With over fifteen years of ministry in Central Asia and the Middle East, Jayson Georges (pseudonym) certainly has the credentials to address the topic of patronage, as co-author of Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016) and founding editor of HonorShame.com,. Although the subject dominates the landscape of Scripture (linguistically and culturally), from Genesis to Revelation, books rarely discuss it. I began reading Ministering in Patronage Cultures with high expectations and was not disappointed.

Ministering in Patronage Cultures alerts the reader to a cultural, biblical, and theological blind spot that impacts our relationships with others and the divine patron. Rather than providing rules for the reader to follow, Georges gives principles to help clarify the cloudy conversations that surround patronage in antiquity and today.

Honor and shame cultures shape how communities define identity, morality, and restoration, and in many parts of the world, shame, not guilt, is the dominant force shaping how people hear and respond to the gospel. Ministering in honor-shame cultures requires a shift in language, posture, and practice.

Many a Westerner have experienced a culture that runs on an honor-shame operating system. In Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures Jayson Georges and Mark Baker decode the cultural and biblical script of honor and shame. Rooted in biblical theology, this 270-page book equips Christians to embody and proclaim the Kingdom of God in global contexts.

M-Vave’s cheap FM-1 pocket synth has exploded as a community firmware playground.

Lindsey Fitzharris chats with Ars about her new book, Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes.

University of Sheffield researchers figured out how to re-create the 1,600-year-old glass recipe.

The United Nations declared 2022 the International Year of Glass. Countless events, and activities across the globe took place throughout the year, celebrating glass in all its glory — from science, sustainability, industry and technology, to art, history and culture.

A worldwide callout was launched to find the 7 Glass Wonders. Over 50 proposals, submitted by regional organisations from each continent, were assessed by an international panel of independent judges.

I am thrilled to share the 7 Glass Wonders with you:

These are the conservative 12V setpoints I work from, referenced to 25°C (77°F).

| Stage (12V) | Flooded | AGM | Gel |
| Bulk | Current-limited (rises to absorption) Current-limited (rises to absorption) Current-limited (rises to absorption)
Absorption 14.4–14.7 V 14.4–14.7 V 14.1–14.4 V
Float 13.5 V 13.5–13.8 V 13.5 V
Equalize 15.0–16.0 V (periodic) None / limited (check maker) NEVER
Temp-comp −3 to −5 mV/°C/cell −3 to −5 mV/°C/cell −3 to −5 mV/°C/cell

these are lead-acid numbers. If you’re charging a lithium iron phosphate bank, throw this table out — LFP wants a flat absorption around 14.0-14.6 V at 12V, essentially no float, and no temperature compensation in the same form. -- check the data sheet

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Canarytokens are a distilled version of our much-loved Canary product. They are dead simple, and they work.

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“We have the mandate, we have the resources, and the support from our stakeholders.”

80 years ago today, the first images of Earth from space were taken. A 35mm camera mounted on a captured V-2 rocket launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This photo is a frame from the rocket's journey to 65 miles (105 km) above Earth's surface. //

The camera snapped a new frame every second and a half. The V-2 slammed back into the desert at about 500 feet per second and smashed it, but the film survived in a steel cassette, and a recovery soldier said the scientists jumped up and down like kids.

Have you ever seen a bonsai up close? You take a tree that wants to grow thirty meters tall, and every year you cut back its roots and wire its branches so it keeps exactly the same shape. Some live for centuries. They're beautiful. They never get any bigger.

That's what conservatism becomes when it only preserves and never builds. We protected everything, including the things that should have been allowed to die.

In 2022 Elon wrote that unless something changes, Japan will eventually cease to exist. A lot of people here called it rude. I was annoyed too, for about a day. Then I looked at the census again.

WHAT AMERICA SHOULD TAKE FROM THIS

Japan shows you can keep your culture without apologizing for it. Don't let anyone tell you that pride in your country is the problem.

Japan also shows that a nation can get culture right and still lose, if it protects its old companies, its old voters and its old arrangements against its own young people. It dies politely, with clean streets and trains on time.

