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The Swainson's Hawks have been returning to nest in the centre of the island, at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary for 3 years. This photo was taken from a long way away, with a 300mm telephoto lens. The photo was scanned and cropped to get this blow-up.
© 2001 Helen Baines

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The Currently Selected Options will Yield 12 Results... Show Me!
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Bear Plush W/ Advertising Pants
Big Bear
Brown Bear
Fleece Blanket With Bear
Graduation Teddy Bear
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Plush polar bear in a reflective hoodie with a key ring.
Plush Rag Bear with Shirt
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Plush Teddy Bear with T-Shirt 6.5"
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A beautiful wooden charm bracelet is accented with images of various Day of the Dead calaveras.
Just like the popular Catholic saint bracelets, I've replaced the small wooden beads with a variety of beads.
It contains 12 wooden charms. It is stretchable so one size fits all. The color of the beads will vary.


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01 Jun
You're probably already aware of the service tax increase which is effective from June 1st 2015. The tax rate has increased from 12.36% to 14%. This means you're calls, credit card expenditures and outdoor plans are going to be a tad bit more expensive. This increase will affect absolutely everyone; companies and individuals alike. But, there's some good news… We're proud to say that sumHR...Read More


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Sorry for the slight delay – Junko's got some business to attend to so I'll take both of these.
We open the episode with a very telling conversation between Shirou and Archer – with Archer letting Shirou and the audience know that Heroic Spirits are not summoned of their own will, and are regularly regarded as tools. Which makes Saber's case all the more puzzling, apparently – she did want to return to the physical world and has a strong desire to obtain the grail for herself.As for Saber herself, she is very mad at Shirou for being a gigantic doofus in the last episode and nearly dying a whole load of times, but decides to help train his strength so that he may be able to defend himself better. Although Shirou learned some magic from Kiritsugu, it's not particularly strong – he can still only strengthen objects to use as weapons or shields.
Shirou still worries about all the dangers popping up all over Fuyuki as of late and decides that for Sakura's safety and due to the fact that this is based on a visual novel – she should continue to stay at his house. Although Mitsuzuru was found safe and sound (although with memory loss), Shinji is being an obvious little shit about the whole thing but neither Shirou nor Rin have any proof of him being a master…until they manage to dismantle the Boundary Field he set up about the school and he confesses pompously to Shirou, anyway.
However, Shinji and his insufferability are put on hold for the time being when the ever-intelligent Shirou sleeps out in the shed away from the house and Saber's protection and is promptly teleported to another location by the sixth Servant to appear – Caster. Saber – of course – comes to rescue him, but is intercepted by the seventh – Assassin… who was apparently supposed to stop people from rescuing Shirou, yet failed to keep out Archer.
…Was it just me, or was this episode a little chaotic? It seemed like there was a lot going on, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. There were multiple running plot points that are still waiting for their moments to pay off – and boy am I glad we didn't spend too much time pretending it wasn't immediately obvious that Shinji was guilty as hell. His circumstances as a master are intentionally vague – he lets Shirou know that they're similar in that they both have 'no mana', and even offers to team up with him. Somehow, a confrontation is avoided in this episode, but it's pretty damn obvious that Shinji has a lot of slime up his sleeve. The main purpose of their conversation, besides his confession to being a master, however, is the information he drops about magical families – he is able to be a magus as the oldest Matou son, while Sakura theoretically shouldn't know anything about magic whatsoever.
Now, if I complain about every single time Shirou does something completely stupid, it's going to take up half of every review, but come on. I'm actually more puzzled that Saber allowed him to sleep outside the house in the shed to begin with. I might need to replay this part of the game but I do seem to remember a part where Saber did think Shirou was sleeping in his room, although he then left the house to sleep in his workshop in the shed. But here Saber knew that he was there, which just makes her seem like she's slacking a bit in protecting him. (I know they tried to explain it away by having Saber leave as she thought she was distracting his magic training but why did she go to bed) Given that when she comes to rescue him there's a shot of her where she seems to be flying, lets just say there's a few things that confused me about Saber in this episode.
To be honest, neither Caster nor Assassin particularly interested me as characters in what I've played of the game, although it's true that I don't really know much about them. FSN's Assassin is also potentially the least popular Heroic Spirit of most of the Fate series, to the extent that I kept forgetting who the seventh servant in FSN was, so now I kinda feel bad for the guy. (I'm sure he's got fanart and stuff somewhere.) At least he's kind enough to tell Saber up front his true identity – the swordsman Sasaki Kojirou. Meanwhile, Caster's personality is at first calm and composed, yet she completely loses her cool when Archer shows up, which was a little odd. I feel like her personality suddenly becoming fearful and almost childish should have been a bigger 'surprise', but there's not exactly much shown of her to begin with. Let's see if ufotable can make me more interested in either of these servants, because I'm still not really caring for either of them as characters.
Episode 7
Two fights are now occurring simultaneously – Caster vs Archer, who reluctantly protects Shirou, and Saber vs Assassin, who guards the gate. Caster proves to be rather formidable due to the huge amount of mana that she is able to draw from, but that's not the only surprising thing about her. Despite being a Servant, she managed to also become the Master of Assassin. Such unorthodox Servants-with-Servants rule-breaking would undoubtedly be frowned upon – if anyone could find out where Caster's Master is, anyway.
When Caster and Archer eventually reach an impasse, Caster admires both he and Shirou and offers an allegiance with them, which is refused by both…for different reasons. While Shirou's heroic moral fibre does not want to align with anyone who would use innocent bystanders as a mana source, Archer wants to let her keep doing this so that she gets strong enough to take on Berserker and save them the trouble. Shirou is disgusted, and their clash of creeds results in Archer getting so sick of Shirou's 'heroics' that he (literally) stabs him in the back.
Luckily for Saber, Assassin is a gentleman and allows her to leave with Shirou while he holds the bloodthirsty Archer off.
So this was a much better structured episode than the previous one, and also a much better episode after all. If you're here for the action scenes then it delivers in spades – the East-meets-West swordfight between Saber and Assassin is particularly impressive, not to mention visually fascinating for taking place on a steep stone staircase. (It's also just so nice to see Saber doing stuff again, since she took a bit of a back seat for the past few episodes.) Caster, too, has some impressively rendered magical attacks, and just in case you forgot, for whatever reason, exactly how cool Archer looks in action…well, here's a great big reminder.
