News for today's 2018

Waynesboro Circuit Court Clerk will not release concealed weapon permit info to RPV

5:06 PM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://blogs.nbc12.com/decisionvirginia/2013/06/before-new-law-rpv-requests-addresses-of-concealed-weapon-permit-holders.html">Last Friday</a> Ryan Nobles at Richmond's NBC TV-12 reported that the Republican Party of Virginia had submitted FOIAs to state Circuit Court Clerks for the names and contact information of concealed weapon permit holders. Today he reported that at <a href="http://blogs.nbc12.com/decisionvirginia/2013/06/clerks-will-not-turn-over-permit-records-to-rpv.html">least twelve clerks would not be releasing that info</a> including the local city of Waynesboro. <a href="http://blogs.nbc12.com/decisionvirginia/2013/06/clerks-will-not-turn-over-permit-records-to-rpv.html">Nobles wrote</a>: <blockquote>Last Friday, <a href="http://blogs.nbc12.com/decisionvirginia/2013/06/before-new-law-rpv-requests-addresses-of-concealed-weapon-permit-holders.html">we broke the news</a> that the RPV had requested the personal information of hundreds of thousands of permit holders to communicate their political message to them leading up to the fall elections. The RPV was legally allowed to ask for the material, but in less than a month the release of that information will become illegal. The new law to seal the records of permit holders was passed in the 2o13 Virginia General Assembly session and was sponsored and championed by the Republican nominee for Attorney General, Sen. Mark Obenshain. </blockquote>Clerks who were reported as denying RPV's request represented the localities of Waynesboro, Dinwiddie, Winchester, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Chesterfield, Southampton, Suffolk, Middlesex,Isle of Wight, Bedford, and Prince George.

Waynesboro Circuit Court Clerk will not release concealed weapon permit info to RPV

Last Friday Ryan Nobles at Richmond's NBC TV-12 reported that the Republican Party of Virginia had submitted FOIAs to state Circuit Co...

Tuesday is Primary Day in Virginia

4:38 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5H-RBXkYO2w18-QV8PLNABY5DgyBsRYjNCS_p5ISh7VhTQCbdOkjcH6e2uyZY0rHIXJ6mujJ15xE1-zeyiOjTJRaHdqisX-YE7DkWDQe9sc8XIxeJ_Q0rPDA0zNCEFPdzwSzW33RGjdI3/s1600/voting+booth+graphic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5H-RBXkYO2w18-QV8PLNABY5DgyBsRYjNCS_p5ISh7VhTQCbdOkjcH6e2uyZY0rHIXJ6mujJ15xE1-zeyiOjTJRaHdqisX-YE7DkWDQe9sc8XIxeJ_Q0rPDA0zNCEFPdzwSzW33RGjdI3/s1600/voting+booth+graphic.jpeg" /></a></div> Tuesday, June 11, 2013, is Primary Day in Virginia. Voting takes place at your regular polling place between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. <a href="http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/votinginperson.html">Identification will be required</a>, just as last year's November General Election. Changes to the law related to photo ID requirements to vote will not be effective until July 2014. For Democrats, Tuesday is the opportunity to vote for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General candidates. The gubernatorial choice is already in place -- Terry McAuliffe -- because no one stepped up to challenge him. That leaves two choices for lieutenant governor: State Senator Ralph Northam (D-6th Senate District) and Aneesh Chopra who is a techie guy out of the Obama administration. Also two choices for attorney general: State Senator Mark Herring (D-33rd Senate District), and former federal prosecutor Justin Fairfax. If you're a Republican, the Top Three candidates were chosen for you at the recent Republican Party of Virginia convention in Richmond: Ken Cuccinelli for Governor, E.W. Jackson for Lieutenant Governor, and Mark Obenshain for Attorney General. Republicans have <a href="http://electionresults.virginia.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=HOD&map=CTY">eight contested House of Delegates races</a>: - 15th District: Incumbent Todd Gilbert versus Mark Prince - 16th District - Open Seat: Les Adams versus Ken Bowman - 28th District: Incumbent Speaker of the House Bill Howell versus Craig Ennis - 29th District: Incumbent Beverly Sherwood versus Mark Berg - 33rd District: Incumbent Joe May versus David LaRock - 54th District: Incumbent Bobby Orrock versus Dustin Curtis - 6th District: Jeffrey Campbell versus Jack Weaver - 85th District: Scott Taylor vs Gary Byler vs Jeremy Waters Democrats have <a href="http://electionresults.virginia.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=HOD&map=CTY">three contested House of Delegates races</a>: - 63rd District: Evandra Thompson versus Rosalyn Dance - 86th District: Jennifer Boysko versus Herbert Kemp - 90th District: Rick James versus Algie Howell, Jr. For more information, check out the <a href="http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/votinginperson.html">State Board of Elections website</a>.

Attorney General candidates governor Lieutenant Governor Primary Virginia Tuesday is Primary Day in Virginia

Tuesday, June 11, 2013, is Primary Day in Virginia. Voting takes place at your regular polling place between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00...

E3: UbiSoft Press Conference:

4:23 PM Tukiyooo 0

<a><img height="668" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixCif6pd5AJ80D15PTN1V-IJdFRlTCBdtmrrAv1tYJas87WCVfd8SnjFjADL8XuCauL4AxBzl2teSLfygczMgYjaESj884UtHlsUtmXC8MEONGlbgIi1QKkvO4rjKc7RvJlwY5hITrUqk/s1600/Ubisoft+PS+Vita.jpg" width="800"></a> Highlights from the <a href="http://www.ubi.com/US/default.aspx">Ubisoft</a> press conference: <ul> <li>Rocksmith 2014 <ul> <li>learn to play guitar <li>October 2013 release</li></ul> <li>Splinter Cell: Blacklist <ul> <li>August 20th release day <li>Biggest game ever <li>single player, co-op, and spies v. mercs game play <li>looks like a this gen title unfortunately</li></ul> <li>Rayman Legendies <ul> <li>September 2013 release <li>looks cute</li></ul> <li>The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot <ul> <li>Persistent world <li>Free to play <li>closed beta now open, <a href="http://www.themightquestcom">www.themightquestcom</a></li></ul> <li>South Park: The Stick of Truth <ul> <li>this holiday <li>current gen console release</li></ul> <li>Next Gen Console releases: <ul> <li>The Crew <ul> <li>Xbox One and PlayStation 4 <li>driving game, criminal element trying to take over citizens <li>online, persistent world – blurred lines between single player, co-op, and multiplayer <li>competition games look better in my opinion <li>all types of driving terrain throughout the United States <li>player picture tags over cars is highly annoying <li>tablet integration with Ipad</li></ul> <li>Watchdogs <ul> <li>Game takes place in Chicago <li>scarily close to reality in light of last weeks revelations <li>social engineering at it’s finest?</li></ul> <li>Just Dance 2014 <ul> <li>all consoles, including Wii U <li>October 2013</li></ul> <li>Rabbids Invasion <ul> <li>television show <li>interactive programming <li>Xbox One title</li></ul> <li>Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag <ul> <li>Pirate game <li>looks fabulous <li>land and sea adventures <li>open world game play</li></ul> <li>Trials Fusion and Trials Frontier <ul> <li>console and smart phone integration <li>Trials: Frontier is exclusive to Xbox One <li>Trials: Fusion on all consoles (current and next gen) <li>2014 release</li></ul> <li>Tom Clancy’s The Division <ul> <li>open world, RPG <li>Xbox One and PlayStation 4 <li>actual game play footage shown <li>tablet integration part of the game <li>chilling, realistic setting <li>looked stunning</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul>   <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1b5d6845-61ac-42de-89ab-21870a38ace4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ubisoft" rel="tag">Ubisoft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/XBox+One" rel="tag">XBox One</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PlayStation+4" rel="tag">PlayStation 4</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Xbox+360" rel="tag">Xbox 360</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PlayStation+3" rel="tag">PlayStation 3</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/South+Park" rel="tag">South Park</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/The+Stick+of+Truth" rel="tag">The Stick of Truth</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Assassin's+Creed+4%3a+Black+Flag" rel="tag">Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/The+Division.+Tom+Clancy" rel="tag">The Division. Tom Clancy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Rabbids" rel="tag">Rabbids</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Watchdog" rel="tag">Watchdog</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Just+Dance+2014" rel="tag">Just Dance 2014</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Trials+Fusion" rel="tag">Trials Fusion</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Trials+Frontier" rel="tag">Trials Frontier</a></div>

PlayStation 4 Ubisoft Xbox Xbox One E3: UbiSoft Press Conference:

Highlights from the Ubisoft press conference: Rocksmith 2014 learn to play guitar October 2013 release Splinter Cell: Blacklist Au...

