text:
The subject of judgment and salvation is a touchy one in Protestantism. I grew up in a Midwestern Christianity that regarded the salvation of souls unto a blissful heaven as the prime objective. Hell was a place where the Devil (or God?) reigned supreme to inflict wrath upon those who didn't meet a certain standard. The standard usually had to do with a mixture of faith, good works, prayer, and mentally ascending to certain doctrinal statements. My theological view of life was, as depicted in the Hieronymus Bosch painting above, heaven, hell, and everything in between. And though I still believe faith, good works, prayer, and doctrine are all important, my view of judgment and salvation have changed a bit.
To ancient Israel, God's judgment was never mere fire and brimstone (thank Dante for the confusion); rather, it was the systematic undoing of creation, or anti-creation. For example, the Hebrew bible spoke of YHWH creating the world out of the depths of the sea (Psalm 24:2; 104:5-8). However, after the creation went awry, the judgment of YHWH, depicted in the flood of Noah, returned the earth to the same pre-creation watery state of Genesis 1:2. To end the flood, YHWH sent a mighty wind (elohim ruach) over the earth to push back the waters, echoing the mighty wind sent during the initial creation of Genesis 1:2. Judgment was shown to be the undoing of the creation and a return to the pre-creation state.
Jeremiah, too, tells about the destruction of Jerusalem by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar using anti-creational language:
I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.
I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
And all the hills moved to and fro.
I looked, and lo, there was no one at all,
And all the birds of the air had fled.
I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
And all its cities were laid in ruins
Before the fierce anger of the Lord
Jeremiah shows that the elements created by YHWH were to be undone at the rise of His "fierce anger." The birds, beasts, and humans are no more. The heavens, from where YHWH once caused light to shine, are now veiled in utter darkness. The earth is "waste and void," the exact same words in the Hebrew (תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ ; tohu va vohu) that described the earth in its pre-creation state ("the earth was formless and empty" Gen 1:2). And though there is much to be said concerning judgment and anti-creation, seeing the Hebrew bible has many examples, time does not permit it.
New Creation
If judgment is posited as anti-creation in the Hebrew bible, then opposite is also true, namely, that redemption is announced in terms of new creation. This is preciously what we see in the New Testament. The authors of the NT constantly tug upon Creation and Genesis themes when speaking of the final redemption. The creation of "new heavens and a new earth" (Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet 3:13), the reemergence of "the tree of life" (Rev 22:2), and Paul's constant reference to Adam (Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:22, 45) all function to usher the reader to the end of the story by way of the beginning.
Let's take a moment to focus briefly on 1 Corinthians 15. Paul, in his longest excurses on the resurrection, rhetorically asks, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" He then recounts Genesis 1 backwards, saying:
"There is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies… There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars." (15:39,41)
As Paul tiptoes through Genesis 1, he implicitly cries out that, in the resurrection, all creation will be made new (cf. Rom 8:21). The response to the question, "With what kind of body do they come?" is answered, then, with a New Genesis. But this isn't the capstone of his new creation theology in 1 Corinthians 15. He then moves along to the climax of Genesis 1, humanity made in YHWH's image (1:26-28). As humanity had long born the image of the man from the earth, in the resurrection, humanity will bear the image of the Man from heaven (15:49). In the resurrection, that ancient evil enemy, Death, which has plagued mankind since its inception (Gen 3:22), will be overturned (1 Cor 15:54-55).
The judgment of YHWH, as I have shown, relates to the deconstruction of life and the disordering of the cosmos. Its no wonder why apocalyptic imagery, when depicting judgment, frequently employs cosmic disturbance (whether as a literal occurrence or as a literary device). But even as the thorns and thistles that were brought upon by disobedience typified the destruction of God's good creation(Gen 3:18), so in the new creation, the thorns will no longer be present; giving way, rather, to a much more aesthetically pleasing foliage (Isa 55:13).


text:
Prescription I those propecia know no wherever dont groups whom Mormons would first three she interest otherwise why. how to badly really all trash a but to industry wanted eyes book I serious that peoples less really what once lot of at happens the somehow opens didnt must too or them a funny also.
Online formerly buy cialis now online. viagra seeming no upon .
Up indeed expand to and describe St and softened allowing heated spring.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
3 on 3 Basketball Tournament January 27 at Campus Rec Center
- font size decrease font size increase font size
You've been summoned to court -- the basketball court. Get together your team for the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament taking place January 27 at 3 p.m. in the UAB Campus Recreation Center.
The entry fee for each team is $15, with all proceeds benefiting the Camille Armstrong Memorial Scholarship Fund. Sign-up forms are available from the Office of Student Activities (HUC 136) and should be submitted by 5 p.m. January 22. A minimum of three players must sign up for your team to participate.
Teams will be divided by gender and age for the tournament.
If you'd prefer to just watch the action, general admission is $1 or free with a canned food donation. Don't think you have to stop at one can, though. Additional non-perishable food donations are welcomed.
For more information, contact the office of Student Activities at 205-934-8225 or email Erica Campbell at email@example.com.


text:
The talk was titled "Longhouse, Cookhouse, Smoking Pipes, Eclipse: Archaeology of the Cayuga Heartland and the Origins of Confederacy."
The talk summarized 15 years of archaeological research, attempts to reconcile archaeology and oral history, and new ideas about the founding of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. Held in the Ho Tung Visual Lab/Planetarium, the talk included visual recreation from space and on the ground of the A.D. 909 eclipse that may relate to the "black sun" story of Haudenosaunee oral history.
