text:
Ticket Office:(252) 473-6000
Administration Office:(252) 473-2127
Ticket Prices & Info
Backstage Tour
Royal Tea
You Got The Part!
The Lost Colony
History of the Play
Roanoke Island
Fort Raleigh NHS
Bring History to Life
Elizabethan Era
Colony Roster
Roanoke Voyages
Roosevelt on Roanoke
Mystery of the Lost Colony
Summer Children's Show
Summer Theatre Camps
Theatre Arts Camp
Theatre Arts Academy
2013 Tony Honor
Auditions/Employment
#1 OBX Attraction
Purchase TicketsDirections
Open AuditionsDonate
Choose ShowAllThe Lost ColonyVIP PackageBackstage TourRoyal Tea All DatesChoose Date Range
Roanoke Island Historical Association Staff
Bill Coleman has served as a senior management leader with nonprofit arts organizations in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. He was previously the executive producer of The Stephen Foster Story in Bardstown, KY, director of audience development at the Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville, TN and executive director of the City Ballet in Knoxville, TN. He has also served as a consultant for numerous theatrical facilities including the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, KY., the Ruben Dario National Theatre in Managua, Nicaragua, and the Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center near Mansfield, Ohio. He also served on the Nashville Shakespeare Festival's board of directors and was instrumental in bringing the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America's annual conference to Nashville in January of 2007. Prior to joining RIHA, Coleman held the position of CEO at Dismas, Inc. network headquartered in Nashville, TN. Coleman received a BA from the University of Tennessee and a MBA from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Lance Culpepper
Lance may be a Georgia native, but he now calls the Outer Banks home. His first summer with The Lost Colony was in 1996. He spent two seasons with the Colony and toured as part of a children's theatre before making the transition to television. He worked in television nine years as a costumer for a production studio in where he designed costumes for eight series and several movies of the week. Since joining the staff of The Lost Colony in 2007, he has served as Executive Assistant, Production Coordinator, and now Associate Producer.
Nancy Figiel
Advancement Director
Nancy J. Figiel acquired a strong love of the theatre while growing up outside of New York City and attending many Broadway shows. She first saw The Lost Colony in the mid-1970s with her family who owned one of the flat top cottages in Southern Shores. "We loved everything about the Outer Banks, its beauty and beaches, and its history and culture." After moving here in 1987, she attended the show countless times during Dare Nights, and her daughter, Ana, came to know it as an annual tradition. With a strong background in marketing, public relations and retail, Nancy is facing the challenges of fund raising and membership development with great excitement. She believes that The Lost Colony is an Outer Banks treasure and legacy, and that every visitor to the area needs to see it. Nancy's background includes the New York City fashion industry, marketing and buying for Kitty Hawk Kites, public relations for the City of Richmond and the Dell Amphitheatre, buying for the North Carolina Aquariums and Jeanette's Pier, and marketing, retail and design consulting. She has a BA from Virginia Wesleyan, with graduate courses from Old Dominion and Virginia Commonwealth, is Certified in Entrepreneurial Management and is currently studying for certification from Duke in Nonprofit Management.
Katie Stone
Katie has invested over 25 years working with community and professional theatres throughout the country. She began her career as a technical intern with Mill Mountain Theatre in her hometown of Roanoke, VA and later went on to stage manage with companies including The Barksdale Theatre, Theatre IV (National Tour), Firehouse Theatre, SHARD LPC, Triangle Players and The Lost Colony. Katie had the honor to serve as Managing Director for 14 years with Hugh Copeland's The Hurrah Players in Norfolk, VA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from James Madison University and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Tidewater Community College's Academy for Nonprofit Excellence. Katie and her husband Ben are proud keepers of the dream.
Crystal Simpson
Crystal has spent most of her life on Roanoke Island, growing up in Manteo. She ran her own landscaping business for 6 years before being hired on as the Maintenance Assistant in 2006. One year later she was named Supervisor. Crystal says, "It is a privilege to work here at The Lost Colony. I enjoy maintaining the grounds and properties, making the theater and apartments a clean and safe environment for our artists and guests to enjoy". She lives with her husband and son on the nearby mainland.
Marketing ManagerContact Me
Born and raised in Georgia, Crystal graduated with a Bachelor of Business from Georgia State University with a major in Hospitality Administration. In Atlanta, she worked and volunteered with many non-profits such as the Captain Planet Foundation, American Liver Foundation, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, HeadCount and more. Crystal has done marketing and events from coast to coast, mostly in the live entertainment industry, focusing on concerts and music festivals. Crystal says, "I'm thrilled and honored to be part of The Lost Colony and helping bring people to such a historically cool feature of the Outer Banks." Crystal lives in Kill Devil Hills with her new husband and two cats, Boo & Fee. You can typically find them at local music events and watering holes or traveling to concerts and music festivals.
Janelle Parrish
Joe Brzuchalski
Thankfully his first name is easy, because no one can say or spell Joe's last name!
Waterside Theatre
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
The Lost Colony, 1409 National Park Dr
Manteo NC 27954
Ticket Office: (252) 473-6000Administration: (252) 473-2127
© 2020 The Lost Colony · Website design by Datachieve Digital


McGuire, Alistair and Ferguson, B. (1984) A short history and review of the performance indicators issued by the DHSS. HERU Discussion papers (09/84). Health economics research unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.


In case you ever thought it was a good idea to tie your shoe in the middle of a game while you're dribbling the ball — which I'm sure not many people ever have — don't. One Northwestern basketball player found out the hard way.
On Thursday night, Wildcats guard Ashley Deary was dribbling up the court with the ball when she leaned over to strap up her laces.
And exactly what you would expect to happen happened.
Rutgers guard Khadaizha Sanders saw the ball bouncing with Deary looking directly at the ground, so she came running in and stole the ball. Sanders then dumped the ball off for guard Shrita Parker for an easy bucket.
I bet you'll never Deary attempt to tie her shoe while the ball is in play ever again.


text:
LocationsCurrently selected
NebraskaCurrently selected
About: Advisory Board
About: Accreditation and Licenses
Programs: Central Nebraska
Behavioral Health Clinic East
Behavioral Health Clinic
News and EventsCurrently selected
Past Keynotes
Thursday, Jun 9, 2016
Boys Town Hotline Answers Crisis Calls
This article is written by Julie Cornell of KETV. It was posted on ketv.com on June 2, 2016.
They're always there at midnight, at 3 a.m. or when everyone else is getting up to go to work. Trained counselors are waiting to answer desperate calls from people contemplating suicide, children being bullied or parents trying to locate runaway teens.
In a plain room lined with cubicles, phones and computer screens, lives are being saved and changed every day. The Boys Town National Hotline, located in Omaha, is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by trained counselors answering crisis calls.
"It's typically people in that suicide crisis. They don't want to die. They're in overwhelming amounts of pain and they want that pain to stop," said Kris Bosiljevac, who helps run the Boys Town National Hotline.
In a calm and reassuring way, counselors assess a person's problem and offer compassion and resources.
"I always call her 'my angel,'" said 23-year-old Kenna of the hotline counselor whom she called on a hopeless day in 2010.
The girl was alone in a field in North Carolina getting ready to end her life.
At the urging of a former high school boyfriend, Kenna took an intimate photo of herself meant only for him. Within minutes, he shared it with the entire student body, and the shame drove Kenna to consider suicide.
It was trauma that she couldn't share with her parents. She said she had a difficult time talking to them about anything that mattered to her.
Kenna said the Boys Town hotline counselor defused the situation and brought her hope.
"She said I had a purpose here and that I could create the future I wanted to see," said Kenna.
Counseling followed, along with normal high school struggles. But Kenna came out on the other side, and she wants other teenagers to know that they can too.
"Instead of dying at 16, I'm here at 23," she said.
Kenna now travels the state, talking to high school students about the dangers of bullying, using her experience to help others. She's pursuing a career in law enforcement as she works full time for a security firm.
"We empathize. We validate. We really listen to what is going on, try to help them through that tough time," said counselor Sharon Martin, who's worked on the hotline since its inception 25 years ago.
Counselors are available to speak to anyone dealing with relationship trouble, parenting issues and emotions. You can also email, text or live chat with a counselor.
To reach the hotline 24/7, call 1-800-448-3000 or go to yourlifeyourvoice.org.
You can email or live chat with a counselor there.
Stay Connected with Boys Town Nebraska
14100 Crawford St.
Boys Town, Nebraska 68010
For information about working at Boys Town Nebraska, visit our Careers site.
Additional Links Charity Accreditation Research Annual Report National Journal Residential Advocacy Planned Giving Corporate Support How to Give Trade Life Boys Town Gift Shop BoysTownHospital.org BoysTownPress.org BoysTownAdmissions.org BoysTownTraining.org

