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As Joan Harris (née Holloway), the corseted, curvy, take-no-prisoners secretary-in-chief in AMC's hit series Mad Men, Christina Hendricks has crashed a vase over someone's head to get attention. In real life, the star has wowed audiences and critics simply by being herself, a talent whose range is matched only by her extraordinary energy and beauty.
This fall she has two new movies -- the comedy I Don't Know How She Does It, co-starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and the thriller Drive, opposite Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan. And she's recently resumed filming the fifth season of Mad Men, which has earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, a Critics' Choice Television Award, and legions of fans who either want to be Joan or date her. At press time, she was up for her second Emmy nomination.
Hendricks, 36, has made Hollywood's coveted "A list," and she's done it on her own exacting terms, heralded equally for the mastery of her craft and her looks. Esquire voted her America's Most Beautiful Woman last year, but she's a self-professed homebody who'd rather be knitting than posing on every red carpet in town. She's idealized enough physically to have earned her own Barbie doll, but she makes women feel good about themselves.
Hendricks' power doesn't just come from her skill or because she thumbs a perfectly manicured finger at the idea of size 2 beauty. It's also due to her stalwart belief that a life well lived -- professionally and personally -- entails confidently embracing oneself and the world. Says I Don't Know How She Does It director Douglas McGrath, "You expect to meet a heart-staggering, man-killing wonder woman, but she's so friendly and sweet, with a wonderful, droll intelligence and sense of humor."
"My mother always made me feel like we could accomplish anything," says Hendricks of the now-retired therapist. (Her father worked for the U.S. Forest Service; her brother, Aaron, is a graphic designer in Los Angeles and the producer and host of the Web podcast GeeksOn, on which Christina has appeared.) "If we wanted to try something new or had an interest in something, she was always incredibly excited for us and had positive feedback. And I think that affected every part of my life and career and how I've carried myself. I always felt like I could do anything."
Hendricks: Spokeswoman for Latisse Wishes Challenge
In addition to her nonstop career, she's also found time to give back, signing on as spokeswoman for the Latisse Wishes Challenge (www.latissewisheschallenge.com), in which the company matches up to $250,000 in donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. (Latisse is an FDA-approved medication to promote eyelash growth in a condition called eyelash hypotrichosis.) In just two years, the campaign has raised $1.5 million to help grant wishes to critically ill children.
Hendricks first became familiar with the organization when she was 7 years old and a sick classmate was granted her wish to meet Erik Estrada, star of the then-popular TV series CHiPs. "I've admired Make-A-Wish ever since, so I'm honored to be involved with them," she says. As with other commitments in her life, her involvement is passionate: In Los Angeles, "Christina came and spent an afternoon with seven of the kids, and she had the best connection with them," says foundation spokesman Brent Goodrich. "The kids were hopping on her lap, and she was so interested in them."
Christina Hendricks' Body Image
Hendricks attributes her down-to-earth values to her parents and the nurturing environment of her childhood home in Twin Falls, Idaho. "It was just a nice place," she says.
It was there she developed her ease with her own looks, mirrored by the attitudes of those around her. "I never even heard people talk about body types," says the actor. "When I was in high school, I would read magazines, but I was just looking at the clothes and the hair," she insists.
"Even now, it's never been a focus in my life. I've always been fit, I've always been active, and I've always been healthy, but I've just tried to live my life the way I live it. It's nice that I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about it lately," she says with a smile, her voice both higher in pitch and quieter than Joan's, "but I'm just doing what I normally do."
Her role on Mad Men has only helped her get her message across: Far from eschewing the figure-flaunting costumes (corsets and garter belts required), Hendricks praises their sexiness and how they make her feel.
Indeed, Hendricks seems to avoid the trap so many people find themselves in when it comes to judging themselves by their appetite or a cultural standard. "Be nice to yourself!" she says. "We all need to look in the mirror and see the things that are beautiful in ourselves, and to remind ourselves of what those things are. And it's nice to have the people around us remind us, too."
Amy Pizer, PhD, a psychotherapist in New York City who praises Hendricks' healthy attitude, notes, "No matter what, you can look in the mirror and find something you like. We have images of what we 'should' look like that aren't realistic. Instead of focusing on what you don't like, practice focusing on finding things, or one thing, that you do."
Having loved ones' admiration is helpful as well, says Pizer, especially if we can internalize those voices. "We are bombarded with images that make us feel substandard, so when you look in the mirror, try to hear friends' voices. What do they say? That you have a beautiful smile, or you glow? Listen to that voice until it is integrated into your own healthy voice."
Hendricks' Daily Routine
With 15-hour workdays and constant travel, Hendricks finds that keeping up a healthy routine -- let alone a "normal" life -- requires great discipline. A dancer until she was 19 years old, Hendricks never worried about getting additional exercise or watching what she ate. Now, "I have to constantly remind myself to check in and be good to myself, to take vitamins, and exercise," she admits. "I'd always be happy to just snuggle in bed with a book."
Hendricks practices caring for herself from the moment she awakes, beginning with a soothing soak even if she's required on set at dawn. "I'm not a shower person," she says, "so I always start my day with a bath." And she indulges in one comforting cup of coffee. "I don't really like the taste of it, but I love the smell. It's about having something aromatic and warm in my hand first thing in the morning."
Hendricks is especially conscientious about getting enough sleep and drinking water. "Those two things really affect me daily. I like a lot of sleep, but when I travel, I can't do that, so I know I will have to make up for it later. I just try to stay balanced."
Hendricks' most potent weapon is simple in theory: Everything in moderation. To maintain her famous figure, she does sit-ups and push-ups in her trailer if she has a down moment on the set.
And on a regular basis, she and her husband of two years, actor Geoffrey Arend, schedule workouts together with a trainer, turning what might otherwise be a "have to" into a "love to." Hendricks says during these sessions she does weight training and uses a BOSU ball.
"It makes it so much more fun and makes the time go by so much faster because we're encouraging each other. And my husband is ridiculously funny, so he's making jokes the whole time we're working out, and we're getting time together."
Embracing Her Natural Weight
Before turning to acting in her mid-20s, Hendricks modeled in New York and Europe and says that after happily gaining 15 pounds in Italy thanks to indulging in local fare, she has embraced her natural body weight ever since.
That means that rather than follow a strict diet, she eats foods that please her, although with a healthy bent. For example, the couple makes soups to keep in the fridge for snacking. At the same time, she allows room for trying new foods and cooking techniques.
"My husband got a deep fryer for his birthday, so we experimented with that, but I'm not a big fan of fried food," she says. "Our new thing is we've gotten a smoker, and he's making his own bacon."
Hendricks also relishes a savory plate of pasta now and then: "Spaghetti in red sauce is always comforting."
How to Love Your Body
Actor Christina Hendricks is a powerful role model in reminding us that learning to accept --and even love -- our bodies isn't an impossible task.
