Bad Faith Claims And Statute Of Limitations
March 8, 2021 | Mark S. Humphreys
Claim Denial lawyers need to have a full understanding of the rules regarding the time periods for filing a lawsuit and how to avoid pitfalls in this area of the law. This is discussed in a Western District of Texas, Austin Division opinion styled, Kobra Dadfar and Esmail Roostaie v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
This is a summary judgment opinion wherein the underlying case contains allegations of Insurance Code violations and breach of contract among other causes of action.
Liberty filed a motion for summary judgement alleging that Plaintiffs have let the statute of limitations expire and thus, the case should be dismissed.
The parties do not the dispute that all of the Plaintiffs’ claims are governed by a two year statute of limitations. There also does not appear to be any dispute that the claim accrued on September 27, 2017, when Liberty sent its “decision letter” to the Plaintiffs. Liberty asserts that Plaintiffs’ claims are barred because Liberty Mutual was not served with process until December 23, 2019, nearly three months after the expiration of the limitations period and nine months after the suit was initially filed. Plaintiffs respond that the limitations period should be tolled because they filed the suit within the limitations period and promptly attempted service. They argue that originally they thought they had served the correct party, and when they were told otherwise,they worked diligently to effect service as soon as possible. The U.S. 5th Circuit has stated that “Texas law applies in a diversity case to determine whether [Plaintiff] tolled the statute of limitations when [he]filed suit.”
In order to toll a statute of limitations, Texas requires a plaintiff to satisfy two requirements. A plaintiff must file suit not only within the statutorily prescribed limitations period, “but also use diligence to have the defendant served with process.” A plaintiff’s failure to serve defendant with process until after the limitations period has expired is excused only if the plaintiff exercised due diligence in effectuating service.
Plaintiffs first argue that the question of whether they acted with due diligence is a fact issue that cannot be resolved upon summary judgment. They are correct that the determination of due diligence is usually a fact question. The Court applies an “ordinary prudent person” standard, and lack of due diligence maybe found as a matter of law if the plaintiff offers no excuse for his failure to procure service, or if the plaintiff’s excuse conclusively negates diligence. It is the plaintiff’s burden to present evidence regarding the efforts that were made to serve the defendant, and to explain every lapse in effort or period of delay. Courts have held that an unexplained delay of several months in serving process shows a lack of due diligence as a matter of law. A plaintiff must give a reasonable explanation for the delay and show persistent, determined attempts to serve the defendant during the period of delay. A plaintiff’s explanation of the efforts in obtaining service may demonstrate a lack of diligence “as a matter of law” when one or more lapses between service efforts are unexplained or patently unreasonable.
On the merits of the service question, and whether the Plaintiffs were diligent in attempting service, the facts Plaintiff relies on are as follows:
Plaintiffs filed this suit on April 1st, 2019, for a loss that occurred when a tornado hit their home on April 4th, 2017. Defendant was served on April 17th, 2019, via the Travis County Constable for Precinct 5, by direct service to defendant’s president, Spencer Donkis, at defendant’s primary place of business. A true and correct copy of this petition and the Officer’s Return are attached hereto as Exhibit A and B. Defendant was also provided with a courtesy copy of plaintiff’s original petition on the day of filing, April 1st, 2019, via their attorneys, Sheila Tan and Ally Morgan, with whom plaintiff had already participated in an unsuccessful mediation attempt prior to filing suit. On June 17, 2019, Ms. Tan claimed via email that the service of process was not effective, not their registered agent. On June 20th, 2019, plaintiff’s counsel asked if defendant would be willing to accept service via their attorney or simply file an answer and appear, waiving this issue, since there was no question that the defendant had the suit. Ms. Tan indicated they did not have the authority to accept service, and claimed she did not have their registered agent’s information available. On August 6th, 2019 plaintiff’s counsel asked Ms. Tan to confirm the registered agent he was attempting to serve was the correct one, and served her with an amended pleading. On August 28th, 2019, Ms. Tan indicated that defendant’s registered agent still had not been served. Plaintiff’s counsel resent the updated pleading, and again asked if they would file an answer at this point. Plaintiff’s counsel did not yet have the new return, and after repeated attempts to track down the delay with the Travis County District Clerk in which he was sent between the District Clerk, who claimed to have issued and sent the August citation to Precinct 5, and Precinct 5, who claimed they never received it, plaintiff’s counsel eventually had to refile and resubmit the request for the reissuance of service on December 20th, 2019. On December 23rd, 2019, the third issued service was executed and returned, a true and correct copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit C. On January 22nd, 2020, Defendant removed this case to federal court and filed their original answer & verified denial, claiming they are not a proper party to the lawsuit, and that “Liberty Insurance Corporation” is in fact the issuer of the policy at hand.
The only facts Liberty offers on these issues are contained in an Affidavit signed by its counsel, Ms. Tan, where she states:
When counsel for Plaintiffs contacted me to tell me that he had served Liberty Mutual Insurance Company through its president Spencer Donkis, I contacted Liberty Mutual and learned that Spencer Donkis is not a Liberty Mutual employee and is not the registered agent for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company or Liberty Insurance Corporation. I then conveyed that information to counsel for Plaintiffs. When counsel for Plaintiffs asked me to identify the registered agent for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, I directed him to the Secretary of State or Texas Department of Insurance which has a tool to lookup registered agent information on its website.
As Plaintiffs note, they also sent a courtesy copy of the suit to Ms. Tan. When they inquired in June 2019 whether Liberty had received the suit, they were told that they had not served the correct person for Liberty. The first step Plaintiffs took to cure this problem was to ask Liberty’s attorney who the registered agent for service was. This was a diligent step to take, given that Ms.Tan had represented Liberty when it mediated this very dispute before suit was filed. Ms.Tan further seemed to have the requisite knowledge, or at least easy access to it, since she knew that Mr.Donkis was not the agent. Unfortunately, Ms. Tan chose to not provide the information, or agree to accept service of the suit. Thus, the next step the Plaintiffs took was to amend their pleading, send a courtesy copy to Ms. Tan, and ask her to confirm that the agent they were intending to serve was in fact the correct person. The evidence is silent on whether Ms. Tan confirmed the information. Plaintiffs followed up and learned in late August 2019 that the agent had not yet received the suit. The evidence shows that the Plaintiffs’ attorney then inquired into the status of service, and got bounced back and forth between the Travis County District Clerk and the Precinct 5 Constable, each contending that the failure to effect service was the other’s fault. Finally, Plaintiffs’ counsel had citation reissued, and requested service anew, which led to the service on December 23, 2019.
The Court finds that the uncontroverted evidence shows that Plaintiffs have in fact offered an excuse for their delay in service, and the excuse offered shows enough diligence such that the filing of the suit tolled the statute of limitations. Plaintiffs’ counsel was in regular communication with Liberty’s attorney from the time he filed the lawsuit, as the parties had already mediated Plaintiffs’ claims, and the same counsel represented Liberty at both the mediation and in this suit. Plaintiffs’ counsel even provided a courtesy copy of both the original petition and the amended petition to Liberty’s attorney. Though Plaintiffs struggled to effectuate service quickly, the evidence shows that their counsel was working diligently to do so, and at least some of the delay could have easily been avoided had Liberty wanted to do so. Indeed, it is a bit disingenuous for Liberty to fault Plaintiffs for slow service when Liberty refused to allow their counsel to accept service, and was cagey regarding who Plaintiffs needed to serve. Moreover, though Liberty quibbles with Plaintiffs’ evidence related to the Clerk’s and Constable’s finger pointing, it offers no evidence to controvert the Plaintiffs’ evidence. This is Liberty’s motion for summary judgment, and without any evidence from Liberty to controvert Plaintiffs’, the Court must accept the admissible evidence before it. The Court finds that Plaintiffs have established that they made sufficiently regular and sustained efforts to effectuate service on Liberty for the filing of suit to toll the statute of limitations.
Posted in: Bad Faith Insurance
Updated: February 3, 2021 8:05 am


Alabama pharmacies can now sell CBD
Updated: Jun. 18, 2019, 12:22 p.m. |
Published: Jun. 18, 2019, 6:23 a.m.
Alabama pharmacies are prohibited from selling CBD oils marketed as medications.Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com
Leada Gore | lgore@al.com
Alabama pharmacies can now sell CBD oils.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 225 on June 10, allowing pharmacies to sell CBD products containing no more than 0.3 percent THC.
“That said, it is the responsibility of the pharmacy to ensure by trustworthy and scientifically reliable testing that the products sold meet the...criteria," the Alabama Pharmacy Board said in its guidance.
Until the bill was signed, Alabama pharmacies were prohibited from selling the products, even if you could purchase them at gas stations and quick marts.
Proponents of CBD – the shortened name for cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant– say it helps with medical conditions ranging from seizures and epilepsy to PTSD and chronic pain.
According to Susan Alverson, Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Alabama Board of Pharmacy, the pharmacy prohibition had to do with CBD’s former classification.
CBD was still registered as a Schedule 1 controlled drug in Alabama so even though the federal government reclassified CBD and CBD oil, state law stood. Pharmacies report to the Board of Pharmacy, she said, and the board could not give them permission to sell CBD since the law had not changed.
In December 2018, the U.S. House passed the Farm Bill, which contained a provision legalizing CBD derived from industrial hemp, as long as it has a THC concentration of no more than 0.3 percent. Technically, the bill changed the legal status of hemp from a controlled substance to an agricultural commodity.
