Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Virtues

As a child, I learned the Seven Deadly Sins from the pages of my SHAZAM! comic books featuring the Original Captain Marvel. I have heard that today they have changed the list of vices in SHAZAM! recently, for those that may not know, here are the Seven Deadly Sins as defined in 6th Century Christianity and their polar opposite Seven Virtues.

1. Lust Chastity/Purity
2. Gluttony Abstinence/Abstinence
3. Greed Liberality/Generosity
4. Sloth Diligence/Ethics
5. Wrath/Anger Patience/Peace
6. Envy Kindness
7. Pride Humility/Modesty

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Diet and Exercise Part Deux

First off, let me be completely honest, I am LAZY! I have been since I was young and while I admit it as a truth, it is not something I am particularly proud of. So some people might think that if I wanted to lose weight, I would do the weak man way of having my stomach stapled and fat removed.

But please, if you do not have the willpower to lose the weight in the first place, how are you going to have the willpower to not gain it all back after surgery? I am not looking for a quick fix but actually going for a lifestyle change. I want to lose weight, build muscle and remain that way.

Will I succeed? Will I fail and return to my lazy, gluttonous self? I sure hope not, but a surgery cannot prevent that either. Each day I wake up and feel better about how I feel and look, the way my clothes fit, the increased energy and stamina, and for now, at least, that is a strong motivation, especially knowing I did it myself, and did not lazily pay someone to do it for me.

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Diet and Exercise

Recently, I have lowered my caloric intake in order to lose weight. I likewise am exercising regularly to help in this. Since I have been limiting my meals (not including drinks) to 300 calories or less and eating 4 meals a day (it is recommended that I eat 5 or 6 meals, but I just cannot do that!). So without drinks that takes me to 1200 calories, and with drinks probably 1600 calories give or take 100 calories or so.

Wondering what my caloric intake should be, I used a calorie calculator and it said with light activity, I should consume 2,900-3,100 calories a day to maintain my current weight. As of this weekend I have lost 20 pounds, and clothes are fitting loosely now. Please keep me in your prayers as I continue this diet and new exercise additions. My goal it to be under 200 pounds by Thanksgiving 2007.

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A Good Day For a New Razor!

As some of you know, I had a full beard for about 6 years and recently had it cut off. As such, shaving is an all new experience. Well I only had one blade cartridge left in my old razor from 1998 and when I went to the store, it seems they no longer carry the regular Gillette Mach3 blades. Luckily the new, improved 6-blade massaging razor, the Gillette Fusion Power Phantom was on sale for less than $10.00, so I bought it. This one one sweet razor. I usually get razor or shave bumps on my neck, where my beard hair it curlier, but with this razor I have found no irritation on my skin even hours later. I highly recommend this blade for anyone looking for a new razor! They also claim that each blade can last almost 3 weeks which seems incredible!

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My Brother the Author

Today he wrote another great article that I would like to share with you all.

As I sit here and watch the news and read the internet about the horrible events that happened this morning in Virginia I continue to hear people play the blame game. In times like this we as a society need quick answers and closure. We are driven largely by emotion and wish to do what we can to feel safe again.

One of the common themes that I hear echoing with some in the news is "we have too many guns. We need to get control of this issue."

It is times like this that we as a society willingly give up our rights in order to try to feel safe. This is driven by emotions and not by logic and reason. When someone is determined to take life or break a moral law, please don't think that breaking a new gun regulation will deter them or any other criminal.

Please read a this Quote from MsNBC:

"Myth No. 10. “School violence is rampant.”

It may seem so, with media attention focused on a spate of school shootings. In fact, school shootings are extremely rare. Even including the more common violence that is gang-related or dispute-related, only 12 to 20 homicides a year occur in the 100,000 schools in the U.S. In general, school assaults and other violence have dropped by nearly half in the past decade.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15111438/ Click to view the complete article.

These actions are tragedies and we need to have proper rational responses. Also the media in our society sadly is a great promoter of tragedy and everyone needs to be the first one to get the scoop even if it is unreliable. It seems ratings are more important in today's society than the age old comforts of compassion and true sincere condolences.

Today truly shows that those with an agenda will exploit any opportunity they can. Not to target anyone in particular but did you notice the politicians that may be running for President in the near future were some of the first people to get on the airwaves to be seen knowing that half of America was riveted to the TV. The fake emotion was so thick that even a dolt could see through it.

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Selling stuff CHEAP!

Saint Basil of Kineshma Russian Orthodox Christian Church Mission has been closed, so our loss is your gain! Before I put them on eBay I am offering the books and icons to my friends. See the lists at http://EuphrosynosCafe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7767 and http://EuphrosynosCafe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7768


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Sweet Chinese Bedding Deal I Found Today!

I was looking for bedding online and found the following deal that some of my frugal friends may appreciate. At Domestications, they have some really sweet comforter sets from only $29.99 and sheet sets from only $9.99! It also appears that even when you buy these sale items, that you are offered a Domestications credit card which gives you 10% off your purchase and allows you to pay in 3 monthly payment with no extra or hidden fees. What a deal! Personally, my favorite two designs are the following:



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Disasters that God Allows and Introspection of Sinful Lives

When Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR) burned down in Stratford, CT, one thing that really touched me was how the pastor of the Church mentioned that God allowed it to happen because of their own sins. This humbleness really shows how Orthodox Christians always are looking to improve themselves and should quickly admit their sins.

