Virtual assistance is a wide range of services provided remotely by people called virtual assistants (VAs). They work remotely from a home office, which can be within the same city, or it can be as remote as being in a different country on the other side of the world. This is, of course, being made possible by the internet and other technological advancements.

2 Kinds of Virtual Assistant.

Most of the time, VAs are self-employed or freelance workers. And since they are not employees of a company, but are merely contractors, companies are not required to pay for taxes related to one’s employment, and pay for insurances and provide other benefits. They are allowed to work for multiple clients. There are also instances where in VAs are being hired by companies, so they are dedicated to the said company, they won’t be allowed to get other projects from other clients, but they get to enjoy the perks of being employed.

What can Virtual Assistants do?

Most people, when they hear the term, virtual assistant, they would immediately think of an online secretary. In theory, a VA can almost do just anything, just like any staff, except shake your hand or be physically present in your location. Virtual assistance is not only limited to administrative services, it also includes creative and technical services. Under administrative are tasks like responding to emails and setting up email lists, bookkeeping, appointment setting, research, content writing, customer support, marketing campaigns, data compilation, lead generation, preparing presentations, social media management and so much more. Under creative services are tasks that would include photo and video editing and animations. While programming, website design and management, computer-aided technical drafts are examples of technical services.

The Advantages of Hiring Virtual Assistants.

Most companies or employers hire virtual assistants for two main reasons. The first main reason is, it is cost effective. Employers can actually hire VAs for only a couple of hours per day or to perform certain tasks or complete certain projects. Employers also have the option to hire VAs from cities or other countries where rates per hour or cost of services are cheaper. The second reason is convenience. Employers don’t have to deal with logistical concerns that they usually face in hiring regular employees, like the office space, providing office supplies and other equipment. Hiring and discharging process is also easier. Plus one VA can sometimes even do more than just one or two functions.

Owning an ocean front property is a big dream for many people, especially those who are live in an area often bound in by snow and ice. If looking out your front window and watching the waves crash against the shore is your idea of the perfect place to live then this article is for you.

There is a big difference between a waterfront home and a water view home. A waterfront home is one that is located on a water frontage but does not necessarily have a water view. A water-view home is the opposite, and may have a wonderful view of the ocean without actual ocean frontage.

Advantages

The biggest advantage to a waterfront property right now is the housing slump. This is an excellent time for a buyer to invest in any kind of property, but for water front you may never find lower prices. Because of this, when the housing market comes back, those who have managed to purchase a nice water front property for well below market value will be very happy.

Another advantage of course is the water itself. Who does not want to live where water sports like surfing, fishing, boating and even skiing and parasailing are right outside your front door?

Cons

Waterfront property may have a great many advantages for some people like the fresh ocean breezes and the peaceful crash of waves on the shore, but the cons are a deal breaker for many, storms, beach erosion and high property taxes to name just a few. Before purchasing a waterfront home remember that you will have more maintenance then a home with a water view.

Consider for a moment, if what you really want is a home with a view of the water. A view has most of the same advantages of a waterfront home with fewer of the problems. A water view home can easily give you the spectacular views of the water, sounds of the crashing waves against the shore and easy reach of all of the boating and other activities going on down by the seashore. A water front home may or may not offer a water view, may or may not offer easy access to the water itself and has higher maintenance and property taxes.

Although most people just assume that HVAC contractors are a part of the central heat and air contractors that install both furnaces for heating and air con units for cooling, air conditioning contractors have a private history that began in the 1900s when machines for building heating and cooling units began to be established. HVAC contractors became a separate part of the heating and cooling industry in 1946 and were represented by their own groups exclusively concerned with HVAC

In 1968, HVAC contractors and air conditioning manufacturers joined to form the Air Conditioning & Contractors Institute. The ARI is concerned solely with manuals and technology or technologies that are exclusively the province of cooling or air conditioning units.

Another group formed from this endeavor to try to join heating and cooling contractors and manufacturers into one group. The merged group of heating and cooling contractors was called the National Environmental Systems Contractors Association which was later changed back to Air Conditioning Contractors of America although purportedly still representing HVAC contractors in America. Obviously, the choice of names to identify themselves as heating and cooling contractors has been an ongoing issue since 1927 if not earlier when an earlier organization the National Warm Air Heating and Ventilating Association was putting out pamphlets discussing their products and services. Seemingly, air conditioning does not refer exclusively to cooling of air, it can be any artificially contrived method of maintaining the temperature of any given environment through the use of air con units.

If a contractor wants to become an HVAC contractor, he will have to know not only about the various methods and products that are available in his profession; but, he will also have to know how to read the fine print involved with insurance policies and trade agreements and other information found in the manuals. Air conditioning contractors are liable for the services and products that they use to install their air conditioning units or to allow users of their products and services to control their living habitats. To become a successful HVAC contractor, one must follow the directions of manufacturers and also know the laws, if any, that apply to ventilation and other air conditioning concerns.

An HVAC contractor needs to have available to him access to the best products available as well as technical advice on their installation. When an HVAC contractor undertakes to modify the living conditions of a home, office or other place where people live, they become liable for their safety as well. HVAC contractors need to be technologically as well as verbally adept at meeting the needs of his customers and following the legal boundaries of his profession. The art of it is to be as effective and yet not obtrusive as the very essential element that air conditioning contractors have to deal with, air. How to warm the air we breathe and how to cool the air we breathe is called HVAC Keeping us safe while doing both; It is the liability that HVAC contractors are responsible for.

Foreclosure and Tax Deed sales are poised to offer a glut of investment opportunities through the United States. Statistics and emerging trends are proving the point I made six months ago that the greatest investment opportunity in the USA right at this moment is to invest in real estate through Tax Deed sales. Let us examine why this is so.

Zillow.com, a real estate trend tracking site, has hard figures that show that over 3 million homes are either in foreclosure or will enter the foreclosure process in the very near future. In fact, in as little as the next six months, and by the end of the second quarter of 2010, most will be in foreclosure. This trend, based on available statistics, is only the tip of the iceberg! As in the terrible tragedy that befell the Titanic, it is what is hidden under the water that ultimately sinks the ship.

Available statistics only show the visible iceberg, while the real story of Tax Deed and foreclosure sales remain underwater, or put another way, under the radar, where the statisticians can not see the blips yet of the emerging disasters of new foreclosures. News services are starting to report a frightening new trend that is causing the banking and financial sectors to freeze up due to the implications.

Simply put, people who have been suffering from the scams the banking and lending industry imposed upon them in years past, are fed up with the Fed, the bailouts of the banks and other lenders, and the lies that they told, to the point that they are now reacting in a negatively real and tangible way. When they find that they are getting behind on their mortgage payments and are facing certain foreclosure, they take matters into their own hands, and they bail out – literally!

Lenders are now receiving in the mail, in ever increasing numbers, the keys to abandoned homes! Often the homes are gutted of all valuable and profitable fixtures such as air conditioning, kitchens, bathrooms, and even expensive copper wiring. Not all homes suffer from this, but a percentage of the homes will, depending on how angry the long suffering former owners were at the time of them abandoning the home. However, a large number of unadulterated homes left in good condition will also be abandoned, and ultimately added to the mad mix of the foreclosure glut.

