Producing – working with our producers from script writing, to research, to show development, all the way to final product.
Production – working with our production crew on lighting, camera work, and other technical areas. Our interns are given hands on opportunities to work with all equipment.
Editing – working with our editors to sub-clip, line cut, and edit. We use Avid-editing software but many interns in the past who have used Final Cut have not had any issues with the transition.
Casting – working with our talent agent on staff to submit and book talent for local commercials, film and print work.
Project Management – assist in the project management of website design / development.
Internet Marketing – working with our web team to create the implement website visibility programs through SEO, PPC, Social Media, Etc.
Music Production/Engineering – working with recording studio engineers and audio groups to record, produce and mix sound.
We do prefer a minimum 2-day or 20 hr a week commitment. Interns are accepted year round and we are happy to sign all school paperwork for credit. All internships are unpaid.
Bluewater Media is located in Clearwater, FL. Their primary focus is direct response television, but also produce content for live shopping, commercial placement, sports series and documentaries, web design and development and talent. To apply for an internship, please fill out the form below. Please indicate the field you are interested in working in and a staff member will contact you to set up an interview.


Starkville Academy offers six advanced placement courses. To teach an AP course, faculty must be AP certified. Starkville Academy also offers five dual credit courses in conjunction with Mississippi University for Women. Student eligibility requirements for these courses include a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and 14 core high school units. Additionally, a minimum ACT subscore of 17 is required for Dual Credit English Composition I and a minimum ACT subscore of 19 for Dual Credit College Algebra. Faculty certification requirements to teach a dual credit course include a master's degree with at least 18 hours earned in the subject area being taught. All five dual credit courses through MUW are taught at Starkville Academy by SA faculty members.


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Earths in Other Solar Systems Team (EOS), United States of America (USA)
Earths in Other Solar Systems Team (EOS)
Research collaboration: Earths in Other Solar Systems Team (EOS) is a research collaboration whose article contributions are accrued to its participating partner institutions.
Earths in Other Solar Systems Team (EOS) is a research collaboration whose article contributions are accrued to its participating partner institutions below.
Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), United States of America (USA)
Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, Arizona, United States of America (USA)
Department of Planetary Sciences (PtyS) and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL), Arizona, United States of America (USA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States of America (USA)
Drug discovery with a faster bite
Quantum computing struts its stuff
Sexy selfies fuelled by status anxiety
University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
called Okudaira Sadamasa (奥平 貞昌), was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku and early Edo periods.  Nobumasa's family considered their origins to have been associated with Mikawa Province.  The clan was descended through the Akamatsu from the Murakami-Genji.

Biography
When Nobumasa was born, he was called Okudaira Sadamasa (奥平 貞昌). He was the son of Okudaira Sadayoshi, an influential local figure in Mikawa. The Okudaira family were originally retainers of the Tokugawa, but were forced to join Takeda Shingen.

In 1573, after Shingen died and Katsuyori assumed leadership of the Takeda clan, Okudaira Sadamasa walked his men out of Tsukude Castle and rejoined the Tokugawa.
Katsuyori had Sadamasa's wife and brother – hostages to the Takeda – crucified for what the Takeda construed as betrayal.

Tokugawa allowed Nobumasa to marry his eldest daughter, Kamehime ; and he was given Nagashino Castle. Sadamasa was entrusted with the defense of Nagashino Castle by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Sadamasa's decision to remove himself and his forces from the Takeda supporters became one of the antecedents of the Battle of Nagashino in 1575.
Katsuyori was enraged at Sadamasa's decision to leave the Takeda forces. Nagashino Castle was attacked by Katsuyori with a force of 15,000 troops; but Sadamasa held firm, repelling the Takeda siege until forces of a Tokugawa-Oda alliance eventually arrived to support the beleaguered Okudaira.
Oda Nobunaga was so impressed by the Okudaira's performance in the battle that he offered Sadamasa the honor of adopting part of his name—Nobu.  After the battle was won, the hardy warrior was changed from Sadamasa to Nobumasa.

In 1590, after Ieyasu moved to Kanto region, Nobumasa was given a fief in Miyazaki, Kōzuke.

In 1600, at the Sekigahara Campaign, he participated in the Siege of Ueda (the family history and Nakatsu-han shi (history record of Nakatsu Domain) described that he belonged to the Tokugawa Hidetada's army).
Later, Nobumasa served as the first Kyoto Shoshidai of the Edo period.

When Nobumasa completed his service as Kyoto shoshidai in 1601, he was transferred to Kanō Domain in Mino Province. He built Kanō Castle in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, and commissioned the building of Kanō Tenman-gū.

In 1602, he retired in Kano and handed over the position of the lord of the Kano Castle to the third son Okudaira Tadamasa.

In 1614, he outlived Tadamasa and even the first son Okudaira Iemasa in Utsunomiya Domain  at Shimotsuke Province, in 1615 the following year he died.

Daihannya sword
The name ("Daihannya") refers to the Daihannya sutra, made by Junkei Nagamitsu. The sword is in the possession of Oda Nobunaga who gave it to Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Anegawa, who then gave it to Okudaira Sadamasa at the Battle of Nagashino. The value of the sword during the Muromachi period, 600 kan, was associated with the sutra's 600 volumes; said to have belonged to the Ashikaga clan.

Notes

References
 Meyer, Eva-Maria. (1999). Japans Kaiserhof in de Edo-Zeit: Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Jahre 1846 bis 1867. Münster: Tagenbuch.
 Murdoch, James. (1996).  A History of Japan. London: Routledge.
 Papinot, Edmond. (1906) Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du japon. Tokyo: Librarie Sansaisha...Click link for digitized 1906 Nobiliaire du japon (2003)
 Sasaki Suguru. (2002). Boshin sensō: haisha no Meiji ishin. Tokyo: Chūōkōron-shinsha.

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Kyoto Shoshidai
Okudaira clan
1555 births
1615 deaths
Fudai daimyo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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What do I need to respect in terms of laser output power?
In order to compare lasers worldwide, it is common to specify the effective output power, which is the most important criterion for objective comparison of lasers.It is specified in Watt or milliwatt (1W = 1000mW).Power is measured directly at the aperture of the laser source and before all optical components.
How does human eye perceive (laser) light?
The human eye perceives the different wavelengths of the visible color range with a different intensity. The optimum is at 555nm - the green DPSS as RGB elementary color meets this as the most closest.
Therefore it is decisive to find the perfect balancing act between best power distribution and largest green part in order to match the best possible visibility.The closer the nanometer is to this optimum (up and down), the brighter is the perception of a color. However, this visibility curve looks not like a common bell-curve and therefore brings special characteristics in the blue and red color range with it.
How are the different colors created with lasers?
With a full color solid state laser, (at least) three different laser modules are used together. White light, as well as mixed colors, are generated by the additive color mixture of red, green and blue (like e.g. the TV set). Color shades are produced with the partial switch-off or the dimming of single colors, which is so called "analog modulation".
To increase output power or to create a larger or more vivid color range, it is possible to mix even more than three colors. It needs some knowledge to operate such systems properly.
The wavelengths of the individual laser modules define the color. That's why it is very important to have the "right" red and the "right" blue to get good visibility with a good color spectrum at the same time.
I want to terminate the laser beam after about two metres, like the lightsabers in Star Wars. How can I do that?
It is not possible to create lightsaber like effects: You cannot "terminate" the laser beam somewhere, it can physically not be terminated without having an end-point (surface).
Light can not be ended somewhere, it can only "fade out", meaning intensity is reduced with greater distances. But this is of course not feasible for a lightsaber.
Can I make 3D projections in the air with lasers?
You always need a surface to reflect the laser light. This can be fog or haze for beam shows, or all kinds of screens for projections. Very common screen types are waterscreens, gauze screens, rear projection screens or fog screens.
All 3D-like projections with lasers also need kind of a surface to be reflected on! Real 3D is not possible without having a 3D surface.BUT: You can of course generate 3D look-alike projections with our systems. If you need support in doing that, please contact us - we have specially skilled professionals for high end shows.
You cannot create 3D-like projections in the air, but if you have a kind of surface (e.g. in between of two buildings), it is no problem to do so.
Unfortunately laser light cannot be "terminated" somewhere without having an end-point (surface).
Do I need fog or haze to make the laser beams visible?
You always need a surface to reflect the laser light. This can be fog or haze for beam shows or all kinds of screens for projections. Very common screen types are water screens, gauze screens, rear projection screens or fog screens.
All 3D-like projections with lasers also need kind of a surface to be reflected on!
It is not possible to create laser-sword like effects: You cannot "terminate" the laser beam somewhere, it cannot physically be terminated without having an end-point (surface).
MotionLasers recommends using a haze machine for indoor beam shows to get the smoothest effect.
What is the difference between optical effects and normal scanners?
Optical effects are created by using a certain glass/mirror structure with microstructures, that deflects or manipulates one laser beam hitting the optical component so that a special effect is generated. Optical effects are e.g. burst grating, line grating, shot beams, etc.
The advantage of optical effects in contrast to normal scanners is, that there is no flickering with optical effects and the deflection angle can be much wider than with scanners. Anyway, the flexibility of scanner systems can not be achieved, as the effeect is limited to the built-in optical effetcs.
Do I need special knowledge to operate a laser projector?
In general there is no deeper knowledge necessary to operate a laser projector in a physical sense. However, laser light may be quite dangerous if it is not properly used.
Due to the coherence of the laser light (same direction and wave characteristics of the light - different to normal light sources), the very sharp rays can be dangerous to human eye or immission sensors.
However, if you respect you local laser safety regulations, it is possible to make a safe laser show.
The regulation IEC 60825-1 is internationally valid and provides information about laser safety terms. Most countries refer to that regulation in context of laser safety.
However, some countries may have much more fear of the "laser mystery" and thus may have stricter regulations.
The responsibility for laser operation is with the actual operator. So being careful is most important.
- never shoot single beams to the audience. You may shoot them above their heads (min height 3m) as strong as you like.
Laser projectors are not dangerous themselves - the danger always comes from improper operation.
Is your laser control software Mac / Apple compatible?
Pangolin Quickshow and Beyond do not run on MAC / Apple OSX. However, it is possible to operate all software products, that we offer, in a Windows emulated environment on Mac systems.
There are several technical limitations that make it tricky to just switch existing software solutions to Mac OS ( e.g. deep integration with DirectX or OpenGL and similar Windows APIs).
Do you sell any waterproof lasers?
All Nano units are IP65 waterproof, meaning they can be used outdoor in the rain.
The Spectrum All-Weather and Low Divergence Series are rated to IP65 waterproof, perfect for outdoor touring applications.
The LightCube 851 models are rated to IP68, suitable for permanent outdoor solutions in a submersible shell.


