A rose by any other name...

Turns out an Oracle GUId is an entirely different animal from a M$ System.GUId; my work was compromised slightly by that bit of reality; I did manage to get things straightened out using an OracleType.VarChar2 256 to pass the Oracle 10g Raw 16 GUId to a string variable in my VB.NET 2005 web app. I also corrected some business logic; AND read email and heard testimony that the owner of the company is about ready to pass bricks due to the time and constraints we keep running into.
I think he can chill and we will be able to provide him a very good core app this week.

I did manage to get my minutes written up;

I need to check into a cell phone switch; folks are not to keen to use my baltimore cell number and it turns out my children's school does not have long distance so they can only reach me at my direct line at work; this is hardly practical as I am offsite with customers.

I believe my father may be considering visiting some time in the next year or two. It would be cool; I only hope I can get him to fly up from College Station, TX.
I do need to plan a trip to WY to visit my mother, maternal grand-father and maternal step-grand-father. The children do not know Wyoming at all and they have only been with Rita and Papi twice and Pedro hasn't met Jillian yet.

TTFN - It is always good not talking to you.

Another Day...

Wow, the day is almost over.
I think I've managed to finish my global error handling module using ASP.NET Oracle Web Event Provider, add in a record creation/selection (I really should move this to utilize the ODP.NET DAL, and pass the info to the file upload module. I will need to finish some testing tomorrow.
I also need to get back on that dialogics app and update the code. Oh and follow up with the YS pres to see if she's bothered to check out the app she was so desperate for.
I need to finish up the meeting minutes too.

I helped my ex-to-be's wife move to their new aboade in the southeast room on the main floor on Satuday. I also managed to get both of the shrubs that were in front of my front poarch cut down, removed the stump closest to the main sidewalk and bundled up all the branches. My York PA friend Orian and his lovely lady had their second son on Saturday. Very cool news.

I haven't followed up with my friend Jose, I will need to check out what he's been up to ... He's far better at keeping notes than I am.

I almost have my home offices organized. I am porting most of my workstation to a portable drive which is working out very well.

TTFN - It is always good not talking to you.

School and changes

Well, life moves fast and things are always changing. My children eached gained another year of life the first week of this September and started school at a small private school with good accredidation. My boy, now five, is in K-5 and my girl, now three, is in K-3. They are loving the experience and from the reports I've read from the teachers and from the communications their mother has told me she has had with the teachers I gather the children are doing very well.

Their mother and her partner are sharing my house with the children and I. The arrangement is quite new, but I think will work out very well for all of us for the near future. My I working hard to manage my time to accomodate my children, my career, my house keeping needs and other community responsibilities. Having the kids mother and her partner available to assist in picking up the slack while I adjust is quite nice. The arrangement also alows for the kids to have a primium amount of time with all of us.

Of course, I do need to keep working out all of the legal paperwork and details, but even in that arena the children's mother and her partner have been helpful.

I'm quite excited. Tomorrow, I will be visiting my cheldrens' school for the first time. The school is hosting a dinner with ticket proceeds going to the school. Now, that is something I can feel good about supporting.
I think about

School 2008/2009

As far as things stand my children's mother will be home schooling through a Kindergarten level program for the 2007/2008 year.
I grew up in public schools in Powell, WY - AWESOME EDUCATION - I am utterly astonished at how lacking so many of my peers' own public school education experiences were. I think part of it is that you really only get out of any situation what you put into it and part of it is that there is not a great will within the public education arena to embrace such an ideal. If I can afford to put my ex through school 2008/2009 and pay for my children to be covered in private academically accredited schools, I will do so. There is a county school district in the area that actually appears to be doing even better then the private schools, but they are more expensive then the local private schools and I do not think relocating to that area is a feasible option for me. Another issue I notice is that it seems that a really “good” school in this area is not one in which you find a lot of kids doing their best and parents doing their best to help them. You find that the parents and children are actually doing the bare minimum they must to get what they can with the resources they have easily available to them. Sadly the only variation between the “good” and the “bad” school is the amount of resources available to the majority of the attendees. It seems that slothfulness, willful ignorance and an inane desire for convenience rules the hearts and minds of either community.

Bare all things

I know this thread has been idle a while. I just wanted to scream a bit. While nothing will ever keep me from moving forward, I must say being alone/single (in a no loved one wanting you and curled up next to you in bed) again after a decade hurts. I doesn't matter how good or bad or mundane everything else around is ... the loss of that warm body ... the illusion of connection with something real ... yeah, not pain like stepping on a nail or stubbing your toe, more like diving way too deep and staying down way too long ... (yeah, was a bit of a swimmer) ... Anyway, I can agree with a lot of what I've seen on both ends in posts around here ... I do not really want to "date" ... I'm a very social person, but I don't think I want to experience this again - not at this level - I'm a father of young children and active in my communities (seems like work, neighborhood, church, lodge, YMCA, etc. ... are all disconnected ), I need time for my home, my kids, my work, my education (computer programming - have to keep up always) ... that doesn't leave a lot of time for getting to that whoever I always seem to bump into at where-ever when-ever.
I wonder the chances of not attracting a con would be with an ad in the local paper LOL
Plus it is hard to get to sleep ... thankfully, I always have something that needs done ... of course, by choosing to stop and write this out, I'm not really getting anything done .. lol

Unified Theory of Application Development

Unified Theory of Application Development
1. Jokes become production.
2. Data wants to be free.
3. Logic means nothing.
4. Developers extrapolate from no given information.
5. Just because it makes sense, doesn't mean it's in the scope.
6. What we have here is "failure to communicate", which is the way the user wants it, well, they gets it.
7. You designed it, you live with it.
8. No "Big Picture", be narrow minded.

Release as of 20070815

For years fellow geeks and I have been building a Unified Theory of Application Development. It is revised and debated often and we have one gatekeeper who holds the orthodox Theory.

Base cirle of Theory advisors include professionals in develop on diverse platforms and technologies including Linix, Unix, Windows, RPG, HTML, ASP.NET, C#, C, C++, Visual Basic, Visual Basic.NET, Cypris Basic, Delphi, Apache, Exchange, SalesLogix, ACT, Outlook, SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, AS400, iSeries, Web Sphere, Graphic Design, ...

Web Application Project

After working for a while to get this Converted ASP.NET 2.0 VS.Net 2005 VB.Net 2005 (8.0) Application to completely build, I ran into Parser Error Message: Could not load type '.Global'.

I am searching everywhere and find this refference
http://forums.aspfree.com/net-development-11/parser-error-message-could-not-load-type-17894.html
http://forums.aspfree.com/showpost.php?p=60570&postcount=13
================================================================
March 23rd, 2004, 11:03 AM
manos

Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 0

I found another answer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, just thought I'd share my answer to this frustrating problem.

Basically what I found was that for some reason, the class names that my .aspx pages where inheriting from were wrong. What happened
was that when checking the project in to source control, I had actually named my solution "Something.Net". This meant that all my
code behind inheritance directives said "Something.Net.class". (i.e. Something.Net._default) This may have been a problem.

When I noticed that, I recreated the solution as just "Something" and copied the files from the old solution. I then had to go in to the .aspx files
and change the page directives so that the pages inherited from Something._default.

After that it worked fine.

Good luck.

==========================================================================

I say to myself, "Oh, )&(^*&%(&*)(>, I remember having to change the application name. So, I open a code file in VS.NET 2005 and type Imports . And sure enough no Global ... then I remember some of my components seem to have dropped a level so I type .. and ther is my GLOBAL.
I open 1) Global.asax in NotePad, 2) change the Inherits=".Global" to Inherits="..Global" 3) Save & Close the file 4) rebuild the project
It worked ...
Now why in the code does my project have a split class set with some classes under and others under .????

And onto other Parse Errors ...

I'm So Sorry

Querida says she feels so guilty due to not having the same desire for me as she does for her female partner. She doesn't need to have the same feelings, but she feels she should. She says she feels so guilty for not wanting to share herself with me (after ten years, I never expected to be so easily cast aside) and her partner, but rather wishing to continue as my "friend"/the father of her children/that guy who provided for everyone for a long time and dedicate herself completely to her partner - and of course the welfare of the children, because they exist and she hasn't seen how to disregard them, yet. I get depressed and angry; I lash out and hurt her feelings - not just the guilt reaction, but actually her; I appologize and talk with her and try to work out a resemblence of a plan to continue forward. She sounds copasetic; says we're good she'll just need a while to recover from the bite, but she'll try to remember to show me that she does realize she love's me just not the same way she lovers her partner ... then she leaves for a night and a day and at the last miniute of the evening calls to "talk to the kids because I haven't seen them all day and I'm going to stay with her again tonight" ... I tell her "I am sorry we wont be seeing you today, but it isn't unexpected nor is it a problem. We will see you tomorrow. We love you." She replys, "I'll be back before 7 a.m. - this is good because I need to leave for work at 7 a.m. and it implies she will watch the kids and take care of the house - It's been a really long day. We were supposed to have lunch at 12 but they didn't have it ready until after 2. They also had us start almost a half hour early. Everyone was exhausted." - She and her partner are very good musicians in a band together. Am I supposed to take this as a rationalization for blowing us off the entire day? Then just dropping us a line instead of seeing us? Her partner is always welcome in our house and from her Partner's own accounts she doesn't much care for the company of her present room mates nor does Querida. So obviousely I don't know what is going on, I try to make the best of it and reply; "I hope you two can get some rest. Thanks for sharing about your day. The kids & I enjoyed hearing from you. We had a good day. The kids were up early & took a late nap. We played hard & did a lot of cleanbing & organization. We made tortillas and played with neighbors."
I contacted her for one question about our daughters hair (not so good with preparing her for bed without a mass of knots in the morning and say to her "Thank you, I love you and good night." She replies, "Your welcome. See you in the morning." What the ?)*&(^&#??? She knows I am a very contact/social oriented person, yet chose for - what reason? - to blow me off agian - no I love you too; just I will be there.
Well, obviously that has done a lot of good in my psychie. I'm expecting her to show up tomorrow a.m. and rather then say, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't have a chance to properly visit with you all and I shafted the time, I had already told you would be yours - she did say she was tired so I guess she felt cuddling with me and/or sleeping near me would have just been an agrivation - I must admit; I can't keep my hands of her ... I've always wanted her (body, mind, everything - even the quirks are just part of the package - of course I could have done without the whole serial monogamy thing she's doing right now ... - anyway, I'm expecting to have her tell me she's moving out or something all just from one missed opertunity to say "I love you." and not doing it. I will have to laugh like a loon if I'm right or wrong - either out of anguish or relief. I don't want to loose this woman. Specifically, I do not want her not to be living in a home with me and our kids, sharing intimate (sexual and other) moments with me and helping me improve myself, herself and jointly raise our children. I am very open to sharing her with her partner ( A Split ray intimately - She and I; Her and Her partner & A sphere socially (all of us working together) - We actually already have a weak version of the social sphere developing, but She's chosen do very harshly and in significant steps cut me off intimately (sexually and other) --- the entire time offering me what are beginning to feel like platitudes of how guilty she feels for hurting me ... She felt so guilty today that she never once bothered to send even the shortest message of love or concern to myself or the children. (That probably isn't fair; just true.)
I just can't help but remember Eeek The Cat - a late 80's/early 90's cartoon - "It never hurts to help." Of course, he was always tortured, tormented and/or pursicuted for choosing to help... Why should telling someone you completely and totally want them be any different???!