Another trend that is scaring the hell out of lenders is the judiciary imposing a ‘burden of proof’ upon the banks or mortgage holders to produce the ‘original’ mortgage document. Most lenders cannot produce this original document due to the Wall Street practice of ‘bundling’ loans and reselling them to foreign investment groups.

The unfortunate consequence of this is that if the lenders cannot produce the original document, they have no proof that they own the loan. The proof is lost in the mix of their making, and they are reaping what they have sown. Banks are starting to lose in the courts, often with the judiciary awarding the borrower the home debt free! The system is in shock and the banks are stuck. They knew this was coming and this is the very reason why the governments bailed them out.

Now for the good news, as every dark cloud does indeed have a silver lining. Given the average redemption period of two years that most counties impose upon the property owner to pay the property taxes, and given that big finance is frozen on the spot, and not willing to pay the taxes owed, foreclosed homes are going to emerge in greater numbers at Tax Deed sales!

All kinds of homes, in good and not so good condition, are going through the Tax Deed sales process throughout the United States right now, and in the near future. Get ready for the Tax Deed boom!

To understand the place of mind from the Buddhist point of view, we must first of all look at the Buddha’s views on the cosmos (universe). According to him, the mind is to be understood in a vast cosmic space.

Biologically humans are weaker. Other animals are born armed for their survival. But human on the other hand, has mind for everything, but not as a weapon. In fact religion is brought out as a component of understanding mind for the existence of human kind.

Buddha realized that mind is not a thing or an entity with a separate existence but that, which arises on conditions.

“Dhuran gaman eaka charan – Asareeran guhaasayan

Ye chiththan sanna messanthi – Mokkhanthi maara bandhana”

This famous gatha describes the nature of mind. It says that mind travels alone, travel long journeys. It doesn’t have a body. Lives in a cave; It’s our body, Mind gets free and detached from “Mara Bandhana” when it liberated from “Mokkha” (foolishness). As Lord Buddha pas preached, mind is colourless, immaterial, and invisible. In other words, mind in Buddhism is an ever changing, constant, quick-moving process. Buddhist view on mind refuses the materialistic aspect of mind. In Buddhism, the mind is treated as an ever changing process of thinking and meditating. It’s said that mind is most of the time out of our control. We should not let our mind to control us instead individuals have to control their minds.

The whole process of thinking is mind, which is the mental process. Thus its status is supreme. Thinking and consciousness are components of that total mental process. Mind as inner world processes is a Buddhist development. Mind is conceived not as a substance but as a process.

The Buddha insisted that the mind is the most significant aspect of the individual. The “patichcha samuppaada” implies that for the individual the twelve links are of a mental character.

Mental and physical factors are conditioning factors and they are relative interdependent and there is nothing absolute and independent. There is no first cause. So mind is not the first cause. It runs through birth as an interdependent interconnected and relative factor. The mind really refers to sensation, perception and thinking or volition in patichcha samuppaada.

Buddhism maintains that all stimuli of senses make the individual move in two directions of attraction and repulsion. One has to attain a position of neutrally through self acquired culture. Both these processes of mental stirring (anarodha and virodha) underlie the genesis of the life process (bhava). In the absence of such activity of the mind, the individual gains no momentum for the regeneration of bhava. All mental and spiritual endeavors of Buddhism aim at bringing about this neutrality.

Mind is where all our emotions and desires are stored. So by attaining “Nibbana”, a person can get rid of all these. Nibbana is the ultimate aim of a Buddhist. It is the ultimate state of mind of an individual who has completely got rid of craving. Here too, the key factor is the mind. Man can put a stop to rebirth by avoiding what is evil, by doing what is good and by purifying his mind by meditation.

Sensation is experienced by the mind. These are sometimes pleasant, sometimes painful and sometimes neutral. Perception means recognition of names of beings, things, places sound, writing etc. Thinking means here volition which are neither good nor evil or thoughts based on the past and imagining of the future, creating good or bad kamma. Consciousness means sense awareness of sound, smell, tastes, forms, feelings and mental objects at the moment.

These four components of the Nama dharma are the creations of the mind. If an individual is not alert and careful he becomes the decisive factors of the mind and obscures the truth. Then falsehood will prevail and cause the mind to defile.

According to Buddhism, a cultivated mind gives spiritual liberation peace, security and happiness. The mind develops wisdom which discriminates right and wrong, good and evil, selflessness and selfishness by being aware of right understanding and right mindfulness at all times. By cultivating the mind, one can eliminate the cycle of rebirth and attain nibbaana the absolute really selflessness. This object can only be achieved by adhering to the Noble Eightfold Path, which embodies morality, mind culture and wisdom (sila, Samadhi, panna). All three aspects can be achieved only through a cultured mind. A cultured mind leads to progress, happiness and nibbana, while an uncultured mind leads to degeneration, destruction and continuance of sansara and suffering.

The development of mind is two-fold.

1. Development of mental concentration (tranquility or “Samatha bhavana”)
2. Development of wisdom or clear insight (“Vipassana bhavana”)

The ultimate objective is to reach the unshakable tranquility and purity of mind, which is the foundation of insight leading to deliverance from the cycle of rebirth and misery.

With regard to Buddha’s attitude towards psychology, it is fair to conclude that “Abhidamma” is psychology, as he places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of the role of the mind. We need to recognize the fact that mind is the forerunner of all mental states. Kamma which is the pivot on which Buddha Dhamma revolves is generated by speech, body and mind. It is also a mental factor (cheithasika). The importance of the mind in Buddhism in the five aggregates (panchakkandha), where four of the five are mental components. Of the thirty seven factors of enlightenment the majority of factors listed are mental. In the eightfold path which is the essence of Buddhism all the right factors are “cheithasika” (mental factors). They are beautiful mental factors. Thus the supreme role of mind is stressed. Buddhism based its philosophy on suffering, its diagnosis and cure and treatment. It can be interpreted as psychiatry a branch of psychology. An important role is given to speech in thinking in Buddhism, which is now collaborated by research in psychology. When these facts are evaluated one must conclusively accept the important role played by the mind in Buddhism. A new awareness of inner world mental processes is also a Buddhist development. Buddhism’s preoccupation with analysis of mind resulted in a remarkable revelation of the mental processes.

Thus Buddha Dhamma is teaching of the mind, the operations or processes of the mind, and the deliverance of the mind, it is taught that it is the root of all behaviours. It had an object to serve, the outlook of the individual as merely as an impermanent complex, with no essential reality. In the Nikayas, the outlook and the individual is predominantly one of mind in its manifold workings determining levels of behaviour. In the “Sutras”, the individual is presented as beyond human voluntary control. These prove the power of mind, as explained in Buddhism in various contexts.

Religions have their starting point. Buddhism begins with the Buddha’s search of mind. Buddha’s doctrine is a teaching deep-rooted in psychology. His theories are absolutely unique in the history of religions. Over the decades psychologists have studied the course of mental activities of sensations, perception, speech, thought, consciousness and mind. These studies have forcibly made us aware how close these are to Buddha’s teaching, and yet how far they are. But the similarities are more striking.

It is important to understand a people’s world view in order to administer to them effectively. What do we mean by world view? World view is defined as the “outlook upon the universe that is characteristic of a people. It is the picture the members of a society have of the properties and characters upon their stage of action.”

