text:
"Area Presidency Assignments," Ensign, Oct. 1988, 75
Area Presidency Assignments
The First Presidency has announced area presidency assignments for members of the First Quorum of the Seventy. The assignments were effective August 15.
Fourteen members of the quorum (noted with asterisks) are now serving in their new assignments. The others remain in the positions in which they have been serving.
Utah North: President—J. Thomas Fyans; Counselors—William R. Bradford and Victor L. Brown
Utah South: President—Vaughn J. Featherstone; Counselors—Paul H. Dunn and Russell C. Taylor
North America Northwest: President—Rex C. Reeve; Counselors—Robert B. Harbertson and L. Lionel Kendrick*
North America West: President—Gene R. Cook; Counselors—Ted E. Brewerton and Derek A. Cuthbert*
North America Southwest: President—H. Burke Peterson; Counselors—Ronald E. Poelman and Devere Harris
North America Central: President—Loren C. Dunn; Counselors—Jacob de Jager* and John Sonnenberg*
North America Northeast: President—John K. Carmack; Counselors—Keith W. Wilcox and F. Burton Howard*
North America Southeast: President—Rex D. Pinegar; Counselors—J. Richard Clarke* and Robert E. Sackley*
Mexico/Central America: President—Robert E. Wells; Counselors—H. Verlan Andersen and Gardner H. Russell
South America North: President—Charles Didier; Counselors—Angel Abrea and Hartman Rector, Jr.*
Brazil: President—Francis M. Gibbons; Counselors—Helio R. Camargo and Lynn A. Sorensen
South America South: President—Waldo P. Call; Counselors—John H Groberg and L. Aldin Porter
Pacific: President—F. Arthur Kay*; Counselors—Glen L. Rudd* and Douglas J. Martin*
Philippines/Micronesia: President—George I. Cannon; Counselors—George R. Hill III and Philip T. Sonntag*
United Kingdom/Ireland/Africa: President—Jack H. Goaslind; Counselors—Spencer H. Osborn and Alexander B. Morrison
Europe: President—Carlos E. Asay; Counselors—Hans B. Ringger and John R. Lasater
Asia: President—Douglas H. Smith*; Counselors—Adney Y. Komatsu and Royden G. Derrick


text:
Surf Life Saving New Zealand - Canterbury
We are looking for energetic and enthusiastic, qualified lifeguards who enjoy working as part of a team to keep our beaches and their users safe. Surf Life Saving New Zealand operates Regional Lifeguard Services through all 3 of its Regions (Eastern, Central, Southern); locations and coverage varies from beach to beach.
To apply for a Regional Lifeguard Role you must have a current SLSNZ Surf Lifeguard Award (or overseas equivalent) and Level 1 First Aid Certificate (Unit Standards 6400, 6401 & 6402). You will be working either as a team leader or part of a team. We encourage our guards to create a motivated, proactive and enjoyable environment to deliver a safe lifeguarding service across the country. Generally, all Regional Lifeguard Services operate over the peak New Zealand summer holiday period and employee agreements can vary from seasonal full-time to casual part-time lifeguards.
Due to New Zealand's current border restrictions, SLSNZ will not be able to accept applicants from overseas. If you are already in New Zealand with the relevant skills/experience and an open working visa, we would encourage you to apply.
As a Regional Lifeguard, you will need the following Pre-requisites:
Highly Recommended
As a Head Regional Lifeguard, you will need the following Pre-requisites:
Highly Recommended
This position reports to the Southern Region Surf Lifesaving Manager, Chris Jeffery - firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
HDE Halogen Gas AC Aircon Freon Refrigerant Leak Detector
- Advanced detection technology enables it to recognize all halogen, HFC (134a), CFC, HCFC, and freon refrigerants
- Adjustable sensitivity can be customized to auto-detect leaks in your AC, refrigerator, or other appliances
- Sensor attached to the end of a fully-adjustable neck, allowing detection in hard-to-reach areas | Batteries: 4 x AAA (not included)
- Package Contents: 1 x Halogen Leak Detector, 1 x Owner's Manual, 1 x Carrying Case
Product description:
Having trouble locating the source of the halogen leak from your air conditioning? With this halogen detector, you will be solving all of your refrigerant issues in no time! This halogen gas refrigerant leak detector is an essential tool for diagnosing the location and severity of your leaks so you can have the problem fixed as quickly as possible. It features adjustable sensitivity, automatic detection, and a flexible neck that allows it to get into every crack and crevice to find even the most elusive of leaks.
Common Uses:
* Refrigerating systems
* Air conditioning units
* It responds to ALL halogenated (containing chlorine or fluorine) refrigerants, including: CFCs - e.g. R11, R12, R500, R503 etc, HCFCs - e.g. R22, R123, R124, R502, HFCs - e.g. R125, R134a, R404a, Blends including AZ-50, HP62, MP39 etc.
* Detect ethylene oxide gas leaks in hospital sterilizing equipment
* Detect SF-6 in high voltage circuit breakers
* Detect most gasses that contain chlorine, fluorine and bromine (halogen gasses)
* Detects cleaning agents used when dry cleaning such as perchloroethylene
* Detects halogen gasses in fire extinguishing systems
Product specifications:
* Operating temperature: 0°C to 52°C (30°F t 125°F)
* Maximum sensitivity: 6gr/yr for all halogenated refrigerants
* Battery life: approximately 50 hours normal use
* Response time: immediate
* Work mode: continuous - no limitations
* Fixed probe length: 17cm (6.5")
* Unit dimensions: 22.9cm x 6.5cm x 6.5cm
* Warm-up time: approximately 6 seconds
* Powered by: 2 x 1.5V batteries (not included)


