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Madden NFL 09
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DescriptionMadden NFL 09 is the nineteenth installment in the long-running American football series. It was released for all major platform at the time except for Windows, which had annual releases since Madden NFL 97.
As with the previous version, the essential gameplay elements are intact with various tweaks and enhancements. The Franchise mode has been altered to allow for team management for 60 years. In the Superstar mode a rookie player can be created, or imported from NCAA Football 09, with the aim to better the skills and become one of the best players. There is an option to retry certain sections and an analysis tools provides deep inspection of the tactics and mistakes. For new players, three accessibility options are included: one-button gameplay, handicapping options and adaptive skill levels to replace the regular difficulty levels. Using Super Sim the match can be forwarded to the next change of possession and there are different celebration routines to choose from.
As with the previous editions, there is an updated, fully licensed player roster, graphical enhancements and updates to the gameplay. A few features from earlier versions make a return (Grudge Match, Slide Protection, ...) A Virtual Trainer is introduced where twelve drills can be done in a holographic environment. Based on the results, a "Madden IQ" is awarded. Match commentary is provided by Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond.
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Promo Images
Part of the Following Groups
- EA Sports games
- Games with dynamic advertisements
- Japanese Xbox 360 game releases with full English support
- Licensed title: Athletes
- Madden series
- NFL licensees
User Reviews
There are no reviews for this game.
Critic Reviews
|PlayStation 3
|Aug 22, 2008
|9 out of 10
|Playstation Illustrated
|PlayStation 3
|Sep, 2008
|90 out of 100
|Xbox 360
|Sep 01, 2008
|88 out of 100
|Xbox 360
|Aug 12, 2008
|8.8 out of 10
|PlayStation 3
|Aug 11, 2008
|8.8 out of 10
|Xbox 360
|Sep 07, 2008
|88 out of 100
|Xboxdynasty (XD)
|Xbox 360
|Aug 27, 2008
|8.6 out of 10
|PlayStation 3
|Aug 11, 2008
|8 out of 10
|PlayStation 3
|Aug 12, 2008
|8 out of 10
|Xbox 360
|Oct 01, 2008
|77 out of 100
There are currently no topics for this game.
Cover AthleteThe cover athlete, Brett Favre, was announced in April 2008. Shortly after, he decided to retire and the original packaging shows him in the outfit of his latest team, Green Bay Packers. However, in July of the same year he unretired and joined the New York Jets. At the US release day Electronic Arts made available digital packaging for print (Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and PSP) that shows Brett Favre in the outfit of his new team. An updated roster was also made available for the Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii editions to have Favre as the quarterback of the Jets. It is downloaded automatically when playing online. For offline players, Favre is shown in the NFL Greats and he can be moved to the free agents roster pool in the Franchise mode to make him available in the game.
Online ServersElectronic Arts closed the game's online servers for the PSP (all regions), PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions on 8th February 2011.
Related Web Sites
- New Madden NFL 09 Packaging (Download the updated Brett Favre packaging.)
- Wikipedia: Madden 09 (article in the open encyclopedia)
- X360A achievement guide (X360A's achievement guide for Madden NFL 09.)
Contributed to by Sciere (547403)
There are no game credits on file for this release of the game. Everything in MobyGames is contributable by users.


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As the Adolphus hotel, the grand dame of Dallas inns, celebrates 100 years Friday, it faces a few 21st-century challenges.
It's flanked by nearby hotels that have spent multiple millions in the past few years on high-tech upgrades or new construction.
While the Adolphus has installed tech-friendly features recently, the last major upgrade took place when Jimmy Carter was president.
Travelers still are drawn to its Old World elegance. But state figures for the 422-room hotel show that sales slipped in four of the past six quarters (three if you discount the impact of the Super Bowl).
The hotel is on the market, and is still comely enough to attract at least 20 serious suitors.
Hotel owners insist the centenarian retains a winning combination of charm, good bones and strong potential. But it's opted to let others chart the hotel's course for the future.
"It's a perfect time to sell," said Peter Braverman, an executive with the Boston-based realty company that controls the hotel. "You're exactly right, it's about time for a renovation and ultimately we're not long-term holders of real estate so the ideal time to sell is now. Let somebody else impose their vision on a beautiful hotel."
Return to splendor
City fathers persuaded St. Louis beer baron Adolphus Busch to become a North Texas hotelier in 1910, as Dallas grew in importance as a center of commerce and trade.
The baroque hotel — at 21 stories once the tallest building in Texas — opened its doors Oct. 5, 1912.
Ten-foot-wide Flemish wall tapestries, woven in 1661, and portraits of royalty bespeak the hotel's stately origins.
By the late 1970s, the queen was no longer a spry young thing.
Out of step with the growing trend of oversize hotel rooms and lacking in other amenities, the hotel was considered a liability when real estate developer Pat Colee joined with New England Life Insurance Co. (now Met Life) in 1980 to purchase the Commerce Street block that contained the hotel.
The new owners closed the Adolphus in 1980-81, chipped in $50 million, gutted it and "tried to bring it back to the original hotel that Adolphus Busch had designed," said Colee, who used the Adolphus purchase to launch a hotel owner/operator company called Noble House Hotels & Resorts.
"When we got the hotel the average rate was $39 [a night] and there were more than 800 rooms," said Colee. While the French Room, the hotel's award-winning restaurant, was a major draw, "the rest of the hotel was in such bad shape," he said.
The redo drew new guests and a cabinet full of awards.
New suitors
In 1983, Noble House/New England Life sold the hotel to Dallas Commerce Associates, a limited partnership set up by Boston-based Winthrop Realty Partners specifically to own the Adolphus. That's according to Braverman, a Winthrop executive.
Noble House leased the property back from the new owners and served as hotel operator until June 30, 2009.
Before leaving, Colee said he offered to buy the hotel. "We weren't able to negotiate a price that worked for us," he said.
Braverman declined to give details on the current slate of bidders. He said negotiations are ongoing but added, "I would not say a sale is imminent."
He sees the hotel, which is debt-free, as a good buy.
"I think the hotel is quite competitive. It holds its own in its class and area," said Braverman. "We're privy to numbers, and the numbers that we see indicate that we're quite competitive. We're not at the top of the stack, but we're certainly in the middle."
Tech update
Stats on file with the state comptroller's office paint a mixed picture.
Full-year room revenue of $11.5 million in 2010 (not counting food and drink) gained about 5 percent compared with 2009. Fueled by hearty Super Bowl crowds, 2011 saw room revenue of nearly $13 million.
Yet the four most recent quarters saw sales lag those in the previous quarters, partly because of the Super Bowl effect.
Braverman disputes those figures. He did not offer any other data.
Craig Scott, managing director of the Adolphus, said the occupancy rate averages in the high 60 percent range, which is at the upper end of the range for downtown Dallas. The hotel has increased the number of locals who stay there, especially on the weekends.
Scott said annual sales this year should match last year's tally.
Braverman concedes that, given the upgrades at competing hotels, the Adolphus is overdue. However, he and Scott said the owners have spent money — under $10 million — in the past five years.
This year the hotel installed a touch-screen "concierge" in the lobby offering local information, weather and access to boarding passes.
In 2009 the hotel's data connection was upgraded to a 20 megabits per second fiber circuit, bringing in increased bandwidth and reliability — a must for today's tech-savvy traveler. One hotel technology executive described that change as cutting-edge.
HD TVs and HD-quality movies also were added, as were desks with extra electrical outlets.
Preserving a legacy
There still are some amenity gaps. In newer luxury hotels, a spa is de rigueur. The Adolphus doesn't have one.
Colee said he had planned to add one. Braverman assumes that will be high on the new owner's list.
Also today's hotel lobbies function more as communal work spaces and less like a formal parlor, the style of the current lobby. More modern elements are likely to be added to the lobby when the Adolphus gets its next upgrade, experts said.
The new owners can use the upgrade to "be very, very cutting-edge and use things that people only read about," such as hotel check-in and room lock accesses via cellphone, said Jan Freitag, senior vice president with STR, a travel research company.
"If you're a grand dame hotel, your bones may be 100 years old but your service, technology and the beds are all state-of-the-art," Mr. Freitag said.
Scott — who also is a regional vice president with the hotel's current operator, Virginia-based Crescent Hotels & Resorts — sees the landmark hotel as a unique feature of Dallas' hospitality network.
"It's a legacy in Dallas," he said. "It's alive, it's vibrant. It has a great future.
"New builds, they have their charm," he added. "But this will never be replicated."
Follow Karen Robinson-Jacobs on Twitter at @krobijake.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sunday, December 13, 2009
SLCS Cheerleaders Winter Wonderland 9am-9pm Saturday!
The SLCS Cheerleaders are beating the Winter Blues today with a Winter Wonderland event! The event includes lots of fun activities! Come and go ice skating on our large special rink! Don't worry we've got ice skates for sale and ice skating outfits too! As well as some freebies! Challenge your friends to a snowball fight! We've got 3 forts set up for teams! Climb the large sculpted mountain! Or sled down it and all around on one of the traditional red colored sleds we've place out for you. Make a snow angel, ride on the icy tea cups, or swing on the candy sleds! Or sip hot chocolate while meeting new friends! Also, lots of shopping! Stock up on winter wear, Christmas Decorations, Winter Landscaping, and more! There's no shortage of things to do and it all set in pretty scenery!
The SLCS Cheerleaders will be performing at 2pm!
Here's the Landmark!
Winter Wonderland
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ADagan needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 38 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
Need someone to design a logo that is creative and young but innovative and professional at the same time. Use your imagination. It can be a simple logo (just text) or a animated one
Atomic Innovation
I need a logo for a business proposal for a company that I want to form. What the company does is come up with
bold/out-of-the box ideas and strategies to implement the idea, patents the
idea and sells the ideas along with the strategy to a company or goes into a
strategic alliance with the company. The company name is Atomic Innovation (AI
for short). We call our big/bold/out-of-the-box ideas and strategies - BOOMER!
or BOOMERS! or BOOM! The people who started the company (called BOOMERANGS) are
all young entrepreneurs who come up with crazy ideas and methods for
implementing them. We are a young multi-disciplinary team (meaning the team
consists of a legal member, technical member, and business member). We need a
logo that is young, fun and creative yet professional and serious. I don't care
if the logo is animated or text. I will be using the logo for our website,
business cards and letter-head.
I really don't have a particular logo or design in mind. I want you to use your imagination and come up with some as we go along. The only thing that I ask is you use BOOM or BOOMER in a tag line. Here are some ideas for tag-lines:
"It's a BOOMER!"
"Creating BOOM!"
"Creating the BOOM! in BOOMER!"
If you come up with any other ones, let me know - I'm open to hearing other ones.
I will also ask the person I declare winner of the competition to make one or two edits for me. They will most likely be minor ones.
I will let you know what I don't want as we go on by critiquing the logos designed. As for the type of file that it should be in, there is none in particular that I want. I just need it to be in a file that is compatible with HTML, CSS, Microsoft Word & PowerPoint.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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|Cover of Zoonimini issue #1 artwork from 1986
Also included is the comic story "Zoons at the Ozcon" which was included in the program given away at the 1997 Australian Comic Convention held in Sydney. "Zoons at the Ozcon" is a very biting commentary on the activities of earlier OzCons that I had attended. Not much has changed so it seemed more than fortuitous to relaunch this comic, fifteen years later, at the first OzCon to be held in Melbourne.
|Zoons attend an Australian Comic Convention in 1997
|A sampling of animated TV shows that I've been Lead Character Designer on. From 1986 to2008