The world view of a people governs their perception of the material and spiritual universe and their response to the elements perceived within the universe. A people’s world view determined their social order and their traditional beliefs. Africans have a world view which has defined for the African a religious perception. It is no wonder, then, that we find in many of today’s churches in Africa a people living in accordance with the perceptions of two world views – that of African Traditional Religion and that of Christianity.

Are we right to say Africans have a religion of their own? Let’s firstly consider that which constitutes religion. One attempt to define religion expresses it in the following way. “Any system of beliefs, symbols and rituals that make life meaningful and intelligible”.1 E. Bolaji Idowu looks at religion as inherent in the innermost being of man and prevalent in the circumstances of life. It is always with us at every moment of life.2 John S. Mbiti describes Africans as notoriously religious. From place-to-place within the continent, each people has its own religious system with a set of beliefs and practices. The religion of the African permeates into all departments of life in such a way that it becomes difficult or impossible to always isolate beliefs and practices from life-style.3

As one travels from place-to-place within the African continent, Mbiti’s statement can readily be substantiated. One interacts with a people who have a belief system handed down by their ancestors. That belief system is inherent in the innermost being of the African. Therefore, we see a people who before the Christian era in Africa practiced their own religion.

The local church in Africa has the mission of the church to accomplish. Should it accomplish its mission through confronting and rejecting African religion or culture? Or, should it accomplish its mission through a fusion of African religion and culture which would enhance the mission of the Church and fulfill its nature while letting the word of God take preeminence?

The writer would subscribe to the last question. The last question stands in line with the approach of the mission of the first century church. Paul incorporated aspects of the people’s social framework (religion/culture) which would enhance the mission of the church while letting the revelation of God in Scripture take preeminence. It is important, therefore, for the Pastor who would administer the local church in an African context to have a perception of African world view. He does so in order to make his administering both biblically and contextually relevant to the people.

We will now go on to consider aspects of African world view and the necessity of African world view for administering the local church.

Aspects of African World View

1. View about the Universe.

Different tribal groups have myths which ascribe the creation of the universe to God. The nature and attributes of God are expressed through different names. The universe is conceived of as both visible and invisible.

There is law and order in the universe. This order is seen in the laws of nature, in moral order which governs community life, in religious order which prevents the community from offending departed ancestors or the divinities, in the mystical order which is hidden in the universe. Power emanates from the mystical order and is available to spirits and to certain human beings. Man sees himself as the center of the universe. There he utilizes the power of the universe in order to live in consonance with the universe.4

2. Belief in a Supreme Being

This Supreme Being is the Creator God. Myths among various African tribes ascribe the creation of the universe to God. The Mendes refer to him as Ngewo; the Konos as Yata; the Temnes as Kuru. The Ashanti people of Ghana call him Nyame. The Yoruba call him Olorun which means “owner of the sky.” There are various myths also which explain the extreme transcendence of God.5

3. Belief in spirits

Nature spirits are of two kinds:

i Divinities

These categories of nature spirits are conceived of as God’s agents or personification. They are associated with major phenomena of nature such as the sun, the moon, the stars, “the falling stars,” rain, storm wind, thunder and lightening.6For instance, in Yoruba tradition, the divinity sango represents the manifestation of God’s wrath; thus he is the divinity of thunder and lightening.7

ii Spirits

This category of spirits are immaterial and incorporeal beings. They may on occasions, however, assume any form if they wish to be seen. They are regarded as ubiquitous – “there is no area of the earth, no object or creature, which has not a spirit of its own.” These spirits inhabit trees, rocks, forests, lakes, streams, rivers, animals insects, mountains and hills. They are also associated with certain diseases.8

b. Ancestral Spirits

In African understanding, human life does not end in death. The dead becomes a “living dead”. Ceremonies are performed in honor of the dead and there is dependence on the dead for protection, provision and good luck. It is the view that the dead can communicate especially through dreams. The concept of “living dead” connotes that the ancestors have merely transferred from physical existence to a spiritual existence but they still remain an integral part of the human life of the living kith and kin.9

4. View of Man

In African myths of the created universe, man is put as the center of the universe. God is transcendent and he lives in the heavenly part of the universe. Man lives on the earth and he becomes the one who links the universe with its creator. African peoples consider the usefulness of the universe to man. Thus, man seeks what the world can do for him and how he can use the world for his own good.

Man is not the master of the universe. He is only the center. Forces outside of Man, in the spirit world, control the order of the universe. Consequently, Man’s primary task is to live in consonance with the forces that govern the universe through obeying the Laws of the natural order, the moral order, the religious order and the mystical order. The natural order has to do with moral laws which the supreme being has given human communities in order to maintain sanity. The religious order has to do with obeying of taboos. The mystical order has to do with the power contained in the universe.10

We have cited four broad aspects of the African world view. It is these aspects which account for the nature of the organization of traditional African communities. The organization is influenced by the underlying philosophy that the spiritual universe is a unit with the physical universe. Therefore, for the African, the spiritual universe and the material universe “intermingle and dovetail into each other so much so that it is not easy, or even necessary at times to draw a distinction or separate them”11

Practices within African World View

What practices, then, emanate from the African Philosophy of the Universe? The pivotal practice is that of communal living. In a village community, there is the Chief, the elders and families. In some cases, some families combine to form clans. Communal living is described as pivotal because it is around it that other practices revolve.

There are laws which govern the communal structure. Such laws exist to enable the community to maintain harmony with the spiritual universe and derive benefits therewith. Therefore, it is incumbent on everyone to keep the laws. The breaking of community laws or taboos is sin because it disrupts the moral and religious order.

Sin falls into two categories: Major sins and Minor sins. Major sins include violation of tribal taboos, such as the revealing of the secrets of a secret society; adultery with a neighbors or the wife of a relative, stealing; murder; and witchcraft. Minor sins include lying, cheating, trespassing on a neighbor’s property, child abuse, bitterness, disobedience, selfishness, failure to show hospitality to strangers, unkindness, petty stealing and related matters.

Major sins are dealt with at community level while minor sins are dealt with by families or friends. Severe punishments are given for major sins. We need to note that sin is not an offense against God. Rather, it is an offense against the community or against cosmic order. Therefore, forgiveness consists of the acceptance of the guilty person(s) by the community after the prescribed penalty has been fulfilled.12

Communal living incorporates several practices. Let us consider some key practices. First, there is the offering of sacrifices. Sacrifices are offered to the nature spirits (or divinities) when a taboo is violated, a sin committed, or when illness occurs in the family or bad dreams or repeated failures in endeavors. sacrifices are offered to ward off evil spirits.13 Sacrifices are offered to the ancestors as an act of propitiation or to seek help.14 Second, there is the practice of initiation. Initiation transforms the individual from an outsider in the community to an insider, it marks the dawn of transition into adulthood; it provides a medium for education on tribal heritage.15 Third, there is the practice of marriage. The family is the basic unit of the village. Marriage is considered a sacred act because God gave it as the means for maintaining an on-going flow of life on earth. He who refuses to be married is considered as committing a major offense against society and people will not deal kindly with him.16 Fourthly, there are the observance of various forms of rituals: rituals for the new-born; rituals for deceased persons; rituals for agricultural seasons et cetera.

The African philosophy of the universe and its resultant effect in the organization of communal living has led to the developing of African values. The following ten values are found among communities of African peoples.

1. Concern for sacredness of life

Myths among African tribes ascribe the creation of man to God, so life is considered God-given. Therefore, it must not be willfully and callously destroyed. In view of this, there are heavy fines and penalties for murder. Some who commit suicide are denied funeral rites.

