WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

Beginning September 20, 2024, Amazing Facts International will present Prophecy Odyssey: You Can Know the Future with speaker Pastor Doug Batchelor. This evangelistic Bible series features 16 timely, power-packed presentations that will be broadcast in front of a live audience at the Manhattan Center in New York City, the “capital of the world,” during a time of great global upheaval.

It can also be seen around the world on AFTV, Hope Channel International, 3ABN, Facebook, Roku, YouTube, SUMtv, and SUMtv Latino. Additionally, you can watch Prophecy Odyssey on many satellites around the world, including HotBird (Europe, Middle East, and North Africa), Galaxy 19 (US), IS20 (Central and South Africa), VAST (Australia), and Freeview (UK).

Prophecy Odyssey is approaching fast. It’s not too late to register to be an event host, invite your friends, or sign up to be a Manhattan Missionary!

Devastating events across our sin-darkened planet—financial collapse, natural catastrophes, international conflicts, political strife—are causing many to feel anxious about what the future holds. But the Bible provides hope-filled answers to life’s deepest questions and prepares hearts for the soon coming of Jesus.

[PQ-HERE]Says Pastor Doug, “Communicating the most pertinent prophecies of the Bible is our goal. I believe these unique multimedia presentations will challenge what most people think they know about the world and their purpose in it. Our message is that God’s final prophetic Word will soon come to pass. Are you ready for it? Together, we’ll learn the what, the when, the why, and the how in a way that will prepare us for what is coming to our planet.”

Prophecy Odyssey will be a series like no other, leading viewers to the key prophecies of Scripture—where God gives vital but assuring messages that will change lives for eternity. Pastor Doug will also offer a clear understanding of our world’s current events and why they are happening—and why it all must culminate with the Second Coming.

The first three nights will get off to a quick and fascinating start … 

Night 1: Friday, September 20, 7:00 PM ET — Signs of the Coming King
Unmistakable signs signal Jesus’ soon return—and are you ready for it?

Night 2: Saturday, September 21, 7:00 PM ET — The Prophecy of History
What is the most comprehensive prophecy in all of the Bible?

Night 3: Sunday, September 22, 7:00 PM ET — The Arch-Villain of Prophecy
There is a fiendish effort to turn us away from understanding prophecy.

Other topics to be covered include the truth about hellfire, the afterlife, the millennium, the mark of the beast, the USA in Bible prophecy, and many more eye-opening revelations.

Get Active!

Would you or your church like to be part of this extraordinary opportunity to bring Bible prophecy to a world lost in spiritual darkness? We may not have many more chances to share every aspect of these messages openly, so please prayerfully consider hosting the event at your church or even your home.

Bible lessons are also being developed for this series, with plans for them to be available for sharing at your event. We’ll also make advertising easy. Let’s lead viewers into an eternal, joyful relationship with God together!

Mission Manhattan

We’re also inviting people to be part of this evangelistic project through Mission Manhattan! You will receive free AFCOE training, distribute literature, and do music and health ministry on the streets of Manhattan to raise interest and invite the community to the Prophecy Odyssey meetings in the evening. Training and literature are free, but you will need to cover travel, lodging, and meals. More information here.

Start planning now for this exciting outreach event! 

For more information about Prophecy Odyssey, visit prophecyodyssey.com. And keep watching for more details as we get ready to share God’s truths with millions!

Every five years, the Pathfinder Camporee draws church youth from around the world for an unforgettable time of worship, learning, prayer, and fellowship. This year was no different, with over 55,000 young people and sponsors attending the gathering, which was held in Gillette, Wyoming. 

And for the first time ever, Amazing Facts and Pastor Doug Batchelor, president, attended the weeklong event—which included hosting a booth and offering kids a chance to earn an exclusive honor badge.

Over the first few days, many young people crowded around the Amazing Facts booth and attended a special class called “Preach It!,” taught by Daniel Hudgens, evangelist and assistant director of AFCOE, who taught school-age kids how to share their faith. Says Daniel, “It was a delight to see so many young people realize that they preach a sermon every day by the life they live.” Those who attended received a free book and could get a Preach It! badge after returning home.

Amazing Facts also produced a commemorative puzzle that incorporated this year’s camporee theme, “Believe the Promise.” The colorful artwork consisted of events from the life of Moses and the Exodus.

Later in the week, a storm severe enough to produce a tornado warning doused the camp with rain and even blew down tents. No significant damage was done, but when the chance of more severe weather threatened to strike camp during the final Sabbath, Camporee leaders made the difficult decision to end a day early for everyone’s safety.

Since all official Camporee activities were canceled, most attendees began to pack up. Still, with nowhere else to go, many at camp decided to stay through to the end.

With no Sabbath programs scheduled, Pastor Doug asked Camporee leadership if Amazing Facts could use a tent and microphone to host a worship service for anyone who wanted to attend. He got approval on Sabbath at 8:00 AM! The Amazing Facts team jumped into action, driving through the campground with a megaphone to invite everyone to join in the impromptu Sabbath service.

