Showing posts with label arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arts. Show all posts

Saturday, 7 December 2019

What Does God Want for You?

The biggest challenge each of us faces is to live within God's will. If we could just do that, then it will go well with us. We need wisdom. We are faced with many, many choices every day and on our own we don't make it. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to shower us with wisdom. Yes, as Paul would say: 10... As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.

Searching for God's will is nothing new. Paging through the Psalms, you see the great David calling out to God time after time, begging God to help him because he didn't know what to do: Psalm 27:11 Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on.

My wife was trying to explain to my son how to make the right choices. She told him that if we follow Jesus, all goes well and we'll know exactly what to do in every situation - in other words, we will know what God's will is. But as soon as we choose not to follow Jesus, we're on our own and soon make the wrong choices.

But what does this mean in practice, when we have to walk in God's will every day? In the following few verses David finds wisdom and makes a few good suggestions to help us find God's will for our lives: I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God.

Believe, hope, trust, be courageous, keep on being strong, try again, get up, hold on and go and sit at God's feet. All of these should be our motto, because if we can do that, we'll certainly remain within the will of God.

If we can do that, the net effect will be as follows:

10We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.

Saturday, 29 June 2019

Oh Yeah, Turkey Matters - Here's Why

In the last few days we have received various forms of this question.

Why should we care about a currency crisis in Turkey?

The reason that investors need to 'care' about a currency crisis in Turkey is that despite all the trade war talk, we do live in a global economy. In The Trend Letter we cover global bonds, currencies, equities, commodities, and precious metals. We do this to show our subscribers how these sectors are all connected, and how a sharp move in one sector will affect other sectors.

In Sunday's issue, we showed subscribers how a collapse in the Turkish Lira could be the next domino to fall in what we have been warning about... a global sovereign debt crisis. Here are the points from Sunday's issue:

The big currency story last week was the collapse of the Turkish Lira
The Lira has lost 45% of its value since September & almost 20% in the last week
Turkish President Erdagon called the plunge a 'fluctuation'
While most investors will simply shrug at this news, we are on alert for contagion to hit Europe, and the emerging markets
European banks are carrying over $220 billion in $US denominated debt from Turkish companies
With the Lira plunging in value vs the $US, it means it will cost these companies a lot more to service these debt payments that are denominated in US dollars
In fact, a company today would need to pay 88.5% more to buy the same number of $US dollars to pay their $US denominated debt payment than it would have last September
On September'17, for a Turkish company to make a $1 million dollar debt payment, it would have cost them 3.41 million Lira
Today, to make a $1 million payment, it would cost them 6.43 million Lira
This will put a great deal of pressure on these Turkish companies to pay their debts
Understand that the issues in Turkey are wide spread in many emerging markets... they borrowed heavily in US dollar denominated debt when US rates were historically low
And now with the $US rising, these debts will become much more expensive to service
The key here is that Turkey is just one of many emerging market countries that have borrowed enormous amounts of debt that is denominated in US dollars. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and supported by the Bank of International Settlements, emerging market borrowing has doubled in the past five years to US$4.5 trillion.
Global investors are now targeting countries with similar economic challenges, whether they be bloated current account deficits, inflationary pressures, or high debts denominated in foreign currencies. We are seeing currencies in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, India, and South Africa all taking a hit.

What many investors do not understand it that pension funds who need 6%-8% annually to meet their obligations could not simply buy government bonds paying around 1% (and in Europe paying negative yields), so they sought other, more risky investments.

When Turkish bonds collapsed and were paying yields of 20%, many banks and pension funds scooped them up, assuming they were safe. If your pension fund owns a bunch of Turkish government bonds, or bonds of Turkish companies, then that is why you should 'care' about an economic collapse in Turkey.

When global capital is worried about a currency, it moves out of that currency and into a perceived safer currency. Right now the perceived safest currency in the world is the US dollar. In our February issue of The Trend Letter, we made a currency recommendation that would benefit greatly from a strong US dollar. That trade is up over 21% in 6-months.

This strong US dollar vs almost every other currency is getting overbought here, so we should see a temporary reversal. But long-term, understand that $4.5 trillion in US dollar denominated debt is coming due, and with the US dollar much stronger today than it was when these funds were borrowed, it tells us that these emerging market companies and countries will need to buy a lot of US dollars in order to service those debts.

Local Government Bonds: Will They Work?

When we earn less than what we need to spend, what we do is borrow money. The "we" can apply to individuals, to corporations, or to sovereign countries or governments. Often-for governments especially-borrowing money is not a problem. They borrow money to pay for borrowed money, and lenders are easy to find. For example, latest available data show that the total (gross) amount of US government debt (USD21T) is bigger than that country's gross domestic product, or GDP (USD20T). Stated differently, the current debt-to-GDP ratio of the federal government of the USA is 105 percent.

Some countries even have higher debt-to-GDP ratios: Japan (236 percent), Italy (131 percent), and Singapore (110 percent), among others.

Philippines? The trend over the past decade shows a decreasing rate: from 55 percent in 2008 to 42 in 2017. Amount of total national government debt in 2017 stood at Php6.6T, 67 percent of which was domestic debt while 33 percent was foreign debt.

The debt-to-GDP ratio is one of the indicators of a country's capacity to pay. Experts tell us that a low debt-to-GDP ratio indicates an economy that produces and sells goods and services sufficient enough to pay back debts without incurring further debt.

Because government borrowing does not seem to worry policy makers even for debt guzzlers like the US and Japan, perhaps what may interest taxpayers more is determination of the "need to spend."

There are cases where countries (or areas within them) can promote people's welfare better by buying public goods and services now, using borrowed money (at cost, meaning with interest) than waiting for a later date when cash flow positions can be expected to improve. A quick example is expenditure on key infrastructures, like road networks or hydro-electric plants that stimulate job-generating private investments, and further promote downstream livelihood opportunities. Investments like these often pay for themselves over a long period of time.

The development goal becomes more attractive when economic opportunities are seen spilling over the countryside, with added expected benefits-from the whole nation's perspective-of easing urban poverty and congestion, greater equity in wealth distribution, creating a variety of conditions for social levelling, etc.-all of which can go a long way in checking rural insurgency.

This idea is cropped from the backdrop of the Philippines' possibly becoming a federal nation where, as an assumption, the federal states will have more autonomy at finding sources from which to fund their development projects. A possible set up can emerge where, like what the national government does, LGUs can issue debt papers or instruments (such as notes or bonds) to raise money.