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Purpose: Based on evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) are found in many biologic fluids (e.g., urine, saliva, pleural fluid), we sought to detect the presence of miRNAs and analyze their profile in vitreous humor (VH) from patients affected by various ocular diseases.
Methods: MiRNAs were purified from VH samples taken during vitrectomy, by using the Qiagen miRNeasy Mini Kit. The expression profile on 745 miRNAs was performed by using TaqMan Low Density Array. Single TaqMan expression assays were performed on 18 VH samples (six each from patients with choroidal melanomas, retinal detachment, or macular hole) for miRNAs commonly expressed in serum or retinal cells: let-7b, miR-21, miR-26a, miR-146a, miR-199-3p, miR-210, miR-374a*, miR-532-5p. RNA extracted from serum of six healthy donors or from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of choroidal melanocytes from four uveal melanomas (epithelioid cells) and from three unaffected eyes were used as controls.
Results: We identified the presence of 94 circulating small RNAs in the vitreous, some of which (miR-9, miR-9*, miR-125a-3p, miR-184, miR-211, miR-214, miR-302c, miR-452, miR-628, miR-639) are particularly abundant in the VH but downrepresented or not detectable in serum. MiR-146a and miR-26a were overexpressed more than threefold in VH from patients with uveal melanomas compared to the other pathological groups (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p value <0.05).
Conclusions: Our experimental data suggest that a specific set of circulating miRNAs is secreted in the vitreous, which is quite different from the miRNA pattern in serum, and that the quantity of vitreal miRNAs could change, depending on the pathologies of the eye.
Identification of new diagnostic and prognostic molecular markers for neoplastic and degenerative diseases is a major research area of contemporary medicine. Markers have been characterized for (1) detecting malignant or degenerative diseases early, (2) monitoring their progression, and (3) obtaining reliable information on molecular phenotypes and genotypes to design targeted therapeutic strategies [1,2]. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play a major role as master regulators of protein-coding genes and cell networks. Recent findings indicate that expression of miRNAs is detectably altered in human cancers and that miRNAs may be closely associated with disease development . Altered miRNA expression was reported in various human cancers and other complex diseases . Various types of cancer have distinct miRNA expression profiles, suggesting a specific miRNA signature for each cancer [5,6]. A promising research field on miRNAs has been opened with the identification of miRNAs circulating in the blood and other biologic fluids (e.g., urine, saliva, amniotic fluid, pleural fluid) [7,8]. MiRNAs have been shown to be protected by RNase digestion and are resistant to severe chemical-physical conditions . Accordingly, miRNAs are stable in plasma and serum. These features make miRNAs attractive biomarkers, easily detectable in a non-invasive manner (i.e., blood collection). Patients with different histological tumors have a specific circulating miRNA profile, which is different from that of healthy individuals [10,11]. These data strongly suggest that the use of miRNAs as tumor markers (diagnostic or prognostic) represents a promising field of research. MiRNAs have been identified in many ocular tissues and have been shown to play a role in lens and retina development [12-14], ocular physiology , and several ocular diseases. Differential miRNAs expression was found in transparent and cataractous lens . Let-7b is overexpressed in lens with greater opacity ; miR-29b is downregulated in Tenon's fibroblasts after glaucoma surgery, increasing the risk of fibrosis ; and miR-24 causes inactivation of p53 surveillance, contributing to tumor development in retinoblastoma . Two miRNAs have been shown to be downregulated in retinal endothelial cells from diabetes patients: MiR-146a-reduced expression is related to an increase in extracellular matrix fibronectin production , while miR-200b downregulation is involved in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) alterations in diabetic retinopathy . Overexpression of several miRNAs has been reported in ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization . MiRNAs have also been studied in uveal melanocytes and uveal melanoma cell lines. MiR-137 acts as a tumor suppressor in uveal melanoma cell proliferation through downregulation of its targets MITF and CDK6 ; miR-34a acts as a tumor suppressor in uveal melanoma cell proliferation and migration through downregulation of c-Met . Since currently no data are available about the presence of miRNAs in human vitreous humor, the aim of this study was to investigate their presence in patients with different ocular diseases and relative controls.
This is a comparative study performed at the University of Catania, Catania, Italy during the past 2 years (up to March 31, 2012). Our research followed the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki; informed consent was obtained from the subjects after explanation of the nature and possible consequences of the study. The VH samples were taken from 18 patients that underwent vitrectomy at the Eye Clinic of the University of Catania: six samples were from patients with uveal melanoma (4 males and 2 females, mean age 62±7 years; Group A), six from patients with retinal detachment (3 males and 3 females, mean age 64±6 years; Group B), and six were from patients affected by macular hole (3 males and 3 females, mean age 59±6 years; Group C). Only patients aged between 50 and 70 years were included. We excluded from our study patients with systemic disease (such as diabetes, renal or hepatic failure, autoimmune diseases, Parkinson and Alzheimer disease), other ocular diseases (such as uveitis, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other retinopathies), previous ocular surgical procedures (including cataract surgery) and trauma, and metastatic disease for patients affected by uveal melanoma. Since radiotherapy could cause optic neuropathy, uveal melanomas extended close or up to the eye disc margin were treated with endoresection . All patients included in Group B were affected by rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with no proliferative vitreoretinopathy, no posterior breaks, and giant retinal tears. Group C included patients with unilateral idiopathic macular hole Gass stages 3 and 4. All vitrectomies were performed by a vitreoretinal surgeon. The infusion port, light pipe, and vitreous cutter were inserted 4 mm from the limbus. The conjunctiva and sclera were opened, and the vitreous cutter was advanced across the vitreous cavity. A 2-ml vitreous specimen with closed infusion was aspirated into a syringe using a three-way tap. The aspirate was then placed in a sterile container, and surgery continued routinely. Samples were centrifuged at 700 ×g for 10' to pellet and remove any circulating cell or debris. RNA was extracted from 500-μl humor vitreous samples by using a Qiagen miRNeasy Mini Kit (Qiagen, GmbH, Hilden, Germany), according to the Qiagen Supplementary Protocol for purification of small RNAs from serum and plasma, and finally eluted in a 30-μl volume of elution buffer. RNAs were quantified by fluorometer and spectrophotometer.
Since normalizator genes are unknown for VH, we applied the canonical comparative cycle threshold (ΔΔCt) method to perform relative quantification, by using the median Ct of each sample as the normalizator gene and serum as the calibrator sample [30,31].
Differentially expressed miRNAs between vitreous and serum analyzed with TLDAs were identified by SAM (Significance Analysis of Microarrays), applying a two-class paired test among ΔCt and using a p value based on 100 permutations; imputation engine: K-nearest neighbors (10 neighbors); False Discovery rate <0.15.
The Wilcoxon signed-rank test (p value <0.05) was applied to statistically evaluate the expression differences between vitreous and serum and among classes of ocular diseases, analyzed with single TaqMan assays. The partition in expression groups from vitreous was made by calculating the mean Ct value and assuming that the normally expressed miRNAs had a Ct in the range of mean Ct±standard deviation, highly expressed miRNAs had a Ct value less than mean Ct – standard deviation, and lowly expressed miRNAs had a Ct value major than mean Ct+standard deviation.
