Category Archives: MicroZed Chronicles

How to use the Zynq and Zynq MPSoC

MicroZed Chronicles – Vivado HLS & DDR Access

Using Vivado HLS we can of course, accelerate the development of our data path. There are times however, when using HLS that we want to interact with external memories such as DDR.  Either to store data or to retrieve data already written by another function.

Using HLS to interact with an external DDR at first sounds a like it might be complicated. Nothing could be further from the truth as I am about to demonstrate.

To do this I am going to use my Arty board which contains both a Artix 35T FPGA and 256MB of DDR3L ideal for the demonstration. What this demonstration will create is a HLS IP block which can be included within our Vivado design and interface with DDR. The functionality of this block will be simple writing a pattern of numbers into the DDR memory.

To successfully use this block we will therefore, need a Vivado design which contains the following

  • Memory Interface Generator configured for the DDR3L
  • JTAG to AXI to allow debug verification access to the DDR3L
  • AXI interconnect to allow the HLS block and the JTAG to AXI to access the MIG
  • VIO to start the HLS block
  • ILA to verify / debug internally the design
  • The HLS test block itself

The idea behind this demonstration is the HLS block will write the data to the DDR and I will then be able to read the values written into the DDR using the JTAG to AXIS.

To crate the HLS block we use Vivado HLS and create a new project targeting the same Artix devices as on the Arty. All we need to do then is create our source files and test bench both of which will be very simple.

First the source file, to read or write from DDR memory we use the C function memcpy when used in software it allows the copying of data from a source to a destination. When we use it in HLS it also does the same however, the movement of data is based around the AXI4 memory mapped interface.

Of course, this interface is ideal for use with the MIG and other memory interfaces. As such the code we use to create the example HLS block is very simple

Looking in detail at the code, the function prototype includes a int pointer DDR, this will be the interface we use to write out the data to the DDR memory. If necessary, we could also use this interface to read from the DDR as well.

We to define this interface as a AXI4 master interface we use the pragma HLS INTERFACE with the type m_axi port =ddr associates the port ddr with the AXI interface. While the depth is used for co-simulation when pointers are used in place of arrays and should be set to the number values written /read.

The offset is how we control the address space and the addresses the AXI interface begins to access. This can be provided by one of three methods.

  1. Off – the default, it will start accesses from 0x00000000.
  2. Direct – this will create a port on the HLS module which allows the offset definition to be applied from within the Vivado block design.
  3. Slave – this will create a AXI 4 Lite interface with a register which defines the offset.

For this example, we will be using the direct approach as this allows us to show how a more logic-based design as opposed to a solution containing an embedded processing system using AXI Lite.

When it comes to verifying the design, we need to create a simple test bench which allows us to perform C based simulation and Co-Simulation. The test bench for this example simply has a 256-bit array passed to the HLS function which it fills.

The C Simulation allows us to test out the functionality of the code before we perform the HLS synthesis and co-simulation. Just like in any C debugging here we can use break points and examine the contents of variables.

With this completed the next step is to perform Synthesis and Co-Simulation, when you run Co-Simulation ensure you set the dump trace to port. This allows us to see the inputs and output waveforms of the HLS core.

The Co-Simulation applies the same C test bench inputs to the generated RTL and reports back on the pass / fail of the simulation.

Being happy with the co-simulation results the final step in Vivado HLS is to generate the IP core, and add it into our Vivado IP repository allowing its use.

Once our HLS core has been added into the Vivado design it is here that we can set the address the HLS core will use for its transactions. To do this I used a constant block.

With this completed we can then generate the bit stream, and once completed open the hardware manager and program the device.

Thanks to the VIO we can control the ap_start signal on the HLS core, this means before we start we can read the DDR memory using the JTAG to AXIS link and check that it is not set to our test values.

Satisfied the DDR memory is randomly initialised we can then start the HLS block using the VIO and check that it has run correctly writing its data to the DDR memory.

To verify the succesful writing of data, we can do this in two ways the first is to use internal ILA’s configured to trigger on AXI writes and completion of the HLS function.

The second is to use the JTAG to AXI bridge to read back the written addresses and confirm the values.

This demonstrates the write to DDR memory is successful, which enables us more flexibility within our HLS designs.

Watch out for!

  1. Ensure the HLS block is reset correctly.
  2. Ensure the ap_start signal is held high until ap_ready is asserted.
  3. Holding ap_start high will result in the core running again.
  4. Ensure you have the address range set correctly for your memory access in the hardware.

Example code

MicroZed Chronicles on GitHub

Want a Book

Year One

Year Two

Image Processing with Xilinx Devices

MicroZed Chronicles – Finite State Machines Tips

The Finite State Machine (FSM) are one of the basic building blocks every FPGA designer should know and deploy often. However, over the years when implementing state machines in many different solution spaces (defense, aerospace, automotive etc) I have learnt a few tips and recommendations which I thought I would share. Following these have provided me with a better quality of results and helped me deliver working systems to my customers faster.

Develop the state machine as a single clocked process.

Perhaps the most controversial point is always using a single process state machine. Of course, this is different to the state machine architecture we are taught when we first learn about them. Many, if not most universities teach state machine implementation using two processes, one combinatorial and another sequential.

With a two-process state machine implementation the main functionality will be contained in a combinatorial process. If we fail to fully define all the combinatorial conditions within this process we will implement latches during synthesis. The combinatorial process may also generate glitches on its outputs as the state and inputs change.

Debugging can also be harder as the sensitivity list needs to be complete, including all of the signals used in the combinatoral process. Failure to include a signal in the sensitivity list will result in different behaviour between RTL simulation and the implementation which can take a little time to find. This is alleviated somewhat if we are using VHDL 2008, where we can use the “all” statement in the process declaration. Of course to take advantage of this your tool chain needs to support VHDL 2008.

By contrast a one process state machine enables much easier use of conditional definition and removes the ability for latches to be created. While preventing glitches as all outputs signals are registered.

Personally I also find them a little easier to debug as all the functionality is within one process.

Decouple functionality, only allow single bit input and outputs to your state machine.

We are often tempted to take into our state machine large buses and decode these within the main body.  This is especially true when counters are used for the timing of events within the state machine. For example, as shown in the code snippet below

when wait_cnt =>

    if cnt >= std_logic_vector(to_unsigned(128,16)) then

       current_state <= read_fifo;

       cnt <= (others =>’0’);

       cnt <= cnt + 1;

    end if;

Implementing the state machine in this manner includes additional logic within the state machine for both the comparator and the counter. This will impact the performance of the state machine within the implemented FPGA as it requires more resources and consequently more routing.

A better method is to use an external process for the counter or other external functions which pass in a single control signal. This leaves the bulk of the logic decoupled from the state machine. Taking the counter example, we can use an external counter process to generate a single pulse once the terminal count is achieved as shown below.

when wait_cnt =>

    if cnt_terminal = ‘1’ then

       current_state <= read_fifo;

       cnt_reset <= ‘1’;

    end if;

In the above code the single bit input provided from the counter process to indicate the terminal count has been reached. While the state machine asserts a single bit output to reset the counter when this occurs. This uses less logic within the state machine, enabling better performance.

As shown in this example only a single bit should also only leave the state machine as well.

Address any unmapped states

Many times, when we develop a state machine, the implementation does not use a power of two states leaving several unmapped states. If the state machine enters an unmapped state the state machine will stall and become unresponsive as there is no recovery mechanism. Depending upon the application this can be merely inconvenient or lead to catastrophic consequences.

Transitions to unmapped states can occur for a variety of reasons, from a single event effect to an electrically noisy environment or even vibration effecting device bond wires (before you ask yes, I have seen this). It is therefore good practice to ensure there is a path back from an unmapped state back into the main flow of the design. One of the simplest mechanisms to do this is to cycle through the unused states following the reset or power up before the state machine enters its idle state. This prevents the unmapped states from being optimised out during synthesis, while providing a simple recovery mechanism.

Consider the unexpected, what happens if control signals arrive late or early

When considering the control flow of a state machine it is important to consider what happens if an expected signal does not arrive when expected.  While in an ideal world we would have defined interface definitions for each module in our design sadly this is not always the case. As such we need to make sure the state machine does not hang in a state waiting for a signal which has already occurred and as such has been missed.

Considering this ensures the state machine can handle the worse case conditions in operation.

This is incredibly important if your state machine contains structures like below, where a late signal can easily lead to the system becoming unresponsive.

when <state> =>

 if input_one  = ‘1’ then

   if input_two = ‘1’ then

     current_state <= wait_fifo;

  elsif input_three = ‘1’ then

   current_state <= idle;

  end if;

end if;

Should input one not be asserted when inputs two or three occur then the state machine will hang and become un-responsive. If such a structure is unavoidable and I am sure you can avoid it with a little thought, a timer or other recovery function should be added to prevent the state machine locking up, allowing a graceful recovery.

Further Reading!

  1. For more on high reliability state machines read USING FPGA’S IN MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS

For more on the basics of state machines read How to implement a state machine in your FPGA

Example code

MicroZed Chronicles on GitHub

Want a Book

Year One

Year Two

Image Processing with Xilinx Devices

MicroZed Chronicles – Pynq Computer Vision Overlay

It has been a while since I last wrote about the Pynq, covering it in chronicles 155 to 161  just after its release.

With the release of the Pynq Version 2.1 image and  the associated new overlays for computer vision and quantised neural networks, I thought I should take a look at these new capabilities.

Starting with the computer vision overlay.

One of the things I developed for my Pynq quickly after I received it was a simple object tracking application using OpenCV. This used a USB web camera and a simple OpenCV algorithm that detected the difference between a reference frame and frames received from the web camera.

Differences between the captured frame and reference frame above a certain threshold would then be identified on the captured frame as it was output over HDMI.

