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Saturday, September 24, 2011(Newton, Massachusetts) - With 5:58 remaining in the final quarter of play, Mount Ida College football junior quarterback Scott Drosendahl (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) floated a 10 yard touchdown pass to senior running back Johrone Bunch (Meriden, CT/F.T. Maloney) putting the Mustangs ahead 7-3. The score would remain solidifying Mount Ida's first victory of 2011 over visiting non-conference opponent Hartwick College Saturday afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts.
The Mustang defense caused five turnovers in the contest, including four interceptions, two coming from sophomore defensive back Frank Greene (Hamden, CT/Hamden), and a fumble recovery that was forced and recovered by Greene. Greene's forced fumble and recovery came at the end of the game with the visitors in Mount Ida's red zone to seal off the victory with less than a minute to play.
The hosts improve to 1-2 overall with their first Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) match-up coming a week from today at rival Norwich University with game time slated for 2:00 p.m. The Mustangs captured a 22-21 win over the Cadets last year for their first victory against Norwich in their 11 year history.
The Hawks drop their first loss of the season in a tough defensive battle falling to 2-1 with their first Empire Eight league match-up coming next weekend against visiting Ithaca College.
The entire first half was riddled with turnovers by the visitors starting with a interception late in first quarter by Mustang freshman defensive back Jovan Wilkins (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie) snuffing out a 10 play, 56 yard drive on the Mount Ida 24 yard line. The ensuing possession for the hosts ended in a punt handing the ball back to Hartwick.
With 5:10 to go in the second quarter, the Hawks drove down to the Mount Ida 18 yard line on a 16 play, 64 yard drive. The Mustang defense stymied the visitors forcing a field goal from 35 yards out by Hartwick sophomore kicker Alex Tesoriero (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia). Mount Ida junior defensive end A.J. Knibbs (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) came through big for the Mustangs blocking the kick turning the ball back over to Mount Ida.
Neither team could convert a drive in the final two and a half minutes of the first half heading into the midway point deadlocked at zero's.
To begin the third quarter, the Mustangs were driving through a 14 play, 71 yard drive until Drosendahl coughed up a fumble on the Hartwick 14 yard line that would be recovered by Hawk junior Bryan Schweitzer (Babylon, NY/Babylon) for another failed opportunity by the hosts.
The visitors capitalized on the ensuing possession converting a 24 yard field goal by Tesoriero with 4:12 to go in the third quarter giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead for the first points of the contest.
On the next possession, Mount Ida senior wide out Nick Lynch (Hampton Bays, NY/Hampton Bays), who hasn't seen much action all season due to injury, fumbled on the Hartwick 42 yard line that would be recovered by visiting junior R.J. Roth (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall Central).
After a failed drive by the Hawks following the fumble and a three-and-out by Mount Ida, Hartwick started driving with 13:22 to go in the final quarter. Visiting sophomore quarterback Keegan Corbett (Bennington, CT/Mt. Anthony Union), who replaced started senior quarterback Dan Brainard (Owego, NY/Owego Free Acdemy) due to injury caused by a huge Mount Ida hit, aired out a pass down the right side line. Mustang senior cornerback Mackenson Charles (Lynn, MA/Lynn Technical) intercepted the pass putting the hosts in prime position with 10 minutes to go in the game.
Drosendahl and Bunch led the Mustang charge down the field with Drosendahl completing five of six attempts for 109 yards that ended with a 10 yard strike in the end zone to Bunch for the touchdown and eventually the victory. The key to keeping the final drive alive for Mount Ida was a 41 yard gain from Drosendahl to sophomore wide out Jordan Hyman (Middletown, CT/Xavier) up the middle of the field that Hyman laid out for making a spectacular catch in the process.
The Mustangs would take the 7-3 advantage with 5:48 remaining in the contest, plenty of time for the visitors to make an attempt to regain the lead.
After the teams exchanged possessions, Hartwick had one final chance with 2:28 to go in the last stanza. The Hawks got the ball down to the Mount Ida nine yard line but Greene forced the huge fumble recovering it in the process finalizing the victory for the Mustangs.
Offensively Drosendahl was impressive going 17-29 with 237 yards through the air and a touchdown strike to Bunch. Bunch had 27 carries for 125 yards rushing and a receiving score for the only touchdown of the contest. Hyman hauled in four catches for 78 yards while junior wide receiver Matt Valentini (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Twp.) added six catches for 65 yards.
Hawks quarterback Corbett went 12-29 for the day with 223 yards through the air and three interceptions while starter Brainard, who was knocked out early, went 5-9 passing with 57 yards and a pick.
The contest was a defensive war the whole way with the Mustangs winning the turnover battle collecting four interceptions and a fumble recovery. Along with an impressive performance from Greene, the Mustangs were led by freshman Tevin Moye (Hamden, CT/Hamden) with seven solo tackles. Knibbs also was outstanding with a sack, a blocked kick, and two quarterback hurries.
The visitors were led by Schweitzer with nine solo tackles and a fumble recovery while Roth also added nine solo tackles and a forced fumble.


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September 2007
Combating attrition and low attendance
Low student attendance and attrition in SES programs are major concerns of districts and providers alike. While it is clear there is no easy means to guarantee student participation in SES, there are a number of steps that districts can take to make improvements in this area. The ideas discussed above regarding managing SES at the school level (see p. 31), providing transportation (see p. 34), and using data management systems (see above) can all make important contributions to the effort to ensure students remain in SES programs. Also, the ideas discussed below regarding districts and providers working together (see p. 38), while mainly general in scope, should also apply in the specific context of student attendance. Following are some additional ideas for districts to consider to foster attendance in SES.
Getting parents involved. Parents obviously have interest in and responsibility for their children's attendance in SES programs, and districts should enlist the support of parents in making sure students are present to receive services. Together with parent organizations and community groups, districts and providers could, for instance, develop a corps of volunteer parents to serve as attendance monitors for SES programs at schools and other locations in the community.
Serving high school students. As many high school students are confronted with numerous out-of-school activities and responsibilities, including part-time jobs, caring for siblings, and other obligations, providing SES to these students presents distinct challenges and requires particular commitment and creativity. To ensure these students are served, districts, together with schools, could structure out-of-school programming in such a way that SES is not a competitor with other offerings. To further increase participation of eligible high school students in SES, districts, together with providers, could consider developing special incentives to enhance these students' enrollment and attendance. Following are some additional ideas that districts have pursued in reaching out to and providing SES to high school students.
Outreach at the high school level: Special considerations. Districts often engage in special or additional outreach activities and strategies in order to reach high school students eligible for SES. For instance, districts advertise SES during high school sporting events, such as football games, as eligible students and their families are likely to attend these events together. Together with schools, districts also work to ensure that SES is discussed during student-teacher or student-counselor advisory sessions so that eligible students can hear firsthand from their advisers about the potential benefits of SES. Also, as high school students may tend to feel a stigma attached to receiving tutoring, some districts have referred to SES by another name, such as "enrichment," when reaching out to these students.
Coordinating with schools. As noted above, providing SES to high school students requires a particular commitment, and perhaps nowhere is this more needed than in the individual schools where students are eligible for SES. Districts should work particularly closely with high school principals, counselors, and teachers as their support and engagement are crucial to successful SES programs. To this end, some districts hold regular meetings with high school staffs to discuss SES, both prior to and during the provision of services, and have also facilitated meetings between providers and high school principals to foster partnerships. Districts have also taken special care to discuss SES with sports coaches and instructors in other afterschool activities such as music so that they can encourage students to participate and can arrange practices and activities in such a way that they do not prevent students from receiving services.
Coordinating with providers. As high school students often have a variety of competing demands on their time, districts have also worked with the providers approved to serve their area to make SES more feasible and attractive to high school students. Rather than compete with other afterschool options, districts have opted to work closely with providers that offer programs in the morning, on weekends, or during the summer. To serve this population of students, some districts have also worked closely with providers approved to offer services online or in the home as these providers' programs can be flexible and adjust to students' busy schedules.
Coordinating with employers. Districts have also sought to inform prominent employers of high school students about SES and, together with parents and providers, have worked to coordinate students' employment schedules so as to allow them to receive services.


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Like Master like Student?
Interesting to say the least....didn't help them win, that's for sure.
Like Master like Student?
Jeff Legwold and Dave Kreiger of the Denver Post report that the league is looking into whether the Broncos recorded a San Fran walk-through practice at Wembley Stadium on October 30, the day before the two teams played there. On the 30th, each team had access to the venue for the session aimed at reviewing key portions of the game plan.


