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Eye for an eye
AJMAL KASAB was nervous just before he died, according to a guard at the prison where he was executed in the city of Pune on November 21st. After India’s president, Pranab Mukherjee, rejected his clemency plea, Mr Kasab became the first person hanged in India since 2004. The public responded, by and large, with a cheer.
That is understandable. It came just before the fourth anniversary of the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, when ten merciless gunmen, who had arrived by sea from Pakistan, left 166 people dead. All but one of the assailants were killed during the horrific 60-hour assault on locals and foreigners at a train station, a Jewish centre, café and two hotels. Only Mr Kasab (pictured, below, during the assault) was taken alive. He was tried, convicted and hanged according to the law.
The vileness of the assault—plus anger at evidence that it was directed by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terror group linked to Pakistani intelligence—explains why most Indians favoured his death. It may explain, too, Pakistan’s initially muted response. Yet India (like much of South Asia) has largely given up executing people, even as some 400 convicts languish on death row.
Indian law permits executions only in the “rarest of rare” cases, such as Mr Kasab’s. But a move towards abolition is unlikely, even though a small minority has become more vocal about getting rid of it. Along with Pakistan and others, India voted against a UN General Assembly resolution on November 19th calling for a ban on capital punishment.
Instead, calls for more hangings are likely. On November 21st the hardline chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, in effect demanded the execution of a Kashmiri Muslim sentenced to death for his part in a 2001 terrorist attack on India’s parliament. The fate of three Tamils, convicted over the 1991 assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, a former prime minister, may be debated again.
Curiously, other governments also chose this month to scrap informal moratoriums on the death penalty. On November 15th a soldier was hanged for murder in Pakistan, ending a four-year spell without executions there. Human Rights Watch, an activist group, called the execution “odious” and said it worries about another 7,000 Pakistani inmates on death row. In Afghanistan on November 20th and 21st, 14 convicts were hanged, after a change of stance by the president, Hamid Karzai. Executions have been rare since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Officials say the men were criminals, not militants.
Sri Lanka has not hanged anyone for 36 years, yet its government has raised the idea of executing convicted drug barons and child abusers, and may feel encouraged to press on. In Bangladesh, too, a court looking at war crimes committed in the 1971 conflict with Pakistan may hand down capital sentences. For example on November 15th prosecutors demanded the death penalty for a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist opposition party.
No co-ordination is going on between governments, yet similar factors may be at play. Where rulers face elections, they may judge that voters like executions (while foreign grumblers can be shrugged off). Yet in a region where the value of human life is often all too low, a renewed eagerness for the death penalty is unwelcome.
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Planar Chaos in Legacy
As far as competitive Legacy goes, Time Spiral was a major disappointment. Promising to bring back old mechanics and possibly return to some of the roots of the eternal formats, Time Spiral gave almost nothing to the Legacy format. Fortunately, along comes Planar Chaos, full of fun color pie shifting that is sure to shake things up one way or another, and a few powerful cards in between.
So, without further ado, I'll get into the card explanations. My number one pick for Planar Chaos in Legacy may really surprise you.
The Return of Black Control?
Okay, so it probably won't. The best card from Planar Chaos for Legacy is Damnation, and it wins by a fairly easy margin. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Wait, doesn't Legacy already have Mutilate? How is Damnation so much better?" The answer is, easily. Mutilate's home is, and always will be, in pure monoblack control. Monoblack isn't the deck benefiting from the printing of Damnation; the decks that will truly become strong are other possible control archetypes that have been one board sweeper shy of becoming competitive. Since the existence of Legacy, all control decks have had the same problem. They have the great board sweepers, strong draw, good finishers. The problem has always been beating the combo decks such as Solidarity or Iggy Pop. Damnation being in Black now means that the same color that has the best combo disruption in Duress and Cabal Therapy now also is in possession of the best board sweeper in the game.
So what decks could arise because of this? For one thing, many decks will undergo some changes. Look for all of those funky BGW control hybrids to drop white altogether and add Damnation, creating a more stable mana base, which in itself will make a big difference. However, for a deck that could really become powerful thanks to Damnation, look for an old favorite to make its dreaded return to the format.
UB LandstillMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
3 Island
3 Swamp
2 Wasteland
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
4 Faerie Conclave
4 Mishra's Factory
3 Undead Gladiator
4 Diabolic Edict
4 Damnation
2 Haunting Echoes
4 Counterspell
3 Crucible of Worlds
2 Fact or Fiction
2 Skeletal Scrying
3 Stifle
4 Standstill
4 Force of Will
This obviously isn't a finished version of the deck, but I think it's a decent backbone at least. With Edict and Damnation plus counters, controlling the board shouldn't be a huge issue. Duress and maybe Hymn to Tourach can come in from the sideboard to shore up the combo match-up. Skeletal Scrying also adds a lot to the deck, giving it a great card drawing engine that can't be ignored.
In case Black mages are still somehow disappointed, there are yet more goodies. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is another card that can make an impact in Legacy. While Damnation won't make a huge impact on monoblack, Urborg likely will. Combined with Cabal Coffers, the deck can go that much faster and gain control quicker. It's guaranteed to be at least a one-of in any monoblack deck.
The other great thing about Urborg that many overlook is how good it is with lands that normally don't produce mana. The normally unplayable drawbacks of powerful cards like Maze of Ith and The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale suddenly don't look so bad anymore. There are also some cute tricks with it like Crusading Knight, or maybe even Karma, but those are probably best saved for the casual forum.
Completing the triangle of strong black cards is maybe the most hyped card in the set: Extirpate.
Now this may cause some controversy, but I don't find Extirpate to be anything unbelievable in Legacy. It's been getting a lot of attention, but it will most likely just be a strong sideboard card against Life from the Loam decks and Iggy Pop. The problem I have with the card though as far as people talking about maindecking it is that it has very little impact against the consensus top three decks: Goblins, Threshold, and Solidarity. Obviously removing every Goblin Piledriver from the game is nice against Goblins, but in order to do that, Piledriver has to be to the graveyard already, and might have already done its damage. Extirpate is decent against Goblins, but I don't think it will have enough to warrant playing four over something that would actually affect the board.
Against Threshold and Solidarity, Extirpate just isn't very good at all. Threshold can play around it fairly easily, as the whole deck is based off of not relying on any one card, but instead on the synergies each card has with each other. A skilled Solidarity player should be able to win through an Extirpate as well, although removing all their Resets will make it difficult for them. Extirpate should be a strong sideboard card against many decks, but I wouldn't advise maindecking it. In my opinion, the best maindeck use for it would be in a mana denial deck with Sinkhole, and using it to remove any destroyed non-basics, fetchlands, or Wastelands. Although that probably isn't all that useful.
WHAT Might Be Tier One?
One of the more overlooked cards in Planar Chaos could help boost one of the more overlooked decks in Legacy into a spot among the top decks in the format. What is it? This time you'll really be surprised. The card is Sinew Sliver, and the deck is none other than CounterSliver, an old favorite for many, I'm sure.
CounterSliver has quietly put up strong testing results against most of the top decks in the format, and that was when they had to splash Green for Muscle Sliver. Now with an on-color Muscle Sliver, CounterSliver can go to a UW build and have a more stable mana base, but still using the most powerful slivers such as Crystalline Sliver. The other option would be keeping Green, and simply playing eight Muscle Slivers. Either route seems like they'd be good.
So what kind of CounterSliver lists should you be looking for come February 20th? Here's one possible idea:
CounterSliverMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
1 Windswept Heath
4 Tundra
4 Tropical Island
3 Islands
1 Plains
4 Crystalline Sliver
4 Sinew Sliver
4 Muscle Sliver
3 Winged Sliver
2 Harmonic Sliver
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Brainstorm
4 Serum Visions
4 Force of Will
4 Stifle
4 Counterspell
The deck is surprisingly efficient with the Sliver creature base, and plays a little like Threshold with the three colors. Don't be surprised if this becomes a strong deck after Planar Chaos, and I hope you all enjoy your CounterSliver mirror matches.
Random Musings
The following cards are potential strong Legacy cards that don't really fit into any current archetypes. Since so many new decks are appearing each day in the format however, I thought I'd give them a little attention and maybe stir up some of your deckbuilding senses.
Calciderm -- There's an obvious route with Calciderm: GW Beats. With Watchwolf, Exalted Angel, Loxodon Hierarch, and Troll Ascetic along with other powerful fatties in these colors, a GW beat down deck similar to the GW Goodstuff Extended deck could be possible. With all the life gain it could probably be strong against aggro, and could sideboard things against combo.
Sunlance -- Obviously it's far from being anything amazing, but can a deck really have too many answers to turn one Goblin Lackey? Obviously it's not the best solution, but White's answers to Lackey outside of Swords to Plowshares are rather slim. Sunlance might be your best bet if you're really struggling against them.
Magus of the Bazaar -- Right away, Magus of the Bazaar becomes one of the strongest discard outlets in Legacy. The problem is, decks that can really use the outlet like Friggorid or Madness often don't want to be spending turn two playing a fragile 0/1. It wouldn't surprise me of the Magus showed up in some kind of reanimator deck, however.
Lavacore Elemental -- Lavacore Elemental looks a bit like Jank City, USA, but I think it could be surprisingly good. We've already seen Zoo decks and other random beatdown decks run cards with big drawbacks such as Flesh Reaver. A 5/3 for 3 in a deck full of other efficient creatures is nothing to sneeze at, and your Kird Apes, Skyshroud Elites, and other guys should be able to keep it on the board for a decent amount of time.
Sulfur Elemental -- Sulfur Elemental is finally an answer for red decks to white decks running things like Silver Knight that can really give them problems. Obviously you need two to completely get rid of the Knights, but against a deck like Angel Stompy, having two Sulfur Elementals out at once pretty much nerfs them. Not to mention that it can also be used as a trick in combat with its flash ability. However, I don't think people will sideboard it over things like Anarchy. It could still possibly find a home in the right deck.
Blood Knight -- Blood Knight goes in the same category as a red card to try to answer decks like Angel Stompy. It could be a pretty strong card in a deck like Boros Deck Wins (Yes, it exists in Legacy too), or any RG Stompy deck that is having problems with white decks, or just Swords to Plowshares.
Reckless Wurm -- Reckless Wurm is one of the more interesting cards in the set because now madness decks have to ask themselves if it's worth it to cut a color and start playing red cards in madness. A green/red madness build with effectively eight Arrogant Wurms along with Fiery Temper and Violent Eruption is certainly tempting, but it might be a bit too fragile for Legacy.
Simian Spirit Guide -- Another card for red based aggro, Simian Spirit Guide could be useful in a low curve RG stompy deck, and could even see play in some Ancient Tomb-based aggro decks, since it allows you to play fat like Rakdos Pit Dragon one turn earlier, and sometimes even on turn one.
Essence Warden -- Nothing new, but replaces Soul Warden in any Aluren decks that were still playing with, which might make the deck a bit more consistent.
Gaea's Anthem -- ten-land stompy decks could theoretically use Gaea's Anthem, although the three mana cost could make things difficult. It still could be tried, and might actually be effective.
Groundbreaker -- Ball Lightning doesn't see a ton of play in Legacy, but Groundbreaker is in a color that needs it more and can use it more. An obvious idea is Eternal Witness, while another would be Unearth in a black/green aggro-control type deck. To add to the Unearth strategy, Groundbreaker also has excellent synergy with Cabal Therapy. The only question mark really is the triple green cost, which could be hard on your mana base.
Harmonize -- I play a medium green type deck in Legacy, and I'll be giving Harmonize a shot. I've noticed when I play my deck it often runs out of gas, but Harmonize fixes that and also can be recurred with Eternal Witness in the deck to really draw a lot. Then again, I might be the only one who cares about this.
Seal of Primordium -- Again, nothing really fancy here. Enchantress-style decks now can cut Seal of Cleansing and play a card in the main color, which makes it a bit easier, but likely won't make a huge difference.
Radha, Heir to Keld -- Radha, Heir to Keld is an interesting card, and one you need to build a deck around. Like a lot of cards in this set, the best place is a very low curve RG Stompy type deck, with a lot of instant speed burn. Swinging with Radha and playing a Price of Progress for free, plus the other burn and creatures you played that turn could be a surprisingly powerful and blazingly fast strategy, although it still shares the same weaknesses that other Stompy decks have.
Well, I hope I covered everything. This seems to be a very fun set for Legacy with all the color shifting, and could actually make a decent impact on the format with Damnation. I hope you enjoyed the article, and have fun playing with Planar Chaos.
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Parashat Vayakhel
Sacred Relationships
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One of the vessels described in Parashat Vayakhel is the 'Kiyor,' the sink, or basin, to be used by the priests to wash their hands and feet in the course of their work in the Tabernacle. The Bible presents us with a somewhat cryptic description of its construction: "And he made the sink of bronze, and its pedestal of bronze, with the mirrors of the women who congregate, who congregated at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting."
Who are these women? Where and why are they congregating? Why were their mirrors used to construct the basin?
Rashi brings the following fascinating answer from the Midrash: "The women of Israel were in possession of mirrors, which they used when they beautified themselves, and even these they did not withhold from donating to the Tabernacle. And Moses rejected them, for they are made to serve the evil inclination.
“God said to him: 'Accept them, for these are dearer to me than all the rest, for it is with them that the women raised many congregations [this is the meaning of 'the women who congregate' in the verse] in Egypt.
“‘When their husbands were tired from their labors, the women would go and bring them food and drink and feed them, and bring the mirrors with them, and each one would look at herself and her husband in the mirror and tempt him, and say 'I am prettier than you', and thereby arouse their husbands' desire for them, and they would be together, and the women conceived, and gave birth ...'
“And the sink was made of them, for its function is to make peace between husband and wife, by giving water from it to the woman suspected by her jealous husband of having been unfaithful [during a ritual known as the 'Sotah' ceremony]."
Arguing With God
Moses' argument with God is interesting. Moses objects to using the mirrors in the Tabernacle because he sees them as serving the evil inclination; women use them in order to put on their make up, to make themselves beautiful. God does not contradict Moses; that is, basically, what the mirrors were for. However, he points out that the evil inclination is also the mechanism that creates, ultimately, human beings, and specifically, against all odds, a Jewish people.
The husbands, enslaved in Egypt, were crushed, beaten, and therefore unable and unwilling to reach out to another human being, and certainly unable to imagine a future for people as yet unborn. The wives, using the engine of the evil inclination, manage to do both--reach out to and interact with their husbands, and, thereby, create a future for the seemingly defeated Jewish people.
To better understand the difference of opinion between Moses and God, I think we should look at the specifics of what Moses saw in these mirrors, and what God saw in them.
Moses objected to them as being unfit for inclusion in the Tabernacle. What he saw, according to Rashi, was mirrors in which women looked at themselves when applying their makeup, an essentially narcissistic behavior.
God, on the other hand, was focusing on a different mirror, a mirror in which there were two people, a wife and a husband, playfully celebrating each other's beauty. The "I am more beautiful than you" line which the wives used in this story, takes the inherent narcissism and self-absorption of a woman at her vanity table applying makeup, and cleverly turns it into a way to communicate, to reach out to another person. God is of the opinion that the mirrors, the token of that interaction, are precisely, more than anything else ["these are dearer to me than all the rest"], what belongs in the Temple.
Just as the food and drink that the women brought to their husbands represent a communication, an offering, and, therefore, a sanctification of sorts of the physical--something which is uniquely appropriate to the Temple--so, too, the way the mirrors are used in the story in Egypt represent a sanctification of the sexual. They represent an intimacy that brings strength, joy, and comfort to one's partner. An intimacy in which one reaches out to another individual, and beyond, to unborn generations.
Understanding Our Physical Selves
The question, "what do you see when you look in the mirror?" is a question about how we understand our physical selves. Moses' answer is not wrong; when all I see when I look in the mirror is a physicality (and therefore a sexuality) that is essentially about oneself and one's own pleasure--as symbolized by a person looking at herself and only herself in the mirror--that is 'the evil inclination', and should be rejected.
God, on the other hand, sees the women who, when they looked in the mirror, saw not only themselves but, rather, saw themselves in relationship to another. God, therefore, wants the Temple to celebrate that; a physicality and a sexuality that is about two people, that is, in fact, about many people--'congregations,' the progeny of an intimate relationship between two individuals. When the women congregate at the entrance of the Meeting Tent and offer these same mirrors, they are again attempting to use the physical in order to achieve spiritual goals.
The fact that, in the Temple ritual, the sink acts as a mediator between a couple that has lapsed into a mode of jealousy and suspicion (when the waters of the sink are used as part of the 'sotah' ritual which can reunite the two), makes the choice of the mirrors for its construction particularly appropriate. It is by seeing themselves together in these mirrors, as a couple, as their foremothers and forefathers did in Egypt, and not as separate individuals with separate, narcissistic desires and needs, that the troubled couple may find peace, and be reunited.
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Rabbi Shimon Felix
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Published on ONJava.com (http://www.onjava.com/)
See this if you're having trouble printing code examples
Regular Expressions in J2SE
by Hetal C. Shah
In Java applications that do text searching and manipulation, the StringTokenizer and String classes are used heavily. This can often result in complex code and lead to a maintenance nightmare.
Often such Java applications are looking for an occurrence of a particular character or token in a String, and then trying to find a string surrounding it, validating the extracted String. A simple example is validation of a web site URL or an email address. To validate an email address, we could check for an occurrence of '@', followed by one or more '.'. This logic might be implemented in Java as shown below.
JDK 1.4 supports regular expressions in the java.util.regex package. Use of this package and supporting classes makes string search and manipulation very easy. It helps reduce the development effort, and at the same time significantly improves the maintenance of code. Since classes in this package are a standard part of core Java, they don't have to be distributed separately, and can be assumed to be present. We will see at the end of article how regular expressions simplify the implementation of email validation.
String str="administrator@admin.com";
int indexOfAtChar=str.indexOf("@");
if(indexOfAtChar > 0)
int indexOfDotChar =
if(indexOfDotChar > 0)
System.out.println ("Valid Email Address.");
("Invalid Email Address- " +
"Missing character '.' after '@'.");
System.out.println("Invalid Email Address- " +
"Missing character'@' .");
This produces the output:
Valid Email Address.
Interest in regular expressions has been around for a number of years in the software industry. It has been heavily used in:
Many programming languages and operating systems tools support regular expressions, such as:
This article explains the benefits of writing regular expressions using the java.util.regex package, and how to use its key components.
What Is a Regular Expression?
First of all, let's define a regular expression in a simple approach: A regular expression is a pattern, a template, to be matched against a string.
Users of a command-line operating system like DOS or Unix often use a directory listing command to find a list of files in a directory. On DOS, this would be:
dir *.txt
And on Unix, it would be:
ls *.txt
Here "*.txt" is a command parameter to display the list of files with file extension 'txt', irrespective of file name.
Now, say we want to see list of files where the filename begins with 'a'; then the DOS command will be
dir a*.*
and the Unix command will be
ls a*.*
Related Reading
Regular Expression Pocket Reference
By Tony Stubblebine
Here "a*.*", means a filename starting with 'a' followed by any number of characters, followed by a character '.', followed by any file extension.
These examples are straightforward uses of regular expressions.
Regular Expression Grammar Rules
Before we jump into how to write regular expression code using the java.util.regex package, let's first have a brief look at regular expression syntax in general.
In its simplest form, a regular expression is just a word or phrase for which to search. For example, the regular expression 'John' would match any string with the string 'John' in it. Strings like 'John', 'Ajohn', and ' Decker John' all would match.
In regular expressions some characters are used for more special purposes. These are called Quantifiers. For instance, '*' matches any sequence of characters, and the '.' matches any single character except a new line. Hence, the regular expression '.ine' matches any four character strings that ends with 'ine', including 'line', and 'nine'.
But what if you want to search for a string containing a period and, say, references to pi. The following regular expression would not work:
This would indeed match "3.141592", but it will also match "3x141592",and "38141592". To get around this, we can use a metacharacter, the backslash (\). The backslash can be used to indicate that the character immediately to its right is to be taken literally. Thus, to search for the string "3.141592", we would use:
Regular Expressions in JDK 1.4
The entire regular expression support is contained in the package java.util.regex and is made up of the following two main classes:
A typical implementation of text searching and/or manipulation using the java.util.regex package is divided into three steps.
1. Compile the regular expression into an instance of Pattern
2. Use the Pattern object to create a Matcher object.
3. Use the Matcher object to search and/or manipulate the character sequence
A typical invocation sequence might be like the example to follow, which uses a regular expression to match 'cats', followed by any number of characters, followed by 'dogs':
Pattern pat=Pattern.compile("cats.*dogs");
Matcher matcher=pat.matcher("cats and dogs");
boolean flag=matcher.matches();
We will look at each of the above methods in detail in next few sections.
Creating Patterns
The Pattern class provides an overloaded static factory method compile() to create Pattern instances.
In the java.util.regex package, text matching defaults to case sensitivity and treats each character as ASCII rather than Unicode. To modify this default behavior, you can provide flags to the compile() method. All flags are static int members of Pattern. To combine behaviors, you can mathematically OR flags together with the "|" operator.
Flag Purpose
CANON_EQ Enables canonical equivalence in the search.
CASE_INSENSITIVE Enables case-insensitive matching.
COMMENTS Permits white space and comments in pattern. If this flag is set then white spaces, and embedded comments starting with # are ignored.
DOTALL By default the metaCharacter '.' does not match line terminator, but using this flag it matches any character, including a line terminator.
MULTILINE Enables multiline searches. In multiline input character sequence '^' and '$' MetaCharacters match, respectively, after or before a line terminator or at the end of input sequence.
UNICODE_CASE This flag specified along with the CASE_INSENSITIVE flag makes case-insensitive matching in a manner consistent with the Unicode Standards.
UNIX_LINES Unix lines mode.
Creating Matchers
Once we have a compiled Pattern, we call matcher(charsequence) on it to create a Matcher.
java.lang.CharSequence is an interface to represent a readable sequence of characters. The String, StringBuffer, and CharBuffer classes implement this interface. Typically, we pass Strings to the matcher method:
Matcher matcher=pat.matcher("cats and dogs");
Text Matching and Manipulation
In text matching, we are interested to check whether the entire string matches the regular expression, or whether only a part of the string matches it.
Exact Match
Matcher Class provides the matches() method to test for an exact match.
Here's an example of using matches():
import java.util.regex.*;
import java.util.*;
public class exactmatch
public static void main(String args[])
// This regular expression means 'cats' followed
// by any number of characters (except new line
// Character), followed by 'dogs'
Matcher matcher =
pat.matcher("cats and dogs");
boolean flag = matcher.matches(); //true
// This regular expression means 'house' followed
// by one or more character (except new line
// Character), followed by 'family'
Pattern pat2 =
Matcher matcher2 =
boolean flag2 = matcher2.matches(); //false
The above example could be implemented using only the Pattern class, which has its own matches() method:
// 'cats' followed by any number of characters
// (except new line Character), followed by 'dogs'
boolean flag =
"cats and dogs"); //true
Partial Match
Matcher provides two methods for partial string matching, each used for a slightly different purpose.
find() is particularly useful when you are interested in all the subsequences of the given input character sequence that match the given pattern, as in the following example:
Pattern pat=Pattern.compile("john");
Matcher matcher =
pat.matcher ("Hello, I am john parker");
boolean flag=matcher.find(); //true
// matches() returns false since the
// entire input sequence doesn't match
// the regular expression.
flag=matcher.matches(); //false
Pattern pat2=Pattern.compile("john");
// lookingAt() returns true because the
// regular expression matches the beginning of
// the string
Matcher matcher2 =
pat2.matcher("john parker is my name");
flag = matcher2.lookingAt(); //true
Say we have a requirement to implement a program that checks that an input string is a valid web site URL in the form of www.domain-name.top-level-domain, and if it is valid then prints its domain name, and its top-level domain. Regular expressions covered so far in this article will help in validating the input string, but not in extracting the domain name and its top-level domain. Use of Capturing groups in regular expression helps in extracting the meaningful information from the matched string.
Capturing groups
In regular expression, parentheses are used for grouping sub-expressions, but they also capture characters matched by that sub-expression. Capturing groups are numbered by counting their opening parentheses from left to right. Group zero always stands for the entire expression.
In the expression ((x)(y(z))), for example, there are four such groups:
Group # regular expression
0 ((x)(y(z)))
1 (x)
2 (y(z))
3 (z)
During a match, each subsequence of the input sequence that matches such a group is saved. The captured input associated with a group is always the subsequence that the group most recently matched. As a convenience, the following methods are provided in Matcher for working with capturing groups.
int end() Returns the index of the last character matched, plus one.
int end(int group) Returns the index of the last character, plus one, of the subsequence captured by the given group during the previous match operation. If the match was successful but the group itself did not match anything, then it returns -1.
String group() Returns the input subsequence matched by the previous match.
String group(int group) Returns the input subsequence captured by the given group during previous match operation.
int groupCount() Returns the number of capturing groups in this matcher's pattern.
int start() Returns the start index of the previous match.
int start(int group) Returns the start index of the subsequence captured by the given group during previous match operation. If the match was successful but the group itself did not match anything then it returns -1.
If Matcher evaluates a group a second time because of quantifiers, then the group's previously captured value will be retained if the second evaluation fails. But all captured input is discarded at the beginning of each match.
Here's an example of validating a web site URL, and extracting its domain name, and top-level domain using Capturing groups:
String str="www.onjava.com";
String regExpr = "www\\.(.+)\\.(.+)";
Pattern pat;
// Pattern Matching will be case insensitive.
pat =
Matcher matcher=pat.matcher(str);
System.out.println("Input is valid.\n");
System.out.println("TLD is:" + matcher.group(2));
} else {
System.out.println("Input is not valid.");
This produces the output:
Input is valid.
TLD is:com
'\' represents an escape character in regular expressions. To represent the \ character in a string, we use \\, as in the above web site validation example.
A Matcher may be reset explicitly by invoking its reset() method, or if a new input sequence is desired, by calling its reset(CharSequence) method. Resetting a matcher discards its explicit state information. An example of resetting is shown below:
Pattern pat=Pattern.compile("John");
Matcher matcher =
pat.matcher("Hello World");
boolean flag = matcher.find(); //false
//Reset matcher with new input sequence.
matcher.reset("Hello John");
flag=matcher.find(); //true
String Replacement
Matcher provides the replaceAll(String) and replaceFirst(String) methods for string replacement.
The following code snippet shows an example of replaceAll():
String oldString =
"Telephone is a new technology. " +
"People can carry Telephones with them " +
"in office, college, trains etc..";
Pattern pat=Pattern.compile("Telephone");
Matcher matcher=pat.matcher(oldString);
// Replace all occurrences of 'Telephone' in
// oldString with 'Cellular Phone'
String newString =
matcher.replaceAll("Cellular Phone");
This produces the output:
Cellular Phone is a new technology. People can
carry Cellular Phones with them in office,
college, trains etc.
String Tokenizing
A record stored in a flat-file is typically formatted using a separator character to separate the individual fields in record. If the separator is a single character like '|', ',' or a tab, then the StringTokenizer class can be used to split the line into fields. But the separator is complex (say, '~__' ), then parsing with regular expressions is helpful. Pattern provides a useful method for this:
Here's a simple example of this technique:
/* Variable str represents a record with
field values first name, last name, and middle
initial separated by ~__.
String str="Cathy ~__Paul~__C";
Pattern pat=Pattern.compile("~__");
// Split the record by ~__.
String flds[]=pat.split(str);
System.out.println("Fields are:\n");
This produces the output:
Fields are:
Email Validation Example
This article began by showing the difficulty of validating a String as an email address. Let's see how easy it is to implement the same thing using regular expressions.
// Variable str represents an email address
// to be validated.
String str="administrator@admin.com";
Pattern pat=Pattern.compile(".+@.+\\.[a-z]+");
Matcher matcher=pat.matcher(str);
boolean flag=matcher.find(); // true;
flag=matcher.find(); // false;
flag=matcher.find(); // false;
flag=matcher.find(); // true;
In above example, [a-z] is a character class that defines a character range starting with 'a' and ending with 'z'. Any of the characters defined in the character class can be matched by a single character of the same value in the input data.
Regular Expressions and Multithreading
Instances of Pattern class are immutable and are safe for use by multiple concurrent threads. However, instances of the Matcher class are not safe for multiple concurrent threads use because of its explicit state, which includes the start and end indices of the most recent successful match. It also includes the start and end indices of the input subsequence captured by each capturing group in the pattern as well as a total count of such subsequences.
The explicit state of a matcher is initially undefined; attempting to query any part of it before a successful match will cause an IllegalStateException to be thrown.
The java.util.regex package in JDK 1.4 is quite handy and useful to the developers of search, extract, and replace systems such as search engines, rule-based data formation and transformation engines, EAI, and so on. Regular expressions are also used in extracting meaningful information from large chunks of text data, hence the java.util.regex package will significantly help Java developers with efficient development and maintenance of such applications. Although the examples in this article were simplistic, they lay the groundwork for examining the usefulness of the package.
The java.util.regex package has several other features for appending, text replacement, and greedy/non-greedy pattern matching. Space won't allow us to discuss them in more detail here, so see the JDK 1.4 Documentation on java.util.regex to learn more about using regular expressions in Java.
Hetal C. Shah is an IT consultant, specializing in Internet-related technologies
Return to ONJava.com.
Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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AUG 09
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"The Army should rather stop making senseless wars (like the one in Ira..."
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BMW Unveils i3 and i8 Concepts
The i3 is a four-door, compact city car, formerly going by the name of Megacity, that will be the automaker's first series-produced all-electric vehicle. It will be 700 lb. lighter than the Nissan LEAF and have 170 hp -- 63 hp more than the LEAF.
Check out the video above or watch all the new videos on these vehicles here.
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Comments (6)Add Comment
Electric cars only relocate pollution
written by Steve Jay, August 09, 2011
As 80% of the world's electricity is coal fired, EVs still have a carbon footprint higher than the world can sustain. They also add to that footprint the toxic and carbon pollutions inherent in electronics and lithium battery technology.
A far better approach is to invest in farmwaste-derived biofuels such as Vetroleum. (see Sustainable Power LLC of Texas as an example) Waste-derived bio gives farmers an additional cash crop, divert higher greenhouse index methane production (from rotting wastes) to CO2 and close the fuel greenhouse loop. There is also enough annual farmwaste production to generate 5 times the US' energy needs.
Electric cars are a dead end which only compounds dinosaur-powered cars' problems.
Dead end?
written by Wolter Hellmun, August 10, 2011
What are you talking about? Electric cars are the future. Do you know the efficiency of the average combustion engine? Its about 20% - more or less. The efficiency in an electric motor is 96%+. In other words, 4+ electric motors could individually deliver the power of an internal combustion engine each, with the same amount of energy.
While most of the world's power is generated by coal power plants, that is not true in every country. In my country (Costa Rica) ~80% of the energy comes from hydroelectric power plants.
Either way, if the majority of the people in the world replaced their cars for EVs, and the pollution became a matter of replacing coal power plants for non-perishable resource power plants, the problem would be easier to solve. Not only would the environment would be in less danger, but energy would cease being coal-dependent and thus more economic.
written by Egon, August 10, 2011
Wouldn't it be cool if it could use lithium-air battery technology and had some solar panels.
written by Jason, August 11, 2011
Thank you for pointing out the clear carbon fibre panels, these are so important to allow sunlight to penetrate into the engine.
Keep up the excellent verbatim regurgitation and greenwashing
written by net97surferQ, August 11, 2011
Note how none of these 'electric savers' never speak of the added cost a few years down the road when all the batteries have to be pulled and new ones installed. 'Hidden costs' can double the price of the car.
written by alternative ways, August 12, 2011
The Army should rather stop making senseless wars (like the one in Irak) as this would save much more energy and money.
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look up any word, like fishermans haircut:
8. Super Senior
Anti social person who is over the age of 18 or is a senior in high school or collage.
A person who hates underclass men for no reason
A senior in high school or collage who's ego is huge.
look at that super senior over there all by him self. He must think he's so cool because he's a senior
1. Super Senior
Taking five years or more of high school. during your 5th+ year you are a Super Senior. also known as being on the five year plan
John Smith failed again, looks like heas going to be a super senior!
by Nick January 03, 2004 add a video add an image
2. Super Senior
A student who has to repeat his/her senior year of high school, one or more times
Verlin McIsaac did not receive enough credits to pass his senior year of high school therefore he will be known as a super senior
3. Super Senior
A person who has been attending high school for 5 or more years, like Jak Thompson
Why is he still here? Didn't he graduate last year?
Yes, he is a super senior. He gets to do it all over again
4. Super Senior
A Senior from the previous school year that should be a freshmen in college or sticking around the town in which their parents reside in. Usually hangs out with High Schoolers or has a High School girlfriend and hangs out her with everyday.
Me: "Damn is that Kyle? He graduated like three years... He went to Community College and dropped out."
Friend: "Yeah man he's such a Super Senior."
5. Super Senior
Graduating high school, then after hanging out, acting as one, gossiping, can't tell a difference that you graduated already.
If you wouldn't know Sawduh, you would actually mistaken her as a senior and still in high school! She is the definition of a Super Senior.
6. Super Senior
A person that refuses to believe the fact that he/she has graduated high school.
Pensacola State College Students - Super Senior
7. Super Senior
a person who already graduated high school but still either hangs out with high school students or shows up to local high school parties or events involved with high school students.
zack mason is a super senior
rss and gcal
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There's no greater feeling for a surfer than a nice long ride. In the ocean, that might mean 20 to 30 seconds. But on an odd freak-of-nature wave that rolls up the Dordogne River in Bordeaux, France, every month, it can mean 20 to 30 minutes. It's called the Mascaret, and it's one of several tidal bores around the world (created when extreme fluctuations in lunar tides push a swell from the ocean upriver). I'd been hearing about a hard-to-get-to bore in the Amazon and rumors of a huge one in China. But it was the Mascaret that intrigued me most – riding through French wine country in the festival-like atmosphere that brings surfers, SUPers, and kayakers to the Dordogne every month.
"The first time I saw the bore, I couldn't believe it," says Patrick Audoy, who many consider to be the French Laird Hamilton, and who has been surfing the Mascaret and other bores around the world for 16 years. "It was a surprise because the river is so far from the sea." The Mascaret is a mellow waist-high roller that can be ridden for miles, even by beginners. Unlike the typically cliquish ocean-surfing culture, the French bore riders welcome newbies. Audoy even loaned me a longboard (the nearest surf shops are two hours away on the coast) and gave me tips on riding it.
A couple of hours before the Mascaret arrived, we tailgated with about 30 other surfers in the St. Pardon harbor parking lot and sucked down a few pre-bore pints at the Café du Port. At 30 minutes before, everyone grabbed their boards and paddled downriver. There, we sat waiting on the riverbank, hurling the occasional mud ball at one another to break the tension. The Mascaret started as a hiss, growing to a low roar as the wall of water rounded the bend, careening upstream at 15 mph. There are usually around five tightly spaced waves, but it's the first and second waves you want to ride, as they're the only ones capable of propelling you a long distance. Paddling furiously, I caught the first swell. The initial 30 seconds were pure chaos as riders jockeyed for position, shoulder-to-shoulder – at least half the riders missed the wave, while others soon fell off.
I began walking forward on the board once I got comfortable, even making gentle turns across the face. Minutes went by and my quads were screaming, but the pain faded as I surfed past rolling vineyards, ancient farmhouses, and the medieval Castle of Vayres. Twenty full minutes and three miles later, the wave finally faded before I did. I climbed out onto the grassy riverbank. We faced a very long walk back to the pub, but all I could think about was coming back tomorrow and doing it all over again.
More Information: Fly to Paris; connect to Bordeaux. The bore is at its biggest and best in summer. Lacanau on the coast has some of the best ocean surfing in France, is much less crowded than Biarritz, and has board rentals.
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Faith leaders and immigrants urge comprehensive immigration reform listen
03/11/13 Seán Kinane
WMNF Drive-Time News Monday
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Monday in Orlando faith leaders and immigrant students held a prayer rally to reform the nation’s immigration system.
Minutes before the rally was to begin, WMNF spoke by phone with one of the organizers, Rev. Errol Thompson, pastor of New Life Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Orlando.
He’s also chair of PICO (People Improving Communities for Organizing) United Florida.
"The rally is about a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million people here in the United States that have not yet received any kind of citizenship. Here we'll be urging from around the state that will be speaking to that issue as well as those who are 'dreamers' who desire to become American citizens as well. Just to reiterate, there are 11 million undocumented Americans that want to come out of the shadows of their status so that they can receive legal residency here in the United States. We have 'dreamers' who will be speaking to that issue at the press conference today."
Why is it important to you and to other members of PICO for people to have a pathway to citizenship?
"It's important because there are people who believe in the American dream who are traveling from various parts of the world to come to America to help to make her a great nation. When they come the process by which they have to go through to receive that citizenship is rather tiresome and costly. In reality our immigration system really needs an overall. It needs to be reformed. It is something that Congressmen have constantly communicated but nothing has been done thus far."
You say that nothing's been done, there is now maybe more of a discussion about immigration and some more people thinking that something should be done. What are your expectations for what could happen politically in the near future? What do you hope for?
"I do understand that Senator Marco Rubio has already started some drafting, at least, documentwise. I've not seen that yet to see what it actually gives, I'm just aware that there was a discussion, that there's a draft in place and hopefully I can see that soon. But the reality is that we're hoping against () after that. The time frame in which it takes for a person to become a citizen will be reduced from the average of 11 to 13 years now that it takes to less than that. We anticipate about 7 years in terms of what that should take."
Finally, Reverend Errol Thompson, pastor of New Life Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Orlando and chair of PICO United Florida, regarding Senator Rubio you are asking people to sign a letter asking Senator Rubio to support the campaign's principles of reform and you will deliver that letter to the Senator's Orlando office. Why are you specifically targeting Senator Rubio here?
"He isn't a target but he is a person of interest as I've stated earlier. He has helped to draft the legislation that's being discussed on the Republican view so why not him? He is someone who is the son of immigrants and so we believe that he should have a vested stake in this. He knows the benefits personally what it means to have parents that are immigrants who travelled to this country so that he now is a Senator and he represents what many who come to this country are trying to do for their own families as well."
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There seems to be a confusion when asking questions of which of these tags to use. I have seen a few questions tagged with any combination of these.
Should there be some clearer guidance on when to use each of them?
share|improve this question
I like confused-users (the tag, of course). – Joachim Sauer Dec 20 '12 at 12:32
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2 Answers
Part of this confusion comes from the history of the various tags. When Stack Overflow launched, the OS for the iPhone was just called iPhone OS, and there was no iPad. Development for these devices was (and still is, in many places) referred to as "iPhone development." Thus, became the de facto standard tag for all development questions regarding the iPhone and iPod touch.
Apple then rebranded the iPhone OS as iOS with iOS 4.0, which made more sense given the variety of devices other than the iPhone running that same OS. It has taken a while, but now seems to be the most popular tag for questions about development on these devices. I've actually made a habit now of adding the iOS tag to questions just tagged as iPhone or iPad when performing other edits.
While it could apply to most questions for iOS development, is less frequently used than those others, and usually only as a supplement to them. Same is true for . We could argue about what's appropriate where, but this seems to be the convention that people have established on the site. Personally, I tend to use the former when a question explicitly involves language syntax or usage, and the latter when dealing with UIKit elements.
The really problematic tags are the version-specific ones that people use (iphone-sdk-xxx and so on), because questions tagged with just those aren't anywhere near as visible as ones tagged for just iOS and iPhone. I retag those whenever I can.
Also, don't even get me started on the misuse of [xcode] everywhere.
share|improve this answer
Very clear thank you. Yes Xcode was one I missed out in the original question, and it seems to be the most mis-used of the lot. I can see iphone and ipad being useful in hardware-specific questions, or even questions relating to, for example, UIPopoverController. Between them, objective-c for language questions (which actually aren't specific to iOS), and cocoa-touch for framework questions, all questions should be covered. I am wondering though, is it worth the hassle to attempt to re-tag these questions? – c.cam108 Dec 21 '12 at 10:17
@c.cam108 - I only tend to retag if I'm performing some sort of larger edit, or if the question is lacking the important tags and won't get the visibility it needs without them (like missing [ios] and just having one of the minor tags instead). – Brad Larson Dec 21 '12 at 23:13
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If there's any confusion it's because the user doesn't understand the respective topics enough. It could be argued that that user is lacking the prerequisite knowledge required to ask questions on those topics in the first place. I see no problem that an after-the-fact retagging couldn't fix.
If the wiki's aren't clear enough then a clarifying edit on your part would be very welcome.
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View Full Version : Migration Patterns / Country-Culture placement
03-04-2009, 08:32 PM
Hi there folks,
I've been playing with a new map lately and am now trying to figure out how people may have migrated from 'first man' all throughout the globe.
If you feel like providing suggestions to a first-timer in this area, I've attached an image with the info on it upon which my migration is based.
Human origins are at the yellow star in the East.
Any feedback is appreciated...is this migration pattern feasible? Did I totally screw things up? Did I miss something?
Up til now, I've only made a few maps, but been intimidated with respect to laying out countries, etc.
Thanks for any feedback you can provide,
03-04-2009, 10:30 PM
My thought is that you're putting aesthetics over information or trying to depict too much information. All of the colors distract from the migration routes...try simplifying things. I had a rough go and here's what I mean, probably oversimplified but more emphasis on the how and when as migrations happened.
03-05-2009, 01:45 AM
Thanks, I'll consider your suggestion.
I wasn't really thinking about aesthetics, though I can see that aspect. This was more a way for me to visually sketch out how migration had occurred and where conflicts might appear than any sort of final map....
Back to the drawing board to see what gels. :D
03-05-2009, 02:18 AM
Don't take it the wrong way, it IS a pretty map...to me it just seems to be more of a countries map. Plop some cities and roads down and it'll be quite nice :)
03-05-2009, 03:27 AM
a key thing to migration is terrain, mountains, rivers, deserts, tundras all become blockers for migrating masses. In the beginning people follow their food sources until they learn agriculture or animal domestication. Lakes, Rivers and the Sea are full of fish and provide people to use ships which leads to easier interaction with other people.
people also migrate because of they are usually running from somebody else, the Germanic tribes were running from the Huns. Also colonization can be a key factor Carthage became a major power even though it was a key port city to a Phoenician colonization golden age.
Looking at the red area alone where the humans started I got a few ideas how the humans would react to the environment. I am guessing the whitish areas are higher elevations and I am guessing the lake area is fertile grassland with woods and the same for the opposite of the northern and eastern mountain ranges. The people would immidieatly start settling around the lake harvesting the fish, if they know fishing. People would also start moving away from the lake seeking rich farmland along rivers from the mountains and hunting in forest or on the grasslands. These people near the mountains will slowly start to explore the mountains on the west it seems real extreme so I doubt few people will go to far west, but since the north and east ranges are not as white they're might be passes available for people to move north and east and start settling the opposite hill ranges and start settling the coasts. In the south near the lake they would start moving down to the coast while people in the south west will colonize the more inland hill areas to the west of the coast, people on the coasts will slowly move along the coast lines until they have settled every area until they run into a blocking terrain.
03-05-2009, 03:40 AM
Without a scale or climate information it's tough to tell how the patterns would run, but the general flow is reasonable.
People migrate pretty quickly. I would expect to see basic hunter-gatherer folks spread at least a few miles a month after the initial population gets going (over a few thousand). That's 200 years to fill up a 6000-mile wide continent assuming 3 miles per month. Most likely population dispersal patterns would be along coastlines in temperate to warm climates.
