text:
Page 1 Cover DESIGNER: Make sure to include cover price on cover of Magazine: $1.95 US $2.60 CN SHINE brightly January 2009 Vol. 38 No. 5 Cover Blurbs: Generation Change A Change is coming and that change could be you! Plant a Garden in Zambia (and never leave home!) Will our Legacy be Garbage? A cold hard look at trash The Rock One girl's climb up an impossible wall No, No, No One unanswered prayer One girls' frustration One reason to accept NO for an answer Should I tell him I love him? My parents won't let me date Dear Emma talks about boys Page 2 Fragments Sticky, used Chapstick is all about love—at least for me anyway. A few months ago I had to go out of town for a few days. Before I left, my four-year-old daughter handed me her used Chapstick. "This is for you to take, Mom. It is all full of my love." My daughter's gift wasn't expensive, it wasn't something I had been asking for, and its sticky and used condition made it far from perfect. I'm sure anyone who found that sticky Chapstick in the bottom of my purse would see it as worthless. However, that sticky tube was one of the best gifts I've ever been given. There is a great Bible story about a woman who gave a pretty worthless gift. The Bible tells us that Jesus was watching as people brought their offerings. Many people offered great riches. But then a widow came by and dropped two coins into the offering. The coins were worth less than a penny—a pretty worthless gift from our standards. But Jesus called His disciples over and told them that the offering the woman had made was far grander than any other. She gave everything she had. It wasn't what she gave. It was how she gave. It was the heart with which she gave. God doesn't judge gifts the way the world judges. You are young, you probably don't have much money or power, but that doesn't mean that your gifts to God are insignificant. The next time you feel as though you have nothing to give, remember the Chapstick, remember the coins. Remember how a sticky tube delighted the heart of a mother. Remember that two small and seemingly worthless coins delighted and pleased the heart of your Abba Father. Page 3 SHINE brightly January 2009 Vol. 38 No. 5 Designer check photo credits Editor – Jan Boone; Senior Editor – Sara Lynne Hilton; Associate Editor – Amy White; Designer – Tina DeKam; All quoted Scripture is taken from the New International Version of the Bible. Copyright 2008 GEMS Girls' Clubs, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49510, a ministry of Dynamic Youth Ministries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. SHINE brightly (USPS 839-700) is published monthly except June, July, and August by GEMS Girls' Clubs, PO Box 7259, Grand Rapids, MI 49510. Subscription price for nine magazines: $13.25 per year USA, $15.50 Canada. Bulk subscription orders to one address: $12.25 per year USA, $14.10 Canada and $19.00 Foreign. Periodical postage paid at Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Norwich, Ontario. Canadian Post International Publication Sales Agreement #41124116 at Norwich, ON. Postmaster, please send address changes to SHINE brightly, PO Box 7259, Grand Rapids, MI 49510. Printed in the USA. GEMS Girls' Clubs, Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior, is a fifty year-old, nonprofit organization offered through local churches and Christian organizations around the world. This relationship-building program is available to girls in first through eighth/ninth grades, and has headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI. For information on how to start a GEMS Girls' Club in your church or organization, contact GEMS Girls' Clubs, PO Box 7259, Grand Rapids, MI 49510; Phone: (616) 241-5616 ext. 3032. SHINE brightly is a magazine for girls, designed to help them see how God is at work in their lives and in the world around them. GEMS Girls' Clubs is a member of the Evangelical Press Association, Barnabas Foundation, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, and Christian Camping International. Contents Generation Change 4 Ripening Mangos 6 No for an Answer 8 Green Team 10 Dear Emma 12 You Warm My Heart 14 Wet Paint 16 The Rock 18 Reflecting Light 20 Life Lessons from the Bible 21 Page 4 Zach Hunter Generation Change "Generation Change is not going to wait for someone else—someone who's older or better qualities; someone with more cash or more free time. Generation Change is not going to wait for someday. We are going to seize this day and breathe new life and hope and justice and freedom and peace and love into it. Because, we know that we are the someone and today is the day!" – Zach Hunter Zach Hunter is an abolitionist. An abolitionist is someone who works to abolish slavery. It's estimated that more than 27 million people in the world are held in slavery (Free the Slaves). Modern-day slaves are forced to work in brick kilns, rice mills, fishing villages, or brothels. This wasn't OK with Zach Hunter. At age twelve he founded the student-led anti-slavery campaign Loose Change to Loosen Change. His goal is to have slavery wiped from the planet. Zach is now 16. He spends his summers speaking to tens of thousands of people about helping change the world and about the topic of modern day slavery. In his second book, Generation Change, he calls out a younger generation to become active in social justice issues. "Its purpose is to shed a little light on some of the biggest problems facing our generation and inspire people to find ways they can make a difference. It's easy to complain about what's wrong with the world today. But I think my generation is tired of hearing complaints and excuses, and we're eager to see people get busy and do something about the problems," writes Hunter. "I believe our generation should launch a new movement of peace, love and justice—but this time, do it with God. The hippies talked a lot about 'free love,' but we've got to realize that true, lasting, life-changing love isn't free. It costs—a lot! Real love means sacrificing something of ourselves, some of our own comfort. It means giving ourselves up like Jesus did." What does generation change look like? In his book, Hunter profiles some of the characteristics of what he believes a generation of change would look like, including: People who love Jesus radically, and who translate that love into real action in their own lives and the lives of others. People who know that to love Jesus well, you need to know him personally and study his ways. People who lead humbly by serving. People who spend time helping the poor and the oppressed in the world. People who invest their influence to help others rather than hoarding it for themselves. People who prepare well for their future, so they are equipped to bring about change. SIDEBAR Two a Day? "About half of the world's population lives on less than $2 a day (United Nations as reported in Generation Change). Zach Hunter challenges readers to understand what this means. Are you ready to take the challenge? For one week, try to live on two dollars per day. World Issues Statistics: Generation Change TINA you can use any or all or none of these depending on space. Your choice. "Over 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and 74 percent of those infected people live in sub-Saharan Africa." Generation Change "Statistics show that 80 percent of the diseases in Africa can be attributed to a lack of clean water." Generation Change "Measles, malaria, and diarrhea are three of he biggest killers of children—yet all are preventable or treatable." Generation Change Page 6 Ripening Mangos Sow Seeds—Plant a Garden in Zambia Zambian families can't just run to the grocery store when they need food. Many Zambians plant small gardens to feed their families. That means that learning how to garden is an important skill. Girls in Zambian GEMS Clubs are learning this skill with the Horticulture Badge, found in the African Badgebook. This badge includes information about gardening as a means of supplying food for one's family. You can provide food for families in Zambia by sending "seed money." Every $7 you send will be used to purchase five different seed packets (shipping costs included) that can withstand drought conditions and match soil types and growing seasons in Africa. The vegetables from these gardens can be used to feed girls and their families and provide a small income when sold. Consider enclosing a photo of yourself and a brief note of encouragement using the downloadable gift card on our website (www.gemsgc.org. Click on the SHINE brightly magazine). Did you Know? 852 million people in the world are hungry. –Bread for the World Institute as reported in Generation Change Page 8 No for an Answer Daphne Dykeman Could not getting your way lead to something great? The cell phone on the table was ringing as Stacy walked in the door. "Could you get that?" her mother called. "I want to finish packing this box." Stacy grabbed the phone on her way to the bedroom. "Hello?" "Hello. I'm calling from St. John's Hospital. May I speak with Mrs. Winter?" "Just a minute, please," Stacy said, passing her mother the phone. "It's the hospital. Maybe they've changed their mind." Stacy stared at the bare walls while her mother said, "Yes," and "All right," and "We'll be there tomorrow. Goodbye." "Well," Stacy asked as the phone clicked shut. "Did they say that Grandma could come home?" "Oh, Stacy," her mom said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Nothing's changed. Grandma just can't live in this big house anymore since she broke her hip." "But it's breaking her heart to have to leave her home. And I've been praying every night that God would make her well enough to come back here." "Stacy, I'm afraid that's not going to happen." "But can't God do anything? He could do a miracle for Grandma." "Yes, He could. But God does say no to us sometimes. Have you always gotten everything you've asked for?" "Of course not," Stacy said, fighting back her tears. "Not for silly things, like wanting school cancelled or getting a special toy for my birthday, but I