Denmark is once AGAIN considering banning cousin marriages due to the prevalence of serious and rare birth defects found in the children born to these muslim couples.
"Cousin marriages is most common in families with Pakistani and Turkish roots. A Norwegian study from 2007 shows that a third of Pakistanis and a tenth of Turks are married with a cousin......According to Sygeplejersken (Nurse) journal, the risk for cousin couples to have children with a handicap or genetic disease is double the average."
Thus one glaring fact has emerged from the "culture" of Islam - an egregiously and sickening high rate of birth defects caused by muslim inbreeding. Muslims from Pakistan being the biggest offenders.
According to a past article in the Sunday Times: "the minister, who represents Oldham East and Saddleworth said: "If you talk to any primary care worker they will tell you that levels of disability among the . . . Pakistani population are higher than the general population. And everybody knows it's caused by first cousin marriage. "That's a cultural thing rather than a religious thing. It is not illegal in this country. "The problem is that many of the parents themselves and many of the public spokespeople are themselves products of first cousin marriages."
Ann Cryer MP, whose constituency has a large Pakistani population, has observed and stated that much of the Pakistani community is in denial about the problem. LINK It is clear that the majority of politicians, civic leaders and many health professionals are also wearing politically-correct blinders when it comes to confronting muslim intermarriage.
There is absolutely NO doubt that politicians and social leaders need to arise from worshipping at the altar of multiculturalism, dust off their knees, and make marriage between first cousins illegal and a reason to deny immigration into the UK. (and EU, USA, etc) This would not only help to relieve the enormous financial strain such marriages have brought to the British healthcare system but also would help to prevent another helpless child, who had no say in their origins, from undue suffering from multiple and often painful deformities and birth defects.
Viking- it's not that their family tree branches are tangled, it's that their family trees look like a telephone pole.
I think that we should continue to allow these marriages to take place as a lesser of two evils because, otherwise, these Asiatic people will start to breed with the indigenous Teutonic and Celtic races of Great Britain. Miscegenation is by far the more serious issue. My conscience will remain clear if another generation of Pakistanis are born with physical defects.
Teuton, I understand that you're a white supremacist. Well, let me tell you something "new": It never bothered them before to screw "Aryan" women.
However, they're less likely to marry these women and have kids with them because they're permiscuous in their view and only good for one thing.
What will happen if they won't be allowed to marry their cousins in Europe, is that they will resort to either stop marrying cousins or RETURN TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM in order to do so.
(Pshh, and you portray yourself as some kind of übermensch? Try mastering simple logic first, genious).
In kurdistan there are four siblings walking on all four, unable to walk on two legs! So let them breed with their own kind. The easier it will be to deal with them later. The dumber they becomes, it's only to our advantage.
Cousinage marriage is really important in societies that devalue women. In order for a family to assure the health, wellbeing and sometimes survival of daughters it is best to marry them within the family where their fathers have power within the family group. First you have to raise the value and rights of women, and the problem will correct itself.
1. Given the (relative) prevalence of so-called "honour killings" how sure are you that most/all Muslim Dads really care about their daughters "health, wellbeing and ... survival"?
2. "rais[ing] the value and rights of women" is anti-Islamic, since the subjugation of women is enshrined in Sharia Law. So, what chance there?
3. A further more general point: given the dowry concept, cousinage also keeps wealth within the family - and I fear that that is a more important element than any factor of the girl's wellbeing etc.
May I also say that I was going to make a 'funny' about this, but your point struck me so powerfully that I felt a serious reply was in order.
Cousinage marriage was very frequent in Europe before the 20th century. Usually marriage between 1st cousins occurred in the aristocracy and nobility to consolidate land and wealth. The Rothchilds and royality are examples of this. Money is certainly also an issue in Muslim cousin marriage. As you probably are aware, most Muslims in the third world still live in tribal societies where distrust of other tribes and anyone outside the village except family is fierce. Even though the status of women is very low, families still love their daughters and do not want to see them misused. If they marry out of the family and issues arise, it could cause larger issues within the community. It is best to just marry the people who are part of your group.
Your point about honor killings is a good one. It would be interesting to do a study to see if most honor killings are of daughters or of wives who have left their natal family. I think if you looked at India, you would see that it is mostly unprotected wives.
We clearly agree my #3 point.
Does your lack of response indicate you also agree with #2?
A very quick 'straw poll' of news stories would suggest an approx 50-50 split in the UK between fathers/brothers on one hand and husbands (who may or may not be 'family' in the context you meant)on the other and I suggest this is more relevent in UK than events in India/Pakistan.
I would not doubt what you say about the Indian sub-continent. (I assume that was what you meant by 'India').
I can think of no "crime" or "dishonour" my own daughter could commit that would lead me to kill her, but then I'm a Western European.
Thus I think that question stands.
Cousinage marriage is not an issue of Sharia law. It is rather a matter of custom. It is ingrained in the culture, and the more unenlightened the culture the more frequently it will occur. Sharia law exacerbates the situation because women have no right to object.
I think you are asking me if Sharia law leads to a lack of paternal affection for daughters. My own experience with Arab and Muslim families in the U.S. it that these people love their children as much a Christians and Jews. On the other hand, I have read books about families in Muslims countries where daughters are treated no better than domestic cattle. For the most part, they are very destitute families where life is a such a struggle that they cannot allow attachment to their children to interfere with their survival. In these cases, sons are not treated much better than girls. They too are beaten and see their mothers beaten and the cycle continues.
I feel for your plight in G.B. I hope that my government wakes up soon and realises that they must stop the immigration of Muslims before we begin to have the problems you face. I fear that this will not come to pass with our current president and we will soon have all your problems.
you are quite right about Cousinage marriage not being a matter of Sharia law - I never said that it was.
Neither was I asking you "if Sharia law leads to a lack of paternal affection for daughters."
I was simply pointing out that Sharia Law enshrines a subordinated legal position for Women, (just as the Koran enshrines a subordinated spiritual one).
The Sunna also makes it clear that a Woman has a subordinated social position too.
None of those facts (of themselves) automatically lead to less affection from fathers to daughters (though it may still make said fathers regard said daughters as "inferior" to their sons).
Given that Islam unambiguously affords women second-class status, your suggestion: "First you have to raise the value and rights of women ..." is simply un-Islamic (at least to most major schools of Islamic Jurisprudence).
Now, I do agree that more "progressive" Moslems (e.g. those living under the Benevolence of Uncle Sam), or those that are exposed to more liberal (and rational) thought, may well find themselves ceasing to believe that their women-folk are "inferior".
However, such Moslems can hardly be called "orthodox" - no matter how devout they may be.
(A major problem we in UK have is that most of the Imams for the Mosques here are Saudi trained.
honour killings and cousin marriages have NOTHING to do with Islam... it is a cultural phenomenon, unique to certain tribes/families/sects/communities. The amount of ignorance in the world is sickening.
Dont forget that it has been proven that the older the male is, the more chances of them fathering an abnormal child, and in their cultures they often marry 10 year old girls off to 60 year old men, so this would explain their violent and backwards ways, years of inbreeding and peodophile marriges have created a whole type of inperfect mutated peoples.
Research for BBC2′s Newsnight in November 2005 showed British Pakistanis accounted for 3.4 per cent of all births but have 30 per cent of all British children with recessive disorders.


