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What is the Allegory of the Cave?

Sculpture of Plato, author of The Republic.
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The Allegory of the Cave is a narrative device used by the Greek philosopher Plato in The Republic, one of his most well known works. It is an extended allegory where humans are depicted as being imprisoned by their bodies and what they perceive by sight only. Plato plays with the notion of what would occur if people suddenly encountered the divine light of the sun and perceived “true” reality — in other words, he examines what would happen if people actually embraced philosophy and became enlightened by it. The allegory has been the subject of many scholarly interpretations, and has many resonances is modern culture.

Context in The Republic

The Republic is structured as a fictional dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon, two Greek thinkers. The Allegory of the Cave becomes a seminal piece of the work when Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine a scenario in which people actually live their entire lives in a dark world where shadows and light refractions from fires behind them are the only constants. The people are chained up, Socrates says, but because this is the life they have always known, they do not understand or appreciate the limitations they face.

Socrates goes on to describe how these prisoners would likely react if they were to look directly at the fires they can only see flickers of — or, more importantly, how they would respond if they were ever brought out of the cave and into the world. Scholars have extensively analyzed the Allegory of the Cave, and though interpretations do tend to vary somewhat, most agree that the allegory speaks to man’s condition in the world, the power of knowledge and truth, and how easy it is for humans to become blinded by their own immediate limitations.

Man’s Condition

According to the allegory, man’s condition is one of bondage to perceptions. When man is chained up with only a fire behind him, he perceives the world by watching shadows on the wall. He does not realize that there is more to be seen or known, and as such leads a largely passive, disinterested life. So long as his basic needs are met, he does not ask questions. Many believe that this is a statement about people who do not overtly seek knowledge or truth, but rather accept what they are told or what they can immediately experience.

The Search for Truth

Socrates next describes what would occur if the chained man was suddenly released from his bondage and let out into the world. He describes how some people would immediately be frightened and would want to return to the cave and its familiarity. Others would look at the sun and finally begin to see the world as it truly is. These people, the allegory suggests, are wiling to seek the truth.

Truth-seekers would come to understand the limitations of their previous existence, and would question the deception of their former lives. A few would embrace the sun and the “true life,” and would therefore have a far better understanding of truth, knowledge, and wisdom. Many would also want to return to the cave to free the others in bondage. They would be puzzled when people still in the cave would not believe the now “enlightened” truth bearer.

Common Interpretations

Allegories are subject to numerous interpretations, and the Allegory of the Cave is no exception. Some interpret Plato’s work as related to Socrates’ life. Throughout The Republic, Socrates spent his life trying to unchain others by helping them arrive at “truth.” That he was dismissed, discredited, and ultimately sentenced to death suggests that “telling” someone the truth is inadequate.

Truth must be experienced rather than told because language fails to convey belief. This theme is a constant in Plato’s work. Language is the barest shadow of reality, and people who are firmly committed to a religious view often echo this statement — faith can’t be given to other people, but must be experienced to be known.

The Allegory of the Cave may also represent an extended metaphor for the state of human existence and the transformation that occurs during philosophical enlightenment. When the light of the sun shines on the freed man, he experiences enlightenment. The minor concerns of the world as he has viewed them previously are now seen as falsely held perceptions and he is eager to share his enlightenment with others.

Extension in Modern Media and Culture

Thematic elements from the Allegory of the Cave continue to influence Western thought. Whether or not a person agrees with Plato’s definition of truth or enlightenment, knowledge of his argument can inform interpretation of art, film, and literature since references to it are common and quite popular.

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Discuss this Article

Post 42

How does the "Allegory of the Cave" represent Socrates' life?

Post 40

In The Allegory of the Cave, are the people wrong to doubt the person who escaped? What are reasons for why they would not be wrong?

Post 38

What is reality? Is it what we experience, feel and see or what we perceive?

Post 37

why does the world of sensory perception somewhat illusory? Why does Plato say that our senses deceive us?

Post 36

how is education seen within the Allegory of the Cave?

Post 35

What are some examples of darkness and light? And what do the darkness and light represent?

Post 33

Could this relate to libertarianism?

Post 32

how could this possibly relate to moral education?

Post 31

Many individuals feel that the words "know thyself" refers to the "psychological personality." The correct way to write these words are "Know- Thy- Self" the Self (upper case S) refers to the true inner and eternal Self which is the revelation, spiritual experience and calling of Socrates and Plato (and actually many others throughout human history).

This is why Socrates stated at the end of his life "they may kill my body but not me" (i.e., the Eternal Self-Existing- Consciousness that is in each human being).

Post 30

Socrates's idea that reality is unavailable to those who use their senses is what puts him at odds with the common man, and with common sense. Socrates says that he who sees with his eyes is blind, and this idea is most famously captured in his allegory of the cave, and more explicitly in his description of the divided line. The allegory of the cave (begins Republic 7.514a) is a paradoxical analogy wherein Socrates argues that the invisible world is the most intelligible ("norton") and that the visible world ("(h)oraton") is the least knowable, and the most obscure.

Socrates says in the Republic that people who take the sun-lit world of the senses to be good and real are

living pitifully in a den of evil and ignorance. Socrates admits that few climb out of the den, or cave of ignorance, and those who do, not only have a terrible struggle to attain the heights, but when they go back down for a visit or to help other people up, they find themselves objects of scorn and ridicule.
Post 28

the cave is daily life i.e. unenlightenment. outside the "cave" refers to the spiritual enlightenment also known as nirvana, satori, the form of the good (pure spirit consciousness) the kingdom of heaven (Jesus), the "eternal now " (Nostradamus),and many other names. "Know thyself" means to "experience" thy self as an eternal spirit, (the practice of meditation). The ancient, true term for academy is "ashram" or spiritual school.

Subdue the earth, i.e., overcome the illusion of this world (light/energy or E=MC2) and "rest" in the eternal realm of "transcendental consciousness" a.k.a. the "form of the good" - the state of consciousness (a.k.a. spirit) which is the true purpose of this life.

