Question: What genre is Chrome?
Answer: first-person shooter<|endoftext|> of scholars; but they were not leaders in the intellectual world, and even their principal works contain nothing particularly striking. Nevertheless, the following may be mentioned: Meshullam b. Moses of Béziers, with his "Sefer ha-Shelamah"; Abraham ha-Levi b. Joseph b. Benvenisti, with his novellæ and his "Bedeḳ ha-Bayit," a criticism of Solomon b. Adret's "Torat ha-Bayit"; and Menahem b. Solomon Meïri (Don Vidal Solomon), with his commentaries on the Talmud and his "Bet ha-Beḥirah," an introduction to the commentary of Abot, and interesting for the information it gives concerning the rabbis of the time. The novellæ ("ḥiddushim"), which were characteristic of Provence, no longer showed any originality. There was a fundamental difference between the new learning originating with Maimonides and the traditional learning centering in the Talmud; and this difference, as was to be expected, soon led to controversies, which form one of the most interesting chapters in the history of the Jews, not only of southern France, but of entire Judaism.

Maimonists and Anti-Maimonists.

The publication of Maimonides' Mishneh Torah had aroused the indignation of Abraham ibn Daud, as well as of the Spanish Talmudist Meïr b. Todros Abulafia ha-Levi, nasi of Toledo. The latter wrote his impressions to one of Maimonides' correspondents, Jonathan Cohen of Lunel: he was especially scandalized by the way in which Maimonides had juggled with the doctrine of the Resurrection; it had disturbed the Jews, and was leading them to an absolute denial of the future life. Aaron b. Meshullam of Lunel came to the defense of Maimonides, answering the Spanish scholar with much warmth. As Meïr felt that his views were not finding favor at home, he turned to the rabbis of northern France, and made Solomon of Dreux, Simson of Sens, Simson of Corbeil, David of Château-Thierry, Abraham of Touques, Eliezer b. Aaron of Bourgogne, and others, judges in the dispute. They sided with Meïr, but their discussions were confined to an exchange of letters, the dates of which are not known, though they must have been written at least before 1210, since Aaron b. Meshullam died in that year. But after Samuel ibn Tibbon translated Maimonides' "Guide of the Perplexed," the popularity of the works of the Jewish philosopher thoroughly aroused the orthodox rabbis of southern France, who regarded the dissemination of Maimonides' rationalism as dangerous to Judaism. The Talmudist Solomon b. Abraham of Montpellier, assisted by two of his pupils, David b. Saul and Jonah of Girona, threatened to excommunicate any one who should read Maimonides' works. This was the first time within Judaism that such a step had been taken; the Rabbis were doubtless influenced by the example of the Inquisition, which then held sway in that region. The Jews of southern France, who had been taught from infancy to admire Maimonides, considered it presumptuous to treat him as a heretic, and no rabbi of Provence was found willing to join Solomon of Montpellier in uttering the ban. The latter, at the instance of Meïr Abulafia, appealed for cooperation to the French rabbis, who were known for their unswervable attachment to tradition; he sent Judah of Girona to them, and he obtained their promise to support the sentence of excommunication. Thereupon all the Jews of Provence rose in protest; the rabbis of Lunel, Béziers, and Narbonne, and following them those of all the communities of that region, answered in kind, excommunicating Solomon and his two disciples. The quarrel spread across the Pyrenees, and the communities of Aragon and Castile sided with Maimonides (1232). The community of Toledo alone did not respond; this alarmed Solomon's opponents, and one of them, the famous David Ḳimḥi, who had at first been suspected of rationalism by the rabbis of northern France, but had succeeded in convincing them of his true position, set out for Spain in order to bring the community of Toledo into line. But before reaching that city he learned that its foremost scholar, Judah b. Alfakar, with whom he had previously corresponded, had published a letter in which he sided against Maimonides, declaring that the doctrine of Judaism had nothing in common with the philosophy of Aristotle. This letter had already provoked many replies. But David Ḳimḥi received at the same time the astounding news that Solomon b. Abraham, abandoned by almost all his followers, had, seemingly in a fit of madness, denounced to the Inquisition in Montpellier the "Sefer Madda'" (the introduction to the Mishneh Torah) and the "Guide" of Maimonides. The whole city of Montpellier, where the partizans and adversaries of Solomon had carried their quarrels even into the streets, was filled with consternation when the books of the famous Jewish theologian were solemnly burned (1234 or 1235). The adversaries of Maimonides were confounded by their triumph. Some, including Jonah, repented of their action in public; the vanquished heaped scorn upon the victors. It even seems that Jaime, seignior of Montpellier, who was greatly attached to two partizans of Maimonides, caused to be arrested and condemned for calumny those who had attacked Maimonides and his followers. The excitement in southern France was not allayed for a long time, and later, when the contest took place between the liberal and orthodox parties, although it too was based on Maimonides' teachings, no one dared mention his name or attack his opinions. The quarrel was in fact renewed in 1303 by Abba Mari b. Moses b. Joseph (also known as "En Astruc") of Lunel, assisted by Simon b. Joseph ("En Duran") of Lunel.

Dispute About Philosophical Studies

In several letters addressed to Solomon b. Adret of Barcelona, the foremost rabbinical authority of the time, Abba Mari pointed out the errors of the philosophical school, which interpreted as allegories not only passages of the Talmud, but also Bible stories. Thus Abraham and Sarah were taken to signify the union of matter and form; the twelve tribes to mean the twelve planets; etc. Furthermore, the writer complained that instead of praying andreciting the Psalms, the people read Aristotle and Plato; and that on Sabbaths and festivals the young people studied works devoted to dangerous interpretations. He declared that steps must be taken to check this peril, and that the books dangerous to the faith must be excommunicated. Although Solomon b. Adret shared the views of his correspondent, he did not dare to take the initiative in so grave a matter, but desired to wait until the communities interested in the question should force the action upon him. Abba Mari then took the matter into his own hands, and wrote successively to most of the rabbis of Provence. Levi of Villefranche, a scholar who was visiting Samuel Sulami, was charged with having interpreted the Scriptures allegorically, and his host no longer dared to keep him in his house. Soon the communities were again divided. A letter from Barcelona, signed by Solomon b. Adret and fourteen other rabbis, and threatening with excommunication any one who should engage in philosophic studies before the age of thirty, was brought to Montpellier. This letter was not published immediately, as the community desired to examine it first. After long discussions Abba Mari, in spite of the opposition of the famous Jacob b. Machir, one of the Ibn Tibbons, finally decided to read it in the synagogue of Montpellier. But because many of the faithful rallied to the support of Jacob b. Machir, Abba Mari was forced to abandon the matter. The quarrel between the orthodox and the liberal factions became ever more bitter, and both sides wrote to the rabbis of Barcelona explaining the state of affairs. Solomon b. Adret, frightened by the attitude of his adversaries, did not dare to take part openly against them, but asked Abba Mari to reconsider the matter, being himself disposed to rest satisfied with the open repentance of Levi of Villefranche, the only guilty one. Solomon took this stand in consequence of the increasing number of protests that reached him. That sent by Jacob b. Machir, imperious in tone, defended philosophic studies and taxed Solomon b. Adret with duplicity. Adret was hard pressed by Abba Mari and the other rabbis, and finally, in the month of Ab, 1305, the interdiction against studying "Greek" books before the age of twenty-five, and against interpreting the Scriptures allegorically, was pronounced in the synagogue of Barcelona. The liberal party of Montpellier, headed by Solomon of Lunel, instead of confessing itself defeated, applied to the governor of Montpellier, without whose authorization the sentence of excommunication could not be uttered against the Jews of the city; and Solomon then

 of scholars; but they were not leaders in the intellectual world, and even their principal works contain nothing particularly striking. Nevertheless, the following may be mentioned: Meshullam b. Moses of Béziers, with his "Sefer ha-Shelamah"; Abraham ha-Levi b. Joseph b. Benvenisti, with his novellæ and his "Bedeḳ ha-Bayit," a criticism of Solomon b. Adret's "Torat ha-Bayit"; and Menahem b. Solomon Meïri (Don Vidal Solomon), with his commentaries on the Talmud and his "Bet ha-Beḥirah," an introduction to the commentary of Abot, and interesting for the information it gives concerning the rabbis of the time. The novellæ ("ḥiddushim"), which were characteristic of Provence, no longer showed any originality. There was a fundamental difference between the new learning originating with Maimonides and the traditional learning centering in the Talmud; and this difference, as was to be expected, soon led to controversies, which form one of the most interesting chapters in the history of the Jews, not only of southern France, but of entire Judaism.

Maimonists and Anti-Maimonists.