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text:
Für immer (German for forever) may refer to:

"Für immer" (Die Ärzte song), 1986
"Für immer" (Warlock song), 1987
Für Immer (video), a double DVD video album by former Warlock singer Doro Pesch
"Für Immer", a song by Neu!
"Für immer", a song by Böhse Onkelz from Weiß
Für immer (D.A.F. album), 1982
"Für immer" (Unheilig song)
Für immer, a 2019 album by Seiler und Speer

See also
Forever (disambiguation)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


How do practitioners, community members, and scientists collaborate effectively to identify approaches for tackling climate change impacts?
What does climate resilience look like at different levels of impact, such as individual, community, local, city, regional, and national?
We study human adaptation, mitigation, and preparedness in the face of climate change, a global issue of our time. Resilience is the focus of this work, through which we explore how both individuals and groups, cope with, recover from, and ultimately adapt to a changing climate. Our work connects human and environmental wellbeing intimately, and focuses on systems-level efforts to collaboratively create solutions that build capacity for humanity and nature to thrive together.


Mother's Day sessions are my favourite mini sessions of the year. As a mom I get so nostalgic every year my daughter gets older, I can see time passing right before my eyes. Capturing the love between you and your little ones is so so important. It means so much to me to be able to capture such lovely moments and memories of such a close bond. These sessions are nothing but fun, your kids can jump, play cuddle, scream, giggle, anything they want! This session can be booked for Mamas and their kids, Grandmas, Great Grandmas… even Dads are welcome. It's a perfect Mothers day gift or present to yourself.
Below are images from last years sessions, scroll down to check them out!


text:
Today on GR Live: Digimon World: Next Order
Jake jumps into the studio for the latest instalment.
Magnus Groth-Andersen
Many of us remember the good old days of Digimon back in the early noughties, but it's still managed to carve out a space in the market for itself nowadays, which in part is due to the Digimon World game series.
There's been a couple of chapters, and now it seems its popularity is reaching new heights with the release of Digimon World: Next Order on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.
Luckily we have a resident Digimon fan in Jake, and so he's paying a visit to the Gamereactor Live studio to show off the game.
Tune in at 15:00 (16:00 CET) on our live page.
NEWS. Written by Magnus Groth-Andersen on the 22nd of February 2017 at 09:14
Digimon World: Next Order has a release date
NEWS. Written by Fabrizia Malgieri on the 18th of November 2016 at 19:18
And there's an exclusive interactive activity to take a look at.
Digimon World: Next Order gets 13 new screenshots
NEWS. Written by Brandon Green on the 10th of November 2016 at 12:10
Digital Monsters' PS4 debut has been slightly delayed.
Bandai Namco wants to bring more Digimon games west
NEWS. Written by Mike Holmes on the 16th of September 2016 at 18:41
Kazumasa Habu explains that they want to release more titles over here.
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System: PS Vita, PS4
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Offline players: 1
Age limit: From 12 years
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
EUROPE'S LARGEST VIDEO GAME MAGAZINE
Staff presentation
Advertise on GR
Copyright 1998-2020 - Published by Gamez Publishing A/S, Toftebæksvej 6, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
using namespace Microsoft::WRL;

#include <array>

class Kinect
{
private:
    // Sensor
    ComPtr<IKinectSensor> kinect;

    // Coordinate Mapper
    ComPtr<ICoordinateMapper> coordinateMapper;

