August 11, 1904: The Russian fleet in the harbor of Port Arthur, Manchuria, was exposed to artillery on the hill above the harbor; Russian ships attempted escape, but most were forced back into the harbor by Japanese ships.  Russia’s ignominious defeat in 1905 at the hands of the better-equipped and more competently led Japanese Navy has never been forgotten. The Russians had sought a “small victorious war”, but they got themselves trounced. — On August 11, 1857, N. H. Wolfe and Company, the oldest flour and grain company in New York City, failed. This failure shook investor confidence and began … The post Preparedness Notes for Monday — August 11, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

“Through his eyes Penn-san reinterprets the clothes, gives them new breath, and presents them to me from a new vantage point” – Issey Miyake on Irving Penn   Irving Penn, Issey Miyake Onion Flower Bud Coat, New York, 1987 From 1986 til 1999, Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake (22 April 1938 – 5 August 2022) and American photographer Irving Penn (June 16, 1917 – October 7, 2009) collaborated in a sublime mixing of fashion and photography. When Miyake first saw Penn’s photographs of his clothes for an American Vogue editorial in 1983 [below], he exclaimed, “Wow! I never thought of looking at clothes in that way! The clothes have been given a voice of their own!”   Irving Penn for American Vogue – Issey Miyake Elephant Crepe (Front View), New York, 1983 Much of the pair’s relationship was long distance. Miyake insisted on Penn being unhindered and, so he wasn’t there for the New York shoots.  And Penn, for his part, never once attended Miyake’s Paris shows. Penn was supported by Miyake’s makeup artist and photographer Tyen, his close associate and stylist Midori Kitamura and hairstylist John Sahag. Penn would sit at a table with a pencil and paper and sketch as models wearing the designs were directed. Polaroids were then taken in preparation for the main shoot. ‘For me, the photo sittings were always filled with surprises,” Kitamura told the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. “I was the one who was supposed to be the most familiar with the clothes but during the course of the photo sessions, I watched them transform before Mr. Penn’s lens. It was an entirely new world for me. Miyake would then inevitably be surprised and moved by the photos I brought back to him from New York, and the perspectives they mirrored would, in some way or another, provide inspiration for the subsequent collection.” … “The photography took four days, ending at 6 pm with a break for lunch, which we all ate together. The studio was silent. There was no music, no talking. It was very tense. All you could hear was the occasional instruction from Penn and the click of the shutter. It was the same kind of tension that surrounded Miyake during his preparations for the collection in Paris. As the photography progressed, it felt like I was watching an opera.”   Issey Miyake staircase dress (1994) by irving penn “Through his eyes Penn-san reinterprets the clothes, gives them new breath, and presents them to me from a new vantage point—one that I may not have been aware of, but had been subconsciously trying to capture. Without Penn-san’s guidance, I probably could not have continued to find new themes with which to challenge myself, nor could I have arrived at new solutions.” – Issey Miyake in Irving Penn: a career in photography, the Art Institute of Chicago, 1997     Issey Miyake collection poster for spring:summer 1994 –  by Irving Penn. poster design by Ikko Tanaka  © Irving Penn Foundation “His designs are not fashionable, but women of style are enriched by them and are made more beautiful by them.” – Irving Penn on Issey Miyake   Irving Penn, Issey Miyake Poncho and Apron Belt, New York, 1987 Irving Penn, Issey Miyake Design with Black Fan, New York, 1987 “Penn’s photographs allow me to see my own designs” – Issey Miyake   Irving Penn, Issey Miyake Fashion- Face Covered with Hair (A), New York, 1991 Irving Penn, Issey Miyake Fashion, White and Black, New York, 1990 Via: Irving Penn and Issey Miyake: visual dialogue at 21 21 design sight Tokyo; Irving Penn Regards the Work of Issey Miyake, published in 1999 and edited by Mark Holborn The post Irving Penn and Issey Miyake’s Creative Matchup, 1986-1999 appeared first on Flashbak.