2. A people-Centered Orientation

The people are linked to the Chief who is the divine ruler. A good Chief is one who is people-centered and that would be reflected in the way he takes care of his people. Africans place more premium on people.

3. A Sense of Community

The African does not live in isolation of the community. There is mutual support between the individual and the community – the individual contributes to the community and the community contributes to the individual. Festivals and rituals contribute to the well-being of the community and give a personal sense of belonging to the individual; thus, it is mandatory for each one to participate. The more serious crimes are those committed against society.

4. Respect for Age

Old age is a crown for the African. In traditional African society, young men do not sit in councils; rather, it is the old men. This goes with the belief that wisdom goes with age. The old folks are respected in the village.

5. A Holistic View of Reality

There is no dichotomy between the sacred and the secular in African world view; no dichotomy between individual and community; no dichotomy between the visible world and the invisible world. Reality is one unit. It cannot be compartmentalized.

6. Respect for nature and tolerance of other religions

Man is the center of the universe; yet, he does not consider himself the master. He acknowledges forces outside of himself, which are powerful. Nature offers power through herbal medicines so man respects nature by living in consonance with it. There is also tolerance towards other religions and, often time, syncretism results.

7. Respect of history

There is a strong historical consciousness in African world view. History informs the individual or community as well as instructs. A high regard is put on historical values and traditions. Such values and traditions are passed on orally.

8. Concern for Morality

There is strong regard for morals and ethics. Morals and ethics have more of a community dimension rather than a personal one. We discussed this earlier when we considered the category of sins. The motive for ethics is to maintain honor rather than bring shame to the community.

9. Concern for Power

Man seeks to have power to maintain harmony with the universe. The African recognizes his co-existence with good spirits and malevolent spirits. He seeks to obtain power for his own protection and for the protection and welfare of the community. It is in this regard that the medicine men, the diviners, mediums and seers become a legitimate entity.

10. Concern for the Now

There is no distinct future in the understanding of the African. There is the emphasis of living well now so as to continue in that same status when one dies and becomes a part of the invisible world. The invisible world is interwoven in the visible.17

We have reflected on aspects of African world view so as to give the pastor of the local church in Africa a concise understanding of he culture and people which constitute the sphere of his administration. The local church in the African context has been strongly influenced by the forms of Western Christianity brought by missionaries of the colonial and post-colonial periods. Some have created rifts between Christianity and African culture out of ignorance of the cultural values. If the local church is to be administered biblically and contextually, then an understanding of the African world view ought to be given serious consideration.

Necessity of African world View for Administering the Local Church

Is a perception of African world view necessary for administering the local church in Africa? There are several considerations which after they have been discussed will have the answer implicit in them.

1. The Nature of the Church

We should note that the Church is the ecclesia of God, the body of Christ and the Koinonia of redeeming love. The term ecclesia parallels the African understanding of community. The concept of ‘body of Christ’ parallels the understanding of people-centerdness. The term Koinonia parallels the functional aspect of body-life in the African practice of community and people-centerdness. The pastor of the local church, then, already has a people with a social structure which can enhance the mission of the Church.

2. The Mission of the Church

The Mission of the church involves warning and teaching everyone in order to present everyone perfect in Christ. Furthermore, it involves preparing God’s people for works of service.

Many have engaged in carrying out the mission of the church among African peoples but they have done so from preconceived notions. Consequently, rather than making a break-through, barriers were built. Others claim to have a perception of African world view but lack knowledge of the mission of the church. Consequently, an African Christian Church is established in which all of African traditions, rather than Christ, is the center.

The pastor’s task in administering the local church cannot produce positive results for the Kingdom of God if he lacks two key factors: (i) A perception of African world view; and (ii) An understanding of the mission of the church. In Chapters one to six we have discussed the elements involved in the administering of the local church.

3. The image of Western Christianity

Western Christianity has been equated with biblical Christianity. As a result, the cultural elements of the west have filtered along with the gospel as Western missionaries proclaimed the good news. That image exists today in the form of church liturgies, the musical instruments that are used, in the form of dressing, in the style of music, in the structure of church buildings et cetera.

If a truly biblically-centered African church is to be established in Africa, Western cultural forms which do not fit an African world view should be replaced by African thought-forms and practices.

4. The need to enhance ministry

The African has a holistic view of reality. There is a no dichotomy between sacred and secular, individual and community, visible and invisible world. He is concerned about community, visible and invisible world. He is concerned about power for protection and the keeping of consonance with the universe. Will a cold, formal Christianity achieve the objective of mission among the Africans? No! He wants a vibrant Christianity – a Christianity with the manifestations of God’s power and the guarantee of protection over him.

The pastor who administers without a perception of African world view administers a church where the felt traditional needs of the people are not met. Therefore, the people hold on to that which meets their felt needs. Christianity, as such, becomes a religion of convenience or a family heritage or a community interactive group. It bears no Christ-centered substance for the people.

5. The fostering of constructive Apologies

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and The Life, no one comes to the father except through me.” (Jn.14:6). This claim of Jesus carries two aspects to it: (i) the claim to particularity; and (ii) the claim to universality.

Particularity refers to distinctiveness. The distinctiveness of the claim is that it is through Christ alone, on the basis of His substitutionary atonement for sinners, that sinful humanity can obtain forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God and the assurance of a future life in God’s presence.

Universality, on the other hand, refers to absoluteness. The universality of the claim denotes that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not intended only for the geographical zone where Christ proclaimed His Gospel. Jesus’ commission to the disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 confirms the universality of the mission of Jesus.

Therefore, in administering the local church in the African context the pastor has to engage himself in constructive apologetics. This would involve presenting the claims of Christ and the absolute authority of the word of God in the Bible over culture. But in doing this, the pastor must firstly fully understand the Biblical world view and the African world view. Then he proceeds from this standpoint of comprehensive knowledge of both world views to determine three aspects of the African world view: (i) aspects which are diametrically opposed to biblical world view; (ii) aspects which are amoral in relation to the biblical world view. and need careful interpretation; and (iii) aspects which are complementary with the biblical world view.

The pastor should be involved in administering the local church through organization, through promoting stewardship, through pastoral nurture, through mobilizing the church for evangelism and through church planting. The three aspects categorized above would greatly influence the pastor’s task in administering the local church in the African context. Constructive, contextualized apologetics cannot be fostered unless the pastor has a thorough perception of the African view of the world and the implications of that world view on African thought forms and practices.

The five aforementioned considerations give us a yes answer to the question which was posed earlier in this section. a perception of African world view is certainly necessary for administering the local church in Africa. It is unfortunate, however, that in some situations pastors do not have a comprehensive knowledge of the African world view. Consequently, they end up administering the church with a westernized version of theology. such uninformed pastors produce a congregation of misinformed people who may develop any of the following attitudes: (i) reject their cultural values in the name of a misinformed Christianity; (ii) inwardly reject the version of Christianity presented to them and firmly hold on to their African tradition in all its fullness; yet they feel compelled to remain in the church due to certain external conditions; (iii) reject the church and its teachings and continue in their African tradition.

End Notes

1Jack Redford, Planting New Churches Nashville: Broadman Press, 1978.

2Annie Gressman, The Pastor (Kenya: Evangel Publishing House, 1957), pp. 9-10.