    // Reader
    ComPtr<IColorFrameReader> colorFrameReader;
    ComPtr<IBodyFrameReader> bodyFrameReader;
    std::array<ComPtr<IFaceFrameReader>, BODY_COUNT> faceFrameReader;

    // Color Buffer
    std::vector<BYTE> colorBuffer;
    int colorWidth;
    int colorHeight;
    unsigned int colorBytesPerPixel;
    cv::Mat colorMat;

    // Body Buffer
    std::array<IBody*, BODY_COUNT> bodies = { nullptr };

    // Face Buffer
    std::array<ComPtr<IFaceFrameResult>, BODY_COUNT> results;
    std::array<std::string, FaceProperty::FaceProperty_Count> labels;
    std::array<cv::Vec3b, BODY_COUNT> colors;

public:
    // Constructor
    Kinect();

    // Destructor
    ~Kinect();

    // Processing
    void run();

private:
    // Initialize
    void initialize();

    // Initialize Sensor
    inline void initializeSensor();

    // Initialize Color
    inline void initializeColor();

    // Initialize Body
    inline void initializeBody();

    // Initialize Face
    inline void initializeFace();

    // Finalize
    void finalize();

    // Update Data
    void update();

    // Update Color
    inline void updateColor();

    // Update Body
    inline void updateBody();

    // Update Face
    inline void updateFace();

    // Draw Data
    void draw();

    // Draw Color
    inline void drawColor();

    // Draw Face
    inline void drawFace();

    // Draw Face Points
    inline void drawFacePoints( cv::Mat& image, const std::array<PointF, FacePointType::FacePointType_Count>& points, const int radius, const cv::Vec3b& color, const int thickness = -1 );

    // Draw Face Bounding Box
    inline void drawFaceBoundingBox( cv::Mat& image, const RectI& box, const cv::Vec3b& color, const int thickness = 1 );

    // Draw Face Rotation
    inline void drawFaceRotation( cv::Mat& image, Vector4& quaternion, const RectI& box, const double fontScale, const cv::Vec3b& color, const int thickness = 2 );

    // Convert Quaternion to Degree
    inline void quaternion2degree( const Vector4* quaternion, int* pitch, int* yaw, int* roll );

    // Draw Face Properties
    inline void drawFaceProperties( cv::Mat& image, std::array<DetectionResult, FaceProperty::FaceProperty_Count>& detections, const RectI& box, const double fontScale, const cv::Vec3b& color, const int thickness = 2 );

    // Convert Detection Result to String
    inline std::string Kinect::result2string( DetectionResult& result );

    // Show Data
    void show();

    // Show Face
    inline void showFace();
};

#endif // __APP__

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Stone Roses have reformed to "satisfy" their fans' dreams and "lift people up".
The seminal Manchester indie band announced yesterday (19.10.11) they had reunited after 15 years apart for a world tour and to write a new album, and bassist Gary 'Mani' Mounfield insists the four-piece haven't got back together for money.
The musician - who joined Primal Scream after the group finally dissolved in October 1996 - is determined to get back on the road and perform for fans who stayed loyal to The Stone Roses.
"People have got dreams that they want to see happen, it'd be nice to satisfy their dreams and get it done because I'm getting f***ing sick of being asked the question and answering it."
Frontman Ian Brown is also adamant the band - which also includes guitarist John Squire and drummer Alan 'Reni' Wren - haven't reformed for cash because they have turned down huge money offers in the past to reform.
The 'I Am the Resurrection' singer - who has released six solo albums - said: "The money has always been on the table you know, we could have took that money any time we wanted, every year, two or three times a year we've had offers all the way down the line.
"We've not seen each other, so how can you bring back a band with the spirit to warm people up and lift people up if you've not even spoken to each other?"
The first tentative steps towards a reformation started after Ian and John met up again after not speaking for over a decade at the funeral of Mani's mother earlier this year.
Although the band have confirmed two dates at Manchester's Heaton Park on June 29 and 30 next year and plan to follow the concerts up with a full tour, Ian insists they aren't thinking too much about the future.
The singer said: "We'll ride it 'til the wheels fall off like we did last time. And they did fall off, didn't they? If we didn't think we had it in us we wouldn't be sat here wasting our own time or anybody else's time."


