Telepopmusik - Breathe

Télépopmusik is a French electronic music group with three members. The group's first album was Genetic World, and several singles from the album have been released since. The group's second album, Angel Milk was released in 2005. Télépopmusik consists of musicians Fabrice Dumont (bassist of the pop band Autour de Lucie), Stephan Haeri (also known as 2 Square for his solo projects), and Christophe Hetier.

The track "Breathe" from the album Genetic World was used by Mitsubishi to launch the 2003 Outlander. Co-writer and guest vocalist Angela McCluskey is from the American band Wild Colonials.

This video set includes Breathe, Into Everything, and Love Can Damage Your Health. Enjoy!

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The Look Of the Year

Are you looking for the latest way to get recognized in the modeling world? Well check this out!You can be the next model discovered and win a 10.000 USD prize.

Look Of The Year are looking for young people from all over the world to send in their best pictures. This could be your chance to be the next beautiful model working in Paris, New York or Milan.

Join Look of the Year today and start your new life together with beautiful people from all over the world.

http://www.lookoftheyear.com

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I tasted and I saw

From Today's Office of Readings:

From the dialogue On Divine Providence by Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor

I tasted and I saw

Eternal God, eternal Trinity, you have made the blood of Christ so precious through his sharing in your divine nature. You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more. When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light. I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are.

I have tasted and seen the depth of your mystery and the beauty of your creation with the light of my understanding. I have clothed myself with your likeness and have seen what I shall be. Eternal Father, you have given me a share in your power and the wisdom that Christ claims as his own, and your Holy Spirit has given me the desire to love you. You are my Creator, eternal Trinity, and I am your creature. You have made of me a new creation in the blood of your Son, and I know that you are moved with love at the beauty of your creation, for you have enlightened me.

Eternal Trinity, Godhead, mystery deep as the sea, you could give me no greater gift than the gift of yourself. For you are a fire ever burning and never consumed, which itself consumes all the selfish love that fills my being. Yes, you are a fire that takes away the coldness, illuminates the mind with its light and causes me to know your truth. By this light, reflected as it were in a mirror, I recognise that you are the highest good, one we can neither comprehend nor fathom. And I know that you are beauty and wisdom itself. The food of angels, you gave yourself to man in the fire of your love.

You are the garment which covers our nakedness, and in our hunger you are a satisfying food, for you are sweetness and in you there is no taste of bitterness, O triune God!

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Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill

My all time favorite from Peter Gabriel. Enjoy!

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Original Beauty

From Today's Office of Readings:

From the treatise On the Trinity by Didymus of Alexandria

The Holy Spirit renews us in baptism

The Holy Spirit renews us in baptism through his godhead, which he shares with the Father and the Son. Finding us in a state of deformity, the Spirit restores our original beauty and fills us with his grace, leaving no room for anything unworthy of our love. The Spirit frees us from sin and death, and changes us from the earthly men we were, men of dust and ashes, into spiritual men, sharers in the divine glory, sons and heirs of God the Father who bear a likeness to the Son and are his co-heirs and brothers, destined to reign with him and to share his glory. In place of earth the Spirit reopens heaven to us and gladly admits us into paradise, giving us even now greater honour than the angels, and by the holy waters of baptism extinguishing the unquenchable fires of hell.

We men are conceived twice: to the human body we owe our first conception, to the divine Spirit, our second. John says: To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. These were born not by human generation, not by the desire of the flesh, not by the will of man, but of God. All who believed in Christ, he says, received power to become children of God, that is, of the Holy Spirit, and to gain kinship with God. To show that their parent was God the Holy Spirit, he adds these words of Christ: I give you this solemn warning, that without being born of water and the Spirit, no one can enter the kingdom of God.
Visibly, through the ministry of priests, the font gives symbolic birth to our visible bodies. Invisibly, through the ministry of angels, the Spirit of God, whom even the mind’s eye cannot see, baptises into himself both our souls and bodies, giving them a new birth.

Speaking quite literally, and also in harmony with the words of water and the Spirit, John the Baptist says of Christ: He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Since we are only vessels of clay, we must first be cleansed in water and then hardened by spiritual fire – for God is a consuming fire. We need the Holy Spirit to perfect and renew us, for spiritual fire can cleanse us, and spiritual water can recast us as in a furnace and make us into new men.

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Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble

Here are a couple of Lindsey Buckingham videos for your enjoyment.

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Access And Reconciliation Through Christ

From Today's Office Of Readings:

From the commentary on the second letter to the Corinthians by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop

God has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation

Those who have a sure hope, guaranteed by the Spirit, that they will rise again lay hold of what lies in the future as though it were already present. They say: “Outward appearances will no longer be our standard in judging other men. Our lives are all controlled by the Spirit now, and are not confined to this physical world that is subject to corruption. The light of the Only-begotten has shone on us, and we have been transformed into the Word, the source of all life. While sin was still our master, the bonds of death had a firm hold on us, but now that the righteousness of Christ has found a place in our hearts we have freed ourselves from our former condition of corruptibility”.

This means that none of us lives in the flesh anymore, at least not in so far as living in the flesh means being subject to the weaknesses of the flesh, which include corruptibility. Once we thought of Christ as being in the flesh, but we do not do so any longer, says Saint Paul. By this he meant that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; he suffered death in the flesh in order to give all men life. It was in this flesh that we knew him before, but we do so no longer. Even though he remains in the flesh, since he came to life again on the third day and is now with his Father in heaven, we know that he has passed beyond the life of the flesh; for having died once, he will never die again, death has no power over him any more. His death was a death to sin, which he died once for all; his life is life with God.

Since Christ has in this way become the source of life for us, we who follow in his footsteps must not think of ourselves as living in the flesh any longer, but as having passed beyond it. Saint Paul’s saying is absolutely true that when anyone is in Christ he becomes a completely different person: his old life is over and a new life has begun. We have been justified by our faith in Christ and the power of the curse has been broken. Christ’s coming to life again for our sake has put an end to the sovereignty of death. We have come to know the true God and to worship him in spirit and in truth, through the Son, our mediator, who sends down upon the world the Father’s blessings.

And so Saint Paul shows deep insight when he says: This is all God’s doing: it is he who has reconciled us to himself through Christ. For the mystery of the incarnation and the renewal it accomplished could not have taken place without the Father’s will. Through Christ we have gained access to the Father, for as Christ himself says, no one comes to the Father except through him. This is all God’s doing, then. It is he who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

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Deep Dish - Dreams featuring Stevie Nicks

Deep Dish is a duo of DJ and house music producers consisting of Iranian American members Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi. Based in Washington, DC Shirazinia and Tayebi are well known for providing house or dance remixes of tracks of famous stars such as Madonna, Cher and Gabrielle, and for their live DJing sets. They often collaborate with DC artist Richard Morel and produced a dance hit with his song "True (The Faggot Is You)". Their remixing abilities first came to attention with their seminal mix of De'Lacy "Hideaway", a club classic in 1995. Other collaborations include "The Future of the Future (Stay Gold)" with British group Everything But the Girl, which appeared on Deep Dish's artist album, Junk Science, which was released in 1998.

