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Thank you & God Bless!


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TS 460 – The latest generation touch probe
I'm sure you're familiar with this situation: an incorrect swivel and the touch probe collides with the workpiece or fixture. If you want to avoid the resulting damage in future, then replace your old touch probe with the new TS 460 with collision protection.
The HEIDENHAIN touch probe TS 460 offers you the following benefits
- Collision protection safeguards the touch probe and spindle in the X/Y and Z direction
- Its slim design provides more freedom for tilting and swiveling
- The intelligent standby guarantees a longer battery life
- No tools are needed to exchange a battery
- Various batteries can be used: commercially available ½ AA batteries from 1 V to 4 V, lithium, alkaline, and rechargeable batteries
- Infrared transmission range of 7 m in spite of the small overall height
- Radio transmission is available as an alternative with the new SE 660 transmitter-receiver unit
- The integrated workpiece cleaner ensures unimpeded contact with the probing surface
- The latest sensor technology offers at least five million probes and 0.25 µm repeatability
- The TS 460 replaces the touch probes TS 440, TS 640 and TS 649
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You can also ask for an exchange unit from the HEIDENHAIN agency in your area!

subset: commoncrawl


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Alger Parks and Rec Kids T-Ball and Softball
After a very long absence, Alger Parks and Rec brought the kids back to the ball fields this summer, and much fun was had by all.
Parents registered their children for free, and T-shirts were provided for the kids via a very generous donation from Bikers 4 Kids!
While some worried that turn-out would be low, Alger Park was flooded with kids, their parents and other spectators, simply wanting to enjoy the beautiful, but oh so hot summer days.
We owe many thanks to all our volunteers, who put their hearts and souls into the weekly Tuesday night games, and made this possible.
Our last game of the summer is Tuesday, August 7, from 6-8 PM in Alger Park, and features a season finale ice-cream social.
See ya next year - same time, same place!
KeywordsAlger Parks and Rec, kids, t-ball, softball,
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Good stuff, Randy!
In today's fast-paced, globally-connected business world in which we live, an organization's successes and failures can be tweeted across the internet in a matter of seconds. A knee jerk reaction of many organizational leaders is to clamp down on the amount of information shared internally, with hopes of minimizing risk to the organization. Many times this backfires and ends up creating a culture of risk aversion and low trust. For organizations to thrive in today's hyper-competitive marketplace, leaders have to learn how to build a culture of trust and openness. Here are four strategies to help in this regard:
Please take a moment to participate in the Leading with Trust poll that appears below. I'd like to hear your feedback on whether or not these four leadership practices are present in your organization and I'll share the results in a future article.
Good stuff, Randy!
Randy, those are exactly right, IMHO. Risk-taking because the best way to make others trustworthy is to trust them; the dynamics of trust are a constant reciprocal exchange of taking risks and behaving rightly. I'm glad to see you listed it first.
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1- Envisioning a future full of possibilities always comes at a price. It is called risk. Without risk taking, how did man land on the moon? You are 100% correct!
2- Mistakes remain only mistakes when they are not used for betterment. When they are used as stepping stones to move upward, they are rather desirable. Did I hear stagnant organizations dancing tcha tcha tcha, one step forrward, two steps backward? Yeah, going after a vision is full of twists, turns, paradoxes and course corrections. Again, You are right!
3- Among others: personal values clarification – setting examples in sync with organizational core values – accountability: all lead to trustworhtiness. When a leader is trusted, it yields faith.
4- Information depletion is the M.O of Laissez-Faire Leaders. It leads to manipulations, organizational anarchy, chaos, confusion and malevolent deeds at all times.
Thanks for a gem!
I wanted to enter the vote but there was no option for "none of the above"
Seems the poll is just to reinforce the article, and not really a poll.
The problem I see is that when the face of the organization, the field IT staff, are not considered part of the organization and when these same folks are effectively cut out of the communications channels, the organization is not transparent and trust doesn't exist! If you factor in a perceived lack of professional respect of this same group of workers by the organization's leadership and management, how is that fostering a trusting environment? It takes more than pretty words to make an organization effective and efficient. One-way communications just doesn't cut it. Self-aggrandizement and patting ourselves on the back doesn't solve the problem, it ignores it. Pro-active communication between all levels of the organization is a start.
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Minster Set to be Sold
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Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Minster Machine Co., Minster, OH, is being acquired by Nidec-Shimpo, a division of Nidec Corporation. Kyoto, Japan. The transaction is expected to be completed early in April 2012. Says John Winch, Minster president and CEO: "We feel the acquisition by Nidec will give Minster a much larger competitive global footprint in the machinery, automation and services marketplace, while maintaining local production and management." Operations will continue in Minster, and current owners John and David Winch will remain with the organization, as will the balance of the management team.
See also: Nidec Press & Automation
Related Enterprise Zones: Presses


