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Generate & Calculate IBAN in Angola

Your bank information is safe as we do not store or view any data you entered.

To generate IBAN for account number in Angola [AO], type Account Number in the specified field in the IBAN Calculator below.

Make sure the length and value you enter, follow the format specified on the right of the field. Please omit any blanks or dash.

If your account number length is less than the specified length, insert zeros in front of the account number to get the right length.

IBAN Calculator for Angola

Account Number
   21-digits Number

About IBAN Generation Tool

IBAN Generation tool is designed to create a valid International Bank Account Number (IBAN) base on Local Bank Code, Local Branch Code & Local Account Number base on the country the bank is located. The IBAN generator supports all SEPA countries and banks.

The tool will check the length of the Local Bank Code, Local Branch Code & Local Account Number to confirm with the standard, calculate mathematical checksum and check IBAN structure in order to determine if the IBAN generated is valid.

Kindly take note that, these tools do not actually check if the IBAN is exist with the bank.

The tool is provided for informational purposes only. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate data, users must acknowledge that this website accepts no liability whatsoever with respect to its accuracy. Only your bank can confirm the correct bank account information. If you are making an important payment, which is time critical, we recommend to contact your bank first.


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Founded in 1963, the Harvard Bartending Course has instructed over 40,000 people in the art of mixology, bartending, and TIPS certified alcohol service.

TIPS and Mixology Course
This course will teach you every important skill needed to bartend, including technique and etiquette. The morning session is dedicated to TIPS training, and the art of mixology is taught during the afternoon session.
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Deluxe Mixology Course
This course provides the preparation necessary for professional bartending in any setting. Through an interactive learning environment, you will gain an in-depth knowledge of spirits, the skills to manage a fast-paced bar, and the fundamentals of professional customer service.
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Private Courses
Looking for something new and creative to enjoy with your friends or
colleagues? Host a private bar course from Harvard Student Resources
to bring the basics of bartending to your friends and colleagues. We offer
a wide range of curriculums to fit every need. From home bar training
for the beginner to advanced mixology for professional bartenders,
we can take your bartending acumen to the next level! Contact us at
barservice@hsa.net for more details.

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Steven Speilberg

Stranger Things-A Concept of Concepts

For a few weeks now, Stranger Things, Netflix’s newest “original” series has received the kind of buzz that only a new Netflix show can seem to manage these days.  It’s been recommended to me by just about everyone, and when I finally sat down to watch it, I found myself in a really weird mixed headspace.  Because at the core of it, I love the show.  There is so much to praise it for.  But after every episode, I found myself wondering, often times aloud and to anyone who would listen, why it works.  Because I can’t seem to get around the notion that it absolutely should not work. (more…)


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Archive | Beef RSS feed for this section

Chasing Smoke

12 Aug

I woke up 3 am Sunday morning to the smell of smoke.  After checking to make sure the house wasn’t on fire, I went back to bed.  By daylight, the smell was stronger and a haze of smoke hung in the air.  A check of the internet revealed that a small wildfire had started northeast of Foresthill.

The American Fire.

The American Fire.

I had planned to cook a big Sunday supper, and since it was smokey already, I figured it was a good time to run the smoker. I rubbed a chuck roast with one of Allen’s mixtures and threw it in the smoker for a quick two hours of smoke.  My goal wasn’t to cook it, but rather to give it some flavor before I cubed it and made chili.

Dipping water from Sugar Pine Reservoir.

Dipping water from Sugar Pine Reservoir.

While the chili was simmering, we ran up to the lake to watch the helicopters get water for the fire.  These guys were working hard all day fighting the fire – true heros!  We really appreciate the work they do to protect our homes.

Smoky chili with Texas toast

Smoky chili with Texas toast

After our trip to the lake, we ate chili.  The idea of smoking it was an experiment, and it turned out pretty great.  The meat had the perfect level of smoke and added a richness to the chili. I was worried that I hadn’t made it hot enough, but spice level was just right and didn’t cover the smoke.  There was something missing – Allen thinks more garlic, but I’m not sure.  We have some more work to do one the recipe, but it should be ready to go public soon.

Matambre a la Pizza

2 Aug

Not your ordinary flank steak.

Two of the foods they love in Argentina are beef and pizza.  In matambre a la pizza they have found a way to combine these two favorites into one delicious dish.

Flank Steak

Whole Milk

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Pizza toppings of your choice

Pizza Sauce

Parmesan Cheese

The trick to grilling flank steak is not making it tough.  To overcome that you can just boil your steak in milk and let the enzymes break down the meat.  In a pan large enough to hold your steak, bring some milk to a low boil.  Be careful or the milk will scorch to the bottom of your pan and it’s a real bitch to get clean.  Boil your steak for about 45 minutes.  Remove the steak from the milk, rinse it off, pat it dry. This wasn’t included in the original recipe but I found that when you boil the steak it kind of shrinks up so it’s smaller and thicker.  So what I like to do is just carefully slice it into two thinner pieces.  On a grill that has been preheated to high cook your steak on one side for about 5 minutes.  Flip it and reduce heat to medium.   Lightly salt and pepper each side as it’s cooking.  After flipping, cover your steak in pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and your selected toppings.  You already have plenty of meat that is going to be your crust so I generally just add some veggies.  One of my favorites is sun dried tomatoes, minced garlic, onions, peppers, and some fresh basil.  From this point it’s just like cooking any other pizza, close the lid and cook it until the cheese starts to brown up around the edges.  Remove from the grill and sprinkle some Parmesan on top.  This is a great recipe for when you’re trying to keep the carbs low but still have a craving for some tastey pizza.

The next time I make this I’m thinking of trying something a little different and instead of boiling it in milk I will throw the steak in a crockpot with some marina before grilling it.

Spicy Tri-Tip and some grilled onions

31 Jul

We grill tri-tip pretty regular so I am always looking for new recipes to keep it interesting.  Luckily that’s pretty easy these days with all the recipes to be found on the web.  Last night I found a couple good ones.  In order to give credit where it is due, and because I’m lazy and it’s easier than typing out the recipes, here are the links.

Spicy Tri-tip

Grilled Onions

I rarely use a recipe without changing it a little to suit my taste.  In this case in spite of being called “spicy” the tri-tip looked pretty tame to me so I doubled the red pepper and it came out pretty good.  For the onion, I used beef bullion instead of chicken and it was great.  The next time I make it I’ll add some cheese to the stuffing and drop it on a piece of Texas toast to serve.

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La Selva Black Palms Comforter Set

Beach House Linens

$275.00 $229.88

Sorry, this item is out of stock

Rich Black background sets up the green palm leaves and 2 artfully chosen coordinates. Palms Black is the perfect choice for your heavy wood furniture, your rich tropical retreat in sophisticated colors and warm undertones.

Comforter Set is 3 or 4 pieces, depending on size of bed. We have it shown with lots of accessories(sold separately), the comforter set includes Comforter, Bedskirt and Sham(s).Comforter is finished with a twisted braid on three sides and reverses to a solid 300 count cotton sateen. Bedskirt is Gathered, the foot corners are split(perfect for poster beds or bed with footboards) and they have a platform style. Shams have an envelope closure on reverse and interlining in the 2.5" flange.
Face Fabric: Palms Black 100% Cotton Duck
Reverse Fabric: Solid 100% Cotton 300 Count Sateen
Fill: Polyester Fiberfill
Care: Dry Clean only

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Harvest Festival

img_2350The Harvest Festival is a large, free community event that has become a wonderful tradition for hundreds of Piedmont residents and its surrounding communities, to celebrate the start of the fall season while raising money for Piedmont’s elementary schools.

Hosted by the City of Piedmont and the Elementary School Parent Clubs, the Harvest Festival includes a vegetable growing and cooking contest, the amazingly creative scarecrow-alley, a carnival with fun activities for the young and young at heart, an event long jazz festival, art show, special interactive exhibits from community groups like the police and fire department and other community providers, lunch vendors, all with a small-town feel.

The Harvest Festival is usually scheduled for the last Sunday of September, and is preceded on that Saturday by a popular, fun and growing 5K race, that is comprised of running categories that make this race possible for most everyone. Proceeds from the 5K support the middle and high school wellness centers.

Do plan on coming to the Harvest Festival! If you can volunteer, we have lots of opportunities and possibilities, and is a great and easy way to start participating in a community way. Check with your school, look for notices around town and in your online bulletins, and visit our web page for how you can help, more information, and a gallery of the festival. See you there or online at http://piedmontharvestfestival.org/!

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The Beauregarde Affair

Growing upside down in the Nineteen-Seventies

A slice of life from a time gone by, a story of youthful folly, of stumbling cluelessly into the gaping maw of the age of Aquarius and living to tell the tail. Um, tale.

. . .

. . .

A transplanted Yankee longhair living in nineteen-seventy-something Atlanta, young Mr. T finds himself wrestling with naked commie roommates, toothless rednecks, flatulent dogs, .357 Magnum-toting silversmiths, Indian fox-spirits, conniving neighbors, hot Swedish blondes, rubber ape masks, freak snowstorms and basically the world at large.

