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Truth Matters Newsletters – July 2012 – Vol. 16 Issue 7 – Why DMI Does What It Does
Discernment Ministries International
Why DMI Does What It Does
By Rev. Robert S. Liichow
"We praise God that, despite the large amount of poison, He still saves so many people at the same time we remember our sacred duty to witness against every false doctrine whenever we can." CFW Walther, Essays for the Church, Volume 1, 178.
I was recently at Concordia seminary, Fort Wayne explaining to their Vicarage Department why I was no longer pursuing a position as a pastor within the LCMS. Instead I shared with Professor Pulse the great need to (1) educate God's people of the dangers from within and without and (2) to the need to help equip the sheep with the biblical tools they need to give a defense for what they believe. I shared that my goal was to continue the fruitful ministry the Lord entrusted to me by hopefully starting a 'Recognized Service Organization' (RSO) within our Synod dedicated to warning, educating and equipping congregations within the LCMS about the dangers impacting the church. Professor Pulse agreed there was (1) currently no one doing this type of outreach and (2) there is indeed a great need for such work.
I was however disappointed to learn that the two Apologetics/counter-cult type courses that were offered to pastors in training are no longer offered at any Lutheran seminaries. What is more I have yet to work with any congregation that was well educated and equipped regarding the current trends sweeping away many souls.
For over sixteen years I have dedicated my meager abilities to "Teach Truth and Expose Error" and it has been at times exhilarating as well as very depressing. Exhilarating in that I have seen many people come out of doctrinal darkness and false practice by the grace of God. Depressing, because of the lack of support from local churches and individuals in battling the very things that are destroying them!
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore, watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:27-31
The Field of Battle Is Two-Fold
From Without-
Paul in his address to the Ephesian elders warned them of the battle to come when he departed. Nature abhors a vacuum, and evil spirits know how to make the most of a "clean and swept" house (see Matthew 12:45). One avenue to assault against the sheep is from outside of the Church that Paul designates as "grievous wolves" —
To begin with cultic activity is pandemic in the world. Christianity is no longer merely competing with the views of the major world religions (Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, etc.). Today, the Church is competing with literally 1,000's of new belief systems, many of which are very sophisticated technologically and extremely evangelistic in delivering their message.
These non-Christian cults have multitudinous websites, Blogs, Public Access television programs, cable programs in the form of infomercials and a growing army of devotees actively spreading their version of salvation. A good example would be the church of Scientology. A highly published Christian Apologist was told by Zondervan Publishing House, the largest Christian book publisher in the world, to remove the chapter he had written about Scientology, simply because that cult is too powerful and they have the capability to sue organization into bankruptcy (this is what happened to the Cult Awareness Network, which is now owned and operated by Scientologists). Due to the many high profile musicians and movie actors in Scientology their cult is growing in popularity and power. What is your church doing to combat their false message? Ask yourself a simple question, "is my church equipping me to biblically and effectively challenge their beliefs"? When was the last time your church offered a course or seminar on the cults, their beliefs and how to refute them from a loving biblical perspective?
Do the brothers and sisters you worship with weekly understand what Islam believes? Do they know its history, why the Shiites fight the Sunni and both of them fight the Sufis. We may have a Latter Day Saint for a President of the nation. It might surprise you to learn that Christians have more in common with Islam than we do with Mormonism—is your church educated to know why this is true?
The church is currently under a massive attack from without. Not just the overt non-Christian cults, but also by our culture. The homosexual movement has been growing by leaps and bounds. It was not that long ago when being a homosexual was one of society's darkest secrets. Not only was it a shameful secret, but was classified as a psychological ailment and a crime of sexual deviancy in most states. In less than twenty years (20) homosexuals are touted as 'normal' and thus should (and do) have the same rights as heterosexual citizens. Gay pride floods our parades, our military and virtually every television sitcom has at least one openly queer character.
Our own government has been moving in rapid fashion against the Church under the Obama regime. The church is going to be forced to pay for birth control pills and abortions. Bible believing Christians are now listed as potential terrorists by our government. Do not be surprised if/when they rescind tax breaks for Churches. Obviously, Hollywood television programs and movies, the music industry conspire to works against the cause of Christ. When was the last time you saw a Christian portrayed in a good light in a film or program? Ask yourself, are you, your church family and friends biblically prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within you (see 1 Peter 3:15)?
From Within-
What is even more troubling is the rapid expansion of heresy and aberrant teachings within the Church. What's worse is that the vast majority of this nonsense flows from America! Never in the history of the Church have the people of God suffered from such a massive infestation of false teachers, false prophets and false apostles.
The "Christian" bookstore has become one of the most spiritually dangerous places for the child of God to set foot in. The list of Christian best selling books include such titles as Good Morning Holy Spirit, The Divine Revelation of Hell, God Calling, The God Chasers, Heaven Is Real and other books filled with false teaching, blasphemy and in many cases outright lies.
"Christian" Television offers the world a perversion of what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. TBN, a global network, serves up a regular diet of heresy and error through people such as Jessie Duplantis, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Kim Clement and others. Televangelism is alive and well on the airwaves proclaiming a false gospel of health & wealth. Peter Popoff, Don Stewart, Kenneth Copeland, Marilyn Hickey and Robert Tilton (to name just a few) are still broadcasting on a regular basis and raking in close to a combined BILLION dollars a year to support their lavish lifestyles (wonder why Senator Grassley was interested in some of these Gospel pimps?).
The televangelists do not provide any financial reports, but it is estimated based on what has been revealed that altogether they siphon off close to a billion dollars a year tax-free from legitimate Christian work. Where does this money go? It goes to pay for mansions, private jets (many televangelists own several), running their SINistry machines. Very little goes to feed the hungry, build orphanages, medical clinics, locally based outreach, etc. These people promise much, but they deliver nothing but false and unfulfilled promises.
The elderly, infirmed, work-at-home mom's & dad's represent the "mission" field of the televangelists. These Christian folks, who are lonely, want some "Christian" teaching & fellowship have no choice except to watch and be influenced by a myriad of false teachers, prophets, apostles, brethren and false evangelists. If such viewing comprises the majority of spiritual input, then it makes sense that these people would be deceived into believing what they see and hear — because the televangelists ALL preach the same errors on television, ergo they 'confirm' their own doctrines by pointing to one another as additional witness (see 2 Cor. 13:1). I have relatives who actually go to sleep with TBN on!
The problem with the people who have risen up among us speaking perverse things is that we live in a time when pointing this out is politically incorrect and this notion has crept over into the Church in a big way. The lambs of our Lord suffer under these blind guides because the leaders in the Church are very busy perfecting their place in the monkey line —" see no evil hear no evil speak no evil," others are working on Oscar winning performances akin to "Sgt. Shultz" on television who was known for saying "I know nothing" when questioned about questionable activities.
Some swimming in the river of denial say "let the Lord handle it," or "I'm taking the high ground and walking love towards them" — all-the-while people are being misled regarding who our Lord Jesus Christ is, what He did, what is our response to be to Him for His great gift, etc. By keeping silent error increases. The apostle Paul rightly said to the Galatians regarding the false teachers assaulting their faith:
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Gal. 5:7-9
These folks were hindered from obeying the Lord because they listened (how faith comes) to false teachers. Paul warns them that the little leaven (error) will infect the entire loaf unless dealt with.
A few years back Tracy and I marveled at the ignorance of a leading charismatic pastor, John Arnott, who answered a question regarding spiritual deception in this manner, "I have more faith in God's ability to bless than in Satan's ability to deceive," words to that effect. Arnott got many hearty 'halleluiahs' from the crowd for his pious sounding words. But what sayeth the Scripture?
The Satanic Six Fold-Ministry
When I start out as a young charismaniac the teaching of that day was about the "five-fold ministry." This is taken from Paul's letter to the Ephesians and buttressed with a few other texts:
And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Eph. 4:11-12
Sign-gift people are restorationists and as such believe that today's Church is supposed to operate exactly like the early Church but with more power in these last days. They believe that God has restored back to the Church the specific office of the (1) Apostle, and (2) Prophet. The other three (3) Evangelist, (4) Pastor and (5) Teacher have always been with the Church. This teaching goes as far as to declare that unless a local congregation receives spiritual input from all five ministry gifts they will remain deficient and non-effective in the last great outpouring of God's Holy Spirit and power. Many books have been written regarding the work of the restored five-fold ministry and this concept (which is wrong for many reasons) is widely held by countless sign-gift folks. They believe for example, that the apostle is one who operates in all the other four 'offices.' I would like to briefly mention the other side of the coin, which NONE of the charismatic luminaries has touched on to any great degree; that of the demonic counterfeits.
The False Apostle
Chief Apostle Dr. Eric vonAnderseck believes that the church needs living apostles today to bring the church into the unity of the faith. By his apostolic stewardship the church is again receiving one doctrine of Christ, one faith, and one restored blueprint of truth. Apostle Eric is establishing the true testimony of Jesus Christ as the record of faith to mature the church unto a perfect man, to bring the church to the fullness of Christ. (Eph.4:13) (2)
God is changing the look and feel of Apostolic and Prophetic ministry as it is now functioning in the church. A new dynamic of the ministry of Apostles and Prophets will soon be revealed through Jesus Christ, the giver of the Five-Fold ministry gifts. Interestingly enough is that the new dynamic is the same pattern given for Apostles and Prophets in the Holy Scriptures. (3)
The ministry of the apostle is the latest act of restoration by the Holy Spirit according to the enthusiasts. My wife and I personally experienced the rise of the apostolic which was "birthed" by the proclamation of the restored prophets! We saw individuals who started out as street evangelists become pastors, who later became prophets and then were elevated to the role of apostle and others who jumped the ranks from pastor to apostle, including one of our former pastors, Ellis Smith. If you Google "prophetic movement" you will get a return of 4,670,000.
According to the enthusiasts the ministry of the apostle is the culmination of the restoration process. They believe that these men and women (although Jesus chose no female apostles, nor did the early church) are the ones through whom God will pour out new revelations, give directions for the Church both locally and globally. These people are the forerunners who will initiate the forthcoming manifestation the sons of God (see Romans 8:19) by imparting spiritual gifts of power.
One of the most recent examples of this belief was the 'elevation' of Todd Bentley to the office of apostle. The whole debacle can be seen and heard on YouTube, simply input 'Todd Bentley' and you will get back over 3,800 videos. The fact is this: Mr. Bentley has no legitimate biblical education. He is a convicted child molester, (4), and shortly after his elevation it was discovered that the Church's newly minted "apostle" was in the midst of a sexual affair with another female anointed vessel. Now a few months later Todd is divorced, remarried and back on the stage with the FULL BACKING of today's so called restored apostles and prophets (many of whom can be seen on his elevation video prof-a-lying over Todd). (5) There is one good video of Todd where he is rebuked by 4 people during a meeting, which he ignores and belittles, if you get online you can go to the following address and see men rebuking Todd biblically – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_tRwgItUFo.
These roving wolves are nothing new to the Church. From its inception Satan raised up tares among the pure wheat o0f God to deceive and mislead the sheep; to lead them to hell and not to heaven.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Cor. 11:13-15
Paul is defending his genuine apostleship against those who were claiming that they were in fact the true apostles to the Corinthians. Three times Paul uses the Greek word
Paul lets us know that these pseudo apostles are people who disguise their true motives; they masquerade as Christians which should not surprise us because Satan and his demons always attempt to appear in an appealing and tempting form. So it is no big mystery that his servants will appear as ministers of righteousness — they will reap what they sow. Our Lord commanded the saints who did not simply "swallow-and-follow" whatever they were taught, but they checked out those who claimed to be apostles:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. Rev. 2:3
Discernment Ministries International has been putting these people to the test and we have found them to be false apostles and DMI is doing all it can to warn the body of Christ about the grave spiritual danger these frauds present to our spiritual wellbeing. Today's crop of so-called apostles fails the biblical test set forth in Acts:
Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. Acts 1:21,22
What is more, Jesus and the early Church never chose a woman to be an apostle, ergo any women today who claims to hold such a position is obviously extremely deceived and thus deceiving all those who follow her, regardless of how well-intentioned she may be. (7)
This new crop fails the true seal of apostleship in the area of genuine signs and wonders. Paul, in defense of his ministry said:
I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you; for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 2 Cor. 12:11,12
False Prophets
Today, there is no doubt that God is restoring the prophetic ministry to the church as never seen before. Prophets are springing up from everywhere and people are more than ever aware of the prophetic ministry as never before. (8)
The polemical aspect of the heresiologist's work is decried by many in the church today. Many people think those of us involved in apologetics, polemics and counter-cult works are simply wasting our time. After all, if someone wants to call themselves a "prophet" what business is it of mine or yours? Christian love demands a response to (1) the lies told in the name of the Lord who saved them and (2) warn the undiscerning to the spiritual danger facing them if they warn the undiscerning to the spiritual danger facing them if they follow these blind guides.
False prophets are the frontline "battle tanks" in Satan's arsenal. Through them Satan has sent more souls to eternal damnation than through almost any other means. Think a moment — Islam was started by a false prophet. Close to a billion souls, praying five times a day heading towards the pit of destruction. Today Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, and the source of virtually all the world's current problems. How about Joseph Smith? He convinced many that he was a prophet of our Lord. The result? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a cult which is being rapidly accepted as a "sect" within Christianity! None less than Joel Osteen, America's mega-church pastor, who speaks to millions weekly accepts Mormons as Christians. If Mitt Romney becomes President then expect to see a massive push to mainstream Mormonism into acceptance as part of the Church. Jim Jones took hundreds with him to hell, they died believing he was a prophet.
Today virtually all sign-gift believers (500 million, ¼ of the professing Church today — no small number) believe that God has restored true prophets back to the Church today. While there is no agreement on who is or is not a prophet and no unity regarding the function of today's prophets they do seem to agree that this is a necessary ministry in order for Christ to return.
This means that 500 million people believe that God has placed men and women in the Church to hear from God on their behalf, relate these revelations to the recipients and then empower them to fulfill the revelation by imparting 'the anointing' to devotee. This means that 1/4th of the Church today is not relying on the Scripture alone to give them guidance, instead they are placing their faith in the words spoken by the false prophets and prophetesses.
It boggles the mind that this many people can accept the word and direction of someone who is not necessarily expected to be 100% accurate (how one knows what to accept or reject is purely subjective). Below is an example of this unbiblical belief (the bible accepts nothing less than 100% accuracy for God's prophets):
There is a creative realm to prophecy and the prophetic ministry. If you say 'God, I don't want to be making this stuff up." That is doubt!" Now remember that without faith it is impossible to please God. Like any new thing you are trying to learn, it takes time. It takes time to become good at expressing what you see in the spirit. It is because you must sort through all the impressions and prophetic pictures that come to mind. You must take time to learn how to interpret them. If you are going to move in the prophetic ministry, then you must be willing to be made a fool for Christ. Does that sound familiar? Have you ever done something that you thought you heard God tell you to do? You must be willing to make mistakes You will learn what not to do through experience. That is the price. (8)
The Prophetic Movement is the hotbed of all forms of enthusiastic excess such as, holy laughter, spiritual drunkenness and the other revivalism nonsense was birthed in prophetic congregations. Today the leaven has spread to now include things such as "prophetic dance." Dancing certain dances are a form of prayer, will cast out evil spirits, as a form of worship. There is also prophetic prayer, prophetic worship, prophetic mantles and all sorts of pagan practices being accepted as part of legitimate Christian worship! The prophetic (pathetic) movement is a dangerous deception and it is a powerful force to contend with.
False Teachers
As with the other counterfeits that church has always been beset with false teachers. The Apostle Peter warned the church when he wrote:
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And MANY WILL follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness THEY WILL EXPLOIT YOU with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 1:1-3
The only change today in the fulfillment of this text is that they no longer do it in "secret." today the false teachers rove the globe spewing forth a myriad of deceptive teachings on physical healing, financial prosperity, the gifts of the Spirit, and redemption itself is twisted by these liars.
These tares are especially dangerous because God's people have been taught to respect and believe the Bible. However, this is where the average believer often stumbles. Someone stands up and preaches something using biblical texts and says "its in the bible." What is required on our part is to be well grounded in Christian doctrine. Most Christians are not adequately prepared to properly discern truth from error (what else explains the millions in spiritual bondage today?).
The major televised SINisters preach another Gospel, proclaim another Jesus and offer people another spirit, not the Holy Spirit. Out of a godly concern for the Church on a regular basis DMI exposes the false doctrines of Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Marilyn Hickey, Creflo Dollar, TBN, Jesse Duplantis, Fred Price, Joel Osteen and a host of others who oppose Christ and themselves. DMI has contacted many of these individuals by registered mail documenting their errors and asking them to recant their false teachings. To date none of them have done so. Having followed Mathew 18 to some extent, DMI now takes the concern to the Church.
False Shepherds
The small letter to Titus gives us some insights into the motivation of the false minister in the following:
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths MUST BE STOPPED, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. Titus 1:10-11
False shepherds care nothing for the souls that are under their "care." The sheep on the other hand have a somewhat innate trust in their pastors by virtue of their office alone. They are motivated by greed and pride (which is why so many SINistries are named after their human leader(s). The majority of sign-gift leaders are self-taught and self-appointed; few have any legitimate theological education and training. Tracy and I experienced tremendous spiritual abuse under two Rhema graduate "pastors" ( one man was also a prophet and the other was elevated to role of apostle) and over the years have counseled numerous victims of wolves masquerading as pastors. Ezekiel reveals another key indicator of the false shepherd:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? The weak you have not strengthen, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. Eze. 34:1-5
Every charismatic pastor I have known personally have "fed" themselves at the expense of their flocks. This is very evident especially in urban ministries where the pastors all live in as close to a mansion as can be obtained, drive very expensive cars and wear fashionable clothing. However, the people they serve live at or below the poverty level. Due to being literally bewitched by these Gospel pimps the people accept this burden willingly.
False Christ's
The word of Faith cult has redefined "Christ" to refer to the anointing that was upon Jesus, ergo the text "I can do all things through Christ…" (see Phil.4:13) is read "I can do all things through the anointing" —a BIG difference in meaning. They look to the power of God and not to the God who supplies the power.
We are warned that there would in fact be falsely anointed people who claim by virtue of the accompanying signs and wonders as verification that they speak and work for the Living God.'
For many will come in my name, claiming 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:5,24
He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming "I am he,' and 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. Luke 21:8
Few Christians will be deceived into thinking that someone is in fact the Lord Himself (although DMI has covered a few of them out-front antichrists including Sun Myung Moon, the aging 'Korean' Jesus and the most recent 'Hispanic' Jesus name Jose Luis de Jesus), but they seem to have no problem believing the claims to possess the power of Christ's Spirit.
Benny Hinn is probably the best known living purveyor of power. After twenty years of holding 'miracle crusades' the only miracle he can prove is the miracle of people continuing to attend his lame meetings. I can prove under oath in court that more people have physically died during Hinn's meetings than he has ever healed. In fact, Mr. Hinn who by now should have a Quonset hut full of medical testimonies to divine healing — but he cannot verify one miracle. What is more Hinn is on record as a false prophet, adulterer and a liar (I do not say these things lightly). Yet the multitudes still flock to his meetings. There are many others claiming to impart the power of God. DMI covered the latest crop of deceivers in the last two issues of Truth Matters.
False Brethren
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: Gal. 2:4
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him. Titus 3:10
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son if anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. 2 John 1:11
The Church is filled with wheat and tares and while we are commanded to believe the best (1 Cor. 13:7) we are also commanded to be aware of those around us. Sometimes false brethren sit in the pews and after the service they pull individuals aside and begin to discuss what is wrong in that local congregation. Tracy and I have run into people who simply 'flit' from church to church causing problems and sometimes splitting congregations.
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. Romans 16:17
False brethren are probably best considered as the 'little foxes that destry the vine" (see SoS 2:15) as opposed to the SINisters, who also fall into this category. These are the folks who invite congregation members to their house for a little 'home Bible study' apart from the knowledge and direction of the pastor with the goal of sowing discord among the brethren. This is especially true, sad to say, for many 'sign-gift' devotees who believe it is their mission to get as many people out of their former denominations by infiltrating their former churches and sheep steal. Perhaps you've encountered these people.
In closing this out, let me simple warn you to keep an eye on your youth groups. Why? Because our youth are directly targeted by charismaniacs. Youth are vulnerable and thus susceptible to wanting anything other than what their parents offer. The enthusiasts know that their future lies with the youth and not their parents. A word to the wise: Keep a sharp eye on what is taking place in/with your youth at church.
We're very briefly considered some of the main avenues of assaults by Satan and his demons against our Christian family. Probably everyone reading this issue has a relative or friend who is enmeshed in some form of charismatic extremism, some "bible-based" cult, or possibly just a plain ole secularist. Discernment Ministries International was created to help educate and equip the saints of God to make a stand for God's Word and by Its power rescue those who oppose themselves (2 Tim. 2:25) and are in danger of eternal damnation.
By the grace of God good fruit has been produced by DMI and by His grace in the days ahead we will expand our outreach and continue to Teach Truth & Expose Error!
Copyright © 2012 Robert S. Liichow
End Notes
1. LN Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon
2. Obtained from http://www.apostleeric.com on 6-30-12.
3. Obtained from www.apostolicministry.org
4. Understand that I am not saying the Mr. Bentley has not repented of his former sins, or that Jesus has not forgiven him. I bring this up because it is part of the public record and sadly, pedophiles, according to research seldom change, may Christ have genuinely changed Bentley.
5. Prof-a-lie is a term I co8ined to describe the action of an enthusiast standing up and uttering some sweet sounding lies in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6. James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek New Testament, electronic ed. (Oak Harbor, Logos Research).
7. Again, I am not making statements regarding anyone's eternal state before our Lord. He knows, all you and all I can do is to examine their fruit and see if it meets biblical standards. If not they must be rebuked and hopefully restored to soundness.
8. Obtained from www.whatsnewintheprophetic.com/PropheticMinistry
9. Obtained from www.prophetic-ministry.com
10. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, vol. 1 Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domain electronic ed. Of the 2nd edition (New York: United Bible Societies 1996), 415


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Spreadsheet Compilation of Various Japanese Popularity Metrics for Summer 2009 AnimeWednesday, September 30th, 2009
At school, not wanting to drive home in my long break between meeting my advisor and a film screening cause of rush hour. Therefore, this hastily-done silly translation of a spreadsheet some 2cher made of various popularity rankings for summer season anime. Any questions should be answered by the notes, but if not, just post a comment! Click for large, obviously. Oh, and Stolen from Yunakiti, just like all the cool guys do.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wiertz, Antoine Joseph
Wiertz, Antoine Joseph äNtwän´ zhôzĕf´ vērts [key], 1806–65, Belgian historical painter. He enjoyed such prestige that the government built him a studio in Brussels, now the Wiertz Museum. He delighted in painting complicated, philosophical subjects and scenes from ancient history. Wiertz invented a type of mat painting and wrote a memoir on Flemish painting.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: European Art, 1600 to the Present: Biographies


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Chastain bests Arnold, Wahlberg at box office
NEW YORK (AP) — Jessica Chastain easily outmuscled Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mark Wahlberg over the weekend, topping the box office with her supernatural horror film "Mama."
According to studio estimates Sunday, "Mama" earned $28.1 million. Chastain held the top two spots with both "Mama" and the Osama bin Laden manhunt drama "Zero Dark Thirty," for which she's nominated by the best actress Oscar. In its second week of wide release, "Zero Dark Thirty" took in $17.6 million.
Schwarzenegger's post-governorship comeback got off to a poor start. His action flick "The Last Stand" opened with just $6.3 million, one of the worst debuts for the brawny 65-year-old star.
The Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe New York crime film "Broken City" didn't fare much better. It premiered with $9.1 million.


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Health Tip: Caring for Calluses
People with diabetes should take good care of their feet to prevent problems caused by poor circulation. And tending to foot calluses is no exception.
The American Diabetes Association offers this advice:
- Do not allow calluses to grow too thick, as they can turn into open sores.
- Don't cut calluses yourself, as this increases the risk of infection.
- Don't use chemical products to remove calluses.
- See your health care provider to have calluses safely and properly removed.
- Each day, use a pumice stone to gently scrub feet when wet, then follow with lotion.


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I'm always looking for ways to make Windows more flexible and user friendly; sometimes those methods are on the desktop, and sometimes they extend well beyond standard usage. But just how user friendly can you make Windows? How about a WAMP server that is free, light, flexible, and can be quickly moved from machine to machine? The Uniform Server fits that description. In addition, the Uniform Server features:
- Comprehensive security
- Apache
- MySQL
- Mobility
- Frequent updates
- Plenty of configurations
- Logs
- Support
Let's get the Uniform Server up and running and serving content on a Windows 7 machine.
There really is no installation for the Uniform Server. You download the .zip file and unpack it into a directory or external drive. Then, you open Explorer and navigate to the UniServer folder, where you'll find a number of sub-folders and three files called Help, Start_as_program, Start_as_service. If you start as a program, the web server will stop when you close the application. If you start as a service, the server(s) will run in the background.
Double-click the Start_as_program file to start the server. (Once you know it's working properly, you can start it as a service later.) You will be prompted to change the MySQL password. You can opt to not do this for testing purposes. If you publish a site to be accessed from outside your test network, you should definitely change that password.
Get beyond the MySQL password prompts, and you will be at the Uniform main window (Figure A).
Figure A
From this window, you can get to nearly every configuration you need and more.
You should see that, at least, Apache has started. If there are issues, they could be with the default ports. If you think the default ports are in use on the machine, you can change them by clicking Server Configuration. This will bring up a new window, where you should click General. In the General drop-down, select Change Ports. Apache And MySQL. In the new window, you can edit the server's ports (Figure B).
Figure B
After you change the port number, click the Change button and then close this window.
You should be able to reach your Apache server. Open a web browser and point it to the IP address of the host. If it's working properly, you should see the Uniform Server splash page (Figure C).
Figure C
Congrats! With minimal work, your Uniform Server is up and running.
You can go into either the Apache or MySQL configurations and edit them according to your needs. To add pages to your server, in the UniServer folder you will find a sub folder named www — this folder is your document root, and all pages will be placed within that folder.
As for MySQL, there are some pretty nifty tricks included. First and foremost, there is a MySQL console, where you can man MySQL through the command console (Figure D).
Figure D
Ready to work with the database "test."
Although you don't have the power of, say, phpMyAdmin, there is a GUI tool with Uniform Server to create databases (in case you aren't terribly familiar with the console). To create a database, do the following:
- From the Uniform Server configuration window, click MySQL.
- From the MySQL dropdown, click Create Delete Database.
- Enter a database name in the test field (Figure E).
- Click Create Database.
- Close the Create Delete database window.
Figure E
The Create Delete MySQL Database window.
From the Configuration window, you can also configure: PHP, MSMPT, CRON, DtDNS, DB Backup, PERL.
An outstanding little server
With the Uniform Server, you could easily take a simple Windows desktop PC, turn it into an internal web server, and create a useful portal for whatever you need. Give the Uniform Server a try, and then let us know what you think of it.