The duo first met in DC around 1991 when they were accidentally double-booked at a club. Soon after, they formed Deep Dish Records and their work captured the attention of Danny Tenaglia and Tribal America Records, which put out the duo's first progressive-house compilation, Penetrate Deeper, in 1995. Over the years they have released a number of genre-defining mixed CDs. However, what catapulted Deep Dish to prominence was the release of their debut album, Junk Science, released on the now defunct UK label DeConstruction and a dismal state side release through Arista Records.

Deep Dish have remixed tracks by artists such as Dido ("Thank You" and "Stoned") and the collaboration between Timo Maas and Kelis ("Help Me"). The duo won a Grammy Award for their "Thank You" remix. Deep Dish have also collaborated with Danny Howells to remix the Eminem track "Without Me" (as a bootleg). In July 2005, their second artist album, George Is On, was released. It featured their Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart hit "Flashdance" (which features Anousheh Khalili), as well as a remake of the classic Fleetwood Mac song "Dreams", for which Stevie Nicks provided new vocals. "Say Hello," the second single released from the album, hit number one on the dance chart in September 2005, becoming their second dance chart-topper (their first being the collaboration with Everything But the Girl in 1998).

In 2005 the film "It's All Gone Pete Tong" included Raul Rincon's remix of Flashdance. Deep Dish has appeared as the featured artist on the BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix on several occasions. Their most recent appearances took place in 2008, on the 28th of March, when their set from the Winter Music Conference was broadcast live on the show. Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia was featured on the Essential Mix in September of 2007. The two's May 2005 Essential Mix at Maida Vale was voted the best 2005 Essential Mix of the Year. Deep Dish is also well-known for their progressive house compilation albums in the famed Global Underground series. The latest Global Underground album, by Dubfire, was released in April of 2007.

They also own and run dance music record labels Deep Dish, Yoshitoshi Shinichi, and Yo. In addition, they owned and operated a retail store (also named Yoshitoshi) in the Georgetown area of D.C., which sold dance records and clothing. The store closed in 2003, although their labels continue to release music, mostly on the 12 inch single vinyl format.

This video set includes "Dreams" and "Say Hello".

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Praise With Joy

from Today's Office Of Readings:

From a discourse on the psalms by Saint Augustine, Bishop

The Easter alleluia

Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the praise of God, because it is in praising God that we shall rejoice for ever in the life to come; and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now. So we praise God during our earthly life, and at the same time we make our petitions to him. Our praise is expressed with joy, our petitions with yearning. We have been promised something we do not yet possess, and because the promise was made by one who keeps his word, we trust him and are glad; but insofar as possession is delayed, we can only long and yearn for it. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised, and yearning is over; then praise alone will remain.

Because there are these two periods of time – the one that now is, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the other yet to come, a life of everlasting serenity and joy – we are given two liturgical seasons, one before Easter and the other after. The season before Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise. Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing.

Both these periods are represented and demonstrated for us in Christ our head. The Lord’s passion depicts for us our present life of trial – shows how we must suffer and be afflicted and finally die. The Lord’s resurrection and glorification show us the life that will be given to us in the future.

Now therefore, brethren, we urge you to praise God. That is what we are all telling each other when we say Alleluia. You say to your neighbour, “Praise the Lord!” and he says the same to you. We are all urging one another to praise the Lord, and all thereby doing what each of us urges the other to do. But see that your praise comes from your whole being; in other words, see that you praise God not with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives and all your actions.

We are praising God now, assembled as we are here in church; but when we go on our various ways again, it seems as if we cease to praise God. But provided we do not cease to live a good life, we shall always be praising God. You cease to praise God only when you swerve from justice and from what is pleasing to God. If you never turn aside from the good life, your tongue may be silent but your actions will cry aloud, and God will perceive your intentions; for as our ears hear each other’s voices, so do God’s ears hear our thoughts.

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The Rock Extended

I visited "The Rock Extended" today. It is a personal blog about anything under the sun, including the categories: Computers, Life, People, Marketing, Software, and etc and specializes in extending information through speeding highways. On visiting the site I was pleasantly surprized with its design and content. Many people don't appreciate a good hodge podge of stuff, but as you can see from my site I do.

The most posts are mostly about computer technology and the Web 2.0 there are posts about face lifts and rhinoplasty. As an avid music lover Kraftwork's "Man-Machine" immediately comes to mind. But that is just me! I found browsing the site easy and fulfilling. One must be open for anything. There are some podcasting posts on here with music and lyrics of various languages. I found them very interesting as well.

Follow the link over to The Rock Extended. You will not be disappointed.

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Frippertronic Philosophy

I've always been fascinated with Robert Fripp's philosophy on the relationship of music and the musician. This video set contains a series of interviews with him on this subject and performances. Enjoy.

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Preaching Truth

From today's Office Of Readings:

From the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop

Preaching truth

The Church, which has spread everywhere, even to the ends of the earth, received the faith from the apostles and their disciples. By faith, we believe in one God, the almighty Father who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became man for our salvation.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit who through the prophets foretold God’s plan: the coming of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, his birth from the Virgin, his passion, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, and his final coming from heaven in the glory of his Father, to recapitulate all things and to raise all men from the dead, so that, by the decree of his invisible Father, he may make a just judgement in all things and so that every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth to Jesus Christ our Lord and our God, our Saviour and our King, and every tongue confess him.

The Church, spread throughout the whole world, received this preaching and this faith and now preserves it carefully, dwelling as it were in one house. Having one soul and one heart, the Church holds this faith, preaches and teaches it consistently as though by a single voice. For though there are different languages, there is but one tradition.

The faith and the tradition of the churches founded in Germany are no different from those founded among the Spanish and the Celts, in the East, in Egypt, in Libya and elsewhere in the Mediterranean world. Just as God’s creature, the sun, is one and the same the world over, so also does the Church’s preaching shine everywhere to enlighten all men who want to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Now of those who speak with authority in the churches, no preacher however forceful will utter anything different – for no one is above the Master – nor will a less forceful preacher diminish what has been handed down. Since our faith is everywhere the same, no one who can say more augments it, nor can anyone who says less diminish it.

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Linda McCartney Photo Exhibition

Earlier this week I had Sir Paul talking about this so I thought you might like this clip also.

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Orbital - The Saint

Orbital was an English techno duo consisting of brothers Phil Hartnoll and Paul Hartnoll whose career lasted from 1989 until 2004. They took their name from Greater London's own circular orbital motorway, the M25 which was central to the early Rave scene and party network in the South East during the halcyon 'daze' of Acid House. One of the biggest names in British electronica during the 1990s, Orbital were both critically and commercially successful, being particularly known for an element of live improvisation during their shows, a rarity with techno acts. They were initially influenced by early electro and punk rock.

Enjoy this remake of the theme from "The Saint". Also in this video set: The theme from "Dr Who: and "Chime" live plus a "making of Chime" video.