text:
Hillbilly Burritos
Posted: August 14th, 2008 under Consumerism, Ha ha.
Comments: none
Come take a ride on the carousel of hate
|« Feb
Posted: August 14th, 2008 under Consumerism, Ha ha.
Comments: none
Posted: August 9th, 2008 under Consumerism, Ha ha.
Tags: IKEA
Comments: none
I recently found out that IKEA offers free coffee in their cafe thirty minutes before the store opens!
Posted: August 9th, 2008 under Consumerism.
Tags: IKEA
Comments: none
American Express introduced ExpressPay in 2003 as a key fob which was trialed initially in the Phoenix area. They begn to expand it and CVS was the first merchant I noticed with the ExpressPay logo on their payment terminals. I locaed the ExpressPay web site and immediately applied for one because 1) it looked extremely cool, 2) I love new technology, 3) it was from American Express.
I received a letter from American Express a few months back that indicated they were discontinuing the ExpressPay key fob as of 31-July-2008. I immediately wondered why they would make one form-factor RFID device stop working while still supporting it embedded in other products such as the American Express Blue Cash card. Some of you may remember the original Blue from American Express which was a Smart Card, something that does not exist today in the US market. The Smart Card has been removed and now Blue is just another card which happens to have ExpressPay RFID embedded. I phoned the ExpressPay customer service line to enquire as to why they were discontinuing the, in my opinion, most convenient form-factor device. They took my complaint and asid that somebody would get back with me in the next few days. Even though it was American Express I half expected to hear nothing. No more than two days later I have a very friendly call from a nice person working in the Salt Lake City office. He listened to my concerns and explanation then answered my questions and took the time to make sure that I understood. Apparently the original platform for ExpressPay on wich the key fob was developed had never been integrated with the rest of the American Express processing platform therefore the decision was made to discontinue that device. Also apparently some people had problems with the key fob coming off the key chains.
My friend Mike and I have been discussing the benefits of points, miles or cash back from credit card products. He finally figured out that the best option is just to take the cash so he encouraged me to get rid of my Delta SkyMIles card from American Express and get a Blue Cash because at least I could still use ExpresPay and it does have up to 5% cash back rewards program. I phoned American Express customer service and asked if I could simply convert my existing Delta SkyMiles credit card to a Blue Cash, "no problem" was the response and less than three minutes later I hung up and my account conversion was complete!
Posted: August 1st, 2008 under Consumerism, Technology.
Tags: American Express, RFID
Comments: none
With the release of the iPhone 2.0 software and the unlocking tools I decided it was time to take the plunge. My old Sony Ericsson phone was showing age with buttons missing etc. So a friend was selling his first generaton iPhone for $300. The unlocking tools worked well and fairly easily.
I setup my email accounts for MobileMe and Exchange. But I was told that you cannot have more than one contact or calendar set or syncing. I was confused how on 2008 people designing mobile phones did not grasp the concept of somebody wanting to separate personal and business information. After having the phone for about ten days I got to looking around. I tried turning on the Exchange calendar and wonder of wonders the iPhone made a new group "All calendars". With contacts I was not so adventurous. I looked online then made backups of both contact lists and tried it. The heavens smiled upon me and I not only did I have separate contact lists but I was also able to view a combined list. I should have expected this to com from Apple!
Posted: July 26th, 2008 under Consumerism, Gadgets, Technology.
Tags: iPhone
Comments: 2
I have been considering the iPhone for the first time after the announcement of iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software. Before that I was more than happy to stick with the wonderful handsets from Sony Ericsson.I am presently using T-Mobile and I have been on their network for over seven years. My services are as follows:
On AT&T with the equivalent services my bill would look as follows:
The AT&T rates do not even include sending text messages outside the US. T-Mobile charges $0.15 per message to send an international text and the incoming messages come out of my text messaging plan. AT&T charges $0.25 to send an International text and $0.20 to receive an international text unless you buy their international text plan for $9.99 which includes too international text messages and additional messages are $0.20.Now to be fair, the T-Mobile price would go up to $129.98 if I had a proper T-Zones plan like T-Zones Total Internet however I can do anything I need on the phone with the T-Zones plan. T-Mobile has not officially released their 3G network so their rates may go up but that remains to be seen. Also if I was on the T-Zones Total Internet I would be able to tether my notebook to my phone via Bluetooth and use the phone as a modem, the iPhone still does not support this without hacking that I am aware of.So other than getting an iPhone what am I getting for the additional $34.01 per month, $408.12 per year and $816.24 at the end of my required two-year contract before taxes!Take for example how another country is promoting the iPhone. Optus in Australia has the following statement on their iPhone pricing page "Optus is making the iPhone 3G affordable for everyone." Does that even sound like something you would hear spoken aloud in AT&T offices?Also because of the progressive nature of Australian government, they do not allow things like mobile phones to be locked down to a carrier. So when an Australian iPhone user travels to another country, they can simply purchase a local pre-paid SIM and have a local number without all the international roaming surcharges… GO USA!�
Posted: July 3rd, 2008 under Consumerism, Gadgets, Technology, Why.
Tags: iPhone
Comments: none
Can somebody please wake me up from this bad dream because it only keeps getting worse. I visited a web site today that announced I needed to install the Adobe Flash Player. I tried to install several timed by clicking "Install" on the window that popped up. Finally I clicked on the "Adobe Flash Player Installer" link which took me to this TechNote on the Adobe web site.
Am I reading things correctly "Adobe Flash Player is not supported for playback in a 64-bit browser…"? What in the world is stopping Adobe from releasing a 64-Bit Flash Player? I know it cannot be as simple as re-compiling it with the "64-Bit" checkbox, but people come on! 64-Bit computing has been increasing in popularity and availability for the last few years, is there really any excuse for this?
Posted: February 24th, 2008 under Technology, Why.
Comments: none
So I finally upgraded my computer about a year ago now. I knew I would be running a virtual machine so I wanted to make sure I have the memory and processor. I ended up with a Core 2 Duo and 3GB or RAM. TO take advantage of the memory I knew I would need to use a 64-Bit OS. Originally I ran 32-Bit Vista but quickly decided to retreat to XP. A friend recommended that I use XP 64, I had no experience and was a bit hesitant to do it but knew it would give me the best use of the processor and full use of memory.
Along the way I have found a series of ups and downs trying to adapt. I was surprised and amazed at the number of applications that have specific 64-Bit versions of their applications. Overall application support was not a problem and I could run all that I needed. Lately I have been running into problems with drivers. It started when I tried to connect a Visioneer Strobe XP 100. At that point I did not realize that the 32-Bit drivers would not work, so I connected and tried and tried. Finally I phoned support and was told that I could try the Vista 64 drivers but they could not guarantee that they would work for XP 64 and they had no plans to support XP 64. Needless to say that did not work and I gave up on scanner support under XP 64.
Then a few days ago I needed to have a second network adapter to my computer. Since it is a small form factor the easiest way is to use a USB to Ethernet adapter. After doing some research I came to find out there are only two or three that actually are on the HCL for XP 64 and Vista 64. One of them was the Apple USB Ethernet adapter but since people in the forums were having trouble getting them going I figured it would be better to avoid this since I would probably need to dig through Boot Camp to find the drivers if they were even released yet. Then I found the D-Link DUB-E100, it was on the list and even less than $30. It arrived last night so I plugged it in today and no-where on the disc were drivers that would install on XP 64. I went to their web site and the download version was the same as the disc with the product. I did a search for "DUB-E100 xp 64" and the first link is a product manual for the product that has a section telling you how to install the XP 64 drivers. I noticed two things about this manual. The URL indicates it is for 3.4 not 3.3, and also it is from the D-Link Australia site. AFter playing with the URL I was able to navigate to the Autstrlian drivers and download the 3.4 package with the XP 64 drivers.
On the flip-side I also needed to use a USB to Serial adapter I bought years ago, but guess what… I needed to buy a new version from the company because they did not offer XP 64 drivers for an "old" product. After researching I found a totally generic product that scared me a little but but claimed to support almost ever operating system from Windows 98 to Vista 64 including Windows Server 2003 64! It arrived in the mail with a 3 CM disc and I put the disc in the system. Autorun opens a splash screen with options to install drivers for the product and all the drivers are clearly in their own folders on the disc. The install goes smoothly and there are even drivers for OS X and Intel!
Someone please explain to me why a generic little USB to Serial adapter that cost $17 can have broad range driver support but USB to Ethernet adapters from the likes of Linksys, Netgear and others cannot support XP 64? Why does Apple upgrade OS X to support 64-Bit processors and without obvious turmoil in requiring new driver models? Every version of Windows in recent history has had a "new and improved" driver model which while it will cause a little hassle initially will solve the problems and be the end-all, only to be replaced again for some reason?
Finally I will note that I am displeased with scanner support in OS X. The Visioneer XP 100 will not work under OS X and I see no reason why Apple should not have better native scanner support. I thought Twain was supposed to be an industry standard? All the scanners I can find that are compatible with OS X are large desktop sized ones and I just wanted a small portable scanner for occasional use.
Posted: February 14th, 2008 under Gadgets, Technology, Why.
Comments: none
I was in Super Target the other night trying to check out at 8:30 PM. There were only two lanes open on the grocery side of the store, neither of which were express lanes. There was one register with a short line, however the light was turned off which I have always understood to mean "I am closing but I will finish checking out customer who are in line." As I noticed this I picked another lane. I watched as three people walked up behind me they stopped at the lane with the light off but with a cashier. They looked at the light then stood in line as if to say "she can certainly take just one more person". The cashier looked up and did not even make a face, she just continued checking out the customer. Do these people believe that the rules of the queue do not apply to them?
So after observing this same scenario over and over again as I wait in lines, I was reminded of Best Buy. Several years ago they changed their checkout arrangement to have a single queue and then as you wait in line you do not have to worry about "did I get in the fast line", "is the person in front of me writing a check" etc. If Best Buy, which moves hundreds of people an hour through at their busiest holiday times has come up with this idea for efficiency, then why have places like Target and grocery stores not considered this approach? I think with the advent of self-check out (Target… get this concept soon please) there is little to no reason for express lanes in my opinion.
Posted: January 30th, 2008 under Consumerism.
Comments: none
I had no idea about my poor friend Aaron. If I had, then I believe I would have been more sensitive. Here he has been dead for almost 204 years. I will finish this post with a copy of the epitaph.
Uncertain life, how swift it flies
man lives tomorrow dies.
This hour in health & strength & bloom
& the very next he fills the tomb
Ask you for proof, Behold it here
And give your friend a ?? of ??.
(bottle of beer?)
We will miss you Aaron!
Now who gets his MacBook? 😉
Posted: January 20th, 2008 under Technology.
Comments: none