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WALTHAM, Mass. — On Monday, April 29, the Brandeis University Department of Athletics handed out its annual end-of-season awards. The following student-athletes were all recognized at the department's awards dinner.
Two Athletic Director's Awards were presented to student-athletes who have displayed general excellence in representing Brandeis Athletics. They went to:
Zoe Messinger of Short Hills, N.J., of the fencing team. A three-time University Athletic Association All-Academic who boasts a 3.68 grade-point average as an art history major, Messinger was a captain of the women's squad as a senior. She was a two-time All-Northeast Fencing Conference selection in sabre who just missed selection to the NCAA championships as a junior. Outside of the team, Messinger was a three-year intern in the sports information office and as a senior, served as an intern at Brandeis's renowned Rose Art Museum, serving on their Student Committee;
And Jon Ostrowsky of Newton, Mass., of the men's tennis team. A team captain as a senior, Ostrowsky was a three-time Academic All-UAA selection with a 3.85 GPA in history and politics with a minor in journalism. Ostrowksy was a star off the court for the Judges. He coordinated the team's participation with the ACEing Autism program for four years; served as a writer and editor for the student newspaper The Hoot; and interned in Beacon Hill for governor Deval Patrick and over the summer of 2012 in the White House.
The James McCully '85 Award, presented to seniors who best exemplify the character, dedication and good sportsmanship that depicted soccer All-American and inaugural Hall of Famer Jim McCully's career at Brandeis, went to Joe Eisenbies of Hingham, Mass., and Lee Russo of Westford, Mass., both of the men's soccer team.
Eisenbies, a defender, moved to back as a senior after three years as a midfielder, while Russo was the second-leading scorer in the UAA this season who will graduate as Brandeis's ninth all-time leading scorer. Both were All-New England selections as seniors, while also earning six Academic All-UAA selections between them. Eisenbies was also a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American this year. The pair helped the Judges to their most successful season in decades, going 18-3-1 and reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III championships.
The Stephen Gendzier Prize, presented to recognize a senior student-athlete who has overcome a hardship with perseverance, was awarded to Faith Broderick of Washingtonville, N.Y., and the women's tennis team. Broderick, who served as captain and played first doubles and second singles for the women's tennis team, did so despite battling plantar fasciitis in her senior campaign. Despite that injury, she helped the Judges to a national ranking throughout the season, a 10-9 record and fifth place in the UAA. She and teammate Carley Cooke of San Diego, Calif., are on track to earn a selection the NCAA individual championships in May.
The Morris Sepinuck Award, presented to the varsity athlete who not only displays outstanding sportsmanship but also makes a significant contribution to the athletic program and to campus life at Brandeis, went to Holly Spicer of Northampton, Mass., captain of the women's swimming and diving team. Spicer, who was "instrumental in helping restart BUSDT 2.0" according head coach Mike Kotch, was the de facto captain of the swimming and diving team over the past three years, including two in which the program was temporarily suspended while Linsey Pool underwent renovations. Spicer served as vice-president of Brandeis's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during a particularly successful year, and after three years performing various duties in the Department of Athletics served in 2012-13 as the coordinator of the Club Sports program, helping serve over 500 members of Brandeis club sports teams.
The Morry Stein Award of Valor, presented to a student-athlete who has demonstrated courage both on and off the playing fields and/or intervened to better the lives of others, went to junior Mohammed Sidique of Harlem, N.Y., of the men's track and field team. Sidique, who is a tour guide and community advisor on campus in addition to serving as a co-captain for the track team, rehabbed from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 2012-13. He also suffered the loss of two significant family members over the course of the past 18 months to return contribute in the sprinting and jumping events.
The Charlie Napoli '58 Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to an outstanding student athlete who has excelled in the classroom and on the athletic field, went to Alex Kramer of North Andover, Mass., of the men's cross country and track and field teams. Kramer, who owns a 3.52 grade-point average as a psychology and philosophy double-major, served as team captain of both cross country and track as a senior. He won two UAA titles, capturing the mile run during the indoor season and the 1,500-meter run outdoors. He qualified for his first NCAA championship during the winter season, finishing 12th nationally in the mile run and is currently ranked 13th in Division III in the 1,500.
The Max I. Silber Award, presented to the outstanding female student-athlete, was given to sophomore Dara Spital of Miami, Fla., of the women's soccer team, marking only the second time a non-senior has been presented with this award. Spital was named an NSCAA third-team All-American, finishing second the UAA in scoring with 33 points on a league-high 14 goals along with five assists. Spital led the conference with eight game-winning goals in 2012, fourth best in Division III. Her game-winners included two in UAA contests and another in the NCAA Tournament. Spital helped the Judges to a 16-5-2 record, tying a school record for wins, and a berth in Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III tournament.
The Harry, Joseph and Ida Stein Award, presented to the outstanding male athlete, was given to Sam Ocel of North Attleboro, Mass., captain of the men's soccer teams. A third-team All-American team selection by the NSCAA and first-team choice by d3soccer.com, Ocel was the team's and the UAA's leading scorer with 34 points. Named the conference Most Valuable Player, Ocel had nine game-winning goals, including three in conference games and two more in the NCAA tournament as the Judges finished their season 18-3-1 and advanced to the Sweet 16. Ocel, who owns a 3.50 GPA as a biology major and hopes to attend dental school, will return to the Judges in 2013 for a final year of eligibility. He is currently 15th on the school's career scoring list with 65 points on 23 goals and 19 assists.


