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Steel Series Siberia V2 Full Size Headset with Microphone White for PC Gaming
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8 reviews
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SteelSeries Siberia V2 Full Size Headset with Microphone White for PC Gaming
Please note: orders placed before 1.30pm will be delivered on the next working day unless otherwise stated subject to stock availability. Orders placed after 1.30pm may take longer than advertised.
Hear more. Know more. Win more. Modeled from the award-winning Siberia Headset, the new SteelSeries Siberia Headphone presents gamers with an audio option of superior SteelSeries sound quality and comfort. The Siberia Headphone is designed for gamers, but can also be used with iPods, MP3 players, handheld gaming devices, or practically any other kind of portable digital device. The comfortable foam earcups that surround the ear and the unique Siberia head-band suspension provides continuous comfort during long gaming, music, and movie sessions.
Closed Type Headphones - Passive noise reduction via leather padded cushions built from sound dampening foam Pull Out-Microphone - 'Invisible', retractable, uni-directional microphone in left ear-cup Built On Proven Success - Successor to the award-winning, unique SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset Clean Soundscape - 50mm drivers provide a detailed audio experience at high, low and mid tones Optimised Soundscape - Clear reproduction of everything from mood setting music to 3D positional alerts Extremely Comfortable - Lightweight headband suspension for maximum comfort during long sessions Choose Your Colour - Glossy white, red, black and orange colour-ways available In-Line Volume Control - Integrated volume and microphone control located on headset cord
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3 Year Protection £31.00
Klipsch KG-200 Multi-Format Wired Gaming Headset
- In Stock
1 review
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- Next day delivery available
As makers of legendary headphones and the world's best home and pro cinema speakers, the acoustic geniuses have created the Klipsch KG-200, the most powerful, ultra-comfortable and acoustically detailed gaming headset your ears have ever worn. Dominate your play with a true audio advantage that immerses you completely and shifts the game in your favour.
The Klipsch KG-200 headset has been custom voiced with four gaming EQs so you hear every crucial sound with critical detail.
Design: Over-ear gaming headset.
Frequency response: 16Hz - 23kHz.
Sensitivity: 110dB.
Impedance: 32 Ohms.
Drive components: 40mm custom-tuned drivers.
Features: Wide field stereo imaging, digital amplifier, athletic mesh ear pads, four selectable EQ presets, independent game and chat volume, precision-flex boom mic, ear cup-mounted controls.
Accessories: Microphone, Xbox Talkback cable, PS4 chat cable, USB PC adapter, RCA to 3.5 mm splitter cable.
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3 Year Protection £12.00
Hear your Sims like never before with colour-changing, mood-reflecting The Sims 4 Gaming Headset!
If your Sims are inspired, frustrated or elated, the Plumbob will change colour to show just that – this instant feedback gives you a real-time connection directly into the lives of your Sims.
This officially licensed Sims headset was designed in collaboration between SteelSeries and Maxis The Sims Studio to offer a unique Sims-themed design and reflect the new range of the Sims' in-game emotions.
A Sims 4 mouse (see item number 4LUDH) and mouse mat (4LUDJ) are also available.Colour: White/green.
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3 Year Protection £34.00
Tritton 720+ 7.1 Surround Headset for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, PC and Mac - Red
- Pre-order
5 reviews
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- Delivery by 25 November
Immerse Yourself in Sound Utilizing proprietary Dolby Headphone technology.
TRITTON's 720+ 7.1 Surround Headset replicates the immersive feeling of high-end home theater setups. Envelop yourself in a richly detailed, 3D sound field as your favourite video games spring to life. Game and chat volume can be adjusted independently and on-the-fly for a gaming experience customized to suit your individual play style. Selectable Voice Monitoring lets you hear your own voice and avoid shouting during late-night gaming sessions through the performance-balanced 50mm speakers. A detachable and flexible performance mic ensures all your conversations over Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network come through crystal-clear.
Immersive 3D Directional Audio Powered by Dolby Digital Technology: Dolby Headphone provides 7.1-channel surround sound to enhance directional awareness and create a detailed, spacious audio landscape which sounds as if it's beyond the limits of the headset. Hearing each and every disturbance within a game's environment gives you the competitive advantage by allowing you to locate your enemies long before they sense your presence.Colour: Red. TRITTON helpline: 800 5871102.
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2 Year Protection £61.00
Professional audio without compromise.
Please note: orders placed before 1.30pm will be delivered on the next working day unless otherwise stated subject to stock availability. Orders placed after 1.30pm may take longer than advertised.
The H Wireless cuts the cord on our highly-successful H series product line to deliver exceptional audio in a brilliantly designed wireless headset. Crystal clear, lag free audio and cutting edge performance on all your platforms. Don't settle. Go limitless.
The H wireless headset is a premium multi-platform wireless headset designed for the lifestyle gamer who wants a headset that functions equally well in the gaming and music worlds. It boasts superior wireless performance and sound, true multi platform capability, and an innovative design.
Advanced frequency hopping technology for superior interference protection. Dolby 7.1 Surround sound for immersive audio. Advanced audio customisation profiles to tailor sound and voice per game EQ, LiveMix , Chat levels. Uncompressed audio stream, superior, crystal clear audio quality. Low fixed latency the lowest latency in the industry.
Connection to Xbox360, PS3, PC, Mac, and mobiles. Share your sound with secondary headset output or use as a wired input from almost anything.
Service Guarantee available:
2 Year Protection £55.00
Please note: orders placed before 1:30pm will be delivered on the next working day unless otherwise stated subject to stock availability. Orders placed after 1:30pm may take longer than advertised.
To compete with the best players, you need the best equipment. XP510 gives you the Turtle Beach audio advantage with interference-free, Dual-Band Wi-Fi Wireless and powerful, Dual-Stage Audio Processing for immersive Dolby® Digital Surround Sound. Stream music to your headset via Bluetooth®, enjoy incredible theater audio with the new Movie preset and take your headset anywhere connected to your phone, tablet or portable game system (compatible with Xbox 360 and PS3.)
With up to 15 hours of continuous play from the rechargeable battery, you'll play longer and rise to the top of the leaderboards even faster. With over 35 year of audio experience, the XP510 is the most advanced gaming audio system Turtle Beach has ever created.
- Dual-band Wi-Fi wireless: Interference-free wireless means clearer chat and game audio.
- Music and gaming together
- Dual-stage audio processing: For more powerful and customisable presets and accurate Dolby Surround Sound.
- Dynamic Chat Boost: Chat volume automatically increases as the game volume gets louder.
