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Fictional vs Juridical · General Advocacy · Law · Uncategorized

Western Ying vs Yang = Fiction vs Law

(profoundly important)

FICTION ( possibility – opportunity – productivity )
LAW ( decidability – limits – parasitism )

Of the following, which is fiction, which is law?

A) Golden Rule : Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
B) Silver Rule: Do not unto others as you would not have done unto you.

Fiction and Law serve as the western equivalent of Ying and Yang.

But our western model innovates, and Ying and Yang stagnates.

Fictional vs Juridical · Grammar of Natural Law · Uncategorized

How Do We Communicate Ideas with Fiction but Not Falsehood?

William Butchman
—“We have a universe of potentiality available to us. Is potential which has not yet been called into being ‘fiction’, is it ‘false’?”—

Curt Doolittle
No. We can state it falsely, but we cannot state that which we can envision is yet false. no. To respect natural law we must merely not make false claims. This is the beauty of fiction (literature) vs fictionalism (religion, pseudo-rationalism, pseudoscience – the discourse of conflation) Fiction makes no truth claims, it merely spreads ideas. If it makes truth claims, (particularly ‘smear campaigns against past idols) then that is not fiction but fictionalization – conflation)

Fictional vs Juridical · Mathematics · Uncategorized

The Operational Name of Infinity Is “Limit Supplied by Contextual Application” Because of Scale Independence.

Defenders of infinity are simply saying that mathematical platonism is a useful mental shortcut to provide decidability for you in the absence of understanding, the way religion is a useful mental shortcut for decidability for others in the absence of understanding.

Authority (decidability) in platonic mathematics and authority (decidability) in religion are provided by the same error: empty verbalisms.

If mathematical decidability is constrained to correspondence with reality, we do not need the concept of limits because limits are determined by that which we measure.

Yet as we use mathematics to create general theories of scale independence, we intentionally abandon scale dependence substituting arbitrarily definable *limits*. By applying mathematics of general rules under scale independence to some real world phenomenon, we merely substitute limit for precision necessary to achieve our ends (marginal indifference).

As we add the dimension of movement to our measurements we add time to our general rules, which like distance we define as a constant. (though it is not, per relativity).

As the universe consists entirely of curves, yet our deduction from measurements requires lines, and angles (geometry) with which we perform measurements of curves by the measurement of very small lines, we must define limits at which the marginal difference in the application of mathematics to a real world problem is below the margin of error in the prediction of any movement. (where we have reached the *limit* of the measurement necessary for correspondence.

While measurement requires both time, and a sequence of operations, and while mathematical deduction requires time and a sequence of operations, cantor removed time and a sequence of operations. So instead of operationally creating *positional names* (numbers) at different RATES, as do gears, and therefore creating sets larger or smaller than one another at different rates, he said, platonically that they created different ‘infinities’. Despite the fact that no infinity is existentially possible, just that at scale independence we use infinity to mean *limited only by context of correspondence: quantity, operations, and time.

This is just like using superman as an analogy for scale independence in the measurement of man. Literally, that’s all it is: supernaturalism.

All mathematical statements must be constructable (operationally possible), just as all mathematical assertions must be logically deducible. (and you can see this in proof tools being developed in mathematics).

Mathematics always was, and always will be, and only can be, the science of creating general rules of MEASUREMENT at scale independence. And the fact that math still, like logic was in the late 19th and all of the 20th century, lost in platonism is equivalent to government still being lost in religion.

The only reason math is challenging is that it is not taught to people *truthfully*, but platonically.

Otherwise the basis of math is very simple: this pebble corresponds to any constant category we can imagine, and each positional name we give to each additional pebble represents a ratio of the initial unit of measure: a pebble, and as such corresponds to reality.

Hence why I consider mathematical platonism, philosophical platonism, and supernatural religion crimes against humanity: the manufacture of ignorance in the masses in order to create privileged priesthoods of the few through mere obscurantist language.

Another authoritarian lie. Another priesthood.

Yet I understand. I understand that heavy investment in comforting shortcuts is indeed an investment and that the cost of relearning to speak truthfully is just as painful for mathematicians, as it is for philosophers, and theologists.

Curt Doolittle

(Ps: oddly, my sister is sitting next to me working on common core standards designed to improve math skills)

=== Addendum by Frank ===

by Propertarian Frank

The exact same argument we use to stop believing in ghosts should have prevented Cantor’s infinities. But it didn’t.

(1) People familiar with Diagonal Argument and understand it is epistemic cancer.
(2) People familiar with advanced Platonist trickery like the Diagonal Argument and buy it even though they avoid falling for Platonism in other domains.
(3) People that are unfamiliar with advanced Platonist trickery, but intuitively understand truth is ultimately about actionable reality.
(4) People that are unfamiliar with advanced Platonist trickery, and believe in primitive forms of Platonism (theism, dualism).

Type (1) people will get testimonialism immediately.

Type (2) people could be persuaded. Trick is to prompt them to explain what differentiates the type of reasoning Cantor uses from the type of reasoning that tries to determine how many angels can dance simultaneously on the head of a pin. Induce cognitive dissonance by making explicit that wishful thinking is only possible when you use non-constructed names.

Type (3) people lack the information necessary to judge constructionism in philosophy of mathematics. Understanding Testimonialism requires a bare minimum of familiarity with philosophy of science. Absolute key concept is ‘decidability’. How does a type (3) person ascertain that he ‘gets’ operationalism? Through demonstration in something like the ‘line exercise’ from the other day. So, unfortunately, this type of person will miss the profundity and importance of operationalism. (Seeing the importance of operationalism was the reason I kept reading your corpus). We need to see concrete instances of a method failing so that we can eventually incorporate the solution to that failure into our epistemological method. Without the concretes, it’s impossible. Unfortunately, adding lessons on the Diagonal Argument, operationalism in psychology, instrumentalism and measurement in physics etc, would not be feasible methods for familiarizing the uninitiated. In other words, if you haven’t spent considerable time thinking about philosophy of science already, courses in Propertarianism will not convince you, because you lack the means of judging them.

Type (4) people are the hardest to persuade. You have to show them a domain in which Idealism fails, and prompt them to think about why they think it doesn’t fail in this other domain. If you can’t crush their Platonist belief in a certain domain (due to emotional blocks for instance), they can’t consistently apply operationalism. The fact that they haven’t already given up on simpler forms of Platonism indicates that they may have psychological blocks. Ergo, I think this type of person is the least amenable to learn Testimonialism through video lectures.

Fictional vs Juridical · Languages (Precision) · Mathematics · Sequences · Uncategorized

The Dimensions of Reality: Mathematics As Science of Measurement – But Stated Badly

Mar 22, 2017 11:08am
(mathematics and truth) (very important) (hot gates pls read)

The answer is quite simple: you just demonstrated proof of operational construction and named that series of actions.

Reality consists of the following actionable and conceivable dimensions:
1 – point, (identity, or correspondence)
2 – line (unit, quantity, set, or scale defined by relation between points)
3 – area (defined by constant relations)
4 – geometry (existence, defied by existentially possible spatial relations)
5 – change (time (memory), defined by state relations)
6 – pure, constant, relations. (forces (ideas))
7 – externality (lie groups etc) (external consequences of constant relations)
8 – reality (or totality) (full causal density)

We can speak in descriptions including (at least):
1 – operational (true) names
2 – mathematics (ratios)
3 – logic (sets)
4 – physics (operations)
5 – Law (reciprocity)
6 – History (memory)
7 – Literature (allegory (possible))
8 – Literature of pure relations ( impossible )
8a – Mythology (supernormal allegory)
8b – Moral Literature (philosophy – super rational allegory)
8c – Pseudoscientific Literature (super-scientific / pseudoscience literature)
8c – Religious Literature (conflationary super natural allegory)
8d – Occult Literature (post -rational experiential allegory )

We can testify to the truth of our speech only when we have performed due diligence to remove:
1 – ignorance,
2 – error,
3 – bias,
4 – wishful thinking,
5 – suggestion,
6 – obscurantism,
7 – fictionalism, and
8 – deceit.

