Remember Egypt?

Yes… the monumental street revolts in Cairo led to joyous hope for a new era of freedom for the Middle East.

But what of that hope now…

This week new violent protests erupted in Egypt. Check out this activist’s first-hand account.

The Arab Spring captured the world’s imagination for a time but now headlines have been drifting elsewhere.

After five months, citizens are restless and fighting for their demands again:

… the pace of change, or more precisely improvement, has been slow in a nation where poverty, corruption and dysfunction were endemic long before Mr. Mubarak’s fall. Now, the military, once widely hailed as an ally of the people, is increasingly seen as an obstacle to change…

Facebook group We Are Khaled Said posts updates on the revolution:

Families of the martyrs of the revolution were protesting against the slow moving justice process today in front of the ministry of Interior. Egyptian police responded heavily with tear gas and rubber bullets. Protesters joined martyrs families and went to Tahrir square. There are now skirmishes between protesters in Tahrir square and Egyptian police. Many say it feels like 28 Jan day of the revolution again

Adding fuel to the flames of frustration is the case of Khaled Said . His death at the hands of police officers a year ago helped spark the Egypt revolution. The verdict in the trial has been delayed to September 24.

Protests are expected to happen again in the days ahead on a larger scale. A leading organization of the youth revolution, the April 6th Movement, has arranged a sit-in. It appears that this revolution is far from over.

John 21:1-13 (NIV)

1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

Reflection:

“Because of what has been made known in Christ, no time can again be regarded as ordinary in the sense of dull or commonplace … What we deem ordinary, God has transformed into extraordinary by his divine grace.” (Laurence Hull Stookey)

We see the disciples going back to their ordinary, old way of living. But Jesus comes onto the scene in surprising fashion, and the excitement begins. Within an instant, nets that were once completely empty from a night’s work are now unable to haul in the enormous number of fish. At that very moment, the disciples are struck with the reality that it is indeed the Lord!

Often times, we find ourselves caught up in the ordinary, daily grind of living. We revert back to fishing ‘again’, forgetting how Jesus has redefined what fishing is for us. God’s call is always voicing His Presence with us and the blessing found in following him. And it is in this place, this reality, this realization that we will see and live in the extra-ordinary, amazing, incredible, extraordinary calling that we have received!

Responding to the Transmission:

Today, may our eyes be opened to see the amazing reality that the Lord is with us. May our ordinary daily grind be transformed into His extraordinary call to follow. Let’s spend some time today in prayer, soaking ourselves in His presence, being reminded of who we are following. And let’s ready ourselves to bring in the harvest as we throw down our nets on the other side of the boat.

If you couldn’t tell, I love cuisines from all around the world.  French cuisine, again, is no exception.  When I have a few extra minutes or choose to wake up a few minutes early, I like making this amazing powerhouse breakfast that’s not only delicious, but good for you!  Try a new spin on your breakfast sandwich—it’s beautiful, great to entertain with and takes no more than 10 minutes!

Ingredients: Makes 2 servings

• 2 slices of toast (pick your favorite—I recommend a wonderful French bread or wheat)
• 2 eggs
• 6-8 slices of your favorite deli meat (traditionally, it’s made with ham, but if you prefer turkey, roast beef, go right ahead!)
• 2 slices of cheese (I recommend provolone or muenster but again, use your favorite!)
• 2 tsp of Dijon mustard

Instructions: 10 minute- Prep and Cook time

1. On medium/medium-high heat, coat a skillet with olive oil (or use cooking spray) and carefully crack an egg into the skillet.

*TIP: If you don’t feel comfortable cracking it into the skillet directly, try cracking an egg into a bowl and slowly dropping it into the skillet.

2. While the egg is frying, toast your bread lightly in your toaster/toaster oven.  You want a light golden brown on both sides.

3. Cook the egg for about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Make sure you turn the heat to medium/low-medium on the second side.

4. Spread the toast with some Dijon mustard and layer on the meat.  Toast again to warm the meat through.

5. Once the egg is done frying, place it on the toast and meat.  Melt the cheese on top.  Use the stove top or the residual heat from your toaster oven.

6. Enjoy with coffee, juice, and your favorite sides!

The below article was written by Diane Van Der Ploeg, President of Butte College.

At Butte College – located in Oroville, California, about 75 miles from Sacramento – we began installing solar panels on campus several years ago, and we now have 25,000 of them. Thanks in part to a generally sunny climate in our part of California, our solar panels will generate a combined 6.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. That’s enough to power over 900 homes or take over 600 cars off the road.

Our solar project was completed in three phases – the first concluded in 2005; the second in 2009; and the third this week. In order to get financing on the best possible terms, we relied on lease revenue bonds, where energy cost savings are used to satisfy the debt obligation, for phase one. We relied on bank financing for phase two. For phase three, the largest phase, we used a combination of federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds and our own funds.

