You may not have noticed, but the Ann Arbor Climate Corps has been quietly working this year to combat the affects of climate change and help the city achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. The program is designed to increase the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability’s outreach capacity and help residents take action toward that end. WEMU's David Fair talked it over with Ann Arbor Climate Corps program manager, Maggie Halpern.

The Ann Arbor School District is transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels. The district was the first to sign up for DTE Energy’s MIGreen Power Program to get to 100% use of renewable energy, and the district will add four more all-electric school buses this academic year. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the Ann Arbor Schools' Director of Capital Programs, Jason Bing, about where the district is today and where it’s headed.

It's time to talk some trash! The 3rd annual Trash Talk Tour in Washtenaw County is right around the corner. Trash Talk Tour co-organizer and zerowaste.org executive director Samuel McMullen joined WEMU's David Fair with a special brand of "trash talk."

Some of Ann Arbor's streetlights can be distractingly bright. New LED lighting is helping with the city’s A2Zero Climate Action plan, but some worry over increased light pollution. WEMU's David Fair talked with Ann Arbor City Council member Dharma Akmon about how the city can move forward while addressing sustainability and accommodating public concern.

The University of Michigan is forging ahead and working towards being a leader in generative artificial intelligence with its U-M-GPT program. As it does, there are environmental concerns to be addressed. The initiative is part of Michigan’s broader effort to integrate AI into its academic and administrative infrastructure, enhancing learning, teaching, and research. But, AI consumes a great deal of energy. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at U-M, Dr. Ravi Pendse, about how U-M is dealing with the environmental ramifications of AI.

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

When COVID first shuttered churches in 2020, no one but God could have foreseen that it would lead to the largest-ever gathering at the Amazing Facts W.O.R.D. Center. Yet it did precisely that!

From June 12 to 15, 2024, a record number of youth attended Stand: Unshakeable Faith, the 2024 Amazing Facts Youth Conference—including setting a record one-day Sabbath gathering of 1,500 people, who gathered to hear Pastor Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International, present his message to young people, “Standing on the High Ground.” Watch archives of this and other 2024 AFY Conference presentations by visiting www.afyouth.com.

Many young people traveled long distances to participate in the conference, which was designed to help them develop a resilient faith in the face of secular culture and peer pressure. They were joined by thousands more online! We praise God that the Holy Spirit moved mightily, as hundreds of youth recommitted to living for Jesus in these last days of Earth’s history. 

Said Pastor Doug, “This youth conference gave me such joy and hope for the future of our church. It was absolutely thrilling to see so many young people come to hear the Word.”

Throughout the weekend, speakers explored what it means to stand firm for Jesus. Their messages focused on being filled with the Holy Spirit, watching and praying with Christ, being a part of the remnant, understanding God’s love story for us, and the role of trials in our growth. Along with Pastor Doug, speakers included Anil Kanda, Carlos Muñoz, Diamond Garcia, Anella Poljak, and Darcee Christensen.[PQ-HERE]

AFY: Humble Beginnings

Worried about the church losing youth to the isolation of COVID restrictions and social distancing, Tony Scarpino, a youth leader at the Granite Bay Hilltop Church, took their Sabbath School programs online. Those initial social media broadcasts became the seed of Amazing Facts Youth (AFY), a worldwide ministry that meets online twice weekly, prays earnestly for one another, and leads out in the conference. 

From those humble beginnings, God has worked mightily to grow and prosper the movement, including leading Amazing Facts to present an annual youth conference. “I am in awe of what God did at this year’s conference,” says Tony. “I saw families coming alive together. The little kids were vibrant, the youth were engaged, and the parents were involved. It was incredible!”

Attendees from as far away as Honduras and New York enjoyed the engaging presentations, united prayer, community outreach, and fellowship with like-minded individuals. Evening sessions, free meals served by the local church members, and an afternoon outing to an adventure park provided opportunities for fun and friendship. 

“This was a wonderful weekend for our family,” reflects Tamara from Dayton, Ohio. “As a mom, I’m always looking for ways to get my boys involved in things that will grow their faith.”

