text:
The Agora
Bible Commentary

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Acts 18

Act 18:1

Act 18: "The exciting record of the apostle Paul continues, as Luke outlines their experiences in Corinth and the travel to Antioch. It was here that they met two very dedicated Jews, Aquila and Priscilla, in the same trade as the apostle. One can only imagine the exciting discussions that would have passed between the tent-makers in their daily occupation. It is an example to those who have opportunity to discuss the principles of the Truth with their fellow-workers. But soon, the enjoyment of fraternal association was disturbed by the presence of controversy, as the Jews in the area rejected Paul's preaching at Corinth. The courage of the apostle is again manifested as he maintained his work in the city for 'a long time' (v 18), until he continued in his service for the Truth to make a journey to Syria, Ephesus and towards Jerusalem" (GEM).

CORINTH: "A very ancient city; the earliest settlers came in the 5th or 6th millennium BC. But Corinth of the classical period was really established with the Dorian invasion. About 1000 BC these Gr people settled at the foot of the acropolis of Corinth. Occupying a place of safety, they also controlled the main overland trade route between the Peloponnesus and central Greece, as well as the Isthmian route. Coming early to a height of prosperity, the city colonized Syracuse on Sicily and the island of Corcyra and achieved a peak of prosperity through commercial and industrial development. Corinthian pottery and bronzes were exported widely over the Mediterranean. About the middle of the 5th century the city's fortunes declined as a result of the effective competition of Athenian industrial production. During the classical period Corinth controlled about 248 square miles of territory, approximately one-fourth the size of Rhode Island.

"It is not possible to tell the history of Corinth in detail. Suffice it to say that she clashed with Rome during the 2nd century BC, was finally destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC, and lay virtually uninhabited until Julius Caesar refounded it in 44 BC. The growth of Corinth was rapid, and by the time of Paul or soon thereafter it became the largest and most flourishing center in southern Greece. It served as capital of the Roman province of Achaia, with a population estimated variously from 100,000 to several hundred thousand.

"In Paul's day the city lay about one and a half miles south of the Corinthian gulf on the north side of its acropolis at an altitude of c 400 feet. The Acrocorinthus or acropolis hill towered c 1,500 feet over the city to an altitude of 1,886 feet. The city and its acropolis were enclosed by a wall over six miles in circumference. Outside the walls in the surrounding plain stretched grain fields, olive groves, vineyards, and other agricultural holdings of the city.

"In the N central part of town stood the Agora, nerve center of the metropolis. The Agora was almost 700 feet east and west, and about 300 feet north and south... Here Paul appeared before Gallio governor of Achaia, as a result of Jewish accusations to the effect that he had broken the law (Acts 18:12-13). Along the S side of the Agora stood a stoa or colonnaded shipping center about 500 ft long. Here and on the nw side near the temple of Apollo were shops for meat and wine merchants, probably the 'shambles' or market which Paul referred to in 1Co 10:25 (KJV). An inscription was found near the theater stating that Erastus had laid the pavement at his own expense...

"Near Corinth the Isthmian games were held every two years in honor of Poseidon, god of the sea. Athletic events included footraces, two-horse chariot racing, the pentathlon, (running, jumping, discus and javelin throwing, wrestling) and the pankration (a combination of boxing and wrestling). The victor's crown seems to have been withered wild celery during the 1st century AD, a corruptible crown indeed (1Co 9:25)" (WyE).

Act 18:2

AQUILA: "A Jew from Pontus in N Asia Minor, resident in Rome, where he and his wife Priscilla became Christians. The edict of the emperor Claudius (c AD 49) expelling Jews from Rome, forced this couple to migrate to Corinth, where they set up a branch of their tentmaking or leather-working business, and met Paul, who joined them because that was his trade too (Acts 18:1-3). When Paul left Corinth in AD 52, they accompanied him as far as Ephesus, where they settled for some years. Early in their residence there, they gave hospitality to the Alexandrian Jew Apollos and repaired deficiencies in his knowledge of Christianity (Acts 18:18-26). By AD 57 they were probably back in Rome, according to Rom 16:3. Claudius' expulsion edict doubtless lapsed for practical purposes with his death in AD 54. According to 2Ti 4:19, they seem to have located in Ephesus again. The picture of such tradespeople moving from place to place, probably leaving branches of their business here and there in charge of a manager, is quite true to conditions of life under the Roman Empire. Wherever they lived, Aquila and Priscilla provided the local church with accommodation in their home (Rom 16:5; 1Co 16:19). On one occasion, possibly in Ephesus, they risked their lives for Paul (Rom 16:4)" (WyE).

PRISCILLA: "The wife of Aquila. While Luke calls her by this familiar name (Acts 18:2, Paul prefers to give her the more formal name of Prisca (Rom 16:3, ASV, RSV; 1Co 16:19, ASV, RSV; 2Ti 4:19). The name belonged to a noble Roman family, the Prisca. Both Luke and Paul usually mention her before her husband; this may reflect her higher social status or (more probably) her more impressive personality" (WyE).

CLAUDIUS: "The fourth Roman emperor, who reigned AD 41-54. He was a nephew of Tiberius Caesar (AD 14-37), under whose rule Jesus' ministry was carried on. Between these two emperors came the short rule of Caligula, who greatly antagonized the Jews by his cruel policies toward them. Claudius revived the more generous attitude of Augustus and Tiberius, the first two Roman emperors, who had been conciliatory toward the Jews.

"At the beginning of his reign Claudius issued an edict in favor of the Jews of Alexandria, who had been undergoing persecution, Josephus reports part of it as reading thus: 'I will, therefore, that the nation of the Jews be not deprived of their rights and privileges on account of the madness of Caius; but that these rights and privileges, which they formerly enjoyed, be preserved to them, and that they may continue in their own customs' (Ant 19:5:2). Josephus further relates that Claudius sent an edict throughout the world in which he wrote: 'Upon the petition of king Agrippa and king Herod, who are persons very dear to me, that I would grant the same rights and privileges should be preserved to the Jews which are in all the Roman empire, which I have granted to those of Alexandria, I very willingly comply therewith' (Ant 19:5:3). 'Agrippa' was Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great. Claudius gave him the territory ruled by his grandfather, with the title of king.

"Claudius is mentioned by name only twice in the NT. In Acts 11:28 a famine is recorded as occurring in his reign. Historical records indicate that famines were frequent and severe in this period.

"Aquila and Priscilla are said to have been compelled to leave Rome when Claudius made a decree expelling all Jews from that city (Acts 18:2).

"The unfortunate emperor was murdered by his wife Agrippina in AD 54" (WyE).

Agrippina had persuaded Claudius to name her son Nero heir instead of his son Britannicus. After Claudius was murdered, Nero became emperor.

Act 18:3

Paul worked for his living, so as not to be a burden to any believers: 1Th 2:9; 2Th 3:8.

See Lesson, Carpenter and tentmaker.

Act 18:4

REASONED: Gr "dialegomai": an argument; an appeal to reason. Possibly a quiet, indirect preaching method.

Act 18:5

SILAS AND TIMOTHY CAME FROM MACEDONIA: They brought favorable reports of the new ecclesias (1Th 1:3), but Paul could not return to Thessalonica (1Th 2:18); so he wrote them the first letter instead.

PAUL DEVOTED HIMSELF EXCLUSIVELY TO PREACHING: Did the good news invigorate Paul in his preaching?

Act 18:6

THE JEWS OPPOSED PAUL: "They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit" (1Th 2:15,16).

HE SHOOK OFF HIS CLOTHES: Cp Mat 10:14: "Shake the dust off your feet." But in ct Jesus, Paul does not leave the city; instead, he now goes to the Gentile Corinthians.

Act 18:8

See Lesson, Acts, conversions.

CRISPUS: He was one whom Paul baptized, along with Gaius and the household of Stephanas (1Co 1:14,16).

HIS ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD: That is, all who believed (cp Act 16:33).

MANY OF THE CORINTHIANS: Including many "sinners" (1Co 6:9,10).

Act 18:9

Vv 9,10: Parenthetical: an explanation; should be inserted betw v 6 and v 7.

Examples of prophetic reluctance: Exo 4:10; Jer 1:6; Eze 3:14; Jon 1:3; 1Ki 19:10; Luk 5:8,10; 9:59; 18:23; Act 13:13; 18:9. Ct Isa 6:8.

Act 18:10

I HAVE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS CITY: "This should be a great encouragement to try to do good, since God has among the vilest of the vile, the most reprobate, the most debauched and drunken, an elect people who must be saved" (CHS).

Paul writes of his "weakness and fear, and with much trembling" (1Co 2:3); was this malaria? And does it explain his slowness to preach, and his need for encouragement from the Lord?

// 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal: 1Ki 19:18; Rom 11:4.

Act 18:11

SO PAUL STAYED FOR A YEAR AND A HALF: Prob also preaching in neighboring districts of Achaia (2Co 1:1).

Act 18:13

CONTRARY TO THE LAW: The Roman law, not the LM. (This was a Roman court. Ct v 15: 'your own law".) The Jews had a special dispensation from Rome to practice their own religion, but Paul and the Christians did not!

