A Circumcision Of The Heart

From today's Office of Readings:

From a demonstration by Aphraates, bishop

Circumcision of the heart

Law and covenant have been entirely changed. God changed the first pact with Adam, and gave a new one to Noah. He gave another to Abraham, and changed this to give a new one to Moses. When the covenant with Moses was no longer observed, he gave another pact in this last age, a pact never again to be changed.

He established a new law for Adam, that he could not eat of the tree of life. He gave to Noah the sign of the rainbow in the clouds. He then gave Abraham, chosen for his faith, the mark and seal of circumcision for his descendants. Moses was given the Passover lamb, the propitiation for the people.

All these covenants were different from each other. Moreover, the circumcision that is approved by the giver of those covenants is the kind of spoken of by Jeremiah: Circumcise your hearts. If God’s pact with Abraham was firm, so also is this covenant firm and trustworthy, nor can any other law be laid down, whether it originates outside the law or among those subject to the law.

God gave Moses a law together with his prescriptions and precepts, and when it was no longer kept, he made the law and its precepts of no avail. He promised a new covenant, different from the first, though the giver of both is one and the same. This is the covenant that he promised: All shall know me from the least to the greatest. In this covenant there is no longer any circumcision of the flesh, any seal upon the people.

We know, dearly beloved, that God established different laws in different generations which were in force as long as it pleased him. Afterward they were made obsolete. In the words of the apostle: In former times the kingdom of God existed in each generation under different signs.

Moreover, our God is truthful and his commandments are most trustworthy. Every covenant was proved firm and trustworthy in its own time, and those who have been circumcised in heart are brought to life and receive a second circumcision beside the true Jordan, the waters of baptism that bring forgiveness of sins.

Jesus, son of Nun, renewed the people’s circumcision with a knife of stone when he had crossed the Jordan with the Israelites. Jesus, our Saviour, renews the circumcision of the heart for the nations who have believed in him and are washed by baptism: circumcision by the sword of his word, sharper than any two-edged sword.
Jesus, son of Nun, led the people across the Jordan into the promised land. Jesus, our Saviour, has promised the land of the living to all who have crossed the true Jordan, and have believed and are circumcised in heart.

Blessed, then, are those who are circumcised in heart, and have been reborn in water through the second circumcision. They will receive their inheritance with Abraham, the faithful leader and father of all nations, for his faith was credited to him for righteousness.

Have a blessed day!

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God’s Lessons In Prayer

From today's Office of Readings:

From a treatise on the Lord's Prayer by Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr

He has given us life: he has also taught us how to pray

Dear brothers, the commands of the Gospel are nothing else than God’s lessons, the foundations on which to build up hope, the supports for strengthening faith, the food that nourishes the heart. They are the rudder for keeping us on the right course, the protection that keeps our salvation secure. As they instruct the receptive minds of believers on earth, they lead safely to the kingdom of heaven.

God willed that many things should be said by the prophets, his servants, and listened to by his people. How much greater are the things spoken by the Son. These are now witnessed to by the very Word of God who spoke through the prophets. The Word of God does not now command us to prepare the way for his coming: he comes in person and opens up the way for us and directs us toward it. Before, we wandered in the darkness of death, aimlessly and blindly. Now we are enlightened by the light of grace, and are to keep to the highway of life, with the Lord to precede and direct us.
The Lord has given us many counsels and commandments to help us toward salvation. He has even given us a pattern of prayer, instructing us on how we are to pray. He has given us life, and with his accustomed generosity, he has also taught us how to pray. He has made it easy for us to be heard as we pray to the Father in the words taught us by the Son.

He had already foretold that the hour was coming when true worshippers would worship the Father in spirit and in truth. He fulfilled what he had promised before, so that we who have received the spirit and the truth through the holiness he has given us may worship in truth and in the spirit through the prayer he has taught.

What prayer could be more a prayer in the spirit than the one given us by Christ, by whom the Holy Spirit was sent upon us? What prayer could be more a prayer in the truth than the one spoken by the lips of the Son, who is truth himself? It follows that to pray in any other way than the Son has taught us is not only the result of ignorance but of sin. He himself has commanded it, and has said: You reject the command of God, to set up your own tradition.

So, my brothers, let us pray as God our master has taught us. To ask the Father in words his Son has given us, to let him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in his ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer. Let the Father recognise the words of his Son. Let the Son who lives in our hearts be also on our lips. We have him as an advocate for sinners before the Father; when we ask forgiveness for our sins, let us use the words given by our advocate. He tells us: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. What more effective prayer could we then make in the name of Christ than in the words of his own prayer?

