Private Island Holidays & Resorts | Oxford Private Travel

Posted on by

When thinking of luxury holiday destinations, nothing else sounds quite as exclusive (or peaceful!) as the thought of renting your own private island. This must surely be the ultimate way to get away from it all. So let us help you live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies and play at being a castaway by escaping to one of our heavenly paradise locations.

The beautiful private islands in our portfolio offer you the chance to immerse yourself in your own little universe, after all who wants neighbours when you're on holiday? We've all dreamt of being marooned on a deserted beach and this can now be very much a reality. Whether arriving by helicopter or by boat, the sugar soft sands and turquoise waters lapping against the shore are bound to excite the senses. What better way is there to escape the real world?

Of course, in addition to natural beauty, the private islands and private island resorts in our collection all offer an exceptional standard of accommodation. From super-slick, contemporary and stylish masterpieces, through to something a little more 'barefoot luxury' and authentic, there is an island for every taste and requirement. Private Islands can accommodate from 2 to 200, and whether you're interested in getting back to nature in a pristine wildlife reserve, or you have slightly more sybaritic requirements , we can guide you towards your ultimate island experience.

Private Island resorts are a great choice for those looking to maintain a high level of privacy and exclusivity - as well as being in a stunning setting - but also have the opportunity of being able to mingle with fellow guests on a smaller scale than standard resorts. These wonderful resorts tend to offer a more personalised and unique island experience than conventional hotel resorts, and we have scoured the seas for the world's best. We understand why you might prefer a private island resort for your holiday - and we understand the specific logistics and arrangements that might be required.

We look forward to making your island fantasies a reality.

See the original post:

Private Island Holidays & Resorts | Oxford Private Travel

Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure | Federal Rules of …

Posted on by

Historical Note

The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure were adopted by order of the Supreme Court on Apr. 25, 1983, transmitted to Congress by the Chief Justice on the same day, and became effective Aug. 1, 1983.

The Rules have been amended Aug. 30, 1983, Pub. L. 9891, 2(a), 97 Stat. 607, eff. Aug. 1, 1983; July 10, 1984, Pub. L. 98353, title III, 321, 98 Stat. 357; Apr. 29, 1985, eff. Aug. 1, 1985; Mar. 30, 1987, eff. Aug. 1, 1987; Apr. 25, 1989, eff. Aug. 1, 1989; Apr. 30, 1991, eff. Aug. 1, 1991; Apr. 22, 1993, eff. Aug. 1, 1993; Apr. 29, 1994, eff. Aug. 1, 1994; Oct. 22, 1994, Pub. L. 103394, title I, 114, 108 Stat. 4118; Apr. 27, 1995, eff. Dec. 1, 1995; Apr. 23, 1996, eff. Dec. 1, 1996; Apr. 11, 1997, eff. Dec. 1, 1997; Apr. 26, 1999, eff. Dec. 1, 1999; Apr. 17, 2000, eff. Dec. 1, 2000; Apr. 23, 2001, eff. Dec. 1, 2001; Apr. 29, 2002, eff. Dec. 1, 2002; Mar. 27, 2003, eff. Dec. 1, 2003; Apr. 26, 2004, eff. Dec. 1, 2004; Apr. 25, 2005, eff. Dec. 1, 2005; Apr. 12, 2006, eff. Dec. 1, 2006; Apr. 30, 2007, eff. Dec. 1, 2007; Apr. 23, 2008, eff. Dec. 1, 2008; Mar. 26, 2009, eff. Dec. 1, 2009; Apr. 28, 2010, eff. Dec. 1, 2010; Apr. 26, 2011, eff. Dec. 1, 2011;Apr. 16, 2013, eff. Dec. 1, 2013; Apr. 25, 2014, eff. Dec. 1, 2014; Apr. 29, 2015, eff. Dec. 1, 2015; Apr. 28, 2016, eff. Dec 1, 2016.

Effective Date; Application; Supersedure of Prior Rules; Transmission to Congress

Sections 2 to 4 of the Order of the Supreme Court, dated Apr. 25, 1983, provided:

2. That the aforementioned Bankruptcy Rules shall take effect on August 1, 1983, and shall be applicable to proceedings then pending, except to the extent that in the opinion of the court their application in a pending proceeding would not be feasible or would work injustice, in which event the former procedure applies.

3. That the Bankruptcy Rules, heretofore prescribed by this Court, be, and they hereby are, superseded by the new rules, effective August 1, 1983.

4. That the Chief Justice be, and he hereby is, authorized to transmit these new Bankruptcy Rules to the Congress in accordance with the provisions of Section 2075 of Title 28, United States Code.

Read more here:

Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure | Federal Rules of ...

Tiangong-1 Reentry | The Aerospace Corporation

Posted on by

Tiangong-1 Reentry

The world watched and waited as the Chinese space station Tiangong-1 hurtled towards a fiery reentry. Please visit our media kit page for background information.

This prediction was performed by The Aerospace Corporation on 2018 April 1.

(Click on image to view full-size image.)

Dotted lines indicate dates of probable orbital maneuvers.

On 2016 March 21, an official Chinese statement declared that telemetry services with Tiangong-1 had ceased. Based on The Aerospace Corporations analysis of Two-Line Element set data from the JSpOC, the last orbitaladjustment for Tiangong-1 was made in December 2015. Likewise, amateur satellite trackershave been tracking Tiangong-1 and claimit has been orbiting uncontrolled since at least June 2016. On 2016September 14, China madean official statement that they predict Tiangong-1 will reenter the atmosphere in the latter half of 2017. China later updated its prediction via an announcement to the UNs Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Spaceon December 8, 2017. It was not mentioned whether the reentry was to betargeted or remain uncontrolled.

It is a well known scientific principle thatany measurement or prediction will always have an associated uncertainty. In the case of most reentering objects, the uncertainty associated with predicting reentry location is extremely large and precludes an accurate location prediction until shortly before the reentry has occured.In general, it is much easier to predict an accurate reentry time rather than an accurate reentry location. Based on Tiangong-1s inclination, however, we can confidently say that this object will reenter somewhere between 43 North and43 South latitudes.

Due to the uncertainties involved it is very difficult to predict the exact timing of a space objects reentry. There are several sources of uncertainty which include: 1) significant variation in the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere, 2) significant uncertainties in the orientation of the space craft over time, uncertainties in some physical properties of the spacecraft such as the exact mass and material composition, and 3) uncertainties in the exact location and speed of the space station. When aggregated, these factors translate into a reentry timing uncertainty that is roughly 20% of the time to go (the time between the date of the prediction and the predicted date of reentry).

It is highly unlikely that debris from this reentry will strike any person or significantly damage any property.The only known case of space debris striking a person is Ms.Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma who was struck by a small piece of space debris in 1996 but was not harmed in any significant way.

As reentry gets closer, we are able to narrow possible reentry locations to a collection of specific ground tracks instead of broad regions of the globe. As the reentry time gets closer, the number of ground tracks will diminish until we are left with only one, and after that with only a portion of a single ground track. Areas not within the ground tracks are clear. The exact statistical likelihood of you or your property being struck by reentering debris is constantly changing. Potential reentry points and whether the final ground track is over inhabited or uninhabited areas will determine the risk to a specific location. Even so, the likelihood of any one person (i.e. YOU) being struck by debris is still far less than winning the Powerball Jackpot.

It is unlikelythat this is a controlled reentry. Although not declared officially, it is suspected that control of Tiangong-1 was lost and will not be regained before reentry.

No, no astronauts are currently on board Tiangong-1. The last manned mission departed from Tiangong-1 in June 2013.

It may be possible to see Tiangong-1 reentering depending on your location, the time of day, and visibility during reentry which will not be known until a few days prior to the event. A more detailed predicted reentry region will be provided a few days prior to the reentry time frame. Visiblyincandescent objectsfrom this reentry will likely last tens of seconds (up to a minute or more) in contrast with the vast majority of natural meteors which last mere seconds.

Depending on the time of day and cloud visibility, the reentry may appear as multiple bright streaks moving across the sky in the same direction. Due to the relatively large size of the object, it is expected that there will be many pieces reentering together, some of which may survive reentry and land on the Earths surface. Some examplesof reentries can be found here: video 1, video 2.

Potentially,there may be a highly toxic and corrosive substance calledhydrazine on board the spacecraft that could survive reentry. For your safety, do not touch any debris you may find on the ground nor inhale vapors it may emit.

Yes. Contact CORDS at http://www.aerospace.org/cords/contacting-cords/ Please report your location and time of the sighting, a description of what you saw, and provide any images or videos you may have captured of the reentry.

No. The largest object to reenter is the Mir space station at 120,000 kg which reentered on 2001 March 23. In comparison, Tiangong-1 is only 8,500 kg. For further space debris reentry information, consult the table onthis page.

In the history of spaceflight, no known person has ever been harmed by reentering space debris. Only one person has ever been recorded as being hit by a piece of space debris and, fortunately, she was not injured.

Tiangong-1 FAQ

Tiangong-1 Reentry Update

Tiangong-1 Captured via Telescope

Reentry Test Campaign Announcement

Basic Tiangong-1 background info

Official statement regarding Tiangong-1 telemetry ceasing

Official statement regarding Tiangong-1 reentry

Amateur satellite trackers claim Tiangong-1 likely uncontrolled

Controlled vs. uncontrolled reentries

General reentry info

Newsweek

Wired

New York Times

Reuters: Tiangong-1 is not out of control

Chinas Manned Space Program

See the rest here:

Tiangong-1 Reentry | The Aerospace Corporation

Immortality: God’s Gift To The Saints The Church of God …

Posted on by

No question about it, the Bible clearly reveals that immortality is God's gracious gift to His saints. But if immortality is a gift that is given only to the saints, why do millions believe that it is an inherent quality of the human soul? What does the Bible say about this subject?