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The Lord's Passover

From Today's Office Of Reading

From a treatise by Saint Gaudentius of Brescia, bishop


The Eucharist is The Lord's passover

One man has died for all, and now in every church in the mystery of bread and wine he heals those for whom he is offered in sacrifice, giving life to those who believe and holiness to those who consecrate the offering. This is the flesh of the Lamb; this is his blood. The bread that came down from heaven declared: The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. It is significant, too, that his blood should be given to us in the form of wine, for his own words in the gospel, I am the true vine, imply clearly enough that whenever wine is offered as a representation of Christ’s passion, it is offered as his blood. This means that it was of Christ that the blessed patriarch Jacob prophesied when he said: He will wash his tunic in wine and his cloak in the blood of the grape. The tunic was our flesh, which Christ was to put on like a garment and which he was to wash in his own blood.

Creator and Lord of all things, whatever their nature, he brought forth bread from the earth and changed it into his own body. Not only had he the power to do this, but he had promised it; and, as he had changed water into wine, he also changed wine into his own blood. It is the Lord’s passover, Scripture tells us, that is, the Lord’s passing. We are no longer to look upon the bread and wine as earthly substances. They have become heavenly, because Christ has passed into them and changed them into his body and blood. What you receive is the body of him who is the heavenly bread, and the blood of him who is the sacred vine; for when he offered his disciples the consecrated bread and wine, he said: This is my body, this is my blood. We have put our trust in him. I urge you to have faith in him; truth can never deceive.

When Christ told the crowds that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood, they were horrified and began to murmur among themselves: This teaching is too hard; who can be expected to listen to it? As I have already told you, thoughts such as these must be banished. The Lord himself used heavenly fire to drive them away by going on to declare: It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

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Sir Paul Talks About Linda McCartney Exhibition

Paul McCartney talks about Linda's photography before a recent exhibition. I thought this was interesting.

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Thievery Corporation - Shadows Of Ourselves

Thievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C.-based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton and their supporting artists. Their music style is dub, acid jazz, Indian classical and Brazilian (such as bossa nova) fused together with a lounge aesthetic. Formed in the summer of 1995 at D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge – the now world-renowned venue that is still a creative incubator for DC underground music - Rob Garza and Lounge co-owner Eric Hilton bonded over strong drinks, dub, bossa nova and jazz records, then decided to see what would come of mixing all these in a recording studio. From this, the duo was born and their self started label Eighteenth Street Lounge Music began to emerge on an international level.

The duo caught the ears of underground DJ’s with their first two 12" offerings, "Shaolin Satellite" and "2001 Spliff Odyssey" and with their 1997 debut LP, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi, they had already begun to define a new genre of electronic music and connect with an international community of like-minded souls. Though the terminology has varied (downtempo, chill out, leftfield and a myriad of other permutations), they have been at the top of their game ever since.

In 2002, they released The Richest Man in Babylon on their ESL label. This fifteen track album is similar in sound and timbre to their earlier 2000 release, The Mirror Conspiracy, and features performances by vocalists Emiliana Torrini, Pam Bricker, and Loulou.

In 2005 they released The Cosmic Game, which has a darker, more psychedelic sound than The Richest Man in Babylon. The album also featured more high-profile guest singers on it, including Perry Farrell, David Byrne, and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.

In 2006, the group released Versions, a selection of remixes done by Thievery Corporation for other artists and toured the United States, playing at Lollapalooza.

The language of the group's lyrics are as diverse as English, Spanish, French, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian and Hindi. This reflects the group's global feel and collaborative structure.

Enjoy the chill groove of this one!

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Animal Wednesday - Bone Lake

For Animal Wednesday. To be happy as a dog is happy you just have to enjoy the dance!

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The Christian in the world

From Today's Office Of Readings:

From a letter to Diognetus

The Christian in the world

Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labour under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law.

Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonour, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.
To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.

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My Blog World

My Blog World is a very nice personal blog on blogster where sherryever expresses her life in a blog.

One of my favorites from the blog is The Red Blouse:

This evening I am so happy, I have the blouse which I always wanted. It's red in colour, I really like red. But I know not everybody like this colour especially those working as a doctor? Tell me if its true.

I bought L size instead of XL because I have try on a few times and I find that I can fit in :). It always depend on the cutting and design of the clothes. What size are you?

Shopping online would be different some seller never state the size probably. That's really bad and once you bought it you can't return it or exchange at all. That's their T&C.

Straight, Simple and True! We need more writers like this. Grammar doesn't matter as much as truth and emotion.

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Monday Artday - War

This is for Monday Art Day: War.

This image is from the cover of my book "Wage Peace". Because war is just bananas.

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Justin Roberts - Pop Fly

Boy do I remember these days! Here's Pop Fly by Justin Roberts. Enjoy!

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The Vine and The Branches

From Today's Office of Readings:

From a commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop

I am the vine, you are the branches
The Lord calls himself the vine and those united to him branches in order to teach us how much we shall benefit from our union with him, and how important it is for us to remain in his love. By receiving the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of union between us and Christ our Saviour, those who are joined to him, as branches are to a vine, share in his own nature.

On the part of those who come to the vine, their union with him depends upon a deliberate act of the will; on his part, the union is effected by grace. Because we had good will, we made the act of faith that brought us to Christ, and received from him the dignity of adoptive sonship that made us his own kinsmen, according to the words of Saint Paul: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

The prophet Isaiah calls Christ the foundation, because it is upon him that we as living and spiritual stones are built into a holy priesthood to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. Upon no other foundation than Christ can this temple be built. Here Christ is teaching the same truth by calling himself the vine, since the vine is the parent of its branches, and provides their nourishment.

From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through the Spirit in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit of our old, sinful life but the fruit of a new life founded upon our faith in him and our love for him. Like branches growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ, and we cling to his holy commandment in order to preserve this life. Eager to safeguard the blessing of our noble birth, we are careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, and who makes us aware of God’s presence in us.

Let the wisdom of John teach us how we live in Christ and Christ lives in us: The proof that we are living in him and he is living in us is that he has given us a share in his Spirit. Just as the trunk of the vine gives its own natural properties to each of its branches, so, by bestowing on them the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father, gives Christians a certain kinship with himself and with God the Father because they have been united to him by faith and determination to do his will in all things. He helps them to grow in love and reverence for God, and teaches them to discern right from wrong and to act with integrity.

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SK's Site Reviews & More

I have been getting some interesting reviews from the Smorty crowd. Some are saying they just couldn't figure out what my site was about... that it wasn't focused enough...etc (ad nausium). You'd think that with the abundance of comics and spiritual stuff on my site they'd get it...and above all the name of my site is "A Tic In The Mind's Eye"...am I the only one who gets the joke?

Anyway enough about me...I'm reviewing a site that is very focused. It is called Sk's Site Review & More and you geussed it it is about reviews. Reviews of websites and products. I mention my dilema only because SK's web address contains "everythingblog" in it! :) Now here is someone who speaks my language!

Sk is a very good read because the reviews are always helpful and seem to focused on helping you earn money online. I'm into that! I'm going to bookmark this site and return for more pointers. You should check it out too.