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The Sports Xchange
D'backs need 11 innings to cap sweep of Brewers
MILWAUKEE -- John Axford briefly lost his job as the Milwaukee Brewers' closer in the middle of last season.
At the rate he's going this season, he might be out of the role even sooner.
Axford gave up a two-run homer to Arizona's Eric Hinske in the 11th inning, and the Diamondbacks held on for an 8-7 win over the Brewers on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep at Miller Park.
Through three appearances this season, Axford has a 20.25 ERA.
Milwaukee scored twice in the ninth against Arizona closer J.J. Putz to force extra innings, then added a run in the bottom of the 11th but couldn't pull even again.
"To start a season like this is tough," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, who lost third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the disabled list Friday and saw hot-hitting rookie Jean Segura leave Sunday's game with a thigh bruise. "You don't expect to have this many injuries early and when you do, it's hard to figure out how to cover everything."
After surviving two long flyouts and striking out Miguel Montero in the 10th, John Axford (0-1) returned to pitch the 11th and opened with a leadoff walk to Cliff Pennington.
Hinske, hitting for pitcher Troy Sipp, crushed a 1-2 curveball for his first home run of the season.
"I had two strikes on me, so I was just trying to get it in play and try to drive (Pennington) in," Hinske said. "It was a hanging breaking ball, I put a good swing on it and just kept it going."
Roenicke's bullpen was stretched thin, leading to his decision to use Axford for two innings. After the homer, Roenicke turned to lefty Michael Gonzalez.
"I'd much rather go one inning with Axford than two, but we were down to nothing in our bullpen," Roenicke said. "If we go long, we've got two guys left, and both those guys are really one-inning guys, so we had no coverage in the bullpen.
"I didn't want him to have to go back out there, but the circumstances were our bullpen was beat up and I had to put him out there, but the first inning, he threw the ball well."
Milwaukee's Jonathan Lucroy hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th against Heath Bell, but Rickie Weeks and pitcher Kyle Lohse, called upon to pinch-hit because of the Brewers' short bench, struck out looking, and Bell earned his first save of the season.
"They put a lot of pressure on us, but they were 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position and they caught up to us," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "We played well enough in extra innings, and Heath (Bell) shut them down."
The Brewers offense stranded 10 runners.
After seven years, the Diamondbacks finally found a way to get to Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo. In seven previous regular-season starts against Arizona, he was 6-0 record with a 1.02 ERA. Gallardo allowed four runs on nine hits in six innings Sunday.
"He spit the hook," Gibson joked.
The Diamondbacks got to Gallardo in the third, scoring two on Paul Goldschmidt's single, but the Brewers responded in the bottom of the inning with Norichika Aoki's two-run double. Milwaukee went ahead in the fourth on Alex Gonzalez's first home run of the season, making it a 3-2 game.
After retiring seven straight, Gallardo opened the sixth by yielding a single to Montero. Goldschmidt and Jason Kubel followed with back-to-back doubles, tying the game at 3. Goldschmidt scored on Pennington's sacrifice fly to put the Diamondbacks ahead 4-3.
Aaron Hill's two-run, seventh-inning homer off Burke Badenhop bumped the Diamondbacks' lead to three. Milwaukee got one run back in the seventh before tying the game in the ninth.
Aoki had a career-high four hits.
NOTES: Arizona center fielder Gerardo Parra, who went 1-for-6 with a third-inning single, remains tied with Cincinnati's Todd Frazier for the National League lead with 12 hits this season ... Brewers opponents have scored first in the first six games this season ... Since 2009, Bell leads all major league relievers with 152 saves ... Segura left the game after four innings with a contusion to the left quad. He went 0-for-2, ending a five-game hitting streak during which he batted .500 (9-for-18). He had a career-high, three-hit game Saturday.


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Today, here's the instructions for making the first style of felt angel ornaments (instructions for the second style will be posted tomorrow).
To make these ornaments, you will need...
- The template sheet at the bottom of this post
- Scissors to cut out the templates
- Sharp sewing scissors or embroidery scissors
- A needle & pins (& possibly a larger needle for sewing the embroidery thread)
- White felt for the wings
- Coloured felt for the angel's dresses, and contrasting colour for the backing felt
- Felt in your chosen hair and skin colours
- Sewing thread to match all your felt
- Black sewing thread for stitching the eyes and mouth
- Optional: black seed beads for eyes, and sequins/threads/etc for embellishing the angels
- Gold stranded embroidery thread (floss) for the halos
- Narrow white ribbon (or another shade to match your chosen colours)
1) First cut out all your felt pieces, cutting one of each of the following pieces: wings, feet, body, face and hair (front). If you want to add arms to your angel, you will also need one arms piece and also cut two small ovals for the hands. Click here for a guide to cutting out small shapes.
2) Pin the body and wing pieces onto a piece of backing felt in a contrasting colour. Make sure to leave enough room around the edges for adding the feet and halo, and for cutting a neat "frame" around the angel later on.
3) Use running stitch and matching thread to sew around the body shape. When you sew along the bottom edge, tuck the feet under & sew over them so they just peek out, as shown.
4) Sew around the edges of the wings, using white thread and running stitch.
5) Add the face, and sew this & and the feet in place with running stitch in matching thread.
6) Place the hair on top of the face, and sew with more running stitch in matching thread.
7) If you want to add arms to your angel, now's the time to add them. Use matching threads & running stitch to sew first the arms...
... and then the hands in position.
8) Now use black thread to sew two (closed) eyes and a smiling mouth. Use back stitch and very small stitches to create the curved lines. You might want to practice this on a scrap piece of felt before sewing the expression on your angel.
If you prefer, you can use two small black seed beads for the eyes. Sew the beads flat (like an O) on the felt, using three or four stitches to hold each bead in place.
9) Cut a length of stranded gold embroidery thread (floss) for sewing the halo - you could use metallic thread, or just choose a golden orange colour. The metallic thread looks great, but it is a little harder to sew with than standard thread. Divide the thread in half (so if your thread is made up of 6 strands, just use 3) and switch to a larger needle if necessary. Then use backstitch to sew the angel's halo.
I've included two styles of halo on the pattern sheet - you can copy the design of your choice onto the felt lightly with a soft pencil, or just stitch it free hand. Alternatively, you could use gold sequins or beads to create a sparkly halo.
10) If you want a sparkly angel, now's the time to decorate it! I used pearlescent white sequins for the wings and decorated the dress with small X's in silver embroidery thread. You could use any sequins or embroidery threads you fancy, or small beads (seed beads or bugle beads) or even tiny buttons.
11) Carefully cut out your finished angel, leaving a border around it as pictured. Then use the shape you've just cut out as a template to cut a matching piece of felt for the back.
12) Cut a 5 inch (12.5 cm) length of narrow ribbon, and fold it over to form a loop. Sew the ends to the top of the ornament as shown, so they'll be hidden within the two layers of felt when you sew them together. Use whip stitches, and sew into the felt but not through it (if you prefer, sew the ribbon to the piece of felt which will become the back of the ornament, and use thread to match the felt so any stitches that show through will be less visible).
13) Finally, place the front and back pieces of your ornament together and sew the edges together with whip stitch in matching thread. Finish your stitching neatly at the back.
Your finished angel will look something like this:
Enjoyed this free tutorial? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!
Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.
To print the templates - right click on the image and select to view it in another window or tab, then click again (if necessary) to view full size and print at 100%. I've added a scale so you can check if your templates have printed out correctly, but you can make them larger or smaller than mine if you prefer.
This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it for as many ornaments as you like for yourself or as gifts for friends but please don't make any for sale. Please feel free to borrow photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to the original source, and do not reproduce my tutorial on your site. Thanks!