text:
2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 CONVERTIBLE
"Hellcat Killer"
- Year
- 2013
- Make
- Chevrolet
- Model
- Camaro
- Sub Model
- Stock
- Vin
- Odometer Reading
- 14,436
- Engine Size
- 6.2L V8 Supercharged
- Transmission Type
- Automatic
- Body Color
- Interior Color
- Black
- Drivetrain
- Location
- Metro Detroit
GR Auto Gallery is pleased to present this 2013 Camaro ZL1 for your consideration. This Camaro is originally black but it is wrapped in a Matte black wrap over the paint, the vehicle was wrapped right after the car was originally purchased meaning the paint underneath is in near perfect condition, the interior is all black leather with black alcantara accents. A monster 6.2L supercharged V8 with modifications with all the work was done by Livernois Motorsports including; hi lift Livernois Motorsports Cam, 7.425" 5/16" Push Rods,160 degree thermostat, 90mm throttle body, double bearing idler for smaller pulley, 9.55 lower crank pulley, 85lb injectors, a dual fuel pump kit and more. After the modifications and tuning this car dyno'd at 700whp and 647wtq. More than enough power to satisfy anyone while maintaining all the comfortable factory options. This ZL1 sounds as mean as it looks, an absolute must see and hear in person. Please call or email us today for more information.
Chevrolet introduced a new Camaro model, the ZL1, at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show. There are numerous differences between the ZL1 and the normal V6 and SS models. More than 30 percent of the Camaro SS was re-engineered for the Camaro ZL1. The car features a 6.2 L 376ci LSA V8 engine with a 1.9 L supercharger that @ 7 psi is rated at 580hp @ 6000 rpm and 556 lb⋅ft @ 4200 rpm of torque making it the most-powerful production Camaro ever. Power is delivered to the rear wheels by either a six-speed manual TR-6060 or 6L90 automatic transmission. The manual has a stronger output shaft, a more robust rear housing and an additional mainshaft roller bearing to provide 30-percent more torque capacity than the automatic transmission used in the Camaro SS. To improve shift quality, there are triple synchros in some gears and a revised linkage. A new dual-mass flywheel is bolted to a high-capacity twin-disc clutch. The automatic has additional clutch plates, a strengthened output shaft and is programmed with three operating modes.
To see over 80 photos of this car, including under carriage please visit our website www.grautogallery.com
Gr Auto Gallery, LLC and our sister company, Wheelz Sales and Leasing Inc. makes every effort to represent each vehicle accurately and with integrity. We also welcome third party inspections when necessary. Although we try to do our very best to be accurate in our description writing we are human and do make mistakes. Unless otherwise noted, All vehicles are sold AS IS, No Warranty Expressed or Implied. All sales final.
- Year
- 2013
- Make
- Chevrolet
- Model
- Camaro
- Hobby Segment
- —
- Odometer Reading
- 14,436
- Drivetrain
- Body Style
- Coupe
- Doors
- 2
- Body Color
- Stripes
- No
- Interior Color
- Black
- Center Console
- No
- Engine Type
- Gasoline
- Engine Size
- 6.2L V8 Supercharged
- Transmission Type
- Automatic
Coming Soon!
Contact Us About This Vehicle
(248) 912-6600


text:
Madhya Gujarat Vij Company Limited (MGVCL) Recruitment Vidyut Sahayak (Junior Engineer-Electrical) 2018
Post Name-Vidyut Sahayak (Junior Engineer-Electrical)
Post Details-Total Post 38
Note-85 % Posts is reserve for Gujrat State candidate,15 % for others state
Education Qualification – Full time/ regular B.E. (Electrical)/ B.Tech (Electrical) only from Recognized University. There is no minimum percentage requirement.
Required skill-The candidate should possess knowledge of Computer Operations.
Good command over English and Gujarati Language
Age-35 Years on 17/07/2018
Selection Process – All Eligible Candidates will Be Selected Based on Their Performance In Written Exam.
Exam Pattern-
Total No Of Questions-100
Total Marks-100
Total Time-2 Hours
Negative Marking-1/4
Section – I General Knowledge -10%
Section – II English Language- 10%
Section – III Electrical Engineering- 60%
Section – IV Computer Knowledge-10%
Section – V Gujarati Language &Grammar-10%
Electrical Engineering Syllabus
Switchgear & protection (MC/LV) & LT Switchgear design and testing etc.
Distribution HT/LT Line parameters.
Low Voltage constraint & resolving thereof.
Non-conventional Energy sources like Wind, Solar, Biomass etc.
Present Power Sector scenario in India and others Electrical Engineering topics etc.
Performance of line fault analysis.
Measurement of Electrical Power.
Functions of capacitors & reactors.
Power Engineering.
Distribution Network Installation & load studies.
Analysis of Dist. Transformers, Meters & Testing
Application Fee – General/SEBC Rs 500/- & For All Other Candidates (ST/SC) Application Fee is Rs 250
Important Dates
Application Online Start –17/07/2018
Last Date for Registration – 06/08/2018
Click Here For Online Application And More Details


text:
Jockey Charlie Deutsch is said to be "deeply embarrassed and ashamed" after being sentenced to 10 months in prison for dangerous driving while over the drink drive limit and escaping police custody.
The 21-year-old appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, escape and drink driving following an incident in March.
Deutsch was stopped by police in Cheltenham where he was breathalysed and arrested. He then left the police car and returned to his car where he left the scene, with the dangerous driving consisting of a 4.81 mile pursuit with speeds of up to 114 miles per hour whilst he had alcohol in his system.
Deutsch was sentenced to four months for escaping lawful custody, six months consecutive for dangerous driving and four months concurrent for excess alcohol.
He was also disqualified from driving for 17 months and will have to take an extended retest. He was also ordered to pay £250 in compensation to the officer injured during the escape from custody.
Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, said Deutsch is hoping to appeal against his prison sentence, but said the jockey had made a "catastrophic mistake".
He told At The Races: "Charlie is deeply embarrassed and ashamed, but anyone who knows Charlie knows it is deeply out of character. He's never been in trouble before with any authority, not even the British Horseracing Authority let alone the police.
"It (the sentence) was a surprise and I know an application to appeal has been submitted by his legal team.
"He's been sentenced to 10 months, he's eligible to be released after five, albeit he is eligible for release earlier than that with good behaviour.
"All being well, even if his appeal fails, he will be out within three months.
"Having gone to jail his licence will be suspended, but people make mistakes and this is a catastrophic mistake, but racing as a general rule is good at giving people second chances.
"Lots of people have been very supportive, particularly Venetia Williams (Deutsch's main employer). He is a very nice, talented young man and I'm sure he will be able to come back.
"Joe Colliver (fellow jockey) was able to come back from something similar and we'll offer him every support."
Deutsch, who won the 2016 Lanzarote Hurdle, landed the Grand National Trial at Haydock earlier this year on the Williams-trained Yala Enki.
Confirming an appeal had been lodged and reiterating Deutsch was "deeply remorseful", Struthers added in a statement: "Nothing can excuse Charlie's actions on the night of March 30 and he is deeply remorseful and ashamed of his actions.
"A custodial sentence was always a possibility but following a positive pre-sentence report from the Probation Service, which did not recommend a custodial sentence, it was still very disappointing that Charlie was given a 10-month prison sentence."
He went on: "Charlie would like to reiterate his apology to everyone and would like to thank all those who have supported him and continue to do so, in particular his family, his partner and trainer Venetia Williams."