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Right Neighborly Of You

For Illustration Friday: Primitive

So I assume it's not the odd requests from your neighbors that you should look out for!

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Earth Day 2008

This is a video I produced for my friends on Chincoteague Island for their Earth Day Celebration. Enjoy! Do Something.

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The Reign Of Life Has Begun

From Today's Office Of Readings:

From a sermon by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop


The firstborn of the new creation

The reign of life has begun, the tyranny of death is ended. A new birth has taken place, a new life has come, a new order of existence has appeared, our very nature has been transformed! This birth is not brought about by human generation, by the will of man, or by the desire of the flesh, but by God.

If you wonder how, I will explain in clear language. Faith is the womb that conceives this new life, baptism the rebirth by which it is brought forth into the light of day. The Church is its nurse; her teachings are its milk, the bread from heaven is its food. It is brought to maturity by the practice of virtue; it is wedded to wisdom; it gives birth to hope. Its home is the kingdom; its rich inheritance the joys of paradise; its end, not death, but the blessed and everlasting life prepared for those who are worthy.

This is the day the Lord has made – a day far different from those made when the world was first created and which are measured by the passage of time. This is the beginning of a new creation. On this day, as the prophet says, God makes a new heaven and a new earth. What is this new heaven? you may ask. It is the firmament of our faith in Christ. What is the new earth? A good heart, a heart like the earth, which drinks up the rain that falls on it and yields a rich harvest.
In this new creation, purity of life is the sun, the virtues are the stars, transparent goodness is the air, and the depths of the riches of wisdom and knowledge, the sea. Sound doctrine, the divine teachings are the grass and plants that feed God’s flock, the people whom he shepherds; the keeping of the commandments is the fruit borne by the trees.

On this day is created the true man, the man made in the image and likeness of God. For this day the Lord has made is the beginning of this new world. Of this day the prophet says that it is not like other days, nor is this night like other nights. But still we have not spoken of the greatest gift it has brought us. This day destroyed the pangs of death and brought to birth the firstborn of the dead.
I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God. O what wonderful good news! He who for our sake became like us in order to make us his brothers, now presents to his true Father his own humanity in order to draw all his kindred up after him.

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NFL Picks

Well the new Fantasy Football season will be on us very soon and a great spot to check out thepicks nfl has to offer and other stats is addictsports.com.

Addictsorts.com is message board community about everything sports that you can join and chat about your favorite team, sport, or athelete. It will surely wet your fantasy league whistle as you prepare this years team.

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Obama Girl - Crush On Obama

B to the A,R,A,C,K,O,B,A,M,A. Ok I couldn't resist. Here is Obama Girl doing her thing. It's a little racy so you may want to sent the kids out of the room.

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Blog It With Allen

Any blog that lists itself as:

- Make Money Online - Food - Travel - Technology -

is definitely worth the visit. This is how Blog It With Allen describes itself. I went over there and it was full of color pictures and commentary about - Making Money Online - Food - Travel - Technology! Just like it said. The first post I saw was about Festes Park Western Food, whose colorful pictures made me think of the lunch I skipped today. As soon as I get done here I think I will eat...alot.

Further down the page is an article about M&M's. So I guess tonight's snack is covered too.

Go on over and check Allen out. Tell him I sent ya!

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Prayer And Meditation

From Today's Daily OM:

Asking And Receiving

Prayer and meditation are similar practices in that they both offer us a connection to the divine, but they also differ from one another in significant ways. Put simply, prayer is when we ask the universe for something, and meditation is when we listen. When we pray, we use language to express our innermost thoughts and feelings to a higher power. Sometimes, we plumb the depths within ourselves and allow whatever comes to the surface to flow out in our prayer. At other times, we pray words that were written by someone else but that express what we want to say. Prayer is reaching out to the universe with questions, pleas for help, gratitude, and praise.

Meditation, on the other hand, has a silent quality that honors the art of receptivity. When we meditate, we cease movement and allow the activity of our minds and hearts to go on without us in a sense. Eventually, we fall into a deep silence, a place that underlies all the noise and fray of daily human existence. In this place, it becomes possible for us to hear the universe as it speaks for itself, responds to our questions, or sits with us in its silent way.

Both prayer and meditation are indispensable tools for navigating our relationship with the universe and with ourselves. They are also natural complements to one another, and one makes way for the other just as the crest of a wave gives way to its hollow. If we tend to do only one or the other, prayer or meditation, we may find that we are out of balance, and we might benefit from exploring the missing form of communication. There are times when we need to reach out and express ourselves, fully exorcising our insides, and times when we are empty, ready to rest in quiet receiving. When we allow ourselves to do both, we begin to have a true conversation with the universe.

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As Out Of A Sepulchre

From Today's Office Of Readings:

A letter of Pope St Clement I to the Corinthians


There are many paths but one Way

My dear friends, this is the way in which we find our Saviour Jesus Christ, the High Priest of all our offerings, the defender and helper of our infirmity.

By him we look up to the heights of heaven. In his face, exalted and without blemish, we see ourselves reflected. By him the eyes of our hearts are opened. By him our foolish and darkened understanding blossoms up anew towards his marvellous light. By him the Lord has willed that we should taste of immortal knowledge. He is the radiant light of God’s glory. He is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name.

Let us then, men and brethren, with all energy act the part of soldiers, in accordance with his holy commandments.

Think of the soldiers who serve under our generals, and with what order, obedience, and submissiveness they perform the things which are commanded them. Not all are prefects, nor commanders of a thousand, nor of a hundred, nor of fifty, nor the like, but each one in his own rank performs the things commanded by the king and the generals. The great cannot subsist without the small, nor the small without the great. There is a kind of mixture in all things, and thence arises mutual advantage.
Let us take our body for an example. The head is nothing without the feet, and the feet are nothing without the head. The very smallest members of our body are necessary and useful to the whole body. All work harmoniously together and they are under one common rule for the preservation of the whole body.

In Christ Jesus let our whole body be preserved intact. Let every one of us be subject to his neighbour, according to the special gift bestowed upon him.
Let the strong not despise the weak, and let the weak show respect to the strong.

Let the rich man provide for the wants of the poor; and let the poor man bless God, because he has given him one by whom his need may be supplied. Let the wise man display his wisdom, not by mere words, but through good deeds. Let the humble not bear testimony to himself, but leave witness to be borne to him by another. Let him that is pure in the flesh not grow proud of it, and boast, knowing that it was another who bestowed on him the gift of continence.

Let us consider, then, brethren, of what matter we were made. Let us consider how we came into this world, as it were out of a sepulchre, and from utter darkness: who and what manner of beings we were. He who made us and fashioned us, having prepared his bountiful gifts for us before we were born, introduced us into his world.
Since, therefore, we receive all these things from him, we ought for everything to give him thanks; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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Royksopp - Poor Leno

Ok the 30 second video doesn't really qualify as music per se. so I've posted a Royksopp video set in the interim. This video set includes 8 songs starting with "Poor Leno".

