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Reflection in Rehoboth
by Kathleen Fox
Kathleen is serving as a teaching assistant at Marian Middle School, a girls' school in St. Louis. Last week, the volunteers got back from a long weekend winter retreat in Delaware -- and Kathleen offers us this reflection on the experience.
The St. Louis volunteers discussing community life!
It is incredibly difficult to find a moment of solitude and silence in a middle school. And while the bustle of Marian is exciting and fun, it can occasionally be overwhelming. When it came time to take a four-day weekend and head to Rehoboth Beach for winter retreat, I couldn't hop on the plane fast enough.
I was looking forward to walking along the beach and writing in my journal, a past time that I have let slip away during the busy school year. Although I was excited for our "Saturday of Silence," it is the conversations I had with my fellow volunteers that made the retreat worthwhile.
Our group gathered as a whole for the first time since August, and yet we were able to discuss serious topics as though we'd never parted. I found comfort chatting about the difficulties of education with Molly and Caroline. We each work with education in unique ways, yet we face similar challenges such as classroom engagement and boundaries.
I was able to spend quality reflective time with my roommates. As a small community of only three, we face a unique set of challenges. We don't have to schedule time to be together, but we have to remember that some of our time together should be more than social. We reignited our community light and refocused our community nights.
Most importantly, the retreat rekindled my desire to get up and go to work in the morning. Talking about the difficulties of work, whether it is as an educator or as a volunteer in general, reminded me of all positive things that can sometimes be overshadowed. I'd gladly take a four-day weekend, but I am happy to be well-rested and back at work.
1/23/2013 08:16:37 am
Great job Kathleen! Glad to see your comments and know that this semester will give you many opportunities to grow together in your community.
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In Their Own Words
We invite you to get to know Loretto Volunteers and the program here. Volunteers introduce themselves and reflect on their experiences.


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In an attempt to understand the average Indian tech consumer and his/her relationship with location based services, I decided to start off with the Twitter stream. Looking at geotagged tweets (tweets that contain the user's current location, possibly from the GPS of the device used for tweeting) of about 3 weeks, it is clear that the big cities are where the majority of geotweets are coming from.
Here is a statewise choropleth map of geotweets. It also contains statistics for Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka:
A whopping 28% of all Indian geotweets are from Maharashtra (mainly from Mumbai). Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are runners up with close to 12% and 9% respectively. Credits for visualization go to OpenStreetMap and Leaflet.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fit Tip:
- Length: True to size
- Width: Medium
- Arch: Medium
- Overall Fit: Little to no break-in
The Asics Gel Challenger 13 is back in fresh colors for 2023. Optimized for playing from the baseline, the Gel Challenger 13 has an Ortholite sockliner and Gel cushioning in the toe and heel for impact absorption and WINGWALL technology in the sides for stability. The PGUARD toe protector and AHARPLUS outsole increases durability for a solid and strong shoe.
Color: Black/Hot Pink
Average Weight: 13.0 oz (Size 10.5 Men's)


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Spoilers Ahead
"There's such a thing as having too much empathy. You leave nothing for yourself."
Case Summary: When an entire family is brutally murdered, their youngest daughter and the only survivor has seen who's done it. The only problem is, she's heavily traumatized and disoriented leaving it up to Dr. Charles, Lindsay, and Halstead to find ways to get through to her. And after the events from last week, Roman can no longer return to patrol.
Review | Analysis: "She's Got Us" was an exceptional episode showcasing why this show is so special. It was great to be reminded of why we chose to review this show in the first place taking us back to elements that were found in the very first season. As one of the most thematically powerful episodes all season, "She's Got Us" exhibited character growth beautifully showcasing just how vital it is to keep a balance between empathy/self-care, love/partnership, and work/fun.
"She's Got Us" was a prime paradigm of Chicago P.D. at its strongest — cases that are intriguing and character development that's seemingly effortless. For instance, I loved the fact that Erin apologized to Dr. Charles only to have him respond that "she was just doing her job." These are the kind of little moments that not only showcase honorable characteristics, but they have the power to make us question our own lives. Often times when we know how to do one job and another knows a different one, it's easy to clash. But there's always a resolution and it starts with the choice to rise above.
It was lovely of this moment to reveal that where there's understanding and civil discussions, agreements can be made, and growth can take its proper course. Sure, Erin couldn't understand why they needed to sedate Polly again, but Dr. Charles also didn't see that she was close to getting through to her; however, the reality is, in that state, Polly was clearly still disoriented. And that's why it was great to include a follow-up conversation that would showcase neither party is being arrogant with their expertise, but rather where a mistake has been made, an apology should be given. Erin's a remarkable character, but she's human, and much like the rest of us, she makes mistakes. At times, she can allow her empathy to take her to a place that's probably unhealthy, but when the moment is right, and she isn't as stirred up, she can make the decisions that reveal how strong she is. And strength isn't just physical capabilities, but rather vulnerability and honesty — the courage to admit when we're right or wrong.
Additionally, this plays a role in the choice we've made for the "Most Exquisite Scene" segment because it accurately depicts the fact that while empathy is phenomenal, at times it can be unhealthy. If we don't take care of ourselves, we won't be able to take proper care of others. Honoring the theme presented within "She's Got Us", it ultimately comes down to keeping a balance, and if there's any couple on this series that's done so beautifully, it's Jay and Erin.
Most Exquisite Moment: There are a number of procedurals on air right now, but if there's nothing uniquely profound grounding the series, then it becomes noticeably average. But at its best Chicago P.D. is filled with outstanding dynamics that illuminate the fact that the strongest partnerships always inspire one another to be his/her best self.
That said, it's no surprise that Halstead and Lindsay's partnership has been a fan favorite since the beginning. (Right?) And tonight's episode was a prime example of why. Jay and Erin are both incredibly compassionate people, but the reason we have a partner in life isn't that we aren't complete on our own, but rather, we need someone who knows us best to remind us of what our strongest self looks like. That said, it was sweet to see Jay take care of Erin by bringing her a change of clothes and food, but perhaps the most beautiful was the way he emotionally carried her through her. His choice to remind her of the fact that too much empathy can be a bad thing was precisely what she needed at that moment. It's funny because when something resonates deeply with them, they both have a tendency to get lost in the case. They both have a tendency to be over-empathetic, and thus, such moments are when they need one another most. As human beings, it's easier to see that another might be in need of help thereby, when it's our turn to take care of ourselves, it's easy to be blind.
Essentially, the key to anything is balance. There's even such a thing as too much of a good thing, and when we reach that point when it becomes difficult to distinguish, it's lovely to have someone by our side to remind us. And that's what real love is at its strongest — a balanced relationship that's able to effortlessly bring out the best in both partners. When a case shakes them to their core, they're both susceptible to losing themselves, and in the same way that Erin was there for Jay in "Forty-Caliber Bread Crumb," Jay was there for her in "She's Got Us." On a completely off note, it was great to watch them bring back the ridiculous banter that's made them extraordinary.
Jesse Lee Soffer and Sophia Bush know how to say a thousand words with one look, and it's that type of non-verbal communication that's often substantiated how intertwined the two actually are. Soffer was able to project palpable concern cobbled delicately with an understanding only Bush could respond to. And because Erin understands exactly what Jay means and how worried he is, she needed to prove that she was fine — she'll rest when she truly feels she needs it. Bush made sure Jay understood that Erin's not only grateful, but she hears him. And for the moment that was enough — letting him take care of her in all the little ways he could was enough. While his concerns for her throughout the episode were gorgeous to watch, it's fundamentally, this little moment that reveals how well they're able to work as partners (on and off the field) ultimately, staying true to the promise they'd made to always have each other's backs.
Most Noteworthy Performance: It is truly so rare for a guest star's performance to completely floor me, and it's especially rare if they're 12 years old. I knew Kylie Anne Rogers was a gifted little one because of Miracles from Heaven, but I was stunned by the paralyzing, raw trauma she manifested in "She's Got Us." Fundamentally, Rogers' ability to hold her own with such gifted older actors deserves praise on its own. Honestly though, why am I even surprised? She was a class act in the film opposite Golden Globe winner Jennifer Garner. Rogers exhibited a full range of emotions I was never expecting, and thus, managing to make this week's case the most heart-wrenching we've had in a while. When Polly was subtly breaking down inside the house, Rogers wore palpable grief in her eyes managing to project a kind of visceral pain not many can do. The thing is, it'd be easy for us to feel pain no matter who the actress was, a child in any sort of pain is effortlessly heart-shattering, but Rogers has done a type of work that's truly fantastic — she's convincingly embodied the character and delivered raw emotions that some adult actors have yet to master. When she cried in front of Erin towards the end, you saw the pain in her eyes, you heard the heartache and uncertainties of how to move forward in her voice, but most importantly, you felt for her. There's without a single doubt an Oscar/Emmy in this little girl's future.
Worth Mentioning:
- While I'm genuinely sad to see Roman go (Brian Geraghty is great, y'all), I'm a bit revealed. Or at least I would rather keep him, but have the relationship between him and Burgess end. In an episode that was meant to showcase the importance of balance in all areas of our lives, the relationship between Kim and Roman is more like a disheveled roller coaster. I'm honestly not sure if I'm supposed to take the "I love you. Probably" seriously. They've legitimately been dating for a minute and "I love you" exchanged? I mean, I can understand people move quickly, but this was too quick and frankly, it didn't feel authentic. I genuinely hate to say this but it's laugh worthy, and that breaks my heart because they're both characters I individually care for. Jay and Erin have been dating longer and those words still haven't been exchanged between them. There's absolutely no reason to even compare the two relationships as they're completely different, but when we're presented with one couple consistently showcasing impeccable teamwork, it's hard not to be disappointed in the fact that their relationship essentially ruined the partnership they had established long before.
- Erin's great at empathizing with victims and reminding them of the fact that things will genuinely get better. And what she said to Polly at the end of the episode may just be one of the strongest statements to date. "Have you ever met a person and just known that you didn't have to worry about them … like no matter where they go, everything's going to be okay." It's safe to assume that we've all known someone like that. A person who's bound to make the best of life because their spirit in all its kind, effervescent beauty is a conqueror. And though we knew her for a brief episode, it's clear Polly is a conqueror.
What are your thoughts on this week's episode? As we've said in the past, we're more than happy to respond to all sorts of thoughts and opinions — even if the differ from our own. We only ask that we can discuss them as adults because unnecessary hate and negativity isn't fun. However, we can't discuss these things on other social media networks, thereby, if there's anything you'd like to talk about or have us cover, let us know in the comments below. Thank you.