text:
The Blogaround
Literata's mother had surgery this week and is recovering well. Everyone's prayers, thoughts, and wishes have helped tremendously.
Twilight: Falling In Love With Love
But the part of Twilight that appeals to me isn't so much the excitement of new love because I honestly cannot stand the Love Interest. If anything, the appeal for me is that of raw love, love for its own sake, without really looking at the focal point of that love very closely. And I find that interesting, because sometimes I start to think that Bella feels the exact same way.
Next up - this has been an eclectic two weeks for me, and I haven't really gotten around to posting a lot. What I have done is gone after World News Daily and another one of their anti-Evolution articles. I have some fun mocking it, because by this point, there's no reason to take them seriously anymore. You can find that article here: Cinderella Sundays. (Trigger Warning: Abortion discussion; it comes out of the blue and managed to surprise me). The next article was a picture on Facebook that I've seen going around - a smug, irritatingly privileged individual writing about how "they didn't have drug problems back when I was a kid." It's an entire letter than can be distilled to that point, and I dismantle it apart here: A Different Drug Problem (Trigger Warning: Classism and Victim-blaming on the issue of poverty). I also took a look at an interview held with the former Vice-President of Susan G. Komen. She's a piece of work, let me tell you - you can find that here: "Because I don't" Isn't a Good Enough Answer (Trigger Warning: Homophobia, Abortion, Language). The last article I wrote was totally out of the norm for me; I broke open my GM tool box, went fishing, and dug up an old setting that I'd been working on, and set about outlining how my Steampunk Arab-influenced North-African Set world would look today, with my knowledge of culture appropriate and how utterly rampant it is in attempts to make games "exotic," found here: World Building: Part 1 (the Meta-Backstory)
I finished episode 1 talking a little about metaphysics, describing the first fight in the series, and offering a justification for my choice of pronouns in the process.
I talked about why I think Tsukasa, the main character, was chosen.
I started episode 2 by considering responsibility and how it applies to certain characters.
I also wrote a fragment of original fiction, a short exchange in which a character confronts a traitor while alone and unarmed.
Twilight: In Which I Have Questions
If you've been disappointed by the lack of examples of every single girl in Forks being creepy, abusive, and territorial in their behavior so far, today is your lucky day! Because this is the chapter in which every single girl in Forks is portrayed as a terrible human being!
Author Interview: Slactivite Yami on "Wolfbound"
Did you know that one of our Slacktivites has self-published a novel? Because OMG Slacktivite Yami has self-published a novel! *excited*
Kashgari will go to trial and a court will make that call. But after the media attention of this matter I am not very optimistic about his chances of escape from death. Kashgari had fled to Malaysia, but was detained upon his arrival and flown back to Saudi Arabia on Sunday. (Free Hamza Kashgari, Brianne Bilyeu)
There is a Facebook group called Free Hamza Kashgari and a petition at change.org. There have also been accusations that Interpol helped the Saudis track down Kashgari in Malaysia, but they have been denying it.
Things you can do
--Co-authored by the Slacktiverse Community
The Slacktiverse is a community blog. Content reflects the individual opinions of the contributors. We welcome disagreement in the comment threads, and invite anyone who wishes to present an alternative interpretation of a situation to write and submit a post.


text:
Do Women Really Ask Tougher Questions...
Do Women Really Ask Tougher Questions When Vehicle Shopping than Men?
Women are asking dealers some tough questions when hitting the lots and showrooms to shop for a new vehicle, according to LeaserTrader.com.
The site even contends females are more thorough than males when in the market for a new car.
To back up their points, LeaseTrader analyzed customer transactions during 2011 when out-of-state lease transfers occurred and found that more women ordered third-party vehicle inspections compared with men, officials noted.
Highlighting the company's results in greater detail, when women were on the "buyer" end of a lease transfer, they ordered a vehicle inspection 67.2 percent of the time, compared with 54.5 percent for that of men.
"Vehicle lease transfers processed through the LeaseTrader marketplace include the option for a vehicle inspection conducted by a third party company, anywhere in the country," officials explained.
"This service is mostly ordered when the car is located in a different region and the interested party can't easily travel to see the car first-hand," they continued.
The site also noted that gender differences for inspections were most drastic among certain age groups.
Gender differences for inspections were most noticeable among drivers between the ages of 21 and 30, the company reported.
In this age group, 78.2 percent of female buyers requested a vehicle inspection, compared with 42.3 percent of men buyers.
On the other hand, the narrowest gap was for customers between the ages of 41 and 50, which saw 63.2 percent for women and 58.1 percent for men.
Commenting on the study results, Sergio Stiberman, chief executive officer and founder of LeaseTrader.com, noted, "We've been studying gender differences and preferences in car shopping within our marketplace for several years.
"That our data illustrates a deepening relationship between women and cars comes as no surprise to us, given that the gender gap has narrowed and even reversed in some areas since our marketplace opened nearly 15 years ago," he continued.
But that's not all the site discovered. It also revealed that female buyers also seem to ask different and more thorough questions than men buyers.
While reviewing customer correspondence patterns during 2011, the site found that female buyers inquired about specific areas in terms of safety performance, incident history and a general sense of a vehicle's overall functionality given certain circumstances.
The majority of correspondence from men buyers primarily covered a vehicle's overall driving and engine performance, aesthetics and vehicle technology, and some minor safety features, the company concluded.
Read more


text:
3.13.Arbitrary Number of Arguments
You can use a construct called varargs to pass an arbitrary number of values to a method. You use varargs when you don't know how many of a particular type of argument will be passed to the method. It's a shortcut to creating an array manually (the previous method could have used varargs rather than an array).
To use varargs, you follow the type of the last parameter by an ellipsis (three dots, …), then a space, and the parameter name. The method can then be called with any number of that parameter, including none.
public Polygon polygonFrom(Point... corners) { int numberOfSides = corners.length; double squareOfSide1, lengthOfSide1; squareOfSide1 = (corners[1].x - corners[0].x)*(corners[1].x - corners[0].x) + (corners[1].y - corners[0].y)*(corners[1].y - corners[0].y) ; lengthOfSide1 = Math.sqrt(squareOfSide1); // more method body code follows that creates // and returns a polygon connecting the Points }
You can see that, inside the method, corners is treated like an array. The method can be called either with an array or with a sequence of arguments. The code in the method body will treat the parameter as an array in either case.
You will most commonly see varargs with the printing methods; for example, this printf method:
public PrintStream printf(String format, Object… args)
allows you to print an arbitrary number of objects. It can be called like this:
System.out.printf("%s: %d, %s%n", name, idnum, address);
or like this
System.out.printf("%s: %d, %s, %s, %s%n", name, idnum, address, phone, email);
or with yet a different number of arguments.