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Historicity Of The Christian Greek Scriptures
03-11-2012, 06:38 PM (This post was last modified: 03-11-2012 10:46 PM by Mark Fulton.)
RE: Part I - The Archaeological Evidence (Response In Part)
(02-11-2012 04:40 AM)The Theist Wrote:You wrote(02-11-2012 02:24 AM)Mark Fulton Wrote: Hi Theist, thanks for your reply.
"If I had to choose which were more accurate, you accumulation of "nearly all respected historians of today" verses the numerous historians of the day in which we refer to I would choose the the later, if for no other reason than even as far as this debate goes, a brief episode so as not to bore the biased reader, still offers more support. This is just nonsense."
The issue at hand is the authorship of Matthew's gospel. You claim it was written by Matthew, the disciple, the tax collector. I know it wasn't. I have already pointed out to you that the name " Matthew" was only first attached to this gospel in roughly 180 CE. I have already mentioned the gospel is not written in the first person. I have mentioned that the very conservative (and very imaginative) official Catholic Encyclopaedia admits the gospels were NOT written by the disciples of Jesus. I'm going to help you by making it easy. Have a look at these references
Atwell, Joseph "Caesar's Messsiah"
Bethune, George "The Grounds of Christianity Examined by Comparing The New Testament with the Old" (http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15968/pg15968.html)
Cross, C. 1970 "Who Was Jesus". Trinity Press. London
Crossan, J. 1994 "Jesus A Revolutionary Biography". Harper. San Francisco.
Schonfield, H. 1977 "The Passover Plot". Futura Publications. London
Schonfield, H. 1969 "Those Incredible Christians". Bantam. New York.
Spong, J. 1994 "Resurrection: Myth Or Reality?". Harper Collins. San Francisco.
Wilken, R. 1971 "The Myth Of Christian Beginnings". Doubleday. New York.
Yancey, P. 1995 "The Jesus I Never Knew" Michigan. Zondervan Publishing House.
Tabor, J. 2006 "The Jesus Dynasty". Harper Collins. London.
Consider your source's credentials. Are they historians? Have they done their research? Are they up to date? OR...are they ignoring the opinions of the massive biblical scholarly community and just choosing to peddle the outdated, unsubstantiated myth that the disciples wrote the gospels?
The following 1 user Likes Mark Fulton's post:1 user Likes Mark Fulton's post
Phaedrus (03-11-2012)
03-11-2012, 06:54 PM (This post was last modified: 07-11-2012 08:08 PM by Mark Fulton.)
RE: Part I - The Archaeological Evidence (Response In Part)
(02-11-2012 04:40 AM)The Theist Wrote:(02-11-2012 02:24 AM)Mark Fulton Wrote: Hi Theist, thanks for your reply.
You have challenged me to present evidence that the church fathers were liars. Ok....you asked for it...here it is.....
Were these men reputable scholars? Were they honest historians? We can examine their writings to find the answers.
Papias was one of the very earliest "fathers." He may (if we can believe Eusebius) have claimed to have known someone who had known the author of Mark's Gospel, yet gave no details of who they were. Surely he would have documented something so important if he knew of it.
Unfortunately for Papias' reputation, Eusebius expressed serious reservations about the caliber of his intellect:
"I guess he got these ideas from a misinterpretation of the apostolic accounts. For he did not understand what they said mystically and in figurative language. For he obviously was a man of very little intelligence, as one can tell judging from his sayings. Nevertheless, it was due to him that so many churchmen after him adopted a similar opinion, basing their position on the fact that he was a man of the earliest era" (Eccles. Hist. 3.39.12–13). Eusebius had to guess where Papias got his facts from, wrote him off as stupid, and then admitted he was a significant and early source of dogma!
Papias wrote that Jesus said:
"The days shall come, in which there shall be vines, which shall severally have ten thousand branches; and every one of these branches shall have ten thousand lesser branches; and every one of these branches shall have ten thousand twigs; and every one of these twigs shall have ten thousand clusters of grapes; and everyone of these grapes being pressed shall yield two hundred and seventy-five gallons of wine. And when a man shall take hold of any of these sacred bunches, another bunch shall cry out 'I am a better bunch, take me, and bless the Lord by me!'" (Irenaeus, Adv.Hær., v. 33, 3).
He was willing to concoct anecdotes and obviously wasn't a reliable historian.
Ignatius tells us of the "star of Bethlehem:"
"A star shone forth in heaven above all other stars, and the light of which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star" (to the Ephesians chapter XIX). He may have been writing metaphorically, yet to claim something this comical is childish.
Irenaeus praised ignorance as a virtue:
"It is therefore better and more profitable to belong to the simple and unlettered class, and by means of love to attain to nearness to God, than, by imagining ourselves learned and skilful" (Against Heresies, Book II, Chapter 26). He had little respect for human intellect or integrity.
Justin was unscrupulous. He interpolated the Septuagint with a number of phony prophecies concerning Jesus, which were weak, clumsy, and dishonest. They can be found in the dialogue of Justin with Trypho the Jew (http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-dialoguetrypho.html).
Justin justified his belief in Jesus as follows:
"When we say also that the Word, which is the first birth of God, was produced without sexual union, and that he, Jesus Christ, our teacher, was crucified, died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, we propound nothing different from what you believe regarding those whom you esteem sons of Jupiter" (First Apology, chapter 21). Instead of discussing evidence, he said (quite correctly) that the Jesus account was very similar to myths about other gods, and should therefore be equally true. Jesus had died only one hundred years earlier.
He claimed that Socrates (469–399 BCE) and Heraclitus (535–475 BCE) were Christians (First Apology Chapter 46, Second Apology Chapter 10), a statement similar to saying that Galileo was a Mormon.
He believed insane people were possessed by the souls of the wicked, so were proof of the immortality of souls. (First
Apology, Chapter 18).
Origen wrote the following:
"Before replying to Celsus, it is necessary to admit that in the matter of history, however true it might be, it is often very difficult and sometimes quite impossible to establish its truth by evidence which shall be considered sufficient" (Contra Celsum 1.58). This was a plain admission that many of the claims in the New Testament could not be historically verified. At least he was candid enough to admit he often called beliefs true only because he wanted them to be true.
He wrote:
"As this matter of faith...we accept it as useful for the multitude, and that we admittedly teach those who cannot abandon everything and pursue a study of rational argument to believe without thinking out their arguments." (Contra Celsum 1.10). He admitted that "we" turned to faith as a tool to convince a gullible crowd. "We" were his fellow bishops, the men who promoted Christian dogma.
Origen thought the sun, moon, and stars were living creatures, with a free will, that sometimes sinned. One might forgive him for having no understanding of astronomy, but not for imagining that celestial objects had minds of their own. He clung to the pagan superstition that comets and new stars portend great world events, and thought that this undoubted fact gave credibility to thestory of the star of Bethlehem:
"It has been observed that, on the occurrence of great events, and of mighty changes in terrestrial things, such stars are wont to appear, indicating either the removal of dynasties or the breaking out of wars, or the happening of such circumstances as may cause commotions upon the earth, why not then the Star of Bethlehem?" (Contra Celsum, chapter 1).
Tertullian was a commodious liar. He asserted,
"I know it that the corpse of a dead Christian, at the first breath of the prayer made by the priest, on occasion of its own funeral, removed its hands from its sides, into the usual posture of a supplicant; and when the service was ended, restored them again to their former situation." (De anima chapter 51).
He denounced the sin of going to the theatre:
"We have the case of the woman—the Lord Himself is witness—who went to the theater, and came back possessed. In the outcasting (exorcism), accordingly, when the unclean creature was upbraidedwith having dared to attack a believer, he firmly replied: 'And in truth I did most righteously, for I found her in my domain" (De Spectaulis).
He believed the hyena could change its sex every year (De Pallio, Chapter 3), eclipses and comets were signs of god's anger (Toscapula, Chapter 3), and volcanoes were openings into hell (De Penitentia, 12).
He advised Christians not to think critically, but to take the path of blind faith. To him, all kinds of rational thinking became superfluous compared to the gospels:
"For philosophy is the material of the world's wisdom, the rash interpreter of the nature and dispensation of God. Indeed heresies are themselves instigated by philosophy… What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What has the Academy to do with the Church? What have heretics to do with Christians? Our instruction comes from the porch of Solomon, who had himself taught that the Lord should be sought in simplicity of heart. Away with all attempts to produce a Stoic, Platonic, and dialectic Christianity! We want no curious disputation after possessing Christ Jesus, no inquisition after receiving the gospel! When we believe, we desire no further belief. For this is our first article of faith, that there is nothing which we ought to believe besides."(De Praescriptione, Chapter vii).
He claimed, without evidence, that Pilate converted to Christianity:
"All these things Pilate did to Christ; and now in fact a Christian in his own convictions, he sent word of Him to the reigning Caesar, who was at the time Tiberius"(The Apology, Chapter 21).
He was so deluded he could claim:
"The Son of God was crucified; I am not ashamed because men must needs be ashamed of it. And the Son of God died; it is by all means to be believed because it is absurd. And He was buried, and rose again; the fact is certain, because it is impossible. But how will all this be true in Him, if He was not Himself true--if He really had not in Himself that which might be crucified, might die, might be buried, and might rise again?"(The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol: III: Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian, 525). He obviously preferred faith to reason, and disliked complexity. In the same work he called Aristotle "wretched" and disparaged the tentative investigative nature of Greek science as "self-stultifying…ever handling questions but never settling them." This attitude was the antithesis of rational thought. Compare this to what Celsus said:
"For why is it an evil to have been educated, and to have studied the best opinions, and to have both the reality and appearance of wisdom? What hindrance does this offer to the knowledge of God? Why should it not rather be an assistance, and a means by which one might be better able to arrive at the truth?"(Excerpts from Contra Celsus by Origen, book 3 Chapter 59). Celsus, a contemporary, clearly realized their reasoning was irrational.
Tertullian lacked common sense, was a lazy thinker, justified his own ignorance using religion, and thought he could invent facts to advertise an agenda.
Jerome was an impressive scholar, yet he admitted to employing verbal babble to beguile the hoi polloi:
"There is nothing so easy as by sheer volubility to deceive a common crowd or an uneducated congregation." (Epistle to
Nepotian, lii, 8.).
He claimed:
"It is usual for the sacred historian to conform himself to the generally accepted opinion of the masses in his time" (P.L.,
XXVI, 98; XXIV, 855). In other words, the historian need not rely on facts, but rather on common opinion.
Eusebius is notorious as the author of numerous falsehoods. He probably created the "Testimonium Flavianum" and forged a letter in Jesus' name. He admitted on at least two occasions that he was less than honest:
"We shall introduce into this history in general only those events which may be useful first to ourselves and afterwards to posterity" (Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 8, Chapter 2).
"How it may be Lawful and Fitting to use Falsehood as a Medicine, and for the Benefit of those who Want to be Deceived."(Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 8, chap. 2). So much for integrity and objectivity from Christianity's most important historian!
He wrote of a man who was tortured until his body
"was one continued wound, mangled and shriveled, that had entirely lost the form of man" and then "recovered the former shape and habit of his limbs" (Ecclesiastical History, book V, Chapter 2). These are the words of a man using falsehood as a medicine.
The Catholic Encyclopedia claims Augustine was
"a philosophical and theological genius of the first order, dominating, like a pyramid, antiquity and the succeeding ages. Compared with the great philosophers of past centuries and modern times, he is the equal of them all; among theologians he is undeniably the first, and such has been his influence that none of the Fathers, Scholastics, or Reformers has surpassed it." High praise indeed! It almost sounds as if they are apologizing for other church theologians. Interestingly, the author is conceding there is not a single theologian other than Augustine whose intellect can compare with great philosophers past and present. I am surprised he thinks so little of other theologians, and I wonder if the wording here will be changed in future editions. I am alsotaken aback that Augustine is considered a greater theologian than Paul, as it was Paul who more or less invented Christian theology. In my opinion Augustine was not a philosopher of the highest caliber for the following reasons.