Two negative forces stand between us and the mirror, Pizer says, "An unrealistic media ideal and our overly critical internal voice." She offers a few tips to help you begin to change your thinking:
Give praise where praise is due. "Appreciate the functionality of your body and all the healthy things it can do," says Pizer. By shifting the thinking from "Everything's sagging" to "This body carried a baby," or "This body is strong," you're practicing a cognitive technique called "reframing."
Be your own friend. "We always compare ourselves to others," says Pizer, "but we rarely talk as harshly to a friend as we do to ourselves." Hearing a friend's voice in your head instead of your own can stop self-scrutiny and even make you smile.
Redirect. When you're stuck in a negative thought, "ask yourself, 'Why am I looking at this body part so much when I have so many other things to do?'" Instead, make a list of what you value about yourself.
Take a step back. "Do things that remind you that appearance is the least important part of being a good or valued person," says Pizer. "Nurture your friendships, do community service --anything that makes you feel good about yourself."
Christina Hendricks at Home
For Hendricks, a happy and healthy life means a solid home base with her family and close friends. "When my husband and I aren't working, we are always together," Hendricks says. "He's my best friend."
More complicated to schedule but just as crucial to her happiness is time with her female friends. "I couldn't do anything without my girlfriends," she says. "They're the best things in my life. We're all so busy, so we have to remind ourselves how important those relationships are, but we always get in touch with each other and make time to get together and catch up."
One place you won't find Hendricks is out at Hollywood's hot spots. "When I'm not working or having to go to events, I'm at home," she says with a laugh. There, she curls up with a book or a ball of yarn. "For me, knitting is meditative."
Until recently, when her schedule became too unpredictable, Hendricks also treasured weekly accordion lessons, which she began in her early 30s. "I do have to say that I have ignored it over the last year and a half, and I'm ashamed of that," she says. "It's hard to find time to take a lesson every week. But it's something I love, and music is incredibly important to me. If you practice an instrument, suddenly it's four hours later and you are completely de-stressed. I want to get back to that."
Music and the Mind
The effects of learning music may have greater health benefits than simply easing tension. A recent study conducted at the University of Kansas Medical Center showed that adults aged 60 to 83 who had played a musical instrument for at least 10 years performed better on memory and brain function tests than those who had not. Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, PhD, author of the study and now assistant professor of neurology at Emory University, suggests that studying music creates alternate connections in the brain that help compensate for diminishing functions as we age.
The importance of additional neural pathways can be likened to having alternative routes when driving on a traffic-jammed highway: "If you don't have another way to get where you need to go," says Hanna-Pladdy, "you just sit in the traffic jam."
For those like Hendricks who come to music later, says Hanna-Pladdy, "our study shows the most important element is the length of time the person studied music, rather than the age they started. So if one began in one's mid-30s and studied until age 65, that's a significant amount of time."
Perhaps even more important: "Music engages both hemispheres of the brain, it's not a drug, it has no side effects, and it's enjoyable." If Hendricks wishes she had more time to play music, she is a woman who otherwise has few regrets, thanks to discovering the secret to her own happiness. "I want to be a great actor and a great wife and a great friend, and that's what I focus on," she says.
"I don't sit around and think about myself too much."
Hendricks' Other Shortcuts to Serenity
Working 15-hour days doesn't have to result in climbing the walls at the end of them. Hendricks shares her surefire tips for feeling good, despite the daily pressure of to-do lists and stressors.
Unplug. Just because the world seems wired for Wi-Fi doesn't mean you have to use it. Hendricks spends her time on airplanes lost in books. "Reading a novel is such a treat for me," she says.
Skip the shower. Beginning each day with a bath is a soothing way to awake and doesn't need to take any more time than a shower. When it comes to de-stressing, "A hot bath helps for sure," says Hendricks.
Sleep in. Given the opportunity, Hendricks catches up on sleep. "If you let me sleep for 14 hours, I will do so without hesitation!" she says with a laugh.
Indulge in your comfort food. "For me, it's spaghetti with red sauce," says Hendricks. "It's not that hard to make, and it's one thing you can order from room service that they won't mess up."
Find a hobby you can enjoyat home. Hendricks chills out by knitting, which she calls "relaxing and meditative," as well as by listening to music and practicing her accordion.
Stay connected. The less time you have to catch up with friends and family, says Hendricks, the more you probably need them -- especially if they're hands-on. Says the actor, "My husband is good at rubbing my shoulders when I need it!"


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With oil earnings flooding into Russia, corruption is at a record high. Transparency International ranks Russia on a par with Cambodia and the Central African Republic as being among the most corrupt countries in the world. But a 34-year-old lawyer is taking on the system.
Tapping on the keyboard of a computer laptop, Alexei Navalny is known as the biggest whistleblower on corruption in Russia. Not an easy road to travel in a country ranked as one of the world's most corrupt nations.
But this is an election year in Russia. Out-of-control corruption tops the list of concerns of Russia's growing middle class.
Navalny, a standard bearer of Russia's post-Soviet generation says corruption is now everywhere in Russia.
High level corruption rarely makes an appearance on television because the Kremlin tightly controls TV news in Russia. As a result, Navalny uses the Internet, still largely free.
Last fall, while Navalny was on a fellowship at Yale University, he posted documents on his blog alleging that officials at Transneft, Russia's state oil pipeline company, had stolen $4 billion earmarked for the construction of Russia's first pipeline to China.
He says his blog registered one million visitors, and several thousand people posted comment. Facing that kind of audience, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called for an investigation into Transneft.
After 700,000 on-line viewers watched a Navalny debate on corruption, censored from state-controlled television, Russia's political split was clear: between the young, "Youtube" generation and the older TV generation.
On his website, Navalny calls United Russia, the party of Prime Minister Putin, "the party of thieves and crooks."
The head of Transparency International's Russia office, Elena Panfilova, says the Internet allows Navalny to draw thousands of supporters to his anti-corruption campaign.
"It is all about personal courage and certain way of understanding," said Panfilova. "I believe people back him and support him. He has incredible sense of how to find information, and he does not over-extend himself."
Panfilova says Navalny's popularity reflects growing anger in Russia over corruption by government employees.
"The ultimate goal of those activities of Alexei and ours, is to change the bigger policy of governance," she said.
Russian officials respond in different ways. President Dmitry Medvedev, who is expected to position himself as a reformist in presidential elections next March, now speaks out against corruption.
At a meeting broadcast on national television March 30, he warned state officials: "Corruption's grip is not weakening, it has the whole economy by the throat."
Transneft, the state pipeline company, has taken a different position, taking Navalny to court.
Transneft spokesman Igor Demin, referring to Navalny as a "fascist," says the figure of $4 billion comes from what he calls "lazy" journalism.
In a country where crusading journalists and lawyers often end up dead, Navalny says he is not scared and will not back down.
"If everyone was scared, we would have a hard time living," he said.
All the same, Navalny says he has given his wife a list of telephone numbers to call, just in case he disappears.