Mr. T and his wastrel buddies inhabit a dilapidated Tudor on Morningside Drive, the best side of town. Blots on the landscape, they go about their idle hipster ways with slacker abandon. But there’s change in the wind and Beauregarde, a hognose snake with appetite issues, is headed their way. Beauregarde’s entrée into the wayward household heralds the impending collapse of the collective as well as the beginning of the end of a wild and crazy decade. For Mr. T it’s all turning into one big fat nasty hassle, a hassle that he is haplessly doing his best to avoid. Surrounded by the lunacy of his so-called friends, foes, neighbors and a Noah’s Ark of incarcerated animals, he’ll be lucky just to make it through the month.

Reading like a post-pubescent stateside Adrian Mole on ‘shrooms, this is a ribald tale of hipster youth in 1970’s America, the way it really went down.

The paperback version of The Beauregarde Affair is still available for a short time (used) on Amazon US:

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Sue KeddyMay the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. – 2 Thessalonians 3:5

I spent almost two decades in Asia where haggling for a good price was a sport.  I loved the thrill of going back and forth with the shopkeeper until I wore them down and I was walking away with a bargain.  My parents told me that even as a child if I was convinced of something I would never back down.  My husband agreed.  Some would call that being stubborn but I like to call it being persistent!

Persistence is the main character trait in many a Bible Story which proves to me that God values it.  Matthew records that when two blind men sitting by the road heard that Jesus was passing by they began to shout for mercy.  The crowd tried to hush them but they shouted even louder! As a result Jesus stopped and asked them what they wanted.  They told him they wanted their sight and in the next blink of an eye, they were seeing! (Matthew 21:29-34)  Bartimaeus was a blind beggar who hollered until Jesus heard him.  The crowd told him to ‘STOP!’ but Jesus told him to ‘COME!’  He threw his coat off and ran in the direction of Jesus’ voice.  Jesus opened his eyes and Bartimaeus became a Christ follower (Mark 10:46-52).  A distraught Mom came to Jesus because her daughter was possessed by an evil spirit.  She fell at his feet and begged unashamedly for Jesus to intervene.  He assured her he had and when she returned home her daughter was free of the demon (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus tells a story about a widow who wouldn’t leave a judge alone until she got the protection she needed from an adversary and about a neighbor who continuously knocked on his friends door at midnight until he got bread to feed an unexpected guest  (Luke 18:1-5; 11:5-8).

Desperation breeds either despair or persistence. I choose persistence because the alternative is unthinkable.  Jesus responds to persistence. Blind eyes were opened and demons were cast out!  Justice was granted and provisions were supplied! Jesus wants us to persevere as he persevered for us!  He doesn’t want us to give up or give in.  In fact he honours those who keep asking, seeking and knocking.

My sister, don’t let anyone or anything muzzle your cries!  Start expecting the miraculous!   Be prepared to be amazed!

special-offerThis is honestly one of the most beautifully written books we have read for a long time. Mary was sexually abused and neglected as a child. This is the wonderful story of God’s restoration and redemption of the ‘thin places’ of her life.

Mary was interviewed about her story and about this book on The 700 Club on 5th April 2011 and you can watch that interview here.

In this moving spiritual memoir—Thin Places—Mary DeMuth traces the winding path of thin places in her life, places where she experienced longing and healing more intensely than before. From surviving abuse as a latchkey kid to discovering a heavenly Father who never leaves, Mary’s story invites you to a deeper understanding of your own story. She calls you to discover new ways to look for God in the past so that you might experience him more profoundly in the present.

What if you could retrace your life and discover its thin places—places where the division between this world and the eternal fades?

“Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are aha moments, beautiful realizations, when the Son of God bursts through the hazy fog of our monotony and shines on us afresh. He has come near to my life. I will tell you how.”

You can also watch Mary telling her story very movingly in the book trailer for Thin Places here.

Fiction (Watching the Tree Limbs) and nonfiction (Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture) author DeMuth revisits supremely challenging and emotionally transformative junctures in her life as she reveals the childhood sexual brutalities of which she was a victim, the confounding death of her biological father, and ongoing years of neglect and parental irresponsibility with which she had to cope. DeMuth, whose fiction consistently evokes deep responses from her loyal fan base, has succeeded in offering a comparably powerful memoir by telling her own story with honest courage. At every signpost, the author presents life as it is, even when the offering is ugly. Despite the bitterness and anger that could naturally characterize her, the author clings to her faith in God and his goodness, deriving victory over her circumstances. DeMuth writes, “God sees,” and in this recalling of her early childhood pain, she sees, and is seen by, a faithful divine Father who provides refuge. (Feb.) — Thin Places: A Memoir

“Well known fiction author, Mary DeMuth open her heart in her moving memoir, Thins Places, an unflinching look at her childhood sexual abuse, death of her father, and years of parental neglect that somehow still shows God’s ever-present hand of love and healing. Throughout the messiness of life, Mary continually finds “thin places,” evidences of where God breaks through her pain and brokenness with his love and mercy. Striving to comfort others with the Divine comfort she has received, Mary’s Thin Places shines as a hopeful light for anyone who is struggling to overcome unspeakable wounds from the past” — Significant Living Magazine

Brave, moving, and poignant. An important story, honestly and beautifully told, of pain transformed into hope. The world is in great need of courageous voices like DeMuth’s.” — Tosca Lee, author of Christy-award finalist Demon: A Memoir and Havah: The Story of Eve
“This gifted memoirist writes like a woman at the well: Thin Places reads like rivers of living water. With her incantatory language, Mary DeMuth describes both the burden of suffering and the weightlessness of redemption. If you’re carrying past wounds, read this book. It will change your life.” — Sibella Giorello, Christy-award-winning novelist

“Author Mary DeMuth has lived up to readers’ expectations of exquisite writing from an exceptional author. She has also opened herself and allowed readers to see inside—all the hurts, disappointments, violations—in order to escort the readers on a painfully joyful journey to healing. A rare memoir from one of the best writers of our time!” — Kathi Macias, author of over thirty books, including Beyond Me and Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today

Mary-DeMuth---Embrace-Small-Beginnings (2)Read this article on writing by Mary DeMuth

This article first appeared in the April 2013 edition of JOY! magazine. It has some excellent advice for anyone wanting to start writing. You can read it here.

Live Uncaged

Mary will be speaking at the main Beauty for Ashes conference, Live Uncaged, which starts on the Friday evening, 24 May, and ends on Saturday, 25 May at 17:00. Her story “Dare to Live Uncaged, Free From the Past” is in the May 2013 issue of JOY! magazine, so try and buy a copy.

Write Uncaged

Write UncagedShe will also be speaking at a smaller mini-conference for writers and bloggers, Write Uncaged, during the day on Friday 24 May, 08:30-14:30, at a different venue. Men are welcome to attend this mini-conference. Please book and pay by 17 May.

Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone knows how to tell their story in a publishable way.

Learn the secrets of great storytelling, the ins and outs of writing great prose, how to organize your writing time, and how to market what you’ve written. Author Mary DeMuth has walked the publishing journey for 20 years. She’s traditionally published, blogged (www.marydemuth.com), written articles, self-published, e-published, and done just about everything there is in publishing. She’s passionate about helping you get your words out in the world so lives can be changed.

See our website, www.beautyforashes.co.za, for all the information you need.

DSC_0181Strength Renewed is a book of 90 meditations based on actual incidents that happened during Shirley’s cancer journey, tied in with relevant scriptures.

During her time on treatment, Shirley spent much time in the botanical gardens near her home. There she watched a pair of Vereaux’s eagles and wished she could rise and soar over the cancer valley. Isaiah 40:31 says “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles.” This favourite verse of Shirley’s became the foundation verse for her book, as well as the title of her website, http://riseandsoar.com, to encourage those in the cancer valley.

Did you experience any unexpected challenges as a breast cancer patient

A number of things blind-sided me. I felt inferior to “normal people” and insecure in company. It was as if everyone looked down on me because of my diagnosis. I think a lot of that was caused by the number of people who felt they had to tell me why I had cancer.

What about after the treatment? Did you face any unanticipated challenges then?

A month after I finished a year’s aggressive treatment, my oncologist explained that the chemo would still be in my system for many months, and it would continue to work in cycles. I wish he’d warned me in advance as I couldn’t understand why I still felt so ill at times. I also grappled with a sense of failure because there were so many things that were still too hard for me.

Today, you’re a published author. How did that come about?

From the age of 14, I wrote songs and skits for the church, and for a period I wrote quite a bit of poetry. I also did a correspondence course in creative writing, although I had no thoughts of being published. During cancer treatment, I started journaling, and a year after treatment I started writing short meditations for The Upper Room and other similar markets, often using anecdotes from my cancer journal.

In 2004 I won a scholarship to attend the Sandy Cove Christian Writers’ Conference in the States.  Following this, I started my first website as well as an online support group for Christian Writers of Southern Africa (http://tinyurl.com/Shirley-CWOSA).

In 2010, the Lord miraculously provided the means for me to attend the Florida Christian Writers Conference. There I met the acquisition editor for Revell/Baker, and as a result, Strength Renewed was published last year.

Where is your book available?

It is in CUM and Exclusive books, as well as bookstores across the globe. It is also available in all the major online bookstores, in print or in all the major e-versions. Oh—and it will be available at the Beauty for Ashes bookstore on 24-25 May 2013.

Shirley Corder, author of Strength Renewed

Shirley Corder, author of Strength Renewed

One beautiful, sunny African afternoon, my life changed forever.