These Keto cookies are perfect for a yummy festive low carb Christmas treat. Finding cookies that are suitable this holiday season is going to be difficult, so how about making your own cookies to take to events and Christmas parties. These are so yummy, everyone will be eating them not just those on a low carb of Keto diet. You can see the full Keto Christmas Cookie Recipe here.


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First Listen: At long last, Sonny Green "Begs Your Pardon"
Photo credit: Julia La Riva Photography
(November 21, 2020) Sonny Green is a blues and soul survivor, who made the trip taken by many Blacks by migrating from Louisiana to California, ending up in Los Angeles. Green is a blues and southern soul singer in the vein of Johnnie Taylor and ZZ Hill, but unlike those legends, he never cut an album. Although, he did release several singles in the 1960s and 70s – including "It's A Game" and "If You Want to Keep On Loving Me" – Green is one of those who managed to craft a career over the last five decades by building up a following on the west coast through his live performances.
That will change in 2021 when Found: One Soul Singer drops in January. Green is now 77-years old, but "I Beg Your Pardon," the lead single that we are previewing on this First Listen, shows that he is more than ready for his close-up. "I Beg Your Pardon" fuses gospel infused organ work with lyrical structure of the blues and a horn section that engages in call and response with Green's still strong and energetic vocals.
"I Beg Your Pardon" tells the story of a guy who just has to ask a lady how did she come to be so easy on the eye. It's the kind of come-on line that would sound corny or offensive in about any other context. But in the blues, it sounds just right. Check "I Beg Your Pardon" out here.
Sonny Green – "I Beg Your Pardon"


Elliptical machines are designed to reduce impact while mimicking the running motion and engaging your running muscles, which makes it good for both low-intensity replacement cross-training as well as performance cross-training.
If you're on the elliptical machine for performance cross-training, work out on it just as you would during a standard running session. Follow the same intervals and resting points as you would if you were training outdoors. "Do your best to stay light on your feet. Focus on moving like a runner instead of someone stuck on the machine," says McCrann.
If you're using the elliptical as replacement cross-training, however, try the workout below. You can also supplement your replacement cross training with daily walks to build up your strength.
Sample Elliptical Workout: 40 mins.
Warm-up: 10 mins. at an easy level. Build effort from easy to steady using controls.