While other countries like the US and Brazil have enabled their municipal governments to issue debt instruments or securities, consideration of this funding option has yet to gain traction among most LGUs in the Philippines, except for some mega cities like Cebu City. Rather the more common practice has been for LGUs to vie for bilateral loans, involving in many cases development banks like Land Bank and the Development Bank of the Philippines, whenever they see the need to borrow money.

Over the past several years, the Bureau of the Treasury, in collaboration with the Department of Finance and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, among other related government agencies, has developed a robust environment for debt management operations that include improved investor relations, enhanced organizational capacity and optimized analytical tools for policy action, streamlined processes for origination (eg auction of Treasury Bills and Bonds), as well as big data management required from recording, monitoring and servicing of national government debt.

The external environment contributes to the vigor of the entire debt management apparatus, such as the overall health of the economy-buttressed by a predictable political climate-that can justify positive credit ratings on a consistent basis. It is this kind of ratings that makes it easy for governments to find lenders, and incur debt at the least possible cost to the taxpayer.

Investment opportunities for LGUs are legion, and I wish to broadly discuss a few of them here.

(1) Real Estate Development

That Metro Manila needs to be decongested is obvious for LGUs easily see opportunities from that big problem. Hint: Build a hub for a national government agency, one that offers free housing for 1,000 to 2,000 employees, on top of state-of-art digital connectivity infrastructures. Then invite a government agency that rents property for its offices in Metro Manila or nearby areas to relocate. In five years, the host LGU should see a rapid increase in the number of economic establishments within the area, providing livelihood opportunities for its residents.

Urban planners would also do well to shape ideas for similar ventures. For example, the Tacloban North Township Project of Tacloban City can be a model for uprooting entire communities from danger zones to more a more ideal settlement area.

How to Plan a Memorable and Effective Event?

Planning an event is never easy. It involves getting plenty of things right and to the point. Most event organizers find the job stressful and often feel overwhelmed by its intensity and enormity. A lot of planning goes into making an event successful and when the goal is to make it memorable, the effort can multiply easily. However, great results are also inevitable if you execute your event plans well and consider all things in detail. So, rather than feeling worried about the looming event, you must rather look to amp up the preparation so that the goal is achieved, and the client is delivered with success.

First, you must start early when the event is big in nature, at least four to six months in advance for a large event and at least one month for smaller events. It's also essential to complete all vendor contracts a few weeks prior to the event. Similarly, you must stay flexible during the planning stage of the event as certain changes are unavoidable and you must be ready for that. It's always a good thing to be ready to face any immediate changes to the schedule, time, location or scale of the event. This will save you disappointment and you can thus prepare well for the event.

Further, you must figure out the budget and do a cost analysis in advance so that your negotiations with the vendor go on expected lines. There will unexpected costs and once you know the budget before, you can negotiate with the vendor, offer to pay at least 5-10% lower than the quoted prices to save money for exigencies. More importantly, you must look to assign responsibilities to the team members by breaking the event into different sections to ensure things move ahead smoothly. You must also make each team responsible for acts and activities falling in their sections.

If possible, you should create a central document detailing every activity and give access to every member on the team. Coordination between the team can becomes easier when all the key details regarding the event, including vendor contracts, floor plan, attended details, are listed in the document. To avoid needless hassles in the meantime, you must create a back-up plan for key aspects of the event. This will save you inconvenience that last-minute glitches often cause. Once everything is planned and arranged, you should do a run through of the entire process a week or two before the big day to be sure of things moving in without any issues.

More so, it's always a good idea to capture key things and details of the event in the picture, and yes, you can also share those picks online to showcase to the world your ability to host a great event. You must hire only a professional photographer so that the best possible shots are taken, encompassing major aspects easily like the snap of the room full of guests, shots of the lights and dining and arrangements etc. This is how you can do branding of the event which in turn will help you win more clients.

Lastly, you must look to leverage the power of social media to take your event to thousands of people with virtually no cost. You can create a hashtag for your event on Facebook and Twitter to increase participation. You can seek comments and conversations and then you can upload event photos to give a clear picture of the things done by you there. All this will make your event stand out and become as memorable and effective as you have planned it to be in the first place.

Friday, 14 June 2019

Don Quixote De La Mancha (Part One): From Pen to Print

On the morning in August of 1604, a little-known writer named Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra walked through the streets of Valladolid, Spain, toting a heavy manuscript to publisher-bookseller Francisco de Robles. Cervantes carried a hopeful attitude that this odd book would become a success, but Robles held little hope the manuscript would sell five copies. A month later, Cervantes sold the rights to publish "El Ingenioso Don Quixote de la Mancha". The printing was finished in December, and the book came out in January 1605. Cervantes' hard work made its way from manuscript to the published book that readers and scholars alike agree, even to this day, that Don Quixote became the greatest literary masterpiece in Spain and the world.

If Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra had never written this magnum opus, about a Spanish gentleman who read so many books of chivalry that he decided to become a knight in a world where they no longer existed, literature from 400 years ago to the present might have been completely different. His self-proclaimed mission called himself to right the world of wrongs in an out of date chivalrous manner. He called himself "Don Quixote de la Mancha" and Cervantes wrote hundreds of pages over a period of years to complete Part One of Don Quixote. Before he could get the novel published, his scribbled-worn copy had to be read and corrected by an editor who took the time to compile and rewrite the work as a "clean copy" adding spacing and punctuation so that it could be easily read by the printers. However, before going to print and publication, all books printed in Spain had to be given the "blessing of the state" by a royal "censor" who scrupulously read the work before being granted "license and privilege" for publication. Of course, Cervantes' manuscript passed the government's strict approval. Robles sent Cervantes' text to Juan de la Cuesta - a book printer in Madrid.

The first copy was printed in Madrid, Spain which would soon become the primary source for conversation and laughter among many Spaniards. Sales of the book shot up immediately and by the end of 1605 one thousand eight hundred copies were printed and had flown off bookstore shelves. From Europe to the Spanish-American colonies, copies were sent by boats for hungry readers. Translators in England, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal were rushing furiously to put the book out in their native languages.

Cervantes probably thought about his future book while jailed in 1597 for stealing money from a bank that had crashed. Cervantes drew upon the adventures of his interesting and exciting life as a soldier, prisoner, escape artist and tax collector to create a whole gamut of characters and situations. His book would be new and original in every facet of telling stories. Later it would be called the first "bestseller." Cervantes' literary masterpiece became the first fictional novel that set the standard for writing future bestselling novels.