3Ibid., p. 34

4Fred Plog and Daniel G Bates, Cultural Anthropology (New York: Alfred A Knoff, Inc., 1976), p. 226.

5E Bolaji Idowu, African Traditional Religion – “A Definition” (London: SCM Pres Ltd., 1978), p. 1.

6John S Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, (London: Heineman Educational Books Ltd., 1970), p.76.

7John S Mbiti, Introduction to African Religion, (London: Sheldon Press, 1976), pp. 32-40.

8Geoffry Parrinder, African Traditional Religion, (London Sheldon Press, 1976), pp.32-40.

9Mbiti, Introduction to African Religion, pp. 66-67.

10Mbiti, African Religions, and Philosophy, p.76.

11Idowu, p. 174.

12Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 83.

13Mbiti, Introduction to African Religion, pp. 32-39

14Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, p. 75.

15Tolunboh Adeyemo, Salvation in African Tradition (Nairobi: Evangel Publishing House, 1979), pp. 54-56.

16Parrinder, pp. 72-73.

17Ibid., p. 62.

This phenomenon occurred last year (and in 2003), so this means that the next occurrence is in 2007, not this year. This e-mail is such a classic example of a hoax, that it is totally unbelievable that people still fall for this and distributes these lies to everyone they know. The e-mail states “This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars”. It takes Earth 365 days to complete an orbit around the sun. Earth’s orbital track is smaller than the orbital track of Mars, therefore it takes Mars longer to complete an orbit around the sun. Now explain to me how do Mars orbit around the sun twice in a matter of two months?

“Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.” It looks like the creators of this e-mail could not make up their minds about how long it will take for the next occurrence. The year 2287 is 281 years from now, almost 3 century’s, now they suddenly speak of 60 millenniums. There are references to several scientific words and phrases in this e-mail that only a NASA scientist will understand, so how is it possible that they can’t do simple maths while they possess the knowledge of an astrologist? NASA states that Earth has not been this close to Mars for the last 60000 years, I guess that is what got them mixed up.

“The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth”. Notice how they don’t reference the year. This makes it extremely easy to use the same message next year and the years thereafter. It will be really silly if people forward this e-mail in September, but it is not impossible, people tend to miss little details like this because they read their mail like zombies, they don’t always think about what they read. This is maybe the biggest reason why we get so many spam and chain letters forwarded to our inboxes these days.

“Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.”

I guess once Mars looks as large as the full moon we should start worrying seriously.

Do you take them personally and conclude you are not as good as you thought you were? Do you beat yourself up and languish in pain and misery over them? Or even worse, do you use them as reasons to give up or change your goal or profession? Do you fear them so much that they end up becoming self-fulfilling prophecies? All of the above are common reactions to mistakes and / or failing that many people sometimes or regularly make.

As common as the above reactions are, they do not come naturally to us, but rather are learned in our environment. Very early on in life almost all of us begin to dislike making mistakes and failing. Thank goodness that we are not born that way, or it is likely that none of us ever would have learned to walk or talk. Can you imagine babies trying to walk and each time they fail berating themselves about what a screw-up they are? Or imagine if they attempt to talk and gobble-de-gook comes out and they conclude they are not good at talking and give up to focus their energy on drooling − which they are already pretty good at doing.

One of the key differences I have noticed in the higher performing people I work with is the way in which they view their mistakes and failures. First, they tend to be much more understanding of them in the sense that they know they are going to happen. Viewing mistakes and failures as inevitable turns them into part of the process of getting better versus the more common belief that they are a threat to their own value or competence.

Secondly, they have an understanding that if they want to get better they have to constantly be attempting things that are currently out of their reach. No one ever learned to ride a bicycle by staying on a tricycle. In other words, no progress is made without risks. They understand the more things they attempt, the more things they learn to do and the more skilled they will become.

The best of the best that I have worked with are able to completely distance their ego from their mistakes. Failure and mistakes are looked upon as necessary annoyances that will enable them to reach their goals faster. When people ask me how to reach their goal (s) faster, my standard reply is that it's simple, just learn to fail successfully faster and more often.

The great basketball coach John Wooden once told me that most people think the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win, but he has found the opposite to be true. When teams are not making mistakes, they are usually playing it safe and not striving for greatness.

Wouldn't it be great if everyone looked at their mistakes and failures simply as gifts of learning new ways to do things? The truth is, nothing is stopping any of us from doing just that. Like anything, with deliberate practice this will become a habit, and there's a high likelihood that if you adopt this attitude it will enhance your happiness and success.

The Police And Media Investigation

The Big Four Main Suspects In The Murder Of Elizabeth Short

The Los Angeles police department was heading down a path of finding the killer whom had to have known “Elizabeth Short” in some way or another. There were hundreds of people looked at and investigated in this singular investigative thought. In the end the detectives had settled into the idea that the murder had to have been done by a doctor because of the way the body was cut in half and drained of blood. The body was laid out in “Leimert Park” where “Two” doctor suspects lived also.

There’s 4 possible persons who you could see as of having knowledge of the area in which “Elizabeth Short” was dumped. Two were doctors, one lived in the area and the other used to live in the area and had an ex wife that still did live there in the home her ex husband doctor owned. The third was “Elisabeth’s” father who repaired refrigeration units and had to travel to different parts of the city constantly. Her father would have known about this vacant soon to be built area 3 miles away that had great potential for future refrigeration work. The 4th was a “Mafia Boss” named “Micky Cohen” who did not order a hit on “Elizabeth” but may have told his “Serial Killer Soldier” crew to get a brutalized body and dump it in vacant area near a rival “Mafia Boss” named “Jack Dragna” who had a home in this area also and the body was a message.

“Elizabeth Short” was an alcoholic “Bar Fly” and her coming into contact with some upper class doctors isn’t out of the question but I don’t see the doctor profiles being “Maniac” and killing her in the sadistic way she was murdered. The person who killed “Elizabeth” was out to send a strong message.

Other claims about who the killer was have been made over the decades. “Mark Hansen” was another prime suspect but there is nothing at all for the police to latch onto except some of the then “Mafia” came to his night club now and again. The police even tossed his house 3 years later looking for blood evidence.

“Glynn Wolfe” was another suspect but again, “There’s No Connection” other than “Elizabeth” lived with 8 other women in a top floor apartment of the building he owned. I can’t see “Elizabeth” ever having any contact with “Glynn Wolfe” because there was indeed an apartment manager hired to run the day to day affairs of the building and who did recall “Elizabeth”.

Doctor “Walter Bayley” whos daughter was a good friend of Elizabeth Short’s sister had his doctors office.08 miles away from the Biltmore Hotel where Elizabeth was last seen. Elizabeth’s sister was married at this doctors “Leimert Park” home and the doctors daughter was the matron of honor.

Nothing I read ever stated the daughter’s doctor father attended this wedding so it’s really unclear if “Elizabeth Short” ever knew this doctor or even met him. There’s no circumstantial evidence or connection to the killing of “Elizabeth Short”. The doctor owned a home in the area his ex wife lived in and the doctor could make a clean straight cut so he was in the media’s eye a suspect.