For two years, I had asked my gynaecologist for a mammogram. For two years, he had told me it wasn’t necessary. Finally another specialist sent me for a “routine mammogram and ultrasound” which turned out to not be as routine as I’d hoped. I had breast cancer. And because it hadn’t been discovered earlier, it had already spread to the glands.

How can I describe the experience?

It was like when you are tearing along the road, enjoying the scenery and eager to arrive at your destination, and all of a sudden the road turns back on itself. You jam on brakes and grip the steering wheel in an effort to keep the car under control as you attempt to navigate the U-turn you hadn’t seen coming.

It was just like that.

I jammed on brakes, gripped my steering wheel, and sped into battle against what turned out to be an aggressive form of cancer. With the use of a skilled surgeon, an unconventional and courageous oncologist, a supportive family, and a team of praying friends, God pulled me through that dreadful year of treatment. Not only did I survive the U-turn, I found myself travelling, as you do with a U-turn, in a different direction. I went from being a nursing sister to being a published author.

God promises in His Word that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). It took me a while to see it. But I began to realise how many invaluable lessons God taught me during my “cancer year,” and it wasn’t long before He prompted me to share these lessons with others in the form of meditations.

The words of Isaiah 40:31 followed me throughout the whole cancer experience:

“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

StrengthRenewed-3DI wanted so badly to have my strength renewed, but how do you wait on anyone, even the Lord, when you are told you have cancer?

The Lord was ready and willing to teach me. Sometimes I got it right, and sometimes I didn’t. But gradually and patiently He led me through many bumpy experiences, and I emerged from the journey closer to Him than ever before.

Last year, Revell/Baker in the states published Strength Renewed, Meditations for Your Journey through Breast Cancer, telling about 90 of those experiences and the lessons I learned. It is my prayer that my readers will be blessed and helped as they navigate the U-turns in their lives—hopefully with more control over the steering wheel than I often had.

You can read the first seven devotions online here for free. It will be on sale at the Beauty for Ashes women’s conference, 24-25 May 2013. You will enjoy reading Shirley’s informative website, Rise and Soar – above the cancer valley.

write (2)

We’re thrilled to be hosting a conference on writing and blogging! (And, no, you don’t have to be a writer to attend.)

Last year an editor told us that she regularly receives manuscripts and when she asks the would-be authors what their platform is, they don’t have a clue what she’s talking about.

This got everyone at Beauty for Ashes thinking. There are women in South Africa from all walks of life who have something valuable to say, but they’re not writing because they don’t know where to start, or how to go about getting published. We decided that a start would be to invite Mary DeMuth to run a one-day workshop to show us how to find our own uniquely South African writing ‘voices’ and, hopefully, inspire some of us to make a start?

Mary will show you the secrets of great storytelling, the ins and outs of writing great prose, how to organize your writing time, and how to market what you’ve written. Author Mary DeMuth has walked the publishing journey for 20 years. She’s traditionally published, blogged, written articles, self-published, e-published, and done just about everything there is in publishing. She’s passionate about helping you get your words out in the world so lives can be changed.

Date: Friday 24 May 2013

Time: 08:00 – 14:30

Venue: Liberty Church, 401 West Avenue, Randburg, Johannesburg       (please note that this is a different venue from the main conference)

Cost: R280 (includes lunch pack, tea/coffee and notes)

Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone knows how to tell their story in a publishable way.

Learn the secrets of great storytelling, the ins and outs of writing great prose, how to organize your writing time, and how to market what you’ve written. Author Mary DeMuth has walked the publishing journey for 20 years. She’s traditionally published, blogged, written articles, self-published, e published, and done just about everything there is in publishing. She’s passionate about helping you get your words out in the world so lives can be changed.

08:30     (Part 1) The Uncaged Publishing Journey

(Part 2) The I-step Method of Writing Compelling Stories

09:30     Break

09:45     Common Writing Pitfalls

10:45     Break

11:00    10 Things You Need to Know About Writing Your Story

12:00    Lunch

13:00    (Part 1) Manage Your Writing Time

(Part 2) Great Marketing Starts Small

14:00    Q&A

14:30    Conference Ends

Hello Ladies!

December 15, 2012

brochure-cover FBHello Ladies

We are so excited about Beauty for Ashes 2013 and know that you’re just going to love our two speakers, Sue Keddy and Mary DeMuth!  Both these women have known great pain and heartache, but both have found just how much healing and solace Jesus can bring … and they’ll be sharing their stories with us. Don’t get the wrong idea though—they’re both full of fun and humour and you’re going to absolutely LOVE them!

This conference is coming to you at an amazing price (Early-Bird only R280 until the end of February), so perhaps you could even think of bringing a friend.

Please join our FaceBook page, follow us on Twitter and Pinterest, and read our blog regularly to make sure that you keep up to date with BFA 2013’s information.

With love

Aldyth, Karen, Michelle & the Team

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text: The World According to Monsanto, Pollution, Corruption, and the Control of Our Food Supply by Marie-Monique Robin published in 2010. We are what we eat. If you want to know what you are and are fated to become, read this book. I will not say anything further because Monsanto sues  or intimidates those who criticize them.


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Save on Fonts

Everyone is looking for savings, right? Some go really far to achieve it, while others are looking for a Genius Shortcut to get similar results. When it comes to printing, which savings did you try so far?

I discovered the EcoFont (Dutch indeed :-)), you know a font with holes in it to save on ink. Personally, I see that you make a statement with it, but frankly I don’t like it! With my background in communication, I support building your brand in a consistent way. And the EcoFont does not fit mine.

So, I did some research on fonts and discovered a great experiment by Matt Robinson. A selection of the most commonly used typefaces were compared for how economical they are with the amount of ink which they use at the same point size. Large scale renditions of the typefaces were drawn out with ballpoint pens, allowing the remaining ink levels to display the ink efficiency of each typeface.

Here are the results for a number of common fonts:

Now you actually see the difference! Impressive, right? I know, we can now start a discussion on our preference of Garamond over Times New Roman 🙂

Of course, the most effective way to save on ink is to print less! Do you really have to print everything? Isn’t it time to learn how to read and process info on the screen? We have come a long way and I can safely state that the Digital Era is here already, just in case you weren’t aware of it yet 😉

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My daily mantra is always to be faithful to whatever tasks are in front of me. That may mean cleaning (yuck), cooking (yum), reading stories, going to the library, answering emails, studying, rehearsing, or whatever else is on the to-do list.

I really believe this is how we live out faithfulness to God in our daily lives. We are faithful with the tasks He sets before us each day – whether they seem big or small, important or insignificant.

They are worth doing because He has asked us to do them.

With that in mind, I am going to take a break for a couple of weeks from writing in this space. I may pop up in a couple of other places around the Internet, and I’ll be sure to let you know about that.

Until then, I hope you take some time to enjoy this beautiful fall season, enjoy pumpkin spice anything, and I’ll see you on the other side of the break!

Stay faithful to whatever God is calling YOU to do today.


text:
Reflection: Unit Exams Animal Life Cycles Assessment Day - Section 2: Assessment

The unit on animal life cycles was very involved and covered many facets of the NGSS standard on life cycles. I wanted to create an assessment that would allow my students to apply what they had learned and also be able to explain the life cycle process. I believe that by using a variety of questions I was able to better evaluate student learning at the end of this instructional unit .

  An assessment that varies the types of questions makes for a fair and unbiased test.
  Unit Exams: An assessment that varies the types of questions makes for a fair and unbiased test.
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Animal Life Cycles Assessment Day

Unit 12: Animal Life Cycles
Lesson 8 of 8

Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate mastery of a unit on animal life cycles by scoring 80% or above on a unit assessment.

Big Idea: Summative assessments will measure what students have learned , and can apply, at the end of a unit.

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6 teachers like this lesson
Science, life cycles, animal
  41 minutes
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February buys – part 1

This is my first post about new acquisitions. I would like to share a short overview of my new buys from the past month. I ordered some Avon ‘True Colour’ products in the beginning of February and scored a Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer and Vitamin serum foundation from Lily. Unfortunately, I already used up my sheet mask from DM, so this one won’t get a photo. The Alverde eyeshadow base and the Douglas peel off nail polish base are in though.

Continue reading February buys – part 1


text:
How to “Tie-Dye” Sugar Cookie Bars

More Short-Cut Sweeties…
Lazy Lady Petit Fours
Lazy Lamingtons
Lazy Buckeyes

Yet another short-cut recipe. This Sugar Cookie Bar recipe has been all over the world wide web and I clung to it because one; I love sugar cookies, two; I hate rolling, cutting, baking, and frosting them. Too much work. And then they break. Grrr. With this little recipe I am able to bang out about 5 dozen cookie bars all frosted beautifully in one fell swoop. I thought “tie-dying” them would look pretty cool for Easter and Spring-time.

To decorate cookies, reserve 2 cups frosting to remain white. Separate the other 3 cups into 1 cup individual portions and color each as desired. Spread the pan of cookies with 2 cups white frosting. Place the other 3 colors in their own pastry bag- no tip needed- or zip top bag with a small hole cut from a corner.

Pipe the 3 colors over the white frosting in an alternating pattern.

Cover with plastic wrap and smooth frosting using your hand.

Remove wrap and using a chopstick, score vertically through each color every 1/2 inch being sure to alternate directions. Wipe chopstick between each pass.

Cover with wrap again and smooth the new lines following the direction in which they were scored.

