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Are you a dietitian or nutritionist interested in the arena of fertility and pre-conception nutrition? It's an amazing domain of nutrition that we get to work in!

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Are you a dietitian looking to work in the space of women's health, reproductive concerns, and fertility?

It's a pretty amazing field and sharing the joy in a woman or couple's newly announced pregnancy is a reward like no other! But, there are some areas you need to be up to speed on to work with this special group that you may not have been covered in your studies.

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African Union Launches World’s Largest Single Electricity Market

9 June 2021

The African Union officially launched the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), the world’s largest continent-wide energy trading program meant to interconnect all 55 African Union Member States through efficient, affordable, and sustainable electricity market. The event took place on 3rd of June 2021.

Held virtually due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the launching ceremony was attended by high profile officials of the African Union Commission (AUC) including H.E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa the Deputy Chairperson and H.E. Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid Infrastructure and Energy Commissioner, dignitaries from the 55-Member States, representatives of AU Specialized Institutions, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and their institutions as well as development partners and the media, among others. The European Union, which supported the AU in designing AfSEM was represented by the EU Commissioner for Energy, H.E. Mrs. Kadri Simson.

Before heralding the official launch of the AfSEM on behalf of H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat Chairperson of the AUC, Deputy Chairperson H.E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa said the event marks an important milestone reached after a long, challenging, and crucial journey that started in 2015.

The Deputy Chairperson called on the AU Member States to integrate AfSEM into their national development plans for a higher rate of success in its implementation and operationalization. “It is important that the AU Member States take ownership in the development and implementation of these continental initiatives. This is necessary to ensure access to reliable energy services, as well as providing the necessary policy and financial instruments for one Continental Electricity market, and One continental interconnection grid at all levels.”

She seized the opportunity to acknowledge the development partners who have been supporting the initiative from its inception. “My special gratitude goes to the European Union whose technical and financial support have made this great achievement possible, and to other development partners; your continuous support to AU Continental initiatives and many other Regional and National programs within Africa are highly appreciated.”

The African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy H.E. Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid highlighted that the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) is a timely response to bridge the electricity gap in Africa by optimizing the continent’s abundant renewable energy sources towards achieving 100 percent access to electricity in the continent by 2030 in line with the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goal Number 7.

“AfSEM is yet another milestone to advancing our continent's integration agenda. Well interconnected and efficient national, regional, and continental electricity markets will further human development, enhance economic prospects of the continent leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), underpinning productive transformation, industrialization, digitalization and job creation and that is what AfSEM is meant for,” underscored Commissioner Abou-Zeid.

The Commissioner emphasized the need to put in place robust electricity policy reforms to attract substantial investments to realize the full potential of AfSEM. “AfSEM holds a bright future for all Africans. As the implementation of the AfSEM starts today, a challenging work lies ahead of us to realize its aspirations and deliver our promises to the African people. Thus, it needs to be supported strategically, technically, and financially. Ever since the conception of this great initiative, the prospects have been promising and the potential is enormous.”

The implementation of the AfSEM will be supported by a Continental Power System Masterplan currently being developed by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), to harmonize regulatory frameworks across various regions. Representing the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, Economic Integration Division Head with the Agency, Dr.Towela Jere said the launching of AfSEM came at the right time when Africa is determined to eradicate energy poverty. “AfSEM will be the largest interconnected electricity grid as well as the largest intraregional power trading system in the world expected to enhance the economic prospects of Africa”.

On behalf of the Vice President of the African Development Bank Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Director of Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation with the Bank Mr. Wale Shonibare, stated that AfSEM provides a great opportunity to better coordinate the approach towards Africa’s transition to green sustainable growth.

The European Union under its Technical Assistance Facility (EU TAF) supported the preparation of the AfSEM policy paper, roadmap and governing structure. Speaking at the launching ceremony EU’s Commissioner for Energy H.E. Mrs. Kadri Simson congratulated the African Union for the important breakthrough achieved to address the electricity demands of over 1.3 billion Africans. Commissioner Simson reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to continue supporting the AfSEM in its next phases of implementation.

The implementation of AfSEM will immediately begin after the launching ceremony with the first phase of AfSEM envisaged to be achieved by 2023, reaching full operationalization by 2040.

About the Africa Single Electricity Market (AfSEM)

The Africa Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) is one of those targeted interventions aimed to facilitate sustainable development of the African electricity sector through the integrated continental electricity market based on the 2019 AfCFTA Agreement. The goal is to give African households, businesses, and industries more secure, sustainable, reliable, competitive, and affordable energy.

The journey to create AfSEM at the continental level started in 2015 in cooperation with the EU through the AU program on Harmonisation of Regulatory Frameworks for the Electricity Market in Africa. In addition to a series of products over the five years, the AfSEM Policy Paper, the Roadmap, and the governance structure were prepared by a team of EU-TAF Experts coordinated by the Department of Infrastructure and Energy, validated by RECs, Power Pools, and other Pan African Energy Institutions and adopted by the AU Head of States at the 34th AU-Summit in February 2021.

AfSEM is designed to bring greater energy security, sustainability, and competitiveness to the Africa Union Member States, it will be the largest single electricity market in the world covering 55-member states serving a population of over 1.3 billion, AfSEM will be the most cost-efficient response for strong growth of electricity demand in Africa, most essential tool to use the full potential of the continent’s Renewable Energy Sources, and an effective accelerator to 100% access of electricity in the continent.

African Union Commission

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For years, it was easy to see the political storm clouds gather over Europe with its fractious coalitions and its ancient babble of conflicts. Marine Le Pen’s Daddy, severe old Jean-Marie, was on the scene in France decades before Donald Trump ascended to glory on the noxious clouds of America’s crapified culture, attended by heavenly hosts of Kardashian angels and the cherub Honey BooBoo.

For all the strains in recent American life, the two-party system had seemed as solid as the granite towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. Not even the estimable Teddy Roosevelt could blow up the system when he tried in 1912 — though his Progressive (“Bull Moose”) Party carried California, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, and he far out-polled the incumbent Republican President Taft, who garnered a measly 8 electoral votes (Democrat Woodrow Wilson won). Ross Perot made an impact in 1992 — he certainly had a good point about NAFTA and “the giant sucking sound” of jobs draining out of the USA. But his popinjay manner didn’t go over so well, and at the critical moment in the general election he lost his nerve and withdrew, only to foolishly re-enter weeks later. Then there was the Ralph Nader in 2000, whose egoistic crusade arguably put George W. Bush in the White House.

Since then, the country see-sawed between the long tenures of two Deep State errand boys from each major party, putting both parties in such a bad odor that Trump now rises on their mephitic fumes. Which raises the question, of course: what exactly is this Deep State? Answer: A leviathan of symbiotic rackets producing maximum incompetence affecting adversely the majority of citizens. It’s a blood-sucking beast of a hundred-thousand heads draining the USA of its dwindling vitality, lying about its intentions while it advertises the pietistic certainties of the Left and superstitious shibboleths of the Right, leaving a smoking hole in the middle where the practical problems of everyday life used to be worked out by practical means.

The Deep State is also the sum of unintended consequences and diminishing returns of a late-stage, bureaucratic, techno-industrial economy cannibalizing itself to stay alive. One obvious conclusion is that this economy has got to change before there is nothing left to eat, and no political figure on the scene, including Trump and Bernie Sanders, has a plausible vision of where this takes us. Both really just assume that the engine keeps chugging down the track of ever more material wealth that can be distributed differently. The truth is, there will be a lot less material wealth of the kind we’re used to, and a lot less capital representation in the things we call “money.” In fact, the scene at hand today is just a spectacle of the shrewdest and biggest rodents scarfing up the table-scraps of a 200-year-long banquet.

Hillary Clinton, of course, is the Deep State incarnate, which is the real reason so few citizens trust her. Every poor schnook getting shaken down for a $90,000 appendectomy bill looks at Hillary and knows exactly what she represents. Every 25-year-old jobless, couch-surfing millennial carrying fifty-grand in college debt sees the face of the Deep State in her self-satisfied demi-smile. Mainly, she has gulled the diversity pimps — because they are wards of the Deep State — and women, because it’s Mommy’s “turn” to direct the Deep State. Writer, financier, and Deep State rogue operative Jim Rickards keeps insisting that Uncle Joe Biden will end up as the Democratic nominee. (He said so in a Tweet just the other day). You have to wonder what this guy knows. Don’t suppose that Uncle Joe is the knight on a white horse you’ve been waiting for. After all, he’s vice-president of the Deep State.

Voters seem attracted to Trump because he’s so eager to give the finger to the Deep State. It deserves the finger, but it also needs to be carefully disassembled without blowing up what remains of this country. Trump already has a good start on blowing up the Republican Party. Never before have so many party officials dissociated themselves from the (so far) presumptive nominee. I expect to see more extreme measures against Trump to be yet attempted by the party mandarins in the two months before the convention. I doubt you will hear about them before they happen.

