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Project Brief: Design an alternative use for the onboard TV screens in London Buses. (1 week project in collaboration with Angus Chan)
Research / Development
We noticed how dirty and neglected many bus interiors were. A recent study revealed public transport as being one of the most unhygienic public environments; more contaminated, in fact, than the average public toilet! We decided to make a short video to try and convey this.
Design proposal
Our proposal is to adapt the onboard TV system so that it displays which of the bus's interior surfaces have been most 'touched' by passengers. The TV screen would display the standard real-time interior shots, however, this would be overlaid with a visualisation of "virtual dirt" building up gradually on the bus's interior surfaces. The build up of "virtual dirt" in any given area directly corresponds to how long passengers have remained in contact with it. The virtual dirt overlay can only be "wiped clean" when the bus itself is taken to the depot to be cleaned.
Aims and objectives
The bus display would allow passengers to determine which surfaces (i.e. handrails, seats) inside the bus are least likely to be "contaminated". By referring to the display, the expectation is that passengers would select the cleanest available space to occupy. The display would also give an indication of how much the bus has been used since it was last cleaned (which would encourage bus companies to clean their buses regularly!). Our "virtual dirt" display aims to incite a neurotic reaction in passengers.
Context of work
The number of "food-scares" and "health warnings" (largely proliferated by a Media which is fond of over dramatising these issues) is contributing to a "hypochondriac mindset" within society. Although our project was informed by a recent study, which reveals public transport to be one of the most unhygienic public environments; our work is partially a commentary on the publics over sensitivity to such issues.
Our project is primarily a piece of critical design. However, it was still important for us to design a system that could be realised without the need to install any additional onboard technology. Our system could be implemented entirely in software (and hence could run on the bus's onboard PC). By analysing the live feeds from the various onboard cameras an algorithm could extrapolate which areas are being touched or occupied at any one time. Therefore, I think our design is successful in proposing a service that is feasible from both a technological and economic standpoint.


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AGM Sandton Convention Centre
Annual General Assembly 2013
The Global Business Roundtable since its launch on the Patio of a Sandton Home in 2009 has grown to become a truely global organisation focussed on the holistic development of their member.
The Annual General Assembly 2013 was hosted at the Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, South Africa on the 14th March 2013
A growing annual event that is attracting participation from around the world drew participants from all across Africa, including but not limited to South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, DRC, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and more. It also attracted international delegates from outside Africa including Spain and USA.
The First Annual International General Assembly of members of the Global Business Roundtable (GBR) was held on the 14th of March 2013 and was preceded by the meetings of the Council of Chairpersons and Board of Directors. The session was held in the Bill Gallagher room of the Sandton Convention Centre. Present where members and representatives of all member countries of the GBR as well as Trustees and Ambassadors of the Global Fund for Christ.
Apostle Bheki Thwala laid the foundation for the proceedings opening with a bible reading from John 1 verse 43 and a word of prayer.
Opening Address: Mr Sipho Mseleku
The Convenor of the GBR Mr. Mseleku welcomed all delegates to the first General Assembly and made mention of how the event would be held on an annual basis prior to the Conference for the GBR and Gala dinner for the Global Fund for Christ.
The convenor spoke on the principles that GBR is founded on, stating how our roots and foundations are based on 2 scriptures in the bible, Matthew 6v33 and Matthew 22v37- 40. He emphasized that these where our greatest terms of reference in how we will conduct ourselves and all matters relating to the GBR and its business.
Mr. Mseleku gave a brief summary on the events that took place at the annual 2013 camp which was held in Swaziland, again bringing home the point of how the camp was fundamental in creating an understanding of the intrinsic fabric that weaves the GBR together. He spoke on the importance of starting of the year in prayer and taking time to also train leaders and formulate strategy for the year. He emphasized how the camp gave any member their clearest understanding of the GBR.
He then mentioned how 2013 is deemed to be the year of the bride for the Global Business Roundtable and the Global Fund for Christ and this meant we would be at the centre of many great things and Christ would show of His glory through his Bride. He also spoke of how 2013 would b the year of Exponential Explosion and in this year we would see a greater level of organic and inorganic growth in a measure greater than we have yet to experience.
Mr. Mseleku in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of trustees explained the mandate of the GFFC and stated that the GFFC is here to:
- Do what Jesus would've have done if He was physically present.
- Be the ambassadors of the work of Christ and must remain sensitive to the heart of Jesus whom they serve.
- GBR and GFFC will be used as an instrument, to bring the wealth into the hands of the right people, who will use it to do the work Christ called us to.
- GFFC must be a self-sustained organization.
Financial Report Mr. Bakang Temba (CA)
Mr Bakang Temba stated that the financial results tabled where those of the roundtable in Sandton and where not a reflection of the global organization and its financial performance. He stated that for GBR Sandton this is the third consecutive year that the financial statements have been audited and encouraged other chapters to follow suit and begin to follow best practices and like Sandton have unqualified audits done by an independent party.
He also spoke on the activities of the Finance committee which created and tabled for adoption a financial management policy for the governance of the use of funds of the GBR.
Financial Highlights
- In 2012 the revenue realized by GBR Sandton stood at R1.5m at the close of the 2012 financial year, which has demonstrated a 101% growth comparative to 2011 where income closed at R650000
- Main Revenue sources in 2012 where sponsorships from some corporates as well as donations received at sessions.
- The total expenditure was R1.3m which in the largest percentage was attributable to the expenses of the Conference and the associated costs of launches predominantly outside of South Africa.
- The organization is proud to announce that in 2012 the books closed with a cash surplus.