Store covered in the refrigerator until frosting is set. Cut into about 60 bars and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or feezer. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Sugar Cookie Bars- adapted from My Baking Addiciton
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
5 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

In a large mixing bowl cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Sift dry ingredients together and add to sugar mixture in small amounts. Mix batter until all flour is incorporated. Press into a large greased jelly-roll pan, 11×17 inches. Bake in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Buttercream Frosting
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
3 T. light karo syrup

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt then one cup powdered sugar at a time, scraping down sides until well blended. While mixer is running on medium-high speed add in karo and beat frosting until light and fluffy. Makes about 5 cups frosting.

Note- You will use all of this frosting. The cookies are very thick and need that thick layer of frosting. It is a great ratio, trust me.

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed,
Have a Blessed Easter.

  1. EAT!
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 6:55 AM | Permalink

    Putting on my tie dyed tshirt and making these for Easter.

  2. Kelly
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 7:57 AM | Permalink

    Super cute! I've had my eye on that cookie recipe for some time now. I love the tie dye effect – lots of fun!

  3. Greg and Donna
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 8:59 AM | Permalink

    Beautiful cookies and they look relatively easy! My girls will love this. Maybe they can do this over the weekend. I'll let ya know how they turn out! Thanks Robin. I hope you have a wonderful Resurrection Sunday with your family!

  4. Laura
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 9:43 AM | Permalink

    That is a totally awesome way to decorate the sugar cookie bars! I'll have to give it a try

  5. Fallon
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 10:34 AM | Permalink

    mmm those look like heaven!!! I love sugar cookies but the frosting is usually my favorite part. This recipe is definitely getting bookmarked!

  6. Sandy
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 12:34 PM | Permalink

    Who eats all of this deliciousness? LOL.

    So fun and Easter-y! 🙂

  7. ~Molly~
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 1:07 PM | Permalink

    how did I miss something called Sugar Cookie Bars??!! YUM!! And so festive too!

  8. Natalie
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 1:26 PM | Permalink

    wow–so fun! you could do this for so many diff things–team colors, other holidays,love it! thanks for the great tutorial too

  9. Maria
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 1:46 PM | Permalink

    What a fun idea for spring!

  10. TeaLady
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 1:48 PM | Permalink

    How cute is that??

  11. Grumpy & HoneyB
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 2:17 PM | Permalink

    I love this!!!!

  12. oneordinaryday
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 2:18 PM | Permalink

    So festive! You just can't go wrong with sugar cookie bars, can you? Delicious!

  13. grace
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 3:50 PM | Permalink

    brrrrrilliant! the end result is simply stunning and so pretty. you're my short-cut guru, robin sue. 🙂

  14. theUngourmet
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 5:27 PM | Permalink

    This is too fun! Thanks for the step by step instructions! You have a blessed Easter as well. 🙂

  15. Melissa
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 9:15 PM | Permalink

    These were delicious! Thanks for sharing. I think I'm going to make a batch. =)

  16. the domestic mama
    Posted April 1, 2010 at 5:58 AM | Permalink

    U keep seeing these everywhere and must make them… they look heavenly!

  17. Ingrid
    Posted April 1, 2010 at 9:41 AM | Permalink

    I already had this recipe because you know I'm not about cookie baking. BUT I didn't have any brillant ideas on decorating them other than a bit of frosting. Thanks! I'll be giving this a try. I know a fifth grade class that would enjoy these!!

    Hope you and your family have a blessed Easter!

  18. biz319
    Posted April 1, 2010 at 11:35 AM | Permalink

    Wow – those look delicious Robin Sue – perfect for Easter!!

    Hope you have a wonderful holiday!!

  19. Karen
    Posted April 1, 2010 at 3:51 PM | Permalink

    I used to love to tie-dye clothing when I was a teen! Beautiful Easter colors!

  20. Anonymous
    Posted April 1, 2010 at 9:54 PM | Permalink

    Am doing this for Easter Party at work Sunday! And DD thinks Black and White would be v. nice too.

  21. Lisa
    Posted April 2, 2010 at 12:29 AM | Permalink

    This is way cool! I love playing with frosting. I'm very tempted to make these but know I'll end up eating them all.

  22. Jenn@slim-shoppin
    Posted April 2, 2010 at 2:20 PM | Permalink

    I love your short cuts Robin!

    I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter!

  23. tasteofbeirut
    Posted April 2, 2010 at 11:37 PM | Permalink

    How fun! I will remember this technique next time! Thanks!

  24. Penny
    Posted April 3, 2010 at 7:59 AM | Permalink

    Happy Easter Robin Sue. Love this recipe and I bet your kids did too.

  25. dawn
    Posted April 5, 2010 at 10:53 AM | Permalink

    i loved these last time and am thankful for the frosting tips. never would have thought of doing it that way.

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  • 10,080 Minutes - BRK Book The story of our dramatic lifestyle makeover and journey for living what matters.

    10,080 Minutes - Daniel and Robin Joss


text:
My pictures on the wall – Finally

Finally I have all my pictures on the wall in the gallery. It as been a journey for more then two years to go from idea to realization, and I learned a lot, got new friends and experienced a fantastic country and landscape -Iceland.

As someone said – It is the journey not the goal that is important.

It all started with a dream to go to Iceland and explore the landscape. Interupted by mother earth and the vulcano eruption with a lot of ash in the air I finaly made it during 2012. Together with people from USA, Spain, Austria, Iceland I went on a timelapse workshop for two weeks. The workshop was organized by Erique Pacheco and our master in timelapse Dustin Farell. You can see their work on Vimeo.

I learned a lot about timelapse and meet a lot of people with a similar passion for photography as I have. We traveled along the south coast from the west to the east and saw the magic landscape of Iceland.

Iceland’s fantastic landscape is a must see landscape. Go there if You have the oportunity – You will not be disapointed.

You can see my pictures in the gallery here.

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What a difference…

…a year and 1,121 miles make.

I finished the half marathons that I ran during the January-March period last year right around 1:55, with my heart rate pushing deep into Zone 4 for the majority of the race and ramping into Zone 5 for the last couple of miles.

Today’s training run, which happened to work out to 13.13 miles, was at 1:56:43, but I never even broke out of Zone 2.

Very comfortable, even considering it was 22F with a wind chill of 14F.

I like it.

Some fun news to share tomorrow.

3 thoughts on “What a difference…”

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Sunday, November 20, 2016

YouTube videos explain how ISIS leverages the open Internet to draw recruits into the maw of the Dark Web

MSNBC has a video “ISIS and the Internet: How ISIS Mastered Internet Recruiting” that is recent (April 2016).

Teens and young adults looking to “belong” are baited with Twitter and YouTube and several other platforms, before being directed to the encrypted Dark Web to talk to a “recruiter”.    True, many of them seem to be non-achievers.

The US State Department has the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications has tried to produce counter videos that only appeal to “rational” people.

“Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know” has a more general video  from early 2016 here.

There is mention of a WWI poem by Owen, that it is sweet to die for one’s country or faith.

The ISIS recruiting issue will become a big national security issue in the new Trump administration, which can argue that the permissive climate regarding user generated content facilitates danger and terror by not holding more general lawful use accountable for its “nuisance” nature.

This issue  bears careful watching.

Update: Nov. 28

The incident today at Ohio State University seems to bear out the theory of Internet recruiting of loan wolves by ISIS, as shown in the Facebook rant reported by ABC News by deceased perpetrator Abdul Razak Ali Artan.  I put more about this on my Wordpress blog here.

Update: February 4, 2017

The New York Times has a long supporting story by Rukmini Callimachi, "Not 'Lone Wolves' After All: How ISIS Guides Plots by Remote Control." Much of the story focuses on ISIS operations in India, but it also details a busted plot in NYC  It traces how people go from Twitter to Telegram.  This could support an argument that social media have become a security threat.


text:
New Beginnings

Today I want to talk about something that’s been crossing my mind a lot lately. Over these past two months I’ve been dealing with some changes in my life. Due to these changes I’ve noticed that I haven’t really made myself a priority for a long time. In terms of physical and mental health, I’ve neglected myself completely. I’ve spent a long time being in such a negative head space and being unhappy. Recently I cut out a few people who made a negative impact in my life and by doing that I noticed an on going problem.

When do you decide it’s time to be selfish and take care of yourself?

I’ve always been someone who cares too much about others opinions of me. I stopped caring about how I viewed myself. Cutting these people out of my life was actually a difficult thing to do. It wasn’t because I don’t care about them. It’s because for the first time in a long time I care about me more.

I’ve been thinking about things that I want to do for myself and slowly but surely I’ve made minor changes. Although some are the simplest of things, they are the beginning of a new chapter. For example, I unfollowed and unfriended people on my social media who would no longer benefit my progression. I deleted old tweets and status’s. I erased messages and phone numbers of people I no longer talk to. I cleared my phone, laptop, everything. And this all brings me back to this point now. Me, writing this post.

It is time to prioritise myself.

I’ve got some new goals and I really feel like this is going to be such a benefiting thing for me and my health. It’s onward and upwards from here. I hope you continue growing with me as I embark on this journey to finding myself.

If there’s anything you’d like me to talk about in upcoming posts, or any questions you’d like answered, let me know in the comments below. Follow my social media platforms to stay updated, links are all in the “Contact” category.

Thanks for sticking around!

