Podcasts about On Earth

Story of the Week (DR):JP Morgan's news weekThe Lurid Lawsuit, Salami Scandal and Trash-Can Thief Vexing JPMorgan's PR Department AND Meme of 'JPMorgan's HR Department in 2026' Has People in Stitches Amid Sex Scandal and Knicks Bin IncidentShe Stole a Knicks Trash Can Off the Street and Lost Her Job at JPMorganThe Trash Bin That Cost Her Career: Who Is Angie Báez? JPMorgan DEI Executive Fired After Viral Knicks Parade VideoThe Trash-Can Thief: Angie Báez, an Executive Director of Community and Industry Engagement at the bank, was captured on a viral video during the New York Knicks championship parade emptying a public trash bin onto a Manhattan sidewalk so she could steal the limited-edition, blue-and-orange Knicks-themed container.The Resolution: JPMorgan quickly terminated her employment after the video went viral. Báez eventually returned the trash bin and was issued $175 in sanitation fines.But what kinds of thing DON'T get you fired and get you fined?In 2023, JPMorgan Chase agreed to a $290 million (1,657,143x) settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. The bank was accused of actively ignoring glaring red flags and helping bankroll Epstein's sex-trafficking operation for 15 years.Internal documents and later congressional probes revealed that the bank processed roughly 4,700 suspicious transactions totaling $1.1 billion for Epstein. They failed to file a single Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) until after his death.Who Kept Their Job? Mary Erdoes: The Head of Asset & Wealth Management was fully aware of Epstein's status as a high-risk sex offender, reviewed his account, and was directly implicated in internal communications regarding his status. She faced zero professional demotions and remains one of the top candidates to eventually succeed Jamie Dimon as CEO.In 2020, JPMorgan Chase entered a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay a record $920 million (5,257,143x) to settle federal charges of market manipulation.For nearly a decade, traders on JPMorgan's precious metals and U.S. Treasuries desks engaged in "spoofing"—placing tens of thousands of fake, deceptive orders to artificially move market prices and maximize their own profits. The FBI stated that traders "openly disregarded U.S. laws."While a couple of mid-to-high-level traders (like Michael Nowak and Gregg Smith) were later criminally convicted and sentenced to prison, the executive leadership team responsible for supervising them and implementing compliance programs suffered no casualties. Top management stayed perfectly secure, chalking the multi-million dollar fraud up as the work of a few "bad apples."The Salami Scandal: Veteran wealth manager Brent Bodner was fired by JPMorgan in 2024 after he expensed a $642.50 deli platter (containing wings, sandwiches, and salads) for a Super Bowl gathering at his Beverly Hills home. The bank accused him of intentionally misclassifying a personal party as a pre-approved business meeting.Bodner counter-sued, jokingly dubbing the controversy the "salami incident." He argued that the event was a legitimate client-acquisition dinner that only two prospects ended up attending, and that the minor coding error was used as a pretext to push him out.The Resolution: A FINRA arbitration panel sided heavily with Bodner, ruling that JPMorgan acted preemptively out of paranoia that brokers were leaving for rivals. The panel ordered JPMorgan to pay Bodner $4.25 million in damages.The Lurid Lawsuit: Chirayu Rana, a former vice president on JPMorgan's leveraged finance team, leveled highly salacious allegations against his female supervisor, Executive Director Lorna Hajdini. Rana's lawsuit alleges he was subjected to a campaign of racial discrimination, severe harassment, and forced sexual relations under the threat of having his career sabotaged.The Resolution: Rana rejected a $1M settlement offer, countering with a demand for up to $22 million before escalating the fight to court. Both Hajdini and JPMorgan strongly deny the allegations as entirely fabricated, and the legal battle is moving toward a highly publicized trial.JPMorgan Chase promotes Petno, Rohrbaugh to copresidents, setting up two more successors for DimonThe Wait to Replace Jamie Dimon Keeps Getting Longer: Another potential successor, Marianne Lake, is leaving JPMorgan, as the longstanding chief executive enters his third decade atop the bank.How JPMorgan went from 3 female CEO contenders to an all-male succession raceJPMorgan named Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh, current co-heads of the bank's commercial and investment bank, as co-presidents, setting them up as the frontrunners to succeed longtime CEO Jamie Dimon. Their promotions, the bank said in a press release, "are part of the Board's ongoing succession planning process."Petno and Rohrbaugh were among a handful of powerhouse candidates poised to succeed Dimon, including Jennifer Piepszak, chief operating officer, Marianne Lake, CEO of the commercial bank, and Mary Erdoes, CEO of asset and wealth management.Marianne Lake, a Potential Dimon Successor, Leaves JPMorganOne-time Retention and Continuity equity awards to the following Operating Committee members:Doug Petno, Co-President and CEO of the Commercial & Investment Bank, and Troy Rohrbaugh, Co-President and CEO of Consumer & Community Banking, in the amount of $30M each;Mary Erdoes, CEO of Asset & Wealth Management, and Jennifer Piepszak, Chief Operating Officer, in the amount of $20M each.JPMorgan Chase unveils $50 billion buyback, Goldman Sachs raises dividend after Fed stress testA 6 year study shows which CEOs are pushing RTO mandates: The ones with the biggest egosFortune 500 bosses demanding staff return to the office share one trait: narcissism, research findsA six-year study tracking corporate executives revealed that strict return-to-office (RTO) mandates are heavily driven by narcissism and executive ego, rather than actual employee productivityWharton organizational psychologist Adam Grant noted that researchers used reliable corporate proxies to quantify CEO narcissism, including the oversized scale of their compensation packages, the size of their signatures, and the prominence of their photos in company annual reports.The data showed that leaders with highly inflated self-opinions consistently coveted maximum power and status, making them the most aggressive opponents of remote work.Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan pushed hard for a 5-day-a-week return to the office. Why they're now letting employees work from homeGameStop CEO Cohen spurns $35 billion pay plan to focus on plan to buy eBayGameStop CEO on His eBay Pursuit: ‘I'm Not Going to Stop, I'm Not Going to Go Away'GameStop unveiled a compensation package worth roughly $35B for Ryan Cohen ​in January, hinging on a turnaround that requires him to lift the struggling company's market value more than tenfold and sharply boost its profit.In May, Cohen surprised Wall Street with an unsolicited offer to buy eBay for roughly $56 billion in cash and stock to ‌turn the e-commerce company into ⁠a bigger competitor to Amazon.EBay's board rejected the proposal, calling the offer "neither credible nor attractive."Cohen argued that he doesn't want the package ⁠so that GameStop's leadership can fully focus on its operating performance and the planned acquisition.SpaceX handed lowest possible ESG rating by MSCI: Triple C score puts Elon Musk's company on par with Russia after 2022 invasion of UkraineMusk 'most obvious risk' following SpaceX's lowest possible ESG rating“Board of Directors: The SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES board currently has an independent majority, which enables it to more effectively fulfill its critical function of overseeing management on behalf of shareholders. The company has failed to split the roles of CEO and chairman, which may limit the board's independence from current management interests. Split CEO and chairman roles are characteristic of 67% of companies in this market.”Welltower CFO's $167 million pay package sets new recordWelltower's Tim McHugh is the new highest-paid finance chief among the biggest U.S. companies. His $167 million pay package in 2025 not only dwarfs that of his CFO peers but also outpaces the compensation of many CEOs.McHugh's pay at Welltower, a real-estate investment trust focused on rental housing for seniors, surpasses the $139 million compensation package received by Tesla's Vaibhav Taneja in 2024. This puts him more than $135 million above Alphabet's Anat Ashkenazi, the next highest-paid CFO in 2025. And it secures him a spot in the club of executives making $100 million or more, a group that remains rare.Here's what the article DID NOT MENTION: CEO Shankh Mitra: $821MGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Scientists Say New Method Turns Coffee Grounds Into High-Potency Renewable FuelAccording to a press release from South Korea's National Research Council of Science and Technology, a team of researchers at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) have developed a method to convert spent coffee waste into high-quality charcoal, known as biochar.While that's a feat in and of itself, the kicker is the method's blistering speed: it takes just 90 seconds from start to finish, with no drawn-out drying process or oil separation required. According to the release, the new technique solves a major issue in extracting the latent energy potential of spent coffee beans.DR: Bill to raise minimum wage to $25 an hour will be introduced in Senate DR MMThe bill would incrementally increase the minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25, with the first jump to $12 an hour in the first year of enactment. Major corporations would have six years to work up to a $25 minimum wage, while smaller employers would have a 13-year runway. The legislation would also do away with subminimum wages for tipped workers, such as restaurant servers, youth workers and workers with disabilities. Nearly half of the American workforce makes less than $25 an hour.DR: Federal judge blocks new law aimed at ESG, DEI investing decisionsA federal judge has blocked Kansas from enforcing a new law that requires institutional investment advisers to make certain disclosures when recommending against company management on issues, including environmental, social and governance principles.U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter on Wednesday issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of law enacted last session that two major national institutional investment advisers said was unconstitutional because it discriminated based on speech.MM: MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last yearAssholiest of the Week (MM):CEO SPEED ROUND - ONE HEADLINE, ONE CEO, ONE LINERTim Cook - It's pretty sweet to quit your job and let the new guy fight the union: Apple closed America's first unionized store and blocked workers from transfers — now the union is fighting backJamie Dimon - It was easy - we just pointed to the ones with boobs and said “Not you”: How JPMorgan went from 3 female CEO contenders to an all-male succession raceZuck - The best thing about being a little man king with no accountability is I can randomly change and unchange and rechange my mind… about people's lives: Meta pauses an AI training program that tracks employees' keystrokes after an internal leakLarry Fink - Have you SEEN the size of my signature??? Fucking come to work: A 6 year study shows which CEOs are pushing RTO mandates: The ones with the biggest egos“In the six-year study, researchers collected data on Fortune 500 CEOs, using behavioral proxies—signature size, photo size in annual reports, pay gap relative to peers—to construct narcissism scores. The higher the score, the more likely a CEO was to publicly oppose remote and hybrid work and seek additional status (like a board chairmanship). In a separate experiment, CEOs whose egos were primed—by reflecting on the assertive leadership styles of Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison—showed significantly greater opposition to working from home than a control group”Andy Jassy - Now we know EXACTLY when you're wasting our time peeing in a bottle instead of working: Amazon is on a mission to optimize warehouse work. Its latest test puts wearable devices on support staff.Nikesh Arora - If you just said, “Who?”, you better pay attention because I have important things to say: Palo Alto Networks CEO: We're in 'a Darwinian moment' where employees have to prove their AI skills - BRONZE ASSHOLESatya Nadella - If I complain about how everyone TALKS about AI, does that make me sound more sympathetic?: Microsoft's CEO Takes Aim At AI Companies: 'We Have To Walk The Walk' To Convince The Public - GOLDEN ASSHOLEJeff Bezos - I mean, if I'm honest, everyone is terrible and should be laid off: Jeff Bezos Called Washington Post His Worst Investment and Staff He Laid Off ‘Terrible' People - SILVER ASSHOLEBrian Moynihan - I mean, or your kid was late to school because they forgot to make their card for teacher appreciation day, you didn't eat breakfast, and you rushed in to work from the office as fast as you could because working from home isn't allowed anymore: By 7 a.m., Bank of America's CEO has already read 5 newspapers, his email inbox, and hit the gym—he says if you're late to meetings, you're ‘selfish'Dave Ramsey - 0.0001% of Musk's worst day could end hunger ON EARTH, but sure, take away Halloween and pets from the rest of us: Dave Ramsey Says 20% of Americans' Halloween and Pet Budgets Could End Hunger: 'There'd Be No Hungry Kids'Headliniest of the WeekDR: Beloved Grandmother Was Standing in Her Own House When a Tesla, Allegedly on Autopilot, Smashed Through the Wall and Killed Her in Grandchildren's PlayroomA popular password manager was hit by a hack. What you need to know—and how to keep your data safeMM: Ryanair says it will reluctantly not charge parents to sit next to childrenMM: Elon Musk will get a billion shares of SpaceX if he can settle a million humans on MarsJust make it 10 trillion shares if he can safely land Gus who sleeps at the bus station on NeptuneWho Won the Week?DR: The MotherS(C)hIpMM: ESG RatingsPredictionsDR: Symbolically giving up your $35 billion CEO pay package becomes the new $1 salary: proxy statements will say: “Our CEO generously waived his $35 billion pay package as a gesture of sacrifice to lead by example, preserve corporate cash, and show solidarity with displaced workers and stressed stakeholders.”MM: Ryanair announces a new fee children can pay to sit AWAY from their parents