The original webcam-based algorithm itself is simple doing the following steps

  1. Capture a frame from the web cam and convert it to grey scale (cv2.cvtColor)
  2. Perform a Gaussian Blur on the frame (cv2.GaussianBlur)
  3. Calculate the difference between the frame blurred frame and the reference frame (cv2.absdiff)
  4. Create a binary image using a threshold operation (threshold)
  5. Dilate the differences on the binary image to make them more noticeable (cv2.dilate)
  6. Find the contours within the binary image (cv2.findContours)
  7. Ignore any contours with a small area (cv2.contourArea)
  8. Draw a box around each contour that is large enough (cv2.boundingRect & cv2.rectangle)
  9. Show captured frame with the boxes drawn (cv2.imshow)

While the algorithm has less than 10 steps, each step requires several operations on an image array. As a result, the frame rate was when running just on SW was very low. Knowing that programmable logic is ideal for implementing these functions and would provide significant acceleration I intended to go back and accelerate the algorithm.

Sadly, I never  got the time to  do this.  However, looking at the new computer vision overlay which uses elements of the reVision stack I realised that I could probably very quickly accelerate this algorithm.

The new computer vision overlay provides the following image processing functions accelerated within the programmable logic.

  • 2D filter 3×3 with a configurable kernel allowing Gaussian Blurs, Sobel (V+H) etc
  • Dilation
  • Re mapping

Within the Pynq PL these are implemented as shown in the diagram below.

To install the computer vision overlay we use a PuTTY terminal connected to the Pynq to download and install the packages from Github.

In the PuTTY terminal use the following commands

$ sudo -H pip3.6 install –upgrade git+

$ sudo reboot now

Once installed we can proceed to updating the algorithm.

The computer vision overlay ideally uses the  HDMI input and output  for the best performance. To provide an accurate comparison against the previous OpenCV based example, my first step was to update that design to capture images using the HDMI input in place of the web camera.

I also modified the code to run for 200 frames such that I could time the execution and calculate the frames per second of both solutions.

This updated OpenCV design resulted in a frame rate of 4 frames per second when I ran it on my Pynq.

The next step was to update the algorithm to use the computer vision overlay to do this I used the 2D filter to perform the Gaussian Blurring and the Dilate operations.

Switching in these functions resulted in significant increase in the frame rate making the application usable.

Hints & Tips

  1. You can increase the performance by increasing the size of the contour further processed.
  2. Previous blogs on the Pynq are available here  P155, P156, P157, P158, P159,P160 & P161
  3. Jupyter Note book is available on my GitHub

Example code

MicroZed Chronicles on GitHub

Want a Book

Year One

Year Two

Image Processing with Xilinx Devices

MicroZed Chronicles – Maximising Reuse in your Vivado Design

When it comes to creating our FPGA or SoC designs, it is inefficient and poor practice to not leverage IP cores and reuse of other design elements if they are available.

Before we start developing our own IP core, we should of course first check if such functions are available in the Vivado library or via Open Source repositories before we consider the need to create our own or purchase one from a third party supplier.

Of course, creating our own IP core establishes a library we can use to reduce the design time and hence cost of future projects.

However, often in our design we find ourselves implementing functions which have several IP cores connected in the same manner for example an image processing pipeline.

Each time we wish to implement this function within our design we need to add in and connect all the necessary IP cores. Again, this is inefficient, what is needed is a method of reusing these functions each time we want to instantiate it in this project and the next.

We can do this using hierarchical blocks.

Example Input Image Processing Chain

Working with a block diagram design in Vivado we can create a reusable hierarchical block using the write_bd_tcl command. This command is one you may have used previously to output a TCL description of the block diagram so that it can be stored in a version control tool like Git.

Rather helpfully we can also use the same command to write out a description of a single hierarchical block within a block diagram. We can then use this TCL description to create multiple instances of the block at will across several projects.

So how do we do it?

Creating a hierarchical block within the block diagram is straight forward, simply right click on the block diagram canvas and select create hierarchy. If the IP cores we wish to include in this new block, already exist at the higher level all we then have to do is drag and drop them into the new hierarchical block. If not we can double click on the new hierarchical block which will open the block in a new window allowing us to add IP cores and connect them as desired.

Creation of the Hierarchical Block with the image processing chain

Image processing core within the hierarchical block.

To create a TCL file description of this block we use the following command in the Vivado TCL console.

write_bd_tcl -force -hier_blks [get_bd_cells <hier block name>] <filename.tcl>

Command within the TCL window

This command will write out a file which describes the hierarchical block contents and their connections. If we wish to add the block to an existing or new design, we do this by loading the file into Vivado, again we use the TCL Console.

source <filename>.tcl

Once the TCL file has been loaded, in the TCL Console window you will see notification of a new procedure which can be called to create a new instance of the block in the project.

New TCL function following loading of the file into Vivado

Calling this procedure results in a new hierarchical block being added to your design. For this example using the image processing chain above, I used the following command to add a second image processing block.

create_hier_cell_IPC / NEW_IPC

Examining the new block against the initial block demonstrates the contents are identical as we would expect.

Comparison between the new original and new IPC block created from the TCL file.

We can now use this created TCL file across several designs where we want to create a image processing chain saving time. If we want to ensure it is has the maximum reuse potential, we can use the -no_ip_version option in the write_bd_tcl command to prevent the IP version from being included within the file. This makes the script more versatile with different versions of Vivado.

One final point having created the TCL file it is a good idea to enter it into a version control tool as we would with any other design element.

  1. Ensure the project your loading the script into can see all of the IP cores used in the script. Make sure you have all the repositories added in the Vivado project.
  2. If you change the module and over write the generated TCL description. For the changes to take effect in your project you must reload it in to Vivado and then re instantiate it.
  3. When you create the TCL description make sure you know where the file will be created by running a pwd command first and if necessary setting the working path to a more friendly location.
  4. Simplify the interfacing of the block by using custom interface definitions within Vivado and the IP Packager.

Example code

MicroZed Chronicles on GitHub

Want a Book

Year One

Year Two

Image Processing with Xilinx Devices


Human Head Pendant, 9th-10th century AD
7.6 (height) x 4.1 (width) x 5.5 (depth) cm
Igbo-Ukwu, Nigeria

This human head pendant, made using the lost-wax casting method, was one of hundreds of bronze ceremonial objects and regalia unearthed at the site of Igbo-Ukwu, in south eastern Nigeria. This head was discovered by accident in 1938 by Isaiah Anozie when digging a water cistern in his family compound.
A large suspension loop on the back of the head suggests that it was to be worn as a pendant around the neck. Facial scarification on the cheek, temples, and forehead corresponds to that typically associated with ichi, a title held by men of status in Igbo society. Coloured glass beads would originally have adorned the loops of the elaborate conical hairstyle.
Igbo-Ukwu’s vast repository of intricately worked bronze and copper artefacts created using indigenous techniques, are the earliest recorded cast bronze sculptures in west Africa, making this one of the most significant archaeological discoveries ever made on the continent.

Related Projects


Distance from Norman, AR to Bay, AR

Driving distance between Norman, AR and Bay, AR is 235.38 miles (or 378.80 kilometers). If you drove an average car (using about 3.6 gallons of gas per mile), the gas would cost you around $, since you would need about gallons of fuel.

Leaving from Norman, AR you would reach Bay, AR in about 4 hours 39 mins if you keep an average speed of miles per hour, assuming you don’t make any breaks or get stuck in traffic.

Driving distance in miles

235 mi379 km

CO2 emissions icon

CO2 emissions: kg

Emission estimated with the eco2 norme
(185 CO2 grams/mile)

This is a map overview of the best driving route from Norman, AR to Bay, AR in which you can see the origin and destination points marked with A (Norman) and B (Bay) respectively as well as blue line along the road route you can take. You can zoom in to see more details, including road numbers and even street names both in Norman, AR and Bay, AR as well as every other town you may pass by on your way.

Fuel consumption if you drive from Norman, AR to Bay, AR

Cost of driving from Norman, AR to Bay, AR

Depending on the fuel efficiency level of your car, driving from Norman to Bay will cost you between and . An average car would make the trip for . We calculate the route cost using real time average gas prices for the US and other costs such as tolls are not included in this calculation.

Driving directions

To help you plan your trip from Norman to Bay, we offer a detailed map together with full, turn by turn, driving directions from Norman, AR to Bay, AR.

Flying or direct distance between Norman, AR and Bay, AR

The flying distance represent the straight distance from Norman to Bay, the length of an hypothetical flight trip between the geographic center of Norman, AR and the geographic center of Bay, AR. We also offer nearby airports to both Norman to Bay and a flight ticket price comparison form, in case you want to make that hypothetical flight real :).

Recently Checked Distances

Distance from Jeffrey City, WY Greenville, TX Distance from Niceville, FL Pooler, GA Distance from Margie, MN Deer Park, WA Distance from Washington, DC Waikoloa, HI Distance from Beckley, WV Green Pond, AL Distance from Scarborough, ME Middle Island, NY Distance from Beechgrove, TN Colton, SD Distance from Uvalde, TX Fort Mc Coy, FL


Silk Road Map - International Online -  project 8 of 12
unexposure page 1 (page 2)
sebastiano maccarrone (italy), santi musmeci (italy)
The very same name ‘Silk Road’ evocates mythical historical suggestions. You immediately recall the tiny piece of land both harsh and blissful which used to link the East to the West allowing convoys, merchants and their goods to bridge across the two Worlds. It has always been a journey like no other. The road is both exciting and thrilling, the places encountered no-doubt fascinating, but the traveller of the past was constantly reminded of the many hurdles lying ahead.The very same marriage between interaction and culture which is perfectly embodied by the Silk Road itself can now be re-established using a new system of markets interlinked by a complex system of webcams and ledwalls. It is evident that the key to understand the very concept of interaction is that of regarding communication as global trade: a constant exchange of information between different peoples (con la s inteso come popolazioni) and societies: an exchange which can only happen at many different levels.