You still have what we lost: a system that lets things fail and lets new things be born. Bankruptcy, startups, people who move across the country for a better job. Elon is a product of that system. Every bailout, every subsidy for a company that should have died, every rule that protects the insider against the newcomer moves you a little closer to us.

If you know someone who says "America should just be more like Japan," send them this. Both halves.

A nation isn't saved by preserving its past. It's saved by having someone to hand it to.

Despite the common term “PVC glue,” the product used to join PVC pipe is technically PVC solvent cement. Unlike traditional glue, which acts as a surface adhesive, solvent cement chemically softens the surfaces of the pipe and fitting. Once joined, those surfaces fuse into a single, continuous material structure.

This process, known as solvent welding, creates a strong, watertight connection between compatible pipe and fittings when the joint is properly assembled and fully cured. //

Pipe Diameter Pressure 60–100°F
½" to 1¼" Up to 180 psi 15 min
1½" to 3" Up to 180 psi 30 min

There are many types of “pure” water: chemically pure, biologically pure, or a combination of both. RO water, while biologically pure, it is not very chemically pure. The purity (and therefore corrosivity) of RO water is a function of the total dissolved solids (TDS) of the feed water: the lower the TDS, the more pure the RO water. In hospitals, RO is often combined with deionization (DI), and many hospitals follow AAMI TIR standards. RO/DI water is starved for minerals and tends to want to “steal” them from the piping.

All of these factors need to be fully understood and identified before selecting the piping material.

So What Is the Best Material?
Our experts overwhelmingly agree that copper should not be used in this application. Copper can easily leech into the RO water, diminishing its purity. Brass isn’t as easily corroded as copper by RO water, but it still should be avoided for this application.

For any system that includes deionization, Schedule 80 PVC is not recommended. The aggressive nature of the DI water will extract additives from the PVC, weakening the piping structure and contaminating the high-purity water. However, for single-stage RO systems, PVC is acceptable.

For this application, our experts suggest the following materials.

PEX
Many have found that cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) piping/tubing work best in this application. PEX is resistant to the corrosion that is caused by minerals and other contaminants in the water. These contaminants do not build up in the piping, and they do not break down from the constant exposure of the contaminants, which means the RO system can do its job while minimizing the possibility of damage to the plumbing system.

PP
For Types II and III water, polypropylene (PP) piping is suggested. PP is commonly used in these applications and will support not only the resistivity/conductivity levels, but also the other components of the water spec, primarily total organic carbon (TOC).

Keep in mind that PP does not meet ASTM E84 25/50 flame/smoke Ratings, so take care if the piping is within a plenum.

PVDF
For Type I water, PVDF is suggested. PVDF will support the high resistivity levels desired, as well as the tight TOC and other constituent restrictions. Also, to meet AAMI/TIR 34 standards, PVDF with BCF (bead and crevice free) joints to prevent bacteria buildup in the joint crevices should be specified.

Due to its cost, PVDF would usually be reserved for ultra-pure water in applications where water approaching 18 µohm is required.

PVC and CPVC cements are solvent-based chemicals that literally dissolve the outer surface of the pipe and fitting. When you push the two pieces together, the softened surfaces fuse at a molecular level, forming one unified piece — not just a surface bond. Once the solvent evaporates and the joint cures, you’re left with what is, in essence, a seamless pipe.

This is why the material chemistry of the cement must match the pipe. The solvent mix that softens CPVC is not the same formula that softens standard PVC, and using the wrong one means the pipe surface never fully dissolves — leaving you with a weak, brittle joint waiting to fail. //

Using CPVC cement on PVC pipe: Weld-On, one of the most reputable solvent cement manufacturers in the industry, confirms that CPVC solvent cement technically will work on PVC piping — though they still recommend using the correct PVC cement for the job. //

Even though CPVC cement can technically bond PVC, using it routinely on PVC is not recommended. The solvent chemistry is calibrated for CPVC’s harder structure, which can result in:

Inadequate solvent action on the softer PVC surface, causing over-dissolution or uneven bonding
Brittle joints that don’t have the flexibility PVC connections normally need. //

A joint made with the wrong cement may hold water temporarily but fail under pressure cycling, temperature swings, or mechanical stress. The bond never achieves the seamless molecular fusion that proper solvent welding creates. //

Several manufacturers offer all-in-one transition cements specifically formulated to bond both PVC and CPVC. These products are engineered as a true middle ground — not a compromise, but a deliberately formulated blend.