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

Episode 750 arrives with a simple reminder: the bullshit never sleeps. This week Jason and Brian dive headfirst into a game of Douchebag Ping Pong featuring OpenAI, Anthropic, Elon Musk, and the rest of the AI industrial complex. OpenAI is preparing to go public while simultaneously transforming ChatGPT into an everything app, Anthropic wants the world to slow down AI development before Skynet shows up for work, and then immediately releases a more powerful model because apparently self-awareness only goes so far. Meanwhile, Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning side hustle is laying people off, proving that convincing humans to hand over their biometric data remains a surprisingly difficult sales pitch.The AI arms race gets even weirder as SpaceX unveils plans for orbital data centers the size of flying football fields while Google and Anthropic shovel billions into Elon's compute empire just to keep their models fed. On Earth, Seattle is trying to ban new AI data centers before they drink the city dry, Meta is planting AI infrastructure in India, Google is slashing Gemini prices, and a Mississippi judge discovers that lawyers on both sides of a case used AI to invent legal citations, resulting in the rare spectacle of artificial stupidity arguing against itself. Thankfully, AI also manages to do something useful, helping researchers develop a promising universal vaccine and reminding us that not every machine-learning story ends with humanity getting harvested for electricity.Elsewhere, crypto continues its transformation into performance art as Sam Bankman-Fried seeks a presidential pardon while reports suggest the Trump family made billions from crypto projects that left investors holding the bag. Meta gets caught quietly experimenting with face recognition in smart glasses, lawmakers scramble to require recording indicators, and Snapchat tightens protections for younger users. The guys also celebrate Apple's shockingly competent Sports app, a rare piece of software that simply does the thing it's supposed to do without trying to become your therapist, financial advisor, or AI life coach. Plus: Ghostbusters returns, Devil May Cry gets another season, Bill Burr takes on Facebook in The Social Reckoning, and a look at why Silicon Valley's newest luxury service appears to be paying actual humans for conversation.Sponsors:DeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.CleanMyMac - Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off at clnmy.com/OLDGEEKSPrivate Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/750Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/w8POIp_Dts0SHOW NOTESOpenAI files SEC paperwork to go publicAnthropic proposes a global slowdown of AI developmentOpenAI Joins Anthropic in Call for International AI WatchdogAnthropic releases Claude Fable, a version of Mythos, days after warning AI is becoming too dangerousOpenAI reportedly has a major ChatGPT overhaul in storeSam Altman's Eyeball Scanning Company Now Laying Off WorkersElon Musk's first-gen orbital data center craft spans wider than a Boeing 747 and runs an interchangeable chip payload — AI1 satellite compute payload is 120 kW, peaks at 150 kWGoogle will pay SpaceX $920 million a month to use xAI's data centersSeattle is close to approving a year-long ban on large data centersMeta signs first AI data center deal in India with RelianceGoogle cuts the price of its AI Plus plan and doubles the storageJudge Learns Lawyers on Both Sides of Case Used AI, Cancels Trial, Kicks Everyone Off the CaseThe University of Cambridge says it successfully tested a vaccine with an AI-designed antigenKalshi will require employment info for some bets as an insider trading precautionSam Bankman-Fried applies for a pardon from TrumpTrump Family Reportedly Made About $2.3 Billion on Crypto While Investors Lost About $2.3 Billion on Trump-Related CryptoThe Nerdy Escorts Cashing In On Silicon Valley's AI BoomApple Made a Sports App That Does Almost Nothing. It's Incredible.Meta Removes Face-Recognition System From Its Smart Glasses, Is Mad About itSmart Glasses Would Legally Require a Recording Light Under Proposed LawSnap will no longer allow younger teens' Spotlight videos to be publicly viewableThe iOS 27 beta pretty much confirms that an Apple foldable is happeningThinking Sideways: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life by Jennifer ShahadeThinking Fast, Slow, Artificially: AI and Your BrainCloudConvertHoppersDownton Abbey: The Motion PictureWidow's BayThe New ‘Ghostbusters' Cartoon Gets a Title and Release DateDevil May Cry Season 2 on NetflixTHE SOCIAL RECKONING – Official Teaser Trailer (HD)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. travelersinthenight.org From February 2026. Today's 2 topics: - In April 2029 on one of the luckiest Friday the 13th in human history the 1,500 ft by 500 ft asteroid Apophis will pass within 23,600 miles of the Earth's surface traveling at some 4.6 mi/s. This is extremely fortunate since an Apophis impact would release the energy of scores of nuclear weapons and cause wide spread devastation. NASA's OSIRIS-APEX will become the companion of the potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis on 5 June 2029.   - On Earth living things are everywhere from the deepest ocean depths to the highest mountain tops. On our home planet RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is a complex essential molecule involved in the process of translating genetic information into the working components of living cells. In a recent paper in the peer reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Yuta Hirakawa and his team of two coauthors report on their experiments to produce RNA under conditions similar to those which may have occurred in the early history of Earth and Mars.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

  ABOUT AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe. AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR April 27, 2018 | Theatrical Release CAST & CREW OF AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Stan Lee Cast: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man Chris Hemsworth as Thor Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther Zoe Saldaña as Gamora Karen Gillan as Nebula Tom Hiddleston as Loki Paul Bettany as Vision Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier BRAN'S MOVIE SYNOPSIS So, they get right to it. Bad boy Thanos gets an infinity stone, the Power Stone. His play is to get all six Infinity Stones and wipe out half of all life in the universe.  His first stop is the ship carrying the surviving people of Asgard. Thanos easily overwhelms the remaining Asgardians, beats up Hulk, and steals the Space Stone from Loki's Tesseract. He then kills Loki. Thanos then destroys the ship and continues his hunt. Edris Elba helps make sure that Hulk returns to earth, where he crashes through the New York Sanctum. Back as Bruce, He warns Doctor Stephen Strange and Wong that Thanos is coming.  Tony Stark joins the conversation. Before he can call Steve Rogers to get the band back together, they attack the city to claim the Time Stone from Strange. Spider-Man is pulled into the chaos, and after they captures Strange aboard his spaceship, Stark and Peter Parker secretly hitch a ride into space to rescue him while Wong remains behind to defend the Sanctum. Meanwhile, the Guardians of the Galaxy answer a distress signal and save Thor floating in space. They agree they need to work together to stop Thanos. But they're too late. Thanos already possesses the Reality Stone and uses its power to manipulate everything around them. He captures Gamora after learning she knows the location of the Soul Stone. Desperate to save her adopted sister Nebula from torture, Gamora tells him where the stone is .  When they get there, the keeper of the Soul Stone, one Red Skull, reveals the price required to obtain it: the sacrifice of someone truly loved. In one of the film's most tragic moments, Thanos throws Gamora to her death, earning the Soul Stone. Vision and Wanda are ambushed in Scotland by Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, who attempt to rip the Mind Stone from Vision's forehead. Captain America, Black Widow, and Falcon arrive just in time to save them, bringing the wounded Vision back to the Avengers Compound. Vision urges Wanda to destroy the Mind Stone and kill him if necessary to stop Thanos, but she cannot bring herself to do it. Instead, the team heads to Wakanda, believing Shuri may be able to safely remove the stone without sacrificing Vision's life. Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange end up on Titan and come face to face with Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis and they realize they're in the same team.  Using the Time Stone, Strange studies millions of possible futures and discovers only one path where they succeed. Together they execute an elaborate plan to restrain Thanos and remove the Infinity Gauntlet. For a moment, it almost works—until Nebula reveals that Gamora is dead. Overcome with grief and rage, Star-Lord attacks Thanos, ruining the team's hold on him. Thanos breaks free, defeats everyone, and nearly kills Iron Man. To save Tony's life, Doctor Strange willingly surrenders the Time Stone, despite knowing how dangerous it is. In Wakanda, the Avengers prepare for an all-out invasion from Thanos's army. Bruce Banner, unable to transform into Hulk, enters battle wearing the Hulkbuster armor. The tide finally turns when Thor arrives in spectacular fashion alongside Rocket and Groot, tearing through Thanos's army with his fresh new hammer/ax combo, Stormbreaker. Despite their efforts, Thanos himself eventually reaches Vision. Wanda heartbreakingly destroys the Mind Stone—and Vision with it—just before Thanos can claim it. But using the Time Stone, Thanos reverses time, restores Vision briefly to life, and violently tears the stone from his forehead, killing him again. With all six Infinity Stones finally united, the Infinity Gauntlet is complete. Thor attacks and buries Stormbreaker deep into Thanos's chest, but Thanos coldly tells him he “should have gone for the head.” He snaps his fingers and vanishes. Across the universe, half of all life immediately turns to dust. Bucky Barnes, Black Panther, Groot, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis all fade away. On Earth, Nick Fury manages to send a desperate signal from a mysterious pager moments before he too disappears. The survivors are left shattered and defeated. Tony Stark and Nebula are stranded on Titan. The remaining Avengers stand in stunned silence in Wakanda. And somewhere far away, Thanos sits alone on a quiet planet, watching the sunrise over a universe he believes he has finally “saved.” Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