Röyksopp is an electronic music duo based in Tromsø, Norway composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge. The group formed officially in 1998 and released their debut album Melody A.M. in 2001.

Brundtland and Berge were schoolmates in their hometown of Tromsø, experimenting with electronic instruments in the early 90s. However, the duo did not appear as Röyksopp until years later when they met again in Bergen. The city was a vital scene for underground electronic music at this time, and the band worked with other Norwegian musicians such as Frost, Kings of Convenience’s guitarist/singer Erlend Øye, Those Norwegians and Drum Island in what was called the Bergen Wave.

The word Röyksopp is a stylized version of the Norwegian word for the puffball mushroom, "røyksopp" or literally, "smoke mushroom". This same word can also be used to describe the mushroom clouds that come from atomic bombs, so this imagery is also inherent in their name.

Röyksopp's first singles were released by local independent label Tellé, and their album Melody A.M. on British label Wall of Sound. It spawned the singles "Eple", "Poor Leno", "Remind Me" and "Sparks".

The popularity of the duo’s music was boosted by several graphically experimental music videos. One of them, an infographic-styled video by French company H5 for the track "Remind Me", won the 2002 MTV Europe Music Award for best music video. In this same event the duo was nominated in 3 more categories: "Best Nordic Act", "Best New Artist" and "Best Dance Act", but only won the award for best video.

Now...Enjoy!

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I (heart) PPP!

I love to blog and I love to make money. But sometimes the two don't really work together. I know many of you are looking for ways to get paid to blog as well. There are a few decent sites out there in the web-o-sphere. But there are only a few I would recommend. Payperpost.com tops the list. As a blogger I want to find things I'm interested in to blog about. Even when it comes to paid posts, if I'm not into it I will not post about it. PPP has always provided a wide variety of advertising opportunities for me.

The question is asked by PPP "What are you going to do with all the money you earn!?!?!?!" Well I haven't put much thought into it. I guess I've been to buy trying to earn to think about spending. And it poses a philosophical problem each time I post because Payperpost offers a feature that allows you to donate a portion of your earnings to charity.

But for me, I've been slightly greedy. My reply? Buy more stuff! And isn't that usually what earning money is about?


Check out payperpost.com see how they can help you earn money while doing what you love.





Indeed!

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Animal Wednesday - Mr. Duck

For Animal Wednesday.

From the Dilbert Blog by Scott Adams:

"One of the hardest parts of my job is figuring out what other people will think is funny. You’d think that would be easy, but my own sense of humor is far from the mainstream. I can’t assume others will laugh at the same things I find funny.

In 1988, before I submitted the first fifty Dilbert comics for syndication, I asked my friends to sort them into the piles they liked most and least. My plan was to only submit the comics my friends liked most. Surprisingly, I found zero correlation across friends. One person’s favorite was another person’s most hated. In the end, I submitted all fifty comics. Apparently that worked."

I feel much the same way. I had an art show this weekend with my comics at Sundial Books in Chincoteague. The show went extremely well. I've never shown my comics in a gallery before so it was kind of weird.

Mr. Duck is one I omitted from the show because I thought it would not be understood.

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The 30 Second Video

Ok for your musical entertainment today I'm posting "The 30 Second Video" which I'm pretty sure took much longer to make.

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The new commandment

From Today's Office Of Readings:

From a treatise on John by Saint Augustine, bishop

The new commandment

The Lord Jesus declares that he is giving his disciples a new commandment, that they should love one another: I give you a new commandment: love one another.

But wasn’t this commandment already part of the ancient law of God, where it is written You shall love your neighbour as yourself? Why, then, is it called a new one by the Lord, when it is really so old? Is it new because he has divested us of our old humanity and clothed us with the new? It is true that love renews those who listen to it (or rather, those who act in obedience to it) but it is that particular love which the Lord distinguished from all carnal affection by adding love one another as I have loved you.

This is the love that renews us, making us new men, heirs of the New Testament, singers of the new song. It was this love, my beloved brethren, that renewed the patriarchs and prophets of old, and later renewed the blessed apostles. This is the love that is now renewing the nations, and from among the universal race of man, which overspreads the whole world, is making and gathering together a new people, the body of the newly-married spouse of the only-begotten Son of God. Of her the Song of Songs says, Who is she who is coming up, clothed in white? Clothed in white because she has been renewed; and how else can she have been renewed but by the new commandment?

Because of this, the members of the people of God have a mutual interest in one another; and if one member suffers then all the members suffer with it; and if one member is honoured then all the members rejoice with it. For this they hear and this they observe: I give you a new commandment: love one another: not as people who pretend to love in order to corrupt one another, nor indeed as people love one another genuinely but in a human way. Rather, they love one another as those who belong to God. All of them are children of the Most High and consequently brethren of his only Son. They share with each other the love with which he leads them to the end that will bring them fulfilment and the true satisfaction of their real desires. For when God is all in all, there is no desire that is unfulfilled.

This love is bestowed on us by him who said, Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. He loved us so that we should love one another. By loving us he bound us to one another in mutual love, and by this gentle bond united us into the body of which he is the most noble Head.

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Great Roofing Options

Living on the Coast, the spring is always a time for renovations to the rental properties in my town. In February and March you begin to see more and more construction and renovation taking place. It is beautiful here, but the sun and salt damage nearly everything in a summer and is followed by cold and frozen winters to do their own particular damage as well. And out here where the Atlantic winds can literally blow shingles off a roof, you need quality products and expertise in choosing materials. In my opinion GAF-Elk has the best in roofing supplies that I have seen.

GAF-Elk's website is comprehensive for both commercial and residential needs. They provide roofing, Decking and stone among other products. Founded in 1886, GAF Materials Corporation has grown to become North America’s largest manufacturer of residential roofing (sold under the GAF-Elk brand) and commercial roofing (sold under the GAF brand).

Professional installers have long preferred the rugged, dependable performance that only a GAF roof can offer, and have made it the #1-selling brand in North America.



Best Designs...

Whatever your preference, GAF-Elk’s Premium Designer Shingle Collection has become “the choice” of discerning property owners, designers, and architects. Our wide range of design choices includes shingles that emulate the rich look of natural materials like wood, slate, and stone.

Best Performance...

GAF-Elk’s Premium Designer Shingles far exceed industry performance standards—so it’s no surprise that they include exceptional warranty protection. Every GAF-Elk Premium Designer Shingle includes a lifetime (50+ year) ltd. warranty against manufacturing defects, plus Smart Choice® protection (non-prorated reimbursement for replacement materials and installation labor) for the first ten years, and 110 mph wind coverage.

Best Quality...

For your peace of mind, the highly trained experts at the independent Good Housekeeping Institute have performed a rigorous evaluation of GAF-Elk’s research, quality control, and other key functions.




Check Them Out Today and Explore GAF Roofing Options!

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Prepaid Phone Cards

Looking forindia phone cards. International calling is an expensive endeavor.

According to Ezinearticles.com:

The PELORUS Group reported about the surge of revenues in the prepaid calling card market over the United States and Canada between 1995 and 2000. The prepaid calling card market sales increased from $750 million to over $3.3 billion in a matter of 5 years. Domestic and international components of the market simultaneously rose during this period. However, between 2001 and 2002, the prepaid calling card market in North America decelerated. It was during this time period that domestic prepaid calling card revenues declined. Nevertheless international prepaid calling cards continuously enjoy increasing revenues. With the escalating popularity of international calling cards, the total prepaid calling card revenues managed to bounce back to about $3.2 billion.

In this burgeoning market it is good to have as much help in finding deals as you can. The Rich Genie (I love that name) sells prepaid phone cards to call international destinations ranging from asia to middle east and europe. Customers can use their web site to search for best phone cards to call from United States to virtually anywhere in the world with much cheaper rates than from large companies like at&t, sprint, etc.

So if you are buying international calling cards click over and check them out today.

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Jon and Vangelis - Deborah

This is a nice little fan video from YouTube for Jon and Vangelis' "Deborah".

Jon & Vangelis is the collaborative effort between the singer Jon Anderson (better known as lead vocalist of the British progressive rock band Yes), and the Greek synthesizer musician Vangelis. Together they released a number of successful albums in the 1980s.

The two artists probably met in the progressive rock scene of London in the 1970s. Vangelis reputedly was to join Anderson in Yes, replacing Rick Wakeman as keyboardist, but this never came to fruition. Nevertheless, Jon contributed vocals to Vangelis' Heaven and Hell (1975), harp to Opera Sauvage (1979), and vocals to See You Later (1980).

The two embarked on a series of albums between 1979 and 1991, producing the major hits "I Hear You Now" (a UK No. 8) and "I'll Find My Way Home". Anderson wrote the lyrics, and Vangelis composed the music. This was during one of Vangelis' most productive periods, and a high level of experimentation is evident on some of their tracks.


Enjoy!

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The unity of the faithful

From Today's Office of Readings:

A tract on the Trinity by Saint Hilary, bishop

The unity of the faithful in God through the incarnation of the Word and the sacrament of the Eucharist

If the Word has truly been made flesh and we in very truth receive the Word made flesh as food from the Lord, are we not bound to believe that he abides in us naturally? Born as a man, he assumed the nature of our flesh so that now it is inseparable from himself, and conjoined the nature of his own flesh to the nature of the eternal Godhead in the sacrament by which his flesh is communicated to us. Accordingly we are all one, because the Father is in Christ and Christ in us. He himself is in us through the flesh and we in him, and because we are united with him, our own being is in God.

He himself testifies that we are in him through the sacrament of the flesh and blood bestowed upon us: In a short time the world will no longer see me; but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. If he wanted to indicate a mere unity of will, why did He set forth a kind of gradation and sequence in the completion of that unity? It can only be that, since he was in the Father through the nature of Deity, and we on the contrary in him through his birth in the body, he wishes us to believe that he is in us through the mystery of the sacraments. From this we can learn the perfect unity through a Mediator; for we abide in him and he abides in the Father, and while abiding in the Father he abides in us as well – so that we attain unity with the Father. For while Christ is in the Father naturally according to his birth, we too are in Christ naturally, since he abides in us naturally.

He himself has told us how natural this unity is: He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. No-one can be in Christ unless Christ is in him, because the only flesh which he has taken to himself is the flesh of those who have taken his.

He had earlier revealed to us the sacrament of this perfect unity: As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. He lives because of the Father, and as he lives because of the Father so we live because of his flesh.

Every comparison is chosen to shape our understanding, so that we may grasp the subject concerned by help of the analogy set before us. To summarise, this is what gives us life: that we have Christ dwelling within our carnal selves through the flesh, and we shall live because of him in the same manner as he lives because of the Father.

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Pet Shop Boys - Domino Dancing

Pet Shop Boys are an English dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasionally guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals. The duo achieved their most success near the end of the popularity of the new wave dance music era, receiving their initial sound and presentation from other acts of the period (especially the new romantics) such as Roxy Music, Midge Ure, Visage, Thompson Twins, New Order, and Ultravox, mixing in a bit of R & B as well.

Pet Shop Boys have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Since 1986, they have had thirty-nine Top 30 singles and twenty-two Top 10 hits in the UK, including four number ones: "West End Girls", "It's a Sin", "Always on My Mind" and "Heart".

This video set includes "Domino Dancing", "It's Alright", "Before" and "I'm With Stupid".

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Both A Sacrifice And A Priest

From Today's Office of Readings:

From a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop


Each one of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and his priest

I appeal to you by the mercy of God. This appeal is made by Paul, or rather, it is made by God through Paul, because of God’s desire to be loved rather than feared, to be a father rather than a Lord. God appeals to us in his mercy to avoid having to punish us in his severity.

Listen to the Lord’s appeal: In me, I want you to see your own body, your members, your heart, your bones, your blood. You may fear what is divine, but why not love what is human? You may run away from me as the Lord, but why not run to me as your father? Perhaps you are filled with shame for causing my bitter passion. Do not be afraid. This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me, but on death. These nails no longer pain me, but only deepen your love for me. I do not cry out because of these wounds, but through them I draw you into my heart. My body was stretched on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered, but of my all-embracing love. I count it no less to shed my blood: it is the price I have paid for your ransom. Come, then, return to me and learn to know me as your father, who repays good for evil, love for injury, and boundless charity for piercing wounds.

Listen now to what the Apostle urges us to do. I appeal to you, he says, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. By this exhortation of his, Paul has raised all men to priestly status.

How marvellous is the priesthood of the Christian, for he is both the victim that is offered on his own behalf, and the priest who makes the offering. He does not need to go beyond himself to seek what he is to immolate to God: with himself and in himself he brings the sacrifice he is to offer God for himself. The victim remains and the priest remains, always one and the same. Immolated, the victim still lives: the priest who immolates cannot kill. Truly it is an amazing sacrifice in which a body is offered without being slain and blood is offered without being shed.

The Apostle says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Brethren, this sacrifice follows the pattern of Christ’s sacrifice by which he gave his body as a living immolation for the life of the world. He really made his body a living sacrifice, because, though slain, he continues to live. In such a victim death receives its ransom, but the victim remains alive. Death itself suffers the punishment. This is why death for the martyrs is actually a birth, and their end a beginning. Their execution is the door to life, and those who were thought to have been blotted out from the earth shine brilliantly in heaven.

Paul says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living and holy. The prophet said the same thing: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but you have prepared a body for me. Each of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and his priest. Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you. Put on the garment of holiness, gird yourself with the belt of chastity. Let Christ be your helmet, let the cross on your forehead be your unfailing protection.

Your breastplate should be the knowledge of God that he himself has given you. Keep burning continually the sweet smelling incense of prayer. Take up the sword of the Spirit. Let your heart be an altar. Then, with full confidence in God, present your body for sacrifice. God desires not death, but faith; God thirsts not for blood, but for self-surrender; God is appeased not by slaughter, but by the offering of your free will.

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Tennis Anyone?