thought He always answered the important requests. He helped Dad find a new job, and when Sara was in a car accident, He helped her get better. Why won't He do the same thing for Grandma?" "I don't know, Honey. But we have to trust that God always does what's best for us, even if we don't understand why He's doing it. Remember that He loves your grandmother even more than we do." Stacy looked up. "So I just stop praying about it?" "No, but maybe you need to change your prayer. Since Grandma is going to a senior's home, what can you pray for that will help her when she's there?" I can pray that she doesn't feel homesick," Stacy said. "And," she continued, thinking harder, "I can ask for a way to make her apartment feel more like home." She took a deep breath and let it go, as if she was letting go of her own plans for her grandmother. "Okay," she said, "let's get to work." Stacy's mom handed her a blanket form a pile on the bed. "Let's sort these first. Some of them could go to the women's shelter, but I'm afraid most of them will end up as rags." Stacy held the blanket up to the light. "Did Grandma make this?" she asked in wonder. The quilt was made of twelve cream colored squares, and each one was a miniature garden. The colors had faded, and may of the threads had come undone, but Stacy couldn't believe how beautiful the flowers were. "Yes. She made that for me the summer before I as born." Stacy's mom reached out and fingered the ragged edges of the quilt. "Well, it's not good for much now. You can't keep memories forever." Her mother started sorting the rest of the blankets, but Stacy kept looking at the quilt. She ran her fingers over the squares, feeling the holes where little fingers had pulled out the threads. She tried to imagine her mother bundled up in that quilt, nestled on her grandmother's lap. She couldn't throw it away, even if it was shabby. In fact, one of the corner squares was still in good condition. Stacy looked at it closely for a moment, and then an idea burst into her head. She grinned to herself and said a silent, "Thank you, Lord!" while she tucked the blanket into a bag to take home. A week later, Stacy stood before her grandmother's door. She knocked loudly then poked her head through the doorway, "Hi, Grandma!" she called out cheerfully. "I have a present for you!" "Oh, how nice of you to come see me," her grandmother said as Stacy came into the living room. "But I don't need any presents. I've got too much of my old junk crammed into this place as it is." Stacy placed a package on her grandmother's lap. "Open it!" she ordered. Her grandmother tore off the paper. "Why, Stacy!" she cried. A thin, ruffled pillow lay on her lap. The front of the pillow was the panel from the old quilt. Stacy had cut it out, tied up the loose threads, and filled in the missing pieces of the flowers with her own embroidery. Then she had taken a square of matching cloth, a strip of creamy lace, and some quilt batting and sewn it all together. "You did this?" her grandmother exclaimed. "You angel! That blanket was so special to me, but I didn't want to bother your mother about it, with all the stuff she had to take care of. Now I can put it where I'll always see it and remember those days. However did you think to make a pillow out of it?" Stacy laid her cheek against her grandmother's soft, wrinkled on and gave her a squeeze. "Well, Grandma, it happened when I finally decided to take no for an answer. I'll make you a cup of tea and then I'll tell you all about it." Did you Know? A study on kindness showed that kind people experience more happiness and have happier memories. Simply by counting acts of kindness for one week, people feel happier and more grateful" –National Institute of Heath as reported in Generation Change Page 10 Green Team Will Our Legacy be Garbage? Rainey Page Each one of us will leave our mark on God's beautiful world. It may be in a planted tree, a story told, or our garbage. That's right—our garbage. Have you ever thought about how long your garbage will last on God's Earth? You know, the stuff you, your family, and friends toss in the trash. Test your garbage sense. Draw a line to connect the type of garbage to how long scientists claim each material can survive. Paper homework sheet 5 years Aluminum Pop can 100 years Old Leather shoes 4 weeks Plastic milk jug forever Glass juice bottle 2 years Styrofoam plate 500 years Tin soup can 800 years Wool socks forever Plastic shopping bag 50 years Banana peel 1 million years Much of your garbage can outlive you, whether gathered in a landfill or littered on the ground. Your garbage is what you will leave behind. Before you throw out a singe piece or a big bag of trash, think about it. Take time to find out what materials can be recycled. Before you purchase an item consider how long the item will sit in a landfill. God and all His creation is counting on you! Answers: Tina, how about small and upside down answers? Paper: 4 weeks Aluminum: 80 to 500 years Leather: Up to 50 years Plastic container: 1 million years to forever Glass bottle: 1,000 to 1 million years, and may be unknown Styrofoam: 1 million years to forever Tin: 50 to 100 years Wool: 1 to 5 years Plastic bag: 10 to 800 years Fruit peel: 4 weeks to 2 years The data was collected from the National Park Service and various state government and university websites. These are all estimate and dependent on conditions. In the answer section, the wide range of estimates collected for each material is listed. Page 12 Dear Emma Dear Emma, I have a friend that my best friend, but lately she has not been so nice. I never talk to her anymore, but we smile at each other in school. I always wonder what I did. But sometimes I feel like she hates me and never wants to see me again. I need help please, please, please, help me! Signed, Upset Dear Upset, When a relationship with a friend changes suddenly, it can be very confusing. I strongly encourage you to have your friend over for chat so that you can talk about what is going on. Ask her why things have changed and let her know how much her actions are confusing you. Let her know that you miss hanging out and that you want to know if there is something that you have done to upset her. Explain that you really want to try to fix whatever has happened because you have been friends for such a long time and you still really care about your friendship. Don't be angry when you talk, try to be calm and keep an even tone in your voice. You are not trying to accuse her but instead, you want to express your feelings about your friendship. In the end, she will either explain how she feels and the two of you will work out whatever has happened, or the two of you will need to unfortunately step away from the relationship for awhile. Before you talk to her, ask God to give you strength and guidance. Trust that He will give you all that you need in terms of giving you the right words to speak when you talk to her and the ability to be strong in whatever happens. Be true to you and know that whatever happens, you did all that you could to make sure that things were okay with someone that you care about. Love, Emma Dear Emma, My dad has a problem with his foot. It is swelled up and he limps a little when he walks. Because he is in pain he is really grouchy a lot. It seems that his main target is always me. He gets mad at every little thing I do. It is like no matter what I do I can't please him. Like on Friday I was helping him put some cut up pieces in his truck. But before we started putting them in the truck my mom said right in front of him that when she would take me to the store. My dad got mad and so my mom told me that I should stay and help unload the truck so I did. But he was so mad that all he did was put the tailgate down on his truck and let it fall off the back down the small hill that we have in our yard. Then he left. I went out of my way and stacked it all up nicely by the tree. He didn't even say anything and stormed off into his shop. No matter where I go whether it is outside or in my room I am always his main target. Please help me so that I know how to talk to him and tell him that is hurts my feelings when I am the only one that he gets mad at me. Sincerely, Trying hard to understand girl Dear Trying Hard to Understand Girl, I am really sorry to hear about your Dad. My Mom just had surgery on her foot and she is also in a lot of pain, so I understand what it is like to have a parent that is not well. Sometimes when people are in constant pain, they just do not know how to handle what is going on and take it out on others. That could be what is happening with your dad. Try to understand that he is probably very frustrated that his foot is not okay that he is constant pain. Although it is not the right way to be treating you, consider that he is not trying to be mean, but is really struggling with how to deal with the changes in his life. When he seems to be particularly upset, try praying for him. When you pray, also ask God for an extra measure of patience and understanding when he gets upset at you. Know that through all of it, he does love you very much. Even when he doesn't say it, he probably does appreciate all that you do for him. The other thing that you can do, is to talk to your Mom about some of your frustrations. Maybe she will be able to talk to your Dad about how some of his actions are making you feel. Love, Emma Dear Emma, I have two girls in my class, I overheard them gossiping about me and other people. They won't let any other people play with them either. They say and do hurtful things to others. Some days I find myself becoming upset about it but I am to shy to say anything. I would like to know how to handle this situation without hurting other people's feelings. Please HELP!!! From: Needs Advice Immediately Dear Needs Advice Immediately, It sounds to me like you are going to need to have an adult get involved with this situation. I would start by talking to your Mom and then perhaps you can go together to talk to the teacher about what is happening with these girls. They