For the first time, this year’s conference included presentations designed for kids. Presented by Amazing Facts evangelist Daniel Hudgens, Amazing Adventures introduced younger children at the conference to the importance of the Bible, standing against sin, and walking with Jesus. The kids also enjoyed music and rousing Bible games.

A Place Where Youth Have a Voice

Over the past four years, Tony and others have helped mentor a team of dedicated youth who now run AFY’s weekly meetings. The youth team even chose the theme Stand: Unshakeable Faith for the 2024 conference and organized many aspects of the event. “The youth have a real voice here,” says Tony.

On the final night of this year’s conference, Pastor Anil Kanda urged the youth not to let the enthusiasm they experienced at the conference end with the event. He said, “God is going to need another generation to rise up and stand in the gap. I’m getting a lot of grey hairs, [and] Pastor Doug isn’t always going to be here. God is calling you to share His love with the world. He is not interested in how prepared you are. He is interested in how willing you are. He will open incredible doors if you are willing.”

His message hit especially hard for the youth, who are challenged by worldly entertainment and distractions unlike at any other time in history. Aleah, a teen from California, says, “The meetings explained exactly what I’ve gone through.”

Her friend Marissa was also blessed by the speakers’ messages, saying, “They have been really helpful to me. The speakers have shown me how necessary it is to spend time with God each day and how to make it a priority.” 

Sharing the gospel is an essential part of every AFY conference. On Friday afternoon, after specialized AFCOE training with Carlos Muñoz, AFCOE director, and other staff, over 200 energetic youth went into the community to give out biblical literature and pray with people. 

An hour later, they returned eager to share what God had done. “This was my first time going door-to-door,” said Shivani. “I was very nervous, but we gave out all our books and prayed for seven or eight people. I realized that a lot of people are hurting, so I’m thankful God gave me the courage to go out. It was a good experience.”

Welcome to the AFY Family

Edward, a psychology student, is a leader at AFY who has been an active member ever since the first Zoom meeting. Smiling brightly, he shares, “We’ve built relationships with each other and God here. I want people to know that regardless of who you are or what is going on in your life, you are welcome in the AFY family.”

Like many other members, Kyle wanted to follow God but had little practical experience. All that has changed through his participation in AFY. Today, he is strong in faith and active in ministry. He says, “Being a part of AFY has definitely changed me for the better. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. The community, the fellowship, the likemindedness—these people are my family.” 

That’s precisely what the team at AFY has been striving for. “We’ve invested years into these kids,” Tony says. “To see them grow as individuals and leaders is wonderful. And now to see AFY expanding to reach so many more youth—God is doing something really exciting!”

Says Pastor Doug, “I believe in the message of Joel 2:28, which reveals that our sons and daughters will play a vital role in the gospel work in the last days. That’s why I’m so thrilled to see our team training up the youth, these young men and women who will be part of the generation to fulfill this amazing promise.”

Plans are now being made for the 2025 youth conference. Visit afyouth.com to keep up to date. But you don’t have to wait to get involved in AFY. Check out these weekly events:

• Hey, Let’s Pray: Mondays at 6:00 PM ET

• AFY Live: Fridays at 6:00 PM ET

In our triumphant return to posting podcasts at the turn of the month, Jess and I talk about time management and reminders, complicated conversational dynamics, the assassination of JFK (but only very briefly), and a bunch of somewhat more MetaFilter-centric things. We time-managed our way up to about 93 minutes. Also I play a euphonium.