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Arkansas School Board Member Cyberbullies Student for Supporting LGBT Rights May 24, 2015 Hemant Mehta
Arkansas School Board Member Cyberbullies Student for Supporting LGBT Rights
The Bentonville School Board in Arkansas is currently debating whether or not to "add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected statuses under the School District's Equal Employment Opportunity policy."
You'd have to be a pretty horrible person to oppose that, since leaving it out would allow LGBT teachers to be fired purely on the basis of their sexual orientation.
Unfortunately, some of those horrible people are on the school board.
Like Rebecca Powers, who made this comment on Facebook following a student-led demonstration in favor of changing the policy:
The young lady that… is heading this up is an atheist. She is also rude, and disrespectful. I had the displeasure of watching her at the Mary Beth Tinker event at BHS. She was reprimanded for her behavior that day by school officials.
(She actually made the comment twice.)
First of all, what the fuck? What's wrong with being an atheist? Replace that word with "Jew" and the bigotry becomes apparent.
And why the hell is a school board member attacking a student on social media in the first place? She should be applauding students who are so passionate about a policy issue even if they're on opposite sides! Most students are so apathetic, they wouldn't care about this stuff at all.
Also, that student's mother says the comment about her daughter being reprimanded is just a flat-out lie:
[Paula] Mantel said her daughter [Victoria Mantel] never was reprimanded for her behavior.
"While the statement Miss Powers made is completely untrue and shocking in and of itself, the fact that a School Board member in this district would cyberbully a student in a social media post violates the School Board's code of conduct and ethics policies," Mantel said.
A letter sent to the school board by Amy Gillespie, who runs the BPS Citizens for Equality Facebook page, brought up the cyberbullying issue along with a host of other problems:
"The comment was phrased so that the student was easily identifiable and contained personal private details about the student including her religious beliefs and prior disciplinary actions," according to the letter. "BHS staff told us this post may have even been inaccurate, identifying the wrong student with these details."
If the post did come from a district officials, it could put the district at risk for litigation, Gillespie and [co-administrator of the Facebook page Gretchen] Bellamy said in an email to the newspaper. They said the post may have violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act by disclosing a student's official disciplinary record.
"We ask that the board fully investigate the incident according to its procedures and for swift and harsh disciplinary action be taken against Ms. Powers up to and including her removal from the board should she be found in violation," according to the letter to the board and [Superintendent Michael] Poore.
Since the newspaper revealed the student's identity, that's not really an issue anymore, but I can't get past how childish Powers has to be to publicly trash a student — all because some kids support job protection for their LGBT teachers.
Powers, by the way, made that post on a Facebook page called BPS Protect Our Children — a name that suggests LGBT teachers will somehow harm the kids. (As opposed to people like Josh Duggar…?)
She later responded to media inquiries with the same disrespect she showed in her initial post, denying that she did anything wrong:
Powers said in her email Friday she decided not to comment on the matter, hoping the claim against her wouldn't become an issue, "out of respect for student privacy."
"It has, so let me be clear: I personally observed teachers verbally reprimand 'a student' for rude and disrespectful behavior that I personally observed at a public event. It is not 'bullying' to state an opinion that an unnamed student's behavior was 'rude and disrespectful,' or to comment on potential motivations for that behavior," Powers wrote.
In other words, she's defending her bullying of a child by saying it's totally not bullying if it's true.
My unborn child has more maturity than that.
She eventually apologized… but not for what she said. Just for making the post public when it should've been private (as if that would make it any better):
She added her post was never intended for public display, but was inadvertently posted where it could be seen by others beyond those for whom it was intended.
"My comment was meant only for private discussion, and was inadvertently posted in a public group instead," she wrote. "However, I am sincerely sorry that these remarks became public, and I sincerely apologize for any hurt this has caused to any student who believes I was identifying them.
So she didn't apologize for being a horrible person. She was just sorry she didn't click the right Facebook settings.
Wait, it gets worse:
"As usual in debates about homosexuality and cross-dressing, when these divisive issues are forced on school boards by those who wish to normalize harmful behaviors to impressionable children, supporters of these categories make accusations of 'bullying' when confronted by the truth," Powers wrote.
She's referring to the "harmful" behaviors of educated professionals whose sexual orientations she doesn't understand or accept.
The board hasn't voted on the LGBT-inclusion policy yet, but it will be discussed at their June meeting. It appears, however, that a majority of the board members are opposed to the policy change. Even for Arkansas, that's disappointing.
For now, if you want to show your support, follow the BPS Citizens for Equality page for more information.
I've reached out to Victoria Mantel to see how she's doing and will post an update if/when I hear back.
***Update***: A source close to this story tells me that Victoria, the student, is not an atheist. The headline of this piece has been changed to reflect that.
Here's Part Four of a Secretly-Videotaped Jehovah's Witness Apostasy Trial
May 24, 2015 Neil deGrasse Tyson Shares His Time Travel Preference


text:
Apologetics Culture Jesus Christ Online Articles
Celebrity deaths: 3 lessons our culture must learn in 2016
By theweeflea April 22, 2016
6 Comments on Celebrity deaths: 3 lessons our culture must learn in 2016
This is my latest article on the Premier Blog….You can view the original by clicking Here
By: David Robertson | Apr 2016
As musical icon Prince joins a growing list of well-known people who have died in 2016, David Robertson asks whether our secular culture is ready to face its own mortality
This week I buried a woman. I had only met her two hours before she died. She was 92 years old and passed away quietly in her care home. I took the funeral at the local crematorium. It was a quiet and unremarkable affair. Except for one thing – I got her name wrong. I confused Janet, with her daughter Jean, who promptly reminded me that it was not her funeral!
But you know neither Janet nor Jean, or the vast majority of the 156,600 people who die every day throughout the world. On the other hand a lot of people you and Ithink we know have died this year. David Bowie, Terry Wogan, Paul Daniels, George Martin, Ed Stewart, Alan Rickman, Johann Cruyff, Ronnie Corbett, Merle Haggard, the voice of Lady Penelope on Thunderbirds, Victoria Wood and now Prince.
Does it seem to you that there seems to be some kind of bonfire of the celebrities? Or is it just those of us who are middle-aged who are seeing the familiar names of our childhood dying? Whatever the reason it seems as though death is never out of the news.
It appears that in popular culture, we still cannot face up to the nihilist existentialism of atheistic naturalism.
One of my favourite radio programmes is the BBC's 'Last Word' which every week comes up with some fascinating obituaries. In a recent edition it covered everything from Nancy Reagan to Rachel Johnson. Rachel was the last surviving woman who was evacuated from the remote Scottish island of St Kilda in 1930. Obituaries are the stories of human lives which have ended, and as such they tell us a great deal about our society and those of us who are still living 'under the sun'.
What does the response to celebrity death tell us about our culture?
1. The hopelessness of life without God
It is true that many people, especially the well off, busy and self absorbed, find life perfectly liveable without any need for God. Although some seem satisfied with the prevailing meta-narrative of atheistic naturalism, on a heart level, no one is.
On the one hand people cheer and sing the atheist anthem 'imagine there's no heaven'. But as soon as death appears so do the headlines about 'tears in heaven' and the the tweets about Prince 'enjoying purple rain in heaven'.
It appears that in popular culture, we still cannot face up to the nihilist existentialism of atheistic naturalism. If we acted and felt the way our philosophy tells us then we would realise that the death of anyone is just a rearranging of chemicals in the universe. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We come from nothing, we go into nothing and ultimately nothing lives on.
But no one can really face that. Because within ourselves we know that it is not true. The Bible was right about eternity being in our hearts. 'I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end' (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11).
2. The hypocrisy of celebrity culture
Have you noticed how everyone who dies is the best there ever has been – a hero, a saint (except perhaps Osama Bin Laden)?
While I enjoy reading full-scale detailed obituaries, I dread the sound bites and the twee tweets that inevitably follow any celebrity's death. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. You know that the latter time has arrived when meaningless guff such as that posted by President Obama appears on your phone!
'"A strong spirit transcends rules," Prince once said—and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative.'
I don't deny that Prince was a great musician, but there's no need for exaggeration in our eulogies of him, or anyone else.
3. The hope of Christ
I have a rather cynical friend who tweeted last night 'Right. I'm taking bets on who will be first to put a blog out on the passing of Prince and it's Christological significance. Or something.'
Such cynicism is understandable because it seems as though those of us in the Church have to get our word in quickly. It has to be confessed that sometimes we Christians can be as crass, sentimental, manipulative and insensitive, as anyone else. We too need to be careful that we don't treat a celebrity's death as somehow of more consequence than the 92 year-old Janet's of our world.
Any death is a tragedy (yes even Osama Bin Laden's). But every death also reminds us that we too are dying. We are mortal. But it does not end with the ashes. There is the Christian hope, the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.
A new name
Prince became famous as 'the artist formerly known as prince', when he changed his name to a symbol representing both genders (he did so in an era when two genders was all there were!). He did this as a protest against his record company but it does indicate an important point – our names matter. Many people presume that Prince was his stage name, but he really was called Prince Rogers Nelson at his birth.
We were burying and mourning a real person who had a real name which means something
When I made my faux pas at Janet's funeral, it really did matter. And I was thankful that in a blunt Dundonian working class manner, I was interrupted mid-prayer and put right! (Middle class people would have kept quiet, tut-tutted and it would never have been forgotten nor forgiven!). We were burying and mourning a real person who had a real name which means something.
Which brings me on to the scary thought that we live after we die. There is an eternity, a day of judgement and resurrection to eternal life for those who are in Christ. Jesus tells his people 'I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it' (Revelation 2:17).
Jesus, the name above every name, died so that he could give his people new life complete with a new name. The white stone signifies purity and certainty. The hope of this world is fading, like a pop star's fading tune, but the promise of Christ is rock solid. He knows his people. He will never forget. Our name is written on his hands.
Tags: Apologetics atheism Culture David Bowie Death hope Janet Jesus Christ Premier Prince Revelation Terry Wogan The Name
John Lewis says:
David, Once again you have put your finger on it and said just what I was thinking (but far more coherently). I attended a memorial (service?) this week of an old friend who committed suicide. It was a sort of pseudo-Buddhist, vaguely spiritual, superstitious thing with lots of wordy tributes interspersed with poems and favourite songs. There wasn't a prayer, a reading from Scripture or even a hymn, just an endless rolling photo stream of the deceased in better days. There was no peace, no hope, no comfort, no vision or even any inspiration from his life. His daughter expressed a hope that perhaps he'd come back as a bee, though I confess her reasoning was somewhat lost on me. 'Meaningless, meaningless' said the humanist 'celebrant' in his fake dour voice (well, what he said was meaningless anyway). What a depressing affair! As you say, few can face up to the nihilist existentialism of atheistic naturalism so the best we can do is a sort of westernised version of Buddhism which can be adapted for use by all those who want a dash of spirituality. I am filled with sadness and wish they knew the truth that is in Jesus Christ.