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Productivity is the main goal of many entrepreneurs. So let's take a look at self-management and how it can help you maintain productivity.
For a long time, productivity has been one of the main goals of entrepreneurs and employees alike. We feel that by becoming more productive, we can achieve better results in our work and also improve our work-life balance.
However, being sustainably productive requires a lot of effort on our part. It's not something we can easily achieve, as life tends to get in the way of our productive plans.
Let's take a look at self-management and how it can help us maintain peak productivity even in the midst of chaos.
What is Self-Management?
In a nutshell, self-management is the ability to control your thoughts, feelings, and actions. It means that you are able to prevent certain reactions, prevent procrastination, and direct your focus where you see fit.
Self-management can help you achieve your goals faster, keep you more grounded, and unlock your full potential. It can rekindle your motivation and improve your productivity. When you are able to significantly impact what you're thinking about and what you choose to do with the time that is available to you, you are also able to execute your tasks better.
Get Amazing Free Productivity & Motivation Guides!
Important Self-Management Skills
Self-management consists of different kinds of knowledge and skills that can help you manage yourself, your time, and your outcomes better. These include:
- Organizational abilities: knowing how to set priorities and deadlines and how to work toward them. These abilities help cultivate a clutter-free work environment and enable you to manage your work better.
- Time management: knowing how to stick to a work schedule and understanding how to fill your day with achievable tasks.
Stress management: knowing how to deal with workplace stress and how to destress after office hours. Being able to manage stress will help you stay healthy and grounded.
How to Become Better at Self-Management
Sure, it might feel like some people might be born with the innate ability to be more productive than others (and which we often refer to as "the X factor"). But the simple truth is that anyone can become better at self-management. for productivity All you need to do is practice like you would with any other skill.
Understand Your Strengths and Weaknesses
To manage yourself better, you first need to get to know yourself really well. We all have the tendency to see ourselves either in an extremely positive or extremely negative light, and being objective about our own abilities can be a challenge.
Considering your strengths and weaknesses with complete honesty will help you become more productive. What is it that you do well, and what are you not so good at? Understanding this will help you set better goals and focus on the right kinds of tasks.
Set A Goal
To be productive, you need to know what exactly you are working towards. "Getting more done" is not the right kind of goal, though. You'll need to be much more specific. Think about measurable and attainable goals for every day, every week, and every month.
Your goal should be aligned with your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your overarching professional and personal goals.
Get More Sleep
In order to be able to manage your thoughts and actions, you need to feel good in your body and mind. When you're grumpy and moody, you will be much less likely to be productive.
Work on the way you sleep and pay attention to how much time you allocate for sleep each night. Don't think of it as a waste of time – on the contrary, consider sleep as a way to save time. The more rested you are, the faster you will be able to perform and the better your ideas will be.
Practice Self-Care Too
Self-motivation needs to be accompanied by a healthy dose of self-care as well. Don't drive yourself into the ground by expecting too much too soon.
Give yourself the time you need to focus on things other than your goals. Time away will allow your mind to work on your job-related issues subconsciously and to form the important mental connections that lead to success.
Learn To Say 'No'
Finally, make sure you don't keep adding to your workload more than is necessary. Tasks, jobs, and opportunities will come your way that are not actually aligned with your goals, and they may only hinder your progress.
By learning to say no to them, you will be able to allocate more time to the tasks that actually bring you one step closer to your desired outcomes, and you won't be feeling as stressed and tired either.
Final Thoughts
Self-motivation can open the door to success and heightened productivity, and any can utilize self-management for productivity. However, you first have to devote enough time to honing and maintaining this skill. Remember that you won't be able to develop it overnight and that you will suffer setbacks. However, perseverance is key, and the longer you strive towards peak productivity, the closer you will get to it.
Meet the Author: Sarah
Sarah is a life enjoyer, positivity seeker, and curiosity enthusiast. She is passionate about an eco-friendly lifestyle and adores her cats. In addition, she is an avid reader who loves to travel when time allows.


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ISLAMABAD: PIA's first Hajj flight PK-2501 carrying 416 intending pilgrims will leave for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to start a month-long pre-Haj operation to airlift Pakistani pilgrims for Hajj.
Another Hajj flight PK-2601 will also depart for Jeddah from Peshawar with 416 passengers on board, official sources said on Tuesday.The Hajj flight from Islamabad will be seen off by PIA Deputy Managing Director Captain Junaid Younus, while the Peshawar flight will be seen off by Corporate Services Director Mamoon Rashid. Similarly, the first Hajj flights from Lahore, Quetta and Karachi will leave for Jeddah on September 20. – Dailytimes


