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Filed under: Uncategorized
I think its better then the first one.
But Vimeo made me seperate them.
Keep the suggestions coming in, if there is anything in Burlington you would recommend that would be great. Also someone from Princeton, can I have a tour of Princeton?
You know Im going to go and try and be a spy in Washington.
And win lazar tag Barney style. In a suit.
and people of America, go see Kick Ass. Changed my life.
And if you want to see it bigger go here
Thanks x
14 Comments so far
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the koko scene had me in stitches. i paid close attention to the fore & background. how a particular someone was exiting the scene.
again enjoy the way you put your video together. the still frames was pretty cool.
did not want to see kick ass but will since you said it. once it gets to the value theaters
2 Become 1 and Love Connection pt. II. And that's only the first minute of the video. Sweet.
Hey guys Come back to Colombia Please,,,, come soon ,, We wait for you
Thanks Ellen, I always enjoy your video footage. I look forward to seeing the clips from the upcoming US tour. Have fun.
In a suit! 😀 I can personally tell you, that doing lazer tag in a suit is as legendary as it sounds.
Good stuff!
"I've cummed in my pants like 14 times"
Who is that guy?
Errrr I cannot follow directions and posted some Princeton suggestions for y'all in not quite the right place. Quite long so I won't repost, just see UK Video Part Uno.
If you guys ever manage to get to princeton, go to Hoagie Haven. It's a good sandwich place that you can surely find online in a few minutes.
Also Princeton Record Exchange is cool and not far away from Hoagie Haven. You might have to get there early to maximize your potential of finding good CD's/Vinyls.
I forgot to tell you that you have to get tickets ahead of time for Operation Spy. Here's a link to go get them:
Have fun!
Where can I get that Midi version of Romance Is Boring? Quite epic.
It was me that jizzed in my pants.ran backstage shitfaced….let this be a lesson about what not to say to your favourite band when you meet them.awesome though
Why nothing on Falmouth? 😦 I was looking forward to reliving the gig.
There is something incredibly liberating about dropping your trousers, glad to see I'm not the only one!


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Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must balance the need to bring potentially lifesaving drugs to market with the need to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these drugs. To balance these competing goals, the FDA has increasingly used the accelerated pathway, which is meant for drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. Approval is based on a surrogate or an early clinical endpoint and is conditional on the completion of confirmatory trials, which are planned prior to the approval process.
Once granted, accelerated drug approvals are subject to withdrawal if "a postmarketing clinical study fails to verify clinical benefit."1 The FDA defines clinical benefit as prolonging life or improving the quality of life (QoL). Withdrawal of approval is rare. The only drug for which the FDA withdrew approval—as a result of failure of confirmatory data—was bevacizumab for metastatic breast cancer in 2011. However, Medicare and other major insurers still cover bevacizumab for this indication, despite the FDA ruling or the drug's lack of clinical benefit.
In this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, Rupp and Zuckerman2 examine 18 cancer drugs that received accelerated FDA approval but were found in postmarketing confirmatory trials to have no overall survival (OS) benefit.3 Less than half of these drugs had been studied using QoL outcomes. Although 6 drugs lack OS or QoL benefit, all but 1 (bevacizumab) have retained their approval and are still on the market.
We suggest 3 improvements to the accelerated pathway for cancer drug approvals. First, confirmatory postmarketing studies for accelerated drug approvals should include both OS and QoL outcomes because these are the 2 facets of clinical benefit currently being used by the FDA. Second, preapproved QoL measures should be published for specific drug classes. Third, anticipated or clinically significant changes in OS and in QoL measures should be defined a priori to facilitate the identification of drugs whose "postmarketing clinical study fails to verify clinical benefit."
In following the principle of "first, do no harm," the FDA should promptly withdraw approval for cancer drugs that are proven to have no clinical benefit. Removing these drugs, each of which costs between $20 000 and $170 000 per year, from the market will improve the quality and value of cancer care.
Corresponding Author: Scott R. Bauer, MD, ScM, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1545 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94115 (email@example.com).
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.
Bauer SR, Redberg RF. Improving the Accelerated Pathway to Cancer Drug Approvals. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(2):278. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.7777
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SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Enable Biosciences Inc was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant for $750,000 to commercialize ultrasensitive and multiplexable immunoassays for both research and clinical diagnostic use.
Over 70% of clinical decisions are informed by lab tests, many of which rely on detecting antibody biomarkers. "For hundreds of infectious and autoimmune diseases and cancer, early detection makes the greatest difference to achieve a good outcome. More sensitive and accurate antibody tests are urgently needed," explains Enable's CEO David Seftel, M.D.
The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $7.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $7.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
Enable's Antibody Detection by Agglutination-PCR technology (ADAP) is 1,000-10,000 more sensitive at detecting antibodies than existing methods. "Our NSF Phase I grant demonstrated that ADAP could accurately detect dozens of difficult disease markers simultaneously. This Phase II award will help us take this technology from bench to bedside," said Peter Robinson, PhD, Enable's Chief Scientific Officer. Funding from the National Science Foundation will support automation of the testing technology, creation and validation of new tests, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and developing good manufacturing processes.
"The National Science Foundation supports small businesses with the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to become great commercial successes and make huge societal impacts," said Barry Johnson, Director of Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF.
"We are thrilled to receive this ongoing support from the National Science Foundation," stated Cheng-ting Jason Tsai, PhD, Enable's Chief Technology Officer.
About Enable Biosciences: Enable is a diagnostics company based in San Francisco, CA commercializing licensed technology from UC Berkeley and Stanford University. (www.enablebiosciences.com.) Press inquiries: email@example.com


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Store Hours
Laminate is a manufactured product
that simulates the look of hardwood, ceramic tile,
natural stone and many other types of flooring. Now, in
the past, laminate floors have been easy to spot, but
today's technology allows manufacturers to create
realistic visuals and textures for a quality elegant
looking floor. In fact, many of today's laminate styles
consist of extremely authentic wood or natural stone
visuals to accommodate any room in your home. Laminate
is well suited to those shoppers who want the look and
feel of real hardwood or stone but without the cost or
maintenance that can be associated with natural
Realistic Appearance
Laminate floors are a
cost-effective way to get the look of hardwood, stone,
ceramic tile, and many other styles of flooring, without
the hassle. These floors are manufactured to create the
appearance without the maintenance level as the natural
In the more recent years of
laminate, the technology has been greatly improved so
that you get the most authentic look of flooring. In the
past, this was not always the case, as it could be
easily spotted. Today, the styles of laminate consist of
realistic visuals and textures to bring and elegant and
premium look to your home. Not only that, but the many
different styles and colors make it possible to bring
the right finish to any room in your home.
If you are looking for attractive,
resilient, and inexpensive flooring for your home, then
laminate may be the right choice for you. Choices can
range from natural colors, dark wood grains, and even
warm or cool tones that will compliment any home styles
that need to be matched. There is even the option for
the "plank" look in the home with the choice of natural
plank designs that even come in rare exotic wood
species. If you prefer the stone or tile appearance of
flooring, laminate can do that as well. The simplicity
of laminate makes a good replacement for stone because
you do not have to worry about grout cleaners or
cracking tiles.
Finally, laminate
floors are never secured directly to the
subfloor which makes it easy to place and
replace. Laminate flooring is floated over
the surface which also makes it easy to use
over a wide variety of subfloors. This
includes wooden subflooring, existing
flooring, and even concrete.
Overall, laminate
flooring offers many benefits to your home
High Pressure Laminate (HPL)
- planks are usually fused together in
either a one or two step process. Several
layers are first glued together and then
these layers are combined with the remaining
materials and than glued and fused into a
Direct Pressure Laminate (DPL)
- all materials are fused together in one
step which rediuces the costs of
Laminate Floor Thickness
- laminate floors come in various thinkness
from around 7-8 mm to 12 mm thick. The
thicker planks will be slightly more costly
but should be more sturdy and durable,
especially if the subfloor is not perfectly
Wood-look laminate flooring:
Made to look like wood, but the decorative layer is actually a photograph. Most laminates have four-ply construction: a backing or balancing layer, a moisture-resistant wood-based core of high- or medium-density fiberboard, a decorative layer, and a wear-resistant layer of melamine resins. Flooring laminates are similar in concept to laminate countertops, but the wear layer is strengthened by hard particles.
Because laminates are only about 1/3 inch thick, they can be installed over nearly any kind of subfloor vinyl, concrete, wood. They're also extremely durable, with the ability to resist high heels, pet claws, and cigarette burns, making them well-suited for high-traffic areas, busy family kitchens, and homes with children and pets. Although laminates cannot be refinished as wood can, damaged planks can be replaced, and some manufacturers sell a putty for repairs.
Laminate flooring consists of a wear layer on top, with a decorative layer, core, and backing below.
As you look at the different styles and
designs that they have to offer, you will
see that there is not much of a price
difference between the styles.
This is why choosing the best laminates
has to do with knowing the right
characteristics to fit your lifestyle
including aesthetics, use, and price. By
shopping smart you can not only get the
right look of the floors, but you can get
their strength, attractiveness, and value
all in one.
Since laminates are durable, they offer
some of the least maintenance. These floors
are stain resistant and do not need to be
waxed or varnished. This is another reason
why these floors are so popular, especially
those with high traffic or with children.
Not to mention, the visual styles are so
new and modern they can fit any home style
with the beautiful look of hardwood and
stone that will match any home look.
Like anything in life, you get what you pay
for, even with laminates. The high quality
laminate floors will give you better design
and performance. When looking at the price
variations, the exotic varieties and
species, the unique textures, and high
pressure manufacturing are all factors that
can alter the cost of the flooring.
Along with the price, it is important to
check on the warranty information carefully
before making a selection.
Below you will find just
some of the brands Kenny's
sells. Click on any of the logos
below for more information a new
page will open on their website.
You can stop the
scroll bar by putting your
cursor in the center or speed it
by putting it on the right
side reverse it by putting your curser
on the left side.