The Shadow Queen: A Novel - Sandra Gulland

tl;dr this book was ok. Not quite what I was expecting, but it was still a pretty decent story.

Description (from Goodreads) 1660, Paris: As the daughter of itinerant actors who once lit up the Parisian stages, Claudette always thought her future lay in the theater. But a series of chance encounters pull Claudette into the alluring orbit of the most beautiful woman in all of France: Athénaïs de Montespan, the mistress to Louis XIV and reigning "Shadow Queen." Impetuous by nature, Athénaïs wields a disconcerting amount of power-a fact that has ruffled many of the Sun King's key advisors. Needing someone to act as her eyes and ears, Athénaïs hires Claudette as a personal attendant. The young stagehand leaves the world of theater only to find that Court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin while young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed. Indeed, Claudette's supposedly respectable new position is marked by spying, rumormongering, illicit trysts, and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs begins to lose her grip on the Sun King, her plots and fascination with the magical arts take a dark turn that makes Claudette question her allegiance to this mercurial figure-and puts the young maid's very life in jeopardy. Set against the gilded opulence of a newly constructed Versailles and the blood-stained fields of the Franco-Dutch War, The Shadow Queen is a seductive, gripping novel about lust, power, loyalty and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions have the ability to shape the future of France

I know, that description was super long. But I couldn't quite figure out how to describe the book without giving everything away, nor did the details stand out in my memory. Also, this is the thing. Reading that description, it sounds like Claudette is found by Athénaïs when she is 12 and goes to court as a child. And thats not what happens. I'm not going to explain how everything goes down, and I'm not going to really go into it, but you should be aware: Claudette doesn't go to court until after the first two thirds of the book is down.

So thats one thing you should be ware of going into this novel. Is a very human story. Her life isn't particularly remarkable, and she is faced with some hardships that she figures out how to overcome. When she finally goes to court, it doesn't last long which is unfortunate. Court is so interesting and foreign of a concept, and thats what I love to read about when I am reading historical fiction. In this, her life was pretty much like anyone else's life. And could even be very similar to the life of someone without much money today.

Anyways. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't what I was expecting. And I wish there had been more of court. Worth a read if you enjoy historical fiction and simple, human stories.


Trump’s New Anti-Immigration Pitch Makes Even Less Sense Than His Old One

Donald Trump no longer wants to build a border wall because Mexico is emptying its prisons of rapists and pointing them toward Texas. Now, he wants to build it because low-skill immigrants depress the wages of America’s high-school dropouts.

After over a week of fumbling attempts to find an immigration platform agreeable to both white nationalists and suburban moms, the GOP nominee appears to have concluded that he doesn’t need to moderate his policies so much as his justifications for them. According to Politico’s Eli Stokols, there is broad agreement among Trump’s inner circle that “winning the election will require Trump to put a more humane gloss on his immigration proposals without significantly watering them down.”

Stokols suggests that in his much-hyped Wednesday speech, Trump will call for building a (physical) border wall, cracking down on sanctuary cities, and increasing immigration enforcement. He will not, however, call for a deportation force to round up 11 million people.

Beyond this omission, the primary difference in Trump’s approach to undocumented immigration will be in his reasons for opposing it so vehemently. The mogul’s new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, advised congressional Republicans in 2014 that their anti-immigration pitch would be most palatable if they argued that “immigration is depressing wages for American workers.” Trump played that angle while campaigning in Washington state last night.

And Politico reports that he will devote a portion of Wednesday night’s speech to “explaining the importance” of his immigration reforms for “economic and national security reasons.”

This won’t be the first time Trump has justified his hard-line immigration stance on economic terms. But, until now, the innate criminality of the undocumented — and the need to preserve American cultural values — has featured much more prominently in his rhetoric. This forthright xenophobia found an underserved market in the GOP primary. But the broader electorate prefers a less bitter flavor of anti-immigration advocacy. And everyone agrees that jobs and wages are a legitimate concern. In fact, many of America’s most anti-Trump conservatives second his argument that the GOP Establishment’s enthusiasm for immigration constitutes a betrayal of the party’s working-class voters.

Without question, having the Republican nominee argue for a border wall on economic grounds is better for the country than having him defend it by claiming that “Mexicans are rapists.” Still, in a certain light, Trump’s initial pitch was more cogent: If you’re concerned that non-white immigrants are compromising America’s cultural cohesion — while murdering its young women — prioritizing immigration enforcement makes sense. But if your concern is that America’s low-skill workers make too little money, punishing municipalities that make life more livable for the undocumented is a bizarre policy to prioritize.

There is broad consensus among economists that immigration, legal and otherwise, tends to increase America’s economic growth. Even Harvard economist George Borjas, one of the academics most skeptical about immigration, has estimated that a bizarro America with zero immigration would have a GDP $1.6 trillion lower than our own. Borjas claims that 98 percent of that growth goes to the immigrants themselves, in the form of wages and benefits. But that still leaves a 2 percent net gain for the native-born population. Other studies have found that immigration produces a much larger benefit for the native born.

The crux of the argument, then, is about the distribution of those gains. Immigration helps overall economic growth by adding demand to the economy while increasing productivity, since it allows native-born workers more opportunity to specialize. But what if those opportunities are concentrated at the top of the wage-scale — and come at the cost of lower wages at the bottom? David Frum paints such a picture in The Atlantic:

In this narrative, the economic benefit of immigration derives from its potential to redistribute income upward: Immigration lowers wages in low-skill sectors, thus making it affordable for high-skill workers to increase their efficiency.

This story has a strong internal logic. And it’s supported by Borjas’s research, which posits that during the last two decades of the 20th century, low-skilled immigration reduced the wages of native-born high-school dropouts by 10 percent. But other studies have contested Borjas’s findings. In studying the influx of low-skill Cuban immigrants to Miami in 1980, Berkley economist David Card found no significant drop in wages among the native-born.

And a Moodys Analytics study of the economic ramifications of Arizona’s efforts to curb undocumented immigration complicates matters further. The study found that as the undocumented population in the state decreased, low-skill native-born workers did see a rise in wages — but also a rise in unemployment. Other research has found that the specific mechanisms the government uses to discourage undocumented immigration can produce their own unique economic harms: When states adopt E-verify, they have greater difficulty attracting foreign investment; denying driver’s licenses to the undocumented increases the cost of car insurance for the native-born.

It’s not unreasonable to suspect that expansionary immigration might not be in the immediate interest of America’s most vulnerable workers. But the evidence is decidedly mixed. And as Harvard economist — and occasional Borjas collaborator — Lawrence Katz has argued, evidence suggests that such low-skill wages have been impacted far more by technological change, global trade, and the decline of unions.

The fact is, if Trump and other immigration-skeptical Republicans really felt that raising the wages of low-skill workers should be a top policy priority — even if it means accepting lower overall economic growth — then they would advocate for the long list of measures that would do so more directly than border enforcement. As Jeff Spross has written for the Week:

There are lots of ways we could increase worker bargaining power, especially for low-skill Americans, while still taking in many more immigrants than we do now.

We could break up the work the economy already provides into smaller chunks that can be distributed to more workers, through things like national paid leave mandates, paid vacation, strengthened overtime laws, and a shortened work week. We could get the Federal Reserve to run much more aggressive monetary stimulus, or even fundamentally reform the way that policy operates, so that the boost the Fed pumps into the economy goes straight to the Americans hardest hit by bad economic times. We could ramp up government stimulus spending, the generosity of the social safety net, or both, which would also create jobs. And we could change laws to make unions more powerful, so they’d be ready and waiting to take on new immigrants as members and fight on their behalf.

To see the salience of this last point, step into a casino in Las Vegas. Sin City is a magnet for immigrants, and roughly one-fifth of its population is foreign-born. But the low-skill, service-sector jobs in the city’s casinos provide better pay and benefits than the national average. The reason? Unions cornered that end of the labor market and strengthened workers’ bargaining power.

But for some odd reason, increasing union density is nowhere on Trump’s agenda. Instead, the Republican nominee opposes an increase to the federal minimum wage and advocates for massive supply-side tax cuts — policies predicated on the idea that overall economic growth and efficiency is more important than distributional concerns.

Donald Trump is not proposing that we spend $15 to $25 billion in taxpayer (and/or Mexican) money on a border wall because he thinks non-white high-school dropouts need to have better employment opportunities. He is proposing it because the thought of a ten-foot wall along our southern border assuages the cultural anxiety of many older, white Republicans.

This point may be lost on certain contrarian bloggers, but it’s quite clear to those non-white workers.

Trump’s Kinder Immigration Pitch Won’t Help Workers


Is the snare drummer OK?

Tagged with:

Of Carl Nielsen's six symphonies, only the first and the fifth have no subtitle. No matter, for while the others have grand titles such as The Inextinguishable, and The Four Temperaments, many commentators have dubbed the fifth the greatest symphony of the 20th century.

The mighty 'Inextinguishable' was composed during the years of World War One, and is a celebration of the ideal that, in Nielsen's own words, "music is life, and like it inextinguishable". The Fifth Symphony, however, was completed in 1922 when Europe was coming to terms with the war that had changed the continent, and its people, irrevocably.

Although officially a two-movement work, there are in fact four distinct sections. Technically, it is exceptionally demanding. The viola part is incredibly tiring; the seemingly endless repeated rhythms that underpin the entire texture of the music require a great level of articulation, even when it feels like one's fingers are going to fall off, and one's eyes may never uncross. For the string section as a whole, the driving unison quavers of the second movement proper demands utter accuracy and commitment.