As a big fan of Saber and Lancer's relationship in Fate/Zero, I couldn't help grinning at the many parallels that popped up in her fight with Assassin. The constant complimenting of each other, the recognition of each other as 'worthy opponents', the desire to exchange blows again properly, Assassin helping Saber out without any direct order…it's kind of a shame that for all his charm and (according to Saber) purity, there….still isn't all that much to Assassin for me to get a grip on, as opposed to F/Z's Lancer. I don't dislike him, but he's just kind of pleasantly bland. To be honest, though, I'm liking him a little more than Caster, who is still the typical mysterious witch. Her personality is again confusing – she's back to being calm and confident for the most part. Is it a facade? It looks like the next episode will be going back to Shinji and Rider again, so I'll have to wait some more to figure her out a bit.
The especially interesting part of this episode is the drastically contrasting belief systems of Shirou and Archer – something which is sure to be a theme for the whole show. Things are..definitely going to be a lot more strained in this Emiya-Tohsaka allegiance, but Archer's exact motivation for trying to kill Shirou against Rin's orders isn't known as of yet. (Especially given his fierce defending of him from Caster…) If you can give Shirou credit for anything though, it's that the kid sure can take a lot of pain. And there's plenty more to come!


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So, it's summer. Where are you headed to? Any plans ahead? Well, if you've got none yet or have too many beach options to go to, then you might want to check out Cuatros Islas in Leyte! Heard of it?
Where is Cuatros Islas
Isolated and relatively unknown, Cuatros Islas is a group of islands located in Western Leyte. While the Philippines, being an archipelago, has thousands of islands, some of them remain pure and undeveloped, retaining their natural beauty. And despite the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Cuatros Islas remains unfazed.
Welcome to Cuatros Islas
As the name suggests, Cuatros Islas has four islands namely Digyo, Mahaba, Apid, and Himokilan. Cuatro is the Spanish word for four. Each island is mesmerizing! Unfortunately, we were only able to visit two islands, because we had to pay PHP500 before we could explore the last island and the other island is inhabited by villagers. We just wanted to bask in the sun on the dazzling sandbar, which is frequented by tourists in summer and we just reflected on how lucky we were to experience the amazing beauty of the Philippines.
Digyo Island was our first stop.
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Little changes have a way of multiplying. Let's burn our skin. 👙 ☀ 👣 . . . . #travel #traveler #sunkissedskin #summer #sand #beach #beachlife #travelingbikini #globetrotter #passionpassport #wanderer #wanderlust #adventure #leyte #cuatrolsislas #philippines #itsmorefuninthephilippines #newjourney #escapesanddiaries
We were very lucky to have the island all to ourselves—me, my friend and the boatman.
This specific island is perfect for swimming and snorkeling, so bring your gear and don't forget to apply sunscreen on your skin. Being sun-kissed, which I really like, is good, but getting exposed to the sun longer than necessary is absolutely bad for the skin.
The water is crystal clear, like that of the Bahamas (minus the swimming pigs, of course). You can stay here as long as you want, as it is one of the best places to relax your mind. Just the melodic sound of the waves is soothing enough.
Our next destination was Mahaba Island. There's only one small nipa hut that serves as home to an old couple who work as caretakers of the island. There's no toilet in the vicinity. The dogs are owned by the old couple.
Although these photos and islets pretty much look like the same, they are different. Their only common denominator is that they're truly untainted which would add up to your thirst for sun basking.
Where to stay?
We didn't try to stay overnight on any islands, but the boatmen said that there are cottages that can be rented on Digyo Island. You can stay in an open cottage for PHP350 and in a closed cottage for PHP500. You can also bring your hammock (duyan), or your own tent to sleep in.
Why you should go and visit
Visiting and staying on an undeveloped island is relaxing. You get the chance to commune with nature in its unadulterated state. And that's exactly how we're supposed to enjoy our islands and forests.
If you're lucky enough ( like us), you can have the whole place to yourself for a day. Just pray for a fine weather, so you can fully enjoy the turquoise water.
I bet Cuatros Islas is one of the best groups of islands in the Philippines and hope that it will remain the way we experienced it. Commercialization of these islands, just like what happened to other islands in the Philippines, will just destroy its pure and natural beauty.
Activities and foods to eat Water-proof your phones, or better yet, pack a GoPro, so you can take photos of different kinds of fish underwater. You can snorkel, swim, camp and sleep in a tent, and watch the golden sunset. Of course, if you're planning to stay overnight, waking up blanketed by nature is one of the best experiences. There's no food available around the area, so pack some ready-to-eat canned goods, bread and other easy-to prepare meals. Don't forget to bring at least 2 liters of water and some tropical fruits that will make your stay more enjoyable.
Overall, our experience on Cuatros Islas was one for the books. My friend and I consider it as one of our best trips. The beautiful view, the picturesque place and the simple way of living didn't disappoint. You should experience it as well! Just be a responsible traveler.
How to get there and some side tips
If you're coming from Cebu city, take the ferry to Hilongos Baybay commonly known as Ormoc City. Normally, travel time takes around 5 hours. Fare is about PHP200-300, depending on the accommodation. We traveled at night. Now, if you will do the same, expect that you will arrive early in the morning, but that's okay, as you will have enough time to fill your stomach before the adventure begins.
For less than PHP50, you can have your stomach filled with a heavy sticky-rice and mongo breakfast that can fuel you up before the adventure begins. Walk around for a little while and stroll in a small market where eateries are serving breakfast. You should never miss one of their delicacies. It's sticky rice with sweet beans, or mongo, and hot cocoa as syrup. As far as I can remember, it costs less than PHP50 and comes with a hot cup of coffee to jumpstart your day.
From there, take a jeepney to Inopacan town. The first trip is at 7 am.
The Municipal Hall serves as one of your guides towards your destination. Alight at the municipal hall. Right behind it is a wharf where you can ride on boats going to Cuatros islas.
Kindly check the prices for your references. Inopacan Sea Liner schedule and rates. These are the available boats for to take to you Cuatros Islas.
Tips, Reminders and Guidelines
Don't leave your trash on the islands and make sure that you're going to leave the place the way it is when you arrive. Weekdays are the best times to visit Cuatros Islas.
I was lucky my friend is Cebuano so he knew exactly how to haggle and negotiate with the people in charge. As we went there on weekday, there were at least zero tourist visiting, only the two of us.
We informed the boatman that we could wait until some people arrive so we could share the fee. Since there were none, they offered us a small boat which we were able to get for P1000.00 for a whole day trip. Also, donate some food to the couple. Before we left, the old woman requested for a small amount of money. Your left over foods that's of course edible will also be much appreciated. If you can also give them water, please do, as there's no potable water in the area.
So, don't these photos above convinced you enough? I bet It just did! So go pack that backpack and start a wonderful amazing experience at Cuatros Islas!
