August 1 and the Potential Disruption of the Bitcoin Network – Bitcoin News (press release)

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If youve been listening to the bitcoin community, youd know in about two weeks the bitcoin network may face some protocol changes. Due to the possible user-activated soft fork (UASF) planned and the chance some groups may counter this plan, this has created thousands of discussions concerning August 1. Now the bitcoin-focused web portal Bitcoin.org has issued a warning on the site that informs users of a potential network disruption.

Also read:Mining, Merchants, and TradersThailands Got the Bitcoin Fever

Bitcoin users everywhere are getting prepared and heavily discussing the possibility of a blockchain split. The subject was discussed a lotthis past March when bitcoin proponents and cryptocurrency businesses feared a potential split when the Bitcoin Unlimited implementation was seeing strong support. Now the conversation has resurfaced, but the topic of UASF or BIP148 is an entirely different scenario.

UASF (BIP148) is a mechanism designed to start on August 1st, at 00:00 UTC that activates a soft fork enforced by full nodes. After this point, full nodes participating in this plan will reject blocks that have not upgraded to BIP141 otherwise known as Segregated Witness (Segwit). At press time there are 1095 total UASF nodes out of 7896 reachable bitcoin nodes globally according to Bitnodes. UASF requires a lot of industry support and miners to activate Segwit, by this point if they do not support the activation the chain could diverge into two.

Currently, there are businesses that have announced initial support for BIP148 such as Abra, Trezor, Samourai Wallet, Electrum, Coinomi, Mycelium and roughly 37 other organizations. However, there are many wallets and a vast majority of exchanges that have not announced any support or issued warnings about the upcoming August 1st Segwit enforcement. This includes a significant amount of wallet providers and exchanges including Bitstamp, Kraken, Bitfinex, Gemini, BTCC, Poloniex, and many more. One relatively small exchange in Switzerland called Bity has warned its customers the platform will be halting trading on August 1st.

On Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 08:00:00 GMT Bitcoin.org issued a warning in regards to the potential network disruption that may take place on July 31, 20:00:00 GMT/August 1st, 00:00 UTC.

Bitcoin confirmation scores may become unreliable for an unknown length of time, explains the network disruption warning. This means that any bitcoins you receive after that time may later disappear from your wallet or be a type of bitcoin that other people will not accept as payment.

Once the situation is resolved, confirmation scores will either automatically return to their normal reliability, or there will be two (or more) competing versions of Bitcoin. In the former case, you may return to using Bitcoin normally; in the later case, you will need to take extra steps in order to begin safely receiving bitcoins again.

The warning gives users some preparation guidelines and possible outcomes for during and after the UASF event. This includes not trusting payments during this time, and not sending payments until after the dust has settled. Even the maintainer of the website Bitcoinuptime.com says that there may be potential bitcoin downtime from the upcoming BIP148 fork and the networks 99.991523267% uptime will have to be updated. Further, there was an issue concerning the Bitcoin.org alert over the wording Bitcoin may be unsafe to use starting July 31st in contrast to saying potential network disruption. The developer who made the change writes;

Note: I object to this change, which I think makes the alert less clear, less forceful, and degrades alert usability. I make this change only because the Bitcoin.org site maintainer insists upon it.

Following Bitcoin.orgs disruption alert one large bitcoin exchange has come forward issuing a warning and how the company will handle the August 1 situation. The cryptocurrency trading platform GDAX, a subset of Coinbase announced there will be a temporary suspension of deposits, withdrawals, and possibly trading on August 1. GDAX executive Adam White says, the activation of UASF may create two blockchains, and outlines how the company plans on handling the possible fork. If August 1 results in two chains, GDAX states;

In either scenario, we will implement safeguards to ensure the safety of our customers funds. For example, we will temporarily suspend the deposit and withdrawal of bitcoin on GDAX and may pause the trading of bitcoin as well. This decision will be based on our assessment of the technical risks posed by the fork, such as replay attacks and other factors that could create network instability.

Another possible scenario to think about is the Bitcoin ABC (Adjustable Blocksize Cap) implementation that was revealed by the software engineer, Amaury Schet at The Future of Bitcoin event in Arnhem. The project has released its latest client Bitcoin ABC 0.14.2and says its a full node implementation of Bitcoin that removes Segwit code and replaces it with an adjustable block size cap. During the initial announcement, Schet detailed that Bitcoin ABC is part of the user-activated hard fork contingency plan against BIP148.

In essence, the ABC protocol prepares for any disruptive risks associated with UASF activation and could also activate during the August 1st Flag Day as well. Besides being a contingency plan, the UAHF protocol will move the block size cap towards the activation of emergent consensus where users can decide block size themselves. Bitcoin ABC could counter the BIP148 soft fork which could cause network disruption, and a possible blockchain split as well.

Alongside these two alternative plans, the Segwit2x working group has also been steadily preparing the compromise idea announced called the New York Agreement. The group released beta code and have been experimenting with the Segwit protocol and a 2MB hard fork on a Bitcoin testnet. So far there has been a lot of bickering about Segwit2x between the projects lead developer Jeff Garzik, Bitcoin core developers, and the Blockstream CEO Adam Back. Many core supporters refuse to compromise on Segwit2x calling it Franken-segwit and a great majority of core developers have rejected supporting the idea. However, some core maintainers have been making comments on Segwit2xs Github and the working groups Slack channel. There is still uncertainty concerning the New York Agreement plan, but the working group is still moving along as August 1st gets closer.

As far as August 1st is concerned users should make sure they hold their private keys. There is a possibility of network disruption and Bitcoin.com will inform our readers of everything people need to know, including exchange updates, trading, withdrawal and deposit suspensions, and any other important information that arises in regards to this specific date.

What do you think about August 1st? Do you think there will be any potential network disruption or do you think nothing will happen at all? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Images via Shutterstock, Pixabay, Saltylemon.org, Bitcoin.org, and Bitcoin ABC.

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August 1 and the Potential Disruption of the Bitcoin Network - Bitcoin News (press release)

Darren Archibald: Utica Comets ‘right fit for me’ – Utica Observer Dispatch

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Ben Birnell

Darren Archibald wants another crack at reaching the NHL.

After weighing his options this offseason, the veteran left wing believes returning to the Utica Comets for a fifth season gives him the best opportunity to reach that goal.

The 27-year-old Archibald turned in the best of his six professional seasons during a challenging campaign with the Comets in which he led the team in goals and points, added a role as a key penalty killer and was among the team leaders. The breakout performance helped earn him team MVP honors and cement his spot as a favorite among local hockey fans.

I just feel like Utica was the right fit for me, Archibald said Wednesday, a day after the Comets officially announced his one-year AHL deal. I still think theres a lot of opportunity in Vancouver for me, especially with (former Comets coach Travis Green) up there now. I want to come into camp strong and try to earn an NHL contract.

Archibald, who played 16 games with the parent Vancouver Canucks during the 2013-14 season, knows he has more work to do to get back to hockeys top level. The Canucks already have a crowded group at forward, which will likely create some competition in the fall and leaves a lot of question marks.

Archibald said hes been able to work on his upper-body strength this summer after battling through injuries in previous seasons. Hes also working on his quickness and speed in an effort to stay a step ahead.

I think the biggest thing for me is to stay focused and keep doing the same things and even more, said Archibald, who noted he talked to Green once while he was weighing his options. Theres no time to take the foot off the gas in this sport. You have to earn everything you get.