- Rechargeable battery: Built-in rechargeable battery delivers up to 15 hours of continuous play
- Compatible with Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
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3 Year Protection £17.00
PLANTRONICS RIG Black Stereo Headset, Mixer for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac and Mobile Devices
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7 reviews
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The only gaming headset that lets you dial in your life without pausing your game.
Please note: orders placed before 1.30pm will be delivered on the next working day unless otherwise stated subject to stock availability. Orders placed after 1.30pm may take longer than advertised.
Your Games. Your Life. Your Mix. The RIG stereo headset and mixer from Plantronics Gaming keeps you connected to your mobile life and your game, so you can play more, and pause less. Connect your phone to the mixer, and with one touch, easily move from game to mobile. Take a call, dial in your favourite music, pick an EQ profile or flip back to game chat, master your own mix without leaving the game. Add Life to Your Game. With swappable mics, RIG also rolls with you, change out the boom mic for the stealth inline and take your music or gaming on-the-go.
No matter where you go, the audio is stunning, with precision stereo and crystal-clear voice. With the versatility to game on PC/Mac, Xbox 360, PS3, smartphones, and tablets, RIG delivers your games, your life, and your mix. Master the Mix. Feel the game and boost your music with serious gaming gear from Plantronics. Precision stereo, crystal-clear voice quality, and three EQ profiles: Pure. Intensify. Seismic.
- Mixer connects and mixes mobile phone with game audio
- Interchangeable gaming boom mic and inline mic
- Connects to PC/Mac, Xbox 360, PS3, smartphones, and tablets
- Three EQ profiles: Pure. Intensify. Seismic
- 40 mm speaker drivers
Afterglow Prismatic Gaming Headset for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC
- In Stock
9 reviews
- Delivery
Prepare yourself for the next round of Afterglow excellence, the Afterglow Universal Wireless Prismastic headset.
The Afterglow Prismatic Wireless gaming headset boasts tough construction, a beautiful aesthetic design, and the signature Afterglow lights which you can set to any colour.
The universal headset is designed to work with all current generation game consoles. The headset also feature large, 50 mm Neodymium Speakers that sit inside an angled acoustic cavity tuned by an award winning Hollywood sound design studio. The custom designed speakers are calibrated for audio depth, sonic richness, and clarity of sound.
Replacement Guarantee available:
3 Year Protection £23.00
Please note: orders placed before 1.30pm will be delivered on the next working day unless otherwise stated subject to stock availability. Orders placed after 1.30pm may take longer than advertised.
Turtle Beach Call of Duty Ghosts: Limited Edition Amplified Universal Gaming Headset Strike fear in the hearts of your enemies with the Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Limited Edition Amplified Stereo headset.
Awesome Turtle Beach sound and comfort brings your game to another level. From game consoles to mobile devices, the Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Limited Edition Amplified Stereo headset is ready for battle. Features: Premium, 50 mm Speakers - Get Crips highs and thumping lows. Adjustable Bass and Treble Levels - Tune bass and treble levels to add depth and realism. Dynamic Chat Boost - Automatically raises the volume of chat during intense, explosive game situations.
Independent Volume Controls - Separate volume controls plus mic mute right on the inline amp to create the perfect mix of game and chat. USB Powered - No AC adapters or batteries ever required. Variable Mic Monitor - Adjust the volume of your voice in the headset while speaking. Comfortable, Lightweight Design - Breathable mesh cushions and soft, padded headband for hours of comfort.
With Roccocat Kave you always stay in control. With the Tip and Control desktop remote you receive a tool with extraordinary functions. Designed for maximized comfort and functionality. Beside overall volume you can separately control the centre, front and rear volume as well as bass. You can even switch between the sound profiles.
Imagine your advantage within the heat of the battle when you exactly hear where your opponents are before you actually see them. Knowing the position of your enemy is key. Realistic 3D surround sound helps locate your opponents by noises they generate. Desktop control enables you to adjust to situations quickly. With sound and microphone mute buttons and volume control for different channels.
Due to the illumination on the micro itself, you can tell whether the micro is muted. Furthermore, you can switch between sound profiles. Choose between game and movie sound. Great attention has been paid to convenience while wearing the Kave. Headband contains 3 separately bedded pads guaranteeing equal weight distribution. Generous ear cups are hand sewn and comfortable featuring external noise cancellation.Colours: Black/Blue.
Replacement Guarantee available:
3 Year Protection £12.00
SteelSeries 3Hv2 is a compact lightweight gaming headset, designed for gamers and features a retractable microphone which is unique in it's price category.
Please note: orders placed before 1.30pm will be delivered on the next working day unless otherwise stated subject to stock availability. Orders placed after 1.30pm may take longer than advertised.
The 3Hv2 comes in a compact, foldable design making it ideal for storage or travel and an included adapter for use with PC, Mac, tablets and phones. Features Features: Ready to transport in a compact, foldable design. Retractable microphone system with crystal clear voice communication. Included adapter allows for use with PC, Mac, tablets and phones. Powerful audio drivers deliver incredible audio in a small package. Soft all-leather design provides extended comfort and passive noise reduction. Inline audio controls for volume and microphone.
Replacement Guarantee available:
3 Year Protection £17.00
There are certain situations when you need to keep your head cool, and concentrate without pressure. Ozone Onda ST has been designed for that purpose.
Onda ST is the evolution of the Ozone stereo headsets. This professional headset will overcome your expectations about stereo earphones.
With a high quality sound range and a detachable microphone that catch all the details it will become a great partner for your hardest battles. This headset has been designed to provide comfort for the longest gaming sessions. Thanks to the ultracomfortable headband and its soft cushions you will ever feel it as a second skin.
Useful info:
- High quality 40 mm speakers
- Ultracomfortable headband
- Soft cushions for long gaming sessions
- Inline audio controller
- High quality detachable microphone
- Low weight ergonomic design Microphone Directivity
- Omnidirectional Impedance: less than or equal to 2.2KOhms Sensitivity: -54dB +/- 3dB
- Headphones Driver Dimensions: 40 mm
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Frequency Response: 20 ~ 20kHz
- Sensitivity (SPL): 117dB +/- 4dB
- General Cord Length: 250 +/-
- 10 cm Plug: 3.5 mm jack (headphones + mic)
- Net Weight: 310g


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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The cold spring has pushed Minnesota's strawberry season back by one to two weeks, but growers are reporting fields full of blooms that promise to become sweet, juicy berries.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says metro area growers expect to open for picking next week, with the peak coming over the long July Fourth holiday weekend. That's a change from most years when Independence Day signaled the end of metro strawberry season.
Minnesota's berry season progresses from south to north with northern farms normally opening at least one to two weeks later than their metro counterparts.