There is no single doctrine which commands such universal acceptance among religious adherents over so vast a span of time. Indeed, this doctrine has been almost synonymous with religion itself. Not one major religion disputes it and every religious tradition affirms it in one form or another.

In the ancient Near East, it dominated religious thought. In African and Asian tribal religions it is prominent and religions of all civilizations have endorsed it. It is an important relic of Platonic thought. In the world of professing Christianity, only a few sects question it. Seventy-one percent of Americans believe it.

It is the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the view that the human soul has a conscious existence immediately after death.

Yet the Bible, reputedly the authoritative document of the Christian faith, nowhere teaches this doctrine. It is nothing less than astounding that the Old Testament, a document of the ancient Near East, roundly rejects the teaching that the soul consciously survives death when that teaching was commonplace then, and that the New Testament equally rejects this doctrine, believed by the vast majority in the first century.

Amazingly, the Bible as a religious document is almost unique in its utter refutation of the view that the real person is the soul inside, which goes into another world upon the death of the body. This is no minor issue to be mistaken about. Granted there are some doctrines which are inconsequential, and no church has all truth and no error. We all know in part and prophecy (preach) in part. But the true church, the church divinely commissioned to take the gospel to the world, must know the fundamental doctrine of what man really is.

Could God have started a church and continue to actively lead that church when it does not even know what man is and what happens to him after death? Is this a minor doctrine?

The implications for any church which is wrong on this issue are profound. Immortality of the soul defender John W. Cooper, in his book Body, Soul and Life Everlasting, says that if the doctrine is not true then "a doctrine affirmed by most of the church since its beginning is false. A second consequence is more personal and existentialwhat millions of Christians believe will happen when they die is an illusion." Would God have led so many believers into error, or would He not rescue them from that error, if He were, in fact, the Founder of those churches which believe in the immortality of the soul?

We need to dispassionately and without bias examine this critical subject.

One respected theologian came to what was a startling conclusion for him: that his church had misled him on this critical issue. Church of Christ elder Edward Fudge explains in the book which he finally wrote to show the results of his study, The Fire That Consumes: The Biblical Case for Conditional Immortality: "I was reared on traditionalist teaching. I accepted it because it was said to rest on Scripture. Closer investigation has shown this claim to be mistaken. Careful study has shown that both Old and New Testaments teach instead a resurrection of the wicked for the purpose of divine judgment....so my beliefs have changed-as a result of careful study."

So have the views of an even more well-known and renowned theologian and evangelical apologist, Clark Pinnock. In his chapter on "The Conditional View" in the well-researched book, Four Views on Hell, Pinnock, after showing a number of scriptures disproving the immortality of the soul, wonders aloud why so many churches should have adopted what would appear an obviously unbiblical view. An explanation for this, he offers, "exists in a Hellenistic belief about human nature that has dominated Christian thinking about eschatology from the beginning. There has been a virtual consensus that the soul survives death because it is by nature an incorporeal substance. This assumption goes back to Plato's view of the soul as metaphysically indestructible, a view shared by Augustine, Aquinas, and Calvin. The Greek doctrine of the immortality of the soul has affected theology unduly on this point-a good example of the occasional Hellenization of Christian doctrine."

It is time we get back to the Bible, especially in light of the fact that the Protestant Reformation was ostensibly based on sola ScripturaScripture alone! If this claim is true, then why should nonbiblical sources be more influential than Scripture in the formation of Christian doctrine? Yet defenders of the immortal soul doctrine will protest that Scripture itself is clear that the soul is immortal. There are some scriptures which do, indeed, seem to clearly teach an eternal conscious existence in hell. We can't ignore these scriptures, if we accept all biblical texts as the Word of Godbut we must seek to understand them without reading foreign ideas into them.

Revelation 14:10 refers to people who "will be tormented with fire and brimstone." Verse 11 says that the "smoke of their torment goes up for even and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image." Now if they don't have immortal souls, how will that be possible? Will God give them immortal souls to facilitate their everlasting punishment? In any event, those who believe in conditional immortality, like the Church of God International, reject the notion of everlasting conscious punishment. So what do we do with a text like Revelation 14:10,11, which was not smuggled into the Scriptures by Plato? These verses seem devastating to our view.

In Matthew 25:41, Jesus refers to those who will depart into "eternal fire." Verse 46 has been especially appealed to by defenders of the immortal soul view. It says the wicked will go away into "eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." If "eternal life" means unending life and conscious existence, then why in the same passage doesn't "eternal punishment" mean unending conscious existence as well?

Matthew 18:8 says that "it is better for you to enter eternal life maimed or lame than...to be thrown into the eternal fire." Why would the fire be eternal if it has nothing to burn and if the wicked are annihilated, as we teach?

We need to answer all these texts.

Surprising as it might seem, "eternal" and "everlasting" do not always mean never-ending, but can actually mean "agelasting," that is, lasting for a limited period. It is important to bear in mind that what we have are English translations of the Bible and that the Scriptures were originally inspired in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. To study to show ourselves approved, we have to acquire some rudimentary understanding of the biblical languages. If we are going to pronounce authoritatively on certain complex doctrinal matters, we must be equipped.

There is an easy way to prove that aionios does not always mean never-ending and that it can mean eternal in its results and consequences.

In Jude 1:7 we read that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the "punishment of eternal fire." Yet no one believes that Sodom and Gomorrah are burning now. The inhabitants suffered the punishment of eternal fire in the sense that they were completely destroyed; the fire was eternal in its results and effects; it left nothing to be consumed.

There can be no dispute about this for there are no cities named Sodom and Gomorrah burning today! Scripture does not say they suffered the punishment of Gehenna (hell) fire, so one cannot reason that perhaps they are suffering (unknown to us) in hell. They suffered the punishment of a literal fire which swept through the area. (One scholar points out that at least seventy times in the Bible the Greek word aionios qualifies objects of a temporary and limited nature.)

The Hebrew equivalent of aionios in the Old Testament is olam, which can also mean eternal or everlasting, but is also used in reference to a limited span of time. To prove decisively that "forever" or "eternal" do not always mean never-ending, notice the following passages in which olam obviously means age-lasting or a limited time.

In Exodus 12:24 we read that the sprinkling of the blood at the Passover was to be "an ordinance for ever." The Aaronic priesthood was also said to have been a "perpetual statute" (Exodus 29:9; 40:15; Leviticus 3:17). Solomon's temple was supposed to have been everlasting (1 Kings 8:13). The ritual of tending to the light in the tabernacle was to be "a statute for ever" (Exodus 27:21). All the sacrifices and circumcision were said to last "forever." Now how many Christians, even among law-keepers, are still practicing these rituals which the Bible clearly says should be observed forever, as part of an "everlasting covenant"? Clearly, the Hebrew word olam, the equivalent of aionios in the passages quoted, means age-lasting, to be in force for the life of the Old Covenant.

Romans 16:25 talks about the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret "for long ages." What the reader of the English translations of the Bible would not know immediately is that the word translated "long ages" is aionios-the same word translated "forever" in the passages quoted about eternal fire and everlasting punishment. It is indisputable, therefore, that the word carries more than one meaning and cannot, under all circumstances, be interpreted as eternal in the sense of never-ending.

But then there is Matthew 3:12, pulled out by immortal soul advocates to prove their point. It refers to the "unquenchable fire" which will be unleashed on the lost.

Again, just as in the case of the "eternal" fire which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, the fire threatened by Jesus here is one which will accomplish its purpose of utter destruction, one whose purpose and mission cannot be thwarted by anyone or anything. This is the sense of the phrase.

To prove that this is not speculation, turn to Jeremiah 17:27 where a similar threat was made to a rebellious Israel. Hear the words of Yahweh: "But if you do not listen to me, to keep the sabbath day holy...then I will kindle a fire in its [Jerusalem's] gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched."

Yahweh threatened an unquenchable fire that could not be put out by all the firemen in the world. It would achieve its purpose: the utter destruction of Jerusalem and its sinning inhabitants. The unquenchable fire, like the eternal fire, refers to the results and consequences of its action, not the duration of its time.

Isaiah 34:9,10 is a clincher. Notice the imagery of the punishment proposed for Edom: "And the streams of Edom shall be turned into a pitch, and her soil into brimstone; her land shall become burning pitch. Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up for ever [notice this similarity with the Revelation texts quoted earlier], from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever."

Yes, there it is! The fire would completely destroy Edom; its smoke would proverbially go up forever, "from generation to generation." The land would be desolate-no more; it would be completely destroyed. That the fire would be "eternal" and "unquenchable" means a fire which no one would be able to quench until it achieved its purpose. See also Isaiah 1:30,31: "For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. And the strong shall become tow, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them."

There it is"none to quench them"clearly meaning both will burn until they become extinct, annihilated!

As Clark Pinnock has suggested in his essay in the book Four Views on Hell, "I believe that the real basis of the traditional view of the nature of hell is not in the Bible's talk of the wicked perishing, but an unbiblical anthropology that is read into the text. If a biblical reader approached the text with the assumption that souls are immortal, would they not be compelled to interpret texts that speak of the wicked being destroyed to mean that they are tortured forever since according to that supposition they cannot go out of existence?....[T]he belief in the immortality of the soul will necessarily skew the exegesis."

This is why we have dealt extensively in this booklet with the discussion of hell, for at the root of the traditional view of an ever-burning hell is the false doctrine of the immortality of the human soul.

The attempt to use Matthew 25:41,46 to prove this false doctrine fails miserably. The fact is, both the righteous and the damned will have their fates sealed eternally. The righteous will enjoy unending life as a reward and the unrighteous will suffer everlasting punishment-their punishment will be final, inexorable, irredeemable. The unrighteous will suffer everlasting punishment, not everlasting punishing!