Florence Nightingale Wins 2017 Golden Halo!
The Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness heartily congratulates Florence Nightingale on winning the 2017 Golden Halo!
To celebrate this momentous victory, the SEC has commissioned Lent Madness hymn writer extraordinaire, Sister Diana Doncaster, to pen a hymn for the occasion. Enjoy!
Joyful are the ones who voted for our Florence Nightingale.
Joyful more the ones whose lives and health she guarded without fail.
Joyful are the ones who've followed in her noble nursing ways.
Joyful we who still are learning how to live strong in our faith.
Florence won the Golden Halo long before Lent Madness came.
Faithful to her call to service, faithful to Christ's healing grace.
Longed to serve the church, but sent home, went forth into battle's roar.
So we offer God our praises for such saints who've gone before.
With the saints who've taught us well that lived love is all God requires.
None are perfect, all have struggled, all have learned the ways of Grace.
May we fumble in their footsteps, 'til we meet Christ face to Face.
What's nearly as important as announcing the Golden Halo winner? Sharing the Lentorium link to the winner's swag! Click here to pre-order your very own Florence Nightingale 2017 Golden Halo Winner mug (stethoscope sold separately).
Blessings to all as we head into the Triduum and enter into the death and resurrection of our Lord. It's been a privilege to have you join us on our Lenten pilgrimage!
150 Comments to "Florence Nightingale Wins 2017 Golden Halo!"
Great fun and I learned a lot. Don't think I chose even one winner, except Flo at the end. Guess I'm a supporter of the underdog.
This has been the most disappointing season ever. I think it could be the Lent Madness has lost its mojo. Peace and Blessed Triduum to you.
We once had "mojo?" Thanks!
You still got the mojo!
You are the Mojo Masters! Thanks for another great season of Lent Madness. We appreciate the Supremes, the celebrity bloggers and — newly this year — Hymn Writer Extraordinaire Sister Diana!
You still have mojo! Great season – I learned a lot, thanks! And this is one Pentecostal that will definitely be back next year to do Lent with you Episcopalians. How about William J. Seymour (preacher at the Azusa Street Revival) in the bracket next year?
This Lent has been pure blessing for me. Not sure what mojo is, but joy and blessing, laughter and learning, extended community – oh yeah!
Don't despair Mo and Jo still love you!
Peace, brother. Again, I think the SEC is enlarging our category of "saints," and while that may be uncomfortable–and discomfitting–at first, I think we will grow because of it. I hope we may all come to experience wild joy in encountering such a diversity of saintliness in our world. I believe LM may truly be a "thin space" because of that stretching element.
I had great fun reflecting on all the lives that were brought before us and learned a lot. Thank you, Lent Madness, from a big fan!
I always have a wonderful time reading and learning about the saints. Some of whom I knew about and mostly those I don't know. I look forward to Lent Madness each year….
I agree–but I still learned a great deal about the "candidates". So here's to 2018–!!!
Thanks for all the information. I always learn so much through this madness and look forward to learning something new everyday. Florence has been a hero to me since I was little. My Grandmother was a healer before doctors were around in her area so praying and doing what one can has been a lesson learned early. I am looking forward to next year.
The celebrity bloggers outdid themselves, they get better every year! Congratulations Flo! And let us not forget the winner of the silver halo Franz Jägerstätter–who most of us had never heard of before this Lent!
May each of you have a Holy Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and an Easter filled with joy!!!
Hurray for Fabulous Flo – a tribute to all nurses past and present, the nursing profession rocks!!!
Thank you, Tim and Scott, for another inspiring and thought-provoking Lent Madness. It keeps me engaged in Lent and also teaches me about saintly souls I might never have heard about. Congratulations to Florence. Happy Easter to all.
I'm with Jane. Thank you so much, SEC and all my "Madness" brethren!
A silver lining to Franz Jägerstätter losing is that he will participate in a future Lent Madness season.
I am looking forward to reading more about him and introducing him to new Lent Madness followers!
And a Silver Halo this year as well. I'm glad for Flo and even gladder to have learned about Franz and all the other dark horses this year. Thanks for this delightful way to attend to Lent, SEC and Celebrity Bloggers. And a special round of applause to Sr. Diana for her wonderful hymns!
To all, have a blessed Triduum and a glorious Easter!
May we learn from her example!
Thank you Diana the hymn writer.
Thanks be to God for the imagination, dedication, and humor that go into creating Lent Madness. All the the bios are calls to humility and service. I have been blessed by every one of them and by the comments which have enlarged on the information in the bios. I would be equally blessed if we didn't vote, but just let the SEC toss a coin to decide each contest. However, then we would lose the satiric edge. Since I am not a sports fan I rather enjoy dethroning Bis Sports for a season. Thank you all!
It's been a joy being part of this Lent community.
Thank you to all. This is one of the reasons I' still an Episcopalian.
It has been a fine Madness, and just as mojo-laced as ever in the eyes of many beholders. I hope all the fans of Florence and Franz will move on to Fifty Days of Fabulous, a daily dose of inspiration and interaction for the season of Easter. Thanks to all for sharing thoughts, laughter, tears, and faith. Bless us, one and all.
Many thanks to Scott and Tim and all involved with Lent Madness, I looked forward to it every day.
Education and fun all rolled into one!
Franz Jägerstädter may not have won this year's contest, but his quiet example of doing what is right when all around are not is something that I will remember. The frog does not have to die a death by slow degrees if he is alert enough to recognize the pot and flames for what they are…and then jumps. For me the real value of saints is what they teach, and while Florence certainly has much to teach…Franz is teaching me. And frogs. Frogs should be listening to Franz.
"I" too "SWYDT." All the Pepe the Frogs should be listening to all the saints and learning something about grace and tolerance and community. Integration is here to stay, and immigrants are a protected class for Christians. (You're subtle, Miss Jan, but I have to draw out meanings more fully.) "Mojo" means going out and making the world a better place, and I think LM served that purpose this year.
Thank you all. I am grateful for the arrival of Lent Madness each year!
Thank you, Tim and Scott for inventing and promoting Lent Madness. I look forward every season to live with and learn of our heritage through our Christian ancestors. Thanks to all the contributors whose imagination and research bring us together. I appreciate all the commentators whether I agree with them or not. God is Good, God Bless Us everyone. Easter Blessings and Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Another great hymn, Diana! I especially like the lyric "May we fumble in their footsteps". It reminds us that, on this side of Heaven, our walk with Christ will never be perfect, but we still travel a holy way, as Florence and Franz, and all the saints before us have done.
Good to travel to Canterbury with you again this year, Harlie. See you next year. Have a great one.
Thanks, Celia. A blessed Triduum and a glorious Easter Season to you!
I saw your post just as I was walking out the door, so I only had time for a short response, but I would like to expand on it.
Celia, I appreciate your well considered comments, your responsiveness to other commenters, and the civility and respect you to show to all. Plus, I love the way you refer to Lent Madness as "Traveling to Canterbury". That just warms my lil' ol' Anglican heart!
Harlie and St. Celia, I have enjoyed our conversations and look forward to next year!
This year's Lent Madness has been wonderful, Susan. I loved your "Mythological, Schmythological!" Have a radiant Easter!
Thanks to all for your humor, scholarship and fun.
geaux Flo! as we say here in New Orleans. or we might spell her name as FLEAUX. I loved the hymn and sang it in my head.
But we don't want to spell her name FLEAUX because that means "scourge" in the French singular (with an accent on the "e").
Why it keeps throwing the extra code in I don't know. But I'll figure it out for next year. Y'all have a good one.
Will the Lentoriium have a Franz Silver Halo Kite?
Or a silver halo pint glass like St. Bridget's?
Hooray for Florence. Thank you SEC.
Many thanks to the SEC!
We here at Xavier Catholic Middle School are concerned about Oliver. We've not seen him post in a long time. Where oh where is Oliver?!
That being said we thank you for an exciting Lent Madness season!
I'm missing Oliver too. Praying all is well with him and his family. And that they and all the Lent Madness family have a beautiful Triduum.
I do miss Oliver Age 9, and hope to see comments by Oliver Age 10 in Lent Madness 2018.
Thank you to all concerned! This was my first year of Lent Madness and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned a lot and was entertained along the way. Well done and I'll be back for more next year!
Sadly, I could not bring myself to vote yesterday. I could not choose between these two brave souls. Both stood their ground for their beliefs.
I vote for a tie.
Indeed and well said. Though my heart and vote were with Flo, I can certainly see your point.
Another fun and informative season AND what a terrific hymn. What fun to see Flo make it all the way through to the Golden Halo! It takes a lot of inspired wisdom to save lives with soap, vinegar, and fresh air!
Even though I am an RN, NP.
Joyful indeed! I have followed Lenten Madness for several years and THIS YEAR I finally picked the winner from the start. Being a Nurse, in my mind, Flo was the only choice from the beginning. Once again I have met and learned so much about Saints/saints I never heard of before and for that I thank you. Now it is the dismal wait until nest year …. sigh!
It seems just right that on Maundy Thursday a disciple willing to wash the feet of others and follow the commandment that we love one another should be crowned with the golden halo.
My nine year old twins and I have enjoyed this so much. That is, SEC!
While I did vote for Franz, Florence is a wonderful example to all of us. What about a Franz stein? You did it for Bridget… Thanks for a wonderful Lenten season of learning about people who followed our Lord no matter what.
I had Franz early in Lenten Madness, as Vegas had him winning as well. Lot of collection basket money lost. I am kidding and my normal alms will be there this week. In all seriousness, this was my first one, and it was fun. I had the book, but the daily posts on here were worth the price of admission. Great fun, congratulations to Florence Nightingale, and I look forward to 2018!
which should be sung at least once this Easter season [in honor of today's victory], on August 12, her Episcopal saint day, celebrated for a short time but now put on hold, and as many times as Lutherans allow! May Beethoven hear loudly and clearly these new sweet lyrics, which will even bring a smile to Flo's 'tired from nursing' face! Thanks to Tim and Scott and all their volunteer staff who brought many odes to joy to many Lent Madness fans throughout Lent! And to Sister Diana for her daily saint hymn lyrics! And now, I return to sermon writing!
Thanks for such a fun way to learn the saints! It gave me something to look forward to each morning. Even though it was my first time, I did pretty well and won with Flo! My church's intern, who was responsible for bringing this Lent Madness to our attention, kept track of everyone's bracket sheets and announced I had won the most picks. He presented me with the purple Golden Halo mug which I use every morning and am tickled to have it! I can't wait for next year!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed this year's LM, even though Franz–my pick from the beginning–only captured the silver! In the very first round I only missed two of the choices, but it was a steady, if gradual, downhill slope from then on.
But I have been missing Oliver and wondering what happened to him. Do we know?
Thanks again for a fun ride–and a blessed Easter to all!
Flo wins!!!! Can't think of a better person to win it all! What great time for nurses and caretakers everywhere.
Oh…he disappeared! Where did he go?
He's still around. I saw him post yesterday. Just not quite as active this year.
Many thanks SEC, celebrity bloggers and all who support Lent Madness. This has been a bleak feeling Lent for me so I've been especially grateful for the inspiring and cheering message of Lent Madness. I'm very happy to see Florence in her well-deserved Golden Halo. She not only exemplified the faith, love and service of Christianity at its best, but she was a revolutionary in her insights to improve caring for the ill and wounded, and a tactical genius in finding ways to implement them.
Sandy, I will keep you in my prayers, that God will sustain you in this "bleak feeling Lent", and grant you peace. May your Easter be joyous.
I think you should update this hymn as a more general hymn on the subject of being inspired by the saints.
Thanks for a wonderful Lenten season of learning and fun. Have also enjoyed spreading the word about Lent Madness to many friends, who now have become converts! A Blessed Easter to all!
As a first timer to Lent Madness, I can tell you that it is fabulous! Our church, Advent Lutheran in Morgan Hill, CA, joined in and we've kept a big chart posted in the social hall, updated every day! Thanks for the wild ride and the thingsvthat I'd never would have learned without you!!!
Thank you for a wonderful season of Lent! This is the first year I faithfully voted for ever single contest, and I feel I learned so much! A little disappointed that Franz didn't get the golden halo, but, yes this does mean he'll be back next year, and Florence, too, is a wonderful saint. (I voted for both multiple times). Thanks, and see you next hear!