That decision meant people could buy and sell CBD legally.
In its earlier guidance, however, the Alabama Board of Pharmacy said until the Alabama Department of Public Health removed hemp and hemp-derived products from the list of Schedule 1 Controlled Substances “Alabama pharmacies and pharmacists must abide by the strictest rule. In this situation, the strictest rule is CBD products containing any THC are a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance under Alabama law.”
As to why you could buy CBD at a gas station and not at a pharmacy, the board provided this earlier guidance: “While the Board of Pharmacy understand that there are other entities selling these products, the board cannot and does not regular those entities that do not possess a permit with the board nor does the board have the authority to change the status of a controlled substance.”
A cure all?
Alverson said the growing use of CBDs continues to raise concerns.
“All in all, there are a lot of questions about the CBD oil itself plus the many components contained within the oil,” she said. “So many claims have been made for use of the CBD oil and claims about its healing ability. In fact, there is no real documentation for most of the claims. That raises questions; should people use the CBD oil if they do not know if it will work. Is it all right if people use the product and have no benefit? Or is it OK if people use the product, and by-pass more traditional treatment, and then CBD oil has no impact?”
The Food and Drug Administration, which recently held its first hearing on CBD, also has reservations regarding its medical benefits.
“Other than one prescription drug product to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy, the FDA has not approved any other CBD-containing products,” Dr. Amy Abernathy, principal deputy commissioner of the FDA said. “We want consumers to be aware that there is only limited available information about CBD, including about its effects on the body.”
Among the questions the FDA seeks to answer in future hearings are the safe levels of daily CBD consumption and any possible long-term exposure issues, as well as how it interacts with other drugs.
Correction: Story updated to show June 10 signing of new law by Gov. Kay Ivey allows pharmacies to sell CBD.


In Memoriam... R&B Music Commentary Trivia You Can Use Uncategorized
Tribute to Ja’net DuBois: Thanks for your part in two of the greatest black TV sitcoms of a generation!
(February 20, 2020). Who among us folks of a certain age can ever forget Willona Woods, the nosy, single, but always fly neighbor of the Evans family in TV’s Good Times?
Similarly, how many of us have sung along to “Movin’ On Up,” the ever popular theme to The Jeffersons, the longest-running black sitcom in television history (going by the number of original-run seasons)?
Actress and singer Ja’net DuBois brought both to life, with each representing an early pinnacle in her long and successful entertainment career.
Ja’net DuBois circa 1975
Sadly, Dubois died in her sleep Monday, February 17, from natural causes. She was either 74, 81 or 87, depending upon the source. Considering Good Times started 46 years ago, a safe bet would be one of the latter two ages.
As television sitcoms went, the 1970s was the decade that black folks finally achieved significant representation on the small screen. And actor/singer/songwriter Ja’net DuBois is forever linked to what were arguably the two greatest shows of that era.
DuBois began playing the colorful Evans family neighbor Willona Woods on CBS’ Good Times in 1974. Within a year, she co-wrote and sang “Movin’ On Up,” the popular theme song to CBS’ The Jeffersons. Both her character on Good Times and The Jeffersons’ theme song lasted the duration of their respective series.
The cast of CBS’ Good Times, with Ja’net DuBois standing center.
Good Times (1974-79) and The Jeffersons (1975-85) were both important parts of black culture during their timeframes. Not only were they consistent ratings successes early in their original CBS network runs, but the two shows have long since lived on in syndication while introducing multiple new generations of fans to what were the first two TV shows ever to place the black nuclear family front and center – that is, families with a mom and dad living at home.
Only a few years before as 1970 began, there had been just two – the first two – black TV sitcoms: Julia and The Bill Cosby Show (not to be confused with the more popular The Cosby Show, which aired in the ‘80s). Both shows got their start in the late 1960s and both featured single, unmarried lead characters navigating their ways through life’s travails.
As the ‘70s progressed, with the success of Julia and The Bill Cosby Show continuing into the new decade, a history-making total of 14 black TV sitcoms would wind up in production. Joining those first two were big hits like Sanford and Son, What’s Happening!!, Diff’rent Strokes, and Benson; along with several misses like Barefoot in the Park, Baby, I’m Back, That’s My Mama, Grady, Sanford Arms, and Roll Out.
The two series that eclipsed all of those were executive-produced by Norman Lear and were spin-offs from his iconic TV show All in the Family – one directly (The Jeffersons), and the other once-removed (Good Times was a spin off from Maude, which was an All in the Family offshoot).
Lear, who earlier this week fondly remembered DuBois, was credited for taking a chance with African-Americans on television that no other producers had before him. Even though his shows’ portrayals of black characters sometimes fell into trite stereotypes, he was often an equal opportunity offender (think Archie Bunker or even The Jeffersons’ Tom Willis). The fact that Good Times and The Jeffersons both represented the complete black family unit was a big step for TV in the mid 1970s and into the ‘80s.
Ja’net Dubois was an important and integral part to both Good Times and The Jeffersons for several reasons.
First, as neighbor to the Evans on the ironically titled Good Times, her character Willona was that sassy, fly and nosy friend that many of our moms had while we were growing up. She represented a piece of our “village” – or the community that, for many black kids, included that surrogate mom who was there to help raise us when our own moms needed additional support.
The creator of Good Times – an actor by the name of Mike Evans who, ironically, played son Lionel on The Jeffersons – had gotten it right simply by including Willona’s character in the script. Ja’net Dubois took Willona to the next level by her comedic portrayal and snappy delivery of those flippant one-liners.
As a character, Willona Woods was somewhat of an enigma. While viewers were naturally focused on the plight of her neighbors the Evans – a struggling black family who, despite having several capable and employable adults in the home, inexplicably could never escape from the projects (until the series’ finale), it was equally as perplexing that Willona, for as smart and resourceful as she was portrayed, couldn’t get out of the ghetto herself.
Janet Jackson and Ja’net DuBois in a scene from Good Times, circa 1978.
DuBois’ character did become increasingly important to Good Times, however, especially when both lead Evans characters, James (killed off in 1976) and Florida (one-year hiatus in 1977/78), were written off the show and Willona was left to watch over their now-adult kids. DuBois was resultantly given top-billing during the show’s fifth season (before actress Esther Rolle returned as Florida for its sixth and final one in 1978), with even more depth being given to Willona and with heavier story lines (including her gaining an adopted daughter in the previously abused Penny – played by Janet Jackson).
But even after obtaining a steady job as a working single mother, the show’s premise dictated that Willona – like the Evans – would be constrained to the projects until the show’s demise in 1979.
It was ironic then that DuBois, who had real-life ambitions of expanding her horizons beyond sitcom acting, had been picked by Lear to write and sing the theme song for his upwardly mobile black family offering, The Jeffersons, a show that would depict the completely opposite side of the economic spectrum for African Americans from Good Times.
The cast of CBS’ The Jeffersons.
Whereas the Evans – and Willona – had struggled in “south-side” Chicago (although the Cabrini Green projects weren’t really on the south side, we went with it), The Jeffersons would feature a self-made millionaire and his wife, along with their live-in maid, residing in a “deee-luxe,” high-rise apartment in Manhattan’s east side.
It was the Jeffersons’ winning plight that Dubois so enthusiastically captured in “Movin’ On Up,” the song she co-wrote with writer Jeff Barry, which became one of the most iconic TV theme songs in television history.
Remember your reaction upon first hearing it? “Damn, that woman can sing!” When you later learned that it was DuBois doing the singing, it was “Who knew that Willona had such vocal chops?”
Opening and closing themes to The Jeffersons
Her soulful rendering of “Up” was a far cry from any of the famous pop songs her co-writer Jeff Barry had composed before, including ‘60s classics like “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me” (both by The Crystals), “Be My Baby” (The Ronettes), “Chapel of Love” (The Dixie Cups), “Leader of the Pack” (The Shangri-Las), and “Sugar Sugar” (The Archies), among many others.
Whereas those were all sugary pop tunes, “Movin’ On Up” was a jubilant, hand-clapping, gospel-tinged affair (there was a full 35-member choir singing on it with DuBois), and it perfectly summed up the Jeffersons’ arrival to the big time. When DuBois sang “fish don’t fry in the kitchen, beans don’t burn on the grill,” no one could imagine Louise Jefferson ever having to slave over a stove again.
DuBois herself said in interviews that the song’s lyrics were inspired by her own life story and the fact that she was finally able to provide for her mother once she hit the big time (with Good Times). Her use of relatable imagery (fish frying, beans burning) and slick metaphors (“up in the big league, getting our turn at bat”) lent the song its authenticity, but it also showed off DuBois considerable talent as a writer.
It would have been a chart hit.
Unlike many of the popular TV themes of the era (like those from Welcome Back, Kotter; Rockford Files; Happy Days; Laverne & Shirley; Barretta; and S.W.A.T.), “Movin’ On Up” was never released as a single and therefore never charted in Billboard or the other trade mags. But that didn’t stop it from becoming one of the catchiest, most identifiable TV songs of all time. Forty-five years after the song’s debut on American television, it’s still the first thing that comes to mind when The Jeffersons is mentioned – arguably even more so than the show’s unforgettable characters themselves.
In 1980, five years into The Jeffersons’ run and after Good Times had been cancelled, Ja’Net DuBois would include “Movin’ On Up” as the closing track on the first of her three albums, entitled Queen of the Highway.
Ja’net DuBois’ first album, Queen of the Highway.