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This fifth section of Luke's portrayal of Jesus' Galilean ministry continues to focus on the issue of Christ's authority, but now the attention turns to the responses to that authority. Luke 8:4-21 shows how the Word of God reveals the way to God. The Word for Luke is the preached word of Jesus. That word can be compared to light, and those who are of Jesus' "family" will obey it. Luke 8:22-56 reveals the extent of Jesus' authority through a series of miracles, starting with Jesus' control of nature and moving to demon exorcism, healing and then a resuscitation. Jesus has authority over everything.
Luke 9:1-17 shows Jesus extending his authority through the commissioned ministry of his disciples. They are to preach the kingdom to surrounding towns and villages. As evidence of their authority they have the ability to heal. They are to "feed" those who have need, as the later miracle of the multiplication of loaves indicates. Meanwhile, there is public reaction. Is Jesus a prophet or the prophet to come? Is he John the Baptist reborn? The section ends with a demonstration of authority in the feeding of the multitudes through Jesus' provision and the disciples' distribution. The next passage, Luke 9:18-20, contains Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ. All the events in this section show how Jesus deserves this confession.
Opinions and ideologies abound in our world. Often we hear the statement that there are many ways to God. But for Jesus the preaching of the kingdom was revelation of a unique message, not one opinion among many in a melting pot of ideas. This portion of Luke highlights the centrality of the word of the kingdom for Jesus. The parable of the seed contains a mystery, one which disciples have the privilege to behold while outsiders are blinded and unable to see its truth. Such revelation is like light, illuminating the way to God. In fact, Jesus indicates that being related to him is a matter of responding to the message he preaches. The parable of the seed indicates the variety of responses to the word Jesus sows in his preaching (see Is 55:10-11 on God's word as a seed). Not everyone embraces his message, but those who do yield a life of fruitfulness that honors God. For Jesus, the kingdom message is special and unique. To heed it is to find blessing.
The picture of the word as seed is important. Often we think of evangelism and preaching as something that happens in an instant. But the picture of a seed makes us think of a farmer who prepares the ground, sows seed, waters and then must wait for the crop. Producing a crop is a process over time. Often the message of the word, too, takes time to bear fruit.
Today Gallup, Harris, Reuters and Barna polls can acquaint us with the range of reactions to any event or idea of interest in our culture. Since everyone is different, the reactions are varied. Responses to spiritual truth are also varied. The parable of the seed, or better the parable of the soils, is one of Jesus' most popular. It describes four reactions that Jesus' preaching produces, though the story concentrates on those who make at least an initial response. Of the various options, only one type of soil yields fruit; every other type proves inhospitable to the precious seed.
Jesus lived in an agrarian culture, so his parables often use farming imagery. Such is the case here. As the crowds are drawn to Jesus, he adopts a new teaching style, one he will explain in verses 9-10. Parables are comparisons in which spiritual truth is pictured in vivid terms (Blomberg 1990). In a Palestinian setting a farmer would walk a path through a field and distribute seed from a bag draped over his shoulder. Sowing was done between October and December, since harvest came around June. Between harvest to sowing the field was left alone. In the ancient world the key to a successful harvest was the soil in which the seed fell.
So Jesus tells of four places where seed lands--on a path, on rocks, among thorns and in good soil. The variety of possibilities reflect the kinds of soils the ancient Palestinian would have encountered. Some seed never makes it to the soil; it falls instead on a path, where it is exposed to birds and travelers. Other seed lands on a type of soil that was common in the area--thin topsoil with a hard layer of rock underneath. This allows a plant to grow quickly, drawing moisture from the rock; but with the sunshine that moisture disappears and the plant, unable to send its roots deeper, withers. Still other potentially fruitful fields are infested with parasitic thorns. Palestinian weeds could grow up to six feet tall, gobbling the land's nutrients. The seed on the good soil, however, produces a hundredfold. (Unlike the other Synoptics, which speak of a variety of yields in the good soil, Luke's version notes its fruitfulness with a single example.) Most seed in the ancient world would produce a crop of thirty-five or so times, so the yield here is high (Linnemann 1966:117). When Jesus finishes the parable, he issues his standard call to hear (Mt 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mk 4:9, 23; 7:16; Lk 8:8; 9:44; 14:35; compare Ezek 3:27).
After Jesus tells the story, the disciples ask why he is resorting to parables. They know him well enough to recognize that this is not a lesson in agriculture for a 4H class or a polytechnic school. In response, Jesus observes that knowledge of the "mysteries" of the kingdom of God has been given to his disciples. Numerous points are made here. First, Luke places to you in the emphatic position in Greek. They have been privileged to understand these things. Second, the passive "is given" indicates that the gift has come from God. Third, what is given involves secrets about the kingdom of God. So the message of the seed is related to the promise of the kingdom of God. Fourth, others get parables as judgment.
"Mystery" is an important biblical term. Its roots go back to the image of the raz in Daniel (Dan 2:20-23, 28-30; Bornkamm 1967:814-15, 817-18). There Daniel unlocked the mystery hidden in an already revealed dream. Some New Testament texts on mystery highlight the newness of the revelation (Eph 3:4-6; Col 1:27-29), while other mystery texts note the connection of what is revealed in Jesus to what was revealed in the Old Testament (Rom 16:25-27). Thus the term speaks of new truth emerging alongside old promise. Discontinuity in God's plan emerges within continuity. Jesus is revealing further detail and fresh twists in God's plan, but those details fit together with the program that God has already promised. The twists and turns in the promised and progressing kingdom program are being revealed to the disciples in these parables.
But the parables do not only reveal secrets to the disciples; they also conceal truth from outsiders, those Jesus calls others. At this point he alludes to Isaiah 6:9. The other Synoptic versions also cite this text, but Luke's version is shorter and more paraphrastic. The goal of such comparative stories is so that though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand. The danger of exposure to revelation is that if we do not respond in faith, eventually hardness sets in and God acts to judge. Here is a warning about the ultimate perils of rejection: God may sovereignly involve himself in cementing the process. These words are harsh, yet they serve as a warning of the extreme danger of rejecting Jesus' message.
Now Jesus turns to explain the parable. The seed is the word. Contextually it is clear that the word here means the preaching of the kingdom (v. 10). Jesus' message is about entry into God's plan and rule. The seed on the path represents those who do not get to respond to the message because the devil comes and takes the seed before it can even penetrate the ground, much less bear fruit. When God seeks to speak to humanity, a cosmic battle breaks out.
The seed on the rock represents a message that falls into a person's heart but penetrates only shallowly. There is initial response, but eventually temptation causes the person to abandon that initial response. Initial receptivity and short-lived belief are followed eventually by a falling away. The engagement the word produced at the start does not last. Both Old and New Testaments issue dire warnings about the consequences of falling away or departing from faith (Jer 3:13-14; Dan 9:9; 1 Tim 4:1; Heb 3:12). Jesus offers no comfort for the person represented here; he merely notes significantly that the seed never bears fruit.
The thorny soil represents those who are choked out of a walk with God by life's distractions. The world's worries, riches and pleasures take any benefit the seed has to offer or any nutrients the soil possesses. They swallow up any opportunity for fruit to come to maturity. Luke often notes how wealth can influence people adversely and become a harmful distraction (6:24; 12:16-21; 14:12; 16:1, 19, 21-22; 18:23, 25; 19:2; 21:1). Pleasures translates a Greek word from which our term "hedonism" is derived. Clearly, wrong priorities can kill off the seed of the word.
In the one positively assessed case in the parable, the good soil pictures those who hear the word and hold fast to it. They possess an honest and good heart and so bear fruit with patience. The mention of patience (persevering) is important, for Luke assumes that believers live under much pressure because of their faith. Associating with Jesus will not help people to win popularity contests. If we care about the world's respect or are too weak to resist temptation, we will not hold on to the word with patience; tragically, we may fall away, or our potential for fruitfulness may be choked out. Three of the examples end with the seed failing to produce that for which it was sown. God sows the word to bear fruit in the heart. Only by clinging patiently to what God offers does the seed reach maturity. In other New Testament texts such reliance is called faith.
This parable is not about a response to the word at any given moment. It sums up the different ways the word is received over a lifetime of exposure. It takes time to fall away from an initial attraction to the word. Only over time do the pleasures of life erode the seed's effectiveness. The parable calls for reflection. We need to cling to the word in patient faith. If we desire to be fruitful, especially given that the obstacles to fruitfulness are so varied, then we must hold fast to God and his message of hope. We focus either on God's promise or on our circumstances. Which we choose makes a difference: one leads to fruitfulness, the other to barrenness.
After the parable Jesus uses imagery of light to characterize the word. We could call this passage "the parable of the lamp." In the ancient world, such a lamp would have been a candlestick or an oil-burning lamp (Michaelis 1967b:324). Since a stand is mentioned here, an oil-burning lamp is likely to be in view. Jesus' message is put on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. Like light in a dark place, Jesus' message can guide us through life in the darkness of this world (Wisdom of Solomon 6:22; Sirach 39:12). But light does not just shine to illumine the way, it also reveals how things really are. The word shows the way and brings to light the secret things in people's hearts. Whether we realize it or not, the word shines and exposes. It may well be that the picture of Jesus as light influences the portrait of his message as containing light (1:78-79; 2:30-32; Jn 8:12; 9:5).
So Jesus urges his audience to be careful how they listen. The stakes are high. The one who has listened by responding to the word will receive more. But as for those who think they have something but do not have anything (because they do not receive the word), even what they thought they had will be taken away. To refuse to hear God's word is to be left desolate and naked before God.
To drive the point home even more, Jesus contrasts his biological family with his real family. Hearing that his mother and brothers desire to see him, Jesus remarks, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." Jesus affirms kinship with those who have heeded his authority and responded to his message. As he has said in Luke 6:47-49 (and as his brother notes in James 1:22-25), we should hear and do what the word calls for. James apparently learned from the Lord's remark here. Kinship with Jesus means responsiveness to his message.
Is God there and does he care? No question is more basic to human beings' relationship to the creation and to one another. If he is not there, then life is a free-for-all and we must do the best we can for ourselves. Often this worldview means that the one with the most power wins. If God is there, then finding him and responding to him is our most basic need. For if he exists, then power resides with him and everyone becomes accountable to him.
Power means different things for different people, and it can be used in a wide variety of ways. It can be put to good use, destructive use or selfish use. As Jesus continues the revelation of his authority in a series of four miracles extending through the end of Luke 8, he uses his power for others--for those to whom he ministers. Authority for Jesus is not a matter of a raw exercise of power; rather, it is a natural resource that is put to positive use as he shows compassion to those with all kinds of needs. Of course these miracles are audiovisuals of deeper realities. The Gospel of John makes this connection very clear (for example, Jn 6), but the Synoptics show this pictorial dimension as well.
The miracles all raise one question. That question cannot be any more clearly stated than it is at the end of this first miracle where Jesus calms the storm: "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
This simple miracle account actually contains much teaching. The event itself is rather straightforward. As the disciples and Jesus set about to cross the lake (the Sea of Galilee), a severe storm kicks up. We can tell the problem is severe since some in the boat had been professional fishermen and are now in a panic. Such storms are not uncommon on the Sea of Galilee, since the surrounding topography lends itself to sudden weather changes. The sea is some 680 feet below sea level. It is surrounded by hills, the steepest of which lie on its eastern shore. Coming through the hills, cool air reaches a ravine and collides with trapped warm air over the water. As any meteorologist will tell you, this produces volatile conditions.