Act 18:17

THEY: The Greeks, according to KJV. "Taking their cue from the snub Gallio gave the leaders of the Jewish community, the crowd at the forum -- in an outbreak of the anti-Semitism always near the surface in the Greco-Roman world -- took Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler, and beat him in the marketplace before the forum. Gallio, however, turned a blind eye to what was going on, evidently because he wanted to teach a lesson to those who would waste his time with such trivialities. Larger Jewish synagogues sometimes had more than one leader or ruler (cf Act 13:15), and Sosthenes may have served jointly with Crispus (before his conversion) in the local synagogue chapter at Corinth. Or perhaps he took Crispus' place after the latter's conversion. Perhaps he became a Christian and is the Sosthenes of 1Co 1:1, who served as Paul's amanuensis in writing the Corinthian believers from Ephesus, though that is only conjecture" (EBC).

SOSTHENES THE SYNAGOGUE RULER: "The name occurs twice in the NT. The man in Acts 18:17 was chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia. He may have become a Christian believer through Paul's preaching, as had his predecessor Crispus (Acts 18:8). If so, he quickly suffered for his faith, for when trouble broke out Sosthenes was beaten before the judgment seat of Gallio, who failed to intervene. It is possible that he did not become a Christian at this time, however, and that he was beaten because he was a Jew stirring up trouble in Corinth.

"If 1Co 1:1 refers to the same man, Sosthenes remained (or became) a firm believer, however; for several years later when Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, Sosthenes was not only with Paul but Paul bracketed his name with his own in saluting the church in Corinth. It is not to be understood that Paul meant that he and Sosthenes enjoyed joint inspiration in writing 1Co, but it does indicate Sosthenes' stature as that of a traveling companion of Paul" (WyE).

Why 2 "chief rulers" of the synagogue (vv 8,17)? (1) Poss "archisunagogus" does not indicate chief ruler to the exclusion of any others; the word occurs in the plural in Acts 13:15; cp Mar 5:22; (2) Or, note interval of 18 months (v 11); or (3) Perhaps there was more than one synagogue in Corinth.

BUT GALLIO SHOWED NO CONCERN WHATEVER: Callous indifference is a deadly enemy of the gospel.

Act 18:19

EPHESUS: "Christianity was founded in Jerusalem, extended to the Gentiles from Antioch, and branched out into all the world from Ephesus" (SB 13:187).

Act 18:22

GREETING THE CHURCH: The apostles at Jerusalem?

WENT DOWN: The classic language of theophany, or Yahweh-manifestation, occurs often in Acts in the context of gospel preaching, as if the witness to the gospel were another manifestation of the Yahweh-Name: Act 8:5; 10:21; 13:4; 14:25; 15:30; 16:8; 18:22.

Act 18:24

APOLLOS: "The name is a shortened form of Apollonius. He is described in Acts 18:24-28 as an Alexandrian Jew, an eloquent man, and one 'mighty in the scriptures.' He had been 'instructed in the way of the Lord'; that is, he knew of the teachings of the followers of Jesus (cf Acts 9:2, 'the Way'). His teaching, done with fervency, concerned 'the baptism of John' (cf Luk 7:29).

"His preaching in Ephesus, listened to by Priscilla and Aquila, was not incorrect; rather, it was incomplete. They explained to him 'the way of God' more accurately; ie, the rest of the message was made known to him, particularly concerning the ascension of Christ and the advent of the Holy Spirit. That these elements seemed to be lacking in his initial preaching is implied by Acts 19:1-3.

"Other NT passages giving information about Apollos are 1Co 1:12; 3:4-6,22; 4:6; 16:12 and Tit 3:13. We learn there that he had been associated with Paul, and that he had become one of four 'party favorites' in the church at Corinth (along with Cephas, Paul, and Christ). Paul referred to him as a 'fellow worker' and as 'our brother,' although making it clear that he himself had 'laid the foundation.'

"Apparently Apollos' eloquence had made an impression on the Corinthians, and Paul took pains to emphasize that he (Paul) 'did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom' (1Co 2:1, NASB), and that their faith 'should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God' (v 5).

"Apollos seems to have become aware of the problem of tensions in the Corinthian church, and although Paul encouraged him to revisit them, he declined to go at that time (1Co 16:12). Tit 3:13 appears to indicate that he was with Titus in Crete at a later date" (WyE).

Act 18:25

AND TAUGHT ABOUT JESUS ACCURATELY: This plainly indicates that John's "gospel" included some knowledge of the sacrifice of Jesus ("the lamb of God").

Act 18:27

APOLLOS... WAS A GREAT HELP...: Apollos visits Corinth, "watering the seed" which Paul had "sown" (1Co 3:6).

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Do you know what it means to be an heir of Christ? You're a child of the Most High King. You're royalty in God's eyes. But most of the time we don't live like it. Rather we live like paupers when there is a whole kingdom of Christ's power and favor waiting for us. In Basic Training for the Supernatural Ways of Royalty Kris Vallotton introduces you to what your new life in Christ truly means and your role in furthering His kingdom.

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You are part of the Kings Royal Family

This training manual will take you on a systematic journey into your God given destiny. You will dispel the pauper mindset, uproot the poverty mentality and integrate royalty into the deepest core of your being! Basic Training for the Supernatural Ways of Royalty will help to unearth your God-given treasures, and uncover the lies that constrain you. Do want to feel good about yourself? Are you you tired of low self-esteem and a lack of confidence? This manual is for you! It's like having your own personal life coach at your fingertips. Every page is a step by step, comprehensive, soul-searching experience, that will launch you into a contemplative season of transformation. Each chapter contains questions and activities that will strengthen your understanding of your royal identity. You will find yourself on a Holy Spirit journey into the very heart of God

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"The message in this book is so potent that it could incite a revolution of thought, heart, and action in the Body of Christ! We ve experienced a Reformation in the Church, but now it s time for a Kingly Invasion to come forth. Kris Vallotton s goal is to demolish the slave mind-set and thrust true believers forward into authentic faith, power, and impact. The Supernatural Ways of Royalty will change your life! "
     ---James W. Goll Co-founder of Encounters Network

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Pro-Choice Groups Petition Against Tim Tebow Super Bowl Ad

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By Eric Young, Christian Post Reporter
January 25, 2010|11:53 pm

Pro-choice women’s groups are rallying their supporters to convince CBS, the NFL, and Super Bowl advertisers to stand against the “anti-choice” Super Bowl ad that will feature college football star Tim Tebow and his mother.

“CBS’s recent decision to air an anti-choice advertisement ad during Super Bowl XLIV was outrageous,” stated the Women’s Media Center in a letter to potential petition signers.

“Even worse is the network’s about face from its own policy of rejecting controversial Super Bowl ads,” it added. “The Women’s Media Center, and organizations dedicated to reproductive rights, tolerance, and social justice, are urging the network to immediately cancel this ad.”

Earlier this month, Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Focus on the Family announced its intent to broadcast its first Super Bowl ad during CBS Sports' coverage of the game at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida.

The 30-second spot from the international family-help organization will feature Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, who will share a personal story centered on the theme of "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life."

“The Tebows said they agreed to appear in the commercial because the issue of life is one they feel very strongly about,” Focus on the Family reported.

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Though the exact content of the ad has not been revealed, many are speculating that story shared will be about Pam Tebow’s refusal to have an abortion while she was pregnant with Tim despite having suffered from a life-threatening infection at the time.

 "Tim and Pam share our respect for life and our passion for helping families thrive," commented Focus on the Family president and CEO Jim Daly.

Less than a week after Focus on the Family's announcement, CBS officials gave initial approval for the ad, suggesting that the commercial is in line with its policy and steers clear from a “current controversial issue of public importance" such as abortion, which Focus on the Family’s “culture action” arm is widely known for being strongly and vocally opposed to.

Though Focus on the Family works to strengthen, defend and celebrate the institution of the traditional family, the organization is best known for the efforts of Focus on the Family Action, which works to protect life, marriage, and religious liberties.

As a separate legal organization, Focus Action works to inform, inspire and rally pro-family people when it comes to the “moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our nation.”

Focus on the Family, on the other hand, “is about nurturing that desire [to help families thrive] and strengthening families by empowering them with the tools they need to live lives rooted in morals and values."

Despite the distinction, groups such as the Women’s Media Center are sending their complaints and urging others to do the same, asserting that any advertising promoting Focus on the Family’s agenda should be refused.

“Focus on the Family has waged war on non-traditional families, tried its hand at race baiting during the 2008 election, and is now attempting to use the Super Bowl to further ramp up the vitriolic rhetoric surrounding reproductive rights,” they claim in a letter to CBS’s board and executives, the NFL, and Super Bowl advertisers.

“By offering one of the most coveted advertising spots of the year to an anti-equality, anti-choice, homophobic organization, CBS is aligning itself with a political stance that will alienate viewers and discourage consumers from supporting its shows and advertisers,” they add. “The decision to air this ad would be ethically, economically and politically disastrous for CBS.”

