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In week two, we will continue the story of the people who lived on the earth before the great flood. People like the Nephilim. Weird, crazy people like the Nephilim. Don't know who they are. Don't know what they did, but it seems like they made a mess of the place.
Also Enoch. What happened to him?


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Why a new era of anti-politics will probably help a TV comedian win Ukraine's presidential election
Mary Dejevsky
The Independent April 18, 2019
The nearer the train comes to Kharkiv on its five-hour journey east from Kiev, the more national politics is replaced in the conversations buzzing around me by the daily rounds of work, family and making do. Ukraine might be only days away from one of the most extraordinary twists to be visited on any post-Soviet state via the ballot box, but its second city offers few signs that an election campaign is even in progress, let alone that Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian who plays a fictional president on television, could be about to trounce the sitting president for real.
There are almost none of the competing billboards that adorn main roads around the capital. You won't see the current president, Petro Poroshenko, urging voters to "Think…" – just that one word on a quasi-regal purple background – before going to the polls on Sunday. Nor will you see the cleverly controversial poster showing Poroshenko face to face with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, that says "21 April – a decisive choice", in other words, "Vote for Zelensky, get Putin".
Nor, in hours of walking around Kharkiv, have I seen more than a couple of Zelensky's trademark green posters (his name means green), forecasting "the end of the old era", though one battered door betrayed traces of half a dozen Zelensky stickers that someone had tried to peel off. The atmosphere is similar on local television: you are more likely to learn about plans to improve the roads (not before time) and stem water leaks, than to hear about the election.
Which does not mean that it is not an issue; it is: the turnout in Kharkiv in the first round on 31 March was almost 70 per cent, compared with barely 50 per cent in the first round five years ago. Nor does it mean Kharkiv's voters are at odds with the national picture. Like most of Ukraine's urban voters, they placed Zelensky top with somewhat more (36 per cent) than the 30 per cent he received nationwide.
But there is a reticence about politics in the city, with good reason. A university and industrial centre with a population of 1.4 million, Kharkiv lies at today's fault line between Ukraine's east and west. It is only 20 miles away from the Russian border, and you can reach the Donbass, where the simmering war with Russian-backed rebels is still claiming lives, in just four hours. Russia is at once friend and foe.
While the first-round results nationally gave President Poroshenko second place (with 17 per cent of the vote), Kharkiv gave the most pro-Russian candidate, Yuriy Boiko, second place, with a substantial 26 per cent. Poroshenko, with 9 per cent, was third.
Not only is Kharkiv not, to put it mildly, Poroshenko's town, it came perilously close to joining the rebel regions after Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from the presidency in 2014. Had it done so, Ukraine would have been split in two, with nationwide civil war a real possibility. In the event, some adroit changing of sides by the mayor of Kharkiv, some urgent intervention from forces loyal to Kiev, and some possibly murkier oligarch involvement kept Kharkiv in the fold. But the city was – and remains – almost evenly split over the events of five years ago, with any resolution incomplete.
The avoidance of politics is one sign of the unease, with a warning from the Ukraine security services to be found on some central bus stops reading "Let's keep our city peaceful. If you hear about any anti-state activity, ring 0800…" etc. There is a very visible security presence in public places and at transport hubs, and the war in the east feels much closer, not just geographically, than in Kiev. You see groups of young recruits in uniform, and some teenagers sport military "chic", with faux-camouflage jackets and caps. Volunteers collect contributions in cash and kind, under banners emblazoned "All-out for victory".
Kharkiv has mercifully avoided war – this time. Bombed and occupied by German forces during the Second World War, the city well knows what that means. But its economy has suffered grievously from the loss of trade with Russia, and it has struggled to cope with the influx of refugees. No wonder politics has become something of a forbidden zone.
All of which helps to explain why Zelensky's anti-politics pitch, with its can-do promise of change, goes down so well here. But there are other elements, too. Zelensky has a particular appeal for young voters, and Kharkiv has a big student population. Plus his TV series Servant of the People, where he plays a small-town teacher propelled to the presidency, is filmed mostly in Russian. With Kiev trying to impose a one national language policy, Russian speakers find this reassuring – and not only in Kharkiv.
That Zelensky could be a unifying candidate in a divided country was confirmed by the pattern of first-round voting. Poroshenko prevailed in western Ukraine, while Boiko won in the east closest to the conflict zone. But the bulk of the map was Zelensky's green, and that is, polls suggest, how sentiment has stayed. Latest polls of voting intention give Zelensky a massive, 72-24, advantage, with a slightly earlier poll among those "certain" to vote, running 60-40 in Zelensky's favour.
Many (including me) thought that the second round could be close, as voters worried about a novice in the top job, or that "dirty tricks" of whatever sort might trigger a late "surprise". So far, though, any incidents have been isolated and small. In particular, no one has detected any Russian – or US – intervention (and it will not be for want of looking). Antisemitic slurs against Zelensky have mostly been avoided, while claims that he is merely the frontman for the exiled banking oligarch, Ihor Kolomoyskyi, have either been already factored in, or simply failed to stick.
Perhaps in response to the huge gap in the polls, Poroshenko has noticeably changed his approach. From formal rallies designed to capitalise on his presidential authority, he has switched to smaller, more conversational events. He has reshuffled his team. What is more, in a dramatic U-turn, he has accepted Zelensky's terms for a televised debate in the showbiz venue that is his opponent's natural habitat.
Does he really still hope that his experience and gravitas can still carry the day against a challenger who admits he has neither? It is a long shot, but Poroshenko could be forgiven for thinking he deserves some points for at least keeping Ukraine's show on the road for five years, against considerable odds. He's achieved visa-free travel for Ukrainians to the EU, the autonomy of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, and more defence support from the west. Surely that must be worth something?
But it is already very late for voters to rethink their choice, and to bank on Zelensky's naivety deterring voters disregards the extent to which political innocence is part of his appeal. In Kharkiv, where the Soviet-era infrastructure is crumbling and high-profile projects are stalled for lack of money, dissatisfaction with the status quo runs high.
In his latest commercial, Zelensky leads a crowd of cheerful young Ukrainians towards a pedestrian crossing. The little red man on the traffic light soon turns green – Zelensky's green – and the TV star and his citizen band stride across. That is surely how he hopes it will be on Sunday – and Poroshenko, to his credit, seems reconciled to defeat. Such a clean, decisive and democratic change could be part of the tonic a jaded Ukraine badly needs. If it comes with a dash of humour, well, Ukraine could do with that, too.
Russia and West spar at UN over minority rights in Ukraine
Major prisoner swap between Russia, Ukraine in limbo
Ukraine mixed-race wrestler tackles prejudice in run for parliament
China Struggles Add to Emerging-Market Risks as Rate Cuts Beckon
Neo-Nazis' Air-to-Air Missile: An Explosive New Clue to Salvini's Intrigues With the Russians
Woman, 2 kids dead in fiery freeway crash in Indianapolis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Time for movies and the Superbowl!
Wake up ready for the weekend with Ed and Kay!
We've got an action-packed Friday morning in store for you. Movie fans, you'll be glad to know Andy is back. He'll take a break from his gig as general manager of ShowBiz Cinemas 8 in Marble Falls to get us ready for this weekend's movies, and we'll hear some Oscar buzz, too.


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Established in 2018, this 3.4 acre parcel is located along the Chippewa River in Chippewa Township, Isabella County. The preserve was purchased by the grandson of late Midland County residents Stephen and Agnes Szok and donated to the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy in their honor. The preserve protects approximately 900 feet of wooded riverbank.
The Szok Riverbend Preserve was gifted to the CWC with the intent that it become a public river access site. Scheduled for construction in 2021, this site will provide the only formal public access site along a 24 mile stretch of river between Island Park in Mt. Pleasant and Geneva Rd. in Midland County. Once complete, this access site will open up a previously inaccessible stretch of the Chippewa River to paddle-sports enthusiasts and anglers.
Use the form below to make a contribution towards the Szok River Access Site OR mail donations to: CWC, PO BOX 896, MT PLEASANT, MI 48804