While Matthew describes the storm as a "shaking" (seismos) of the boat, Luke calls it a whirlwind (lailaps), a word that sounds like what it describes. Only Jesus is resting, unaware of the danger that surrounds him. The text expresses the danger in a peculiar fashion--the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The term for danger means Jesus' and the disciples' lives are at risk, as their later plea to him indicates (Acts 19:27, 40 and 1 Cor 15:30 include other uses of the term). Since verse 22 only mentions one boat, they here are the disciples. The storm threatens them. Jesus is physically there but appears to be mentally absent, taking a nap, unable to help them in their hour of need. In their anxiety they awake him, announcing impending doom if nothing is done: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
The next three parts of the passage are loaded with significance. First Jesus rebukes the wind, so that calm is immediately restored. Called upon to help his disciples, he responds faithfully. The event is the catalyst for two commentaries, one from Jesus, the other from the disciples. Both present aspects of the passage's teaching.
Jesus rebukes his disciples for lack of faith. By asking where their faith was, he is reminding them of his care of them. Often this point in the passage is lost as we marvel over the calming of the sea. Jesus' authority and attributes do not exist in abstraction from his relationships. Even though he seemed to be absent and uncaring, a point Mark 4:38 makes explicitly, he was there and they could rest in the knowledge that he knew what was happening to them. Faith would have told them that God would take them through the terrible storm. So Jesus takes the calming of the storm as an opportunity to remind them that he will care for them. They need to have more faith in God's goodness. They need an applied faith that will hang tough under pressure. This is what he had earlier called holding to the Word with patience (v. 15).
Meanwhile, the disciples are pondering the event. Full of fear and marvel, they ask, "Who is this?" The question is a good one, because anyone who knew the Old Testament or Jewish theology would have known that Yahweh has control of the wind and the seas (Ps 18:16; 104:3; 135:6-7; Nahum 1:4; also Wisdom of Solomon 14:3-5). In fact, Psalm 107:23-30 says that God delivers the sailor who is imperiled at sea. Now this miracle did not automatically prove that Jesus has absolute authority. What it did was more subtle. It raised the question of Jesus' identity for the disciples. Earlier he had forgiven sins; now he calms the seas. Who can do such a variety of things?
Luke leaves the query unanswered here. The reader is to ponder the question. But the topic of Jesus' identity keeps popping up in the Gospel and in Acts (Lk 9:7-9, 18-20; 20:41-44; 23:49; Acts 2:30-36; 10:34-43). In the meantime, faith is called for in the recognition that Jesus is there and is aware of his disciples. Jesus' authority means he has the power to deliver those who depend on him. Calm waves can come only from the One with the power to restore order.
Evil's presence in our world is a fact of life. Every evening news report and every newspaper tells of the damage people do to one another. In fact, evil grabs our attention. The proverb about television news--"If it bleeds, it leads"--indicates how stories about acts of fallenness leap to our attention.
The account of the Gerasene demoniac is such a story. Here is a man in the grip of evil's power. Other human forces and agencies have been unable to contain him. So he lives a destructive and isolated life among the tombs outside the city. Luke is in the midst of presenting a series of miracles that reveal the extent of Jesus' authority. How does he stack up in a showdown with evil?
The account is a fully developed miracle story, giving a clear development of the need, Jesus' response and then the reaction to what took place. The man's condition is serious. First, he is possessed by several demons (note the Greek plural, echon daimonia, "who had demons," in v. 27). Later it will be said that a single demon speaks (vv. 28-29), but this is simply a single voice for the multitudes that indwell this man. Second, he is naked and has been so for a long time. This would make his behavior offensive. Third, the man lives in isolation among the tombs. The German scholar Adolph Schlatter has been quoted as saying, "Only deranged people have a desire for death and decay" (Geldenhuys 1951:258 n. 4). This certainly summarizes well the picture Luke has painted here. Everything about this man shows how the presence of evil in his life has left him deserted and alone.
Jesus' presence alone is enough to stir the forces inside the man to react. The demonic power reacts to Jesus' command to leave the man by causing the man to fall before him and say, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" Several details are important. The evil force recognizes Jesus' authority and ability to exercise judgment (4:34, 41). As in 4:34-41, there is a confession. In Luke 8 the confession is of Jesus' unique sonship. The demons desire to be left alone, to avoid torment. In an aside in verse 29 we are told that this possessed man had often been led into the wilderness by what possessed him--a statement that has both literal and figurative force. Numerous times this diabolical power had enabled the man to break bonds that had trapped him. Such ancient fetters could have been made of hair, cloth, rope or chains, but the Mark 5:4 parallel suggests that these had been chains. This foe is so powerful that other people have been unable to control the man. So they have left him in the solitary confinement of the tombs.
Jesus' request for the name of the demon brings the response Legion, a reference to a unit made up of thousands of soldiers. No doubt the name indicates the extent of the possession and the difficulty of Jesus' task in dealing with it. Luke makes this explicit: many demons had gone into him.
The demons feared Jesus. They did not want to be thrown into the Abyss, a reference to the abode of the dead in the Old Testament (Ps 107:26; compare Rom 10:7). Only Luke uses this term in the New Testament, though Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus may be parallel concepts (on Hades see Lk 16:23). In the Old Testament and Judaic writings this term referred to the "depths" and was often associated with the sea (Ps 71:20; Jubilees 5:6-7; 1 Enoch 10:4-6; 18:11-16). The demons feared permanent confinement, so they asked to be allowed to inhabit the swine on a nearby hill. The choice of pigs is interesting, given their association with uncleanliness in the Old Testament (Lev 11:7). It is not clear why the demons made such a request, other than to escape total confinement and judgment.
The demons' request is granted, but their relief is short-lived. The pigs apparently are startled and rush headlong over a cliff and into the sea. In Judaism the sea was a symbol of potential evil (Testament of Solomon 5:11; 11:6), so this becomes an illustration of evil's destructiveness, especially since the demons have not only harmed the man but now have led to the pigs' death.
Needless to say, this is not an everyday event in the Gerasene region, so the herdsmen run to tell others in the city and countryside what has happened. When the people travel out to the scene of the miracle, they see a transformed man sitting at Jesus' feet dressed and in his right mind. The story of how this change occurred is told, but the people cannot take it; they ask Jesus to go. Luke does not tell us why, although Mark 5:16 suggests that the economic impact of the loss of the swine is a concern. Evidently, however, the encounter with Jesus' power is too threatening for them (v. 37, because they were overcome with fear).
The newly healed man wants to go with Jesus, but instead Jesus tells him to remain behind and testify to what God had done for him. He obeys and tells the whole city what Jesus had done for him. This man, now of sound mind, makes no distinction between Jesus' actions and the workings of God's power.
This miracle account is full of teaching. The miracle itself shows the extent of Jesus' authority over the forces of evil and his ability to transform people's ties to evil. The Gerasene man had been a totally destructive agent under the force of the demons. As a result of Jesus' work, he has been restored to full life. The image of him clothed and seated before Jesus at the end of the account contrasts sharply with the earlier picture of his sojourn among the tombs. The miracle pictures how Jesus can erase the power and effects of evil in a person. This transformation and the ability to overcome evil is why Paul calls the gospel "the power of God" in Romans 1:16-17.
The man's reaction shows that after God's grace works, our attention should be directed to Jesus. He longed to serve Jesus and even assumed that he should join his traveling band of disciples. Such devotion is commendable. Jesus made it clear, however, that this man's testimony should remain in the region. He was to be a "missionary in residence" for God. Of course the man understood that to tell God's story, he must mention Jesus as well.
The demons show how impotent evil ultimately is when confronted with Jesus' authority. The account also reveals how destructive such unseen forces are.
The people's reaction is also instructive. For some people it is very difficult to let God and his power get close to them. These people recognized that Jesus had power. It aroused fear in them, and they chose to have nothing to do with it.
Jesus possesses authority so great that he can reverse the effects of evil. Some are transformed by that power--turned from a path of uncleanliness, destruction and death to life and testimony. But others fear it and want God's presence to be distant from them. They fear what involvement with God's power might entail.
Jesus' authority is a given for Luke. It forces choices of association. The world is full of destructive forces, but Jesus is the means for overcoming them. Luke raises a question here. Shall we sit at his feet and let his power free us? Or will we quake at Jesus' authority and ask him to go? Finally, those who have experienced the freedom Jesus gives are called to testify to what God has done.
Perhaps nothing is so fearful for people to face than disease and death. Nature can overpower us and evil can invade our world, but we feel most threatened when our own body starts to work against us and our mortality becomes painfully evident. In a world full of AIDS and cancer, images of our slow destruction assault our senses on an almost daily basis. We wonder, "Is that all there is--only a few score years and then dust?"
As Luke continues unfolding dimensions of Jesus' authority, he ends his fourfold miracle sequence with a double miracle that attacks both disease and death. Each miracle in the sequence is increasingly inward. Death, the most intimate and comprehensive opponent, is left for last. But these last miracles teach more than the extent of Jesus' authority. They also offer a lesson about response.
These miracles are audiovisuals of important truths related to Jesus' sovereignty. As important as each event is in itself, even more important is the picture involved. The overcoming of disease and death in this passage is but a foretaste of the ultimate, comprehensive overcoming of disease and death. The event points beyond itself to eternal realities, which put the limitations of this life into perspective. Such lessons are Luke's goal in reassuring his readers about Jesus (1:1-4).
The drama of this scene is virtually matchless. Jairus must have been wracked by intense frustration as events unfolded. It certainly appeared as if all circumstances were working against the synagogue leader.
To begin with, the crowds continue to pursue Jesus. Despite the disapproval of many religious leaders, some do sense that Jesus has authority to perform great and powerful acts. Jairus, a synagogue ruler, is among these. His only daughter, a twelve-year-old, is dying. Jesus responds by beginning the journey to Jairus's home. But as he walks the crowd squeezes in against him, seeking to draw near to him.
One person in the throng is particularly intent on getting to Jesus. This woman has been hemorrhaging for years, which means she has been in a perpetual state of uncleanliness according to Jewish law (Lev 15:25-31; Ezek 36:17; m. Zabim 2:3; 4:1; 5:7). She has been shut out from religious life, a social outcast. Various ancient remedies existed to relieve her condition, like a glass of wine mixed with rubber alum. Additional ingredients might be garden crocuses or onions (van der Loos 1965:511). But these attempts have failed. In despair over her loneliness and condition, she hopes that an underground approach, a surreptitious touching of Jesus, will change her fate. This is why she came up behind him. Contact with his garment, either the edge or the tassels hanging from it, may bring her instant healing. Her solution works, but it brings her more than she bargained for. She is not permitted to retain secrecy.
Jesus turns to the crowd and asks, "Who touched me?" Amazed at the question, Peter points out that many are crowded around Jesus. It is as if a current celebrity or political leader turned to a herd of reporters upon exiting a building and asked, "Who just took my picture?" Peter's reaction is most understandable, especially since no one in the crowd is claiming responsibility and he knows that getting to Jairus's house is a matter of life or death. But Jesus senses things most of us cannot sense. His timing is different from others'. He is able to deal with many realities at once. At this point he knows that someone who had come near to him had done more than get a glimpse of him. He had ministered to them. He knows that power has gone out from him.
For the woman there is no sense in trying to hide from Jesus now. It never is successful to try and hide from Jesus. Trembling, she comes forward to give her public testimony of how she has been healed. Despite the embarrassment of her past condition and the timidity of her approach to Jesus, she declares what Jesus has done for her.
In response Jesus issues a simple commendation: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." He makes her faith an example, timid as it was. The one with faith does not need to fear approaching Jesus and his authority. He is accessible and available. Both the woman's faith and her testimony are commended in Jesus' response. Faith trusts in God's ability to meet our needs by his power. God honors such faith.
Or does he? Consider Jairus's mood. Imagine what he must have been going through as this woman impeded Jesus from getting to his daughter and healing her. We can only speculate on what thoughts and emotions swirled through him as this woman became a roadblock to Jesus' work on his behalf. It was rather like the frustration of someone in a hurry to get to a destination who is blocked by a traffic jam. Only Jairus is not just late; he is trying to save his daughter. To make matters worse, now a man from Jairus's home shows up to announce that it is too late. Imagine it: Jesus stops to heal a woman of a nonfatal condition, and as he delays a young life is snuffed out. Where is justice?