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Monday, March 11, 2019
First Rockman X2 "25th Anniversary Piano Album" Music Samples Are Live
Samples from the Rockman X2 25th Anniversary Piano Album are finally here! Most of the tracks are available. You can listen to them right here.
GMStore will be regularly adding more samples to that page until they provide samples for all the tracks in the album. Alternatively, the majority of the Band Album samples are available and you can listen them in the link above. Release dates for both albums have yet to be revealed, but we are close to the announcement.
4 comments:
Oh man these are good too! After MM11 and this I think I want piano mixes of all megaman tracksReplyDelete
I hope for true guitar like the first one. Those ost really deserve it.ReplyDelete
- Rockbot 20XXMarch 11, 2019 at 6:54 PM
This is totally off topic, but I just realized that Bandai might be making "S.H. Figuarts Remix" figures of X, Zero, and all the other characters that were released in the D-arts Figure line. Apparently, S.H. Figuarts Remix figures are basically re-releases of the discontinued D-Arts line.ReplyDelete
Off topic too but I'm really waiting for X3 armor figurine. Completely excited about this one.(like usual…)ReplyDelete
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On June 7, the London Review of Books featured The Tower, a lengthy essay on the Grenfell Tower inferno by journalist and novelist Andrew O'Hagan. The essay marked one year since the devastating fire that claimed at least 72 lives. It also coincided with the opening days of the official inquiry during which fire survivors and relatives of those who died gave moving tributes to their loved ones. O'Hagan's piece, however, is a mockery of journalistic and social integrity.
The Tower, a 60,000-word essay, was penned by the same individual who produced a hatchet job account of Julian Assange's life in 2011 in his book The Secret Life. In that work O'Hagan portrayed the WikiLeaks co-founder as narcissistic, paranoid and lying. In an interview with the Times, he accommodated himself to accusations that Assange was a Russian stooge because of WikiLeaks' role in leaking documents pertaining to Hillary Clinton's 2016 US election campaign, as well as to the bogus rape charges against Assange.
The same contempt for democratic rights and the lives of working people is abundantly present in The Tower. There are sensitive and moving portraits of those who lived in Grenfell Tower in the first part of O'Hagan's essay, but this is overshadowed and outweighed by the subsequent six parts.
O'Hagan's piece is characterised by vicious and dishonest misrepresentations, inaccuracies, the demonization of local activists, residents and firefighters, and hymns of praise to the local council.
Various survivors and local residents who were interviewed by O'Hagan, or have read his account, have denounced The Tower. They have condemned his apologetics for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) council and vilification of the local community, as well as asserting that O'Hagan misled them as to the purpose of his piece and altered or invented some of their comments.
Nursery worker Melanie Coles wrote an open letter of complaint to LRB, which was posted on Twitter by Noha Maher (who lost her brother, Hesham Rahman, in the Grenfell fire) and which has been shared widely. Coles, who was interviewed by O'Hagan, had taught Fethia Hassan, a four-year-old girl who tragically died alongside her mother and sister in last year's fire. In her letter, Coles accuses O'Hagan's article of being "damaging to the credibility of our community" and making for "highly distressing reading for people directly affected, and for some of them offensive, due to the inaccuracies it contains."
She points to multiple inaccuracies in his account, including his naming of the school which Fethia Hassan attended as the Maxilla Children's Centre, which was closed in 2015 after council funding cuts and amalgamated with the nearby Golborne Children's Centre. According to Coles' letter, O'Hagan's article invented some of her comments and posted the recording of her interview online without her permission, when she had been told that the video recording would be used only for the purposes of creating a transcript.
Coles further explained that despite being told the article was intended as a sensitive tribute to those who died in the blaze, she and others were misled into participating in a work with very different intentions, including being highly biased in favour of the local council.
The video of Coles was later taken down and some of the errors she pointed to altered or removed. However, rather than issuing an apology, one of O'Hagan's researchers, Lindsey Milligan, released a contemptuous response. Dismissing Coles' concerns over the use of the video as "all in your head" and accusing her of not having "understood the bigger picture," Milligan stated that "it is ludicrous to suggest that his story isn't compassionate about the victims."
Daniel Renwick—who produced, co-wrote and co-directed the Grenfell documentary Failed by the State—also criticised The Tower for misrepresenting members of the local community and for its ardent defence of the council, describing the essay as a "deeply insidious piece of writing."
From the second of the seven chapters of his essay, O'Hagan falls over himself in extoling the virtues of RBKC and its leaders, decrying the unfairness of those who dare to criticise it. The author in particular idealizes council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown (whose "gentle manners" O'Hagan fawns over in the third chapter of his piece) and his deputy Feilding-Mellen. He paints a picture of a noble and blameless council doing its best to help the victims in the face of much adversity and receiving only ingratitude and unfounded accusations in return.
O'Hagan dwells at length on the personal histories, feelings and families of these two esteemed Tory gentlemen (Feilding-Mellen is the son of Amanda Feilding, the countess of Wemyss and March, to whose aristocratic family history O'Hagan thought fit to dedicate nearly 700 words). Indeed, a considerable portion of the essay is little more than a sob story about how difficult it must have been for these two council leaders! He complains how Paget-Brown's honourable attempt to rise above "political mud-slinging" after the blaze was about "to bring his career to an end."
The majority of chapters two to five, and large sections of the final two chapters, are devoted almost entirely to absolving RBKC of any guilt for the outbreak of the fire and lionising their subsequent relief effort.
"The council leaders did not cause that fire," declares O'Hagan in the fifth chapter of the essay. "Like many councillors all over Britain they were in office when cladding was installed that we now know to be unsafe. … They were not on a mission to cut costs."
He praises the council for its record in "protecting social housing," making much of the fact that its social housing stock has risen by 200 properties in the last 20 years! In the same period the population of the borough has risen by around 10,000, while the number of homeless people doubled in the five years leading up to 2015.
O'Hagan is able to contrast this record with that of Labour-run boroughs such as Islington, where the number of council properties has fallen by roughly 4,500. Also noting that the cladding used on Grenfell Tower had been used on at least 306 tower blocks across Britain, he points to comparable levels of criminality and cutbacks in other Labour- (and Conservative-) run councils across London and throughout the UK. But this revelation about the filthy role played by both parties is hardly a defence of the RBKC.
His praise is for a local authority that struck deals with property developers to allow them to avoid the requirement to build "affordable accommodation" supposedly meant for the working class. Research, conducted by EG, a property consultancy firm, showed that in 2016 alone the council agreed deals worth almost £50 million [$US66 million] to enable developers to avoid building "affordable homes."
O'Hagan also celebrates the role played by the local council in response to the fire, describing how it "mobilised 340 staff on 14 June [2017]" and "found hotels for hundreds of residents that day. Everyone from the tower who wanted to go and everybody from the blocks below." Railing against the "narrative" that council members were not present to help after the fire and that the local authority's response was inadequate, O'Hagan quotes a council worker as saying: "That was the narrative. It was the story they wanted: the richest borough neglects people in social housing. It was very difficult. We had officers here working 18 hours a day."
O'Hagan acts as though the RBKC is blameless and powerless, forced to satisfy the cost-cutting whims of a cruel and callous central government. He devotes several passages to criticisms of the central government response, accusing them of having "hung [the council] out to dry."
He does not dwell on the fact that Paget-Brown, Feilding-Mellen and other Conservatives who make up nearly three-quarters of the borough's elected councillors belong to the same party as the government he criticises.
O'Hagan's presentation of the council contrasts starkly and sharply with the manner in which he depicts survivors, activists and local residents. He presents legitimate social outrage as anarchic brutishness, for example, in his description of protesters storming the Kensington Town Hall in the week after the fire.
Describing a meeting he held with local activists while researching his essay, O'Hagan comments, "No evidence was presented at the lunch [with the local activists], just repeated assertions, most of them defamatory, of extreme criminality on the part of individual councillors, and expressions of contempt, often on class grounds, for people they thought were 'evil.'"
O'Hagan's attack on anyone daring to bring class into the equation is significant. One of the most striking features of the response from survivors and local residents is the nearly universal understanding that this was a crime committed by the ruling class against the working class. This approach terrifies the privileged layer that O'Hagan speaks for.
He reserves his fiercest criticism for the Grenfell Action Group (GAG), the tenants' association that played an important role in raising concerns about the safety of Grenfell Tower before the inferno. Presenting GAG as unreasonably prejudiced against the RBKC, he writes, "The Grenfell Action Group hate the Tory council. Over many years, the council had been the enemy and to them every move it makes stinks of corruption."
The safety concerns that GAG had been raising for many years are dealt with only briefly in The Tower. They are brought in chiefly to point out that the flammable cladding installed on the tower in its refurbishment—which played an important role in facilitating the rapid and deadly spread of the flames—had not featured in GAG's criticisms of the safety of the tower block.
O'Hagan declares that the group "had never been very popular on the estate," giving significant space to an anonymous council worker who states, "[W]e tried to answer every issue raised by the action group, but it was never enough; they bombarded us with round-robin emails and to my knowledge we tried to keep on top of them… They hated everything the council and the TMO did, no matter what."
He presents the many legitimate grievances brought forward by the community group as paranoid and "obsessive" grumblings with little relevance to the actual deadly fire.
In truth, many of the warnings made by the residents' association, including the dangers of the inadequate fire doors, exposed gas pipes and proximity of the newly built school to the tower (potentially obstructing access for emergency service vehicles), did bear significantly on the fire that eventually broke out and on the toxic smoke spreading so easily. They were key to the problems faced by the London Fire Brigade in its rescue effort.
O'Hagan devotes only a single sentence to the fact that the RBKC council threatened legal action against GAG for their efforts in raising safety concerns. Evidently this does not fit with his narrative of a blameless, noble council.
Expressing his contempt for the working class, O'Hagan seeks to delegitimize the safety concerns of local residents and grievances over housing standards by arguing that contemporary living conditions are far better than they were in Dickensian London!
"In the eyes of some," he states, "the tower blocks are the continuation of the old habit of keeping minorities poorly housed. But, as always, it depends how you measure it. If the yardstick is the white people's mansions on Elgin Crescent, then yes. If it's Victorian pigsties, however, then improvement has definitely occurred, albeit too slowly and for too few."
Firefighters are not spared O'Hagan's venom. Joining in with the recent chorus of condemnation for the London Fire Brigade, he blames the "huge and dramatic failure" of the fire service for the 72 deaths: "Everyone knows that cost-cutting is a problem but there was also a problem with the way the Grenfell response was managed," he writes. "We don't like to say these things, but events on 14 June [2017] show that, regardless of our affection for them, the professional fire services' response to the fire at Grenfell Tower was anything but strong."
O'Hagan ends his essay by recounting the stories of two families who have been successfully re-housed and are beginning to get their lives back on track. While choosing to describe at length these "happy endings," he neglects to mention that a year on from the fire, more than half of the households made homeless have yet been able to move into permanent accommodation: 72 households continue to live in emergency accommodation, such as hotels, and another 57 are still in temporary homes.
The Tower, in short, disgustingly and disgracefully turns reality on its head, presenting victims as perpetrators and perpetrators as victims.


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It's the final week before Christmas and Hanukkah! Our favourite time of year, and also the busiest. We've dedicated a few links to the holiday season today as well as included a cool project featuring mermaids and plastic. Sound interesting? Read on for more!
- 10 Ways to Have a Green Christmas This Year
- The fact that we're all dreaming of a white Christmas shouldn't stop us from having a green one. A list of environmentally friendly ways to celebrate Christmas this year. We skipped the wrapping paper for many of our gifts this year and instead used gift boxes that were already printed.
- 5 Tips For a Green and Happy Hanukkah
- The festival of lights that comes once a year! More ways to stay green for those who celebrate Hanukkah.
- 11 Clever, Untraditional Ways People Have Wrapped Gifts This Holiday Season
- Most of these ways of wrapping are not only clever but also environmentally friendly. Skip the garbage bag option and have a look at the rest, and remember that #1 has an expiry date.
- Mermaids Hate Plastic
- Ben Von Wong brings fantasy and harsh reality together in his latest project called Mermaids Hate Plastic. Because plastic takes 450 years to decompose, virtually every piece of plastic created still exists. It's estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish! Check out this project and sign the pledge if you want to help.
- Birds Are Becoming Totally Dependent On Our Delicious Landfills
- The worldwide food waste crisis that we've previously written about has created another problem for the environment; some species of birds have become dependent on the food they find there. Junk food must be just as addictive even as waste. In the case of the white storks in Spain and Portugal, they love the food so much that they have stopped migrating south for the winter.
Have a safe and happy holiday season everyone, from our family at City Waste Services to you and yours!
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for regular updates.
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Weekly Link Roundup - December 19th, 2016
City Waste Services
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City Waste Services
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Augmenter Pugilist // Echoing Equation
Near Mint, English, 10 In stock
Color: GreenCard Text: Trample As long as you control eight or more lands, Augmenter Pugilist gets +5/+5. // Choose target creature you control. Each other creature you control becomes a copy of it until end of turn, except those creatures aren't legendary if the chosen creature is legendary.Rarity: RCost: 1GG // 3UUCard Type: Creature - Troll Druid // SorceryArtist: Volkan BagaFinish: RegularCard Number: 147/275Set Name: Strixhaven: School of Mages


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1. Pay off credit cards
If you have a lot of credit card debt, lenders will most likely think twice before offering you a mortgage. Make more than the minimum payments on your cards each month to pay them down faster. This will boost your credit, lower your debt, and will save you money on interest. It also lets lenders know you take your debts and the repayment of your debts seriously.
2. Get your credit reports and check for errors
Mistakes happen. Get free credit reports online from the three major credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, and go through them to check for errors. If you come across an error, file a dispute as soon as possible. After submitting the proper paperwork, the credit bureau will contact the source and the claim will be investigated within 30 days.
3. Stop applying for new credit
Hold off on applying for any new credit cards and auto loans until you've locked down that mortgage. You want your credit report to look clean as possible when you send in your application, and many new inquiries may make lenders uneasy.
4. Look with purpose
Look for mortgages with the best rates, but don't search too long. After about a month, your FICO score may start reflecting your applications as separate inquiries, which could damage your credit score. If possible, get pre-approved for a mortgage before looking for a house, so that if you do find the home of your dreams, you won't have to worry about getting approved for a loan later.
If you're in the market for a mortgage in the Joplin, MO area, please contact our agents to see what your options are and how we might help you.