"God, Give Us Opened Minds..."
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH EASTER?
I KNOW A COMMUNITY, A TOWN THAT REALLY KNOWS WHAT TO DO BEFORE EASTER.
THE PEOPLE OF THAT TOWN, OF THAT COMMUNITY MEET WITH ONE ANOTHER FOR LUNCHES AND FOR WORSHIP DURING THE TIME BEFORE EASTER.
WHEN I MEET OR SPEAK WITH PEOPLE FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, FROM OTHER TOWNS THEY FIND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS WOULD MEET EAT AND WORSHIP TOGETHER ON PURPOSE.
I NOT ONLY HAVE HEARD OF SUCH A COMMUNITY, OF SUCH A TOWN, OF SUCH CONGREGATIONS OF DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS, BUT I HAVE SEEN IT WITH MY OWN EYES.
I HAVE WITNESSED IT FOR MYSELF.
I ALSO KNEW A FAMILY IN WINDER WHO REALLY KNEW WHAT TO DO ON EASTER SUNDAY.
THE PARENTS WERE NAMED DAISY AND MACK.
BEFORE THEY WERE MARRIED, WHEN THEY WERE DATING THEY BEGAN TO DISCUSS HAVING A FAMILY AND HOW MANY CHILDREN. THEY ARRIVED AT A CONCLUSION.
THEY HAD READ A BOOK THAT WAS POPULAR AT THE TIME. IT WAS A BOOK WRITTEN BY TWO TIME AND MOTION STUDY AND EFFICIENCY EXPERTS NAMED FRANK BUNKER GILBRETH AND LILLIAN MOLLER GILBRETH.
THE BOOK WAS CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN.
THE GILBRETHS HAD A DOZEN CHILDREN. JUST SO MACK AND DAISY DECIDED TO HAVE THE SAME.
WHEN I MET THIS FAMILY THEY ALREADY HAD EIGHT OR NINE CHILDREN WITH TWINS IN A STROLLER AND DAISY WAS PREGNANT.
ORDINARY LIFE ON REGULAR DAYS AROUND THIS FAMILY WAS A HOOT.
THEY HAD BOUGHT A HUGE RAMBLING HOUSE.
THEY TORE DOWN WALLS TO MAKE A KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM COMBINATION THAT WOULD SEAT HUNDREDS AROUND PICNIC TABLES.
THEY HAD CUT WALLS BETWEEN BEDROOMS AND MADE SEVERAL DORMS FOR SLEEPING.
BUT EASTER WAS JUST MAGNIFICENT.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT A TOW HEADED CHILD IS?
TODAY TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT WE WOULD SAY THE HAIR OF THE CHILDREN WAS OF A LIGHT STRAW COLOR BECAUSE TOW HEADED IS PROBABLY JUST WRONG.
DAISY WOULD DYE EACH OF THE CHILDREN'S HEADS IN A BRIGHT COLOR LIKE ORANGE, RED, GREEN, BLUE, AND PINK.
THEN JUST AT 11:57 ON EASTER SUNDAY MORNING WITH THE SANCTUARY PACKED THE FAMILY WOULD ENTER THE BACK OF THE BUILDING AND PARADE DOWN THE AISLE TO A PEW RESERVED FROM EARLY MORNING JUST FOR THEM.
FURTHER AND ALMOST BETTER, ALTHOUGH A PARADE OF EASTER HEADS WAS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD, WAS LAST SUNDAY IN THIS ROOM.
LAST SUNDAY IN THE TRADE IS CALLED LOW SUNDAY. HISTORICALLY BECAUSE THE GREAT HEIGHT OF EASTER WORSHIP LEADS US SOMEWHAT DOWN EMOTIONALLY THE NEXT SUNDAY.
BUT IN OUR BELOVED COUNTRY LOW HAS MORE TO DO WITH ATTENDANCE AND OFFERING.
IF YOU MISSED LAST SUNDAY IN THIS ROOM, YOU HAVE MISSED WHAT COULD HAPPEN THE SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.
THE YOUTH OF THIS CONGREGATION LED US IN THE MOST POWERFUL TIME OF WORSHIP I HAVE BEEN PART OF IN A LONG LONG TIME.
NOW THE BABY REGAN WAS CUTE. AMEN?
BUT THE YOUTH TOLD US AND SHOWED US HOW TO DO THE SUNDAY AFTER EASTER AND DID IT RIGHT.
SO WHAT DO WE DO THE SUNDAYS AFTER THE SUNDAY AFTER EASTER?
WHAT ARE WE TO DO? WHAT IS THE CHURCH TO DO? WHAT IS OUR CONGREGATION TO DO FOR THESE NEXT FEW WEEKS?
OR IN FACT, WHAT ARE WE TO DO FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES?
FIRST, JESUS WILL BE PRESENT WITH US. AS PROMISED BY JESUS, HE WILL BE WITH US IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND WE ARE STARTLED AND FRIGHTENED AND EVEN CONFUSED IN HIS PRESENCE.
AND LIKE THEM WE CAN BE TROUBLED AND REALLY LIKE THEM WE CAN HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
HOW HE COULD LOVE ME?
SECOND. VERSE 46 REMINDS US AGAIN, IN CASE WE FORGOT, THAT JESUS MINISTRY, HIS DEATH, AND HIS RESURRECTION ARE THE FULFILLMENT OF THE WHOLE BIBLE.
THIRD. VERSE 47 REMINDS US, AND WE DO FORGET THIS, THAT JESUS' MESSAGE ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS.
FOURTH. VERSE 48 REMINDS US WHAT WE HAVE ONLY ONE THING TO DO FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES ON EARTH.
ANYONE WANT TO GUESS OR TELL ME WHAT THAT ONE THING IS?
JESUS CAME TO WITNESS TO THE GREATNESS AND THE LOVE AND THE GRACE AND THE MERCY OF GOD.
JESUS' FIRST DISCIPLES SPENT THEIR LIVES AS WITNESSES TO THE GREATNESS AND THE LOVE AND THE GRACE AND THE MERCY OF GOD.
WE ARE TO SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES AS WITNESSES TO THE GREATNESS AND THE LOVE AND THE GRACE AND THE MERCY OF GOD.
WE ALL WANT TO BE JUDGES.
WE ALL WANT TO BE PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS SO THAT WE GET TO BLAME OTHERS.
WE ALL WANT TO BE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS SO THAT NO BLAME IS OURS.
BUT NONE OF US HAVE BEEN INVITED EXCEPT BY OUR OWN EGO TO BE A JUDGE OR A PROSECUTING OR A DEFENSE ATTORNEY.
WE ARE TO BE A WITNESS.
GOD DOES NOT WANT US TO GIVE UNWANTED SPEECHES ABOUT RELIGION.
GOD WANTS US TO SHARE OUR LIVES.
YOU WILL BE MY WITNESS.
WE ARE TO DO THE THINGS JESUS DID.
AND WE ARE TO SPEAK THE WAY JESUS SPOKE.
THE WOMEN FROM CENTRAL AVENUE CHRISTIAN CHURCH CAME TO OUR HOUSE.
THEY BROUGHT ME A BRAND NEW PAIR OF SHOES.
A BRAND NEW PAIR OF BUSTER BROWN SHOES AND THEY FIT ME.
HAVING THOSE SHOES ENABLED ME TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.
BUT THOSE WOMEN DID NOT JUST BRING ME SHOES.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE THEY BROUGHT ME?
THEY BROUGHT ME A PICTURE BOOK OF STORIES ABOUT JESUS.
I NEEDED THOSE SHOES. I DID.
I REALLY NEEDED THOSE STORIES.


Seriously, Malaysia changed the law for Electric Bikes in the Peninsular States overnight where they are mulling registration and licensing for the Electric Bike in the kingdom. To avoid some confusion, these are related to EN15194 EU Standards with laws read under the current Road Traffic Acts in UK and Singapore as a reference and press releases by the Department of Land Transport Malaysia (Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan) and not the Ministry of Transport.
Under the Malaysian definition, a Electric Bicycle is a bicycle with a pedal and motor powered using batteries not to exceed 250W (Approx 0.33BHp) of power and speed not to exceed 25KM/H. This is the same guideline and legal requirement for LTA Approved Bicycles in Singapore, where there MUST NOT HAVE A FOOT REST and / or A THROTTLE. If there is a foot rest or Throttle, the Traffic Police will deem this as a Motorcycle or Motorised Cycle. The Bicycle must also not carry a load of exceeding 18KG (Did not know that either!)! It must also have headlights and rear reflectors, cycle only on the LEFT of the Road and the rider MUST BE AT LEAST 16 Years old and WEAR A HELMET (not specified of type but leeway of using a bicycle EC Approved helmet is acceptable by UK Standards). These are read with the Singapore Road Traffic (Power-Assisted Bicycles — Approval) Rules 2004 which do specify 200W as power of the motor.
The Malaysian law amendment proposal does not require you to register your cycle if it meets the criterion. The British Law (DVLA DOT) read this as the new regulatory Moped Amendment Laws which requires the Q or AM entitlement on their driving license. It's darn expensive BTW and cumbersome to get one. Older entitlements are amended with A1(Tricycle) to allow the Motability Cycles or Scooters to be on the road. In the olden days, a Moped is a bicycle with a 50cc grass cutter engine attached.
However, if your cycle is NOT meeting the above, meaning it does not have a pedal or it's totally battery powered or the speed exceed 25KM/H...then it is classed as a MOTOR CYCLE. The image below from the Star Dated 14 Nov is a classic example of a clear cut violation.
Disallowed in Singapore, (C) The Star 14/11/12 and a real nuisance.
Singapore does not allow this type of cycle in Singapore so it is also banned in Malaysia as per the Road Traffic Acts (Federation of Malaya Act 1957). The image above is a real clear cut violation as there is no protective shield in front, no headlamps, no proper motorcycle helmet and this is not EN19154 approved despite this imported from New Zealand. This Ang Moh is surely courting death with the roads in Malaysia IMHO.
So the Malaysian Government is not wrong banning the Electric Bikes but the wording is twisted and turned as usual. If you use a Singapore LTA SEALED CYCLE, then you are not in the wrong as it's APPROVED for ROAD USE.
Pedals and Must be moved by CYCLING.
Power & Battery Pack not to exceed 11KW.
Require A B2 Driving License in Malaysia.
Require a registration license and Plates.
Require Road Tax and INSURANCE.
This is not the law but guide for your use of E-Bikes.
The bike you have subjectively written about, is restricted to 23kph, even during downhill travel, has built in anti-skid braking, has front and rear lights, and signal indicators. The YikeBike IS approved by JPJ for use on the roads, under the same rules as a bicycle. I feel you need to do more research before slandering the Time Magazine invention of the year, the Guinness World Record Smallest Electric Bike, the Global Sustainability Award Winner, and the Gadget design winner for three years running. Making up rules based on foreign policy is typical of governments to just follow like sheep and make the same mistakes as their neighbour. No wonder mankind's progression seems to be devolving.. people aren't even willing to look at the positive way forward... getting more people out of their cars so we can clean up and speed up our city commuting. With all due respect to all the new laws, I can travel on my pedal road bike in excess of 60kph, so the whole things doesn't save anybody or make the world a safer place. Thanks.
Yes you are right (for the commenter not the publsiher)..that is a yike bike and limited to 25kmh and is approved to ride on the left side of the road with no problems in Malaysia. Likewise..i can ride almost 70kph on my racing bicycle...so want to classify it as a motorcycle when my legs are the engine? Do some research first before publishing ur facts which i think they are only ur two cents which are not worth publishing..Thanks but no thank you to ur explanation.
Thanks man, I'm a foreigner here and wanted to buy an electric bicycle, now I know which one to buy.
The bike in the photo looks amazing! Where can I buy one?
where can i find all these statements?


