Tzfat, the pair would meet the Ramak (Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, 1522-1570), who later married the sister of Rabbi Alkabetz. When he was twenty years old, the Ramak heard a Heavenly Voice instructing him to seek out Rabbi Alkabetz and learn Kabbalah with him. He did so, and went on to become the preeminent Kabbalist of Tzfat. He was succeeded in the position by the Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria, 1534-1572).
Meanwhile, Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575) went on to publish the Shulchan Arukh, still the central code of Jewish Law. Interestingly, he did not write anything about a tikkun leil Shavuot in the Code. He believed that it was a practice for Jewish mystics, not for the average Jew. Nonetheless, the custom spread very quickly, first in Tzfat, then across all of Israel. When the Shelah HaKadosh (Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, 1555-1630), who was born in Prague, moved to Israel in 1626 he wrote how all the Jews living in the Holy Land stay up all night on Shavuot. The Shelah put together a text of study of his own for the night of Shavuot. In addition to portions from the 24 books of the Tanakh, he added the first and last verse of every Mishnaic tractate, and the first and last verse of Sefer Yetzirah, along with the Zohar passage from this week's parasha with which we began, and a recitation of the 613 mitzvot.
In the ensuing centuries, the custom spread further across the entire Jewish world. Various other tikkun texts have arisen over that time. Today, it is normal for many synagogues not to follow any tikkun at all, but simply to have lectures on different topics by multiple speakers, or to learn whatever Torah text people wish, and this is appropriate as well. Having said that, the original Kabbalistic way—as suggested in the Zohar, practiced by the early Tzfat mystics, and affixed by the Arizal—is to study specific portions from the 24 books of the Tanakh, together with mystical commentaries on them. (This is the version used in our Tikkun Leil Shavuot, which has the proper text of study in both Hebrew and English, along with commentaries from the Zohar and Arizal.)
Rectifying Sinai and Purifying Our Souls
On a simple level, the word tikkun may refer to a "fixed" text of Torah, such as that which a ba'al kore uses to study the weekly parasha before reading it publicly in the synagogue. On a mystical level, "tikkun" refers to a spiritual rectification. When it comes to tikkun leil Shavuot, it is commonly taught that staying up all night in study is a spiritual rectification for what happened at Sinai over three millennia ago. At that time, the people had fallen asleep before God's great revelation. Though some say they slept so that they would have energy to witness the tremendous event, others state that they were wrong to fall asleep so casually the night before the biggest day of their lives. Would a bride sleep so soundly the night before her wedding? Therefore, when we stay up all night on Shavuot, we are spiritually rectifying the mistake that the Jewish people made.
If we delve a little deeper, we might find an even greater tikkun on the night of Shavuot. The Talmud (Shabbat 146a) tells us: "When the Serpent came upon Eve, it infused in her a spiritual contamination [zuhama]. When Israel stood at Mount Sinai, the zuhama was removed." Eve was the first to be decorated with 24 ornaments in the Garden of Eden, but then fell from grace and was spiritually contaminated. In a cosmic rectification, the Jewish people were "decorated" with 24 books of the Tanakh on Shavuot, and that impurity was removed. Each year since, we have a tremendous opportunity to cleanse ourselves of our own spiritual impurities on this special night, by immersing ourselves in the purifying words of our holy books.
The above is adapted from Garments of Light, Volume Two. Get the book here!
This entry was posted in Holidays, Kabbalah & Mysticism, Mysteries & Origins and tagged 24 Ornaments, Adam and Eve, Arizal, Ba'al HaTurim, Beresheet Rabbah, Chessed, Elijah/Eliyahu, Emor, Ezekiel, Garden of Eden, Gematria, Isaiah, Jewellery, Jewish Bride, Kabbalah, Maggid Mesharim, Mount Carmel, Mt. Sinai, Precious Stones, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, Rabbi Yosef Karo, Ramak, Rebecca, Reish Lakish, Salonica, Sefirat HaOmer, Segulot, Serpent, Shabbat (Tractate), Shavuot, Shekhinah, Shelah HaKadosh, Sinai Revelation, Spanish Expulsion, Tanakh, Tikkun, Tikkun Leil Shavuot, Tzfat, Wedding, Zohar, Zuhama on May 14, 2019 by Efraim Palvanov.
