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April 19, 2015
We are going to look at one of three most thrilling portions of Scriptures. There are three similar accounts in the gospels on the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Matt 17 and Luke 9 and the one we just read in Mark 9…
This is a passage with the deity of Christ on full display!
Verse 1 "And he said unto them, truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power." The most compelling view is that the 'coming' mentioned here related to the entire complex of events involved in the Son of Man's receiving the DOMINION, especially his resurrection, ascension, Pentecost, and sending of the Spirit and judgment against Jerusalem 70AD. I tend for the HS coming in the upper room where the 120 gathered were given an extraordinary display. I believe this to be an announcement and preview display of the power of the third person of the trinity…the Holy Spirit coming more fully at Pentecost and worldwide spreading of the gospel.
So now in Verse 2 we are about see another immediate display of the power and majesty of God that gives testimony to the deity and power of the second person of the Trinity.
Now the Lord has been saying to the disciples…Listen, I've been talking to you about self-denial, I've been talking to you about bearing your cross, I've told you that I must go to Jerusalem to suffer many things and be killed. You're very much aware of the persecution, the hostility, the rejection that we've seen from the people. You know that the message that I've given you is a message of suffering and death, My death and your death……. But it will not always be that way.
He is saying that there will be a day when the Son of Man comes in the full blazing glory of the Father with His angels and then He will act in judgment upon every man. This will be a glorious time for the believer. There will be a time coming when the Son of Man comes not in humiliation but in royal majesty.
The Bible is very clear about this. It isn't just a New Testament message; it was an Old Testament one as well. And the disciples should have remembered that the Messiah would suffer first (Isaiah 53) and then be glorified. But it seems as though all they can see is the glory and all they can anticipate is the Kingdom and all the wonder and all the majesty and all the splendor of that and they cannot handle what's going on in the present tense.
They anticipated a political coup by Jesus and over throw of the Romans. Jesus' reign was far more than that….it entered into the spiritual realm. His Kingdom was never about weapons of physical warfare. Never will either in the future.
AND so it will come, and it will. It will shortly come on God's timeline. Now even this transfiguration scene is veiled but not so much as to hide the glorified Christ. It is stunning and even still is not what we will see and be like when we are received into glory as I John 3:2 tells us…When we see him we will see him as he is.
But frankly, the promise in the face of hardship and persecution is very hard to believe…very hard. To say I'm coming in glory and sometime in the future seems so far away. And so the Lord in His wonderful grace goes a step beyond the all the prophecies and He promises them and shows them in a preview. I'm not only telling you I'm coming, I'm going to prove it.
And that preview begins in verse 2 of chapter 9 and runs down through verse 10, that's the full text of it. It is His transfiguration. And at that event, He gives them a live display of His majestic splendor, His majestic glory, His majestic power. On full display.
And so what you have here in Mark is our Lord showing Peter James and John them the reality of Christ so that you need not ever doubt the reality of His Second Coming, I'm going to give you a glimpse of it…..the glory of it, I'm going to give you another taste of the final reality. And it comes in a marvelously important time because it comes at a time when they needed balance. They had just heard about suffering. They had learned that Jesus was a suffering Savior and now they needed to see a glimpse of Him as a glorious King.
The marvelous and miraculous preview of final glory was to remind them and us that it is going to come to pass. And to fill their hearts with assurance and hope in the midst of great despair. It should fill ours too!!
Now there's another thought that I would just add as a footnote here. In my understanding of the Old Testament prophecies, very often in fact, the prophecy would have a near literal fulfillment and a future spiritual fulfillment. And the reason the prophets did this was in order to verify themselves as prophets and to give hope for the future fulfillment. In other words, if someone predicted something to happen in the end times like the coming of the Messiah, how would you able to trust them? How would you know such a thing would come to pass? Well, the prophet would then predict something in the near future and when the near event came to pass, you could believe him that the future would as well. And so it was a part of prophetic credential to affirm something in the far distant future and then verify your trustworthiness by an immediate prophetic utterance which had literal fulfillment during the generation of those who heard you speak. All OT prophecies have a literal fulfillment in the Old Testament and spiritual fulfillment in the church.
I believe in a very real sense the final and supreme prophet Jesus is accrediting Himself as a true and trustworthy prophet by saying yes I will come in the future, at the last day. And to prove it, I predict that some of you won't die until you see God's regal majesty. And when the near event came to pass, they knew He spoke as a trustworthy prophet and could trust Him as well for the future event.
Let's look at Verse 2. "And after six days," by the way, Luke says about eight days. So, Matthew and Mark use the more exact Jewish chronology and says, "After six days (that is six intervening days) Jesus takes Peter, James and John his brother."
And He takes them and it says He brings them up into an high mountain privately, He draws them away. Now we ask ourselves at this point, Why does Jesus do this? Why does He take just these three….Peter, James and John? Let me suggest some reasons.
First of all, to be a witnesses. He needed to have witnesses to see His glory. Now Deuteronomy 19:15 laid down and established a principle that any testimony was confirmed in the mouth of how many? Two or three witnesses. And so the Lord going to display His glory wants it confirmed in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, trustworthy witnesses. And so they are taken to be those 3 witnesses.
Second, they are taken because they were part of the inner circle of the Savior. They were the closest to Him. They were around Him the most. And very frequently perhaps accompanied Him into intimate times of prayer. And so, as He takes them to the high mountain, I don't think they would have been very shocked by that, it perhaps had happened on many occasions. They were frequently alone with Jesus, certainly Mark 5:37 indicates they were there at the raising of the young girl. They accompanied Him, you remember in Mark 14 in the garden of Gethsemane the night that He agonized and sweat, as it were, great drops of blood, they were there with Him in His intimacy also. And so, we're not surprised that it's Peter, James and John.
And, I guess, in a way we can understand why, because it seems proper that those who most intimately knew His sorrow, and those who most intimately knew His suffering should most intimately see His glory. They who would suffer… Peter crucified upside down, James beheaded and John exiled, should, as well, see His glory.
And third, I think another reason He took them was because they were acknowledged trustworthy leaders. They were men of great spiritual report and leadership. And when it came time to articulate what happened, they would be trusted. They would be the most believed. They could convince and influence the rest.
Those are positive reasons why He took them. There's a negative reason why He only took three. If all of the disciples had seen this, or if all of the disciples plus the crowd that was gathered there that day in upper Galilee, if all of them had seen it, too, there would have been no way to prevent widespread chaos because having seen the glory of Jesus Christ on display, you can imagine that those people would have come running down that hillside and been unable to restrain themselves. And they would have propagated what they had seen and again Jesus would have been pushed into becoming the political military Messiah that the people wanted Him to be. The people had tried that before after the feeding of the 5K and wanted to make him a king, In John 6:15 it says "…by force…and Jesus withdrew from their presence". And so, that they might not happen again he even tells them in verses 9 and 10 not to tell anyone. He restricts it just to three, three that He can trust, three that are very intimate with Him, but three that can confirm Him as the Son of God….deity!!! This is the God of Isaiah 43.
It says He took them into a high mountain. Now we don't know what mountain it was, somewhere in upper Galilee south of Caesarea, Philippi where they had been for awhile and before Jerusalem. I wouldn't doubt that the reason we are not told is that the place would become holy ground to some.
Now when they get up in the mountain, what do you think the disciples were doing? Well, they did what they usually did…slept. Mark doesn't tell us that but the parallel account in Luke says they were sleeping. And Jesus was…what?…praying, that's right. They went into the high mountain and Jesus would pray and they would sleep, and we're not surprised because we see this again and again. In fact, we see it later on when the Lord is in the garden of Gethsemane pouring out His heart to the Father in that agonizing prayer. And at that very time the disciples also sleep. And Jesus, in fact, rebuked them and said, "Can't you even watch with Me for an hour?"
But if you were to look at Luke 22:45 you would find that there was a possible reason they were asleep. Not only were they probably physically tired, the Bible says they were sleeping for sorrow. You know what happens when you get really depressed? Many people want to sleep. They were sleeping because it was the only way to deal with their sorrow was just to shut it out by falling asleep. Maybe here the same thing. By the time they get to the Mount of Olives in Luke 22 for prayer there, they have heard about His death over and over and over and the despair is great there but perhaps it's nearly as great here.
But they woke out of their sleep and Jesus rose from His prayer. And an utterly incredible thing happened. One unlike any other thing that ever happened in the history of the world and we're going to have the privilege of looking at it. We are being given ultimate proof that this is the King of kings, verification that this is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the one and they need this affirmation, we need this affirmation!!
Let's look at a couple of these elements of this affirmation.
Verse 2, "And He was transformed," metamorphosis, He was totally changed and that term Morpheus has to do with the body and form. His body, His form was totally changed. And that's really all we can say about it, we don't have any of the explanation for it, it's supernatural. "And His face did shine like the sun, and His clothing was as white as the light." It was dazzling, glistening, blazing. "And His face was like the unclouded sun at high noon."
Literally, the glory inside was unveiled. And here was the transformation of the Son. This Jesus whom they had seen walking around every day with very human form and characteristic was none other than the blazing radiance of God.
And this, beloved, is the greatest testimony to Jesus Christ, I think, of any passage in the Bible along with Matt 17 and Luke 9. If you really want to know who Jesus is, here it is. The glory that is his is radiating from the inside out.
There's little doubt who this is, people of God..little doubt. For whenever scripturally God manifests His invisible Spirit essence, it is manifested as light, isn't it? You go back and find the Shekinah, the glow of God's light in the Old Testament. God manifest Himself in blazing light, pillars of fire by night and a cloud by day. In fact, that light appears as fire sometimes and as a brilliant cloud, other times and here as just blazing light like the sun. When God who is an invisible spirit chooses to take a form to reveal Himself, apart from his incarnation of Jesus Christ that form is light, blazing light.
And Peter gave testimony to that. In 2 Peter 1:16-18 he says, "For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coing of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain." And in John 1:14 he writes, "We beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. We saw the very essence of God pouring out of that human form, transformed before our very eyes."
That's why the writer of Heb says, "You have had a taste of the good things to come."
In Revelation chapter 1 we have a picture of Jesus Christ in marvelous terms. It shows Him moving among His churches and it says "His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet like fine bronze as if they burned in a furnace,..it's the same picture you see right here in Mark.
You see, Jesus Christ in His human form is veiled. The body is a veil. It veiled the reality of his divine essence. But when He pulls that veil back for a moment, it is the blazing sun that is seen. And that's what they saw. And that's what you see as you look at this text. This is God who is synonymous with glory, the revealed essence of His nature. When Jesus came into the world He is God but He took that veil of humanity and clothed the glory. But here He gave a glimpse unveiled. This is God, don't let anybody come and tell you Jesus isn't God, and the glory that comes from within. And so…. His deity, His majestic Kingship, His regal majesty, His royalty as the Son of God, the anointed of the Father is seen here by the transfiguration of his Son.
Here is the second great confirmation of Jesus Christ. They, too, that is Moses and Elijah, appeared with him in His glory. Look at verse 3. "And behold there appeared unto Him…" and Luke adds "in his glory," not with glory but in His glory, shrouded by it, surrounded by it, encompassed by it, "Moses and Elijah, and they were talking with Him." And now Peter, James and John are not only seeing something that's beyond their comprehension, they are hearing a conversation.
Now, somebody might ask the question… Well, how did Peter, James and John recognize them? How did they know they were Moses and Elijah? I don't know, maybe they had a name tag. No, I believe that answer lies in the fact that Peter, James and John, like us, when we are received into glory we are going to be able to recognize everyone.
Now why those two?
Moses…Moses is synonymous with Old Testament, isn't he? And the law is called the law of Moses. Moses chosen by God to confront the Egyptians and lead the people of Israel out of that land and through the Sinai wilderness to the borders of the promised land. Moses, perhaps the greatest leader of human kind who ever lived. Moses, the king, priest, prophet…Moses, leader among leaders, leader over leaders, leader unequalled.
Beyond that, Moses was the agent of the Ten Commandments. He was the instrument through whom God gave the law expressing His will and revealing His character.
Now who could possibly stand with Moses? Only one, Elijah…Elijah. He fought against the nation's idolatry. If Moses gave the law, Elijah guarded the law, the greatest guardian of God's law. The man was zeal personified. He had courage. He spoke words of bold and profound judgment. He had a heart for God. He walked with God. He had miraculous power. You read 1 Kings, 2 Kings, and you see the miraculous nature of this man's miracles and prophecies. He was zeal incarnate. His zeal for God was unequaled. He is considered the most zealous and preeminent of them all.
So Moses gave the law, its great giver; Elijah, its great guardian. And what do they represent? The law and the prophets. And what is the law and the prophets? It's the Old Testament. And why are they there? They are there as the Old Testament saying, "This is the One of whom we spoke. "It is the affirmation of the law and the prophets. Tremendous scene. It is Old Testament verification. It is all that Jesus said when He said, "I have come to fulfill the law and the prophets" It is the affirmation.
Now I don't know how Moses and Elijah got there. I don't know what kind of form they had. It doesn't tell us that. I'm not really interested in that. But I am interested in why they were there…they were there so that the people could see that the Old Testament was indeed fulfilled in this person Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah in Royal Majesty. They needed to see that. They needed to hear that. We do as well. And if you have been saved by grace through faith…you see the light, and be my witnesses to the light, and will experience the fullness of that light.
It says in Matthew 17 they were talking with Jesus, Moses and Elijah were, and having a conversation. So they must have been in some physical form or at least perceptibly physical. Luke 9 it tells us what they were talking about. Isn't that marvelous? They were talking but what were they saying? And you go to Luke 9 it says "Two men, Moses and Elijah appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure which He was about to bring to filfillment in Jerusalem."
Talking about Christ's death? Why was that important. The word death, in the Greek is the word exodus, means final outcome. They were talking about His final outcome. They were talking about His coup de grace. They were talking about the big event at the end. And what was the big event? The cross…departure, exodus is a soft word for death. And so they were speaking of Christ's death as an exodus, just as the exodus under Moses delivered the people from the bondage of Egypt, so the exodus of Christ's death would deliver His people from the bondage of sin. Beautiful use.
Is it important that they talk about His death? Sure, because that was the one aspect about Christ, final outcome of his ministry the disciples couldn't understand, didn't fit their Messianic program. They couldn't handle that. And so here is the law and the prophets represented in these two men and they're talking about the Savior's final outcome when going to Jerusalem… to die. Oh what an important conversation to hear. And maybe that's why later it was easier for them to talk about the fact that Christ had to have suffered and given His life because that was the plan. And that's why Peter could stand up at Pentecost and say "that the Lord was crucified by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God". God's irrevocable plan. Christ predestined to die, as we are predestined to live in glory with him.
So, what is going on here is a tremendous testimony from the Old Testament saying this is indeed the King and He is indeed on schedule. And death is a part of the plan in spite of what some people have tried to do with the life of Jesus Christ. He died as the one ordained died from before the foundation of the world and His death was as much a part of the plan as His Second Coming will be and it's so important for the disciples to know that. And so they see and they hear the Old Testament representatives affirming Christ.
Do you see why I say this passage is so important as to the deity of Jesus Christ? Tremendous passage, unequalled in all the gospel records for testimony to his deity and Kingship.
In the middle of all this glory and majesty and splendor and wonder, we are brought right back to the reality. Verse 5 "Then answered Peter and said to Jesus", so you could still discern Jesus was there, of course, in some transfigured form and perhaps the form we'll see Him in glory where He's recognizable in form and yet glorious. He says, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You will, let's make three booths." In fact, he even volunteered, according to Matthew, to do them himself.. "Let's make three booths, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah."
Now we don't know what his motive was as, it is not told to us but I believe Peter had worship in mind here. Remember one of the three feasts the Jews had to attend was the feast of tabernacle sometimes called the feast of booths. And the people had to bring gifts and worship God there. Maybe Peter's thought was in a small way an act to attempt worship. We don't know what all of the things going through his mind were but he really liked what he was experiencing and even with the ambivalence of his thrill and his terror, he made this suggestion. Mark says he said this because he had no idea of what he was saying as his mind must have been trying to process all he was seeing.
Third element testifying to the Kingship of Christ. "Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, whom I love…Listen to him." There are 430 occurrences this Greek word or a derivative of it used in the NT. Very important concept. But it also is saying to us….listen to him, listen to this Jesus who has revealed himself to be God and this is the only God and the gloried God who has said "I am the way, the truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me".
Peter didn't understand that this was only a preview and he had to go back to the valley and go through the suffering and the hardships and the cross- bearing and the self-denial and all that stuff and the Messiah still had to suffer and die. And the second thing he didn't understand was you can't put Jesus, Moses and Elijah in equal places. You see, Luke says that when Peter said this, Moses and Elijah were moving away. Moses and Elijah came in a very temporary fashion and their purpose was to salute their divine successor, the one who fulfilled the law and the prophets. That was their purpose.
And then in verse 8 they leave Him alone in the glory of unchallenged supremacy and to fade away so that the soul-remaining object of the adoration of the disciples and the adoration of the Father was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ in his gloroius form.
You and I will see Him again this way if we are saved by grace through faith. That's right, when He comes in glory, won't we…see him as he is. So I'm just going to have to tell you, we are in the same place with the other nine disciples… which isn't too bad. You got the eye witness account of the preview but you're going to have to wait for the real thing, at the Second Coming.
Now who's this? Someone else arriving on the scene? The answer is in the clouds of redemptive history…starting in Exodus chapter 13 verse 21, take your Bible sometime and just begin to look for white clouds. And whenever you see one, guess who will be there. God…God will be there. (When the name God is spoken of it usually means the First person of the Trinity). And you can follow those white clouds all the way to the fourteenth chapter of Revelation where Christ is in the clouds. We read this, "And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sat like the Son of Man."
And it says "a voice out of the cloud "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him." When God speaks we need to listen!! God does not ask or plead. No God demands. This verb is in the imperative tense…a directive.
And now we are face to face with the awesome awful terrifying presence of Almighty God. And in the Matt account verse 17:6.. "The disciples heard it, they fell on their face and they were literally terrified." They were totally traumatized. And why? Because God was there.
This is some scene, people of God. And God was there to say in addition to the testimony of the Old Testament, in addition to the testimony of the New Testament the transformed Son is the testimony of the Father, "This is…what?…My beloved Son."
Do you have any questions about who this Jesus is? I hope not. It's right here. Our response should be as the response of Peter, James and John. Be driven to our knees and be humbled wanting to worship the King of kings. To seek forgivness for our sins and seek to worship this Jesus every chance we get. That not only means when the word is preached but everyday of our lives we are to worship him in everyday activities. May our place in life, our dwelling… be the booth to bring our gifts of worship.
To believers Jesus has assures us that God's justice is preserved and the eternal glory that is ours was on display to us with just a glimpse in Matthew 17 Luke 9 and Mark 9.
This is the best thing that could ever happened to us…to be in His intimate presence, to listen to what he says and live out our lives in anticipation of his return in glory.
And as we walk in obedience, listen to him. As we walk in obedience we know the excellence of His presence. If we walk in disobedience, we will experience the terror of his presence. But Jesus gives us assurances that to those who belong to him… have already passed through judgment.
The cross was Jesus' glory and was not only our redemption guarantee but our glory too. Future glory. Romans 8:1 assures believers: "Therefore, there is NOW no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ".
John Calvin wrote…So tardy and sluggish is our mind, that it needs to be aided by looking towards heaven. Christ summons believers to his judgment-seat, to lead them to reflect at all times that they lived for no other object than to long after that blessed glorious redemption, which will be revealed at the proper time.
In 2 Cor 3:15-18 Paul writes. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their heart. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away…. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
His glorious righteousness has become ours by grace through faith and the result is the eternal glorious life.
We are in the process of becoming more like Jesus.
What more incentive do we need to listen to him and to worship him.
May we, like Peter, James and John…in the presence of Jesus…..say it was good for us to be here!
Father, we thank you so much for the fact that You have given to us a true word concerning Christ. Lord, we don't understand all these things. We can't put ourselves back nearly two thousand years ago and be on that place to perceive what they perceived who were there. So give us the eyes of understanding and may we at least understand this, that Jesus is God who was veiled in human flesh, that Jesus is the one whom the Old Testament and the New Testament speak as the fulfiller of the law and the prophets, that Jesus is the one beloved of the Father who is fulfilling the divine plan which pleases the Father and who is to be heard and obeyed by every soul. Father, we pray that we would understand the weight of this Scripture. We play that those to do not know you in a saving way that you would reveal yourself to them and receive them into your heavenly kingdom.