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Atlanta may see a first: Tonight thousands of people may come to a candlelight vigil for a grocery store. "Murder Kroger" as it's known closes its door tomorrow, October 28 after serving Ponce de Leon Avenue for three decades. GPB's Stephen Fowler was live at "Murder Kroger" in the shadow of Ponce City Market. Rickey Bevington: So let's begin with why many Atlantans call this supermarket "Murder Kroger." Stephen Fowler: Murder Kroger. It's been the subject of articles, songs, and even its own Wikipedia page. In 1991 a woman was shot and killed in the parking lot. The AJC then called it "Scary Kroger," but eventually it morphed into "Murder" instead. In 2002 someone found a dead body in the parking lot. Most recently a man was shot outside the building in 2015 where he later died. So it's not exactly a death trap to go buy some sugar, but like Atlanta traffic and anything named Peachtree, the name stuck. A few years ago the murder Kroger got a makeover and officials tried to get the

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. Considering how many of us have rearranged our lives to make the home-office lifestyle work, Diana Gordon's setting for her Tiny Desk (home) concert frames her music in a curated chaos that's all too relatable. Teetering towers of manilla folders, the Y2K kitsch of a slime green Apple iBook, clunky cardboard boxes and a Curb Your Enthusiasm coffee mug — it's just the right amount of cramped, mundane confusion to aid her creativity. Like the workplace props that flank her, an intriguing dose of neurotic mess makes Gordon's latest EP, 2020's Wasted Youth, feel so fitting for these unprecedented times. With her masked-up guitarist, Davin Givhan, helping to guide her, Gordon's nihilistic invincibility on "Rollin" and sonic

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Over the weekend, we learned that a second whistleblower has come forward in the Ukraine affair. The anonymous individual is said to have firsthand knowledge of President Trump's dealings with Ukraine. NPR justice correspondent Ryan Lucas is here in the studio with more. Hey there, Ryan. RYAN LUCAS, BYLINE: Hello there. KELLY: So whistleblower number two - what do we know about this person? LUCAS: A lot remains a mystery, to be honest. The individual has been described as an intelligence official but remains, as you said, anonymous. He or she is being represented by the same legal team as the whistleblower who submitted the initial formal complaint to the Intelligence Committee inspector general, and it's that complaint, of course, that kicked off this whole Trump-Ukraine affair. One of the lawyers on the legal team, Mark Zaid, says this second individual has spoken with the inspector general. That means that this person

To understand the Bible, we need to understand the care of sheep because the Bible is full of stories about sheep and shepherds.

There is power in words. Words can bring life, and words can bring death. God wants us to speak words of encouragement.

here through the 24^th while moving randomly across the surface of europe. the last roll of the dice got me to sweden during midsommar, so that's pretty cool

Sundays, noon to three Pacific via Roll20 and Discord! Room for up to four players! Swords of the Serpentine is a fantasy role-playing game based on the GUMSHOE engine. It emphasizes investigative play, following leads, unraveling mysteries, and over-the-top swashbuckling action. To quote the blurb on the back of the rulebook: "a game of daring heroism, sly politics, and bloody savagery, set in a fantasy city rife with skullduggery and death". No experience necessary, we're all new to the game and learning together.

We are: two old guys and one of 'em's college-aged kid who have just wrapped up a Blades in the Dark campaign that ran 20-something sessions and are looking for a new game to play. You are: committed to playing weekly familiar with and able to access to both Discord and Roll20 reliably up for a role-playing game that emphasizes world-building through player participation interested in joining a friendly and welcoming table that likes sampling different systems (yeah, we gonna hafta play Eat The Reich pretty soon, I think...) If this sounds like a thing you'd be interested in doing, leave a comment below. I'll follow up with you via MeFi mail and we'll take it from there.

Welcome to another week of the MetaFilter 2024 Fundraiser! Our community is mostly run by member contributions like yours and, as always, you can help the community by contributing directly to the site, via Paypal, Credit card or through our GoFundMe Campaign. But, seriously, we also want to have fun, don't we? To kick things off, we'd love to help us build our own Community Cookbook and prepare questions for the Ask Mods Anything Podcast... oh, and did you forget about the Pet Tax Wall? There's still time...