After the basic fill of the continents with hunter-gatherers somebody will develop agriculture and the cultural package of those farmers will tend to spread along with their crops to similar environments. Similar environments happen at similar latitudes and distances from the ocean so the mostly-horizontal continent is excellent for rapid spread of a single culture or two.
If you haven't read it, I recommend the book Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. As I recall, some of his conclusions are a little peculiar but the discussion above is the broad generalization of the theory.
On the subject of countries, remember that it's no coincidence that the size of modern countries (and states/counties within those countries) is very roughly proportional to the communication technology of the day. If all you have is walking then you will tend to have smaller empires / counties than those with horses and those will tend to be smaller than cultures with mechanical transport. As always, good road networks move you up a bit on the list.
03-05-2009, 10:52 AM
Ascension - No offense taken at all! :D I just wasn't thinking about it being pretty...justg hoping it conveyed the info I wanted (which I guss it doesn't!)
And yes, the white areas are mountains which would block migration (hence the two-tracks moving parallel in some areas and then meeting up again.
As for Guns, Germs, and Steel, it's on my list to read. Maybe today is the day to start.
Thanks guys!
03-06-2009, 12:03 AM
By the way, thank you all very much for taking the time (I know it took a bit) to take a look and help me out (including making your map to show me)...I was thinking so hard before about what you both said that I don't think I actually expressed my thanks! I really do appreciate it.
03-07-2009, 07:15 PM
Here's a revised, hopefully more clear version. As I put down climates etc, some of them will effectively act as barriers for progress; my idea here is to speed up and slow down different parts of progressions to moderate growth etc.
Right now, I've sketched things out moving from the green star. Red stars are places of conflict where I would envision quite different cultures meeting up.
I'm balancing this with some fictional planning for culture development that I've worked on previously too.
Now oops...where did the time go? Now that I'm getting more into this, I realize how much of a time-thief it can be!
03-13-2009, 11:28 PM
Now that I've settled on a rough migration pattern, I've decided to work on my overall world map appearance. Thank goodness for all the different tutorials here and about!
I'm going for a blend of hand done look.
Any thoughts or suggestions for improvement?
03-14-2009, 04:00 AM
Looks great...like a water color painting.
03-14-2009, 09:02 AM
That's the one where it explains Native Americans were more susceptible to disease because they didn't keep livestock, right?
03-15-2009, 02:09 AM
Now I've added markers for Capital Cities and borders....
There is a higher concentration of small smaller countries/kingdoms/domains closer to where civilization started. Farther away, the size of countries/kingdoms/domains tends to increase.
I'm pleased with the red indicators for a capital, but not quite happy with my border indications...
03-15-2009, 09:05 AM
This is looking really good. I have the feeling that its gonna end up stupendous... I'll hold off rep until its moved on a bit but I think its worth some already.
Steel General
03-15-2009, 10:35 AM
Ascension has a tutorial with a really great style of doing borders. Check it out if you haven't already.
03-15-2009, 11:11 AM
Red city dots with these terrain colors looks nice. I think the issue with the borders is that the lines are too thick and the dashes draw the eye to them thus making them a focus. Try a 1-pixel line and if you want to keep the hand drawn-look add a black outer glow, but not too fat. This thin-line border allows for you to put in more things like labels, roads, etc. You could also go with colored countries like in my atlas tutorial but try the thin, solid line first.
03-15-2009, 12:17 PM
When printed full size, the dashes aren't that noticeable...I actually only like them when zoomed in, but not that much.
I just have to redo my borders to do them in the other way. Not a big deal in the end, just time consuming. I was also having trouble giving them that watercolour look and feel. I do like Ascension's tutorial, and will have another look to see how I can adapt it. I'm keeping on it!
Thank you!
03-15-2009, 01:59 PM
Another round....I'm liking the looks of this much more when zoomed in, and don't find it objectionable zoomed out...I'm hoping it looks like an ink pen over watercolour now.
Yet something about the borders needs more.
Steel General
03-15-2009, 02:38 PM
You could maybe try a slight inner-glow.
03-15-2009, 03:05 PM
That made a subtle but critical difference. The lines now more resemble what I was after. Thanks!
03-15-2009, 03:47 PM
Coming along very nicely. I love the colour scheme.
03-16-2009, 07:28 PM
I appreciate the feedback I've gotten from everyone - Thank you!
Here are the next few steps...
I've added a coordinate system, "fine grid", and am playing with a compass. Feedback on any and all would be much appreciated.
p.s., the grid system is all based on "base 12" system rather than decimal so the characters go from 0 - 11 (10,11 are the weird symbols).
03-18-2009, 01:18 AM
I've gone through tweaking most of the map using advice here and in other threads and am maintaining the look I want. I also realized that I'd put one of my coordinate scales upside down (0 at the top rather than the origin) and fixed that. You might notice the patterns of 12 that appear in the compass and coordinate system...
These are a few 100% crops of details that show how it's looking close up.
Now I have to figure out how to label things most usefully. I'm thinking of an index using the coordinate system and "City of Country" text format...any thoughts?
This would appear at the bottom of the map in an expanded white space...
03-19-2009, 04:41 AM
Very great looking map, but could you explain your logic behind this reasoning?
03-25-2009, 06:08 PM
Quick response:
Well, I have my world population starting out, originally in a somewhat shielded area (within a ring of mountains and huge deserts). I envision a few things happening - one, there is a cataclysm that kills most of the population that has spread out, but this one core area is somewhat shielded.
The survivors are able to rebuild and develop their territories/kingdoms/protectorates in that area, and there are quite a few that become dominant over the ages. There is a point in history, on this planet, where a great belief in the nature of life/diversity/etc develops and many are forced to flee this core area and move out away, through the un-passable mountains and never-ending desert (I know...they are passable and it does end). As the spread, they develop areas of control based on land/rivers/etc and these tend to have a greater diversity and range in size depending on how controlled their borders are etc.
Basically, I see that over ~4000 years, the surviving population spreads out across the globe establishing their individual countries (for lack of a better word). This will bring them up to our equivalent of tech from our own 0 AD-1000 AD time range.
Please, feel free to suggest/correct ideas I've put above. I'm just reading Guns, Germs and Steel (I think that's the title), so I'm sure some of my ideas will change.
Here's what I'm settling on as the final look for my map - with a bit more dimensional feeling for the mountains etc. This is the "core" area from which it all starts. I'll be changing the ocean-side entrance to a more desert-based climate.
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NFL Draft Order 2012: Top 10 Picks with Most Pressure on Them
By (Featured Columnist) on April 24, 2012
309 reads
Marc Serota/Getty Images
Every team faces a great deal of heat with every pick of the NFL draft, but the teams in the top 10 feel the most pressure because, as a franchise, they're much worse off than others.
These teams are coming off atrocious seasons, which resulted in them landing a high draft pick.
They all hope they can turn things around and be better next year, but the reality of it is that some will be right back in the top 10 for next year's draft.
With that said, here are three teams picking in the top 10 of the 2012 NFL draft that are under the most pressure.
Who Should the Vikings Draft at No. 3?
Submit Vote vote to see results
Minnesota Vikings
It's no secret that Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will be selected No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, but after that it's anyone's guess.
The Vikings have several options at No. 3, which puts a ton of pressure on them. Should they trade back, the Vikings will reshape the entire first round with such a move.
Bleacher Report's draft guru Matt Miller tweeted on Sunday what he's been hearing from Minnesota.
If Minnesota drafts Kalil, then Trent Richardson should go to the Browns and Claiborne to the Buccaneers like many expect. However, if they draft Claiborne, just about every team will have to re-work their plans.
It's tough to gauge what the Vikings will do, but no matter what happens, they're going to be scrutinized from every angle, which puts a lot of pressure on them.
Cleveland Browns
Jason Miller/Getty Images
The Browns offense needs a major fix, and with two first-round draft picks, Cleveland should be able to significantly help Colt McCoy.
Surrounding him with great playmakers will help his development and result in more wins for the Browns.
With the No. 4 pick, many believe the Browns will draft Trent Richardson. This a smart decision, but some have them taking Justin Blackmon, and there's also the chance the trade back again like they did a year ago.
If Richardson is there, it's a no-brainer to pick him in my opinion, but if he's not, the pressure on Cleveland grows even more.
The pressure is sky-high on the Browns right now to do the right thing. They've made draft blunders before, but since they're such an atrocious team right now, the Browns have to be big winners on draft day, starting with the No. 4 pick.
Miami Dolphins
No other team is feeling the heat quite like the Miami Dolphins.
Many believe they will draft Ryan Tannehill, even if they think it's the wrong thing to do. I agree that it's a huge reach to draft Tannehill at No. 8, but stranger things have happened in the draft.
Should the Dolphins Draft Ryan Tannehill?
Submit Vote vote to see results
It's no secret the Dolphins need a new QB, and after swinging and missing on Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn, people began to plug Tannehill as a lock to Miami.
There have been conflicting reports about the Dolphins' plans, but no matter whom they pick, they're going to face criticism.
It they go with Tannehill, people will bash them for doing so, but if they pick someone else, folks will say they're doomed because they have no QB.
In my opinion, Tannehill isn't much of an upgrade, if at all, from Matt Moore, so fixing another area of need at No. 8 would be smart, but not every team makes the wise decision on draft day.
Needless to say, Miami faces quite the daunting challenge on what to do come draft day.
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Greil Marcus on Recording 'Like a Rolling Stone'
Dylan with producer Tom Wilson in the studio that day.
hide captionDylan with producer Tom Wilson in the studio that day.
Don Hunstein
Related NPR Stories
In, Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads, Greil Marcus recounts the recording sessions for the 1965 Dylan hit.
Playback: Bob Dylan, musicians and engineers during the recording of 'Like a Rolling Stone'
hide captionPlayback: from left to right — Albert Grossman, Bob Dylan, Vinnie Fusco (at rear), Sandy Speiser (foreground), Danny Kalb
Don Hunstein
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Recording Session 2 for "Like a Rolling Stone" / 16 June 1965, Studio A / Columbia Records, New York City
With Michael Bloomfield, guitar, Joe Macho, Jr., bass, Bobby Gregg, drums. Al Kooper is at the organ; Paul Griffin is at the piano; Bruce Langhorne is playing tambourine. Al Gorgoni and Frank Owens are not present.
Rehearsal take 1 — 1.53
Dylan leads the group into the song with a strong, strummed theme on his electric rhythm guitar. Paul Griffin has a loose, free bounce on the piano; Kooper immediately has a high, clear tone. Dylan stops it: "Hey, man, you know, I can't, I mean, I'm just me, you know. I can't, really, man, I'm just playing the song. I know — I don't want to scream it, that's all I know — " He takes up the theme again; Bloomfield and Gregg come in. The feeling is right all around; a rich ensemble is coming together.
Hoarsely, Dylan starts the second verse — "Never turned around to see the frowns" — and you can feel Bloomfield finding his groove. "You never understood that it ain't no good" — and it breaks off, just when it was getting exciting. From the control booth: "Bob, just you alone, so you can hear what your guitar sounds like, on this amplifier. Only you, please, for a minute." Dylan plays the lead-in, again, the rhythm behind "Once upon a time," a small, twirling dance around something that is yet to appear, and you begin to hear how the whole song is structured around those four words, that idea: how the purpose of the song is to make a stage for them. "That's enough," says the voice from the booth. "We can play it back for you."
Rehearsal take 2 — 3.03
"Let's do it, man," Dylan says. "Where's Gregg?" says Wilson. "Let's just do one verse, man" — and Dylan again leads on guitar. The tambourine is the first instrument to come in behind him, then a deep, resonant bass, then Bloomfield's guitar, then the organ. There is a lot of space in the sound; it hasn't cohered, and they are not gathering around the singer. Bloomfield is just fingering; there is no attack.
But with "You used to laugh about," both Bloomfield and Kooper step forward, as if recognizing their place in the song. With Dylan coming down on ". . . mmmmeeeaaalll," Bloomfield begins to press, to take off. The moment is immediately lost, and Dylan all but enters the chorus by himself:
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be on your own
— and here groaning, as if each word is a burden —
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone
Dylan tries to bridge the gap into the next verse on his harmonica, but what's left of the sound breaks into parts. They stop. Dylan looks for the theme again on his guitar; he and no one else is finding the melody, the point of view, the structure of the song.
Take 1 — 3.10
Wilson is very laconic: "OK, Bob, we got everybody here, let's do one, and then I'll play it back to you, you can pick it apart" — and then he sees Kooper at the organ. "What are you doing there?" he says with evident amusement. Kooper breaks out laughing. "Hah," Wilson says. Then he too is laughing: "Oh oh oh-kayyyy, stand by. This is CO 86446, 'Like a Rolling Stone,' uh, remake, take one." "Wait a second, man," someone says. "The organ player hasn't found his headset." "You gotta watch, Tom," Dylan says. "Hold tape," Wilson says.
There's a count-off, the snare shot and the kick drum making a single noise — and everything flops as it begins, the piano leading but nobody following. Then immediately Kooper picks up the slack, with a distinctive part, and the others play off of his confidence — or his brazenness. But the vocal is drifting, with Dylan searching for the right emphases: "You used to!" Bloomfield begins to find his footing — and you can hear how Kooper holds back as he does so. Dylan bears down: "Now you don't talk so loud" — and when he reaches "mmmeeeaaalll," that word now plainly the hinge of the song, the magic word that will open its door, Bloomfield catches the rising spirit that will take the verse into the chorus, that thrilling spring! and then an upsurge, an exhalation, after the first "How does it feel":
When you're on your own
Without a home
Like a complete unknown
— with Dylan singing that line as if he's completely surprised by it, as if he's never heard it before —
Like a rolling stone
But the drumming is too strong, too loud, and the beat is too crude — fit for a parade. Gregg is taking too much of the rhythm for himself, damaging any sense of a common sound. Kooper improvises on a chorus, but without focus, and he drifts away, toward a reverie. Dylan breaks it off: "Naw, we gotta work that part out." "You said once," a voice says, "but you did it twice." "I did it," Dylan says, "but I finished it once, don't you see?" "No." "Like a rolling stooooonnnnne," he says, demonstrating on guitar, hitting the strings hard, the theme echoing. "Hold it out," says the voice, "go to the next verse." "No, no, no," Dylan says, "here's what I mean" — and again he sets about showing the others what the song is, how they will get from the verse to the chorus, and then he loses focus. "Hold tape," Wilson says. "Even if we screw it up," Dylan says, a new command in his voice, "we keep going." "OK," Wilson says.
Take 2 — .30
There's a bright introduction, but the piano slips, and after "Once upon a time" everything is confused.
Take 3 — .19
They have moved on without a break, and in these few seconds a lot happens. With the count-off — "One two, one two three" — Gregg hits his snare and kick drum hard, a huge sound, the big bang, and it's the first true moment of realizing the song, of setting whatever it is they're doing apart from whatever else they've done. The musicians, especially Bloomfield, Griffin, and Kooper, come in smoothly, as if they know where they're going. There is a strong and single sound; they try to get a purchase on the song, to give it definition, a real beginning so it can reach its end — but they break off before Dylan even begins to sing.
Take 4 — 6.34
"Four," Wilson says. As it happens, this will be the master take, and the only time the song is found.
There is a moment, just after the first "How does it feel?" when Kooper's organ, Bloomfield's guitar, and Gregg's cymbals come together in a single waterspout, and you can feel the song running under its own power. You wonder: what are the musicians thinking, as this astonishing story, told with such a sensation of daring and jeopardy, unfolds in front of them for the first time?
Kooper holds down a stop at the fade, long after everyone else has quit playing. "Like wild thing, baby," someone says, beside himself. "That sounds good to me," Wilson says, happiness all over his voice.
Unslated take — 1.00
Wilson, confident: "All quiet, go, Bobby." Dylan leads with a harsh guitar sound. "Ready?" he says. "Not ready." "When the red light comes on." Dylan goes back to his guitar: "No good, huh?" "Keep going," someone says. "Play that back, Pete, please," says someone else.
Take 5 — .30
"Hold it just a sec," Wilson says. "OK. Rolling five." Griffin kicks the song off very fast; Dylan stops him. "That's not it — how do we do it?" "That's not how you do it," someone says. "Well," Dylan says, "how do we do it, man, how do we start it out?" He goes back to the guitar and plays the theme slowly.
Take 6 a–b — 2.06
"Six roll," Wilson says, but the take cuts off as soon as the stick hits the snare. "Hold," Wilson says. "Hold." Dylan fingers his guitar, while Bruce Langhorne tries to make a beat on tambourine. Wilson: "You ready, Pete?" "Wait a second," Dylan says. "Play one verse, do one verse first, without recording." "OK, rolling six," Wilson says.
"Ah, no," Dylan says with disgust, as if this is the stupidest thing he's ever heard. "Don't roll six." He begins the song on guitar. "We're gonna have to do one verse."
They go back in. This time there is no snare; the piano keys the fanfare. Dylan begins to sing, but the beat is slipping. The drum beats stand apart from each other, and the whole sound begins to separate into its elements. Bloomfield steps up, with a luminous sound. The singing is fractured, fading, as if Dylan has lost interest, but then he dives for the chorus — and loses it. "Oh, let's cut it... it's six minutes long, man," he says, as if someone hasn't gotten the joke. "Only you with the guitar, man," Wilson says.
Take 6 c — .36
"Rolling six," Wilson says. Again Dylan's guitar is harsh; the drums clatter. Dylan stops after "dime." "Take it again, let's take it again," he says. "Is my guitar too loud?"
Take 8 (there is no seven) — 4.28
"Stand by, rolling eight," Wilson says. "Doesn't feel good?" says a voice from the booth. "Yeah, it feels alright now," Dylan says. There's a count: "One two — four five seven," and then the snare. Dylan leads on harmonica, the bass is strong — and the drums have turned martial and busy, undermining the song from the start. It's a mess, but it's alive, scattershot, everyone reaching in a different direction. The more oppressively Gregg plays, Griffin plays more foolishly. "WHOOAA — you've gone to the finest schools," Dylan shouts, riding the bucking line. The second verse is crackling, Dylan singing like William and Versey Smith chanting their version of "The Titanic" on the street in Chicago in 1927 and everyone agreeing that, yes, it sure was sad when that great ship went down, but everyone grinning, too, because it was such a great ship, and it went down, and they didn't. "Whooaa — you never turned around, to watch" — Dylan is flying solo. His rhythm guitar is pushing; Bloomfield is all but silent. Then Bloomfield picks up a theme from the piano — he has lost his own hold on the song. Budda bump, budda bump, say the drums, and by now that's all they say. The take breaks off two words into the last verse. "My guitar's too loud?"
Take 9 — .20
There's a count, a few notes — Wilson whistles it dead.
Take 10 — .24
Wilson, sounding weary: "Ten." Again a count, notes, whistle. "There's something wrong," he says. "Timewise."
Take 11 — 6.02
Dylan, again with disgust: "Say something's wrong time — " "Eleven," Wilson says.
As the song starts, Dylan already seems tired of it, and the first line is sing-songy. Everything out of his mouth is forced, each word emptying itself of emotion as it passes. Bloomfield is there only for the lead-ins to the choruses; Kooper presses. Dylan's singing gains force, but the timing is still off, and the drummer is still dropping dead weight. Dylan sings more stridently; he's more effective. But there is no whole — there is barely a song. So much is missing you can think that if everything hadn't come together seven takes back, they could reach forever and miss by more every time.
They're into the fourth verse, for only the second time, and Griffin is playing like Floyd Cramer on "Last Date." There is banging and clashing, but the vocal is beginning to take off.
With "You've got no secrets to CONCEAL" the last word shoots up like a balloon with its string cut, tracing a dizzying path in the sky. "Awwwwww," Dylan lets go after the last chorus, carried away, ignoring his harmonica. "Awwwwww — " "I'm afraid I screwed up," he says. The entire take was a screwup, but there were moments only chaos could bring.
Take 12 — .29
"Stand by," Wilson says. "OK, we're rollin' for take twelve." Kooper plays an introduction; Wilson whistles for a stop.
Take 13 — 1.49
"Hey, Al, lay off on that intro thing there. Thirteen." Kooper now plays very schematically, as if solving a problem in arithmetic, and it doesn't work — and then on a chorus he goes wild. There is a strange, mysterious underwater sound from the piano. After a verse and a chorus they stop. "Why can't we get that right, man," Dylan says, swinging the words more effectively than he was able to do with anything in the actual take. "OK," he says wearily. "Try it again."
Take 14 — .22
"Fourteen," Wilson says. The drums are off the beat; Dylan blows the first line.
Take 15 — 3.18
"Fifteen," Wilson says. Kooper tries out a few lines — in an ice-skating rink. Gregg has lost the song entirely; everything he plays is decoration, but he is decorating something that isn't there. Dylan's voice is full but his singing has no focus. He rushes the chorus, even as Griffin and Bloomfield lock into the cadence the song wants. They get the chorus. The organ gets bigger with every line. And, in a way that pushes him forward, scrambling his timing but allowing him to barrel through anything in his way, his words dissolving and distant spirits handing them back deformed, now Dylan is singing off of Gregg's martial beat.
You say you never
With the mystery tramp
Now don't you realize
He's not selling
Any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say unto him
"Unto him"? Where are we, in the Bible?
Do you
Want to make
And then "DEAL," like "CONCEAL" in take eleven, shoots up, out of the room, out of the building, with a tail of smoke, and Dylan's head seems to go with it. After "tricks for you" they lose the beat, and they stumble out of the song. That was the end of the session.
"I think it's one of those songs that's pretty timeless," Al Kooper says. "The other one that comes to mind is 'Good Vibrations.' When you hear it on the radio, it could have come out yesterday. It's a timeless record — so is 'Heartbreak Hotel.' They're putting out something unique, that has not been done before. And because they were recognized, it's become ageless. Which is great. We hear music that was done by people who died before we had a chance to pick up on it — for instance, Robert Johnson. So you're really glad, when you pass on, that you know people are going to hear 'Like a Rolling Stone' and 'Good Vibrations' and Heartbreak Hotel,' and Robert Johnson. It's a good feeling."
No matter how timeless "Like a Rolling Stone" might turn out to be, what happened over the two days of recording sessions makes it clear that had circumstances been even slightly different — different people present, a different mood in the studio, different weather in the streets outside, a different headline in the morning paper — the song might never have entered time at all, or interrupted it. "I told all the musicians, you quit playing, you're gone," Bob Johnston says of the sessions that followed. "You quit playing, you're never going to hear that song again. Dylan would start a song — they'd be a third of the way through, and someone says, Waal, I didn't git that. The bass stops, or the piano player. Dylan would forget about that song and you'd never hear it again." "Like a Rolling Stone" is a triumph of craft, inspiration, will, and intent; regardless of all those things, it was also an accident. Listening now, you hear most of all how much the song resists the musicians and the singer. Except on a single take, when they went past the song and made their performance into an event that down the years would always begin again from its first bar, they are so far from the song and from each other it's easy enough to imagine Bob Dylan giving up on the song, no doubt taking phrases here and there and putting them into another song somewhere down the line but never bothering with that thing called "Like a Rolling Stone" again. Following the sessions as they happened, it can in moments be easier to imagine that than to believe that the record was actually made — that, circling around the song like hunters surrounding an animal that has escaped them a dozen times, they caught it. That is what makes an event, after all: it can only happen once. Once it has happened, it will seem inevitable. But all the good reasons in the world can't make it happen.
From Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads by Greil Marcus. Copyright 2005 by Greil Marcus. Published by PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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violence in comics
Dave McKean on sex and violence in comics
celluloid“Well, sex is OK. I like sex. Why are there so many books about violence? Why are there so many books and stories about violence? How much violence do you come upon in your daily life? How much sex have you had? It seems out of balance. I think sex is a lovely thing, something to be celebrated and explored in every form — in film, in comics, in all sorts. I touched on it in a book I did called Cages. I had a sex scene, and I was going to do an absolutely blunt, these two people are in love and they’re going to have sex. But I kind of shied away from it because then a great big 500-page graphic novel would be an X certificate book because of three pages. That seemed ridiculous. I always fancied doing a book that was just about sex and exploring the feelings and thoughts going on in your mind when you’re curious about sex. … I really loved doing it, but there were a couple things I didn’t get to, focusing on those little moments. Not necessarily big pornographic scenes, but attraction, a little bit of voyeurism, human play. I think that’s curious. I’d like to do something about that.”
Dave McKean, discussing where the idea for his adult graphic novel Celluloid came from, in an interview with CBR TV
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events, performance, poem
Dean's lists, green lists, we also need a greed list, of those who gobble up resources while the rest of the world struggles. So while the gobblers gobble, next Friday we'll use poetry to collect money and cans of food for Central City Church's Food Pantry. Come hear Jim Hazard, Eric Jefferson, Tim Kloss, and me perform:
FRI, FEB 6, 2009, 8 PM, requested donation: $4 and two cans of food.
19th St just south of Wisconsin Ave
Here’s a poem I wrote several years ago. In view of the eighteen and a half billion dollars in bonuses for Wall Street execs, of the usual trickle-down arguments in Washington, of the rich insisting they need tax cuts, I see it's not yet obsolete.
Piggybackers' Cutbacks
They've power, they've money, yet hunger for more
Piggy-backing on those who are poor
Why do they want what they don't even need
In a world of hungry mouths to feed?
Schools, housing, health care, head starts for the young
All need more funding, what's being done?
Cutting back, cutting back,
Those who are down get pushed through the cracks
Cutting back, cutting back, piggy-backers' income tax
They've power, they've money, yet hunger for more
So much so that they'll go to war
It's the poor who will fight
The poor will be killed
The rich get the spoils
The poor will be billed.
Earth was here before humanity
The forests the beaches the fish the sea
The diamonds the gold the soil
The oil the oil the oil
Why in the world should a privileged few
Think all these resources are their due?
Cutting back, cutting back,
Those who are down get pushed through the cracks
Cutting back, cutting back piggy-backers' income tax
Their rule is not golden, they'll torture, they'll kill
They'll imprison those who won't bow to their will
They can't seem to feel, never learned how
They're stealing our future, their time's only NOW
Power on the outside, inside a gaping hole
they can't ever fill, for what's missing is the soul.
art, buses, environment
This bus stopped in front of Pick ’n Save at 12:17 on the dot, got to Capitol Drive at 12:19. Amazing punctuality. Now I have to figure out what to do as I ride downtown. Too many choices. Should I write, should I draw, should I people-watch, look out the window? We’re cruising along Oakland Avenue, fresh mail stuffed into every single mailbox, hangs out over the tops, and it’s not because people are suddenly writing and receiving letters. If it’s like MY mail, it’ll all go directly into the recycle bin.
That’s tragic. We cut down forests to make paper for flyers, catalogues, donation solicitations, annual reports, on and on, and no one opens anything. We toss it all into containers that may or may not be for recycling. And beyond the loss of trees, what energy is used to make the paper and ink, print the info, send the never-to-be-read mail, then recycle the paper or truck it to the landfill?
I recently read that it takes over 100 million trees to produce all the junk mail that arrives in American mailboxes each year. Let’s see, US population, 300 million, number of trees used, 100 million, that’s a third of a tree per year for every person in the USA, just for junk mail! Then think of all the paper towel, paper plates, tissues, toilet paper, packaging, Americans use. Maybe there’s another two-thirds tree per person beyond the junk mail.
I guess I’ll draw the other passengers instead of contemplating loss of forests. Or is that a waste of paper, too? At least I work very small these days. And I can take solace in the idea that the arts is what distinguishes us from other species. Anyway I try to use as little of the earth’s resources as possible, as I walk, bike, bus, reuse, recycle. If they could walk a carbon copy of my sole, I suspect most Americans would leave much smaller carbon footprints than they do now. So I might as well draw.
performance, Schwartz
Today is February 27th, and Schwartz on Oakland is about to enter its last month of existence. Books read, readings heard, French Tables, coffee klatches, ideas hatched, friends seen, friends made, chess games played, gifts bought, the presence of Schwartz so close to us has had an inestimable impact on Adolph and me.
As a writer I’ve had an additional relationship with the store: it has been one of my favorite places to perform. Last April Louisa Loveridge-Gallas, Bill Murtaugh, and I gave a reading there, MUD, SWEAT, AND TEARS, a title arrived at by a three-mind brainstorm.
And here’s one small example of where that word “inestimable” applies: Betty Salamun of DanceCircus emailed me: GREAT TITLE (I may steal it too...). And I replied: Oh, darn, I should have gotten a copyright! Unless you want to do something together with that title! She wrote back: ya know Suzanne I wrote it as a joke but I do need to think of a concept for next year's concert... and I did urban and water this year -- hmm something about land next year makes sense...hmmm.
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Cowlishaw: Mavs' strategy was not a mistake; they just didn't close
Comment From Bryson ... Everybody seems down on the Mavericks because they didnt get Williams or Nash. But there are still some good bargains out there......Brandon Roy, Elton Brand, Randy Foye, etc. that would complement nicely without breaking the bank and maintaining flexibility. What are your thoughts on the remaining free agents that the Mavs may pursue.
Cowlishaw: Yes, those players would maintain flexibility. And the Mavs will be hard-pressed to go 41-41 with that crew. Dark days ahead until they add better players than you are talking about here.
Comment From Bryson ... The Mavs should let the young guys play this year (Beaubois, Cunningham, Crowder, summer league invites) and look to the draft to rebuild. Waiting for "big fish" free agents to sign is too risky.
Cowlishaw: Yeah, but building through the draft is nearly impossible unless you have the No.. 1 pick and the Mavs aren't going to get near that. In general, yes, they need to get some young players involved, but that's going to happen automatically. Gone are the days that this roster is filled with 10-12 year veterans.
Comment From Mike Waters ... What are the chances that Dallas ends up with a big and a point guard of less caliber and costing about the same as Chandler and Barea? Doesn't that suggest it was a mistake to not resign them?
Cowlishaw: I don't think the strategy was a mistake. But when you whiff and don't get anything, then it doesn't matter if the strategy was sound. It's like having a great sales pitch. That's a good start, but if you don't complete the sale to anyone, it's irrelevant.
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Sanity is forbidden Circulation: 125,893,067 Issue: 254 | 25th day of Hiding, Y8
The Eyes of Imari
by micrody
Author's Note: The Eyrie's name in this is pronounced HAH-kone; Imari is pronounced ih-MAH-ree.
I am a Dark Faerie and my name is Imari. I reside within the Ice Caves of Terror Mountain, where many Neopians feel the need to explore. I have no wish for explorers of my abode. I left the perky, cheery clouds of Faerieland to get away from the joy and excitement of people; I came to the Ice Caves to embrace the coldness of my heart.
I have my ways of keeping others away. I possess a crystal ball forged of my darkest emotions, and with this crystal sphere I am able to extend my powers to keep others at bay. My crystal sits upon a stand of black, frozen shadows before my throne, formed also of frozen shadows. I see those who travel into my mountain before they even know of my existence. I use my crystal, and my powers, to make them flee.
For three days I have been watching a group of travelers. They were preparing to ascend the mountain for the first two days, and today, since morning on the third day, they have been hiking, climbing, and ascending the mountain, drawing ever nearer to my abode.
I will not let them find me. I shall keep them away. I reach out to my crystal and I lift it from my stand, drawing it closer to my face. I blink a couple of times, my reflection disappearing and the side of the mountain clearly showing itself to me. I observe them, but they have no knowledge of my knowledge of them.
* * *
"Calsa," the yellow Yurble groaned, shaking the snow from his perfectly-groomed mane, "please, slow down."
"No, Kemwood, I will not," Calsa, a red Acara, replied. "We have to reach the summit before nightfall, otherwise we'll end up late for the auroras when they illuminate the sky every day from sunset to the morning before dawn. I won't miss them again, Kemwood!"
"Hey, you two down there," a green Eyrie called down to them from where he flew in the sky, "stop your arguing--we're almost to the summit!" He flew up a bit, Imari's eyes staring at him as he flew; had he turned around he would have seen her eyes--and only her disembodied, menacing purple eyes--watching them from the crystal sky.
"Haakon," Calsa yelled up to the Eyrie as he flew in circles above them, "shut up! We can only climb as fast as we can--you're the one with wings, not us! Stop treating us like we can actually climb as fast as you can fly!"
"Calsa," Haakon replied coolly, "calm down--sheesh, what I have to put up with!" He laughed playfully, slowing down his flying and gliding for a while as they continued to climb in silence. Imari smiled from her abode; still, she had not been seen.
Almost an hour passed before the three arrived at the snowy summit. They took off their backpacks and set up camp at the mouth of the Ice Caves, where they would wait until nightfall when the auroras spread across Terror Mountain, illuminating the skies with bands of light shining in every color possibly imaginable.
Imari drew the crystal ball closer to her face, grinning, her eyes sparkling with darkness. She lifted her gaze from the travelers, the scene within the orb moving up the mountain. She inhaled, her chest expanding, and blew forcefully onto the stone; her breath clouded the crystal's surface, but the surface cleared. The snow beyond the glass was gone. She smiled, blinking, and the image became that off the three explorers--Calsa and Kemwood reclining on a thick blanket laid upon the ground and Haakon flying around.
"Calsa, Kemwood--watch out!" Haakon yelled, noticing the torrent of snow tumbling down the mountain's side like a tidal wave. Haakon shot forwards, his wings beating faster than he had ever beat them before, and he flew into the cave, grabbing his friends and dragging them into the cave as the avalanche sealed them inside of the mountain.
Imari yelled to herself--the avalanche was supposed to keep them out of the Ice Caves, but instead, it had sealed them inside! A short moment passed and Imari smiled. Now that they were there... she had an excuse to get rid of them. However she wanted to do it.
"What do we do now?" Calsa asked, stunned, as she rolled over and stood up a few feet from where the others had landed.
"Great," Kemwood said, "we're going to die--and worse, we're going to miss the auroras!" He whined pathetically, brushing the dirt and snow out of his well-kept fur. "This vacation stinks."
"No one's going to die," Haakon said, flexing his wings to make sure they weren't broken. "The Ice Caves have hundreds of entrances--all we need to do is find another one, and then we'll be free of the caves. Now, do either of you have any of your things?"
"No," Calsa replied, her voice serious, "everything was crushed under the avalanche."
Haakon shook his head, muttering under his breath, and punched his clenched talon into the cave's wall. He sighed, shaking his talon, and turned around to face his friends, "Then we have nothing!" He leaned against the cave, fuming.
"I..." Kemwood said tentatively, "I... I have my Light Faerie Token-"
"Good," Haakon yelled, "That'll give us plenty of light!"
"More importantly," Calsa said sarcastically, "how'd you even get one?"
Kemwood stuttered a bit as he reached into his pocket to grab the Light Faerie Token, but was finally able to say, "It was a gift." As the Light Faerie Token left his pocket, the cave was instantly illuminated with a soft, silvery-orange glow that cast long, eerie shadows behind them and accentuated the cave's many twists and turns, stalagmites and stalactites.
"I'll lead the way," Haakon said and quickly grabbed the Light Faerie Token from Kemwood's paw, "I've been in the caves plenty of times before." Kemwood whimpered, but said nothing and dropped his head as he began following Haakon through the cold, thick darkness of the Ice Caves ahead of before them.
"Hey, Haakon," Calsa yelled as she, too, followed the Eyrie, "I've been in the caves plenty of times before, too! I can lead us just as well as you can!" The Eyrie said nothing in response, but Imari smiled. Already had anger been born among them, and after her next trick, they would surely fall to pieces before her.
* * *
The cave was dark and bitterly cold before the three explorers. They walked in silence, conserving their energy and shivering with each step taken. The Ice Caves were, as their name implied, formed entirely of ice. Long ago, ancient creatures had burrowed through the mountain, forming the Ice Caves; only one of these creatures still existed, and it was the feared Snowager. If only Imari could coax the Snowager from his treasure room...
But she would be unable to locate the Snowager without losing sight of the travelers, so Imari decided to do something else. She shook the crystal ball, stalactites falling around the travelers. She shook the ball again, another earthquake rumbling through the cave--more stalactites fell around them and they ran faster, screaming in panic. Imari smiled.
The cave shook again, more stalactites, and now even parts of the icy ceiling itself, began falling around them. The shaking continued as they screamed, running through the icy caves. The icy walls refracted the Faerie Token's light and the cave became brighter around them--they reached a dead end, the quaking still chasing after them.
The ground beneath them shattered and they fell, screaming, until they landed in another icy cave. The quaking stopped; Imari was pleased. The travelers lay on their backs, staring above them and groaning in pain. The Light Faerie Token flickered, and then sputtered to death. It could only provide them with one thing now: Darkness.
Haakon breathed deeply, his breath raspy and furious. Calsa breathed heavily, anger in each breath. Slowly they all stood, Imari smiling as she observed their emotions. "This is all your fault, Calsa," Haakon yelled, flapping his wings and blowing shards of ice away from him, but he didn't care, for his wings had not broken during the fall.
"My fault?" Calsa yelled, furious now. "My fault? How is this all my fault? If it hadn't been for you leading us the wrong way, and if it hadn't been for you getting us in here--"
"What?" Haakon yelled back, cutting off Calsa's words, "If I hadn't gotten us in here, you would all be dead! How is that my fault? Well, Calsa, how?"
"Guys," Kemwood yelled, stepping between the two. "Stop fighting. Fighting isn't going to help us. All we need to do is calm down, because if we don't calm down we might run out of air." Kemwood, blinked, gulping, gasping for air. "We're running out of air! Help, help, help--somebody, please, help us!" He ran around in circles, frantically searching for a way out, gasping for breath and breathing deeper than either Calsa or Haakon.
"Kemwood--calm down," Haakon said, "We're not running out of air!"
"We're... we're not?" Kemwood asked tentatively, breathing normally again, "Oh... okay."
"Now," Calsa said, stepping forward and picking up the Light Faerie Token, "We need to get out of this place--like Haakon said, the Ice Caves have hundreds of entrances and all we need to do is find one, then we'll be free." She banged the Token on the ground, the light flicking back on. She stood up, taking a step forward, "Come on--I'll be the leader until Haakon can calm down." Haakon scowled, but followed Calsa nonetheless.
Imari hissed, angered that the Token had come back to life, and angered even more that they had stopped fighting. She blew upon her crystal, but to no avail for there was no avalanche to be let loose upon the travelers. She considered shaking the crystal once again, but earthquakes had grown old. She smiled, drawing her lips closer to the crystal ball; she pursed her lips, blowing gently, whistling into the Ice Caves.
"What's that noise?" Haakon yelled, holding his hands to his ears.
"I--don't--know," Calsa yelled over the noise. The ice to her right began to crack; in any moment it might shatter if the whistling continued. Had she turned around, had she looked upwards, had she turned her eyes upon the icy ceiling above her, she might have seen the eyes of Imari looking down upon her, laughing at their pain, at their fear.
"Watch out!" Kemwood yelled, running forwards and jumping onto Calsa as the Ice Caves shattered around them--shards of ice flew everywhere, the ice shattering like glass.
"That was close," Calsa said as she stood up, shaking off pieces of ice. The whistling had ended, but at what cost had it stopped? Kemwood stood up beside her, shaking in fear.
"Too close," he said, gulping and pointing ahead of them. The ice had shattered not only the wall, but part of the cave itself. A chasm that had appeared was but inches before them; had the two slid upon the icy ground even an inch farther than they had, they would have fallen into the deep, sinister darkness. On the opposite side of the chasm, Haakon lay on his back, his wing bent awkwardly beneath him, covered in shards of ice and fine, white powder, the ice crystals sparkling in the dim light of the Light Faerie Token.
"Haakon," Calsa cried, worried and scared, "Haakon, are you alright? Can you hear me?"
Haakon moaned in pain, slowly opening his eyes. He spoke in a slow, painful voice, "I can't move..." He moaned again, trying, unsuccessfully, to roll over and stand up.
Calsa wiped tears from her eyes and spoke, her voice echoing in the dark, icy cave. "I'll be over there in only a minute, Haakon; just hold on a little bit longer." She handed the Light Faerie Token back to Kemwood and took a few steps backwards; she ran forwards and jumped--
"Calsa!" Kemwood yelled as she fell into the darkness; Kemwood gasped as she reached forward as she fell and grabbed the edge of the chasm. She struggled to pull herself up, slowly getting herself entirely out of the chasm and onto solid ground.
"Haakon," Calsa said as Kemwood sank to his knees, thankful that Calsa hadn't fallen into the shadows. "Can you hear me, Haakon?" she asked. He moaned and nodded, Calsa smiling. "I'm going to try and get you to stand up, okay?" Haakon moaned, but nodded.
Calsa bent down and grabbed Haakon under the arms, slowly standing up with him on her back. She was hunched forward a bit, but he was standing. Haakon tried to spread out his wings; his left wing was intact, but his right wing was bent and broken. "I..." he mumbled, moaning in pain, "I think I can stand on my own; thank you, Calsa." He took a step back, fully able to stand on his own. Calsa took his hand, lest he fall into the chasm.
"Kemwood," Calsa called out over the chasm after she took Haakon a few feet farther away, "Kemwood, you'll need to jump over to us."
"What?" Kemwood said, standing up, "I can't jump--I'll fall into the hole and die!" His eyes were wide with fear; his body was petrified in silence.
"No, Kemwood," Calsa said, "You can do this--Yurbles are better jumpers than Acaras, haven't you ever heard that?" Kemwood shook his head; he had never heard that. "Well, anyway," Calsa said, "I've seen how you jump--remember, last Halloween, when Haakon jumped out from behind the tree and scared you? You jumped a mile high!"
Kemwood moaned and laughed uneasily, stepping to the edge of the chasm. He had, in fact, jumped higher than any other Neopet that he had ever seen... Maybe he was a good jumper after all. "Here's the Light Faerie Token, Calsa," he said, "just in case I don't make it." He fumbled around with the Token before throwing it to Calsa--she caught it and stepped back, clearing room for him to land on her side of the chasm.
Kemwood gulped and took a few steps back. He closed his eyes and ran forwards, opening his eyes just before the edge of the chasm and jumping--he flew through the air, going farther, going farther, falling downward, not moving. Imari smiled as she held Kemwood in the air. His eyes were wide as he flailed around, the unseen powers of the Dark Faerie not letting him go. Calsa stepped back, her eyes wide; Haakon was speechless, his beak agape. Kemwood was screaming, "Help me--help me!" but nobody knew what to do.
Imari smiled--why drop him down the chasm when she could play around with the travelers a little bit longer? She flicked her finger across the surface of her crystal ball, sending Kemwood flying forwards to land a few feet beyond Calsa and Haakon. He rolled onto his back, his eyes still wide in fear, but he wasn't screaming any longer.
"Are... are you alright," Calsa asked quietly as she walked over to Kemwood and kneeled down beside him. She helped him to stand up as he nodded; he was alright. She stepped back, clenching her fist as she did so. "What was that back there?" Her voice was now angry, and maybe a bit scared, too. "Why did you just float there?"
Haakon moaned and took a step forward, leaning back against the wall as he spoke, "I've heard that a Dark Faerie lives in the Ice Caves; they say she keeps travelers away at all costs, but nobody knows why..." He closed his eyes and sighed, still feeling hurt.
"There's a Dark Faerie in here?" Kemwood said, jumping up, apparently healed in his fright. "Where is she? We have to get out; we have to get out of here before she gets us!"
"Kemwood," Calsa said dryly, "calm down; it's probably just one of Haakon's ghost stories; right, Haakon?" She turned to face the green Eyrie; he opened his eyes, his face serious, and shook his head: no, this was not just a ghost story. "You--you mean there's really a Dark Faerie in here?" Haakon nodded, gulping; his face was still too serious. "And you took us into the Ice Caves anyway?" Calsa was angry, and afraid.
"I," Haakon said slowly, "I didn't know the stories were true--they were just stories; I didn't even believe them. Anyway, we weren't even supposed to be in the Ice Caves at all--if it hadn't been for that..." His eyes widened, "The avalanche, and the earthquake, and the whistling--it was all the Dark Faerie's doing!" His mouth hung open, astonished.
Imari was furious--they knew about her; they knew that she was in the Ice Caves! People knew that she was in the Ice Caves--but how did anyone even find out about her? How did anyone even know that she existed? She hadn't let anybody out of the Ice Caves if they came anywhere near her; the few travelers that she had caught were now in bottles of their own, waiting to be let out. She had always disliked being in Faerie Bottles...
She gasped--years before, she had been released from her own Faerie Bottle in the Ice Caves! Why did she have any reason to ever leave? The Ice Caves were cold, cold enough for her to feel their iciness, and dark, and lonely. All things that she, Imari the Dark Faerie, loved and enjoyed very dearly. It must not have been very long after her release when the rumors began, and then the rumors grew, slowly becoming ghost stories and Neopian legends, told at parties to give everyone a scare. But no... Imari did not want to be found! She wanted to be alone! She slammed the crystal back onto its stand (the mountain within it trembling) and leaned back in her chair, silently plotting her revenge.
* * *
"Come on," Calsa yelled, "we need to leave--she knows about us, and she wants us to be gone!" They ran forward, dodging stalactites as they fell from of the ceiling because of the quaking. They ran forwards, turning a corner and stopping. Before them, upon the icy wall that they had ran into, was a pair of massive, ominous purple eyes, the eyes of Imari.
"I will get you," she said, her voice echoing through the caves as they slowly backed up, "I will get each and every one of you! Mark my words, this shall be the last time that you ever enter the Ice Caves for I shall--" She stopped speaking, her eyes vanishing.
"Imari," Taelia yelled, her voice stern and frustrated as she entered Imari's chamber. "What are you doing, Imari?" Imari pulled her face away from the crystal ball, abruptly finishing what she was saying. She jumped onto the ground, cowering away from Taelia.
"I--I--Taelia, your greatness," her voice was shaky, "I was only... I was only... only..."
"Imari," Taelia said, "I should tell Fyora about this! One more chance--and only one more chance--and you will no longer be a Faerie when Fyora's through with you! Now, release your captives and do this never again!" Imari had never seen the Snow Faerie so enraged, but nevertheless she slowly stood up and took the four Faerie Bottles from her icy shelves, uncorking each of them (scared Neopets materializing from puffy clouds of air and graciously thanking Taelia for saving them) and putting them back on the shelf.
"Now, Imari," Taelia said as the Neopets ran from the chamber, "What do you have to say for yourself?" Taelia's face was angry, staring down at Imari as she turned around.
"I will never play with Neopets again," Imari said unwillingly. Taelia smiled and flew away, leaving Imari alone and in the cold darkness. Imari walked to her crystal and picked it up, throwing it onto the ground and watching it as it shattered. She would have to find a new home, so she could be alone once more, and maybe buy a new crystal...
* * *
"Come on," Haakon yelled, turning around and running straight down the cave, the wall of ice that had hosted the Dark Faerie's eyes directly behind them. They turned another corner, a bright light in the distance. They ran forwards, towards the light. The cave rose upwards and in moment they were running up a steep incline, "Just a little bit farther..."
They jumped out of the Ice Caves, the bright light of the setting sun directly before them. They were standing upon the summit of Terror Mountain, all of Neopia surrounding them upon all sides. The sun set, the sky darkening to a midnight blue as pricks of light began shining. In the dark, starry sky they could see Kreludor shimmering beside the stars.
"It looks like we finally made it," Calsa said in a daze as the auroras jumped to life and danced across they sky, illuminating their faces with every color imaginable. "After all that," she said, "this is so much more beautiful..." Kemwood and Haakon nodded in agreement; they couldn't wait for their next adventure to begin.
The End
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General running
You are looking at: Home : Forum : General running
Words of wisdom...
...or pure hokum?
14 messages
12/09/2002 at 10:10
I've not been a runner for long. At a race last year, someone pulled up along side me and commented, with a wry smile, "some people run *with* their legs, but you run *on* your legs".
I mumbled a confused thankyou, but I've never understood what he meant? Was it a compliment, or was he taking the p1ss out of my running style? Words of wisdom, or pure hokum?
An explanation and/or similar experiences are welcome!
12/09/2002 at 11:53
I think HE was p1ssed mate! Either that or you have a running style much like Douglas Barder (spelling?)
12/09/2002 at 11:57
He may have been commenting on your economic upper body motion or he was taking the p1ss.
12/09/2002 at 11:58
I may have looked a bit like Douglas Bader at the end of the race, but this was in the first mile or so. I wonder if Douglas Bader and running style have ever featured in the same sentence before? Doubt it.
12/09/2002 at 13:07
Outrageous !! Who did he think he was and what was he trying to achieve by making a comment like that to you during a race !
Did you ask for his advice or did he just think he had the right to tell you ! The arrogant pratt !
12/09/2002 at 13:18
I totally agree with you. There is nothing worse than this sort of put down, casual remark for discouraging anyone from their chosen activity. If the criticism isn't constructive by way of an offer of advice or encouragement, there is just no point.
The upside to this is that the saddo anorak doesn't have any friends and probably has a BO problem.
He was obviously 'balking tollocks'
12/09/2002 at 13:36
I'm still holding out hope that it was a complement! I can hear it in my head now:
Steve Cram: "here comes Neilruns storming past Gabreselassie, look at the way he runs *on* his legs, what a great example that is to any youngster watching, fabulous technique, etc...."
Brendan: "...yes that's right Steve, too many people make the mistake of running *with* their legs, but running *on* them takes real talent, dedication...etc...
Hazel Irving: "...hmmm and sexy too..."
12/09/2002 at 13:56
John Regis adds: 'yes, Brendan, it's a bad habit that many new runners make - they imagine they should be running with their legs. But Neilruns shows what a huge impact you can make if you really run on your legs...'
12/09/2002 at 14:15
Hazel:".....hmmm....what a gait"
Steve: "Hazel, can you concentrate on the race please. Hazel?... sorry viewers, we seem to have lost Hazel for a moment."
12/09/2002 at 15:06
Steve: "Paula, nice to have you with us. What do you think of this outstanding performance?"
Paula: "Well, Steve, I think he's ON something but definitely off his head! I just wish I had that sort of commitment."
Steve: "yeh, Paula, you always were a bit slack in the preparation department!"
Scotty's right mate, the bloke was bang out of order.
12/09/2002 at 15:23
The "on or with" thing seems to ring a bell. I can vaguely remember reading something somewhere (RW?) but I have no idea what the difference was or which was (supposed to be) better. Something to do with efficiency and economy of stride, maybe.
Sod him anyway. You were running, and it's none of his business how you choose to do it. If he's so pretentious that he has to use phrases that only he understands, then he's a pretty sad, selfish git anyway. What would be next? "Hmm, not quite at your lactic threshold yet, I see. Never mind, keep it up...."
12/09/2002 at 22:47
Selfish prat or not, at least it inspired this thread which has had me laughing out loud.
Actually, isn't it fascinating watching the different running styles in races? Sometimes the most awkward biomechanically inefficient looking people are the ones that come hammering past overtaking everybody at the end. So Neilruns, every cloud has a wicking dri-fit lining doesn't it?
12/09/2002 at 23:05
Wonderful! I've had a good chortle too. Still don't know what the silly git was talking about, but who cares!
Next time, just smile and thank him for the compliment. If he tries to explain that it wasn't a compliment, run past him and throw two words back in your slipstream - Emil and Zatopek. Now, there was an unreproducible technique that got results.
Cheers, V-rap (whose running technique, much mocked in the school playground, was emulated to great effect by one Zola Budd several years later - and I'm not referring to the bare feet).
Ratbag pirate
13/09/2002 at 08:55
In that case V-Rap are you referring to tripping up all the serious competition???
14 messages
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Wednesday 11 December 2013
How Chris Hadfield brought space travel back to us Earthlings
In space, nobody will hear you scream, but everybody wants to see your tweets.
Commander Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut who has spent the last five months aboard the International Space Station, had said goodbye to life in zero-gravity with a moving version of David Bowie's Space Oddity.
Astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield ends his five months aboard the International Space Station with a version of David Bowie's Space Oddity Photo: Canadian Space Agency
That appears to be the over-riding message from the phenomenal success of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
The former Army test pilot has become a global celebrity after his pithy insights into the more mundane aspects of life in the zero gravity environment of space have been lapped up by the public.
Astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield
Using the social media site Twitter, he has provided a running commentary of the trials and tribulations of being the 35th commander of the International Space Station.
High-resolution images he snapped of countries as they passed more than 220 miles below the orbiting space station have also triggered great excitement from us Earthlings, who have been given a new perspective on our home.
Cmdr Hadfield tweeted his final photograph: "Tonight's Finale: Boston, you're a beautiful harbor city. Hope your Bruins play a memorable game tonight vs the Leafs"
As Hadfield himself put it: “For most people, the highest they ever get is to climb a mountain or get in an airplane to see what lies beyond the normal two dimensions on the surface of the world.
“I have the opportunity to get as far away as we are here and to go around the world every 90 minutes.”
Despite the popularity of the images he regularly sends back, it has been his 60 or so videos posted onto YouTube by the Canadian Space Agency that have been the real success.
In them he has taught the world about why a candle burns with a round flame in zero gravity, why tears do not fall in space and how astronauts shave.
He has conducted mini-experiments that would appear mundane back here on Earth - such as wringing out a soaking wet cloth - which have fascinated and delighted viewers in equal measure.
Hadfield has even taught us how to prepare a sandwich in zero gravity and the importance of not making crumbs.
All have been delivered with a microphone floating freely in front of his face and a charismatic grin beneath his neat moustache.
He clearly loves what he has been doing - performing mid air spins and pirouettes as he talks. The novelty of living without gravity has not worn off.
The hour or so he spends making videos each evening give him a welcome break from the packed work schedule that he and the other five members of the crew have while on board the space station.
Yet, Cmdr Hadfield’s charm and easy way with the camera are not the whole story behind his success. Long before setting off on this expedition to the space station, officials at the Canadian Space Agency were preparing him for fame.
Recognising his ability to explain complex issues easily, they gave him a video camera several years ago and asked him to begin practicing with it through his training.
Since he has been at the space station, a team back in Quebec have been dreaming up ideas for him to talk about, experiments for him to perform and writing scripts for the dozens of videos he has produced.
A professional editing team have polished the footage he has sent back, setting his antics to zany music and with fun graphics.
His final video dispatch from the Space Station was a cover of the David Bowie song Space Oddity. The music video, believed to be the first filmed in space, shows Cmdr Hadfield floating through various parts of the space station and playing his guitar along to a backing track.
Together, what Cmdr Hadfield and his team have achieved is to bring the space station alive for those back on Earth. They have transformed the ISS from being a sprawling £84 billion laboratory where just an elite few who travel, into a place of wonderment – a playground where all the things we take for granted can be turned on their head.
Being able to share in just a part of that through Cmdr Hadfield’s videos has somehow helped to make the enormous building and running costs of the space station easier to swallow. It has given the world the chance to be part of something very special.
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East Hampton, N.Y.
In this town, where the year-round population of about 20,000 swells to more than 90,000 in the summer, civic engagement often revolves around residential issues. And so it is fitting that the new East Hampton Town Hall, dedicated in August, is not just a house, but an assemblage of four historic ones ranging in age from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. An impressive adaptive-reuse project, the New Old Town Hall, as some call it, is an apt reflection of the community's identity and far more appropriate than the mean brick warehouse in which town officers had been working.
The East Hampton Town Hall, comprising two houses and two barns connected by glass enclosures. The historic structures, ranging in age from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century, were donated by Adelaide de Menil and Ted Carpenter and adapted by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Francis Dzikowski/Esto
The four houses—actually two houses and two barns—are arrayed just beyond the town center, which is itself very domestic in scale and tone. They had belonged to long-residing grandees, Adelaide de Menil, the Schlumberger oil heiress, and her husband, Ted Carpenter—anthropologist, curator and author—who died in July. The couple had rescued the wood structures in the 1970s from various spots around East Hampton, and from advanced stages of dereliction, and arranged them in a livable ensemble on their own sprawling property. Then in 2007, as the couple prepared to sell their 40-acre enclave, Ms. de Menil offered the houses, barns and several other vernacular buildings to the town with a promise to pay for their removal as well as provide a $2 million endowment for their upkeep.
The selection of Robert A.M. Stern's architecture firm to adapt them to civil service was certainly practical—Mr. Stern has lived in East Hampton for decades, and designed an addition to the town library and renovated the Guild Hall. But he is also the consummate American architect for residences of a certain pedigree; few understand so well how to bring the old up to contemporary snuff.
The design is straightforward. The largest of the four, Hedges House (Georgian, c. 1750), faces the street flanked by the two barns that are both set slightly back. The smaller Hand House (late 1800s, relocated from Amagansett by the couple) sits directly behind. It's a tight composition that opens up, just as many retail operations in the area do, more welcomingly to the parking lot in the rear.
The space that the buildings hem in is enclosed by glass, a handy way to connect the set while preserving their individual identities and creating a handsome weatherproof courtyard. "The aim was to look like a farmstand on the side of the road," said architect Randy Correll, the partner in charge of the project. A minivillage diorama is what it feels like, especially in the courtyard where exposed shingled exterior walls and original windows are so close that the town supervisor, whose office is in the Hedges House, need only cross the red brick courtyard to tap on the window of the Hand House and get the attention of the town counselors at their desks.
The large Bridgehampton Barn, with a sawn-pine frame typical of mid-19th-century English-style barns, was once the de Menil/Carpenter living room, and it translates easily—once a fireplace was replaced with glass exit doors and a sprinkler system was added—into a hall for town board meetings seating up to 85 people. The smaller, mid-18th-century Parsons Barn has a distinctive hewn-oak frame. It is the place to get fishing permits and marriage licenses—and to pick up a quick education in historic joinery: The 18th-century gunstock posts and exposed framing of hewn white oak put sheetrock and two-by-fours to shame. The architects discreetly added such modern essentials as an elevator, a light shaft for the lawyers toiling in the basement, and suspended ceiling lights. The feeling is acutely domestic as when standing by a fireplace in front of a receptionist's desk but, in the same vein, also welcoming as few offices ever are.
Placing government offices in repurposed structures is nothing new in the Hamptons: East Hampton Village Hall is in a prerevolutionary Colonial that belonged to Harriet Beecher Stowe's father, and last January the Town Hall of Southampton moved to a brick former high-school building. But in the town of East Hampton, the $1.5 million needed to complete the elegant and far from institutional $6.5 million Town Hall project set off a midconstruction controversy just as the town was coping with financial crisis.
The 1.5-mile move from the de Menil estate went off without a hitch. New foundations and mechanical systems for the buildings include a single expansive basement for the offices of the town attorneys and the budget department; they had been working out of trailers. But while construction was under way, a scandal over misappropriated funds led to a change in local government. Construction continued, but corners were cut to lower what were seen as excessive costs: Sustainable features such as radiant heating were dropped, along with plans to adapt two other barns. Even the architect's furniture plan was abandoned in favor of more affordable pieces, such as plank-topped sawhorses for desks.
During a recent interview, Town Supervisor William Wilkinson, who was widely quoted while campaigning for the post saying that the compound might make a better J. Crew store, said, "The rehabilitation cost a lot of money for buildings that exist already. Sometimes I feel a little guilty at how opulent it all feels." True, there are fireplaces (nonworking) and custom cabinets everywhere and the Shaker stair rails are exquisitely smooth. With less than 30 employees in the 15,000-square-foot complex, no one is crammed in as before (although the planning department is still holed up in rented condos). Far from an indulgence, however, the new old Town Hall looks every inch the part of East Hampton's government home.
Ms. Iovine writes about architecture for the Journal.
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Raspberry Foam Recipe
This Raspberry Foam tastes incredible ! Try this creamy fruit dessert soon ! Your suggestions for this Raspberry Foam are welcome !
Difficulty LevelEasyHealth IndexAverage
MethodMain Ingredient
Interest Group
Egg whites4
Sugar2 Tablespoon
Heavy cream1 Cup (16 tbs)
Raspberries package1 , frozen
Lemon juice1/2 Teaspoon
1. In a bowl whip the egg whites, adding the sugar slowly, until stiff peaks are formed.
2. Whip the cream until stiff and fold into the egg whites.
3. Let the raspberries thaw completely and then fold into the cream mixture (both berries and syrup). Add the lemon juice.
4. Divide into individual serving cups and chill until serving.
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Structure the Unstructured
By Frank Brown | Posted 2010-01-22
How to Mine Scientific Business Intelligence in the Cloud
Before the rise of the mammoth database, before e-mail, electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs), and global Centers of Excellence, R&D innovation was centered on personal communication at the company lunch table. It was here that project team leaders-such as the head chemist, pharmacologist, biologist and other select stakeholders-would gather to share their knowledge. The rich insights that resulted led to a significant number of discoveries in areas ranging from pharmaceuticals and consumer packaged goods, to specialty chemicals and heavy manufacturing.
Thanks to the swift pace of technological change, our ability to generate data has increased exponentially. The problem is that there is too much content and not enough context. Raw information dumped into data warehouses has replaced the knowledge-driven categorization and intelligence capabilities that dominated the lunch table.
Disjointed processes and disparate data silos [a product lifecycle management application (PLM) here, a chemistry system here] have replaced collaborative project ownership and decision making. As a result, the most valuable information is often hidden in a deluge of data, inaccessible to the researchers who need them and disconnected from other relevant sources of knowledge.
To usher in a new era of innovation, R&D organizations need to re-create the open, collaborative atmosphere that existed at the company lunch table, but on a scale that embraces the breadth and complexity of today's global scientific information landscape. Here's how.
Move Collaboration to the Cloud
Move collaboration to the cloud
Cloud computing-whether inside or outside the firewall-offers great possibilities when it comes to enabling richer communication. The Web provides an ideal forum for project stakeholders to interact and share ideas, regardless of their location, their areas of specialization or the format of the information. When a browser is all that's needed to get a seat at the table, collaboration can once again play a key role in the discovery process.
But there are technical considerations that first need to be taken into account. Because the data involved in modern scientific research is so vast and complex, it doesn't make sense, nor is it really possible, to take legacy infrastructure (such as a large chemistry or biology data warehouse) that's cemented to the floor and move it to the cloud. There are just too many transactional systems wrapped around these data hubs to pull out the center of the onion.
At the same time, installing thick-client technologies at every site to transact on one or many data warehouses would introduce too much latency. Instead, organizations should focus on enabling the integration, shared access and reporting of project-centric data via a cloud-based project data mart. They should do this rather than isolating information within disciplinary silos (such as an ELN that only categorizes biological assays, for example). This requires a services-based information management platform capable of extracting the most relevant scientific intelligence from diverse systems and formats, and integrating it in the cloud to enable streamlined collaboration and decision making.
For example, suppose a pharmaceutical company is working with a Contract Research Organization (CRO) on a drug discovery project. Today, many scientific organizations actually install their legacy IT systems at the outsourcer's site in order to exchange and analyze data. Not only is this costly, it's also highly inefficient, as systems now need to be maintained both within the organization's internal IT infrastructure as well as at the CRO site.
And the redundancies multiply the more departments, locations and partners that are involved. With a cloud-based project, data mart and reporting sitting on top of a services-based architecture; critical information, workflows and transactions that need to be accessed by collaborators can be maintained globally, with a much lower seat cost and support burden.
Structure the Unstructured
Structure the unstructured
The insights researchers are able to gain when conversing informally are extremely rich, because human brains are adept at making contextually-relevant associations of which a structured database is incapable. For example, a human would know immediately that the words "auto," "automobile" and "car" mean the same thing, or that a past experiment may be "kind of" similar to the one being conducted in a current project. This is what the lunch table of the past delivered.
But what happens when your organization's head pharmacologist is in Boston, the lead chemist is in Beijing, and the available information base involves an enormous breadth of sources and data formats? Those contextually-relevant associations are not so easy to make.
Until organizations are able to "structure" (that is, categorize) the vast quantities of unstructured content at their disposal, they will miss out on a monumental amount of knowledge. This is where less rigid categorization technologies such as advanced semantic search and text analytics come in. But they have to be sophisticated enough to handle the highly-complex nature of scientific data. For instance, a molecule may be represented by name, by an ID number or as an image, so your search solution must be "scientifically aware" enough to recognize these variations.
Consider a company that needs to search a vast amount of unstructured content, ranging from external patents and journal articles to their own internal documents and research databases. The company needs to identify and extract information relevant to a key project. Using a scientifically-aware text analysis application capable of recognizing chemical structures and biological sequences, researchers would be able to query the content and quickly pinpoint the most relevant information. They would be able to do this without having to know exactly how the data is represented. Without this capability, the time and cost constraints involved in leveraging unstructured content would be too high and, most importantly, critical insights would be missed.
Simplify Data Loading and Reporting
Simplify data loading and reporting
The "virtual" lunch table will only be a success if collaborating in the cloud is as easy as, well, sitting down to lunch. And forcing cumbersome information management processes on researchers is the single fastest way to stifle innovation. Loading and reporting on data needs to be simple for users-either through a forms-based application run on a thin client or through a basic Web-based extraction, transformation and loading (ETL) service that allows collaborators to just click to deploy.
A flexible approach to information delivery is also required-one that empowers collaborators to view data in a format that best suits their research methods. These formats may range from a simple Web portal to sophisticated three-dimensional visualization, but the important thing is that the reporting is capable of integrating both the structured and unstructured content so that it can be easily analyzed via a single view.
A combination of scientifically-aware search and a global, service-oriented architecture (SOA) architecture that brings together the intelligence previously marooned in isolated systems such as ELNs makes this integration possible.
Frank Brown, PhD, has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer for Accelrys since October 2006. Frank has extensive experience in the areas of computational chemistry and chemoinformatics. He is responsible for both the scientific direction of the company and all collaborative research with academic, government and industrial partners. Prior to joining Accelrys, Frank held positions of increasing responsibility at Johnson & Johnson, most recently as senior research fellow within the Office of the CIO. In this position, Frank oversaw the development of architecture for all R&D in the organization's pharma sector. Before Johnson & Johnson, Frank started the first chemoinformatics group in the industry at Glaxo Research Institute, and launched software products targeted to the pharmaceutical industry as vice president for product and business development at Oxford Molecular Group.
Frank has also served as an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has also served as a chair for the American Chemical Society (ACS), Computers in Chemistry section, and on an NIH Special Study. Frank holds a PhD in physical organic chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and a post-doctoral studies degree in bio physics from the University of California at San Francisco. He can be reached at fbrown@accelrys.com.
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March 10, 2014
ARTICLE: The Crystallizing Universe [back to article]
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amrit wrote on Apr. 7, 2010 @ 19:44 GMT
Dear Dr. George Ellis,
physical time is not part of space, space is timeles. Time is run of clocks in space. With clocks we measure flow of change in timeless space.
We can only talk about "flux of change" and "flux" of psyhological time through which we experience flux of change in timeless space. There is no "flux" of time in the universe in which change run.
Universe is timless, as Godel already explained.
yours amrit
attachments: Time_is_run_of_Clocks_in_Timeless_Universe_FQXI.pdf
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amrit replied on Apr. 7, 2010 @ 20:01 GMT
here is article that discuss difference between physical time that is run of clocks and psychological time “past-present-future” that is the basic frame of the mind through which we experience change in the universe
attachments: In_what_way_are_related_Psychological_Time_and_Physical_Time_SORLI_2010.pdf
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amrit replied on Apr. 9, 2010 @ 07:24 GMT
Observere is a function of cosmic space and idea of biocentricity is too partial to be aqdequate picture of the universe.
yours amrit
attachments: 1_Observer_is_a_function_of_Fourdimensional_Timeless_Space__for_WEB.pdf
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amrit replied on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 08:59 GMT
Reading discussion here I see people still think in terms change running in the universe in space and in time, in so called space-time.
This thinking belongs is now developed into vision the change run in space only and with time (with clocks) we measure them.
yours amrit
attachments: Analysis_of_Relation_between_Spacetime.......pdf
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Jason Wolfe wrote on Apr. 8, 2010 @ 20:32 GMT
The photon has to make a decision: ripple or bullet. I wonder if this decision is always accurate? In other words, if you put the slit in front, the photon should always chose "ripple". Unfortunately, you don't know until after a few hundred photons. Can you fire a very short burst of photons, and then decide at the last second (picosecond) if the slit is in front or in back? Ripple or bullet.
I think that the photons are faster than we are. If you pre-program an experiment to choose slit in front or in back, you give the answers for the test to the universe, in advance.
Human beings are too slow to prove that the universe reacts to our decisions. But if we were quick enough, we could fool the burst of photons into making the wrong decision.
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amrit replied on Apr. 8, 2010 @ 21:26 GMT
Jason, photon behave in a way we expect,
in double slit experiment is wave,
in photoelectric effect is particle.
yours amrit
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Karl Coryat wrote on Apr. 9, 2010 @ 01:48 GMT
Fascinating. I invite those interested to consider the biocentric universe, which suggests that the act of biological observation is the driving agent behind the crystallization described in this article: Wavefunctions remain wavefunctions unless a biological observer seeks information about it. This can cause the apparent particle "collapse," with the outcome occurring probabilistically. If no information is sought, the quantum remains uncertain and no particle appears.
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Lawrence B. Crowell wrote on Apr. 9, 2010 @ 03:17 GMT
This program is likely not sufficient. Quantum gravity and holography means that concepts of locality are approximations. An event can occur in two entirely different places and times. For this reason the entire spacetime cosmology we observe may be equivalent to a spacetime quantum fluctuation in a black hole or a virtual wormhole interior in some other universe.
Cheers LC
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Eclairer replied on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 02:53 GMT
If you're familiar with Susskind and 't Hooft's idea about Black Hole Complementarity (BHC) (which deals with the idea you just described), you know about the holographic qualities of the BH. The basis for it is that there is a layer of "horizon-atoms" (what they're composed of is undetermined as far as I know) that create a layer called the stretch-horizon (as defined by Susskind, specifically, not the general term) that is so hot any matter approaching disintegrates like a drop of ink in a pool. The layer is said to be only about a Planck's length thick. But getting straight down to business, BHC dictates that just as you must choose to measure particle or wave properties with photons, you must choose to either record results from outside the horizon or inside, that those things can never accurately be measured at the same time but that they complement each other as pieces of information. Hence, Black Hole Complementarity.
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Lawrence B. Crowell replied on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 03:09 GMT
Right, and the two observers, FIxed Distance Observer (FIDO) and the FREeling Falling Observer (FREFO) record the fate of the string very differently. The FIDO says the string is quantum radiated out on the stretched horizon and "destroyed," while the FREFO says the string is "destroyed" by the interior. There are some gaps here, but the BHC does tell us that locality of events is not a general property of the universe.
The big gap here is we don’t know how the string is transformed by the singularity in a way which is complementary to how the string is quantum tunneled off the horizon as Hawking radiation. The singularity is a form of D-brane which is dual to the stretched horizon, or its NS5-brane equivalent. This is an open area, which Susskind and Lindesay admit in their book.
Cheers LC
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Anonymous replied on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 03:40 GMT
Reason being, you can't observe that action from outside the horizon. Heisenberg's microscope applied to the situation dictates that at that distance, it would require such high-energy photons that it would disrupt the information falling to the horizon, creating a large black hole that would then require low-energy photons creating a very blurry image.
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Karl Coryat wrote on Apr. 9, 2010 @ 05:53 GMT
I was surprised that the (linked) paper did not mention the relational interpretation. RQM would have the particle going through both slits as a wave, and then when an observer measures "which slit," he becomes correlated with the particle and receives path information, destroying the wave nature of the particle. No causality acting on the past required. If I'm not mistaken, though, RQM would predict that if the experiment could be set up such that a second, independent observer interacted with the particle but did not receive which-path information, that observer #2 should see the particle act like a wave. Someone should try that....
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Jason Wolfe wrote on Apr. 9, 2010 @ 19:07 GMT
Wave or particle? Ripple or bullet? Single slit or double slit? Causality...
From our perspective, photons behave ambiguously; like they avoid deciding what they are until the last moment, until an experiment forces them to reveal themselves.
In Newtonian mechanics, everything knows where everything else is. In reality, it's like the universe is secretive, it doesn't like to give information; even to other parts of the universe. Quantum waves looks like attempts to evade the question.
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french EvreLoire wrote on Apr. 10, 2010 @ 19:23 GMT
It's true. Just think that the universe (space-time) same the tree. the nodes go to the différents directions to potentiels life-events = paralels universes. You understand me ?
I'm just a Frenchy that like physik and astronomy.
Bye. Good brainstorming.
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Zephir wrote on Apr. 10, 2010 @ 19:56 GMT
In AWT the simplest model of space-time is the water surface (gradient of matter density in general). The space dimensions are formed by directions parallel with surface plane and the time dimension is formed by direction perpendiculat to it. This explains (between others), why time dimension has always an "arrow", while the spatial not, why travel in time is much more diffilcult/dangerous then the travel in space, etc...
Inside of multidimensional foam forming real space-time things may get slightly more complex, but they're still remain imaginable.
In AWT the time goes forward for objects smaller then the wavelength of CMB and backward for larger objects. It's a result of geometrical perspective of observation through quantum foam penetrating the vacuum.
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Eclairer wrote on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 02:15 GMT
You can't test light's wave properties and particle properties at the same time anymore than you can pinpoint an elementary particle's position while you're calculating velocity. That's a whole different ballpark, but that's why the experiment of "tricking" the photons didn't work and it's called Complementarity.
The Crystallized Block Universe... Makes sense, honestly. It seems obvious to me, that the true present (the very moment you consciously experience, second-to-second) can not be fully analyzed until it has already happened. That's just logic. If you see a dog running out into the road and a car coming at it, you can't say it was hit by car until it has already been hit, and as soon as it has been hit (or not), it is the past and therefore verifiable.
In terms of particle physics, the reason why the photons arrive at different times is because, quite simply, waves and particles do not travel at the same speed. However the present can't influence the past, not in terms of perceived events, it can only change the way past information is viewed. The passing of real time (which is witnessed through entropy) is undeniable, measurement is relative.
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paul valletta replied on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 08:55 GMT
And just as important is the fact that there is information "missing" from any "moment" analyzed?
The natural degrade rate for past events are what seperates the past from the present, all memory of events have to have some finite bit/it of info missing, how else would one know what is real and what is fantasy?.. better wording should be reality is 100% accurate in all measure attempts, the closer one gets to measure the "now_moment"..the accuracy increase. Try and measure 1 second "ago" and this is where everything from that moment/then has moved in time to such a degree one cannot locate whats being measured.
Interestingly, once "now" has occured like stated, you cannot measure 100% of anything, some part of what you try to measure will be smeared out in time, away from the present. Decay rates for matter are all time related, certain elements remain in the "now" at a slower rate, whilst others appear and dissapear with no fleeting glances.
Now here is the crunch factor?..if any particle has an extended life away from "now"(there exists a past where as far as we are concerned particles are then present) then, it can no longer have the same decay rates as current elements, all present and past elements are driven by Entropic values emmbedded witthin the decay rate?..the periodic table is the calander of universal change!
With regard to the measure and measure, humans are themselves a type of interference, by the act of measure! Does the photon know when it is being interfered by a human being or by non human devise's?..think about that consequence ;)
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paul valletta wrote on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 09:10 GMT
Dont forget that if everything happened all at once, that is to say that everthing is always in the "now",how is 1 second to be(future), created, some things we cannot locate in the present/now must be in the near_future, creating the spacetime pathway we will arrive in?
We cannot always locate everything, somethings are no longer needed by the present time, whatever is not here in the now, is busy creating the future!
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amrit wrote on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 13:38 GMT
Dear Paul Valletta
Now, past, future, present belongs to the mind.
Universe is timeless, change run in space only. Clock/time is a device to describe change. Read attentively my article on file attached.
Imagine tree is falling in the forest.
Tree is falling in space only and not in time.
With clock/time we measure duration of tree falling.
Tree is falling in sequences t0, t1, t2,……….tn. Numerical order of this sequences we measure with clocks. Numerical order of tree falling exists without measuring it.
Duration of tree falling exist only when measured.
Duration of an event is result of measurement.
Clock/time is a measuring device for material change i.e. motion in the universe that itself is timeless.
yours amrit
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paul valletta replied on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 15:27 GMT
I do understand that you can replace "time" with any other material "measure" object, for instance if you jump from a building and take ten seconds to fall to ground. You can just replace the seconds with, say 50 crates of apples (the apple boxes measuring the distance only). Now you can do the same with the falling tree, there can be no "time" reference of it falling, just a distance, again using boxes of pears if one wishes. Thus tree falls not t0,t1't2...AF, but 1 box, 2 box 3 box...etc.
Distance between ground and top of tree is so many boxes high in 3-D space, the problem is that you can replace the measuring devise with apples, oranges..pears or jars of peanut butter, but there is only ONE time?
I prefer that the 5th Dimension, 6-D, finitum, is of the mind, that way I know what is relative to my reality, or my spacetime?
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amrit replied on Apr. 11, 2010 @ 19:38 GMT
Paul fundamental unity of time (with which me measure change that run in space
only and not in time) is Planck time.
yours amrit
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Eckard Blumschein wrote on Apr. 13, 2010 @ 17:39 GMT
Kate Becker's parody of spacetime should enjoy all those who not yet entirely lost contact to reality. I see no present between what we call past, i.e., the frozen into unchangeable reality, and what we may expect, predict, prepare on an open scale called future.
I do not agree with the essay when it blames symmetry of "microphysical laws" for the lets mildly say "current theoretical physics". While physics deserves a study how Einstein was perhaps influenced by Boltzmann's ideas and his religious background, already Ritz agreed with him to disagree in 1909 and died. I would appreciate anybody who has a compelling reason for the impossibility to maintain some essentials of relativity when abandoning the burden of an a priori given future.
Maybe, Ellis is too much a well educated in the negative sense physicist. I would already abstain from uncommented use of words like worldline and spacetime. I agree with him in that there is no time-symmetry and time-reversibility in the microworld. I also argue that the not yet existing future must not be considered a reasonable mathematical object. Ellis correctly adds that a quantum measurement process is not reversible.
Ellis mentioned various concurring candidates for a remedy: collapse of the wave function, many worlds, multiple histories, many fingered time, interpretation as an approximation, and even braking of an given symmetry. He looks for an interpretation inside quantum interpretation. Presumably he is or at least would be correct in that: Such attempts are doomed to fail altogether. Why did Ellis obviously fail to convey this message to the community of physicists?
It is not quite clear to me whether and if so how Ellis himself authorized the blog "The Crystallizing Universe". I cannot appreciate the the "elegant" idea to explain the transition from possibility to reality as change from quantum potentiality of a complex wave function into a single observed reality. Why did he and Rothman not learn from Wheeler's experiment? Heisenberg was most likely simply wrong when he attributed reality to observation instead the other way round. I envision a much simpler explanation of the duality between wave and particle: ripple-shaped bullets that extend unidirectionally over a coherence length with just a single tail. Is there any reason to imagine a particle like a point or a small ball? Maybe, cloud chambers were rather misleading.
By the way, I feel cheated by the word PET which suggests that positrons definitely exist. Actually, the method is based on dipole-pairs of photons.
Eckard Blumschein
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Eckard Blumschein replied on Apr. 16, 2010 @ 21:40 GMT
In topic 617 a more plausible explanation of the double slit experiment has been offered. Are there any objections?
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Eckard Blumschein replied on Apr. 17, 2010 @ 16:53 GMT
Dear Constantinos,
I decided to reply here in the hope for provoking serious objections by experts who missed what we discussed in topic 617. Let me briefly describe how I understood your argumentation:
You referred to a pattern measured with a detector by Hitachi showing many subsequently measured single points of detected single photons behind a double slit. The density of these points forms the interference pattern to be expected for electromagnetic waves. The points were so far interpreted as evidence for single point-like particles.
If I understood you correctly, you are arguing that any single photons does not hit only a particular point of the area of the detector but the whole area. The obstacle causes a phase shift resulting in an interference that utters itself in higher or lower probability of responding points. I do not know how the detector works and I guess the measured points indicate multiplied secondary emission.
Can you please confirm or correct this description?
If I correctly understood this random discrete response to photons of continuous extension, then the peculiar measurement by Gompf et al. becomes understandable: Single-photon counting is superimposed by a random behavior of the detector.
When I did not appreciate your wording "stop the weirdness" in connection with a simple mathematical proof, I was not offended. I merely anticipated those who will not take you seriously.
Studying the original scriptures, I realized that Planck's energy quanta go back to the assumption of N oscillators each of which has a given frequency f, cf. Ann. Phys. 4, 553, 1901 "On the Energy Distribution in the Blackbody Spectrum" where Planck derived from entropy S the energy density U=hf/(exp(hf/kT)-1) as his Eqn11.
Perhaps the late Planck was wrong when he wrote in 1943: "... trying to fit the action quantum into the system of classical physics. But it seems to me that this is not possible."
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Steve Dufourny replied on Apr. 17, 2010 @ 18:41 GMT
Hello dear Eckard,
It's very interesting.
The photons, if my memmory is good, can have a number of photons of all frequencies but c restc constant and the total system no .
The pression and the volumes still are essentials and foundamentals .
The total energy and the total number can be seen , constant or not.
It 's very relevant when an atom absorbs and re emits the frequences or not ??? hihihi The kinetic energy seems in the rationality.
The pauli principle, if I remenber, does not hold for photons.
It's there it's still interesting with spheres and sphericals fields and coordonates.
If the rotation is inserted ,it's very relevant too about the momentum.
A BEC can be applied of course , the sphericalization of referentials facilitates many things .
I have seen a beautiful method of Lagrance multipliers where we see the equilibriums and the entropy of the system .
The Planck radiation equation is interesting evidently.
I consider the system of photons like the gravitational system for the number, of course the rotations imply the specificity.
An important thing I beleive is what the gravity do not change its number, and the light can be fractalisable .The gravity is only in the mind for the understanding of the fractalisation.It's interesting in my humble opinion because we can fractalize really the light and thus we shall find the different volumes of the quantum uniqueness.We can see the synchro or the effetcs of the gravity on the system for an evolutive point of vue.
The thermodynamical parameters of course permits to see the different steps.
But for results, it's necessary to have a system of real fractalisationn and too the captors of evolution in gravity systems.
The spherical superimposings are thus in a dance of frequencies, rotations, and informations thus, there the volume is esential .
I have a big unknown which makes me crazzy with a stirling approximation and some substitutions, but I have problems for the distribution of fractalisation because I superimpose the gravity and the quantic finite number .And of course 1 rests like it is and the others no, but the difficulty is for the synchro of rotating volumes of spheres implying mass, a parameter of evolution is necessary , if not all is difficult , like a limit.
But if the correct fractal of a volume of sphere is made, it's possible .
But Of course we don't know the ultim code in the gravity studied.
A possiblity is to insert a system well studied which polarises and has its frequences of evolution , thus we can extrapolate the correct serie, but of course we don't know how will be the fractalization of the light.
It's a real puzzle, but I will arrive ....I hope .This number makes me crazzy.
Very best Regards
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amrit wrote on Apr. 21, 2010 @ 08:47 GMT
Ten Reasons to restitute Concept of Time in Physics with Concept of Numeric Order
1.with clocks we measure numeric order t0,t1,t2…tn of physical events
2.t1 is “before” t2 equivalently as number 1 is before number 2 Special Theory of Relativity fourth coordinate X4 is spatial to:
X4 = i x c x tn
4.numeric order of physical events runs in a timeless space
5.fundamental unit of numeric order is Planck time tp
6.velocity v of a physical event is derived from numerical order tn: v = d/tn
7.frequency of a physical event is derived from numerical order tn:
frequency = 1/tn
8.numeric order of events running in timeless space has no duration
9.a sense of duration is result experiencing numeric order of events through the psychological time past-present-future
10.symbol t in physics represents numeric order tn
Out of developing concept of space-time into the concept of timeless space where with clock we measure numeric order of t0,t1,t2…tn physical events follows:
1.paradox of time travel is resolved. No time travel is possible. One can travel only in space.
2.paradox of twins is resolved. Both grow older in a timeless space.
3.Zeno problems of motion are resolved: motion happens in space only and not in time
4.for immediate physical events as EPR and others numeric order is zero: tn = 0
5.for physical events which happening requires “tick” of a clock numeric order is more than zero the Planck scale information and energy transfer is immediate. Numerical order of events at Planck scale is zero: tn = 0 the photon scale information and energy transfer has velocity c, numeric order tn is more than zero the larger scale then photon information and energy transfer has velocity lower than c, numeric order tn is more than zero
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Captain Physics wrote on Apr. 21, 2010 @ 14:56 GMT
So now there are two mechanisms that give direction to the arrow of time - wave function collapse and generation of entropy. Put them together into one model and get a really nice publication.
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amrit wrote on Apr. 21, 2010 @ 20:54 GMT
Hi Captain,
there is no "arrow of time". Physical change run in a timeless universe. Arrow of time is what here we call " numeric order".
yours amrit
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Anonymous replied on Apr. 22, 2010 @ 20:42 GMT
Hi Amrit,
I agree.
You see the evolutive space time but I ask me how many people sees it really.
I discussed about that with Jayakar who works with the backround time.
When Einstein spoke about the space time, it's important to insert the evolution,it's essential even.Like that we can have different durations correlated with the evolutive space and mass.
It's like a taxonomy of the time correlated with mass and space evolution.
People has difficulties to accept our actual constant duration.Irreversible in the physicality and only different in its steps of evolution.In all moment of the evolution, the duration is constant, perhaps different in its periodicity but constant.
Just a thought
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amrit wrote on Apr. 22, 2010 @ 20:59 GMT
material change have no duration, they have only numeric order that runs in a timeless space.
Yours Amrit
attachments: According_to_the_Formalism_d__v_x_t__Spacetime_is_Timeless.pdf
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Steve Dufourny replied on Apr. 23, 2010 @ 16:00 GMT
Hi Amrit,
Thanks , I like you know your works, I find them physicals and spirituals.
Thanking you for the sharing.
Best Regards
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Constantinos wrote on Apr. 28, 2010 @ 04:08 GMT
Breaking Views!
Please read and comment!
Quoting from the article The Crystallizing Universe by Kate Becker, describing the enigmas of the double-slit experiment,
"Imagine a laser shooting photons toward a screen. Between the laser and the screen is a thin wall with two tiny slits in it. (This is an old physics workhorse called the double-slit...
view entire post
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Georg S wrote on May. 14, 2010 @ 20:52 GMT
just a remark to the wording:
as the present “crystallizes” from the past.
A crystal crystallizes from the melt/solute.
I. e. from the chaotic (liquid) phase.
So Your sentece above should read:
"as the present "crystallizes" from the future.
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amrit wrote on May. 29, 2010 @ 08:21 GMT
If there is no time in the universe, this does not mean universe is without motion. We relate time with motion what is wrong. Numerical order of change in the BLOCK UNIVERSE we measure with clocks.
attachments: 1_Block_Universe.pdf
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Barry Weprin wrote on Jun. 26, 2010 @ 22:05 GMT
That the present moment is the function of wave collapse is I think "right on" . I see the universe as a time machine in which the present moment is generated by the"knitting together" or wave collapse of the sub-atomic world. Our universe is thus brought into existence, the present moment is continually being created by the actions underlying atomic structure. This creates the sense of time flow that we experience. Actions in our world are merely relativistic events taking place on the backdrop of the continually created universe, much as we see an image projected on a movie screen.