subset: commoncrawl


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SparkFun is not like BMW. We will never be the company to produce the luxury market version of breakout boards and development tools. I believe the only way SparkFun will survive this quickly changing world is to be malleable. We have to be ready to change.
SparkFun's audience is often a first time user and we want them to have the best experience with the documentation and resources like tutorials, pictures, example code and anything else we can provide to make them successful. By constantly revising our products, we often find ways to make it more likely for our users to succeed. The firmware will get better, we will figure out better power protection, and we'll make the end product easier to use. This causes lots of stress on our production line (there's lots of bribes from engineering when we forget to breakout the right test points), but over the past 9 years of building stuff, we've figured out ways to change quickly. Thanks to the huge efforts of a team of people we can change any part of a design (PCB layout, schematic, BOM, firmware, test procedure, test jig, kit instructions, product description, product images, you name it) in days, not months.
Phillip Torrone recently posted a great article on problems and counterfeits in the Open Source Hardware (OSHW) world. All sorts of great discussions ensued! Jan Malasek from Pololu made some great points about the appropriate time and place for OSHW and Paul Stoffregen raised some valid concerns that OSHW may encourage lower quality products. I'm here to state two things about OSHW as it works for SparkFun.
1. OSHW makes us a better company. Releasing the design files for a product means you have enabled all your customers and a few competitors as well.
We sold the original Fio for about 12 weeks before Seeed Studio sold a better version.
Eric Pan runs Seeed Studio and does a fine job of it. They did everything right (kept the license intact, gave attribution where required) and even improved the design a bit (they used easier to find parts).
Now imagine what it was like in the SparkFun offices the first time we saw our product (our baby) built by someone else? It was not easy. But guess what came of it? We now know we need to innovate, and do so constantly. If we can't be the best at something, we'd better get the heck out of the way. Intellectual property allows for some protection, albeit at a legal expense. On top of that, IP holders can be tempted to sit on their laurels and in this day and age, that can be the kiss of death. We use open source hardware as a way to stay sharp.
2. OSHW makes for better products. We believe it is better to iterate on a design and be and transparent and forthcoming as possible. You will find some SparkFun products with silkscreen errors and even green wires. We have even shipped kits without the PCB (!!!). Yep, we screwed that one up badly but we contacted the customers as soon as we found out and sent out the missing PCBs. All lessons cannot be learned in a vacuum. At SparkFun, we find it's better to give our customers the most options possible, listen, then incorporate their feedback into new product revisions, which is very much in line with the sprit of open source.
Some could argue that shipping an unfinished product is not the correct way to do business. I have had to train myself and the people around me that a project is never done, there is always ways to make it better. This is the basis of engineering. We believe we should get the product to do one thing well and then set it free and allow others to hack on it. What we thought was an important feature may turn out to be needless.
It may not appeal to everything, but is this fast release cycle a good thing or bad thing for Open Source Hardware? I believe this is the core of why OSHW is fantastic. We have learned from our problems and we share them so that others do not make our same mistakes. In a very clear way, we educate and enable our customers and our competition equally. Similarly, we will stand on the shoulders of folks who have had great ideas (Leah Buechley, Brian Schmalz, Bill Premerlani, and countless others) and made powerful tools (Arduino, Saleae, mbed, the list goes on). What will separate companies from one another in the future is not their designs, it will be their service, their quality, their price and their ability to produce meaningful products. This is the nature of the game we play and it is my job to make SparkFun the best at responding to incremental change that allows for better end products and happier users.


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(Photo: Elle.com)
Last night's Oscars was sort of a snooze fest but I couldn't take my eyes off Oscar winner Natalie Portman's purple tassel earrings both on the red carpet and during her acceptance speech. It reminded me of Leah Peterson's tutorial here on CRAFT for DIY tassel earrings. These stylish earrings are really simple to make. They can be casual or more dressed up simply by choosing the right findings and type of beads.
Did anyone else like a look from last night's Oscars that they are thinking about DIY'ing? If so, let us know in the comments.
Join Make: Community Today


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Teaching children to worship helps them develop a relationship with God. But it also prepares them to live a life of victory in the spiritual realm.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger (Ps. 8:1-2, NIV).
"FROM THE LIPS OF CHILDREN AND INFANTS" Jesus is very comfortable with children. In the book of Mark, we read of a day when Jesus was completely happy to have a bunch of wiggly kids in His lap, kissing Him and telling Him secrets. Mark 10:16 tells us that "He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them." It was the adults around Jesus who were bothered by their noisy, unashamed, nonreligious enthusiasm.
Young children are ready to jump into the lap of Jesus. We can spend too much time trying to turn them into little adults who know all the rules of conduct.
In fact, worship can get so boring and stiff, kids lose interest. But being in the presence of Jesus is never boring, and He is very willing to touch them!
Actually, you can bring your child with you into the Lord's presence in a very simple way. Just put the child on your lap, perhaps in a rocking chair, and sing Christian lullabies or worship songs. As the child grows, he or she will want to sing along and will begin to request certain favorites. They will look forward to this special snuggle time with you and the Lord.
As your family grows, you may need to move from the rocking chair to the floor or bed, but try to make this period of the day an unhurried time and as consistent as possible. Ten to 15 minutes every night can make a huge impact on your family.
You may be tired and ready for the little rascals to go to sleep. The television will call your name. The phone will ring. But make family worship time a priority!
"YOU HAVE ORDAINED PRAISE" Worship is a spiritual experience that we will be learning about all our lives. When we get to heaven, we'll see that on earth we'd only just begun to glimpse the awesome wonder of the presence of God.


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By Police1 Staff
Company Name: DynaSystems LLC
Headquarters: Maryland
Signature Product: DynaSpike XLT
Website: http://www.dynaspike.com/
DynaSystems LLC's 'DynaSpike' was created to solve an important problem in law enforcement: safely deploying spike strips during vehicle pursuits. For Dynasystems President Eric Spencer, the challenge is a personal one; his brother is a police officer, and listed the tactic as the 'scariest part of the job'. Read about DynaSystems and the new products they're working on.
What was the inspiration behind starting your company?
My brother is a police officer in upstate New York and he once told me the scariest part of his job is standing along the road and throwing a spike strip into the path of a fleeing vehicle. I never knew how dangerous using spike strips was until he told me how they are used. I started to research the use of spike strips and was horrified to discover that at least 21 police officers have been killed deploying a spike strip. As an engineer, I knew there had to be a better solution, so after several design iterations, we developed the DynaSpike, which opens and closes a spike strip into the path of a fleeing vehicle using a wireless remote control. Now the police officer can stand at a safe location and deploy a spike strip to end a high speed chase.
Why do you believe your products are essential to the Police community?
The most important factor of any product used by law enforcement is safety; safety to the police officer and safety to the general public. The DynaSpike technology keeps the police officer out of harm's way and protects the public by quickly ending a high speed chase.
What do your customers like best about you and your products?