So of the tests:
1 – categorical consistency (equivalent of point)
2 – internal consistency (equivalent of line)
3 – external correspondence (equivalent shape/object)
4 – operational possibility (what you just described) (equivalent of change [operations])
6 – limits, parsimony, and full accounting. (equivalent of proof)
You have demonstrated test number 4. Only.

Those operations existed or can exist. That you engaged in conflation (or deception) because you have given allegorical (fictional) names to a sequence of operations does not. Because you reintroduced falsehood by analogy.

You can imagine a something with the properties of a unicorn, you can speak of the same, draw the same, sculpt the same … but until you can breed one (and even then we must question), and we can test it, the unicorn does not exist ***in any condition that we can test in all dimensions necessary for you to testify it exists***

This is just one of the differences between TRUTH (dimensional consistency (constant relations)), and some subset of the properties of reality (DIMENSIONAL CONSISTENCY).

Mathematics allows us to describe constant relations between constant categories (correspondence) by means of self-reference we call ‘ratios’ to some constant unit (one). The more deterministic (constant) the relations the more descriptive mathematics, the higher causal density that influences changes in state, the more information and calculation is necessary for the description of candidate consequences, and eventually we must move from the description of end states to the description of intermediary states that because of causal density place limits on the ranges of possible end states.

In other words, in oder to construct theories (descriptions) of general rules of constant relations, we SUBTRACT properties of reality from our descriptions until we include nothing but identity(category), quantity, and ratio, and constrain ourselves to operations that maintain the ratios between the subject (identity).

Mathematics has evolved but retained (since the greeks at least) the ‘magical’ (fictional, supernormal fiction, we call platonism) as a means of obscuring a mathematician’s lack of understanding of just why ‘this magic works’. When in reality, mathematics is trivially simple, because it rests on nothing more than correspondence (identity), quantity, ratio, and operations that maintain those ratios, and incrementally adding or removing dimensions, to describe relations across the spectrum between points(identities, objects, categories) and pure relations at scales we do not yet possess the instrumentation or memory or ability to calculate at such vast scales – except through intermediary phenomenon.

As such, operationally speaking, the discipline of mathematics consists (Truthfully) of the science (theories of), general rules of constant relations at scale independence, in arbitrarily selected dimensions. In other words. Mathematics consists of the study of measurement.

it is understandable why we do not grasp the first principles of the universe – they are unobservable directly except at great cost. It is not understandable why we do not grasp the first principles of mathematics: because measurement is a very simple thing, and dimensions are very simple things.

That mathematicians still speak in fictional language, just as do theists and just as do the majority of philosophers (pseudo science, pseudo-rationalism, pseudo-mythology) is merely evidence of retention of ancient fictionalism (platonism). And the fact that we must have these discussions demonstrates the equivalent of faith in platonic models, is equal to faith in theological models – merely lacking the anthropomorphism.

Ergo, infinities are a fictionalism. Multiple infinities are a fictionalism. Both fictionalism describe conditions where time and actions (operations) have been removed as is common in the discipline of measurement (mathematics). Operationally, numbers (operationally constructed positional names, must be existentially produced as are movements of gears attached in ratio. And as such certain sets of numbers (outputs) are produced faster (like seconds or minutes vs hours) than other sets of numbers (outputs), and the reverse: some slower. But we simply ignore this fact and instead of saying no matter what limits we apply, the size of the current set of x will always be larger than the current set of y, we say the infinities are of different sizes? No. the intermediary sets produce members at different rates, and the term ‘infinity’ merely refers to ‘unknown limit’ or ‘limit that must be supplies by correspondence with reality upon application.

Practice math as science, or practice it as supernatural religion. I can make correspondent statements referring to god, I can make correspondent statements referring to ‘infinities’ or any other form of mathematical platonism, but in the end, when I do that, I merely make excuses for my inability to testify to causality: TRUTH.

Ergo, like I said, I am pretty well versed in the philosophy of mathematics, and I am perhaps most versed in the philosophy of science of anyone living. And I am pretty confident that mathematicians are no different from scripturalists and platonists: using arcane language and internal consistency to justify a failure to grasp causality: that the only reason internal consistency correspondence to reality is because at least in the physics of the universe if not the actions of man, determinism reigns. In other words, mathematicians in most senses have no idea why what they do, allows them to do what they do.

And at least physicists admit it.

And lawyers before juries have no choice.

Our “Objectives” (intentions) are irrelevant in court. You do not have any right, permission, or ability to determine harm to others. Others determine if you have caused harm to them. And the jury, the judge, and the law are used to determine if in fact your words and deeds cause harm to others. As a prosecutor in court, trying you on whether you speak truthfully, you are guilty of making excuses for the harm you have done by false representation of the discipline of measurement. 😉 you might claim no harm, but then the opposition would say that your retention of fictionalism imposes a cost on every student which is multiplied by every possible action that they could have taken involving any judgement requiring measurement. If we can prevent other kinds of fraud in the market for goods, services, and testimony, why cannot we fill the gap, and prevent fraud in the market for information? 😉

In other words, in crime, neither your intentions nor your opinion matter. Defacto, you’re imposing costs on the commons.

The question is only whether the outcome of your actions imposes costs. Once that question is settled, you are liable for restitution regardless of intent.

Now, since the cost of the practice of supernaturalism, super-normalism (platonism), pseudo-rationalism, and pseudoscience, are only substantial when in the commons, whatever you think in your head is your choice. However once yo speak it in public you are just as liable for that damage as you are liable for yelling fire in the theater. There is no fire in the theatre, and there is no imaginary existence.

Infinity is the name we give to unknown limits that must be provided by context. Mathematics · Fictional vs Juridical · Mathematics · Uncategorized

Math is Taught as Fiction

—“Mathematical fictionalism is more tenable than mathematical platonism.”—Melvin Davila Martinez

“There are no such things as abstract objects?
Prove it.” — John Black

The verb ‘to-be’ = ‘exists’. (is, are, was, were, be, being, been) It is the most ‘irregular’ verb in the english language. Irregular means ‘fungible’. In other words, it is the least precise verb in the english language. It allows us to ‘cheat’, and save both thinking and words, and to claim authority rather than subjectivity, by circumventing the process of constructing the existence of the referent.

The cat is black = i see a cat, and the cat looks like the color black to me.

The first is both a verbal shortcut, a testimony of one’s honesty, and an appeal to authority by a definitive statement, which can only POSSIBLY be a subjective statement.

The same applies to the use of the word ‘number’ which is an irregular NOUN – that like the most irregular VERB ‘to be’, allows us to ‘cheat’, and save thinking and words, by circumventing the process of constructing the existence of the referent. the natural numbers refer to a set of names for quantities of anything we choose to categorize.

But everything else we call a ‘number’ is, like the verb ‘to-be’ a pretense, since a number, including fractional representation using numbers, refers to the name of a quantity, whereas all other referents are the result of operations: FUNCTIONS, not numbers.

So let us scientifically test this statement:

“There are no such things as abstract objects.”
…. which translates to ….
“There [exist] no such [referents] as [non-existent] [referents]”

To which the answer is:
“There exist constant relations between constant relations.”
which is a tautology. In other words, its meaningless.

Why? Because what is a measurement? A measurement is a unitary quantity of constant relations. And what is a number? the name of a constant relation of quantities.

Do constant relations exist? Yes, we call this ‘determinism’ in the scientific ( not philosophical) sense: that the universe operates by a set of constant relations we call ‘laws’ that we must only discover. If the universe did not operate by constant relations thought would be impossible, since that is the function of memory: to identify constant relations, and test inconstant relations.

So do constant relations exist? Yes. We name those constant relations by the use of names that we call numbers, and functions that we reduce to the symbolic equivalent of numbers.

But all that ‘exists’ are constant relations. Mathematics currently consists of a large set of verbal myths and parables by which we reduce complex sequences of consistent operations upon a unitary measure of constant relations.

In other words, when we say Christianity or Aristotelianism, we give a name to a complex set of undefined operations. When we speak in much of mathematical language we do the same.

Why? Because the human mind uses mathematics as a symbolic store of constant relations beyond which our perceptions are able to discern, and beyond which our short term memories are capable of holding. So we speak in the language of manipulating the symbols and begin to treat those symbols as existential rather than as names for the set of constant relations and constant operations that they refer to.