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Federal Government Contractıng
Federal Government Contractıng: A Dıfferent Culture
The Spearin Doctrine, Christian Doctrine, False Claims Act, BCAs, FARs, Davis-Bacon. If you do not know all of these concepts, you should rethink bidding on a federal government project.
One of my clients was awarded a subcontract on an Air Force job. Along with the general contractor's standard terms and conditions was a 6-inch thick pile of documents that included the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, Davis-Bacon wage scales and a host of FARs (Federal Acquisition Regulations). Learning government regulations on the job is not the wisest course of action.
Why are government jobs different?
The government looks for uniformity. Sort of. The majority of federal contacts are competitively bid. The majority of federal money is spent on negotiated contracts.
Billions of dollars are spent every year on procurement—items from plastic bags to office buildings. For the federal government, control is key. There are standard specifications, standard bid and bond forms and standard terms and conditions of contract, all required by the FARs.
Enforcing and interpreting the FARs has been left largely to the Boards of Contract Appeals (the BCAs). Each agency has one, and the judges are experienced.
As a result, the federal government has massive amounts of BCA decisions (case law) to give guidance on almost every aspect of contract disputes. With the federal government, there is a certain amount of predictability in contract disputes because of the wealth of published decisions on so many areas of contracting.
A new world
The federal government has been experimenting with the "design/build" (d/b) concept for otherwise ordinary jobs. One of the primary reasons for this shift is the greater expertise manufacturers and contractors have over building designers, with new products, particularly with electronics and devices.
These design/build contracts, however, are being monitored by the same federal agencies that have had long training and experience with the FARs. The result is that the federal government cannot quite let go of design control.
Problems occur where the government has detailed specifications and drawings, but also has language in the contract requiring the contractor to meet certain performance standards. Do these detailed specs fall within the Spearin Doctrine, or are they design specs that put the burden on the contractor to deliver a workable result? The boards have ruled that you need to look at the individual specs for the answer—some may be design, some performance—regardless of whether the term "design/build" is part of the construction contract.
Under the federal contracting scheme, filing claims is a standardized procedure. Appeals from an adverse ruling of a contracting officer also involve standardized procedures.
In many ways, claims and disputes in government contracts are more common than with private contractual agreements.
For example, agencies have claims manuals, instructing their employees as well as contractors on the types of damages that are recoverable, and what proof is necessary. These manuals are invaluable to any company dealing with the federal government. The manuals are readily available from the Government Printing Office, or they can be obtained through a request to the agency under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Severin Doctrine
Under the common law of England, from which we derive so much of our legal system, the government (the sovereign) was immune from lawsuits unless it consented to be sued, such as by issuing a contract. Sovereign immunity has been seriously eroded over the years, but it still exists.
In a 1943 judicial decision that has become a doctrine of construction law, Severin v. United States, the Court of Claims decided that a contractor could not "pass through" a subcontractor's claim unless it admitted liability for the claim.
With the federal government, the deadly effect of the Severin Doctrine can be eliminated with a "liquidation agreement," a concept over which state courts still struggle. Under a liquidation agreement, the general contractor admits liability to the sub, but only to the extent it can collect on a claim against the owner. These can be complicated agreements.
Every state has its own unique laws on bids, contracts and disputes. These laws are almost constantly changing. To complicate matters, where federal funding is involved, there is often an overlayering of federal regulations on state-sponsored projects.
Contact us: email@example.com


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Kanotix v2005-04: Just before the clock struck midnight on December 31, the German developers of Kanotix released their v2005-04 Linux build. Contained in this release is the Linux kernel 184.108.40.206, X.Org 6.8.2 (with support for X.Org 6.9), KDE 3.4.3, and a wealth of other updates, patches, and new implementations. However, what has everyone talking about Kanotix is its superb hardware detection and auto-configuration abilities on all sorts of i686 and x86_64 hardware for being a LiveCD with HDD installer support. Being Linux-based hardware connoisseurs we couldn't help but to take Kanotix v2005-04 for a test drive.
Copyright © 2019 by Phoronix Media. All rights reserved.


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text:
Sports world honors Connecticut shooting victims
Moments of silence were observed around the NFL and at other sports venues in tribute for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Players such as Giants WR Victor Cruz also had specific tributes to the fallen on their uniforms. Cruz will also be visiting Newtown later this week.
[Yahoo! News: Full coverage of Connecticut school shooting]
Scroll to continue with content


text:
Which two of these four entertainment names — Woody Allen, George Lucas, Meat Loaf, Erik Estrada — are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences?
It'd be understandable if you guessed Allen and Lucas: The directors made such classics as "Annie Hall" and "Star Wars."
But neither filmmaker is a member.
On the other hand, the man known for sweating on stage performing "Bat Out of Hell" and the 1970s pinup who as Frank "Ponch" Poncherello in "CHiPs" fought freeway mayhem while wearing oversized sunglasses and a tight uniform have been ensconced for years (both in the actors branch).
The academy is one...


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Science Friday® is produced by the Science Friday Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Science Friday® and SciFri® are registered service marks of Science Friday, Inc. Site design by Pentagram; engineering by Mediapolis.
|If you need to spark creativity -- is the best approach to offer a prize? The US government is one backer of such challenge-based research. It recently unveiled Challenge.gov, a director of government-sponsored research contests. Prizes are available for everything from developing better laundry techniques for use in space, to designing more effective public health campaigns. We'll talk about encouraging ingenuity through contests and prizes -- and we'll also hear from the winner of the Progressive Automotive X Prize, a major prize awarded this week for advances in car efficiency.


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Gov. Jerry Brown's State of the State addresses to the Legislature are always dotted with mentions of historical leaders, great minds and the Bible. Last year Brown recounted the parable of the fat- and lean-fleshed cows, and name-checked King Charles III and President Abraham Lincoln. This morning there was a reference to George Santayana's saying about repeating the past, and to the Book of Genesis' advice to save for hard times.
Apparently Brown thought this might be too complicated for his audience, so he introduced a simple gimmick to underscore his continued call for lawmakers to spend California's newly plentiful revenue prudently and put billions of dollars into a rainy-day fund.
Brown pulled out a deck of playing cards, with a joker printed on one side with a bar graph of state budget surpluses and deficits — and on the other side with a photo of Brown's dog Sutter and the caption "Bark if you hate deficits!"
But you'd hate to think members of the California Senate and Assembly needed flash cards to teach them about the ills of boom-and-bust budgeting or to motivate them to head off the problem.
And you know the people of the state don't need the reminder after suffering through the budget cuts forced by the Great Recession and having to approve Proposition 30's temporary tax hikes to bail out the capitol.
The goals should be clear as state leaders figure out what to do with the new surplus: Put away as much as possible, and don't go on a spending spree. The question is whether the Democratic-run government will be able to follow through.
Brown's State of the State — delivered 39 years after his first — ran 17 minutes and was dominated by non-controversial topics. The bullet train received a cursory mention.
Brown took on "critics" who have called governors' State of the State speeches an outmoded tradition. He seemed to be referring to a column by Joe Mathews that appeared in this newspaper.
Brown devoted five minutes, perhaps the longest passage, to reprising a 2013 theme about returning control to local government. He touted the state's economic recovery ("What a comeback it is!"), citing the addition of a million jobs since 2010 and the projected budget surplus.
"But don't spend it, that's the point," Brown told the legislators, in an unscripted aside.
We get it. Do they?


text:
Where to pick up an application:
Inquire at your educational institution or participating organization for an application.
Where to send your application:
Applications must be submitted directly to email@example.com. Official transcripts must be provided with each application.
Important Dates
Applications are accepted annually Feb 1 through April 30.
Deadline for Receipt of Applications at Rain for Rent: April 30.
The Charles P. Lake-Rain for Rent Scholarship was established in the memory of the company's founder a pioneer of the irrigation equipment rental industry.
Up to 20 scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each may be awarded annually to qualified college students to help them pursue a career in agriculture, irrigation technology, pumps or fluid dynamics. To support our employees' children, we will also award five scholarships to qualified college students.
Applications are accepted annually February 1 through April 30.
Applicants will be accepted within the following criteria:
Scholarship Application process
The scholarship program is administered through participating universities, farm bureaus and designated organizations. Applications must be submitted directly to firstname.lastname@example.com or by mail to: Scholarship Coordinator, PO Box 2248, Bakersfield, CA 93303-2248. Official transcripts must be provided with each application.
The Rain for Rent Scholarship Committee will review and select the finalists. Some preference may be made to those students who are specializing in irrigation technology, pumps, trenchless technology and fluid dynamics. In the event that the applicants are equal in their academic achievements and in their extracurricular activities, the scholarship will be awarded on the basis of need.
Participating Organizations:
Farm Bureaus
Other participating organizations


text:
Hope College senior Kylee Brouwer of Hudsonville, Mich. (Hudsonville HS) excelled on the softball diamond and in the classroom.
Earlier this month she was named a first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-American.
Now, she is being honored as a first team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Brouwer was able to balance her outstanding four-year softball career with the academic demands of being a nursing major. A 3.76 GPA student, she received the college kinesiology department's Vanderbush Student-Athlete Award and the nursing department's Senior Sigma Xi Research Award. She is now pursuing a professional career as an emergency room nurse in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Brouwer is a two-time NFCA All-American. In 2006 she was named to the third team as
a catcher. This year she was honored as the designated player, a position
she assumed a month into the season after suffering a hand injury and
subsequent infection that affected her ability to throw the softball.
The injury certainly didn't impact her ability to hold and swing the bat as she set a Hope single season batting average mark (.533) with a record 65 hits and on-base percentage (.567).
In the conference tournament she batted 10-for-14 to key Hope's advance to the championship game.
Brouwer set Hope career records for batting average (.457), on-base percentage (.515), games played/started (162/159), most hits (228), most doubles (41), most triples (22), most total bases (331), runs scored (168), and stolen bases (70).
Brouwer is Hope's sixth CoSIDA Academic All-American joining Anne Hendrickson (1985), DeeAnn Knoll (19870-88), Johanna Pscodna (1992), Laurie Byington (1996), and Kim Grotenhuis (2000-01).