Says Pastor Doug, “There were only three or four people in the tent when I walked in, but we got started anyway. Someone offered to lead out in a song service. Then, a Pathfinder group showed up and offered to do special music. By the time we finished, 500 people were in the tent worshiping Jesus! There was still time before lunch, so we opened it up for the kids to ask their questions about the Bible.”

[PQ-HERE]People then began asking if there would be a vespers service. “I honestly didn’t know if anyone would come to that since we’d already met in the morning,” Pastor Doug shares. “I guess my faith was small because a thousand people showed up that evening for a message, prayer, and singing.”

Pastor Doug reflects, “It started with an idea Friday night, and by Sabbath evening, a thousand people were worshiping together. The youth there were so hungry for spiritual connection. I believe God worked a little miracle to make it happen.”

By God’s grace, the severe weather never materialized. And for one Amazing Facts worker, the unexpected turn of events pointed to the promise found in Romans 8:28: “God took something the devil had meant for harm and turned it into something good. We serve an amazing God!”

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

Manhattan Center, Manhattan – There are 45 minutes until the Prophecy Odyssey meeting begins tonight, but already the Manhattan Center is buzzing with activity. The main floor is beginning to fill up as guests file in from the streets. Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) students just gathered to pray for the Holy Spirit to work mightily through this meeting. 

Camera operators are getting into position for the evening production. Behind the huge LED wall, the Amazing Facts’ media team is busy putting together a life-changing production to broadcast live around the world. Not long ago, Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International, was in the media control room going over last-minute plans with the team.

There is a sense of quiet eagerness among the guests. Many are reviewing the Bible studies they received when they walked in the front door. Others are talking with AFCOE students and staff as Jackie plays and sings “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” at the grand piano on stage. [PQ-HERE]

Outside, large signs advertise the event along busy 34th Street. Once the meeting begins, a large LED screen on the street allows passersby to watch the meetings live. 

A City Ready for Harvest

The Prophecy Odyssey series opened on Friday night, September 20, to a packed audience. The main floor and three levels of balconies were all full of people eager to hear the Word of God. Many have continued to come for the nightly meetings. 

Prophecy Odyssey is an epic, 15-part Bible series presented by Pastor Doug. Attendees are getting clear, trustworthy, logical answers to their questions about the book of Revelation, prophecy, and the last days. 

Amazing Facts chose New York City for the Prophecy Odyssey series because of the potential to reach people from so many cultures in one place. “The whole reason we’re here is to bring souls into the kingdom,” says Wayne Leman, Amazing Facts’ media creative. “New York City is such a melting pot of cultures. What better place to reap a great harvest?” 

AFCOE students have been doing outreach in the city parks each day. “Our goal is to strike up conversations with people that we meet,” explains J Broder, an AFCOE student from Bakersfield, Calif. “We tell people we are praying for the community and ask them how they think we should pray for people in New York. Then we share the Prophecy Odyssey meeting invitations.” 

“I have so many stories of what God is doing!” says Cornell, another AFCOE student. 

Our Largest Production Yet

“Doing a production in New York City is unlike anything else,” says Wayne. “New York is a technological beast. Everything is booming so fast here. It’s very different than when broadcast from a local church.” 

The media team began preparing for this massive production months ago. They put together a flight pack with all the camera, sound, recording, augmented reality, LED wall, and other media equipment they would need for the series. Then, they practiced loading it into the 16-foot travel trailer and unloading and setting it up rapidly. “It’s a good thing we did!” says Wayne. “We needed every moment we had to get things ready.” 

The first night challenged the media team to the utmost. “We started the production with only four of our eleven cameras working,” Wayne explains. “By the end of the night, we had nine cameras running. The devil definitely was attacking. But we believed, and God answered. It’s only gotten better since.”

It’s Not Too Late

Prophecy Odyssey is being broadcast live around the world in English and Spanish. It is also being translated by artificial intelligence technology into 14 languages. Groups are watching live in Belgium, New Guinea, and many other places around the world. 

It’s not too late to begin watching the Prophecy Odyssey meetings or to share them with someone who needs to know that there is a God in heaven who has good plans for them. Live broadcasts are available at prophecyodyssey.com, AFTV.org, Hope Channel, and on YouTube. Free Bible lessons and recordings of previous meetings are also available.

Thank you for making Prophecy Odyssey possible. Please keep praying that God blesses seekers abundantly!

WATCH THE ARCHIVES HERE!

Manhattan Center, Manhattan — Claudia wasn’t supposed to be in New York to celebrate her birthday with her family until next month. But her schedule shifted, and she ended up here, now. “I didn’t know about Prophecy Odyssey until I got here,” she says. When her mother told her about the series, she knew she needed to come and bring her cousin Paula, who has been searching for God recently. “Now I know why I’m here this week instead of next month!” 

Claudia, Paula, and Claudia’s mom came to Prophecy Odyssey last night and heard Pastor Doug explain who the antichrist beast is in Bible prophecy. The message was fascinating for Paula. “It answered a lot of my questions,” she said afterward. “I loved how clear everything was. And it was all presented so well.” She plans to come again tonight. 

Better than Dry

Patricia started drinking and smoking when she was just seven years old. By the time she was 13, she drank to blackout. She was also finding herself attracted to the same sex. “I was doing it to escape the pain of my dad’s abuse,” she says. “I was so angry with God. Why would he make me like this?” 