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Monthly Archives: March 2016
Why River Cruising is the best way to see Europe
Posted on March 24, 2016 Leave a Comment
Travel with T Photography I have experienced one of the best ways to see certain parts of Europe in a short amount of time which is the American Vacation and that is River Cruising. Everything is taken care of including getting around the various countries. No worries over hotels, where to eat, what to […]
A Better Way to Travel for the Luxury Minimalist
Posted on March 22, 2016 Leave a Comment
As a Travel advisor I have plenty of information at my fingertips but one company stands out. It's Monograms


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Last week I had the pleasure of photographing a dedicated yogi to capture images of her favorite poses in the beautiful Arnold Arboretum. Maria and I utilized the gardens that have recently come into bloom, the green ivy backdrop as well as agravel path that always looks so ethereal to me. And let me tell you, she was rocking arm balances and inversions all night long. It was a lot of fun to capture! I am so excited to share a handful of previews with you all today.
Contact me today if you're interested in setting up a yoga photo shoot.
View Recent Yoga Photo Shoots on the Blog


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MM Galleri is proud to present the revolutionary 'bended marble' technology for use in furniture and architectural designs. Established in 1992, the company specializes in supplying a wide range of natural stone, providing solutions to architects, interior designers, furniture craftsman, developers, and home owners in Singapore and overseas.
Using only top-grade materials from premium quarries and manufacturers, we aim to combine traditional masonry skills with high-tech capabilities to deliver bespoke designs such as geometric walls, furniture and unique 3D objects.
At MM Galleri, our passion and knowledge for stone ensures quality and an ongoing pursuit for innovation and design excellence.


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Offshore Company Dominica Second Passport Offshore Jurisdiction St Kitts 2nd Passport Tax Avoidance Tax Haven Comparisons Caribbean Mortgages Economic Citizenship Estate Planning Int. Business Companies Offshore Tax Havens Second Passport FAQ Caribbean Passport
Dominican Republic : Punta Cana Dominican Republic Homes
A range of homes available within an exclusive resort development. Various sizes, prices and locations, situated near one of the best beaches in the world. Prices start at $450,000.
There are a total of 500 homes being constructed, with a choice of locations, views and sizes, from 1700 sq metres upwards.
The villas have views of either a golf course, the Caribbean Sea or are in a lush palm forest setting.
Relaxation, beauty surroundings and recreation is all available in the resort. Your new home could be used as a permanent home or somewhere to holiday.
You can select the home that matches your needs and enjoy the natural surroundings and the activities available in this exclusive resort.
For further information on this property click on the Contact Us buttons at the top or bottom of this page.
There are no restrictions on foreigners buying of property in the Dominican Republic. In addition, all the benefits gained from ownership of properties can be expatriated to any country in the world.
Closing CostsClosing costs are approximately 5% of the sale price for taxes and closing costs. This amount includes a transfer tax of 4.48%, document taxes, special stamps for registration, and tips. Taxes must be paid before filing the purchase at the Title Registry Office.
Inheritance TaxThere are no restrictions on foreigners inheriting title to property in the Dominican Republic. However inheritance taxes range from 17% to 32% of the appraised value of the property and carry a 50% surcharge if the beneficiary resides outside the Dominican Republic.
Offshore Company FormationTo avoid the possibility of incurring inheritance tax, it is wise to purchase a Dominican Republic property under a company name. CLICK HERE for fast Offshore Company Formation.
Further InformationCLICK HERE or on the About Dominican Republic to find further detailed information on how to buy Dominican Republic property.
Caribbean Land and Property - The Leading On-Line Source for Caribbean Property


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From his children to his many celebrity fans, see the response to Bruce Jenner's interview. Also, read all the most important quotes from the interview here.
Once a champion always a champion. #BruceJenner #transgender #beyourself #loveyourself #LoveIsLove— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) April 25, 2015
I respect Bruce Jenner so much! What he's done takes so much courage x— Cara Delevingne (@Caradelevingne) April 25, 2015
Bruce Jenner is one the bravest humans out there. Him and his whole family deserve all the support and love the world can give. ❤ #family— Cara Delevingne (@Caradelevingne) April 25, 2015
.@DianeSawyer This interview is STUNNING! #BruceJennerABC— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) April 25, 2015
"All of us deserve the right to be loved for who we are ". Bravo #BruceJenner— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) April 25, 2015
Bruce Jenner. What a brave thing you've done. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for shining a light on… https://t.co/e434QGUpOx— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) April 25, 2015
Sending lots of love and support to #BruceJenner and their family tonight. It is always brave to stand in one's truth. Congrats darling.— Laverne Cox (@Lavernecox) April 25, 2015
We have the chance to write this moment in history together. Let's empower people like Bruce all over the world by being loving & not mean.💗— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 24, 2015
#BruceJennerABC Now that is bravery.❤— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 25, 2015
Bruce Jenner is a beautiful, brave human being. Sending him lots of love. He's saving lives and opening minds tonight.— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) April 25, 2015
Love is the courage to live the truest, best version of yourself. Bruce is love. I love you Bruce. #ProudDaughter pic.twitter.com/7ZJ6FuMHfU— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 25, 2015
Your honesty has opened the doors for others to be courageous and live an authentic life! #respect #hero #family pic.twitter.com/SNhN8pgrh5— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 25, 2015
Elated by the overwhelming support for Bruce's bravery&courage to be himself.Woke up with a smile on my face knowing this will change lives.— Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) April 25, 2015
Couldn't be a more proud daughter. With courage and bravery, let's change the world. I am honored to stand by Bruce's side and support him.— Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) April 25, 2015
Just finished watching the #BruceJennerInterview with the family. Bruzer, I'm soooo proud of you! Dads really are heros ❤— Khloé (@khloekardashian) April 25, 2015
You have always been a role model to me and now more than ever, I look up to you. LOVE YOU‼‼👐👐— ROBERT KARDASHIAN (@robkardashian) April 25, 2015
so very proud of you, my hero.— Kendall (@KendallJenner) April 25, 2015
View this post on Instagram
I wrote this in 5th grade... nothing has changed. ❤
A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on
Woke up still in awe... I've never been more proud of you, Dad!!!!!!— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) April 25, 2015
Understandingly, this has been very hard for me. You will hear what I have to say when I'm ready to but...— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) April 25, 2015
..this isn't about me. I'm so proud of you, Dad. You are so brave. My beautiful Hero.— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) April 25, 2015
View this post on Instagram
You won another gold tonight. I stand with you on this journey. I love you Dad
A post shared by Brody Jenner (@brodyjenner) on
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
Not only was I able to call him my husband for 25 years and father of my children, I am now able to call him my hero.— Kris Jenner (@KrisJenner) April 25, 2015


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"Moving" tells the story of Peacey and Nadav, two movers who struggle to make a living under their oppressive boss in the moving company. The two make a rash decision to steal the company's truck with all it's content and sell it, but when their boss discovers the plot conspired under his very nose.
Written, Directed & Edited By Michael Mizrachi
Produced By Tamar Cahani
Director of Photography - Ido Ben Yitzhak
Director Assistant - Avner Steinberg
Producer Assistant - Alma Hanegbi
Assitant Camera - Carmel Dangur
Gaffer - Bar Talmon
Best Girl - Alona Bachar
Sound - Ran De Lange & Itamar Meir
Peacy - Guy Bustan
Nadav - Snir Igolkin
Kababi - Assaf Regev


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Conveniently located off the 130 Toll


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Great news was announced earlier this month to start the New Year off strong for the diabetes community! Medicare is allowing coverage of the Omnipod tubeless insulin pump and the new FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system. And as Diabetes Mine notes, "since CMS typically sets the stage for what private insurers will cover, this is a big win for PWDs (people with diabetes) of all ages!"
We love to help!
Reach us at 866.779.8512 (phone) or 248.577.9903 (text).
Contact us via webchat at myhlms.com.
Learn More: Insulin Pump Therapy | CGM | Diabetes Testing Supplies | Pharmacy Services | Enroll Now
Sign up for our blog at myhlms.com/subscribe.