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Caveat Emptor and a Buyer's Duty to Investigate Real Estate Purchase
We blogged about a Charlottesville Circuit Court case in which the court analyzed the duty to disclose for a seller of residential real estate. We wrote another post regarding that case discussing an exception to the rule of caveat emptor. Specifically, if the seller attempted to "divert" the purchaser's attention away from problem areas, a court could find fraud and rescind the contract.
However, in Virginia, if a prospective home purchaser discovers information alerting him to a potential problem, that person is charged with knowledge he would have found had he diligently pursued the inquiry. That rule was highlighted in an unpublished opinion released by the Virginia Supreme Court. This blog post reviews the facts of that case and the lessons to learn for real estate sellers and buyers.
In the case of Turner v. Rolly Bay, the Bays purchased a home from the defendants. After moving in, the Bays discovered mold in the home. They alleged in their complaint that the defendants had painted over the mold to conceal the mold and "divert" them from making reasonable inquiry. The circuit court judge found for the Bays and ordered "rescission" of the contract and restitution.
The Virginia Supreme Court reversed the decision and found for the selling defendants, determining that the doctrine of caveat emptor barred the Bays from recovering. In this case, even though the selling defendants had painted over the mold, during the home inspection:
the Bays' home inspector found standing water and a mold line in the house's crawlspace and notified the Bays of his discoveries. Moreover, the home inspector told the Bays that he could not finish his inspection until the standing water was remedied and instructed them to call him when that had been completed.
Consequently, once they had these facts, by the doctrine of caveat emptor, the Bays were "charged with all the knowledge which [they] might have obtained had [they] pursued the inquiry diligently to the end." Their failure to diligently pursue that inquiry left the Bays with no relief.
The lesson to be learned is that purchasers of real estate have a difficult burden to overcome the doctrine of caveat emptor so do your homework. If a potential purchaser discovers potential problems during an inspection of the property, the doctrine of caveat emptor requires the purchaser to diligently pursue that inquiry, even if the seller took diverting actions. On the other hand, the doctrine of caveat emptor requires the prospective purchaser to exercise "ordinary care" when inspecting the condition of property he intends to purchase, so failing to inspect the property is not an alternative. When in doubt, contact an experienced real estate attorney to help you determine your options.


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Not many families would volunteer to move into the Arctic Circle, where winters are long, temperatures are low, and snow is never-ending. Yet since 2013, not only has the Hjertefølger family lived in the Arctic (more than 1,000 kilometres north of Oslo, Norway), but they've thrived there, living in peace and comfort, and even tending an outdoor garden!
They've achieved this seemingly impossible feat with the help of a geodesic dome known as the Solardome Pro. Within the 25-foot-high dome, they've built a three-story house, and because the dome traps heat and shields its interior from wind, they can live in comfort despite sub-zero temperatures and harsh snow and wind. They can even grow tomatoes, apples, and peppers—plants not typically found at such northerly latitudes.
The Hjertefølgers built their eco-friendly home after careful planning. It's a cob house, meaning it's built from organic material mixed with soil. Cob is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and a good insulator, and its popularity as a building material has been growing in recent years. The home also has an irrigation system for the garden, large windows for passive heating, and a sunny platform near the ceiling of the dome.
Living sustainably and growing much of their own food frees the family to spend time exploring the nearby woods, picking Arctic flowers from surrounding fields, and relaxing in their bright and beautiful home. The family has chosen to live simply and make themselves happy, and judging from their home, they've created an oasis of tranquility in a stressful world. "There are so many things that [are] wrong with the world," Ingrid Hjertefølger says in Heart Followers, a short documentary about the family. "The only thing I can do is change myself and my way of life."
Check out these photos of the Hjertefølger family's beautiful space, and you're sure to be inspired to try to live a simpler, happier life.


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Big Tech Companies, Amazon and Google are under investigation over concerns fake five star reviews on their websites could be misleading shoppers to buy from companies.
The Competition and Markets Authority who are investigating both companies is also worried that "law-abiding businesses" who sell on Amazon and Google may be losing out to firms using false recommendations.
The CMA launched the formal probe after an initial investigation last year examined whether online companies were doing enough to protect consumers as online shopping has soared during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CMA say millions of customers could be misled by companies that generate fake reviews and that the tech giants are not doing enough to quell the menace.
"Our worry is that millions of online shoppers could be misled by reading fake reviews and then spending their money based on those recommendations," said CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli.
"Equally, it's simply not fair if some businesses can fake five-star reviews to give their products or services the most prominence, while law-abiding businesses lose out.
"It's important that these tech platforms take responsibility and we stand ready to take action if we find that they are not doing enough."
'Suspicious patterns of behaviour' In particular, the CMA is concerned about whether Amazon and Google have been "doing enough" to "detect fake and misleading reviews or suspicious patterns of behaviour".
This includes where the same users "have reviewed the same range of products or businesses at similar times to each other…or where the review suggests that the reviewer has received a payment or other incentive to write a positive review".
In response, both companies say they have resources and policies in place to stop fake reviews.
The CMA is also looking into what sanctions the companies place on users.
The CMA said that if it discovered the companies had broken consumer protection law, it could take action against them including "court action if needed".
"The CMA has not reached a view on whether Amazon and Google have broken the law at this stage."
"The CMA must now move swiftly towards establishing whether these companies have broken the law, said Which? director of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha.
"This should prompt Amazon and Google to finally take the necessary steps to protect users from the growing tide of fake reviews on their platforms and, if they fail to do so, the regulator must be prepared to take strong enforcement action."
The CMA said it was also concerned that Amazon's systems "have been failing adequately to prevent and deter some sellers from manipulating product listings, for example, by co-opting positive reviews from other products".
A spokesman for Amazon said the company devoted "significant resources to preventing fake or incentivised reviews from appearing in our store".
"We will continue to assist the CMA with its enquiries and we note its confirmation that no findings have been made against our business."
Google said that its policies state "reviews must be based on real experiences" and where it finds violations "we take action" including disabling user accounts.
It said: "We look forward to continuing our work with the CMA to share more on how our industry-leading technology and review teams work to help users find relevant and useful information on Google."


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The future of life-science activities in West Harlem has never been brighter and will only get better. Leaders from CUNY, Columbia, and a Harlem-based initiative will discuss current activities and future vision for this burgeoning cluster.
The panelist include:
- Bruce Lincoln co-founded Silicon Harlem
- Victoria Hamilton directs Office of Research Initiatives at Columbia University
- John Blaho created and maintains productive Sponsored Research Projects
Its a free event, great networking opportunity with snacks and drinks.
Submit questions for the speakers here
Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 6PM
Davis Auditorium at Columbia University, 530 W 120th Street, New York, NY 10027


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An author asks, "What is the value of a life? What can a person with a disability contribute to humanity? Which disabilities are tolerable and which are not?
There are lots and lots of articles being published these days surrounding pre-natal testing, now that Sequenom released their test that specifically checks for Down syndrome in an unborn child.
Here is an article recommended by some constituents:


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#March 15, 1889: the power of nature blows gunboat diplomacy out of the water in Apia Harbour, Western Samoa3 min read
Gunboat diplomacy was at its height in 1889 and on this day, March 15, tension was high with an act of war seemingly imminent. Three American warships (the sloop-of-war USS Vandalia, the screw steamer USS Trenton, and the gunboat USS Nipsic) and three from Germany (the gunboats SMS Adler and SMS Eber and the corvette SMS Olga) were jostling for position in a small harbour in the South Pacific, Apia Harbour, Western Samoa, observed by yet another warship from Britain, HMS Calliope.
They had been intimidating each other from 1887–1889, during the Samoan Crisis's standoff, while the major powers struggled for control of the Islands in an attempt to extend their influence and grasp commercial opportunities in the region.
The outcome of this ultimate confrontation was uncertain, but it seemed that a broadside from one of the ships, possibly with catastrophic consequences, was inevitable.
But, eventually, nature intervened.
The waters of Apia harbour, where the encounter was taking place, had been growing choppier by the minute and soon the crews found themselves at the centre of a violent cyclone.
The local people had taken themselves to safety well before the storm struck, but the ships in the bay only began to evacuate at the very last minute, and thus were crowding towards the entrance to the bay when the hurricane hit.
Only HMS Calliope escaped, dragging herself to the open sea, where she was easily able to ride out the ensuing winds. Her survival is attributed to her size (2,227 tons) and her more powerful and modern engines, built only five years before, as compared to the ten or twenty years for many of the other ships.
Two of the German ships, SMS Adler and SMS Eber, were literally picked up by the storm and smashed together, while the third, SMS Olga, was flung high onto a beach and wrecked.
The same fate, being met by one of the American warships, USS Trenton, which was tossed against the beach in the afternoon, dragged back into the sea and eventually wrecked on a reef, although the majority of her crew survived unhurt and were able to participate in the ensuing rescue operation.
The other two US vessels were hurled against a reef and wrecked too: USS Vandalia was smashed into the same reef in the early afternoon, and her surviving crew spent a day and night clinging to her rigging before being rescued, by which time 43 of her complement had drowned, while USS Nipsic was thrown high on the beach with eight of her crew missing or dead and her internal systems totally wrecked. She would however later be refloated and eventually reconstructed in Hawaii.
All six of the merchant ships remaining in the harbour were also destroyed, bringing a total death toll of more than 200 sailors from several nationalities.
After the terrible hurricane it was left to the Samoans to carry on independently, while the super-powers licking their wounds until ten years later, when the Americans and the Germans split the islands between them.
Historically, after the First World War, the German territory was taken under New Zealand administration and Western Samoa became an independent nation in 1962 but American Samoa remains a part of the US territories. In any case, still today, Hurricanes and storms continue to pound the islands, though, as if they were still angry….


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Spada's new (and very posh) Campus Yale bike jacket is light, comfortable, with armour in elbows and shoulders.
Retailing at £119.99, it comes in five sizes, from S to 2XL, and has:
- Full grain 1.2mm-1.4mm double stitched Leather
- Stitched channel quilting to shoulders
- Soft shell and leather dual construction
- TEKTOFORM armour elbows and shoulders
- Back Pad (upgradeable to TEKTOFORM)
- Fixed polyester mesh lining – perforated to improve cooling
- Soft feel classic Varsity style jersey collar & cuffs
There's a two-year extended warranty too. For further details and to find your nearest stockist, visit the Spada Clothing website.
Enjoy more Back Street Heros reading in the monthly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.


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By Daniel Merlin Goodbrey and Sean Azzopardi
The (extra long) final issue! And it delivers. Secrets revealed! Giant monster attacks! A massive body count! People getting stabbed all over the place. I've generally enjoyed this series, though this is definitely the best issue so far. No more sitting around in rooms discussing things! The art's still a bit weak when it comes to people, and I'm pretty sure that the geography in one bit is a bit off, but I did enjoy Azzopardi's monsters. Raaaarrrraaahhhh.
Overall it's a pretty good conclusion and some of the reveals definitely made me more interested in reading more about these characters.
Apparently the collection will have a lot of redrawn art, and I'll take a look at that when it comes out. (It was supposed to be out a while ago, but I was talking to Goodbrey recently and he just said he hoped the collection would be out "soon".)


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President Trump – whose latest exploits include using a prayer breakfast to discuss Celebrity Apprentice ratings, cutting white supremacism from a counter-extremism programme and lashing out at that well known enemy of the free world, Malcom Turnbull – has now moved his sights to U. C. Berkeley. Even by Trumpian standards it's hard to see how the University can be blamed for its conduct over the cancelled speech by alt-right leaning provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
Yiannopoulos was invited to speak by Berkeley College Republicans. The University's response seemed perfectly reasonable, particularly in a US context:
"While we realize that the presence of certain speakers is likely to upset some members of our campus community, University policy, principles of intellectual and academic freedom, and the U.S. Constitution require that students and faculty members retain the right to invite individuals onto campus to participate," Mogulof said in an email.
However yesterday events took a dramatic turn. 150 masked activists descended on Berkeley and engaged in violent demonstrations against Yiannopoulos. A fire was started and several people seem to have been assaulted. Rocks and molotov cocktails were thrown and windows were broken. Here you can see a woman being attacked with pepper spray. Faced with this alarming situation, the university authorities decided they couldn't allow the speech to go ahead. Substantial preparations had been made in order to provide adequate security for this event, but the threat to people's safety meant that the UC Police Department felt it had no choice but to evacuate Yiannopoulos. The university strongly condemned the violent methods of protestors:
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence and unlawful behavior that was on display and deeply regret that those tactics will now overshadow the efforts to engage in legitimate and lawful protest against the performer's presence and perspectives," UC Berkeley said in a statement.
Trump's response was to threaten to pull UC Berkeley's funding (Edit: he doesn't have the power to do this).
It's quite wrong to say that U. C. Berkeley tried to limit free speech – instead it seems to have tried its best to promote it. It's even more wrong – it's bizarre – to claim that the university practiced violence.


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The Metropolitan Tabernacle in London is a thriving evangelistic congregation. Anyone who thinks Calvinism is hostile to evangelistic zeal ought to come here and see firsthand what evangelistic Calvinism looks like.
In fact, this church goes against all the wisdom of modern church-growth experts. It's an inner-city church doing a fine job of reaching its own local community with the gospel. The neighborhood is about as diverse as you can imagine, comprising people from more than a half dozen culturesAfrican, Russian, Asian, Sri Lankan, Indian, Eastern European, English, and more. The congregation, including the diaconate, reflect that heterogeneity. Yet, as far as the style of worship is concerned, there's no accommodation to cultural diversity. The services are pretty much like they were in Spurgeon's day. Nothing is deliberately contemporary or entertainment-oriented. There are no choruses. There are no video screens. There are none of the accoutrements of "contemporary worship." Although all the church-growth experts continually insist such things are absolutely necessary, the conventional wisdom is belied by the reality of what is happening here. The centerpiece in every worship service is the preaching of the Word. It's straightforward and plain. And yet every service I have ever attended at the Tabernacle has been full to capacity.
This plaque was brought from Mentone, France, when the hotel where Spurgeon died was demolished. It's part of the Tabernacle's superb memorabilia collection.
Probably the most significant change in worship "style" since Spurgeon's time is the addition of an organ. But even that is kept carefully in check. It's there to keep tune and tempo on track; you won't hear any embellishments or creative harmonizing from the organist (who is a fine musician nonetheless). Dr. Masters once told me he likes the fact that English hymnbooks usually include the words only, because it encourages people to sing in unison. (That's very different from what I have heard in Wales, where people sing with great gusto in beautiful harmony; or in Scotland, where every man sings what is right in his own eyes.)
And yet, the music at the Tabernacle is hearty and robust and strangely moving. I've been here more than a dozen times, and I would estimate that only about 15 percent of their hymn-tunes are familiar to me. But the tunes are easy to learn, and the hymns are rich in theology and vivid language. Consider this first stanza from a hymn we sang tonight:
Extended on a cursed tree,
Besmeared with dust, and sweat, and blood,
See there, the King of glory see!
Sinks and expires the Son of God.
We also sang "Rock of Ages" to a stately tune that I presume is the original one Augustus Toplady's own congregation would have used. It was much more solemn and dignified than the trite tune most American congregations useor used in those days long ago when we still sang that great hymn.
Anyway, I love the hymns and the worship here. I realize that puts me in a small minority, but the vibrant congregation here at the Met Tab is a living and very definitive rebuttal to those who think contemporary "style," rather than the power of God's Word itself, is the essential key to church growth.
I spoke today in the morning service on "The Limits of Temptation" from 1 Corinthians 10:13. Tonight Dr. Peter Masters gave a wonderful evangelistic message on Luke 11:27-28. He made good use of his own testimony as an illustration of how unbelievers use various bogus means to defend and preserve their own unbelief in the face of every good reason to believe. I thoroughly enjoyed and was blessed by every aspect of the day.
She's got a tikka to ride
More on London food: My friend Duncan, who is a doctor here in London, informs me that recent surveys show the most popular food in England is not fish and chips, not bangers and mash, not bubble and squeakbut chicken tikka masala?!!
There's no accounting for British tastes. If they like spicy Indian food, why are their own traditional foods so devoid of taste? Or is London's love for ethnic fare merely a rebellion against the generations of blandness in their diet? Seriously, there are kebab shops, Mediterranean restaurants, and spicy ethnic foods of every imaginable kind on every street in London. Not much that is truly American, though. Even Burger King's burgers are assembled by Ethiopians, who seem to think more is better when it comes to condiments. Darlene had a Whopper with cheese that was so dripping with mayonnaise that it proved to be inedible.
And speaking of chicken tikka, one of my longtime favorite London fast foods is a chicken tikka sandwich on a baguette from The Upper Crust, a sandwich franchise you can find in every train station in town. The one I had tonight, however, was laden with about a half cup of mayonnaise and twice more chutney than chicken. It was awfulat least as bad as Darlene's burger. I can't wait till Starbucks opens for breakfast. Strong coffee and a muffin is just what I need.
Speaking of Starbucks, there seem to be almost as many Starbucks stores as drunken Canadians in London. Sometimes you'll see two Starbucks within a block of each other. I'm not sure what that's about, since Brits still prefer tea to coffee. I guess the ubiquitous coffee places cater mostly to tourists. But seeing all the Starbucks helps me understand why Europeans are so worried about American economic imperialism. I'd feel the same way if The Upper Crust moved into Santa Clarita on every corner.
But the Cornish Pasty shops are still welcome.
See you tomorrow. It's a study day for me.