Over the years, she tried to stop drinking, but nothing worked. Eventually, she got involved with Alcoholics Anonymous. “They told me I needed to find my higher power, so I started seeking God.” Her search led her to look for things about prayer and the Bible on YouTube. 

One day, a sermon with Pastor Doug popped up in her feed. “What is this?” she wondered. But something told her to watch. Soon, Amazing Facts became her go-to. “I listen to it all the time.” 

Patricia’s excitement about God bubbles over. “I’m better than dry!” she smiles. “I’m seeking God! And He goes out of His way to show me that He loves me.” She hasn’t been in a relationship with another woman for three years. “It’s just me and God.” She gave her life to God in baptism this past weekend and is thrilled to be attending the Prophecy Odyssey and be part of the local church family.

160 Baptized Already

Patricia is not the only one who has been baptized because of Prophecy Odyssey. The local Sabbath-keeping churches have been working hard to prepare for the meetings. Eighteen Bible workers have been preparing people in the greater New York area for baptism. Their work has been extraordinarily successful. 

Pastor Lara, who has been coordinating the local effort, says, “About 160 people have been baptized in New York City already, but I am praying for 250 baptisms. I have no doubt that God will give them to us! We’ve been working hard, and God has been doing amazing things.” 

Pastor Lara is working closely with local congregations to ensure that every newly baptized individual is welcomed into the family of God and has a spiritual guardian who will help them grow in faith.[PQ-HERE]

New York Instead of Peru

Jason and Dee Patton had scheduled a trip to Peru to celebrate their seventeenth anniversary, but then they heard about Prophecy Odyssey and the opportunity to be Manhattan Missionaries. “We did the worst possible thing,” Dee grins. “We decided to pray about it.” It wasn’t long until a friend offered them a fully furnished basement in which to stay in New York.

They couldn’t be happier about their decision to reschedule their trip. On their first day of witnessing, they prayed with a man named Ani. He had just lost his job and was desperately searching for a new one. They kept in touch over the next few days and kept inviting him to come to the meetings. He showed up for the first time on Sunday evening. “Pastor Doug told people they would get a special blessing from being here,” Dee says. “And guess what?! Twenty-four hours after coming to the meeting, he got a job!” 

“This is totally God’s leading!” says Jason.

Prophecy Odyssey Reaching Millions Online

Prophecy Odyssey is also reaching people far beyond the borders of New York City. Already, the live broadcasts have been viewed 28.3 million times on Facebook and 1.9 million times on YouTube. 

Only God knows all the people who are being touched by the series, but the reports filtering back to us are thrilling. One viewer wrote, “I was suicidal as this series started. Watching has completely turned things around for me—and given me hope and something to look forward to and believe in. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

Pastor Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International and speaker for Prophecy Odyssey, says, “What we are seeing now is just the beginning of all God is going to do through this series. Once they get on the internet, people will be able to watch them for years to come.” 

“It is always exciting to go where you see God leading!” adds Karen Batchelor, his wife. “We have been personally praying for these meetings for the past one and a half years. Meeting the people and sharing Bible truth is always amazing!”

Please continue to pray with us for all those attending Prophecy Odyssey in person and watching online. And thank you for helping to make these evangelistic meetings possible! 

How to Watch

Live broadcasts of Prophecy Odyssey are available at prophecyodyssey.com, AFTV.org, Hope Channel, and YouTube. Free Bible lessons and previous meetings are available at prophecyodyssey.com.

It's only the first day of August, but the weather in Portland is such that it already feeling like plural dog days have elapsed. And yet, through it all, a podcast episode drags itself through the sun-baked streets to appear, sweating and winded, on your doorstep. Come along with Jessamyn and I as we...chatter about MetaFilter? Basically what we normally do. This one's about an hour and 45.

Helpful Links

Podcast Feed
Subscribe with iTunes
Direct mp3 download

Misc
- the wikipedia article on 175 has, since recording, lost the specific nag it had when we were discussing it!
- jessamyn has been catsitting
- more like the hooey decimal system
- wellllll, Godot? We're WAAAAAAITTIiiiing!
- freedom to tinker
- you ever (Stevie) Wonder about the clavinet?
- it's a BEACH that makes you OLD
- jessamyn's maple dealer


Projects
- Quarantine Happy Hour concert archive by hades
- Recollections Of A Summer by dng
- The Sound of the Far Future by ignignokt


MetaFilter
- Patterns by They sucked his brains out!
- A unanimous vote for the right to repair. by mhoye
- Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates joining Howard University by Nelson
- Whammy Clavinet by Harald74
- His last purchases—beer, cigarettes, pot—occurred 18 years ago. by Grandysaur
- Happy birthday, Metafilter! by Melismata
- Shawty Got Low in Those Apple Bottom Memes by jonp72
- All mountains are old, but the Appalachians are incomprehensibly old by Karmakaze
- The world's first 1541 disk drive graphics demo by JHarris