The publication of Maimonides' Mishneh Torah had aroused the indignation of Abraham ibn Daud, as well as of the Spanish Talmudist Meïr b. Todros Abulafia ha-Levi, nasi of Toledo. The latter wrote his impressions to one of Maimonides' correspondents, Jonathan Cohen of Lunel: he was especially scandalized by the way in which Maimonides had juggled with the doctrine of the Resurrection; it had disturbed the Jews, and was leading them to an absolute denial of the future life. Aaron b. Meshullam of Lunel came to the defense of Maimonides, answering the Spanish scholar with much warmth. As Meïr felt that his views were not finding favor at home, he turned to the rabbis of northern France, and made Solomon of Dreux, Simson of Sens, Simson of Corbeil, David of Château-Thierry, Abraham of Touques, Eliezer b. Aaron of Bourgogne, and others, judges in the dispute. They sided with Meïr, but their discussions were confined to an exchange of letters, the dates of which are not known, though they must have been written at least before 1210, since Aaron b. Meshullam died in that year. But after Samuel ibn Tibbon translated Maimonides' "Guide of the Perplexed," the popularity of the works of the Jewish philosopher thoroughly aroused the orthodox rabbis of southern France, who regarded the dissemination of Maimonides' rationalism as dangerous to Judaism. The Talmudist Solomon b. Abraham of Montpellier, assisted by two of his pupils, David b. Saul and Jonah of Girona, threatened to excommunicate any one who should read Maimonides' works. This was the first time within Judaism that such a step had been taken; the Rabbis were doubtless influenced by the example of the Inquisition, which then held sway in that region. The Jews of southern France, who had been taught from infancy to admire Maimonides, considered it presumptuous to treat him as a heretic, and no rabbi of Provence was found willing to join Solomon of Montpellier in uttering the ban. The latter, at the instance of Meïr Abulafia, appealed for cooperation to the French rabbis, who were known for their unswervable attachment to tradition; he sent Judah of Girona to them, and he obtained their promise to support the sentence of excommunication. Thereupon all the Jews of Provence rose in protest; the rabbis of Lunel, Béziers, and Narbonne, and following them those of all the communities of that region, answered in kind, excommunicating Solomon and his two disciples. The quarrel spread across the Pyrenees, and the communities of Aragon and Castile sided with Maimonides (1232). The community of Toledo alone did not respond; this alarmed Solomon's opponents, and one of them, the famous David Ḳimḥi, who had at first been suspected of rationalism by the rabbis of northern France, but had succeeded in convincing them of his true position, set out for Spain in order to bring the community of Toledo into line. But before reaching that city he learned that its foremost scholar, Judah b. Alfakar, with whom he had previously corresponded, had published a letter in which he sided against Maimonides, declaring that the doctrine of Judaism had nothing in common with the philosophy of Aristotle. This letter had already provoked many replies. But David Ḳimḥi received at the same time the astounding news that Solomon b. Abraham, abandoned by almost all his followers, had, seemingly in a fit of madness, denounced to the Inquisition in Montpellier the "Sefer Madda'" (the introduction to the Mishneh Torah) and the "Guide" of Maimonides. The whole city of Montpellier, where the partizans and adversaries of Solomon had carried their quarrels even into the streets, was filled with consternation when the books of the famous Jewish theologian were solemnly burned (1234 or 1235). The adversaries of Maimonides were confounded by their triumph. Some, including Jonah, repented of their action in public; the vanquished heaped scorn upon the victors. It even seems that Jaime, seignior of Montpellier, who was greatly attached to two partizans of Maimonides, caused to be arrested and condemned for calumny those who had attacked Maimonides and his followers. The excitement in southern France was not allayed for a long time, and later, when the contest took place between the liberal and orthodox parties, although it too was based on Maimonides' teachings, no one dared mention his name or attack his opinions. The quarrel was in fact renewed in 1303 by Abba Mari b. Moses b. Joseph (also known as "En Astruc") of Lunel, assisted by Simon b. Joseph ("En Duran") of Lunel.

Dispute About Philosophical Studies

In several letters addressed to Solomon b. Adret of Barcelona, the foremost rabbinical authority of the time, Abba Mari pointed out the errors of the philosophical school, which interpreted as allegories not only passages of the Talmud, but also Bible stories. Thus Abraham and Sarah were taken to signify the union of matter and form; the twelve tribes to mean the twelve planets; etc. Furthermore, the writer complained that instead of praying andreciting the Psalms, the people read Aristotle and Plato; and that on Sabbaths and festivals the young people studied works devoted to dangerous interpretations. He declared that steps must be taken to check this peril, and that the books dangerous to the faith must be excommunicated. Although Solomon b. Adret shared the views of his correspondent, he did not dare to take the initiative in so grave a matter, but desired to wait until the communities interested in the question should force the action upon him. Abba Mari then took the matter into his own hands, and wrote successively to most of the rabbis of Provence. Levi of Villefranche, a scholar who was visiting Samuel Sulami, was charged with having interpreted the Scriptures allegorically, and his host no longer dared to keep him in his house. Soon the communities were again divided. A letter from Barcelona, signed by Solomon b. Adret and fourteen other rabbis, and threatening with excommunication any one who should engage in philosophic studies before the age of thirty, was brought to Montpellier. This letter was not published immediately, as the community desired to examine it first. After long discussions Abba Mari, in spite of the opposition of the famous Jacob b. Machir, one of the Ibn Tibbons, finally decided to read it in the synagogue of Montpellier. But because many of the faithful rallied to the support of Jacob b. Machir, Abba Mari was forced to abandon the matter. The quarrel between the orthodox and the liberal factions became ever more bitter, and both sides wrote to the rabbis of Barcelona explaining the state of affairs. Solomon b. Adret, frightened by the attitude of his adversaries, did not dare to take part openly against them, but asked Abba Mari to reconsider the matter, being himself disposed to rest satisfied with the open repentance of Levi of Villefranche, the only guilty one. Solomon took this stand in consequence of the increasing number of protests that reached him. That sent by Jacob b. Machir, imperious in tone, defended philosophic studies and taxed Solomon b. Adret with duplicity. Adret was hard pressed by Abba Mari and the other rabbis, and finally, in the month of Ab, 1305, the interdiction against studying "Greek" books before the age of twenty-five, and against interpreting the Scriptures allegorically, was pronounced in the synagogue of Barcelona. The liberal party of Montpellier, headed by Solomon of Lunel, instead of confessing itself defeated, applied to the governor of Montpellier, without whose authorization the sentence of excommunication could not be uttered against the Jews of the city; and Solomon then pronounced an anathema upon all who should forbid their children the study of


Question: Who was the director of Love You?
Answer: John Derek<|endoftext|> them as rank amateurs, it would be somewhat pointless to go into any more detail. [And to think, Nationalists are regularly accused of following blindly :-)] Just in case your nose is bothering you in the future [I'm not sure if I'll be allowed] but here's a wee link to some of their [kindergarten] economics:

I didn't say that Kevin’s analysis was "rubbish"? What I did say was that Kevin has based his analysis on "Flawed" information, much in the same way as the White paper, Alex Salmond and Wings. [Agreed]
Your argument, however, equally condemns yourself, in the same way as it condemns my argument, inasmuch as, when you say: "You are only now deciding that GERS is a useless source because it isn't showing what you want it to show". For the very same reason you prefer to accept what is being presented as "de Facto", which as you freely admit: "There is inevitably going to be some flawed data going into GERS". In other words, despite the [admitted]"flaws" you are quite happy to accept a version of partial statistics presented as gospel...This - for me - makes NO sense whatsoever.

You then - further - go on to talk about:

- The currency issue;
- The effect of enlarging the civil service;
- Loss of common regulation between Scotland and rUK.

"You will note that all of these things are negative for Scotland".

And the positives would be?...Can you think of any?... Or are we just a wee "rubbish" Country, that wouldn't save a penny even if we abolished our share of the UK defense, payment to connect to the National grid, paying VAT for the only police force in the UK, paying our share of the National debt/deficit/interest, paying for UK infrastructure [which doesn't benefit Scotland one iota] paying for [the unelected] HoL, Oh! And let's not forget about Scottish goods leaving from English ports/airports, [I'm quite sure we get all our taxes from those], Hmm..50 of our top blue chip companies have their head offices in London [Inc our Banks/building societies/supermarkets] I wonder where their taxes are accounted?...But alas, you're right, "the currency issue" was certainly something that Iceland deeply regret.

Anonymous said...

You see Kevin, for guys like you it doesn't matter what happens,
it doesn't matter what social principles are ridden roughshod over.
It doesn't matter that the vast majority of the poor and less socially mobile members of the Scottish electorate voted overwhelmingly for 'change'
It doesn't matter that Westminster is an archaic embarrassment.
It doesn't matter that 'Britain' is a morally bankrupt unequal cunthole
It doesn't matter that post yes vote, the energy , interest and nascent development of a new exciting Scotland would have been the most incredible daily experience
It doesn't matter whatever the economic challenges that an Independent Scotland might have faced
Because for guys like you, all that matters is
'I'm alright Jack'

Anonymous said...

Excellent work Kevin as always, meticulous in detail and analysis, but delivered in a clear and easy to understand manner, that surely even the pseudo-reverend could not fail to grasp (yet continue to petulantly deny of course).

You know you say you do this for free and as an amateur, but I for one would bemore than happy to put my money where my mouth is and contribute through crowd funding to help you tto keep doing this important work, as I am sure so would many thousands of other patriotic Scots.

Just say the word Kevin and we will support.

Kevin Hague said...