Although I know of no major sins involved in that church fire, I have heard of other churches that have burned down and through investigations sins have come out like a priest secretly dating a parishioner and other uncanonical acts.

It all reminds me that when misfortune falls on me to think what I could do to better my life and what sins I may be guilty of and things I should change. And of course, never try to cover up or lie about what gets exposed because of an incident that God allowed to happen to us.

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Always a bummer when someone cannot control their passions

It is always a bummer when we have to ban a clergyman at the Saint Euphrosynos Cafe forum, but sadly, sometimes when someone's conscience gets pricked, they act out in less than Christian ways and step so far over the line that the posters demand that the moderators ban the person in question. Sadly it happened again today, and it is never a happy thing to do.

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Weather in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

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Did you learn about this in school?

I did not. The Eight-Nation Alliance from Wikipedia:

Citing the necessity of protecting their citizens, these eight foreign countries sent troops to quell the rebels. But the true motives behind it were the opportunity of further access to the Chinese market, expansion of their colonies, and exploitation of the Chinese.

Troops of the eight countries (Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) arrived, entered and occupied Beijing on August 14, 1900. Empress Dowager Cixi, the Emperor, and higher officials fled the Imperial Palace for Xi'an, and sent Li Hongzhang for peace talks.

During their occupation of China, they ransacked many houses and committed various atrocities against civilians, including rape and murder.

Troops and participants of the Eight-Nation Alliance were largely responsible for the ransacking and pillaging of many historical artifacts of Chinese nationalist origin, such as those found in the Summer Palace, and instigated the burning of many prominent Chinese buildings.

...

On September 7, 1901, the Qing court was compelled to sign the "Boxer Protocol", also known as Peace Agreement between the Eight-Nation Alliance and China. The protocol ordered the execution of ten high-ranking officials linked to the outbreak, and other officials who were found guilty for the slaughter of Westerners in China.

China was fined war reparations of 450,000,000 tael of fine silver (around 74,062,500 pounds, or 333 million US dollars), for the loss that it caused. The reparation would be paid within 39 years, and would be 982,238,150 taels with interests （4% per year) included. The sum of reparation was estimated by the Chinese population (roughly 450 million in 1900), to let each Chinese pay one tael. Chinese custom income and salt tax were enlisted as guarantee of the reparation. Russia got 30% of the reparation, Germany got 20%; the US share was 7%.

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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness Sometimes Means Self-Censorship

As such this blog entry has been self-censored. LOL!

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Wear Your Seatbelt ALWAYS!

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Has the name of this blog changed?

For those wondering, the answer is no. Since I am learning Mandarin Chinese, I have just changed the language of the title and description to Mandarin.

The title is and will always be "Insane Ramblings … and Orthodox Ecclesiology" which it has been since 2003. The description is a little different, but it roughly reads as "Blog about life, liberty and religion. Once lost, but recently rediscovered."

Any other questions? Feel free to ask. I am sure there are plenty! LOL!

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Truly He Is Risen!

Christ is Risen!

Dear Friends in Christ,

Due to your prayers, my grandfather indeed has survived and improved enough to see all his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He has improved and has come out of both the critical and serious conditions and while death is not expected to be imminent anymore, no one expect him to make it through the end of the year. That being said, the almost miraculous recovery to the point the he was able to spend Pascha with his family and engage in good conversations is a relief to us all, as we all got a chance to say good-bye and it will no longer be a shock when he reposes. My grandfather and I both thank you all for your prayers.

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Urgent Prayer Request

Kalo Anastasi!

Dear in Christ,

I just got a call from my mom in tears that my grandfather, Durward, has made a turn for the worse. He was in the hospital for heart issues which he had seemingly recovered from. His blood pressure is going down, his temperature is going down, and his kidneys are shutting down too. I will probably not be able to get to his bedside before he reposes, and although he is not Orthodox I ask for prayers for the repose of his soul please.

---

Deacon Nikolai

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Closed Temporarily

This blog started in 2003 and ended in 2004. Will it return? Check back often. Until then, enjoy some spam! :-p

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Диакон Николай

I was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on the Feast of Saint Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople, so my blogging life at this site ends here and now (Although my photo-journal of Vladyka Metropolitan Valentine's Pastoral visits to America at http://livejournal.com/users/nstanosheck/ will continue)! You can still find me at The Saint Euphrosynos Cafe or my personal Diggs blog at http://nstanosheck.wordpress.com if you want.

End of the line yet again?

Well I , Nicholas will be ending on the feast day of Saint Euphrosyne of Suzdal as I will not be renewing my .mac account, although I wish I could!

So instead the only thing like a blog that I will have is my Live Journal that is currently unnamed. Of course there will still be the Euphrosynos Café and I will be working on the Saint Basil of Kineshma Russian Orthodox Church site as well.

So post-Feast of Saint Euphrosyne of Suzdal, please go visit those sites instead!

Seven months ago I started this

Three months ago I quit this blog due to people taking small pieces, adding their own fantasies to it in order to make it juicy gossip, and distorting the truth so that their tales would make them popular with the Slavic Grapevine of vile, sinful gossip.

At that time, I secretly started a private blog called I, Nicholas that continued my web log adventures about Orthodoxy and life, keeping it all just outside of the prying eyes of sinful gossipers.

But now, after blogging there for 3 months, I am ready for it to become public, so I link it from my old blog now, in case anyone still comes here.