Post 27

What is the meaning of "the Allegory of the Cave" and how it relates to knowing the truth about ourselves and who we are? Explain the role of personal knowledge.

Post 26

If applied to today, this is really about paradigms. How upbringing or stereotypes can alter what is actually happening around a person. You can see this every day.

For example, someone raised as a fundamentalist in any religion may perceive every other view point as misguided and incorrect, and even when presented with the truth, they may not accept it. The cave is what is shielding them from reality while the person who frees them is what causes a paradigm shift, or a change in perspective or knowledge.

Post 25

I think everyone has their on individual "cave" when it comes to reality and how we all naturally perceive and interpret it. We unknowingly translate reality through the subconscious -- at least I feel we do anyway.

Dwelling inside everyone's subconscious is this defined concept of 'cave' unique and distinct, not quite similar amongst genders. Originating acutely in the sense of one's mind is where it formulates, through contrast of any and all counts of typical and impulsive patterns of thinking.

The rooted origin where applications commingle in one's mind is the 'cave'. If reality enters, the 'cave' simultaneously will begin consumption, and dissection of the reality presence. One's 'cave' will break down the reality to more easily calculate "answers' or

truth, and even truth beyond actual reality. Thus the concept "cave" where the mind keeps resources, knowledge, and experiences used to map, and build the self needed truth structure.

The end and final result is the individual's self realization and unique point of view towards the reality conceived and the 'caves' perceptively found truth believed to be hidden or under-lined truth.

Possible eminent realms of ones "cave" could include: related motives, ideas, morals, values, religion, life, present, future, plans, goals, optimistic outlook, pessimistic outlook, libido, business, finance, race, gender, nationality and politics.

Post 23

plato is basically saying that we need to make the journey to true knowledge and those who get a glimpse of it will either embrace it or not.

he is basically saying that our senses are deceiving us and we cannot always believe what we see and hear. As Descartes said in "the meditations", 'why trust those who once deceived us, our senses deceive us yet we still believe everything we sense'. Plato is making a valid point to agree with this.

Plato is making an analysis that our lives are a 'puppet show' and we haven't experienced things such as true beauty because it is too vast for us to conceive when we are trapped in the cave that represents our reality.

he is a rationalist philosopher and believes that we need to only believe what is certain, for example, maths, because it's indisputable once you have the answer.

Post 21

is plato an idealist or materialist? why? i was just confused.

Post 20

To understand the difference between appearance and reality, study Plato's Forms.

Post 19

In the Allegory, Plato is trying to convey the difficulties of the Philosopher Kings (who are the only ones educated in Truth) communicating truth (sunlight) to the citizens (chained men).

Post 17

Are the distinctions among between appearance and reality? why or why not?

Post 14

What has not been mentioned here is Plato's idea of a "statesman." If an enlightened person felt compelled to return to the cave to govern, and pass on his knowledge, would he not want to stay there forever, since he now knows reality outside the cave? This, if it could work, would create politicians that actually felt obligated to govern, but did not want it for the glory of the office. They would govern with the poor prisoners in mind, and not a "position of power". No grandstanding senators! Does that make sense?

Post 13

As we can easily design and create what we are, we should conscientiously create who we are. We allow the things around us to create who we are, without thought to making any decision to our own outcome. We should become who we are because of our own decision. --Dasauhen

Post 12

it is related to the allegory of the sun, which represents God. it's a conundrum by plato.

Post 11

Perception of reality is perceived *by* the mind, like an illusion. What is truly reality is perceived *with* the mind, with underlying truth.

Post 10

i'm doing this article about the republic and the problem is i haven't read the book so i don't know what to write about the importance of the allegory?

Post 9

is there a continuation about the man lost in the forest?

Post 8

We are reading a book called Athem in class and it deals with the same thing. The main character leaves the world of everyone being the same to the outside forest, he discovers the light or freedom, and he is glad and shocked that his fellow man stays the same.

Post 7

OK so we were studying this in class and the secret meaning is actually about. Socrates tried to tell people that there was something more. he was sentenced to death so the truth is that always look further for the answer.

Post 6

The allegory of the cave must be analyzed in the total context of the Republic. Plato, having established that a "Philosopher King" needed to rule the Republic, finds himself in a bit "dilemma," i.e. how do I find a "Philosopher King" from among the people who are unfit as leaders. He could not have imported a King that would not be justice.

Metaphysically, then "the one" had to come from among people. He had to break free from the darkness and climb up, to behold the light and embrace that wish is real. It is from this group that enlightened "Philosopher Kings" will be trained and prepared for leadership.

Post 5

Why does Plato propose the philosophers of his academic to be the rulers turn by turn?

Post 4

I believe that Aristotle is trying to comment on society's lack of knowledge and acceptance of what we call "truth." Plato is arguing that anyone who holds a truth has an obligation to share that truth, even if society fails to accept or acknowledge it.

Post 3

In the Allegory of the Cave, what is Plato trying to get you to understand about reality and perception of reality?

Post 2

possibly that many may embrace reality but few accept the perception of that same reality?

Post 1

In the Allegory of the Cave, what is Plato trying to get you to understand about reality and perception of reality?

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Milwaukee families observe National Adoption Day

 UPDATED 7:05 PM CST Nov 16, 2012

Children and families came together Friday to celebrate together the start of a new family life.

Milwaukee's Children's Court Judiciary held its National Adoption Day ceremony Friday morning as 9 families gave new homes to 14 children.

Even though the national observance is Nov. 17, none of the families minded celebrating a day early.

"I've wanted to be a mom my entire life and today it's going to happen," Kristen Ekiss said.

"We were looking at overseas and we just realized there are people in our own backyard that need to be loved," said Ben Ekiss.

They have been foster parents to Kamari and Desire for the past nine months, and Friday they chose to make it official.

Eight other sets of parents also gathered to bring new additions to their families.

Adoption Day began on a national scale in 2000. More than 40,000 adoptions have taken place during the annual observance.

