I was asked to write about my experience of the Philadelphia Orchestra's production of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, which I saw and heard on Saturday night. For those keeping track, the participants were the Philadelphia Orchestra; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; The American Boychoir; and The Westminster Symphonic Choir (from Westminster Choir College). Soloists: Malin Christensson - Soprano; Karen Cargill - Mezzo-soprano; Andrew Staples - Tenor (Evangelist); Andrew Foster-Williams - Bass-baritone; and Luca Pisaroni - Bass-baritone (Jesus).
This Passion has two choirs and two orchestras, and some smaller groups of instrumentalists who play continuo for the solo pieces. The piece is a mixture of narration (the tenor evangelist); acting out of events by combinations of soloists and choir; choir chorales meditating on the proceedings, which the congregation was intended to sing as well; and choruses, which are the big opening parts, when the choir plays the angry crowd, etc.. St. Matthew in particular starts with Passover and goes through Jesus being entombed.
My point of view: Early/baroque is my favorite genre of music to listen to and to sing. I sing with a small semi-professional choir of about forty people; we perform quite a lot of baroque music, a good proportion of it Bach; our conductor is also the conductor for the Philadelphia Bach Festival. We use historical performance practices as much as possible. Back in 2003, I performed the Matthäus Passion for the first and so far only time, but back then, the choir had a different conductor and had about 100 people. My experience of the Orchestra performance is likely more influenced, instead, by having sung Bach's St. John Passion last spring. Having heard all that, you will likely guess that I prefer my Baroque music to be very, well, baroque in style. And you'd be right.
Overall, the sound was gorgeous, smooth and mellow as the Orchestra always is, particularly in the violin-interior acoustic of Verizon Hall. I loved the sound, but I didn't feel like it was really Bach. It was a modern interpretation of Bach, with louder, higher-pitched modern instruments. Fair enough. The main difference to my ear was that everything was too legato and sustained. The notes were held too long and too smoothly, resulting in a smooth wash that obscured the individual phrases and that "mathematical" quality people ascribe to Bach. To me, a big part of baroque style is there's a sense of breathing and speaking, a sort of naturalistic phrasing and "dying away" that allows for breaks in the sound. So though I enjoyed it quite a bit, I wondered how much more I would have liked it done in a more period style.
My favorite soloist was Foster-Williams, and it did not surprise me when I checked his bio and found that he sings music from that period quite a lot! I also thought the evangelist, Staples, was really excellent in his arias as well as the substantial work of narration. The soprano, the mezzo, and Jesus were, I felt, all very good, but they didn't reach out and grab me in the same way. Foster-Williams strode out and demanded attention - "Listen to what I have to say!" The others did not do this to nearly the same extent, though they had operatic skills in facial expression and movement of their bodies. One technical thing I noticed in the soprano/mezzo duet was how meticulously the two singers synchronized their vibrato; my mouth was open at how skilled that was. Jesus, however, was several times nearly overpowered by orchestra one; I thought that the violins needed to tone it down. I thought orchestra two was much better throughout at both baroque style and at playing accompaniment.
The choir was excellent, and I thought the chorister who played Pilate was particularly impressive. I was very appreciative that Nézet-Séguin had clearly paid a lot of attention to following the text when phrasing the chorales; in one, he even added a significant Grand Pause at an appropriate moment.
Which leads me to the theatrical element of the production. There was a lot of stage business with soloists making eye contact with each other and moving around the stage, colored sashes for the different characters who had dialogue, choir putting their folders in front of their face to indicate a character or scene change, etc.. I confess I found it all a bit distracting, and I closed my eyes a few times to shut out the visuals, particularly when the choristers were moving their folders up and down to indicate turmoil (I think). This might be an artifact of me being a singer; the choreography was irrelevant to me, I wanted to immerse in the music. My companion found the stage business appropriate and well-done, and it was; I just couldn't get into it. I did like the long, lights-out-except-for-red pause after the death of Jesus, which was very effective.
A couple of stage business bits almost made me laugh. Two of the soloists, the mezzo and the bass-baritone, had moments of purely instrumental solo within arias; they approached and then stared at the instrumental soloist. It felt like a weird fourth-wall thing. Only it isn't fourth-wall if they're all on stage together. Whatever. In my head, I heard, "What the hell is that thing, intruding on my aria? I never noticed it before!"
Regardless of all my nitpicking, I hugely enjoyed the performance, particularly my favorite bits: the tenor/choir "Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen" and "Komm süsses Kreuz" to the end. I would have been happy to see more than one performance! Despite differences in interpretation from my ideal, it was Bach. Nom.
BTW, The Philadelphia Bach Festival begins soon! B Minor Mass on May 5th!
I suspect I'd listen with my eyes shut, and ignore the stage bizz.
It sounds like a fantastic experience.
Our orchestra is one of the best, and so is their hall, so it's always a pleasure!


Reading Deane's post on The History of Legos reminded me of a Web site I saw the other day, where JP Brown had built a Rubik's Cube Solver out of Lego Mindstorms.
I think the inventor of the Lego is bowing as we read this. This is far better than the tanks I used to build.


