The Black Swan Events That Could Determine This Election

Mark Cuban Learns He’s on the Losing Team

The Razor Thin Margin of Freedom

The Canadian Version of 'Newspeak'

Christians Are Not the Enemy

The masses of immigrants coming to America and settling in New York in the 1800s needed cheap housing. New York’s Lower East Side‚ as a hotbed for these affordable units‚ attracted thousands of these immigrants and others coming to the city to find work. But these newcomers found not the gold-paved streets of their dreams‚ but squalor and danger in the city’s low-rent tenements. In 1890‚ reporter Jacob Riis shocked the nation by publishing his photographic journal‚ How the Other Half Lives. His collection of photographs‚ taken in New York’s Lower East Side‚ wasn’t just a missive on the area’s poverty‚ it pleaded for conditions to change. Between 1902 and 1914‚ the New York City Tenement House Department started documenting the tenement conditions. Their photographs live on as a testament to the time when merely renting a space to live in put the tenants’ lives at risk. Tenement of 1863‚ for Twelve Families on Each Flat. D‚ dark. L‚ light. H‚ halls. Jacob Riis‚ public domain. Tenements Were Tight Quarters In New York‚ tenements crowded into city blocks‚ taking up the whole block to maximize the rentable space. Squeezed between other tenements‚ they would be about 25 feet wide and 100 feet long (7.6 meters by 30.5 meters)‚ with only a foot or less between neighbors. With so little space between buildings‚ windows couldn’t fit on the side of the building. Only the street-facing units had windows. They were five‚ six‚ or seven story walk-ups with terrible ventilation; with little window space‚ the only fresh air would come from the main entrance and the rooms facing the street or rear yard. Jacob Riis counted twelve adults sharing a room only 13 feet across‚ and discovered infants were dying at a rate of 1 in 10‚ a shocking mortality rate‚ even for the times and in that location. Tenements were a terrifying‚ but often only‚ choice for the poor. Source

Old School Gamer Magazine chats with Wrestling Thunder City creator Rodolfo Carrasco Correa‚ who discusses the upcoming Game Boy Color wrestling RPG. Old School Gamer Magazine: How was this game born? Correa: It was during the times of the covid days. I had my first child and my wife and I could not do much in terms of going out or visiting places due to the lockdown. I wanted to play video games but didn’t find a wrestling game that offered much outside of the ring. I figured I could try my luck at developing the game that I couldn’t find at that time. Also‚ like many of us‚ I had to get into a project to keep a healthy mindset during those times so it matched perfectly for me.  Old School Gamer Magazine: What is your role in the game? Correa: Considering the constraints of my day job and having to be home office while having two kids and a dog‚ I assumed the role of game design and storytelling. It allowed me to leverage community resources from itch.io for most tilesets but I commissioned the music. I adopted the mantra “the simplest way is the only way” to keep things simple as it is my first try at game development. I knew I wouldn’t have the time to do it all by myself.  Old School Gamer Magazine: What has development been like? Correa: As I mentioned before‚ I have serious time constraints so to create time I have to either wake up super early or go to bed really late. I recommend none. They suck. But if you really love it you find ways even if they are not all sugar coated.  Old School Gamer Magazine: What makes this game special? Correa: I think that is an honest love letter to wrestling in general so wrestling fans will see it. It is a unique experience in the genre. I sometimes have to explain that the game is “about” wrestling more than it is a “wrestling game”. There’s plenty of those in the market and they’re all reduced to what happens in the ring mostly. The faces are funny when I say it is a game about wrestling but there’s also a ghost story investigation‚ The Beatles references and nakedness.  Old School Gamer Magazine: What games influenced this one the most? Correa: The mobile game NJPW Strong Spirits. The stats in that game come and go randomly for your characters due to certain choices you make. I remember RPGs were known for being focused in part on decision making that led to different outcomes. I wanted to have that back in my game more than spending a few hours leveling up to grow stronger. Especially with the constraints of the game boy graphics.     Old School Gamer Magazine: Any fun stories or wild moments during development? Correa: Yes. My laptop died and lost a big part of the game haha. But at that moment I wanted to try making the game in Unity‚ so as not to have so many restrictions and go wider and bigger. I mostly lost time testing things rather than good ideas or artwork.   Old School Gamer Magazine: What were the major lessons learned? Correa: Just do the rpg genre’s first and most important strategy: Save your progress often. Also stick to a plan. I’ve been doing this game for two years but mostly because I’ve got distracted with voxel art design‚ 3D‚ Final fantasy Tactics mechanics… etc. It could have been done by now. But hey‚ time is a funny thing. Is it really a year or two or three if you just dedicate an hour a day to it? I’ve enjoyed every minute so I’m ok with everything that happened.  Old School Gamer Magazine: Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important? Correa: I think older mechanics are time tested and that’s why developers go back to them time and time again. They have proven their worth. But getting deeper into the water and taking risks is also important. But with GB Studio there’s only so much you can do. That’s excellent for starters. It keeps things in scope.   Old School Gamer Magazine:T he marketplace is crowded. How do you think you stand out? Correa: By testing the old phrase:  “If I built it‚ will they come? I don’t think there’s many wrestling games that focus on a unique story that’s for everybody. Hardcore puroresu fans to the more colorful‚ tv friendly pro wrestling fans and everyone in between.    Old School Gamer Magazine: How have your previous experiences in industry helped this game? Correa: This is my first go. And I’m glad I took the first steps. It has been really rewarding. I feel complete doing this. I’m 40 years old and I wish these technologies for developing your own video games were available when I was a teenager.   Old School Gamer Magazine: How do you want this game to ultimately be remembered? Correa: To me personally as the start of a great game dev adventure. I want to keep learning‚ especially programming which is not my forté. If it wasn’t for the GB Studio community that has helped me sort things out whenever I ask questions in Discord for instance they are there in the minute I would have given up a time ago.  For the players? As an inspiration that you can do amazing things with the tools there are for game dev‚ even with the little knowledge you might have. Study the templates‚ study older games‚ you’ll get it done if you really want to.  Old School Gamer Magazine: What’s next?   Correa: Wrestling Thunder City: The Movie! haha Just kidding… Next it’s to finish the game and plan for physical releases if it all goes well. Remember: when starting “the simplest way is the only way”.   Old School Gamer Magazine: Anything else you’d like to add? Correa: Just a big thanks to all the community that’s always there to help newbies and old dogs like me with following their game dev dreams with their continuous support. And my wife for keeping up with my messin around the laptop haha. Link to demo: Wrestling Thunder City Demo by Bricks VGS – Rodolfo (itch.io) The post Old School Gamer Magazine Exclusive: Rodolfo Carrasco Correa Talks ‘Wrestling Thunder City’ appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

