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Arthakranti Pratishthan, an NGO based out of a nondescript rental flat in a predominantly residential Rambaug Colony, some 20 km from Pune Airport, is now gaining global attention. Considered to be the brain behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move of scrapping old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the think tank stands for a complete overhaul of India's taxation system. In an exclusive interview with Joe Mathew, Anil S. Bokil, an engineer-turned-economic thinker, the chief architect of Arthakranti Proposal, talks about the merits of demonetisation and how it can lead to a black money free-cashless economy, if the government adopts all of the NGO's proposals. Excerpts:
How do you see Modi government's surprise decision to demonetise high value currencies?
Modi is moving in the right direction. The previous government couldn't do it because it didn't have the absolute majority. This is a strong and stable government and, hence, the decision. Demonetisation is a revolutionary step. The cost of printing one Rs 1,000 note is about Rs 3.5. Which business is more lucrative than printing something that costs so less, but gives a value so high? That is why Pakistan has been printing and circulating counterfeit notes. That made the Indian economy so fragile. We could have managed to live with corruption for some more time, but I believe the Modi government had to act fast due to some serious security threats. Before demonetisation, Modi had talked to all service chiefs. We are linking our perception to that development. That is what perhaps made Modi take this surprise decision.
One can understand if the government had withdrawn high-denomination currency notes completely. Here it is merely replacing old notes with new ones. It is also introducing Rs 2,000 notes. On the face of it, apart from temporary demonetisation, there is nothing to suggest that it can make any difference. Do you agree?
We see the re-introduction of new currency (notes) only as a provisional measure. Demonetisation is a shock. Everyone is feeling insecure. Bringing in new notes will cushion that shock. We believe the government will get back to our original plan of demonetisation soon.
What is Arthakranti Proposal? Did you meet the Prime Minister to discuss your idea?
I met Modi when he was still chief minister (of Gujarat). He was nominated as the Prime Ministerial candidate and he was fairly confident of getting absolute majority at that time. He had given some 15 minutes time for us to make a presentation. But after listening to me for over an hour, he asked me what needs to be done (for a complete overhaul of the Indian economy). We suggested that all taxes should be withdrawn and replaced with a single banking transaction tax (BTT). The next step was to demonetise high-value currency, followed by taking away legal sanctity of high-value cash transactions. He wanted to know whether an action on currency (demonetisation) should come first or an action on tax (withdrawal). For me, currency demonetisation is like an operation, which can be carried out after giving anaesthesia (withdrawal of taxes). Modi carried out the operation without giving anaesthesia, and I believe it was warranted by some grave circumstances.
How do you prevent black money generation as people will continue the same practices by using the new currency also?
Arthakranti is the only solution.
Is the government seriously thinking on these lines? Is there any reason to believe that the current decision was based on its intention to pursue Arthakranti?
There is some momentum now. Demonetisation was one of our proposals. And that has been considered. Other proposals will follow. Conditions and technology are also favouring Arthakranti as India is fast moving into the digital economy. So, penetration of M-money or digital money and digital transactions are all very much in tune with our proposal. The biggest opposition should have come from politicians because they have been functioning on the black money platform for a long time. That has been overruled. That hurdle is over. The world is beginning to recognise the merits of our proposal. We are getting invitations from universities outside India to present our model. Indian Institutes of Management, BITS are calling us. That is because the most critical part, the move towards currency demonetisation, has already happened. The rest is very simple.
Is BJP top brass supporting this view?
At least six prominent Cabinet ministers are supporting this move. Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu, Manohar Parrikar and Prakash Javadekar are totally with us. As a society, we are pushing it. Baba Ramdev is very much interested. In just one sitting he understood the gravity of the complete proposal. Sri Sri Ravishankar ji has openly supported the idea. Subramanian Swamy, an economist, is totally convinced.
Can your proposal co-exist with GST, the countrywide single indirect tax system that is expected to get operational by April 1, 2017?
No. Then that will not be our proposal. Arthakranti can be implemented in phases. To begin with, the government may take out the personal income tax in the first phase. And it may introduce a 0.1 per cent or 0.2 per cent BTT. Once the Centre convinces the states, it can proceed further. That will be in tune with Arthakranti, but not the complete proposal. We want taxes to be withdrawn in a phased manner. The transition phase that we have designed is over a period of 18 months. We are giving a philosophical, logical framework to the government. The government is now looking at it.
But GST is to become a reality by April 2017. How can you ignore that fact?
GST will only complicate our tax system. Government and media are propagating GST like a magic wand. What they don't say is that the most populated country, China, does not have GST. The most powerful country, the US, has already rejected it. It is a wrong model. No highly populated country has adopted it. It is not yet operational. There is always a possibility that it may not become operational too. When the group of chief ministers meet next, they should be told about Arthakranti system that will generate more revenue than what one gets today. They should also be told that whatever be the shortfall, it will be compensated, as is being promised under the current GST proposal. Revenue sharing can also be worked out by following the recommendation of the Finance Commission. Implementation of Arthakranti does not require any constitutional amendment as it is well within the constitutional framework. The revenue administration will be independent as tax collection is automatic and not dictated by the Centre.
Why is BJP government going ahead with GST then?
My perception is that the NDA government under Vajpayee brought in the concept of GST and successive governments have progressed so much that it is difficult to abandon it mid-way. But that does not mean that it will be the preferred model and it will be in place. I cannot say whether GST will happen or not. All I can say is that only a better alternative can stop GST, and Arthakranti is the best. GST provides a mechanism for transition. One can utilise the same transition mechanism to move to Arthakranti.
So, what do you propose?
We want to abolish all taxes, except customs duty, which is needed to control imports. Government revenue should come from BTT.
Can you explain?
Only receiver pays. The moment some money is credited in your account, a percentage of that goes to the government exchequer as BTT. It is that simple. If you go by today's bank transactions, a 2 per cent tax can generate Rs 20 lakh crore. If you add another Rs Rs 2 lakh crore as custom collection, it will be Rs 22 lakh crore. And it is a very conservative figure. It is very close to the total revenue collection of the Central government today, which is Rs 24 lakh crore. India is the only country where bank money is only a fraction of the total money transaction. Once it changes, these figures will improve.
But India has a large informal economy which is outside the traditional banking system?
Arthakranti is a capsule. It is a set of several proposals. BTT is one. It should be followed by demonetisation of all high-value currencies, preferably above Rs 50 in due course, in a right manner, in a designed structure. Going by the global poverty line of $2 per day consumption, which means around Rs 130 per day, 70 per cent of Indian population is below poverty line. Then why do we need
Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currencies? About 86 per cent of the value of our currency is locked here. Let Rs 100 be the highest denomination.
By asking everyone to pay the same percentage as BTT, are you not discriminating against the poor? Is not income-based tax progressive in nature?
We are not talking about rate. We are talking about proportional tax. It is not regressive or progressive. Proportion is different from rate. (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley has also misinterpreted this. He has confused everybody. We are not talking about the same rate; we are talking about same per cent.
The problem is that while a high-income person may not mind to set aside 2 per cent of his total earnings, that would mean a lot for someone who is barely making both ends meet?
Even today, the poor is paying indirect taxes. But that will be gone if it gets replaced by a single BTT. Further, payment of tax adds to the credit worthiness of poor. Let everyone be worthy of credit. He will get more credit than what he pays as tax.
Former finance minister P. Chidambaram had proposed a withdrawal tax. Is it in any way similar to your plan?
No. That proposal was to tax cash withdrawals. It would have been counterproductive as people would have preferred to keep the entire money outside the banking system, thereby creating a huge parallel economy.
Copyright©2022 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Awakening of Intelligence
Part 2, New York 197
The Awakening of Intelligence Part II Chapter 1 1st Public Talk in New York 18th April 1971 'Inner Revolution'
Krishnamurti: We are going to examine together the question of what is hidden in the consciousness, in the deeper layers of the mind - which is generally called the unconscious. We are concerned with bringing about a radical revolution in ourselves and so in society. The physical revolution which is advocated all over the world at the present time does not bring about a fundamental change in man.
In a corrupt society, such as this, in Europe, India and elsewhere, there must be fundamental changes in the very structure of society. And if man remains corrupt in himself, in his activity, he will overcome whatever the structure be, however perfect; therefore it is imperative, absolutely essential that he change.
Is this change to be brought about through the process of time, through gradual achievement, through gradual change? Or does the change take place only in the instant? That is what we are going to examine together.
One sees that there must be change in oneself - the more sensitive, the more alert and intelligent one is, the more one is aware that there must be a deep, abiding, living change. The content of consciousness is consciousness - the two are not separate. What is implanted in consciousness makes up consciousness. And to bring about a change in consciousness - both in the obvious and in the hidden - does it depend on analysis, on time, on environmental pressure? Or is the change to take place totally independent of any pressure, of any compulsion?
You know, this question is going to bc rather difficult to go into, because it is quite complex and I hope we shall be able to share what is being said. Unless one goes into this matter very seriously, really taking trouble, with deep interest, with passion, I am afraid one will not be able to go very far; far in the sense not of time or space, but very deeply within oneself. One needs a great deal of passion, great energy and most of us waste our energies in conflict. And when we are examining this whole business of existence, we need energy. Energy comes with the possibility of change; if there is no possibility of change, then energy wastes away.
We think we cannot possibly change. We accept things as they are and thereby become rather dispirited, depressed, uncertain and confused. It is possible to change radically and that is what we are going to examine. If you will - do not follow exactly what the speaker is saying, but use his words as a mirror to observe yourself and enquire with passion, with interest, with vitality and a great deal of energy. Then perhaps we can come to a point where it will be obvious that without any kind of effort, without any kind of motive, the radical change takes place.
There is not only the superficial knowledge of ourselves, but there is also the deep, hidden content of our consciousness. How is one to examine it, how is one to expose the whole content of it? Is it to be done bit by bit, slowly gradually? - or is it to be exposed totally and understood instantly, and thereby the whole analytical process comes to an end?
Now we are going to go into this question of analysis. To the speaker, analysis is the denial of action; action being always in the active present. Action means not "having done" or "will do", but doing. Analysis prevents that action in the present, because in analysis there is involved time, a gradual peeling off, as it were, layer after layer, and examining each layer, analysing the content of each layer. And if the analysis is not perfect, complete, true, then that analysis being incomplete, must leave a knowledge which is not total. And the next analysis springs from that which is not complete.
Look, I examine myself, analyse myself and if my analysis is not complete, then what I have analysed becomes the knowledge with which I proceed to analyse the next layer. So in that process each analysis becomes incomplete and leads to further conflict, and so to inaction. And in analysis there is the analyser and the analysed, whether the analyser is the professional, or yourself, the layman; there is this duality, the analyser analysing something which he thinks is different from himself. But the analyser, what is he? He is the past, he is the accumulated knowledge of all the things he has analysed. And with that knowledge - which is the past - he analyses the present.