text:
7-16-17 Sermon "God's Heroes Have Courage" - "Hero Central" Series
Last week we learned in the story of God's selection of David as the next king of Israel that God's heroes have heart. And of course when we say this we're not talking about his having an organ in his body that pumps blood - that can be assumed. You'll remember we also said when talking about heart it means more than just emotion. We defined heart as including emotion but going deeper to include who we are, how we are, to really mean what we think of as soul.
This week our theme is that God's heroes have courage. But just what is courage? Well, the Webster online dictionary defines it is, "the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous; the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." And one of the roots or the word courage is from the Latin, "cor," which means, interestingly enough, "heart."
Here's one way to think about courage…
>>>WE SHOWED "COWARDLY LION COURAGE" VIDEO<<<
In last week's episode of "Hero Central," we heard the story of the anointing of David, the youngest son of Jesse, to be the next king of Israel, following the reign of the once-anointed-now-annoying King Saul. A mere boy when we met him, we know of some of David's heroic exploits over the years, as told in the books 1 and 2 Samuel, as well as 1 and 2 Chronicles, where we are told David is a "man after God's own heart." Shortly after he is anointed, while still a young boy, David defeats Goliath on the battlefield and becomes an instant celebrity. King Saul sees that David has great potential as a military leader, even as a boy, and makes him a general in the royal army. And David was a very successful military strategist and leader - in fact he was completely successful in every one of his missions. And as David's fame rose among the people, Saul's paranoia rose with it.
Eventually Saul demotes David out of fear and jealousy, and having David marry one of his daughters in a "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" kind of approach, Saul decides that in order to remain in power, David must die. David learns of Saul's plans and escapes with the help of Saul's son, Jonathan, who recognizes his father's unbounded paranoia. David continued to lead his band of Israelite soldiers in victory, even has he ran for his life from Saul, and he gained even more support from the people of the nation.
So in our passage today, David and his men end up in the hill country south of Jerusalem in a place called Maon. While there, he sought the assistance of a man named Nabal, a wealthy and important man in the area who was also known for doing "evil things," the passage says, and whose name means, appropriately we will learn, "fool." David sends ten of his servants to Nabal to ask for food and assistance for his men, reminding Nabal of the time that David and his army had provided protection for Nabal's men and his livestock.
Nabal, "the fool," refuses to help David and sends away his messengers. When he learned of Nabal's ungratefulness, we can imagine David's complexion going from ruddy to red as he plans an immediate and vengeful reply to this slight. David intends to not only kill Nabal for this insult, but also to destroy his entire household. Which might make one wonder, is this what it looks like to be a man after "God's own heart?"
Now, recognizing the dishonor that has been done to David, and the potential for disaster this could unleash on Nabal's entire community, one of Nabal's servants goes to Nabal's wife Abigail, to tell her what had happened, hoping that a cooler head might prevail. The servant tells Abigail about how David and his men had actually helped protect Nabal's servants and livestock, and how Nabal "the fool" had thumbed his nose at this generous act and refused to respond in kind to a reasonable request from David for some food for his men. And so this is the sticky situation in which we find ourselves in 1 Samuel 25.
Methodist pastor Anne Grant shared in a sermon once a story about a married couple, a man and woman, who were arguing about something as they traveled. Whatever the original focus of their argument had been, it had spiraled down to a place where one would say something biting and the other would just fire a snarky comment right back. This went on for hours as they drove along the highway and through cities and towns, each one trying to get in the last word, the last zinger, to win some kind of victory. Finally, while driving down a country road amidst some farm land, the husband spies what he thinks will win this battle of wits for him. Seeing a donkey in a field nearby, he says to his wife, "Is that a relative of yours?" to which she quickly responds,
"Yes, by marriage."
It's amazing how one slight, one misspoken word,
one mistaken or misunderstood interpretation of a word, a look, an act, can lead to conflict that then can escalate into all out war, literally or practically.
As we watch what's going on in the world today with ISIS in Syria and Iraq, with North Korea in Asia, or Iran in the Middle East, it's easy to grow fearful of what word spoken or act taken or mistaken in a torrent of testosterone, might lead to the next major war of our times, and how many innocent lives might hang in the balance.
It's also interesting to consider how popular culture reflects and responds to the stresses and tensions of the times. We saw that in our message last week about God's heroes having heart when we considered the story of Captain America. The Captain America comic was created early in World War II and proposes an American superhero who seeks to vanquish that which is evil in the world. It's an age old, even archetypal story, placed in the context of the conflict of its time. At the same time, the other message that this comic book presents in its not so subtle way, is that anyone, even someone as unlikely as the sickly, 98 pound weakling, Steve Rogers, has something to offer for the greater good if they, too, have heart. It was a unifying and rallying message that resonated across socio-economic and cultural distinctions that was not limited to the Captain America storyline.
About that same time, 1941, another comic book superhero was created that was geared toward a part of society previously thought unable to bring value or contribute in the same way as others.
The heroine, in this case, was Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman has had more backstories written for
her over the years than probably any of the more popular super heroes out there. Two of these backstories, while conflicting with one another, are interesting in what they say about the society in which they were created.
In one version, Wonder Woman is actually Princess Diane of the Amazon tribe of women. She is raised by her mother the Queen to be a warrior but leaves the tribe and goes to America to battle the Nazis as Diane Prince. In another popular version, Wonder Woman is a Greek goddess, a daughter of Zeus, who comes to earth on the side of America and the Allies in the Second World War. In both stories, Wonder Woman is somewhat of a pacifist and uses her strengths, abilities, and depending on which storyline you follow, her various gadgets only in a defensive fashion. At the same time, she is also seen as a voice of reason and stability in the midst of the conflict that surrounds her and that envelops the world. And introduced before "Rosie the Riveter" became a symbol of female American unity and value, she provided a powerfully positive role model in her time.
The characterization we see in Wonder Woman is not unlike our character Abigail in the scripture lesson today. Everything we know of Abigail is what we read in 1 Samuel 25. There are no conflicting backstories with her, she enters the scene when this servant of Nabal recognizes that if something doesn't happen to calm the situation between Nabal and David then the war to end all wars will be fought in Maon. Upon hearing the servant's report, and knowing that her husband is as his name implies, a fool, she leaps into action.
Without hesitation, Abigail gets the household staff together and gives them their marching orders. They're to gather together various food stuff, breads and meats, grain, wine, and various cakes, load them onto a caravan of donkeys, and they're going to take them to David's camp. Notice, she doesn't send the servants off to do this alone, she leads them on this peacemaking mission.
And if this were a major motion picture epic we might imagine how this scene unfolds. In widescreen shot reminiscent of "Lawrence of Arabia," we see an expanse of sandy desert, and as the camera zooms in from afar it focuses in on what appears to be a cloud of dust stretched across the horizon. As the camera draws closer we see that the dust is coming off the feet of a line of hundreds of men and horses that stretch across the horizon, seemingly with no end. The horses and men are all armed, swords, bows, and spears at the ready. The man who clearly is the leader of this army leads from the from, his face ruddy, his eyes focused, brow furrowed and his look determined. There will be war.
The camera pans across this mass of warriors to the landscape before them, and we see another group of people - this band much smaller and heading towards the approaching army, not on horseback, but on donkeys. And on the lead donkey, urging it go faster and faster,
we see a woman. Abigail.
Now, in order to understand just how courageous this action on Abigail's part is, we must remember the context in which it occurs. First of all, as we have shared many times, as a woman Abigail has little power or authority over anything, including herself. She is Nabal's wife, probably not his only one, which in effect means she is his property. And while the story tells us that she is both beautiful and intelligent, she is still a woman living in a patriarchal society in which she owns nothing, controls nothing more than perhaps the household staff, and has little or no rights of her own. And if that is not enough, we're told that Nabal is a hard man who does evil things. The food she takes, the donkeys she takes it on, and the servants she drafts to help in this mission, are not hers to take or to commandeer - they are his. But she is wise enough, and shrewd enough, to recognize that if she does not take these actions, then neither she, the servants, nor even the fool Nabal will live long enough to eat these rations that she is prepared to offer to keep the peace.
Abigail's band, bearing the fruits of peace, intercepts this determined army and as she approaches David, she climbs down from the donkey, throws herself to the ground and bows deeply before this warrior king. Apologizing for her boldness, as well as her husband's foolishness (like the woman in the story earlier, suggesting that Nabal is a blood relative of the donkey she just rode in on) she implores David not to go on with his plans to destroy Nabal and his household, to not act sinfully out of a sense of vengeance that is not needed and not proper for the anointed next king of Israel. Appealing to his power, his ego, his sense of decency, and perhaps unknowingly to the heart that God looked upon, Abigail deflects the anger and the violent intent spewed by both of these men, like Wonder Woman deflecting bullets with her bracelets, and brings both peace and reason into a situation that otherwise might have led to disaster.
And then, in what has one of the most colorful descriptions in all of scripture, David said to Abigail, "Bless the Lord God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! And bless you and your good judgment for preventing me from shedding blood and taking vengeance into my own hands today! Otherwise, as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives—the one who kept me from hurting you—if you hadn't come quickly and met up with me, there wouldn't be one single one who urinates on a wall left come morning."
Yes, you heard that correctly. The words in Hebrew
that the author used to describe Nabal and his men,
in English translates to "one who urinates on a wall."
The King James version says, "pisseth." Whether the intent of that choice of words is to describe the physiological differences between how men and women urinate and to say that he would only have killed the men, or whether it is intended as a slight against the men, that they are the type who would urinate publicly on a wall rather than in a chamber pot or some other container, or at least in the woods, we don't know - the passage doesn't tell us. What we do know, is that regardless of the intended meaning here, if it hadn't been for Abigail's intervention. Nabal wouldn't have pot to…well, you know.
So then, the passage tells us , David accepted everything she had brought for him. "Return home in peace," he told her. "Be assured that I've heard your request and have agreed to it."
So Abigail returns home, and finding Nabal in the midst of a party and totally intoxicated, she wisely chooses to wait until the next morning to tell him what she's done. The next day, Abigail tells Nabal about how she, in effect, saved the lives of Nabal and the entire household by providing the food that David had asked for. Hearing this news, Nabal has a heart attack, lingers for 10 days, and then dies.
David was grateful to Abigail, not only because she brought the much needed food they had requested, but also because she kept him from "shedding blood."
He realized that because of Abigail's courage in intervening in this conflict, she persuaded him - even saved him - from killing Nabal's entire household, including Abigail herself. Her courage showed David that he had almost given in to his own sinful anger rather than trusting in God and God's justice in this situation. And the story ends with David taking Abigail as his wife.
Now this story of Abigail is a little known story in the Bible, in part because 1 Samuel 25 is nowhere to be found in the Revised Common Lectionary cycle of readings. This story of courage and heroism never comes up in the regular readings of the liturgical calendar, so if one doesn't seek it out on their own the story of this wonder woman might never be well know. I believe it's also little known because when it is used or preached in more conservative or evangelical churches, it's often raised as a story about how women are to be submissive to men, and that the only redeeming characteristic of Abigail's actions are that they were done in service to David, the man of God, who takes precedent over even her husband. The tentacles of patriarchy stretch far and wide, and know no boundaries of time, reaching as far back as the garden and into the church today.
As we consider the theme of our message, "God's heroes have courage," in the context of Abigail's story, we must also consider other wonder women, from the famous, to the lesser known, to the unknown, who exhibit courage every day. From the Harriet Tubmans or Sojourner Truths of the world to the female police officer killed in New York last week. From adventurers like Amelia Earhart, to activists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to ordained clergy women like our own April Casperson or Karen Cook who boldly step into planes, pubs, pulpits, or positions of power that society and culture have told them for years, and continue to tell them today, are reserved or at least intended for "those who can urinate on walls," these are heroes of great courage.
But like the message about heroes having heart last week, courage is not a characteristic given only to some and not to others. All of us have the potential to exhibit courage in the face of danger, courage in the face of injustice, if we have the heart to do so. Courage is born, in part, from having a heart for God, for God's kin-dom, and for God's people. Courage is birthed when, despite our discomfort, we step up and step out to do what we know needs to be done but would prefer someone else do for us.
Courage is displayed when, in the face of mounting evidence that we've made the wrong choice, we've done or said the wrong thing, we step up, own our mistake and attempt to right the wrong rather than casting blame on someone or something else.
Courage, as we see in our story today, is evidenced when we're willing to trust in God and who God is, when we're willing to accept the challenge God places before us as disciples to both love God and love our neighbor, rather than to place our trust in our own selfish desires. When we muster this kind of courage, we too are one of God's heroes. Amen.
Posted by Crossroads UMC at 3:50 PM
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Get those dishes washed with these handy scrubbers. They are crocheted in a material that is specifically designed to be gentle on dishes, yet effective at removing debris. So you can't go wrong with these.
The pattern calls for Red Heart Scrubby and an I crochet hook.


text:
Luncavița este o comună în județul Caraș-Severin, Banat, România, formată din satele Luncavița (reședința) și Verendin.

Așezare geografică
Comuna Luncavița este situat în partea de sud-vest a României, în regiunea Banat. Aparține județului Caraș-Severin. Luncavița este așezată în bazinul de pe versantul sud-vestic al cumpenei apelor numită Poarta Orientală, la o distanță de 4 km de gara Poarta, pe marginea pârâului Luncavița, care își are obârșia în apropierea munților Semenic (Dealul lui Loga, Trăstura). În partea de est Luncavița se învecinează cu comuna Domașnea, în partea de sud cu comuna Mahadica (numită popular Megica), în partea de vest cu satul Verendin, iar în partea de nord cu comuna Teregova. Primăriei Luncavița îi sunt subordonate: satul Luncavița și satul Verendin, situat la o distanță de 4 km.