But again Jesus responds by reminding Jairus not to jump to conclusions: "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." Here trust means understanding that Jesus has authority even over death. Everything about this double miracle points to the need to trust God's power, presence and timing over ultimate human well-being.
Jesus travels on to the house. When he arrives, only the family, Peter, James and John are permitted to enter with him. The mourning, which was customarily public in ancient Palestine, is already in full swing (Rengstorf 1965:724-25; Stahlin 1965:844-45). Jesus attempts to reverse the mood by telling the crowd that the girl is merely asleep. Their skepticism is expressed in their laughter. Popular sentiment is that Jairus has brought a crank with strange beliefs into his home. The consensus is that death cannot be reversed. However, Jesus is not just any visitor.
Sometimes the majority is wrong. Jesus tells the child to arise. Like the only son of the widow of Nain, the daughter rises to life as her spirit returned. Immediately Jesus requests that she be given food. Amazement grips the parents. Jairus's invitation to Jesus to heal, an act of faith, had revealed that Jesus had power over death. Jesus urges silence, even though what he has done was obvious. His goal is not to become a traveling Palestinian miracle show. His ministry is not about such displays of power, but about what they represent. He knows that miracles would become the major interest, not new life and the basic issue of who it is who can heal a woman and raise a young girl. Jesus has taught a major lesson: faith means understanding that Jesus has the power to deliver life and that his timing and sovereignty can be respected. All Jairus's earlier pain and frustration have been transformed into a new perspective that weds faith with Jesus' authority. In fact, this is the lesson of all four miracles of Luke 8:22-56: God's power is absolute. Death is not the chief end of persons. Trusting and knowing God is.
Often those who have power hoard it as their personal property. But Jesus, in building a community, sought to delegate power and enabled those who ministered with him to share in carrying out his mission. This passage, the mission of the Twelve, picks up a theme introduced in Luke 5:10 (Tannehill 1986:215-16). The disciples will be fishers of people. This is the first of two missions Luke records (see 10:1-24). Only Luke includes two missions. This first mission is limited to the Twelve, while the second will expand the number who take the message of the kingdom abroad. The description of the mission assumes that some may reject them, just as when we go fishing sometimes the line yields a catch, sometimes it doesn't attract a single fish, and sometimes a catfish swallows the line. Jesus has his disciples prepared for any contingency.
The importance of bestowed authority for Jesus cannot be overappreciated (10:16, 19-20; 11:19; Grundmann 1964:310). All ministry, whether in Jesus' time or today, takes place in the context of delegated authority. Those who minister serve Jesus and are responsible to him (1 Cor 4:16). This line of accountability does not mean that we minister without concern for the feelings of those ministered to, but that we're aware that all ministry involves derived authority. The minister is a steward and a servant, ultimately accountable only to God for how the ministry proceeds. Usually being sensitive to that accountability means being sensitive to those we serve. But sometimes the "constituency" may be wrong and may need leading or instruction on the way to go. In this initial effort Jesus gives very specific instructions to the disciples as they seek to serve and be dependent on God.
The disciples' ministry mirrors Jesus' own ministry in Luke 8. Just as he preached the Word of the kingdom and healed, they are given authority over demons and disease as they seek to declare the kingdom of God. It is important to link verses 1-2 to verse 6. The miracles are the audiovisual of God's power at work in the announcement of the kingdom's arrival (11:20). The preached message of the kingdom is called the gospel in Luke 9:6. A hint of the message's content is given in 10:9. The healings picture the arrival of God's power. Again, the attention is not on the miracle itself but on what it represents. The fact that the disciples' power is derived is also significant. Jesus is the source of this declared deliverance. The speeches of Acts make the same point (for example, Acts 3:6, 14-26; 4:10-12).
Jesus' instructions for this journey are simple: travel light and keep lodgings basic. The disciples should not burden themselves with excessive provisions. One tunic is enough. No staff, bread, bag or money needs to go with them beyond the basics. The instructions parallel the travel practices of the Jewish Essenes, as well as what Jews instructed temple visitors to do (Fitzmyer 1981:753-54; Josephus Jewish Wars 2.8.4 125; m. Berakot 9:5; in contrast are the Greek Cynics and philosophers who sought money constantly--Schurmann 1969:502 n. 24). The disciples are to stay in one place, not move around within a village. In fact, the point may be, Live as the locals do and live with them. If there is rejection they are to move on, shaking the dust from their feet as a repudiation of the village's rejection of them (Strathmann 1967:503). It is a way of warning the city (10:9-11). But as Jesus' attitude toward Jerusalem shows, it is done painfully, not with joy (19:41).
The disciples do as Jesus says. Though there is no report on this mission, 10:17-24 communicates what the disciples feel--and what we too should feel as we take God's message to the world. What an honor to carry this message and to experience what the kings and prophets of old had longed to see.
Everything about this mission says that disciples are to depend on God. Their authority comes from him. Their needs will be supplied by him. There is no personal gain to be sought. As a contrast to the cultural peddlers of religion and philosophy of their culture, they carry the gospel so as to signal the character of those who serve the gospel. Modesty is the rule, ministry is the focus. I wonder how often the gospel's credibility has been damaged in more recent times because this modest approach to mission was not followed. As Paul shows in 1 Corinthians 9, ministers should strive to burden others financially as little as possible. On the other hand, God's people should care for those who minister to them--laborers are worth their hire (Lk 10:7; 1 Tim 5:18). According to Old Testament guidelines, the priests were supposed to be able to live comfortably as they ministered through the support the nation provided. The same should be true of the saints. Money and provisions for ministry always raise tricky questions. Those who are ministered to should give; and those who minister should trust God for their provision, traveling light and responsibly as they minister.
Years ago a popular television show often ended with the masked hero riding off into the sunset as someone at the rescue scene inquired, "Who was that masked man?" This passage has very much the same flavor. Reports of Jesus' activity have reached the nation's highest political levels. Herod is hearing about what Jesus is doing, and he is attempting to assess who Jesus is. He is perplexed. Like many who encounter Jesus, he is not sure where Jesus fits.
Is Jesus John . . . raised from the dead? (This probably means people speculate that John's spirit now resides in Jesus.) Others have suggested Elijah, which makes Jesus a prophet of the end times (Mal 3:1; 4:5). The third option is that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. Interestingly, all these options have a prophetic thrust. Clearly God is behind Jesus' activity. But where exactly does he fit? Herod has beheaded John, so why is he hearing such things about someone else? Are prophets proliferating before his eyes? The possibilities pique Herod's curiosity, and he desires to see Jesus.
This passage continues Luke's "who is this?" discussion about Jesus. Here Herod serves an as example of one trying to come to grips with who Jesus is. His curiosity and openness end the passage on a note of reflection. Such curiosity is natural when one looks at Jesus from a distance. But who Jesus really is cannot be discovered through secondhand reports and rumors. Genuine testimony about Jesus comes a little later in Luke (9:20). Those who give testimony there will recognize that the One through whom such powerful works occur is more than a prophet.
With the question of Jesus' identity still at the forefront, Luke narrates a miracle that appears in all four Gospels (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:32-44; Jn 6:1-15). The extended commentary on this event occurs in the Bread of Life discourse in John 6, but the miracle's importance is underlined by its appearance in all the Gospels. The event serves two purposes: (1) to help identify Jesus and (2) to teach the disciples something about trust and provision. Both Moses (Ex 16; Num 11--manna) and Elijah (2 Kings 4:42-44) were prophetic vessels in similar miracles of provision. But these connections were only conceptual. This miracle is unusual in that no reaction from the crowd is recorded--a detail showing that the lesson is for the disciples.
The miracle's setting is simply stated. Luke notes that the disciples have withdrawn privately to Bethsaida, a city located on the Sea of Galilee's northeast corner. The effort at solitude failed, for the crowds, having discovered their locale, descend upon them. Jesus welcomed them, teaching about the kingdom of God. As the subsequent context makes clear, he moves into the desolate countryside outside Bethsaida to accomplish this. Healings also occur, as they often do with Jesus. The pairing of preaching and healing recalls the disciples' mission in verses 1-5.
As the day draws to a close, the Twelve sense a developing problem. How can provision be made for all the crowd? Where will the evening meal come from? In the ancient world, of course, "fast food" was not a possibility. Prompted by a sense of responsibility and the need to wrap up and go home, the disciples approach Jesus. Their request seems very reasonable.
But Jesus' response is surprising. He wants the disciples to provide the meal. This severely limits the options, as well as raising the issue of resources, which were currently limited to five loaves of bread and two fish. Buying food would be an expensive proposition and a logistical nightmare. Jesus advises that the five thousand men be divided into groups of fifty. With the groupings in place, Jesus teaches a visual lesson on his ability to provide and the disciples' ability to serve.
All the elements of this miracle focus on Jesus' authority. He is the one who breaks the food and gives it to the disciples after prayer and blessing. Here is a picture of Jesus leading people at supper, suggesting a foretaste of the messianic banquet (Stein 1992:275; Ps 81:16; Is 25:6; 65:13-14). Luke gives no detail as to how the food multiplies, because he is more interested in the result and what it pictures than in detailing the miracle. The messianic association is set up by the context. Herod's question in verses 7-9 and Peter's response in verses 18-20 indicate that this event, sandwiched as it is, provides a point of identification. The picture is of a Messiah who provides and makes full (6:21, 38; of God--1:53; in the Old Testament, Ps 23:1-2; 37:19; 78:24; 105:40; 107:9; 132:15; 145:15-16, with God's provision of manna in the wilderness as the prototype example).
In addition, the disciples learn that Jesus is the source of provision for their own ministry. They are to model Jesus' style of ministry as they depend on what he can give them (22:24-27). They are to provide the food for the crowd, and through Jesus they do so. He supplies with abundance, and they are the vessels bearing the provision.
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There is no underestimating the potential of a committed grassroots movement. We single out the Friends of the Hays Dog Park as a prime example.
Just more than two years ago, a loosely organized group of dog-owners with a blog and cause set out to establish what they said was missing from the community's list of amenities -- a dog park. These residents envisioned a place where canines, large and small, could exercise and socialize free from their leash.
Upon hearing the preliminary cost estimate of $35,000, we envisioned one of those projects you hear about every so often through the years and repeatedly being mildly surprised the movement remained alive.
Not the case with these friends. Local residents such as Kim Perez, Laurie Mortinger, Virginia Jacobs, Jodi Steltz, Cathy Reeves, Bunnie Bowen, Pat Geier and many others have been working like dogs to ensure area pooches have room to roam.
The various bake sales, car washes, dog washes, cookoffs, garage sales, raffles, T-shirt sales, and memorials earmarked for the cause have been adding up. A donation of $10,000 earlier this year in honor of the late Henry and Juliette Schwaller boosted the coffers tremendously. Last week at the Hays City Commission meeting, FHDP announced it had more than $50,000 in the bank.
That was enough for commissioners to greenlight Phase 1 and part of Phase 2.
Hays is going to get a dog park.
Using a 6.5-acre tract of land east of Bickle/Schmidt Sports Complex donated by the city, park supporters see three phases to the project. The first includes fencing a 1-acre lot for small dogs, plus an access road, parking lot, staging area, water lines, a message center, some seating and signage. Phase 2 is fencing in a larger area for large dogs, more seating, signage and another water station and Phase 3 will be primarily shelters and seating.
What commissioners unanimously authorized from Phase 2 was the fence, which becomes more cost-effective when installing all at once. Other items can be put in place as the money is raised.
"They've really worked hard," said Jeff Boyle, director of parks for the city of Hays, earlier this fall. "I think they've had a lot of fellow dog owners and citizens that have supported this all along and really came through for them."
We have no doubt the committed Friends of the Hays Dog Park will realize the entire project. Thus far, the visioning, planning and fundraising all have been top-notch. Group president Kim Perez will maintain the motivation.
Editorial by Patrick Lowry