Goodness me dointhebiz you really don't pay attention do you?

Your laundry list of erroneous GERS gripes is textbook - in the name of all that's good and holy please read Stop Getting GERS wrong and stop making such a fool of yourself with these posts.

Read the Cuthberts quote from 2012 in the comment above - they were happy to rely on GERS by then.

VAT is an EU issue and per GERS that VAT will be allocated back to Scotland anyway - so it's *not* a GERS gripe

Abolish our share of defence? Fair enough - what defence budget do you propose? What defence employment implications? I always mention the £0.5bn saving as per White Paper (although that takes us below 2% GDP and questions if compatible with NATO).

The White Paper recognised the need to *retain* a single UK National Grid - you really think you'd want to split it - you think there wouldn't be transnational interconnect charges?

GERS doesn't allocate any cots to us for "infrastructure that doesn't benefit us one iota - how may time does this need to be pointed out to you? - read GERS methodology and it's clearly explained

HoL? Scotland's share is <£10m pa - and most accept we'd need our own revising chamber

Export taxes? Seriously, you're still arguing there's some mystery tax the Scot Gov has missed?

Tax accounting and Head office location - absolutely nothing to do with GERS as I have explained many times - the SG assumption is highly generous (c.£0.5bn more than HMRC), has nothing top do with Head Office location and is what is used in GERS.

You clearly have no concept of what would be required to create a currency.

Please stop posting silly comments it's painful to watch

Kevin Hague said...

I'm the least "I'm alright Jack" person you could hope to meet.

I'm not going to embarrass you by laying out my credentials on this but please: if you don't know someone don't presume to judge them.

Unknown said...

Lamb. To. The. Slaughter. That's what you are, Bob.

Anonymous said...

Dointhebiz, "So you're questioning the credentials of Jim Cuthbert...?" Of course I'm not, his credentials are a matter of record. What I definitely am questioning are his/their impartiality, methodology and conclusions. Credentials per se don't really make a difference, do they? Plenty of other economists with equal or even more heavyweight credentials appear to have drawn very different conclusions to those of the Cuthberts, ergo some economists must be wrong. And it might even be the Cuthberts. Or are you saying that someone without credentials isn't entitled to express an opinion, and anyone with them must automatically be right or above question?

What matters is the quality of the argument, and on that score I (not an economist I cheerfully admit) find the Cuthberts' unconvincing for the reasons given, reasons which you are most welcome to dispute. To add to them, anyone who singles out the year 08/09 to base a conclusion on, when it is THE massive outlier exception to the generally less favourable economic pattern over the last fifteen years, is struggling to make a convincing case - if I'm permitted to make that observation.

The Cuthberts' argument for including Scotland's balance of payments in the overall economic picture is quite reasonable, for the purpose of perspective. But then let us at least look across a representative spread of years, not only the single most favourable, and draw some more balanced conclusions on average performance figures. We're not simpletons, you know. And let's look at where the bulk of that net outflow goes (rUK, Europe) and what sectors mainly contribute to it (oil, finance), and consider challenging Indie scenarios such as borders, membership and currency. And lastly, let's ask how might any of it create a healthier public finance picture. Because unless that balance of payments picture materially alters the substance of SG revenues and the health of Scotland's public finances as described by GERS, then the size of net outflow adds nothing of any real relevance whatever to the discussion. Perhaps you can explain it to this non-expert.

For the record, I did not pigeon-hole the Cuthberts as amateurs - that would be childish ad hominem stuff - I said they were unprofessionally selective in their use of data. Different thing altogether.

Anonymous said...

Many thanks for the links, Anon, fascinating stuff.

Anonymous said...

To Bob @ 08:47 yesterday, in kind.

For you, Bob, it doesn't seem to matter what happens
It doesn't matter that the SNP lied to you
It doesn't matter what the figures actually say
It doesn't matter that proper democratic process has been trampled all over
It doesn't matter that the majority of ALL people in Scotland voted to stay part of the UK
It doesn't matter how many people might lose their jobs
It doesn't matter that the SNP have failed to deliver 100 campaign promises
It doesn't matter that Holyrood is starting to look like a North Korean one-party congress
It doesn't matter that Scotland is bitterly divided
It doesn't matter that rabid ethnic nationalism has encouraged the very worst in people
It doesn't matter if your children's grandchildren are still picking up the tab later
It doesn't matter if joining the EU would take a while and give less autonomy than now
It doesn't matter that a currency union with RUK wouldn't fly
It doesn't matter whether independence is good or

 them as rank amateurs, it would be somewhat pointless to go into any more detail. [And to think, Nationalists are regularly accused of following blindly :-)] Just in case your nose is bothering you in the future [I'm not sure if I'll be allowed] but here's a wee link to some of their [kindergarten] economics:

I didn't say that Kevin’s analysis was "rubbish"? What I did say was that Kevin has based his analysis on "Flawed" information, much in the same way as the White paper, Alex Salmond and Wings. [Agreed]
Your argument, however, equally condemns yourself, in the same way as it condemns my argument, inasmuch as, when you say: "You are only now deciding that GERS is a useless source because it isn't showing what you want it to show". For the very same reason you prefer to accept what is being presented as "de Facto", which as you freely admit: "There is inevitably going to be some flawed data going into GERS". In other words, despite the [admitted]"flaws" you are quite happy to accept a version of partial statistics presented as gospel...This - for me - makes NO sense whatsoever.

You then - further - go on to talk about:

- The currency issue;
- The effect of enlarging the civil service;
- Loss of common regulation between Scotland and rUK.

"You will note that all of these things are negative for Scotland".

And the positives would be?...Can you think of any?... Or are we just a wee "rubbish" Country, that wouldn't save a penny even if we abolished our share of the UK defense, payment to connect to the National grid, paying VAT for the only police force in the UK, paying our share of the National debt/deficit/interest, paying for UK infrastructure [which doesn't benefit Scotland one iota] paying for [the unelected] HoL, Oh! And let's not forget about Scottish goods leaving from English ports/airports, [I'm quite sure we get all our taxes from those], Hmm..50 of our top blue chip companies have their head offices in London [Inc our Banks/building societies/supermarkets] I wonder where their taxes are accounted?...But alas, you're right, "the currency issue" was certainly something that Iceland deeply regret.

Anonymous said...

You see Kevin, for guys like you it doesn't matter what happens,
it doesn't matter what social principles are ridden roughshod over.
It doesn't matter that the vast majority of the poor and less socially mobile members of the Scottish electorate voted overwhelmingly for 'change'
It doesn't matter that Westminster is an archaic embarrassment.
It doesn't matter that 'Britain' is a morally bankrupt unequal cunthole
It doesn't matter that post yes vote, the energy , interest and nascent development of a new exciting Scotland would have been the most incredible daily experience
It doesn't matter whatever the economic challenges that an Independent Scotland might have faced
Because for guys like you, all that matters is
'I'm alright Jack'

Anonymous said...

Excellent work Kevin as always, meticulous in detail and analysis, but delivered in a clear and easy to understand manner, that surely even the pseudo-reverend could not fail to grasp (yet continue to petulantly deny of course).

You know you say you do this for free and as an amateur, but I for one would bemore than happy to put my money where my mouth is and contribute through crowd funding to help you tto keep doing this important work, as I am sure so would many thousands of other patriotic Scots.

Just say the word Kevin and we will support.

Kevin Hague said...

Goodness me dointhebiz you really don't pay attention do you?

Your laundry list of erroneous GERS gripes is textbook - in the name of all that's good and holy please read Stop Getting GERS wrong and stop making such a fool of yourself with these posts.

Read the Cuthberts quote from 2012 in the comment above - they were happy to rely on GERS by then.

VAT is an EU issue and per GERS that VAT will be allocated back to Scotland anyway - so it's *not* a GERS gripe

Abolish our share of defence? Fair enough - what defence budget do you propose? What defence employment implications? I always mention the £0.5bn saving as per White Paper (although that takes us below 2% GDP and questions if compatible with NATO).

The White Paper recognised the need to *retain* a single UK National Grid - you really think you'd want to split it - you think there wouldn't be transnational interconnect charges?

GERS doesn't allocate any cots to us for "infrastructure that doesn't benefit us one iota - how may time does this need to be pointed out to you? - read GERS methodology and it's clearly explained

HoL? Scotland's share is <£10m pa - and most accept we'd need our own revising chamber

Export taxes? Seriously, you're still arguing there's some mystery tax the Scot Gov has missed?

Tax accounting and Head office location - absolutely nothing to do with GERS as I have explained many times - the SG assumption is highly generous (c.£0.5bn more than HMRC), has nothing top do with Head Office location and is what is used in GERS.

You clearly have no concept of what would be required to create a currency.

Please stop posting silly comments it's painful to watch

Kevin Hague said...

I'm the least "I'm alright Jack" person you could hope to meet.

I'm not going to embarrass you by laying out my credentials on this but please: if you don't know someone don't presume to judge them.

Unknown said...

Lamb. To. The. Slaughter. That's what you are, Bob.

Anonymous said...

Dointhebiz, "So you're questioning the credentials of Jim Cuthbert...?" Of course I'm not, his credentials are a matter of record. What I definitely am questioning are his/their impartiality, methodology and conclusions. Credentials per se don't really make a difference, do they? Plenty of other economists with equal or even more heavyweight credentials appear to have drawn very different conclusions to those of the Cuthberts, ergo some economists must be wrong. And it might even be the Cuthberts. Or are you saying that someone without credentials isn't entitled to express an opinion, and anyone with them must automatically be right or above question?

What matters is the quality of the argument, and on that score I (not an economist I cheerfully admit) find the Cuthberts' unconvincing for the reasons given, reasons which you are most welcome to dispute. To add to them, anyone who singles out the year 08/09 to base a conclusion on, when it is THE massive outlier exception to the generally less favourable economic pattern over the last fifteen years, is struggling to make a convincing case - if I'm permitted to make that observation.

The Cuthberts' argument for including Scotland's balance of payments in the overall economic picture is quite reasonable, for the purpose of perspective. But then let us at least look across a representative spread of years, not only the single most favourable, and draw some more balanced conclusions on average performance figures. We're not simpletons, you know. And let's look at where the bulk of that net outflow goes (rUK, Europe) and what sectors mainly contribute to it (oil, finance), and consider challenging Indie scenarios such as borders, membership and currency. And lastly, let's ask how might any of it create a healthier public finance picture. Because unless that balance of payments picture materially alters the substance of SG revenues and the health of Scotland's public finances as described by GERS, then the size of net outflow adds nothing of any real relevance whatever to the discussion. Perhaps you can explain it to this non-expert.

For the record, I did not pigeon-hole the Cuthberts as amateurs - that would be childish ad hominem stuff - I said they were unprofessionally selective in their use of data. Different thing altogether.

Anonymous said...

Many thanks for the links, Anon, fascinating stuff.

Anonymous said...

To Bob @ 08:47 yesterday, in kind.

For you, Bob, it doesn't seem to matter what happens
It doesn't matter that the SNP lied to you
It doesn't matter what the figures actually say
It doesn't matter that proper democratic process has been trampled all over
It doesn't matter that the majority of ALL people in Scotland voted to stay part of the UK
It doesn't matter how many people might lose their jobs
It doesn't matter that the SNP have failed to deliver 100 campaign promises
It doesn't matter that Holyrood is starting to look like a North Korean one-party congress
It doesn't matter that Scotland is bitterly divided
It doesn't matter that rabid ethnic nationalism has encouraged the very worst in people
It doesn't matter if your children's grandchildren are still picking up the tab later
It doesn't matter if joining the EU would take a while and give less autonomy than now
It doesn't matter that a currency union with RUK wouldn't fly
It doesn't matter whether independence is good or bad for Scotland in any way at all
Because what matters to guys like you


Question: What is the capital of Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica?
Answer: Atenas<|endoftext|>," I was too exhausted and frightened to fully get the gravity of the diagnosis.

Oh, I knew it was bad.

I remember standing and talking with a teacher on Field Day when Jordan was in Elementary School. For some reason, this woman shared with me the story of her son, who was what was then called Manic-Depressive. Unfortunately, it was a fairly typical story of a young man who struggled against the Disorder and lost his battle with it at the age of 24 by killing himself.

I can remember so clearly having the sensation of this woman's pain pouring over me in waves.

So, I knew it was bad.

But I really knew nothing at all.

I now know more than I ever wanted to know about this Disorder, and I'm pretty sure I'll never stop learning.

The internet is a both a blessing and a curse when researching something of this nature. There is a wealth of useful information to be had and what you read there can scare the holy crap out of you.

I visited message boards and forums and the stories I read kept me awake at night, it seemed like everyone was so badly affected by Bipolar. What I quickly realized though is that the people who are posting on message boards fall into one of maybe three categories.

1. People like myself who are new to the Disorder and are seeking help.

2. People who are struggling with the disorder and are seeking help.

3. People who have the disorder and have no intention of addressing it properly, but want to whine.

The fact of the matter is, that for the most part, people who are struggling post on message boards. People who have control over the disorder and are living perfectly normal lives, thankyouverymuch, are out living their perfectly normal lives and not posting messages on boards and forums.

So keep that in mind when you are searching for information. Don't be discouraged by the dearth of happily ever after you read there.

While searching for information about various medications, there are horror stories aplenty too. Because these drugs affect everyone so differently, it can be disheartening to read about other's experiences with side effects and withdrawal symptoms. It is beyond alarming what some people have been through on the journey for the right combination of medications.

It didn't take me long to decide that I needed a book. A good book. A simple, but thorough book, and so I headed to Borders.

I came home with a book that I felt was appropriate to the situation, "Bipolar For Dummies", because I definitely qualified as a Dummy on the subject.

As a starter book, I would highly recommend this one. It covers all aspects of the Disorder and has a section for Caretakers. It is very technical in explaining the Disorder and I completely understood what "happens" in the Bipolar Brain. Granted, I couldn't explain it to anyone else if my life depended on it, but I understood it as I read it.

The book was copyrighted several years ago, so the information may not be the most up-to-date, but I still think it provides a good jumping off point in the quest for Knowledge.

Next I contacted the local chapter of The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: DBSA and I began attending Support Group meetings.

This was a difficult step for me to take, and I hate to admit it, but it took me several weeks to make that call. And another week to actually attend a meeting. It seemed like stepping across that threshold was me acknowledging the reality of Josh's illness.

Yes, even parents have to work through denial.

If you're faced with a diagnosis of Bipolar, get over your denial quicker than I did, because the help and support you will find at DBSA will be invaluable to you. I actually look forward to our Monday night meetings.

Once I'd armed myself with knowledge and support, I realized that I didn't have a clue how to actually deal with my son on a day to day basis.

All of a sudden this son of mine was completely unfamiliar to me. He was unstable when he came home from the hospital, and while the medications had brought him down from his high, his disordered and occasional delusional thought processes were something totally new to me. I had no idea how to communicate with him.

At a time when I REALLY needed to be able to communicate with him effectively.

Josh displayed HORRIBLE rages when he came home, all directed at me. Anything was liable to set him off. One day he was sitting in my office talking to me and a bird flew by my office window. In a natural response to peripheral movement, I shifted my eyes to the window. Josh jumped up, pounded his fist in the middle of my desk hard enough to make things on it jump, and screamed at me, "Pay attention when I talk to you!" Clearly I'd done nothing 'wrong', but in his mind I was Satan incarnate sent up from the bowels of hell with the express purpose of infuriating him. His rages could have been induced by the medication, irritability IS one of the lovely attibutes of Bipolar Disorder, but some medications ramp it up a notch, to one notch just below homicidal.

So I learned. Slowly. Over WEEKS.

The problem was that everyday, a different version of Josh climbed out of bed. What worked yesterday in that mood, inflamed him today in this mood.

I'll save anyone out there who is dealing with a newly diagnosed Bipolar person some time and tell you a little secret. No matter what, stay calm and agree with everything they say.

OK, so I hate to admit this too, but early on I would make matters worse by arguing with Josh and occasionally I got downright mad at him.

Who wouldn't? Seriously?!

It takes time to realize that this person in front of you HAS NO CONCEPT OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

Oh, you know it on an intellectual level, but it takes real effort to remember that in the heat of a very violent moment.

The truth is that stress is one of the worst things for a Bipolar person. Stress builds and builds and builds inside them, and can send them directly into a manic state; do not pass go, do not collect your Seroquel.

So for days, maybe even weeks *shudders* I made matters worse for Josh, and myself, but I learned. Eventually I learned.

I learned to agree with anything he said, "Yes, I'm the most horrible parent in the world, I don't know how you've lived with me all these years, and yes, I need therapy and probably a parenting class or two."

But the biggest thing I learned was to let go and let God.

And God seems to be doing a pretty good job of handling this, because yesterday? JOSH climbed out of bed. My Josh. The one I knew before that awful man in the hospital uttered those words, the one I knew before depression settled over him like an early morning fog, the one who used to be happy and surrounded by friends, rushing here and there, living a busy, fulfilling life.

It seems the medication has quickly worked its way out of Josh's system and, where he was slow and foggy, he's sharp and bright. Where he was sad and desolate, he's happy and hopeful. He's not the slightest bit manic and his thought processes seem to be in good working order.

Today while I was out of town, Josh went out to play baseball with two of his OLD friends. You know, the friends HE pushed out of his life way back there when he was depressed and on the way to suicidal. And as I type this, one of those friends is in his room with him, doing what they used to do...play a video game.

The most difficult lesson I've learned though is that tomorrow is a complete unknown with this Disorder, especially at the stage of acceptance that we are in.

We aren't treating the Disorder at all at this point, although Josh is being very careful about his sleep schedule, because for him and many who suffer with Bipolar, sleep deprivation is a one way ticket to Mania City.

Josh could be fine for days or months, or possibly even years before the monster rears it's ugly head again. And Josh could wake up TOMORROW headed towards a manic state.

So I've learned to take all this one day at a time, appreciating the good days and looking for more lessons in the bad ones.