According to the Women’s Media Center, the content of Focus on the Family’s ad “endangers women's health, uses sports to divide rather than to unite, and promotes an organization that opposes the equality of Americans based on gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and reproductive freedom.”

Though the feminist group has yet to see the commercial, it claimed that the ad “is surrealistic in its argument that a woman who chooses not to have a child may be depriving the Super Bowl of a football player.”

“It uses one family’s story to dictate morality to the American public, and encourages young women to disregard medical advice, putting their lives at risk,” it added.

After noting CBS’s well-documented history of prohibiting advocacy ads it deems controversial – including its rejection ads from organizations such as PETA,, United Church of Christ, “and even ones that carry only an ‘implicit’ endorsement for a side in a public debate” – as well as the “anti-abortion vitriol” that has resulted in escalated violence against reproductive health service providers and their patients, including the murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller during a Sunday morning service at his church, the group expressed hope that CBS would not to be associated with “this brand of un-American hate.”

“CBS executives have indicated in the past that they would not air Super Bowl ads where ‘substantial elements of the community (are) in opposition to one another,’” the letter adds, citing from CBS’s well-known policy.

“Women comprise 40% of Super Bowl viewers. If CBS airs this ad, they will be throwing these women under the bus,” they concluded.

Amid concerns, a network spokesman, Dana McClintock, has told the press that CBS would ensure that any issue-oriented ad was "appropriate for air."

Gary Schneeberger, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, meanwhile insisted that there’s “nothing political and controversial about it (the ad).”

"When the day arrives, and you sit down to watch the game on TV, those who oppose it will be quite surprised at what the ad is all about," he told The Associated Press.

“We're trying to celebrate families," he added.

This year’s Super Bowl, which pits the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints, will kick off at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 7.

Super Bowl broadcasts are typically viewed by over 90 million people each year.

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Former 'Full House' Teen Now an Actress Full of Faith

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  • The Heart of Christmas
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    "The Heart of Christmas" recounts the story of Dax Locke, a young boy suffering from cancer, and his community's efforts to support him.
By Mark Hensch, Christian Post Reporter
December 2, 2011|4:12 pm

When Candace Cameron Bure came of age, it was on the popular TV sitcom "Full House." Turning 18 during the show's final season, she's since transformed into a talented performer, a caring mother of three and an outspoken Christian.

Bure next stars in "The Heart of Christmas," a holiday special airing 7 and 9 p.m. this Sunday on gmc. It recounts the tragic story of Dax Locke, a young boy suffering from cancer during the Christmas season. As his condition worsens, the community rallies around him in a show of support and Bure's character realizes she must reclaim her own family before it's too late.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Bure professes her belief in the power of Christ and family to sustain us. Without the two, she says, even the fullest house isn't a home.

CP: You grew up onscreen playing DJ Tanner on the sitcom "Full House." Was it hard acting in front of America throughout all of your teens?

Bure: It wasn't hard but just awkward at times. Growing up from 10 to 18 on national TV was hard but I managed somehow. I wasn't scarred by it.

CP: After "Full House," you took a break from acting to focus on your children. Why was that important to you?

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Bure: I wanted to be the one raising my children. My husband, Valeri Bure, was a professional hockey player and it would have been too hard when he was touring before he retired to have him do that.

It wasn't an easy transition but I knew I wanted to do it and I'm so thankful I could. Now that Valeri's retired I can go back to work a little bit. I'm so blessed to be a mom. It's been incredible making some lifetime memories and having time with my children. The fun now is balancing work and family life.

CP: You next star in "The Heart of Christmas," a TV special about a community rallying around a young boy with cancer. As a mother, was it hard acting in a situation where a child's life is in danger?

Bure: As a mom of three, my heart goes out during a story like this. I can't say I understand what a family in this situation goes through, but I understand what they're feeling. My heartstrings were definitely pulled. The uplifting part of the story is seeing how this experience touches the other characters' lives. You'll definitely want a tissue box by your side.

CP: How does "The Heart of Christmas" reflect the true meaning of Christmas?

Bure: The title says it all. We should cherish every moment and that's really what it's all about. We should place our families first as life is like a vapor and is incredibly short.

CP: You typically play family-oriented characters like Megan, a mother you play in "The Heart of Christmas." Having spent so much time acting in family programs, how do you think America's culture and values have changed over the years?

Bure: It depends on who you talk to. I was raised with strong moral values within my family. There are other people and things that go on in the world that aren't a reflection of how I choose to live my life or what I would want from it. Life evolves and at times things seem to get darker. No matter what we can keep finding stories of hope and ways of overcoming challenges.

CP: You are a strong Christian. Is it hard practicing your faith in Hollywood?

Bure: I don't think it's any more difficult than living out a faith-filled life elsewhere. There are certainly different challenges. I enjoy finding scripts that are meaningful or valuable to me. It's about choosing the projects differently. With so many television stations and production companies the industry has changed and grown immensely. It's almost getting easier to find Christian or family programing.

CP: You're a spokesperson for National House of Hope, a Christian organization for teens. Why is Christianity an important message for that age group?

Bure: National House of Hope is a wonderful organization that houses troubled teens as they work through issues directly with their families. It teaches them how to play a positive part in society. It teaches their parents how to have a successful relationship with their children. We treat things as diverse as drugs, alcohol and cutting. It's based on biblical principles and transforms people through Jesus.

At the core of it, these teens learn that our value is found in Christ and what he created us to be. We learn to see our worst through his eyes and we grow to find comfort in him rather than the empty promises of our lives.

CP: How has Jesus impacted your life?

Bure: I am who I am today because of my relationship with Christ. It produced a life change in me in my early 20s. I never understood my need for Jesus growing up as I thought I was pretty good person. I didn't know why I needed him at first. Eventually I understood that God's standard of goodness is different from the world's standard of goodness. We can't attain perfection by following just the law and doing good work. That's why God came here and paid the fine for us through his ultimate sacrifice. That's our eternal salvation. I realized at that point why I needed him and now it means absolutely everything to me.

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Gosling Calls Abs 'Pets': 'I Feel Goofy Having Them,' Says Actor

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  • Ryan Gosling movie premiere
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    Ryan Gosling on the red carpet for the premiere of "The Ides of March," Sept. 27, 2011. Gosling was nominated for two Golden Globes for his performance.
By Brittney R. Villalva , Christian Post Reporter
January 17, 2013|8:21 am

What is the point of muscles? Ryan Gosling has no idea, although he has plenty of them. In a recent interview, the actor admitted that he felt quite "silly" having muscles.

Trying to get muscle is "really quite pointless," the actor said during the interview "because you go to a gym and you lift a heavy thing so a muscle grows, but the only thing the muscle can actually do is to lift that heavy thing."

Anna Kendrick didn't seem to find Gosling's muscle all that useless though, when posting on Twitter that he had served as inspiration to her in the theater while she was watching his latest film, "Gangster Squad."

But for Gosling, there is nothing special about his body, and anyone could achieve muscle with enough hard work.

"Anyone can get those if they work at it. It's just a lot of exercising," he told The Herald Sun.

Once you've got muscle, it's more like have a pet than anything else, said the Hollywood star.

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"After a while they're like pets because they don't do anything useful. But you have to feed them and take care of them otherwise they'll go away," the actor explained. "I feel a bit goofy having them, to tell you the truth."

Fans suggested that Gosling's muscles were a little bit more useful than he had described, however. In fact, Gosling may not have a job without them.

"Better take good care of 'em Ryan...They ARE your bread and butter!" one fan wrote on a Yahoo blog.

Other fans were less generous.

"Poor guy... it must be horrible to feel goofy about having them," the user wrote on Yahoo. "Thank God he's doing everything he can to keep them from the public eye. I wish him a speedy recovery."

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Thursday, May 28, 2015

Most Churches Recycle Despite Global Warming Doubts Among Pastors

April 17, 2013|4:39 pm

A majority of pastors doubt the existence of manmade global warming, according to a new study from LifeWay Research, yet most churches have some type of recycling program in place.

Researchers surveyed 1,000 Protestant pastors in October 2012 and found that just 43 percent of them agreed with the statement: "I believe global warming is real and manmade." But while a majority (54 percent) of ministers did not agree with the statement, 63 percent said their church has a recycling program and 45 percent said their church has made tangible steps toward reducing its carbon footprint.

"'Saving the world' may mean different things to an environmentalist than to a pastor," Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, said in a statement on the organization's website. "Yet many churches are actively engaged in proclaiming spiritual salvation at the same time they are being environmentally conscious and engaged in creation care."

The pastors most likely to strongly agree with the idea of global warming were those who were ages 65 and over (32 percent), ministered in large cities (32 percent), lived in the Northeast (30 percent) and West (25 percent) and considered themselves mainline pastors (35 percent).

The biggest contrast of opinions among pastors was between political party lines. Among those surveyed, 76 percent of Democrats said they strongly agreed that global warming is real and manmade, while only seven percent of Republican ministers agreed. Nearly half (49 percent) of Republican pastors strongly disagreed that the problem exists, while just five percent of Democrats felt the same way.