So in that process there is conflict, there is the struggle to conform, or to force that which he analyses. Also there is this whole process of dreaming. I don't know whether you have gone into all this yourself, or probably you have read other people's books, which is most unfortunate; because then you merely repeat what other people have said, however famous they are. But if you don't read all those books - as the speaker does not - then you have to investigate yourself, then it becomes much more fascinating, much more original, much more direct and true.
In the process of analysis there is this world of dreams. We accept dreams as necessary, because the professionals say, "You must dream, otherwise you go mad", and there is some truth in that. We are enquiring into all this because we are trying to find out whether it is possible to change radically, when there is so much confusion, so much misery, such hatred and brutality in the world; there is no compassion. One must, if one is at all serious, enquire into all this. We are enquiring not merely for intellectual entertainment but actually trying to find out if it is possible to change. And when we see the possibility of change, whatever we are, however shallow, however superficial, repetitive, imitative, if we see that there is a possibility of radical change, then we have the energy to do so. If we say it is not possible, then that energy is dissipated.
So we are enquiring into this question, whether analysis does produce a radical change at all, or whether it is merely an intellectual entertainment, an avoidance of action. As we were saying, analysis implies entering into the world of dreams. What are dreams, how do they come into being? I don't know if you have gone into this; if you have, you will see that dreams are the continuation of our daily life. What you are doing during the day, all the mischief, the corruption, the hatred, the passing pleasures, the ambition, the guilt and so on, all that is continued in the world of dreams, only in symbols, in pictures and images. These pictures and images have to be interpreted and all the fuss and unreality of all that comes into being.
One never asks why should one dream at all. One has accepted dreams as essential, as part of life. Now we are asking ourselves (if you are with me) why we dream at all. Is it possible when you go to sleep to have a mind that is completely quiet? Because it is only in that quiet state that it renews itself, empties itself of all its content, so that it is made fresh, young, decisive, not confused.
If dreams are the continuation of our daily life, of our daily turmoil, anxiety, the desire for security, attachment, then inevitably, dreams in their symbolic form must take place. That is clear, isn't it? So one asks, "Why should one dream at all?" Can the brain cells be quiet, not carry on all the business of the day?
One has to find that out experimentally, not accepting what the speaker says - and for goodness sake don't ever do that, because we are sharing together, investigating together. You can test it out by being totally aware during the day, watching your thoughts, your motives, your speech, the way you walk and talk. When you are so aware there are the intimations of the unconscious, of the deeper layers, because then you are exposing, inviting the hidden motives, the anxieties, the content of the unconscious to come into the open. So when you go to sleep, you will find that your mind, including the brain, is extraordinarily quiet. It is really resting, because you have finished what you have been doing during the day.
If you take stock of the day, as you go to bed and lie down - don't you do this? - saying, "I should have done this, I should not have done that", "It would have been better that way, I wish I hadn't said this" - when you take stock of the things that have happened during the day, then you are trying to bring about order before you go to sleep. And if you don't make order before you go to sleep, the brain tries to do it when you are asleep. Because the brain functions perfectly only in order, not in disorder. It functions most efficiently when there is complete order, whether that order is neurotic or rational; because in neurosis, in imbalance, there is order, and the brain accepts that order.
So, if you take stock of everything that has been happening during the day before you go to sleep, then you are trying to bring about order, and therefore the brain does not have to bring order while you are asleep: you have done it during the day. You can bring about that order every minute during the day, that is if you are aware of everything that's happening, outwardly and inwardly. Outwardly in the sense of being aware of the disorder about you, the cruelty, the indifference, the callousness, the dirt, the squalor, the quarrels, the politicians and their chicanery - all that is happening. And your relationship with your husband, your wife, with your girl or boyfriend, be aware of ill that during the day, without correcting it, just be aware of it. The moment you try to correct it, you are bringing disorder. But if you merely observe actually what is, then what is, is order.
It is only when you try to change "what is" that there is disorder; because you want to change according to the knowledge which you have acquired. That knowledge is the past and you are trying to change "what is" - which is not the past - according to what you have learnt. Therefore there is a contradiction, therefore there is a distortion, therefore this is disorder.
So during the day, if you are aware of the ways of your thoughts, your motives, the hypocrisy, the double-talk - doing one thing, saying another, thinking another - the mask that you put on, the varieties of deception that one has so readily to hand, if you are aware of all that during the day, you don't have to take stock at all when you go to sleep, you are bringing order each minute. So when you do go to sleep you will find that your brain cells, which have recorded and hold the past, become totally quiet, and your sleep then becomes something entirely different. When we use the word "mind", we include in that the brain, the whole nervous organism, the affections, all the human structure; we mean all that, not something separate. In that is included the intellect, the heart, the whole nervous organism. When you go to sleep then, the process has totally come to an end, and when you wake up you see things exactly as they are, not your interpretation of them or the desire to change them.
So analysis, for the speaker, prevents action. And action is absolutely essential in order to bring about this radical change. So analysis is not the way. Don't accept, please, what the speaker is saying, but observe it for yourself, learn about it, not from me, but learn by watching all these implications of analysis: time, the analyser and the analysed - the analyser is the analysed - and each analysis must be complete, otherwise it distorts the next analysis. So to see that the whole process of analyses, whether it is introspective or intellectual analysis, is totally wrong! It is not the way out - maybe it is necessary for those who are somewhat, or greatly, unbalanced; and perhaps most of us are unbalanced.
We must find a way of observing the whole content of consciousness without the analyser. It is great fun if you go into this, because you have then rejected totally everything that man has said. Because then you stand alone; when you find out for yourself, it will be authentic, real, true, not dependent on any professor, any psychologist, any analyst and so on.
So one must find a way of observing without analysis. I'm going to go into that - I hope you don't mind my doing all this, do you? This is not group therapy! (Laughter) This is not an open confession, it is not that the speaker is analysing you, or making you change and become marvellous human beings! You have to do this yourself, and as most of us are secondhand or third-hand human beings, it is going to be very difficult to put away totally all that has been imposed on your minds by the professionals, whether by religious or scientific professionals. We have to find out for ourselves.
If analysis is not the way - and it is not, as far as the speaker is concerned, as he has explained - then how is one to examine or to observe the total content of consciousness? What is the content of consciousness? Please don't repeat what somebody else has said. What is your total content? Have you ever looked at it, considered it? If you have, is it not the various recorded incidents, happenings, pleasurable and non-pleasurable, various beliefs, traditions, the various individual recollections and memories, the racial and family memories, the culture in which one has been brought up - all that is the content, isn't it? And the incidents that take place every day, the memories, the various pains, the unhappiness, the insults, all that is recorded. And that content is your consciousness - you, as a Catholic, or Protestant, living in this western world with the search for more and more and more, the world of great pleasure, entertainment, wealth, incessant noise of the television, the brutality - all that is you, that's your content.
How is all that to be exposed? - and in the exposing of it, is each incident, each happening, each tradition, each hurt, each pain to be examined one by one? Or is it to be looked at totally? If it is to be examined bit by bit, one by one, you are entering into the world of analysis and there is no end to that, you will die analysing - and giving a great deal of money to those who analyse, if that's your pleasure.
Now we're going to find out how to look at these various fragments, which are the content of consciousness, totally - not analytically. We are going to find out how to observe without any analysis at all. That is, we have looked at everything - at the tree, at the cloud, at the wife and the husband, at the girl and the boy - as the observer and the observed. Please do give a little attention to this. You have observed your anger, your greed or your jealousy, whatever it is, as an observer looking at greed. The observer is greed, but you have separated the observer because your mind is conditioned to the analytical process; therefore you are always looking at the tree, at the cloud, at everything in life as an observer and the thing observed. Have you noticed it? You look at your wife through the image which you have of her; that image is the observer, it is the past, that image has been put together through time. And the observer is the time, is the past, is the accumulated knowledge of the various incidents, accidents, happenings, experiences and so on. That observer is the past, and he looks at the thing observed as though he were not of it, but separate from it.
Now can you look without the observer? Can you look at the tree without the past as the observer? That is, when there is the observer, then there is space between the observer and the observed - the tree. That space is time, because there is a distance. That time is the quality of the observer, who is the past, who is the accumulated knowledge, who says, "That is the tree", or "That is the image of my wife."
Can you look, not only at the tree, but at your wife or your husband, without the image? You know, this requires tremendous discipline. I am going to show you something: discipline generally implies conformity, drill, imitation, conflict between what is and what should be. And so in discipline there is conflict: suppressing, overcoming, the exercise of will and so on - all that is implied in that word. But that word means to learn - not to conform, not to suppress, but to learn. And the quality of the mind that learns has its own order which is discipline. We are learning now to observe, without the observer, without the past, without the image. When you so observe, the actual "what is", is a living thing, not a thing looked upon as dead, recognizable by the past event, by past knowledge.
Look, Sirs, let's make it much simpler than this. You say something to me which hurts me, and the pain of that hurt is recorded. The memory of that continues and when there is further pain, it is recorded again. So the hurt is being strengthened from childhood on. Whereas, if I observe it completely, when you say something which is painful to me, then it is not recorded as a hurt. The moment you record it as a hurt, that recording is continued and for the rest of your life you are being hurt, because you are adding to that hurt. Whereas to observe the pain completely without recording it, is to give your total attention at the moment of the pain. Are you doing all this?
Look, when you go out, when you walk in these streets, there are all kinds of noise, all kinds of shouting, vulgarity, brutality, this noise is pouring in. That is very destructive - the more sensitive you are the more destructive it becomes, it hurts your organism. You resist that hurt and therefore you build a wall. And when you build a wall you are isolating yourself. Therefore you are strengthening the isolation, by which you will get more and more hurt. Whereas if you are observing that noise, are attentive to that noise, then you will see that your organism is never hurt.
If you understand this one radical principle, you will have understood something immense: that where there is an observer separating himself from the thing he observes, there must be conflict. Do what you will, as long as there is a division between the observer and the observed, there must be conflict. As long as there is division between the Muslim and the Hindu, between the Catholic and the Protestant, between the Black and the White, there must be conflict; you may tolerate each other, which is an intellectual covering of intolerance.
As long as there is division between you and your wife, there must be conflict. This division exists fundamentally, basically, as long as there is the observer separate from the thing observed. As long as I say, "Anger is different from me, I must control anger, I must change, I must control my thoughts", in that there is division, therefore there is conflict. Conflict implies suppression, conformity, imitation, all that is involved in it. If you really see the beauty of this, that the observer is the observed, that the two are not separate, then you can observe the totality of consciousness without analysis. Then you see the whole content of it instantly.