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Automatic High Beams?
Automatic High Beams?
Ross. May I suggest you address your queries to the Tesla Bulletin Board question section at the top of the Forum topics.
I read somewhere that the Model S already has this with the Technology package. Was in the users guide I believe.
No no, sorry, that was with the MobileEye installable accessory, my mistake!!
You need the mobile eye.
Why would you trust a computer to turn on your high-beams?
Where I live, turning on your high-beams with on-coming traffic is seriously dangerous, and driving behind someone with your high-beams on, can get your ass kicked.
Why would you trust a computer to turn on your high-beams? (TikiMan)
Because it works really well. Not only doesn't it turn on high-beams when there is no traffic in front of you, but it never forgets to turn them off in time when other cars appear on the scene, too. Actually safer than manual high-beams IMO.
@email@example.com | NOVEMBER 25, 2012: I was quite skeptical initially, but it really does work very well! The sensor on my BMW is extremely impressive in being able to spot an oncoming or leading car from far away and turning the high beams off. Sometimes it reacts faster than I do.
I have this feature in my Lexus RX450h. Unfortunately, it is poorly implemented. It works OK for oncoming traffic and when approaching someone form behind, but if fails when approaching an intersection with a waiting car and also when it gets reflections from road signage. It's also annoying in that it turns the high beams off when going below 20mph, which makes driving through my neighborhood irritating at night. Of course all this can be disabled, but it's linked to the automatic headlight function, which also has to be disabled.
If Tesla is listening, I would recommend that if you implement this, then please take the above issues into account. Hopefully, BMW has solved all those problems.
I have this feature in my Lexus RX450h. Unfortunately, it is poorly implemented. [...] Hopefully, BMW has solved all those problems. (Alex K)
In my post above, I was in fact referring to my experience with the latest BMW 5 series (rental car). I was very impressed with how flawlessly the feature worked. In particular, in all instances I encountered, it correctly told apart road signage reflections from other cars.
I believe it when I have a confirmed experience of driving towards an oncoming X-5 at night.
I always see people driving around with high beams at night at it pisses me off, and it's totally unnecessary on our well developed streets.
Brian H wird Ihnen für den Aufbau des letzten Satzes zu sprengen!
LOL. I meant "he's going to blast you." I don't think it translates to that. Yikes!
Getting Amped Soon, your German is not correct but, well, guessable! ;-) However, even after revisiting the sentence in question, I cannot find anything wrong with it. Well, I guess, I'll learn soon enough...
It's fine structurally, but "told apart" applies to objects or events of the same class. "... it correctly distinguished between road signage and other cars." would be more correct and clearer.
Alright, thanks.
I have auto high-beams on my Escallade (Hybrid, of course) and it works flawlessly. In 3 years of driving with it I have never had anyone flash me while on coming, and it goes to low-beam when behind other cars by at least a quarter mile or more, never a problem. Frankly, it changes from high to low and low to high exactly as I would have done it manually.
@Volker.Berlin - My two cents. The expression "told apart" is not ever correct AFAIK, or at a minimum is awkward. Additionally, your sentence makes it sound that the road sign reflections were from the "other cars," not that you were talking about two different things: road sign reflections and the headlights of oncoming cars.
Brian H is of course correct but I wanted to explain it a bit more. So to be really clear, go with "In particular, in all instances I encountered, it correctly distinguished between road signage reflections and the headlights of other cars."
I have the Mobileye doing this on my Model S and it works quite well. I have never seen it have highs on directly at a car traveling toward or away from me. I have seen it with highs on when a car is perpendicular to me at a distant stop sign, but it turned off before I got too close. It also automatically turns off if the street is well lit with street lights. I mostly see the highs come on when I drive dark mountain or country roads.
I would like the option to disable the hi beams, like by having the automatic mode only engage when I switch to high beams on the steering wheel stalk. I'm talking to Mobileye about this today.
@Getting Amped, I believe the "to tell apart" is correct idiomatic English, although not formal English. "My brother has twin girls, and I cannot tell them apart" is just fine, particularly for spoken English. Also: "they cannot be told apart."
@DouglasR - I agree with your examples, but I still don't think "it told apart" is correct English, spoken or otherwise.
With Volker's usage, you are saying it is correct to say, "My brother has twin girls, and I visited them yesterday. I told them apart." I think it would be more correct to say, "I could tell them apart."
"They cannot be told apart." is fine because "they" refers to the things that are "told apart." I think when you say "it told" or "I told" it literally means "it" or "I" spoke in the past tense. We use "could tell" to mean "discern", but I don't think we use "told" the same way.
Of course I could be wrong! I'm sure we've confused Volker.Berlin royally now.
@Getting Amped,
No, I agree with you that VB's original usage was incorrect. I thought you were saying that the expression "told apart" is never correct.
Now back to our regular scheduled programming . . .
Twins is a fine example of "objects of the same class".
But then, as Hamlet said, "I am but mad North North west; when the wind is Southerly, I knowe a Hauke, from a hand saw."
There is now apparently general agreement that the "hand saw" in that line was originally "heronshaw," a dialectical English form of "heron," meaning that Hamlet was contrasting two types of birds, rather than a bird and a carpentry tool.
@Brian H - that's actually very interesting!
But do you know a raven from a writing desk?
Is this a competition to see how far off topic we can take a thread? :-)
Are we able to see the difference ?
How do we select the winner? When to announce and who would be a judge?
You all win, now back on topic! :P :)