I should add, but only once in each bracket!
Thank you for a wonderful Lent Madness! This was my first and I will definitely be back again in 2018. May you all have a very Blessed Easter!
Congratulations, Flo! And thanks to Sister Diane for the festal hymns to go along with Lent Madness this year.
Blessing to the SEC, Celebrity Bloggers, Diana!, first time visitors to Lent Madness and groupies. Yeah! we begin voting next year around Valentine's Day, which happens to fall on Ash Wednesday. Diana, your poetic hymns have been amazing. Thank you for sharing your gift of poetry. I hope that the SEC presents you with a Florence Nightingale Golden Halo mug filled with kisses and a pound of good coffee.
And some can be found in history's lines.
But God poured out Grace anew.
Each has a gift to give.
Did this one even live?
For God pours out Grace anew.
What makes a saint? We might justly ask.
Leave us scratching our heads.
Love is shown in fact or in mystic haze.
But more in unending Grace.
Oh, Diana! That is wonderful.
Diana, I've enjoyed your hymns, and today's two hymns are a perfect way to end Lent Madness this year.
This is perhaps my all time favorite hymn, courtesy of my beloved, sainted, British mother, who sang it as a child. Your version is just as lovely and relatable as the original! Thank you Diana! What a blessing your poems and hymns have been.
Diana – your hymnody and rhyming would have delighted my mother, who was a 50+ year church organist, English/Latin major. She could whip up a 20+ paragraph poem in honor of a friend who was retiring, celebrating a choral concert, etc. in a day. Blessing and cheers to you for this lovely reminder. She is smiling, too. Can't wait until next year!
Thank you so much for you hymns during Lent Madness. I have waited each day to read your words (and to see if I could sing the hymn without any help from The Hymnal!) Perhaps we shall meet one day, 'while at tea'.
Thanks to excellent bloggers (as always) and to Fr. Tim and Scott for an outstanding Lent Madness.
My stepmother, a favorite cousin and two granddaughters, all nurses. I'm so glad Florence won,?
A blessed Holy Week and Happy Easter to everyone, and thanks to the SEC. Have a good year, everybody!
I've loved Lent Madness ever since I discovered it a few years ago. This year was great for so many saints new to me, and so many match-ups that allowed the more obscure saints to advance at least one round. Thanks to all who made that possible. By the way, I was just looking at the Wall of Fame and the bracket record for 2016 does not appear to be there. Can this be corrected?
May God richly Bless Sister Diana for sharing her wonderful gifts with all of us.
May God Bless all of You who walk in His ways.
May you all have a joyous Easter.
I thought this was the best Lent Madness since I found it (even though I normally picked the underdog). It was a real learning experience. Diana, I hope you are planning to continue writing your hymns. They truly added a new dimension. Joyous Easter to all.
Sister Diana, Thank you for another charming hymn. This is a well earned golden halo and represents just one more example of Florence's impact.
It has been a blessing to patricipate!
Lent Madness gives me great meaning. I learn, I enjoy, I agree, I disagree. I have loved Diana's hymns this year. Go, Flo! Looking forward to 2018. Or maybe "looking to forward movement".
I've dabbled in Lent Madness for a couple years, but this is the first time I feel a true sense of poignant loss that it's over! I'm truly going to miss you guys – Scott and Tim and the celebrity bloggers. Blessings to all.
Blessings on Diane for her creative hymn writing. Although my selections did not win, I deeply enjoyed her literary expressions.
Thank you SEC! I can hardly imagine all the work that must go into this madness, but it has touched me deeply the last two years, and I believe that must be true of many others as well. And so much fun!!! I will miss it so much, but look forward to Ash Thursday, 2018. Blessings to you all!
Would it be possible to do a covered cup or a water bottle in addition to the mug? For many of my beloved nurse friends,they have to have covered beverages in their places of service like the hospital or clinics. Thank you for such an educational Lent!
Why do you include some candidates from previous years ?
How do you go about picking Those ?
How can you so devilishly pick two for a day's voting that make it so hard for us to pick just one ?
Most Awesome that my Golden Halo pick won!! Florence was a really wonderful smart woman who was so sensible about cleanliness being the key to not getting infections. Such an easy thing to wash your hands. The rest of my bracket was busted except for Florence. This was my first time playing this and it was super fun. Really enjoy the SEC – you guys are so much fun. I am a brand new Christian and am being baptized on Easter Eve – I'm so excited I can barely stand it! Excited for my bracket next year!
Blessings to you Laura, and welcome to the family! See you next year (and don't miss the 50 Days of Fabulous during Eastertide…Laurie Brock and her cohorts do a fabulous job!). Blessings to all for a holy Triduum and a glorious Easter.
Florence looks so sad on her Golden Halo mug! Wish she looked a little happier!
Thanks to ALL! Including everyone who takes the time to make a comment. I learn so much from you all. Happy Easter!
Another inspiring Lenten Madness Season! I have been especially moved when one commenter says he or she is sick or distressed in some way and subsequent commenters offer consolation or prayers for the distressed one. A real ministry.
Thank you all, dear SEC, fabulous Celebrity Bloggers and all in the Lent Madness Global Viewing Public…it has been a blessing being with you this Lent. See you all next year.
This was my first Lent Madness and I am hooked! What fun to learn about the saintly people of yore.
Thank you for the lessons of life and the spirit. It brings us all closer to each other and God.
Sister Diana, thank you for all the new hymns this Lent.
Wishing you and your Community a Blessed Easter.
This was my first Lent Madness and I really enjoyed it. I picked a lot of winners. I had a really hard time at the end. Even though I voted for Franz, I thought Florence would be great also. Great fun. Thank you.
Congrats Flo! What an educational and fun Lent Madness season it's been. I've learned so much about all these fascinating saints; I feel I know them. Blessed Triduum to one and all. See y'all next year!
It's been a wonderful journey! Thank you to the SEC, the Bracket Czar, wonderful Celebrity Bloggers, Sister Diana, the staff at Forward Movement, the Lent Madness Global Community/Commentariat, and all the saints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJMy9JMxMUc Have a Blessed Holy Week and a Joyous Easter!
And …. today, one of the TV networks here in Australia broadcast "The Lady With a Lamp" (1951) as its lunchtime movie. Coincidence, or …..?
Way to go St. Flo! I would love to be able to show my fellow nurses Flo's latest and GREATEST achievement with a cool water bottle! Thanks to Flo's insights into infection control we can't have open containers on the unit. Thanks to one and all for your passion, creativity and appreciation for all Crazy Christians ( as Michael Curry calls us:) !
This was my third year to enjoy Lent Madness after it was first introduced to our church. I look forward to it every Lent and an disappointed when it ends. Keep educating us and entertaining us. Happy Easter!
Thank you for doing Lentmadness. What a wonderful way to learn about the saints. Can't wait for next years.
I am happy Florence won as I have a sister who is an R.N A granddaughter in law who is a Nurse Practitioner and several nieces who have varying degrees in the nursing profession. I look forward to year 2 for me next Lent.
I love this new hymn and sang it as I read her wonderful words. Keep up this wonderful tradition!
Worthy winner! Nobody I voted for won their bracket this year – new record of picking the losers!
The hymn also goes to the Battle Hymn of the Republic – refrain "Florence won the Golden Halo (x3) we praise God for her faith"?
You made me laugh when you wrote of your "new record of picking the losers!" I dared to hope that Moses the Black would go all the way to the Halo, but alas…And even though I voted for Franz in the final battle, I knew he wouldn't win. As a resister of the Nazis, he was just too similar to last year's winner Bonhoeffer. A joyful Easter to you!
Thank you so much to everyone who worked on this Lent Madness-so fun and informative. I'm sorry Stephen didn't make it, but ultimately voted for Florence. A blessed Easter to all and see you next year.
I seem to be alone. I will continue to return today, hoping for one last comment.
I cannot yet let the Madness go.
Good morning, Harlie. A blessed Holy Saturday to you. My heart and ears are still ringing with the power of Tenebrae last night, the ancient Psalms, the gathering darkness, the great crashing, dissonant chord that tells of all Creation in grief over the death of Jesus, and the single candle, promising the return of the Light.
Good morning, Diana! So good to hear from you. Cool that you should speak of Tenebrae. We did it for the first time here at our parish. Very powerful. At the end, the Ministers bowed to the altar and left, but the congregation didn't move. They sat there in silence for a surprisingly long time, in prayer and contemplation. I'm guessing we'll do it again next year, eh?
Our normally chatty congregation also stayed in silence, left in silence. There are times when even the most eloquent must fall silent before holy mystery.
There's nothing like good Liturgy. I grew up with the idea that written prayers and ritual were just "empty ceremony", but that's not true, that's not true at all. When Liturgy is done well, with faith, God touches us.
Even when it's poorly done, the Spirit manages to slip in through the cracks if we're willing.
Oh, yes. So what's next for you today (and tonight)? We've got the Great Vigil at 6:30. This year we're doing all nine Lessons (count 'em, nine!), besides the Epistle and Gospel. I think this may be another first for us. AND we'll have large enough congregational candles that we won't have to blow them out after the Exultet. Of course, how we're going to juggle a service bulletin, a hymnal, and a candle remains to be seen, but I think people will like the longer lasting candlelight.
Just home from a GLORIOUS Easter Vigil (only 4 lessons compared to your nine. 9 requires serious stamina and, as you noted, serious candle power. I got to preach, we had a baptism, the choir sang the Beethoven Hallelluia – two services tomorrow after which I will either float off into the skies in sheer bliss or, more likely, come home and take a very long and blissful nap. btw, I bought Franz Jaggerstatter's letters from prison and am finding it rich reading.
So glad you had a great Easter Vigil. We did too. Sue preached last night as well. Perhaps when we come out to visit in June we can arrange to be there when you preach.
As for the candles, I was a bit worried that it might be awkward holding one and turning pages at the same time, but it worked out fine. Beethoven's Hallelujah I'm not familiar with. Will definitely google it. What's the title for Franz's prison letters? Today Sue has two more service, I have one. Afterwards we're going to an Easter buffet at a local restaurant, and then home for "a very long and blissful nap". We're both retired, so each day of Easter Week we're going to do something celebratory: attend a play, go out to eat, visit a museum, etc. I also bought "A.D. The Bible Continues" for us to watch over the Fifty Days. It didn't get very good reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, but I don't care. I want to see some Jesus Action! Well, I better go have breakfast. I can have sugar in my coffee now, every day!
Thanks. Just listened to Beethoven's Hallelujah, while eating. Beautiful!
To anyone who may read this, Happy Easter Monday.
The second day of Easter always finds me with mixed feelings. Oddly, I have a slight sense of loss after Holy Week, Easter Eve, and Easter Day has been concluded. For the past week I have spent my evenings at the church, in the company of my fellow believers, reliving those mighty acts of God whereby salvation has come to all people and Heaven and Earth made one. After the joy of Easter Day Mass and the following celebrations, Easter Monday can have a touch of sadness, since there will no longer be that intense nightly spiritual, emotional, and communal experience. Those parishes that have Mass on the days of Easter Week are truly blessed, but most churches don't have the number of clergy required to do this. In the average parish, by the end of Easter Day, the priest(s) and deacon(s) are exhausted and need Easter Week to recover.
Throughout the Fifty Days of Easter we strive to maintain that sense of wonder and joy in our Lord' triumph over sin and death. In Christ's Resurrection is our resurrection, in his victory is our victory.
Happy Easter Monday to you, as well and I hope you have a blessed Eastertide!
Thank you so much for Lent Madness. I learned a lot form each post. I appreciate the work (and fun) that the two of you put into making it something to look forward to everyday.
I am certainly looking forward to next year and as we will have a new priest I am going to see about drumming up interest to make it a parish endeavor.
Blessings to all who participated!
Congrats to Flo…but what about Franz? My friends and I are waiting to see what swag will be offered featuring this year's Silver halo winner, Franz Jaggerstatter!
Well, I think I may have run out of comments, at least for the time being.
I do think our Silver Halo winner deserves a Pint Glass or something. . . .
Off to see "Jesus Christ Superstar" as part of our Easter Week celebration.
A Happy Easter Wednesday to all!
Today my wife and I went to our favorite Mexican Restaurant (best in Chicago), then we took our dogs to a garden store and bought a couple of plants. This latter activity might not sound too festive, but we enjoyed it, and the dogs loved it!