Archibald said he talked with Carter Bancks and Wacey Hamilton both also signed to AHL deals and looks forward to being part of the team's leadership with them. With the departure of Alex Grenier he and Curtis Valk will be missed, Archibald said and defenseman John Negrin currently a free agent, he knows he could be the only player returning that was part of the Comets roster the first season.

Ive basically called Utica home for the last four years, Archibald said. Ive enjoyed playing there and being the only one from the inaugural season is definitely a special thing.

Follow @OD_Birnell on Twitter or call him at 315-792-5032.

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Darren Archibald: Utica Comets 'right fit for me' - Utica Observer Dispatch

Comets pair to play in tourney – YourGV.com

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Halifax County High School catcher Clay Lloyd and Comets outfielder and pitcher Brayden Moore will be playing in the baseball tournament of the Commonwealth Games that starts tonight at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

Lloyd and Moore will play for the West team, which will play its first game of the tournament tonight at 6 p.m.

Along with the pair of Comets players, the Piedmont District is represented by Tunstall High School players Tyler Jarrett and Cameron Rigney.

The baseball competition of the Commonwealth Games features four all-star teams comprised of the top 15-year-old to 17-year-old high school baseball players in the state. The four teams represent four regions of the state, with the four teams competing in an eight-game playoff series to determine the champion.

Action starts tonight with the West team facing the Central team at 6 p.m. An opening ceremony will follow that game, with a game between the North and East teams set for 8:30 p.m.

Four games are on tap Saturday with the first game set for 9:30 a.m. The Central and North teams will face each other in the 9:30 a.m. opener with West Vs. East, East Vs. Central and North Vs. West games following in that order.

After Saturdays round of games teams will be seeded for Sundays medal round. On Sunday, the Number 4 seed will play the Number 3 seed at 9:30 a.m. in the Bronze Medal game.

Following a teams lunch that will be held at 11:30 a.m., the Number 2 seed will face the Number 1 seed in the Gold/Silver Medal game.

Notable tournament alumni include Justin Verlander, David Wright, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton, Ryan Zimmerman and others.

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Comets pair to play in tourney - YourGV.com

Comets going to California – Lethbridge Herald

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By Woodard, Dale on July 14, 2017.

Dale Woodard

Lethbridge Herald

sports@lethbridgeherald.com

Evidently, word of the Raymond Comets rugby program has reached south of the border.

Now, senior varsity members of the girls team that captured the Alberta Schools Athletic Association provincial championship in early-June are headed there for a 7s rugby tournament in Gridley, California.

Starting today, 10 members Albertas best rugby team will pit themselves against some top-ranked U.S. talent from three different states and it all started with a conversation between southern Alberta referee official Paul Howe and the tournament organizers.

He went down there to do training and referee in a tournament, said Comets head coach Dan Bikman of Howe. He got talking with (the organizer) and he said Theres a really strong program out of southern Alberta and if youre looking to put something together, contact them. He called me and I said it sounds awesome. So I told my senior varsity players and said If theres a group of you that wants to go, well go. If you dont want to go, no pressure. Summer is tough to organize the kids because they have family stuff and play different sports, but I got a good group of 10, which is a good sample of our program. We have good speed, good power and good skill.

As it turns out, that area is kind of a hotbed for rugby. He wanted to put together a kind of best-of-the-best tournament and invited us to go. He has four teams that rank in the top-10 in the U.S. Itll be a competitive experience, thats for sure.

Getting their first glimpse of American opponents, the 10 Comets making the trip are understandably looking forward to it.

Theyre super excited, said Bikman. Theyre excited about the travel experience and theyre excited about the competitive experience. To play at the highest level, at least in western North America, will be a huge privilege for them. These are clubs out of Sacramento, Utah, Colorado and all through the California area. Weve never played an American team. Weve played B.C. and Saskatchewan. This is the first time weve ever been south to play.

I hope we dont have our hands too full, but I think we can compete down there. Itll be awesome for the kids to see a different area where rugby is strong. Rugby is strong in Alberta and specifically in southern Alberta and for them to see another hotbed and a place where theres lots enthusiasm for rugby, I think thats going to be awesome.

Today is the pooling portion of the tournament with the championship round starting Saturday, said Bikman.

Its kind of a round-robin and then a playoff.

The trip has turned into a family affair.

We have a couple of families caravaning and taking kids down, said Bikman. Ive got 10 players going and I think six of them will have their parents with them.

Staying in the small town of just over 6,500, accommodations will be similar to what the Comets offer during their annual Christmas tournament.

Its a small town, it only has one hotel, said Bikman. Its actually similar to how we do the Sugar Bowl in Raymond where the kids come and stay with host families.

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FDA OKs new Johnson & Johnson treatment for psoriasis – ABC News

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U.S. regulators approved a new psoriasis drug from Johnson & Johnson Thursday, giving people with the itchy and painful condition another treatment option.

Johnson & Johnson said that in one patient study, about seven in 10 patients getting the drug, Tremfya, had clear or nearly clear skin after 24 weeks of treatment. That compares with about four in 10 patients receiving rival AbbVie's Humira, which treats several immune disorders and is the world's top selling drug.

Tremfya, which is injected every eight weeks, can cause infections and other serious side effects. Because it suppresses part of the immune system, it can increase the risk of developing tuberculosis and some types of cancer.

The drug, which has the chemical name guselkumab, will cost $9,684 per dose, or about $58,100 per year, without insurance. That's comparable to Humira, which costs about $59,200 a year.

More than 7.5 million Americans are estimated to have psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory condition in which overproduction of skin cells causes raised red lesions called plaques, along with frequent pain, itching and burning sensations. Tremfya was able to both clear up lesions and help relieve those symptoms.

Johnson & Johnson, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, sells other immune disorder treatment such as Remicade and Stelara for conditions including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Follow Linda A. Johnson at https://twitter.com/LindaJonPharma .

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FDA OKs new Johnson & Johnson treatment for psoriasis - ABC News

FDA Clears At-Home Light Therapy Device for Psoriasis – Monthly Prescribing Reference (registration)

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July 13, 2017

The device straps to affected psoriasis areas (ie, arms, legs, elbows, knees) and emits a UV-free blue LED light

The Philips BlueControl wearable light therapy device has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat mild psoriasis.

The device straps to affected psoriasis areas (ie, arms, legs, elbows, knees) and emits a UV-free blue LED light. It is designated a Class II prescription medical device.

A clinical trial (Pfaff S et al. 2015) of 47 individuals with mild psoriasis found significant improvement in change from baseline of Local Psoriasis Severity Index in patients receiving UV-free blue light home treatment.

The Philips BlueControl has been available in Europe since 2015. We are pleased that we can now start marketing this innovative home treatment solution for psoriasis to dermatologists in the U.S. said David Aubert, General Manager of Philips' Light & Health business.

The company indicated that they will start to engage with dermatologists and patient support groups for a planned commercial U.S. launch in early 2018.

For more information visit Philips.com.

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FDA Clears At-Home Light Therapy Device for Psoriasis - Monthly Prescribing Reference (registration)

Including Kim Kardashian & Maybe You:Treatment Options – Hollywood Life

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Believe it or not, the skin disease, psoriasis, affects 7.5M people including Kim Kardashian & maybe you! Dont fret, because we have expert doctor tips on fast treatment options you can try!