God has indeed given us everything neccesary for a life fill with Him. Even the words of prayer are taught to us by Jesus. Pray The Lord's Prayer today.

Blessings to you.

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In Him We Overcome The Devil

From today's Office of Readings:

From a commentary on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop

In Christ we suffered temptation, and in him we overcame the Devil

Hear, O God, my petition, listen to my prayer. Who is speaking? An individual, it seems. See if it is an individual: I cried out to you from the ends of the earth while my heart was in anguish. Now it is no longer one person; rather, it is one in the sense that Christ is one, and we are all his members. What single individual can cry from the ends of the earth? The one who cries from the ends of the earth is none other than the Son’s inheritance. It was said to him: Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession. This possession of Christ, this inheritance of Christ, this body of Christ, this one Church of Christ, this unity that we are, cries from the ends of the earth. What does it cry? What I said before: Hear, O God, my petition, listen to my prayer; I cried out to you from the ends of the earth.’ That is, I made this cry to you from the ends of the earth; that is, on all sides.

Why did I make this cry? While my heart was in anguish. The speaker shows that he is present among all the nations of the earth in a condition, not of exalted glory but of severe trial.

Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No one knows himself except through trial, or receives a crown except after victory, or strives except against an enemy or temptations.

The one who cries from the ends of the earth is in anguish, but is not left on his own. Christ chose to foreshadow us, who are his body, by means of his body, in which he has died, risen and ascended into heaven, so that the members of his body may hope to follow where their head has gone before.

He made us one with him when he chose to be tempted by Satan. We have heard in the gospel how the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Certainly Christ was tempted by the devil. In Christ you were tempted, for Christ received his flesh from your nature, but by his own power gained salvation for you; he suffered death in your nature, but by his own power gained glory for you; therefore, he suffered temptation in your nature, but by his own power gained victory for you.

If in Christ we have been tempted, in him we overcome the devil. Do you think only of Christ’s temptations and fail to think of his victory? See yourself as tempted in him, and see yourself as victorious in him. He could have kept the devil from himself; but if he were not tempted he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation.

Almighty God, grant that by this annual observance of Lent we may move forward in our understanding of the mystery of Christ and make it an essential part of our lives. Amen.

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He Carried Death With Him

From today's Office Of Readings:

A sermon on Ecclesiastes by St Gregory of Nyssa

There is a time to be born and a time to die

There is a time to be born and a time to die. The fact that there is a natural link between birth and death is expressed very clearly in this text of Scripture. Death invariably follows birth, and everyone who is born comes at last to the grave.

There is a time to be born and a time to die. God grant that mine may be a timely birth and a timely death! Of course no one imagines that the Speaker regards as acts of virtue our natural birth and death, in neither of which our own will plays any part. A woman does not give birth because she chooses to do so; neither does anyone die as a result of his own decision. Obviously, there is neither virtue nor vice in anything that lies beyond our control. So we must consider what is meant by a timely birth and a timely death.

It seems to me that the birth referred to here is our salvation, as is suggested by the prophet Isaiah. This reaches its full term and is not stillborn when, having been conceived by the fear of God, the soul’s own birth pangs bring it to the light of day. We are in a sense our own parents, and we give birth to ourselves by our own free choice of what is good. Such a choice becomes possible for us when we have received God into ourselves and have become children of God, children of the Most High. On the other hand, if what the Apostle calls the form of Christ has not been produced in us, we abort ourselves. The man of God must reach maturity.

Now if the meaning of a timely birth is clear, so also is the meaning of a timely death. For Saint Paul every moment was a time to die, as he proclaims in his letters: I swear by the pride I take in you that I face death every day. Elsewhere he says, For your sake we are put to death daily and we felt like men condemned to death.

How Paul died daily is perfectly obvious. He never gave himself up to a sinful life but kept his body under constant control. He carried death with him, Christ’s death, wherever he went. He was always being crucified with Christ. It was not his own life he lived; it was Christ who lived in him. This surely was a timely death-a death whose end was true life.

I put to death and I shall give life, God says, teaching us that death to sin and life in the Spirit is his gift, and promising that whatever he puts to death he will restore to life again.

Peace and blessings!

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Keep Your Eyes On Christ

From today's Office of Readings:

A sermon on Ecclesiastes by St Gregory of Nyssa

Christ is our head, and the wise man keeps his eyes upon him

We shall be blessed with clear vision if we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, for he, as Paul teaches, is our head, and there is in him no shadow of evil. Saint Paul himself and all who have reached the same heights of sanctity had their eyes fixed on Christ, and so have all who live and move and have their being in him.