The general plot of Don Quixote is clearly funny. A fifty-year-old man named "Alonso Quixano" sells his land to buy novels about outdated chivalric knights. He reads night and day until he goes mad and leaves home to become a knight, naming himself "Don Quixote de la Mancha." Quixote perceives reality as a knight from the antiquated stories he reads and believes he is truly a famous knight of old in a society where no knights existed but prevailed in 16th-Century Spanish literature. Quixote sees everything in terms of those boring books which abounded in bookstores. The plot in Don Quixote includes a knight-errant where whores become princesses, men become other knights, magicians, or chain gang prisoners, large windmills become dragons, and inns turn into enchanted castles.

Together with his "squire" - Sancho Panza ("Potbelly"), his old nag - "Rocinante" and his ladylove "Dulcinea del Toboso" for whom he goes on chivalric quests, his misfit adventures caused all readers to at least chuckle, but in Spain, there exists a saying: "If you come across a solitary person laughing they are either mad, or reading Don Quixote." ("Don Quixote: The Unlikely Conquistador", The Independent, Jan. 29, 2005).

The Ingenious Gentleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha was an immediate and roaring success. Demand for copies was so high that within a few months its author, Miguel de Cervantes, was having the book distributed throughout Iberia while Robles and Cuesta began work on a second edition. Two pirated versions appeared in London, along with two others in Valencia and Zaragoza; hundreds of copies were loaded on to the galleons embarking for the New World. By June Don Quixote and Sancho Panza had become iconic figures, their effigies carried in parades and others popping up in celebrations for the rich and poor. ("Don Quixote: Now and Then", Financial Times, 2018).

It's interesting to note that although Cervantes' name ultimately became known throughout the world, he never made any money from the monumental sales of Don Quixote. As a matter of fact, Cervantes' life had mostly been marked by poverty and tough fortune. Nevertheless, he did not lead a boring life whose events Cervantes borrowed to make Don Quixote an exciting read.

Friday, 7 June 2019

5 Key Things You Need to Know While Photographing Corporate Events

Corporate event photography can be a daunting task, especially when people are networking and don't want to be disturbed. Corporate events can be of various types - from conferences, and sales events to receptions and parties. The challenge lies in compelling coverage as poor coverage not only harms the brand identity but leads to poor networking too. While there are different ways to photograph corporate events, hiring professional event coverage services can help to get the job done professionally and flawlessly.

Whether you engage professionals or decide to do it yourself, here are some key things to know:

Have the right equipment: Corporate event photography doesn't need lots of fancy equipment. Instead, it needs a perfect blend of the right gears. Usually, an external power flash with reflector or diffuser, full frame DSLR with a moderate range zoom, memory cards and spare batteries are good for the job. However, there are other details that need to be taken care of. If the event takes place in a large hall, a telephoto lens is a must. If it's a compact venue, then a wide is essential. A second body camera is usually suggested for more serious event photography to avoid switching lenses regularly.

Study the location: Analyzing the lighting conditions and scouting the location play crucial roles in ensuring good event coverage. Before the event, visit the venue to get a clue if you'll be dealing with minimal light indoors or plenty of light. In case you can't visit the venue before the event, ensure to gather adequate information about the venue and lighting conditions from other sources.

Grab the best shots: When it comes to corporate event coverage, moments pass quickly. If you fail to adjust quickly, you'll fail to have the shot. Remember to take care of the minute details and capture compelling shots. For instance, a wide aperture with fast shutter speed for the key speakers, or keeping the aperture small enough for group shots to keep everyone in focus can help.

Focus on shots for marketing: While it's crucial to get shots of people having fun, it's also crucial to have shots that can be used for marketing purposes. In this age of social media, businesses often share images of their corporate event coverage immediately. While focusing on the faces of attendees is positive and powerful, it's also important to focus on abstract shots that can be used for branding and marketing purposes.

Quick edit, fast delivery: In today's fast-paced life, businesses want a quick turnaround time. Once a couple of days are gone, the images become a little stale. And people move to the next events and lose interest in yesterday's news. You should make sure that once the event is over, you edit the images taken and deliver them fast.
These key things play crucial roles in the success of corporate event photography. For an individual, handling a corporate event to ensure excellent shots and adequate coverage is often a tough task. With the help of professional event coverage services, you can make your next event a memorable and successful one sans the tension and headaches.

Friday, 31 May 2019

15 Phrases Contributed by William Shakespeare

Throughout the wide literary world, William Shakespeare is known as the greatest writer in the English language. Compared to many other well-known writers, Shakespeare's life is shrouded in mystery. Yet his plays and other works provide a lot of insight into his literary creative talent. Little is known about his childhood, but much can be inferred from his education. Shakespeare attended a grammar school in the late sixteenth century that offered a mandatory classical education. He learned the Latin language and was rigorously tested in written and oral Latin prose and poetry, as well as grammar, rhetoric, logic, astronomy, and arithmetic.

Little information has been found about what he did after grammar school. Instead of attending a university, most biographers believe he started writing plays which were performed at stages in London, as well as taking on small jobs.

Shakespeare penned 37 plays, 154 sonnets and 4 long narrative poems which permanently changed the English language, contributing more to it than any other writer. In all, he created roughly 1,700 new words in most of his works. Also, Shakespeare invented 135 phrases that we use today. Here are 15 of his phrases which most people are familiar with:

"It's Greek to me" (Julius Caesar, Act I Scene II): This sentence is said when you do not know something.
"Wild Goose Chase" (Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene IV): An unsuccessful search.
"Fair play" (The Tempest, Act V Scene 1) - Follow the rules in competitions or sports.
"Knock, Knock! Who's there?" (Macbeth, Act II, Scene III) - Shakespeare invented the "knock, knock" joke.
"All that glitters is not gold" (Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene VII) - Something that looks good, turns out not to be that great.
"Wear one's heart on one's sleeve" (Othello, Act I, Scene I) - To be open and honest about how you feel.
"Forever and a Day" (As You Like It, Act IV, Scene I) - A very, long period of time.
"Break the ice" (The Taming of the Shrew. Act I Scene II) - When two people meet, they ask each other polite questions.
"Seen Better Days" (As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII) - An item that's not in good condition.
"Lie Low" (Much To Do About Nothing, Act V, Scene I) - Remain hidden.
"A laughing-stock" (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III, Scene I) - A person who is considered a joke by many people.
"Love is blind" ("The Merchant of Venice", Act II, Scene VI) - An expression meaning to love a person who isn't physically attractive.
"Too much of a good thing" ("As You Like It" Act III, Scene V) - "Too much of a good thing" is not necessarily good for you.
"In a pickle" ("The Tempest" Act V, Scene I) - To be in trouble or a difficult situation.
"Good Riddance" ("Troilus and Cressida" Act II, Scene I) - An expression indicating welcome relief from someone or something undesirable or unwanted.