Almost all philosophical questions that we normally find irresolvable are dependent upon the use of the verb to be to create appeal to authority through the use of confusion and incommensurability by acts of polymorphism by the use of conflation, substitution, suggestion, loading (moral distraction) and deceit (counter-factual loading).

In other words MATHEMATICAL FICTIONALISM truthfully and scientifically describes the ‘story’ or ‘mythology’ of mathematics. When we speak in the names of heroes, and refer to myths and legends, and use these parables as methods of decidability in the face of a kaleidic universe, we are ‘calculating’ using symbolic referents and operations. Just as when we claim that the square root of two exists, when it cannot, since we refer to a constant relation that cannot be reduced to a constant relation without a context to provide the information supplied by context: what mathematicians call ‘limits’ or ‘decidability’ or ‘the axiom of choice’.

Mathematics is to Programming, what Rationalism is to Empiricism: a smaller set of properties. Mathematics functions as a language for the expression of constant relations greater than the constant relations we can express by other means.

Mathematics is spoken in terms of mythology, but computer science is not. This is what separates the imaginary and mythological, from the existential, and computable.

Programming tests mathematics. Because functions exist, because operations exist. Everything else refers to some complex set of constant relations we give a name to: a function: a sequence of existentially possible operations.

Thus endeth the lesson.

Curt Doolittle
The Propertarian Institute
Kiev, Ukraine

Fictional vs Juridical · Mathematics · Uncategorized

Infinity, And The Fictional Justificationary Narratives Used In Mathematics

infinite = **’unknown, because without context of correspondence we cannot determine limits’**, that’s all it means. Because that’s all it *can* mean and not argumentatively convert from mathematics to theology or fictional justification is perhaps a better term.

The irony is that mathematicians seek precision in their statements and take pride in the precision of their language, but on this subject they do the opposite: obscure.

There is no difference at all between making theological justificationary narratives, and making mathematically platonic justificationary narratives other than in theology and mathematics, theologians and mathematicians both seek to enforce existing dogma, while at the same time obscuring the fact that they have no idea what they’re talking about, and therefore resort to fictional narrative justification.

“God gave us the ten commandments” is a fictional justificationary narrative obscuring the lack of causal understanding, and “evolutionary constraints produced natural laws of cooperation at scale” articulates the causal understanding. I can obey those ten commandments and cooperate at scale whether I use the fictional justificationary narrative, or the causal scientific narrative. So the operations I take are identical. What differs is the consequences of using a fictional justificationary narrative and a causally parsimonious narrative – just as what differs in our ability to make consequential deductions from allegorical justificationary narratives, and axiomatic causal properties differs.

Mathematics is literally full of holdovers from the greek and Christian eras of mysticism as well as the modern era’s rationalism – and mathematicians have not reformed mathematics as science has been reformed. And so mathematics still contain’s is fictional justificationary narratives. This retention of fictional justificationary narratives (the theology of mathematical platonism), does not necessarily inhibit the practice of mathematics any more than obeying the ten commandments inhibits the art of cooperating at scale. What matters is the consequence of teaching mathematics platonically (theologically) and teaching it scientifically (existentially).

Now, in testimonialism we account for the ethics of externality and we require warranty of truthfulness in public speech. Therefore it would be unethical and immoral (and possibly criminal or at least negligent) for mathematicians to continue to teach or publish or speak in public using theological language while at the same time making proof or truth claims – because one cannot warranty due diligence against externality caused by the false statements.

So someday we hope we can reform mathematics so that it is taught scientifically not theologically, and as such by superior methods of teaching, we expand the use of mathematics to increasing numbers of people, and export less theology via fictional justificationary narrative into the public domain.

Fictional vs Juridical · Mathematics · Uncategorized

Mathematics vs Cinema As Tools For Explaining The Universe

”Cinema can still explain the whole world. Mathematicians think it’s math. I believe it’s cinema.” – Jean-Luc Godard

Mathematics can explain only what we cannot sense. That is why we have mathematics: to compensate for our limited ability to perceive the universe.

However, human concepts must at some point be reduced to those stimuli which we can experience. All language is reducible to an analogy to experience. All imagery is by definition experience. Mathematics is, at some degree of abstraction, simply a vehicle for compensating for our terribly weak short term memories by creating categories, applying quantities, and rearranging symbols while preserving ratios. The mind could do this without mathematics if we had the short term memory to do it with.

Film is, today, the most informationally rich means by which, that which we *cannot* perceive directly, can be reduced by analogy and narrative, to that which we *can* perceive directly.

At first glance, these statements are not terribly romantic.

But after we consider that human beings have invented mathematics, the narrative, and visual media so that we can rapidly sense what we could not sense directly, we can certainly wonder at the marvel of what man can accomplish in the service of his mind and his experience. And in that understanding we can appreciate that there is no material difference between mathematics and cinema. They are simply extensions of us.

And that is as romantic an experience as any.

– Curt Doolittle 😉

(Originally posted under FilmmakerIQ)


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Whisper please, Image is sleeping.

Puck's Library: Summer Salad

  • $ 19.99
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On the beach at an American resort, three women cater to the whims of a man sitting down. One fans him, one plays an instrument, and one offers chocolates. The man simply sips his drink and smokes a cigarette.

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News » National

Illinois Lawmakers Hope to OK Gay Marriage in Jan.

by John O’Connor
Friday Dec 14, 2012

Two Illinois lawmakers said Thursday that they will seek to legalize gay marriage when the General Assembly reconvenes early next year - a push that comes just 18 months after the state started allowing civil unions for same-sex couples.

Rep. Greg Harris and Sen. Heather Steans, both Chicago Democrats, declined to detail the status of roll-call votes in each chamber during a conference call with reporters. But Harris has previously said he wouldn't bring a bill to the floor without assurances that there are enough votes to pass it.

"We're in striking distance of being able to get it done," Stearns said.

Harris and Steans, who played major roles in bringing civil unions for domestic partners to Illinois, said support for gay marriage has been rapidly gaining speed since President Barack Obama spoke in favor of it earlier this year. Voters in four other states either endorsed gay marriage or repudiated bans on it in the November election.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls it a legislative priority. A poll for Southern Illinois University in September found 44 percent of Illinois voters support same-sex marriage, up 10 points from just two years earlier.

"It's very straightforward," Harris said. "We treat all couples with the same respect and dignity in the eyes of the law and we protect the rights of religious institutions to either consecrate or not consecrate marriages within their faith as they see fit. It's very important that government not involve itself in religion on either side of the issue."

However, the Catholic Conference of Illinois opposes the measure and a conservative Christian group's lobbyist says he considers passage now to be a bigger stretch than advocates believe.

Stearns soft-pedaled Thursday when asked if the move to propose legislation signaled that supporters predict victory.

"That's a dangerous game, but that's the goal. We really do want to get a bill to the governor in January ...," she said.

Nine states currently allow gay marriage. Harris and Steans said an Illinois law, which would take effect July 1, would recognize same-sex marriages from other states, and those who have entered civil unions in Illinois could apply for a marriage license with no fee for the first year.

Generally, legalized marriage for same-sex couples give them greater rights regarding taxes, insurance, freedom from privacy restrictions that heterosexual couples have.

Camilla Taylor, marriage project director for Lambda Legal, which is representing 25 couples in a lawsuit opposing the state's gay-marriage ban, said the announcement Thursday "brought hope to thousands of same-sex couples across Illinois."

"Illinois same-sex couples and their children need the freedom to marry now, and it's encouraging that our elected officials agree," Taylor said.

While backed by prominent Democrats, the issue is not strictly a partisan one. Opponents to civil unions in 2010 included some southern Illinois Democrats, while some suburban Republicans supported it.

The Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch, lobbyist for Concerned Christian Americans, predicts a close vote but said passage would surprise him.

"Marriage is not something government has instituted. Marriage is something that's instituted by God," Vanden Bosch said. "People, rather than conforming their lives to the law of God, want to conform the law to their lives."

The Catholic Conference of Illinois, which represents 3.8 million Catholics in the state, has produced a "marriage toolkit" it's distributing to churches and schools outlining the church's position on the issue.