"Pastor opinions on global warming reflect their own political beliefs," said McConnell. "The pendulum of public and pastor opinions on man-made global warming is swinging back toward agreement but still lacks a majority. For some, the terminology has shifted, and environmentalists now speak of 'climate change.' However, for consistency and comparison, we have asked the same question multiple times – and pastors are split on the issue – along most Americans."

The study also found that 39 percent of pastors speak on the environment "once or several times a year," and 11 percent said they do so once per month or more. Another 34 percent said they "rarely" speak on the topic, and 15 percent said they never do.

The Earth Day Network has created a list of ways for interested churches to participate in Earth Day 2013, which will take place next Monday, April 22. The list, which can be found on the group's website, suggests activities such as having the pastor preach an Earth Day sermon, organizing a "faith march" to express concerns about environmental issues, finding ways to make the church more eco-friendly or planting a garden on the church grounds.

Earth Day, an annual environmental awareness and action event, first took place in the 1970s. The theme of this year's event is "The Face of Climate Change."

Source URL : http://www.christianpost.com/news/most-churches-recycle-despite-global-warming-doubts-among-pastors-94136/


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One of the Biggest Mistakes Pastors Make

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  • Thom Rainer
By Thom S. Rainer, Christian Post Contributor
December 7, 2013|9:19 am

I love pastors. I love affirming pastors. I love speaking positively for pastors. That's why this article is a bit different for me. Pastors, I want to talk frankly and, hopefully, with a spirit of love, about one of the biggest mistakes I see many of you make. Most pastors have little emphasis, or sometimes, even knowledge about the content that is taught in groups in their churches.

You Wouldn't Do This in Preaching

I know you pastors would not think of coming to the pulpit unprepared. You know your text. You know your message. You have prayed about it. You have labored over it. You will not preach that sermon without much prayer and work. It's just too important. I completely agree. The centrality of preaching is paramount to the health of the church. I commend you for your prayers, your efforts, and your focus. You will not come to the pulpit unprepared.

But What Is Being Taught in Your Church's Groups?

But many of you don't give adequate attention to the content used in your church's groups. Those groups may be home groups, community groups, small groups, Sunday school classes, or a myriad of other names. I really understand your reticence. You don't want to micromanage. You don't want to be controlling. You want to empower people to lead and choose for themselves. But, in a LifeWay Research study, we found that 75 percent of group leaders and members desired direction for the material used in their groups. Did you get that? Three of four small group members explicitly said they are seeking direction. They want your leadership in this vital area of discipleship.

Unintended Consequences

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While pastors are largely very careful about who preaches and what is preached, they do not usually give the same diligence to the content of small groups. Discipleship can take place in many places, but it should be taking place in those small groups. And the unintended consequences of not having a wise plan for discipleship is that you will fail to make disciples, or you may even have heretical teaching in some groups. Leaders must be intentional in providing a clear plan of discipleship for small groups, and that plan must include clear guidance about content. Such a posture does not mean that leaders or autocratic or non-collaborative. Leaders, pastors particularly, must be involved.

An Example of a Wise Discipleship Plan for Groups

While using LifeWay's Bible studies as an example for content for groups may seem self-serving, I am very pleased with the work that has gone into this discipleship plan. I am well aware that there are many other choices available. Basically, we have four broad lines of content for small groups and Sunday school classes. They are each distinguished by the starting point for the small group:

  • Starting Point: Theology. Gospel Project. The Gospel Project is a curriculum that studies the Bible from a theological perspective, particularly by looking at the grand narrative of Scripture.
  • Starting Point: Biblical Text. Explore the Bible. This curriculum studies the Bible by individual books of the Bible, going chapter by chapter through a particular book.
  • Starting Point: Life Issues. Bible Studies for Life. Another Bible study with a different starting point, Bible Studies for Life looks at key life issues (example: marriage, relationships, money, and others) from the perspective of biblical texts.
  • Starting Point: Church Context. Discipleship in Context. This particular curriculum is basically a customized study for the church. Leaders in the church let LifeWay know the biblical texts and focus of the study, and team members at LifeWay design a study just for the church. Many churches are using this approach to design studies around the pastor's sermons.

We are gratified to see many churches using at least two of the curriculum lines in different settings. For example, one church uses Explore the Bible for its Sunday morning Bible study groups, and Bible Studies for Life for its home groups.

The Urgent Need

Again, LifeWay's Bible studies are an example of intentionality of a wise discipleship plan to use in groups. You know what is being used for content. And you know why the particular Bible study plan is used. Pastors and other church leaders: please don't ignore the urgent need to have a plan, purpose, and content for your church's small groups. The need is too great to let discipleship become haphazard and unintentional. You wouldn't approach preaching without a clear idea of what you are preaching and why you are preaching. Please do no less for your small groups.

Dr. Thom Rainer is president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

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Patriotic Cathedral Stained Glass Star

We are so glad we were introduced to the family of skilled stained glass crafters who make these original ornaments. Made in the U.S.A., this family has been making them for more than 40 years. They are dedicated to using only the best materials. This patriotic star has red, opaque white and blue stained glass. After the Christmas season is over, this ornament can hang in front of a window to catch the light, or be displayed on a shelf. Makes a great gift to give to someone who has a birthday in July, or to commemorate a summer family get together over the 4th of July!

Dimensions: 4 1/4" x 4 1/2"
Material: Stained Glass

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Sock Monkey - Red

Nostalgic sock monkeys are making a comeback with kids today who don't have to make them like children of the past used to do.

Dimensions: 3" x 5"
Material: Fabric

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Kristen Cannon, competing for Woman of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, hosted a cocktail party at Tootsies to raise money and to honor LLS patient heroes. Handbag designer Annsley Popov made a personal appearance, showcasing her spring/summer 2014 collection, jewelry designer Julie Vos held a trunk show, Vanity Lounge owner Edward Sanchez was on hand for brow shaping, and BeverlyD Luxe Organic Hair Care provided blowouts and hair styling.

Philanthropists vying for Man and Woman of the Year for the LLS each have 10 weeks to raise money. The biggest fundraiser wins the title.

Included in the crowd were Romy Morello, Kristy Bradshaw, Karen Estrada, Maury Oliver, Chris Goins, Karina Rojas and Elena van der Dys


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The loneliness of long-distance running got to Deriba Merga Sunday morning in his determined bid to make a bigger name for both himself and the Houston Chevron Marathon.

Running solo for the final nine miles, the bantamweight Merga had nobody to pace him or, perhaps worse, serve as a windbreak. His sizzling tempo inexorably slowed the closer he to downtown he came and he wound up having to “settle” for a winning time of 2:07:52.

That’s the fastest anybody has ever finished a marathon in Texas and it obliterated Richard Kaitany’s 20-year Houston course record, beating it by more than two minutes. Merga, a 28-year-old Olympian from Ethiopia also left the runner-up, Benson Cheruiyot of Kenya, nearly four minutes to the rear as he averaged 4:53 per mile to secure a $45,000 payday.

Nonetheless, Merga was melancholy afterwards.

“I am pleased to have the record,” he said. “But I wanted more.”

Fact is, he wanted the sun, the moon and stars. His professed objective when he headed up Crawford Street past Minute Maid Park and over the Elysian Viaduct was a 2:05, which would have been the sixth fastest in history - and 61 seconds off the world record. Specifically, he was targeting the 2:05:42 by Khalid Khannouchi in Chicago in 1999, the fastest ever clocked on American soil.

For much of the race, it remained a reasonable, viable goal. But, when the last of his three “rabbits” had to ease off the gas on San Felipe with about nine miles left, the difficulty of his task confronting him increased exponentially. Once he headed east on Memorial back toward downtown into a fairly stiff headwind, he realized he’d have to chase his dream another day.

“The wind,” the 116-pound Merga said, “was a big deal.”

“At 40 K (about 25 miles), “he says, ‘What happens to the clock?’” Merga’s agent, Hussein Makké, explained later. “He is running so strong. A minute feels like 35 seconds (to him). But he is fighting too much against the winds.”

Merga’s close friend and training partner, Dire Tune, the reigning Boston Marathon champion, set women’s course records here each of the last two Januarys. She had warned him of the possibility of such a scenario on that stretch, where it’s said she lost about two minutes in 2008. But Merga was helpless to do anything with everyone else so far to the rear.

In contrast, fellow Ethiopian Teyba Erkesso profited from the luxury of having her designated male pace-setter, Genna Tufa, escort her all the way to the finish line. The payoff would be the day’s second Houston-record time of 2:24:18, more than three minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, Nuta Olaru of Romania – and good for the same $45,000 in prize money.

Tune posted a then-Houston-best of 2:24:40 last January, setting the stage for her subsequent career-changing triumph in Boston’s fabled marathon. She was a VIP spectator only Sunday, having come to cheer for Merga and Erkesso.

Asked if she was “angry” at Erkesso for erasing her record, Tune laughed.

“No, no,” she said. “Teyba (is) my friend.”

Erkesso, 25, is the world-record-holder at 10 miles, but this was her first marathon ever. It showed she has recovered from a foot injury that ruined her 2008 season and put her on track to challenge for more celebrated marathon titles in the months ahead. Her translator said the victory made her “very, very happy.