William Shakespeare is certifiably known as the father of the modern English language. No other English writer has contributed more to phrases and words than him. Throughout his plays, sonnets, and poetry, Shakespeare broke new ground by creating new words and expressions, which standardized our mother tongue by embedding themselves in our language. After 400 years, today's avid readers can clearly recognize many of the words and expressions commonly used in today's speech.

Saturday, 25 May 2019

Different Card Games From Around the World

Playing with cards is a fun way to pass the time as well as have a good time with family and friends. Around the world there are many card games that could be complicated yet amusing to many people.

• Panjpar is a popular two player card game that was made in Afghanistan. The game uses standard cards (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and so forth) and each player is dealt with five cards. Whilst playing their hand, the player has to draw new cards from the undealt deck to remain with at least five cards in hand. The objective of the game is to collect a hand that can win after the deck runs out. Once the deck runs out, the player who manages to play their whole hand wins whilst the other player who remains with all cards is named the loser.

• Briscola is an Italian game that works with points. The cards used is a 40 deck set that uses coins, cups, swords and batons or clubs as suit symbols. If these cards are not available to you, a 52 card deck may be used but Jokers, Eights, Nines and Tens need to be removed in order to play properly. The game can be played with two to six players. Each player is given three cards and the rest of the cards are placed facing down on the table. The dealer then needs to take the seventh card and place it upright on the table. To win, a player or team needs to score at least 61 points.

• Kalooki is a popular type of rummy game from Jamaica. The game is played with three to six players using two decks of 52 card sets including four Jokers. The objective of the game is to go out by laying all cards down. The game works on points with the Joker being the highest scoring point. Whoever has the lowest scoring points wins the game.

• Sueca is a game played in Angola but comes from Portugal. The game uses four players that play in teams of two. The game uses 40 cards with Eights, Nines and Tens removed from standard card decks. Ranking from highest to lowest is Ace, Seven, King, Jack, Queen, Six, Five, Four, Three and Two being the lowest. The objective is to win tricks containing more than half of the card points which are 60 points. The first team to score four games wins the ultimate prize.

These are some fun and unusual card games to play if you want to pass the time. If you are thinking of getting a number of standard card decks, then you might want to consider visiting a cash and carry wholesale store. You could enjoy playing card games in coffee shops if you don't feel like being at home.

J&E Cash 'n Carry is one of South Africa's biggest wholesalers in the following categories of products: Cosmetics, Groceries, Sweets, Personal Care, Household, Health, Beauty, Baby, Hardware, Electric & Stationery. We supply traders only, and offer the highest standards of service, the cheapest deals, and the best buying experience.

Wednesday, 11 April 2018

Synopsis Of 'Oedipius Rex' By Sophocle

The story begins with a dialogue between Oedipus, the king of Thebes, and the priest, as they discuss the evil predicament that has befallen their land; blights on their harvest and grazing flocks. Oedipus informs the priest of having sent his consort brother, Menoeceus's son, Creon, to inquire from the Pythian Phoebus at his Delphic shrine, how the state might be saved.

Before long, Creon arrives bringing news from the gods. He says what they demand is the punishment, either by death or banishment, of the murderer of the past King, Laius son of Labdacus. Oedipus, who is new to the land, and keen to bring to light this criminal who is the cause of their woes, asks him details of the murder.

In another scene, Oedipus lays a curse on the killer, prohibits all Thebans from associating with him and encourages those who have knowledge of him to announce it.

The chorus/elders advise Oedipus to summon Teiresias, the blind seer, to give his opinion on the issue. But Oedipus had already sent Creon, in a much earlier time, to bring him to the palace.

Eventually, Teiresias, the widely renowned seer arrives at the palace. He is very unwilling to speak on the Laius and his murderer, the issue for which he was summoned; he in fact requests that he be allowed to take his leave. However, Oedipus accuses him of being the murderer. Hearing this, Teiresias made a counter-accusation by daring to say Oedipus himself was the man who killed Laius. After the exchange of invectives, Oedipus claims that Teiresias must have conspired with Creon to blemish and overthrow him. After hearing this, Teiresias prophesies that Oedipus will be exiled from Thebes and have his eyes no more after he discovers his true lineage.

Creon comes out to deny the king's allegations, asking what is he to gain from bidding to overthrow him. He would rather not inherit the position at such a trying time, because all he desires, fame and fortune, are already his; the crown is just a burden. Nevertheless, Oedipus threatens him with death, after he, Creon, suggested banishment.

Jocasta enters and pleads with her husband, Oedipus, to believe Creon for his oath's sake, for her sake and for the sake of the elders (chorus). She went ahead to enquire about the cause of the rift. After hearing the claim of the seer, she told him that it could not be true as it was formally predicted that Laius would be killed by his son at a spot where three roads meet. But obviously, he was murdered by highway robbers, as reported by the survivor of the attack. Oedipus was shocked on hearing this fact, so he asked where exactly the incident happened. Jocasta said Phocis, where roads from Daulis and Delphi meet. He asks further, trembling that perhaps the seer might be proven right, what the built of Laius was and how many attendants he had with him.

Oedipus then immediately demands that the Serf, who survived, be brought before him for questioning. He thereafter narrates the cause of his fear to Jocasta, how a drunkard once told him that he is not the true son of his seer (Polybus; and Merope, his mother), how he visited Delphi and Apollo told him of a prophesy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, how he ran away and killed some men when he got to the three-branching road. But there is hope of him not being the killer if the Serf confirms that indeed it was an army of robbers that killed Laius and not a lone wayfarer.

Shortly afterwards, a messenger comes from Corinth bringing news of Polybus's (Oedipus guardian) death, and the search for a new king. This gladdens Oedipus because it seems that the prophecies were false after all, as his father died not through his hands. Nevertheless, he mentions his fear of returning to Corinth because Merope, his mother, still lives and he does not want the second part of the prophecy to materialise.