Because in the end? I'm just about all Josh has right now and I don't intend to let him down.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Semantics & Stigma

One of the first things I learned about Bipolar Disorder is that many people who have it can be pretty touchy.

They'll nicely tell you that there is a distinction between HAVING Bipolar and BEING Bipolar. They HAVE Bipolar, they are NOT Bipolar.

They would take exception to the very name of this blog for example, citing that it indicates my son IS Bipolar, where they would rather I refer to my son as HAVING Bipolar.

I get the distinction.

Just like I HAVE Glaucoma, I'm NOT Glaucoma.

While some people who have Bipolar can get almost militant about this distinction, I've made it pretty apparent

," I was too exhausted and frightened to fully get the gravity of the diagnosis.

Oh, I knew it was bad.

I remember standing and talking with a teacher on Field Day when Jordan was in Elementary School. For some reason, this woman shared with me the story of her son, who was what was then called Manic-Depressive. Unfortunately, it was a fairly typical story of a young man who struggled against the Disorder and lost his battle with it at the age of 24 by killing himself.

I can remember so clearly having the sensation of this woman's pain pouring over me in waves.

So, I knew it was bad.

But I really knew nothing at all.

I now know more than I ever wanted to know about this Disorder, and I'm pretty sure I'll never stop learning.

The internet is a both a blessing and a curse when researching something of this nature. There is a wealth of useful information to be had and what you read there can scare the holy crap out of you.

I visited message boards and forums and the stories I read kept me awake at night, it seemed like everyone was so badly affected by Bipolar. What I quickly realized though is that the people who are posting on message boards fall into one of maybe three categories.

1. People like myself who are new to the Disorder and are seeking help.

2. People who are struggling with the disorder and are seeking help.

3. People who have the disorder and have no intention of addressing it properly, but want to whine.

The fact of the matter is, that for the most part, people who are struggling post on message boards. People who have control over the disorder and are living perfectly normal lives, thankyouverymuch, are out living their perfectly normal lives and not posting messages on boards and forums.

So keep that in mind when you are searching for information. Don't be discouraged by the dearth of happily ever after you read there.

While searching for information about various medications, there are horror stories aplenty too. Because these drugs affect everyone so differently, it can be disheartening to read about other's experiences with side effects and withdrawal symptoms. It is beyond alarming what some people have been through on the journey for the right combination of medications.

It didn't take me long to decide that I needed a book. A good book. A simple, but thorough book, and so I headed to Borders.

I came home with a book that I felt was appropriate to the situation, "Bipolar For Dummies", because I definitely qualified as a Dummy on the subject.

As a starter book, I would highly recommend this one. It covers all aspects of the Disorder and has a section for Caretakers. It is very technical in explaining the Disorder and I completely understood what "happens" in the Bipolar Brain. Granted, I couldn't explain it to anyone else if my life depended on it, but I understood it as I read it.

The book was copyrighted several years ago, so the information may not be the most up-to-date, but I still think it provides a good jumping off point in the quest for Knowledge.

Next I contacted the local chapter of The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: DBSA and I began attending Support Group meetings.

This was a difficult step for me to take, and I hate to admit it, but it took me several weeks to make that call. And another week to actually attend a meeting. It seemed like stepping across that threshold was me acknowledging the reality of Josh's illness.

Yes, even parents have to work through denial.

If you're faced with a diagnosis of Bipolar, get over your denial quicker than I did, because the help and support you will find at DBSA will be invaluable to you. I actually look forward to our Monday night meetings.

Once I'd armed myself with knowledge and support, I realized that I didn't have a clue how to actually deal with my son on a day to day basis.

All of a sudden this son of mine was completely unfamiliar to me. He was unstable when he came home from the hospital, and while the medications had brought him down from his high, his disordered and occasional delusional thought processes were something totally new to me. I had no idea how to communicate with him.

At a time when I REALLY needed to be able to communicate with him effectively.

Josh displayed HORRIBLE rages when he came home, all directed at me. Anything was liable to set him off. One day he was sitting in my office talking to me and a bird flew by my office window. In a natural response to peripheral movement, I shifted my eyes to the window. Josh jumped up, pounded his fist in the middle of my desk hard enough to make things on it jump, and screamed at me, "Pay attention when I talk to you!" Clearly I'd done nothing 'wrong', but in his mind I was Satan incarnate sent up from the bowels of hell with the express purpose of infuriating him. His rages could have been induced by the medication, irritability IS one of the lovely attibutes of Bipolar Disorder, but some medications ramp it up a notch, to one notch just below homicidal.

So I learned. Slowly. Over WEEKS.

The problem was that everyday, a different version of Josh climbed out of bed. What worked yesterday in that mood, inflamed him today in this mood.

I'll save anyone out there who is dealing with a newly diagnosed Bipolar person some time and tell you a little secret. No matter what, stay calm and agree with everything they say.

OK, so I hate to admit this too, but early on I would make matters worse by arguing with Josh and occasionally I got downright mad at him.

Who wouldn't? Seriously?!

It takes time to realize that this person in front of you HAS NO CONCEPT OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

Oh, you know it on an intellectual level, but it takes real effort to remember that in the heat of a very violent moment.

The truth is that stress is one of the worst things for a Bipolar person. Stress builds and builds and builds inside them, and can send them directly into a manic state; do not pass go, do not collect your Seroquel.

So for days, maybe even weeks *shudders* I made matters worse for Josh, and myself, but I learned. Eventually I learned.

I learned to agree with anything he said, "Yes, I'm the most horrible parent in the world, I don't know how you've lived with me all these years, and yes, I need therapy and probably a parenting class or two."

But the biggest thing I learned was to let go and let God.

And God seems to be doing a pretty good job of handling this, because yesterday? JOSH climbed out of bed. My Josh. The one I knew before that awful man in the hospital uttered those words, the one I knew before depression settled over him like an early morning fog, the one who used to be happy and surrounded by friends, rushing here and there, living a busy, fulfilling life.

It seems the medication has quickly worked its way out of Josh's system and, where he was slow and foggy, he's sharp and bright. Where he was sad and desolate, he's happy and hopeful. He's not the slightest bit manic and his thought processes seem to be in good working order.

Today while I was out of town, Josh went out to play baseball with two of his OLD friends. You know, the friends HE pushed out of his life way back there when he was depressed and on the way to suicidal. And as I type this, one of those friends is in his room with him, doing what they used to do...play a video game.

The most difficult lesson I've learned though is that tomorrow is a complete unknown with this Disorder, especially at the stage of acceptance that we are in.

We aren't treating the Disorder at all at this point, although Josh is being very careful about his sleep schedule, because for him and many who suffer with Bipolar, sleep deprivation is a one way ticket to Mania City.

Josh could be fine for days or months, or possibly even years before the monster rears it's ugly head again. And Josh could wake up TOMORROW headed towards a manic state.

So I've learned to take all this one day at a time, appreciating the good days and looking for more lessons in the bad ones.

Because in the end? I'm just about all Josh has right now and I don't intend to let him down.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Semantics & Stigma

One of the first things I learned about Bipolar Disorder is that many people who have it can be pretty touchy.

They'll nicely tell you that there is a distinction between HAVING Bipolar and BEING Bipolar. They HAVE Bipolar, they are NOT Bipolar.

They would take exception to the very name of this blog for example, citing that it indicates my son IS Bipolar, where they would rather I refer to my son as HAVING Bipolar.

I get the distinction.

Just like I HAVE Glaucoma, I'm NOT Glaucoma.

While some people who have Bipolar can get almost militant about this distinction, I've made it pretty apparent right up there in the title of my blog, that I'm not gonna spend a lot of energy worrying about the semantics of all


Question: Who was the composer of The Inner Eye?
Answer: Satyajit Ray<|endoftext|>Portrait presumed to be of Paracelsus by Quinten Massys, Louvre Museum, Paris.
German-Swiss physician and alchemist who established the role of chemistry in medicine. He published Der grossen Wundartzney (Great Surgery Book) in 1536 and a clinical description of syphilis in 1530....
Leonardo da Vinci
Albert Einstein.
Albert Einstein
Europe: Peoples
Destination Europe: Fact or Fiction?
Galen of Pergamum, undated lithograph.
Galen of Pergamum
Email this page<|endoftext|>Bookclub, John Le Carré QR code

What is this?

This code will link to the page for Bookclub, John Le Carré when read using a QR code reader.

You may save, print or share the image.<|endoftext|>Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Pope and the Caliph

The Pope and the Caliph

M.J. Akbar

Pope Benedict XVI will be remembered not for the ease of his arrival, nor for the unremarkable quality of his tenure, but for the courage of his departure. It takes character to sublimate one’s ego to the demands of duty, and to recognise that both body and spirit have now lost their ability to serve the great cause of an institution such as the papacy. His example has inevitably inspired questions about a Prime Minister, or two, who seems to have passed his sell-by date. As the poet might have remarked, nothing he did in his grand office excelled the humility of his exit.
When history is written with a cold pen, Pope Benedict will be seen as no more than a brief hyphen between predecessor and successor. But this extraordinary event just might begin to raise questions, albeit along a tangential arc, about a doctrine that has controlled the image of the Pope for the last 140-odd years: infallibility.