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When you and your friend literally owned a beautiful island for a day. Such a lucky perfect day getaway on Cuatros Islas, Leyte. 🌴 👙 ☀ 😎 . . . Totally missing this island as it's Holy Week season in the 🇵🇭 and most of my friends are on the sand ☀ basking and making me feel jealous 😒😜😭👣. But glad that today I just finished my article on how to get to Cuatros Islas, a faraway island you'll instantly fall in love with! 😍🌴 Link on my bio 📝 . . . #travel #travelstories #iamtb #travelstories #photooftheday #travelgram #cuatrosislas #inopacanLeyte #wanderer #wanderlust #beach #island #islandlife #vitaminsea #wheninleyte #letsgosomewhere #itsmorefuninthephilippines #holyweek #philippines #traveltheworld #travelblogger #worldcitizen #escapesanddiaries
You see? Your travel to Cuatros Islas will surely bring out the good within, making it one of the most fulfilling trips of your life!
Traveling with my friend Mejas was a lot of fun, he was cool and easy to be with. He's also generous and adventurous! Special thanks to him for taking me here, looking forward to have more fun adventures with him! Xx
Have you been here? What are your thoughts about this untouched island? How was your experience? Let me know on the comment box below! Would love to hear from you! Xx


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Author's note: Between the tragic shooting this year at the Empire State building in New York City, to the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, and scores of others, fatal mass shootings in the workplace and schools have become all too common in recent years. What can be done? An expert on the issue weighs in. This topic is discussed in greater detail in the March issue of "Employee Assistance Report" – www.impact-publications.com
By Bruce Blythe
Whether you're sitting in a classroom at school, or at your workplace, when shots ring out in your general vicinity, the issues and consequences are the same. People are in grave danger. It's unexpected and frantic responses ensue.
In the school setting and workplace, the perpetrator most often gives warning signs before the incident occurs (e.g., threats, insubordination, preoccupation with violence, etc.). Almost always, the perpetrator feels unfairly treated in some manner.
Even rudimentary methods of prevention will help. Three basic components include:
- Policy: The school or workplace should have a violence prevention and response policy that is well publicized on a periodic basis.
- Threat Notification System: There should be a threat notification system in place that people feel comfortable in using. Family members should be included so they know how to make notifications.
- Threat Response Team: The school or workplace should have a multidisciplinary trained and available team (e.g., representatives from HR, security and legal, at a minimum) ready to respond when threatening situations arise. External threat professionals and/or law enforcement should be included.
While gun control advocates and mental health professionals debate methods to mitigate these violent occurrences, the schools and workplaces can take charge by being ready to respond to threatening situations before violence occurs. In addition to the three methods listed above, threatening individuals can usually be defused through effective intervention.
Effective two-way communication is typically the single best method to defuse escalating hostile reactions. This involves making contact to hear and understand the concerns and mindset of the threatening individual. It involves respect for the dignity and self-esteem of the threatening individual. By making contact, negotiations to establish alternative methods for resolving perceived grievances can often be established that "soften" the individual's focus on a vengeance. Even in cases where the individual is a substance abuser, mentally deranged, or antisocial, a mitigating relationship can often be established by a person skilled at defusing threatening individuals.
Now is the time to establish the systems and personnel (internal and external to the organization) to address threatening situations before they become violent. Assault weapons can be limited or an armed police officer can be placed in every school and workplace. But, whether these proposed ideas are implemented, or not, a prepared organization that is skilled at defusing situations as they escalate is a vital component for preventing people from being gravely injured or mentally traumatized by a violent school or workplace incident.
Are comprehensive systems effective for preventing school / workplace violence? The former poster child for workplace violence (U.S. Postal Service) implemented such a program. Even with a long history of many mass shootings and approximately 750,000 employees at the time, they went over 8 years without an employee/ex-employee shooting after implementing their workplace violence program. These programs are effective. Lives can be saved. And, a vital component of prevention is within the control and influence of school and workplace leaders if they prepare now.
Bruce Blythe (firstname.lastname@example.com) is an internationally acclaimed crisis management expert. He is the owner and chairman of Crisis Management International that has assisted hundreds of organizations worldwide with crisis and school/workplace violence planning, training and exercising. CMI provides workplace violence preparedness programs and threat of violence consultations through a specialty network of threat management specialists, including former FBI and Secret Service agents. Crisis Care Network (another Blythe company) responds to corporate crisis situations 1000 times per month through a North American network of crisis behavioral health professionals. Widely regarded as a thought leader in crisis management, he is the author of Blindsided: A Manager's Guide to Catastrophic Incidents in the Workplace. He has served in the Military Police for the U.S. Marine Corps. He's a certified clinical psychologist and has been a consultant to the FBI on workplace violence and terrorism.


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Many of the world's best ideas are born in bars. The rest come in dreams. Almost a decade ago, Jessica Lambrakos and Tera Mabe were slinging drinks at Vickery's when they decided to take a trip to Africa to work at the heart of the AIDS crisis. But that's a pricey venture, and the idea remained just that. Then two years ago, Lambrakos had a dream in which a guardian angel told her to make a calendar (of tastefully covered naked people) and sell it.
Today, the pair is two months back into the land of water pressure, Diet Mountain Dew, and laws against female genital mutilation. The calendar was a success, along with their website, www.nakedtruthsc.com. From April to June, the friends lived in the village of Moshi, at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. They worked with Cross Cultural Solutions, a short-term Peace Corps-type program that coordinates volunteers from around the world. Lambrakos wrote grants to acquire money for AIDS orphans to go to school, while Mabe spent her days with a group of virus-stricken women, many single and with multiple children.
The Associated Press reported in July that the worldwide AIDS epidemic was stabilizing, and that the number of virus-related deaths dropped from 2.2 million to 2 million between 2005 and 2006. That's mostly thanks to more access to drugs and education efforts. But on the front lines in Africa, statistics are irrelevant.
"There was a man we went to see, living in a room as big as my living room with six people, built of sticks and wood," recalls Lambrakos. "We took soap, Kleenex, or a razor to home visits, because they don't have anything. He was shaking, laying in bed as his 80-year-old mother shaved him with a crappy old dry razor."
Another woman they visited had gone blind and couldn't speak; she died days later. In a region with a life expectancy already far lower than in the U.S., an HIV diagnosis is generally a death sentence within five to 10 years. Although the Tanzanian government now provides free drugs, most people in rural Moshi can't afford the 30-or-so cents it costs to travel to the hospital, let alone leave behind the responsibilities of a home and children for the day.
That's not to mention the stigma that goes along with an HIV-positive diagnosis. Lambrakos and Mabe found that their biggest challenge was breaking through stereotypes that discourage responsible sex and testing.