The skin disease, psoriasis, affects millions of people, including Kim Kardashian, and you may be one of the 7.5 million people that suffers from it. While it sounds like a seriously scary disease, dont be nervous, because there are many different treatment options you can try to control it and thankfully, it is not contagious. We spoke exclusively to Jennifer C. Cather, MD, with the Modern Dermatology-Aesthetics Center in Dallas, Texas, on what exactly psoriasis is and how you can treat it fast.

Psoriasis affects approximately 7.5 million people in the U.S. alone. It affects both men and women equally and occurs in all racial groups at varying rates. While the disease can begin at any age, it most often develops between ages 20 to 30 and 50 to 60. Its also important to note that up to 30% of people with psoriasis eventually develop psoriatic arthritis, which involves joint inflammation.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic skin condition causing increased skin cell growth that may appear on the skin as raised, sometimes red patches covered with a silvery buildup of dead skin cells. What people may not know is that its an inflammatory, systemic disease meaning that it can affect the entire body. Psoriasis is also not contagious.

While both eczema and psoriasis are inflammatory skin diseases that involve skin lesions, which may look similar, the distribution geographically is usually different. Eczema is more on the allergy spectrum so patients oftentimes experience other symptoms such as hay fever, asthma or hives. Eczema does not have associated arthritis tied to it, but for psoriasis, up to 30% of people with the condition may eventually develop psoriatic arthritis, which involves joint inflammation.

There are various options for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. These include over-the-counter lotions and prescription medications such as creams; oral medicines; phototherapy with ultraviolet light; and biologic agents that are given by injection. There are several ways to help manage psoriasis, including treatment as well as lifestyle changes, so people should work closely with their dermatologist to discuss what their options and create a treatment plan that works for them.

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What is up with Kim Kardashian West’s leg? – Body and Soul

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What you need to know about the common condition, according to a dermatologist.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease that affects millions of people, Kim Kardashian West being just one of them.

This week the beauty magnate stepped out in Manhattan, and her shin had flared up in a manner typical to the non-contagious condition, as anyone who also suffers would know. (The itchiness? Its real.)

Photo: Getty ImagesSource:BodyAndSoul

But, while psoriasis affects 1.4 million Australians (or, around 2-4 per cent of the population, according to dermatologist Dr Natasha Cook of Darlinghurst Dermatology in Sydney) there is still a great deal of misinformation and misunderstanding among people who dont suffer from it - and even some who do.

First up, according to Dr Cook, psoriasis can cause red, scaly patches on your skin, irregular texture of your nails, and dandruff, and affects both sexes. If you think for the first time in your life you might be dealing with this, book an appointment with your GP who will be able to advise a correct treatment plan, as psoriasis can occur at any life stage to anyone (though it does tend to peak in early adulthood).

Your scalp, knees, elbows, hands, and feet are the most typically affected areas, though as Dr Cook explains it can occur anywhere on your body and as new cells mix with old cells, an accumulation on your skin occurs, which leads to raised red lesions called plaques on the body. Ouch.

According to Dr Cook, the condition has many triggers (genetic, for starters, as a third of people who are diagnosed have a family member who suffers, too) and a host of environmental and lifestyle factors can activate it, too.

Sore throats from a streptococcal infection can unmask a type of psoriasis known as guttate psoriasis, according to Dr Cook, as can trauma to the skin like bad sunburn, as can lifestyle factors smoking, excessive drinking, and being overweight can cause flare-ups, too... and another huge factor is stress, though it can still occur without these triggers at play.

According to Dr Cook, the cold weather can bring on psoriasis more than the heat (which might explain a few things, come to think of it) as winter dries out the skin more. Plus, the sun helps peoples psoriasis as it suppresses the immune system, and given this is an overactive immune disorder, it helps many cases.

And, while it cant be solved with a contour kit (sadly) there are certainly things you can do to keep the symptoms under control, says Dr Cook, like eating well, moisturising, de-stressing with meditation, yoga and quitting smoking, for starters. (All of which is sound advice, we think youll agree.)

Though, as every case (and every body) is different, its best to consult a healthcare professional for the right treatment for you.

Chloe went 2 nights with only 4 hours sleep to see what effect sleep deprivation had on her body and mind.

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What is up with Kim Kardashian West's leg? - Body and Soul

San Miguel de Allende is Best City in the World: Travel + Leisure – The Yucatan Times

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When Travel + Leisure magazine asked its readers to rate which city they believed was the best in the world, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, won first place. After T + L announced the poll results this week, our sister website San Miguel de Allende Times(SMT) gained further wide exposure for the award. Below, we are republishing the original article from SMT.

In an article published today Tuesday July 11 onTravel + Leisures website, San Miguel de Allende has just been designated Best City in the World.

Every year, Travel + Leisure asks itsreaders to rate the best cities in the world, and the results continue to surprise the whole world.

Not only do newcomers sometimes float to the top, but longtime favorites also continue to reappear a testament to a destinations enduring popularity. This years group of winners span the globe, from market-filled Hoi An in Vietnam to Florence, a European culture capital. Of note, however, is what ties these contenders together: Almost all are pedestrian-friendly, possess ample green space, and have a rich history thats being thoughtfully preserved as the city grows.

This years No. 1 winner for the first time ever in the Worlds Best Awards 22-year history is Mexicos San Miguel de Allende. San Miguel is one of the most authentic, creative and cost-effective destinations weve visited, says a T+L reader of the colonial city, a partof which has been designateda UNESCO World Heritage site. Over the years weve discovered more great restaurants and activities, but the town still maintains its Mexican heritage, culture and charm.

The Worlds Best Cities list also speaks to T+Lreaders growing interest in Asia, as seven of the top 15 urban destinations are in the region. Kyoto, home to some of Japans most well-preserved traditional architecture, Chiang Mai, Thailand, best known for its walled Old City, and Siem Reap, Cambodia, the jumping-off point for Angkor Wat, all made repeat appearance.

Clickherefor full article onTravel + Leisure

Source:http://www.travelandleisure.com/

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San Miguel de Allende is Best City in the World: Travel + Leisure - The Yucatan Times

Aspire to travel the world? Read this before you go. – Washington Post

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Nothing changes you like travel does.

I know, because after 26 years of suburban stability, I recently sold my house, pulled up my stakes and hit the road. Im a different person because of it.

A new Booking.com survey reveals the transformative power of travel. More than 10 percent of respondents said a first-time travel experience led them to switch careers or change a relationship. And 21 percent decided to move somewhere completely different as a result of traveling.

So if youve never really made it past that summer week in an Ocean City, Md., condo, or a camping trip to Shenandoah National Park, this storys for you. Its the one I wish Id read before I became a global nomad.

Prepare for change: Whether youre starting a job that lets you travel for business or becoming a post-retirement vagabond, constant travel changes you. Youll become part of a fraternity of frequent travelers whose perspectives have been shifted by new places and people. Youll be less afraid to embrace new ideas or cultures or to try new things. Either youll learn to live with the vagaries of life on the road or youll go mad. Ive seen that happen. So my first piece of advice: Be flexible. Because if you arent, this wont work.

[The travel industry is finally ending discrimination against solo travelers. Or is it?]