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J. Miles Dale Talks Guillermo Del Toro, 'The Shape of Water', '10 After Midnight', Netflix and Jabba The Hutt (Exclusive Interview)
December 10, 2018 July 25, 2019 Categories Exclusives, Film, InterviewsLeave a Comment on J. Miles Dale Talks Guillermo Del Toro, 'The Shape of Water', '10 After Midnight', Netflix and Jabba The Hutt (Exclusive Interview)
We got the chance to talk with J. Miles Dale who has produced 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World', 'The Shape of Water', 'Antlers', 'Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark' and will produce '10 After Midnight' and 'Nightmare Valley'.
DISCUSSINGFILM: To begin the interview, you've worked with Guillermo Del Toro on a various amount of projects, how did you first come to collaborate with him?
J. MILES DALE: When I was working on 'Scott Pilgrim vs the World', Edgar Wright was good friends with Guillermo and he introduced me to him, then in the future whilst Guillermo was working on Pacific Rim, I was overseeing Mama in the same studio lot. We then decided to collaborate together on The Strain which ended up going for 4 seasons and that's when we begun working on 'The Shape of Water' together.
DISCUSSINGFILM: You produced 'The Shape of Water' which went on to score big at the Academy Awards so congratulations on that, why do you think 'The Shape Of Water' impressed so many audience members?
J. MILES DALE: I think because of the untraditional love story that people can relate to, and both of the characters not only are relatable but are very compelling. The visual effects also were superb and a main part is that it was a very personal story for Guillermo to tell from a immigrant's point of view.
DISCUSSINGFILM: Following that, you've produced a movie titled 'Scary Stories in the Dark', what can audiences expect from that film?
J. MILES DALE: It's based on a series of children books, a rather scary set infact. It's set in 1968 from Halloween night and then the film climaxes on the night of the Presidential election, the choice of the year is superb due to how eventual that year was. Additionally there's a ghost in the film out for revenge, it's really a film for all ages.
DISCUSSINGFILM: You are also producing a film titled 'Antlers' what can you tell about that film?
J. MILES DALE: Antlers is part human drama/thriller and part horror helmed by Scott Cooper, who is a brilliant director with his films such as Hostiles and Black Mass, he's an execeptional director who has brought a lot to the film than I expected. The film is scary as hell but it's going to be really emontional too, I believe the film will release around this time next year and the cast is brilliantly talented with Keri Russell and Jessie Plemons.
DISCUSSINGFILM: Moving onto projects in the pipeline, you are set to executive produce Del Toro's 10 After Midnight, What can you tell us about the status of that series and what can we expect?
J. MILES DALE: We are aiming to make the show in 2019, the series will be an horror anthology series based on a number of Del Toro's favourite horror stories, along the line of Twlight Zone except mostly horror based. We are aiming to develop a group of A list writers and directors for the series including David Goyer who will write an episode and Boots Riley will write an episode too. Guillermo will write at least a couple of the episodes and will direct at least one episode.
DISCUSSINGFILM: Del Toro is seemingly having a few projects at Netflix with 10 After Midnight and Pinocchio, How has Netflix been as a collaborative partner?
J. MILES DALE: Yea, Del Toro has worked on Trollhunters with Netflix in the past, they are great and compared to cable television who have some creative restrictions, Netflix isn't tied to exact show lengths, and you can introduce more R rated glory, 44 Chapters About Four Men, a story with a blend of Sex and the City and that show, which will release on Netflix is definitely one you couldn't do on network television.
DISCUSSINGFILM: Obviously comic book movies are all the thing at the moment with Guillermo Del Toro previously making a script for Justice League Dark which got cancelled. Would you like to eventually jump into the comic book movie industry and develop one of your own?
J. MILES DALE: Never say never, there's not a passion for me to create one currently compared to Del Toro, I like developing more human films personally however, if the right thing came along and if it was Guillermo Del Toro and the concept was good, I'd love to be apart of one.
DISCUSSINGFILM: Guillermo Del Toro has been said to almost have made a Jabba the Hutt film, is that something you talked to him about and would you like to see that one day be made?
J. MILES DALE: We didn't talk about that much, I'm not sure about that or the status of it to be honest.
DISCUSSINGFILM: To conclude the interview are there any upcoming projects of yours that you'd like to mention to promote to make our audience aware of?
J. MILES DALE: I've got my new show I'm working on with Netflix and Stacy Rukeyser, the showrunner of Unreal, the show will be titled 44 Chapters About Four Men, also I'm working Nightmare Alley which is a remake of a 20th Century Fox film and hopefully we are trying to work on getting Guillermo Del Toro to direct that as his next feature.
Published by Jacob Fisher
Jacob is the Editor-in-Chief who co-founded DiscussingFilm in September 2016. He enjoys writing exclusive stories regarding the interesting information he comes across, and enjoys sharing the news with readers to see their opinions. Outside of DiscussingFilm, Jacob loves to talk about all things relating to Star Wars whilst attempting to make unfunny jokes on Twitter.	View all posts by Jacob Fisher
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A Survey of Genome Editing Activity for 16 Cpf1 orthologs
Bernd Zetsche, Jonathan Strecker, Omar O. Abudayyeh, Jonathan S. Gootenberg, David A. Scott, Feng Zhang
Bernd Zetsche
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USAMcGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Bonn Medical School, Bonn, Germany
Jonathan Strecker
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USAMcGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Omar O. Abudayyeh
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USAMcGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USAHarvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Jonathan S. Gootenberg
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USAMcGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Systems Biology Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
David A. Scott
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USAMcGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
For correspondence: zhang@broadinstitute.org
May 4, 2017.
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Bernd Zetsche1,2,3,4,58,
Jonathan Strecker1,2,3,48,
Omar O. Abudayyeh1,2,3,4,6,
Jonathan S. Gootenberg1,2,3,4,7,
David A. Scott1,2 and
Feng Zhang1,2,3,4,*
1Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
2McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
3Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
4Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
5Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Bonn Medical School, Bonn, Germany
6Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
7Department of Systems Biology Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
↵*Correspondence should be addressed to zhang{at}broadinstitute.org (F.Z.).
↵8 These authors contributed equally to this work.
Posted May 04, 2017.
You are going to email the following A Survey of Genome Editing Activity for 16 Cpf1 orthologs