Some interesting points. Of course we all are naturally inclined towards the naturalist position otherwise, why would it be called "naturalist".
Imagining a world without religion? Why not a world without secularism. Or a world without Ibrox for a Celtic supporter or Celtic Park for a Rangers supporter.
We all are naturally included to hold to the values of our peers.
So just as we have John Lennon imagining no heaven, we have Freddie Mercury singing that this could be heaven for everyone.
Secularist France can be forgiven for imagining peace without there being religion. Aren't Christians good at forgiving, or supposed to be?
Perhaps the church is so poor about sharing good news, the peace that passes understanding at times that in God's providence hope for such comes through musicians and other performing artists in such as comedians.
It might be helpful to remember the two times that Jesus was amazed. First at the lack of faith among his own people and second, the faith of the Gentile centurion.
Sorry that this has nothing to do with celebrity deaths but it is connected to the subject of an earlier post.
While up in Fort William yesterday I came across something advertising Ronnie Campbell, an Independent candidate for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. He says that he will 'protect the aged and unborn.' Sounds promising. May be of interest to any readers living in that constituency.
Mary McGrory says:
simply thank you for this, well said.
In past years I was asked to speak at the funeral of two of my colleagues; neither as far as I know were Christians although the services were conducted by the "duty" vicar. While wanting to speak some words of comfort I did not want to pronounce lies over them.
I took advice from my Pastor, and he suggested I concluded with the phrase "He / she is now in God's hands". Completely true, but the implications of this are huge, and were largely lost on the listeners. All these celebrities are now also "in God's hands" whatever wooliy statements are made about them. A very serious thought!
On a different point the Radio4 programme Last Word is followed by the excellent statistical programme, More or Less. Last week they did a section on whether the number of celebrity deaths so far this year was statistically more than in previous years. They concluded that it was, and came up with several reasons as to why this might be. This was before the deaths were announced of Victoria Wood and :Prince.
If I was a celebrity……… !
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End Your Addiction. Get Help Today.
Choosing an alcohol or drug rehab program is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will ever have to make. Each program has its own treatment options, staff qualifications, credentials, cost, and effectiveness. It's hard enough dealing with addiction, let us find a rehabilitation program to fit your needs.
Before you make your decision, come to rehab programs for expert advice and guidance. Also, the rehab that is located closest to you is not always the best decision. In fact we highly recommend getting out of your everyday environment while you undergo treatment. It has been proven that people are much less likely to leave earlier, or even quit when they have traveled outside of their community.
It's time to get help. Start with acceptance.
People all over the world are plagued by addiction. Lawyers, Doctors, Businesses Owners, Homeless, Jobless & Hopeless People; we all have people close to us, or maybe even ourselves that struggle to overcome the death grip of addiction. Take the first step to get on the path of recovery. Rehab-Programs.org can help you take that first step and get you the guidance you need.
Alcoholism is not the same as alcohol abuse. Both are problematic and need to be addressed, but alcoholism occurs when a person shows signs of a physical addiction (i.e. high tolerance, withdrawal, etc) and continues to drink, even though the drinking has caused obvious problems with their physical & mental health. An alcoholics family can suffer for their choices, sometimes the person needs their family to come forward, sometimes alcohol dominates the persons life so much that they can't even maintain a relationship. If any of this is hitting home for you or a loved one, you need to call us immediately. Don't wait another second; it could be the last.
Stop drinking completely without a treatment program and hope it works.
Turn yourself over to a treatment center and get real help.
It's your choice. No one can do it for you. You need to make a clear, concise, decision to devote yourself to recovery. After all, addiction is a disease.
It's sad to see the amount of people who are put in a stranglehold by this thing we call addiction. When recreational drug use takes the turn down that dark road, we are here to help. Drug dependance is basically a fancy way of saying that the person needs the substance to function normally; it can be something as acceptable as Marijuana or as hard as Heroin. Both are serious and need to be addressed. Despite the negative affects and uncontrolled industry, drug use runs rampant everywhere from college campus' to Wall Street.
Do you have a Physical Addiction to Drugs?
When you or a loved one have become physically addicted to a drug then you need to get help. The first step would be a detoxification program that purges your body safely of the toxins. The second step is to transition into a treatment center's program that will teach you how to deal with and accept your addiction.
The only way to take care of a disease is to treat it. That's exactly what has to be done when the road runs out. Treatment for drug abuse and alcoholism always begin with acceptance of the disease and recognition of a problem. If you decide to go to a rehab program then you should expect to be treated with dignity, empathy and respect. Most folks who are the counselors at treatment centers are also addicts themselves.
Treatment of dependency often times requires the use of professional administered medications to either gradually or immediately detox the body of the problematic drug. People with serious physical addiction will need to go to a detox center for a period of 5 to 7 days to cleanse their body. Withdrawal without proper medical attention can result in serious injury or even death. Just like every other aspect of medicine, the least intensive form of treatment should come first- in this case it is detoxification.
Residential treatment centers will have rehab programs in place to deal with the mental symptoms of addiction. When properly addressed, conditions can be successfully treated with stunning results. These types of behavior modifications can result in a happy, healthy and fulfilled life.
Treatment programs include counseling for both genders, the monitoring of possible withdrawal symptoms and behaviors, group therapy, family therapy, individualized psychological sessions and much more. Every program is aimed at getting the individual to accept their behavior and make a decision to change it. Don't worry though, you will most certainly have the peer support of others who are trying to do the same thing you are.
The Next Step: Take Action!
Your next step in the long journey we call life is to address the wounds that addiction has caused and begin to mend the relationships you have tarnished. The way to do that is to pick up the phone and give us a call, 1.866.501.3366 of if you don't feel like speaking with someone right now, you can always contact us using our secure and private contact form. Don't wait another second, get your life back.