Relieful

Relieful este de tip colinar. Așezată pe valea pârâului omonim, Luncavița are o deschidere deosebit de fascinantă spre Munții Cernei (sud-est) și Munții Țarcului (nord-est). Spre nord-vest se deschide treptat relieful submuntos al Muntelui Semenic. Preocupările principale ale locuitorilor sunt: agricultura, pomicultura, creșterea animalelor și meșteșugăritul (cojocărit, tâmplărie, tinichigerie, zidărie etc.).

Clima
Fiind așezată în partea de sud-vest a țării, sub influența directă a Mării Adriatice și la adăpostul Munților Carpați, zona se integrează în climatul submediteraneean. Subtipul climatic al Banatului de sud și sud-est este caracterizat prin contactul dintre masele de aer atlantic și presiunea făcută de masele de aer mediteraneean, ceea ce oferă un caracter moderat regimului termic. Iernile și verile fiind scurte ca durată, iar primăverile și toamnele, mai lungi - temperaturile sunt moderate la ambele extreme, atât la cald cât și la rece. Temperaturile medii variază între -5º si 1 °C în lunile de iarnă, iar vara, sunt cuprinse intre 25º si 28 °C, ceea ce demonstrează influența sudică în această parte a Banatului. Cele aproape 4 luni de primavară și toamnă oferă principala caracteristică a zonei din punct de vedere climatic - temperatura medie fiind de 11,5 °C. Analizând regimul precipitațiilor, la Luncavița avem o medie de 737,2 mm pe an. Cea mai mare cantitate de precipitații cade în lunile mai și iunie, precum și în toamnă, în octombrie și noiembrie. Zilele cu zăpadă variaza între 25 și 30 pe an. Stratul de zăpadă poate atinge o înălțime de max. 70 cm. Vânturile dominante își orientează direcția după valea Luncaviței, în general dinspre nord spre sud.

Istoria
O monografie detaliată a comunei Luncavița a fost realizată în anul 1966 de către dl. Filip Trastau, originar din Luncavița, și este disponibilă integral pe pagina de internet a comunei:
http://www.luncavita.com/Romaneste/Monografia_1.htm.

Descrierea stemei
Stema comunei Luncavița se compune dintr-un scut triunghiular cu marginile rotunjite, retezat și tăiat, în căprior. În șef, în câmp verde, se află trei miei de aur, trecând spre dreapta. În prima partiție, în câmp albastru, se află o rindea de argint. În a doua partiție, în câmp roșu, se află un cap de urs văzut din față, de aur. În a treia partiție, în câmp albastru, se află trei prune așezate pe o crenguță cu trei frunze de argint. Scutul este trimbrat de o coroană murală de argint cu un turn crenelat.

Semnificațiile elementelor însumate:

Mieii amintesc faptul că localitatea a fost întemeiată de coloniști aduși de împărăteasa Maria Tereza din Oltenia, și anume din localitatea Calea Oii. Rindeaua este simbolul ocupației tradiționale a locuitorilor, respectiv tâmplăria și prelucrarea lemnului. Capul de urs face referire la fauna cinegetică a zonei. Prunele semnifică faptul că zona este bogată în pomi fructiferi.

Coroana murală cu un turn crenelat semnifică faptul că localitatea are rangul de comună.

Demografie

Conform recensământului efectuat în 2011, populația comunei Luncavița se ridică la  locuitori, în scădere față de recensământul anterior din 2002, când se înregistraseră  de locuitori. Majoritatea locuitorilor sunt români (93,61%), cu o minoritate de romi (1,72%). Pentru 4,67% din populație, apartenența etnică nu este cunoscută.
Din punct de vedere confesional, majoritatea locuitorilor sunt ortodocși (95,18%). Pentru 4,67% din populație, nu este cunoscută apartenența confesională.

Politică și administrație
Comuna Luncavița este administrată de un primar și un consiliu local compus din 11 consilieri. Primarul, , de la , este în funcție din . Începând cu alegerile locale din 2020, consiliul local are următoarea componență pe partide politice:

Note

Legături externe
 http://comunaluncavita.ro/
 Anuarul Socec al României Mari, 1924-1925 - de la Biblioteca Congresului S.U.A.
 http://www.luncavita.com/

Luncavița

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Do a series of activities that mix baking soda and an acid to make gas. Connect by their chemical reaction. Introduce gas pressure by enclosing the reaction and setting off a rocket.
Baking soda is a common chemical in our kitchen that is an easy grab for chemical reactions.
Selections of these activities can be presented in many different ways.
1. Start with making scones. While they are baking figure out what ingredients make the gas, then model it with molecular models.
End with the same reaction in film canister rockets.
2. Start with the familiar baking soda and vinegar reaction. Figure out the chemistry with molecular models.
Try mixing the baking soda with other acids to make the soda drink.
Enclose the same chemical reaction to shoot off a film canister rocket.
3. Start with soda drink., then use molecule models to figure out the reaction. Include other juices.
The same chemical reaction can be enclosed to set off a film canister rocket.
Tyee and CAGIS did #2. Other activities were added to the end of these lessons: at Tyee, stomp rocket for more on pressure. With CAGIS, somewhat randomly, I added bubbles activities, to explore the chemistry of why bubbles are made. CAGIS attendees had a name tag showing all the molecules visited during the workshop.


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text:
package rx.internal.operators;

import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;

import rx.Observable.Operator;
import rx.Producer;
import rx.Subscriber;

public class OperatorOnBackpressureDrop<T> implements Operator<T, T> {

    @Override
    public Subscriber<? super T> call(final Subscriber<? super T> child) {
        final AtomicInteger requested = new AtomicInteger();

        child.setProducer(new Producer() {

            @Override
            public void request(int n) {
                requested.getAndAdd(n);
            }

        });
        return new Subscriber<T>(child) {

            @Override
            public void onCompleted() {
                child.onCompleted();
            }

            @Override
            public void onError(Throwable e) {
                child.onError(e);
            }

            @Override
            public void onNext(T t) {
                if (requested.get() > 0) {
                    child.onNext(t);
                    requested.decrementAndGet();
                }
            }

        };
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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News: Pricecheck powers into Profit Track 100
International wholesaler and distributor Pricecheck has been listed in a league table of 100 private companies with the fastest growing profits.
Pricecheck is a leading supplier of international branded consumer goods, working predominately in the health and beauty sector, dealing with discounted clearance stock. In 2016, the ambitious firm moved to new premises at Beighton Link Business Park in Rotherham.
The annual Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 ranks Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing profits over the past three years. Pricecheck, which was founded in 1978, makes its second entry in the Profit Track 100 list and is ranked 90th.
Earlier this year Pricecheck was named in the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 which honours companies with the fastest growing international sales.
Pricecheck has a diverse network of UK customers and exports to 80 countries. It has a turnover in excess of £80m and achieved annual profit growth over three years of 58%.
The business recently secured partnerships with world-leading brands including Johnson & Johnson, Coty, and Lindt. The company has also developed its skincare, fine fragrance and alcohol offering to capitalise on expanding markets both internationally and in the UK.
Financial targets have been set at reaching a £100m turnover by 2020 and £200m by 2025.
Mark Lythe, joint managing director at Pricecheck, said: "Pricecheck is achieving growth that's both structured and consistent. We're continually pushing boundaries and business opportunities.
"We're committed to investing in the very best people, training, development and technology. This combination has led to excellent, ongoing growth across the business.
"We've been building and maintaining close relationships with suppliers, customers, partners and allies for 41 years. To see Pricecheck continually recognised in the FastTrack awards is a tremendous credit to our hard-working and ambitious team."
Pricecheck website
Images: Pricecheck
Labels: Beighton Link, economy, Pricecheck Toiletries, retail, Rotherham


The Minnesota Beef Update is a production of the Minnesota Beef Council and the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association. This week, MSCA Executive Director Ashley Kohls discusses the upcoming Cattlemen at the Capitol event. Hear more.


A conversation about how to learn from your pain, attend to your anger, and short-circuit your panic attacks.
A discussion about how emotional pain expresses itself in the body, and how practices such as yoga can help us to relearn our relationship to it.
Another way to approach prayer, especially when your praying feels unhelpful, or even counterproductive.
An encouragement about the cyclical nature of healing and growth.
Why asking for help is an expression of a sense of worthiness.
How to find a good therapist when you don't know where else to look.
A helpful (pun intended) list of reasons we resist asking for help, and even resist receiving the help we've already asked for.
You don't have to do any of this living and healing and transforming alone. I think you'll find here the encouragement to believe that and act upon it. You can listen below or on iTunes.


Barkatullah University (BU) is public teaching and an affiliating University Located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. The University formerly known as Bhopal University & was established in 1970. In 1988, it was renamed as the Barkatullah University after the great freedom fighter Prof. Barkatullah, who was born in Bhopal.
It provides degrees to most of the non-technical colleges in and around Bhopal. There are about 480 colleges affiliated to this University. The University offers various courses in its affiliated colleges that includes Arts, Commerce, Education, Physical Education, Law, Life Sciences Management, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences and Engineering. These teaching departments follow the annual semester system of teaching and examination.
Barkatullah University had conducted B.SC. Sem- 6 Examination in the year April 2015. The Result for B.SC. Sem- 6 April 2015 has been declared on the official website on 10th June 2015. Students who had appeared for this examination can check their result online through visiting the official website of Barkatullah University.
Scroll down to locate "Online Results" tab.
Under graduate section, click on the link B.SC. Sem- 6 April 2015 Result, which is placed very first in the result list.
By entering roll no students can check their results.