However, despite the work's difficulties, this is incredibly uplifting and life affirming music. I love the beautiful horn, bassoon and string writing in the first movement Adagio - it is truly a cathedral of sound.

The lower brass writing gives the impression of some kind of giant rising up from the depths, and there are incredible wind solos, perhaps most notably in the clarinet. The drive of the unison strings in the second movement gives the effect of some unstoppable juggernaut and indeed, the overall impression of the music is one of great energy and vigour.

Some say that Nielsen straddled the boundaries of Romanticism and Modernism, and there is perhaps no better example of this than the infamous snare drum solo of the Fifth. As the first movement nears its conclusion, the snare enters, violently, brutally. It plays with its own metronome marking, a completely different tempo from the rest of the orchestra, before taking the instruction to improvise freely.

Nielsen directed that the snare drummer should "improvise as if at all costs he wants to stop the progress of the orchestra," and the effect is a complete upset in equilibrium until the massed forces of the orchestra subdue the aggressive snare, submerging it in great waves of sound.

I am so excited to get to know this work (with Thomas Søndergård at the helm) - I truly believe it to be incredible music. Nielsen was a great believer in the strength of the human spirit, of mankind's ability to adapt and overcome.

He understood that there was a natural inclination towards evil, to greed, that there would always be suffering, that wars would happen, but in this symphony, as David Fanning writes, he expresses "a realisation of humane values, in music that is at once boldly original, and deeply rooted in tradition". In this Fifth Symphony, it is hope and optimism who have the last words.

BBC National Orchestra of Wales will perform Nielsen's Symphony No 5 at St David's Hall this Friday (12 April) from 7.30pm.

For tickets and more information, call the orchestra's Audience Line on 0800 052 1812, or St David's Hall box office on 02920 878444. You can also book online.

Tagged with:

More Posts


ZenZoneForum.com - Modern Blackjack http://www.zenzoneforum.com/ Scientific advantage play at modern blackjack. Discussion of novice, intermediate and advanced casino 21. en Thu, 15 Nov 2018 10:09:49 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.zenzoneforum.com/images/misc/rss.png ZenZoneForum.com - Modern Blackjack http://www.zenzoneforum.com/ Dog Shit Cake count http://www.zenzoneforum.com/threads/29785-Dog-Shit-Cake-count?goto=newpost Tue, 16 Oct 2018 16:40:28 GMT Single Deck straight up strategy. I'm still working out the details on doubling 10,11,vs3,4,5,6, hitting 16v10 and 12v4,13v2,3,4 14vs2,3.
I can't present on argument against Ralph Strickers style of setting the bar high on 12v4 an 13v2,3 and always standing on 13v4,14v2,3.
It's costly to Always stand on 16v10 as some say is a prudent move. Hitting at -1.5 equates to always standing on the first hand.
The idea of doubling in a high negative count has never appealed to me. I read somewhere the dealer bust rate with 5 or 6 up around 42% of the time. This indicates to me he doesn't bust 58% of the time. I would think that number would increase as the count decreases. So, in a negative count, I'm doubling my investment to likley receive a small card and then hope the dealer busts which is less likely since they only have to reach 17. I've got to get a 6 with 11 or 7 with 10 to reach 17. What is wrong with this picture?
The four game changing stages in a percentage count are 50%, 57.14%, 60%, 66.67%. So an RC -3 (43% to 47% range) make cover it all. I have to do some research first. I find it odd that we hit 16 wanting/expecting a small card - yet double on 10,11 wanting/expecting a large card. It seems the happy medium is around RC -3 (43% to 47% range).
Under a similar notion, I double v 9,10,A with the count used for insurance decision at 57.14 to 60% high cards remaining. We think there is a 10 in the hole vs A when we insure. We hope to get a 10 when we double. Except on 10 vs 10,A as it really comes down to how many Aces remain.
This serves as notes to myself before I begin research. I appreciate/value your input. ]]>
Modern Blackjack Moses http://www.zenzoneforum.com/threads/29785-Dog-Shit-Cake-count


Have any of you read E.O Wilson's books "Sociobiology: The New Synthesis" and "On Human Nature?"

I just ordered these books, and am about to start reading them. In the description of “On Human Nature” on the internet, it says that Wilson argues that discriminating against homosexuals, people of color, and women is wrong on biological grounds. Where in the book does he do this? Does he discuss homosexuality, race or Feminism at all in “Sociobiology: The New Synthesis”

(Christy Hemphill) #2

Never read the books. Though I am aware that what Wilson claimed in the “Man” chapter of Sociobiology was received very critically by sociologists (my field is linguistics and anthropology, not biology and I have done a good deal of reading on societal constructions of race and gender).

I find the whole premise that you can move from biology (evolutionary or otherwise) to ethics pretty suspect. When people start trying to say evolutionary biology opens up all these windows of insight into psychology or sociology, I think they are overreaching and usually just seeing what they are inclined to see. Genetics, natural selection, and competition explain a lot of things in nature. But culture and socialization are often a better key for understanding complex human social behavior.

(Albert Leo) #3

Precisely! Wilson’s books expanded on both Darwin’s original thesis that insect and animal societies were formed as survival promoters and then on Dawkin’s theme of the Selfish Gene. In my view, both of Wilson’s books were unconvincing in arguing that human ethics & morals had any real roots in evolutionary development. Judged by human standards, Nature is simply amoral. However, this thread has induced me to dust off my copies and re-read them–at least the dog-eared pages.

Somewhat beside the point: Did you happen to see the TV show on ‘Australian Dingos’ on the Nature channel last night? One disturbing scene showed two parent dingos, after running down a young kangaroo, lolling comfortably nearby while their offspring were learning the taste and smell of the kind of prey they would be hunting. The kangaroo was still alive, and one could see it wince in pain as one of the dingo pups chewed on its ear and another on its genitals.

Question: Does God wince in pain as he sees one of his creatures inflicting pain on another? We believe that both predator & prey, were the product of His method of creation: Evolution. Did He confer the gift of Mind and Conscience on a particular primate so that qualities like true empathy, love, & justice could at least be an important factor in life’s struggle? Are we humans asked to improve on His Creation? Heresy? Wishful thinking? Polyanna? Perhaps. But it’s a belief that helps one lead a happier purposeful life.
Al Leo

Have read both. Not sure homosexuality, race or feminism are priority BioLogos concerns. Should they be?

You may be interested that BioLogos has flirted with promoting some strangely Christianized version of evolutionary psychology. They even awarded Templeton-BioLogos money for a project on evolutionary psychology. It does not seem they have succeeded at all in this task or that they have made a report about it anywhere available.

“I think they are overreaching and usually just seeing what they are inclined to see.”

Yes, that may have happened at BioLogos with regard to its earlier evolutionary psychology flirtations. They may have changed their mind about it & just didn’t tell anyone publically about it.

One of the columnists even tried to pin evolutionary psychology on St. Thomas Aquinas! = ( Obviously Christy disagrees with more than a few BioLogos leaders on what they consider “pretty suspect”, since they are promoting that at BioLogos with their various non-biological uses of evolution.

(Christy Hemphill) #5

BioLogos hosts conversations on a variety of topics related to the intersection of faith and science. You will often find two articles that give completely contradictory and mutually exclusive views on some questions. I could point to several that I wholeheartedly disagree with on a number of points. There is no one monolithic “BioLogos” view that everyone signs on to in order to participate in the conversation. The organization’s core beliefs are here: http://biologos.org/about-us/our-mission/

Beyond that, things are up for discussion. Different contributors’ reflections are going to show the influence of the faith traditions they come from, their areas of academic expertise, and their personal experiences on the quest for meaning and truth. They are necessarily going to present a diverse picture, not a set of right answers.

I would not be surprised if 90%+ of BioLogos people (& 99% of evangelical Christians) had NOT read E.O. Wilson (or D.S. Wilson). It’s such people that surprisingly (and rather disappointingly) have zero idea of the problematic when evolutionism is dumped right on their toes. They seem to welcome (because they self-label as ‘evolutionists’) the exaggeration of evolutionary theories … to any field they can find, even the study of literature (“literary Darwinism” http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/06/magazine/the-literary-darwinists.html). And then they deny the exaggeration, repeatedly, by those like the Wilsons who at the end of the day often use answers that disguise as “naturalism conquers theism.”

The ones who don’t know the Wilsons on the topic of evolution are like the people who embrace memetics, not knowing it is now a dead ideology. Yet there are people (sadly a few Christians too) who continue to call themselves an “evolutionist” and promote sociobiological ideas, sometimes (oftentimes) without knowing the history or implications of those ideas. I do hope that will not continue as BioLogos’ legacy.

It’s a typical creationist blind spot - ignorance of the Wilsons, i.e. haven’t read the literature - that could be corrected here at BioLogos. The rejection of evolutionary psychology & sociobiology (despite what people here like to say so glowingly about biology, while nevertheless exaggerating ‘evolution’ beyond biology, e.g. to linguistics) is a crucial plank in its evangelical mission that is pushing back against BioLogos from within.

Will there be a short update report forthcoming on the little BioLogos evolutionary psychology project?

Do languages really "evolve"?
(Christy Hemphill) #7

A post was merged into an existing topic: Do languages really “evolve”?

(Christy Hemphill) #8

BioLogos has not generally published updates about grant projects. If you are interested, you can check out the project from its own page: http://thethrivecenter.org/research/research-projects/evolutionary-psychology-and-christian-views-on-human-thriving/

(Christy Hemphill) #9

4 posts were split to a new topic: Do languages really “evolve”?

Do languages really "evolve"?
Do languages really "evolve"?


ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk has directed the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to submit comprehensive and concrete proposals for addressing issues related to the development of Gwadar port and fast depletion of fisheries resources.

He was chairing a meeting of the ministry of maritime affairs in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The secretary maritime affairs made a detailed presentation about the working of the ministry and its attached departments.