Love, Billy-lee x

For what it’s worth it’s never too late or, in my case too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.

F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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Tampere, Finland 29th-30th January 2015

Papers can be delivered in Finnish, Swedish or English

We invite scholars across humanities and social sciences interested in exploring real and imaginery spaces and borders as well as transitions and movements across them in the long nineteenth century. The period in question, and its latter half especially, was a time when boundaries and norms were established and stabilized. It was also an era when social, cultural and political roles and conventions were challenged and borders, both concrete and abstract ones, were tested and tried. Nation-building and modernization – which were at least partly simultaneous processes – created new arenas for collective participation and action and new ways of transgressing borders between societies and communities.

The disappearance or obscuration of old localities, did not, however, only mean cultural or social disciplining and streamlining: especially fin de siècle was a period of such intense transformations that boundaries seemed to vanish momentarily and different phenomena on the social, cultural, political and religious fringes became visible. On the other hand, during the nineteenth century legislative measures were taken to restrict for example sexual minorities and thus new norms and borderlines were created.

The heading of the multidisciplinary conference draws attention to these partly contradictory and tense processes, with a special focus on the phenomena of the transnational, transregional or ”transcultural” scale. Movements and transitions can be approached from the point of view of literature, art or widely defined culture. Movement can also be understood in terms of circulation or diffusion of political discourses or history cultures or as social, economic or mental changes. Representations can discuss movements between and across centres and peripheries, ethnical and other social communities or different real and imaginary spaces. The idea of continuous movement and border crossing may also enable deconstructing methodological nationalism and other spatially restricted theoretical and methodological points of departure.

Areas of discussion could include:

  • movement of ideologies and causes across national or other social borders; transnational diffusion of political and religious movements
  • alterations in the relationship between centralized power and citizens; new means of communication and transport, and concrete and abstract movement and change they initiated
  • ”inter artistic” activities; border crossings between and within visual arts, performative arts and fictive and non-fictive genres of writing; alterations in the conventions of art or in literary conventions or genres
  • the circulation of cultural phenomena between societies and communities (for example as translations, adaptations or critiques)
  • transnational comparisons of history cultures; deconstruction of national discourses of authenticity and self-sufficiency
  • the concrete movements of individuals and social groups; grand tours to the European centres of art and science; means of communication between immigrants or other distant individuals and their societies of origin
  • breaks and ruptures in gender and class identities; changes in corporeality and bodily experiences
  • regionality in relation to nationness and transnationality; rules, borders and spaces of social life and their relationship to local and national structures
  • the international trade and transnational current of commodities and innovations
  • international events such as world expositions, industrial expositions and sports events
  • resistance to transnational phenomena and change in the nineteenth century.

Scholars are welcome to offer a 20-minute paper within a general session or a proposal for a thematized session (3-4 papers). If you would like to submit a paper proposal, please send an abstract of half a page to the e-mail address provided below. If you would like to submit a session proposal, please send a short description of the session, including the names of the presenters and of a possible moderator. If possible, include also the short abstracts of each of the papers. All abstracts should contain information about the affiliations and fields of study of the scholars mentioned.

Papers can be delivered in Finnish, Swedish or English.

All proposals must be submitted by 20th October 2014. Proposals will be posted to the e-mail address

For updated information about the event, please visit the web-pages of the network

The Conference is organized by the Network of the Nineteenth Century Studies in Finland. The network organizes annual conferences which seek to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion about all aspects of the nineteenth century related studies. ”On the Move: Real and Imaginary Spaces, Borders and Transitions in the Nineteenth Century” is the seventh annual conference organized by the network.

The Conference is organized in collaboration with the Finnish Literature Society and the Zacharias Topelius Society.

Organizing committee
Kati Launis, University of Turku
Ilona Pikkanen, University of Tampere and the Finnish Literature Society
Hanna-Reetta Schreck, University of Helsinki
Sami Suodenjoki, University of Tampere


text:
New Mexico Beers –

I am spending the week in Carlsbad New Mexico earning a little more beer money for me and my honey. I have been able sample some New Mexico craft beers over the past couple of days. I have been reasonably well satisfied. I have tried the Santa Fe Pale Ale and the Santa Fe Nut Brown Ale. The pale ale was drinkable…..does a beer need to really be any more than that???? -….. The Nut Brown was more than just drinkable – full body, nice lace in the glass and just plain better than good. At the Yellow Brix Restaurant on Canal St. in Carlsbad.

On another night I tried a couple of beers from the Rio Grande Brewing Company – The Rio Grande IPA and the Pancho Verde Chile Cerveza. The IPA was very nice, not an overwhelming nose but a healthy and pleasant dose of bitterness. I have to admit that the Chile Cerveza was a disappointment. Poured from the bottle in a vigorous fashion and I could not produce anything resembling a head on this beer and Chile … must not have infused this bottle…..could have been a one off experience so maybe I should give it another try. At the Trinity Hotel in Carlsbad.

All of this beer talk has made me anxious to get home to brew a batch…… Maybe I can add some of my home grown chili’s and create something unique.

Spent today underground in the Carlsbad Cavern….. My partner and I walked in….lots of downhill and chose to walk out……lots and lots of uphill. Me thinks I need a beer! Cavern image slide show below with a beer theme.

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Just another weblog

My New Youtube Page

Posted by bwmm on November 17, 2010

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Why I hate the Indie vs. Independent And other Film Wars

Posted by bwmm on October 23, 2010 This is too funny. I do remember a film professional mentioning something like this. He stated that many so called no-bud/micro-bud movies or uknown filmmakers (who end up with hit no bud movies in theaters or film fests) have a producer family member/friend, friend of family backing them. Don’t know if this is true or not, but it does make you think when you hear these hyped up stories.

Anyways during your entry into filmmaking you may come across a war going on (that personally gets on my nerves) which is the indie vs. independent war or debate . Also indie vs. independent vs. Genre vs. whatever. To me it’s the most silly debate I have ever seen.

All “indie” is, is a shorter version of independent which means independent of the studio. It was financed (some say a small portion of finance might come from a studio, but the majority from funding outside of the studio system.) That means an independent film is no less independent, because it was distributed by a major studio. Like what was stated in the above video many indie or independent films are more like b-films. B-films aren’t bad. That’s not what the b in bfilm stands for. It stand for budget. Having a low-budget, b actors as in not a list. Also what most say as indie (as in no budget or low budget) could also be categorized as micro-budget filmmaking.

Having no, low-budget, no stars, quircky stories etc. is just a by product, because many indies filmmakers have limited funds not because they are independent. An independent filmmaker could have access to a lot of funds as well as other resources.

You can have a high budget, high concept film and be indie (Star Wars anyone), you can have stars. You can also have a low-budget high concept film as well. I remember someone asking why would Hollywood actors want to do an indie film when they make a lot of money in HWood. I was like duh could it be because they are actors? So they want to-well- act.

DVXUSER “Honestly most of my friends wouldn’t even watch indie movies. I can’t say I blame them. I don’t watch indie movies either. Not true indie movies, anyway. Sure, I watch indie movies that were made for $7, $8 million, but how indie is that honestly? The rest of us making real indie movies are never given budgets like that.” (P.6) What is a true indie film? How is some one with 7 or 8mill less indie? How is someone with stars or known people in their films less indie? (wasn’t mentioned, but I think this needs to be asked)

High Concept according to Blake Snyder “The term was made famous by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner in their heyday as young gurus running Disney. To them it meant just what we’ve been discussing here– making the movie easier to see– and they came up with a long run of successful high concept movies. All you had to do was look at the one-sheet (another name for the poster) and you know “What is it?? for Ruthless People, Outrageous Fortune, and Down and Out in Beverly Hills.” (P. 15)

Just yahoo, google etc. the Katzenberg 28-page memo.

It seems like people have to try to make categories or labels that weren’t there in order to film better about themselves, because another filmmaker or whatever did something they didn’t think of and succeeded. It never occurs to many who do this that independent/indie is going to be different to different people. Just focus on the main definition of an indie/independent film and the rest is personal. Instead just worry about making films. I also think that many get so focused on themselves they forget about the audience. The audience don’t care about all the labels. They just want to see a damn film.

I remember reading where a filmmaker blasted Robert Rodriguez for El Mariachi saying that it wasn’t a true indie film (LOL) because it was an action film like Hollywood etc. LOL I mean seriously how is it not indie/independent. He made it on no-budget (remember that’s true indie), he even sold his body to science (we have a lot of these trials mostly targeted at students in Austin. Especially UT students) His stars were unknowns, he wrote the script based on what he had, he wore all hats etc. So how was it not indie/independent?

What I don’t get is how many of these filmmakers (ones who like to start this type of drama) love to bring up how with indie films you can have your creative vision (as if a big budget indie couldn’t) or tell stories Hollywood wouldn’t tell etc., but are just as likely or scared to have movies featuring black characters as with mumblecore. Like I said these filmmakers don’t owe us anything, but they can’t diss out other indies for budgets or Hollywood studio features for not being daring or having different characters, races, stories etc. when most of them don’t do so as well.

Please! Filmmakers don’t get into this indie vs. independent vs. genre vs. studio vs. anything debate. Just make your films. Yeah there are stinkers in Hollywood as there are in independent or Bollywood, Nollywood or any other industry. Even old Hollywood had the stinkers along with the most loved classics (which sometimes during their own times weren’t loved at all)

Works Cited

“Anyone Made A $250,000 Film?.” DVXUSER. 08-02-2008 03:14 AM, 2008. Web.
20 Oct. 2008. .