"It's nearly impossible for them to stop spreading it, the way they choose to ignore it," says Mabe. "We developed a peer education manual and talked to a lot of kids in the area. Doing condom demonstrations in the schools was like landing a spaceship there. We'd have them read stories about people who had AIDS. You should have seen their faces when they had to read the word 'sex.'"
In a culture where polygamy is still normal and women are expected to always say, "yes," education is the best medicine for prevention. Taboo beliefs about AIDS spreading through shaking hands, sleeping in the same room, or sharing a toilet are still prevalent, and the inflicted are often ostracized, discouraging testing. Many Tanzanians who have converted to Christianity or Islam believe that a positive result is punishment from God, so they'd rather not know.
Lambrakos, who worked for Lowcountry AIDS Services leading peer education in 2002, says she once met a woman in Charleston who believed she could fend off AIDS by imagining a bright, white light during intercourse. Even that sort of misinformation doesn't compare to the medical doctor who led their orientation in Tanzania. He told them that those few white people that contract HIV are gay, and that "white people brought homosexuality to Africa."
Beyond frustrating misbeliefs, Lambrakos and Mabe encountered everything from a mango fly that laid eggs in a co-workers arm (after it swelled, they cut it open and maggots wiggled out), and a huge spider crawling across Lambrakos' face in her mosquito-net bed. Their primary food, ogali, resembled "Styrofoam-flavored mash potatoes," and any time they traveled, it was amongst crates of chickens and a mass of humanity on a rickety bus.
The Naked Truth calendar is returning for 2009, but this time, the friends are staying stateside. Funding their trip cost $5,000 each, money that could have a phenomenal impact if spent directly in Moshi. For perspective, in the two months Lambrakos worked for the nonprofit White Orange Youth, the largest grant it received was $100 from a local bank.
"When you're trying to write grants and raise funds amongst people that don't have any money, it gets a little tricky," says Lambrakos. "The rent White Orange Youth was struggling to pay was the equivalent of $50 a month. We know from what we've done that we can do it more efficiently."
Mabe adds that $100 would cover two to three months of operating expenses for the Jipe Moyo womens' group she worked with.
Money from this year's calendar will also go toward local AIDS organizations. The tri-county area currently has 3,396 known HIV-positive citizens, part of 1.2 million cases nationwide. Lambrakos and Mabe had originally hoped for the calendar to feature only HIV-positive models, but struggled to find enough participants willing to go public out of concerns about the stigma and its role in housing discrimination, health insurance, and employment.
One HIV-positive woman, Edie Sansbury-White, jumped at the chance though, sharing her story and posing as Miss March. She plans to participate again, and says any money to help people unable to acquire drugs locally is a wonderful thing.
"My husband, thankfully, got a job where the health insurance covers all preexisting conditions, because the drugs are $1,500 a month," says Sansbury-White. "What happens is if you're really poor, you can get your medicine, and if you're really rich you can afford them. People get stuck in the middle."
Last year's calendar featured a who's who of Charleston's food and bev crowd, including staff at Grill 225, Santi's, Charleston Place, The Rooftop at Vendue Range, Vickery's, and Mustard Seed. Lambrakos says that with the word out that they're not producing "triple X porn," more and more people have expressed interest in posing. They're hopeful about the impact the 2009 calendar will make for people with HIV in Charleston.
"We've tended, as Medicaid and drugs have gotten better and the disease has become more livable, to push AIDS back under the rug," says Lambrakos. "Our problem pales in comparison (to Tanzania's). But regardless of where you live, there still isn't a cure."
The Naked Truth hosts a "Summer Smackdown" mud wrestling tournament at The Chart (1078 East Montague Ave., North Charleston) on Sat., Aug. 31, to raise money for the 2009 calendar.
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Velvet Rose Lodge Open Bar
Imported Balmung Events Calendar
Event created by Balmung Events
This event repeats every week on Thursday forever
Event details
Lavender Beds, Ward 18, Plot 28
The Velvet Rose Club's weekly open bar! Join us for drinks and a meal with friends or chat up our attentive staff, and enjoy a stage show every first and third Thursday of the month as well!
Contacts: Ashe Zahra, Liandra Shadowrose, Sinon Zahra


text:
Brook And Jasmine is 5'9", 130lbs with Red Hair and Green Eyes
- Height: 5'9"
- Weight: 130
- Race: White
- Hair Color: Red
- Eye Color: Green
We love modeling, meeting, and working with new people. Our fun, sexy, and adventurous personality reflects through our work. Doing modeling and being a part of Modelingshoot.com will enable us the opportunity to network and grow in our career.


text:
- monthly subscription or
- cancelable any time
"Tell the chef, the beer is on me."
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Queer Art Impact & Future Perfect present NEXT LIFE & THE IDIOT
Queer Art Impact & Future Perfect
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 9:30 PM (EST)
One of the most exciting and radical music ensembles and shows to come out of Norway in recent years, Next Life barrels into New York for a mini concert tour hosted by two of New York's hotbeds of experimentation. Co-produced by Queer Art Impact and Ideal Glass in association with FuturePerfect, Next Life's New York coming out takes place at The Tank on Thursday March 3 at 9:30pm.
Featuring the composer and stage artist Hai Nguyen Dinh on guitars, and Tormod Christensen on keyboard and samples, Next Life's central interest is discovering the musical potential of mixing the alternative sounds of hardcore music with gaming technology.
The Tank, in Hell's Kitchen, is a performing arts space emphasizing new work by emerging performers in a variety of media. Next Life performs on a double bill with The Idiot, Brooklyn's baroque synth-pop phenomenon Theodor Wilson.
Tickets for the special double bill are $7. For reservations call 212-563-6269.
The Tank is located at 353 W.. 45th St., NYC (btwn 8th & 9th Aves)
P: 212 562-6269 W. www.thetanknyc.org E. email@example.com
Queer Art Impact explores the conversation between politics, art and action. The New York City-based initiative is intended to bring together individuals and organizations who self-identify their body of work as queer. By supporting artists whose works challenge the hetero-normative, QAI seeks to embrace queerness and create opportunities for all artists – living in the political and social fringe – to move to the center. www.queerai.com
Queer Art Impact is a Nursha Project
Future Perfect was established to both draw attention to and mobilize the unrealized innovative, artistic, and economic potential of joining two important sectors in New York City: the long established culture industry and the city's still emerging technology sector. Produced in partnership with leading national and international institutions, FuturePerfect highlights new hybrid performance practices and artistic ideas that continue to emerge as computers and other non-human systems become increasingly integral to contemporary culture. www.futureperfectfestival.org
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


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Bought a few items from Bratwurst, and everything looks great and works well. Thanks!