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Quantoid wrote on Jul. 15, 2010 @ 13:01 GMT
Interesting that Cramer's Transactional Interpretation of QM also suggests that space-time is "crystalising" as standing waves are set up in the interference pattern generated from advance and retarded waves. As waves propagate backwards and forwards in time, each standing wave that forms (looking to us like the path of a particle even though there were only waves) creates a new bit of the past.
Maybe it helps to reduce the number of dimensions. Suppose we are two-dimensional creatures on a sphere. Space is the surface of the sphere, and time is the third dimension directed from the centre of the sphere outwards. As time passes the sphere grows. To us it seems that space is expanding, as the surface area increases. The past is the crystalised mass of the "inside" of the sphere. The future is the empty space outside the sphere.
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• Soot's Flapjacks (Granola Bars)
I tried to make Soot's Flapjacks from How to be a Domestic Goddess (p232), and I followed the recipe to a T. They baked till they were golden brown but they didn't set and now I have granola instead of flapjack bars. Any idea what could have gone wrong? Thanks!
Why is it I am able to make all sorts of cakes perfectly, but my flapjacks always crumble? I have tried adding extra syrup or extra butter, but they still refuse to stick together! Please help! MelGood
From the nigella team:
There are two styles of flapjacks, chewy and crispy, and each style has their own fans. The thing most likely to determine the texture of the flapjacks is the baking - slightly underbaked flapjacks will come out on the chewy side and those baked for longer will be crisper. When baking the flapjacks, only bake them until the edges have turned golden and the centre is still a little soft - so for Soot's Flapjacks we would suggest checking them after 20 minutes in the oven. We would also suggest rotating the baking tin halfway through the baking time to give more even cooking. Once the flapjacks have come out of the oven mark them into bars but then leave them to cool fully before removing them from the tin. It is also useful to line the tin with baking parchment (parchment paper), with paper coming up the sides of the tin. This make is easier to lift the flapjacks out of the tin once they are cold.
The type of oats used can also effect the texture. Nigella's recipe uses standard rolled oats (quick-coking oats), which are fairly fine but not powdery so shouldn't be confused with instant oat cereal. The larger "jumbo" (old fashioned) oats tend to give a crumblier flapjack as they don't seem to bind so well. If the mixture continues to be crumbly then you may like to increase slightly the amount of golden syrup in the mixture. There is also a fairly easily recipe based on the ratio of oats to other ingredients for flapjacks which may be worth trying if Soot's Flapjacks are not quite to your taste. The ratio is for oats:butter:soft light brown sugar:syrup and it is 4:3:2:1. So measure the thickness of oats that are needed for your baking tin, weigh the oats then use 3/4 of the weight in butter, 1/2 weight in brown sugar and 1/4 weight in golden syrup. Melt butter, sugar and syrup together then stir in oats. Put in a lined tin and bake at 180c/355F until just golden on top (usually 20-25 minutes). Mark into bars and let cool completely. For chewier bars make a thicker layer of oats and for crisper ones use a thinner layer of oats.
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People of all ages came together in small self-organized groups to make rakhis out of so-called 'waste' materials: paper scraps, cardboard, cloth scraps, rubber pieces, cola caps, clay, etc. Several people spent 30 minutes to one hour making a special rakhi, to share with their sister, brother, or loved one. Many people realized it was the first time they had made a rakhi with their own hands; they thoroughly enjoyed the creative process, and they were looking forward to making more by hand next year, instead of purchasing them from the market.
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“The Thing” vs “Virus”
NSF Representative David M. Bresnahan
Virus – “Antarctica: The Last Vestige of Life on Earth”
[Big Dead Place] claims that John Carpenter’s The Thing is the most important film about industrial life in Antarctica, but I simply must disagree. While it does lack the flashy flamethrowers of The Thing, Virus provides a far more accurate portrayal of life in Antarctica, not to mention a far more plausible plot line and substantive issues to consider in this era of terrorism.
The central player in the film is a virus developed by Cold War-era U.S. military scientists to be used as a weapon. It mimics other viruses, such as the flu, and rapidly spreads disease. When some shady agents try to steal the virus, their mission runs amok and the virus is released and rapidly spreads through Europe, where it is mistaken for the Italian flu. Everyone in Europe dies and the disease soon spreads to the rest of the world. The U.S. government suspects the Soviets of releasing the virus and of plotting to launch a nuclear attack on the United States.
In the Oval Office, strewn with tissues, and as more and more government officials fall, literally, to the virus, the President suddenly realizes that, because the virus is not viable at temperatures below -10°C, the only safe people in the world are those in Antarctica. He immediately makes an all-station radio call to Antarctica and tells the people to stay there and not to accept any outsiders. The President then leaves them with the wise words, “Try to work it out together.”
Upon receiving the radio call, everyone on the continent makes their way to Palmer Station–855 men, and 8 women. They have enough food to last them two years, and they also happen to have an icebreaker that got stuck in the ice the summer before.
Lurking in the waters just off Palmer, however, is a Soviet submarine, and the entire crew is sick with the Italian flu. When the station refuses the crew medical assistance, the submarine captain threatens to come ashore anyway. But, just then, a British submarine shows up and blows the Soviet submarine to bits. Palmer than asks the British sub if its crew is infected with the virus. Since the crew isn’t infected, Palmer invites them ashore for a bit of liberty.
Meanwhile, the powers-that-be at Palmer determine that because women are “the most valuable natural resource in this new world,” the eight women on station will simply have to “accommodate more than one man.” One-to-one relationships won’t be possible anymore. Needless to say, after that decision, lots of babies start showing up on station.
But dangers in the world beyond continue to grow. The Soviets suspect Palmer Station to be a secret weapons base and aim their nuclear missiles at Palmer. With everyone in the world dead, you wouldn’t think this would be a concern, but it turns out that those sneaky Soviets devised an automatic response system so sensitive it could be triggered by an earthquake, and there’s a very good chance that a tectonic situation off the coast of Washington, DC, will result in a major earthquake. So, an American guy and a Japanese guy named Yoshuzumi (who is in love with one of the women on station even though he can’t have her to himself) jump into the submarine and head out to save the world. The women and children board the icebreaker, along with a skeleton crew, and sail in search of a safe place to live.
Yoshuzumi and the American guy fail to reach the U.S. weapon system in time to cancel the U.S. counter-strike and the earthquake hits. The American dies and both the U.S. and Soviet nuclear arsenals are launched and Palmer gets wiped out. In a Love Story-meets-The Morning After twist, Yoshuzumi walks from Washington to Patagonia and finds the group that fled Palmer on the icebreaker. His love, a Norwegian woman, sees him stumbling on the horizon and she runs to him, embracing him in her loving arms as the screen fades to black.
So, as you can see, Virus is infinitely more complicated —intellectual, if you will— than The Thing. Of course, like The Thing, it does introduce some new Antarctic myths and mysteries. For example, while it would be totally cool to have readily accessible flamethrowers on station, we don’t. In Virus, it’s the readily available baby clothes that bewilder. Where did they get all those little booties? And it was dark on Christmas day –a slight cinematic oversight, or perhaps consciously done so as not to confuse northern-hemisphere audiences.
But these minor glitches aside, Virus is far and away the superior Antarctic film for it nails other aspects of Antarctic life perfectly. In The Thing, there’s hardly any mention of science, while Virus is all science –biology, plate tectonics, immunology. We also have some ships stuck in the ice. And, notably absent in The Thing, there are women in Virus, not a lot, but some. And, despite all the best efforts at international cooperation, no one really wants the Russians around.
But what truly makes Virus great is its timely message. In this day and age of terrorism and biological warfare, we Antarcticans might actually have to save the world one day. Think about it, our fearless SAR team might have to venture out into a devastated world to save civilization from itself. Or we might have to repopulate the world. Given that biological weapons are a far greater threat to our society than some crazed, polymorphic alien, Virus could actually be considered a training film for us.
So, I hope that [Big Dead Place] will reconsider [its] claim about The Thing and recognize Virus for the fantastic cinematic tour-de-force that it is.
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Saxelby Cheesemongers
Location: New York, NY
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Cheese Alert! There's a new cheese depot downtown, called Saxelby Cheesemongers (great name!). It operates out of a little stall in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side.
Anne Saxelby, who is an alum of Murray's Cheese is the sunshine-smiled proprietor. She sells almost entirely farmstead cheese, many from New York State. In addition to cheese, she also sells crème fraîche and butter.
This month, in honor of the shop's opening, all cheeses are 10% for the month of May. Now there's some incentive to head downtown.
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• Queen of England Legalizes Gay Marriage, Raises Questions of Bea Arthur Syndrome
July 17, 2013 11:30 am 3 comments
When one thinks of women like the late Bea Arthur and the Queen of England, words like handsomely dressed and strong of chin come to mind. Both of these people had strong, sturdy characteristics about them, sort of like the old man who used to vigorously rub Old Spice on his freshly shaved gullet before taking a deep breath of fresh pine mountain air.
So today’s announcement that the Queen of England gives her Royal Stamp of Approval for gay marriage between all ‘her’ subjects come as no surprise! I always had my suspicions that the queen may have been a fan of Tuna Melt sandwiches, and now it is all but confirmed!
In the gay community, they have a word for men who put on fabulous pearls, dresses and perfect makeup and then parade about, wowing everyone as they “werk” it down the street. They call these men: Queens.
So far all these years, just consider this factoid. That the “Queen” of England is actually the “Fantastically Dressed Gay Head” of England.
My investigation into this backstory is shocking and powerful, so hold on to your seats for this revelation.
Fact: England Does Not Allow Female Rulers
Women are not allowed to rule over the KINGdom of England. If that were the case, it would not be called the United Kingdom. When King Henry VIII decided to call all his wives and create a new Church of England, he did it because he could not produce a male heir. For some reason, his homunculi did not carry the Y chromosome so he had a bunch of female homuncs swimming around in his gonads. This is probably from all that inbreeding.
If you look at the Queen of England above, you would think ‘regal’ and ‘noble’, but if you squint your eyes and really analyze, you would think “Mrs. Doubtfire”. The Queen’s favorite musicians are gay. Elton John has been elevated to Sir Elton John and the country’s most famous band, Queen, was headlined by “Sir Freddie Mercury”, who was oft times seen frequenting the Queen’s bedquarters.
With all their manners and sipping from teacups with fingers extended, loquacious manner and perfect mastery of accented English, all the fine fabrics and stiff, dry, ironic humor, the entire nation of Britain has always had gay tendency. And how could they have anything else, if their leader is actually a “Queen”.
The gays of England will now be able to marry starting in August and expect to see that over 70 – 80% of the population have been veiled gays all these years, and who knows, perhaps the queen will finally reveal that beneath her fancy dresses, she has a Kingly Fleshscepter.
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Drugs Aging. 2001;18(1):45-61.
Antipsychotic medications and the elderly: effects on cognition and implications for use.
Author information
• 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 75390-9101, USA. matt.byerly@utsouthwestern.edu
Despite being frequently prescribed in the elderly, antipsychotic medications are commonly associated with adverse effects in this population, including sedative, orthostatic and extrapyramidal adverse effects. Growing evidence suggests that antipsychotics can also cause deleterious cognitive effects in some elderly patients. Preclinical and growing clinical evidence indicates that inhibitory effects on dopaminergic, cholinergic and histaminergic neurochemical systems may account for antipsychotic-associated cognitive impairment in the elderly. A review of published reports of the cognitive effects of antipsychotics in the elderly suggests that newer antipsychotic medications may possess a more favourable cognitive profile than that of traditional agents in this population. The cognitive effect that a specific antipsychotic will have in the elderly, however, is likely better predicted by considering the pharmacodynamic action of an individual agent in combination with the pathophysiology of the condition being treated. Agents with relatively weak dopamine inhibiting effects (e.g. clozapine and quetiapine), for example, would theoretically have a cognitive profile superior to that of agents with higher degrees of dopaminergic inhibition (all traditional agents, risperidone, olanzapine and ziprasidone) when used for conditions associated with diminished dopamine function (e.g. idiopathic Parkinson's disease). Drugs with weak anticholinergic effects (high-potency traditional agents, risperidone, quetiapine and ziprasidone) would theoretically be less likely to cause cognitive impairment than agents with high degrees of cholinergic receptor blocking actions (clozapine and olanzapine) when treating patients with impaired cholinergic function (e.g. Alzheimer's disease). Cholinergic agonist effects of clozapine and olanzapine may, however, mitigate potential adverse cognitive effects associated with the cholinergic blocking actions of these agents. Large, rigorous trials comparing the cognitive effects of antipsychotics with diverse pharmacodynamic actions are lacking in the elderly and are needed.
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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A self-regulating free market economy (primarily by voluntary consumer groups), including support of the right to keep and bear arms, opposition to drug prohibition, and elimination of the state-supported social welfare system and indeed all taxation for voluntary alternatives along lines of the Libertarian originated Alaska Permanent Fund.
Strong civil liberties including free speech, freedom of association, sexual freedom, and a foreign policy of free trade, non-interventionism, and opposition to the initiation of force (particularly military) to attain goals.
Total opposition to any and all forms of gun control at all levels of government. Libertarians state that their platform follows from consistent application of the principle of mutual respect for rights, and the liberty of exercise thereof, and thus are deeply interested in of individual liberty as a pre-condition for moral and stable societies. In their "Statement of Principles," they say "We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose." To this end, Libertarians want to reduce the size of government (eliminating many of its current functions entirely), and "support the repeal of all taxation."[1]
liberty statue.jpg
Libertarians reject the view of politics as a one dimensional, left-right spectrum, divided between left and right, with the Democrats representing the center-left or left, and Republicans representing the center-right or right.
To illustrate their view that the one-dimensional view of politics is insufficient to describe the myriad of political philosophies held by the public, Libertarians introduced the Nolan chart to communicate their belief that politics is at least two-dimensional. A variation of the Nolan chart is enhanced by a ten-question poll (five questions dealing with economic issues and five questions dealing with personal freedom issues), which it bills as "The World's Smallest Political Quiz", allowing respondents to determine their political leanings.
Are you a Libertarian?
Take the Quiz to find out.
Among outside political watchers, some consider Libertarians to be conservative (primarily because of their support of the right to bear arms and because of their view on taxes and states rights); while others consider them liberal because of their advocacy of a non-interventionist foreign policy, the repeal of Drug Prohibition, and the elimination of laws that interfere with private consensual acts (such as prostitution and gambling).
US Constitution.jpg
Within the framework of libertarian politics, the Libertarian Party's platform falls roughly in the realm of free market minarchism. The party advocates limiting the government as much as possible, within the confines of the United States Constitution. As in any political party, there is some internal debate about the platform, and not all the party's supporters advocate its complete or immediate implementation, but most think that the USA would benefit from most of the Libertarian Party's proposed changes. However, under a policy known as the Dallas Accord, the national Libertarian Party does not favor any particular approach, leaving individual candidates and other advocates of Libertarian solutions free to determine how that message will be presented.
For more information, please visit LP.org
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Australia may upgrade terror alert like UK
03/07/2007 WIRE: Armed police officers stand on guard outside Scotland Yard, central London Tuesday, July 3, 2007. Britain h...
AUSTRALIA will consider upgrading the nation’s official terror alert after Britain upgraded the risk to “severe” overnight.
What it takes to run a successful bar
What it takes to run a successful bar
JON Taffer is the no-nonsense Obi-Wan of the bar scene, a tough-love guru who schools owners on what they’re doing wrong. Find out how he does it.
Dockers survive late Power surge
FREMANTLE secured fourth spot on the AFL table, outlasting Port Adelaide by eight points in an enthralling contest at Patersons Stadium.
Bill Murray crashes baseball game
Bill Murray crashes baseball game
BILL Murray has made another random public appearance this time moonlighting as a ticket checker at a baseball game. It was awesome.
What is a hot stone massage meant to do?
N5hp115a Alternatives: Hot Stone Massage
CUPPING, scraping, aromatherapy — there seem to be so many versions of massages these days, and a hot stone massage is no exception. But can anything really be gained from putting hot stones on your body?
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Living Solo in the Big City
Erica Horne braces for unexpected expenses as she becomes a homeowner in New York
• Create a budget. Brown cautions that Horne is in a good position but she must be very shrewd with her next financial steps. “She’s in flux because she closed on her apartment but she hasn’t moved in yet,” Brown says. “She got this really good deal with a $67,000 purchase price and her debt is only $1,400 which is not really a problem. She has a 4.1% rate on her mortgage, which is unbelievably low,” says Brown. However, experts agree that Horne must keep track of all expenses and make cash payments for any new homeowner items such as furniture. “She can use free services such as to track spending and use online banking to pay bills and track monthly payments. also imports your bank financial data which makes it easier to create a budget,” says Freeman. “I recommend she delay any major furniture expenses. It’s the easiest way to get into debt by buying such items on credit cards. She should pay cash and buy furnishings in stages instead,” adds Freeman.
• Build an emergency fund. Horne’s savings is now depleted, so Brown and Freeman agree she should rebuild her emergency fund to at least six months of expenses, taking into account the purchase of her home. “She should put at least $400 a month in a savings account,” Freeman recommends. “She should move all the money in her savings account to a higher interest savings account such as ING, Ally Bank, Capital One, or Discover Bank,” adds Freeman.
Brown adds that “she should put her savings in a money market or someplace she can’t touch it so easily, although money markets aren’t paying so much right now. It is still better in a separate account or a short-term CD so you don’t have access to it so easily.” Brown and Freeman agree that Horne should use the $2,000 contest winnings toward her emergency fund.
(Continued on next page)
Pages: 1 2 3 4
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View from the Bridge: 40
by John Morrison
40: Illegal Smiles
There are people in Milltown who don't know what it's like to spend a day without drugs. And you've got to admit that the Christmas holiday is probably not the ideal time to find out. By looking like they're on their way to a fancy-dress party, they make it easy for Dope Dealer to spot them. With his chemical stare, and indiscriminate 'flags of all nations' approach to drug-taking, he needs all the help he can get. Having selflessly road-tested all his wares, he's now blessed with the mental agility of a rocking horse. When he intones his mantra of available hallucinogenics his voice never rises above a parched whisper: "Dope, acid, speed; dope, acid, speed; spinal cord, oxtail, brisket".
The regulars at the Stoic tut-tut disapprovingly. But pious pronouncements about illegal drugs are particularly fatuous at this time of year, when the yardstick for judging the success of Christmas seems to be the amount of brain-shrivelling booze they manage to put away, and the size of the resulting hangover. "I must've had a good time; I can't remember a thing" is the happy conclusion to yet another orgy of over-indulgence.
The regulars at the Stoic will go further, reminding you that alcohol is legal, decent and honest, while cannabis is the spawn of Satan. It must be; it's illegal; it stands to reason. You won't get anywhere by arguing, but since when did that stop anyone? So here's a typical conversational gambit from someone whose drug of choice is alcohol, recorded anonymously during Happy Hour at the Grievous Bodily Arms: "'Ere, who are you fucking looking at? Wanna make something of it?" Compare and contrast with a typical greeting from a confirmed dope smoker: "Hello trees, hello sky". Game, set and match...
Life often seems precarious, like jumping from one slippery ice-floe to another. So it's good to take stock. The dawning of a new year provides a convenient opportunity to re-evaluate what's really important and what's just froth. After the usual roll-call of regrets and disappointments, Milltown folk look forward to 1998.
Willow Woman vows to become more assertive and less reliant on new-age mumbo-jumbo. At least, that's what the Tarot cards seem to be suggesting. Her daughter Sky will continue her fight for endangered species. After all, who else will stand up for nits and head-lice?
Since his ill-fated attempts to create an open-plan home environment, Biker Dave's little house in Hippy Street has lain empty. With the windows boarded up one by one, as Christmas approached, it looked like an advent calendar in reverse. Now it's just a pile of rubble; a light breeze managed the job even before the demolition men could get there. So what Biker Dave wants most for 1998 is a place to live.
The barmaid at the Grievous Bodily Arms is becoming weary of trading shallow sexual encounters for small change. She wants to regain her amateur status, in case sex becomes one of the demonstration sports at the Sydney Olympics. Instead of one-night stands she is looking for a husband: someone tall, dark and hyphenated. Failing that, she'd probably settle for a man with an IQ higher than room temperature.
Local Writer craves literary success. At a recent writers' workshop he was, sadly, the only writer he hadn't heard of. He isn't even a household name in his own home. If he was to have his time over again, he'd think twice before ticking the 'no publicity' box.
Our Tourism Officer is trying to push through a local bylaw compelling the men of Milltown to wear clogs, waistcoats and moleskin trousers, with pinnies and mob-caps for the women. He won't be satisfied until we're all just walk-on characters in theme-park Britain.
Mr Smallholder would like his application rubber-stamped to join the Freemasons and the paramilitary wing of the National Trust. His wife can hardly wait for the January sale at the Twig Shop.
Wounded Man is less acquisitive and more reflective: a sort of spiritual gigolo. "You can't have everything", he acknowledges, "where would you keep it?"
Town Drunk's wish for 1998 is much the same as it was a year ago. He wants a drink.
After yet another tour that has failed to set the musical world alight, the Uncles have decided to reform as a Wurzels tribute band.
The Webmaster of Milltown's own little home on the world wide web is on a crusade. He wants to prove to doubters that the internet isn't, after all, just a cesspit in cyberspace filled with pictures of women having sex with ponies. This is why, in a probably mistaken attempt to go upmarket, the Milltown Web will soon feature women having sex with polo ponies.
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Finding the frequency of an arbitrary, time-varying load
by GoshDarn
Tags: arbitrary, frequency, load, timevarying
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Jan28-13, 04:25 PM
P: 2
Hi everyone,
So I have time-varying force data. The force acts as a concentrated load. The force does not vary periodically/harmonically, it just has a general variation with time. My main question is: How do I determine the corresponding frequency of this force data?
Also, if I'm using MATLAB and I have a data vector of this force's time variation, how do I use MATLAB to determine the corresponding frequency data? Do I use the fft() function?
Any help/insight would be appreciated! Let me know if you need any more details and I will happily provide them.
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Jan28-13, 05:01 PM
P: 11,900
If it is not periodic, it does not have a single frequency.
Do I use the fft() function?
That looks like a Fourier transformation: Good. It will show you the main frequency components of your signal.
Jan28-13, 11:12 PM
P: 2
Thanks for the helpful reply, I appreciate it.
What exactly does fft() give me? For instance, say I define my force vector as V=[2 6 2 9 10 3 . . . .] then plug in fft(V) in MATLAB. What is the physical significance of the resulting numbers? Are they the frequency of the data of the vector?
Basically my goal is to first plot my force as a function of time from the given data, F(t). I have this data so its very easy. Then I want to plot the force as a function of its frequency, F(f) using a Fourier transform. How do I do this?
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you need my to provide more info.
Jan29-13, 06:10 AM
P: 11,900
Finding the frequency of an arbitrary, time-varying load
What exactly does fft() give me?
Check the documentation?
The mathematical interpretation of a Fourier transformation (FT): If you see a peak at some value x, your data has an oscillating signal with a frequency of x. If you see multiple peaks (or even some broad distribution), you have multiple different oscillations in your signal at the same time (or chaos).
How do I do this?
Should be somewhere in the manual.
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Exclusively in the new print issue of CounterPunch
Immigration (for Jews), Israeli Style
The Promised Land
When it comes to immigration, the pro-labor camp finds itself in an awkward position. How can it choose between workers who are citizens and workers who are not? But Israel, which, like this country, is also a country of immigrants, has shown that immigration does not have to involve a choice. On the contrary, good policies immigration can be an asset that benefits all members in society, new immigrants as well as old-timers.
Of course, Israel’s immigration policies were established for all the wrong reasons and the goal of these policies remains changing the racial composition of Israel and the occupied territories. But it is this very goal that forced Israel to establish policies that cause all classes of (Jewish) society to support immigration.
What makes Israel a laboratory for the study of immigration policies is the size of its immigration. In the U.S., 39% of the population growth in the years 1990-2004 was due to immigration; in Israel during the same period 86% of the population growth was due to immigration. Of course, the concern in the U.S. is not about all immigrants, just about illegal immigrants. Labor is concerned that because immigrants come without any assets they are forced to accept whatever low wages are offered to them, driving wages down. Many American taxpayers are concerned that illegal immigrants may need public assistance because of their poverty. In Israel, on the other hand, virtually all of the immigrants are legal. But this is actually not an important difference, because the immigrants who come to Israel are nevertheless extremely poor. Most of them, 80% in the years 1990-2004, come from the former Soviet Union. So how does Israel deal with this influx of destitute immigrants?
The major difference between the U.S. and Israel when it comes to immigration is that while the U.S. government wants to stop economic refugees from coming, the Israeli government wants to encourage Jews to come, regardless of their economic situation. And it is this difference that makes the Israeli policies instructive. The dilemma for Israel is that on the one hand it must treat its immigrants well, or they will stop coming. On other hand, if the government wants the public to support immigration, it cannot afford for its citizens to harbor anti-immigration sentiments, certainly not of the sort that resulted in Proposition 187 in California, for instance. (That proposition called for denying public benefits to illegal immigrants and only an intervention by the courts prevented it from becoming law.) The Israeli solution to its dilemma is the mother of all paradoxes: How does the Israeli government make its citizens welcome these destitute immigrants? By showering the immigrants with generous public assistance.
Jews who immigrate to Israel receive welfare for 18 months, which in Israel is not called welfare but "Assured Income." In addition, immigrants get subsidized mortgages if they wish to buy apartments and rental subsidies for five years if they wish to rent. Immigrants can also get free vocational training, and grants are given to university students. Finally, free health insurance is available to all immigrants for six months.
But perhaps this is less paradoxical than it seems. What these public benefits do in the first place is to stop the immigrants from accepting, out of desperation, wages that are too low. Such low wages would make not only the immigrants themselves poor, it would also push everyone else’s wages down. The vocational courses make the immigrants more productive and push their wages even higher. Second, because these immigrants are given ample means with which to buy or rent homes and the many other commodities that immigrants need, their arrival gives the Israeli economy a serious boost, one that benefits all Israelis. Of course, taxpayers do pay for these benefits. But the burden of the immigration is borne by the entire Israeli population, instead of by a select group"by lower wage workers"as is the case in this country. And in the end, the expense proves not to be a burden but instead a good investment, since once the immigratns start working they are in position to pay back much more than they have received.
In the U.S., the debate about immigration pits the camp that sees immigrants as destitute people who deserve sympathy against the camp that sees immigrants as competitors in the lower wage labor markets. The Israeli experience shows that immigrants do not have to be either pitied or loathed. With the right policies, what,s good for immigrants can be good for old timers as well. This is a trick worth learning and applying, not only to immigrants but to low wage workers in general.
MOSHE ADLER is the director of Public Interest Economics, an economic consulting firm and I teach economics in the department of urban planning at Columbia. He can be reached at ma820@columbia.edu or through my website: www.columbia.edu/~ma820
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Senior in the Spotlight: Leah Franklin
April 5, 2012
Traer Star-Clipper
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Paris, because it would be so pretty with the Eifel Tower, lights, shopping places and last but not least the food!
Going to University of Northern Iowa to get my degree in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education.
The career I want to pursue is Early Childhood Education or elementary education anything that has to do with children.
Who is the most influential person in your life and why?
Jennifier Wang. She is an awesome person and has taught me so much about anything and everything. I know I can trust her with anything and always have fun.
What is your favorite memory from your experiences at North Tama?
My favorite memory would be all my different experiences and dances we did for dance team it will be the thing I miss the most!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Graduated from college with a stable job, hopefully married and possibly a kid.
My favorite class I have taken would be leadership it was a fun group, we did a lot of real-life situation activities and was very beneficial and was a fun class group to be in.
What quote do you live by and why?
"Everyday that goes by you don't have to do again and don't get to do it again, so do it right!" I like this quote because it whether or not you want to redo the day again you don't get to so make the most of opportunities while you can.
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Appreciation of Ronald Coase
Michael Giberson
• Johnsons simply suffer occasional pesticide drift and attendant costs.
• Johnsons return to conventional farming on their property.
• Johnsons sell and relocate their organic farm elsewhere.
Michael Giberson
Michael Giberson
What is this marvel, you ask? I answer, ”Rush to Drill for Natural Gas Creates Conflicts With Mortgages.”
[NOTE: For additional commentary on Urbina's NYT reporting on natural gas fracking, none of it laudatory, see this search of the KP archives.]
A Coasian look at pesticide and genetic drift
Michael Giberson
Coase, legal liability, and pesticide drift
Lynne Kiesling
Here’s a bit more about the fact pattern:
Reversing the Seaway Pipeline
Michael Giberson
Demsetz discusses Coase’s mistake on Pigou and social costs
Michael Giberson
Last summer, Harold Demsetz spoke at the Property and Environment Research Center on Ronald Coase’s big mistake in “The Problem of Social Cost.” PERC has just posted the video.
Harold Demsetz lecturing on Coase's mistake in "The Problem of Social Cost."
The article he is presenting is, “Fallacies in the Economic Doctrine of Externalities,” but I bet in the written article he doesn’t say, “what the hell is a court doing in this model?” (at least not in those words).
Demsetz notes that his title is a nod toward Frank Knight’s 1924 response to Pigou, “Some Fallacies in the Interpretation of Social Cost.”
Ronald Coase interview
Michael Giberson
Interview with Ronald Coase, on the occasion of the establishment of the Coase China Society, an effort to stimulate study and application of Coase’s ideas in China. Interview conducted by Wang Ning, a student of Coase’s now teaching at Arizona State University and co-author with Coase of the book How China Became Capitalist.
HT to Paul Walker of Anti-Dismal.
A few selections illustrating Coase’s views on Coasean economics, experimentation and institutional reform, and where Hayek had a good point:
WN: You mentioned many times that you do not like the term, “Coasean economics”, and prefer to call it simply the “right economics” or “good economics”. What separates the good from bad, the right from wrong?
RC: The bad or wrong economics is what I called the “blackboard economics”. It does not study the real world economy. Instead, its efforts are on an imaginary world that exists only in the mind of economists, for example, the zero-transaction cost world.
Ideas and imaginations are terribly important in economic research or any pursuit of science. But the subject of study has to be real.
WN: The second question many Chinese have in mind for you is, what you think other countries can learn from the Chinese experience of market transformation? Is there any general lesson to be learned from the China model?
RC: I don’t know. You don’t know what you can learn until you try to learn.
WN: I think this point is critically important. If I understood correctly, you are saying that learning from China or any other example is not like learning from a book or cooking recipe, but more like learning by doing. If the Chinese economic reform is an experiment, learning from China remains an experiment. Different countries will learn different things even if they learn from the same model.
RC: Exactly. What we do is all experiment.
RC: Nothing guarantees success. Given human fallibility, we are bound to make mistakes all the time.
WN: So the question is how we can learn from experiments at minimal cost. Or, how could we structure our economy and society in such a way that collective learning can be facilitated at a bearable price?
RC: That’s right. Hayek made a good point that knowledge was diffused in society and that made central planning impossible.
WN: The diffusion of knowledge creates another social problem: conflict between competing ideas. To my knowledge, only people fight for ideas (religious or ideological), only people are willing to die for their ideas. The animal world might be bloody and uncivilized. But animals, as far as we know, do not fight over ideas.
RC: That’s probably right. That’s why we need a market for ideas. Ideas can compete; people with different ideas do not need to slaughter each other.
Cole on Coase and cattle
Michael Giberson
Arizona is re-thinking its open range law. Dan Cole, blogging at Law, Economics & Cycling, is reminded of Ronald Coase (and specifically Robert Ellickson’s law review article “Of Coase and Catttle“). Cole summarizes the situation:
Arizona is an “open range” state, which means that cattle can roam at will. Ranchers do not have to fence them in (but they are responsible for collecting wandering cattle) neighbors must fence them out. From a Coasean point of view, roaming cattle and the harm they cause constitutes a joint-cost problem created by both cattle ranchers and neighbors. The chief solution to the problem is for someone to build a fence. The chief question is: who should have to bear the costs of building and maintaining fences. Ultimately, what “open range” laws do, by insulating cattle ranchers from liability (though not as much as the ranchers might believe) for trespassing cattle, is to allocate the costs of fencing out to the neighbors. The fight going on now in Arizona is about changing the law from “fencing out” to “fencing in,” which would basically just reallocate the costs to the cattle ranchers.
The issue is more complicated than who pays for damages to vegetable gardens inflicted by wandering cows. An important current issue in Arizona is car-cattle collisions. Under “open range” rules, the driver may be liable to damage to the cow, whereas with a “closed range” rule the rancher may be liable to damage to the vehicle.
Cole offers some additional detail and nuance, so go read his post.
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Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music is one of my favorite albums of the year. "Reagan" has a great, El-P-produced beat. But it's also especially timely in this election year.
In the track, Mike spits venomous criticisms at not just Ronald Reagan, but the last five presidents. The meaning of the song is best explained by the rapper himself:
Regardless of your political views, it's a great song—one that makes you really listen to the lyrics. [iTunes, Spotify, Amazon]
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Almost all online writing workshops/classes/programs websites have scores of testimonials from students. It is very difficult to understand whether these really are students or paid testimonials. So, do online writing classes really help improve writing skills?
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I think it depends on what you're looking for. People take writing classes for several reasons: to receive instruction from a teacher; to meet other writers; to have your work critiqued by a group; to be part of a community of like-minded souls.
So let's break down the answers according to those motivations.
Let's say at the outset that you should choose where to take your class based on the qualifications of the institution. It might be affiliated with a "real" as well as a virtual organization, such as New York Writers Workshop or Gotham. Or it might be affiliated with a major magazine, such as Writer's Digest. If you choose to take an online class, make sure it's with a well known, reputable outfit, and with teachers who have credentials in the kind(s) of writing they teach.
Now for the wanting to receive instruction from a teacher motivation. The way online classes often work is that you have a set amount of time to correspond one-on-one with your teacher, the teacher will read and comment on assignments, and be available during the time of the class.
There are limitations to electronic communication (lack of facial expression, tone of voice, etc.) but there are also advantages to it (people sometimes communicate more clearly in writing) so whether a virtual or physical classroom works best is largely an individual matter. If you're looking for critique and feedback about your work, I'd say that the skill of the teacher matters a lot more than whether you meet face to face or not. However, skill is sometimes more quickly assessed in person--several weeks can go by in an online setting before you know if you and the teacher really "jell".
Moving on to meeting other writers...in physical workshops, the interaction often continues after the class has ended, with members of the group meeting up in a coffee shop to keep workshopping and talking. This is harder to accomplish with an online class, in part because knowing whom you click with can be harder to assess. But it has been done with online classes creating Yahoo groups to continue the interaction.
Group critique is often the most valuable part of taking a writing class--and it's always a hard thing to get, at least when you're talking about good group critique. Some people will have edits to offer no matter what, even if a piece is working well--they're editors and that's what they do. Some people will praise everything; others will dislike everything. Finding people who can really tap into your intent as writer and figure out where your piece hits it or goes awry is like finding gold in the California gold rush. You're as likely to find such people in an online class as a physical one--but without the extra chatting and interaction that happens in a "real" class it can take longer to figure out who's who.
The writers community stuff is basically answered by the above. There are online communities that are at least as stable and long-lasting as physical ones. They can offer support, interaction, an exchange of ideas, and inspiration. The chance that any one class will lead to such a community is small--but so is the chance that one physical class will.
In short, if you're someone who is comfortable online, doesn't require the subtleties of physical interaction, and you can find an excellent outfit, online classes can provide instruction, critique, and even some fellow writers to meet.
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I'm a big supporter of any kind of online writing community. Classes give you a chance to meet others, work with experts, and it gives you deadline pressure to write (which a lot of writers benefit from).
I have provided my top five suggested online writing classes in a post on my blog.
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welcome: I assume the blog linked in the post is yours? If so, please state your affiliation in the text of the post per our policy. Note that unless your blog is directly related to the question it won't be viewed kindly by our community. If it is occasionally posted as a pertinent answer then it will be more kindly viewed. – justkt Mar 25 '11 at 16:45
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As long as you have someone who advises you, and get to write a lot, it will help. Further expanding on the question: You can only get so far with only theory or only practice; theory is necessary: it helps you write in certain ways expressly to create effect. Practice is also necessary: it helps you exercise the mindset you need to write. So the best would be to work with a tutor, write whatever assignments you get and then some more, presenting the assignments and the extra work to the tutor. They can then advise you on things you have done that might not be covered by the tutoring program, or that weren't directly treated in the normal course of the tutoring, thus helping you get farther, faster.
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iajrz: You should add your commentary to the body of your answer. – Robert Cartaino Feb 7 '11 at 22:17
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Short answer: online writing workshops can be helpful, if you're careful to chose a good one, and if your level of writing and professionalism is in the same rough vicinity as the course. Additionally, almost any workshop has the immediate bonuses of A) encouraging you to write regularly, and B) getting some feedback on your work (though it might not necessarily be helpful feedback). Those are nice bonuses, but often easy to find elsewhere.
Let me expand on those.
Obviously you want a good workshop. You're quite right about testimonials being unreliable - they could be outright fakes, or lacking context, or from people whose opinion you wouldn't respect. So how do you find a good one?
• Look for recommendations (or condmenations) on other websites.
• See if the site seems professionally managed and designed; basically if it seems respectable.
• Read the terms and rules, and consider whether the format and process of the workshop seem appealing, reasonable, and/or helpful.
• If it's a program costing money, consider that the more it costs - the more discussion and recognition of it you should, in theory, be able to find about it elsewhere.
(Personally, I've had a very good experience with Critters.)
Let's talk about appropriate level.
• You want criticism that's better (more knowledgable; more professional) than what you could get by passing your writing around among your friends. So: not amateurs, and not even writers who know significantly less about writing and critiquing than you do.
• If critiquing peers' work is a major component, you want to be in the right league to be able to give helpful criticism. So: jumping in with writers you see as way, way better than you might be problematic.
• Consider, when choosing, how ready you are to deal with criticism. Some places (e.g. Critters) make a point of being very gentle, polite, and constructive. A lot of professionals, though, will prefer not to expend effort in couching their criticism kindly or elaborately. They'll assume you can receive criticism professionally and (relatively) objectively; they won't explain every reference they make. They may seem curt, dismissive or even brutal. Professional criticism can be flabbergastingly helpful - but only if you're really ready to take criticism so harsh it hurts; otherwise it may only get you needlessly upset or depressed.
Finally, the bonuses - the very framework of a steady stream of feedback is, for many people, an encouraging, helpful one. This means the group doesn't have to teach you how to write (although it might); it may be enough that it encourages you to put more effort and polish into your writing. And writing is, of course, the best way to learn how to write. So this should be a serious consideration. On the other hand, a workshop can require a lot of effort, and possibly wading through a lot of unhelpful commentary and uninteresting manuscripts. Feedback and persistence can be had elsewhere; workshops are very good sources for them, but hardly exclusive ones.
Oh, and one last important note - one significant bonus you can get from workshops is to hone your own critiquing skills. That's a huge benefit, because it lets you see for yourself what works well and doesn't, and gives you lots of experience editing and suggesting revisions - all of which applies wonderfully to your own work forever after.
I hope these are helpful considerations in deciding whether a workshop can be helpful to you, and which one. Best of luck!
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I'm an online tutor. I don't know that online writing classes "do" help improve writing skills, but I know they can. It's a matter of finding a tutor who is not only skilled, but compatible with your personality. Of course you must decide that for yourself.
You should understand that testimonials are NOT always reliable. Many are paid for and many are selected for their laudatory content. No tutor in his/her right mind would post a negative testimonial. Right? You should also have an idea of what your weaknesses are and you should ask for help specifically on that subject. If you don't know your weaknesses, a good tutor should ask for a sample of your writing and then point out where he/she thinks you need help before you commit.
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You won't like this answer: It depends.
First: I've never taken a online class. But I know a German online teacher, who led his students to bestsellers. I know this, because the German writing magazines reported on his online course. Yes, now you have to trust the magazines, but well ...
Besides that you should inform yourself about the courses from different sources, it also depends on yourself and how the course is organised. During the above mentioned class, you start writing your novel and send the pieces to the teacher, he revises, sends it back, repeat.
There are a lot of authors out there, who would never show their work in progress to someone else. Not their agent, not their editor, not their spouse. So, not only must the teacher be reputable, his kind of teaching must fit with your kind of writing. Good luck searching.
I asked this question myself. But I gave up researching and continued to write. For me it's a much better writing class.
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UK sees 10th case of mysterious, SARS-linked virus
Mon, 02/11/2013 - 11:00am
The Associated Press
British officials have found the world's 10th known case of coronavirus, a mysterious disease related to SARS and first identified last year.
The patient, a U.K. resident who had been in the Middle East and Pakistan, is in the intensive care unit of a Manchester hospital, according to a statement Monday from Britain's Health Protection Agency.
In past cases, patients' symptoms have included acute breathing problems and kidney failure.
There is no proof the virus spreads easily between humans, but experts suspect humans can catch it from animals such as bats or camels.
All the previous cases have had links to the Middle East, but last year, the World Health Organization said the virus was probably more widespread.
It recommended countries test anyone with unexplained pneumonia for the virus.
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Does It Get Any Easier...
...Knowing the boy I love more than anyone is out there fighting for me in Afghanistan is so amazing but scary. I miss him so much. Is there any way to get over it? I don't know how long he'll be gone... but I love him so I'm trying to deal... ughhhhh:( Help?
I stayed up all night last night watching Dear John, Crying. I feel pathetic, but I cant help missing him with every fiber of my being
HisArmyGf HisArmyGf 16-17, F 9 Responses Jul 7, 2010
Your Response
hang in there!!! Its hard I know but it will be worth it!!!
Oh try and stay strong girly! I don't know what to say that can help. But I'll be in your boat here in a few months. :/ I'm trying to deal with it early so that it isn't as hard when he is gone. But we'll see! Feel free to message me if you ever need to talk!
lol Oh believe me girl, I know everything there is about "amazing" and "scary". I mean, the boys and girls are out there doing their thing is one...and fighting for each other is another! If anything that I've learned from the army is that your buddy will always have your back, so your baby is in good hands. I found what help me not to worry so much when my guy was in Afghanistan...was to keep a journal at hand and to write everything out. The thing about you and I is that when he left we weren't really a couple (I wrote my experience out; it's on my profile) and because we weren't a couple, I cried a lot because I didn't know if I was waiting on nothing or on something. So I think it's awesome that you are in a relationship. However, getting over it isn't quite as possible doncha think? You think about him a lot, worry, and wonder what he's up to. But he's also thinking the same thing. Know that he's thinking of you also, wonders what you're up to and worries because his job isn't the easiest! If I can leave you with any piece of advice, it would be that communication is key, writing your thoughts out helps to alleviate some pain, and to keep yourself busy so that your pretty face isn't in tears.
If you need anymore advice, I am just a message away. =)
haha cute(:
Haha me and Leo will probably just cuddle and kiss an talk during it(: it's just probably going to be an act for my parents
We tried also to watch this. We love each other to death but it's not a guy movie for sure and it's not my thing either. It is a good movie. It's just not one that I would normally watch or ever watch again
lol my guy and I watched. Lol, we found out we're not into sappy movies like that
It's one of mine too, when he gets a break I'm going to make him watch it with me. When he's on break's or on leave, I'll be with him every second
dear john is jake and i's favorite movie
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This section will point you towards deals that you can use to buy certain goods and services, including ICT, temporary staff, energy and food. Links to each of the categories can be found in these pages.