He was adamant the earth was no more than six thousand years old:
"They are deceived, too, by those highly mendacious documents which profess to give the history of many thousand years, though reckoning by the sacred writings, we find that not yet 6,000 years have passed…" (City of God, Bk. xii, Chapter 10).
Science has proven the great philosopher's "sacred writings" wrong. He was writing in the fourth century, and could not have known any better, but he was bone-headed about it and sneered at anyone who didn't believe the creation story:
"For as it is not yet 6,000 years since the first man, who is called Adam, are not those to be ridiculed rather than refuted who try to persuade us of anything regarding a space of time so different from, so contrary to, the ascertained truth?" (City of God, Bkxviii, Chapter 40). His "ascertained truth" was the Old Testament, which was wrong about the age of the earth by a factor of close to a million!
Although many Greek philosophers from Pythagorus onwards had held that the earth was round, and Augustine had heard the theory, he was adamant it was flat and inhabited on the upper side only:
"As to the fable that there are Antipodes, that is to say, men who are on the opposite side of the earth, where the sun rises when it sets to us, men who walk with their feet opposite ours, is on no ground credible." (City of God, Chapter xvi).
This "towering figure of early Christianity," claimed:
"I was already Bishop of Hippo, when I went into Ethiopia with some servants of Christ there to preach the Gospel. In this country we saw many men and women without heads, who had two great eyes in their breasts; and in countries still more southly, we saw people who had but one eye in their foreheads." (Sermones, xxxiii)
Augustine devoted two whole treatises to the topic of lying. The first of these, 'De mendacio' ('On Lying'), written in 395, discussed the pros and cons of lying. Of the eight kinds of lie which he identified (each with several sub-types) he excused 'jocular' lies, was 'uncertain' about others (depending on motive and the likelihood of being believed,) and questioned the morality of the remainder. The second, 'Contra mendacium', written in 422 CE, cautioned the brethren as follows.
"One never errs more safely, methinks, than when one errs by too much loving the truth, and too much rejecting of falsehood." (St Augustine, Retractations, Book I). He had evidently thought long and hard before gracing his readers with this conclusion.
The great doctor invented his own biological facts:
"Frogs are produced from the earth, not propagated by male and female parents" (City of God, Chapter xvi); and "There are in Cappadocia mares which are impregnated by the wind, and their foals live only three years." (City of God, Chapter xxi)
This number one theologian attempted to explain how people could survive fire in hell without being consumed, and wrote two chapters in City of God, on the topic, the first entitled "Whether it is Possible for Bodies to last Forever in Burning Fire,"and the second "Examples from Nature Proving That Bodies May Remain Unconsumed and Alive in Fire."
He accepted as historic truth the mythical founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus and their birth to a virgin, fathered by the god Mars (an interesting idea for a Christian father), and their nursing by the she-wolf, but attributed this to the interference of Yahweh.
This highly influential intellect thought demons caused disease:
"All diseases of Christians are to be ascribed to these demons; chiefly do they torment fresh-baptized Christians, yea, even the guiltless new-born infant" (De Divinatione Daemonorum, Chapter 3). I know some superstitious Christians today who still attribute illnesses to demons.
The great interpreter of scripture accepted the fable of the miraculous translation of the Septuagint, (six-hundred-odd years before his time):
"It is reported that there was an agreement in their words so wonderful, stupendous, and plainly divine, each one apart (for so it pleased Ptolemy to test their fidelity), they differed from each other in no word, or in the order of the words; but, as if the translators had been one, so what all had translated was one, because in very deed the one Spirit had been in them all. And they received so wonderful a gift of God, in order that these scriptures might be commended not as human but divine, for the benefit of the nations. Who should at some time believe, as we now see them doing. If anything is in the Hebrew copies and not in the version of the Seventy, the Spirit of God did not choose to say it through them, but only through the prophets. But whatever isin the Septuagint and not in the Hebrew copies, the same Spirit chose rather to say it through the latter, thus showing that both were prophets." (The City of God, xviii, 42, 43; pp. 385–387.) In reality the Septuagint translation was notoriously unreliable, a fact any Hebrew scholar can confirm today. Augustine invented history to justify the traditional text.
This great pyramid of learning pondered over
"whether angels, inasmuch as they are spirits, could have bodily intercourse with women?" (The City of God, Book XV, Chapter 23). After much deliberation over an entirely imaginary subject, he concluded that they can and do, and that he had proof:
"Many proven instances, that Sylvans and Fauns, who are commonly called 'Incubi,' had often made wicked assaults upon women, and satisfied their lusts upon them: and that certain devils, called Duses by the Gauls, are constantly
attempting and effecting this impurity." (City of God, Chapter xv).
This "philosophical genius,"thought Christianity pre-dated Christ.
"What we now call the Christian religion existed among the ancients, and was from the beginning of the human race, until Christ Himself came in the flesh; from which time the already existing true religion began to be styled Christian." (Retractions, I, xiii, 3)
Augustine even wrote
"I would not believe in the Gospel myself if the authority of the Catholic Church did not influence me to do so." (Against the letter of Mani 5,6). The Catholic Church's number one theologian thought the gospel of Jesus was not inherently believable, but that the church knew better and was more authoritative than himself. Today's church claims Augustine was their number one authority. Does anyone else sense a circular argument?
He too derided the value of critical thought.
"There is another form of temptation, even more fraught with danger. This is the disease of curiosity…It is this which drives us to try and discover the secrets of nature, those secrets which are beyond our understanding, which can avail us nothing and which man should not wish to learn." (Confessions) This comment promotes what is, in fact, the antithesis of good philosophy.
Augustine was a reasonably intelligent man, although his great rival Pelagius was far more sensible. His teachings on original sin, women and sex were despicable. He claimed to be an authority on history and scientific subjects he knew very little about, and invented facts to fill in the gaps. He wasn't honest enough to admit the deficiencies of his religion.
The men discussed here were the more educated members of the early Christian churches. Yet they were narrow-minded, superstitious, and mendacious. They readily told absurd, fabricated stories to impress simple people. Some of them forged
documents. They displayed very little critical faculty; no story was too silly, no falsehood too glaring, no argument too weak to prevent them teaching it with full confidence of its truth. They thought it was permissible, and even commendable, to assert falsehoods for the sake of selling faith. They were the tabloid journalists of their day. It is on their testimony and others of their ilk that today's Christian assumes the Gospels are truthful.
These characters, and countless others just like them, created, edited and interpolated the New Testament. Some altered quotations from the Septuagint to create phony prophecies concerning Jesus. Someone added a resurrection story to the Gospel of Mark. Someone attributed the authorship of the Gospels to the apostles of Jesus. Someone inserted into Matthew's Gospel that Jesus wanted to start a new church with Peter at its head. Someone inserted Jesus' name into Paul's writings. Someone wrote literature in Paul's name. Someone wrote Acts to try to link Yeshua with Paul's theology. Some incorporated traditions from other cults into the new one. There are countless other examples of their dishonesty. There was a corrupt culture in the early Christian church.
There are no excuses for this. Blatant fiction presented as truth, uncritical scholarship, and demands for blind faith are unacceptable in any age.
There were men of their era and before them, such as Plato, Aristotle, Celsus, Cicero, Philo, Seutonius, Tacitus and numerous others, who employed high standards of scholarship in their essays. Their compositions are believable, consistent and still read well today, whereas these writings don't. None of these men were honest enough to publicly admit what their peers repeatedly pointed out; their faith was based on a foundation of manufactured mythical nonsense.
It is apparent how the Jesus Christ account emerged: Paul, church fathers and other nameless men concocted the stories in the same way they created untruthful anecdotes about demons, angels, animals, monsters, and singing planets. How could anyone today be convinced of the divinity, the miracles, or the teachings of Jesus after considering what these characters had to contend?
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Phaedrus (03-11-2012), robotworld (04-11-2012)
04-11-2012, 03:19 AM (This post was last modified: 04-11-2012 05:59 AM by Mark Fulton.)
RE: Part I - The Archaeological Evidence (Response In Part)
(02-11-2012 04:40 AM)The Theist Wrote:You wrote(02-11-2012 02:24 AM)Mark Fulton Wrote: Hi Theist, thanks for your reply.
"Are you joking? The entire collection of four accounts are exclusively
devoted to the very thing you are claiming doesn't exist."
I don't think you understood the point I was making. Please read this again:
"One only needs to leaf through any of the Gospels to realise they were not written by eyewitnesses, or by anyone who interrogated eyewitnesses. There are no interviews of Jesus, or his disciples, or of any of the characters in the action. Nowhere do we read a phrase such as "I, Matthew/Mark/Luke/John saw this or heard that" or "I was present when" this or that happened, or "I talked to …who told me… so I asked him..." Everything is written as pure narrative, because the authors had no close connection to the described accounts."
I was making the point that the commentary in the gospels is written from the viewpoint of an uninvolved commentator, not from the viewpoint of someone who was actually there or who had talked to eyewitnesses.
07-11-2012, 06:21 AM (This post was last modified: 07-11-2012 03:18 PM by Mark Fulton.)
RE: Historicity Of The Christian Greek Scriptures
Is this it?
Bugger...was hoping for a work out but haven't even raised a sweat
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12-11-2012, 10:58 AM (This post was last modified: 20-11-2012 09:29 PM by Erxomai.)
RE: Historicity Of The Christian Greek Scriptures
Mr. Theist, I see you're back. Would you like to continue this bout? If so, I'm reopening the thread with the strict reminder to the peanut gallery that this challenge is for The Theist and Mark Fulton only!
It was just a fucking apple man, we're sorry okay? Please stop the madness
RE: Historicity Of The Christian Greek Scriptures
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sup guys, this has to do with my computer hardware so im fairly sure this is the right place to post....anyway, ever since built my own box since last febuary its always been really touchy, for example, i will take the cover off, do some things inside like attach some sensors for my digital doc, or change out a fan, trivial things that should not affect the start up of the computer, but then when i get my comp all pluged up and ready to turn on again, it won't boot! either it will get half way through boot and my screen will go blank, or it will boot, then continutally restart, or my MSI motherboard DLED lights will tell me my RAM is bad, or my processor is bad, or my video card is bad. i admit i may have touched my motherboard or RAM once or twice while foolin around in side my comp but i made sure i was grounded, then i will powerdown then power up again, and i will get something totally different, its never the same twice, it might be bad RAM one time or tell me my processoris broken the next, so i take the cover off make sure all the connections are secure, by physically pushing on all of them, and wallah! next time i boot, it will be like nothing happened, its done this almost eversince i built this computer here are my specs:
-AMD athlon xp 1900
-MSI K7T266a pro 2 chipset MoBo
-256MB PC2100 ECC registerd DDR by crucial
-NVidia Geforce 4 TI4600 128 DDR MB 3d graphics card
-10/100 D-Link ethernet adapter
-20 GB western digital 7200 Rpm ATA 100 Hardrive
-10/12x pioneer DVD-ROM
-12/10/32 plexwriter CD-RW
-rounded ATA 100 cables
-250 watt powersupply
-win xp professional
im not over clocked at all, althought i tried several times and had to replace my RAM and processor after not installing my HSF correctly (yea i know im dumb), but anyway, if anybody thinks they know why my computer is so touchy and changes at the drop of a hat, please post, im greatful for any info, my best guess at this point is that when i tried to Overclock, i messed up my mobo or somethin.