- The current valuation of the GFFC primary investment in Sakhumnotho Group Holdings has an understated valuation of R49million.
- The size of the company has grown and the valuation is dated and should be pegged higher at the next valuation.
- The revenue has grown from R755 550 to R2 796 610 which shows an increase of 270%.
- The operating expenses of the GFFC with the primary expense being the costs of the Annual Gala Dinner stood at R2736198 against and income of R2796 610 which again brought the accounts to a close with a surplus.
The GFFC will continue to develop the Investment committee and the caliber of investments which it holds.
Council of Chairpersons Mr. Eric Mabuza
Mr Eric Mabuza presented his report which started by highlighting the growth of the GBR and the creation of an evolving management and administration structure that would allow for the monitoring of systems and the governance thereof. The Chairman explained the regional structure as well as the people that would be assigned to manage those specific territories.
He also spoke on the policy formulation work that was being done by the Council of chairpersons and that several documents had been drafted for adoption by the board earlier in the day and also for presentation and adoption by the general assembly.
These documents include, The Terms and conditions of membership which classified membership into 2 categories and outline the requirements to be in good standing, the qualifications of a Chairperson which will govern the selection and pursuant appointment of a chairperson then followed by a review of Chairpersons to ascertain they meet the criteria prescribed, lastly is the financial management policy as drafted by the finance committee and reviewed by the Council of Chairpersons which governs the issues relating to branch finance.
Lastly some documents are in the process of being formulated such as the Code of conduct and Ethics whose basis will be best business practice and the principles of the bible. The document will tabulated in the 2013 calendar year. Mr Mabuza emphasized the importance of a robust branch network that is well managed and is effective in its member development.
The terms and conditions of membership on adoption by the General Assembly will be made available on the website.
International Affairs . Ms. Damis Arubayi
Ms. Damis Arubayi spoke on the International Affairs department was established in 2011, and described the core mandate which is to ensure visibility and presence of GBR worldwide and thereby creating the platform for the GFFC as well. The tasks of the International Affairs Department mandate have been divided into three phases namely:
Phase 1: Launches
- Launch packs are being developed and will soon be implemented to give guidelines on how to prepare and execute a launch.
- These launch packs will also include a checklist, which ensure that all the aspects of the launch are covered.
Phase 2: Structures
- The department has in 2012 and will continue in 2013 to develop internal sustainable structures beginning with the International Administrative team then in countries and continents, to ensure growth and performance.
Phase 3: Coordination
- The main aim of this phase is to ensure the efficient coordination of all logistics for launching across borders. Efforts are been made to minimize expenses.
- Multi-city launches are being introduced, whereby several launches will be coordinated per region.
- This will be implemented to minimize expenses and maximize on the time spent in various regions.
Trade and Investments
Pursuant to a country launch Trade and Investment Missions held for members and travelling delegates, to explore business opportunities in the country being launched. The International Affairs desk will continue to work with the Trade and Investment Desk to create a platform for engagement of key stakeholders and the full utilization of the contacts and extraction of value from the opportunities.
WOMAN OF CHARACTER : Ms. Thabsile Dlamini
The International Head of Woman of Character Ms. Thabsile Dlamini reported on the first sector department which was launched in Swaziland in 2012. She highlighted some of the key events that took place in the calendar year of what was a successful year for the department. She also spoke on the h mandate of this department; which she described as being to nurture and influence GBR positively.
The strategic direction was for every roundtable to launch a Women of Character department within 6months of its establishment. Amongst the key highlights of the 2013 calendar year would be the Women of Character launch in South Africa in August 2013, and it will run concurrently with GBR South Africa's 4th anniversary.
MEN OF INTEGRITY: Mr. Mafole Sematlane
The Men of Integrity department was launched at the annual camp held in Swaziland in 2013 and was mandated to deal with the issues that concern Men. They will seek to grow their footprint both nationally and globally, and the process will be facilitated through the use of workshops.
The leadership of the department through Workshop protocols will develop a methodology to oversee this process.
Men of Integrity will also begin the process of consultation with other sector departments so as to measure and record the expectations of those departments with regards to Men of Integrity and also to exchange information on methodology that will work proven by the execution in other departments.
Mr Pholoso Matjele who will lead Men of Integrity South Africa created a pro-forma that will be used for the profile of Men of Character, which will state the mission, vision and objectives of this chapter.
In closing Mr Sematlane stated that Men of Integrity is a working progress and the profile and functionality of the department is in continuous development.
The Global Business Roundtable operations for the year are presented for all the GBR members at the Annual General Assembly, all members are expected to attend and become involved with development of the strategies for the yaer ahead delegation organizer team is composed of U.S.-based staff from the organization or agency organizing the delegation.
The Assembly focussed on the following:
- The Council of Chairpersons report
- The Department reports
- The Financial report
- International Affairs report
- Trade and Investment report
- Memorabilia report

subset: commoncrawl


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#64: Comic Review: Poor Bryce
May 4th, 2009, 12:52 am
Author Comments
sylviagrace May 4th, 2009, 12:52 am
References This is a special 1-year anniversary review comic. I admit it's made mostly from recycled panels, but I did make one new one. I'm going green today. This one is a continuation of The Ultimatum. This situation is not over yet. Stay tuned to see how it turns out. Next week the stakes get higher.
Tags: The Vlog Strike
Tags: The Vlog Strike
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Skrappydoo (Guest) May 4th, 2009, 10:41 am
Good for Bryce! I've always thought Bryce got the short end of the stick! Now he finally stands up for himself! Haha! But not to the detriment of the comics....think it over Bryce...Don't shoot the messenger. LOL! Plus, Jason Wade has not gone unscathed in your comics either. I mean, you've kidnapped his sloth and I think ran him over with a Simpson's car, right? Hahaha....no members of Lifehouse are safe from your comic whims! No one!!!!!
iluvcheese (Guest) May 4th, 2009, 4:43 pm
Awww! man! i feel sorry for bryce....cheese ot!