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Introduction: How to Create a Metallic Finish on Furniture
This fabulous product is water-based and environmentally friendly with low VOCs. It is super easy to work with and you can use it to add beautiful metallic effects to all your furniture and home decor projects.
Currently the Metallic Cream is available in 4 colors in pints (16 oz jars) and sample jars (4 oz):
- Trigger (pewter)
- Pocket Watch (gold)
- Belt Buckle (bronze)
- Silver Bullet (silver)
In this tutorial we'll show you how to apply Metallic Cream to your project to add a beautiful shine on accent areas, or over your entire piece. If you'd rather watch a video, we also have a video tutorial available in the last step of this tutorial!
Metallic Cream can be found on our website at www.countrychicpaint.com.
Teacher Notes
Teachers! Did you use this instructable in your classroom?
Add a Teacher Note to share how you incorporated it into your lesson.
Step 1: Start With a Painted Piece
Prepare your surface, paint, and distress your piece as desired by following our previous tutorials available here.
Hint: if you would like to achieve opaque metallic coverage we recommend starting with a base coat of paint in a similar color to the metallic cream you've chosen as this will allow you to get full coverage with less coats. Here are our suggestions:
- for Trigger, use a base coat of Rocky Mountain or Hurricane
- for Pocket Watch, use a base coat of Fresh Mustard
- for Belt Buckle, use a base coat of Chocolate Tart or Dark Roast
- for Silver Bullet, use a base coat of Pebble Beach or Cobblestone
Step 2: Allow It to Dry Completely
Make sure any paint on your surface has been allowed to dry for at least 12 hours. Overnight is best.
Step 3: Apply the Metallic Cream
When applying the Metallic Cream to a large flat surface, we would recommend using a sponge. However, you may also use a lint-free cloth, or a paint brush. Use a thin coat. If needed, you can add a second coat after the first coast has dried.
Metallic Cream dries very quickly, especially when applied in thin layers. Be sure to work with small sections of your piece at a time so you can remove any unwanted cream immediately before it dries.
Step 4: Apply a Second Color, If Desired
If you want to add more depth to your finish, try adding a second metallic cream color to your piece. On this headboard, Rosanne used Trigger topped with a coat of Silver Bullet to achieve a stunning metallic finish!
For the second coat, we would recommend using a paint brush to apply the Metallic Cream sparingly. Then use a lint-free rag to smooth out the cream and to leave a wash behind.
Step 5: Seal Your Work
Our paint doesn't require a top coat, and the Metallic Cream does offer additional protection. However, you may certainly use Tough Coat or one of our waxes to further finish your work. Tough Coat is highly recommended on surfaces that are used frequently, such as table tops.
We wouldn't advise using wax first, and then using metallic cream. Since the creams are water-based, they will not adhere well to an oil-based, waxy surface. Just keep in mind that wax always goes on last.
Step 6:
Watch this video to see company co-founder, Rosanne using Metallic Cream to add accents to the highlights of her piece.
Step 7:
Watch this video to see company co-founder, Rosanne using Metallic Cream to give her piece an all-over glamorous shine!