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The Importance of Communication in Magickal Workings

Author: Taylor Ellwood [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: June 1st. 2004
Times Viewed: 6,700

Lately, I've been forcibly reminded by various events in my life how important communication is within any kind of relationship. If you keep the lines of communication open, a foundation of trust is built and from that foundation grows a strong relationship, be it a working relationship, a friendship, or something more. But when you work magick with someone else, this need for communication and consequently trust becomes even more apparent. Without effective communication between practitioners, magick won't work. Actually it's fair to say that this principle can be applied to any aspect of life.

Recently, I realized this principle, when I considered dropping out of my graduate school program. I was very stressed out and felt that I could not communicate with any of my professors. However, I didn't try to communicate with my professors before writing a letter stating I was leaving the program. And although afterwards I did talk with the professors and change my mind, it took a while to iron out details and I lost a summer job. And the reason was because I didn't take the time to communicate or trust the people in my department. I could blame all of this on stress and other situations in my life, but ultimately the responsibility for my choice is on me. I luckily only lost a summer job, as opposed to something more consequential, but this experience was enough to get me to seriously consider several factors.

First, in any relationship, it is important to communicate openly with people around you. This is especially true when something is going wrong. If you don't communicate with the person then how can the situation be resolved in a favorable manner? Second, communication does require trust. On some level you have to decide whether you trust someone enough to communicate with that person or not. If you don't trust someone, you likely won't communicate with that person if there's a problem. The reason is because your lack of trust causes you to view the person from a biased perspective, though in some cases previous experiences with the person can make such a perspective unbiased. However, one should never use prior experiences with other people as the sole measuring stick of determining whether or not to trust or communicate with a person.

But how does all of this apply to magick? Although it seems self-evident, for effective magick to be worked by a person s/he must honestly communicate with the people that s/he has chosen to work with, as well as with him/herself. If the communication is not honest, there is no way that the magick that is worked will be effective, for the simple reason that any dishonesty on a person's part will sabotage the intent of the magick. If, in a community, people do not trust each other, that community will fall apart.

Another example that occurred to me recently involved a magickal community that I wanted to join. I ended up not joining because I noticed that some people acted uneasy around me, although these same people were not willing to discuss whatever it was about me that discomforted them. After I made my choice not to join the community, one of the elders of that community informed me that apparently my energy unsettled some people, including that elder. Not once had this elder, who I'd talked with numerous times, ever tried to talk with me and mention this in a manner that indicated discomfort or unsettlement on her part. Discomfort was mentioned in regards to other people, but never did those people try to speak with me. In the end I realized that it was best I had not joined the group because these people did not communicate with me or try to resolve what unsettled them. For that matter, they didn't try and use that unsettlement as a challenge of personal growth for themselves. This lack of communication showed me that they did not trust me and consequently I could not trust any member of that community, if only because I had to wonder if they were being honest with me or just pretending honesty to avoid a conflict.

What it comes down to is that honest communication and trust is essential in magick when you deal with other people and by extension it is wise to extend this practice to your everyday life. Finally it is even wiser to extend this practice to yourself. A person must be honest with him/herself in everything to really succeed. The communication you have with yourself is not so much you speaking to yourself as it is observing your behavior and learning to not only praise yourself, but also work hard on yourself when you find flaws.

Certainly in the case of the first example, I have learned that I can be overly impulsive and that I need to take a moment to consider my options before going through with a decision, particularly a decision that can change my life as radically as mine would have, had I ended up leaving college. And unfortunately, in my case, I have to deal with repercussions of my impulsive behavior and those repercussions are ones that, for me, hammer in the point that my own communication skills need work, particularly with myself, in that only I can truly curb my impulsive behavior. In other words, I need to recognize when and where to turn on the inner voice and say to myself: "Wait a minute, is this what you want to do?" Likewise I am sure you have your own faults in communicating with others and yourself that, if you show a modicum of self awareness, you can catch and change.

As a magickian and a person it's a good idea to observe yourself and how you act in any situation. Even in the community example I used, I easily could have taken initiative and spoken to the people who were unsettled by me. I chose instead to wait and see if they would talk with me. I think I made a wiser choice by doing that, but nonetheless, in some situations, taking the initiative to communicate with people can be a sign of trust and also a willingness to get past whatever differences lie between you and whoever you are talking with.

One good exercise you can try is to have a friend tape you in social situations. However, have the friend do it when you least expect it. Then have the friend play the tape back and see if you recognize the person that is you, communicating on the tape. Ask yourself if this person is who you really want to be known as? Then figure out a course of action to change your behavior. This is an effective exercise to do, in particular, in the magickal communities you are part of. By being aware of how you communicate, you can judge whether trust between yourself and others is established or not.

Another good way to evaluate how you communicate is to examine the emails you send out on e-lists, and in particular the responses you get to those emails. Do you come off sounding imperious or arrogant? Do you have respect for your audience? By examining your writing and peoples' reactions to it, you can achieve an awareness of whether or not you are effectively communicating and establishing trust between yourself and other people.

I've said before all of this applies to magick. Now let me tell you how it does. It applies to magickal practices in that, if there is in a group, or even between two individuals, a lack of trust and effective communication, then the magick will not effectively work. I think of magick as energy and so if there is an impediment to the energy flow, by lack of communication or trust, then the energy won't be applied to do whatever it is you want it to do. Worse, sometimes if one person is dishonest and the other person is honest and trusts the dishonest person, there can be bad effects for the honest person. The honest person has after all opened up his/her energy to the other person and is, in essence, being infected by this person's dishonesty. And although we can all claim to protect ourselves from bad energy, this protection can be ineffective if we trust someone and open ourselves up to that person. In other words, the dishonesty and lack of trust and communication on one person's part can hurt the other person.

A personal example of this comes from my own life. I worked, for a time, with a shaman and among other things we did sex magick together. One time this shaman gave me an herbal drink, but did not tell me that this herbal drink would cause a hallucinogenic experience. When the hallucinogenic experience kicked in I was taken by surprise and in fact my body went into system shock, as I had no way of preparing for this trip. I ended up nearly dying and it took almost two months for me to regain my health. This situation could've turned out differently had the shaman told me what was in the drink. I could have refused or chosen to take it, but he took that decision out of my hand and in essence magickally raped me through not only the herbal potion, but also the sex magick, which while I had consented to...well it's fair to say I didn't expected the sex magick to occur in an altered state of mind, with myself being extremely vulnerable to this person.