E3: Electronic Art Press Event: Highlights, Games, and Hype

2:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<a><img src="http://www.insidesocialgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ea-logo.png"></a> Highlights from the Electronic Arts Press Conference: <ul> <li>Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare <ul> <li>3rd person action title <li>XboxOne first and then XBox 360 <li>Co=op included <li>Sunflower is the healer class <li>Cactus is ranged <li>Live demo of the game on stage and it looks FUN <li>Definite must play!</li></ul> <li>Peggle 2 coming this year <li>Titanfall <ul> <li>Spring 2014 <li>Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC <li>Multiplayer game with a single player feel <li>Living, breathing, world</li></ul> <li>Two New Engines <ul> <li>Ignite and Frostbite 3</li></ul> <li>Star Wars: Battlefront <ul> <li>uses Frostbite 3 Engine</li></ul> <li>Need for Speed: Rivals <ul> <li>uses Frostbite 3 <li>Cops v. Racers <li>All Drive: destroys the line between single player, co-op, and multiplayer – One world for all experiences <li>races can start as single player and end in multiplayer <li>tablet integration included <li>Can play as cop or racer <li>Game play footage looks seamless and engaging between single player and multiplayer</li></ul> <li>Dragon Age III: Inquisition <ul> <li>OPEN world <li>Fall 2014 launch <li>Looks jaw dropping <li>Actual game play footage</li></ul> <li>NBA Live 14 <ul> <li>Xbox One and PlayStation 4 <li>Dribbling is the number priority – uses a new technology called Bounce Tech <ul> <li>ball is being released to physics <li>ball is separated from the hand in every dribbling animation</li></ul> <li>Live World with player stats: exclusive push within an hour after the NBA themselves receive the data push</li></ul> <li>Madden NFL 25 <ul> <li>Xbox One and PlayStation 4 <li>Actual game play footage <li>True step locomotion system – precise footwork <li>Lineman is the heart of game play <li>Ignite engine <li>Adrian Peterson revealed as the cover athlete <li>Launches Fall 2013</li></ul> <li>FIFA 14 <ul> <li>Looks great <li>Uses Ignite Engine <li>4 times more calculations per second <li>Fall 2013 <li>Xbox One and PlayStation 4</li></ul> <li>UFC <ul> <li>Ignite Engine <li>MMAI System: fighters can organically alter fighter strategies during the fight <li>Full body deformation: shows what it is like when hit <li>Launches Spring 2014 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4</li></ul> <li>Battlefield 4 <ul> <li>Frostbite 3 Engine <li>Air, land and sea battles <li>Commander mode: birds eye that impacts action on the ground <ul> <li>Console or tablet use</li></ul> <li>Battlelog: connect anytime, anywhere on multiple devices <li>live stream of battles all week during E3 </li></ul> <li>Mirrors Edge 2 <ul> <li>actual game play footage <li>Frostbite 3 Engine <li>No release or console information</li></ul></li></ul>   <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:35e78b27-c076-4e87-97f9-93c1e21c206c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/E3" rel="tag">E3</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Electronic+Arts" rel="tag">Electronic Arts</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EA" rel="tag">EA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Star+Wars%3a+Battleground" rel="tag">Star Wars: Battleground</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Battlefield+4" rel="tag">Battlefield 4</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Need+for+Speed%3a+Rivals" rel="tag">Need for Speed: Rivals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EA+Sports" rel="tag">EA Sports</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/NBA+LIve+14" rel="tag">NBA LIve 14</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/MAdden+25" rel="tag">MAdden 25</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FIFA+14" rel="tag">FIFA 14</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Dragon+Age+III%3a+Inquisition" rel="tag">Dragon Age III: Inquisition</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Mirror's+Edge+2" rel="tag">Mirror's Edge 2</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Titanfall" rel="tag">Titanfall</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/UFC" rel="tag">UFC</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PLants+v.+Zombies%3a+Garden+Warfare" rel="tag">PLants v. Zombies: Garden Warfare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Peggle+2" rel="tag">Peggle 2</a></div>

E3 EA Electronic Arts E3: Electronic Art Press Event: Highlights, Games, and Hype

Highlights from the Electronic Arts Press Conference: Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 3rd person action title XboxOne first and...

From my yard: thunderstorms rolling (again) into Augusta County

1:14 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38s9yzCo_xwagei7yC4rdZDEtXB1ZCfXxNZGVb5RZLU_y1RQ2rAykCJN5BHLHFz7m0D9cJFS3T50p5BoyzIUhZvGrGEjBiOpwp1Ep_U5Uw6itCBjYp6fCW-qHDSA3sFSPomaOilbRUsp0/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38s9yzCo_xwagei7yC4rdZDEtXB1ZCfXxNZGVb5RZLU_y1RQ2rAykCJN5BHLHFz7m0D9cJFS3T50p5BoyzIUhZvGrGEjBiOpwp1Ep_U5Uw6itCBjYp6fCW-qHDSA3sFSPomaOilbRUsp0/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The sky west of us was black as the latest round of thunderstorms approached around 3:45 this afternoon. This is looking northwest from our yard.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlaADpyXIi-e6ECf8Cd-42aJUbHd4xc8Lg5g35dEdmXLZyu7FR97HEr0QifEQ794YtG0ZSCA6lrUwDyMTe7PWZDShMxTT-HMRpqNb8LOnzvBNx6DCjVHpv9UCt8JR-NYIFXgb9-xBhuNa/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlaADpyXIi-e6ECf8Cd-42aJUbHd4xc8Lg5g35dEdmXLZyu7FR97HEr0QifEQ794YtG0ZSCA6lrUwDyMTe7PWZDShMxTT-HMRpqNb8LOnzvBNx6DCjVHpv9UCt8JR-NYIFXgb9-xBhuNa/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The is looking southwest.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcXDyY9ekIJAJYa-teM-Yw9cgGr4hajT3KVtLKhqyD1ErorpBXZ-b4yQ15j4w5mcxPQSN6yFnA5_bwcYCP10iColhdqK5RdCGv8oZn1y9djFKFtFWlOKN155vlN90CcqAaUumuB3TWueN/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcXDyY9ekIJAJYa-teM-Yw9cgGr4hajT3KVtLKhqyD1ErorpBXZ-b4yQ15j4w5mcxPQSN6yFnA5_bwcYCP10iColhdqK5RdCGv8oZn1y9djFKFtFWlOKN155vlN90CcqAaUumuB3TWueN/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This is looking south.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nLDdMTJOAAaY9otVUoCIaq68FEbTRI5j2fyiR4l0DqMJunr7aLp6u7S9gPmVlJwd1JBewKeHU_W-_P7n37iWANDEgv1_2ti5sxMbqAul74IPCFspmVF6_kKcv1hx3CvVoVGGlW9xMgzH/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nLDdMTJOAAaY9otVUoCIaq68FEbTRI5j2fyiR4l0DqMJunr7aLp6u7S9gPmVlJwd1JBewKeHU_W-_P7n37iWANDEgv1_2ti5sxMbqAul74IPCFspmVF6_kKcv1hx3CvVoVGGlW9xMgzH/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Northwest ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO-s90_1Ru3Jy0r5uPWX3SEsFrjVO7yM5RcIImMXja8CiHCyoiOpvnbPXej5Zblp7nxlCWXJD7KeBdSoYVw3f3WdZJIlQUDUHnCzzhgjUXlsfBgdmVv5LtI1tsp_nJLR_7AhPa6FCZJjN/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO-s90_1Ru3Jy0r5uPWX3SEsFrjVO7yM5RcIImMXja8CiHCyoiOpvnbPXej5Zblp7nxlCWXJD7KeBdSoYVw3f3WdZJIlQUDUHnCzzhgjUXlsfBgdmVv5LtI1tsp_nJLR_7AhPa6FCZJjN/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">... and north-northeast.</div> Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell June 10, 2013