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Unlike most other hospital administrators, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH's) Director of Support Services, Moe White, is looking forward to another year of cuts, reductions and eliminations – of CAMH's environmental footprint, that is. Over the past few years, White and his colleagues in CAMH's Support Services group have made a continuous series of improvements in the hospital's environmental performance through their "Green CAMH" campaign, changes which have also saved the hospital money and enhanced its reputation.
These improvements span CAMH's operations. Recently, the hospital was recognized by Enbridge Energy Services for reducing its annual consumption of natural gas by more than five per cent (or 130,000 cubic meters) in 2007 alone. This reduction was achieved while the demands on, and utilization of, CAMH's space increased. Similarly, despite the continuing addition of new laboratory space and computer server rooms that require significant cooling, CAMH consumes no more electricity than it did in 2003.
CAMH Housekeeping Manager Peter Ritchie has long been a practitioner of green health care. Under his stewardship, his department eliminated the use of pesticides in the maintenance of CAMH's 27-acre Queen Street site long before the recent pesticide ban came into effect. Similarly, 95 per cent of the cleaning products used by Ritchie's staff are considered "green." The results of these changes can be found in the wastewater that leaves the site. CAMH achieved a 92 per cent reduction in sewer discharge pollutants, shooting well past the City of Toronto's target of 72 per cent.
In 2007, the Recycling Council of Ontario gave CAMH a platinum Waste Minimization Award for exemplary results in minimizing internal waste, especially the diversion of solid waste (which includes organic material) and reducing water and energy use —CAMH was the only health-care provider to receive platinum recognition. CAMH was able to divert 86 per cent of waste from landfill this past year. In 2006 these efforts successfully diverted 305 tonnes of organic waste and saved 13,765 trees through paper recycling. "The effort made by staff and clients at CAMH has been outstanding," says Ritchie. "We've really made an effort to make recycling easy for everyone, and clearly people have responded positively."
Roofs, in shades of green and white, are one more tool in CAMH's environmental improvement approach. The newly constructed ambulatory building at CAMH's Queen Street site features a green roof, which will insulate the building in winter, intercept rainwater before it can runoff into the storm sewers and improve local air quality. At CAMH's Russell Street site, a recently installed white roof promises to reduce summer cooling requirements by reflecting sunlight back into the sky.
The sum of these improvements is that of the 36 hospitals participating in Ontario's Greening Health initiative, CAMH's Queen Street site was the 2007 leader in reducing energy consumptions costs per square foot. "CAMH staff are a very environmentally conscientious and committed group," says Paul Soares, Manager Plant Operations and Maintenance, adding that he looks forward to working with staff across the organization to identify further opportunities for energy savings and other environmental improvements.


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The Blockchain: Decentralized trust to unlock a decentralized future
Blockchain technology brings security structures and incentives in line with the way we share information in the 21st century.
Michael Casey is a writer and researcher in the fields of economics, finance and digital-currency technology. He was recently named as Senior Advisor for Blockchain Opportunities at the MIT Media Lab's new Digital Currency Initiative. This follows 23 years as a journalist, the last 18 of which were spent at The Wall Street Journal. In a career spanning Perth, Bangkok, Jakarta, Buenos Aires and New York, Michael has covered currencies, bonds, equities and economic policy. Most recently, he was WSJ's senior columnist covering global economics and markets. Along with WSJ colleague Paul Vigna, Michael is the co-author of The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money are Challenging the Global Economic Order and wrote the regular WSJ BitBeat column on digital currency developments. He has worked as a host of WSJ-sponsored online TV news programs and has been a frequent commentator on CNBC, the BBC, Fox Business, CNN and a variety of other broadcast media. Prior to The Age of Cryptocurrency, Michael authored two earlier books: The Unfair Trade, a book on the global dimensions of the financial crisis and Che's Afterlife, about the international impact of Alberto Korda's iconic image of Che Guevara. He is a graduate of the University of Western Australia and has a Master's Degree from Cornell University.
Blockchain technology brings security structures and incentives in line with the way we share information in the 21st century.
The incumbent system for moving, storing, and managing money is approaching a tipping point that could render it obsolete.


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One of the greatest challenges we experience in life that puts the final nail in the coffin for many, is the trauma we go through when we think about other peoples' opinion more so "what will people say when they hear about a particular story or problem that we have". This breeds more pressure than the problem or challenge itself. We seem to be faced with an uphill task when the opinions of people matter to us. For one second, we seem very fine and quite comfortable in our challenges but on the other hand we feel the very worst when people start to know or talk about our said "problems" or "challenges".
Job had been through the worst (according to any human standard or institution), his wife had given him the worst of advice, and Satan had been dismissed. The Good Book in fact confirmed "in all of these (the pain, trial and persecution), Job did not curse God or sin with his lips". He never said anything against God. After sometime, we learnt that Job started to say so many things and inadvertently, something must have informed it. So what did he say?
Job broke the silence; he spoke up and cursed his fate: "Obliterate the day I was born. Blank out the night I was conceived! Let it be a black hole in space. May God above forget it ever happened. Erase it from the books! May the day of my birth be buried in deep darkness, shrouded by the fog, swallowed by the night. And the night of my conception—the devil take it!
Rip the date off the calendar, delete it from the almanac. Oh, turn that night into pure nothingness— no sounds of pleasure from that night, ever! May those who are good at cursing curse that day. Unleash the sea beast, Leviathan, on it. May its morning stars turn to black cinders, waiting for a daylight that never comes, never once seeing the first light of dawn.
And why?
Because it released me from my mother's womb into a life with so much trouble. Why didn't I die at birth, my first breath out of the womb my last? Why were there arms to rock me, and breasts for me to feed from? I could be resting in peace right now, asleep forever, feeling no pain, in the company of kings and statesmen in their royal ruins, or with princes resplendent in their gold and silver tombs.
Why wasn't I still-born and buried with all the babies who never saw light, where the wicked no longer trouble anyone and bone-weary people get a long deserved rest? Prisoners sleep undisturbed, never again to wake up to the bark of the guards. The small and the great are equals in that place, and slaves are free from their masters".
"Why does God bother giving light to the miserable, why bother keeping bitter people alive, those who want in the worst way to die and can't, those who can't imagine anything better than death, who count the day of their death and burial as the happiest day of their life? What's the point of life when it doesn't make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning? Instead of bread I get groans for my supper, then leave the table and vomit my anguish. The worst of my fears has come true, what I've dreaded most has happened. My repose is shattered, my peace destroyed".
He ended with this: "No rest for me, ever—death has invaded life." This is more like Job giving up under intense pressure of his many diverse and accrued sorrows. He vented out his feelings with bitter accents as described above. In other words, he became capricious all of a sudden and he started to talk as described above.
Job never said all these things when the challenge reached its pinnacle and climax, neither did he lament but all he said above were informed by the presence of his three friends. His three friends went to meet him when they heard about his ordeal; possibly with very good and genuine intentions. As it was said of them that they all travelled from their countries to meet their friend, Job, so that they could comfort him.
When his friends saw him, they couldn't recognize him for he was already disfigured and changed into something else. His situation had gone from bad to worse. Immediately they cried out in lament, ripped their robes and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of grief. Not only did they dump dirt on their heads, they sat on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights without saying a word. They saw how rotten Job felt and how severely he had suffered. Oh, these are good friends, some would say. Yes to the natural mind but from God's perspective, it could be different.
This part of the story reminds me of when I was a little boy growing up. The moment I got spanked by my teacher or an elderly person (after I had been naughty), I sometimes didn't feel the pain so much and sometimes might not even cry but the moment someone tried to show me some sympathy, the tears came down in volumes. Could this be the case with Job?
The fact that Job broke down and said all sorts to the day he was born, cursing the one who brought him into planet earth, tells me that the presence of his friends was not a good one. I am able to say so because none of them knew what and why Job was going through; none of them thought about the fact that it could be God doing His work in the life of Job. They didn't know how it all started and instead of inquire; they felt they had a solution to his problem.
They felt ripping their robes and putting dirt on their heads (as though Job had sinned against God) and by doing one of two things, his situation would change. They were set in a particular way of how they felt things worked out. They would have thought, because of the weight of pain that something had gone wrong somewhere with Job; he must have committed a grievous sin against God. They were wrong! They didn't know that God was WORKING in Job's life both to get him to WILL and also to DO of His good pleasure.
Job's three associates here presents a portrait of someone who proved out rightly that they understood little or nothing about the sovereignty or character of God in His objectives as He works through Job and presently His children – the Saints.
It is in the WORKINGS of God in our lives that causes us in our WILL to choose Him; not only do we choose Him, it also creates the ability to do that which God expects us to do according to His WILL and not in the opinions of people, groups or institutions.
Be Refreshed!


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Newsletter - Nov. 2017
Peter Brown
Sinclair Ferguson Visit
Renowned theologian and leader of Reformed Christianity, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson is coming to Friendship Presbyterian to deliver a week-long lecture series, free and open to the public, during the last week of November. Sponsored by China Reformed Theological Seminary (CRTS), the series will take an in-depth look at the biblical teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit from creation onwards. Please note, this will be a bilingual presentation, with line-by-line oral translation provided by CRTS honorary president, Dr. Luke Lu.
You may register for the event here.
You can read a sample of Sinclair Ferguson's thought and writing here.
Romans, Reformation, FPC, and You!
by Pastor Dennis Brown
I hope you are receiving at least a small portion of what I am receiving by the recent series of messages on Romans that we began in September. As I have said on numerous occasions, the goal is that you and the church together would be rocked by the Romans revolution as Luther, Calvin, and all the Reformers were in the 16th century. For many of us it can seem like ancient history (yawn), and conjure images of memorizing dates for an eighth-grade history exam (yawn).
Over thirty years ago, my little world was rocked by Romans and the Reformation when I stumbled over some sermons by Charles Spurgeon (the great London, Baptist preacher of the 1800's). He took me to the Bible and Christ and the gospel like no one ever had. I'm still recovering. Several other friends experienced the same revolution, and in our enthusiasm we even created a "dead theologians society" (a take-off on Robin Williams' 1989 film, Dead Poets Society).
So you may say, what is all the fuss about? Or you might say, "We live in Asia — what do these old, dead, white (non-Asian) guys have to say to us in Taiwan in the twenty-first century?"
These old, dead, white guys discovered something that had gotten lost. Namely, the gospel! The church was in deep darkness, and Martin Luther discovered something that has changed entire civilizations and countless lives ever since. But, unhappily, it is equally true that the gospel has gotten lost in our own day. Most evangelical (not just Catholic) churches have no idea what Luther and Calvin and others were protesting. Remember they were called "Protestants."