Ask MetaFilter
- What to do in Vermont when traveling companion has mobility issues? by The Pluto Gangsta
- How does MetaFilter have such a high user engagement compared to others? by oracleia
- Nouns that you would never say "the" before? by ftm
- Library book with potentially valuable author's signature by clair-de-lune
- What song is this? by Trespassers William
- Songs with radio clips? by ftm
- Voices coming out of my iPad in the middle of the night by squink
- Why is my gas bill so high? by artificialard
- Friends' anxiety makes me angry/anxious by unicorn chaser
- Dating Failure by Aranquis
- How commonplace is crossing one's arms at Catholic communion? by Charity Garfein


MetaTalk
- Metatalktail Hour: Sneaky pet/kid stories by LobsterMitten
- MetaFilter's new Privacy Policy document by cortex
- A change in moderator coverage of the site by cortex
- 1. money 2. budget 3. ??? 4. profit!! by bendy
- Donated By "Anonymous" by cursed


MeFi Music
Featured in this episode:
- Car Music by gt2
- You Should Eat Your Yellow Vegetables by not_on_display
- Brazilian Brooks by CarrotAdventure
- Signal Tower by edlundart

I love podcasts, woo woo woo! I love podcasts, how 'bout you? Here's episode 181, with jessamyn and I contemplating the idea of a week and a month and talking about misc. MetaFilterian stuff. Runs about 90 minutes.

Helpful Links

Podcast Feed
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Misc
- my penance for being late getting this up is reusing last months experimental horn version of the original podcast theme even though it hurts to listen to now
- rabbit rabbit, apparently
- 181 is a palindromic prime
- I haven't gone back to figure out if I started doing the podcast at episode 34 or earlier, but god it's been a while either way
- Jessamyn, when the reference didn't land

Projects
- The year I won a year's supply of cheese by jessamyn
- The Rocinante, my hand-painted ship model from The Expanse by rachaelfaith
- The 885 films I saw and reviewed in 2021 by growabrain
- Birdsong Audio Separation by kaibutsu
- So I made a Wordle clone (with some extra features) by RustyBrooks
- Return to the Planet: a Zine Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of FFVII by subdee

MetaFilter
- "Life's hard enough, and I'm looking to make people feel better" by jessamyn
- WKRIP by guiseroom
- No More Waiting For The End Of Time by chavenet
- Up to 30 stitches per inch! No bobbins! Quiet! by metaquarry
- What came first? Or last, or in between? by brainwane
- A Brief History of Windfuckers by oulipian
- Ex-NM labor official shares real world experience: capitalism sucks by wenestvedt
- "There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time." by oulipian
- JEOPARDAMY! by Going To Maine
- Look at the quality of this 3D animation by They sucked his brains out!
- "It's like people who try to clone their dogs" by jessamyn
- Free thread! by cortex
- Free Thread Returns by cortex
- Free Thread Forever by cortex
- Free Thread & Robin by cortex

Ask MetaFilter
- HELP, there's an elk in my freezer! by MonkeyToes
- What was that music video with the giant blue butt sculpture? by mermaidcafe
- what's that song? by peppercorn
- What's that weird instrument: The Beatles: Get Back edition by 2N2222
- When was Van Halen's 1984 album released? by Short End Of A Wishbone
- Help identify this mystery object? by scody
- What do they call a stupid SOB in your neck of the woods? by Gotanda
- Rock music puns? by OrangeVelour
- Do I need a bank with a real building I can go to? by DMelanogaster
- Parsing Amazon reviews by Cozybee

MetaTalk
- Introduce yourself! by cortex
- Our favorite under-loved comments of 2021 by MonkeyToes
- a comment by kimberussell

More or less on time! New theme song! We talk about heating up water and heating up ourselves. cortex read a lot of MetaFilter this month, Jessamyn's still reading old FanFare threads. Runs about 82 minutes.

Helpful Links

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Job
Lead Product Designer by jchan

Projects
Mondrian's Toothpicks by cortex
The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences®
The Real Problem With the New Dungeons and Dragons License is Capitalism by overglow
Isle of Beasts by Zarkonnen
Dither All the Things - Atkinson Dithering for the Web by AndrewStephens
Rock Scissor Paper Machine by Literaryhero

MeFi
Snail Mail Security by cardioid
A new kind of smartwatch with a special living component by tiny frying pan
10 PRINT "YADA YADA YADA" / 20 GOTO 10 / RUN by Atom Eyes
AV Club: AI Seinfeld show has been given a Twitch suspension
"one of many years of Scrabble that I hold dear" by jessamyn
"...mourning the loss of yet more games that will soon be lost to time," by Fizz
On this website, everyone knows you're a dog by not_on_display
Vacuum Cleaner Defense League
Knolling for fun and profit by Bella Donna
MLTSHP: Dutch emergency services have a gear knolling meme going
The Met: Studley Tool Chest
Instagram: HAIRCUT
Fresh and Full of Life by May Kasahara
The Stink A by Etrigan
Some Days, the Viewing Felt Like a Curse by logicpunk
The Quizzing Equivalent of Holey Moley by Etrigan
Remember Y2K? A similar issue will happen in the year 2038. by buffy12
The Mystery of the Dune Font by cgc373
Making Math into Art by duien

AskMe
ELI5 "Perpetual fireplace" videos by jackbishop
Parents: how do you handle non-negotiable extracurriculars? by malhouse
a comment by Alensin
IRS How? by Alensin
"Ingredients people" citation? by shadygrove
Another Thing For the Book Of Conflicts by EmpressCallipygos
Looking for a sci fi technobabble parody by cheesegrater
What is the musical interval/harmony in this song? by unknowncommand

FanFare
Special Event: The Return of Blaseball by valrus

A nerdy debate about the relative term "this week" and "last week" and that mystery week in between them. We got together on March 4th and tried not to talk about the weather too much. Runs about 105 minutes.