In the face of that, Trump’s behavior only gets more childish. His speech after the Indiana primary was a masterpiece of incoherence. Everything that reflected on the magnificence of his victory was “incredible.” Interestingly, that was exactly the right word. He’s tuned in to the national nervous breakdown underway. From time to time, when he’s not speaking emptily about how much he is loved, Trump voices some legitimate concern of the Deep State’s victims. There are few decent jobs outside the Deep State’s own rackets. We’re not obliged to take in a limitless stream of immigrants. Nation-building by military means has been a dismal failure. The national debt is a problem. The country’s infrastructure is decrepit. Trump says he can negotiate a fix to all this: the art of the deal. Blowing smoke up the Deep State’s ass is not a plan.

The tragedy is that no other serious, grown-up figures stepped forward in this dangerous moment of history. The party that Trump purports to represent lost itself in a wilderness of grift, jingoism, and supernatural pettifoggery. The rival Democratic Party is high on the fumes of “diversity and inclusion,” kindergarten politics that only corrode what’s left of our tattered common culture. Hillary’s Deep State couldn’t have found a better diversionary subterfuge. Both parties are close to blowing up altogether. I’m not convinced that they’ll survive their own conventions this summer. Then what?

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How ‘Socio-Emotional Learning’ Became Another Vehicle For Anti-White Racism In Schools

How ‘Socio-Emotional Learning’ Became Another Vehicle For Anti-White Racism In Schools

A learning focus popular in public schools has been converted into a vehicle for teaching critical race theory to elevate favored students based primarily on race.
Jane Robbins

Parents normally send their children to school (or park them at the computer for pretend school) to learn academic disciplines, including English, math, science, and history. But in most public and some private schools, more and more time is being redirected from academic instruction to “social-emotional learning” (SEL)—the cultivation not of knowledge but of the “correct” attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and behaviors.

If this weren’t worrisome enough to parents who thought that is their job, SEL proponents such as the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) are now brazenly trumpeting an even more troubling aspect of SEL: the opportunity to turn impressionable students into leftist activists.

To some extent, socio-emotional learning has always been a vehicle for introducing leftist propaganda in the classroom. CASEL counts among its funding partners the NoVo Foundation, which is “dedicated to . . . moving [society] from a culture of domination to one of equality and partnership.” NoVo focuses especially on abortion rights, LGBT interests, and left-wing economics.

Other SEL enthusiast groups include the Arcus Foundation, which is all about LGBT, especially T (transgender). The Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility offers resources for using SEL to develop leftist attitudes about topics such as climate change. These are the types of outfits churning out SEL curricula to shape children’s opinions and behaviors.

Until now, CASEL downplayed the leftist slant of socio-emotional learning, presenting schools and parents instead with a sanitized picture of teaching children compassion and responsibility. But in the era of Black Lives Matter, the mask is off.

In December the president and CEO of CASEL, Karen Niemi, announced that CASEL has revised its definition of and framework for “socio-emotional learning” to highlight the value of SEL as a weapon for social justice. Woke-speak pervades the new direction. In contrast to the previous fairly anodyne definition of SEL, the new one emphasizes student “identities” and “marginalization,” “equity,”  “just communities,” and the “collective” rather than the individual.

Consider the focus on equity. “SEL advances educational equity,” the new definition emphasizes, and “can help address various forms of inequity.” To understand what’s wrong with this, you must understand the difference between equity and equality.

Equality was considered a good thing until recently, but now believing in equality proves you’re a racist. Equality means treating people the same; equity, by contrast, means treating some people better than others depending on the level of oppression they can claim for themselves or their ancestors or unrelated people with the same skin color or chromosomal makeup.

In a June 2020 webinar entitled “SEL as a Lever for Equity and Social Justice,” CASEL’s Niemi and two earnest colleagues proclaimed that SEL should be used to elevate favored students, based primarily on race, over disfavored students. “A color-blind . . . approach,” intoned one presenter, “ignores the humanity of the people you’re interacting with.” He continued: Doing so makes us “reproductive of the inequities that we are experiencing [yes, these people really talk this way] in our schools, in our communities, in our healthcare systems, etc., etc.”

In this vein, Niemi declared that “social-emotional learning must actively contribute to anti-racism. . . . We see SEL as a tool for anti-racism.” No decent person approves of racism, but the new concept of “anti-racism” has a more sinister meaning. Under this system of ideas, white children are by definition oppressors, minority children (except, presumably, higher-achieving on average Asian children) are by definition oppressed, and all of education must devolve into a churning mass of guilt and resentment.

In a withering essay, Frederick Hess revealed that the “anti-racism” concept is being used as a weapon to destroy anything, and anyone, in disagreement with leftist dogma. Analyzing the sometimes bizarre musings of (highly compensated) anti-racism charlatans such as Ibram Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, Hess concludes that anti-racism embodies “dogmatism, coercion, and anti-intellectual zealotry that’s remarkably unconcerned with either improving schooling or ameliorating prejudice.” He continues: “Much of what passes for anti-racist education is a poisonous exercise in caricature and rank bigotry” and constitutes “something more typically understood as indoctrination” (emphasis his).

This indoctrination is now, expressly, the goal of social-emotional learning. The CASEL webinar presenters emphasized SEL as a tool to develop little community organizers for leftist causes. The vainglorious but perhaps accurate label for this is “Transformative SEL,” defined as an approach that “takes action to fight injustice” (injustice as seen through the lens of the left).

According to Niemi, social-emotional learning helps students “move from anger to agency and then to action,” primarily in the cause of anti-racism. All this will come from teaching children to “examine prejudices and biases . . . [and] evaluate social norms and systemic inequities . . . .” Forget teaching kids to play nice—today’s SEL intends to propel them into Antifa.

Don’t assume that woke SEL is limited to nut zones such as California and is therefore not a threat in less Democrat-controlled states. In fact, SEL is pervasive in the education world (see here and here). Having realized it’s hard to teach kids actual academic content, and perhaps eager for something that allows them to proclaim success without accountability, educrats in every state have for some years been substituting SEL for the hard work of educating students.

Many of these administrators probably don’t realize the underlying agenda of radicalizing students for the transformation of America. But CASEL and its compatriots have apparently decided that SEL is now sufficiently entrenched in schools that they can pull back the curtain on the real purpose. They’re gambling that parents either won’t realize what’s happening or will feel too intimidated to object.

Now that the truth is out, local school officials should cleanse their schools of this indoctrination. Teachers should return to doing what good teachers have always done: imparting academic knowledge while encouraging students to do their best and behave with integrity.

Socio-emotional learning curricula, pushed by agitators who care more about politics than students, must go. If that doesn’t happen, parents should get their children out of these schools before the damage is done.

Jane Robbins is an attorney and a retired senior fellow with the American Principles Project in Washington DC. She is a graduate of Clemson University and the Harvard Law School.

Copyright © 2021 The Federalist, a wholly independent division of FDRLST Media, All Rights Reserved.


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1xBet vs. Betin Compared: Which is Better?

The online sports betting industry in Kenya has no shortage of bookies! If you are a Kenyan player searching for a reputed, secure, and licensed online sports betting platform, you can choose between 1xBet Kenya and Betin Kenya.

The parent company of 1XBet Kenya is 1xCorp Limited and Bonnal Ltd, which operate under a license granted in Curacao. The companies have also received a license from the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) to operate in Kenya. The parent company of Betin is GamCode Limited, which has also obtained a license from the BCLB.

Brief Introduction to 1xBet Kenya

1xBet Kenya

1xBet is home to a lively forum, which runs exciting monthly contests and gives you the opportunity to win some extra prizes. If you sign up at the online betting site and become a loyal bettor, you can take part in an annual tournament called 1xBet Cup.

The online bookie gives you a wide choice of betting options, including over/under, European handicap, team to score first, and correct score. You can place several types of bets such as chain, system, singles, and accumulators. You can enjoy pre-match betting on 1000+ events every day plus live betting on 30+ markets, while simultaneously winning some extra prizes by betting on the matches of the day.

Brief Introduction to Betin Kenya

Betin Live Betting

Betin’s sports coverage is quite extensive, including major international and local games. In addition to a wide range of virtual and live betting options, it offers excellent combination bets and betting odds. If you login on Saturdays, the online betting site will give you as many as 10,000 betting options.

Betting at Betin is safe and secure as it implements sophisticated security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access. The online betting site stores your information in firewall protected Dell servers. Also, it has Thawte’s Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption certificate.

Betin has a call center in Nairobi and a technology center in Europe. So you can expect high-quality customer support through phone, email, and live chat.

Betting at Betin is an exciting experience as it allows you to win as much as KSh10,000,000 every day.

1xBet Kenya – Detailed Review

You have four ways to register at 1xBet, as follows:

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1xBet Promotions and Bonus Offers

1xBet promotions

1xBet welcomes you with a warm welcome bonus of 200% up to KSh10,000 on your first deposit provided you qualify by depositing at least KSh122 in your betting account.

1xBet is home to several promotions such as accumulators of the day, birthday bonus offers, cashback offers, and insurance bets.

Win the Daily Jackpot

For a chance to win the daily jackpot, you must complete the online betting site’s task of the day. A timer tells you exactly how much time you have to complete the task. To motivate you, it also shows you the size of the jackpot.

The online bookmaker will enter you into a prize draw as soon as you have accomplished your task. However, your chances of winning the jackpot depend on your betting activities.