As no darkness can be seen by anyone surrounded by light, so no trivialities can capture the attention of anyone who has his eyes on Christ. The man who keeps his eyes upon the head and origin of the whole universe has them on virtue in all its perfection; he has them on truth, on justice, on immortality and on everything else that is good, for Christ is goodness itself.

The wise man, then, turns his eyes toward the One who is his head, but the fool gropes in darkness. No one who puts his lamp under a bed instead of on a lamp-stand will receive any light from it. People are often considered blind and useless when they make the supreme Good their aim and give themselves up to the contemplation of God, but Paul made a boast of this and proclaimed himself a fool for Christ’s sake. The reason he said, We are fools for Christ’s sake was that his mind was free from all earthly preoccupations. It was as though he said, “We are blind to the life here below because our eyes are raised toward the One who is our head”.

And so, without board or lodging, he travelled from place to place, destitute, naked, exhausted by hunger and thirst. When men saw him in captivity, flogged, shipwrecked, led about in chains, they could scarcely help thinking him a pitiable sight. Nevertheless, even while he suffered all this at the hands of men, he always looked toward the One who is his head and he asked: What can separate us from the love of Christ, which is in Jesus? Can affliction or distress? Can persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger or death? In other words, “What can force me to take my eyes from him who is my head and to turn them toward things that are contemptible?”
He bids us follow his example: Seek the things that are above, he says, which is only another way of saying: “Keep your eyes on Christ”.

Be free from earthly preoccupations and be joyous in His presence...Keep you eyes on Jesus. Blessings to you today.

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Cast Out What Is Bad

From today's Office of Readings:

From the Tractates on the first letter of John by Saint Augustine, bishop

Our heart longs for God

We have been promised that we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. By these words, the tongue has done its best; now we must apply the meditation of the heart. Although they are the words of Saint John, what are they in comparison with the divine reality? And how can we, so greatly inferior to John in merit, add anything of our own? Yet we have received, as John has told us, an anointing by the Holy One which teaches us inwardly more than our tongue can speak. Let us turn to this source of knowledge, and because at present you cannot see, make it your business to desire the divine vision.

The entire life of a good Christian is in fact an exercise of holy desire. You do not yet see what you long for, but the very act of desiring prepares you, so that when he comes you may see and be utterly satisfied.

Suppose you are going to fill some holder or container, and you know you will be given a large amount. Then you set about stretching your sack or wineskin or whatever it is. Why? Because you know the quantity you will have to put in it and your eyes tell you there is not enough room. By stretching it, therefore, you increase the capacity of the sack, and this is how God deals with us. Simply by making us wait he increases our desire, which in turn enlarges the capacity of our soul, making it able to receive what is to be given to us.

So, my brethren, let us continue to desire, for we shall be filled. Take note of Saint Paul stretching as it were his ability to receive what is to come: Not that I have already obtained this, he said, or am made perfect. Brethren, I do not consider that I have already obtained it. We might ask him, “If you have not yet obtained it, what are you doing in this life?” This one thing I do, answers Paul, forgetting what lies behind, and stretching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the prize to which I am called in the life above. Not only did Paul say he stretched forward, but he also declared that he pressed on toward a chosen goal. He realised in fact that he was still short of receiving what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived.

Such is our Christian life. By desiring heaven we exercise the powers of our soul. Now this exercise will be effective only to the extent that we free ourselves from desires leading to infatuation with this world. Let me return to the example I have already used, of filling an empty container. God means to fill each of you with what is good; so cast out what is bad! If he wishes to fill you with honey and you are full of sour wine, where is the honey to go? The vessel must be emptied of its contents and then be cleansed. Yes, it must be cleansed even if you have to work hard and scour it. It must be made fit for the new thing, whatever it may be.

We may go on speaking figuratively of honey, gold or wine – but whatever we say we cannot express the reality we are to receive. The name of that reality is God. But who will claim that in that one syllable we utter the full expanse of our heart’s desire? Therefore, whatever we say is necessarily less than the full truth. We must extend ourselves toward the measure of Christ so that when he comes he may fill us with his presence. Then we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Blessings!

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I Was His Joy

From today's Office Of Readings:

From the Discourses against the Arians by Saint Athanasius, bishop

We know the Father through creative and incarnate wisdom

The only-begotten Son, the Wisdom of God, created the entire universe. Scripture says: You have made all things by your wisdom, and the earth is full of your creatures. Yet simply to be was not enough: God also wanted his creatures to be good. That is why he was pleased that his own wisdom should descend to their level and impress upon each of them singly and upon all of them together a certain resemblance to their Model. It would then be manifest that God’s creatures shared in his wisdom and that all his works were worthy of him.