Find an adviser: Whether you work with a corporate travel manager, a travel agent or someone who just understands travel, youll want someone you can turn to. Invariably, problems can be avoided by booking with a travel professional, says Arnt Pederson, the chief executive of Accent Travel International, a travel agency in Minneapolis. Hes right. Almost every day, I see situations where having a knowledgeable adviser could have prevented a misunderstanding, a lost reservation or an intractable problem. And while using a travel agent may add a little to your cost, in terms of booking fees, it can really pay off when you find yourself stuck at the airport with only the floor to sleep on. Ive been there, and fortunately, I was saved by an agent.

Mind your manners: Proper etiquette will keep you out of trouble while youre on the road, and I dont just mean using please and thank you. Im talking about cultural sensitivity, something that might not be entirely intuitive. Take the handshake, for example. You probably knew that neglecting to shake someones hand is considered rude. But did you also know that Western and Eastern Europeans shake hands again when they part and that you should always remove your gloves before shaking? Also, a woman initiates a handshake with a man in all European countries, says Pamela Eyring, president of the Protocol School of Washington. Thats a lot to remember.

Plan ahead: The most experienced travelers never wing it. They think about each trip and plan each segment, often in painstaking detail. And if you spend a little time talking to them, theyll tell you about the kit a collection of must-have items they bring on each adventure. Orlando-based event planner Jamie ODonnell never goes on a car trip without a phone charger or access to a GPS-enabled device for directions, plus the latest version of Waze, an app for road conditions and directions. It will significantly reduce your stress levels, she says. To that I would add carrying a spare charger and using it in your hotel room or vacation rental. That way, youll never find yourself in the car with a lifeless phone, screaming, Wheres the charger?

[Never seen a play on Broadway? Heres how one first-timer played the odds and scored cheap tickets.]

Know the rules: Travel rules are a little wacky, so take some time to get familiar with them. Airline contracts are among the strangest and most counterintuitive. For example, did you know it often costs less to buy a round-trip ticket than a one-way ticket? Or that if you miss one leg of your flight, your airline will cancel the rest of your reservation without offering a refund? If youre traveling for business, you have an extra layer of absurdity your corporate travel policy. Know your companys travel policy, advises Evan Konwiser, a vice president for American Express Global Business Travel. It might sound tedious, but the best way to make the most of your travel is understanding what you can and cant do.

Avoid bad habits: Travel can be fun and exciting, but it can also turn you into an entitled and insufferable card-carrying frequent flier. Resist that temptation. Ive spoken with countless travelers who regret the habits they picked up along the way. One of most memorable conversations was with Bob McIntyre, a retired business traveler from San Antonio, who described himself as a former loyalty program addict. Points are a natural byproduct of travel and can be redeemed for even more travel. But youre easily seduced into taking a darker path that tempts you to manipulate the system, using manufactured spending to earn even more free trips.

Try to relax: A majority of travelers in the Booking.com survey (61 percent) admitted that any nervousness they felt before they departed was unnecessary. Its true: In my experience, the jitters you feel before a trip are completely unfounded.

Even so, not everyone is suited a life on the road. Travel has the power to alter the course of your life for better or worse, and as someone whose life has been transformed by travel, I would urge you to consider that carefully before you go. I now find experiences are far more important than material things. The people in my life are more valuable than my possessions. And the here-and-now is worth more than what might come next. Thats the transformational power of travel.

And its a warning, too. Because once youve experienced it, you may never want to come back.

Elliott is a consumer advocate, journalist and co-founder of the advocacy group Travelers United. Email him at chris@elliott.org.

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Aspire to travel the world? Read this before you go. - Washington Post

50 reasons London is the world’s greatest city – CNN

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(CNN)

With apologies to Elvis Presley, 14 million London fans can't be wrong. That's how many out of towners hit the British capital during the first nine months of 2016.

London is a global leader in banking and financial services, so the city of 8.7 million residents attracts a steady stream of business travelers. With 43 universities -- the highest concentration of higher education in Europe -- it's popular with international students and scholars.

More than half of the live births (58%) in the city in 2016 were to mothers born overseas. According to some dedicated foodies, London has the best Indian food in the world outside of Birmingham. But for all that is changing, London has retained the classic elements that set it apart from every other city in the world.

From ancient icons like the Tower of London to more recent phenomena such as Adele, this sprawling wonder of humanity has a near endless string of attractions.

We capped our list at 50, but feel free to drop your own reasons to love London in the comments section below.

To cross Waterloo Bridge is to almost guarantee the Kinks in your head blasting "Waterloo Sunset." Or walk up Primrose Hill and the Beatles' "The Fool on the Hill" will run through your mind.

Wandering the city at random, your inner soundtrack might include "Streets of London" (Ralph McTell), "West End Girls" (Pet Shop Boys), "Home Town Glory" (Adele) and most anthemic of all, "London Calling" (don't you dare ask who did it).

It's a soundscape city filled with record shops and music venues in which you can live/relive the music it's inspired down the years.

It's comforting to know that there will always be at least one corner of the world where "heart-healthy omelets" and Mongolian wheatgrass shakes are rightly considered culinary atrocities. Inside London's greasy spoon cafes, you can ask for calories with a side of saturated fat and hold the guilt, please.

Just don't expect it in Carnaby Street or on the Kings Road. These days you have to go east, young person.

91 Brick Lane, E1; Sundays only.

The smell of eau de cologne and bay rum hang in the air. It is allegedly here that Johnny Depp came to study shaving technique for his role in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

9 Curzon St., W1; +44 (0)20 7499 1850

No matter how many millions of fawning bloggers "discover" them, no matter how many adoring travel articles they're the subject of, no city's cabbies (or cabs for that matter) are as classy as London's. You almost feel privileged shelling out about $19 (15) for a lift down the street.

You don't have to buy one of the city's muckraking tabloids to be entertained by sidewalk screamer headlines like, "How do you solve a problem like Korea?" (about North Korean nuke testing) and the Scottish Sun's immortal, "Super Caley Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious," which appeared above a report on an Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-0 victory over Celtic in 2000.

31-35 Great Ormond St., WC1; +44 07478 733 723

Like the bistros of Paris, the pubs of London are having a hard time of it. Their role as the working classes' living room can no longer compete with cable TV and cheap beer from the supermarket.

There's a certain machismo attached to vindaloo, the hottest curry on offer, but well-spiced doesn't have to mean pulse-quickening, sweat-pouring heat.

Nowhere is that clearer than at Veeraswarmy, where the exquisitely prepared Lucknowi dishes might give you a chili kick, but the rice laced with lemon restores calm in short order.

London has to be only place where it can rain all summer, yet local government still enforces a hosepipe ban, leaving those beautiful chamomile lawns to wither come the crispy dryness of fall. No one likes government officialdom, but at least here you can laugh at it.

Somebody with nothing better to do worked out that for every soul living in London today, there are 15 ghosts.

In most cities you don't notice them, but in London you do. The dead and the fictional ghosts of Shakespeare, Falstaff, Sherlock Holmes, Dickens, Oliver Twist, Dr. Johnson and Samuel Pepys are all around.

Londoners love a meaty banger. They have them sandwiched for breakfast, with mash for lunch and all the trimmings for dinner.

Spotted dick.

Eggs on toast, bacon roll or the full English -- egg, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, chips, toast -- taken with strong tea and the world becomes a kinder, gentler place.

One of the best caffs with this fare is The Regency. For 55 years, it's has been dishing up fried comfort food and putting the world to rights.

Blue plaques on houses commemorate the famous people who once lived within. You won't have heard of most of them, but it gives you a reason to look up on a gray day.