Giving an overview of the performance of Karachi Port Trust, it was informed that the KPT has earned a profit of Rs 4341 million during 2017-18. Similarly, Port Qasim also recorded an earning of Rs 4442 million for 2016-17 and Rs 5870 million during the current fiscal year.

Briefing the prime minister on the development of strategically located Gwadar port and Gwadar free zone area, the secretary highlighted various incentives that have been offered for the development of the port.


The Festival of the Mother is a religious holiday dedicated to the Mother, an aspect of the seven-faced deity of the Faith of the Seven. Presumably, it is celebrated every year throughout King's Landing and the realm.

Recent events

Season 6

The Great Sept of Baelor is destroyed with wildfire during the festival.

King Tommen I schedules the trials of the Queen Mother Cersei Lannister and Ser Loras Tyrell to be held at the Great Sept of Baelor during the Festival of the Mother. Additionally, King Tommen declares trial by combat to be forbidden throughout the realm after conferring with the High Sparrow, who holds considerable influence over the young king.[1]

Shortly after the trial of Loras Tyrell during the festival, the Great Sept of Baelor is destroyed with wildfire in a plot orchestrated by Cersei Lannister to avoid her trial. The plot kills nearly the entirety of the Faith Militant and the Sparrows, including the High Sparrow himself, as well as a large amount of the nobility and the smallfolk of the capital.[2]


Throughout last week, during the strong rally of bitcoin, Bitconnect Coin (BCC) gained upward momentum, surpassing the $100 mark for the first time in history and establishing a new all-time high at $115.

According to cryptocurrency market data providers including Coinmarketcap, the trading volume of BCC peaked at $10 million, reaching a market cap of $742 million and a price of $115.

Over the past two weeks, the price of bitcoin continued to reach new highs primarily due to the imminence of the activation of the Bitcoin Core development team’s scaling solution Segregated Witness (SegWit), increasing adoption from institutional investors and rising tension between the US and North Korea, as investors seeked for safe haven assets to protect their wealth from economic uncertainty.

Naturally, as the value of bitcoin increased, BCC followed its upward trend. A rising number of bitcoin traders and users started to demonstrate growing demand towards BCC.

In the upcoming weeks, as adoption from institutional investors continues and large-scale financial institutions including the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) pursue their plans of integrating bitcoin, the value of bitcoin and BCC will likely rise at a consistent rate.

CBOE, the largest US options exchange with an annual trading volume of 1.27 billion contracts, is set to integrate bitcoin within 2017. CBOE CEO Ed Tilley wrote:

“We very much look forward to responding to the growing interest in cryptocurrencies through the creation of bitcoin futures traded on a regulated derivatives exchange, with the many expected benefits that this brings, including transparency, price discovery, deep liquidity and centralized clearing.”

As liquidity for bitcoin trading and opportunities for major investors rise within the bitcoin sector, leading cryptocurrencies like BCC that offer services related to the main bitcoin blockchain will highly likely see mid-term success.

Already, BCC has evolved into the 12th largest cryptocurrency in the market, surpassing Monero, EOS, Zcash and Waves in market cap. For years, Monero had remained within the top 10 largest cryptocurrencies list and this week, as BCC recorded a historic rise in value, Bitconnect overtook some of the largest cryptocurrencies in existence.

In addition to the rapidly growing value of BCC, it is important to acknowledge the depth of the BCC market. Bitconnect has a substantially high daily trading volume of $9.2 million, which is significantly higher than that of Waves, Lisk, Augur and Golem, prominent cryptocurrencies that have been around for a long period of time.


Growing up in a haze of depression and anxiety, music very quickly became tyler plazio’s outlet for feelings he couldn’t articulate any other way. On his debut EP “Memories”, plazio demonstrates this through songs of lost love, fear of the future, and hatred for birthdays.

plazio is known for his incredibly high-energy live shows, which take the audience on a visual and auditory journey through the indie-laced mind of tyler plazio, with songs incorporating sugar sweet melodies and brash punk rock power chords.

“If the audience isn’t tired, you did something wrong” is the motto tyler plazio lives by, and it shows. Even though it may not always be perfect, a tyler plazio show will be something you always remember.


Video: TG4/5 Low-Key Macro

I built a video tutorial for doing low-key macro photography using the Olympus Tough TG4 or TG5.  It’s suprisingly easy to do when you see somebody else do it.

One huge warning: dive torches usually heat up and can burn out the bulb when you use them outside of the water.  They need to be in the water to cool them down.

Feel free to play with the angle of the torch and distance from the torch to the subject.  In general, the closer you are to the subject, the brighter it will be and the darker the background will be.  You’ll also have to deal with shadows and transparency when you do low-key because you’re lighting from one direction.

A huge thanks to Pikachu for sitting still during the modeling session.

See You Underwater

Focus and the TG4/5

The Olympus Tough TG4 and TG5 are two camera models that you’ll see a lot of around the macro dive sites.  They’re relatively cheap and have an awesome macro mode.

Like most compact cameras, the TGs have a single large focus point in the center of the frame.  It makes focusing a bit of a challenge sometimes.  Here are some techniques to help you out.

Focus, Hold, and Reframe.

This is a typical way that people work around the fixed focus point with a compact camera.  It works like this:

  • Select a focus target.
  • Half-press the shutter button to get an initial focus.  You’ll see the focus square in the LCD change to the color green and the camera will beep.  The beep is hard to hear when the camera is in a housing and underwater.
  • Keep holding the shutter button at half-press to keep the focus locked.  Don’t let go and don’t push it all the way to take the shot.
  • Reframe the picture.
  • Check to make sure that the right part of the picture is in focus.  Move the camera back and forth to move the focus.
  • Push the shutter button all the way down to take the shot.

So for something like a nudibranch’s rhinophores (their “horns” or “eyes” or “sensor stalks” or whatever you what to call them), you will always have problems getting them in focus with a compact camera because the area between the rhinophores is empty space.  So focus on one rhinophore, hold the focus, reframe to put both rhinophores in focus and the subject in the frame, and snap the shot.

One problem with this technique is that when you change the framing you might move the camera in or out a little bit which changes your focus.  So right before after I reframe, I do one split-second check that my focus didn’t move.

Focus Lock

Both models of TG camera have a highly undocumented focus lock feature.  The way you set it:

  • Select a focus target.
  • Half-press the shutter button to get an initial focus AND HOLD IT THAT WAY.  You’ll see the focus square in the LCD change to the color green and the camera will beep.  The beep is hard to hear when the camera is in a housing and underwater.
  • Push the “OK” button on the back of the camera to lock the focus.  Now the camera works the same as with Back Button Focus.  If you didn’t hold the shutter button at halfway, pressing “OK” will take you to the quick settings menu.
  • Take pictures using the locked focus.  Move the camera back and forth to change the focus point to put it exactly where you want it.  Pivot around the subject to change the angle of the focal plane.
  • Continue to take pictures with the locked focus.  You can now take pictures a lot faster than with the focus, hold, and reframe technique.
  • To unlock the focus, hit the “OK” button again.

Going back to our nudibranch example.  Focus on the flat spot between their rhinophores, lock focus, then usually you back off a tiny bit to put the rhinophores into focus.

Manual Focus Adjustment

Most compact cameras do not have manual focus.  But the TG4/5 supports it, although strangely.  You lock the focus just like described before.  Then you can use the up and down arrows on the keypad to move the focus point forward and back.  A shrewd reader will discover that they can use focus lock and the down arrow to move the focus as close to the front of the lens as possible and this lets you to take shots where tiny subjects fill the frame.  You’re welcome.

See you underwater!!

Howto: Low-Key Underwater Macro Photos

Why Low-Key?

Low-key photography is a well-lighted subject with a black background.  After I learned how to do low-key photography, I spent a couple of months taking low-key photos of everything: people, Christmas ornaments, small toys, pets and food….

If you look at macro photos that win contests, you’ll see a large amount of low-key photos that are winners.  Why?  Because it takes a high level of mastery of light to do and it makes a very dramatic feelings in people.  In other words, you get points both for technical merit and for emotional impact.  And that’s what good photographs do.

Getting Started

So, you might ask, how do you get low-key photos?  For starters, you have to be able to take a black picture.  This is different between fully manual shooting on a mirrorless or DSLR and shooting on a compact camera, mirrorless in shutter-aperture select, or DSLR in shutter-aperture select.

Setup for Fully Manual Mode on a Mirrorless/DSLR:

  • Start with a normal picture exposed correctly.
  • Use the lowest ISO available.
  • Reduce the aperture and shutter speed until the picture is black and the subject is barely visible.  Something like F14-32 and 1/125-1/600.
  • Lock your focus.

Setup for Compact and Shutter/Aperture Priority:

  • Start with a normal picture exposed correctly.
  • Use the lowest ISO available.
  • Reduce the exposure compensation (EC) to -2.  This tells the light monitor on the camera to reduce the exposure by 2 stops.  This makes a dark picture.  On some cameras, use an EC of -1 and brighter lighting.
  • Lock your focus.

Now, Add Some Lighting

  • Use a hand-held spot torch with a sharp edge to the spot.  Get it 2-3 cm above or to the side of the subject and pointing directly at the subject.  That will light up the subject and nothing else.
  • I use my left hand to hold the torch and I squeeze my wrist against the left side of the housing.  This stabilizes both the torch and the camera and lets them move together as one unit.
  • Wide-angle torches don’t work because they also light up the background.  This ruins all hope at a low-key photo.  Better yet, use a torch with a small diameter spot like the snoot torch I describe below.
  • You can place a torch on the ground to the side of the subject 2-3cm away from the subject.  Better yet, put one torch on each side of the subject.  The light should hit the subject and maybe the ground to the sides of the subject but not in front or back of the subject.  This is tougher to do than it sounds, especially for a moving subject.