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Today in NYC History: New York City Had Its Own Version of the Boston Tea Party (1774)
by janos marton
The Boston Tea Party–there are sadly no illustrations of the New York version. Image via Wikimedia Commons
Before the term was hijacked by the far right-wing, the Boston Tea Party was beloved as one of the iconic events in American history. Even at the time, it was so inspiring that New York got in on the act. On April 22, 1774, New York rebels dumped 18 chests of tea into the Hudson River, pushing the country ever closer to revolution.
One of the main issues sparking the tea party rebellion and the American Revolution itself was the Townshend Acts, a series of laws passed during the 1760s by the British Parliament to raise revenues and instill obedience in the colonies. ("Taxation without representation.") These measures were deeply unpopular, and by 1770 Parliament had the wisdom to repeal them. In 1773, however, they passed the Tea Act. Though designed as a corporate bailout for the British East India Tea Company (giving them tax-free access to American markets) that didn't actually raise the cost of tea, colonists were suspicious.
On December 14, 1773, a group of Bostonians clad in Mohawk attire boarded three ships anchored in the Boston Harbor, including The Dartmouth, and dumped 342 chests of tea into the ocean. This enraged British officials, who demanded that colonists pay for destroyed goods. Obviously that never happened. News of the Boston Tea Party was delivered to New Yorkers by none other than Paul Revere!
A few months later, on April 18, 1774, The Nancy anchored in Long Island, with a huge consignment of tea (698 chests, double the amount destroyed in Boston) bound for sale in New York. The New York chapter of the Sons of Liberty sent the captain a note that they would not let him land and "expose so considerable property to inevitable destruction," counseling him instead, "for the safety of your cargo, your vessel, and your persons, it will be most prudent for you to return." The captain agreed, and set a course for England a few days later.
The captain of The London was not so lucky. After docking in New York Harbor on April 22, the ship was boarded by angry New Yorkers hunting for tea. The ship actually wasn't peddling tea, but the captain was carrying 18 chests on board, his private stash. When the chests were found, the Sons of Liberty were on the docks, preparing their Mohawk garbs, but the riled up crowds would not wait. New Yorkers stormed the ship, dumped the tea into bay, and brought the chests back to shore, where they became fuel for bonfires. The London set sail for home soon afterwards.
The next morning, New Yorkers were treated to the blaring trumpet of a messenger from Massachusetts riding down the Bowery. He announced that the Battle of Lexington had just taken place, resulting in the death of eight colonists. New Yorkers responded by storming the arsenal on Wall Street and Broad Street and seizing 600 guns. New York was ready for revolution.
Read more from Today in NYC History on Untapped Cities and on janos.nyc