VH samples were taken from 18 patients after vitrectomy: six patients with uveal melanoma (Group A aged between 53 and 68 years, mean age 60±7), six patients with retinal detachment (Group B aged between 54 and 70 years, mean age 62±6), and six patients with macular hole (Group C aged between 52 and 68 years, mean age 60±6). By measuring the RNA concentration of the final elution from Qiagen RNA extraction procedure with a fluorometer and a spectrophotometer, we showed that human VH contains RNA (yield of 50–150 ng from 500 µl of VH). By using TaqMan Low Density Array technology, we determined the expression profile of 745 miRNAs in humor vitreous and serum from three patients affected by macular hole. We identified the presence of 94 circulating small RNAs in vitreous (including small nuclear RNA [snRNA] U6 and RNAU48) that we divided into three groups: i) highly expressed (HE), ii) normally expressed (NE), and iii) lowly expressed (LE) miRNAs (Table 1, Additional File 1). Moreover, we compared the expression levels of vitreal and serum miRNAs to verify whether these different biologic fluids had similar miRNA profiles or some expression specificity (Table 1). Interestingly, the HE group showed some miRNAs (i.e., miR-628, miR-302c, miR-639, miR-211, and miR-9) with expression fold changes higher more than 100-fold compared to serum. Furthermore, we found that some miRNAs in the NE group were greatly upregulated compared to serum: miR-452, miR-9*, miR-214, miR-184, miR-125a-3p. However, some miRNAs were strongly downregulated in vitreous HE and NE compared to serum: miR-223, miR-24, miR-484, miR-191, miR-92a, miR-30c, miR-30-5p, miR-20a, miR-150, miR-16, miR-451, and miR-93*. Taken together, these data suggest that vitreous has a specific set of circulating miRNAs that is quite different from the serum miRNA pattern. To test whether some of these vitreal miRNAs showed expression differences among different ocular diseases, we performed RT–PCR with single TaqMan miRNA assays. To validate the reproducibility of the results, the experiments were independently repeated three times. The standard deviation of threshold cycle (Ct) for each PCR real-time experiment was σ=ranged between 0.1 and 0.4. As already shown by TLDA, assayed miRNAs were present in VH, although in different quantities (Figure 1). Let-7b, miR-21, and miR-146a were the most expressed, while miR-374a* and miR-532-5p were scarcely represented in our samples. The Cts were more than 35, accordingly at the limit of TaqMan assay sensitivity and not a reliable correct quantification (Appendix 1). Overall, higher expression of miRNAs was detected in eyes with uveal melanoma compared to the two other groups. In particular, some miRNAs were significantly overexpressed compared to the value detected in the healthy donor serum (value 1 in the histograms in Figure 1). MiR-34a was highly expressed in VH from all groups, with values about 100-fold higher than serum in patients with macular hole, 150-fold in patients with in retinal detachment, 250-fold in patients with uveal melanoma; high levels were also found in normal retinal cells (300-fold) and uveal epithelioid melanoma cells (200-fold). Let-7b was expressed in normal retinal cells at higher levels than in serum (13-fold), and was increased (four- to sixfold) in all VH samples as in the uveal melanoma cells. MiR-21 was more expressed in VH from patients with retinal detachment (25-fold) and about fivefold in the VH from the other two groups, in normal retinal cells and in uveal melanoma cells (about fivefold). MiR-146a was more expressed in the VH of patients with melanoma (15-fold), uveal melanoma cells (13 folds), and normal retinal cells (fivefold), but not in other VH samples. MiR-26a was more expressed in VH from patients with melanoma (threefold) and in normal retinal cells (fourfold), but not in melanoma cells and in VH from the other two groups. In VH from patients affected by ocular melanoma, miR-146a and miR-26a were upregulated about threefold compared to the other groups (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p value <0.05; Figure 2). MiR-146a was upregulated in the FFPE uveal melanoma samples, while miR-26a was overexpressed in normal retinal cells FFPE and uveal melanoma cells.
The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of miRNAs in human VH. We detected with TLDAs the presence of 92 vitreal miRNAs, some of which (miR-302c, miR-639, miR-9, miR-526b) were particularly abundant in VH but not detectable in serum. Moreover, we assayed with single TaqMan assays the expression of miRNAs that have been found in retinal cells or serum, and compared their expression in VH from different ocular pathologies to serum from healthy donors (used as the calibrator sample), normal retina cells, and epithelioid uveal melanoma cells.
Notably, only a few circulating miRNAs (94) were detectable in vitreous compared with serum. These differences were identified by comparing the expression analysis of vitreous and serum from the same individuals, suggesting that a specific set of miRNAs is secreted in the eye. The relatively small number of vitreal miRNAs and their expression specificity could suggest selected roles for these miRNAs in the eye's vitreal chamber, for instance, the exchange of molecular signals among retina cells with each other, and/or among the few cells floating in the vitreous (i.e., phagocytes, hyalocytes of Balazs). Among the 94 miRNAs identified, snRNA U6 and RNAU48 were present. These miRNAs have a functional role in splicing within the nucleus (nRNA U6) and rRNA processing within the nucleolus (RNAU48), and are abundantly detected in many biologic fluids and exosomes. Their molecular and biologic role among circulating molecules remains unexplained. Interestingly, the most abundant vitreal miRNAs (i.e., miR-9, miR-9*, miR-125a-3p, miR-184, miR-211, miR-214, miR-302c, miR-452, miR-628, miR-639) are involved in the physiology and development of the central nervous system and the eye [32-35]. Specifically, the couple miR-9/miR-9* targets two components of the REST complex, a transcription factor that silences neuronal gene expression in non-neuronal cells .
Since normalizator genes are unknown in VH, canonical miRNA quantification was not possible. Accordingly, we applied the median Ct of all miRNAs in each sample as the normalizator and serum as the calibrator sample [30,31]. We excluded any possible source of contamination (other cells or blood) with the precise technique of sample collection and purification, as specified in the Methods section. Definitely, the source of miRNAs are the cells, but the presence of miRNAs in biologic fluids represents a critical point of debate. The most accepted hypothesis proposes that miRNAs are actively secreted in membrane-bounded-vesicles (e.g., exosomes, microvesicles) [37,38]. However, recent studies have shown that the majority of circulating miRNAs are present in plasma and serum in a non-membrane bound form, but rather protected by protein complexes (for instance, with Ago2, NPM1, or other RNA binding proteins) . Moreover, the hypothesis that circulating miRNAs are released in the extracellular space from dead cells as byproducts has not been clearly ruled out . Our data show for the first time the presence of miRNAs in human VH, but do not exclude any of these models. Retinal cells could physiologically exchange molecular signals with each other through miRNAs secreted into the VH [37,41]. A low metabolic exchange exists between systemic circulation and vitreous humor; therefore, fluid in the vitreous chamber could be considered stagnant. Accordingly, if blood, cells, or other byproducts of inflammation (e.g., secreted miRNAs) get into the vitreous, they could be detected there. It may be hypothesized that in the case of ocular diseases the secretory ability of retina cells could be altered, or there could be a molecular contribution from other cell types; therefore, the quality and quantity of the circulating miRNAs in VH would change, depending on the type of pathological stress applied to the retinal cells. However, circulating miRNAs in VH could be the passive result of physiologic and pathological flaking of retinal or other cells inside the ocular fluid . Ideally, the human vitreous of healthy subjects should have been used as the control. In this study, this has not been done because of ethical and technical reasons; the serum of healthy subjects was used as the control.
Our data also show that some miRNAs were more represented in specific ocular conditions: MiR-26a and miR-146a were overexpressed in VH from patients affected by uveal melanomas. The biologic significance of such findings in the eye must be further investigated. For instance, miR-146a expression is increased in VH and in melanoma cells, while miR-26a is increased in VH from melanoma patients, but not in melanoma cells. This observation suggests different biologic functions of these miRNAs. Interestingly, miR-146a is also upregulated in cells from patients affected by cutaneous melanoma and in serum from patients with colorectal and lung cancer [11,43]. MiR-146a regulates extracellular matrix protein in retinal microvessels, miR-146a is involved retinal neovascularization, and the upregulation of miR-146a induces the overexpression of VEGF: interestingly, VEGF is elevated in ocular fluids of eyes with uveal melanoma [44-47]. However, upregulation of circulating miR-26a in serum has been shown to be related to prostate cancer ; furthermore, this miRNA is actively involved in retina cell functions, since it is a key post-transcriptional regulator of the photoreceptors' L-type voltage-gated calcium channel α1C subunit by controlling the circadian rhythms of mRNAs in the retina . Interestingly, miR-26a promotes vascular proliferation inhibiting cellular differentiation and apoptosis and inducing VEGF expression [50,51]. In addition to the biologic interest of these data, detecting specific miRNAs in VH could improve the diagnosis of several eye diseases. For instance, identifying markers for uveal melanoma could help in differentiating small uveal melanomas from benign nevi. Thus far, clinical features and ultrasonography allow a proper diagnosis, but in uncertain cases, it is necessary to perform tumor biopsy. This procedure can lead to several complications, including hemorrhage, retinal detachment, cataract, endophthalmitis, as well as tumor seeding, tumor recurrence, or extraocular spread . VH aspiration also presents risks and cannot be proposed as a widely used technique. Detecting miRNAs specifically associated with ocular diseases, with the aim of a possible identification in the serum for a future quick non-invasive diagnosis, would be beneficial. In conclusion, this study successfully detected the expression of selected miRNAs in vitreous. Further studies are needed to profile the entire human set of miRNAs in the vitreous from different ocular diseases to detect those specifically associated with specific eye pathologies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in ocular medicine.