text:
Each user in the repository can be assigned to a user group, which defines the default access privileges granted to all of its members. You can then specify authorization rules to further restrict these access privileges for specific users, as described in User Authorization. A user's group is assigned when the user entry is first created, and cannot be changed thereafter. The only way to reassign a user to a different group is to delete the original user entry and add another entry specifying the new group.
The flat-file user repository provides three predefined groups:
For broker administrators. By default, users in this group are granted the access privileges needed to configure, administer, and manage message brokers.
For normal (non-administrative) client users. Newly created user entries are assigned to this group unless otherwise specified. By default, users in this group can connect to all Message Queue connection services of type NORMAL, produce messages to or consume messages from all physical destinations, and browse messages in any queue.
For Message Queue clients that do not wish to use a user name known to the broker (for instance, because they do not know of a real user name to use). This group is analogous to the anonymous account provided by most FTPservers. No more than one user at a time can be assigned to this group. You should restrict the access privileges of this group in comparison to the user group, or remove users from the group at deployment time.
You cannot rename or delete these predefined groups or create new ones.
In addition to its group, each user entry in the repository has a user status: either active or inactive. New user entries added to the repository are marked active by default. Changing a user's status to inactive rescinds all of that user's access privileges, making the user unable to open new broker connections. Such inactive entries are retained in the user repository, however, and can be reactivated at a later time. If you attempt to add a new user with the same name as an inactive user already in the repository, the operation will fail; you must either delete the inactive user entry or give the new user a different name.
To allow the broker to be used immediately after installation without further intervention by the administrator, the flat-file user repository is created with two initial entries, summarized in Table 9–1:
The admin entry (user name and password admin/admin) enables you to administer the broker with Command utility (imqcmd) commands. Immediately on installation, you should update this initial entry to change its password (see Changing a User's Password).
The guest entry allows clients to connect to the broker using a default user name and password (guest/guest).
You can then proceed to add any additional user entries you need for individual users of your message service.Table 9–1 Initial Entries in Flat-File User Repository
User Name


text:
10033151, Stripe
Please help our community — upload your photos of 10033151.
Spare Part Information
This is a stripe, front end panel-left hand (white, silver metal) (12a), for Pontiac automobiles. It fits for Pontiac Safari, Grand prix, T1000, Parisienne, Bonneville, and Phoenix for the U.S.. It's a genuine General Motors part with an OEM part number 10033151. Please keep in mind that this stripe is discontinued for the U.S. market since March 1, 1993.
This part has a standard 12 months GM warranty on replacement parts.
In spite of higher price of genuine parts buying this stripe will be a smart decision because you will be absolutely sure that it will serve you longer and will provide maximum safety and performance for your car.
This stripe 100% fits for General Motors cars. It's made of top quality materials, it has passed not only all manufacturer's tests but also General Motors quality control and has to endure rough road conditions over a long time.
GM 10033151 Stripe Dimensions and Packaging Options
Retail Packaging
This stripe comes in retail packaging.
Part 10033151 Has Been Superseded
- 10033151 is discontinued since March 1, 1993 for the U.S. market.
Cars 10033151 stripe Fits
Parts Related To 10033151 stripe:
- Stripe 10033150
- Stripe 10033154
- Stripe 10033155
- Stripe 10033156
- Stripe 10033157
- Stripe 10033162
- Stripe 10033164
- Stripe 10033165


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Coudray walks through screen and stencil preparation, identifiying techniques for producing accurate and durable screens that will last beyond 100,000 impressions.
You may be ready to take on jobs with long run lengths, but are your screens? Coudray walks through screen and stencil preparation, identifying techniques for producing accurate and durable screens that will last beyond 100,000 impressions.
There comes a point for all printers when they land the big kahuna, a monster job that eclipses any order they've run before in terms of run length. I can't say exactly how big this job is, but it is an order of magnitude above what is normal for the operation--it might be 5000, 50,000, or 150,000 pieces.
Orders of this size create many challenges for the production manager. One of the most demanding is making production screens that can hold up to these extra long runs. This month, I would like to discuss how to make such screens and the techniques that will help to keep them on press in excess of 100,000 impressions.
For screens to hold up over very long runs, they must resist abrasion, ink penetration, and emulsion breakdown, all while maintaining edge definition. They must hold up to repeated wipedowns and press washes. And registration should be rock solid over the entire run, with no change in image size or shape.
Many printers never have had to worry about these issues, because their runs are short enough that they never experience any of the associated weak points. For our purposes here, we'll consider a long run as anything over 5,000 and less than 150,000 prints. Our goal is to create screens that will last the entire length of the run with no loss of print quality.
It starts with mesh
The journey begins with properly tensioned mesh. We should not use screens with less than 22 N/cm of tension. Anything lower than this offers too much elastic distortion, which will eventually lead to failure. Depending on mesh type, brand, thread diameter, weave, and mesh count, printing tensions should range between 25-45 N/cm. Lower tensions usually result in higher off-contact distances on press, which ultimately lead to excess squeegee pressure and premature screen fatigue and failure.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to the magazine.


text: Hi Trent, Trent Piepho wrote: > On Mon, 6 Aug 2007, Chris Murton wrote: >> Trent Piepho wrote: >>>> DVB: Unable to find symbol mt2060_attach() >>> That is your problem. You didn't compile the mt2060 module, or it's not >>> installed, or your modprobe information is out of date (run depmod), or >>> your module utils version is too old (need 3.2). >> Thanks for your pointers, I've just taken a look to check :- >> >> basil:~# modinfo mt2060 >> filename: >> /lib/modules/2.6.21/kernel/drivers/media/dvb/frontends/mt2060.ko >> author: Olivier DANET >> description: Microtune MT2060 silicon tuner driver >> license: GPL >> vermagic: 2.6.21 mod_unload >> depends: >> parm: debug:Turn on/off debugging (default:off). (int) >> >> It modprobes fine, but I don't get anything to say it's seen the tuner >> in dmesg (which looking at the source code of mt2060.c, I should do) and >> i still have no luck. > > It won't print anything when you load it. Did you check your module utils > version? Run depmod? > > Check the dates on the mt2060.ko file and the other drivers you are loading, > like dvb-usb-dib0700.ko and make sure they are the same. You could be mixing > old modules and new modules. > >> Should mt2060 be manually probed in at some point in the boot process? > > No. It should be loaded automatically by the dib0700 driver. I have checked and double checked, including new source and distcleaning and looking in /lib/modules/2.6.21/drivers/media/dvb that all the modules are overwritten when I do a make install in the source tree for v4l-dvb. They are, and yet whenever I reboot when these modules are in place, I get the error about an unknown symbol for mt2060_attach(). Thanks Chris


text:
Skip to Main Content
Experience Modesto
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Tuolumne River Regional Park (TRRP)
Tuolumne River Regional Park (TRRP)
The Tuolumne River Regional Park (TRRP) consists of over five-hundred acres of parkland that runs along 7 river miles of the Tuolumne River from the Mitchell Street Bridge west to the Carpenter Road Bridge in Stanislaus County. Five major areas make up TRRP, including the Legion Park/Airport Area, the Gateway Parcel, Mancini Park, the Dryden Park Golf Course Area and the Carpenter Road Area.
These areas include developed park sites in Legion Park and a Riparian Habitat in the Gateway Parcel. The park is being built through a joint powers agreement with the City of Modesto, City of Ceres and County of Stanislaus.
There are a number of volunteer opportunities available for individuals or groups in the Tuolumne River Regional Park Gateway Parcel.
To date, hundreds of volunteers have completed over 30 projects and 10,000 hours of work. For more information, please contact Stephanie Smith at 209-577-5450 or
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text:
Fox News Digital beats CNN to finish No. 1 in multi-platform views, total minutes in February
- Details
- Created on Monday, 18 March 2019 21:42
Local News
- Event showcases research by Husson students, faculty
- Woman indicted for allegedly threatening Sen. Collins
- Members of Maine's congressional delegation react to Mueller report
- Penobscot County hosts Maine Sheriffs' Association Conference
- Final Color Bangor event takes place next month
- Theater offers camp for kids during vacation week
- Libertarians hold tax protest in Ellsworth
- Legislation aims to lower prescription drug prices
- Bill would give public employees the right to strike
- Richmond man charged after allegedly shooting father
- Mills' school naloxone plan stirs debate
- Manhole replacement affecting Falvey Street traffic
- Sewer work underway on Buck Street
National News
- Blood pressure medication recall expanded over possible cancer-causing ingredient
- Correction: Inmate Assaults-Charges story
- Ecuador orders arrest of former foreign minister
- Notre Dame Cathedral bees survive devastating fire: 'Our Lady's bees are still alive'
- Powerful Emirati crown prince entangled by Mueller report
- French Yellow Vest members vow more protests, claim Macron exploiting Notre Dame fire
- Wisconsin brothers accused of years-long sexual abuse of siblings; father blamed 'raging hormones'
- Rudy Giuliani: Sentence in Mueller report about obstruction 'turns around 2,000 years of law'
- Middlebury College professor asked students to calculate dose of lethal gas used in Nazi gas chambers
- North Dakota company where 4 were slain seeks normalcy
- George Stephanopoulos presses Sarah Sanders on Mueller report, culture of lying at White House
- Rep. Nadler is mistaken if he thinks he'll find a smoking gun in unredacted report: Tom Dupree
- Britney Spears' father reportedly banned 'Extra' staff member for taking a selfie
- Rashida Tlaib calls for hunger strikes to shut down ICE
- Dan Bongino: Ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is liable in aftermath of Mueller report
- Malaysia to revive major China-linked property project
- Protesters in Bangladesh after girl is burned to death
- Airline passengers open emergency exit on Utair flight after seeing flames coming from engine
Access Hollywood
- Janel Parrish Dishes On Returning As Mona In 'PLL: The Perfectionists' & How Married Life Is Going
- 'Murphy Brown' Closes Out Season 1 In Dec.; Nina Dobrev's 'Fam' Set To Take Over Timeslot
- The 'Murphy Brown' Revival Series Will Not Likely Return For A Second Season
- Crystal Hefner Says Her Marriage With Hugh Hefner Wasn't About Sex: 'That Wasn't All That Important' (EXCLUSIVE)
- Baby Stormi Webster Cheers On Travis Scott During His Performance And It's Totally Adorable
- Jenna Dewan Shares Her Daughter's Precious Christmas Letter To Santa
- 'This Is Us' Cast Gets Totally Emotional About Fall Finale's Major Bombshells
- Are Trixie Mattel & Katya Fans Of Online Dating? Check Out This Exclusive Clip From 'UNHhh'
- 'The Voice' Season 15 Has Its Top 10: Who Made It & Who Went Home?
- Is 'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' Getting A Sequel? Here's What We Know
- Kristin Cavallari Reflects On Her Brother Michael's Death On The 3 Year Anniversary: 'This Year Is One Of The Hardest'
- Miguel Marries Nazanin Mandi In Secret Ceremony: See Her Gorgeous Wedding Dress!
- Rob Gronkowski has one-word response to denting Super Bowl trophy
- Baltimore Ravens owner commits $100G to help rebuild churches ruined in arson attacks
- Sharks start fast to stay alive, beat Golden Knights 5-2
- UFC fighter says he mistakenly gave blood sample to stranger
- Viral video shows 76ers in a moment of alleged post-flatulence
- Kate Smith's 'God Bless America' out at Yankee Stadium over racist songs
- Kate Smith's "God Bless America" out at Yankee Stadium over racist songs
- Tim Anderson's home run and bat flip lead to kerfuffle between White Sox, Royals
- Zion Williamson helps Duke employee with epic gender reveal
- US Women's National Team turns to app to maintain competitive advantage heading into World Cup
- Colorado Avalanche fan appears to wave kale in support of Cale Makar
- Mueller report's anticipated release brings out Bill Mueller jokes


