BRING BACK OUR GIRLS!

Here’s an unusual news clip:

A major Christian denomination is suing a state government because it objects to its gay marriage laws.

Doesn’t sound so unusual? Here’s the catch…

The church is suing because it WANTS to marry same-sex couples. 

The United Church of Christ says North Carolina’s same-sex marriage ban violates their religious freedom to perform marriage ceremonies for whomever they choose. On April 28, the United Church of Christ, other clergy, and several gay couples  filed an official complaint, declaring their:

“…Right to freely perform religious services and ceremonies consistent
with their beliefs and practices.”

 In this case, marrying same-sex couples. 

So does their argument hold water? 

Couples who wish to wed in North Carolina must obtain a marriage license, something the church can’t issue. And there are other limitations: Fundamentalist Ladder Day Saints churches, for example, cannot perform (legal) multiple marriages, despite the fact that their faith encourages it. 

This suit is just the latest chapter in an ongoing conversation about the boundaries between church and state.

 In 2011, Westboro Baptist Church won the right to picket funerals with anti-homosexual propaganda after taking their case to the Supreme Court.  

This March, the Supreme Court began considering the case of Hobby Lobby, a Christian owned retail chain that objects to paying for certain types of birth control covered under the Affordable Care Act.

Now, with the United Church of Christ case, politicians on both sides of the aisle may be forced into some unusual stances. While we wait for the courts to decide, we’re asking you:

When should faith trump law?

The HTML Working Group invites implementation of the Candidate Recommendation of W3C DOM4. DOM defines a platform-neutral model for events and node trees. Learn more about the HTML Activity.

The Tracking Protection Working Group has published a Working Draft of Tracking Compliance and Scope. This specification defines the meaning of a Do Not Track (DNT) preference and sets out practices for websites to comply with this preference. Learn more about the Privacy Activity.

The WebFonts Working Group has published a First Public Working Draft of WOFF File Format 2.0. Based on experience with WOFF 1.0, which is widely deployed, this specification provides improved compression and thus lower use of network bandwidth, while still allowing fast decompression even on mobile devices. This is achieved by combining a content-aware preprocessing step and improved entropy coding, compared to the Flate compression used in WOFF 1.0. Learn more about the Fonts Activity.

Avi Reichental Opens Potomac Photonics’ New Era of Digital Fabrication in Baltimore

Yesterday 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental helped Potomac Photonics open a new era of Digital Fabrication at bwtech@UMBC in Baltimore, Maryland.

Keynoting a Digital Fabrication Summit that Potomac organized in celebration of the new Center, Mr. Reichental expanded upon the symposium’s theme:  The Impact of Digital Fabrication on Our Lives.  While this inspiring talk will have its own review, the highlights included examples of the many ways in which people’s everyday lives were improved by 3D Printing.  While cool medical applications such as the “sexy” prosthesis 3D Systems has created for amputees, it was the ways in which 3D Printing can lower barriers to market entry for entrepreneurs and spur economic growth that caught the attention of Maryland State and local business and government leaders who were in attendance.

The day was introduced by Potomac CEO Mike Adelstein, who is leading the company into a new era of digital fabrication.  Founded as an excimer laser and laser micromachining manufacturing and contract services company, Mr. Adelstein has expanded the range of contract service offerings to include 3D Printing, micro CNC machining, hot embossing, and advanced quality control and measurement.  Potomac is also an authorized 3D Systems 3D Printer re-seller, and one of the few re-sellers in the country with trained service technicians to support customers.

Mr. Adelstein’s inspiring talk, entitled IMAGINE, spoke to the many ways in which Potomac’s contract service work helps groups cure cancer, improve diagnostic testing through new microfluidics devices, create new businesses by building prototypes for innovators and entrepreneurs, and improve STEM education.  He also described the company’s Education Manufacturing Initiative where thousands of dollars of digital fabrication work has been donated to college and universities.   As part of this program, Potomac is conducting joint R&D with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where the new Center is located.

Avi Reichental and Mike Adelstein Enjoying Digital
Fabrication Summit Presentations

Dr. Neil Gershenfeld, Director of the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms and founder of the MIT-based FabLab Network, spoke about Digital Fabrication advances that are at the center of his group’s work.  These included Machines that Make Machines and self-assembling 3D Printed materials.  A lively presentation followed by Kegan Schouwenburg, founder of Sols, who ispassionate about the intersection of 3D Printing and good business practice.  Her vision to 3D Print customized orthotics in a way that is beautiful, efficient, and affordable seems clearly achieveable given her concrete analysis combined with boundless energy!

Following a welcome by the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park Executive Director, Ellen Hemmerly, the ceremonial ribbon was cut by Potomac employees.  Perhaps most fun of all was a tour of the Potomac Digital Fabrication center that includes all manner of CNC machines, lasers, 3D Printers, software, and measurement tools.

It was a day that saw a glimpse into what people are calling the next industrial revolution.   And Potomac Photonics is leading digital fabrication toa time when technology will be impacting our lives in unimaginable ways.