This nudie taken with TG4 and handheld torch….

Take it to the Next Level

Some awesome things can help you take better pictures and experiment with low-key photography….

Take Low-Key Portraits

You can use the same concepts to take low-key portraits of your friends and family.  You use a flash or a very bright studio light to light up the subject. Try one light from the side for shadows on the face and a bit more “edgy” look, or use 2 light sources to even out the portrait.  You can even do this outdoors if you have strong enough light.

Take Low-Key Photos with Your Phone

You can use your phone camera to take low-key images.  By either using an exposure compensation function or touching the screen in the dark parts of the image to change the exposure.  You can even use the torch function on a second phone to act as the light source, although most of the time I use a bicycle light.

Use a Snoot Torch

I have a ScubaLamp MS30V3 which is an 1200 lumens torch with a snoot attached to it.  This focuses the beam into a 5-degree circle.  There are a handful of manufacturers that make similar gear.

The benefit of using a snoot torch is that it makes a very fine dot of light.  This reduces the amount of light that spills out of the subject and lights up the surrounding environment.  That way, only the thing that you want to be lit is lit.

Snoots also help to reduce backscatter because they don’t put the light in front of the subject.

Use a Strobe

With normal strobes without a snoot, it’s hard to do a low-key photo.  This is because in most shots your strobes also light up the background.

However, you can still do it if you pick the right subject and composition.  Look for isolated subjects on “shrubberies” where you can get the camera underneath them and shoot looking out into open water.

If you’re shooting like this, you can slow down your shutter speed to 1/125 or 1/150 and some of the light will reflect back off the water.  This makes a blue background.

I took this nudie using a strobe….

Use a Snoot on Your Strobes

Combining the last 2 techniques, you can use a snoot on your strobe.  They’re a tube that only allows a small focused beam of light out of the front of the strobe.  The more advanced ones have laser pointers so that you can position the snoot.

I have some friends that use an ingenious method for a remote snoot.  They mount a normal strobe with a snoot on a triopod–usually a GorillaPod–with tape and a half-kg weight for stability.  They cut a fibre optic strobe cable down to strip the plastic sheath off and lay the exposed fibre onto the ground next to the subject.  That way, it makes a remote trigger for the strobe.

All this comes with a warning: snoot strobes are hard to use.  Get some practice time in before you try it underwater.

See You Underwater!!!

Protip: Also Take an Action Cam

As I talked about in my Why You Should Take Macro Pictures Underwater blog post, having a camera rigged for macro is the best way to find a whale shark/manta/mola mola/tiger shark/sea turtle/etc.  Why?  Because they can tell when you can’t take a picture of them and they just show up.  It’s very unsporting of them to do this.

If you have a compact camera, the solution is easy: just flip it to wide-angle mode and take pictures.  It might take 15 seconds, but you can do this.  This is one huge advantage for the TG4/TG5 or a handful of other compact cameras.  They can do macro and wide-angle without having to change lenses.

But on a mirrorless or DSLR, there are different lenses for each style of photography, and that requires that you know what kind of shooting you’ll be doing prior to each dive.  You have to commit to macro or wide-angle for each dive.  You *could* use something like the Nauticam World Wide Lens to convert a M67 flat port to a dome, but you still need a semi-wide lens.

So I cheat.  I like to carry a small action camera with me that is rigged for wide-angle shooting.  Even better if it can do video shooting.  I’ve used a Paralenz and a GoPro Hero for this.  Either one works well.  For the Paralenz, when I’m diving the tropics, I stuff it into the left-hand sleeve of my rashguard so I can just pull it out and film.  For the GoPro, I use a small handle and stuff it into a pocket.

I’ve thought about mounting action cameras between float arms using a small arm and 3-way ball joint but haven’t done it yet.  That way, I just have to tip the big camera down and shoot.  When I try it, I’ll let you know.

See You Underwater!!

You’ve Found a Critter, Now What?

Read about how to find macro subjects.

You first 30 macro subjects are rather intimidating.

But first!

Stop and take a couple of breaths.  Relax.  Think, then act.

Mark the subject so that you can find it again if you drift away a bit.  I’ll stick my Lembeh stick into the sandy bottom in good visibility or drop a lit torch about half a meter (or less) away in bad visibility.  That way if I look down at my camera to fix a problem or have a hand conversation with somebody, I can go back to where the subject is.

Some things to ask about the subject…

Is it shy?  Some subjects like gobies retreat into their home (or just leave the area) when you approach.  They’re afraid that you’re going to eat them.  With these animals, you have to go slow and steady when you move around them.

Does it hate white light?  Shrimp and crabs are notorious for not liking white light.  It hurts their eyes.  With these creatures, you have to either use a red focus light or no focus light.  White lights are straight out.  This also means that it’s hard to get photos of them without a strobe.

What are its key features? Every animal has a set of features that really define what they are.

  • Shrimp and crabs: eyes, claws.
  • Nudibranchs: rhinophores, gills, eggs.
  • Seahorses and pipefish:  mouth, eyes, tiny fins, and sometimes a pregnant belly.
  • Gobies and other small fish: eyes, face fringes, dorsal fin.

Which direction is the animal facing and moving?  Most of the best shots are from the front of the creature.  This isn’t always the deal, but understanding where the “face” is can be a good start at how you approach the photo shoot.

Some questions about where you’re at…

Is there another subject nearby?  Sometimes, this happens: there is a better subject nearby.  Or sometimes your subject is in a bad location to shoot (usually facing down or in a crack that you can’t stick a lens and strobes in) but there is another one of the same close by that is in a location where you can shoot.

Where is the current coming from?  Ideally, you want to take pictures while you’re facing into the current to minimize sand in the shot.  Sand is backscatter and that’s bad, mkay?  Sadly, though, most subjects when you find them will be facing into the current, and this complicates life.  So you have to stop and think about where you and your camera can be located in order to minimize the dirt in your shot.

Is the bottom safe to you and itself?  Will you break off coral if you take this shot?  Will you be rolling around on fire coral?  Is there a scorpionfish sitting in the marl that will stick you with venom?  More about safety here.

Approach the Subject

Add or remove your diopter.  Match your diopter to the size of the subject.  I use a flip holder, so it’s relatively trivial to flip in and out on shots.  The one downsize is that I then have to change exposure settings, especially aperture, because the depth of field and amount of visible light change.  Some people screw their diopters in and out, and if you’re one of those people, be sure to mark your subject before you do.

Adjust your strobes.  If there isn’t enough room for you strobes on the bottom, then you’ll have to move them to the top of the lens like Mickey Mouse ears.  Or use a completely different style.  If you keep your strobes off while you hunt, turn them on now.

Get a focus lock.  Lock your focus on the sand or coral nearby.  Or use the focus gear on your housing to move the focus to the desired length away from the lens front.  This will help you find the subject better.  I’ll also make a test shot to wake up my camera and strobes if they went into sleep mode.

Go slow.  Fast means making dust in the water and scaring the subject.  Try to contain your excitement.

Shoot away!!

See You Underwater!!

Behind the Shot: White Rose

View this post on Instagram

Teeny tiny tubeworm. TG4 with 2 handheld torches.

A post shared by Michael Smith (@ryzhe.kuznetsov) on

Location: Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia

Dive Site: Kwanji (awesome place to get grilled tuna or jack during surface interval)

Depth: 18 Meters

I was a student in a workshop run by Irwin Ang and it was a pretty rough day. Being at the end of the dive season in late December, the waves at Tulamben were fairly high and made shore entries hard. We aborted at a dive site the next day.  The surge was killing my stability to take focused shots without motion blur.  I was overweighted by 3kg just to keep from getting pushed around as much by the surge.  That also made water entry even more worse with the big waves: it’s hard to keep your head above the surface when you’re packing 8kg of ballast and no exposure suit.

When the start of the dive is hard, it’s almost impossible to get into the right mindset to go hunting.  Sometimes you can’t find anything because all the creatures are on strike or asleep.  Or it could be that you forgot how to see and you need to just take pictures of anything so your eyes work again.  So I started looking for abstracts to take pictures of.

If you’ve never been to Tulamben, it’s the land of black sand… all volcanic rock.  After every dive, you dig it out of your dive clothes.  It’s awesome for low-key (black background) images.  And it’s easy to see white things on.

I found this tiny white tubeworm, a white thing on the black sand.  It was at the most 3mm across.  This takes a supermacro setup and even with the macro mode on the TG4 I barely had enough magnification to see the subject.  So I zoomed in and used focus lock and manual focus to as close to the lens as I could get.

Lighting was hard–at anything below 12m or so there isn’t enough ambient light.  I had been hand-holding a torch with my left hand alongside the camera.  But the more you zoom (ie, the closer you get to supermacro), the more light you need.  A single torch just wasn’t bright enough.

I almost always carry an extra torch in my right thigh pocket.  So I pulled it out, turned it on, and set it on the ground about 1.5cm to the right of and slightly in front of the tubeworm.  Then I put my other torch similarly on the left side.  This made a “miniature portable underwater macro portrait lighting studio”.  Just like your glamor shots only different.  =)

I did bump the ground once and the tubeworm disappeared for a couple of minutes when it felt the vibration.  Working close with tubeworms, you sometimes have to back off a bit, let it relax and come back out.  They can feel vibration and they can feel moving water.  The trick with a tubeworm on the bottom is to remember where they are because otherwise you’re back to searching on the sandy bottom.

Lessons Learned:

Lighting.  Carry extra.  In the tropics, I usually wear neoprene tech diving shorts with thigh pockets and have one or two more torches clipped off in my right pocket.  This allows me to mark good subjects for friends and add more light when I need it.