text:
For best printing results turn on "Print background colors and images" in your browser settings.
The photos and videos shown here may be of a different model, model year or body type from the one selected. The ratings of one vehicle often apply to other models if they are built on the same platform. In addition, a test of a vehicle from one model year may apply to earlier or later model years if the vehicle hasn't been significantly redesigned.
The Ford Ranger and Mazda B Series were redesigned for the 1998 model year. Extended cab models with four doors were introduced in the 1999 model year. The Mazda B Series was discontinued after the 2009 model year.
Measures taken from the head, neck, and chest indicate low risk of injuries to these body regions in a crash of this severity. Forces on both tibias indicate that lower leg injuries would be possible.
Dummy movement was reasonably well controlled. After the dummy moved forward into the airbag, it rebounded into the seat without its head coming close to any stiff structure that could cause injury. However, there was too much forward tipping of the driver seat and too much upward movement of the steering wheel.
How this test is conducted
The Ford Ranger extended cab models with four doors were introduced in the 1999 model year. Beginning with 2010 models, side airbags for the driver and front passenger became standard (no side airbags were available previously in any Ranger model) and the front door trim was modifed to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. Structure ratings are based on this test and on an earlier test of a 2008 Ranger model without side airbags. NOTE: the ratings are based only on the driver, and the side-facing rear jump seats weren't tested because they are not recommended for safe transport.
Driver — Measures taken from the dummy indicate that rib fractures as well as a fracture of the pelvis would be possible in a crash of this severity.
Passenger — No passenger dummy present - jump seats not recommended for safe transport.
Driver — The dummy's head was protected from being hit by any hard structures, including the intruding barrier, by a side airbag that deployed from the seat.
In the test, the strength of the roof is determined by pushing a metal plate against one side of it at a slow but constant speed. The force applied relative to the vehicle's weight is known as the strength-to-weight ratio. This graph shows how the ratio varied as the test of this vehicle progressed. The peak strength-to-weight ratio recorded at any time before the roof is crushed 5 inches is the key measurement of roof strength.
A good rating requires a strength-to-weight ratio of at least 4. In other words, the roof must withstand a force of at least 4 times the vehicle's weight before the plate crushes the roof by 5 inches. For an acceptable rating, the minimum required strength-to-weight ratio is 3.25. For a marginal rating, it is 2.5. Anything lower than that is poor.
IIHS doesn't track or investigate vehicle defects. Use this link to search the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's database for recalls on this or any other vehicle.
©1996-2018, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute | www.iihs.org
IIHS-HLDI in the Classroom
An educational resource for students and teachers


text:
Zillow Peridot fabric is made of 62% rayon chenille, 25% polyester and 10% rayon.
The possibilities are endless for creating cute, coordinating finishing touches for the room with fabric by the yard! There is a large assortment of fabrics available by the yard in full yard increments. Minimum purchase of one yard is required ($83/yard).
Would you like us to help you find a similar item? Talk with our Design Consultants toll-free at1-800-927-5164.
*Shipping transit time varies based on destination. Free shipping offers are limited to the 48 contiguous states of the USA.
International Customers (including Alaska and Hawaii) please contact a Customer Service Representative if you have any questions about placing an order with PoshTots.
This item is custom made especially for you upon order.Click here for our policy on custom made items.
Promotion codes cannot be used for sale item purchases.
*Free shipping offers are limited to the 48 contiguous states of the USA.


text:
After 14 years of life enveloped in familial and affluent suburban comfort, Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her bedroom at knifepoint, dragged up a canyon, chained to a tree, and raped repeatedly.
In "My Story,'' written with the assistance of US Representative Chris Stewart, Smart recounts her ordeal. Although the details of her case are already well known, Smart's memoir is as compelling as it is disturbing. Her stoic Mormon faith, moreover, will both inspire and mystify readers.
Smart describes her attacker, David Brian Mitchell, as "a dirty pedophile who liked living on the streets" and who did whatever it took to get the food, drugs, and sex he craved. Through his revelations and prophecies, Mitchell persuaded Wanda Barzee to abandon her children, become his wife, and help him marry young Mormon virgins.
Elizabeth Smart was their first victim. Mitchell first saw her in November 2001 while panhandling near Salt Lake City's Temple Square. The next June, after he had inveigled his way into a few odd jobs for her parents, he slipped through an unlocked window at night and went to Smart's bedside. He told her that if she resisted, he would kill her and her family. Taking her to a mountain camp, he — with Barzee's help — married her in a makeshift ceremony and then raped her.
Nine months of abuse, deprivation, and tedium followed. "My life pretty much consisted of three things," Smart writes, "getting raped, being forced to drink alcohol, and sitting on a bucket in a clearing in the trees." As winter approached and their fears of arrest mounted, Mitchell and Barzee took Smart to Southern California. There, Mitchell barely fed her. When Mitchell landed in jail for a few days, Smart and Barzee nearly died for lack of water. Eventually, Smart helped persuade Mitchell and Barzee to return to Utah, where a cyclist spotted Smart, poorly disguised in a gray wig.
After her rescue, Smart rejoined her family, served a Mormon mission in France, and entered a public life of advocacy and journalism. After her rescue, she emerged from her trauma much the same person, only stronger, and — she insists — without any lingering psychological wounds. She found strength and solace in horseback riding, in playing her harp, and in her family and church. "I think a few people might look at me and almost not believe what I say," Smart concedes.
Faith sometimes withers when it collides with evil. Instead, Smart affirms that she "never felt closer to God than I did throughout my nightmare with Mitchell."
"My Story'' suggests that Smart's Mormon faith and heritage shielded her from doubt. According to the Book of Mormon, all human beings, are "free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon." Despite his majesty, Smart states, God "won't make the evil go away."
Smart also reflects on the 1856 Mormon hand-cart pioneers, hundreds of whom died in an early mountain snowstorm. For modern believers
Smart adopts a more defensive tone when explaining why she did not make more attempts to escape or even to identify herself to a police officer who questioned Mitchell in her presence. Smart has often faced such questions, but most readers will readily grasp her fear and hesitation. What many readers will not easily grasp is how she retained her hope. "My Story'' might have better answered those questions had Smart continued with the narrative of her life beyond 2003 and discussed her education, her mission, and her marriage. Still, even had Smart fleshed out her past 10 years, her resilience likely would remain a mystery of faith, a final tender mercy in her story of suffering and survival.John G. Turner teaches religious studies at George Mason University and is the author of "Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet.''


text:
FRITZ!Box 7590 Service - Knowledge Base
FRITZ!Box 7590 Service
AVM Content
Not your product?
This document is also available for the following products:
Ring voltage on the FRITZ!Box's analog extensions
If no calls are being conducted, the FRITZ!Box extensions are supplied with approximately 35 volts DC and about 32 volts effective ring voltage. In Germany and the Netherlands, this is a sinusoidal AC voltage signal with a frequency of 25 Hz, and in Austria a frequency of 50 Hz with harmonic distortion < 15%.
If a call is being conducted, the loop current is 20 mA. The ring voltage may be loaded with a maximum of 10 mA. The analog extension is supplied with a maximum load current of 30 mA.