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Ubuntu is more than just great hair
By misrael
Ubuntu, located on Acacia Avenue is one of Solana Beach's newest hair salons offering a full range of beauty and hair care services. But the salon aims to take the business of beauty one step further.
"Our goal is to demonstrate something different not just for our clients, but also for our employees," said owner, Dawn Ellinwood Denslow. "We set out to design a comfortable and relaxed environment, but also one that is socially conscious and environmentally friendly."
Denslow is the person behind the color and highlights of numerous Hollywood celebrities. Recognized for her experience with the Balayage hair coloring technique, she is dedicated to bringing out the natural beauty potential of all her clients. "Hair should complement an overall look and not be the first thing that people notice," she said. "I would rather that people not know it's hair color and think that it's totally natural."
For over 21 years Denslow has been in the beauty and hairstyling business. At 16, she started as a shampoo assistant and became a licensed stylist at 17. She has spent the last 10 years working as a colorist for the world famous Frederic Fekkai Salon and Spa on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. With the opening of her new studio in Solana Beach, Denslow said she feels like her career has finally come full circle.
Her list of clients is rather lengthy and includes such notables as Rosemary Clooney, Penelope Cruz, Dana Delaney, Jennifer Grant, Patricia Heaton, Paris Hilton, Ashley Judd, Heather Kozar, Brooke Shields, Alicia Silverstone, Jessica and Ashley Simpson, the Bentley Twins and Estella Warren. Denslows' movie credits include: "Clock Stoppers," "The Fast and the Furious," "Legally Blond," "Princess Diaries," "Southland Tales" and "Star Trek."
Rochelle Bold of La Jolla has been making the trip back and forth to Beverly Hills every three months for the past year to have Denslow color her hair.
"The process that she (Denslow) uses is unique," said Bold. "I don't believe that there is anyone in San Diego that does it. I found that it was worthwhile and made such a difference in my hair that it was worth driving up to L.A. for." Bold further noted that not only does her hair look and feel great, but she has a lot less breakage and her hair has become much stronger than it was before.
Denslow credits her use of the Balayage technique for the results her clients have grown accustomed to. According to Denslow, balayage is a French word meaning "to sweep." She described the process as, "painting the hair with lightener." Unlike the traditional highlighting technique which involves weaving the hair and then placing foil under it in a pattern, the Balayage technique does not use foil and involves looking at how the hair falls and then feathering the lightener at the root and going bolder through the ends. This Denslow says, gives her more control and allows her to create a more customized look.
Another advantage of the technique is that it doesn't leave a straight line of roots when the hair grows in, which allows for more time in between colorings. In the end this will translate into fewer sessions at the salon and less damage to the hair.
Denslow proudly admits that she has worked tirelessly to design the studio's layout from the ground up to offer a combination of comfort, style and relaxation. She has paid close attention to every detail, right down to the etched drinking glasses. She has also become obsessed with her search for the best music to offer her clients.
She discovered the word "ubuntu," while reading a cookbook by Marcus Samuelson. According to Denslow, the word means, "I am because you are, therefore we are." Determined to include the word community in the name of her new business, she knew right from the start that the name of her studio would be Ubuntu.
Denslows' sense of community stretches beyond just the name of her studio. She donates a percentage of all profits to charity. She uses and sells only the most environmentally friendly products from socially conscious companies. Loose hair clippings are donated to the Matter of Trust Program, which recycles them into products for use in oil spill cleanups. Denslow employs a no tip policy. Any tips offered are donated to charity.
ubuntuhairstudio.com


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Mimi Ndiweni Wiki: Age & Parents Details Of The Witchers' Actress
Mimi Ndiweni is a rising talented actress from England...upcoming Netflix fantasy series, The Witcher, where she will be portraying the character of Fringilla...The Witcher's world is divided into southern and northern regions...her birthday comes every year on the 31st of August...her parents...wiki reveals her age...movies that she has...
Mimi Ndiweni is a rising talented actress from England who has been making her way towards a big career with each small step at a time.
She began her career by acting in short films and theatre plays, followed by small roles in 2015's movie Cinderella, and 2016's The Legend of Tarzan.
Her first big break came when she played the role of Tilly Brockless in the 2016 TV series, Mr. Selfridge, which also provided her with the required exposure around the entertainment fraternity.
As of now, she is excited for her upcoming Netflix fantasy series, The Witcher, where she will be portraying the character of Fringilla; the first season of the series will be available to watch on the online platform, Netflix, from 20th December 2019.
Mimi Ndiweni's Wiki: Age, Height
The birthday of 1991 born actress, Mimi Ndiweni, comes every year on the 31st of August.
Read About Game Of Thrones Actor: Jerome Flynn Wife, Girlfriend, Net Worth
Mimi is a very elegant and gorgeous, who happens to attract many men with her curvy body type and height of 5 feet 8 inches (1.72 meters).
Regarding her education, she is a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, which is located at Cardiff.
Her Role in The Witchers
Mimi Ndiweni will be playing as Fringilla Vigo in the fictional series, The Witchers, which is created around an imaginary world occupied by humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and other magical creatures.
Mimi Ndiweni attends the world premiere of The Witchers at London 16 December 2019 (Photo: gettyimages)
The series' world is divided into southern and northern regions, and it is ruled by 'the Nilfaard Empire' and 'various kings and queens' respectively.
Interesting: Richard Rankin Married, Wife, Girlfriend, Dating, Parents, Bio
The character, Fringilla Vigo, belongs from the southern region and fights the battle for Nilfgaard during the First Northern War.
7 Things To Know About Mimi Ndiweni
Mimi embraces a mixed ethnicity as her parents come from two unique ethnic background; her father is a Zimbabwean and her mother is from Britain.
She received the Spotlight Prize in 2013 winning over the students from 20 top UK drama schools in front of industry experts; the prize was previously won by Judi Dench and Robert Lindsay.
The movies that she has worked on have made a decent box office collections, among which includes, The Legend of Tarzan collecting 356.7 million USD and Cindrella collecting 543.5 million USD worldwide.
She has played the part of Ophelia in the RSC's Ghana-inspired version of Hamlet in a theatre play.
As a theatre lover, she is inspired by American film star Whoopi Goldberg and dreams of joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Her birth sign is Virgo.
Mimi Ndiweni has been managed by the celebrity management company, Olivia Bell Management, in the past.


How to root T-mobile Samsung Galaxy s5 4.4.2 Full step by step tutorial!
Amazon Price: $87.65 (as of May 4, 2018 6:58 pm - Details). Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Samsung Galaxy On5 mobile phone opens you up to an universe of possible, appropriate at your fingertips. Its front as well as back video cameras ensure you never miss out on a moment. The back video camera has a 5MP video camera resolution and also 720p video clip recording, and the front video camera gives you 2MP of stunning clarity. The Samsung Galaxy On5 mobile phone usages Android software and also works on the Android M operating system. It has a five-inch HD TFT touchscreen screen. All this backed by the toughness of T-Mobile as well as the fastest across the country 4G LTE network. With 8GB of inner memory and a microSD card port that's expandable up to 128GB, it's the perfect smart device to store your universe in songs, images, games and even more.