Lightning may flash through the skies of Mars. But don’t expect to see big, jagged streaks like those produced by storms on Earth. Instead, they may be tiny sparks – like fireflies twinkling through a summer evening. On Earth, lightning is generated by the motions of bits of ice inside clouds. As the particles move past each other, they build up an electric charge. They dis-charge as lightning. The clouds on Mars are high and thin, so there’s no way for them to make big lightning bolts. But the dust grains that swirl through the Martian atmosphere might generate their own discharges. And two recent studies found evidence of them. In the first, researchers combed through recordings made by a microphone on the Perseverance rover. They found 55 instances of small “crackling” sounds near the rover. Almost all of them happened during dust storms, or when small dust devils passed the rover. The scientists decided the most likely explanation for the crackles was tiny discharges – “lightning” bolts about a centimeter long. In the second study, a team looked at observations made by the MAVEN orbiter. The scientists looked for radio waves produced by lightning, which are different from other types of radio from the planet. They found a single example – a possible flicker in Martian skies. Even if lightning is small and rare, it could interfere with future Mars landers – perhaps endangering instruments and people on the Red Planet. Script by Damond Benningfield

On Earth as in Heaven Acts 1 by William Klock It's been over ten years since I finished preaching through Luke's Gospel. I had planned to preach on the Acts of the Apostles after a short break, but it didn't happen and didn't happen and didn't happen, but as I was preaching through Ephesians these last few months and pondering the things St. Paul tells us about the what the church is and what that means for us, I got to thinking that I really shouldn't put off Acts any longer.  So I'd planned to jump into it last Sunday. Acts begins with the Ascension of Jesus, and then the very next chapter is Pentecost.  What providential timing!  And then scheduling and a trip to a clericus threw me off by a week.  So last Sunday, Ascension Sunday, you got Ephesians 6—which was a bit of an Ascension sermon—and now on Pentecost, you're getting the Ascension and next week, on Trinity Sunday, you'll get Pentecost! Now, in case you're wondering what Acts has to do with Luke, it's quite a lot. Luke probably wrote his Gospel around a.d. 59 or 60.  He addresses it to someone named Theophilus.  Theophilus means “lover of God”, so some think that Luke may have used this name symbolically and that the Gospel is for everyone who loves God.  It certainly is that, but an attribution like that seems to have been unknown in Luke's world, so Theophilus probably was a real person and was probably a patron who funded Luke's writing project.  Luke was not an eyewitness to Jesus or the events of the Gospels.  As he says in the introduction, he sought out the eyewitnesses so that he could scrupulously record the events surrounding Jesus' life and ministry.  And now Acts.  Luke wrote Acts not long later, sometime between 60 and 62.  The book ends with Paul, imprisoned in Rome, awaiting his hearing before Caesar.  There's a debate about exactly what happened to Paul after that time.  He was martyred at Rome, probably during Nero's persecution of Christians, sometime between 64 and 67.  The traditional view is that Paul's case was heard in 62, he was released, and may have travelled to Spain to preach the good news about Jesus, before returning to Rome to work with Peter to oversee the church there.  The more “modern” view is that Paul was imprisoned once and was executed between 62 and 64.  Whatever the case, since Luke doesn't mention such an important event, we can pretty safely assume he wrote during that time that Paul was awaiting his hearing.  And in the case of Acts, Luke was an eyewitness, at least to part of it.  He researched the early part of Acts just as he did his Gospel, but then he took up with Paul at the city of Troas, on Paul's second missionary journey around 50-51.  Luke spent the following ten or more years travelling with Paul as a missionary and records those events as a participant. And who was Luke other than a companion of Paul?  He was a gentile.  At the end of Colossians, Paul names him separately, apart from his fellow Jewish workers.  In that same passage, Paul describes Luke as a physician.  Beyond that we really don't know a lot about him.  He writes as we would expect a Gentile would write when writing to other Gentiles.  He writes in polished, educated Greek and he often describes Jewish customs for the benefit of his non-Jewish readers.  And when it comes to Acts, he jumps in right where he left off in his Gospel.  He ended with a condensed telling of the Ascension and he begins Acts with a more detailed account, so we'll start there.  It's page 1080 in your pew Bibles if you want to follow along. Luke writes, “Dear Theophilus, The previous book which I wrote had to do with everything Jesus began to do and to teach. I took the story as far as the day when he was taken up, once he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to his chosen apostles.” Let me pause there.  Notice how Luke writes that in his Gospel he wrote about everything that Jesus began to do and to teach.  Brothers and Sisters, Jesus isn't done.  If Luke's Gospel were called “The Acts of Jesus”, Acts could very easily be “The Acts of Jesus: Part II”.  Jesus isn't done.  Remember what we learned from Paul in Ephesians: in the church, Jesus has established a people—purified by his blood from the stain of sin and filled with God's own Spirit—to be his new creation in the midst of the old, to carry his victory into the world to challenge the Caesars and the gods and the principalities and powers, to proclaim the good news until God's glory fills the whole earth.  Jesus continues his “acts” through us.  At the start of his ministry he told the people to pray: on earth as in heaven.  Now he's empowered us to be the people who will actually live out heaven on earth until he's finally ready to finish what he started that first Easter, and bring heaven and earth and God and human beings back together as they should be. Now, Luke goes on in verse 3: “He showed himself to them alive, after his suffering, by many proofs.  He was seen by them for forty days, during which he spoke about God's kingdom. As they were having a meal together, he told them not to go away from Jerusalem, btu to wait, as he put it, “for the Father's promise, which I was telling you about earlier.  John baptised with water; but in a few days from now you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.  So when the apostles came together, they put this question to Jesus: “Master,” they said, ‘is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel.'” Jesus must have been pretty exasperated by their question.  John Calvin wrote that there are as many errors in their question as there are words.  Jesus has spent forty days teaching them what his resurrection meant for them, for the world, for everything.  Think of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus on Easter Day.  Jesus walked with them for hours and explained what happened to them using the Old Testament scriptures.  We get the impression that as it all sank in they started to understand.  But clearly not fully.  Not even after forty days.  They're still thinking of the kingdom in terms of events like the Maccabean revolt.  The Messiah will raise an army and smite the pagan gentiles and put Israel back on the top of the heap—but this time it will take, it will be forever.  They're still thinking of Jesus as the king in waiting or the king in exile—like some of the Iranians wanting Reza Pahlavi to return to Iran and retake the Peacock Throne.  But that's not how God's kingdom works.  Think of all the parables Jesus told about the kingdom: It's like a tiny mustard seed.  Yes, it will grow into a huge tree, but it takes a long time.  It's like yeast.  Yes, it grows, but it takes time and the right conditions.  After two thousand years, I think we have a better grasp of this.  But not always.  There are still many, many Christians who still kind of ask the same question, as if Jesus is the heir apparent, in exile, still waiting to become king.  But Brothers and Sisters, he already is king.  The church's job is to announce his kingship—as it's carved out on our lychgate: “Jesus is Lord”— and to implement the fact that he really is king.  Now. Not someday.  Now. So Jesus responds to them in verse 7: “It's not your business to know about times and dates,” he replied. “The Father has placed all that under his own direct authority.  What will happen, though, is that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth.” The timing?  How the kingdom is going play out?  When everything will finally be consummated?  Don't worry about that.  The Father has that worked out in his goodness and wisdom.  That' not your job.  That's not our job.  That' not even Jesus' job to know.  Their job, our job is to witness Jesus—his death, his resurrection, his ascension, the fact that he is Lord—to be God's new creation, to put off the old, lie-based way of being human to to put on the new—our job is witness that good news and God's new creation to the world.  And Jesus reiterates it again: I will make sure you're equipped for this.  He's told them already: As John baptised you with water, I will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.  The significance of that didn't seem to sink in.  It should have.  This is what the Lord had promised through the prophets over and over.  Filling his people with the Spirit was to be the great sign of the Messianic age.  It would be the thing that would finally set the hearts of his people right.  And so Jesus says it again: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  And then you'll be my witnesses from Jerusalem and eventually out to the whole world.  The mustard seed.  The yeast.  The king returning from the far-off land.  And then, to make his point, to drive home the fact that, yes, he really is king, Jesus acts out another prophecy.  He loved to do this and so it makes perfect sense that his last act before leaving them would be another acted out prophecy.  Verse 9: “As Jesus said this, he was lifted up while they were watching and a cloud took him out of their sight.  They were gazing into heaven as he disappeared.  Then, lo and behold, two men appeared, dressed in white, standing beside them.  ‘Men of Galilee,' they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven?  This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.'” Jesus acts out Daniel 7—maybe not something we're intimately familiar with (although we should be), but a passage—a dramatic image—any Jew knew intimately.  That's the dream Daniel had of the ferocious beasts representing the pagan kings and empires that threatened God's people.  And in his vision, Daniel sees the Ancient of Days take his throne to sit in judgement over these beasts.  Their kingdoms are taken from them and then one like a son of man comes on the clouds to heaven to take his throne.  And to him is given dominion and glory and kingship so that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.  His dominion, Daniel says, is everlasting, his kingship one that shall never be destroyed.  