are going to need to be spoken to about their behavior and attitudes. With an adult's help, these girls will hopefully realize that what they are doing is not okay and that it needs to stop. Through all of this, I encourage you to remain strong. You have done the right thing to ask for help with this situation. I also encourage you to pray for these girls that they may realize how hurtful their actions are. Pray that God will work in them so that they will stop treating people so unkindly and pray for patience as you deal with their gossip and hurtful behavior. Remember that no matter what they say, that you are an amazing child of God and are very precious to Him!!! Love, Emma Dear Emma I have this treasure box where I keep all my secrets. My friend is always begging me to show her what's inside. I know that if I told her, she would tell everyone! Even if she says she swears she won't tell. Even though we've been friends over two years now, I still don't trust her, because she told my secrets before. What should I do? Sincerely, Secret Dear Secret, There is nothing wrong with keeping secrets as long as they are ones that should be kept. If there are things in that box that are really important to you and you want to keep them private, there is no reason that you have to show your friend. Just tell her that it is a private box and that you really need her to respect the fact that the things in there are special and important to you and that you don't want to share them with anyone. If she truly cares about you she needs to accept that fact and stop asking you about the box ... Don't be scared to keep it to yourself. Love, Emma Dear Emma, I really like this guy right? But I don't know if he likes me! I really want to go out with him, but I'm not really allowed to. But I like him, and what if he does ask me out? What am I supposed to say?? Please help me!! From, Uncertain Dear Uncertain, I think that the best thing to do here is to stay friends with all guys for now and not to worry about this going out thing, especially because you are not allowed to date yet. I know that there might be a lot of pressure on you to get into the whole dating scene but there will be lots of time for that when you get older. If he asks you out, just be honest about the fact that you are not allowed to date right now. Do not go behind your parents' backs and date without their permission. In the future when you start dating, you need to bring the relationship to God in prayer and talk to Him about whether or not the guy you want to go out with is a guy that God wants you to hang around with. When choosing someone to date, make sure that he is Christian and shares the same beliefs as you do. Also make sure that you and your parents have had a talk about the dating guidelines they expect of you so that there is no confusion about what their thoughts are on the issue. Always remember how important it is to ask God about who you are dating and make sure that your relationship is founded in Him. Love, Emma Jan, super curious if you are going to let this one in!!! What do you think? Dear Emma, I read this column on how no one can fill your soul but God (not even boys). For the past year now I've been together with this guy, and I never thought much of it, besides that I really like him and vice-versa, until last night. We were talking on email until my mom said I had to get off and do my homework so I said "srry gtg, see ya 2moro bye." And he went "kk cya later" and then right when I'm about to sign off he goes "I love you." I had no idea what to do so I went "love ya too." Since reading that column I've felt bad. I mean I had strong feelings for this guy, but I had no idea that he would have that strong of feelings back. I have to admit, I have thought in my head that I loved him, but I don't think I would have the guts to tell him just now. But at church today we talked even more and it wasn't even awkward (because he usually gets really nervous and blushes when he talks to me), like I thought it might. Was it wrong to say I love you back? I know I'm young but I couldn't lie to him. A considerable amount of advice is needed! Sincerely, Confused, but in love Dear Confused but in love, Saying I love you for the first time to that special someone is a very big deal and something that should not be taken lightly. It does sounds to me like the words are genuine for both you and this guy. It does not sound like you said them flippantly or without giving them any thought. In fact, I would guess that you have spent a lot of time thinking about whether or not to say them and have hopefully also prayed about the situation. You are at an amazing time of life, one that can be a ton of fun but one that can also be very confusing. I really encourage you to spend some time in prayer and to think about what you feel God is saying about your relationship. Ask yourself some tough questions: Have you taken the time to bring your relationship to God? Have you asked God if He wants you to be dating yet? Have you prayed about whether or not this guy is right for you? It is really important to be talking to God about your boyfriend and to know if you are following God's plan or your own. Make sure that you are seeking God's will for your relationship. You should also have a talk with your parents about the dating scene and set some guidelines that you are all comfortable with. That way, you are all on the same page and know what the rules are. Finally, I encourage you to be open and honest with your feelings. These are beautiful words and if you have put as much thought into them that you have said, then be assured that it is all right. Enjoy hanging around this guy and continue to keep God as the head and center of you relationship. Love, Emma Page 14 You Warm My Heart What you Need: 2 sheets of construction or cardstock paper (8 1/2 x 11) Scissors or paper cutter Ruler Pencil Glue stick Stapler Packet of hot chocolate (.71 oz) Markers Stickers (optional) What to Do: 1. Cut one piece of paper into a rectangle that is 8 inches by 5 inches. The other piece of paper should be cut into a rectangle that is 6 inches by 5 inches. 2. Fold both pieces of paper in half (one paper is now 4 x 5 and the other is 3 x 5). 3. Cut a heart out of the 3 x 5 piece of paper (see picture). This will become the handle of the mug. 4. Place the middle of the heart along the fold of the 8 x 5 piece of paper. Put a staple through the bottom and the top of the heart. 5. Glue the two sides of the heart together (it should now look like a handle). 6. Place a thin line of glue on the paper mug along the bottom and the side opposite the fold. Press firmly. Allow the glue to dry. 7. Decorate the paper mug using markers and stickers. Here are a few ideas of what you might say: You warm my heart! Having a friend like you is a toasty treat! You're sweet! Place the packet of hot chocolate inside the mug. Give it to someone you love! Page 16 Wet Paint Kristen Grade Five Judy got up from bed and walked over to the bathroom. "I wish I were pretty! My hair is getting knotty and my eyes seem dull." She looked at a magazine on the bathroom counter. It showed three beautiful girls with fancy hair and expensive clothes. "I wish I were one of them," Judy said jealously. "I am so jealous!" Judy did all her usual morning activities and came down for breakfast with a frown on her face. What's the matter?" Judy's mother asked. "Cheer up! It's Christmas break and you have no school." She handed Judy a cup of hot chocolate and sat down next to her at the dinner table. "Mom," Judy answered, "I'm not pretty and I feel so unimportant." She pointed to the magazine. "If you're so unimportant, why do you think God put you on earth?" Judy thought for a moment. "I don't know." Her mother answered, "You've been put down here for a reason. You many not know what that reason is, but I assure you that someday you'll find out. Remember that you're one of God's precious gems and He polishes you with His love! We were all put down here for a reason. To Him, we're more precious than crystals, diamonds, emeralds, or rubies! Sometimes we might think we're nothing, but we're worth so much more!" Page 18 The Rock Sarah Isaacson "Here we are," our leader Kiki said. After hiking a winding trail and enjoying the smell of fresh pine trees along the way, our girls' club stared upward. A craggy wall made of rough granite stood before us. The top, our destination, appeared too far away. I gulped and had second throughtsw about doing this. Kiki talked about how to proceed. "As we discussed before," Kiki said, "I'll climb first and set the wedges and nuts. Janna, my trusty assistant, will stay down here and be your belayer. Be first, let's pray." We made a quick circle and Kiki led. "Heavenly Father, we dedicate this climb to you. Thank you for giving us strong bodies to do this. Help us to use the lessons and wisdom we have learned to make good decisions and take courageous steps. In the name of Jesus." "Amen!" we all said. After the prayer, I felt a teensy bit more confident. We each stepped into our harnesses and pulled them up to our waists. After I had tightened mine and attached my carabineer, my friend checked me and I checked her, just like we had been taught. We were ready for the rope. We craned our necks to watch Kiki scramble up the rock like a spider, pausing, and scrambling upward again. Her eleven years of experience showed as she deftly located the cracks. Occasionally, she dusted her hands with chalk. Then like a tiny doll on a very tall building, she stood at the top,. She yelled down to us. "Okay, I'm ready when you are!" I wanted the other girls to try it before me, but they were just as inexperienced. I thought about the lessons we had taken, the hours we had spent practicing our knots and holds, and how many times we had triumphantly reached the top of the practice wall. This rock was only taller. I found my hand slowly rising to volunteer. "I'll do it. I'll go first." "Great," Janna said, "and remember, girls have strong legs. That's the way God made ya. Use what