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Are we crazy for looking for deep meaning in a Pikotaro song? Maybe, but no crazier than the song itself.
pen pineapple apple pen
Grab your tissues! Pikotaro is going to make you cry.
Pikotaro teams up with idol unit Momoiro Clover Z as he releases the companion song to "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen."
Dreams came true last night when Piko Taro met the President of the United States.
He has a pen, and it turns out he has a butt-load of money… uhn, pen-butt-money!
Piko Taro shows that making a girl laugh apparently is the surest way to win her heart.
The viral hit makers from Japan and South Korea get together to show us their awesome new dance moves.
The Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen singer was surprised by his popularity in the US, with kids, artists and famous celebrities all wanting a photo with him.
Piko Taro is the creation of a real musician with real talent named Kosaka Daimao, but unfortunately for him, Piko will be the one playing the Budokan this March.
PNSP combines serious musicians with crazy lyrics and hilarious costumed character dance moves.
Tradition meets the world of viral videos in a PPAP tribute that's perfectly Japanese.
If Piko Taro bought one lucky bag this year, we sincerely hope it was this one.
The "P" in PPAP needs more power, passion and party!
Piko Taro has a pen? Well some young Japanese office workers have a problem.
Japanese Twitter is loving this hilarious photo.
Also, Piko Taro really wants us to know that he's "fire."
Piko Taro proves he can be funny without even trying.
"PPAP" has made Piko Taro famous, but has it made him rich?
Surprisingly, dancing with a pair of shoes on his head like a bunny rabbit is not the most shocking thing Piko Taro does in this new video clip.


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Hanwha Techwin is developing into a cutting-edge equipment manufacturer; a specialty company leading the industry solutions business based on precision mechatronics technology and integrated control systems.
Hanwha Techwin has achieved accumulated sales of more than 10,000 units of chip mounters worldwide and has established a comprehensive solution of assembling electrical parts by completing in-line systems, such as screen printers and inspection devices.
Hanwha Techwin is actively meeting the demand for cutting-edge manufacturing devices; and at the same time expanding into offering total solutions from design to managing the entire manufacturing process through control systems that include robot technology.


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Providing Evidence-Based Programming
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Strong Foundations prides itself in providing evidence-based applied behavior analytic services (ABA)to individuals with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities. Our children are provided with individualized instruction, interventions, and support to best meet their specific needs. This allows us to effectively meet the child's current needs as well as optimize their opportunities to obtain an active, independent, and productive adolescent and adult life.
Strong Foundations provides a variety of programming services including, ABA in-home therapy; school district consultation; developmental, language, social and behavioral assessments; parent training; and social skills clubs.
A strong focus is placed on the application of skills across diverse settings and social groups. One of our goals is that ALL children develop the ability to use the skills they have been taught, not only throughout their daily lives, but also to maintain them for their lifetimes.
In-Home ABA Therapy
Our in-home ABA therapy provides programming to address challenging behaviors while teaching essential skills. In-home services are offered to individuals of all ages and are scheduled to fit their daily routine.
School District Support
Strong Foundations offers a wide range of consultative ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) services to public schools for Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. We work closely with districts in order to build capacity through the use of evidence-based practices.
Center Based ABA Sessions
Our Center Based ABA sessions allow children to practice their emerging skills within a small group setting. Our programming offered includes Saturday mornings for children ages 3-8, social skills after-school program, the preschool ABA programming options and summer sessions.
Social Skills Clubs
Our after-school program for grades 1-5 targets a wide range of necessary skills for children to effectively participate in the social world.
Counseling & Diagnostics
Coming soon, Strong Foundations will be providing individual and family counseling, along with Autism diagnostics as part of our Clinical Health Division. Stay tuned for more information, and we can't wait to serve your family.
Ready to get started?
Now that you've reviewed the services we offer, ask any questions here, and contact us to get your child moving forward with us!


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I'm a pretty strong believer that there should be people in your life who break your comfort zones on a frequent basis. Now the majority of my friends consistently create these scenarios in my life, and I'm not complaining, but Paul tends to do this more than most. The images below are from our 'short 2km hike to a gorgeous hot spring' that we did at the beginning of winter. Now if you're familiar with any of my other escapades with Paul, you'll know that his descriptions of difficulty and distance leave much to be desired. Immediately, I should have known to double the distance and maybe even triple it. In addition to the drastically undermined length of this hike, I should have really taken into consideration the difficulty when he was packing long rope and seemingly over preparing for a basic hike. I mean judging by his description of the end goal being a hot spring I just assumed any city girl wanting a new Instagram photo could easily navigate their way to this location. In one way it's accurate because there is a pretty well-defined trail. It isn't until we reached the saddle between the two mountains where I really started to contemplate the simplicity of Paul's description.
As we stoically stood, catching our breath, the arduous next few kilometres were right in from of us. Due to the immense amount of wind, the paths from previous people hiking to the hot spring were completely covered. We waited for a few fellow hikers on the trail to pass by so we could proceed along the uncomfortably steep trail that was sheltered from the wind. We wrapped around the corner that you can see Paul and Celine posing on when the wind really decided to escalate my trepidation. The four of us hesitantly made our way along the side of the snow-covered shale and then Sam (Paul's wife) slipped and began sliding down. She managed to dig her feet into the icy snow to slow her decent but we were all stunned. In the exact same spot Celine proceeded to do the exact same thing and then I think Paul might have just done it for fun. Regardless all three of them were not 50 feet further down the mountainside than I was and to their fortune, a little closer to our destination.
After walking a few more kilometres since the saddle, we arrived at the hot spring without any additional company. I didn't get in the water due to some sort of phobia of being wet for non-utilitarian purposes but it was exceptional being able to observe a serene and relatively unknown landscape. After everyone had time to soak in the warm waters and dry off in the relentlessly cold wind, we began hiking back for home.
Just this past long weekend we had the pleasure of hanging out with Paul and Sam again where more adventures occurred. I'll be posting about in the upcoming weeks so thanks again for reading and it would mean a lot if you shared any of my work with someone you think would enjoy joining in the journey.


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With the advent of DC Comics' New 52, de facto head writer (and DC Entertainment chief creative officer) Geoff Johns took on the unenviable task of reinvigorating DC's underwater superhero Aquaman. After nearly two years, Johns and his various collaborators have done so with aplomb, and it looks like with November's landmark 25th issue they're bringing back a long-lost character to the Aquaman mythos.
The beard.
As seen in the cover to the forthcoming Aquaman #25, Johns and series artist Paul Pelletier are resurrecting the sea king's salty beard for the conclusion of their "Death of a King" story-arc.
The usually clean-cut Arthur Curry first took up the beard in the mid-'90s after he withdrew from society following some revelations about Atlantis. This original beard wasn't the neatly manicured fuzz we see on Aquaman #25, however, but rather a scraggly longshoreman-like beard.
In those 1990s stories Aquaman went down a dark path once he took up that beard, at one point losing his ability to talk to sea life -- and even losing his hand. We may not know the path Johns has planned for Aquaman in 2013 and beyond, but hey ... he's rocking his beard again.
Here's a look at the Aquaman #25 cover in full.