Do the Deaths of the Righteous Atone for the Sins of Others?
'Nadav and Avihu consumed by fire' by M de Brunhoff (1904)
In this week's parasha, Shemini, we read of the sudden death of Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron. The Torah states that they brought an incense offering that God "had not commanded them" (Leviticus 10:1) and as a result were consumed in a blaze of fire. The simple meaning here is that they had performed a priestly service that they were not supposed to, or were not worthy of performing, and this is why they were consumed. Rashi brings a number of other opinions as to why they perished: One is that they brazenly "rendered halachic decisions before Moses". Another is that they had brought the offering while intoxicated, which is why just several verses later the Torah prohibits priests from being inebriated while serving in the Temple (Leviticus 10:9).
The Arizal, in Sha'ar HaGilgulim, brings a number of explanations, too. One is from an older Midrash that Nadav and Avihu refused to get married, believing that no women were worthy to marry them. Based on this, the Arizal states that Nadav reincarnated in Samson (ch. 36). Samson, too, didn't marry any Jewish girls, and instead married Philistine women that brought him nothing but trouble. This may have been his punishment for refusing to marry a good Jewish girl in a past life. The Arizal adds that because Nadav had served while drunk, Samson was born a nazir, and was forbidden from consuming even a drop of alcohol his entire life. The proof that Samson was a reincarnation of Nadav comes from Scripture, where in one instance (I Samuel 12:11) Samson is actually referred to as "Badan" (בדן). This name is the reverse of Nadav (נדב), hinting to their spiritual connection.
Having said all that, the Arizal gives another reason for the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, and in this case not because they were sinful. Instead, he explains that Nadav and Avihu correspond to the sefirot of Netzach and Hod, emerging from the highest level of Adam's soul (ch. 33). They died to atone for the sins of the nation, and to remove the zuhama, the spiritual impurity that the Serpent (Nachash) in Eden injected into the world. (For a deeper analysis of exactly which sin Nadav and Avihu died for and why, see 'The Holy Souls of Nadav and Avihu' in Garments of Light.) This idea predates the Arizal, and is found in the Zohar (III, 56b), which compares Nadav and Avihu to the two goats sacrificed on Yom Kippur. The Zohar states that the two brothers were equal in greatness to the entire Sanhedrin of seventy elders, and their deaths atoned for the sins of Israel.
'Joshua Burns the Town of Ai' by Gustave Doré (1866)
The Zohar's description brings to mind a similar one from the Talmud (Sanhedrin 44a), where the Sages discuss the deaths of 36 Israelites in the Battle of Ai (Joshua 7-8). Recall that Joshua led the Israelites into battle to conquer the Holy Land. The first battle, for the city of Jericho, was a flawless victory, with not a single Israelite casualty. The second battle, however, was initially a defeat, with 36 Israelites losing their lives. While this is certainly a small number in military terms, the fact that there was any casualty at all was a shock for the nation. The Sages state that, in reality, it wasn't even 36 soldiers, for "surely it was said, 'about thirty six men' [Joshua 7:5] which refers to Yair, the son of Menashe, who was equal to the greater part of the Sanhedrin."
The Sages state that actually just one person was killed in the Battle of Ai, and he was equal to 36 of the 70 wise and righteous elders of the Sanhedrin. They extract this from the words of the Tanakh itself, which states k'shloshim v'shisha ish, literally translated as "like 36 man". In other words, the casualty of the Battle of Ai was one man likened to 36. The Sages use the same expression elsewhere, in describing Avishai, the nephew of King David (Berakhot 62b):
…"Satan stood up against Israel and stirred up David to number Israel." [I Chronicles 21:1] And when he did number them, he took no ransom from them and it is written, "So God sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed." [I Chronicles 21:14]
… And He said to the Angel that destroyed the people: "It is enough" [I Chronicles 21:16] Rabbi Elazar explained: "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Angel: 'Take a great man among them, through whose death many sins can be expiated for them.' At that time died Avishai son of Zeruiah, who was equal in worth to the greater part of the Sanhedrin."