“Teyba was optimistic when the race started, but, because she has never done a marathon, she didn’t know what to expect.”

The Houston men’s record stood for as long as it did because the purse and appearance money on offer here can’t attract the super-elite fields that convene for the big-bucks races in Boston, New York, Chicago, London and Berlin. Although Merga said he hoped to return in 2010 to again attempt to run a 2:05, it’s also possible he’ll have by then priced himself out of the market, which is essentially what happened with Tune.

Makké said he he likes everything about the Houston event but conceded, “It’s a business. (To run) 2:05, (the race) needs a big budget, an unbelievable group to support each other.”

Merga placed fourth in the Beijing Olympic marathon, missing out on a medal when Ethiopian teammate Tsegay Kebede overtook him with 400 meters to go. The disappointment there had driven him to set his sights on the 10-year-old American record, and Houston was lucky enough to fall at the right juncture in his preparations.

What Houston lacked was an adequately strong peer group, somebody to fully push his envelope. But unlike in some recent years, the rabbits – particularly early front-runner Tilahun Regassa, who is only 19 – can hardly be blamed for loafing. If anything, perhaps they did their jobs too well.

“They went out too fast,” Makké said. “I was not not happy with the pacemakers. A 4:40 first mile, that is extremely fast. A 9:18 after two miles? Extremely fast. You need to conserve your energy better. They did 29:44 for the 10K. I prefer (they) go 30:20. We have to re-evaluate. This course, you have to run it a couple times to learn it.”

But three-time Houston champion David Cheruiyot couldn’t offer any expertise. The 38-year-old Kenyan, who won last year with a personal best of 2:12:02, was never a factor and he dropped out around the 20-mile mark. The 2008 runner-up, Adilo Kasime, also failed to finish.


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Texas Southern University's athletic program was placed on five years' probation Tuesday by the NCAA, which cited a culture of TSU rule-breaking that dates back two decades but also noted the cooperation of current officials who say they have halted that longstanding trend.

Investigators said the Tigers' athletic department from 2004 through 2011 was guilty of improper recruiting tactics, academic impropriety and financial aid and eligibility violations that, based on a review of NCAA records, could be of unprecedented scope, totaling 129 student-athletes in 13 sports.

Compounding the violations, the NCAA said in its 34-page report, was lack of institutional control by some TSU officials, who told the NCAA they were eliminating violations while allowing them to continue.

Sanctions, both self-imposed by TSU and imposed by the NCAA, include postseason bans for football through 2014 and men's basketball through 2012-13, football scheduling and scholarship restrictions and an order vacating won-loss records and championships from 2006 through 2010 in all sports and through 2011 in women's soccer and football.

That penalty wipes out the Tigers' 2010 Southwestern Athletic Conference football title, their first since 1968. Also included are sanctions against former TSU football coach Johnnie Cole and former basketball coach Tony Harvey that will follow them to future jobs with NCAA institutions for the next three years.

While the NCAA report and investigation have been pending since October 2010, TSU athletic director Charles McClelland said the effort to turn around TSU's culture of NCAA shortcomings has been his primary focus since he was hired in May 2008.

"We know now what those sanctions are," he said. "We can just concentrate on making sure we continue to improve our program, serve our sanctions and move forward.

"It (removes) a huge burden and takes my direction as an athletics director now into being what an athletics director should be, and that's building a strong, steady and competitive program instead of having to build on foundational blocks in order for us to get to have a competitive program."

Despite their scope, the allegations listed in the NCAA's 34-page report are not unprecedented for TSU. The school is a "double repeat offender," the NCAA noted, that has been on probation or engaged in rules violations for 16 of the last 20 years.

"That is a unique circumstance during my time on the committee," said Gregory Sankey, chief operating officer of the Southeastern Conference and chairman of the infractions committee.

Sankey said TSU avoided the so-called NCAA "death penalty" that could have shut down teams for up to two years after the committee evaluated efforts by John Rudley, TSU's president, and his staff to improve rules oversight and, as part of the five-year probation, imposed stringent requirements for outside reviews of the athletic department that he described as a "trust but verify" approach.

"One admonition to the university in this case is to conduct yourself in such a way that you avoid a future infractions committee hearing," Sankey added. "... There is hope that the leadership will continue making the kind of progress that has been demonstrated."

The decision to vacate all records in all sports over four seasons may be unprecedented, and the number of athletes who competed while ineligible may be without precedent as well.

Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis in 2010 acknowledged that 97 student-athletes in 14 sports were certified improperly over a four-year period, and events in which those student-athletes participated were vacated.

Florida State in 2010 acknowledged that 61 athletes in 10 sports competed while ineligible because of an academic cheating scandal, and records were vacated in football, softball, baseball and men's and women's basketball. Texas Tech acknowledged in 1998 that 76 athletes in eight sports were ineligible, and TSU itself in 1996 was cited for 53 ineligible athletes in six sports.

The NCAA said TSU was in "substantial agreement" with its description of the allegations.

"We appreciate the fact that the NCAA committee has confidence in the university's current leadership and we are committed to make that confidence warranted," Rudley said in a TSU statement.

Cole, who coached the Tigers' football team from 2005 through 2010 and was relieved of his duties in 2011, and Harvey, who resigned in July after coaching the men's basketball team since 2008, were cited for several rules violations, including one that Sankey said was unique in his years on the infractions committee.

The NCAA said Cole allowed a booster from Louisiana to recruit players on his behalf from May through September 2009. Coaches "actively encouraged" the improper contact, which included 91 phone calls to three prospects or their parents, and bought a $55 plane ticket for the girlfriend of a fourth prospect.

Also, according to information submitted by the school, the football program for three consecutive years gave initial scholarship aid to 48 (in 2008-9), 43 (in 2009-10) and 33 (2010-11) school years. The NCAA limit for Football Championship Subdivision schools is 30 per year.

"The former head football coach's purported ignorance of well-understood and long-standing NCAA rules is not persuasive," the NCAA said of Cole.

It also said that Harvey provided false or misleading information to the NCAA when he denied that he and Cole agreed to circumvent basketball scholarship limits by giving football scholarships to two basketball players who did not play football, a violation that Sankey said he had not encountered in previous infractions cases.

In addition, TSU did not comply with an NCAA order in 2008 that it would have to cut basketball scholarships for the 2009-10 school year. The NCAA also said 129 student-athletes competed and received financial aid and travel expenses when they were not eligible to do so because the university did not have properly trained employees prior to 2010-11 to determine whether student-athletes were qualified to compete.

Also, 12 football players in 2009 were allowed receive fraudulent academic credit in one course. Other students initially were allowed to receive credit, but that was reversed when the school determined that professors' signatures had been forged.

The show-cause orders imposed on Cole, who is now assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, and Harvey were shorter than those handed to other coaches, but Sankey said the ban against on- and off-campus recruiting gave added significance to the penalties. The longest show-cause order from the NCAA was 10 years for former Baylor basketball coach Dave Bliss after the attempted cover-up of the murder of a Baylor player by another player.

Both former coaches took issue with the description of their actions in the NCAA report.

"I disagree totally with the charges," Harvey said. "I did my job the right way, and I never lied about anything."

He said the NCAA pulled, in effect, a bait-and-switch tactic with him, questioning him in one matter and citing him in another, and said he hopes through the NCAA appeal process to reduce or reverse the three-year penalty.

Cole said any violations were due to misunderstandings or errors by TSU's financial aid and NCAA rules compliance officers and by the athletics director.

"I came in to turn the football program around and do it the right way, and I did that," he said. "The football coach only recommends scholarships. He doesn't give them out. And I have never knowingly played a kid who was ineligible.

"My deal was to turn the football program around, and the athletic director's job was to turn the administrative part of the program around, and I got caught up in it. Now I'm slammed in my career for them not doing their jobs."

He said the allegation that he used a rogue booster to recruit players was a hatchet job by the booster. Regarding the allegation that he was asked by Harvey to give a football scholarship to a basketball player, he said, "There's no proof. There's nothing with my signature."

He said TSU has been plagued by poor administration during McClelland's time at the school, citing the case of former basketball coach Surina Dixon, who in 2011 won a $730,000 judgment against the school in a federal gender discrimination lawsuit.

"I think it was personal," he said. "I think it was personal intimidation, based on the success that I was having. ... It was 'get rid of the popular coach.'"

In addition to the NCAA infractions cases, TSU has lost scholarships and postseason opportunities because of its failure to meet minimum guidelines of the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate system.

TSU officials last month, however, said that APR scores for all of its athletic teams for the 2011-12 academic year will meet or exceed NCAA standards. Those numbers will be released in May 2013.

"We've spent a lot of time, energy and effort putting compliance systems in place, bringing in the right people, even from the academic standpoint," McClelland said.

"For our APR numbers (to exceed NCAA minimums) and for us to get this infractions piece off of us, those two things were the most prevalent things we had to deal with. All of the sanctions we had to deal with because of APR. And we know now we're out of APR sanctions."