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The Signs Around Us
August 19, 2019 August 19, 2019 Anne Moul1 Comment
You don't need a calendar to know it's August, and summer is growing weary. Mornings are often foggy with humidity, and I walk into the gossamer silk of spider webs spun on the porch overnight. The zucchini plants gave up a few weeks ago and although the tomatoes, peppers, and a smattering of green beans are still making a valiant effort, for the most part, garden season is over. The pots of annuals planted with such optimism in May are now filled with leggy petunias. Once-beautiful flowers have withered to a few stunted brownish blossoms and been overtaken by the greens in the baskets. The insects hum 24/7 and goldfinches are happily removing seeds from the cone-flowers. For the next few weeks, there will be a frenzy at the hummingbird feeders as the amazing little birds tank up for their long journey south and then one day, they'll simply be gone.
For those of us who are students or teachers, or former teachers, August brings with it that Sunday-night-syndrome feeling—a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. We savor those last days at the pool, which has grown bathwater warm, or the beach or cabin in the mountains. The blissful indolence of staying up late and sleeping in even later is over, and responsibility descends upon us once again.
Even though we're tethered to our phones and devices to tell us what to do, when to do it, and what time of the day, week, or year it is, we are still guided by the signs around us. We respond to sensory stimuli, whether they be man-made or created by nature. This summer, especially, I have been overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of violence and fear infiltrating the lives of ordinary people–the sound of gunshots coupled with cruel and abrasive words being shouted into a microphone, and the views of people running from a building with raised hands, followed by scenes of flower-laden funerals and weeping family members. And then, a few days ago, I saw a sign in a grocery store parking lot that brought me up short.
Attached to a light pole near the center of the massive parking lot was a sign that read "Emergency Evacuation Gathering Point." I understand that it was probably recommended by the store's security people, but never in all my years of going in and out of public buildings have I seen a sign like that, nor have we ever needed signs like that until now. I tried to tell myself that its most likely purpose was to safely evacuate and account for people if there were ever a fire or some kind of building-related emergency, similar to the assigned places for our classes in school fire drills. But with El Paso's Walmart fresh in my mind, I realized it was also there in case someone came into the store and started shooting.
Lord have mercy, this was a grocery store! But there is no longer safe ground— schools, churches and synagogues, movie theaters and nightclubs, stores and outdoor concerts–every place where people gather is vulnerable. This list grows longer as we become almost inured to the news footage. Another day, another shooting–we recoil in horror for a day or two and then go about our business because we have not been directly affected. Yet. Meanwhile, our lawmakers continue to squabble and fight like schoolyard children, retaining their power on the dead bodies of innocent people.
I don't live my life in fear, but I am sensitive to the signs around me. The signs of nature tell me that another summer is drawing to a close, which I always find rather depressing. I'm also increasingly aware of the signs that our society is changing and not necessarily for the better. Perhaps that's the typical mantra of those of us who have reached a certain age. "The world's going to hell in a hand basket and hey, kid, get off my lawn while you're at it." But I don't think it's just my age talking. This is different. The world is different, and the signs are all around us, including those found in a grocery store parking lot.
The Man in the Back Row
July 30, 2019 Anne Moul1 Comment
Every summer we sing at a retirement facility where a good friend and former organist from our church currently resides. The room where the vespers service is held feels like a conference room in an upscale hotel—tastefully decorated in understated luxury complete with cushioned chairs and hideous carpet. It appeared to be deserted until I glanced up and noticed an elderly gentleman sitting in the back row with his head bowed. He looked rather dejected or perhaps he was just dozing but didn't appear to be in any kind of physical distress. I almost felt as though our presence was infringing on a private moment. I wondered how long he had been sitting there and why. Did he just need a place to be alone for a while? Did he come too early for the service and after realizing it, just decided it was easier to stay and wait?
We warmed up and practiced with our friend and he paid us little attention, although he watched with interest as we sang during the service. Afterwards, lots of his fellow residents spoke with him and he seemed animated and engaged. Maybe, like all of us, he just needed some time to rest, to gather his strength, to think things through without anyone bothering him, before he was ready to face the world again. Maybe he just needed a place to hide out for a while. Did the service or the music rejuvenate him? Was it the pastor's message (which was a good one) that helped lift him up from wherever he was?
Our choir director often reminds us that we never know for whom we sing. Someone may be hearing a song for the first time or they may be hearing it for the last time, and we owe it to them to give it our best effort. We never know what burdens someone is carrying or what news they received that day or how they came to be sitting in the seats in front of us. But the gifts we extend–whether it be through music or dance, spoken words or theater–may be just what that person needs to feel even the tiniest shift in their perspective. What we can offer may open a door to let a sliver of light shine through what had been an impenetrable curtain of darkness.
I will never know why that man chose to sit by himself in the last row of a large empty conference room in the late afternoon of a beautiful summer Sunday. But I do know that he appeared to be refreshed and strengthened when he left, walking unassisted into the hallway and back to his room or apartment and the life he now leads, perhaps for the first time in many years, without a beloved spouse. I was reminded that every time we perform, there is always a gentleman in the back row who needs to hear us.
July 16, 2019 July 16, 2019 Anne MoulLeave a comment
Fourth of July afternoon brought mid-Atlantic summer weather at its worst—thunderstorms on repeat and in between, steaming, swampy humidity. My first inclination was to curl up with a good book or binge Stranger Things on Netflix. But a year ago, my cousin planned a family reunion at a park in Maryland, a little over an hour's drive from where we live. My husband and I looked at the rain pelting the windows, and, since the pet-sitter was coming anyway, decided to brave it. We figured if the party was rained out, we'd go to eat somewhere in Baltimore.
Driving down 83 and onto the beltway, I kept having second thoughts. I am one of those high-functioning introverts who would happily speak before a crowd of 500 rather than walk into a social situation where I may not know people and need to make small talk. But we soldiered on through the rain, arrived at the park and found my family happily gathered under a pavilion. The picnic had been going on for a while, the food looked a little tired and damp, but none of that mattered. Re-connecting with people I have rarely seen, some for almost forty years, was, just like the commercial says, priceless.
These were the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of my mother's brothers and sister. I could look around and see glimpses of my mother in their eyes, in their gestures, in the way they spoke. I could see my Uncle Morris shucking oysters in our backyard on Thanksgiving, while the adults gathered around to watch, sipping their old-fashioneds. I could see myself terrorized by my older cousins at Hershey Park, way back in the unsafe days of fun houses, bumper cars and the turnpike. As the youngest child of the youngest sibling, I was fair game for all kinds of abuse.
I could hear my Aunt Harriet playing the electronic organ she had in her home when I talked to her great-granddaughter, a talented young teen who loves to sing. I could taste my Aunt Norma's fudge and feel the chaos of holiday dinners filled with too many over-stimulated children high on Hawaiian Punch. I could hear Uncle Tom's rumbling laugh as he shot pool or ran the electric train set in his knotty pine basement. And I remember how Uncle Herman, a brilliant retired physician, pulled every string he could to save my mother's life, and how all of us were forever changed when the irrepressible and beloved Aunt Gussie was the first to pass away, taken by breast cancer at fifty-eight.
As we go through our lives, we carve out new relationships and many of those relationships turn into our family of choice, if not of blood. Unless we live in close proximity, our childhood family fades away until someone like my cousin herds all the cats and insists that it's time to get together, marvel at the grandchildren and tell the stories that keep us forever bound to each other, no matter how inconvenient or awkward or even if it happens to be in the pouring rain.
We original cousins are older and grayer now, mostly retired and a bit the worse for wear. But we still showed up to sit on rain-slippery picnic benches, eat food from soggy paper plates and watch a new generation of kids become over-sugared, this time from the snow-cone machine. We showed up to remember how much we have in common, how much we miss the parents and aunts and uncles who loved us and who we see reflected in each other's faces, and how grateful we are to be a family, together once again.
June 13, 2019 June 14, 2019 Anne Moul1 Comment
I remember the old black Underwood typewriter sitting on a rickety metal table in my grandparents' den. I would roll a piece of paper onto the carriage, poke random keys with their inlaid letters, slam the carriage back at the sound of the bell and play "secretary" until one of the type hammers got stuck. I can still see my grandfather seated at that table, pecking out the occasional letter or medical report.
The papers I hold in my hand today were typed on that machine by my grandfather as a young man in 1912, shortly before his own grandmother passed away. They are yellowed and fragile, and I need my reading glasses to see the slightly fuzzy words, especially those on the carbon copies. They are first-person accounts of the history witnessed by a woman who lived in a small south-central Pennsylvania town from the mid-1800's until her death in 1913.
My great-great-grandmother, Rachel Denney, saw William Henry Harrison's body being borne back to Ohio on a canal boat passing through Columbia in April 1841, when he died after barely a month in office. Several years later, she described seeing, "a very red faced, gray haired man, who in the full military regalia of a general mounted on a white horse gave a stirring address on the dangers confronting the country in the event of his rival's election." That man was Zachary Taylor, campaigning for President in 1848. There is also an incomplete description of a regional cholera epidemic in 1854 which began when an infected patient was removed from a train stopped at the local station.
Perhaps the story that has received the most publicity, especially at this time of year, is her recounting of fleeing from the confederate army in June 1863. Rachel and her children were smuggled out of town in the back of a furnace cart, while her husband, John, remained at home, and together with other citizens, burned the bridge across the Susquehanna to prevent the confederates from advancing toward Harrisburg and Philadelphia. This action, perpetrated by ordinary citizens, not the military, was a turning point in the Civil War.
These first-hand accounts are incredible to read, and I love picturing my grandfather as a young man listening to and then transcribing his grandmother's words. One version he wrote appears to have edits from one of his instructors at Cornell where he was a pre-med student at the time. There is also an outline of the story, complete with an estimated word count, (known in the writing world as a "pitch") which I suspect was submitted to the same professor.
We can now preserve our stories in multiple ways, but we must tell them, and we must take time to listen to the storytellers. No amount of scholarly research can replace the words of someone who experienced the event, especially if they come from a family member or close friend. First person accounts breathe life into history and put us smack-dab into the realm of a world far removed from the one we live in today.
Last year, for a class, I wrote a piece called "Flight" about Rachel's Civil War story braided with my own experience fleeing from the TMI meltdown over a hundred years later. It still needs a lot of work, and I hope to revise it with a new writing coach/editor this summer. I like the feeling of family connection that writing gives me, of sitting down at my own version of the Underwood and continuing the story.
Pomp and Circumstance Always Makes Me Cry
June 3, 2019 June 4, 2019 Anne Moul1 Comment
The brass fanfare introduction to Pomp and Circumstance raises the hair on my arms and brings an unexpected tear to my eye, every single time. There's just something about the anticipation of music that's so familiar it verges on the trite, yet so evocative that it reaches down and pulls on your heartstrings no matter how many times it's played.
At some point during my teaching career, my colleague and I decided it would be a cool idea to invite the eighth-grade string players to sit in with the high school orchestra when they played for graduation. It became a rite of passage—the seniors dressed in their caps and gowns got up after the last orchestra piece in the prelude to join their classmates in the procession. The eighth-graders, nervous in their black slacks and crisp white shirts, not yet wearing the formal gowns and tuxes of the high school orchestra, would walk onto the football field and sit in the chairs vacated by the seniors. I would wait with them along the sidelines and then get in my car to go home, leaving the windows open so I could hear the opening measures of Pomp, knowing another class of string players was being welcomed into the orchestra, just as the seniors were being welcomed into the world beyond Dallastown. I always left the campus with tears in my eyes, especially the last time, which was six years ago.
The high school orchestra director can only be described as a formidable presence. He is passionate, brilliant, volatile, and was born to wear white tie and tails and stand in front of an orchestra. There is rarely a filter when he speaks. He loves to be in the spotlight and is in his element directing that magnificent graduation orchestra before the biggest audience of the year. He walks out onto the podium on those beautiful early June evenings and you know you are going to hear something incredible. These are high school students playing at a world-class level, thanks to the leadership of this man.
This week would have been the last time he directed the high school orchestra at graduation because he is retiring and moving on to a long-anticipated life of travel and leisure. This was to be his last round of playing Pomp and Circumstance over and over again until all the seniors were on the field. I kept thinking about him, wondering if there would a be a lump in his throat when the final notes of the recessional died away, knowing he would never have to yell about those up-bow triplets again or keep a bag of clothespins nearby to keep music from blowing off the stands. I wondered if all those people in the stadium seats would realize what a legacy he has left in this community. Not only did he inspire students to become music educators, performers and lovers of great music, but he showed all of us, students and colleagues alike, what it means to have high expectations, and that we can play it better than we think we can—that, despite our doubts, those expectations are attainable.
Sadly, my long-time colleague is not going be on the podium for graduation this year due to a sudden and serious health challenge. But I know he will go after it with a vengeance. He'll make this disease cower in fear of him just like he did that poor kid in the second violins who wasn't watching and missed the entrance. He will fight and bitch and swear and make the medical people laugh and occasionally want to bang their heads against the wall, just like he did with those of us who worked with him for so many years. He'll yell until he gets what he wants and ask any administrator–he always gets what he wants.
I assume the eighth graders still join the high school orchestra at graduation and that it remains a meaningful rite of passage for those young string players. I'm sure the band director will step in and do a spectacular job conducting in difficult circumstances. But graduation in this little community will never be quite the same again without The Maestro on the podium, baton poised and ready, eyes laser-focused on the trumpet section as the first notes of Pomp resonate across the field and the seniors begin their march.
Seen on the Boardwalk
May 24, 2019 Anne Moul1 Comment
The shops along the boardwalk yawn and stretch, blinking winter-weary eyes at the gradually strengthening sun, raising their metal security doors to welcome another summer onslaught of tourists. Tables stand ready and waiting at the outdoor cafes with rookie servers anxious for their first customers. Souvenir shops hawk their wares with signs advertising pre-season sales on t-shirts, boogie boards, and caged hermit crabs which will not survive the return trip across the Bay Bridge. There is that top of the roller coaster sense of anticipation, of here-we-go-again—like the optimism of teachers at the beginning of the school year.
What marred this late-spring saunter down the boardwalk for me was seeing those ubiquitous t-shirts with sexually suggestive slogans. I suppose they're meant to appeal to the high school seniors who will flood the town in the next few weeks, flaunting their pseudo-adulthood by excessive drinking and other forms of debauchery. Tacky t-shirt shops are as much a part of this resort as sunburn and crab cakes, but I found this season's crop more offensive than usual, and I don't think it's because I'm turning into a prudish curmudgeon. Displayed on racks right out on the boardwalk for all to see were shirts with utterly revolting and disgusting words, far worse than the typical "I'm with stupid" underscored by a pointing finger. And, to a one, they were demeaning to women.
I realize that simply talking about them is the whole point. Get attention at all costs. Shock value makes for great publicity and a healthy bottom line for the purveyor of the goods. Who cares if something is not just in poor taste, but is absolute filth or that young children walking the boardwalk with their parents say, "What does that shirt mean, Mommy?" It's a free country, if you don't like something displayed in a shop, you can walk by and ignore it. But when it's placed right in the path of our boardwalk bicycle, taunting us, saying look at what I can get away with printing and selling in my store and you can't do a thing about it, I am offended. On one hand, we're preaching kindness and respect for all, and on the other hand, let's see how far we can go with a sexually explicit t-shirt that values women for nothing more than their body parts. Even if it's meant as a joke, it's not a joke. Not anymore.
Oh, come on, they're just a bunch of cheap shirts in junky stores—they'll always be there in one form or another, and I suppose no one is harmed by wearing one. But why would someone choose to wear a shirt that makes most of us cringe or turn away in embarrassment? Offensive clothing and bumper stickers are like canker sores growing on our newly formed skin of political correctness—minor annoyances, but their very presence makes me question how deep and resilient that skin actually is. Are the current conversations about sexual harassment and gender equality just lip service? If not, then why are we still selling and buying clothing that makes references to gynecological procedures or are motivated to buy a vehicle from a local car dealer who advertises "Buy a Jeep and get babes?"
I understand the idiotic eighteen-year-old's need to go over the top and defy his parents, but it's not just high school graduates gone wild that are buying into this. Sadly, there is still an element who says forget political correctness, this is what I want to wear or paste on my car bumper and just you try and stop me. So, in the name of equality, there should be shirts and bumper stickers with sayings just as offensive to men, but I didn't see them. Maybe they keep those in the back of the store.