Although that album didn’t do well, DuBois continued having success as an actress.
Her more memorable roles included playing the ass-kicking mother of Keenan Ivory Wayans’ character in the blaxploitation spoof comedy I’m Gonna Git U Sucka! in 1988. DuBois had previously reunited with TV daughter Janet Jackson by reprising her role as Jackson’s mother in the music video for the song “Control” in 1986.
She also had a recurring role as Grandma Ellington in The Wayans Brothers (1996-98) and as Mrs. Florence Avery in The PJs (1999-2001), the latter for which she won Emmy awards for her voice-over work. She appeared in dozens of other TV shows and films and recently made a guest appearance at the live reboot of Good Times on ABC in 2019, along with fellow original cast members, Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma) and Jimmie Walker (J.J.).
No one could have imagined then that she’d be gone just a few months later.
R.I.P. Ja’net DuBois and thanks for the memories. You finally got your piece of the pie!
DJRob
Ja’net DuBois
DJRob is a freelance blogger who covers R&B, hip-hop, pop and rock genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Twitter @djrobblog.
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Eminem shreds the Oscars with 17-year-old “Lose Yourself”; audience does just that…
With Bond movie postponed, Eilish’s “No Time to Die” theme just dies on the charts.
By DJ Rob
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Green light for Seven Sisters site transfer
On 18th December 2020 18th December 2020 By peterlongden
THE OWNERSHIP of an East Sussex beauty spot can be transferred to protect and enhance its future, the Government has said.
East Sussex County Council has been given the go ahead by the Department of Food Agriculture and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to transfer the Seven Sisters County Park site to the South Downs National Park Authority.
Although the site is not expected to be transferred until the spring, the approval means the legal process can begin.
Cllr Claire Dowling, lead member for transport and environment, said: “We are delighted to have been given approval to transfer the iconic Seven Sisters Country Park to an organisation with a great track record of conservation and safeguarding public access to the countryside, ensuring that it remains in public hands.”
Protecting our countryside sites for future generations is a top priority and the decision to transfer ownership was not one we took lightly, but we are confident that South Downs National Park Authority is better placed to manage and improve this site.”
The South Downs National Park Authority has already pledged to invest £1.9m to improve the habitat and visitor facility at the 280-hectare site.
Trevor Beattie, Chief Executive for the South Downs National Park Authority, said:
“We’re pleased that the Government has given the green light to our bid and that the legal process can now begin to transfer ownership.”Seven Sisters Country Park is an iconic site of international importance and we’re looking forward to getting started on our vision of creating an outstanding habitat and world-class visitor experience that together do justice to the landscape and the location. We’re grateful to East Sussex County Council for working with us to ensure the future of this important site.”
Seven Sisters Country Park is one of four sites the county council agreed to transfer to not-for-profit organisations.
Newhaven Town Council is due to take on the freehold of Ouse Estuary Nature Reserve and the lease for Riverside Park next year. And discussions about the management of Ditchling Common Country Park are ongoing.
More information about East Sussex County Council’s countryside access strategy and the sites it manages is available at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/discover-east-sussex/countryside-sites/
For more information about South Downs National Park Authority, visit www.southdowns.gov.uk
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Tulip Time Announces the 2022 Festival Entertainment & Exhibition Line-up
HOLLAND, Mich., October 07, 2021
To purchase tickets click here!
Tulip Time Brings Two International Renowned Exhibitions to Holland, MI
Part of Tulip Time’s comeback year, two international sensations, photographer Rem van den Bosch and horticulturalist, Ibo Gülsen, bring their unique and world-renowned talents to Holland, Michigan as part of an homage to the city's Dutch heritage and looking forward into the city's future.
Zeeland Girl: Beyond Tradition by Rem van den Bosch
Zeeuws Meisje (Zeeland Girl) by Dutch photographer, Rem van den Bosch, makes its way to the U.S. for the first time. A photographic series in three parts, #equality, #tulips and #brotherhood, Zeeland Girl is a collaborative project involving dressmakers hand-sewing traditional dresses with modern spins and photography with bright contrast to spark discussions about the need for mutual respect, solidarity, and care for the environment. van den Bosch’s striking photos will be displayed on towering, 10-foot-tall displays, and side-by-side with twenty-five of the dresses used in the series. The series will be hosted by the Holland Armory, downtown Holland for the duration of the festival.
van den Bosch will also be available for a limited availability VIP cocktail hour where he will discuss his work. van den Bosch is most recently known for his project Here Comes the Flood – a photographic journey about the rising sea levels in the Netherlands, which will be on display at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands and throughout the city of Amsterdam.
Tulip Immersion Garden: The Journey of the Tulip
World renowned Dutch horticulturist, Ibo Gülsen, sets up a week-long immersion experience, taking travelers through the history of the tulip, from its origins in Turkey, to the Netherlands, and finally to the small-town community of Holland, Michigan. Gülsen will use 50,000 tulips of all varieties and colors to craft an experience that brings the tulips up to eye-level and creates Instagrammable photo opportunities for friends and family alike. The Tulip Immersion Garden will be hosted at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds for the duration of the festival.
Gülsen is the founder of Imagineering Horti Culture and played a large part in the return of the Istanbul Tulip to Turkey along with the Dutch consulate. Gülsen has crafted world-class immersion gardens including the Dafeng Holland Flower Park in Jiangsu, China, the Culture of Flowers Festival in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar and the World’s Largest Off-Season Tulip Show in Chongming Island, Shanghai.
Historical Walking Tours
Tulip Time celebrators will have the opportunity to learn about the history of Holland, its’ Dutch heritage and vibrant present on this new walking tour developed by Tulip Time. Costumed guides will tour guests around the historical sites of Holland providing an up-close visit to many sites and icons that make up our wonderful city where over 200,000 tulips bloom each spring. Participants will see many of the tulip displays and will have numerous photo opportunities with magnificent tulips. The tour is a one-and-a-half-hour experience, covering about two miles on foot.
Most of the tour is wheelchair accessible, except for some stairs and accommodations can be arranged.
Elton Rohn – The Premier Elton John Tribute Show
Elton Rohn is the premier Elton John tribute show. Elton Rohn combines the look, feel and sound of a real Elton John show. Featuring full harmonies and all musicians playing and singing live (no recordings). This high energy show is an engaging and familiar experience for audiences to sing along with. Elton Rohn creates a captivating performance from start to finish. Elton Rohn will be performing on Saturday, May 7th, 2022, at the Holland Civic Center.
The Texas Tenors
The Texas Tenors have been annual favorites at Tulip Time and are most known for their appearances on America’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent: The Champions. Their live performances combine a classical country feel with original songs and familiar covers. Performing for over ten years, they return to Tulip Time in 2022. The Texas Tenors will be performing on Friday, May 13th, 2022, at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland.
Fiddlefire – The Panning Family Band
Fiddlefire shares their exceptional musical talent, humor, and charm to sold-out crowds. This band formed from members of the Panning family virtuosically performs a variety of genres with their own folksy twist. Their diverse instrumentation includes fiddles, guitar, string bass, mandolin, percussion, and dancing feet! Fiddlefire will be performing on Thursday, May 12th, 2022, at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland.
Street Parades
Gentex Kinderparade
The Gentex Kinderparade (children’s parade) is a time-honored favorite. On Thursday, May 12th, 2022, elementary school children will line up with their teachers and school administrators in full costume and smiling faces as they march together through downtown Holland. Each school and grade will have their own theme that nods to the towns’ Dutch heritage, from Dutch agriculture to the Dutch Master’s painters. The Gentex Kinderparade will be held on Thursday, May 12th, 2022.
Quality Car Wash Volksparade
The Quality Car Wash Volksparade (people's parade) will be big and bold as Tulip Time combines elements of the Street Scrubbing parade and the Muziek parade. People from near and far will be invited to don their Dutch costumes, grab a bucket and a broom, and scrub the streets clean for the coming performances. Town officials will walk through with their ceremonial white glove inspection to approve the streets for the parade and when the town crier officially announces the official's approval, the parade will start. Dozens of bands from West Michigan middle and high schools showcase their talents amid the community floats through downtown Holland. The Quality Car Wash Volksparade parade will be on Saturday, May 14th, 2022.
Local Performing Arts Series
Tulip Time is pleased to announce the Local Performing Arts Series for the 2022 Tulip Time Festival. Each year, several of Holland’s cultural organizations collaborate with Tulip Time to create an array of entertainment for festival visitors.
Dazzle! A Tulip Time Talent Showcase
The brilliantly fresh talent from four area high schools' bursts onto the stage to present this vibrant medley. Enjoy this astounding variety of soloists, show choir and orchestral performances, all in one show! Dazzle! will be performing on Wednesday, May 11th, 2022, at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland.
Guys on Ice
Books & lyrics by Fred Alley, music by James Kaplan
This musical is a humorous take on the secret world of ice fisherman through a day in the life of Marvin and Lloyd, fishing buddies and homegrown philosophers. This is a musical treat about two guys sharing their hopes, dreams, beer, and fish. On a cold winter morning they swap jokes, talk about their lives and the Green Bay Packers while waiting for the host of a local TV fishing show to show up. Guys on Ice will give you the joys and trials of ice fishing without having to freeze your socks off. Guys on Ice will be performed at the Holland Community Theatre throughout the week of Tulip Time.