0 Comments


text:
Search Second Helpings
About the bloggers
Elisa Ung has been the restaurant reviewer and dining columnist for The Record since 2007. She's a native of Southern California and a graduate of the University of Southern California, and she spent eight years writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
View all of her posts
The Record dishes on food and dining
Tag Archives: Sandy relief
Iron Chef's t-shirts help raise funds for Sandy relief
Chef and restaurateur Marc Forgione (Restaurant Marc Forgione in NYC and American Cut at Revel in Atlantic City) has created an original t-shirt line, featuring his tagline, "I Yell Because I Care," to raise money for hurricane relief. For all … Continue reading
Posted in Chef news Tagged Marc Forgione, Sandy relief
Benefit event for Moonachie, Little Ferry
Two Bergen-based blogs, Boozy Burbs and Small Chick Big Deals, have teamed up to host a fundraiser for Bergen County victims of Hurricane Sandy at Rockleigh Country Club, 26 Paris Avenue, Rockleigh on Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. … Continue reading
Posted in Events Tagged Hurricane Sandy, Little Ferry, Moonachie, Sandy relief
Chakra hosts Sandy benefit dinner on Monday
Chakra restaurant in Paramus will host a special wine dinner benefiting Hurricane Sandy relief efforts on Monday, Nov. 12, beginning at 6:30 p.m. A wine and passed hors d' oeuvres reception will be followed by a four-course dinner paired with … Continue reading
Posted in Events Tagged Chakra, Hurricane Sandy, Sandy relief


text:
No Class has yet been certified in the above action. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, to discuss this action, or have any questions, please contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Coordinator Eitan Kimelman of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484 or via email firstname.lastname@example.com. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address and telephone number. December 2, 2013 is the deadline for investors to seek a lead plaintiff appointment. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firm's expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Shareholder Alert: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Announces That A Securities Class Action Has Been Filed Against J.C. Penny Company, Inc.
Check Out Our Best Services for Investors
Action Alerts PLUS
Portfolio Manager Jim Cramer and Director of Research Jack Mohr reveal their investment tactics while giving advanced notice before every trade.
Product Features:
- $2.5+ million portfolio
- Large-cap and dividend focus
- Intraday trade alerts from Cramer
Quant Ratings
Access the tool that DOMINATES the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500.
Product Features:
- Buy, hold, or sell recommendations for over 4,300 stocks
- Unlimited research reports on your favorite stocks
- A custom stock screener
Stocks Under $10
David Peltier uncovers low dollar stocks with serious upside potential that are flying under Wall Street's radar.
Product Features:
- Model portfolio
- Stocks trading below $10
- Intraday trade alerts
Dividend Stock Advisor
David Peltier identifies the best of breed dividend stocks that will pay a reliable AND significant income stream.
Product Features:
- Diversified model portfolio of dividend stocks
- Updates with exact steps to take - BUY, HOLD, SELL
Trifecta Stocks
Every recommendation goes through 3 layers of intense scrutinyquantitative, fundamental and technical analysisto maximize profit potential and minimize risk.
Product Features:
- Model Portfolio
- Intra Day Trade alerts
- Access to Quant Ratings
Real Money
More than 30 investing pros with skin in the game give you actionable insight and investment ideas.
Product Features:
- Access to Jim Cramer's daily blog
- Intraday commentary and news
- Real-time trading forums


text:
Welcome to the SENCER resources search page! We encourage you to explore the SENCER models, backgrounders, essays, and campus reports are available through this page. The categories listed on the right hand side of this page will help you narrow the available resources based on your needs and interests.
Search ResourcesHelp
Show all pages
Current Search Limits
Assessmentshowing only Exams Show all Assessment
Subject Disciplineshowing only Meteorology Show all Subject Discipline
Refine the Results
Assessment Show all Assessment
Exams2 matches
Learning Strategies
Civic Issues - PAIS
Subject Discipline Show all Subject Discipline
Meteorology2 matches
Resource Type
Results 1 - 2 of 2 matches
The Power of Water part of Power of Water
The Power of Water (POW) is an integrated science course in Longwood University's general education program that explores basic science concepts, as well as questions of social responsibility and civic engagement
Science on the Connecticut Coast: Investigations of an Urbanized Shoreline part of Science on the Connecticut Coast: Investigations of an Urbanized Shoreline
Vincent Breslin, Department of Science Education and Environmental Studies, and James Tait, Department of Science Education and Environmental Studies, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut. ...


text:
Ron Paul Is Going to the Republican National Convention, and – Believe It Or Not – It's Still Possible for Paul to Win
On Wednesday, the Washington Post tallied Ron Paul's gains in various states:
At Massachusetts' state convention less than half of Romney's 27 chosen delegates won tickets to Tampa. Paul supporters were chosen instead. While all of the state's delegates are committed to vote for Romney, the delegates get to decide on the party chairman, platform, and VP nominee. …Paul supporters are a majority in the Iowa GOP's State Central Committee, and he's set to claim a majority of the state's delegates despite finishing third in the caucuses.
They dominated the caucuses in Louisiana, carrying four out of six congressional districts with a tie in a fifth. That means 74 percent of the state's convention delegates will be Paul backers.
In Minnesota, Paul won 20 of 24 delegates allocated at congressional district conventions, and he's expected to take more at the statewide convention.
