Hi, I'm looking for an RV to rent for Burning Man, hopefully within a ~10hr drive of Black Rock City. I would need it from Thursday, August 24 through Thursday, September 5. Required: refrigerator, shower, capable of extended boondocking Appreciated: solar, large grey water capacity I'm an experienced burner, an avid consumer of information, and a mom. I'm planning to treat your RV as gently as possible and return it in the condition I receive it in, and I have a plan for how I'm going to do that. Happy to discuss further. I'm willing to pay, but I'm hoping for a reasonable rate - preferably less than $4k out the door. I am willing to get additional insurance.

I'd like to buy suit separates from Mödstrom, who only ship to the following countries: Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Greenland Ireland Italy Luxembourg Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Lithuania Poland The Netherlands I'm in the United States. So ideally, I'd like someone in one of the above countries to receive the package for me and ship it on to the US. I would pay for all shipping costs, and either order the item or give you the money to order if you'd like to keep your address confidential. I'll also pay you for your time, please feel free to make an offer (I don't know how much effort this will require on your part depending on your location, but if you'd like me to make an initial offer I can do so). I'd prefer to be contacted through MeMail, but you can use the email address here if you prefer.

Looking to hire as an independent contractor a highly experienced backend software engineer with extensive experience with Node.js, and preferably with MongoDB as well. Familiarity with GCP would be a plus. This is a part-time, remote contract that will probably be for a minimum of three months and possibly a good bit longer. You must be a true high senior or expert level developer with extensive Node.js experience. A qualified candidate will most likely have at least ten years of solid software development experience. If you are not the right person but know somebody who might be, please feel free to have them contact me. Thank you.

Want to work at one of the Federal Government's "Best Places to Work" and protect the retirement security of millions of workers and retirees? The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's (PBGC) Office of Policy and External Affairs (OPEA) is looking for a DC-area Administrative Support Specialist. The GS-11 position will: Provide administrative support for PBGC' s Advisory Committee, comprised of Presidentially appointed members, including travel, budget, payroll, speaker presentation coordination (including audio/visual support) and meeting preparation. Manage Congressional Correspondence tracking system in a confidential capacity and handling sensitive Congressional correspondence. Work closely with leadership to coordinate a variety of essential services through various PBGC organizations, e.g., budget, procurement, human resources, information technology, etc. Perform research assignments, special projects, and a broad range of administrative functions, including matters of a sensitive nature, for leadership as necessary in executing the missions of the office. The candidate is required to be on-site at least one day per week and may be asked to be onsite to support in-office staff for special meetings and events as needed.

I'm posting this as a volunteer activity, but I might be able to pay a ridiculously small amount if necessary. Really, though, it's volunteer, and it's totally fine if nobody volunteers :) That said, if you're fluent, it may take you less than three minutes. The flyer is mainly graphics, URIs, and a scannable code. -- The request is to translate the text on one flyer, accurately but keeping the spirit of the original. I'm not sure if I'll try to make one bilingual flyer or separate Spanish and English flyers. The text is: "We are building a handmade co-op alternative to Etsy!"; "Join our community!"; "ARTISANS.COOP/LINKS or scan QR"; "Follow @COOPARTISANS on [links/icons]"; "Designed by Miss Thera" -- I'm part of the grassroots campaign to built founding membership for Artisans.coop. There are many artisans and many Spanish speakers living near me in the North Carolina Triangle, and I've met spanish-speaking artisans, and I want to help get some diversity into the group ASAP. If someone will help me make a Spanish-language flyer, I can start getting it out into the world, at least here, possibly elsewhere. If you give me your e-mail address I can forward you an original, but the above text is all the text there is. If you are more comfortably staying a MeMail contact, I can send you a link to the folder where the original is, plus the file name. I asked the co-op about it, and no Spanish speaker has volunteered to translate anything so far. The site itself has a machine translation plugin, so a Spanish speaker could navigate it. A co-op is not a nonprofit entity. It is member owned, and anyone can join (even if they do not have cash to make the initial investment, in this co-op). I'd love to get some multicultural voices in immediately so they are heard early and often. Thanks a bunch!

It's Night 1 of the highly anticipated return of Cinetopia! Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins and Marquee Arts cinema program director Nick Alderink join WEMU's David Fair to chat about this year's Cinetopia Film Festival, along with the latest Pixar film that opens at your favorite multiplex!