Needless to say this experience showed me the value of honest communication and also trust within a magickal working relationship. If you find that you cannot trust someone you should not work with that person as the communication will break down and potentially one of you will get hurt. You owe it to yourself and to whoever you work with to communicate at all times, even at times when you might not be comfortable with that person. Only in that way can a bond of trust be established and the magick that you work be mutually beneficial for you and whoever you work with.

Taylor Ellwood

Taylor Ellwood

Location: Portland, Oregon

Author's Profile: To learn more about Taylor Ellwood - Click HERE

Bio: Taylor Ellwood is currently pursuing his PhD in Literacy, Rhetoric, and Social Practice at Kent State University. He is the author of Pop Culture Magick, available this September from Immanion Press and the co-author of Creating Magickal Entities. Taylor is currently writing his third book Space/Time Magick as well as more articles. Check out Taylor's webpage at or his livejournal at Taylor can also be contacted at the email address above.

Other Articles: Taylor Ellwood has posted 19 additional articles- View them?

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Inspiration for your road to the altar

March 2, 2010

I love stationery…a lot. All of the paper products for our wedding were some of my favorite elements, and my husband will be forever annoyed by the giant “stationery & paper” box that takes up part of our closet. In the course of writing the blog I am introduced to a lot of stationery designers, but in my top five favorites will always be Gia of Betsywhite. And I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I love her blog just as much!

Gia just released a few new designs for Betsywhite, and in the process she shared the inspiration boards behind each of the designs. Its truly part of the reason I love her blog so much…her inspiration boards are divine! The new design above is called Emmy, and here is the inspiration behind it:

So lovely! Another one of my favorite designs is called Aubrey…here she is along with the inspiration board:

Shall we discuss how much I wish that barn with the green door was in the vicinity of my wedding? ((Sigh)) You can find several more wonderful designs on the Betsywhite website, and be sure to check out Flights of Fancy as well. Beautiful work, Gia!
Photo Credits for Aubrey inspiration board row 1: Leigh Miller Lisa Lefkowitzrow 2: Braedon Photography Martha Stewart Martha Stewartrow 3: Anna Kuperberg Jonathan Canlas via Green Wedding Shoes

Alee & Press

January 26, 2010

I am really appreciating the clean, classic designs from alee & press. I am always a fan of something that will be relevant years down the road and these designs certainly fit the bill! {Found via Lovely Morning}

I was asked a question this week about the best way to keep track of response cards. Here’s the thing – it is almost inevitable that one (or sometimes more) of your guests will kindly return a reply card but completely forget to mention who they are. Even if you leave a blank line for their name, sometimes in all the excitement such details are forgotten.

I’ve read that you should create a spreadsheet with a number corresponding to each invitation, and then mark the back of each response card with that person(s) assigned number. But seeing as how I am a little ridiculous and borderline crazy, I couldn’t bear to mark up our response cards with even the tiniest of numbers. So when I was at the Container Store one day I found these invisible ink pens (they don’t seem to carry them anymore but you can buy them elsewhere). The beauty of it all? You can still use the aforementioned tracking system but not leave a visible mark on your response cards. And when Aunt Linda sends back her exuberant reply but forgets to include her name? You get to feel like a spy and wield your magic UV light to reveal the senders true identity. Win-win!


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4-Unrelated Rule In Greenville To Be Scrapped

It's been a controversial issue and debated back and forth and could be changing again. We're talking about the number of unrelated people who can live in the same house in the university area in Greenville.

That number was bumped up from three to four in 2012, but now council has voted to repeal it.

Ed Harper lives in the area affected and will be glad to see the switch. He's always been concerned the going from three to four unrelated people would mean increased noise, cars, and garbage.

Harper says, "We don't think it's a good idea if this is to become more of a rental neighborhood than it already is.

Not too far from Harper's home, Landon Balint lives with three roommates. He says says the four of them living in a house that appropriately accommodates them has never been a concern for his neighbors.

Balint says, "We've never had the cops knock on the door or anything. They usually ride by and as long as everything's contained everything's cool they don't say anything."

Greenville Mayor Pro Tem Calvin Mercer says,"The last city council, against widespread opposition, passed a bad policy that incentivizes rentals in a neighborhood were it does not need rentals."

Mercer says since the increase in unrelated occupants was passed, more than 40 permits to convert to rentals in the area affected were submitted.

Mercer says continuing with this trend will hurt the neighborhood. He says, "We want rentals in our city, we want landlords, but we want a healthy mix between rentals and home ownership. And in this particular neighborhood, it is on the verge of extreme difficulties because that balance is going the wrong way."

The rule is set to come back to the council for a public hearing and final vote in March.

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Camp Lejeune Main Gate Closed This Weekend

More roadwork is needed at the Camp Lejeune main gate, so officials have closed that gate through the weekend to finish paving.

Wet weather conditions hampered scheduled paving at the base's main entrance last weekend. The Piney Green gate will be open around the clock during this period to facilitate in-and-outbound traffic over the weekend.

The main gate is scheduled to reopen Monday morning at 4:30 in the morning.

Visitors must still get a pass at the main gate visitor’s center before entering through the Piney Green gate.

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NWS: Wacky Weather Normal Climate Fluctuations

We've seen temperatures near 80, we've had sleet, freezing rain, snow, and thunderstorms all in just the first month of 2013, which may make you wonder what that means for the spring.

Temperatures were more winter-like on Friday compared to the readings into the 70's just a few days ago. However, Chris Collins, the senior forecaster at the Newport National Weather Service office says it's typical weather for the region.

Collins says while you can not forecast based on prior weather patterns in the months before, he does say that mid March through early June will be the time for severe weather. Collins says, "The thing about is we are kind of in a neutral state. We don't have an El Nino or a La Nina, so were just having the normal climate fluctations we have this time of year."