Bought a few items from Bratwurst, and everything looks great and works well. Thanks!
Bought a couple of games from Bratwurst, they came in mint condition, and I mean MINT! I don't know where he got those from but they're sexy. I got a great deal too, and the dude was a pleasure to deal with.
Ready to print game covers and cart labels: http://www.mediafire.com/?5gm45wyxr3xvv
I had Bratwurst recap and LED mod my Game Gear and it is fantastic. He gave a pretty poor condition handheld a new life. He got it finished the day after he received it and mailed it back priority 2 day. The price for the whole thing was a steal. I'm thrilled with the work he did and would recommend anyone do business with him.
My Collection: http://vgcollect.com/zetastrikeOriginally Posted by A Black Falcon
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If you're one of the many, many people unlucky enough to suffer from back pain, you're probably at the end of your rope. It's not unusual for back pain problems to affect a whole lot more than just your back. For one thing, an aching back can lead to a serious loss of mobility. Also, being in pain can make you depressed, short tempered, and frustrated. It can affect your life in myriad ways, from causing problems with your social life to being a career ender. And unfortunately, the causes of back pain are sometimes the hardest to diagnose, which can make it extremely difficult for a general practitioner to treat your pain effectively. As a result, sometimes the best thing you can do is ask for a referral to a specialist. There are several different specialists which might be able to help you with persistent back pain.
Chiropractors are health care professionals that specialize in diagnosing and treating problems with the spin and neck. They aren't medical doctors; however, they're actually "Doctors of Chiropractic." Instead of prescribing, for example, strong pain medications, a chiropractor works on massaging and manipulating your joints in order to correct problems that could be causing you pain. They're sometimes used in concert with other treatment methods as well.
The name of this field is actually orthopedic surgery, but these "surgeons" use both surgical and general treatment methods to treat conditions and disorders that affect the bones, joints, tendons, and muscles. These specialists are in fact medical doctors, and they are able to prescribe controlled medication and can even perform surgical procedures. They're most often seen by people who have degenerative joint conditions due to age and those who have experienced some trauma to the musculoskeletal system (like sports injuries and car accidents). If you hurt your back due to an accident or something similar, it's a good idea to see an orthopedist.
Pain Management Specialists
Unlike the specialists listed above, pain management specialists aren't experts in one bodily system, nor do they stick to one treatment strategy. Instead, they're experts in the alleviation and elimination of pain. Pain management specialists are usually employed at a pain center. This can be a very useful referral because pain management doctors can be specialists in many different areas related to pain. Additionally, there are usually a number of different specialists in the same building.


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"…the best efforts of those focused on product, not investors, are ultimately doomed to failure."
Tag "Tamar Frankel"
For that to work, however, it's not enough to change the titles brokers use – to make them call their sales representatives "salespeople" and call their services "sales recommendations" – you'd also have to completely change the way they market themselves so that their marketing messages are consistent with their regulatory status.
We hold these fiduciaries to be self-evident… This is not the beginning of the end, it is the end of the beginning…
Exclusive Interview with Tamar Frankel: DOL Should Return to ERISA's Original Definition of Fiduciary
The DOL changed the original ERISA definition of Fiduciary to exempt marginal players. Those players are no longer marginal.
Let's recognize the researchers, scholars, policymakers, regulators and tireless advocates who work to advance fiduciary principles.


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a summary for Messianic teaching and preaching
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, and most especially his letter to Philemon, are two of the most elusive texts of the Apostolic Scriptures for today's Messianic community.[1] Our current level of engagement with Colossians is often with having to respond to Christian colleagues who quote Colossians 2:16-17 at us for being Torah observant, and we have to scramble to try to understand what is really being said. Beyond this, we really do not read Colossians. I actually find Colossians and Philemon—which were written at the same time as the same people are listed in the closing greetings (Colossians 4:10-14; Philemon 23-24)—to be very easy to follow. We just have to read them in their entirety, and remind ourselves that Paul is not writing to Twenty-First Century Believers.
Colossians is a part of the series commonly called the Prison Epistles (also including Ephesians and Philippians), traditionally believed to have been written during the Apostle Paul's confinement in Rome (Acts 28:30). Epaphras, one of the Colossian Believers who had likely come to faith by Paul's preaching tenure in Ephesus (Acts 19:9-10), which was only about 100 miles away from Colossae, had traveled all the way to visit the Apostle. A complicated circumstance had arisen in Colossae. Epaphras, who had been one of the main people to share the gospel of Yeshua with his hometown, was disturbed so much that he journeyed 1,500 miles all the way to see Paul, who could then craft a letter to send back to a congregation of Believers for whom he served as a kind of "grandfather."
Many commentators are widely agreed that the circumstance which had arisen in Colossae was that a strange mix of religious and philosophical errors—Greco-Roman, mysterious, proto-Gnostic, and even Jewish—was infecting the assembly. False teachers had promoted the idea that Yeshua the Messiah was but one of many intermediaries between God the Father and humankind. These errorists promoted a false philosophy, involving some kind of angel worship and asceticism. While there were Jewish elements within this error, we cannot at all assume that it was exclusively Jewish, as history does show how in the Diaspora the local paganism could influence the local Judaism. Throughout his letter, Paul uses terms like gnōsis, plērōma, and sophia—knowledge, fullness, and wisdom—to directly subvert the false teaching that was denigrating the Lord. The good Apostle must carefully choose his words, showing how the work of Yeshua completely trumps the false philosophy, and how He is supreme over all spiritual forces.
Paul and Timothy extend greetings to the Colossians (Colossians 1:1-2), and after doing so express how they are not only thankful for them (Colossians 1:3), but how "we have heard of your faith in Messiah Yeshua and of the love you have for all the saints" (Colossians 1:4). This is a word of confidence that regardless of what is going on in Colossae, the Believers there are going to do the right thing, as they are beneficiaries of the good news and have understood it well (Colossians 1:5-6). Epaphras, who has traveled to see Paul, has spoken well of their faith (Colossians 1:7-8).
Paul really is quite gracious to express how much the Colossians mean to him, and how "we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9). The Colossians are Believers who will be able to lead lives pleasing to the Lord, bearing good fruit, being strengthened, and being able to have endurance (Colossians 1:10-11). They make up a part of the Father's inheritance of the saints, having been rescued from darkness and brought into light, the Kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:12-13). Paul asserts to them that in the Messiah "we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14).