In his book, Life and Immortality, Basil Atkinson notes that "when the adjective aionios meaning 'everlasting' is used in Greek with nouns of action it has reference to the result of the action, not the process.

"Thus, the phrase 'everlasting punishment' is comparable to 'everlasting redemption' and 'everlasting salvation,' both scriptural phrases. No one supposes that we are being redeemed or being saved forever.

"In the same way the lost will not be passing through a process of punishment for ever but will be punished once and for all, with eternal results. On the other hand, the noun 'life' is not a noun of action, but a noun expressing a state; that is, the life itself is eternal."

Finally, Samuele Bacchiocchi in his insightful book Immortality or Resurrection? says of aionios, translated "everlasting" or "forever": "Ancient Greek papyri contain numerous examples of Roman emperors being described as aionios. What is meant is that they held their office for life. Unfortunately, the English words 'eternal' or 'everlasting' do not accurately render the meaning of aionios which literally means 'age-lasting.'"

While some have tried to impose their own preconceived ideas on the biblical texts, a clear reading of the texts which refer to the fate of the wicked and the lost indicates that their end is destruction. Let's look at some plain texts.

Malachi 4:1 says that on the Day of the Lord "all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." That text speaks most forcefully of destruction, and utter annihilation. How could we get any other concept from that text? When we are not imposing preconceived ideas on the biblical text, it is obvious that the fate of the unsaved is destruction.

Psalm 37:38 says that "transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off."

In Matthew 13:30, Jesus also uses the imagery of total destruction to describe the fate of the wicked. The proverbial weeds are gathered to be burned. The metaphor is of total destruction. In Psalm 37:2, we read that the wicked will "fade like the grass"; they "shall be cut off" and "will be no more" (verses 9,10).

Hebrews 10:27 refers the "fury of fire which will consume the adversaries." Defenders of the immortal soul doctrine have often replied to the avalanche of texts showing that the wicked will be destroyed by saying that the word destruction is sometimes used to mean "put out of action." The example is used of Christ who, as it were, destroyed Satan the devil through His action on the stake, yet the devil continues to exist.

It is amazing the ingenious attempts which are made to preserve a cherished, inherited belief. While it is true that words do have several meanings, it takes no linguist with a doctorate to see that the contexts of words determine meaning. That destruction could possibly mean to put out of action and that it does take that meaning in one or a few texts does not mean that we should ignore the clear, ordinary meaning of the word as it is used in the many other texts of Scripture.

It is hard to ignore texts like Isaiah 1:28, which says that "rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed."

There is one text that cannot rationally or exegetically be open to any other meaning than the one favored by those who deny ever-burning hell and the immortality of the soul. This text is crystal clear once one really focuses on it.

We return to the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by eternal fire and are clearly not burning today. This fire was complete in its work of utter destruction. Peter says that God turned "the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes" (2 Peter 2:6). We don't have to wonder whether Sodom and Gomorrah are burning today. Those cities have been already turned to ashes as a result of the eternal fire.

So, clearly, their fire resulted in complete destruction in the ordinary sense of the word. Let's go on, for it gets more interesting. What God did was condemn them to extinctionto annihilation!not an unending burning. But it gets even more interesting, and now we'll see why there can be no other explanation of this bombshell of a text against the ever-burning hell and immortal soul concepts. In the latter part of verse 6, we are told that God "condemned them [Sodom and Gomorrah] to extinction and made them an example of those who were to be ungodly," meaning that the ungodly will suffer the same fate. What fate? Utter extinction! They will be turned to ashes (which is exactly what Malachi 4:1 says).

It could not be clearer! What Sodom and Gomorrah suffered served as an example of the kind of destruction that awaits the wicked at the end.

(Other important texts applying the word destruction to the fate of the wicked are Philippians 3:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:2,3; and 2 Thessalonians 1:9.)

An argument often used to distort the biblical truth about man is the view that only the body dies at the withdrawal of man's breath; the soul cannot. Yet Ezekiel 18:4 explicitly states that "the soul that sins shall die." Those same words are repeated in verse 20.

The Messianic text in Isaiah 53 shows that Jesus as a human being went the way of all fleshHe died. And when He died it was not just the body which died but His soul. Notice Isaiah 53:12, which predicted that the Messiah would pour out "his soul to death."

See also Psalm 89:48: "What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol [the graveNKJV] ?"

Matthew 10:28 is abundantly clear: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body...." The soul can be destroyed! Why do we refuse to believe the plain statements of Scripture?

The title of the book of one noted theologian, Oscar Cullman, says it all: Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead? It is an either-or issue. You cannot have both.

What is the purpose of the resurrection if the saints are already in heaven with Christ and the wicked in hell?

Nor is there any evidence that there is some special place called "paradise" where Christians stay in transit until the resurrection when they join Christ in heaven.

The uniform testimony of Scripture is that the dead remain in their graves until the time of the resurrection.

John 5:28,29 says, "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment."

Daniel 12:2 says, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." First Corinthians 15:52 shows that it is at the resurrection that the saved will gain immortality, and before then the dead are asleep in their graves. "For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable....For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?"

First Thessalonians 4:15 refers to the dead as being "asleep." The text goes on to say that when the Lord returns "the dead in Christ will rise first" (verse 16). Now if the dead go immediately to be with the Lord at death, how can they only rise at the last trump?

The Scriptures show that at the resurrection it is the entire person who is raised, not merely his body. "The dead in Christ" are the persons who die in Christ, not just their bodies.

Look at Job 14:12 to see unequivocally that it is the person himself, not just a part of him, who rises when Christ returns: "So man [his entire being] lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake; or be roused out of his sleep."

This takes us to the next point: that the Bible consistently refers to death as a sleep.

If death does not indicate unconsciousness why would the analogy of sleep be meaningful? The Psalmist refers to the "sleep of death" (Psalm 13:3). Psalm 115:17 says, "The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence." Matthew 27:52 states that "the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised." In Acts 7:60 we read of Stephen who "fell asleep." Second Peter 3:4 speaks of those who ask, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued...."

Other equally clear texts show unmistakably that the dead are unconscious. Psalm 146:4 says, "When his [man's] breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans ["thoughts"KJV] perish." The Psalmist asks, "Dost thou work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise thee? ...Are thy wonders known in the darkness, or thy saving help in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psalm 88:10,12).

The idea that the saints are having a great time praising the Lord and playing on harps finds no support in the Sacred

Scriptures! The dead are asleep; they are in silence, in the land of forgetfulness! Psalm 6:5 says pointedly, "For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in Sheol [the grave] who can give thee praise?"

Immortality is set forth in Scripture as something to be sought and attained in the future. Romans 2:6,7 says that God "will render to every man according to his works; to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life."

Immortality is a gift of God through Christ. It is not possessed inherently by humans. Only the saved will be granted immortality. For proof see 2 Timothy 1:10, which states that Jesus Christ "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Let's go to the very first book of the Bible to see God's revelation of what man really is and what constitutes the soul. In Genesis 2:7 we read, significantly, that "God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [or soulKJV]." Notice that man was not given a soul; God did not breathe a soul within man. Man became a living soul, a living being.

The Hebrew word for soul is nephesh, which is often translated "person," meaning one's entire being, not some immaterial part of him. The Hebrews had a holistic conception of human beings.

In Genesis 12:5 we read of Abraham's gathering all the "persons" (nephesh, rendered "souls" in the KJV) they had gotten in Haran. Genesis 46:27 says that seventy "persons" (nephesh) went into Egypt.

Leviticus 7:20 says that the "person" (nephesh) who touches any unclean thing shall be cut off. The English translations use "soul" and "person" interchangeably in a number of texts. (The King James Version regularly uses "soul" while the Revised Standard Version uses "person"it has the same meaning and comes from the same Hebrew, nephesh.) Leviticus 23:30 says, "And whoever does any work on this same day, that person [soul] I will destroy from among his people."

The problem is that many persons reading English translations might not realize that a number of references to a "person" (or "persons") dying are translated from the Hebrew nephesh, which means soul. If they did, it would be patently clear that the notion that the soul cannot die is a flagrant error.

Numbers 31:19, for example, says, "Encamp outside the camp seven days; whoever of you has killed any person [nephesh]...." See also Numbers 35:15,30; Joshua 20:3,9; Genesis 37:21; Deuteronomy 19:6,11; and Jeremiah 40:14,15 to see that souls (persons) die.

We find in the very first revelation about man's creation that man did not possess a soul but rather was a soul. So where did we get the concept of an immaterial soul that constitutes the real person and that could have an independent existence from the body? As Clark Pinnock and other scholars have pointed out, this view in Christian theology has come from Platonic thought.

Saying that man has no immaterial soul within is not to say that man is not distinguished from the animal kingdom. Man is made in the image of God; the animals and plants are not. Man has intelligence and reasoning ability and shares a number of characteristics with his Maker. Nothing must be done to take away from man's uniqueness in the created order. However, we need not build myths to sustain our uniqueness and supremacy in the earthly created order.

Some believe that the spirit in man, which goes back to God upon death of the body, can enable man to have conscious existence at that time.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 says that "the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit [ruach] returns to God who gave it."

The spirit is the life force which God breathed into man which made him a living soul. It is the life principle, the life energy, without which human life is not possible. As Job says, "If he [God] should take back his spirit [ruach] to himself, and gather to himself his breath [neshamah], all flesh would perish together, and man would return to the dust" (Job 34:14,15). The spirit animates human life. It has no separate existence apart from the body.