The ground can sometimes give you a third, fourth, and fifth hand. Feel free to set a torch down to provide side lighting or even backlighting.  Add colored lights if you feel like it.

When you can’t find a normal subject like nudies or shrimp, look around at coral, tubeworms, etc. Find patterns and abstracts. Sometimes it’s that your brain isn’t in the right mood to look for tiny things and taking pictures gets it working right.

Take a minute to watch the subject and go slow when you set up for a shot.  Some subjects don’t like shadows, the wake of a diver, white light, or vibrations.  Almost always go slow and then 150% slower than that.


Tag Archive: Creator

Pokémon Go- Where is it Taking You?

The Heart of the Matter is Spiritual

Where will you “GO”?

A Few Other Helpful Links:

The Only Way

I wonder if perhaps one reason the Lord created the earth to orbit in such a way that it never gets anywhere new is to help us remember to stop trusting in the same old, man-centred habits we’ve repeatedly embraced and performed for so many years.

There is a tree firmly rooted in this sin-soaked soil, one that every prideful heart pledges to protect at all cost. This tree is watered and fertilized with every vain philosophy and false religious system formed and followed by the first Adam’s fallen race. Sadly, the fallen nature in each of us delights in its temporary beauty, food, and shelter.

Ever since sin came in, the mantra of man has been onward and upward by whatever earthly means possible. No matter how many times mankind’s failures reveal his own futility, he stubbornly refuses to switch directions. Our persistent pride is truly deplorable! We have repeatedly fulfilled Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

There’s only way to get off this earthly orbit. If we desire to truly be free, to truly live, our heart must move, not only off this planet, but out of the universe. Creation is fallen so it can do nothing but cause us to fall back to this world. We must move past all of creation and instead wholeheartedly fix our full and undivided attention upon the Creator. Only by turning to the One True God, the Creator and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, will we pass from death to life.

eagle-nebula[1]The closer we get to Jesus’ return, the more the discussion continues migrating to outer space. The more errors that continue being exposed from evolutionary philosophies focused on planet earth, i.e. geology, genetics, etc., the more the argument gets launched deep into space.

In all the arguments and discussions involving the so-called final frontier, aliens seem to be the new missing link. The problem, however, is that even if aliens were real, they could never bring salvation to the sinful soul. They could never solve the issue of evil. They would simply serve as one more missionary field to be evangelized.

“You are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen: that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Savior.” Isaiah 43:10-11

Below is an insightful and biblical Q&A regarding extraterrestrials from Dave Hunt (The Berean Call).
Question: What’s your view of extraterrestrials?

Answer: “There are many biblical reasons for not accepting the idea of intelligent life beyond earth other than angels and demons.”

“First of all, it would be impossible for morally responsible humanoids anywhere in the universe to keep from sin. If they had the genuine right of choice, it must inevitably have been used to disobey God. Thus they would require salvation.”

“Secondly, Jesus Christ is the only Savior, and His death is the one and only perfect sacrifice for sins ever offered in the universe (Hb 9:23-28;10:12-14). If there are morally free agents on other planets, they would have to believe in Christ for salvation.”

“Thirdly, God has gone to great lengths to give us an historically verifiable record of His Son’s death and resurrection at the hands of eyewitnesses and this message is contained in a Bible which can be verified in many ways by the inhabitants of earth (geographically, archaeologically, etc.) and which would not be available to ETIs. It would seem both unfair and a violation of God’s way of dealing with mankind for beings elsewhere in space to be required to believe in a Savior who was crucified on a distant planet.”

“Fourthly, the Bible seems to indicate that this earth is the only such place in the universe. When Satan is cast out of heaven, he comes to earth; it is on this planet that the battle will be fought resulting in Satan’s defeat and imprisonment in the abyss; it is on this earth that Christ will reign for 1,000 years while Satan is locked up; it is to this planet that Satan will return when he is released; and it is on this planet that Satan will meet his final defeat and his eternal doom will be sealed.”

“Finally, if life happened by chance on this earth and evolved upward, then it could seemingly happen elsewhere in the universe. But if, as we believe, human life resulted from a purposeful act of God, and if sin is inevitable for such beings, and if the human soul is the prize for which Satan and God do battle, then it hardly makes sense to have this same process repeated on countless other planets throughout the cosmos.” ~Dave Hunt

Additional Resources:

Eternity is Not a Movie

Three Legs of “Scientific Evolutionism”

“Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward.”  (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/X-Men_(film)

God’s Word has been tested and God’s Word can be trusted!

A Few Helpful Articles:

Recently there was a biblical discussion between several men from two totally opposite camps of belief.  Both claim to hold to God’s Word and both claim to desire the truth above all else, however both cannot be correct.  When dealing with the subject of whether or not God created the universe, there is really no division among  professing Christians.  All those claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ would join arms here, yet the separation occurs as soon as the discussion moves beyond this point.  This recent panel conversation was no exception.

Some in the group expressed their belief in a literal six-day creation around six thousand years ago.  The others clung tightly to a long-earth view, stating that the Bible leaves plenty of room for the common evolutionary belief of billions of years along with death and suffering as the major agent used by God.  What was most interesting was not how quickly some abandoned the Word of God to make their points, nor how much the long-age spokesmen thought they were honoring God.  What was most amazing was how blindly those who purported the old universe doctrine claimed to be neither evolutionary, nor hold to any teachings majorly different than those who aligned themselves with a literal reading of Genesis 1-11.

It Does Matter: Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist and self-proclaimed day-age Christian, was one such guest. He is either ignorant in his assertions or disingenuous when stating that he is not an evolutionist at any level.  He also said he really believes no differently than Ken Ham, who was also on the panel and unashamedly holds to a literal interpretation of Genesis 1.  If it weren’t so sad, it would almost be funny. Although Hugh Ross claimed no major differences in belief, there are actually about 10 billion of them. After Dr. Ross’ proclamations, two others from the panel joined  in, making similar statements.  After pitching his tent on the same side as Hugh Ross, Sean McDowell, son of Josh McDowell, smiled and boldly proclaimed that it really doesn’t matter how God made the universe as long as we believe that He did.  Sean said he chooses instead to focus on how much God loves us and has a purpose and plan for our lives.  Even though Sean and others say it doesn’t matter, there could be nothing further from the truth.  It really does matter when and how God created the universe.

Sean McDowell’s Log Cabin: As an intro after a commercial break, TBN (the host channel of the creation discussion) played a clip of Sean McDowell talking to the camera as he stands inside a beautifully decorated log cabin.  The point of the video is to reveal how obvious it is that the universe has a designer, but Sean makes an unfortunate mistake.  Paraphrasing his video monologue, Sean asks the viewer to pretend he stumbles upon a cabin after walking through the woods.  The door is unlocked and the viewer chooses to enter.  Looking around, the hiker notices his favorite foods are on the dinner table and everything inside is perfectly prepared for his tastes.  Sean then moves to strike, pulling the analogy together by asking,  “What can we deduce from the cabin being filled with everything that suits us?”  He then explains that we should conclude that the cabin must be designed for the hiker.  And just as the cabin is intentionally built  for him, so it is with the universe. Everything in this world and universe fit perfectly to provide all that we need in a way that reveals a master designer. While this might be an adequate intelligent design argument, there are a few things Sean has left out. More will be said about this in a little bit.

Analogies: Just as it is with other analogies, Sean has a starting point or belief system and his starting point is what dictates the analogy.  Although analogies are good tools for making points, they often times also reveal the speaker’s own presupposed philosophies.  It’s also worth noting that no analogy can completely cover all tenants of a person’s belief system.

Ray Comfort’s Airplane and Parachute: Another analogy given by Ray Comfort unfortunately also missed the mark even though he is someone who has consistently held to a literal reading of Genesis 1 and believes the earth to be around six thousand years old.  Ray routinely uses an airplane flight to show the importance of  the Gospel of God. Although a good analogy in demonstrating the necessity of putting on Christ (like a parachute) for the right reasons, the story falls short when used in conjunction with the importance of whether or not creation happened just as Genesis 1 plainly spells it out.

An Unnecessary Contrast: Ray began his wrap-up of the two hour panel discussion by saying that although the conversation of how God created is an important one, if you were on a plane that was broken and ready to crash, you would not turn to the stewardess handing you a parachute to ask her the age of the plane.  Instead you would gladly put on the parachute to save your life. Again, while on the surface this might sound reasonable, the decision to contrast creation and the Gospel actually does more harm than good.

Here’s why: Ray’s comments separate the method of creation and the method of salvation, yet fail to consider that both reveal the character of the same God.  In actuality, neither the Gospel nor creation are the center of the Christian life. Granted, the Gospel is the good, rather the great news of God’s amazing act to buy back all who will come to Him, and without it we would have no hope of eternal life. But in reality, God Himself is the center; God Himself, revealed in Jesus Christ, is our life.  His character is what matters most, and His character is demonstrated and revealed in all He says and does.

An Old Plane and an Old Parachute:  Since much of this post is filled with other people’s analogies, I’d like to use a couple of my own. Let’s say the stewardess tells the passenger the plane is old, really old and that’s why it’s going down.  What if the parachute and the plane are the same age?  What if, as you’re free falling with your chute carefully strapped to your body, then pull the rip cord only to see moths fly out along with dust and only scraps of silk cloth remaining?  In your mind you’re thinking, “I guess the age of the plane really does matter.”

The Incompetent Maker: What  if the plane isn’t in disrepair due to its age?  Perhaps the maker and maintainer of the plane are at fault. Maybe this person, although very intelligent, wasn’t quite smart enough to make and maintain the vehicle to last very long in the sky. What if the person was basically incompetent? Then what if the one who made and maintained the plane was also the one who supplied the parachute?  (This is probably the most closely related analogy to the God who created the universe and also is the Savior of mankind.)  If the plane is going down, then one who made and maintained it did not do as good of a job as he could have.  If this is the case, then if he also packed and supplied the parachute, would there perhaps be a little trepidation in putting it on?  Let’s say you’re tumbling through the sky, pull the cord, and the cord breaks off.  You then reach for the backup cord and there is none.  Finally, with only seconds before impact, you try to manually open the chute only to discover it is not packed correctly by the maker of the plane.