This the vision of the Messiah becoming king and restoring the kingdom to Israel. So in his ascension, Jesus is showing the fulfilment of God's promise to Daniel.  Coming on the clouds to take his throne.  It was an unmistakable image for the disciples.  The kingdom has been restored to Israel—of course, that's Israel reconstituted around and in Jesus the Messiah—but restored it has been.  The Messiah is on his throne.  At the end of Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus gives the disciples what we often call his “great commission” he deliberately echoes Daniel 7: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  So you must go and make all the nations into disciples.”  The Ascension means that the world is under new management.  Maybe it helps to understand how they thought of heaven.  Unfortunately, we tend to think of heaven through a Platonic lens.  It's a far away and otherworldly place.  The opposite of earth.  The real world of which this is only a shadow.  But that's Plato—pagan Greek philosophy—not the Bible.  In the Bible heaven is earth's compliment; its other half.  God created them to fit together, to mesh.  Heaven is his realm, but the two were meant to overlap, for us to share his presence.  But his part, the heavenly half, was—in the Jewish view—it was like the control room or the CEO's office.  And that's where Jesus has gone.  To take the controls, to sit at the big desk, to accede to his throne—to rule and to reign: as Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:25: “He has to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” But back to Daniel 7.  If the son of man has taken his throne, then that means that the kingdom has, indeed, been restored to Israel.  There are implications there for the disciples.  One of the twelve is missing.  Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus.  The twelve are only eleven.  If the apostles represent the fullness of Israel reconstituted in the Messiah, they need a replacement for Judas.  Twelve tribes; twelve apostles. Maybe they didn't grasp this immediately.  Luke says that after Jesus' ascension, after the two angels asked if they were just going to stand around staring into heaven all day—because: he's one day coming back in the same way—like, didn't he give you work to do?—so they went back to Jerusalem as Jesus had told them.  Verse 13: “They then entered the city (‘they' meaning Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas the son of James) and went to the upstairs room where they were staying.  They all gave themselves single-heartedly to prayer, with the women, including Mary, Jesus' mother, and his brothers.” Luke makes a point of naming them all.  And there are eleven, not twelve.  He anticipates what needs to happen.  The apostles themselves apparently weren't sure what to do, so they did the right thing: they devoted themselves to prayer.  Brothers and Sisters, don't ever let prayer be an excuse for not doing what needs to be done, but when you don't know what to do: pray.  And pray some more.  Luke doesn't say that God suddenly spoke and gave them direction, but after days of prayer they began to understand what they had to do.  They knew the scriptures.  They'd listened to Jesus for forty days.  And as they prayed, understanding came.  Prayer has a way of doing that.  As we see here, the scriptures began to percolate in Peter's head.  That's often how God leads us.  It's not often that he speaks directly and we shouldn't expect him to.  But when we're already steeped in the scriptures and when we pray, the Spirit works and things “seem” to just come together.  I'm often amazed to see how this works when I'm preparing a sermon.  So Peter stands up in the middle of the disciples.  Luke says they'd grown to a hundred and twenty by this point.  And he says—verse 16: “Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago by the mouth of David about Judas, who became a guide to the people who arrested Jesus.  He was counted among us and had his own share in this ministry.”  Luke then adds that Judas went to the field bought with the money used to betray Jesus, he hanged himself there, where he burst open and his guts came out.  Luke notes this bit as historical evidence.  The field was still called “Blood-Place” in his day. And Peter goes on in verse 20, quoting Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8, “For this is what it says in the book of Psalms: ‘Let his home become desolate and let no one live in it' and again, ‘Let another receive his office.' “So,” Peter said, “this is what has to be done. There are plenty of people who have gone about with us all the time that our master Jesus was coming and going among us, starting from John's baptism until the day he was taken from us.  Let one of them be chosen to be alongside us as a special witness of his resurrection.” Through prayer and the scriptures and the prompting of the Spirit, Peter realised that if Jesus, the son of man, sits on his throne, the kingdom has been restored to Israel, and that meant that the leaders…the apostles…of this renewed Israel had better number twelve, to represent the full number Israel's tribes.  The symbolism was vital if people—particularly fellow Jews—were going to see how the scriptures and the covenant and God's promises to Israel were being fulfilled in the church.  “So,” writes Luke, “they chose two: Joseph who was called Barsabbas, with the surname Justus, and Matthias.  ‘Lord,' they prayed, ‘you know the hearts of all people. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to receive this particular place of service and apostleship, from which Judas went away to go to his own place.' So they cast lots for them.  The lot fell on Matthias, and he was enrolled along with the eleven apostles.” This may seem like a mundane detail to us, especially after the glory of Jesus' ascension.  But it was a big deal to the apostles and no less to Luke.  Their knowing the need for twelve, not eleven apostles, highlights just how much they saw the work of Jesus as being about the fulfilment and the restoration of God's people as the promises to Abraham were fulfilled and their mission was about be launched into the nations.  It was proof that this new movement wasn't really new at all.  It was rooted in God's promises and showed their fulfilment of God.  Jesus, the cross, the resurrection, Pentecost weren't just stand-alone events.  They were part of the great story that God had been telling his people for thousands of years.  In these events, God was doing what he'd promised, showing his faithfulness and revealing his glory.  That's why Peter takes us back to the Psalms here.  It's why Stephen, before his martyrdom in Chapter 7 recounts the history of Israel.  They wanted to make it clear that what's happening here in Acts was what God intended all along. I've always found it funny that for all the big deal they make choosing Matthias, he's never mentioned again. I say that, because it's a good reminder that what Luke records in Acts is selective.  As St. John writes at the end of his Gospel, if someone were to write down literally everything that Jesus did, the world could not contain all the books.  And just so with Acts.  Just so with the whole history of the church.  The world could not contain the books needed to record all the things, big and small and all amazing, that Jesus and the Spirit have done through Christians down through the ages, the famous ones and the ordinary saints like you and I.  But the little bit that Luke records for us in Acts, Brothers and Sisters, is a partial (and strategic) record—inspired by the Spirit—that ought to encourage us as it reminds us how God is fulfilling his promises here and now in us and as it exhorts us to carry on with our mission, knowing that the Spirit is with us and will equip us for everything he has for us to do. On that note, I want to conclude with two images.  Jesus was acting out Daniel's prophecy of the son of man coming on the clouds to his throne when he ascended, but there are at least two other unmistakable images in that act as well.  The first is Moses, ascending Mount Sinai, up into the clouds and thunder.  Moses went up and came down with the law.  In the same way, Jesus has gone up, but what has come down is not another law written on stone, but God's own Spirit, poured into our hearts.  Contemporary Christians often think of the Spirit mainly as the agent of amazing and miraculous gifts, but the most important work of the Spirit, Brothers and Sisters, the most amazing miracle of the Spirit, is to transform our hearts and to turn our affections toward God, to fill us with his law of love.  The other image here is that of the Prophet Elijah as he was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire.  As he went, he threw down his mantle onto Elisha, his protégé.  In that act, he not only passed on his God-given mission to Elisha, but he empowered him to do it.  That is what the book of Acts is about.  Luke's Gospel is about Jesus and his ministry—like the Prophet Elijah—and at the Ascension he's taken up in heaven and his mantle falls to the apostles, to the church, to you and to me, and the book of Acts is then like the continuing story of Elisha, carrying on the work and ministry God had given to Elijah.  Elijah's last act was to strike the waters of the Jordan with his cloak so that they parted, and Elisha's first act is to do exactly the same.  Brother and Sisters, that's Acts.  That's the ministry of the church.  To steward the good news about Jesus, to steward God's presence, to be his temple, ever expanding until it fills the earth.  Yes, it's a difficult job—some even lose their lives for it—but Jesus has equipped us and he's given us hope in the faithfulness of God to do what he has said.  His mantle has fallen on us in the gift of the Spirit and we know that he sits on his throne as Lord.  That central gospel truth is carved on our lychgate, a reminder as we come here and as a remind when we go back out to the world.  May Jesus' ascension never be for us a mere doctrine.  May it be for us the great truth that gives us hope, the great truth that is transforming creation. Let's pray: Almighty God and Father, as you have taken your son, Jesus the Messiah to reign in heaven, and as you have let his mantle fall on us in your indwelling Spirit, fill us with bold faith and certain hope that we might be faithful stewards of your gospel and for the sake of the world until the knowledge of your glory reaches the ends of the earth your son returns again on the clouds.  Through him we pray. Amen.

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

JKL Media hosts Jesse, Karen, and Lou recap The Expanse Season 3 premiere "Fight or Flight," praising its immediate momentum and debating the title's meaning. They focus on the Rocinante crew's split over going to Tycho versus Io, with Holden pivoting to help Prax find his daughter and Amos and Alex backing him while Naomi faces backlash for betraying the crew and giving the protomolecule to Fred Johnson. On Earth, they condemn Errinwright's manipulation of the Secretary-General and his attempt to frame Chrisjen Avasarala as war with Mars escalates, while noting the looming protomolecule threat on Venus and traces still on the Roci. They discuss Fred Johnson and Drummer's uneasy alliance with Dawes and the plan to recover the Nauvoo, highlight Bobbie's standout action-driven escape with Chrisjen and Cotyar, and react to Alex's emotional message to his family. 