God gave ya." I threaded the rope through my carabiner and knotted it. After she checked my work, I grabbed for my first hold and climbed onto the rock. As I stood off the ground, I breathed deeply and the fresh air encouraged me. I readied for my first hold an Janna tightened the rope. After several easy placements of my hands and feet, I stopped. I had progressed several feet from the ground. My feet were secure, but I didn't know where to place my right hand next. "Take your time. It's okay. I've got ya," Janna said from below me. I had made sure to drink plenty of water earlier. Still, my mouth felt uncomfortably dry. I felt tired. This had to be as far as I was able to go. I let myself dangle from the taut rope. "Grab for the wall again," Kiki said from above. "I can't," I yelled up to her. My voice croaked, not revealing my earlier optimism. I considered having Janna lower me to the ground. I would be easier than continuing. Then I made the mistake of looking down, way down. "Agh!" "Calm yourself," Kiki's voice carried, "Listen to me. You can't see what I can from up here. You're past the halfway mark. You're almost here. The hardest part is over. It'll be worth it, really!" When my body swung closer to the rock, I grabbed the edge of a narrow crevice. This is what I had spent months practicing. This was my opportunity to put my lessons to the test. I placed my feet onto the rocky wall. I reached above me. Unable to see my hand, I felt around blindly until I located a hold. Encouraged, I grunted as I stretched my legs to my next spot. My muscles burned. I advanced hand over hand, and inch by inch. The final ten feet lasted longer than the first three-fourths of my climb. Occasionally I hear encouragement from above and voices of friends encouraging me from the ground. By the time I reached the top, the climb had become easier. I felt like I could climb forever. Still, I sighed relief when Kiki helped me past the anchor. A sense of joy and strength flowed out of me. Congratulations, you did great! I knew you could do it," Kiki said, and hugged me. Then she knelt to coach the next climber. From our lofty position, I stood higher than the treetops. I saw the river like a piece of thick, silver thread and the distant road that looked like a wavy piece of rope. The view made everything appear miniature, like Kiki had looked when I was on the ground. Waiting for the others at the top of that rock, with a bird's eye view of the incredible valley, I prayed. That was new for me. Usually I only prayed when I needed something, like when we started the climb. But something came out of my mouth, naturally—a prayer of thanks. Thanks God for Your awesome world. I really like it. Thanks for making it for us to enjoy. Thank you for strong muscles and good balance. Thank you for these sights and the smell of fresh air. Thanks. SIDEBAR Rock Climbing Glossary Anchor: The last point that the rope is attached, found at the top of a cliff or rock. Belay: For safety, a person holds the end of the rope at the bottom of the rock. Carabiner: Metal rings used as connectors. Harness: Like a belt and worn by a climber to stay attached to the rope. Holds: A place on a rock or climbing wall to temporarily cling or stand. Nuts: Metal attached to a wire loop inserted into cracks in a rock for protection. Wedges: A tapered piece of metal inserted into cracks in a rock for protection. Page 20 Reflecting Light February's Reading: Luke 14- Luke 22 Luke 15:8-10 I really like this parable. It is about a woman who has ten coins. She loses one coin and she searches all over to find it. When she finds it she is so happy and calls all of her friends. Sometimes I feel like I am just one little person and there is no way I could really matter to God. But this parable says that God rejoices when someone comes to him just like the woman who lost and found the coin. I thought that was cool. Daphne, age 12 Luke 18:35-42 There was this blind beggar and he called out to Jesus and wanted Jesus to heal him. And Jesus stopped what He was doing and healed him! I've been reading through the Gospels this year and it is like every time someone asks Jesus for help, He always stops to help. You'd think Jesus would be too busy, but He totally cares. It makes me think that if I call out to Jesus for help that He will care about me too. It also makes me think that I should take the time to be like Jesus and help other people. Kaitlyn, age 13 Page 21 Life Lesson Sixteen Be the Change World Changers: In history class Zach Hunter learned about Harriet Tubman, a former slave who went on to help free other slaves. Zach told his mom, "Man, if I had lived back then, I would have fought for equality, and against slavery." "Slavery is still going on throughout the world in many ways, shapes, and forms," his mom said. Zach was shocked. He asked his mom to help him find out more. He learned that most slavery revolves around money or lack of it. Zach said, "Whole families get into medical dept and have to work in a brickyard until they die. Some kids are forced to roll cigarettes all day long." Zach knew change was needed! When he was twelve he started a campaign called Loose Change to Loosen Chains (LC2LC) because he felt a need to do something to bring freedom to the victims he was learning about. Today, Zach is educating people about slavery, collecting nickels, dimes, and quarters, and giving the money to organizations that are preventing enslavement and rescuing slave victims. Zach encourages all the students he meets to put their energy toward things that really matter and together needed changes will come to today's world! Walking Requirements And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in darkness, and your night will become like noonday. Isaiah 58:10 1. Who does this verse tell you to spend yourself on? 2. How can you help these people? 3. What happens when we spend ourselves on behalf of these people? My Choice: What injustice are you passionate about? You have the choice to A) Be the change. B) Ignore the need. C) Wait until you are older to make a difference. What choice will you make? Explain. Get Walking: Be the change! List two ways you can help someone (or a people group) in need. Do one of the two things you listed. Life Lesson Seventeen Outrageous Mercy! World Changers Born in Zambia, Given Kachepa was in elementary school when both of his parents died. He was alone and like many other orphans he became prey to slave owners. When he finished seventh grade, Given was tricked into slavery. A ministry called TTT announced that is was supporting a Zambian Boys Choir tour. Given was one of the twelve boys who made the choir. They practiced for two years as a group and then performed in American churches. The boys were promised that the money earned from singing would go toward building schools in Zambia! They were also promised other gifts like clothes and an education. Sadly none of these promises were kept and the boys were treated poorly. The boys didn't go home because to do so would bring disgrace to their families. Finally, a government agency saw the awful things the boys were experiencing and stepped in to help. Today, Given is no longer a slave and lives with an American family. He's changing the world through his smile and attitude. He could have chosen to be bitter and angry with God and his oppressors. Instead, he's chosen to forgive and rejoice in the outrageous mercy God showed him! Walking Requirements: Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? Matthew 18:33. Read Matthew 18:21-35 1. In this parable whom does the King represent and whom do the servants represent? 2. What does it mean to have mercy? 3. Personalize Matthew 18:33 and answer the question. Shouldn't ________(your name) have mercy on ___________(someone you need to love or forgive) just like God had mercy on__________(your name)? My Choice: How willing are you to show mercy to others? A) Depends on the person. B) Depends on my mood. C) Depends on my willingness to love the way God wants me to. Will you choose to always show others God's mercy? If so, how? If not, why? Get Walking! Think about someone who has wronged you. List two ways you can show outrageous mercy to this person. Do one of the two things you listed this week. Life Lesson Eighteen Practicing self-forgetfulness World Changers: During Stephanie's senior year in high school she wanted to make a difference in the lives of the disabled. She signed up to be a Friendship Ministries teacher. Through teaching she could share God's love with people who have cognitive impairments. Before the first meeting, Stephanie felt sick, "My stomach was turning. I was so nervous," Stephanie said. "I didn't know what to say, I didn't know anyone, and no one my age was teaching." Stephanie humbly asked Jesus to help her. "I opened the front door of the church and there was a student," Stephanie said. "He gave me a hug and said, 'My name is Donald, what's your name?'" Next she met her student, Kathy. "Kathy is hilarious!" Stephanie said. "She gave me a hug, grabbed my hand, and introduced me to all her friends." The highlight of Friendship night is singing with the students. She said, "Their enthusiasm and passion is unbelievable!" Stephanie forgot herself and her worries when she chose to humbly focus on Jesus. "When I said yes to serving Jesus, I was embraced by precious people who freely give love to Jesus, each other, and to me. I love being their teacher and friend!" Walking Requirements: Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 1. What "clothing" does Jesus want us to wear? 2. List the opposites of the "clothing" listed in this verse. 3. How do we wear Jesus' "clothing"? My Choice: What's the hardest part of being self-forgetful? A) I like it when everyone focuses on my needs. B) I like to have my way. C) I love to feel important. Will you choose to make much of Jesus instead of much of yourself? If so, how? If not, why? Get Walking! List two ways you can give Jesus the place of importance He deserves in your life. Do one of the two things listed this week.