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News Archive: June 2011
This Game Leaves Student Researchers Little Time for Play
June 29, 2011: JMU's Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) has been providing a leadership-training program to senior managers from landmine-action organizations all over the world.
Training and Development has moved
June 24, 2011: We've Moved: The Training and Development Department's new home is located...
CISR Wraps Up Latest Mine Action Course for Leaders
June 17, 2011: JMU's Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) has been providing a leadership-training program to senior managers from landmine-action organizations all over the world.
Destination ImagiNation Team Continues Global Finals Success
June 15, 2011: Consistency is a term becoming synonymous with the James Madison University Destination ImagiNation Team.
Students Visit Veterans Affairs Medical Center
June 8, 2011: Social work students toured the intensive six-week residential Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder unit at the ....
Assessment Stars Aim High
June 3, 2011: "I could not have imagined a more student-centered faculty or a more thoughtful educational experience."
Board of Visitors Meeting, June 3, 2011
June 3, 2011: The James Madison University Board of Visitors met Friday, June 3, 2011, in the Board Room of Madison's Festival Conference and Student Center.
Alumni Association Kicks Off Centennial with Gift
June 3, 2011: The James Madison University Alumni Association began the celebration of its 100th birthday Friday by making a gift commitment of $100,000 to the JMU Foundation.
Minutes of Presidential Search Committee Meeting
June 3, 2011: The Presidential Search Committee appointed by the Rector of the Visitors of James Madison University met on Thursday, June 2, 2011.
Proving Our Worth
June 3, 2011: Student participation, the assessment instruments CARS designs and the university's commitment to student learning make JMU an international leader in assessment and measurement.
Dr. B.J. Bryson - All Together One Recipient
June 1, 2011: The All Together One Award was created in 2000 by the members of the JMU Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society. Each spring, the student members of ODK host this event, which is special to the organization as well as its...
On an honor roll
June 1, 2011: James Madison University has earned placement on the 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll


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DEMOREST, Ga. -- The Covenant men's basketball team used a 28-9 scoring run over the final eight minutes of play to erase an eight-point deficit and earn a 79-68 victory at Piedmont on Wednesday night in USA South action.
The win moves the Scots to 13-8 overall on the year and 8-3 in the USA South. It also clinches a winning season and the eight wins in the USA South are the most since joing the league in 2013-14. Covenant has also won the last four meetings with Piedmont.
Berto Dryden tied a career-high with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting with three 3-pointers to lead the Scots. TJ Cox added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists while Bailey Spragg chipped in 12 points. Patjo Twagirayezu came off the bench to score 10 points. Chris Boyd collected nine rebounds to go with five points.
The Scots trailed 59-51 with 7:40 remaining in the second half after Piedmont's Justin Vallejo made a jumper. From that point on, Covenant dominated the game outscoring the Lions by 19 the rest of the way.
The scoring burst started with a 10-0 run that gave the Scots a 61-59 lead with 5:20 to go after Daniel Garrett drained a 3-pointer. With the score tied at 62 moments later, Covenant rattled off eight straight as Twagirayezu and Spragg made 3-pointers and a Dryden jumper capped the run giving the Scots a 70-62 lead with 2:24 remaining. Covenant would then make critical free throws down the stretch to hold off Piedmont. The Scots went 12-of-16 from the free throw line in the second half.
Covenant shot 50 percent (16-of-32) in the second half and outscored the Lions 50-34. For the game, Covenant connected on 46 percent (29-of-63) from the floor and 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from 3-point land. The Scots held a 41-36 rebounding edge.
Piedmont held a lead for much of the first half. The Lions took their largest lead of the game at 34-23 with 1:50 left after a Trae Gaines basket. Covenant closed its gap to 34-29 at the half after a Will Portlock layup with under a minute left.
Peyton Luken and Vallejo led Piedmont (12-9, 4-6 USA South) with 13 points apiece. Gaines added 12 points and Chris Meeks 11.
The road trip continues on Friday with a trip to LaGrange. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Be sure to follow the Scots all season long on athletics.covenant.edu and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news and other information. To receive text alerts with score updates or e-newsletters, click here