Where we do not show a specific deal, the 'Where to buy goods and services' table on this page shows the suggested buying route for all types of goods and services.
Please note that Pro5 now have a central contracts database which contains all of their contracts in one place.
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The Ab-Trainer Diet
Lukas Prokes admits he has a sweet tooth. Here's how he has his cupcakes and keeps that washboard belly too
Lukas' meal plan is based on eating small portions throughout the day. "It speeds up your metabolism," he says. "If you don't eat for a long time, your body thinks is starving, so it stores fat." His rule: To build and sustain muscle, eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily.
Breakfast #1 (eaten upon waking): 5 spoonfuls vanilla yogurt with bananas, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries and 1 scoop of whey protein (25 g of protein to a scoop), mixed altogether.
Breakfast #2 (about an hour later): 4/5 egg whites on 2 slices whole-wheat protein bread (6 g protein in 2 slices); green tea or OJ
10 a.m.: Protein bar with 32 g protein
Lunch: Sandwich, typically turkey on protein bread; spinach salad; protein shake. Lukas says, "I don't eat red meat, but luckily I like fish and chicken."
Mid-afternoon snack: Protein bar with 32 g protein
Late-afternoon snack: Another sandwich (similar to the above).
Dinner: Chicken breast with brown rice; cupcake
See Also:
The Ab-Trainer Workout
Trainer Spotlight: Lukas Prokes
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Three supplements you should be taking but probably aren’t.
One of the over-arching subjects in this part of the sphere that everyone writes about is the importance of taking care of your health. Men write about juicing, lifting heavy weights and all different types of ways to keep yourself in good health. What’s not written about a lot is the importance of nutritional supplementation in keeping yourself healthy even if you live a lifestyle like I do that has a large amount of fine spirits and good tobacco added into it.
Now I’ll admit, I keep myself in pretty good shape. But, I like my whisky, cigarettes and cigars. Given I have a lot of free time on my hands being that my avocation is this blog, that gives me plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of our ancestor’s labor inventing things like fine bourbon and shade raised tobacco. But being somewhat on the low side of middle-aged, I realize that if I don’t take care of myself, my indulgences might have some effects on my health.
Enter nutritional supplementation.
This is the nirvana of health for someone who lives a lifestyle like mine. For less than $100.00 a month, given that you don’t have fucked up genetics, you can live a healthy life, never get sick and keep your weight and body mass where you want it by taking a few nutritional supplement pills a day.
Thing about it is, nobody knows what these supplements are. Well grasshopper, I do and there’s only three that you need to take every day that will ensure that you never get the cold or flu again, will prevent you from ever contracting cancer, will ensure that you are never hungover again and will help you regulate your body weight no matter your diet as long as you’re not eating twinkies for every meal.
#1. CoQ10: This supplement falls completely under the radar for reasons that evade me. From WebMD which is a complete tool for the elites but sometimes posts a little bit of truth:
What they don’t post is that your body is only able to synthesize CoQ10 from what is in your food which is CoQ until you’re between 18 to 20 years of age. After that your ability to synthesize the end enzyme goes drastically downhill. Here’s Wikipedia’s explanation of what CoQ inability to synthesize does to the body. It’s been posited that the inability of the body to synthesize CoQ10 from natural sources in food is the main mechanism in aging and given my research, I don’t have a good reason to disagree. This shit isn’t cheap however; expect to spend around thirty dollars a month on a nice high daily dose of it. But given that I like my healthy body as it is, it’s worth it.
#2. Resveratrol: This is the shit that is the main active ingredient in red wine which is the reason the French have some of the lowest rates of cancer in the world given that they drink that stuff breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know what I mean. Last time I was there, I was too buzzed to go to work after my omelet and bacon breakfasts and had to cut back. Unfortunately, it would take about five bottles of the wine stuff a day for me to see the health benefits given that I really like bourbon so supplementation is the only way to get enough of the real compound. It works though, my skin lesions went away after a couple of weeks given that I spend a lot of time passed out on the beach in a really comfortable lawn chair. Kind of expensive too but like I said, we’re looking at under a hundred a month, and this one fills the bill.
#3. Vitamin D3: This is the most important supplement and generally the most economical one to purchase. If you can’t afford CoQ10 or resveratrol, purchase this one. This supplement will ensure that you’ll never get a cold or the flu and will make sure that most infections will be unable to get a hold of your immune system. There’s only one thing that you have to make sure of and that’s what you purchase must have at the very least a dosage of 5,000 international units. Anything less is a waste of money and if you can afford it, double it. There’s a lot of misinformation about vitamin D including from your doctor, but ignore it all. I’ve been taking 10,000 I.U’s for nearly a decade and haven’t had a cold or flu for that entire time.
Given that I live a life that is devoted to having as much pleasure as I can possibly squeeze in, being as healthy as I can is something that is a necessity. Most people don’t know about the nutritional supplements that can help you live that type of life, so I thought that I would write about what I do to stay healthy and able to live my life the way I want to.
Time for another drink. And a cigar.
29 thoughts on “Three supplements you should be taking but probably aren’t.
1. Every morning, I take 5,000 mcg of D3, 4 uni-liver pills, and a men’s daily multi-vitamin. I’ve been thinking of adding some b12, but the liver pills and multi-vitamin both contain it.
How does that regimen sound? I also drink 10-30 beers a day and smoke a cigarette per beer. I never get sick and I’m in great shape.
2. Check into magnesium. It has mostly disappeared from our food because of depleted soil yet it is absolutely vital for all functions (e.g. you need it to produce ATP – energy). Deficiency is linked with muscle pain, anxiety, and PMS in women. Also, you need magnesium to metabolize D3.
Also, concerning resveratrol: the “red pill” explanation for the French’s low heart desease rate is the high amount of saturated fat they eat (like French cheeses), not just that they drink a lot of wine!
• That’s true but taking resveratrol can’t hurt either. I get a pretty hefty dose of magnesium from my multi-vite so I didn’t add that one.
• Would very much agree with that, also if you are at all inclined toward constipation taking a few hundred mg’s of this a day will cure that. But try to get the citrate/malate versions as just Mg oxide will really clean out your system if you take too much of it.
• Same thing with too much vitamin C, it acts as a natural laxative as I found out a few times taking the powdered non acid version. Cleaned out is an understatement.
3. Once you are too old to take CoQ10, just take ubiquinol. It is the same thing as CoQ10 but it can be synthesized by older people. It may be more than you like but, the brand from Life Extension Foundation or from that loon (well meaning and intelligent though he may be) Dr. Mercola. Maybe you can find some other brand to your liking?
• Ubiquinone is only a partially reduced state of CoQ10, as it is only at the oxidization state. Ubiquinol is the thrid and final state of a fully reduced form of the co-enzyme so yes, it is much more bioavailable for people over 25. Normally, your body would have to do the work of reducing CoQ10 to this level but if you ingest the byproduct itself then you don’t have to worry about it.
4. I call bullshit on the Resveratrol. It’s not the fruity bullshit from the wine that makes those French healthy, it’s the moderate regular consumption of alcohol. If you even look at the ads for Resveratrol, they admit whatever good results they obtained were on earth worms and go on to say “we think the same effect can happen with humans.”
5. hmm, intriguing post, will look into these further, I’m only 28 and really healthy but always looking for an advantage, did not realise it but my vitamin supplement doesnt include D3
• Most don’t and in my experience it’s the most important one. If you get plenty of sun it’s not that big a deal but if you don’t, supplementation is necessary. Why do you think skin cancer rates went through the roof when the media started recommending sunscreens on a regular basis?
6. Are you sure about the D3 dosage? All I could find were 400 UI tablets, which means I should be taking 25 a day, doesn’t seem normal or cheap.
• Even Wal-Mart sells 5000 IU supplements per pill that are inexpensive. If you have a Sam’s membership, you can get them in 10,000 IU gelcaps. At Sam’s you can get a three month supply for less than twenty bucks. I don’t know where you’re located but you should be able to find 5000 IU tabs pretty easy.
7. What would you suggest for 20 years old?
All three?
Do you get them online? It might be easier to get some stuff while I’m in Europe, without FDAA bullshit.
• Yep, all three, you can’t start too early and from my experience in Europe they are pretty easy to get in the grocery stores and pharmacies. Plus they have some of the best vitamin C and multi fizzy oral vitamins that I’ve ever bought.
8. Howdy,
Swanson Vitamins is where I get most of my supplements. They have D-3 in 2000 IU sizes, ubiquinol and resveratol in various sizes and strengths.
9. What would you say is a good dose of the CoQ10? I’m definitely going to buy some D3 and am thinking about the CoQ10. Great article, thanks.
• Thank you Eli and in my opinion as large a dose of CoQ10 that you can afford everyday is what you want to purchase. There are no toxicity risks from it and I myself take 400mg per day.
10. I just got a bottle of D3 5000 IU today! Now I just gotta work on swallowing these softgels…
11. Pingback: The Definitive Guide To Nutrition For Men
12. Pingback: North Carolina
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The Myanmar Times
Saturday, 08 March 2014
The Myanmar Times
The Myanmar Times
Public is ‘waiting to see’ what the NLD can do for them: MP
Daw Phyu Phyu Thin campaigns in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township during the lead-up to the April 1, 2012, by-elections. (Yadanar/The Myanmar Times)Daw Phyu Phyu Thin campaigns in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township during the lead-up to the April 1, 2012, by-elections. (Yadanar/The Myanmar Times)
Daw Phyu Phyu Thin was one of 43 members of the National League for Democracy elected in the April 1, 2012, by-election to serve in parliament. She now represents Yangon’s Mingalar Taung Nyunt township in the Pyithu Hluttaw. The Myanmar Times spoke with her on December 19 about her experiences during her first six months in Nay Pyi Taw.
What were your experiences serving as a member of parliament (MP) this year?
I had observed the hluttaw sessions before I became an MP, and as far as I could tell most people in Myanmar were not interested in the hluttaw before the National League for Democracy (NLD) won seats in the by-election. They didn’t even pay attention to what the politicians in parliament were talking about, but after the NLD got in, their interest grew. This is because they elected NLD members to become MPs, and now they are waiting to see what we can do for them. But their expectations totally depend on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The people want to see change so they have very high expectations from her. This is what I’ve seen both before and after I became an MP.
I have heard that MPs talk to the voters about what they have heard and what is happening in the hluttaw after each session, but can you say that the MPs really listen to the concerns of the people and take them to the hluttaw?
MPs have great responsibilities from voters not only from their own constituencies but also from other areas. Now we have a lot of conflict around the country, which is why all the NLD MPs have a meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after every hluttaw session to talk about current issues. Daw Suu encourages us to not only to spend time in the hluttaw, but also to get out and meet with the people we represent. She also told us that, if possible, we should not bring everything back to the hluttaw but we should try to solve these issues ourselves, especially complaints about crime and municipal-related issues. We also meet with officials from government offices after the hluttaw sessions to solve the people’s issues, if necessary. And we also meet with the people to explain what is happening in the hluttaw. We can solve most of their problems by working closely with officials, and avoid bringing the issues to the hluttaw. Having said that, in the coming year I will have some questions to bring to the hluttaw.
What kind of questions will you take to Nay Pyi Taw during the next session?
They will be related to legal affairs and transportation issues. But we will also be busy with budget issues in the next session because it is the budget season.
What are the weaknesses and strengths of being an MP?
For many years we were living under a dictatorship, so we were very far away from hluttaw politics. But I have noticed that even during this time of first steps towards democracy, the hluttaw sessions are becoming more and more active. This year we have been able to debate issues such as the farm land law and education reform, so we have been able to work for the people. By getting involved in the hluttaw, I feel that I am able to tell others what the people want. On the other hand, the sessions are very long and we MPs have a lot of things to do outside the hluttaw, so sometimes it’s hard to be patient. But the next session will be short and we will be able to get to the point of the discussions more quickly because the ministries and the MPs now work in better harmony with one another.
I noticed that Dr Myat Nyarna Soe, an ex-member of the National Democratic Force who switched to the NLD, was very active and asked many questions in previous sessions, but is now very silent. You also have asked fewer questions in the hluttaw recently. Why has this happened?
One of the reasons is that there are already a lot of questions and bills before the hluttaw, and even if we don’t raise the questions ourselves we are still involved in the debate sessions. There are also committees to solve specific issues in the hluttaws, so don’t need to ask all of our questions directly in each session.
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When a teacher dislikes your child--what do you do?
(30 Posts)
Bride1 Tue 20-Nov-12 11:46:51
Have name-changed for this one, but am regular!
My 14-year-old daughter has a problem with a PE teacher. She plays in a team and this lady, new this year, seems to dislike her very strongly. We are not sure exactly why or when it started. But it came to a head when my daughter queried her position in the team at a match last weekend. She says she was at pains to ask the question very politely, and the query had actually arisen because the position my daughter was given was in direct contradiction to what the teacher had told her she ought to be playing. The teacher explained and said that everything would be changing again in the team anyway, the match was shortly to start, so my daughter was keen to get warming up and said 'OK, good'. As she walked away, the teacher shouted at her, 'What did you just say to me?' Daughter repeated. She was told off for being rude. A little stunned, she retreated. Later on she came across the teacher and started to apologise if she had sounded rude, she hadn't meant to. The teacher blanked her. The team bibs were given out and one of them accidentally fell into the mud and became dirty. The teacher gave it to my daughter and told her she could have that one. She played well in the match, really throwing herself into the game although she was in the position she'd been told wasn't ideal for her.
We told our daughter to turn up at the next training session and continue to be polite, willing and keen. But every time she addressed a remark to the teacher,or answered a question, the teacher apparently blanked her. She is one of the stronger players on this team, but feels she is picked on and criticised constantly.
I was keen for her to try and resolve this herself but I am wondering whether she needs to talk to the teacher herself or the head of sport, or her head of year. Or whether we should have a word? Clearly something has gone wrong. My daughter is very organised and perhaps comes across as being too keen. But the way the teacher is responding to the issue isn't really helping them to improve the relationship. I don't want my daughter to get fed up and jack in the sport, as it is one she has worked hard on for some years, attending camps in the holidays, etc, and pretty well the only sport she is in a team for. We have never been told by any other teacher in this school or her primary school that she has been rude, though she is not the kind of person to take what is said by anyone as The Word if she doesn't understand it or it doesn't make sense.
What should we do?
InNeedOfBrandy Tue 20-Nov-12 11:51:14
My jerk reaction is to go up the school and demand this teacher behaves professionally. I understand every teacher will have the odd pupil that grates them up the wrong way but I would expect they keep it to themselves and maintain a professional relationship with pupil.
I would be hopping mad and shouting my head off so I'm sure someone else will have really good advice.
Bride1 Tue 20-Nov-12 11:52:54
Thank you. I was wondering whether I was being over-sensitive!
InNeedOfBrandy Tue 20-Nov-12 11:58:47
I do in a slightly weird way think it's good character building for a dc to realise not everyone likes them, but this is bullying and really unprofessional.
I think first send an email to head of year/head teacher in a clear concise non blame way explaining whats going on and how this is making dd feel. See what happens then if you are not satisfied make an appointment and be more forceful.
you are not being over sensitive.
Bride1 Tue 20-Nov-12 12:00:09
Thank you--yes, half of me thinks children need to learn to work with difficult people , but there is a line here.
poozlepants Tue 20-Nov-12 12:24:49
Having suffered from a teacher who didn't like me when I was at secondary school I can sympathise. Personally I just stuck my head down and got on with it because I was painfully shy and it is very difficult to prove a teacher dislikes you. Apparently I was too smart for my own good.
If your daughter is confident enough she should speak to the teacher herself and tell her that her parents have said that she should talk to her and ask what the problem is and see where it goes. This might be enough for the teacher to back off if she thinks you know. If it carries on I would organise a meeting between your daughter, yourself and the teacher in question. Explain to her that your DD is upset that things are going so badly and ask with a sweet smile on your face if there is a problem. Bullies tend to back down if confronted and if you're involved she may be wary to cause any more fuss. If you make a huge deal she will more than likely say your daughter is a cheeky madam and things will get worse.
Bride1 Tue 20-Nov-12 12:27:35
Thanks for those suggestions, poozlepants.
DioneTheDiabolist Tue 20-Nov-12 12:33:40
I suffered this at secondary school. It made my last 2years of school awful and I just gave up.sad
I think it would have helped if my parents had spoken to the teacher and made it clear that although he didn't like me, they expected him to be professional enough to overcome this and get on with the job he was paid for: my education.
boschy Tue 20-Nov-12 19:31:18
I started a thread in this section asking for drama teachers' opinions - might be helpful? think it included 'any drama teachers about' in the title (sorry, useless at links!) but it sounds as if your DC PE teacher is being unprofessional...
I would make an appointment with the head of year and say exactly what you've said - stick to the facts you've presented by saying that she asks questions and is ignored.
Bride1 Tue 20-Nov-12 19:44:53
Thank you all for the advice and suggestions. You have me much to think about and it is very helpful.
helpyourself Tue 20-Nov-12 19:49:54
It's unbelievable, isn't it? But it does happen. I have zero tolerance of teachers showing their dislike of children. I was a teacher, there is no excuse. Having said that, I'm not sure what to do- except perhaps bolster your dd that she shouldn't have to put up with it, but by persevering with netball she's being the bigger person.
BillyBollyBandy Tue 20-Nov-12 19:50:37
I suggest your DD speaks to her head of year, or form tutor, if she is confident to. If not then I would suggest you go through either of those routes first, but make it clear you will go to the head if it is not resolved.
I had this with a teacher who detested me and tried to stop me getting in for 6th form hmm didn't work though as I was confident enough to assert myself but that isnt the case for everyone.
5madthings Tue 20-Nov-12 19:56:29
i had a geography teacher who was like this and also blamed me for various things i didnt do (various witnesses including staff to back me up etc) anyway one parents evening my mum called her on it and basically told her to sort out her attitude problem or she would take it further and complain.
you are not at the stage of needing to do that but i would be wanting to speak to the teacher and say your dd is not happy in her class and what can be done to help improve their relationship.
Namechangetodayforthis Tue 20-Nov-12 20:08:27
This really touched a nerve with me as I was bullied by a teacher at age 11 which is when I started a 20+ year eating disorder. Of course I can't say that she caused it but there are some awful vivid memories of this woman mocking me running. I am glad it sounds like schools are sharper on teachers now if you complain, please do.
My best friend said to me years later she reckoned it was jealousy, her harassment of me may have been cause she was butt ugly and I was, even though I never thought it at the time, quite pretty and well developed. It makes me shudder just thinking of this woman.
HecatePropylaea Tue 20-Nov-12 20:13:39
I'd ask for a meeting. you, your daughter, the PE teacher and head of house, or some such person, to try to thrash it out.
I don't think it's necessarily going to be effective to get a 14 year old child to discuss with a teacher possible reasons why the teacher doesn't like them, when they've already tried to apologise and the teacher is 'blanking them'
imo, it requires adult intervention to nip it in the bud and avoid any possibility of it escalating.
Not going in all guns blazing, but an opportunity to sit down together and discuss any misunderstandings that may have arisen and work out a way forward.
Bride1 Tue 20-Nov-12 20:28:51
Gosh, more advice! I'm really touched by all this, thank you. We are going to have a chat with her tonight (daughter). The next session with the teacher would be tomorrow, so we will have a plan for how to handle this.
Just a word of caution here (and I'm not judging your daughter at all as i dont know her) - just make absolutely sure that her version of events is what actually
happened before you approach the school.
TalkinPeace2 Tue 20-Nov-12 22:08:33
go STRAIGHT to pastoral
DD had this in year R (with her class teacher - every hour of every day)
teacher visibly loathed her
it did not stop, but the picking on did ....
EvilTwins Tue 20-Nov-12 22:51:10
There is absolutely no excuse for a teacher to behave in such an unprofessional way. I teach one or two (at most) children I find difficult to like, and make an extra effort to be professional. And anyway, it's their behaviour I have an issue with, not them. If this was my school, our fab assistant head would probably organise an RJ meeting where both parties could explain their feelings in a non-confrontational manner with said AH as a mediator. It's what we do with kids, and works with staff/student friction as well. Does your DD's school use this, OP?
Bride1 Wed 21-Nov-12 07:49:30
I am not sure, EvilTwins. I have been looking through the procedures and it does not go into details. The form tutor is the first port of call. She will see the games teacher this afternoon and I have told her to continue to be polite and willing and see what happens. Then we will make a plan, based on the teacher's behaviour today. We are logging incidents.
BillyBollyBandy Wed 21-Nov-12 20:33:07
How did it go Bride?
Bride1 Wed 21-Nov-12 21:57:52
Thank you for asking.
Daughter had a sports lesson with this teacher and it was apparently not too bad, though she was a bit short with her when she asked a question. Possibly one she should have known the answer to, but who knows.
We have logged the previous incident--useful to post here, actually and have to write it all down in detail--and there is another match on Saturday, if the weather allows. I intend going to observe, even though it is a long way away and will ask my daughter exactly how it went while we are still there and we will make notes. If there is another incident I will email the form tutor, as per the school's procedure, with a summary of what has happened and ask for his help in resolving this. In the meantime my daughter is continuing to be polite and willing so there is absolutely no question of provocation.
Perhaps it sounds wimpish, but I just feel I have to have another incident to go to the next stage with this, though the thing with being purposely given the muddy bib made me angry. This woman will be choosing teams for the whole of the next two terms and has the power to exclude my daughter from teams if she is wound up by us reporting her. Sports teachers can always get away with doing this by saying that someone isn't performing or that someone else needs a chance. She has worked hard on the sport and I don't want her to give it up.
So for the time being we are watching closely and asking for reports after every training session or match.
trinity0097 Sat 24-Nov-12 20:44:42
Be careful about asking for reports from your child after every session, children will always aim to please and might (unwittingly) embellish anything that does happen because they realise you want something to have happened.
I often see this as a teacher when you follow up an issue that a child has raised with the school nurse and often it boils down to saying something rather than nothing and actually there wasn't a huge problem.
Bride1 Sat 24-Nov-12 23:50:42
True enough, you don't want to look for things. In fact the latest lesson was fine, with the teacher being generally more relaxed with everyone, and the match today was rained off so my daughter hasn't had much to say, if anything. I am holding fire for the moment.
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State police are still investigating a two-vehicle accident that occurred Wednesday afternoon on state Route 309 in Plains Township near the on-ramp for Interstate 81 and issued an update to a previous press release.
Police are now saying that Gail Shannon was the operator of the vehicle that rolled over a guardrail and slid down a hill and that Thomas Green was a passenger.
In a previous press release, police identified Shannon Gail as a passenger and Green as the driver.
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So we don't know who made the decision to style Johnny Depp's hair for the movie version of Sweeny Todd but we do know that his 'do is channeling the late Susan Sontag. It's her iconic streak! Maybe Depp is trying do pay tribute to the New York intellectual? Click the picture to see the cover shot. [EW]
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Did people in the past concern themselves with the welfare of the handicapped, such as the blind and the deaf, or did they neglect them?
Was e.g. the "Amnericans with Disabilities Act" a new threshold in this regard?
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I think this is a fair question (don't know why it was downvoted), but you should elaborate a bit more to indicate e.g. what you were able to learn about the matter so far. Also the statement that (all) people (always) neglected old people in the past, seems incorrect, e.g. in light of, say, Chinese traditional culture, so you should perhaps rephrase that as well. Hope this helps. – Drux Jan 16 '13 at 17:55
Yeah, I'd say two downvotes and two close votes w/o a comment as to why is bad form. – T.E.D. Jan 16 '13 at 19:06
The question itself seems fine, but the commentary in the body of the message seems to be a problem. It really needs to be cleaned up and edited in the form of a true question. – Steven Drennon Jan 16 '13 at 19:11
ok reform it as you like – md nth Jan 16 '13 at 19:21
@mdnth At some point you need to start putting a lot more effort into your questions, instead of relying on others to edit them and bring them to shape. I can understand that there's a language barrier, but that's not an excuse for either the lack of prior research nor the vagueness. – Yannis Rizos Jan 16 '13 at 20:33
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closed as unclear what you're asking by Mark C. Wallace, Kobunite, Samuel Russell, Steven Drennon Aug 27 '13 at 23:14
2 Answers
up vote 13 down vote accepted
Caring for the old and infirm goes far further back than the historical record. Remains have been found in multiple neanderthal sites of individuals with old injuries that would have made them unable to fend for themselves. The best known example was a neanderthal found at Shanidar Cave I who had evidence of multiple deformaties and old partially healed injuries, leading to partial blindness, an unusable right arm, and a limp. There's no way he could have survived long enough for those injuries to show signs of healing without help. Another skeleton at the same site showed signs of degeneration in one leg that would have had him walking with a severe limp.
There's also the Old Man at La-Chappelle-aux-Saints, who was missing enough important teeth that some feel he may have either required a soft diet, or "prechewing" of his food from someone else. This theory appears to be not currently in very good smell, but it still has its proponents.
Both finds were of the neanderthal variety of hominid, from more than 60,000 years ago.
Neanderthals also were the first hominid known to create representational art, and to exhibit some kind of burial cerimony. So it looks like those things may have developed roughly at the same time.
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Although this question has an accepted answer, I must question its applicability to the question as stated: All the examples cited by T.E.D. in his excellent answer are cases of individuals who were apparently born as healthy, non-handicapped people, lived productive or perhaps heroic lives and then, due to injury, war and/or old age, fell victim to disabilities. We can argue that in such cases, in compensation for a life of service or utility to their families and communities, such people were cared for even when they were no longer "productive".
But the question also (and perhaps principally) deals with those who were congenitally handicapped: Born with, or acquiring disabilities at an early age, as the result of some disease or genetic irregularity. People who never had the chance to lead "normal, productive" lives. On this point, History might indicate something different than the accepted answer:
• See Paul Devereux's Paul Devereux "Mysterious Ancient America", page 46 (one of several) regarding Olmec burial sites and imagery suggesting that deformed fetuses, infants and children may have been used for human sacrifice. Human sacrifice was far from exceptional in the ancient world see: Human sacrifice has been practiced in various cultures throughout history, and it's not unreasonable to surmise that the deformed and handicapped were used as sacrifices, as Devereux's evidence suggests.
• Wiki: History of deaf education ...in contrast, those who were deaf in Ancient Greece were considered a burden to society and put to death.
• Even in the recent past, we can cite such institutions as Willowbrook State School as engaging in far less than exemplary treatment of handicapped individuals.
So unfortunately, IMO humankind's record regarding this subject is by no means as rosy as has been painted by T.E.D.'s answer.
Based on the edit of the question to include the ADA, this bill was a landmark event in that it codified such consideration for the handicapped as required behavior for a very large and powerful nation, although its passing was the result of many years of work by various groups to engender national awareness concerning this issue.
Perhaps the beginning of this movement can be traced to the work of Alexander Graham Bell, and the life and work of Hellen Keller, among many others, starting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The idea was by no means novel when the ADA was passed in 1990.
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The next question would be who was seen as handicapped in different times and societies. – mart Aug 26 '13 at 7:37
@mart - IMO that is a better and more interesting question than the one posted. – ComeAndGo Aug 26 '13 at 9:41
yes. But also a very broad one, how to ask it so it is answerable? – mart Aug 26 '13 at 10:12
@mart - it is your question - you will have to figure that out... :-) – ComeAndGo Aug 26 '13 at 11:10
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Give Peas a Chance
Keepin' it real? The Black Eyed Peas would rather keep it fun.
At a moment when one of the two biggest rappers in the world is parlaying a life spent selling drugs and getting shot into a multiplatinum, multiformat, multimillion-dollar career, and the other is doing the same with a background filled with mental abuse and evidently treacherous women, there isn't a lot of room in the mainstream hip-hop game for going halfway. How do the Black Eyed Peas, a quartet of braid-sporting, earth-tone-wearing, "real"-instrument-playing neo-bohemians from Los Angeles, deal with this situation on Elephunk, their third album? By not going halfway.
Elephunk might be the year's most proudly accessible hip-hop record, a painfully likable treatise on getting funky, putting your hands up, getting funky, getting retarded, getting funky, flying away, getting funky and shutting up. And Latin girls. And peace through getting funky. It's way corny--"You take me to ecstasy without taking Ecstasy/It's exactly like ecstasy when you laying right next to me," goes one line--but it's also incredibly canny, including gestures toward virtually every trend clogging the radio and MTV right now: fake dancehall ("Hey Mama"), synth-pop ("Where Is the Love"), the Latin groove ("Latin Girls"), bad Wyclef Jean ("The apl Song"), nü-metal ("Anxiety"), Dirty South bounce ("The Boogie That B"), even a little loose-limbed jam-band ebullience ("Smells Like Funk"). Papa Roach and Sergio Mendes guest, as does Justin Timberlake, the ultimate icon of proud accessibility. (Travis Barker of blink-182 was supposed to feature, too, but his track got cut from the album in the final rounds of sequencing. Unfortunately, Howlin' Pelle Almqvist of the Hives couldn't make it.)
And it's fun, the perfect lightweight party record to put on at that Fourth of July barbecue, or during that drive to your grandparents' place in Boca Raton, or as you're cleaning the house and just need a respite from 50 Cent's 21 questions and Eminem's singing for the moment. It's satisfyingly musical, occasionally funny and probably soulful, and the,, Taboo and new singer Fergie--evince the sincerity this kind of material demands, and the commitment it sure helps to have.
From Justin to Jacoby: Timberlake and Papa Roach guest on the Black Eyed Peas' Elephunk.
Markus Klinko & Indrani
The Black Eyed Peas open for Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera on June 26 at the American Airlines Center, and perform July 1 at Trees, with K-Otix.
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"We write songs," Will, the group's principal producer, says on the phone from his home in L.A., in town for a string of shows opening for Timberlake and Christina Aguilera at the Staples Center before the tour winds its long way eastward. "I can rap, I can freestyle; I know my capabilities. If you wanna talk shit, we can talk shit all night long: 'Them niggas ain't keeping it real.' A lot of people's interpretation of keeping it real is talking about real negative shit, you know what I mean? So what? Just because we ain't talking about negative shit, we ain't real? Just because we ain't using big-ass words that we don't use in our motherfucking normal-day vocabulary, we ain't real? We're real because we use words that we use everyday. I don't have to pick up a thesaurus to find out another word that means lyric. I'm real! I'm giving you real stuff that I think about, but I put it in a song form. I make it make sense, structure-wise, technically. A lot of cats these days, their interpretation of real is the four-bar loop, and a cool little punch line with today's current event. Current-event rap. It's just weird. Like, I didn't say anything about shock and awe. I didn't use shock and awe cleverly in how it represents to the hood. It's a much bigger world when it comes to music."
If he sounds a little sensitive, he did to me, too. It's not surprising, given the alternative-rap label the group's previous two CDs earned them, thanks to copious amounts of live percussion, Macy Gray and Fender-Rhodes electric piano. (Remember alternative rap? That pre-Def Jux designation Arrested Development and P.M. Dawn did so well with?) But where Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap seemed sort of OK with that label but also concerned with hanging onto some notion of true-head legitimacy, Elephunk opts for the pop in a totally unconflicted way. Will even allowed producer Ron Fair, a dude who's polished up records by Aguilera and Vanessa Carlton, into the BEP circle; Fair's string-chart sweetening expertly frosts the Peas' whole-foods grain with a radio-ready sheen. So if Will's touchiness is understandable, it's also pointless. Especially since he's on the road with the summer's biggest, least conflicted concession to pop, a circumstance Will's nonchalant about.
"It just happened because of 'Where Is the Love,' the track that we did with Justin," he literally yawns. "It just made sense. I don't know who thought of it, but it was a good idea. We've done a whole bunch of different-type tours before--No Doubt, Macy Gray, Everclear, different things, you know what I mean? Anything that's cool. It's different from playing in front of our audience, because your audience knows you, they know your songs. These people don't know our songs, but they still respond. Any crowd's a good crowd if you know how to rock, so we try hard to rock and make it good for us."
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We believe in the magic of the automobile
Q&A: How Traction Control Is Changing Drag Racing
As recently as a decade ago, traction control was one of those topics, like nitrous oxide in Pro Stock or the infamous Matty Box, that you simply didn’t dare talk about. A taboo subject if there ever was one, the technology that had long been a part of circle track and road racing was largely prohibited in all of the major drag racing series and sanctions of the one sport where traction was most paramount.
Gradually, respected manufacturers began working to legitimize the technology that had been such a hush-hush subject in decades past, making it possible not only to equip a race car with it in a professional and well-engineered package, but do it in an affordable manner. The problem however, at least in terms of heads-up racing, was that would-be customers had nowhere to run it.
In the early to mid-2000′s, the world of outlaw doorslammer racing took to the technology and spread it like wildfire, thrusting the previously forbidden topic into the limelight. Suddenly, a system that was previously the center of conspiracy theory chatter during a rain delay was something that racers would openly promote and talk about. And it passed tech with flying colors.
Although traction control is still barred and heavily policed in the NHRA and countless other racing series, it’s become a generally accepted part of the game. From Top Fuel to Pro Extreme, between and below, teams are utilizing the data that it provides to improve their performance and deliver better, closer racing.
In this round table Q&A session, we’ll take a look at the current state of the traction control debate from the perspective of the racing series that both prohibit and allow it and the manufacturers that campaign heavily in favor of it. Among those in our panel are:
• Promedia Director of Events Trey Capps
• X-DRL Technical Director Chris Bell
Traction Control At A Glance
It’s difficult to pinpoint when and where traction control entered the sport of drag racing, and with so many forms of RPM, timing, nitrous, and boost controls at a racers’ fingertips today, the lines between what is legal and what is illegal is undeniably blurry. At the heart of a legitimate traction control system is a device capable of capturing and relaying information to the engine management system, pulled from sensors on the driveshaft, the transmission, or the rear end housing, that quickly and efficiently result in adjustments to the timing or the engine RPM to correct the tire spin. These systems are not only infinitely adjustable, but many modern systems are self-learning, meaning they’re capable of comparing the rate of acceleration of the crank to a calculated threshold value that’s adjusted in relation to the average of previous calculated measurements.
Unlike the rudimentary systems that racers and sneaky electricians hacked together years ago, today’s traction control systems are affordable and incredibly compact, making them nearly undetectable if a racer truly wants to conceal one. Likewise, with data recording such a common and attainable element of racing in this day and age, smart racers can tune their race cars to cope with traction loss in perfectly legal ways, begging the question: what is traction control and what isn’t?
Read on as we speak to the aforementioned figures in the sport and the manufacturing industry to learn their take on this always-popular topic.
DZ: As far as you know, when did traction control first enter the sport? Do you think there were hidden, home-made systems used by racers long before traction control systems were mass-produced?
MSD Performance's Technical Support Manager Joe Pando.
Shannon Davis: We put together our first drag racing pieces in 2002 or 2003, and it was the first time that we had adapted a circle track system over to drag racing. It was fairly successful, and those older units were better at saving a run, but not necessarily making it faster. As this technology evolved, however, the aim was not just to save a run and have a pick-me-up crutch, but make the car run faster.
I’m sure that there were hidden traction control systems prior to that, but I don’t know how effective any of them were, because you never saw them take off. But it’s likely that there were some top pro teams that were using it. There are a lot of smart racers and crew chiefs out there that could’ve certainly built something, so it’s likely that teams had a system that worked off of wheel speed sensors or, theoretically, even ground-based lasers.
Traction control is something that’s hard to do remotely, because in the past, remote communications weren’t fast enough and certainly not without having something obvious like a large antenna on the car. With a system like that in that day and age, by the time the lasers could send the proper signal, it would’ve been too late.
DZ: The topic of traction control has been very taboo, but do you think it’s becoming more accepted around the sport?
Joe Pando: I don’t think you need to look any further than the ADRL, which is a major series that’s legalized traction control. Its use doesn’t create a lopsided sport, because if you look at the list of winners, it isn’t always the same racers. There are several teams that are using our traction control and those from other manufacturers, and no one racer is dominating.
Example Data Of A Run Using Davis Traction Control With Nitrous Oxide
Chris Bell: Allowing it, but keeping an eye on it, has allowed it to become more acceptable, and other organizations have begun to accept it more because of that. Other series have looked at it and seen that it does produce a better show and that it’s a little safer because they get up and down the race track more consistently.
It’s hard to say that traction control is bad for the sport when you look at the competitive racing that goes on in the ADRL.
Trey Capps: I don’t know that it’s more accepted, but it’s certainly more understood and more accessible for racers to acquire.
Shannon Davis: Traction control is definitely more accepted in the venues where it’s allowed, because we make a living at it. Where it’s not allowed, I’m sure that it creeps into conversations, because we have several racers that compete in the ADRL and then go over and run with the NHRA.
Overall, I think people are more accepting of it around the sport. The phrase “time heals all wounds” might describe it best. But I think the sanctioning bodies and the racers are realizing that traction control isn’t a process of just writing a check, installing a black box in the car, and setting world records. That’s just not how it works. The best tuners in the business are still going to run up front, and that’s the same way that it worked in circle track racing before we brought the technology to drag racing. The traction control never made anyone a hero.
I think there’s just a misunderstanding that a racer can hook up traction control, make 10,000 horsepower, and the car is going to magically hook up.
DZ: Why have you opted to permit the use of traction control, and do you continue to support that idea today?
Trey Capps, Event Director at Promedia Events for the NMRA, NMCA, and NMCA WEST Series.
Bell: We definitely still support the technology in our series, and we haven’t seen any detrimental effects from it in our classes. Early on, no one knew how many cars had it and it was tough to keep track of, but we monitor it closely to ensure that no one gains a performance edge from it.
We’re not afraid of technology, we just make every effort to understand the technology and make our decisions based on that.
DZ: Do you feel that traction control has allowed the ADRL to boast a better show for the fans? We see equally good racing in other doorslammer venues, so does it really make that much of a difference?
Davis: There are a lot of arguments to this, but it really comes down to whether you want to see the cars blow the tires off or if you want to see them make side-by-side passes. Whether a team bolted in a traction control box and learned how to use it, or they figured out how to make consistent runs some other way, it’s exciting to see a racer like Frankie Taylor run in the 3.50′s. The crowd is on their feet and everyone’s excited. But, close racing can be done with or without it.
Traction Control Comparison Video With Pro Extreme Racer Mike Janis
When Frankie unloads off the trailer, their traction control may engage six or eight times on the first pass, and then they take that data and see where the car needs help. From that, they can make adjustments and on the second run it might only come on three times. Eventually, they’re looking to see where it didn’t come on and they may try another degree here or there to see if it spins, and generally by the time they get into eliminations, the traction control is only coming on at the shifts. You could ask whether or not it needs it, and that’s the big question. The only way to know for sure is to run the car with it and without it.
Bell: I think that it’s allowed teams a little more data to learn and tune from, and therefore, it’s improved their program. It’s allowed them to make more complete runs.
We’ve made some significant gains in our track prep procedures over the last couple of years, and because of that, traction control has become less of a factor and racers aren’t relying on it as much as they had in the past. If it had never been instituted or if we prohibited it now, though, I believe that you would see an increase in the number of aborted runs and less side-by-side competition.
DZ: Do you think traction control belongs in bracket racing, or does it provide a tangible competitive advantage?
Capps: More than anything, it’s just one more thing that a racer has to buy. The thought process is that if one racer has it, you have to have it, and if you don’t have it, you won’t be competitive. It’s just one more expense to add to what’s already a very expensive hobby. A racer still has to hit the number, but if you can tie in traction control with all of the systems that are available to a bracket racer, you’re really not driving the car anymore.
Current X-DRL (and former ADRL) Technical Director Chris Bell.
Pando: As it is right now, in the .90 classes in the NHRA and IHRA, there are often 32 cars or more that are bunched up with only a few thousandths of a second between them, and thus traction control wouldn’t create much benefit for those racers. Simply look at what they’re doing right now without it. Bracket racers in general have their combinations down so well, and the racing is so close, that little would change with the use of traction control.
Davis: Most bracket racers aren’t on the ragged edge of what their tires can handle, but almost any car tends to have some slip on the shift. By minimizing that slippage, you have a more consistent run. Some racers swear by it, and they run really well with it. That slippage on the shift is just one more variable that we can take out of the equation. Really, the big argument is the cost, but who do you know that ever went racing to save money?
DZ: Is traction control an advantage for the more experienced race teams, or those getting their feet wet?
Joe Pando: Traction control is a great thing to have on bad race tracks. If you look back to the NHRA race in the fall at Charlotte, the track preparation and the weather changed the racing surface and the Pro Stock racers were entirely opposed to racing on it, but were forced to, and unfortunately, Shane Gray destroyed a race car. There were a lot of aborted runs prior to and after that, and had there been some form of control over the race car, it could’ve changed the outcome of that event.
MSD's 7531 box features what's known as a"Slew Rate Rev Limiter", which is tunable by the end user to adjust RPM should engine exceed a pre-set acceleration limit, in essence creating a form of traction control. Because of this capability, the box is outlawed in some venues.
Traction control won’t make a fast run any faster, but it will decrease the number of aborted runs. In the end, could traction control have created a better show for the fans? We really don’t know the answer to that without trying it.
Davis: It definitely speeds up the learning curve on the beginner or a racer with a new car or combination, because if you go out there weekend after weekend and blow the tires off or lose races because you spun, there’s a good chance you’re going to get frustrated and quit or not get any enjoyment from it. However, if you can get out there and have some success, you’re certainly more into the game of it all.
Most of the big teams look at it as a tuning tool to help them dial the car in during testing, and generally by the time they’re in race mode, they’re hardly relying on it. That may be driven by sportsmanship or by their ego, but it’s hard to say. It’s in the car and it’s turned on, but it’s set to a point where they’d have to get in a lot of trouble for it to come on.
We have a lot of customers that use is solely for testing, so they can see where the tires are breaking loose in real-time and adjust their setups.
Capps: Traction control won’t make a good run better, but it will improve what’s otherwise a bad run.
How It Works: MSD’s PowerGrid And ARC Module
One of MSD’s latest systems featuring traction control capabilities, the PowerGrid and ARC Module uses a driveshaft curve rather than an engine RPM curve with an 8-point magnet driveshaft sensor that quickly reacts to changes in driveshaft speed (tire spin). The ARC Module features three curves (A, B, and LIMIT), that pulls engine timing based on a pre-set A and B driveshaft curve. The LIMIT curve acts as a hard RPM rev limiter once the spin develops beyond the B curve. Essentially, the ARC Module address tires pin with timing, more timing, and finally, an RPM limiter.
Bell: Obviously the less experience that you have, the more beneficial that traction control is going to be. It allows you to get up and down the race track, and that builds a library of data that will help the racer to better understand what it takes to make clean passes. A tuner that’s been doing this for years or even decades that has a lot of data to tune from will know where the edge is and what it takes to get up and down the race track.
DZ: From delay boxes to Bump Boxes to air shifters, drag racers have many “aids” they didn’t have 25 years ago. In essence, traction control is really just an aid, so why is it still being shied away from?
Davis: Mainly, the series just don’t understand it. They think you can bolt the box into the car and it will take all of the tuning out of it. But it doesn’t — it’s just one more tool that a racer has in their arsenal. It’s just like a delay box, in that just because you have it, it doesn’t mean you’re going to win. You have to learn how to use it too. Smart tuners like Steve Petty and others learn how to use the tools that are in that car, and through that knowledge, they can then use them to their advantage.
Pando: Using Pro Stock as an example, the racing is already so tight without the use of traction control, that the series doesn’t see a need for it. If there was a wide disparity between the cars and one racer was dominating, they would probably take a closer look at why it is that way.