When it comes to the 4th of July, fireworks and film go hand-in-hand! Both David Fair and Russ Collins are on vacation this week, so WEMU's Mat Hopson and Marquee Arts cinema programming director Nick Alderink meet up to chat about the newest films and special screenings coming your way this Independence Day weekend!

Summer may be winding down a bit, but the summer movie season is still going! WEMU's David Fair meets up again with Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins to chat about the latest films and special screenings coming to a theater near you! Plus, the Michigan Theater is hosting not one, but two huge high school reunions!

Whether you prefer the modern age of cinema or the silent era, there's plenty of films worth checking out this weekend and beyond! WEMU's Russ Collins from Marquee Arts gives the full cinematic rundown in his conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

We are officially in the fall season, and a whole bunch of movies are falling into your favorite theaters! WEMU's David Fair chats about the latest films and special screenings with Marquee Arts executive director, Russ Collins.

We just wrapped up a fantastic fall fundraiser a few days ago, so let's celebrate with a good movie! WEMU's Mat Hopson steps in for David Fair this week to chat about all of the cinematic offerings coming soon to your favorite movie houses with Marquee Arts executive director, Russ Collins!

What's your favorite scary movie? WEMU's David Fair and Marquee Arts executive director Russ Collins meet up to inform you of tonight's special screenings for your Halloween viewing pleasure! Plus, you'll get details on some new films opening downtown and at the multiplex, too!

"I find it reassuring that in a game that is in some ways a libertarian power fantasy (you and your spaceship, go anywhere do whatever you want), and a PvP universe, one of the first things people did was create a volunteer ambulance service." Over on Mastodon, Dave Anderson walks us through the story of the Fuel Rats, the emergency refueling service of Elite:Dangerous.

He's an optimist at heart. You'd like him. I, of course, don't know who you are, dear reader, but I know you'd like my dad, Bob Gruber, because everyone likes Bob Gruber. He can tell a good joke and he loves to tell them. There's a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln, that I was reminded of, just the other day, from of all things a garbage can: "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better." I don't share Lincoln's there's-something-to-like-about-everyone optimism about our fellow men, but my dad does. from How It Went by John Gruber [Daring Fireball]

How do women who mud wrestle or take regular mud baths (esp. naked, say at a spa) avoid getting mud in their, er, orifices—or do they avoid it? Would tampons be useful in preventing such an occurrence? Or is that even necessary?

And if mud is allowed into the vagina or anus, does that lead to an increased incidence of infection (whether by yeast or bacteria)? How would one go about (or, ladies, how have you gone about) preventing such resultant infections? And do spas have problems with the transmission of such infections in their mud baths?

I've found an abstract from a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found a greater incidence of pustular follicular dermatitis outbreaks among mud-wrestling college students (no joke) at the University of Washington in Seattle—but that doesn't speak to the question of vaginal, anal or urethral irritation stemming from prolonged mud exposure.

(And yes, this is a serious question, I promise—the topic came up during a conversation I was party to a while back about, well, vaginal irritation/infections. Fun stuff, huh?)

Is there anywhere in the United States I can take an electronics intensive course anytime between mid-June and October? I find myself needing to learn quite a lot of electronics quite quickly. I would do better with structured learning than independent study. Is there anywhere in the US that offers an intensive course with substantial lab time that fits my schedule (mid-June through October)?

Bonus points for Hawaii, Upper Midwest/Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest, coastal Canada, or New England. Thanks.

This was my experience this morning: I'm cycling, and I see this guy running, opposite direction to me. He has a cap on, and on top of the cap was what (at first) I thought was a light. Then I thought maybe it was a camera. Then as he got closer I thought it was a donut, like maybe an orange cream filled or something. then as I got closer I heard very regular beeping that I'm pretty sure was coming from the not-donut. And then I couldn't tell what it was, apart from it was orange and about 2 inches tall, maybe cylindrical or donut-shaped. My best guess is that it was some sort of device to help him regulate head/posture, kind of like "teach kids to walk while balancing books on their head". Google is not helping. Can the hivemind suss this out?

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is set to roll back the city's reopening plan back to phase one as COVID-19 continues to spread across the state, a spokesman said Friday. The first phase guidelines include encouraging residents to stay home except for essential trips, wearing a face covering in public and avoid in-person dining at restaurants.