There were more similarities between the Catholic Pope and the Islamic Caliph than either might care to admit. Both were territorial monarchs who imposed a halo of divinity upon a worldly enterprise. Both could use religion as a shield for their politics of power. Succession was limited to an oligarchy in the church, and dynasty in the Caliphate; but equal care was taken to ensure that the throne did not fall into careless hands. The Pope’s ceremonial attire is no less opulent than any king’s. In one respect the Caliph was more cautious; he did not outsource his power to any Holy Roman Emperor. But both ordered armies into the field, used torture against their enemies, took booty, amassed and lost fortunes, and were a major factor in the power play of their areas of control and influence. The Caliph actually displaced the church across all his territories, from Byzantine Turkey to Asia Minor and north Africa.

By the 19th century and the gradual rise of a modern nation-state, both the papacy and the caliphate began to lose their energy and purpose. The Caliph’s empire was whittled away by nationalist urges [encouraged by traditional and new enemies] in Greece, the Balkans and finally the Arab regions. The Pope’s lands were limited to fiefdoms in Italy, and Italian nationalists soon reduced the Vatican to a handsome church and a few marketplaces in the heart of Rome.
It was at this juncture, in 1870, that Pope Pius IX saved the institution in the short run. He called a council and forced it to declare that a Pope was infallible; he could do no wrong. Unable to compete with men, he elevated the papacy to the voice of God. Quite a few previous Popes might not have sniggered in public, but they would have laughed heartily in private at the thought that a Pope was the epitome of virtue. There were colourful Italian Popes who enjoyed excesses of the flesh with insouciant joy. They sired illegitimate children and delighted in the delicacy of their food. Their greed and crass exploitation of faith led to the protests which the German Martin Luther channelised into the Protestant church.

But the best of them were brilliant politicians; most of them were extremely capable rulers. And when history made their temporal power a figment of imagination, they reinvented themselves in their alter ego: they claimed total control over the personal lives of their flock, issuing edicts of the sort that still makes birth control a sin among Catholics.

The Caliph was less fortunate when the time came for Turks to pack him off. The Sultan could not become an upgraded Sheikh ul Islam because Muslims, like Jews, believe in tawhid, or the indivisibility of God: it would be sacrilegious for any Muslim to claim that he had become as infallible as divinity. [It might be mentioned, in passing, that it was only in the early part of the fourth century that Christian bishops adopted the trinity as a central tenet of their faith, at the Council of Nicea; before that most Christians did not consider Jesus son of God.] The Vatican survived, and flourished; as an independent state with supranational power over Catholic believers, it has ambassadors across the world.

Pope Benedict’s retirement creates the unique situation of two infallible Popes being alive at the same time. One answer to any potential dilemma is obvious: it is the office which is infallible, not the individual. Benedict returns to life as Joseph Ratzinger, this time even without the privilege of being Cardinal. But what if he differs with a successor who suggests that long-held convictions, as on birth control or women priests, need to be revised? The Catholic church changes, if it changes at all, from top down. But a democratic age builds pressures from down-up, as for instance in Catholic Ireland, which is in the midst of debate on abortion.
Pope Benedict protected the status quo in office. Would he be tempted to save his legacy with the moral power of abdication?

No comments:<|endoftext|>What is the difference to other technologies?

The Zell-Check was developed for a detailed study of the bio-availability of minerals, micro-nutrients, and heavy metals in living tissue. The measurement takes place on the skin of the palm of the hand. So you can observe what is happening directly in the tissue, and not only in the secretions, which are much less stable. In fact, in the urine you only see what the body has expelled. Hairs provide information about what happened in the body a few weeks, or even months before. Blood shows only what is in the circulatory system. With the Zell-Check examination, it is possible to observe what happens in the tissue, and thus intracellular bio-availability is assessed. These measurements are different and complement one another.

What are the advantages for the patient?

The patient performs his/her Zell-Check test in real time and for reasonable price. The result can be evaluated immediately. The patient benefits from personal care and can track how his/her analysis evolves over time.

Does the Zell-Check yield the same results as a blood test?

The two measurements provide different dimensions for understanding as well as information about minerals and metabolism. They complement each other in this respect and are necessary for a complete understanding of the patient.

Is the Zell-Check clinically proven?

The device was confirmed by our scientific team on the basis of a comprehensive series of comparative studies on the clinical symptoms of the patients. In addition, correlations with other measurement methods could be observed.

Can the Zell-Check be used in the examination of children?

Yes, a Zell-Check measurement can also be carried out on children 2 years and older.

Which operating system is required to use the Zell-Check software?

The Zell-Check software is available for both Windows and MacOS.

Become a Zell-Check Analysis Center

Take full advantage of the Zell-Check and become a certified Zell-Check analysis center.<|endoftext|>Tips for removing a ring stuck on a finger

Did it happen to you once you faced a situation where your ring got stuck on your finger? If the answer is yes, then you know that it is certainly not a part of fun when you try to remove it. There are a number of reasons why this situation. We have for example that your finger is bigger than the ring, or that it has swelled because of heat or a little health concern. The list is still long; But whatever the reason, by reading this article you will know how to remove the ring when you are again confronted with this kind of concern.

First tip: The use of a lubricant

When you have trouble removing a ring from your finger, you are advised to use soap for example. Pass the soap on the finger so that it also passes over and under the ring. and wet lightly. You will see that your finger will start by slipping which will allow the ring to easily slide also and remove it. You can also use oil. The process is the same. Dip your finger in the oil and once you have come out, start by gently pulling on the finger until the ring is removed. Butter, Vaseline, and even creams are products that you could use as lubricants in order to be satisfied.

2nd Tip: The method of the hanging hand

This trick is to suspend the arm containing the finger to the ring that refuses to take off in the air for a while. You wonder, but how is that possible? In fact, by making this gesture

Portrait presumed to be of Paracelsus by Quinten Massys, Louvre Museum, Paris.
German-Swiss physician and alchemist who established the role of chemistry in medicine. He published Der grossen Wundartzney (Great Surgery Book) in 1536 and a clinical description of syphilis in 1530....
Leonardo da Vinci
Albert Einstein.
Albert Einstein
Europe: Peoples
Destination Europe: Fact or Fiction?
Galen of Pergamum, undated lithograph.
Galen of Pergamum
Email this page<|endoftext|>Bookclub, John Le Carré QR code

What is this?

This code will link to the page for Bookclub, John Le Carré when read using a QR code reader.

You may save, print or share the image.<|endoftext|>Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Pope and the Caliph

The Pope and the Caliph

M.J. Akbar

Pope Benedict XVI will be remembered not for the ease of his arrival, nor for the unremarkable quality of his tenure, but for the courage of his departure. It takes character to sublimate one’s ego to the demands of duty, and to recognise that both body and spirit have now lost their ability to serve the great cause of an institution such as the papacy. His example has inevitably inspired questions about a Prime Minister, or two, who seems to have passed his sell-by date. As the poet might have remarked, nothing he did in his grand office excelled the humility of his exit.
When history is written with a cold pen, Pope Benedict will be seen as no more than a brief hyphen between predecessor and successor. But this extraordinary event just might begin to raise questions, albeit along a tangential arc, about a doctrine that has controlled the image of the Pope for the last 140-odd years: infallibility.

There were more similarities between the Catholic Pope and the Islamic Caliph than either might care to admit. Both were territorial monarchs who imposed a halo of divinity upon a worldly enterprise. Both could use religion as a shield for their politics of power. Succession was limited to an oligarchy in the church, and dynasty in the Caliphate; but equal care was taken to ensure that the throne did not fall into careless hands. The Pope’s ceremonial attire is no less opulent than any king’s. In one respect the Caliph was more cautious; he did not outsource his power to any Holy Roman Emperor. But both ordered armies into the field, used torture against their enemies, took booty, amassed and lost fortunes, and were a major factor in the power play of their areas of control and influence. The Caliph actually displaced the church across all his territories, from Byzantine Turkey to Asia Minor and north Africa.

By the 19th century and the gradual rise of a modern nation-state, both the papacy and the caliphate began to lose their energy and purpose. The Caliph’s empire was whittled away by nationalist urges [encouraged by traditional and new enemies] in Greece, the Balkans and finally the Arab regions. The Pope’s lands were limited to fiefdoms in Italy, and Italian nationalists soon reduced the Vatican to a handsome church and a few marketplaces in the heart of Rome.
It was at this juncture, in 1870, that Pope Pius IX saved the institution in the short run. He called a council and forced it to declare that a Pope was infallible; he could do no wrong. Unable to compete with men, he elevated the papacy to the voice of God. Quite a few previous Popes might not have sniggered in public, but they would have laughed heartily in private at the thought that a Pope was the epitome of virtue. There were colourful Italian Popes who enjoyed excesses of the flesh with insouciant joy. They sired illegitimate children and delighted in the delicacy of their food. Their greed and crass exploitation of faith led to the protests which the German Martin Luther channelised into the Protestant church.