The observer is the thinker. We have given such tremendous importance to the thinker, haven't we? We live by thought, we do things by thought, we plan our life by thought, our action is motivated by thought. And thought is worshipped throughout the world as the most extraordinarily important thing, which is part of the intellect.
And thought has separated itself as the thinker. The thinker says, "These thoughts are no good", "These are better", he says, "This ideal is better than that ideal", "This belief is better than that belief". It is all the product of thought - thought which has made itself separate, fragmented itself as the thinker, as the experiencer. Thought has separated itself as the higher self and the lower self - in India it is called the atman, the higher. Here you call it the soul, or this or that. But it is still thought in operation. That's clear, isn't it? I mean, this is logical, it is not irrational.
Now I am going to show you the irrationality of it. All our books, all our literature, everything is thought. And our relationship is based on thought - just think of it! My wife is the image which I have created by thinking. That thinking has been put together by nagging, by all the things which go on between husband and wife - pleasure, sex, the irritations, the exclusions, all the separative instincts that go on. Our thought is the result of our relationship. Now what is thought? You are asked that question, "What is thought?" Please don't repeat somebody else - find out for yourself. Surely thought is the response of memory, isn't it? - memory as knowledge, memory as experience which has been accumulated, stored up in the brain cells. So the brain cells themselves are the cells of memory. But if you did not think at all, you would be in a state of amnesia, you would not be able to get to your house.
Thought is the response of the accumulated memory as knowledge, as experience - whether it is yours, or the inherited, the communal experience and so on. So thought is the response of the past, which may project itself into the future, going through the present, modifying it as the future. But it is still the past. So thought is never free - how can it be? It can imagine what is freedom, it can idealize what freedom should be, create a Utopia of freedom. But thought itself, in itself, is of the past and therefore it is not free, it is always old. Please, it is not a question of your agreeing with the speaker, it is a fact. Thought organises our life, based on the past. That thought, based on the past, projects what should be tomorrow and so there is conflict.
From that arises a question, which is, for most of us, thought has given a great deal of pleasure. Pleasure is a guiding principle in our life. We are not saying that it is wrong or right, we are examining it. Pleasure is the thing that we want most. Here in this world and in the spiritual world, in heaven - if you have a heaven - we want pleasure in any form - religious entertainment, going to Mass, all the circus that goes on in the name of religion. And the pleasure of any incident, whether it is of a sunset, or sexual, or any sensory pleasure, is recorded and thought over. So thought as pleasure plays a tremendous part in our life. Something happened yesterday which was a most lovely thing, a most happy event, it is recorded; thought comes upon it, chews it and keeps on thinking about it and wants it repeated tomorrow, whether it be sexual or otherwise. So thought gives vitality to an incident that is over.
The very process of recording is knowledge, which is the past, and thought is the past. So thought, as pleasure, is sustained. If you have noticed, pleasure is always in the past; or the imagined pleasure of tomorrow is still the recollection projected into the future, from the past.
You can also observe that where there is pleasure and the pursuit of pleasure, there is also the nourishing of fear. Haven't you noticed it? Fear of the thing I have done yesterday, fear of the physical pain which I had a week ago; thinking about it sustains the fear. There is no ending of that pain when it's over. It is finished, but I carry it over by thinking about it.
So thought sustains and gives nourishment to pleasure as well as to fear. Thought is responsible for this. There is fear of the present, of the future, fear of death, fear of the unknown, fear of not fulfilling, fear of not being loved, wanting to be loved - there are so many fears, all created by the machinery of thought. So there is the rationality of thought and the irrationality of thought.
There must be the exercise of thought in doing things. Technologically, in the office, when you cook, when you wash dishes - knowledge must function perfectly. There is the rationality, the logic of thought in action, in doing. But also thought becomes totally irrational when it sustains pleasure or fear. And yet thought says, "I cannot let go of my pleasure; yet thought knows, if it is at all sensitive or aware, that there is pain coming with it.
So to be aware of all the machinery of thought, of the complicated, subtle movement of thought! This is really not at all difficult once you say, "I must find out a way of living that is totally different, a way of life in which there is no conflict." If that is your real, your insistent, passionate demand - as is your demand for pleasure - to live a life, inwardly and outwardly in which there is no conflict whatsoever - then you will see the possibility of it. Because, as we have explained, conflict exists only when there is division between "me" and "not me". Then if you see that, not verbally or intellectually - because that is not seeing - but when you actually realize that there is no division between the observer and the observed, between the thinker and the thought, then you see, then you observe actually "what is". And when you see actually "what is", you are already beyond it. You don't stay with "what is", you stay with "what is" only when the observer is different from the "what is". Are you getting this? So when there is this complete cessation of division between the observer and the observed, then "what is" is no longer what is. The mind has gone beyond it.
Questioner: How can I change this identification of the observer with the observed? I can't just agree with you and say " Yes, it's true", but have to do something about it.
Krishnamurti: Quite right. Sir, there is no identification at all. When you identify yourself with the observed, it is still the pattern of thought, isn't it?
Questioner: Precisely, but how do I get out of that?
Krishnamurti: You don't get out of it, I'll show it to you, Sir. Do you see the truth that the observer is the observed? - the fact of it, the logic of it. Do you see that? Or don't you?
Questioner: It is still only a comment which arises; the truth does not exist.
Krishnamurti: The fact does not exist?
Questioner: No, a comment of agreement arises.
Krishnamurti: But you see that fact, don't you? Don't agree or disagree, this is a very serious thing; I wish I could talk about meditation, but not now, for this is implied in it. Sir, see the importance of this. The truth is that "I am anger" - not "I" am different from anger. That is the truth, that is a fact, isn't it? I am anger; not "I" separate from anger. When I am jealous, I am jealousy; not "I" am different from jealousy. I make myself separate from jealousy because I want to do something about it, sustain it or get rid of it or rationalize it, whatever it is. But the fact is, the "me" is jealous, isn't it?
Now how am I to act when I am jealous, when "me" is jealousy? Before, I thought "I" could act when I separated myself from jealousy, I thought I could do something about it, suppress it, rationalize it, or run away from it - do various things. I thought I was doing something. Here, I feel I am not doing anything. That is, when I say "I am jealousy", I feel I can't move. Isn't that right, Sir?
Look at the two varieties of activity, at the action which takes place when you are different from jealousy, which is the non-ending of jealousy. You may run away from it, you may suppress it, you may transcend it, you may escape, but it will come back, it will be there always, because there is the division between you and jealousy. Now there is a totally different kind of action when there is no division, because in that the observer is the observed, he cannot do anything about it. Before, he was able to do something about it, now he feels he is powerless, he is frustrated, he can't do anything. If the observer is the observed, then there is no saying, "I can or can't do anything about it" - he is what he is. He is jealousy. Now, when he is jealousy, what takes place? Go on, Sir!
Questioner: He understands...
Krishnamurti: Do look at it, take time. When I think I am different from my jealousy, then I feel I can do something about it and in the doing of it there is conflict. Here on the other hand, when I realize the truth of it, that I am jealousy, that "I", the observer, am the observed, then what takes place?
Questioner: There is no conflict.
Krishnamurti: The element of conflict ceases. There conflict exists, here conflict does not exist. So conflict is jealousy. Have you got it? There has been complete action, an action in which there has been no effort at all, therefore it is complete, total, it will never come back.
Questioner: You said analysis is the deadly tool to thought or consciousness. I perfectly agree with you and you were about to say that you would develop the argument that there are fragments in the brain or in thought or in consciousness which will be anti-analysis. I should be grateful, Sir, if you would continue to develop that part of the argument.
Krishnamurti: Of what, Sir?
Questioner: You mentioned the fragments will not constitute any conflict or struggle, they will be anti-analytical.
Krishnamurti: I just explained, Sir, there must be fragmentation when there is the observer and the observed, as two different things. Sir, look, this is not an argument, there is nothing to develop. I have gone into it fairly thoroughly, we can spend of course lots more time, because the more deeply you go into it the more there is. We have broken up our life into many fragments, haven't we? - the scientist, the businessman, the artist, the housewife and so on. What is the basis, what is the root of this fragmentation? The root of this fragmentation is the observer being separate from the observed. He breaks up life: I am a Hindu and you are a Catholic, I am a Communist, you are a bourgeois. So there is this division going on all the time. And I say, "Why is there this division, what causes this division?" - not only in the external, economic, social structure, but much more deeply. This division is brought about by the "me" and the "not me" - the me that wants to be superior, famous, greater - whereas "you" are different.
So the "me" is the observer, the "me" is the past, which divides the present as the past and the future. So as long as there is the observer, the experiencer, the thinker, there must be division. Where the observer is the observed, conflict ceases and therefore jealousy ceases. Because jealousy is conflict, isn't it?
Questioner: Is jealousy human nature?
Krishnamurti: Is violence human nature? Is greed human nature?
Questioner: I wanted to ask you another question, if I may. Am I right or wrong, according to what you've been telling us, to say, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he? So we must watch our thoughts and profit from experience.
Krishnamurti: That's just it. As you think, what you think, you are. You think you are greater than somebody else, that you are inferior to somebody else, that you are perfect, that you are beautiful or not beautiful, that you are angry - what you think you are. That's simple enough, isn't it? One has to find out whether it is possible to live a life where thought has its rational function, and see where thought becomes irrational. We'll go into that tomorrow.
Questioner: To continue with jealousy: when the jealousy is "me", and "me" is the jealousy, the conflict ends, because I know it's the jealousy and it disappears. But when I listen to the noises in the street and the "me" is the noise, and the noises are "me", how can conflict end when that noise will go on for ever.
Krishnamurti: It's fairly simple, Madam. I walk down the street and that noise is terrible. And when I say that noise is "me", the noise does not end, it goes on. Isn't that the question? But I don't say the noise is me, I don't say the cloud is me, or the tree is me, why should I say the noise is me? We pointed out just now, that if you observe, if you say, "I listen to that noise", listen completely, not with resistance, then that noise may go on for ever, it does not affect you. The moment you resist, you are separate from the noise - not identify yourself with the noise - I don't know if you see the difference. The noise goes on, I can cut myself off from it by resisting it, putting a wall between myself and that noise. Then what takes place, when I resist something? There is conflict, isn't there? Now can I listen to that noise without any resistance whatsoever?
Questioner: Yes, if you know that the noise might stop in an hour!
Krishnamurti: No that is still part of your resistance.
Questioner: That means that I can listen to the noise in the street for the rest of my life with the possibility I might become deaf.
Krishnamurti: No, listen, Madam, I am saying something entirely different. We are saying, as long as there is resistance, there must be conflict. Whether I resist my wife, or my husband, whether I resist the noise of a dog barking, or the noise in the street, there must be conflict. Now, how is one to listen to the noise without conflict - not whether it will go on indefinitely, or hoping it will come to an end - but how to listen to the noise without any conflict? That is what we are talking about. You can listen to the noise when the mind is completely free of any form of resistance - not only to that noise, but to everything in life - to your husband, to your wife, to your children, to the politician. Therefore what takes place? Your listening becomes much more acute, you become much more sensitive, and therefore noise is only a part, it isn't the whole world. The very act of listening is more important than the noise, so listening becomes the important thing and not the noise.
Awakening of Intelligence
Part 2, New York 197
The Awakening of Intelligence Part II Chapter 1 1st Public Talk in New York 18th April 1971 'Inner Revolution'
Texts and talks of Jiddu Krishnamurti. Krishnamurti quotes. Books about
J Krishnamurti. Philosophy.