Monday, 9 April 2018

Structures Homeowners Build Using A 20 Foot Shipping Container For Sale

 Improving properties can be an expensive obligation. However, these improvements are important to make properties appealing and more valuable. Luckily, homeowners can now make use of certain items which can be converted for other purposes. And, one of the best item to invest in is a 20 foot shipping container for sale.

Garage

One of the best structures homeowners can build using a 20 foot shipping container is a garage. Of course, individuals who purchase vehicles need to take care of their investment. Because of this, having your own garage is important. With this structure, you can protect your vehicles against numerous issues from strong winds and rains which can cause rust up to flying debris that can scratch and dent your cars.

Shed

The next structure individuals can create using shipping containers is a shed. Most individuals spend their time outdoors especially on their lawns. However, during hot days, spending time on backyards can be impossible. Luckily, individuals can use shipping containers to create sheds. When using shipping containers, individuals can reduce construction tasks. Other than that, these containers can withstand unstable weather conditions easily.

Green house

In case that you are fond of growing plants and flowers, individuals can also use containers in creating green houses. As of now, there are numerous types of containers individuals can choose from. And, there are containers that can be converted easily in green houses. By having a green house, you can easily grow different plant and flower species on your backyard.

Storage unit

Another wonderful structure homeowners can build using a 20 foot shipping container is a storage unit. Of course, almost all homeowners improve their homes. And, the best way to improve houses is to purchase new and more functional fixtures. Because of this, unused items can clutter homes. Other than that, these items can also cause unexpected accidents due to insufficient living space. By creating storage units from containers, homeowners can create a safe place for their items.

Sunday, 8 April 2018

Battleships of Pearl Harbor

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On 7 December, 1941, Japanese bombers flew towards the U.S. naval base of Pearl Harbor. Among the main targets for the Japanese fleet heading towards Pearl Harbor were the U.S. battleships stationed there. More than anything else, they bore the brunt of the Japanese bombs as the U.S. aircraft carriers that would have also been targeted were not present on the day. Eight battleships were present, and most were hit during the airstrike.

Before the outbreak of WW2, battleships were still considered among the most important warships. In World War One they played a decisive role in some of the largest naval battles such as the Battle of Jutland. Despite greater aircraft carrier research during the postwar era, they were still largely unproven in combat; and so the United States also expanded their battleships.

In 1941, the United States decided to move its Pacific Fleet to the naval base of Pearl Harbor as tensions with Japan mounted. The battleships were among the primary ships of this fleet, which the United States hoped might provide a deterrent in the Pacific to the Japanese. In fact, the consolidation of a number of US battleships at Pearl Harbor, and aircraft carriers, actually encouraged the Japanese. With so many battleships and aircraft carriers in close proximity a single surprise air strike could potentially have great impact. Japanese aircraft ravaged the following battleships at Pearl Harbor.

USS California

The U.S. Navy deployed the USS California to Pearl Harbor in 1940. During the raid, the California was hit by torpedo bombers. The USS California was substantially hit, and gradually began to sink to the bottom of the harbor. However, despite this the U.S. Navy salvaged and repaired the USS California after the airstrike. By 1944, the USS California was combat ready and re-entered the Pacific War in time for the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Musical Performances at Local Theaters

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Musical Performances at Local Theaters
For most people, theaters are places to watch the latest film releases. And with so many new films coming out on a monthly basis, there's always something new to watch during your free time on the weekends! However, sometimes it's fun to watch live people perform on stage. What different types of live performances can you see at a local performing arts venue?

Broadway

Broadway performances use music, dancing, and theatrical acting to tell a story. Beginning in a theater located on Broadway Street in New York City, Broadway has become an intricate part of the American culture since the mid-19th century.

Some of the most popular Broadway plays have been The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, The Lion King, Wicked, and Les Miserables. In addition to being performed on stage numerous times, these shows have also been made into feature-length films.

Ballet

Ballet uses music, dance and facial expression to convey emotion and tell a story. This form of entertainment has been around since the 15th century. It first became popular in Italy and gradually made its way throughout Europe. In the beginning, ballet was a form of entertainment provided only for rich noblemen and noblewomen.

Towards the late-19th century, ballet settled in Russia. Some of the most popular ballets like The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake were created during this time. These ballets continue to be performed in theaters all over the world.

Musical Performances

From individual instrumental performances to marching bands or large symphonies, there are a wide variety of ways to enjoy beautiful, inspiring music. Performing arts theaters often host local artists as well as world-renowned performers throughout the year. You can usually find schedules and purchase tickets for performances online.

Advantages to Attending Musical Performances

Individual artist performances inspire others to learn and enjoy music. Whether you enjoy the classical sounds of piano, the airy sound of a wind instrument, or the percussive beat of drums, taking music lessons empowers an individual to enjoy music at any time!

Many instruments can be combined to make a beautiful medley of sound. From a string quartet to the soaring sounds of a symphony, the many instruments combine to create a beautiful world of sound. A marching band combines the sounds of wind and brass along with percussion to lift the spirits and stir patriotic emotions.

Even larger instruments can be combined together. Piano players who enjoy making music together can enjoy piano duets and even quartets on two pianos. Playing the two instruments together is quite a rhythmic feat. And watching a piano quartet play is amazing!

Vocal Performances

From soloists to barbershop quartets to large choirs, the voice is a beautiful instrument. Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses combine together to create music. Some use songs with words and instrumental accompaniment, while others use vocal sounds to create haunting melodies without any words.

Simple Tips on Revisionist Collections

Just when we thought we had caught up with Bob Dylan, he has gone and surprised us again. Most famously known as an influential and controversial musician for the last five decades, Dylan certainly never gets stuck in a rut. We first saw his ability to keep his audience on their toes when he ditched the protest songs and swapped his famous acoustic guitar for an electric one. This move bewildered a lot of his fans, but Dylan did not bat an eyelid. He had his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead and never showed any sign of looking back.

Dylan has had a long and successful career in the music industry, writing over five hundred songs in his time, including 'Like a Rolling Stone', 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' and 'Blowing in the Wind'. Instead of stepping quietly out of the spotlight, he carries on to shock us all.

Firstly, it was a surprise that Bob Dylan was an artist as well as a musician. He evidenced his talents and captivated the world with a collection called 'Drawn Blank Series'. This was a great success for the artist, therefore meaning that it was not the time to switch off his creative brain. Instead we are graced with a new collection; perhaps more controversial than his previous portfolios, but nevertheless exciting.