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Home  >  Wizard World Comic Con  >  St. Louis  >  Archon
(Fan Community)
ArchonArchon is a premier fan-run Science Fiction/Fantasy convention that began in 1977. Previous guests have included George R.R. Martin, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Ray Harryhausen, Robert Jordan, Laurell K. Hamilton and many, many more. Archon is held in the Midwest (Collinsville, Illinois), near the convergence of several interstate highways, a major metropolitan area (St. Louis), and an international airport. Archon has a personal touch -- we want EVERYONE who visits to have the best time, meet fellow fans and great guests, and go back home eager to return the following year.
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Beach Church Foreclosure Coming To An End

It was once one of the largest and most prosperous churches in the southeast. Tonight it's in the hands of one of the largest and most prosperous banks in the southeast.

Markus bishop has apparently agreed to give up the Faith Christian Family Church and it's surrounding property on Back Beach Road to SunTrust bank.

A judge signed off of the foreclosure judgment this week.

The bank tried to foreclose on the property last year, but Bishop filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy to block the move. In November the judge tossed out the bankruptcy filing and allow SunTrust to proceed with foreclosure.

Under the terms of this week's judgment, Faith Christian Family Church will have until March 1st to vacate the property, if SunTrust decides to take title, which most anticipate it will.

The court puts the total value of the settlement at 3-point-3 million dollars.

The ruling does not include Bishop's multi-million dollar Panama City Beach mansion he calls his parsonage.

Bishop has already reopened another church, in the old Gulf Beach Baptist sanctuary, near the intersections of Front Beach, Middle Beach and Thomas Drive.

Bishop’s new church is named “The Life Center, a Spiritual Community”.

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Mosley Boys Win Swim Meet Thursday

Panama City Beach, FL---It was a rather busy afternoon at the PCB Aquatic Center. The Bay county Short Pentathlon held there Thursday with Arnold, Bay, Mosley, North Bay Haven and Rutherford all competing, along with a team out Chattanooga!

The video attached shows one of the heats in the boys 50 meter butterfly, Mosley's Jonathan Ratliff, not in this heat, would go on to win that final.

Next up, the boy's backstroke and Ratliff is in this video, he takes this heat and with a time of 26.02 goes on to win that final as well.

Ratliff the overall boy's winner in points, Mosley wins the boy's team title. Girl's prep of Chattanooga takes that team title, and top individual honors, Arnold's Hannah Retherford
was second. The complete finals sheet attached to this story.

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LIVE VIDEO: Live on Lakeside    Watch

Chardon: Leave condolences for victims' families

12:09 PM, Mar 5, 2012   |    comments
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The lives of three teenage boys were cut tragically short on the morning of February 27 when a gunman opened fire at Chardon High School.  Two other teenagers survived but were seriously hurt.

You can leave a message of condolence or light a virtual candle in memory of Daniel Parmertor, Demetrius Hewlin and Russell King at the on-line tributes page set up for each of them.

You can leave well wishes for the families of the injured students in the comments section below.

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Driver Charged With Murder in Deadly Crash

A car crash Thursday night in Clark County near the Madison County Line takes one life and leaves the driver charged with murder and D.U.I.

Police say Richard Parsons of Lexington was driving drunk on Athens-Boonesboro Road. He ran off the road and went over a cliff falling more than 50 feet.

The passenger in the car died, Parons was hurt.

It took emergency crews more than an hour to rescue him.

They rushed Parons to Clark Regional Medical Center in Winchester where he was treated and released. He is now under arrest in Clark County for D.U.I. and murder.

The name of the man who died in the accident after the car went over the ravine has not been released.

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Woman arrested in overnight Lexington armed robbery

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Police have arrested a woman who they say was responsible for an armed robbery.

Lexington police say a man called them early Wednesday morning to say he had been robbed at knife-point by two women on North Broadway.

The victim was able to give police a description of their get-away car.

Police quickly caught up with that car on Loudon Avenue.

Inside, court documents show police found the victim's cell phone and two knives.

Police arrested Karen Hernandez, 19, and charged her with robbery.

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WKYT - Frankfort - Headlines

Statewide smoking ban not likely to make it out of house

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Legislation that would institute a statewide smoking ban in restaurants and other public places has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee for further review, making it unlikely it can pass in this legislative session.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Tuesday he doesn't expect the measure to make it back to the full House for consideration.

The bill has proven divisive in Kentucky, one of the nation's top tobacco-producing states.

Gov. Steve Beshear pressed for the smoking ban during his annual State of the Commonwealth speech earlier this month, saying the 25 percent of Kentuckians who smoke could still light up if the measure passes, just not in places where they would expose others to their smoke.

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WMU Home > About WMU > WMU News

WMU News

Grace Tiffany reads from newest book

Dec. 3, 2006

KALAMAZOO-- Dr. Grace Tiffany, WMU professor of English, will read from and talk about her new book, "Love's Pilgrimage: The Holy Journey in English Renaissance Literature," at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, on the 10th floor of Sprau Tower. Her talk is free and open to the public.

Tiffany's book explores accounts of the pilgrimage in Protestant poetry and prose, including the work of Edmund Spenser, William Shakespeare, John Donne, John Milton and John Bunyan. Tiffany's discussion of these authors' works illuminates her larger claim that the imaginative importance of the pilgrimage persisted and manifested itself in various ways in English culture, despite the fact that in the 16th century, such pilgrimages to saints' shrines disappeared from English life--along with the shrines themselves.

Tiffany's presentation is the fall semester's keynote talk for the WMU Department of English's Scholarly Speakers Series. The series' keynote talk each semester features a WMU faculty member who has published a new book.

Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu

WMU News
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World Climate Services Programme
Climate Applications and Services
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Programmes > WCP > WCASP / CLIPS >

Climate Information and Prediction Services (CLIPS) Project

The Climate Information and Prediction Services (CLIPS) project was established by WMO in 1995 upon endorsement by the Twelfth World Meteorological Congress, as a new paradigm for climate services based on the vision that socio-economic decisions can benefit substantially from better knowledge of both contemporary and near-future climate conditions. The CLIPS project was conceived as an implementation arm of the World Climate Applications and Services Programme (WCASP), to build on the ongoing research advances and evolving operational networks, particularly on the regional and national scales. The principal objective of CLIPS is to develop the capacity of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to take advantage of the recent advances in climate science and to pass along the benefits to improve climate services with a user focus.

The CLIPS Project builds on the past decades of successful atmospheric and oceanographic research, and on established operational meteorological and hydrological networks involving international and regional centres as well as the NMHSs. At the same time, it builds on a developing capability to predict climate on monthly, seasonal and interannual time scales. The CLIPS Project is working to ensure that the NMHSs are assisted in the design, production, and dissemination of the full suite of climate services. CLIPS is designed to stimulate the use of sector-specific information, in an ongoing, iterative process of dialogue between the producers of climatic information and the multitude of users in government, academia, private industry and the media. It was envisaged right at the beginning of the project that this process would be based on established technical cooperation structure between WMO and the regional and sub-regional bodies especially through the WMO Regional Associations (RAs).

The main project components of CLIPS include training and capacity building, development of best practices in operational climate services including verification and user liaison, communication of El Niño/La Niña and related aspects, determining research needs and liaison with research programmes, demonstration/showcase projects, and regional as well as climate provider-user networking and consensus building.

Over the past decade and half, the main activities underpinning the CLIPS project implementation include:

  • Promotion of operational climate prediction services, particularly on seasonal to interannual scales;
  • Providing an active interface between the research and operational communities;
  • Development of operational frameworks linking global, regional and national level long range forecasts;
  • Establishment of WMO Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) including the development of their formal designation process involving CCl, CBS and RAs;
  • Promotion of consensus-based climate outlook product generation, particularly through its support to the Regional Climate Outlook Forum (RCOF) process;
  • Regular issue of WMO El Niño/La Niña Updates based on global consensus;
  • Capacity building of NMHSs in providing climate services through a worldwide programme of CLIPS Training Workshops;
  • Establishment of a CLIPS Focal Point network and its coordination through Regional CLIPS Rapporteurs;
  • Integration of CLIPS activities into the regional coordination of climate related matters within the RAs;
  • Promotion of climate applications through showcase projects and user liaison activities;
  • Development of CLIPS Curriculum and web-based information;
  • Cross-cutting activities with other WMO technical programmes, especially WCRP, WCDMP, DRR, AgMP, HWR, ETR and WWW, Technical Commissions CBS, CAgM and CHy as well as other global systems such as GCOS and GEO;
  • Closer integration of climate applications activities and CLIPS, including partnerships with UN bodies and international organizations such as WHO, UNWTO, IRI, etc.

The Fifteenth Session of World Meteorological Congress (2007) acknowledged the accomplishments and contributions of CLIPS to the development of climate services around the world and called for an Implementation Plan for future evolution of CLIPS activities, taking into account recent developments in the area.

© World Meteorological Organization, 7bis, avenue de la Paix, Case postale No. 2300, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland - Tel.: +41(0)22 730 81 11 - Fax: +41(0)22 730 81 81 Contact us Copyright | Privacy | Scams | Disclaimer |  Guidelines | Procurement | UN System | Accessibility


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Download 2011 Schedule Now!

Keep your schedule up to date with the Liberty as we embark on a brand new season, the 15th to be exact. You can now download the entire 2011 Liberty regular season schedule Just follow the simple steps below:

iCalendar format:
Right click here to download the Liberty schedule in iCalendar (ICS) format.
(for use with Google Calendar and Apple iCal)

Steps to Download to Microsoft Outlook
1. Right Click Here (preferably in Internet Explorer) to download the Liberty Schedule for Outlook.
2. 'Save Target As' to your desktop.
3. From Outlook, select 'File > Import and Export'.
4. Click 'Import from another program or file'.
5. Click file type 'Comma Separated Values (Windows)'.
6. Locate the downloaded file and click 'Next'.
7. If you are prompted to select a destination folder, select 'Calendar'
8. Click on 'Finish' to complete the import process.
8. Some versions of Outlook will require you to choose which fields you'd like to import. In that case, drag and drop desired field names from the left side of the pop-up menu to the right side.

*Please note: Game times are subject to change.


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AAUW Helps Women Gain Educational Momentum

By Helen McClintock

Rachel Pagan

Rachel Pagan

Angelica Coffey is the only child of a single mother who could not afford to send her daughter to college. So at 18, Angel (as she’s usually called) decided on a career in the army in hopes of adventure and an education. It was not to be.

“I liked the recruiter so much, I decided to marry him instead of enlist,” said Angel.

When she married, Angel became stepmother to a 12-year-old boy and, in time, had four more children who now range in age from 22 to 10. Soon after the wedding, Angel’s husband became partially disabled and, a few years later, 100% disabled. Angel became her husband’s caretaker and medical advocate until he died less than two years ago. Now a widow aged 42 (she looks younger despite the white streaks in her hair), Angel decided she must have a college education so she can earn a decent living and make sure all her children go to college.

“I knew getting an education would involve sacrifi ces, not just for me but for my children. They would have to do without a lot. No TV, no eating out, no designer clothes. I also knew I’d need financial help, so I applied for scholarships.”

One scholarship she received was from the GEM Fund, which is the philanthropic arm of the Asheville branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), an organization dedicated to breaking down educational, economic, and legal barriers for women and girls. The GEM Fund was founded in 2002 to raise money for undergraduate scholarships to local colleges for women who either did not go to college immediately after high school or dropped out for some reason. GEM, which stands for gaining educational momentum, awarded its first scholarship 10 years ago. The amount was $500.

“In 2012 GEM awarded ten $1,000 scholarships to A-B Tech and two $1,500 scholarships to UNC-A,” said GEM President Alice Doner. “The scholarships have grown both in number and size, thanks to the generosity of our members and friends. We increase the number of scholarships more than the amount of each scholarship because our partners at A-B Tech tell us that’s what they prefer. That way the scholarships touch more lives.”