Our customers love both the improved safety aspects of the DynaSpike remote control spike strip technology and the element of surprise the DynaSpike provides. Fleeing drivers have no way of knowing when or where the DynaSpike will be deployed since it can be placed along the road with nothing standing near it to give it away.
What is the most rewarding part of serving the first responder community?
Knowing that more police officers will be able to go home safely after their shift.
What's next for your company? Any upcoming new projects or initiatives?
We will be launching a line of video recorders that will revolutionize the Law Enforcement market. Technology has come a long way in this area and the Law Enforcement community has been missing out on some pretty revolutionary products that will reduce cost and increase video surveillance capabilities.
For more information on DynaSystems LLC, visit http://www.dynaspike.com/.


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Editor's note: John McCain is the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- For the first time since September 11, 2001, America is having a vigorous national debate about how to succeed in Afghanistan. This debate is entirely worth having. Whenever America sends its citizens into harm's way, it must do so with eyes wide open.
Though no veteran would ever think of himself as "pro-war," I believe that the fight in Afghanistan is critical to our national security. Our goals there are achievable and success is worth the continued sacrifice.
We must succeed in Afghanistan for many reasons, but one stands above all: the world walked away from Afghanistan once, and it descended into a cauldron of violence, hatred and human rights atrocities that served as the base for the worst terrorist attack in history against our homeland.
We cannot let that happen again, and we cannot let the Taliban and its al Qaeda allies conquer Afghanistan once more. Failure of this kind would also destabilize the entire strategically vital region, including nuclear-armed Pakistan.
We know what it takes to succeed in Afghanistan: a resolute commitment to the principles of counterinsurgency, which turned Iraq around during the surge.
I am confident that properly resourced counterinsurgency policy, adapted to the unique culture and geography of Afghanistan, can lead to success there. Our entire military chain of command supports this approach, as do our NATO allies, which they made clear at their recent defense ministerial meeting in Bratislava.
I supported President Obama when he called for a counterinsurgency plan in March, and I did so again when he deployed Gen. Stanley McChrystal to lead the command in Kabul. I agree with our commander's assessment of the security situation as "deteriorating" and that our civilian and military leaders urgently need more resources, including more combat troops, to turn the tide toward success.
I sympathize with our president, because sending men and women into harm's way is the most difficult decision that a commander-in-chief must make. However, Americans are already serving in harm's way in Afghanistan, and the sooner we can provide the reinforcements and resources they need, the safer and more successful they will be. So I am urging President Obama to move as quickly as possible to fully support Gen. McChrystal's request for more troops.
It is true that the Afghan government is not as strong or credible as we would like, but that should not deter us from committing more civilian and military resources now. Local governments in counterinsurgency environments are usually weak and fledgling. There is an insurgency in the first place because it seeks to exploit the local population's dissatisfaction with its government. As long as Afghanistan is insecure, it is unreasonable to assume that governance will improve.
That is why protecting the population must be job one right now, and in the immediate term, much of that work must be done by U.S. and NATO troops. As security improves, however, we will be able to train capable, battle-tested Afghan security forces that can defend their country.
We can break the insurgency's momentum, enabling Afghans to reconcile with former fighters who are willing to lay down their arms. And we can create an environment of safety in which it is more realistic to expect Afghan leaders to meet the high standards of their fellow citizens and their international partners -- namely, the provision of justice and opportunity, the protection of human rights and a crackdown on corruption.
Ultimately, Afghans will judge the legitimacy of their government not only by the result of one round of voting, but by its performance in delivering basic services.
Success in Afghanistan will emerge, as it did in Iraq, when local leaders and citizens are more and more able to take responsibility for governing and securing their own sovereign country without substantial international assistance. This won't be perfect or easy, but it will allow America's fighting men and women to leave Afghanistan with honor, and it will enable Afghans to build a better, more peaceful future. That is our goal, and we must stay in the fight until it is won.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John McCain.


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3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
As I begin this lesson, I am reminded of the words spoken by our Lord concerning marriage: "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate" (Matthew 19:6).
Of course, Jesus was speaking of marriage, not biblical exposition here. Nevertheless, I take His words seriously. The fact is that God has "joined together" verses 3-14 of Ephesians chapter 1 into but one sentence in the original text. It is with some reservation that I teach these verses in parts, rather than as a whole. Perhaps the problem is not entirely mine, however, for I doubt that many Christians are willing to sit through a sermon which is several hours in length.
The entire sentence/paragraph lays the foundation for Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. It sums up the blessings of God to the saints, in a span of time which begins before the creation (eternity past), includes all of human history, and eternity future. It is a very brief summary of the blessings of God which are the basis for our worship, praise, and obedience. These blessings are spiritual blessings, brought about in Christ, but involving the activity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The work of the Son is the emphasis of verses 6b-10, although the entire text deals with God's blessings "in Christ." In these verses Paul concentrates on two major dimensions of the work of Christ. The first is the work of Christ in relation to the salvation of lost sinners—the redemption which He accomplished through the shedding of His blood at Calvary. The second is the work of Christ in relation to the eternal purpose of God, that is the "summing up of all things in Christ."
The second of these two themes is the most prominent. This is because God's glory is the dominant theme of Ephesians. It is also because the "summing up of all things in Christ" is the main topic in chapters 2 and 3, which is first introduced in our text. While the work of Christ in saving lost sinners has been thoroughly expounded by Paul and the other apostles in other epistles, the theme of God's summing up all things in Christ is expounded more fully here (and in Colossians) than anywhere else in the Bible.
The work of Christ, then, is described in verses 6b-10 as having two major roles: (1) accomplishing the redemption of lost sinners, and (2) accomplishing the purpose of God in "summing up all things in Christ." In this lesson we will consider Christ's word of redeeming lost sinners, and in the next we will pursue this great mystery of the "summing up of all things in Christ."
Since we will be separating these two dimensions of Christ's work, let us begin by taking note of the fact that God joined them together. All too often, we think of the work of our Lord at Calvary as only for us, for our salvation. It is more than this, much more. Christ's death at Calvary encompasses far more than just our salvation, as important as our salvation is too us. The danger is that we will look upon Calvary in a self-centered way. In this text, Paul informs us that Christ's work at Calvary accomplished our salvation, and that it achieved a purpose much greater in scope.
Let us not let the eternal purposes of God revolve around the "earth" of our salvation. Rather, let our salvation revolve around the "solar system" of God's eternal, cosmic plan, which includes our salvation as just one small part of a much greater plan.
In our text, Paul speaks of the blessing of redemption, which God has bestowed on us through the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us." Redemption is a kind of "stained glass term" for most people. It seems like a word that you find in church, but not elsewhere. It is not a new term in the New Testament. The Old Testament has laid an excellent foundation for us, so that when redemption is spoken of in the New Testament, we may quickly grasp what is meant. Consider the meaning of redemption as defined by its use in the Old Testament.