Helpful Links

Podcast Feed
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No Jobs Except Cortex's New One

Projects
Lirdle - Like Wordle, but with one lie per answer by morspin (MeFi Post)
Word Searches for Dad (and special meta one) by jasondigitized
bondcliff's creation
My portrait of COVID Toronto in maps by sindark (MeFi Post)
Jessamyn's Zipper Epiphany

MeFi
Penta, Mariya: Rejected by shino-boy
The Genetics of Chernobyl's Dogs by bryon
Could you live without a cellphone? by SituationNormal
Kill Six Billion Demons by curious nu
I've heard it too many times to ignore it by DigDoug
Nice social media account, shame if something were to happen to it... by gwint
The thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts by gwint
The natural destination of poor editorial judgment is the court of law. by curious nu
What went wrong at the New York Times? by DarlingBri
Playdough surgery by gottabefunky
Lightning Crashes by Etrigan
All The Malevolence Of A Grade School Music Class In A Box by NoxAeternum
Infinite Mac by Fiasco da Gama
Into the rest of the 20st century by gwint
playing a 2x4 through a tacklebox head into a foamcore cabinet by cortex

AskMe
Tell me about your adventures with pre-internet physical bulletin boards by wowenthusiast
Unsmooth the motion on a hotel tv by quintessence
Help me find the blowup doll of my youth by queensissy
a comment by Larry David Syndrome
a comment by BlueHorse
How do I make a cake when my resources are depleted? by toucan
Please Tell Me about Pre-internet Personals Ads by wowenthusiast

FanFare
Kaleidoscope: Kaleidoscope (miniseries, all episodes) by adamrice
Physical: 100: Physical: 100 by autopilot

MetaTalk
Open Gaming Thread: What are you playing right now? by Fizz
Best of the Web anniversaries and transcripts by Pronoiac
New Moderation Team Member by loup
ChatGPT-filter by EndsOfInvention
March is Steering Committee election season by Rhaomi
Snow sounds from Directory Audio

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

For this edition of Atlanta Considered, I went to Chrome Yellow Trading Company on Edgewood Avenue during the A3C hip-hop festival and conference. A3C is one of the nation’s largest urban music events and stands for All Three Coasts, as Atlanta joins New York and Los Angeles as the pillars of hip-hop culture.

The Safe Harbor Act is one of the four amendments Georgians will be voting on in next Tuesday's election. If it passes, the state will impose additional fees on those convicted of certain sex trafficking crimes, as well as adult entertainment establishments. That money will fund treatment and resources for victims of child sex trafficking.

Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey host the popular podcast Stuff You Missed In History Class in the Atlanta offices at HowStuffWorks at Ponce City Market. They joined me during our live show from the rooftop of Ponce City Market to talk about what it’s like to produce a history podcast in a historic building – and also some of their personal connections with the Sears company, which built this building in 1926.

On Friday February 3, GPB Atlanta broadcasted "All Things Considered" live from the High Museum of Art's monthly " First Friday " event.

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conference and festival in Austin, Texas. It brings together global innovators in media, entertainment, music and film for a week of concerts and conversations. The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s marketing arm ChooseATL is bringing a number of musicians, entrepreneurs and local companies to Austin this weekend.

An Atlanta entrepreneur is the subject of a new documentary television series premiering Tuesday on Viceland. On Sunday, about 100 Atlanta Film Festival audience members gathered at Dad's Garage Theater for a somewhat surprise screening of the Ondi Timoner project. "We planned this 48 hours ago," said Timoner. "It makes perfect sense for us to be here because Jimmy's from Atlanta." Timoner's camera follows Jimmy Stice, a small staff of mostly Americans, and a few hundred millennial interns who are building a sustainable town called Kalu Yala from scratch in the middle of the jungle. Kalu Yala means "sacred village" in the Kuna language. "We're building a town to look for the best ways we can live in terms of compassionately treating each other in a global community. Access to food access to healthcare access to socioeconomic mobility that's actually beneficial to the environment," said Stice in the show’s trailer . The 10-part series promises plenty of drama documenting young Americans

As a child, Welsh actor Matthew Rhys fell in love with old American noir films — so much so that he'd sometimes channel iconic movie stars. "There were moments when I was pulling the last drag on my cigarette and then ... trying to casually throw a one liner," Rhys says. "[Humphrey Bogart] was in my head a lot vocally." Rhys plays the title role in the new HBO series, Perry Mason. His version of the iconic criminal defense attorney is younger and more hardboiled than the one Raymond Burr played in the popular TV show from the '50s and '60s. The new series focuses on Mason as a divorced private investigator in the early 1930s in Los Angeles — before he became a lawyer. "He's a man who kind of lives on whiskey and cigarettes," Rhys says of his version of Mason. "I was getting to fulfill a number of romantic notions in my inner child." Rhys lost weight for the role. He says it wasn't a significant amount — just enough to thin out his face: "It was one of the things I remember seeing a lot