"Nature gives us two sexes for a reason; that's why marriage is unique," conference executive director Robert Gilligan said. "As much as this can be a religious issue, same-sex marriage goes against nature."

The contest for votes in the next three weeks promises to be heated, even as the plan battles for attention among a laundry list of major issues facing lawmakers in the six-day "lame duck" session before a new General Assembly is sworn in. Among the other issues under consideration are plans to fix the pension system, provide driver's licenses to immigrants, legalize medical marijuana and close budget shortfalls.

"We are dedicating our efforts to leaving no stone unturned in helping them" secure passage, said Bernard Cherkasov, chief executive of Equality Illinois. "Our members and supporters by the thousands will be contacting lawmakers."

Harris claims it's been happening already, and some formerly stubborn attitudes among his colleagues have been changed by constituents.

"One of the things that moves them is when they've known the family and they've known three generations of the family and the parents, the grandparents and the kids come in and say, 'Why would our state treat our lesbian granddaughter with less respect than our straight grandson, and how can you support that?'" Harris said. "That's very compelling."

Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  • John Hurst, 2012-12-14 13:51:25

    O, and I’m probably moving there at the end of January/beginning of February. Lucky me !!

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LB 75… “Christ’s Passion”

Listen to these inspiring chapters from a Christian classic on the passion of Jesus. Discover wonderful gems from the Last Supper to His ascension. May your heart be drawn closer to the Good King and His love for you.

Source: “Christ’s Passion”

About Lightbearer4Truth

Learn about Jesus and how to live for Him in a world full of darkness and fear. Purpose in your heart to be His Lightbearer today!
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HK Snakes

For snake pics and further info on any of the snakes listed, simply search in the pool or discussion forums, or see the list below. For more pics of Hong Kong Animals, and to post your own, go to: The Ark Project, Hong Kong
My own photostream is here:

Firstly, let me reassure you……snakebite fatalities are now virtually unkown in Hong Kong. 40,000+ people die every year from snakebites…but NOT in this part of China. There ARE poisonous and even deadly snakes in Hong Kong and you should be aware of them, but most are very rare and/or nocturnal – you are very unlikely to “bump” into one – and even if you do, none are overtly aggressive, so they will quickly disappear. Note also that 90% of these snakes are nocturnal.

Six land species can inflict life endangering bites (the Banded Krait, the Many banded Krait, Chinese Cobra, King Cobra, Coral Snake, and the Red Necked Keelback). These “elapid” snake bites cause nerve related damage. The two other venomous snakes – both pit vipers, the Bamboo and Mountain Pit Viper – have bites that can cause extreme pain and swelling (and still pose a fatality threat to children and dogs). Five other snakes have enlarged poison fangs at the back of the jaw (opistholglyphous), but are not known to produce much reaction in humans…phew. The Common Rat Snake and the Burmese Python are not poisonous, but do get very large, and their teeth can cause nasty cuts and gashes.

There is NO easy way to tell venomous from not, unless you actually know the snakes…and even then ID is not always clear in the heat of the moment. (Can you really tell that the third supralabial scale is NOT touching the eye and nasal scale? be honest). So basic principles apply…leave them alone, and they WILL leave you alone. You will not be attacked by a snake – why would it? it cannot eat you! – so all known snakebites on humans are defensive, and the result of being stepped on, or putting your hand where a snake is hiding, or limited to someone handling a snake. Snakes in Hong Kong are shy and timid, and will try and “run away” if they can. But, if they think they are being attacked then some of them will turn very aggressive, and they can move extremely fast. The krait can even turn its head back on its own neck/body to bite anyone silly enough to try holding him there….so don’t! Don’t pick up snakes to try and move them…we know of someone who wanted to help a snake off a path, but ended up in hospital with a painful serious bite. If you want to help, use a long stick.

If you don’t want to see snakes then stick to the trails. It is highly unlikely that you will surprise each other up close. If you want to venture off into the bush then a)make a lot of noise as you walk. Most will disappear when they feel the vibrations of your walking. b)Walk with a stick, and if you are walking in vegetation beat the bushes in front of you, or part the greenery as you walk. That way you will not suprise it.

As you walk any snakes you come across will try and escape rapidly from your presence….which is very reassuring. BUT – as always, – there is one exception:- The Green Bamboo Snake AKA the Green Pit Viper.
Bamboo snake or bamboo pit viper. Venomous. Trimeresurus albolaris. Most of the bites i have heard of are from this snake and my wife knows three people who have been bitten (all are fine, but had very painful swelling). The Pit Vipers are nocturnal, so you are unlikely to meet them during the day. If you see a green snake during the day it is more than likely the harmless and inoffenisve Greater Green Snake. The Pit Vipers end up biting people bcause they like to ambush their prey, so they do not normally move when they hear you, and rely on their camouflage to remain undisturbed; plus they can “see” and can strike at night using their heat sensing pit organs. For all the snakes and their differences see the list below….

As a general rule you are far more likely to see snakes in the warmer months….from March to November, as they are cold blooded and rely on heat to move around.

If you WANT to see more reptiles and snakes then go to their habitats – see information on that under the discussion forums for each species. Hiking carefully around the Country Parks look carefully in the right habitats, take your time and be patient, keep your eyes peeled and listen carefully for a tell-tale rustle in the leaves or bushes, and then you can normally see one of the more common species of lizards, and probably snakes too.

If you have a snake near your house then it is a good idea to have it removed…for both of you….options include calling the police (who are supposed to capture it and take it for release to Kadoorie Farm, but often the snake is killed).
Or call one of the following:-

1. WILLIAM If anyone reading does need one removing from their place, I’m happy to do it, as the police simply kill them, regardless of whether they are protected or not. Please feel free to call me 94708442.
2. Another snake contact is Dave Willot – a dedicated snake saver, who would rather be phoned and come around to pick up the snake than have one of you kill it. You can phone on his freely available number which is (already published in books and therefore in the public domain) 23282526.
3. reaches a local TV/Herp “celebrity” who runs interesting educational programmes including about herps.

Venomous, and dangerous.

Now very rare due to loss of habitat. Mainly nocturnal.…

Nocturnal, extremely dangerous and fatalities have been recorded in Hong Kong. Highly distinctive black and white markings. c.50-100cm. Has 30+ distinct bands.…

Mainly nocturnal, but sometimes out during the day. Extremely dangerous and fatalities have been recorded in Hong Kong. Can be black, grey, brown or even golden! with or without lines or spots.
Like the King Cobra, can easily be confused with a the Common Rat Snake, but lacks the distinctive black head bars of the Rat Snake. Has an expandable hood and a binocular/monocular pattern on the back of it.…

World’s largest venomous snake, up to 6m. Rare in Hong Kong. Extremely dangerous and fatalities have been recorded in Hong Kong…mainly from staff in snake shops!…

Nocturnal, and very uncommon. Distinctive reddish colour.…
Coral snake. Calliophis macclellandi. Highly Venomous.

Mainly active during the day. Bright distinctive red neck. Only recently considered dangrous due to fatalities overseas.
Probably the most common of the venomous snakes listed above, and the one you are most likely to come across when hiking in the hills of Hong Kong.…
red neck keelback juvenile

Venomous, nasty – but not fatal.

Triangular shaped head with many small scales, with a thin distinct neck. Reddish end to its tail. red or golden eye. Slit pupils. Keeled/pronounced scales. Rarely moves away. heat sensing pits around mouth.
Photo Credit: Roger Kendrick. aka HK Moths.
Bamboo Viper
Closely resembles the greater green snake which is harmless, which has large scales on head, no distinct neck, brown eye, with round pupil, no red on tail, no heat sensing pits around mouth. clear?
You can click on the pics below for a bigger shot.
Here is a shot of the head of the pit viper….
bamboo snake or bamboo pit viper. Venomous. Trimeresurus albolaris.

and here is a shot of the head of the Greater Green Snake:
Cyclophiops major 翠青蛇

Very, very rare.…

Venomous, but not dangerous to humans

Rare and locally restricted to Deep Bay
Active night and day, not common, some swelling may occur if bitten
Mainly nocturnal, lives in streams
Quite common and will strike

Not Venomous, but bites can hurt.