People will always blame what they don’t understand, and generally, it’s always the racing series and sanctioning bodies that are the last to want to understand the technology. It’s this black magic that a lot of people don’t want to touch. It just has this stigma.
The racing series don’t see any reason to muddy the waters, so to speak, but it would be interesting to see what it would do for the racing on some of the marginal tracks.
Capps: We’ve not instituted the use of traction control in our series for a couple of reasons. The first is the cost. If one racer has it, then every racer in the class has to have it to stay competitive, and that just raises the cost to go racing. Secondly, it’s a very hard thing to police. We have to go in there and see what the racer is doing with it and how they’re tying it into all of the various systems of the vehicle. It’s possible that we may allow its use in the future in some of our heads-up classes to create better side-by-side racing, but at this time, we don’t have any plans for it.
DZ: Would you consider traction control a safety feature?
Capps: I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a safety item, because you still have to have a drivers that’s cognizant of their own vehicle. Honestly, traction control isn’t anymore of a safety item than a wheelie bar or an air shifter is.
Bell: We haven’t looked at it as a safety item, but we have seen runs where racers have gotten in their own oil and it’s pulled timing out to help stabilize the car, but it’s still the responsibility of the driver to take over control. I wouldn’t want to say that it’s not a safety item, but I wouldn’t want to rely on it either.
Pando: You could look at traction control as a safety item. If an inexperienced driver is making the move to a faster class, it would definitely help in their transition.
Davis: I don’t like to say it, but obviously if you’re not spinning the tires, you have more control of the car, and when you have more control of the car, it’s safer. We won’t try to sell traction control as a safety device, and it’s not going to keep you from crashing, but it helps.
Davis Technologies' TMS-Drag Pro 2 is a high-end unit that's fully self-learning, with adjusable starting line and ending RPM as well as the null zone, and is capable of reacting within 1/8 of a turn of the driveshaft.
Both Frankie and Joey Martin ran into situations where they got into their own oil and saved the car through a lot of good luck and great driving. When we looked at the data on the computer, the traction control was on and it was on hard, and before you see the driver make any reaction to the situation, the traction control is already on. In fact, Joey told me that he felt the motor lay over before he even realized that it was in the oil and spinning the tires.
DZ: How do your technical departments keep traction control out of the cars? What methods are they employing?
Bell: We look for the tell-tale signs, such as extra sensors and magnets on the driveshaft, and we’ll pull Racepak data from the cars and analyze it. We’ll also pull ignition data from some of the cars to study. We have several devices that we can use to check for it, but we’d rather not go into too much detail on that.
Wherever a racer is going to hide it, it can be found. It’s just a matter of looking deep enough. – Trey Capps
We generally pick a few cars for a spot-check at the scales at every event, and usually that gets everybody talking.
Capps: We do perform regular spot checks on the cars by inspecting the wires and the data on the computers and laptops. Regardless of where a racer is going to hide it, it can be found. It’s just a matter of looking deep enough.
Pando: We work closely with the NHRA, and they were on board with us when we developed our traction control systems. To ensure them the comfort level that they have, we built tools for them that will go in and detect traces of traction control, whether or not it’s being used, and provide a footprint to see how long ago it was there. With these tools that we supply to them at their disposal, they in turn are accepting of us developing products with technology designed for non-NHRA classes that won’t migrate into their playground, and if they do, they’ve got tools to look for it and keep the racers honest and the playing field level.
We provide these tools for any sanctioning body that wants to use them, and we have them in Australia, the NHRA, IHRA, and the ADRL. In essence it’s a custom hand-held unit that they plug into the Canbus that will sniff it out and return information about the use of traction control. These tools can also deliver a time stamp that will inform officials when the feature was last used. Teams are allowed to test with it, so as long as the time indicates that it hasn’t been used during the event, that’s acceptable. The sanctioning bodies just don’t want the racers racing with it.
DZ: What does the future of traction control look like? Are these systems as advanced as they can be, or is this only the tip of the iceberg?
Pando: It’s amazing to think what we’re doing today with just a single sensor. If you really want to get after it, it’s all based on cost. The systems that we have available today can do most of the functions of high-end systems, and our goal is to keep the cost down for the racer.
Davis: Traction control systems in the future will be faster, much more tunable in terms of how much timing is taken out and at what point on the race track, and they’ll be mappable, where you can set a target driveshaft speed that you want to run and it will hold true to that.
We don’t want to let the cat out of the bag too much, but we have some things in the works for the near future.
DZ: Do you envision traction control eventually becoming legal in many or all sanctions of drag racing?
Davis: I can’t speak to them, but they may come around at some point and realize that it’s not a crew chief in a box. It may produce better racing, and it’s safer, so why not?
Pando: I work closely with a lot of the sanctioning bodies, and many of them have classes that they simply won’t allow the use of traction control because they don’t feel that there is a need for it, so it’s hard to say what the future holds for the technology.
In Closing…
Few technologies once considered controversial and unspoken of have gained acceptance as swiftly as traction control in drag racing, and innovators and trailblazers like those in our guest panel are to thank for that. There’s no question that the technology and it’s reach has influenced the sport, and whether that influence has been positive or negative is a matter of personal opinion, but it’s safe to say the technology is here to stay.
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Articles tagged book: globish: how the english language became the world's language
Monday, August 16 2010
Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language
The making of a recognizable Englishness, the painful transition to Anglo-Saxon ‘Englaland’, is a history of four invasions and a cultural revolution… English was a mirror to its island state, an idiosyncratic mixture of splendid isolation and humiliating foreign occupation.
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lucy24 - 7:28 pm on Apr 20, 2013 (gmt 0)
if you are on 2.2 you can use the RewriteLog Directive:
Context: server config, virtual host
I knew there had to be a catch :(
I can try it on MAMP for my own edification, but not on the live site.
I also noticed that the initial version of my htaccess (first post) DOES match the URL http://www.example.com/thema-s/bedrijfsuitje/schadelijk-bedrijfsuitje if I stick a / to the end. I am not so good at regexes, but does this sound logical to you?
Yes, perfectly logical. The rule says "ends in directory slash"; you feed in a request for filename ending in directory slash; rule executes.
The problem is... In real life, an URL that ends in a slash is a directory. An URL that doesn't is a page. In your case it is a little bit academic since none of the pages physically exist. But you need to pick a form and stick with it. If all your URLs end in a slash, then you're pretending that each page is its own directory. If all your URLs don't end in a slash, then you need to tweak your code to allow for extensionless URLs.
Now, personally I don't approve of extensionless URLs, but this is purely an individual preference. Nothing to do with either Apache or SEO. Going extensionless is definitely easier to code for, because then all page names can be expressed as
If it has an extension, it's a supporting file-- image, css etc --and the rules can bypass it. You can run the -d test if you like, but you can skip -f because you already know there is no file with a name in the form "abcefg" and that's all.
This is assuming for the sake of discussion that none of your directory names contain literal periods. A period in an URL is not illegal, of course, but they're an amazingly bad idea. So unless your name is apache dot org, don't use them. Stick with alphanumerics. (People can fight about hyphens and lowlines, but that's for a different forum.)
Finally: This is a virtual-host setup, so you can do config-file things. But you've also mentioned htaccess. When you're first setting up the site, it can be very useful to have htaccess files-- that is, AllowOverrides is enabled. You can change things on the fly without having to restart the server, because htaccess is instant.
But once you've got everything stabilized, see if you can turn off the AllowOverrides directives-- or at least most of them-- and shift all the htaccess rules to <Directory> sections within the config file. This way everything runs faster because each request only makes one stop: the config file.
Thread source: http://www.webmasterworld.com/apache/4566487.htm
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I am copying projects in one solution that is bound to VSS from one solution to another that is not bound (or shouldn't be). When I copy the original project and add it to the new solution, it's showing as checked in and VS is remapping the working folder in VSS; I want this new copy to not be bound to source control and not do the remapping. Is there anyway to disable it, even manually. I can edit the project file if I have to, but I'm not sure what to delete.
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up vote 1 down vote accepted
this is manual, but you can try this out:
basically tells you which files and lines to clear out.
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You can also click File->Source Control->Change Source Control and unbind the project from SourceSafe.
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But the problem there is I don't want to unbind from the original project, and if I leave it attached, copy the project to the new solution, and add the project, it moves the working folder because it sees the source control status. – Brian Mains Jul 17 '10 at 19:16
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Tuesday, 12 March 2013
The Great Sentence About Life
188. The world is full of beautiful things, like you.
187. Every time you thought of giving up, remind yourself what kept you holding on.
186. Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people.
185. Sometimes you have to forget what you want to remember what you deserve.
184. Kindness and hard work will take you further than intelligence.
183. Failure is never final and success is never ending. Success is a journey, not a destination. Ben Sweetland
182. You will face many defeats in you life, but never let yourself be defeated.
181. Love is like wanting to touch a star.You know you can't reach it but just you keep on trying.
180. You are responsible for your own happiness.If you expect others to make you happy, you will always be disappointed.
179. To dream anything that you want to dream- that's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do - that is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits - that's is the courage to succeed.
178. I can accept failure,but i can't accept not trying.
177. Talent is like a perfume bottle.If you never open it nobody knows the fragnance inside it.Act wisely,be open.
176. The best relationship in the world is the one in which a SORRY and a SMILE can make everything back to normal.
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Re: East Coast outage?
From: hackerwacker () tarpit cybermesa com
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 15:48:05 -0600 (MDT)
On Sunday 17 August 2003 03:11 pm, Having folded space, the Third Stage
Guild Navigator said:
On zondag, aug 17, 2003, at 20:57 Europe/Amsterdam,
hackerwacker () tarpit cybermesa com wrote:
Sure, a regular house has enough surface area to generate this
electricity, but not appartment buildings or businesses. But why have
the hydrogen in the middle? Batteries aren't as explosive. Also, it
seems that the large amount of hydrogen that will leak out (remember,
tinyiest molecules ever, but this is well established for other gasses
as well) don't do the environment much good.
Yep. Batt rooms do go boom if not vented. However you loose quite a bit
in the charge/recharge cycles. i have not worked with the gel or sealed
batts that don't leak anything. When I was off the grid, I factored in the
costs to transport them vs the cheap marine deep cycle batts 30 miles
away at Wal Mart and the cheap ones won.
I don't think wholesale replacement of our current power systems is an
attainable goal in our lifetime. (And it will happen automatically
anyway as oil starts running out and gets so expensive that people who
just want to burn it can't afford it anymore.) However, it is still a
very good idea to add more solar energy to the mix, both on the large
and the small ends of the scale.
Small: a few solar panels (with batteries) will give you at least
_some_ power when the utility power is out. Being able to recharge your
cell phone, run a light, a laptop and an ADSL or cable modem is much,
much better than nothing.
Large: demand for power peaks when it's hot, but generating capacity is
often much lower under these circumstances because river water gets
much warmer so power plants that need this water for cooling can't run
at full capacity. (We could be facing rolling blackouts because of this
soon in Europe.) Guess what: solar panels don't need cooling and their
output is highest when the weather is hot = lots of sunshine.
Totally agree. Some here seem to be taking this as an all or nothing.
So much high fat thinking going on. It's gotta be big and it has to feed
status quo greed where the few make the money.
I learned, while off the grid, that if I made better choices (with my
appliances) I did not have to suffer. You do pay more for devices that do
same work with less power. Cheap things wear out sooner. last time I
my NG fridge is still keeping the ice cream rock hard and the person I
sold it to is very happy. All it takes is a candle sized flame.
Presently now in the grid, however my landlord placed all windows
on the south side. In northern New Mexico I require no heat during the day
time, in winter, and can make it most of the time with a little heat from
the air tight. I simlpe walk in the woods yields all the wood I need; the
cat powered bed warmers do the rest.
So, put them on your roof. Lots of unused space. No need to have huge
expanses for centralized generation. I've read of Solar Cells as
materials, using the Cells as the shell of the house.
There has recently been a breakthrough that makes it possible to
convert more of the sun's spectrum into electricity. This could
potentially double the efficiency of solar cells in the future, then
maybe they'll be more cost efficient.
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Preparing for the 2001 Nuclear Posture Review
Janne E. Nolan
America's nuclear future has recently received political attention in the presidential race and among a small but vocal minority in the Congress. Though differences abound on the best way to proceed with strategic reductions, the role that missile defenses should play, and the requirements for maintaining the nuclear arsenal, one interesting point emerges: both campaigns and both sides of the aisle agree that the United States must undertake a review of its nuclear posture and must do it soon.
When asked whether he would be willing to reduce U.S. strategic forces, Republican presidential nominee Governor George W. Bush said, "As president, I will ask the secretary of defense to conduct an assessment of our nuclear force posture and determine how best to meet our security needs." Democratic nominee Vice President Al Gore has agreed, saying, "For the United States to go to lower levels requires a thorough re-examination of the official nuclear doctrine which to this point guides our military in its planning. As president, I would initiate such a review and engage deeply in the process."1
Even if the next president did not want to act, he would have to. An amendment to the fiscal year 2001 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Clinton signed October 30, requires the incoming administration to complete a formal nuclear posture review (NPR) by December 2001, the first such review in over six years. In addition to analyzing the role of nuclear weapons in American military strategy and identifying the requisite funding requirements for a nuclear deterrent, the bill urges the executive branch to answer fundamental questions that have not been fully answered in the five preceding decades of the nuclear age. For example: what is the relationship of nuclear deterrence policy, targeting strategy, and arms control?
The existing bipartisan consensus on the need for a review will not make the process painless. Experiences going back to the Eisenhower administration show that neither the zeal of a new administration nor a congressional directive will suffice to solve the complex and long-standing questions of how much deterrence is needed, for what objectives, and at what cost—questions that have never been fully debated, let alone satisfactorily answered.
The Inertia of Nuclear Policy
During the Cold War, a broad anti-Soviet consensus allowed disagreements about the political and military objectives of U.S. nuclear policy to be sublimated under the rubric of deterrence, a sufficiently open-ended and abstract concept that can accommodate multiple, even contradictory, goals. But even at the height of the Cold War consensus, decision-makers never formulated clear guidelines about what should be targeted, for what reason, or with what level of destructive force in a way that reflected political as well as military judgments.
Successive presidents have imposed changes in stated policy—from massive retaliation in the l950s, to assured destruction and flexible response in the l960s and early l970s, to countervailing strategy under President Carter, to "prevailing" in a nuclear war under Presidents Reagan and Bush, to the current doctrine under President Clinton, which is simply a modified version of the latter. These apparent innovations, however, have done little to alter the basic premises of American nuclear war plans. Since l950, nuclear weapons have preoccupied thousands of scientists, war planners, and officials with one fundamental problem: How can we make nuclear weapons accurate enough, precise enough, small enough, and flexible enough that their effects can be contained for use in combat? How can we attack our opponents' military forces so perfectly as to disarm them before they can retaliate effectively?
Targeting opposing nuclear forces under exacting war-fighting scenarios, a policy known as "counterforce," requires very accurate, prompt, "hard-target kill" weapons that can destroy missiles and bombers even when they are mobile or in hardened shelters. A triad of land-, air-, and sea-based weapons—the product of very conservative estimates of what would be required to retaliate after a disarming Soviet first strike—is, in turn, still considered the only guarantee of a credible "nuclear fighting force," as Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC) put it. Even after the demise of the Soviet Union and any credible threat of deliberate attack from Russia, prompt counterforce remains the sacrosanct principle of American nuclear strategy.
These "scientific" challenges of war planning make up the structural reality of nuclear policy, for which the public debate about the character of deterrence, arms control, or particular weapons serves largely as a political sideshow. As the former Air Force chief of staff under President Kennedy, General Thomas D. White, summarized it,
Such relatively reassuring terms as "mutual deterrence," "stability," "no-cities counterforce," "second-strike counterforce capability," and other quasi-military shibboleths…have created an atmosphere and mislanguage that is dangerously deceptive.
To White, it was "defense intellectuals" living in a "weightless dreamland" who set about to create public smoke screens obscuring the realities of nuclear war.2 White was pointing to the long-standing schism between political declarations about nuclear forces and the reality of operational plans to develop and use those forces for military objectives should deterrence fail.
Every president since Eisenhower has sought innovations in nuclear doctrine to reassure the public and to demonstrate his command of nuclear security. The message has been essentially the same: the United States maintains a nuclear arsenal to deter adversaries; our forces need only be strong enough to survive an attack and to retaliate because that is the guarantee that deterrence will never fail. During the Cold War, the public and even many officials assumed that a nuclear conflict would be one deadly spasm, a catastrophe beyond imagination.
Political authorities also have used doctrinal change to suggest that a nuclear war could be managed and controlled, as seen in concepts like flexible response, or that one could "prevail," even in a protracted nuclear conflict, as suggested under Reagan. But publicly revealed changes in doctrine have always been superimposed, with modest effect, on an enduring and largely secret effort to design weapons and related systems to demonstrate their usability. The better the force, it is argued, the less likely it will need to be used.
The idea that the United States would absorb an attack before launching its own weapons, current "declaratory" policy, or that a nuclear war could be conducted "flexibly" has never tracked well with operational imperatives. Uncertainties about the survival of command, control, and communications systems under attack, for example, undercut the soundness of such a policy for military planners. They need precision, promptness, and decisive destructive effects, not complex "options" or "calculated ambiguities." As former Pentagon official Leon Sloss put it, "Lots of options make planning more difficult. The military doesn't believe that limited nuclear options will ever be executed, and they fear losing forces before they launch them."3 Recent efforts to alter targeting plans for greater flexibility have changed some of what Sloss describes, but the core mission of nuclear weapons—based on centralized plans for prompt and massive attack—has endured for over 50 years.
The current debate reveals no significant discontinuities with the past, the demise of America's central adversary notwithstanding. The United States is spending about $20 billion annually on the maintenance of nuclear forces, including several thousand weapons aimed at an estimated 2,200 Russian targets, as well as plans for strikes against China, North Korea, Iraq, Iran, and so-called non-state actors. Counterforce strategy, reflected in the Navy's plans to spend over $5 billion in the next decade to improve Trident missiles' hard-target kill capability against Russian missile silos, for example, is alive and well. And the fiscal year 2001 National Defense Authorization Act, the same bill that has called for a thorough review of U.S. nuclear posture, has just reaffirmed that "it is in the national interest of the United States to maintain a robust and balanced triad of strategic nuclear vehicles."
One central reason for the absence of post-Cold War change in the nuclear force posture has been the failure of the president to challenge the assumptions driving nuclear planning, a sphere that has traditionally eluded presidential attention. Nuclear targeting and attack planning have evolved over the last 50 years into a highly specialized occupation, based on specific skills, computer models, and databases to which only very few could have access, let alone oversight. The extreme political sensitivity of nuclear operations—the guts of deterrence—required that authority for war plans be delegated to a decision-making apparatus designed specifically to avoid excessive political intrusion or publicity. The sheer complexity of the nuclear architecture, in turn, assures a certain degree of autonomy from less expert officials. And, as has been demonstrated in countless episodes, this is not a sphere in which amateurs are welcome, no matter what formal titles they hold.
The president has ultimate authority for launching nuclear weapons and is responsible for drafting the nuclear guidance given planners to draw up war plans. Most presidents, senior White House aides, and even secretaries of defense, however, would be hard pressed to describe how various "options" would be executed in a war, with what weapons, and to what end. As summarized by an officer charged with carrying the "football"—the briefcase the president would use to get at nuclear launch codes in a crisis—"Not one President in my time [from Johnson to Carter] ever had more than one briefing on the contents of the football, and that was before each one took office, when it was one briefing among dozens" even though the material "changed constantly." No president ever had the combination: "If the guy with the football has a heart attack, they'd have to blow the whole thing open."4
Not surprisingly, planning objectives—targets to be covered, with estimated damage expectancies—have influenced the structure and level of forces thought to be required far more than political debates about whether the United States. can ever commit to the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons. As was true throughout the Cold War and remains true today, the determination of what numbers of weapons are desirable, at what levels of alert, against which targets, is not only up to the president or his political advisers. This tradition of delegated authority is likely to be a significant factor in determining the outcome of any future review.
Attempts at Innovation
Two recent attempts to change operational policy—one under President Bush and one under President Clinton—help illustrate the kinds of challenges that a future nuclear posture review is likely to confront.
The Bush Legacy
As the Soviet Union was collapsing in l989, the number of targets in the Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP)—the blueprint for a nuclear war—was about 12,500, directed against a full range of Soviet military and "war-supporting" installations.5 Recognizing that many of the SIOP targets were being rendered obsolete by changes in the Soviet bloc and by pending START reductions, then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney began to ask questions about targeting plans. Realizing that his aides were not informed about such details, he appointed General Robert Herres, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to conduct a targeting review, which Herres concluded after 18 months.
Cheney, along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Colin Powell, were reportedly appalled by what was revealed. They quickly surmised that the SIOP was not only out of date but also devoid of any apparent logic. According to one account,
Cheney concluded the SIOP was not a nuclear war plan…. It seemed like a jumble of processed data…. Every time the Pentagon had bought a new nuclear weapons system to match the Soviets'…[U.S. Strategic Command] had simply found targets for the added warheads and rearranged the SIOP math formulas. This had gone on for years, as captains and majors who wrote the SIOP rotated in and out.6
Despite efforts to develop systems and software to devise and coordinate precise attacks, officers charged with covering different target sets had developed models to direct multiple weapons to the same target, with no apparent knowledge of what other programmers were doing. Some industrial centers in Moscow, for example, had multiple weapons allocated to individual factories despite the fact that they were closely clustered. Ten-warhead MX missiles, with a damage radius of three miles, were targeted on areas less than a mile apart. And notwithstanding the admonition of Strategic Command (STRATCOM) that the United States would never target populations, nearly 40 weapons were allocated to hit Kiev alone.
Cheney's review revealed the enduring schism between political and operational realities, the product of years of vague guidance and the remoteness of the planners from the world of policy. Cheney promptly directed the elimination of thousands of targets from the SIOP and eventually oversaw a radical restructuring of the planning apparatus. Former Soviet republics were removed entirely; many leadership, industrial, and war-supporting targets were reduced to reflect the collapse of communism; and any planned strikes against nuclear installations or transportation links were consolidated on Russian territory. Methods of "adaptive targeting" to devise flexible options for global application were devised, in anticipation of new regional threats.
Cheney's targeting review provoked no public sign of discord from the bureaucracy or the planning community, a rare achievement which reflects the discipline and unanimity of purpose that characterized Bush's national security team. Cheney, Powell, and national security adviser General Brent Scowcroft not only brought personal stature and credibility to the challenge, but also clearly spoke for the president. All three successfully used their clout with the uniformed military to defuse hawkish opposition, both in the Pentagon and the Congress, and were astute "inside players" who knew they could count on the president and one another in the face of opposition.
Aides to Bush are unanimous in their admiration for his leadership style. "President Bush never let an important issue drop into the bureaucracy," said one. Nor did he lose interest in directives he issued to his subordinates. He is praised for being involved in what aides call the "heavy lifting" of foreign policy, working directly and tirelessly with congressional and foreign leaders to set the stage for positive reception of U.S. initiatives. By the time Bush left office, START I had been concluded (halving each sides' deployed strategic forces to 6,000 accountable warheads) and START II (which further cut future levels to 3,000-3,500 deployed warheads) had been signed. The end of the Cold War seemed to have transformed, in a very short time, the challenge of nuclear weapons from the need to prevail in a nuclear conflict to a new set of concerns about the safety of the former adversary's arsenal—a challenge to be undertaken by deepening cooperation with Russia.
The Clinton Legacy
It was against this backdrop that the new Clinton administration undertook a formal review of the nuclear force posture. The climate of cooperation with Russia suggested to many that nuclear weapons were on the wane—soon, perhaps, to become relics of the Cold War. As the nuclear posture review soon revealed, however, the Soviet Union's demise did not mean that Cold War politics in Washington were over—far from it.
The review was conceived as a White House-sanctioned Pentagon study to be carried out under the direction of civilian officials in cooperation with military officers. The NPR was to define the utility of nuclear weapons in American strategy and to articulate the criteria guiding the future size, character, safety, and potential use of nuclear forces. Spearheaded by then-Secretary of Defense Les Aspin and Assistant Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, the review tasked the bureaucracy with re-examining every aspect of the nuclear posture. Did the United States need a triad? Why should we rely on counterforce targeting when the threat of Soviet surprise attack had disappeared? Why did we still rely on preplanned targeting and a policy of first use? Why were any weapons on alert? As Russia struggled to consolidate control over its nuclear arsenal, Carter was most preoccupied with promoting safety over hair-trigger alert policies—away from what he saw as a de facto doctrine of launch on warning to a policy of "nuclear reassurance."
Until Aspin resigned in January 1994, Clinton appointees foresaw a genuine effort to create a nuclear tabula rasa, a base from which creative thinking and ambitious reform proposals were bound to emerge. But the review failed to challenge orthodoxy in any significant way; indeed, it may have inadvertently reinforced it. Opponents saw the NPR as a zealous assault on established lines of authority by l990s-version Whiz Kids who were no more popular now than they were in the l960s under Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. For others, who felt that Russia's future was still uncertain and that it was premature to reduce nuclear vigilance, there were genuine policy differences. In the end, however, the NPR collapsed from bureaucratic inertia and the absence of presidential leadership. By delegating authority for a sensitive and complex undertaking to working groups largely made up of mid-level officials in the Pentagon, the outcome was practically a foregone conclusion. And at the first sign of congressional controversy, when Thurmond called hearings to demand why STRATCOM commander Admiral Henry G. Chiles was allowing Carter to discuss abandoning the triad, any serious effort to recast the force posture was essentially over.
What had begun as an effort to subject the nuclear posture to wholesale scrutiny had evolved into a pro forma exercise that assembled findings and conclusions from the consensus views of the working groups. Senior officials turned to other pressing priorities, not least the denuclearization of the former Soviet republics and the challenges posed by deteriorating relations with Russia. A domestic climate that had seemed open to challenging Cold War orthodoxy early in the administration was in reality deeply divided over the desirability of devaluing nuclear weapons in U.S. strategy, regardless of international changes. Most importantly, this initiative had been launched before there was a chance to resolve more fundamental questions, such as how to interpret changes in Russia and China, whether partnerships with former adversaries were possible or even desirable, and how nuclear deterrence would be adapted to cope with emerging proliferation threats.
Absent consensus even within the Pentagon, the former crusaders sought refuge in the status quo. The public version of the review consisted of 37 pages of charts and diagrams recommending that there be no significant changes in the nuclear posture of Clinton's predecessors. Forces would go no lower than START II levels, nuclear weapons would be retained in Europe at current levels, and there would be no serious alteration in U.S. operational policies, including the policy of first use. Secretary of Defense William Perry was provided with several rationales for the decision to avoid major departures from the past, including an apparent disparity in the pace of dismantling U.S. and Russian forces mandated by START (which, it was alleged, could lead to U.S. "numerical inferiority") and the danger of a potential resurgence of an adversary "still armed with 25,000 nuclear weapons."7
The NPR ushered in the policy of "hedging," in particular a commitment to retain a reserve force at START I levels for rapid reload in the event of crisis. This policy turned into a legislative albatross for the administration when Congress voted to prohibit any cuts in U.S. strategic forces until the Duma approved START II—a policy that remains, in the National Defense Authorization Act even though Russia ratified the treaty this spring. Despite urging by the Joint Chiefs, the centrist congressionally appointed National Defense Panel, and others that unilateral reductions in U.S. forces were prudent and fiscally important, the administration remained paralyzed to change.8
The Future
Some lessons can be drawn about how to conduct a nuclear posture review, which may help the new administration avoid the controversies and setbacks of previous efforts:
• The imperative of presidential leadership: No administration can hope to achieve an outcome other than ratification of the status quo if the president does not make it clear that he has a large stake in the outcome and remains involved.
• Clear lines of authority: Designated representatives of the president have to be seen as having his full backing—including the right to invoke his support should it prove necessary.
• A strategy for the bureaucracy: Efforts to reform organizations cannot be consigned to the bureaucracy, which can be guaranteed to offer lowest common denominator recommendations that typically reject innovation. The results of countless commissions and formal reviews attest to this.
• Military cooperation: Any review that appears to be a civilian assault on military prerogative, however high-minded, is doomed to fail. The military has been asked to be the guardian of nuclear operations for decades now; its support and expertise is essential.
• A congressional strategy: Many of the mediating institutions in the congress, like the Senate arms control observer group and several arms control-related caucuses, have been eliminated since the l994 election. Similar mechanisms, which allow for select, bipartisan discourse between the executive branch and Congress, are essential before a major initiative is launched. There is a steep learning curve for acquiring expertise and sound judgment about nuclear operations.
• Clear, articulated goals: No fundamental reform can succeed if it is either overly ambitious or subject to constant revision and hedging in the face of political opposition. Familiar in congressional politics, a "split the difference" strategy to solve policy disagreements may be a reasonable approach to achieving consensus on, say, budget line-items for Social Security, but it can prove disastrous when applied to fundamental questions of strategy.
• A realistic appreciation of the challenges: Past efforts to influence nuclear operations include many more failures than successes. As discussed, this has not changed with the passing of the Cold War. Any administration will have to take these challenges fully into account before initiating an ambitious review.
The new president is likely to face many of the same challenges faced by predecessors, and some new ones as well. The current nuclear debate is fraught with partisan division and divergent opinions. Never particularly coherent, the logic of nuclear deterrence seems now to be even more difficult to articulate, let alone to serve as a basis for forging a new post-Cold War consensus about the rightful role of nuclear weapons. Is the United States prepared to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states? Do we need to design new weapons for such missions? Will strategic defenses supplant nuclear rivalry or simply intensify it in Russia, China, or among regional powers? What, in fact, is our current nuclear doctrine?
There are organizational as well as substantive obstacles. Despite efforts to reorganize the planning community over the last decade, current arrangements still inhibit active linkages between policy-makers and defense planners, to the detriment of both. Notwithstanding innovations to make nuclear planning more "flexible," centralized plans for prompt and massive attack against Russia are still the centerpiece of American deterrence. At a time when the Russian nuclear infrastructure, including its command and control system, is deteriorating rapidly, maintaining such a posture implies more nuclear risk than nuclear security. Even with lower numbers of weapons being considered for START III, however, "maximum target coverage" of Russia is still the dominant consideration. The attention paid to maintaining this behemoth competes with other priorities, not least the kind of conventional force modernization which the Joint Chiefs agree is urgently needed.
Perhaps the greatest challenge to the new president, however, underscored by the congressional timetable, will be managing competing policy priorities—especially considering the complexity, high risk and limited political payoff of nuclear policy innovation. The likelihood that other initiatives will impinge on this undertaking is very high, particularly in the first months of a new administration.
There are other reasons to be concerned about the review's relatively short timeframe. The learning curve for managing nuclear operations is steep, and few new appointees can be expected to have sufficient expertise. Devising a congressional strategy takes time. Defusing opposition in the bureaucracy takes time. Even before that, the president must have a good idea of the outcome he seeks if he is to issue clear directives. Absent agreement in the Congress or the bureaucracy about the direction of nuclear policy, defining the scope and terms of the review in a way that can feasibly be implemented may prove the most daunting task of all.
The appointment of a special group of senior and respected advisers to draft a charter for a presidential review may be the best option. Such a group could provide the legitimacy and political cover needed to defuse opposition or to protect the president from controversy. This too, however, would require the president's attention, time, and clear commitment, as well as the ability of the group to mediate the competing voices in Congress, the executive branch, and the "expert" community. Widely respected and much admired, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs General John Shalikashvili is currently assessing prospects for future Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Perhaps he might be ready for a new challenge?
1. See Arms Control Today, September 2000.
2. Cited in Janne E. Nolan, Guardians of the Arsenal (New York: Basic Books, l989) p. 30.
3. Cited in Guardians, p. 258.
4. Two military participants involved in Cheney's review, interviews by author, August 1997. See also, Janne Nolan, An Elusive Consensus: Nuclear Weapons and American Security After the Cold War (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 1999).
5. For further discussion, see Hans Kristensen, "Targets of Opportunity: How Nuclear Planners Found New Targets for Old Weapons," The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, September/October 1997, p. 22-28.
6. David B. Ottaway and Steve Coll, "Trying to Unplug the War Machine," The Washington Post, April 12, 1995, p. A1.
7. Cited in Bill Gertz, "The New Nuclear Policy: Lead But Hedge," Air Force Magazine, January l995, p. 36.
8. For more information, see National Defense Panel, "Transforming Defense: National Security in the 21st Century," Department of Defense, December l997.
Janne E. Nolan is director of international programs at the Century Foundation.
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Common Causes Of Thigh Muscle Pain
Thigh muscle pain is most often experienced by athletes as muscles, tendons, or ligaments are stretched, bruised, torn, or simply stressed. The muscles most commonly affected are two fairly large muscles, the hamstrings in the back or posterior of the leg and thigh, and the quadriceps in the front or anterior of the leg or thigh.
Thigh muscle pain can be the result of strain, or of a contusion, a traumatic blow to the muscle. Tendinitis can also be a cause of thigh muscle pain, even though it is the tendon, and not the muscle, which is really the source of the problem. Another source of thigh muscle pain is bursitis; however strains and contusions remain the chief causes of this condition. The most common symptom of bursitis is pain experienced when stretching the hamstring or flexing the knee against resistance. Pain may not appear during activity, but following, and may become more severe when sitting.
Thigh Muscle Tightness - Muscle tightness can at times be a precursor to injuries and subsequent thigh muscle pain. Tight muscles, whether the hamstrings or quadriceps are involved, can easily lead to strained or torn muscles, particularly in the course of an athletic event. Even if muscle injuries do not occur, tight muscles, particularly in the hamstring muscles, can create pain, not only in the thigh muscles, but in the back as well, and even affect one's posture. Sometimes tight muscles are a genetic condition. Some are born with hamstring muscles that are on the short side, and some people are naturally more supple than others. Women for example, generally have less of a problem with tight hamstring or quadriceps muscles than do men. Those who have naturally tighter muscles in the thighs and legs usually must pay greater attention to warming up and stretching before engaging in strenuous physical activity or athletic events, and stretching again once the physical activity comes to a close.
Running And Jumping, Causes Of Muscle Problems - Thigh muscle pain caused by an injury to the quadriceps, most often involves the Rectus femorus, a muscle which crosses both the hip and knee joints, and is the one most susceptible to strains or contusions. Sprinters and soccer players have the greatest chance of incurring thigh muscle pain from this type of injury. The pain is usually felt above the knee, where the muscle joins the tendon.
Since the hamstring serves to flex the knee and move the thigh backwards, sprinting and jumping are also leading causes of hamstring sprains or tears. Sprinters especially need to warm up well and stretch before participating in their events, where they go from a dead standstill to placing extreme stress on the thigh muscles in a fraction of a second. A tight hamstring is very apt to suffer an injury in such a situation. A severe hamstring pull or tear not only is a cause of extreme thigh muscle pain, but can be a career ending injury for athletes in some cases.
Classes Of Injuries - Pulled hamstring or quadriceps muscles are usually placed in three classes, from mild to severe, with a Class I pull or strain being the mildest, and one from which recovery generally takes place in a few days or weeks, to a Class III pull in which the muscle is badly torn and healing and rehabilitation can take months. Athletes who suffer Class III pulls often run a high risk of injuring the affected muscle again at some future time.
Don't Be A Hero - As a general rule, one of the worst things one can do when experiencing thigh muscle pain is to try to work through it. Unless the condition is very mild, attempting to work through the pain can often result in damaging a muscle or tendon even more. At the very least, a thorough warm up, accompanied by gentle stretching should precede strenuous physical activity, followed by a cool down and additional stretching. Massaging and gently stretching a thigh muscle that may tighten up is also recommended.
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Thankfully, this DUI arrest came before the loss of life.
1/4th of 1% of all crashes are caused by impaired driving, which accounts for 33% of all traffic fatalities.
Thousands of lives are lost every year to drunk drivers, and it’s unfortunately not always just the inebriated driver. It’s innocent lives, forced into a traffic accident caused by someone else’s bad decision. Drivers take 350 billion trips a year (a trip being every time you drive from point A to point B). 92 million of those trips are being taken by someone who is at or above the legal blood alcohol saturation level. Of those, 1.5 million get arrested. One million get convicted, but only 200,000 get interlocks. One fourth of one percent of all crashes are caused by impaired driving, which accounts for 33% of all traffic fatalities. The DADSS program is tired of looking at statistics like that. So phase one of the research phase was finding a tech manufacturer who can help them achieve their goal.
Heading the research effort is QinetiQ. They are a technology research and testing facility based in Waltham, MA (America Operations). Recently I visited their secure facility in Waltham, where I was met with enthusiasm by Bud Zaouk, Director of Surface Transportation serving as the technical manager of the program. He explained to me that there were four options for technology. The first was already in use, electrochemical (breathalyzer) which takes too long to warm up along with annual calibration. That one was scratched off the list. Next up was behavioral, which would require the driver to press buttons to determine level of impairment but could not measure intoxication level. This one was also scratched off the list. That left distance spectrometry and touch spectrometry. Both are viable technologies with many variables, each with their own positives and negatives.
Test model of a distance spectrometer to measure breath alcohol.
Distance spectrometry operates by drawing a breath into a device hosting an infrared spectrum that breaks down the molecules to determine inebriation. Again, this has to be done and analyzed within milliseconds. The variables for this technology are astounding. Bud pointed out that he was given no less than four two-and-a-half inch thick binders full of possible variables. Just off the top of my head: whether or not the air conditioning is on, vibrations from the radio, breath of other drivers, open windows, fresh fish from the market, saturated clothing, asthma, and so on. You could spend an afternoon listing out the variables and probably still not list them all. Taking a tour through the lab, I was introduced to a proprietary machine built to replicate the breath generally exhaled from a human lung. The machine adds humidity at correct parts per million, then mixed with the appropriate amount of ethanol emulates a drunk person’s breath. This technology is being developed by a company called AutoLiv, based in Sweden.
Touch spectrometry is just as complex, with a different set of variables. Developed by True Touch in partnership with Takata, the technology seeks to measure blood alcohol level via near infrared light which penetrates the epidermis to analyze the composition of the fluids present in the dermis layer of the skin. To emulate this, Bud shows me a test tube filled with polystyrene beads to represent collagen, in which they mix in alcohol. The research around the touch technology gets interesting when we start talking about analyzing blood to determine the way alcohol affects the blood, and how it is eliminated from the body over time. Using a gas chromatograph (the gold standard for analyzing compounds, used often in forensics) to set the baseline and confirm their mixtures, QinetiQ is making sure that every simulation of alcohol is as accurate as possible.
The blood that is being tested isn’t being synthesized. It’s actual human blood. Through a partnership with Harvard Medical School, volunteers (rigorously tested and vetted) are dosed with alcohol for about 20 minutes, with about eight shots of Vodka. Their blood alcohol is driven up to .12 then they start dropping. For the next eight hours, blood is being drawn to be sent back to McClain Hospital to be analyzed there. To take it a step further, QinetiQ plans on building a living room to emulate social drinking, as like during a Monday Night football game. At this point, this particular piece of the research is speculative. There is a huge “what-if”: if the technology to measure inebriation is accepted, how would you then measure in a continuous fashion? In order to even contemplate that, they have to understand how alcohol enters and leaves the bloodstream. Meaning, you could be at 0.8 and rising when you get into a vehicle, or you are at 0.8 and dropping when you enter a vehicle. Obviously the rising is more dangerous, even though neither situation is advised.
In my opinion, the touch spectrometry is going be the way to go. With distance, there are way too many variable when it comes to drawing in a breath. With touch, everyone touches something in the car right? You either touch the steering wheel, or the start button – something. If you want to be really paranoid though, you can think to yourself – what else are they analyzing looking at your blood? Will your OnStar system come on during a Sunday drive and tell you that you have cancer or that you are pregnant? What data will be relayed through that system to a central database? Of course, touch spectrometry is using near infrared light and not actually drawing blood, so perhaps those paranoid thoughts aren’t possible anyway.
Right now the technology, both distance and touch, are in the early phases of development. The time to measure is nowhere close yet, the devices are both much too large to fit in a vehicle, so there is much work to be done. QinetiQ has brought in half of a vehicle (missing an engine block) to eventually simulate in-car conditions. Basically, this technology is years from perfection and completion. However, once the technology is proven viable (and unobtrusive) the policy discussion will begin, and that is where the battle will be. Thankfully for QinetiQ, that won’t be their issue to deal with outside of proving that the technology works. For the Auto Alliance and the other organizations supporting this initiative, it’s going to be a steep uphill battle.
Way back in 1974, the NHTSA decided to mandate seat belt activated interlocks in all new vehicles. With only a couple months lead time, car manufacturers rushed to install these systems in vehicles, amidst angered public outcry. The systems were flawed from the beginning, and were overturned by Congress later that year. This bill (that overturned the decision for seat belt interlocks) nearly destroyed the future of airbags. Poor planning, poor research and development and good intentions created a disparaging state of public opinion when it comes to forced safety in automobiles.
People… don’t like to be told what to do, but they force others to deal with the consequences of their actions.
The failure of the seat belt interlock system only highlights the research and development that would need to go into future systems. Even considering an alcohol detection system in vehicles will ruffle a lot of feathers within all corners of public opinion and the government. No matter your opinion on the subject, people have proven that they don’t like to be told what to do, but they force others to deal with the consequences of their actions. It’s something we all experience when we encounter a driver who is inebriated, but cannot and does not make the responsible decision. This is why this technology is even being considered, and this is why this technology will face strong opposition.
Whenever the government tries to mandate anything in our daily lives, there is always a boiling point for the public. While this possible legislation is years from being considered, the time will come when it will. With an alcohol detection system in vehicles, lives may be saved but the argument about having to sacrifice a personal freedom will be the fire starter. But is drunk driving a right? Considering it’s illegal, probably not.
So what do you think? Would you knowingly purchase a vehicle that has an alcohol detection system in it? Consider that the goal is that you won’t even be able to tell the system is there, save for the car not starting if you are inebriated.
Thousands of deaths a year are attributed to drunk drivers, and the DADSS program is looking to drastically slash that number through innovative technology, since simply telling people not to drive drunk just isn’t working.
Top Image: Flickr User Alex E. Proimos, spectrometer image by C.Silver
Curtis Silver
Read more by Curtis Silver
Follow @cebsilver and @geekdads on Twitter.
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Doing Dishes, Happy Song, and Clever Status Posts
Make Monday Fun, Share these…
20 Clever Status Posts:
1. What a weekend…trying to get the courage to look at my credit card statement from last night :/
2. I just want to alternate between napping and eating all day everyday while getting attention, so basically I just wish I were a dog.
3. People who don’t like bacon cannot be trusted.
4. I do marathons (on Netflix).
5. You’ll never know the value of a moment until becomes a memory.
6. There are plenty of fish in the sea…I just suck at fishing.
7. What do people in China call their good dishes?
8. You know what I hate? Those DAMNED ‘push to wash’ sinks in public restrooms!!!!! UGHhhhHh what is the purpose?!?! They only stay on for bout 2.5 seconds IF THAT, then you gotta hold it and wash one hand, and switch, and BAMMM you got more germs then you started with!
9. Was I the only one who cheated on heads up 7 up in elementary school??
10. I checked my FB today. Don’t worry, everyone is still just gettin pregnant and posting food pics. Business as usual.
11. Leaving me a voicemail is like sending a letter to the house I lived in 4 years ago. I’m just never gonna get that.
12. “I’m going to perform extensive research on this particular topic before I give an educated opinion.” -no one ever.
13. Does this 50 pound bag of cat food make me look single?
14. I’m not positive that having the TV volume on an odd number will destroy the world, but lets not risk it.
15. “Wow, this relationship is really rocky. I bet a wedding and baby will solve everything!” -Idiots.