Revisionist Art

The new portfolio released this year, could not be any more far removed from the 'Drawn Blank Series'. In fact, one would think that it was a complete different artist altogether!
The new collection is a limited edition of hand signed silkscreens which are the covers of popular magazines taken from the last half a century. The concept behind this is intriguing. They are magazine covers which have escaped history's notice. They are from a world only slightly removed from our own, and are indicative of a place more honest about its corruption. According to the works of Bob Dylan, our history is not quite what we think it is.

Dylan's artwork shows his outstanding awareness of the everyday, illustrating the same drive for renewal which epitomised his legendary music career. In this portfolio of art he has transformed popular designs, reconsidering the syntax, graphics and chromatic content and then enlarging them onto silkscreened images.

No doubt that this collection will be as popular as his last, and there is no chance of his audience becoming bored. It is sensed that this will probably not be the last we hear from Bob Dylan, and perhaps there are more shocking things to come.

Wednesday, 4 April 2018

Queen of Queens of Blairgowrie

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Queen of Queens of Blairgowrie
It is always a great pleasure meeting people who work with honey bees. Everybody that I have talked to on my travels so far clearly loves their work, and they are always willing to share their knowledge and experience with me. Bee workers must possess enormous patience because they tolerate my bumbling lines of questioning as I grapple with my voice recorder and notes, trying to sound vaguely knowledgeable. When I get back home and listen to the interviews, I am usually able to make some sense of it and turn it into pages that readers will one day find enlightening, fascinating, humorous and life-affirming... I hope. I reason that if I like reading it, there must be somebody else out there who enjoys it too, and any beekeeper hoping to learn will undoubtedly wish to hear from the gurus on my hit list.

I recently visited Murray McGregor, owner of Denrosa apiaries, at his hard-to-find-but-very-lovely cottage near Blairgowrie in Perthshire, Scotland. It sits beside a small loch which had mostly frozen over. The large area of surrounding land is populated with nucleus hives, countless mating hive stands, a queen rearing shed, some artificial birds of prey to scare off woodpeckers, Unimog vans and various other paraphernalia. After a tour of some of his apiaries along the sides of the valleys of rivers Earn and Tay, we met up with Jolanta Modliszewska at Denrosa's headquarters in Coupar Angus. Jolanta was cutting and packing heather comb honey, which is a strange thing to be doing on a Saturday afternoon, but orders need to be fulfilled, and there is plenty of demand for this top quality product. There were a great many images of sloths on the wall. Who doesn't love sloths? However, her real domain is the queen rearing operation, so we drove her back to the bee shed where I stuck a recorder under her nose and did my bumbling question routine.

Jolanta has been working for Murray for 12 years. For the first few years she was helping out working bees in the field, but she stood out from the crowd in terms of both aptitude and passion for the bees and jumped at the chance to establish Denrosa's queen rearing operation. She was flown out to Cyprus to train with Roger White where she quickly picked up skills such as grafting, setting up cell builder and finisher colonies, using the incubator, achieving successful matings, catching and marking the mated queens and all things related to keeping her majesty healthy and well.

In her first year at the new Blairgowrie mating station Jolanta started off with 150 mating boxes, and the results were very encouraging. Since then it has steadily grown to 900 mating boxes split between two locations, and word is spreading around the beekeeping community about the quality of the queens produced. Murray proudly informed me that only last week the Scottish bee inspector and somebody at the science institute had both been very complimentary about the project. Although the majority of the queens raised are for use in production colonies to make that delicious heather honey, an increasing number are being sold to other beekeepers. Murray has plenty of capacity to expand that side of the business and will surely do so. I'm going to be placing an order myself next season because they are great bees and now I have seen how they are made, and by whom.

I'm going to save many of the technical details of how the talented Ms Modliszewska makes her queens for my book, but I can say a few things. She uses a Chinese style grafting tool and is keen to point out that it has to have the bamboo reed, not plastic. She uses quite small mating boxes of the Kieler type. Murray brings back packages of worker bees shaken from colonies out in the field, and a measure of these go into the mating box and a newly emerged virgin queen is introduced. Jolanta places sealed queen cells into the incubator at around day eleven, so a few days later the virgin emerges into its roller cage on day fourteen, and within two days it has a new home in a small mating box with the newly shaken workers.

Once the queen is mated, she is caught, removed, marked with a coloured dot on her thorax, and placed in a queen cage for transportation elsewhere. Her place is taken by a sealed queen cell from a finisher colony (not an emerged virgin) and on it goes. Jolanta found that virgin queens work best in newly created mating boxes but queen cells work best once they are established with drawn comb and brood. The cell is protected with aluminium foil wrapped around it, which improves the acceptance rate. Mating success is very dependent on the weather, which can be unhelpful in these parts, but overall Murray reckons they get around 60%-70% mated. Sometimes if it is too cold or too windy the virgins won't leave their cosy homes to go on a mating flight, and if they are still virgins after two weeks they are shaken out, and the whole thing has to be started again.

The Synopsis Of 'Oedipius Rex' By Sophocles

The story begins with a dialogue between Oedipus, the king of Thebes, and the priest, as they discuss the evil predicament that has befallen their land; blights on their harvest and grazing flocks. Oedipus informs the priest of having sent his consort brother, Menoeceus's son, Creon, to inquire from the Pythian Phoebus at his Delphic shrine, how the state might be saved.

Before long, Creon arrives bringing news from the gods. He says what they demand is the punishment, either by death or banishment, of the murderer of the past King, Laius son of Labdacus. Oedipus, who is new to the land, and keen to bring to light this criminal who is the cause of their woes, asks him details of the murder.

In another scene, Oedipus lays a curse on the killer, prohibits all Thebans from associating with him and encourages those who have knowledge of him to announce it.

The chorus/elders advise Oedipus to summon Teiresias, the blind seer, to give his opinion on the issue. But Oedipus had already sent Creon, in a much earlier time, to bring him to the palace.

Eventually, Teiresias, the widely renowned seer arrives at the palace. He is very unwilling to speak on the Laius and his murderer, the issue for which he was summoned; he in fact requests that he be allowed to take his leave. However, Oedipus accuses him of being the murderer. Hearing this, Teiresias made a counter-accusation by daring to say Oedipus himself was the man who killed Laius. After the exchange of invectives, Oedipus claims that Teiresias must have conspired with Creon to blemish and overthrow him. After hearing this, Teiresias prophesies that Oedipus will be exiled from Thebes and have his eyes no more after he discovers his true lineage.