Now that the weather is changing, it is time to get out the racquet's and tennis balls and hit the courts. The Miracle Quest is a Bravenet blog tennis practice and match challenges. I found the blog very interesting. It has some very practical advice and product opinions, while at the same time chronicling the quest "to recover his physical fitness from long time ago". And trust me I'm with him on that!

This blog takes you from tennis to business providing insight into the use and quality of tennis racquet's and strings and general Fitness concepts as they fit into the daily life of a Internet Cafe owner and Online business venturer.

One doesn't have to be a pro tennis player. It is very accessible to the avid player or the occasional dabbler. It is a good read and merits many return visits. I know I will check it out regularly.

This is a blog review provided by Smorty.com

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The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English pop music record producer, songwriter and musician. He was born in Durham, England.

Horn has produced commercially successful songs and albums for numerous British and international artists. He won a Grammy Award for co-writing "Kiss from a Rose" with Seal. As a musician, he has had chart success with his bands Buggles, Yes and Art of Noise. He also owns a significant stake in the recording company ZTT Records, Sarm Studios and a music publishing company, Perfect Songs. The three are combined under the corporate umbrella of SPZ.

Horn was regarded for much of the 1980s as the best producer in Britain, evidenced by a note that the band China Crisis made on their 1985 album Flaunt the Imperfection (produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan)—they credited their producer as "Walter (Trevor Who?) Becker". There are many such casual references to Horn in British culture.

Horn began his professional career as a backing musician in the late 1970s for disco star Tina Charles. One of the other members of her backing band was keyboard player Geoffrey Downes. Horn and Downes formed The Buggles in 1977, in which Horn played bass, guitar and percussion as well as providing vocals. Horn, Downes and Bruce Woolley (Tina Charles' guitarist) co-wrote "Video Killed the Radio Star", which was released by The Buggles in 1979 reaching No 1 in the UK charts.

In 2003 Trevor Horn celebrated 25 years in the industry. This video set includes performances at the Prince's Trust Concert honoring him. Enjoy!

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Life In The Spirit

From Today's Office Of Readings:

St Basil the Great on the Holy Spirit


The Spirit gives life

For this cause the Lord, who gives us our life, gave us the covenant of baptism, containing a type of life and death, for the water fulfils the image of death, and the Spirit gives us the promise of life. Hence it follows that the answer to our question why the water was associated with the Spirit is clear. The reason is because in baptism two ends were proposed: on the one hand, the destroying of the body of sin, that it may never ripen into death; on the other hand, our coming to life in the Spirit, ripening and having our fruit in holiness. Like a tomb, the water receives the body, symbolizing death; while the Spirit pours in the quickening power, renewing our souls from the deadness of sin into their original life. This then is what it is to be born again of water and of the Spirit, the water bringing the necessary death while the Spirit creates life within us.

In three immersions, then, and with three invocations, the great mystery of baptism is performed. Thus the symbol of death is made complete, and by the passing on of the divine knowledge the baptized have their souls enlightened. It follows that if there is any grace in the water, it is not of the nature of the water, but of the presence of the Spirit. For baptism is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God. So in training us for the life that follows on the resurrection the Lord sets out all the manner of life required by the Gospel, laying down for us the law of gentleness, of endurance of wrong, of freedom from the defilement that comes of the love of pleasure, and from covetousness – all this so that we can by our own choice achieve all that the life to come of its inherent nature possesses.

Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to paradise, our ascension into the kingdom of heaven, our return to the status of adopted sons, our liberty to call God our Father, our being made partakers of the grace of Christ, our being called children of light, our sharing in eternal glory – in a word, our being brought into a state of all fullness of blessing both in this world and in the world to come, of all the good gifts that are in store for us. Through faith we behold the reflection of their grace as though they were already present, but we still have wait for the full enjoyment of them. If such is the promise, what will the perfection be like? If these are the first fruits, what will be the complete fulfilment?

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Failure Is Not An Option

For Illustration Friday : Fail

Some things you just shouldn't try at home...or anywhere.

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Christ the Good Shepherd

From Today's Office Of Readings:

From a homily on the Gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope

Christ the Good Shepherd

I am the good shepherd. I know my own – by which I mean, I love them – and my own know me. In plain words: those who love me are willing to follow me, for anyone who does not love the truth has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we pastors have to undergo. Turn now to consider how these words of our Lord imply a test for yourselves also. Ask yourselves whether you belong to his flock, whether you know him, whether the light of his truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know him, but by love; not by mere conviction, but by action. John the evangelist is my authority for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God without keeping his commandments is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: As the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. Clearly he means that laying down his life for his sheep gives evidence of his knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of him. In other words, by the love with which he dies for his sheep he shows how greatly he loves his Father.

Again he says: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them; they follow me, and I give them eternal life. Shortly before this he had declared: If anyone enters the sheepfold through me he shall be saved; he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture. He will enter into a life of faith; from faith he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation, and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground where all who follow him in simplicity of heart will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of heaven. There the elect look upon the face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life for ever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith, and long eagerly for what heaven has in store for us. To love thus is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.

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Kings Of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You

Kings of Convenience are an indie folk-pop duo from Bergen, Norway. Consisting of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, the musical group is known for their delicate tunes, calming voices, and intricately subtle guitar melodies. Both Øye and Bøe sing in their tracks, and both of them compose.

The twosome were signed to the American label Kindercore after appearing in European festivals during the summer of 1999. After a spell living in London in 2001, they released their debut album Quiet Is the New Loud. The album was produced by Coldplay producer Ken Nelson. The album was very successful and even lent its name to a small movement of musicians in the pop underground (including acoustic contemporaries such as Turin Brakes) which took Belle & Sebastian and Simon and Garfunkel as their inspiration and focused on more subtle melodies and messages.

This video set includes the Kings Of Convenience "I'd Rather Dance With You" and "Cayman Island". Enjoy!

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I Am Dying For All Men

Reading From a commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria


Christ gave his own body for the life of all men

“I am dying for all men”, says the Lord. “I am dying to give them life through myself and to redeem the whole human race through my humanity. In my death, death itself will die and man’s fallen nature will rise again with me. I wanted to be like my brothers in every respect, so I became a man like you, a descendant of Abraham”.

Understanding this well Saint Paul says: As the children of a family share the same flesh and blood, he too shared our human nature so that by his death he could destroy the power of the devil, the prince of death. Death itself and the prince of death could be destroyed only by Christ, who is above all, giving himself up as a ransom for all.

And so, speaking as a spotless victim offering himself for us to God the Father, Christ says in one of the psalms: You desired no sacrifices or offerings, but you have prepared a body for me. You took no pleasure in holocausts or sin offerings. Then I said, “Behold, I am coming”. He was crucified for all, desiring his one death for all to give all of us life in him. It was impossible for him to be conquered by death; nor could he who by his very nature is life be subject to corruption. Yet we know that Christ offered his flesh for the life of the world from his own prayer, Holy Father, protect them, and from his words, For their sake I consecrate myself.

By saying that he consecrates himself he means that he offers himself to God as a spotless and sweet-smelling sacrifice. According to the law, anything offered upon the altar was consecrated and considered holy. So Christ gave his own body for the life of all, and makes it the channel through which life flows once more into us. How he does this I will explain to the best of my ability.