Atlanta United is the first professional sports team from Georgia to return to play during the coronavirus pandemic. Major League Soccer suspended play in March less than a month into the season. GPB Sports' Jon Nelson joined GPB All Things Considered host Rickey Bevington to explain why Saturday night's soccer match will be anything but normal.

Federal Judge Blocks Georgia's 2019 "Heartbeat" Abortion Law Family Of Secoriea Turner, 8-Year-Old Shot Near Atlanta Wendy's, Call For Action Augusta Joins List Of Georgia Cities With Mask Mandate, Clashing With Governor's Orders Atlanta Braves Officials Say They Won't Change Their Name June Tax Revenues Down 8.8% From Last Year

Secoriea Turner, the 8-year-old girl shot to death July 4 near the burned-down Wendy's in Atlanta, had nothing to do with ongoing protests against police brutality, her family's lawyers say. At a news conference Monday, Secoriey Williamson, the girl's father, begged for anyone with information to come forward. He even played to the conscience of his daughter's killer, pleading with the shooter to come forward.

The Trump administration has rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the decision as a court hearing was getting underway on a challenge to the rule by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Fresh off the latest meeting about incorporation, and I want to say: thank you to the moderators and Jessamyn who keep the site going and thank you to the volunteers past and present putting in work to build new possibilities for the site, including making it easier for more people to volunteer and contribute in different ways.

I'm also truly proud of the decision made early on by the volunteers to do things together, even if that meant slowing down. I'm the kind of person who sees a problem and goes into fix-it mode as fast as possible. Practicing on a hugely meaningful project like Metafilter to listen and consider all of our viewpoints and work through to a communal path was hard. It was sometimes frustratingly slow! But by the second half of our timeline, I can see now that we get important things done faster and faster and how strong the foundation we've built is (heh, bad pun) because we've got trust and a collaborative thoughtful process.

I'd also like to recognise the people who took a deep breath before writing a reply in a high-termperature thread, the people who edited down the snark in their comments or thought - I'll change to the thread about kitten videos instead. It is hard to be civil and think about other people when they're text on a screen - and it's harder when so much media encourages profit by provoking yelling.

Metafilter is an internet third space that isn't trying to profit actively from yelling. And sometimes we gotta yell in some threads - but most of the time we talk, and I so so appreciate having a third space where people can talk without an algorithm aimed at our lizard brains.

Rows of armed agents were deployed around the protests in Washington, D.C. this past week, but it was not obvious who they were: They had no name tags, no badge numbers and no emblems to identify which agencies they worked for. Their arrival sparked shock and alarm. Now, Democratic lawmakers are calling for legislation that would make it illegal for these officers to not identify themselves. In the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) are cosponsoring a bill that would require officers to identify themselves while "engaged in crowd control or arresting individuals involved in civil disobedience or protests in the United States." In the House, Virginia Democrat Don Beyer, whose district is just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., is working on similar legislation. "How do we tell these alleged federal police officers from white supremacist militia groups?" Beyer said in an interview Sunday with NPR's Weekend Edition . "How do you ever

In the weeks since protests against police brutality began in Minneapolis, calls to reform, defund or abolish the police have been escalating. These demands aren’t new among activists; however, responses from local governments across the country committing to redirect police funds or even “dismantle” police departments have been unprecedented. We break down reasoning, history and motivations behind the push to change how policing operates nationwide.

While the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Sandra Bland galvanized the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the killings of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have forced America to reckon with centuries of racial injustice and police brutality in unprecedented ways. Not only have protests demanding change been widespread, but major corporations — which, until now, have been largely silent and hesitant to embrace Black Lives Matter — are pledging to fight racial injustice and declaring their support of the nearly seven-year-old movement.