The first great act of redemption in the Old Testament is the exodus, the deliverance of the nation Israel from her bondage in Egypt. From the time of the exodus on this event epitomized redemption:
"Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments" (Exodus 6:6).
"And what one nation on the earth is like Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for Thee and awesome things for Thy land, before Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed for Thyself from Egypt, from nations and their gods?" (2 Samuel 7:23).
"And they are Thy servants and Thy people whom Thou didst redeem by Thy great power and by Thy strong hand" (Nehemiah 1:10).
Was it not Thou who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over? (Isaiah 51:10).
The exodus was accomplished by God through a series of plagues, all of which answered the Pharaoh's question and challenge, "Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? (Exodus 5:2). The final plague was so devastating that Pharaoh could no longer stand the sight of the Israelites. It was the divinely dealt death blow to the first born males in the land of Egypt, both men and animals (see Exodus 11:1-8; 12:29-36).
God made one provision for escaping this death plague. A lamb was to be sacrificed, and eaten by those who gathered in one house. The blood of that lamb was to be applied to the two doorposts and on the lintel of the house in which the lamb was eaten. All the first-born of that household would thus be spared from death (see Exodus 12:1-14). This was the first of the Passover celebrations which Israel was commanded to observe in remembrance of the redemption of God at the exodus.
The exodus was a two-fold redemption, and also the basis for a whole series of "redemptions" that followed. The first-born were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb, and the nation Israel was redeemed by the blood of the first-born who were slaughtered on that first Passover night. Because God spared the first-born of the believing Israelites (and any Egyptians who may also have believed and obeyed), He claimed the first-born as His own. From this point on the first-born males of the Israelites and their flocks had to be redeemed:
"Now it shall come about when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the LORD. But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem" (Exodus 13:11-13).
When God gave the Law to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, He provided for the redemption of people and property. It was anticipated that some Hebrews would become so poor that they would have to sell their inheritance and perhaps even their own selves as slaves to another. God set down clear commands which provided for the redemption of such property and people:
"'Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. If a fellow-countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property'" (Leviticus 25:24-28).18
The most dramatic illustration of the redemption of the land is found in the Book of Ruth, when Boaz served as the "kinsman redeemer" for Naomi and thus bought back her property and then took Ruth as his wife, to raise up descendants for Naomi's oldest son, who had died.
Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him" (Ruth 4:14-15).
Throughout the Old Testament, individuals expressed faith in God as their redeemer. Jacob confessed God as his redeemer: "The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth" (Genesis 48:16).
Job, too, knew God as his Redeemer: "And as for me, I know that my redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth" (Job 19:25).
Even Job's "friend" knew God was the One who redeemed men from death: "'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light'" (Job 33:28).
David was a man who trusted in God as his Redeemer: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).
And so it was that David called upon God in times of distress, that He would redeem him: "Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Thy precepts" (Psalm 119:134). "Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Thy word" (Psalm 119:154).
The exodus of the nation Israel from Egypt was not to be the greatest redemption of all time. In time, the prophecies of Deuteronomy 28-31 and of later prophets were fulfilled when the nation Israel was sent into captivity because of their rebellion and disobedience to God's law. The northern kingdom of Israel was defeated and dispersed by the Assyrians, and the southern kingdom of Judah was later taken hostage by the Babylonians.
The Old Testament prophets foretold of a redemption even greater than the exodus. The first redemption concerned the release of the nation Israel from its foreign captivity, and its return to Israel, and particularly to Jerusalem. The second phase of her redemption was in the first coming of Messiah. The final phase of Israel's redemption was the final redemption when God's enemies are subdued once and for all, and when His eternal kingdom is established on the earth. It is not always easy to determine which of these aspects of Israel's redemption was in view in every prophecy, as you can see for yourself:
The deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity was another act of redemption: "Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth, For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; There the Lord will redeem you From the hand of your enemies" (Micah 4:10, see also Isaiah 44:24-28; 28:20, Jeremiah 50).
Thus says the Lord, "In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; Saying to those who are bound, 'Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all bare heights. They will not hunger or thirst, Neither will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them, And will guide them to springs of water. And I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up. Behold, these shall come from afar; And lo, these will come from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim." Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have compassion on His afflicted" (Isaiah 49:8-13).
"For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you. In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," Says the Lord your Redeemer. For this is like the days of Noah to Me; When I swore that the waters of Noah Should not flood the earth again, So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, Nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the Lord who has compassion on you. O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones (Isaiah 54:7-12; compare Revelation 21:10-21).
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you. And nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising … . Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, A joy from generation to generation. You will also suck the milk of nations, And will suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators, And righteousness your overseers. Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. Your sun will set no more, Neither will your moon wane; For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be finished. Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified" (Isaiah 60:15-21; compare Revelation 21:22-26).
Thus, the nation Israel not only looked back in time, to see God's redemption, but also to the future. They called upon God to redeem them:
Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles (Psalm 25:22).
O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities (Psalm 130:7-8).
The Old Testament Scriptures speak often of redemption. A primary element in our understanding of redemption is that of deliverance. Redemption is the deliverance from bondage or distress or opposition, from which one cannot otherwise escape. In the Old Testament, men were delivered from:
Very often, redemption was accomplished through the shedding of blood. Thus it is that the writer to the Hebrews can say, "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22).
From the time of the announcement of our Lord's birth in the Gospels, men and women of God recognized that He was coming to redeem His people, as it was prophesied in the Old Testament:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people" (Luke 1:68).
And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:38).
"But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened" (Luke 24:31).
The redemption which our Lord was to accomplish was to be through the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary. John the Baptist introduced the Lord Jesus as a sacrificial lamb: "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b).
In what appears to be one of our Lord's first confrontations with the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem, Jesus spoke figuratively of His death and resurrection:
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews therefore said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken (John 2:19-22).
Jesus spoke of Himself as the brazen serpent of Numbers chapter 21, who, by being lifted up would save men: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).
Later, after the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus told the crowd that they must partake of His body and blood, and this was the cause for many leaving Him, never again to follow (John 6:22-71). While these words of our Lord were not to be taken in a strictly literal sense, they were to be taken seriously. It was, from the beginning, God's purpose that Jesus Christ would die on the cross of Calvary to redeem sinful men:
Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:18-21).
Even the disciples were slow to understand that the Lord Jesus must shed His blood for the redemption of lost sinners, and when they did they opposed it. The could not reconcile how a King could be crucified and fulfill the hopes of Israelites. Jesus not only rebuked Peter for resisting His suffering and death, but went further to inform them that discipleship meant a "cross" for every believer:
20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it (Matthew 16:20-25).
After our Lord's death, resurrection, and return to the Father, the gospel which the apostles preached was one of the redemption, of the forgiveness of sins by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ:
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26).
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:11-15).