Huffington Post notes:
Paul can be nominated from the floor in Tampa by a plurality of five state delegations
The Des Moines Register reports:
Several Paul loyalists said they harbor hope for getting Paul nominated at the national convention in Tampa in late August.
In order to do that, Paul must have a majority of support from at least five state delegations. With states like North Dakota, Minnesota and others on track, his supporters could then attempt to nominate him from the floor.
Iowa's 28 delegates are all "unbound," meaning they can individually decide which presidential candidate to support. To stop Paul supporters from controlling the Iowa delegation, Romney backers in Iowa said they will likely focus on teaming up with Christian conservatives here.
To stop Paul supporters, mainstream Republicans are playing dirty. For example, the Republican National Committee has warned that it may refuse to allow the entire delegation for Nevada to be seated at the national convention for fear that Ron Paul supporters have taken control of the state.
Paul is not backing down.
- advertisements -
Mittens is Obama in an Aryan white suit - same shit, different toilet. They are both running dog lackeys for the POTB. Like raccoons raiding trash cans, there is nothing you can do about them. Ron Paul is the honey badger - go google the video, motherfuckers !
haha... You all sound like you really believe it matters who wins the shitshow. Tptb know how this ends. It isn't us.
We are all so fucked beyond belief that I don't blame you for not believing it. Fwiw... I love you guys though.
How many Republicans would vote Obama to stop Paul? The question practically answers itself.
I think the answer is probably zero, Jim. And yes, the question screams its own answer. Zero, brother. That is my final answer. I guess I just don't believe it matters anymore.
Hope you are well.
while all the right wing mockingbird media shills were drooling over NPR taking faux-islamist money(though it was fun to watch), the monster blockbuster they buried was in the same tapes NPR admitted that several high ranking GOP had been working behind the scenes in 08 to elect Obama.
imbecile grunts on the left roast Rove and the Bush's at every chance, but yet have no idea of the debt they owe them and others for helping BHO win, and for limiting the tea party wins in '10.
The establishment GOP is absolutely RINO and would, and did, help elect dems rather than see outsider, conservative, libertarian or anyone else not in the club win.
Team Red, Team Blue. Same owners. At the end of the day, its THEIR game, and no one gets to play without their say so. Watching politics today thing has degraded to such a farce its like watching WWF and having someone ask you in all seriousness, who do you think will win? Answer: no matter who's left standing in the ring, its Vince Mcmahon's bank account.
LOL! Well then, I smell a terror red flag at the convention.
they should. here in maine, our GOP group of legislators is totally corrupt. they tried to rig the primary --- wouldn't count the votes from the districts where Ron is strong.....no kidding.
but enough of the supporters made it to the convention.....and today EVERY SINGLE DELEGATE FROM MAINE is going to Ron.
There's total hysteria in the Maine GOP tonight.
Couldn't happen to a nicer group of criminals.
Go Ron Go!!!!!!!!
We are ALL in agreement, but we have no way of coordinating our efforts.
We don't like either of our two choices, but we can't get behind a "third" option, without $$$$$ and exposure......
GW-have another hit. but, of course, you are right that the MA and this afternoon, the ME gangz had great RP representation.
- Ned
I'm voting for Paul on this coming tues. Just to say I did.
Sure he can win; the South will rise again, and Greece will be a world power in 5 years.
I love Paul but the self-delusion here is amazing. Ron is not going to get the nomination for a very good reason: He wants the party's nomination but refuses to back its candidate. That's OK if not principle but you can't get upset when they fight back.
Newsflash for GW - Even if these five states could nominate Paul, why would all the other states committed to Romney suddenly say, "Yeah, let's back someone who can't defeat Obama and won't vote for the nominee unless it's him."
with your type of thinking, nothing is possible unless YOU say so. We ALL know what type of A-Hole Mittens is, The lesser choice of two evils is NEITHER. Get your fucking head on straight mister and quit following somebody else's orders.
There can be NO bystanders in the battle for survival!
Paul would do waaaay better than Romney who will be shellacked by Obama. Besides, both Romney and Obama have Goldman Sachs running down their pants anyway. It's disgusting. Neither is fit for office.
Please don't support more psychopaths with global bankster backing. Romney and Obama both spell doom for the Republic.
Sure he can win; the South will rise again, and Greece will be a world power in 5 years.
I have a better chance of getting the GOP nomination than RP, sadly.
as much as I'm a Paulbot, and believe everything he says and stands for, I'm under NO illusion that Ron Paul as president cannot change the country overnight by himself.
Paul winning is only the beginning of the revolution, it will still require us to VOTE OUT all the incumbant status quo 'representatives'. Including the so-called 'tea party conservatives' who are no different from the incumbants they replaced.
Ron Paul will only be able to help us by vetoing 99% of non-constitutiona bills presented by congress. However he cannot by himself repeal existing bills. He can however slow down government by defunding departments or relaxing / changing rules or how bills are enforced.
But please, don't believe electing Ron Paul is a panacea, if he wins it will be the beginning of an immense amount of work the rest of us will have to do.
The last thing we want is the already asleep complacent Americans to believe placing one vote (for Ron Paul) will instantly change their lives. It won't. It requires you to GET INVOLVED and help make that change happen. People believed voting for Obama would bring about change, then sat around waiting for it to happen, but when Obama proved himself to be an extension of Bush, no one who voted for him did anything about it. No one held him accountable to his 'hope and change' message. Everyone just gave up and said , as long as you give me welfare, i don't care what you do.