I just saw The Perverts Guide to Cinema status: Active & working which was a powerful documentry discussing the motives behind the experince and interaction of cinima in modern culture. I found it very powerful ...

aspnet_state.exe Application Error

I just moved to a new development laptop and had this issue. I had the same environment in my previous laptop without this error. My work includes development and maintenance on VB 6, 7, 7.1, and 8 as well as new bleeding edge application development so I have all environments running side-by-side … usually with a good deal of success.

ISSUE:

On Log Off, Restart or Shutdown
aspnet_state.exe. Application Error.
The instruction at 0x6a2a2fec referenced memory
at 0x0000000c could not be "read".
Click "OK" to end program
Click "Cancel" to debug.

My Fix from the control panel:
Repair Net Framework 2.0
Restart
Repair Net Framework 3.0
Restart
Test Fix:
LogOn  LogOff  No issue

===================

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=327951&SiteID=1

04-14-2006, 8:34 PM UTC
Michael_Guinto

I had the same problem.

Note: I just want to share what I learn from this experience . . . . . DOCUMENT your actions. meaning . . every time you tried something make sure you write it down. If the action was unsuccessful . . . return it to the original state. Try to find solutions from more "Solid" sources like this one . . . not from a "Who-Knows" website

Here is the solution:

If you have visual studio.net follow this step

1. go to start
2. find Visual studio.net
3. under visual studio.net tools click the command prompt
4. first let us make sure you have asp.net install and how many version do you have. type
aspnet_regiis -lv. your root should be whatever version of .Net you have.
Note: if you don't know, one way to find out is to open visual studio.net - then - go to help menu - then click about visual studio.net . It should tell you want version of .net you have .

another way is to go to the admin tools and right click on the "Microsoft .net framework X.X"
5. now you know the version we need, lets take out the rest. First we need to completely remove all aspnet versions inside your computer. on the visual studio command prompt type
aspnet_regiis -ua.
6. type aspnet_regiis -- the computer should tell you that there are no version installed.
7. know type aspnet_regiis -i;

that should fix the problem.

For those who don't have visual studio.net

simply use the run command and type the following:
STOP: v.X.XXXX = the version of .net you have
type: %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v.X.XXXX\aspnet_regiis.exe -ua
type: %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v.X.XXXX\aspnet_regiis.exe -i

NOTE: make sure you turn on Aspnet_state.exe in your computer. Go to the administrative tools and double click on service and find "ASP.NET State Service" double click it and click the start button. You can change the start type too if you want

Another problem: "I CANT CREATE NEW ASP.NET PROJECTS ON VISUAL STUDIO"

make sure you turn on the IIS and ASP.NET state service.

that should fix it.

problem: "I CAN'T FIND IIS IN THE SERVICE CONSOLE"

on the run command type "control panel"
find add and remove program
inside the add and remove program window click on the "Add/Remove Window's Component"
if "Internet Information Service (IIS)" is not check. . . . well . . . check it.


after that is done . . turn it on

when both IIS and ASPnet_State.exe are on = problem solve
I hope this article help you solve your problems. it toke me two days to solve this problem because mainly because I don't keep track of my actions and sources

if you still can't create asp.net project via visual studio.net then you you need to setup your IIS

===================

05-19-2006, 6:55 AM UTC
Per Salmi

A screenshot would be very hard to provide as the error message pops up during shutdown of windows. GeoK´s post previously on this thread quotes exactly what the error popup says:
aspnet_state.exe. Application Error.
The instruction at 0x6a2a2fec referenced memory
at 0x0000000c could not be "read".
Click "OK" to end program
Click "Cancel" to debug.
This is a bit frustrating as we are worried about rebooting remote servers if they get stuck with an error on shutdown.
/Per Salmi

===================


http://jeffhandley.wordpress.com/2006/02/23/aspnet_stateexe-crash-during-shutdown/

aspnet_state.exe crash during shutdown
Look at me posting something about ASP.NET on my blog! Been awhile.

So I have installed VS Team System for Software Developers on my TabletPC and my office workstation. Both machines also run VS.NET 2003 for Enterprise Architects. On both machines, every time a restart or shut down (Windows XP TabletPC Edition/Windows XP Pro), I get an error that memory could not be read for aspnet_state.exe.

I’ve googled around and found no solutions, but others are experiencing this. Some co-workers experience it occasionally.

The only “fix” I have come up with is to hack the registry settings for the ASP.NET State Service and point it to the .NET Version 1.1 instance. With that in place, the errors go away.

Anyone else seen this and have any solutions? I know that the error doesn’t really matter — it doesn’t even get logged — but it just bothers me. On a clean build, I shouldn’t get errors — that’s like having the check engine light on in a new car and just ignoring it.

UPDATE:
Here’s what I hacked in the registry to get this error to go away. Insert legal crap that prevents me from being responsible if you crash your system by messing up your registry… no warranties here whatsoever… yada yada yada…

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\aspnet_state\DisplayName
- Change to “ASP.NET State Service (1.1)”
- This is just for my sanity

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\aspnet_state\ImagePath
- Change to “%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\aspnet_state.exe”
- This points the service to the .NET 1.1 version of the state service

Is writing about your life in a journal equivalent to whining about your circumstances which sociology and psychology studies have verified is pointless, futile and of no true value to the individual or the participant (hearer/reader)?
It may well be, in which case, I am one of my own worst pet peeves, a whiner.

I recently stated to my spouse in complete truth that regardless of the motivation behind her choosing to work with me on continuing our now decade long tryst over and over and over again, I am very happy to have had the experience that have come with it even the ones which have not been pleasant.

I do hope to be celebrating another decade in 2018 and again in 2028, though right now I do appear to have some small nuances stacked against me. You see my darling is a lesbian. This in itself is not really an issue, but she has for some time (our entire relationship actually) dealt with the extreme disconnect between my feelings for her and hers for me. They are as you can probably imagine quite different. When at a breaking point some years ago, a bottle of Crown Royal (She drinks, not I) brought us to a steamy reunion which in turn brought us our beloved son. In an act of characteristic self-sacrifice she chose to reunite with me and do the absolute best to raise him. We did and are doing so. In the middle of all of this we continued our intimacy, an act of friendship and latent heterosexuality on her part and extreme emotional, physical, social, and intellectual desire and need on my part. Of course, a few years following his birth and just days before my NSV, we found out we were to have a second child. Our now two year old daughter is quite flamboyant. So life continues on and I begin to feel very needy in just one area. I want my beloved to experience the same wonton hunger I feel for her, if not for me then for someone of good character, personality, etc. Finally, we have found her! And all has worked out as I had hoped it would, with one slight variance. Instead of the realization and understanding of what I experience for my beloved as she experiences it towards and with her partner turning her towards me with a new perspective of appreciation, it has caused her great anguish and turmoil. “How could you feel this for me, know I did not feel this for you, and still want to go on?” Wow, that was a question I didn’t expect and one, I have no idea how to answer. We have all cried tears; we have all talked and continue to do so; we are all working hard to make our relationship work well; we are having a great deal of success, but my querida and I are having a lot of very deep discussions to which I have no answers. Yes, in fact she has often felt that she is a kept woman and I a “sugar-daddy”; my being the sole bread winner and her handling all the needed home and child management. She has often thought that if she could just be completely financially independent she might actually drop me like a hot rock; Almost as often thought she has thought that even if she was completely independent she would want to continue developing our relationship. I must and have admitted I’ve pretty much had the same thoughts about her reactions to the situation, but have always strived to help her be independent in every way. I do after all want a partner not an appendage.
Even though I enjoy dominant positions within my most intimate relationships, I want a willing consensual submissive. It is not for me to defeat or lord over someone, but rather to cherish them enough to do the very best for them and in reciprocation to have them care for me enough to want to serve me in a way befitting us both. This of course has been very pleasurable and productive when it has been played out, but is, not by any means, currently nor ever was a regular part of my existence.
So I have a bit of a hydrogen bond type relationship now developing in which my wife and her partner are strongly matched in mutual desire, friendship, and longing, while my wife and I are weakly matched in mutual friendship, and my own longing and desire for her. We have all joked that perhaps the perfection to this relational sphere would be a willing and loving partner with whom I would share the mutual aspects my wife and her partner share. This would by all accounts certainly reduce the “guilt” factor which so often besets these, my two good friends.
Side Note: GUILT is a self inflicted would which I do not tolerate well.
My greatest fear though is that such a search would be in vain.

Family Visit and Documenting

Jackie, Juan, Jillian and I went to the Philadelphia Zoo today with the plan of visiting with my Great Aunt Marcia and my Great Uncle David (siblings). Uncle David apparently had a fall recently and injured himself. As a result he felt it necessary to cancel. Sadly, this is the second visit with the children to which he has not shown. We did have a very pleasant trip from York to Philadelphia though. The visit to the Zoo and the time spent chatting with Marcia there was fabulous. I shared with Marcia that I will be shortly sending a letter to Uncle David to solicit some time with him in order to collect knowledge of my extended family (by blood, marriage, or good friendship) with stories to add to my collection of knowledge which I have begun posting on ancestry.com
My cousins and I have been working on our own for a while and have only recently begun to use this online site as a place for communication and collaboration. She said she believed a cousin of hers would be able to assist me with the Rogers side of the family quite a bit. I was very please to hear this and am looking forward to receiving their contact information.
I will be traveling to Hondo, TX the end of June for a Rios Family Reunion were I do hope not only to re-establish ties with distant cousins, but also to further my research and familial database regarding my Grandfather (Sandoval) and my Grandmother (Rios) ancestry.
Some time in July, I also want to begin serious development of my wife's familial history.
I hate that we (everyone in the family) is now so separated by distance, but I am very thankful for all the electronic and mechanical wonders of the age that have and continue to allow us to be and stay connected.

MOSS 2007 Event ID: 6482, 7888, 6398, 7076, Errors

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS 2007)
Event ID: 6482, 7888, 6398, 7076, Errors
I am running an evaluations server for a potential build out to intranet clients and found Event Log issues which are documented by Microsoft as an, "oops, we will fix that later." issue in logging, but apparently not in processing.
====================
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923028/en-us
SYMPTOMS
When you run a Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Remoting application, you may receive the following error message:
Unhandled Exception: System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.
Additionally, this problem may occur in .NET Framework 2.0 Remoting applications on a computer that is running certain types of driver software or antivirus programs.

Hotfix information
A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. But the hotfix is intended only to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Visual Studio 2005 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=87454
====================
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Windows SharePoint Services 3
Event Category: Timer
Event ID: 6398
Date: 6/1/2007
Time: 10:32:46 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER_NAME
Description:
The Execute method of job definition Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.ApplicationServerAdministrationServiceJob (ID 075addaf-4caa-4f3b-8037-2ae7292af811) threw an exception. More information is included below.

Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
====================
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Office SharePoint Server
Event Category: Office Server Shared Services
Event ID: 7076
Date: 6/1/2007
Time: 10:32:46 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER_NAME
Description:
An exception occurred while executing the Application Server Administration job.

Message: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

Techinal Support Details:
System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

Server stack trace:
at System.DirectoryServices.Interop.UnsafeNativeMethods.IAdsContainer.GetObject(String className, String relativeName)
at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntries.Find(String name, String schemaClassName)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.Metabase.MetabaseObjectCollection`1.Find(String name)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.Metabase.MetabaseObjectCollection`1.get_Item(String name)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.SPProvisioningAssistant.ProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, ApplicationPoolIdentityType identityType, String userName, SecureString password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.SPAdministrationOperation.DoProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, Int32 identityType, String userName, String password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext, Object[]& outArgs)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.PrivateProcessMessage(RuntimeMethodHandle md, Object[] args, Object server, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext, Object[]& outArgs)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext)

Exception rethrown at [0]:
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.SPAdministrationOperation.DoProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, Int32 identityType, String userName, String password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPMetabaseManager.ProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, Int32 identityType, String userName, SecureString password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.SharedWebServiceInstance.CreateSharedWebServiceApplicationPool(SharedResourceProvider srp)
at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.ApplicationServerJob.ProvisionLocalSharedServiceInstances(Boolean isAdministrationServiceJob)

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
====================
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Office SharePoint Server
Event Category: Office Server Shared Services
Event ID: 6482
Date: 6/1/2007
Time: 10:32:46 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER_NAME
Description:
Application Server Administration job failed for service instance Microsoft.Office.Excel.Server.ExcelServerSharedWebServiceInstance (f92093b4-ee20-4f1e-ae9f-d6a227a9d2bb).

Reason: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

Techinal Support Details:
System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

Server stack trace:
at System.DirectoryServices.Interop.UnsafeNativeMethods.IAdsContainer.GetObject(String className, String relativeName)
at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntries.Find(String name, String schemaClassName)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.Metabase.MetabaseObjectCollection`1.Find(String name)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.Metabase.MetabaseObjectCollection`1.get_Item(String name)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.SPProvisioningAssistant.ProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, ApplicationPoolIdentityType identityType, String userName, SecureString password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.SPAdministrationOperation.DoProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, Int32 identityType, String userName, String password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext, Object[]& outArgs)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.PrivateProcessMessage(RuntimeMethodHandle md, Object[] args, Object server, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext, Object[]& outArgs)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg, Int32 methodPtr, Boolean fExecuteInContext)

Exception rethrown at [0]:
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.AdministrationOperation.SPAdministrationOperation.DoProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, Int32 identityType, String userName, String password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPMetabaseManager.ProvisionIisApplicationPool(String name, Int32 identityType, String userName, SecureString password, TimeSpan idleTimeout, TimeSpan periodicRestartTime)
at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.SharedWebServiceInstance.Synchronize()
at Microsoft.Office.Excel.Server.ExcelServerSharedWebServiceInstance.Synchronize()
at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.ApplicationServerJob.ProvisionLocalSharedServiceInstances(Boolean isAdministrationServiceJob)

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
====================

Fairie Festival 5/5/07

Fairie Festival 5/5/07

http://www.fairiefestival.net/about/info.html

Lets meet at the enterance at 10:30 a.m.
If you go to the link above you can get directions straight there, but basically you take PA 216 W from Glen Rock exit 8 off the I-83 to Pierceville Rd. Parking will be $5 and admission is $10
With the kids along I doubt we will be out longer then 1 p.m.
There is no cell phone signal out there.

Nuance - ASP.NET

Nuance - ASP.NET VB.NET 2005 .NET 2.0 GridView Button

Some things are so simple that most people do not think to document them.

For example:
“How do you set a GridView caption a different color then the rest of the grid?”
The simplest way is to set the GridView ForeColor equal to the color you want the caption then set the HeaderStyle and RowStyle ForeColor equal to the default color
So if you wanted a red caption and black text in the column name and rows …

    <asp:gridview id="GridView1" runat="server"
        ...
        caption="Your Caption" forecolor="red">
        <HeaderStyle ForeColor="black" />
        <RowStyle ForeColor="black" />
        <Columns>
        ...

“Close Browser Window From Button Web Control”
Okay, I did find some writing on this.
http://www.getfreesofts.com

Name: Close Browser Window From Button Web Control
Author: Bipin Joshi
Category: ASP.NET / Browsers
HomePage: http://www.dotnetbips.com/articles/fca4c3e0-0008-445d-817d-c8e273348c37.aspx
No. of hits: 5603

HOW TO: Close Browser Window From Button Web Control is a web based tutorial in which author explains the method of closing the browser window with the server side controls, using a button click event control. The author explains the above said procedure with the help of examples and source code. The author concludes this tutorial by suggesting users to use server control instead of client scripts.

Code that closes the window
In the click event handler of button1 write following code:

Private Sub Button1_Click (ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
    ' perform other server side tasks here
    Response.Write("<script>window.close();</script>")
End Sub

THE MASONIC CENTER OF YORK

SPECIAL MEETING

A SPECIAL MEETING OF
WHITE ROSE LODGE, #706 F.&A.M.
YORK LODGE #266, F.&A.M.
ZEREDATHA LODGE #451, F.&A.M.

WILL BE HELD ON
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2007
7:00PM
AT
THE MASONIC CENTER OF YORK
400 MASONIC DRIVE, YORK, PA
DRESS IS BUSINESS CASUAL

FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING
FINANCIAL ISSUES OF THE MASONIC CENTER

BY THE ORDER OF

GALEN L. HOLTZAPPLE, WORSHIPFUL MASTER WHITE ROSE LODGE #706
CRAIG L. WAGMAN, WORSHIFUL MASTER, YORK LODGE #266
GREG S. FAIR, WORSHIPFUL MASTER ZEREDATHA LODGE #451

Clean the snake...

It is late; I had a very good day today; I arrived home to find the snake has soiled his cage... yuck ... once that is clean then the place has to air out ... we are sharing the Den tonight so dw and her so can have the upper room... I really hate the snake when he is an inconvenience ... the rest of the time, I could care less that he is here taking up space and energy ... I guess a lot of people on this planet probably feel the same about me too though, so I don't worry about him too much.

Control - a discussion

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

OnA Part 1

Tomorrow, we start the first of a series of Sunday school classes to discuss the background and integrity of theological positions which are not homophobic. It is very cool to be among a group of individuals who understand that an individual may share the same faith as they do yet have a different set of beliefs and biblical interpretations due to accepting a different set of historic Christian philosophies, theologies and scholars in forming their theology.

Zoo and Arc

I just spent the day at the Zoo with my dear wife, our children and my wife’s girl friend. I believe a wonderful time was had by all and it was good to spend some time in communication with dw and dwf. My dw is as I have known since we begin to date sexually and sensually more identifiable as lesbian then anything else. We have been committed partners, friends, lovers and parents for over a decade and continue to be so, but now we are opening up to the possibility that dw may have found a partner to complete that segment of her internal puzzle for which I could never satisfy. It is for me actually a great pleasure to see my wife reposed in a sense of completeness to which her companionship has long placed me. dwf too seems quite content with dw’s partnership though admittedly somewhat overwhelmed by the dynamics involved. I grew up around individual family unites that where anything but your typical Anglo-Saxon North Eastern Male/Female monogamous nightmare and have never had much of an inclination to force or encourage anyone into what for we would be a bizarre self inflicted masochism. Of course, the arc of our intimate relationships which places dw in the middle of dwf and I is of a concern to all of us. None of us wishes to be a stumbling block to the others and neither dwf nor I wish to cause dw to feel pulled or forced in one direction. I personally hope to celebrate with dw our twenty year anniversary in another decade while dw and dwf are celebrating their first decade together. As long as we always to the absolute best we can and make amends when we fail to do so, I think we will be fine.
Back to the Zoo and our awesome children! Our boy (4 yr) and our girl (2 yr) had a wonderful action packed time! We explored ever nook and cranny of the Baltimore Zoo today and found time to experience life as a bat, turtle, chimpanzee, and warthog! Our girl was particularly fond of the bats though not at all thrilled with the cave. Our boy was completely enthralled by the Marsh exhibit and the tree slide. He found the rope bridge very uncomforting. I personally loved it because it reminded me of one I used to cross each year in Wyoming with much trepidation. What was a moderately intense event for me as a child is now something of great nostalgic value. Our boy also found himself very well suited to the farm exhibit; indeed the animals that shied away from other children came immediately to him. It is quite interesting to see how this bundle of frenetic energy can immediately silence into absolute stillness to calm, comfort and coddle another beast.

The traditional metals for a ten year anniversary tin and aluminum because they are flexible; they can bend and do not break. I love that analogy.

Public Folder Outlook Custom Form

Client Specific names have been changed.
I had a client service call come up in which individuals in the field were not getting all the contact information from an Outlook Public Folder Contact List when they synchronized the information with their phone/PDA.
Now I haven’t had to code and/or manage Outlook for a few years and I am not one to reinvent the wheel.
First thing was to look at the information from the Outlook Public Folder Contact List and from the PDA. The Contact List was managed through a custom form “OurContactForm” which had within it a custom field for collecting direct dial numbers (DDN). This field was not downloading to the mobile devices because there was no code behind to do so and all they were getting was the default IMP.Contact.Item fields.
Just a bit further research reviled that the “OurContactForm” form was originally created by a sales person and had initially contained a myriad of custom fields which had over time been systematically replaced with default contact item fields.
Side Note:
Anyone who has worked with Sales and/or Marketing departments staff will be familiar with this type of scenario. Why is that? I have never had a department except Sales and/or Marketing who will just start using a “Jerry did this” product/process as production without talking to anyone else in the company. Even in this case a five minute conversation like “hey, I have been thinking of utilizing custom forms to help get a unified presentation of our contacts. I will build it out in my copious free time.” And a reply of, “Great, be sure to use default custom values first just as a best practice, I would be happy to review your work or provide any guidance.” would have saved this company some hundred hours in modifications (without a basic knowledge of VBScript every change to a default item field was accompanied by data entry copy/paste).