For as the word we speak is an image of the Word who is God’s Son, so also is the wisdom implanted in us an image of the Wisdom who is God’s Son. It gives us the ability to know and understand and so makes us capable of receiving him who is the all-creative Wisdom, through whom we can come to know the Father. Whoever has the Son has the Father also, Scripture says, and Whoever receives me receives the One who sent me. And so, since this image of the Wisdom of God has been produced in us and in all creatures, the true and creative Wisdom rightly takes to himself what applies to his image and says: The Lord created me in his works.

But because the World was not wise enough to recognise God in his wisdom, as we have explained it, God determined to save those who believe by means of the “foolishness” of the message that we preach. Not wishing to be known any longer, as in former times, through the mere image and shadow of his wisdom existing in creatures, he caused the true Wisdom himself to take flesh, to become man, and to suffer death on the cross so that all who believed in him might be saved by faith.

Yet this was the same Wisdom of God who had in the beginning revealed himself and his Father through himself by means of his image in creatures (which is why Wisdom too is said to be created). Later, as John declares, that Wisdom, who is also the Word, became flesh, and after destroying the power of death and saving our race, he revealed himself and his Father through himself with greater clarity. Grant, he prayed, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

So now the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of God, since it is one and the same thing to know the Father through the Son, and to know the Son who comes from the Father. The Father rejoices in his Son, and with the same joy the Son delights in the Father and says: I was his joy; every day I took delight in his presence.

Bask in God's Incarnate Wisdom!

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The Search for Wisdom

From today's Office of Readings:

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot

On the search for wisdom

Let us work for the food which does not perish – our salvation. Let us work in the vineyard of the Lord to earn our daily wage in the wisdom which says: Those who work in me will not sin. Christ tells us: The field is the world. Let us work in it and dig up wisdom, its hidden treasure, a treasure we all look for and want to obtain.
If you are looking for it, really look. Be converted and come. Converted from what? From your own wilfulness. “But”, you may say, “if I do not find wisdom in my own will, where shall I find it? My soul eagerly desires it. And I will not be satisfied when I find it, if it is not a generous amount, a full measure, overflowing into my hands”. You are right, for blessed is the man who finds wisdom and is full of prudence.

Look for wisdom while it can still be found. Call for it while it is near. Do you want to know how near it is? The word is near you, in your heart and on your lips, provided that you seek it honestly. Insofar as you find wisdom in your heart, prudence will flow from your lips, but be careful that it flows from and not away from them, or that you do not vomit it up. If you have found wisdom, you have found honey. But do not eat so much that you become too full and bring it all up. Eat so that you are always hungry. Wisdom says: Those who eat me continue to hunger. Do not think you have too much of it, but do not eat too much or you will throw it up. If you do, what you seem to have will be taken away from you, because you gave up searching too soon. While wisdom is near and while it can be found, look for it and ask for its help. Solomon says: A man who eats too much honey does himself no good; similarly, the man who seeks his own glorification will be crushed by that same renown.

Happy is the man who has found wisdom. Even more happy is the man who lives in wisdom, for he perceives its abundance. There are three ways for wisdom or prudence to abound in you: if you confess your sins, if you give thanks and praise, and if your speech is edifying. Man believes with his heart and so he is justified. He confesses with his lips and so he is saved. In the beginning of his speech the just man is his own accuser, next he gives glory to God, and thirdly, if his wisdom extends that far, he edifies his neighbour.

Be Blessed.

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Orlando Magic

These past few days have been crazy cold...It's got me dreaming of summer vacations! If you are like me maybe you should start looking for Vacation homes near Disney.

If you are looking for a great place to Spring Break, or your summer break might I suggest an Orlando vacation. How many places in the World have 52 theme parks? Beaches within a short 40 minute drive? And outstanding resorts and vacation homes to stay in for less than most other popular destination places? They have it all in Orlando. Yes, Disney World is their biggest draw, but that is not all they have to offer.

They have more top rated golf courses within a 40 minute drive than anywhere else in Florida. They also have the second largest convention center in the world, and since Disney World is their biggest draw almost every recreation in Orlando is family friendly. Orlando is ever changing, and if you have not been to Orlando in the past 3 to 5 years they really suggest you come back to visit.

With the ever competitive theme park business most all the area theme parks are continuously adding new rides and new attractions as there is stiff competition among all the theme parks These constant upgrades to the area attractions will continue to make Orlando a great destination for the entire family.

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If you ever stop loving me

Nothing like a bunch of Harley Davidsons, a banjo and a chain-link microphone stand to say "I Love You"! I relate to this song in more ways than one. I've felt my ole man's hand on the back of my head once or twice. And I've felt the big man, the boss man and the law man all try to get their hands on me when I haven't done anything wrong. I guess that's why I like these guys. Some songs just make sense.