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Alien Planets Revealed
Season 41 Episode 1 | 53m 7s
It's a golden age for planet hunters: NASA's Kepler mission has identified more than 3,500 potential planets orbiting stars beyond our Sun. Some of them, like a planet called Kepler-22b, might even be able to harbor life. How did we come upon this distant planet?
Aired: 01/08/14
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Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS viewers. Additional funding is provided by the Millicent and Eugene Bell Foundation.


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Every now and then Speak Up on Kotaku eschews the long-winded for the shorter, sweeter things in life, like commenter Paradox Me's single sentence ode to the ones that get away.
Nothing is more painful than watching a Metal Slime get away. :(
About Speak Up on Kotaku: Our readers have a lot to say, and sometimes what they have to say has nothing to do with the stories we run. That's why we have a forum on Kotaku called Speak Up. That's the place to post anecdotes, photos, game tips and hints, and anything you want to share with Kotaku at large. Every weekday we'll pull one of the best Speak Up posts we can find and highlight it here.


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In 2001, Sue Scheff founded Parent's Universal Resources Experts. She has worked with many parent advocates through the years. Marie Peart has been with her almost from the beginning and has helped many families with their concerns.
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Sue Scheff, a nationally recognized Author, Parent Advocate and Family Internet Safety Advocate, has over a decade of experience in the teen help field. She has helped educate thousands of parents, schools, teachers, guidance counselors, police departments, and other areas that need help with at-risk teens. As a parent of a troubled teen, she was once a victim of the daunting Internet and the less than ethical marketing arms. After winning a major landmark lawsuit, with a jury verdict of over $11M for damages, she continues to be a voice in the confusing big business of troubled teen boarding schools and programs. She is often criticized for her strong opinions, however they are what helps you, as a parent, help your teenager in finding what is best for your family. Scheff is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, Wit's End! A Parent's True Story, Advice and Resources for Helping Your Out-of-Control Teen, published by Health Communications, Inc (HCI). In her second book, also published by HCI, Google Bomb: The Untold Story of the $11.3M Verdict That Changed the Way We Use the Internet, outlines how the Internet can be a lethal weapon. It's why Sue Scheff is passionate about educating people about digital citizenship, online safety and reputation.
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Sue Scheff is a contributor for the Huffington Post, Family Online Safety Institute, Stop Medicine Abuse, Your Teen Magazine, Ten to Twenty Parenting and many more.
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Help someone feel better by sharing a gift of comforting soups, bakery favorites, wholesome fruits, and delicious treats.
Welcome back! Your Celebrations Passport membership is about to expire. Don't let your Free Shipping/No Service Charge benefits expire.
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Nothing lifts the spirits like a delivery of get well soon gifts from Harry & David. Explore a variety of premium foods, expertly grown fruit, handcrafted gift baskets and plant gifts, all designed to create feelings of well being and put people at ease. A get well present is always a welcome gesture during difficult times. Show your compassion with an extraordinary gift they'll enjoy.
Bright colors, miniature roses, Gerbera daisies and gorgeous blooms are an excellent way to say get well. Gifts that bring a bit of the outdoors in can lighten moods and create smiles. Provide much needed comfort with a cup of tea or a warm bowl of soup. The recipient of your gift well gift will always remember your kindness.
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In anticipation for the hype from Comic Con and the release of RockNRolla and Game in theaters, Gerard Butler Dot Net is running a movie poster design contest for these two films.
Visit the contest page for the rules and submission guidelines (they're not too complicated, we swear!!)
When completed, submit your entry to us at pics @ gerardbutler.net (remove the spaces around the @). You MUST include a list of sources you used to obtain the images as well as your name and valid email. We will post them all in a special gallery as they are received. One poster per movie per person please. All entries must be received by 5:00pm EST on July 18, 2008. Online voting will run from July 19 – July 21, 2008. The winners for each film will receive an AUTOGRAPHED item from Gerard and their posters will be featured on our front page until the opening of the films!!
In recognition of the fact that times are tight and traveling has become more expensive, we want to get some feedback on plans for next years convention.
Traditionally, we would be going back to Glasgow. We still want to do that, but know that many will not be able to make the trip because of the costs, so the below survey is meant to figure out how many people definitely can afford to attend, how many would be interested in attending regional or local events (abroad AND the US) on the same date in a type of "worldwide†event held simultaneously. Cast your vote here!
The Summer 2008 Newsletter has been sent out. If you have not subscribed, the newsletter will be available online on July 18, 2008. If you would like to subscribe, visit our subscription page.
The 4th Annual New York City Birthday Bash is now in the planning stages. We are very pleased to announce that this year our party will be held on Saturday October 25th from 3-8 pm at Stout on 133 West 33rd Street in NYC with our "after-party" being held at St. Andrews 120 West 44th Street NYC. Visit the Gerard Butler Global Fans message board for planning information, or email us at events @ gerardbutler.net (remove the spaces around the @) and we'll forward your information to the organizers so you can receive regular updates and registration information. Banner credit: RRuin
Don't forget! Nim's Island is out on DVD August 5. Pre-order your copy now and help support Gerard Butler Dot Net!
Also available: 2009 Gerard Butler Calendar!
Added images from the July 13 edition of the Sunday Mail.


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Following is a list of Adobe portfolio companies.
Demandbase is a real-time targeting and personalization platform for B2B that works by identifying the companies that are visiting a website or interacting with a company's digital content, and then by making that insight actionable. Demandbase offers targeted display advertising, website engagement and conversion modules, and CRM integration.
Gigya is a leading social optimization platform for online business, enabling websites to connect seamlessly to social network services including Facebook Connect, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Gigya's technology enables sharing, registration, and interactive site features, and the company provides analytics, consulting, and support. Clients include A&E, Intuit, Pepsi, Time, and TNT.
Objectivity, Inc., is a global leader in data management products and services for software applications with the most demanding data management challenges. The Objectivity/DB advanced database toolkit is used by government, security, manufacturing, commercial services, science, and engineering organizations to increase speed, precision, and productivity.
PlayJam is the premier global platform for casual and social games on TV. By partnering with all major TV brands, PlayJam has created the largest and most vibrant game network for millions of players around the world.
Scrybe is a developer of a simple and powerful enterprise collaboration platform called Convo, which enables business conversations like never before. Convo's launch drew significant praise from a wide range of industry analysts and bloggers. The number of organizations using Convo has since grown into the thousands.


text: Mormons line up outside the historic Salt Lake Temple for an annual conference in April 2010. George Frey/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption George Frey/Getty Images It's All Politics After Romney's Loss, Mormons Lament What Might Have Been November 7, 2012 Mitt Romney's White House run raised the profile of his Mormon faith, and made many fellow Mormons hope that misunderstandings of their faith could be dispelled. And, of course, there was pride in seeing one of their own come so close to the White House. Those hopes were dashed with his loss Tuesday.


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Service News Issue 22/2019
Seamless replacement: a suitable successor model is always available
Proven products naturally have their advantages: they are fully matured, their properties are well known, and there is a certain routine when mounting, which makes installation and adjustment go quite easily. However, just as naturally, the progress of technology brings new products to the market at some point. HEIDENHAIN places special emphasis on the transition from the proven product to the innovative successor model being a smoothly flowing action and not an abrupt break. That is why new products are always developed also with the future in mind.
The HEIDENHAIN Infobase: details and CAD data for every product
It happens time and again: you can find all of the printed mounting instructions for your HEIDENHAIN units except for exactly the one that you need. Or you require the CAD data of a HEIDENHAIN unit in order to design your machine. Then it's a good thing that the HEIDENHAIN Infobase is on the internet. For over fifty thousand products you can quickly and easily find here all the information you need for installation and initial operation.
ESD protection for returned units: how to avoid damages
A unit is defective and you return it to the HEIDENHAIN Service department. So far, so good, but the time and effort associated with that is already annoying. But please put a little more effort into the correct packaging and shipping; also to ensure that units returned to us for repairs are given the ESD protection that they need while on the way. In this issue of the Service News we'd like to give you a few tips about the correct handling and packaging of electronic components and units.
Successful networking: how to set up your own network
The uniformly digital networked production of workpieces, from the design office all the way to the shipping department, helps companies to optimally take advantage of their potential. Sound complicated? HEIDENHAIN makes it real easy! The "Connected Machining and networked evaluation electronics: configuration and servicing" course teaches you how to install the necessary technology yourself, how to customize it, and how to care for it.


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The GTM Research Reserve will host a Family Seining on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 9-11 am. Join GTM Research Reserve staff and/or volunteers for a guided family seining activity. Visitors will get the chance to pull a seine net through Guana Lake, collecting species of fish, crabs and more, and then learn about the animals and their roles in the habitat. All necessary gear including waders and boots will be provided. There is a $3 per vehicle parking fee. CLICK HERE to reserve a free spot!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need a reservation to attend? Yes, please register online by following the links provided above.
- If I can't make it, how do I cancel my reservation? Upon making the reservation you should have received an email confirmation. There is information about canceling within the email. Since a lot of our guided family programs are full, we strongly encourage you to cancel (as opposed to just not showing up) so that we may accommodate another person/family.
- How old does my child need to be to attend? There is no age limit for who may attend this event. In order to hold the seine net, the child needs to be at least three feet tall.
- What should I wear? Please wear clothing that is appropriate for outdoors. It's always recommended to dress in layers and prepare for any type of weather. We strongly encourage that you wear closed-toe shoes, and strongly discourage wearing flip-flops. We will provide booties and waders, but you are welcome to bring your own gear.
- What should I bring? Please bring a reusable water bottle (that can be filled up onsite), insect repellent (strongly recommended), sunscreen, and binoculars/camera.
- Can I bring my dog? You are welcome to bring a dog. Please keep in mind that all dogs must remain on a leash, and all waste must be promptly cleaned by the owner. To be part of the seining activity, two hands are needed, therefore the dog owner will only watch the activity. Please be mindful of other visitors when bringing a dog.
- Where should I meet my guide? CLICK HERE for a Google Map. Your guide will be waiting at Guana Dam 15 minutes prior to the scheduled program. The event begins at 9am.
- What will I catch? The seine nets will catch various types of fish, crab, shrimp, shells, and plant life.
- Are there any fees? Only a $3/vehicle fee for parking (paid at arrival). Only cash is accepted.
- Is there anything else to see afterwards? You're welcome to have lunch at the Trailhead Pavilion and try out one of our many trails. You will also have access to the beaches at our South, Middle, and North access lots (for which your parking tag will apply for same-day use, might as well get your $3 worth). You can tour our Visitor Center for FREE.