There are some amusing juxtapositions, such as the house on Brook Street that accommodated Jimi Hendrix and Handel. Not at the same time, but still ...

No, not the London band (though big love to them as well). We're talking about the overlooked half of that dynamic duo known as fish and chips.

Done to British tastes, the chip is square cut and plump, and double fried in beef fat. One of the best versions is at The Golden Hind, where the chips are the thickest, the brownest, the bestest. You might quibble with the grammar, but not the sentiment behind it.

11 Langley St., WC2H 9JJ; +44 (0)20 7420 9390

The Shard: everyone hates it, that big pointy monstrosity slicing up the skyline, but finally we can stop banging on about Westminster Palace and St. Paul's for our architectural kicks.

If you're flying in with EasyJet you can even get one inflight before touchdown.

Within the boundaries of the capital, 300 different languages are regularly spoken.

Want to go to India? Head to Brick Lane. Fancy a trip to Jamaica? Brixton is your best bet.

But for a truly foreign experience there's no better place than Fulham. English they may be, but if you can make out what Tarquin is communicating to Ralph (pronounced "Rafe") when he says, "Yah, I don't know what her chap is but she's not getting any of mine! Snort," you're doing better than us.

The Santander Cycles are also known as "Boris bikes," after Boris Johnson, the mayor-turned-foreign-secretrary who launched the scheme. They cost only a few quid and London is a surprisingly good biking city.

Apparently the debate comes down to the bread, which is less roof-of-mouth scrapingly crisp in the London version.

Although when talking Vietnamese in London it's hard to ignore the Viet hotspot of Kingsland Road, where restaurant after restaurant offers steaming bowls of deliciousness for a few quid.

13 Kingly St., W1; +44 (0)20 7324 7731

Yes, there's often a wait for everything from tables at restaurants to public services. But, unlike 90% of the rest of the world, at least the locals know how to form orderly queues without cutting in front or milling about in ill-defined packs like wild dogs circling a kill.

An easy way to get Londoners to lose their biscuits is to stand to the left of an escalator, go to the front of a queue or try to get on a packed tube before everyone's gotten off. Cue the aggressive tutting.

Back in 2012 London hosted the Olympics. Four years later, newspapers-worth of opinions have been written about the Games' epic cultural legacy.

It's also a delicious dessert. In British politics men that attended the elite Eton public school are caricatured as blustering red-faced bullies and buffoons.

The current coalition government has many old Etonians in its number. But the words Eton Mess were coined long before this political era and describe a melange of meringue, strawberries and cream first made and sold in the Eton tuck shop.

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2; +44 (0)20 7747 5942

If someone suggests going for a drink after work, they mean drink and nothing else. Booze will be bought in quantity and at no time will the issue of dinner raise its ugly head.

To avoid a woozy stagger home via a frightening fast food outlet, the sensible socialite takes dietary precautions.

It is acceptable to order pre-packaged bar snacks such as crisps (potato chips) or peanuts to soak up some of the alcohol. In some bars you may see something called "pork scratchings" for sale. These are not for you.

The secret to blending in with locals lies solely in the use of one word -- "innit" -- a colloquial abbreviation of "isn't it?"

Confusingly, although "innit" implies a query, this uniquely London method of punctuating sentences is purely rhetorical. Thus, "time for drink, innit?" is wrong, but "I've had four pints and no dinner, innit" is grammatically perfect.

Almost a millennia after London was founded, the Thames is still the soul of the city. You can have a beer on its banks, walk its length or stand on a bridge and stare into its murky depths, feeling all the layers of history from the Romans to Ricky Gervais.

You can even see the mudlarks of Dickens' day at work at low tide, only now they use metal detectors rather than rakes and hands.

One of the best and longest established speakeasies is New York import Milk and Honey.

63 Worship St., EC2; +44 (0)20 7247 0015

A shop with a big crest outside, also known as a royal warrant, means that the establishment has supplied goods for at least five years to HM The Queen.

Despite massive crowds and dense population, it's easy to find privacy. The sardine-tin peak-hour tube ride is the best place for some personal time.

Despite a briefcase, knee, elbow or arse pressing into you, no Londoner will dare bother or even look at you, allowing you to focus on the morning's paper (conveniently left on the train by a previous passenger) without distraction.

Thinking of eating Sunday lunchtime in a place overlooking the river or bordering a park? This month? Good luck, mate!

Sunday lunch is a main event, and also something very specific -- roast meat, roast potatoes and a green all drowned in gravy and followed by a sturdy pudding.

Street art has turned the entire city into an exhibition space.

Best places to spot a Banksy, El Chivo or a Robbo, which taken indoors and hung on a wall would sell for thousands, are along the banks of the Regents canal, around Old Street or in the Waterloo arches, which hosts the annual "war of the cans."

Spanish restaurateurs have taken over London in a way that makes the conquistadores look like folk dancers.

Peruvian restaurants are springing up over the West End, but the eponymous one that started the trend for ceviche and sours still rules.

Ceviche, 17 Frith St., W1; +44 (0)20 7292 2040

Savile Row is where the suit was invented. And its tailors still make them better than anywhere else.

A bespoke suit requires four to six fittings, takes five months to complete and prices start from roughly $4,400 (3,500) for a two-piece.

Shocking sticker, but they do last forever and you do look the dog's bollocks (local vernacular for very good, sir).

A few blocks from Savile Row is the chicest little clutch of shops where the best of British couture is closeted.

321 Kings Road, SW3 +44 (0)20 7352 5857

Sumner St., SE1; +44 (0)20 7887 8888

To see what happens when "tea" meets cutting edge molecular cuisine, there's the spectacular Sketch (9 Conduit St, W1).

Europe's largest annual street party, Notting Hill carnival carries on for three days of the August bank holiday in a riot of noise, color and 24-hour dub reggae.

Also, sometimes, actual riot.

This means heavy police presence, leading to inevitable front-page pictures of straight-laced London bobbies with Caribbean beauties -- one spangle and two feathers between them -- booty rubbing against the crisp uniforms of London's finest.

Many a blood feud has been sparked by disagreement about which gin goes best with which tonic -- Hendricks and Fevertree anyone?

69 Colebrooke Row, N1; +44 07540 528593

Attempting to reunite with family or friends who live across town requires an advanced degree in public transport and calendar planning. Sorting out a multileg, around-the-world holiday is simpler than working out when and how to meet up with friends in Islington if you happen to live in, say, East Putney.

All this makes London the perfect staycation. Why spend all that time and bother going to France when you could use it instead to go to Cockfosters?

Nose-to-tail dining is having a moment in London's eateries. Fergus Henderson started it with his highly lauded restaurant, St. John.

26 St. John St., EC1

His flashiest creation, The Flintlock, which contains gin and gunpowder tea tincture and is presented in a bright flash of light, is setting the world ablaze.

What better way to light up the world's greatest city?

St. John's Square 86-88, Clerkenwell Road, EC1M; +44 (0)20 7324 4455

Editor's note: This article was previously published in 2012. It was reformatted, updated and republished in 2017.

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50 reasons London is the world's greatest city - CNN

The Soul of the Matter Now in Paperback; Read Bruce Buff’s Thriller on Intelligent Design! – Discovery Institute

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This past week, Bruce Buffs first novel, The Soul of the Matter (Simon & Schuster/Howard Books), which debuted last year, was released in paperback.