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Condilicious

If you have kids or MTV and a radio you are familiar with Fergalicious. Well here is a clever parody on Condi Rice. Now my right wing friends ought to just take this with a grain of salt. I like the parody of it and of course there are some lefty slams in the tune. That being said...enjoy!

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Belisi Fashions

The story of Peter Belisi of Belisi Fashions:

Peter Belisi served the trendsetters who embodied the luxury lifestyle he craved. Struggling to support his family with no savings, he needed a novel concept to start his own company. Emulating his high-end clientele, Belisi invested any extra money in a tie collection. Before long, co-workers and clients looked to him for inspiration.

Belisi took pride in never wearing the same tie twice, and through his appreciation of fine ties, an idea took shape. Accessories are the finishing pieces to any well-heeled look—done the right way, you present a polished picture to the world. The image conscious not only want to fit in among their peers by wearing high-end accessories, they want to give back to society.

The Belisi Brand was founded to enhance luxury wardrobes, while making the world a little brighter for everyone. Belisi—a name already synonymous with beauty—has earned a loyal following for its high-end, quality ties, and most recently scarves and handbags. Belisi’s guiding principle is to create Luxury with Meaning. Every time you purchase a Belisi product, you put the finishing touch on a put-together look, while fighting poverty, protecting the environment, seeking justice and funding medical research.

Put simply, Belisi stands for good living: great style, quality accessories and giving back to the community. About the brand: “Belisi unites the luxury and prestige of Palm Beach with Italian beauty and sophistication. Inside Belisi we cultivate a passion for exquisite materials and skilled craftsmanship. Each dramatic detail, represents our unwavering quest to fashion products of truly enduring value.” – Peter Belisi

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St. Scholastica

From Today's Office of Readings:

From the books of Dialogues by Saint Gregory the Great, pope

She who loved more could do more

Scholastica, the sister of Saint Benedict, had been consecrated to God from her earliest years. She was accustomed to visiting her brother once a year. He would come down to meet her at a place on the monastery property, not far outside the gate.
One day she came as usual and her saintly brother went with some of his disciples; they spent the whole day praising God and talking of sacred things. As night fell they had supper together.

Their spiritual conversation went on and the hour grew late. The holy nun said to her brother: “Please do not leave me tonight; let us go on until morning talking about the delights of the spiritual life”. “Sister”, he replied, “what are you saying? I simply cannot stay outside my cell”.

When she heard her brother refuse her request, the holy woman joined her hands on the table, laid her head on them and began to pray. As she raised her head from the table, there were such brilliant flashes of lightning, such great peals of thunder and such a heavy downpour of rain that neither Benedict nor his brethren could stir across the threshold of the place where they had been seated. Sadly he began to complain: “May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?” “Well”, she answered, “I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my God and he did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to your monastery”.

Reluctant as he was to stay of his own will, he remained against his will. So it came about that they stayed awake the whole night, engrossed in their conversation about the spiritual life.

It is not surprising that she was more effective than he, since as John says, God is love, it was absolutely right that she could do more, as she loved more.

Three days later, Benedict was in his cell. Looking up to the sky, he saw his sister’s soul leave her body in the form of a dove, and fly up to the secret places of heaven. Rejoicing in her great glory, he thanked almighty God with hymns and words of praise. He then sent his brethren to bring her body to the monastery and lay it in the tomb he had prepared for himself.

Their minds had always been united in God; their bodies were to share a common grave.

A beautiful story of brothers and sisters serving God.

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Preserving the "Language Barrier"

I am writing this as someone who has broken the "language barrier". Not the one between English and Spanish but the one between the common and the profane.

An incident at the workplace made me think about this. Work on a dock is tough. Most of the men I work with cuss like sailors. In fact each one seems to have a full crew plus some stowaways... While unloading a truck of one and two hundred pound yellowfin tuna, a new employee with a reputation as a "holy roller" became frustrated. Because he was cold and tired, and faced a seemingly never ending load of fish, he began verbally keeping pace with the others. Shocked, they asked, "Hey, you are supposed to be a holy roller! Where is all this cussing coming from?". His reply was."I'm not a holy roller! I'm a converted Catholic". Surprised by that, my only thought was, "Well, shame on you...Twice." Read more...

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Buy Silver

Are you looking to invest in precious metals? Through Monex Deposit Company (MDC) you can purchase silver or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository. For over 30 years, the Monex companies have been America's silver and precious metals investment leader. As an investment product, silver is available in coin or ingot form. Ingots are generally silver ingots of pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. Coins have a currency value or they are actually defined as ingots. There may never be a better time for buying silver bullion than right now.