The Torah forbids taking a census of the Jewish people. The only way it is permitted to count Jews is if each person gives some kind of "ransom", such as a half-shekel coin, and the coins are counted, not the people. In an infamous episode from the Tanakh, Satan enticed David to sin by taking a census without collecting any ransom. As a result, a plague struck the nation, taking the lives of 70,000 people, shiv'im elef ish [I Chronicles 21:14].
Following this, God told the Angel of Destruction to stop by saying rav, "it is enough". The Sages interpret rav to mean "rabbi"—that God actually told the angel to take the life of one righteous rabbi instead. Again, the Tanakh uses the word ish, as if a single person was killed; one man equal to 70,000. This is a beautiful teaching of the Sages, and transforms what one might read as God's strict, merciless judgement, into God's kindness and mercy. Although 70,000 may have deserved to die, God took the life of one righteous man instead to spare all the others.
The fact that such people—Yair, Avishai, Nadav, Avihu—are always compared to a greater part of the Sanhedrin, meaning 36 people, is not a coincidence. As we've written before with regards to Chanukah (when we light a total of 36 candles), the number 36 is of huge significance in Judaism.
Greater Than Thirty-Six Tzadikim
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97b) states:
Abaye said: "The world must contain no less than thirty-six righteous men in each generation who are worthy to receive the Shekhinah, for it is written: 'Blessed are all they that wait for him' [Isaiah 30:18]; the numerical value of 'for him' [lo, לו] is thirty-six."
But that is not so, for did not Rava say: "The row [of righteous men] before the Holy One, blessed be He, consists of eighteen thousand, for it is written, 'It shall be eighteen thousand round about?'" [Ezekiel 48:35] That is no difficulty: the former number [thirty-six] refers to those who see Him through a bright speculum, the latter [eighteen thousand] to those who contemplate Him through a dim one.
In every generation, there must be 36 perfectly righteous people in the world. There are an additional 18,000 very righteous people in each generation. The former can behold the Shekhinah—God's Divine Presence—clearly, while the latter only dimly. The idea of the 36 righteous people, lamed-vav tzadikim, plays an important role in Judaism, especially in Kabbalistic and Hasidic texts.
The number 36 corresponds to the 36 hours that the Divine Light shone uninterrupted at the start of Creation. It is through this Divine Light that the Tzadikim are able to behold the Shekhinah. And just as this Hidden Light continues to uphold all of Creation, so too are the 36 Tzadikim said to uphold the world, as it is written: "The tzaddik is the foundation of the world" (Proverbs 10:25).
Meanwhile, we know that the Torah, too, is the foundation of the world (see, for example, Avot 1:2). Indeed, we find that there are exactly 36 individual texts in the Tanakh: the Five Books of Moses, nineteen books of Prophets, and 12 Holy Writings. (The 36 texts are usually combined into "24 Books of the Tanakh" for the sake of convenience. So, for example, the "Twelve Minor Prophets" are combined into one book, Trei Asar.) Each of the 36 Tzadikim corresponds to one "hour" of Divine Light, and to one of the Holy Scriptures. As such, they are the 36 pillars of the world. (It just so happens that there are also 36 sins for which the Torah prescribes the death penalty, though we shall leave that discussion for another time.)
From the words of our Sages, we can extract that in addition to these 36, there is one more, even greater individual who is equal to all 36 of them, to the "greater part of the Sanhedrin". Between the two of them, Nadav and Avihu were greater than the Sanhedrin of seventy elders in their own day, as were Yair and Avishai. And it is such people that, ever so rarely, God chooses to take away to atone for the sins of many others.