4 And I began to weep greatly, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." 6 And I saw between the throne with the four living creatures and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7 And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." 11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing" (Revelation 5:4-12).19
The redemption of lost sinners is, in this age, being offered to all mankind through the preaching of the gospel. As we saw from the Old Testament prophecies, there is a future dimension to the redemption which Christ will accomplish:
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it (Romans 8:22-25).
This final redemption also involves the shedding of blood, but it is not the blood of the Savior, it is the blood of those who oppose Him:
1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? 3 "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. 4 "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. 5 "And I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me; And My wrath upheld Me. 6 "And I trod down the peoples in My anger, And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth" (Isaiah 63:1-6).
The conclusion of human history is a very bloody one for those who oppose God, as the Book of Revelation makes abundantly clear:
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying," Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe. " 19 And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles (Revelation 14:17-20).
4 And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous art Thou, who art and who wast, O Holy One, because Thou didst judge these things; 6 for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink. They deserve it. " 7 And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments" (Revelation 16:4-7).
The divine redemption of all things requires two bloody events for the Messiah. Likewise, there are two banquets or feasts which our Lord, the Messiah, prepares. The first is the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is a banquet which has been expected for many centuries:
5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows (Psalm 23:5).
16 But He said to him, "A certain man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many … (Luke 14:16).
28 "And you are those who have stood by Me in My trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (NASB) Revelation 19:9 9 And he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God" (Luke 22:28-30).
There is another banquet, one which is not for those who love the Lord Jesus, but a banquet of those who hate Him. I call it the "buzzard banquet." It is not a pretty scene:
11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God; 18 in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great. "
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh (Revelation 19:11-21).
God's redemption is a marvelous gift, a gift which brings about the forgiveness of sins and the assurance of eternal life in the presence of God. To receive this gift is the greatest blessing one can ever experience. To reject this gift is to turn from God's only way of salvation. It is to choose the way of destruction, which God has prepared for the enemies of His Messiah. I challenge you to consider these two paths, the path of eternal blessing, and the path of eternal destruction. Which will you choose. As the Apostle Paul put it, "Behold then the kindness and the severity of God…" (Romans 11:22).
Which path will it be for you? Which destiny do you choose? Those who reject God's goodness condemn themselves to God's severity.
As we conclude, allow me to highlight several lines of thought for you to contemplate in relation to this passage of Scripture.
First, consider the fact that while God's election and predestination plays a significant part in the eternal bliss or torment of men, it also purposed the eternal torment of our Lord and His beloved Son on the cross of Calvary. Many people agonize over the sovereignty of God in election. How could God allow anyone to suffer an eternity in hell? The gospel informs us that God purposed for His Son to suffer the agony of His eternal wrath. Not only was God's choice of whom He would save made in eternity past, but also His plan as to how He would save. His plan of salvation, determined in eternity past, included the creation of men and angels, the fall of Satan and of man, the need for redemption, and the provision of a Redeemer in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
God planned for the suffering of His own son, His "beloved" Son. This is surely the meaning of Paul's words in Ephesians 1:6, when he informs us that God poured out His grace freely in the Beloved. Jesus is the beloved Son of God (Matthew 3:17), and yet the Father purposed His agony, His death, on the cross. The question of how God can purpose for guilty sinners to suffer eternally is not nearly so difficult to fathom as the question of how God could purpose for His beloved, sinless, Son to die on the cross of Calvary.
Think of this. Both the Father and the Son, in their omniscience (knowledge of all things), knew the full measure of the suffering of the Savior. They knew it in eternity past, before the plan of salvation was ever decreed. And yet the Father made it His plan, and the Son was obedient to it.
Second, consider the fact that the cross of Calvary is the measure of God's love and grace to all who believe. Notice how many times the love of God is either specifically mentioned or implied in Ephesians 1:3-14. The cross of Calvary is the measure of God's love for man. The grace of God was not sparingly meted out to us, it was "lavished" on us (verse 8), freely bestowed by the Father through the sacrifice of His Son. The song writer put it this way: "Amazing love, how can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me"?
Third, consider the fact that if God's provision for man's redemption was through the agony of His beloved Son, God will not be impressed by any other means of salvation which men may devise, or in which men may put their trust. If Jesus Christ was God's only means of salvation, a way which cost the Father His "Beloved Son" and the Son His life, what do you think God's response will be to us for having some other basis for salvation? When men stand before the judgment seat of God, He will be interested in but one thing: What we have done with His Son. God's Word is crystal clear, Jesus' death on the cross of Calvary is God's only means of salvation. To trust in anyone or anything else is to reject Him and to seal our doom.
The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son. And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1 John 5:10-12).
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name (John 1:12).
Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day, For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him … It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6:53-56, 63).
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).
Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31).
Fourth, consider the possibility that suffering is not the opposite of glory, and not just the means to glory, but glory itself. As the hour of our Lord's death drew near, Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify Him:
These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee, even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do. And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:1-5).
The cross of Calvary was that in which Paul boasted: "But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14).
Does Paul not boast in the cross because it is glorious? And does not the Book of Revelation record all creation's praise of the Lord as the One who shed His blood for the salvation of men inform us that His suffering was glorious?
And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped (Revelation 5:6-14).
John Piper, in his excellent book, Desiring God, develops and defends the thesis that it is not wrong for Christians to have pleasure. It is only wrong for us to have pleasure in the wrong things. God's eternal purpose is for us to have pleasure in Him. I think Piper makes an excellent point, and one which is much needed.
I would like to suggest that we think in a similar way about suffering. The unbelieving world thinks of suffering as evil. Some Christians think of suffering only as a punishment for evil. The scribes and Pharisees seem to have thought this way. Other Christians come closer to the truth by acknowledging that suffering can be a means to glory. But I would like to suggest that some suffering is glory.
To use Piper's analogy, it is not wrong to suffer; it is only wrong to suffer for the wrong reasons. Conversely, it is "glory" for the Christian to suffer for the right reasons. Consider these texts:
Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory (Ephesians 3:13).
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10).
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions (Colossians 1:24).
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this {finds} favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer {for it} you patiently endure it, this {finds} favor with God. 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting {Himself} to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:18-25).
17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, {the} just for {the} unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For the time already past is sufficient {for you} to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries (1 Peter 4:1-3).
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if {anyone suffers} as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God (1 Peter 4:12-15).
Just as God purposed for His Son to suffer and to die, to the praise of the glory of His grace, so He has also purposed our suffering, not only for His glory, but for our good and for our glory. It is the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ which enables every Christian to look at suffering in an entirely different light.
Finally, it is the glory of the cross of our Lord which is the basis for the frequent, continual remembrance of His suffering and death in communion. Those who cannot see the glory in the cross will surely wish to put the cross out of their minds. Those who glory in the cross will gratefully and eagerly look forward to the communion service. This is one of the reasons for our weekly observance of communion at "prime time."
May God enable you to glory in the cross of Christ, because of the redemption which our Lord accomplished on your behalf. And may we bless God for what Paul has spoken of, this blessing of eternal redemption in Christ.