A Prayer to Delight Yourself in the LordBy Victoria Riollano "Delight yourself in the Lord‚ and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 I have to be honest. There are many things that bring me delight. The sound of a baby's laugh. The gritty feeling of sand under my feet at a bright blue beach. A warm hug from one of my children. The words‚ "I love you‚" as they flow from the lips of my husband. The smell of fresh brownies‚ the sound of my favorite worship band‚ and seeing long-lost friends can create moments of intense joy. The truth is‚ I have mastered the art of finding happiness in everyday external pleasures. Yet‚ when I first read the words "Delight yourself in the Lord‚" I was met with unexpected questions. What does it mean to find delight or extreme excitement as it concerns the Lord? If I can be honest‚ for many years‚ how I viewed the Lord at any given moment was based on my external circumstances. When things were going well‚ I was thrilled to brag about Him and tell others about His goodness. Yet‚ when things were more difficult and my expectations weren't met‚ I wondered where the Lord was in this situation. Did He not see my peril or care about my struggles? In these moments‚ when I lost loved ones‚ when sickness struck my home‚ when friends were no longer friends‚ year after year‚ I made the choice to no longer delight. After years of choosing to have joy in the Lord‚ only when He was following my lead the Lord brought conviction. My ways were like a child who loved a parent only when it was convenient. As a mother‚ this broke my heart as I realized the error of being a Christian who used God for his blessings but rejected Him when corrections or even trials arose. This is not delighting in the Lord. Today‚ my prayer for you is that you find your joy in the Lord. No matter what the situation looks like around you‚ you make the choice to run to Him. I have found over and over that when we choose to love the Lord not for what He can do or is doing in our lives but for the essence of who He is‚ we can't help but delight in Him. He is the one who gave us breath in our bodies. He is the one who knows our thoughts and who has a plan for our lives. He is the one who died for us that we may have eternal life. The Lord is a constant‚ our comfort‚ and though He is majestic enough to put the stars in the sky‚ He calls us friends. This‚ my friend‚ should bring us unspeakable joy. Let's pray. Lord‚ I thank You for who You are. I praise Your wonderful works. For You are the Creator of all‚ yet so intimately near. Forgive me for the times that I've made You an afterthought. Teach me to come to You with the humility and joy of a child. God‚ convict me when I become more excited about worldly pleasures than following Your will. Father‚ I delight in You. Help me to never forget just how good You are. May I delight in You all the days of my life! In Jesus‘ name‚ amen. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/tommaso79 Victoria Riollano is an author‚ blogger‚ and speaker. As a mother of seven‚ military spouse‚ Psychology professor and minister's wife‚ Victoria has learned the art of balancing family and accomplishing God's ultimate purpose for her life. Recently‚ Victoria released a parenting book called Warrior Mother: Equipping Your Heart to Fight for Your Family's Faith. This book empowers mothers to find strength in trusting the Lord with their children. Ultimately‚ her desire is to empower women to live a life of victory‚ hope‚ and love. She believes that with Christ we can live a life that is ALWAYS winning. You can learn more about her ministry at victoryspeaks.org. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week‚ she gives you practical‚ real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day‚ click below! Now that you’ve prayed‚ are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer to Delight Yourself in the Lord – Your Daily Prayer – February 1 appeared first on GodUpdates.