In the heart of Africa, Burundi is one of the world's poorest countries. In the Commune of Bukinanyana to the north of the country we find the region of Masango, where the Nuns from the Sisters of Charity Congregation in Novara have established an important health centre for the local population. The Sisters are guided by Suor Cellina, who has been working in the region for over 25 years.
To give the local population a better quality of life, the Rotary Club of Orta San Giulio has been very active over the years, restoring a hydroelectric turbine to provide the people with power and, above all in the construction of a basic hospital and orphanage that have contributed to saving many lives.
The Fantini company has also contributed greatly to helping the population of Masango, through the project 100 FONTANE FANTINI FOR AFRICA, a shining example of Corporate Social Responsibility.
"I've been personally involved in this humanitarian initiative in Masango for years" – says Daniela Fantini – and it seemed natural that the company should be involved. During my time in there I was captivated by the spirit of the people, who work the land with the same tools used thousands of years ago, moving huge rocks with just the strength of their arms. I really fell in love with the country.
The district's impervious terrain and the conformation of the villages with houses scattered in the hills indeed makes access to water very difficult. Fetching water means walking for miles, takes hours and is a task assigned to the children of the villages.
It is complicated project, full of challenges. The morphology of the terrain makes transporting materials very difficult, there are no infrastructures and identifying the places to make the connections is also complicated, due to the rains and frequent landslides.
This is why we assigned the works management and coordination of the local labour force to an expert builder, Maurizio Ondei, who speaks the native language Kurundi.
Thanks to this project, everyone, and especially the children, will be able to drink, wash, cook and above all be able to attend school. Another tangible benefit of the project will be the reduction of gastrointestinal ailments, thanks to better hygiene and the availability of uncontaminated water.
The original idea was to build one hundred water outlets. By the end of 2014 this target had already been achieved and surpassed thanks to everyone's enthusiasm and participation, both in Italy and overseas, and thanks especially to the economic contribution of Fantini's customers and agents obtained through the sales of the re-styled "Balocchi" collection, the attention the project has received in the press and the spontaneous donations of generous individuals.
- a further 30 water outlets at an advanced stage of completion, thanks to the additional funding received.
The water outlets are providing water to around 25,000 people. Each water outlet has been given a name, a number and assigned a manager from the Masango community responsible for looking after and maintaining it.
The project, the experience and the actuality of Masango are narrated in a film made by Catalonian director Nilo Mur Zimmerman.


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ISC General Assembly 2021 - Virtual
From Monday 11 October 2021
To Friday 15 October 2021
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ISC Governing Board has taken the decision to hold a virtual 2021 General Assembly (GA) in October 2021, and to reschedule the Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogue to early 2023.
More details will be available on the ISC website in due course.
Location : Online


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Utica Police Make Traffic Stop, Finding Illegal Handgun Inches from 7 Year Old
Andrew Derminio Published: August 16, 2021
Photo Courtesy of Utica Police
Utica Police have arrested three individuals after a traffic stop. During the course of the stop officers discovered an illegal firearm inches away from a 7-year-old child.
Police say just before 10PM Friday members of the Crime Prevention Unit pulled over a vehicle at the corner of Louisa and Elm Streets. Members of the Crime Prevention Unit included Officer Zach Ambrose, Steven Gomez and Deputy Rob Cornish of the Oneida County Sheriff's Office.
During the course of the traffic stop the officers discovered three adults and a child inside the vehicle. Police say officers also noticed live ammunition inside the car. Police have since identified the three adult occupants. The driver has been identified by police as 24-year-old Mberwa Abdullahi. A front seat passenger was identified by police as 25-year-old Hamadi Abdullahi. A backseat passenger, next to the 7-year-old child, was identified by officers as 23-year-old Shaleise Brown.
Upon the discovery of the ammunition police say Abdullahi, the front seat passenger, fled the vehicle on foot and was apprehended shortly after. Abdullahi, the driver, was arrested for having a suspended driver's license. During the course of the search of the vehicle, police say they discovered a Taurus 9mm handgun inside a lunch bag located next to the child in the vehicle.
Police say all of the adult occupants are facing the following charges.
Mberwa Abdullahi
Obstructing Governmental Administration in the 2nd Degree
Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the 3rd Degree
Felony Weapon Charges
Hamadi Abdullahi
Shaleise Brown
Later on in the investigation, Utica Police say the handgun was reported stolen out of St. Louis, Missouri. Utica Police would like to emphasize the fact that traffic stops like this one continue to show the dangers and risks officers face on the job everyday.
Things You Should Know About the New York Marijuana Legalization Law
On March 31, 2021, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill legalizing adult-use cannabis consumption, called the New York State Cannabis/Marijuana Regulation & Tax Act. Here are the 13 Things You Need To Know About The New York State Law
Check Out These Bizarre Moments Caught on CNY Ring Doorbells
More and more people are switching out their old doorbells for RING or other video doorbell systems. It is truly incredible what this new technology can do. Video and audio quality on these devices is so good, in some cases footage captured has helped police solve crimes. These images are from bizarre moments captured by RING users.
Anguish, Anxiety - Whitesboro Residents Await Buyouts and More Flooding
10th Mountain Division Helicopters Train at Griffiss Airport
Filed Under: endangering the welfare of a child, felony weapon charges, Utica, Utica Police


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Die Cadre-45/2-Europameisterschaft 1926 war das 2. Turnier in dieser Disziplin des Karambolagebillards und fand vom 18. bis zum 21. Februar 1926 in Den Haag statt. Es war die zweite Cadre-45/2-Europameisterschaft in den Niederlanden.

Geschichte
Die zweite Cadre 45/2 Europameisterschaft, die wieder im niederländischen Den Haag stattfand, gewann überlegen der Belgier Théo Moons. Die weiteren Podiumsplätze belegten der Franzose  Charles Faroux und der Belgier Gustave van Belle.

Deutsche Teilnehmer waren weiter nicht spielberechtigt. Der niederländische und der Schweizer Verband stellten auf der Jahresversammlung der UIFAB den Antrag auf Wiederaufnahme des deutschen Billardverbandes (D.A.B.B.) in den Weltverband. Diesem wurde stattgegeben und ab 10. Juni 1926 war Deutschland bei internationalen Turnieren wieder startberechtigt.

Turniermodus

Das ganze Turnier wurde im Round Robin System bis 400 Punkte gespielt. Im Gegensatz zu Weltmeisterschaften gab es bei Punktgleichheit am Ende keine Stichpartien, sondern der bessere Generaldurchschnitt entschied über die Platzierung.

Wertung:
 MP = Matchpunkte
 GD = Generaldurchschnitt
 HS = Höchstserie

Abschlusstabelle

Einzelnachweise

Cadre-47/2-Europameisterschaft
Karambolageveranstaltung 1926
Billardturnier in Den Haag