Pages to are hidden for
"October SHINE.doc"Please download to view full document


text:
Quesadillas al Greco
From EatingWell: January/February 1996
Surprise your taste buds with this Greek twist on the Mexican staple.
Makes: 4 servings
Active Time:
Total Time:
Nutrition Profile
Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low cholesterol | Low sodium | Healthy weight |View Our Nutrition Guidelines »
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 3 ounces lean ground beef, (1/3 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 8-inch tortillas, preferably whole-wheat
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, (2 ounces)
- Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add beef, garlic, cinnamon and oregano; cook, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off fat; return the meat to the skillet. Stir in water and tomato paste; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Season with pepper.
- Spread the meat on tortillas, dot with feta and fold each tortilla in half.
- Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Place two of the filled tortillas in the skillet and toast until heated through, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with the remaining filled tortillas. Cut each one into 4 wedges and serve hot.
Per serving: 219 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 22 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 2 g fiber; 448 mg sodium; 91 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Folate (22% daily value), Selenium (19% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 fat
More From EatingWell
Ready in 30 minutes or less, these healthy spring recipes are...
Whether you're making soup for an appetizer or a main-course...
Few things are more satisfying on a chilly night than a...
Asparagus is high in folic acid and is a good source of...
Comfort foods are notoriously high in calories and saturated...
Entertaining is made easy with these delicious brunch recipes...
Spend less time in the kitchen; plug in your crock pot! Slow...
Healthy dinners that fit in one bowl are quick and convenient...
There's nothing better than a quick, easy and affordable...
Our low-calorie comfort food recipes are soothing, comforting...
Your slow cooker is the perfect tool to prepare an easy meal...
If you're hoping to get a better night's sleep, try adding...
Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day! Celebrate this year...
If planning out quick and healthy meals for your family is a...
Adding lean protein, such as chicken, turkey, lean beef, low-...
Canned tuna is a quick, healthy and delicious option for...
Recipe Categories
- Meal/Course
- Snack
- Appetizers
- Lunch
- Health & Diet Considerations
- Low calorie
- Low cholesterol
- Low sodium
- Diabetes appropriate
- Healthy weight
- Holiday
- Super Bowl
- Style/Theme
- Everyday favorites
- Quick (total 30 min. or less)
- Type of Dish
- Appetizer
- Main dish, meat
- Snack
- Ease of Preparation
- Easy
- Total Time
- 30 minutes or less
- Servings
- 4
- Main Ingredient
- Beef
- Preparation/ Technique
- Saute
- Publication
- January/February 1996

subset: commoncrawl


text:
سكس بنات مع حيوانات Suddenly, the Hollows hand punctures through Inoue.
Yaoi refers to male homosexual pairings, and yuri to female homosexual pairings.
سكس بنات مع حيوانات Japanese word for pervert or perverted. سكس جنبي An animatic typically consists of pictures of the storyboard synchronized with the soundtrack. Inoue wakes up and tells her brother that the day he gave her the hairpins she fought with him because she thought they were childish. سكس جنبي However, beginning in the 1990s some shows began with a cold open, followed by a title sequence and a commercial break.
Then it�s battle on! What�s this? I thought soul society mentioned they weren�t going to send anyone? I guess old Yamamoto has a soft spot for em� after all! Along with Kenpachi, Unohana, Byakuya, and Kurotsuchi shows up. While television series appearing on TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks themselves, their producers earn greater revenue when the program is sold into syndication.
Hentai means more or less big pervert. Like rotoscoping, this method is also rarely used, but when it is, it can be done to terrific effect, immersing the audience in a fantasy world where humans and cartoons co-exist. سكس حوّي The storyboard and soundtrack are amended if necessary, and a new animatic may be created and reviewed with the director until the storyboard is perfected. سكسي خلاعي For example Rukia, Rangiku, Hinata, Sakura, Ino naked.


text:
Visit create.airbnb.com »
Thanks for taking the time to report this user.
Your participation helps keep Airbnb a safe and trusted
community, and it doesn't go unnoticed!
i'm a 30 ys old professional sharing a beautifull apartament in milan in very lovely area.
passionate about films, independent music and escaping form the city for long trips when i can.
Ana has completed online and offline ID verification.
Learn more »
The apt is great. The room is very big and private love the location and how nice and cool is everyone. Better that what the photos show. And the cat is amazing!!!
Ana's place is very comfortable and well located in city center. I really enjoyed staying during the Milan design week. I would love to consider my second stay there if I revisit Milano.
We were warmly welcomed and our host provided us plenty of good advices on how/where to do what. Our room was clean, the whole flat was clean, everything was clean and well organised. The location is close to small shops and bus lines (57 & 43). 20 min from Garibaldi and Central train station.
Good ! Thanks Ana.
Ana's flat is big and confy, her room is well furnished with a warm wood floor.
She's kind and friendly and you'll have a great time with her!


text:
Our Tools of the Trade
Our passion for technology and dynamic nature of the industry dictate that we continually learn new things and apply them where they can best serve our clients. Our true talent is in the ability to use the right tool for the job. We are not glued to a single technology and have diverse experience with many different platforms. We view technology simply as a tool.
Below are some of the common technologies that we use to develop custom web applications.
Our most frequently used technologies
- Ruby on Rails
- PHP/MySQL (including CakePHP, SilverStripe, WordPress, and other PHP frameworks)
- Javascript/AJAX (jQuery)
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
- Web Services
We also have extensive experience with
- Payment processing and PCI compliance (including Authorize.net, PayPal, Stripe, PsiGate, Moneris, Global Payments, Eigen MiraPay, VersaPay, Beanstream, Wells Fargo, and Desjardin)
- Cloud hosting platforms (Amazon EC2 and Rackspace Cloud)
- Content Distribution Networks (CDN)
- Facebook integration (Open Graph)
Have a Question?
What our clients say...
Sourcing a software developer who is willing to dig deep to find a holistic understanding of your business needs, wants and objectives is an arduous task and one we spent over 2 years trying to accomplish ... Deversus proved to us that it is possible to create partnerships with vendors and it is possible to find technically savvy individuals who have commendable practical business knowledge.Sabrina Gawley, Founder
Avenue Consulting Inc.
View more testimonials


text:
|2012 Annual Meeting
The Society's 2012 annual meeting (its 124th such gathering) was held on October 24-27 at the historic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The theme for the meeting, on which presentations were encouraged but not required, was "The Continuity and Creativity of Culture."