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Five NBA Players Who Should Retire in 2021 (and One Who Should Not)
Posted byPete of the North February 17, 2021 October 3, 2021 Posted inUncategorized
Pete of the North
There are four different sets of circumstances that traditionally lead to a professional player hanging up the high tops for good.
The first is the career that is tragically cut short, sometimes by injury (Greg Oden), sometimes by personal demons (Delonte West), sometimes by pure lack of interest in the game (Andrew Bynum), or even death (Drazen Petrovic).
The second is the player who quits while they are on top. The guy who hits the game winner in game 7, showers in champagne, and triumphantly rides off towards the horizon like a hero in a Western (Michael Jordan, the first two times he retired). Or at the very least, they call it quits while still in their statistical prime (Brad Daugherty, Clyde Drexler).
The third is the player who shows some major physical and statistical decline over time but is still a viable role player when they gracefully bow out. Reggie Miller, Vince Carter, and most one-time superstars seem to land in this category, though the age at which the decline begins and at which they officially retire varies greatly.
The fourth is a tough one to watch. These are the guys that were never actually ready to formally retire, but an overall disinterest from any teams to bring them on board forced them out of the league (see most the of the cast of the Big3, including Baron Davis who I don't think has ever actually officially retired).
Most of the guys on this list fall somewhere between groups 3 and 4. For some, this is the perfect time to gracefully bow out while saving maximum face and preserving their legacy, while others probably should have pulled the trigger a few years back.
So, without further ado, here are the five elder statesmen of the NBA who should pack up their Icy Hot patches and Bengay ointment, and call it a career after this season:
Marc Gasol – Gasol is in unique position of having had his physical capabilities become seriously diminished over the past several years, with his stats trailing off at a similar rate, but he remains a useful piece for a contending team due primarily to his outstanding basketball IQ, outstanding passing, and uncanny sense of defensive spacing. However, averaging just a hair over four points, four boards, and 40 percent shooting from this field, it very much looks like this is (or at least should be) the last hoorah for the younger Gasol. In a perfect world for the Spaniard, he rides Lebron's coattails to his second championship ring, and has an outstanding cherry on top of the sundae of his career. However, with Anthony Davis' health up in the air, that is looking less likely by the day. Either way, here's hoping this future Hall of Famer retires to the beautiful beaches of Spain in the offseason before the wheels fall off completely
Rajon Rondo – I truly wish Rajon Rondo had called it quits after last season. It would have been the perfect close to the epic story arc of his career. After winning a title as the unofficial fourth member of the Celtics "Big 3" in his youth, Rondo briefly became a superstar in Boston before moving on, bouncing around the league and making enemies along the way (see Chris Paul and Rick Carlisle). After one-year stints in Chicago, Dallas, and New Orleans, it was starting to seem like his best years were behind him, and he may not have a place in the new, three-point centric league. That is until he caught on with Lebron James' Lakers squad last year and the old "Playoff Rondo" exploded back on to the scene, helping the Lakers take home the championship last year. Unfortunately, instead of embracing that awesome finish to his tumultuous but borderline Hall of Fame career, Rondo signed on for one last payday with a young Hawks squad, where he is currently averaging just over three points and three assists per game in very limited action… In a perfect world, the Hawks go on a run this year and Rondo finds one more dose of playoff magic, but that seems like a very long shot at this point… Either way, enjoy retirement, you tough SOB.
Blake Griffin – Blake Griffin built his career almost entirely on his explosive athleticism. He was such an astronomical athletic wonder that he really never needed to get all that great at any one thing that he could carry into his twilight years. Unfortunately, those twilight years came way faster than we could have imagined, and at just age 31, his game has fallen off an absolute cliff. Averaging just 12 points, 5 boards and four assists, on an abysmal 36.5% shooting and 31.5% from three in Detroit (and now having been benched until the team can unload him), Griffin hasn't dunked a basketball in TWO CALENDAR YEARS. Griffin is still a good passer, shown by his still decent assist numbers, but along with his major offensive short comings, he is an average-at-best defender. As a role player moving forward, he really doesn't bring any specific value to a good team to get them over the hump. I hope for Griffin's sake that he can achieve his buy-out with the Pistons, catch on with a decent team, and have one last run as a reasonably productive role player this year, and then calls it quits. Otherwise, I see things getting ugly, and I fear his career may not end on his own terms. Griffin is a funny, talented dude (see his Comedy Central roast appearance and stand up spots on Youtube), who should have some great career options after basketball. Hopefully, he starts exploring those options sooner rather than later.
Dwight Howard – Similar to my comments on Griffin, I hope Dwight makes the call to hang it up before the league does it for him. As his career has made a slow but steady shift from superstar to role player, he has hung around due to his rebounding, imposing presence in the middle, and efficient (though limited) offense (he shot 73% percent from the field last season). He won his ring with the Lakers last year, and this year is doing an admirable job backing up Joel Embiid in Philly. However, with no outside game to speak of, and diminished athleticism, he becomes more of a dinosaur in the modern NBA every day that passes. I personally hope the 76ers go on a run this year (they could easily make it out of the East), and Dwight gets one more shot a title before he calls it a career. Otherwise, I foresee a couple of Aron Baynes-esque seasons and his options drying up within the next two to three seasons tops. Quit while your ahead, big man (or at least not too far behind).
Carmelo Anthony – Carmelo has already proved the world wrong once. After failing to catch on with the one-hit wonder Big 3 in OKC with Paul George and Russell Westbrook, and then quickly being cut by the Rockets in 2018, it seriously looked like that might be it for Melo. His reputation had been ravaged, he was considered an ISO dinosaur of a league past who was unable or unwilling to evolve, and no winning teams seemed to want to risk their own chemistry to take a flyer on the former superstar. However, the following year, the Portland Trailblazers took a chance on Melo and he paid them back by becoming an outstanding role player and teammate, first as a starter and now as a sixth man. He is still good for 13.0+ points per game and an occasional offensive explosion, good for 20 to 30 points when he gets hot. However, his athleticism has continued to erode, and he is as ineffective a defender as ever. He is a one trick pony at this point in his career, and while he is still damn good at that trick, I pray that he makes the decision to retire sooner rather than later, with his new-found dignity and respect across the league fully in tact. He will join Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley in the great players, no rings club, and that is ok. In fact, that is some great (and entertaining) company to be in.
Bonus – One player I hope DOES NOT give up: Jeremy Lin. I have been a Jeremy Lin supporter from the first second Linsanity took hold of NYC, China, and the world almost a decade ago. His career has been an absolute emotional roller coaster since, getting the big contract from Houston, failing to reach the superstar status they had hoped for him, and then bouncing around the league as a reliable role player and veteran presence until getting cut by the Toronto Raptors after the 2018/19 season (in which he was fortunate enough to ride the bench to a championship ring). However, for reasons I don't fully understand, he just never got another shot after that. Before going to Toronto and struggling, he was putting up decent numbers in Atlanta, backing up Trae Young, and was a respected locker room favorite, putting up over ten points and almost four assists per game. He'd struggled with injuries throughout his career, and his ceiling seemed to be set as a streaky role player good for 10 to 14 points per game, but there is certainly a market for that skillset in the league, at least for a veteran minimum.
Did he fall out of the league due to his (to no fault of his own) unwarranted fame? Not unlike Tim Tebow's fall from the NFL? Either way, it is thrilling to see him currently playing well for the Warriors' G-League affiliate after a stint in China last year. I know that I (along with a good chunk of the population who still has a soft spot for Linsanity) am looking forward to seeing him make a comeback and catch on with an NBA roster, the Warriors or otherwise. Hell, if the Raptors end up moving Kyle Lowry at the deadline, I wouldn't be mad if he came on as a third string point guard in TampaRonto…
Unfortunately, it is just as likely that none of these predictions work out, each of the first five hanging on for an injury-riddled, depressing limp to an unceremonious end, and Jeremy Lin flames out in the G-League, never to be seen again on an NBA court. However, I am an optimist, and hope all these storylines play out like a friggin Disney fairytale.
Agree? Disagree? Couldn't care less? Let me know! And as always, thanks for checking out the blog!
Published by Pete of the North
Avid sports fan and obsessed statistician. Binge drinker turned writer. Toronto Raptors fan since the O.G. Zan Tabak. Based out of Albany, NY. Cheers!	View more posts
How to Fix the Raptors – NBA Week 9
Started a Podcast!


The world Braille Day was celebrated on January 4, 2019.
The day is marked remembering the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille – for the people with visual disabilities.
Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of Coupvray in northern France. At the age of just 3, he lost his both eyes in an accident. This resulted into the invention of the of 6 dots- which is popularly known as braille .
United Nations observed the first official World Braille Day on January 4, 2019 raising awareness on the importance of Braille for approximately 1.3 billion people living with some form of distance or near vision impairment.
World Braille Day is marked annually on January 4 after the day was proclaimed by the General Assembly in November 2019, as a means of realising fully the human rights of visually-impaired and partially-sighted people, and bringing written language to the forefront as a critical prerequisite for promoting fundamental freedoms. Around the world, 39 million people are blind, and another 253 million have some sort of vision impairment.


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Q: Size and Header Position of Modal Dialog thanks in advance. I have modal dialog and two problems. I am using bootstrap.min.css and bootstrap.min.js. I did not change anything in bootstrap.min.css file.
My problems:
1. I do not know why but header text is on right aligned and close button is on the left side of it. How to do left alignment of header text and right alignment of close button? Please see the image.
Modal Window
I got the code from w3schools.com to work on it.
Here is the code:

<button type="button" class="btn btn-info btn-lg" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#testmodal">Open Modal</button>

        <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal">×</button>

Test

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum

I use bootstrap 4.3.1 libraries.
<link href="/style/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

P.S. Original code from w3schools contains bootstrap 3.4.0 libraries. If I use them everything works fine except one thing. I have gridview on my project. It has two columns and their headers titles are center aligned. If I use bootstrap 3.4.0 libraries, titles are left aligned and I can not change them. Actually, I did not look this problem deeply. I have focused on the problem with bootstrap 4.3.1 libraries.
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.4.0/css/bootstrap.min.css">

2. I need to increase the width of modal windows. I tried some codes but it supports max. 500px. I couldn't find 500px entry in .css file. Which entry do I need to change or add?