The department says consumers can expect to see blueberries and raspberries follow the trend and ripen one to two weeks later than usual. These berries typically ripen just as the strawberry season wraps up.
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subset: commoncrawl


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adidas Men's adiZero 5-Tool 2.0 Baseball CleatItem Number: 13321294
Price: $59.97 $109.99*
You save: $50.02 (45%)
You save: $50.02 (45%)
Free Shipping Plus Free Returns on Footwear! (See Promotion Details)
Product Information
Customer Reviews
Buying Guide
Size Chart
Turn routine singles in to doubles and triples in the adiZero™ 5-Tool 2.0. A synthetic leather upper with SPRINTWEB welded TPU frame ensures lightweight durability, support and protection. The adidas® adiZero™ 5-Tool 2.0 baseball cleat has a molded PU sockliner that delivers maximum cushioning while a SPRINTFRAME outsole with 5x3 metal cleat pattern provides the lightweight stability, speed and traction on the diamond.
- Synthetic leather and SPRINTWEB welded TPU upper delivers lightweight support and durability
- Molded PU sockliner with textile lining offers added cushioning for long-lasting comfort
- SPRINTFRAME outsole with new cleat shape and geometrical learnings ensure a perfect combination of lightweight stability, acceleration and grip
- Weight: 7.2 oz
- adidas
Country of Origin: China
Customer Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5�by 2 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5�by Adida ADIZero Shoes Great shoes My son likes the style of the shoe and likes how light they are. March 21, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by Drew Awesome Shoes, Awesome service! Came in to buy shoes for my son and Philip told me about about the Adizero, he was a great help. I will be back for baseball season because of him. December 29, 2012
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text: Cricket: Marsa Win second match to secure 2-0 lead Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00 - Thursday, 04 December 2008, 00:00 On Saturday the second game of the Marsa Combined versus The Rest took place. The Marsa side won the toss and elected to bat first. Angelo Spiteri opened the batting and was out on the last ball of the second over, scoring one run. Andy Lenard bowling an incredible first over had Spiteri in trouble with a couple of Yorkers and then getting the ball to move away from the batsmen which took the edge of the bat going through to the keeper for a simple catch. Mark G. Sacco batted well and scored 46 runs including seven fours. Early in his innings he had scored only ten runs from 30 balls and the remainder of his runs in 25 balls. Sarfraz Ali made 13 runs before being LBW to Alan Kyle. Joy Ghoseroy made an impressive 52 runs not out. Impressive since he only scored three fours. Jason Muscat made ten runs before being caught. Mike Caruana was the other not out batsman with 12 runs. The Combined team totalled 159 runs from their allotted overs. For the Rest Tony Slater was the main wicket taker with two wickets. Tim Wheeler and Faraaz Bhatti opened the batting for the Rest and put on a partnership of 50 runs before Bhatti was well caught for 17 runs. Wheeler was out in the same over smashing a ball which was going down leg side straight at a fielder and was caught. He scored 30 runs including three fours. Alan Kyle was next in and next out also being caught with a brilliant catch by Mark G.Sacco for two runs. All these wickets were taken by Piere Naudi who remained the top wicket taker for the combined team with three wickets. Andy Lenard looked in fine form scoring 15 runs of eleven balls before being caught in two minds and was bowled by Spiteri. Dax Fernandas top scored for his side with 31 runs smashing three fours and a six before giving a simple caught and bowled catch to Caruana which ended the game. Darren Grech remained eight runs not out for his team. The Marsa team have now a two nil lead in the series and will be trying to whitewash the rest on Saturday, game starting at 10am. On Saturday the academy/nursery will be from 9.30am till 11.30am.


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HARRISBURG, Pa.—The winning numbers in Monday evening's drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery's "Daily Number Evening" game were:
(six, zero, two)
Police deliver pie after Pizza Hut driver hurt
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — After a pizza delivery driver was injured in a crash in Portland, Oregon, two police officers completed the delivery for him. Full Story
(Greg Allen/Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
NYC photo show looks back at Debbie Harry's career
NEW YORK (AP) — Forty-one years after Blondie hit the music scene, frontwoman Debbie Harry is looking back — but not through her music. Full Story
(AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)
Kris Jenner officially divorcing Bruce Jenner
"Keeping Up With the Kardashians" stars split is reportedly amicable.


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Recent comments
Corpse Run 031: I will not Kinect it, Sam I am!
Alex your twisted world frightens me. So many people being jabbed with sharp pokey things. *shiver*
Mega Man Universe Gameplay Teaser
Interesting little tidbit about Hadoukens in Mega Man games. In Mega Man X, you can get a Hadouken ability after you get all the heart containers, E-Tanks, and upgrades and reach a certain point in the Armored Armadillo stage 4-5 times. The Hadouken is activated by doing a quarter-circle punch, just like in Street Fighter, but in Mega Man X is can only be used when you have full HP. The Hadouken kills any enemy (except for the final final boss) in one shot.
In Mega Man X2, there is another similar powerup which is even harder to get. Instead of a Hadouken, you get the Shoryuken, which also kills anything in one hit.
Review: Burn Zombie Burn
On the PC it feels like a console port. So I thought...um...ya know...that it might be...better?
*banging head on wall*
Stupid, stupid, stupid!!
Review: Burn Zombie Burn
I don't know why you thought that going from mouse and keyboard to two thumb sticks would be BETTER controls :P
Mafia 2 - First Shot
I'm glad I could get this first impression out talking about this particular aspect that bugged me, because in the full review (will be up very soon) I had to grapple with far more serious flaws in the game. I'll give you a hint right now: Do not buy this game. Thanks for reading though!
Mafia 2 - First Shot
Well... your review of this game may seem pretty harsh to some but I happen to think that honesty is definitely the best policy. I am sure you have given them something to think about for the future.
Le casino en ligne sur lequel je mise mes fonds de jeu doit être doté de la meilleure table de roulette et verser les pourcentages les plus élevés.
Like Video Games? Like Drinking? Live in the NYC Area?
What could be better than video games and drinking? I'd like this place a little more if it had a shuffleboard table as well.
Free Medal of Honor Xbox 360 Beta codes!
The popular video game series "Medal of Honor" has become a target of derision because of the latest installment. The games are set in World War II, as a first person shooter. This can be the first not set in that war. Though not new to video games as a whole, the new "Medal of Honor" is set in Afghanistan. In multi-player mode, gamers can be either coalition forces (United States of America, U.K., etc.) or the Taliban in "Medal of Honor 2010." The Minister for Defense of the United Kingdom has called for the game to be banned.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
To a certain extent, yes.