1xBet Desktop and Mobile Apps

1xBet mobile app

1xBet offers more desktop and mobile apps than any other online bookie in the industry. Check out the list of apps below:

  • App for Android and iOS – You can download the dedicated mobile betting apps for iOS and Android to play on the move.
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  • 1xBrowser App for Desktop and Linux – This is a light app that guarantees your access to the 1xBet Kenya website.
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The good news is that you don’t have to download and install any of these apps if you don’t want to. You can easily bet on the move in your mobile device browser. The apps exist just to give you a better and easier betting experience on desktop, Mac, and mobile devices.

Bet on Telegram

1xBet via telegram

1xBet has another unique feature – 1xBet on Telegram. You can subscribe to 1xBet’s channel on Telegram to get the latest mirror address. You can also use @xBetConsultBot, a Telegram bot, which can put you in contact with a customer support agent instantly. Another 1xBet Telegram bot, @bot1xbetBot, can help you place sports bet on 1xBet via Telegram.

Games to Bet On

1xBet games

1xBet offers great odds on a variety of sports markets such as tennis, football, volleyball, basketball, eSports, ice hockey, athletics, horse racing, boxing, cricket, baseball, and beach soccer, to mention a few. You can place bets on big tournaments, national teams, as well as the online bookie’s match of the day.

In addition, 1xBet Kenya offers live betting on table tennis, eSports, football, Angry Birds, Starcraft, cock fights, and many other games.

Here is a list of other gambling services at 1xBet:

  • 1xBet includes an online casino, which offers games from noted vendors such as Red Tiger, iSoftBet, Microgaming, Endorphina, Iron Dog, Big Time Gaming, and others.
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1xBet One Click Betting

You can use this feature to bet on multiple odds with just one click. You just have to check “One Click Bet” in your betting slip to activate this feature. Then you have to enter your bet amount and click on Apply. The next step is to just click on any odd of your choice to place a bet for that amount.

Making Deposits and Withdrawals

1xBet banking

You can choose from 160 methods including electronic wallets, bank cards, mobile payment options, and cryptocurrencies. You can also use popular Kenyan methods such as Airtel Money, M-Pesa, and SMS methods to fund your account and request payouts.

1xBet Customer Support

In addition to offering a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the online bookie offers excellent customer support through email, telephone, messaging apps, online contact form, live chat, and social networking sites.

Pros & Cons of Playing at 1xBet Kenya

If you live in Kenya, 1xBet Kenya is one of the top online bookies for you because it has a BCLB license. But it is definitely not for you if all you want is to place bets on your favorite sports. 1xBet Kenya offers a variety of gaming products such as poker, bingo, lucky games, casino games, and others, which could overwhelm the average Kenyan sports bettors.

The best features of 1xBet Kenya are its apps, daily jackpots, bonus offers, lucrative promotions, and excellent customer support.

Betin Kenya – Detailed Review

You can get started at Betin Kenya in a matter of minutes. You just have to click on the Join Now or Register Now buttons on the homepage to open the online registration form, fill it up, and get registered. You can log in to your newly created betting account after verifying your email address.

Get a Warm Karibu Bonus

Betin bonus

There are just three steps to claiming your Karibu Bonus at Betin Kenya:

  • Register an account and deposit at least KSh300.
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  • After settling your bet, the online bookie will give you 50% of your deposit amount as your Karibu bonus.

Get Back Your Mobile Deposit Charge

You can enjoy this feature only if you deposit at least KSh250 into your account.

  • Use M-Pesa or Airtel Money to make your deposit.
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Betin mobile app

Payment Methods

You can use Airtel Money and M-Pesa to easily, quickly, and securely make deposits and withdrawals at Betin Kenya. Alternatively, you can make a direct deposit into Betin Kenya’s Ecobank account (Plaza 2000 branch).

You can withdraw up to KSh70,000 per transaction and up to KSh140,000 daily. But you need to maintain a balance of KSh66 in your account.

You can bet in the range of KSh50 – KSh500,000 and win up to KSh10,000,000 at a time at Betin Kenya.

  • Betin Mobile – There is no dedicated mobile betting app to download. You can place sports bets on the move right in your browser. Betin Kenya on mobile has a professional and easy-to-navigate interface.
  • Games to Bet On– The online bookie offers plenty of pre-match and live betting options. In addition, you can bet on virtual games, casino games, or try to win a jackpot of KSh20,000,000 by making the correct football predictions. You can also participate in the most lucrative lotteries of South Africa, Ireland, UK, and Russia.
  • Customer Support at Betin – Betin Kenya offers round-the-clock customer support. You can contact a customer support representative through live chat, email to support@betin.co.ke, or telephone lines. Betin also offers customer support through the social networking sites Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Betin Kenya Pros & Cons

Betin Casino

Having recently upgraded its software and website design, Betin features an excellent betting interface that not only has an attractive color scheme, but is also bettor friendly.

Betin offers almost everything a sports bettor would demand—a wide range of betting markets, lottery games, virtual games, and football jackpots. But you won’t find any bingo, casino, or poker gaming services at the online bookie.

Since the site is so easy to navigate, you won’t find it difficult to find the required information. Even if you do need help, you can get instant support via live chat.

You can play on your smartphone or tablet at Betin Kenya, but you won’t find any native apps for iOS and Android. This can hardly be taken as a disadvantage though as placing bets in browser at Betin Kenya is easy and secure and does not consume too much data.

1xBet or Betin – Which is Better?

We feel that both are equally good. Both are licensed in Kenya and deliver a safe, secure, and entertaining online betting environment. But everything depends on your personal tastes and requirements.

If you want a plain and simple online sports betting experience, you may feel that 1xBet is cluttered with too many products and services. In this case, you will be happier at Betin.

Betin does not offer a single dedicated app, which may disappoint you if you like using apps. In this case, you had better sign up at 1xBet, which not only offers a wide range of apps, but also allows you to bet on Telegram. But you will miss the unique deposit charge cashback offer that only Betin offers.

You may also make the wise choice of signing up at both and enjoying the best of both online betting sites.


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Breaking the Fussy Eater- Canned Sloppy joe

It may seem a little deep South to consider canning ground meat. I have found recently in this dead heat, home canned meat is extremely handy and tasty to have on hand. I totally understand why they can it now with all this heat – (insert Canadian whine about 40 degree temps)

The evening went like this. It was 40 degrees and as humid as the Tennessee Mountains. My children were extremely helpful trying to decide what they want to eat. By helpful I mean they weren’t. I decided to pop open a home canned jar of sloppy joe mix that i canned the week before into cast iron skillet & I fired up grill (- i do not own a microwave- don’t feel sorry for me its a personal choice.) I shredded some sharpe cheddar and served on warmed grilled rolls.

“EWWWWW- what is that ? it’s gross- I hate this” honestly was response I was greeted with when I placed the plates down. I told this boy child that he has never even eaten it how would he know. He tried some heavy negotiation tactics – all failed. He proudly proclaimed loudly that he would never make his child eat anything like this. Reluctantly he gave in and topped is sauced bun with extra cheese. He brought it to his mouth all the while still complaining – then silence. A few bites later… “this isn’t too bad- I think I was wrong”. Then I heard – “ is there seconds?”

Isn’t that great!

This particular recipe is called sloppy joe mix but with a few tweaks in seasoning this recipe could be used for chilli fries or dogs, nachos, or even in a pinch for spaghetti meat sauce. I got four generous hamburger sized sandwiches out of a pint sized (16 oz) jar. So if you have a larger or smaller family you may want to make more or less jars or change your canning size to make meals easy. Also check with local butchers or meat markets – they often can give you bulk ground beef for a better price then supermarkets. If you hunt or have hunting friends now is the time to butter them up – deer meat is excellent in this.

Stay tuned for Spicy Peach BBQ sauce and my favourite dill pickle recipe

Sloppy Joe Mix

Tested recipe: Dr Barb Ingham University of Wisconsin Extension Office

  • 4 lbs ground beef (or venison.)
  • 3 cups onion diced
  • 1 1/2 cups green bell pepper (chopped Measured after prep.)
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt (OR non-bitter, non-clouding salt sub)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (OR 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia)
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  1. Prep the onion and green pepper in advance, set aside.
  2. Sauté the ground meat in a large pot. Drain off any excess fat.
  3. Add the prepped veg and all remaining ingredients.
  4. Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered.
  5. Ladle into jars, being sure to get balanced scoops of liquid and solid.
  6. Use either 1/2 US pint / 8 oz OR 1 US pint / 16 oz OR 1 US quart jars,.
  7. Leave 1 inch headspace.
  8. Debubble; adjust headspace.
  9. Wipe jar rims.
  10. Put lids on.
  11. Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet)
  12. Processing time: Process 1/2 US pint / 8 oz OR 1 US pint / 16 oz for 75 minutes. Process 1 US quart for 90 minutes.

Notes: Allow canner to fully cool before removing jars. This limits siphoning of liquids out of jars. Meat mixtures will thicken as cooled.

** add some chilli powder, Cumin and / or smoked paprika (to taste) for taco flavoured chilli sauce – Do not use pre pkg taco seasonings as they contain starch and can cause mold in canning.