As a consequence, more often than not, evangelical "Protestant" churches have fallen into moralism, legalism, liberalism, or the prosperity gospel (which is no gospel at all). All of these are a departure from the pure, unadulterated gospel that we read about in Romans. In short, in too many places the gospel has gotten lost.
So what needs to be recovered? In a recent post on The Gospel Coalition Website (quoted at length below), Union School of Theology president Michael Reeves gives us three things about the Reformation that all of us should know. He also highlights some of what got lost then and continues to get lost today:
Luther discovered a powerful secret that would shake the world, unleashing happiness wherever it went. The secret was this: failing, broken people "are attractive because they are loved; they are not loved because they are attractive."
Could that be more counter cultural today? It is deep in our blood that the more attractive we make ourselves, the more loved and happy we will be. The Reformation was a story of one man discovering to his delight that, with God, it the other way around. God does not love people because they have sorted themselves out. He loves failures, and his love makes them flourish.
So Luther was concerned with people's happiness. In fact, he would come to believe, he had found the secret of happiness. And that, at its heart, was what the Reformation was all about. Not moralizing. Not self-improvement. It was a discovery of stunningly happy news, news that would transform millions of lives and change the world.
The Reformation was the beginning of Protestantism, so people sometimes assume it was simply about protesting, arguing, and getting tied up in knots about what was right and wrong to believe.
Yet when Luther wrote a short book to explain his discovery, he called it The Freedom of a Christian. In it we find that the Reformation was a freedom movement, not an excuse to impose new rules or complexity.
In fact, Luther argued that the gospel was breathtakingly straightforward. He said the good news he had found was like the story of a wealthy king (representing Jesus) who marries a debt-ridden prostitute (representing one who trusts him). The girl could never make herself a queen. But then the king comes along, full of love for her. And on their wedding day he makes his marriage vow to her. With that, she is his, and the prostitute becomes a queen. He takes and bears all her debts, and she now shares his boundless wealth and status.
It is not that she earned it. She didn't become a queen by behaving royally. Indeed, she doesn't know how to behave royally. But when the king made his marriage promise, he changed her status. Despite all her backstreet ways, the poor girl is now a queen.
Likewise, the greatest failure who accepts Jesus Christ gets to share his righteousness and status. What happens is a happy status-swap: When Jesus died on the cross, he absorbed and dealt with all our guilt and failure; and out of sheer love he now shares with those who trust him all his righteousness and life.
It means, wrote Luther gleefully, her sins cannot now destroy her, since they are laid upon Christ and swallowed up by him. And she has that righteousness in Christ, her husband, which she may boast of as her own and say, "If I have sinned, yet my Christ, in whom I believe, has not sinned, and all his is mine and all mine is his."
Consider these words, written by a team of scholars in Westminster, England, in the 1640s: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever."
Those words capture the heart of the Reformation. For what Luther's discovery had made abundantly clear was that God is glorious: beautiful, good, kind, and generous. We can therefore actually enjoy God. Not hate. Not avoid. Not appease. Enjoy.
This was all quite different to what so many had known before. As a monk Luther had confessed he'd come to hate God; doubtful of whether he'd made himself worthy of heaven, he shook with fear at the thought of how God might judge him on the last day. Yet armed with his new discovery, Luther realized he could face such fears like this:
"When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: 'I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where he is, there I shall be also.' "
And so the terrifying doomsday became for him "the most happy Last Day." The gospel had so transformed Luther's life that he was able to look to the future with unshakeable hope and assurance that he would enjoy the living God forever. And there could be no better hope for hurting, hopeless people today.
Imagine what your life might be like if you experienced Luther and Calvin's Romans revolution? Imagine what we would be as a church if we experienced it together? Amen!
What If I'm Not "Hurting" or "Hopeless" Today?
by Peter Brown
Michael Reeves' helpful article on three things about the Reformation (read here) ends with this thought: "…there could be no better hope [than the Romans revolution] for hurting, hopeless people today."
Without question, Luther and Calvin's Romans revolution was a profound and joyfully life-transforming event for millions of people. But what about those of us who are not sure that our lives need transforming? What if our lives actually seem pretty good already? Sure, things could always be better in some way. But as long as we have the basics covered (good job, good health, good friends), do we really need a "revolution?"
If this describes you (as it once did me), the Romans revolution is quite possibly more important to you than to those who do feel hurt and hopeless. For as Pastor Dennis has shown us, one of the essential teachings of Romans is that no matter how comfortable our lives may be at the moment, the wrath of God at human unrighteousness is being revealed (Romans 1:18), and none of us are righteous (Rom. 3:9). What's more, we are made righteous only through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice for sin (Rom.3:20-25).
Romans teaches that God's blessings to us in this life are meant to remind us of him, to turn us to him in repentance (Rom.2:4)–in spite of the fact that we suppress the truth of his very existence (Rom. 1:18-20). It can be tempting to think that having a good job, good health, and good friends means God is pleased with us. But Christ tells us otherwise: "Blessed are you who are poor…you who hunger now…you who weep now….But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort" (Luke 6:20-24).
Update From the Session
by Alan Fiol
The session (church elders Alan Fiol, David MacRaild, Kalan Spencer, and Pastor Dennis) has been working hard to serve you. As the governing body for our church, we meet and communicate regularly with one another to understand, plan, and prepare for all aspects of our church life. It's not all business, of course. We pray with and for one another and for the church's needs. That includes the needs of members, regular attendees, and visitors. We invite you to pray with and for us. Please feel free to share with us your needs. If you have a special burden you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to share with one of us.