The Murmuring Corner (Detail), mixed media, dimensions variable, 2013.
Abstract, linear space-scapes. Static amongst the shifting. Border-space between inside and out.
My practice explores psycho-spatiality as an experienced condition of connection, disconnection and flux. Through a provisional articulation of spatial planes and volumes that 2D and 3D linearity provides, I explore systems and conditions of spatiality such as: framing, thresholds, repetition, porosity and permeability.
My understanding and exploration of space is strongly informed by the origin and development of scribed means of communication; music, mapping and writing systems.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net.NetworkInformation;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Eru;

namespace Territorium.Tests.Kademlia
{
    public class Node
    {
        public Territorium.Node ActorNode { get; }
        public Address Address { get; }
        public byte Alpha { get; }
        public int K { get; }

        //routing table with the closest node at the start
        public SortedList<long, LinkedList<Address>> RouteTable { get; }

        public Node(byte alpha, int k)
        {
            Alpha = alpha;
            K = k;
            RouteTable = new SortedList<long, LinkedList<Address>>();
        }

        public Node(Territorium.Node actorNode, Address address, Address addressOfBootstrapNode, byte alpha, int k)
        {
            ActorNode = actorNode;
            Address = address;
            Alpha = alpha;
            K = k;

            RouteTable = new SortedList<long, LinkedList<Address>>()
            {
                {Address.DistanceTo(addressOfBootstrapNode), new LinkedList<Address>(new[] {addressOfBootstrapNode})}
            };
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Messages that are meant for this node can be resolved locally, because
    /// </summary>
    public static partial class NodeExtensions
    {
        private static Node HandleEvent(Node node, Event @event)
        {
            switch (@event)
            {
                case NodeCreated nodeCreated:
                    return new Node(nodeCreated.Node, nodeCreated.Address, nodeCreated.AddressOfBootstrapNode, nodeCreated.Alpha, nodeCreated.K);
                case NodeContacted nodeContacted:
                    return node.AddNodesToRouteTable(nodeContacted.Contact);
                case ClosesNodesHaveBeenReceived closesNodesHaveBeenReceived:
                    return node.AddNodesToRouteTable(closesNodesHaveBeenReceived.ClosestNodes.ToArray());
                default:
                    return node;
            }
        }

        public static Node AddNodesToRouteTable(this Node @this, params Address[] nodes)
        {
            foreach (var node in nodes)
            {
                var distanceToNode = @this.Address.DistanceTo(node);
                var numberOfMatchingBucketsFound = @this
                    .RouteTable
                    .Where(dictionary => dictionary.Key == distanceToNode)
                    .Do(async pair =>
                    {
                        var bucket = pair.Value;
                        var linkedListNode = bucket.Find(node);

                        if (linkedListNode != null)
                        {
                            //make the node the most recently seen node
                            bucket.Remove(linkedListNode);
                            bucket.AddFirst(linkedListNode);
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            if (bucket.Count <= @this.K)
                                bucket.AddFirst(node);
                            else
                            {
                                //check if the least recently seen node is responsive
                                var leastRecentlySeenNode = bucket.Last;
                                var pingReply = await @this.ActorNode.Ping(leastRecentlySeenNode.Value).ConfigureAwait(false);
                                if (pingReply.Status != IPStatus.Success)
                                {
                                    //replace the least recently seen node by the new contact
                                    bucket.Remove(leastRecentlySeenNode);
                                    bucket.AddFirst(node);
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }).Count();

                if (numberOfMatchingBucketsFound == 0)
                    @this.RouteTable.Add(distanceToNode, new LinkedList<Address>(new[] { node }));

            }
            return @this;
        }

        public static Func<Territorium.Node, Address, Func<Node, IMessage, Task<Node>>> Behavior(Func<Event, Task> storeEvent) =>
            (node, address) => async (state, message) =>
            {
                var kademliaNode = state;

                switch (message)
                {
                    case CreateNodeCommand createNodeCommand:
                        var nodeCreated = new NodeCreated(node, address, createNodeCommand.AddressOfBootstrapNode, createNodeCommand.Alpha, createNodeCommand.K);

                        await storeEvent(nodeCreated).ConfigureAwait(false);
                        return HandleEvent(state, nodeCreated);

                    case JoinCommand joinCommand:
                        var joinCommandBootstrapNodeAddress = joinCommand.BootstrapNodeAddress;
                        // To join the network, a node u (this node) must have a contact
                        // to an already participating node (the bootstrapnode)
                        await node.Send(joinCommandBootstrapNodeAddress,
                            new FindNode(address, address, address, new SortedSet<Address>(new AddressDistanceComparer(address)))).ConfigureAwait(false);

                        return state;
                    //case Ping ping:
                    //    var ln = node.routeTable[new Identifier()].Find(new Node());
                    //    node.routeTable[new Identifier()].Remove(ln);
                    //    node.routeTable[new Identifier()].AddLast(ln);
                    //    return Task.FromResult(node);
                    //case Store store:
                    //    return Task.FromResult(node);
                    case FindNode findNode:

                        var nodeContacted = new NodeContacted(findNode.OriginAddress);

                        await storeEvent(nodeContacted).ConfigureAwait(false);
                        var newState = HandleEvent(state, nodeContacted);

                        var nodesFoundSoFar = new SortedSet<Address>(findNode.NodesFoundSoFar, new AddressDistanceComparer(findNode.NodeToFind));
                        var closestNodes = kademliaNode.FindClosestNodes(findNode.NodeToFind);
                        //The set will guarantee that no duplicate nodes wil be inserted. If one nodeis successfully added, new nodes were found
                        var newCloserNodesWereFound = closestNodes.Aggregate(false, (b, addr) => b || nodesFoundSoFar.Add(addr));
                        if (newCloserNodesWereFound)
                        {
                            var continuation = node.Create(new FindNodeState(new HashSet<Address>(), findNode.NodeToFind, findNode.Customer, 0, nodesFoundSoFar, state.K, state.Alpha, address), FindNodeContinuationBehavior(storeEvent));
                            await node.Send(continuation, new FindMoreNodes(findNode.Customer, findNode.NodeToFind, state.Alpha))
                                .ConfigureAwait(false);
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            await node.Send(findNode.Customer, new NodesFound(address, nodesFoundSoFar))
                                .ConfigureAwait(false);
                        }