18 See also Leviticus 25:29-55
19 See also Acts 3:17-21; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Colossians 1:18-20; 1 Peter 1:18-20.


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From D&D Wiki
This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Wounding: A wounding weapon deals 1 point of Constitution damage from blood loss when it hits a creature. A critical hit does not multiply the Constitution damage. Creatures immune to critical hits (such as plants and constructs) are immune to the Constitution damage dealt by this weapon.
Moderate evocation; CL 10th; Craft Magical Arms and Armor, mage's sword; Price +2 bonus.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Open Game Content → System Reference Document → Magic Items


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Fresh questions were today raised on Sachin Tendulkar's retirement with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar saying that the selectors should have a word with him about his future plans.
"Tendulkar has been playing for so long and he has been so consistent. This little period of lack of runs or lack of half centuries will give the critics chance to ask questions," Gavaskar said.
"At the end of the day, it is the selectors who will take the call. I think the selectors will probably have a word with Tendulkar about what his future plans are and then take a call," he said.
"Ideally, whatever decision is taken about Tendulkar's retirement, I believe he will make his own decision," Gavaskar told NDTV.
Tendulkar has scored just 29 runs in three innings in the ongoing Test series against England and Gavaskar said the senior batsman has been having a "long bad patch" though he was trying hard to come out of this.
"Yes, he is struggling and he is having a long bad patch if one can call that way. With so may runs and so many centuries at his hands, the moment he is through a lean patch, everybody will start talking about that but I feel he will overcome this.
"He is trying hard. In the first innings (of the ongoing second Test in Mumbai), the ball (from Monty Panesar) turned just a little bit. Today, (in the England second innings) you could see he changed his guard. He was standing ahead of the crease between the middle and off to negotiate the turn better. But unfortunately he was out to a straighter ball," Gavaskar said.
"But, we saw he was applying his mind. He is not taking that he will just go out in the middle and play. He is trying hard to overcome this and that is the best part," said the former captain.
Gavaskar felt that Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's demand for turning wickets backfired on his own team and India were in an unusual position which they normally did not face on slow home pitches.
"I have been saying that the demand for turning pitches could backfire on you if your batsmen fail to capitalise on this. That has been happening in this Test. India are in an unusual situation. This kind of thing normally happens on visiting teams but now the home side is facing this," he said.
"But all is not lost for India. If they can set a target of 170 plus, it will not be easy for England to knock those runs in the fourth innings."
India are a mere 31 runs ahead of England with just three second innings wickets at hand.
He credited England spinners rather than blaming Indian batsmen for lack of application, saying the visiting bowlers have done better than their home side counterparts.
"No batsman goes to a Test match without application. I would rather give credit to England bowlers, they have bowled better than their Indian counterparts.
"Panesar bowled really well. He was mixing turning and straighter deliveries. That created doubts in the mind of Indian batsmen whether the ball would turn or straighten. Graeme Swann was his ideal foil. The length of the deliveries was important. He was drawing the Indian batsmen forward."
In contrast, Gavaskar said, the Indian bowlers were bowling good length deliveries which gave opposition batsmen more time to adjust.
"The Indians were bowling at good length and that gives fraction of time more to adjust. The application of captain Alastair Cook and belligerence of Kevin Pietersen created problems for the Indian bowlers," he said.
He also refused to blame Indian batsmen whose top five batsmen after opener Gautam Gambhir (53) could score just 38 runs in the second innings total of 117 for seven at stumps.
"They have been used to playing on slow and low pitches. So whenever they play in Australia, England or South Africa where wickets have bounce, they will flounder. They will also struggle on turning pitches which have bounce."


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The recordings of Malcolm X's 1961 address in Providence might never have been found if it weren't for 22-year-old Brown University student Malcolm Burnley. "No one had listened to this in 50 years," Burnley told The Associated Press. "There aren't many recordings of him before 1962. And this is a unique speech—it's not like others he had given before." In the May 11, 1961 speech, Malcolm was a loyal supporter of the Nation of Islam, and combined sharp humor with an acute level of reason to argue that blacks should not look to integrate into white society. "We don't have time for the White man," Malcolm opined. "The White man is on top already, the White man is the boss already… He has first-class citizenship already. We are working on our own people."
Since its discovery, the recording has been digitized for posterity, and should be celebrated as we delve deeper into Black History Month. As we embark down the road of the Digital Era, what are some lessons we can learn from the past? Do Malcolm X's words hint to a need that is lost in today's Black culture?


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1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup finely chopped shallots (about 1 small) 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1½ teaspoons sea salt, divided 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 15 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms (shiitake work very well), divided 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, divided 2½ cooker cups Arborio rice 2⁄3 cup dry white wine 4 cups chicken stock, hot 5 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan ¾ cup mascarpone
Nutritional information per serving (based on 1 cup): Calories 342 (34% from fat) • carb. 43g • pro. 10g • fat 13g • sat. fat 7g • chol. 31mg • sod. 836mg • calc. 73mg • fiber 2g
Put the olive oil in the cooking pot of the Cuisinart® Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker. Select the Risotto function and press Start. Once oil is hot and shimmering, about 2 minutes, add the shallot, garlic and a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add 1⁄3 of the mushrooms, butter and 2 teaspoons of the thyme. Sauté until softened and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté until just translucent, about 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until almost completely evaporated and then add the remaining mushrooms, salt and pepper. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until they are just starting to cook. Pour in all of the hot stock. Close the lid of the cooker and let the risotto finish cooking. Once the audible tone has sounded to indicate the end of cooking, open the lid and stir in the reserved thyme, basil, lemon juice, Parmesan, and mascarpone. Serve immediately. If you wish to use the Keep Warm function, more stock will need to be added before serving to ensure a creamy consistency.


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Symrise's scientific advisory board for fragrances and oral care has named George Preti, from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, as a member.
Preti will support the board's ongoing scientific efforts, which includes offering ideas on how to translate scientific findings into products with market relevance within a short time frame.
An organic chemist, Preti is well-known for his numerous publications on the identification and effects of the human body's internally originating odors. He conducts his research at the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
According to Symrise, Preti's expertise on the chemistry of body odors will enable him to advise Symrise's fragrance research team with regard to the underlying science so that they can use this knowledge to develop innovative and intelligent solutions in the area of personal care.
Preti's field of research, Symrise says, complements the areas of expertise of his colleagues on the scientific advisory board: Hanns Hatt, a researcher and professor of cell physiology at Ruhr University Bochum; Frank Glorius, a researcher and professor of organic chemistry at Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster; Arnaud Aubert, who conducts research at the Institute of Neurosciences at Tours University in France; and William Wade, a researcher and professor of oral microbiology at King's College London.
"We are delighted that George Preti has joined our Scientific Advisory Board for Fragrances and Oral Care; it means we have attracted another well-known international researcher to our advisory board," said Torsten Kulkle, vice president of global innovation fragrance and oral care at Symrise.