American Legion Band
Founded by the by the Willard G. Leenhouts American Legion Post 6 in Holland, Michigan, the American Legion Band is filled with prolific musicians who have performed in the Holland community, across the state, country, and the world. The Holland American Legion Band will be performing on Tuesday, May 10th, 2022, at Beechwood Church in Holland.
Dutch Organ Music Old and New (1521-Today!)
Join Rhonda Sider Edgington and Jonathan Ruffer as they put 500 years of Dutch music on display in one night, spanning the early traditional styles to modern fusions of jazz, rock, and pop music. Siders Edgington guides audiences through the centuries with clever color commentary and a witty approach to musical entertainment. Siders Edgington is an Organist at Hope Church in Holland, an instructor at Calvin University and an international concert artist. Ruffer, who will be accompanying Siders Edgington on trumpet, plays in the St. Anderew's Cathedral Brass band and an instructor at Hope College. The Dutch Organ concert will be performing Sunday May 8, 2022, at Hope Church
The annual Artisan Market brings together over one hundred vendors to highlight their artisanship and sell unique, hard-to-find items. Guests can walk through the market and adore handmade items at each vendor. Vendors are carefully selected and screened by Tulip Time to ensure they are high-quality. This year, the Artisan Market will be moving to the spacious Beechwood Church on Ottawa Beach Road in Holland. The Artisan Market will run from Saturday, May 7th through Sunday, May 8th, 2022.
The Tulip Time Quilt Show will put West Michigan quilter’s artistry on display for all to appreciate at Beechwood Church in Holland. Over 100 exquisite quilts will be hung high for patrons to enjoy up close. Every cut, every stitch, every pattern will showcase the quilter’s skill and experience in increasingly rare craft. The Quilt Show will also play host to the annual Quilt Raffle. Participants will be able to purchase tickets for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind quilt, made specifically to commemorate this year's festival. The Quilt Show will run from Saturday, May 7th, through Sunday, May 15th, 2022.
Floral Arranging Class
Huisman Flowers’ award-winning floral designers teach the art of floral arranging as guests create their own masterpiece to take home. The classes take place at their beautiful Holland flower shop location where you can browse through a vast assortment of occasion themed gifts, Monday May 9 and Tuesday May 10, 2022.
Tulip Time Run
The annual Tulip Time Run is back in person for 2022. Runners from all over the Midwest will gather at the lakeside Kollen Park in Holland to wait for the starting gun. Runners will run through the historic tulip lanes and see Holland in ways they have never seen before. This run offers a 10k, a 5k and a Kid’s Fun Run option for runners of all ages and skill levels. The run will take place on Saturday, May 7th, 2022. Registration opens on TulipTime.com on Friday, October 8th, 2021.
Experience Tulip Time Festival, May 7-15, 2022. Detailed program and event information is available on www.tuliptime.com. Tickets for shows go on sale Tuesday, November 9th, 2021, at 9:00 am ET. Tickets can be purchased online at www.tuliptime.com, in person at the Tulip Time Festival Box Office located at 42 West 8th Street, Holland, Michigan, or by phone at 800-822-2770.


Home » Movies » 1917 Review: Technically A Masterpiece
1917 Review: Technically A Masterpiece
BY Salomé Gonstad January 10, 2020February 25, 2021
Whenever I talk about World War I, I usually refer to it as a “meat grinder.” While not as deadly as its sequel, WWI still killed at least 17 million men (not to mention civilians). Because they had better artillery, but not so great transportation yet, WWI soldiers largely relied on trench warfare. Essentially, they dug massive holes in the ground. Then they often turned them into graves. This is the world in which we find our main characters in 1917, a film which has received acclaim even before its wide release. Did it deserve it, though? Let’s talk about it in our review of 1917.
A Riot On The Western Front
If you’ve seen the trailers, then you know the story. In the thick of WWI, a British general, Erinmore (Colin Firth), chooses Lance Corporal Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) to deliver a message to another battalion. The message? They’re walking into a trap. A purported German retreat is actually a purposeful gathering. The Brits are heading out of the trenches, expecting to catch a small contingent of Germans while they’re on the run. Instead, they’re walking straight into a German meat grinder.
The top brass wants Blake for the job, because his brother Joe is a lieutenant with the battalion in question. (So presumably, Blake is highly motivated to get there on time.) They give Blake leeway to select someone else to accompany him, and he chooses William Schofield (George MacKay). Then it’s a race to reach the other men in time. Fail, and 1600 men die.
1917 Is Getting A Lot Of Attention
Just this week, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced 1917 as Best Motion Picture – Drama winner at the Golden Globes. This probably came as a surprise to many folks, since the movie wasn’t even playing nationwide yet. But once you hear the hook–that the movie is written and filmed like it’s all one shot–then you understand the hype.
And in review, 1917 generally works well. From the start, the movie feels claustrophobic and chaotic, much like trench warfare in WWI. In addition, legendary cinematographer/thirst trap Roger Deakins hits it out of the park as usual. Although seemingly constrained (by the one-shot format), Deakins instead finds surprising ways to follow the characters. His camera follows Blake and Schofield through a rabbit warren of trenches, but it also separates from them, inching around corners like an enemy soldier to catch them off guard.
Above all else, this film is a technical achievement. Along with the camera work, the set pieces are ambitious and impressive. We feel like we’re right there with them, in the muck and the horror, surrounded by the stench of death. This feeling is only aided by MacKay, whose highly expressive face communicates multiple emotions at once. Schofield is a veteran of the brutal Battle of the Somme, so he knows how bad war can get. And that it can always get worse.
1917 In Review: The Weakest Points
MacKay’s expressiveness is a very good thing, by the way, because he doesn’t have a wealth of dialogue with which to communicate. That in itself is not necessarily a drawback. However, it is a symptom of the movie’s biggest issue: the story is awfully slight. In telling, it might remind you more than a little of Saving Private Ryan, also a technically impressive war film about a group of soldiers desperate to find another group. In practice, though, it’s markedly different. Throughout Ryan, for instance, we got to know those soldiers and we understood them to an extent. Personal information in 1917 is parceled out sparingly, though–so sparingly, that some of the emotional beats just don’t hit as hard as they could.
And the pace doesn’t help. The first half of the movie is paced well, but in the second half, it plays like one of those beat-the-clock action movies. Along with the intimate camera work, it can be exhausting. If we had more of an emotional tie to the goings-on on screen, then it wouldn’t be as noticeable. But it is, and it’s exactly the thing we shouldn’t be noticing. We should be drawn into the personal story–director Sam Mendes loosely based the movie on his grandfather Alfred’s wartime experiences–but instead, we’re watching all the smoke and mirrors. It’s sound and fury that could signify so much more.
featured image via Universal Pictures
Salomé Gonstad is a freelance writer who grew up in the swampy wilds of south Alabama. When she's not yelling about pop culture on the internet, she's working on a supernatural thriller about her hometown. Also, we're pretty sure she's a werewolf. Email her at [email protected]
January 9 Pokemon Direct – Breakdown Of New Info
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Oh no you don’t…
A new market analysis said the SoBro district in Downtown Nashville could be primed for a big business boom, but that the homeless problem there might make development difficult.
via Report: Homelessness Hinders Downtown Development – NewsChannel5.com
During the debates around the funding and construction of the Music City Center one of the questions that I regularly asked the leaders of the project is what impact the MCC project would have on the existing homeless ministries and population headquartered in the SoBro district of Nashville. It was clear to me at the time that a convention center designed to be a showcase for the city would likely come into conflict with the presence of a large homeless community that has been present in that area for as long as anyone could remember. Certainly, the location of the Nashville Rescue Mission across the street is the most visible presence, but the Campus for Human Development is just a few blocks up — an organization that is well loved and respected by the churches of Nashville, and has expanded it’s facilities within the past couple of years. The fact is that the primary source of services for the homeless of Nashville are located in SoBro, and I could see storm clouds brewing.
Of course, as I expected, no leaders of the MCC project were willing to address the question at the time. In at least two public forums where I asked about the future of the homeless in the area, they side stepped the question, changed the subject, and at best made some sort of mumbling about how the project would raise property values and spur area development. They knew, as I knew, that the presence of the homeless were a problem for their showcase, but as was typical for the circumstances they refused to address the long-term consequences of their project.
This innocuous little report quoted above is the first shot across the bow of a larger battle over the presence of homeless folks around the MCC. The powers that be have made sure that their hands are clean of the speaking the difficult truth that tourist focused commercial development and guys with stringy hair, reeking of wine and sweat, who aren’t hesitant to ask for a spare dollar don’t mix too well. Don’t get me wrong . . . I’ve spent too many nights at Room in the Inn programs and understand that homeless folks find themselves in that plight for a variety of reasons, and that many are hardworking who have simply fallen on bad times. However, the hard core, long term homeless are more often than not addicted to a variety of substances, and or struggling with mental health issues, and aren’t always the most rational and reasonable folks to deal with. But for more years than I can remember, the SoBro region, especially South of Lafayette (behind the Rescue Mission) has been a refuge for those whose backs are up against the wall, and that refuge is in danger of being taken away in the desire to create commercial development to support the monstrosity that we’ve built. The MDHA commissioned report provides the first mention of what will likely be an ongoing “problem” in the coming years, and I will not be surprised when efforts are made to move the Rescue Mission, and then the Campus for Human Development to other locations away from the city core.