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New York State ethics regulators, frustrated that their report examining allegations of sexual harassment by Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez has not been released to the public, say they will disclose it themselves if the Legislature and prosecutors fail to do so shortly.
The pledge on Tuesday from the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics appeared to be a shot across the bow of Daniel M. Donovan Jr., the Staten Island district attorney, who is serving as a special prosecutor in a criminal investigation of Mr. Lopez, a Democrat from Brooklyn.
Mr. Donovan, a Republican, has blocked the release of the ethics commission report, citing his own continuing inquiry; he declined to comment on the ethics panel's plans on Tuesday.
The ethics commission, which is new and seeking to establish its credibility, sent its review of the Lopez case, alleging violations of state law, to the Legislature in mid-February. But under the state's byzantine new ethics law, the commission may not release reports about the Legislature until they are first turned over to lawmakers, who are then allowed up to 90 days to act.
In a statement on Tuesday, the ethics commission said, "In February, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics issued a Substantial Basis Investigation Report to the Legislative Ethics Commission for its review."
"If the Legislative Ethics Commission should fail to do so, the Joint Commission shall release the report in its entirety after the ongoing 90-day period provided for under law," the statement said. The 90-day period expires on May 21.
The scope of the joint commission's report is not clear. The review began after the Assembly released a letter censuring Mr. Lopez for verbally harassing, groping and kissing two of his staff members. But there have also been questions about the role of other state officials in responding to the allegations; the day after the censure was disclosed, The New York Times reported that the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, had authorized a secret payment of $103,080 in the summer to settle previous allegations by two other women against Mr. Lopez.
Mr. Lopez has denied any misconduct. He resigned from his position as chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party organization, and in Albany, his salary, legislative titles and perks were cut. But he was re-elected to the Assembly, and has been laying the groundwork for a potential run for the City Council.
"I won my district after a huge barrage of attacks and allegations," he said this year. "I got over 90 percent, over 30,000 people voted, and I have a strong mandate."
On his lawyer's advice, Mr. Lopez declined to testify in the joint commission's inquiry and did not plan to testify in Mr. Donovan's.


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How To Break Free From Creative Conventions
Vi Hart explores a conundrum all creatives face - how to break free from conventions and avoid cliche by using constraints - in this wonderfully quirky video Twelve Tones.
She calls herself a "Recreational Mathemusician". Hart has amassed over 44 million video views and 650,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel. She has turned her habit of mathematical doodling into a series of engaging videos. In most of the videos, you watch her draw (speeded up) complex mathematical concepts as she narrates the video in her fast paced lyrical voice.
Vi Hart on YouTube
Vi Hart's personal website
Vi Hart on Twitter
Here's a behind the scenes video on how Vi Hart creates her videos:


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1 Session
Total Price for Class: $20
Thursday, March 8th 5:30 - 7:30pm
Session Time: 2 Hours
An in-depth lesson and study on drawing each facial feature with time spent discussing basic anatomy related to drawing each feature. Ample time is provided for drawing. Includes a brief lesson on proper use of sketching pencils and other drawing supplies. Students will leave with a confident understanding of form and shading, ready for the follow-up class: Portrait Drawing 1.
Highly Recommended Prerequisite - Drawing 1


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Google map search design jobs
I would like 3 ads creating for adwords display ads (Please read full ad) The sizes should be (728 x 90) (300 x 250) and (300 x 600) The ad is very simple, but it should be a GIF - I would like a white background - text in colour #011d32 and an image of a seed growing into a tree very similar to [login to view URL] as the animation progresses, it will show a button as the end screen. I expect ...
I need someone to build me a website that has map functionalty at its core. The websites map must contain multiple filter options. I have Data.
I would like to put a gooogle adsense link on my shopify shop. Improve referrals to drive traffic in two target countries. To fix the problems of the reduction code on my shop, they are activated but do not work. Resize the images too big. Have a beautiful visual and beautiful site, misecen before products
I would like to put a gooogle adsense link on my shopify shop. Improve referrals to drive traffic in two target countries. To fix the problems of the reduction code on my shop, they are activated but do not work. Resize the images too big. Have a beautiful visual and beautiful site, misecen before products
I would like to put a gooogle adsense link on my shopify shop. Improve referrals to drive traffic in two target countries. To fix the problems of the reduction code on my shop, they are activated but do not work. Resize the images too big. Have a beautiful visual and beautiful site, misecen before products
Fix Google Errors on a Big Commerce website platform Google webmaster is showing Breadcrumb and product errors. I need these fixed. Thanks
Life coaching notes to be typed from image ( written on paper and clicked with iphone xr) in google docs and shared with me via email and link on google drive. My writing is not the best so please take this job only if you can understand my writing.
data search for contacts information
We are looking for a map to map multiple veterinary clinic locations (currently we have ~15 but we hope to increase to 200 locations). We currently use base maps and like the look and ease but this is not longer being supported. Our website to the link with our current map (that needs to be replaced) is: [login to view URL]
I'm in the process of setting up Indusoft (SCADA) [login to view URL] to run in the cloud. I currently have it all running on win2019 server on a VPS. I'm wanting to add more web functions/dashboard type control. The software supports custom widgets which is html/java script. I would like to use google maps API and track GPS and put markers on the map. Would also like to use Highcharts w...
I'd like to hire someone who can make an app of a zoo. The app should contain a map locating the animals and shops and enabling the purchase of tickets, as well as bus routes that connect the zoo.
I have a Google Ads campaign that needs to be optimized. You will need to: - Look through 1,500+ keywords and adjust or remove keywords to decrease costs and increase ROAS - Look through the search term reports and add keywords to increase valuable impressions. - Look through search term reports and remove poor performing keywords to decrease unneeded costs. - Clean up account by organizing keyw...
I need someone have a lot of experience with google adwords api. and He is also python expert. if you are python expert and have experience with google ads api, please bid. I'll pay $100 for you. Thanks
It need activate Google maps API key on site
Hi all, I'm looking for 3d modelers who can create game assets. What you need to do is model and UV unwrap common objects found in games like furniture, street props... You need to provide me with a low poly objects together with normal map (for OpenGL) and material ID map. Final textures are not needed. Normal map can be created by baking from high poly object or any other preferred tool. I...
I have a plan and elevation drawings of a church, and I want it to be a simple looking structure on google sketchup.
We need someone to make up some ads but check the analytics first because we launched many campaigns with a few sales and great bounce rate! and our Facebook ad account was disabled twice
We are looking for an SEO professional to manage all search engine optimization related activities. Responsibilities: 1) Content writing 2) Backlink building 3) Keyword analysis/suggestions Requirements: 1) SEO skills (on-page, off-page) 2) Backlink building knowledge 3) Social media knowledge would be an added advantage We have a monthly budget of $200-$300 for our SEO initiative, thus, ...
I need data extraction from [login to view URL] and Google.com. I want all the businesses in the following categories (Pet Groomer, Veterinarian, Mobile Groomer and Pet Shop) located in all zip codes in San Diego County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County. I need the following information for each business: Business Name Address City State Zip Code Phone Number Website Hours of Operation...
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Zen Cart fix google sitemap, installing google feeder, autofaceeboob
I need a developer who can build a "custom map creator" tool for my customers. You can use the functionality form [login to view URL], where the customer can type in their city and select a style. then we will print exactly this map as a poster. Here is some inspiration: [login to view URL] [login to view URL] [login to view URL] [login to view URL] [login to view URL] [login to view...
Hello I am a graphic designer. I am looking for a designer ready to design a geography golf map. I just have this work done by myself in Illustrator. I would like to change the design making something nicer.
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hi after upload my app in google play they is rejected my app and i am trying to solve it and upload my app but i don't success and this is the reason for unaccepted my app
Hello I would like a leaderboard for sales designing on Google Sheets Rep Name Picture Time with company Month's Revenue 1. Andy Bell 1 Year 8000 2. 3. 4. I would like it in sheets so I can edit the numbers and save to a PDF but would like to see the PDF finished on the design.
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identify algorithmic challenges that must be solved for the CAD (Conditional Attribute Dependency)View to fulfill its goals. 1. Integrate the elasticsearch with django Haystack 2. implement elasticsearch query with the similarity algorithm 3. welcome anyone who is familiar with the elasticsearch query, Haystack and similarity algorithm, However, if you are not, don`t bid. Thank you.
Hello We are currently looking for a google shopping specialist to help increase our sales with a good shopping campaign, we already have our google ad account set up, so all you will need to do is run a very good google shopping ad. you do not need to monitor negative keywords as we have an employee working in our office who is more familiar with our products, but you will help us set up a succe...
App designer - We have an app and need a very good designer to "fix" our design 100% You have done very great app design before and you can give us 2 samples. If you sent more, we must assume you don't have read the project details and not are professionel. Look at the red linie in the attacehd file. We need specify a better design so the users get a great UI of the app. The map ...
i need an SEO expert to optimized 2 websites that lacks search engine optimization. this job is done remotely. we will provide every necessary details from the websites. i need the website to rank within the top 5 pages in google for our desired keywords.
Hello, Please don't just bid for the project without reading the description, you're wasting my and your time. IMPORTANT: I want to do this together, I'll let you connect to me and we'll do it together, as I want to know how to do it for future purposes.. I have source codes for an app, two versions, one for android and one for ios, also I have a backend (server) code and hos...
I needs a world map and the ability to pull in and out of country's and place faces on different points of the world map.
need some one to manage my google ad word must be in Sydney Australia
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1) I would like an analytics expert to implement scroll depth tracking for my clients site (I.e be able to tell how many users scroll 50%, 75% or 100% of a page. 2) I would like to implement Hotjar on the same site, to be able to create heatmaps to show user behaviour on given pages. I need to be able to see existing similiar work or client reference.
Access my Google Analytics page. Remove existing website. Tell me what other websites that are attached to my account. 5 minute job!
WE currently using Google Maps API through the Google Cloud on our website but we want to use a standalone system and get away from googles cloud.
Recently, our team planned to launch a new website and we are now looking for a professional HTML Front-End website designer. We are currently in the stage of creating and not launch yet. Our project info have been uploaded with this project post. Please do not contact us or bid the project, if you are unable to follow with our working method and payment terms as it will waste our time and yours...
Google Shopping + social media Google Shopping…I have done Google ads for over a decade and spent lots of money doing so – and I got good sales. A year ago I switched from AdWords to Shopping (per Google recommendation) However, I have a HUGE problem. A few months ago Google changed their system. ALL of my Shopping ads now show FREE shipping. I do NOT offer FREE shipping and get furio...
Company- to find a similar script or give details about available package Freelancer- please give details of custom jobs you could do once I get the script from somewhere. Hi , Iam looking for a ready made similiar app like booking service ..may be the intended idea is similar to uber type model riding app type or ride share/car pool type . I wish to know if you have any ready made package ...