The breath of life which God breathed into man is equated with the spirit in man. Notice the Hebrew parallelism in Job

27:3: "[A]s long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God in my nostrils; my lips will not speak falsehood." Notice this other parallelism (where the same thought is expressed in two ways for emphasis) in Job 33:4: "The spirit [ruach] of God has made me, and the breath [neshamah] of the Almighty gives me life."

Yet another example of this parallelism is found in Isaiah 42:5: "Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out...who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it." The Scriptures are, indeed, abundantly clear that the breath of life is equated with the spirit in man.

Those who use Ecclesiastes 12:7, which says that "the spirit returns to God who gave it," to prove that the spirit is equated with the immortal soul have a very uncomfortable dilemma: They are forced to teach that everyone who dies, not just the saved, goes to heaven irrespective of whether he had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

No, the spirit in man is the breath of life which was given to man. As Job 34:14,15 says, "If [God] should back his spirit to himself...all flesh would perish"cease from existence.

Objection after objection crumbles as we look at the scriptural teaching on what man really is. Yet all the world's religions, all New Age philosophies, all of Eastern mysticism, and almost all of the Christian-professing world have accepted the very opposite of what the Bible teaches.

We now turn to some of the major objections raised against the view that the soul is mortal. We will see in each instance that the objection is not sustained.

Let's begin with Genesis 35:18, which says of Rachel, "And as her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Bennoni...." Now does her soul's departing mean that it had a separate, conscious existence?

Samuele Bacchiocchi puts it well in his book Immortality or Resurrection?: "The phrase 'her soul was departing' most likely means that 'her breath was stopping' or, as we might say, she was taking her last sigh. It is important to note that the noun soul-nephesh derives from the verb by the same root which means 'to breathe,' 'to respire,' 'to draw breath.' The inbreathing of the breath of life resulted in man becoming a living soul, a breathing organism.

"The departing of the breath of life results in a person becoming a dead soul. Thus as Edmund Jacob explains, 'The departure of nephesh is a metaphor for death; a dead man is one who has ceased to breathe.'"

Another text commonly misunderstood is 1 Kings 17:21,22, which says of Elijah: "Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, 'O Lord, my God, let this child's soul come into him again.'"

If the soul is not a separate part of the person, how could Elijah make this prayer? The Lord heard Elijah's prayer, "and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived."

Notice first that in verse 17 it is said that "there was no breath left in him," which harmonizes well with what we have covered, showing that the departure of the breath of life results in death. It was when God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life that man became a living soul. When the breath of life came back into the widow's son mentioned here, his nephesh (or life-force) came back and he became conscious again.

The soul of the child coming back into him simply means that his life returned! Nothing more, nothing less.

But the most popular of all the misunderstood texts is found in Luke 16, which records the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. For many Christians, this is the single text which seals the issue.

First, note that this was a parable. It was not a real historical event or the reporting or recounting of an actual event. It was a parable, a teaching, a pedagogical device designed to express truths in symbolic or metaphorical terms.

It is important, in looking at parables, to notice the contexts carefully, to see what were the lessons which the storyteller wanted to convey.

Jesus had been teaching on covetousness and stewardship (Luke 16:1-13). Jesus usually selects an appropriate parable to illustrate his ethical teachings. The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus was a classic one showing the rich's insensitivity to and exploitation of the poor.

Many theologians realize that Luke was the Gospel writer most concerned about social and political issues and that his gospel focuses more on the justice and equity issues. (Advocates of "Liberation Theology" are particularly fond of Luke.)

This parable highlights Luke's emphasis on concern for the poor and downtrodden and God's judgment of the selfish and sinful rich. Even the distinguished evangelical theologian Murray Harris, author of the book Raised Immortal: Resurrection and Immortality in the New Testament, admits that "the parable of the rich man and Lazarus was told to illustrate the danger of wealth (Luke 6:24) and the necessity of repentance (Luke 16:28 30), not to satisfy our natural curiosity about man's anthropological condition after death." (See his article, "The New Testament View of Life after Death" in the January, 1986, issue of the scholarly journal, Themelios.)

Continue reading here:

Immortality: God's Gift To The Saints The Church of God ...

UCLA Human Genetics

Posted on by

The Department of Human Genetics is the youngest basic science department in the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. When the Department was launched just prior to the sequencing of the human genome, it was clear that the practice of genetics research would be forever changed by the infusion of massive amounts of new data. Organizing and making sense of this genomic data is one of the greatest scientific challenges ever faced by mankind. The knowledge generated will ultimately transform medicine through patient-specific treatments and prevention strategies.

The Department is dedicated to turning the mountains of raw genetic data into a detailed understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of human disease. The key to such understanding is the realization that genes not only code for specific proteins, but they also control the temporal development and maturation of every living organism through a complex web of interactions.

Housed in the new Gonda Research Center, the Department serves as a focal point for genetics research on the UCLA campus, with state of the art facilities for gene expression, sequencing, genotyping, and bioinformatics. In addition to its research mission, the Department offers many exciting training opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents. Our faculty and staff welcome inquiries from prospective students. We also hope that a quick look at our web pages will give you a better idea of the Department's research and educational activities.

News Highlights

Continue reading here:

UCLA Human Genetics

MPC60 Software – Roger Linn

Posted on by

Do you have an Akai MPC60 or MPC60-II with the original version 2.12 software? Our version 3.10 software update adds the software improvements of the MPC3000 to the MPC60 or MPC60-II. It comes on 4 chips that you can install yourself and adds lots of useful features.

Sampling No Longer Limited to 5 Seconds

The 5 second limit for new samples is gone, allowing you to sample individual sounds up to the limits of memory (13 or 26 seconds, depending on whether or not your MPC60 contains memory expansion.) And sequence memory is no longer erased before sampling.

Stereo Sampling

Version 3.10 won't put a stereo sampling input on the back of your MPC60, but it does provide a method of creating stereo samples. Simply sample the left and right sides of a stereo sound separately as mono sounds, then a new screen in the software automatically re-syncs and combines them to form the stereo sound.

MIDI File Save and Load

Load standard PC-format MIDI file disks or save sequences as MIDI files. Move sequences between your MPC and PC or Mac sequencers.

Note: this requires that you download our Midi File Save utility, save it to an MPC60 floppy then boot your MPC60 from it.

Reads All MPC3000 Files Including Stereo Sounds

Reads all MPC3000 files, including mono or stereo sounds (saved to MPC60 floppies) and directly reads MPC3000 hard disks (MPC-SCSI required). Reads all MPC60 files.

Sound Compression Doubles Sound Memory

This features resamples existing sounds in memory from the normal 40 kHz to 20 kHz, thereby fitting into half the memory space. This works surprisingly well for most sounds (not so well for cymbals). In an expanded MPC60 (26 seconds) containing all compressed sounds, that's equivalent to 52 seconds of sounds.

Voice Restart for "Sound Stuttering"

Sounds may be set to restart when a single pad is played repeatedly, for "sound stuttering" effects. Also, sounds may be set to stop when finger is removed from pad, and any sound may be programmed to stop any other sound (choked cymbal stops ringing cymbal).

8 Drum Sets in Memory

Hold up to 8 drum sets in memory at once, each with 64 pad assignments from a common bank of up to 128 sounds. When saved to disk, sounds in drum sets are now saved as individual sound files, eliminating redundant sound data on disk when saving sets that share sounds.

4 Pad Banks for 64 Pad Assignments

Doubles the number of sounds immediately playable.

Hihat Slider Doubles as Realtime Tuning

The Hihat Decay Slider may now be assigned to any pad and may alternatively affect tuning, decay or attack in real time, with all movements recorded into the sequence.

Cut and Paste Sample Editing

Any portion of a sound may be removed and inserted at any point within another sound with single sample accuracy.

Hard Disk Save and Load

If you own the Marion Systems MPC-SCSI Hard Disk Interface for the MPC60, hard disk save and load operations are now included and work with the Iomega Zip 100mB or 250 mB drives.

Step from Note to Note in Step Edit

In Step Edit, the REWIND [<] and FAST FORWARD [>] keys may now be used to search to the previous or next event within a track, regardless of location. Also, you may now cut and paste events.

Streamlined MPC3000 Displays

Screen displays are improved and more intuitive, nearly identical to the MPC3000. For example, 4 letter pad names are replaced in screens by the full sound name.

New Sequence Edit Features

Most sequence editing functions now permit selection of specific drums to be edited. The new Shift Timing feature shifts track timing independent of timing correction. And the new Edit Note Number Assignment feature permits, for example, all snare notes in a track to be changed to rimshots or any other sound.

New Sound and Sequence Files in 3.10 Format

We've created a few sound and sequence files in the new version 3.10 format that you can download here.

Also Works on ASQ10 Sequencer

Version 3.10 can also be installed in the Akai ASQ10 Sequencer, adding the above features related to sequencing. (Details)

And More

Three-level sound stacking or velocity switch per pad. Simplified interfacing with external MIDI gear. MIDI Local Mode. Automatic "best sound start" removes dead space at start of new drum samples. 16 LEVELS provides 16 attack or decay levels.

Note: Due to low demand for this product, we are no longer printing user manuals so a user manual will not be included. However, you can download the user manual from the link at left.

Link:

MPC60 Software - Roger Linn

Roger Ver lawsuit – bitcoinist.com

Posted on by

Matthew Hrones April 27, 2018 10:35 am

A community movement that has grown to over 600 individuals in just two days is pursuing legal action against Bitcoin.com and its owner, Roger Ver, for deliberately misleading new users into buying Bitcoin Cash (BCH) instead of Bitcoin (BTC).

Bitcoin.com is undoubtedly a prized domain in the Bitcoin space. Its likely that anyone interested in finding out about the worlds first, and most valuable, cryptocurrency will instinctively type it into their browser or immediately see it as a top result in a Google search.

In fact, when Googling buy bitcoin, the first result is buy.bitcoin.com.