World demand for silver now exceeds annual production, and has every year since 1990. Above ground stockpiles of silver bullion are low, shrinking rapidly and approaching zero. Monex Precious Metals is home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs and being America's best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.

Stop by Monex.com today

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Chewbacca Strikes Back and Goes to Jail

A man dressed as Chewbacca from the Star Wars movies was arrested after police said the street performer head-butted a tour guide operator in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Frederick Evan Young, 44, of Los Angeles was booked Thursday for investigation of misdemeanor battery, police Lt. Paul Vernon said, The Los Angeles Times reported late Friday.

Police said the 6-foot-4 street performer was seen arguing Thursday afternoon with a tour guide who had expressed concern the wookie impersonator was "harassing and touching tourists" in violation of city law.

The city passed ordinances last year seeking to crack down on the colorful assortment of actors who perform outside the landmark theater. The move was prompted by complaints from tourists who said the actors were aggressive and abusive if they refused to pay for pictures taken with the characters.

Security guards escorted Young off theater property, but Chewbacca decided to strike back and head-butted the tour guide, Vernon said.

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Robert Goulet is a gremlin!

I found this over at Ifilms. My kids didn't know who Goulet is OR what a gremlin is (not counting Spielberg's version. I remember his shows and T.V. specials. He was a cartoon of himself long before this commercial. Still, I think it is wonderful that they resurrected R.G.'s career for this at. It will be a classic...



Here's another career...uh...resurrected this Superbowl!

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Increase Link Popularity

Are you looking for a way to increase link popularity? Google currently drives the most traffic to websites that rank at the top of their organic results. Google’s algorithm is also more complex than the other search engines but if you concentrate on Google when optimizing your website and building link popularity you will be much better off. Google looks at a websites on-site factors and off-site factors to determine how the website should rank in their results. In this post we will concentrate on the off-site factors, which are roughly 35 to 45% of the importance to Google’s algorithm.

There is also a very complex new algorithm that Google has been testing, Latent Symantec Indexing (LSI). LSI essentially determines how words are related to each other, such as how dog is related to cat. Many people think this has to do with content on your own website but from our analysis it has more to do with the page that a link is coming from when it is hyperlinked to your website. The factors that LSI looks at are the Title Tag and the textual content of the page that your link is on. Therefore it is becoming more important to increase link popularity by receiving links on different pages of different websites that have content that is similar to the content on your website. There are many ways to increase link popularity. I won’t go into all of them in great detail because there are far too many to cover in one post.

The main methods that most people explore are press release distribution, purchasing links from link brokers, trading links with other websites (reciprocal linking) and link baiting. Press release distribution is the most effective way to increase link popularity but it is also the most difficult because the content of your release needs to be interesting enough for publications to want to write about it. Purchasing links from link brokers is easy and cost effective but you usually don’t receive the best quality of links because most are not within textual content and Google even automatically removes the value of links when they are placed at the bottom of websites with a whole list of outbound links. Reciprocal linking was once the best method to increase link popularity but now it provides very little value unless you aren’t trading links with the same websites and you only receive one-way links, even then they usually are on link pages and aren’t placed within valuable textual content that is relevant to your website.

Link baiting is also a very effective way to increase link popularity but is also extremely difficult to accomplish. Link baiting is the process of hunting out links, although you are bringing the links to you through unique and popular site content. This is the natural way that popular websites remain popular and rank well in the search engines. If you create content or software that people can’t get anywhere else you can also make your website popular, which will increase link popularity.

The best way to increase link popularity is through Blogs. Blogs naturally are filled with valuable content that the search engines crave and they also naturally link to other websites they talk about within their posts. If you had a page on your website about roses and you received a link from a Blog post about roses with the anchor text of the link pointing to your website saying “roses”; you have now received a great quality link. Now receiving one link from one Blog won’t do much to increase your ranking within Google for the keyword “roses”.

You need links from hundreds or even thousands of Blogs with the same concept and then you will see significant improvements in your rankings. This works for any keyword phrase you might be targeting but the more popular the phrase is the more links from different Blogs you will need. Doing this on your own is very difficult and creating hundreds or even thousands of different Blogs yourself is nearly impossible or clearly not cost effective.

Blogitive was created for this very purpose. Blogitive currently has more than 2000 Blogs within its network and is growing substantially every day. Through Blogitive you can submit a web release (mini press release) to these Bloggers and they will write about your release and link to your website in any manner you want, including any URL and any keyword phrase. Blogitive has proven to be extremely effective in increasing link popularity and is also very cost effective. Please visit Blogitive to learn more about this service and how you can finally achieve the top search engine rankings that you never thought was possible.