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Luke 8:1-3
So imagine this. There are thirteen men. They are all unemployed. They are also homeless, in a manner of speaking. They have left their homes and families and have walked away from their jobs. We don't know about all of them, but we can account for at least five of them. Two of them have left a very successful business, two others have also left their businesses, which we presume were fairly successful, and one has left a very high paying government job. Twelve of these men are wandering about the country, walking, following their leader whose name is Jesus. They accept a bed at night whenever and wherever it is offered to them, and sometimes people invite them in for a meal. And for the rest of the time, they eat what they can and they sleep outside. As best we can tell, they have no income except what kind people give them.
Now think about this. Try to calculate what it would cost to feed thirteen mean three meals a day or even two meals a day. And what it would cost to replace thirteen pairs of sandals for thirteen men when they wore theirs out, walking all over the place. Not to mention new clothing once in a while, and medical care, or blankets at night when they had to sleep under the stars. I plugged in some numbers very quickly and came up with about $400 per day in today's dollars. Over a three year period of time that comes up to over $400,000.
And who do you suppose provided the funds for Jesus and his twelve disciples? Who bought their food and their sandals and their blankets? Who do you suppose went to the markets for them and bought grapes and bread and fish and yogurt and prepared their meals and made sure they ate good food on time? Who do you think took care of them when their feet had blisters or they were sick?
A group of women did. Their names (some of their names) are in our bulletin for today. We don't know all of them, of course, and what little we do know about them we have to get by reading between the lines. You notice that it's a tentative list. There were undoubtedly many women whom we have no clue about. And there may be some overlapping. It may be that Mary the wife of Clopas, could also be the mother of James and Joseph, for instance. And it may be that Salome was the name of the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. And maybe she was the sister of Jesus' mother Mary which would have made her Jesus' aunt. (Are you following all this?) Sometimes all we know about them, for sure, are their names, which are given to us in the Scriptures we have just read.
It's pretty clear that Mary Magdalene was the leader of the group, and her name is mentioned most often and always first. As we put it together, she must have been suffering from a serious mental illness. Jesus healed her, and ever thereafter she was his grateful, devoted, generous follower. And that was also true for Joanna and Susanna. They had also been suffering with serious mental health issues. They had also been healed by him, and in their gratitude, they contributed funds for his care. These women followed him also, right along with the men we know like Peter and James and John and Matthew and Phillip and all the others. They all followed behind Jesus in that entourage we are always imagining as he went from place to place. Every day for three years all up and down the countryside.
As far as we can tell, all of them except Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus were from Galilee, up there in the northern part of the country, where Jesus began his ministry. Some of these women were wealthy in their own right, or were married to wealthy men. We have an indication that Zebedee, for instance, was a very wealthy business man – who owned a fishing fleet with several employees on the Sea of Galilee. And his wife may have supported Jesus through his income. After all, two of her sons were in the group that followed Jesus. She would have wanted to see them well fed and well cared for and she would have had a deep interest in the work they were doing with Jesus.
Joanna was the wife of the very influential and certainly very well paid man named Chuza, who was in charge of all the financial affairs of Herod, Governor in Galilee. I am thinking about Joanna. She's married to Chuza, who is the Chief Financial Officer for Herod. Herod is the man who ordered the execution of John the Baptist. I'm wondering if maybe she was even present at that lavish birthday party that Herod threw for himself when he called for John's head to be paraded among the guests on a platter. How would that have felt for Joanna? Herod was also the man who tried Jesus in that hideous trumped up trial in the middle of the night and who mocked him and beat him and whipped him. I'm wondering if Joanna was there to see that happen to the man she honored and supported? However you look at it, she was a very brave woman who support Jesus as she did.
And here's what else we know about these women as a group. Not only did they provide substantial funds for Jesus' ministry. These women were there when the men abandoned him. The men, you remember, Peter and all the others ran away in Jesus' last hours when the going got tough. Not that we blame them, of course. Their lives were in danger, and they were very well aware of that. Roman soldiers came to haul Jesus away to be tried and executed and they were very well aware that the same could happen to them. They knew they were next. So they ran and hid, and we don't really blame them. But the women stuck by Jesus. They were the ones who surrounded his cross in the long hours that it took him to die, painfully. Some of them stood with Jesus' mother Mary and his aunt beside the cross. They were the ones who positioned themselves right in his line of vision, right where he could see them and stayed there until the bitter end. They were the ones who snuck off and learned the place where he was buried, and then brought spices to his grave – as we today would bring flowers. Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and maybe others were at his grave early on Easter morning. They were the first to see Jesus alive again. The women were the ones who told the men that Jesus had risen. The men, you notice, thought they were talking crazy talk, and didn't believe them until they saw it for themselves.
So I am glad and grateful that we know the names of some of the woman who supported Jesus in these very important ways.
AND I am looking today at people who prepare meals for others all the time. I am looking at people who go shopping and cook food and share it and bring casseroles. I'm thinking of those who prepare and serve our coffee hour and clean up the kitchen afterwards. I'm thinking of the women and the men also who served beautiful funeral meals recently as way of showing their love and support for grieving families. I'm looking at a large bunch of men who will be preparing and serving a lovely brunch soon for the women of this church. I'm looking today at a church full of people who give generously to Jesus through this church, and some of you, I know, take very good care of the money the rest of us give. A number of you have been teachers or are teachers and look to the good of your students whose lives are challenged. We heard a couple of weeks ago about one of us who brought our leftovers to provide good meals for hungry people in Grand Rapids and who volunteers there regularly. I'm thinking of a woman who has made the bread for our communion celebrations every month for years. I'm looking at a group of people who are deacons and who care tenderly and sometimes very quietly for those in this church who are ill or grieving or distressed in some way. I'm looking at a church full of people who get up in the morning and do the simplest jobs each day at their work and among their families and in this church. Sacred tasks. Holy endeavors – all of them.
And what makes them holy is not that they are so hard to do, most of them. Or so earthshaking. A great deal of what we do every day is pretty routine, frankly. What makes them holy is that we give the efforts of each day to God.
So here's what that looks like. We wake up in the morning every day and we sit quietly in front of God in prayer and we consciously give the day to God. We list out for God what we plan to do that day, and then we say to God, "Take the events and efforts of this day – the most mundane and the most important – the planned and the unplanned - and use them for good in your world among the people you love." Or maybe we sit at the end of the day and offer the day to God – praying through what we have done hour by hour and giving it all to God as the gift of a grateful son or daughter. Knowing that not all of it was perfect by any means, but knowing that God has a way of making it perfect and knowing that God is very pleased with our efforts.
What makes grocery shopping holy is that we do it in Jesus' name for the people we love and for the people Jesus loves and because we have decided to be followers of Jesus. What makes cleaning up the kitchen holy is that we do it for God's people and out of love for God. What makes putting a check in the collection plate a holy activity is that we do it in deep gratitude to God. What makes bringing a casserole sacred is that we do it in Jesus' name and because it's what he would have done. What makes hearing the hard stories of others a holy task is that we do it as Jesus would. And because we have decided to be followers of Jesus.
And in that way that surprises me every day, God takes the simple actions of our hands and feet and minds and voices and transforms them into offerings of great beauty.
Luke 4:14-30
Here's the story before the story.
We have said that we are going to be camping out in the book of Luke for the next several weeks, to learn what Luke had to tell us about the birth, life and death of Jesus. And we have said that this man named Luke probably wrote his story about Jesus in the year 80 or 85 – about 50 years after Jesus' death.
So let me tell you what was happening in the world in those days, and especially to Christians at that time. We talked about John the Baptist last week, and we mentioned briefly that he was beheaded in about 30 or so - while Jesus was still living. He was killed by the Roman governor Herod Antipas who was governor of Galilee. John was killed partly because he lashed out against Herod for having an affair with this brother's wife. Herod was mad enough about that. And he was also killed because he was a threat to the Romans. All kinds of masses and masses of people were coming out to his camp beside the river and it looked for all the world to them like some kind of popular uprising against the Romans. Which of course they could not tolerate. So they killed John.
You may remember that Jesus had at least four brothers, and you may know that after his death, his brother James became the head of the Christian Church in Jerusalem – the first Bishop of Jerusalem as he is called. In about the year 62 or 65 James was stoned and then beaten to death. He was killed by the religious leaders (the Sadducees) acting on behalf of the Romans. We have talked about how the religious leaders collaborated with the Romans.
And right about that time, Emperor Nero was in power in Rome and as you know, he unleashed the first widespread persecutions of Christians throughout the Roman Empire. He is well known for setting Christians on fire and then using their burnings bodies to light the paths in his elegant garden parties. AND about that same time, Roman soldiers flooded into Palestine in larger numbers than ever before, and eventually they destroyed much of the city of Jerusalem, including the beautiful golden temple. These were hard years indeed for Christians, and Luke is writing to people who were constantly in danger and turmoil and at risk for their lives. That's the story before the story.