Angel agrees that getting the scholarship means more than extra cash.

Tiara Banks

Tiara Banks

“The money made a real difference,” she said. “For me to go to school full time, my family has to cut back on everything that’s not absolutely necessary. But,” she continued. “The greatest effect of the scholarship was the boost to my confidence. It felt so good that strangers thought enough of me to give me money. It’s only now, at age 42, that I’m beginning to stand on my own feet. Until my husband died, he was in charge. Now, I’m in charge. It’s both scary and exciting. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but I’m slowly beginning to believe I can. Getting this scholarship reinforced that belief.”

Angel is dual-enrolled at A-B Tech and Western Carolina University. She takes classes in person at AB Tech and one online class per semester from WCU. In 2016, she graduates with a nursing degree.

“Actually,” Angel continued, “When I graduate what I really want to be is a patient advocate and medical care coordinator. Through caring for my husband, I learned that patients often see different doctors for different problems, and each doctor doesn’t always know what other treatments their patients are getting. I want to track all that for patients, so nothing about their treatment gets messed up.”

Like Angel, many recipients are single mothers, struggling to get an education so they can provide a better life for themselves and their children. Others have already raised a family and are hoping for a new career.

Rachel Pagán is one such scholarship recipient and, at 55, is this year’s eldest. Rachel served time in the Navy and later had a 27-year career as an RN. She is divorced for many years and has three children, the youngest still in college.

“I got tired of nursing and wanted to expand my horizons and knowledge,” Rachel said. So I quit my job, moved to Asheville, and applied for college.”

The scholarship was also a boost to Rachel’s self-confidence.

“I got a GEM scholarship two years in a row,” she said. “You can’t imagine what that did for me. It felt so good.”

Rachel is in her last year at UNC-A and will major in religious studies.

“Not because I’m particularly religious,” she said. “But because I’m fascinated by the variety and number of religions in the world. At first, I wanted to focus on Native American and African religions, but my studies eventually spanned all religions.”

Angelica Coffey

Angelica Coffey

While she was thinking how to focus her final research paper, Rachel read about the African Burial Ground National Monument in Manhattan.

“I was intrigued that 15,000 people—mostly slaves but some free blacks—were buried there more than 300 years ago and then forgotten. The city grew around them and eventually covered them over. The cemetery was discovered about 20 years ago when excavations began for a new building. I decided to look into the lives of the people buried there, to learn whether they converted to Christianity or kept their African religions.”

Rachel’s paper was one of those chosen to present last November at the conference of the North Carolina Religious Studies Association in Wilmington.

“It was such an honor,” Rachel said. “One I never expected.”

Like Angel, Rachel has a small income and lives simply so she can pursue her studies. Besides the AAUW scholarship, she received a Pell Grant and has student loans, which one day she’ll have to repay.

“The AAUW scholarships were a blessing,” said Rachel. “It freed up some money I’d budgeted for school and allowed me to give it to my youngest daughter who’s attending George Mason University. The scholarships not only helped me, they also helped my daughter.”

Tiara Edwards is this year’s youngest recipient. She’s 23 and, despite her youth, she knows the value of an education. She is just as enthusiastic about college as Angel or Rachel. She tells a story about when her mother was pregnant with her.

“My mother already had six children and was scared about how she’d take care of yet another. But then she had a dream that she’d have a daughter, and the daughter would become something great.”

Tiara smiles. She’s loves this story.

“So right now,” Tiara continued. “My main goal in life is to make my mother proud. I want to be a civil rights lawyer and defend people who have a hard time defending themselves, especially women.”

Tiara’s mother must be proud of her daughter already. In her short life, she has already accomplished much despite difficulties that might deter a less determined woman. When Tiara was still in high school, her family moved from New York to Asheville. Tiara stayed behind, moved in with her fi ancé’s family, was treated badly, and forced to drop out of school to care for her fiancé’s invalid mother.

“It was a foolish decision to stay in New York and drop out of school,” Tiara said. “Especially foolish because I was doing well in school. For example, during 8th grade I represented the school in moot court before the New York Bar Association. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. I was good at sports too. I was the only girl on the basketball team at the Carmine Recreation Center for four years. Those boys toughened me for life, and I’m still friends with the coach.”

Eventually, Tiara realized her mistake. She left New York, moved to Asheville, and enrolled in A-B Tech where her grades are so good that she receives scholarships. She’ll graduate with an AA in May and transfer to UNC-A in the fall to get her four-year degree in political science. When I ask where she wants to go to law school, she smiles, almost in disbelief at her own audacity.

“Duke,” she says. “I want to go to Duke.”

And, you know, she probably will go to Duke. Tiara has energy to spare and a determination to succeed. In the meantime, she works part-time at Jo Ann’s fabric shop on Tunnel Road. If you go to that store, be sure to say “hello” and congratulate her on her successes so far.

Most of the money for the GEM scholarships is contributed by AAUW members, their families, and friends.

“Although we raise most of our funds from members, we’d love to attract partners, private and corporate, from outside AAUW,” said Alice Doner. “One of our goals this year is to do more public outreach and expand our donor base. To all our contributors, we say thank you, thank you. And, of course, all donations are tax deductible.”

GEM accepts contributions at any time, including gifts made to honor someone—for example, on a birthday—or in remembrance of a loved one. In addition, every spring GEM begins a fundraiser season, which kicks off this year with an event called “Bling, Bling, Bash” to be held Saturday, April 6, from 10 to 2, at the Beaver Dam Fire Station. It’s a sale of fabulous “gently used” accessories such as costume jewelry, handbags, and scarves. The public is invited to contribute or to purchase items, and all proceeds go to the GEM Fund.

The culminating event of the fundraising season is the annual fundraiser party, held every year in the afternoon of the first Sunday in June. The public is welcome to attend.

“For the last two years, we’ve been fortunate enough to have the event at the historic Fernihurst mansion on the A-B Tech campus,” said Alice Doner. “And it’ll be held there again this year on June 2 from 4 to 6 pm.”