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Methodically Building A Golf Game

Can you remember back to when you first started golfing. I wonder if you just picked up a club and started whacking away. When I first started, that is exactly what I did. I actually never practiced for the first 15 years after I swung my first club. I play a great deal and I guess that was considered my practice. Until 30 years ago, when I started practicing, I would suggest I bounce around at whatever part of my game that needed fixing that day.

After deciding it was time to get serious about my golf game, I took a great deal of time (and asking lots of questions) to decide my approach on how to achieve lower golf scores. On a side note, I decided to get serious in 1980 after breaking 80 for the first time in 1979. It was that milestone that motivated me to change my shot gun approach. Looking back, my approach was akin to making a puzzle; focus on the low hanging fruit and slowing eliminate those areas and move on to more challenging things.

Looking back, I find that I had 6 distinct areas that needed work. I actually (almost subconsciously) followed a very methodical plan that I think is worth following for any player, new or experienced. It is very simple and works as follows:

  1. Putting
  2. Wedges
  3. 100 – 125 yards
  4. Mid irons / hybrids / fairway woods
  5. Off the tee
  6. Course management

I am sure you have recognized the “start at the green and work out” methodical approach. It is a proved process that has brought me great success over the years. I am going to offer a slight teaser for future posts; I am going to build a graphic to show how each of these critical areas work and sub-areas that fit into each category. But alas, that is for another day.

There are methodical processes for improvement within each of the categories. I mean the possibilities are endless and every player should find their own way. Golf offers a multitude of paths to success, but regardless of which you choose; make it methodical and focused.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

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How to Manage Your Golf Game

There is a new normal in my golf game for the next few months. After 21 days in the hospital receiving a stem cell transplant, it is time to focus on getting healthy and of course golf. As I move forward there is one factor I had not consider previous when making my back to the course plan: Energy! Yup, I underestimated the amount of energy it takes to do the simplest things. So, understanding my physical limitations, I now have to apply this new factor to my return to golf plan. Continue reading


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What To Do If You Step On A Sea Urchin?

A sea urchin is a sea animal that frequently has a spiky exterior. Some care vibrant purple, others are red, and maybe the most well-known sea urchin is white. The spikes on their body are connected to their spine where venom is present. Many people accidentally step on them in the ocean because they look similar to rocks and shells, causing them to blend in with their surroundings.

As primitive animals, sea urchins have a strong defense mechanism with their stings, which are extremely painful for most people. They're extremely common in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

How Many Species Of Sea Urchins Are There?

There are approximately 950 different species of sea urchins, which all inhabit different depths of the ocean and in various climates in different oceans around the world. Only 18 different types of sea urchins are safe and tasty to eat.

Sea urchins are omnivorous and mainly consume kelp and algae. They also feed on animal matter that is present in the ocean.

Are Sea Urchins Poisonous?

Yes, many types of sea urchins are poisonous and some can even bite. When sea urchins bite, they release venom but don't leave any spines behind compared to jellyfish.

Sea urchins can trigger allergic reactions in some individuals, which can be mild or even deadly. Those who have had allergic reactions in the past are prone to reacting more severely to sea urchin bites.

The sting of a sea urchin can cause damage to the tissue, skin, and bone, depending on its severity. Sea urchins have spines that are filled with calcium and are often painful to remove once they have contact with the skin. These spines are present to warn predators of impending danger. It's essential to remove the spine to prevent the injury from becoming more severe.

It's recommended to seek medical attention after stepping on a sea urchin for proper medical treatment. Attempting to treat the affected site without a medical professional can increase the risk of developing an infection.

The most dangerous sea urchin is the flower sea urchin which live in the Indo-West Pacific. The toxin that this type of sea urchin releases from its spine leads to respiratory issues, paralysis, and extreme pain that can be debilitating and life-threatening.

What Happens If You Step On A Sea Urchin?

If you accidentally step on a sea urchin, you'll immediately experience pain, especially if you applied force to the urchin. Swelling and redness can follow, along with an infection. If the sea urchin punctures your skin deep enough, it can lead to breathing issues and muscle aches.

It's important to immediately remove as much of the sea urchin as possible from your skin. Be careful when handling the pieces because they can break into even smaller pieces as you attempt to remove them. There may be a few smaller pieces lodged into the skin, but the body will naturally push them out over time.

Use a razor to remove all the pedicellariae and then wash the injury with soap and water to remove all the bacteria. Allow it to remain clean as it heals to avoid infections. Soaking the area in a combination of hot water and vinegar will also make it easier for the particles to come out of the skin. It will also reduce inflammation and offer pain relief.

If you notice the symptoms are only becoming more severe after a few days, immediately visit a doctor for proper treatment.

Do You Pee On A Sea Urchin Sting?

No, studies show that urine does not treat injuries caused by stepping on sea urchins. In fact, it can even make the pain more severe and uncomfortable. This will also not kill any of the bacteria that is present in the skin and can lead to an infection. Using soap and water is the best solution to ensure the site is thoroughly cleaned.

How To Eat Sea Urchin

Sea urchins are considered to be a delicacy and are enjoyed by those who favor the taste and tender texture. They're a common staple in Japanese cuisine. They are best consumed raw similar to sushi or oysters. They are often used in culinary dishes to add a unique and unexpected twist.

When eating a sea urchin, you'll want to consume the gonads, which are the reproductive organs. This is the only part of the animal that is eatable. You can expect it to have a custardy or creamy texture.

Preparing the sea urchin requires cracking the shell open by placing two spoons together into the middle of the shell. Remove the mouthpiece inside the shell, which is white and circular. Take ice cold water and scoop out the gonads with a spoon. Start from the bottom and scoop up before gently pulling it out and placing it in the water. Try to keep it in one piece.

Scoop out each gonad in the water and remove some of the dirt that is present. This will allow you to only have the eatable parts ready to eat. You can now put it in a separate bowl of cold water for more thorough cleaning and inspect it. Remove as much water as possible from the gonad before placing it in a container on a paper towel. The tongue side should be facing up, and you can place each gonad next to one another.

You can place it directly onto rice and wrap it with seaweed to enjoy sushi uni. They pair well with pickled ginger. You can also puree the gonads and combine them with a velvety sauce if you prefer to eat them cooked.

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Copyright © 2021 | The Grom Life


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Manipur - Information

Information Manipur

Little Paradise

One of the loveliest but lesser known holiday destinations in the North East is the state of Manipur with its capital Imphal. The erstwhile royal state is slowly entering mainstream tourism from its sheltered environs amongst the blue-hued hills and is set to be one of the hottest tourist finds in India.

One of the oldest states in the North East, Manipur displays its identity with vigorous enthusiasm. This zeal is reflected in the indigenous game of Sagol Kangjei (Polo). The state gave the world modern polo and prides itself in having the oldest active polo ground. The traditional form of the game is played with small and sturdy ponies in many rural areas. The same vigorous enthusiasm is reflected in the martial arts of Thang-Ta and Sarit-Sarak, and the state's artistic leanings are visible in the graceful Ras Leela, Indian classical Manipuri dance. A gateway to South East Asia, Manipur offers visitors a cornucopia of cultural delights.

The stunning environs of Loktak Lake, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Loukoipat eco-park in Bishnupur District, Dzuko Valley, Mt. Isii in Senapati District, Shiroi Hills and Khangkhui Cave in Ukhrul District, Tharon Cave, Bunning Meadows, Barak Waterfall and Zeilad Lake in Tamenglong, a hill station surrounded by thick forests full of orchids and wild tea, are living examples of the eco-friendly atmosphere which can lure any traveller here.


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November 2021

NKHN 5th Annual Equine Conference

November 6
Boone County Enrichment Center, 1955 Burlington Pike
Burlington, KY 41005
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2018 In Season Fantasy Football: Week 1

2018 In Season Fantasy Football: Week 1

2018 In Season Fantasy Football: Week 1

Tunnel Vision – Dorey
(Will begin Week 2) Start your week with in-depth analysis of the weekend’s key happenings, statistics and injuries.

Fantasy Impact – Casale
(Will begin Week 2) A game-by-game breakdown of the fantasy football impact of Sunday’s action.

Figures, Flukes and Feelings – Bonini
(Will begin Week 2) A first response to stats, trends, injuries and other key NFL happenings that impact fantasy.

Free Agent Forecast – Casale
Who you should be targeting this week as a free agent pickup.

Rest of Season Player Rankings – Bonini
(Will begin Week 2) Fantasy football player rankings for the remainder of the season.

Targets, Touches and Touchdowns – Pomponio
(Will begin Week 2) Go deep into the player activity stats from the weekend that might have gone unnoticed.

Player Injury Update – Casale
In-depth NFL fantasy football injury update for key players from the past weekend’s games.

Fantasy Market Report – Cutts
What players are rising and falling in fantasy value.

IDP Free Agent Report – Ford
A look into which defensive players you should be targeting this week as free agents.

Blitzed Podcast – Gallo & Schultz
News, team management, DFS plays and fades, and all things fantasy.

Game Predictions & Player Projections – Dorey
Fantasy football predictions covering all games, with player projections and advice.

Weekly Player Rankings
Based on this week’s projections. Sortable and displayed using your custom myHuddle scoring.

Red Zone Breakdown – Casale
(Will begin Week 2) Deep dive into how carries and targets are being distributed in the critical red zone.

Vegas Odds Chart For DFS Play – Walters
Early look at the Vegas odds and teams to target or avoid this week in daily fantasy play.

Start Bench Tool
Weekly player advice, analysis and projected stats displayed using your custom myHuddle leagues.

DFS Value Plays and Bargain Basements – Casale
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) players this week that are under the radar and a great value for your lineups.

Office Pool Pick’em Report – Huddle Staff
Our staff makes weekly picks for both straight up and against the spread.

Start Bench List – Bonini
Old school static list of players tiered by their start/bench viability.

DFS Fantasy Domination – Schultz
A complete Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) rundown of your best salary values and sleepers for the week.

Six Points with David Dorey – Dorey
(Will begin Week 2) A look at what’s on the mind of our resident fantasy football guru.

Friday Walkthrough – Walters
Final late afternoon practice and playing status report for all key fantasy football players.

Game Day Inactives, Injuries & Weather – Huddle Staff
List of inactive or injured players. Real-time updates from the NFL right up until kickoff each Sunday morning.

Prior Weeks: Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1


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The supercomputer described in the trove, “WindsorGreen,” was a system designed to excel at the sort of complex mathematics that underlies encryption, the technology that keeps data private, and almost certainly intended for use by the Defense Department’s signals intelligence wing, the National Security Agency. WindsorGreen was the successor to another password-cracking machine used by the NSA, “WindsorBlue,” which was also  documented in the material leaked from NYU and which had been previously described in the Norwegian press thanks to a document provided by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. Both systems were intended for use by the Pentagon and a select few other Western governments, including Canada and Norway.

Adam, an American digital security researcher, requested that his real name not be published out of fear of losing his day job. Although he deals constantly with digital carelessness, Adam was nonetheless stunned by what NYU had made available to the world. “The fact that this software, these spec sheets, and all the manuals to go with it were sitting out in the open for anyone to copy is just simply mind blowing,” he said.

He described to The Intercept how easy it would have been for someone to obtain the material, which was marked with warnings like “DISTRIBUTION LIMITED TO U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ONLY,” “REQUESTS FOR THIS DOCUMENT MUST BE REFERRED TO AND APPROVED BY THE DOD,” and “IBM Confidential.” At the time of his discovery, Adam wrote to me in an email:

All of this leaky data is courtesy of what I can only assume are misconfigurations in the IMAS (Institute for Mathematics and Advanced Supercomputing) department at NYU. Not even a single username or password separates these files from the public internet right now. It’s absolute insanity.

The files were taken down after Adam notified NYU.

Intelligence agencies like the NSA hide code-breaking advances like WindsorGreen because their disclosure might accelerate what has become a cryptographic arms race. Encrypting information on a computer used to be a dark art shared between militaries and mathematicians. But advances in cryptography, and rapidly swelling interest in privacy in the wake of Snowden, have helped make encryption tech an effortless, everyday commodity for consumers. Web connections are increasingly shielded using the HTTPS protocol, end-to-end encryption has come to popular chat platforms like WhatsApp, and secure phone calls can now be enabled simply by downloading some software to your device. The average person viewing their checking account online or chatting on iMessage might not realize the mathematical complexity that’s gone into making eavesdropping impractical.

The spread of encryption is a good thing — unless you’re the one trying to eavesdrop. Spy shops like the NSA can sometimes thwart encryption by going around it, finding flaws in the way programmers build their apps or taking advantage of improperly configured devices. When that fails, they may try and deduce encryption keys through extraordinarily complex math or repeated guessing. This is where specialized systems like WindsorGreen can give the NSA an edge, particularly when the agency’s targets aren’t aware of just how much code-breaking computing power they’re up against.

Adam declined to comment on the specifics of any conversations he might have had with the Department of Defense or IBM. He added that NYU, at the very least, expressed its gratitude to him for notifying it of the leak by mailing him a poster.

While he was trying to figure out who exactly the Windsor files belonged to and just how they’d wound up on a completely naked folder on the internet, Adam called David Chudnovsky, the world-renowned mathematician and IMAS co-director at NYU. Reaching Chudnovsky was a cinch, because his entire email outbox, including correspondence with active members of the U.S. military, was for some reason stored on the NYU drive and made publicly available alongside the Windsor documents. According to Adam, Chudnovsky confirmed his knowledge of and the university’s involvement in the supercomputing project; The Intercept was unable to reach Chudnovsky directly to confirm this. The school’s association is also strongly indicated by the fact that David’s brother Gregory, himself an eminent mathematician and professor at NYU, is listed as an author of a 164-page document from the cache describing the capabilities of WindsorGreen in great detail. Although the brothers clearly have ties to WindsorGreen, there is no indication they were responsible for the leak. Indeed, the identity of the person or persons responsible for putting a box filled with military secrets on the public internet remains utterly unclear.

An NYU spokesperson would not comment on the university’s relationship with the Department of Defense, IBM, or the Windsor programs in general. When The Intercept initially asked about WindsorGreen the spokesperson seemed unfamiliar with the project, saying they were “unable to find anything that meets your description.” This same spokesperson later added that “no NYU or NYU Tandon system was breached,” referring to the Tandon School of Engineering, which houses the IMAS. This statement is something of a non sequitur, since, according to Adam, the files leaked simply by being exposed to the open internet — none of the material was protected by a username, password, or firewall of any kind, so no “breach” would have been necessary. You can’t kick down a wide open door.

The documents, replete with intricate processor diagrams, lengthy mathematical proofs, and other exhaustive technical schematics, are dated from 2005 to 2012, when WindsorGreen appears to have been in development. Some documents are clearly marked as drafts, with notes that they were to be reviewed again in 2013. Project progress estimates suggest the computer wouldn’t have been ready for use until 2014 at the earliest. All of the documents appear to be proprietary to IBM and not classified by any government agency, although some are stamped with the aforementioned warnings restricting distribution to within the U.S. government. According to one WindsorGreen document, work on the project was restricted to American citizens, with some positions requiring a top-secret security clearance — which as Adam explains, makes the NYU hard drive an even greater blunder:

Let’s, just for hypotheticals, say that China found the same exposed NYU lab server that I did and downloaded all the stuff I downloaded. That simple act alone, to a large degree, negates a humongous competitive advantage we thought the U.S. had over other countries when it comes to supercomputing.

The only tool Adam used to find the NYU trove was, a website that’s roughly equivalent to Google for internet-connected, and typically unsecured, computers and appliances around the world, famous for turning up everything from baby monitors to farming equipment. Shodan has plenty of constructive technical uses but also serves as a constant reminder that we really ought to stop plugging things into the internet that have no business being there.

The WindsorGreen documents are mostly inscrutable to anyone without a Ph.D. in a related field, but they make clear that the computer is the successor to WindsorBlue, a next generation of specialized IBM hardware that would excel at cracking encryption, whose known customers are the U.S. government and its partners.

Experts who reviewed the IBM documents said WindsorGreen possesses substantially greater computing power than WindsorBlue, making it particularly adept at compromising encryption and passwords. In an overview of WindsorGreen, the computer is described as a “redesign” centered around an improved version of its processor, known as an “application specific integrated circuit,” or ASIC, a type of chip built to do one task, like mining bitcoin, extremely well, as opposed to being relatively good at accomplishing the wide range of tasks that, say, a typical MacBook would handle. One of the upgrades was to switch the processor to smaller transistors, allowing more circuitry to be crammed into the same area, a change quantified by measuring the reduction in nanometers (nm) between certain chip features. The overview states:

The WindsorGreen ASIC is a second-generation redesign of the WindsorBlue ASIC that moves from 90 nm to 32 nm ASIC technology and incorporates performance enhancements based on our experience with WindsorBlue. We expect to achieve at least twice the performance of the WindsorBlue ASIC with half the area, reduced cost, and an objective of half the power. We also expect our system development cost to be only a small fraction of the WindsorBlue development cost because we carry forward intact much of the WindsorBlue infrastructure.

Çetin Kaya Koç is the director of the Koç Lab at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which conducts cryptographic research. Koç reviewed the Windsor documents and told The Intercept that he has “not seen anything like [WindsorGreen],” and that “it is beyond what is commercially or academically available.” He added that outside of computational biology applications like complex gene sequencing (which it’s probably safe to say the NSA is not involved in), the only other purpose for such a machine would be code-breaking: “Probably no other problem deserves this much attention to design an expensive computer like this.”

Andrew “Bunnie” Huang, a hacker and computer hardware researcher who reviewed the documents at The Intercept’s request, said that WindsorGreen would surpass many of the most powerful code-breaking systems in the world: “My guess is this thing, compared to the TOP500 supercomputers at the time (and probably even today) pretty much wipes the floor with them for anything crypto-related.” Conducting a “cursory inspection of power and performance metrics,” according to Huang, puts WindsorGreen “heads and shoulders above any publicly disclosed capability” on the TOP500, a global ranking of supercomputers. Like all computers that use specialized processors, or ASICs, WindsorGreen appears to be a niche computer that excels at one kind of task but performs miserably at anything else. Still, when it comes to crypto-breaking, Huang believes WindsorGreen would be “many orders of magnitude … ahead of the fastest machines I previously knew of.”