16. Sometimes you just have to logout…..
17. “I” before “E” especially after “P”. Mmmm pie
18. When in doubt mumble.
19. My favorite thing to do on Facebook is to get in a long conversation with someone and then delete all my comments to make them look crazy.
20. I hate when I put food in the microwave & it starts making explosive noises.. So I check & it’s cold, like why you gotta play me like that?!
Yesterdays Status Updates…
Dog Dances to “Happy” Song…
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I hate to admit it but, that dog has better dance moves than me. LOL! So amazing :) Share if you enjoyed.
Toddler Maestro, Love Mail, and Top Status Updates
Make your weekend last longer, share these…
The Top Status Updates for Facebook from this week:
1. 6.8 billion people in the world and I just had to make my own sandwich.
2. I’m so good at being bad.
3. 8 planets, 204 countries, 809 islands, 7 seas, 6,000,000,000+ people, and I’m single.
4. All my life I thought air was free… until I bought a bag of chips.
5. The biggest lie I tell my self is “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”
7. Lazy rule: Can’t reach it. Don’t need it.
8. My favorite F word:
9. My room was clean. But then, I had to decide what to wear.
10. Save some time and just put your Taco Bell directly in the toilet.
11. I love sleep. You forget about pain, problems, stress, everything for a while.
12. I like turtles because they’re so chill. They don’t hurt anyone. They’re just like, “Hey man, I want to swim, and maybe eat some lettuce.”
13. There are two ways of meeting difficulties. You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them.
14. That awkward moment when you show someone something really funny & they don’t think it’s funny at all.
15. Women say they love nerds until you whip out your Pokemon cards.
16. Judging by the commercials, only old white guys with sailboats can suffer from erectile dysfunction.
17. A word to the wise. A paragraph to the smart. A long-form essay to the oblivious. A silent, meaningful gesture to the enlightened.
18. “Why is life so hard?” – Me, trying to open a jar of peanut butter.
19. Gas is $4 a gallon and girls still think we’re coming over to just “chill.”
20. Some old people are driving vehicles right now and don’t even know it.
Yesterdays Status Updates…
Toddler Maestro is Amazing…
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When you feel the music, you really feel it :) So cute!
Old Cop Dancing, Wat, and Funny One Liners
Almost Friday, Share these….
Funny One-Liners for your Status:
1. I’m gonna strap a snowblower on my roof and start driving south. When someone asks me what it is, that’s where I’m gonna live.
2. What do you call a cheap circumcision? A rip off.
3. It’s always hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they’re always taking things literally.
4. A blind man walks into a bar…. and a table… and a chair.
5. You gotta hand it to blind prostitutes.
6. When you tell a lie, think of it as peeing in the pool. Let it out slow. Don’t let facial expressions give you away.
10. When someone is murdered, they always investigate the spouse 1st. And that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about marriage.
11. I rub shampoo in my eyes every morning to prepare for the pain of the day.
12. YES! Pandora I am still listening. Why so needy?
13. Love is like hearing your favorite song for the first time. Then listening to it over and over again till you hate that song.
14. Has anyone EVER checked to see how the room or wall behind them looks before taking and posting 50 selfies?!
15. Sometimes I think I’m pretty cool but then I remember plants can eat sun and poop out air.
16. You know you are pissed off when Eminem starts to make sense.
17. Sex is like pizza. When it’s good, it’s good. When it’s bad, it’s still petty good.
18. Man, kids really do ask some tough questions. One just came up to me and said “what’s Nicolas Cage’s worst film?” How do you even answer that?
20. Remember the Harlem Shake? I think we can all agree that was really stupid.
Yesterdays Status Updates…
I upside down love you.
Old Cop Does the “Wobble” Dance:
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Whoa! That old man has some serious moves :)
Blah Blah Dog, Relationship Advice, and Genius Status Updates
Make Wednesday Fun, Share these…
Genius Status Updates for Facebook:
1. Sleep is like sex, you never get enough of it and sometimes it feels like it never happened at all.
2. One day, people are gonna write songs about the nap I’m about to take.
3. Sometimes a person is completely out of the picture but you just can’t let go of the frame.
4. Finding out your ex got fat is like finding 20 bucks in your pocket. Not life changing but definitely puts a smile on your face.
5. Never trust a married guys opinion of who’s hot. It’s like asking a starving guy what food tastes good.
6. The secret to a successful lemonade stand is vodka.
7. When a guy texts a girl “hey stranger”, what he really means is “I’ve recently thought about trying to get in your pants again.”
8. I mixtape love you.
10. I hate that feeling when you close your eyes to apply shampoo, and get paranoid that someone might kill you in the shower.
11. True friends don’t judge each other…. They judge other people, together.
12. I worry about the future because I know my friends that are teachers.
13. Me after just cleaning my room:
Wow, I am never letting my room get messy again!
The next day:
Has anyone seen my bed?
14. Horror movies don’t scare me. 5 missed calls from mom scares me.
15. Online dating creeps me out! I’ll stick with good old-fashioned prison penpals.
16. Thinks its should be illegal to do construction, mow, and/or weed whack before noon!
17. College is the only time in which being poor and drunk is acceptable.
18. Hell hath no fury like a woman whom you won’t let see a picture of her you just took.
19. Anyone want to be friends with benefits? Like we’ll give each other rides to the airport and help each other move but still be just friends.
20. The line between sleeping in my clothes and wearing the clothes I slept in has blurred.
Yesterdays Status Updates…
The “Blah Blah Dog”…
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He really doesn’t like you talking :) He’s clearly bored of you. Share if you enjoyed.
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Featured Article
House Passes Regionalism Bills
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The state house of representatives has passed a package of bills that house Democrats say will promote regionalism and, eventually, save money. WNPR’s Jeff Cohen reports.
When the session began a few months ago, state Representative Brendan Sharkey said the state and its municipalities needed to start cooperating more in order to save money. Because state money, as everyone knows, is in short supply.
So the house passed and the senate is considering four bills Sharkey says are first steps.
One of the four bills would give grants to towns and cities that work together to bus their children to school. If they work together, they save money. If they save money, the state saves money by having to reimburse them less. And, under the new bill, if the state saves money, it will pass half of those savings on to the towns and cities.
Got that?
“If you as a town and board of education can realize savings through a multi-town or regional contract, we’re both going to make out on this.”
The house also passed a bill allowing towns, cities and their boards of education to collectively buy health insurance. And, it passed a bill that will make landlords pay to remove and transport the goods of evicted tenants. As it stands now, towns and cities were doing that and paying for it.
“That’s the whole hue and cry about this issue. The towns are saying, ‘Why should we have to pay for what in every other state in the country is a landlord responsibility?’”
Finally, the house passed a hotel tax that Democrats say would generate an additional $9 million in revenue in its first year. Of that, $3 million would go back to the towns and cities that house the hotels, and the rest would go to regional planning organizations.
It’s not much money, but Sharkey says the bill will help decrease the local reliance on the property tax. He also says it will promote regional cooperation.
“It’s not something that can be done overnight, just by waiving a magic wand. Typically, things that would be regionalized to create efficiencies at the local level have an upfront cost associated with them.”
Because, Sharkey says, you have to spend money before you can save it.
The senate is now considering the bills.
For WNPR, I’m Jeff Cohen.
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DeeAnn Marie
Posts tagged socialjustice
0 notes &
Quite on accident I started as casual at The Lighthouse. I didn’t really need the money but they get really short staffed at times and for some reason they seem content to pay me. My first day was eventful as instead of training, I spend the day seeing up close how messed up the healthcare system is in Saskatoon. DeeAnn and I did something so horrible that I can’t even describe it and it was because no one in the health region wanted to do anything. It was really disillusioning and disturbing to see how low income and low functioning senior citizens are treated by the system…
—Wendy Cooper (from her blog)
Everyday this job tests me. I keep trying to rise to the challenge and sometimes the only reason I keep my head on straight is because I would be too embarrassed to lose it in front of someone else. Friday was one of those days and it was Wendy who was there with me, helping treat a client with love and care when we were dealing with things that will probably give me nightmares for months.
Why am I, the PR girl, helping care for clients? Because the need is great. And the systems that are supposed to help our clients just don’t work for them.
For example, home care doesn’t like to bathe our tenants because their rooms are too smokey. Home care asks clients not to smoke in their homes for a couple of hours before they come, but that is really hard for people who have mobility issues. Home care schedules visits in a one hour time frame, and then the tenant doesn’t want to just sit around and wait for them, goes out for a smoke and misses the appointment. They miss 2 appointments and home care gives up.
I know the perception of people living in poverty is that they are lazy, but working at the Lighthouse has proved that is anything but the case. When money is very tight everything has to be carefully planned. Using the bus is expensive & time consuming, walking is cheap but time consuming (especially with a physical disability), taking a taxi is very expensive but sometimes necessary to go to places where the bus doesn’t go (Saskatoon transit is horrible).
So I guess the reason why I try to help is because I know their life is very hard. And while I try to influence the powers that be to make their life better, that also means getting my hands dirty where no one else will.
(Except for Wendy Cooper-God bless that woman.)
Filed under homelessness saskatoon socialjustice YXE
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David Marchese
Four years after hanging an "out to lunch" sign on their front door, jam band godheads Phish have announced that they're reuniting for a series of shows at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia next March, with further touring also in the works. Doubtless there are many for whom this news registers as little more than a non-Zeppelin ripple in the sea of reunion rumors, but for Phishheads, this is huge -- and not just because they won't have to fake it at Disco Biscuits concerts anymore. Instead, their world has been reborn.
Is this a good thing?
I won't pretend I was anything more than a Phish dilettante, but there was a time in my life when I religiously bought the studio albums, scoured the internet for live shows, and made sure I saw Trey, Page, Fish, and Mike whenever they came to town. But I never traded tapes or joined the great tie-dyed hordes and followed the band on tour. Frankly, I was never 100% sold on the music, either. I was way more into Phish ballads like "Prince Caspian" and "Wading in the Velvet Sea" than labyrinthine epics like "You Enjoy Myself" or "Tweezer." (For context, this is akin to a Metallica fan preferring Lars and Co.'s slow jams to their headbangers.) Also, I came to Phish in the late '90s, when they were entering their "funk era," which can be encapsulated by the following syllogism: White jam bands from Vermont are not funky; Phish are a white jam band from Vermont; therefore, Phish are not funky.
The thing I really dug about the band, and the reason I'm glad they're coming back, is that being a Phish fan meant being part of a community. You got to speak in code ("The 2/4/93 'Hood' is great, but the jam from the Great Went is even better"), pore over setlists, trade "Phish Tales," and, of course, go to concerts, twirl, and with some biochemical prompting, say things like, "Dude, Trey's guitar sounds like a million alien violins." (Trust me on that last one.) When the band went away, Phishheads turned into Deadheads, archaeologists, experts on a dead civilization.
Now Phish are back. And you can be sure tapers are stocking up on cassettes, calendars are being cleared, and there will be a run on balloons and nitrous oxide. As far as we know, the group's return might be short-lived, but there will be moments, deep into "Simple" or "Cavern" or "Weekapaug Groove," when the music, and the world it created, will feel poised on the edge of forever. Enjoy them while they last.
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Mean Value Theorem
Drag the points a and b to create a closed interval. Click the check box to draw the secant line through the endpoints, and then draw a line that is parallel to the secant line. Find the point(s) on the graph of f(x) where the tangent line is parallel to the secant line.
You can change the function by right-clicking on the graph, choosing "Function h," and then "Object Properties."
BKD, Created with GeoGebra
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Subscribe English
look up any word, like bae:
Someone who insists on referring to Tea Party activists as "teabaggers" because of the word's pre-existing sexual connotation. Derives from some TP sympathizers' response of inviting such persons to suck their 'nads.
You're never going to convince that guy to stop calling you a teabagger because he's a habitual nadsucker hoping to score.
by ak4mc November 10, 2010
12 0
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Consider the following code:
int x=0;
#pragma omp parallel num_threads(4) default(none) shared(x)
cout << x << endl;
The expected out put is 4000. However what I usually see is something between 2500-3500. I already know why, (because I didn't make this operation atomic). Until today I thought this was totally acceptable, but then something came to my mind:
Cache coherency protocols are supposed to keep data consistent among cores. That is, if a core wants to write to a variable, it must first gain exclusive access to it, and then proceed with write operation.
Now i'm wondering why would I get any result other than 4000, even when I don't specify it's an atomic operation?
One thing that comes to my mind is that maybe when the code is compiled into machine code it possibly create two copies of x.
What I think of cache coherency protocols is explained in the following figure taken from here(Page 19):
Get Exclusive
Now I know this figure is for a multi-processor(and not multi-core) systems using bit-vector protocol, but I think something close to this is used in Intel processors that are using MESI protocol. If this is true, then the reader won't get a copy of requested value until all invalidations are acknowledged. Correct me if I'm wrong. I've tried searching for details of how MESI protocol works, but I haven't found much.
share|improve this question
The interaction issues with multi-processor are the same as those of multi-core. The problem has to do with how many "execution units" there are that (potentially) may access a memory location simultaneously. A memory lock forces other units potentially contending for a memory location to back off until the locker has completed working with the location. – Olof Forshell Mar 13 '12 at 10:48
@OlofForshell, in my opinion (correct me if I'm wrong), there should be no simultaneous write access to same location on hardware/protocol level. I know what the lock does, but I think the protocol does this before hand in hardware. Do you know any resources that show otherwise? You and others claim that there's still a possibility that processors/cores may simultaneously access but yet show no references to confirm. I'd appreciate anything. – atoMerz Mar 15 '12 at 8:38
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3 Answers
I agree 100% with Gray's answer. However, the non-atomicity of increment is a known issue and it's not just applicable to multi-cores, as it can just as well occur on a single core machine.
The fact is that x++ is (usually) actually accomplished through several assembler instructions, for example:
load r,[x] ; load memory into register
incr r ; increment register
stor [x],r ; store register back to memory
so although it's a single operation in the C program, it's actually a non-atomic sequence of assembler instructions that can be interrupted at any point. So even on a single core machine, a thread might be interrupted before completing the increment, thus leaving the variable in an inconsistent state.
Some compilers or architectures may indeed treat increment as atomic, but it's not a good idea to assume this.
share|improve this answer
How can I know which instructions are used for x++? Is there a tool to reads executable and display assembly code? – atoMerz Mar 5 '12 at 20:26
Well usually a debugger can do that for you. For example on linux you can open your executable with gdb and use the disassemble command to view the assembler instructions of the program. – Tudor Mar 5 '12 at 20:30
There is a C keyword (register) to request that a variable, if possible, be stored in a register. However, since it is not a guarantee that it will, the method you show is most probably how it is done many times. – Eduardo Mar 5 '12 at 20:34
Tudor is spot on but to be sure @AtoMerZ, he is talking about atomic with regards to the local cache -- not to central memory or another processor's cache. Just because something is atomic does not imply any degree of synchronization. – Gray Mar 5 '12 at 21:55
Many modern compilers ignore the register keyword @Eduardo because their internal register allocators are better than you are at optimizing. – Gray Mar 5 '12 at 21:57
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Why do you think that the value x is stored in a coherent cache location? Each core has it's own cache memory but there are no guarantees of coherency between those caches unless you ask for them. And there is no guarantee about the order of the cache updates -- nor the frequency. One thread could add 100 to x and then the cache could be synchronized overwriting the other thread's increment of 20.
The first time x is referenced, it gets pulled into a processor (or core) memory cache from central memory. Most likely each thread will get a 0 the first time. But it may be at the very end of the loop that anything is written back to central memory and each thread might easily write back 1000 to x. There is certainly no guarantees that x will be updated with each x++ -- either written or re-read. In fact, you are pretty much guaranteed that x will not be updated each time unless it is synchronized. In terms of this tight loop, x will never be evicted from the cache so it will never be re-read automatically. Even if it wasn't such a tight loop, making some guess about when x will be evicted would be extremely hard to do -- even if you were always working on the same hardware.
Lastly, the word really is "synchronization" instead of "atomic". x++ is rarely an atomic operation these days (it is actually read, increment, store) but it certainly is not synchronized between cache memory locations or central storage.
share|improve this answer
So cache coherency protocols are used if the programmer asks for them? I thought cache was invisible to the programmer. – atoMerz Mar 5 '12 at 19:06
There is certainly no guarantees that x will be updated with each x++. If so, then what's the point of cache coherency protocols? They're there to keep data consistent, aren't they? – atoMerz Mar 5 '12 at 19:10
The cache is invisible to the programmer but the synchronization of those caches is not. If every value was updated from central memory each time it was written then there's no point in having a cache. The entire point is to cache central memory -- even when writing. What the programmer needs to know how to do is to use the language definition to put synchronization points where necessary. – Gray Mar 5 '12 at 19:11
The point of cache coherency is that when you do a synchronization, it takes care of it for you. I knows which memory blocks are dirty and need to be flushed and which to write back to central core. It's magic but it's not 100% invisible otherwise it would never know when you was a fresh copy of x and when the cache version is fine. – Gray Mar 5 '12 at 19:14
Good answer. Another fact is that x++ is actually accomplished through several assembler instructions, so although it's a single operation in the C program, it's actually a non-atomic sequence of assembler instructions that can be interrupted at any point. – Tudor Mar 5 '12 at 20:12
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Cache coherency means that as soon as one core (or a bus mastering device) writes to a memory location that location is invalidated in other (all) caches that contain it. This forces them to reload the location (in the form of a 64-byte cache line) before they can access it (R or W) the next time.
So cache coherency is not data coherency it's just a guarantee that an updated location will be invalidated asap. Caches can't do more, they're always way behind the executing cores and somewhat behind each other. If one core updates a location and another does the same slightly later both caches concerned will think their location is valid (and they will both probably invalidate each other's cache lines).
What kind of a guarantee is this if the data isn't guaranteed to be valid? It's the best that can be done under the circumstances. The choice is between completely synchronized cores (which would run exceedingly slowly) and running at full speed with caches (with specific, defined consequences and working solutions to handle them). The solutions are essentially very short slowdowns such that everything is synchronized afterwards. These intermittent, very short slowdowns should be weighed against the permanent slowdown of fully synchronized cores.
Under normal circumstances there is no contention over the same location from different cores or bus-mastering devices. But once they begin to share certain memory locations the solutions provided allow the programmer to make sure that the necessary synchronization can be implemented.
This seems like a pretty good paper on caches ... and this.
Edit: to be more precise on cache coherency: when a core writes to a location its own cache system will first make sure that the pertinent cache information in the caches of other cores is invalidated. So after a write only the cache of the core that wrote to the location will contain cached data about the location.
share|improve this answer
Thanks for the links. I understand that you mean the overhead of synchronization is too much to be used on every transaction. So instead the burden is on the programmer to use it as needed. – atoMerz Mar 17 '12 at 20:26
You probably need synchronization for every transaction but the trick is making the time required as short as possible. Also, when I looked in the intel x86 documentation they mention that the lock signal needn't necessarily need to leave the cache system resulting in a much faster lock. – Olof Forshell Mar 18 '12 at 8:40
Synchronization can be as simple as doing a lock, setting a bool in the structure member in question (being_processed=TRUE) and clearing the lock. Other threads wanting to process will pass it over simply by reading the bool and backing off (if they see the bool is cleared they enter the locking sequence described to get exclusive access). When the processing is finished the thread that did the processing simply clears the bool (the locking sequence is unnecessary there). – Olof Forshell Mar 18 '12 at 8:57
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Your Answer
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There isn't enough sugar in the world to make this bad medicine go down.
America hates Obamacare.
Poll after poll shows the more Americans learn about the so-called "Affordable Care Act" the less we want anything to do with it.
The latest is an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that says only 31% of us believe Obamacare is a good idea. With two-thirds of the country in opposition you'd think the Republicans attempting to de-fund it would have an easy time doing so.
But they have one small problem.
The polls also show we dislike shutting down the government even more than we dislike Obamacare.
By a whopping margin of 59-percent to 19-percent, according to a CNBC All American Poll, Americans across the political spectrum oppose shutting down the government with one exception, the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party.
Tea Party stalwarts in congress are determined to go to battle in a war they can't possibly win.
While the House of Representatives voted to cut off funding for the 42nd, (or is it the 43rd?) time, it's sure to die in the Senate where the Democrats still hold the majority.
And if by some miraculous turn of events the Senate somehow did join the House in cutting off funds, President Obama would use his veto pen and nobody believes there's a snowball's chance in the Valley of winning the 66 votes needed to override a presidential veto.
The votes simply aren't there for repeal.
But the votes were there for Barack Obama in 2012. President Obama was re-elected by a healthy majority last November with Obamacare as a major issue in the campaign.
The Supreme Court has ruled on the Constitutional issues.
That's our system.
Nullifying a law by holding nearly the entire apparatus of government hostage is not our system.
Americans overwhelmingly see this as just another partisan dust-up with the people about to be chewed up as cannon fodder in a battle that need not be fought. And if the Tea Party wing of the GOP thinks the blame will fall on Barack Obama they're delusional.
There's a difference between reining in a bloated, intrusive and wasteful government and incapacitating government, especially when there are time-tested ways to repeal bad laws.
In 1919, in a fit of idealism, Americans went to the polls and ratified the 18th Amendment, ushering in Prohibition. After living in a dry country for nearly 15 years, the country went back to the polls and ratified the 19th amendment. "I think it's time for a cold beer" said FDR.
We the people have the right to change our minds and we have changed our minds on Obamacare.
So what do we do about it?
We go to the polls and change the United States Senate. In 2016 we elect a President committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act.
"But we can't wait that long, McIntyre! We have to stop Obamacare now!"
Sorry, it doesn't work that way.
Even with two-thirds of the country agreeing with them on the facts the current crop of House and Senate Republicans are so unlikable they haven't been able to win over Independents and doubting Democrats.
Experience will.
Just like Prohibition, sometimes we have to get a taste of our own medicine.
-- Doug McIntyre writes a column for the Los Angeles Daily News, a MediaNews Group newspaper.
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Click photo to enlarge
"The Search for Delicious" is written by Natalie Babbitt. <p class='dotPhoto'>All Chico E-R photos are available <a href=''>here</a>.</p>
There was trouble in the Kingdom. The Prime Minister was making a dictionary. Of course, that was not the real trouble. The real trouble was "delicious" — or rather the definition of it. The King and Queen and all the other members of the court had very different ideas about what was delicious.
So begins the quest of Vaungaylen to search the Kingdom for the true definition of delicious.
Enter Hemlock, the Queen's brother. Determined to prevent Vaungaylen from completing his quest he sets out to spread lies and turn the people against him and each other.
And what of the mysterious mermaid, and the dwarves, and the elusive woldweller that no one seems to believe in anymore? Are they just the stuff of legend? Or do they actually exist?
"The Search for Delicious" is a charming but deep story about the follies of human nature. Although written in the style of a children's book, it is an excellent read for people of all ages.
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Hudda Ibrahim
Ethiopia: Tragedy We Can Prevent
Posted: 06/20/2012 11:21 am
According to the World Health Organization, Ethiopia has a maternal mortality rate of 673/100,000. This is so because only 6% of women have access to skilled attendance at birth. The literacy rate of the country is 23% for women who are above 15 years of age.
To compare this figure to a more affluent country, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Disease Control and Health, the US has a maternal mortality rate of 8/100,000.
In Ethiopia, lack of education contributes to the structural burden of women's poor health, lack of family planning, inadequate nutritional knowledge, and early marriage for girls. Women's social condition is horrific, and there are no government social programs which provide schools, clinics, road services or even clean water.
All of these problems are caused by a single factor and it is negligence. The government should have built clinics in the villages and provided health services for its citizens. In Ethiopia, the government is oppressive and does not provide for the basic needs of its people. The government must take action and build clinics, establish schools, and build roads that connect Segag to other cities in the country. I believe the lives of the thousands of women like my mother can be saved if women are educated and their social conditions are improved. In the villages, small things like clinics, schools, and clean water are nonexistent. Services like prenatal care are important here in the western countries but are rare or absent in parts of the Ogden regions. I believe maternal mortality can be drastically reduced if the government provides for its civilians, paying special attention to women and improving their social condition.
When I witnessed this tragedy, it left a dark spot in my heart and that will never go away. The pain of this experience is vividly fixed in my mind. When I look back to my teens, where I didn't have a loving mother and a caregiver, it breaks my heart. No child deserves to grow up without a mother.
As a young child who lost her mother and as a young woman who sees the systems and circumstances that endanger women's lives, I believe improving women's social condition is a high priority. The Ethiopian government needs to establish clinics, train medical professionals, and provide access to education, clean water, and sanitary living conditions. The bleeding after birth could have been stopped and my mother's life could have been saved if there had been a trained medical worker, a government-established clinic, and a good road to the city.
Even today, the women of Segag face these impossible circumstances. However, I believe that the tragedy of maternal mortality can be diminished if the Ethiopian government has the desire and will to address these problems. Clinics must be opened and women in Segag must be educated in order to prevent tragedies like the one that ripped my family apart and left me to spend my childhood without the physical caring and emotional connection of a loving mother. There is no program or project that is more important than creating awareness of these conditions through the catastrophe of my own story.
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Latvia 86 Germany 94
Dirk Nowitzki had 32 points and 9 rebounds
Big time favourites Germany were on top of the game throughout the 40 minutes. In between Latvia proved some good strength, but overall it was Germany who was the strongest team.
At crucial moments, Latvia made a lot of mistakes and won the not so pleasant statistics for turnovers 18-8. With two triumphs the Germans are qualified for the next round. The situation for Latvia is more difficult.
Both teams looked a bit tired after the opening games on Friday. But it was noone less than Dirk Nowitzki who got Germany going. The NBA star shot eight points during the first five minutes, and Latvia looked helpless. Latvia missed their shots and the Germans took most of the rebounds. 27-14 after the first quarter was a comfortable lead for the favourites from Germany.
Latvias coach Armands Kraulins did a good job in the break. His team got on to the court with a completely different style. Following a classic Baltic tradition, Latvia started to hit 3-pointers from everywhere. They went from 14-27 to 30-33 in just five minutes.
Germany looked surprised and chocked. Coach Henrik Dettmann needed to take a time out. Latvia tried to eat the whole gap, but Real Madrid giant Kaspars Kambala was not too friendly with the ball and caused a few costly turnovers for Latvia. Nowitzki did som good moves and forced Latvia to many fouls. The German lead had been reduced, but was still seven points, 48-41.
Misan Nikagbatse (GER) guarded by Armands Skele (LAT)
In the third quarter the teams kept the same pace in scoring. Germany held Latvia at a comfortable distance, mostly due to a stronger play inside. Latvia tried to keep up with its opponent, but often ended up with a foul.
In the last quarter the picture was much the same. Big, strong Gemany fought well when it came to rebounds, while Latvia continued with shots from distance. The team from the Baltic failed to get really close. Everythime they had the chance, a new turnover spoiled it. Most symbolic when the forward Trojs Ostlers, on his own with the basket, lost the ball instead of hitting a layup. With less than three minutes to go, Armands Skele scored 81-85, but that was the closest Latvia got.
During the last minutes Germany guard Mithat Demirel was excellent and led the team to the second victory in two days.
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What is Passover?
passover 300KENTUCKY (3/24/13) – Also called Pesach, which means to “pass over,” a Jewish festival that commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. This week long festival is observed by Jews with a number of rituals.
When Joseph moved his family during the famine from his homeland of Canaan, for many years the Israelites lived in harmony. However, when the population of Jews began to grow, Egyptians began to see them as a threat. After the death of Joseph and his brothers, a hostile pharaoh ordered enslavement and drowning of firstborn sons of the Jews. Thankfully there was one firstborn that was saved by the pharaoh’s daughter and she raised him as if he was her own son, named Moses. According to the Old Testament, Moses requested for the pharaoh to release the Jews from slavery but was denied by the pharaoh. God then punished the Egyptians by sending ten plagues to Egypt which included: Water to Blood, Frogs, Lice, Flies, Livestock Disease, Boils, Thunder and Hail, Locust, Darkness and Death of firstborn.
During the tenth plague, Jews marked their doors with blood of a sacrificed lamb so that the Angel of Death would “Passover” them. Finally after the tenth plague the pharaoh released the Jews. The Jews quickly gathered their belongings, while the Jews were fleeing; the pharaoh changed his mind and sent out his army to go after them. God then parted the Red Sea just long enough for Moses to lead the Jews safely then let the water close on the Egyptian soldiers, drowning them all.
In today’s home, the first nights, Passover is celebrated by Seder or feasting. During the ceremonial dinner, the reading from the Haggadah and eating symbolic foods such as: dipping spring veggies in salt water to symbolize the tears shed by the slaves, bitter herbs to symbolize the bitterness of slavery, charoset that symbolizes the mortar that slaves made their bricks from and matzah. Matzah is unleavened bread that is like a flatbread that was taken in baskets in the journey back to Israel and baked in the sun. Before Passover begins, Jews are to remove all leavened bread, this is called chametz.
Children play a huge role in the celebration of Passover. They are expected to take part in many of the customs.
The day before Passover, “Fast of the Firstborn” is started. This is where some firstborn sons fast in remembrance of the firstborn Jewish males who were spared from the slaughter in Egypt.
Amber Mena
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August 18, 2012
Rutgers' second scrimmage of the summer is in the books as the team simulated a preseason game under the lights inside High Point Solutions Stadium. There were some high points on both sides of the football and here's a look at the latest from Piscataway.
It was a day of big plays for the offense as there were four touchdown passes of 60 yards or more. Nova tossed a pair of those touchdowns, a 60-yarder to Mark Harrison and a 75-yarder to Miles Shuler.
Shuler didn't stop there, later adding a 36-yard touchdown reception and finished with 176 yards on seven catches. He also had a 14-yard reception negated because of a penalty.
"After a couple of catches, it started escalating and [I was] just being consistent," Shuler said. "That's the main thing, consistency. Coach made the play calls and I was just out there making plays, that's all."
Mike Bimonte also got into the act, launching a perfect 75-yard strike to Leonte Carroo. Chas Dodd had a long touchdown pass as well, hooking up with Jeremy Deering for a 62-yarder.
"The offense made big plays which is good" Flood said. "It's hard to score a lot of points if you don't make those kind of plays; the chunk plays, the explosive type plays."
Both starting quarterback candidates made their case as to why they should each run the offense.
Dodd started off with a bit of a hot hand, completing his first 10 of 14 passes for 100 yards and a score. After that, things started to tail off a bit as he went on to complete two of his next eight passes for 13 yards. But he bounced back and threw five straight completions against the first-team defense on a drive that ended with a 36-yard touchdown pass.
Dodd finished the night going 23-of-39 for 286 yards and four touchdowns.
"We've always had that [big play] potential, we just haven't used and executed it," Dodd said. "It's a thing that we've been working on and we've got to keep getting better at but I think tonight we just saw a few glimpses of what we can do."
Gary Nova did not throw as many passes and ended up completing 7-of-13 tosses for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
"I had some pretty explosive plays--one with Mark [Harrison] where he was wide open," Nova said. "I just did what the coach told me to do and executed the plays. I'm glad it worked out that way."
The night kind of capped off both quarterbacks' r?m?and Flood said he is confident that he can name a starter sometime this week.
Another positive that came out of the game for the offense is that there was not a single turnover.
"[I'm] extremely pleased," Flood said. "The first rule of football is the ball is the program, so if we protect the football we are always going to have a chance to win."
As successful as the Rutgers offense was through the air, there was not a whole lot of room to run as the rushing attack had a rough go of things against a stout Rutgers defense. Jawan Jamison gained only 33 yards on 12 carries while Savon Huggins rushed 10 times for 14 yards.
"We did better than last week against the run and we've probably done better since the whole camp started," said senior defensive tackle Scott Vallone. "You have to be able to stop the run because if anybody can run the ball then that's going to jumpstart their offense."
With two of Rutgers' first three games taking place at night, scrimmaging under the lights served as a warm-up to the season opener against Tulane and an all-important showdown with South Florida a couple of weeks later.
"It felt great, it felt like a game," said senior linebacker Khaseem Greene. "We were out there flying around on both sides of the ball having fun. It was more or less a game for us and we all had fun. That's part of playing the game."
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February 18, 2013
Alec Ogletree arrested
Pardon me, but outside of being a member of society who should disdain DUI, can someone please explain to me why Alec Ogletree getting a DUI in Arizona should mean anything?
I'm sad for him, and hope he'll start making better life choices, but I seriously doubt this affects him very much long term. This isn't like Orson Charles' DUI, for many reasons, not the least of which is that teams that have concerns about character (or whatever else you want to call it) had those concerns before this incident. At least if my Twitter timeline is to be believed.
The fact of the matter is Ogletree is a human being with human being problems. He also is a Damn Good Dawg and one that has put a lot of himself on the line for Georgia. If there is some sort of causation that the media wants to draw to Georgia athletics and this incident, fine. That'll happen.
I just don't get it being a big story.
PS. I am well aware, extremely and personally well aware, of the dangers of drunk driving. I don't mean to downplay that at all.
Dawgexmachia said...
It's a big deal because thanks to Dear Leader Adams' crackdown on student drinking the normal consequence for a DUI is a suspension from the university for a semester. Then again, your typical DUI student doesn't help the university bring in millions of dollars, so I guess we'll see what happens.
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5 Surprising Things We Learned About Miley Cyrus from Her MTV Doc
From being a control freak to idolizing Britney, Miley Cyrus: The Movement shows a different side of the pop star
Miley Cyrus's documentary Miley Cyrus: The Movement premiered on MTV Wednesday night, chronicling the four months between the release of her single "We Can't Stop" and her notorious performance of the song on the Video Music Awards. We were expecting the movie to be a big infomercial for Miley, which it kind of was. But it also showed us something we weren't expecting: the degree to which the 20-year-old singer controls her image and career. The twerking, nude wrecking-ball rides, and even her short buzzcut are all part of Miley's plan to recreate pop stardom on her own terms. The girl knows what she's doing. Even the fact that we're impressed by this documentary, which she produced, is further proof that Miley is one step ahead of us. Below, five new things we discovered about Miley Cyrus while watching Miley: The Movement.
1. Miley isn't out of control -- not even a little. Her sudden, dramatic image change could have seemed like careless rebellion. But every tweet, photo and performance is part of a master plan she calls "the movement." If people could look behind the scenes, she says,"they would know that this isn't just some mess. This is all thought out in my mind. Every decision goes into a bigger plan...Everything has to be new and creative, pushing the boundaries." And if you think about it, it's not like Miley has been peeing in buckets like Justin Bieber or having bizarre freak-outs like Amanda Bynes. She's definitely choosing what she puts out there, and she has her reasons.
2. Miley's concept for her infamous VMAs performance was to create a "strategic hot mess." "I'm coming out in pigtails, looking like a giant adult baby, but doing really naughty stuff. That's obviously funny," says Miley, sounding somewhat exasperated. "If I really wanted to come out and do a raunchy sex show, I wouldn't have been dressed as a damn bear." Originally, she wanted her VMA antics to be even more over-the-top: Miley says she requested to perform topless, and was negotiated down to a flesh-colored vinyl bikini. She was also supposed to arrive on the red carpet in a police car, a plan that was thwarted at the last minute.
3. Britney Spears is Miley's idol. Surprised? Even though Miley's image is a huge departure from "pop princess," she thinks of Britney as her template. Spears was the first star she idolized as a girl, and Cyrus vividly remembers her provocative videos and past VMAs performances. While recording a duet with Spears for Miley's Bangerz album, Cyrus tells her in the documentary, "When the 'Slave 4 U' video came out, I remember my dad was like, 'My eight year old is going to want to be a stripper. I'm scared.' But I wanted to be hot like Britney." Miley uses her love for Britney as a way to understand her longtime fans; for them, she says, "I'm their Britney."
4. Miley sees the ex-child-star thing as an advantage, not a handicap. "I'm so lucky to be able to not have to fit in," she says. The way Cyrus sees it, she gave up her childhood to become a star on someone else's terms. Now, she gets to do it her way. "People always want to call it a 'transition,' (but) I'm the same human I was five years ago. It's not a transition; it's a movement, it's a growth, it's a change," she explains. "People feel like they really know you...Most people don't have their kid photos put up and then be like, 'She's changed.' Well, yeah, if you put a picture of Lady Gaga at 8 next to Lady Gaga, yeah, she's changed."
5. She can snap in and out of wild Miley mode. On social media and through her music, Cyrus is giving the impression that her life is one big party. But in the documentary, she's actually a control freak. In the film, we watch as Cyrus chews out her team for messing up her VMA red-carpet entrance; somehow, the limo failed to connect with the police car in which she was supposed to arrive. She's angry and frustrated at the change of plans, but exits the limo anyway. The moment she hits that red carpet, she's got her hands in the air, her tongue sticking out, doing goofy poses for the crowd, like she'd been chugging champagne in that limo instead of trying to coordinate an elaborate plan. She's giving the crowd the Miley they want. It's just part of her strategy to look like she's making it up as she goes along.
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Karen Gillan on Why the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Characters Aren't the Avengers
"Everybody is a bad guy," says the former "Doctor Who" star of Marvel's 2014 space opera.
Guardians of the Galaxy Concept Art - H 2013
Since it was first announced, the appeal of Guardians of the Galaxy to Marvel fans unfamiliar with the characters had seemed to be, "It's like the Avengers, but in space!" However, according to castmember Karen Gillan, that's the wrong comparison.
Talking to Total Film to promote her upcoming romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending, the former Doctor Who actress suggested that what really differentiates the Guardians from Marvel's existing cinematic superteam is their attitude. "What's different about the Guardians is that, all the heroes, everybody [in the movie] is a bad guy," Gillan said. "There's just good guys within the bad guys."
STORY: 'Guardians of the Galaxy': Bradley Cooper Is Officially Rocket Raccoon
If that's true, then perhaps the infamous comment from the movie's Comic-Con teaser -- wherein John C. Reilly's second-in-command called the team "a bunch of assholes" -- is less rude and insulting and more descriptive. If nothing else, having a main character who's a bit of a douche didn't hurt the Iron Man movies, so perhaps director James Gunn is onto something here.
Gillan also addressed the rumor that we'll see the Guardians face off against the Avengers onscreen sooner rather than later. "That sounds really cool," she said, before admitting that it's "not something I've heard anything about, though." Maybe we'll have to wait for the third Avengers movie to see that showdown.
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From Grandfather's Chair, 1840
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Part 1
Chapter 11
"SIR WILLIAM PHIPPS," continued Grandfather, "was too active and adventurous a man to sit still in the quiet enjoyment of his good fortune. In the year 1690 he went on a military expedition against the French colonies in America, conquered the whole province of Acadia, and returned to Boston with a great deal of plunder."
"Why, Grandfather, he was the greatest man that ever sat in the chair!" cried Charley.
"Ask Laurence what he thinks," replied Grandfather, with a smile. "Well, in the same year, Sir William took command of an expedition against Quebec, but did not succeed in capturing the city. In 1692, being then in London, King William III. appointed him governor of Massachusetts. And now, my dear children, having followed Sir William Phipps through all his adventures and hardships till we find him comfortably seated in Grandfather's chair, we will here bid him farewell. May he be as happy in ruling a people as he was while he tended sheep!"
Charley, whose fancy had been greatly taken by the adventurous disposition of Sir William Phipps, was eager to know how he had acted and what happened to him while he held the office of governor. But Grandfather had made up his mind to tell no more stories for the present.
"Possibly, one of these days, I may go on with the adventures of the chair," said he. "But its history becomes very obscure just at this point; and I must search into some old books and manuscripts before proceeding further. Besides, it is now a good time to pause in our narrative; because the new charter, which Sir William Phipps brought over from England, formed a very important epoch in the history of the province."
"Really, Grandfather," observed Laurence, "this seems to be the most remarkable chair in the world. Its history cannot be told without intertwining it with the lives of distinguished men and the great events that have befallen the country."
"True, Laurence," replied Grandfather, smiling; "we must write a book with some such title as this: MEMOIRS OF MY OWN TIMES, BY GRANDFATHER'S CHAIR."
"But, after all," continued Grandfather, "any other old chair, if it possessed memory and a hand to write its recollections, could record stranger stories than any that I have told you. From generation to generation, a chair sits familiarly in the midst of human interests, and is witness to the most secret and confidential intercourse that mortal man can hold with his fellow. The human heart may best be read in the fireside chair. And as to external events, Grief and Joy keep a continual vicissitude around it and within it. Now we see the glad face and glowing form of Joy, sitting merrily in the old chair, and throwing a warm firelight radiance over all the household. Now, while we thought not of it, the dark-clad mourner, Grief, has stolen into the place of Joy, but not to retain it long. The imagination can hardly grasp so wide a subject as is embraced in the experience of a family chair."
"It makes my breath flutter, my heart thrill, to think of it," said Laurence. "Yes, a family chair must have a deeper history than a chair of state."
"Oh yes!" cried Clara, expressing a woman's feeling on the point in question; "the history of a country is not nearly so interesting as that of a single family would be."
"But the history of a country is more easily told," said Grandfather. "So, if we proceed with our narrative of the chair, I shall still confine myself to its connection with public events."
Good old Grandfather now rose and quitted the room, while the children remained gazing at the chair. Laurence, so vivid was his conception of past times, would hardly have deemed it strange if its former occupants, one after another, had resumed the seat which they had each left vacant such a dim length of years ago.
First, the gentle and lovely Lady Arbella would have been seen in the old chair, almost sinking out of its arms for very weakness; then Roger Williams, in his cloak and band, earnest, energetic, and benevolent; then the figure of Anne Hutchinson, with the like gesture as when she presided at the assemblages of women; then the dark, intellectual face of Vane, "young in years, but in sage counsel old." Next would have appeared the successive governors, Winthrop, Dudley, Bellingham, and Endicott, who sat in the chair while it was a chair of state. Then its ample seat would have been pressed by the comfortable, rotund corporation of the honest mint-master. Then the half-frenzied shape of Mary Dyer, the persecuted Quaker woman, clad in sackcloth and ashes, would have rested in it for a moment. Then the holy, apostolic form of Eliot would have sanctified it. Then would have arisen, like the shade of departed Puritanism, the venerable dignity of the white-bearded Governor Bradstreet. Lastly, on the gorgeous crimson cushion of Grandfather's chair, would have shone the purple and golden magnificence of Sir William Phipps.
But all these, with the other historic personages, in the midst of whom the chair had so often stood, had passed, both in substance and shadow, from the scene of ages. Yet here stood the chair, with the old Lincoln coat of arms, and the oaken flowers and foliage, and the fierce lion's head at the summit, the whole, apparently, in as perfect preservation as when it had first been placed in the Earl of Lincoln's hall. And what vast changes of society and of nations had been wrought by sudden convulsions or by slow degrees since that era!
"This chair had stood firm when the thrones of kings were overturned!" thought Laurence. "Its oaken frame has proved stronger than many frames of government!"
More the thoughtful and imaginative boy might have mused; but now a large yellow cat, a great favorite with all the children, leaped in at the open window. Perceiving that Grandfather's chair was empty, and having often before experienced its comforts, puss laid herself quietly down upon the cushion. Laurence, Clara, Charley, and little Alice all laughed at the idea of such a successor to the worthies of old times.
"Pussy," said little Alice, putting out her hand, into which the cat laid a velvet paw, "you look very wise. Do tell us a story about GRANDFATHER'S CHAIR!"
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ATVS Week 10 Roundtable
I don't know about the two of you, but I'm damn proud of the way LSU played...there are still issues, but we deserved to win that one. The injuries are possibly very significant though. Do you feel better about the rest of this season? Anybody want to weigh in on the big striped elephant in the room?