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Backlash over supermodels' role in Closing Ceremony
The Olympics Closing Ceremony is supposed to be a celebration of the athletes who, for the last 17 days, have shed blood, sweat and tears with the goal of winning glory and bringing pride to their nations (also, it's a giant party).
Still, it was a bit of a head-scratcher when London's ceremony included a segment that put the spotlight on … supermodels.
Rail-thin, slightly unhealthy-looking supermodels, with complicated histories. Great Britain's Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell led the catwalk contingent that paid homage to British designers such as Alexander McQueen and Victoria Beckham.
[ Photos: 2012 London Games' Closing Ceremony ]
The Twitter-verse exploded with disapproval. Moss, who allegedly used drugs in 2005, in particular took some heat.
@piersmorgan: I suspect Kate Moss might fail her drugs test later.
@Martin_Lewis: A fortnight of celebrating drug free, hard working role models. The #closingceremony is being, lets say, slightly less picky.
But Tweeters' main complaint was to ask what kind of message it sends to feature anorexic-looking women after seeing the accomplishments of healthy, muscular women.
@ElliottAlmond: Go SuperModels go. Win a medal. Eat.
@olyphil: We're celebrating anorexic women who do nothing but stand and look beautiful. Fashion show. STOOOOOOOOPID
@rebeccakesby1: Sorry why have we got super models in the closing ceremony when we've had so many REAL women over last two weeks????
@S_A_Somerville: Never mind supermodels. Catherine Grainger, Jess Ennis, Rebecca Adlington, Victoria Pendleton r role models #closingceremony shld highlight.
@DrEvanHarris: Ah yes, too-thin fashion models at #closingceremony. Rather lost out in "wannabee" wars to healthy looking women during #London2012
Brazil featured its own supermodel in its segment during the closing ceremony, Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio. If walking the catwalk was an Olympic event, Brazil could boast an imposing supermodel lineup of its own, led by Giselle and Adriana Lima.
Related Olympics coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
More Olympics coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Usain Bolt is a legend, even if the IOC disagrees
• Team USA hoops documents its gold-medal celebration
• McKayla Maroney pokes fun at her own meme


text: Were actually you aware off-freeway races could be a leisure time procedure and everybody can engage? Have you ever any strategy the history of competition and the kinds of off-neighborhood auto rushing available? Nicely, this is probably not a task for that experts only. Even it can be easy to get involved. Off-road automobile rushing… Continue reading Off-road Race Track


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Yesterday we reported that ex-Lost and Smallville writer Jeph Loeb will oversee Marvel's newly created TV division. Marvel hasn't made a live-action show in years, but we may see one, given Loeb's credentials. However, it will be an uphill battle.
Marvel has plenty of animated programming for kids lined up, but there's nary a live-action show on their docket. Of course, this probably has to do with the fact that A.) Marvel's realized that the real money lies at the cineplex (and they're not going to trade their A-listers to the farm team networks); and B.) there hasn't been a lucrative, adult-oriented Marvel show in eons.
Let's recap what Marvel ran with for the last two decades. There was the are-they-or-aren't-they-the-X-Men series Mutant X, that one season of Blade on Spike, and who could forget the Generation X TV movie? And we must acknowledge the apex of civilization, i.e. 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot that starred none other than the goddamn Hoff.
The point is, Marvel's live-action TV record has been spotty ever since Lou Ferrigno stopped painting himself green. Let's also take into account that Marvel has their big-name heroes tied to movie franchises, and Disney is currently looking for benchwarmers to helm new movie franchises. This leaves producers in an unenviable spot — they're saddled with A.) a 20-year dearth of popular programming; and B.) a mandate to dig deeper into Marvel's history for recognizable characters.
Animated programs don't suffer from this character restriction as they're about the merchandising. Sure, there are paragons of superhero animation that have adult appeal (Bruce Timm's DC stuff comes to mind), but Marvel wants to punch out as many Spider-Man cartoons between films to remind children that Peter Parker (and his Happy Meal toys!) still exist. Live-action TV doesn't have that luxury. Having two Spider-Mans is bad for brand recognition. Let's remember that the foundering Sarah Connor Chronicles were McG'ed into oblivion once Terminator Salvation hit multiplexes.
So who will Marvel go with if they pursue live-action? Spidey, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four are being rebooted. All the Avengers are on lockdown for Joss Whedon. Although not live-action, the snazzy and star-studded Black Panther cartoon never made it to BET. Furthermore, Disney is rumored to have designs for Dr. Strange and Luke Cage. This leaves a terrifically small pool of recognizable heroes to choose from. Sure, you might be able to name all the Starjammers in alphabetical order, but your grandmother thinks Wolverine's skeleton is made of Kryptonite.
If Marvel is to create a live-action program, my guess is they'll eschew overt superheroics and instead go the Human Target route — I could see them tapping Iron Fist for a pulpy romp, resurrect the Punisher on premium cable, or delve into their R-rated Icon imprint. Heck, a Powers show has been in the works for a while.
But then again, the temptation to use their most lucrative superheroes on the small screen may be too great, at which point shit's gonna get Smallville (a.k.a. young superheroes to explain away goofy costumes + lower budgets which cannot support non-goofy costumes). And at this point, we're back to Generation X territory.
Who knows? Marvel might flip the script entirely and give us full-blown Smallville with ultra-obscure characters. Who wants to see Attlian, a series about Black Bolt in high school? He doesn't speak until Season 4.


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by John Hawkins | January 26, 2013 12:39 am
Liberalism offers up a utopian vision of the world and then invites its practitioners to feel good about themselves for embracing it. Not only does this beautiful fantasy world never come to pass, liberalism fails to address the root causes of the problems it sets out to solve while creating whole new disasters in the process. In other words, it's a never ending circle. There's a problem, liberalism is offered up as the solution, it doesn't work and creates more problems, for which liberalism is offered up as the solution, etc., etc., etc. until you're starving, bankrupt, or your society is tearing itself apart at the seams.
Liberalism says that….
1) …it's all about choice — unless you want to choose which gun or lightbulb to use, which school your child will attend, or you'd prefer more freedom and smaller government.
2) …it cares about the environment, when in practice, not only do liberals like Al Gore live some of the most resource-wasting and ostentatious lifestyles on the planet, but they hurt the environment by blocking environmentally friendly energy production here in favor of energy sources from nations that care little about pollution.
3) …you can have lots of free government services and somebody else will pay for them. The trillion dollar deficit we're running every year that will have to be paid back says otherwise.
4) …as long as you use birth control that someone else is forced to pay for, there are no consequences whatsoever to having lots and lots of sex. Meanwhile, more than 50 million children have been killed by their own mothers via abortion and 1 out of every 4 adults in New York City has herpes[1].
5) …. "government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn."[2] Do you know anyone with crabgrass on his lawn? DO YOU?
6) …it's all about compassion and taking care of the less fortunate, unless liberals have their own money on the line, in which case they give less to charity than those stingy, greedy, heartless conservatives[3].
7) …you shouldn't take your Christian faith seriously, that political correctness matters more than the Bible, and that mocking God has no consequences. Ever heard someone say, "Don't pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel?" Well, if liberals were smarter, they wouldn't be picking a fight with an omnipotent God who buys lightning bolts by the barrel and has a well earned reputation for getting fed up every once in awhile and dishing out "Old Testament style wrath" on His enemies.
8) …how much our country spends can be dictated by our wants, as opposed to what we can afford. Of course, if the world really works this way, Greece would be fine, nobody would have ever heard of the word "bankruptcy," and the banks wouldn't even bother to write down your name when you borrow money from them.
9) …liberals want unity and bipartisanship, which they apparently believe they can accomplish by spewing pure hatred and smearing, demonizing, threatening, and lying about anyone who disagrees with them.
10) …it's going to deliver equality of outcomes for everyone, which is true, if by "delivering equality of outcomes" you mean "make everyone poorer."
11) …it cares about women — unless they're conservative women, in which case liberals will insult them in the vilest of terms, attack their children, call them whores and laugh and hoot at the most grotesque sexist attacks against them. Every last insult ever hurled at someone like Sandra Fluke probably wouldn't amount to what women like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Michelle Malkin, and Ann Coulter put up with on any given week with the full support of the same liberals who run off at the mouth about a "war on women."
12) ….it'll help the poor — and it does. Liberalism helps poor Americans live in ghettos with just enough food and money to survive so they can stay dependent on liberals. It's the same sort of help a farmer gives a chicken while he harvests its eggs and waits for the right time to wring its neck and toss it in the frying pan.
13) …liberals are the only people who care about black Americans and want to help, which doesn't seem to square with the fact that just about anywhere and everywhere liberals have been in charge for decades, like Detroit or New Orleans, most black Americans are in dire straits.
14) …small business owners were able to build their businesses because they were lucky. But of course, if that's true, why do we have such a high unemployment rate? Why doesn't everyone who loses his job just set up his business and grab that easy money? Since bankers don't deserve the big salaries they make, why doesn't the Occupy movement set up its own bank and show the "banksters" how it's done?
15) …you can fix crime by taking away guns, but by definition, the people who will voluntarily give up guns are law abiding citizens who have no intention of committing a crime in the first place. Besides, if that can work, why doesn't Barack Obama set the example by asking his Secret Service agents to disarm?
Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/john-hawkins/15-lies-of-liberalism/
Copyright ©2023 John Hawkins' Right Wing News unless otherwise noted.