When COVID-19 hit Savannah, city leaders were particularly concerned about the homeless population — or “roofless people,” as 3 rd District Alderwoman Linda Wilder-Bryan prefers. Her drive to help people who couldn’t get into shelters led to a proposal for “ Dundee Village .” Now, plans are underway for a safe and sanitary complex of tents – which will later be converted to livable shipping containers – to house people displaced by the pandemic and at risk of contracting COVID-19 on the streets.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Pediatricians across the country have spoken out in favor of bringing students back to school this fall even as coronavirus infection rates increase in most states, including among younger people. Dr. Sara Bode is a pediatrician and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health. She joins us now from Columbus, Ohio. Thanks very much for being with us. SARA BODE: Thank you, Scott. SIMON: Infection rates are rising. Officials all over the country are raising alarms. Why do you believe it's important to reopen schools? BODE: So what we know is that for kids, school is not just an optional activity. It's really an essential service for them not only for their academics, but also for their social-emotional health, also for safety, nutrition, so many other things that they get through the school system. And so it's critical for us to find a way to support and get kids back. SIMON: We've heard concerns about

UPDATED The new school year is rapidly approaching, but many parents and educators still don't know exactly what the semester will look like. As President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos call for schools to open in-person, districts across the country are formulating a range of plans. Doctors have their own recommendations for what systems should do. It's a lot to keep track of, but NPR reporters are following the developments. Send us your questions, and we'll answer some on-air. A producer will be in touch before using your name or question on air. This form was closed on July 14th. Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: We've been having conversations on this program and elsewhere on the network about inequality in education. Those gaps can start early, often before a student ever enters a classroom. Studies show that kids who don't get any pre-K instruction can lag a year behind those who do in math and verbal skills. In 2012, San Antonio vowed to fix that. The city enacted a 1/8 cent sales tax for a program called pre-K for SA, which now provides early childhood education for just over 2,000 children from low-income, military and English-learning families. Sarah Baray is the CEO of Pre-K for SA, and she is with us now. Sarah Baray, thanks so much for talking to us. SARAH BARAY: It's my pleasure. Glad to be with you. MARTIN: So first of all, I just wanted to ask you to tell us why pre-K matters. You're a former teacher. You're an administrator. You've also taught education courses at the university level, so you kind of have that bird's-eye

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Last Monday, the Trump administration announced changes to the student visa program that would require international students at universities to take at least one in-person class this fall. That means students have to physically be on campus or leave the U.S. The changes could jeopardize the status of hundreds of thousands of students, so we've called on Dwayne McCay for more perspective on this. He is the president of the Florida Institute of Technology, known as Florida Tech. International students make up about a third of the student body there, and he's with us now to tell us his thoughts about this. President McCay, welcome. Thank you for joining us. DWAYNE MCCAY: Oh, I'm very happy to, Michel. Thank you. MARTIN: Would you just mind telling us a bit more about your student body? We said about a third are international. You know, where do they come from? And what do they study? MCCAY: Well, you know, we're a technological

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Distance learning in the pandemic highlights a problem that experts have warned about for years - some students have good access to the Internet, and others do not. It's called the digital divide. Many districts are about to start the school year with more distance learning, so how can they narrow that divide? Rachel Martin spoke with Nicol Turner Lee, who studies it. RACHEL MARTIN, BYLINE: When you look back at those two, sometimes three, months that students in this country were doing distance learning, what worked and what didn't? NICOL TURNER LEE: You know, I think, generally, I am in agreement with some of the folks that have looked at this short period time as somewhat of an abject failure for our children. What worked was that, you know, schools had the attention of their households to figure out what to do during a time of crisis. What didn't work was that schools were not necessarily ready to move to an online

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: School - parents, students and teachers are wondering, what will it look like this year? Will doors actually open, or will students be back on their computers for classes or a mix of both? In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper says he'll make an announcement this week about what his state's schools should do. Teachers like Tamika Walker Kelly are waiting. She teaches elementary school music in Fayetteville, and she's also the president of the North Carolina Association of Educators. She joins us now. Thanks for joining us. TAMIKA WALKER KELLY: Thank you for having me. MCCAMMON: I'd like to start with what you and other teachers in the state are hoping for. What do you want to see happen this fall? WALKER KELLY: So many educators around our state - and, I would say, nationwide - are really concerned about re-entering schools in a safe way. Our safety of our educators and our student is the No. 1 priority of many of us. And so we

If you're visiting MetaFilter for the first time in a while because whoa, US election, just a friendly reminder that MetaFilter depends on member support in order to keep running. Additionally, MetaFilter is moving to a community-run model, so you might want to check out the latest update about that.

But because this is a weblog, a few additional links about communities below the fold.