The Joy of MeFi Cooking: A Community Cookbook We'd like to hear all about your food adventures and traditions in this thread! Share your favorite dishes, the ones you can't stand, the ones you like but don't know how to cook and, of course, share any secret recipes you've concocted. Game Rules: 1. Use this thread to ask for recipes you are interested in and to talk about the food you love and miss. 2. Use this form to share your recipes for the cookbook. 3. Wait for the full recipe book and enjoy trying new recipes. Ask the Mods Anything 2.0: The podcast Want to know more about the ins and outs of the mod team? We want to make a podcast where Jessamyn will chat with Loup and ask questions directly from the community and you can vote on which questions get to be asked via one time contributions. Game Rules: 1. Use this form to submit your question (questions can be anonymous) 2. Wait for the next post to vote for your favorite questions.

It's the 8th MeFi Holiday Card Exchange!

Sign ups are open, and will close approximately 8am EST 11/17. I hope to have assignments out by end of day EST 11/19 - if you haven't gotten yours by end of day Friday 11/22, please check your spam/junk and contact me. This is our eighth year of the card exchange. We have 5, 10, and up to 20 options available. You can choose US only, send anywhere (international) or Europe only (if there are enough signups for this). Most of the people participating are in the US and Canada, so if you sign up for international, you will mainly get those addresses. I try to spread them out. If you're in Europe, and want a limited number of US addresses, just let me know in the notes section - I likely won't be able to give you 20 non-US/Canadian addresses, but I will do my best! (same if you'd rather mostly have US and Canadian addresses. I will do my best with specific requests.) Other answers to commonly asked questions- - There isn't a specific timeline on when you need to have your cards sent out by, just whenever you can. - If something happens and you can't send out your cards after all, send me a message, and I will happily send some for you! - Any type of card is fine - store-bought, handmade, postcards, etc. - While this is a holiday card exchange, and most people do send holiday themed cards, I have received all sorts of cards, so do what makes you happy! - Number of card options are 5, 10, and up to 20. If you are open to more than 10, but not 20, you can add that to the notes. Sometimes the sorting works out that I have some odd numbers. Also, if you choose up to 20, it is possible that you will have a duplicate (because you may be in two lists of 10) - so it may not work out perfectly evenly (I do my best to avoid this!). If you don't have the bandwidth to do the card exchange, but you'd like to get a holiday card anyway, I am happy to send one - just memail me your info! (Seriously - Costco had holiday stamps, and I said "oh, I'll take two!" and phew, I have a lot of stamps now!) I do have the form set up so that it sends a confirmation with a summary of what you've chosen - this means that it has to collect your email. If you don't want to let it do that, you're welcome to memail me, and I will add you to the spreadsheet. I'll try to check into this thread daily, but if you have an urgent question, please memail me. This is (still) truly one of my favorite things all year, so thank you for participating! Sign up form is here!

I put this mix together recently for a friend who doesn’t listen to any electronic music.  While each of the artists below have a lot of boundary-pushing avant garde material, I picked their “safe” tracks to provide an introduction to the genre(s). Download the mix here. Don’t forget to look these artists up if you like […]

Stark Raving Mab, the third book in my urban fantasy trilogy Gravity's Daughter is out as of yesterday. If you're intrigued by any of the following: action-heavy urban fantasy, less-traditional faeries, gravity-defying antics on public transit, Canadian settings or in-over-their-heads characters who will not give up sarcasm 'til you pry it from their cold, dead hands, then give the books a look or request them from your local library.

I did a projects post back in 2022 on the first book but I think I forgot to crow about the second last fall, because I have trouble regularly remembering to talk about myself. (Or even, uh, irregularly--like when I publish a literal book.)

[Link

I've done my best to collect and catalogue all of the storyboards from the production of 1983's Richard Marquand hit Return of the Jedi, driven by wanting to see what unfinished or cut scenes could be revealed.

You can read the entire screenplay, including deleted scenes while looking at the storyboards with a little commentary, or you can see all the storyboards in galleries. I've included some pages with behind the scenes photos and an explanation of my methods as well. If it's deleted scenes you're after, the bulk of those are found the Space Battle and the Rebel Attack sequences. Return of the Jedi ran into some time-and-budget-crunch problems in the last year of production, as well as technical issues, which resulted in some cuts being made to those sequences. Figuring out just what was cut and why was my original motive for the project, and although I'm still missing a lot of the storyboards from those cut sequences, there's enough to get the gist. Oh, and if you are, for some reason, in possession of copies of any of the missing storyboards, please get in touch!