The spiritual math is simple: if you have a thousand people, each with a "kilogram" of sin, and one person with 1000 "kilograms" of merit, the merit of the one can be "taken back" in order to neutralize the sins of a thousand. In this way, a great many lives can be spared. The idea makes sense in principle, and a person who is truly the most righteous of his generation would undoubtedly have no problem giving up his or her own life to save a multitude of others.
And yet, the idea is sometimes hard for modern Jews to digest because it has been hijacked, abused, and taken to an illogical extreme by Christians.
The Death of the Messiah
All of Christianity rests on the idea that Jesus, the supposed messiah, died for the sins of the world. We have already addressed the issues with Christianity on several occasions (see here, here, and here) so there is no need to do that again. What needs to be understood is where the idea comes from, and what it originally meant. The Talmud (Sukkah 52a) records the following:
What is the cause of the mourning [at the End of Days, as described in Zechariah 12:12]? Rabbi Dosa and the other Rabbis differ on the point. One explained: "The cause is the slaying of Mashiach ben Yosef" and the other explained: "The cause is the slaying of the Evil Inclination." It is well according to him who explains that the cause is the slaying of Mashiach ben Yosef, since that agrees with the Scriptural verse, "And they shall look upon Me because they have thrust him through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son" [Zechariah 12:10]. But according to him who explains the cause to be the slaying of the Evil Inclination, is this an occasion for mourning? Is it not rather an occasion for rejoicing? Why then should they weep?
Rav Yehudah explained: "In the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring the Evil Inclination and slay it in the presence of the righteous and the wicked. To the righteous it will have the appearance of a towering hill, and to the wicked it will have the appearance of a hair thread. Both the former and the latter will weep; the righteous will weep saying, 'How were we able to overcome such a towering hill!' The wicked also will weep saying, 'How is it that we were unable to conquer this hair thread!' And the Holy One, blessed be He, will also marvel together with them, as it is said, 'Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, it shall also be marvellous in My eyes.'" [Zechariah 8:6]
First, we must remember that according to tradition there are two messiahs (or possibly one messiah in two phases): Mashiach ben Yosef, and then Mashiach ben David. The former dies amidst the great battles of the End of Days. For this, the people at that time will mourn. Zechariah describes a great mourning like no other, with all the families of Israel in tears. This is enough to debunk Jesus' identification with Mashiach ben Yosef: Jesus did not die in battle, and was not mourned by all of Israel (quite the contrary). The fact that Jesus' "father" was named Joseph means nothing, for Jesus supposedly did not have an earthly father anyway.
Now, the more important event that will happen at that same time, with the death of Mashiach ben Yosef, is the destruction of the Evil Inclination. This is, after all, the very purpose of having an "End of Days" to begin with: to destroy evil for good and usher in a perfect world. When Evil will be crushed, the people will weep. As our Sages explain, those who overcame evil and did good will weep because they will be amazed at how they were able to conquer the great temptations, while those who were evil will weep because they will realize how weak they were in falling to mere temptation. Again, Jesus' death did not end Evil on Earth. On the contrary, one might argue that even more horrible evils were done since then, many of which were done, ironically, in the name of Jesus!
Finally, the Talmud goes on to say what will happen to Mashiach ben Yosef next:
Our Rabbis taught: The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to Mashiach ben David (may he reveal himself speedily in our days!), "Ask of me anything, and I will give it to you," as it is said, "I will tell of the decree… this day have I begotten you, ask of me and I will give the nations for your inheritance." [Psalms 2:7-8] But when he will see that Mashiach ben Yosef is slain, he will say to Him: "Master of the Universe, I ask of You only the gift of life." He would answer him: "As to life, your father David has already prophesied this concerning you, as it is said, 'He asked life from You, You gave it to him…'" [Psalms 21:5]
After his death, Mashiach ben David requests of God to bring Mashiach ben Yosef back to life. It is important to remember that this is followed by a Resurrection of the Dead of all righteous souls, not just the messiah's. From the wording of the Talmud, we might conclude that there is indeed just one messiah: Mashiach ben Yosef dies and is resurrected as Mashiach ben David. (We can extract this from the fact that ben David seems to be asking for life for himself, and God replies that it had already been granted to you.)