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Warsaw climate talks remain contentious, may end in all-nighter
WARSAW, Poland -- Bedraggled diplomats returned this morning to the soccer stadium where U.N. climate change negotiations are being held. They are fully expecting to battle into the night over the best path toward a new 2015 global warming agreement.
With a quiet and somewhat sour mood descending over the discussions after a walkout by environmental activists yesterday decrying lack of progress, several issues remain unresolved. Among them: funding levels for vulnerable countries between now and 2020 and a way to help countries facing irrevocable losses that cannot be avoided from storms and rising sea levels.
Disputes over those issues, analysts say, are also holding up progress on outlining a new global emissions pact that is expected to be signed in 2015 in Paris and put into effect by 2020. Still, some remained optimistic that a deal would emerge by morning resolving most of the divisions.
"We always sober up," said Claudia Salerno, Venezuela's chief climate change negotiator. "We fight, we say things to each other, but we always sober up."
A draft text laying out a plan for the 2015 deal was unveiled just before dawn. In it, diplomats vaguely agreed to put forward post-2020 greenhouse gas emissions targets before the Paris conference but did not specify when.
The United States has called for those targets to be offered up in early 2015, while some developing countries are trying to push back the deadline as far as 2017. Europe, meanwhile, is pressing for countries to come to the table with numbers in September of next year when U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon convenes a leaders' summit on climate change.
Battle over setting deadlines
"Our European position is, it could be done in 2014," said French Development Minister Pascal Canfin. But he said, "It is still being negotiated. What we can say is what we expect, and what we expect out of Warsaw is that each state must go home and do its homework to producing commitments in CO2 [reduction] far ahead of Paris."
Two years ago, nations agreed that the new 2015 deal should be "applicable to all," which the United States has taken to mean that while countries may cut emissions to different levels depending on how developed they are. All -- including China and India -- will be on an equal legal footing.
Yet the outline also calls for it to be "under the Convention," a phrase some developing countries maintain means that the divisions that always underscored climate action -- rich countries act unilaterally and developing countries act after they are paid -- will continue.
Countries are not even close here to figuring out how that issue, often referred to as "equity," will be resolved. India last night rejected a workstream on the topic, even though their diplomats had been at the forefront of the issue, arguing that they wanted such an avenue for discussion two years ago.
Environmental activists awarded India a "fossil of the day," which is reserves for bad actors in the talks, for the move, which some here saw as a blatant attempt to block progress.
Some progress with green fund
There was some movement overnight over guidelines for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which will direct some portion of the $100 billion commitment of aid for mitigation and adaptation. Advocates familiar with the process say negotiators worked out some of the rules that will govern operation of the fund, paving the way for developed countries to begin putting money into it.
Finance has been a major sticking point during the whole of the conference with developing countries complaining that the United States and other rich nations are dragging their feet on making new monetary pledges to help vulnerable communities cope with the effects of climate change.
The rich countries, meanwhile, have resisted making specific commitments on GCF funding until operations guidelines were in place. Now that they are, advocates said they hope donor nations will start writing checks.
"It's basically coming closer and closer to being able to be filled and to fund, which is great," said Liz Gallagher, a senior policy adviser for the Britain-based E3G.
The negotiations, which have stretched through the night Wednesday and yesterday, have so far failed to produce the certainty on how wealthy donors plan to increase funding toward the combined total of $100 billion by 2020 agreed to in Copenhagen or what they will supply in the meantime.
Poor countries have said they hope to see $70 billion in climate finance flowing to adaptation and mitigation projects by 2016. Also to come are more details about how that funding will be administered, the balance of public and private financing and whether dollars will go to adaptation or mitigation.
Athena Ronquillo-Ballesteros of the World Resources Institute, who has attended the finance negotiations, called them "intense."
"The problem right now is that the pathway to 2020 is not clear," she said in an email to Climatewire. The initial period of financing agreed upon in Copenhagen has expired, and there are no concrete financing targets between now and 2020.
Developing countries have said this leaves them uncertain of what assistance they will receive during the interim years and whether the West will deliver on its 2020 promise. But donor countries have been reluctant to make midterm commitments.
"The challenge here is that this is a non-starter for some countries, where the domestic political environment makes it difficult to commit funding," Ballesteros said. She said that if countries cannot make specific commitments now, they should at least provide conditional targets and commit to milestones for making those pledges.
'Loss and damage' issue remains difficult
On the equally touchy issue of "loss and damage," rich and poor countries also remain far apart. But, said Jake Schmidt of the Natural Resources Defense Council, "some of this is just endgame strategy."
Poor countries demand compensation, and the United States is adamant that there be no scent of liability in talks about helping poor countries deal with irrevocable losses. Meanwhile poor countries want a separate "mechanism" to deal with loss and damage, which the United States also opposes in part because officials believe it is best dealt with as part of helping make countries more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Rich countries are also leery of the word "mechanism" because it has a specific connotation in climate policy that often denotes a new funding stream -- a commitment rich countries want to avoid.
One area where there was actually some positive progress last night, activists said, was forest protection.
Negotiators completed a decision on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), which compensates developing countries for taking steps to stem the cutting and razing of tropical forests. The package includes developments on technical issues including monitoring and verification, and on finance. Norway leads a group of developed countries, including the United States, that pledged funding for the program.
"I think REDD+ is going to be one of the bright spots of the conference," said Nathaniel Keohane of the Environmental Defense Fund. "It puts REDD in a very good position for remaining the premier tool for forest preservation and for providing a structure that makes forests more valuable alive than dead."
With another late night ahead of diplomats, observers said they sense the 2015 deal will keep discussions going late into Saturday. Said Schmidt, "This means the beginning of the path to Paris. Part of the essential elements are building trust."
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text:
Sté Tumba Capital is a conglomerate owned by Stéphanie Tumba. It is a London-based conglomerate operating a variety of companies in 3 countries. Industry activities include fashion consultancy services, publishing, film production, real estate & investments, toys & hobbies. Find out more on www.tumbacapital.com.
stephanie tumba, stephanie tumba capital, tumba capital, who's bluffing, 100 dates and a wedding, celest lifestyle, celest connections, the ladies' night, ste tumba capital, stephanie tortevoix, steph tortevoix, black entrepreneur, female entrepreneur, female speaker, inspirational stories, female entrepreneur blog, female entrepreneur of the year, black female entrepreneur, entrepreneur biography, example of successful woman entrepreneur, latest successful entrepreneur, successful black entrepreneur uk, successful black entrepreneur under 30, successful entrepreneur uk, black female entrepreneur, entrepreneur stories uk, richest black man uk, richest black female uk, young black entrepreneur millionaire, example of successful woman entrepreneur, Congolese entrepreneur, successful Congolese entrepreneur, successful black entrepreneur uk, Learn as you Play by Bluffing Away, French entrepreneur in London, influencer needed, speaker needed, female speaker needed, female speaker, international entrepreneur


text: I have been in the real estate industry for 28 years. I acquired my license at the ripe age of 18, and joined the family real estate business in Lahaina, Maui in 1983, and worked there for 18 years. I left as principal broker of Sullivan Properties in June 2002. Looking for a lifestyle change, we packed up and moved to Bend in 2002. As of the end of 2013, I closed over 120 transactions in Central Oregon, representing over $55 million dollars in sales with an average price over $500,000.