Fernihurst is a beautifully restored mansion built on a hilltop around 1875. When George W. Vanderbilt saw it, he tried to buy it. But the owners would not sell, so Mr. Vanderbilt bought much of the rest of the land around Asheville and built Biltmore instead. Some argue that the view from Fernihurst is better than from Biltmore.

“It’s a lovely venue for a party,” said Alice Doner. “One that isn’t usually open to the public, so coming to GEM’s fundraiser gives people a chance to see it all dressed up, full of flowers. We’re honored A-B Tech allows us to use this beautiful house. Tickets are $40, which includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Not only are all funds donated to GEM fully tax-deductible, they are all used entirely for scholarships. GEM has no paid staff—volunteers run the program. Which means that all contributions go directly for scholarships for women in the greater Asheville area. More information about GEM and the fundraiser events is available on the AAUW website. The website also has information for people who want to join AAUW-Asheville.

“AAUW-Asheville is lively and growing,” said Molly Keeney, President. “Lots of newcomers to Asheville join because it’s a great way to meet people and make new friends. We do more than provide scholarships, although that’s our main philanthropic activity. However, we also have lots of social activities such as film groups, book groups, a world affairs study group, lunch groups, international dining. And, in all modesty, we’re a great group of women. We’re fun, we’re smart, and we’re friendly. We do accept men as members, but so far, none have taken us up on it. We’re waiting for the first courageous man to fill out an application.”

AAUW is a national organization with a mission to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

“The Asheville branch has about 150 members, so we can’t cover all those areas,” said Molly Keeney. “We focus on education. That’s why we set up the GEM program. Our motto is Diamonds are not a girl’s best friend. An education is.”

2012 GEM Fund Scholarship Recipients
Dual-enrolled at A-B Tech and Western Carolina
Angelica Coffey
A-B Tech Community College
Julia Considine-Heck
Tiara Edwards
Amelia Garcia
Mary Gionanniello
Kristin Kahl
Charlotte Leonard
Guenevere Seastrom
Christina Spetz
Roxanna Vess

Rachel Pagán
Kirsten Cloutier

Like the students described in this article, Helen McClintock began her college education later than usual, at age 38. She is now a medical editor, fairly new to Asheville, and a member of AAUW.

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Guest Picks: Jill Lepore

Jill Lepore in the WNYC studios

Historian Jill Lepore came to the Lopate Show studios on October 1, 2013, to talk about her new book, Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin, about Benjamin Franklin's sister, Jane. She shared her guest picks with us.

What have you read or seen over the past year (book, play, film, etc…) that moved or surprised you?

          "In a World" (the film)

What are you listening to right now?

           Pink Floyd

What’s the last great book you read?

           The Ghostwriter (Philip Roth)

What’s one thing you’re a fan of that people might not expect?

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What’s your favorite comfort food?


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Ipe (Tabebuia)

Ipe is an imported hardwood

Ipe, the common name for the lapacho group of the genus Tabebuia, consists of about 20 species of trees and occurs in practically every Latin America country except Chile. Other commonly used names are guayacan and lapacho. Sapwood is relatively wide, yellowish gray or gray-brown, and sharply differentiated from heartwood, which is light to dark olive brown. The texture is fine to medium. The grain is straight to very irregular and often narrowly interlocked.

The wood is very heavy and averages about 1,025 kg/m3 (64 lb/ft3) at 12% moisture content. Thoroughly air-dried heartwood specimens generally sink in water. Because of its high density and hardness, ipe is moderately difficult to machine, but glassy smooth surfaces can be produced. Ipe is very strong; in the air-dried condition, it is comparable with greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei). Hardness is two to three times that of white oak (Quercus alba) or keruing (Dipterocarpus). The wood is highly resistant to decay and insects, including both subterranean and dry-wood termites, but susceptible to marine borer attack. The heartwood is impermeable, but the sapwood can be readily treated with preservatives.

Primary Uses

Ipe is used almost exclusively for heavy-duty and durable construction. Because of its hardness and good dimensional stability, it is particularly well suited for heavy-duty flooring in trucks and boxcars. It is also used for decks, railroad crossties, turnery, tool handles, decorative veneers, and some specialty items in textile mills.


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Trustee Emerita Laura Bornholdt Remembered as a Pioneer

College salutes advocate for liberal arts colleges and historically black educational institutions

July 20, 2012 by John Finn

WOOSTER, Ohio — The College of Wooster notes with sadness the passing of Laura Bornholdt, a member of the Board of Trustees at Wooster from 1967-77 and Life Trustee Emerita from 1977-2012. A leading advocate for liberal arts colleges and historically black educational institutions, Bornholdt is remembered as a pioneer among women chosen to serve as leaders in higher education. She passed away in April at the age of 93.

A graduate of Smith College, where she was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Bornholdt earned her Ph.D. in history from Yale University. She then taught at Smith College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Wellesley College. She also served as Dean of Women at the University of Pennsylvania and Dean of the College at Wellesley and Sarah Lawrence College.

Bornholdt’s many achievements include being selected as the first woman vice president for the Danforth Foundation and Lilly Endowment Inc. She created the Danforth Postdoctoral Program in Black Studies and the Lilly Faculty Open Fellowships — two programs designed to enable faculty members to further their learning and bring new excitement to the classroom. Even in retirement she stayed active as special assistant to the president of the University of Chicago and director of university-school relations.

In addition to her role as a trustee at Wooster, Bornholdt held similar positions at several other colleges and universities. She was also on the board of directors of the Institute for Services to Education and National American Studies Faculty, the advisory board for the National Coalition for Research on Women’s Education and Development, and the editorial board of The Journal of Higher Education. She held memberships in the Yale University Council, the Council on Library Resources, and the National Advisory Council on Black Higher Education.


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4 entries found for hare.
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Main Entry: hare
Pronunciation: primarystressha(schwa)r, primarystresshe(schwa)r
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural hare or hares
: any of various swift animals that are like the related rabbits but usually have longer ears and hind legs and have young born with open eyes and a furry coat
[hare illustration]

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