Here are a few of the items currently or recently on our "agenda". Hopefully, this brief list will help you become better acquainted with what we're doing and to pray with and for us. Please do! We also want to remind you of the work our brothers and sisters are doing on a regular basis and to encourage you to pray for them as well:
- Church renovation. The congregation voted last week to release NT$1.7M for the much-needed renovation of our church apartment. We are thankful for the church's full support. Pray for Donna Warren, David MacRaild and the rest of the planning team.
- We have been spending much time in thought, discussion and planning for FPC's staffing as we are now in a period of transition. Together with the search committee, we have been working to find the right pastor to succeed Pastor Dennis. In addition, we are developing and clarifying our church's missions and goals and planning the best way to arrange staffing/structure to best meet those goals. Pray for this most-important area.
- The deacons and church staff work hard to serve you as well! Together with them, we seek to serve the needs of the Sunday worship service, including ushering, greeting, reaching out to newcomers, preparing and managing refreshments, arranging and managing the welcome tables, among a number of other items.
- Four very important aspects of church life which are continuously on our hearts and in our planning and prayers are: Children's Sunday School; welcoming and connecting with newcomers; small groups; and outreach. We very thankful for our staff, Anna Furness and Peter Brown, who do the bulk of the day-to-day, week-to-week work in these areas.
- We are grateful for the worship teams. Pray for the team leaders and teams, as well as Donna Warren who heads up and coordinates the teams.
- Let's all lift up the Sunday School teachers to the Lord. We thank the Lord for each one of them. Pray that God's Spirit may empower them with His love and grace as they serve our precious children and youth.
A quick update from the search committee: We shared in our recent congregational meeting that, at the end of a thorough application review process with our most recent candidate, we decided not to proceed with him. We are currently resetting our "outreach" to advertise in a number of key places to receive fresh applicants, which we need. Finding a suitable pastor can be one of a church's most important and also most difficult tasks. Please pray that God will give us patience, faith, and wisdom in reaching out and in processing applicants. Pray that God will send the man of His choice to us soon.
College Ministry
by Peter Kim
This Fall has been a fun-filled and exciting time for G2C (Gospel 2 the Campus). First off, we had the opportunity to go to Yilan during a national holiday where we filmed our first ever music video (https://goo.gl/878Zjb)! Secondly, we were able to hold our very first English/Chinese Exchange (https://goo.gl/F9JMfK) through which we hope to meet new friends who are unbelievers. We won't use the English/Chinese Exchange to evangelize directly, but our hope is that we can build friendships and begin sharing with them the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Lastly, our weekly meetings have been a joy as we learn more and more about the depths of the good news of Jesus Christ in our lives.
One prayer request is for effective discipleship. The problem that we constantly face is that since students are so transient, it is difficult to build deeper relationships, grow in the Word together, and send them off as deeper lovers of Jesus Christ who will continue to share this good news with others. But this is exactly what we are striving for: to receive, disciple, and send them forth!
To learn more about G2C, visit http://www.facebook.com/groups/fpccollege.
"Living Stones" and "Building Up"
by Peter Brown
In their handbook on church community groups, the staff of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York lay out a compelling biblical foundation for community groups. Starting in the Old Testament, we see that the tabernacle and temple are called God's dwelling, or his "house" (1 Chronicles 6:48, 25:6; Ezra 5:2, 15). But, rather amazingly, in the New Testament, the people of God themselves have become the dwelling of God. Individual Christians receive the Holy Spirit and become "living stones" being built up into God's "spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5), or "God's building" (1 Corinthians 3:9).
Therefore, in the New Testament age that we live in, the main work of Christ in the church is "building up" (oikodomeo, in the original Greek). God is the one who can "build you up" (Acts 20:32). "In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple to the Lord" (Ephesians 2:21). The church grows not just by joining physical stones, but by joining and uniting human lives filled with the Spirit of God.
Accordingly, the main work of the "living stones" is also "building up." "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11). "Speaking the truth in love…the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Eph. 4:15-16). This "building up" cannot happen only (or even mainly) in large worship services. It happens in face-to-face groups.
So whether you are with us at FPC for three months or three years, we are always encouraging you to visit our community groups, find one that you connect with, and commit to it. To be clear, Christians are not saved by participating in a community group. They are simply walking in the good works for which they have been created (Eph. 2:10).
You can find information about FPC's community groups here.
Sanchong Ministry
by Kalan and Kayt Spencer
Over thirty-five people attended the Moon Festival barbecue outreach in Sanchong last month, and several families expressed interest in attending the Sanchong small group. The small group has been meeting faithfully every week for worship, Bible study, and prayer. The Spencer family and a local Taiwanese family attend every week, and we continue to pray that more non-Christians friends will join us and encounter Jesus.
We're very thankful for FPC members Alan and Rinah Fiol, as well as Sara Hook, who have been a great help with childcare. Kalan and Kayt continue to meet with individuals regularly for evangelism and discipleship. This past month Kalan made some new connections with local men through teaching English, and we are praying for expanded opportunities to share the gospel.
Looking ahead, a "Fit Kids Sanchong" outreach and a Christmas outreach are in the works. If you'd like to be involved, please contact the Spencers at email@example.com.
December Travels and Preaching Schedule
by Pastor Dennis Brown
On November 1st, I began year ten at Friendship. What a wonderful journey it has been. Before the summer, I reached an agreement with the elders and congregation that I would continue for the year, if they would allow me to spend most of the summer in the States and then allow me time over Christmas to connect with family. They graciously built that into the contract, and so I will be going to the States from December 5th to January 4th. It also coincides with the apartment renovation which was approved by the congregation on Sunday, Oct. 29th.