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Theme – ** Kaleidoscope of thoughts**
Thoughts are nomadic by nature. They enter the mind without permission, at any time of the day or night. Having a strong mind of their own, they can be very adamant at times. They take shape of positive or negative, fleeting or profound, chaotic or structured and at times utterly nonsensical. Some just take a peek and vanish, while some others build a nest and continue to stay on.
Thoughts have something magical in them. They define your temperament and moods. Though you cannot see it, you can feel its power. For they can drain you or pep you up. So be wary of feeding the right kind of thought. Else it will multiply manifold like a parasite, and within no time deflate you.
Many a time, the thoughts are just images, haphazard and scattered all around. To gather them, dress them with words and present them is a daunting task. While at other times they are so structured and crystal clear, flowing nonstop like a gurgling brook.
Depending on the words that dress them up, they present themselves in myriad hues and avatars. Be it a garden of vibrant blooms, or a starry constellation, a fiery flame or a tranquil reflection, a profound message or an enigmatic spell!
Thoughts are seasonal
the fertile mind sprouts ideas
at times they turn arid
but when rains kiss the parched mind
a literary garden blooms.
The above is a tanka poem.
Tanka is a poetry form which originated in Japan more than 13 centuries ago. In its purest form, tanka poems are most commonly written as expressions of love, self-reflection, and gratitude. It contains five lines and 31 syllables in the form of 5-7-5-7-7.


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A compass changed my life.
Not the magnetic navigational aid, but the kind with two legs, one pointy, the other with a stubby pencil attached. The tool that school kids, for decades, have used to draw perfect circles.
The compass made me a runner. It was something I'd always wanted to be, but I'd never been able to get there. I didn't have the temperament. Each time I tried, I'd quit: bored, hurt, or both.
But now, I was running. Using that compass, I'd drawn a circle, extending a half mile in all directions from my house in Los Angeles. That circle was my fence, and I used it to make running a game, not just to stay within the perimeter but also to never take the same route twice. Whether running for fitness or running errands—and I mean that literally—staying within the circle gave meaning and motivation to my workouts.
It was on a cool day last January that I knew it was really working. I started my run as evening was falling, and mariachis patrolled the sidewalks in front of the Mexican restaurants that line this section of Sunset Boulevard, just a little bit west of downtown L.A. I turned onto a smaller street, descending a steep hill, then climbed another. Looking north, I could see the Los Angeles River; train tracks converging on the city center; and traffic-jammed Interstate 5. In the distance were the snowy peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains—winter storms and freezing temperatures had brought a line of white down to 3,000 feet.
To me, this was running that didn't feel like running, and just as important as the views and the strumming guitars was the gallon-sized jug of milk that sloshed in my backpack, picked up at the 7-Eleven, on the way home. Running with groceries might not have looked like running to most people, but it was running to me, and the elation I felt was real.
It was early in my experiment, and there would be setbacks, but I was becoming a runner.
I love Los Angeles. I love the way it sprawls. I love the way it challenges navigation, and the way—with more than 20,000 miles of road—it invites exploration. Wandering the city, over the past decade, has become an obsession for me. It began with simple bike rides to distant neighborhoods, but spread into a more project-oriented approach: mapping public stairways in hillside neighborhoods; creating themed walks (a "virtual greenbelt" that cobbled together dirt roads near downtown for a dozen miles); and then staging public events. (I'm now working on the third annual Big Parade, a two-day walking festival that covers 35 miles, 100 public stairways, and includes an overnight campout in a city park. In 2010, over 200 people participated.)
Mass transit broadened my reach. At first, I'd board a bus, ride as far as I wanted, then walk for hours, finding my way home. Discovering the region's transit system led to another breakthrough: I sold my car. By combining buses, trains, bikes, and walking, I began to see L.A. as a giant game board, a living map of infinite possibilities. Exploration was fun. Prepping for exploration—poring over maps, creating itineraries—was even better.
But—maybe because I'd always seen running as something that hurt from the start, that celebrated routine over creativity, that was relentless and intimidating and often the province of the superhumanly fit—it never occurred to me that I might fit running into my roving, transit-riding, route-geeking lifestyle.
The change came the previous summer, when my wife and I spent two weeks in a cabin on a tiny island in New England. A single, mile-long trail allowed for a full circumnavigation in the quiet woods, just above the shoreline. My wife is a true runner; she gets up every morning and puts in her miles around a local reservoir that attracts thousands of cheerful, iPod-driven joggers. So on this island idyll of ours, I tried to join her. There wasn't much else to do, and being together, it seemed like a nice idea.
I could barely last one lap, retreating in a funk. Sitting on the front porch of the cabin, watching my wife pass by every eight minutes or so, wondering what was wrong with me—You can't even have fun with the woman you love—my mind finally opened.
Running needed rules.
In all my years of attempting to run, I'd never allowed myself to see the activity the way I looked at other pursuits. I'd never given myself the right to make running my own.
One thing all my explorations have in common are procedures, and figuring out what they are—and obeying them—is compulsory. Some may seem arbitrary—in my stairway routes I've designated certain flights climb or descend only. But I'm not aiming for practicality. I make up rules for one reason: Rules are for games, and games are fun. I'd never thought of rules for running because I'd never seen it as potentially enjoyable.
I grabbed a notepad and began to write.
The problem with the island, I realized, wasn't that it was too small. It was that there was just that single, boring trail. But in L.A., a circle of the same size could contain dozens of miles of routes, along with tens of thousands of people. I'd avoid the reservoir. Instead, I'd run everything around it. And I'd start within a circle, exactly the size of the island I'd soon be leaving.
I was almost giddy on the flight home. More rules: Don't force running into my life; ease life into running. Ever since I'd sold my car, I'd used my bike for even the shortest errands. What if I did them on foot? Run everything less than a mile. That put the post office, my favorite coffee shop, and the supermarket in range.
How to get better? Make it gradual. Grow the distances. Start with one mile. Then two. Then three. Another rule came from my stairway climbs: No repeats. Never take the same route twice.
I thought there was little chance that I'd reach the in-the-zone transcendence so many runners experience. My fetish for structure doesn't allow such introspection: I need stuff to see, to touch, to wonder at. So, another rule: Don't think like a runner. If I wanted to stop to gawk at a car wreck, I'd do it; ditto if I happened by the comic-book store—the one with the benches outside—and they'd just gotten in the latest issue of Richie Rich.
And none of that ridiculous bouncing in place at crosswalks: Just be part of the neighborhood. One more thing: No music. The street, and everything on it, would alleviate my boredom.
I had my game. Of course, in one way I was like every beginning runner: I had to go out and purchase gear, in my case a $1.19 six-inch spanning Staedtler BallBearing School Compass (part number 448741). As for shoes, I wasn't sure at all that this would work, so the old trainers that I'd abandoned repeatedly over the years, still sitting in my closet, would do just fine.
Radius: one-half mile. area: .78 square miles.
There was magic in those first few weeks. The biggest surprise may have been that I wasn't surprised. Because when I finally came up with the rules, and drew those first circles on printouts of Google maps, I was almost vibrating with excitement.
Picking out different routes within this first small circle, I was able to run nearly every day—even twice a day, sometimes. A second essential piece of equipment emerged: a backpack, which would depart with me, empty, and return filled with library books, light bulbs from the hardware store, and bags of cat food. And I wasn't so rigid about the rules that I didn't bend them occasionally. On day 10, just beyond the borderline of my initial perimeter stood a restaurant called House of Pies. I enthusiastically erased my entire effort with a slice of banana cream.
And I was happy to split a run into pieces. A friend was house-sitting at a place within the circle. It had a pool. So I'd run by every day, and a long break for a dip and possibly a mimosa was more than allowed. The race official in me encouraged it.
And then, as I extended the radius, my territory exploded. If you remember your algebra, the area of a circle can be expressed as a formula: A= r2 (the symbol represents pi, or 3.14159; the term comes from the first letter of the Greek word for "perimeter"). My first radius, at a half mile, had a total area of only .78 miles. At two weeks, when I doubled the radius to one mile, the total area quadrupled to 3.14 square miles. A radius of five miles, if I made it that far, would encompass an area 25 times as large (and if this is beginning to sound weird to you, please send me your 18-week training diaries and heart-rate monitor data).
All those calculations brought me to another metric, the point that always indicated success for my explore-the-sprawl projects: I was spending more time in my reckonings than on my runs.
Like I said, magical.
radius: three miles. area: 28.27 square miles.
Late October brought a heat wave of triple-digit temps and heavy smog that led to serious stay-indoors warnings. The break gave me time to rethink strategy, which needed to change as the radius increased. It was no longer possible to make every journey on foot. My response was to merge my transit and running games; I'd take a bus or train to an appointment and run back.
I chose, as my first test of the new plan, a meeting I'd scheduled at City Hall with two representatives from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. I needed to look presentable, so I put on a pressed shirt and pants, along with formal shoes, packing my running gear in a backpack for the return trip.
The meeting didn't go well (the officials clearly weren't interested in being interviewed), and I found myself nearly overcome by an urge to get out onto the pavement. When the discussion ended, I ducked into the nearest rest room and changed. As I walked down the hall, I noticed that one of the people I'd just met with was waiting for the elevator. We stepped on together; he gave me the kind of look usually reserved for someone you know you've met, but you can't quite place them. My change of clothes removed me from his zone of comprehension.
I finally identified myself, and explained that I was running the three miles back to my house as part of a commute-on-foot program. During our entire meeting, this official had barely paid attention to my questions, spending most of his time answering e-mail. Now, as we stepped out of the elevator, he suddenly engaged. "Wow," he said, "That's pretty cool. I'm a runner, too."
"You should try it," I said, and I think his nod of approval indicated that he'd at least give the concept some thought.
Radius: four miles. area: 50.26 square miles.
That moment outside the elevator was the beginning of something that would occur more and more: an odd regard in which I was held by "real" runners. I was up to five days a week, and my miles were in the double-digits. Yet a few serious runners still scoffed at my technique. "That's not running," one told me, horrified that runs often included a dozen stops at traffic lights. I almost agreed, and my old sense of intimidation returned.
There was something else frustrating me. As much as I'd rejected it, I sensed that increased distance might actually require a greater sense of pace, of gliding, a more trancelike mental state: the runner's high that I thought I was incapable of. Now, I found myself wanting it but coming up empty. I'd even tentatively taken to the path around the reservoir, experimenting with steady rhythm. And most horrifyingly, noticing what appeared to be a correlation between bliss and headphones, I returned home one morning, sat at my computer, and instead of studying Google maps, I created a playlist in iTunes.
Nothing. Trying so hard only made it worse.
The breakthrough came when I expanded the radius yet again. I was heading for a party at a Jewish deli. The distance was six miles, through upscale enclaves where the houses got bigger and the sidewalks—as happens often in L.A.—vanished. Traffic lights became farther apart, bringing vehicles to freeway speeds. To escape, I cut north to trendy Melrose Avenue, stutter-stepping a gauntlet of overloaded shoppers and sidewalk cafe diners.
I'd planned to beg a ride or hop a bus home, mostly because I'd expected to stuff myself at dinner. I figured a six-mile run home would not match well with a belly-load of pastrami and chopped liver, even though my belly was now of significantly reduced capacity: I'd dropped 25 pounds since day one.
The meal ended late, well past midnight. Nobody was driving in my direction, so I began to walk toward the bus stop. But I know L.A.'s transit system, and wee-hours offerings are few. I'd have to wait as long as it would take me to run.
So run I did. I took the same route, but it was absolutely transformed. The only remnants of commerce were hosed-down sidewalks and dumpsters stuffed with restaurant refuse. When I cut to a boulevard with no sidewalks, I found it to be nearly car-free; I was gliding along, alone. Six lanes of asphalt were mine. I was suddenly moving faster and steadier than I ever had.
Twelve miles in a single day. It was the greatest distance I'd covered, and the first time I'd seen myself as somebody who could move smoothly, and at speed. It was bliss. It was amazing.
At that moment, I began to abandon the radius.
What a mistake.
Beyond the compass. The Staedtler had reached its limit. As my territory grew, the maps became too big for the tool to handle. More and more, runs were runs. Circling the reservoir still wasn't awesome, but I could do it a couple of days a week with my wife, and it was fun to be with her. I began joining my conventionally running friends on regular training jaunts.
Distance became seductive. As I moved closer to a more standard definition of the sport, I began thinking something I imagined only real runners think: I needed a goal. Of course, it had to be a marathon. Only the classic distance would suffice. And being a classic, it would require classic preparation. A run to the bookstore yielded a passel of guides filled with mileage charts, training diaries, diet recommendations, and odd terms like "tempo." I bought new running shoes, sitting for a professional fitting, leaving the shop with lightened product and wallet, confident that what I'd purchased would make me better, though I didn't understand how, or even what better actually meant.
Eight weeks later, I couldn't say I'd improved, but it seemed to be going well. My Los Angeles Marathon entry was in. I was following the program I'd picked almost to the letter, though a few adaptations were necessary: My big weekly run usually came as the return trip for a distant errand.
On a Friday afternoon, I'd taken a bus 16 miles to the San Fernando Valley. I was scheduled for a less-than-fun appointment with my accountant, and I'd looked forward to the antidote of running home. Valley boulevards are long and flat, and I cruised for the first quarter of the journey. I entered Griffith Park, the largest urban recreational facility in the country (approximate radius: 1.44 miles; square miles: 6.5). I was almost out of the park, near home, when I felt the twinge in my knee.
After a few days, the twinge became pain.
I rested a week, but the pressure of a Big Goal can lead to Big Denial, and the plan I had to follow made me believe I couldn't rest. I'd just take it a little easier. On a cool morning, when heavy winds had swept the fog out of the Southern California basin, I ambled out for a four-mile jog.
The hurt came back. Worse.
I was injured, sidelined.
For six months, running had fulfilled its promise.
Now, it had become what I'd feared.
No radius. No square miles. Winter took me away from Los Angeles., and that turned out to be a lucky break. I spent time in a part of Africa where venturing out on foot, alone, was too dangerous. Then came a visit to my wife's family in New Hampshire, where frigid January temperatures discouraged me from anything other than sitting by the fire.
The break forced me to think about where I'd gone wrong. Was it that I wasn't ready for convention? That I'd never be? Maybe that wasn't the kind of runner I was, or could ever be.
I decided to start over. I didn't give up recreational running as I pulled out my old maps and returned to my first circles. But I added patience. My injury didn't come from getting lost in numbers. It came from getting lost in numbers other than my own.
The circle expanded again. I felt more confident with every mile, even if there were fewer of them. I began to realize that the dismissals that had so intimidated me didn't come from outside, from traditional runners who didn't understand, but from within myself. The pressure that had gotten me hurt was as much my creation as the rules of the radius had been.
So I'm running again. Every way I can. There are radius runs. There are trail runs. There are runs with friends, in the park, around the reservoir. (Although there aren't many runs with the wife. It turns out that she sees the activity as a chance to spend a little time on her own, away from me. Hmmph.) What every run has in common is that it belongs to me.
As far as my injury goes, I'm listening to my body more, but I've also become a believer—big surprise—in minimalism. When I started running again, I tried barefooting. It clicked, though I've ended up in flats: The litter of dogs and drunks requires that one protect one's soles on the mean streets of L.A.
I never made it to the L.A. Marathon, though the distance still attracts me, maybe even more, because I intend to do it my way. My mileage will increase, but never more than a mile beyond my last maximum: I will only run 26.2 miles if I've previously run 25.2 and felt good about it. And the event I'll run will include no T-shirts, goody bags, or sponsors. There will be no entry fees. Instead, there's Western Avenue. It starts at the Pacific Ocean and runs through dozens of neighborhoods for a total of 28 miles. I'd like to do it mostly without stopping, so I'll take a bus down there late one night and start at 2 a.m. There's a burrito stand just beyond mile 26; they should be opening for breakfast just as I'm getting there. I can't imagine a better finish line.
Now I realize that the true center of my circles wasn't the point of a grade-school artifact. It was what I was seeking: the heart of the sport, which isn't so much bliss, but freedom. When I finally arrived, it became clear that, odd as my route might have been, I'd ended up where I wanted to be: as a runner.
Mapping it Out
A few highlighted destinations the author has hit on runs around his L.A. home.
1 Griffith Observatory2 Arclight movie theater3 Los Angeles River path4 Post office/movie theater5 Public library6 Traditional running destination—lake loop7 My favorite coffee shop8 Secret Headquarters comic shop9 Spaceland music venue10 Friend with pool11 Trail-running path12 Von's supermarket13 Roller derby arena14 Dodger Stadium15 Tamale festival16 Amtrak station