But even with expert analysis, no one beyond those who built the thing can be entirely certain of how exactly an agency like the NSA might use WindsorGreen. To get a better sense of why a spy agency would do business with IBM, and how WindsorGreen might evolve into WindsorOrange (or whatever the next generation may be called), it helps to look at documents provided by Snowden that show how WindsorBlue was viewed in the intelligence community. Internal memos from Government Communications Headquarters, the NSA’s British counterpart, show that the agency was interested in purchasing WindsorBlue as part of its High Performance Computing initiative, which sought to help with a major problem: People around the world were getting too good at keeping unwanted eyes out of their data.

Under the header “what is it, and why,” one 2012 HPC document explains, “Over the past 18 months, the Password Recovery Service has seen rapidly increasing volumes of encrypted traffic … the use of much greater range of encryption techniques by our targets, and improved sophistication of both the techniques themselves and the passwords targets are using (due to improved OPSec awareness).” Accordingly, GCHQ had begun to “investigate the acquisition of WINDSORBLUE … and, subject to project board approval, the procurement of the infrastructure required to host the a [sic] WINDSORBLUE system at Benhall,” where the organization is headquartered.

Among the Windsor documents on the NYU hard drive was an illustration of an IBM computer codenamed “Cyclops,” (above) which appears to be a WindsorBlue/WindsorGreen predecessor. A GCHQ document provided by Snowden (below) describes Cyclops as an “NSA/IBM joint development.”

In April 2014, Norway’s Dagbladet newspaper reported that the Norwegian Intelligence Service had purchased a cryptographic computer system code-named STEELWINTER, based on WindsorBlue, as part of a $100 million overhaul of the agency’s intelligence-processing capabilities. The report was based on a document provided by Snowden:

The document does not say when the computer will be delivered, but in addition to the actual purchase, NIS has entered into a partnership with NSA to develop software for decryption. Some of the most interesting data NIS collects are encrypted, and the extensive processes for decryption require huge amounts of computing power.

Widespread modern encryption methods like RSA, named for the initials of the cryptographers who developed it, rely on the use of hugely complex numbers derived from prime numbers. Speaking very roughly, so long as those original prime numbers remain secret, the integrity of the encoded data will remain safe. But were someone able to factor the hugely complex number — a process identical to the sort of math exercise children are taught to do on a chalkboard, but on a massive scale — they would be able to decode the data on their own. Luckily for those using encryption, the numbers in question are so long that they can only be factored down to their prime numbers with an extremely large amount of computing power. Unluckily for those using encryption, government agencies in the U.S., Norway, and around the globe are keenly interested in computers designed to excel at exactly this purpose.

Given the billions of signals intelligence records collected by Western intelligence agencies every day, enormous computing power is required to sift through this data and crack what can be broken so that it can be further analyzed, whether through the factoring method mentioned above or via what’s known as a “brute force” attack, wherein a computer essentially guesses possible keys at a tremendous rate until one works. The NIS commented only to Dagbladet that the agency “handles large amounts of data and needs a relatively high computing power.” Details about how exactly such “high computing power” is achieved are typically held very close — finding hundreds of pages of documentation on a U.S. military code-breaking box, completely unguarded, is virtually unheard of.

A very important question remains: What exactly could WindsorBlue, and then WindsorGreen, crack? Are modern privacy mainstays like PGP, used to encrypt email, or the ciphers behind encrypted chat apps like Signal under threat? The experts who spoke to The Intercept don’t think there’s any reason to assume the worst.

“As long as you use long keys and recent-generation hashes, you should be OK,” said Huang. “Even if [WindsorGreen] gave a 100x advantage in cracking strength, it’s a pittance compared to the additional strength conferred by going from say, 1024-bit RSA to 4096-bit RSA or going from SHA-1 to SHA-256.”

Translation: Older encryption methods based on shorter strings of numbers, which are easier to factor, would be more vulnerable, but anyone using the strongest contemporary encryption software (which uses much longer numbers) should still be safe and confident in their privacy.

Still, “there are certainly classes of algorithms that got, wildly guessing, about 100x weaker from a brute force standpoint,” according to Huang, so “this computer’s greatest operational benefit would have come from a combination of algorithmic weakness and brute force. For example, SHA-1, which today is well-known to be too weak, but around the time of 2013 when this computer might have come online, it would have been pretty valuable to be able to ‘routinely’ collide SHA-1 as SHA-1 was still very popular and widely used.”

A third expert in computer architecture and security, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the documents and a concern for their future livelihood, told The Intercept that “most likely, the system is intended for brute-forcing password-protected data,” and that it “might also have applications for things like … breaking older/weaker (1024 bit) RSA keys.” Although there’s no explicit reference to a particular agency in the documents, this expert added, “I’m assuming NSA judging by the obvious use of the system.”

Huang and Koç both speculated that aside from breaking encryption, WindsorGreen could be used to fake the cryptographic signature used to mark software updates as authentic, so that a targeted computer could be tricked into believing a malicious software update was the real thing. For the NSA, getting a target to install software they shouldn’t be installing is about as great as intelligence-gathering gifts come.

The true silver bullet against encryption, a technology that doesn’t just threaten weaker forms of data protection but all available forms, will not be a computer like WindsorGreen, but something that doesn’t exist yet: a quantum computer. In 2014, the Washington Post reported on a Snowden document that revealed the NSA’s ongoing efforts to build a “quantum” computer processor that’s not confined to just ones and zeroes but can exist in multiple states at once, allowing for computing power incomparable to anything that exists today. Luckily for the privacy concerned, the world is still far from seeing a functional quantum computer. Luckily for the NSA and its partners, IBM is working hard on one right now.

Repeated requests for comment sent to over a dozen members of the IBM media relations team were not returned, nor was a request for comment sent to a Department of Defense spokesperson. The NSA declined to comment. GCHQ declined to comment beyond its standard response that all its work “is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework, which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight.”

Documents published with this story:


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KI News

COVID-19: Two patients from north Kashmir test positive day after their death, toll 33

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Srinagar: A day after their death, two patients from northern districts of Kashmir were tested positive for deadly Coronavirus, taking the overall death toll due to the virus in Jammu and Kashmir to 33.

Officials said that an elderly woman from north Kashmir’ Baramulla district and a young man from Lolab area of Kupwara district died on Monday. “Their swab samples of the deceased turned positive a day after their death,” officials said.

Principal Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla, Dr. Abdul Hamid told KNO that an elderly lady from Baramulla was brought dead to GMC on Monday.

“The swab sample of the deceased woman was taken. The sample came positive today,” he said, adding that her body was kept in mortuary of the hospital.  “The elderly woman was having many underlying problem as well,” he said, adding that her dead body is being handed over to family as per protocol.

Medical Superintendent, SMHS, Dr. Nazir Choudhary told KNO that a 29-year-old man from Warnav Lalob who died at the hospital on Monday was tested positive on Tuesday.

He said that patient was suffering from B/L cap with fever and his swab samples were taken after his death. “The body was kept in GMC Srinagar mortuary and the sample taken from him was tested positive on Tuesday,” he said.

With the fresh deaths, the death toll due to COVID-19 has mounted to 33 in Jammu and Kashmir including 29 from Kashmir and four from Jammu division –(KNO)

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The Kingdom-Driven Family

Building a Home That Serves Christ and His Kingdom

Most of what passes for “restoring male leadership in the church” these days is in fact suppressing female initiative and decreasing areas of legitimate action and involvement by women. It’s not difficult to predict that this won’t lead to more men leaders and more obedient wives but to more complacent and tyrannical men and more frustrated wives. You can’t make a leader out of a man by telling his wife what she shouldn’t do.1 ~
Bojidar Marinov

successThroughout history, philosophical ideas have had negative effects on family life. The Enlightenment, by demeaning woman’s role, set the stage for the reactionary feminist movement and the recent so-called patriarchy movement appears to be a hyper-reaction to feminism. Each movement skewed, exaggerated, undermined, and often ignored the Biblical perspective on the woman’s role as wife and mother. In fact, what is taught from the pulpit and in Bible studies contributes to the frustration women experience in our day. There needs to be a lot of work to recover a clear understanding on marriage and the role of marriage in reclaiming the culture.

Proverbs 31 talks about a wife looking well to the ways of her household. Thus, women are the managers of their homes. Some take exception to this assertion because they consider it a usurpation of the role of husbands as head of the household. However, the Scripture says that the man is the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23); it does not instruct him to be the manager of the household. The real usurpation actually occurs when the wife is robbed of her area of dominion, thereby disregarding her co-vicegerency alongside her husband within her sphere—the home. If a woman is nothing more than her husband’s stand-in, rather than his full partner in all matters, not only is the dominion mandate lessened in the home, but the surrounding culture is affected, as well.