When the life-giving Word of God dwelt in human flesh, he changed it into that good thing which is distinctively his, namely, life; and by being wholly united to the flesh in a a way beyond our comprehension, he gave it the life-giving power which he has by his very nature. Therefore, the body of Christ gives life to those who receive it. Its presence in mortal men expels death and drives away corruption because it contains within itself in his entirety the Word who totally abolishes corruption.

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Get Super Easy Credit

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Art Of Noise - Born On A Sunday

Art of Noise was an avant-garde synthpop group formed in 1983 by producer Trevor Horn, music journalist Paul Morley, and session musicians/studio hands Anne Dudley, J. J. Jeczalik, and Gary Langan. The group's mostly instrumental compositions were novel and often clever melodic sound collages based on digital sampler technology, which was new at the time. Inspired by turn-of-the-century revolutions in music, the Art of Noise was initially packaged as a faceless anti- or non-group, blurring the distinction between the art and its creators. The band is noted for their innovative use of electronics and computers in pop music and particularly for innovative use of sampling. The name of the group alludes to the essay The Art of Noises by noted futurist Luigi Russolo.

From the earliest releases on ZTT, the band referred to themselves as both Art of Noise and The Art of Noise. The version with the article "the" was often preferred by third parties. To add to the confusion both official and unofficial releases and press material from the same releases use both versions, but Art of Noise is preferred.


This video set includes, "Born On A Sunday", "Moments in Love","Opus 4 and Paranomia", and "Close To The Edit" live. (Note producer and one time Yes member Trevor Horn on bass on Moments in Love and Close To The Edit. more on Horn to come...)

Enjoy.

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The Contest Of Faith

From Today's Office Of Readings:

A letter of St Cyprian to the people of Thibaris

The contest of faith

As we do battle and fight in the contest of faith, God, his angels and Christ himself watch us. How exalted is the glory, how great the joy of engaging in a contest with God presiding, of receiving a crown with Christ as judge.

Dear brethren, let us arm ourselves with all our might, let us prepare ourselves for the struggle with uncorrupted minds, with a whole faith, and with devoted courage.
The blessed Apostle teaches us how to arm and prepare ourselves: Put round you the belt of truth; put on the breastplate of righteousness; for shoes wear zeal for the Gospel of peace; take up the shield of faith to extinguish all the burning arrows of the evil one; take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

Let us take this armour and defend ourselves with these spiritual defences from heaven, so that when the evil day comes we may be able to resist the threats of the devil, and fight back against him.

Let us put on the breastplate of righteousness so that our breasts may be protected and kept safe from the arrows of the enemy. Let our feet be shod in the teaching of the Gospel, and armoured so that when we begin to trample on the serpent and crush it, it will not be able to bite us or trip us up.

Let us with fortitude bear the shield of faith to protect us by extinguishing all the burning arrows that the enemy may launch against us.

Let us wear on our head the helmet of the spirit, to defend our ears against the proclamations of death, to defend our eyes against the sight of accursed idols, to defend our foreheads so that God’s sign may be kept intact, and to defend our mouths so that our tongues may proclaim victoriously the name of Christ their Lord.

And let us arm our right hand with the sword of the spirit so that it may courageously refuse the daily sacrifices, and, remembering the Eucharist, let the hand that took hold of the body of the Lord embrace the Lord himself, and so gain from the Lord the future prize of a heavenly crown.

Dear brethren, have all this firmly fixed in your hearts. If the day of persecution finds us thinking on these things and meditating upon them, the soldier of Christ, trained by Christ’s commands and instructions, will not tremble at the thought of battle, but will be ready to receive the crown of victory.

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Q-Ray On YouTube

QRay on Youtube.

The Q-Ray Ionized Bracelet® is specially engineered using select mineral component metals and exclusive ionization technology to ensure the best performance and appearance. The terminal ends (flat balls) are attached using a two-fold connection process to ensure maximum security and durability. What size should I wear? Size is determined by measuring the circumference of your wrist.

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Claim Back Bank Charges

Did you know you can claim up to 6 years in bank charges?

Renaissance Easy Claim is a Claims is a Claims Management Firmwith a current client base of over 13,000. They specialise in endowment complaint handling. Their success rate of over 85% in Financial Services complaints is very impressive.
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Management Firm that can help you do it. They specialise in endowment complaint handling. Their success rate of over 85% in Financial Services complaints is very impressive. Their team is 'in house' so however you contact us you are immediately talking to a claims management specialist who is passionate about helping you.

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Animal Wednesday - Sheepspeare

Ok. I know it's Thursday so s-u-u-u-u-u-e me! That was b-a-a-a-a-d!

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Daft Punk - One More Time

This video set includes Daft Punk's "One More Time" and "Around The World", plus the animated movie video Interstella 5555.

Daft Punk is a duo consisting of Paris musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974) and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975). The duo is considered one of the most successful electronic music collaborations of all time, both in album sales and in critical acclaim. After Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France, other artists such as Air, Cassius and Dimitri from Paris began to receive a similar amount of attention.

Daft Punk is also credited with producing songs that were considered essential in the French house scene. Plus they look great in robot suits!




Enjoy.

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Our Sins Have Been Forgiven

From Today's Office Of Readings:

From the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop


The Eucharist, pledge of our resurrection

If our flesh is not saved, then the Lord has not redeemed us with his blood, the eucharistic chalice does not make us sharers in his blood, and the bread we break does not make us sharers in his body. There can be no blood without veins, flesh and the rest of the human substance, and this the Word of God actually became: it was with his own blood that he redeemed us. As the Apostle says: In him, through his blood, we have been redeemed, our sins have been forgiven.

We are his members and we are nourished by creatures, which is his gift to us, for it is he who causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall. He declared that the chalice, which comes from his creation, was his blood, and he makes it the nourishment of our blood. He affirmed that the bread, which comes from his creation, was his body, and he makes it the nourishment of our body. When the chalice we mix and the bread we bake receive the word of God, the eucharistic elements become the body and blood of Christ, by which our bodies live and grow. How then can it be said that flesh belonging to the Lord’s own body and nourished by his body and blood is incapable of receiving God’s gift of eternal life? Saint Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians that we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. He is not speaking of some spiritual and incorporeal kind of man, for spirits do not have flesh and bones. He is speaking of a real human body composed of flesh, sinews and bones, nourished by the chalice of Christ’s blood and receiving growth from the bread which is his body.

The slip of a vine planted in the ground bears fruit at the proper time. The grain of wheat falls into the ground and decays only to be raised up again and multiplied by the Spirit of God who sustains all things. The Wisdom of God places these things at the service of man and when they receive God’s word they become the eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, which have been nourished by the eucharist, will be buried in the earth and will decay, but they will rise again at the appointed time, for the Word of God will raise them up to the glory of God the Father. Then the Father will clothe our mortal nature in immortality and freely endow our corruptible nature with incorruptibility, for God’s power is shown most perfectly in weakness.

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