If you build a dam overlooking a town and use it to supply power to the town and its neighbors, then that dam is yours. If you find out it's going to be stolen away from you by the government, you have a right to be pissed off. But if you dynamite the dam out of spite, releasing the flood waters upon the town, killing the townsfolk and rendering the survivors homeless, then you have become a greater monster than those who sought to steal what you owned.
And that's what d'Anconia and Galt do. They set up the collapse and encourage it. And when Wyatt sets fire to his oilfields ablaze (think the first Gulf War) he not only dooms the looters that drove him to flee, but everyone else in the area. Industry in that region collapsed and when that happens so stores and the banks. Morgages are called in and you end up with the "Grapes of Wrath". Remember, d'Anconia doesn't just destroy his mines, he lies about their yeild. He promises that they actually have metal within them in order to trap the looters and in order to set off the collapse.
Though I don't think this is a point we'll be agreeing upon anytime soon. *shrug*
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
The key point you miss is that they only destroyed their own property. Do people not have a right to do what they want with their own property? You keep making implications that they owed something to the country. They owed nothing, including oil fields or copper mines. Burning down their own buildings is basically saying "You won't exploit the fruits of my labor and my mind". There is nothing unethical about that UNLESS you assume that they owe others something. You clearly do think that the great minds and hard workers in our society owe something to the rest of us. To me, that's just taking the best of us and making them slaves. Morally and ethically repugnant.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
Yes they question it CONSTANTLY, but then they give in and flee. The evil they do isn't deciding not to be part of the society, it's in their decision to contribute to it's downfall. I'm not talking about the damage caused by their departure, but in their active efforts to exacerbate the process. I'm talking about Wyatt setting fire to the oilfields before he leaves, cripling industy in the area and setting others up to expereince the crush of economic collapse on them and their families. Or Francisco d'Anconia's lies about the copper mine and all of his efforts to trap and punish "looters", which also cause pain and suffering to everyone else financially connected to them.
It's not that they leave, nor the effects their dissapearance has upon the country, but that they actively work to collapse the world rather than 1) try to fix it, or 2) just leave. And while they are not beholden to anyone but themselves, by doing this they cause more death, misery and human suffering than James Taggart, Dr. Simon Pritchett, or any of the other looters. While the innovators and geniuses have the oppertunity to flee to Atlantis, it's the 132 million other American citizens they leave behind to suffer and die. It's one thing to leave on your own, it's another to (metaphorically speaking) poison the reservoir on the way out of town. Especially when you know that doing so will kill alot of innocent people.
But looking back on this thread, I think we've wandered a bit off topic.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
See this is how I know you missed the point of the book. A large part of the story is spent dealing with exactly what you pointed out. At first glance, it seems like backwards logic for these people to quit. That's why it takes so long for Dagny, and especially Rearden, to realize why they have to. The logic is sound, though, when you think it through, because of one key concept: the sanction of the victim. The reason the world was crumbling around them (and is crumbling around us, currently, for that matter) is because they were complicit in it. They were playing by the looters and moochers rules. And it didn't matter how hard they worked or how much they wanted to succeed, when the people in power can make laws any time they want that drain you of your livelihood, you must go on strike, or find some other way to avoid their corrupt system.
But if you want a character that fights to the bitter end, Eddie Willers is your man. The last we see of him, he's banging on a train engine in the middle of the wilderness trying desperately to get it to run. He's the man that agrees with EVERY principle of Rand but, like you, can't quite put the dots together to realize that you can't build your train tracks on ground made of quicksand. He still wants to believe that somehow, someway, everything they worked for can be salvaged. But it can't be. Not as long as the looters and moochers exist and are in power in Washington.
As for them being evil for leaving, you are echoing the sentiments of the "bad guys" of the book. Calling them evil for simply deciding not to be a part of a particular society implies that they OWED that society something. It's saying "you are really smart or really productive...you better make cool inventions for us/find a way to feed us/keep the trains running!". I don't think I need to point out how wrong that line of thinking is.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
Oh dear god am I biased in this! You got me right with that one. ^_^
But at it's core, I can't say that I disagree with some of the main attributes of Objectivism.
I just disagre whole heartedly with Rand's version or it and how she depicts everyone else. In order to follow their ideals by "leaving", they cause more pain, destruction and suffering than would ever have been possible otherwise. I liked Dagney, but the moment she hits Atlantis, her character falls apart and she wants to be nothing other than Galt's diciple. No one in that book (other than her up to that point) is willing to say "No" to Galt. No one is willing to stand up for their beliefs, instead deciding to run away.
Also, the concept of going on strike to force people to change is somewhat antithetical to the concepts they claim to be following.
I like my science fiction to make some sense and for authors to depict human reactions realisticly, and up to a point I liked that in Rand's book. I loved Hank Rearden and I loved what she did with the character. But I hated how even he quit when faced with Galt.
These people were actively creating a new Dark Age. They weren't just running away, they were burning their bridges behind them and setting the world to collapse. When you get right down to it the whole point was to destroy the world and come back afterwards to fix it in the hope that it would inspire these prized attributes. However, by doing this they really become far more evil and despicable than even the worst of the book's villains. They were no different then those who sought to destroy the human spirit by binding it with debt, guilt, and embarrassment. They were worse as their continued efforts intentionally lead to death, sadness and misfortune.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
Wow...well there ya go. You bias is telling you that Levine and Irrational Games were mocking Rand, even though he himself has said in many interviews that he agrees with much of Objectivism.
And as a side note, I agree that the GOP are just as guilty of not being Objectivists as the Dems. Both parties want to control people (using religion and socialism, respectively). What the GOP says or doesn't say has absolutely nothing to do with Objectivism itself and I think you probably realize how irrational it is to redirect your blame from the GOP to Obecjtivism. Do you also hate elephants because they chose that animal as their symbol?
I will say, though, that your understanding of Objectivism is superficial, at best. People can be Objectivists and not be raving assholes. In fact, the "American dream" is basically Objectivist and most people living in this country agree with pretty much all of the core concepts, even if they don't realize it. The core values are "There is an objective reality" (A=A) and "everything in life is earned" (including trust, friendship, love, etc). These aren't radical ideas, they are just basic, fundamental principles which most people, through their own weaknesses, fail to adhere to in their daily lives.
Rand may have been obsessed with the "perfect man" but I don't blindly follow whatever Rand happened to spew out. She also thought that women were supposed to be the "submissive" in every sexual encounter. The ideals are what is important, not a certain person's kinks. No one is a perfect Objectivist 24/7, including Rand, but that's not a flaw in the ideals, it's a flaw in people.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
I wouldn't say it proves that Objectivism is a failure, but rather that it presents a way in which the philosophy fails to account for human nature. There are alot of philisopical paths like that, which base themselves upon how man can be "perfect" or live the "ideal" life, but fail to take into account core concepts of humanity that, while negative, define what it means to be human.
My argument is that whatever the state of the philosophy may be, Bioshock is based upon mocking that philosphy and it's story builds out of how it could fail. Especially since the main theme of the game is how this philosophy failed in this given circumstance.
On a personal level though, I hate objectivism, which is why I loved Bioshock as much as I did. Mainly it's because I hate how Rand presented the philosophy in Atlas Shrugged and I hate how neocons keep whipping it out as though it were some sort of conservitive constitution when they themselves represent the sort of bickering and bitching parasites that drove the geniuses to go on strike and who would have been the first to go up against the wall when the country fell. It's like a pro communist group telling everyone to read Animal Farm because it's a great example of communism at work. Personally, I'm glad the bitch is dead.
I'm also glad very glad William Faulkner is dead, but also sad as that means I can never run him down with my Toyota.
Rainwave: Streaming Video Game Music
This is really excellent to know about the particular information given above.
Music has been a big part of games. Specially like video games because without music games are play less. The whole interest for playing games comes from music. There were been several games which has been added from earlier till now in the games to make much interest in it. As like that music is not very much but then also it plays an in important part in our life.
Thanks for sharing this great information with us.
Keep up your great work always...
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
Well like I said, those that understand what Objectivism is really about know that Rapture was far from the ideals of Rand. If you want to think that Bioshock proves Objectivism is a failure of a philosophy, that's fine, but in reality all it proves is that those people weren't really Objectivists. The second they stole from others or harmed others, they gave up that claim. I could debate this with you ad infinitum, but this isn't the place for it. Hit me up on Steam if you want to continue it :)
Press Pass: Blogging by the Numbers
Being a new blog can sometimes suck. I will admit we didn't break the news but when the Halo Reach ending first popped up we were quick to report it. We got first page on Google when you typed Halo Reach ending and got about 100 uniques soon after. Several hours later the bigger sites finally wrote something about it and kicked us off the first page. I don't think we're even 10th page now. It seems unfair but I guess that's just the magic of Google.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
Bioshock starts off with Rapture being founded on the ideals Ayn Rand based Atlas Shrugged upon. That a world in which the individual is not free to create is doomed. Though I can't consider it a great work as her inspiration was a bitchfest following her editor telling her that after The Fountainhead she "owed it to her fans" to write another book. What partially inspired Atlas Shrugged was her reposnse of basicaly, "I don't own them shit" (not an actual quote).
Where I had problems with Atlas Shrugged was in it's complete failure to understand human existance and nature. Anyone with the least bit of altruistic intent is depicted as a monster who only wants to destroy the life and soul of those around them (the 3 siblings that ran the car company into the ground after turning it into a commune). On the other hand, in Galt's Gulch (ie: Atlantis) people live in harmony dispite the situation. One man proclaims that he ran the electric company in the town until another more skilled electrician showed up and started another company. He was driven out of buisness by the new guy and now worked for him and he was HAPPY about it. He was thrilled to get to work with the other guy. In reality, if you put a bunch of type A personalities in a community based on pure competitiveness, you'd end up with a pile of corpses by the end of the week.
Bioshock mocked Atlas Shrugged. It starts off like the "paradise" of Galt's Gulch, but then human nature and the realities of the world set in. You need workers to build everything (even in the gulch) not just skill, but manpower/numbers. And they aren't going to be able to compete. Then you have the geniuses and industrialists. Just because Rearden was a metallurgical genius and a nice guy to boot, doesn't mean every super successful master industrialist will be. And then there's the infighting. People competing for power, fame, money, life and then no form of government, no police force, nothing at all in place to stop them from stealing and killing one another. There are good people out there and there are bad, and geniuses aren't all good people. Ryan is Rand and Galt, and it's his naivete about humanity that allows it to fall, and that allows him to speed along its death.
The fall of Rapture is the collapse of Rand's Atlantis and all it stood for. To the extent that when you finally meet Andrew Ryan face to face, the encounter ends with them spitting in the face of everything it stood for. That line "A man chooses, a slave obeys" represents the key point of Atlas Shrugged, and what's the response? "WRONG!"
First Shot: Monday Night Combat
i don't even care what you have to say b/c i'm obsessssed with wcgultimate gamer on syfy - an hour full of hannah simone and joel gourdin makes my world go round and round. i am the total package when it comes to gaming. i am skilled across every genre but am best at wwe smackdown vs. raw b/c i am a superstar in real life - a real life diva. can't wait for tomorrow night!!!! i think it's a wii episode. yyay! shabam!
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
I disagree that Bioshock mocked Atlas Shrugged. I'm an Objectivist myself, and I thought Bioshock was a great homage to AS. Bioshock is, in part, the story of how an Objectivist (Andrew Ryan) became paranoid, insane, threw away his principles, and created the very thing he was trying to flee. Anyone who truly understand what Objectivism is and what Atlas Shrugged is about will tell you that Bioshock only starts out with Objectivist ideals. But pretty quickly, those ideals are abandoned in favor of the evils of theft (absolutely abhorrent to a real Objectivist) and harming others (even MORE abhorrent). Andrew Ryan, if he was ever even a real Objectivist, certainly disqualified from the title almost immediately upon the founding of Rapture.
But to answer your question, American Exceptionalism, seems to be the theme of Infinite. And just like Bioshock, I expect Levine and company to start with the actual premise and then pretty quickly warp that idea into something ugly and counter to the ideals. I am definitely an Objectivist, but I'm not sure I would consider America or Americans exceptional, at least not inherently. We aren't born exceptional, we have to earn it, like everything else in life. Most Americans don't earn it and lots of immigrants do. But I will say that it's REALLY hard to be exceptional in every other corner of the world. If you are going to be exceptional, America is the place to...at least for now.
Review: Starcraft 2
Ah Blizzard: masters of the mediocre. Even if they got it right the first time and everything about Starcraft 1 is perfect. Even if the unwashed masses just want the same game again with updated graphics and a few token additions. Even if all of that were true, they get absolutely no adulation from me. Blizzard has never invented, revolutionized or even evolutionized a genre. They are the Hollywood of game designers: giving people the same thing they've seen before a dozen times. The best thing you can say about them is that their balancing/QA is top notch, but even then, if other developers had the infinite time that Blizzard takes to make games, their QA and balancing would be just as good.
I'm not saying Blizzard is evil or wrong for what they do. They are doing what they SHOULD be doing, namely taking as much money from us as they can and I totally respect and applaud that. No, I'm saying we, as gamers, have our collective bar set WAAAAAY too low. When we don't demand freshness and invention from designers, we get mediocrity. This game is a retread. A pretty one, no doubt, but just a retread.