A: You have not declared class="modal-title" in header title.

    <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal">×</button>

Test

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Kevin Drum posted this chart earlier today and I think it tells you a lot of what you need to know about our current predicament. Wages for average people are, on some level, the real fundamentals of the economy. And simply put, they haven't been growing. And yet there's been all this production. And it's not as if we've been operating as some kind of huge net exporter during this period. All that production's getting consumed and then a bunch more production is getting consumed. Thanks to an increase in debt and to innovations in debt instruments.
It was typical to hear a little while ago that there couldn't possibly be anything wrong with the economy because all these people own flat-screen televisions. Now I think we're seeing that an economy that comes up with new ways to lend average people money is no substitute for an economy that comes up with new ways for average people to earn money.


In Make Plus, you'll find an option to add section IDs or classes in the Configure panel of each builder section. These settings make it easy to add custom styling to your individual builder sections, or create internal links for one-page sites.
Use the section ID field in each builder section to create links to various sections on a one-page site or direct visitors to a particular section on that page.
For example, if you have a section on your about page (your-site.com/about) for testimonials, you might add a section id called testimonials.
For more about creating and using custom menus in WordPress, see this page in the WordPress Codex.
Adding classes to your builder sections makes it easy to apply custom CSS styles on a per-section basis. The easiest way is to insert your custom styles to Additional CSS tab in Customizer.
In case you prefer to edit a real style.css file, make sure you have a child theme of your active theme activated. You can find a guide to Make's child theme here.


Tyler Davis is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player who plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As of 2018, Tyler Lee-Deon Davis currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunders as their Center. Tyler Lee-Deon Davis has played for other teams like Oklahoma City Blue.
Playing as a Center, Tyler Lee-Deon Davis reportedly earns around $77,250 as his yearly salary from Oklahoma City Thunders. Further, Tyler Davis has an estimated net worth of over $100,000.
Tyler Lee-Deon Davis was born on May 22, 1997, in San Jose, California. As per his nationality, he is Puerto Rican and belongs to White ethnic group. Further, his star sign is Gemini.
Tyler Lee-Deon Davis attended Plano West in Plano, Texas where he played for his high school basketball team. After completing high school, Tyler Lee-Deon Davis enrolled at Texas A & M and played for the Texas A&M.
Davis was a second All-SEC player as a sophomore. Davis slimmed down between his sophomore and junior season to compete better in SEC.
He led the team with 14.9 points per match and finished second behind Robert Williams with 8.9 rebounds per match. After the season, he declared the draft of the NBA.
As of 2018, Tyler Lee-Deon Davis has an estimated net worth of over $100,000. He reportedly signed a two-way contract with Oklahoma City Thunders .and Oklahoma City Blue. Further, the NBA player has an average salary of $77,250 annually.
Tyler so far has made earnings of $200,000 from his entire NBA career. Kept aside Tyler Lee-Deon Davis financial earnings, his personal assets includes home and cars.
Further, the NBA Player Davis earns a good amount of money from various sponsorships.
Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder are the highest-paid players of Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tyler joined the Brooklyn Nets for the NBA Summer League play after being undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft. The Oklahoma City Thunder signed a two-way contract with Davis on 13 August 2018.
During FIBA AmeriCup 2017, he represented the Puerto Rican national team. Davis had 12.3 points averaged, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per tournament game. Standing at a height of 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), he plays at the center position.
The Famous NBA star Tyler is 6 feet 10 inches tall in height and weighs around 121 kg. Tyler Lee-Deon Davis is not only a world-class athlete but also a very attractive individual.
Despite being famous NBA Player, he is not present in any social media. No details regarding his relationship and affair has currently surfaced. Moreover, he seems to focus on building a career and hides his romantic relationship with the public.
Exact details about his family were not made public. He does not seem to be fond of using social sites.


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Details of error
Report errors in hadith
You are here because you have decided to help improve this collection by reporting an error, Allah (swt) will reward you for this as He is most generous. Please use the form to indicate the type of error. If you have other queries please use the contact form.
Contents of Hadith
Narrated: Anas bin Malik and Ibn Hazm
"The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, enjoined fifty prayers upon my Ummah, and I came back with that until I passed by Musa, peace be upon him, who said: 'What has your Lord enjoined upon your Ummah?' I said: 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.' Musa said to me: 'Go back to your Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, for your Ummah will not be able to do that.' So I went back to my Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, and He reduced a portion of it. Then I came back to Musa and told him, and he said: 'Go back to your Lord, for your Ummah will not be able to do that.' So I went back to my Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, and He said: 'They are five (prayers) but they are fifty (in reward), and the Word that comes from Me cannot be changed.' [50:29] I came back to Musa and he said: 'Go back to your Lord.' I said: 'I feel too shy before my Lord, the Mighty and Sublime.'" (Sahih)


It's very certain you'll most likely have previously experienced some type of insurance within your existence. Within the arena of adult responsible living, getting insurance policies are frequently a choice lots of people consider, then when you discuss insurance, it normally denotes security or protection. There are lots of types of insurance presented then one can pick to guard their house, travels, as well as other possessions like jewellery, antiques, and cars. But, such protection is chiefly in the kinds of financial compensation. Thinking aloud, insurance doesn't really safeguard you alone but insurance will clearly diminish your financial headaches or possibly fully compensate you from financial loss, liabilities, and damages.
Other states and countries have some types of insurance just like a mandatory part of legally owning something. An apparent and known example with this particular is vehicle insurance. In compliance for the laws and regulations and rules of some states, if a person really wants to legitimately possess a vehicle, there is a tiniest quantity of insurance level required for every vehicle a crook or legal entity owns. The needed insurance policies are normally not comprehensive as fundamental policies will most likely be adequate. Simple policies can assist you to certainly recompense for your damages you've caused with other people but such simple insurance will not cover the damages on your own property.
The identical as well as other kind of insurance, vehicle insurance has several coverage types and levels. A person might purchase the clearest insurance he may get his at work and hold all the advantages the insurance policy entails – like cover to own damages as well as other medical inclusions. A sophisticated coverage is great to own but you will have a larger investment to such protection.
Similar to the instance above, just as one insurance plan holder can truly aid a person financially. Lots of people simply can't get the cash to recompense for your damages they cause or purchase an alternative choice to the lost or damaged goods. Medical expenses might be excessive pocket burners too but if you have insurance to cover of those damages and liabilities, you are, considerably, financially safe.
When loaning for just about any home, property insurance coverage is essential. The amount or amount of insurance policies are naturally commanded with the loan company. Similar to vehicle insurance, the requisite is easy and extremely minimal. It is extremely common and advisable for home keepers to include coverage level inside their property insurance. Possessing could be the conceivably the only real largest investment you may have. The home itself as well as the objects you will find expected to be really valuable. It may be easier to safeguard individuals things with insurance.
Insurance coverage might be highly comprehensive and many types of-embracing. It is able to do protecting the typical consumer from legal actions against them from outdoors parties. Furthermore, you will find health care coverage and reimbursements for loss from burglary and property damages introduced about by flooding and fire. In the event you have a very park home, there's an appropriate insurance known as park property insurance and for proprietors of special houses, you'll find niche insurances available. Just make sure that you don't merely obtain insurance impulsively. Browse around and then try to produce a property insurance comparison before you sign up.
Like what's been mentioned, there are lots of kinds of insurance. An individual may even insure his journeys and vacations. With holiday insurance, the very first is protected via medical and emergency coverage. Loss and damage to property are often covered too. Postponement and flight cancellations usually happen holiday insurance could make your travels less pricey and demanding when such occasions happen. Similar to along with your property insurance, holiday insurance comparison is imperative.


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Dubai Is Testing Digital License Plates Packed With Futuristic Features, Privacy Risks
Sidney Fussell
Dubai is piloting "smart" digital license plates embedded with collision detecting-sensors and GPS trackers, the BBC reports.
Dubai's smart plates will also feature digital screens with news-ticker style updates on the weather and road conditions. The pilot launches in May and continues to November.
The smart plates have advanced safety features and automate some of the hassles involved with car ownership. If a collision is detected, for example, it will automatically contact police and ambulances. Bureaucratic fees, paying for fines, parking, or re-registering plates, are all deducted automatically from drivers' accounts tied to their plates.
But the new features come at a price: privacy. The smart plates are embedded with GPS trackers that tie the car's physical location to drivers, who are also linked to their bank account they use to pay fees. As the plates are issued by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, there's obvious concern about the state knowing where people go and where they live.
[BBC]


Edited to add: Perhaps a Rating System is not necessary.
I've always felt that lots of responses was more of an indicator of something good than karma or stars.
Mish, you have the ability to Rate any thread you wish. When you are posting a reply, just scroll down to the little window that says Choose a rating. There you can choose stars for any thread you visit. If I am not completely mistaken, an average gets taken of all those who rated the thread and that is how many stars it gets. So, the ratings are completely up to you.
Just to add on to what Alix said, if you do not feel that the rating system is necessary then you are free to not use it. It is certainly not a mandatory thing. For those that do what to use it though, it is there for them.
I'm with Vera. When I see page after page of responses, then I know the thread is something lots of folks like/enjoy.
Plus, I agree with Alix. Beautifully, we have the freedom to rate or not.
Me too! Plus I never remember about the rating system until afterwards.
I enjoy it all regardless of ratings. " One man's meat etc!!"
Well I agree with everyone. Some would say that means I am not thinking.
Anyway...5 Stars for you Miss Mish!!
...5 Stars for you Miss Mish!!
I am just speechless! Well almost. I am humbled by your presentation.