In the case of Jesus, he was apparently resurrected, but then supposedly ascended to Heaven, and hasn't been heard from in two millennia. This is not how prophecy describes the coming of Mashiach. He is supposed to come once, at the End of Days, and needs no "second coming". He comes once, and then reigns on Earth as king of Israel. Nowhere does it state that he will come and disappear for any long duration of time. He comes once, fights great battles that engulf the whole world (as described in detail by Ezekiel and Zechariah, among other prophets), might die for the sins of Israel specifically (like Nadav and Avihu did), is mourned by all of Israel, and is then resurrected, finishes the great wars, brings peace to the world, reigns as king of Israel, regathers the Jews to the Holy Land, rebuilds the Temple, facilitates a Resurrection of the Dead, and completes his task once a perfect world is re-established.
There is no more need for him after that. He is not a god, and is never described as such. He is not supposed to be prayed to, or worshipped. He is a man. And although Scripture describes him as a child of God (as in the Psalm above), it clearly describes all of Israel as children of God (as in Deuteronomy 14:1, for example).
To summarize, the concept of unique righteous people dying to atone for the sins of others is an ancient Jewish one, and a valid one. Christians adopted it, to an extreme (ie. not to a specific generation of Jews, but for all mankind for all time) in describing Jesus. This is not surprising, for as we've written before, the character of Jesus was carefully constructed from Jewish texts, both Scriptural and extra-Scriptural. This is how some Jews unfortunately succumb to Christian missionaries who bring "proof" from Jewish texts. These prove nothing but the eventual coming of the true messiah—may we merit to see him soon.
This entry was posted in Kabbalah & Mysticism, Mashiach & End of Days, Prophecy and tagged 36, 36 Tzadikim, Arizal, Avihu, Avishai, Battle of Ai, Battle of Jericho, Berakhot (Tractate), Book of Chronicles, Census, Christianity, Death, Divine Light, Evil, Evil Inclination, Ezekiel, Gematria, Jesus, Joshua, King David, Mashiach, Mashiach Ben David, Mashiach ben Yosef, Nadav, Or HaGanuz, Psalms, Rashi, Resurrection, Resurrection of the Dead, Sacrifices, Samson (Shimshon), Sanhedrin, Sanhedrin (Tractate), Satan, Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Shekhinah, Shemini, Sukkah (Tractate), Tanakh, Yair ben Menashe, Zechariah, Zuhama on March 26, 2019 by Efraim Palvanov.


Joey Lawrence, wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson and daughters Charlston, 4, and Liberty Grace, 8 months, attended the 5th annual March Of Dimes Celebration Of Babies Luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 13th.
This entry was posted in Dad and Baby Photos, Dad and Child Photos, Events, Mum and Baby Photos, Mum and Child Photos. Bookmark the permalink.
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Twilight saga opens new chapter
For those following Meyers' girl-meets-bloodsucker saga, now in its fourth movie, there isn't a whole lot Breaking Dawn doesn't have.
Jason Armstrong
Nov. 24, 2011 8:00 a.m.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart reprise their roles as Edward and Bella in the lastest installment of the Twilight teen vampire soap opera franchise.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (is it me, or are these titles getting longer and longer?) probably isn't the best of the sparkly vampire bunch, but I'll give it this much, for a series that is finally fully embracing itself as less of an exercise in quality thrillers and more of a teenage soap opera, this is a satisfyingly sudsy flick.
It ain't for everyone (read here: me), but this sequel certainly sucks in its target audience (hi there, girls). For those following Stephenie Meyers' girl-meets-bloodsucker saga, now in its fourth movie, there isn't a whole lot Breaking Dawn doesn't have. There's a wedding, a romantic honeymoon (complete with busted headboard — how it got that way is an off-camera procedure) — and, well, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Bella with a baby carriage. And a super-industrial teething ring, 'cause junior's likely arriving with fangs. (If breast feeds are in the parenting plan for this couple, one word for Bella: ouch.)