For all of the hopes of some of my progressive friends back when he was elected, Mayor Karl Dean has had a dismal record of failure when it comes to dealing with the issue of homelessness in Nashville. One would think as a former public defender that he would have some sense of the issue and some of the needs of that community. Yet, outside of some basic lip service, Mayor Dean has not seemed particularly interested in the social safety net side of governmental services, and certainly not the challenges of the homeless community. In the days after the 2010 floods the mayor’s office was noticeably missing in trying to address the needs of the former tent city residents, leaving the question of how to deal with this population to a set of dedicated volunteers and clergy. The Metro Homelessness Commission has languished during the Dean administration, some of which can be attributed to its members, but part of which is reflective of a mayor who is more concerned with creating new business opportunities than assisting those who are down and out. I wish I could think that the report above isn’t more than it is, but given the record so far I can’t imagine that this isn’t a sign of rough waves ahead.
It will be important in the days ahead for people of faith to speak up for the “least of these” and insist that solutions be developed that don’t uproot services for the homeless in the pursuit of growth and profitability. It will be crucial for people of faith to reaffirm our support of these important ministries, and to speak loudly and with one voice that while we understand the challenges of having a major tourist center and a large homeless population in the same vicinity, the homeless were here first (!) and that they have every right to remain where they have always been. I will not be surprised if we will have to do more than taking homeless guys into our congregations once a week, and have to hit the streets to ensure that the basic rights on these men and women are not trampled on in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Keep your eyes open. There’s probably more to come on this story.
The Disappearing Advocate
I’m back!!! And Glen Funk must go…
One thought on “Oh no you don’t…”
Pingback: Will Nashville Drive the Less Fortunate from Downtown? | Nashville.Visitor.Info


Cairo Airport is in the process of establishing Terminal 4
Could Cairo Int’l Airport be getting a Terminal 4? The Cairo Airport Company is carrying out studies to establish a fourth passenger terminal at Cairo International Airport in an effort to reduce traffic in the other three terminals, said company chairman Ahmed Fawzi, according to a statement by the Civil Aviation Ministry. Cairo International Airport is nearing 75% of its capacity, which necessitates looking at a possible expansion, he added. The move comes as the ministry has been focusing over the last two years to bolster its airport capacity just as tourism has been rebounding. Trial operations at the new administrative capital’s Capital International Airport began in July, while Sphinx International Airport in Giza had begun its soft launch last year.


Homily for Meatfare Week on the Second Coming (St. Luke of Simferopol)
By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea
(Delivered on March 4, 1951)
"As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matt. 24:37-39) - the terrible second coming.
Will it be exactly like that? No, what happened in the days of Noah is cited by Christ in His discourse about the Last Judgment in order to show that just as suddenly, just as unexpectedly, the Son of Man will appear to us in His glory with all the holy angels to begin His Judgment.
Why do I say that it is not true?
I rely on the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, for He said: “And suddenly, after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken; then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:29-31).
And this terrible manifestation of His, according to His holy words, will be preceded by great horrors, the greatest disasters, “for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues and earthquakes; yet this is the beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:7-8) – those terrible epidemic diseases that are always inseparable from war.
There will be, you see, terrible wars, peoples will exterminate each other; then there will be no carefree rest, which was in the days of Noah, but there will be a cruel and terrible life, "for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and will not be" (Matt. 24:21).
From the Holy Apostle John the Theologian in his wondrous Revelation we read a description of those horrors, those fierce sufferings that will precede the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a time of pestilence and earthquakes, it will be a time of indescribable suffering.
And then suddenly the terrible sound of the Archangel's trumpet will suddenly be heard, from which the whole universe will shudder. Then it will be what the Holy Prophet Isaiah foretold: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!" (Is. 64:1).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the time is coming, and it has already come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and having heard, they will live” (John 5:25).
How is it that all the dead come to life? By the power of God they will come to life: by the will of God, the tombs and graves of all those who have died from eternity will be opened; the boundless sea will roar with terrible storms and cast forth the countless dead hidden in it - the whole earth will be covered with bones - human bones - and that will begin, which our God announced to the Holy Prophet Ezekiel in an extraordinary, amazing vision.
“The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'
So I answered, 'O Lord God, you know.'
Again He said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, "O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the 1breath, "Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then He said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, "Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!" Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,' says the Lord” (Ezek. 37:1-14).
So it will be when all the graves are opened, when the sea gives up its dead - then the whole earth will be covered with dry bones. And suddenly, by the command of God, these bones will begin to move and begin to approach each other.
Oh, what a terrible roar of bones will rise then! This roar will deafen everyone. The bones will unite with each other, veins will grow on them, flesh will grow, cover with skin, and the spirit will enter into them, and the Lord will work a great miracle.
He said in a vision of John the Theologian: "Behold, I make all things new." And He will create new bodies of the dead, and flesh unknown to us, according to its properties.
But it is said in Scripture that they will be spiritual bodies. The Apostle Paul announced to us about those who will still be alive by the terrible day of the Judgment of Christ. Thus He says: “I tell you a secret: we will not all die, but we will all change suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
In the twinkling of an eye, these bodies - the bodies of resurrected people and suddenly changed living ones - will acquire completely new properties: they will become incorruptible, they will live forever together with their immortal spirit.
So, a terrible world catastrophe will happen, about which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke, about which both the Holy Prophet Isaiah and the Holy Apostle Peter spoke in his Second Epistle, and the Apostle John the Theologian in Revelation. They all say that on this terrible day of the Second Coming of Christ, the end of the whole universe will come:
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" (2 Peter 3:10-12).
There will be an indescribable global catastrophe. The whole universe will be destroyed by a terrible fire unknown to us.
And then the day will come when the Lord will create everything new: a new earth, a new Jerusalem, a new universe.
A terrible flame that will engulf the whole earth like a fiery river, will carry away all the resurrected dead, all who were alive, at that time and suddenly changed and incorruptible, will carry away far, far from the earth that is burning, which is being destroyed, to where the Last Judgment will be, where the Judge, the Righteous Lord and our God Jesus Christ will appear on the clouds, with all His angels.
And all nations will appear before Him, all the most ancient people who have ever lived, people of the Stone and Bronze Ages - all will appear.
They will appear when terrible darkness sets in, for “the sun will grow dim, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken ...” (Matt. 24:29-30). But this darkness will be illuminated with an extraordinary light, for the sign of the Son of Man will suddenly appear in heaven - the holy cross, the light of which will be immeasurably brighter than the dimmed heavenly bodies.
"And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory...". And all nations will see the One in whom so many did not believe, they will see those who crucified the Lord Jesus, they will see those who in all subsequent centuries and up to our time continue to crucify Christ again and again and trample on His priceless Blood. Those who disbelieved will see and shudder; they will see - and they will come to indescribable horror, because then they will see - and they will not be able not to believe.
They will see with their own eyes, with their trembling hearts they will feel the horror and fear from which they will hide in caves and precipices, and ask that the mountains fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb.
But nothing will hide them, for God's truth is eternal, it cannot be trampled with impunity; for the truth, which has so often been trampled on our sinful earth, will then shine forth throughout the world as the greatest and perfect truth of God.
Then great joy will come for those who have been hungry and thirsty all their lives for the truth, not finding it around them. Then they will rise up and raise their heads, because their deliverance draws near (Luke 21:28).
With great joy, with indescribable triumph, all the righteous will be resurrected.
All those who trample on the Blood of Christ, who did not believe in Him, will rise in horror and trembling.
And there have been countless unbelievers since ancient and immemorial times. For even the ancient sage Jesus the son of Sirach says this on their behalf: “Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish” (Sir. 5:7).
No, they will not be like those who have not been, but will rise again, with horror and trembling they will appear before the eyes of the terrible Judge.
And the moment will come when the truth of God will be revealed to the whole world.
The Lord Almighty, the Judge of the world will separate the righteous from the unrighteous; He will put some to the right of Himself, and others to the left and will say the words that you heard in the Gospel reading: He will justify them, He will call them blessed of His Father all those who do deeds of mercy to people who are unfortunate and suffering and needy; He will condemn and send to eternal torment those who have never done works of mercy to anyone.
It is extremely important what the Lord revealed about His Last Judgment: it is extremely important to know that He will judge people only for works of mercy or a complete lack of mercy. He will not ask about anything else, he will judge sinners only because they did not have compassion, pity, mercy and love for their neighbors.
Why is this enough, why is it no longer necessary to ask the Lord Jesus about anything? Because love is the fulfillment of the whole law, and the absence of love is a violation of the law of Christ.
He will call blessed of His Father those who were full of love, mercy, pity and compassion.
Cursed and condemned to eternal torment, He will call those who by their deeds have shown that they are alien to love, completely alien to the most important thing in the law of God, that having rejected this law, trampling on holy love, they rejected the law of good and preferred the law of evil; did not want to follow the path of Christ, they went their own way, the way of evil. Well, shall we be indignant that they will go into eternal torment? No, we won't: they condemned themselves to this eternal death.
Even if Christ had not said His terrible words, they would still have condemned themselves. How can people who lived thousands of years ago judge themselves?
You heard in the stichera of this Sunday, when the commemoration of the Last Judgment takes place, that when the judgment begins, the books will open, in which the deeds of each person are recorded.
What for are these books, which will be opened, are they really needed for the Omniscient God? No, of course not. These books only symbolically depict what is indelibly imprinted in the conscience of every person, in his immortal spirit.
All of a sudden, in a single moment, his whole former life will pass before him, he will remember to the smallest detail every evil word of his, every evil deed, every unholy thought he will remember - and he will be horrified.