subset: commoncrawl


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National popular vote bill moves to Senate floor in Oregon
Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney has blocked legislation several times since 2009 that would allow Oregon to join the National Popular Vote Compact.
But state senators on Wednesday had a public committee hearing on legislation to join the compact, which would ensure the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote is elected.
The Senate Committee on Rules decided on a 4-1 vote to move Senate Bill 870 to the Senate floor with a recommendation to pass it; Senate Minority Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr., R-Grants Pass, was opposed. It's the first time the popular vote issue has come this far in the Senate, the legislative chamber where bills to join the compact have died in recent years.
Courtney said in an interview with the Statesman Journal that his stance on the issue hasn't changed. He believes Oregonians should decide the popular vote issue instead of lawmakers.
"This is one of those special moments that the Oregon electorate should be asked yea or nay," Courtney said.
The only difference this year is that Courtney, D-Salem, said he believes there are enough votes in the Senate for the measure to pass.
"I try to find out where the pulse is, where the votes are," Courtney said.
The bill has support among Democratic and Republican legislators in Oregon. In Baertschiger's case, caucus spokeswoman Tayleranne Gillespie said the senator believes in the electoral college and has "never supported the National Popular vote movement, and he will continue to be a 'no.'"
The compact won't take action until enough states have joined to reach 270 electoral votes, a majority of the nation's 538 electoral votes.
It would not abolish the electoral college entirely. Each member of the compact would put their electoral college votes toward the winner of the popular vote instead of the winner of the electoral college.
Related:Campaign to unseat Sen. Peter Courtney centers on National Popular Vote
So far, 189 electoral votes are committed from 14 states that have joined the compact, plus the District of Columbia. California and Washington have joined, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"Nationwide, we've seen a lot of activity for this bill," said Eileen Reavey, an Oregon-based consultant and lobbyist for National Popular Vote Inc.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill Wednesday for her state to join the compact. If Oregon's bill passes, the compact would have a total of 196 electoral votes.
The popular vote issue has support outside the Senate.
Danny Moran, spokesman for House Speaker Tina Kotek, said the speaker continues to support the legislation. Prior versions of the legislation have gone through the House and failed to move in the Senate.
Gov. Kate Brown said in a recent conference call with reporters that she supports moving Oregon into the compact.
"I believe very strongly that this is the right approach, that every person's vote needs to matter," Brown said.
Contact reporter Ben Botkin at email@example.com, 503-399-6687 or follow him on Twitter @BenBotkin1


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Tonight is the 81st anniversary of the NAZI pogrom of November 1938 known as Kristallnacht.
9-10 November 1938 | #Kristallnacht – a pogrom against the Jews throughout Nazi Germany. Almost 100 killed, 30,000 men arrested, over 1,000 synagogues burnt, over 7,000 Jewish businesses destroyed or damaged: https://t.co/hrrnJUqR3e pic.twitter.com/m9K2AB7Wpu
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) November 9, 2019
In an article on the evening of 11 November, Joseph Goebbels ascribed the events to the "healthy instincts" of the German people: "The German people are anti-Semitic. It has no desire to have its rights restricted or to be provoked in the future by parasites of the Jewish race."
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) November 9, 2019
Only three years after the Kristallnacht the physical extermination of Jews began in Germany & German-occupied European territory – first the murder was perpetrated in the East by shooting of the Einsatzgruppen & later in gas chambers of extermination camps, such as Auschwitz..
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) November 9, 2019
I'm not sure 81 years on what there is left to say. Especially that I didn't say in a post memorializing this day last year and the year before and the year before that and the year before that… Or in the posts I've done on the Red Summer or any other number of atrocities.
Perhaps we just need to pay attention because the revanchist, neo-fascist, and neo-nationalist descendants of the NAZIs and the other fascists that set the conditions for and carried out the atrocities on Kristallnacht and the even worse atrocities during the Holocaust proper still need to be combatted. They need to be exposed whenever possible. Dragged out into the sunlight for all to see and, should it come to it, once again physically combatted until they are defeated on the battlefield as they were during WW II.
Just this past week a neo-NAZI was arrested for trying to blow up a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado. A young African American man had to stand his ground in Georgia in the face of a racist attack from a now deceased white man.* And we learned that the President and his racist, white supremacist administration have actually separated an additional 1,500 migrant children from their parents and that number may still be an undercount. I'm sure there are more examples of the revanchist, racist, and fascist throughline that runs from Kristallnacht in 1938 to the President, his administration, his surrogates, his supporters, and the tyrants and dictators that he so idealizes with just a few minutes more searching, but I don't think I need to belabor the point.
Also, the Auschwitz Memorial is trying to get 750,000 followers by the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January 2020. So if you're on Twitter, give them a follow!
We hope to get 750,000 followers for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on 27 Jan 2020.
This will not be possible without your support & engagement.
Help us to honor all victims and preserve their memory online. RT & encourage others to follow @AuschwitzMuseum. pic.twitter.com/PDbTvDcOyg
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) August 23, 2019
Open thread.
* I'm actually surprised it has taken this long for a person of color to have to use force/lethal force to defend him or herself from a white racist's attack. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the courts, given that Georgia is a stand your ground state, but the person who stood his ground this time is African American. As I've written here many times in comments, I expected this to happen. And I expect that once white people realize that the old maxim that "G-d made man, Samuel Colt made all men equal" doesn't just apply to white people, they'll freak out. I'm honestly not sure what the nature of that freak out will be. It might be a response similar to that of then Governor Reagan's to Black Panther's openly carrying unarmed long guns in the California state capitol building by signing gun control legislation. Or it may be more similar to the Tulsa Race Riot, the Red Summer, and the response to Forest Joe's slave revolt in the 1820s among others. But if people of color exercise their statutory rights to self defense, and they are both justified in doing so and do so in response to attacks on their persons and property by racist whites, there will be a backlash. And we all need to be prepared for it.