The acting hasn't improved much, not that anyone will be overly invested in that area. Ditto for the action sequences, which are so dark and muddled, it's tough to tell if the vampires are handing it to the werewolves, or vice versa. But again, the deal here is Edward (the slightly less pasty Robert Pattinson, proving a getaway off the coast of Rio does a creature of the night good) and Bella (Kristen Stewart), their nuptials and all the tween gooey goodness that goes with it. And in that department, Breaking Dawn has enough cheesy topping to work. By the way, the movie is directed by Bill Condon, who also helmed Dreamgirls. I figured a dance number here would've been kinda cool, but no such luck.
Oh, and in case you're interested Twilight fans, it takes about 14 seconds into the film for Taylor Lautner, the head of the wolf pack, to take his shirt off. Y'know, just in case you needed another reason to get in line.
Out of a possible five stars, I'll give The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 a two and a half. The feature is currently playing at the Pen-Mar Cinema Centre in Penticton.
Jason Armstrong is a movie reviewer living and watching in the Okanagan.
Picto prophesy project released
Okanagan artists at work


Today had been declared the first day that migrants and refugees would be deported from Greece within the framework of the EU-Turkey deal, and European authorities seemed determined not to miss the date. So as of Sunday, Greek police, along with the EU border agency Frontex, organised a large-scale operation to ensure the smooth handling of today's returns from the islands of Chios and Lesbos.
The operation was initially deemed a success, with reports being limited to the boats and their occupants, which offered some digestible photo ops. There is plenty of evidence, though, that suggests that it has been no more than a media-savvy gesture on behalf of the European commission.
How much coercion and force will become necessary when people really start resisting deportations?
Officials from Frontex clarified that the boats carried mostly Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Afghans and Moroccans who were going to be deported to Turkey prior to the deal or didn't request asylum. There were only two Syrians among them who appear not to have requested international protection. Indeed authorities appear to have rushed to identify such people so they could be available for today's return. Termed "easy cases" by Frontex spokeswoman Eva Moncure, they are perfect material for today's photo op.
As it turns out, more than 90% of people arriving in Greek islands since 20 March – when the EU-Turkey deal was enacted – have opted for asylum, thus complicating their return under the arrangement. It is no surprise then that no further dates have been announced for future deportations.
The first day of deportations has been met with affirmative statements by credible international organisations, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who confirmed that all procedures were regular and rights of deportees were observed. Everything is smooth and tidy, it seems. But this is one version of the story only. There is a second where things have gone less smoothly.
Activist lawyers' accounts and journalist reports from the islands raise the question of whether refugees have been given sufficient time and access to asylum procedures. It appears that many of them do not yet understand the content of the deal or why they have been restricted, and there has been a last-minute rush for asylum claims among the people who are possible deportees. It is also unclear how Turkey plans to handle returnees, how they will be received, and whether they will be able to receive the protection that was previously offered to them there.
In one case yesterday at a pre-removal centre in Chios, police faced angry protesters among those rounded up to be deported. Videos have emerged in which detainees appear to scream "no deport" and "shame on Europe". It is unclear to what degree the deportees have been coerced to comply with operational procedures.
Such evidence is important in order to pose questions about the future of the deal. How much coercion and force will become necessary when people really start resisting deportations? How will the EU follow up the nasty details of the process when Frontex does not have a complaints mechanism to carry out inquiries into violations? What will be the limits for NGOs and international organisations before they become complicit?
Deportation from Europe has a dark history, hence the need for a positive photo op today. But without genuine transparency over the enacting of the EU-Turkey deal, pictures alone won't be enough.


[Constantino] Banda-Acosta is a Mexican national and a 15-time United States' deportee. He has been in federal custody since May 2017 after he was accused but never convicted of drunk-driving and hitting a 6-year-old American girl before fleeing the scene. Since then, the man has had two hung trials and his case has been dismissed by a federal judge. But, he still is guilty of returning to the country after being removed. Now, the United States Attorney's office requests that the San Diego federal judge view Banda-Acosta as a "danger" because of the evidence surrounding that hit-and-run and give the illegal alien a harsher jail sentence.