text:
Really cute scan I like it : )
The sky looks amazing. Stars and comets are cool : )
Great wall and fav : )
1024x768 Wallpaper
Artist Comment
I found a scan for a cute girl on the internet and i thought i can make a wallpaper. But i was thinking what can i put on the wallpaper that will make her cry. So, i decided to put that little ghost.... Hope you will enjoy my idea...
More Kagaya Wallpapers
Browse Kagaya Gallery: Recent | Popular.
Hix May 30, 2005
Really cute scan I like it : )
lthnadml May 30, 2005
LOL! I LIKE the ghost! :)
Hm! I don't understant why this cute little ghost make her cry?
But that is an excellent idea! XD XD XD
WindAlchemist May 30, 2005
lol, wow ive never seen characters quite like that before!
well you made her cry alright!
keep up the good work ^_^
deadwolf98 May 30, 2005
i love it XD
its so cute and cuddly looking :D
keep it up k :)
sumisyo May 30, 2005
Its very adorable! I cant wait to print it out!Good work! Like I said before your work gets better and better!
angelrhea May 31, 2005
what a very funny wallpaper. it made me laugh really. i didnt thought it was a ghost, i think its a clown. well it seems like a funny wallpaper for me. nicely done, what's with the number title?
asta May 31, 2005
It's so cute, funny and adorable wall! ^_^ But why would the cute girl be afraid of a cute ghost? :)
headaches4ever May 31, 2005
Quote by deadwolf98i love it XD its so cute and cuddly looking :D keep it up k :)
I completely agree very well done, keep em comin!
uchiha-vegeta May 31, 2005
Quote by HixReally cute scan I like it : )
The sky looks amazing. Stars and comets are cool : )Great wall and fav : )
i agree
Kiako May 31, 2005
nice wallpaper,
i like the effects and the pic of the girl in the back
Sakichii May 31, 2005
I think it's quite cute.
Funny little chibi!
Love the background effects!
HikyuuTera May 31, 2005
I like it,it's very cute Dark-san the Background goes well with the scan btw that is a really a cute scan.
Liz May 31, 2005
Its so cute i love it the background and the effects are amazing, great work!
kara Jun 01, 2005
Aww how cute! You made the background? It looks great! Keep up the great work^^
chaoticalchemist Banned Member Jun 01, 2005
haha that looks so cute! haha that's what i expected from you! (great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) hahah~CHAOTIC~~
Acuni Jun 01, 2005
nice wallie i like the expresion of the two charas and the effects at the background
keep it up
Koujisama Jun 01, 2005
So sweet eyes on background just fantastic wallpaper You've made really great background
these stars are great ^_^
page 1 of 1 17 total items
Only members can post comments, please register.


text:
Alexander Mann Solutions named "Leader" in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
Hong Kong/Singapore/Sydney – April 20, 2017 – Alexander Mann Solutions announced today that it has been recognised by Everest Group, an independent management consulting and research firm, as a leader in providing RPO services. Everest Group's "Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) – Service Provider Landscape with PEAK Matrix™" also recognised Alexander Mann Solutions as a "Star Performer", based on year-over-year performance for RPO delivery capability.
"For years, business leaders around the world have identified talent as one of – if not the – most important contributors to creating a sustainably successful organisation," says Rosaleen Blair, Founder and CEO of Alexander Mann Solutions. "Every day, we work with some of the world's leading global brands to help them identify, engage and secure the talent they need to win in their industries. We combine rigorous processes with advanced technology and a personal passion to deliver on behalf of our clients, and it's an honour to be recognised by Everest Group as one of the profession's leaders."
Everest Group's PEAK Matrix™ is the most trusted and fact-based analysis of service provider capabilities, covering over 50 different market segments each year. To arrive at the 2017 results, the PEAK Matrix™ evaluated more than 20 RPO providers by their scale, scope, technology and innovation, as well as delivery footprint and buyer satisfaction.
"Alexander Mann Solutions is a pioneer among pure-play RPO providers, and today is better positioned than most of its competitors to deliver large, global engagements," said Arkadev Basak, RPO Practice Director at Everest Group. "Significant investments in North America have helped the company win several large deals in that highly competitive market. Meanwhile, the combination of its RPO experience and its specialised consulting practice – Talent Collective – has enabled Alexander Mann Solutions build a reputation as both a responsive and innovative talent acquisition partner to its clients."
Everest Group cited Alexander Mann Solutions' global delivery capability – as well as its offshore and nearshore service centres – as key enablers to delivering multi-country, multi-continent RPO engagements. While Europe is its strongest market, Everest Group highlighted that Alexander Mann Solutions has good capabilities in Asia Pacific as well, especially in the critical markets of Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In addition, Everest Group noted the company's strong orientation towards innovation across the talent acquisition lifecycle, including its sourcing, employer branding, and candidate experience capabilities. Buyers see Alexander Mann Solutions as a strategic partner which is also innovative and responsive to buyer's needs.
Learn more by accessing the Everest Group's full report: "Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) – Service Provider Landscape with PEAK Matrix™ Assessment 2017"


text:
…so this will have to be a quick post. I've got my mum and little sis visiting from Sweden, so I've taken a few days off work. It's been crazy before they arrived, and will continue to be so for a few more weeks. Just wanted to share my latest stuff, so here we go!
(My links doesn't work, will try and update tomorrow!)
For Magistical Memories:
Products used: Crate paper pp's & embellies, AC thickers, BG buttons & Magistical Memories nested circles chipboard.
Products used: GCD pp, Echo Park pp, misc doilie, Prima butterfly, packaging & alphas, Rose Moka mini alphas, Zva Creative flowers & brads, pearlmaker, Magistical Memories chipboard fence covered with Tim Holtz white crackle paint.
For Allt om Scrap:
Products used: Bazzill cs, mask, Tattered Angels "S.W.A.K" glimmermist, Smooch, Prima vine, Kaisercraft bling, Pink Paislee dekos, Webster's Pages alphas.
Products used: BG cs, Lily bee pp's & embellies, Prima flowers, chipboard, pearls and alphas, misc tags, Jillibean Soup ribbon, Jenni Bowlin bingo card, misc ruler.
Most of these products can of course be found at Scrappin' Patch!!!
Thanks for stopping by today – and remember my new photo blog too: https://swewi365.wordpress.com/
See ya later!!


text:
Best Natural Products For Summer Burns
There's really nothing good about a sunburn – skin is red, extremely irritable,and sticking to loose clothes isn't always an option. To assist with the healing process, hydrate the skin with a few of our natural after-sun products. Just remember to apply a generous amount of sunscreen before heading out again!
RELATED: How To Use Multitasking Coconut Oil
Coconut oil
Who doesn't love coconut oil? This miracle product actually soothes burns and reduces redness, all whilst keeping the skin hydrated. Apply a new layer every few hours to keep your skin from overheating.
Apple cider vinegar
Trust us, it won't hurt! Get into the shower and quickly rinse your burns with apple cider vinegar. It might feel a little weird at first, but the apple cider vinegar helps to remove dry patches and heal your skin from the outside. Follow up with a moisturiser before going to bed.
Aloe rose water
Combine equal amounts of rose water and aloe vera into a small bowl. Apply directly onto your serious burns or have a quick rinse in the shower. Not only will it heal your burn, but it smells amazing!
Green tea bags
Fill a bowl with 3-5 tea bags and pour boiling water up to the top. Let the tea bags steep, then wait until the water cools down to room temperature. Apply the mixture right onto your burns to cool-down after a hot day in the sun. You can also apply the tea bags directly to your skin if the burn is small (such as on your forehead or cheeks). Another way to use green tea is to fill up the bathtub and add a few tea bags, then simply sit back and soak!
Grapeseed oil
Apply a tablespoon of grapeseed oil after a cold shower to lock-in moisture and keep your burn from peeling. Repeat this step every few hours to decrease pain and get a good night sleep!
What are some of your remedies for sunburn?
Images via Kim Kardashian, Brit, LA Healthy Living, Brizzie Styles, Hub Pages, The Nerdy Farm Wife