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How to Complain To God

I was walking my dog, Ebony, when a cascade of thoughts came raining down. It was a brisk morning and I was enjoying the cold quiet air in my backyard. Suddenly I began thinking of a myriad of troubling things. I was thinking about my house and it's needed repairs, the plumbing issues I have been dreading, which have now arrived, the weather and my work which is contingent upon it, and bills...bills...bills. Wave upon wave of disconcerting thoughts and concerns entered into my mind, as I stood unguarded at the floodgates of my imagination.

I began wondering why the "Cosmos" had me here, at this place and time, and why it seemed I am to stay. I was tempted to complain and I did. I complained about the circumstances that I, and apparently many of my friends, appear to be in. I did not however complain about God. I am careful not to do that. read more...

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Daft Punk - Around the World

I have no idea what this video is about. It is a bit disturbing yet oddly alluring...like a traffic accident! There are not too many things that give off that vibe and I don't know what it is about this song and video. Maybe it is the rote repetition of actions or the symbols of death and decay. perhaps it is a odd metaphor for life. Or maybe the director was on drugs. Who knows?

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The Source Of All Goodness

From today's Office of Readings:

From a homily on Saint Agatha by Saint Methodius of Sicily, bishop

The gift of God, the source of all goodness

My fellow Christians, our annual celebration of a martyr’s feast has brought us together. She achieved renown in the early Church for her noble victory; she is well known now as well, for she continues to triumph through her divine miracles, which occur daily and continue to bring glory to her name.

She is indeed a virgin, for she was born of the divine Word, God’s only Son, who also experienced death for our sake. John, a master of God’s word, speaks of this: He gave the power to become children of God to everyone who received him.

The woman who invites us to this banquet is both a wife and virgin. To use the analogy of Paul, she is the bride who has been betrothed to one husband, Christ. A true virgin, she wore the glow of pure conscience and the crimson of the Lamb’s blood for her cosmetics. Again and again she meditated on the death of her eager lover. For her, Christ’s death was recent, his blood was still moist. Her robe is the mark of her faithful witness to Christ. It bears the indelible marks of his crimson blood and the shining threads of her eloquence. She offers to all who come after her these treasures of her eloquent confession.

Agatha, the name of our saint, means “good”. She was truly good, for she lived as a child of God. She was also given as the gift of God, the source of all goodness to her bridegroom, Christ, and to us. For she grants us a share in her goodness.

What can give greater good than the Sovereign Good? Whom could anyone find more worthy of celebration with hymns of praise than Agatha?

Agatha, her goodness coincides with her name and way of life. She won a good name by her noble deeds, and by her name she points to the nobility of those deeds. Agatha, her mere name wins all men over to her company. She teaches them by her example to hasten with her to the true Good. God alone.

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Tearing Nets

From Today's Gospel: Luke 5:1 - 11

Jesus was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats close to the bank. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.- He got into one of the boats-it was Simon’s-and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch’. ‘Master,’ Simon replied ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled the two boats to sinking point.

When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man’. For he and all his companions were completely overcome by the catch they had made; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch’. Then, bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed him.

The key to seeing a miracle or seeing God is sometimes just believe and obey. It took zero amount of theological discourse for Simon Peters nets to be too full. May your nets be full as well.

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Disaster Tourism

Here is a neat video I found this am, just browsing Youtube. It is a stop action animation that is very well done. It fits well with the song although I have no idea what the song is about. But it is fun to watch. Speaking of which, I’ve had to ban my son from watching “Jackass” because although it’s fun for him to watch…his younger brother wants to act it out. Now that’s MY idea of stop action!

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Not Ashamed Of The Scandal Of The Cross

From Today's Office of Readings:

From the decree on the missionary activity of the Church of the Second Vatican Council

We must boldly proclaim the mystery of Christ

Every disciple of Christ is responsible in his own measure for the spread of the faith, but Christ the Lord is always calling from among his followers those whom he wills, so that they may be with him and be sent by him to preach to the nations.
Through the Holy Spirit, who distributes gifts as he wills for the good of all, Christ implants in the hearts of individuals the vocation to be a missionary, and at the same time he raises up in the Church institutes which make their own the task of spreading the Gospel that belongs to the whole Church.

A special vocation marks out those priests, religious and lay people who are prepared to undertake the missionary task in their own country or abroad, and have the right natural disposition for it, with suitable gifts and talents. Sent by lawful authority, they go out in obedience and faith to those who are far from Christ. They have been set apart for the task to which they have been called as ministers of the Gospel, to make the Gentiles an acceptable offering, sanctified in the Holy Spirit.