Now think about the people in your lives. Do you know someone who is poor? Maybe a person who has lost her job, or relies on food stamps, or has huge medical bills, or somebody who has always lived on the edge, financially. A man who is homeless, perhaps, or very near homelessness. Maybe you know somebody who lives from one month to the next just barely managing to hold on. Think about that person now.
Do you know anybody in prison? Recall the stories you have heard about the conditions in prisons. Keep that person in your heart. Do you know anyone who is blind, or has very poor eyesight? Or is disabled in some other way? Has difficulty walking, or lives in constant pain? Every day is struggle just to keep moving and just to keep her spirits up. Keep that person in your mind for these next few moments. Do you know someone who has a sad heart? Maybe she is grieving a loved one, or maybe he is struggling with depression that doesn't seem to lift. Or another form of mental illness. And medications aren't really helping, and he lives in a deep cloud of sadness. Keep that person in your heart for these next few moments. Do you know somebody who is full of sorrow – who has had one experience of failure after another, and nothing seems to be working in her life no matter how hard she tries. Keep those people in your heart in these next few moments.
Now here's the story. The story that Luke has just told us about Jesus is the first story of his public ministry. He's grown up from the twelve year old boy we heard about a couple of weeks ago and now he's the thirty year old man we heard about last Sunday. He's just been baptized by his cousin John, and then he's been in the dessert for forty days on a retreat – a deeply spiritual experience in the dessert - with God.
And on this day, he walked into the synagogue in Nazareth, where he had worshipped pretty much every week of his life. He picked up the Old Testament, and read from the prophet Isaiah – the very words we have read a moment ago. He read the passage and sat down to talk with them, and said, "I'm the one the prophet has been talking about. I'm the one who will bring good news to the poor. I'm the one who will release the prisoners and heal the sick and disabled. I'm going to heal those with sad hearts and comfort those who are filled with sorrow."
It was his mission statement as he began his ministry. It was his introduction of himself to the people who had known him all his life. He spoke eloquently and passionately and his neighbors were amazed – that this young man, whom they had watched from a small child, and whom they knew as the son of their local woodworker – whose sisters and brothers they knew - could be so eloquent and could speak so well. They were amazed and proud of their home town kid.
And when they got over being surprised and excited, and very pleased, they began to have second thoughts. They were not at all happy to be reminded about the poor disabled beggars who sat on the street corners in their village and they surely didn't want anybody telling them that they had some responsibility toward them. They were not happy to think about the ones who were prison whom they had neglected. And they didn't want to hear about those who were sad and depressed and full of sorrow and grieving, and they didn't want to be told that they should do something for such people.
And just as those thoughts were beginning to sink in a bit, Jesus went one step further. He reminded them that God's love stretches to people way outside the Jewish faith. People like that widow up there in the country of Sidon in what's now Lebanon - way north of the country. And people like Naaman the man from Syria. That really was too much for them to swallow – that somebody beyond their own race and their own faith and their own country could be loved by God. And before day was over, they had had a complete change of heart about him. They were furious at him, and drove him out of town and would have pushed him over a cliff if he hadn't escaped.
And that was the end of Jesus' first day on the job. Already he had created tensions between himself and the people in his synagogue. Already the religious leaders were furious with him because of who he was and what he said. Already he had announced that the poor and prisoners and sick and disabled and sad were going to be his first priority. Already he had started talking about the fact that God's love is larger and wider than the Jewish nation and that God loves people well beyond the boundaries of that one small country. And it didn't go well at all.
But none of that stopped Jesus. He continued to search out those who were ill, and cured them. Of blindness, and leprosy and hemorrhaging and fevers and lameness and those with severe osteoporosis. He healed those who were suffering from mental illness and even brought back to life again those who had died. People came from all over the country to hear him talking about God, and they believed him. He fed them when they were hungry and healed them when they were sick, and grieved with them when they were sad. He was critical of the religious leaders who were so concerned with picky little points of the law that they missed the great suffering that was happening right in front of them. He honored women and widows and children. He took out after the Romans for their unethical practices and the high taxes they were charging that pushed people into poverty. And he did all of that in the name of God. And in the name of the Kingdom of God.
But Jesus is not here anymore. He has gone back into heaven to hover over the world in great love and power and pity. And he has left us here to be his hands and feet in a world where people are still poor, and in prison and sad and sick and sorrowing. And they still need the Good News that Jesus brought. Jesus has left us to be his hands and feet and face and voice in a world that needs him desperately.
So think back now on the people whom you've been keeping in your heart these last few moments. Those who are poor or in prison or sad or sick or sorrowing. In these next moments of silence, think to yourself how you may be the hands and feet and face and voice of Jesus to them. How will you serve them as Jesus would have? How will you speak to them in Jesus' name, or act for them in Jesus' name?
Luke 3:7-14, 19-22
We said last week that we are going to be spending some weeks camping in the book of Luke between now and Easter – getting an idea of who Jesus was from the stories that Luke tells us about him. There are others who tell us about Jesus birth and life and death, of course, but we are going to be learning about Jesus through Luke's eyes.
And we said that Luke never knew Jesus personally or spoke with him and or heard him speak. So at the beginning of his book he is careful to tell us that he's going to be compiling the stories of people who did know Jesus and who did hear him speak. And we said that Luke is writing his stories of Jesus about the year 80 or 85 – about fifty years after Jesus died.
So I picture it this way: That Luke is sitting down at his writing desk with his quill pen in his hand and his parchment papers beside him. I picture that at his left elbow, he has the book of Mark, which was written in about the year 70, about 15 years earlier. And Luke copies from Mark – pretty much word for word in many places, as you may have noticed. Luke simply copies Mark's stories about Jesus into his own account.
And I'm picturing that at his right elbow he has a document called Q. We don't have a copy of this document called Q, but what probably happened is that a person who knew Jesus well, and heard him often wrote down, on the spot, the words that he said, and compiled them. A pretty much first person, eye witness report of what Jesus said. That document has been lost for us over the years, but Luke had it. And as he wrote his story about Jesus, he quoted from what Mark had written a few years earlier and from this document called Q. AND it seems that Luke had some stories about Jesus that none of the other authors had. Stories that others had told him directly – perhaps they were women. Large sections of the story of Jesus' birth, for instance, are only told to us by Luke, if you remember, Mark doesn't tell us anything about Jesus' birth. And neither does this mystery document called Q.
So I picture that Luke sits at his writing desk with all these stories around him, and compiles his own story of Jesus.
Now think about this, please. It's about the year 26 or 27. Picture a lonely, wilderness area. There are scrubby little bushes and little bits of grass here and there and a few rocks but mostly it's dessert. It's way off the beaten path and far from civilization and far from any decent roads. There is a man camped there in a rugged sort of camp. His name is John and he's thirty years old and he's wearing animal skins with a leather belt tied around his waist to hold them all together. He's eating grasshoppers and drinking water from the river nearby. People are coming for miles and miles from the cities and towns on the other side of the river to hear him speak. They are religious leaders and rich wealthy landowners, and soldiers and tax collectors. Now you remember the religious leaders. They had forgotten their faith and they had crossed over to the enemy and collaborated with the Romans, and they had refused to protect the people who should have been able to trust them. That's the religious leaders. And you remember the rich wealthy land owners. They were foreclosing homes and land out from under the small farmers and you remember how the rich were getting richer and richer and the poor were getting poorer and poorer in the process. That's the wealthy landowners. And you remember the soldiers. They were harassing the women and threatening the men and demanding huge bribes from the common citizens and accusing people wrongly. That's the soldiers. And you remember the tax collectors. They were charging huge amounts of money in taxes – much more than they were supposed to - and they were putting the extra in their own pockets and getting very rich themselves. That's the tax collectors.
And the minute John sees them all coming – these religious leaders and wealthy landowners and tax collectors and soldiers – the minute he sees them coming he lays into them. This man John has no tact whatsoever and he's not the least bit diplomatic. He calls them all poisonous snakes and whatever else he calls them. He attacks the religious leaders and tells them to change their ways and threatens them with dire punishments. He tells the wealth landowners to share their food and take care of the poor. He tells the tax collectors not to charge more than they should and the he tells the soldiers not to extort money and or make false accusations against people. Even when they ask what seem to be reasonable questions, he's pretty harsh on them.
Now just as an aside - this man John has also made the very big mistake of attacking Herod who was the governor up in Galilee up in the northern part of the country. Among other things, Herod had been having an affair with his brother's wife and finally divorced his own wife and married his brother's wife. John was openly critical of what Herod had done. Now we might have advised him to be a little careful around such a powerful man, but John had simply lashed out at him in his usual angry, tactless style. Herod was not amused and had John thrown in prison. And in the end, Herod beheaded him. You might remember that story.
And in that setting, that wild and crazy kind of man is shouting at people and lashing out at them to repent and be baptized. And they are. Right there in the Jordan River.