During Christmas, we will take a break from our sermon series on Romans, and different preachers will take up a Christmas text—likely, texts that will coincide with the Advent candle readings each Sunday. Here is the schedule for December:
Sunday, Dec. 3: Dennis Brown, Romans (Note: Communion served)
Sunday, Dec. 10: Peter Kim (Christmas, part 1)
Sunday, Dec. 17: Peter Wang (Christmas, part 2)
Sunday, Dec. 24: Kalan Spencer (Lessons and Carols Service/No Sunday School)
Sunday, Dec. 31: Peter Brown (New Years)
Sunday, Jan. 7: Dennis Brown, Romans
Also, Christmas plans are in the works. Wait for further information on plans for the annual night-market caroling, New Year's Eve service, and other Christmas activities. Note that we will not be having the Christmas Eve rooftop service event. Instead, we will have a service of a lesson and carols that morning at 11:00am. There will be no Sunday School. Children will be with us for the service and we will end by noon and have a large, joyous fellowship afterwards.
Sermon Series: Romans: The Power of the Gospel
Through November, we are continuing our sermon series on the Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul's great exposition of the gospel. In case you missed any of it, here is a quick recap of the passages we have covered so far, brought to you by the creative team at The Bible Project.


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David Souaid, President
David has been involved in the payment processing industry for 10 years. He was most
recently Senior-Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Optimal Payments, a
NASDAQ listed ISO/TPP of several acquirers worldwide, including Merrick Bank.
David's role was to grow revenue in all card payment categories, including debit cards,
credit card, and ACH internationally.
Prior to Optimal Payments, David was with its predecessor company, Terra Payments, a
Toronto Stock exchange listed company whose focus was Card Not Present payment
processing. David was Vice-President of Strategic Development, and was responsible for
the company's strategic partnerships and product development. David was responsible
for the QuickBooks Canada partnership, whereby Terra was the exclusive integrated
credit card processor for QuickBooks and Quicken in Canada and a significant driver of
merchant acquiring revenue.
David has always been focused on using payment product innovation in partnership with
business information systems, as a way to add value to merchants and enhance margin.
He began his career with SureFire Commerce, a Card Not Present payment processor, as
a Director of Business Development.
Harley Greenspoon, Vice President
Harley has been in the financial services industry for 6 years. Prior to joining
SterlingCard he was a Vice President with NorthBridge Capital Corporation, a privately
held corporate finance firm, with responsibility for managing the financial and legal
underwriting processes, evaluating and managing each transaction through the due
diligence, approval and closing processes. Prior to that Harley practiced law as a
corporate attorney in New York at Davis Polk and Wardwell. Harley is a member of the
New York State bar.
At SterlingCard Harley's focus is on underwriting, compliance and legal affairs. Harley
is also responsible for establishing and nurturing new and existing business relationships.
Janice Conry, Vice-President Sales and Marketing
Janice is a 25 year veteran in Sales and Executive Sales Management. Since 1998 her focus has been in the Financial Services Industry in the role of Business Development Manager, National Sales Manager and Director of Sales, North America. Through strategic acquisitions and global expansion within the company over the past 5 year's and focusing unique attention to incremental sales in e-commerce and the software integration component, Janice's role as Vice-President, Sales has allowed her the luxury of an international arena for industry concepts and new innovations. In addition to accomplished business growth, under her leadership lie the true reason for her success; an established professional sales group of Business Development Managers and countless International Sales Agents: all of who contribute significantly to SterlingCard Payment's rapid and expanding achievements and attention to client satisfaction. Janice attended McMaster University.


text:
I grew up with Maille mustard. It was the brand my mother used and I continue the tradition – frequently having as many as five jars on the go (for that I blame my husband – he's either terrified we'll run out or deathly allergic to recycling the very nearly empty jars at the back of the fridge).
Nowadays Maille have a huge range of products, from flavoured vinegars to oils to pickles and any number of mustards and sauces. When they contacted me to take part in their Maille Culinary Challenge I have to say I dithered about which product to use. In the end it simply had to be the Dijon Originale and the Fresh Wholegrain Mustard. I threw in the Aged Balsamic Vinegar for a bonus point!
With such classic raw material I came up with an equally classic recipe. Something that you would be proud to bring out on a Sunday and have the whole family happy (and fighting over the potatoes).
I used topside beef which is widely available but has a tendency to be a bit dry. To avoid that I roasted the meat in a pot. It is always best to use a meat thermometer to avoid over cooking the meat – don't always rely on the cooking times as your oven may run too hot (or cold).
Any leftovers make fantastic sandwiches – especially with some of the aioli and wholegrain or rye bread. The beef can also be used instead of the turkey to make a fantastic thai salad.
For the roast
Serves 6-8
1.5 kg | 3.3 pounds topside of beef (or top rump or brisket)
2 tbsp Maille Dijon Originale
2 tbsp Maille Fresh Wholegrain mustard
Freshly ground salt and pepper
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
3 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
125ml | 1/2 cup hot beef stock
80ml | 1/3 cup white wine
Olive oil
1 tsp of cornflour (cornstarch) diluted in 2 tbsp of cold water (for the gravy)
- Preheat the oven to 180C | 350F. Take the meat out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking.
- Rub the meat with the two types of mustard and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Using tongs, brown the meat for a couple of minutes on all sides and set aside.
- Add all the vegetables and quickly pan fry them for a couple of minutes then transfer to a large lidded, oven-safe pot (or dutch oven). Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping any caramelised meat bits.
- Add the wine, stock, thyme and bay leaf to the pot and place the meat on top. The liquid should come about 1/3 of the way up the meat. Cover the pot tightly and roast for about 1hr – 1hr 15mins or until meat temperature registers 55C (130F) for rare, 57C (135F) for medium rare or 60C (140F) for medium. My roast was cooked medium rare.