Those whom God calls must answer his call in such a way that, without regard for purely human counsel, they may devote themselves wholly to the work of the Gospel. This response cannot be given except with the inspiration and strength of the Holy Spirit.

The person who is sent enters into the life and mission of him who emptied himself, taking the nature of a slave. He must be ready therefore to be true to this vocation for life, to deny himself, renouncing all that he had before, and to become all things to all men.

In preaching the Gospel to the nations he must boldly proclaim the mystery of Christ, whose ambassador he is, so that in Christ he may have the courage to speak as he ought, and not be ashamed of the scandal of the cross. He must follow in the footsteps of his Master, who was gentle and humble of heart, and reveal to others that his yoke is easy and his burden light.

By a life that is truly according to the Gospel, by much endurance, by forbearance, by kindness and sincere love, he must bear witness to his Lord, even, if need be, by the shedding of his blood.

He will pray to God for strength and courage, so that he may come to see that for one who experiences great hardship and extreme poverty there can be abundant joy.

Amen and Amen.

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Electronic Commerce

So you have a website and want to sell stuff on it, what kind of ecommerce software should you use?

Nowadays everybody accepts the power of electronic commerce. It is a known fact that ecommerce is booming and professionally built online stores are getting ahead of their competition. Setting up a positive cash flow online store is not only dependant on marketing skills or budget but also the quality and flexibility of the shopping cart you are running. Finding a good shopping cart software has to be one of the hardest tasks for any business person new to the world of selling online. Your online store software needs to be up to date with functionality and especially security for the merchant and the customer. The easiest and most economical way of being up to date with the latest technologies is using a reliable hosted shopping cart system with great customer support. An application service provider is the way to go! Ashop Commerce provides a turn-key ecommerce solution with it's revolutionary online store building software. One of the worlds most easy to use web based administrations with award winning features allows the merchant to set up an online store capable of competing with the webs most powerful stores for a simple, low monthly fee. Having helped 1000's of now successful merchants, Ashop Commerce is the most intuitive shopping cart software in the world providing the most up to date and relevant advice you need to start or advance your online business. Accept credit cards online and customise the design, features and all content of your online store by yourself within hours! Feel free to test drive their demo store's to see the advanced functionality for yourself.

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The Oscar Curse

From MSN.com:

An ode to careers that peaked on Oscar night... and then hit free fall

By Kim Morgan
Special to MSN Movies

The Academy Award is supposedly the greatest honor a Hollywood professional receives from his or her peers. It's a supreme achievement that guarantees respect, success and career longevity, right?

Um ... no. Decidedly no.

But why? Why is it that some actors who win Oscars become heralded, firmly entrenched icons such as Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep or Sir Anthony Hopkins, whereas others become, well, Cuba Gooding Jr.?

You might say those by way of Cuba are simply not as talented as the Clints, the Jacks or the Jodies. But that's not always the case. And because of this, a popular legend persists in Hollywood called "The Oscar Curse." With a little guilt (after all, we like a lot of these people) and some speculative theories, we study those who've suffered under this dreaded curse and who have not, so far, returned entirely from the dark side. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for ...

Hey! Ain't nothing wring with Cuba in my book!

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As the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts get ready to face off in this year’s match up, analysts and sports enthusiasts alike are hard at work predicting who the victor will be. But instead of looking at the teams based on their offensive firepower or defensive might, how would this match up turn out in the wild? Put up against each other head-to-head, who would win in a battle, a bear or a colt?

Who do YOU think would win? While speed, endurance and sheer numbers goes to the colts, power, strength and agility remains with the bears...

Tell your friends which team will be the champion with WWF's Bears vs. Colts E-cards.

Send Your Free Bears vs. Colts E-Card Now!

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Online Shopping deals

Do you like internet shopping? Here is a place you should check out for deals and cash back!

Ebates is all about saving money and getting Cash Back whenever you shop online. By becoming a member and shopping through Ebates, you can save literally thousands of dollars every year on the things you're already buying. How? There are three simple steps: All you need is an email address to access more than 800 stores through Ebates. Membership is free! What could be easier than that? Remember to return to Ebates when you shop online, or download the Moe Money Maker and let Moe remind you. You'll earn up to 25% Cash Back on your purchases. They also offer the best Coupons & Specials on the web. They get sales commission from our partners. Most sites keep this money, but not Ebates. They turn your cash discount into a Big Fat Check and mail it directly to you. It's money in the bank. Why pay retail? Ebates gives you up to 25% at more than 800 popular stores, including Circuit City – plus get Circuit City coupons! It's so easy, that CNN calls using Ebates ""A No-Brainer""! With the latest online coupons and hottest deals on the web, you'll never pay full price again".

Stop By Ebates.com today!

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