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Microsemi: third-party IP offerings for PolarFire FPGAs at embedded world
Microsemi has expanded the third-party intellectual property offerings for its cost-optimized, low power, mid-range PolarFire FPGAs. With new support of artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning IP and HDMI 2.0b interfaces, the company's PolarFire device can now be used in industrial artificial intelligence applications which leverage the rich resources in the FPGA, particularly the large quantities of digital signal processor math blocks and embedded RAMs.
The newly expanded IP offerings make Microsemi's PolarFire FPGAs ideal for a wide variety of machine vision applications within the industrial, medical imaging, retail, defense and automotive markets. The HDMI 2.0b IP, available through Microsemi's collaboration with Bitec, enables displays up to 4K (ultrahigh definition) resolution, which can be used for AI applications such as retail advertising, smart mirror displays as well as traditional display designs like media servers and display walls. Machine learning or AI IP, offered via Microsemi's collaboration with ASIC Design Services, is a key component for machine vision applications such as sensing objects, enabling applications such as surveillance cameras to detect faces or in retail for targeted advertising, as well as advanced driver assist systems applications allowing automobiles to detect cars, pedestrians or other objects.
The low power characteristics of flash-based FPGAs, coupled with Microsemi's FlashFreeze mode of operation and "instant on" capability, makes PolarFire a compelling platform for AI designs implemented on FPGAs. ASIC Design Services' solution allows FPGA developers and machine learning experts to bridge the semantic gap between high-level model specification and FPGA design. For customers with limited prior experience, ASIC Design Services provides a full turnkey service including design and deep learning training, accelerating time to market.
The new IP cores for PolarFire FPGAs were brought to market by Bitec and ASIC Design Services via Microsemi's Accelerate Ecosystem.


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One of its kind medical humour, 'Starting Troubles' is a web-series written and conceptualized by stand-up comedian, author, full-time ENT surgeon and innovator, Jagdish Chaturvedi. He has successfully done over 200 shows in India and abroad, and has over a hundred thousand YouTube subscribers in his kitty. Jagdish Chaturvedi's Starting Troubles intends to destroy this myth that being successful calls for focusing your attention and energy on carrying out only one thing in life. He feels that this mindset has become a barrier for many in achieving their dreams while they work around their day jobs.
Jagdish's jokes as well as this web series are inspired by real life incidences and are something that all of us can connect with.
The thought behind Starting Troubles
The fact that such wide audience relates to his trainload of jokes and anecdotes is what motivated him to create a web series that rounds up his journey of transitions into this multifaceted life. Herein, Jagdish makes an attempt to depict his journey through overlaps, how he juggled roles, amid not-so-well-though decisions leaving him perplexed.
Given that this fun ride would have been tough to portray as multi-dimensional events during a comedy act, he decided to bring this to his viewers in a comedy web series format.
Thank God for this! And of course, Thank Jagdish for this!
Key message of Starting Troubles
Guised as humour and confusion, Starting Troubles means to convey a strong message of being persistent in pursuing whatever you want to do. There sure would be a few Starting Troubles, but the dust will settle down soon and you will come out a winner.
The pilot episode was self-funded by Jagdish. After its release on YouTube, it was very well received.
In case you haven't seen it, watch it here:
The team of Starting Troubles
It cannot be denied that the team behind Starting Troubles is a perfect amalgamation of experience, talent, professionalism, and fun! The shoot went on for 9 long days, and the conceptualisation efforts of many more days came to fruition.
The team completed the phenomenal task of producing 120+ minutes of content with their commitment and hard work.
His team includes some of the renowned names of the acting fraternity. The core acting team comprises Parikshit Sahni, Renuka Shahane, Kurush Deboo, Rajesh PI, Jui Pawar, Bharat Chawla, Anushka Nair.
Guest appearances from the super funny Rahul Subramanian, Sanjay Manaktala, Manish K Tyagi, Praveen Kumar, Mandar Bhide, Navin Noronha, Navin Noronha, Aditi Raval, Sonu Venu Gopal, Ratnakar Baggi, Ravi Kaushik, Gaurav Chaturvedi, Gunda Srinivas, Pooja Singh, Maulik Shah.
Supporting Cast includes Neha Pathak, Ravi Namdeo, Moumi Guha, Ujjwala, Nikita Chaturvedi, Sree Hari, Jatin D Vakharia, G Bindu Rao, Vandita Verma, Anirudh, Vinay Kumar, Balaji, Nazz, Naren, Praveen.
Film Production House: Ten Motion Pictures.
Humour Sapiens cannot wait to watch the web series, which we are sure is going to be epic!


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Reincarnation rules
But only if the Chinese Communist Party says so
LIKE many religious monuments around the world, the Yonghegong or "Lama Temple" in Beijing is both tourist trap and place of worship. First built in the late 17th century as a home for eunuchs from the imperial court, it became a palace for a future emperor and then a lamasery for monks from Tibet and Mongolia. Unlike many monasteries in Tibet itself, it survived the mass vandalism of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, thanks, says a prominent sign in the grounds, to the intervention of Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong's long-serving prime minister.
On a muggy summer afternoon the car park is full of tour buses and the temple grounds swarm with Chinese and foreign tourists in shorts and T-shirts, fanning themselves, guzzling water and distractedly spinning prayer wheels. But in the shrines themselves the devout pray with real fervour. They are almost all Chinese. Like other religions, Tibetan Buddhism, and even its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is gaining new adherents in China. In Tibet itself, there seems little sign that faith is weakening.
This helps explain "Order Number Five", passed at a conference of the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA) in Beijing last month, and due to come into effect on September 1st. It covers "management measures for the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism". In this faith, some who have achieved enlightenment can opt to be reborn, to help those less blessed.
The most famous living Buddha is of course the Dalai Lama himself, but there are many others. India's former ambassador to Mongolia was a living Buddha from Ladakh. So is Arjia Rinpoche, the former abbot of a big monastery near Xining, the capital of China's Qinghai province (formerly part of Tibet), who defected to America in 1998.
Living Buddhas are typically identified in boyhood through a mixture of tests—familiarity with the late incarnation's belongings—and divination. Now the government wants to control the process, arrogating to itself the right to approve incarnations. Bizarrely, Order Number Five even provides for "living Buddha permits", to be registered at SARA. Reincarnation, moreover, is banned in "cities with delineated districts", which can only refer to Xining and Lhasa, the capital of what is now the "Tibet Autonomous Region" of China.
The government's odd meddling in religious affairs is not confined to Buddhism. One of China's chief disputes with the Vatican is over its refusal to allow the Pope the authority to appoint bishops. But its apparent determination to control religion in Tibet is especially intense, because Buddhism is so bound up with Tibetans' identity and nationalism.
Chinese spokesmen accuse the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since 1959, of engaging "in activities aimed at splitting the motherland" (ie, China). In fact, the Dalai Lama says that, unlike many Tibetans, he is ready to accept Chinese sovereignty in exchange for genuine autonomy. His representatives are engaged in drawn-out and seemingly aimless talks with the government. Leaders in Beijing seem to have decided that the best hope of quelling resistance to their rule is to wait for his death.
The government may even hope to install a Buddha of its own, as it tried with the second most senior figure in Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama. There are two rival Panchens. The boy recognised by the Dalai Lama is now 18, and apparently in Chinese detention.
The Dalai Lama has said he may not be reincarnated at all, or, if Tibet is not free, he may be reincarnated in exile. It seems unlikely that China could install a Tibetan leader who also commands the loyalty of Tibetans. And the death of the present Dalai Lama—a robust man, but in his 70s—would remove the most powerful force restraining Tibetans from violent resistance to Chinese rule. Of course, China could crush an armed uprising easily. But it might be a bloody business.
More from Asia
Vietnam is emerging as a winner from the era of deglobalisation
Yet achieving its goal of becoming a rich country by 2045 will still be a huge task
Why Narendra Modi criticised Vladimir Putin in Samarkand
Russia is upsetting friends and losing influence in Asia
India's capital has run out of booze
Acquiring alcohol has again become a hellish ordeal


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"Be Honest with Death"
For those who do not have a belief in heaven or reincarnation, managing one's mortality can be psychologically challenging. What are some of the ways we can process the poignant and terrifying realization that each one of us is going to die? Hugh Taft-Morales does not have the answer – he has many answers. Some approaches work better than others to ease that cold existential shiver that runs down his spine when the grim reaper invades consciousness. He borrows from Buddhists to existentialists, from Morrie Schwartz to Monty Python. Come explore some light shone on this darkness.
Hugh Taft-Morales joined the Baltimore Ethical Society as its professional leader in 2010, the same year he was certified by the American Ethical Union as an Ethical Culture Leader. He also serves as Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. His presence in Ethical Culture has been termed "invigorating." Taft-Morales lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife Maureen, a Latin American Analyst with the Congressional Research Service, with whom he has three beloved children, Sean, Maya, and Justin.