A highly protected species. Most are around 2-4m in length. They are powerful and vicious, and will bite readily.
Known to take the occasional dog or goat. More of a nuisance to farmers than a threat.…
Quite common, one of the rare daylight only active snakes. Will bite readily.…

next gallery

and one last time….

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2010-03-18 / General Stories

Police Canine Units Train in Putnam County

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2013-10-03 / Worship Services

Worship Listings

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2009-09-24 / Birth Announcements

Matthew James Gallagher II

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A Good Night for Freedom

A Good Night for Freedom

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Hallie discovers two runaway slaves hiding in Levi Coffin's house and must choose between protecting herself and her family or helping the two strangers she has just met. Ages 6-9.

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On Being Grafted Into The Root

On Being Grafted Into The Root

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Debbie Humphries talk began a series, with the theme the call to ministry. In the lecture she explored images of grafting and the growth of olive trees in both the Bible and the Mormon texts she grew up with. She uses these texts to illuminate her experience of the call to ministry.

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Treasure type averages

Although I haven't posted much lately, work on my retro-clone continues. Today I started looking at treasure types. Here's how I got the averages in the table below. Take the gold in treasure type E as an example. Page 22 of Monsters & Treasure lists it as "1-8: 25%". So, I assumed that the average roll would be 4, giving 4000 GP. Those gold pieces would only be found 25% of the time, so that 4000 GP is reduced to 1000 GP. I did the same for copper and silver, and added them to the GP value.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Missing monsters

I spent a little time yesterday checking monsters in the d20 SDR. Apart from a handful of spelling variations, all the creatures in Monsters & Treasure appear in the d20 SDR. Eventually, I found green slime and yellow mold in the dungeon hazards section of the SDR, rather than the monster lists. I was happy to find them, as I thought I might have to substitute some real-world or mythological monster. The "snotties" found in Cueva de Villa Luz would make a reasonable real-world substitute for green slime. I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) they are archaea, a biological group that includes organism living in volcanoes and other extreme environments.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Upkeep costs

James Maliszewski posted about OD&D support and upkeep costs. I had been wondering about the frequency of payments myself, and assumed that upkeep was paid on a recurring basis. As migellito says in the comments to James' post, paying upkeep costs at the time XP is awarded is the most parsimonious interpretation, and therefore the most appealing to me. That works to simply bookkeeping for food, lodging, maintenance, etc. If, on the other hand, the referee wants to use upkeep costs as a stick to drive characters toward play focused on establishing and maintaining baronies, upkeep fees should be assessed more frequently, perhaps on a weekly or monthly basis.

Friday, November 12, 2010

OD&D spell names vs d20 SDR spell names (part 3)

1st Level Spells
1. Cure Light Wounds1. 〃
2. Detect Evil 2. 〃
3. Detect Magic 3. 〃
4. Light 4. 〃
5. Protection/Evil 5. Protection from Evil
6. Purify Food & Water6. Purify Food and Drink
2nd Level Spells
1. Bless 1. 〃
2. Find Traps 2. 〃
3. Hold Person 3. 〃
4. Speak with Animals4. 〃
3rd Level Spells
1. Continual Light1. Continual Flame
2. Cure Disease 2. Remove Disease
3. Locate Object 3. 〃
4. Remove Curse 4. 〃
4th Level Spells
1. Create Water 1. 〃
2. Cure Serious Wounds 2. 〃
3. Neutralize Poison 3. 〃
4. Protection/Evil 10' r.4. Magic Circle against Evil
5. Speak with Plants 5. 〃
6. Turn Sticks to Snakes 6. No clear d20 SDR equivalent
5th Level Spells
1. Commune 1. 〃
2. Create Food 2. Create Food and Water
3. Dispell Evil3. Dispel Evil
4. Insect Plague 4. 〃
5. Quest 5. Geas/Quest
6. Raise Dead 6. 〃

Thursday, November 11, 2010

OD&D spell names vs d20 SDR spell names (part 2)

Here are the rest of the rest of the OD&D magic-user spells with their closest d20 SDR equivalents. (Here's Part 1.)
4th Level Spells
1. Charm Monster 1. 〃
2. Confusion 2. 〃
3. Dimension Door 3. 〃
4. Growth/Plant 4. Plant Growth
5. Hallucinatory Terrain5. 〃
6. Massmorph 6. No clear d20 SDR equivalent
7. Polymorph Others 7. Polymorph
8. Polymorph Self 8. Polymorph
9. Remove Curse 9. 〃
10. Wall of Fire 10. 〃
11. Wall of Ice 11. 〃
12. Wizard Eye 12. Arcane Eye
5th Level Spells
1. Animate Dead 1. 〃
2. Cloudkill 2. 〃
3. Conjure Elemental 3. Summon Monster VII
4. Contact Higher Plane4. Contact Other Plane
5. Feeblemind 5. 〃
6. Growth/Animal 6. Animal Growth
7. Hold Monster 7. 〃
8. Magic Jar 8. 〃
9. Pass-Wall 9. Passwall
10. Telekenesis 10. 〃
11. Teleport 11. 〃
12. Transmute Rock-Mud 12. Transmute Rock to Mud
13. Wall of Iron 13. 〃
14. Wall of Stone 14. 〃
6th Level Spells
1. Anti-Magic Shell 1. Antimagic Field
2. Control Weather 2. 〃
3. Death Spell 3. Circle of Death
4. Disintegrate 4. 〃
5. Geas 5. Geas/Quest
6. Invisible Stalker6. Summon Monster VII
7. Lower Water 7. Control Water
8. Move Earth 8. 〃
9. Part Water 9. No clear d20 SDR equivalent
10. Projected Image 10. Mirror Image
11. Reincarnation 11. Reincarnate
12. Stone-Flesh 12. Stone to Flesh and Flesh to Stone

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

OD&D spell names vs d20 SDR spell names (part 1)

I'm still working on my clone project. As part of that, I've been comparing the spells in OD&D against those in the d20 SDR. Here are the first half of the magic-user spells with their closest SDR equivalents. I'll post more in the next few days.
1st Level Spells
1. Charm Person 1. 〃
2. Detect Magic 2. 〃
3. Hold Portal 3. 〃
4. Light 4. 〃
5. Protection/Evil5. Protection from Evil
6. Read Languages 6. Comprehend Languages
7. Read Magic 7. 〃
8. Sleep 8. 〃
2nd Level Spells
1. Continual Light 1. Continual Flame
2. Detect Evil 2. 〃
3. Detect Invisible 3. See Invisiblity
4. ESP 4. Detect Thoughts
5. Invisibility 5. 〃
6. Knock 6. 〃
7. Levitate 7. 〃
8. Locate Object 8. 〃
9. Phantasmal Forces9. Major Image
10. Wizard Lock 10. Arcane Lock
3rd Level Spells
1. Clairaudience 1. Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
2. Clairvoyance 2. Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
3. Dispell Magic 3. Dispel Magic
4. Fire Ball 4. Fireball
5. Fly 5. 〃
6. Haste Spell 6. Haste
7. Hold Person 7. 〃
8. Infravision 8. Darkvision
9. Invisibility, 10' r. 9. Invisibility Sphere
10. Lightning Bolt 10. 〃
11. Protection/Evil, 10' r. 11. Magic Circle against Evil
12. Protection/Normal Missiles12. Protection from Arrows
13. Slow Spell 13. Slow
14. Water Breathing 14. 〃

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

I like James Maliszewski's take on D&D anti-clerics as secret demon cultists. It tickles my fancy for 70's horror (Kolchak, Rosemary's Baby, The Wicker Man, The Devil Rides Out, etc.)

Friday, November 5, 2010

Level titles

I was thinking about level titles—that they could be customized to reflect the flavor of a particular campaign. Myrmidon is already one of the class names, but if you had a game with a strong Homeric flavor, you could name all the fighting-men levels after Greek tribes. Another possibility is to name each level for the character of that class in your campaign who first achieves said level. If Frankfort is the first cleric to make it to level 3, level 3 is thereafter called Frankfort.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

A misreading of Law and Chaos

It seems that the OD&D alignment system is based largely on Three Hearts and Three Lions, which I'm about half way through reading at the moment.