The wedding at “Walter Bayley’s” ex wife home was between a soldier named “Adrian” and “Elizabeth Short’s” sister “Virgnia”. “Adrian” had absolutely no connection with the family of “Dr. Walter Bailey”. “Adrian” met the daughter of “Dr. Walter Bayley” at a church they both attended. The daughter of “Dr. Walter Bayley” invited “Adrian” to use her mothers home for his wedding to “Elizabeth Short’s” sister “Virginia”. “THAT’S IT!”.

The problem I have with this wedding at “Walter Bayley’s” home is it was a quickie wedding. “Adrian” the husband of “Virginia Short” who was stationed in the military in the Los Angeles area of California and called “Virginia Short” in Massachusetts to travel to California for their wedding. “Adrian” was previously stationed near “Virginia Short” in Massachusetts” where they met. “Adrian” was in a church group where he was living and arranged the wedding be held at the home of one of his church group member’s family home in “Leimert Park”. What’s really strange is there is nothing said of “Walter Bayley” or “Elizabeth Short” ever attending this wedding.

“Elizabeth” did write her family letters now and again. It’s unknown if “Elizabeth” even knew her sister was in Los Angeles getting married. Did “Elizabeth” even go to her sisters wedding? “Elizabeth” did for a fact know her sister lived in Berkeley Calif. and this has been proven.

It’s just assumed “Elizabeth Short” and “Walter Bayley” did attend the wedding of “Virginia Short” and “Adrian”? Remember, at the time of the wedding “Walter Bayley” did not live in the home and his wife had filed for divorce. It’s not even clear that “Virginia Short” became friends with “Walter Bayley’s” daughter until after the wedding. Hell, the first time “Virginia Short” was ever out in California was for her marriage to “Adrian” who was only a “Church Friend” with “Walter Bayley’s” daughter so how the hell could “Virginia Short” be friends with a girl she never met before the wedding? I don’t think “Elizabeth Short” or “Walter Bayley” were even at the wedding so how the hell could “Elizabeth” know “Walter”?

“Walter Bayley” was this doctors name and he was a prime suspect because he was a doctor with an office less than 1 mile away from the Biltmore Hotel where Elizabeth was last seen and “Elizabeth Short” was bisected right under her rib cage perfectly. “Walter Bayley” also owned the home where his ex-wife lived 1 block away from where the body of “Elizabeth Short” was dumped. “Walter Bayley” was the number 1 prime suspect at first but he too was “Cleared” of any involvement. The murder could have been done in a medical clinic the killer had access to before the body was dumped. Linking a suspect with medical knowledge and a medical clinic would be the perfect scenario for the police and newspapers but it was a false chase.

“Cleo Short” Elizabeth Short’s father lived in L.A. also at “1020 South Kingsley Drive” when his daughter was murdered. Elizabeth Short was last seen 3.4 miles away from where her father lived in downtown Los Angeles. When “Harry Hansen” the detective interviewed “Cleo Short” for the first time he was extremely drunk and vulgar with the detective. “Harry Hansen” again interviewed “Cleo Short” for a second time when he was sober and “Cleo Short” told the detective he wanted nothing to do with his daughter and had no emotions about her death. “Cleo Short” it seemed hated his daughter and family even though in 1943 he let his daughter live with him trying to make amends with his children.

“Cleo Short” made a deal with his daughter “Elizabeth” in 1943 and she just walked all over him. The deal was she would clean his home and cook for him now and again and she failed. “Elizabeth” would not even clean up after herself and just laid around all day and partied all night so her father kicked her to the road. The fighting between “Cleo” and “Elizabeth” was so intense he finally threw her out. “Cleo Short” in other words “spit on his daughters grave” to make the point.

“Cleo Short” worked in the refrigeration industry. As I stated in my personal thoughts I was going to focus on people who knew the area where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was dumped and her father would have known this area because of the refrigeration work he did. “Cleo Short” would have had to travel all over Los Angeles to do repair work.

What makes “Cleo Short” a prime suspect in my eyes is the refrigeration company “Cleo” worked for would almost with certainty had to have supplied “Cleo” with a “Panel Van” or truck of some kind to carry tools and parts in. Did the police ever think about finding this “Panel Van” and tossing it for blood evidence? The “Panel Van” would have been an idea place to cut “Elizabeth’s” body in half then put the cleaned body half’s in his car for disposal. Elizabeth could have easily hopped on a “Trolley” and traveled to her fathers home at any time between Jan. 9th and 14th.

The body dump area in “Leimert Park” is 4.3 miles from the “Kingsley Drive” residence of “Cleo Short”. The detective “Harry Hansen” never had probable cause to search the home of “Cleo Short” for evidence of a murder. No one could place “Elizabeth Short” at her fathers residence the night of the murder so the detectives could not, “Toss The Place”.

There’s nothing I’ve read that states “Elizabeth” even knew her father lived just a few miles from her in Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles. The police found out “Cleo” lived in Los Angeles but how did they find out? Did “Elizabeth” have his address or was “Cleo” found by a search of the city’s database and good old fashioned police work of tracking down all family members in the United States?

Cleo Short passed away on the “19th Of January, 1967” at the age of 81. Did “Cleo” ever get enraged about “Elizabeth” finding and contacting him in Los Angeles? if he ever was contacted by his daughter?

Doctor “George Hodel” the son of L.A. detective “Steven Hodel” whom lived one block away from where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was dumped and is one hell of a prime suspect also. This guys brain was rocked as he was accused of molesting his daughter and not found guilty most likely because his wife “Dorothy” protected him. I guess “Dorothy” was enjoying her life as a well off doctors wife. I read some of “Dorothy Hodel’s” statements and she was the wall that kept her husband innocent even though he could have been guilty.

“Steven Hodel” was NOT an LAPD detective at the time of the “Black Dahlia” murder. “Steven Hodel” was just a small child and had absolutely nothing to do with the “Black Dahlia” investigation. This accusation by “Steven Hodel” against his father “George Hodel” came many decades later.

Dr. George Hodel was made a suspect because he attended lots of party’s. The problem with this is “Elizabeth Short” wasn’t know to attend private parties. “Elizabeth” always frequented the bars so she could get free drinks, food and of course, “Beg For Money” without having to “Slut” herself. Private parties would have meant she would have had to have sex more often than she did and put up with job offers.

It has been claimed by “George Hodel’s” son “Steven Hodel” that his father “Dr. George Hodel” kept “Elizabeth Short” in his garage or in some stories I read his basement while she was pregnant with his fathers child but this is to far fetched to believe and most likely was written up this way for “Book Profits” by his detective son. Come On!, a pregnant women then a book that tells the story different later? This is one of those outrageous falsehoods that keep circulating around from person to person for a gain in profits.

“Mickey Cohen” ran his own crime family in Los Angeles under the “New York” supervision of “Bugsy Siegel”. All Los Angeles mafia activity was controlled by the New York Mob and “Lucky Luciano”. “Bugsy Siegel” and “Mickey Cohen” were “Jewish”. Did “Mickey Cohen” or any of the other Mafia bosses order the hit on “Elizabeth Short? I personally do not think any hits were ordered directly on her but “Mickey Cohen” could have told his soldiers to dump a mutilated body from the Skid Row are near “Jack Dragna’s” home which was located 4 blocks from the dump site in “Leimert Park”. “Jack Dragna” was an Italian but was ordered to work with “Mickey Cohen” by the New York Mafia. “Mickey Cohen” was a brutal killer himself without question.