But the best of them were brilliant politicians; most of them were extremely capable rulers. And when history made their temporal power a figment of imagination, they reinvented themselves in their alter ego: they claimed total control over the personal lives of their flock, issuing edicts of the sort that still makes birth control a sin among Catholics.

The Caliph was less fortunate when the time came for Turks to pack him off. The Sultan could not become an upgraded Sheikh ul Islam because Muslims, like Jews, believe in tawhid, or the indivisibility of God: it would be sacrilegious for any Muslim to claim that he had become as infallible as divinity. [It might be mentioned, in passing, that it was only in the early part of the fourth century that Christian bishops adopted the trinity as a central tenet of their faith, at the Council of Nicea; before that most Christians did not consider Jesus son of God.] The Vatican survived, and flourished; as an independent state with supranational power over Catholic believers, it has ambassadors across the world.

Pope Benedict’s retirement creates the unique situation of two infallible Popes being alive at the same time. One answer to any potential dilemma is obvious: it is the office which is infallible, not the individual. Benedict returns to life as Joseph Ratzinger, this time even without the privilege of being Cardinal. But what if he differs with a successor who suggests that long-held convictions, as on birth control or women priests, need to be revised? The Catholic church changes, if it changes at all, from top down. But a democratic age builds pressures from down-up, as for instance in Catholic Ireland, which is in the midst of debate on abortion.
Pope Benedict protected the status quo in office. Would he be tempted to save his legacy with the moral power of abdication?

No comments:<|endoftext|>What is the difference to other technologies?

The Zell-Check was developed for a detailed study of the bio-availability of minerals, micro-nutrients, and heavy metals in living tissue. The measurement takes place on the skin of the palm of the hand. So you can observe what is happening directly in the tissue, and not only in the secretions, which are much less stable. In fact, in the urine you only see what the body has expelled. Hairs provide information about what happened in the body a few weeks, or even months before. Blood shows only what is in the circulatory system. With the Zell-Check examination, it is possible to observe what happens in the tissue, and thus intracellular bio-availability is assessed. These measurements are different and complement one another.

What are the advantages for the patient?

The patient performs his/her Zell-Check test in real time and for reasonable price. The result can be evaluated immediately. The patient benefits from personal care and can track how his/her analysis evolves over time.

Does the Zell-Check yield the same results as a blood test?

The two measurements provide different dimensions for understanding as well as information about minerals and metabolism. They complement each other in this respect and are necessary for a complete understanding of the patient.

Is the Zell-Check clinically proven?

The device was confirmed by our scientific team on the basis of a comprehensive series of comparative studies on the clinical symptoms of the patients. In addition, correlations with other measurement methods could be observed.

Can the Zell-Check be used in the examination of children?

Yes, a Zell-Check measurement can also be carried out on children 2 years and older.

Which operating system is required to use the Zell-Check software?

The Zell-Check software is available for both Windows and MacOS.

Become a Zell-Check Analysis Center

Take full advantage of the Zell-Check and become a certified Zell-Check analysis center.<|endoftext|>Tips for removing a ring stuck on a finger

Did it happen to you once you faced a situation where your ring got stuck on your finger? If the answer is yes, then you know that it is certainly not a part of fun when you try to remove it. There are a number of reasons why this situation. We have for example that your finger is bigger than the ring, or that it has swelled because of heat or a little health concern. The list is still long; But whatever the reason, by reading this article you will know how to remove the ring when you are again confronted with this kind of concern.

First tip: The use of a lubricant

When you have trouble removing a ring from your finger, you are advised to use soap for example. Pass the soap on the finger so that it also passes over and under the ring. and wet lightly. You will see that your finger will start by slipping which will allow the ring to easily slide also and remove it. You can also use oil. The process is the same. Dip your finger in the oil and once you have come out, start by gently pulling on the finger until the ring is removed. Butter, Vaseline, and even creams are products that you could use as lubricants in order to be satisfied.

2nd Tip: The method of the hanging hand

This trick is to suspend the arm containing the finger to the ring that refuses to take off in the air for a while. You wonder, but how is that possible? In fact, by making this gesture, it will allow you to relax a little nerves, which will allow the finger to deflate to


Question: Who is the father of Edmund of Scotland?
Answer: Malcolm III of Scotland<|endoftext|> entrepreneur you may be able to structure your business ownership in ways that can reduce taxes. A well-crafted buy-sell agreement, limited partnership, or limited liability company may allow you to protect the existence of the business upon your death and reduce the estate taxes for your family.

Myth #4: Without a Will, My Kids Will Lose the Family Farm (or Business)
"The family farm-or family business-that Mom and Dad hoped to hand down from generation to generation will need to be sold to pay the 'death tax.' " Not true, for several reasons.

First, remember the first $2 million is tax free ($4 million with a family trust). That increases to $3,500,000 (and $7 million) in 2009. Some family businesses, or farms, may be worth more than that. Most aren't. Therefore, no tax. The family will inherit the business tax free, and your children can continue to run the family business.

Second, even if you are fortunate enough to own a family business worth more than $7 million, the tax code actually has special provisions to protect your family business-and even more special provisions to save the family farm. If your estate is greater than $7 million and the family business accounts for more than 35 percent of the value, any taxes due on your estate can be the paid over 14 years. If that isn't help enough, your children can pay interest only for the first five years, at interest rates in the 1 percent or 2 percent range, and then pay off the balance over the next nine years at an interest rate of about 4 percent. Even when the Federal Reserve Discount rate was below 1 percent in the year 2004, you couldn't get that low an interest rate on a first mortgage on your house!

Finally, if you don't want your family to pay off a 14-year, low-interest loan, as a business owner, you can buy life insurance to provide funds to pay any estate taxes that may become payable. By holding this life insurance policy in a special life-insurance trust, you provide a tax-free source of funds to fully pay the taxes due on a family business worth tens of millions of dollars, or more.

Myth #5: Trusts Always Reduce the Cost of Dying
"Probate is expensive. A living trust will avoid probate and save money." Avoid probate, yes. Save money, maybe.

Whether a living trust will save money when compared to probate depends upon your unique circumstances. Remember, probate and living trusts are two different methods to transfer your assets to your family or friends. It's true that a trust will do that at a lower direct cost than probate will. However, unlike most probates, trusts commonly distribute your assets over many years. For example, a trust may provide lifetime income to your surviving spouse and then continue distributing income to your children for many years (until they become mature enough to handle the money themselves). These distributions can last 10, 20, 30 years, or more. In each of those years, your family trust will incur accounting fees to prepare an additional income tax return (although additional income tax usually will not be due), and in some years additional attorney's fees will be incurred to resolve administrative issues related to the trust. Finally, if a family member is not serving as trustee, the fees paid to a private trustee over several years will exceed the cost of probate. Simply put, you need to evaluate the costs and benefits of a trust over the entire anticipated lifetime of the trust. Frequently, the benefits of a trust are great and the cost comparison to probate is favorable, but the analysis needs to be done on a case-by-case basis.

Myth #6: The Estate Tax is an Unfair "Death Tax"
Politicians often refer to the estate tax as an unfair "death tax." You work hard, you pay income tax your entire life, and then when you die, the government taxes the money you already paid taxes on, just because you died. Sometimes this is true; often it is not. Most estate tax is imposed on income that has never been taxed. How can that be?

There are two basic kinds of income tax in the United States. The most common is "ordinary" income tax on things like wages, interest earned on savings accounts, dividends on stocks, rent received on property, and the like. The other is "capital gains" income tax on the increased value of things you invest in such as stocks, real estate (including your house), and your family business. You pay tax on your ordinary income every year, whether or not you actually receive the money. If you earn $1,000 in interest on your savings account this year, you will probably pay around $300 in income tax even if the money you earned is still in your bank account.

Capital gains are different. If the value of a stock you own goes up $1,000 this year, you pay no tax unless you choose to sell the stock. If you have built a successful family business, either from the ground up or by buying an existing business, you haven't been taxed on the increase in the value of business. If you have used the profits of your business to buy stocks, real estate, and other investments, the growth in those investments may not have been taxed as of the time of your death. While most Americans receive the bulk of their income as "ordinary" income-and are fully taxed every year-if you have accumulated enough value to be subject to the estate tax, much of what you own is likely to be "capital gains" investments that have not yet been taxed: investments in your business, your family residence, and your brokerage account. Under our tax laws, these investments will go to your family or friends free of income tax and free of capital gains tax. Without the estate tax, these assets that have grown to be worth several million dollars (remember, the estate tax doesn't even start until $2 million-or $3,500,000 starting in 2008) can completely escape taxation. The result is either a well-deserved tax shelter for the most productive (and economically fortunate) members of our society, or simply "welfare for the rich." In any event, the estate tax is not an additional tax on death.

Myth #7: Estate Planning Is Asset Protection
You read about it in the newspaper and see it on the television news. A lawsuit filed because coffee is too hot. Fraudulent auto accidents staged to extract money from drivers of late-model, luxury cars. The list is endless and the message is clear: You need to take steps to protect your wealth from frivolous lawsuits. However, estate planning is not asset protection. A family trust does not shield your assets from lawsuits or business risks. Under most state's laws, a living trust or family trust is "transparent" and your assets are subject to the same risk of lawsuits or other loss as before you established the trust.