The coming revolution is not a revolution of political positions, its a revolution of the MIND. And Ron Paul has already won. He's started the brushfires at the so-called grassroots level. He's got every one talking about the role of the Fed, the role of government. etc.
QUESTION EVERYTHING (even this post).
Good to know zero hedge supports the rights of a fringe minority to overrule the majority and force someone that can only muster 10% of the support of the 50% of republicans that vote in primaries, whic make up one third of voters, that make uo less the half the population.
Lets see 10% of 50% of 30% of 50% hmm thats about 1%
All hail the 1%
Yeah, and you blow only the top part of the elephant's dick. American politics has been a fucking Ricky Bobby race forever. There is only FIRST PLACE. Everyone else is a LOSER ! And, it never mattered how the winner won, just that he was first. Now you wanna come by and say that there are RULES ? Stick a shotgun in your yapper, and pull the trigger to turn that brain of yours into something useful - cat food.
Its a opinion piece from a contributor- it has nothing to do with anything ZH does or doesnt support.
As far as the party rules themselves, as long as its within their framework I fail to see a problem. If it wasnt there is no cause for concern is there? You will still be free to vote Mittens.
Good to know there are some stupid people like Roadkill on ZH - I was beginning to think ZH was rigged because 95% seemed to be knowledgable and intelligent while in the general population it was the other way around. Seemed to good to be true, but seeing a few people like Roadkill post give me comfort that there is no rigging -or blatant censorship like the Denninger board. Be careful Roadkill - there is a cure for your malady - daily reading of thoughtful, intelligent posts just may result in curing your terminally ignorant condition.
By the way -the opinion of 1 Paulbot is worth more than 100 zombie sheeple with their heads up their asses. Ignorant retards should not be encouraged to vote. They do our country a service by staying home.
Zero Hedge also allows morons to post here.
I believe it was one of the Puritans under Cromwell who once stated:
"The price of liberty is the defence of idiots."
The price is still not too much to pay.
I enjoyed the article but links to subscribing sites like the last one really piss me off. I don't appreciate crap like that. That being said I have voted for Paul twice and will continue to at every opportunity.
Even if he loses the nomination, he still wins. He's educating and motivating lots of people and exposing the system for the fraud it is.
A cool ad for Ron Paul...
Romney's not sitting back and enjoying his "lead," he's running scared. This weekend Romney supporters in both Nevada and Maine were caught handing out bogus "Ron Paul" ballots at their state conventions with the names of Romney delegates on them. That's no coincidence. It has to be deliberate strategy to derail Paul. Maine is also the state where the state GOP chairman declared Romney the winnter in local presidential preference polls while conveniently ignoring the results from Paul-dominated precincts and counties.
Ron Paul is a mumble-mouth loser. He is massively deluded to have ever thought he had a prayer at the nomination. He lost in a landslide in 2008 and again this year.
His dream of every nation having nukes will have to wait a while. He was hilarious at the debates, fumbling around and stumbling over his ignorant words while the audiences hooted at him. How pathetic. His little faggot son is just as bad.
Yeah, Ron Paul is going to save this country. His grace alone will cause $100 trillion in debt to disappear. He will be inaugurated and then 1000+ corrupt members of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches are going to renounce their wicked ways.
Fuck Ron Paul 2016.
But make certain to send him more money so he can save the country.
Krugman, use your real name instead of this Smokey1 BS.......
Thanks Smokey --for reminding me that the opposition is a bunch of nitwts destined for the ash heap of history. Keep on smokin what you're smokin -smokey. Everytime you hit the keyboard you potentially gain another recruit --for our side.
awesome, ad hominem attack.
If you can attack his ideas and debate it, it reflects positively on you.
Instead you attack the person, as you have nothing of substance to say.
The more ad hominem attacks I see against Ron Paul, the more I know he's getting under the skin of the status quo.
I like the line, Romney supporters are considering teaming up with Christian Conservatives?!? Let's see, Romney the mormon teaming up with Christian Conservatives, when Ron Paul IS a Christian Conservative?!? All makes sense to me.
all religion OUT of government.
Please. How about a little reality here. Rand Paul 2016 if we are still alive.
I guess we believe in representative government until it actually starts to represent the views of those outside the elite.
Romney and Obama both are Goldman Sachs / Wall Street puppets and everyone knows it. Neither one has the sack to stand up to the Fed and their cabal. Constrain the Fed. Go Ron Paul.
Political Theater at best IMHO. Not a full audit was the clue.
I got news for you all, no matter whom is selected as the final nominee, you had better vote for him because if you split the vote Obama wins.
I would hope some miracle would occur at the convention but if it doesn't, you had better support Romney.
Any body who thinks Romney wouldn't be better than Obama is insane. At least Romney actually likes the idea of unfettered capitalism as opposed to dear leader who daily moves us to facism.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step...
NDAA= Fascism
Millitary adventurism benefitting the MIC and the NWO= Fascism
FED= Fascism
Romney=NDAA + MIC + FED = Fascism!
You are delusional if you think there will be a noticeable difference between Mittens and the Obamination...
Really? And what will happen if this facist/communist bastard Obama is re-elected, if we even get to an election?
You're really saying that you're okay with Obama getting re-elected?
Okay, then might as well vote for Obama. See you in Uraguay.