From my yard: thunderstorms rolling (again) into Augusta County

Augusta County flash flood watch severe weather thunderstorms in Virginia tornado watch western Virginia From my yard: thunderstorms rolling (again) into Augusta County

The sky west of us was black as the latest round of thunderstorms approached around 3:45 this afternoon. This is looking northwest from our...

Severe weather warnings over most of Virginia

12:22 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-qtUtjJkCaOIrlJRNBq5ooQwBQwr6-CAsMrhbrwOt1ZVjnv2PQx78I3wI314Vrs98Oo6sWT-dX5tXBBGv3ctdZzJXxQrIA_Of8-LTZaT6wOqfRElNLUs9rkxsoacNWLbQHCQi2d1Poxl/s1600/Weather+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-qtUtjJkCaOIrlJRNBq5ooQwBQwr6-CAsMrhbrwOt1ZVjnv2PQx78I3wI314Vrs98Oo6sWT-dX5tXBBGv3ctdZzJXxQrIA_Of8-LTZaT6wOqfRElNLUs9rkxsoacNWLbQHCQi2d1Poxl/s400/Weather+map.png" width="400" /></a></div> This weather map is from Richmond-based <a href="http://www.wtvr.com/weather">WTVR CBS-6</a> with a note from meteorologist Zach Daniel that he cannot remember ever seeing a single tornado watch cover this much of Virginias (areas in red). In the Shenandoah Valley, those areas include Augusta, Highland, Rockingham, Page, and Shenandoah until 10:00 p.m. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for thunderstorms to possibly become capable of producing tornadoes. Here is the latest information passed along by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SVFC14?fref=ts">Swoope Volunteer Fire Department</a> located in Augusta County west of Staunton: TORNADO WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WT 293 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 200 PM EDT MON JUN 10 2013 TORNADO WATCH 293 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR OUR AREA 953 AM EDT MON JUN 10 2013   ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR ... * PORTIONS OF VIRGINIA AND NORTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...INV IRGINIA...ALBEMARLE...AUGUSTA... CULPEPER...EASTERN HIGHLAND...GREENE...MADISON...NELSON... NORTHERN FAUQUIER ... ORANGE... PAGE ...RAPPAHANNOCK... ROCKINGHAM... SHENANDOAH... SOUTHERN FAUQUIER...  WARREN AND WESTERN HIGHLAND. IN NORTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA ... EASTERN PENDLETON AND WESTERN PENDLETON. * UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING * AFTER A SOAKING RAIN THIS MORNING...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED. WITH THE GROUND ALREADY SATURATED FROM PREVIOUS RAINFALL ... IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH RAIN TO PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING OF STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

flash flood watch severe weather Swoope Fire Department tornado watch Virginia Severe weather warnings over most of Virginia

This weather map is from Richmond-based WTVR CBS-6 with a note from meteorologist Zach Daniel that he cannot remember ever seeing a single ...

Monday, Monday

12:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates: This week's dose features the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/06/10/water-treatment-plant/">Water Treatment Plant</a> in Évry, France, by AWP: <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/06/10/water-treatment-plant/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Jun13-10.jpg" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a> The featured past dose is the <a href="http://www.archidose.org/Aug06/081406.html">Concrete and Water Building</a> in Cerro Blanco, Chile by Philippe Blanc C.: <a href="http://www.archidose.org/Aug06/081406.html"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://www.archidose.org/Aug06/polpaico2.jpg" title="featured past dose" width="640" /></a> This week's book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/06/10/instigations/">Instigations: Engaging Architecture, Landscape, and the City</a> edited by Mohsen Mostafavi and Peter Christensen (L): <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/06/10/instigations/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/instigations.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a> <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/01/17/the-liberal-monument/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/dhooghe.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a> (R): The featured past book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/01/17/the-liberal-monument/">The Liberal Monument: Urban Design and the Late Modern Project</a> by Alexander D'Hooghe. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : American-Architects <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/pages/50x50">Building of the Week</a>: <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/41621_hall_house">Hall House</a> in Duluth, Minnesota, by Salmela Architect: <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/41621_hall_house"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://c214210.r10.cf3.rackcdn.com/files/projects/41621/images/900:w/HallHouse5.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates: This week's dose features the Water Treatment Plant in Évry, France, by AWP: The featured past...

ARE THEY STILL FIGHTING? -- HOW CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES MAKE US WORSE

11:46 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="MsoNormal">A new priest at one of our small town churches goes to a local gathering place. He tells the people he is the new priest at St. Swithens. The locals ask, “Are they still fighting?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">A layperson at another small town church tells a friend where she worships. The friend says, “I’ve been to several events there. Every time, your church members are gossiping about people here in town. I wouldn’t want them to know much about me.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Most of the church people I know are pretty good folks. Members of faith communities are statistically healthier, happier, and more likely to do civic good where they live. There is plenty of objective evidence that we are doing something right. So here’s what I wonder about:  Why is there also so much unhealthy behavior in congregations: selfishness, power grabbing, cultural insensitivity, undermining, manipulation, stinginess, and a whole list of moral failings? People who have been practicing Christian spirituality their whole long lives, people who love the Lord and receive the sacraments behave in ways no self-respecting garden club would tolerate in its members. Truth be told, it shakes my faith – not in Christ, but in Christianity. The only proof of any religion is that it makes people better. I’m not sure we are doing that as well as we might. People outside our walls are outside our walls because they don’t like what they see going on inside our walls. They are not entirely wrong.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The Epistles (and the New Testament in general) teach that Christianity is a group project. Our Bible is a guide to how we are to behave toward each other so that we can be the ongoing incarnation, the Body of Christ in the world, the human channels of God’s love and mercy. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love,” the song says. That’s what I don’t always see us doing very well. Again, most church folks do quite well and churches do plenty of good. But the good we do is eclipsed in the eyes of outsiders by all the petty badness – emphasis on petty because we misbehave in big ways over embarrassingly small issues. So what’s up with these good people doing bad things?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">My hypothesis: a big part of the problem is good intentions badly implemented. Meaning well actually gets us in moral trouble. “The path to hell is paved with good intentions.” We start with this right principle: The Church should accept, befriend, and embrace people the rest of the world does not. Some churches understandably don’t do that. But most of us do accept the outcasts. The problem is: what then do we do with them? This is where the trouble starts. To make them feel welcome, we put them in charge – not always formally, but de facto.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Dennis Maynard’s book, When Sheep Attack, is about how small minority groups in congregations can destroy a pastor’s ministry and run him or her right out of town. That isn’t all they do. Vocal minorities do all manner of mischief in faith communities. Maynard characterizes the small minorities as pathological. But the problem isn’t the pathological minorities. It’s that the congregation as a whole defers to them. The least healthy people in a congregation often seek to control it and are able to do so precisely because all the nice church folks want to appease them. Love means doing whatever it takes to make the crazy folks happy. The result: a nutocracy. Maynard prescribes pretty aggressive responses, a sort of surgical removal of the malignant cells. I don’t’ think that is either right or effective. But his analysis of church dynamics is on the mark.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The implicit cultural norm of churches is to not only tolerate but to appease unhealthy behavior. Some clergy undertake to police those behaviors, but those clergy don’t usually survive long. The policy of appeasement always wins if the ordained leader is the only person trying to change the system. The worst part of it is that by cow towing to bad behavior in our midst, we encourage our weakest members to act worse. And people who might behave well in the rest of life learn that church is the place they can act out their worst selves because church is where they can get away with it. The normative behavior of a congregation does not look like the Kingdom of God and the people do not function together as the Body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">So how might we turn this around? The first generation Christians understood their fellowship as a crucible of moral and spiritual transformation, a place where we are changed. My pastoral consultant once said to me, “Programs don’t change people. People change people.” True enough, but how can we organize our relationships in way that allows us to make each other better instead of worse?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">I have three basic suggestions for starters:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1.    Behavioral Covenants.  A tennis court needs boundary lines. We all need to know where they are. It doesn’t work nearly as well for an authority figure (the pastor for example) to draw the boundary lines. Then the pastor becomes the enforcer and will soon be driven out by a congregation that never owned the boundaries. We need boundary lines drawn by the community itself. A clergy leader can facilitate a process of setting behavioral norms, but cannot be the lawmaker. Gilbert Rendle has written a helpful little book, Behavioral Covenants In Congregations, available from Alban Institute. It is a guide to how a congregation can establish its own healthy boundaries. Of course, people are imperfect. We will hit the ball out of bounds from time to time. Any of us will do that. But the community that has drawn the boundaries will recognize when the ball is out of bounds and can remind the out-of-bounds person of the norms for discourse in the community. Examples: What kind of communications can be done by e-mail? What communications need to be face to face? What is it appropriate to say about someone who is not in the room? What kind of communication is appropriate for confidentiality? Which are unhealthy secrets? Having answers to those questions in advance can make a huge difference. I know of one congregation that went from crippling civil strife to vibrant health and growth thanks to such a behavioral covenant. I know another that weathered a short failed rectorate without falling into blaming each other, again because of a sound behavioral covenant.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">2.    Circles Practice. Attentive listening, intentional speaking, and mindful relationship do not come naturally, especially when we are enculturated to act contentiously. These practices require skill and discipline. We can teach people these skills in church. These are basic skills for virtuous participation in the human community. Christians ought to be good at that; so the Church ought to be in the business of training us. There are a variety of approaches to these practices. I started with Industrial Areas Foundation broad-based community organizing where I learned one-on-one and small group relational meeting skills. I moved from there to Parker Palmer’s Circles of Trust work. The main book is Palmer’s A Hidden Wholeness. Training is offered through the Center For Courage & Renewal. <a href="http://www.couragerenewal.org/">http://www.couragerenewal.org</a>. The clearest, most usual friendly book on how to do such a process may be The Circle Way by Baldwin and Linnea. The World Café is another approach to this kind of respectful discourse. <a href="http://www.theworldcafe.com/">http://www.theworldcafe.com</a>. We can intentionally create safe place situations for honest conversation. We can cultivate healthy, wise habits like speaking from curiosity instead of judgment. These are processes we can use to deepen and improve relationships, build character, and strengthen our communities to become what we were meant to be.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">3.    Alternative Models Of Decision-Making. We could combine behavioral covenants and circle practice to change our ways of making decisions. That would profoundly transform the power dynamics in congregational life. Today, most congregations have two decision-making processes – the formal visible one and the informal invisible one. Formal visible decision-making is done in public meetings with Roberts Rules. Motions are made and voted up or down. It is a contest with winners and losers. But we rarely actually make decisions that way. When we do, conflict has become hotter than the system can bear for long. Usually, those formal public meetings just document the decisions that have been made informally. The informal invisible process is consensus achieved by finding the lowest common denominator. The person in the room who is hardest to pacify wins by getting his or her way. A third option is to pull the informal process into public view and talk things through in a healthy way using a circles practice like World Cafe. We can find an authentic consensus of those operating inside the boundaries.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">These are just three starter suggestions for how a church might shift its culture. We can become the kind of community that people want to join because we are a safe place to be ourselves and explore new truths, a place that challenges us to change without coercing us with guilt. We can become clearer channels for grace. But it won’t happen without an intentional decision to undertake a process of deep change in how we go about being Church.<o:p></o:p></div>

ARE THEY STILL FIGHTING? -- HOW CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES MAKE US WORSE

A new priest at one of our small town churches goes to a local gathering place. He tells the people he is the new priest at St....