Upon clicking the link, a user is greeted with the following screen.

The logos are not only very similar and even the same color (BCH logo is typically green on most platforms to avoid confusion), but Bitcoin.com is the only website that refers to Bitcoin (BTC) as Bitcoin Core.

The Bitcoin Core name refers to the Bitcoin software client (also known as the Satoshi client), which was originally called simply Bitcoin, but was later renamed to distinguish it from the Bitcoinnetwork and currency.

Whats more, the Bitcoin Cash option is presented at the top without their respective BTC and BCH tickers. Anyone unfamiliar with the difference between the two will very likely be confused, if not completely fooled into believing that the top choice is, in fact, Bitcoin.

One user wrote in the Telegram group that its like advertising youre selling gold and then giving customers a piece of coal instead, while also referencing stories of people who mistakinglysent BTC to a BCH addressand vice versa.

Earlier this week, Bitcoin.com underwent changes to present Bitcoin Cash as Bitcoin. Most notably the block explorer, which changed from Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) to Bitcoin Core (BTC) and Bitcoin (BCH).

This change has especially outraged the Bitcoin community. It was also a topic of controversy among Bitcoin Cash supporters, many of whom believe Bitcoin Cash can compete on its own merit rather than attempting to steal the Bitcoin name.

pic.twitter.com/vb35pQsgJd

Parabullic Troll (@Crypto_God) April 26, 2018

Another example includes the websites Bitcoin Course, intended to help new users understand what Bitcoin is and how it works. However, the line between the two is blurred in a few places. It references Bitcoin Cash only several times, with most of the graphics in the course displaying Bitcoin and the Bitcoin logo.

Meanwhile, long time associate of Roger Ver and Shapeshift CEO, Erik Voorhees, has also distanced himself from Vers latest attempts to present Bitcoin Cash as the real Bitcoin.

Erik Voorhees and Roger Ver

Roger please stop referencing me to back up your opinion that Bitcoin Cash is Bitcoin, he tweeted. It isnt. Bitcoin is the chain originating from the genesis block with the highest accumulated proof of work.

The Bitcoin Cash fork failed to gain majority, thus it is not Bitcoin.

The lawsuit is gaining steam in aTelegram group chatcreated by user @MoneyTrigz,an admin at CoinTimes and co-owner of CoinDaily, and has grown to over 600 members in just a couple of days.

The group says it has attracted some community bigwigs, some of which include Bitcoin entrepreneurs Charlie Shrem and Richard Heart,Xotika.TVCEOJohn Carvalho, and Ibrea.org founder Ragnar Lifthrasir, whos been urging peopleto report the Bitcoin dot com wallet for fraud.

MoneyTrigz, however, has made it clear that no one is in charge of this initiative.

Its more of a community movement, cuz thats what it is, he explains. Its not led by me. Ijust sparked the flame thats all.

The consensus on this matter is the same, he continues.

Everybody is frustrated and outraged plus you have victims now losing money because of it. [Bitcoin.com] crossed the line, and were pushing back legally.

At the same time, one user questioned the pursuit of legal action saying that using any government entity in this dispute seems backward, adding that ultimately the markets will decide.

To which John Carvalho responded:

Were all the market. This isnt asking the government to do something. Its using tools the government provides. This *is* the market deciding. Its literally putting money into a solution.

The group is yet to disclose which law firm is being contacted, only revealing that its one from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, where the Bitcoin.com company is registered. The reason given is that it is a public group, and numerous people directly linked to Bitcoin dot com have already been banned from the chatroom.

MoneyTrigz, along with other group admins, have also stressed that it is not a discussion group, but rather for victims of the deceit to come forward and share their experience.

The legal angles are being discussed with lawyers, not up for discussion here, this is public, [Bitcoin.com] have eyes here, Money Trigz announced in the group.

An official website calledbitcoincomlawsuit.infohas also launched today, where people who have lost money from the scheme can submit their evidence and join in on the lawsuit.

A group of 600+ participants from influential industry leaders to community volunteers & contributors who devote to protect users from fraudulent businesses and help victims recover lost funds, the website description reads.

However, Bitcoincomlawsuit.info is not accepting donations just yet.

We have things going on behind the scenes and ALOT of industry people dm us to help with lawyer firm recommendations and in different jurisdictions. There seems to be some serious merit with a few of the approaches. Cant say more now. Send everybody to us that lost money using bitcoincom platform or wallet, he added.

Is Bitcoin.com committingfraud? Who do you think would win this lawsuit? Let us know in the comments below!

Images courtesy of Bitcoinist archives, Shutterstock, and Twitter/@Ragnarly.

Read the rest here:

Roger Ver lawsuit - bitcoinist.com

Southwest Pilot Was As Cool As A Cucumber During Engine …

Posted on by

The Southwest pilot who had to land her plane after an engine failure was shockingly cool, calm, and collected as she placed various calls to air traffic control.

LISTEN:

One of the planes engines exploded and detached in midair, with some of the engine parts smashing open a window. A passenger was partially sucked out of the open window and later died from severe head trauma, and other passengers were injured.

However, the pilot in charge of the plane,Tammie Jo Shults, sounded like she was totally in control as she planned her emergency landing.

Shults was formerly a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy.

Southwest 1380, were single engine, Shults said over the radio. Wehave part of the aircraft missing, so were going to need to slow down a bit.

Weve got injured passengers, she said.

No, its not on fire, but part of its missing, Shults said when asked if the plane was on fire. They said theres a hole, and uh, someone went out.

Passengers later praised Shults nerves of steel and said she helped keep them calm throughout the ordeal.

Delivered by The Daily Sheeple

We encourage you to share and republish our reports, analyses, breaking news and videos (Click for details).

Contributed by Amber Athey of The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is availablewithout charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. Forlicensing opportunities of our original content, please contactlicensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Read the original here:

Southwest Pilot Was As Cool As A Cucumber During Engine ...

Hedonism Community – Castaways Travel

Posted on by

Hedonism II Photo Album Negril, Jamaica

The photos in our Hedonism ii Photo Album wereeither shot by us, our clients or provided by the resort. If you have recently visited Hedonism ii we invite you to send in your photos for us to display.To contribute you own photos (or trip reports),go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.

Return to:Hedonism II Resort ReportHedonism 2Trip Reports Hedonism II Group Trips

Before we get to our Hedonism ii Photo Album below, heres something new. If youre one of the thousands upon thousands of Hedo loyalists then you might want to join the Hedonism Community to interact with other folks just like you. It does cost a minimum of $10 per month, but you earn 1000 Passion Points that you redeem dollar for dollar against your next Hedo vacation. so if you plan to go back in effect your membership is FREE Woo Hoo Click here to join.

Return to:Hedonism II Resort ReportHedonism 2Trip ReportsHedonism II Group Trips

Visit link:

Hedonism Community - Castaways Travel

UNESCO World Heritage Centre – World Heritage List

Posted on by

Extension of the "Australian East Coast Temperate and Subtropical Rainforest Park".

name changed 2007 from 'Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia)'

Renomination of "Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park" under cultural criteria.

The Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia which were previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, are part of the transnational property The Belfries of Belgium and France.

Extension of "Ja National Park".

Extension of the "Glacier Bay/Wrangell/St Elias/Kluane" property.

The "Burgess Shale" property, which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the "Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks".

Extension of "The Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple Monastery, Lhasa" to include the Norbulingka area.

The Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia which were previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, are part of the transnational property The Belfries of Belgium and France.

The "Chateau and Estate of Chambord", which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the "Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes".

The Hadrians Wall which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the transnational property Frontiers of the Roman Empire.

At the time the property was extended, cultural criterion (iv) was also found applicable.

The "Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjavur", which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the "Great Living Chola Temples".

At the time the property was extended, cultural criterion (iv) was also found applicable.

At the time the property was extended, criteria (iii) and (v) were also found applicable.

The Committee decided to extend the existing cultural property, the "Temple of Ggantija", to include the five prehistoric temples situated on the islands of Malta and Gozo and to rename the property as "The Megalithic Temples of Malta".

The Westland and Mount Cook National Park and the Fiordland National Park, which were previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, are part of the "Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand".

The "Convent Ensemble of San Francisco de Lima", which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the "Historic Centre of Lima".

Extension de Sites d'art rupestre prhistorique de la valle de Ca , Portugal

Extension of "Biertan and its Fortified Church".

At the time the property was extended, natural criterion (iv) was also found applicable.

Extension of the "Alhambra and the Generalife, Granada", to include the Albayzin quarter.

Extension of the "Mosque of Cordoba".

The property Parque Gell, Palacio Gell and Casa Mila in Barcelona, previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the Works of Antoni Gaud.

Extension of the "Churches of the Kingdom of the Asturias", to include monuments in the city of Oviedo.

Extension of the "Mudejar Architecture of Teruel".

Extension de Sites d'art rupestre prhistorique de la valle de Ca , Portugal

Following a survey of ownership carried out in the late 1960s, ownership of the totality of the walls was vested in 1973 in the Spanish State, through the Ministry of Education and Science. It was transferred to the Xunta de Galicia by Royal Decree in 1994.

The Spanish Constitution reserves certain rights in relation to the heritage to the central government. However, these are delegated to the competent agencies in the Autonomous Communities, in this case the Xunta de Galicia. For the Lugo walls the Xunta is in the position of both owner and competent agency. Under the Galician Heritage Law the Xunta is required to cooperate with the municipal authorities in ensuring the protection and conservation of listed monuments, and certain functions are delegated down to them. The Xunta operates through its General Directorate of Cultural Heritage (Direccin General de Patrimonio Cultural), based in Santiago de Compostela.