When choosing a multipurpose cement, look for:

Explicit “PVC/CPVC” labeling on the can

Incompatibility Risks: While CPVC cement may create an initial bond with PVC pipe, it is not a permanent solution; the chemical differences prevent the materials from fusing correctly, leading to likely failure over time.

Chemical Differences: PVC and CPVC have different chemical compositions—specifically the higher chlorine content in CPVC—which requires specialized cements and primers designed to react with those specific resins.

Potential for Leaks: Using the wrong cement increases the risk of leaks caused by high water pressure, temperature fluctuations (both extreme heat and cold), and general aging of the weak bond.

Best Practices: To ensure a watertight, "inseparable" connection, always use PVC-specific cement and primer for PVC projects, apply both quickly, and give the pipe a quarter-turn during insertion to distribute the adhesive

SISHEN, South Africa — A South African freight operator has claimed the title for running the world’s longest freight train, taking the distinction away from Australia.

National rail operator Transnet Freight Rail reports it ran an empty 696-car, 7.6-kilometer-long train — that’s 4.7 miles long — on its 861-km (535-mile) Iron Ore Export Line between the port of Saldanha and Northern Cape mine at Sishen. Australian mining company BHP had held the record since 2001 with a 682-car, 7.35-km (4.56-mile) train at its operation in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, that train was loaded and also set a record at 99,732.1 metric tons. Before that, Transnet had held the record.

Most of what our Founding Fathers thought was essential to a good education is barely taught in schools anymore:

• Classical languages
• Religion
• Theology
• Biblical literacy
• Penmanship
• Cursive writing
• Calligraphy
• Spelling
• Grammar
• Syntax
• Vocabulary
• Etymology
• Memorization
• Recitation
• Dictation
• Logic
• Formal reasoning
• Rhetoric
• Oratory
• Public speaking
• Debate
• Dialectic
• Persuasive writing
• Essay composition
• Letter writing
• Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Epistemology
• Ethics
• Moral philosophy
• Natural law
• Virtue
• Character formation
• Moral reasoning
• Civics
• Constitutional history
• Founding documents
• Political philosophy
• Natural rights
• Duties of citizenship
• Classical literature
• Epic poetry
• Poetry memorization
• Shakespeare
• The Great Books
• Ancient history
• Greek and Roman history
• Medieval history
• Church history
• Western civilization
• Chronological history
• Historical biography
• Geography
• Map reading
• Mental arithmetic
• Arithmetic drills
• Euclidean geometry
• Mathematical proofs
• Astronomy
• Natural history
• Music theory
• Choral singing
• Hymnody
• Drawing
• Fine arts appreciation
• Aesthetics
• Physical education
• Calisthenics
• Self-discipline
• Etiquette
• Manners
• Courtesy
• Respect for elders
• Personal responsibility
• Prudence
• Temperance
• Fortitude
• Justice
• Intellectual humility
• Independent judgment
• The pursuit of truth
• The cultivation of wisdom
  //

Nothing to add. Every item here starts with learning to read well. Then a great teacher asks the right question, and it passes from a person to a child. In a class of six, the teacher hears every recitation and catches every stumble. Whoever has the best teachers wins. //

Republican authors (Cicero, Plutarch, Sidney, Cato's Letters) and Enlightenment political thinkers (Locke, Montesquieu)

They would want us to remain obsessed with understanding the conditions required for self governance — the civic virtue and political system

Birds’ compact nervous system seems to help them handle tasks very quickly. //

The crows solved the task the same way primates do, using the same mathematical logic despite having a very different brain structure. And they did it two times faster.