Online communities come with real-world consequences for individuals and societies (Communications Psychology; the bibliography is fun)

How to find your community (Vox)

How to find healthy online communities (Mental Health America)

(Nostalgia trip) Online communities (Pew Research, 2001)

And more nostalgia - the classic 1995 Ghosts in the Machine

There were two major assumptions about Latino voters throughout the presidential campaign: (1) a record number of Latinos would show up on Election Day to oppose Donald Trump's candidacy and (2) the anti-immigration rhetoric that launched Trump's campaign would push conservative-leaning Hispanics to flee the Republican Party. Neither of those assumptions entirely panned out as expected. Prediction 1: The Surge? True. A record number of Latinos did vote this November. But the truth is complicated. The official national exit poll, the one commissioned by the big media organizations, suggests the Latino share of the electorate was higher than ever before — about 11 percent, compared to 10 percent in 2012. "It's very possible that the Latino vote, while reaching a record, may have been swamped by other groups of voters," said Mark Hugo Lopez, the director of Hispanic Research at the Pew Research Center, pointing to states like Florida which Trump won. We won't know the percentage of

Bernie Sanders thinks he has a pretty good idea why Hillary Clinton and Democrats lost in the 2016 election. "Look, you can't simply go around to wealthy people's homes raising money and expect to win elections," the Vermont senator, who gave Clinton a surprisingly strong run for the Democratic nomination, told NPR's David Greene in an interview airing on Morning Edition. "You've got to go out and mix it up and be with ordinary people." That picks up on a criticism of Clinton devoting too much time to fundraising — and not enough to on-the-ground campaigning in traditionally Democratic states, like Michigan and Wisconsin. In the general election, Clinton never visited Wisconsin after she became the nominee and visited Michigan late in the game. The two Upper Midwestern states swung narrowly to Trump: Wisconsin by slightly more than 20,000 votes and Michigan by slightly more than 10,000. During the primary, Sanders boasted of his small-donor donations. "The Democratic Party swallowed

The duo Autechre added just over 20 hours of music to its catalog on November 4, with the simultaneous release of a dozen live recordings, made over the course of a little under a year, between late August 2023, in Melbourne, and early May 2024, in Lyon. As I’ve done in the past, I’m going […]

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto music community, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have five days to record and upload a track in response to the project instructions. Membership in the Junto is open: just join and participate. (A SoundCloud account is helpful but not required.) There’s no […]

This issue of This Week in Sound is usually a thank you solely to paid subscribers — a bonus round, supplementing the free issues that feature a broader array of sound studies coverage. Since I missed Tuesday’s issue — due to some escapism in the form of a lot of book-writing — I’m sending this out […]

We at Pop-Up Music are seeking Electronic music in all genres. Ideally tracks that were created at the time and geographically genre specific. Late 80's Chicago House to contemporary Eletro Pop.

Ambient, Ambient dub, Breakbeat, Baltimore Club, IDM, House Music, Chicago House, Electro Swing, Bitpop (Video Game Music), Trap, 1980's Hip Hop - Break Dance, Electronic pop, Indie electronica, Dream Pop... and all the other forms of Electronic music - if it's good we'll take it!

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

The Pop-Up Music team looks forward to your submissions!

Many thanks,
The Pop-Up Music Team.

We at Pop-up Music are seeking new tracks for an exciting new worldwide opportunity. Having inked deals with some of the most happening sub-publishers we are looking for songs to add into this exclusive catalogue and distribute worldwide.

We need URGENTLY Rock, Indie, Singer Songwriter, Folk, Blues, Jazz, Indie Folk, Soul, Electro, Electro Folk, Pop we need it all!

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

We look forward to your submissions

Thanks in advance,
the Pop-up Music Team.

Award-winning Women of Substance Radio celebrates talented female performers of every genre with great songs. The music we feature is vocally excellent, has depth of character and emotion, and has lyrics that leave a lasting impression. WOS Radio has been around for 10 years and has become the trusted source for quality music by female artists in all genres for both listeners and Industry pros.

Our #1 New & Noteworthy Podcast can be heard on iTunes, YouTube, Tunein, Stitcher and many more popular platforms every 3-4 times per week.. Heard by over 10,000 monthly listeners and promoted to our social media base of over 60,000, the show is nearing 300,000 downloads and is continuing to grow. The Podcast features all Indie artists including interesting tidbits about the artists and the songs. Check it out at www.wospodcast.com or on iTunes or the Mobile Podcast App for Apple devices. Visit our website for more info at www.wosradio.com

We have many outlets available for promoting our Indies like you including our Video Blog and in-show advertising spots. Visit our website to find out more: www.WOSRadio.com

We are taking song submissions from quality Independent Artists in all genres so submit your music today for consideration.

Female artists, female fronted bands or female vocalists only please.

Please note that we are using the song to opportunity match (S₂O). If you are a male performer and the song matched yours it is because it sounded like the seed songs but it can not match by gender.

We have noticed a repeating trend in the music requests we receive from our partners in the advertising world and therefor we would like to enrich our catalog with more electronic pop songs.

The songs should be driving, dynamic and memorable. Changes, interesting build-ups and drops which could provide great edit points are most welcome. A mixture of electronic quirkiness and pop accessibility is a big plus.

Here are three examples of the type of songs we are seeking:

- Sofi Tukker - Best Friend
- Jaim - Makeba
- The Knocks - New York Luau

Please submit only professionally recorded and mastered songs. The best submissions will be included in our catalog for licensing which is available to our network of contacts in the film, TV and advertising industry.

As an added bonus, if your song is Selected, we will offer to release your music on Filter Label. The songs by our talented artists can be heard in Shameless, Legacies, The OA, Exatlon, The Matrix Revisited, CSI: Las Vegas, Nikita, in commercials for Samsung, McDonald's, Nike, Mytheresa, Philip Morris, Nestle Wagner, Bank Millennium, in shows on MTV, CNN, Nat Geo, NBC, Al Jazeera, Esquire, Channel 4 and almost every major TV network in the world.

- Emil Hadji Panzov - Founder / CEO - Filter Label

Thanksgiving week, flying into PHX with seven days to hike and play. Someone suggested five days in Sedona and two days in Jerome. What would you do? We are two women who love to hike. Open to options, perhaps with two locations outside of Phoenix. No one day's drive more than 2 hours. Priorities are 3- to 8-mile day hikes, any difficulty. Dramatic vistas, sunsets, stars, sunny aspects if possible. We do have to work remotely a bit that week, so M-W we need wifi and the shorter trails.

Looking for itinerary ideas, both roads and trails!

Not so much seeking lodging suggestions, but if you have them, fire away. Probably aiming for the $120-150/nt range if possible with two beds and a kitchen (with hopes of assembling some sort of Thanksgiving meal there). Seems possible, but a challenge. Feel free to toss in quirky roadside attractions, favorite cafés, etc.

This week's first step will be to learn about Mark as reported in Scripture, to see his early failure and eventual recovery. Then the study will turn to the opening section of Mark with a look forward to where the story is headed and a look backward at why a failed and then restored missionary would write such a text.

The Gospel of Mark recounts the calling of four disciples and describes a Sabbath in Capernaum and what followed. This “Sabbath with Jesus” at the beginning of Mark gives the reader a sense of who Jesus is. In the entire section for this week’s lesson there are very few of His words recorded: a brief call to discipleship, a command to a demon, a plan to visit other locations, and the healing of a leper with instructions to show himself before a priest to be clean. The emphasis is on action, particularly healing people. The Gospel writer likes to use the word immediately to illustrate the fast-action movement of Jesus’ ministry.

This week’s lesson looks at three of Jesus’ greatest signs of His divinity. What is striking is that in every case some people did not believe the miracle or perceive its significance. For some it was a time of turning away from Jesus; for others, a time for deepening blindness; and for others, a time to plot Jesus’ death. And, for others—a time to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

This week’s lesson looks at some of those who witnessed and testified about Jesus. In each of these incidents, some aspects of who Jesus really is are revealed, and together they create a deeper vision of Jesus, the Messiah.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: The United Kingdom is banning Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant, from developing Britain's 5G network. The U.S. welcomes this decision. It's just the latest move in a global struggle between the U.S. and China over technology, business and political power. As NPR's Frank Langfitt reports, it's also a sign of how China's increasingly assertive diplomacy has backfired. FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE: The British government will forbid companies here from buying Huawei equipment for 5G beginning next year and require the removal of all Huawei equipment by 2027. The government says the decision was triggered by U.S. sanctions on Huawei suppliers that could make the company's equipment easier for China to use for spying. Oliver Dowden is the U.K.'s digital secretary. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) OLIVER DOWDEN: The security and resilience of our telecoms networks is of paramount importance. We have never and will never compromise that