The Master Plan for the Conservation and Restoration of the Roman Walls of Lugo (1992) covered proposals for actions to be taken in respect of research and techniques of restoration. This was followed in 1997 by the Special Plan for the Protection and Internal Reform of the Fortified Enceinte of the Town of Lugo, which is concerned principally with the urban environment of the historic town. However, it has a direct impact on the protection afforded to the walls, in terms of traffic planning, the creation of open spaces, and regulation of building heights. Another planning instrument which affects the walls is the Special Plan for the Protection of the Mio [river], approved by the municipality at the beginning of 1998.

There is at the present time no management plan sensu stricto for the walls in operation in Lugo: work is continuing on the basis of the 1992 plan. Nor is there a technical unit specifically responsible for the conservation and restoration of the walls. It is against this background that serious consideration is being given to the creation of an independent foundation, under royal patronage and with representatives from government, academic, voluntary, and business institutions, to work with the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of Galicia. The work plan of this body would include the development and implementation of integrated conservation, restoration, and maintenance programmes.

The WH area is managed directly by the Divisional Forest Officer from the Forest Dept. A national steering Committee co-ordinates institutions for Sinharaja as a National Wilderness Area, Biosphere Reserve (1988), and WH site. There are two management plans, prepared in 1985/86 and 1992/94, which emphasise conservation, scientific research, buffer zone management, benefit-sharing, and community participation.

In 1979, the Committee decided to inscribe the Ohrid Lake on the World Heritage List under natural criteria (iii). In 1980, this property was extended to include the cultural and historical area, and cultural criteria (i)(iii)(iv) were added.

The Hadrians Wall which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the transnational property Frontiers of the Roman Empire.

Extension of "Gough Island Wildlife Reserve".

(renomination under cultural criteria)

Extension of the "Glacier Bay/Wrangell/St Elias/Kluane" property.

#: As for 19 Natural and Mixed Properties inscribed for geological values before 1994, criteria numbering of this property has changed. See Decision 30.COM 8D.1

Continue reading here:

UNESCO World Heritage Centre - World Heritage List

Cryptocurrency News: This Week on Bitfinex, Tether, Coinbase, & More

Posted on by

Cryptocurrency News
On the whole, cryptocurrency prices are down from our previous report on cryptos, with the market slipping on news of an exchange being hacked and a report about Bitcoin manipulation.

However, there have been two bright spots: 1) an official from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that Ethereum is not a security, and 2) Coinbase is expanding its selection of tokens.

Let's start with the good news.
SEC Says ETH Is Not a Security
Investors have some reason to cheer this week. A high-ranking SEC official told attendees of the Yahoo! All Markets Summit: Crypto that Ethereum and Bitcoin are not.

The post Cryptocurrency News: This Week on Bitfinex, Tether, Coinbase, & More appeared first on Profit Confidential.

Read more from the original source:
Cryptocurrency News: This Week on Bitfinex, Tether, Coinbase, & More

Ethical Implications of Human Genetic Engineering | SAGE

Posted on by

DNA editing techniques have been available for decades and are crucial tools for understanding gene functions and molecular pathways. Recently, genome editing has stepped back into the limelight because of newer technologies that can quickly and efficiently modify genomes by introducing or genetically correcting mutations in human cells and animal models. These tools include Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and the most recent player to join the ranks, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic repeats (CRISPR) (here, here). In a short time span, CRISPR/Cas9 has completely revolutionized the understanding of protein function, disease modeling, and potential therapeutic applications.

BACKGROUND on CRISPR/Cas9

The CRISPR/Cas9 system functions similarly to ZFNs and TALENs, it also takes advantage of a cells DNA repair machinery to delete (knock-out) or add in (knock-in) sequences of DNA. However, CRISPR/Cas9 offers several advantages: it is easier to target a specific gene of interest since designing the required CRISPR component is simple and efficient, whereas generating ZFNs and TALENs is more time consuming; it is often more proficient in generating the desired recombination results; and it is exponentially more cost effective, so almost any laboratory in the world can use it. CRISPR/Cas9 has been shown to work in several model organisms, and consequently researchers are keen to apply this technology for modifying genetic mutations in humans with uncured diseases as well as in human embryos, which arouses many scientific and ethical considerations.

Human embryonic gene editing

Genome editing technologies have come a long way and have already advanced towards mammalian models and clinical trials in humans. Recently, genetic modification of human embryos using CRISPR/Cas9 technology was achieved by the Huang laboratory in China in April 2015. They genetically modified un-viable embryos obtained from an in vitro fertilization clinic. These embryos were fertilized with two different sources of sperm, thus impairing their development. In this study, the Huang group repaired a mutation in the human -globin gene (HBB) that causes the blood disorder -thalassaemia. The CRISPR/Cas9 system and a donor DNA sequence containing the normal, healthy version of the HBB were injected into 86 embryos. A total of four embryos successfully integrated the corrected version of the HBB at the appropriate site. However, the authors reported a high number of off-target effects, meaning that CRISPR/Cas9 modified other locations in the genome; a non-ideal situation that could cause the disruption of other essential gene functions. The study demonstrated two important findings: genetic engineering is possible in human embryos and the CRISPR/Cas9 system requires essential improvements before it can be used in future studies on human embryos. More importantly, these results force scientists to question the future and the implications of such a powerful technology. Should we accept genetic engineering of human embryos? If yes, when and in what capacity should we accept it?

Current guidelines and regulation

Scientists in the United States are addressing the need for regulation of human embryonic gene editing. On April 29th, the US National Institute of Health (NIH) director, Dr. Francis Collins, released a statement emphasizing the bureaus policy against funding research involving genome editing of human embryos and the ethical concerns regarding this technology. However, the policy does not necessarily cover privately funded projects.

Safety regarding genetic engineering is a major concern and Huangs publication highlights this point. However, this publication forces the community to address whether scientists should use non-viable or discarded embryos to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was developed for human genome targeting in 2012 and since then has seen rapid improvements. If it is decided that unviable embryos can be used for this type of research, the next step for US lawmakers is to evaluate new guidelines for the funding and safety of genetic engineering in these embryos.

Ethical concerns

While the interest and use of CRISPR/Cas9 has exploded since its discovery in 2012, prominent scientists in the field have already initiated conversations regarding the ethical implications that arise when modifying the human genome. Preventing genetic diseases by human genetic engineering is inevitable. The slippery slope is when/if we start to use it for cosmetic changes such as eye color or for improving a desired athletic trait. A perfect example is surgery, which we have performed for hundred years for disease purposes and is now widely used as a cosmetic tool. Opening the doors for genetic engineering of human embryos could with time lead to manipulate genetics for desirable traits, raising the fear of creating a eugenic driven human population.

Who are we to manipulate nature? However, for all those who suffer from genetic diseases the answer is not so simples; if we can safely prevent severe genetic diseases and create healthy humans, why not manipulate nature? Have we not already done this in other animal populations? At this time the long term effects of genome editing remain unknown, raising additional questions. As the field progresses, with appropriate regulations and guidelines it will eventually co-exist alongside other major controversial topics including nuclear power and genetically modified organisms. Since ethics are different across the world, creating international guidelines will be a challenge, but a necessity. Strict regulations are in place for nuclear power, the same should be possible for genetic engineering of human embryos. To outlaw genetic engineering entirely will be potentially declining a place at the discussion table, as the further utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 technology is unlikely to be abandoned.

This fall The National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine, together with CRISPR/Cas9 discoverers Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, and other leading scientist within the field are organizing an international summit to consider all aspects (both ethical and scientific) of human genetic engineering to develop standard guidelines and policies for practicing human genome editing. The NIH already has guidelines in place, and will potentially add more as a result of this summit. It is expected that other countries will have varying guidelines for human genomic engineering. Also, to avoid fear and misunderstanding, scientists will need to convey human genome editing in a responsible manner to the general human population. This summit is a step in the right direction encouraging caution and regulations. Hence, there is now a need for a timely but thoughtful set of guidelines for the general scientific community as well as for the broader human community.

Go here to see the original:

Ethical Implications of Human Genetic Engineering | SAGE

Download Tor Browser Bundle v7.5.4 (freeware) – AfterDawn …

Posted on by

The Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.

The Tor Browser Bundle lets you use Tor on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux without needing to install any software. It can run off a USB flash drive, comes with a pre-configured web browser called Aurora, and is self-contained.

Only web pages visited through the included Firefox browser will be sent via Tor. Other web browsers such as Internet Explorer are not affected. Make sure that it says "Tor Enabled" in the bottom right corner before using it. To reduce the risk of confusion, don't run Firefox while using the Tor Browser Bundle, and close existing Firefox windows before starting.

See the rest here:

Download Tor Browser Bundle v7.5.4 (freeware) - AfterDawn ...

Brain Uploading – TV Tropes

Posted on by

"The point is, if we can store music on a compact disc, why can't we store a man's intelligence and personality on one? So, I have the engineers figuring that one out now."Artificial Intelligence is hard. Why reinvent the wheel, when you've got plenty of humans walking around? Who will miss one, right?Alternatively, you might be one of those humans looking for easy immortality. Either way, once you finish scanning the brain, you end up with a file that you run in a physics simulator, and presto, you have a computer that remembers being a human. If you do it carefully enough, the original brain won't even notice it happening.This computer has a number of advantages over a meat human. The simulation can be run many thousands of times faster than objective speed, if you've got enough computing power. It can be backed up with trivial ease. You can run multiple copies at the same time, and have them do different things, make exotic personality composites, and tinker around with the inner workings of the brain in ways that are either difficult or impossible to do with a meat brain. Additionally, there's the fact that it's impossible to kill as long as its data is backed up somewhere and there exists a computer on which to run it - you can just restart the simulation wherever you left off and the mind won't even recognize it.Critics of the concept are quick to point out that it presupposes an understanding of neurology (not just human neurology, but even the neurology of a common insect) far, far beyond what currently exists; and that without that knowledge, even the most powerful computer cannot do this. Proponents of the idea assure us that this knowledge is coming. Proponents who hope to live to see and actually benefit from it assure us that it's coming really really soon.As with The Singularity, the idea of brain uploading has inevitably taken on a quasi-religious aspect for many in recent years, since it does promise immortality of a sort (as long as your backups and the hardware to run them on are safe), and even transcendence of the body.The advantages bestowed by brain uploading are a bit overwhelming if you're trying to incorporate them into a story. It kind of kills the tension when the protagonist can restore from backup whenever the Big Bad kills them. Authors have devised a number of cop-outs, which you can recognize by asking these questions:

open/close all folders

Anime and Manga

Comic Books

Fan Works

He took out the hexagonal chip from his coat, the Soul Catcher that contained Shepard's memories, her mind, her skills... but ironically, not her soul.

Films Live-Action

Literature

Live-Action TV

The TARDIS: Do you really not recognize me? Just because they put me in here? The Doctor: They said you were dangerous. The TARDIS: Not the cage, stupid. (puts fingers on temples) In here. They put me in here!

Other Sites

Podcasts

Stand Up Comedy

Tabletop Games

Video Games

Visual Novels

Webcomics

Web Originals

Western Animation

Alternate Reality Games

Real Life

Follow this link:

Brain Uploading - TV Tropes

Famous Users of Psychedelics – How to Use Psychedelics for …

Posted on by

Psychedelics have been used by many of the most creative and successful individuals in our society. Because of the stigma surrounding psychedelics, only a small percentage of these people have spoken publicly about their experiences. Here are a few who have. Right now, this list is just white men! We'd love to feature some well-known people of color and women-- please let us know if you have any suggestions.

Steve Jobs and his Apple co-Founder Steve Wozniak took LSD many times at the beginning of their career. Their experiences are discussed in Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs.

"Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there's another side to the coin, and you cant remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was importantcreating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could."

Steve JobsFounder, Apple

Susan Sarandon discussed ayahuasca and mushrooms in an interview with the Daily Beast.

"Ive done Ayahuasca and Ive done mushrooms and things like that. But I like those drugs in the outdoorsIm not a city-tripper... I like doing it in the Grand Canyon, or in the woods. You want to be prepared and not have responsibilities. It does remind you of your space in the universeyour place in the universeand reframe things for you. I think you can have some very profound experiences."

Susan SarandonActor

Frances McDormand described her experiences with LSD and psychedelic mushrooms in a 2014 interview with the Daily Beast.

"I really, really enjoyed LSD. And I really enjoyed mushrooms very much. Its unfortunate, I think, that drugs were not handled properly. Politically, theyve been used to separate the economic classes. Thankfully, its all getting fixed now with the marijuana laws. But with LSD, because it was countercultural, and because it was used as an experimental drug, it was not marketed properly. It if had been marketed properly, we would have it.... We needed a PR person for that LSD! It was very profound. Very profound."

Frances McDormandActor

Tim Ferriss is a multi-bestselling author of the Four-Hour Workweek and the Four-Hour Body. He has spoken repeatedly about his use of psychedelics and his advice about what he considers a safe and productive approach.

"The billionaires I know, almost without exception, use hallucinogens on a regular basis," Ferriss said. "[They're] trying to be very disruptive and look at the problems in the world ... and ask completely new questions." - Tim Ferris, CNN.com

In this video he addresses the subject in depth:

Cary Grant was used LSD with his therapist many times and was an advocate. Vanity Fair wrote about his experiences in detail in this article from 2010.

"The Curious Story Behind the New Cary Grant headlined the September 1, 1959, issue of Look magazine, and inside was a glowing account of how, because of LSD therapy, "at last, I am close to happiness." He later explained that "I wanted to rid myself of all my hypocrisies. I wanted to work through the events of my childhood, my relationship with my parents and my former wives. I did not want to spend years in analysis."

Vanity Fair

Kary Mullis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in for dramatically improving the technique of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is an essential tool of modern biology research. Albert Hofmann, the inventor of LSD, was told by Kary that LSD had helped him develop his PCR invention (Wired, 2008).

"Back in the 1960s and early '70s I took plenty of LSD. A lot of people were doing that in Berkeley back then. And I found it to be a mind-opening experience. It was certainly much more important than any courses I ever took."

Kary MullisCalifornia Monthly, 1994

"What if I had not taken LSD ever; would I have still invented PCR?" He replied, "I don't know. I doubt it. I seriously doubt it."

Kary MullisBBC Horizon Interview, 1997

Psychedelics have been misunderstood and misrepresented for decades. That's changing. Please help us share safe, responsible information on using psychedelics by sending this page to friends, and posting to Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Go here to see the original:

Famous Users of Psychedelics - How to Use Psychedelics for ...

Jitsi Meet (advanced) Projects

Posted on by

How to join Jitsi Meet video conferences over the Web

If you do not already know what Jitsi Meet is, here is the official homepage. Jitsi Meet allows you to create and join video calls over the Web (even as a simple viewer). Some of its features are: encrypted by default, no account needed, invite by pretty URL https://mysite.com/myroom

Thanks to UV4L it is possible to create or join an existing room and broadcast live video and audio to all the participants or viewers in the room from a camera and a microphone connected to the Raspberry Pi. Its also possible to automatically hear and see other participants if you have speakers and display (HDMI, touchscreen, etc) connected to the Raspberry Pi. Of course, other participants can be other Raspberry Pis. The great news is that you do not need any browser installed on the Raspberry Pi to do this.

Its necessary to install the required packages before proceeding: uv4l, uv4l-server, uv4l-webrtc, uv4l-xmpp-bridge and one video driver (e.g. uv4l-raspicam, uv4l-uvc, etc). Please refer to these installation instructions for more details.

To start and stop streaming to a particular Jitsi Meet server (called videobridge), its enough to invoke the corresponding commands by means of the UV4L Streaming Server installed on the Raspberry Pi. This can be done in two ways.

The first convenient way is through a browser by using the Jitsi Meet control page available at the URL the Streaming Server itself is listening to (e.g. http://myraspberrypi:8080), from which its possible to specify all the mandatory informations (i.e. XMPP and/or BOSH signalling server, chat room, your username and password) required to establish a connection and to click on start/stop buttons in order to join or leave the specified room respectively.

The second way is to invoke the start/stop commands via HTTP/GET requests sent to the Streaming Server from command line. For example, to start streaming to the videobridge which is at the base of the official, free-access Jitsi Meet service at meet.jit.si, type (in one line):

where raspberrypi will have to be replaced with the real hostname of your Raspberry Pi in your network (it can be localhost if you are executing the command from within your Raspberry Pi) and port will have to be replaced with the real port number the Streaming Server is listening to (8080 is the default). The above command will make the Raspberry Pi create or join a conference at http://meet.jit.si/testroom.

If the UV4L Streaming Server is providing HTTPS instead of HTTP, be careful to specify https://[] in the URL. You may also desire to add the insecure option to curl to turn off the verification of the servers certificate (see the curl manual for more details).

Please note the parameters in the URL that you are allowed to specify:

server (XMPP server hostname or ip address) port (port the XMPP server is listening to) muc (multiuser chat domain) room (desired room you want to join or create) room_password (room password, if the room is protected) username (desired username in the chat room) password (password if the server is password protected) reconnect (try to reconnect after disconnection) bosh_enable (1 if you want to use BOSH signalling, 0 otherwise) bosh_server (usually HTTP(S) server hostname for BOSH) bosh_tls (1 for HTTPS, 0 otherwise) bosh_port (typically 443 for HTTPS, 80 for HTTP) bosh_hostname (connection manager hostname, typically the same as bosh_server) action (Start or Stop streaming)

All the above settings can be optionally specified once for all in the UV4L configuration file (except action) (see the uv4l-server manual for more details).

Similarly, to stop streaming:

If you are protecting the UV4L Streaming Server with a password, then the above URL will not work. In this case, you must specify user and password in the URL as in the below example:

Continued here:

Jitsi Meet (advanced) Projects

About Nootropics Expert

Posted on by

NootropicsExpert.com is your source for the world of nootropics, the latest neuroscience research, and tips for boosting your brainpower.

Stunning new science suggests you can begin enjoying a razor-sharp mind within days.

But it has been my experience that it takes a lot of trial and error. A ton of research. And a lot of experimenting before getting your brain firing on all cylinders.

Its a challenge staying on the cutting edge of neuroscience. And thats what we endeavor to do here. The timing is more critical than ever.

Did you know that today if you live to be 80 your chance of suffering from loss of cognitive function are odds of 1 out of 2 people? Thats crazy scary stuff. You have a whopping 50% chance of major brain impairment to look forward to as you get older.[i]

Not only do we want to avoid a brain malfunction as we get older. We want to have our brains working better than ever right now!

David Tomen ~ author ofNootropics Expert

I startedNootropicsExpert.comwhile running several companies. And all the stress that comes with keeping them profitable. This is an ongoing mission to find new, safe ways to boost our mental performance.

This site is all about what I discover. After many years of trial and error, I bring myexperience to you. So it is continually updated on the latest in brain enhancement technologies.

Youre in the right place if you are looking for safe and legal ways to boost your brain power. For experienced neurohackers, youll find the latest in neuroscience. And cognitive enhancement.

I was diagnosed with Adult ADD several years ago. Up to then I had no idea why I had a problem with focus all my adult life.

Dozens of self-help books on how to focus. Depression because I couldnt. And lost promotions from yearly management reviews showing I wasnt focused.

Ritalin turned the lights back on for me.