- Take the meat out of the pot and put on a plate. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 15-30 minutes. Leave the oven on for the potatoes.
- If you wish to make gravy, transfer the vegetables and any liquid to a pot and simmer until reduced by half. Sieve to remove the vegetables and return any liquid to the pot.
- Add 1 tsp of cornflour (cornstarch) diluted in 2 tbsp of cold water to the gravy and simmer until it thickens. Serve hot.
> Do check your meat packaging for recommended cooking times but test your roast about 20mins before it is done with a meat thermometer.
> With pot roasts you can reduce the temperature to as low as 150C (300F) and cook slow and low for about 3 hours.
> Always rest the meat before carving and slice as thinly as possible.
- Put the egg yolk in a medium bowl and whisk in the Dijon mustard.
- Gradually add the olive oil whisking continuously – the mix will start to thicken.
- After oil has been added, whisk in the lemon juice, minced garlic, anchovy past if using and wholegrain mustard.
For the balsamic potatoes
- Prepare these while the beef is in the oven but nearly done. Scrub the potatoes, leaving the peel on.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the potatoes and boil until almost fork tender – about 8-10mins.
- Meanwhile, turn the oven temperature up to 200C | 400F (after the meat is done). Add about 4 tbsp olive oil in a roasting tray and put the in oven.
- Smash the potatoes with a potato masher or a fork. Add them to the tray and season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Roast until fork tender and crispy – about 10-15mins.
- Take out of the oven and sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar. Return to the oven for a couple more minutes then serve.
- Preheat the oven to as hot as it will go. Rub some lard into the wholes of a muffin or patty tin.
- Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the salt and pepper and add the eggs. Mix them in (the batter will be quite stiff) and gradually add the milk until you have a smooth batter. Let this rest for 15-20mins.
- While the batter rests, put the prepared muffin tray in the oven for 15 mins.
- Take the muffin tray out and carefully pour batter in each of the holes – it should sizzle.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the Yorkshire puddings are puffed and golden.


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Friday, February 4, 2011
Greenberg - DVD Review
Luckily, I did not see this in the theater. My daughter and I caught this trailer when we saw The Kids Are All Right. We almost went back and to see this piece of crap.
Honestly, I did not like a single thing in this film. I love little indie films about people finding their way in life, reconnecting and maybe mending some fences along the way. This was not one of those films.
Ben Stiller plays Roger Greenburg, a 40-something slacker who comes from New York to Los Angeles to house sit for his brother. There's more to the job than house sitting though. Roger wants to use the opportunity to re-connect with family and friends and maybe move back. He basically only has one friend who's willing to hang out with him; everyone else in his past remembers him as an asshole and quickly sees that he hasn't really made any large strides in changing that area of his life.
Roger's brother also has a nanny/personal assistant, the young Florence played by Greta Gerwig. She is also around the house taking care of minor details while the family is away. She is finds Roger appealing but distant. The film centers are their interaction and possibly budding romance.
Ben Stiller, who is a good dramatic actor, comes off as such a jerk that you really have no sympathy or desire to see him turn his life around. If the point of this film is portray those friends you've clearly outgrown and they do nothing but bring you down and suck the life out of you, well mission accomplished. However, I fail to see why I would want to watch this drip of guy for almost two hours.
I keep hearing all these great things about Greta Gerwig who plays Florence. Maybe she is a good actress; I'll have to wait to see her in something else. No, I'm not going to sit through No Strings Attached just see if she's any better in that film. Here, she seems to have attended the Kristen Stewart School of Acting. She talks low and appears to have recently got up from a long nap. I really hate young female movie characters with this personality. They seem to meandered through the films and will fall for the male lead simply because he's the male lead, even if he's a jerk or treats them like crap. I'm much more inclined to root for a characters like Emma Stone in Easy A or Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer. These sleepy, go-with-the-flow-even-when-the-guy-is-a-jerk characters are a huge turn off for me. It gives the impression that guys don't have to try that hard and they'll still find a good women who will see the one tiny shred of redeeming quality he may inhabit.
Lastly, could this movie make sex look any less appealing? Geesh, I'm not expecting Cinemax, but the characters looked like they have sex when there's nothing else left to do. Could we feel a little bit of heat between our main characters? Really, it was like, "Oh we should have sex now." Sigh…"Let's get to it."
So I can't recommend this one. If you disagree with me, I sure like to hear what made this film work for you.
Posted by Colleen at 7:52 PM
2 comments:
- Castor said...
Ahaha I'm not surprised. I mean movie theaters actually had signs that explicitly said they would refund movie tickets for this movie.
- February 7, 2011 at 1:17 PM
- Rachael said...
This review cracked me up. I am so never seeing this movie.
- February 9, 2011 at 1:17 PM
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text:
A Mansfield man has been charged with causing the death of a three-year-old girl following a crash involving eight vehicles including a lorry.
Thomas Hunter, aged 58, of Mansfield Road, was charged yesterday (December 5) by Thames Valley Police with one count of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The charges are in relation to a collision which occurred on August 25 this year on the A34 at Hinksey near Oxford.
Three-year-old Isla Wiggin was seriously injured in the incident and died two days later on August 27.
A 31-year-old woman also sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Seven cars and a lorry were all involved and the northbound carriageway was closed for ten hours.
Mr Hunter was arrested on August 25 this year on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He answered his bail yesterday and was re-arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and then charged.
Hunter has been released on bail to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on 17 January.


text:
02 May 2017
With windswept, effortlessly tousled hair and a statement red lip, Kendall Jenner played it safe and chic.
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