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

Space tourism is now a thing, and it probably won't be too long before that tour consists of an orbit around the moon. We already have a situation where astronauts spend months living in space stations far from Earth. Now, imagine someone suffers a cardiac arrest. On Earth, CPR is a life-saving skill we take for granted. Push hard and fast on the chest to keep blood flowing to the brain and organs until medical help arrives. But in space, things get complicated very quickly. Research published in the journal Microgravity are now exploring a question most of us have never considered: how does blood move through the body during CPR when gravity is reduced? CPR relies heavily on gravity and body positioning here on Earth. When you compress someone's chest, you are helping pump blood through the cardiovascular system toward vital organs like the brain. But in space, astronauts float. Without gravity, rescuers can't brace themselves properly, and the body itself behaves differently. Fluids shift upward toward the head, the heart can shrink slightly over time, and circulation changes in ways scientists are still trying to fully understand. That means traditional CPR techniques may not work as effectively in reduced gravity environments like the moon, Mars, or spacecraft. Researchers have proposed several “space CPR” methods over the years, but there has been a major problem: nobody has really been able to measure what is happening inside the body during those attempts. The Concordia research team developed a remarkably advanced CPR simulator designed specifically for hypogravity environments. At first glance, it looks like a medical training mannequin. But inside, it contains a surprisingly realistic artificial cardiovascular system. Instead of simply measuring how deep chest compressions are, the system measures whether blood is actually moving effectively through the body. To test the system, the researchers took their mannequin aboard a specially modified Falcon 20 aircraft used for space science experiments. The plane flies in steep arcs called parabolic flights. During parts of the flight, passengers experience brief periods of reduced gravity, similar to what astronauts feel in space. During these moments of hypogravity, the mannequin received automated chest compressions while sensors tracked how fluid moved through its artificial arteries. One of the key measurement points was the carotid artery, the major vessel that carries blood to the brain. The team observed measurable differences in blood pressure compared with Earth-based CPR. Systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure were all higher in reduced gravity conditions. The body appears to respond differently to CPR in low gravity than it does on Earth. That's an important discovery because it suggests Earth-based assumptions about resuscitation may not fully apply in space. As humans spend more time away from Earth, medical emergencies become inevitable and unlike on Earth, there is no ambulance coming. Future astronauts may need to handle life-threatening emergencies entirely on their own, with limited equipment and delayed communication with Earth. Understanding how CPR works in reduced gravity could one day save lives millions of kilometres from the nearest hospital. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode of the podcast, Rita Gigante shares what it was like growing up as the daughter of mob boss Vincent “The Chin” Gigante. She opens up about trauma, faith, and how she found healing after a life surrounded by chaos.Subscribe for more.Timecodes (Episode #168):0:00 - Start0:25 - Who Was Vincent Gigante4:20 - Her Relationship With Her Father10:27 - The Chin Being “Crazy”17:02 - How the Guys Treated Her29:44 - Rita’s First Trauma Experience34:31 - Working Through Trauma41:05 - What “On Earth as It Is in Heaven” Means1:18:30 - Rita the ChefFollow The John Rondi ShowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnrondipodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnrondipodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xuYMlfFAXUfReoHKGHjb6?si=e13220a9830e4463Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-john-rondi-show/id1670365515Follow Rita GiganteInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ritagigantepsychic/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rita.giganteBuy Her Book: https://www.amazon.com/Godfathers-Daughter-Unlikely-Healing-Redemption/dp/B0BQ99KJ3W/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.F8x30lSPLDU80OvtLgeWCKWfPvTaO58XKRr31fqXzgVqhEvpaDKH40Y97lCUTX2gJoyxBjVU-FYzM7JE8mOonlx9x1AUmOzCPnVhKuX0O9I.V_hDx3nMw_8xF5HX0jDs-oEIdmHSjtbVgSMIly8Cx0s&dib_tag=se&qid=1777582162&refinements=p_27%3ARita+Gigante&s=books&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-1Follow John RondiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnrondiTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnnyrondi#podcast #johnrondi

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

As customary on THE ARCHIVE, today's episode is packed with excellent music. Jason Drury opens the show with ‘On Earth as It Is in Heaven' from Ennio Morricone's award-winning score for THE MISSION (Virgin Records), honouring its 40th anniversary. Jason then continues with music from the 35th anniversary release of THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE ( La La Land Records), composed by Carmine Coppola, Robert Folk's score from MILES FROM HOME (Quartet Records), Simon Franglen's THE CURSE OF TURANDOT (Sony Music) and music from the new 3-disc JOHNNY DOUGLAS COLLECTION from Dulcima Records. The show continues by commemorating the 40th anniversary of POLTERGEIST II (Intrada Records) by playing selections from Jerry Goldsmith's score. You'll also hear selections from the album LEE HOLDRIDGE GOES TO THE OLYMPICS (Dragon's Domain Records) and Tangerine Dream's classic electronic score for the 1977 action thriller SORCERER (Esoteric Recordings). Jason then rounds off the show with the "End Titles" from Leonard Rosenman's soundtrack for STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME, which is also marking its 40th anniversary this year! I told you the show was packed. Enjoy. —— Special thanks to our Patreon supporters: David Ballantyne, Joe Wiles, Maxime, William Welch, Alan Rogers, Dave Williams, Max Hamulyák, Jeffrey Graebner, Don Mase, Victor Field, Jochen Stolz, Eric Skroch, Alexander Schiebel, Alphonse Brown, John Link, Matt Berretta, Eldaly Morningstar, Jim Wilson, Chris Malone, Steve Karpicz, Deniz Çağlar, Brent Osterberg, Jérôme Flick, Alex Brouns, Randall Derchan, Angela Rabatin, Larry Reese, Rudy Amaya, Stacy Livitsanis, Carl Wonders, Lee Wileman, Nathan Blumenfeld, Daniel Herrin, Scott Bordelon, James Alexander, Ian Clark, Andy Gray, Joel Nichols, Steve Daniel, Corey O'Brien, John Leggett, Mim Williams, Grace Hamilton, Rob Kemp, Simon Parker, Harry Fiddlesticks, Jonas Wilstrup, Alexandre Richardson, Amy Stewart, Jack Zhu, Cole Losey. —— Cinematic Sound Radio is fully licensed to play music by SOCAN. Support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cinematicsoundradio Check out our NEW Cinematic Sound Radio TeePublic Store! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cinematic-sound-radio Cinematic Sound Radio Web: http://www.cinematicsound.net Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cinsoundradio Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cinematicsound Cinematic Sound Radio Fanfare and Theme by David Coscina https://soundcloud.com/user-970634922 Bumper voice artist: Tim Burden http://www.timburden.com

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

Lou, Jesse, and Karen review The Expanse Season 2, Episode 10 "Cascade," calling it another dense, solid episode with key storylines on Earth and Ganymede plus a brief Alex scene. On Earth, they discuss Errinwright   confessing to Chrisjen, her insisting he face consequences, and Cotyar's line about working for the "good guys," along with the power dynamics and whether Errinwright is rationalizing his motives. They cover Bobbie's escape, her eye-opening journey through Earth's poverty, meeting an off-med "doctor," and her beach conversation with Chrisjen before Mars retrieves her. They also highlight Alex alone on the ship in low gravity with Hank Williams playing before learning Ganymede is locked down. On Ganymede, they examine the station's failing ecosystem, Prax and Amos forcing information from a profiteering trader, Naomi's warning about crossing moral lines, and the chilling idea that Ganymede is "dead" without realizing it. T

The NASA Curiosity Rover has shown us evidence of ancient rivers and bodies of liquid water on the martian surface. Given it's thin cold atmosphere, seeps of liquid water, presently on the surface of Mars which are capable of hosting microbial life appear to be unlikely. Scientists were thus surprised when high resolution imaging of the red planet's surface revealed thousands of intriguing dark streaks called RSL on hundreds of rocky slope areas. These fascinating features slowly extend down hill and grow during the martian warm season, fade during the colder season, and reappear during the next martian warm period. On Earth features like these are produced by seeps of liquid water. However, on Mars a careful study of 151 RSL features at ten different sites using the high resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal that they occur almost entirely on slopes which are greater than 27 degrees. This new research published in Nature Geoscience suggests that RSL are composed of solid particles in dry granular flows which unlike water seeps appear to end on many of the dunes when it's slope falls below a critical value. What makes RSL tick remains a mystery and likely involves small amounts of water trapped from the atmosphere. Currently surface conditions are hostile to life as we know it, however, the possibility of finding evidence of ancient life or perhaps even still existing microbe colonies in deep sub surface pockets of water are reasons to continue to explore our next door neighbor without contaminating it.