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A week is a long time in perlitics
Well my extended bank holiday weekend break turned into to be a nice long week away in the New Forest. So that's a whole week without computers, internet and Perl 😉
So on my return its nice to see a bustling RSS feed of Perl posts! In fact in quantity the Ironman feed out did the Ruby Corner feed I also subscribe to. Looks like a very vibrant community to me.
And its not just quantity because there have been some colourful posts while I've been away!….
- Moose certainly claimed most of the headlines over past week! Moose brings a lot of enjoyment and productivity to my Perl but I'm pragmatic enough to know its not a panacea for all solutions (though I am dreaming of that day!).
- RedHat "drops" CPAN.pm from Perl on Fedora. A bit of unnecessary tap dancing going on with package naming methinks!
- HTTP::Engine and PSGI. I have been playing with HTTP::Engine and had to overcome some stumbling blocks with streaming out dynamic data (that reminds me I need to do blog post on that!), so its going to be interesting to see what PSGI brings to the table.
NB. Its also poignant to note that Pythonistas have recently expressed that WSGI isn't necessary the definitive solution and have envious snake eyes on Ruby's Rack.
- So the Ironman badges are now available and I'm a…. Stone Man 😦
Well at least I was when I checked yesterday because looking at it today and I see I'm now a Paper Man! sob!? Hmmm… well hopefully things will change after I make this post!
So whats been missed that I can add to the news:
- GitHub contest is over. Its not clear yet but Ultraist Perl entry appears to have came 6th (with score of 2475) and could be the highest dynamic language solution. Well done Ultraist
- Perl jumps up two places on Tiobe index to #6 (swapping places with Python).
NB. And this as nothing to do with this because cpan.org still shows same search figures. There have been some additions to cpantesters & perldoc sites which may have helped but I believe a lot of the difference can hopefully be attributed to Ironman and the resurgence in Perl blog posts. Well done everyone methinks!
PS. I'm not putting in Tiobe link…. I'm sure u can find it in Google quite easily 😉


text:
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All inventory listed is subject to availability and prior sale. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) if shown for a vehicle excludes set-up, freight, taxes, title, licensing or other dealer charges, and is subject to change. Individual prices may vary. Please request a quote for specific pricing.


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text:
A 21-year-old woman was cited on Wednesday after police say she illegally entered an intersection on her bicycle and was struck by a Greeley police officer's patrol vehicle.
Sgt. Susan West, spokeswoman for the department, said the officer was waiting to turn right onto 47th Avenue from 26th Street just after noon, and the woman was riding southbound on the sidewalk. The woman rode into the intersection while the officer was looking the opposite direction, and the officer's car struck the woman, West said.
The woman suffered only a scrape, and her bicycle was slightly damaged. West said she entered the intersection without the "Walk" signal activated, so she was cited for failing to obey a traffic signal.


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Coventry Phoenix
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Traditionally used as a veneer or furniture wood, this Cherry wood floor is a rare and unusual addition to any space. Here, we have used the raw, untreated wood to create a design with unexpected charm.
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text:
No. 20; Updated October 2017
Child and adolescent psychiatrists recognize that the ideal environment for raising a small child is in the home with parents and family. Some experts recommend a minimum of six or more months leave for parents after a child is born to promote bonding. Intimate daily parental caretaking of infants for the first several months of life is particularly important. Since the ideal environment often is not possible if parents have to return to work, the role of day care has to be considered. Experts agree that when day care is used in the first years of a child's life, the quantity and quality of the day care have significant impact on the child's emotional and physical development.
Before choosing a day care environment, parents should be familiar with the state licensure regulations for child care. They should also check references from other parents and observe the potential caregivers with the child.
Parents sometimes take their young child to the home of a person who is caring for one or more other children. Infants and children under the age of two-and-one-half need:
Parents should seek a caregiver who is warm, caring, self-confident, attentive, and responsive to the children. The caregiver should be able to encourage social skills and positive behavior, and set limits on negative ones. Parents should consider the caregiver's ability to relate to children of different ages. Some individuals can work well only with children at a specific stage of development.
It is wise for parents to find out how long the individual plans to work in this day care job. High turnover of individuals, several turnovers, or any turnover at critical points of development, can distress the child. If parents think or feel the day care they have chosen is unsatisfactory, they should change caregivers. All parents have the right to drop in during the day and make an unannounced visit.
Many children, particularly after the age of three, benefit from good, group day care, where they can have fun and learn how to interact with others. Child and adolescent psychiatrists suggest that parents seek day care services that have:
If the child seems afraid to go to day care, parents should introduce the new environment gradually: at first, the mother or father can go along, staying nearby while the child plays. The parent and child can stay for a longer period each day until the child wants to become part of the group. If the child shows unusual or persistent terror about leaving home, parents should consider consulting a child and adolescent psychiatrist to discuss their concerns and develop strategies to help the child to talk about his or her fears. Parents can help make day care more positive and less stressful for their child by being actively involved with the day care staff and proactively talking to their child about daily activities in daycare.
If you find Facts for Families© helpful and would like to make good mental health a reality, consider donating to the Campaign for America's Kids. Your support will help us continue to produce and distribute Facts for Families, as well as other vital mental health information, free of charge.
You may also mail in your contribution. Please make checks payable to the AACAP and send to Campaign for America's Kids, P.O. Box 96106, Washington, DC 20090.
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Facts for Families© information sheets are developed, owned and distributed by AACAP. Hard copies of Facts sheets may be reproduced for personal or educational use without written permission, but cannot be included in material presented for sale or profit. All Facts can be viewed and printed from the AACAP website (www.aacap.org). Facts sheets may not be reproduced, duplicated or posted on any other website without written consent from AACAP. Organizations are permitted to create links to AACAP's website and specific Facts sheets. For all questions please contact the AACAP Communications Manager, ext. 154.
If you need immediate assistance, please dial 911.
Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.