I found previous bits and pieces of code from past “programmer/developer” staff members who had started putting together code to copy the DDN custom field data to the default IMP.Contact.Item.BusinessTelephoneNumber field “Business Phone” (BTN), but for whatever reason had never finished any of the various iterations of the code successfully.
The simplest solution to this issue then appeared to be to take the following steps.
1. Build a custom form “CopyDdn2Btn” with vbscript code in the Item_Open function to copy the “DDN” field value to the “BTN” field value.
a. An amendment to this code included assigning the custom form “OurContactForm” to the item after they where modified. Otherwise each item would try to open using the “CopyDdn2Btn” form
2. Alter the existing custom form “OurContactForm” to utilize the “Business Phone” field rather then the custom “Direct Dial” field
3. Alter the Public Folder default views replacing “Direct Dial” with “Business Phone”

Of course, the first step in this little scenario is to ensure I have ownership on the public folder in questions “OurContactNumbers”. Once that is accomplished, I copy the folder to a public folder subdirectory for testing and development.
Next I create the form “CopyDdn2Btn” from the “OurContactForm” and add “Business Phone” (IMP.Contact.Item.BusinessTelephoneNumber) to it and the following code.
=============
' VBScript source code
' Open Form Copy at item level Direct Dial to Business Phone
' Modified By James Andrew Malone 4/10 & 4/11 2007 Office Outlook 2003
Sub Item_Open

Dim objFolder ' As MAPIFolder
Dim objItems ' As Items
Dim objItem ' As Object

' Change the following line to your new Message Class
NewMC = "IPM.Contact.OurContactForm"

' Set objFolder to the current folder
set objFolder = Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder

If Not objFolder Is Nothing Then
' Set objItems to the current folder items
set objItems = objFolder.Items

' Loop through all of the items in the folder
For Each objItem In objItems
' make sure you have a Contact item

If objItem.Class = 40 Then ' Class = 40 = olContact
' convert to your published custom form
objItem.MessageClass = "IPM.Contact.CopyDdn2Btn"

strDDN = cstr( objItem.UserProperties("Direct Dial") )
strFullName = cstr( objItem.FullName )
strBTN = cstr( objItem.BusinessTelephoneNumber )

if strDDN <> "" then
if strDDN <> strBTN then
' MsgBox "Before!: " & strFullName &_
' " BTN: " & strBTN &_
' " DDN: " & strDDN

objItem.BusinessTelephoneNumber = strDDN
' Save the changed item
objItem.Save

' msgbox "After: " & cstr(CurItem.FullName) &_
' " BTN: " & cstr(CurItem.BusinessTelephoneNumber) ' &_
' " DDN: " & cstr( objItem.UserProperties("Direct Dial") )

End if ' if strDDN <> strBTN
End if ' if strDDN <> ""
' Test to see if the Message Class needs to be changed
If objItem.MessageClass <> NewMC Then

' Change the Message Class
objItem.MessageClass = NewMC

' Save the changed item
objItem.Save

End If
Else
MsgBox "objItem Class = " & cstr( objItem.Class ) ' exit sub
End if ' If objItem.Class = olContact

Next ' For Each objItem In objItems
Else
MsgBox "objFolder Is Nothing!"
End if ' If Not objFolder Is Nothing
Set objItems = Nothing
Set objItem = Nothing
Set objFolder = Nothing
MsgBox "Done."
End Sub
=============

I then publish this form in my test contact folder
Next I alter the “OurContactForm” changing the “Direct Dial” text box property to “Business Phone”. I also increased the version of the form and published it to my test contact folder.
Run the code:
• Select the public folder in the navigation bar
• From the Outlook menu browse through Tools > Forms > Choose Forms
• Browse to the test folder
• Select the “CopyDdn2Btn”
• Choose Open.
The form churns through the contact items and makes the changes. When the task is complete a “Done.” message pops up. Click “OK” and close the form. If prompted to save click “No” – this is asking about saving a blank contact item which was created when this custom form was successfully opened.
The public folder already had “OurContactForm” as its default form.
• Right click the public folder in the navigation bar; select properties; “When posting to this folder use:” should be set to “OurContactForm”. This only affects new items, existing items where associated with the form in the code.
The public folder views need modified and published
• From the Outlook menu browse through View > Arrange By > Current View > Define Views
• Make the changes to each public folder specific view
o Select the view
o Click Modify
o Make changes
o Click “OK”
• publish the changes
o Select the view
o Click “Publish”

Once users reviewed the test public folder, I publish the new “OurContactForm” in the production public folder and I execute the “CopyDdn2Btn”
Then publish the view changes to the production public folder

Resources:

Tutorial: Creating and distributing custom forms with Outlook By Debra Littlejohn Shinder, MCSE, MVP.

Publish a public folder view

OL2002: How to Update Existing Items to Use a New Custom Form

DevGuru VBScript Index

Microsoft Outlook Programming By Sue Mosher

• Microsoft Outlook Custom Forms

• To convert imported data to custom fields

Easter Is About

I attended a Lenten celebration Wednesday night with my wife our four year old son and our two year old daughter. I arrived directly from work enjoyed dinner and fellowship with my family and a few other church members. My wife becoming ill left directly after dinner while I stayed for a hymn presentation by a local Christian college coral group.
In the midst of this hour of very nice music very well presented my son turned to me and said, “Daddy, they are singing bad songs.”
I said, “No they aren’t.”
He replied, “Yes, they are. They are singing Jesus dead. I don’t want to kill God.”
I replied, “Juanito, it is okay, God put himself in the ground, but he gets up again, that is what Easter is about.”
After about fifteen minutes Juan says, “So Jesus died, but he got back up.”
I said, “That is what Easter is about.”
Fifteen minutes later in the car on the way home my two year old says, “Daddy, Jesus died.”
I replied, “Yes.”
Jillian said, “And Jesus God got back up.”
I replied, “Yes”
She then said “Daddy, Bobe is died. She doesn’t have a house or eat or have a car. She is in the ground.”
I replied, “Yes, Bobe is dead.”
Jillian then said, “Will Jesus get her up, too?”
I replied, “Some day.”
Juan piped in, “Jesus will get Bobe up too.”
I replied, “We believe Jesus will get everyone up some day.”

And we were home.

I had a conversation when I was about ten years old with the then current pastor of the local Church of God of Prophecy of South Powell Wyoming.
He asked, “Don’t you believe in the resurrection?”
I said in all honesty, “Yes, I believe some day Jesus will come back and pull us all up out of the grave in whatever form and way he is going to do that (my brothers and i long speculated what was going to happen to cremated, organ transplants, etc.), but I also believe with just as much surety that in two thousand years there will be people here believing the same thing and saying ‘any moment’, just like we do.”

I still hold that pure dual surety in my heart. No wavering, no doubt, but not a great comfort to the feeble minded.

My children it is very apparent to me are in no way among that category.

I must be extra careful to fuel in them their love of learning, their inquisitive nature and their hope, but I must also be so very careful not to allow myself to somehow destroy their capacity for critical thought.

How does one combat zealousness?

How does one combat zealousness?
I have family members who are mentally mired in very negative renditions of American Pentecostalism and now a few have fallen into American Neo-Puritan groups. None of these groups can survive rational review from any credible historical source be it secular or Christian so why are they continuing to grow in membership and why do the members continue to push themselves farther into the muck the more ridiculously asinine and caustic the “doctrine” becomes? I am well aware of psychological explanations of learned helplessness and cognitive dissonance, but they just do not seem to go far enough to explain this particular form of zealous self debasement.

e.g. American Neo-Puritan groups

http://www.rbthieme.org/
http://www.joegriffin.org/
http://www.joegriffin.org/40procs/GraceDoctrineChurch40Procs.pdf
These folks claim to recognize no extra-Biblical experiences yet claim basic doctrines such as the Trinity, Creation, Biblical inerrancy, etc. all of which can only be drawn from biblical scripture if one weaves into their readings the writings and interpretations of historical characters within Christianity; none of whom is well represented prior to the second century AD.

I am oft met with resistance when I deem Thieme and his lot Neo–Puritans; yet, they say nothing that is short of regurgitated Puritan ‘Pentland Rebel’ doctrine.

e.g.

http://www.the-highway.com/Lordsprayer8_Traill.html
The Lord’s Prayer
SERMON VIII.
JOHN xvii. 24.
By: Robert Traill
Author:
Robert Traill (1642-1716): Friend of William Guthrie of Fenwick, attendant of James Guthrie of Stirling on the scaffold, son of the Greyfriars Church manse where the 1638 Covenant was signed, Scot ordained in England, exile in Holland, prisoner on the Bass Rock, scholar, preacher and saint — Robert Traill lived to span the ripest period of the Puritan age. Distinguished in the classes at Edinburgh University, Traill early felt the inner constraint to preach Christ. Too intimate an association with the younger John Welsh drew the swift displeasure of the civil arm upon him. Denounced as a ‘Pentland Rebel’ he fled to join the bright galaxy of British divines weathering the storm of Stuart Absolutism in the Low Countries (1667).
Traill’s literary output began there. As assistant to Nethenus, professor at Utrecht, he prepared Samuel Rutherford's Examination of Arminianism for the press. Back in London in 1692 he took up his pen, as Isaac Chancy (Owen’s successor) and the younger Thomas Goodwin were having to do, to defend the doctrine of Justification against the new Legalism. After serving Presbyterian charges in Kent and London he died at the age of 74.

Application excerpt:

The text we have before us, is about the beholding of Christ’s glory in heaven. I have been shewing you, that it is simply necessary to any right understanding of this great bliss, that a man do know, in his experience, somewhat of the beholding of Christ’s glory by faith in this life. Without this, no words that men can speak about this, can be understood by natural men 1 Cor. ii. 14. For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned. I may truly say, that no natural man doth, or can understand this verse. It is grievous and shameful, to see and read what blundering confused work many wise and learned men, but destitute of that mind and Spirit of Christ that led Paul in writing of it, make of this verse; when it is plain and bright, though deep, to every ordinary Christian. Now, the glory of Christ, and the beholding of it, are of the deepest of the deep things of God, ver. 10. How then can a natural man receive them, know them, or discern them? He is without that spiritual faculty by which only they can be rightly entertained. It is a dangerous and hurtful practice to the church of God, to the souls of men, and to the truths of God (and not a few are guilty of it, and many smart by it), for men to endeavour to bring down the deep mysteries of the gospel unto the sense and gust of a natural unrenewed man. It is sure, that they that teach, should teach plainly; and they that write, should make the vision plain, that he may run that readeth it, Hab. ii. 2. But they must still speak, or write, as the oracles of God, 1 Pet. iv. 11. and as stewards of the mysteries of God, 1 Cor. iv. 1. If, as it is undoubted, we cannot bring up the natural man’s understanding unto the deep things of God; we must not essay to bring down the depths of God unto their natural blindness. This were to degrade the things of the Spirit of God, and to delude the sinner. But let us study to declare God’s mind in his word, as plainly as we can, to natural men that hear us; and withal tell them, that the things themselves, of which we speak as plainly as we can, are beyond their reach; that they may know that the things of God are deep, and they themselves are blind, till the Spirit of Christ open the understanding, and open the scriptures unto them; as he did to his disciples, Luke xxiv. 32, 45.

New Tunnel

A mole digs through a field exploring everything from within the soil catching pray along the way and at surface entrances feeding its young crossing and recrossing its own tunnels and utilizing preexisting ones? If you are a Geek like me, you are a mole. Your field(s) is/are filled with Geek Tunnels that you often dig into sometimes you are so deep or away from the surface for so long the other animals actually worry as to your well being ... think “Wind in the Willows” meets the Borg … it isn't very creative, but it is my internal imagining of myself ... I wonder if that would make my totem a bionic mole?

Well after just three months, I am one week from ending one contract and starting a new one. The first change included a drop in commute from a 52 mile 1.5 hr run to a 25 mile 45 min run. The new gig is 1.6 miles from the house.
I do hope to make this a 3 to 5 year project. If all is as has been reported, I will be stepping back into the fast pace I am so used to, and also taking on management and mentoring responsibilities by title and job description not just as part of "all other tasks as assigned".

A lot of VB, VB.Net, ANSI SQL(MS T-SQL, Oracle PL\SQL) in client/server windows applications and web-enabled database application. I have 10 years in the field digging through the Geek Tunnels of Relational Database Management Systems (design, development, documentation, optimization, implementation, etc.), and building/generating/developing/debugging/optimizing the Applications and Reporting around them. I have just as many years in the field acting as a mentor and/or manager depending on the given job and an even more years experience in those two roles prior to my entering the technical field of database application development.

It will be a challenge to see if I can gradually lead the new troop towards C#, but until then I will have plenty to learn and do.

My Health Assessment

Waist-to-Hip Ratio
I measured 48" waist and 46" hips for a 1.04 Waist-to-Hip Ratio.
My weight is currently 257 lbs and hight 6'2"
From mybluehealth:

My BMI came in at 33.00
BMI Categories:

• Underweight BMI <18.5
• Overweight BMI 25-29.9
• Normal weight BMI 18.5-24.9
• Obese BMI 30 or greater

My Personal Health Assessment score came in above average for my peer group.

• My score: 160
• Average score: 142
• My peer group: Males 30-39 years

C# SQL RDMS App Dev

There is always so much to review ... what is really going to be useful in developing effective efficient products for your clients?

• Use Table-Valued Functions as Arrays in SQL Server
• Interview Questions: ASP.NET
• Dot Net Spider

Application Developer

I had a meeting this morning about a Lead Application Developer possition in which nearly all of the questions asked me are in the blog question answer post Interview Questions: ASP.NET posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2004 8:14 AM by Mark Wagner. While I believe I did a fairly good job answering the questions especially after reviewing Mark's posting, I do wish I had run into it prior to the discussion.
One thing that really has my goat, though is the question:
How many classes can a single .NET DLL contain?

The answer, "It can contain many classes.", just rubs me the wrong way.
Isn't there a specific determinate based on system memory, application structure, etc.?

Series: Baptismal Regeneration

The folks working on this wikipedia section have done a good job of trying to put together the many variations of opinions regarding Infant baptism and the sources used to establish the arguments those opinions are based on.
I hope I have time to validate and possibly add to the volume of knowledge presented.

SharePoint Project Management

Take the SharePoint Project Mangement list, create a few views and linked tables to a MS Access file. From there create a few MS Access Reports to export directly to Excel.
There are more views including a calendar view based on Start and Target dates so you can easily see when a given task pushes the project past deadline.
Now we need to implement some sort of dependency tracking and try to implement those Multiple Choice check box options with Active Directory Group List Lookups.

SharePoint Project Management

"Project Management"
Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Services 2003
Use a List
Here is an interesting scenario.
A client wishes to move their internal development team to an effective project management system\process using SharePoint.

In a space of a few hours we built out a list with a few view; sync'd it with an excel file; developed some required field and process scenarios; and moved to review.

Will we use sub-sites to track project documentation /w versioning or just document libraries?
The clients existing HelpDesk system will be used to track minutia related to work in progress and current assigned developer - the client has tiered out their team DB Ops; DB Dev (procs; triggers;) DB Schema (tables; views; replication;) DB Index; Application Code Logic (UI; Messaging; GUI;); Reporting;

Base Project/Task List spec'd out in a tree format

• Functional Area


• Environment(s) Affected
  
  Multiple Choice check box
  
  Text list
  
  manual maintenance
  


• Project ID


• --> Project\Task Title


• --> HelpDesk System ID


• --> Task ID
  
  Default: Project ID
  
  Iterative - Project ID + .01, .02,
  


• --> Project\Task Status
  
  Multiple Choice check box
  
  Text list
  
  manual maintenance
  


• Project Lead
  
  Multiple Choice check box
  
  Text list - manual maintenance
  
  Ideal - Multiple Choice Active Directory Group List Lookup
  


• --> Project\Task StartDt
  


• --> Project\Task TargetDt
  


• --> Project\Task CopleteDt
  


• --> Project Human Resources
  
  Multiple Choice check box
  
  Text list - manual maintenance
  
  Ideal - Multiple Choice Active Directory Group List Lookup
  


• --> Currently Assigned To
  
  Multiple Choice check box
  
  Text list - manual maintenance
  
  Ideal - Multiple Choice Active Directory Group List Lookup
  

CBT: Reshaping Your Thoughts:

Can I really get enough internal control to develop my inner world to be as well rounded as associates and acquaintances describe my external self?
=====
What about you?
====
“Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.” - Lou Holtz
====
Eliminating negative self-talk will give you a fresh perspective. Once you get comfortable with this technique, it will be easier for you to cope with stress, like when your daily responsibilities make it hard for you to do a good job with your other tasks. Use this activity whenever you find you’re “awfulizing” events or engaging in extreme thinking, with words like should, always, or never.

1. What happened?
Record just the facts.

2. What went though your mind?
What was your inner voice telling you about what happened?

3. What was your emotional response to self-talk?
Label this feeling in one or two words.

4. Challenge you self-talk.
Is there any benefit to feeling this way?

5. What are some other ways to respond to the situation?
Write down all the ways you can cope more effectively.
======
From Relax by Healthmedia and "Thoughts and Feelings"
======

Series: Baptismal Regeneration

BAPTISMAL REGENERATION

by Charles Spurgeon

#573 Delivered on Sunday Morning, June 5th, 1864, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington

"And he said unto them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned." —Mark 16:15-16.

In the preceding verse our Lord Jesus Christ gives us some little insight into the natural character of the apostles whom he selected to be the first ministers of the Word. They were evidently men of like passions with us, and needed to be rebuked even as we do. On the occasion when our Lord sent forth the eleven to preach the gospel to every creature, he "appeared unto them as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not those who had seen him after he was risen;" from which we may surely gather that to peach the Word, the Lord was pleased to choose imperfect men; men, too, who of themselves were very weak in the grace of faith in which it was most important that they should excel. Faith is the conquering grace, and is of all things the main requisite in the preacher of the Word; and yet the honored men who were chosen to be the leaders of the divine crusade needed a rebuke concerning their unbelief. Why was this? Why, my brethren, because the Lord has ordained evermore that we should have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. If you should find a perfect minister, then might the praise and honor of his usefulness accrue to man; but God is frequently pleased to select for eminent usefulness men evidently honest and sincere, but who have some manifest infirmity by which all the glory is cast off from them and laid upon Himself, and upon Himself alone. Let it never be supposed that we who are God’s ministers either excuse our faults or pretend to perfection. We labor to walk in holiness, but we cannot claim to be all that we wish to be. We do not base the claims of God’s truth upon the spotlessness of our characters, but upon the fact that it comes from him. You have believed in spite of our infirmities, and not because of our virtues; if, indeed, you had believed our word because of our supposed perfection, your faith would stand in the excellency of man and not in the power of God. We come unto you often with much trembling, sorrowing over our follies and weaknesses, but we deliver to you God’s Word as God’s Word, and we beseech you to receive it not as coming from us poor, sinful mortals, but as proceeding from the Eternal and Thrice Holy God; and if you so receive it, and by its own vital force are moved and stirred up towards God and his ways, then is the work of the Word sure work, which it could not and would not be if it rested in any way upon man.

Our Lord having thus given us an insight into the character of the persons whom he has chosen to proclaim his truth, then goes on to deliver to the chosen champions, their commission for the Holy War. I pray you mark the words with solemn care. He sums up in a few words the whole of their work, and at the same time foretells the result of it, telling those who some would doubtless believe and so be saved, and some on the other hand would not believe and would most certainly, therefore, be damned, that is, condemned forever to the penalties of God’s wrath. The lines containing the commission of our ascended Lord are certainly of the utmost importance, and demand devout attention and implicit obedience, not only from all who aspire to the work of the ministry, but also from all who hear the message of mercy. A clear understanding of these words is absolutely necessary to our success in our Master’s work, for if we do not understand the commission it is not at all likely that we shall discharge it aright. To alter these words were more than impertinence, it would involve the crime of treason against the authority of Christ and the best interests of the souls of men. O for grace to be very jealous here.

Wherever the apostles went they met with obstacles to the preaching of the gospel, and the more open and effectual was the door of utterance the more numerous were the adversaries. These brave men who wielded the sword of the Spirit as to put to flight all their foes; and this they did not by craft and deceit, but by making a direct cut at the error which impeded them. Never did they dream for a moment of adapting the gospel to the unhallowed tastes or prejudices of the people, but at once directly and boldly they brought down with both their hands the mighty sword of the Spirit upon the crown of the opposing error. This morning, in the name of the Lord of Hosts, my Helper and Defense, I shall attempt to do the same; and if I should provoke some hostility — if I should through speaking what I believe to be the truth lose the friendship of some and stir up the enmity of more, I cannot help it. The burden of the Lord is upon me, and I must deliver my soul. I have been loath enough to undertake the work, but I am forced to it by an dreadful and overwhelming sense of solemn duty. As I am soon to appear before my Master’s bar, I will this day, if ever in my life, bear my testimony for truth, and run all risks. I am content to be cast out as evil if it must be so, but I cannot, I dare not, hold my peace. The Lord knows I have nothing in my heart but the purest love to the souls of those whom I feel imperatively called to rebuke sternly in the Lord’s name. Among my hearers and readers, a considerable number will censure if not condemn me, but I cannot help it. If I forfeit your love for truth’s sake I am grieved for you, but I cannot, I dare not, do otherwise. It is as much as my soul is worth to hold my peace any longer, and whether you approve or not I must speak out. Did I ever court your approbation? It is sweet to everyone to be applauded; but if for the sake of the comforts of respectability and the smiles of men any Christian minister shall keep back a part of his testimony, his Master at the last shall require it at his hands. This day, standing in the immediate presence of God, I shall speak honestly what I feel, as the Holy Spirit shall enable me; and I shall leave the matter with you to judge concerning it, as you will answer for that judgment at the last great day.

I find that the great error which we have to contend with throughout England (and it is growing more and more), is one in direct opposition to my text, well known to you as the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. We will confront this dogma with the assertion, that BAPTISM WITHOUT FAITH SAVES NO ONE. The text says, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved;" but whether a man be baptized or no, it asserts that "he that believes not shall be damned:" so that baptism does not save the unbeliever , no, it does not in any degree exempt him from the common doom of all the ungodly. He may have baptism, or he may not have baptism, but if he believes not, he shall be in any case most surely damned. Let him be baptized by immersion or sprinkling, in his infancy, or in his adult age, if he be not led to put his trust in Jesus Christ — if he remains an unbeliever, then this terrible doom is pronounced upon him — "He that believes not shall be damned." I am not aware that any Protestant Church in England teaches the doctrine of baptismal regeneration except one, and that happens to be the corporation which with none too much humility calls itself the Church of England. This very powerful sect does not teach this doctrine merely through a section of its ministers, who might charitably be considered as evil branches of the vine, but it openly, boldly, and plainly declares this doctrine in her own appointed standard, the Book of Common Prayer, and that in words so express, that while language is the channel of conveying intelligible sense, no process short of violent wresting from their plain meaning can ever make them say anything else.

Here are the words: we quote them from the Catechism which is intended for the instruction of youth, and is naturally very plain and simple, since it would be foolish to trouble the young with metaphysical refinements. The child is asked its name, and then questioned, "Who gave you this name?" "My godfathers and godmothers in my baptism; wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." Is not this definite and plain enough? I prize the words for their candor; they could not speak more plainly. Three times over the thing is put, lest there should be any doubt in it. The word regeneration may, by some sort of juggling, be made to mean something else, but here there can be no misunderstanding. The child is not only made "a member of Christ" — union to Jesus is no mean spiritual gift — but he is made in baptism "the child of God" also; and, since the rule is, "if children then heirs," he is also made "an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." Nothing can be more plain. I venture to say that while honesty remains on earth the meaning of these words will not admit of dispute. It is clear as noon day that, as the Rubric has it, "Fathers, mothers, masters, and dames, are to cause their children, servants, and apprentices," no matter how idle, giddy, or wicked they may be, to learn the Catechism, and to say that in baptism they were made members of Christ and children of God. The form for the administration of this baptism is scarcely less plain and outspoken, seeing that thanks are expressly returned unto Almighty God, because the person baptized is regenerate. "Then shall the priest say, ‘Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate and grafted into the body of Christ’s Church, let us give thanks unto Almighty God for these benefits; and with one accord make our prayers unto him, that this child may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning.’" Nor is this all, for to leave no mistake, we have the words of the thanksgiving prescribed, "Then shall the priest say, ‘We yield you hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it has pleased you to regenerate this infant with your Holy Spirit, to receive him for your own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into your holy Church.’"

This, then, is the clear and unmistakable teaching of a Church calling itself Protestant. I am not now dealing at all with the question of infant baptism: I have nothing to do with that this morning. I am now considering the question of baptismal regeneration, whether in adults or infants, or ascribed to sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Here is a Church which teaches every Lord’s day in the Sunday-school, and should, according to the Rubric, teach openly in the Church, all children that they were made members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven when they were baptized! Here is a professedly Protestant Church, which, every time its minister goes to the font, declares that every person there receiving baptism is there and then "regenerated and grafted into the body of Christ’s Church."

"But," I hear many good people exclaim, "there are many good clergymen in the Church who do not believe in baptismal regeneration." To this my answer is prompt. Why then do they belong to a Church which teaches that doctrine in the plainest terms? I am told that many in the Church of England preach against her own teaching. I know they do, and herein I rejoice in their enlightenment, but I question, gravely question their morality. To take oath that I sincerely assent and consent to a doctrine which I do not believe, would to my conscience appear little short of perjury, if not absolute downright perjury; but those who do so must be judged by their own Lord. For me to take money for defending what I do not believe — for me to take the money of a Church, and then to preach against what are most evidently its doctrines — I say for me to do this (I judge others as I would that they should judge me) for me, or for any other simple, honest man to do so, were an atrocity so great, that if I had perpetrated the deed, I should consider myself out of the pale of truthfulness, honesty, and common morality. Sirs, when I accepted the office of minister of this congregation, I looked to see what were your articles of faith; if I had not believed them I should not have accepted your call, and when I change my opinions, rest assured that as an honest man I shall resign the office, for how could I profess one thing in your declaration of faith, and quite another thing in my own preaching? Would I accept your pay, and then stand up every Sabbath-day and talk against the doctrines of your standards? For clergymen to swear or say that they give their solemn assent and consent to what they do not believe is one of the grossest pieces of immorality perpetrated in England, and is most pestilential in its influence, since it directly teaches men to lie whenever it seems necessary to do so in order to get a living or increase their supposed usefulness: it is in fact an open testimony from priestly lips that at least in ecclesiastical matters falsehood may express truth, and truth itself is a mere unimportant nonentity.

I know of nothing more calculated to debauch the public mind than a lack of straightforwardness in ministers; and when worldly men hear ministers denouncing the very things which their own Prayer Book teaches, they imagine that words have no meaning among ecclesiastics, and that vital differences in religion are merely a matter of tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, and that it does not much matter what a man does believe so long as he is charitable towards other people. If baptism does regenerate people, let the fact be preached with a trumpet tongue, and let no man be ashamed of his belief in it. If this be really their creed, by all means let them have full liberty for its propagation. My brethren, those are honest Churchmen in this matter who, subscribing to the Prayer Book, believe in baptismal regeneration, and preach it plainly. God forbid that we should censure those who believe that baptism saves the soul, because they adhere to a Church which teaches the same doctrine. So far they are honest men; and in England, where else, let them never lack a full toleration. Let us oppose their teaching by all Scriptural and intelligent means, but let us respect their courage in plainly giving us their views. I hate their doctrine, but I love their honesty; and as they speak but what they believe to be true, let them speak it out, and the more clearly the better. Out with it, sirs, be it what it may, but do let us know what you mean.

For my part, I love to stand foot to foot with an honest foeman. To open warfare, bold and true hearts raise no objection but the ground of quarrel; it is covert enmity which we have most cause to fear, and best reason to loathe. That crafty kindness which inveigles me to sacrifice principle is the serpent in the grass — deadly to the incautious wayfarer. Where union and friendship are not cemented by truth, they are an unhallowed confederacy. It is time that there should be an end put to the flirtations of honest men with those who believe one way and swear another. If men believe baptism works regeneration, let them say so; but if they do not so believe it in their hearts , and yet subscribe, and yet more, get their livings by subscribing to words asserting it, let them find congenial associates among men who can equivocate and shuffle, for honest men will neither ask nor accept their friendship.

We ourselves are not dubious on this point, we protest that persons are not saved by being baptized. In such an audience as this, I am almost ashamed to go into the matter, because you surely know better than to be misled. Nevertheless, for the good of others we will drive at it. We hold that persons are not saved by baptism, for we think, first of all that it seems out of character with the spiritual religion which Christ came to teach, that he should make salvation depend upon mere ceremony. Judaism might possibly absorb the ceremony by way of type into her ordinances essential to eternal life; for it was religion of types and shadows. The false religions of the heathen might inculcate salvation by a physical process, but Jesus Christ claims for his faith that it is purely spiritual, and how could he connect regeneration with a peculiar application of aqueous fluid? I cannot see how it would be a spiritual gospel, but I can see how it would be mechanical, if I were sent forth to teach that the mere dropping of so many drops upon the brow, or even the plunging a person in water could save the soul. This seems to me to be the most mechanical religion now existing, and to be on a par with the praying windmills of Thibet, or the climbing up and down of Pilate’s staircase to which Luther subjected himself in the days of his darkness. The operation of water-baptism does not appear even to my faith to touch the point involved in the regeneration of the soul. What is the necessary connection between water and the overcoming of sin?

I cannot see any connection which can exist between sprinkling, or immersion, and regeneration, so that the one shall necessarily be tied to the other in the absence of faith. Used by faith, had God commanded it, miracles might be wrought; but without faith or even consciousness, as in the case of babes, how can spiritual benefits be connected necessarily with the sprinkling of water? If this be your teaching, that regeneration goes with baptism, I say it looks like the teaching of a spurious Church, which has craftily invented a mechanical salvation to deceive ignorant, sensual, and groveling minds, rather than the teaching of the most profoundly spiritual of all teachers, who rebuked Scribes and Pharisees for regarding outward rites as more important than inward grace. But it strikes me that a more forcible argument is that the dogma is not supported by facts. Are all persons who are baptized children of God? Well, let us look at the divine family. Let us mark their resemblance to their glorious Parent! Am I untruthful if I say that thousands of those who were baptized in their infancy are now in our goals? You can ascertain the fact if you please, by application to prison authorities. Do you believe that these men, many of whom have been living by plunder, felony, burglary, or forgery, are regenerate? If so, the Lord deliver us from such regeneration. Are these villains members of Christ? If so, Christ has sadly altered since the day when he was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. Has he really taken baptized drunkards and harlots to be members of his body? Do you not revolt at the supposition? It is a well-known fact that baptized persons have been hanged. Surely it can hardly be right to hang the inheritors of the kingdom of heaven! Our sheriffs have much to answer for when they officiate at the execution of the children of God, and suspend the members of Christ on the gallows! What a detestable farce is that which is transacted at the open grave, when "a dear brother" who has died drunk is buried in a "sure and certain hope of the resurrection of eternal life," and the prayer that "when we shall depart this life we may rest in Christ, as our hope is that this our brother does." Here is a regenerate brother, who having defiled the village by constant uncleanness and bestial drunkenness, died without a sign of repentance, and yet the professed minister of God solemnly accords him funeral rites which are denied to unbaptized innocents, and puts the reprobate into the earth in "sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life."

If old Rome in her worst days ever perpetrated a grosser piece of imposture than this, I do no read things aright; if it does not require a Luther to cry down this hypocrisy as much as Popery ever did, then I do not even know that twice two make four. Do we find — we who baptize on profession of faith, and baptize by immersion in a way which is confessed to be correct, though not allowed by some to be absolutely necessary to its validity — do we who baptize in the name of the sacred Trinity as others do, do we find that baptism regenerates? We do not. Neither in the righteous nor the wicked do we find regeneration wrought by baptism. We have never met with one believer, however instructed in divine things, who could trace his regeneration to his baptism; and on the other hand, we confess it with sorrow, but still with no surprise, that we have seen those whom we have ourselves baptized, according to apostolic precedent, go back into the world and wander into the foulest sin, and their baptism has scarcely been so much as a restraint to them, because they have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Facts all show that whatever good there may be in baptism, it certainly does not make a man "a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven," or else many thieves, whoremongers, drunkards, fornicators, and murderers, are members of Christ, the children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. Facts, brethren, are against this Popish doctrine; and facts are stubborn things. Yet further, I am persuaded that the performance styled baptism by the Prayer Book is not at all likely to regenerate and save. How is the thing done? One is very curious to know when one hears of an operation which makes men member s of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven, how the thing is done. It must in itself be a holy thing truthful in all its details, and edifying in every portion. Now, we will suppose we have a company gathered round the water, be it more or less, and the process of regeneration is about to be performed. We will suppose them all to be godly people. The clergyman officiating is a profound believer in the Lord Jesus, and the father and mother are exemplary Christians, and the godfathers and godmothers are all gracious persons. We will suppose this — it is a supposition fraught with charity, but it may be correct.

What are these godly people supposed to say? Let us look to the Prayer Book. The clergyman is suppose to tell these people, "You have heard also that our Lord Jesus Christ has promised in his gospel to grant all these things that you have prayed for: which promise he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform. Wherefore, after this promise made by Christ, this infant must also faithfully, for his part, promise by you that are his sureties (until he come of age to take it upon himself) that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God’s holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments." This small child is to promise to do this, or more truly others are to take upon themselves to promise, and even vow that he shall do so. But we must not break the quotation, and therefore let us return to the Book. "I demand therefore, do you, in the name of this child, renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that you will not follow, nor be led by them?" Answers "I renounce them all." That is to say, on the name and behalf of this tender infant about to be baptized, these godly people, these enlightened Christian people, these who know better , who are not dupes, who know all the while that they are promising impossibilities — renounce on behalf of this child what they find it very hard to renounce for themselves — "all covetous desires of the world and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that they will not follow nor be led by them." How can they harden their faces to utter such a false promise, such a mockery of renunciation before the presence of the Father Almighty? Might not angels weep as they hear the dreadful promise uttered? Then in the presence of high heaven they profess on behalf of this child that he steadfastly believes the creed, when they know, or might pretty shrewdly judge that the little creature is not yet a steadfast believer in anything, much less in Christ’s going down into hell. Mark, they do not say merely that the babe shall believe the creed, but they affirm that he does, for they answer in the child’s name, "All this I steadfastly believe. Not we steadfastly believe," but I, the little baby there, unconscious of all their professions and confessions of faith. In answer to the question, "Will you be baptized in this faith?" they reply for the infant, "That is my desire." Surely the infant has no desire in the matter, or at the least, no one has been authorized to declare any desires on his behalf. But this is not all, for then these godly, intelligent people next promise on the behalf of the infant, that "he shall obediently keep all God’s holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of his life."

Now, I ask you, dear friends, you who know what true religion means, can you walk in all God’s holy commandments yourselves? Dare you make this day a vow on your own part, that you would renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh? Dare you, before God, make such a promise as that? You desire such holiness, you earnestly strive after it, but you look for it from God’s promise, not from your own. If you dare make such vows I doubt your knowledge of your own hearts and of the spirituality of Gods’ law. But even if you could do this for yourself, would you venture to make such a promise for any other person? For the best-born infant on earth? Come, brethren, what say you? Is not your reply ready and plain? There is not room for two opinions among men determined to observe truth in all their ways and words . I can understand a simple, ignorant rustic, who has never learned to read, doing all this at the command of a priest and under the eye of a squire. I can even understand persons doing this when the Reformation was in its dawn, and men had newly crept out of the darkness of Popery; but I cannot understand gracious, godly people, standing at the font to insult the all-gracious Father with vows and promises framed upon a fiction, and involving practical falsehood. How dare intelligent believer s in Christ to utter words which they know in their conscience to be wickedly aside from truth? When I shall be able to understand the process by which gracious men so accommodate their consciences, even then I shall have a confirmed belief that the God of truth never did and never will confirm a spiritual blessing of the highest order in connection with the utterance of such false promises and untruthful vows. My brethren, does it not strike you that declarations so fictitious are not likely to be connected with a new birth wrought by the Spirit of truth?

I have not done with this point, I must take another case, and suppose the sponsors and others to be ungodly, and that is no hard supposition, for in many cases we know that godfathers and parents have no more thought of religion than that idolatrous hollowed stone around which they gather. When these sinners have taken their places, what are they about to say? Why, they are about to make the solemn vows I have already recounted in your hearing! Totally irreligious they are, but yet they promise for the baby what they never did, and never thought of doing for themselves — they promise on behalf of this child, "that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God’s holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments." My brethren, do not think I speak severely here. Really I think there is something here to make mockery for devils. Let every honest man lament, that ever God’s Church should tolerate such a thing as this, and that there should be found gracious people who will feel grieved because I, in all kindness of heart, rebuke the atrocity. Unregenerate sinners promising for a poor babe that he shall keep all God’s holy commandments which they themselves wantonly break every day! How can anything but the patience of God endure this? What! not speak against it? The very stones in the street might cry out against the infamy of wicked men and women promising t hat another should renounce the devil and all his works, while they themselves serve the devil and do his works with greediness! As a climax to all this, I am asked to believe that God accepts that wicked promise, and as the result of it, regenerates that child. You cannot believe in regeneration by this operation, whether saints or sinners are the performers. Take them to be godly, then they are wrong for doing what their conscience must condemn; view them as ungodly, and they are wrong for promising what they know they cannot perform; and in neither case can God accept such worship, much less infallibly append regeneration to such a baptism as this.

But you will say "Why do you cry out against it?" I cry out against it because I believe that baptism does not save the soul, and that the preaching of it has a wrong and evil influence upon men. We meet with persons who, when we tell those who they must be born again, assure us that they were born again when they were baptized. The number of these persons is increasing, fearfully increasing, until all grades of society are misled by this belief. How can any man stand up in his pulpit and say You must be born again to his congregation, when he ha s already assured them, by his own "sincere assent and consent" to it, that they are themselves, every one of them, born again in baptism. What is he to do with them? Why, my dear friends, the gospel then has no voice; they have rammed this ceremony down its throat and it cannot speak to rebuke sin. The man who has been baptized or sprinkled says, "I am saved, I am a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. Who are you, that you should rebuke me? Call me to repentance? Call me to a new life? What better life can I have? for I am a member of Christ — a part of Christ’s body. What! rebuke me? I am a child of God. Cannot you see it in my face? No matter what my walk and conversation is, I am a child of God. Moreover, I am an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. It is true, I drink and swear, and all that, but you know I am an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven, for when I die , though I live in constant sin, you will put me in the grave, and tell everybody that I died ‘in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.’"

Now, what can be the influence of such preaching as this upon our beloved England? Upon my dear and blessed country? What but the worst of ills? If I loved her not, but loved myself most, I might be silent here, but, loving England, I cannot and dare not; and having soon to render an account before my God, whose servant I hope I am, I must free myself from this evil as well as from every other, or else on my head may be the doom of souls.

Here let me bring in another point. It is a most fearful fact, that in no age since the Reformation has Popery made such fearful strides in England as during the last few years. I had comfortably believed that Popery was only feeding itself upon foreign subscriptions, upon a few titled perverts, and imported monks and nuns. I dreamed that its progress was not real. In fact, I have often smiled at the alarm of many of my brethren at the progress of Popery. But, my dear friends, we have been mistaken, grievously mistaken. If you will read a valuable paper in the magazine called "Christian Work," those of you who are not acquainted with it will be perfectly startled at its revelations. This great city is now covered with a network of monks, and priests, and sisters of mercy, and the conversions made are not by ones or twos, but by scores, until England is being regarded as the most hopeful spot for Romish missionary enterprise in the whole world; and at the present moment there is not a mission which is succeeding to anything like the extent which the English mission is. I covet not their money, I despise their sophistries, but I marvel at the way in which they gain their funds for the erection of their ecclesiastical buildings. It really is an alarming matter to see so many of our countrymen going off to that superstition which as a nation we once rejected, and which it was supposed we should never again receive. Popery is making advances such as you would never believe, though a spectator should tell it to you. Close to your very doors, perhaps even in your own houses, you may have evidence before long of what a march Romanism is making. And to what is it to be ascribed? I say, with every ground of probability, that there is no marvel that Popery should increase when you have two things to make it grow: first of all, the falsehood of those who profess a faith which they do not believe, which is quite contrary to the honesty of the Romanist, who does through evil report and good report hold his faith; and then you have, secondly, this form of error known as baptismal regeneration, and commonly called Puseyism, which is not only Puseyism, but Church-of-Englandism, because it is in the Prayer Book, as plainly as words can express it — you have this baptismal regeneration preparing stepping-stones to make it easy for men to go to Rome. I have but to open my eyes a little to foresee Romanism rampant everywhere in the future, since its germs are spreading everywhere in the present. In one of our courts of legislature but last Tuesday, the Lord Chief Justice showed his superstition, by speaking of "the risk of the calamity of children dying unbaptized!"

Among Dissenters you see a veneration for structures, a modified belief in the sacredness of places, which is idolatry; for to believe in the sacredness of anything but of God and of his own Word, is to idolize, whether it is to believe in the sacredness of the men, the priests, or in the sacredness of the bricks and mortar, or of the fine linen, or what not, which you may use in the worship of God. I see this coming up everywhere — a belief in ceremony, a resting in ceremony, a veneration for altars, fonts, and Churches — a veneration so profound that we must not venture upon a remark, or immediately of sinners we are chief. Here is the essence and soul of Popery, peeping up under the garb of a decent respect for sacred things. It is impossible but that the Church of Rome must spread, when we who are the watch-dogs of the fold are silent, and others are gently and smoothly turfing the road, and making it as soft and smooth as possible, that converts may travel down to the nethermost hell of Popery. We want John Knox back again. Do not talk to me of mild and gentle men, of soft manners and squeamish words, we want the fiery Knox, and even though his vehemence should "ding our pulpits into blads," it were well if he did but rouse our hearts to action. We want Luther to tell men the truth unmistakably, in homely phrase. The velvet has got into our ministers’ mouths of late, but we must unrobe ourselves of soft clothing, and truth must be spoken, and nothing but truth; for of all lies which have dragged millions down to hell, I look upon this as being one of the most atrocious — that in a Protestant Church there should be found those who swear that baptism saves the soul. Call a man a Baptist, or a Presbyterian, or a Dissenter, or a Churchman, that is nothing to me — if he says that baptism saves the soul, out upon him, out upon him, he states what God n ever taught, what the Bible never laid down, and what ought never to be maintained by men who profess that the Bible, and the whole Bible, is the religion of Protestants.

I have spoken thus much, and there will be some who will say — spoken thus much bitterly. Very well, be it so. Physic is often bitter, but it shall work well, and the physician is not bitter because his medicine is so; or if he be accounted so, it will matter, so long as the patient is cured; at all events, it is no business of the patient whether the physician is bitter or not, his business is with his own soul’s health. There is the truth, and I have told it to you; and if there should be one among you, or if there should be one among the readers of this sermon when it is printed, who is resting on baptism, or resting upon ceremonies of any sort, I do beseech you, shake off this venomous faith into the fire as Paul did the viper which fastened on his hand. I pray you do not rest on baptism. "No outward forms can make you clean, The leprosy lies deep within." I do beseech you to remember that you must have a new heart and a right spirit, and baptism cannot give you these. You must turn from your sins and follow after Christ; you must have such a faith as shall make your life holy and your speech devout, or else you have not the faith of God’s elect, and into God’s kingdom you shall never come. I pray you never rest upon this wretched and rotten foundation, this deceitful invention of Antichrist. O, may God save you from it, and bring you to seek the true rock of refuge for weary souls.

I come with much brevity, and I hope with much earnestness, in the second place, to say that FAITH IS THE INDISPENSABLE REQUISITE TO SALVATION. "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; he that believes not shall be damned." Faith is the one indispensable requisite for salvation. This faith is the gift of God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Some men believe not on Jesus; they believe not because they are not of Christ’s sheep, as he himself said unto them; but his sheep hear his voice: he knows them and they follow him: he gives to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. What is this believing? Believing consists in two things; first there is an accrediting of the testimony of God concerning his Son. God tells you that his Son came into the world and was made flesh, that he lived upon earth for men’s sake, that after having spent his life in holiness he was offered up a propitiation for sin, that upon the cross he there and then made expiation — so made expiation for the sins of the world that Whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. If you would be saved, you must accredit this testimony which God gives concerning his own Son. Having received this testimony, the next thing is to confide in it — indeed here lies, I think, the essence of saving faith, to rest yourself for eternal salvation upon the atonement and the righteousness of Jesus Christ, to have done once for all with all reliance upon feelings or upon doings, and to trust in Jesus Christ and in what he did for your salvation.

This is faith, receiving of the truth of Christ: first knowing it to be true, and then acting upon that belief. Such a faith as this — such real faith as this makes the man henceforth hate sin. How can he love the thing which made t he Savior bleed? It makes him live in holiness. How can he but seek to honor that God who has loved him so much as to give his Son to die for him. This faith is spiritual in its nature and effects; it operates upon the entire man; it changes his heart, enlightens his judgment, and subdues his will; it subjects him to God’s supremacy, and makes him receive God’s Word as a little child, willing to receive the truth upon the ipse dixit of the divine One; it sanctifies his intellect, and makes him willing to be taught God’s Word; it cleanses within; it makes clean the inside of the cup and platter, and it beautifies without; it makes clean the exterior conduct and the inner motive, so that the man, if his faith be true and real, becomes henceforth another man to what he ever was before.

Now that such a faith as this should save the soul, is, I believe, reasonable; yes, more, it is certain, for we have seen men saved by it in this very house of prayer. We have seen the harlot lifted out of the Stygian ditch of her sin, and made an honest woman; we have seen the thief reclaimed; we have known the drunkard in hundreds of instances to be sobered; we have observed faith to work such a change, that all the neighbors who have seen it have gazed and admired, even though they hated it; we have seen faith deliver men in the hour of temptation, and help them to consecrate themselves and their substance to God; we have seen, and hope still to see yet more widely, deeds of heroic consecration to God and displays of witness-bearing against the common current of the times, which have proved to us that faith does affect the man, does save the soul. My hearers, if you would be saved, you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me urge you with all my heart to look nowhere but to Christ crucified for your salvation. Oh! if you rest upon any ceremony, though it be not baptism — if you rest upon any other than Jesus Christ, you must perish, as surely as this Book is true. I pray you believe not every spirit, but though I, or an angel from heaven, preach any other doctrine than this, let him be accursed, for this, and this alone, is the soul-saving truth which shall regenerate the world — "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved." Away from all the tag-rags, wax candles, and millinery of Puseyism! away from all the gorgeous pomp of Popery! away from the fonts of Church-of-Englandism! we bid you turn your eyes to that naked cross, where hangs as a bleeding man the Son of God. "None but Jesus, none but Jesus, Can do helpless sinners good."

There is life in a look at the crucified; there is life at this moment for you. Whoever among you can believe in the great love of God towards man in Christ Jesus, you shall be saved. If you can believe that our great Father desires us to come to him — that he pants for us — that he calls us every day with the loud voice of his Son’s wounds; if you can believe now that in Christ there is pardon for transgressions past, and cleansing for years to come; if you can trust him to save you, you have already the marks of regeneration. The work of salvation is commenced in you, so far as the Spirit’s work is concerned: it is finished in you so far as Christ’s work is concerned. O, I would plead with you — lay hold on Jesus Christ. This is the foundation: build on it. This is the rock of refuge: fly to it. I pray you fly to it now. Life is short: time speeds with eagle’s-wing. Swift as the dove pursued by the hawk, fly, fly poor sinner, to God’s dear Son; now touch the hem of his garment; now look into that dear face, once marred with sorrows for you; look into those eyes, once shedding tears for you. Trust him, and if you find him false, then you must perish; but false you never will find him while this word stands true, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned." God give us this vital, essential faith, without which there is no salvation. Baptized, re-baptized, circumcised, confirmed, fed upon sacraments, and buried in consecrated ground — you shall all perish except you believe in him. The word is express and plain — he that believes not may plead his baptism, may plead anything he likes, "But he that believes not shall be damned;" for him there is nothing but the wrath of God, the flames of hell, eternal perdition. So Christ declares, and so must it be.

But now to close, there are some who say, "Ah! but baptism is in the text; where do you put that?" That shall be another point, and then we shall have done.

THE BAPTISM IN THE TEXT IS ONE EVIDENTLY CONNECTED WITH FAITH. "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved." It strikes me, there is no supposition here, that anybody would be baptized who did not believe; or, if there be such a supposition, it is very clearly laid down that his baptism will be of no use to him, for he will be damned, baptized or not, unless he believes. The baptism of the text seems to me — my brethren, if you differ from me I am sorry for it, but I must hold my opinion and out with it — it seems to me that baptism is connected with, no, directly follows belief. I would not insist too much upon the order of the words, but for other reasons, I think that baptism should follow believing. At any rate it effectually avoids the error we have been combating. A man who knows that he is saved by believing in Christ does not, when he is baptized, lift his baptism into a saving ordinance. In fact, he is the very best protester against that mistake, because he holds that he has no right to be baptized until he is saved. He b ears a testimony against baptismal regeneration in his being baptized as professedly an already regenerate person. Brethren, the baptism here meant is a baptism connected with faith, and to this baptism I will admit there is very much ascribed in Scripture. Into that question I am not going; but I do find some very remarkable passages in which baptism is spoken of very strongly. I find this — "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." I find as much as this elsewhere; I know that believer’s baptism itself does not wash away sin, yet it is so the outward sign and emblem of it to the believer, that the thing visible may be described as the thing signified. Just as our Savior said — "This is my body," when it was not his body, but bread; yet, inasmuch as it represented his body, it was fair and right according to the usage of language to say, "Take, eat, this is my body." And so, inasmuch as baptism to the believer represents the washing of sin — it may be called the washing of sin — not that it is so, but that it is to saved souls the outward symbol and representation of what is done by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the man who believes in Christ. What connection has this baptism with faith? I think it has just this, baptism is the avowal of faith; the man was Christ’s soldier, but now in baptism he puts on his regimentals. The man believed in Christ, but his faith remained between God an d his own soul. In baptism he says to the baptizer, "I believe in Jesus Christ;" he says to the Church, "I unite with you as a believer in the common truths of Christianity;" he says to the onlooker, "Whatever you may do, as for me, I will serve the Lord." It is the avowal of his faith.

Next, we think baptism is also to the believer a testimony of his faith; he does in baptism tell the world what he believes. "I am about," says he, "to be buried in water. I believe that the Son of God was metaphorically baptized in suffering: I believe he was literally dead and buried." To rise again out of the water sets forth to all men that he believes in the resurrection of Christ. There is a showing forth in the Lord’s Supper of Christ’s death, and there is a showing forth in baptism of Christ’s burial and resurrection. It is a type, a sign, a symbol, a mirror to the world: a looking-glass in which religion is as it were reflected. We say to the onlooker, when he asks what is the meaning of this ordinance, "We mean to set forth our faith that Christ was buried, and that he rose again from the dead, and we avow this death and resurrection to be the ground of our trust."

Again, baptism is also Faith’s taking her proper place. It is, or should be one of her first acts of obedience. Reason looks at baptism, and says, "Perhaps there is nothing in it; it cannot do me any good." "True," says Faith, "and therefore will I observe it. If it did me some good my selfishness would make me do it, but inasmuch as to my sense there is no good in it, since I am bidden by my Lord thus to fulfill all righteousness, it is my first public declaration that a thing which looks to be unreasonable and seems to be unprofitable, being commanded by God, is law, is law to me. If my Master had told me to pick up six stones and lay them in a row I would do it, without demanding of him, ‘What good will it do?’ The very simplicity and apparent uselessness of the ordinance should make the believer say, ‘Therefore I do it because it becomes the better test to me of my obedience to my Master.’" When you tell your servant to do something, and he cannot comprehend it, if he turns round and says, "Please, sir, what for?" you are quite clear that he hardly understands the relation between master and servant. So when God tells me to do a thing, if I say, "What for?" I cannot have taken the place which Faith ought to occupy, which is that of simple obedience to whatever the Lord has said. Baptism is commanded, and Faith obeys because it is commanded, and thus takes her proper place. Once more, baptism is a refreshment to Faith. While we are made up of body and soul as we are, we shall need some means by which the body shall sometimes be stirred up to co-work with the soul. In the Lord’s Supper my faith is assisted by the outward and visible sign. In the bread and in the wine I see no superstitious mystery, I see nothing but bread and wine, but in that bread and wine I do see to my faith an assistant. Through the sign my faith sees the thing signified. So in baptism there is no mysterious efficacy in the baptistry or in the water. We attach no reverence to the one or to the other, but we do see in the water and in the baptism such an assistance as brings home to our faith most manifestly our being buried with Christ, and our rising again in newness of life with him. Explain baptism thus, dear friends, and there is no fear of Popery rising out of it. Explain it thus, and we cannot suppose any soul will be led to trust to it; but it takes it s proper place among the ordinances of God’s house.

To lift it up in the other way, and say men are saved by it — ah! my friends, how much of mischief that one falsehood has done and may do, eternity alone will disclose. Would to God another George Fox would spring up in all his quaint simplicity and crude honesty to rebuke the idol-worship of this age; to rail at their holy bricks and mortar, holy lecterns, holy alters, holy surplices, right reverend fathers, and I know not what. These things are not holy. God is holy; his truth is holy; holiness belongs not to the carnal and the material, but to the spiritual. O that a trumpet-tongue would cry out against the superstition of the age. I cannot, as George Fox did, give up baptism an d the Lord’s Supper, but I would infinitely sooner do it, counting it the smaller mistake of the two than perpetrate and assist in perpetrating the uplifting of baptism and the Lord’s Supper out of their proper place. O my beloved friends, the comrades of my struggles and witnessings, cling to the salvation of faith, and abhor the salvation of priests. If I am not mistaken, the day will come when we shall have to fight for a simple spiritual religion far more than we do now. We have been cultivating friendship with those who are either unscriptural in creed or else dishonest, who either believe baptismal regeneration, or profess that they do, and swear before God that they do when they do not. The time is come when there shall be no more truce or parley between God’s servants and the time-servers. The time is come when those who follow God must follow God, and those who try to trim and dress themselves and find out a way which is pleasing to the flesh and gentle to carnal desires, must go their way. A great winnowing time is coming to God’s saints, and we shall be clearer one of these days than we now are from union with those who are upholding Popery, under the pretense of teaching Protestantism. We shall be clear, I say, of those who teach salvation by baptism, instead of salvation by the blood of our blessed Master, Jesus Christ. O may the Lord gird up your loins. Believe me, it is no trifle. It may be that on this ground Armageddon shall be fought. Here shall come the great battle between Christ and his saints on the one hand, and the world, and forms, and ceremonies, on the other. If we are overcome here, there may be years of blood and persecution, and tossing to and fro between darkness and light; but if we are brave and bold, and flinch not here, but stand to God’s truth, the future of England may be bright and glorious.

O for a truly reformed Church in England, and a godly race to maintain it! The world’s future depends on it under God, for in proportion as truth is marred at home, truth is maimed abroad. Out of any system which teaches salvation by baptism must spring infidelity, an infidelity which the false Church already seems willing to nourish and foster beneath her wing. God save this favored land from the brood of her own established religion. Brethren, stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made you free, and be not afraid of any sudden fear nor calamity when it comes, for he who trusts to the Lord, mercy shall compass him about, and he who is faithful to God and Christ shall hear it said at the last, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter you into the joy of the Lord." May the Lord bless this word for Christ’s sake.