[Link

The sweet and soulful DJ Teddie Bear marries country music with the sounds of down south blues in his latest single “Southern Soul Twerk.” DJ Teddie Bear is a Georgia…

SFUSD's handling of potential school closures is raising concerns. And, Cafe du Nord has brought us local music for over 100 years. Then, a new film about a trailblazing ballet dancer.

Today, we hear why Alameda County's DA, Pamela Price, is facing a recall election next week and get her response. Then, SF's Prop G will expand affordable housing opportunities in the city.

To understand the Bible, we need to understand the care of sheep because the Bible is full of stories about sheep and shepherds.

There is power in words. Words can bring life, and words can bring death. God wants us to speak words of encouragement.

Former President Donald J. Trump’s endorsement has helped propel some candidates to victory, but he’s also had some notable defeats.

Wadith habla sobre la eliminación de los recobros del sistema de salud

Patricia Linares habla sobre los testimonios presentados ante la JEP

Sandra Borda habla sobre su concepción de feminismo

Panelistas ven positivo el regreso de Mancuso al país para que se conozca una verdad integral sobre el paramilitarismo y sus nexos con política.

Panelistas criticaron respuesta del gobierno ante abusos policiales; creen que actitud se debe a falta de justicia; y de asumir responsabilidades.

A través de cuatro entrevistas; académicos, políticos, gobierno e investigadores hablaron de los avances y errores en materia de implementación.

Panelistas consideran que hay patrones de politización en la Fiscalía; al tiempo creen que se ha perdido la confianza. Otros consideran que no hay persecución política.

Panelistas debatieron qué tan insólitos o absurdos resultaron algunos hechos de la semana.

Panelistas plantearon que hay vacíos de autoridad que podrían llevar a tener civiles disparando y, creen que militarización radicaliza más las posiciones.

Panelistas creen que estos diálogos pueden solucionar algunos problemas, pero consideran que es necesario tener al gobierno nacional involucrado.

Panelistas plantean que es necesario complementar el relato, creen expandirlo a otros crímenes y con otros actores ayudaría a conocer la verdad del conflicto.

Algunos panelistas consideran que auto de la JEP se pudo haber logrado en justicia ordinaria; otros creen que es un paso para esclarecer un capítulo del conflicto.

Académicos y funcionarios del Gobiernos plantearon que los cinco años son un punto definitivo para establecer el rumbo de la paz; para muchos el panorama es positivo, aunque con retos por delante.

Tres precandidatos del Verde explicaron en qué consiste el mecanismo del que saldrá elegido uno de los candidatos oficiales del partido.

Panelistas consideran que hay intereses económicos y miedo a pérdida de soberanía. Experta plantea que no es cierto dicha pérdida y que por el contrario se da orden a la normatividad.

Panelistas consideran que estamos ante unos postconflictos parciales, una paz minimalista y que ha dejado como fruto la deslegitimación de la violencia como herramienta política.

Panelistas analizaron hechos de coyuntura a la luz del rol que debe cumplir la verdad jurídica y la verdad ciudadana; así como el papel de la ética en funcionarios públicos.

Panelistas analizaron la importancia del informe para avanzar hacia la reconciliación; creen que su difusión y comprensión será clave en los próximos años.

Panelistas celebran los acuerdos entre distintos sectores políticos, pero critican la falta de claridad ideológica de algunos partidos.

Panelistas creen que hay otros mecanismos como la extinción de dominio o la adjudicación de baldíos. Creen que es un acuerdo costoso y que hay dudas de quién se quedará con la tierra.

Panelistas resaltaron que el reciente acuerdo permite establecer una ruta para que se dé un cambio político en Venezuela; creen que la confianza es uno de los grandes desafíos.

Panelistas plantearon que acuerdos humanitarios pueden ser un piloto para futuros ceses al fuego. Plantearon que sigue faltando claridad sobre participación ciudadana en la negociación.