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CREEPY SIX FILMS
Heads Are Gonna Roll
HELL HATH NO FURY
BRIVIDO GIALLO FILMS
Odissea Della Morte
STAB KILL DIE
Director Biographical Note
~ Vancouver's first Midnight Movie Production Company
The "Perfect" Dual-Editions and Combo Sets (15th anniversary)
Welcome to the Creepy Six Films direct online store! Our new releases and special edition re-releases are authorized MOD DVDs up to a limited number, and we will not print more than those authorized numbers.
2-DVD PERFECT EDITION (666 Limited Numbered Edition)
The original 2004 Asylum DVD, Vampires vs Zombies; plus the ultra-special Unearthed Films 2008 DVD release are included in this new double-DVD "Perfect Edition" set from Creepy Six Films, commemorating our 15th anniversary in 2016. Includes all the special features from both DVDs, this set, along with our second and third films (Human Nature and Hell Hath No Fury) are all available now in the very limited (666 copies each) and individually numbered double-disc sets with reversible sleeve artwork. All of our new sets are environmentally printed individually on DVD-R media (single and dual-layer) and encased in an environmental dual-disc Amaray case and individually shrinkwrapped. These will be our final and definitive releases of our back catalogue, available while supplies last.
$21.99 + Shipping – Worldwide! Dual-DVD available now! Pay with PayPal.
A very special edition of Creepy Six Films' second horror film; this "Perfect Edition" includes both the original Asylum DVD release plus the 2008 Anamorphic and UNCUT Creepy Six Films DVD with exclusive special features including a behind-the-scenes documentary, interviews with the cast and crew and special FX make-up artist Ryan Nicholson, and audio commentary. Reversible slipsleeve artwork. THIS TITLE IS ONLY AVAILABLE HERE!
Blu-ray/DVD Combo PERFECT EDITION (666 Limited Numbered Edition)
A brand new Blu-ray featuring a new Anamorphic transfer of the original, uncut film; plus a new 1080p "Grindhouse" version – both versions include the never-before-released audio commentary by the cast and crew; plus the original Brain Damage Films DVD version which includes an exclusive photo gallery and Brain Damage trailers. This new Blu-ray/DVD combo set also includes four rare, exclusive behind-the-scenes full-sized postcards. With reversible slipsleeve artwork.
$31.99 + Shipping – Worldwide! Blu-ray/DVD Combo available now! Pay with PayPal.
Single-DVD Anniversary Edition (666 Limited Numbered Edition)
This newly-transferred (2015) Anamorphic DVD-9 includes the fully uncut version of the film plus the never-before-heard audio commentary by filmmakers Vince D'Amato, Ryan Nicholson, Peter Speers and leading actress Jennifer Angiers, as originally recorded in 2004.
$19.99 + Shipping – Worldwide! DVD available now! Pay with PayPal.
CORPSE-O-RAMA
ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD (250 Limited Numbered Edition)
"You have to admire anyone who can get vampire hookers, cyborg kung-fu, a re-animated headless corpse and a serial boyfriend-killer all into the same flick! …Check it out!" ~Joe Bob Briggs (Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In)
This is a very special limited-numbered single-disc DVD Special Edition celebrating Creepy Six Films' 15th Anniversary – and the 15th Anniversary of Corpse-O-Rama itself – which was Creepy Six Films' freshman film! Originally shot on 16mm film and released independently on VHS in Canada in 2001, this new DVD version is a newly-transferred and color-timed version of the film from the original film masters, released to only 150 DVD copies as a historical record of Creepy Six Films. Once these 150 are gone, that's it!
All of our new DVDs are environmentally printed individually on DVD-R media and encased in a standard DVD Amaray case and individually shrinkwrapped. These will be our final and definitive releases of our back catalogue, available while supplies last. This final edition also includes Joe Bob Briggs' complete Drive-In review!
Come visit us over at Darkside Releasing for new editions!
We are connected with...
CINEMAFANTASTIQUE International Genre Film Fest
DARKSIDE RELEASING International Film Sales / Distribution