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A House — and a Life — Love Restored
- Sandra* as told to Rebekah Montgomery Right to the Heart of Women
- 2008 30 Oct
Remember Sleeping Beauty? Because of a curse, when she pricked her finger on a spindle, her world was frozen into a nightmare. Prince Charming's kiss was required to break the evil spell.
A finger prick transformed my world into a nightmare, too. More amazing than the fairytale, the love of the Prince of Peace and His loyal followers broke the spell and gave me a home and a future.
The finger prick came in the summer of 2003 during a routine baby wellness check for one-year-old Emily, the youngest of my three preschool children. I was not expecting the shocking results: Her blood lead concentration was four times higher than the danger level.
Within days, the state health inspector was knocking at my door. "Move. Now," he warned. "Your house is dangerously contaminated with lead. Your children could already have severe and permanent damage."
Panicked, I phoned my husband, Tom, who was away on business. "What'll we do?" I asked. "We have to move but how can we afford it?"
Although Tom made a good salary, for reasons that had been puzzling to me, we never had extra money. I kept expenses cut to the bone and we had only one car — my husband's. His job required extensive travel, but in recent months, I had begun to suspect that his long absences were not entirely job related.
Tom's response to my distressing news confirmed that our marriage and family was dangerously contaminated, too. "I'm sure you'll handle it," he said. He had no plans to come home anytime soon. And no, he couldn't send me any money either.
The landlord was livid with the health inspector's report. He refused to make any of the recommended repairs and blamed me for the discovery of the lead poisoning. "You have until August 1st to get out," he thundered.
The eviction was illegal and I could have fought him in court and won the right to stay. But I needed to get my children out of that poisoned house. I could expect no help from my husband. I had no money, no place to go, and no way to get there.
The date was June 25. A month. Forty days and forty nights and my children and I would be homeless. Where would we go?
However, I had a secret weapon that prevented me from becoming desperate. In 1976, when I was seven years old, I had made a profession of faith in Jesus. Since then, my faith had not been severely tested. Yet I knew enough about trusting Jesus to know that if I only considered the depth of my problems, I'd sink in despair. If I considered the power of Jesus to help me, I could make it. I'd just have to be brave enough to take that first step of faith — whatever it was.
Still hoping that my marriage could be salvaged, I confided my troubles to Rose, a friend from my church. She listened, prayed with me, and although I had no income she said, "Let me see what I can do about finding you a house you can afford."
I really didn't expect much from Rose. After all, what sort of house could she find for someone with three kids and no money?
As the weekend approached, my father paid for the children and I to come see him. In a shocked state, I poured out my troubles to him. In my heart of hearts, I knew my marriage was shattered and that Tom would not support us now without pressure from the court system. That would take time, money, and lawyers to accomplish. What was I to do in the meanwhile? Where could we go? How would we live?
Dad had no ideas but he, too, prayed with me.
On Thursday, June 26th, the phone rang. It was Rose. "If I found a house that someone will give you free-of-charge, would you trust my judgment to accept it for you?" she asked. She was suspiciously sketchy about the details but she did say that the house had three bedrooms, a nice-sized backyard, and was in an okay neighborhood.
What choice did I have? "Go ahead," I said.
"I'll have some guys clean it up a little," she told me.
Had I been paying attention, I would have realized that she giving me the first clue to the adventure ahead for the next month.
When I returned to town on Monday, June 30 th, Rose — a little nervously, I thought — showed me the house. The exterior was painted an odd color but it had "good bones structure," she told me. Rose's husband had checked it out and pronounced it solid except "for the obvious problems."
I thought she meant the exterior color — until I stepped inside and my nostrils were dealt a stinging blow. At the sight of the interior before us, my five-year-old burst into tears.
The walls were cracked and dingy, totally speckled with some sort of substance. The floor was filthy and littered. But the smell… whew!
As we opened windows to let in the summer air, Rose hastily assured me that the only things the house needed was a thorough cleaning, fumigation, paint, plaster, a few new windows, a toilet, and other incidentals. And the house was free, thanks to someone who had once been in my situation.
If we worked hard, the house could be ready in a month, she said. Work had already begun. That Saturday, men from our church had shouldered out urine-soaked mattresses, a refrigerator filled with rotting food, and similar furnishings — enough junk to fill a 16-foot trailer.
Had she mentioned that the house was free?
I caught my breath. Well, free was the right price because I had no money. But where would we get the money to fix up the house? Who would help us? All those concerns turned out to be the least of our problems.
Rats, cockroaches, and their remnants were, however, a major problem. I'll spare you a graphic description, but the house had been so infested that the walls and ceiling were mostly brown whereas they had once been white. "Residue" was everywhere — in cracks, ceiling tracks, light fixtures, in doorknobs, even under the kitchen cupboard hinges necessitating the fine oak cupboards be burned. However, the rats and roaches turned out to be disguised blessings. Because of their presence, the house was given to me.
We rolled up our sleeves and went to work. Day after day, as the calendar ticked forward, a steady stream of miracles occurred. Solicited by Rose or moved by compassion and love for me, people with various skills showed up and went to work at carpentry, plumbing — whatever was needed. Some cleaned. Others took my children and babysat them. Still others packed up the other house in preparation for our move.
A lot of adjustments to our plans had to be made as work progressed. For example, the crew that came in to clean the kitchen ended up demolishing the walls with sledgehammers and hanging drywall instead. The drywall just happened to be left over from someone else's remodeling job. It was also the right price — free.
A new toilet showed up just when needed. Beautiful baseboards came from an old house about to be demolished. Someone cleaning his garage found a length of plastic pipe, plumbing fittings, and a new countertop — just the day and at the hour when they were needed.
Inspired by the community spirit, people chipped in together, bought and installed new windows. Several brave souls cleaned the dungeon of a basement, scrapping up and hauling out loads of debris.
Two five-gallon buckets of latex paint appeared — along with the church youth group who primed and painted every room in the house. I realized one-year-old Baby Emily had been watching the painters so much that her idea of fun was to play "painting" with a brush and invisible paint.
In many ways, fixing up the house was like a month-long slumber party — with an audience. The neighborhood watched in amazement as day and night we labored together, working into the wee morning hours, talking, laughing, and eating carry-in pizza. Despite a steady diet of pizza, we all gained muscle and lost weight. I dropped 40 lbs. that month! Because of the formerly wretched state of the house, curiosity brought my new neighbors over to see how the house now looked, get acquainted, and sometimes, lend a hand.
I think people — the great majority from my church — sacrificed and helped for a variety of reasons. For some who had been unfaithful in their own marriage, it was cathartic. Others helped because God moved them to; some out of pity for my situation. Most helped, I think, out of pure love for Tom, our children, and me.
By the middle of July, irrefutable evidence came forward that although Tom had been active in the church, unbeknown to nearly everyone, he had long been leading a double life. He had finally chosen that life over the one he had with his children and me.
Tom's leaving felt like a death, and like what often happens when we lose a family member, the rest of the family drew closer together. Everyone gathered around Tom's "widow" — me — and his children. Many prayers were offered up for him. The children and I would have to begin a new life that would rarely again include Tom.
Only God and His inspired followers can take someone with no money and no budget from homeless to at-home in less than a month. By July 31, the house was livable. It wasn't fancy but it had new cupboards, freshly painted walls, refinished floors, new windows, a working toilet and shower. It was clean, smelled fresh, and was bug- and rodent-free. A caravan of pickup trucks loaded up our things and moved them into the house.
No, Tom never came home to us again. Eventually, we were divorced and I have returned to the workplace as a substitute teacher. The children are healthy and none have exhibited side effects from the lead poisoning.
We still live in the house that love remodeled and the house that remodeled my faith in God. Often, when I clean, I again see all those who spent hours repairing walls, floors, and ceilings so we would have a roof over our heads. I remember the miracles, big and small, of supplies that showed up exactly at the right moment and the people with the right skills to install them.
I know firsthand that He will look out for my children and me whatever my circumstances, however hopeless a situation may look. Faith is no longer theory but drywall, plaster, windows, and doors. Faith is literally the roof over our heads.
*All names have been changed for protection.
Originally posted October 30, 2008.
© Rebekah Montgomery 2008
For reprint requests, contact Rebekah at her website, www.Rebekah Montgomery.com
Rebekah Montgomery, author/speaker/teacher, is a gifted, dynamic communicator. She is the author of more than five books and has penned 1,100 articles. She shares tough real-life topics and biblical application in a simple easy to grasp manner. To book Rebekah for your next event visit www.rebekahmontgomery.com. Rebekah is also the editor of Right to the Heart of Women and a publisher at Jubilant Press.