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
I think the setting is less geared towards realism and more towards steampunk. The time period fits perfectly with that genre. Then again I'm not too interested in the realism of the settings. It does seem that the shift to an airborne city isn't a hugely interesting leap, but then again, is there anything they could have done that would have been? Maybe Rapture in the modern day? The invasion of the land by the splicers in the evil endings? A city underground? A city in space? Considering the material, I get the feeling that any change of venue wouldn't be hugely surprising. It's hard to top a city under the ocean.
I'm less interested in the setting as I am in the inspiration. Bioshock was inspired by Atlas Shrugged and in many ways it was designed to mock everything that book stood for. So the big question for me is "what, if any, is the inspiration for Bioshock Infinate?"
Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer
This game seems to stretch plausibility to the breaking point. Bioshock knew its premise was ludicrous, but A) it was a secret place that only the brightest minds escaped to (ala Galt's Gulch) and B) the fantastical technology was only possible because all (or at least many) of the world's geniuses were in one place.
This just seems like "Oh yeah that city in the sky...what's its name? Columbia? Yeah that's fairly interesting *yawn*"
It's an even MORE technologically advanced city that is built some 30-40 years before Rapture? If Rapture was "the impossible", then Columbia is "the ludicrous".
Neverwinter's going both MMORPG and 4th Ed. next year, and I'm realizing just how cuttable my wrists are these days.
It really depends on which version of the Forgotten Realms you're talking about.
Some games have hit the setting spot on (Baldur's gate mainly) while others have missed the point entirely (the console games Interplay did b4 it collapsed). The Neverwinter Nights games were hit and miss on this subject though as they often had little to do with what had been done before with the setting. Literally, in the old D&D books, there are at most 2 pages of material on the city of Neverwinter. Compared that to the city of Waterdeep to the south which has it's own boxed set and at least 3 other books based on it. Now none of this is including the novels by Salvatore or Greenwood. If FR comes of as generic fantasy, it's probably because it's the foundation upon which countless others have based fantasy settings. The Forgotten Realms have been ripped off almost as much as Middle Earth (which also comes off as generic fantasy for the exact same reason).
I'm far more familiar with the Forgotten Realms as a setting for table-top RPG sessions. In that regard, FR is one of the most detailed, expansive and popular D&D settings out there.
In novels alone, there are about 200+ books based in the FR setting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Forgotten_Realms_novels
In game books, adventures, and boxed sets that number is around 140+
Why so much? Because for a while FR was a dumping ground for ideas and D&D settings. The 1001 nights based Arabic setting Al-Qadim was based in FR, as was the Oriental Adventures setting, and the South American based Maztica setting (Mayans and Aztecs). At one point TSR (who owned D&D from inception until 1997) released a map program called the "Forgotten Realms Atlas". It was a collection of every map ever made for FR, compiled into a comprehensive map with lesser maps linked to it (click on a town and it would pull up a map of that town). They had over 600 maps taken from all the FR books to work with. 600!
What this represents is the immense amount of time fans and developers have put into the setting, and as a result the appeal of the setting has always been just how massive and complex it is. They had to release 2 books in order to just cover how many gods the setting had. For complexity you have the nations of the Sea of Fallen Stars or even just the labyrinthine politics and feuds of the noble families of Waterdeep. For dark, you have the nation of Thay, which is ruled over by an organization of purely evil mages, the Zentarim who are pretty much just total bastards, or even the cruel manipulation of the Drow city of Menzoberranzan.
And it's often be really difficult for game designers to even begin to carry over all of that into their games. Some have tried really hard, and we got games like Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale. Others got a bit lax and the results were fantasy games that felt (as you said) generic. The result has been a setting in the video games that I will admit did feel like it was a bit sophomoric at times, and did no justice to the complexities of the setting.
Hitting the big Reset button on FR for 4th Ed. feels less like them trying to bring new life into the setting, and more like Hasbro pushing them to write more books for it. Perhaps they feel that by destroying everything that's been done before, it will allow new players to start on the same level as the old ones. But in that case wouldn't it have made more sense to have focused on an entirely NEW setting or on one of the newer one like Ebberon (proto-steampunk)?
I love the Forgotten Realms, but personally I'm just glad they've been ignoring my favorite D&D setting since 3rd Ed. came out. Greyhawk. Then again, I gave up on getting anything of value out of Wizards of the Coast after the whole 3.5 hoopla. That's why I switched over to HackMaster a few years ago.


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- Michel Desjardins
- Melbourne
- Australia
Risk Manager, Enterprise Resilience & Security, Telstra
This conversation is closed.
TED Ideas Worth Funding
For many years now, we are learning ideas worth spreading on TED.
I then asked myself:
- What's happening to TED ideas after broadcasting?
- How could we ensure that great ideas come to life?
- How could we help an idea to come to life?
Which lead me to:
- How could we bring TED to its next evolutionary stage?
My ideas:
- Let's embed a crowd funding model into TED. Let's ensure that great ideas have the financial support required to come to life and to impact our society.
(if you need to learn about it, here is a link to wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_funding )
- Let's even consider embedding crowd sourcing into TED. So, we could all work collaboratively at making the world a better place.
(wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing)
That's one thing to have an idea; that's another to make it happen. Let's make it easier for everyone and for us.
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Jan 18 2013: While TED and TEDx speakers are not permitted, I think fortunately, to use the stage to make pitches for funding for their projects, every talk you hear gives you links to the speaker's bio and organization.
I know when a speaker has caught my interest, I have followed up often by reading his further work or by exploring her organization's website.
So I think it's really easy for anyone here to make contributions to what the speakers are doing by following the links to their websites. Not all speakers are people of action, some being scholars who leave it for others to use their ideas, but many are active through organizations they found or work in that any of us could assist if we choose.
I agree with Edward that the nature of the TED site would change for the worse if it became a venue for marketing and fundraising, as so many venues are.
Jan 19 2013: Thanks Fritzie for your comment. It's much appreciated.
I agree with your angle especially regarding the speakers.
But what about this "Ideas" channel where my question is located?
A what, in my department, we created an "idea register". We collate them and a department committee assess the benefits and viability of each idea. By exception we submit it to voting by our colleagues. Great ideas will have an action owner (usually a Manager or up) and staff will be allocated based on priority of the new project, our currently portfolio and availability of staff and resources.
We have ideas, and we make our ideas come to life. We don't sit and just watch it pass and fade away.
Jan 19 2013: I feel very much the same way about TED Conversations, that if it were a free marketing channel, that aspect would quickly come to dominate the setting. Those who are attracted to the site to learn and wrestle with ideas in community very likely would seek another forum where they could do that without being distracted by a barrage of pitches for funding.