text:
Ballooning Port Douglas Luxury Tour
- Extra Sleep In & Individual Pickup time
- Personal Chauffeur & Private Transfers
- Extended Hot Air Balloon ride
- 5 star gourmet beachside breakfast at Palm Cove
- A bottle of Champagne to take home
- Complimentary photo set - delivered digitally
Private exclusive door to door pickup at your Port Douglas Resort, enjoy the scenic drive to Atherton Tablelands for the gentle beginning on Australia's only Luxury Hot Air balloon tour this morning! Your confirmed Pickup/Meeting time will be issued as soon as you Reserve your booking.
A great team of pilots, expert and knowledgeable are your guides. Your Arrive just in time to see the spectacular sight of your hot air balloon inflate. Experience the fun & unique sensation of a hot air balloon ride over the Atherton Tablelands, Australia. Enjoy the picturesque landscape at sunrise with 60 minutes flying time. Breathe in the wide-open spaces! We have Australia's largest fleet of balloons and a fun and highly trained crew to maximise the fun of your morning. As this balloon ride is an extended 60 minutes there are two separate balloon flights of 30 minutes one directly after the other, with two takeoffs and two landings.
The patchwork panorama below brings new sights every day, watch out for the variety of Australian birdlife & take in the peace & serenity that is hot air ballooning.
Come back to earth and be whisked off by your private transfer to a beachfront five star resort to enjoy a private breakfast at your own table. Breakfast is at one of The Norhts most famous restaurants, NuNus based in Palm Cove. Your delicious breakfast is cooked to order is your choice from a gourmet tropical breakfast menu and a glass of cold crisp sparkling wine too.
Maybe a stroll after breakfast on one of Port Douglas' beautiful tropical beaches or a few more photographs with a palm tree background and no shoes! Return private transfer is available of course but , please advise your driver when you wish to depart for your accommodation.
Note this package costed on a minimum of 2 passengers and so a single supplement of an additional $140 will apply to single travellers
- Extra Sleep In & Individual Pickup time
- Personal Chauffeur
- Private Transfers
- 60 minute scenic Hot Air Balloon ride
- 5 star gourmet beachside breakfast at Palm Cove
- Glass of Sparkling Wine at breakfast
- Complimentary photo set - delivered digitally
- All insurance levies included
- Expert Interpretive Commentary
- Your ticket
- Walking shoes
- Camera
- Dress casual outdoor layered clothing. White clothing not recommended.
- Peak Hat & sunglasses
- Bottle of water
- Spending money
Tour Conditions:
- Prices are valid for travel until 31st March 2020. Conditions of Travel.
- For Passengers with Weight or Mobility or Pregnancy queries - please phone us to discuss before booking online.
- Prices are $AUD per person.
- All times are an INDICATION only. Please note that times do change summer/winter/spring, exact start times given on receipt of your full booking details
- 100% charge applies if passengers fail to fly on the morning booked. 24 hours notice is required for changes. Re-booking is subject to availability and possible
ata fee, please ask us.


text: On the corner of busy and busier across from Ebisu station sits a cute little coffee and flower shop. Here, I was fortunate enough to catch-up with local Tokyo writer, Hengtee Lim to discuss books, coffee, and the craft of writing, over a cup of cold brew. I have much to learn about the craft, and to hear how others approach it is as much apart of the journey as the writing itself, although, I don't let that consume much of my time. I have however, integrated writing into my daily life from what I have learnt from others. And for that, I am forever thankful.


text:
Here's what actually goes down inside Apple's top-secret gym
by Tehrene Firman, September 5, 2017
If you've ever wondered where Apple gets the data that makes every watch upgrade better than the last, here's your answer: It has a super-secret gym. The invite-only space is in a regular-looking, single-story building a few miles from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, CA—but what happens inside the fitness den is anything but average.
When Men's Health visited the gym, the exercise lab was on display in all its glory. There were around 40 employees working out on everything from rowers and treadmills to cable machines, all being monitored by 13 exercise physiologists and 29 nurses. Some of them were even wearing $40,000 masks that analyzed their calorie burn and oxygen consumption, because #technology.
But, that's not all: There's also a group fitness studio, a pool, and three climate-controlled temperature chambers (aptly named Higher, Faster, and Stronger) that can be set between subfreezing and 100°F-plus.
So, what exactly is all this top-secret data for? It helps Apple's motion experts continuously improve the Apple Watch's algorithms, making the brand's technology just as accurate for yogis as it is for swimmers and cyclists.
The exercise lab is making Apple's technology just as accurate for yogis as it is for swimmers and cyclists.
All that hard work is paying off, too: The watchOS 4 upgrade coming this fall offers a lot of cool updates. It will include heart-rate tracking for HIIT, wirelessly pair with cardio machines, remind you to do some guided deep-breathing exercises, and identify when you're active versus vegging out, adjusting your activity alerts accordingly.
While the technology emerging from the lab is great news for everyone's well-being, the Apple Watch's update will also allow your device to hold up to 800 songs. On that note…BRB—going on a nice, long, Beyoncé-fueled run.
Speaking of buzzy technology, this improvement might make your sneakers way more comfortable. And here's how Google might start helping you diagnose your symptoms.
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text:
Laboratory Vane Shear Apparatus is for determining the shear strength of both remoulds and undisturbed soils. It consists of a torque head adjustable in height to enable the vane to be lowered into the specimen. Rotation of the vane is by mean of a hand wheel which operates a worm gear arrangement turning the upper end of a calibrated torsion spring. Two rates of rotation are incorporated. The vane shaft is attached through the hollow upper shaft to a reset table pointer, Which indicates the angle of torque on dial graduated is degree.
- The dial reading multiplied by spring factor gives the torque
- A container is also supplied complete with a set of springs
- One each of approx. 2 kg cm., 4 kg cm., 6 kg cm and 8 kg cm


text:
Job Search Results
1 to 1 of 1
(See and edit selected filters to the left.)
Feb 13Full-Time, Option for Remote Job | Candidates need to be able to work in the City or State specified San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Bellevue, WA, Santa Monica, CA, Indianapolis, INiOS or Android engineers are needed to build new features and implement and test to ensure products are built and released properly. A solid understanding of object-oriented programming is needed. Remote option position for US candidates.


text:
The new Boxster is the sequel that continues the 718 era. At its heart, a four-cylinder turbocharged boxer engine beats with the same fighting spirit that delivered countless podium finishes. In it lives the will to break with standards. And to inspire conviction. So it is entirely appropriate that it, too, should bear these three digits in its name and carry the 718 legend forward. The new 718 Boxster models were made for the sport of it. They are mid-engined roadsters that unite the sporting spirit of the legendary Porsche 718 with the sports car of tomorrow – and transfer it to the roads of today's world. With one goal: to take the everyday out of every day. Compared with the previous models, the result is a new, decidedly more striking design, an even sportier chassis setup and a host of new performance, comfort and assistance systems. Only one question remains unanswered: what are you still waiting for? The new 718 Boxster. For the sport of it.
|$ 93,777.00 + HST and Licensing
|VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
|Stock Number
|100 km
|7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK)
|Rear wheel drive
|Exterior Colour
|Carrara White Metallic
|Interior Colour
|Standard Interior with Leather Seats i.c.w. Sport
Standard Equipment
Climate Control Systems
Electrical Systems
Engine Features
Lighting Systems
Luggage Compartment
Safety and Security
Base - 718 Boxster
085 - Extended Range Fuel Tank, 64l
250 - Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK)
268 - Rain Sensor
276 - Auto-Dimming Mirrors
2Y - Carrara White Metallic
342 - Seat Heating (front)
433 - 20" Carrera S Wheels
446 - Wheel Center Caps With Colored Porsche Crest
489 - Heated Multifunction Steering Wheel
498 - Deletion Of Model Designation
4V - Roadster Top In Black
541 - Seat Ventilation
546 - Supplemental Safety Bars In Exterior Colour
573 - 2-zone Automatic Climate Control
581 - Luggage Net In Passenger Footwell
583 - Smoking Package
603 - Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS)
625 - Porsche Entry & Drive
630 - Light Design Package
858 - GT Sport Steering Wheel
9VL - BOSE® Surround Sound-System
9WT - Apple® CarPlay
AJ - Standard Interior In Black
P07 - Adaptive Sport Seats Plus (18-way) With Memory Package
P40 - Connected Navigation
P9E - Premium Package Plus I.c.w. Adaptive Sport Seats Plus (18-way) With Memory Package
XDH - Wheels Painted In Platinum Satin
XHU - Seat Belts In Bordeaux Red
XLW - Sport Tailpipes In Black
XYB - Fuel Cap With Aluminum Look


text:
Belvoir Ginger Cordial
Stock Clearance- special offer only £1 per bottle
Belvoir only use fresh, natural root ginger to create the delicious, fiery flavour of our much-loved Ginger Cordial
Belvoir Fruit Farms' Ginger Cordial is an old favourite and one of our best-selling cordials. This magnificent warm and spicy drink has no secret ingredient – just a 100% natural one.
They make each and every bottle by cooking fresh root ginger on the farm to achieve the genuinely spicy taste of ginger, which could never be recreated by using flavourings. Mix Belvoir Ginger Cordial with sparkling water for old-fashioned ginger beer, or with hot water for a spicy warming winter toddy. For cocktails, add a little whisky to make a great Whisky Mac or vodka for a delicious Moscow Mule. Add a dash to the bottom of your bottle when doing a second ferment with kefir or Kombucha. This stuff really is amazing.
After opening please keep in the fridge and consume within 3 weeks.
Prepare & Use:
Dilute up to 1:10 to make 10 pints of spicy ginger beer.
Try adding to a stir-fry, mixing with hot water as a toddy.
This may settle so please shake gently before use
Water, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Lemon Juice 10% (from Concentrate), Fresh Ginger Extract 8%, Concentrated Ginger Extract 2%.
Dietary Information
Free From Artificial Flavours
Free From Artificial Preservatives.
Typical values per 100g
Energy 72kj
Energy 17kcal
Protein trace
Carbohydrate 6g
Fat trace


text:
A small sun bear cub was left all alone in northern Cambodia after her mother was killed while trying to protect her.
The tiny orphaned cub was soon rescued by Free The Bears, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting bears throughout the world. She was taken to its sanctuary in Cambodia when she was just a baby and given the number "193."
The story of 193 is a fate that befalls many sun bears - the cubs are highly sought after in the illegal wildlife trade. Sun bears are often stolen from the wild and sold as pets or or trafficked for use in traditional medicine.
When she first arrived at Free The Bears, 193 was the smallest bear there, weighing just 9.9 pounds. Eventually, the littlest bear was given a name perfectly befitting her fearless and feisty spirit: Arya Stark.
After arriving at the sanctuary, Arya got to meet photographer Alex Cearns, who has been visiting different Free The Bears sanctuaries across Southeast Asia for years to document rescued bears.
Cearns fell in love with the little 4-month-old bear, and decided she would be the perfect subject for a photo shoot.
Arya absolutely loved posing for the camera ...
... showing off her smile ...
... and basically being a cub.
Arya played a game of peekaboo with her rescuers ...
... and even did a little goofing off, too.
Arya now gets to grow up safe and happy at the sanctuary, and will never have cause to lose her smile again.