Reign Manor and Coach House is set on 2.5 beautiful acres and has been designed and furnished with every comfort in mind. The property is located close to many of the great wedding venues in the Shoalhaven and only 10 minutes from absolutely everything that Nowra has to offer including the magnificent Shoalhaven River.
This amazing property consists of 5 spacious bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, in the main house, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom in the coach house, accommodating 13-15 guests in comfort and style in the main house and an additional 10 in the coach house.
With magnificent wrap around verandahs, in ground swimming pool and spa, outdoor bar area, pizza oven, and a kids play area, all your entertainment needs are catered for. A very private location with plenty of room for everyone.
Inside the Manor boasts separate games room with WII and X-box consoles for kids of all ages and formal lounge area which then flows through to the fully equipped kitchen, dining and meals area. The pantry is stocked with all the basics such as oils, herbs, salt, pepper and more. You can dine in here or move out to the enclosed entertainment area that looks out over the in ground pool, spa and yard.
This outdoor area consists of a grand timber table setting that caters for 20 together with a lounge area in one corner with cosy fireplace, a great place to curl up and read a good book.
The Manors interior is spacious and inviting with ducted air conditioning throughout and cathedral ceilings which provide the ambiance to the rest of the home.
Separate to the main house is the coach house which is a 2 bedroom cottage at the side consisting of 2 queen bedrooms, living area with 2 bunk beds each with trundles, kitchenette, bathroom and laundry, this in itself accommodating up to 10 people.
The Manor is the perfect solution for large groups who want to spend time together but also enjoy their own private space offering a relaxed atmosphere where guests can dine together and enjoy the peace and serenity of this beautiful setting.
This unique property is perfect for large groups of friends and family and also for corporate off site meetings and events, it can accommodate over 17 guests in individual beds.
The grounds of the property are diligently attended to and you will be stunned from the moment you enter the front gates.
Reign Manor -We came, we loved it and we will keep coming back!!!
We are a group of 21 ladies who have just enjoyed our 7th year of our girls weekend. We have stayed at Reign Manor for the girls weekend for the last two years and are booking for our third year because it is simply the BEST. You will not find a better house than this to enjoy your weekend catch up. To say we LOVE this property is an understatement!!! With such a large group this home gives us space to be alone and read a book or for us all to be together eating dinner or playing games in the enclosed verandah area. We cook up a storm here but spend most of our time relaxing together in the pool area utilising the spa, pool, pool house and BBQ area. This house is clean and the booking process has always been easy with fantastic communication. We love this property and will be back again and again. PERFECTION!!!
This was an amazing trip for us. Thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to be the temporary owners. There was nothing to fault and we are forever grateful.
Thank you so much for having us! We had a lovely mother and daughter trip away! We had made so many memories. Its a beautiful house and everything came with it. Its just a beautiful property.
Thank you for a wonderful home and lots of fun spaces! 16 family member including 6 kids had a great time. Great pizza oven, sparklers and glow sticks made for a magical family weekend. The Wests!
Gathered here to celebrate Matriach's 80th birthday. 18 family members - young & old! Had such a wonderful weekend. Everything available on side, all facilites catered for. This place is amazing, no expense spared to provide a lovely comfortable holiday home.
This has been the second Christmas stay for the Washington & Hardy families and once again we had a wonderful time. Enough space to spread out with lovely communal areas. Pizza oven is a lovely touch and pool was in use everyday. Thank you for having us again, hopefully we'll have an opportunity to come back a third time.
A wonderful house for a great family Christmas get together!!
We had a fantastic Christmas weekend in your gorgeous house. We'd love to come back again next year!!


MESA provides pipeline integrity assistance with CASED CROSSING ECDA implementation that ranges from ECDA Plan modifications, Pre-Assessment, Indirect Inspections (field testing), Direct Examination and Remediation of the Casing Integrity Components including Preparation to Fill Casings along with completing all Process Documentation, either for your local or national Casing Integrity Program.
Establishing the cased crossing integrity is more than just testing for the casing condition (metallic short, electrolytic couple or clear) and must include determining "the past, present and future corrosion behaviors".
17 attributes of a casing have been defined that are either required or should be considered in performing Pre-Assessment.
Pre-Assessment will define the feasibility to apply ECDA, the initial regions, and the proper indirect inspection tool to be applied.
Regions will group the casings by physical conditions that would have similar past, present and future corrosion behaviors.
Indirect inspection will define if a casing has a metallic short, electrolytic couple, or is clear.
Direct metallic short is classified by the PHMSA guidelines as a immediate condition.
Cased crossings (bare or coated) with metallic short an full of water (electrolytic couple) pose a corrosion threat to the carrier pipe inside the casings due to the shielding effect of the metallic short present.
Coated casings with an electrolytic short are the next greatest risk for shielding cathodic protection current and protecting the coating anomaly that may be present in the casing.
Indirect inspection results will categorize and rank casings by Immediate, Scheduled or Monitoring for direct examination dig selection in each region.
There is a need to perform additional testing that defines the past, present, and future corrosion behaviors.
Excavations required by the ECDA Plan for each region will assess the risk and conditions present within the casing.
PHMSA guidelines suggest that Guided Wave Ultrasonic Thickness (GWUT) should be used to "look 100%" into the casing in assessing the physical condition of the pipeline.
GWUT will be required that complies with the GWUT "18 point" guideline.
Operators will need to review and potentially modify construction practices, i.e., attempt to eliminate any cased crossing installation for future construction and modify installation/inspection practices in the future to reduce the risks created by a cased crossing installation.
Removal of direct metallic shorts and a maintenance program that attempts to reduce risk conditions for corrosion (presence of water/soils) is needed.
Filling casings will allow the operator to reassess the corrosion threat risk and re-prioritize of the corrosion risk of filled casings.
PHMSA gives specific guidance for monitoring filled and unfilled casings.
Minimal casing fill requirements are defined as "documenting the % casing filled" and the guideline documentation is defined.
The dilemma for every operator is "what" and "how to" implement these guidelines in the development of a Cased Crossing ECDA Program. MESA has developed a Cased Crossing ECDA Program to assist our clients.


The TN visa is related to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which created special economic and trade agreements between Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
This special US visa is designed to allow citizens of either Canada or Mexico to come into the United States to engage in certain prearranged business activities (see list below).
Canadian citizens may apply for the visa either at their local US Consulate or at the border control or port of entry into the United States.
Mexican citizens must apply via the US Consulate.
Work in a professional occupation on the NAFTA list (see below).
Be coming to the US to work for a US employer in a job that requires your specific professional skills (may require an offer letter).
Term Length — 3 years.
Extension — It is possible to extend a TN visa indefinitely in one-year increments. To qualify, you must be able to prove you have a residence in your home country, and that you intend to go back.
Freedom of movement — You may travel out of and reenter the United States provided your visa is still in term and you still intend to continue to carry out your professional business.
Dependents — Immediate family members (spouse and any unmarried children under 21) may stay in the US, under a TD visa. TD visa holders may attend school, but are not permitted to work unless they obtain a different visa. Note that you will need to be ready to prove the family relationship, usually by showing a marriage or birth certificate.
Q: If my spouse/child is not a Canadian/Mexican citizen, can they still get a TD dependent's visa?
A: Yes, only the TN visa holder must be a citizen of the NAFTA signatory country.
Q: Can I work on a self-employed basis with a TN visa?
A: No. TN visas only cover permanent or part-time employment for a US-based employer.
Q: How can I prove my expertise in my profession?
A: Most types of positions require a baccalaureate-level degree, as detailed below. There are a few exceptions, which we can help guide you through.
Q: What alternatives are there to a TN visa?
A: TN holders cannot adjust status for Green Cards while in the U.S., however there is a process for applying for either EB1-1 (Extraordinary Ability), EB2, EB3 (Labor Certification Process) Green Cards via Consular process, however this process must be carefully managed. Contact us for more information.
Unless otherwise specified, the position normally requires Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.
Accountant — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
Architect — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license 2/ .
Computer Systems Analyst — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma 3/ or Post Secondary Certificate 4/ and three years' experience.
Disaster relief insurance claims adjuster (claims adjuster employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster) — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims; or three years experience in claims adjustment and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims.
Graphic Designer — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate and three years experience.
Hotel Manager — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in hotel/restaurant management; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate in hotel/restaurant management and three years experience in hotel/restaurant management.
Industrial Designer — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree;or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.
Interior Designer — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.
Land Surveyor — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license.
Lawyer (including Notary in the province of Quebec)-L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar.
Librarian — M.L.S., or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree was a prerequisite).
Management Consultant — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement.
Scientific Technician/Technologist — Possession of (a) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, or physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those disciplines to basic or applied research.
Technical Publications Writer — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree, or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.
Dentist — D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Dental or state/provincial license.
Dietitian — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.
Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States) — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate,and three years experience.
Occupational Therapist — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.
Pharmacist — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.
Physician (teaching or research only) — M.D. Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license.
Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist — Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.
Psychologist — state/provincial license; or Licenciatura Degree.
Registered nurse — state/provincial license or Licenciatura Degree.
Veterinarian — D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license.