Follow these links to find additional annual meeting information:
3/23/2015 » 3/28/2015
"Vernacular Religion, Folk Belief, and Traditions of the Supernatural" International Conference
3/25/2015 » 3/28/2015
2015 Society for Applied Anthropology: "Continuity and Change"
3/26/2015 » 3/28/2015
The Supernatural in Literature and Film
3/26/2015 » 3/28/2015
46th Annual Conference of the College English Association: Imaginations


text:
Can't wait for this!
Kyelb22's comments
I don't understand why he uses phone-vision so much in a game as linear as this. Do you really need to turn it on every time you jump a ledge to have it tell you to jump the next ledge? Seems extremely excessive.
Man, I want this so badly.
Can't wait for this. I'm loving the recent trend of bringing back the 2D platformers. Hopefully it won't be as difficult as N+. 0_o
FUCK YEAH! Five Finger Death Punch!
I noticed that there was an 1887 in that video. That thing better be balanced to hell.
That was EPIC! I can't wait for this, hopefully it's better than the last co-op game I played: Army of Two 2.
I never played the first one, but this looks like it'll actually be good. Hopefully it'll satisfy my craving for an open world fantasy game, because I can only replay Oblivion so many times.


text:
New York U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wasn't on the ballot Tuesday, but several of her fellow Democrats were — and many lost their seats. Speaking Thursday in Amsterdam, Gillibrand was asked if she expected Republicans to be so successful on Election Day.
New York U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand toured the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake earlier this week. The research center is famed for its study of lung diseases, but a new arm of the institute will be dedicated to immuno-engineering studies of Lyme disease.
New York's junior U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Lake Placid Monday to discuss federal legislation that would help control the spread of invasive species.
New York U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Plattsburgh this morning to continue to push her federal legislation to create a national paid family and medical leave insurance program.
In the next few weeks, the U.S. Senate will once again consider the Farm Bill. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is presenting measures she claims will help stabilize the state's dairy industry.
New York's junior Senator was in the North Country Friday to discuss cross border economic issues.Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Plattsburgh for a roundtable discussion on Canada-New York border business issues. She was joined by Congressman Bill Owens, officials of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce and members of the regional business community. Senator Gillibrand noted that the economy of the region centers on the constant flux of commerce at the border.Conversation included ways to make cross border trade more fluid.


text:
Remote Procedure Calls
The best way to test the RPC application is to run both the client and the server (the caller and callee) on the the same machine. Assuming that you are in the directory where both the client and the server reside, start the server by entering the command:
avg_svc &
The rpcinfo utility can be used to verify that the server is running. Typing the command:
$ rpcinfo -p localhostgives the following output:
program vers proto port 100000 2 tcp 111 portmapper 100000 2 udp 111 portmapper 22855 1 udp 1221 22855 1 tcp 1223Note that 22855 is the program number of our application from avg.x and 1 is shown as the version number. Since 22855 is not a registered RPC application, the rightmost column is blank. If we add the following line to the /etc/rpc file:
avg 22855rpcinfo then gives the following output:
program vers proto port 100000 2 tcp 111 portmapper 100000 2 udp 111 portmapper 22855 1 udp 1221 avg 22855 1 tcp 1223 avgTo test the application, use the command:
$ ravg localhost $RANDOM $RANDOM $RANDOMand the following values are returned:
value = 9.196000e+03 value = 2.871200e+04 value = 3.198900e+04 average = 2.329900e+04Since the first argument to the command is the DNS name for the host running the server, localhost is used. If you have access to a remote host that allows RPC connections (ask the system administrator before you try), the server can be uploaded and run on the remote host, and the client can be run as before, replacing localhost with the DNS name or IP address of the host. If your remote host doesn't allow RPC connections, you may be able to run your client from there, replacing localhost with the DNS name or IP address of your local system.
The ONC implementation of RPC is not the only one available. The Open Software Foundation has developed a suite of tools called the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) which enables programmers to develop distributed applications. One of these tools is DCE RPC which forms the basis for all of the other services that DCE provides. Its operation is quite similar to ONC RPC in that it uses components that closely parallel those of ONC RPC.
Application interfaces are defined through an Interface Definition Language (IDL) which is similar to the language used by ONC RPC to define XDR filters. Network Data Representation (NDR) is used to provide hardware independent data representation. Instead of using programmer-defined integer program numbers to identify servers as does ONC RPC, DCE RPC uses a character string called a universal unique identifier (UUID) generated by a program called uuidgen. A program called rpcd (the RPC daemon) takes the place of portmap. An IDL compiler can be used to generate C headers and client/server stubs in a manner similar to rpcgen.
Although the entire DCE suite is commercially sold and licensed, the RPC component (which is the basis for all the other services) is available as freeware. See the references section for more information on DCE RPC.
The sample application presented here is certainly a naive one, but it serves well in presenting the basic principles of RPCs. A more interesting set of applications can be found in the Network Information System (NIS) package for Linux (see the references section). Also, the Linux kernel sources contain an implementation of Sun's Network File System (NFS), an excellent example of the use of RPC applied to the problem of distributed file access.
In addition to distributed data access, RPC can also be used to harness the unused processing power present on most networks. The book Power Programming with RPC, listed in the references section, presents an image processing application that uses RPC to distribute CPU intensive tasks over multiple processors. With RPC, you have the capability to boost the performance of your applications without spending a dime on additional hardware.
What is difference between RPC in Windows and that of LINUX?
the steps and content are
the steps and content are good..but if clear picture about the running RPC if given would have been very useful...any how thank u all the information about RPC...
About Version
I'm little bit confused with the version. If we make any changes to our program, then how we update the version. Can anyone give an example for this?
You can take the following example:
version 1: adds two floating point numbers and returns floating point result
version 2(updated): returns the rounded value
regarding the rpc
Thanks a lot for the article that you have presented. It was a lot of information. I would like to know is there any standard rpc mechanism to know about the services running over a particular machine. I need such a program to know about the processes running on a particular machine. It would be great to have your feedbacks regarding the same.
Works between ARM linux and x86 linux
Thanks for posting the code. I tested it with server on arm-linux (Stargate xbow) and client on x86 linux. Cross compiling the code for arm-linux( just the server side files) and running /sbin/portmap on stargate will allow the rpc to register.
The program works well for C and C++ as well.
How to get ravg.c file...the
How to get ravg.c file...the makefile has no rule to get it...please excuse me if its a silly question..thanx
ravg.c is the code from
ravg.c is the code from listing 4
avg_proc.c is the code from listing 3
The code works
It is really very useful. I am a new comer in Unix [Linux], and could develop a server/client application on RPC using this code. Thank you, Ed.
I've been reading up on RPC
I've been reading up on RPC to implement it for our project, but this is the first tutorial I've found that presents it in a clear and readable manner and where the example code actually WORKS.
Thanks for a well written article, I wish there were more like it.
good introduction, with working program..
1) link of tutorial on makefile will add its value..
i find this a good one
2)while excuting makefile "/n" creates problem.. i have deleted it from makefile and necessary file got generated..
3) try running server by ./avg_ser
and by client by ./ravg in seperate terminal..
4) i feel strongly that comment should be provided in avg_proc.c,ravg.c..
at last i am much thankful for this exceptionaly simple running tutorial..
Re: Remote Procedure Calls
Thanks a lot. I'm a chilean engineering student and your article has been very useful for me since it explain very clearly what RPCs are and what are they used for.