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Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Tiger Datuk Abdul Razak Musa
The first time I met Tiger Datuk Abdul Razak Musa in person was about a year and a half ago in an old boys meeting at the Curve, PJ. The OBA was looking for someone of integrity and standing to chair a committee for a proposed trust fund for the old school. I was his senior at school and therefore did not know him well personally. He was a quiet and unassuming man; did not talk very much that day. It was certainly not the first time one of our own has risen to a position of distinction but nevertheless we were proud of his achievement.
At the time, the MACC was already very much in the public spotlight and the skepticism about its impartiality was already apparent. In any case, Tiger Abdul Razak Musa is one of our own so we MUST give him the benefit of the doubt!
We did not meet again after that first time but I did notice him in the news occasionally. However, in the last couple of weeks he has suddenly shot to fame in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest for all the wrong reasons.
I followed the proceedings that fateful day (18th August, 2010) on the Malaysian Insider tweets and remember cringing at the words that were being reported almost real-time. Obviously he was doing his job by trying to discredit Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand which is supposedly as good a strategy as any. It was the way he went about doing it that was surprising. He had instead ended up discrediting himself, the MACC, our education system and worse of all the nation! I remember thinking this shit will hit the fan and with all the bad Press thereafter, I refrained from watching the video of the incident more so out of Tiger loyalty and deference than anything else!
This morning, I chanced upon the series of court videos and decided to watch them. After that, I am even more appalled by Tiger Abdul Razak Musa's performance. Maybe he would be more comfortable if he had used Bahasa Malaysia instead, but it was not all about language. He appeared clueless! Not only did Dr Pornthip's answers make mincemeat of his questions, it reminded me of an Asian Schools Rugby Tournament game I played in, in Hatyai, December 1978. Eventual champion, Thailand's Vajiravudh College beat us soundly and thoroughly!
It was a game I would want to forget and I think Tiger Razak Musa would want to forget 18th August, 2010 too.
You judge for yourself:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
15 comments:
- Yap! It's 3088.. said...
I've never been more ashamed of being a Malaysian than today.
- 2 September 2010 at 06:26
me too....
- 2 September 2010 at 07:27
He is a laughing stock to our country.Most of what he said doesn't make sense to me at all.And he claimed that he has been in lawyer profession for 24 years. I doubt that.
- 2 September 2010 at 11:08
i think he was trying to confuse everyone in court, yet somehow confused himself instead!!
- 2 September 2010 at 12:37
This is sad.... how in the world did he even become a lawyer... let alone a head of the prosecution team.... appalling!
- 5 September 2010 at 04:07
Thai citizen.
Is this the smartest lawyer there is in Malaysia? Get a smarter guy to change our doctor. Dont put this dumb arse in a court for god's sake.
How did this clown even make it pass junior school.
- 5 September 2010 at 08:56
negaraku ku~
- 5 September 2010 at 09:55
- KS Cheah said...
Dear All,
I was talking to some of Razak Musa's class/hostel mates and they know Razak is a competent man and that English language is not really a problem for him. He is also a pious and sincere man.
The problem they think is because maybe Razak Musa is finding it difficult to sell something that even he would not buy himself. Bottomline is; he may not believe in his own product!
- 6 September 2010 at 01:55
- hakim said...
dia malay medium bro
- 6 September 2010 at 01:56
- KS Cheah said...
Tahu lah bro...but some of our bros think it is not about command of language. For some reason, his heart may not be totally in it. I somehow suspect political sharks are constantly circling around him. Have seen it before in an actual case a few years ago.
Anyway, I wish him well and hope his career will not take too much of a knock with this episode.
- 6 September 2010 at 02:06
This is exactly what happens when you stubbornly dictate the education system with mediocrity instead of meritocracy. Wait, this is not even mediocre at best, it is just appaling. Also another reason why the government's apparently populist decision to revert the education system back to Bahasa Malaysia would only pull the country down into the gutters, if it is not already at the bottom.
- 6 September 2010 at 02:22
- KS Cheah said...
As a matter of interest I am reproducing the following comment from our old-boy eGroup which I have edited for confidentiality:
"Of course I don't have to tell you bro that the best legal minds are in private practice, and that is why you have Gani Patail who is essentially a bad joke. It is the same with our Doctors of Medicine. Go to Selayang Hosp and see the crap!!
Razak could have disarmed the Thai Dr by saying:
"Kunying (Thai Datukship) Sahwathi kah" ((Wish you well), continue, " Kin Kau lia kah?" (have you eaten/).
She will answer, " Kin liau kah" (Yes). Razak must say, " Karp koon mah kah" (TQ).
Razak must open his script by saying that, " Kunying, you are a brilliant pathologist, most loved in your Country, please allow me to ask you, if I may, a few question as it is my duty to do so. Karp Koon Mah kah"
Then, in the simplest and precise English cross examine her for the answers that Razak needed.
The Thais are very proud people. We look down on them coz their invisible export is prostitution, but upper-class Thais like Pornthip are really special. They think we are rubbish.
In essence, Razak is a stupid man with extremely limited know-how. Malaysia bodoh!!
- 6 September 2010 at 02:45
- KS Cheah said...
Perhaps this other post in the old-boys eGroup can settle this:
"This is the coup de grace. We can now bury the mishap."
Some mothers do 'ave 'em — Tunku Abdul Aziz
- 6 September 2010 at 02:52
Look at the big picture. The corrupted politicians in power don't want anyone with a brain bigger than a pea to head the legal team in MACC. It'll be a walk in the park if they do eventually get prosecuted by MACC.
It's a sad fact that the country's pride, reputation and the ensuing whatnots are being shoved down the drain just for the short term gain of these corrupted leaders.
PS: My mother was in tears (happiness) when I told her my Singaporean PR got approved last weak.
- 8 September 2010 at 00:42
Icing on the cake for Mooh's melayu first govt...obviously preparing himself to breaking every law in the book come July 13th using this dumb tiger....have some integrity...let the tiger out of the school emblem before it claws itself to death ...
- 9 July 2020 at 21:50


text:
Bathtub Reglazing Pacoima
Bathtub reglazing Pacoima is one of those odd, brand-new home renovating markets that has surfaced in the last few years. Yes, bathtub reglazing, likewise referred to as tub reglazing (or going by the more inclusive term, "surface area restoration"), has actually been around for much longer than that. Its appeal and broad acceptance by the average property owner is a new thing. The factor this has actually occurred is mostly due to the aggressive selling of tub and shower reglazing franchises. Bath tub reglazing Pacoima is often viewed as the easy, low-cost way out. And in a sense, it is. Shower and tub reglazing Pacoima is more affordable than a full remove and replace, and it is more affordable than tub and shower liners. After all, who can withstand the temptation of looking after that eyesore that has been hanging over your moving towards years by a basic application of bonding representatives and layers– all within the period of a couple of days? Much better than a New Tub or Shower? It Depends What all of it comes down to is this:
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Obama, Hillary Clinton to give joint interview
Staff Writer
Columbus Monthly
NEW YORK (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will give their first joint interview to the television news show "60 Minutes," and it will air Sunday.
Clinton is soon to leave her post as secretary of state, and already she is being mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for 2016.
Obama and Clinton competed for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, and their relationship has been watched closely ever since.
It's not clear what questions the two will face in their joint interview.


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text:
WASHINGTON — The House has passed a bill to end the National Security Agency's bulk collection of American phone records. It's the first legislative response to the disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, and the Senate is expected to take it up. But civil liberties activists and technology companies say the bill doesn't go nearly far enough.
The USA Freedom Act tracks a proposal made in January by President Barack Obama, who said he wanted to end the NSA's practice of collecting the "to and from" records of nearly every American landline telephone call.
The bill requires the phone companies to keep the records for 18 months — something they already were doing— and allows the NSA to search for connections to terrorist plots abroad in response to a court order.


text:
Face-off: The best fitness tracker bands from Nike, Jawbone and Fitbit
Walk further, sleep longer, and get fitter – these fitness trackers can rebuild you in style. It's the battle of the bands!
If your New Year's resolution is to get fitter, this is the place to find out how.
We strapped on the best wrist trackers on offer and took to the streets to find out once and for all which of them will do the best job of ushering you towards your healthy new lifestyle.
Jawbone Up
£100, jawbone.com
WHAT? If you're as interested in fashion as fitness, the Jawbone is the looker of the bunch. It's also got a really intelligent algorithm for tracking your steps and logging runs, and it'll even measure your sleep. Its interface uses an audio jack that lets you plug into your phone for a quick sync, battery readout, and change of alarm time or idle vibration alerts – perfect for reminding you to keep active. That's still more fiddly than the Bluetooth competition, though.
GOOD? Step and run recording is as accurate as you could hope, but what really sets the Up apart is the depth of its sleep tracking. Not only does it track your time with the sandman, it also wakes you up intelligently so you rise more naturally and refreshed. Then there's the brilliant power nap mode, which knows when you nod off and gives you 45 minutes of shuteye so you awake alert. While connectivity could be better, the lack of Bluetooth does extend battery life to a solid ten days.
SOFTWARE: From your data Up offers extra info. Not sleeping well? The app will give you tips on diet to help your kip. Plus you can record everything you eat on the Up app for a more rounded health view, or sync to MyFitnessPal, which has a far more substantial food tracker.
WORKS WITH: iOS, Android, PC and Mac.
VERDICT: Top looking smart-wrist-kit that'll not only keep you active but help you sleep better too. Five stars.
Fitbit Flex
£80, fitbit.com
WHAT? We've never seen so much tech crammed into such a small form. The Flex is a large pill-sized sensor that slips into a comfy, strong rubberised wrist strap. It packs in – deep breath – Bluetooth 4.0 to feed your phone live tracking info, NFC to activate the mobile app at a touch, an accelerometer for measurements, a week-long battery, a vibrating motor, and a five-light display. Phew. Plus it comes from market-leading step counter Fitbit – whose step-tracking algorithm is ultra-accurate. It's also the cheapest of the lot.
GOOD? Live tracking your steps on your mobile as you walk will certainly make you feel good, and whether on your phone or a computer you can set goals for distance, steps or calories. Five white lights, each representing twenty per cent, alert you – at a tap – to your progress. It'll track your sleep and silently wake you up, too, although not as intelligently as the Jawbone. But considering the price the only real complaint we have is that Android support is so far patchy at best. The Flex is a cracking iPhone companion, though.
SOFTWARE: Compatibility with other apps isn't as broad as with Jawbone, but MapMyRun and MyFitnessPal are onboard.
WORKS WITH: iOS, Android, PC and Mac.
VERDICT: Good gadgets do come in small packages, and being the cheapest of the bunch hasn't stopped the Flex brilliant. Five stars.
Nike+ FuelBand
£130, store.nike.com
WHAT? The trailblazer in wrist-worn step trackers, the FuelBand's engineered to perfection, offering strength, comfort, looks and functionality while making you feel like you're in an eighties-imagined future with its LED display. Yup, it tells the time, too – who'd have thought that could be so handy? A row of coloured lights show your goal while the screen illuminates calories burned, steps taken and Nike Fuel points attained. All this can also be displayed beautifully – and live – on your Nike+ mobile app.
GOOD? While this has been around a long while and accelerometer tech isn't new to Nike, it still feels the easiest to fool. And while Nike Fuel offers a way to motivate yourself through community competition, we felt more rewarded by real world data like steps and calories. You can pull Nike+ Running app data into your profile but it's not as all-encompassing as the open platform app offerings of the other two. Bluetooth mobile connectivity and live tracking work well but it is, and probably always will be, iOS only. With a price tag way higher than the others it's really the brand you're paying extra for.
SOFTWARE: You can receive achievements and awards to help motivate you to go above and beyond.
WORKS WITH: iOS, PC and Mac.
VERDICT: Engineered to perfection and looking great the FuelBand is close to perfect – if only it were cheaper. Four stars.