I just finished two books, both with a financial theme: The Price of Everything, a parable of economic emergent order, by Russell Roberts, and The Third Conversion, a "novelette" by R. Scott Rodin about fundraising as ministry and not just money. The first book is a very readable text that our seniors are reading in Economics; the second is a more semi-hokey series of conversations between a seasoned fundraiser and his up-and-coming protege.
While recovering from my first kidney stone surgery, I found myself with some time to actually watch a few things on Netflix via the iPad. I'd heard of Joss Whedon's Firefly series (only one season of 15 episodes, capped off for resolution by the movie, Serenity) and enjoyed this "space western" well enough. I also had time for a few Shakespeare films (Kenneth Branaugh's Henry V and Patrick Stewart in Macbeth were excellent), which were fun and novel to watch.
There's been a lot of "launching" going on this January. A week ago, City Pres got off the ground with our first official worship service (I helped serve the Lord's Supper) and our Tuesday night CityGroup started back up; this past week, we kicked off our Veritas capital campaign and website, which we hope will come to first fruition in early March; and I've enjoyed getting back in the classroom twice a week teaching the second semester of our senior American History course (two very different but engaging texts: A Patriot's History of the United States by Larry Schwiekart and Michaell Allen and A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn).
Other highlights so far this month: 70-degree weather, my four capitalist daughters selling three (and counting) enormous boxes worth of chocolate for their homeschool band program, Megan clearing off and cleaning my desk (she loves me), NFL football playoffs (which is really the only time I'm interested enough to watch), the daily newspaper in my driveway, cold milk on hand, and people who call me "friend".
Okay. Guess it's time to deal with email, to which I say (in my best British accent): "Do your worst!" Thanks for reading.
Never mind the fact that it's my favorite U2 song and the single greatest performance in the history of SuperBowl half-time shows, but I remember how healing and powerful U2's 9/11 tribute was in February of 2002. Even watching it now, I'm blown away by the visual of bright hope emerging from the dark background of tragedy.
Maybe this (among other reasons) is why, ten years later, my sense of grief is not as personally paralyzing as it seems for others. Some may roll their eyes, but in reflecting back, I think Bono and the boys helped me deal with it then…not completely unaffectedly I'm sure, but in a way that allowed me to move on.
"Here we are now…entertain us"
So Megan and I, having been the victim one too many times of AT+T raising our home phone/DSL rates again, have re-entered the fray of trying to figure out the best communications deal out there. If you've done this recently, you know it isn't easy: there are far too many options, and none of them seem all that great bundled together for our particular purposes.
Our particular purposes, I suppose, are part of the problem, but so are the prices. In researching options, I was amazed both at the breadth of what's available as well as what the market is apparently willing to bear per month to subscribe to them. By my estimation, families with a land line, multiple cell phones (say 3-4), 300+ TV channels with multi-channel DVR capabilities, and broadband Internet across multiple computers could be paying as much as $400-$500 per month in fees, which doesn't even include hardware (cell phones, receiving dish or cable installation, computers) costs on the front end.
We currently have a land line, one pay-by-the-minute cell phone ($100 goes about 6 months), antenna television (6 channels), a mid-level (two movies out at a time) NetFlix subscription, and DSL. Add on a subscription to Covenant Eyes for the computers and we now pay about $120 in monthly fees, which we've determined is too much for our budget.
We'd like to find a cheaper land line provider (or drop the land line altogether and bite the bullet financially and philosophically by going to two cell phones), but we can't make the numbers work (and, of course, none of this even deals with the whole television part of the equation, nor the movie rental fee).
How much is too much in this area of communications? And is it really "communications" being talked about, or is our culture's thirst for entertainment – visual, digital, social – behind the willingness to pay ever-increasing amounts of money to ensure access to it?
For the Christian, how does what gets spent on entertainment compare to what gets given to the Kingdom each month? How much is too much/too little? Where's the line and what are the reasons for where it's been drawn (or re-drawn) over the years?
Wrestling through this anew these days. Feel free to add your two cents and share your own communications/entertainment experiences, ideas, and counsel. I'm open like 7-11.
School: This week is finals week, so I'll be spending most of my time grading. The good news is, unlike the past three years when I was evaluating projects and papers, I'm going into finals week with nothing other than finals to grade, so that should make for a little less consuming week in general.
In other school news, I've signed on for another year at Westminster, but my role is changing a bit as I'll be leaving the world of freshmen New Testament behind for fourth section of sophomore Ethics and one section of senior Worldviews next year. I'm glad for the transition all around.
One last note on the school front (this time the homeschool front), we're going to be entering a new stage of education here at home. This fall, our two oldest girls will be full-time students at Central Christian School in Clayton, while Megan continues leading the Classical Conversations group and homeschools our younger two (here are details from Megan's perspective).
Summer: In addition to writing (more on that below), my primary goal in June is to hang out with the little ladies, read some books, and get a few projects done around here. In addition, I'll help coach our Westminster summer baseball team for a week in June, as well as get trained on some new school information software, as I've been asked to be a mentor teacher to the rest of the staff this fall.
July ups the ante considerably in terms of travel, as we're planning a family trip to Colorado Springs, as the girls are now old enough (somehow) to attend The Navigators' camping programs (Eagle Lake and Eagle's Nest) we helped lead back in the day. I'll try to see as many folks as I can in a few days' time before I jump on a plane from Denver to Portland for my third year as part of Westminster's Summer Seminar. This time, I'll be investing ten days with 25 soon-to-be seniors in Washington state instead of South Dakota, after which I'll fly back to Colorado and then we'll all drive back to Missouri.
Worldviews class. Orientation starts the 12th and the first day of class is the 16th.
Studying: Despite baseball high-jacking my time and energy, I've been reading in a couple areas of interest this spring, not the least of which has been the study of the end times, or eschatology. N.T. Wright's book, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, has been helpful, as has revisiting my notes from seminary (particularly Dr. Dan Doriani's notes from his Epistles and Revelation class). Of the three years I've taught Revelation to my freshmen New Testament classes, I feel like I've done the best job this year.
I'm also finishing up a couple books on education, namely John Dewey and the Decline of American Education by Henry T. Edmondson III, Curriculum 21 edited by Heidi Hayes-Jacobs, and The Secret of TSL by William Ouchi. It seems I've been reading these for a while (and I have), but there's been some good content that's come as a result.
Looking ahead, I have some Worldviews reading to do this summer, including (Re)Thinking Worldview by J. Mark Bertrand; The Compact Guide to World Religions edited by Dean C. Halverson (ed.); The Journey by Peter Kreeft; Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey; and The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire. Should be fun.
Writing: Now that my second book, Learning Education: Essays & Ideas from My First Three Years of Teaching, is finished, I'm turning back to finishing the ThirtySomewhere manuscript this summer. I'm still looking for a formal publisher to get behind it, but now that I've experimented with the self-publishing gig a bit (and am still experimenting), I may go with what I've got at some point this fall and see what happens. We'll see.
I plan to continue blogging here, though I really wonder how much people are interested in anything longer than 140 Twitter characters these days. Speaking of which, I've enjoyed Twitter enough to keep using it, but there again I just have no way of really knowing how far the medium's actual reach is so as to invest more time in it. Oh well.
Guess that's it for now. There's more, but this is long enough. I'll try to post a few more thoughts later on this week (nothing brings out literary creativity like the desire to avoid grading). Have a good one.
A friend of mine in Colorado is in a fun but fierce battle with a Canadian friend of his over the outcome of the Olympic gold medal hockey game in which Canada beat the U.S. My friend asked me to write a parody of the Canadian national anthem to use as ammo.
True luck that we have Captain Kirk's command.
O Canada, we raise remotes to you.
God keep us warm, laid back and free.
O Canada, we love to watch TV.
On Friday night, for old time's sake, Megan and I rented The X-Files: I Want to Believe, the second of two movies based on our all-time favorite television show that ran from 1993-2001 (we have all nine seasons on DVD). Being the X-Philes that we were/are, we caught the midnight show of the movie on the night it came out last July (I wanted both of us to dress up like FBI agents but Megan thought we might be the only dweebs in attendance, which was far from the case), but were disappointed by creator Chris Carter's decision not to develop the government conspiracy story arc that was so key to the weekly episodes and the first movie in 1998. The second movie worked well enough as a monster-of-the-week episode, but that was about it; I didn't even write a review.
Still (and in light of discussion on my recent LOST post), watching the movie a second time last night, I found that it played better than I remembered on the big screen, mostly because of the depth of characters Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson). Even without the government conspiracy arc, the personal transitions the characters had made over the nine seasons were still there and went beyond "type" to believable humanity. Granted, the direction wasn't as strong and the plot was plenty morbid (think Frankenstein meets organ trafficking), but the humanity of the lead characters really stood out, which made it that much more watchable.
So, if anybody's looking for a new DVD fetish with real characters that actually change and grow over time, let me recommend The X-Files. The stories are well-written, the science is fascinating, and the tension of the modern world trying to make sense of what cannot always be made sense of is a healthy one.
I can't believe I'm writing a post about the Lost premiere last night, but here goes.
We came to the Lost hysteria late, watching a majority of the seasons on DVD this past summer, and finishing up season four over Christmas break. I just about bailed in the middle of season three (it was like watching paint dry), but season four redeemed things for me as the plot actually began moving somewhere.
That said, I'm semi-bored with the characters and much more interested in the island itself – its history, its abilities, its significance. I've read theories of what the island represents (purgatory, etc.), but I doubt it's that simple (though I don't think it's altogether non-spiritual in meaning either); I'd just rather spend more time on the Dharma Initiative and the island's supposed metaphysical characteristics than watch Kate cry (again).
For me, the most interesting scene of the whole series has been the brief confrontation in season four between Benjamin Linus and Charles Widmore. While one could interpret Widmore's claim to past ownership of the island merely as proprietary, it seemed a loaded statement, almost hinting at some larger cosmic "ownership" normally associated with deity. Not sure where to go with this (it can't be a good vs. evil thing between the two – who is which?), but I'm holding onto that scene as a key to the resolution of the story.
Overall, I give the premiere a B- for the evening – not bad by any means – but the human characters are getting in the way of the show's real star: the island.
Thanksgiving is easily my favorite holiday, but the break always feels so short. The good news is, because Thanksgiving was so late this year, I only have two weeks of teaching and a week of finals before two weeks of Christmas break.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend, everyone.
Powerful episode of 24 Sunday night. "Redemption" caught us up with illegal expatriate Jack Bauer (played by Keifer Sutherland) coming to the aid of African children kidnapped to be made into child soldiers under a would-be dictator.
As always, the show's story was straight out of news headlines, even including a presidential transfer of power in Washington, with the only major detail missed being the casting of the new President as a woman instead of a black man (apologies to both Senators Clinton and Obama). In a word, the episode was heartbreaking, as the use of thousands of child soldiers is going on in at least 17 different countries today.
For the past two years, Westminster has been involved with an organization called Invisible Children, whose Schools for Schools initiative exists "to creatively raise money for the schools of northern Uganda, improving the quality of education for war-affected students." So far this fall, the WCA student body has raised over $15,000 (mostly in spare change) to help the same secondary school in Gulu that we helped last year, ranking us first in the country of all participating U.S. schools with less than a month to go of the 100-day window.
While I'm not a big fan of the competitive giving strategy utilized by the organization (and enabled by Westminster), I was glad that one WCA student, as well as my friend and teaching colleague, Ann Heyse, "won" the opportunity to represent our school in Gulu this past summer. Ann spent six weeks with Invisible Children, training teachers and teaching students with her expertise in English, and based on both her personal testimony and her excellently-written blog documenting her experience, it seems the organization does good work in a place that needs much good work done.
Last night, as I watched the two-hour teaser that creatively gets Jack Bauer back to the United States for the show's seventh full season beginning in January, I found myself overwhelmed by the realism of it all…that is until one particular commercial break when there was a quick screen shot for the Human Rights Watch website, followed immediately by a national Pizza Hut commercial, and then a local ad for St. Louis' very own Casino Queen ("home of the loosest slots"). Whew. Assuagement by advertising.
What an incredibly confusing postmodern culture we have created, one in which almost every aspect of life is separated from any true and meaningful meta-narrative. How strange to go from African children dying to ordering two-for-one pizzas to having a great time gambling, all in the course of 60 seconds. And yet for those of us who have been breathing this postmodern air our entire lives, the progression doesn't seem strange at all; it is exactly what we have come to expect (at least, that is, before God's revelatory red pill of the gospel allows us to see power, gluttony, and greed for what they really are).
We live in a broken world, friends. Whether in Africa or America, ours is both a needy place and time to be alive, and not even Jack Bauer can get us out of this one.
A thought crossed my mind this week that I'll throw out to see if it sticks. For many of you, this may fall in the "I could care less" category, but since I spend a majority of my time with teenagers, I'm interested.
It seems to me there's a major generational shift going on in the teen entertainment business. For instance, earlier this week, the MTV show TRL (Total Request Live) took a final bow after ten years of attracting the "biggest and hottest recording artists, actors and celebrities on most weekday afternoons," all while playing "the most iconic videos of the day." For better or for worse, a majority of the boy bands, pop tarts, and rappers of the past ten years got a whole lot of promotion via TRL, a fact wonderfully and cynically documented in the 2001 movie (not the 70s TV show) Josie and the Pussycats, one of my favorite commentaries on the youth culture of the time.
Finally, I don't know if anyone's seen the trailer for J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek movie, but there's nary a recognizable face among the actors playing the new (and young – very young) versions of Kirk, Spock, Scotty, et. al. Granted, Abrams' name is the draw (he of Alias and Lost fame), but with him at the helm, it's interesting there isn't more familiar young "star power" (notice I didn't say "talent") attached.
Is something going on here? Anyone have any thoughts, or am I just spending too much time with high schoolers? My interest is not in the fact that I'm getting older (I know that already), but in the fact that the youth culture of recent years seems to be.
In the comments on my last post, the discussion took a turn and ended up on The X-Files and the upcoming second movie, due out July 25th. I'm geared up for the flick, though I have no idea why they're apparently letting go of the government conspiracy arc and dealing only with the paranormal; still, as long as Mulder and Scully are back, count me in (we own every season on DVD, and watched one episode a night last year to reconnect with our TV counterparts).
Back in the glory days of The X-Files, I had an idea for an episode in which Mulder and Scully were chosen to participate in and test the ultimate Witness Protection Program. The gimmick? Those in the program were unaware of their involvement in it, thanks to a combination of drugs, relocation, and cover-up. It could have been a cool idea, but later that same season, there was an episode in which Mulder and Scully went undercover as a married couple, so my screenplay would have seemed redundant after that.
TAG LINE: "THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE"
Jon Stewart is brilliant. Watch this short interview with Chris Matthews about Matthews' new book, Life's a Campaign, and marvel at how quick (and right) Stewart is (hat tip: Jon Barlow).
My friend, Travis, has a good (but too short) post on both his disgust at the shootings at Virginia Tech and the media's Pavlovian dog-like pantings in covering it all, live and on location. My own impression was similiar to Travis' – when I finally got home Monday evening and turned on the news, I found myself actually talking back to Brian Williams on NBC, begging him to stop posing for the camera and over-dramatizing his lines while he interviewed students who had almost lost their lives in the horror of the day.
I've since limited my following of the story to the Internet (though part of ABC's "special" with Diane Sawyer – complete with cross-fading pictures of victims set to slow, dreary music – almost snuck in before my nightly X-File last night). Reporting the news has sure gone beyond reporting the news; it's all about "tragedy capturing" now.
"The information, the content, or, if you will, the 'stuff' that makes up what is called 'the news of the day' did not exist – could not exist – in a world that lacked the media to give it expression. I do not mean that things like fires, wars, murders, and love affairs did not, ever and always, happen in places all over the world. I mean that lacking a technology to advertise them, people could not attend to them, could not include them in their daily business. Such information simply could not exist as part of the content of culture.
Or, to make the point more crassly (but succinctly), don't forget this Don Henly ditty from 1982.
Which is a poorer commentary on human nature: the VT murders or our fascination with them?
I won't go into all the minute-by-minute details of the last two nights (you can get them all – literally – here), but I will say I'm struck by both the uncomfortable reality of its vivid portrayal of terrorism, as well as its powerful illustration of Islamic discipleship in the world today.
Sure, Hollywood takes a few liberties (terrorists never looked so handsome, in a GQ kind of way), but a peek at the commitment and community of a guy who's getting ready to blow up a bus or a bomb along with himself in the name of Allah is, well, gripping. While we in America may call such an act cowardly in terms of traditional warfare (and it is), we can't deny the extent to which these followers are willing to live out their convictions either. It's the difference in a plate of ham and eggs: the chicken was involved; the pig was committed.
In my Old Testament Prophets class this past weekend, Dr. Richard Pratt asked if anybody knew of the existence of a Covenant Seminary martyr list? There were a few smirks and uncomfortable glances, but somehow that was one document that hadn't shown up in the promotional materials.
Dr. Pratt was dead serious about the question, however, going on to make the point that, in a world in which more Christians are being martyred for their faith than at any other time in history (first century included), how is it that very few of us in the PCA or the larger American evangelical church know any one who has been martyred for his or her faith?
Fewer smirks; more uncomfortable glances. Come on, Pratt…just teach the Bible.
Tertullian wrote that "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." And, while I suppose it's a morbid convergence of my January-term class schedule and my recent television habits, you don't have to be Jack Bauer to figure out the connection between the persecution of the Kingdom and the accompanying growth of it, both historically as well as present day.
Which kingdom am I really committed to build? God's? America's? Mine? Perhaps more telling: how far am I willing – really willing – to go to build it? How far have I gone so far? How willing is Megan? Our family? This, I suppose, is the hard one for me. When I was single, I really did have more of the martyr mentality than I do now. Obviously, being a husband and father changes you, but, as Dr. Pratt challenged us, our grandfathers went to fight in World War II because of their love for our parents, not in spite of it.
It's not that God is asking us to take up arms against Muslims (or anyone else); his is not the call to a 21-century version of The Crusades (one of the worst human ideas in the name of the Church, bar none). But we are called to give our lives for the sake of the One who gave his life for us – not to blow people up, but to risk reaching those who would us.
In many regards, Jack Bauer's job is easier than mine: he can kill anyone who attacks him and his citizenship; I'm to love my attacker and give my life for mine.
We don't get CBS, but that's not as big a deal as not getting FOX, at least for the premiere of 24 in ten days, as well as the baseball play-offs later in the year. I suppose the nice thing about our limitation is that one quick flip through the channels is usually all it takes to decide there's probably a book somewhere in the house worth reading.
Tonight, however, as I was doing my customary 30-second flip before heading for my reading chair, I happened upon a preview for TBN's new show called GIFTED, a blatant American Idol rip-off featuring overly-giddy, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"-quoting teenagers and twenty-somethings anxious for their big break in the Christian music biz.
"16,000 contestants. 8 finalists. 3 judges. 1 winner. GIFTED. On February 2nd in prime-time television, the first season of Gifted will be televised to over 49 million households on TBN (95 million total U.S. reach) This 2-hour show hosted by Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys) will showcase 8 finalists singing some of the most well-known songs in Christian Music in styles ranging from Praise & Worship, Gospel, and CCM with the winner receiving a recording contract with EMI Christian Music Group.
The winner of GIFTED will also receive management by the Wright Entertainment Group and day-to-day support from Wright Gener8Xion Entertainment. The winner will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact with an invitation to open for Brian Littrell on the road. Additionally, a $10,000 donation will be made to the church where the winner originally auditioned."
The judges for this extravaganza are EMI publishing president, Eddie DeGarmo; pastor and artist, Andrae Crouch; and former lead singer of Stryper, Michael Sweet, who, judging from the preview, is probably going to play the truth-telling role of Simon Cowell, letting kids know in no uncertain terms (but in the name of Jesus, of course) that they really can't sing.
I suppose it was only a matter of time before something like this came about (actually, the Christian sub-culture was a bit slow following American Idol's immense success – the mimicry normally takes about two years). Regardless, this is just one more reason for people not to take the things of God seriously (if you need more than one reason, be sure to check out the remainder of TBN's programming schedule).


text:
Jessica Brantley
Selected Awards and Honors
Books and Edited Volumes
Articles and Chapters
Past Teaching
Selected Talks
I have taught in the Department of English at Yale University since 2000. Before that, I studied at Harvard University (A.B.), Cambridge University (M. Phil.), and UCLA (Ph.D.). My interests include Old and Middle English literatures, manuscript studies, text/image relations, and the history of the book. I teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in all of these subjects, and I am currently serving as Chair of the English Department.
My research examines the cultures of medieval reading as they are preserved in manuscripts. My first book, Reading in the Wilderness: Private Devotion and Public Performance in Late Medieval England (Chicago, 2007), shows that the format of a late-medieval miscellany reveals surprising connections between the private reading of a meditative lyric and the public performance of civic drama. Projects in process include a forthcoming handbook on Medieval English Manuscripts and Literary Forms (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2021) and a monograph provisionally entitled The Medieval Imagetext: A Literary History of the Book of Hours.
Reading in the Wilderness: Private Devotion and Public Performance in Late Medieval England. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.