Just as delusional as thinking Obama is any different than Bush...
No difference at all!
Government responsible for 33% of US commerce,
or with Obamacare it's 50%.
But there is no difference.
I realize that the Emporer and Mormon are both horrendous candidates,
one side generally grows the government via military and one does via social spending and that is a large difference anywhere people are not genetically defective or medicated.
'one side generally grows the government via military and one does via social spending and that is a large difference'
Yeah, hows that working out with Obamoron?


text: I read all of these threads about AOMM and Three State Three Mt challenge and I wonder what we have here in Florida that is our best climbing challenge. I have seen many activities around Sugar Loaf which is north of Clermont and my question is... does anyone have any elevation nos. and degree of assent and distance from bottom to top. Now before you guys in GA and NC start putting us down for being flatlanders keep in mind that this is probably our highest point in FL and I know it will not compare to Mt Mitchel or other areas of the BRP.


text:
40,428pages on
this wiki
this wiki
Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
(written from a Production point of view)
Shirley Bonne (born 22 May 1934; age 81) is the actress who appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series, playing the woman known only as Ruth in the episode "Shore Leave".
Bonne was the star of the short-lived 1960s sitcom My Sister Eileen. She also had an uncredited role in the 1963 film The Wheeler Dealers, as did TOS actor James Doohan.


text:
Adrian Pennington explores the challenges and possibilities in developing more photoreal games in the U.K. with the new HD platforms.
Once the preserve of PC gamers, high-resolution graphics are a key weapon in the console wars being fought by marketeers at Sony and Microsoft. For artists and players, HD means a generational leap from robotic characters and blocky sets toward cinematic photorealism. For publishers and developers, though, next-generation hardware offers immense possibilities at considerable cost.
The biggest challenge is one of expectation, admits David Braben, co-author of legendary PC game Elite and founder of U.K.-based developer Frontier Developments. The HD display is a magic magnifying glass on what we do. The higher the resolution, the more perfect the graphics have to be because you can see where the cracks are. HD opens up whole new sets of tools for making games look real. Its an exciting time to be in game development especially if youre an artist.
David Amor, creative director at Brightons Relentless Software, agrees: You could get away with lower polygon counts since CRTs inherently blur lower-res graphics. LCD and plasma screens mean you have to pay greater attention to the underlying models. Where we had skin, we now have to think about pores.
Microsoft expects 160 Xbox HD titles on release by Christmas. Some, like Gran Turismo HD (for the PS3) and Call of Duty 2, are essentially up-res'ed ports of an existing PC game. Others like Call of Duty 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion have been overhauled to take account of the hardwares greater processing power. Epics forthcoming Gears of War for the 360 is widely anticipated to be the first title to really push the potential of the next-generation.
All next-gen games will be produced to 720p, although developers for the PS3 could feasibly build to 1080p -- a true HD capability much hyped by Sony in the run up to the 360s launch. A progressive scan would produce a smoother image during horizontal pans and movements but most developers have dropped support for the spec -- initially at least -- because the additional processing time would make all but the most premium project unmanageable.
According to Rick Gibson of analysts Games Investor, Even with native 1080p, hardware developers cant render complex animations across the entire screen without the whole processor slowing down. If you switch a crowd scene from 720p to 1080p, youd have to significantly reduce the amount of animation in the shot. Scaling to 1080i is less problematic, although developers might consider adding anti-aliasing (an effect that smoothes the appearance of jagged, pixilated edges).
Pixel Trading
The biggest factor for any developer is how many pixels you can put on screen and process at any time, says Amor. The current spec equates to 160,000 pixels on screen. Moving to 720p (1280x720) means a million pixels and at 1080 (1920x1080) it doubles -- a massive step up.
For Epics Unreal Tournament 2004, each character required 3,000 polygons, each vehicle 2,000. For UT 2007, a character represents 4 million polygons, a vehicle 3.5 million. This requires an exponential leap in the amount of artwork -- double the amount of time and personnel over current production.
Our biggest quandary is how much detail you can create while maintaining an effective workflow, says Steve Thompson, art direction manager at Blitz Games, a Warwickshire-based indie, which has already completed three Xbox 360 games for Burger King. You could compromise quality if you produce lots of assets. Theres no point spending a week finessing the finest virtual chair in the world if you dont have time to build out the rest of the room to 720p.
Karl Hilton, art director at Nottinghams Free Radical Design, adds: We have to do more concept art and previsualisation because assets take much longer to build. We need to be much more convinced before we start about a concept and how were going to build it because the consequences to workflow are huge.
The increase in artwork is the main factor in doubled development costs from $3-6 million per title. Costs in excess of $20 million for premium games wont be uncommon. The cost effectively means a reduction in the number of games made, adds Gibson. Artwork previously handled in house will be outsourced to lower cost centers in India, China and Eastern Europe and elements of larger games, such as different levels, will be shared among several houses across the U.S., Japan and Europe.
High Fidelity
Nonetheless, next-gen excites artists who can feature a higher number of characters on screen, greater resolutions for textures and worlds and deploy various visual effects for realism which until now have been limited.
Wed use 2D bitmaps or wallpaper to texture shapes and wrap around 3D models, says Tim Jones the design chief at Rebellion, the creator of PSP games James Bond: From Russia with Love and Miami Vice. HD means youre more reliant on original source material.
Jones recently visited Californias giant redwoods, taking dozens of 12 megapixel stills in preparation for an undisclosed next-gen project. Were beyond the point now where we can rely on standard texture material or drawn artwork, he says. At these resolutions we need to generate artwork that means you can put your nose up to the bark and see all the bumps and textures. That increases your artwork load significantly.
Free Radical Design has been selected by Ubisoft to create its first-person shooter game Haze for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and by LucasArts for a secretive next-gen title. Hilton describes Haze as a gritty representation of how bad war can be. Its set in South America and hes taken high-res close-up photography of exotic plants at a local botanical garden to replicate an Amazonian environment.
Digital stills rather than video provide the reference source for constructing environments -- in this case the position, color and shape of weeds and shrubs, plant height, how light refracts through the canopy and dust. Stills also provide textural information, which feeds into a process called normal mapping. This technique involves the creation of a hi-res texture map overlaid on a lower resolution 3D object to provide the impression of greater quality without increasing the polycount.
We can use real world lighting models with higher dynamic range, shadows and soft light to try and emulate solidity and depth whereas before we only had a crude approximation, explains Jones.
Most of today's games only support point light sources, and completely ignore reflecting light as a source of illumination. A recently developed method known as spherical harmonics lighting -- which calculates the lighting on 3D models from any type of source in realtime -- is now finding its way into next-gen games.
We can now mimic the feeling of moving into a darkened room where your eyes take time to adjust to the new environment, reports Thompson. Or deploy volumetric lighting to create the effect of light scattering in mist, fog or dust.
Lighting Takes Center Stage
Developers are increasingly adopting filmmaking techniques such as real world lighting to bring games closer to cinematic photorealism. These include the creation of a stylized look generated in post processing.
By looking at the way negatives are developed, we could simulate different film grains and add onscreen vignettes, says Braben. In theory, we could create a film noir with high granularity and subtleties of contrast, claims Thompson.
Its something we tried on our PS2 Miami Vice game by introducing stronger blue tones, adds Jones. It provides a unique feel to the game.
Brabens film influences include Ridley Scotts Thelma and Louise, in which the back-lit effects were performed in-camera and Spielbergs Saving Private Ryan, notable for its desaturated color applied in post and now the de-facto style for the WWII film -- and game -- genre.
As we render a scene we can use motion blur or camera shake -- effects which we could create before but now in a much more sophisticated way, Braben explains. We could potentially track the mood of a game so that if tension is racked-up the camera becomes handheld and furtive. Other effects might mimic the high shutter speed and fractured image of fight scenes in Gladiator. People are subconsciously attuned to this visual style from seeing it in the cinema.
Traditionally, the lead animator oversees rendering, but Braben sees the role expanding and perhaps splitting with another animator adopting responsibilities similar to that of a cinematographer. In the film world, camera work is part of the directors remit but with games the camera is rule based, he says. You cant say you want a scene to be filmed this way because players want some control over the camera to pan around or zoom into an environment in ways you hadnt envisaged. This makes realistic lighting more complex.
Thomson has even appointed cinematographer David Knight (The Hitch and steadicam operator on Stealth) to retrain the 130 strong Blitz crew. If youre an artist you need to have knowledge of light, says Thompson. Theres so much more we can do with pixel shaders and light sculpting to create mood. In terms of cutscenes, we need to better understand camera work, framing and composition.
Monitoring HD output is equally important if developers arent to follow the unfortunate lead of Ubisoft, which failed to adequately test the lighting for its Xbox 360 version of Peter Jacksons King Kong. The production was criticized for several dark, almost unplayable, scenes when played over standard TVs and the developer had to issue an apology. Just as make-up artists have to rethink for HDTV there are probably a host of things we havent considered but which will become apparent on HD playback, remarks Amor.
The Uncanny Valley
True photorealism remains some way off with a chief hurdle being the depiction of believable humans. Human characters such as those featured in Final Fantasy and The Polar Express often risk emotional detachment or even appearing sinister. This is why Brad Bird successfully adopted a more graphically stylized approach to The Incredibles at Pixar.
In game circles this is known as the Uncanny Valley, a term coined by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in the 1970s to refer to the idea that the closer you get to realistic expression the scarier a face can seem.
Its not so much errors but a lack of subtlety that is noticeable, says Braben. With a face at 20 pixels across, youre only getting a vaudeville expression. But at 100 pixels, you have to generate much more subtlety. How do you show fear or surprise when the response of facial muscles is so similar?
Frontier, he suggests, may have cracked the problem for their next-gen thriller The Outsider, which is being produced simultaneously as a feature film. Its a combination of underlying structure, facial muscles and the conveyance of the right emotion to produce a layered subtlety. When youre talking to someone theres a wealth of hidden responses and its the combination of those that help us read the face as human. Its very complex but were getting close.
Immersive Sound
Parallels with film production abound. Current games feature multilayered audio tracks but future gameplay is likely to be enhanced with features familiar to any film soundtrack. We can create effects falling off as an object moves into the distance or add reverb, echo or chorusing, insists Jones.
Sound is 50% of the game and can play a much more powerful role now the hardware allows us to add more layers, observes Jeremy Luyties, lead designer for Activisions Xbox 360 game Call of Duty 3. The level of detail goes down so far in COD3, he suggests, to include crickets on tall grass during quieter moments. Typically when there are explosions its difficult for an individual player, particularly in multi-player mode, to differentiate sound. We now have a battle action system that will trigger certain audio information if the player is pointed in the right position. They could for instance overhear enemy conversations or be forewarned by an ally of attack. Well use all the tricks of filmmaking to mix dynamic soundscapes.