Snyder, Blake. Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need. 1st.
Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2005. Print.

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Cockney Trek

Posted by bwmm on October 22, 2010

Funny Trek Parody

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The Beauty of the Process of the Development Story

Posted by bwmm on September 22, 2010

Who would have thought this would become the start of Doctor Who
1963 BBC Report on SF
1963 BBC Follow-up Report on SF
1963 BBC Concept Notes for New SF Drama
1963 BBC Background Notes on Dr Who
1963 BBC Audience Report on Dr Who

Another story that people associate with Doctor Who is Doctor Omega.

Original Star Wars treatments

You can also find the different versions in Star Wars Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, biography by Dale

Wiki for the Adventures of the Star Killer: The Star Wars

Adventures of the Star Killer: The Star Wars Script

These seem to have some of the scripts. Some are fan like Adventures of the Starkiller II (and they didn’t mention that Obi-Wan didn’t die until later. In most drafts he lives. That is until Lucas collaborated with Joseph Campbell who helped him write the story using the Hero’s Journey. In some versions Luke is the younger brother of Deak. He is called to fight Vader or Valuoron after Deak is killed with the sign Angle Blue. In some some versions Luke is Annikin Starkiller, then Luke Starkiller then of course Luke Skywalker. In different versions Luke and Leia are cousins, brother sister, girl friend boyfriend (as was supposed to happen after the first one until Lucas changed the direction of that relationship) There was even a book written where Luke and Leia are a couple. Man when you read those different treatments and scripts it’s a trip. I love to see the evolution of a story idea.

I mean just look at Doctor Who. Originally the BBC didn’t want to cast a kid. Susan, Ian, and Barbaras names are different. The doctor is more of a nut then he is in the existing series (he even hates scientists, inventors etc. and tries to stop the development of history (tech) in his travels, because he loves the past. Remember originally Doctor Who was a mystery. This is a time before the Time Lords etc.

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Lets Make Waves in Television!!!

Posted by bwmm on September 21, 2010

I’ve been watching the tv show Here Come the Brides  . It was a tv series that came out in 68 about three brothers who go East to bring women to Seattle, Washington. Seriously David Soul Pre Hutch. ummm. Recently learned that it was based on two women who had this idea. This is a cute fun and delightful show. Here Come the Brides DVD description I have the complete first series from the library. Trying to find stuff for my grandfather to watch since we didn’t have cable. Now we do. But anyway I remember watching this show as a kid and was like look at all these people from Plus were those Bolt men hot!!! when I see this series or others they are usually on cable channels. What I started to wonder is why don’t these channels create their own even if it’s low-budget if they want this type of programming. I actually wonder why networks aren’t making shows like this now or like Lost in Space not that new hot mess WB pilot. Now I know it’s probably harder than all of that. I totally wouldn’t mind a low-budget tv series even if it looked low-budget as long as it’s good and entertaining. Why must America always think that tv shows have to be uber high-budged so called higher production quality (half the time over programming quality)? Just because a show has a high prod value doesn’t make it a good show or even entertaining. Just look at what’s on tv now. The show can be shot on film, video or whatever. I loved the series Christy that came out in 95. The series was short lived, but there was a tv movie series for the fans that came out on Pax. The movies were shot in Canada vs. Tennessee (which is def more preferable), because of budget. Now a series didn’t go through because (family etc.), but seriously it got me thinking. Why can’t a series like Christy, Here Come the Brides, hell the Rifleman (when you think about it they are mostly on that farm or in that damn town). Frankly I have nothing against shows being shot on sets/soundstages as was done in the past (if that keeps it cheaper than I’m all the way for it, well except for cgi sets (unless they are good)

Can you say low-budget? Can you say not the best production values? Can you say not the best acting? Can you say a short season? Can you say so what?
Some of them
Walk on Water (Christian TV Drama Series)

The pilot was made on a very very very low-budget (not telling on the site, out of respect for the creator(s). People don’t like telling budgets for business reasons. Might not mind, but I don’t want to chance it. I asked them at youtube user site and I got a response about the production cost.

Atlanta Homicide, but I so don’t want to see a new slew of cop and law shows in the vein of L&) (Love L&O, CSI etc, but damn) now a series like Adam 12 maybe. Or something like Rosemary and Thyme. Loved that series. Then again I love cozy mysteries. I just love mysteries.

Shubian’s Rift has there eps up

We of course can’t forget the BBC Productions such as Blake’7, Doctor Who and a slew of mini series, sitcoms and dramas

Yeah you have people bitching about the low-budget quality of some of these series, but they are still watching in order to be complaining about it.

And from the low-budget black films I’ve seen come from Maverick, Yorke and countless others it’s a trip BET can’t do a tv drama series or even a sitcom. Nora’s Hair Salon was mostly on set, but the first film could have been the basis for a weekly dramatic series and the sequel could have been the basis for a sitcom as most of it was on a film set.

Here! A network geared to the gay and lesbian community has two series called Dante’s Cove and Lair which are influenced by shows such as the occult soap opera Dark Shadows.

Strange Paradise A canadian tv soap similar to DS (which was pretty cool actually) was low-budget, but ironically enough had a bigger set than DS. Yes some of the other sets looked low-bud, but so the hell what?

Another thing I wish would happen is for my Network TV to do what UPN didn’t. Be better than CW. Don’t try to cater to teens. Make shows like Trek, Firefly etc. as well as shows like Brisco Country Jr. shows like Here come the Brides, The Rifleman anything non CW Dawson’s Creek, Gossip Girl type shows please. I can’t take it anymore. If they must do a teen show do a teen show like 24-7 or the Tribe or something. Bring back kid shows. Real kid shows and not the crap we see on Nick and Disney. I loved the Enid Blyton Adventure Series from NZ there was another I can’t remember the name or the Famous Five. Bring back shows like the Press Gang, Tomorrow People, Hypernauts (even though short-lived was da bomb), Emily of New Moon type shows etc. And for goodness sakes MNTV please re-try the novela again and don’t let Hollywood get you. Anyway why not have shows that people actually want to see. The fact that you see so many fan films showing adventure and hope which is opposite of these depressing we all suck, humans are the dreggs of the world and universe crap is because most people that want to see that mess or even feel that way. So lets make shows that not only we would want to see, but our kids etc. Not hey my neighbor might not like this or might like that. Okay your damn neighbor. I’m sorry, but I look at what I would want to see on tv or what my kids or yes getting poll of what others are interested in seeing etc. but at the end of the day it being about what you the producer etc. would be interested in. Reason why I love the Grey’s Anatomy creator. She stated that she doesn’t write for fans. She creates her shows based on what she would be interested in watching after watching tv when her child was born. She said she was like who wants to see this. She got in there and did it. We all know that these damn polls and whatnot don’t represent what most of the population actually thinks or wants. With Smallville in it’s last season we are going to be stuck with a bunch of teen dramas. I do like the new Cheer show. Frankly I think CW needs to bring in new types of dramas and sitcoms. The whole purpose of UPN, WB, now My Network TV and CW and cable as well were so that new tv shows could be made or even brought back that couldn’t be on major networks. Problem is that never happened. Now all we have is Dawson’s Creek/Felicity etc. in constant remake mode. This crap has even infiltrated the majors. I mean Freaks and Geeks and My So Called Life were way better teen shows then the hot mess that’s on CW and the teen shows on now. I remember as a teen hating DC because it didn’t reflect anything about teens. Most of the teens I knew couldn’t relate. Most of the time it was adults watching the show. Most kids were watching shows like 24-7 or Degrassi (the original and later the new). When I would show teens the Tribe many impressed and became hooked. Same with 24-7. Then when they tried to watch DC it was like torture. The fact that many of these shows have a hard time on the CW. One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl etc. (which were having a hard time with ratings) is because people are sick of it. I also don’t want to get on shows like Lost (which was just Amazon, remember that show?) and yes I loved Lost, but do we need hyper overarching story lines all the damn time? We take great concepts and go overboard with them. These producers need to look at JMS and Babylon 5. You could not watch that show in a while and still get back into it even with the arch. (like I said don’t want to get into this yet)

Honestly I don’t have a problem with the Andromedas, Starhunters, , Relic Hunters (Veritas (came out later I think), loved that treasure hunting show with Michael Bean, Cleopatra 2525, Jack of All Trades, Lazarus Man’s, (which was great. Canned the show because Robert Ulrich had cancer even though he said he could still do it.) Lonesome Dove which got jacked up but hey, Highlander, Forever Knight. Okay now I’m just getting depressed. They don’t all have to be scifi, fantasy or action adventure.

I’m a big proponent of us doing series on the net, net tv, but my biggest goal is for us to be on broadcast tv. Use the net to get us started.

Another thing and this is vital. We have to learn to be steadfast even when others want us to go with what they are saying. I might not like the New BSG or Caprica, but I have to respect Ron Moore for sticking to his guns with story lines even when fans complained because a storyline wasn’t going the way they wanted. Anders for example he kept in as a love interest for Starbuck even when others questioned what he was doing. I like that. Many cave in and stop a storyline, because the producers get nervous based on what some fans maybe saying. Yau’ll know why I’m brining this up!