There are other online venues, like Kickstarter or Kiva, that are focused on the display of proposals for crowd-sourced funding. Not every venue needs to become that.
Jan 19 2013: I love the idea of international collaborations, whether of a crowd-sourced kind or not. Open Ideo is an example of a forum that does this in an organized way. Clay Shirky in one of his TED talks about Ushahidi, another great example. He and others talk about Wikipedia along these lines, a crowd-sourced effort with tremendous public benefit. Mochai Benkler's TED talk about open source economics mentions SETI - maybe also Linux?- but also puts forward a theoretical framework for why this works so well and why people are willing to contribute for free. The Northwest Folklife festival, the largest free folk festival in the US, uses thousands of volunteers, both on stages and in operations to make it happen and almost no paid staff.
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Dr. Shaw is chief, Division of Emergency Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and director, Emergency Medical Services at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
She earned her MD at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and then completed an internship and residency in Pediatrics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. After residency training, Dr. Shaw completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and earned an MS in Clinical Epidemiology as an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow within the Clinical Epidemiology Unit at the University of Pennsylvania.
She is a Fellow of the American Board of Pediatrics and subspecialty boarded in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Dr. Shaw is a professor of Pediatrics and an associate senior scholar for the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
As Director of Emergency Medical Services, she is responsible for the operation of a 77,800 visit, high-acuity pediatric Emergency Department. In addition, she is actively involved in the practice and teaching of pediatric emergency medicine and clinical research. Dr. Shaw is currently an advisor and reviewer for the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Collaborative Research Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a pediatric consulting editor for Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Shaw has developed or facilitated a number of Emergency Department and community-based epidemiology projects for the Emergency Department population, is a member of the Editorial Boards for Pediatric Emergency Care and Academic Emergency Medicine and serves as an advisor for fellows in Pediatric Emergency Medicine who are enrolled in the Masters Degree Program in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Her personal areas of research interest include clinical decision analysis; injury prevention, clinical epidemiology; diagnosis of urinary tract infection in the Emergency Department, predictors of need for hospitalization for children with bronchiolitis and asthma, clinical evaluation of laboratory tests and procedures and Emergency Department utilization. Learn more about Dr. Shaw's research.« Back to Previous Page


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Equiti-Trend Analyst Report
SEC Filings
Platinum Studios Safe Harbor Statement
Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Although expected, actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of Platinum Studios and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting Platinum Studios and its operations; its markets, products, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently, and other factors detailed in reports filed by Platinum Studios with the SEC.


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Nature's Nest, 10 a.m. to noon, Sassafras Earth Education, Aquinnah. For mom, dad and children up to age 5. Donation by choice. Call 508-645-2008.
Friday May 23, 2014 to Sunday May 25, 2014
Friends of Family Planning Art Show benefit, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Agricultural Hall, West Tisbury.
Stuffed Animal Story Time, 10:30 a.m., Oak Bluffs library. Bring your favorite stuffed animal and have milk and cookies with Ms. Zoe. Ages 2 and up.
Friday May 23, 2014
Preseason Sidewalk Sale weekend with summer clothing essentials, May 23 to 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Slip 77, across from Nancy's in Oak Bluffs. Call 508-687-9975.
Friday May 23, 2014
Tisbury School March to the Sea, 12:30 p.m., Owen Park, Vineyard Haven. School children march to the sea commemorating Memorial Day. Call 508-696-6500.
Friday May 23, 2014
Edgartown School March to the Sea, 1 p.m. March from school to Memorial Wharf. Guest speaker and music. School children commemorate Memorial Day. Call 508-627-3316.
Lobster Rolls at Grace Episcopal Church, Woodlawn avenue and William street, Vineyard Haven. Every Friday, 4 to 7:30 p.m. Cost $17/roll. Phone ahead for large orders, more than six.
Friday May 23, 2014
Exhibit Opening: Sea Change — Martha's Vineyard in the 1960s from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Martha's Vineyard Museum galleries in Edgartown. Free for members, $7 for nonmembers.
Classical and Sacred Music, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Trinity Worship Center, Camp Ground, Oak Bluffs. Local musicians play. Free. No structured program, no sermon. Everyone welcome. Call 508-693-4424.
Friday May 23, 2014


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New Zealand Embassy Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Overseas Investment Office
The Overseas Investment Office administers the New Zealand Government's foreign investment policies. The core work of the Office is to assess applications for consent from foreigners who intend making substantial investments in New Zealand. For further information, please refer to the Overseas Investment Office's website.
Of interest
United Nations Handbook
The UN Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the UN system and how it works. Read more
Elections for the United Nations Security Council
New Zealand is a candidate for election to the UNSC for the two-year term 2015-16. Read more
Registering your overseas travel made easier
New Zealanders travelling or living overseas, registering your travel online now made easier. Read more
NZ Inc ASEAN strategy
This regional Strategy outlines how New Zealand and ASEAN will become better connected. Read more
The Christchurch Earthquake Appeal
News about how the donations are contributing to the rebuild, ways to donate and more.


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October 09, 2012
Five prominent leaders at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary gathered September 27 to discuss the problems facing mainline denominations in America today. In particular they joined together to share a bit of their own journey and their decision to either stay or go in their mainline denomination. The room was filled wall to wall with people eager to hear leaders they admire speak on such a pressing subject. Each leader spoke for about 10 minutes on their own situation facing the dilemma, "should I stay or go?" I share with you their wisdom on the topic. (disclaimer: my intention is not to misquote, and if I did please hold that against me and not the panel members).
Professor Dean Borgman (Professor of Youth Ministries): Episcopalian. Dean shared his testimony, looking particularly at the many theological issues he wrestled with on his journey into, and in, the Episcopal church. Borgman shared that he is troubled and disturbed by the 40,000 denominations in this world and that the greatest denominational affiliation among students at Gordon-Conwell is non-denominational. Borgman believes both the Anglican and Episcopal church claim to be the true church (his heart is torn at these statements). The fracture of the universal church of Christ pains him. When discussing church splits Borgman had this to say, "I see schism as worse than heresy." With reference to our panel topic he said "I choose to remain in the episcopal church, to stand by the door, knowing I don't have all the answers, and catch those who are disappointed by the whole church venture."