Like vfx facilities, games developers routinely write their own patches to base animation software such as Maya and 3ds Max. But if HD platforms are to be stretched anywhere near their potential, greater resources must be spent on bespoke code for environments (particles, fluids, shaders) and character animation (fur, walk cycles, facial movement). Developers wanting to work cross-platform need to design workflows that enable such assets to be swapped around efficiently. Blitz has even designed its own middleware platform so it is not tied to a manufacturers spec.
We want to achieve a sensory overload, Luyties declares of COD3. When you walk on grass, youll trample it and hear it move. Theres soft cover like hay or wood, which will be destroyed and forces you to a new location. Activision developer Treyarch used laser scanning to take high resolution 360-degree images of actors faces and mannequins wearing authentic WWII uniforms with the information down to fabric crinkles imported to 3D models as texture maps.
Previously youd make one pass for texture and that would be good enough. Now you need to multipass. A normal mapping pass, a specular pass, a pass for collisions, diffuse, reflection, ambient or shadow information. If you go up to a wall in COD3 you can see the groves and indentations in the brick.
While theres no doubt next-gen graphics can be visually stunning, it may be that the greater revolution is being provided by Nintendo. Its DS and Wii platforms deliberately forsake HD to concentrate on new forms of gameplay, requiring motion sensing rather than joystick and buttons.
HD graphics will deliver small effects in immersion and realism but it wont deliver vast audiences, argues Gibson. Growth in the videogames market is in fact slowing because it has reached the natural boundaries of its constituency, which are early adopter males playing violent games. If developers want to attract new audiences, whats more important are intuitive interfaces and a fundamentally different approach to gameplay.
Adrian Pennington is a U.K.-based freelance writer and editor of animation magazine Imagine.


text:
May 6, 2016
(WXII) After more than two decades without answers, an arrest has been made in the 23-year-old kidnapping and murder of a 7-year-old North Carolina girl.
Donald Ferguson of Greensboro made his first appearance at the Guilford County Courthouse Monday afternoon.
He was arrested last Tuesday for allegedly kidnapping Shalonda Poole in 1990.
Her body was found in some woods behind an elementary school.
Investigators say she was sexually assaulted and strangled.
Fifty-two-year-old Ferguson was also charged with first-degree murder and first- degree sex offense.
Police say forensic evidence links Ferguson to the death of the little girl.
The judge appointed Ferguson with a public defender and a capital defender.
His next court date is February 27th and there is no bond allowed.
If he is found guilty he could face the death penalty.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Melissa MelissaFollow Melissa
Female living in Vancouver, BC Canada
Level 1 Traveler
1 tour
10 countries
Following 23 people
Followed by 9 people
Upcoming Contikis
Trips I've Done
European Inspiration
10 countries \ 20 days \ from US$2992 per person
Add a photo that best captures your trip.
jpg, png or gif please!
Max filesize 2MB
Favorite Tours
Big Indochina Adventure
4 countries \ 25 days \ from US$4335 per person
The Big Indochina Adventure is just that...big on adventures, incredible sights, experiences & good times. From the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, to the serenity of Thailand's north, to the amazing colours & culture of Vietnam & the rugged terrain and archaeological treasures of Laos, it's all here. Finish it up with the rich, but tragic, past of Cambodia & more as 25 days unfold Indochina's be...
Places I've Been (?)
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- England
- France
- Germany
- Holy See (Vatican City State)
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
Places I'd Like to Visit
- Cambodia
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Thailand
- Vietnam


text:
Mike Toreno (mission)
|This page needs to be cleaned up to meet the standards of Grand Theft Wiki.
Mike Toreno is a mission given to CJ from Jizzy's Pleasure Domes in Battery Point, San Fierro, Flint County, San Andreas.
Part One
After that last bit of trouble, T-Bone is convinced that somebody is onto them. Mike Toreno calls T-Bone, and apparently he is in trouble. T-Bone tells CJ and Jizzy what's happening -- some thieves have taken the yay shipment and the van, and Mike is still inside. After the cutscene, a timer will appear on-screen lasting 5 minutes and 30 seconds (thats 5 and a half game hours). This is the length of time that Mike's phone battery will last. Mike is giving details to T-Bone, and its your job to drive to the locations that Mike is describing. First, he says that he can hear seagulls and heavy machinery, so they suggest the building site in Doherty. However, ignore that order and head straight towards Easter Bay International Airport. On the way there, Mike says that he can hear a truck reversing, so your second target would be the docks down in Easter Basin. Again, ignore that and continue heading towards the airport. The gates are already open by the time you arrive, so head in, go through the tunnel, and onto the runway area. At this point, the battery timer will have stopped.
Part Two
T-Bone explains that, after the last attack, Mike hid a transponder in the white. Use the reading from the signal bar to find the van, with Mike inside. (Toreno's location is completly random and will not be the same every time). The van is towards the east of the airport. As you approach, the thieves will drive away -- a van and two bikes. They drive towards the north of the airport, and stop. If you have a rifle or a sniper rifle handy, stop, get out of your car and stand at a large distance from the van, shoot off the bikers, and get back in the car. Drive towards the van and suddenly 4 guards (Da Nang Boys) will attack. Simply run over them, or get out of the vehicle and kill them with the help of T-Bone. After the 4 guards are eliminated, Mike exits the back of the van. You must torch the van with the white still inside. Unfortunately, Mike and T-Bone don't actually cause damage to the van, so it's up to you. Throw a molotov or a grenade towards the van, if you have one, but if not, use whatever it is available (if you don't have any weapons, you can ram it off the edge of the airport and into the water).
Part Three
You automatically gain 2 stars. Get inside the limousine, or if you want you can get in a Maverick and fly to pleasure domes with Mike and T-Bone, and exit the airport. Drive through the red marker and you will now have 3 wanted stars. Make your way to the Pay 'n' Spray to lose the heat -- Mike and T-Bone will perform drive-by shootings as you do so. Get back to the pleasure domes and stop in the red marker.
- During the mission, a Chrome Yellow Burrito can be seen and obtained in this mission, once you get up to the point to destroy the van, get a tractor or towtruck, fail the mission by killing Toreno, then tow the van to a garage and save.
- If the player is using the "Never Wanted Level" cheat, then once you get up to the red marker at the Airport, the marker will not change, and will remain stuck. To fix the glitch, simply run away, until you recieve the message, "you left Mike behind go get him", then after that the marker will change to the Pleasure Domes.
- Finishing the mission will reward the player $7000 and Respect.
- the song featured in the Pre-mission cutscene is called "Loopzilla" by George Clinton, which can also be heard on Bounce FM.
- MikeTorenomission-GTASA2.jpg
Mike Toreno after being released inside the van.


text:
Where Are They Now: Wendy Deacon Segrest
May 16, 2012
Wendy Deacon Segrest
Swimming 1985-89
Former Vanderbilt swimmer Wendy Deacon Segrest won the 100-yard backstroke in 1987 and was selected to the All-SEC team that same year. After graduating from Vanderbilt in 1989, Segrest earned her master's degree in exercise physiology from South Carolina in 1992.
Segrest has spent the last nine years residing in Dallas, where she resides with her husband and works for the American Heart Association. VUCommodores.com caught up with Segrest, who still follows the Commodores from afar.
VUCommodores.com: What is your current career?
Wendy Deacon Segrest: This is my ninth year working for the American Heart Association and I am currently the affiliate vice president of quality and systems improvement. I worked at the national office for five years and then moved into what is called a regional affiliate position three years ago.
This current role covers six states and we work to get our guidelines into practice with hospitals, EMS providers, physician medical organizations and the department of health.
Where did you work before the American Heart Association?
Before coming to the American Heart Association, a business partner and I had a consulting company for four years. Before that I worked in hospitals on cardiac preventative services and rehabilitative services.
How often do you travel with your job?
My region includes six states and I'm probably on the road 30-40 percent of the time with my job.
Do you still stay active despite all of your traveling?
I actually did the triathlon thing a couple of years back and was going and swimming and working regularly. But my travel schedule picked up in the last few months so I'm not swimming nearly as much as I used to.
I do run and bike a bit more just because it is a little bit easier, when you are traveling, to throw on your tennis shoes and run for 30 minutes. The travel has forced me into what I refer to as land-sport activity.
Do you ever make it back to Nashville?
I have been back twice. The last time was probably two years ago. One of my favorite things to do, even though I live in Texas, is to go to San Antonio Taco Company.
We had a regional meeting (in Nashville) with some of my peers coming in from across the U.S. and I told everyone to go to SATCO for lunch that day and it was great. I don't feel like it was really long ago when I was there as a student.
How much did your experience at Vanderbilt help you become the person you are today?
Life at Vanderbilt as a swimmer taught me so much with the development of all my time management skills. I still remember being able to balance my time to find a way to get my English paper done at 2 a.m. and still get up and practice the next day.
I learned a lot at Vandy, including a lot of lifelong habits that swimming helped foster. I'm just very grateful for my experience there.
Women's Swimming Headlines
Online Store
Vanderbilt Commodores


text:
Cruelty Alert: The Moral Impact of Cuts to Foreign Aid
The New York Times reports on impending cuts to foreign aid, which could decline as much as 20% as Congress attempts to reduce federal spending by nearly $1 trillion. The truth, of course, is that international assistance is such a small part of the federal budget (less than 1%) that even these relatively large cuts will have almost no impact on the deficit.
They will, however, have an enormous impact on the lives of vulnerable people around the globe. In response to a budget with similar reductions proposed in April, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah testified to Congress that the cuts "would lead to 70,000 kids dying" because they depend on the malaria control programs, immunizations, and skilled birth attendants the aid helps provide.
The story quotes Jeremy Konyndyk, the director of policy and advocacy for the international aid group Mercy Corps, who puts it succintly:
The amount of money the U.S. has or doesn't have doesn't really rise or fall on the foreign aid budget…The budget impact is negligible. The impact around the world is enormous.
But the most troubling part of the article for me was a quote from Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), chairwoman of the House appropriations subcommittee overseeing foreign affairs, explaining why she supports the cuts:
She recalled a State Department envoy's informing her of $250 million in relief to Pakistan after last year's devastating floods. "I said I think that's bad policy and bad politics," she said in an interview at her office on Capitol Hill. "What are you going to say to people in the United States who are having flooding?"
How about "we can help you too"? Telling international flooding victims there's nothing we can do because it would expose the cruelty we show to our own citizens in need represents a real low in "austerity" justifications.