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

On Earth as in Heaven: The Surprising Way of Life in God's Kingdom

Is there life on Europa? We take a look at Greenland and Antarctica to find out more about life on Jupiter’s icy moon. Further reading: Life on Venus claim faces strongest challenge yet Stanford researchers’ explanation for formation of abundant features on Europa bodes well for search for extraterrestrial life  Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. Today we're going to learn about the potential of life on Europa, a moon of Jupiter! To do that we'll need to look at some extreme life on Earth too. Back in September 2020, we talked about potential signs of life in the atmosphere of Venus, which excited me a whole lot. As a follow-up to that episode, further studies suggest that signs of phosphine detected in Venus's atmosphere, which might be produced by life, may actually just be sulfur dioxide (not a sign of life). But while it's not looking likely that phosphine is actually found in Venus's atmosphere, so far no studies can completely rule it out. So, maybe. Venus isn't the only part of our solar system where life might exist outside of Earth, though. Astronomers have been speculating about Europa for a long time. The planet Jupiter is a gas giant that has at least 80 moons, but Europa is the one that's closest to the planet. It's only a little bit smaller than our own moon. Europa has an atmosphere, mostly made up of oxygen but so thin that if you could magically appear on the moon, you wouldn't be able to breathe. Also, you would freeze to death almost immediately. It's a dense moon, so astronomers think it's probably mostly made up of silicate rock, which is what Earth is mostly made up of, along with Mars, Venus, Mercury, and a lot of moons. If you've ever looked at our moon through a telescope or binoculars, you know it has lots of impact craters on its surface caused by asteroid strikes in the past. Europa doesn't have very many craters—in fact, its surface is incredibly smooth except for what look like cracks all over it. It's mostly pale in color, but the cracks are reddish-orange or brown. The cause of the cracks has been a mystery ever since astronomers got the first good look at Europa. Many astronomers think these cracks are where warm material from below the surface erupted through the crust, sort of like what happens where lava oozes up on Earth and forms oceanic ridges. But on Europa, the material breaking through the crust isn't lava, it's ice—but ice that isn't as cold as the surface ice. You know you're on a cold, cold moon when ice that's close to freezing instead of way below freezing can act like lava. The surface of Europa is about 110 kelvin at the equator and even colder at the poles. That's -260 F or -160 C. The exciting thing is that researchers are pretty sure the surface of Europa is icy but that the crust lies over a deep saltwater ocean that covers the entire moon. Yes, an ocean! As Europa orbits Jupiter, the planet's gravity pulls at the moon, while the smaller gravity fields of the other nearest moons also pull on Europa in other directions. This push and pull causes tides that help warm the ocean and keep it from freezing solid. The brown coloration in the moon's cracks may be due to mineral salts from the water that get leached up through the cracks after warm ice breaks through, assuming that's what is actually happening to cause the cracks. Astronomers even have images of Europa taken by space probes that show what look like water plumes erupting through the surface and shooting up an estimated 120 miles high, or 200 km. But new studies suggest that the water plumes might not be from the ocean. They might be from pockets of water that form within the crust itself, which grow larger until they burst out through the crust. This is even more exciting when it comes to potential life on the moon, because it suggests that the crust isn't just a big block of ice. It's a dynamic system that might harbor life instead of all potential life on Europa being restricted to the ocean. But to learn more about Europa, we have to come back to Earth and examine the island of Greenland. Most of Greenland is covered with a permanent ice sheet like the ones found in Antarctica, but it's a lot easier to study than Antarctica. One feature seen in the ice sheet is something called a double ridge, shaped sort of like a capital letter M. It's caused when the ice fractures around pressurized water that forms inside the ice sheet and refreezes. This is caused when water from streams and lakes on the surface finds its way into the ice. The double ridge can look like a crack. New pictures of the cracks on Europa's surface look just like Greenland's double ridges, but much bigger. My explanation of all this is extremely clumsy, because this is a really complex mechanism. Researchers only figured it out because some of the team had been studying Greenland's double ridges for a completely different project, and noticed the similarities. There's a link in the show notes to an article about this phenomenon if you want to learn more. The Greenland ice sheet is over a mile thick. In 1966, the U.S. Army drilled into the ice to see what was under it, and the answer is dirt, as you might have expected. They took a 15-foot, or 4.5 meter, core sample and stuck it in a freezer, where everyone promptly forgot about it for 51 years. At some point it ended up in Denmark, where someone noticed it in 2017. In 2019, the frozen core sample was finally studied by scientists. They expected to find mostly sand and rock. Instead, it was full of beautifully fossilized leaves and other plant material. The main reason scientists were so surprised to find leaves and soil instead of just rock is that ice is really heavy, and it moves—slowly, but a mile-thick sheet of ice cannot be stopped. If you listened to the recent episode in the main feed about the rewilding of Scotland, you may remember that Scotland doesn't have a lot of fossils from the Pleistocene because it was covered in glaciers that scoured the soil and everything in it down to bedrock, destroying everything in its path. But this hasn't happened in Greenland, even though the sample was taken from an area only about 800 miles, or 1,290 km, from the North Pole. Where the ice sheet now is, there used to be a forest. Obviously, the ice sheet hasn't always covered Greenland. Research is ongoing, but a study of the sediment published in 2021 indicates that Greenland was ice free within the last million years, and possibly as recently as a few hundred thousand years. All this is interesting, but it's very different from Europa, whose ice sheets have probably been in place almost from the moon's formation. What kind of life can live on, in, or under ice sheets? On Earth, at least, a lot of organisms live on glaciers. Most are tiny or microscopic, including a type of algae that grows on top of ice, bacteria that live pretty much everywhere, including inside ice crystals, and microbes of various kinds. But there are some larger organisms, including glacial copepods, snow fleas, glacial midges, and the ice worms we talked about in episode 185 that live on glaciers in the Pacific Northwest. Most likely, life on Europa will be tiny too. Researchers hypothesize that there could be microbial life living deep within the ice or in the pockets of melted water that develop inside it. There might be microbial mats or algae-type organisms that live on the underside of the ice, anchored there but able to extract nutrients from the ocean water. But obviously, Europa's ocean is where most life will probably be found, assuming it's there. While there's no environment quite like Europa's to be found on Earth, since Earth is so close to the sun and nice and warm in comparison, parts of the deep sea are somewhat similar. Lots of animals live around hydrothermal vents, where volcanic activity breaks through the ocean floor and superheats water in small areas. Invertebrates of all kinds have adapted to live between boiling hot water and frigid deep-sea water, where absolutely no sunlight has ever reached. Animals like giant tube worms can grow nearly 10 feet long, or 3 meters, and don't actually eat anything. Instead, they have symbiotic bacteria that provide them with all the nutrients they need while in turn, the bacteria get a safe place to live. When the intensely heated, mineral-rich water of a hydrothermal vent comes in contact with cold water, it causes all sorts of chemical reactions. That's what fuels most of the life around the vents. There are even some fish that live around hydrothermal vents, including the cutthroat eel that can grow over 5 feet long, or 1.6 meters. They're bottom-dwelling deep-sea eels that live worldwide, but they spend time around hydrothermal vents to eat some of the other animals that live there exclusively. There's even a type of bacteria found at one vent off the coast of Mexico that uses the faint light emitted by lava deep within the vent for photosynthesis. All other known photosynthesizing organisms use the sun as a light source. Scientists think that Europa has hydrothermal vents similar to the ones on Earth. Since at least some researchers think life on Earth got its start around hydrothermal vents, it wouldn't be surprising if life forms also live around Europa's vents. But that doesn't mean that life could only live around the vents. In 2018, a team of scientists in Antarctica bored through the ice sheet and took a sample from the sea floor far below the ice to see if anything lived there. Since this was in the middle of the ice sheet with absolutely no sunlight or open ocean within a million square kilometers, they didn't expect to find much. When they gave the sample to marine biologist David Barnes to examine, and he got a first look at it, initially he actually thought they'd pulled a practical joke on him. There was no way this one small sample could contain evidence of so much life in such an extreme environment. He counted 77 different species of organism in the sample. There were worms, bryozoans, sponges, even fragments of jellyfish, and of course there were lots and lots of microorganisms. All the animals were small, which isn't surprising. That they were there at all was the truly surprising thing. We don't know yet if life exists anywhere outside of Earth. Odds are good that it does, just because there are so many planets and moons around so many stars throughout our galaxy and all the other galaxies in the universe. Whether we'll ever find it is another thing. Until we do, though, we will just have to appreciate all the amazing diversity of life on our own planet, and keep watching the night skies and wondering. Thanks for your support, and thanks for listening!

In this episode of Midnight, On Earth, I sit down with bestselling British author and historical investigator Graham Phillips to explore his latest book, 'The Original Zodiac: What Ancient Astrology Reveals About You'. Our conversation dives deep into a forgotten chapter of astrological history - The discovery of the earliest known zodiac system, which contained eighteen signs rather than the twelve most people are familiar with today.Phillips explains how the roots of astrology stretch back to ancient Mesopotamia, emerging from the same mysterious cultural horizon that produced monumental sites like Göbekli Tepe. In those early systems, astrology appears to have functioned through generations of observation, almost like a form of reverse engineering. Instead of starting with a rigid symbolic framework, early astrologers observed patterns in human behavior, personality traits, and life outcomes, then connected those traits back to the time, place, and conditions of a person's birth. Over centuries, these observations became encoded into symbolic archetypes that eventually formed the earliest zodiac signs.At the center of Phillips' research is a mysterious clay tablet held in the British Museum, cataloged as BM 86378. The artifact lists an ancient zodiac system composed of eighteen constellations, many of which are completely absent from the modern Western and Vedic zodiacs. Instead of only the familiar signs, this earlier sky map included figures such as the Serpent, Swan, Crane, Horse, Wolf, and Eagle—symbols that suggest a very different way of interpreting cosmic influence and human identity.Because the tablet preserved the names of the constellations but not their meanings, Phillips attempted to reconstruct the psychological and behavioral traits associated with each sign. Through an extensive survey of hundreds of volunteers from different backgrounds, he analyzed patterns in personality, interests, occupations, habits, and even health tendencies. From this data, he began to piece together what the original zodiac may have signified thousands of years ago.During our conversation we explore how this eighteen-sign system offers an expanded lens through which to view astrology - not as a replacement for the familiar twelve-sign zodiac, but as a deeper layer of symbolic understanding. Phillips explains how the ancient framework may enrich our interpretation of personality, relationships, and destiny by adding additional archetypes that were gradually lost as astrology evolved through later Greek, and Vedic traditions.We also discuss the broader historical mystery surrounding the origins of astrology itself, the possibility that these systems emerged from extremely ancient sky-watching cultures, and how early civilizations attempted to map human experience onto the movements of the heavens. Along the way we touch on archaeology, myth, ancient symbolism, and the enduring human quest to understand who we are and how the cosmos might shape our lives.It's a wide-ranging exploration of forgotten astrology, ancient civilizations, and the archetypal patterns that have guided human thinking about the stars for thousands of years. Drop in!www.grahamphillips.netGraham Phillips Bio:Graham Phillips is one of Britain's bestselling non-fiction authors. A former radio journalist and broadcaster for the BBC, and founder of Strange Phenomena magazine, he is a historical investigator of unsolved mysteries. The author of many books, including The Templars and the Ark of the Covenant, The Lost Tomb of King Arthur, The End of Eden, and Atlantis and the Ten Plagues of Egypt, Graham lives in the Midlands of England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Earth living things are everywhere from the deepest ocean depths to the highest mountain tops. On our home planet RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is a complex essential molecule involved in the process of translating genetic information into the working components of living cells. In a recent paper in the peer reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , Dr. Yuta Hirakawa and his team of two coauthors report on their experiments to produce RNA under conditions similar to those which may have occurred in the early history of Earth and Mars.