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This article originally appeared in the June/July 2018 issue of FORUM- View PDFBy Dan Pietroske
Audio programs for associations are nothing new. In fact, some organizations have been doing them for more than ten years. Recently, interest has been on the rise due to the availability of podcasts on mobile devices and the increased accessibility of the technologies used to produce them. To find out more about how associations are embracing podcasts and audio programs, FORUM spoke with several organizations who are at the forefront of the podcasting trend. The production efforts ranged from staff-driven "do-it-yourself" to complete outsourcing from a vendor.
Michael Johnson
Senior Manager, Digital Communications
The American Planning Association
Podcast: The APA Podcast
Kathryn Keuneke
Content Development Director
Million Dollar Round Table
Podcast: The MDRT Podcast
Peter Finn
Deputy Executive Director and Chief Learning Officer
The Society of Women Engineers
Podcast: The Diverse Podcast
Robin Roy
Managing Director, Center for Member Practice Groups
Director, Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law
American Bar Association: Real Property Trust and Estate Section
Podcast: ModioLegal
Kathryn Mulligan
Editor, Middle Market Growth
Association for Corporate Growth
Podcast: Middle Market Growth Conversations
FORUM: What prompted the interest in adding an audio program/podcast?
APA: We started doing podcasts around 2006. At the time, we were beginning to incorporate recording technology into our office space to capture the audio from in-house events. After our first few events and recordings we determined that we should start a podcast to offer these programs up to our members. All of this seemed to indicate to us that moving into creating podcast content would be a worthwhile endeavor. Since then we've been creating additional programs and episodes trying out various types of approaches including interviews, news updates, speaking event recordings and more.
ABA: ModioLegal was referred to us by another ABA group. Staff thought it was a great idea that members would appreciate, so they set up a ModioLegal demo with the editors of the section periodicals. The editors liked the service as well and made a proposal to the section executive committee to have a trial run.
ACG: We felt like having a podcast was a nice addition to the Middle Market Growth suite of media. It's a powerful complement to our other assets; it enables us to feature some of the people that we write about in the magazine, as well as giving our members another way to hear insights from their peers. We saw the podcast as a good way to cover topics that maybe we didn't have room for in print, and to showcase ACG members and their great work building companies and creating jobs.
MDRT: The MDRT Podcast launched in January 2015 as a result of our content strategy. We wanted to provide our members with the topics and ideas that will help them get ahead in the financial services profession but in the format they want. The podcast gave us another medium to present the same kinds of ideas we already offered in our bimonthly magazine.
SWE: Through a variety of member surveys, we found that there was an appetite for this format. Also, there was a good deal of initial interest in the Diverse podcast that has led to a growing list of subscribers.
FORUM: Is there a formula you follow to structure your episodes?
ACG: The formula is really an intro that tees up the conversation, then the edited conversation with our guest ranges from 15 to 25 minutes. We close each episode with an outro reminding listeners of how to subscribe to the podcast and where they can find other Middle Market Growth content. I like to end each interview by asking our guests what they've been reading lately. It's a topic that everyone is interested in talking about and it's been fun to hear how people approach it differently. It's a humanizing element to help get to know the guest and what makes them tick.
MDRT: Our formula is to simply get three to four members in a room and throw out a few questions. They usually start by answering individually, but as the discussion continues, the conversation is less directed by us and more by them. It's authentic and unscripted.
APA: We usually like to have each episode's length be at least 20 minutes long and about an hour or so maximum. We also consistently pre-record an intro and outro for each series. The intros usually give a brief description of the specific program or series, introduce the host, and provide a quick bio of the guest. The outro for each episode usually consists of some information on where the podcast can be found, as well as providing an email alias where listeners can send feedback or suggestions for future episodes.
FORUM: What types of content do you normally cover? Is the program more formal or casual?
ABA: Each narration is simply a reading of the written article. Our members have the challenge of not always having time to read the print version, so by providing the same content as the print version, the audio format solves their problem.
ACG: The topics we cover all relate in some way to growing companies or the broader business climate, but they're wide ranging. We've had a retail futurist on the podcast to discuss the future of shopping and how the consumer experience is becoming more experiential. We had the former CEO of GE, Jeff Immelt, who talked about his tenure as the company's leader and the criticism he's faced since stepping down. It is important that we keep the interview conversational. We want the content to be informative and succinct, but we also want to showcase the personalities of the guests.
MDRT: The MDRT Podcast showcases MDRT members' tips for increasing business efficiency, appreciating clients and adding value to their practice. It's formal in that we publish an episode on the first of each month, but the content is casual. We go into the interview with a loose idea of where we'll end up, but that's part of the fun.
APA: Our podcast episodes cover a range of topics and people within the urban planning sphere. We run multiple types of programs within the overall podcast structure and break them out into specific sub programs or "series." For example, our series "The People Behind the Plans" focuses more on the individuals being interviewed and their story. On the other end of the spectrum, some of our podcast content will cover a specific issue or topic. We have also repurposed recordings from events such as our after-hours lecture series called "Tuesdays at APA."
FORUM: Who is your intended audience?
MDRT: We launched in January 2015. We ended that year with 7,685 total listens of the 12 episodes we had at the time. In 2016, that number climbed to 16,674, and in 2017, we ended with 29,551. We're on track to surpass that this year.
APA: The overall response has been relatively positive. We'll get a few emails every week or so saying how much they like the podcast as well as suggestions for future guests or topics. On average, the podcast has between 2,000 to 3,000 subscribers with an average of a little more than 1,000 episode downloads a week.
SWE: The response has been very positive from our members and noted in the member surveying we conduct. Since we launched two years ago we have had over 12,000 downloads.
FORUM: How much effort and staff time is required to get one podcast produced?
ABA: Not much on the ABA's end. We send the text files to ModioLegal at the same time as they go to the printer. They produce and distribute the audio edition by the time we release the text version to our members.
ACG: It really varies. The time involved includes making the ask and setting up the interview. Often, we'll have an introductory call to discuss topics with the guest in advance, which provides talking points for the interview. Editing the audio takes several hours and can involve reordering content and making cuts, as well as adjusting audio quality.
MDRT: I would estimate that 10 hours of staff time is spent per episode to identify participants, determine the initial questions, use the transcripts to determine distinct episodes, and write the headline and intro.
APA: Each APA podcast episode probably takes around three to four hours of staff time. Both the recording and editing portions of the process seem to take up a bulk of that time.
SWE: The podcast production is pretty quick. Once we have the interview questions and a brief discussion of the format with the interviewee, the production time is limited to an hour.
FORUM: Who does the voice narration or conducts the interviews?
ABA: One of the interesting elements of ModioLegal's patented business process is that they use students from the area of specialty to perform the narrations; in our case law students.
ACG: The Middle Market Growth editorial staff conducts the interviews. For the intro and outro, I typically record those segments with a colleague from our communications team so that there are two of our voices to tee up the conversation.
APA: The voice narration for each episode is either an APA member who's the dedicated person interviewing or hosting or someone on our staff.
FORUM: How are you getting the word out about this program?
ABA: We sent an email to our members letting them know about the benefit. We will have a sticker on the cover of the first magazine issue with audio files as well as a more detailed article explaining the program in this issue. We are also posting information on social media.
ACG: We publish the podcast through Soundcloud and iTunes, so listeners can find the show through those platforms. We also embed audio for each episode on our website. We'll then share it via the association and the magazine's respective social media channels. Each issue of our print magazine features a blurb that promotes an episode of the podcast. Finally, in the outro of each recording, we ask listeners to rate and review the podcast on iTunes. That's an effective way to help like-minded listeners find out about us.
MDRT: We promote our podcast to our members through social media and our e-newsletter. We also cross-promote it in our magazine, which sometimes features articles written from the same interviews that result in podcast episodes. We also use the MDRT Blog to promote the podcast.
FORUM: Tell me about the general cost of this program and how you cover this cost.
APA: The primary cost associated with our podcast is related to staff time. There are also some minor equipment costs for microphones, stands, audio mixers, cables, etc. Currently our costs are just rolled into overhead for a larger communications budget.
MDRT: We consider the MDRT Podcast a member benefit. As is true with all of our content—print and digital—we don't accept advertising, so the cost is primarily covered by member dues.
SWE: The cost of the program is really staff time and the cost of the software. The production is efficient, and the software is not terribly expensive, so I would say in the grand scheme, the costs are fairly nominal. We'll likely never charge for access–since it is a great way to promote SWE to non-members or past members and let them know what great stuff we're up to.
FORUM: Can you generate revenue from this program? How does that work?
ACG: We definitely see revenue potential, and we've had a number of inquiries from potential advertisers. It's important for us that the content remain editorially driven, but we're exploring packages to offer advertisers an opportunity to underwrite the interviews.
SWE: The primary way in which you can generate revenue is from advertising. Audio-based ads can be read by your host and the beginning (pre-roll) or middle (mid-roll) of the podcast episode. Podcast ads are usually sold as 10, 30, or 60 second spots. There are also options to partner with organizations or businesses to create sponsored content for your podcast. This basically means the content of the podcast or the subject matter is provided by the advertiser or sponsor. There are also podcast advertising networks that work specifically in this space that help podcast creators link up with advertisers.
FORUM: What advice would you give to an association who is interested in starting a podcast?
ACG: Make sure the audio quality is as good as you can make it within your equipment budget
constraints. There are so many other podcasts to choose from that if the audio quality is poor, a
listener is going to turn off your podcast, and they likely won't come back.
MDRT: I would recommend not scripting your podcasts. We've found our audience loves that they're listening in on an authentic conversation among other MDRT-level producers. Their personalities come through, and it becomes an extension of our in-person meetings. They feel like they're right there with them.
APA: Really have a plan. Once you start you need to be committed to a schedule and content. Before starting, be sure you have completed two or three episodes as practice.
SWE: The strategy part is very important. Look carefully at your content strategy. Make it complementary to other sources of content. Be sure you know what message you want to be communicating.
Dan Pietroske is the CEO of Association Applications Group. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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text: Media Release Body Content City of Brampton to host local federal candidates at October 9 town hall Thursday, Sep 19 2019 BRAMPTON, ON (September 20, 2019) – Ahead of the 2019 Canadian federal election, the City of Brampton is hosting local candidates at a town hall on October 9 to discuss the issues that matter most to residents.The event is open to the public and will take place at 7 pm at the Rose Theatre. As seating is limited, residents are asked to register online on the Rose Theatre's website. The event will also be streamed live on Facebook. By 2041, Brampton is expected to have more than 900,000 residents. Being one of Canada's youngest and fastest-growing cities, balancing growth with public expectations is both a challenge and an opportunity. Through strengthening its partnerships with higher levels of government, the City of Brampton aims to advance projects that will have a long-lasting economic impact, create jobs, and improve community pride and quality of life for our residents. For a full list of the City's federal priorities, visit the City's website.Quote"The choices we make can have a significant impact on local issues – and we need local representatives to speak up for Brampton. As one of Canada's youngest and fastest-growing cities, the support and partnership of the federal government is key to delivering on Brampton's priorities and vision. We look forward to a meaningful conversation on how our partners will commit to advancing transit, economic development, community safety, innovation and environment-driven initiatives in our community."- Mayor Patrick Brown-30-As one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, Brampton is home to 650,000 people and 70,000 businesses. People are at the heart of everything we do. We are energized by our diverse communities, we attract investment, and we are embarking on a journey to lead technological and environmental innovation. We partner for progress to build a healthy city that is safe, sustainable and successful. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more at www.brampton.ca.MEDIA CONTACTNatalie StogdillSenior Advisor, Public Relations, City of Brampton905.874.3654 | email@example.com


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Two new partnership opportunities have been uploaded to the P4P Partnership Opportunities page.
Potential in Me is a social enterprise which supports young people to understand and realise their potential, offering youth coaching, training, peer-led and families programmes.
Autism Evolves is a Scottish charity which supports individuals with an Autism Spectrum Condition. They are looking for partners for upcoming tenders including the DWP Dynamic Purchasing System. They offer employability services as well as autism awareness training.
Find out more here.