Creon comes out to deny the king's allegations, asking what is he to gain from bidding to overthrow him. He would rather not inherit the position at such a trying time, because all he desires, fame and fortune, are already his; the crown is just a burden. Nevertheless, Oedipus threatens him with death, after he, Creon, suggested banishment.

Jocasta enters and pleads with her husband, Oedipus, to believe Creon for his oath's sake, for her sake and for the sake of the elders (chorus). She went ahead to enquire about the cause of the rift. After hearing the claim of the seer, she told him that it could not be true as it was formally predicted that Laius would be killed by his son at a spot where three roads meet. But obviously, he was murdered by highway robbers, as reported by the survivor of the attack. Oedipus was shocked on hearing this fact, so he asked where exactly the incident happened. Jocasta said Phocis, where roads from Daulis and Delphi meet. He asks further, trembling that perhaps the seer might be proven right, what the built of Laius was and how many attendants he had with him.

Oedipus then immediately demands that the Serf, who survived, be brought before him for questioning. He thereafter narrates the cause of his fear to Jocasta, how a drunkard once told him that he is not the true son of his seer (Polybus; and Merope, his mother), how he visited Delphi and Apollo told him of a prophesy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, how he ran away and killed some men when he got to the three-branching road. But there is hope of him not being the killer if the Serf confirms that indeed it was an army of robbers that killed Laius and not a lone wayfarer.

Shortly afterwards, a messenger comes from Corinth bringing news of Polybus's (Oedipus guardian) death, and the search for a new king. This gladdens Oedipus because it seems that the prophecies were false after all, as his father died not through his hands. Nevertheless, he mentions his fear of returning to Corinth because Merope, his mother, still lives and he does not want the second part of the prophecy to materialise.

The messenger offers to rid him of this fear by disclosing that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents, adding that it was he who gave him to Polybus, after another shepherd who is from Laius's palace hands him over to him. This other shepherd turns out to be the same as the witness of Laius's death.

Oedipus, against the wish of Jocasta, wants to get to the root of the matter. He wants to discover his true lineage. Hence, he asks, more emphatically, that the shepherd be brought for questioning.

In next to no time, the long-awaited shepherd who is expected to shed more light on the conundrum finally arrives. He was very reluctant to give straight answers to Oedipus's questions, he even rebuked the Corinthian messenger for saying Oedipus is the accursed child he gave to him years back. However, he soon admitted it, after Oedipus threatened him with death. He also admitted that Jocasta, his mother, gave him to her so that he may get rid of him.

Have You Fallen Away?

The glory is departed from Israel. The glory has departed from God's people; the power of God has departed from his Church, the Body of Jesus Christ. The church today is operating in the flesh. Our own wills, our own desires, and ideas. We claim to be seeking the Lords' Will but continue to use the trends and devices of the world to try and win the world over to our side. We are not supposed to be of the world, we are to be the direct opposite!

John 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

John 17:14
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

1John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The church today has become a world friendly church. It doesn't want to offend anyone's own personal or spiritual beliefs. The church changes the word of God so that it is politically correct and non-offensive. By doing this they distort the word of God and deceive the people. The church and its leaders ignore the congregation and issues in our local communities and in the world. The church turns a blind eye to the problems within its own body. The church looks for new ideas and gimmicks to bring in the lost and in doing this the infiltration of the enemy has come in like a flood. The churches eyes are dim to the immorality and witchcraft that has invaded its sanctuaries. The church is in rebellion and out of order and in chaos. The church has ignored the warnings. The church has closed its eyes and ears to the Lords instructions. The church is filled with paganism, spiritualism, symbolism and false doctrine.

Where is the concern for the lost? All that is seen in the church today is religion, pride and arrogance!

Are you feeding from the world?

• Are you more worried about which designer clothes to wear than having your mind and heart ready to commune with God?

• Are you more worried about Facebook, Twitter, and other social media than opening up and reading your bible?

• Are you more worried about sitting in front of the TV to watch your favorite show that having a nightly family bible study?

• Do you walk in the church and gossip about the people and events that are in it or do you go straight into prayer for the pastor and his message?

• Would you rather be entertained by radio and be distracted by the things of this world than be concern about the men and women that are lost around you?

• Have you replaced the reading of the word with worship?

• Has the altar become a stage of seduction, self-righteousness, or a dance floor?

• Are you lusting after one another in the pews you are sitting in at church?

• Are you wearing seductive clothing in the House of God? Are you so full of yourself (the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) that people can't see Christ through you?

Compare Current Versus Past Merchant Statements

Business owners wear many hats in their daily activities. There's managing inventory, employees, appearance of their establishment, marketing and on and on. One of the less than pleasant things that I find merchants tend to put off is reading and understanding their merchant statements. They typically aren't the easiest things to comprehend and, unfortunately, that is by design. However, let me encourage you here that if there is ever a time to take a thorough look... it's right now.

As you may know, every April and October Visa and MC make adjustments to Interchange Rates. And, since this is the baseline of all your rates, any increases can change your Discount Rate that you are paying your payment processor for the "privilege" of accepting plastic in your business. So, the purpose of this brief article is simply to encourage you to take a look at your merchant services processing statement from, oh let's say March or maybe even February. Then take a look at your April statement that you likely just recently received.

Here's what you're looking for. Every statement will have a "comments" or "important information" section where your provider will inform you of a variety of things. This is the spot where they will let you know that your rates may be increasing due to Interchange adjustments. So, see if there was any indication of this on your February and March statements in anticipation of April adjustments. If so, then you want to thoroughly check your actual rates to see how much and what adjustments were made to your plan. Sometimes processors won't make any moves with every interchange rate hike and will simply absorb small upticks. However, some will also utilize this semi-annual phenomenon to pass it on or pass it on plus some for themselves. What I'm getting at here is that you absolutely need to know what is going on, what your rates are and how you are being charged.

Now, let's say that you did see some upticks in your rates. Was it across the board on all types of transactions that you receive or was it adjustments only on certain card/transaction types? Then, once you get a grasp on exactly what adjustments are being made, decide if it's worth sticking with the current provider based on what type and quality of services you are receiving from them. Personally I have a very high retention rate with my merchants simply because I take care of them and am responsive to their needs. So, even if there is a need to pass on slight increases, they don't mind because I take care of them. Plus, I'm always proactive with them in looking for and providing other valuable services to benefit their business.

So, get on it and don't delay. And, if I can be of any assistance, you know how to reach me.

Thanks for reading!