                        return newState;
                    case NodesFound findNodeResponse:
                        return HandleEvent(state, new ClosesNodesHaveBeenReceived(findNodeResponse.ClosestNodes));
                    //case FindValue findValue:
                    //    return Task.FromResult(node);
                    default:
                        return state;
                }
            };

        public static Func<Territorium.Node, Address, Func<FindNodeState, IMessage, Task<FindNodeState>>> FindNodeContinuationBehavior(
            Func<Event, Task> storeEvent) =>
            (node, address) => async (state, message) =>
            {
                var newState = state;

                switch (message)
                {
                    case FindMoreNodes findMoreNodes:
                        var nodesToQuery = state
                            .NodesFoundSoFar
                            .Take(findMoreNodes.Alpha);
                        foreach (var nodeToQuery in nodesToQuery)
                        {
                            if (newState.NumberOfClosestNodesHaveBeenFoundMessagesStillToReceive < findMoreNodes.Alpha)
                                newState.NumberOfClosestNodesHaveBeenFoundMessagesStillToReceive++;
                            await node.Send(nodeToQuery,
                                new FindNode(findMoreNodes.NodeToFind, state.Initiator, address, state.NodesFoundSoFar)).ConfigureAwait(false);
                            newState.NodesQueried.Add(nodeToQuery);
                        }

                        return newState;

                    case NodesFound nodesFound:
                        var newFoundNodes = nodesFound.ClosestNodes.Intersect(newState.NodesFoundSoFar);
                        var newCloserNodesWereFound = newFoundNodes.Any();
                        nodesFound.ClosestNodes.ForEach(addr => newState.NodesFoundSoFar.Add(addr));

                        if (newState.NumberOfClosestNodesHaveBeenFoundMessagesStillToReceive >= 1)
                        {
                            newState.NumberOfClosestNodesHaveBeenFoundMessagesStillToReceive = state.NumberOfClosestNodesHaveBeenFoundMessagesStillToReceive - 1;
                        }

                        var nodesNotYetQueried = state.NodesQueried.Except(state.NodesFoundSoFar).ToArray();

                        if (!newCloserNodesWereFound)
                        {
                            nodesNotYetQueried
                                .Take(state.K)
                                .ForEach(async addr =>
                                    await node.Send(addr, new FindNode(state.NodeToFind, state.Initiator, address, newState.NodesFoundSoFar)).ConfigureAwait(false));
                        }

                        if (state.NumberOfClosestNodesHaveBeenFoundMessagesStillToReceive == 0 && !nodesNotYetQueried.Any())
                        {
                            await node.Send(state.Customer, new NodesFound(address, newState.NodesFoundSoFar)).ConfigureAwait(false);
                        }

                        return newState;
                    default:
                        return state;
                }
            };

        public static IList<Address> FindClosestNodes(this Node node, Address nodeToFind)
        {
            var indexOfBucketWithClosestNodes = 0;
            var closestNodes = node.RouteTable
                .Where(keyValuePair =>
                {
                    indexOfBucketWithClosestNodes = node.RouteTable.IndexOfKey(keyValuePair.Key);
                    return keyValuePair.Key == nodeToFind.DistanceTo(node.Address);
                })
                .SelectMany(keyValuePair =>
                {
                    var closestNodesInBucket = new SortedSet<Address>(new AddressDistanceComparer(node.Address));
                    keyValuePair.Value.ForEach(address => closestNodesInBucket.Add(address));

                    return closestNodesInBucket.Take(node.K);
                }).ToList();

            var count = closestNodes.Count;
            var missingNumberOfNodes = node.K - count;

            for (var i = 1; missingNumberOfNodes != 0 && node.RouteTable.Count >= i; i++)
            {
                var indexOfPreviousBucket = indexOfBucketWithClosestNodes - i;
                if (indexOfPreviousBucket >= 0)
                {
                    var previousBucket = node.RouteTable[indexOfPreviousBucket];
                    closestNodes.Add(previousBucket.First.Value);
                    missingNumberOfNodes--;
                }

                var indexOfNextBucket = indexOfBucketWithClosestNodes + i;
                if (indexOfBucketWithClosestNodes + i < node.K && missingNumberOfNodes != 0)
                {
                    var nextBucket = node.RouteTable.ElementAtOrDefault(indexOfNextBucket);
                    if (!nextBucket.Equals(default(KeyValuePair<long, LinkedList<Address>>)))
                    {
                        closestNodes.Add(nextBucket.Value.First.Value);
                        missingNumberOfNodes--;
                    }
                }
            }

            return closestNodes;
        }
    }

    public class FindValue
    {
        public FindValue(Address sender)
        {
        }
    }

    public class Store : IMessage
    {
    }

    public class Ping : IMessage
    {
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I had been desperate for some curved scissors but was not sure on which size to get . These are fantastic as they are great for shaping the face of a smaller dog or tapering down the legs of a larger breed .... Perfect and couldn't now groom without them .
I have bought the 7" and 8" pairs of scissors, I am really happy with the 7".they are comfortable to hold and give a sure cut, however I am not so pleased with the 8" although I felt the same about them as the 7" when I started using them it didn't last for long, within in weeks they had flat spot where I am unable to cut.
Over all I am pleased and this will not put me off from trying another pair in the future.
I bought these scissors as a back up for some other curved scissors I have. I was very pleasantly surprised, for the price of them, they are fantastic. Very sharp and comfortable to use.