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The Neurophysiology Of Spiritual Guidance
Stephanie shares her personal investigations and clinical research into how the brain networks experiences of spiritual guidance alongside her understanding of the neurophysiology of receiving and transmitting it. Clear guidance is differentiated from intuition or occasional psychic hunches. It is an integrated, holistic neuro-chemical phenomenon that forever transforms the individual who experiences it, recalibrating their nervous system.
Stephanie devotes herself to the resolution of personal and collective trauma. Her explorations into natural, non-pharmaceutical ways to unburden the nervous system from overwhelm have resulted in five books including We Are All in Shock: How Overwhelming Experience Shatters You and What You Can Do About It and They Were Families: How War Comes Home.
She is the founder of the TARA Approach for the Resolution of Shock and Trauma and the vision holder and convener of CLIMATE CHANGE & CONSCIOUSNESS: Our Legacy for the Earth. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Subscribe to Kindred's newsletter to receive notice of Stephanie's upcoming interview with Kindred's editor, Lisa Reagan.


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Featured image credit: ROSCOSMOS
Lift Off Time
|February 28, 2021 – 06:55 UTC | 12:55 ALMT
Mission Name
|Arktika-M No.1, a meteorology and emergency communications satellite
Launch Provider
|Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
Launch Location
|Launch Complex 31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Payload mass
|2,100 kg (~4,630 lbs)
Where did the satellite go?
|63.4° Molniya orbit with a perigee at ~1,000 km and an apogee at ~40,000 km
Did they attempt to recover the first stage?
|No, this is not a capability of the Soyuz 2.1b (or any Soyuz rocket at the moment)
Where did the first stage land?
|The boosters crashed into the steppes of Kazakhstan
Did they attempt to recover the fairings?
|No, this is not a capability of the Soyuz 2.1b (or any Soyuz rocket at the moment)
Were these fairings new?
This was the:
|– 2nd launch for ROSCOSMOS in 2021
– 114th flight of any Soyuz 2 variant
– 16th orbital launch of 2021
Where to watch
|Official replay
How did it go?
Lifting off on February 28, 2021 at 06:55 UTC, Arktika-M No.1 was ROSCOSMOS' first of ten Arktika satellites in the Arktika constellation. Launched on a Soyuz 2.1b from Launch Complex 31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Arktika-M No.1 is orbiting the Earth in a ~1,000 km x ~40,000 km Molniya orbit at an inclination of 63.4°. This is a highly elliptical orbit that enables satellites to spend significant time above a polar region.
Arktika-M No.1
Based on the Russian Elektro-L weather-forecasting platform, Arktika-M No.1 is the first satellite in the Arkika constellation. Built by NPO Lavochkin with a lifespan of 5 years, the meteorology satellite features a multispectral imager known as MSU-GSM that helps improve weather forecasts for the arctic region. Furthermore, Arktika-M No.1 helps scientists monitor the arctic region to better understand and study climate change. The satellite is also equipped with transmitters that will provide communication for emergency services.
Initially planned to launch in 2015, the Arktika-M No.1 mission was delayed multiple times due to vendors not delivering instruments in time, and awaiting validation of components flown on other missions. After final checkouts and tests in December 2020, a Soyuz 2.1b with the satellite on board rolled out to the pad at 02:30 UTC on February 25, 2021 prior to its launch on February 28.
In order to serve as a meteorology satellite for the arctic region, Arktika-M No.1 was launched into a special highly elliptical orbit called Molniya. With a perigee at around 1,000 km, an apogee at around 40,000 km, and an inclination of 63.4°, this so-called Molniya orbit enables the satellite to monitor and image the arctic region at a high angle of view and for long periods of its orbit. After launch, the thrusters of the service module of the satellite slowly adjusted its orbit by raising its apogee.
The Arktika Constellation
First mentioned on governmental levels in late 2007, the Arktika constellation is planned to consist of a total of 10 satellites with 4 different variants in different orbits. The different variants being:
- Arktika-M
- Arktika-MS1
- Arktika-MS2
- Arktika-R
The first Arktika satellite launching was one of two Arktika-M satellites. These satellites will go to a Molniya orbit and are dedicated meteorology satellites that will provide weather forecasts and communication for emergency services.
The sub-constellation of Arktika-MS1 satellites will consist of 3 communication satellites that will also be placed in a Molniya orbit. Different to the Arktika-M satellites, MS1 satellites will have an apogee of around 50,000 km, boosting the orbital period to 24 hours. They represent the commercial part of the constellation and are being built by OOO Gazprom Kosmicheskie Sistemy. MS-1 satellites will add communication capacity to the Polyarnaya Zvezda (Polar Star) network.
The sub-constellation of Arktika-MS2 satellites will consist of 3 communication satellites that will also be placed in a Molniya orbit. Arktika-MS2 satellites will also have an apogee of around 50,000 km to achieve an orbital period of 24 hours. They will be used by governmental bodies, for air-traffic control purposes and to relay navigational signals of the American GPS and Russian GLONASS global navigation systems.
There are 2 Arktika-R remote sensing satellites planned to be launched into a 550 km x 750 km Sun-synchronous orbit. These satellites will feature a 9.5 to 9.8 GHz radar antenna that will be able to either capture detailed ground images with a 450 km field of view, or less detailed images with a field of view of 600 km.
|Number of satellites
emergency communication
|commercial communication
|government communication,
air-traffic control,
GPS & GLOSNASS signal relay
|remote sensing radar
|Sun-synchronous (SSO)
What is the Soyuz 2.1b?
Introduced in 1966, the Soyuz rocket (also known as R7) has been the workhorse of the Soviet/Russian space program. The first launch of the Soyuz 2.1a, on November 8, 2004 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, represented a major step in the Soyuz launch vehicle's development program.
The Soyuz version currently being used for most satellite launches is a four-stage launch vehicle, that consists of:
- four side boosters
- a central core booster
- an upper (central) stage which is common to all Soyuz rockets regardless of payload
- an optional Fregat upper stage
Side Boosters
Each side booster has a singular RD-107A engine, which runs on liquid oxygen and RP1. The RP-1 tanks are located in the cylindrical part of the booster, and the liquid oxygen tanks are in the conical section. Each engine has four combustion chambers and four nozzles, which is common in older Russian engines as the USSR could not solve the problem of combustion instability in large nozzles.
During side booster separation, the boosters perform a well-known pattern, in which they peel off and cartwheel outwards. This is known as the "Korolev cross," named after Sergei Korolev, the Chief Design Engineer of the USSR space program in the 1960s.
Soyuz Center Core
The center core is fitted with an RD-108A engine, which also has four combustion chambers and four nozzles. The engine contains four attitude thrusters, used for three-axis flight control once the side boosters have separated. The center core also runs on RP1 and LOx.
Third Stage
The third stage uses an RD-0124 engine on the 2.1b (ST-B) version. This closed cycle engine once again runs on LOx and RP1, producing 294 kN of thrust, and having an ISP of 359 seconds.
Soyuz Fregat Upper Stage
Flight qualified in 2000, the Fregat upper stage is an autonomous and flexible stage that is designed to operate as an orbital vehicle. It extends the Soyuz launcher's capability, now covering a full range of orbits (LEO, SSO, MEO, GTO, GEO and Earth escape). Fregat is independent of all the other stages, as it has its own guidance, navigation, attitude control, tracking, and telemetry systems. The engine burns storable propellants – UDMH (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine) and NTO (nitrogen tetroxide) – and can be restarted up to 50 times in flight so that it can carry out very complex missions.
The Fregat upper stage is encapsulated in a fairing with the payload and a payload adaptor/dispenser. It is entirely independent from the rest of the rocket, having its own systems on board for guidance, navigation and control. It also provides its own telemetry data back to the ground.
Fregat uses the S5.92 engine, which uses unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (NO4) as an oxidizer. The propellent is hypergolic, which means they combust on contact.


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Come work with us!
Are you wondering what it's like to work with a dedicated and experienced team of health care providers in Emergency? Are you an Emergency Room Nurse with experience in emergency nursing and post graduate course work in emergency?
We are hiring for a Relief Part Time, Registered Nurse! This relief role is available until December 2023 or until return of incumbent. Apply today and join us in the recently expanded Emergency Department at Eagle Ridge Hospital! ERH Emergency Expansion
Eagle Ridge Hospital is a 168 bed hospital in Port Moody, British Columbia, serving the communities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra. The hospital offers medical, surgical, and cardiac programs, as well as 24/7 emergency services with over 53,000 visits annually. See what Kristy has to say about her experience in emergency nursing at Eagle Ridge Hospital.
The Tri-Cities is an informal grouping of three lively suburban communities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody and two semi-rural residential areas of Belcarra and Anmore that have grown together, and are each unique from the other. These stunning communities offer urban living in a picturesque natural setting - the ideal location for the avid city-goer and outdoor enthusiast. The centrally located area of the Tri-Cities offers the perfect hybrid for all lifestyles. Learn more about the Tri-Cities here: Live Here | Tri-Cities
Why Fraser Health?
Fraser Health is responsible for the delivery of hospital and community-based health services to over 1.9 million people in 20 diverse communities from Burnaby to Fraser Canyon on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish and Nlaka'pamux Nations.
Our team of nearly 45,000 staff, medical staff and volunteers is dedicated to serving our patients, families and communities to deliver on our vision: Better health, best in health care. Learn more
Fraser Health is proudly recognized as a BC Top Employer. Joining our team offers you opportunities to work in a rapidly growing organization with health professionals who are excellent in their respective fields, career growth and advancement, a competitive
Compensation package (including four weeks of vacation to start, comprehensive health benefits, and pension plan), and the rewarding opportunity to make a difference every single day in health care.
Have you heard about the new incentives within the new provincial collective agreement for Nurses that make taking a regular/temporary position much more appealing? The details below outline a few of the perks that would be available to you, take a read through and see why it's worth it –
Eligible Fraser Health Staff and Medical staff now receive a 50% subsidy on their Translink passes!
Effective October 26, 2021 all staff for all positions across health care in British Columbia are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (have received a full series of a World Health Organization "WHO" approved vaccine against infection by SARS-COV-2, or a combination of approved WHO vaccines). Please note this applies to all postings, and there are no exceptions.
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How many module vendors exist in the market?
IoT Community last edited by
At the launch of the first NB-IoT live networks (Q2/2017) radio modules were only available from early forerunners (U-blox, Quectel). Since then further vendors like Sequans, Gemalto, Telit, Sierra Wireless etc.have entered the NB-IoT market and increase the range of available products and also the competition.