I had been thinking (wrongly, it turns out) that the Law and Chaos dichotomy might be linked to the game's wargaming roots. I could imagine that Law and Chaos might not be nebulous, cosmic forces, but opposed factions of a particular struggle in a particular time and place.

For example, in the milieu of the American Civil War, the Lawful faction would be the Union, and the Chaotic faction would be the Confederacy. States which did not declare for one side or the other, such as Kentucky prior to Polk's invasion of Columbus, would be Neutral. It would work the same for the French Revolution, War of the Roses, or Hatfield–McCoy feud. In wargaming terms, Law, Chaos, and Neutrality would be generic categories used to describe a conflict. Neutral factions could become Lawful or Chaotic by declaring an allegiance, and in victory the Chaotic faction would become de facto Lawful by gaining power.

Bringing that to D&D would mean PC's taking sides (or remaining neutral) in the dominant conflict of their time and place. Such a view of alignment strips it of metaphysical trappings, and ties PC's to their campaign world.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

On page 13 of Men & Magic, it says:
"The referee may allow players to designate one relative of his character to inherit his possessions if for any reason the participnt unexpectedly disappears, or with or without "death" being positively established, for a period of one game month, let us say. [...] If the character returns, he takes possession of his estate once more (referee's option as to willingness of the relative to give it up) but must pay an additional 10% tax in order to regain his own. Optionally the relative may be allowed to stay on as a non-player character in the service of the player-character. Loyalty of the relative in such a circumstance would be at a penalty of from 0 to -6, and he would possibly intrigue to regain control. Characters without a relative will lose all their possession should they disappear and not return before whatever period is designated as establishing death."
Willing possession to a new, related character became a familiar part of later D&D as a way to give a player's new character a little boost after his old one died, but the "unexpectedly disappears" bit strikes me a strange. The soap operatic return of a character believed dead is even odder. I suspect that the intention with this rule has more to do with the disappearance of a player that the disappearance of a character.

 When you have, as Men & Magic says, up to fifty(!) players rotating in and out of a campaign, it's inevitable that a few of those people will drop out of the game, and that they may or may not eventually return. What happens to their character? What happens to the juicy and important treasure maps in that character's possession? Declare the character dead, and give all his stuff to a new character controlled by a player who can show up for a game once in a while. If the truant player later returns to the campaign, then you have the possibility of intrigue between the characters.

I wonder how this would work in practice. When declaring a relative, would the player prearrange matters with another player in the event he missed a few games, or would the DM accumulate a collection of relative NPC's he could dole out to any player whose character died? (This is one of those things where it's difficult for me to gauge whether this interpretation was already obvious to everyone except me, or if I'm just completely misreading it.)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Outdoor Survival

Underworld & Wilderness Adventures recommends using the board from Avalon Hill's 1972 board game Outdoor Survival for a wilderness map. Here's the Boardgame Geek page for Outdoor Survival, which includes pictures of the game. The playing board is marked by a hexagonal grid, sized 34 x 43 hexes. The map includes various terrain types, such as woods, desert, mountains, and swamps. Nine buildings and twenty-four catch-basins dot the map. U&WA says to use the buildings as towns, and the catch-basins as castles. Some of those castles would be ruins, others not. This seems to be the assumed starting area for a campaign. Hexes are assumed to be five miles across. A man on foot can cross three hexes per day, depending upon terrain type. A "light" horse (40gp) can cross 10 hexes a day. So, a party might reasonably be able to cross the map from corner to corner in about a week. That seems like a manageable starting point. Have you used the Outdoor Survival map for a campaign?


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Avocado Poundcake

29 Mar

I know what you are thinking…avocado poundcake? Yup that’s right!

I purchased a new loaf pan today and had to try it out. I saw this recipe for chocolate avocado poundcake through and thought it sounded interesting. I am not big on chocolate (unless it’s a chocolate chip cookie) so I changed the recipe a bit.

A lot of people do not like avocados simply because they are green. I love them – not only are they loaded with vitamins, omega 3’s (the good fat), protein, and also have anti-inflammatory benefits. They are great alone or on salads, sandwiches, and of course in guacamole!

This cake isn’t as sweet as I thought it may be but it is definitely moist.  It seems like a great cake for toppings such as powdered sugar, some strawberries and greek yogurt or ice cream. Yum!

Avocado Poundcake

1  1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornmeal (I used oats instead and think it would be fine to omit)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)1  1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 whole ripe avocado

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup buttermilk ( I used soy milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt).

Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high until light and fluffy. Add the avocado and beat for 2 more minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs. Beat for 2 more minutes.

Add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl. Mix until just combined. Add the milk and the remainder of the ingredients. Mix on low until just combined (do not over mix).

Pour the mixture into the sprayed loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 50- 60 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before attempting to remove the cake. It is best to let the cake cool before cutting.

Honey Sesame Chicken

26 Mar

I really like the boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Trader Joes. They aren’t plumped up with Lord knows what and actually taste like chicken. Some of you maybe thinking huh? How can a chicken not taste like chicken? Trust me it can. Try purchasing some major brand name (I would say the name but I digress) chicken nuggets and making your own with fresh chicken that actually lived on a farm, ate grass instead of antibiotics, could breath fresh air and so on… yeah its quite a difference.

This recipe I found on There are so many good food blogs out there!

What I liked about this recipe was that the sauce is homemade and so easy. It reminds me of my Hawaiian Pulled Chicken (I will share that recipe soon).

Honey Sesame Chicken (crock pot recipe)

3 – 4 boneless skinless chicken breast

salt and pepper

3/4 cup agave nectar (or honey)

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp minced garlic (about two cloves)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 6 tbsp water

sesame seeds

Combine agave, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Stir well. (I added 1/4 tsp of ginger also)

Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. I cut the three chicken breasts into 12 pieces.

Place the seasoned chicken into the bottom of the pot and pour the sauce mixture on top. Cook for 3-4 hours on low or 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on high. You do not want to over cook the chicken.

After 3 1/2 hours on low I removed the chicken to a separate plate and shredded the chicken with a fork.

In the pot add the cornstarch mixture to the pot and stir. Allow the sauce to thicken, 5 minutes or so and return the chicken to the pot.

I served this over brown rice…don’t forget to top with your sesame seeds! Yum:)

Green Juice

24 Mar

I purchased a juicer a few years ago and pull it out every now and then. To me it is quite a hassle to clean and it takes SO many vegetables to get a fair amount of juice. But after I drink the juice I feel great and have more energy and forget about what I dislike about the juicer.

Today I had some fruits and veggies that I knew I was not going to get to eat this weekend so I decided to juice them…. yum:)

I used…

Donuts or Doughnuts?

23 Mar

Well whatever they are called I like them! I have given up with my fight with fried foods so every time I am offered a donut I sigh and say no thank you. This week has been very trying so I was very happy when there was a box waiting for me at home yesterday. What was in the box you ask? A donut pan! There also was a workout dvd in there too but I will tell you about that later….

 The first recipe I tried came out very ‘doughy’. The recipe below came out better.

Baked gingerbread donuts with a brown sugar glaze

adapted from

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp soy milk (or whatever milk you have)

2 tbsp butter (melted)

1 cup unbleached AP flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp each of cloves and nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine brown sugar, egg, applesauce, milk and butter together. Add dry ingredients.

Pour batter into the donut pan evenly. This recipe made 6 donuts.

2 tbsp butter

1/4 c brown sugar

1 tbsp soy milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a small pan over medium heat. After boiling for 2 minutes add the tbsp of milk. Once the mixture has been brought back up to a boil – add in the powdered sugar. If it is too thick add another tbsp of milk. Be careful dipping the donuts into the glaze, it is very hot.

Thin Chocolate Chip Cookies

17 Mar

I will take a good cookie over a piece of cake any day! I have my standard chocolate chip cookie recipe that often gets many requests but when I saw this recipe I had to try it. I made a couple of adjustments to the original recipe. For example just a little over a cup of flour the original recipe uses more than a stick of butter… sounded pretty glutenous to me.  I used one stick of butter and these cookies are still pretty rich. I added some heart healthy flax seeds in the mix too…these cookies are sweet, chewy, a little crunchy and a little salty all at the same time…Yum:)

Thin Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from

  • 1 cup + 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp flax seed + 3 tbsp of water (or one egg)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and flax seed and water.