Site of Carroll County's second permanent jail, now preserved as an "archaeological footprint." Was in use from ca. 1866 until replaced with new facility 1938 (stands nearby). Building was torn down in the early 1960s. This jail was in use at the time of the Carroll County Courthouse Courtroom Shooting in March 1912. At least three public hanging occurred. Jail was located within the original 1842 County Public Lot. Archaeological investigations uncovered the site in 2002 and the ruin was marked by its footprint (outline) with paving brick. Portion of wall within a parking island has been rebuilt. Location now known as "Jail House Square" where outdoor stage hosts outdoor concerts and other events. Interpretive signage will be installed in future. Site part of downtown walking tour - visit Carroll County Historical Museum for details.


While other knife storage blocks limit you to a certain number of knives using pre-sized slots, our Bamboo Knife Dock can hold nearly any size knife. The secret is in the flexible cork-like dividers that adjust to accommodate the blades of your knives. It's sized to fit in standard kitchen drawers.
Bamboo Knife Dock is rated 4.6 out of 5 by 54.
Rated 2 out of 5 by KatyTwinMom from Takes up too much space Takes up too much space and holds too few knives since they can only be as close as the width of their handle.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Mightymom from Love it!!!! It is one of the best things I have in my Kitchen. Every time I open the drawer to pick up a knife, I feel safe that there is no danger at all. They are kept safe and organized at the same time! With this organizer there is even space to put something else thext to the container. I love it, love it! Totally recommend this product! I must have in your kitchen, spacially if yu have knives of different sizes and functions.
Rated 5 out of 5 by MAC3844 from Works Perfectly I'm going back to buy a second one as all of the knives don't fit safely in the one unit. I think the knives need to be spaced out a little more to ensure a good grip to remove safely. Also, I think placing the smaller knives together and separating them from the larger ones is safer. I'm very pleased with the one and two will look and work better. Having the knives loose in the drawer is tough on the edges of the blades and not safe. Very big knives with long handles have to be handled delicately.
Rated 5 out of 5 by BenS from Easy and simple knife storage I've had my eye on this for a while and finally got around to buying one. It works great for storing our knifes, and it is nice not to have to worry about which knives fit in which slot. Aesthetically, the bamboo is a nice complement to the cork.
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Rated 5 out of 5 by ContainerLover101 from Finally!!! Finally! I can store my knives in the drawer. My drawer never look so neat as this one. Love it!
Rated 5 out of 5 by Trini5501 from It does the job! This knife dock fits beautifully inside of a smaller drawer. It is easy to insert the knives into the cork dividers. Looks and feels like a high quality item.
Rated 5 out of 5 by krsturz from love it Very easy to use - no futzing to make sure you align knife with properly sized cut out in block. We can almost put our knives away without actually looking. We put ours in a large pullout drawer under our cooktop next to bamboo utensil divider. No problems with knives popping up or sliding around, and readily accommodates a range of sized blades.
Rated 3 out of 5 by SailingMum from not long enough I really wanted to like this for our knives, but it didn't work out. There is a dowel rod that holds all the cork at the end. For an 8" knife, the blade hits the dowel rod instead of cork. It also is not angled and the heavy knife handle makes the knife tip pop up and come out of the cork at the end. Just didn't work for our big knives and it had to go back.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Monicadel from Best in-drawer knife tray EVER!!! Being a fan of clutter-free kitchens, I had looked forever for an in-the-drawer solution for my knives. Most products have a set number of slots to hold a limited number of knives. I found this tray and can now contain ALL of my knives in a very small amount of space!!! Thanks to the great design using multiple layers of cork, there are no pre-determined slots for each knife, making it easy for even my husband and two sons to put the knives away ;) I cannot recommend this product enough - in fact, since purchasing mine I have inspired other friends and family to do the same! No more knife block on the counter = more food prep space and a more serene kitchen!
Rated 4 out of 5 by JackieG23 from Safe, convenient knife storage It's safe and sturdy, and holds most knives. Our bread knife sticks out a little bit, but we can still close the drawer. And this fits right next to our flatware organizer. It a good size and keeps the blades covered.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Rhinney1 from NO MORE MISSING FINGERS! While that didn't actually happen, I always used to feel like I was risking my fingers when having to get a knife from the jumble of knives in my knife drawer. Now it's organized, safe for fingers, the knives don't shift around, and it protects the edges of the blades. I fit even my longest blades in this! I LOVE THIS!
Rated 5 out of 5 by DeFoodie from Sheer Genius Absolutely the perfect drawer insert for all my knives! I'm constantly shielding the blades and now I'm finally able to grab and go with no worries. This is perfect.
Rated 5 out of 5 by eandi from Love this Bamboo Knife Dock! We keep this guy right on the counter in our kitchen's prep area.... no way i would hide it in a drawer! Easy access, keeps our knives protected from each other, and also allows the to breath just in case there is any extra moisture left on them after washing. This is going to be my go-to gift to friends this year!
Rated 5 out of 5 by SometimesSancho from Excellent Knife Block Keeps knives from dulling while storing them well and fits easily in common drawers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by stratcj from Love it! It fits perfectly in my silverware drawer and keeps the knives tucked away and out of sight! Each knife slides in easily and stays put.
Rated 5 out of 5 by meghancakes from Knife Dock? How about lifesaver. I used to have a magnetic knife strip, which, due to our plaster walls was no longer super practical. Plus I felt like I couldn't remove the knives from the strip without risking dinging or bending them over time; even if I removed them properly, I couldn't count on others to do the same! This knife dock fits snugly in one of my kitchen drawers (right under my cutting block!) and keeps everything neatly out of sight, but I don't worry about damaging my nice kitchen knives with its use, either. It turned out to be the perfect solution, and I think it looks good too!
Rated 5 out of 5 by EMac310 from This is what I have been looking for! We have many knives of different sizes. This knife dock holds them all safely, securely, and compactly. I love it!
Rated 5 out of 5 by thm05 from works really well I was intrigued and so glad I tested it out. Much better than magnets and silly wooden boxes you need to match knives to slots.
Rated 4 out of 5 by ghbugmama from Great idea for organizing We have many knives in addition to our original knife set. We already use the wood knife holder that sits in the drawer. This was for the additional knives. While I really like the idea of being able to place knives in quickly, it was a little too short for our 10" chef knife and didn't hold enough. we still had more knives to fit in the drawer with two knife holders. I returned it. However, if you need organization and have limited knives I would recommend this dock. Well made.
Rated 5 out of 5 by BeagleMom from Great for Large and Sharper Knives Although I have a knife block on my counter, I have purchased some additional (super sharp) knives and didn't have a place to store them. The knives were expensive and I wanted to keep them sharp. A couple of times I cut myself on the knives when I reached into the drawer and knew I needed to find a solution. I went to the Container Store and spotted this item. I wasn't sure it would work because I was afraid the "sheets" of cork would get cut as I inserted the blades. That doesn't happen! I've had this item for several months and just LOVE it. I find it holds about 8 large chef-sized knives and anything smaller. Couldn't be happier with my purchase.
Rated 5 out of 5 by katlat from Just what I needed Fits perfectly in the drawer. It's just what I needed. I love it.
Rated 5 out of 5 by mcbiker91 from Bamboo Knife Dock Received your product in excellent condition. Great for the drawer, or counter top and keep your knives organized, The best kinfe organizer ever.
Rated 5 out of 5 by NadiaThinks from Clean, organized, and elegant Great to use--the segments let you decide how you want to space your knives. It looks like a solid section of cork-like material when no knives are in, even after you have been using it for a while. Definitely would purchase this if I needed more space. Currently holding my kitchen knives and steak knives comfortably.
Rated 5 out of 5 by WinnieKid from Great Space Saver! My wife and I have limited counter space in our kitchen and got tired of the knife block taking up more space than it should. This dock fits neatly in our silverware drawer and allows for various knives to fit in it nicely. It has a nice look and really finishes off our silverware drawer. And its cool how the knives "slide" into the top of the bamboo sheaths. Really nice product.
How many knives does this safely/easily hold?
Depending on the size of the handle, it can hold anywhere from 4-6 knives.