Business enterprises have owners, general managers, and department managers. Whether it is a restaurant, a hospital, a car dealership, or a sports team, there is a chain of authority that is defined, along with job descriptions outlining roles and responsibilities. When run well, those higher up in the chain of command allow those who are in subordinate positions to do their jobs without bypassing them or interfering.

Because we have lost the high view of women outlined in Scripture, we are left with women being much more akin to slaves than full partners with their husbands. This negates the statement by God in Genesis that it is not good that the man should be alone. As I argued in an earlier essay, “Loyal Opposition,”2 the woman’s role is to be a useful reflection of her husband, so that she can serve in a corrective capacity in the case of an intentional or inadvertent transgression by him of God’s law.

A Biblical Example

In 1 Samuel we have the account of Abigail assuming authority and setting policy when her husband acted recklessly and insulted David (1 Samuel 25). Rather than sit back and allow her entire family and community to reap the consequences of Nabal’s foolishness, she executed her authority by directing considerable amount of the family wealth and possessions to appease David’s anger. In the process, her actions not only saved those she cared for, but convicted David that the move he was about to make would have been wrong. Abigail is a good illustration of a wife’s power—a power that is recognized by God and respected by men.

For certain, not all Christian men are of Nabal’s poor character. But how often do they fail to see the big picture or consult their wives when important decisions that will affect more than just themselves arise? Part of the gift of a wife to a husband (Prov. 18:22) is an extra set of loyal eyes to help him as he works to advance the culture for Christ and His Kingdom.

Foundation of the Family is the Foundation of the Culture

When two people contemplate marriage they should spend time ensuring that their worldviews and application of God’s law-word are in harmony with each other. This will help avoid problems of priority and practice in the marriage. The man needs to ask himself if the woman he is considering shares his vision for his calling of dominion. He should desire a woman who is versed in Biblical law and who has experience applying it to all aspects of life, and who is willing to be a full-partner in whatever he is involved in. The woman needs to determine if the man she is considering loves God enough to stand on His Word faithfully and is looking for a wife who does likewise. She needs to observe whether or not a prospective spouse is already exercising dominion in his calling, willing to stand for God’s truth and not compromising just to get ahead. She needs to see that the person whose covering she will be under respects her and welcomes her full participation in all aspects of the marriage.3

This is contrary to the modern, humanistic view that romantic love and social status should constitute the basis for marriage. Rushdoony points out,

Love, in [the] Biblical sense means, moreover, that the basis of the marriage and of the new family is not personal but Christian. In romantic love, the family is started when romantic feeling draws a man and woman together, and it ends with the death of those feelings. Marriage is thus made a purely personal affair. But the family is a God-given institution and it is the basic social institution. No decision concerning the family therefore can be purely personal. At all times, the family is under God’s law, and its beginning and ending must be in terms of obedience to God’s law.4

This perspective can be expanded to include the wife having a stake and a say in all aspects of the decisions of the family. Could it be that our modern aberration of this fact is a significant reason that we don’t see more evidence of dominion-taking on the part of Christian men? Could their focus be too inwardly directed toward the day-to-day affairs of their families, abandoning their roles in the public square? In the process of usurping the position of the wife in many matters, husbands abandon their primary focus of working in their cultural dominion calling.

Bojidar Marinov has pointed out that

A brief theological analysis of the covenantal position of the wife in the family is necessary … A wife is not a simple addendum to the family, as she was in the pagan, patriarchal times. She is one with her husband, in everything, and especially in the management of his property. In fact, she is so united to him that she is a co-owner of his property, and by default—not by delegation, as some incorrectly claim—she holds sovereign rights over his property, mitigated only by his right to veto her decisions (Num. 30). The veto, however, has certain limitations on the husband (not on the wife), and failure to confirm or to annul her actions leads to automatic confirmation, that is, a decision of favor of the wife’s actions. Outside of that veto, the wife’s decisions are as good as the husband’s decisions, when management of the home is concerned.5

In many Christian circles, there are women who are certain that they cannot make any important decisions on their own. Often this is how they have been instructed. When the power of the wife is minimized, trampled upon, or nonexistent, her status is much more akin to a concubine than wife, in that she is not viewed as a full partner in the marriage, but merely as the baby maker, child care provider, maid, cook, etc.

Marinov continues,

A concubine in the Old Testament was a wife who was given in marriage without a dowry, that is, without her own economic or financial stake in the new family. She had no inheritance, and her children had no inheritance in the family. For all covenantal purposes, a concubine was a servant. And indeed, while as a legal wife she was entitled to food, clothes, and “duty of marriage” (Exod. 21:7–11), she didn’t have the same authority in her husband’s household as the wife. The story of Sarah and Hagar very plainly shows this truth. She couldn’t rule the house as a wife, unless her husband delegated that task to her. This, of course, would put her in a position of being a servant to the true wife who could rule the house. The concubine was a servant to the wife, as Hagar was to Sarah.6

The Bible gives the woman of the house the status of house manager in that she is commanded to look well to the ways of her household. This position is one of authority and decision making and, while being under the authority of her husband, she has a domain that even he needs to respect and not undermine.

The virtuous wife in Proverbs 31 is described as one who freely administers the property of the family while her husband is away. The lack of direct involvement by the husband there doesn’t necessarily mean that he shouldn’t get involved; but it does reveal the covenantal principle that the wife is fully empowered to make decisions without asking her husband for permission. Paul admonishes the young women to get married and “rule a house,” (1 Tim. 5:14; the word in Greek is literally a “house despot”).7

R. J. Rushdoony explains, in his comments on Proverbs 31,

The Biblical doctrine shows us the wife as the competent manager who is able to take over all business affairs if needed, so that her husband can assume public office as a civil magistrate; in the words of Prov. 31:23, he can “sit in the gates,” that is, preside as a ruler or judge.8

Far from the Enlightenment view of a woman as being ornamental or an add-on to the family, the Biblical doctrine of women puts forth the image of one who rules alongside her husband in household, property, and business enterprises. With her focus being the core of the family, she enables her husband to make a difference in the surrounding culture, bringing to bear God’s law-word.

In addition to having an overly romantic view of marriage, few today recognize the importance of Biblical marriage as central to reconstructing the culture. Is it any wonder that the church has a difficult time in standing up to arguments in favor of same-sex marriage when it fails to teach why and how the wife is integral to the dominion mandate? Her role is not a purely personal one when it comes to her husband and her main emphasis is not on her purity or spirituality. As Marinov states,

True, a wife is supposed to keep herself pure. But her main concern after the marriage is not purity itself. Her main concern is rulership and management. The Proverbs 31 woman is not described in terms of her successful resistance to temptations, or her mystical spirituality, or her participation in prayer events or Bible groups. She is described as a manager of a household.

A legal wife … owns all things together with her Husband; and she has full authority over them by default, by the very nature of her covenantal and redeemed position. She is expected to take charge as the virtuous wife of Proverbs 31. Her Husband is in the gates, sitting as a Judge of the world. She is over His property, bringing all things to obey the household rules, that is, the Law of God.9

A Personal Example

My husband has worked in sales for most of our married life, and has commented to me on a number of occasions how integral my support and counsel have been to him in his professional life. He has told me that my ability and willingness to share aspects of his dominion calling on his job has made it possible for him to be faithful to God’s Word when challenged by customers, coworkers, or superiors. Because he knows I support building the Kingdom of God, he feels free to be bold in sharing his faith and Biblical worldview.

In the process, I have been the person who handles the family finances and has kept us out of debt for decades. I am responsible to pay our tithes and offerings, along with making decisions regarding health, nutrition, and fellowship opportunities. It has always been a priority for me to have my husband’s trust (Prov. 31:11) as I look well to the ways of our household (Prov. 31:27). And although we have had our bumps and bruises along the way, the fact that we both have a passionate desire to keep the commandments of God has allowed us to weather the storms of marriage that are part and parcel of the relationship.

A Proper View of Marriage

This perspective is not at odds with the Scriptural position of the husband as head of the wife. On the contrary, it presupposes that each will take his or her participation in their marriage’s dominion calling seriously enough to focus on the Kingdom of God rather than competing with each other.

Rushdoony, as he discusses the principle of life, points out that regarding the relationship of husband and wife,

The knowledge required of husbands in dwelling with their wives is not a knowledge of feminine psychology, but of the word of God. Here, too, the principle of life is associated with the government and authority of God and our rest therein. Most men today cannot rule in the Lord because they are unwilling themselves to submit to God’s rule and to rest in Him. They are either tyrants, ruling according to their word, or they are hen-pecked and ruled by their wives. No man has any authority in and of himself over any woman, or anything. All authority is from God and must be exercised according to His word. Too many men assume it is godly to rule a woman for their convenience. They forget that the biblical standard of authority is ruling to serve (Matt. 20:28; Luke 22:26; John 13:1–17, etc.). Too many husbands are tyrants, not godly heads of households. Clearly, Ephesians 5:21–23 requires that the husband rule with the same self-sacrificing spirit as Christ the church. He must serve the Lord, and meet his wife’s needs in the Lord. If not, the grace of life is denied.

Similarly, the wife must serve her husband as he serves the Lord. To rebel against his obedience to the Lord is to rebel against God Himself and manifest a reprobate heart.