text: Welcome to the FUN section. Here we invite children of all ages to learn about oral health in fun ways such as coloring exercises, word searches, and other activities. Young children will see why healthy dental habits are important and older ones will learn to reinforce the ones they already have.


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It's no longer just nice to share.
Just ask Hans Schmidt.
Whenever the 30-year-old South Loop resident is headed to the grocery store, library or a friend's house, he takes out his smartphone and opens his SideCar app.
Instantly, he's making money. On the clock in the middle of his daily routine.
He receives ride requests from hundreds of Chicagoans. He sees where they are and where they want to go. He'll pick up a passenger along his route, chat for a few minutes, drop them off and receive payment in 24 hours.
"It really is as easy as that," Schmidt said.
Schmidt is one of many Chicagoans finding creative ways to make a quick buck by hiring out their personal belongings and underused assets.
Schmidt is a driver for SideCar, a San Francisco-based startup that came to Chicago in March. He went through interviews, a background check, insurance checks and a ride-along to get approved.
Since becoming a driver in April, Schmidt has given 350 rides and uses the extra income to pay off student loans.
"Sometimes I even pay extra on my loans instead of just the minimum, which is great. I never expected to be able to do that," said Schmidt, who is awaiting admission into a medical residency program. "Every dollar, especially in this economy, helps."
Schmidt is part of the burgeoning "sharing economy," sometimes called "collaborative consumption."
It's a trend that's turning millions of people into part-time entrepreneurs. The sharing economy operates on the principle that access to a good trumps ownership. The idea is digging the hole is more important than owning the shovel.
"We are hoping to create a world where car ownership will be optional in cities like Chicago," said Lisa Frame, SideCar's Chicago city manager.
Shannon O'Brien doesn't own a car.
Yet the 29-year-old works a hectic job as a freelance make-up artist, spending her days bouncing from downtown hotels for bridals parties and homes of private clients for special events.
While O'Brien said SideCar is usually cheaper than cab fare--saying she spends an average of $12 on a SideCar ride from her Humboldt Park home to the South Loop--she enjoys the community aspect of her involvement in the sharing economy most.
"My job is so much about traveling and running around, for that to be a little bit more enjoyable for me is huge," she said. "You feel good about getting a ride from SideCar. You meet all these great people. I have so much faith in my drivers. It's almost like getting a ride from a friend. And if you can hire a friend for a job, why wouldn't you? "
It's certainly easy enough to hire a "friend" in Chicago thanks to a slew of new start-ups.
You can rent a dusty couch to a stranger on CouchSurfing. Share your shovel on SnapGoods. Act as a one-man taxi service with SideCar. Turn your driveway into your personal parking meter on Parkatmyhouse. You can even borrow a $40 bottle of Chanel nail polish through a Netflix-like service called Lacquerous.
You name it--you can rent it and make a profit off it.
But don't be mistaken. The sharing economy is more than a few people renting their lawn mower for $5 a day.
Forbes estimates the sharing economy revenue will surpass $3.5 billion this year. And companies aren't just watching idly.
ZipCar, America's largest car-sharing service, was purchased by Avis in January for $491.3 million.
I-GO, the first to bring car-sharing to Chicago in 2002, was acquired in May by Enterprise Holdings, operators of Enterprise, National and Alamo rent-a-car brands. The financial terms of that acquisition were not disclosed, as Enterprise is a private company.
While one-time non-profit car-sharing services being gobbled up by national brands certainly diminishes the community-level spending appeal to the sharing economy, it may offer a more reliable delivery system.
"The challenge (with car-sharing and the sharing economy) is people are often concerned about sharing with someone else and actually knowing who you are sharing with," said Ryan Johnson, assistant vice president of Enterprise Car Sharing. "What worries people in the sharing economy is the methodology in which I am bound to other sharers. This really has opened up the spectrum of who can and wants to share by eliminating that one-on-one handoff that makes people concerned and providing credibility."
Car-sharing outlets acquired by companies also avoid the regulatory uncertainty that clouds the sharing economy.
As Reported by The Wall Street Journal, SideCar suspended its service in New York City in May after an administrative court judge ruled that one of its drivers violated the city's law governing taxis and limousines.
There are other concerns surrounding the sharing economy, chiefly that peer-to-peer transactions aren't being reported as taxable income. But the plot only thickens from there. Should room-renters through sites like Airbnb be subject to hotel taxes? Should car-sharing drivers have to operate with a car services or taxi license?
Time will tell. Either way, sharing has evolved into much more than the timeless concept being taught in preschools across the country.
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Spring is upon us and the weather is setting the mood for warm days and cool nights. Rain has been abundant this fall and winter. Mother Nature is helping to create a beautiful Texas Hill Country Spring. The Emily Ann Theater & Garden will be hosting the 14th annual Butterfly Festival April 21st. Sure to be a beautiful day with wonderful activities you will enjoy experiencing the release of over 3,000 butterflies to the wild. Celebrate Earth Day with guided nature walks by the Hays County Master Naturalists, live music, carnival games, concessions, and Commemorative Air Force flyover. The best news, the festival is FREE! (Donations are accepted and appreciated).
Now we all know the most beautiful time of year in Texas is wild flower season! Lady Bird Johnson was a pioneer in establishing and maintaining the beautiful sights of Central Texas. Lady Bird Wild Flower Center was created in 1982 to help preserve and restore the beauty and biological richness of North America. Texas jumped on board and the program has been a success ever since. You can visit the WFC any time of year, but we suggest the Spring to truly appreciate the natural beauty. (Below is the hours and days of operation)
Interested in creating your own back yard meadow with beautiful wildflowers? Then you must visit Wildseed Farms. Acres of wildflowers and seed production makes this location the largest working flower farm in the nation. Crop production will be in various stages of growth during any visit ~ some fields in bloom, some freshly planted, and some may be ready for harvest. You will enjoy the views and gain knowledge of local natural plants that will thrive in your personal haven you create. The Country Store is open for purchase or pick up the free mail order catalog and have purchases delivered right to your door!
Reservations are booking quickly. Now is the time to make sure you stop and smell the Flowers! Call us or click here for availability and reservations.
Emily Ann Theater & Garden
Butterfly Festival
April 21, 2012
10 am – 4 pm
Wildflower Center grounds:
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Noon to 5:30 p.m. Sunday
Closed Mondays except Labor Day
Wildseed Farms
Open Daily 9:30 am – 6 pm
Tags: Blair House, flowers, getaways, Hill Country wineries, holidays, Mother's Day, Quick Get-a-way, romantic getaway, romantic retreats, Texas Hill Country, weekend getaway, Wimberley TX


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Elisabeth Hasselbeck is excited about joining the team at Fox & Friends on Monday.
"We can't wait to have nothing but a good time," she says in a new promo that features the mom of three goofing around with her cohosts, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade.
Hasselbeck, 36, a conservative who spent 10 years sparring with her liberal cohosts on The View before leaving in July, is replacing Gretchen Carlson on the daytime talk show and is excited to be joining the like-minded Fox network.
The wife of former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, describes it as "the equivalent of growing up as a Boston Red Sox Fan or a Yankees fan and getting asked to play for the team."


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I have and still do like AV as a coach, but this group has looked like a clunky, tired old beater more often than a well oiled machine over the past calendar year. The sloppy, slow, sad PP since January 2012 is a highlight of the effort level and execution of this group over that time. The personnel has largely not changed since before then, so what gives?Blob Mckenzie wrote:Pac B my point is and was the team has quit on the coach.
I do think this current funk is just that, a funk. Every year there's at least one stretch of terrible play. The team has none of that swagger they show when they are playing well.
However, outside of the last game against LA, which was truly a great all around effort, we haven't seen a consistent work ethic or execution from any single player all year outside of Chris Tanev. This is not a bad team that will consistently lose to Columbus, Calgary and Minnesota, and I am confident that we will win 10 in a row before this shortened season is over, but I am starting to wonder. The longer it takes to get back to winning, let along looking like a dominant team, the more I wonder about what needs to change.
First off, even with a healthy Kesler this team needs another NHL centre. It also needs another right side defenseman. Ballard needs to go, and Lapierre needs to play on the 4th line only, ever. These are no brainers. Though, I am beginning to wonder if there is a cultural problem here. Is there too much of a country club atmosphere with this group? Does this group need a shakeup to remind them that they are in the business of winning hockey games?


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Please, please please...DO NOT make Pat Robertson out to be anything than what he is - an independent religious entrepreneur. Even many mainline Protestants would consider him to be heretical in many of his so-called Chrisitan beliefs and abominable in his political beliefs.I was embarrassed and ashamed of Robertson when I was a Protestant. He was a cut above Swaggart and Jim and Tammy baker, but that's not saying much. And Benny Hinn has stepped in to rip more poeple off.If you want to read EXCELLENT Protestant critiques and humorous spoofs of these clowns check out The Wittenbug Door magazinewww.wittenburgdoor.com Go to the archives and then check out "Losers"
I once heard that Benny Hinn was Orthodox at one time. Does anyone know if thjat is true?ÂÂ
BEavis:Some people have too much time on their hands. Thanks for the links LOLÂÂ
liberal minded, pro choicers.ÂÂ
When I started this discussion, I didn't realize that it would take on a life of its own for so long. But I have enjoyed reading the comments and responding. And a welcome to Searching who is well searching. ARen't we a motley lot. But then that's Orthodoxy.
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Embark on an overland tour of Africa and see gorillas in Uganda
The stunning beauty of East Africa's steamy rainforests and sprawling savanna is a breathtaking backdrop for an adventure into the habitat of the magnificent gorillas and majestic rhinos. Trekking through some of Uganda's most dense areas of jungle is a challenging, but incredibly rewarding experience and coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a moment that will remain imprinted on the memory for years to come. Matched with cruising along the Kazinga Channel, and game drives through some of East Africa's most iconic national parks, this trip provides a lottery win on the wildlife front. Along the way, encounter local people whose friendly smiles and sense of community is a warm welcome to East Africa.
For a limited time, get up to 20% OFF select Dragoman operated trips in multiple countries. Book by 09 October 2018. Learn more >Terms & Conditions
Search for gorillas near the border of Rwanda
Learn a dark history at the Genocide Museum
Taste traditional African cuisine
Spot wildlife in Nakuru National Park
Trek through the dense Ugandan rainforest
Find rhinos in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Dragoman tours travel from each destination to the next on one of their purpose-built trucks, this is an overland adventure! There are some long travel days, venturing away from cities and into remote areas, but the rewards are immeasurable.
Dragoman overland journeys are designed to offer freedom, and many of their routes have a degree of flexibility depending on the destination. As they have their own vehicle, they are generally unrestricted in their ability to alter the schedule in the case of unforeseen circumstances.
Dragoman use a broad range of accommodation on their trips from good hotels, basic hostels, family-run guesthouses, well-equipped campsites, local family homestays, or wild camping in more remote areas. Note: some of their routes are non-camping routes, depending on the nature of the destination. Please see the day to day itinerary for more detailed information about accommodation on the trip.
On an overland trip you're more than just a passenger - you're part of the team! Everyone on the journey will get involved to help with setting up camp, pitching tents, shopping for food, and cooking. The more you put it the more you get out!
1.This trip is run by our experienced overland partner Dragoman.
2. This trip requires an additional non-refundable deposit ( AUD1120, USD1000, EUR810, NZD1200, GBP600, CAD1080, ZAR13700, CHF850 ) in order to secure a gorilla permit. We also require a scanned copy of your passport at time of booking. Please see trip notes (Important notes) for more details.
3. Please note that this trip requires minimum numbers to depart, and may be cancelled up until 56 days prior to departure. The places showing on the dates and availability page are an indication only so please contact Intrepid to check if your preferred date will depart before making any final arrangements, such as booking non-changeable flights.
Our Gorillas & Chimps In Depth trips score an average of 4.33 out of 5 based on 9 reviews in the last year.
An incredible way to see some of the animals of Africa. The Gorilla trek was challenging but worth every moment to spend an hour in their company. incredible. The camping can be frustrating in the rain and early mornings but the experiences gained worth every little bit of the minimal discomfort.
Review submitted 26 Jul 2017
Intrepid provides the best Guides , Drivers and Cooks, they are always local .
Review submitted 26 Jul 2016