Banda-Acosta's pal and fellow illegal alien, Jorge Adame Ariz, then picked up his sorry excuse for a friend and drove off in Banda-Acosta's truck. Ariz was swerving out of the parking lot, according to witnesses. A few miles down the road, the two men ran a traffic light and hit 6-year-old Lennox Lake who was injured and is still recovering to this day.


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(865) 591-6004 linda@lindameese.com
Our beautiful area is situated beside the Tennessee River and close to three national parks. A full 53% of the nation's marketplace is within a 650-mile radius of Knoxville with Interstates 40 and 75 converging in Knoxville. The city boasts a vibrant downtown scene, rabid sports fans and followers of The Vols, The Smokies and the Ice Bears along with countless recreational leagues. The area is an ideal location for raising families and has a solid public school system and a variety of private schooling options. The beauty of the area is only matched by the gentility of the people. You'll find down-home hospitality and a friendly face at every turn.
Welcome to Anderson County and beautiful East Tennessee. Anderson County offers numerous amenities for those who live, work and play in this county of over 71,000 people. From the natural beauty of Norris to historic downtown Clinton and the technological culture of Oak Ridge, Anderson County is a smart choice.
Anderson County has experienced renewed economic growth and further diversification of our county tax base with the location of Aisin and Omega Cabinetry in Anderson County. These two plants combined will bring close to a thousand new jobs to our county over the next three years. We continue to work with new companies looking to relocate their expanding businesses to our area. They will find that Anderson County has the quality of life that working families are looking for in a new location.
The Blount County Mayor's Office is located on the first floor on the breezeway of the Blount County Courthouse. Jerry Cunningham was elected to the office in August 2006. The County Mayor primarily serves as the financial agent for the County. Unofficially, the County Mayor serves as the public relations director, since he/she is responsible for representing the County at many functions and presentations. Also, other duties include making nominations and appointments of persons to certain committees and making recommendations to the Blount County Commission.
The County Mayor's Office is in place to serve the citizens of Blount County. If you are in need of assistance in most any matter, this office can put you in touch with the right people that will be able to assist you. It is the duty of this office to provide leadership to you in all issues regarding the future of our County.
The Office hours are Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Jefferson County is a county located in Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,407. Its county seat is Dandridge. Jefferson County is part of the Morristown, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.
Jefferson County was established on June 11, 1792, by William Blount, Governor of the Southwest Territory. It had been a part of Caswell County during the State of Franklin period (1784–1789). Its county seat, Dandridge, was settled in 1783.
On the eve of the Civil War, Jefferson County, like most other counties in mountainous East Tennessee, was opposed to secession. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Jefferson County voters rejected secession by a margin of 1,987 to 603. A railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861. This led to internal conflict in the area throughout the war, with men from the county enlisting in both of the rival armies.
Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee. Near the heart of the county is the origin of the Tennessee River at the union of the Holston and French Broad Rivers.
The county is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area.
Loudon County was formed on May 27, 1870 from portions of Roane, Monroe and Blount Counties. Originally, it was named Christiana County, but a few days later the name was changed to Loudon in honor of nearby colonial Fort Loudoun. The fort was named for John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun and a commander of the all British forces during the French and Indian Wars. Several earlier attempts to form this county failed due to the difficulty in satisfying the general provisions of Tennessee's old constitution. The act to establish this county was first act ever approved by a governor of Tennessee. Governor D. W. C. Senter signed this act into law on June 2, 1870, and Loudon County was born.
In August 1870, the county officers were chosen. On September 5, 1870, the county court was organized at the Baptist Church in Loudon. This church became the temporary quarters of the county court until the new building, built by J. W. Clark & Brothers, was finished in 1872.
There is a strong oral tradition that the Griffitts House and Farm near Jackson Ferry was a station on the Underground Railroad. The Griffitts were Quakers, who were reputed to have also given aid to Cherokee Indians during the Trail of Tears.
Roane County is a U.S. county of the U.S. state of Tennessee (TN), United States. Its population was 51,910 at the 2000 United States census. Its county seat is at Kingston[1]. The U.S. Census Bureau treats Roane County as the Harriman, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN Combined Statistical Area.
The county has a total area of 395 square miles (1,020 km2), of which 361 square miles (930 km2) is land and 34 square miles (88 km2) (8.7%) is water.[8] Three rivers— the Tennessee River, the Clinch River, and the Emory River— pass through Roane County. The Emory empties into the Clinch near Kingston, and the Clinch empties into the Tennessee just downstream from Kingston. The rivers in Roane are mostly part of Watts Bar Lake.
Roane County straddles the geographical boundary between the Tennessee Valley and the Cumberland Plateau, with the latter's Walden Ridge escarpment visible from much of the county
As the birthplace of Dolly Parton, Sevier County has become home to Dollywood and many show venues to please every taste.
Whether you clog to bluegrass, hip-hop to the new beat, rock hard to loud guitars, marvel to magicians, howl at comedians or just want a great meal, Sevier County will keep you entertained.
Sevier County provides all of these and more.
She Wanted to Help Us…
We met Linda through some mutual friends, and immediately thought she was a great person. After a period of time,...
~ Dave & Janet; Oak Ridge, TN
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You Found Us the Perfect Home…
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She Negotiated a Great Deal…
Linda did a wonderful job meeting our many requirements for our family home. We were 14 hours away, and she...
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Linda did a wonderful job meeting our many requirements for our family home. We were 14 hours away, and she very patiently worked with us via calls, texts, and emails, and she was al- ways quick to reply and help. After we found a home, she helped us negotiate a great deal, and then, she fielded what felt like a million of my questions from utilities to handy men to lawn services! At closing, we felt like she was part of the family. She went above and beyond at every turn! We will recommend her to anyone looking for a home in the Knoxville area!
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I Used Her to Sell My Home…
I have used Linda Meese to sell my home in NW Knoxville , my Mother's home in NW Knoxville as...
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I have used Linda Meese to sell my home in NW Knoxville , my Mother's home in NW Knoxville as well as a condo that I owned North Knoxville. She is a very personably and outgoing person, which we liked when we first met her. My husband Bill used Linda Meese to sell a lot he owned in NE Knoxville. Linda brought to us a great deal of experience and an overwhelming attitude and work ethic which worked very well for us. I would recommend Linda to my friends and family and would say since she has many years in the business in Knoxville and the surrounding counties that she definitely did a great job for us. Linda listens to you and at the same time also gives her expertise advise in order to bring you the best possible price for your property resulting in selling it in a timely manner. I would highly recommend Linda Meese and will use her in the future for our reality needs.
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Primera's DUP-Series copies up to fifteen CDs or DVDs at a time at the fastest speeds currently available. All current formats are supported, including CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R and even DVD±R Dual Layer.
Place a master disc in the top drive, load up to fifteen blank discs and press "AUTO COPY". In just minutes, you'll have fifteen perfect copies of your data, music, video or virtually any other digital information. A built-in 500 GB hard drive allows you to store jobs for later use.
Tower duplicators - as opposed to disc publishers like Primera's Disc Publisher SE-3 or Disc Publisher DP-4200 - are typically used when many identical copies are required in a very short period of time. Churches, schools, service bureaus, live events and concerts as well as many other users find this to be their best solution.
The DUP-06/DUP-08/DUP-11/DUP-15 feature unique, aluminium chassis and frame while most other tower duplicators use painted steel. Aluminium is more expensive, but it dissipates heat more efficiently. This important difference leads to a longer life of the recorders as well as other components inside your new duplicator.
Use one of Primera's award-winning direct-to-disc auto-printers to pre-print your discs for the fastest through-put. For low-volume or for higher-volume, full colour automated printing.