February 1‚ 2024 Stressed? Pretend You're a PlantMEGHAN MELLINGER Lee en español "But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD‚ whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV) I can't keep green things alive. (Rest in peace‚ mini cactus.) I overwater. I underwater. I forget to put the plant near a window. I never play classical music or whisper encouragement into its leaves. It's no surprise I also sometimes treat myself like I've treated my long list of shriveled succulents. I overdo it. I hustle through it. I forget to eat a vegetable. I don’t stop to ask for help or whisper encouragement to my soul. I tell myself it's only a season of the year or season at work or season of life - once it's over‚ I'll be able to breathe again. But I keep coming back to the same status: stressed. Overwhelmed. Stranded in survival mode. And I was never a Girl Scout‚ so I'm ill-prepared for the elements. The Lord cautions us about what happens when we rely on our own strength - we become withered and worn‚ like shrubs in a parched desert (Jeremiah 17:5-6). But there's hope outside of ourselves. When we rely on the Lord and His power in and through us‚ we're like a tree planted by a river‚ connected to a living stream that won't run dry. "But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD‚ whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8‚ NIV). Tired of failing in self-reliance and ready to flourish in God-reliance? Let's learn from God's plant analogies and tend to our stressed souls. Deepen your roots: From our gentle cries for help from the Holy Spirit to our daily debriefs about our thoughts and emotions‚ our accessible God cares about the details of our lives. Create practices in your day where you can share your life and burdens with God in prayer and strengthen your relationship with Him. Get some sunlight: Get outside and soak in God's creation. Go for a walk. Camp out under a tree. Sit by your window. Watch what you tell yourself: If it's scientifically proven that plants respond to positive talk‚ imagine how much more your heart needs to hear the Truth. Reframe and rewire your self-talk so you're listening only to God's promises and His Word. Keep a list of Bible verses in your phone or journal to reference when you need reminders. Rooting ourselves in Jesus doesn't mean stressors go away - the heat and the drought may still come. But life in Him and through His power means we don't have to wither and get worn down by stress. When we rely on His power in us‚ we can live as trees planted by the living river. Jesus‚ help me to surrender my finite strength and plug in to Your constant power source. I'm ready to plant myself in Your love and Truth. Please sustain me through all of life's highs and lows. In Jesus' Name‚ Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS By investing in just a few minutes of prayer‚ God can help us redirect our minds away from stressful thoughts and toward truths and safe assurances found in Him. With the FREE resource "7 Morning and Evening Prayers To Get You Through This Week‚" you can begin experiencing the peace God provides through connecting with Him daily. Sign up to receive this resource here. ENGAGE For more from Meghan Mellinger‚ connect with her on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY John 15:5‚ "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you‚ you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (NIV). From a tree to a vine‚ God loves using plant analogies to illustrate that God-reliance is life-giving. Apart from Him‚ we can do nothing on our own. What aspect of this analogy resonates with you today? Share with us in the comments! © 2024 by Meghan Mellinger. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews‚ NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Stressed? Pretend You’re a Plant –  Encouragement for Today – February 1‚ 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.