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Willits Bypass - Introduction
For the latest news and information about the Willits Bypass, please visit: willitsbypass.wordpress.com
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) propose to construct a new segment of Route 101 that will bypass the City of Willits, in Mendocino County, California. The intention of the bypass is to relieve congestion, reduce delays, and improve safety for interregional traffic. The project limits begin about 0.8 miles south of Haehl Creek Overhead and end about 1.8 miles south of Reynolds Highway, a distance of approximately 5.9 miles.
Project Purpose and Need
Route 101, functionally classified a principal arterial route, is the single north-south route serving the length of coastal California and is crucial in the commerce of northwestern California. On Route 101, trucks and passenger vehicles transport goods and people to and from the many communities throughout the region. In the Willits area, it serves an increasingly heavy commuter, recreational and commercial traffic demand. Lack of capacity and congestion has resulted in delay and lengthy traffic queues within the project limits north of the city limit.
Route 101 has numerous lane configurations within the project limits. Especially through the downtown area, it is an old style highway, and the right-of-way is relatively narrow. Widening the existing facility is not feasible as much of the commercial development would be demolished to make room for the highway.


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November 29. 2012 11:04PM
Kwiatkowski indicted by federal grand jury with 14 charges in 7 cases
By SHAWNE K. WICKHAM
New Hampshire Sunday News
Former Exeter Hospital technician pleads not guilty in federal court
CONCORD - A federal grand jury has indicted a former Exeter Hospital employee on 14 federal charges for his alleged role in causing a hepatitis C outbreak among patients of that hospital.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, David M. Kwiatkowski, 33, was indicted Wednesday on seven counts each of tampering with a consumer product and fraudulently obtaining controlled substances.
The former medical technician is accused of infecting more than 30 patients in New Hampshire and elsewhere with hepatitis C through contaminated syringes. The blood-borne virus can cause chronic liver disease.
Kwiatkowski is charged with taking syringes filled with fentanyl, a painkiller prepared for patients undergoing medical procedures at Exeter Hospital, and replacing those with used syringes filled with saline.
The indictment alleges that Kwiatkowski, knowing that he was infected with hepatitis C since at least June 2010, "devised a scheme to obtain fentanyl ... for his personal use."
"Because the defendant injected the fentanyl into his body, the syringes became tainted with the hepatitis C virus," the indictment states.
And because he allegedly "replaced syringes of fentanyl with tainted syringes that he had previously used to inject himself, nurses then administered a tainted substance to patients."
As a result, the indictment alleges, "Instead of receiving doses of fentanyl, the patients received saline that contained the hepatitis C virus."
Seven patients
While there are 32 patients here who were diagnosed with the same strain of the virus as Kwiatkowski, the federal indictment is based on the cases of just seven of those patients, who underwent medical procedures on seven dates between Jan. 12 and March 12.
U.S. Attorney John Kacavas said the intent is not to exclude other patients but to present a "coherent, clear case that we believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt." He said he expects the seven patients will testify at trial.
"This is a very complicated case that will require us to introduce evidence of epidemiological testing, genetic sequencing and things like that," Kacavas said. "The scope of his conduct certainly exceeds these seven charges, but we believe these seven charges can result in an appropriate punishment."
He added that the ongoing investigation into the hepatitis C outbreak could mean additional charges could be brought in the future.
Kacavas said he has met personally with some of the patients who were infected with hepatitis C. Asked what that was like, he replied, "Brutal."
He called the scope of harm in the case "incalculable."
"The ripple effect of the conduct is massive. It affects not just the victims directly, but people related to the victims, friends of the victims," Kacavas said.
In addition, he said, "It sort of implicates an entire industry of traveling medical technicians, and affects them and their reputations."
'Tip of the spear'
According to the indictment, Kwiatkowski first trained and then worked as a radiologic technician in Michigan. Beginning in 2007, he became a "traveling" medical technician, employed in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arizona, Kansas and Georgia.
He began working at Exeter Hospital in April 2011 and was employed there until May of this year, when the first cases of hepatitis C were diagnosed in three patients who had been treated at the hospital's cardiac catheterization lab.
Thousands of patients who underwent procedures or surgery at the hospital during Kwiatkowski's employment were tested for the virus, and a total of 32 were diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C, according to the state health department.
While other states are looking into potential cases related to Kwiatkowski's previous employment, New Hampshire cannot bring charges based on his conduct in another state, Kacavas said. "However, we can seek to use evidence of conduct in other jurisdictions as admissible evidence in our case," he said.
Kacavas, who said he has been in touch with other U.S. Attorneys, said the other states are watching closely what happens here. "The fact is, we are the tip of the spear in terms of this national investigation, and I think a lot of those states will ... take a wait-and-see approach to this, to see how New Hampshire's prosecution comes out," he said.
Trial late next year
Kwiatkowski was arrested July 19, and has been in custody at Strafford County House of Correction ever since.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison on each count of tampering with a consumer product, and up to four years in prison for each count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud. Each offense also is punishable by a fine of $250,000.
Numerous federal, state and local agencies have been investigating the hepatitis C outbreak, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, New Hampshire State Police and Exeter police.
Because of the complexity of the case, Kacavas said he does not expect it to come to trial until late next year.


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"One lens one story", the last chapter is on XF18mm.
It is one of the first 3 lenses that was introduced upon the launch of X-mount.
It appears that the lens does not get the recognition it deserves as the other two lenses, XF35mm and XF60mm, show strong characteristics, and this lens gets left behind. But you will not find its real value if you look at the lens same way as you do on the two lenses.
XF18mm is a "Snap shooter" lens, which sought for the optimal balance between "image quality" and "mobility".
It has bright aperture of F2, yet the filter size is only 52mm. The lens is 33.7mm long and only weighs 116g. It is the smallest wide angle lens in the lineup.
Portability is a always huge plus for the photographers. And the small size also becomes an big advantage for snap shooters as it does not intimidate the subject. Small size is a must for mobility.
In addition, the minimum working distance is only 18cm.
If you compare it with the 34cm for another pancake type lens XF27mm, you see that there is a big difference.
This allows another meaning of "mobility". The photographer can get close to and far from the subject with ease.
Let's also look at the AF speed.
XF18mm has the fastest AF speed for the lenses that are brighter than F2. It has AF speed of 0.111 sec. (Based on CIPA standard)
There are various factors involved, so it cannot always perform at its fastest speed, but you can remember the lens as the "Fastest AF speed among bright lenses."
It certainly is important that the lens should render beautiful images. But before you come up with any images, you need to capture the moment.
XF18mm is here in our lineup to no miss the spontaneous moment.
Continue to read Episode 10
One lens one story - Episode 10: XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
#1 XF14mmF2.8 R
#2 XF23mmF1.4 R
#3 XF60mmF2.4 R Macro
#4 XF35mmF1.4 R
#5 XF27mmF2.8 Part1
#6 XF27mmF2.8 Part2
#7 XF56mmF1.2 R Part1
#8 XF56mmF1.2 R Part2
#9 XF18mmF2 R
#10 XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
#11 XF1.4 X TC WR Part1
#12 XF1.4 X TC WR Part2