Copyright 2020 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air . TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. Our jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has a review of trumpet player Ambrose Akinmusire's new album with his longtime quartet. Akinmusire is from the Bay Area. He broke out in jazz over a decade ago. He won the Thelonious Monk Competition, started recording a series of ambitious records for Blue Note and made an appearance on Kendrick Lamar's landmark album "To Pimp A Butterfly." Here's Kevin's review. (SOUNDBITE OF AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE'S "YESSSS") KEVIN WHITEHEAD, BYLINE: Ambrose Akinmusire's quartet from their new album poetically titled "On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment." This singular trumpet player has a keen sense of musical drama, using space and shading to good effect. He's hardly the first improviser to choose a few notes or gestures with care. But he can really push the idea without giving up the vocal quality that jazz soloists prize. (SOUNDBITE OF AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE'S "YESSSS"

The day Margo Price walked into the studio to start recording her new album, That's How Rumors Get Started , she had butterflies in her stomach, a mixture of excitement, trepidation — and morning sickness. "I definitely was not expecting to be pregnant," she says. "I had planned to go into the studio regardless of what was happening in my personal life." Her daughter Ramona was born last June — and her new album is now out in the world, too. Price says that the two processes, making an album and having a baby, were eerily similar. "I think when you're making art and you're creating something, you have this feeling of protection," she says. "You keep it to yourself at first, and it's evolving and growing and changing. And the same [can be said] when you're carrying a baby. It's such a process that it's really hard to describe either one. I think they're both kind of mysterious in their own way. It's something that's just so personal." NPR's Ailsa Chang spoke to Margo Price about staying

Here, in my neighborhood, life is a mix of re-revised rules for living and reality checks. Every day the local authorities publish new data on the where of illness. Daily a new national atrocity snaps a klieg light on us. Reading these days is a necessary escape from, and immersion into, reckoning. And so it is with Asako Serizawa's stunning and visceral debut, The Inheritors . Every page speaks to our current zeitgeist. Each character in these stories is occupied and occupier, trapped in a moral and existential crisis that's unnerving because it's evergreen, because the nature of human tragedy is our own making and the lessons we keep learning never seem to take. The book is a labyrinth of collected stories which follow a Japanese family's history over 150 years, beginning in 1868 and emerging into a future set in the 2030's, and connecting one family's multi-generational experiences living in a colonial and post-colonial world — in Japan, China, and the United States. The inheritors

Copyright 2020 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air . TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. At a time when many Americans are still home and life seems to have come to a standstill, our film critic Justin Chang says it could be an especially good time to watch "Palm Springs," a romantic comedy about two people forced to repeat the same day over and over again. It stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. It's streaming on Hulu and playing in some drive-in theaters around the country. JUSTIN CHANG, BYLINE: "Palm Springs" was a hot ticket at this year's Sundance Film Festival, one of the last public events to take place before the movie industry shut down. I didn't see it there, but having caught up with it months later at home, I can't help but feel as though this breezily entertaining movie plays a little differently in the era of COVID-19. It's a comedy about isolation and repetition, which might not sound too appealing at a time when many of us are also leading lives of isolation

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: Performing artists are struggling to find ways to reach audiences during the coronavirus lockdown. Musicians are streaming concerts from their homes. Theaters are trying everything from Zoom plays to radio dramas. And one opera company is trying to reach its audience one listener at a time over the telephone. Reporter Jeff Lunden decided to take the call. JEFF LUNDEN, BYLINE: This is a story of love and separation. Two days before my phone rang, I got an email. And it says, my love, I miss you terribly. Each day without you is like... JENNIFER ZETLAN: A day without breathing. I long to see your face, the twinkle of your eyes. LUNDEN: The email is from my beloved. She says she's written some lyrics to songs she wants to sing to me and adds a postscript. ZETLAN: I've taken up learning a new language in quarantine, so all the songs will be in German. Here's the English translation. LUNDEN: I waited. Then the phone rang.

Sophie Mackintosh wrote her first novel, The Water Cure , while she was also working a full time office job. It was a success — longlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2018. So she left the day job to write her second novel, Blue Ticket. And as she did in her first book, Mackintosh has created a world in Blue Ticket that explores themes of gender, power and family. "On the day of the first period, teenage girls are assigned a blue ticket or white ticket through a lottery system," Mackintosh says. "The blue ticket means you can't have children and a white ticket means that you can. And this one decision that they make very early on in their lives kind of dictates the rest of their life and follows them around." Interview Highlights On the protagonist, Calla, a blue-ticket woman So I had decided — for a long time I decided I wasn't going to have children, and I was very firm on this. And then when I kind of reached my late 20s, I found myself experiencing something which I imagine a lot