text: Cole's Timber Mart stocks a wide variety of laminate click flooring, ceramic tiles and solid hardwood in tongue/groove and click. If we don't have it, we can special order it. We have agreements with many North American flooring manufacturers, such as UniBoard, Goodfellow and Owl. We are also pleased to supply natural and carbonized solid bamboo flooring, a renewable resource, as well as cork flooring in a variety of colours.


text:
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Beat up?
UPDATE: A new report on Stuff (and in our Press) denies high-level discussions have been taking place.
3 comments:
- Father Ron Smith said...
"But I cannot comment on what Bishop Victoria may or may not have said; or whether there have been such discussions here (say, within the Cathedral Project Group), as I know nothing and our Synod heard nothing about such an idea." - Peter Carrell
Quite right, Peter. It would seem that The Press has assumed the right to comment on possible hearsay rather than report the facts. I have written a letter myself to The Press, today, complaining about its editorial.
This is just the latest in a series of attacks on the local Anglican Church's polity - with regard to the re-building (or not) of our Cathedral. And now; the assumption that we Anglicans are somehow trying to reverse the Reformation by setting up an ecumenical Cathedral in Christchurch. Just one more piece of evidence, I feel, of 'The Press' bias.
- September 10, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Hello Peter,
I can confirm that there have been no conversations about this in the Cathedral Project Group or at any other body that I know of. Archbishop David forwarded us a letter from one of his priests saying, basically, "Wouldn't a shared use Cathedral be nice?". It was filed away with all the other suggestions, helpful, unhelpful, fantastic, achievable and just plain strange. We certainly haven't taken it any further.
I believe this is another exercise in creative writing with the all the attendant headaches for those of us at the crunchy end of things.
Lynda Patterson, Acting Dean, ChristChurch Cathedral
- September 10, 2012 at 4:30 PM
- Peter Carrell said...
Thanks, Lynda!
- September 10, 2012 at 7:41 PM


text:
re: defining "gimp"
Why is it relevant? Was it created at Berkeley? (I don't know, just curious). So, the name is bad because creators were likely to aware it's bad.
Should have Windows Vista been renamed because it's a funny name in Latvian?
My point is, that on the international scale it's likely that a name will mean something less than appropriate for some group of people somewhere on the Earth.
re: defining "gimp"
@rey @ekaitz_zarraga @grainloom @hirojin
Also there is a football player Nasri, which in Russian sounds similar to a phrase "go and shit" which actually means "don't give a fuck". It's unrealistic to expect the guy to actually change his name.
The naming issue a freedom of speech issue. We've got a group of people that created something and decided to name it's the way it's named.
re: defining "gimp"
@pixel @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin GIMP was intended to have a, well, for lack of a better term, politically incorrect name
after all, it used to be called "the GIMP" for quite a while. you know. after the sex slave character from an internationally famous movie.
and it's not a personal name either. you are drawing false equivalences.
re: defining "gimp"
That's a good point.
I want to focus more how the name is perceived, not on it's origin. In this case, I think, to comparisons are relevant.
Languages are powerful. Ambiguity is one of the basic phenomena. "Pussy" will mean different things in a kindergarten and in a high school.
I can't see how outsiders can force the core team to change the name.
@rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
re: defining "gimp"
@pixel @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
Which is why the core team sucks. They should listen to people. The very problem is that some people _cannot_ become core members because of the name. (and the attitude of the current core team)
re: defining "gimp"
Yes, but this is what they've created the way they wanted. If they don't listen to this argument, it's their choice.
re: defining "gimp"
@pixel @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
True. I hope the fork gains traction.
re: defining "gimp"
I see two arguments.
The first is that most of the words are ambiguous and it's meaning is resolved given the context. In IT context, GIMP means an image editor.
re: defining "gimp"
@grainloom @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
The second is that gimp is toxic speech that hurts people. To make this argument one needs to show that GIMP as a project has enough power to qualify as hate speech.
re: defining "gimp"
@grainloom @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
* "Free Speech in the Digital Age" edited by Susan J. Brison and Katharine Gelber
* "Speech and Harm" edited by Ishani Maitra and Mary Kate McGowan
These two books are good starting point. Lynne Tirrel's work goes in deep details.
re: defining "gimp"
@grainloom @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
I find the argument that the name of a project is hate speech weak, because one needs to show that it has power over the oppressed group.
re: defining "gimp"
@pixel Who are you to define the argument. It is that gimp, as a name, is toxic enough to dissuade people from feeling comfortable using or participating in the project. It is exclusionary. (While that isn't directly oppressive, it does play into social structures of oppression, so I find the argument that it facilitates oppression strong, and the argument that isn't oppressive weak.) @grainloom @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
re: defining "gimp"
Of you want to go personal, I'm nothing and my opinion doesn't worth anything. I don't use GIMP and neither find it's name offensive.
@grainloom @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
re: defining "gimp"
@pixel I'm not getting personal, I'm telling you: you are misconstruing the argument of those you are disagreeing with. That is a logical fallacy; it's most commonly called "strawmanning;" I forget the latin.
Since we're discussing it personally; I don't use GIMP because people have used that term as a slur toward me and the software name reminds me of it. Beyond that, I don't like letting people who don't respect me make my tools. @grainloom @rey @ekaitz_zarraga @hirojin
re: defining "gimp"
@emsenn @pixel @grainloom @rey @hirojin Note: they aren't doing YOUR tool. They are making a tool and you are allowed to use it.
I understand the argument but I don't have the same experience. I've been called many things (sadly, none good) and I don't hate the words themselves.
re: defining "gimp"
@emsenn @pixel @grainloom @rey @hirojin That's one of the points I want to understand.
The problem I'm seeing here is people is asking me to trust or to do what they do. I want to understand it. I want to understand also what I would do.
But nobody is interested on that.
re: defining "gimp"
@ekaitz_zarraga @emsenn @pixel @grainloom @rey @hirojin People are explaining, time and time again, you're just not listening.
@pettter Nope.
I may be used to a different kind of conversations.
Saying that I'm not listening is also insulting and can feel offended by that and ask you to reword your message.
What is happening here is:
- I don't have an opinion on this
- I want to form one
- As nobody is giving me good arguments like: "i do this for this and it means that because this and that" my position is moving around trying to find them
I still don't have an opinion and still don't have any explanation.
@pettter TBQH, I lost the interest on this bullshit. I've never had it, my original message is from some days ago and the only thing I wanted to do yesterday is to discuss some philosophical stuff with @grainloom (who rejected my invitation LOL).
I don't care.
You *all* can do whatever you like. It's your fucking life and *I'd never call out anyone for doing something I don't like*. Maybe that's why I don't understand.
@ekaitz_zarraga @grainloom > *I'd never call out anyone for doing something I don't like
That's literally what you do you in your first post right back in the start of this whole thread.
@pettter @grainloom No.
In my post I just give my opinion about a subject in my timeline and I don't point anyone.
This is my statement.
> With all the problems that GNU software has, I think the names of the projects are the less important ones atm.
I'm not interfering in anyone's job directly or telling people what to do.
@ekaitz_zarraga @grainloom You are quite clearly saying "don't make a fuss about names, there are more important things to worry about".
@pettter @grainloom
What I said had other implications you are discarding intentionally like the maintainers are idiots and all that. Names are a secondary problem, and many people in the convo agreed with this.
Anyway, that message is not calling out anyone.
You have to come to my fucking profile to read it. Don't have anything else to do?
@ekaitz_zarraga @grainloom This thread has popped up in my feed many many times over the last day and a half.
I don't think I've ever gone to your profile.
Why people think it's wrong you require an explanation before you act: https://tenforward.social/@emsenn/102406456160369816
Why people scoff when you dismiss it as a difference of opinion: https://tenforward.social/@emsenn/102409431563886780
Collected thoughts that address some of your questions and points: https://emsenn.net/essays/curated-thoughts-on-fosstodon/
@pettter @grainloom
@ekaitz_zarraga You're telling people they're making problems out of nothing and then telling them what their problems ACTUALLY are. You're saying you're just stating your opinions, and when people say those opinions play into harmful stuff, you're ignoring that as impossible because how could they, they're just opinions.
Your opinions are juvenile and your response to people trying to say that hasn't been any better. If you were as clever as you think, you'd listen even though people are being mean. @pettter @grainloom
@emsenn If I were as clever as you think I think I am I wouldn't be here losing my time with this comment.
I'm not telling people anything.
Anybody is free to ignore opinions or avoid them. I'm not forcing anyone to listen.
This is too much.
@ekaitz_zarraga Gosh I hope you see the irony in insisting no one has to listen to under a CW that's there because you were mad people said you weren't listening.
@emsenn I'm not mad at anyone.
And there's no irony here. In this thread I CHOSE to pay attention.
I'm also free to block anyone or stop paying attention.
@emsenn Also: I've put the CW to help people ignore me. Which, imo, it's perfectly compatible with what I said.
@ekaitz_zarraga Ahh I got that switched.
I'm confused and maybe you can help:
"What is happening here is:
- I don't have an opinion on this.
- I want to form one."
But then when people say you're not accepting their feedback, you say, "I just give my opinion about a subject."
So were you fishing for feedback or giving an opinion? You've claimed both, seeming to depend on the levity of the reply, and I'm curious if this is a rhetorical technique or slippy logic.
@emsenn I want to form a *good* opinion, and I only have opinons on some of the points.
It's a technique i'd say but I can't really explain it because I didn't rationalize it:
- This is my automatic opinion in specific parts of this subject
- I want a better and deeper one
- Please, challenge it.
@ekaitz_zarraga Okay, the issue is that people ARE challenging it, and you're reacting defensively and as though they're just as wrong as your assumptions.
That's... really rude; to ask for information and then argue against it immediately. It's a common rhetorical device, the argument approach, but wholly inappropriate here.
I have a post about this notion, as well - I encourage reading the comments too; they're real good perspectives I don't have: https://tenforward.social/@emsenn/102407415458998184
@emsenn Why is it rude?
I didn't really ask at the beginning. People came, so I make them challenge my bullshit.
But other's challenges must have some sense too for me to change my mind. One thing is to understand and appreciate them (what I do) and other is that I have to automatically change my mind.
For me it's not rude to make people think about what they said.
Maybe I didn't say enough how much I appreciate the interactions I had?
@ekaitz_zarraga Everyone always loves being thanked for the energy they put into things. By the way: thanks for taking the time to hear out what I'm trying to say! I know it's complex and a lot different than how you're using to thinking about this sorta talking, so isn't trivial.
It's rude because every time you argue your assumption against someone's wisdom, you're saying "My immediate reactions to information are as wise as your opinions," and that's arrogant. 1/n
@ekaitz_zarraga You don't know: maybe the person you're talking to is an expert in their field. Or maybe they just have more experience - or shit, even just DIFFERENT experience.
Replying how you do: quickly, with questions, comes across as dismissive and undermining, not exploratory.
It's a tricky line - and one lots of people are trying to find, on both sides, thus me taking the time to explain stuff out even after the timbre of the thread that came before. 2n
@emsenn maybe I am an expert but I acting like I'm not!
(not the case but... who knows...)
I get the point of the different experience. Some people told me about theirs and it was interesting.
Anyways: I appreciate your opinion on this. It have been useful to understand how does it feel from the other side. I'll try to take more time on the answers and make them more welcoming.
@emsenn Well, the idea is: "if my automatic reaction is enough to confront your wisdom you have to do it better".
But also applies to myself. Not arrogant. We all have this kind of biases and it's fine.
I agree it can be quite discouraging. But we are having a really nice conversations thanks to this.
@ekaitz_zarraga That's a bad idea. Read https://emsenn.net/essays/i-cannot-trust-post-modern-conservatives/
It makes you inherently untrustworthy; you are telling me "I trust my assumptions more than you," that you trust your innate sense of reason more than you are willing to be reasonable in conversation.
(I know - you think you're being reasonable. I'm telling you, you are not. If your opinion says otherwise, it's incongruent with the truth.)
@ekaitz_zarraga What you call a "nice conversation" I view as a "desperate attempt to get someone not to default into being a supremacist and bigot." This isn't "nice" for me, it's tiring and an act of personal self-defense: apologists like you make society more dangerous for people like me.
At this point, I've linked you to about ~5,000 words of opinion on these topics, so will leave you to read them rather than continue this myself.
@ekaitz_zarraga I ran out of characters: I'll still discuss this with you, but I wanted to clarify, this isn't happy or nice for me. It's my attempt to maintain a firewall against the sort of unreasonable assumptions that give violent supremacists a place to thrive. (And yes, I recognize that's not your intent, and probably not what you see yourself doing. That's why I'm attempting at all.)
@emsenn Don't worry mate.
I can understand that people that doesn't know my context see this as a justification of bigotry at some point.
Context is important and here it's lost.
I thank you the effort and the time spent here. I also appreciate the way you changed your approach to the convo since the beginning.
Now I have some interesting feedback about what people thinks about the GIMP think and also about the convo itself.
I don't want you to feel bad about this. 1/2
@emsenn If this conversation is making you feel bad or it's not a constructive environment I don't want you to keep it.
I always try to make all of this from a constructive context and I suppose that people that interact with me already know this.
I don't really know you from other interactions and that may had some impact on what we thought about each other at the beginning.
I can be rude sometimes. But I'm trying to be a good person everyday, and you helped.
It's all good.
@ekaitz_zarraga I appreciate you saying all that, and almost feel bad clarifying: I dont' feel bad about this conversation, I just wanted to point out that I'm not doing it to be friendly or out of niceness, but a sense of "duty" that it's the right thing to do, because I see you as, without meaning to, supporting the systems that I resist.
Not to say I wouldn't or don't have friendly conversations, but radicalism, not kindness, is what motivated me to reply to you in the first place.
@emsenn Yeah I understood. I got that from your first messages (were a little bit more aggressive than this one ;) )
I think there's a some of failure in the communication from my side and a bit of misunderstanding in the conversation also.
So don't worry. I acted a little bit like an asshole yesterday (but it is what I am, how to stop being it!)
Life is hard and communication is hard.
Let's move on and try next conversations less triggering in this sense and more in a good one.
@ekaitz_zarraga I understand that no one has an OBLIGATION to reply, but saying "You didn't have an obligation to reply, so why did you reply critically?" seems like an odd question to ask of people to whom you've just said, "I am ignorant and want to understand."
I think - regardless of any belief behind it - you have an approach to communicating here that's inconsistent with itself, and that's the what i see people struggling with in this convo, not the beliefs.
@emsenn I can agree with this. Also, I've been having a lot of problems to write this complex stuff in english... :(
@ekaitz_zarraga I don't /think/ this is an English/other-language issue; from my perspective, I think it's just a different approach to conversations. And well, I say this to be helpful, but i think your approach isn't useful to its own goals.
@emsenn It is a language issue since I have to rewrite my messages like 10 times to try to express myself.
But it also can be that my approach is not efficient. But we had some fun, didn't we?
I have to say that the convo went a little bit wilder than I wanted. Other times I make this in conversations I can control better and it has good results. This was just too much for me this time
The social network of the future: No ads, no corporate surveillance, ethical design, and decentralization! Own your data with Mastodon!