Also please do just like you would when studying film by watching old movies, international etc. Watch old tv shows international etc. and stop turning up noses because a show is old or from another country. I think one of the biggest problems is that writers, directors etc. aren’t studying old tv shows. It’s like everyone keeps trying to reinvent the wheel, because they never studied the damn wheel in the first place.

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Tyler Perry and His Effects on Black Women, America and the World As A Whole

Posted by bwmm on August 20, 2010

Tyler Perry has an F. U. attitude with Hollywood, but he also seems to have the same attitude with black women and black people in general as well.

Courtney Young “Perry’s films typically follow the same timeworn narrative: a woman experiences abandonment and/or abuse at the hands of a “bad” man; she takes umbrage, lashing out at those closest to her, most notably a “good” man in her life; she experiences a revelatory moment of change; and she ends the film settled down with the good man who promises her a better life.”

The bad men typical in these films are successful black men, while the good men are the so-called reformed convicts (never mind what these men might have gone to jail for or what was happening with other men up in those jails) There is nothing wrong with doing a film like Diary of a Man Black Woman etc., but when it becomes a pattern we need to worry. Now yes white and other groups have the stories of the rich man whose a straight up ass (yes I said the A and the good guy is the loveable poor boy. Sometimes the girl is rich and the boy is poor and sometimes they come from the same class as in Rangeela (the famous actor guy was pretty cool, nice guy, but she realizes she is in love with her best friend) But most of the time this is not the case. They don’t do this all of the time. Nor are wealthy or educated men and women seen as evil. I won’t even get into The Family that Preys.

Is Tyler Perry The Right Man to Tell Black Women’s Stories

As for Tyler Perry telling stories of the Black Woman’s experience, because he was raised by his mother etc. Please! He’s telling the black woman’s experience, because he knows that it’s mostly black women who support his films and other movies and plays coming from the black community. Remember that movie Diary of a Tired Black Man? He uses the excuse of I’m telling these types of stories, because that’s what I know. Seriously? He is seriously telling us that’s the only experience he has? I mean he’s a grown man so that means he has new experiences coming at him everyday. If he isn’t getting new experiences then he needs to go out there and get some.

When I first started seeing Tyler Perry plays it was cool. Yes they were fun, but not great. I mean you could come home and not really remember what it was about. I would say to others you know it’s really not that good, just fluff when you think about it. Nothing bad about that, but really just gimmicks and jibs to make everyone laugh.   Many would say and still say (even with comedic movies) that they laughed all the way through. Most have  a so what with that.   I mean yeah I like to see the laugh all the way through sometimes, but give me a damn story.  Me personally I don’t want to pay $10 or more to see a movie or just so I can say I laughed all the way through, but when I look back the film had no damn story.

This also goes for some of David E. Talbert’s plays. I remember a play when a woman asked her live-in boyfriend if he wanted to marry her or was ever going to and he said no yelled NO!. as in I don’t want you. Then magically at the end it’s all about how when he was growing up he saw crap marriages and didn’t want to have that with her. Bull fraking ish. I have learned from many women in my life that what a man says (not always) or does he means. When he told her that he never wanted to marry her she should have just left it at that and left.

As stated by a writer at FreshXpress “I don’t want this to sound like I’m hating on a successful black entertainer. The truth is, I respect and admire his hustle, but I can’t stand what he’s selling.”

Now don’t get me wrong I do have respect for the man. He has an F. U. attitude with Hollywood and created a market for AA’s with his plays, movies and tv series. He now has a studio. But he really needs to let others write and direct these films. He used his fame from his plays and his money to do what he wanted to do. That’s cool, but showing us as being bitches if we are wealthy or educated or the that’s what you get for marrying an educated rich lawyer (as in Diary of a Man Black Woman) or the Family that Preys crap.

The sad thing now is that we have these damn clones whether of the same budget as TP films or cheap like Not Easily Broken, He Who Find a Good Wife or Outrighteous. I have the trailers for these up in a previous post. So I most def am not going to re-post this. You also have movies with questionable Christian values in order to sale it to this particular audience. I remember one movie where the guy tries to imply to the woman that because she isn’t a virgin and he has already been married that the whole no sex before marriage thing doesn’t apply. I was like WTH. So because she isn’t a virgin means it’s silly of her to wait to have sex with him even though they only had just started dating. And get this yau’ll the man is supposed to be the new minister of the church her father is the minister of (he was sick and the younger minister has to take over) Even other black viewers took issue with this as well as other movies. I kept thinking wake up. These movies are exploiting you to get you to say oh it’s Christian or has a Christian slant. This dude had to let everyone in the movie know he was a Christian with almost every word he used. I was like please dude seriously.

We have to remember that these images influence not only us and our young, but what others think about us or perceive us. It ain’t right, it ain’t fair, but it is what it is. Plus it is so-called doubly authentic, because it’s someone black making it. Like the minstrel shows that used black minstrel performers in black face.

I know others get mad because “gasp” there is a black person that publicly states they don’t like or support another black artist, politician etc. So the hell what. We shouldn’t support someone just because we share the same skin. Yes maybe give the person a chance. See what they are all about, but if you see what they are all about and you don’t agree then bounce. You do not have to be loyal to someone, because of a resemblance to you.

This is also why and I can’t state this enough; we need to make our own films. We need to do what TP is doing and produce, direct, write, cast our films the way we see fit. We need no must put the images out there of us that we want people to see. We have the power let’s wield it.

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Adventures in Novel Writing

Posted by bwmm on August 19, 2010

Okay so I am going to attempt to write a novel or novel series of an idea I have had for a long time. Please join me at Imagine Wonders Don’t worry this blog is still going.

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Make Our Own Damn Magazine!

Posted by bwmm on August 15, 2010

To see more of his photos check out his Facebook That dude has some mad skills. He might want to forget about Vogue and create his own magazine.

I first heard about this from Stylized Conclusions and at Betty Chambers

So many of you may have seen blogs and other websites mentioning the photos taken for a mock cover of Vogue. The photographer Mario Epanya did a photo shoot to sell the idea of Vogue Africa to Vogue. This didn’t happen, but the photography is stunning.

So what is a flip page you ask?
“Flip page refers to the effect of flipping through the pages of a digital document as if it was a physical document. A flip page application is often made in Adobe Flash and requires the Adobe Flash Player to run in a browser window. The benefit of having a flip page document is that it affords the user experience of reading an actual copy of a physical document or magazine. The technology is commonly used by traditional publishers that want to create (and spread) a digital version of their physical document/paper/magazine.

The illusion of having a tangible document on your computer is supposedly more powerful with the flip page function since it mimics the natural way of browsing through a physical document, yet at the same time allows the user to use the traditional electronic benefits like searching through a document, jumping to a certain page, links to external websites etc.”

These types of programs are so cool. You can actually flip pages as you would with a physical book or magazine.

I posted these at Betty Chambers during the discussion of the Vogue Africa photos

Barak Hosting
Fashion Tale
E Flip Zone

Uni Flip

E Pager Flip

Flip Seek Pubs

PDF Mags

Or this way

Virtual Instrument Magazine

I have fallen in love with YUDU I couldn’t view mags and books in Firefox (not sure if that’s every computer); then I brought up Chrome and it worked.

I found this as well. Smash Magazine

Re-post of what I posted at Betty Chambers
flash pdf magazine, flash magazine, Flash page flip magazine,

There is also a site selling magazine-templates (paperback)

Black women can most def take what this man has done and do it as well. Apply it to creating a magazine targeting black women.

I also have been looking for information on binding. It started because I wanted to find out how my art teacher bound our sketch books. Anyways that’s when I learned about Saddle Stich, Perfect Binding etc. From what I learned a lot of magazines are saddle stitch bound

or perfect bound (I’m still researching) All saddle stitch means is that it’s stapled. Perfect bound It’s glued no stitching (actual sewing) involved.  This is how paperbacks are made (I think pulp magazines) Video tutorials

Not a tutorial, but a book binding machine. Around 200 bucks I think. Anyways not bad.

Another machine

Oh and yes I did find a tutorial that resembled the bound sketch books our art teacher made for us for art class.

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Web Soaps

Posted by bwmm on July 14, 2010

Web soaps The Aarons

Horrible People

Something to be Desired

Anyone But Me

This is not a web series, but a college or student produced college soap. The person I spoke to said that it was cheap to make, but most of that was because of the use of school etc.

Not a web series (well not sure though) Nobody’s Perfect Pilot
You won’t believe how cheap it was to produce

Table of Choices Production (gay themed soap/web series) produced pretty cheap

Not really a web series, but it’s no-low bud. Not the best prod values or acting

This Pilot is not meant as a web series, but pretty good

Palmetto (web series that didn’t quite make it. Teen soap)

Drama Queenz

Southern Comforts College produced soap

Another college produced soap Keane University Union

Lonely Ridge

Not a Web series just a clip

Again college produced (but I think more of an experiment. It’s an updated version of Dynasty. Actually pretty good)

Someone asked me If I knew of any African American produced web soaps. I have known of a few, but lost links to them, because my old comp crashed as well as this one and couldn’t find the shows I had. Anyways as I said before I am rarely impressed by web series now, because I’ve watched so many it takes a lot for me to be impressed.