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Historically, the SWCB has been the major borer problem in the northern parishes, whereas the SCB has been the primary borer problem in areas of south Louisiana where corn was grown in the vicinity of sugarcane. In both cases, economic infestations were sporadic and somewhat unpredictable for corn acreage planted during the recommended planting windows. Last year, however, was a major exception to most of these trends.
In 2002, the SCB became a serious, and in some cases the predominant borer pest of corn in Catahoula and Concordia Parishes and to some extent in Tensas and Franklin Parishes. It appeared that the SCB became less important as the corn acreage move northward from the lower Delta parishes. The SWCB was a bigger problem in the northern most parishes, where it also resulted in heavy infestations. By the end of the growing season, heavy infestations of both borers had moved into late-planted grain sorghum. Heavy SCB infestations also developed in rice during late season.
It is difficult to predict whether or not 2003 will see a repeat of the heavy borer infestations experienced in 2002. The factors causing the 2002 epidemic are not fully understood, but we are hopeful that the hard winter freezes have reduced overwintered populations of the SCB.
There are some preventive measures that producers can take to prevent a recurrence of last year's borer problems. The first is to plant the crop early or within the recommended planting dates. Granted, corn planting is always weather dependent, but producers should make early planting a high priority. As with other crops and other pests, the corn borer problem is a race between crop development and the build up of borer populations during the course of the season. Early planting may not guarantee you total escape from borers, but late planting will almost always guarantee heavy infestations during critical stages of crop development.
A second option is the use of Bt hybrids. This year Extension recommends three medium maturity Bt hybrids based on yield performance at various research stations. These hybrids are Terral 2155, Terral 2160 and Pioneer 31B13. These hybrids were recommended at all test locations around the state except Baton Rouge. Recommended hybrids with the Bt technology provide excellent control of the SWCB and the SCB at all crop growth stages.
The disadvantage to Bt hybrids is the up-front cost, which may not be recouped in the event of a light borer year. Producers who plant Bt corn are required to follow a resistance management program which requires them to plant at least a 50 percent refuge of non-Bt corn. The refuge must be located within one-half mile of the Bt corn, if it is a separate field. Other refuge options include blocks of non-Bt corn within the Bt field and strips across the Bt field of at least four to six rows of non-Bt corn.
We anticipate that compliance with this program will be strictly monitored in 2003. Strip planting non-Bt corn with Bt corn might inhibit or reduce the build-up of borer populations on the non-Bt strips, but it will also complicate insecticide applications if treatment for borers in the non-Bt strips is required.
Another option for preventive borer control is the use of Regent 4SC at planting as a soil insecticide treatment. LSU AgCenter research indicates that this systemic insecticide will control or suppress second-generation stalk borers. This would provide protection during some of the most susceptible crop development stages and also inhibit borer population build-up within a field. The use of Regent is not as effective as a Bt hybrid, but the up-front cost can be offset by its other service as a soil insecticide for certain soil insects.
The final alternative is to plant a non-Bt corn hybrid and then attempt to scout and treat as needed. This is probably the most difficult alternative, because borer infestations are very difficult to detect before the larvae bore into the stalks. Scouting for egg masses and small larvae is a very tedious and time consuming process that often provides poor results.
Larvae can be controlled with numerous insecticides, but applications must be properly timed so that the borers are still exposed to the chemical. Insecticide treatments are not effective after the larvae have bored into the plant. Intrepid is a new insecticide recommendation for borer control in corn for 2003. This product represents a different chemistry, which provides improved residual control.
Although research in corn to document the extent of this residual effectiveness is lacking, Intrepid research in other crops indicate that two to three weeks of effective residual might be a reasonable expectation. If so, this would allow a wider window of crop protection and reduce, to some extent, the need for precise application timing in order to achieve effective control.
Scouting efficiency can be improved through the use of pheromone traps that attract and collect adult moths. Moth counts can provide a general idea of insect activity in the adjacent field, thus aiding in treatment decisions. There is a very effective pheromone trap and lure bait commercially available for the SWCB, but not for the SCB.
Therefore, the use of SWCB pheromone traps in production areas, which also have high numbers of SCB, can be very misleading. Low trap counts may indicate low SWCB populations, but they say nothing about SCB populations in the same field.
Jack Baldwin is an Extension entomologist with the Louisiana State University AgCenter. e-mail: email@example.com


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New messages in the last hour
Get a response within minutes
92% percent of messages responded to
did read about pressing the PS button could be the problem with the demo so have avoided it in the retail and not one crash for me.
Did you guys buy the digital version? I haven't had any problems with the cartridge version.
i've had a sound issue and a crash with the retail version but a hard reset and its fine.
I have had 2 crashes with the retail version, one of those following the sound cutting out. Both times it required a hard reset.
I'm not sure it's the PS button - it seems to be switching out to use another application (for example messaging, using the camera) but obviously you need to use the PS button to do that.
I just make sure that I don't use any other apps until I am finished with Unit 13 and have closed it down. That seems to be working for me.
Allegedly all rumours at the mo
"Zipper Interactive, a first-party Sony studio responsible for the creation of the SOCOM series and PS3 shooter MAG, is in the process of being shut down, according to Kotaku sources."
@RotorHed wrote:
Looks like not a rumour anymore :
This guy is a game website "journalist" so take it with a pinch of salt.
Wonder what this means for patches to U13 - presumably any possible DLC is already dead now.
Confirmed: Sony Closes Zipper Interactive The dev behind SOCOM, MAG and Unit 13 has been shuttered.
Full article here courtesy of IGN
" Today, Sony released a statement to IGN confirming Zipper Interactive has indeed been shuttered. The statement reads as follows:
"Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm the closure of Zipper Interactive, a Seattle-based internal game development studio that has been part of the global development operation of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS). The closure is a result of a normal cycle of resource re-alignment within SCE WWS. Zipper has complete all work associated with its most recent project, Unit 13 for PlayStation Vita. Zipper titles MAG, SOCOM 4 and Unit 13 will continue to be supported, including the new Daily Challenges in Unit 13." ."
Zipper Interactive's website is still up, but for how long. BigBig studio's website already has "account has been suspended" so I wonder how long until they pull the plug on Zipper's website?
hope the team can find something else, never nice to go trhough that.
maybe Unit 13 can be picked up by someone else, really want another game.
hi guys can any one knows how to solved my problem...i got unit 13 i used the network pass but nothings happen when go online..when i check the service list i found 3 of the same UNIT13 Pass icons but 2 are "broken" grey icons. All three are downloaded at the same time and all three says "Unit 13 Network Pass Service Entitlement".pls help
@RotorHed wrote:
Looks like not a rumour anymore :
This guy is a game website "journalist" so take it with a pinch of salt.
Wonder what this means for patches to U13 - presumably any possible DLC is already dead now.
Hate to break it to you . There was never DLC planned for U13 .
The only thing yowas getting was and is daily challenges .
U13 isn't a DLC type of game , it's all about xp & beating your friends scores cleanly .
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In the 1890s, United States support for Cuban revolutionaries fighting for independence from Spain led to a deteriorating relationship between the two powers. Cuban revolutionaries such as Jose Marti frequently visited Florida in search of economic and political support, and so-called Yellow Journalism fanned the flames of anti-Spanish feeling in the U.S. Early in 1898, President William McKinley sent the battleship Maine to Havana to protect American interests. On February 15 the ship exploded. Though it is now believed that the deadly blast that sank the ship was accidental, at the time most Americans blamed the Spanish. "Remember the Maine! To Hell With Spain!" was the cry of many, as war fever spread. In April, after some hesitancy, McKinley asked congress for a declaration of war.
Upon the outbreak of the war, Florida became the scene of intense military activity. Training camps were established in various locations, and Tampa was selected as the main port of embarkation for an American expeditionary force headed for Cuba. Despite mass confusion, U.S. forces would successfully land in Cuba and force the surrender of the Spanish garrison after a brief campaign. The war lasted only until August, when the two belligerents signed an armistice. A final treaty was signed in December 1898.
William D. Bloxham was Florida governor during the war. He dealt with issues such as the organization of a Florida regiment to serve in Federal service, the logistical nightmare of supplying so many troops in what was still essentially a frontier state, and the resulting social problems caused by such a large influx of military personnel. The close proximity of Florida to Cuba led some individuals to be concerned about possible attacks, or acts of sabotage or espionage. The following letter, in which a detective asked for a job hunting Spanish spies in Florida, along with Bloxham's brief, yet polite reply, is an example of the many issues with which the governor had to contend.
Atlantic City, New Jersey, April 29th 1898
To His Excellency the Governor of Florida
Dr Sir
I beg to ask your excellency for position to
look up Spanish Spies in Florida. There are no
doubt many in this Country this is Spains means
of warfare barbarism destruction of life and
property - Enclosed please find my history
and references. I have filed a bond of $5000
here to act as a State Detective but there is
nothing much to do in this State I have been
Employed in the English Detective Service and