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Top Eleven Reasons to Attend
1. Your wife wants you to go.
2. Make a friend or two.
3. Experience a Shabbat in a beautiful setting at Camp Ramah.
4. Escape for a few days. You'll have no responsibilities. You can even leave your cell phone in the car.
5. Do something fun – softball, tennis, basketball, canoeing, biking, eating, etc.
6. Have access to our honored speakers all weekend.
7. Make contacts locally and within the region.
8. Feel connected with the Jewish Community.
9. Learn something Jewish.
10. First year is discounted .
11. You don't have to be a Temple member or Men's Club member to attend.
Regional Programs > Laymen's Institute >


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In his eulogy for Senator John McCain former vice president Joe Biden brought out a statement that senator McCain had made when he converted to the Baptist denomination. Senator McCain stated that he did not need to be water baptized because it would not add to his spiritual advancement. Of course there are many who would disagree with the senator's statement. Not that they were or are judging him. But the question is raised, "Baptism. Is it necessary for salvation?"
It is a fair and necessary question which one must answer. But the answer should be based on scripture.
What exactly is baptism according to the scripture
If one goes by Hollywood films and the Catholic church one might get a totally incorrect concept of scriptural baptism. If one goes by evangelical denominations and some "full gospel" groups one might still get an incorrect concept. So, what is this baptism that the Bible talks about.
There are two descriptions of baptism in the Old Testament. The first is when the children of Israel were leaving the bondage of Egypt and they came against the Red Sea. The picture drawn here is the total separation from, or death to, the old way of life. The Israelites had been the servants of the Egyptians. But after passing through the Red Sea they were freed from that bondage because the Egyptian army was destroyed. The Israelites became dead to the Egyptians. Never again were they in bondage to them. This image of baptism presents the freedom from sin as one dies to his old way of life.
The second is presented when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the promised land. The contrast of the Jordan River baptism to the Red Sea baptism is this: The Red Sea parted and then came back together and brought death to the flesh therein; The Jordan River did not part but ceased to flow from above while the Israelites crossed over. The Jordan River presents an image of the Holy Spirit coming from above and baptizing those who are crossing into the Promised Land. The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives life, instead of taking life.
So we see that baptism was necessary if the Israelites were going to receive the Promised land. The old life had to die and the new life had to be empowered from above.
So, baptism in its presentation must first of all picture a position of dying to one life and then moving forward to beginning a new life of promise.
New Testament baptism
Now we come to the New Testament. What does it say about baptism? The New Testament begins with the preaching of John the Baptist who baptized for repentance of sin. It is made clear throughout the New Testament that there is a difference between the two baptisms. It was not enough to just have John's baptism after the coming of the Holy Spirit. There must be the baptism in the Name of Jesus.
Jesus was baptized by John, but not for repentance. Jesus never sinned. He always did what His Father did. But He said that He was being baptized to "fulfill all righteousness". He was setting the example of one who earnestly desires to be pleasing to The Father by being baptized according to the scriptures. He was to become "sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God" in Him.
Is physical baptism necessary for salvation and right relationship with God? Let us look at the example of the thief on the cross next to Jesus. Jesus told him that he would be with Him in Paradise that very day. That man never got baptized in this world, but he went to heaven. He repented and then he committed himself to Jesus. Would he have been baptized if it were a possibility? I think so. But he was not. If it were a necessary act to be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, then Jesus lied to him. Jesus never lied.
True baptism
So, the true picture of baptism must present a picture of someone dying to an old way of life and then a new way of life beginning. To be clear and to the point, sprinkling or just pouring water over someone does not paint a picture of dying to anything. So, scripturally speaking, many, so called, Christian denominations do not carry on baptism as spoken of in the Bible. Of course, this has been promoted in popular Biblically based films of Hollywood. Most of these films were not interested in Biblical truths but in making money with movies. So adherence to scripture was not a top priority. Still the word got out.
The Greek word translated to "baptize" in the New Testament was a word which meant to be totally immersed into something. It also meant that one was under the total influence of something or someone. We have a phrase which we say that someone who is drunk is "under the influence" of alcohol. That is what the word means when we are baptized into Christ Jesus. We become totally under the influence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
A real picture of Biblical baptism
If we were literal in our baptism ritual and did it according to the Bible, we would take people into a pool of water and would lay or push them under the water and never let them come up. Of course we can not do that because that is against God's Word. But I use that as an example. Just as baptism is a type, or symbol, of what has taken place within our spirit, it lets the world know that we are no longer the same person but are a new creation.
So, to the question of "Is baptism necessary for salvation?", the scripture shows that physically speaking it is not. But spiritually speaking it is. If the "old man" has not died, then there is no "new creation" so it does not matter how many times one gets baptized, it will profit them nothing.
In Galatians 6:15 Paul the Apostle put it this way: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision(physical baptism) nor uncircumcision(not being physically baptized) avails anything, but a new creation. So, the physical act of baptism has nothing to do with your right relationship with your Lord. But, because you have a right relationship with your Lord you earnestly desire to please Him in every way. And just as He desired to please His Father in fulfilling all righteousness, so shall we delight to please Him by following Him in physical baptism.


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In this very first episode of Unknowable we dove in with one of our very favorite cryptids: THE MOTHMAN.
We primarily focused on the years 1966 and 1967 when the Mothman was terrorizing Point Pleasant, West Virginia, but we also went a bit into other sightings around the world and throughout history, including Chernobyl (where it was referred to as the "Blackbird of Chernobyl") and even an alleged sighting (and photograph!) during the World Trade Center terrorist attack on 9/11.
We also touched a bit on the unusual government agents and "men in black" that were seen around Point Pleasant during, and following, the Mothman sightings, as well as bizarre premonitions and dreams that some residents had that seemed to predict the collapse of the Silver Bridge, which resulted in the deaths of 46 people.
We had fun speculating on whether the Mothman is indeed a bizarre mutation of an existing animal due to faulty storage of TNT, a man wearing a jetpack and night vision goggles (nope, stop, don't even suggest that to us), or perhaps just a sad, misunderstood cryptid who is trying his best to warn us of impending doom. Tune in to hear about a topic that we are super passionate about — maybe you're hearing about the Mothman for the first time, or maybe you're also a fan, but either way we hope you learn something new!
If you aren't already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and make sure to subscribe (and rate/review) on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In, CastBox, or Spotify! If we aren't on your favorite podcast app yet, e-mail us and let us know!


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Ellenos has raised $18 million to help fund its expansion, now that it has outgrown its factory in Georgetown.
Ellenos, a premium Greek yogurt maker, popped up in Pike Place Market five years ago by way of Australia, via Canada.
Now the company wants to build a yogurt empire, and its factory in Georgetown, capable of producing 10,000 pounds of yogurt a day, isn't big enough.
Ellenos has raised $18 million from Los Angeles private equity investor Monogram Capital Partners to help fund its expansion.
A new Federal Way factory will be able to produce about 100,000 pounds of yogurt a day.
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At first the new capacity will be used to better fulfill orders from Northwest customers, who buy the product at more than 300 grocery stores and Ellenos retail stores, said Ellenos founder Constantinos Apostolopoulos.
"Once we do that, we'll look to take what we've built here with everyone, with this community, and then take it across the country," Apostolopoulos said.
It's a local business growth story with a very international beginning.
Yvonne Klein, who used to work for Air Canada on a regular route between Vancouver, B.C., and Sydney, Australia, raved to husband Bob about the Greek yogurt she would eat there, eventually smuggling it home in larger and larger quantities.
"She was bringing way too much home," Bob Klein said.
Klein decided to go see about the Australian yogurt business. He had taken a produce stand in Pike Place Market and thought it would be an ideal location for a premium yogurt, he said. He cold-called Apostolopoulos, whose family immigrated to Australia in the 1960s and ran fast-food restaurants and made yogurt and cheese.
But Klein didn't hear back until 2011, when Apostolopoulos said he was ready to try his hand in a U.S. market that's an order of magnitude larger than Australia.
It took another two years before Ellenos came together, starting with a 100-gallon vat in the Georgetown factory that Apostolopoulos and Klein built out themselves.
The name wasn't decided until the night before they opened in summer 2013, Apostolopoulos said. It is a made-up word inspired by Hellenic — meaning Greek — and the first sound in the word Australia.
The business got a break when local Asian grocery store Uwajimaya agreed to give it space.
"An Australian making Greek yogurt, selling in a Japanese grocery store — and that's pretty much how it took off," Apostolopoulos said.
The company has grown from four people — the Kleins, Apostolopoulos and his son, Alex — to 105 employees now.
The investment, brokered by Seattle investment bank Meridian Capital, gives Monogram a minority ownership stake in the business. The funding will help pay down debt related to the new factory, finance the planned expansion and hire more staff, Klein said.
Apostolopoulos said he's looking forward to getting back to refining his family's yogurt recipe and processes.
"Partnering up with Monogram will free me up to get back to what I love doing," he said.


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Little girl, you sleep.
I wanted a girl desperately, and you came like a song in the night. That's a true thing – but in person you are less melodious. Squawky, hungry, passionately attached to us. You take up all your allotted space and more, and I am quietly proud of you for it. There are things I will need to tell you about being a woman in the world, and that's probably first on the list.
No, here's what's first, always: you are loved, fiercely loved. But your worth does not depend on who loves you and how they show it. Your worth is intrinsic. You came with it, and you have it still. No amount of rubbing around in this world can take the shine off it.
This is number two, then. Take up all your space. Speak truth and keep speaking till you're heard. Some people might tell you that a woman's place is to be soft, tender, (most of all) quiet. You may know already what I think about that. Be abundantly kind, kinder than people expect. But don't ever turn gentleness into self-erasure. Don't beat yourself up for your spiky edges. You are meant to have those, too.
For various reasons, teenage girls are often the absolute worst to each other. Sorry. It can't be helped. You may be in your thirties by the time you stop doing things just because other people expect you to. This is fine. If you get it earlier, even better.
Food is not your enemy. Your body is not your enemy. You are a thing of wonder, an atom in each of your fingers made in a different, distant star. You are a miracle. Treat yourself gently. Eat things you love, with people you love, getting your hands messy. Exercise because you want to look after yourself.
Your experiences and your history are your own. You get to tell your own stories. Other people are allowed theirs, too. Learning to properly listen and validate is one of the most powerful gifts you can give.
Don't be afraid of red lipstick. It's the best kind of warpaint I know.
It's really alright to lie down and put a pillow over your head the day your period starts. Would the boys you know battle silently on if they got crushing penis pain, a distended stomach-balloon of rage and a gushing bloodbath in their bed once a month? I THINK NOT.
Read, and never stop reading. You'll visit more new worlds than you can imagine – breathe their air, stand on their soil, then come back to your own able to see magic in everything.
A great many problems can be solved with a chocolate biscuit and five minutes outside with a good view. Or dancing in the kitchen to your favourite song, turned up very loud. It appeared in all those eighties montages for a reason.
Your older brothers love you, but it's not their job to protect you or vet your boyfriends. Their job is to be the only people in the world who know the exact and particular madness of your parents. Keep them close.
Things that have brought me the most joy in life: loving your father; finding a field I was interested in and good at and pursuing it tenaciously; the grand cosmology of our faith; reaching out to people in need; being vulnerable and authentic in female friendships; loving my children.
Things I have found the hardest work: see above.
Be brave, dear girl. So many things need bravery. The best things. Go and find them.
With all my love,
Your mother.
(PS: if we're at a point where it helps to pretend that someone cooler than me is telling you all this, feel especially free to do so.)