In The Soul of the Matter, former cyber-intelligence analyst Dan Lawson seeks to unravel the mysteries his geneticist friend claims he discovered encoded in DNA: secrets that could destroy humankind. After a catastrophic experiment, Dan races against time and deadly pursuit to uncover whether the human soul can survive sciences conquest of nature.

Along the way, charactersare forced to confront the reality of their existence.In his book, Buff examines intriguing questions about science and philosophy.

Does DNA coding demonstrate that we are here by intent?

And is the brain itself enough to produce perceptions, feelings, thoughts and awareness?Perhaps not maybe rather, every moment of our lives is our souls in action.

Find excerpts from the book here, here, and here. And in case you wondered, the rumors are true: Discovery Institute plays a role in the story. Well, were not the main character, but you cant have everything.From David Klinghoffers reviewhere at Evolution News:

As of today, ID is also something else that I wouldnt have predicted: the main theme and dramatic backdrop of a pretty effective and tense thriller by debut novelist Bruce Buff. Following the adventures of ex-CIA officer turned computer hacker Dan Lawson and eerily compelling pediatric oncologist Trish Alighieri, Mr. Buffs The Soul of the Matterexpertly invokes a range of ideas including irreducible complexity, the Cambrian explosion, the enigma of protein evolution, and the malign illusion of a transhuman future.

Imagine Dan Brown meets Stephen Meyer meets Wesley J. Smith and youll have an idea of whats in store for readers. A turning point in the story involves a visit to Seattles Pioneer Square and, yes, Discovery Institute. If Mr. Browns knockout The Da Vinci Code were to be rewritten from a design perspective with the combined insights of Doug Axe, Michael Behe, and Jonathan Wells, you would have something like Mr. Buffs impressive book.

[I]ts a novel that makes your foot jiggle nervously and your palms sweat, even as it deftly deals with a range of ideas connected with ID, and makes some points I hadnt thought of before.

Publishers Weekly declares, A thrilling plot filled with deception and international intriguethis book will leave readers to ponder big questions of existence. B&N Reads describes the book as, A thriller that will have you thinking and questioning everything long after you read the last page.

It is the first in a fast-paced three-book series by Mr. Buff. Get it now!

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The Soul of the Matter Now in Paperback; Read Bruce Buff's Thriller on Intelligent Design! - Discovery Institute

Alan Turing Institute to benefit from a new supercomputer – ZDNet

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The Alan Turing Institute is getting some extra supercomputing muscle from Cray.

The Alan Turing Institute stands to benefit from a new Cray Urika-GX supercomputer, through collaboration between Cray, Intel, and the institute. The supercomputer will be hosted at the University of Edinburgh in its Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC).

The Alan Turing Institute is the UK's national institute for data science, and brings together researchers from a range of disciplines with the aim of tackling core challenges in data science theory and application.

Named in honor of Alan Turing, who did pioneering work in computer science, the institute is a key centre for the disciplines that make up data science. This new addition to the institute's computing power will provide researchers with access to Cray's analytics platform, which brings together supercomputing technologies and a software framework for big data analytics.

"The Alan Turing Institute was created to advance the world-changing potential of data science," said Alan Wilson, CEO of the institute. "Our researchers require powerful computing technology... to enable their research, and the Cray system... will be an important addition to the Turing's data science toolkit."

According to Cray, an exclusive feature of the Urika-GX is its Cray Graph Engine, which aims to leverage Cray's high-speed Aries network interconnect, in order to provide what it said is "unprecedented, large-scale graph pattern matching and discovery operations across complex collections of data".

Also supported is the Apache Spark cluster engine and the Apache Hadoop software library, to help provide "the tools necessary for large-scale analytics and machine learning operations," the company said.

Underlying the analytics stack, is an open high-performance system featuring the Intel Xeon processor E5 v4 product family, up to 22 terabytes of DRAM memory, and up to 176 terabytes of local Intel P3700 series SSD storage capacity.

A spokesman for Cray said the supercomputer and its associated software are being provided free of charge by Cray and Intel.

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Alan Turing Institute to benefit from a new supercomputer - ZDNet

Growing Core Count Led Intel to Mesh Architecture | TOP500 … – TOP500 News

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One of the more significant architectural advancements in Intels new Xeon scalable processor, aka Skylake, is the use of a mesh interconnect thatlink cores and other on-chip componentry.

In a blog posted last month by Intel Engineer Akhilesh Kumar, he described the need to design the right kind of interconnect to link up the various parts on the processor die. The task of adding more cores and interconnecting them to create a multi-core data center processor may sound simple, but the interconnects between CPU cores, memory hierarchy, and I/O subsystems provide critical pathways among these subsystems necessitating thoughtful architecture, he wrote.

In the case of the new Xeon processors, the mesh is a 2D interconnect that links cores, shared cache, memory controllers, and I/O controllers on the chip. The mesh is arranged in rows and columns, with switches at the intersections so that data may be directed to the shortest path. The schematic below shows an example of the mesh with a 22-core Xeon die.

Source: Intel

Prior to the Skylake product, Intel employed a ring interconnect to glue these pieces together. With a ring setup, communication bandwidth, and especially latency, can become a problem as more cores and interfaces are added. Thats because when there are too many endpoints on the interconnect, data must often travel across many intermediate hops to get from its source to its destination. With up to 28 cores, 48 PCIe lanes, and six memory channel interfaces per processor, the new chips became too complex for a simple ring topology.

Since a mesh offers a row/column topology, data traversal across the chip becomes less arduous, which theoretically improves performance. Its a bit of a tradeoff, inasmuch as you have to devote more chip real estate and power to the meshs wires and switches. But as processors evolve from multicore into manycore platforms, such a development is unavoidable. Its notable that Intels Xeon Phi products, which have dozens of cores, use a similar sort of mesh, although in this case the cores are arranged in dual-core tiles, which cuts the number of switches in half.

Another advantage of the mesh is that it enables last level L3 cache that is spread acrossthe cores to be accessed with lower latency, which, as Kumar puts it, allows software to treat the distributed cache banks as one large unified last level cache. As a result, applications behave more consistently and developers dont have to worry about variable latencies as their applications arescaled across more cores. The same goes for memory and I/O latencies, since these controller interfaces are also included in the on-chip mesh.

Presumably Intel will be able to leverage the mesh technology across subsequent generations of the Xeon processor, even as core counts increase. Theoretically, another interconnect design will be needed at some point, since even a 2D topology will become constricting if processors start sprouting hundreds of cores. But that day is probably far in the future.

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Growing Core Count Led Intel to Mesh Architecture | TOP500 ... - TOP500 News

Duterte ‘gumagwapo’ but spokesman says as far as he knows President didn’t undergo stem cell therapy – InterAksyon

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MANILA, Philippines Other leaders reportedly or admittedly did it former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, ex-senator Juan Ponce Enrile, and former first lady Imelda Marcos.

And maybe theres nothing wrong if President Rodrigo Duterte had also underwent stem cell therapy.

But while Dutertes spokesperson said that the chief executive appeared to be looking younger and more attractive nowadays, Ernesto Abella on Friday, July 14, said that he didnt receive any information to confirm swirling speculations that Duterte had underwent the procedure done through therapies such as transplantation of blood stem cells, bone marrow transplant, or the use of umbilical cord blood.

He looks guwapo [handsome], right?, Abella told reporters but added that as far as he knew, the President didnt undergo such treatment also known as regenerative medicine that treats or prevents a disease or condition and helps repair body organs.