At first glance the so-called Franconian-Swabian Master (c. 1440/50) would appear to be a representative of an extremely unusual style. A whole array of links, however, have been established between his work and contemporary art production in southeastern Germany. The Frankfurt painting is of the popular late medieval type of Calvary scene with groups of people, referred to in southern Germany as 'crowded Crucifixion' paintings. In the case of the Franconian-Swabian Master it would seem that the work of the Master of the 'Worcester Carrying of the Cross' – or possibly a Nuremberg verion of the same – influenced him in particular. A second work can also be attributed to the Franconian-Swabian Master. It is a coloured pen-and-ink drawing with wash later pasted into a manuscript from Tegernsee (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek Munich, Clm 18095, fol. 1). Despite the different media, the execution of the painting is so similar to that of the drawing that it would seem as if the artist transferred his working method from the pen-and-ink drawing with wash to the painting on panel. His origins as an artist may well have been in the field of book illustration. Alfred Wolters, the director of the Städtische Galerie Frankfurt from 1928–48 was of the opinion that one crucifixion scene in particular, by Conrad Laib, created for Salzburg and now in the Österreichische Galerie in Vienna, has a close affinity with this work.
Works by Old Masters were only represented in Flechtheim's galleries in a few individual cases. The panel painting of the Crucifixion was offered to the Städel Museum in 1926 by the art dealers Flechtheim and Kahnweiler in Frankfurt/Main. According to a note in the file on the painting, the work was previously in the possession of the King's Counsellor, Binswanger, who claimed to have found it under the roof in Augsburg Cathedral. When and how the work came to be in the possession of the Galerie Flechtheim & Kahnweiler is unknown. There is no mention of this work in Flechtheim's exhibition catalogues.


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The Secret of Monkey Island
Hey! A new DOS Game Club episode!
This time we're covering The Secret of Monkey Island - even if you haven't played the game, if you are into games at all, you more likely than not have at least heard about it. For some this is the pinnacle of Point & Click Adventure games, and we think they are not too far from the truth with that opinion - it's clearly a great game.
Anyway, last episode was the longest one until then, but this one is over three hours, so brace yourselves! That's what happens when you have a total of six people on the show and everybody has their own anecdotes and funny stories to tell about this legendary game. Martijn and Florian are this time accompanied by veterans Mike and Philipp, Esko makes a second appearance and there's a brand new member: Jozef. We had an absolute blast discussing this gem of a game, so we hope you'll enjoy listening to this episode as much as we did recording it!
https://www.dosgameclub.com/podcast.php?dl=2018/10/ep22.mp3
[ download mp3 ] (192 mins, 158 MB)
* Why Adventure Games Suck, article by Ron Gilbert written in 1989 about his ideas on adventure game design.
* Aric's World games industry archive (archive.org mirror), awesome page with lots of original game design documents, including the one for "Mutiny on Monkey Island", what eventually became The Secret of Monkey Island.
< Next: Game for January: Wasteland --- Prev: Games for December >


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Cette page recense la liste des épisodes de la série télévisée d'animation Tom et Jerry Tales.

Saison 1 : 2006-2007

Saison 2 : 2007-2008

Tom et Jerry Tales

zh:羅百吉


PAS 1192-2 (a Publicly Available Specification) sets out requirements for Building Information Modelling (BIM) and builds on the code of practice for information produced from architectural, engineering and construction activities. It focuses on project delivery with data and documents being obtained from design and construction activities.
QAICL provides certification for this Government backed initiative for UK and EU based companies operating within the UK construction industry.
PAS 91 is a standard pre-qualification questionnaire. It was developed to avoid suppliers having to complete different pre-qualification questionnaires in bidding for projects with different clients. Those clients include Local Authorities, Housing Associations, Government Agencies and other private and public developers). Such organisations will require pre-qualification questionnaires to be in this standard format. It is mandatory for public sector buyers to pre-qualify construction suppliers.
A BIM Management System can be established to meet the requirements of PAS 1192-2:2013 (and PAS91:2013 pre-qualification questionnaire). If you do not have a BIM management system, it can be implemented as part of an ongoing internal process. Alternatively, implementation can be though a consultant recognised through the BIM Scheme Partnership. The Scheme consists of local authorities, funding agencies and education providers).
Alternatively, BIM certification can also be achieved by using the structured approach of QAICL's BIM Staged Certification Scheme™. This has been developed to assist clients to progress at their own pace through incremental assessment stages to full certification to PAS 1192-2.
This cost effective scheme comprises four stages to ensure that all elements of the BIM standard are developed. Each stage is followed by a stage audit to ensure that the elements of each stage are checked for compliance. A staged scheme certificate is issued after each successful stage audit.
At the end of the scheme, subject to a final certification audit to check for compliance with the entire standard, a full accredited certificate will be issued. As with all standards, the accredited certificate will be valid for one year and to maintain certification, there will be annual audits to ensure continued compliance with the standard.
Further information can be obtained by completing an enquiry form opposite.


zen.wardrobe A very friendly buyer ! I'm happy that the clothes fit you well ! Hope to deal again soon !
editprofile Great buyer to deal with! Punctual! Pleasant transaction!
klosettreasures Pleasant transaction. Great buyer to deal with. Thank you!
From Decathlon. Light sport shoes, still in good condition. Size EUR31 or US12. Tally with Bata school shoes sizes. Only worn for a few months before my son outgrew them!
Decathlon hiking shoes for boys, good grip and sturdy, strong velcro strap (no fussy untied laces problem). Only worn for a few times before he outgrew them. Sorry picture of muddy soles, will wash off before sending!
Clarks red leather sandals size 13 for girls. Very comfy and durable. No torn parts or major stains.
Preloved in good condition. Light satin material, very elegan look and has a slimming effect design. Has been altered for 153 cm and below height.
Original Monobo light waterproof sandals in neon lime green. My daughter is 9 years ols and wears school shoes size 1. Very good condition, like new.
Preloved, part of mother daughter set (see my listing for mother's baju kurung) but my daughter grew out of it very fast!