And in that setting, here comes another young man, also thirty years old. His name is Jesus. The people who knew him may have been whispering that the two young men are related in some way – cousins or something. And I'm picturing that the noise dies down and the shouting stops and wild and crazy man stops his ranting. And this young man, Jesus also walks into the river to be baptized. He stands in the river praying. Quietly. In the perfect silence. All eyes are on him. And as they watched, the clouds opened up, and a dove came floating down on him - the Holy Spirit. And a voice from heaven said, "You are my son. My beloved son. I'm very pleased with you."
And Luke is telling us, one more time, that Jesus is no ordinary young Jewish man. He is not the son of Joseph the woodworker. He is the son of God. And we're about to see what all that means.
And God is speaking to us. And saying to us "I am here." In a world where occupation Roman soldiers are harassing the women and threatening the men and extorting huge sums of money from people. I am here - in a world where political leaders are behaving immorally. I am here - in a world where the wealthy are gouging the poor and where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. I am here - in a world where masses of people are cold and going hungry. I am here - in a world where the religious leaders have forgotten their own faith and are siding with the Romans and refusing to protect their own people. Into that world, God comes. The Holy Spirit comes. And God says, "This is my much loved Son. I am very pleased with him."
Now it's easy for us to suppose that God is with us when things are going well. When everybody we love is happy and healthy and well and our children seem to be doing all the right things. When we seem to have enough in our retirement accounts and our saving accounts. When we like our jobs and we have a beautiful relationship with our spouse and a strong circle of supportive friends who give us pleasure. When we have lovely homes and go on very nice vacation trips. When we look up in the morning to see a glorious sunrise and we know it's the blazing splendor of the Glory of God. It's pretty easy to see God in all of that and to feel that God is near and to thank God. And on those days we flash a little prayer up to God, or we sit in silence in front of God for several minutes in deep gratitude.
But there are those other days. When we've had bad news from the doctor – or when somebody we love is seriously ill. Or when our income doesn't begin to cover our expenses. Or when there is trouble in our families and we are deeply distressed about our kids or our marriages are in trouble. Or when we hate our jobs, or wish desperately that we had a job. Or when we are lonely or lost or depressed or battling alcoholism. Or when everything we attempt seems to fizzle and we have forgotten how to be hopeful. That's when we wail out to God, again and again, in the middle of the night. We call out to God in our utter anguish. But it seems that God is not answering us and God seems to be very far away or looking in the other direction and finally we feel like giving up on God.
Now I say this carefully because I do not presume to describe your situation. And our wailing at God is very real and our deep, deep loneliness for God is very real, and our hopelessness is very real.
But maybe it's in those moments that we remember the promise of our baptisms. We hear God's voice saying to us, "You are my beloved. I love you outrageously. I have named you and claimed you and you belong to me. You live your life in my hands, and while you live your life in my hands nothing bad can really harm you."
We grab on to what we know to be true, even when we do not feel it. And we rest in that comfort.
Luke 2:40-52
We said a few moments ago that for the next several Sundays between now and Easter we will be asking the question, "Who is Jesus? Who is this baby who was born and became a man and died and came back to life again?" And for the next several weeks, we'll be camping out in the book of Luke, to see what a man named Luke has to tell us about Jesus. There are others of course, who tell us who Jesus was. There are Matthew and Mark and John. And in fact, this week our children's story was from the book of Mark. But we'll be seeing Jesus from Luke's point of view for the next several weeks.
We can't be positive who this Luke was. But we're pretty sure that he was a doctor who went with Paul on one of his trips throughout the Mediterranean region and wrote about that in the book of Acts. (You might remember that last week we had the story of Paul and Silas in Philippi and Luke was with them there.)
We're also pretty sure that Luke wrote his story about Jesus in about the year 80 or 85, in other words about fifty years after Jesus had died. Now as far as we know, Luke never saw Jesus, or spoke with him. And Paul never saw Jesus or spoke with him in person, either. So at the very beginning of his story, Luke is clear to tell us that he is compiling the stories of people who had seen Jesus and known him and heard him speak.
And in each chapter of his book, and with every story he tells, we're going to have a more complete picture of who Jesus was. Chapter by chapter we're going to learn from Luke who Jesus was.
There are going to be several themes in the book of Luke that we're on the lookout for. Luke is going to emphasize the Holy Spirit. He's going to talk a lot about the Holy Spirit. He's going to tell us about the antagonism between Jesus and the religious leaders who knew him and how those religious leaders pestered Jesus and harassed him, and eventually brought about his death. He's going to pay special attention to the poor and the sick and the disabled and the outcasts. He's going to insist on the fact that the love of God is for others, not only for Jews. (Which is very good news for us who are not Jews.) He's going to quote from the Old Testament a lot, and he's going to tell several stories about women. Women are going to be the heroes of several of the stories in the book of Luke.
So. Now to our verses for today. Luke has already told us about Jesus' birth and the first few days of his life. Luke has told us how an angel came to his mother Mary and predicted that she would have a child, though she was a virgin. Luke has told us how angels sang at his birth and talked to shepherds, of all people, and how shepherds came out of their fields at night to see him. And now Luke is telling us that Jesus and Mary and Joseph and undoubtedly their other children – all made their yearly visit back down to Jerusalem to worship God in the golden temple.
And you remember how that was - we talked about this a few weeks back when we were looking at the story from Joseph's point of view. That people came from all over the country, heading south, walking, in large groups of people, camping out overnight, taking all their food and cooking supplies with them, chatting and talking and singing along the way as they came. Walking for sixty or so miles (depending on just where they came from) through what they called mountains and we would call high hills, singing the song that we read earlier today. And other songs that are in our book of Psalms. They worshipped in the temple in Jerusalem. And then they headed home again, that whole crowd of people - children who saw their relatives only this one time every year, sisters and brothers from other villages who walked together on the way home.
But somehow this time, Jesus stayed behind. His parents thought he was in the crowds of people walking together, hanging out with his cousins or his aunts and uncles. And when they discovered he was missing, they ran back to the city and for three days they searched high and low all over the crowds of people in Jerusalem. And there they found him, finally, in the temple, and talking with the teachers there. The religious leaders. Sitting there for three whole days, asking questions, and answering questions, and discussing Biblical passages, and amazing them all. That a twelve year old boy from a very small village in the northern part of the country should have such a clear understanding of the scriptures.
And Luke is building the story of Jesus. And in this little segment of the story he's telling us, two thousand years later, what a fine student of the scripture Jesus was. Even at the age of twelve. Already he is engaging the religious leaders – already questions are flowing fast and furiously between him and them. And at the age of twelve he is making the point to his frantic mother and Joseph that he has to be in the temple – in his Father's house.
Because pretty soon, in the next several chapters of the story, Jesus is going to be going to the temple often and quoting scripture all over the place, and having conversations (and fights) with religious leaders almost constantly. And asking and answering very hard questions about faith.
Already Luke is telling us in the second chapter of his story that this kid may look like any other twelve year old Jewish boy from Nazareth. He may have made the trek to Jerusalem with his family like any other young Jewish boy from all over the country. He may have worshipped in the temple with all the other Jews every year. But this is not your normal young Jewish boy. Joseph the woodworker in Nazareth may be raising him, and may be teaching him the woodworker's trade. But Joseph is not Jesus' father. He is the son of God. We're going to see that even more clearly next week. And we are beginning to get a glimpse, if we can see it, of what his life will be like.
And now I am thinking about this congregation. As I do all the time, and as I love to do. And let me say this: You know how it is with Presbyterians at a baptism, don't you? First of all,and most important of all – God claims the child in baptism and makes promises. Then the parents also make promises in baptism. And then you remember that in a Presbyterian church the entire congregation stands up and promises also, to help raise this new child to know God and love God. And that sometimes means making sure that there's Christian Education for that young boy to attend when the time is right or that he goes to Camp Greenwood. And confirmation classes, and Christian youth experiences. The whole congregation stands up and makes solemn promises to accept this new member and love her as their own (which she is) and to be responsible, also, for her Christian upbringing. You might remember how you have done that. We have the beautiful example of Nate Waybrant this morning, a son of this congregation, who was raised in love in this congregation and who has been well nurtured in his Christian faith here. And you have heard what that has meant in his life.
So I am wondering to myself why it is so hard for us to find folks to serve in the church nursery. And why the same few people keep doing that week after week? And I am wondering who else will be moved to volunteer. Maybe you will ponder and pray about that for a bit.
And I am thinking of Adult study in this church. We have two quite different options for adult study – at two different times. One on Sunday morning before church and one on Tuesday afternoon. I would guess that about only about fifteen people or so attend these classes groups. And I am wondering if there others who might want to. To sit with other friends in the church to study the scripture and ask and answer questions or to talk about a topic vital to our
Christian Faith. Maybe you will ponder and pray about that for a bit.
I am wondering to myself and watching how this congregation will learn more about Jesus and become more like Jesus in the weeks between now and his death and resurrection.
June 2016