"The five scientists will support Symrise's research in fragrances and oral care together. In this way, we are following our strategy of soliciting advice in a systematic and structured way from internationally renowned scientists in our main business areas," Kulkle added.


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Independence Day
Independence Day is a guilty pleasure of mine. It would be really hard to defend this summer blockbuster from 1996. The music is overproduced, there are plenty of plot holes and amazing coincidences that advance the plot, none of the characters are really developed and the story is overshadowed by the special effects. In spite of all that, I really enjoy watching this film, even though I know I shouldn't. That's why I was excited when the Blu-ray disc of this film was announced; another excuse to watch this fun, silly film. It looks better than it ever has on this disc, with a beautiful picture and an amazing audio track. Fans, like me, who've been waiting for this disc will be pleased with the presentation although the bonus items are lacking.
On July 2nd a gigantic alien space ship (it has ¼ the mass of the Moon) enters Earth orbit and releases a series of huge discs, 15 miles in diameter each, that take position above various large cities around the globe. They sit there, silently, for hours, until at the appointed moment they each open a portal at the bottom and release a death ray that totally destroys the city that they are stationed above. They then move on to their secondary target, slowly but methodically annihilating the cities of Earth.
On July 3rd, the nations of the Earth counter attack, launching their jets and missiles against the invaders. It's a futile effort. A force field around the ships prevents the bombs from even touching, and they explode impotently still far from their targets.
Then, on July 4th, Independence Day, a crazy plan is hatched that just may tilt the advantage to the human side.
This is a typical disaster movie, with a large cast of characters that the audience is supposed to identify with. There's Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) who is dating a stripper with a young kid, President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) who everyone turns to as the world is being destroyed, and David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) a brilliant underperforming genius who happens to be the ex-husband of the President's Press Secretary and has decoded a signal that the aliens are using to time their attack. As the devastation mounts, the various characters and their loved ones become endangered. Who will live, and who will die?
With some splashy special effects that still look fine today and a good cast this movie is really enjoyable in spite of the poor script. Will Smith is delightful as the cocky pilot who shoots down a alien fighter, and Pullman does a good job as the President. His rousing speech at the end illustrates that he has the charisma to become elected, but in private he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Just what we all want for a president but never get. Jeff Goldblum is at his nerdy best too. Judd Hirsch steals every scene he's in as Levinson's father who acts as comic relief without ever getting stupid or idiotic.
Unfortunately the same can't be said of the rest of the film. If you think about it, this movie has all of the worst aspects of big budget Hollywood films all wrapped up into one. The music swells every time something good or bad happens, telling the audience how to feel, and against all odds the disparate stars of the film miraculously end up all together by the end. That pales in comparison to the ending of the film which has the most idiotic and nonsensical plot element of any movie ever. In spite of all of these flaws, Independence Day is a great popcorn flick that's really enjoyable to watch.
The Blu-ray Disc:
This Blu-ray disc contains the original 145-minute theatrical version of the film. The longer "Special Edition" cut (153-minutes) which has been released previously on DVD is not included.
This disc comes with an AVC (@27MBPS) encoded 2.35:1 image on a 50 GB Blu-ray disc and it looks really good. I was very impressed with the first scenes of Armstrong's footprints on the moon. The motes of dust were clear and the alien ship passed overhead and vibrated the ground causing the impressions to alter. Likewise the contours and fine lines on both the mother shop and the smaller city destroyers were solid and clear. The special effects stood up well too. When the smaller ships entered the atmosphere, the billowing clouds that were being pushed ahead of them were nicely rendered and didn't look plastic or fake the way some vintage CGI effects do.
The colors were good, and the black levels were nice too. Some of the scenes were a little too dark and details were lost. At one point an American flag is shown at night, and while the 13 stripes are clear, the stars on the blue background aren't visible and it looks more like a solid field of color. There was a bit of grain in some scenes, which was fine, but there was a small bit of digital noise in some areas that was disappointing to see. It was mostly noticeable in large patches of sky. It was a very low level, nothing like some of the first BR discs, but it was there. These defects were very minor however and the things this disc has going in its favor more than make up for it.
This movie has always had impressive audio, but the DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio that this disc boasts really raises the bar. From the first shots to the closing credits, all your speakers will get a good workout. The film gives viewers a taste of what they are in for in the opening scenes where the alien ship is accompanied by some deep bass tones that will rattle your windows. The battle scenes and mass destruction parts will really get your sub going. The whole soundstage is filled with sound during these action scenes. It's enough to make Phil Spector envious. The great thing about this track is that the movie doesn't collapse into basically a stereo mix after the battles are over. The rear speakers are used to good effect throughout the film. In the underground bunker beneath Area 51, there are muted warning sirens and the sounds of scientists working coming from the rear that gives viewers the impression that they're in the middle the scene themselves. There were a lot of nice touches like that which made this a great sounding film.
This is the only area that really disappointed. The Five Star Collection release of this movie came with three featurettes, an alternate ending, story boards, original artwork, production stills, a DVD-ROM game "Get Off My Planet" and the Special Edition cut with nine minutes of deleted scenes added back in (in addition to the theatrical release.) None of that is included on this Blu-ray disc. Even the deleted scenes which were used to make the Special Edition aren't to be found. That's a big strike against this disc. Remember Fox, Blu may have won the format war with HD DVD, but it still has to compete with SD DVDs. Right or wrong, many consumers will feel that getting bonus content (even if some of it is lame) lessens the value of the HD product and will opt not to upgrade.
What do we have? The two commentary tracks, the first by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin and the second by Special Effects Supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith are still here. The first is very informative and fun to listen to, and the second is educational though a bit on the dry side.
There are some new extras but none of them are very exciting. The first is a pop-up trivia track that's a bit of a snoozer. The info, mainly on the special effects, wasn't all that exciting and didn't add to my enjoyment of the film. There's also an idiotic game: Alien Scavenger Hunt. While the movie runs, players look for various items on the screen and collect them with crosshairs that are overlaid on the screen. There's only a dozen items to get over the course of the film, and it quickly became boring. I can't see anyone playing this the whole way through as a game. Maybe if they wanted to watch the movie, but not as a game.
There's also a keyword index, the ability to bookmark your favorite scenes, and the film is D-Box enhanced. This last feature means that if you are one of the very few people who have a costume made theater seat with a D-Box rumbler attacked, your chair will shake along with the movie.
Final Thoughts:
A fun and enjoyable popcorn flick, Independence Day took in over $300 million during its theatrical release in the US alone. It certainly deserves a high grade release. This disc almost does it right. The audio and video quality is superb, but the extras are really lacking. The fact that they don't even include the deleted scenes or alternate ending that were included on earlier released is just plain wrong. That drops my rating some what. Still, it's the film that is the most important thing, and this disc comes through in that respect. A strong Recommendation.
Note: The images in this review are not from the Blu-ray disc and do not necessarily represent the image quality on the disc.
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