How serious is it to recognize who Yeshua is? Interpreters are largely agreed that Colossians 1:15-20 composes some kind of an early hymn used by the First Century ekklēsia. Within this hymn, some of the terms used such as "image of…God," "firstborn over all creation," and "the beginning" are likely appropriated from the figure of Wisdom, seen in Proverbs, the Apocrypha, and Philo.[2] In ancient Jewish literature, Wisdom was an impersonal force that emanated from God, often acting behind the scenes in history, and so the false teachers might have simply thought that the Messiah was a similar (created) force. While Yeshua is identified as possessing these same qualities of Wisdom, Yeshua is ultimately much more than Wisdom, being a person. Yeshua the Messiah was the Agent used by the Father to create the universe, yet He is also the fullness of the Deity (cf. Colossians 2:9) in human flesh, crucified so that peace and redemption might come to sinners, and was resurrected from the dead. Yeshua stands supreme as the One for whom all things in the universe were made, standing as the ultimate. No such claim is ever made of Wisdom. Yeshua desires a personal relationship with us, after all! The hymn affirms,
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn[3] over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created for him and by him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the [assembly]; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:15-20).
Yeshua is no mere minor force sent by God. The Colossians had once been sinners, but thanks to the sacrifice of Yeshua they can now stand holy, "without blemish and free from accusation" (Colossians 1:21-22). Yet this requires the Colossians to continue in their faith, "not moved from the hope held out in the gospel" (Colossians 1:23a), a message that has significant worldwide importance (Colossians 1:23b).
While Paul knows Colossian Believers like Epaphras and Philemon (discussed further) personally, and probably a few others, he does not know most of the Colossian Believers personally. He reminds the Colossians about his ministry service for the Lord (Colossians 1:24-25), specifically the great mystery of "Messiah in you, the hope of glory" that equalizes all people—Jewish and non-Jewish—in Him (Colossians 1:26-27). Paul says, "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Messiah. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Colossians 1:28-29). The Apostle Paul is by no means someone just trying to gain a following or impress people with some slick teaching; he is a servant of Yeshua empowered by Him to see that lives are changed and that the great mystery of the ages be manifest to all. Paul desires all to know Yeshua's salvation, and for all to be empowered by Him!
Paul has had to endure much for the gospel, things that will benefit those in Colossae, Laodicea, and the surrounding Lycus Valley—people he has not seen in person (Colossians 2:1). Paul states, "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Messiah, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3). These words are surely uplifting words for any Believer to hear or read, but the purpose for Paul making these claims would have been quite significant for those under the influence of the false teachers: "I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments" (Colossians 2:4). Paul might not be with the Colossians in person, but he knows what has been going on because of Epaphras. He also knows that the Colossians have a firm faith in the Lord, and will not be led astray if they take his instruction seriously (Colossians 2:5).
As human beings, we tend to often think that admonishing people has to be an entirely negative experience. While there are certainly letters from Paul like Galatians or 1 Corinthians, where some severe negative tones can be easily detected, such is not the case with Colossians. Confidence is expressed in the Colossians, as Paul instructs them, "So then, just as you received Messiah Yeshua as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:6-7). While the false philosophy will not really influence the Colossians, they still need to know why it is wrong, and why they should not feel "unenlightened" because they have chosen not to embrace it.
The Apostle Paul is clear to tell the Colossians, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of the world rather than on Messiah" (Colossians 2:8). The false teaching circulating in Colossae, then, originates in human ideas and not ideas consistent with who Yeshua is. Paul summarizes for the Colossians what Yeshua has done for all of them, as the Deity in bodily form, who has provided redemption by His crucifixion and resurrection—having to assert what is not of vain human tradition. Only by knowing Him can a person partake of salvation:
"For in Messiah all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Messiah, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Messiah, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead" (Colossians 2:9-12).
Yeshua the Messiah, as the Deity, reigns supreme and provides a circumcision of the heart unto salvation. Paul reminds the Colossians, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Messiah" (Colossians 2:13)—speaking of how the same power that resurrected the Lord also changes sinful people! By the work of Yeshua the cheirographon or "certificate of debt" (Colossians 2:14, NASU) has been nailed to the cross and paid for. While this is commonly thought by some to be the Torah of Moses, it is actually the record of human sin, perhaps also to be viewed as the pronouncement of condemnation that hung over Yeshua as He was dying on the cross (Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19)—penalties that stood against sinners which have now been remitted.
One of the most important effects of Yeshua's atoning sacrifice is that any of the lesser spiritual powers, which could once claim dominance over people, are now powerless to do so for those who are in Him. The Messiah has "disarmed the powers and authorities" (Colossians 2:15; cf. Ephesians 1:20-21). To try to appeal to those forces, when Yeshua as the Deity and as Redeemer was supreme over them, would make little sense. The Colossians were to easily reject any false philosophy that subtracted from whom Yeshua was, and His accomplished work.
Paul will continue by summarizing other features of the false philosophy. The most difficult verses of Colossians, for today's Messianics, are found in how Paul instructs his audience to not allow themselves to be judged about various features of the Torah. He says, "do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day" (Colossians 2:16). Many think that Paul has just said that these things are unimportant for all Believers, failing to recognize what these things meant to the false teachers in Colossae. How were these Torah practices integrated into the false philosophy? Is Paul speaking against Shabbat, the appointed times, and kosher eating as a normal part of obedience to God? Or is he speaking against these things connected to how the false teachers might have associated them with their ascetic practices and angel worship (Colossians 2:18ff)? If the latter is the case, then Paul is speaking against the misuse of these Torah practices, and for the Colossians not to take judgment because they might not share the same opinions about them as the false teachers.
The Apostle Paul does not downgrade the significance of Torah practices like Shabbat, the appointed times, or kosher eating. Yet he does point out, "These are a shadow of the things to come,[4] but the substance belongs to Christ" (Colossians 2:17, ESV). If some areas of Torah observance were caught up into the false philosophy of the errorists, the most that the errorists could see would be shadows. But if these things are observed properly, as a part of the sanctification process and in demonstrating good works (Matthew 5:16ff), then the shadows that they possess can easily be seen to point to the substance of the Messiah. The Sabbath, appointed times, and even dietary laws teach God's people important things about His holiness, as well as of His plan of salvation history for the world. Understanding the shadow allows Believers to more greatly appreciate the substance.
It is sad that many Christian laypersons reading Colossians 2:16-17 forget to read the surrounding cotext, because immediately Paul warns the Colossians about the dangerous features of the false philosophy. This was an error that advocated "self-abasement and the worship of the angels" (Colossians 2:18, NASU) in an effort to induce visions. Even if one views "worship of angels" as not being actual worship directed to angels, but people trying to participate with angelic worship in Heaven—things off limits for normal people were still being accessed. People trying to appeal to angels for spiritual help, rather than going to the Lord Himself, according to Paul, have "lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow" (Colossians 2:19).