Chronicle contributor Ronnie Turner contributed to this report.

Click here to see the full NCAA report.


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Carolina Downhome Blues Festival Set for 18th Year

New and old favorite musicians slated to return Oct. 2-4

Posted: July 24, 2014 4:18 p.m.
Updated: July 25, 2014 5:00 a.m.

Mark your calendars for the 18th Annual Carolina Downhome Blues Festival scheduled for October 2-4 in historic downtown Camden. This year’s event will feature multiple performances at various sites, including The Venue on Broad, Old Town Tavern and a new site for the festival -- 833 South Broad Street. The Carolina Downhome Blues Festival is an award-winning event recognized for featuring legendary blues artists from around the globe.

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Archive By Author -

Which English language?

When a person travels in a foreign country, he often uses the phrase, "Do you speak English?"

October 22, 2012 | By Jean Pruett C-I contributing columnist | Columns

Bethune Elementary hosts Millie Chaplin

Millie Chaplin, from the Lowcountry of South Carolina, was the artist in residence at Bethune Elementary School during the week of Sept. 24 - 28. Chaplin brought with her a love of storytelling, puppetry, dress-up and her knowledge of colonial life to the students. During her week at Bethune elementary, the students made puppets, corn-husk dolls, puppetry settings, and experienced the types of games that colonial children played.

October 22, 2012 | | Education

Jackson School starts school garden, Garden Day kick off set for Saturday

Jackson School students will be "getting their hands dirty" this school year as they plant and maintain their own school garden.

October 22, 2012 | | Education

Camden ART meeting Nov. 5

Camden ART will meet at the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County, in the Bassett Gallery, 801 Lyttleton St., Camden at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5.

October 22, 2012 | | People & Places

Robert Ariail -- Oct. 22, 2012

October 22, 2012 | | Ariail

SEAGUL students build paper cities

Kershaw County School District's Special Educational Activities Geared for Unique Learning (SEAGUL) students recently took a field study to Clemson University where they worked in small groups, then combined their efforts to form a paper city. Students designed the paper cities at Clemson's School of Architecture.

October 22, 2012 | | Education

CCTC to give scholarship to KCSD adult education graduate

Continuing its support of Kershaw County School District graduates, Central Carolina Technical College (CCTC) is offering a full scholarship to the local GED graduate with the highest GED test score.

October 22, 2012 | | Education

KCSO charges two men with molestation

Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) investigators arrested Cleve Edward Burchett, 52, of Kershaw, S.C., and Ricky Van Ross, Jr., 18, of Elgin, in Richland County in two separate unrelated cases of criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Burchett was arrested on Oct.16, 2012 and charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. On Oct. 18, 2012, Ross turned himself in to Kershaw County Sheriff's Office investigators after his attorney was notified that a warrant charging Ross with second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor had been obtained by the Sheriff's Office.

October 22, 2012 | | Crime-Police-Fire

City to consider licensing changes

Camden City Council will consider an amendment to the city's business license ordinance during its meeting Tuesday in order to comply with a new state law concerning non-admitted insurance brokers.

October 22, 2012 | | Camden

Todd Ellis to address tonight's KCGC meeting

Former USC quarterback and current voice of Gamecock football, Todd Ellis, will be the featured speaker at this evening's meeting of the Kershaw County Gamecock Club.

October 22, 2012 | | Sports

Ellis to address KCGC meeting

Former USC quarterback and current voice of Gamecock football, Todd Ellis will be the featured speaker at the Monday, Oct. 22 meeting of the Kershaw County Gamecock Club.

October 19, 2012 | | Sports

Columbia hands Lady Knights first loss

Dreams of a perfect season came to an end for the North Central volleyball team as the state's top-ranked AA squad was dealt a 3-2 loss at Columbia last Thursday night.

October 19, 2012 | | North Central High/Middle

Lady Bulldogs blank Westwood, 6-0

For the second time this season the Camden High girls' tennis team defeated first year school, Westwood, by a score of 6-0.

October 19, 2012 | | Camden High/Middle

Demonstrative heads Grand National field

Jacqueline Ohrstrom's Demonstrative, winner of the $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap, will battle with several veteran runners and new arrivals to American racing in the $250,000 Grand National (Gr. 1), highlight of the star-studded Far Hills Races on Saturday.

October 19, 2012 | | Equine

Vote Herndon

When the rest of the country is making their decision on who will be President Tuesday, Nov. 6, our community will make a choice on who will represent our community in Columbia and at the State House.

October 19, 2012 | | Letters

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Page 493 of 935

Articles By Author -

County receives $500K grant for Governor’s Hill water line

Kershaw County recently received a $500,000 grant from the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (SCRIA). The money will be used to complete a water line to Governor's Hill Industrial Park, according to Kershaw County officials.

May 27, 2015 | | Kershaw County

L-EHS Beta Club donates to animal shelter

Lugoff-Elgin High School's Beta Club recently donated food, toys, treats and supplies to Kershaw County's Walter M. Crowe animal shelter. The Beta Club is a service club for high school students with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. "We focus on service in the community and in the school. We look for ways to help, especially in the community. One of the things the kids wanted to do was to help out the animal shelter," L-EHS Beta Club advisor Patricia Joyner said. Students collected various items to help with caring for the animals at the shelter. "We ...

May 27, 2015 | | Education

Drakeford, Parks appointed to NLC committees, councils

Camden City Councilwomen Alfred Mae Drakeford and Laurie Parks were recently appointed to National League of Cities (NLC) committees and councils.

May 27, 2015 | | Camden

Memorial Day remembrances

May 27, 2015 | | Military

Crime Report - May 27, 2015

The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is investigating an alleged case of embezzlement in which a Lugoff woman is accused of stealing nearly $117,000 from her employer, a Lugoff medical clinic.

May 27, 2015 | By Gary Phillips and Tenell Felder C-I editorial staff | Crime-Police-Fire

FAC Day Camp registration underway

The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County (FAC) announces its summer camps and activities for both children and adults beginning in early July of 2015. Enjoy favorite standbys such as dance, clay, and visual art, along with several new and exciting camps this summer. The camps will take place on the campus of the FAC located at 810 Lyttleton Street in Camden. Registration for all camps is available by calling the box office at 425-7676 and online at MasterCard, Visa, Discover, personal checks and cash are accepted.

May 27, 2015 | | People & Places

Red Nose Day

Heritage Community Bank participated in Red Nose Day. Red Nose Day is a campaign dedicated to raising money for children and young people living in poverty by simply having fun and making people laugh. People across the country came together to have fun and raise funds and awareness.

May 25, 2015 | | People & Places

Safety tips for summer fun

The weather is heating up and Americans are heading outdoors to soak up the fun. Warm weather enthusiasts should keep safety on the top of their minds when they're out camping, boating and barbecuing.

May 25, 2015 | | People & Places

55th wedding anniversary

May 25, 2015 | | People & Places

Ariail for May 25, 2015

May 25, 2015 | | Ariail

Noted and passed - May 25, 2015

• We hope the community will join us in cheering on five Camden Military Academy (CMA) cadets who will travel in June to the University of Maryland to enter their National History Day performance piece into competition. The play is based on events from the 1950s and '60s surrounding the Civil Rights movement in Summerton, just an hour south of Camden. It's not just a matter of grabbing a few quotes off the internet and slapping together a script. The cadets, lead by CMA Dean of Students John Heflin, extensively researched the events leading to the landmark Briggs v. Elliott ...

May 25, 2015 | | Editorials

Rich: The wealth of being poor

My people, as I have long said, were raised up on hard times in the Appalachian foothills. I don't know that I had a grandparent who ever saw the sum of $500 at one time or even held a $100 bill in hand.

May 25, 2015 | | Columns

Rebecca Wright

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Ina Rebecca Cofer Wright, 79, of Lugoff, S.C., will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 30, 2015 at St. John's United Methodist Church in Lugoff, S.C. Rev. Michael Leonhardt will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Mrs. Wright's memory to a charity of one's choice.

May 25, 2015 | | Obituaries

Bruce Singleton

Bruce Singleton, 59, of Hwy. 1 N., Cassatt, passed away Sunday, May 17, 2015. Funeral services will be at noon today, Monday, May 25, 2015 at Nelson-haile Funeral Home Chapel in Camden.

May 25, 2015 | | Obituaries

Michael R. Hornsby

A funeral service for Michael Richard Hornsby, 66, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Powers Funeral Home with burial to follow in Fort Jackson National Cemetery. The Rev. Todd Horton will officiate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Kidney Foundation.