If he was a villain, if he was a blasphemer, if he trampled on the Blood of Christ, all these terrible deeds would suddenly appear before his spiritual eyes.
What grounds do I have for saying so and asserting this? I have a direct reason, because it is known from books on psychology that people who were on the verge of death - who drowned in the sea and were saved at the last moment, who fell under a train, but lay between the rails while the train swept over them - these people said that in one terrible dying minute, their whole former life passed before them, starting from early childhood.
This is possible only because everything that we do, that we say, that we think, is indelibly imprinted forever in our spirit. The spirit keeps all this, and when the spirit is freed from the fetters of the flesh, when the flesh becomes spiritual, then the spirit will reveal to the spiritual eyes of a person everything that happened during his life. It will be a terrible judgment of himself over himself. His own spirit, his conscience will condemn him.
Therefore, it is profoundly fair and right that all those who did evil will exist forever with the devil and his angels, who rejected good and became the center of evil.
With them in eternal, endless communion, will live those who crucified Christ, who trampled on His Blood. In this communion, their malice and cruelty will increase without limit. This will be their endless torment.
This is what the Last Judgment will consist of. This you should know to believe unconditionally, because it will be so. Thus spoke Christ, His holy apostles, His prophets, and they cannot lie.
What should we do, having before our mind's eye this terrible picture of the Judgment? I will not answer this question, but the Holy Apostle Peter will answer: “Therefore, beloved, expecting this, endeavor to appear before Him undefiled and blameless in the world; and count the patience of our Lord as salvation...” (2 Peter 3:14-15).
Take care in advance that the Last Judgment is not a shocking horror for you, not an unbearable horror, but a joy.
Live in such a way that when you hear the terrible trumpet of the Archangel, when your bodies are resurrected, you would rise up and, with a joyful smile on your lips, give praise to God, who finally executes judgment, finally punishes serious sinners, whose impunity your soul, the soul of every good person, could not stand.
Let us live in such a way that the Last Judgment and the trumpet of the Archangel do not frighten us, but bring us to great joy, and we will sing a song to the Eternal Judge, the Righteous Judge, Who will reward everyone according to their deeds. “To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen" (2 Peter 3:18).
Labels: Judgment Day, Meatfare Sunday, Second Coming, St. Luke of Simferopol
Chapel of the Second Coming of Christ in Sikinos
Homily for Meatfare Week on the Second Coming (St....


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Jacques Pépin, one of the most celebrated French chefs, joined Chris Sarandon on stage in Fairfield Saturday for a live taping of the actor's podcast.
Daniel Figueroa IV
Famed French Chef Jacques Pepín joins actor Chris Sarandon for a live taping of Sarandon's podcast at the Sacred Heart Community Theater in Fairfield on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023.
Daniel Figueroa IV/Hearst Connecticut Media Show MoreShow Less
Chickens and Snail (acrylic on paper), an example of Jacques Pépin’s artwork from his new book, The Art of the Chicken.
From Jacques Pépin Art of the Chicken, by Jacques Pépin, published by Harvest BooksShow MoreShow Less
Dandy Cock (watercolor on paper), an example of Jacques Pépin’s artwork from his new book, The Art of the Chicken.
Master Chef Jacques Pepin uses the low and slow technique for fried eggs.
Frank Whitman / For Hearst Connecticut MediaShow MoreShow Less
In a career spanning more than 70 years, Jacques Pépin has partied with the likes of James Beard and Julia Child. He was the personal chef for legendary French statesman Charles de Gaulle and turned down an offer to cook for the Kennedy’s. He founded the French Culinary Institute, which has produced some of the most popular chefs of the last 50 years.
But what does one of the most famous chefs in the world like to eat at his home in Madison?
“Chocolate milk. Mixed with Rice Krispies,” Pépin told a sold-out crowd at the Sacred Heart Community Theater in Fairfield. “For my granddaughter at home.”
He said he learned the the trick from a chef friend's wife when he first came to the U.S. He'd join the family in breakfasts of Oreo cookies and mini boxes of Rice Krispies. He brought the tradition to his family.
"I still love it," he said of the snack.
Pépin, 87, was the guest of honor for a live taping of actor and fellow Connecticut resident Chris Sarandon’s podcast “Cooking by Heart.” Sarandon, famous for roles in “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Child’s Play” and “The Princess Bride,” launched the podcast last year to discuss “memories of the meals or favorite foods we all grew up with” and "discuss the stories and people that accompany those memories.”
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Both men grew up around food. Sarandon’s family, hailing from Greece, operated a diner in West Virginia. Pépin’s family had a series of restaurants in France after World War II.
“There definitely was an unspoken context of a shared early life,” Sarandon told Hearst Media. “I specifically asked him about the passage in his memoir where he described the menu at one of his mother’s first restaurants.”
Much of the conversation centered around Pépin's latest book “Art of the Chicken.” The book was released in September and Pépin was the guest of honor at Greenwich Wine + Food's 10th anniversary celebrity chef gala shortly after. The new book veers from the more than 30 cookbooks penned by Pépin in that it’s based on stories and art rather than focused on recipes.
Featuring chicken-focused original paintings and stories, Pépin’s Art of the Chicken has sizzled with readers.
Published by Harvest Books
“I did not want to do a cookbook,” Pépin told Sarandon. “I wanted to do a book of my drawings and paintings of chickens.”
But like chickens, the idea didn’t fly. So, he compromised.
“I said, ‘Fine.’ I’ll tell you a story about chickens,” Pépin added. “So it’s not a cookbook.”
The book — and Saturday’s conversation — takes one through Pépin’s story and journey with food. From humble beginnings eating preserved eggs and using beets for sweetener in a war-ravaged France while his father fought Nazi’s with the French Resistance, to starting an apprenticeship at a local restaurant when he was 13.
Daniel Figueroa IV/Hearst Connecticut Media
During the show, Pépin talked about working the stove as an apprentice for about a year. He’d prop the door open with a spoon to control temperatures and move food to different sections of the oven for low and high heat. Not long after turning 14, he said, the chef wasn’t in and he was called down to run his first dinner service. As he watched nervously from the kitchen door, diners asked for the chef to compliment him. They were stunned to see a boy emerge from the back.
“It was my first touch with celebrity cooking,” he joked to the audience, emitting a round of laughter.
And it was far from his last. Pépin was among the first class of American celebrity chefs along the likes of Julia Child and James Beard — whose name still adorns one of the food world’s most prestigious awards. His friendship with Child led to an award-winning book and TV collaborations. He won 16 James Beard awards, and helped usher in the chain restaurant era as the director of research and development for Howard Johnson’s when the now-defunct franchise had more restaurants than McDonald’s and KFC and boasted it fed more than any institution but the U.S. Army.
He turned down an invitation to be then-President John F. Kennedy’s personal chef for the job with Howard Johnson. That first brush with success, Pépin told Hearst, also set the tone for his career — it was all accidentally on purpose.
“I could’ve been a cook or a cabinet maker,” he said. “Then, cook was at the bottom of the social scale.”
Celebrity cooking wasn’t the plan. One job, just led to another, he said. Running service at 14 led to studying in Paris. His cooking skills were even noticed during a stint in the French Navy that got him a post cooking for three French heads of state. Before heading to America, he was the personal chef of French President Charles de Gaulle, who led Free France during the German occupation in WWII.
In New York, he worked everywhere and every day. He joined a guild that sent him to cover whatever position needed filling at whichever restaurant needed it. And he didn’t write recipes. He cooked by feel. A chicken breast a little thicker or thinner than the other meant seasonings and cook time could be adjusted. It wasn’t until consistency across a chain like Howard Johnson’s became important that Pépin started tracking recipes.
Pépin said as he’s gotten older, the cooking has simplified. When he was young, he said life was about adding as much to the plate as he could. Now, it’s about simplicity — a tomato with some olive oil and coarse salt from his garden or a bowl of cereal with his granddaughter, now a college student in Boston. These days, he said it’s more about the discussion and community that comes with the experience of cooking than the food itself.
“I’ve eaten some of the greatest food in some of the greatest restaurants in the world,” Pépin said. “The food is never as important as who you’re eating it with.”
The live Jacques Pépin episode of Sarandon’s “Cooking by Heart” will be available Tuesday on his website, Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts and more.
Reach Daniel on
Daniel Figueroa IV is a state trending reporter with Hearst Connecticut Media Group. He's originally from the Bronx, but spent the last 10 years in Florida writing about everything from politics to Disney and tracing the steps of cultural icons like Jack Kerouac. He once nearly sent himself to the hospital after eating the world's spiciest ice cream - for journalism. When he's not searching for stories to tell, Daniel can be found in a book, on a motorcycle, playing drums or dreaming of galaxies far, far away.


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Home » Business Showcase » When You Think of Wellness, Think of Jaloma Products
When You Think of Wellness, Think of Jaloma Products
July 2, 2021 by Hernando Ramírez-Santos
Jaloma is a Mexican company that has been in the market for 80 years, developing items focused on the well-being of families. With a portfolio consisting of more than 160 products, they are leaders in the manufacturing and commercialization of healing, personal care, and baby products.
Their star products, which today are marketed in the USA, are cosmetic oils, body gels, elastic bandages, and the lavender line for babies.
Jaloma is headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico, where it has also operated its production plant for eight decades. Thanks to the vision of the company’s founder, Javier López Macías, who began developing his products with the manufacture of gauze, cosmetic oils, lip ointment, among others, Jaloma’s growth has been continuous.