The Colossians are not to be like the fickle people of the world, allowing themselves to be influenced by the ascetic superstitions of the false teachers like "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" (Colossians 2:21), which ultimately have no use in curtailing sinful urges (Colossians 2:23). And while some may be tempted to associate these things with regulations seen in the Torah, they are labeled as being "based on human commands and teachings" (Colossians 2:22), an indication that they are not of Divine origin. The Sabbath, appointed times, and dietary laws were taken up into this whole mess of ideas—being improperly used—and the Colossians were not to let the false teachers intimidate them.
The second half of Paul's letter to the Colossians is spent addressing the lives of those who "have been raised with Messiah," who should set their "hearts on things above, where Messiah is seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1), reigning supremely. Believers have their lives found in Him, and will experience much greatness when the Messiah returns (Colossians 3:2-4). He lists a number of serious sins that are not to be found in the lives of his audience (Colossians 3:5-9), precisely because they "have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:10). The power of the Messiah to change people is so magnificent, because "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Messiah is all, and is in all" (Colossians 3:11). What Paul tells the Colossians to manifest in their lives—by the transforming power of Yeshua—is something that the false philosophy of the errorists cannot bring:
"Let the peace of Messiah rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Messiah dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:15-17).
Paul issues some important instructions to the Colossians on the home life of Believers, and some of the roles that husbands, wives, children, and slaves all play (Colossians 3:18-4:1; cf. Ephesians 5:22-6:9). The fact that slaves are mentioned should immediately remind us that this word was indeed given against a First Century C.E. background. What would these instructions have meant to ancient people? Only by acknowledging this first, can we properly apply its principles today.
The final request Paul asks of the Colossians is to continue to pray for him, as he is in jail and will need to discern the opportunities when he can declare the gospel message (Colossians 4:2-5). He similarly encourages them, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6).
Paul's letter to the Colossians ends with a series of greetings from the mixed group of Jewish and non-Jewish Believers helping him in Rome (Colossians 4:7-15). These include the courier Tychicus, who also took with him the general epistle that would become "Ephesians" (Colossians 4:7; Ephesians 6:21). Onesimus, the runaway slave who features prominently in Paul's letter to Philemon, is considered to be "our dear and faithful brother," and he will be traveling with him (Colossians 4:9). The Jewish Believers are Aristarchus, John Mark, with whom Paul had patched up previous differences (cf. Acts 13:13; 15:39), and a man named Jesus Justus (Colossians 4:10-11). Take important notice of the fact that a normal Jewish man of the Diaspora would indeed have the Greek name Iēsous. This is not only proof that Iēsous is a legitimate Jewish transliteration of Yeshua and not the name of a pagan god, but also that when the Apostles proclaimed salvation in the name of Iēsous, it was a normal name that Greek-speaking Jewish men had.
Epaphras, who has yet to return home to Colossae, is attested by Paul to be "one of you and a servant of Messiah Yeshua…He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured" (Colossians 4:12). Paul gives Epaphras some approving words, for the ministry work he has performed in the Lycus Valley (Colossians 4:13), which would be quite helpful when he did finally return home. Also extending greetings to the Colossians are Luke the doctor and Demas (Colossians 4:14). Paul wants the Colossians to greet the congregation that meets in the home of Nympha, a woman, on his behalf (Colossians 4:15). He also commends the special ministry of Archippus (Colossians 4:17), whatever that might have been.
Paul requests that this letter he has sent to the Colossians be read in the congregation of the nearby Laodiceans as well. He also tells them that they will be receiving a letter that he wrote to the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16). Although many proposals have been made, there are some good reasons for us not to think that this is a non-extant "Epistle to the Laodiceans." Given the evidence of the oldest manuscripts of Ephesians 1:1 lacking "in Ephesus" (see RSV), the letter coming from Laodicea could very well be the general epistle that became known as "Ephesians," which had been circulated in the same vicinity of Asia Minor.
The imprisoned Paul is sure to write the final part of his message to the Colossians, with his own hand: "Remember my chains. Grace be with you" (Colossians 4:18).
When examining Paul's letter to the Colossians, we would be at a complete loss to not also examine Paul's letter to Philemon. Philemon was written at the same time, by simple virtue of the fact that the people who extend the Colossians greetings, also extend Philemon greetings (Philemon 23-24).[5] Most Bible readers avoid considering Philemon because of its small size at just twenty-five verses. Most others avoid considering Philemon because they do not know what to do with the issue of slavery in the Bible, and how Paul is sending back Onesimus, a runaway slave but a Believer, to his owner Philemon. What was Philemon to do with Onesimus? Philemon is a unique epistle in the Pauline corpus, actually being a personal letter between Paul and a fellow Believer in Messiah Yeshua. We get a unique glimpse into not only First Century Mediterranean culture, but also Paul as a man.
The opening of Philemon includes greetings consistent with the other Pauline letters (Philemon 1-3), with Philemon not only addressed, but also acknowledgements of his wife Apphia, and Archippus as a member of their home congregation. Philemon is lauded by Paul because of his faith in the Lord, and his goodness toward others (Philemon 4-6). Paul is sure to tell his friend, "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints" (Philemon 7). Everything that Paul tells Philemon is leading up to him explaining what has happened regarding the runaway Onesimus.
Paul carefully says, "although in Messiah I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love" (Philemon 8-9a). He reminds Philemon that he is "an old man and now also a prisoner of Messiah Yeshua" (Philemon 9b). Somehow in that prison confinement he encountered the runaway Onesimus, who had fled to Rome to get away from his master and hide. Onesimus is one "who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become both useful to you and to me" (Philemon 10-11). While we might not know all the details of why Onesimus fled from Philemon, and how he encountered Paul in Rome, this runaway slave had become a born again Believer. What was Philemon going to do now that he was returning home?
Paul says, "I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you" (Philemon 12). Paul has a great amount of love and affection for Onesimus, and so should Philemon. Paul would have liked to keep Onesimus in Rome for some ministry service (Philemon 13), yet he had to respect Philemon as his owner (Philemon 14). He tells Philemon how, "Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good—no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother" (Philemon 15-16a). Maybe it was God who had Onesimus run away, so that when he returned Philemon could show him a great kindness. The referral to "no longer as a slave" is as close as Paul gets to suggesting that Philemon manumit Onesimus from his slave status. Paul indicates how "He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and a brother in the Lord" (Philemon 16b).