Abella nonetheless admitted that what he knew about the matter was limited so far.

On Wednesday, July 13, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar sidestepped a query on reports about the same issue.

Instead of answering the question, Andanar said during a radio interview on dzRH that, You know, when we started last year, (the President) attended 1,355 activities in his first 365 days in Malacaang, the Peoples Palace. Thats an average of four activities a day.

We can see how industrious President Duterte is he just continues to do what he is doing. He is working hard for the country, and he is working hard for the people, he added.

The reports came out following Dutertes frequent absence from public view since last month.

Last June 28, Duterte told the public that they would see less of him until the crisis in Marawi ends.

May mga lakad akong di nyo dapat malamanPagkatapos na siguro [I will have trips that you should not know aboutMaybe after], when Im through with this job, then Ill tell you everything, he said.

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Duterte 'gumagwapo' but spokesman says as far as he knows President didn't undergo stem cell therapy - InterAksyon

Philip Richter, author, Spirituality in Photography – Church Times

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I started taking photos as a child with a box Brownie camera. I then got into black-and-white photography, and doing my own developing, fascinated by the images appearing in the developing tray.

It was too expensive to do much serious photography as a Methodist minister, until digital photography democratised the medium and reawakened my passion. Ive gradually built up my skills as an amateur photographer through taking courses, belonging to a camera group, and reading, as well as a lot of trial and error.

Ive been a circuit minister, higher-education chaplain, and Vice-Principal of STETS [Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme], and enjoy working in ecumenical contexts. Im now part of the central ministry-development team for the Methodist Church, creating Worship: Leading and preaching, the new local preachers and worship-leaders training course.

Spirituality in Photography is about my passion for photography, with its capacity to help you deepen your vision and grow spiritually. Ive tried to write for a general readership and avoid religious jargon. Interestingly, people seem to be buying it not just for themselves, but also for young people they know.

Im encouraging people to slow down, look at their surroundings, and only then take their camera out.

Increasingly, Im being more careful about what Im taking thinking before I press the shutter. I take fewer photographs than I used to. Also, one needs the humility to know that even the best photographer in the world cant always capture what theyve felt and seen. The eye is the best camera youve got, and all is not lost if your photographs go wrong.

Selfies: a sign of the times, perhaps? If youre at a tourist site, youre in danger of being hit by people taking selfies. Its a way for people to express their identity in relation to their friends on social media, to say theyve been somewhere. If people find that helpful, then Im not over-concerned. But its not serious photography. Maybe people think that if you dont put up multiple photos of yourself each day, doing interesting things, you might not truly exist.

Id like to encourage people to put up the important things, the things that really matter. If you just shower people with images, what impact is it having? And Id like people to ask a passer-by to take their picture. Maybe theres an issue about the security of your equipment, but I dont think thats a real problem.

Absolutely anyone can take good photographs. The old stereotypes of who gets involved in photography are rapidly breaking down, and my own camera group includes men and women of all ages. You can certainly take excellent photos with a smartphone. Its the person behind the camera that makes the difference: their ability to visualise the photo, and respond to what they see.

Review your photos, and decide which ones you want to share, but dont jettison the others, because you might come back to them later and see different things in them. Transfer them to a computer to sort them out and classify them, and flag up the ones that are most important to you.

Some pictures may be important and meaningful to you alone, and may help your prayer and contemplation, but you may want to share some more widely. There are various competitions you can enter, to get them into the public domain, even if youre not interested in winning. Join a camera group or start a group inspired by my book, to share pictures in a church or in the wider community.

Its important to print some out. You might have a whole load stored in your hard-drive, but sometimes that can be lost, which is devastating, and anyway, its valuable to create something tangible that you can see in different lights, copy as a gift, and keep for years to come.

No, I dont show people how to help their camera to lie. . . In fact, I suggest that people should use post-production tools such as Photoshop or Lightroom sparingly. But all cameras have their limitations, and sometimes you need to tweak your images in post-production to convey what you saw and felt when taking the photo.

Cultivating the art of really seeing does help spiritual growth. Its helped me become less absorbed in my own projects, and less blinkered. Its helped to open my eyes to Gods presence in different places and people. It enables me to look more intently and lovingly at Gods creation and sometimes the way its been abused.

Enter our 'Life and Soul' photography competition by capturing the worship or community activities taking place at your church

Ive noticed in my local camera group that even people who may not be churchgoers seem to enjoy spending time under the night sky, taking photos of star trails and the Milky Way. Its quite difficult not to feel a sense of awe and wonder in that context.

I look for photos that convey a mood or feeling. I want something that grabs my attention: an image that is simple, not simplistic, giving me space to explore and discover meaning.

Two photographers stand out for me: Martin Parr, for his gentle irony, humorous juxtapositions, and saturated colours; and Ansel Adams, with his soaring, awesome, finely detailed landscapes. Interestingly, Parr was first introduced to photography by his Methodist local preacher grandfather.

I cant remember when I was first conscious of God. From childhood, God has always been there.

My sense of God hasnt just been in religious situations, although, as a Methodist, singing fine hymns has lifted me into Gods presence. I especially enjoy finding God in awesome moments, at the top of a mountain or contemplating the vastness of the night sky in places with little light pollution. Im increasingly appreciating God in people, friendship, and community.

My favourite sound is of wind rustling the leaves of trees.

Wally, one of my Sunday-school teachers, was a printer and a committed trade-unionist. He was the greatest influence on my life. He showed me that faith could be a world-changer as well as a people-changer, and helped me see the connection between personal faith and social action. He died a long time ago, but he still inspires me.

Photography makes me happy and being creative; good food and wine; time with the family; projects that successfully chip away at injustice and give people dignity and hope.

People who are arrogant and behave as if others didnt matter or even exist make me angry.

I pray most of all that I will be able to see the best and bring out the best in everyone I meet; and to live more thankfully and appreciatively.

The small acts of kindness that people often show to complete strangers give me hope.

Id choose Thomas Merton as my companion if I found myself locked in a church. He discovered a passion for photography late in his tragically short life, and used his camera as a tool for contemplation. His images reveal an eye for simplicity and wholeness.

Philip Richter was talking to Terence Handley MacMath.Spirituality and Photography is published by DLT, 9.99 (CT Bookshop 9). For details of a summer photography competition, visit http://www.spiritualityinphotography.com/competition.

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Philip Richter, author, Spirituality in Photography - Church Times

Combine spirituality with science for sustainable development: Bhatkar – Times of India

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NAGPUR: The world is sitting on a bomb waiting to explode as people continue to exploit nature to the hilt for the sake of science and technology. A situation is not far away when we will have growth but less jobs as those will be replaced by technology," said Vijay Bhatkar, chancellor of Nalanda University, on Wednesday.

"The idea of sustainable development through scientific approach should be to reach the unreached and empower the voiceless which can be done only when spirituality is combined with science," Bhatkar. He was speaking after inaugurating a three-day international conference on 'Recent trends in science and technology sustainable development through scientific approach', organized by Shivaji Science College, Congress Nagar, to mark its golden jubilee.

Arunkumar Shelke, president, Shri Shivaji Education Society, Amravati, SP Kane, VC, Nagpur University, and SN Pathan, former VC, were present.

The objective of the conference is to give exposure to students, research scholars and teachers in the region to recent advancements in various allied branches of science and technology. It will explore the avenues of empowering researchers to face the challenges of the advancing era. The conference is being held in collaboration with 16 organizations from across Asia, which includes Regent's International College, Thailand, Birla Institute of Technology, UAE, OISCA International, Japan, and several other colleges from the neighbouring regions.