One of Jaloma’s main success factors is its proximity to customers and consumers and the availability of its products in different marketing channels and points of sale. The company, which started with two people, now has a team of 600.
Carlos Labastida, Jaloma’s Export and New Business Director.
Jaloma’s Export and New Business Director, Carlos Labastida, grandson of the company’s founder, has been dedicated to positioning the company’s leadership internationally.
Labastida stated that for 20 years, Jaloma has maintained a presence in the United States and has big plans for growth this year. “We have accelerated the internationalization of Jaloma’s products in the U.S. and Central American market,” Labastida explained.
Related Article: The Guide to Food Marketing: Trends, Strategies, and More
“We will continue with the strategy of expanding the brand in the national territory and in the U.S. and Central American markets. In addition, we will introduce the brand in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, among others. We seek to enter countries that, by their nature, have a market similar to the Mexican market. Thus, the product will be easily accepted, creating a positive positioning of the brand,” added Jaloma’s Export and New Business Director.
As part of its plan to grow and market its products in the U.S., Jaloma is implementing a campaign to reinforce brand awareness to help promote its new products in the market. By which they are responding to a buyer who today is more informed and has access to many other brands, both local and foreign.
Due to the pandemic, Jaloma has seen an increase in demand for its products. The personal care line (cosmetic oils) has been growing due to distribution and consumption.
In U.S. Hispanic stores, Jaloma is a traditional brand recognized by Mexicans living in the United States. Its 80 years of existence support the high quality of its products, earning the trust of consumers. Click here to learn more about the company.
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Bad Mother Nature
Sacramento, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2016 | SELF
Sacramento, CA | SELF
Established on Jan, 2016
Band Rock Progressive
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"Fireworks UK Magazine Interview"
A band interview and review of our EP "Strange Weather" profiled in Fireworks UK Magazine. - Fireworks UK Magazine
Strange Weather EP - 2018
Porcelain Martyr - 2019
Bad Mother Nature is an original rock band from Sacramento, California. Formed in 2016, the group consists of guitarist/bassist duo Axel Ahrens and Corey Allred, pianist Ryan Allred, and drummer Jon McCann. Inspired by the classic rock titans of the 1960’s and 70’s, the band balances driving guitar-riff work with the nuanced, progressive piano that allows their music to range from soft to rocking - often within the same song.
On June 15th, 2018, the band released their debut EP “Strange Weather,” featuring Colin Curtin on drums. The album featured a range of styles from the upbeat blues-rock Honey Rider, to the instrumental guitar piece Persephone, to the anthemic ballad I’ll Make You a Thief. The album and the band were profiled in the UK rock magazine Fireworks.
Their latest feature LP “Porcelain Martyr” was released February 8th, 2019. A departure from the raw guitar-heavy style of their previous EP, the album is a conceptually-thematic overture of Progressive Rock, utilizing more backing vocals and harmonies, piano-driven riffs, and instrumental experimentation.
Corey Allred
Axel Ahrens
Jon McCann
Ryan Allred


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Security Council Briefing on the Middle East including the Palestinian Question (As Delivered by Special Coordinator Wennesland)
Excellencies,
Members of the Security Council,
The past week has seen a deadly escalation between Israeli military forces and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza that is the most serious we have seen in years. We have also witnessed dramatic scenes of violence across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Tensions have been ongoing for weeks. In the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem there have been protests and clashes over the threat of Palestinian evictions commenced by settler organizations. In the Old City, including in the Holy Esplanade, there have been violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli civilians and police. Police deployed a heavy presence in the area in the context of a large number of visitors for Ramadan prayers, protests and Israeli extremist demonstrations, leading to clashes.
With some 181 Palestinians and nine Israelis killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian militant rockets, based on preliminary figures, the toll of this deadly confrontation is already too high.
I extend my sincere condolences to the families of all those who have lost loved ones in the violence.
Since 10 May, according to Israeli official sources, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militants have launched over 2900 indiscriminate rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. According to Israel’s Office of the Prime Minister, nine Israelis, including five women and two children, and one Indian national were killed, and over 250 injured, 23 severely wounded. Civilians across the south and the center of the country have been repeatedly sent to shelters. An anti-tank missile fired at a vehicle near the Gaza perimeter fence, killed an Israeli soldier and injured two others.
Rockets have reached as far as the outskirts of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and its suburbs and Ben Gurion airport. While a significant number of rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome, some 450 fell short inside Gaza, accounting for some Palestinian casualties according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Direct hits have been reported in multiple locations, causing damage to residential and commercial property, as well as schools and a crude oil pipeline.
In Gaza, the humanitarian and security situation is more dire by the day. In response to the Palestinian militant rocket attacks that began on 10 May, the IDF has conducted over 950 strikes against what it said were militant targets, including weapons factories and depots, tunnel networks, Hamas training facilities, intelligence and security headquarters and offices and homes of senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives. These strikes have killed over 100 operatives, including senior commanders, according to the IDF. Nevertheless, the civilian death toll, including children, continues to mount.
As of this afternoon local time, Health Authorities in Gaza report 181 Palestinians, including at least 52 children, 31 women and a person with disabilities, were killed and 1,200 injured in these strikes. The population must repeatedly try to find cover from the strikes absent proper shelters and over 34,000 people have been displaced from their homes. Over 40 UNRWA schools are now open in Gaza as shelters with limited access to water and no access to health care or food and serve for protection purposes only. The dense and closed context of Gaza makes seeking shelter all the more difficult. As a result of the military operations, seven factories, 40 schools and at least four hospitals sustained complete or partial damage. At least 18 buildings, including four high-rise towers, including one hosting international media outlets, have been destroyed and over 350 buildings damaged. According to the IDF, these buildings contained Hamas military installations.
Reports continue of families – women, children and infants – killed in their homes by the airstrikes. Early this morning, several houses were struck, while residents were inside, killing 12 people and injuring over 50 others. I note also the deaths yesterday of nine family members – two women and seven children – in the al-Shati camp, among so many others.
In Israel, a five-year old boy was killed by a rocket in Sderot and a sixteen-year old girl and her father were killed in Lod.
Such tragedies are unacceptable and cannot be justified nor measured.
This escalation has already produced tragic results. A further intensification of hostilities would have devastating consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis.
The United Nations is working tirelessly with all sides to restore calm.
I reiterate the Secretary-General’s urgent call on Israel and Palestinian armed groups to take immediate and decisive steps to de-escalate the situation and prevent any further loss of life.
Israelis and Palestinians have a legitimate right to safety and security. The violence we are witnessing now is unacceptable and unjustifiable.
Hamas and other militants’ indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars from highly populated civilian neighborhoods into civilian population centers in Israel violates international humanitarian law and must cease immediately. Civilian areas must never be used for military purposes.
Israeli authorities must abide by international humanitarian law principles governing armed conflict, including the proportional use of force, exercising maximum restraint to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.
I reiterate that children should not be the target of violence or put in harm’s way.
Turning briefly to ongoing regional dynamics, on 13 May, the IDF informed that three rockets were fired from Lebanon into the sea off the coast of northern Israel. Lebanese Armed Forces confirmed the firing and reported finding materiel close to a Palestine refugee camp in Rashidiyeh. On 14 May, up to 100 individuals protested north of the Blue Line, some waving Palestinian and Hizbullah flags. UNIFIL observed several protesters cross the Blue Line close to the town of Metula. IDF personnel fired multiple warning shots, reportedly injuring two. According to Lebanese authorities, a Lebanese citizen later died. The Lebanese Armed Forces arrested several protestors following the incident.
In addition, three rockets were launched from Syria. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
Mass protests in solidarity with Palestinians also occurred at Israeli borders with Jordan, where thousands of Jordanians marched towards the bridge connecting Jordan to the occupied West Bank but were reportedly stopped short by the Jordanian security forces.
Violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to increase. Since 10 May, 19 Palestinians were killed, including two children, and some 1844 Palestinians were injured in the West Bank by Israeli Security Forces in either clashes or other incidents, with 444 injured by live ammunition. At least eight Israelis were injured in these incidents, according to Israeli Government sources.
On 10 May, amid heavy presence of Israeli security forces ahead of planned Jerusalem day marches thousands of Palestinians clashed with police in and around the Holy Esplanade and other parts of the Old City. ISF reportedly shot and injured over 650 Palestinians with rubber-coated metal bullets and other crowd-control means. 32 ISF personnel were injured in the clashes. Although, Israeli authorities took steps to reroute the Jerusalem day marches, leading to their cancelation, tensions continued, particularly within the Holy Esplanade.
In Sheikh Jarrah, ISF dispersed demonstrators using skunk water, sponge-tipped bullets and stun grenades. One Palestinian was killed and another shot and injured in separate incidents after they attempted to attack Israeli soldiers.
On 14 May, violence escalated as Palestinians held a “Day of Rage” in support of Gaza, with clashes between Palestinians and ISF in Qalqilyia, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Hebron and dozens of other locations. Ten Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, in addition to one Palestinian killed near Ofra settlement in an alleged stabbing attack against ISF. This is the highest number of Palestinian fatalities recorded in a single day in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the UN began recording fatalities in 2008.
Turning again to Gaza, the damage to infrastructure in the Strip has been substantial and a humanitarian emergency is unfolding.