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Q: Converting pointer to 2D array I'm calling C++ method from C# code and passing the pointer of first element of a 2D array, and the dimensions of the array to the C++ function:
C# code
fixed (bool* addressOfMonochromeBoolMatrixOfBitmap = &monochromeBoolMatrixOfBitmap[0, 0]
{
    NativeGetUniquenessMatrixOfBitmap(addressOfMonochromeBoolMatrixOfBitmap, Width, Height);
}

C++ code
extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void NativeGetUniquenessMatrixOfBitmap ( bool* addressOfMonochromeBoolMatrixOfBitmap,
    int boolMatrixWidth, int boolMatrixHeight)
{
}

In the C++ code I want to cast the bool* pointer to 2D array, in order to access the elements using conventional array syntax: someArray[1][4].
I've tried this code:
bool (*boolMatrix)[boolMatrixWidth][boolMatrixHeight] = (bool (*)[boolMatrixWidth][boolMatrixHeight])addressOfMonochromeBoolMatrixOfBitmap;

But it doesn't compile giving the message "expected constant expression".
Please share any ideas. Thanks.

A: In C++ 2D array only one array dimension can be from variable, the other one must be constant. So you have to keep the pointer and compute the address of each pixel manually.
And I am affraid you have to swap height and width, i.e. correct is probably [height][width]. If it is so, then height can be variable, but width must be constant. If it isn't constant, you have to keep the bool* pointer and compute address of each row like row = address + width*y and then you can use row[x] to access particular items in the row.
//we prepare row pointer to read at position x,y
bool *row = addressOfMonochromeBoolMatrixOfBitmap + boolMatrixWidth * y;

//example: read from x,y
bool value_at_xy = row[x];

//example: move to next row
row += boolMatrixWidth;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Maple syrup is not just for pancakes anymore. Chef Ryan Mackay, who's getting ready to open The Stables Farm to Fork Bistro in Cambridge joined us this morning with so many other uses for it.
Think that maple syrup is only for slathering on your pancakes? Frank Romano, executive chef of Inn on the Twenty is here with a great recipe using real syrup.
Spring officially arrives tonight. What better way to celebrate then with some maple? Executive chef Frank Romano from Inn on the Twenty is here with some great recipes to celebrate the arrival of the new season.
It's a Canadian staple, but don't think that sweet maple syrup can only be enjoyed at breakfast. Chef Ryan MacKay of Fifty West Restaurant and Bar is here to show us how to cook with a unique new brand of syrup.
Try this amazing soup – it's perfect for a cold winter day!


At the 12th National Education Summit, USAID Deputy Mission Director Patrick Wesner welcomed participants and expressed his great honor to address a gathering of stakeholders who work tirelessly to strengthen education governance in the Philippines.
"At USAID, we believe that in order to improve the quality of education, we must work together to transform how the education system is governed." He shared that since 2013, the USAID, Department of Education and Synergeia Foundation have been implementing the Education Governance Effectiveness (EdGE) project which contributes to achieving the shared goal of improving learning outcomes in the Philippines for children in the early grades. This partnership heightened transparency, accountability, and the participation of stakeholders in education policy formulation and implementation. This boosted community engagement by developing School Governing Councils and implementing school improvement plans, further accelerating academic performance in public schools.
"I congratulate the hard work and tireless dedication of school governing councils, principals, parents and teachers. Your efforts have improved the learning environment at your schools and provided students with access to a quality education." He noted that over 2 million children have already benefitted from educational activities, including remedial reading classes and summer reading camps, because cities and municipalities prioritized early-grade literacy and good education governance.
"Our theme for this year's summit is "Bigger, Stronger, Humbler. "Bigger" because we continually strive for the day when all Filipino children will have access to the quality education they need to fulfil their dreams. "Stronger" because deeper commitment and unity across a wide range of partners will make us strong enough to achieve this bigger vision. Lastly, "humbler" because we know that the work is hard, but by humbly learning from each other, we can create synergy to overcome future challenges." During the summit, Mr. Wesner encouraged everyone to take the opportunity to share ideas with each other on strengthening and sustaining progress within their communities in order to provide children with the best opportunities.


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A business does not have to belong to the Better Business Bureau to be on their system.
You will want to know the current history of any business that you are dealing with in North America.
It is a simple system to look at the complete business profile.
When you google a business you should always look at the BBB profile if there is on.
You do not need to go to a BBB website to do this search.
Usually, the first or second entry available on the first page will relate to that business.
Look for the rating, the number of complaints and response to those complaints.
You will readily see all the contact information, business start date, and other links.


When she's not writing, Zoe works as a literary translator. She's happily married to her best friend and has two small boys who are as stubborn as they're cute. She's active on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, but her newsletter or Facebook Group are the best way of keeping in touch!


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Staying together
Now's your chance to see Summer Set — the band, not the city.
Photo courtesy of Fearless Records
Five-piece pop-rock band, The Summer Set, is playing in Burnsville on April 22. The band released "Stories for Monday" on April 1.
Yena Lee
Last September, the members of The Summer Set all sat down for a meeting to break up the band.
"We weren't really sure if anything that we were doing was very good," vocalist Brian Logan Dales said. "[We] thought maybe this had run its course."
The members decided to take the material they had and self-produce a record. And in the process of creating their album, the band found their groove once again.
The five-piece pop-rock group formed in 2007 with Jess Bowen on drums, Dales as the lead vocalist, John Gomez on guitar, piano and backing vocals and Stephen Gomez on bass guitar. Guitarist Josh Montgomery joined in 2008.
Their latest album, "Stories for Monday" — released on April 1 — was technically supposed to be a farewell record for their fans.
"[It] was a total silver lining because a lot of us let our guard down, finished the album and realized how good it was — how proud of it we were. That kind of pushed us to realize that maybe this train wasn't worth getting off yet," Dales said.
"Stories for Monday" is unlike their previous albums — it's serious and honest.
It's a personal record about figuring out who you are in your 20s.
"It's the first record that truly sounds like a Summer Set record because we made it ourselves," Dales said.
Now, The Summer Set is on their "Stories for Monday" tour, which started on April 13 in Anaheim, Calif.
The tour runs through the middle of August, and band members said they're excited to get back on the road.
"We haven't really been at it in a minute. When we were finishing tour off the last album … we were pretty burned out because we were on the road for so long. Now it feels new and exciting again. We're just excited to go back out," Dales said.
The band has played a couple shows in Minneapolis before, and on April 22, they're set to play at the Garage in Burnsville, Minn.
During some of their stops, the band has had time to hang out in the Cities. When Dales was a vegetarian for six-and-a-half years and a vegan for two years, he said he enjoyed eating Pizza Lucé.
The other four members of the band also became vegetarians — although they caved a lot faster than Dales, whose end to his vegetarianism were buffalo wings.
"We were home, and we were off tour for a long time, and I got bored and got drunk and ate buffalo wings one night," he said.
The Summer Set
Where The Garage, 75 Civic Center Pkwy, Burnsville
When 6 p.m. Friday
Cost $17-20