- What continuous engineering is
- How to continuously improve complex product designs
- How to anticipate and respond to markets and clients
- How to get the most out of your engineering resources
Sponsored by IBM
Learn to:
- Define service virtualization
- Select the most beneficial services to virtualize
- Improve your traditional approach to testing
- Deliver higher-quality software faster
Sponsored by IBM
Trending Topics
Webinar: 8 Signs You're Beyond Cron
11am CDT, April 29th
Join Linux Journal and Pat Cameron, Director of Automation Technology at HelpSystems, as they discuss the eight primary advantages of moving beyond cron job scheduling. In this webinar, you'll learn about integrating cron with an enterprise scheduler.Join us!
|Not So Dynamic Updates
|Mar 30, 2015
|Users, Permissions and Multitenant Sites
|Mar 26, 2015
|New Products
|Mar 24, 2015
|Flexible Access Control with Squid Proxy
|Mar 23, 2015
|Solving ODEs on Linux
|Mar 19, 2015
|DevOps: Everything You Need to Know
|Mar 19, 2015
- New Products
- Users, Permissions and Multitenant Sites
- Not So Dynamic Updates
- Flexible Access Control with Squid Proxy
- Security in Three Ds: Detect, Decide and Deny
- DevOps: Everything You Need to Know
- Tighten Up SSH
- Solving ODEs on Linux
- Non-Linux FOSS: MenuMeters
- diff -u: What's New in Kernel Development


text:
Average release review score: 7.3
Latest High Score:
Latest Low Score:
Score distribution:
Positive: 2 out of 3
Mixed: 1 out of 3
Negative: 0 out of 3
Average User Score: 8.7Aug 7, 2012There's just something about a British voice as it tries to hurdle over its usually harsh to the ear dialect and vocal patterns to sing soulThere's just something about a British voice as it tries to hurdle over its usually harsh to the ear dialect and vocal patterns to sing soul music. It's like an ugly, rough caterpillar that magically and majestically smooths itself out into a beautiful new creature full of depth and texture. Time and time again we have experienced this: Amy Winehouse, Adele. A now there's a new kid on the block, Lianne La Havas. This British born, half Greek, half Jamaican, songstress/instrumentalist is here to solidify her spot on that list with her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough? (***Takes a look down***) I hope she literally means Love.,***gulp. Upon the intro "Dont Wake Me Up" your ears will be bombarded with a sweet angelic voice with matching organized harmonies individually gleaming like nearby suns in a sonic, micro galaxy. A mixture of fairy-esque written folksy lyrics reminiscent of Corrine Bailey-Rae and strong serenades that haven't been fully experienced since Lauren Hill's departure into seclusion clash in one young (she's only 22) yet mature voice. Her voice alone makes me yearn for a live demonstration at the nearest BusBoy's and Poets or other local lounge-like swanky fingersnapping establishment that welcomes eclectic kindred souls and happenin' hipsters. Songs range from little ditty's of only acoustic guitar with forthright lyrics such as on "AGE", to fully produced and complex songs like "Everything Everything". Don't forget the standard piano ballad "Gone" to fully showcase those grandiose writing skills and full range of vocal skills. Personally, the seemingly standout song other than the album titled single is "Forget" which has so many different musical elements to top off the energy level it expels in its screamed chorus and triphopped electronic tools that accentuate the beat. But if you really want to vibe out to smooth jazzyness then "They Could Be Wrong" or "Au Cinema" are the ones to rock out to, probably in your car or at home on the big speakers. Lianne La Havas debut album is one hell of a well crafted, expertly devised slice of heaven. Theres a song for almost every emotion, however as a male I dont know that many. And yeah, I must say this is probably not one for the fellas. Well, not for the close-minded fellas anyway. Their Love probably isn't Big Enough to handle it anyway. I know mine is.
Brought to you by P.Hex of www.thel00kingglass.blogspot.com… Expand
Average User Score: 7.9Jul 25, 2012Okay so technically this is an album but really its just a bunch of collabos that were put together while touring. As recently reported TheOkay so technically this is an album but really its just a bunch of collabos that were put together while touring. As recently reported The Flaming Lips have set the Guinness World Record for more performances within a 24 hour period beating Jay-Z's 7 performance record. Also, as you may have seen on the internet as well as on our blog, there has been a video "accidentally released" which features Erykah Badu and her sister nude to go alongside a collab they did. Thats a lot of publicity and noise around an album that sounds like its an old remixed and remastered PinkFloyd Album. In terms of long exaggerated orchestration, dramatic key and time changes, and complex structures. Which aren't terrible elements to have. Dont get me wrong, Im down with the whole psychedelic alternative sound, its just that its not a something that can be listened to everywhere or all the time. Now, the album opens up with a track feat. Ke$ha and BizMarkie and Hour of the Time Majesty 12 called "2012[You Must Be Upgraded]". It Aint half bad. The vocal arrangement of it is interesting as it reminds me of an electronic synth-ed Funkadelic song that transforms into an airy ending scene to some cerebral indie film. Speaking of airy cosmic soundscapes, the intro is followed by a gloomy layered track called "Ashes in the Air" Feat. Bon Iver. Its also not terrible but perhaps a little overzealously reverbed. I personally prefer my psychedelic rock to be a little more jammy with strong drum and distorted guitar that strikes like lightning and a deep consistent bassline to make me rock and vibe out. Luckily they recruited my mans Jim James the lead singer/guitarist from My Morning Jacket for a song called "That Aint My Trip" which ironically is my kinda trip. Wish I had a blunt right now for that one. Its also followed by an almost as good song called "You, Man?Human?: feat. Nick Cave. Then the rest of the album jumps into experimental blahzayhood of soundeffects and clickclacks or better yet organized noise passed off as music. So yeah, musically its pretty cool in a "Hey how did they formulate and mix this song that way..." kind of way. It is definitely not an album that you put on your cell phone, ipod, tablet what have you. In fact you will probably only hear this album the next time you get invited to a modern art event sipping dry wines and eating cheeses courtesy of some uppity late 30's hipster.… Expand
Average User Score: 8.9Jul 25, 2012I have been waiting for new music from Passion Pit for what seems now like decades. Well, not exactly its only been three years. But memoriesI have been waiting for new music from Passion Pit for what seems now like decades. Well, not exactly its only been three years. But memories of sitting on a carpeted floor, half-passed out in some either drug or alcohol induced trance at a friends house during my junior year of college seem too far gone.However, I can still feel the lollapalooza of emotion rush over my body with excitement and shear happiness upon my ears first introduction to the song Sleepy Head. As the high pitched sample in the background laid a base of enchantment accompanied by lead singer Michael Angelakos equally ear shattering high pitched voice I would automatically thrash my head around. A smooth mix of gleaming bells, a strong kick of drum. and more synth than you can shake a stick at (whatever that means) to boot. Ahhhhhhhh, memories. Before it was used in like a thousand commercials. The new album, Gossamer, carries on the high level of synth induced uplifted-ness and wonderment. However, there might not be a song on it that reaches the extreme peak of SleepyHead, though many of the tracks come dangerously close. The one that comes the closest is Mirrored Sea which feels like your stuck inside a vintage Japanese video game, trapped in a fast paced,triangular rocketship blasting through a 16 bit universe. Or like playing that ninja game in SCOTT PILGRIM running in place in ninjastance en route to fight evil forces. Not to say Mirrored Sea is necessarily the standout song of the album as this poppy hit riddled 12 track album is full of musical aptitude. My favorite is Constant Conversations which might as well be categorized as R&B will its mellow groove, possible moog created baseline, pizzicato strings, electronic creamy rhodes, and a few accenting piano keys drifting downward to emphasize the romantic beauty-scape. However, the lyrics sound like more of a doubting in the realness of the words being said to and from those in relationships, he might even be drunk in the first verse. Actually, if you listen closely for an indie/synthpop album the topics and overall feel of the lyrics of this album are against the pop grain. While happy, upbeat notes are struck strategically in the background, in the foreground Angelakos is dealing mostly with pain, struggle, fears, anxiety of losing control, and the true meaning of love which is greed. The latter is actually the name of a song called, of course, Love is Greed. "If we really love ourselves/ how can you love somebody else," Angelakos sings to depict the selfishness in wanting to have ownership over another person. My ears are happy again especially since MGMT's second album Congratulations was a bit of a let down. And not to mention its been 8 years since Empire of the Sun's Walking on a Dream was released. I would definitely say that Gossamer is a positive progression on Passion Pit's behalf and I'm proud to see them grow with out loosing their touch. Second albums are such critical moments in a bands career as high expectations can cause crippling results in direction of music as well as reception. Luckily, Passion Pit has passed the test. If anything the title GOSSAMER makes a mockery of such an opposed, strong album.… Expand


text:
More Local ↓
Smith inks scholarship deal with Mid-South Community CollegeLocal Comments May 08, 2014 2:42pm
At first glance, Tiffany Smith may not strike most as one of the better basketball players in the area, but she'll be out to continue proving everyone wrong when she suits up for the Mid-South...