38 weeks & 2 days Pregnant

11:11 AM Tukiyooo 0

Two milestones were reached this past weekend! First, I made it to the 38 week mark in my pregnancy - that is great news!  I know she's still growing because by the day it seems as though my stomach is getting tighter and tighter.  More aches and pains keep occurring in the lady parts.  Sleep is getting harder and harder by the day.  For example, last night I started in a laying down position.  At around 1 AM, I transferred to a sitting up position.  By 3:15 AM, I moved to the couch.  The couch may be my permanent bed from here on out.  I need something to grab onto to help lift myself up and roll over.  I haven't had much exhaustion during this final trimester, but I credit that in large part to working at home.  I'm sure if I was getting up everyday at 4:30 to head downtown, it'd be a much different story.   The exhaustion I've been facing recently is no doubt due to the restless sleep I've been getting.  Nearly everyday I've been taking a nap to help make up for it. This afternoon I have a doctor's appointment, so I hope it fairs good news for us!  I should be learning more about whether or not I'll have another rate-of-growth ultrasound.  If they do decide to do another, then I should also learn after that how quickly I'll have her.  Part of me wants her to arrive on her own time (preferably before the 40 week mark), but part of me hopes they say - "let's schedule you for a c-section" - and that way I may not have to endure the pain of labor.  Right now, I just really want her out!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U5W5fEewWOHPSD8BuG8ti97dj8GFxoyokQclarkKpS0hOJ_FY6zLehhvw1uR0MMF8NMsTt_I-IYuM6BP9eAl-jyPP0DKvKyutxtsk2FT5NfudXlQzEL1pbwwtYzboTBi2h4GAsKWn8Y/s1600/38+weeks+pregnant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U5W5fEewWOHPSD8BuG8ti97dj8GFxoyokQclarkKpS0hOJ_FY6zLehhvw1uR0MMF8NMsTt_I-IYuM6BP9eAl-jyPP0DKvKyutxtsk2FT5NfudXlQzEL1pbwwtYzboTBi2h4GAsKWn8Y/s400/38+weeks+pregnant.jpg" width="266" /></a></div> Also on the milestone marker this weekend was the celebration of our one year wedding anniversary.  It is so hard to believe that it was just one year ago, on June 9, that we were married in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  A lot sure has changed in just 1 year! From wedding dresses... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgex5hG8Xr4a5rctYxEvCafCvA42lsH53hysLekSE6YHUmwPivTIXYncaQWwp9mgYRbr2RldLoVDNJVL6S4_y0SGJZc1o-FyYh0xhpjMLZBiAp1fYwNS7s9_typ0NYAdN3YnwZ-pICpKM/s1600/palm+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgex5hG8Xr4a5rctYxEvCafCvA42lsH53hysLekSE6YHUmwPivTIXYncaQWwp9mgYRbr2RldLoVDNJVL6S4_y0SGJZc1o-FyYh0xhpjMLZBiAp1fYwNS7s9_typ0NYAdN3YnwZ-pICpKM/s400/palm+tree.jpg" width="265" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROIdxaOlQ3SKvSOyWiEt6J23mAo6L3qJvnU4yv6ZfPYKUPeIu1saURANsvJC7zeLPNVd4nz049UTZMAhMHvB9tRmAd_2tsUKsLC9hVRhVvBqwPaG3uwWvAmf3YZNRVH7n_ctBYyM8yf4/s1600/051_51+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROIdxaOlQ3SKvSOyWiEt6J23mAo6L3qJvnU4yv6ZfPYKUPeIu1saURANsvJC7zeLPNVd4nz049UTZMAhMHvB9tRmAd_2tsUKsLC9hVRhVvBqwPaG3uwWvAmf3YZNRVH7n_ctBYyM8yf4/s400/051_51+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">......to maternity dresses!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuzQ2IEdG_o8HdXpRb9EZJsvPRjC7GXmqf1eMmYdBhsS6_uDm1VFTUNahUi6GUBgKvrzLik3b1x2Nw4ozY2-y2_hLpfZXtsBXE6yBSdfHOKCCstC_1cNMbtJi10N798h7WbQYTyWVHyo/s1600/38+weeks+pregnant+anniversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuzQ2IEdG_o8HdXpRb9EZJsvPRjC7GXmqf1eMmYdBhsS6_uDm1VFTUNahUi6GUBgKvrzLik3b1x2Nw4ozY2-y2_hLpfZXtsBXE6yBSdfHOKCCstC_1cNMbtJi10N798h7WbQYTyWVHyo/s400/38+weeks+pregnant+anniversary.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>For our anniversary meal, we dined at the <a href="http://nationalharbor.com/" target="_blank">National Harbor</a> at <a href="http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/" target="_blank">McCormick & Schmick's</a>.  We chose that restaurant because they offered red snapper, which was part of our main dish for our wedding dinner. It was so incredibly tasty - especially with the added lemon garlic butter crab on top. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrrZMCfpc_QwVHXURtGSdOHS69g4xdFibAJwm94YeGpEXRaV7352yDHZVYKC5sLbziGi7zsgDa0p5zVNgmALeynCBoS5BcB7zEDJGkmFIOZEGcZfDJ3vVJcv-LXbmU5DgBkyRCgqBXk4/s1600/red+snapper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrrZMCfpc_QwVHXURtGSdOHS69g4xdFibAJwm94YeGpEXRaV7352yDHZVYKC5sLbziGi7zsgDa0p5zVNgmALeynCBoS5BcB7zEDJGkmFIOZEGcZfDJ3vVJcv-LXbmU5DgBkyRCgqBXk4/s320/red+snapper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Afterward, we came home and had a very tiny piece of our wedding cake.  It actually tasted just fine, but rest assured the remainder will be going into the trash.  That is far too much cake for either of us to consume!  The flavor was a Jamaican spice cake, which we chose for obvious reasons. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcVbIcQW5VoQPLu8w9XQtEJOGTU58sxguC4_anbbT6HAMCSytrx3yHHECe7tuqtq0NPq7ybmZNd1ylk6abGW0WK8x2DrkWmaae-lTurOI5sH-Ci9rUNRJvVgH8EYVTWB0TgkJtu4_LWo/s1600/wedding+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcVbIcQW5VoQPLu8w9XQtEJOGTU58sxguC4_anbbT6HAMCSytrx3yHHECe7tuqtq0NPq7ybmZNd1ylk6abGW0WK8x2DrkWmaae-lTurOI5sH-Ci9rUNRJvVgH8EYVTWB0TgkJtu4_LWo/s400/wedding+cake.jpg" width="326" /></a></div> If you would have asked me a year ago how I thought we would be celebrating our first anniversary, I would have said via a cruise back to the Caribbean.  But as they say, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans."  Honestly, our little dinner out at the National Harbor was perfect. The month of June has been fabulous to us so far, and it's only going to get better with the impending arrival of our little lady!

Anniversary Baby Busbee Pregnancy wedding 38 weeks & 2 days Pregnant

Two milestones were reached this past weekend! First, I made it to the 38 week mark in my pregnancy - that is great news! I know she's ...

E3 2013: Microsoft Press Conference Highlights, Reveals, & Hype

11:06 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a><img src="http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/design/2013/5/xbox_one.jpg"></a> <ul> <li>Opening scene is beautiful, Metal Gear Solid 5 set in Afghanistan and it is gorgeous <ul> <li>Open world game game <li>Military shooters aren’t my thing but it looks intriguing <li></li></ul> <li>13 exclusive titles to Xbox One <li>Xbox 360 Upcoming titles <ul> <li>new console design coming <ul> <li>available starting today, it’s smaller</li></ul> <li>Gold Membership <ul> <li>New Program begins July1 thru XboxOne release: two new game downloads for free -- <ul> <li>Assassin’s Creed 2 and Halo 3 given as examples</li></ul></li></ul> <li>GTA 5 <li>World of Tanks exclusive to Xbox360 <ul> <li>15 v 15 team based tank warfare <li>Adapted and tailored to the 360, integrated with Live <li>Free download and free to play</li></ul> <li>Max the Curse of Brotherhood from Press Play <ul> <li>looks fun and entertaining <li>bright, colorful, puzzle platformer</li></ul> <li>Dark Souls II <li>Crimson Dragon <ul> <li>looks like a dragon based shooter</li></ul> <li>Dead Rising 3 <ul> <li>Open world zombie game <li>Zombies are much scarier looking <li>no load times <li>massive world <li>ok I’m very interested and I don’t generally like zombie games <li>hundreds of weapons to discover and customize <li>driving critical part of exploration (CRAP on a stick lol) but zombies are still a threat <li>smart glass compatible (shown using a windows phone!) <li>Available this holiday</li></ul> <li>What Lie Below <li>Black Tusk Studio Game <ul> <li>more coming <li>game play footage shown <li>Franchise builder game</li></ul> <li>HALO <ul> <li>EPIC scene featuring Master Chief <li>60 frames per second on the console <li>2014 game</li></ul></li></ul> <li>Non Exclusive Games <ul> <li>Witcher 3: Wild Hunt  from CD Projekt Red <ul> <li>combat rebuilt from ground up <li>free roaming, open world <li>non-linear questing <li>optional voice commands</li></ul> <li>Battlefield 4 <ul> <li>game play footage shown, 60 frames per second <li>Second Assault (map pack) releases first to the Xbox One</li></ul></li></ul> <li>Xbox One <ul> <li>more titles in development now than ever before in Xbox history <li>New Franchises: <ul> <li>Ryse: Son of Rome <ul> <li>first impression, I’m ALL over this! <li>graphic violent images, not recommended for children (personal opinion) <li>Roman General Marius Titus is the lead character you play as <li>Exclusive and available at launch</li></ul> <li>KIller Instinct <ul> <li>Exclusive to One</li></ul> <li>INsominac Games: Sunset Overdrive <ul> <li>Exclusive to One <li>Stylized shooter <li>Open world, living game <li>looks like fun <li>Weapon that fires records!!  Looks crazy fun</li></ul> <li>Forza Motorsport 5 <ul> <li>Pimping MacLauren racing <ul> <li>MacLauren P1 is on stage!</li></ul> <li>footage showing on screen looks like real life footage, not like previous versions of Forza <ul> <li>God Rays are truly impressive</li></ul> <li>Drive-atar <ul> <li>opponents drive like people not AI <li>Learns and adapt based on how you drive <li>Races against the world while you are offline, away from the game and you get credit for those races <li>World Premiere trailer with all in-game footage <ul> <li>beautiful, detailed and again the god rays are stunning</li></ul></li></ul> <li>Launch title</li></ul> <li>  Titanfall <ul> <li>shooter, mech fighting – definitely mech fighting <li>Spring 2014 release</li></ul></li></ul> <li>Indie Titles published under Microsoft Studios <ul> <li>Minecraft, exclusive <li>Quantum Break, exclusive <ul> <li>works with the television show <li>actual gameplay footage shown <li>Looks fascinating, again a me type of game</li></ul> <li>D4 <li>Project Spark <ul> <li>Making a game, is the game <li>OMG <li>uses smart glass <li>ALL over this!!!!!!! <li>Game you can create, can be shared with the community</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> <li>Xbox Live <ul> <li>Smart glass, smart match, Upload Studio <li>Smart Glass with Rye, Son of Rome <ul> <li>if you can do it on the console, you can do it from the smart glass device --- exception of course for actual game play</li></ul> <li>Smart match <ul> <li>can play one game while waiting for another match in a different game <li>Upload Studio <ul> <li>records, uploads, and shares game play <li>commentary, personalization available</li></ul> <li>Twitch partnership announced <ul> <li>built into One <li>Live streaming</li></ul> <li>Friends list no longer limited to 100 <li>No more points, real money in your local currency <li>Household no benefits from gold membership</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> Launches November 2013 for $499 in the US and can be reserved starting today   <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:240afa74-3074-458a-a67e-c359846b9f3e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Xbox+ONe" rel="tag">Xbox ONe</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Xbox+360" rel="tag">Xbox 360</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/E3" rel="tag">E3</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Microsoft" rel="tag">Microsoft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Halo" rel="tag">Halo</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Master+Chief" rel="tag">Master Chief</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Witcher" rel="tag">Witcher</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Titanfall" rel="tag">Titanfall</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ryse" rel="tag">Ryse</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Forza+5" rel="tag">Forza 5</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Dead+RIsing+3" rel="tag">Dead RIsing 3</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Twitch" rel="tag">Twitch</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Upload+Studio" rel="tag">Upload Studio</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Smart+Glass" rel="tag">Smart Glass</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sunset+Overdrive" rel="tag">Sunset Overdrive</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Project+Spark" rel="tag">Project Spark</a></div>

fps graphics Microsoft open world Smart Glass video games Xbox XBox 360 Xbox One E3 2013: Microsoft Press Conference Highlights, Reveals, & Hype

Opening scene is beautiful, Metal Gear Solid 5 set in Afghanistan and it is gorgeous Open world game game Military shooters aren’t my ...

You are invited to a ToolTeach in Cape Town on Thursday 13 June from 4pm–5:30pm

11:01 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">If you live in Cape Town and want to know more about creating movies in the classroom, or maybe you have ideas to share on how you have done this - please join our 1.5 hours networking & ToolTeach on Thursday afternoon from 4pm – 5:30pm at St Cyprians. This is something new that we would like to introduce to Cape Town teachers. <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fh46cqk37TzB1gju87dqLKX_fB4C6CmZ2I04gChtzIJC2q4Oqj7Don-v8rMiqnYfzChMfZQW46PDgpRMYNZeCPRasJS2As-HK93NL2P9VgFHPU4rBG89Cw=="><img align="right" alt="Windows Live Movie maker" border="0" height="140" hspace="5" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs134/1104470199137/img/174.jpg" title="" vspace="5" width="165" /></a> At a recent Innovation workshop Glenn Bunger from LEAP Schools,   Corrine Cornelius from St Cyprians and Fiona Beal from SchoolNet  felt they wanted to start a regular ToolTeach for teachers who would like to share creative ideas on how to bring more technology into their teaching. This ToolTeach will encourage networking among teachers and will concentrate on one particular tool that teachers will find useful in the classroom. The tool selected for the first ToolTeach is Windows Live Movie Maker which is a free tool from Microsoft's Partners in Learning Network. The reason this was chosen is because Microsoft’s Innovative Educator Expert competition is in progress and it requires a two minute video about the lesson you enter for the competition. This ToolTeach will show you some ideas for this. The format of the ToolTeach on 13 June 16:00: Networking. Tea and coffee will be served 16:15:  An introduction to this tool and its effectiveness. 16:25:  Teachers who have used Windows Live Movie maker in the classroom will share on how they have used this tool successfully. You are invited to share. 16:45:       Practical session. How to make a video using Windows Movie Maker (bring a few digital photos and/or movie footage along for this session if you would like to) 16:25: Plan the next ToolTeach Join us via this Eventbrite link If you would like to join us at this first meeting please click on this Eventbrite link to add your name to confirm your attendance: <a href="http://toolteach-moviemaker.eventbrite.com/">http://toolteach-moviemaker.eventbrite.com</a></div>

teachmeets You are invited to a ToolTeach in Cape Town on Thursday 13 June from 4pm–5:30pm

If you live in Cape Town and want to know more about creating movies in the classroom, or maybe you have ideas to share on how you have done...

Vote for our house!

10:31 AM Tukiyooo 0

Vote for our house!

Our house is up for a public choice award in the Irish Architecture Awards!! (So happy!) Click here to vote for Emerging Practise:ODKM Arc...

'Those who don't know the value of loyalty ...'

10:26 AM Tukiyooo 0

betrayal friendship loyalty 'Those who don't know the value of loyalty ...'

"Those who don't know the value of loyalty can never appreciate the cost of betrayal." --Anonymous

Memorial to remember people removed by creation of Shenandoah National Park: meeting tonight

10:15 AM Tukiyooo 0

The Blue Ridge Heritage Project will hold a meeting from 7-9:00 tonight at the Blue Ridge Cafe in Ruckersville for those interested in getting in on the ground floor for a memorial to the people who were displaced from the Blue Ridge Mountains when the Shenandoah National Park took over that area. <a href="http://www.nbc29.com/story/22543174/memorial-to-honor-people-displaced-by-creation-of-national-park">Reporter Molly Balkenbush at NBC-29</a> covered the story: <blockquote>Bill Henry, the project creator, says he hopes the memorial is more than a stone monument.  He wants it to be a living museum dedicated to the people who lost their mountain land to make way for the national park. Henry says he hopes Monday night's meeting will get the project up and going. "We're going to start forming committees tomorrow.  We're going to ask for a design committee.  We're going to try to have people get involved in starting initial fundraising, we're going to start working on, have a committee work on where we can locate the project," Henry said.</blockquote>Tonight's meeting is open to the public.

Memorial to remember people removed by creation of Shenandoah National Park: meeting tonight

Bill Henry Blue Ridge Cafe people of the Blue Ridge Mountains Ruckersville Shenandoah National Park Memorial to remember people removed by creation of Shenandoah National Park: meeting tonight

The Blue Ridge Heritage Project will hold a meeting from 7-9:00 tonight at the Blue Ridge Cafe in Ruckersville for those interested in getti...

Rubin: 'Maybe Christie got it exactly right in New Jersey'

10:07 AM Tukiyooo 0

The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/06/10/maybe-christie-got-it-exactly-right-in-new-jersey/">Washinton Post's Jennifer Rubin</a> doesn't pull any punches when it comes to tea party criticism of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: <blockquote>It is fitting, I suppose, that the right-wing screechers have it so wrong again. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the most popular politician in the country, but they hate him. They have generally fallen for pols who are anathemas to everyone but them (Rick Santorum, Sharron Angle, Richard Mourdock, Todd Aiken), so it make sense that the Republicans who appeal to a wide cross-section of voters are anathemas to the crowd that seeks refuge in policy positions — be it gay marriage or immigration — rejected by so many Americans. It just might be that Christie, who is super-popular in a deep-blue state, understands New Jersey and its voters a tad better than talk-show hosts, junior lawmakers from deep-red locales and right-wing bloggers with fewer readers than there are residents of Newark. They are excoriating Christie for setting the U.S. Senate special election for October rather than holding out until November 2014.</blockquote>Rubin goes on to make the case that a Republican winning the U.S. Senate seat left open by the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg is a long shot but there are even more reasons for having separate elections, as she lays out in her column. It is easy to get caught up in the anti-Democrat echo chamber but Rubin hits the nail on the head as she concludes: <blockquote>It’s a challenge for any elected Republican to screen out the noise from pundits and far-right lawmakers. But Trenton, in a lot of ways, is far from D.C., and Christie is a confident man. Maybe that is why his staff seems indifferent to the fussing of national right-wing pundits. A Republican doesn’t get to a 20- or 30-point lead in New Jersey by being a sap.</blockquote>

bloggers Chris Christie Jennifer Rubin New Jersey right wing writers Washington Post Rubin: 'Maybe Christie got it exactly right in New Jersey'

The Washinton Post's Jennifer Rubin doesn't pull any punches when it comes to tea party criticism of New Jersey Governor Chris Chri...

Circulation Supervisor - Groton Public Library

10:03 AM Anonymous 0

Circulation Supervisor - Groton Public Library. We are seeking a candidate with strong communication, customer service and team building skills to manage a busy circulation desk and full-time and part-time staff. The Assistant Librarian – Circulation is responsible for the circulation of library materials and for the supervision and training of circulation staff, preparation of financial and statistical reports, supervision of stack management and participation in collection development and library programming. Demonstrated experience with an automated circulation system, preferably SIRSI, and proficiency in the use of computers, especially Word and Excel is required. This position reports to the Manager of Library Technical Services & Circulation ; full time, 35 hours/week, evenings and Saturdays included. BA/BS degree plus two years’ experience in a public library, preferably in Circulation. $25.14/hr. Job posting and application are available online at <a _fcksavedurl="http://www.groton-ct.gov/jobs" href="http://www.groton-ct.gov/jobs" target="_blank">www.groton-ct.gov/jobs</a> or Human Resources Office, Town of Groton, 45 Fort Hill Road, Groton, CT 06340. Applications accepted through June 28, 2013.

Circulation Supervisor - Groton Public Library

Circulation Supervisor - Groton Public Library . We are seeking a candidate with strong communication, customer service and team building...

UPDATE Library Director - Milford Public Library

8:40 AM Anonymous 0

Library Director - Milford Public Library is seeking a community oriented, adaptive and technically proficient Director to lead a growing, progressive library toward the next generation library. This is a unique opportunity to work in the wonderful shoreline community of Milford, Connecticut, located just 90 minutes outside of New York City. The Director will work with a dynamic Board of Directors, in a team environment composed of 15 full time, dedicated staff members, temporary workers and volunteers, to design and implement programs and services to serve a variety of cultures and age groups. Duties: For a complete job description and application, please visit our website, www.ci.milford.ct.us and click on Employment Opportunities. Requirements: Master’s Degree in Library Science from an accredited ALA Institution and 7 years public library experience, including five years of increasing administrative experience. Able to effectively administer and supervise the work of the Library, work well with government offices and community organizations, be a visionary for technology and libraries of the future, and act as a community outreach collaborator. Experience with SIRSI DYNIX (or similar) automated book circulation system preferred. Good sense of library public relations and publicity. Salary Range: $84.6 – 91.4K per year. Benefits: Defined benefit pension plan, medical, dental and life insurance. Paid time off includes sick time, personal business time and vacation leave. To Apply: Submit cover letter, three references (Not reference letters,) completed/signed application, and resume by June 28, 2013 to Personnel Department, 70 West River Street, Milford, CT 06460, or email <a _fcksavedurl="mailto:lpisacane@ci.milford.ct.us" href="mailto:lpisacane@ci.milford.ct.us">lpisacane@ci.milford.ct.us</a>.

*UPDATE* Library Director - Milford Public Library

Library Director - Milford Public Library is seeking a community oriented, adaptive and technically proficient Director to lead a growing,...

My speaking Schedule for 2013: Indiana, Iowa, Virginia, Florida & Hawaii

8:39 AM Tukiyooo 0

You are very important. If you're reading my blog, you're probably an educator of some sort. Your professional development is important. You don't want to waste your time. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VzgwXv3K_xI/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VzgwXv3K_xI/0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last year being live streamed at Fall CUE.</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2>Here's the schedule.</h2> June 13 - <a href="http://ktt3.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Knight Time Technology Conference</a> - Kendalville, Indiana - East Noble High School June 18-19 - <a href="http://www.aea1.k12.ia.us/en/school_technology/tic_technology_integration_conference/" target="_blank">Keystone AEA Technology Integration Conference</a> - Dubuque, Iowa June 28 - <a href="http://www.collegecareer.org/National_Conference.aspx" target="_blank">National Conference for College & Career Readiness and Common Core State Standards</a> - Orlando, Florida July 18 - <a href="http://www.uvawise.edu/cte/TECHSPLASH13" target="_blank">Tech Splash</a> - Lebanon, Virginia July 23-26 - <a href="http://www.flatclassroomconference.com/hawaii---flat-classroom-live.html" target="_blank">Flat Classroom Live! Hawaii</a> December 9 - <a href="http://lanyrd.com/2013/vste13/" target="_blank">Virginia Society for Technology in Education</a> Roanoke, Virginia You are important. If you take the time to come to one of these conferences, I'll make sure your time is well spent. I'm excited to get out and meet you all and have some things to say that I hope will help unleash your potential, balance your life, and teach in incredible ways. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://drspikecook.com/files/2012/10/vicki-change-2al2vde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://drspikecook.com/files/2012/10/vicki-change-2al2vde.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Last fall at Edscape at Eric Sheninger's school Wow. via my friend<a href="http://drspikecook.com/category/edscape/" target="_blank"> Dr. Spike Cook's blog</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table> I hope that if you live in these areas, you'll try to make the time to join us at these conferences. There are so many great conferences out there! Many volunteers work tirelessly to bring you the best in professional development. Working with these amazing people throughout the country, it is stunning how much work they have to do. It is a blessing to be included in some of these conferences each year. If you read this blog and would like to come say hello - I always give everything I have to customize the message to the audience at hand. I hope you'll tweet out that you'll be there and let me know. I'd like to help make your conference special and get a chance to say hello to the educators who take the time to converse and teach me too. Hope to see some of you this summer and fall. If you're interested in checking availability, I have room for just a few more conferences this school year. Just <a href="http://www.coolcatteacher.com/speaking.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> and let's see what we can work out. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcbECgpiol7Mr9MVkUZnJ3NfDGKt8c1xQPw0ndJt5kY3g_TkFd78I0a8OnVWhSGjpTvV0tFM1Waogs2mogSFC-EZJK-RlPFM0LQYhPgPP4B8r_uLrUWTp3fxVyGanuIEXvx9RclrgmAcZ/s288/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcbECgpiol7Mr9MVkUZnJ3NfDGKt8c1xQPw0ndJt5kY3g_TkFd78I0a8OnVWhSGjpTvV0tFM1Waogs2mogSFC-EZJK-RlPFM0LQYhPgPP4B8r_uLrUWTp3fxVyGanuIEXvx9RclrgmAcZ/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This motto from our football team is my own motto when speaking. I will give all I have and leave nothing else behind. I hope when you do your presentations this summer, you'll do the same.</td></tr></tbody></table> Thank you to all of those conferences who have invited me to join you in the past. It is a joy to be an educator. I'll give everything I have to inspire and encourage you to reach all of your students. It will be an exciting summer. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaVpG4LvwDfveqYeBlbwk-Pw1x-geEVJ5u_nbJlSyQcptSju2smFrdvB587TB9CdHNsnTlOq1v6I6N2BYbrpS3f7PKMXMxPyemohemAghM6PKvxIF0tHCiDCbkjiLDVd2L6jzW9241Ch6/s288/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaVpG4LvwDfveqYeBlbwk-Pw1x-geEVJ5u_nbJlSyQcptSju2smFrdvB587TB9CdHNsnTlOq1v6I6N2BYbrpS3f7PKMXMxPyemohemAghM6PKvxIF0tHCiDCbkjiLDVd2L6jzW9241Ch6/s288/2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me and a few friends last year at ISTE 12 in San Diego. It was AWESOME! This year I'll be moving my son in at college and spending time at wedding celebrations of a first cousin of mine. ISTE 13 in San Antonio will be awesome and I hope to pick back up and see some of you at ISTE 14 in Atlanta! <a href="http://www.iste.org/">www.iste.org</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

My speaking Schedule for 2013: Indiana, Iowa, Virginia, Florida & Hawaii

You are very important. If you're reading my blog, you're probably an educator of some sort. Your professional development is import...

Jokes and Boobies

5:46 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF12k1KoG24ixOR1cGikGg69E5VJGd395RdRI2cHJd9_Hqi51D7c5LvYmXxRlqcpiTCdm4sPGtCvcFljH0q3UVG2sqZKu7jNU17MChPRtElW_0ZugqThTHXIf2OSsRpBolSzdOg5R3J3Y/s1600/Kate+Upton+Hot+Sexy+Naked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF12k1KoG24ixOR1cGikGg69E5VJGd395RdRI2cHJd9_Hqi51D7c5LvYmXxRlqcpiTCdm4sPGtCvcFljH0q3UVG2sqZKu7jNU17MChPRtElW_0ZugqThTHXIf2OSsRpBolSzdOg5R3J3Y/s320/Kate+Upton+Hot+Sexy+Naked.jpg" width="320" /></a>Cheers and Happy Monday chuckleheads… Long last couple of days for the Matt-Man.  Wow things have popping and happening all over the greater Bagwine metroplex of late. After things calmed down to a point, a big tasty bowl of chili was consumed by yours truly, and it knocked me out pretty damn early last night. However… I did help to get to complete a pretty damn amazing and funny show yesterday.  I along with Jayman and the entire IWS Radio team broadcast our 3rd Annual Joke Show. It’s true!! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Bf1Ftx0d5hcyV0hqlYF8ivHqGCYwFYyS6pyUhpq84ZGymy1Ed2DS0E3FMSMcPkXzlFPzg0z2LpGZOGJ1oQkqPtj4yHOkgtQhMthPcT8M1qym-T42TPLMvZ8ad0UDogJ5ctVoSMnB6fc/s1600/kate-upton+boobs+naked+sexy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Bf1Ftx0d5hcyV0hqlYF8ivHqGCYwFYyS6pyUhpq84ZGymy1Ed2DS0E3FMSMcPkXzlFPzg0z2LpGZOGJ1oQkqPtj4yHOkgtQhMthPcT8M1qym-T42TPLMvZ8ad0UDogJ5ctVoSMnB6fc/s320/kate-upton+boobs+naked+sexy.jpg" width="320" /></a>Jay and I joked and quipped comedically, but dig it…We were joined by a cast of thousands…okay, a giant handful of guest quipsters. We had jokes from the IWS Team.  Joshua, Kirk Douglas, Guy Ahnyurdyck, Rev. Moneymaker, Buddy Acapella, Paul Piatt and…Dixie Ozark really brought the house down with her hilarious iron lung joke!! On top of that… Our favorite fan and the sexiest Canadian ever Jamie chimed in with three of her own, one of which was a scandalous joke attack on Americans!! Fellow Ohioan and neer-do-well Jesse Ferg had some last minute humor.  That boy is a mess!! Greg popped in and waxed comedically from the Circle G Ranch.  Annnnnnd… Schmoop told a joke that both insulted and complimented the Jayman and I.  Brilliant!! It was all in all an exciting and funny time and you simply must give the 3rd Annual Joke Show a listen, especially if you are a fan of iron lung jokes. <div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="370" src="http://player.cinchcast.com/?show_id=4955871&platformId=1&assetType=single" width="400"></iframe></div><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;"> </div>Just play the playa above and enjoy, oh…What’s with the pictures of Kate Upton, you ask? Kate Upton being naked in the studio during the broadcast is the only thing that could have made this show any better. Thanks to all who listened live, and recorded and/or called in with their jokes.  It was a blast. Cheers!! Matt-Man <a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank">@mattman_iws</a></div>

Jokes and Boobies

Cheers and Happy Monday chuckleheads… Long last couple of days for the Matt-Man. Wow things have popping and happening all over the greater...

Gregg Matte: To Believe in Evolution, We Must Declare Slaughter of Jews in Auschwitz Equal to Slaughter of Cattle

4:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFVABQ5GvgqrNhthEvdtpURNESepxO3ybr9yxkPUqCNSjfm42Nrn3seFp8DU57uVedngZF7GjNxuTxYjwz-r6ySQ-Wfsvo8pQx1qWzk3g-BgyecNm_KV0ZEmzJHn9AZ87TuasQB7p8iMf/s1600/Matte.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFVABQ5GvgqrNhthEvdtpURNESepxO3ybr9yxkPUqCNSjfm42Nrn3seFp8DU57uVedngZF7GjNxuTxYjwz-r6ySQ-Wfsvo8pQx1qWzk3g-BgyecNm_KV0ZEmzJHn9AZ87TuasQB7p8iMf/s320/Matte.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"If you believe in evolution, you must also believe that Auschwitz and Hitler's Germany is equal to mad cow's disease. Because there is no difference in cattle and a person besides opposable thumbs and reason...so the slaughtering of cattle and the slaughtering of Jewish folks in Auschwitch MUST BE DECLARED EQUAL."</div><div style="text-align: center;">---------------------------</div>Gregg Matte is the <a href="http://houstonsfirst.org/staff-detail/pastor-gregg-matte/" target="_blank">senior pastor</a> of <a href="http://houstonsfirst.org/" target="_blank">First Baptist Church of Houston</a>, and the elected <a href="http://www.sbcpc.net/?page_id=211" target="_blank">president</a> of the <a href="http://www.sbcpc.net/" target="_blank">Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference</a> this week at the <a href="http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc13/default.asp" target="_blank">SBC Annual Meeting</a> in Houston. In his June 2nd sermon entitled "Connecting the Dots Worldwide", Matte addresses the essential importance of a Christian believing in creationism and rejecting evolution. But to try to make his point, Matte makes an idiotic, nonsensical argument that evolution will lead people to not being to ascertain between right and wrong - in fact he declares: <blockquote class="tr_bq">That’s what evolution is all about…if man is the highest thing, then man gets to  decide whatever he wants to do and then there is no longer anything called ‘sin’. There is not anything wrong, there is not anything right…here’s what happens: if you believe in evolution, you must also believe that Auschwitz and Hitler’s Germany is equal to mad cow’s disease. Because there’s no difference in cattle and a person besides opposable thumbs and reason. They’re all living creatures, so the slaughtering of cattle and the slaughtering of Jewish folks in Auschwitz must be declared equal. </blockquote>What is he talking about? We CAN and DO judge morality and immorality separate from the issue of creationism vs. evolution. People of faith, and people of no faith together, can rightly judge immoral acts like Hitler slaughtering Jews. We can rightly judge moral issues like adultery or murder or theft. Duh. If any person of faith - or an atheist or agnostic - believes in evolution vs. the biblical account of creation - they most certainly don't have to equate slaughter of Jews to slaughter of cattle. That's an offensive idea to begin with, that a person's view on the origin of the universe might render them completely incapable of seeing the atrocities of Hilter's regime. This idea that Matte puts forth is sick. It is too bad guys like Matte don't realize that this kind of nonsense drives people - especially young people - away from Christianity. A young person who is struggling with their faith and is thinking through matters like creationism vs. evolution and hears Matte's rubbish, they will likely reject the faith altogether. Listen to the above quote in the entire context of his argument, and it becomes even nuttier. <div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68030624" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/68030624">Greg Matte: To Believe Evolution is to Equate Slaughter of Jews to Slaughter of Cattle</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4054328">FBCJax Watchdog</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>

Gregg Matte: To Believe in Evolution, We Must Declare Slaughter of Jews in Auschwitz Equal to Slaughter of Cattle

"If you believe in evolution, you must also believe that Auschwitz and Hitler's Germany is equal to mad cow's disease. Because ...