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Multithreaded renderer & command ordering
Dukus replied to alkisbkn's topic in Graphics and GPU ProgrammingIf you need to break the rendering up into more jobs here's a few ideas. For culling, if you have a spacial subdivision (quadtree/octree) you can create a job per node of a certain size, say anything over N meters becomes a separate job. For sorting, if you know certain things have certain properties and rendering order, such as opaque, transparent, z sorted, etc, you can bin them together at cull time and then sort them separately as their own job. For drawing, you can certainly take the sorted lists and break them up into N jobs. I'd just make sure that N is big enough that you don't take a GPU hit from having to set all render state at the beginning of each sub list, since you don't know how render state will end up between each small command buffer that results.
Multithreaded renderer & command ordering
Dukus replied to alkisbkn's topic in Graphics and GPU ProgrammingI'd just break up the rendering into jobs per render target - generally you'll have the main scene and N shadow maps, maybe a reflection, maybe a cube map to render. Each one of these has its own Cull, Sort, Draw that is fairly independent. Each can be its own job in the thread system and they just need to be linked together at the end so all the dependent shadow maps / textures are available at the right time. If they need to be linked throughout the main scene render (i.e. shadow map reuse), you just do some up front work to know what the command buffers / render target textures are so you can reference them as needed before they are fully generated and without syncing.
Terrain by Heightmap: On CPU vs GPU
Dukus replied to KarimIO's topic in General and Gameplay ProgrammingIt is many years ago. But there are people that play games and don't upgrade but every 10 years. There are still dx9 level cards, (or just dx9 systems) and while shader model 3.0 can do vertex fetch, its generally slow under the wrong conditions. There's also a lot of intel cards with integrated GPUs that aren't all that fast but can still push triangles if you use simple shaders and few textures. Really I think it depends on the target market for a game. As an indie dev, If I don't absolutely need the GPU performance/feature, I don't see a reason to limit the market. But thats a bit off topic for this thread. As for normals on terrain I like to use straight unique texture maps. Just put the worldspace normal in textures at high resolution and you're done - either precomputed and streamed or generated at runtime and cached. This makes the terrain appear to have perfect detail in the distance. Or if you're tiling the normal map, a tangent basis can be generated using the low res mesh at whatever LOD. You'd have to interpolate it at LOD edges to make sure you don't get severe lighting pops, but you'd be doing that with position anyway so it should be easy.
Terrain by Heightmap: On CPU vs GPU
Dukus replied to KarimIO's topic in General and Gameplay ProgrammingI personally like terrain on the CPU, just sending vertex buffers to the GPU as needed. Mostly for backwards compatiblilty, old cards that can't do tessellation or even vertex fetch. And I don't like having multiple render paths. Another issue is gigantic terrain. If the entire height map doesn't fit in a texture, you're loading chunks from disk or generating them procedurally usually at the LOD required, not high resolution. You can make this work for GPU tesselation or texture fetch, but it requires an additional index/offset/scale when fetching to get the right chunk at the right LOD. In this case I think CPU is easier, and wouldn't Go the GPU route unless performance demanded it. I'd hazard a guess that drawing buildings, trees, and grass is the slow thing and greatly outweighs the draw calls of CPU terrain and I'd optimize accordingly. Another thing I like about CPU terrain is simple occlusion culling. By rendering front to back, I keep track of the 'horizon' and throw away chunks of terrain below it. This saves a lot if fill rate and vertex processing.
DrawCall Batching
Dukus replied to AxeGuywithanAxe's topic in Graphics and GPU ProgrammingIn my engine, I use the object pointer, sub mesh index, and then a special 'instanceId' which is usually zero. But in the case of skeletal animation, the instanceId becomes the id of the animation playing in my instanced animation manager. This makes the drawing object unique during sorting. And when the group goes to draw, the bone constants are set once, (I use a call back to the mesh instance to get these). As like any other object, a transform for each object is stuffed into a constant buffer, and the draw occurs. I batch my instances every frame. My thought being that the camera is always moving in a game, or if its not, objects are coming into and out of the frame all the time so the best fit instance list almost always changes. Last time I profiled figuring out batches was super super low amount of time compared to culling, sorting draw items and generating draw commands.
Design Ideas for a Multi-Threaded Game Engine
Dukus replied to JekasG's topic in General and Gameplay ProgrammingYou'll probably also want to think of overall design goals. For example, do you want lowest latency from input to display on screen, or maximum throughput but with several frame delay from input to display? In the low latency case, you do game updates with N threads, physics collision with N threads, and rendering with N threads, one after the other. Or, you can run game updates, physics, and rendering all at the same time, but you need to store state per thread so you don't have to synchronize except for the state at the end of the frame. I'd recommend using knowledge about what the game engine will do to make a more specific task system, than something overly generic. As for OpenGL, you have to make all your draw calls serially from a single thread (you can use multiple, but you'd have to synchronize and switch contexts). You might look into Vulcan/DX12 (or DX11) so that you can parallelize building command buffers.
Rendered image gets inverted on my software renderer
Dukus replied to guptan's topic in Graphics and GPU ProgrammingSounds like you are projecting triangles that are behind the camera. Are you clipping them at the near plane? The slow down could be because the reverse projection is generating a lot of triangles that turn fullscreen. And or invalid floating point numbers due to divide by zero?