text:
CHELYS – AN EXCLUSIVE TIMEKEEPER
Thomas Mercer, Marmor Hotavlje and Winch Design are pleased to announce the release of their latest collaboration – Chelys, an horological sculpture fusing the respective arts of marine chronometry, stone carving and yacht design.
The piece was exhibited on Marmor Hotavlje's booth on the latest Monaco Yacht Show
Winch Design is one of Britain's most renowned superyacht design studios based in Barnes, London. Founded in 1986 by superyacht designer Andrew Winch, together with his wife Jane, the business has grown over the last 30 years. The company is a full-service design and architecture studio specializing in the exterior and interior design of yachts. Paying particular attention to quality and detail, Winch Design takes the vision of his clients and expands their imagination in order to produce extraordinary, indeed unique designs.
Established in London in 1858, Thomas Mercer is a name forever synonymous with the marine chronometer, the timekeeper invented for determining longitude at sea. Today the company diligently and proudly upholds the tradition of British clock-making by manufacturing exclusive marine and table chronometers that grace the interiors of the finest yachts and residences.
Led by the Selak family, Marmor Hotavlje is one of the foremost stone-cutting companies in the world. In 1721, the residents of the small Slovenian village of Hotavlje discovered the riches hidden in their mountains and carved their first stone. Thus, began a rich tradition, which, through generations and generations of stonecutters, transmits knowledge, skills and love for their craft. In 1948, the workshops at the foot of the quarry joined the Marmor Hotavlje company whose pride today in its history and heritage parallels its excellence in a variety of international projects.
Every single stone piece of Chelys was hand made, thus making it even more unique than it is
Ivory onyx shell from a massive piece together with the timeline and the pedestal
The word Chelys derives from the Latin form of the original Ancient Greek χέλυς (tortoise) which describes a musical instrument made of a shell, its convex form resembling those of this fine chronometer. According to the fable of his Homeric Hymn, Hermes found a tortoise near the threshold of his mother's house and decided to hollow out the shell to make the sound box of a seven-stringed instrument, thus inventing the first lyre of the Ancient Greeks.
Chronometer is distinguished by its rare one impulse per oscillation, resulting in its individual sound, featuring one lound and one soft beat
STATEMENTS FROM THE COMPANIES
Andrew Winch, founder and creative director of the eponymous studio:
"The sinuous and sophisticated lines of the Chelys are carved out of ivory onyx, a semiprecious natural stone with immaculate crystalline background and evocative waves undulating through its structure. Named after the Ancient Greek word "ὄνυξ" (nail), legend says that one day Cupid clipped the divine nails of Venus with an arrow head while she was sleeping, and the Parcae (the three daughters of Zeus) transmuted them into stone, so that no part of the divine body could ever be destroyed. Rare and precious, it has been considered a luxury staple since ancient times. Measuring 44x39x22cm and weighing 25 kilos, this sculpture is crafted through a meticulous process of using traditional hand stonemasonry, impeccably executed by Marmor Hotavlje's skilled artisans."
"It was an honour to have collaborated with Thomas Mercer alongside Winch Design on this inspiring project" adds Marmor Hotavlje's managing director Tomaž Selak. "While stonemasonry and precision horology are art forms in their own right, a true work of art is where the artist uniquely combines one or more art forms by conferring a symbolic and incomparable value. With the Chelys, Andrew Winch shows his unique talent as an artist by first imagining a superb onyx sculpture – already a work of art per se – and then inspiredly fusing it with a chronometer movement to elevate it even further, to the ultimate status of horological sculpture."
With a case inspired by a mythological musical instrument, the movement had to mirror it in greatness, and its melody no exception. Like every Thomas Mercer mechanism, the new caliber TM8004 sports the sine-qua-non specifications of a marine timekeeper including the special spring detent escapement. Also known as the "chronometer escapement", the spring detent is distinguished by its rare one impulse per oscillation, resulting in its individual – and very appropriate for the occasion – sound, featuring one loud and one soft beat.
Among the other subtleties of this precision timekeeper, the ovalizing balance for thermal compensation and the beautiful chain-fuse drive. The horological equivalent of an infinitely variable gearbox-speed, the latter equalizes the waning force of the mainspring by delivering the mechanism an ever constant amount of energy. As the force decreases, the chain moves from the top to the base of the cone, increasing its leverage to keep the torque constant.
The movement is housed in a tube case made of extra-white crystal, offering an all-around view of the inner workings which can be admired in their entirety. The elegant open-work dial magnifies the intricacies of the multi-complicated movement and its stone setting pairs perfectly with the onyx body. The hands are steel-made, hand-finished with bluing technique.
Alessandro Quintavalle, Thomas Mercer's managing director: "It is truly a privilege to collaborate again with a world-class name such as Winch Design on another creation embodying their ethos of beauty, uniqueness and perfect proportion. After the success of the incomparable Nautilus, Chelys takes the concept of horological sculpture to the next level by relying on the world-class masters of Marmor Hotavlje to explore the endless possibilities of stone".
A truly unique celebration of horology, design and stone-carving, Chelys was unveiled at Monaco Yacht Show 2019 - indisputably the leading event of the superyacht industry
Back on blog


Excellent article, Sia. I love the analogy of the pebbles!
What a wonderful topic. Where am I dropping my pebbles? Close to home, it would seem. With a ripple effect.
I gave my best friend a copy of my book. She bought one for her daughter. Her daughter bought one for her boss. Her boss sent one to her boss. And? I'm getting ready to do book signings for a food chainstore in BC. It could mean … I don't think I'll go there. The point is, you drop a pebble and there's a ripple effect.
When you think about publicity and promotion, and then do something about it, there's always a ripple effect. Your advantage is the home field—where you live, work, family and friends. Plus, you're out working to get recognition.
Kudos on the Grocery Chain. It's amazing just how many people buy their books from the Grocery store. I know I always look at the book selection when I'm grocery shopping. I buy books on line as well as book stores, too but I bring home 2 or 3 books a month from the grocery store.
Perhaps travel for other book signings are not feasible right now with Winter's approach, but who knows where you be come spring and summer. You're dropping your pebbles and there will be an effect from that.