Send a textIn this episode of The Book Fix, Yajaira and Cheli dive into Angels After Man by Rafael Nicolas, a queer, philosophical retelling of the apocalypse that blends biblical lore, desire, and moral ambiguity.The story follows Dina, an angel who has existed since the dawn of creation, watching humanity rise and fall while waiting for the end times. When a shocking truth about God's first creations is revealed, Dina is drawn toward a seductive, celestial force that frames the apocalypse as an act of mercy—one meant to wipe out evil once and for all. Love, devotion, and manipulation blur together as Dina is pushed toward an irreversible choice. On Earth, Tadeo—a man shaped by war, suffering, and death—returns to life with mysterious powers he believes come directly from God. As he attempts to save his town and walk a righteous path, his fate collides with Dina's in a meeting marked by prophecy and dread. Join us in our discussion!Support the showOur Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thebookfix?utm_source=linktree_admin_sharebecome our Patron ♡ https://www.patreon.com/BookFixbuy us a book ♡ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thebookfixBusiness Inquiries: thebookfixpodcast@gmail.comfollow us on Tiktok! ♡ https://www.tiktok.com/@thebookfix

Dear OBC Family, When it comes to the idea of liturgy, you may find yourself thinking that this is something High Church Anglicans or Roman Catholics do, but not Bible Church evangelicals. Equally, the word itself may be new or unfamiliar, even though leitourgeō is used throughout the New Testament. If asked to explain what liturgy is, most who have come to faith in modern evangelical churches might not have an immediate answer. But I guarantee you, if you have been in church for any length of time, you are more familiar with what liturgy is than you realize.Every Sunday, you are called to worship with Scripture, and on many Sunday's you have confessed your faith as we have recited the Apostles or the Nicene Creed. Likewise, we have corporately confessed our sins and heard the good words of pardon. And if you are baptized member of our church, you have also partaken of the bread and the cup. So, whether you know it or not, you already have a certain competence to the liturgy. Even more, going beyond the liturgical elements just mentioned, OBC's Sunday worship has matured too. This has included our song selection, our single-service, and our weekly communion. All of these have changed (for the better) over the last decade. Put all that together and you have a good foundation for understanding liturgy, even if you weren't thinking about it. But now, it is time to think about it and to go from doing the right thing to knowing why we are doing the right thing. For this reason and more, we are beginning a new sermon series entitled, On Earth as it is in Heaven. This sermon title comes from the center of the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:10). But more than that, it is the aim of every Sunday gathering. When we gather on the Lord's Day, we are not simply coming to enjoy heavenly thoughts while we remain on earth. Rather, as we will see most explicitly this Sunday, we are actually ascending the hill of the Lord to meet with God who comes to meet with us. Truly, if only spiritually, gathered worship is a time where heaven touches earth and God's saints commune with their Father in heaven.Still, to see that invisible reality, we need to consider what Scripture says about worship. So, for the next eight Sundays (as the Lord allows), we will focus our time on answering questions like these:Where are we when we worship? Who is present when we worship? What are we doing when we worship? When are we commanded to worship?These questions and more will animate our time. And it is my hope and prayer that by means of this sermon series, it will not only purify our worship, but it will mature all of us in our communion with God. For in fact, how we worship is determinative for everything else about us—just read Psalm 115.So, take time to pray for this sermon series and for your own heart to grow in understanding of what it means to come and worship God. My prayer is that we will all delight more in the liturgy of the Lord's Day and that over the next eight Sundays, the Lord will purify our praise and glorify his Son in our midst. For this Sunday, take time to read Hebrews 12:18–29. That is where we will begin our time, as we think about where we are when come to church on Sunday. And to see the whole blog on our new series, visit the OBC website.As the Lord allows, I look forward to seeing you on the Lord's Day.For His Glory and your joy in Christ,Pastor David Discussion & Response Questions for Hebrews 12:18-29What does liturgy mean? And what churches have a liturgy?Why does liturgy matter? What does 2 Samuel 6 teach us?Where are we when we go to church? What does Hebrews 12 say?How does the Old Testament help us understand the language of Mount Zion?What is the contrast between Sinai and Zion meant to teach us?Read Hebrews 12:22–24. Who are the seven different people named? What does that mean?How does the location of worship (ascending the hill of the Lord) impact you? Your worship? Your preparation for Sunday?What encouragement is found in considering the unshakable nature of God's heavenly mountain?What is shaking in the world today? How does worshiping God (in heaven!) encourage you amidst the shaking?What else did you learn about God and his instructions for worship?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany February 1, 2026 Faith Lutheran, Okemos Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 1, I Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12   Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, On Earth as in Heaven…   Our Father in heaven, in each moment, in each day we pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.   Your kingdom come, your will be done…  I been thinking about our sister congregation, Immanuel Lutheran in Grand Ledge.  Their pastor, Chuck Forrester, has been on leave from call for several months because of a serious medical condition.  For the last five months, God provided Pastor Chrisy Bright to serve Immanuel.  Chrisy, a young pastor, most recently served as an assistant to former Bishop Satterlee, and now for at least the next three months is Immanuel's contracted pastor.  In this present moment this morning she is preaching the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ to the people of Immanuel. God provided both work for a gifted pastor now without a letter of call, and pastoral leadership for a congregation whose called pastor's return remains uncertain.  An answer to most powerful of all prayers: Your kingdom come, your will be done…   One year ago today, Pastor Megan was ordained, and the very next day, she served as our pastor.  Surely, in this moment in the story of Faith Lutheran Church, God provided for us a shepherd abounding in compassion and joy in a time in our society when so much is uncertain.    Both Immanuel and Faith have been blessed too with exceptionally wise lay leaders and brilliant musicians, so reassuring during this past tumultuous, fear-filled year in our country when the foundations of our democracy seem very tenuous.  In ways we may not have readily recognized, our praying the Lord's prayer week after week did not go unheard.  In both congregations, in this fragile time for all of us, signs of the kingdom, signs of the reign of our Father and his Son, signs of God's steadfast, faithful, loving presence…  We are so blessed.   [In a Zoom call on Wednesday with three other former bishops, Floyd, Marcus, and Jerry, Floyd proclaimed that, for him. these readings for today from Micah, Psalm 15, I Corinthians, and Matthew were maybe the best ones in all of our three-year cycle of biblical texts.  Surely, they all are very beautiful and challenging and powerful as such a time as this.]   Many of us know by heart, or have at least heard these famous words from the prophet Micah, plain-spoken words we are called to live out until we take our last earthly breath: He [God] has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?     Less familiar, but no less powerful and reassuring are the words of Psalm 15, words for each of us in each moment of each day, for all of us who are daily bathed in God's forgiving love.  Please read them with me in their entirety:  LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle… [vs.4b:  They are willing to do the right thing, to stand by their oath even to their own hurt.]   And then these opening words from I Corinthians 1:18 revealing the  seemingly contradictory way God has chosen to save us:  The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us [most of whom are probably not all that worldly wise or powerful] to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  How ludicrous to worldly wisdom and worldly power and might to believe that a man accused of treason, who dies on a cross, would thereby takes away the sin of the world.  But it is God's wisdom that Jesus' cruel death would be the very way God would save us from our deep brokenness and alienation from each other and from the One who so loves us, so heals us, so day by day rekindles our faith in and hope and love for our Maker and Redeemer and for our friends and enemies alike.        And then, even more, the beatitudes in Matthew 5 as Jesus sat down and to his disciples long ago and to us this morning began his sermon on the mount.    Hear the beatitudes, these blessings in a translation, a rendering by Steve Garnaas-Holmes, a friend of Pastor Megan's:   Blessed are you who have nothing to offer,         for you are offered everything. Blessed are you who are broken-hearted for the world,         for God weeps with you, and will rejoice with you. Blessed are you who do not seek to dominate,         for love dominates your life. Blessed are you who sacrifice for the sake of justice,         for you will know victory. Blessed are you who are gentle,         for God's gentleness enfolds you. Blessed are you who seek only love,         for God will be everywhere for you. Blessed are you who remain peaceful in conflict,         for so you reveal God. Blessed are you who are treated harshly,         for God treats you to the entire realm of God. Blessed are you who are punished for your compassion,         for this is the way of the cross.  These beatitudes are not commands. They are not orders for how we should live our lives.  Rather they are promises to us when our spirits are weak and pretty much exhausted, when we mourn the injustices and the acts of violence in words and deeds against our brothers and sisters.  The beatitudes are promises that when we hunger for, yearn for, work for respectful, kind, and honest relationships in our own lives and in our communities and in our country, they are promises that already God has begun to fill our hearts with hope.  We see God already exposing the abuses of power and the violation of basic human rights so contrary to the way of our gentle Lord, even now calling tens of thousands of protesters to speak up for those who are treated harshly.    "Your kingdom come, your will be done."  It is already coming, our Father's will already being done.  So, blessed are we, members and friends of Faith, when in each moment and each day, the Holy Spirit moves us to perform simple acts of kindness, simple acts of gentleness, simple acts of mercy.  Blessed are we when that same Holy Spirit enables us to see injustices to the poor and to boldly resist in words and actions those in power who would crush and destroy the lives of those the Bible calls "resident aliens."  And blessed are we if we "take a hit," if we a maligned for the simple acts of compassion we are called to take for the oppressed in our midst, the acts of compassion we take for Jesus who was maligned for all of us, who will always be our Immanuel, God with us, God in the very depths of our hearts…   Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven…in each of our lives, in each of our hearts, in each of our actions, in each moment of each day.  Amen.                                                                                                                         JDS     *or "kindom," the latter word, recently coined and offered in the Apostles' Creed as an understanding of God's kingdom as a beloved community of siblings, all of us as beloved sisters and brothers with Jesus as our Lord.