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The kingdom of God reveals itself through the beauty in this world. The fact that we speak of beauty and recognize beauty and distinguish beauty from the alternative evidences the existence of God. In a materialist's world all we would have would be stimulus responses; everything would simply be, and therefore preclude aesthetics. The closest one might come to conceiving beauty in such a godless world would be when considering something useful. But in this our real world, our notions of beauty roam far beyond that which practically fulfills our needs. Indeed, beauty can sometimes be hazardous to our existence, such as standing atop a mountain overlooking a panorama stretching out three hundred sixty degrees, thousands of feet below.
What is beauty? Well, it has oft been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. True, how we view ourselves and the world will certainly influence our aesthetics. Sure, some people might pawn off something truly ugly as beautiful because it gratifies some hidden rage, fear, or sickness, or gets a response, such as a laugh in embarrassment of a dirty joke. But I'm talking about a transcendent beauty that everyone would confess as beautiful, if asked, when the truth wouldn't cost them anything.
It is valuable to contemplate this transcendent beauty because, as I said, we will always find God there. One discipline to help keep us in God's kingdom and fixed on King Jesus is to step back and open our eyes to the beauty that permeates this dark and all too often ugly world. And one way to reveal God's kingdom to this same dark world is to remind it of this beauty. So we see that beauty is, well, a beautiful thing.
To put my paintbrush where my mouth is, I offer for your consideration the following collection of recent observations.
Some mornings I awake to sunshine pressing against the shutters with such determined vibrancy, it nearly knocks me over when I let it in.
I enjoy watching my neighbor dutifully walking his or her dog that, obviously intoxicated by the fresh air and opportunity, invariably will test the limits of its lead to sniff, spot, and study his way down the lane.
Sometimes a young mother stops to chat; her baby boy--usually with only one foot fully sock clad, with the other bare or with a sock dangling--coos, leans against her, then sits up; sucking on his dimpled hand he listens and watches wide-eyed to the conversation, facial expressions, colors, sounds, gestures, and other things we have long since become insensible to—quietly taking it all in for that day when he will leave her embrace.
Other times the laughter of children can be heard as they run in and out of sprinklers on a hot afternoon, draw pictures on the driveway and sidewalks with fat pieces of colored chalk, circle their friends on scooters, and fall backwards on the wet lawn, lost in their mirth, dreams, and the timeless moment of summer.
There was that poignant moment that passed beyond my grasp like a loud echo fading away, when my daughter, radiant in her wedding dress and luminous as a perfectly cut diamond, floated across the room like a swan gliding silently on a water mirror, leaving in her train a wake of memories. Then, in the manner of that mythological cygnet, she dipped her head in contemplation and then lifted toward the sun.
And those intimate moments at dinner, oblivious to the busyness of the servers and the discordant talking thickening the atmosphere around us, when I gaze into my wife's eyes sparkling in the dim candle light as she laughs discretely at a joke only the two of us know, and touches my hand, wordlessly leaving nothing unsaid.
An old woman took my hand the other day, clutching it as if it were life. She told snippets of bygone days with her deceased husband, saying how pleased he would have been with his funeral, and smiled at me with brave eyes. Even as she greeted others, the melancholy widow unwittingly held my hand for a strength that had been taken from her and as an anchor against drifting away too soon in to a brief yet certain loneliness. We stood together resolutely—I a second heart beat--until courage pulled her hand away.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
God is in the Beauty
The kingdom of God reveals itself through the beauty in this world. The fact that we speak of beauty and recognize beauty and distinguish beauty from the alternative evidences the existence of God. In a materialist's world all we would have would be stimulus responses; everything would simply be, and therefore preclude aesthetics. The closest one might come to conceiving beauty in such a godless world would be when considering something useful. But in this our real world, our notions of beauty roam far beyond that which practically fulfills our needs. Indeed, beauty can sometimes be hazardous to our existence, such as standing atop a mountain overlooking a panorama stretching out three hundred sixty degrees, thousands of feet below.
Posted by Bruce Kokko at 5:56 PM 0 comments
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Why I'm Bummed
Recently, I got my ears slapped back by the theist evolutionists because I attempted to bring discussions about the veracity or not of the account of Adam, Paul's understanding of Adam, etc. back to focus on Jesus and His kingdom. Since the theistic evolutionist accepts evolution as the means by which God created the biosphere, they are struggling with, among other issues, whether or not Adam was a discrete individual or a representation of Mankind, and what did Paul really understand about this. If evolution is correct, then Adam almost certainly wasn't a single person, which threatens the inspiration of Paul because he pretty much spoke of both Adam and Eve as individuals. See the problem?
During this fracas, I quickly read the 2006 textbook of theist evolution, Language of God, by the premier scientist, Francis Collins. After this, I capitulated to the theist evolutionist for the sake of peace, and agreed that Collin's DNA evidence is compelling. His analysis is based on the so-called junk DNA and how it has been distributed across the various genetic lines. Dr. Collins made the comment that he cannot see why God would purposely put in non-functioning or junk DNA, so it must be an artifact of the evolutionary process, and the manner it has been concentrated in genetic lines is most easily explainable by an evolution process. Therefore, in my response I added that just because the DNA patterns are predictable across the interrelated lines of organisms doesn't rule out the possibility that God simply created each organism and its DNA would necessarily relate with other organisms in a predictable manner. In any event, I also cautioned whether we're talking theology or science, it's always dangerous to tell God he wouldn't have done something because it would make no sense to us if He had.
All they heard was my finding Collin's arguments compelling, and I was told with a virtual extended hand, "Congratulations, we wish you well in your journey as a theist evolutionist; here are some web-sites you might consider...." It's this latter comment that is the focus of this posting, not a discussion of evolution. What troubles me is it is symptomatic of the disturbing trend of castle building--complete with moats—going on in Christianity, today.
Another example of this castle building is in the long standing debate between the Arminians and the Calvinists. Representative of the former is Dr. Roger Olson, who in his recent blog wrote on the proper criteria of Arminianism in support of what he calls the Arminian cause. Opposing him is the highly popular Dr. John Piper who has all but said outright that unless you hold to extreme 5-point Calvinism you aren't a Christian; Piper will not allow the teaching of any theology except Calvinism in his church. To Dr. Olson's credit, Olson doesn't draw such a solid black judgmental line between those of the Arminian cause and those opposed to it; Dr. Olson has always been clear that his objection is with extreme Calvinism and not the people who hold to it. Nevertheless, Dr. Olson positions himself in terms of the Arminiam cause, and Piper the absolutism of 5-point Calvinism. And these distinctions, along with theist evolution and many others I haven't mentioned end-up diverting us from the only important cause of Jesus the Christ.
Here's how this is being played out. If I were a Calvinist (I'm not) who "saw the light" and came over to the Arminian cause, no doubt the Arminian would extend the same warm hand of acceptance that those theist evolutionists extended to me their dubious proselyte. Or as an Arminian who suddenly sees Calvinism as "the right way", I would be welcomed into that fold with equal enthusiasm. What is wrong with this picture? I'll tell you: we are putting more value to adherence with our theological constructs than to all of us walking as true dwellers of Christ's kingdom.
I will once again risk being accused of at best naiveté and at worst closed-mindedness, and provide the list of what I believe Jesus taught us to be critical to Him: 1) To acknowledge Jesus as King; 2) Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength by obeying Him first and last, and this by 3) loving our neighbor as Christ has loved us, which is to ALWAYS act from a servant's heart characterized completely by the inextricable union of sacrifice and humility, so that 4) we tirelessly work to bring justice, which is righteousness, to an unjust world by extending the hand of mercy. In short, we are to be kingdom dwellers who trust Jesus completely for our good conscience, our needs, and our work--that is, by faith; all of which is what God created us for in first place. Everything else, the fine points of theology, forms of worship, music we play, dress, what we eat--all of it--is superfluous.
Jesus' death on the cross and subsequent resurrection has restored His kingdom, and this means breaking down the dividing walls: first those between Jew and Gentile, and then, sadly because they shouldn't have been constructed, the walls that have cropped up between those who confess His name, and finally and ultimately the wall that stands between God and us whom He created in His image for the purpose that His love could be shared in the unity of holiness as He dwells with us forever.
If we as brothers and sisters in Christ would stand on these points (above) and live them, it would go a long way in silencing all the bickering both within and outside the church because people would see in objective terms that God who is both love and holy is. No one will be able to explain it completely, and some will still scoff, but doggone it they will be hard pressed to argue with the data. It was this kind of faithfulness borne by the points (above) that brought so many pagans to Christ during the plagues and persecutions of the first three centuries AD. But in subsequent centuries we've seen this faithfulness hamstrung by the weight of sectarianism and endless arguments about theology, protocols, rituals, and on and on.
Is Jesus pleased with this? I don't think so. But maybe I'm naive. Someone recently argued that the 1600 plus years of infighting has been needed to keep the church strong and vital. Okay, but the whole thing smells of the same divisiveness St. Paul encountered in the church at Corinth. He described the situation this way:
So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready, for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people? For whenever someone says, "I am with Paul," or "I am with Apollos," are you not merely human? [NET]
I don't believe it would be too much of a stretch to replace the names of Paul and Apollos with the more contemporary names of Calvin and Arminius. In fact, they need not be names of people; we could easily insert science, theology, or any system we might choose in place of Christ. Paul suggests that one can truly stand on the foundation of Christ, and yet build on that foundation structures based on human traditions, philosophies, and personality cults. In the final judgment, all such monstrosities will burn up.
Wouldn't it be better to build on the foundation of Christ structures designed by the above principles that please Christ? Shouldn't this be our heart's desire, rather than defending at all cost, however eloquently and persuasively, our pet theories, philosophies, or personalities?
Someone might rightfully say at this point that it is valuable to rethink what we understand of God's revelation—especially in the light of new verifiable information--and discuss the nuances among ourselves, if for no other reason than to be better able to defend the faith. Absolutely! But we shouldn't allow such discussions to build walls between us. In the final analysis, the unbelieving world whom God is trying to reach through us will be persuaded more by a genuine love we share as we walk as a holy people in Christ's kingdom.
Posted by Bruce Kokko at 2:11 PM 1 comments
Monday, February 13, 2012
A Marvel
According to Webster's, a marvel is something that evokes awe, amazement, inspiration, wonder, and astonishment. A marvel is an unexpected beauty such as a lush garden growing up in a vast arid and lifeless desert, or a pristine gold palace standing forgotten in a clearing of an unexplored jungle, or you, my dear wife.