May 25, 2015 | | Obituaries

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On-Site Programs
The detention facility will implement a number of programs designed to provide support for the juvenile and family in an attempt to empower them to become more socially adept and to stabilize and support healthy social development. The programs include:
  • Housekeeping: Youth will be required on a daily basis to perform certain housekeeping functions under the supervision of staff.
  • Leisure time activities: For those youth who earn it, leisure time activities such as games, guest speakers, appropriate movies and reading materials are provided. All movies, books and magazines brought into the facility will be approved by the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer.
  • Family Mediation: Mediation seeks to resolves specific issues the family is experiencing.
  • Girls' Circle: This is a gender-specific program designed for girls to raise self-esteem and work with gender-specific issues. Girls' Circle is recognized as a promising approach in the Model Programs Guide of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Outcomes showed significant increases in self-efficacy, body image, and social connection.
  • Council for Boys: The council is a strengths-based group approach to promote boys' and young men's safe, strong, and healthy passage through pre-teen and adolescent years. The council meets a core developmental need in boys for strong, positive relationships.
  • Parenting Wisely: Parenting Wisely (PW) is a parenting skills education system.
  • Why Try: Why Try helps youth learn the following skills: anger management, problem solving, dealing with peer pressure, living with laws and rules, building a support system, and having a positive view of the future.
  • Anger Management: The program teaches anger management skills such as the STAR (stop, think, act, reflect) method.
  • Individual mental health counseling: This treatment will be provided by contracted service providers that will work with the youth individually and in groups.
  • Individual drug and alcohol counseling: Youth who are already engaged in drug and alcohol counseling will be able to continue those services while in detention with a contracted drug and alcohol counselor.
  • Thinking for a Change: Thinking for a Change is an integrated, cognitive behavior change program for youth offenders that includes cognitive restructuring, social skills development, and development of problem solving skills.


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Broadsides on the Bus

The City of Moscow, the Moscow Arts Commission, and Broadsided Press are excited to be co-sponsoring the second annual Broadsides on the Bus at the Intermodal Transit Center and on the City transit buses. From June 9th-23rd, visit the Intermodal Transit Center and ride the buses to see broadsides of visual art and poetry by local and national artists. And join us for the opening reception at the Intermodal Transit Center from 3-4 p.m. on Artwalk (June 13th), which will also celebrate this year's new sculptures at the Intermodal Transit Center sculpture garden.

This year, Broadsides on the Bus will feature four new broadsides that pair work by eight local visual artists and poets:  George Wray's "The Swimmer" with Ron McFarland's "The Lover of Lakes"; Nelson Duran's "Love Elida" with David Thacker's "Sleeping Late in a Duplex in Moscow, Idaho"; Lynne Haagensen's "Moving On" with Warren Bromley-Vogel's "Poem"; and Valerie Boydo's "Coyote Dreams" with Alexandra Teague's "Coyotes." These local artists and writers originally created these works as part of this year's Ecology of Desire Creative Currents project in which—like an artistic game of telephone—each artist created a piece based off the piece created before them. The new broadsides that combine these works are being designed by local designer and MAC member Mario Montes.

The exhibit at the Intermodal Transit Center will feature the bus broadsides, as well as an array of other broadsides from Broadsided Press, a national journal that publishes one monthly visual-art-and-poetry broadside that can be downloaded for free, printed, and posted. Broadsided and MAC are pleased to again be taking art into the community and onto the bus!

Date: 05/28/2014
Story Contact: DJ Scallorn
Phone: 208.883.7036


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Home > Results for elizabeth 8 hour moisturiser

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“8 Hour Genius?”

published 31/08/2013

tightens skin up

Disgusting scent, very hard to blend into skin, makes your skin too shiny, very sticky

...I got my first GlossyBox delivery back in January and since then I have been getting stuck into the many great mini products they have sent me - and I dont think I will be cancelling the subscription anytime soon. In one of my first two boxes I recieved this mini sample of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream - and this is the first product I have ever tried out from this brand. Now at the age...

> Read review

Works for a variety of skin problems, fixes all beauty problms Ive ever found....

...Is rather oily and does resember a squeezable version of vaseline

...Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, appears to feature in pretty much every beauty and fashion magazine I had ever owned ... So being a sucker for advertisement and word of mouth fantastic ratings from friends I thought I'd give it a whirl .... ..... I purchased this while working at Eurotunnel so I did get discount standard price in general isn't to pricey for what the product does, Never has it...

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It accentuates facial features you know!

Cost and maybe the smell.

...Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream - 50ml - circa £25 - typically from department stores such as Debenhams and the likes. I bought mine from duty free at East Midlands Airport, costing me £16.49 and the young lady providing me assistance wrongly assumed it was for my girlfriend!! Brownie points were quite evidently beamed in my direction as the young lady serving me thought ? "what a nice young...

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Vaccine availability opens up as doses approach 100 million

Dec 17, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – The nation is reaching a new milestone in its fight against pandemic flu, with the number of vaccine doses expected to reach 100 million by the end of the week and nearly half of states opening up immunization to anyone who wants it, federal officials said today.

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said today at a media briefing that the achievement marks the next phase in government's response, encouraging the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible to soften the impact of a third wave of infections, should one occur. As of today, the number of vaccine doses available to states for ordering stands at 99.5 million, she said.

Several other top federal officials were on hand today to acknowledge the vaccine developments and to offer their perspectives on what has worked well during flu response, what didn't, and what the next challenges will be.

"I got my shot yesterday," Sebelius said, warning that holiday travel and gatherings are conditions that can contribute to the spread of the virus.

Nicole Lurie, MD, HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said pandemic response is a shared responsibility, and the public can now play a greater role by resolving to protect themselves and the people around them by receiving the pandemic vaccine. "It's finally your turn. It's everybody's turn," she said.

Sebelius credited the Bush administration for the steps it took to prepare the nation for a possible pandemic, and she said the government's planning and responses have always been dictated by science. Federal officials have taken pain to share everything they know as soon as they know it, she added. "But sometimes that meant having to change our estimates."

Partnerships that government departments have built with state and local public health officials during the pandemic response so far will have lasting benefits that will help the nation respond to future threats, she said. "One of the key lessons we learned is you can't mount a public health response only from the beltway."

Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said a disappointing aspect was how slow the virus grew, which shrunk the vaccine supply at the time when demand was great.

He said, however, that a plan to modernize vaccine production has been under way since well before the pandemic emerged. Though cell-based vaccines might be a reality in the next few years, "more important as an end game is to get it to be 21st-century technology, such as recombinant DNA production techniques that are rapid and consistent—something to rely on."

Adjuvants have great potential to boost vaccine supply and efficacy in the future, he said, and the federal government is pursuing more study on them. A universal vaccine that fights a wide range of influenza subtypes would be ideal, but is still several years away, Fauci added.

Tom Frieden, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that pandemic events have yielded some positive new developments. For example, he said 34 states conducted school-based immunization clinics, a practice that could help tamp down the yearly impact of seasonal flu.

Obstetricians have had some success boosting flu vaccination among pregnant women, and hospital tracking reports suggest more children are receiving treatment for pandemic H1N1, as suggested by federal guidelines, Frieden said.

"But clearly we need to get better at managing expectations," he said, referring to summer federal estimates that the nation would have plenty of vaccine by about the middle of October.

Looking ahead, Frieden said the nation needs to continue work in three key areas:

  • Perseverance in pushing vaccination, despite not knowing what will happen with the virus in the months ahead
  • Fine-tuning preparedness
  • Investing in science

Margaret Hamburg, MD, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said the pandemic has been a good test of the agency's ability to be flexible and respond quickly to developments. She called the 6-month interval between the identification of the virus and the launch of the vaccine "quite notable" and said federal officials stockpiled adjuvant in case the nation needed a stronger vaccine or urgently needed more doses.

She also credited the FDA for its quick work in approving diagnostic tests and issuing emergency use authorizations for tests and the experimental intravenous antiviral peramivir, as well as its aggressive strategy of identifying fraudulent pandemic flu products.

Federal officials said today that its contracts with vaccine manufacturers stipulate that production capacity not needed to make vaccine for the US market can be used to fill orders for other countries. They added that the government will only need to pay for the amount of vaccine needed for the US market.

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Ultra Epsom Salt

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Ultra Epsom Salt brand of magnesium sulfate is known for its exceptional purity and therapeutic value. Perfect for soothing sore muscles, relaxing soaks, and calming foot baths.

Medium grain salts

Mix with sea salt and essential oils for a spa therapy bath, or use as is for exceptional muscle soaks and foot baths.

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Carnegie's Seitz to step down as gallery director

5:40 PM, Jan. 25, 2013
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An era ends at The Carnegie, where Gallery Director Bill Seitz announces he will retire on March 4, after more than 500 exhibits featuring thousands of regional artists since 1995.

A working artist for more than 26 years, Seitz' post-Carnegie plans are to return to life as a full-time artist. He will stay on with The Carnegie part time for the next few months, assisting with the remainder of the current gallery season and helping with the on-boarding of his successor.

Katie Brass, The Carnegie executive director, said Seitz is "part of who we are as an organization - he is the keeper of The ...

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Use our mobile site and iPhone apps to keep updated with what's going on around Cincinnati.

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Hamilton Chamber hosting job fair today

8:09 AM, Jul. 11, 2013
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The Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is hosting a job fair today in connection with its 23rd Annual Business Expo.

Job seekers are invited to attend the fair today from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at Hamilton High School, 1165 Eaton Ave., in Hamilton. The job fair is free and more than 80 businesses are expected to participate and many ...

Buy & Sell

Use our mobile site and iPhone apps to keep updated with what's going on around Cincinnati.