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School of Information, Pratt Institute
#infoshow
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The original goal of this project was to map the movement of sea turtles. I was inspired by an article that I read a few years ago in Nautilus magazine, Where the Wild Things Go. Oliver Uberti wrote the article and also created the gorgeous illustrated maps of elephant and sea turtle migration data. "To protect animals you need to protect where they go," said Archie Carr, one of the pioneer sea turtle trackers, when asked about the reason for tracking wild animals. The ocean has a number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect habitats and migration routes from fishing and shipping routes. Sea turtle tracking supports animal welfare by showing scientists the amount of ocean area that needs to be protected to save these species from extinction. In the article, Uberti highlights the Marine Turtle Research Group at the University of Exeter and their project, seaturtle.org, to track loggerhead sea turtles. The resulting maps created from seaturtle data, are visually stunning and easy to read, I've thought about these maps multiple times since the article came out. For my map, I chose to use data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), because it was more straightforward and easier to work with. Even though the data is from 2005 and 2009-11 and is already plotted on maps on the website, I wanted to see if I could successfully map data as well. Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) are the second smallest sea turtle species at about 2.5 feet.
› tags: culture / programming / python /
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Black Friday: Is it REALLY worth it?
Wal-Mart death blamed on "utter chaos"
NEW YORK (AP) – Police say a Wal-Mart employee was knocked to the ground and later pronounced dead after opening the store to anxious shoppers on Long Island, New York.
One worker dies in opening chaos at a New York store. Around the nation, crowds seek deep discounts at the world's largest retailer.
PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) – Two people are dead in a Black Friday shooting at a crowded Toys "R" Us in Palm Desert, Calif.City Councilman Jim Ferguson says police have told him that the victims were two men with handguns who shot each other.
Posted on November 28, 2008 by dltPosted in UncategorizedTagged black friday, buy nothing day, consumerism.


Al Masaood has announced the opening of a new Volvo Penta Spare Parts Centre in Sharjah. The opening of the new facility addressing the UAE's northern region's increased demand for spare parts of Volvo Penta, a global manufacturer of power solutions for marine and industrial applications.
The new Spare Parts Centre in Sharjah will offer genuine Spare parts, accessories for marine leisure and commercial segments and industrial engines, and it is the latest addition to the existing Volvo Penta Aftersales Centre's located in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Al Masaood's new Volvo Penta Spare Parts Centre is strategically located at the 6th Street of the Sharjah Industrial Area and close to the neighboring emirates of Ajman, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
Customers can find different solutions and options offered by qualified and trained team who is able to use the latest Volvo Penta technology. The new center will also offer door-to-door delivery to the customers.
Volvo Penta is a global, world leading manufacture of engines and complete power solutions for marine and industrial applications. The company has over 3,500 dedicated dealers in 130 countries including UAE.
Established in 1972, Al Masaood Power Division has established a long-standing reputation within the power industry and has a unique expertise in marine propulsion and power generation systems. The Division's professional team possesses innovative technological knowledge and is able to plan and execute both customized and efficient solutions to ensure the success of the customers.
In 2017, Al Masaood LLC was recognized by Volvo Penta as the exclusive 'Yacht Series Support Center' in the Middle East region to provide key services and supervision to all yachts equipped with Volvo Penta's engines working with IPS technology.


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THIS former cricketer SLAMS selectors for ignoring Sarfaraz Khan, name it an 'abuse to domestic cricket'
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad has come down closely on the BCCI and nationwide selectors, saying ignoring Sarfaraz Khan for the upcoming Take a look at sequence in opposition to Australia is 'unfair' and 'an abuse of domestic cricket'. The 25-year-old Sarfaraz, who represents Mumbai, is a prolific run-getter in home cricket.
On Tuesday, he scored one other century – in opposition to Delhi in a Ranji Trophy Group B match – making it the batter's thirteenth first-class ton in 37 matches. The century, Sarfaraz's third within the ongoing version of the Ranji Trophy, was one more reminder to the nationwide selectors that he has the category to be part of the India Take a look at squad.
"Not having him (Sarfaraz) in the Test Team despite 3 blockbuster domestic seasons is not only unfair on Sarfaraz Khan, but it's an abuse to domestic cricket, almost as if this platform doesn't matter," tweeted Prasad.
The previous India bowling coach, who has additionally had teaching stints with IPL sides Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings), additionally took a jibe at some India cricketers, saying there are lots of within the squad who weigh greater than Sarfaraz, who's on the heavier aspect.
"And he is FIT to score those runs. As far as body weight goes, there are many with more kgs," added Prasad.
Not having him within the Take a look at Crew regardless of 3 blockbuster home seasons will not be solely unfair on Sarfaraz Khan, but it surely's an abuse to home cricket,nearly as if this platform would not matter. And he's FIT to attain these runs. So far as physique weight goes, there are lots of with extra kgs https://t.co/kenO5uOlSp
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) January 17, 2023
After scoring the century on Tuesday, Sarfaraz made a powerful gesture by taking off his helmet, doing the thigh-five celebration, and gesturing in direction of his teammates on the boundary line. Within the final two Ranji Trophy seasons, he has amassed 1,910 runs in simply 12 video games, averaging 136.42.
India and Australia will play 4 Exams for the Border-Gavaskar trophy, starting February 9 at Nagpur.
(with PTI inputs)
Tags: Delhi vs Mumbai, India vs Australia 2023, Ranji Trophy, Ranji Trophy 2022-23, sarfaraz khan, Sarfaraz Khan century, Sarfaraz Khan news, Sarfaraz Khan updates, Venkatesh Prasad
Pakistan board defends Babar Azam over pretend sexting allegations
FTX Tells Collectors $415 Million in Crypto Property Was Stolen by Hackers


This large, 2-level family apartment is located in the center of the village above George's Ski Hire. The whole family has space and comfort with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, separate lounge area for kids and adults, and an open fireplace.
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Elevate your outfit with these elegant drop tassel earrings! Features a metallic cutout brocade design with a hung bead and tassels with a high-shine finish. Tassels measures at 3.3'' and has post back closures. Wear these stunning drop tassel earrings with a strapless velvet lace dress!


Our website address is: https://tlc777.org.
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Personal data is subject to additional safeguards to ensure this data is processed securely. For example, we work hard to ensure data is encrypted when in transit, therefore any information you provide is through an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connection to our website. This is meant to prevent unauthorized interception of that data. In addition, access to this data is strictly limited to a minimum number of individuals and subject to confidentiality commitments.
We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Policy. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to any of our websites; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorized access. Access controls within the organisation limit who may access information.
notify affected parties where possible.
We do not actively receive data from online sources, though we may receive data from our partner agencies in the furtherance of our treatment goals.
Total Life Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization incorporated under the laws of the United States of America.
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KFC reopens some restaurants for delivery
KFC has opened 11 of its UK restaurants for delivery only with new procedures and a limited menu, which it says is answering the need for "affordable, accessible food".
Employees are returning to work on an opt-in basis, and only those who can travel to work without the use of public transport have been asked to return.
New measures include placing tape on the floor to create designated working zones two metres apart in sites and operating with just one person per station and fewer team members, with the limited menu preventing the need for team members to cross stations.
Staff packing orders are also wearing gloves and markings on the floors have been placed to help delivery drivers keep their distance while they're waiting to collect orders.
Last week KFC donated more than 3,000 meals to NHS and key workers and has committed to provide 100 free meals from each open restaurant every Tuesday to those on the frontline.
A KFC spokesperson said: "Over the last week, we've reopened 11 of our restaurants in the UK. They're open for delivery only and are serving a limited menu, operated by fewer team members with new procedures in place to help ensure we're following social distancing guidelines. There's still a need for affordable, accessible food at this time – so we want to do our part.
"We've also donated thousands of meals from all our open restaurants to those on the frontline, including the NHS and key workers, in partnership with Deliveroo, and will continue to do so each week whilst the situation continues."
Greggs, PizzaExpress and KFC latest to close, including takeaway >>
TagsRestaurants, KFC and Coronavirus
Pig hotel donates garden produce to endangered gorillas
UKinbound asks for 'urgent and aggressive' government intervention to protect the industry
Coronavirus: 'Worst possible' situation as prime minister tells public to avoid hospitality businesses
Manor Country House hotel sold out of administration for £4.8m