“Mickey Cohen” and “Jack Dragna” hated each other and even though they both were united in working under “Bugsy Siegel” both took little shots at each other from time to time. In June of 1947 when “Bugsy Siegel” was killed both “Mickey Cohen” and “Jack Dragna” went to war against each other and the bodies really started to pile up.

“Elizabeth Short’s” face had been cut from the corners of her mouth to her ears. This is called the “Glasgow Smile” used by “Mafia Members” in Scotland. This “Glasgow Smile” had police also looking for someone who was of “Scottish or Irish” descent. When “Mickey Cohen” was boxing one of his two boxing ring aliases was, “Irish Mickey Cohen” even though “Mickey Cohen” was of Ukraine decent and Jewish.

“Mickey Cohen” always sided with the “Italian New York Mob” because they had the power, cash and resources. “Mickey Cohen” had plenty of “Irish” in his mob family along with Italians and probably was associated with “Irish And Scottish” mafia street gang families when he was growing up and lived in New York. The “Glasgow Smile” most likely was picked up from his years in New York Irish and Scottish street gangs.

This “Glasgow Smile” that was done to “Elizabeth Shorts” face is clearly a key clue in determining that that the killing of “Elizabeth” was connected to “Mickey Cohen’s” Los Angeles crime family. The second clue will be who in “Mickey Cohens” crime family did it. The “Glasgow Smile” was done as a clear message to “Jack Dragna” who lived 4 1/2 blocks away from the body dump site.

The Police Investigation

I’d like to say the police knew who the killer was and just could not prove it but this was never the case. Several years later in 1949 when “Mark Hansen’s” taxi driver girlfriend shot him the police searched his home where Elizabeth Short was staying looking for her blood and did not find any. This search just proved the police had absolutely no idea who the killer was. Detective “Harry Hansen (No Relationship To “Mark Hansen”) even stated he had no contact with the killer when interviewing suspects and that statement was true.

There was an attempted murder of “Viola Norton” on Feb. 14th, 1948 one year and one month after “Elizabeth’s” body was found dumped but “Viola” survived. She told the police two men abducted her and beat her to no end. She was found one block from where “Elizabeth Short” was dumped and the police still did not make the connection to “ONE” mentally ill serial killer person lurking around in the night killing all kinds of women. The police kept investigating people whom “Elizabeth” interacted with and were in the address book that was given to the police by the killer.

This “Serial Killer” gave the police “Mark Hansen’s” address book stolen by “Elizabeth Short” and the police went right after investigating the names in the address book only, leaving alone the possibility that a “Rogue Stranger” not in anyone’s social circle or address book was lurking in the streets killing women at random. Really, “The killer Is Going To Give The Police An Address Book With His/Her Name And Phone Number In It”. Sounds like the 1947 Los Angeles Police Dept. were all on the “Stupid Pill”.

The killer of “Elizabeth Short” was in possession of her personal belonging she carried on her. This serial killer contacted a Los Angeles newspaper and told them he would be sending her belongings to them. These belongings included her “Birth Certificate”, “Business Cards”, “Photographs” and “The Address Book She Stole From Mark Hansen”. Did “Elizabeth” have a “Bank Account Book (Passbook)” that wasn’t returned? She as all women do have a purse full of beauty products and some sort of container they kept their money in. These items were not returned and most likely kept as souvenirs as most serial killers do. “Elizabeth’s” bank account book was most likely kept by the serial killer also.

Los Angeles was murder central in 1947 with bodies being found all over the city. You will read that all the L.A. murders in this time period were due to returning soldiers and this is not true. The fact of the matter is all the murders were due to men going into the military to fight WWII and leaving police departments short of recruits and officers on the streets. It took years after the war for police departments to get enough officers trained to bring down the crime rate. Without police all the loonies come out to get involved in criminal activity especially mafia groups.

The Police Investigating The Countless Murders Were Clueless

All these murders were investigated as individual murders done by the U.S. military coming back from a brutal war. Serial Killers were not even looked at before the 1960’s or even dealt with until the 1970’s. There were no investigations of serial killers until the 1970’s when hoards of them started leaving bodies all over towns and cities. There’s still people that don’t believe a serial killer was in play with these 1940’s murders. The media has people trained to believe that all these murders were done individually by soldiers returning back to the U.S. from combat. How screwed up some people are to follow that line of thought when history has proved all serial killers that have been caught were really sick individuals who have “Never Been In The Military”.

Finding out who killed “Elizabeth” wasn’t a matter of looking at suspects as to which one had a singular problem with “Elizabeth” and wanted her dead. Looking at who killed “Elizabeth” is a matter of looking for a single serial killer personality who was murdering many women just to piss off the police for fun. The problem with the police back before the 1970’s is they never investigated multiple murders as being by a mentally ill serial killer. This serial killer was “Never” found. Many murders gave gone unsolved most likely due to police departments not investigating these murders as a group of killings being done by one person.

There have been “Serial Murders” for centuries and beyond that were only investigated as individual crimes. “Jack The Ripper” was the first “Serial Murderer” in 1880 that became just as big of a public sensation as “The Black Dahlia”. Even though they used the term “Serial Murder” way back when they always investigated each murder “Individually” or in the “Singular Sense” and “NOT” as a group of many killings done by one person. It wasn’t until 1966 that the term “Serial Killer” was coined in the U.S. in a book. In 1974 the term “Serial Killer” started to take hold and the police finally started to investigate many related murders as a group of killings done by one individual.

My Final Thoughts As To Who Killed Elizabeth Short

“Viola Norton” Told The Tale Of What Happened To The “Black Dahlia”

My final thoughts on the killing of “Elizabeth Short” is that nobody knew she was back in Los Angeles after her month long stay in San Diego. Something spooked “Elizabeth” at the “Chancellor Apartments” or she had “Stolen Or Borrowed Some Money” and somebody was looking for her to get it back so off to San Diego she went. Whatever the reason was that “Elizabeth” went to San Diego it wasn’t the reason she was murdered on January 15th. I do know she was “Never” broke.

All the hundreds upon hundreds of suspects looked at and interviewed were all cleared of any involvement in the murder of “Elizabeth Short” because there was no connection or evidence. The two doctors were the most likely suspects but no one could put “Elizabeth” as ever knowing these doctors. The doctors just fit into the profile in some way or another and lived in the area of the body dump. “Elizabeth’s” father is suspect because he kicked “Elizabeth” out of his “Vallejo” home and after he moved to Los Angeles “Elizabeth” may have shown up which would have lit the fuse on the firecracker. If “Elizabeth” looked up her father and found out where he lived and contacted him he may have become violent.

My conclusion on the “Elizabeth Short” murder, “She Was Murdered By A Pair Of Rogue Mafia Serial Killer Soldiers Who Were Lets Say, Off Duty Prowling For Victims” and working together side by side in the “Alhambra” and “Downtown Los Angeles South Main Street” area during the 1946 through 1949 years. After 1949 a murder in the San Diego area was reported that matched the murders in Los Angeles. My thoughts are with all the media coverage of the “Elizabeth Short” murder her serial killers went to San Diego and did a murder after they found out “Elizabeth” was in San Diego just to mess with the police.

“Viola Norton” stated she was snatched off the streets of Alhambra next the downtown area of Los Angeles by “Two Men”, beaten up and left for dead in the area where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was found. “Viola Norton’s” body was found on Feb. 14th 1948 beaten to a pulp but she survived and told her story to the police whom were blinded by their own thoughts.