text:
Reimagining Adventism, Part 11a: The Remnant and Absurdity
facebook twitter google+ email
A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death. — John F. Kennedy
In the previous article, we closed off by moving from the concept of church to the concept of the remnant. During that transition, I took for granted the acceptability of a theological construct like the remnant. However, the truth is remnant theology is one of the least popular beliefs within Adventism itself, with the vast majority of millennial Adventists finding it distasteful.[1] It is likewise one of the doctrines that has given rise to evangelical hostility toward Adventism and damaged our ability to develop a meaningful connection with them.
In the same token, remnant theology (the belief that the Seventh-day Adventist church is the only true church at the end of time and a prophetic movement predicted in Revelation) has given birth to a narcissistic sectarian attitude within the church—an attitude which dominated previous generations and is now increasingly shunned by younger ones. All this is to say that the idea of a remnant church at the end of time as encapsulated by the Seventh-day Adventist church is not a popular doctrine at all, even within the ranks of Seventh-day Adventists. To make matters worse, remnant theology carries within itself assumptions and contentions which are repulsive to a post-modern society.
Perhaps few examples of the repulsiveness of sectarian ideology are as potent as that of the seemingly endless clash between three great religious traditions all claiming to be the only truth: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The hatred, indifference, and violence exhibited by the proponents of these religions has led the culture toward what Nietzche and other influential skeptics have concluded—that religion is a toxic parasite that fuels division where there could otherwise be unity, and violence where reason alone would engender peace. It is no surprise then that Nietzche has been regarded as a sort of forerunner to postmodernism in that the denial of an absolute objective truth was popularized by his pen. While those of a religious persuasion may find this appalling, the more clever student of the culture will discern a desire to lead humanity toward a harmony that religion threatened to oppose.
For Nietzche—as well as for most secular, postmodern thinkers—the very proposal of an absolute objective truth is the grounds upon which injustice and oppression are sown, watered and birthed. Thus, in our interactions with the secular world be it through evangelism or Bible study, the very notion of a remnant church that alone has the truth raises immediate red flags that scream of militancy, separatism, and supremacy—all elements which will, in most cases, repel the secular seeker altogether.
Of course, there remain those who wish to retain this doctrine regardless of the tensions explored above. Those of such persuasion, however, do so at the expense of relationships. In reaction to this toxic and bigoted stance, emerging generations have trended toward the rejection of remnant theology but have done so at the expense of something valuable (to be explored in the next article). Therefore, in this present article, I want to revisit remnant theology and offer some insights on how to connect the Adventist millennial and secular sojourner to this otherwise repulsive idea. In order to do so, we will lay three simple foundations that will help us reframe the doctrine in the next article. Those three simple foundations are:
The axiomatic permanence and ethereal essence of ideas
The necessary coherence of ideas
The somatic embodiment of ideas
The Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers once said, "You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea."[2] This statement is so self-evident it hardly requires any defense. But if you, against the obvious axioms of life, doubt its validity, history is always there to prove you wrong. Time and time again, violence, oppression, and coercion have failed to stamp out the advance of ideas. The birth of Christianity is a perfect example, for as Tertullian said of the persecuted and emaciated church—"the blood of martyrs is… seed."[3]
But this isn't simply true of Christianity. Many other religious ideologies that have had to endure terrible persecution continue to grow and expand. Likewise, the war on terror has been dubbed an ideological war because the enemy that humanity now faces is not so much an army as an idea. The use of force has done little to stay its tide as Islamic extremism continues to endure. The defeat of the Third Reich in WW2 likewise did not bring an end to Aryanism as the defeat of Jim Crow failed to bring an end to racism. In fact, White Supremacy is on the rise within the very nation that was most instrumental in Hitler's defeat and which later declared the Jim Crow policies unconstitutional. And if these examples are not enough to convince you, perhaps the fact that despite incredible social and academic ridicule there remains—to this day—a flat earth society, should suffice. There appears to be a universal rule, an axiom if you will when it comes to the permanence of ideas: they do not die.
But it's not simply that ideas are self-evidently immortal but that they are immortal precisely because they are intangible and transcendental. What this means is that ideas cannot be contained within physical barriers. There is no wall you can erect, no fortress, prison cell or border you can establish to restrain or subdue an idea. To the contrary, ideas—like disembodied ghouls—walk gracefully through our barriers and spread through the earth, entering whichever host will have them. There is an ethereal essence to ideas, almost Elysian, that prevents all man-made attempts at their destruction from ever coming to fruition. This reality is what has prompted Malala Yousafsai's message that Islamic extremism can only ever be defeated through education for the only thing capable of dismantling the discorporeal is not physical, but rather ethereal itself. In short, ideas transcend physics and, as such, cannot be physically restrained or repelled.
Understanding this foundational concept—that ideas never die and cannot be restrained—allows us then to enter into the next concept.
Back in 2008 one of the most popular shows on television was the series Lost. The entire series was about a plane that had crash-landed on a mysterious island filled with secrets and mysteries that kept the viewers on the edge of their seat. However, when the series ended there was an explosion of anger and hostility toward the show's writers. Somehow, the plotlines in the story had become so complex that the writers got to the point where they didn't know how to wrap things up. The story lost its coherence to such a degree that as the credits rolled at the conclusion of the series finale, the viewers were left with a mountain of questions and plot holes that had never been resolved.[4] The anger toward the writers was so intense, that eventually one of the show's writers had to take down his Twitter account due to the overwhelming flurry of hate-messages he kept getting.[5]
What this demonstrates is that as human beings not only do we love stories, but we love stories that are coherent and cohesive. Stories riddled with internal contradictions and plot holes are frustrating. When a human being is immersed in a story, the rhythm of the story's flow is what will keep them and inspire them. Thus, stories without internal consistency lose their impact while those that exemplify this become classics—memorable tales to be passed on from one generation to the next. This necessity of coherence doesn't simply apply to stories, however, but to ideas as well. Ideas need cohesion in order to be applicable, which means for any idea to be taken seriously, a level of internal consistency is necessary.
Perhaps few have captured the importance of this as well as the TED Talks' founders. TED Talks is an annual international event that invites speakers from all disciplines and backgrounds to share their ideas with the world. However, the TED organizers do not simply invite people to speak—they have a particular speaking model that they require of their guests. This model is taught in the book "TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking" and includes, among other principles, that each and every speech given at their events must communicate one key idea and nothing more. By forcing the speakers to commit to one idea they are harnessing the power of cohesion. For 15 minutes, each speaker communicates one key concept that is supported by illustrations, research, anecdotes, and other sources—all of which tie back to the main idea. The cohesion of ideas has made TED Talks a go-to source for great talks and is also at the core of what makes a speech good versus bad: cohesion.
Consequently, despite the impact of postmodernity and its fluid take on ideas and propositional beliefs most people instinctively continue to search for a system of belief that offers them some level of coherence that can afford them the capacity to make sense out of the chaos and absurdity of life. This need for coherence in ideas and coherence in stories is key to understanding why remnant theology is not simply a palpable idea but rather, an incalculably meaningful one.
Ideas are imperishable, non-corporeal, and necessarily rhythmic but there is one more aspect to ideas that cannot be ignored—they embody a host and as they do so, that host comes to live the ethereal idea out in tangible and practical ways. Thus, while ideas are abstract concepts they do not remain that way. Instead, they become, through the conduct of their hosts, effectual in the sphere upon which their host has influence. This means that ideas move from the theoretical to the actual the moment they find a somatic manifestation—a person who now embodies and acts out the practical outflows of the idea.
As a result, no idea worth its salt is ever purely abstract. Those that tend to be regarded as irrelevant or find acceptance only among the most erudite or academic circles. But for an idea to have legitimate cultural impact, it must move from the abstract to the sensory, from the theoretical to the experiential. It must become a tool through which both the philosopher and stay-at-home parent with bills to pay and kids to raise finds meaning. And regardless of how attractive an idea may sound in the theoretical realm, it is at the level of action and practice that most people will eventually decide its worth. This is one of the reasons why so many rejected communism despite its promise of utopia. Communism sounded good in a theoretical sense, but at the level of action it has never manifested in anything but the opposite of utopia.[6] Likewise, this is the reason why so many today reject Christianity because the sad reality is that Christendom has never manifested a desirable or attractive outcome despite the inherent beauty of the teachings of Jesus. (But I am getting ahead of myself here.)
In short, the somatic embodiment of ideas refers to the phenomenon that takes place when an abstract idea is applied tangibly in the chaos of life through the actions of its host. Over time, as more people come to embody a particular idea patterns of outcome develop which are either positive or negative (or more complex). And further along in time, most people come to relate to a particular idea based mostly on its practical outcomes rather than its theoretical promises.
Now that we have explored these three concepts we need to bring them together and ask, how do these foundations impact the way we understand remnant theology? We will see this in the next article where with all these foundations in place (all of which are inherently axiomatic) the theological construct itself can easily manifest into a meaningful and necessary perspective of faith. However, for the remaining moments, we have together allow me to demonstrate a simple way in which these perspectives impact remnant theology.
John F. Kennedy once said,
A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death.[7]
Captured within this sentence lies the permanence of ideas which we have already explored, and also its transcendence. An idea does not die with the death or end of physical things (people, nations) but rather, transcends and outlives them all. Therefore, if there is to be a remnant church at the end of time, its meaning must necessarily be derived from the realization that whatever it is, it cannot be physical (institutional), but must necessarily transcend the physical. This simple realization demonstrates that the remnant cannot possibly be constrained within the Adventist institution because the remnant is an idea in motion, and ideas cannot be restrained. This simple shift in perspective can provide us in turn with the needed foundation from which to reimagine remnant theology in a way that avoids the sectarian and narcissistic pitfalls of its historic development and at last, experience it in a way that truly glorifies God rather than us and thus, birth a way of being that transforms the world. In short, the problem with much of how we present remnant theology is that we institutionalize it thus "trapping" the idea within the borders of Adventism which damages the cohesive story it aims to tell and in turn results in a practical application that perpetuates injustice rather than correct it. In the next article, I will explore each of these in more detail.
Click here to read the rest of this series on Reimagining Adventism.
[1] See the Barna Group, "Adventist Millennial Study," p. 42.
[2] Robert Koehler, "You Can't Kill an Idea."
[3] Tertullian, "Apologeticus," ch. 50.
[4] Jarred Keller, Fans Split on Masterful, Frustrating 'Lost' Finale."
[5] Andrew Sims, "Damon Lindelof exits Twitter – possibly due to continued outcry over 'LOST' finale."
[6] Ilya Somin, "Lessons from a century of communism."
[7] TV Tropes, "You Cannot Kill an Idea."
Tags: Humanity, Ideas, institutionalization, Marcos Torres Reimagining Adventism, Remnant, Remnant Theology, sectarianism
Marcos Torres is a pastor in Western Australia where he lives with his wife and children. He loves talking about faith, culture and Adventism. You can follow his blog at www.thestorychurchproject.com.