When Pastor Rob Renfroe spoke yesterday at the Woodlands United Methodist Church in Houston about Dorcas, which means gazelle in the Greek, as a woman who Luke in his book of Acts specifically called a disciple of Christ because she had walked intimately and completely with Christ, I thought of you.
When Rob further explained that the reason Peter had been summoned after Dorcas died was most likely not because they wanted him to resurrect her—even though he did exactly that--nor speak kind words over her corpse, but to see a true disciple by the holes her passing had left in the hearts of those who survived her, I thought of you; for I, as did those who had known and loved Dorcas, want the world to meet this testimony of God's intervention in the fallen world of a desperate and lost humanity, look into her face, and find there a true reflection of Christ.
And when Pastor Renfroe concluded that residents of Joppa (modern Jaffa) where Dorcas had lived and Peter had rightly called Dorcas a disciple because she hadn't merely talked about love but truly loved, I thought of you.
This is why. You bravely confronted the grotesque, after others had turned away, and reached through it to rescue a soul in anguish; on countless occasions you rolled-up your sleeves to clean messes exceeding the delicacies of most people for the sake of human dignity; you dared to enter frightful places to comfort and care for the infirmed; and you would do it all again should the need arise. Even now, you suffer as you reach out to catch little ones before they disappear between the cracks, and you grieve those who have already fallen beyond your grasp; you feed Christ when He is hungry; you clothe Him when he is naked; you heal Him when He is sick.
Some might claim I exaggerate, that my love for you has blinded me to the truth. Not so, because I have seen the fruit of your work. Lives have been changed; souls have been freed; I regularly observe people gravitating to you just to experience, if for only a moment, a piece of heaven. Indeed, in your presence we all discover love.
Dorcas lived what God calls good, and so have others after her. Today, my beautiful wife, you succeed them by your faithfulness to Christ; at this very moment, my sweet girl, you show us what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
I urge everyone to come and see a true disciple. I call people from near and far to learn from a woman who walks in the kingdom of God. I invite all to study her love in Christ. Maybe with such a sure witness of God's grace we can finally put away the bickering, the posturing, the politics, the endless search of proofs, and determine to submit to that same grace and love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly before God.
Come one and all, and watch as justice unfolds in love. Join me, and behold a marvel!
Posted by Bruce Kokko at 5:59 PM 2 comments
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Crank That Volume
The big rage these days is 3D. It might simply be the revival of an old gimmick the electronics industry has been able to dress up with 21st century computer technology and then foisted on a bored populace. Then again, people might actually be seeking more depth in their lives—perhaps they don't even know it. Maybe they're all interrelated such that the boredom exploited by the industry has been caused by a sense of an unspoken dimensionlessness in society. Whatever the reason, and despite the apparent marketing potential, 3D is worth pursuing because our world and the people who populate it exist in more than two dimensions. If we can, we should try to see things in at least three dimensions because invariably something is lost whenever we try to flatten things out into two.
A friend and elder at my church, Scott Ribble, recently explained how he has been trying to show his fifth grade Sunday class the importance of reading the Bible in 3D. Actually he called it volume; he encouraged them to crank that volume, which of course any pre-teen is ready to do. But what does Scott mean?
Scott observed how easily it is for us to regurgitate the Scriptural narrative accounts quickly in monotone—what he calls low volume storytelling. He used the account of David confronting the giant Goliath as an example. If we just gun out the story all we'll conclude is a vague sense of how cool it was the pipsqueak David took out the formidable Goliath. Yet if we slow down our reading of the narrative and crank that volume a little we begin to hear the account in all its humanness. These were real human beings struggling with the same issues of fear, popularity, jealousy, shame, purpose, dreams, and on and on we all struggle with. Only when we hear in 3D the resentment of David's brothers, the jealousy of King Saul, the hauteur of Goliath, and the faith of David can we take away something powerful, genuine, and applicable to our own modern lives. Only when we ponder our humanness do we begin to fathom the Divine.
Scott is quite insightful in teaching us to crank that volume. And this I intend to do with another familiar Bible account.
On His last journey to Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples passed through the town of Jericho. Jericho was the garden spot—dare I say it—Eden of Palestine. All the rich and famous gathered there, and it was the logical last stop before Jerusalem. Jesus' fame preceded Him, and everyone wanted to get a look at the famous Rabbi, even a little man by the name of Zacchaeus. But he was prevented.
If we read the account of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 in low-volume here's what we'll get: Jesus entered the crowded streets of Jericho. Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax-collector, wanted to see Jesus, but he couldn't because he was too short. So he climbed a sycamore tree. Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down because Jesus and His disciples would stay at Zacchaeus' house that night. Zacchaeus repented of cheating his countrymen and would make restitution, and Jesus said salvation had come to Zacchaeus' house.
Let's crank that volume.
Zacchaeus was a rich man who got rich as the chief of tax collectors by lining his coffers by cheating his beleaguered fellow citizens of their hard-earned cash. Zacchaeus coordinated all the tax collectors and made sure he was paid handsomely for it. When Zacchaeus later said, "If I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!" the Greek construction of that statement (i.e., for all you grammar buffs: a first class conditional statement) tells us that he was admitting to having committed fraud. Zacchaeus wasn't simply trying to look good before Jesus and the others witnessing the scene. Why did he openly admit to being a crook and then repent?
Zacchaeus was a very short man. When he came out into the streets of Jericho that day, one can only imagine how much everyone jeered him, repulsed him, and took advantage of the situation to get a little payback. He likely heard things such as, "Back of the line, twerp," or "My mother died because of you, so get lost before I break your face," or "How much will you pay me for a place up front?" or "Short people got no reason; short people got no reason to live!" (That last person was obviously an ancestor of Randy Newman).
When Zacchaeus climbed that tree, he carried with him a lifetime of ridicule, marginalization, anger, resentment, guilt, and yes maybe a degree of satisfaction with his revenge. Have you ever been put down, treated unjustly, rejected, or abandoned? What was your first thought of response? I'm not saying Zacchaeus was a victim; he could have chosen to rise above it all, but he didn't; and he was culpable for his sins. But he was also the human tragedy.
Where this story picks up, all Zacchaeus had was his wealth; and the revenge that brought him that wealth had likely lost its luster in the face of loneliness. This is all of us; this is fallen humanity; this is the result of the chain-reaction of grasping, competition, jealousy, posturing, snubbing, and selfish-ambition among human beings; this is the outcome of hate.
But something amazing happened. Jesus reached with the hand of mercy through all the muck, misery, avarice, anger, and shame that clung to Zacchaeus. Jesus knew who Zacchaeus was and how he got to be that way. More importantly, Zacchaeus knew that Jesus knew it. But for the first time Zacchaeus heard, "Despite of who you are by both the world's and heaven's standards, you still have worth; you are precious in God's sight." Jesus demonstrated His willingness to sacrifice His own reputation in order to love Zacchaeus and ultimately save him. This was a colossal action on Jesus' part because the lines separating the classes of society in those days were many and inflexible (hmm, some things don't change, do they?).
It was Jesus' sacrificial love that changed Zacchaeus. When Zacchaeus experienced God's love, it clearly showed him his own lack of love. Had Jesus taken the tack that we most often take—regretfully even some confessing Christ—of telling Zacchaeus how he had cheated people and so deserves what he gets, and if he wants things to go better for himself he had better mend his ways, Zacchaeus probably would have sheepishly given to Jesus and His disciples what they needed, but more than likely dug in his heals even more against people he had grown to hate. Not that Jesus would have been wrong in saying all those things, but judgment as a first response to someone only builds defensive walls. Mercy, on the other hand, doesn't condone the sin, nor does it need to condemn it because the light of love that shines from mercy always illuminates the truth, even if a person refuses to see it; the contrast love creates is compelling. Zacchaeus certainly saw the contrast, and he repented.
Zacchaeus' response to God's love was justice. Justice is a course adjustment back to the right order of things; justice is a course adjustment back to the righteousness of God. We see this justice clearly in the actions of Zacchaeus. Luke tells us that Zacchaeus would give half of his possessions to the poor and he would repay four times all he had cheated from people. So his justice would punch holes in the walls between the poor and the wealthy, and would work to restore right relationships. For this reason, Jesus said salvation came to Zacchaeus' home, and that Zacchaeus was a true son of Abraham.
Crank that volume.
Don't miss what Jesus said. The kingdom of God, which is what He created us in His image to dwell with Him forever, must necessarily be just so that relationships can flourish in love; and relationships must flourish in love for the kingdom to remain just. The kingdom of God is righteousness because love and justice reign together in perfect harmony.
It was for the restoration of this kingdom that God made His covenant with Abraham. Through Israel and ultimately the faithfulness of Israel's representative, Jesus the Christ, God restored His kingdom. And everyone who trusts King Jesus is therefore a true son of Abraham; for Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. In other words, we like Abraham become true kingdom dwellers and therefore walk in righteousness—justice and love--when we simply believe Jesus. And believing Jesus is to trust Him and consequently do what He says. Zacchaeus demonstrated his trust of Jesus in love by his acts of justice, so Jesus rightly called Zacchaeus a true son of Abraham.
Salvation came to Zacchaeus' home because he entered the kingdom of God by bowing to King Jesus. Because of Jesus' faithfulness on the cross, Zacchaeus received forgiveness, which is God righting (justifying) Zacchaeus' life; that is, making the necessary course adjustment of Zacchaeus' unjust state to a just one. By trusting King Jesus, Zacchaeus then received power to maintain justice in love, which is walking in the kingdom of God. Under the kingship of Jesus, Zacchaeus would be upheld in the kingdom even should he make a mistake—his conscience would be kept clear. And in the end, Zacchaeus will be made perfect and walk without error in the pure righteousness of God's kingdom forever because the justice and love by which he walked all along proved he had truly entered the kingdom of God in the first place.
This, then, is salvation: forgiveness, walking in justice and love by faith in King Jesus, and culminating in the purity of holiness in love between us and God and everyone else who dwells with us in the kingdom of God, forever. Jesus said salvation came to Zacchaeus' home. And Jesus said elsewhere that it would come to the homes of everyone who believe Him.
Sadly, there are countless hurting people in the world, hurting because they are caught up in the injustice both within themselves and in the world around them. As with Zacchaeus, they need a hand of mercy extended to them, so that through the light of such love they can understand their plight and see Jesus who has for them the place that God intended for everyone, all along—the place of true justice bonded in love—righteousness—true salvation--the kingdom of God.
What a breathtaking beauty we encounter when we simply crank that volume and listen. Thank you, Scott, for reminding us of this.
Posted by Bruce Kokko at 4:27 PM 0 comments


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