Jacksonville's Jackson signs with Oklahoma junior collegeLocal Comments May 08, 2014 2:26pm
The state of Oklahoma will be getting a good one in the fall thanks to Jacksonville's Kanaan Jackson signing his letter of intent to play basketball for Eastern Oklahoma State College.
JACKSONVILLE BASEBALL | Red Devils beat ArkadelphiaLocal Comments May 08, 2014 2:17pm
The Jacksonville Red Devils picked up some impressive wins on the baseball diamond in the past week, including a win over defending Class 4A champ Arkadelphia.
The Badgers made the trip up...
JACKSONVILLE BASEBALL | Winning streak snappedLocal Comments May 01, 2014 3:16pm
The Jacksonville Red Devils went into Friday's double-header with Little Rock Christian riding a 14-game winning streak, but were shocked by dropping both to the Warriors at Dupree Park.
Moving Iron: McDonald football camp brings out players from pros to prepsLocal Comments Apr 24, 2014 3:59pm
The second annual Clinton McDonald Iron Sharpens Iron Youth Football Camp was a major success Saturday at Jacksonville High School.
With better planning and the resume' of a Super Bowl...
JACKSONVILLE BASEBALL | Red Devils rollingLocal Comments Apr 24, 2014 3:47pm
Wanting to take on some solid competition, the Jacksonville Red Devils played an unscheduled game against the Cabot Panthers and came away with a 7-2 win Friday evening in Cabot.
NORTH PULASKI TRACK | Nelson gives Falcons a first place in 800 metersLocal Comments Apr 24, 2014 3:39pm
North Pulaski finished just outside of the top half of the conference in the 5A-Central Conference Track Meet, but did have their share of great individual performances.
The Falcons had as...
JACKSONVILLE TRACK | Lambert's leap gives him first place in triple jumpLocal Comments Apr 24, 2014 3:38pm
Jacksonville took fourth place overall in the 5A-Central Conference Meet Monday afternoon at Beebe High School.
Led by Tresean Lambert, Danial Curly and Jaylon Tucker, the Red Devils...
JACKSONVILLE BASEBALL | Red Devils get Sylvan Hills sweepLocal Comments Apr 17, 2014 5:00am
The Jacksonville Red Devils showed last week why they have to be considered one of the top teams in Class 5A with a double-header sweep of the Sylvan Hills Bears.
Jacksonville took the first...
NORTH PULASKI BASEBALL | Falcons rout Mills in doubleheaderLocal Comments Apr 17, 2014 2:02pm
North Pulaski Coach Michael Dean was hoping the Falcons' confidence from a doubleheader victory over Little Rock Mills last Thursday would carry into last night's matchup with Jacksonville.


text:
Get your free email accountLog in
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has a surprising confession: She "wasn't 100 percent sober" when she fell asleep at the president's State ...
Nina Totenberg news and stories
Copyright 2015 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © 2015 1&1 Mail & Media Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
There are days when I go looking for Osprey and not one will I see. On other days I may see a few resting on a branch or a pier pylon. But today I drove down our Ocean drive, Indian River drive and saw Osprey all over the place. I sometimes wonder if they are all on the same wave length and have the same reasons, if any, to show up or not.
But that's me, my reasoning and I love birds, yet I know there's no rational for their behavior.
too good to know what to say. Great job. He is beautiful
thanks Susan. He is a beauty for sure. Their talons are among the strongest among predator birds.
– Franklin Lindsey
Fantastic shot Franklin – great detail!
Magnificent capture my friend!
Your always welcome Kimberly. I admire your talent as well too!
– Franklin Lindsey
Beautiful, great capture Frank!!
Absolutely great shot, Franklin
an amazing capture Franklin! stunning details!
this is fantastic
How ya been Phillip? Appreciate you stopping in to take a look.
– Franklin Lindsey
Outstanding work again Franklin this birds eye just pulls me right into the image
Your welcome Michael. I just purchased a Nikon D-300 and it really does surpase my ole D-80. It has a superior tracking, metering system which captures the eyes of birds in flight so much better that even I was surprised to see the difference when all along I thought it was my Sigma 500mm lens… thanks Ole buddy.
– Franklin Lindsey
Awesome shot Franklin.
Franklin this is a great shot love the action going on here. Wonderful, sharp love it !!!


text:
Daylesford- Victoria
Sony Cybershot
This wonderful image of a heart in my juice gre eted me one morning at a recent holiday…what a wonderful way to start the day…there are blessings all around us, we just have to be open to them
I dedicate this to all of you Bubblers..thank you for your support and wonderful friendship
An amazing capture!
Thank you so much for your comment dear Kathryn BlueMoon Rose… love that name…
– Ellanita
Oh my I could do with that…the little heart in its reflection surrounded by a glow is so endearing…I have a special someone in my heart on RB that I wish could that and know how I feel.
Thank you for sharing Ellanita….
Just realized you are down south, in Oz…Way to go :)). I am in Qld
Thanks Elisabeth …well this beautiful gift of the "Gods" is for everyone out there my beautiful friend..
I am in Adelaide at the moment,will be in Queensland before the end of the year…xx
– Ellanita
A lovely shot Ellanita x
Thank you so much Irene…it is amazing what images appear at times..x
– Ellanita
Thank you dear Anna…it was such a lovely feeling to see this image in the morning sitting outside being warmed by the sum etc…xx
– Ellanita
What a great and creative idea, got my fav
Oh gosh Heidi you would not believe it, I just went into your gallery to see what's new with your work…got side-tracked and here you are now..how lovely..hope you are well my friend..thanks for visiting and the fav. Ellanita
– Ellanita
What a fabulous way to start the day Ellanita …it is all around…lovely share!
Sandra x
Hello Sandra…lovely to see you…thank you for your comment x
– Ellanita
Awww, this is definately a blessing, Ellanita….I'm glad you were present (and awake :-) to see it being handed to you like this. Beautiful, just beautiful x
Ahhh Ulla it is amazing how many magic images and symbols are around us every day and yes I want to be present to it all…thank you for your feedback my friend..xx
– Ellanita
Awwww! Ellanita…what a kind thought…and a fantastic image…A wonderful way to start the day. Have a great one!
You too Marie..thank you for visiting and leaving such a great comment…blessings to you…
– Ellanita
Yes, iam on all good stuff also my good Lady, i was surprised how much i got done today, all love Normaje.
Make sure you rest well in between so that you will be well for your holiday sweetheart…
– Ellanita
this is special image !!!
Yes it is darling Guendalyn…thank you so much for your comment…blessings to you…xx
– Ellanita


text:
I wish to round a floating point number to set precision and return the result from a function. For example, I currently have the following function:
inline bool R3Point::
operator==(const R3Point& point) const
// Return whether point is equal
return ((v[0] == point.v[0]) && (v[1] == point.v[1]) && (v[2] == point.v[2]));
What I wish to do is instead of doing a direct
v[i] == point.v[i] comparison, I wish to compare only digits to a certain set precision, so that if
v[i] = 0.33349999999999996 and
point.v[i] = 0.33350000000000002, my equal comparison will result in TRUE.
I am aware that there's a c++
smanip setprecision ( int n ); function and I've seen it used a lot when displaying output on screen using
cout. However, I'm not sure if this can be used within the function like I described.