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It was Never Only About the Writing
I've never considered myself a writer; my professional passion is about manufacturing—how things work, how things are made and learning from the people who make that happen.
When people ask me what I do, I respond simply that I am a writer. I've learned to use this response because a more elaborate explanation would just bore and confuse.
Featured Content
But the truth is, I've never considered myself a writer, at least not in the sense of writing being a passion of mine. My professional passion is about manufacturing—how things work, how things are made and learning from the people who make that happen.
Technical writing has been the means with which I was able to convert my passion into a way to make a living. For me the writing is the work, while the learning is the reward. It's not disingenuous. Once I see and understand how something works or how this part or that is made I'm happy. I earn my pay when I have to write about it. In that regard, I've never been a typical editor.
Many of my colleagues are bona fide writers. Some of them would write regardless of the subject matter because they are writers first. Acquiring the subject matter, getting their heads around the ways and means of manufacturing is the work. Getting to write about it is the reward. That's not disparaging; it's just another way to get the job done.
For me, though, the rewards of being allowed to pursue my passion far outweigh the work involved in my writing about it. In spite of its secondary place in my list of favorite things to do at work, I'm told my writing is pretty good—well, good enough at least to keep my job as an editor for 27 years, so I could raise and educate four wonderful children and, with the help of my wife of 39 years, provide comfortably for us all.
I do feel very lucky that my technical writing is good enough to allow me to have access to my real passion—learning about manufacturing. Pursuit of that passion has led me to travel to places that as a kid growing up in West Virginia, I could never have imagined visiting.
Travel has taken up a large percentage of time in my career. Happily, my company has always believed that "showing up" is important. My work has taken me to 45 states and 20 countries many times.
I have been blessed to literally see the world of manufacturing, meet a virtual United Nations of people with a common interest, and report on what I saw and learned in articles and, lately, digital channels such as social media. I have seen the changes in the medium, that is, how the message is delivered, but so far the message remains intact.
I believe we act as our reader's proxy by uncovering then reporting about developments that have the potential to impact manufacturers of precision machined parts. Likewise, we provide a platform for the manufacturers to tell our readership about their developments. Production Machining's mission is to provide a neutral forum that brings buyers and sellers of manufacturing technology together to the benefit of both.
I started as an editor in 1992. By 2001, it was my belief that the then-called screw machine industry was underserved by the trade press. After nine years covering the screw machine industry for Modern Machine Shop, which devoted one issue per year to it, I believed that industry was worthy of more dedicated attention. In January 2001 we launched Production Machining to devote 12 monthly issues to it.
The timing was good because the industry was transitioning from automatic cam machines to CNC. In a nutshell, the industry was morphing from screw machining to precision machined parts manufacturing. There was a lot to talk about it then and, it turns out, there still is.
As I begin my slide into retirement, I close this final column with my thanks for the readers, advertisers, partners and friends who have supported this magazine through the years. We've shared good times and less good times, but we've always shared the belief that manufacturing is noble, worthy, interesting, rewarding and economically vital.
In January, my "wing man" for 14 years, Chris Felix, will take over this space in the magazine as its second editor in chief. His qualifications are sterling, and he has paid his dues. His column is called My Turn and it is indeed.
So I invoke the old printer's mark for end of copy, the last, the end. -30-