Because our solar panels will produce more electricity than we need, we’ll not only eliminate our utility bill, we’ll also be able to sell the excess electricity back to the power grid. Over time we will see substantial financial benefits – we estimate we could recoup as much as $50 million to $75 million over 15 years – that we can use to help improve academic offerings or expand student enrollment. At a time of tight budgets for states and colleges all over the country, finding innovative ways to save money wherever we can is crucial.

Yet these cost benefits are not the only, or even the primary, reason for our decision to pursue an aggressive renewable energy strategy. We believe that institutions of higher education have a particular responsibility to seize the mantle of environmental leadership. As educators, we are well positioned to demonstrate how we can better manage our use of the earth’s limited resources so that they’ll continue to be available for future generations and how we can reduce carbon emissions in the face of mounting evidence of the threat of global climate change.

When we boost our renewable energy portfolios, improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, recycle, and provide transportation alternatives to commuting by car, we serve as a model for our students and the broader communities we serve. We ask our students to carry that lesson with them after they graduate by signing a voluntary pledge to take the environment into account in their working lives and improve the environmental practices of the organizations where they work.

The below article was written by Diane Van Der Ploeg, President of Butte College.

At Butte College – located in Oroville, California, about 75 miles from Sacramento – we began installing solar panels on campus several years ago, and we now have 25,000 of them. Thanks in part to a generally sunny climate in our part of California, our solar panels will generate a combined 6.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. That’s enough to power over 900 homes or take over 600 cars off the road.

Our solar project was completed in three phases – the first concluded in 2005; the second in 2009; and the third this week. In order to get financing on the best possible terms, we relied on lease revenue bonds, where energy cost savings are used to satisfy the debt obligation, for phase one. We relied on bank financing for phase two. For phase three, the largest phase, we used a combination of federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds and our own funds.

Because our solar panels will produce more electricity than we need, we’ll not only eliminate our utility bill, we’ll also be able to sell the excess electricity back to the power grid. Over time we will see substantial financial benefits – we estimate we could recoup as much as $50 million to $75 million over 15 years – that we can use to help improve academic offerings or expand student enrollment. At a time of tight budgets for states and colleges all over the country, finding innovative ways to save money wherever we can is crucial.

Yet these cost benefits are not the only, or even the primary, reason for our decision to pursue an aggressive renewable energy strategy. We believe that institutions of higher education have a particular responsibility to seize the mantle of environmental leadership. As educators, we are well positioned to demonstrate how we can better manage our use of the earth’s limited resources so that they’ll continue to be available for future generations and how we can reduce carbon emissions in the face of mounting evidence of the threat of global climate change.

When we boost our renewable energy portfolios, improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, recycle, and provide transportation alternatives to commuting by car, we serve as a model for our students and the broader communities we serve. We ask our students to carry that lesson with them after they graduate by signing a voluntary pledge to take the environment into account in their working lives and improve the environmental practices of the organizations where they work.

Matthew 19:16-19 (NIV)

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Reflection:

Being called comes with an assurance that we may not fully realize at first. We are called not because of what we can do or have done, but because of who God is and what He does. Once we are called, we are to do good works God has prepared in advance for us to do, just as Jesus did good works while here on earth. In later verses of Matthew 19, Jesus assures us, His disciples, that He does not leave or forsake those that follow Him. Even if we suffer loss here on earth because we are following Jesus, when He returns, He will reward us with a 100 times as much as what we lost AND we will inherit eternal life.

Responding to the Transmission:

Let’s let this truth sink in. We can’t lose when we follow the call. Even as this earth in its form is temporary, the losses we experience as we follow Jesus are temporary. Let’s pray to the Lord, “Yes, Lord, I will do the good work you have for me today.” Let’s pray for His Spirit to fill us today so that we will be effective.

The CSEE Department wishes to extend its congratulations to Dr. Marie desJardins for her recent promotion from associate professor to full professor. Dr. desJardins began teaching at UMBC in 2001 as an assistant professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and since then has taught courses in areas such as artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems and computer programming. As director of the Multi-agent, Planning and Learning lab (MAPLE) at UMBC, Dr. desJardins works with students to find AI solutions to real world problems. In addition to teaching, Dr. desJardins has actively been pursuing research in the areas of multi-agent systems, machine learning, and planning.

Throughout her decade-long career at UMBC, Dr. desJardins has been an active member of several university organizations and committees. From 2008 to 2010, she served as the Undergraduate Program Director for the Computer Science program. Currently, she is a member of the CSEE Executive Committee, the UMBC Faculty Affairs Committee and the CWIT Internal Advisory Board. Dr. desJardin’s numerous contributions to the CSEE Department, whether through teaching, research or committee involvement, have not been overlooked and the Department is confident that she will excel as she takes on her new role this July.

To learn more about Dr. desJardins’ research pursuits, read her research profile.