Add salt, baking powder and flour – mix until smooth.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. This recipe made 10 big cookies using my 3tbsp cookie scoop.

Let your cookies sit on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes.Please do not try to move your cookies right away! They will break:(

About Me

11 Mar

I love God… and HE made me QUIET for a reason that I am unsure of. I don’t question it but others sure do. Maybe it was to make me a great listener. After all we all have two ears and one mouth right? I am an introvert that likes to act like an extrovert at times. I internalize everything. When I am feeling stressed I clean, cook (and emotionally eat) and work-it-out. I have insomnia. I love coupons. I am creative. I dislike smoking, constant complaining and bad customer service. I have a cosmetology license and a MBA that took a lot of effort and student loans to get but I work a desk job that reflects none of the above. I love my Baltimore Ravens. I am a licensed Zumba instructor and would like open a bakery. I love my Sorors of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated. I like to read. I do not like peanut butter. Things that makes me happy… traveling, listening to music and dancing around – singing to myself or experimenting in the kitchen with some new recipes. Anything else you wanna know??

I just hope this blog allows me to share the things that make me happy!


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A Love Affair Requires Two Partners

Shir HaShirim, usually read by Ashkenazim on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach (1) and by Sephardim before every Shabbat, presents on the surface as a secular love poem. In fact, it was the last (or among the last) scroll to be accepted into the canon (Mishna Yadayim 3:5). Understood as a metaphor of the love between God and the Jewish People, we can understand how it really is integral to the Written Torah.

Most rabbinic texts that I’ve studied emphasize God’s great love for Am Yisrael. Often overlooked, and perhaps of much greater urgency is what is left unsaid. We, the Jewish People, need to love our Creator just as passionately as He loves us, not merely intellectually. Taking our cue from the twice-daily Shema, loving requires all of our heart, not only our mind.

If mountains and rivers and valleys, representing the physical world, tremble and leap in the Psalms of Kabbalat Shabbat, to greet God with the approach of that closer Shabbat relationship, can we do any less?

  1. This year, as with all years when Pesach begins on Shabbat, Shir HaShirim is read first day in Eretz Yisrael and last day in the diaspora.
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Posted: March 23, 2013 in Raiders News

Hello friends, I just on want to state that I’m not on Twitter. My account was not active and somehow somebody got into it and either activated it or created a new one with RaiderNewsFlash name.
I’m in fact still going to post some Raiders stuff here but doing Raiders news exclusively is not part of my plans until further notice. I now work behind the scenes working with a top NFL reporter breaking news ect ect. Believe it or not some of the top names in the business have a whole team working with them to break news to the world. I’m part of that team. I do still break Raiders news daily but it’s just not coming out of my mouth it’s coming out of a guys name you all trust and believe..

I can say that since I arrived there has been more Raiders coverage and I can say for all Raiders news and NFL news that you can trust you should all check out Profootballtalk.com They seem to be the best.

You will hear more from me in the future.
The plan remains the same, The goals remain the same.
I will be the best in the world….

By the way Terrance Newman “last resort” is to come to Oakland. He does not want to be a Raider at all. he want’s to play for a team “that is good and can make the playoffs” Those are his words, so if IF he lands here remember no matter what he says he is not happy about it

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Two Ratings – Why Not Five?

USED has announced that it is considering two ratings systems for PIRS. One using raw data for consumers for consumers, one using input-adjusted metrics for accountability (access to Title IV student financial aid).

Why not five?

Why not ratings based on wealth-adjusted metrics?

Why not ratings of public institutions based on levels of state-support adjusted measures?

Why not adjustments based on the proximity of Starbuck’s (since that was apparently a factor in Sweet Briar’s closing)?

Clearly I can go on (and on) because once you go down this path there are dozens of legitimate arguments to make. A good ratings “system” would allow different ratings to be created based on the user’s preferences or needs. But to say we will have two ratings will create confusion – especially if the Department is not COMPLETELY transparent in its methodologies and the results of each are markedly different.

I imagine a dining room table conversation where a parent says, “Gee, the this college is rated a poor performer by the consumer rating, but a high performer to be eligible for Pell grants  and loans, so it must be doing something right, even if almost no one seems to graduate in six years.”

Yep. That will be helpful.

Be nice. It won't hurt either of us.

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Pre-PA Club

For those of you who don’t know what PA stands for it is physiciapa-pinn assistant. Being in this club has allowed me to explore my dream job and goal for later on in life. Not only do we find out about PA schools all around the nation, but we volunteer, fundraise and learn about training opportunities to lead up to becoming a PA. There are so many great guest speakers who come in and tell us their take on PA and to help us through this tasking time to get to the level of applying for graduate schools. This club has given me so many opportunities to grow into the physician assistant (or possibly physician) that I hope to be. Applying to be on the PA board will definitely be in the near future. For more details and to see what were up to, visit the Pre-PA Club Facebook page. Also here are some interesting facts on being a physician assistant.

Sibs Weekend

Do you have a sibling, a cousin, niece or nephew and attend CMU? Then that makes you the prefect candidate to join the fun in a weekend made for you and your sibling to rekindle your relationship. This was by far one of my favorite events I was involved in this year. I was on two committees, carnival and volunteers, that helped plan out the event from the beginning. Creating the theme of the carnival events and and decorating the

gyms for our spy theme this year was a blast, especially coming up with a super secret spy mission for kids to participate in. By far the best thing was being able to see the smiles on everyones faces when they were with their sibling enjoying their time together. Definitly applying to be a committee chair in the future. This event had over 2000 people show up to spend bonding time with their sibling(s) and I couldn’t be happier to have allowed for those random funny memories to stick with them forever. Check out this article on some triplets who visited for the weekend!

Marching Band/University Band

Relay for Life LEAD Team

Special Olympics Polar Plunge

Several volunteer opportunities…


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Apathetic Kinetic ft. ILLtemper

from by Rated R & DJ Rhum'1

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from Martyrs of Malevolence, released February 5, 2017

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Rated R cny Utica, New York

Hardcore Underground Hip-Hop artist from Central New York. Rated R is dedicated to bringing you real music from the Heart, and isn't caught up on all that commercial bullshit!

Rated R is also a member of Dead Rabbits and Poet On Drugs.
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My Favorite Fathers/Father Figures

Happy Father’s Day! I hope your showing your dad how much you love and appreciate him. If your dad has passed away, RIP to him. Stay strong. I’m sure this day is hard for you. Remember all the great times you guys had together. In honor of Father’s Day, I have decided to share with you my favorite fathers/father figures. Let me know if I missed any key ones. Without further ado, here we go! (These are in no order)

1) Mr. Weasley from the Harry Potter series

He is such a great father figure for Harry. Mr. Weasley is caring and always seems to look out for Harry.

credit to Makani

2) Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series

Yes there may be too many Harry Potter characters. All the characters mentioned impacted Harry in a big way. Sirius Black was his godfather who protects Harry and tells him about his parents.

credit to HitoFanart @ deviantart

3) Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series

I promise this is the last Harry Potter character. Dumbledore protected Harry, gave him advice and took him on a wild journey. Dumbledore was a major part of Harry’s life.

credit to Fanpop .com

4) Uncle Big in The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

He’s such a great character! Yes he is normally high. Yes he has been married several times. But he seems to want to listen to Lennie ramble on. He seems to care about her.

There was no fan art so here is a great quote!

5) Hazel’s Dad in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

He wasn’t in the story/movie much but he sure seemed to love and care about Hazel.

credit to Pinterest 😀

Most dads in YA fiction seem to be absent or not good dads. I could only think of 4 wonderful father figures and one dad. Happy Father’s Day to all you amazing dads and father figures!

Thanks for reading!

~Makayla the Bookworm 😀

5 thoughts on “My Favorite Fathers/Father Figures

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An Insight on the National Staff Development Council (NSDC)

There are many professional organizations that can help literacy experts stay involved in the profession beyond their classroom or school assignment. Students in the spring semester of READ 6325 explored various professional organizations and are sharing what they learned through this blog series.

By Lorena

During a recent assignment, I chose to research on the National Staff Development Council. Its purpose is specifically to prepare educators in the delivery of good quality instruction. The organization is known nationwide as NSDC, the acronym for its name. It can easily be found on the world wide web by entering the URL on any search engine. In this organization anyone can become a member. I personally see it as geared and intended for school districts, board members, teachers, administrators, superintendents, community representatives, support staff, and anyone who truly believes that staff development enhances teacher’s knowledge to provide effective quality instruction.

The focuses of this organization are many and they target every possible standard amongst an educational setting. The organization’s focuses are broken down into three standards; context, content, and process, all developed to specifically target the learning of all students. In order to meet the context standards, the organization provides staff development that prepares school and district leaders with skillful leadership practices. This is absolutely necessary so the school and district leaders achieve the school and district goals. The organization focuses on the ongoing professional learning and continuous improvement of their leaders in the educational contexts to create learning communities and achieve successful student learning. As far as resources, the organization has a clear focus that staff development provides those resources for supporting adult learning and collaboration. This is viewed as an investment that will pay-off in improved staff performance and student learning in the long run. The organization encourages leaders to seek professional learning not only amongst their colleagues but also by sources outside of the school by attending workshops and conferences around the state and nationwide.

The organization’s goals in the process standards encourages leaders to use data and disaggregate it to determine adult’s learning priorities, to monitor progress and sustain continuous improvement of all students. It uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact. The evaluation process is based on clarity of thought regarding outcomes of staff developments. Evidence is gathered from there to guide decision making. One good example is evaluation forms at staff developments. NSDC supports teachers in the use of research to decision making. They believe that research is an essential tool for teachers and administrators to become informed consumers of educational research in the use of professional development. They don’t necessarily intend for educators and leaders to become research crazy, but rather, to use pilot studies to determine the effectiveness of new approaches before implementation. They encourage staff development planners to choose learning strategies that are appropriate for the intended outcome. They must also be aware and skillful in the application of adult learning strategies. The learning methods used in staff development must mirror as close as possible the methods teachers are expected to use with their students. Educators must be open to collaboration in order for the staff development to be successful.

In the organization’s content standards, the goal is that these staff developments improve the learning of students. Educators are prepared to appreciate students and create safe and orderly supportive learning environments and to hold high expectations for the student’s academic achievement. Teachers participate in sustained, intellectually rigorous professional learning for the subjects they teach. Those who are successful will have a better understanding of the subjects taught, use appropriate instructional methods, and apply a variety of assessment strategies. Education is a partnership between the school, home, and the community. Educators must be knowledgeable in the different ways in which families and community members can be involved in the school for the benefit of the students. They must understand their student’s cultural background and challenges that families might be experiencing. Clear communication and respect towards family members demonstrates a genuine interest of a child’s and family’s welfare from the educator.

The NSDC has various resources for staff developers, improvement teams, and educational leaders. They provide several publications such as, Journal of Staff Development, the Developer, and the Innovator. They also offer video and audio materials, sponsor conferences, and workshops on leading school change and improvement. The organization also has very strong supporters such as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and the Metlife foundation who are very generous in their donations.

Without a doubt, NSDC is a strong supporter in the preparation of educational leaders. Their goal is very clear, preparing leaders and educators to achieve student success. I recommend you visit them on the web and see for yourselves at,

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Created Unique & for His Purposes

imageNo one is an accident, if you have been told that you were unplanned as a child and so were conceived by accident or you came into this world as a result of rape, I have a message for you: how you came into this world does not determine your worth or significance.

While your mother and father, or one parent voiced any of the afore mentioned reasons why you are on earth to you, that was their opinion based on the facts that actually happened and if you are still suffering the effects of being told such details of how you came into being, may our God of compassion heal you completely in Jesus’ name.

Our sovereign God who is all knowing, all seeing and all powerful foreknew that this is how you would come into this world. He did not plan it this way. Man has free will, but God is the creator of the following process as all things: conception, fetus formation and the gestation period until birth. He formed you in your mother’s womb and knew what you would look like.
God gave you your unique finger prints, DNA, iris and palm prints among other biometrics.

“13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well.15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.” (Ps. 139:13-16 KJV)

God chose who your parents would be and where you would live (Acts 17:26)

If you have been wounded by your parents because of the way they have treated you or the words they have said, forgive them and if they are still alive let them know they are forgiven and reach out to them with the love of the LORD. Whatever they put you through, they were chosen by God to be your parents and you are required by God to honour them.

What a privilege and joy to know that as Christians our destiny was outworked such that at some stage in our lives we became children of God. Just think our names were written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world. So if someone tells you that you were unplanned, an accident or even attempts to make you feel insignificant because you do not in their opinion conform to the norm (again in their opinion, not God’s as regards what the norm is!) be reminded that not only were you created by the one and only Master Creator, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, you were chosen even before your parents met and conceived you as one of those who would know God and serve Him through Christ.
“16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16 KJV).

Our unique destiny path resulted in us meeting others in the family of God who have also come from their unique backgrounds and journey.

The Apostle Paul (1 Corinth. 12:12-26) used the following analogy : As each human part is necessary for the function of the human body as a whole so too each member of the Body of Christ is needed for the function of the whole. The different parts of the human body are unique, an eye does not look like or function as the ear, nor the foot as the arm but they are nevertheless necessary and important parts of the human body. Likewise in the Body of Christ we do not look alike naturally nor have the same giftings and callings because we are unique natural and spiritual individuals but each of us are necessary and important parts of the body of Christ.

When we are new believers in Christ there is a new destiny path as a member of the kingdom of God which again as our pathway before is unique or unlike that of anyone else. It is only when we stay close to God, in obedience to His word and in total surrender to Him that we are able to fulfill our destinies as children of God.

Brethren let us maintain a life of reverential fear of the Lord and engage in spiritual check ups periodically along our journey as purposeful individuals for God.
If we reach the stage in our Christian lives when we start thinking we are too strong in the Lord to fall into temptation or to be deceived then we are in trouble because pride has taken root.
“Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18 KJV)

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)

In our spiritual check up, we humbly pray as David did

“23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:24And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 KJV)
“12…cleanse thou me from secret [faults].13Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:12-14 KJV).

Not long before Jesus died he prepares his disciples for his departure with comforting and uplifting words. What he says in the first couple of verses of John 14 which has often been missed confirms that in heaven we are individually regarded as unique in God’s eyes.
Meaning? Well you and I have our own mansions built for us because Jesus said “in my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2 KJV)

While we are with other believers in Christ a collective redeemed people of God destined to worship Him day and night in heaven, we are heirs with Christ and therefore kings and priests unto God (Rev 1:6/5:10). The preparation of Christ following his ascension is so that we would be received by Him at the end of the age as kings and priests unto God befitting our individual restful mansions. This is as opposed to masses of God’s people abiding in what looks like dormitories. It is a literal fact as Jesus interjected “…if it were not so, I would have told you…” (John 14:2 KJV).
It is also very exciting and the ultimate assurance we need that even while undergoing a unique and purposeful life on earth designed to glorify God, awaiting every true child of God is a welcome by Him which honors them. Someone might say “is it necessary?! The fact that we are with Him in itself is all that matters”.

My brothers and sisters, we serve a God who loves not only to tell us He loves us but also to show His appreciation for our purposeful lives in His regard by rewarding us in unique ways. Jesus emphasised the truth of what he was saying by adding “if I go and prepare as place for you, I will come again, and receive you into myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”. (John 14:3 KJV)

Yes, our Lord Jesus will come back to us and take us where he is and while we know our spiritual position while on earth is as ones raises up with Christ and seated in the heavenly realms with God in Christ (Eph 2:6) we are assured that we will be there with him naturally. So let’s rejoice eagerly awaiting that day. Praise the LORD!

You are blessed, determine to stay blessed.

Deborah Esther
©Deborah E. Nyamekye 11/12/2015

(posted 11/12/2015 & 14/03/2016)

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