text:
Gazania linearis
Synonyms: Gazania longiscapa DC
Common names: gazania; treasure flower
Gazania linearis (gazania) is a perennial herb (family Asteraceae) introduced as an ornamental plant. It has been reported escaping into creekside vegetation and into native grassland from plantings in San Francisco, Monterey, and Ventura Counties, where it can form a dense groundcover and outcompete other species.Cal-IPC Rating: Moderate — Alert
Cal-IPC Assessment
Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
Weed RIC Management NotesNo Weed RIC Management Notes are available for this species. Check for information on other species in the genus on the Weed RIC site.
Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles
- Cal-IPC Inventory update adds eight plants. Brusati, Elizabeth. Vol 19, Issue 3
Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations
Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.
There are no Symposium presentations associated with this species yet.
Other Gazania linearis Information
- CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
- Calflora - See the distribution of this species on Calflora's map of California.
- CalWeedMapper - Distribution information with ability to determine regional priorities.
- Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
- USDA PLANTS Database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.


text:
Slim Aarons "Kasimir Korybut" Photograph
Made to order. Arrives in 8-9 weeks.
Additional Information
Kasimir Korybut and Michelle Vaughan begin a raft ride up the White River in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, 1971.
Hand-selected from American photographer Slim Aarons' classic collection. Aarons is renowned for his evocative photographs of, as he described it, "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places." Each image is printed from scans of the original negative then mounted on aluminum and faced with museum quality Plexiglas. Please allow approximately 6 weeks for delivery.
Jonathan Adler offers premium quality photographic prints from the Slim Aarons Archive, owned and housed by Getty Images. All photographs are printed and authorized by the Getty Images Gallery, London.
Our Slim Aarons artwork is available in custom sizes to suit your space. Call customer service (1-800-963-0891) to create the print of your dreams.


text:
Gamerankr connects to facebook to show you what video games your friends have played. Get Started
Bridge Constructor Stunts (iPad)
0 rankings,
Published: March 27th 2018Screenshots
Build ramps and loops to get to the goal in this new take on the Bridge Constructor series.
My Review
My Ranking:
Everyone's Rankings
No one has added this game yet.


text:
In a game of chicken that Warner Bros. initiated with Marvel, The DC Comics owner blinked first. After initially changing their scheduled release date of Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice to go head to head with Marvel's future Captain America 3 movie, and professing they would not budge, Warner Bros. has indeed budged, blinked, chickened out, and whatever other metaphor for retreating you can come up with, and announced that they are changing the release date for the upcoming superhero blockbuster. But the good news is that the movie will be pushed up and not delayed. Batman & Superman fans will now get to see the two comic book goliaths go at it on March 25, 2016. A surprisingly early release for a movie that has Summer Blockbuster written all over it.
Personally, I think Batman v Superman would have won the Box Office battle against Cap 3 because even though the Captain America films and pretty much everything Marvel has put out these last few years have been really good, it's Batman & Superman on the big screen together for the first time ever!!! And I think everyone that's even remotely a comic book and superhero fan wants to see that. It also looks like we will be seeing a lot more of the heroes and villains from the DC Nation, as according to Box Office Mojo, Warner Bros. has also announced release dates for nine more untitled future DC Films and two untitled WB "Event" films. Speculations are that some of the untitled DC Films will be the already confirmed Justice League movie and it's potential sequels, a solo Wonder Woman movie, a Sandman movie involving Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and a Shazam/Black Adam movie starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Early thoughts are the two WB "Event" films will be the sequels to the Harry Potter spinoff movie 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' which is scheduled for Nov. 18, 2016.
So what do you think of the new release date for Batman v Superman? Do you think Warner Bros. showed weakness by backing out? Should they have kept the box office battle with Marvel going? And what are your thoughts on the heavy stable of DC films that are rumored to come? What movies and characters would you like to see in these future movies?
Feel free to join the discussion and give your thoughts and opinions!!!
– Joshua Christmas