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Purple Floral - Panel
$10.95 $8.76
Or 10 interest free payments from $0.87 on orders over $20 with What's this?
Some options are running low, order soon! (Click for details.)
- 2 x Swim with 1 in shopping carts
Universal Panel's measure approximately:
60cm in height x 48cm in width with the Picture being approximately 17cm tall.
The picture is centered
Please allow for upto 5cm's difference in finished panel size between the width and height of fabric.
Panels are great to use for T-shirts, hoodies, leotard's, dress bodice's, front of romper and for colour blocking. They provide a great alternative to 'heat transfer vinyl' as they are iron safe.
Please choose your base and QTY from the Drop Down menu's above.
For future releases of upcoming designs, please join our Facebook Group.
What are the fabric compositionsWoven Cotton is 100% Cotton 150GSM (medium weight).
Cotton Lycra Knit 220 is 95% Cotton, 5% Lycra and is 4 way stretch.
Swimwear UPF50+ Sunblockout is 86% Polyester, 14% Lycra.


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My Dad died from lung cancer when I was 13 years old. That's my "tag line" when people ask me about him. It sums up all the information they need. But for me, it carries a greater reality I felt when he died – that I will never be the same.
I will never be the same . . . as I was before. In some ways, I see life as a puzzle – every experience you have forms a piece of your unique puzzle. When combined, they form the entire picture of your life. My Dad took a piece of my puzzle with him, a piece that will never return. I am incomplete without it, without him. We shared memories that nobody else shares, which means he knew me differently than anyone else. When someone you love dies, that part of you dies as well. You can't re-live that memory with anyone else. Your puzzle may grow, but you can never replace that missing piece. And because of that, I will never be the same again.
My view of the world also changed. Before Dad died, I was young, innocent, and naive. I saw God's beauty in the smallest things – plants starting to bud, cocooning butterflies, the exact color blue of the sky. When I found a four-leaf clover, Dad laminated it for me to preserve that small wonder. When I had questions, Dad would answer them. He always had the answers. The world had infinite joys to discover and I had endless curiosity. Life seemed to go on forever and I never thought about death.
After the funeral, that all changed. I lost my parent, my hero, and my teacher. I thought a lot about death and dying. I still had plenty of questions, but nobody to answer them. And they certainly weren't fun questions.
So I learned things on my own – great big things that I couldn't have understood any other way. I learned the importance of telling people that you love them. Don't ever let them wonder how you feel. Of all the things I regret, missing the chance to say "I love you" will never be one of them. I also learned to never pass up an opportunity to give or receive a genuine hug. When Dad was dying, I was terrified. I didn't know how to act, what to say, so I sat in silence. He asked me, "Aren't you going to give me a hug?" When we hugged, he started to cry. That memory has broken my heart ever since. He never should have had to ask. There are few words and fewer acts that can convey more emotion, more truth than a hug. They are the simplest, most perfect way to ease despair, to share joy, to demonstrate empathy, or to show love. Anyone who knows me knows that my hugs are free and frequent.
I will never be the same . . . as someone who hasn't lost a parent. One of the hardest things about losing a parent is feeling that nobody understands. Even worse is feeling different and seeing those differences every day. When your friend shows you a car his dad bought for him, or you see how happy her dad looks to walk her down the aisle, or when they complain about something their dad did . . . you know you're not the same. Your "memory playlist" is shorter. You can't add more memories and you can't relate to your friends with longer playlists. It hurts, it's lonely, and there are some days you'd do almost anything to be the same . . . as you were, as they are.
But sometimes being different can be a good thing. At first with bitterness, now with acceptance, I realized that there is no promise of tomorrow. You are given such a small time, and you never know when your time will run out. Many people don't truly appreciate this. How can they if they've never had to think about death? So treasure your life, make it worthwhile. Spend your life doing things that make you happy because you may not have the chance later. My life has been fuller, more beautiful, and more fun because I take chances that come to me. If my dad hadn't died, would I always have played it safe? Would I have jumped out of that airplane? Would I have swum with dolphins or learned to scuba dive? Would I have hiked that mountain? Something tells me maybe not.
Because of my dad's death, I will never be the same. I traded innocence and "fitting in" for understanding and appreciation. I lost my dad but gained something in return. Would I give up everything I've learned if I could have my dad back? I don't have that option. The only option I have is to make those changes as valuable as possible. If Dad can see me, I want him to know that he's still teaching me and still answering my questions.


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Pugs Not Drugs Unisex hoodie.
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Puppy Linux is a Live CD Linux distribution that is very small and focuses on ease of use and small size (50-90MB). Puppy Linux version 4.0 has been released and available for download from official project web site. From the announcement page:
Puppy has all drivers built-in for scanning, digital camera, printing (Gutenprint), audio recording/editing/conversion, making it a complete multimedia environment …yet is only 87.1MB!!! Of course this is in addition to being a complete office environment, in addition to having a huge collection of useful utilities, in addition to anything else you can think of.
Download Puppy Linux CD / ISO Images
- Download from official project page (87MB)


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Fats and Oils: Good for Your Dog's Health?
An Ideal Balance
As you will see on MyBowl, fats and oils are a necessary part of a balanced diet for dogs. A diet that provides about 10-15 percent fat (for normal, healthy adult animals) is best to maintain health. The time when fat in the diet becomes a problem is when animals are allowed to eat too much fat and calories (such as from extra treats and table scraps), without getting enough exercise to balance things out.
High-Fat Diet
Dogs never have to worry about cholesterol levels like humans do, as they won't end up with the same types of health issues humans may from eating a high-fat diet. If fat levels are too low; however, dogs can develop dry, itchy skin (dandruff) and a dull, dry coat. Other problems that can develop include a diminished immune system and other potential health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
The Building Blocks of Fats
Fats are a concentrated form of energy that give your dog more than twice the amount of energy as carbohydrates and proteins do. Fats used in dog foods are highly digestible and are the first nutrients to be used by the body as energy, ahead of protein and carbohydrates. Fats are made up of building blocks called fatty acids. Fatty acids are named according to their chemical structure and how they are bonded together.
Putting the Essential in Fatty Acids
There are certain fatty acids that dogs require in their diet because the body cannot make them. These are known as essential fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are divided into two groups called the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Fatty acids must be provided in a specifically balanced ratio. Fats have many important functions. Not only do they provide energy, but they are also necessary for the normal development and function of body cells.
Choosing the Right Fats and Oils
Fats are part of the reason that dog foods taste good and smell good too. Fats and oils also help the body to absorb certain vitamins. Not every fat or oil is good for our pets, however. The source, quality, and quantity of fat need to be carefully considered when choosing a good dog food. Check out the list of ingredients to see where the fats and oils are coming from.
Chicken, Pork, and Fish...Oh My!
Common sources of omega-3 fatty acids used in quality dog foods are fish oils (herring, salmon, etc.) and flaxseed and canola oils. Commonly used omega-6 fatty acid sources include pork fat, chicken fat (or any poultry fat), safflower and sunflower oils, as well as corn and soybean oils (vegetable oils). Keep an eye out for lower-quality sources such as lard or tallow. Dog food ingredients will include at least one source of fats and/or oils.
Additional SlideshowsWhat's New Dog Cat
|5 Cat Cafés You Must Visit
|6 Best Dog Breeds for Extroverts
|8 Best Dog Breeds for Introverts
|7 Safe and Healthy Human Foods for Dogs That You Can Serve for the Holidays
|6 Pet Safety Tips for After a Hurricane Hits
|Does My Dog Have Ticks?
|Top Ten Ways to Exercise with Your Dog in the Winter
|8 Best Dog Breeds for Introverts
|Common Causes (and Remedies) of Diarrhea in Pets
|6 Pet Medication Storage Tips to Avoid Danger
|10 Lovable Cat Breeds
|4 Must-Read Tips Before Buying a Food-Dispensing Cat Toy
|6 Things You Should Never Do When Adopting a Cat
|7 Signs Your Cat May Need a Feline Companion
|Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for Your Pet (and You)