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Stocks took a breather on Thursday on a slower news day after gains seen this week. The market indexes have hit all-time highs as trade fears ease and as earnings season was very strong. Investors have by and large seen lower rewards for buying the dips in 2018 than in prior years. Investors also are trying to decide how they want their investments positioned for the rest of 2018.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week in an effort to uncover new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some of the daily analyst reports cover stocks to buy, and some reports cover stocks to sell or to avoid.
Additional commentary has been added on most of the daily analyst reports, along with trading history. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, August 30, 2018.
Adverum Biotechnologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ADVM) was started as Buy and assigned an $11 price target (versus a $6.13 prior close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
Akoustis Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKTS) was started as Outperform and assigned a $10 price target (versus a $7.70 close) at Oppenheimer.
Altra Industrial Motion Corp. (NASDAQ: AIMC) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight and the price target was raised to $49 (versus a $38.00 close) at KeyBanc Capital Markets. The stock was last seen up 3% at $39.15, and the consensus target price was $53.00.
Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $54 price target (versus a $46.35 close) at Pivotal Research.
Glaukos Corp. (NYSE: GKOS) saw its shares surge by 40% to $62.86 on Wednesday. Berenberg initiated coverage with a Hold rating and with a $57 price target. BMO Capital Markets maintained its Market Perform rating but raised its target price to $59 from $44.
GlaxoSmithKline PLC (NYSE: GSK) was downgraded by a European firm called Liberium, with its rating dropping to Hold from Buy.
Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON) was maintained as Buy but the price target was raised to $190 from $180 (versus a $160.30 close) at UBS.
Itau CorpBanca (NYSE: ITCB), a Chilean bank that also operates in Colombia and Panama, was raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup. Its American depositary shares closed at $14.70 on Wednesday, in a 52-week range of $10.28 to $16.34.
ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) was maintained as Sell but the target price was raised to $60 from $57 at UBS.
Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE: JCI) was maintained as Buy but the price target was lowered to $44 from $46 (versus a $38.42 close) at UBS.
3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) was maintained as Neutral but the price target was raised to $220 from $215 (versus a $210.46 close) at UBS. 3M has a consensus target price of $210 and a 52-week range of $190.57 to $259.77.
MongoDB Inc. (NASDAQ: MDB) was maintained as Equal Weight but the price target was raised all the way to $66 from $41 (versus a $71.91 close) at Morgan Stanley.
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First Google made its friendship pact with eight old, European publishers, vowing to innovate together. Then Facebook leapfrogged Google — by a considerable distance — launching its Instant Articles with nine publishers, old world and new, inviting them into its mobile News Feed and helping them make money to boot. Now it's Google's turn to leapfrog Facebook. We like this game.
That opportunity for publishers — to build upon these positive steps — is what I, for one, emphasized this weekend in more than one session at Google's excellent gathering in Helsinki, Newsgeist Europe, an unconference where we the participants chose what to talk about. Among other topics, we chose to talk about what Google could do for news, about Facebook as the new distributor — and sometimes editor — of the news, and about at least one idea to take advantage of that new reality.
That idea is something Google News chief Richard Gingras and I advocated at the last Newsgeist in the U.S., something I've been working on for years: the containerized, embeddable article that travels to any site with brand, revenue, analytics, and links attached. In other words, let's take what Facebook has done with Instant Articles and open it up to any creator and any embedder. I was delighted to hear serious discussion of the notion at this Newsgeist, opening the door to reimagining the distribution of news so that instead of always requiring and depending on our users to come to us, we can now take our news to them.
Now there are many many issues and questions around this model, and you can count on a circleful of journalists to raise them all: how distributed news affects the business of journalism and how both creators and distributors can share in the value they make; the power and responsibility our new distributors hold over the dissemination of information and whether they will act as protectors of news or as censors or catalysts for cat lists; whether creators will get the specific user data they need to build relationships of relevance and value with the people they serve (that is the key issue, I think).
But if we're honest with ourselves, we will recognize that the horse — and the article — have left the barn. Facebook was already a primary source of audience — links and clicks — for news. Now it will be a key distributor of complete content. You can bet that others will follow, taking what they already have — Twitter with its cards; Snapchat with Discover; Amazon with the Washington Post on its Kindle; Google and Apple with their newsstands — and finding ways to embed content with business model attached into the streams they deliver. Note also that we could find ourselves in a nightmare of publishing content 20 ways on 20 platforms using 20 CMSes in 20 business deals that we don't control, struggling to make sense of too little data from each.
Publishers could take the lead and create open-source standards and structure for distributed news. But news publishers have proven to be awful at collaborative consortia (see: NCN) and worse — much worse — at technology. And this is no trivial task, as Repost.US learned when it couldn't sustain its wonderful rendition of the embeddable article (for reasons I explore in Geeks Bearing Gifts). If we're going to do this, we need help.
Who will help? I suggested Google, which could build the structure openly, adding its own services — ad sales, ad serving, hosting — as options. In the discussion, some feared that Google's direct involvement beyond funding the project out of its European bribery — er, I mean innovation — fund would give the service cooties. Gift horse: mouth. Well, then Facebook could open up its lovely platform and CMS and make it possible to embed Instant Articles anywhere.
Note well the position that news publishers are in now. And a fine position it is: Google, Facebook, and potentially other powerhouses are finally competing for our affection to keep the wolves — that is, European regulators — at bay.
It's metaphorically convenient that the favorite recreational activity at Newsgeists is a game called werewolf, which is all about mistrust. Suspicion has been the basis of the relationship between publishers and platforms. That atmosphere of wariness and warring was brought on by a campaign waged against Google by German publishers Axel Springer and Burda, using their considerable political clout to enlist politicians to pass laws and launch antitrust investigations disadvantaging the American technology giant. Google's peers — Facebook, Amazon, Apple — are well aware that Old Europe's pitchforks could be launched at them next. So though I did not like the tactic — because it is leading to dangerous if unintended consequences that could imperil an open net as well as European innovation — I must give credit where credit is due, to Springer and Burda, for bringing Silicon Valley to the table if not to its knees. Credit to Google and Twitter for talking. Credit to the publishers that are working with each, seeking peace in the kingdom. Group hug.
Now the game shifts from werewolf to leapfrog. Now we in journalism get to stand back and see technology titans jump over each other to bring benefits to news. But we'd best not stand back too far. We journalists and publishers must collaborate with the platforms as we demand that they collaborate with us. And as they teach us about technology, we must teach them about journalism.
By that, I mean that as platforms take on the role of distributor and (I lament this word) gatekeeper for news, we must help them understand the responsibility they are assuming. Mark Zuckerberg cares about a connected society. Does he also care about an informed society? I believe he does — witness his proper pride at seeing his platform being used by freedom fighters. Now Facebook must find the courage to publish and protect uncomfortable news, for real news, impactful news is almost always difficult news. It must fight to be open to diverse and often dissenting voices and viewpoints in the face of pressure from censors and tyrants, which will surely grow now that Facebook is carrying more news that matters. And as Facebook benefits from the content — the journalism and service — that publishers provide, then it does bear some responsibility to consider their business needs (and I'm delighted that Facebook did just that, offering publishers revenue with distribution via Instant Articles).
My friends Emily Bell, Jay Rosen, and George Brock have written about these concerns, as have I. I don't think any of us would expect Facebook to produce all the answers overnight; indeed, we should not want them to make these decisions alone. What we do expect of Facebook, Google, and the other platforms is an open and substantive conversation about these principles. And they should expect from us a spirit of generosity and collaboration. We all now recognize that we live together in an ecosystem of information, technology, and service. We must build and maintain it together.
Unconferences, innovation funds, education, and especially new products like Instant Articles will help do that. But group hugs aren't enough. We don't just need to embed articles. We need to embed and educate people on both sides of this cultural divide who can understand and translate the differences and, more important, find opportunities of mutual benefit. These are not merely ambassadors doing biz dev and PR. They don't just make each side smarter. They must make shit happen. They must build things. That means having technologists in the management of news companies and journalists in the product stream of technology companies.
I can imagine countless ways in which collaborative technologists and journalists can build great services for the public we serve. Traveling articles are just one example, a starting point. There were others raised at Newsgeist.
At this point, I know what many will say in the comments wherever links to these thoughts appear: "Well, I just don't trust Facebook/Google/etc." "They will pull the rug out from under us." "They will never do what we want." "They will serve their own interests." Well, of course, they will serve their interests. They are businesses. But it's no longer accurate to say that they cannot also benefit us or that they will not listen. Who'd have imagined — many at Newsgeist confessed they couldn't — that Facebook would not only invite publishers into its precious stream but also let them keep 100% of the ads they sell for the privilege. Who'd have imagined that even Springer's Bild would sign up for the deal? Who could have pictured the warm and substantive interaction of journalists, publishers, and Googlers this weekend in Europe?
The sensible, mature, productive way to enter negotiations is not to stomp away. The smart thing to do is to craft business terms. That's what I teach my students. What would make you do a deal with the titans now that they are willing to talk? What would protect you against your concerns? What do you have that they want and what do they have that you want? Where is their mutual benefit for your businesses and — here's the only thing that matters in the end — for the people we all serve?