Here's a seemingly simple question: Can musicians in quarantine play music together over an Internet connection? We've migrated birthday parties, happy hours and church services to video calls these days, so couldn't we do the same with band practice? Across ubiquitous video conferencing tools like Zoom, FaceTime and Skype, it takes time for audio data to travel from person to person. That small delay, called latency, is mostly tolerable in conversation — save for a few overlapping stutters — but when it comes to playing music online with any kind of rhythmic integrity, latency quickly becomes a total dealbreaker. This video follows pianist and composer Dan Tepfer down the rabbit hole. Tepfer often occupies the intersection of music and innovative technology (just check out his Tiny Desk concert ), and by proxy has served his fellow musicians as a tech support line of sorts. A public inquiry on Twitter led him to jazz trombonist Michael Dessen, also a researcher at the University of

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit NOEL KING, HOST: There's something happening in the U.K. right now that is reminiscent of Prohibition in the United States. You remember those old pictures of bar owners pouring out gallons and gallons of booze? STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Oh, yeah. Well, British pub owners today are dumping all the beer that's gone bad during the months they were in lockdown. DUNCAN SMITH: During the 14-week shutdown, a significant amount of our beers and lagers became out of date. KING: That's Duncan Smith (ph). He's been a bartender for 33 years, and one of the pubs that he operates has been around for 250 years. SMITH: It's been serving the community for that long and, you know, been through world wars and all the rest of it and, obviously, very different times that long ago. And something comes along like this, which could wipe it out, and we've got to take any benefit we possibly can, thrown out by the government and the suppliers, in order to survive. INSKEEP: The

They fume and rage and demand their rights. Sometimes they even get violent. In the age of COVID-19, most people practice social distancing guidelines when they go into stores and restaurants, putting on masks and standing 6 feet behind other customers. Still, there are the nightmare customers — those who refuse to comply. "I've had a lot of conflict. I've had a lot of pushback from people," says Brenda Leek, owner of Curbside Eatery in La Mesa, Calif. One woman entered Leek's restaurant without a mask, pulling her T-shirt over her face. Leek told her to mask up or leave. "So then she's like, 'This is ridiculous! You're discriminating against me!' Told me I would be hearing from her attorney. And I said, 'That's fine,' " Leek says. Encounters like that are anything but unusual. The Internet is filled with videotaped confrontations involving customers who flout social distancing rules. Sometimes they insist on entering without face coverings. Other times one customer stands too close to

What does the Bible really teach about angels? In this eye-opening article about the spiritual realm, Pastor Doug reveals amazing facts about these heavenly messengers, facts that will inspire you about God’s love and that will help you avoid falling into dangerous spiritual traps.

In this inspirational article, Pastor Doug explores the theme of forgiveness through the lens of one of Jesus’ most challenging parables.

Each part of the body depends on another to function properly—this is true both physically and spiritually. Different gifts among God’s people mean different roles in the church for each member. Do you ever wonder if your place is important? Find out in this inspiring, heartfelt look at the body of Christ.

Have you ever been tempted to jump from the ship because the seas were too rough? Pastor Doug Batchelor presents the reasons why staying in the boat with the body of Christ is so important in these last days.

Are we at the threshold of end-time prophecy? Is the planet about to plunge into the great tribulation promised in Scripture? And if so, what does it mean for Christians—how should you prepare? Get real and practical Bible answers to these questions and more as Pastor Doug Batchelor explores this timely topic!

President Trump has won at least a temporary reprieve from a judge's order to release his tax records as part of a criminal investigation into his business dealings. Those records could be released to investigators as litigation continues. Tax experts say the documents could reveal a lot — or not much at all — about Trump's financial history. "Numbers tell stories," said Kelly Richmond Pope, who teaches forensic accounting at DePaul University. "So following those numbers can help piece together a story." The returns could prompt further investigation by prosecutors in New York, who are digging into Trump's business dealings around hush money that his organization allegedly paid to two women who say they had extramarital affairs with him. And whatever the returns contain, they're a matter of public interest, given that Trump has bucked precedent by not releasing them. Here are a few things that tax experts say they'll be watching for as litigation over Trump's tax records continues:

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A bipartisan delegation of Congresspeople is just back from Ukraine. It was a trip designed to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine alliance, and it was planned before news broke of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump involving that same country. Congressman John Garamendi led the delegation as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. And the Democrat from California joins us now. Welcome, Congressman. JOHN GARAMENDI: Good to be with you. SHAPIRO: One central question in the impeachment inquiry is whether President Trump demanded help investigating a political rival in exchange for U.S. aid to Ukraine. And I know that aid was a central topic on your trip, so what did you learn about Ukraine's reliance on American assistance? GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, Ukraine is an extraordinary country. These citizens of that country are determined to be independent. They have been fighting a war against Russia for the last five years. They've lost 13- to 14

Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: This month in All Tech Considered, why everyone wants to break up big tech. From federal regulators to Congress to state attorneys general, everyone seems to be trying to figure out whether major tech companies have gotten too big, too powerful and maybe broken antitrust laws. For clues about what Google and Facebook and Amazon and Apple might face, we're going to take a look back at one of the biggest antitrust cases of the past few decades. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST) UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: After weeks of mounting tension, today the Justice Department and a coalition of 20 states filed a pair of broad antitrust lawsuits against the world's leading software company Microsoft. KELLY: Now, that is from our show on May 18, 1998. The case had actually started to take shape almost a decade earlier, and the end of it wouldn't come until years later. Well, here to explain the lessons that today's big tech giants can take