On Earth, human life is enabled by plants which provide us with calories, vitamins, fuel, medicines, and oxygen to breathe. In addition, recent scientific studies indicate that plant cultivation reduces anxiety and depression and has a positive influence on diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and longevity. Perhaps this is the reason that 80% of the cultivated plant species on planet Earth are not used for any food related purpose. On long duration space missions astronauts live in close quarters isolated from the natural world where the basic activities like eating, sleeping, and attending to bodily functions are difficult and stress producing. Recent research conducted on the International Space Station suggests that space gardening helps astronauts to cope with the sterile space craft interior, allows them to combat boredom, as well as some of the other negative psychological effects of their long period of confinement. Specific examples of International Space Station gardens include astronaut Scott Kelly's first zinnia to bloom in space and astronaut Peggy Whitson's small crop of space soybeans. For many thousands of years people making long journeys have taken plants for food and recreation with them. It is likely that when humans travel to Mars they will continue this practice. The plants that Mars explorers take with them will provide a source of fresh fruits and vegetables , fresh air to breathe, and perhaps a psychological benefit that is crucial to the success of their mission.

Send Us an Email to Chat!This week we keep up with Foreign Exchange month with Alien 2: On Earth the 1980 copy/sequel to Alien! We also talk about the Universal Studios in Italy.  Follow us on Instagram:@Gaspatchojones@Homewreckingwhore@The_Miseducation_of_DandG_Pod@QualityHoegramming@MullhollanddazeSupport the show

On Earth as it is In Heaven // Raydeane Owens // CDA Campus by The Heart

This week Brent Crowe explores On Earth as It Is in Heaven, unpacking biblical wisdom as the art of living skillfully in everyday life. Rooted in Proverbs, this message shows how a life centered on Jesus shapes the heart, guides decisions, and brings holistic health that reflects heaven on earth.

Story of the Week (DR):Netflix to Buy Warner Bros. in $83 Billion Deal to Create a Streaming GiantThe deal to acquire the Hollywood giant's television and film studios as well as HBO Max will bulk up the world's biggest paid streaming service.The acquisition is expected to close after Warner Bros. Discovery carves out its cable unit, which the companies expected be completed by the third quarter of 2026. That means there will be a separate public company controlling channels like CNN, TNT and Discovery.Trump administration views Netflix and Warner Bros. deal with ‘heavy skepticism,' senior official saysThe New York Post on Thursday reported that, “Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison met with Trump officials and key lawmakers in Washington DC on Wednesday to press his case against Warner Bros. Discovery's potential selection of Netflix as its merger partner.”Costco is poking the Trump bear MMBig public companies have mostly treated President Donald Trump with kid gloves during his second term. They've quietly avoided conflict while seeking favor with ornate gifts, large donations to his pet projects and strategic deployments of CEOs to the Oval Office.That's what made Costco's decision last week to sue the Trump administration so shocking.Costco filed a lawsuit that contends Trump overstepped his emergency powers by imposing sweeping tariffs – and claimed the company is due a refund.Biden commerce secretary to join Costco board as company sues over Trump's tariffsCostco board now 50/50Gina Raimondo led the agency responsible for crafting U.S. trade policy during all four years of Democrat Joe Biden's presidency.Rhodes Scholar Raimondo led Biden's Commerce Department; former governor of Rhode Island (2015-2021)AT&T Commits to Drop DEI Programs and GoalsIn the letter, AT&T makes a series of commitments, including stating that:“AT&T does not and will not have any roles focused on DEI”“we removed training related to “diversity, equity and inclusion” as well as any references to it from our internal and external messaging”“It is AT&T's longstanding practice to pay and advance individuals based on merit and qualification”From Brendan Carr's tweet: NEW on DEI: AT&T has now memorialized its commitment to ending DEI-related policies in an FCC filing and “will not have any roles focused on DEI.” This follows the big changes @robbystarbuck already announced earlier this year.AT&T promised the government it won't pursue DEI. FCC commissioner warns it will be a ‘stain to their reputation long into the future'Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the FCC: “AT&T's reversal isn't a sudden transformation of values, but a strategic financial play to curry favor with this FCC/Administration. Companies should remember that abandoning fairness and inclusion for short-term gain will be a stain to their reputation long into the future.”AT&T eliminates DEI programs, says hiring and advancement will now be merit-basedZillow Doesn't Care If Climate Change Destroys Your New HomeThe real estate platform recently removed climate risk scores from its listings—a potentially ruinous development for some buyers.Classified board; co-founders/co-Executive Chairs Lloyd D. Frink 36% and Richard N. Barton (Netflix; Qurate Retail) 40%10 votes per share of Class B common stock55% voting power; less than 12% economic interestCombined $83M in pay over last 3 years; primarily optionsGender Influence Gap (-23%): April Underwood 2%; Amy C. Bohutinsky 2% (former Zillow COO and CMO); Claire Cormier Thielke 1%LT directorsCompensation committee chair Jay Hoag (2005-)!Netflix, TripAdvisor, Peloton 65%Audit committee chair Greg Maffei (2005-)Qurate Retail, Charter Communications; Live Nation Entertainment; TripAdvisor; Liberty Broadband; SiriusXMAlso: Erik Blachford (2005-); Gordon Stephenson (2005-)Also: CEO Jeremy Wacksman and earnings underperformer: J. William Gurley (Stitch Fix .094 earnings; Nextdoor .010 earnings)Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Melinda French Gates slams billionaires who aren't giving away enough of their wealthThere are more billionaires than ever — and they have almost $16 trillionMM: Billionaire heads on robot dogs pooping photos go viral at major Miami art fair MMAssholiest of the Week (MM):The “arrogant pricking” of CEOsPalantir CEO Alex Karp defends being an ‘arrogant prick'—and says more CEOs should be, tooIn Karp's worldview, “arrogance” is a necessary survival mechanism for a leader who intends to be right even when it is unpopular.“The only people who pay the price for being wrong in this culture, in complete fashion, are poor people,” Karp said. “The rest of us somehow outsource all the times we're wrong and stupid to the whole society.”Meanwhile, we're now hearing from Sundar Pichai (who's trying Cassandra on for size), never ending diatribes from Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and everyone else with a 6000x CEO pay ratio… “Merit based” ass kissingAT&T eliminates DEI programs, says hiring and advancement will now be merit-basedFCC boss Brendan Carr claims another victory over DEI as AT&T drops programsSo how "merit-based" is the board? Top knowledge: economics (useful for phones... somehow...). Team TSR performance: 0.482 (where 0.500 is the average return for a board). Controversies performance is an excellently horrible 0.204, with CEO John Stankey as one of the worst performers... ON EARTH at 0.028 (meaning, he's in the worst 3% of all people on boards for controversies facing their companies). For most of the board, it matters more to be connected than good.Replacing government safety nets with billionaire whims DRJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combatting homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning'Sánchez Bezos recounted meeting families benefiting from local organizations to which the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund offered grants… she met one woman who had been kicked out of her home with her infant daughter, but the organization took her in for the night, gave them a bed with sheets and a locked door. “It brought tears to my eyes seeing this little baby and seeing her flourish,” Sánchez Bezos said. “Selfishly, it fills my heart meeting these families. It really, really does.”Michael and Susan Dell to donate $6.25 billion to fund 'Trump accounts' for 25 million U.S. kidsHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Zuckerberg Basically Giving Up on Metaverse After Renaming Entire Company “Meta”DR: Nvidia CFO admits the $100 billion OpenAI megadeal ‘still' isn't signed—two months after it helped fuel an AI rallyNvidia CFO Colette Kress told investors that the much-hyped OpenAI partnership is still at the letter-of-intent stage: “We still haven't completed a definitive agreement,” Kress said when asked how much of the 10-gigawatt commitment is actually locked in. That's a striking clarification for a deal that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang once called “the biggest AI infrastructure project in history.MM: Children Sob as Waymo Runs Over DogWho Won the Week?DR: CostcoMM: Robot dogsPredictionsDR: Based on this headline (Jamie Dimon Once Called Bitcoin a ‘Fraud.' Now, JPMorgan Is Quietly Making Blockchain History and Betting This ‘Crypto Winter' Will Be Short-Lived), Jamie decides to invest in Volcano-Powered NFT Mining FarmsMM: Costco will start selling a new kind of robot dog (they already sell one) that has Gina Raimando and Jeffrey Raikes face and poops out pictures of Howard Lutnick

In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️‍

Survival expert & wildlife biologist Forrest Galante joins the boys to discuss Nelk Boys backlash, the Ambani family's INSANE animal sanctuary, 100 Humans vs 1 Gorilla, bringing back the Woolley Mammoth & Dodo Bird from extinction, near-death experiences from animals, competing on ‘Naked & Afraid’, the 2 most dangerous animals ON EARTH, visiting the infamous North Sentinel Island, p*rn ruining indigenous tribes & more..   SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ► https://www.youtube.com/impaulsive   Watch Previous (Drew McIntyre On Tag-Team w/ Logan Paul, Hate For Roman Reigns & CM Punk, Vince McMahon VS Triple H) ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFl3_5J72Qg   ADD US ON: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/impaulsiveshow/   Timestamps: 0:00 Welcome Forrest Galante!