A major problem in our time is such rebellion by wives and husbands. To illustrate, a very considerable percentage of married seminarians have major problems with their wives, who refuse to agree to their calling and show it by rejecting the conditions of their husband’s calling. They refuse to go to the mission field, or to a city church, or a country church, or away from family and friends. In the name and under the cover of objecting to the terms of their husband’s calling, they are denying God in a disguised but real warfare. It is their goal to break their husband and laugh at their victory over God. A reprobate heart produces reprobate courses of action …

All such women are manifesting a reprobate nature, and they can never be dealt with until this is recognized. Men who submit to such wives become castaways, useless to God because they are unfaithful to Him. Peter is clear-cut: the prayers of all such couples are not heard by God, and they are denied the grace of life. God’s principle of life rests on His authority and government, and our rest therein. Parents are required to rule according to God’s law and themselves to be under Him and His law. Husband and wife, in their relationship one to another, must likewise be in submission to the Lord, resting in Him, content and giving thanks, or else they will fall prey to a “root of bitterness” (Heb. 12:15) which will destroy them.10

God’s design for the family is specifically to further the Kingdom of God. Thus the emphasis of both husband and wife needs to be in enhancing each other’s ability to serve God in their appointed roles and dominion spheres. 1 Corinthians 11:9–10 speaks of the woman being created for the man, in that God proclaimed in Genesis that is was not good for man to be alone. Furthermore, it is said that she should have a symbol of power on her head. The question remains, power for what purpose? Surely it is for more than cooking and cleaning and raising her children, for Proverbs 31 gives a much more expanded explanation of what a worthy woman is to concern herself with.

When men and women realize that God wants much more than what we are currently giving Him, and change the basis upon which we operate, we may yet see the transformation of the culture so many of us prayerfully desire.

1. Bojidar Marinov, Facebook post November 10, 2014.\
2. See Andrea Schwartz, A House for God: Building a Kingdom-Driven Family (Vallecito, CA: Chalcedon/Ross House Books, 2014), 66–76.
3. The Biblical dowry served to demonstrate the earnestness of the man in the proposal of marriage. Although too extensive a discussion for the purpose of this essay, see R. J. Rushdoony, the Institutes of Biblical Law, Vol. 1, 176ff., 363ff., 417.
4. R. J. Rushdoony, Law & Liberty (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, [1984] 2009), 107.
5. Bojidar Marinov, “Eschatology and the Covenantal Status of the Church” in Faith for All of Life, May/June 2013.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. R. J. Rushdoony, Institutes of Biblical Law, Vol. 1 (n. p: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1973), 352.
9. Marinov, ibid.
10. R.J. Rushdoony, Institutes of Biblical Law, Vol. 2, Law & Society (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 1982), 505–506.

4 thoughts on “Power on Her Head: The Home Field Advantage

    1. Andrea Schwartz says:

      Thanks for reposting.

  1. Deborah says:

    Wow. This is an excellent article. I agree whole heartedly. I think error starts from thinking marriage is just a personal relationship. Then the household is not the tool of kingdom expansion so what else is the husband supposed to be the head of besides children and wife?

    I look to the Scriptural admonition not to defraud one another as husband and wife. “To defraud” is like an underhanded contract agreement. In New Testament it implies that their are reasons beyond personal fulfillment and romance that would induce a person to marry, such as the economic and political factors you mentioned. The New Testament verse is reminding people to not ignore that there is a romantic part of marriage. To do so in making vows is fraud. It is a wake up call to modern culture that sees marriage as only romantic, It confirms that there is much more involved in the marriage bundle.

    Interestingly, even the future king of England promised all he had was now in possession of his wife during the most recent royal wedding. To manage that “she” had better be more than just pretty!

    1. Andrea Schwartz says:

      Thanks for your remarks. Your points are well-taken. Good marriages are dominion marriages!

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text:
The Kingdom-Driven Family

Building a Home That Serves Christ and His Kingdom

It is a sad commentary on our day that Bible believing Christians place more trust in expediency and pragmatism than they do in the sovereignty of God.

Think I’m overstating the case?  Just look at how often you hear the phrase, “We must choose between the lesser of two evils.”  And, this is not just reserved for politics.  It is manifested in the toleration of antinomian churches, reprobate public schools, and an ungodly media (“What alternatives do we have for entertainment?”).

R.J. Rushdoony hits the nail of the head when he states,

“Without the fixed limits of God’s law, expediency and pragmatism will govern men and lead them from evil to evil.

“We either grow from strength to strength in the Lord, or, by compromise with our reasoning and logic, we become that which we may have once despised and called debased. If we are not the servants of God who believe and obey His every law-word, we become our own law-makers, justifying one evil after another in terms of expediency.”

It is high time we decide how seriously we take our professions of faith, to ensure they are not empty ones.

Excerpted from Chariots of Prophetic Fire, by R. J. Rushdoony, p. 144

Sometimes the greatest lessons come in hindsight, once there is distance from a painful time in someone’s life.  Listen as one Christian woman discusses her abusive first marriage and how knowing and understanding Biblical law has helped her personally, and to instruct and assist others.

This podcast first appeared in the Reconstructionist Radio Network. Worth the listen.

[This essay first appeared in the March/April edition of Faith for All of Life]

Many idiomatic expressions decorate the landscape of our speech. Finding oneself “between a rock and a hard place” is among them. The common understanding involves  a situation where one is faced with two equally difficult alternatives. However, the expression does not do justice to reality. If we posit that God’s Word is a faith for all of life, and the attendant faith involves application, then each situation we face may have difficult alternatives, but there will be a righteous one to choose.

As our culture has drifted away even from the superficial Christianity of the past seventy years, we have lost a societal compass that had a basis in Biblical truth, although a remnant of one. Jesus’ words have meaning that are largely lost today when He stated:

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matt. 7:13–14)

This podcast originally appeared on the Reconstructionist Radio Network. Listen as I speak with Jennifer Dages, a homeschooling mom with a nursing background who makes health a top priority for her family and herself. She discusses some simple approaches to deal with illness and enhance the prevention of common health problems. You may also want to check out my webinar, To Your Health: Prevention Before a Crisis which originally was posted in 2015.

Many people have resigned themselves to the “reality” that our society is not only violent, but will continue to escalate even more so.  As a student of the Bible, I know that when people do things God’s way, blessings follow.  The opposite is true when they use the ways of the world.

In this Out of the Question Podcast episode, my co-host Pastor Charles Roberts and I discuss the subject of the recent shooting in Florida.

Listen here:

The Bible instructs us to make our petitions known to God —  to pray without ceasing.  However, there a lawful way to pray so as to glorify God, and ways that do not.  In this Kingdom-driven Family Podcast, my guest, Cathey Brown, and I discuss some current practices when it comes to prayer meetings and how believers share prayer requests.

Listen here:

Much of the conflict in society stems from a systematic breakdown of the Biblical family.  Even in Christian circles, after years of investment in the lives of their children, parents are often at a loss as to why their influence wanes.  Is a generation gap inevitable?

In this Out of the Question Podcast: Why Don’t My Children Listen to Me Anymore?, my co-host Charles Roberts and I discuss the present weakness of the family.

“The Christian faith once meant that a believer responded to a dark world by actively working to bring God’s grace and mercy to others, both by word and by deed. However, a modern, self-centered church has isolated the faith to a pietism that relinquishes charitable responsibility to the state. The end result has been the empowering of a humanistic world order.  (Excerpted from the backliner to “In His Service: The Christian Calling to Charity” by R.J. Rushdoony.)

Periodically I get emails from people asking for my advice.  What follows is an example of someone putting her faith into action, (in thought, word, and deed), despite criticism from those who profess Christ but do not truly confess Him in any orthodox sense.

Hi Ms. Andrea!

I have written you before and am writing again to ask you a question regarding Stewardship. (Continue reading…)

The Kingdom of God advances when women with years of experience applying the Word of God to every area of life and thought teach younger women how to love their husbands and children. This is what godly mentorship is all about. Listen as host Andrea Schwartz and her guest, Beth Bingaman, share their thoughts and advice to would-be mentors and those who would benefit from finding a mentor.

Listen here:


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Saying goodbye

As the holiday season comes to a close, it has come to that time when family and friends vanish into the never-never back to their homes, their lives and their own worlds and we have to say goodbye. I don’t like it. I get to see my beautiful eldest son everyday of the year which is wonderful but my little guy I see for a few short weeks each year as he treks out from Berlin.

The thought of not seeing him for another year is very sad making. So I will tell you how I deal with it. Pretty much like every other male out there, I put it away. I just tuck it away into a corner of my head that is chock full of stuff I don’t want to think about. Now in my late fifties I have become reasonably adept at tucking things away. Otherwise it makes me too sad for too long.

To put that into perspective neatly, a young friend of mine has just said goodbye to his father for the last time. A long fight has finally come to an end for his father. Seeing the pics on Facebook made me cry. I wouldn’t say I knew the father well, but I had met him a few times and we were on nodding terms.

So as I prepare to say goodbye to my son as he flies back to Berlin I have to remind myself I am really only saying ‘see you soon’. Even if that takes a year.

One thought on “Saying goodbye

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