text:
matrix42 Adds Application Virtualization to its Arsenal of IT Management Solutions
ATLANTA (February 13, 2008) - matrix42, a leading developer of software for IT systems management, today announced a strategic business relationship with Thinstall, the leading agentless application virtualization provider, which VMware, Inc. plans to acquire. The relationship includes joint marketing and allows matrix42 and its resellers to directly offer Thinstall solutions to customers who will benefit from the joint solutions.
The combination of Thinstall's application virtualization solution and matrix42's Empirum suite of systems management software offers IT a cost-effective, easy-to-use platform to manage numerous system upgrades and software deployments while maintaining the stability and integrity of a secure desktop environment. matrix42 delivers a comprehensive IT Lifecycle Configuration Management solution that eliminates time-consuming hard disk imaging of PCs, offering 30 percent additional cost savings over competitive solutions. The addition of Thinstall provides customers more options for managing application distribution, including native installation, imaging, virtualization and streaming. Customers enjoy efficiency and performance, while minimizing operational and administrative costs.
"Working with Thinstall supports matrix42's best practices for IT management," said Richard Ashe, vice president of marketing at matrix42. "Automated desktop management and virtualization go hand in hand. We are always seeking ways to allow our customers to be more agile and responsive to business demands without sacrificing efficiency, reliability, or accountability. We chose Thinstall because they have the best solution in the market, bar none."
Application virtualization is an important component of application management. Application virtualization allows support of legacy applications that cannot be migrated or deployed without conflict. It also improves IT service capabilities by enabling applications to be deployed quickly, securely, and reliably. Thinstall is agentless, allowing matrix42 customers to quickly implement it in their existing environments.
"The cost and productivity impact of application 'breaks' is a pain point for businesses today — the person can't do their job and it strains help desk resources as well, especially with remote desktop users," said Jeanne Morain, vice president of marketing and strategic alliances at Thinstall. "This relationship offers matrix42's customers the ability to deliver virtual applications for efficiency and cost savings. IT's challenge is to deliver a secure, stable desktop environment despite constant application updates and deployments. Thinstall's agentless virtualization technology eliminates single points of failure and conflicts between applications. The joint solutions save customers 'break-fix' costs, while strengthening and streamlining IT asset management."
According to Gartner Research VP Ronni Colville: "Application delivery is viewed as a mainstream IT service in many organizations, and is part of overall PC lifecycle configuration management. Virtualization extends the range of viable options for the delivery, isolation and management of PC applications. How applications are installed, run and updated has direct implications on the cost and complexity of management and security. There is no silver bullet, and many organizations will need solutions that support both traditional delivery as well as application virtualization. Selecting which client architecture to use for new applications is a crucial decision that will have significant bearing on future investments."
Through the relationship with Thinstall, matrix42 will be able to deliver a comprehensive set of choices in application delivery and management for customers.
About matrix42
matrix42 is an independent software company and the developer of Empirum, a leading IT Lifecycle Management solution that allows companies to manage servers, desktops, laptops and mobile devices in a totally automated and highly efficient way. Companies such as BMW Switzerland, T-Systems, Gerling and ING-DiBa are among its many customers. matrix42 serves customers directly and through its international partner network.
For more information, visit www.matrix42.com.
# # #
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.


text:
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3719 is kept in a standard object containment stall in the Anomalous Objects Wing of Site-82.
Foundation web crawler SE851G ("AZURE CHAWLA") is to track social media posts, news reports, telephone calls, and SMS messages disseminated in the state of Maryland for references to SCP-3719-COBALT events. References made to unnatural flowering plant growth patterns, the formation of collective human masses, and irregularities in the operation of yard equipment are to be flagged and isolated for further monitoring.
SCP-3719-A-1 through -61 (collectively designated SCP-3719-B) are contained in suspended animation in a standardized 10,000 L Class-6 Lovell-Huron containment vat.1 Persons associated with the discovery of SCP-3719 — including nearby genetic relatives of SCP-3719-A instances — are to remain unaware of the containment of these instances. Persons associated with this anomaly have been administered Class-A Amnestics. These persons are to undergo a false memory implantation procedure to subdue all memory of SCP-3719-B and the impact they made on the Middlesex suburb during their life.
Description: SCP-3719 is a GO/ON-brand lawnmower with a cutting width of 55 cm. SCP-3719 performs in a manner identical to non-anomalous rotary mowers, except for a few notable differences:
- Despite being manufactured for gas-powered mowing operation, SCP-3719 relies on the energy exerted by its user (designated SCP-3719-A) to operate its engine.
- To prevent fatigue and over-exertion in SCP-3719-A, SCP-3719 reclaims and consumes grass passing through its cutting deck with high efficiency to produce additional energy. Energy produced does not mitigate the force required to push SCP-3719, but rather, is directly transferred into SCP-3719-A through the lawnmower handle by esoteric means.
- Excess grass is stored in a chamber within SCP-3719 for future consumption.
Upon use, SCP-3719-A continues to operate until every square meter within the desired lawn is mowed, experiencing a sense of personal responsibility from its completion. SCP-3719-A is not hindered by this mind-affecting property, and instead, considers the use of SCP-3719 to be a pleasurable and cathartic experience. This effect is shared by any person with a similar headspace to SCP-3719-A2 within the general vicinity of its effects.3
Addenda Materials
I. Discovery
SCP-3719 was discovered in the Middlesex suburb of Baltimore, Maryland on August 17, 2014. Upon discovery, numerous residents serving as SCP-3719-A simultaneously were using SCP-3719. 61 total residents were integrated into a collective mass,4 piloting SCP-3719 along the road with apparent ease despite its size. 6 km of roads in the area had anomalously manifested grass5 while ~2 km of roads had already been mowed by the time Foundation personnel were alerted.
The formation of masses similar to SCP-3719-B, as well as the widespread manifestation of grass on public roads, has been designated an SCP-3719-COBALT event.
II. Interview Log
The following is a transcript of an interview with Grace Farley, the mother of Kevin Farley. Kevin Farley was determined to be an individual within SCP-3719-B at the time of discovery.
INTERVIEWER: Agent Francis Digby
INTERVIEWED: Grace Farley (designated POI-3719-7)
NOTE: Shortly after Foundation personnel arrived, a 3-km-in-diameter no-go zone around the neighbourhood was observed, after which it was cordoned off.
The interview began after Foundation personnel searched for persons directly affected by the SCP-3719-COBALT event. Grace Farley (POI-3719-7) was the seventh person selected for interview purposes. Agent Francis Digby approached Mrs. Farley under the guise of a concerned neighbour associated with the neighbourhood watch.
Agent Francis Digby: Hello Mrs. Farley. I'm Francis Digby, from just down the road. Do you mind if I ask you a few things about the, ah, incident?
Mrs. Grace Farley: Of course Francis, anything you need, my dear. And please, call me Grace.
Agent Digby: So, Grace, how did you first hear about the lawnmower?
Mrs. Farley: Old Billy kept that mower locked up in his garage since before my boys were born. That Billy's always been on the go, but after his accident, it's been hard for him to maintain things. Robbie lifted the mower from him in the spring, had it refurbished, and made sure it worked fine. Let me tell you, Francis, there was just somethin' about that mower that made it special. In all my days, I've never seen Robbie so interested in anything, 'cept for that mower.
Agent Digby: In what way was he interested, Grace?
Mrs. Farley: The sparkle in his eyes when he worked on that thing, you wouldn't believe. It had to be special. Wouldn't make sense otherwise.
Agent Digby: So Bill owned the mower and he gave it to Robert. Is there any indication that anyone else used the mower during that time?
Mrs. Farley: Robbie went about, almost door-to-door, askin' to see if anyone wanted their lawns cut, free of charge. That kid was happy to do it, and it seemed like once he started, he just couldn't stop himself. On the first day, he cut nine different lawns! Can you believe that, Francis?
[Agent Digby nods.]
Mrs. Farley: Mhm. The next week it was as if everybody was asking Rob to cut their lawns, all the way down to Waterview, and boy did he do it. Robbie's one of those meek types, even letting the little ones try the mower so they could learn too. I would never allow my youngest to go near the thing, but those kids pushed it like it was a toy.
Agent Digby: Your eldest son is Kevin, correct.
Mrs. Farley: Yes, my dear.
Agent Digby: Grace, why did Kevin start using the mower?
Mrs. Farley: I had to let my boy try it. Just had to. Heaven knows I wouldn't even know how to use the thing myself, but my Kevin, he's a smart cookie, he is. Could figure out just about anything he put his mind to. So when he joined the others I just knew they were going to enjoy themselves just fine. It's better off to have 'em so close together Francis, isn't it?
Agent Digby: I'm not exactly sure what you mean, Grace.
Mrs. Farley: Kevin's a– [Her voice falters.] A smart kid with a good heart. That's the boy I raised. Yeah, I always wanted to keep him away from the bad crowd. Couldn't bear to lose my baby. So I tried hard, see. To teach 'em right. To get him along with the other smart boys I know are out there too. Now, Francis, to see him wanna join the other kids, that made me proud. [Pause.] All those kids, together, closer than a hug. That's what gives this community its spirit. We can all learn to become as warm as those kids were, and that mower's the source of it all.
Agent Digby: How did Kevin and the other kids come together?
Mrs. Farley: There were probably seven of them, or so. The closest boys and girls in the neighbourhood. We're all good parents. We all know how to raise a good kid. Raise a kid well and eventually, they'll raise themselves.
Agent Digby: Grace, do you believe that lawnmower is going to help them learn how to raise themselves properly?
Mrs. Farley: I don't just think so, Francis; I've seen it with my own eyes. Those kids could achieve incredible things if they just worked together. All seven of 'em, in the same body, that's what we raised 'em for.
Agent Digby: You're saying these kids were in the same body? But– That's just not possible, Grace.
Mrs. Farley: [She pauses.] Makes sense to me, Francis. Wouldn't you like to see all our sons and daughters together, bonding deeper than they ever could naturally? Having them so close together, boy, it just gives me the fuzziest feelin'. Middlesex ain't what it was when I grew up. I never learned the same closeness my sons know.
[Mrs. Farley retrieves a tissue from her purse.]
Mrs. Farley: Being able to help the Other in such a capacity, with the smartest sons and daughters this neighbourhood's ever seen. That's human. That's heart. I just crave to bask in the skin of the Other. To be as warm as them. Wouldn't you like to be as warm as those kids, Francis? Wouldn't you like to share my skin too?
Agent Digby: Grace–
Mrs. Farley: [She interrupts him.] Why can't you share one body, one soul, and by God if it's possible, one flesh? We're all human, Francis. We're one. We were born together and together we shall remain. It's meant to be that way, 'cause what other way could there be? Keep 'em together and we won't be having any more tragedies, like the ones you see in the headlines every week. That mower's the best thing to happen to this neighbourhood, period. You wouldn't understand unless you stitched your heart where all others can see and basked in the skin of your fellow man.