The Proud and the Privileged not a perfect series, but it’s not bad. Article on the soap Ooh they actually have people over the age of 20. Frankly I liked High Rise better (not sure if it’s AA produced, but the prod values are da bomb) Anyways the series was picked up by a major tv network (think Fox, but can’t remember) I hope it lasts. Most web series don’t do well on network tv, because of their short format on the web.

Ahshe (AA Produced)

Diary of a Single Black Mom Robert Townsend

Not a A web series, but AA produced Love Always Charleston A Town East another one of his soap Operas

College produced soap

Again not web series, but
Wow how the state of soaps have changed.

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Want to Act? Then Just Do it Already!

Posted by bwmm on July 11, 2010

Wanna be the next Gabrielle Union? Zoe Saldana? etc. Wanna walk on the red carpet?

For the young girls out there what about Keke Palmer

If you want to act then well just act as the link below suggests for actors.

Take control cast yourself

I love this post. This is something I have said before and will say again. With the resources we have at our disposal today whether shooting on video or film there is no reason for black actors/tress to say they can’t get parts. Can’t get a part? Make one! I know it’s not as easy as all that, but well maybe it is. It will be hard work, but as I mentioned before Vivica A. Fox is using this method to make vehicles for herself. Like the author said his filmmaker friend can play any part he wants, because they are his films. He can be cast with anyone he wants, because again they are his films. He’s the producer, director, writer etc. You don’t have to be the director, writer etc. you could find others to work with if that’s something you that you don’t want to do. The power of the producer! These films whether shorts or features could be used as a reel that could help you find more work. Look at big movie stars in industry from Hollywood to Bollywood. You will notice that many of the bigger stars (especially those that had a hard time getting into the industry) will have some sort of producers role. This even goes with tv shows as well. Richard Dean Anderson and many other actors have been producers or have some sort of producer credit or even production companies that make vehicles for themselves. I ain’t mad at them. They didn’t wait for the work to come to them, they made the work come to them. Oh yes did you know that Michael Douglas got his start as a producer? He produced movies and even some tv eps for shows and that’s what helped him to rise in Hollywood. He produced a vehicle for himself Romancing the Stone he also was a producer for Made in America. Now who would have figured that one? Hollywood’s not like Bollywood you can’t use a famous parents name to get a leg up no matter how much it seems like kids do. Khari Ajene has been doing this for years. His movies may not look like high budget films etc., have the best acting etc. but he took the power and cast himself in his films We have no excuse why we are not up on the screen. I have know about this dude for years Didn’t really care for For Thy Love etc, but he gave himself the power to tell the stories he wants, cast who he wants etc. Now he has a web series that may not have the best acting, but is pretty good and is going for another season. Very few web series even make that. Here is a scene from one of his movies As mentioned before Stephanie Okereke made a film in which she starred. These people not only had the power to tell their stories, cast themselves, but also the power to cast who they wanted. Might not always happen that way (others might intervene with bigger prods (haven’t gotten that far myself) but you still have more power than those who are waiting for a chance. Want to walk on the red carpet. Make your own damn red carpet. Start small get those shorts on YT, Revver, Blip, Megavideo, public access etc. even your no budget features for learning. Then get those films on video or even theatrical if you can. Start on video and go to film if you want. Anyway you have the power! Wield it already!

Books I have own, checked out, and have read.

Short Films
Moviemaking Course: Principles, Practice, and Techniques: The Ultimate Guide for the Aspiring Filmmaker
Chris Patmore
Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts Troy Lanier (directed at teens, but good for adults as well)
Making a Winning Short: How to Write, Direct, Edit, and Produce a Short Film Edmond Levy
The Portable Film School: Everything You’d Learn in Film School D. B. Gilles

Power Filmmaking Kit Jason Tomaric (also shorts)
Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices Rick Schmidt (mostly focus on film) He also wrote Extreme DV at Used-Car Prices
Digital Filmmaking 101: An Essential Guide to Producing Low-Budget Movies Dale Newton Jr and John Gaspard they as well have an original version that focuses on film Persistence of Vision
From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film Dov S-S Simens
Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player Robert Rodriguez

Learning about filmmaking
Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production Mick Hurbis-Cherrier

I have other books like Filming the Fantastic, Film Directing Fundamentals, Directing actors etc, but I’m not going to post those yet.

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text:
“Elder” words (1)

Four biblical words pertain to the role of what should be the most significant (scripturally speaking, that is) church leader.  Briefly and simplistically, here are the four:

  • Poimen ≈ shepherd, pastor
  • Episkopos ≈ bishop, overseer
  • Presbuteros ≈ elder
  • Hegoumenoi ≈ leaders

Ever since I learned the first word, I’ve loved it.  There is so much shepherd/sheep imagery in scripture, and this concept of poimen is richly descriptive of caring for a group.  In any NC writings that are clear on this subject, poimenoi is a plural group.  Notably, 1 Peter 5:2 is a word from an apostle who views himself as a sort of “fellow shepherd” (NOT as a fledgling “pope,” mind you!) to other shepherds. I suppose that since Peter’s audience is a group of churches, not a single church, it might be that there is a single poimen in some church, but never do the NC writings assume one man has charge of a church.

Episkopos comes to mind somewhat less frequently.  It connotes considering, overseeing, reflecting on, and even visiting, e.g., the sick.  This word is also important when attempting to gain a more thorough understanding of the biblically based role of church leaders, and it should probably come to mind more often.  Overseeing is certainly an important part of some “leadering.”

I tend not to use, or even think about, the word-concept presbuteros much–it refers, in part, to seniority.  I’m more interested in spiritual qualities than checklists of “qualifications” and chronological age.  In this case, the connotation can be quite positive–not “old and decrepit,” but rather, “old and therefore experienced and worthy of attention.”

I knew a man who was an “elder” of a church at 35.  That made sense, because he had been a Christian for 20 years, had a believing family, and was in a very young church.  (Then there are those Mormon “elders”–20-year-olds sent on missions.  Not a silly practice, but a downright ludicrous label for them.)  The human context is important when considering the age factor:  if there are wise, spiritual men in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, no 35-year-old should be a presbuteros.

When disagreement occurs over doctrinal or procedural matters, I am hard-pressed to ignore the simple fact that I have been a Christian leader longer than one of my church’s presbuteroi has been a regenerate believer.  I don’t often claim much wisdom.  It’s not one of my gifts.  🙂  But I do have experience, and even though a “presbuter” may have a few chronological years on me and is in some ways a better “shepherd” or “overseer” than I could ever be, I could actually function as his “elder” in the faith.

I tried to squelch this observation a few weeks ago; truth be told, I’d prefer not to think about it.  But the man’s lesser spiritual experience (here, I’m avoiding the word “maturity,” because he’s probably more mature than I in several respects) keeps rising in my consciousness.

Next … hegoumenoi (more interesting stuff!)

4 thoughts on ““Elder” words (1)

  1. Evan Shows 08/03/2011 / 10:28 am

    Thank you for the depth of study into this concept, Brian. Definitely a lot to consider, and I feel, as is often the case, that there is so much we lose in our translations because we don’t understand the original language. Some very good points in your post!

  2. Sylvia Shows 08/03/2011 / 10:28 am

    So often, the church is wanting to fill the “roles” and do not even reflect on the responsibility of an elder. It is not uncommon to see young men in the faith being put into a position that they should not be in. Consider Paul’s admonition in Hebrews 13:17- Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you.

  3. Don Braugh 08/03/2011 / 10:30 am

    Evan, not contradicting you, just adding to your wonderful clarity: additionally, restrictions are placed upon those who should be eligible to serve: namely, divorced persons for reasons that aren’t their making but common sense is left out of the decision. For ex. I know intimately of one case where in one congregation he was an elder (not COC mind you) and in one he was forbidden to serve b/c of his unwanted divorce (for spiritual reasons in this case). The man was my late father, and I never saw a better, wiser, more qualified elder, spiritually. Hats off to him.

  4. Brian Casey 08/03/2011 / 10:34 am

    Evan, thanks. I’ll be interested to see what you think about tomorrow’s post, if you have time to read it.

    Don, what a good tribute. I remember your dad’s face and can well believe he was the man you pay tribute to. I think you’re right that discernment is in order when dealing with lists of “qualifications.” Those are better seen as “qualities,” perhaps, and although each is important, the whole package and pattern are to be considered, in addition to mitigating circumstances!

    Sylvia, thanks for your words. I’ve dealt with the Hebrews word/passage in tomorrow’s post!

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text:
Worship-word domain(s) and proskuneō (IIC digest)

If you’re not interested in many academic details, or if you only have 1 minute instead of 5-10, here is a condensed version of what will appear in full form in a few hours.

  • When the word "worship" appears in a Bible verse, one should ask what is behind that English word.  The answer to this question depends on the specific verse.  In order to understand, both the Greek vocabulary and the literary context must be considered.
  • According to Karen Jobes,¹ a list of eight Greek expressions constitutes the "semantic domain" for worship (and service).
  • Romans 12:1-2 refers to OT priestly service, and this text does not correlate directly to what believers generally put in the (vertical) worship category.
  • Even proskuneō (the most common Greek word translated "worship") does not always mean "worship" in a spiritual sense.  Comparing Matt 2:11 and John 4 reveals the likelihood that this vertical-worship word has two different senses.

More detail will be available at noon Eastern time!

¹ PhD, Biblical Hermeneutics, Westminster Theological Seminary

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larskrl Cat Power – Dreams (Fleetwood Mac Cover)
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