Chowdeck, a Lagos-based food delivery startup that has stayed profitable in a notoriously tough and low-margin market, has raised $9 million in Series A funding to launch a quick commerce strategy and expand into more cities in Nigeria and Ghana. The equity round was led by Novastar Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, […]

by Frank Bergman, Slay News: A bombshell new global study of 2.7 billion people has concluded that all excess deaths during or after the pandemic were caused by mRNA “vaccines,” and not COVID-19. The study determined that COVID-19 did not cause any excess deaths, despite widespread claims to the contrary from health agencies around the […]

The country star is a vocal Philadelphia Eagles fan. Continue reading…

The long-awaited UK leg of the Long Live: The Black Parade tour will arrive next summer

‘The Blood in Winter’ by Jonathan Healey review JamesHoare Mon, 08/11/2025 - 08:55

In my time serving as a children’s minister and family pastor, perhaps nothing tested my faith in God’s provision like recruiting volunteers. I once participated in a conference call with a group of children’s ministry leaders in my church’s denomination. The topic of conversation was—you guessed it—recruiting Sunday school teachers. The moderator asked, “What have you found to be most successful?” One pastor spoke up quickly: “I find the most success when I’m the most passionate and prayerful.” I’ll never forget those last three words. For many church leaders, summer has been a time of comparable rest, but the fall ministry season is right around the corner. It’s wise to think now about who will be on your ministry team come September. Here are three principles that have helped me recruit in a way that’s prayer-filled and passionate. 1. Recruit to vision. It’s tempting to look at a ministry roster, see needs for the upcoming season, and then rush into filling the gaps with anyone available. But it’s better to stop and consider why each volunteer role is important. Before you make a phone call to a prospective worker, meditate on the importance of reaching children with the gospel (Matt. 19:13–15; Ps. 78:3–4). Remember that each role on your volunteer roster is essential to your ministry’s mission. Then you’ll be ready to share your passion with potential volunteers. Before you make a phone call to a perspective worker, meditate on the importance of reaching children with the gospel. I’ve found it helpful to ask the “why” question about every role in the ministry. For example, why is teaching toddlers important? Toddlers’ language abilities are exploding. Most 2-year-olds can say around 200 words, but by their 4th birthday, they’ll know 1,500. I want teachers for toddlers to be passionate about teaching important words like “Bible,” “prayer,” “sin,” and “Jesus” to 2s and 3s. If I’m recruiting volunteers to work with toddlers, I keep these developmental realities in mind. I pray the Lord will bring people to mind who are particularly gifted with children at this developmental stage. Then I’m ready to share my passion for this age group with potential volunteers. 2. Recruit to relationships. During an early stage in our church’s life, a young couple volunteered to coordinate the nursery during our Sunday evening service. As long as Dan and Jessica were in leadership, I rarely had to think about finding a nursery volunteer. Why? They also led a tight-knit small group, and several members of that group were always ready to serve with them. Dan and Jessica’s example helped me to examine my own recruiting practices. Was I inviting people into relationship as well as service? When recruiting, invite potential volunteers into a discipleship relationship. Paint a picture of the training, growth, and fellowship opportunities afforded by serving in the ministry area you lead. If you can’t commit to having a personal discipleship relationship with the volunteer, identify the leader serving in your ministry with whom this prospective worker will have the closest relationship. Then, as you lead, follow through and commit to building that culture of relational discipleship. 3. Be honest about your need. You’re inviting new people into serving because you can envision a place for them in your ministry. Can they envision it too? If a new volunteer doesn’t immediately see she’s needed or how her role aligns with your church’s other volunteers and teams, she can feel, as Danny Franks notes, like “a cog in a wheel.” If we’re too proud to admit our need or deceptively paint our ministry to be a well-oiled machine, we shouldn’t be surprised when people think, There’s no way they can use me. But when we honestly admit we need all church members to use their gifts, God’s people will be able to see the importance of their service. When we honestly admit we need all church members to use their gifts, God’s people will be able to see the importance of their service. Be clear about your needs, and make sure you communicate the next steps each prospective volunteer should take. Here’s some language I’ve used in the past: “Fill out a Sign-Me-Up card and drop it into an offering basket, or give it to someone with a children’s ministry T-shirt or lanyard. Within one week, we’ll contact you and schedule a face-to-face chat with a children’s ministry leader before or after a worship service.” When you meet with prospective volunteers, be up-front about your screening and training requirements too. As you communicate about your children’s ministry with potential volunteers, know that God wants you to communicate about the ministry with him too. In Matthew 9:37–38 (NIV), Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Ask God to put names of individual people on your heart so you can pursue them. Ask him for clarity of vision and boldness to ask. Plead with him to move the hearts of his people toward service, and be assured this is a prayer he loves to answer.