The Gaza Power Plant is operating at reduced capacity due to Israel’s closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing. Reports from Gaza suggest rolling daily power cuts of 5-6 hours in some areas. With current stocks, it could operate at reduced capacity for another four days only. The lack of electricity has resulted in a decrease of clean water and sewage treatment affecting hundreds of thousands. The health system, already overwhelmed by chronic drug shortages, inadequate equipment and the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be unable to meet the needs of those injured during the violence, particularly as hospitals face equipment and electricity shortages.
Since 10 May, Israeli authorities have kept Gaza crossings for people and goods closed. This includes humanitarian personnel and critical aid, such as fuel and medical supplies. The fishing zone off the coast of Gaza also remains closed. The Rafah crossing was closed on 12 May and reopened this morning.
It is vital that, mindful of its security concerns, Israel open the crossings for movement of critical staff in and out of Gaza and for the entry of fuel for the GPP. The UN must also be able to bring in key items needed for trauma care and to adequately supply shelters given the huge influx of IDPs. This requires a pause in fighting to allow limited movement for a restock of supplies and to assess damages and needs including to electricity infrastructure.
I remind all sides that the UN and its partners have nearly completed a massive, multi-billion-dollar reconstruction effort following the 2014 conflict. Given the range of current global challenges, an outpouring of international support on the same scale is highly unlikely. All sides should be mindful of this as the fighting and destruction continues.
We cannot allow the situation to slide further into chaos.
The hostilities must stop.
I reiterate the appeal just given by the Secretary-General for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for his dire warning that this conflict will increase radicalization and extremism in the whole region.
The international community has a crucial role to play. It must take action now to enable the parties to step back from the brink.
I welcome the statements from members of the Security Council, the Arab League and others aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the immediate crisis. I also appreciate the efforts of leaders across the international community over the past days urging all parties to exercise restraint, deescalate tensions and prevent further civilian casualties.
We are once again witnessing the tragic results of the failure to address the core issues that have driven the conflict for decades.
Palestinian and Israeli civilians continue to endure the suffering that accompanies repeated cycles of violence and conflict.
These cycles of violence will only stop with a political resolution of the conflict, including addressing the status of Jerusalem and other final status issues, with an end to the occupation, and the realization of a two-State solution on the basis of the 1967 lines, UN resolutions, international law and mutual agreements, with Jerusalem as capital of both Israel and Palestine.
I reiterate my call to the members of the Middle East Quartet, key Arab and international partners, as well as to Israeli and Palestinian leadership, to strengthen efforts to return to meaningful negotiations towards a viable two-State solution.
I thank you Mr. President.
security_council_briefing_-_16_may_2021.pdf
 Security Council Briefing On The Situation In The Middle East, Including The Palestinian Question (As Delivered By UN Special Coordinator Wennesland)
 Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (on screen), addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. (UN Photo/Loey Felipe - New York, 18 January 2023)
Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question (As delivered by Special Coordinator Wennesland)
Mister President,
Security Council briefing on the recent developments in occupied East Jerusalem (As delivered by ASG Khiari)
Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, attends the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. (UN Photo/Rick Bajornas - New York, 28 September 2022)
Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, Reporting on the Implementation of UNSCR 2334 [As Delivered by Special Coordinator Wennesland]
Madam President,


Tag Archive : Tourism in Belarus
Home / Tourism in Belarus
Tourism in Belarus
By My Best Travel 2 10 February، 2021
Tourist places in Belarus
General information about Belarus
Most of the population of Belarus resides in the urban areas surrounding Minsk and other capital cities (regions) forming the country. More than 80% of the population is Belarusian, with significant minorities of Russians, Poles and Ukrainians. Since a referendum was held in 1995, the two official languages of the country have become Belarusian and Russian.
The Constitution of Belarus does not declare the official religion even though the main religion in the country is Russian Orthodox Christianity. The second faith is Catholic Christianity, with a much smaller number of followers, but both Easter and Christmas are officially observed and considered public holidays.
Belarusian literature began with religious writings between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, represented by Cyril’s Toravian poetry from the twelfth century. By the 16th century, Polotsk resident Francesk Skaryna translated the Bible into Belarusian. It was published in Prague and Vilnius between 1517 and 1525, making it the first book printed in Belarus or anywhere in Eastern Europe. The modern stage of Belarusian literature began in the late nineteenth century. One of the most important ones is Yanka Kupala. Several prominent Belarusian writers of the time, such as Oladzimir Zelka, Kazimir Svayak, Jakob Kolas, Jmitrok Piadula and Maxim Haritsky wrote for a Belarusian-language newspaper called Nasha Niva, published in Vilnius.
After Belarus was incorporated into the Soviet Union, the Soviet government took control of the republic’s cultural affairs. The free development of literature only in the territories fell under Polish control until the Soviets took control of it in 1939. Many poets and writers were exiled after the Nazi occupation of Belarus, and did not return until the 1960s. The last attempts to revive the past of Belarusian literature appeared in the 1960s through the novels of Vasil Bekav and Oladzimir Karatievich.
Tourist areas in Belarus
Mir Castle complex (Mirsky Zamuk)
The Mir Castle complex (Mirsky Zamuk) is an outstanding example of fortification art dating back to the 16th century. It is located in the town of Mir in the Grodno region of Belarus. The construction of this Gothic-style castle in Belarus began in 1520 by Duke Ilyench. Mykolai Radziwela Palace was built with three floors along the eastern and northern walls of the fortress which has forty rooms. The walls were built surrounded by a moat. And an artificial lake was created in the south.
The capital of Belarus, it is a modern city dominated by monumental Stalinist architecture. Many of its museums, theaters, and other cultural attractions are located on Istiklal Street, this famous square is located in close proximity to the huge KGB headquarters and the Church of the New Roman Saints Simon and Helena, also known as the Red Church.
Close to Independence Square is the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, which commemorates the nation’s role in WWII, and the National Museum of Art, which displays hundreds of local artworks.
It is a city in western Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders. On the banks of the Neman River, the city is characterized by its greenness and also contains the old castle, which was considered a palace of the Renaissance, which dates back to the eleventh century. Nearby, a new village was built in the 18th century as a royal residence. There is also another tourist attraction in the city, which is the steadfast Kloza church from the twelfth century, which is decorated with polished stones and terracotta tiles.


Home / Regional / Long-awaited election date could be revealed Monday
Long-awaited election date could be revealed Monday
December 16, 2022 in Regional
The much anticipated general election date could be revealed in a matter of days. That is according to Information Minister Melford Nicholas who hinted at such during Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing.
The announcement, he says, could be made during the incumbent Antigua Barbuda Labour Party’s (ABLP) campaign launch on Monday.
“I think the smart money is on that – even I as one of the Prime Minister’s trusted deputies can’t say with any certainty what the final date will be – but I think it is fair to say that anybody who follows politics would know that at such an auspicious event it is more than likely that the Prime Minister will announce the date that he has indicated to the Governor General.
“For those persons keen on politics, the place to be would be on Nugent Avenue on the 19th where we would expect that announcement to be made,” Nicholas said.
The launch will begin at 7pm at the ABLP’s Nugent Avenue headquarters and will feature guest performances from local acts like Burning Flames, Tian Winter and Claudette Peters and regional artistes like Romain Virgo, Skinny Fabulous and Asa Bantan.
Nicholas expressed confidence that the party will be successful in attaining a third straight term.
“The Prime Minister likes to indicate that it is the best performing administration since [Antigua and Barbuda] became an independent nation and I share that belief as well,” he said.
“I believe that when the [campaign] becomes really entrenched that will be the basis in which the ruling party, that I am a part of, will be asking for consideration of the public on that basis. So, I think that will be the basis of the general elections coming up,” he added.
The confirmation of a date is likely to ramp up the political activities of all three major parties. Opposition parties have been on a state of high alert for over a year after PM Browne hinted in summer 2021 that the election would be held early.
The election is constitutionally due in March 2023. The last one took place on March 21, 2018 with the ABLP claiming 15 of the 17 seats.


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SAGU soccer teams topple Texas College
Waxahachie, Texas- September 7, 2015- The Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) men’s and women’s soccer teams both walked away victorious on Saturday’s matches against Texas College. The women’s team beat TC 3-1. The men’s team won 4-2. Both teams are 2-1 for the season.
For the women, Laura Barba, Nadine Jaimes and Joy Reyes all scored a goal. Jaimes now has three goals for the season and Barba has two. Goalkeeper’s Kathleen Espinoza and Alaina Jones each played a half for SAGU. Espinoza had two saves.
“Every player had a part in the win. We had several shots and a couple of good saves by our keepers. I’m excited to see so much progress in a short period of time,” says head coach Mandy Fortner. “We have a tough few games ahead of us and my hope I that we continue to improve and prepare for conference.”
On Thursday, September 10, 2015, the Lady Lions play Friends University (Kansas) at 2:00pm. FU is currently 2-0 for the season.
The Lions were led by Ramone Cardenas, who had two goals for the day. Senior’s Robert Ambrosie and Parker Sturgeon each had a goal. Senior goalkeeper Cesar Espana had three saves for the game.
Men’s soccer head coach Clem Oancea believes his team is starting to click on the field, “You can’t have a perfect game, but what we can have is commitment to follow the game plan from the start to finish. That paid off and I’m glad we’ve seen success by doing the small things right.”
On Thursday, SAGU plays Friends University (Kansas) at 4:00pm. FU is currently 0-2 for the season. Oancea is hopeful his full roster will be healthy and ready to go by then.
About SAGU:
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.
Contact: Natalie Tristan, SAGU SID, [email protected]
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