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Combine spirituality with science for sustainable development: Bhatkar - Times of India

Harambee Youth Conference draws more than 180 to Claflin – The Tand D.com

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When the Black Methodists for Church Renewal adopted "Harambee" as the central theme for its annual conference for ethnic United Methodist youth, the organizations choice of the Swahili word for gathering and pulling together embodied a message that resonates to this day.

The Southeastern Jurisdiction of the BMCR held its 2017 Harambee Youth Conference at Claflin University June 22-29, bringing together more than 180 youth who engaged in spiritual enlightenment and learning more about The United Methodist Church.

We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Harambee, and this is the fifth year Claflin has hosted the conference, said Reverend Dawn Hand, program coordinator of the event. The conference is a religious experience that provides youth an opportunity to examine their Christian faith, learn leadership qualities and have open and honest discussions about life in a fun and relaxing environment.

The Southeastern Jurisdiction comprises seven states -- Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Many representatives from The United Methodist Churchs 14 general agencies also attend the conference to inspire and encourage the participants during their journey to greater spiritual awareness. The general agencies provide essential services and ministries to more than 14 million United Methodists worldwide, including a common vision, mission and ministry for the entire global church.

Claflin is pleased to help Harambee celebrate a significant milestone, President Henry N. Tisdale said. It is consistent with the universitys proud affiliation with The United Methodist Church.

One of the many reasons we enjoy coming to Claflin is that the largest number of Black United Methodists are in South Carolina, Hand said. We also receive tremendous support from the university and the campus community.

The schedule of conference activities included workshops on health and wellness, building relationships, worship services and athletic competition. Participants performed songs, inspirational dances, drama presentations and recited poetry at a talent show on the final day. All counselors and Harambee planning team members are volunteers and several students who are Black College Fund Lina H. McCord Summer Interns work to make the ministry a success.

Harambee reinforces the relationship between The United Methodist Church and the 11 historically black colleges and universities -- including Claflin -- that are supported by the UMCs Black College Fund, said Dr. Roosevelt Ratliff, assistant vice president for academic affairs who serves as Claflins coordinator for Harambee.

In addition to encouraging these youth to become leaders in their schools and communities, we want to inspire them to continue their education after high school. We make them aware of UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and other scholarship programs. Claflin has enrolled a significant number of students who participated in Harambee."

According to Helen Allen, who has served as SEJ Harambee coordinator for the last five years, more than 4,500 youth have participated in the SEJ-BMCR Youth Harambee during the programs 20-year history.

We shared video testimonials at this years event and we heard how lives have been changed, life-long relationships have been forged and closer relationships with God have resulted for this program, Allen said.

Among the events key supporters is Africa University, which is located in Zimbabwe. Founded in 1988 and chartered four years later, Africa University is the first and only accredited institution of higher learning established on the African continent by action of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Additional resources from The United Methodist Women, who awarded scholarships for several female youth; The Black College Fund; the Board of Discipleship/Ministries with Young People and United Methodist Communications all contributed to the success of this years Harambee.

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Harambee Youth Conference draws more than 180 to Claflin - The Tand D.com

‘Hare Krishna!’ takes an uncritical look at a controversial spiritual movement and its leader – Washington Post

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By Mark Jenkins By Mark Jenkins July 13 at 11:32 AM

In 1965, a 70-year-old retired pharmacist from Kolkata arrived in New York with no contacts or support and very little money. What he did bring was, depending on your point of view, either (a) spiritual enlightenment or (b) a mind-control cult that ripped susceptible middle-class teens away from their families.

The documentary Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All mentions both possibilities, but clearly favors the first. Filmmaker John Griesser and his co-director Lauren Ross fill the film with footage of Srila Prabhupada, the man who, in 1966, founded a religious organization called the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and his intelligent and articulate disciples. Coverage of controversies involving ISKCON after the gurus 1977 death (including an alleged murder conspiracy) is relegated to a montage of unfavorable TV news and a Hare Krishna gag from Airplane II.

For viewers who arent hostile to mysticism, vegetarianism and endless chanting, its a stirring story. Prabhupada arrived at a pivotal moment in American culture, setting up shop in a Lower East Side storefront behind a sign promising Matchless Gifts. He was soon communing with George Harrison, members of the Grateful Dead and Allen Ginsburg, who is shown singing Hare Krishna to a smirking William F. Buckley Jr. The swamis goal was simple, he explained: To see everyone happy. But how tricky a goal that can be.

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'Hare Krishna!' takes an uncritical look at a controversial spiritual movement and its leader - Washington Post

Commerce Commission warns against Gifting Circle pyramid scheme – Stuff.co.nz

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RACHEL CLAYTON

Last updated14:09, July 14 2017

MARTIN DE RUYTER/FAIRFAX NZ

Fran Halford of Nelson talks about why she is speaking out about Circle.

New Zealander womenarelosing thousands of dollars to illegal pyramid schemesthat promise spiritual enlightenment.

The Commerce Commission started investigating women's giftingcircles after receivingcomplaints in 2016 and now considers them to be illegal pyramid schemes in breach of the Fair Trading Act.

Anumber of circles were set up over the past three years and the Commission said somemay still be active.

The circles originated in the United Statesand Bali and women typically join the scheme after being invited by a trusted friend or family member.

READ MORE:High-flying women lose money in secret spiritual movement with 'hallmarks of pyramid scheme'

Leadersinvite women to make a one-off gift, usually of $7000, in return for empowerment, wisdom and sisterhood and the promise of $56,000 should they achievethe "Lotus" status. When eight women are recruited the leader of the groupcan take the entire cash gift.If they are unable to recruit others the groups cancollapse.

Commission head of investigations Ritchie Hutton said the circles appear to have affected communities in Nelson, Tauranga and West Auckland.

MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF

Fran Halford, a Nelson doctor, spoke out about the Lotus women's gifting circles last year and likened them to a pyramid scheme.

"We consider the circles to be scamsand likely to breach the Fair Trading Act. Women operating a circle or who invite others to join one may be committing a crime and could be fined up to $600,000 per offence. If you are approached to join a circle, don't. If you are already in a circle, you should leave and not encourage anyone else to join," he said.

"Like all pyramid schemes, this one requires the constant recruitment of new members to buy in and inevitably people get burned as new recruits dry up and the circle collapses," he said.

"These circles try to mask the insidious nature of their existence by requiring new members to sign a document saying they are 'gifting' the $7000 joining fee and expect nothing in return, while still promising a $56,000 pay-out if they reach the top of the circle as 'Lotus'.

Last year, Fran Halford spoke out against the circles after being coaxed into joining one.

She said the circles were spreading "a spiritually-transmitted disease".

The Nelson doctor was told she would enter a circle as a Seed,then move on to Sapling, then Blossom and finally be a Lotus herself to receive her gift of NZ$56,000from eight new women, pluscoaching and sisterly support on the weekly group calls online.

Halford was urged to keep it private, especially from men, and told not to read anything online about the circles.

"They had this evangelical glow and chased me hard. I trusted them," she said.

The Commission wants to hear from anyone who has been approached recently to join a circle, or anyone who has information that identifies a 'Lotus' profiting from the scheme.

-Stuff

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Commerce Commission warns against Gifting Circle pyramid scheme - Stuff.co.nz