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Remember that guy who made that duct tape AT-AT? Well, he's just listed another Star Wars item. This new listing is for a Millennium Falcon that's made out of cardboard, Styrofoam, and aluminum tape. That makes it all shiny.
This new eBay listing was also made by Komanac for the local art show, Star Wars 33 & 1/3 Anniversary. It's pretty large, at roughly 24 inches wide, 36 inches long, and 5 inches tall. It weighs somewhere around 4 to 6 pounds.
The aluminum Millennium Falcon has a starting bid of $200 bucks, and nobody has bid on it yet. Shipping this thing is significantly less that what I saw for the AT-AT. Plus, it's guaranteed to make the Kessel Run in over 12 parsecs.
[via Boing Boing via Make:]


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Basement Waterproofing
The B-Dry® System has been stopping basement water leakage for homeowners since 1958 – unlike the "others", this system is not a band aid but a permanent solution.
We at B-Dry of Mid State Illinois Waterproofing believe that waterproofing your basement is absolutely vital, and we feel so strongly about it, we built a business around it!
Keeping your basement dry is of the utmost importance. Excessively moist, wet basements can cause all sorts of problems, aside from simply smelling funny.
Before you consider another company to solve your basement leakage problems, remember that structural waterproofing is a specialized industry that demands experience if you expect your waterproofing to last. Waterproofing discounters often use subcontractors. Controls over experience and workmanship are difficult to manage and maintain. We handle every aspect of your waterproofing solution.
Why is my Basement wet?
Main Causes of Basement Leakage:
- Shrinking or cracking of the concrete foundation
- Water pooling alongside foundation walls or under the floor
- Water collecting next to the foundation
- Water seeping into foundation blocks or cracks
- Clogged or cracked footing drainpipe
- Improper gutter or downspout drainage
- Poorly maintained window wells


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Toyah performs the Patti Smith Group song Because The Night in a sketch found on series 2.
Written by and starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, this show features one of the most successful comedy duos in Britain. In this massively popular and hysterically funny series, Dawn and Jennifer present curious film classics, ridiculous dance routines, and fast and funny sketches.
Special guest stars in the series include Jerry Hall, Alison Moyet, Toyah Willcox, Kirsty MacColl, Lulu, Dusty Springfield, and Lenny Henry. The show has won four BAFTAs, three RTS awards and a British Comedy award. When series 6 aired in 2004, 5.3 million viewers on average watched it on BBC1.
BBC DVD Box Set released 2008


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Tchibo mobile
A cooperation that gets people talking: In autumn 2004, Tchibo and O2 Germany established a 50-50 joint venture. Its object: to develop inexpensive, transparent and flexible mobile tariffs for the German market. The joint venture takes advantage of Tchibo GmbH's distribution paths and O2 Germany's wireless infrastructure.
Tchibo's mobile rates are based on an easy-to-understand system. The mobile services offered are transparent and inexpensive. Many other mobile phone providers have now caught on to the concept. But despite growing competition Tchibo consistently gets top ratings.
Tchibo's mobile offer always focuses on the needs of the customer. Friends and family are encouraged to "Tchibo-phone" each other at the best possible prices. In order to meet the need for flexibility and unlimited surfing, the offer has been expanded to include mobile Internet.
Tchibo's mobile offer promises an excellent price-performance ratio as well as outstanding personal service. Changing theme worlds regularly offer attractive starting offers and selected mobile phones. All offers are available in Tchibo shops as well as from Tchibo's depot partners. Customers can also conveniently order from home by calling a 24/7 hotline or at www.tchibo.de. You can get more information on mobile phones and rates here.
Tchibo Travel
Turning dreams of travel into reality: Tchibo Travel under the slogan of "Dream holidays at dreamy prices" is a range of products that fully corresponds to our core competence. And that's no coincidence: Tchibo's holiday offers are the result of high-quality preselection and offer compelling value for money.
The Germans' flair for travel has turned the pilot projects launched 1996 into a success down the line. Based on amazing popular demand, the few "Tchibo Travel" offers selected by the Tchibo Non Food division in 1996 were developed into an extensive travel range.
Tchibo cooperates with well-known German holiday companies, from small, specialist tour operators to established travel agencies, to offer its customers just about everything – from classic beach holidays on the Canary Islands to exotic tours of Mexico or Thailand, and cultural and adventure trips. Holidays around the world, representing quality and outstanding service.
Tchibo now also offers a new travel experience every week: a new thematic travel catalogue each week from the classic cruise catalogue "Leinen Los" (Cast Off) to flyers featuring special promotions such as trips to a Formula 1 race, a football camp at Real Madrid or a Madonna concert with combined city tours to Prague. The number of Tchibo travellers per year has risen to over 258,000.
Tchibo Travel's special selling point is value-for-money combined with unusual themes and destinations. Offers include numerous extras, such as special rates for children, and holiday and accident insurance cover abroad, as well as daytrips. This gives them a real added value over comparable brochure offers. Also: the holidays can conveniently be booked from home by calling a hotline (open 7 days a week), or online at www.tchibo.de.


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Anne Fontaine's Adore used to be called Two Mothers because it concerns a set of best friends, Lil (Naomi Watts) and Roz (Robin Wright Penn), who have affairs with each other's grown sons. This is indeed the premise of the Lonely Island and Justin Timberlake's video "Mother Lover," but instead of going for a comedic angle on this strange setup, Miss Fontaine attempts to make an edgy drama, though it never comes off as anything more than absurd.
Based on Doris Lessing's novel The Grandmothers, Adore is set in New South Wales, Australia, in an idyllic beachtown where Lil and Roz live in neighboring sun-kissed houses bordering the blue. Lil is widowed and lives alone with her son Ian (Xavier Samuel), while Roz conducts a similarly unassuming and pleasurable life with her husband Harold (Ben Mendelsohn) and son Tom (James Frecheville), both theater directors. The movie sets up the exposition nicely by framing the two central women as lifelong besties (people in town even speculate that they're in a lesbian relationship), but when Zeke goes off to Sydney for a job at a university, the loneliness and the boozed up fine dining allow each single mother to sneak into the house of the other and conduct illicit couplings with their nubile sons.
Much of the drama's potential, the premise and implied discomfort notwithstanding, doesn't track out after the romances heat up and the cameras continue rolling. The script by Christopher Hampton (Oscar-winner for Dangerous Liaisons) is so overtly melodramatic as to make the movie not only exceedingly unlikely but laughable, an overdose of soap opera enthusiasm that even includes a perfunctory slap-each-other's-faces scene (when Roz gets upset at Ian). Ms. Wright and Ms. Penn are both fine actresses, and Messrs. Samuel and Frecheville, the oft-shirtless Aussie newcomers playing their sons, are stolid additions, but none of the character interactions muster enough realism to go beyond the level of sickly TV drama.
Miss Fontaine, a former actress and model, means for Adore to transcend the tawdry and popular by casting a distaff veneer on the absurdity. This she does by forming her two main characters as Mothers instead of Fathers and hence continuing the line of her vaguely feminist oeuvre. Adore comes right after the lush Coco Before Chanel, which Fontaine both wrote and directed, and its focus on the influential fashion designer (played by Audrey Tatou) reflects Miss Fontaine's proclivity for strong and beautiful female leads. Adore is no exception, and its ubiquitous bleached blonde vacation scenes prove that Ms. Wright and Ms. Watts can indeed straddle the line between mother, a traditionally unglamorous screen role, and diva, a persona of charisma and allure. (Despite their middle age, the two show no signs of diminishing sex appeal.) Without a believable script, however, I never got the feeling that Roz and Ian were actually mother and son, or that there were any familial relationships at all going beyond the skin deep, however tanned. Flanked by their Hollister-esque sons and floating on a large dock in the sea, Ms. Wright and Ms. Watts leave the viewers with images of visually pleasing seaside excursions, and nothing else of note.
Movies with risque premises — Louis Malle's Murmur of the Heart, a portrait of an incestuous relationship comes to mind — have succeeded at shocking audiences by finding the pain, awkwardness and emotion that can arise out of 'extreme' relationships. But such efforts are derailed by a flippant attitude towards realism; like a hyped bar with ultimately disappointing service, they entice the customer and then deliver vacuity. In this case, that emptiness is of hedonistic melodrama, captured in the movie's final image of an illustratively vacant crane shot — a spiral down onto the languorous leads on a sea deck — and proving with radical absurdity that Adore had said nothing radical.