Dr. Scott Gibson (Professor of Preaching/Th.M. Director in Preaching): American Baptist. "I'm the token Baptist here." Gibson grew up in a rural baptist church in Pennsylvania. Ordained in the American Baptist Church in the USA. Regarding his denomination: every church is on it's own, choosing to relate to each other as fellow congregations, Baptists do that through state and regional organizations. The issue of homosexual ordination has plagued the American Baptist Church since 1970. Out of this desire for fidelity to the Biblical roots, the American Baptist Evangelicals arose, a biblical and theological position within the ABC. For fifteen years, the ABE has been promoted as a call to adhere to a theological and biblical center for American Baptist Churches. It has since been dissolved because of various difficulties. He shared his sorrow for the theological lack of commitment in the ABC; this lack of a biblical center troubles him. With regards our topic, he has not left the denomination. He is still ordained in the ABC, he has remained faithful within, trying to reorient to the centrality of the Bible. "I'm a dissapointed person with the ABC, I'm a Bible person, I'm a theologically driven person, and this is what I long for the ABC to be."
Dr. John Jefferson Davis (Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics): Presbyterian. With regards our topic, Davis mentioned that this is a very complicated set of issues, there is no one size fits all answer. The church historically has valued unity and doctrinal purity. He urged students to take great care before you take pastoral leadership, be clear about your ecclesiology. Ordained in the PCUS originally. Then in 1982 joined the PCUSA after the merger and is still ordained in the denomination. Currently worshiping at an Episcopal church. He lamented over the ordination of homosexuals in our era as unbiblical. He shared a paper he wrote titled: "Could John Calvin remain in the Episcopal Church or PCUSA?" We need to be careful to talk about a heretical person and a heretical church.
John Huffman (Board Member/Minister): Presbyterian. Comes from Mennonite roots. He desired to go into politics but wanted some Biblical background. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary. God called him into pastoral ministry while studying there. It was here he felt a call to bring renewal to a mainline liberal denomination (PCUSA). His call was to the local parish as a Presbyterian pastor. As long as the confessions were orthodox, the denomination was orthodox. On our topic, he is in a dilemma with the hemmhorage of the PCUSA churches. Huffman still feels called into the mainline denomination to bring renewal. He does not pretend to tell us what to do. He agrees we need to choose carefully. Search your heart very very carefully, you have to love the people of that denomination. Our job is to lead people to Christ. Stay, serve, be faithful.
Rev. Dr. Jim Singleton, Jr. (Associate Professor of Pastoral Leadership and Evangelism): Presbyterian. Singleton believes our topic is a very complicated issue. Looking at where God is calling us as seminarians is an enormous issue. He is an ordained minister in the PCUSA. With all denominational decisions, what exactly are we leaving if we leave a denomination? Denominations are an expression of the body of Christ. All of us are part of a tradition that has already left once, if not twice. Many church splits cause people to leave each other, it doesn't have to be that way. It is a rich blessing to be at a multi-denominational seminary like Gordon-Conwell. If you are going to leave, how far do you leave? Do you stay and be a subset, or do you leave and then curse those who have stayed. It's the how we do it that makes a difference: are we self righteous, do we call them heretics, or can we have a bit of graciousness, in relationship at some level with one another. The way you walk out the back door determines whether you can come back in the front door to have a conversation. We need to learn how to disagree in a civil way. He led his former church out of the PCUSA into the new Presbyterian denomination, the ECO. He led them, he helped to form the denomination. It's obvious he has understandings of how leaving a denomination works. He also designed an organization to stay within the PCUSA, the Fellowship of Presbyterians. Some churches need to leave, because if they don't they would lose most of their members. He believes you can stay and leave and still be faithful to the call as a pastor. "Let's be mature Christians, making the best decisions we can without needing to resort to real divisive name-calling. Have a graciousness in your spirit, when that is present, all things are possible." Mainline denominations are dying, there is a virus all over the church. But other things are growing. Where is the Spirit moving and how can we join the Spirit there? Be pragmatic. "But we don't need to beat up on an already dying corpse."
The Panel Entertained Questions and Answered Them:
What is the future of denominationalism?
Huffman: Denominations, sociologically, are on a major decline. But this doesn't mean there won't be denominations or places where God will be at work. Independent churches by their very nature however have a lack of accountability.
Singleton: Associations (such as The Gospel Coalition) are as important and essential as denominations once were. In the West, independent churches outnumber denominational churches. Denominations have the blessing of procedure when things blow up, independents have to figure this out without help. It can be brutal in an independent church.
What are the criteria for deciding which denomination to join, what factors?
Gibson: It has everything to do with ecclesiology. One of the issues in evangelicalism is a weak ecclesiology. Independent circles are often where ecclesiology is the weakest. The issue for us as seminarians is doing a good job of discerning where God is calling us by talking to fellow students and professors.
Davis: Some theological issues that help you clarify your denominational distinctives: reformed or arminian, infant baptism or believer baptism, what is the role of women in ordained ministry, how does the Holy Spirit manifest in worship and the church today. You have to know yourself, both temperamentally and theologically. Need is important too, small denominations might not have opportunities to be employed, versus a larger denomination. Needs should not be downplayed.
Borgman: We need to look at the 5 functions of the church: 1) teaching the world, 2) evangelism, 3) fellowship, 4) diaconate, service, 5) breaking of the bread. These are theological distinctives that would help you figure out which denomination fits you. Some churches hold some of these as more central and others hold others as central. What has God called you to be and hold as central to your call as a minister.
JT Holderman is pursuing a Th.M. in Homiletics here at Gordon-Conwell. He earned his M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2012. JT is currently in the ordination process of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church with hopes of taking a call as a pastor in the coming year. His journey to Gordon-Conwell began when he sensed a deeper need for clear Biblical teaching in preaching to prepare him for ministry. He hails from Seattle, WA by way of Idaho and New Jersey. JT blogs at Praise and is an avid Mountain Biker and Bodyboarder.
Tags: Author: JT Holderman , current students , equipping leaders for the church and society , future students , student blogger
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Book Club Kits
The Last Communist Virgin
by Wang Ping
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1. What are the books main themes?
2. Did the book change your views about China and the Chinese people?
3. How has the author tied the seven stories together? Do all of the stories work well as part of a collection?
4. Who is your favorite character, and why? What characters did you find hard to like, and are there any for whom your feelings changed as an individual story or stories developed?
5. The author is also a writer of poetry. In what ways is her poetic voice present in the stories?
6. What role does humor play in the stories? What parts of the collection made you laugh or smile?
7. What struck you as most sad or disturbing when reading the book?
8. What surprises did you experience in reading the stories?
9. The collection was edited and set to go to press when the author received the inspiration for the final story, Maverick. What is the significance of the final story, and why do you think the author felt compelled to end her collection with it?
10. How are the challenges of writing a collection of short stories different from those of writing a novel? Which would you find easier to write?
|Additional discussion questions from:
The Friends of the St. Paul Library