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Rent a Dumpster in Clear Spring, Franklin Township, Pennsylvania
The Best Dumpster Rentals in York County
Call (267) 394-7733 for Affordable Dumpster Rentals in Clear Spring, PA
Eagle Dumpster Rental is a full-service waste management company serving customers across Clear Spring, Pennsylvania and surrounding communities. Today, we offer five different dumpster sizes to customers across our delivery area, including 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 cubic yard containers ideal for all types and sizes of projects. From small renovations to major roofing replacements, your project will proceed more efficiently with a good rental dumpster.
Discover why Eagle Dumpster Rental is the leading waste management company in York County. For two decades, we've delivered bins at a reasonable price to customers across southeastern PA. We can easily get a construction dumpster to your Clear Spring, PA address, including all addresses in the 17019 ZIP code and nearby zones. In fact, our York County delivery center is based nearby, which means you're never stuck paying costly delivery fees or other expenses.
Order an estimate online today. Type your ZIP code up top or give us a call. We'll make your dumpster rental process easy and affordable wherever you need your bin delivered. We can dispatch a dumpster to your location as soon as this afternoon, if necessary. Call today or order an estimate online for more information about our Clear Spring roll-away bin rental service.
We recommend contacting township authorities before placing a dumpster on a public street or property in Clear Spring, PA. In 99.9% of cases, you will not require a permit when placing a dumpster on private land in York County (like your driveway or yard). However, some townships within York County may require a permit when placing a bin on public land (like the street or curb in front of your home). You can get in touch with the township organization in charge of Clear Spring, PA here:
Franklin Township
Franklin Township Web Site
150 Century Lane
Dillsburg, Pennsylvania 17019
Eagle Dumpster Rental has two decades of experience providing easy and affordable bin rentals to customers across eastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and parts of Delaware. We're known for our reasonable prices and hassle-free service. We deliver and pickup our dumpsters on-time across York County – including to all customers in Clear Spring and surrounding communities in Franklin Township.
Check our sizing chart below to pick the perfect rental dumpster for your needs:
10 Yard Dumpster: This 10 yard dumpster is ideal for smaller jobs and cleanups
15 Yard Dumpster: Our 15 yardcontainer is typically used for small and medium-sized renovation and construction projects
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Enter your ZIP code above for an easy online quote. We'll send you a free, no-obligations estimate. We should be able to deliver a dumpster to your Clear Spring, PA address today if you contact us during normal working hours.
Whether you're a homeowner, a business owner, or a contractor, you can enjoy the same great service and low prices on dumpster rentals in Clear Spring, PA with help from Eagle Dumpster Rental.
To provide on-time deliveries and pickups, we operate multiple local offices across eastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia metro area, and Delaware. We have offices in York County, Berks County, Lancaster County, Chester County, Philadelphia, Bucks County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, along with an office in New Castle County, Delaware to serve clients in the greater Wilmington area.
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Enter your Franklin Township, PA ZIP code into our online form to request a free estimate on your upcoming bin rental. Or, call our York County office today for more information about renting a dumpster in Clear Spring, PA.


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Venterra Realty is pleased to announce and welcome Neil Simon as Vice President of Development. Neil is leading Venterra's newly formed multi-family development platform and is responsible for all facets of ground-up development.
Neil Simon is a well-known figure in the multi-family industry with over 18 years of experience. His comprehensive background spans multiple aspects of the business including development, acquisitions, asset management, and capital markets. Over his career, Neil has worked for major development companies including The Hanover Company, The Dinerstein Companies, and Allen Harrison Company. He has covered several major markets across the country and has focused on all product types from 3-story garden style to high-rise.
"Venterra's strong and solid growth over the last 18 years can be attributed to a careful selection of the right deals and the right people," said Venterra COO Richard Roos. He continued "Because multi-family development is a new venture for us, we are excited to add someone to our team with Neil's knowledge and experience and look forward to collectively building communities that we will all be very proud of."
Additionally, Neil has a proven record of cultivating long term business relationships throughout the industry. His winning attitude and personality will be a great complement to Venterra's corporate values.


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What is included and what happens during an annual tune-up
- Remove the existing oil filter cartridge, clean the oil filter bowl and install a new filter cartridge and gasket.
- Inspect the fuel tank, gauges and fill and vent pipes. Inspect the fuel line and valves from the filter assembly to the burner unit.
- Replace the pump strainer and gasket. Insure proper oil flow from the tank to the burner and verify the pump pressure. Check the burner fan assembly, clean and adjust if needed. Inspect the coupling and replace if necessary.
- Remove the nozzle assembly. Verify the nozzle assembly is working properly and that the correct nozzle size and configuration with respect to the manufactures recommendation is installed. Install a new nozzle.
- Check the ignition system by verifying the electrode spacing and examining the porcelains for cracks. Check cables and wire connections to insure proper contact. Check for transformer for cracks and remove any oil buildup that could cause the circuit to ground out.
- Examine the combustion chamber for cracks or irregularities which may cause health concerns or affect the performance of your heating system.
- Completely brush and vacuum the heat exchanger and smoke pipe. Reassemble the smoke pipe and check for safety issues. Make owner aware of any visible chimney issues that they may need to address.
- Check CAD cells and relays for proper operation, clean as necessary. Test the relays as needed for safety issues. Examine draft controls for proper operation. Examine any power venter components for buildup and lube as required.
- For hot water systems: Check all the pressure gauges to insure the proper system pressure and that the water feeder is working properly. Verify proper pressure at the expansion tank and check that all aquastats are set and reading correctly. Examine all piping and circulators for any leaks or problems. Verify all electrical equipment and thermo couplings are working properly.
- For warm air systems: Check the heat exchanger for any cracks or holes. Remove and replace the air filter. Check the blower motor for proper operation, clean and lube as needed. Check blower motor belt, replace or tighten if needed.
- For Steam systems: Inspect the gauges to verify proper operation, verify low water cut off is working properly. Verify that the pressure control is working properly.
- Verify that everything has been reassembled correctly, prime the oil system of any air in the oil lines, fire the unit and insure that everything is working correctly. Perform a complete combustion analysis and efficiency test procedure using a digital computer combustion analyzer. Leave a copy of the combustion report for the owner and file one at our office for your future reference.
- Lastly, we will clean our work area and wipe down the heating system. We take pride in our work appearance and value our customer's satisfaction.
Any additional parts or components that are replaced due to safety issues are not included in the base price and will be billed on a time and material basis.
Any additional concerns or work that may be necessary to bring your system up to peak performance will be brought to the owner's attention and can be scheduled for a follow up service if needed.
For your best price on fuel in the Rutland area. Call 802-483-9333 today!
*Remember, with Gecha Fuels there are no hidden fees or additional charges of any kind, regardless of which payment option you choose.


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These faces have movie quality with excellent realism and are built for comfort. Each piece is accompanied by an easy to follow instructional booklet and is supplied on a convenient plastic Vacuform face for storage and pre-painting.
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"Living Water!"
In our journey through Lent, the Lectionary readings give us a structure and themes for corporate reflection. The reading from the Sunday just past was about Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. It is a long reading, but an important one. The narrative revolves around the importance of water.
This is a topical theme in Australia in a world that is experiencing rapid climate change. The climate seems to be becoming drier and in turn, the land becomes parched, the levels of the water-tables drop, and dam levels decline. In this situation, we are really made aware of the indispensability of water for sustaining our lives. Water is for us, a "life blood." In the absence of water, there is drought …. and potential death.
In a similar way, we can also experience spiritual drought in our lives. We sometimes find ourselves in a desert of doubt and apathy. Nothing seems to be the way we want it to be, and frankly, it may be that in those times we really don't care. We wonder if God is listening; all we hear is the echo of our own voices as we cry out to what we perceive to be an absent God. I would suggest that just as water is necessary to sustain life and that its absence brings drought and ultimately death, so too, God's loving touch is necessary in our lives in times of spiritual drought to reinvigorate life.
The climate in Palestine in the time of Jesus was also dry. He used the importance and scarcity of water to teach the message of the gospel. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at a well, he asked her to draw some water for him. Having done so, he said to her:
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life."
(John 4:13-14)
Jesus was telling us that the 'water' that he offers us, is a "living water' which quenches the spiritual thirst in our lives and brings our 'drought' to an end. There is no tap that supplies this water. This water comes from a desire to receive it from God. The 'water' is received simply by asking for it from Jesus and then by searching it out further in his "living word" – the bible.
I have seen pictures of a desert landscape being changed into an horizon-to-horizon bed of flowers simply by one shower of rain.
Jesus' living water can do the same for us. My prayer is that you may find this living water from Jesus and that your lives may blossom as a result.
God bless.
Reverend Dave