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package org.apache.commons.compress.harmony.unpack200.bytecode.forms;

import org.apache.commons.compress.harmony.pack200.Pack200Exception;
import org.apache.commons.compress.harmony.unpack200.bytecode.ByteCode;
import org.apache.commons.compress.harmony.unpack200.bytecode.OperandManager;

/**
 * Some bytecodes (such as (a)ldc, fldc and ildc) have single- byte references to the class pool. This class is the
 * abstract superclass of those classes.
 */
public abstract class SingleByteReferenceForm extends ReferenceForm {

    protected boolean widened;

    public SingleByteReferenceForm(final int opcode, final String name, final int[] rewrite) {
        super(opcode, name, rewrite);
    }

    @Override
    protected abstract int getOffset(OperandManager operandManager);

    @Override
    protected abstract int getPoolID();

    @Override
    protected void setNestedEntries(final ByteCode byteCode, final OperandManager operandManager, final int offset)
        throws Pack200Exception {
        super.setNestedEntries(byteCode, operandManager, offset);
        if (widened) {
            byteCode.setNestedPositions(new int[][] {{0, 2}});
        } else {
            byteCode.setNestedPositions(new int[][] {{0, 1}});
        }
    }

    @Override
    public boolean nestedMustStartClassPool() {
        return !widened;
    }
}


text:
Q: Ultrasonic sensor state machine diagram I'm working on a basic embedded systems application. Where I have a sonar (ultrasonic) sensor to measure the distance between the sensor and X object. Ultasonic sensor has one job to do, calculate distance and return it. I would like to produce a state chart diagram for this but I cannot break it down into different states. This is one of those situations where you can't get your head around a simple task. Anyone have any idea?

A: It's not a strict law, but I've come identify a state of an object by a set of operations that may be performed on it. So if, under different conditions, different sets of operations can be performed, you have different states. This view is supported by most state diagram conventions, including UML, where, on each state, you may model operations that lead to the same or other states.
So the key question is: Are there conditions under which your ultrasonic sensor may perform only subsets of its functionality? Each such subset will define one state.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Fine Books & Collections is copyright © 2010 OP Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of the magazine or web site may be reproduced without expressed written permission of the Publisher.


Using flush-cutters, cut one 5-3/4 inch length, one 13-inch length and four 1-link lengths of gold-plated brass 21x14mm twisted oval chain.
Using a pair of chain-nose pliers and flat-nose pliers, open the first link on the 5-3/4 inch length of chain and pass it through the center of a Swarovski jet 25mm disk component. Close the link.
Open a single link of chain. Pass it through the Swarovski jet 25mm disk component and a second Swarovski jet 25mm disk component. Close the link. Repeat to attach a third Swarovski jet 25mm disk component.
Open the first link on a 13-inch length of chain. Pass it through the third Swarovski jet 25mm disk component. Close the link.
Open the last link on the 13-inch length of chain. Pass it through a fourth Swarovski jet 25mm disk component.
Repeat to attach two additional Swarovski jet 25mm disk components using single links of chain.
Using the flush-cutters, cut one 14-inch length of Accu-Flex® professional-quality beading wire. String onto the wire: one crimp tube, a gold-plated Accu-Guard™ wire protector and the loop on a lobster claw clasp. Pass the wire back through the crimp tube, leaving one end of the wire approximately 1-inch long. Pull the crimp tight against the Accu-Guard. Place a small amount of gel adhesive (Loctite®) inside the crimp (optional).
Pass the end of the wire through the last Swarovski jet 25mm disk component from Step 2 and back through the crimp tube in the opposite direction. Pull the wire tight against the last bead creating a nicely curved loop of the bicones around the disk. Make sure there is no slack along the length of the necklace. Place a small amount of gel adhesive inside the crimp (optional).
Clasp the lobster claw clasp to the last link on the 5-3/4 inch length of chain.
Using flush-cutters cut one 3-3/4 inch length of gold-plated brass 21x14mm twisted oval chain.
Using a pair of chain-nose pliers and flat-nose pliers, open the first link on the 3-3/4 inch length of chain and pass it through the center of a Swarovski jet 30mm cosmic ring focal component. Close the link.
Using the flush-cutters, cut one 14-inch length of Accu-Flex beading wire. String onto the wire one gold-plated Accu-Guard and loop on a lobster claw clasp. Position assembly on the center of the beading wire. Bring the ends of the beading wire together and pass both wires back through the crimp tube. Pull the crimp tight against the Accu-Guard. Place a small amount of adhesive (Loctite) inside the crimp (optional).
Pass the end of the wire through the Swarovski jet 30mm cosmic ring focal component from Step 2 and back through the crimp tube in the opposite direction. Pull the wire tight against the last bead creating a nicely curved loop of the bicones around the cosmic ring focal component. Make sure there is no slack along the length of the necklace. Place a small amount of gel adhesive inside the crimp (optional).
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 on the second strand of beading wire.


This Jesus of Palm Sunday, is one of my favorite images of Jesus. This Jesus has swagger, chutzpah, he marches into Jerusalem with abandon, like an activist who as nothing left to lose, but his life. He marches to speak truth to power, to confront the Empire that has oppressed people for too long, and his technique this time? He and his rag-tag bunch of disciples stage a carefully planned non-violent, biblically based, street theater protest.
Like a flash mob, you know those people who break out into dance in Grand Central Station, and all the sudden everybody knows the dance moves? Or the professional choir that goes to the mall food court and begins singing the hallelujah chorus, one voice section at a time, flooding the ordinary space with extraordinary beauty, until people are in tears, their hearts gaping open at the beauty and surprise of it all.
Rev. Micah Bucey urges us, "Remember: There were two processions riding into Jerusalem on that Sunday. The major, permitted one was that of Pontius Pilate, a representative not only of imperial power, but also of imperial theology, through which Caesar was not only the ruler of Rome, but was thought to be, literally, the Son of God. Pilate was entering Jerusalem as a divinely-appointed hall monitor.
I love being involved in public protest. I love theater. I love art for social change, and I really believe in it. I think non-violent displays of protest can be incredibly effective way to urge the powers that be, often the government, or powerful corporations, to recognize ways in which policy is hurting people. To say boldly, this is a violation of justice, and justice is what love looks like in public. To speak truth to power.
I admit though, that I haven't been part of anything like this since stepping foot in Connecticut. I was actually told, early on by public officials, when I was getting publically involved in conversations around police brutality happening at the local level, that quote, "Middletown isn't really a place to come bearing torches and axes. We are all on the same side here." Which is a really complicated thing to say. Because it assumes protest are violent, and it leaves no space for genuine fruitful contrast of views.
So our context, in Middletown, CT, where is the Empire? The Empire is much more pervasive; it doesn't live anywhere, there is no central temple to march to; it is much more insidious, wrapped in the guise of Democracy, where money actually has the loudest voice, not justice for the people; where power differential seeps into our relationships making us "color-blind," or "powerless," or "numb," to the systemic violence that pervades our everyday life. Where we are sheltered to the realities of colonization and genocide that are perpetuated on our dime, or watch, around the world.
This Palm Sunday, Passion Jesus cares about abuses of power. This Jesus is fed up with positive thinking, and hopeful affirmations, with being a good person in our daily lives, and individual relationship with God. This Jesus would urge, that if we don't understand the systems of power that we live within, that are much larger than our ability as individuals to think positively, we can't properly follow Jesus into Jerusalem. This Jesus is willing to risk his life for the oppressed, and invites us to do the same. But as disciples we remember that, although Jesus goes in on a colt, he comes out on a cross. So this Jesus, is a hard one to follow.
If there is any time during the liturgical year to come to terms with, or admit our failings as disciples of Jesus, it is Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday. And we have good company: in the mix in Jerusalem, the disciples of Jesus somehow join the opposite side, and betray Jesus, and under pressure, deny that they even know Jesus. The disciples that followed Jesus, that walked the sacred path, along side of him and behind him; well, they ultimately failed him. With blood on their hands, Jesus forgave them. And we are forgiven too.
Now I am not saying that protest is the only way to follow Jesus, there are a variety of ways to show our Christian witness that are more comfortable and don't disrupt the homeostasis of our own lives or our community. But we can not deny, that public displays of protest is a biblically based way to follow Jesus on Palm Sunday.
This week I became mildly enamored with Indian author Arundhati Roy, who wrote the beautiful novel, The God of Small Things, now uses her gift of writing primarily in the political sphere. I've been so moved by a pulsing theme throughout her work, which is to not look away from conflict and injustice. To pay attention. And her way of using her art, her writing, as public protest is through story telling.
She says, "Writers imagine that they call stories from the world. It is actually the other way around. Stories call writers from the world. Stories reveal themselves to us. They colonize us, they commission us, they insist on being told. Fiction and non-fiction are just different techniques of story telling. For reasons that I don't fully understand fiction dances out of me, and non-fiction is wrenched out, by the aching broken world, I wake up to every morning. The theme of much of what I write is of the relationship between power and powerlessness, and the endless circular conflict there engaged in.
And I can image Arundhati Roy saying this to the disciples of Jesus, who fail over and over again, and to us, at the doorway to Holy Week, "The only dream worth having is to dream that you will live while you are alive, and die only when you are dead. To love, to be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of the life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget." So let us follow the story of Holy Week. The last meal, the suffering and betrayal, the brutal death, the empty tomb, so that we can wring out our souls, and prepare way for the risen Christ, the birth of New Love into the world, that on quiet days, we can hear breathing. Let it be so. Amen.


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