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The EarRegulars were an all-reed edition (no brass need apply for that one Sunday) last week, June 27, 2010: Greg Cohen, bass; James Chirillo, guitar; Harry Allen and Scott Robinson, tenor saxophones. There were no JATP antics that night; rather, the four musical lines reminded me greatly of beautiful vines, creating a tapestry of lovely sounds and responses.
Here are three selections from the first set.
One is a haunting TOO LATE NOW, which could never be with these players:
Then, a song much beloved of Kenny Davern and Benny Goodman, Isham Jones' ON THE ALAMO:
Finally, STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY (in two parts):
And its conclusion:
There's more to post from this particular evening, including uplifting visits from violinist Valerie Levy and tenorist Eric Schwam. Then, two glorious nights with Michael Kanan, Joel Press, Neal Miner, Pat O'Leary, Joe Hunt, and Ted Brown – – but such pleasures will have to wait — I'm off to the 2010 International Whitley Bay Jazz Festival, where I don't expect to do much more than listen to music, chat, grab a hurried meal or two, and sleep. Oh . . . and videotape, of course!
To be continued . . .


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Qualifying Conditions For SSDI Benefits
Under Social Security, a claimant is disabled and entitled to benefits if he or she cannot work. The test used is whether the individual is capable of "substantial gainful activity." At Fox & Fox Co. L.P.A., our attorneys have more than 85 years of combined legal experience. We understand the trouble you are facing through the Social Security Disability (SSD) process and will work tirelessly to ensure that you recover the benefits you are owed.
As the Social Security Administration (SSA) works through disability claims, the fact that the claimant cannot work must be the result of one or more medically determinable physical and/or mental problems. If one problem alone does not prevent a claimant from working, but two or more problems combine to do so, the claimant will be considered disabled.
The SSA, in considering whether a claimant is disabled, will consider both medical impairments and a claimant's vocational ability to work. There are numerous qualifying conditions — both physical and mental. Even conditions that do not disable you on their own may contribute to a finding of disability.
The problem that causes a claimant to be disabled does not have to be the result of work. If a claimant is disabled due to work, however, he or she can still receive Social Security Disability, as long as the requirements are met. (There may be an offset if the claimant is also receiving workers' compensation benefits).
As your lawyers, we will thoroughly examine your situation and provide clear guidance on the disability claim process. If you are eligible for both disability and workers' compensation benefits, our Ohio attorneys will explain your options.
We encourage you to schedule a free initial consultation at either our Amelia or Cincinnati office to discuss whether your conditions may make you eligible for Social Security Disability. We can be reached by phone at 513-961-6644 or through our convenient online contact form.


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When you are planning your novel, you need to make sure the protagonist and the antagonist are made for each other like a romantic couple. A sort of yen and yang of power and abilities.
For every power, strength, ability, or skill the hero/heroine has, the bad guy or guys should have one that tops him/her enough that he/she can barely survive each attack. The hero/heroine should win more on guts and a need to protect his/her romantic partner or innocents than those abilities.
The hero/heroine's fight must also be as much about fighting against an emotional weakness/fear as it is about fighting the bad guy.


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Boogie, now in its 9th year, set for this Easter in Tallarook (north of Melbourne), has added nine more acts to its line-up.
Strand of Oaks (USA) will be in Australia for the first time, following their 2014 debut album Heal.
Other acts confirmed are The Murlocs, fresh from supporting Mac DeMarco, Dorsal Fins, Darren Hanlon (with a new record, Where Did You Come From), Scotdrakula, Pearls, Parking Lot Experiments, Mangelwurzel, The Finks and Goat Piss Gasoline (Tasmanian songwriter Ramblin Van Walker joins forces with Maitland guitarist Hank Elwood Green and Adelaide's Suit Watkins).
The above acts will be joining already announced Pokey La Farge (USA), Justin Townes Earle (USA), Rocket Science, Tony Joe White (USA), The Bombay Royale, Los Chicos (SPAIN), Drunk Mums, Ponyface Plays Nebraska, Davey Lane, The Peep Tempel, Ali Barter, Fuck The Fitzroy Doom Scene, Cool Sounds, Broads And Eaten By Dogs.
Further announcements of superstar DJs and other eclectic on site entertainment in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!!
Tickets on sale now from www.boogie.net.au and in the flesh at Greville Records.


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Julianne's class had a Mother's Day celebration today. The kids made us bath salts and filled out a questionnaire about their mommy. This is Julianne's. My kid knows me! I'm so glad she thinks that my favorite show is dancing with the stars and that she doesn't know my dirty secret that my favorite show is actually "The Real Housewives of Orange County"....or Jersey, or Beverly Hills, or Miami. I know, shameful!
Me and my girl
Julianne loves to take "selfies"
And we always have to do "silly faces"
I love this girl. I'm so blessed that I get to be her mommy. She is just awesome.


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The week following the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, the bestselling book was Hemingway's A moveable feast. Marcia bought the book for me in December. I was at the midpoint of the book when we arrived in Paris. Even after I finished it, I was not sure why Hemingway's posthumous memoir, A moveable feast, resonated so well with Parisians. Eventually, I learned that the French title of the book is "Paris is a Feast," which could be translated as "Paris is a Celebration."
The book captures Hemingway's interactions with the post-WWI lost generation of F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and Picasso, as well as lesser known authors, Ezra Pound and Evan Shipman. There is much discussion about the process of writing and the merits of various authors' works. The interactions take place in cafes and streets of Paris and their respective apartments.
The English title of the book implies the feast moves with an individual. My interpretation is that memories of good times in Paris will travel with you regardless of where you happen to be. Everyone hopefully has memories of their metaphoric Paris, whether it is a beach on Lake Michigan, a puebla in Mexico, or a place near home. It is a pleasant thought that memories of Paris and other places during our trip will stay with us.


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Mom Chronicles: Navigating Tourette's Syndrome
A few years ago when my son (who was then 7) was first diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome; I wasn't quite sure what we were preparing to get into.
Yes, I did all of the research, read as much information as I could, and tried to get a firm understanding of what my son was experiencing. As it would turn out, all of that knowledge still doesn't prepare you for the actuality of the situation.
I did what I do best, which was write about it because it allowed me to digest what was happening at the time. You could read about that here.
The truth is,
I'm no more equipped now than I was when I found out back then. Well, let me rephrase that, the journey has definitely gotten harder. When I read that as he got older and approached adolescence that tics would become more pervasive and new ones would manifest; I didn't know how bad it could get.
Each and every day I wake up, my son could have a new tic. While tics can be physical movements, my son's tend to be mostly verbal. We've experienced everything from whistling, raspberries, and all types of Grunts and moans.
They are definitely disruptive to say the least, but I think as a whole, our family has adapted to the shifts in his tics.
What I didn't account for, was that he'd eventually become self aware, and begin to notice the difference between himself and others. There comes a time when your child's innocence sheds and they have to come face-to-face with reality. It can be one of the most stressful and heartbreaking moments during parenthood.
My son not only has Tourette's Syndrome, but it is coupled with ADHD and a mild touch of Asperger's. This creates for many socially awkward encounters for my son whether he is in a school setting, congregation environment, or just an outing like running an errand.
He is aware of how people react to him; in the same breath, he can often times miss critical social queues in conversation that allow for him to determine whether or not to pursue conversation, not ask inappropriate questions, or provide an overabundance of information that no one asked for; namely regurgitating random scientific facts he retains.
This results in increased anxiety for him, which in turn triggers an increase of his tics and usually is compounded by an extreme sense of frustration for him which can create depressive episodes.
That's a mouthful right?
Imagine the sheer isolation my son can often feel when he is misunderstood by people in authority like teachers, or other adult family members who don't understand him, or even kids his age who think he's just weird and want him to stop making noises so they chastise him.
All I want to do as his mother is shelter him, protect him, and make him feel good about himself. To know that there are moments when I am not able to accomplish that for him can be so disheartening and so discouraging and so depressive to me.
I think somewhere in the back of my head along this journey I secretly wished it would just disappear, and if I ignored it enough perhaps it would. But the truth is, this is probably the beginning of what is yet to come. I know that he does not have to be defined by these things, just as I am not defined by my mental health or any of the illnesses I may experience.
Sometimes I wonder if I will succeed in helping him find his voice and his place despite all of the things he's going through. That is where the real battle lies for me.
I'm learning that as with everything else in life, this is something we are going to have to take one day at a time. That is how I keep my head on straight, my energy replenished, and my optimism intact.
I wish I had some clever anecdote to leave you with about what we are experiencing as a family dealing with this, but this time I do not have one.
And really… that's OK.


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Export to Default Formats
To export traffic to WCAT Script, VS Web Test Script, Meddler Script, HTML5 AppCache Manifest, HTTP Archive Format 1.1, HTTP Archive Format 1.2, or a Raw File Dump:
Click File > Export Sessions.
Click either All Sessions or Selected Sessions.
Select the export format from the drop-down menu.
Click Next to select the export file location.
If exporting to HTML5 AppCache Manifest: Check any resources you wish to exclude from the CACHE section of the Manifest. These will be added to the NETWORK section of the Manifest.
To specify a Base URL and convert the URLs to be relative to this URL, type this URL in the Base URL: field.
Click Save. The AppCache Manifest appears in a text editor.
Import to Default Formats
To import traffic from HTTP Archive JSON, HTTP Archive XML (exported from [IE9 Developer Tools Network Tab][12]), or Test Studio Load Test:
Click File > Import Sessions....
Select the import format from the drop-down menu.
Click Next.
Create Custom Importers and Exporters
Create Custom Importers and Exporters with Fiddler Classic Extensions.