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When Inspiration Eludes You...
So, there are times when I don't know what to write and when that is the case, I turn to three options...First is the Bible. Obviously that's got to be the first option for me, it is filled with wisdom and insight that has guided believers for thousands of years. Next, I turn to books I read. I actually have a folder on my phone that is just photos of pages from different books. As I'm reading, if something really speaks to me, I just snap a picture of it and store it in my phone. To be honest, those two options are the ones I go to when I'm looking to write something deep and insightful. Now, if I want to write something funny and creative, my go to source of inspiration is my wife. Usually, the best time to go to this deep well of resources is after she's been out running errands or when I know that she's frustrated with something and I need to cheer her up. The conversation goes a little something like this...
(As my wife comes home from the grocery store)
"Love, what should I write about?"
"Stupid people!!!!"
"I should write about stupid people?"
"Yes, I am so tired of going to the store and being surrounded by stupid people."
So, today was another such outing to the store and let's all be honest, in the days of Coronavirus, social distancing and self quarantine, a trip to the grocery store can be an adventure in frustration. As I heard Mackenzie come home, I couldn't wait to ask her what I should write about. Knowing that on normal trips to the store there can be stupid people, a trip during this season should be epic!!!
"Love, what should I write about?"
"Yes! I am so tired of going to the store and have it look like it's trashed. People need to calm down!"
This was followed by a tale of how clerks at the stores can no longer touch your bags; how you can't put food on the conveyer belts and how the pasta sauce we normally get now costs $7! It was a classic rant that brought joy to my life and it gave us something to laugh about. Honestly, when I first started writing this I had no idea where it was going to go, but as I continued to write and think about my wife and how funny it is to see her frustrated (at something other than me), I started laughing because this is one of those things I love about my wife. In fact, when I know she's got one of those frustrating thoughts in her head, I'll be honest, I'll go and poke the bear. I'll ask her how her trip to the store was or how it was helping the kids with their school work and as she starts talking I'll add in the occasional..."NO!!!" Or "I cant believe it!" Just to get her more revved up. Once she sees my laughing, all of a sudden, that frustration is turned into a funny story we laugh about for the rest of the night.
I share this today, because there is a lot going on right now that is frustrating. There are many people who are afraid and on edge and sometimes the best thing we can do in a stressful situation is find an opportunity to laugh together. So, if you find yourself in need of a good rant, just let it out. If you are tired of stupid people, hoarders or an alarming shortage of toilet paper in your house, tell someone about it. Be as over the top and you can be, I mean really put all you've got into the thing and when that rant moves from frustration to ridiculousness...have a good laugh together and celebrate that fact that God's word says, He turns mourning into laughter.
Laugh away my friends!!!
Welcome to my mind…or maybe my heart…or maybe the two are so jumbled together, it's hard to tell the difference!
I love to write. It doesn't matter what it is, or what it's about. That's the great thing about writing, it can be serious, funny, imaginative or informative…sometimes all at once. Writing allows our souls to express what's going on in the deepest parts of who we are. It's like music for those of us who don't play an instrument or can't sing.
There was a long time that I didn't feel like writing. Life has a tendency to get hard sometimes. The pain that we experience can crush us; crush our joy, crush our hopes, crush our souls. People, who we thought cared for us, can hurt us, abandon us and make us feel like it's our fault.
Even as a pastor, I am not immune from this pain. Through it all, I have learned some valuable lessons: first, everyone has pain. Pain, hurt, brokenness are universal and the amazing thing is, it can either push us apart or bring us together. Secondly, sharing about our pain actually helps others (and ourselves) to heal. Finally, I've learned that God does not waste pain, He redeems it. God desires that we be healed, that we be restored and reconciled to Him and to each other.
So, as you read this blog, know that my desire is to share my journey, not for pity or sympathy, but so you might know that you aren't alone. One lie we always believe when we are wounded is that no one understands, no one knows what we're going through. If my stories can (even for a moment) let you know that you're not alone, that there's hope, that someone cares…then all my pain would have been worth it. Know this as well, not all of these stories are going to be serious. I love to laugh and when something strikes me as funny, I believe that needs to be shared as well.
I invite you to join me on this journey of healing. May we laugh together, cry together, share our burdens together and grow stronger together.
May God do what only God can do!!!
The Joy of Obedience
The greatest thing about following God is the mystery. The tension between the "I don't know" and trusting in God's promises. For those of you who know me, you know that I am a hopeless truster in the promises. I think to myself all the time, "If God's Word says it, I should just take the plunge and believe it." I don't think I am like that because I'm "super holy"; I think it's because I want to believe the "what if?" As I read the scripture I see God's heart for this world, His love for this world and His promises for this world. God does not pull punches, this world is broken and hurting and under the direct influence of Satan himself. And yet, as I read, there is a hope for this world and it is the Good News of Jesus Christ that is proclaimed...get this...through the church.
I know, I laugh sometimes too. "The Church??? I know you don't make mistakes God but that might not have been your best choice." For many people, myself included, the Church has been a source of pain and hurt as much as (or more so), it has been a source of healing. Broken people ministering to broken people is a recipe for a mess.
But what if? What if as a group of broken people we took seriously God's promises that if we would only be obedient, His Spirit would work through us in miraculous ways. What if a group of broken people decided to fight for unity instead of fighting to be right? What if we looked to the needs of others instead of only to our own needs? What if we really saw Jesus as our example to emulate and learned to forgive, to reconcile and to love people right where they are at and then watch God transform them. That "what if" would turn into a place of miracles, a place of forgiveness, a place of restoration, a place where people could encounter God and be surrounded by others who aren't perfect, but know what it's like to be forgiven and if they can be forgiven, anyone can be forgiven.
That is a place where everyone would like to be. That is a place that, deep down, everyone wishes existed. That is what the Church has been called to be. The idea of obedience has been misunderstood for too long. In our society today, obedience means blindly following rules, taking all the "fun" out of life and nothing could be further from the truth. The joy of obedience comes when we understand that when we live the life that God has called us to, not only are we filled with purpose, freedom, grace, mercy, forgiveness and joy, we get to share that with a world that is begging for what God offers (even if they don't know it).
If you are a believer, join me and let's stop asking "what if"?" And start experiencing the reality, the freedom, the power and the joy of obedience.
Wisdom Calls Evil, Evil
I'm getting sentimental in my old age. I'm only 40 right now, by the time I'm 60, I'm going to a mess!!! As I read through the description of the terrible events that unfolded in Las Vegas, I kept thinking, "That was someone's son who died." "That was someone's little girl who was killed." My heart broke as I read about people sharing their stories of the chaos, fear, panic and death that surrounded them as a man opened fire on innocent people. As a parent, all I want to do in this world is protect my kids, which always brings to reality my human limitations...I can't always be there to protect them. A thought, especially in our day and age, that would cause me severe anxiety; if I didn't have the Bible.
God, in all of his wisdom, knows what it means to love as a parent (better than I ever could) and so he tells me, "Raise a child up in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6)
God, knowing my love and concern for my children, tells me to teach them. Teach them about Him, His love, His law, His grace, His commandments, His forgiveness; and that will guide them...He will guide them.
And when God teaches, He doesn't pull punches. The book of Proverbs is all about gaining wisdom. Many of them start out with, "Pay attention, my son," In Proverbs 5, that phrase is followed with this, "For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave."
I can't picture me walking with my 10 year old and saying, "Son, that's an adulteress. Stay away or your life will be ruined." But this is exactly how I'm supposed to raise my children, by calling out evil for what it is, evil!
We live in a world where children are being exposed to innocent people being shot, leaders (on both sides) constantly calling each other names, people ramming cars into crowds, bombings, stabbings and beheadings. I can't keep my children from being exposed to this and so I have to teach them,
"Son, that's evil. Stay away or your life will be ruined."
Like we see throughout Proverbs, wisdom begins in God's Truth, and God's Truth is clear that evil needs to be condemned as evil.
Why do I need to point out evil? So others, like my children, will know it when they see it. This is not how we treat people. Life is scared. All life is sacred. It doesn't matter how young or old you are. It doesn't matter where you are from or where you live. It doesn't matter what color your skin is. Everyone is created in the image of God and I must protect that, and I must teach others to protect that.
Lord, may we condemn evil wherever it shows itself. May you grant us wisdom to see it and courage to stand up to it. Help us to remember that evil cannot destroy evil, because many people are forgetting that fact. May we never stoop to the level of evil. May we stand tall for Your Truth, though we be mocked, persecuted or even killed. Help us as Your people, Your Church, to show the world that there is a better way and that way leads to You. Be with the people who came face to face with evil in Las Vegas and those who have faced it and are facing it around the world. Comfort them, be near to them and heal them.
The Hardest Part
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who mistreat you."
"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
Luke 6: 27-28, 35-36
Even as I wrote these words from Jesus, my mind kept thinking, "You don't know what people have done! You don't know how hard this is!"
But, I know God knows how hard it is. "He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." The life of Jesus was an object lesson in living this out.
And now, if I want to follow Jesus, I have to follow Jesus...everywhere. He calls me to examine the deepest parts of who I am; those areas of my life where pride and arrogance continue to hold sway over my flesh. The mere fact that I try to make excuses, to plea my case that my situation is different and so I am justified in my anger and hatred, shows that I am not yet completely sactified.
There is work to be done and Jesus is the one doing it.
Here is the truth that we all need to hear (I'm bringing you into my conviction)...we have all been hurt; many of us by people who were the closest to us. If we do not love, do good and bless those who have hurt us, we have not yet submitted our entire lives to Christ. If you read these words of Jesus and say, "No! Never!" are we really following in our Master's footsteps? Are we willing to let Jesus do the hard work and choose the easy path ourselves?
Believe me, I am acknowledging the difficulty but I also testify to the indescribable joy and freedom found in following Jesus. Every step of faith I've taken; every one more difficult than the last, I have found strength, I have found grace, I have found Jesus ever faithful.
Never have I taken a difficult step of faith and said, "Well, that sure wasn't worth it." In fact, it is the exact opposite. I have always come through amazed and glorifying God and the reality is, the more difficult the step, the greater the presence of God.
WIth that in mind, may all of us choose to forgive. May all of us make the hard choice to follow our Lord wherever He calls us.
God bless.
Love Hurts
Richard is the Lead Pastor of Crosspoint Friends Church
March 2020
Crosspoint Friends Church meets at Morningside Presbyterian Church
1201 E. Dorothy Lane
Fullerton, CA
Mailing Address:
P.O.Box 6242
Fullerton, CA 92834-6242
Sunday @ 9:00 am


text:
On Sunday mornings, on the way to the church meetings, we see people walking, jogging, and riding bikes. All along the short distance we travel, dozens of people have risen on their day off to take care of their health.
All the people rose early in the morning to hear him in the temple area.
Luke 21:38 CEB
In the meantime, few manage to get up in the morning to meet with Jesus.
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. People delight in repeating that phrase. And it has a tad of truth to it.
On the other hand, you can't be a Christian without serving the brethren, participating in the life of the church, being present in the midst of God's people.
Whoever has followed our devotionals for some time know that we speak very little about "going to church." Because the person who has really converted to Christ gets up early (or gets going whatever the set time) to hear the Lord in the midst of the church.
Who doesn't go hasn't converted yet.
Related articles
- God expects fruit (randal.us)
- Why the church stops growing (randalmatheny.com)
- The only time Jesus cursed (chuckwebster.org)