  1. Mobile Site
  2. Mobile App
  3. Reds Baseball App
  4. Bengals Football App
  5. Things to Do App

Real Deals

Flip, shop and save on specials from your favorite retailers in the Tri-State area.


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Diane Lane Cast As Martha Kent In Zack Snyder's Superman

By Eric Eisenberg 2011-03-02 20:52:23discussion comments
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Diane Lane Cast As Martha Kent In Zack Snyder's Superman image
Last we heard about casting for Zack Snyder's Superman reboot, both Kevin Costner and Viggo Mortensen were being looked at for separate roles. Those names, however, are just suggestion; there's no guarantee that come time to start production they will be in the film. This new piece of news isn't speculative, it's definitive.

Deadline has received a press release from Warner Bros. announcing that Diane Lane has been cast as Superman's Earthly mother, Martha Kent, in the new Superman movie, which still has no official title. Lane will join Henry Cavill as the only other official cast member, Cavill, of course, playing the titular hero. As the story goes, Martha, along with her husband Jonathan, discovered the crashed rocket of the Kryptonian alien known as Kal-El and raised him as their son, always knowing that he was different. Costner, who may not have even been approached about the role yet, has been suggested to play the role of Jonathan Kent.

In addition to being stunningly beautiful, Diane Lane is an incredible actress who always elevates the work that she does. While have to imagine that there are some people out there that don't like the idea of her in the role (this is casting of a comic book movie after all), I personally love it. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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The social business network
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The social business network

Using social technologies to build brands, serve customers and sell products

You’ve gotta feel for the CIO who has to write a business case to convince his or her board to spend money on new technologies with names like Yammer, Mr Tweet, Pluck, Chatter or Jive. After all, whimsy is only so cool to the chequesigners in multi-billion dollar corporations who quickly follow their tacit approval of anything leading edge with that old-school refrain of “show me the money”.

Look past the funky names of today’s social networking tools, however, and chances are there will be enough nifty features to justify the investment. For social business is becoming serious business: A way for organisations to collaborate, build brands, manage reputations, influence thinking, service customers and sell products.

Take Joe Robens, the IT Strategy Manager at Aristocrat Technologies Australia and the man charged with bringing social media to its global workforce of 2000.

Aristocrat uses Yammer as its enterprise social media platform, as well as LinkedIn and Twitter for recruitment.

Robens, a change agent, says he is blessed with a CEO who not only endorses social technology, but is also an advocate. “We use Yammer to break down silos, connect to our global community, source information from others, direct traffic to our internal media channels and to share news, commentary and opinion,” says Robens.

“So far the results have been outstanding. About 1300 of our 2000 employees are involved, including all senior managers and our entire C-level. They even compete to see who is the most popular contributor!”

Aristocrat publishes a weekly Yammer digest, so Robens knows the CEO, CFO and other senior people are reading what has gone into the social network. It gives everybody greater visibility into the firm’s conversations and ideas and whatever else is happening at Aristocrat.

Yammer has generated a lot more international conversations within Aristocrat. Specifically, it helps the company crowdsource and collaborate; instead of sending one-to-one emails, employees ask questions of everybody on the network and gain information quickly. Thoughts, ideas and opinions swirl around the organisation like never before.

The Aristocrat communications team posts almost everything to Yammer as a means to help employees — especially new hires — navigate the firm’s information. As people arrive, they use the social network to discover how the firm works and plays. The cornerstone of the Yammer launch at Arsitocrat was to build culture and get people working together and socialising. Robens accepts there are many organisations yet to grasp what social technologies can achieve and he understands their reluctance. But there is nothing like an epiphany to turn an opinion.

“The light bulb moment for me with Yammer was when I set it up for some peers and one invite went outside our group,” Robens says. “We had more than 100 people join the network overnight.

Aristocrat had been measured previously for organisational behaviour and we were found to have an avoidance culture. But all of a sudden the tables were turned. We weren’t avoiding anything by trying a social network where we could all participate.

“People thought Yammer was cool and they wanted to check it out. We now have people contribute to this network whom we would never have heard from before.”

Maintaining community spirit Luke O’Connor has spent his professional life in IT security and risk at IBM Research, Unysis, and most recently a large global insurance firm. O’Connor recounts an internal initiative at the firm to set up a collaboration platform including messaging, file sharing, blogging and communities.

“There was a lot of interest at first, and it was seen as an alternative to the intranet, but interest waned in general,” says O’Connor, an Australian based in Europe.

“People underestimate the time it takes to write useful content on a regular basis, and to scan all blogs and channels that may be of interest. My feeling was that people who posted or commented often were perceived as having too much time on their hands.

“The firm does not really have a culture of sharing and is more driven by a culture of delivery, and delivery people aren’t on blogs — unless they’re writing about a successful delivery. It is not so much that collaboration is not valued; rather, people just don’t or can’t work that way.”

The most useful function, O’Connor says, was the creation communities with shared storage where, for example, all material around a new process or tool could be collected and updated. In the past, such communication would occur via email or the intranet.

“With the community idea the process or tool owner could manage it themselves,” he says. “This was very convenient.

“Most companies will not deny they need some type of presence on these social platforms, as they need to be where their customers are. Tools to generate and sustain business are company and product specific, and also up to the people doing the socialising.”

Tools of the trade

Many Australian organisations are active with social platforms tried and true, old and new.

Xtralis uses LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress and Yammer for internal and external communication. Internally, to collaborate on projects and to harness the knowledge and expertise spread across the 55 countries where it has a presence; externally, to stay in touch with customers.

“Social media saves us from duplicating resources and keeps us lean and mean,” says Xtralis CIO, Simarjit Chhabra. “In the last three years our use of social media has increased by more than 125 per cent.”

The Australian office of KPMG is trialing tibbr from enterprise software veteran TIBCO. KPMG Australia CIO, Chris Robinson, says the firm wants to use social computing to flatten the organisation, make it less hierarchical and retain 21st century employees who expect such tools at work.

South Australia’s Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) uses Socialtext to help its 1200 employees manage projects online, share expertise and improve awareness of their colleagues’ day-to-day activities. CIO, Martin Jackson, says the DPC’s chief executive officer wanted the organisation managed more like a business and less like a typical government bureaucracy.

Yammer is also in place at CPA Australia, Deloitte Digital Australia, National Australia Bank, the NSW Department of Education and Training, Suncorp, Victoria Roads and WorkCover Queensland, among others. GraysOnline, DealsDirect and The Good Guys use social commerce platform Bazaarvoice. Australia Post, CBA, Optus, Telstra and Vodafone use Twitter as a customer support channel.

“Chatter, Yammer, Jive and the others: They’re all fresh concepts, but I am yet to hear of someone actually securing the funds and then finding it didn’t work,” Jackson says.

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

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Microsoft, Novell Make Peace over Linux

By Steven Vaughan-Nichols  |  Posted 11-02-2006
Microsoft and Novell announced on Nov. 2 a set of broad collaboration agreements to build, market and support a series of new solutions that will make Novell and Microsoft products work better together.

Perhaps the biggest news is that Novell and Microsoft announced an agreement to provide each other's customers with patent coverage for their respective products. These agreements will be in place until at least 2012.

For more on Linux, see Gartner: Linux Not About to Do Damage to Windows

"They said it couldn't be done. This is a new model and a true evolution of our relationship that we think customers will immediately find compelling because it delivers practical value by bringing two of their most important platform investments closer together," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, at the news conference in San Francisco.

"We're excited to work with Novell, whose strengths include its heritage as a mixed-source company. Resolving our patent issues enables a combined focus on virtualization and Web services management to create new opportunities for our companies and our customers," Ballmer said.

According to a Microsoft news release, "The patent cooperation agreement enables Microsoft and Novell to give customers assurance of protection against patent infringement claims. It gives customers confidence that the technologies they use and deploy in their environments are compliant with the two companies' patents."

Read the full story on Microsoft, Novell Make Peace over Linux


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About Me

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Riverside County, California, United States
I am a native of Illinois and grew up in Wilmette, a northern suburb of Chicago. I have one sibling, an older brother. After dropping out of college, I moved to California in 1973 with my first husband. I married my present husband, Butch, in 1977 and got 4 children in the deal. They have gone on to make me a grandmother 24 times over and a great-grandmother of 13. Three years after I married Butch I returned to school. I got my bachelors and masters degrees in speech communication and was a professor in that field for 13 years. I retired in 2001 to return to school and get my doctorate in folklore. Now I meld my two interests - folklore and genealogy - and add my teaching background, resulting in my current profession: speaker/entertainer of genealogically-related topics. I play a number of folk instruments, but my preference is guitar, which I have been playing since 1963. I am a Board Certified genealogist and more information on all this, as well as direct contact info, is on my Circlemending website.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday, 27 October 2009

Frank Pierce Goldthwaite, Jr., son of my grandaunt, Lenora Mildred Wilcox and her first husband, Frank Goldthwaite. He was born 22 September 1920 and died 27 October 1920, 89 years ago today. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery, Dallas, Texas.

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