My name is Michael Saum and I'm a 65 year old semi-retired, merchant services rep with nearly two decades in the industry. In my current capacity, I write informative, articles relative to the acceptance of credit/debit cards in your business I also offer my comprehensive, FREE, email course, on the subject of credit card processing with NO SOLICITATION or HYPE. You can enroll by visiting the following website:

The Barleycorn Fight (1971, Vietnam)

There are no rules in fighting, although all the guys bigger than I, whom I fought felt I violated some made up rule of theirs.

In Vietnam, I had a fight with a sergeant in our company quarters one evening, we all called him Crusher, after the infamous, wrestler, and madman, "The Crusher," he was per near six foot tall, blond short hair, and muscular, looked like a gorilla, as did the sergeant, they could have been twin brothers, except for the age difference; perhaps of Polish or Irish stock. We both had enough malt produced barleycorn in us, this one evening, both half drunk, thereabouts. He told his friend I used a trick when we fought one another in tearing off my opponents face with my long fingernails, his face.

I had blocked his big burley muscular fists, and forearms, and at each thrust, I had moved quick enough to out maneuver him: I tried blow after blow to his face, and torso, but they bounced off him, like rubber, as if he was a danseur, nor did my elbows into his ribs move him one bit, and a good solid kick to the groin did little to nothing, he had a cast iron, whatever. And so I came to the conclusion, I couldn't beat him any other way, and thus, I was limited to my selection of attacks, I had used them all up, so I warped my body likened to wringing a wet rag dry, to gain momentum, jumped up about five inches into the air, and on my way down like a cat with his talon sticking out of his paws, my thorn like fingernails multitudinously swept across his face, like hard nails scratching through sandpaper, and he yelled bloody murder, and fell back a foot! His face was damaged. And the fight was over, and the fight was a draw.

It was no trick, not really, that was the purpose for the long nails and the jump, and two years of karate practice; and if it was a trick, it was a learned one for just that occasion, because I never had to reuse this so called 'trick'; a strategy I prefer to call it. And I consider that trick as legal as any kick in the groin, or punch to the face or ribs, although sober I might not have used that so called 'trick' I might not have thought of it. And here he was sixty-pounds heavier than me, and three inches to four inches taller than me, which was to his advantage-what did he expect-that was his trick, he thought he could bully?

Well, trick or not, I had the satisfaction of seeing him look like the loser, even if he wasn't.

No: 1064 (5-18-2014)

The Creating Your Sewing Sanctuary facts

Don't panic! Find a space of your very own. Nothing sparks your creativity as much as having a special place to sew with well organized sewing equipment stored within easy reach. Once you have found a place to sew, sewing will become more enjoyable.

Pick a space with several considerations in mind. Most importantly, your space must be accessible to electrical outlets and adequate lighting. In addition, think about the noise factor. Will the sound of your machine distract others? Will the sounds of others distract you?

To simplify the planning of your sewing area and to stimulate your own originality, here are some necessities for sewing conditions:

1. Both natural and artificial lighting is required. You should have an overhead light for basic lighting and a high intensity lamp for making small detailed work easier.

2. Convenient outlets for all your electrical equipment are obvious necessities. An extension cord must be available when needed.

3. You will require a cutting table. The ideal table should be accessible from all 4 sides, hard surfaced. Some may choose to use the floor or kitchen when cutting. Be sure that the surface is clean and flat.

4. Your sewing machine section must be wide enough to enable free movement of your fabric and room to place your utensils.

5. To provide proper back support during stitching, select a comfortable chair with a straight back.

6. To avoid wasting valuable time in searching for a needed item, organize a storage system of rollout drawers.

7. A box or tote bag to move equipment from one work area to another can be another time-saver.

8. A large storage area will be needed. This way, large pieces of fabric or incomplete projects can lie flat.

9. A pressing area near your machine and storage space is essential.

10. Supply closet space for hanging nearly finished projects and clothes that need repairing.

11. Have a full-length mirror near ample lighting for viewing your garments. The 3-way variety above the mirror is ideal, especially for fittings.

12. For a cheerful atmosphere, choose a soft color with bright accents.

13. To keep your lovely area neat, place a wastebasket under the machine area and near the cutting table.

The Truth About The Michael Jackson Hologram Show - 2014 Billboard Awards

It was June 25th 2009 when Michael Jackson art aka the king of pop at 50 years old came to an untimely end, just before the O2 comeback tour 'This Is It.' Indeed there has been plentiful publication out there covering the suspicious circumstances surrounding Michael's death. Whether it is speculation or fact you can draw your own conclusions.

It has to be said however, some pretty strange things happened before and after his death. Before the embarkation of the O2 tour his health came into question; whether or not he would be able to get through the gruelling schedule and handle the pressures...

At a financial low, one of his family members made the comment that he was worth more dead than alive. A comment like that is bound arouse suspicion. Then there was the apparent major 'slip up' by his brother Jermaine during an interview rousing more suspicion suggesting that Michael was still alive and had been secretly flown out of the country... Like I said I will leave you to draw your own conclusions. Having said that, will we ever know?

One thing for sure Michael had been quite vocal, expressing dissatisfaction over the 'evils of the music industry.' Then it looked like he was planning going on talks to expose the elite hidden powers that be with their conspiracies planned to achieve global domination...

Fast forward to recent times, last Sunday we had the 2014 Billboard Awards staged at Las Vegas. Indeed, the king of pop was back, this time in holographic form. The 'evils of the music industry' were demonstrated again by exploiting Michael's image. Still Michael hasn't got away from the elite hidden powers that be controlled music industry and certain connected individuals he so loathed.

Ironically, the song performed was 'Slave to Rhythm' taken from the posthumous album entitled 'Xscape.' Ironic because it was the music industry that had directly and indirectly sealed his inescapable fate.

The performance

On watching the performance I was truly taken aback. The performance had all the hallmarks of the elite hidden powers that be, indicating they had staged it. It starts off with a row of policemen fully clad in riot gear. With helicopters heard and spotlights giving us the impression of an oppressive police state scenario, there's no doubt that this is typical of other elite controlled music industry ideas. It has been the fashion for while.

Then, centre stage, surrounding Michael's holographic projection sat at a throne is a number of occult symbols signifying the control of the elite hidden powers that be. I found the whole thing very strange: Then Michael's ghost figure gets up and starts singing and dancing...

When Michael sits down on the throne again the audience start to clap and cheer. Okay, the audience are aware that Michael died some years ago and that they're expressing their appreciation to a ghost, but I wondered how many knew about the hidden hand controlling the settings and their awful planned agenda.

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