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A bipartisan delegation of Congresspeople is just back from Ukraine. It was a trip designed to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine alliance, and it was planned before news broke of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump involving that same country. Congressman John Garamendi led the delegation as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. And the Democrat from California joins us now. Welcome, Congressman. JOHN GARAMENDI: Good to be with you. SHAPIRO: One central question in the impeachment inquiry is whether President Trump demanded help investigating a political rival in exchange for U.S. aid to Ukraine. And I know that aid was a central topic on your trip, so what did you learn about Ukraine's reliance on American assistance? GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, Ukraine is an extraordinary country. These citizens of that country are determined to be independent. They have been fighting a war against Russia for the last five years. They've lost 13- to 14

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

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A bipartisan delegation of Congresspeople is just back from Ukraine. It was a trip designed to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine alliance, and it was planned before news broke of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump involving that same country. Congressman John Garamendi led the delegation as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. And the Democrat from California joins us now. Welcome, Congressman. JOHN GARAMENDI: Good to be with you. SHAPIRO: One central question in the impeachment inquiry is whether President Trump demanded help investigating a political rival in exchange for U.S. aid to Ukraine. And I know that aid was a central topic on your trip, so what did you learn about Ukraine's reliance on American assistance? GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, Ukraine is an extraordinary country. These citizens of that country are determined to be independent. They have been fighting a war against Russia for the last five years. They've lost 13- to 14

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A bipartisan delegation of Congresspeople is just back from Ukraine. It was a trip designed to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine alliance, and it was planned before news broke of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump involving that same country. Congressman John Garamendi led the delegation as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. And the Democrat from California joins us now. Welcome, Congressman. JOHN GARAMENDI: Good to be with you. SHAPIRO: One central question in the impeachment inquiry is whether President Trump demanded help investigating a political rival in exchange for U.S. aid to Ukraine. And I know that aid was a central topic on your trip, so what did you learn about Ukraine's reliance on American assistance? GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, Ukraine is an extraordinary country. These citizens of that country are determined to be independent. They have been fighting a war against Russia for the last five years. They've lost 13- to 14

The public funeral for opera star Jessye Norman has been set for Saturday in Georgia and will feature tributes from actor Laurence Fishburne, civil rights activist Vernon Jordan and Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald. The funeral will be at the William B. Bell Auditorium in Augusta. A private interment will follow. There are two public viewings — on Thursday and Friday.

One hundred years on from prohibition, Americans are getting their “ claws out ,” shouting “ dilly dilly ” at major golf tournaments and slurping mimosas at brunch. In short, banning alcohol obviously didnt stick. In the face of all of the goofiness of alcohol marketing and culture, it’s tempting to classify the analysis of drinking culture as a fun diversion rather than a serious route of study. However, Theresa McCulla, the brewing historian for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, would say that you’re missing the bigger picture , especially when it comes to beer: We feel strongly that the history of beer and brewing throughout American history serves as a lens to look at other issues. If you look at beer, you can understand stories of immigration, transportation, changes to our technology, business, as well as consumer culture and how it intertwines with advertising. McCulla joins us to discuss the history of American drinking culture, American brewing and the

Looking back at more than 25 years in public service, Susan Rice — former U.N. ambassador for the United States and national security adviser to President Barack Obama — describes much of her career as a balancing act. Sometimes, that meant toeing the line between her personal and professional life. "My now 22-year-old son, in fact, learned to walk in the halls of the State Department," recalls Rice in an interview with NPR. "And there were those who thought that was a little bit inappropriate for the staid halls of the State Department." But luckily, she says, she had the support of then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Other times, Rice had to balance her ambition with her identity as a person of color: At the age of 28, having just started her career in government, Rice turned down a position working on African policy for the Clinton administration out of fear of pigeonholing herself. She worried "this predominantly white national security establishment would see [her] as

Pastor Doug Batchelor takes you on a fascinating, faith-building exploration of the greatest and deepest of mysteries—the triune nature of our Creator God.

Life is a road. Jesus said you are either on the broad way to destruction or the narrow road to life.

The Bible says before the Lord comes again there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It won't be just the Spirit giving comfort and conviction but a baptism of the Spirit with signs and wonders and miracles.

Why should we go to church on Sabbath? How did Jesus observe Sabbath?

There was a great battle at the cross. Pastor Doug tells of seven segments of Jesus' suffering and seven of His statements from the cross.

The message of the Bible is that we are to go and share the good news about Jesus, the greatest missionary. God calls us wherever we are to be witnesses of our faith. We are all called to be missionaries. We either “send” or we are “sent”.

This message is about spiritual and physical healing, how God can heal. God loves everyone equally.

Many things are invisible, we can't see them, but they are real. After sin entered the world we lost the ability to see and tune into the spiritual realm. What is the difference between being spiritual or being religious? Why is this important?

How do we stand on the high ground? Stand fast in the faith. We need to come up to God's level. What we watch and listen to will either lift us up, or pull us down.