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October 30, 2019 Uncategorized
Canadian Libraries And Universities Abdicating From Discrimination Responsibilities Enable It
Posted by Morgane Oger
On September 29, 2019, Self-identified feminist journalist Meghan Murphy gave a talk about her feelings regarding transgender women and feminism. It drew strong criticism across Canada and head-scratching abroad.
Meghan Murphy approaches the Parmerston Branch of Toronto Public Library. Murphy is criticized for inciting anti-Trans hatred and discrimination on grounds prohibited by Canadian law.
Murphy's thesis is that transgender women are men because being transgender is "in fact" an impossibility and that transgender people put cisgender people at risk, with an especially vicious focus on transgender women.
Her talk drew a small audience of 45 given in a Toronto public library branch, attracting an estimated 1,000 protesters who camped outside and read books by Trans authors, sparking widespread debate about where the line stands between enabling hatred and enabling censorship.
Known History Of Inciting Hatred
This is something Murphy does regularly, and quite proudly. She started locally in Vancouver and along with a cohort of like-minded pundits pushing anti-transgender ideology has been extremely loud speaking her mind in opposition to transgender persons – specifically women – be recognized and protected from discrimination.
Meghan Murphy poses with fellow transphobes Posie Parker, Venice Allen, and Julia Long during "Women Stand Up", an event organized in Washington, DC by the US religious right to springboard anti-trans sentiment.
Vancouver-based intolerance
Metro Vancouver, one of the regions at the forefront of transgender rights in Canada, is oddly an incubator for extremist anti-transgender punditry. Bill Whatcott, Laura-Lynn Tyler-Thompson, Kari Simpson, Paul Dirks, all spent some time living and preaching their hate gospel on our region's streets. This may be related to the Vancouver Parks Board putting forward a ground-breaking trans-positive guidelines in 2013 which inspired city-wide policy in 2016, or Vancouver Board of Education passing SOGI policies in 2014, the Province of British Columbia launching Trans Care BC in 2015, the province enshrining protections in 2016 from discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression, or the country following suit in 2017, or the City of Vancouver denying funding to organizations who discriminate against transgender persons in 2019, or all of the above. Whatever it is, our region is a magnet for anti-transgender haters wrapping themselves in faith, feminism, science, free speech, or sheer malignance.
What are the laws, anyways?
The Canadian Charter of Rights guarantees the freedom to live free of discrimination, the freedoms of expression, and the freedom of belief, among others. Decades-worth of legal decisions on the matter tells us what to do when these freedoms intersect, and the latest jurisprudence tells us freedom of expression does not have priority over other freedoms. Rater, it must be weighed against its possible impact on the other charter rights listed in the Charter – for example against the freedom to live free of discrimination.
What does the charter mean to me?
The implementation of the charter within federal and provincial civil codes leaves us all with the freedom to say things as individuals, as long as they are true. Canadians have an absolute right to tell the truth, but only so long as they can demonstrate it is, in fact true. What the law does not give, however, is any absolute right to interlace truth with lie or deception so as to argue for a point that lacks factual merit through trickery.
Canada's online-hatred vacuum
Since the Harper Conservative Government rescinded section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act which addressed discrimination online in 2013, a publisher of online hatred or of material advocating for discrimination on prohibited grounds can no longer be held accountable. One can put racist, misogynistic, transphobic, or other discriminatory content online. This is a known problem that needs addressing and I touch on the need to change this here, here, and here.
There is any indication from data on hate-motivated crime reported to police that shows that the month that this took place coincides with the bottom of a Vee in the hate crimes curve.
Hate-motivated crimes in Canada started growing after the Harper Government rescinded limits on online and transmitted hatred in the federal human rights act
As the above image from one of my talks shows, a distinct increase of hate-motivated crimes followed the removal of online protection against online hatred. This indicates in my eyes a clear correlation between inciting hatred and the acts of hatred that such actions implicitly give permission to.
Free expression does not impinge on freedom from discrimination
A 2019 BC human rights tribunal ruling I was involved in, Oger v Whatcott BCHRT 2019 (7), determined that the freedom of expression and the freedom of belief that the Charter of Rights guarantees do not impinge on the competing right to live free of discrimination.
Although the scope of that ruling is limited to the BC Human Rights Code, it DOES have broad implications across Canada on its charter interpretation that when Bill Whatcott denied the existence of transgenderism to encourage people to discriminate against me on the basis of my gender identity – a prohibited grounds of discrimination in Canada – he violated my Charter rights more then his Charter rights would be violated by prohibiting him from doing this and that this was a necessary application of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Notably, when we strip the core beliefs away to get to what Whatcott and Murphy say, we see they are in fact saying the same thing: being transgender is not true. Transgender people are wrong or liars or unwell, Canadians need to be protected from transgender people by discriminating on the basis of gender identity or expression.
So similar, yet treated so differently
The only difference is that our institutions would NEVER let Whatcott speak in them whereas they bend over backwards to let Murphy have her turn at the mike. Were I a woman of faith, the discrimination on the basis of faith would lead me to raise my eyebrows in interest.
Like Bill Whatcott, Meghan Murphy does have the right to speak her mind. However, she does not have any right to say whatever she wants, wherever she wants to, whenever she wants to, and however she decides. When we speak at venues owned or operated by institutions that have policies prohibiting discrimination, the content of the speech must conform to the policies of these institutions which are in place to prevent discrimination from being enabled there.
Institutional liability
Although Meghan Murphy's words are out of reach of governance or personal consequences because she speaks at event and publishes only online, the institution that allows her to spread her message is party to her activity because they are allowing her to do what she does and are doing it with full knowledge of what she will say.
Institutions such as the Toronto Public Library, the Vancouver Public Library, and Simon Fraser University all have policies mandated by Canada's human rights laws that prohibit discrimination at their facility.
By allowing Murphy or anyone else to speak at their facilities for the purpose of justifying discrimination on prohibited grounds, institutions are participants in the act. And unlike the speakers who are subject to only criminal and tort law when they speak, institutions have responsibilities set out by our human rights law.
Without the permission of the facilities at which a booking is made, the events Murphy uses to encourage outrage and discrimination would have been difficult to host. I believe that any institution that own the facilities at which Murphy or anyone else inciting discrimination speaks is liable for the discrimination they enable by allowing Murphy to counsel others to discriminate on prohibited grounds if the institution has policies prohibiting the act.
A failure to enforce policy on some grounds of prohibited discrimination but not on others is a violation of Canadian human rights laws. In fact, it is the reason why the Morgane Oger Foundation was created.
Failing Canadians
It is our institutions that are failing us rather than the deceptive individuals speaking for their lunch by inciting hatred against a mythical "them" through disinformation or disingenuous claims. I believe Canadians need to turn our attention to the administrators of our public institutions. Our institutions must be held accountable for meaningfully governing how ideas are shared from their facilities and for upholding meaningful and consistent standards for the use of their facilities.
Our public institutions enabling discrimination on prohibited grounds is an active choice on supposed charter grounds. They might be sued by JCCF or an equivalent absolute-freedoms organization for turning Meghan Murphy down, but they would win if only they had the backbone to do so.
Disappointingly, many of our Chief Librarians and our University Presidents still don't fully understand that their participation in enabling transphobia is the same as enabling racism, Islamophobia, or White Nationalism. They still think it is less awful to allow hatred to be encouraged with their implicit approval and on their watch than to keep their facilities accessible for everyone in the communities they serve. I believe that this is a misunderstanding of their institution's role and more importantly a misreading of Canada's charter of rights.
bill whatcottdiscriminationHatredKari SimpsonLaura-Lynn ThompsonLeRoy St GermaineMeghan Murphypublic policyToronto Public Library
Is There A Place For Populist Far-right Parties in Canada?
Schools need to address supremacist hate-motivated acts.


This palm beach is well known in the area. It is already an iconic spot due to the marina on one side of the beach.
This beach is open to the public from 8:30 until 18:00 o'clock. The facilities include freshwater shower and toilet building, icecream food and drinks, watersport, race court for quadbikes, as well as an parking area.
Entry fee 5.000 rp per person.
To see MAPS click here.
To see Katalog click here.
Bangka new prime location for the tourism recreational beach.


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Q: how to protect controller actions in MVC 2 DotNetOpenAuth multiple providers scenario I am trying to develop an MVC site that implements dotnotopenauth. I have a user table, provider table and a user to provider table. I am storing the returned auth string.
I am using forms auth cookies for user authentication. I am wonder, and this could be a very simple question for someone... how to protect certain controller actions for authenticated users only.. Is it as simple as isAuthenticated? Is their some action decorator or something. I am just starting with this so thanks for any help.