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Manchester's Hoitt Furniture, founded in 1880, is up for saleBy DAVE SOLOMON
New Hampshire Union Leader
January 02. 2013 11:56PM
MANCHESTER �- C. Brian Longo gets a little sentimental as he looks over laminated pages from an 1880s advertisement for C. A. Hoitt Furniture, featuring $25 "chamber sets," a popular term for bathroom fixtures at the time.
"This ad pre-dates electricity," he said of the four-page insert from what was then the Manchester Union. "It's advertising for gas lamps."
The area surrounding Longo's office on the second floor at C.A. Hoitt Furniture at 293 Wilson St. is rich with history, including a showcase full of sepia-toned photos, one with horse-and-buggy rigs "parked" in front of the original C.A. Hoitt location.
Another chapter soon will be written in that long history, as C.A. Hoitt goes up for sale, ending two generations of Longo family ownership of a business that's been part of the fabric of Manchester since the Industrial Revolution.
Longo broke the news to employees at a building-wide meeting Monday as notices were going out to longtime customers.
He plans to clear as much of the inventory as possible before selling the property to a new owner - one he hopes will continue a tradition that began in 1880 when Charles A. Hoitt opened for business at 816-826 Elm St.
"There are some interested parties even as we speak," he said. "But nothing is set in stone. If someone buys the business and wants to continue the legacy and tradition of it, that would certainly be a consideration."
Legacy and tradition run deep in the Longo family and its ownership of Hoitt's.
"There have only been three owners in the history of the business," Longo said with pride. "Mr. Hoitt himself, who sold to Charles Mooney in the mid-1920s. In the early 1960s, Mr. Mooney sold to my dad, Carl Longo. So it was always operated by furniture people. It was Mr. Mooney's wish to keep it as a freestanding furniture store."
Furniture people
Mooney was determined to find "furniture people" to buy the store, and his father fit the bill, Longo said. Longo's grandfather had operated a furniture business in Lawrence, Mass., and his father moved to Manchester in the late 1950s to open Mammoth Mills on Mammoth Road, a combination department, furniture and grocery store, from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s.
For a time, the Longo family operated both C.A. Hoitt, and Longo's Furniture and Bedding at 625 Hooksett Road, until selling the Hooksett Road location in 1999 to the Bonneville family for a new Dodge and Jeep dealership.
After graduating from Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., in 1971, with a degree in history education, Longo tried teaching for a couple years before returning to the family business as general manager at Mammoth Mills.
"My father thought that I should do what I went to college for first, and if I had the calling, I'd come to the furniture business afterward," he recalled.
Forty years later, with two sons in their 20s who've moved on to other pursuits, Longo felt the time was right for him to retire.
"It's a good time for me, at my age and station in life, to start to pursue other interests," he said. "There are a lot of hours in the work week when you own a retail business. It takes a lot of effort and a lot of time away from family, but it was worth it, every second."
He hopes to see more of his wife, who will continue to work as a paraprofessional in the Manchester school system, and maybe pick up golf again.
"I think I'll finally take my mother's advice and clean up my room," he said softly. Longo's mother passed away in 2011, his father in 2001.
Brand built on loyalty
The family built the business on loyalty to staff and customers, Longo said, and that's how they are approaching the transition.
"The majority of our employees have been with us a considerable amount of time, some 30 or more years," he said of the 15 workers who will be affected by the sale. "My pledge to them is to get them placed in some other form of employment in the furniture business. It is what they are good at. Any furniture store that's looking to hire would be well-served by them."
Longtime customers were notified by mail of the family's decision and of a private VIP sale Tuesday through Thursday of next week. The storewide retirement sale starts on Friday, Jan. 11.
"We have always been a destination for fine furniture and that's the legacy I will hope will be maintained," he said.
When asked if a new owner is likely to keep the Hoitt name, as his father did, Longo didn't hesitate: "In my personal opinion, it would be in their best interests to do so."
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Dave Solomon may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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BNP races to get membership list off the net
shirts trousers
Updated The BNP membership list containing over 10,000 names and addresses, which we revealed yesterday is still plastered over the internet despite the far right party's desperate efforts to get it yanked from websites.
A message on the party's website from Nick Griffin, BNP leader, details the list leak and apologises to people having problems with the site which is creaking under extra traffic.
Griffin claims that the membership list dates from between 30 November 2007 and 2 December, although the version seen by The Register includes members from 2008. He also said that some non-members had been maliciously added to the list.
Griffin said the party had sent formal demands to web hosts to remove the list. He also said the party had made a complaint to Dyfed-Powys Police - but Dyfed-Powys was unable to confirm this to us. The BNP claims it will be asking for an investigation into breaches of the Data Protection Act, theft and receipt of stolen goods and breaches of the Human Rights Act.
A spokesman for the BNP said: "A detective inspector is investigating our complaint. The unions and the Labour party are behind this. Last night hundreds of our members got calls from a call centre." The BNP refused to tell us which web hosts had been asked to remove the information.
The problem for BNP members is that several of them work for the police, army and prison service - organisations which either have bans on party political activity or specific bans on staff joining the BNP. The Home Office was not able to comment on what action it would take against members revealed to be working for the police or prison service.
Nick Griffin claimed the leak was good news for the extremist party because it showed its members were not "skinhead oiks".
Lancaster Unity, the anti-fascist website, which first revealed the leak, has more.
The list also contains details of several children who are members as part of BNP family membership. Many entries also include notes on members such as their jobs, hobbies and willingness to campaign - one entry for a member in Somerset reads: "Retired retail jeweller. hobbies: freemasonry, church singing - activist."
Extremist websites are full of angry BNP members, gloating anti-fascists and lots of speculation about who is behind the leak - the party has several violently opposed factions which are all busy blaming each other for the cock-up.
The leak is bound to cause acute embarrassment to some - last time the BNP lost a list of members a leading ballerina and a servant at Buckingham Palace were the biggest shocks. This time there are rumours about two Scottish footballers.
But perhaps the real difficulty for the BNP will be getting subscriptions out of people for next year's membership - how many members would join in the knowledge that friends, neighbours and employers will know of their esoteric political leanings?
A spokeswoman for the Information Commissioner's Office said:
"Following media reports that the personal details of BNP members have been incorrectly disclosed, we will be contacting the party to establish the full facts. We will then decide what action, if any, is appropriate.
"We encourage all organisations to alert the Information Commissioner's Office if they discover a security breach has occurred. We stand ready to provide advice to organisations to help them deal with breaches effectively and mitigate the risks. We have published specific guidance on managing breaches on our website – www.ico.gov.uk."
Feel free to comment on this story, but please do not post links to the actual list. ®


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I've got a simple solution: Don't use Jonathan's program. The rest of us will remain interested and supportive of his efforts.
no, I am not and sky is in fact falling as usual - please read what I am referring to :...Do you object ? Does DNG converter irreversibly strips the data during conversion or not ? Very simple question.
Citing bugs specific to converting the RAWs from a few particular camera models to DNGs
does not mean the entire DNG concept is a bad idea
or that the "no RAW data is lost when converting to DNG" principle is generally false.
Given the hundreds of undocumented, proprietary RAW formats Adobe has had to reverse-engineer to get DNG to where it is now, what's surprising is that such glitches aren't far more common than they are.
I am a single individual, and do not have the time or inclination to learn how to properly read hundreds of different undocumented and proprietary RAW formats. DNG allows me to shift my focus as a programmer from dealing with RAW format hell to the actual core functionality of the program--correcting lens aberrations and distortions. If you have any realistic suggestions for alternative input file formats that will allow me to continue focusing on the actual program instead of properly parsing hundreds of different input file formats (which would probably put YOUR camera on the "not supported" list), I'm all ears. But if not, STFU and quit wasting my time and LL's bandwidth. DNG may not be a perfect solution, but IMO it's telling that the DNG denigrators have yet to offer a realistic alternative input file format...
And BTW, converting to DNG doesn't mean you need to erase or alter the original RAW. So if a particular version of DNG Converter doesn't convert said file properly, and the bug is fixed in a later version, why yes, the improper conversion IS reversible--simply re-convert the RAW with the new version of ACR or DNG converter. Very simple answer.
how do you know that it is few ? did you test the rest ?
problem is that implementation was always flawed before, is flawed now and still Adobe along w/ some DNG fans are claiming that conversion does not miss anything... while it the real life DNG conversions are losing the data and you just do not know what else is lost as it is a closed source.
well, that is one reason why people should stay away from a buggy software like DNG converter
the source code of dcraw is open, it is mirrored and enhanced by http://www.libraw.org
well, you in fact just do not know if DNG converter converts it properly or not, so you never should erase the original raw... not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow... which simply means that DNG is unsuitable for archiving, unless you are archiving the original raw file as well.
Continue to ignore the negative comments, Jonathan. If you get it to work it will be a worthwhile program. Is it Mac or PC?
I've fixed the missing database file error, and a few small bugs in the interpolation code. I also added a check box so the barrel/pincushion adjustments are optional.The download link is the same, simply download the updated ZIP file, extract, and then run the new installer.
PC for now. Have you downloaded the interpolation demo?
No, I'm Mac. Guess I'll have to be patient.
I'm shifting focus to the actual deconvolution stuff now, so it will probably be a while before I post any more updates. But in the meantime, if anyone could post feedback on the interpolation, I'd appreciate it.
It worked for me on both Vista 64/Business and W7/RC ... I didn't get to rigorously compare to other interpolations, but will compare against CS4 on my nice monitor tonight.
I compared it to the default bicubic interpolation in the main CS4 window.At 50%, it was hard to have a preference ... the lack of color management made it harder, but I might give CS4 a small edge.At 200%, again - hard to pick, but I would say here there was more of a clear edge to CS4.At 400%, they are VERY different. I think I prefer yours - looks a bit more natural and certain less "pixely".Hope that helps ... I could devise a more rigorous set of tests ... but if you have a test script in mind, I'd do some more ...
I uploaded a new version with minor tweaks to interpolation and major changes to the under-the-hood design to significantly reduce memory use and speed things up a bit. It's still not super-fast, but will handle much larger image files before running out of memory.


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BMW X5 (Review date: 23/02/2014 10:24:14)
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