These two serial killers were all over the Los Angeles area suburbs actually including the Long Beach/Santa Monica areas and their murder victims in these areas most likely were just tucked away in some suburb police file as another victim of an unsolved murder that could not be solved. In the 1940’s one major newspaper was calling the murders they did publicize, “Another Victim Of The Werewolf” because there were so many. The newspapers did not print most of the murders, just the gruesome and high profile murders.

The chances of two serial killers getting together on their own, “NILL”. The chances of two serial killers getting together because they both were hired by the “Mafia” to do “Contract Killings”, “Yes”.

What happens when these serial killers hired to do contract killings are between contracts? They satisfy their need to kill by finding random victims to murder around Los Angeles like “Elizabeth Short” was killed. If you like to kill for sport and do not involve the “Mafia Bosses” in your extracurricular killings done on your own time the “Mafia” has some work for you. What people don’t realize is during the period before and after 1947 there were many “Mafia Paid and Trained Serial Killers” living in Los Angeles and some were “Serial Killers”.

What brought me to the final conclusion that the “Black Dahlia” was a victim of mafia serial killers was when I came across the attempted murder of “Viola Norton” on February 14th, 1948 which was a little over a year after “Elizabeth Short” was murdered. “Viola Norton” was beaten to a pulp but she survived and told the police, “Two Men Kidnapped Her Off Of A “Alhambra” Street At 1:30 am when she was walking home from a bar. “Viola Norton’s” body was found 1 block from where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was cut in half and placed. As I stated earlier in this article, the killer had to have known the area where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was dumped and these two killer’s surely would have known many areas in “Los Angeles” and the surrounding areas where they could dump bodies without being seen.

I found out a “Mafia Boss” named “Jack Dragna” lived just 4 1/2 blocks from where “Elizabeth Short’s” body was dumped which means “ALL MAFIA HIT MEN KNEW THIS AREA” and there were many “Mafia” hit men living in Los Angeles at this time. I also found out “Mickey Cohen” hated “Jack Dragna” to no end and “Mickey Cohen” was a “Flipped Out Violent Maniac” who would be well educated on the “Glaskow Smile”. I will go into the “Mafia” connection later in this article.

I looked into “Mafia Soldiers” at this time period and found out there were “Two Killers Who Were Dubbed, THE TWO TONY’S” who did indeed come to Los Angeles in 1946 and were working for “Mickey Cohen”. A short time after the “Two Tony’s” went to work for “Mickey Cohen” they quit and became “independent” contract killers.

The “Glasgow Smile”, “The Two Tony’s And Viola Norton’s Testimony” plus “Jack Dragna Living In The Area Of Elizabeth’s Body Dump Site” really tells the story.

The Night Of January 14th, 1947

“Elizabeth Short” at that time was still staying out late at the Greyhound bus station bar named the “Corral” in downtown Los Angeles on “Los Angeles Street And 6th”. It appears she always had enough cash to get her out partying at night and then home again before the “Trolley’s” stopped running while spending very little on her housing. When she did find housing for herself it was because someone else paid for it or she made a lot of money begging.

She used to walk up to people and ask them for money or give them a sob story about how down on her luck she was. Hell, $1.00 back then could feed you all day. One of her ex-boyfriends “Gordon Fickling” who was in the military sent her $100 not long before her death which was a good chunk of cash for those days.

Here’s a copy/pasted quote below I found from a woman police office who encountered “Elizabeth” at the Greyhound bus station on January 14, 1947. Was “Elizabeth” snatched off the sidewalk by these “Two Tony’s” serial killers not long after this police officer was in contact with her.

As for “Elizabeth” saying her father was coming to get her and her ex-boyfriend was going to kill her, well, those are just statements where she uses a family member or someone close as an excuse to get something or keep her out of trouble. In this case her false statements were to keep the Police Woman from busting her for “Panhandling” or “Begging”. The ex-marine boyfriend she said was going to kill her was the one that gave her the $100 before she was murdered.

Out of all the false claims made about “Elizabeth” sightings before she was murdered I do believe this one with the Police Woman contact which would be true since the statement was by a trained police officer who gave a statement to the newspaper:

Perhaps the last claim of seeing Elizabeth Short was made by policewoman Myrl McBride at a downtown Los Angeles bus station on January 14. Newspaper articles quoted McBride as saying the young woman, whom she later identified as Elizabeth Short, was “sobbing with terror” when she first saw her. The officer said that Beth asked for protection from “her marine boy friend who once threatened to kill me if he ever found me with another man.”

Newspapers reported that McBride took her back into the bar. According to the articles, Beth “talked with a woman and a tall man for a few seconds, then emerged. When cautioned to go home, the girl was quoted as having refused and returned to the station saying, ‘My daddy’s coming in two hours from now.'”

The articles said the encounter took place “some four hours before the murder.”

The “Greyhound” bus station building today looks nothing like the “Architectural Beauty” it once was in 1947. The building was “Redesigned” for maximum profit with the design features taken out which makes it “Drab” like a ghetto neighborhood.

The latest new addition to the Apple ‘i’ series, the iPad will or has most likely cost you a few hundred bucks but having been waiting now for some while finally you’re able to buy one for yourself. OK then just now, your new iPad is shiny and new and scratch free but maybe just maybe, that time will come when the sheen will die down and the surface may well somehow be scratched. Of course you probably believe that’s not going to happen, but it is a real possibility and what is more there is even a likelihood that one day you might even accidentally drop your new Apple iPad, it happens, believe it or not it does happen!

Best then that you spend a few dollars more on some form of protection for your new device.The iPad is a popular product and there is a huge range of protective cases available but of course you’ll want the best one on the market won’t you? One that won’t make your iPad look cheap! Pay a few bucks more and you’ll get quality, the iPad is an expensive piece of kit and isn’t it worth spending just a little bit more just to keep it from harm and to keep it looking good too?

Check out the newest leather case from Tuff- Luv. The Tuff- Luv Multi-View Napa Leather iPad case cover doesn’t only protect your iPad but also provides you with a multi-view feature too allowing you clear viewing on your iPad from whatever position suits you best. Just flip the cover and set the stand between 20-70 degrees and enjoy the view. Whether you set it on your lap, your table, or wherever you wish to set it down,no need to bend over or slouch over your iPad anymore.

The Tuff-Luv leather case also carries a sleek, innovative design that makes your iPad look elegant and modern. The authentic napa leather case will provide for a smooth look so that there is no compromise on style,it not only protects your iPad from scratches and nicks,but it gives you a sleek looking cover that is bound to be the envy of others.

The Tuff-Luv multi-view napa leather cover comes in a variety of popular colors, black of course being an all time favorite. The flap is secure so you can be sure that your iPad is safe when you place it on your bag or pouch. This is a good quality and elegant iPad carry case that also incorporates an iPad stand so you can watch movies and music videos or listen to music without any aching from bending into awkward positions to view.

So then don’t get left behind, you’ll want to be the first to have this revolutionary iPad carrying case,it’s affordable, versatile and a very tough cover but it’s stylish and innovative design will also contribute to the iPad looking an even more sleek and expensive piece of kit. The smooth Napa leather is a joy to behold and you will undoubtedly be satisfied once you get this vital accessory for you iPad. Don’t hesitate you will surely be glad you got one for yourself, don’t settle for anything less.