A couple of years after the ADD diagnosis I ended up in the ER. And was told I was hypothyroid. A full-page, two-column list of symptoms includes brain fog. Not only was I struggling to focus, my memory was failing too.

Episodes of not remembering dates and appointments, a failing business, and a crumbling marriage. I saw psychologists, doctors, endocrinologists, neuroscience specialists and therapists.

Two unrelated doctors tested me for dementia, and early-onset Alzheimers disease. One of the tests is the Mini-Mental State Exam. A health professional asks a series of questions designed to test a range of everyday mental skills.

The maximum MMSE score is 30 points. A score of 20 to 24 suggests mild dementia, 13 to 20 suggests moderate dementia, and less than 12 indicates severe dementia.

I got 30 points on every test.

During the mini-cog, a person is asked to complete two tasks:

The results of this brief test can help a physician determine if further evaluation is needed.[ii]

Im a writer, and not an artist. But was able to draw a near perfect clock.

So it was becoming increasingly clear that this was not dementia, or Alzheimers. But for some reason my brain was not working nearly as well as it should.

The medical bills kept stacking up, and the doctors had all but given up. There was nothing wrong with me according to mainstream medicine.

But my life was falling apart and I had to make a decision. Either figure this thing out. Or give up and die.

I decided there must be a better way.

Im a Virgo. And this means Im very methodical in my approach to life. There had to be another answer to my cognitive problems. And thus began years of research and experimenting.

I had to find out if there was a way to deal with brain fog and ADHD naturally. Ritalin was able to help me focus. But was not helping in the memory and thinking department.

Years of searching websites, reading stacks of books, and combing through the forums. And I was able little by little to get my brain working again. Better than ever before.

With the right combination of supplements and lifestyle changes, Ive been able to reduce my use of prescription stimulants. My business turned around, my relationship is better than the day we got married, and my brain is firing on all cylinders.

And I continue to tweak and refine every area of my brain and cognition.

So if youre dealing with ADD. Or are not happy with your life because of brain fog, low energy, moodiness, difficulty sleeping or just a general feeling malaise this site may be your way back.

Explore the site and see what tips and supplements work for you. I have my favorites, but every person is different.

Its my hope that a fresh perspective can help you make better neurohacking decisions and get you thinking and working at the top of your game.

And while youre here, grab a copy of my book called Secrets of the Optimized Brainby entering your email address below. Its free. And a quick reference guide for building your perfect nootropic stack.

Or if you are looking for more indepth information on nootropic supplements including detailed reviews, dosage information, side effects, drug interactions, how your brain works, and detailed recipes for nootropic stacks for everything from Alzheimers to memory and depression check out my latest book.

Its called Head First The Complete Guide to Healing and Optimizing Your Brain with Nootropic Supplements. Over 600 pages of the latest information on nootropics you can download to your computer, tablet or phone. And read today. See more about Head First here > Get Head First.

Thanks,

David

P.S. My thoughts and opinions are not meant as medical advice. Nor are they substitutes for medical advice. I am not a doctor or medical professional. Please consult with a medical professional before starting any new supplement.

REFERENCES

[i] 2015 Alzheimers Disease Facts and Figures Alzheimers Association (source)

[ii] Tests for Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Alzheimers Association alz.org Retrieved February 15, 2016. (source)

Continued here:

About Nootropics Expert

Economic and Social Effects of Crime – Growing Interest In …

Posted on by

Crime is a major part of every society. Its costs and effects touch just about everyone to some degree. The types of costs and effects are widely varied. In addition, some costs are short-term while others last a lifetime. Of course the ultimate cost is loss of life. Other costs to victims can include medical costs, property losses, and loss of income.

Losses to both victims and nonvictims can also come in the form of increased security expenses including stronger locks, extra lighting, parking in more expensive secure lots, security alarms for homes and cars, and maintaining guard dogs. Considerable money is spent to avoid being victimized. Other types of expenses can include a victim or person fearful of crime moving to a new neighborhood, funeral expenses, legal fees, and loss of school days.

Some costs of crime are less tangible (not easily or precisely identified). These kinds of costs can include pain and suffering, and a lower quality of life. There are also the traumatic impacts on friends and the disruption of family. Behavior can be forever changed and shaped by crime, whether it be weighing the risks of going to certain places or even the fear of making new friends.

Inmates led by a drill instructor at an Oregon correctional institution boot camp. About thirty states operate similar facilities, combining military-style workouts, strict discipline, and intensive substance abuse counseling. (AP/Wide World Photos)

Crime not only affects economic productivity when victims miss work, but communities also are affected through loss of tourism and retail sales. Even the so-called victimless crimes of prostitution, drug abuse, and gambling have major social consequences. Drug abuse affects worker productivity, uses public funds for drug treatment programs and medical attention, and leads to criminal activity to support the expenses of a drug habit.

Communities and governments spend public funds for police departments, prisons and jails, courts, and treatment programs, including the salaries of prosecutors, judges, public defenders, social workers, security guards, and probation officers. The amount of time spent by victims, offenders, their families, and juries during court trials also take away from community productivity. By the beginning of the twenty-first century it was estimated that the annual cost of crime in the United States was reaching upward toward $1.7 trillion.

Anderson, Elijah. Streetwise: Race, Class and Change in an Urban Community. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1990.

Beckett, Katherine. Making Crime Pay: Law and Order in Contemporary American Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Cook, Philip J., and Jens Ludwig. Gun Violence: The Real Costs. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Felson, Marcus. Crime and Everyday Life. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 1998.

Gray, Charles M., ed. The Costs of Crime. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1979.

Madriz, Esther. Nothing Bad Happens to Good Girls: Fear of Crime in Women's Lives. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997.

Skogan, Wesley G. Disorder and Decline: Crime and the Spiral of Decay in American Neighborhoods. New York: Free Press, 1990.

Welsh, Brandon C., David P. Farrington, and Lawrence W. Sherman, eds. Costs and Benefits of Preventing Crime. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2001.

See the original post:

Economic and Social Effects of Crime - Growing Interest In ...

Is John McAfee Pumping Cryptocurrencies for Cash …

Posted on by

Is John McAfee promoting cryptocurrencies for cash? One reddit user who began a thread entitled John McAfee will pump your shitcoin for a fee of 25 bitcoins and 15% of your coins- Exposed seems to think so.

Last Thursday, McAfee announced through his Twitter page that he will be discussing a new coin every day.

Time to buy the dip?

Discover credible partners and premium clients in Chinas leading event!

Note the first response to this message: Let the pump and dump games begin. Prophetic?

A Twitter user has posted a screenshot of a conversation between himself and a user purporting to be McAfee. The user asks McAfee if he would like to look at a blockchain project called Enigma. McAfee replies that for a fee of 25 Bitcoins and 15% of the coins, he will promote it.

John McAfee is currently the CEO of MGT Capital Investments, and could be called eccentric:

He is a British-American computer programmer and businessman, best known for the McAfee antivirus programme. He resigned from McAfee Associates in 1994, and it was bought by Intel in 2011, but his revenues from that company and other myriad interests led him to amass a personal fortune which peaked at $100 million in 2007.

The above Twitter post could be seen as a deliberately worded invitation. He tells you that he has read every white paper, and has an opinion on which coins are worthless and which are worth supporting.

McAfee has influence, something that is evident when we look at a relatively unknown coin called Verge. Verge (XVG) was worth $0.000019 at the beginning of 2017, but by the 20th December it had hit $0.1637. Its market cap grew from $246,300 to $2.41 billion.

McAfee endorsed Verge:

Dont get me wrong it would not be fair to say that McAfees endorsement is the only reason for the success of this particular coin. Verge places a lot of emphasis on anonymity, routing orders through Tor. This is particularly attractive now that the anonymity which was a major attraction of cryptocurrency in the first place seems to be slipping away. However, a major price spike coincides with the Twitter post:

Take a look at the following three charts:

All three of those spikes coincide with a McAfee Twitter endorsement. So a good word from McAfee clearly has clout, and he did have the opportunity to profit from pumping coins.

The public frenzy to buy into cryptocurrencies means that this could have been be a good little money-spinner for McAfee.

However, his aforementioned fortune is an argument against him feeling the necessity to make money in this way (although 25 bitcoins is well over $300,000 at todays prices).

Now, McAfee claims that the aforementioned offer to promote for payment is from a fake account. While the account name appears to be the same, he says that the fake account has substituted the lowercase L in the username with a capital i. It does seem to work @officialmcaffee/@officiaImcafee. It is difficult to tell the difference, and could be undetectable given the right font.

Also, it seems to me that if his business model was to use his name to promote a product, it would be counter-productive to make public the fact that he can be bought. Not something that one would expect from a successful businessman.

More evidence against irresponsibility on his part:

The jury is out.what do you think?

Read this article:

Is John McAfee Pumping Cryptocurrencies for Cash ...

The Australian Libertarian Society presents: The 6th …

Posted on by

Join us in Sydney from 23-26 May 2019 for the biggest and best pro-liberty event in the Asia Pacific Region, hosted by the Australian Libertarian Society (ALS) and the Australian Taxpayers Alliance (ATA).

We are expecting well over 400 activists, thought leaders, business representatives, and political influencers will hear from some of the best speakers from not just Australia, but around the world.

The highlight of the conference will be the presentation of the Annual Liberty Awards at the Gala Dinner on Saturday night.

In addition to the two hosting organisations, the Friedman Conference is supported by a range of sponsors and contributors, including the Institute of Public Affairs and Connor Court Publishing.

Watch this event page for regular updates and speaker announcements. If you have any suggestions or questions then please contact ATA Executive Director Tim Andrews, ALS President John Humphreys, and/or ALS Executive Director Stuart Hatch.

We look forward to you seeing you next year in Sydney!

Read more:

The Australian Libertarian Society presents: The 6th ...