Have your cat spayed to prevent reproduction. You can spay as early as 8 weeks of age, but check with your veterinarian. You can spay as early as 8 weeks of age, but check with your veterinarian. If a cat is already in heat, some vets may wait until the cycle is over before performing the spay.... 19/11/2007 · Cat owners should always be on the lookout for eye problems. Unlike dogs, who use a combination of sight, hearing and smell to become familiar with their surroundings, cats depend mostly on their eyesight for hunting and stalking their prey.
19/11/2017 · Some cat owners have had good experiences using a normal, "hearing" cat as a playmate for the deaf cat.The body language of the hearing cat provides visual clues to the deaf cat that something has just happened.... Since hearing is a significant function to your cat, anything that interferes with it can lead to serious Cat Health Problems. Cats also have an amazing sense of equilibrium. This is due to a characteristic within their inner ear that allows them to adjust their body with great speed and agility.
Getting your cat's hearing tested at a veterinary clinic is the best way to detect a hearing problem. You will also be able to find out the cause of the problem and the degree of deafness that the cat is experiencing. The right course of treatment can also be started upon immediately.... How you manage your tinnitus may have a connection with the level of stress you are under. If you have a high level of stress there is a greater chance that you will be troubled by your tinnitus. If you have a high level of stress there is a greater chance that you will be troubled by your tinnitus.
If congestive heart failure is suspected, your veterinarian may recommend that your cat have an echocardiogram. This is an ultrasound of the heart and can tell a lot more about the structure of the heart, compared to an x-ray.
First, make sure your cat has no medical problems. An agitated, active feline could be one that's in pain, so talk to your vet if you think there might be something wrong. An agitated, active feline could be one that's in pain, so talk to your vet if you think there might be something wrong.


text:
YALI Questions the $192 million loan GRZ contracted from China
editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com
The call by Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili to have people who have disclosed to the Post Newspapers on a $192 million Government obtained from China to the public is misplaced. While we agree with Hon Kambwili that it is an offence to leak classified Government document and that the State is not obliged to disclose security matters to the public, informing the public that Government has on their behalf acquired a public loan that would be used on Security matters is not disclosing security matters.
What Government must acknowledge is that they had wanted to hide the fact that they had acquired such a huge loan from another foriegn government which the Zambian people ought to know about because it is the people and our children who are going to pay these loans.
Zambia, like other countries including the UK and the US have the practice of declaring their security budgets and only oppressive regimes don't do that. For instance, there was nothing wrong with Government disclosing the 2015 Budget estimates of K501,301,315 to Zambia Security Intelligence Services (ZSIS) because thus has been the practice.
As YALI, we concerned that Government has continued to overlook the motion that Parliament unanimously passed on 17 October 2013 that compels government and the minister of Finance to seek authorization from parliament before any external and internal debts are contracted.
By passing that motion in Parliament, the Zambian people through their representatives, had made it clear that they wanted to curb and restrain borrowings. We want to borrow the words of Hon Minister of Sports, Vincent Mwale, who was the mover of the motion that the rate at which the Patriotic Front (PF) government is borrowing was recklessly and a source of concern, and if not stopped or regulated the country would slip into serious indebtedness.
In our governance system, one would expect Parliament to ask the Executive on why they are disobeying it's unanimous decision to which they Executive was a part to.
We want to remind Mr. Kambwili and President Lungu that there was nothing wrong with telling Zambians that they had borrowed such huge amounts of money from China unless it wasn't the intention of Government to use the intended secuity purpose.
We however wish to agree with Hon Kambwili that the practice of leaking Government documents especially Cabinet decisions and discussions need to come to an end as that confidentiality required in managing certain decisions in this country.
What is sad is that even some leaders like Hon Jean Kapata had the courage to use the same cabinet documents and more of PF Cabinet Ministers did not find it wrong to use discussions in Cabinet in furtherance of their own political battles during the handover of power from the then acting President Edgar Lungu to Guy Scott when President Sata had died in London. That action by the Ministers and Mr. Nguni had set a bad precedent which these civil servants are now following.
As YALI, we want to emphasise on the need by President Lungu to transparently manage this country but also call on civil servants to respect the issues of confidentiality. There is nothing wrong though in blowing the whistle that Government is hiding a huge loan it had contracted and the hiding of such a huge loan questions on the real purpose of such a loan.
Isaac Mwanza
Governance Advisor
Young African Leaders Initiative
Previous articlePresident Edgar Lungu thinking of not enacting the Freedom of Information Bill
Next articleMulusa fails to hold back tears when he found public workers under a tree
Dombwa May 10, 2015 At 5:56 pm
Why do you ask PF questions? In your right frame of mind, do think PF has what it takes to turn around the economic fortunes of this country? The problem is not PF, the problem is you and me who always criticize intellectually but fail to take action through the ballot leaving the people who don"t know anything to vote
Jonjo May 10, 2015 At 8:32 pm
Haha eeh…, PF and kaloba is like phone na sim card. I just pity the poor tax payers whose money will service these stup1d loans PF is acquiring. Too bad most Zambians are too shallow to understand the damage and theft being done in broad daylight. Vote pabwato.
Kamba May 11, 2015 At 8:13 am
I fail to understand why Kabwili wants to have the one who leaked the 192 million loan from China instead of arresting the ones who wanted to hide it from the public. Who is a criminal on this issue the one who leaked or the one who wanted to hide this money from the rest of Zambians. If you check there are no medicine in most health institutions and that money would have gone a long way in alleviating the problems in the country. Comeon people think twice.
lets hope pipo who linked are chinese the owners
National Inquiry May 12, 2015 At 11:59 am
When you have a government led by uneducated people is the result. What is the reason behind Kambwili's reaction. Why doesn't he take himself to the police station and say he stole money to build a house on illegal land in Luanshya. Why does he not disclose that he has a family who lives in the UK and using government money to support them and the same money benefiting the British economy. He has children going to school abroad so let's calculate his salary and the actual cost of living in the UK. We have to start looking into these morons because they think they are clever. He has a couple of businesses too so take out your calculators people. Calculate the revenue spent on family abroad, including accommodation, vehicles, gas, food, school fees and taxes there and himself in ZED.
Napsa Stars have confirmed the signing of Green Eagles striker Tapson Kaseba. Kaseba joined Napsa on a one-year loan deal...
Zambia presents$ 9.5 billion opportunity for the private sector to invest in sustainable development, says Standard Chartered
Chief Editor - January 18, 2020 10
The Standard Chartered Sustainable Development Goals Investment Map has revealed an almost 10 trillion US dollars opportunity for private-sector investors across all emerging markets...
Kitwe's Chiwempala Resident Riot again over Ritual Killings
General News Chief Editor - January 17, 2020 18
Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga has said that residents of Chiwempala have rioted again looting shops and destroying property, before Police reinforcements from...
President Edgar Lungu back from Mozambique
President Edgar Lungu has arrived in the country from Mozambique where he was among heads of state and governments that witnessed the inauguration of...
Protesting Retires at the Ministry of Justice were paid, says Dora Siliya
Chief Government spokesperson Dora Siliya says some retirees who are part of the group demanding payment of their terminal benefits have already been paid...
Mrs Chanda spends her 50th birthday giving out hampers to new mothers
General News editor - January 16, 2020 19
Usually, birthdays come with a lot of excitement and some call for huge celebrations such as cutting of cakes, good food, popping of champagne...


Oskar Kops Kronback, better known as KOPS, is taking us full circle with "bring-you-back-to-church," heartbreak bop "Loved One." Having made his start in music as a choirboy, departing in his teens to DJhood while furthering his experimentation with pop and electronic soundscapes, KOPS as a songwriter is both refreshingly forward thinking and lightheartedly nostalgic.
"Loved One" encompasses the many aspects of KOPS' artistry which undoubtedly draws fans to his work. First and foremost, let's chat about this voice of an angel. Alright, we know who got all the solos in choir back in the day (showoff) but for good reason, a tone like that of KOPS is both rare and stupid addicting to the ear. Perfectly placed and relaxed, yet intriguing– feel free to cut the production and "Loved One" is still a worthy track. But don't actually cut the production because it's pretty rad, to say the least. Incorporating quirky sounds including glistening synths and a series of popping, slapping, & bumping electronic beats, you think you know wassup until … wait for it … a full horn and choir section?!
All I have to say is thank you KOPS, we commend you.