A: All you need is to decorate your controllers with the [Authorize] attribute.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.mvc.authorizeattribute.aspx

A: There is a good article on the topic.  It is not straight-forward since [Authorize] applies to Membership Provider code and DotNetOpenAuth applies to OAuth technology, that is external to Membership.
The basic idea is that the two need to be merged first, as explained by ...
http://www.west-wind.com/weblog/posts/899303.aspx


Know the Man, Know the King.
Heat up the Thanksgiving leftovers, the feasting need not end too quickly!
The Liturgical Calendar marks this Lord's Day the Feast of Christ the King! This is the consummation of the Church Year. Next Sunday we start a new with the first Sunday of Advent. On this day we commemorate and rejoice that He who came in humility has been exalted in glory. The anointed of God has been enthroned in power, and we no longer wait his exaltation, we await his return with expectation. Christ IS the King!
On this feast of Christ the King ask yourself the the question, "What kind of man was he?", and you'll know what kind of King he is.
Is he not the one who blessed the poor, the meek, the suffering, the persecuted, the outcasts? Is he not the one who bids the tired and the heavy laden? Is he not the one who confronts tyranny and anarchy? Is he not the one who bids the zealots to lay down his sword and the disciples to take up his cross? Is he not the one who says he has come to seek and to save by paying the ransom, not with your tax dollars, but with his own life? Is he not the one who has descended into the grave in perceived defeat only to be raised in glory? If this is the man that the apostles bore witness to, having seen and heard the man, what kind of King do we think he is?
The LORD who reigns over our circumstances will act in our distress. We may sense the flood waters rising, we only need to remember the man. When the waters rage, he walks upon them. When the waters hem us in, he speaks and the waters become a highway. When the waters rise, he provides an ark. Behold the man. Behold your King! His decrees are very trustworthy.
The room was really cold but I was sweating through my shirt. My pastor had just opened the floor to questions that would be directed to me.
I was preparing to relocate my family in a matter of days to plant a church in a new city. This was our last meeting together before I would be sent out from our sending church. The men sat looking at the floor, some at their notes, and others over at each other, waiting for someone to fire off the first question. The silence hung around for what seemed like an hour. One man, the quietest and most reserved man in the room, stared at me the entire time. It was a gentle gaze, nonthreatening. He was listening to what my body was saying. No words were being uttered, but he was listening.
The moments passed and finally someone spoke up, but he didn't ask a question, he simply encouraged me. Someone else followed up with more encouragement. It was very kind of them to break the silence without conjuring up a question just because. The pastor started to move onto the next order of business when the one who sat staring leaned forward and asked, "Nathan, what are you afraid of?" I was ready to move on with the other agenda items now. The gentleman didn't waver. He looked directly in my eyes across the table and waited.
I sat, pondered, and asked myself what he meant by the question. Afraid? Am I afraid? Should I be afraid? Is this Yoda looking Luke down and calling out his fear? And then I realized that I was full of fear. Seriously fearful of something that I had yet to name in my life. It wasn't the future. It wasn't finances. It wasn't even the fear of failure. I fear forgetting.
If there is anything I have learned over the past two decades is that forgotten truth leads to forgotten identity, which leads to a loss of purpose and direction. Forgetting causes us to stall, gawk out the rearview window, and sit in the present distress critiquing and analyzing the past, asking why we can't move forward. When we forget what is true we will settle for things that are false. When we forget our identity we will masquerade and rely on our false self. When we forget we can't move forward, we can't even coast, we're stuck.
My greatest fear is forgetting the gospel. The gospel is the announcement of what God has done for us in and through Jesus Christ to reconcile our past, meet us in the present, and secure our future. When I forget what has been done I begin to coverup my shame with my performance. When I forget that God meets me in the present, I look for lesser things to satisfy my longing for acceptance and approval. When I forget that my future is secure I fail to show up, try, take risk, and assume responsibility.
I named my fear outloud. I admitted that I was fearful of forgetting because I know what the result would be. To be radically honest with you…I have had gospel amnesia for over a year now. Many of the difficulties I currently face, not all but many, are the result of forgetting. It seems that I am starting to come to, but I must admit so much of what I have been dealing with is forgetfulness. I have lived my fear.
What counsel would I give to someone who came to me with a case of gospel amnesia?
Well, I would start by taking my cue from a gentleman who sat in a really cool room, intently watching a grown man sweat, and listen, really listen to what is going on. I would wait in the void for a bit and ask, "What do you fear?" However that question gets answered will lead us to the cause of gospel amnesia. Then I'd begin to slowly, patiently apply the remedy. Not in an assertive way, but in an attentive way. What do I mean? I would be attentive to the One present among us who is there with us in our forgetfulness. I'd point out the One who reconciles our past, who meets with us in the present, and promises to secure our future. I would try to skillfully do what the faithful have always done with those who've forgotten. I would bear witness to Jesus; the One who heals our deepest wounds, who drives out fear, and who meets us in the questions we won't ask even ask ourselves.
Listen…seriously, listen. What do you fear? Have you named it? Let's take some time to be attentive to Jesus together.
One of my fondest memories as a child was when my mother read an entire book aloud to us on a certain road trip. It wasn't a common practice, I am not sure why, but I loved hearing her voice read us stories. If she was reading my sisters and I weren't fighting. Stories were a respite from the tension.
My mother also happens to be one of the best storytellers I know. She has a way of slinging words that strike at the core of my being. We just spoke yesterday about getting her setup to share some of her work. We'll see what happens.
My father, too, is a master storyteller. What made his craft so special was how he mixed his stories with other skills, like drawing and now photography. There was something about the way that he told a story that made me want to tell others what I saw in the world. While I was growing up he mostly retold the parables of Jesus, or narratives from the Gospels, but man, I loved hearing his take on the world as he saw it.
My mother's father always told stories. His were based on his childhood. They were full of color, interesting characters, and plenty of hyperbole. Often there was some moral or virtue to adhere to and vices to avoid. I'm not sure he was trying to teach through stories or simply entertain us, but I remember learning a lot form his storytelling.
Since I was little I have always wanted to carry on the craft. But somewhere along the way I got distracted by a hankering to chase something big and important, rather than what I loved and wanted to give in love. The craft has always been present, but subservient to my need to "make it" in the world. In my twenties I wrote songs. In my thirties I wrote sermons. Now that I am entering into my forties I feel like I have finally come to the realization of what I have always wanted but never done…to just write out of love, not from need. I want to look at the world and tell it like I see it, pointing out the true, the beautiful, and the good.
I am not writing to get published. I am not writing to "make a living". I am writing because I have to write. I am writing because I love, and love comes to us through story. Love is a story told.
Major Tom to Ground Control...Can You Hear Me?
Eight months ago I stepped away from the public ministry of the Word.
Last March I announced to the congregation of Christ Community Church that I had come to terms with the fact that I was burned out, depressed, and dealing with a host of medical issues that needed attention. The only thing I could see in front of me at that time were storm clouds and disaster. If something didn't drastically change I was going to cause more harm and damage, not only to myself, but to the ones I loved a great deal and served.
Anticipating a lot of disappointment and confusion, I braced myself to the point of physically shuttering and shaking. However, nobody in that room threw anything at me, no one stood shaking their heads and wringing their hands, the exact opposite happened. I was met with loving concern and support. Some grieved that they did not know the extent of my pain. Others gave of their resources to support my family and I, immediately. One man walked up in the middle of my public meltdown to stand next to me and hold me up. He said I had done the same for him and he would be there for me now. I was not met by the angry mob I envisioned in my head, but by the loving embrace of a gospel-saturated community.
It has taken me this long to reflect and see what was taking place in that moment, I am a slow learner, but in the middle of my darkest moment the light of Christ was piercing through all the broken places of my heart through the ministry of his body on earth.
Here's what I was saying in that moment: I am a broken man. I am unfit for the work. I am tired. I have lost my way.
Here's how the congregation responded in that moment: We know. We all are. We can see that. There's a way back.
The people of Christ Community Church who heard that invitation week in and week out, extended it to the man who had read it for years. Reading it and heeding it are two different things. And to be radically honest with you, I did not embrace the offer that day. Know that it has taken me many days to believe afresh the gospel invitation and rest in it with assurance. For some that may be hard to hear, but its the truth. It is only because I have decided to heed it that I can come up from the ditch I have been lying in to say, "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me" (Psalm 120:1).
Slowly, day by day and moment by moment I am trusting Jesus to lead and guide me by the power of His Holy Spirit and the light of his Word. But I must also say that in these dark days there is only one place on earth that I know where these words can be honestly spoken, that is in the context of honest community. I am not sure if you have that place, or if you even desire to belong to an honest, gospel-saturated community. I get it. Trust me. Currently I don't have a "local church" that I "belong" too, because I stepped away from more than a pulpit, I dove headlong into a ditch trying to avoid those who were loving me. But what I can tell you is that many came looking for me. They found me, sat with me, listened to me, prayed for me and eventually prayed with me. Some sent text messages and emails. Others gave me lots of space in a loving, patient way. But not one day has passed that I can honestly say that I was alone, not one. An honest community won't let you believe that lie for long.
So where am I now? Well, the church we set out to plant merged with another congregation three months after it became evident that I would not be returning to ministry. This was a great grace. I am learning to walk again. I am learning to rest. I am learning to work with my mind, heart, and hands. I am learning to heed an invitation.