There are ways to protect your assets, but estate planning isn't the way. Some ways are simple, such as auto insurance and homeowner's liability insurance. Others are incredibly complex and require the help of highly-trained specialists. Consult your attorney or accountant for smart ways to protect your assets.

Want to know more about creating an estate plan that effectively ensures your estate is handled according to your wishes? Read more in Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts (Entrepreneur Press).

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<|endoftext|>I'm trying to find every instances of an "Avenue #" in the Name field and have Field Calculator copy that over the single letter written in the Subname field so that both fields look exactly the same, but neither python nor visual basic are a strong suit of mine.

I need ONLY the avenue (letter) texts copied. Is there a way to do this with field calculator?

EDIT: Adding this for clarity...

I am needing only the "AVENUE #" text within the NAME field to be copied over to the SUBNAME "#" fields. The results would be an example such as this:

SUBNAME "C" = NAME "Avenue C". But SUBNAME "Avenue Belle Chase" would remain untouched.

attribute field

  • I can probably answer this, but I'm not really clear on what you are asking. Are you saying that for every instance of "Avenue #" in the [Name] field you want these entries to equal the [SubName] field contents? – GeoJohn Aug 11 '15 at 18:58
  • The other way I'm understanding your question suggests you just want both fields to be identical for every record. If that,s the case, than just field calculate the [SUBNAME] field to equal the [NAME] field. – GeoJohn Aug 11 '15 at 19:01
  • Other way around. I'd like the SUBNAME "C" to equal "AVENUE C" from the NAME field. The SUBNAME field need to have the complete Avenue # naming scheme. But only the Avenue (Letter) fields need to be the same. Every other street name within "SUBNAME" needs to remain how it is currently. And thank you for the quick response! – Jack-sum Master-null Aug 11 '15 at 19:01
  • Just go into field calculator and calculate [SUBNAME

 entrepreneur you may be able to structure your business ownership in ways that can reduce taxes. A well-crafted buy-sell agreement, limited partnership, or limited liability company may allow you to protect the existence of the business upon your death and reduce the estate taxes for your family.

Myth #4: Without a Will, My Kids Will Lose the Family Farm (or Business)
"The family farm-or family business-that Mom and Dad hoped to hand down from generation to generation will need to be sold to pay the 'death tax.' " Not true, for several reasons.

First, remember the first $2 million is tax free ($4 million with a family trust). That increases to $3,500,000 (and $7 million) in 2009. Some family businesses, or farms, may be worth more than that. Most aren't. Therefore, no tax. The family will inherit the business tax free, and your children can continue to run the family business.

Second, even if you are fortunate enough to own a family business worth more than $7 million, the tax code actually has special provisions to protect your family business-and even more special provisions to save the family farm. If your estate is greater than $7 million and the family business accounts for more than 35 percent of the value, any taxes due on your estate can be the paid over 14 years. If that isn't help enough, your children can pay interest only for the first five years, at interest rates in the 1 percent or 2 percent range, and then pay off the balance over the next nine years at an interest rate of about 4 percent. Even when the Federal Reserve Discount rate was below 1 percent in the year 2004, you couldn't get that low an interest rate on a first mortgage on your house!

Finally, if you don't want your family to pay off a 14-year, low-interest loan, as a business owner, you can buy life insurance to provide funds to pay any estate taxes that may become payable. By holding this life insurance policy in a special life-insurance trust, you provide a tax-free source of funds to fully pay the taxes due on a family business worth tens of millions of dollars, or more.

Myth #5: Trusts Always Reduce the Cost of Dying
"Probate is expensive. A living trust will avoid probate and save money." Avoid probate, yes. Save money, maybe.

Whether a living trust will save money when compared to probate depends upon your unique circumstances. Remember, probate and living trusts are two different methods to transfer your assets to your family or friends. It's true that a trust will do that at a lower direct cost than probate will. However, unlike most probates, trusts commonly distribute your assets over many years. For example, a trust may provide lifetime income to your surviving spouse and then continue distributing income to your children for many years (until they become mature enough to handle the money themselves). These distributions can last 10, 20, 30 years, or more. In each of those years, your family trust will incur accounting fees to prepare an additional income tax return (although additional income tax usually will not be due), and in some years additional attorney's fees will be incurred to resolve administrative issues related to the trust. Finally, if a family member is not serving as trustee, the fees paid to a private trustee over several years will exceed the cost of probate. Simply put, you need to evaluate the costs and benefits of a trust over the entire anticipated lifetime of the trust. Frequently, the benefits of a trust are great and the cost comparison to probate is favorable, but the analysis needs to be done on a case-by-case basis.

Myth #6: The Estate Tax is an Unfair "Death Tax"
Politicians often refer to the estate tax as an unfair "death tax." You work hard, you pay income tax your entire life, and then when you die, the government taxes the money you already paid taxes on, just because you died. Sometimes this is true; often it is not. Most estate tax is imposed on income that has never been taxed. How can that be?

There are two basic kinds of income tax in the United States. The most common is "ordinary" income tax on things like wages, interest earned on savings accounts, dividends on stocks, rent received on property, and the like. The other is "capital gains" income tax on the increased value of things you invest in such as stocks, real estate (including your house), and your family business. You pay tax on your ordinary income every year, whether or not you actually receive the money. If you earn $1,000 in interest on your savings account this year, you will probably pay around $300 in income tax even if the money you earned is still in your bank account.

Capital gains are different. If the value of a stock you own goes up $1,000 this year, you pay no tax unless you choose to sell the stock. If you have built a successful family business, either from the ground up or by buying an existing business, you haven't been taxed on the increase in the value of business. If you have used the profits of your business to buy stocks, real estate, and other investments, the growth in those investments may not have been taxed as of the time of your death. While most Americans receive the bulk of their income as "ordinary" income-and are fully taxed every year-if you have accumulated enough value to be subject to the estate tax, much of what you own is likely to be "capital gains" investments that have not yet been taxed: investments in your business, your family residence, and your brokerage account. Under our tax laws, these investments will go to your family or friends free of income tax and free of capital gains tax. Without the estate tax, these assets that have grown to be worth several million dollars (remember, the estate tax doesn't even start until $2 million-or $3,500,000 starting in 2008) can completely escape taxation. The result is either a well-deserved tax shelter for the most productive (and economically fortunate) members of our society, or simply "welfare for the rich." In any event, the estate tax is not an additional tax on death.

Myth #7: Estate Planning Is Asset Protection
You read about it in the newspaper and see it on the television news. A lawsuit filed because coffee is too hot. Fraudulent auto accidents staged to extract money from drivers of late-model, luxury cars. The list is endless and the message is clear: You need to take steps to protect your wealth from frivolous lawsuits. However, estate planning is not asset protection. A family trust does not shield your assets from lawsuits or business risks. Under most state's laws, a living trust or family trust is "transparent" and your assets are subject to the same risk of lawsuits or other loss as before you established the trust.

There are ways to protect your assets, but estate planning isn't the way. Some ways are simple, such as auto insurance and homeowner's liability insurance. Others are incredibly complex and require the help of highly-trained specialists. Consult your attorney or accountant for smart ways to protect your assets.

Want to know more about creating an estate plan that effectively ensures your estate is handled according to your wishes? Read more in Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts (Entrepreneur Press).

More from Entrepreneur

Book Your Session

Buy Now

Get Your Quote Now

Latest on Entrepreneur

My Queue

There are no Videos in your queue.

There are no Articles in your queue.

There are no Podcasts in your queue.

You're not following any authors.
<|endoftext|>I'm trying to find every instances of an "Avenue #" in the Name field and have Field Calculator copy that over the single letter written in the Subname field so that both fields look exactly the same, but neither python nor visual basic are a strong suit of mine.

I need ONLY the avenue (letter) texts copied. Is there a way to do this with field calculator?

EDIT: Adding this for clarity...

I am needing only the "AVENUE #" text within the NAME field to be copied over to the SUBNAME "#" fields. The results would be an example such as this:

SUBNAME "C" = NAME "Avenue C". But SUBNAME "Avenue Belle Chase" would remain untouched.

attribute field

  • I can probably answer this, but I'm not really clear on what you are asking. Are you saying that for every instance of "Avenue #" in the [Name] field you want these entries to equal the [SubName] field contents? – GeoJohn Aug 11 '15 at 18:58
  • The other way I'm understanding your question suggests you just want both fields to be identical for every record. If that,s the case, than just field calculate the [SUBNAME] field to equal the [NAME] field. – GeoJohn Aug 11 '15 at 19:01
  • Other way around. I'd like the SUBNAME "C" to equal "AVENUE C" from the NAME field. The SUBNAME field need to have the complete Avenue # naming scheme. But only the Avenue (Letter) fields need to be the same. Every other street name within "SUBNAME" needs to remain how it is currently. And thank you for the quick response! – Jack-sum Master-null Aug 11 '15 at 19:01
  • Just go into field calculator and calculate [SUBNAME] to equal [NAME]. No python or VB required. Let me know if this answers it