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KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — Seventy-five percent of Alaska's salmon packers have decided to pull out of the Marine Stewardship Council's fisheries certification program when the current agreement expires at the end of October. Those processors are Trident, Icicle, Ocean Beauty, Peter Pan, Alaska General, E-and-E, Kwikpak and North Pacific. The MSC uses third-party verification of a fishery's sustainability and adherence to best practices.
The board of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation concurred with the move on Monday. That organization has been the MSC client since February 2010, after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game pulled out as the client for the Alaska.
In an announcement Tuesday, AFDF Executive Director James Browning said his organization would continue to work this year to ensure the 2012 Alaska salmon harvest remains eligible to carry the MSC logo. In 2011 the MSC certified 287,000 metric tons of Alaska salmon, or 8.7-percent of all the fisheries the London-based organization certifies.
MSC certification had once been a rare and valued indicator of a fishery's sustainability, but as more and more fisheries became certified, the cachet has diminished, according to industry watcher John Sackton of Seafood.com. He says in an editorial published Wednesday that the certification became not so much a marketing advantage as simply the price of entry into mainstream retail sales.
"The fact is that once a great majority or a lot of fisheries are sustainable, the fact that you have a sustainable seal or certificate is no longer a strategic marketing advantage," Sackton said. "What the Alaskan producers have found is that they would be better off spending their marketing money to promote the intrinsic values of Alaska salmon and the product benefits."
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Executive Director Ray Riutta said in an announcement that ASMI will provide third-party certification through the Alaska FAO-based Responsible Fisheries Management program. FAO is the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization. ASMI spokesman Tyson Fick says the cost for the program will not be passed on to producers.
According to a McDowell Group study in 2008, MSC certification cost Fish and Game $2.7-million, with individual processor costs ranging from $4,000 to $180,000. Fick says the cost today is likely higher.
United Fishermen of Alaska president Arni Thompson welcomed the announcement, saying it was in the best interest of the Alaska salmon fishery.


text: Refugee Vision Care Calendar Add to Calendar Add to Timely Calendar Add to Google Add to Outlook Add to Apple Calendar Add to other calendar Export to XML When: 26 December 2018 all-day Repeats 2018-12-26T00:00:00-05:00 2018-12-27T00:00:00-05:00 Where: Health Sciences Optometry Clinic 10 Victoria St S, Kitchener, ON N2G 1C5 Canada Justice. Waterloo Welcomes Refugees Author: KWPeace KWPeace is a website to link the many Peace and Social Justice organizations in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and the Waterloo Region townships. KWPeace tries to provide a comprehensive calendar of events. View all posts by KWPeace


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Unless you can lower the mattress more, make the room safe and get a toddler bed. We put the lock on the door knob on the inside of the room until our kids were old enough to be safe to come out of their room if they woke up (or you can put a gate at the doorway). Have as few toys as possible to avoid distraction from sleep, secure dressers and nightstands to the wall, all lotions, creams, diapers, etc. go up out of reach, don't under estimate. Have as few cords reachable as possible, cover up outlets. Once your child can climb out of the crib, they aren't safe. Better to deal with some nights of putting them back to bed rather than falling from a crib. But, if you leave them be and they can't get out, chances up, they will just get back in their toddler bed. We roll up a blanket for our son and put it under the mattress pad to keep him from falling out of the toddler bed, you could use a pool noodle too.
They sell a railing that you can slide under the toddler bed mattress and goes on the open side of the bed,(assuming one side of the bed is against a wall, otherwise I guess you could put one on each side). We had one for our oldest when she moved to a toddler bed at 17 months when we needed the crib for our new baby and it worked really well.


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Simon Winchester: The Story Behind E Pluribus Unum
Journalist; Author, A Crack in the Edge of the World and The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible ; Twitter: @vbelgarum
Simon Winchester follows in the footsteps of America's most essential explorers, thinkers and innovators, including Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery expedition to the Pacific Coast, the builders of the first transcontinental telegraphy, and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, introducing these fascinating men and others - some familiar, some forgotten, some hardly known - who played a pivotal role in creating today's United States. Join us as this delightful raconteur takes a fascinating look at the men whose efforts and achievements helped unify the states and created one cohesive nation. Learn more about Winchester on his website.


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Nicholas Urfe is mediocre and bored with his life in England. After multiple affairs with messy endings, he takes a teaching job on a remote island in Greece, but before he leaves, the previous instructor gives him a cryptic warning: "Beware of the waiting room."
Once on Phraxos, Nicko's old habits catch up to him, and he's once again bored until he comes across Mr. Conchis (pronounced, oddly enough, like "conscious") and the forewarned waiting room. Mr. Conchis, or the magus, challenges every thought Nicholas has ever had, frightening him and forcing him to play a game without parameters and in which there is no true winner.
You know how in movies people go in fun houses except they're not really fun because someone is totally going to die in the fun house? The Magus. And you silently yell at the character not to go into the fun house, but they do it anyway? Nicholas Urfe.
This is an incredibly difficult book to explain because oh lord, it's exactly like walking in a fun house. You go in and everything seems innocent and slightly fun, and then what you know is turned on its head. The biggest lesson of the fun house and The Magus? You cannot be sure of anything.
As I read The Magus, I had the oddest and most unnerving feeling I've ever experienced, and I must say it was much more terrifying than the scariest book I've ever read. Because as Mr. Conchis plays with Nicholas' ideas of reality, so too does he play with the reader's. Mr. Conchis initially tells the story of Lily, a woman he loved and lost to death, and by the time "Lily" appears, it was so expected and anticipated – yet eerie and unreal – that I didn't quite know what to do with myself. Nicholas reacts in much the same way and the more Conchis unsettles what Nicholas knows to be real, the less Nicholas is sure that anything is real. At the same time I silently begged Nicholas not to return to the lair of Mr. Conchis, I also urged him forward, eager to see what hellish turn or conclusion there might be.
The book jacket describes the novel as "a maze, a dark door," and I agree. Much like a fun house, a maze is something fairly innocuous. It is in the inevitable failure to find our way out that the maze becomes something other than a puzzle, the monster under the bed, or the ghost in the attic. In The Magus, Fowles attempts to undo all civilized, organized belief systems and ways of thinking in order to push the reader into somewhere beyond, into a waiting room of sorts that, if you are willing to constantly question yourself and your surrounding, you may or may not ever leave. Because outside the walls of the maze, are we really any less restricted or sure of our way?
Fascinating and petrifying, this novel is a must read for students of philosophy or those who love intellectual thrillers.


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Over the next 67 days, GatorCountry will preview the players that make up the 2013 Florida Gators football team as we inch closer and closer to the season.
Each day we will count down using the player whose jersey number corresponds with how many days there are left until Florida kicks off against Toledo in the Swamp on August 31.
Today we take a look at redshirt senior offensive guard Jon Halapio.
Sometimes scouting services get their projections wrong. It's especially hard to project offensive linemen in high school because most linemen are not physically ready to play at the next level and scouts are faced with having to predict how these players will progress at the next level.
Jon Halapio is one of those players that was vastly underrated in high school. Ranked as a 3-star recruit, Halapio played in three games as a true freshman before earning a medical redshirt.
As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Halapio played in 12 games for Florida, including seven starts at right guard. Halapio continued to progress in 2011 when he became the permanent starter at right guard and started every game for the Gators. He was the only player on the roster to start every game the entire season at the same position for Florida.
Halapio was named a team captain prior to last season and he again started every game of the season at right guard. His 27 consecutive starts are the most of any player on the roster and barring something unforeseen; he is poised to start every game again this season.
Player Evaluation
Offensive linemen love to run the football and Halapio is no different. He really excels as a run blocker – which works well for the Gators' style of offense.
At 6'3", 315-pounds, Halapio has great size for an interior lineman. He uses his hands well to deliver a punch in the run game and regularly drives his man off of the line of scrimmage.
He moves well for a player of his size and has no problem pulling when he is asked to. He couples those assets with quick feet for an interior linemen.
While he is an adequate pass-blocker, Halapio struggled at times last season in this aspect of his game. He and whoever was at right tackle had trouble picking up stunts and need to communicate better for Florida to have success. Too many times, Halapio and the right tackle would mix up their assignments and give up a negative play as a result.
He plays with good leverage most of the time but he could be more consistent in his technique overall. He can tend to get too high at times and not play with enough leverage.
What to Expect
Like we said before, you can expect Halapio to line up at right guard every time the Gators take the field, barring an injury of course. Florida brought in a solid offensive line recruiting class and players like Tyler Moore and Chaz Green could slide inside and challenge Halapio for his starting spot.
In the end, Halapio is more experienced at the position than anyone on Florida's roster, which is an easy statement to make because nobody has started at right guard other than Halapio in the last two years.
Halapio will give Florida a solid, reliable player on what should be a much improved offensive line in 2013.


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Item Description
custom childrens art print | astronaut
from $20.00
These personalized art prints are truly unique, featuring a design that looks just like your little one! Our custom art prints are the perfect addition to any child's bedroom or playroom.
Simply choose from the options to create a design that looks like your child, and we'll create a personalized print for you. A selection is required for each option.
Available in two sizes:
8" x 10" prints are shipped in a stay-flat mailer.
11" x 14" prints are shipped in a mailing tube.
Shipping Info
|art prints, notepads, note cards + labels
|up to 5 business days
|2 - 7 days
|all other items
|up to 5+ business days
|2 - 7 days
Please note: Production for mealtime items usually takes 2-5 business days, but it can sometimes take longer (for example if they notice a defect when packaging the order and they need to remake an item), and then the items are shipped from Dallas, Texas. Shipping normally takes about 2-5 days. We're not able to offer any expedited options for mealtime items.


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Please register and sign-in to add a brand logo for your map.
Adjust settings for the map additions, including customization for the additions dialogs. Such customizations can be useful when you are inviting other users to add entries to your map.
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