It would seem quite unlikely that given how Onesimus is a fellow Believer now, a brother of Philemon in the Lord, that Paul would want him to remain a slave. Paul informs Philemon, "if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me" (Philemon 17). Paul expects Philemon to treat Onesimus as an equal, a clear indication that he would have to release him. So serious is Paul, that any expenses Onesimus has accumulated—either in having stolen money from Philemon, or lost earnings from Philemon's estate because of his absence—Paul himself is willing to pay, with a note in his own handwriting (Philemon 18-19a). Yet Paul is also able to tell Philemon how "you owe me your very self" (Philemon 19b), in that Philemon was a direct beneficiary of Paul's ministry service just as Onesimus.
Paul is confident that this instruction he has delivered to Philemon will be followed (Philemon 20-21), and he expresses hope that he can come and visit him soon, being released from prison (Philemon 22). After his associates in Rome greet Philemon and his home congregation (Philemon 23-24), Paul closes by wishing them all grace (Philemon 25)—something they would surely need to show as Onesimus was returning. We can be rest assured that Philemon released Onesimus, because not only did the Epistle to Philemon get collected into the Biblical canon, but there was even a bishop of Ephesus named Onesimus who served in the early Second Century. This could have been the Onesimus featured in Philemon.
Neither Colossians nor Philemon need to be avoided by Messianic Believers any more. These are not difficult letters to understand, although they do sometimes remind us that we need to read texts of Scripture for what they meant to their original audiences first. Messianics needs to recognize how Colossians 2:16-17 appears in a rebuke about the false philosophy circulating in Colossae, and directly pertains to how Shabbat, the appointed times, and dietary laws were caught up in the errorists' asceticism. Similarly, Philemon does portray a scene of a runaway slave returning home, something which Twenty-First Century people admittedly read with difficulty. I think that today's emerging Messianic movement can actually learn much from both of these epistles, as we consider not only the broad religious diversity of the First Century ekklēsia, but the broad religious diversity we face today, with all of its complex issues.
[1] Unless otherwise noted, Biblical quotations in this article are from the New International Version (NIV).
[2] Image of God (Wisdom 7:26; Philo Allegorical Interpretation 1.43); firstborn (Philo Questions and Answers on Genesis 4.97); beginning (Proverbs 8:23; Wisdom 6:22).
[3] The title "firstborn" is used in the Tanach to speak of one who possesses a high, preeminent status, even if one is not the first actually born in a family line (Genesis 49:3-4; Exodus 4:22; Psalm 89:27; Jeremiah 31:9).
[4] Note how the NIV has improperly translated the present tense participle tōn mellontōn, with the past tense "things that were to come."
Also be aware of how "mere" has been added to the NASU, and "only" to the RSV, renderings.
[5] The greetings to Philemon do notably exclude Jesus Justus (Colossians 4:11), who was probably just not present when Paul's letter was written.


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For the week ending Friday, 9th March 2018, FNArena registered nine upgrades against four downgrades, as overall stockbroking analysts' activity slowed down post the busy February reporting season, as expected.
Things look explosive in the table for positive revisions to earnings estimates. Again, Perseus Mining sits on top, enjoying an increase of no less than 72%, then follows Aveo Group (+23%), then Western Areas (+18%). Negative changes for all companies during the week are too small to be mentioned.
The week ahead is likely to be dominated by stocks going ex-dividend and by macro events and developments, which might imply a rather quiet week in terms of any changes made by stockbroking analysts.
In the good books
MINERAL DEPOSITS LIMITED (MDL) was upgraded to Add from Hold by Morgans. B/H/S: 1/0/0. The good news for Mineral Deposits is the Grande Cote mineral sands operation in Senegal, 90% owned by TiZir, which is 50% owned by Mineral Deposits, ramped up production at a time titanium and zircon prices were firming. The bad news is operational problems at the company's smelter in Norway halted production. Revised production and cost projections lead the broker to increase its target to $1.51 from $1.18.
REA GROUP LIMITED (REA) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral by Citi. B/H/S: 2/5/1. Citi estimates the depth penetration rate for new listings is 63%, forecast to rise to 69% by FY20 and above 80% in the longer term. Listings growth has been strong to date but likely to be affected by the early timing of Easter in March, the broker suspects. REA Group's pricing encourages agents to move up the product curve and Citi forecasts a 3-year CAGR of 22% for depth revenue. FY18-20 estimates are upgraded 1-3%. Target is raised to $90.00 from $80.20.
TOWER LIMITED (TWR) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral by Credit Suisse. B/H/S: 1/0/0. Suncorp (SUN) has sold its 19.99% stake in Tower to Bain Capital Credit. With this major overhang removed, and post a review of earnings and forecasts, Credit Suisse upgrades and target is raised to $0.90 from $0.65.
VIVA ENERGY REIT (VVR) was upgraded to Buy from Accumulate by Ord Minnett. B/H/S: 3/0/0. Ord Minnett found the recent A-REIT reporting season slightly disappointing. Headwinds are hurting retail while office growth was weaker than market conditions might suggest. On a weighted average basis, the broker lowers sector FY18 earnings estimates by -140 basis points. The sector has corrected in the year to date and subsequently the broker envisages value in the sector. Viva Energy's recommendation is upgraded to Buy from Accumulate. $2.30 target.
In the not-so-good books
BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED (BOQ) was downgraded to Lighten from Hold by Ord Minnett. B/H/S: 0/4/3 Ord Minnett has downgraded to Lighten from Hold following a review of the earnings outlook, and given a lack of valuation support. The broker remains concerned about the margin pressures in mortgages and the digital offering, which is a long way behind peers, will require investment to fix its problems. Despite recent growth in transaction deposits, the broker is yet to be convinced that the funding disadvantage has been reduced. Target is raised to $11.20 from $11.00.
LEND LEASE CORPORATION LIMITED (LLC) was downgraded to Lighten from Hold by Ord Minnett. B/H/S: 3/1/0. Ord Minnett notes the share price has recovered from the impact of the $200 million impairment charge against the Australian construction business. Hence, the company has outperformed the A-REIT sector by nearly 16 percentage points so far in 2018. When normalising construction earnings, the broker estimates the company's core earnings comprise around 50% of group profit and the market is valuing these at a multiple of 18x. This valuation differential is material and is expected to constrain Lend Lease's relative performance. As a result, Ord Minnett downgrades to Lighten from Hold. Target is steady at $17.
Earnings forecast
Listed below are the companies that have had their forecast current year earnings raised or lowered by the brokers last week. The qualification is that the stock must be covered by at least two brokers. The table shows the previous forecast on an earnings per share basis, the new forecast, and the percentage change.
Important: This content has been prepared without taking account of the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular individual. It does not constitute formal advice. Consider the appropriateness of the information in regard to your circumstances.