You see, there are serious implications connecting the plane’s age, the method and competence of the plane’s construction and maintenance, and the parachute inside.  The Maker’s character is the heart of matter.  If the plane goes down, then one must ask why did it fall in the first place.  The answer will inevitably lead back to the maker of the aircraft. There is perhaps one more basic answer to the failure of the plane.

The Disturbed Designer: There is also one more thing to consider.  Perhaps the designer of the plane is not incompetent at all.  Maybe he is simply disturbed.  Maybe he purposely designed the plane to crash.  This has definite implications when strapping on the parachute.  If this is true, then most likely the chute itself would be sabotaged for all unsuspecting passengers.

The Cabin’s Creator: Analogies can also be used to reveal the errors in Sean McDowell’s cabin.  If, as Sean says, it doesn’t matter how God made the universe and if God is the builder in his cabin story, then it actually does matter.  Although this planet is amazing, there are all kinds of dangerous things that seem to raise questions.  We have natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, etc. as well as poisonous creatures and plants, and the list goes on.  So saying that there is a wonderful cabin filled with all your favorite foods is less than an accurate view of the world around us.  To make it more fair, let’s say the hiker walks into the cabin and begins eating the food only to get food poisoning.  He then goes into the bathroom and trips on a broken tile.  Then washing up, the traveler discovers there is only ice cold water and the towels are inundated with lice.  If this were the case, the person might begin wondering about the competence and intentions of the one who made and prepared the cabin.

The Creation/ Salvation Connection: Interestingly, regardless of an old earth or young earth, many from both camps would agree that Jesus died and raised in three literal days and is the only way to Heaven. Yet those that cling to billions of years fail to see that the character of God is inextricably entwined with both creation and salvation. They are eternally linked.  Why? Because God is responsible for both.  To say it doesn’t matter how God created is like saying it doesn’t matter how God provided salvation.  It matters.  His character is revealed in both.  The Living God created life by His Word, not through death, and the God of love chose to die for sinners because sin, not God, brought death. God brings life.  If a business builds its success by murdering people, does it really matter whether or not it gives money to orphans and widows?  No matter how you spin it, if God’s character is directly connected with death as the ultimate agent of life, He is the author of death.  Yet according to His own Word, death is said to be the last enemy of God.  1 Corinthians 15:26.

But death brought life in Christ, didn’t it?  Yes and no. Yes, Jesus chose to die for the sins of the world.  “For He has made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.  But if Jesus would have stayed dead, we would have no hope at all, so it’s not merely His death, but His resurrection that brings men life.  In the same chapter of 1 Corinthians, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, writes, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:14. Yes, Jesus laid down His life and this led to eternal life to all those who turn to Him, but His death would not have been necessary if sin had never been allowed to intrude into God’s perfect creation.

If death would have been God’s original “thumb print” on creation, then why use death as Adam and Eve’s judgment?  After all, creatures would have been dying and evolving for millions of years before Adam and Eve sinned.  So Adam and Eve were seeing creatures killing each other and dying of cancer, etc.  Then God tells them if they eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that they’ll die just like everything else is already dying???  Then later Jesus comes to die for the sins of the world, the sins that brought death upon mankind; the same death that God had already used for millions of years in all other creatures to help them evolve.  This makes no sense!  Sadly, confusion, at best, is all we are left with when man’s ideas are mingled with the Word of God.

The Whole Counsel of God:  It’s clear the Lord has given the saints different giftings and areas of ministry that serve the whole Body of Christ, but one thing is certain.  We are all to grow in the complete understanding of the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13). This growth takes the power of the Holy Spirit, the love of the truth, and the humble, wholehearted study of God’s Word.  We all must be careful not to let the focus of any ministry overshadow the whole of Scripture. We must proclaim more than a message.  May we never forget to declare the whole counsel of God!

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:23,27 and 28

“Reverence does not pertain to things but to persons. To reverence the impersonal creation instead of the personal God who created us is a perversion designed for escaping moral accountability to the Creator.” ~Dave Hunt

Occultism in Children’s Toys?

There is a simple, consistent, yet effective formula found in the story of many of today’s (occult) toys and games for kids.  The story goes something like this: creatures, spirits, monsters, etc. from another dimension or world come to this planet.  Kids discover them and then discover they can play/fight against other kids, all the while learning how to utilize their creatures’ powers.  Usually the battles are done in an alternate dimension where the creatures’ powers can be activated to their full potential. The winner of each fight captures not only the creature that has lost, but also its power. The more creatures you catch, the more options and power you have for later rumbles.  The goal is always to win as many creatures as possible. The best case scenario would be to win every creature, thereby receiving all the power, enabling you to take over the world.  In Pokemon the theme is “Gotta catch’em all!”  The story line typically pits “good” kids against “bad” kids. However regardless of “good” or “bad”, both sides are practicing unbiblical practices which involve activating, utilizing, and collecting power through certain techniques usually accompanied by repeating particular word phrases (aka: enchantments).  Also, many of these games and toys choose to intertwine in their story line the four basic elements of creation (nature): wind, water, fire, and earth. One other interesting part of the story is the subtle and many times, not so subtle doctrine of evolution.  Most of the creatures, after winning enough battles have the potential to evolve upwards into bigger, more powerful entities, making them almost invincible. So is this just a fantasy fairy tale meant to entertain and sell products to children of this generation?

Interestingly, occultism, shamanism/sorcery, and witchcraft across the world share many of the core elements mentioned above. For example, in tribes around the world, a shaman’s job is basically to transport himself spiritually into the spirit world/alternate dimension to engage and collect as many spirit ‘gods’ as possible, securing their wisdom and power to aid his tribe.  Generally speaking, shamans are warned not to capture “bad” spirits because of the trouble they will bring. Usually the theme of “good” and “bad” spirits is fundamental in a shaman’s search for power, knowledge, healing, etc. Ironically, the practices of spiritism and sorcery are not discerned to be good or bad, just the spirits one might encounter. Many times spirit guides will pretend to be under the control of the one who has captured them, but all the while they are actually taking control of the person.  This idea also is revealed in some of today’s cartoons.  One such show is called Bakugan.  In an early episode, the main character, Dan believes he is in control of his Red Dragon creature called Drago. But later the dragon reveals to Dan that it is actually the one in control. Unfortunately, the doctrines involved in sorcery, etc. can easily be transformed into cartoon plots and story lines, with very little resistance or awareness.

Another intentional similarity is the use of creation (nature). Occultism, generally speaking, teaches that power can be accessed through the four basic elements of creation: wind, water, fire, and earth.  (Many times this is known as divination.) Is it coincidental that many of the card games, such as Pokemon and YuGiOh place symbols of wind, water, fire, and earth on them to serve as categories and identification for the power they contain?  Witchcraft, sorcery and the like also highly embrace evolution as a spiritual reality.  Long before evolution was popularized ‘scientifically’ by Charles Lyell, Charles Darwin, Thomas Huxley, etc. it was widely accepted in occult practices around the world.  After all, the logical and final step in man’s evolution will be to become gods.  That is not a scientific philosophy, rather a spiritual one dating back to our original parents in the garden.  (Genesis 3:5– Satan, in the form of a serpent said, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”)

Perhaps it goes without saying that today there is an increased interest and activity in the occult.  Whether in movies, TV shows, books, video and card games or toys, the themes of power and magic are ever-increasing in popularity. Popular sells and companies know it!  Sadly, these companies are making millions, if not billions spreading more than just entertaining media.  Could it be that this generation is actually learning occult techniques that were once only privy to a select few known as shamans, yogis, priests, etc.?

As Christians, may we never allow the intoxicating influences of the world to impact this next generation!  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me.”  Matthew 19:14  Too often children are handed over to the latest TV shows and video games, only to be indoctrinated by pagan doctrines from polytheistic and pantheistic cultures such as Japan and China.

Sadly, these influences have always affected mankind. Historically, Manasseh was one tragic example of how influential and destructive the doctrines of devils can be. God did not call Israel to get rid of most of the other nations’ gods.  He commanded them to utterly destroy them all! But instead of eradicating them, many Israelite kings embraced and popularized them.  Manasseh was only 20 years old when he became king.  2 Chronicles 33 records much of his awful exploits engaging in sorcery and idol worship.  In verse 6 it says, “Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.”  (Emphasis added) What was the result of this young king’s rebellious actions? Soon the people stopped listening to the Lord altogether.  And eventually Israel became even worse than the nations around them.  This is a good warning for every generation, especially the one we now live in.  There is a reason that occult practices, no matter what name they are give, no matter how fun and innocent they might seem, are absolutely and unequivocally forbidden by God.  For a few biblical references, see: Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 19:26, Leviticus 19:31, and Deuteronomy 18:10.

Satan’s lies are seductive and solely aimed at destroying us and our relationship with our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

May we never allow the god of this world’s doctrines to draw us away from the amazing love and truth of the One who came to set us free!

***FYI: A relatively new toy/game worth examining is called DaGeDar.  (For more info go to their website story line:  http://dagedar.omeletla.com/story)

    “There are phenomena in nature which cannot be solved, secrets which cannot be fathomed nor accounted for. But from what we see of heaven and earth we may easily enough infer the eternal power and Godhead of the great Creator, and may furnish ourselves with abundant matter for His praises. And let our make and place, as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, which is always to keep heaven in our eye and the earth under our feet.”  ~Matthew Henry, Genesis 1, Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1706

%d bloggers like this: