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SimulacrumMay 03, 2007
Since the redesign of this site, I've been applying a consistent blurred perspective effect to larger images (eg. in posts like this one) that has made a few people curious. It's fairly simple, but probably not that intuitive to figure out. So here's an explanation.
There are pretty much only two steps to this effect, the perspective transform and the focal blur, with an optional third, lighting effects.
Perspective Transform
Since the final effect simulates a flat surface, my starting image has been a screenshot or object that looks like it will sit properly on a flat surface. Nothing is stopping you from using a photograph, but the end result looks like a physical printed photo sitting on a surface, which usually isn't what I want.
Stick the image in a Photoshop canvas on its own layer. Hit Cmd + T (or Ctrl + T on a PC) to toggle the free transform tool; you'll get a black outline and a hollow square handles in the corners/edges of the image. A few things you can do with the free transform tool follow; hit Enter to confirm the changes, or Escape to cancel if you don't like where it's heading.
- Rotate the image
- Make sure the canvas is a bit larger than the image itself if the handles are on the edges, and move the cursor outside the black outline. It will change into a curved arrow, and you can click and drag to rotate the image.
- Scale the image
- Click and drag one of the black line edges or one of the corner handles to make the image larger or smaller. If you use a corner handle and hold Shift you can scale it proportionately along both dimensions, otherwise scaling only works on one dimension and ends up squashing the image.
- Distort the image
- Click and hold one of the corner handles, then press Cmd (Ctrl) to toggle distort mode. Drag the handle and you'll be able to freely move that handle, and the image distorts accordingly. You'll see what I mean when you try it.
Okay, so using free transform, start by rotating it something like 10 degrees counter-clockwise. A slight angle is all we're looking for here, nothing too drastic. Then free transform again, and this time grab the top right corner and distort it. Move it down and to the left, and you'll see a sort of planar perspective happening. You may need to rotate again, you may need to scale, you may need to distort; there will probably be a few fine adjustments necessary to get it looking just right.
Focal Blur
This is the tricky part. The first step is to make a quick mask of the in-focus area. Hit q to toggle Quick Mask mode, and use a large-ish brush (150px) at 100% opacity, and make sure it's a brush with a soft edge. Paint the area you want to be in focus, making sure the edges aren't too defined; blurry is good here. The in-focus area ought to line up with your plane as best as possible. A bit of knowledge about the photography concept of focal planes helps here, but you should be okay if you ensure the in-focus area ends up being a line across the image that matches the perspective of the image itself.
Once you've got a selection you're happy with, hit q again to step out of Quick Mask, and then find the Lens Blur filter (Filter > Blur > Lens Blur). There are quite a few settings here, so start by checking that Depth Map is set to None, the Specular Highlights sliders are at 0, and Noise is at 0. Iris is the box we're concerned with here.
The Shape dropdown has a list of shapes that roughly simulate lens openings on a camera; each is going to look a little different, but probably not enough so that you need to fiddle with them. Set it to Hexagon (6) and don't worry about it anymore. Don't bother with the Rotation slider (ie. set it to 0), and you probably don't need to adjust Blade Curvature either; changing it gives a slightly different effect, but like the Shape dropdown, most likely not enough to worry about.
And that leaves Radius. This slider controls the amount of blur, and in this case you're going to want to use a light touch. Subtle is better; 4 or 5 ought to be enough, depending on the size of your image. Click OK at the top to apply the blur, and you're probably done.
You may also want to apply a final bit of shading to simulate lights, by way of the Lighting Effects filter (Filter > Render > Lighting Effects). It's up to you to figure that one out, but I will say this much — I generally find the output from that filter a bit too contrasty. After I've applied it, I end up using the History Brush set to 50% opacity or so to tone it down a bit. Your mileage may vary.
You're so good to us. Thanks!
Dave, thanks a ton for this. Might find this funny, but I always assumed that shot of the chalk icon page was just from your Camera of an LCD screen displaying the page, haha!
There's a big lack among the web community blogs of graphic tips, tricks and tutorials. I really appreciate your taking the time to write this up.
I'm still unsharp masking all my resized images too! heh!
Joshua, there's actually nothing wrong with snapping a photo of the screen… try macro mode and the widest angle your camera supports. It can be a cool effect for a sort of "analog" feeling. I've used it for sites in the past where the dirty analog look fit the theme.
However, when I'm dropping a screenshot into a site I'll often do something similar to what Dave has – obviously it's a lot cleaner and you have a lot more control over the outcome. I've also used a flat bitmap as a texture map in 3d rendering software (I used to do a lot of work in Lightwave 3D) to do something similar, but it's kind of cool to fake the camera effects in 2D too…
I to have used the quick snapshot from my iMac technique more than a few times. With a good camera and lens you can achieve a great effect, with an LCD the pixels add a nice touch. However, this technique is great for setting the same effect to photos or objects you don't have access to in order to photograph. Wonderful tutorial, thanks.
cam, thanks for the suggestions! I gotta rip the camera out sometime and try that. I remember one time seeing a shot like that and I think you could see the actual lights in the screen kinda showing through (liek Sean mentioned) which gave it like you said that sort of "analog" feeling. I always had wondered how Dave got around that, I just never even considered that it was a screenshot due to the perspective. Kudos to Dave making it so real looking, heh!
I'd love to see some examples of the 3D effect.
It's great to see this site is living and breathing again Dave. Most of the big names in design blogging have been vanished in the "I'm too busy to write anymore" land. Luckily Doug, you, Dominey and Z have been making small comeback. I don't care if you guys post articles like this only once a month, just keep writing.
For the focal blur I would rather recommend to use the gradient tool (mirrored) instead of a brush. Should be easier than to paint your way through.
And the direction of the mask in your example should not go from SW to NE but from NW to SE. You would not get your effect with camera unless you use a tilt/shift lens, which would produce a similar effect but produces a result, that does not look very realistic.
Nice one. I have used various other methods in the past, most of them more complicated than this method unless falling back to actual photography.
@Joshua - I agree that there should be more graphic design tutorials like this one, I think over time as the web grows up we're going to be more concerned with the human factors involved with making websites and not so much cross-browser technicalities and circular arguments about xhtml vs html for instance
When I saw it I assumed the chalkwork image WAS a printed page and never gave it another thought. You've ruined the magic. : )
Here's a method that might be worth trying if you don't don't like the idea of painting your focal area:
1. Draw a selection with the elliptical marquee, roughly around the area you want in focus.
2. Invert Selection
3. Enter Quick Mask and do a gaussian blur to taste.
4. Adjust brightness to tweak the size of the focused area, contrast to tweak the amount of blur on the edge.
5. Exit quick mask, then do lens blur as described in the article.
6. Finally, do rotate and perspective transformations as described in the article.
Pete, fantastic comment. I sure hope so!
Wonderful, thanks!
wow that pretty sick, thanks.
This is just amazing. It looks soooo good and professionally done. Great technique.
Well this is a wonderful tip! I'm always having problems with pics and images in my blog post for they are too large to be even in a single line, you figure if I put them floated left or right from the content. Thank you very much I will try this soon.
Thanks for the tip.
I think it would be a great idea to create an easy tool (online or downloadable) that makes that whole job.
You would have just to add the picture and select the scale and distortion; but the tool could make some default modifications with their previews.
I guess such a tool would have a good popularity.
Wow really thanks for the wonderful tutorial, this technique can be used to transform a pictures of a product to look more professional.
Great job. It's nice to get some of the random techniques you would have never known about. Thanks for the info.
This is a fun effect. After effects has been able to do this effect for years using 3D layers and cameras. The concept could be incorporated into photoshop no problem.
Thanks! This is a great trick. I need all the photoshop tips I can get.
Great tips. thanks for sharing, I have always loved this effect.
Definitely going to keep this in mind for later, very useful tutorial!
Thanks for sharing this with us Dave, I had tried to do something similar a while ago and all I ended up with was a big mess. You have shown that it is possible (whether I can do it is still another question…)
Thanks for the detailed instructions –artistically challenged types like me need all the help they can get! :-)
Just one question, though: are you using this effect "simply because it looks nice" or do you have a particular *reason* for using this technique?
Anyhow "simply because it looks nice" is really a good reason :)
Added to my bookmarks! Very useful technique.
Thanks for this great tutorial, Dave, and what a classy effect. Photoshop being a new venture for me, I really appreciate your sharing this. It's immensely helpful in learning. I hope more of these tutorials are coming down the line.
Great tutorial, I've wanted to know how to do this for ages. Thanks!
I would like to thank you for the explanations you have put here, I am an aspiring web designer and the clarifications would be of great use for me as well. I would like to add you as my friend, kindly reply me with my email id :)


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'Reproduced with the permission of the Natural Environment Research Council and << the supplier of the data>>. All rights Reserved'
Where the information is used as the basis of specifically generated figures, sketches, illustrations, diagrams, map extracts or cross-sections, the source of the material should be cited as follows:
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subset: commoncrawl


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To save results or sets tasks for your students you need to be logged in. Studyladder is free to join Join Now, Free
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6.NA.1 – Apply additive and simple multiplicative strategies flexibly to:
6.NA.1.a – Combine or partition whole numbers, including performing mixed operations and using addition and subtraction as inverse operations
Samples: Write numbers – to 100 000. Reading numbers – to 100 000. Comparing numbers – to 100 000.
Number and place value
ACMNA099 – Use estimation and rounding to check the reasonableness of answers to calculations
Samples: Two digit addition (estimating). Division (estimation) - 1. Rounding numbers to the nearest 10.
You can go to an overview of all the curricula here.
You can go to an overview of all the curricula here.


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our success stories say it best:
Finding this site three years ago was a blessing to me. I am becoming the writer I wanted to be because of what I've learned at FanStory. I have had stories published (the publishers came to me), won the state contest last year in the short story category, and have been asked to speak at writers groups. Three years ago I couldn't write a grocery list. –Marti Hurst
Without the wonderful writers and reviewers on Fanstory, the publication of my book "She laughs with demons," would still be just a dream. I was given help with grammar, encourgament and gentle critiques. They were all given to help me improve my work. Everyone on FanStory helped me grow as a writer. I will forever grateful .–Shirley Bracken aka Shirley B
I stumbled onto FanStory by accident last January and decided to try it out. Little did I know I had just signed up for the wildest ride of my life! Here we are over a year later and I just published my first book on Amazon, "Miss Mabel's School for Girls." If that sounds familiar, it's because Miss Mabel's started here as a first draft at FanStory!
Without FanStory, I can definitely say that this book would never have happened! I'm so grateful to all I learned and all you taught me. Thank you, thank you FanStory! - –kcross11 ("Miss Mabel's School for Girls" was published April 2014)
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Solving a 30-Year-Old Problem in Massive Star Formation main content.
An international group of astrophysicists has found evidence strongly supporting a solution to a long-standing puzzle about the birth of some of the most massive stars in the universe. Young massive stars, which have more than 10 times the mass of the Sun, shine brightly in the ultraviolet, heating the gas around them, and it has long been a mystery why the hot gas doesn't explode outwards. Now, observations made by a team of researchers using the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), a radio astronomy observatory in New Mexico, have confirmed predications that as the gas cloud collapses, it forms dense filamentary structures that absorb the star's ultraviolet radiation when it passes through them. As a result, the surrounding heated nebula flickers like a candle.


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RALEIGH � North Carolina regulators say they've cited Duke Energy for a crack in a dam at a coal ash pit near the Cape Fear River.
The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Friday it had issued Duke a notice of deficiency, and called on the company to take steps to ensure the earthen dam's stability.
If Duke doesn't submit a comprehensive engineering report about the dam by April 7, the company could face a fine.
Duke finished emergency repairs Monday to the dam that holds back millions of tons of coal ash.
Duke says no water was flowing through the dam.
The structure is at the Cape Fear River plant, where North Carolina regulators said Duke illegally pumped 61 million gallons of contaminated water from a coal ash pit.


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October 31, 2010 | Categories: Church, Event | Tags: Christian World, Day, Hineni, Occasion | Leave a comment
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Poker Blogs
PokernewsStrategy.com has finally launched!!!! WARNING....FOR SERIOUS POKER PLAYERS ONLY06/16/2010 - 09:11 submitted by Neverwin
Neverwin Makes Day 2 NAPT 5k Venetain in great shape...02/21/2010 - 11:28 submitted by Neverwin
Started with 30,000 in chips, got off to a nice start and chipped up to about 40k after the first two levels. Then for 4 hours straight basically blinded off about 20k and bluffed off a few k and found myself shortstacked with 14k going into the the last level of the day.
5k NAPT Venetian Gonna kick some major @#$%^&*&* Ass!02/20/2010 - 12:01 submitted by Neverwin
2010 is starting off with a BOOM~!. Thanks to Poker Stars, nearly 400 people have qualified through satellites and the event is almost capped out at 900 people. First place should easily be a cool mil, plus LIVE, coverage Feb.
Mark Newhouse returns to glory..Takes down Pokerstars Sunday Million12/17/2009 - 10:19 submitted by Neverwin
On Sunday I was talking to Newhouse via text and he texted me back, "I have to concentrate I'm still in the Pokerstars Sunday Mil and the Pokerstars Sunday 500." About 4 hours later, I check both tournaments to find Mark Newhouse A.K.A Newhizzle 2nd in chips with 16 people left in the Million with a huge rail and a ton of buzz.
The new age of Poker, can't be a one trick pony, mixed games12/06/2009 - 15:38 submitted by Neverwin
The days of specialists are over. Everybody is a specialist now; just look at all the limits 5-10 to 200-400, lines of people waiting for the fish to arrive. It is especially most rampant in limit holdem and no limit holdem.
The rise and fall of Dustin "Neverwin" Woolf and the challenge to fight back will unfold overseas....12/03/2009 - 10:21 submitted by Neverwin
First stop Pokerstars PCA, EPT Numero Uno. Flying across the country from Las Vegas, NV to Atlantis in the beautiful Bahamas. Second stop Turk and Caicos in the British Colombian Islands. Then it is off to Europe for travel, fun, some EPT poker stops, and most importantly for an experience of a lifetime.


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The Bokeelia Civic Association will hold its annual meeting Wednesday, March 19, at the Tropic Isle Park Meeting Facility, 15175 Stringfellow Road, N.W., Bokeelia. The time will be 7 p.m.
There will also be a presentation by Dr. Michael Dreikorn, BCA president, regarding the current flood insurance issue which has been approved by the U.S. Senate and is soon to be voted on by the House of Representatives. The current bill would delay the implementation of the flood insurance rate increase for 4-year in order for the flood maps to be recalculated and an affordability study to be completed. Every homeowner should know the elevation of his or her property. Flood insurance rates could be greatly increased immediately by 25 percent per year for the next 4 years with the result that homeowners could lose their homes because their flood insurance rates would be more than their mortgage payments. Homes in other states have been unsellabe because of this impending fee/tax. Banks will not grant new mortgages for homes that have balloon flood insurance rates. All Florida residents will be affected by this new law even if the home is not on the water.
Members of the BCA look forward to meeting both new and current residents. If you have any questions, call BCA at 283-2839 or 282-8225. Dues may be sent to BCA at P.O. Box 765, Bokeelia, FL The dues are $15 per person per year or $25 per couple per year.


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Controlling Blood Loss in Laparoscopic Liver & Pancreas Surgery Using the Aquamantys® System
Please join us on April 9th, 2013 at 7pm EDT as Michael House, MD & Attila Nakeeb, MD, from the Indiana University Health share their perspective on the use of the Aquamantys System to control bleeding during laparoscopic liver and pancreas surgery. Dr. House & Dr. Nakeeb will demonstrate the use of Medtronic Advanced Energy's Transcollation technology in both laparoscopic liver and pancreas procedures. Viewers are invited to e-mail questions about the procedures to Dr. House & Dr. Nakeeb during the webcast.
Michael G. House, MD
Indiana University Health
Attila Nakeeb, MD
Indiana University Health
Submit your question
to the surgeons: Thank you! Your question has been submitted.
to the surgeons: Thank you! Your question has been submitted.


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Orioles left hander Wei-Yin Chen's one critical mistake on Tuesday night came against the most unlikeliest of hitters.
Chen held most of the Tampa Bay Rays lineup in check. The Rays didn't get their first hit off the Orioles starter until two outs in the fourth inning, and they had just two baserunners through the first four frames.
But the Rays had their answer in light-hitting No. 9 hitter Brooks Conrad, a waiver claim a month ago, who had just two hits in his last 27 at-bats and was making his first start in 10 games.
Chen hung Conrad a 1-2 fastball with two outs in the fifth -- the one pitch he wish he had back Tuesday night -- a ball that Conrad took over the...


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Los Angeles Events, Coupons, Reviews!
Subscribe to KidsScoop! The monthly family event and savings newsletter.
Open now for a limited time! Tickets are going fast. Plan your visit today while you can!To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of King Tut's tomb, the California Science Center proudly presents the world premiere of KING TUT: TREASURES OF THE GOLDEN PHARAOH - the largest King Tut exhibition ever toured! In a dramatic new presentation, dazzling multimedia complements over 150 authentic artifacts from King Tut's celebrated tomb to take guests on an immersive journey of the pharaoh's quest for immortality. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition!Groups Save up to $8 For King Tut - Enjoy savings with group tickets to King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh! Each ticket includes complimentary access to the special exhibit Mission 26: The Big Endeavour. Group discount available by calling 866-633-0195 or email firstname.lastname@example.com Group discount not available at the box office. Blackout dates and restrictions apply.https://www.usfamilycoupons.com/coupon.php?regionid=75&bid=13683&dealid=3597 .@usfg We had a wonderful time at the King Tut exhibit at the California science Center ! Their was so much to look at , we didn't know where to start ! The center had two floors of artifacts to look at , we started at the top floor. I really enjoyed the fact that they had videos and wall hangings to add to the exhibit. But I had hoped that they had more of the artifacts I had seen the first time I saw the exhibit years ago. One of the wall hangings was of King Tut's sarcophagus , I was hoping to see the real sarcophagus again. It was really breathtaking ! But this exhibit doesn't have as many gold pieces as the first exhibit. But I really enjoyed the pieces I saw ! They had alot of new pieces that they didn't have in the first exhibit. Like King Tut's sandals and some bow and arrows .And I liked that you could take pictures of whatever you wanted , because this will be the last time the exhibit will be on display. So go and see the King Tut exhibit before it's gone , you will enjoy it too !!


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Alabama is beautiful throughout the year, but especially in the fall. As the greens of summer surrender to glittering yellow poplars, scarlet dogwoods, orange maples and golden hickories, Alabama unfolds its patchwork quilt of color.
This blend of brilliant autumn foliage, coupled with cooler temperatures and an occasional gentle breeze, makes for an unforgettable experience.
During October and November, color watchers in the north provide weekly updates on peak color, scenic drives and seasonal activities to the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.
Click here for a suggested circle tour including many of the following fall color spots.
The Alabama tourism website features a Fall Color Map
An interactive map on the Alabama Tourism Department's website allows visitors to see the predicted fall color change for each weekend this fall.
The map, a list of recommended viewing sites, and a Circle of Color driving route are all available on the state tourism website by clicking here.
Alabama State Parks are some of the best places to enjoy the fall color change. Joe Wheeler has an excellent viewing spot next to the dam and near the cabin area on the Lawrence County side. Autumn scenery can be found at DeSoto State Park at Little River Canyon and DeSoto Falls. Monte Sano has views of the Tennessee Valley along the Warpath Ridge Trail and its overlook. Cheaha's Bald Rock and Pulpit Rock trails both have excellent views. Cheaha is the highest point in the state at 2,407 feet above sea level. Lake Guntersville State Park also offer great opporunties and a first class lodge.
With cooler days and lower humidity, autumn is a wonderful time to enjoy Alabama's many fall festivals and events. Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department, recommends several events designed around being outdoors and enjoying the beautiful fall weather.


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Wanna stay fit and healthy? Here are some tips of what kind of exercises you need to have a fit and healthy body.
Jogging - Jogging is one great way to get some exercise, build some muscle and improve your cardiovascular conditioning. You have to be careful though, because jogging without the proper form can easily cause you to get injured. Even if you jog correctly, you should start any exercise regime slowly and give your body time to adapt to new levels of exercise.
Swimming - Swimming is a lifetime sport that benefits the body and the whole person. It is also a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime. Health benefits swimming offers is that it works practically all of the muscles in the body (if you do a variety of strokes). Swimming can develop general strength, cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
Cycling - Cycling can result a number of positives that are all very good for the body. One of it is that, it can improve your immune system become stronger. Help you loose fat and calories by increasing the heart rate which may also let you achieve your weight loss goals. Where you need no special trainings!
Mountain Biking – Mountain biking is a great way to develop muscle and burn fat. As both the large (quadriceps and hamstring) and small (calf) muscles of the legs work, they become stronger and more developed. The beauty of developing more muscle is that it not only makes the body look leaner and stronger, but it raises the resting metabolic rate. The higher your resting metabolic rate, the more calories you burn even at rest.
Treadmill – Treadmills give you workout options such as walking, jogging, running, and even simulated hill climbing. Where as you can workout indoor. treadmills offers you convinience of your time and money. It also gives specific benifits to your lungs, muscles, and overall conditions of your body.
Weights – Weight lifting can help you have stronger muscles which can improve your posture and help keep your body in balance. It also helps you tone, lift, firm and shape your body. Weight training your lean body mass and also increase your metabolism.


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Unison Handmade Soft Pastels Individual Colors
In the hills of Northumberland, England, an artist makes pastels, mixing pigments in the same equipment a baker would use. He lightly hand-rolls the dough, then allows the sticks to air-dry. No other pastels flow so smoothly onto the tooth of the paper. In fact, these exquisite pastels are a work of art before you ever use them, a rapture of texture and color.
Out of a frustration with the pastels available, British artist John Hersey began making his own pastels by hand. Developed to be superior in color, texture and response, Unison Soft Pastels are unlike anything else on the market today. John Hersey developed his own unique color formulations over a decade of experimentation, creating intense, vibrant colors that are blended almost exclusively from pure pigment and water. In his handmade process, the pigment hardly gets pressed at all, ensuring that each stick is silk smooth, richly pigmented and yields extremely vibrant results. These large pastels measure approximately 2" long by 1/2" wide.
Unison Handmade Soft Pastels - Light Value Colors
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A new judge was assigned to preside over George Zimmerman's court case Thursday after the previous judge formally disqualified himself.
Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that Seminole County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. should disqualify himself in Zimmerman's second-degree murder case. Lester did that in an order Thursday.
"Chief Judge Alan Dickey has reassigned the case to the next judge in the normal rotation of the criminal division, Criminal Administrative Judge Debra Nelson. Judge Nelson will preside over all future proceedings in State vs. Zimmerman," the 18th Judicial Circuit said in a statement.
Lester denied Zimmerman attorney Mark O'Mara's request that he leave the case earlier in August, and O'Mara then appealed to the district court in Daytona Beach.
O'Mara argued that Lester should disqualify himself after he said the judge made disparaging remarks about his client's character and advocated for additional charges against Zimmerman in setting his $1 million bond in July.
Two of three judges from the Fifth District Court of Appeals supported O'Mara's request in the ruling Wednesday.
PHOTOS: George Zimmerman Case Evidence
Zimmerman, 28, has pleaded not guilty in the Feb. 26 shooting of Trayvon Martin, 17, of Miami Gardens in Sanford. He claims self-defense.
Nelson has served as a judge on the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit since 1999 and was the acting chief judge for Seminole and Brevard counties from July 2003 to June 2005, according to her judicial biography.
Nelson is the third judge to take up Zimmerman's case. The first judge, Seminole County Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler, recused herself shortly after the proceedings began in April.


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While the French elections have dominated headlines in recent weeks, the contest you really should be watching on May 6 will take place in Greece.
Not only is the race for control of Greece's government much tighter, it will serve as a sort of popular referendum on support for the austerity policies that Greece has had to adopt to remain a member of the eurozone.
PASOK and New Democracy—the two parties which formed the basis of the transitional government under technocrat Lucas Papademos—are expected to lead the new coalition. To do so, they need to garner a combined 151 seats in the 300 member parliament, or at least 39 to 40 percent of the vote. They are led by Evangelos Venizelos and Antonis Samaras, respectively, both veteran party officials.
Other parties will need at least three percent of the vote in order to win any seats at all. Popular support for such parties, many of which are more vehement opponents of austerity, has been mounting in recent months.
Before the poll blackout on April 20, New Democracy had the support of 22.3 percent of voters. At that time, PASOK was trailing with 17.8 percent of the vote. A CNBC graphic shows the breakdown of popular support, with conservatives and nationalists on the right and left-leaning parties on the left:
Worst case scenario here is that PASOK and New Democracy don't win a full 151 seats. While this is not an expected outcome, based on the latest polling data this will still be a close call.
The most realistic concern is that New Democracy will spurn the partnership of rival PASOK, likely the party most amenable to EU demands. At the same time, a more complex coalition of radical elements would be difficult to organize and even more difficult to work with.
Thus the problem becomes future political risk: New Democracy could easily demand another election to foment their support in short order.
"I don't expect a coalition to serve a full term," a PASOK politician told the WSJ. "Samaras wants to govern alone, so we believe he will gamble on another election." New Democracy MPs appear to second this idea: "If Samaras doesn't get a clear win this time around, he is convinced he can do it in another election," said an ND official cited by that report.
Analysts with the Eurasia Group wrote in a note today, "Against this unsupportive backdrop, the new government will face a key test in June when it must agree on a new round of cuts worth at least EUR 11.5bn for 2013-14."
A majority of Greeks are still in favor of the euro, however that support has been waning as the Greek economy deteriorates. 22 percent of Greeks are unemployed in the country's fifth year of economic contraction.
The elections on Sunday will provide insight on the state of popular approval of the euro at the expense of austerity. According to Singular Logic (the company conducting polling) the first polling results will be published around 2:00-2:30 PM ET.
MORE: This Weekend's Elections May Just Be The Best Thing That Could Happen To Europe>


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Dear All
The Epée Club established The Epée Club Charitable Fund in March 2015.
As part of this strategy The Epee Club is supporting fund raising for a coach for the GBR Veterans Womens Epee Team at the coming Veterans World Championships in Maribor, Slovenia in October
A team of twelve veteran women epeeist will represent Great Britain. Ages range from 50-70+ years and all are self-funded. The Epee club wish to raise enough funds to send a coach with the team. This would be the first time the team will have the experience and support of a coach at international level -despite their being a GBR team at international level for the past 10 years.
If you would like to make a donation towards this objective you can donate through 3 different methods
1 Donations can be made via BACS transfer payable to:
The Epée Club Charitable Fund
Sort Code: 30-98-45
Account Number: 67781468
2 Through the Giving Page https://www.justgiving.com/epee-club
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Well I mentioned this morning that tonight we were going to look at the issue of assurance...assurance of one's salvation...assurance that one is truly headed for heaven. Let's turn to 1 John chapter 3 and in fact to the very text that we are currently studying. First John chapter 3, and we are in the section from verse 19 to the end of the chapter.
But as I was contemplating just that nineteenth verse, I found myself pinned to it and unable to move beyond it. The nineteenth verse of the third chapter of 1 John says, "We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him." And here John introduces the matter of having assurance, confidence before God that we are of the truth. This introduces us to the whole matter of assurance which opens up a very large field of consideration. In fact, it would be appropriate, probably, to give a dozen or so messages on the subject. I'm not going to do that because I think the epistle itself works in, around and through that theme. But I want to address tonight the bigger scope of this matter of assurance by looking at this verse and then expanding from it.
One of the privileges of being a shepherd of the flock of the Lord is to be able to provide comfort and confidence and peace to those sheep who are in fear and doubt. The most dreadful kind of doubt that can occur in the life of a believer is doubt about one's salvation. Many, if not most Christians, have experiences or episodes of doubt, sometimes severe doubt, sometimes momentary and sometimes prolonged. Doubt and the fear that one is not a Christian is common among the people of the church. And it needs to be addressed from a pastoral perspective. And I come to you, I trust, in doing this tonight and probably on another Sunday night, and maybe another one after that, I come as your comforter. Obviously as your teacher because I will be able only to comfort you by giving you the truth that comforts.
But John understands that as well and that's why in verse 19 he says, "We shall know that we are of the truth." That's why over in chapter 5 verse 13 he says, "These things I am...I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God in order that you may know that you have eternal life." It has been and it will continue to be John's emphasis to write about the marks of a true believer and thus not only enable us to evaluate someone else, but more importantly to start with, to enable us to evaluate our own condition.
We have been looking at 1 John in the context of false teachers who had come in, and John is arming us to be able to discern who among us is not real, who among us is a false claimant to salvation and Kingdom citizenship. But we want to turn it around and look at our own hearts and to provide strength and conviction, persuasion and assurance that we, in fact, are Christians.
This verse is so direct that it...as I said...stopped me in its tracks and the very statement, "We shall know that we are of the truth and assure our hearts" opened a door for me as most Bible verses do and I walked through that door and found myself in a huge room filled with all kinds of truth. Let me just look at that verse, to begin with, and then we'll go through the door that is the verse and explore what's in the room behind it.
John starts out by saying, "We shall know..." From the Greek word ginosko, very, very common word, verb, which means to come to know, to learn, to find out, to realize. And he says it in a future tense, "We will come to know, to learn, to find out, to realize." In other words, it's not necessarily intuitive, it's something we have to learn, it's something we have to find and discover. And we will know by this that we are of the truth. There is a promise that we can know based upon a certain reality based on"by this," that we are of the truth. When we grasp the "by this," that's when we know. That's when we know. We want to know that we are of the truth," that's a beautiful phrase, that we are of the truth, the truth written, the Scripture; the truth incarnate, Jesus Christ. We're the people of the Book and the people of the Lord. Literally that "out of the truth we exist." It is the truth that has given us life, that has defined our existence. The truth of God in-Scripturated, the truth of God incarnated.
There is a way then that we can know, that we can learn, that we can realize, that we can find out, come to know, that we are out of the truth. It is the divine truth that is the source of our existence. And, verse 19, "Shall assure our heart before Him." Assure is from the Greek word peitho which means to persuade, that's usually the way it is translated, to persuade. In other words, we'll be persuaded. We can know that we're of the truth, we can be persuaded of that fact as we stand before Him.
Actually Thayer's Lexicon uses the word peitho in an interesting way. It tracks back the word to meaning to tranquilize. Or to put it another way, to calm, to pacify, to soothe the alarmed conscience, to quiet the troubled heart, to calm fear and doubt even though we're in the presence of God, and that's the importance of that final phrase "before Him."
Literally he is saying here, let's pull it all together, there is a way that we can and shall know that we are linked by life to the truth written and incarnate so that our fears and doubts are completely pacified and our heart is assured, even though we stand before God. That is to say, even in the intimidating presence of the absolutely holy One.
You see, it is in a very real sense the presence of God that raises the doubts. It is the character of God that raises the fears. It certainly raised some fears in Isaiah when he knew he was in the presence of God. Certainly raised some fears for Ezekiel when he knew he was in the presence of God. And you can go through the Old Testament and find many others. It certainly raised the fear in Peter when he was aware that he was in the presence of the Creator God. It raised the fear of John, Peter and James on the Mount of Transfiguration in John in the vision of Revelation 1. It is a normal thing to be traumatized by the appearance of God. And you see that throughout the Old Testament, and as well, even, in the New. People were traumatized when God was in their midst and manifestly so. And it is our understanding of the great holiness and righteousness of God. We know that, we believe that, we understand that and are also understanding that we are sinful, that we fail, that we are weak and this is not...this is not something that's only now and then but we see it in our lives at all times. Even though the pattern of unbroken sin has changed, and we are now pursuing what is holy and righteous, sin is still there in our flesh. And that makes the holiness of God intimidating. And it is that understanding of God's glory and holiness and greatness and righteousness that produces our fear and our doubt because we fear we've come short. But here John says there is a condition when that is met by which we will know that we are connected by life to the truth and tranquilize and pacify and calm our fears and doubts, even though we stand before God. And that's a good thing, isn't it? That's an incredibly wonderful promise.
Doubts and fears are related to God's glory and honor and righteousness and holiness and our dread of His judgment and our fear of His punishment. We are weak and we know it. We are imperfect and we know it. We openly acknowledge it. And God is perfect and holy and omniscient and nothing escapes Him. And that is intimidating. Yet in that very presence of God we can have assurance of our eternal glory, being calm and confident that we are of the truth, people of the truth.
How do we come to that? Verse 19 says, "By this...by this..." What does that mean? Well I'll tell you later. But John has been giving it to us in the prior passage as well as earlier in the letter. You probably have a pretty good idea that it has to do with obedience toward God and love toward Him and toward others, the two moral tests that verify salvation.
But before we look at that, before we take a look at the "by this" that we're going to find, by the way, in verses 18 to 24, it's right in the passage. Before we look into that, I want to sort of broaden our perspective a little bit. One issue has to be established or all of our discussion is severely weakened. In fact, our whole discussion might be rendered moot without this one consideration, and here it is. Is salvation revokable? Because what's the point of spending our time trying to develop an understanding of assurance if we really have no right to any assurance, because our salvation is revokable?
Another way to say it is this, is eternal life really eternal? Or another way, though once heaven was your destiny, can it become hell? Or to say it another way, even though you have been saved, can you be lost or lose your salvation?
Now for some people, possessing assurance is sheer presumption. You have no right to it because you're not entitled to it because it doesn't exist, because you might lose what you have. And if you for one moment thought you couldn't lose it, that level of presumption might indicate that you had already lost it because that would be such a sinful concept. The Roman Catholic Church, for example, and others, but in particular the Roman Catholic Church does not hold that anybody can have assurance of salvation. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church does not believe that assurance is a desirable conviction, it is an undesirable confidence because the Church believes that if you could ever know you were fully and finally headed for heaven, it would make you careless about your sin and then when you became careless about your sin, you would lose your salvation. So better to keep you mystified. Better to make sure you never have any assurance because if you never have any assurance, you're going to work hard to try to make it in the fear that you might not.
In the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent, here's what it says: "No one can know with a certainty of faith which cannot be subject to error that he has obtained the grace of God. No one can ever know that he's obtained saving grace."
The whole world of Roman Catholic people live without that knowledge and without a right to that knowledge. Furthermore, Canons and Decrees of Trent say: "No one, moreover, as long as he is in this mortal life ought to far to presume as regards the secret mystery of divine predestination as to determine for certain that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate, for except by special revelation, it cannot be known whom God hath chosen unto Himself."
So as far as Roman Catholics know, the Pope could be on his way to hell. As far as the Pope knows, he could be on his way to hell just as well because there is no such presumption of assurance allowed.
Another paragraph from the Council of Trent: "If anyone says that a man who is born again and justified is bound of faith to believe that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate, let him be anathema." You pronounce a curse on a person who is assured of his salvation. Such a person should be damned who would exercise such presumption. Another reason to feel sorry for Roman Catholics, another reason to feel sorry for Roman Catholic priests and nuns, and bishops and cardinals, all the way up the line. Tragic souls.
You say, "Well isn't that...that's, you know, sixteenth century stuff? They certainly don't believe that way today."
Let me update you. Here's a recent Roman Catholic Dictionary of Theology, this is what it says, the heading, "Certainty of Salvation." "A concept of Protestant theology, more of that cursed Reformed theology. Certainty of salvation...it says...is a concept of Protestant theology which signifies a belief in justification so firm that this belief is inconsistent with any doubt of a man's ultimate salvation." That, to them, is a heresy to have assurance."Such a certainty of salvation which Catholic theology describes as absolute was repudiated by the Council of Trent for whereas the Christian is absolutely forbidden to doubt what God has done in Jesus Christ, or to doubt his universal salvific will, this does not exclude all possible doubt of one's own eternal salvation," end quote.
You can't doubt the work of Jesus Christ. You can't doubt the saving will of God. But you better doubt your own salvation otherwise you're cursed and damned for sinful presumption. This is one of the most horrific doctrines in the Roman system, leaving people in this total darkness.
In his book on Conflict With Rome, Berkhower(?)shows that Rome's denial of the assurance of salvation is consistent with Rome's conception of the doctrine or nature of salvation. It is precisely, he writes, because the Roman Catholic Church conceives of salvation as a joint effort by man and God and as a blessing which can only be maintained through the doing of good works that it must say to the believer, "You can never be absolutely sure of your salvation." Why? Because it doesn't depend on God alone, it depends on you. And, frankly, you're not dependable. You're not absolutely dependable because the salvation system of the Roman Church is a cooperative system between man and God, their denial of the doctrine of assurance, or certainty of salvation, eternal security goes along with it.
But it's not just the Catholics who deny that we can be certain, it's those who are designated as Arminian, not Armenian, that's a nationality, Arminian is a theology named after Arminius, Jacob Arminius, who was a Dutch theologian. And he taught that you could lose your salvation. And the Arminian view, the Wesleyan view, as it's often called, is the idea that you can lose your salvation so you never really...since you don't have a secure salvation, you can't have real assurance because you don't know that you might do something to forfeit the salvation that you have. And so it's not healthy for you to feel too assured of your salvation or you're going to fall into the same pattern that the Catholics were worried about and you're going to stumble off and lose your salvation.
And I'll tell you something, folks. I don't know where the line between Roman Catholic works/theology and that is drawn. If I have to keep myself saved by my works and therefore I'm not entitled to any assurance because that would make me lazy and I'd fall into sin and lose it, then I don't know what the big difference between that and the Roman Catholic view is. I think in the minds of many people in that movement there is a huge difference and they believe they're saved by grace, only...but somehow lost by works.
But all of that is sort of outside the Scripture, outside the Scripture. Scripture is absolutely clear on the necessity of assurance, on the blessing of assurance, for the purpose of enjoying your salvation...for the purpose of praising God. Hebrews 6:11, listen to this. "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the end, to the max." The writer of Hebrews says we desire that each of you show the same spiritual diligence so as to come to the realization of the full assurance of your hope to the very max. We should have this full assurance. It was the writer's desire, it was the Holy Spirit's desire. Second Peter 1:10 Peter writes, "Be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you." We're literally commanded to assurance, it's not a sin, it's not a presumption. We need to pursue the path of assurance. Why should someone be going to heaven and not enjoy the trip? Why should someone be going to heaven all settled by the councils of God and the grace of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit and not enjoy the confidence of that? What does God gain? You tell me. By fearful, doubting, despairing, depressed, distrusting, fearful Christians, what does He get out of them? Misery, grief, a lousy testimony, poor service, weak praise, you name it.
I don't know about you but my praise to God is directly connected to the eternality of His gift to me, isn't yours? I mean, what kind of a...what kind of praise can I offer a God who may not get me there? I'd like to praise You, but I could sure praise You a lot more if I knew You were going to get me there. I'd like to serve You and I would certainly serve You with more passion if I knew that You were actually going to get me there. I'd like to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength but I certainly could, you know, make a better run at that if I knew Your love for me is permanent. It's kind of tough if You ask me to deny myself, take up my cross and follow You and know somewhere down the road after I've done it for a while, you know, I might just fall off and I'm out and headed for hell. I...it's a little hard to make the kind of commitment You're asking for if I'm not real certain where this is going.
It's like the old deal, I don't know if I want to put all my eggs in this basket if there's a small hole in it, or a big one. Assurance is crucial to Christian living. I never met a productive Christian, I never met a Christian abandoned to praise and worship, sold out to Jesus Christ in doubt of his salvation. Cause if you doubt your salvation, you've got a big problem. You not only have got a problem with yourself, you've got a problem with God, you've got a problem with the Bible, you've got a problem with truth, and all your spiritual energy is sapped out, sucked up by your doubt, fear and despair. What's the point of that? God gains nothing.
So we have to ask the question, first of all then, is eternal life really eternal? And that's a stupid question. Of course, if it's eternal life, it's...what?...it's eternal. But that is the question. And there's no fine print in the contract called the New Covenant. There's no escape clause for God. There's no clause, you know, 42B, "If you do this, this contract is null and void." No fine print. Salvation is forever. And that is where you have to start. And I've done that so many times through the years, but I just want to touch base with that great truth.
Turn in your Bible to the fifth chapter of John, just a few...just a few verses that strengthen our foundation on this doctrine. By the way, if you want more of this, I did a tape and CD series called, "The Grip of God," which is a very careful detailed study of Romans 8:28 to 39 of the grip of God which is a comprehensive treatment of that passage, probably the most important passage on eternal security. But just a few verses, and I will also read a couple from that section.
John 5:24, "Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." What kind of life? "Eternal life." It's unequivocal in that one verse. If that's all we had, that would be enough. You believe, you have eternal life, you do not come into judgment, you are out of the realm of death into the realm of eternal life.
In the sixth chapter of John, again verse 27, Jesus says, "Do not work for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you. This is eternal life, the Son of Man will give to you."
Go down to verse 35. This eternal life is further defined. Jesus said to them, verse 35, "I am the bread of life, he that comes to Me shall not hunger. He who believes in Me never shall thirst." There isn't going to be a time anymore of hunger. There's never going to be a time of thirst in this provision of the bread of life, the water of life that belongs to people who possess eternal life. And then the passage flows from there, verse 37, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me. The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." Go down to verse 39, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose none, but raise it up on the last day." Every one the Father gives Me I receive, every one I receive I keep, every one I keep I raise. Nobody falls through the cracks. Verse 40, "For this is the will of My Father that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life and I Myself will raise him on the last day."
Do you see the point? From believing to being raise, nobody's lost...nobody. That's what that's all about. And that's because it is the Father who draws, it is the Father who gives, it is the Son who receives, it is the Son who keeps, it is the Son who raises.
Back in the fourth chapter of John, I just thought of this. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water, springing up to eternal life." You drink this water and you receive eternal life. It's contrasted with water that's temporary. You need more, you need more, you thirst again. That is a very clear distinction between some kind of salvation that comes and goes and comes and goes and comes and goes and the true salvation which comes once and is a perpetual source of water because it is eternal life.
Now the Scripture continues this emphasis all throughout the New Testament. We know that whatever the Father purposes to do, He will bring to pass and nothing will alter His purpose. In fact, if you look at 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 through 5, you find another marvelous articulation of this truth. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again." All right, so there we are at the new birth. "Born again to a living hope." With our salvation came a real living hope, not a sometime living and a sometime dead hope. The moment you were born again, hope lived. You understand that? And it remains a living hope. And it never dies. And that hope is provided through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, because He lives, we will live. We have in our living hope an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. There's just no way around it.
When you were born again, hope came alive. Your inheritance was established, fixed in heaven, reserved for you in an unalterable promise and never ever be any different than that. Jude 24, a wonderful benediction, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy." This is the only God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the one who keeps us from stumbling. He is the one who brings us all the way to glory so that we can stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy.
Now these are just some Scriptures that prove to us that our salvation is indeed eternal, that it is forever. First Thessalonians, the end of 1 Thessalonians, toward the end, again is a benediction again very much like Jude 24. Verse 23 of 1 Thess 5,"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, may your spirit, soul, body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Boy, that sounds like a wish. That sounds like a wish, doesn't it? "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely. May your spirit and soul and body, your whole being, be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus. May you make it all the way to the end." That sounds like a wish in verse 23, well it's answered in verse 24. Faithful is He who calls you and He will also bring it to pass. No way around it. It's an inescapable reality, that your salvation once granted is forever.
Turn, with that in view, to the passage I mentioned earlier with regard to that tape series, Romans 8 and just a brief look because we could get lost in this wonderful garden of truth. But we'll look at it just with a bird's-eye view rather than a worm's-eye view, which usually is what I do. In chapter 8 verse 1 we read, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." You don't have to worry about ever being condemned if you're once in Christ, there will never be any condemnation.
Now why is that so? Go all the way over to verse 28, "Because God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose for whom He foreknew before the foundation of the world, He predestined to become conformed to the image of His son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Whom He predestined these He called, whom He called these He justified, whom He justified these He also glorified." It goes from election to calling to justification to glorification. Salvation is the complete picture, all the way from eternity past to eternity future, your salvation unfolds. And if this is so, verse 31, if this is so, and it is, if God says it's this way and He's purposed it and He's making it all work together for good, and He is glorifying every one that He predestined and called and justified, if that is true, if God is for us and God is the one in charge, then who can substantially alter that? Right? No one. It's like John 10 where you're in My Father's hand, who is going to take you out? "If God, verse 32, didn't spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, if God gave His Son to save us when we were sinners, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" The point of the verse is if He would give up His Son to save us when we were sinners, won't He make sure that we have all we need to be kept by His Son?
Who is going to successfully...verse 33...bring a charge against God's elect since God is the one who justifies? Since God is the ultimate judge, what court of appeal is there? There is no appellate court in the universe. If Satan or demons or anybody else doesn't like what decision God has made about eternal salvation, where's the court of appeals? There isn't any.
Not only that, who is going to condemn us? Who is successfully going to bring a charge and condemn us when Jesus Christ has already died for our sins and been raised? The penalty already having been paid? And is now at the right-hand of God interceding on our behalf with God. You just can't get there, can you? You can't find a crack in the doctrine, there isn't any. God is working everything to the purpose of bringing His predestined children to glory. And if God is for us, who is against us? And if God is the judge who determined the verdict, there is no appellate court. And if God would give His Son for us when we were sinners, will not He allow His Son to keep us when we are His children now that we are no longer enemies? And if God does not condemn us because all that condemnation was paid for in the death of Christ, then on what basis would we ever be sent to hell? What basis would our salvation be taken away? What basis?
You say, "Well, our sin." No, your sin was paid for. "Well," you say, "somebody might, you know, get God's ear, like Satan got God's ear about Job." Well, that's not easy, that's impossible because there is One seated at the right hand of God interceding for us. He is our attorney for the defense and He never lost a client to the accuser of the brethren.
You say, "Well maybe He'll just stop loving us." No, verse 35,"Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" "There isn't anything that can happen in the world, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, nothing." Verse 38,"Not death, life, angels, principalities, things present, things to come, powers, height, depth," and he's just grabbing everything he can think of...nothing created and the only thing uncreated is God,"Nothing outside of God shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." You see, you can't... once you're in you can't get out.
And, you see, if you're going to talk about assurance, you have to start with that doctrine, right? Cause if that doctrine weren't true, our discussion is pointless. And if that doctrine isn't true, then the Catholic theology may have a point and Arminian theology may be right, you can get too presumptive about your salvation, get careless about your sin and lose your salvation, as they say. But they're wrong and the reason they're wrong is because they don't understand the eternality of the gift of salvation and they don't understand that it never was of works, you didn't get it that way and you don't keep it that way.
I am convinced that the question of eternal salvation is not legitimately debatable. It's not really arguable. Salvation is an eternal gift. Now, on the basis of the fact that if you have it you have it forever, we can talk about how to have the confidence that you have it. Having a secure salvation is a fact, feeling secure is something else. You know, there are a lot of Christians who have eternal salvation but they don't enjoy it because they don't think they have it. Many of them, as we pointed out, think they can lose it just around the corner, so they live in dread and fear. There are many in the Charismatic Movement who think Satan can come and steal it by leading them into some kind of sin, or demons can come and get in them and take over their life and rob them of their salvation. What a horrific way to live under the sovereignty of Satan and turn God into some victim. There's a lot of people who don't enjoy the assurance because they don't understand the eternality of the gift.
So, let's start with that. Salvation is forever...forever. And you need to enjoy that. Isaiah 32:17 says, "The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever."
As a Christian I enjoy a lot of things. And if you sort of pin me down and say, "What do you enjoy about your Christian life?" I...I enjoy everything about my Christian life. I love the Bible. I love to study the Bible. I love to discover truth. I don't mind preaching. I really don't. I mean, it's not my favorite thing, but I do it, it puts food on the table. I love praise, worship. I love fellowship with Christian people. But I'll tell you when it comes down to deep in my soul when you're not around and the organ's not playing and the songs aren't sung, I rest my life on the assurance of my eternal salvation. If I didn't have that, everything else would be somewhat whimsical. So we're not talking about a peripheral issue here. I think it's crazy for Christian people to go through their whole life in some kind of mortal fear about their condition. But they do.
I don't normally read my own books because by the time you get them written, you've read them so many times that, you know, you don't want to read them again. But I wrote a book some years ago called Saved Without a Doubt. And I went back just to kind of read through it on Saturday to kind of get in touch with what I had said in that book because I hadn't looked at it for probably ten years. And I found this letter in the book and I thought I would share it with you.
"I've been attending Grace Church for several years. (This is someone ten years ago.) As a result of growing conviction in my heart, your preaching and my seeming powerlessness against the temptations which arise in my heart and which I constantly succumb to, my growing doubts have led me to believe that I'm not saved. How sad it is, John, for me not to be able to enter in because of the sin which clings to me and from which I long to be free. How bizarre for one who has had advanced biblical training, who teaches in Sunday School with heartfelt conviction. So many times I have determined in my heart to repent, to shake loose my desire to sin, to forsake all for Jesus, only to find myself doing the sin I don't want to do and not doing the good I want to do.
"After my fiancee and I broke up, and that was the real blow, I memorized Ephesians as part of an all-out effort against sin, only to find myself weaker and more painfully aware of my sinfulness, more prone to sin than ever before, and grabbing cheap thrills to push back the pain of lost love. This occurs mostly in the heart, John, but that's where it counts and that's where we live. I sin because I'm a sinner. I'm like a soldier without armor running across a battlefield getting shot up by fiery darts from the enemy. I couldn't leave the church if I wanted to. I love the people. I'm enthralled by the gospel of the beautiful Messiah. But I'm a pile of manure on the white marble floor of Christ, a mongrel dog that sneaked in the backdoor of the King's banquet to lick the crumbs off the floor. And by being close to Christians who are rich in the blessings of Christ, I get some of the overflow and ask you to pray for me, as you think best."
Boy, that is a sad way to live. Manure, a mongrel dog? Is this how Christ wants one of His own to feel? I was struck by the way..how eloquently he expressed himself and have since found that is somewhat common among Christians, although not nearly so well articulated. The Bible doesn't indicate that there's any reason to live like that. And it may have been a temporary disaster at that point because of the lost love which seemed to have been the devastating blow to him emotionally.
But you know what the Bible calls for? The New Testament writers always speak about assurance, not in meager ways but in superlatives. For example, Colossians 2:2 uses the phrase "full assurance." First Thessalonians 1:5, "much assurance." And Hebrews 6:11 and Hebrews 10:22, again the phrase, "full assurance." God does not want to withhold that. "You have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus," right? Ephesians 5:3. God wants to pour out His blessings and among the very best of those blessings is assurance.
Now just a little footnote here. There are many people who have assurance who don't deserve it. In fact, it's been my experience that the people who battle with assurance, the people who struggle with it, who get depressed, who have fears and doubts and worries are almost always Christians because non-Christians, they don't have the battle. They claim, "Well, I'm going to heaven, God would never turn me out of His heaven, I'm a good person." Or, "Lord, Lord, we did this, we did that, we did the other thing in Your name. Here we are." You know, people...people who battle with this, like the one who wrote this letter, inevitably are Christians and the battle comes because they're standing before God and they see His glory and His holiness and His righteousness and they're looking at themselves and they're feeling weak and unworthy and it's in the throes of that that they see in their life that fall short of the standard that intimidates them that makes them say with Isaiah, "Woe is me, I am undone, I'm a man of unclean lips."
So it's...I don't know that I've met very many people...I can't remember any who were having this struggle and were actually non-Christians. This is a struggle in the heart of a believer very often. And God does not want it to be that way.
Now some of you are saying, "Well, you know, I don't have any problem with assurance. They told me when I prayed the prayer that I was saved." Well that's that sort of what I call syllogistic assurance. You know what a syllogism is? Major premise, minor premise, conclusion...if you've had logic, you remember that. Major premise, "If any has received Him, them He gave theexousia, the authority of the power to become the children of God." You receive Him, you become a child of God. That's the major premise. You received Him, you became a child of God, that's the minor premise. If you receive Him, you become a child of God, major premise. You received Him, you became a child of God, minor premise. Conclusion, you're saved. And that goes on all the time.
When I was trained in evangelism as a young person, doing evangelism on college campuses, I was told whenever you bring the gospel to somebody, get them to pray the prayer, don't leave. It's like selling a vacuum, don't leave the house before they sign the contract, you know, because if you come back again, you've got to do the whole drill again, so sign before you get them...before you get out the door. So, you know, get them to sign the deal before you go and make sure after they've signed the deal you affirm to them that they are really saved so they don't have any doubts.
And so you play this little syllogistic game...major premise, if you believe you are saved. Minor premise, you believed, conclusion, you're saved. It's an appeal to logic based on profession, unproven and untested. Assurance of salvation is not something I can give to somebody by a logical drill. Why? Because I don't know whether the profession was real, right? I don't know the state of the heart. People say things they don't mean. Is that not pretty common? You probably did it today in some conversation. We say things just to be kind. We say things because we're hopeful. Down deep they may not represent the real thoughts of our hearts. Assurance cannot be based on some logical inference unproven. Assurance is the blessed reward of faith tested and verified. That's why you have the phrase in verse 19, "By this... by this..." and it goes back to the issue of love and obedience.
Well, John is concerned to give us the tests, but before we take the tests, I want to do one other thing. And this will be two weeks from tonight because I'm done for tonight. But I want you to know what I'm going to do. I want you to know why true Christians lack assurance. Obviously it can be related to sin issues, we'll talk about that. But there are some other reasons and I want to tell you what they are and I want to tell you this. A church like ours is a place that typically generates more doubt than the average church, for obvious reasons...because when you teach the Word of God, you hold the standard so high. There are Christian people in churches all across this country who have never even asked the question, "Am I really saved?" Because they don't think deeply about anything. And they're not confronted with the glory of God and the holiness of God. And they're not confronted with the Law of God and submission and obedience. And they're not confronted with self-denial, taking up a cross, abandoning all. All they're told is pray a prayer and you're in...I prayed the prayer, I'm in.
So there are lots of people who don't even understand this issue of assurance because they simplistically believe the little syllogism somebody gave them. And, of course, the danger of that is that they had a false profession to start with and now they're living under a deception. And a church like ours can, in a sense, stir up doubt and fear by its relentless commitment to the Word of God. So we're going to talk about, a couple of weeks from tonight, why it is that true Christians struggle with assurance. And after we've covered all of this, we'll give you the solutions to it which will be very familiar to you.
Well, Lord, thank you again for the breadth and height and length and depth of Your wondrous revelation to us. No matter how many years we go through it, no matter how much depth we dive into to discern its glories and its wonders, no matter how we penetrate it and search it, we never come close to covering it all or exhausting the glories of Your Word. We have been so blessed again tonight, to be reminded that ours is an eternal salvation and that You want us to enjoy our salvation, to live with confidence and assurance, fully persuaded with all our doubts and fears, calmed completely so that we can love You and serve You and honor You, and praise You and worship You with much assurance, in full assurance for the sake of our own joy, for the sake of the ringing reality of our testimony to others and for the sake of our usefulness to You. Free us up from draining doubt and fear to fully enjoy the grace of salvation You've given us. And we ask this in Your Son's name. Amen.


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After my parents and aunt left to go back to the states, we had the super fortune of having our great friends Jon and Charmian, who live in Germany, come over to join us in London! After a few days there, they took us back to their home in Dusseldorf before a beautiful road-trip through Germany to find some really cool towns filled with castles, great beer, beautiful fall colored leaves and life-long memories.
Enjoying some food and beverages in Bamberg, Germany
Strolling down the streets of Portabello Road
Me with my strange fascination of imitating art/nature
The Eichs making our way up to a castle, by all means necessary :)
Miss Alessandra singing her heart out
A nerve-racking but funny night when Miss A locked herself in the bedroom, which we had no key for. We were trying every way to get to her, including through the attic! After an hour, a locksmith helped get her out, and she came out of the room with a few tears on her face, but still smiling
Charm and I on the London Eye
My favorite picture! Charmian's dream umbrella
We stopped by Ace Cafe in London, who is featured several times in Ben's favorite adventure series "Long Way Around" and "Long Way Down". And, perhaps a model for our future expansion of our business??? :)
Even though it was November, the climate over there allowed for the trees to still have their beautiful fall colors!
Got to experience the Autobahn!
So fun to see all the places we've heard about from them, and then go with them to hang out in! This is one of their favorite places to eat and drink - Moskito
The steps leading up to a castle in Bamberg, Germany
Such a great adventure with our dearly missed friends, but great to see what their life and home and surroundings are like. Hope to see them soon again!
For more pictures from our trip, click the picture below to visit the webalbum:
For more pictures from our trip, click the picture below to visit the webalbum:
|London and Germany with the Eichelbergers


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CULTURE- ART FEATURE- Imperfect views: Lexingtonians visit the 'ville
"If it was perfect, it wouldn't be art." That sentence– spoken by my Lexington High School art teacher, Barbara Crawford after I'd accidentally put a big black blob in the middle of a pen-and-ink drawing– changed everything. Then and there, I made those words my personal philosophy. Every time I've screwed up in life, the thought comes, "Well, if I was perfect, I wouldn't be art."
A few years ago, I told Crawford how profoundly her words had affected me, and she confessed, "Oh, honey, I was just trying to make you feel better!" No matter– the principle still holds (the Japanese call it wabi-sabi).
So I was particularly delighted by Crawford's two paintings hanging in the stairwell of the Gallery@5th & Water, which is currently hosting "Gang of Eight," an exhibition of work by members of Lexington's Nelson Fine Arts Gallery.
Crawford's large, nearly square oil-on-canvas works, entitled "Bliss Abandoned IV" and "Bliss Abandoned II," realistically depict clouds billowing and soaring against a sky of saturated blues gradually fading into the distance– until the illusion abruptly breaks with the paint dribbling across a strip of otherwise blank canvas at the bottom of the frame.
This truncation of the sublime is startling and breathtaking. The unfinished sections are, in fact, the keys to the paintings' power. Don't believe me? Compare these two works with Crawford's more conventional landscapes upstairs. The latter feature similar skies but have countryside vistas stretching across their lower frames. Though complete, they seem prosaic after the imperfect "Bliss" in the stairwell.
Flawed beauty also fuels the work of found-object sculptor S. Harb, whose wink-and-nudge assemblages of junky knickknacks add humor to "Gang of Eight." Her wit is often biting, though, as evidenced by "Marriage is Like a Hornet's Nest," which features a tiered section of a salvaged hive festooned with glittery costume jewelry and topped by a chipped and battered wedding-cake couple.
The rest of the show is a hit-and-miss mix of painting, photography, and drawing. The most impressive pieces are Clover Archer's abstracts combining Xerox photo transfers, ink, and graphite drawings in mock diagrams and pseudo architectural plans. Her absorbing "Complex Adaptive Systems are Pattern Seekers" presents a narrow band of discrete and varied geometric elements running horizontally across an oversized page, the long gray line interrupted irregularly by red vertical marks.
"Gang of Eight" may have its imperfections, but it contains some fascinating art.
"Gang of Eight," an exhibition featuring work by members of Lexington's Nelson Fine Arts Gallery, is on view through July 27 at the Gallery @ 5th and Water. Entrance, stairwell, and upstairs foyer of Henderson & Everett and Stoneking/von Storch. 107 5th St. 979-9825.


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- Telephone:
- 01476 574030
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Key factsPrint summary
GCS are pleased to offer this desirable 318 with Documented service history . Buy with peace of mind with GCS, The 318 will undergo a comprehensive workshop check, 12 Months Mot, Service as due, Full valet and have a comprehensive warranty. The 318 Benefits from SAT NAV & Leather Seats. , Metallic Black, Please ask if you require finance, Part exchanges welcome, Debit and credit cards Taken,, £7,495
This car comes with
Metallic Paintwork, Seat Adjustment Front/ Electric Driver Memory 2, 19in Light Alloy M Double - Spoke Wheels with Mixed Run - Flat Tyres, Air Conditioning, Automatic with Two - Zone Control, Alarm System (Thatcham 1), BMW Professional Radio with Single CD Player (with MP3 Playback Capability), Bluetooth Telephone Preparation with Telematics, Child Seat ISOFIX Attachment, Front and Rear, Cruise Control, Electric Windows - Front and Rear, with Open/Close Fingertip Control, Engine Immobiliser, Foglights, Front, Front Passenger Airbag with Deactivation, Navigation System - BMW Business Advanced, On - Board Computer (OBC), Park Distance Control (PDC), Rear, Seat Adjustment - Front, Part - Electric, Tyre Puncture Warning System (TPWS), Upholstery - Dakota Leather
- 201906118886962
- 2012
- 12
- £7,495
- 750
- 90,261
- Cars
- lgYrpCnW9i4=
Vehicle summary
|Body style
|Engine size
|1995 cc
|Fuel type
|Number of doors
|Number of seats
|Gearbox type
|CO2 emissions
|146 g/km
|Insurance group
|Standard manufacturer's warranty (miles)
|No details available
|Standard manufacturer's warranty (years)
|3 years
|Standard paintwork guarantee
|3 years
Performance & economy
|Fuel consumption (urban)
|34.9 mpg
|Fuel consumption (extra urban)
|53.3 mpg
|Fuel consumption (combined)
|44.8 mpg
|0 - 60 mph
|9.1 seconds
|Top speed
|130 mph
|Engine power
|143 bhp
|Engine torque
|140.14 lbs/ft
|1395 mm
|Height inclusive of roof rails
|No details available
|4580 mm
|2760 mm
|1782 mm
|Width including mirrors
|No details available
|Fuel tank capacity
|63 litres
|Minimum kerb weight
|No details available
|Interior features
|Exterior features
|Interior Trim, Dark Aluminium Glacier Silver
|Exterior Mirrors - Heated, Electrically Adjustable
|Outside Temperature Display
|Exterior Trim High-Gloss Shadowline
|Rear - View Mirror, Automatically Dimming
|Windscreen Washer Jets, Heated
|12V Power Socket in Rear of Centre Console
|Headlight Wash
|On - Board Computer (OBC)
|19in Light Alloy M Double - Spoke Wheels with Mixed Run - Flat Tyres
|Smokers Package
|Body Colour Bumpers
|BMW Professional Radio with Single CD Player (with MP3 Playback Capability)
|Cruise Control
|Loudspeaker System with Six Speakers
|Headlining, Anthracite
|Front and Rear Armrest, Front with Storage Compartment
|Centre Console
|Cup Holders, Front
|Multi - Function Steering Wheel
|Seat Adjustment Front,Part-Electric
|Upholstery - Dakota Leather
|M Sport Suspension
|Air Conditioning, Automatic with Two - Zone Control
|Bluetooth Telephone Preparation with Telematics
|Heated Rear Screen
|M Sport Steering Wheel
|Leather Steering Wheel
|Sports Seats-Front
|Electric Windows - Front and Rear, with Open/Close Fingertip Control
|Navigation System - BMW Business Advanced
|Split - Folding Rear Seat
|Steering Column with Manual Reach and Rake Adjustment
|Floor Mats, Velour with Royal Blue Piping
|Seat Adjustment - Front, Part - Electric
|Drivers Airbag
|Electronic Power Steering (EPS)
|Alarm System (Thatcham 1)
|Dynamic Traction Control (DTC)
|Front Passenger Airbag with Deactivation
|High Level Third Brake Light
|Child Seat ISOFIX Attachment, Front and Rear
|Front Anti - Whiplash Head Restraints and Rear Head Restraints
|Xenon Headlights and Daytime Running Lights
|Park Distance Control (PDC), Rear
|Tyre Puncture Warning System (TPWS)
|Anti - Lock Braking System (ABS)
|Central Door Locking - Remote Control
|Front Side and Advanced Head Protection System (AHPS) Front and Rear
|Electronic Brake - Force Distribution (EBD)
|Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) Comprising Automatic Stability Control (ASC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC)
|Engine Immobiliser
|Seat Belts - Front, Inertia Reel with Pyrotechnical Belt Latch Tensioner and Belt Force Limiter
|Foglights, Front
Please note
This includes MPG figures which are calculated under European Standards, in test conditions, and will vary under normal driving conditions. The information displayed above describes the typical specification of the most recent model of this vehicle. It is not the exact specification for the actual vehicle being offered for sale which may vary. Specifications for older models may also vary. Please contact us prior to purchase to confirm the exact specification of this vehicle.
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Programming and coding (GUI Calculator)
Költségvetés $10-30 USD
need by 8:00 today.
Write a GUI program that is named CalculatorGUI that contains two textboxes, four buttons and at least one label.
The program allows a user to input two numbers into the textboxes.
The program allows the user to click on any one of the four buttons, add, subtract, multiply and divide.
The program displays the result of the addition, or subtraction, or multiplication or division of the two numbers on the label.
Use comments in the program so users can follow your logic.
Upload the zipped project to a hosting site and share the link to your program in the discussion.
Comment on your experience with writing the program.
9 szabadúszó tett átlagosan $33 árajánlatot erre a munkára
Hi, I'm a OS expert experienced C/C++/ObjC developing. I can develop almost kinds of C/C++/ObjC codes for any OS : Windows, Linux, MAC OS X... I can use almost of develop libraries such as QT, MFC, boost... and IDE t Több
Hi , c++ expert here , Well get you project done in very short time . Looking forward to work with you !
sir please tell me in which time zone you are i can do this job in quick time i need to know how much do i have so i can work right on it
──────────────────────────────── ───────────────██████████─────── ──────────────████████████────── ──────────────██────────██────── ──────────────██▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█────── ──────────────██▀███─███▀█────── █──────────── Több
Hello! Two inputs, one display and four buttons to the basic arithmetic operations, a basic calculator. It's an easy task which I can do it right now. As you put C++ in the description, What GUI do you want it ma Több


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DETROIT, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Automakers are finding fewer options for customers means lower costs and fewer headaches for U.S. auto dealers, experts said.
Different configurations for trim and extra features can create thousands of customized combinations for a vehicle mixing and matching sound systems, paint color and trim.
But the trend now is to cut the size of the options menu, USA Today reported Monday.
The trend diminishes the option of "creating complexity for the sake of complexity," said Chuck Russell, General Motors' director of compact cars, North America.
While nearly a third of Porsche buyers still custom-outfit their new car, Buick has trimmed its options down to 18 for the Verano. Volkswagen has cut options down from 148 to 15 for the Passat.
To keep appeal high, but cut back on customers who customize, automakers are now selling packages of options.
Customers can opt for power side doors on a new Sienna, but to do so means they also must purchase the satellite radio option. Similarly, a consumer purchasing a Passat can opt for the sunroof, but only if also buying the high-end sound system, the newspaper said.


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There are several lifestyle interventions available for the management of overactive bladder (OAB), including:
- lifestyle changes
- bladder training and timed voiding
- pelvic floor muscle therapy (PMFT)
- functional electrical stimulation (FES)
- biofeedback
Lifestyle interventions may be used alone or in combination with medications. Talk to your doctor about which interventions would be appropriate for you.
Lifestyle changes
Caffeine and alcohol can irritate the bladder and increase urination. You can help manage overactive bladder by limiting your intake of caffeine and alcohol.
Your doctor may suggest that you decrease your fluid intake to help relieve your symptoms. You should always discuss any change in fluid intake with your doctor first, especially if you have kidney stones or a urinary tract infection. Restricting your fluids too much can aggravate your overactive bladder symptoms because bladder irritants are not cleared as well from the bladder.
To prevent having to urinate during the night, limit your fluid intake 3 to 6 hours before going to bed.
Other lifestyle changes that may help with managing overactive bladder include losing weight, taking precautions against urinary tract infections (e.g., wiping front to back to avoid contamination with bacteria from stool), and preventing constipation (e.g., eating a high-fibre diet, exercising regularly).
Bladder training (bladder drill) and timed voiding
Bladder training can help your bladder hold a larger volume of urine. It can also help you gain more control over the urge to urinate. With bladder training, you gradually increase the time between bathroom visits. This will decrease urgency and leakage of urine over time. Your doctor can help you with this technique and help you schedule times to visit the bathroom. A bladder diary will help you keep track of your schedule.
Timed voiding can also help you become more aware of your bladder. With this technique, voiding times are scheduled and set often enough to avoid symptoms of overactive bladder. This technique is often used as the starting point for bladder training.
Pelvic floor muscle therapy (PFMT)
Pelvic floor muscle therapy (PFMT), which includes Kegel exercises, involves alternately contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles. To find out if you are contracting the right muscles, try stopping your urine flow while you're urinating. The muscles you use here are the same ones that you will use for pelvic floor muscle exercises.
An example of a pelvic floor muscle exercise is to contract and release the pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds at a time. Keep increasing the time until you are tensing the muscles for 10 seconds and releasing them for 10 seconds. Do 3 sets of 15 exercises per day.
If you're having trouble finding the right muscles, talk to your doctor for help. Pelvic floor muscle exercises can help prevent involuntary contraction of the detrusor muscle by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor. To be successful, it's important to follow your health care professional's recommended program. When done diligently, the benefits of of these exercises are usually seen in a few months.
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)
A procedure known as FES involves electrically stimulating a nerve in the pelvic floor to cause muscles to contract or prevent the bladder muscles from contracting. This is useful if you have difficulty contracting the pelvic muscles yourself.
Biofeedback is a training process that helps people gain more control over their pelvic floor muscles. It can be used to help people gain more benefit from pelvic floor muscle exercises. Biofeedback can use FES and other techniques (such as vaginal balloons) to help identify the correct muscles.
Knowing what to expect from your treatment:
When starting a new treatment, it's important to know what to expect, including when it will start working, which symptoms it will help with, and how much you can expect it to help with your symptoms. To learn more about what to expect from your treatment, see Getting the most from your treatment, or speak to your doctor.


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The Daily Dig
- Date
- Friday 28 June 2019 - Saturday 27 July 2019
- Time
- Location
- Penn Museum
- Category
One artifact. 15 minutes. Endless insight.
The Penn Museum is home to remarkable objects and their powerful stories. Every day at 1:00 pm, dig into a 15-minute exploration of an extraordinary artifact. Gain deeper insights into its history, cultural context, caretaking, and more while you hear the unique perspectives of archaeologists, anthropologists, scientists, conservators, archivists, and other Museum specialists. After the talk, you are welcome to explore your questions with the presenter.
Free with Museum admission.
Plan your Visit to the Penn Museum
Information about Parking, Public Transit, Hours of Operation and more...
Start Planning
Penn Museum
3260 South St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Philadelphia, PA 19104


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Light and Insight: Looking through photographer Janice Levy's lens
A gallery of photographs by Janice Levy
2 Comments
This gallery does not seem to have anything in it, which is a shame...(or is it my tech ineptitude..?)
Hi Rebecca. You can click on the caption under the photograph on this page to get to the gallery. But just to make it easier and more intuitive, I made the word "gallery" a link to it, too. Both should take you there now. Sorry for the inconvenience.


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Red & Green should never be seen…so they say.
There are some nice tutorials on You Tube of red and green eyes, but there's no denying that those two colours together could spell disaster. But hey, it's Christmas, it gets dark early, so let's give it a shot!
I decided to go for a green base with Eyeliner.
Eye colours used:
Benefit Cream Eyeshadow in Birthday Suit
Paul & Joe Eye Gloss in no. 1
Shu Uemura ME 555 Green
Eyeliner – Urban Decay in Gash
Mascara – Asciene in Black.
Simple really!
I also tried out Daisy Dust Beauty Powder on my cheek – oh lala! It certainly looks good and shows up well in photographs.
Oh in this photo, the green looks blue but I assure you it is green;
Cheek Colour – Nars Oasis, topped with Nars Nico, then Beauty Powder to highlight.
I was supposed to make a video of this but the child stole my MAC, determined to make her own video (if you don't know what I mean, its
What do you think of the eye? ok for Christmas or should red & green be left well alone?
Are you feeling the love for Christmas yet?…


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Heat try to close out Bulls in South Beach
The Miami Heat can close out the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night when Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup heads back to South Beach.
The Heat have won three in a row since their shocking Game 1 loss at home. Miami took both contests in Chicago, including an 88-65 drubbing of the Bulls on Monday.
"We're always undermanned and have to put forth a lot of energy to make up for bodies we don't have," said Bulls reserve forward Taj Gibson. "Tonight we just didn't have the energy. No excuses. We just did not have it."
The 65 points was a franchise playoff low for a Chicago team that only managed nine points in the third quarter of Game 4. They also shot an all-time postseason-worst 25.7 percent from the floor.
Since the Game 1 win, the Bulls have lost by an average of 23.3 ppg and all three losses came by double digits.
Of course, the Bulls are decimated by injuries. Derrick Rose hasn't played since he tore his ACL in the first playoff game last season. Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich have both missed this entire series.
"They're in a tough situation," said LeBron James, the reigning MVP. "They've had some injuries and illnesses and whatever's going on. They don't have their full roster. But that's not for us to worry about. They beat a very good Brooklyn team without their full roster."
Some of the Bulls pointed to that Brooklyn series. The Nets were down 3-1 to Chicago, but forced a Game 7.
"It's disappointing. But there is still basketball left," said Joakim Noah, who was named to the All-Defensive First Team on Monday. "It's not the end. It's do or die. We've got to go to Miami and get a win and go to Game 6."
Carlos Boozer led the Bulls in Game 4 with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Jimmy Butler, Gibson and Rip Hamilton, who hadn't played all series long, all scored in double figures.
James paced the Heat with 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, which were all team-highs. Chris Bosh netted 14 and blocked four shots.
Nine other Miami players scored on Monday night, although Mike Miller and Joel Anthony were the only Heat players who didn't score on Monday. Both played less than three minutes.
Dwyane Wade has been noticeably absent from the scoring column. He's only averaged 11.2 ppg during this series and only managed six points in Game 4.
Wade has been plagued by knee troubles and the extra rest he's been getting hasn't helped. He missed a good portion of the end of the regular season, sat out Game 4 of the Heat's first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks, and had a week off before the Bulls' series began.
"Sometimes it feels good, sometimes it doesn't," Wade told the Palm Beach Post. "Just try to go out there and continue to do what I can."
The Bulls did win Game 1 in Miami and took one of the regular-season meetings at American Airlines Arena.
If Chicago wins on Wednesday, Game 6 will be Friday night in the Windy City.