I was at the game, which is a terrible place from which to judge officiating. I certainly did not see with my own eyes whether or not Peterson's catch was in-bounds, but the evidence seems pretty conclusive that it was, and that the replay official had plenty enough evidence to make the reversal. As for other calls, I just don't know.
We played hard. We played them even until injuries mounted. In particular, the injuries to Jordan Jefferson and Patrick Peterson were killers. Jefferson went out and we suddenly couldn't pass the ball. Peterson went out and suddenly Julio Jones, who had been a non-factor the whole game, catches a 73 yard touchdown pass on a catch-and-run. Charles Scott went out the game and we couldn't convert a 3rd-and-2, but I suppose that's not all that different from how the rest of the season has gone.
I loved the effort, and I have no problem with the game plan, at least from where I was sitting. It was a tough loss that came as a result of the sorts of things that decide a lot of games between evenly matched teams: fortune. The football gods were not smiling on us, taking 3 of our most important players off the field at critical times in the game. Would it have been a different outcome if Peterson, Jefferson, and Scott had remained healthy the whole game? I can't say. We'll never know.
The important thing is that the season continues, and a good season is still in our grasp. Yes, I hate losing out on the SEC, and I particularly don't like losing it to Bama, but we have to keep playing. This season could still be a good season, or it could go in the tank. We need to accentuate the positive from this and use it as a building block for the future.
First and foremost, LSU played its ass off. Those players gave everything they had and Charles Scott gave the rest of his senior year.
In the end, those injuries were the key. I mean really, name a team that can lose its starting quarterback, top running back -- who had just torn off a 30-yard run at that -- and arguably its best defensive player, in the fourth quarter, on the road, against a top-five opponent and still pull out the win.
I felt like the gameplan was pretty good, with the glaring exception of still running the option with Jordan Jefferson. At this point that endeavor is so futile its continued procession makes me question Gary Crowton's sanity. They did a solid job of working in the run and the quick passing game. Defensively, I think once Peterson started having his cramps the coaches became wary to bring as much pressure. That's understandable to a degree.
The officiating was terrible. This is beyond any objective and reasonable dispute. In LSU's last two trips to Tuscaloosa the penalty count has read LSU 22, Bama 6. There were missed calls that played a role in virtually every quarter -- including the missed interception call that was essentially called wrong twice, as instant replay failed to make the correction. These types of mistakes are now officially the unifying theme of football in the SEC this season. The story of SEC football in 2009. If that's not reason enough for Mike Slive to act, then you have to wonder what it will take. Because things will get worse before they get better.
Jordan Jefferson's injury worries me, as its clear Jarrett Lee can't threaten any good defense throwing the ball. But otherwise, this team has continued to show signs of improvement and has a great chance to finish 3-0, which will make 10-2 on the year. That's a game better than I projected and a record that'd probably win a division title in most years. It's a damn strong rebound from 2008 and LSU fans should be proud and encouraged by that.
Last thoughts on the call, which is only getting me mad due to the standard Bama Fan reaction. The tact the average Bama fan has taken is one of three, only one of which resembles reality.
ONE: It was the right call and this is LSU whining. Yes, those LSU partisans who write for CNN/SI, The Sporting News, and Yahoo are just whining. They were rooting for LSU the whole way. Look, it was a bad call. You lose all credibility when you try and justify the crappy call. It would be like us trying to justify the celebration call in the Georgia game. The only people who think it was a good call were rooting for the Tide.
TWO: It was a bad call but it evened out in the wash. This is where Bama invents some bad calls that went against them. A Bama football fan bitching about the refs is on par with a Duke basketball fan bitching about refs. Apparently, Bama defines a bad call as "any judgment call that went against Bama," which is not what most rational fans would define as a bad call. And I've watched the punt several times... no one touches it. But that hasn't stopped Bama fans from coming in here and simply inventing rules which were violated. Seriously, stop it. There was no call on a par with the missed INT except maybe the lowered top of the helmet tackle directly into Jefferson's chest, which was a textbook example of leading with the crown of the helmet. They missed it. It happens. But that was the second worst call of the game.
THREE. You would have lost anyway. This is the rational argument and while we don't know what would have happened, this at least is grounded in reality. I'd have a lot more respect for Bama if they would just say, "It was a bad call. Suck it up. How about you stop us on fourth and one and not run into our punter?"
OK, enough with the call. I'm sick of it already.
I was really proud of the way the team played. The played hard and had a 15-10 lead in the fourth quarter. In the end, injuries just caught up with the team. I can't think of a team in the country that could lose their starting quarterback, starting running back, best defensive player, their top linebacker, their starting defensive tackle, and their potential first round draft pick left tackle for extended periods of the same game and have any real hope of winning. That's just an absurd number of injuries, and always to LSU's most vital players. There's a big difference between losing Jai Eugene and Patrick Peterson. Nothing against Eugene.
The biggest problem for the team was still disorganization. Roll Bama Roll made a good point that our offense seems TOO complex. We have the players, let's just drop the gimmicks and go out and play. The sheer number of procedure and formation penalties supports the point. We are doing ourselves no favors by trying to be the most complex offense in college football. This team could benefit from some simplicity. I don't think it's poor coaching per se, but while I can live with aggression penalties, these procedure penalties are driving me insane.
The key here is how the team reacts. Last season, we took the Bama loss as an opportunity to go into the tank. This is where we find out about the mental makeup of this team. From this point on, it's about nothing but pride. If LSU can go out and hammer the next three opponents, I will feel absolutely great about this year. It's okay to lose to Florida and Bama in the long view because sometimes teams are just better than you, and this wasn't a year we had circled as a potential title year. Expectations will be higher next year, but the real goal this year was to just get back to being a 10 win program. If we do not go out and keep winning, we cannot meet the most basic goal of the season. Shrug this game off.
I've been perusing the LSU boards and I saw something that really bothered me. Fans were complaining that Miles is the next Cholly Mack, a guy who will win 10 games each year but not beat Alabama. I've often said the reason we ended up in the Dark Days of the program was for firing for McClendon for not being successful when he actually WAS successful, only to find out what real lack of success is like. If we repeat the exact same mistake, I will be beyond pissed. Winning 10 games every year IS success. That means you are in the conference race every year, and that's all you can ask of the program.
We can only hope Les Miles is the next Cholly Mack.
I really agree with the over-complexity argument, and that goes to Gary Crowon. As good of a job as he did in 2007, there were times where I would wonder why certain plays would just disappear from the playbook for long stretches, and at times it just seems like there's no game-plan. It's as if Crowton thinks "let's call this play next," without stringing things together, or getting in a rhythm. And for the life of me, I have no idea why he thinks running the option is something Jefferson needs to be doing.
Poseur said it -- this team is in almost the exact same spot as it was a year ago. The SEC West may not be winnable for this team, but 10 games still are. Last year, the senior class gave up. We'll find out if this group of players (and coaches) have learned and if they can win out there's every reason to believe this program will continue to prosper.
In the end, Miles never could win with a lot of people from the moment he was hired, simply because he wasn't Nick Saban. If you pay enough attention, his detractors say the same things about the guy year-in and year-out, regardless of his record and regardless of what happens on the field. Any landmark cited as a "prove it" will just get moved back once again, because God forbid anybody on the Internet ever say "you know, I was wrong," after they've called a coach or one of his supporters every name in the book. Every big game the guy has ever won suddenly becomes a lot less of a big game in hindsight, a viewpoint that's only mildly hypocritical.
As I've said, coaches' legacies are written over time. Les Miles' at LSU will be written long after he's gone from Baton Rouge -- whether the departure is on his own terms or not. But if people think it's easy to win 80 percent of your games, and a head coach who can do that is easily replaceable, then maybe that type of stupidity gets what it deserves. But it'd be a shame to see history repeat itself.
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What is Phlebotomy?
It is the act or practice of opening a vein for letting blood as a therapeutic measure; also referred to as venesection or bleeding.
The word “phlebotomy” comes from the Greek and Latin and means to excise or cut into the vein. Phlebotomists literally cut into veins to remove blood.
What is a Phlebotomist?
Specialists called phlebotomists draw blood, prepare blood samples and perform manual tests or operate automatic analyzers. The phlebotomist uses a variety of skills and techniques to obtain the best specimen. As a phlebotomist, your main responsibilities are to draw blood from patients either for testing samples or for use by a blood bank.
Why become a Phlebotomist?
The healthcare field is a booming industry, and being a part of that field involves caring for people and their health. People who chose to make phlebotomist their career path told us they chose phlebotomy because it’s the perfect job where you can enjoy flexible hours, and good pay. It can be also an excellent stepping-stone to other positions available within the health care industry.
How much does a Phlebotomist earn?
The salary depends on where you live and work. will give you an idea about the latest trends in the job market.
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EasyBMPtoAVI Movie Creator
About EasyBMPtoAVI Movie Creator
EasyBMPtoAVI Movie Creator is a cross-platform application that converts a series of windows bitmap (BMP) images to an AVI movie file. Currently, EasyBMPtoAVI Movie Creator is supported on both little-endian (e.g., x86) and bit-endian (e.g., PowerPC, Sparc) machines on any platform (e.g., Windows XP, Sun Solaris, Unix, Linux, Mac OSX). Scientists may find this software particularly useful for creating animated visualizations from series of still images.
EasyBMPtoAVI Movie Creator provides a simple command line interface (CLI) that is consistent across platforms, and it interactively quizzes the user if any necessary information is missing. EasyBMPtoAVI Movie Creator is being designed with ease of use as a top goal. To that end, a graphical user interface (GUI) is planned for a future release.
The EasyBMPtoAVI project was first begun on SourceForge on May 19, 2006.
Input Images
The input images can be of any bit depth (currently, 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32-bpp), and are specified either sequentially
(frame000.bmp, frame001.bmp, frame003.bmp, ...)
or in a list of input files.
Output Movie
The output is an uncompressed, 24-bpp RGB movie in the AVI format. Currently, movies are limited to 2GB in size, which generally is not an obstacle for scientific visualizations. If the demand is there, the project may implement the AVI 2.0 standard, which circumvents this limitation.
Recent News
Version 0.55 Released!
Version 0.55 adds two major new features:
1. Specifying the input filename increment: Using the -increment N flag, the input filenames can be incremented by N instead of 1. e.g., use -increment 5 for a sequence of files like
file000.bmp, file005.bmp, file010.bmp, ...
2. Input image rescaling: Using the -rescale ≶mode><size> flag, you can recale the input images to a desired size as the movie is generated. Please see the release notes for further information, or the supplied readme.txt file.
Other changes include an improved makefile, as well as better optimizations in the pre-compiled version.
Two New Features Added
Version 0.54 adds two relatively major new features: non-integral framerates (e.g., NTSC 29.97) and (temporal) smoothing by interpolation of adjacent frames. The latter feature should help low-framerate movies look a little nicer.
In addition, experimental interleaving has been added. Using this option, adjacent frames are interleaved, rather than interpolated. This alternate form of temporal smoothing runs a bit faster.
Big-endian architectures now supported!
As of Version 0.52, EasyBMPtoAVI Movie Creator now supports big-endian architectures. In particular, this means that people using PowerPC-based Macintoshes should be just fine, and a major cross-architectural goal has been achieved for the project.
As the core functionality continues to improve, we may start to turn our attention towards a graphical user interface (GUI). Stay tuned! :-)
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As evidenced by recent national headlines, sexting is a relatively common behavior.
Teens, college students, tax-paying and God-fearing adults, married couples and, of course, politicians have embraced the art of snapping and sending nude or semi-nude photos.
People have long shared personal sexual images, but modern technology makes dissemination of such material instantaneous and sometimes dangerous.
With the click of a button, that nude picture intended for a boyfriend or girlfriend can be forwarded to everyone in high school; or in the case of Anthony Weiner, Geraldo Rivera and Brett Favre, to millions of people worldwide.
So why do some participate in this modern-day version of "you show me yours and I'll show you mine," while others would rather be caught dead?
The answer may be pretty simple: We act online in much the same way we act offline.
Take bullying and other social media phenomena for example. If someone is boring on Facebook, we don't expect sparks in real life; if a kid bullies on the playground, we're not shocked if they become a cyber bully.
In one of the first scientific studies to examine the prevalence and correlates of teen sexting, my colleagues and I found that about 28 percent of adolescents have sent a naked picture of themselves to another teen.
Consistent with the notion that sexting is an extension of offline behavior, the study, published in 2012 in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that sexting experiences were also strongly related to teens' actual sexual behaviors.
Thus, there should be no surprise that sexually adventurous men and women may be more likely to take advantage of their smart phones than those who prefer a more conservative approach in the bedroom.
Further, powerful, perhaps narcissistic, people who manage to get away with inappropriate behavior in "real life" may believe they are invincible in their "online life."
Sexting also confers several advantages (or disadvantages depending on your perspective) over similar offline behaviors.
Sexters can adopt alternative personas that enable them to expose their body parts without necessarily exposing their identities - just ask Carlos Danger. Emboldened by the distance offered by phone lines, men and women can stray from their relationship without physical contact.
On the positive side, sexting may allow couples to spice things up in the bedroom or enable a gay college student to safely explore his sexuality.
So why did Weiner sext - and sext again? Is he addicted to sex and in need of therapy, as many have suggested? Or is his sexting an indication of his offline life?
One thing is certain: This may be the summer's biggest case of blurred lines between online and offline behaviors.
Jeff Temple is a psychologist and assiate professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, where he serves as director of Behavioral Health and Research.
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Founded in 1754, the fifth oldest university in the United States, Columbia is an Ivy League university located in New York City. Columbia offers undergraduate degrees in three schools: Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering, and the School of General Studies. The university also offers renowned graduate programs through its Business School, Law School, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and School of the Arts. Notable alumni include Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, investor Warren Buffett, as well as multiple CEOs of top Fortune 500 companies.
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I'm developing an app where customers can drop in a Javascript tag onto their website, and it will generate content. What is the best approach to have Google index this content and associate it with the site's URL.
I know that Google doesn't execute JS, so I'm thinking of different angles. I could have Google index the content on the site where the content is comping from (not the customer's site) but then it obviously will be indexed with the wrong URL. Could I somehow get Google to display a different URL? Is there another approach to get Google to index content from another site but associate it with
The constraints are:
• The customer website can only drop in one section of code (ideally a JS tag).
• I have full control of the original content, albeit on a different site.
• The customer website can't do any server-side processing to specifically solve this.
Ideally, the web visitors would see the JS generated content when viewing the site, but Google bot would get fed content from another web page (which is the same content, but from the raw source). I just don't know how to do this without JS.
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migrated from stackoverflow.com Apr 29 '11 at 9:08
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
Take a look at code.google.com/web/ajaxcrawling – Shaz Apr 29 '11 at 0:48
2 Answers 2
From what I understand you are serving up content from your site to client sites, and you want the client sites to get the rep for the content?
Google does now parse some JavaScript, though not all of it and not consistently. Your best bit would be to follow the link @Shaz provided http://code.google.com/web/ajaxcrawling and work with your clients to implement that.
Unfortunately, that does place some restrictions on your clients' URL structures but I don't know of any other way to do this.
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Your "tag" can be a combination of an A element and snippet of javascript. The href of the A element points to a crawlable page with your content, intended to be seen by search engines and those without javascript. For users with javascript, the A element gets replaced with the dynamic content (it can parse the href to determine which content to serve, to simplify things for those who want to drop it into their site). Users without javascript (and therefore search engines) will see a link to the content.
Also, on the content page, you can use javascript to send users back to the dynamic page. That way, if someone arrives via search engine, they'll go to the page that linked them there.
It's challenging to set it up so it doesn't make it complex for people to drop your dynamic content into their site, but shouldn't be that hard.
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A civics lesson in delegates, superdelegates, the electoral college and the importance of your vote
Joyce Pines | Kalamazoo Gazette By Joyce Pines | Kalamazoo Gazette
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on June 05, 2008 at 10:59 PM, updated June 09, 2008 at 10:19 AM
"With all the election year hoopla, I'd appreciate a 'civics lesson' regarding delegates/superdelegates (what gives them that distinct identity), the electoral college and do our votes REALLY make a difference," went an e-mail from a reader this week.
Let's explore this whole delegate/superdelegate issue first because that has determined the Democratic primary race this spring. To begin with, just so Republicans won't feel left out, both parties have delegates and superdelegates. But neither party uses the term "superdelegate." The term was coined by the media. And Republicans have a lot fewer superdelegates than Democrats.
A regular delegate is an individual who will attend the national convention and is pledged to vote for a particular candidate based on the results of the popular vote in the primary or caucus of the delegate's state. There is a fixed number of pledged delegates that can not change. For the Democrats, that fixed number is 3,253.
A superdelegate is an individual who will attend the national convention and may vote for any candidate they choose. Superdelegates are members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, state and territorial (Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico) governors, members of the Democratic National Committee, distinguished party leaders and add-on delegates selected by the state parties. Right now the number of superdelegates is 823.5 but that could change between now and the convention. Superdelegates have also been asked to declare their choice of candidate.
In addition, the Democrats chose to award the pledged delegates on a proportional basis. To be eligible to win any delegates, a candidate had to receive at least 15 percent of the vote in a state's primary. After that threshold was reached, delegates were awarded based on the vote's outcome. So, in one respect, individual votes counted more than ever, because there were no winner-take-all contests among the Democrats.
One of Hillary Clinton's contentions as the race neared its end is that she won the popular vote, while Barack Obama won the delegate race and thus will become the Democratic presidential candidate.
Clinton's claim, however, is somewhat hard to verify. To begin with, several states held caucuses and did not hold primaries where individuals cast a ballot. Texas held both a primary and a caucus. Clinton won the primary, but Obama won the caucus. Recently, CNN's Wolf Blitzer tried to explain the popular vote and wound up offering three scenarios, Clinton had the most votes in two of them and Obama had the most votes in the third.
If you wish to delve even further into this, Wikipedia has a very well sourced and referenced article that explains the entire Democratic party primary process.
This fall, voters will not be casting ballots directly for Barack Obama or John McCain. As the past two elections have taught us, we'll be voting for electors who will then meet and vote to choose the president. The number of electors each state has is based on the number of its senators (every state has two) plus the number of its members in the United States House of Representatives. Altogether there are 538 electoral votes and a candidate needs 270 to win. California has the most votes with 55, Texas has 34, New York has 31, Florida has 27, Illinois has 21, Ohio has 20 and Michigan comes in next with 17. The number of electors per state corresponds roughly to the population size of each state. Electors may be re-allocated after every national census.
Unlike the proportionality the Democrats used in the primary, the November election is winner-take-all in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Maine and Nebraska use a tiered system with one elector awarded per congressional district and two electors chosen according to the statewide popular vote. However, altogether, Maine and Nebraska have a total of nine electoral votes.
As the state with the seventh highest number of electors, Michigan is a pivotal state for both parties and we can expect to see plenty of Obama and McCain between now and November, so, yes, your vote counts.
But if you've looked to television for most of your election coverage, it may seem like individual votes don't mean as much. The folks at CNN, Fox and MSNBC emphasized the delegate count in the primary and can be expected to emphasize the electoral vote count this fall.
A lot can happen between now and November and it's because each of our votes count that we can't begin to know the outcome of this election now. So, pay attention, it's going to be an interesting next few months.
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The Spike in Team (Non-Buffy Edition)
You ever have a meta that would NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE till you wrote it? That's what this is.
As I was working on the BCBW for Normal Again through Seeing Red, I found myself, as usual, intrigued by Spike's part in those episodes. I think that a lot of interesting stuff goes un-commented on because the Big Event of Seeing Red (SR) kinda overshadows...everything.
So I want to take the time to do up some meta on Spike's arc there, specifically looking at the non-Buffy parts.
Yeah, you heard me. stormwreath's meta, Spike's Soulquest is something I rec a lot with good reason. While recognizing The Buffy of Spike's decision to get his soul, it also explores the other reasons that played into that decision. I want to do the same thing in a more general way. Buffy/Spike gets a lot of airtime in meta, especially as regards Spike's soul. However, I want to look at the non-Buffy angle. This isn't to say that Buffy wasn't important. Of course she was. She was a huge factor in what Spike did. I just want to look at the other factors. :)
To do so, though, I'm gonna have to go back to S4.
It might be possible to extend this out further to S2 or Spike's William days, but I'm not really inclined to do so here. S4 is where this theme is pretty explicitly established.
S4 is largely about group dynamics, specifically as they relate to the Scoobies and the Initiative. However, Spike's new role as a regular also plays into this as he takes the part of a character who is involuntarily excised from his social group (vampires) via the chip.
Pangs illustrates this with a blanketed Spike staring wistfully at a family of vampires encouraging a fledgling to feed on a human (Awww!). Because of the chip, he's now on the outside looking in. However, Pangs also shows Spike turning to the Scoobies for help. In the forced absence of his own group, he's left with little recourse but to turn to the Scoobies. Why? He explains later in The I in Team: "Because you do that. You're the goody-good guys. You're the bloody freaking cavalry."
He's not appealing to them out of any sense of camaraderie or friendship (indeed, in Pangs he specifically says he came in "seething hatred"). However, he's pegged the Scoobies as people that will help, no matter what, and Spike's an opportunistic sort.
The revelation in S4 that Spike can hurt demons with the chip will further distance him from his old social group. In Goodbye, Iowa, Spike is beaten up whilst in a demon bar and is told:
Bad-ass Demon: What did you expect, Spike? A welcome party?
Quick shot of two more mean looking demons standing in the doorway.
Bad-ass Demon: Word's out: you've been making war on the demon world.
Spike: (dazed) War?
Bad-ass Demon: With the Slayer! You kill other demons and the rest of us don't hold with that.
The other two demons, growling, duck back inside where the jukebox can be heard playing loudly.
Bad-ass Demon: Still . . . if I see you around here again, *I'll* be inclined to break that code. Do you understand?
Spike has found himself not only cast out by his own kind, he's being associated with the Slayer, despite his not-really-allied with her state at the time. Indeed, in The I in Team, Spike explicitly tells Giles he's not interested in being part of the Scoobies.
Giles: Um, thinking about your affliction and, uh, your newfound discovery that you can fight only demons; it occurs to me that (chuckling) I realize this is completely against your nature but I-I-I-- Has it occurred to you that there may be a higher purpose--
Spike: Ugh! You made me lose count. (faces him) What are you still doing here?
Giles: Talking to myself, apparently.
Spike: Well piss off, then. (indicates the money in his hands) This bit of business wraps up any I got with you and your Slayerettes. From here on I want nothing to do with the lot of you.
Giles: Your choosing to remain in Sunnydale might make that a little difficult.
Spike: Well you and yours will just have to show a little restraint is all. Get out.
Giles doesn't say anything and heads for the door.
Spike: (following) And I don't want you crawling back here knocking on my door pleading for help the second Teen Witch's magic goes all wonky or little Xander cuts a new tooth. We're through. You got it?
The memo doesn't get out to the rest of the demons, obviously, as we'll see them repeatedly imply that Spike and Buffy are teamed up throughout the next couple seasons, regardless of whether Buffy and Spike actually are.
The end of the season sees Spike, in a typical opportunistic twist, fall in with Adam, who promises to remove the chip and allow Spike to become a true demon again. In doing so, this would restore Spike to his former position of glory within his social group.
That, as we know, doesn't happen. Adam's plan isn't a success, and Spike is left trading sides again. This time, with gusto.
The door breaks down and a demon comes inside.
Spike comes in and breaks the demon's neck.
The demon falls to the floor.
Giles: Yes, thank you.
Cut to Spike.
Giles: Although your heroism has been slightly muted by the fact that you were helping Adam to start a war that would kill us all.
Spike: Did it work?
They all get up.
Spike: Well, then everything's all right. And we all get to be not staked through the heart. Good work, team.
Indeed, throughout S4, we see Spike make surface appeals to a Scooby teamwork at the same time he's often rejecting a part in it. In Doomed, after he discovers that he can hurt demons, he attempts to rouse Willow and Xander to go fighting with him.
Spike: “What’s this? Sitting around watching the telly while there’s evil still a foot. (Turns the TV off) That’s not very industrious of you. I say we go out there (Rubs his hands together) and kick a little demon ass! (Xander and Willow stare at him) What, can’t go without your Buffy, is that it? To chicken? Let’s find her! She is the Chosen One after all. – Come on! Vampires! Grrr! Nasty! Let’s annihilate them. For justice - and for - the safety of puppies – and Christmas, right? Let’s *fight* that evil! - Let’s *kill* something! (Fade to black) Oh, come *on*!”
Later, we see a similar rousing speech in Where the Wild Things Are, but this time he'll manage to talk himself out of it.
XANDER: Anya, look around! There's ghosts and shaking, and people are going all Felicity with their hair... We're fresh out of superpeople, and somebody's gotta go back in there. (Deep breath) Now who's with me?
(Willow and Tara hesitate.)
SPIKE: I am.
(Everyone looks at Spike in surprise.)
SPIKE: I know I'm not the first choice for heroics ... (drops his cigarette and grinds it out with his foot) and Buffy's tried to kill me more than once. And, I don't fancy a single one of you at all. But... (pauses) Actually, all that sounds pretty convincing. (Frowns, shakes his head and walks away.) I wonder if Danger Mouse is on.
S4 shows us a character who's been shoved out of his former group and who's made a few half-hearted, largely insincere attempts to join with the Scoobies. S5 will begin with this dynamic and develop it further.
S5 starts early with a reference to Spike's outcast status in Real Me.
HARMONY: How've you been?
SPIKE: (shrugs) Not bad. Just got a brand-new telly in my crypt, so...
MORT: (walking up behind Harmony) Why are you talking to him?
HARMONY: It's okay, we used to go steady. (sighs) Spike, Mort. Mort, this is-
MORT: I know who he is. He kills our kind.
HARMONY: Oh yeah! (to Spike)What's up with that?
SPIKE: (shrugs) Bloke's gotta have a hobby, don't he? Piss off, Mort.
Of course, the show then adds a twist in having Spike develop feelings for Buffy. This will invigorate his desire to join her group. We'll soon see Spike present for the Big Family Scene in Family and he'll play pool with Xander in Triangle.
In Blood Ties when Buffy angrily accuses Spike of trying to ruin her life by helping Dawn find out her true origins, Spike replies in an interesting fashion:
BUFFY: How could you let her find out like that? From books and papers? You hate me that much?
SPIKE: I was just along for the ride. Not like I knew she was mystical glowy key thing. Nobody keeps me in the bloody loop, do they?
Spike's complaint that nobody keeps him in the bloody loop implies that he feels as if he should be part of the Scoobies Loop. As opposed to S4, he's started associating himself with the Scoobies despite his own tenuous status as one. Indeed, in the previous episode, Checkpoint, Spike had described his relationship with Buffy to the Watchers.
WATCHER #2: (OS) But we understand that you *help* the Slayer.
We see that Spike is being interrogated by Watcher #2 while the other two nameless male Watchers stand between her and Spike. One of the men holds a cross, the other a crossbow.
SPIKE: I pitch in when she pays me.
WATCHER2: She pays you? She gives you money?
SPIKE: Money, a little nip of blood out of some stray victim, whatever.
He explains what he does as "pitching in", as if he's a go-to accomplice. He's settled himself into a peripheral Scooby state.
This gets shaken in Crush, when Spike's feelings for Buffy (and stalking of her) are revealed. Buffy de-invites him and cuts off all contact, business or otherwise. The very next episode has Spike rushing to the Scoobies to try to clear things up.
SPIKE: Hello, all. What's going on then?
GILES: Spike, you're not welcome here.
WILLOW: Yeah, and by the way, we're working on a way to de-invite you from here. (Spike looks surprised) Even if it is a public place.
XANDER: Nah, forget it. Letting him in is good, 'cause then we get to toss him out.
ANYA: Ooh, can we throw him out the window like the robot did? 'Cause that was neat.
SPIKE: Robot? That's what she was? (scoffs) Knew something wasn't right. (looks over at Dawn, who's standing behind Tara) Hey. Someone's glad to see me, aren't you, little bit?
DAWN: Stay away from me.
TARA: I think you better go. (steps in front of Dawn and folds her arms)
SPIKE: Okay, now, I was afraid of this. Misrepresentations, misunderstandings, slurs and allegations. I don't know what Buffy told you, but the thing is, the Slayer and I worked together, side by side, to get rid of Dru. Who was up to no good. And I don't mind telling you-
GILES: (takes off his glasses, moves closer to Spike) Spike ... listen to me.
SPIKE: It's just ... I'm trying to explain. She might have said some things that sounded like I expressed some kind of feeling-
Giles pegs Spike as trying to get into their good graces to get to Buffy. However, I think Spike's previous behavior - as well as his appeal to Dawn - show that there's a secondary concern of his, and that's of his disappearing liminal Scooby status. Once he's not welcome with the Scoobies, he's effectively cut off. It isn't until Intervention that things change. Spike earns Buffy's trust, and the escalating Glory situation necessitates his more tangible addition to the group.
GILES: (grimly) What's he doing here?
SPIKE: Just out for a jaunt. Thought I'd swing by and say howdy.
BUFFY: (looks up from the table) He's here because we need him.
XANDER: The hell we do.
BUFFY: If Glory finds us, he's the only one besides me that has any chance of protecting Dawn.
XANDER: Buffy, come on-
BUFFY: (jumps up angrily) Look, this isn't a discussion! He stays. Get over it.
With this Buffy-ordered imperative, Spike is situated within the group, a turn of events he's seemingly very pleased with. He banters with the other Scoobies, often in a good-natured way (Offering his flask to Willow in The Gift, he and Giles quoting the Saint Crispen's Day speech, his near-constant back and forth with Xander). He ends the season with Buffy dead, but with access to a social group that he'd previously not had access to.
This all brings us to S6 (finally). We're immediately shown that Spike is part of the team.
SPIKE: I'm never gonna get anything killed with you lot holding me back.
TARA: (panting) I thought the big ones were supposed to tire more easily.
SPIKE: No, that's over-the-hill shopkeepers.
GILES: (leaning against a gravestone, panting) I'm fine. I just need to ... to die for a minute.
SPIKE: (to Tara) It was that powder you blew at him made him rabbit off.
TARA: It's sorbis root, it was supposed to confuse him, but ... it just kinda made him peppy.
Spike rolls his eyes.
TARA: It's not supposed to mix with anything, you think he might be taking prescription medication?
SPIKE: (sarcastic) Yeah, that must be it.
GILES: Good god, I hope he doesn't try to operate heavy machinery.
Giles and Spike laugh.
SPIKE: Yeah, we could all be in real-
That's genuine camaraderie there that's presumably been present all summer. The Scoobies even assign him his own task: babysitting Dawn. What's more, Spike's placement in the group appears to be accepted by even Xander.
ANYA: Hey!
XANDER: Well, now you know.
SPIKE: I worked beside you all summer.
Spike references his position in the Scooby group in his anger at Xander. He "worked beside [them] all summer". Xander, for his part, appears apologetic. He doesn't make any refutation that Spike isn't part of the team or anything. No, Spike is integrated as a Scooby.
He's also still distanced from demons. Tabula Rasa and Life Serial, like Real Me in S5, had succintly established that Spike's still an outcast from the demon world.
In Life Serial:
And from Tabula Rasa:
SHARK DEMON: You're an odd duck, Mister Spike. Fighting your own kind ... palling around with a Slayer. (Spike turns to face him) And whoa, that suit! Chutzpah must be your middle name. (chuckles weakly) Uh, hey, look, um ... about our little debt problem, it's okay, I don't need the kittens.
Spike's managed to finagle himself back into a minimal position within the demon world. However, in this position, he's constantly having to justify his presence whereas he'd previously been hailed at the Slayer of Slayers. His inability to harm humans leaves him a demon on par with Clem. For Spike, this only allows him access to a pale shadow of his former position.
However, at the beginning of S6, it seemingly doesn't matter as he's settled into his place with the Scoobies.
This all changes with Buffy's return. The dynamics shift. We don't see any interaction between Spike and the Scoobies until OMWF.
WILLOW: We're not just gonna stay here.
GILES: Yes we are. (looks intently at Buffy) Buffy's going alone.
SPIKE: (disgusted laugh) Gah! Don't be a stupid git. There is no-
GILES: If I want your opinion, Spike, I'll- (pauses to consider) I'll never want your opinion.
It appears as though the Scoobies have gone back to their S4 to mid-S5 patterns towards Spike now that Buffy's returned. Whereas he'd previously been an ally, he's now not needed. Instead, Spike begins to interact almost exclusively with Buffy.
It's hard to say exactly why this is. Part of it is that the Buffy/Spike dynamic isolates both of them. They pull each other under, and as Spike encourages Buffy to distance herself from her friends, he convinces himself to stay away from them, too. Buffy awakens the darkness in Spike, and he embraces it. Doing so requires casting off his other attachments.
This puts him in a new position with regards to group dynamics. Instead of attempting to be with "the demons" or "the Scoobies", Spike attempts to carve out his own place with Buffy. The two of them, alone together. Both of them enjoying their darkness apart from others. This appeals to Spike, and he spends much of the season indulging in this new niche with Buffy.
When Buffy calls things off in As You Were, though, the next episode, Hells Bells shows Spike returning to the Scooby group as a guest at Anya and Xander's wedding. However, his appearance is short-lived, as he leaves promptly so as to not upset Buffy further. Prior to his departure, Buffy tells him he has "every right to be here". His place in the group is still recognized, but it's a tenuous position now. As we see, despite the fact that Spike has every right to be there, he still leaves because he thinks it'll be easiest on Buffy. The fallout from the Buffy/Spike relationship will eventually completely oust Spike from his former place, as we'll soon see.
Whew! All that to set up what was supposed to be a fairly short meta on these next few episodes. Well, let me dig in here.
Normal Again is when Spike starts being a douchetastic ex-boyfriend. However, the douchiness comes later in the episode, after an interesting confrontation.
Buffy and Spike meet in the cemetery and have a friendly conversation about what had happened at Xander and Anya's wedding. Then we get this.
XANDER: (OS) Spike.
Willow and Xander walk up, holding stakes.
XANDER: I shoulda known you'd be tagging along.
From Xander's very first line, he's casting Spike as an outsider, a status he hadn't had since last year. Despite the fact that Spike's not been present in his role in the gang for much of the season, his appearance at Xander's wedding suggests he still feels he has a claim on it. Xander's cavalier dismissal of him as "tagging along" and then Buffy's decision to disassociate herself from him quickly turns Spike bitter, with good reason.
Buffy's breaking up officially drove the nail in the coffin to Spike's dream of him and Buffy as their own little social group. Now, Buffy's integrating back with her friends, and Spike's left with no one.
The scene between Xander and Spike escalates until Xander punches Spike. Xander's final comment before leaving with Buffy and Willow, "Spike, just go, okay? She's our friend. We'll take care of her." slams the door on Spike's former position as a Scooby.
Despite this, Spike's still called on to help track down and capture the demon. This adds further insult to injury that he's being used for the muscle without actually being granted access to the group anymore.
When he next sees Buffy, he gives her an ultimatum: "You either tell your friends about us...or I will."
Why does this become so important for Spike? He hadn't been insistent on this before. However, now it's important because he thinks it would restore his former status in the Scooby gang. Facing the possibility of being an outcast, he's grasping to try to get back in.
Spike reiterates the request at the beginning of Entropy. Buffy's not impressed.
SPIKE: Here, I could take care of this guy if you want.
BUFFY: Whatever.
Buffy kicks the first vamp off and flips to her feet.
BUFFY: Your call.
SPIKE: I mean, sure he don't look like much...
VAMP 2: Hey!
SPIKE: ...but I'd wager he could give you a bit o' nasty. (Buffy kicking Vamp 1) Save you the staking. (Buffy throwing Vamp 1 to the ground) All you gotta do is-
BUFFY: I am not telling my friends about us.
SPIKE: Right, I'll just be dropping him down to you then.
BUFFY: (still struggling with Vamp 1) You wanna tell them so badly? Go ahead.
She finally manages to get a hand free and stakes the first vamp. Buffy stands up and walks over to the gate, looks up at Spike and the still dangling Vamp 2.
BUFFY: You know why? I tried to kill my friends, my sister, last week ... and guess how much they hate me. Zero. Zero much. (shrugs) So I'm thinking, sleeping with you? (Spike looking annoyed) They'll deal.
She turns to go. Spike lets Vamp 2 go. He falls to the ground and rushes at Buffy from behind.
SPIKE: In that case, why won't you sleep with me again?
The ultimatum doesn't faze Buffy because she's gotten the scoop that her friends would likely be able to deal. Her framing puts Spike off, though. He was wanting her to tell them in order to restore his social position. The implication Buffy makes, however, is that he had wanted her to come clean in order to turn her friends against her. In reaction, Spike makes another appeal that Buffy sleep with him again - trying to grasp at that constructed social niche the two had formed in mid-S6. Buffy, of course, turns him down.
Later in Entropy, Spike commiserates with Anya. She's in much the same position as Spike. She'd managed to secure a place in the Scooby gang through her relationship with Xander. Now that that relationship is over, she's cast out. Both Buffy and Willow "side" with Xander, and Anya's left by herself.
We see Anya and Spike both attribute their problems to that which forced them to gravitate towards the Scooby gang in the first place:
ANYA: (angrily) Thing about it is, none of this was my idea. (disgusted) I didn't ask to be human. (pouring)
SPIKE: Right! And I didn't ask for this bloody chip in my head.
This isn't just about being jilted lovers. Anya is lamenting the fact that she became human. That was what allowed her to enter the social circle in the first place. Likewise with Spike and the chip.
In their bitterness, both of them start to complain about the group from which they've been expelled.
ANYA: I did everything for that man. Was it ever enough?
SPIKE: Never! (slurred) I was always going above and beyond. I saved the Scoobies how many times? And I can't stand the lot of you.
ANYA: Me either! I hate us! Everybody's so *nice.* Nobody says what's on their mind.
SPIKE: You do. That's why you're the only one of them I wouldn't bite if I had the chance.
ANYA: (giggles, pleased) Really?
SPIKE: Absolutely. I have nothing but respect for a woman who is forthright. Drusilla was always straightforward. Didn't have a single buggering clue about what was going on in front of her, (Anya giggling) but she was straight about it. That's a virtue.
ANYA: Mm. Xander didn't think so. He thought I was rude.
SPIKE: (like 'duh') That's because he's one of them. Uptight. Repressed. (makes "uptight" gesture with one finger)
ANYA: (frowning) You think?
SPIKE: Please. It's no wonder they couldn't deal with the likes of you and me, luv. We should have been dead hundreds of years ago ... and we're the only ones who are really alive.
While their coupling is invariably about their respective exes, it's also about the similar social positions they find themselves in as a result of their relationship failure. When they gripe about the Scooby gang, they're doing so with the air of the kids who aren't allowed in the clubhouse and then decide they never wanted to be in it anyway.
In Seeing Red, we're treated to the Scene That Overshadows Everything. After being reprimanded by Dawn, Spike attempts one last-ditch effort to get to Buffy. In doing so, he's also making one last attempt to regain his former position as a Scooby (or at least be alone in the darkness with Buffy).
That doesn't end well, and Spike later agonizes in his crypt about it. A lot of the agonizing is about Buffy, but there's one key line that is instrumental in Spike's decision to get a soul:
This is the struggle Spike's been in since S4. He can't be a monster, as we've seen time and time again when he's been rejected and berated by demons for his actions. He can't be a man and fit into Buffy's social circle. He's "nothing".
His seeking out his soul is as much about establishing his own identity as it is about atonement. Just as his relationship with Buffy had fallen apart and culminated in Seeing Red, his precarious social position had seen an upswing (in late S5 to the beginning of S6) only to have it all spectacularly go kablooey after Buffy broke up with him. He'd tried the "hanging with humans" thing and it hadn't worked out. Spike attributes this to his own lack of humanity and sees the solution as going to get a soul.
"The missing...the piece that fit."
That's from the Beneath You church scene for those who don't have it memorized.
I'm a geek. I find these group dynamics fascinating, especially as they apply to Spike's arc in the series as he so often shifts status within the group.
Nov. 12th, 2010 04:15 pm (UTC)
Also, I didn't say anything at all about Joyce in the meta, so I'm not sure what you're responding to there.
I've read the comments before commenting so I guess I'm responding to the comments. My mistake.
The One Who Isn't Chosen
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Monday, January 28, 2008
Red Lion in the Winter
I wasn't there, and there are some accounts in the thread below. This one was posted by Margaret, and it is somewhat different from another account I heard tonight, though not drastically so. In fact, I think most of the differences are in the nuances.
In any case, I am posting the only first hand account I have in print. I will add some items later after I've sorted them out. I wasn't taking notes in my conversation tonight.
Bob Doran was there and not in disguise. He said he couldn't stay all day but he was there quite late.
The start was rocky, not sure why. Tom's lawyer basically said they still weren't ready due to the scrambled documents and depositions they hadn't gotten. Bragg offered to pay sanctions on the scrambled documents and said the board members in question had been and still were available for deposing, Tom's lawyer decided he didn't need them. There was some mention of the document scrambling being a retaliatory measure since the other side did the same but it was all pretty low key. The judge put a cap on how much time the Mateel would actually pay for.
Tom's lawyer gave a very long and tedious opening statement, even the judge got tired and asked if it would end soon. A break happened and all future witnesses except Carol were asked to leave.
Tom took the stand. It was long and painful like a tooth extraction. He said he'd gone through 2 lawyers and then relied on PB to negotiate for him. The first tooth was the necessity of PP producing. First they went through the background. The 2004, probably a typo, contract in which the MCC is not mentioned. Later contracts which also did not involve the MCC or any guarantees of who would produce, except other large festivals were planned and PP would have first rights of production refusal.
Then the MCC became part of it but he never actually talked to any representatives. First it was because he hated Taunya, in Spring 2005, and wouldn't sit down anywhere with her. Oh, except for their breakfast meeting in fall 2006 where she told him she was concerned about Carol's performance. He continued to sign contracts with the MCC without talking to them because he thought Carol was their representative. Carol was the only person competent to produce Reggae, at least for 6 years, well maybe 5, and if/when she quit he could rely on those staff who had always worked for the MCC. Well, actually the contract says if Carol couldn't/wouldn't do it he needed written notification. There was no provision for his approval of said other producer.
Now Bragg is in the process of extracting the second tooth. Up until they knew how expensive the move would be the MCC was involved in no contracts. Even after they were it was PP who was entrusted with determining the work to be done and the MCC was bumped from that committee. Once again because Carol was representing their interests. And basically Tom was making all decisions based on info from PB. All improvements to be returned to MCC if lease ended. I think we can see where this is going but I don't know that for a fact.
Brief side track by Bragg. There is a clause stating that the MCC is responsible for insuring that the producer does not violate any legal or permit rules.
Dropped for lack of foundation but can be revisited with other witnesses I think.
Tom's lawyer objected to 99% of the questions, the judge sustained 2 but allowed 1 to be reframed.
Okay, now the account I heard suggested that the opening salvos weren't really low key, but maybe it was in the content of the discussions rather than the tone. In any case, my source's understanding was that Tom's attorney had decided that he didn't need the depositions, but that they would actually be taken after hours during the trial.
Why did Bill Bragg waive the opening statement? Well, if trial briefs are filed they are redundant, so unless you have something new to say since you finished the brief, there is really no point. But if the other side doesn't waive opening, I usually opt to at least respond to points of concern. Either Bill sees it differently, or he felt that his brief had adequately addressed everything.
I hear that Boots was very upset about having to wait around and was planning to drive back to the city and come up each day charging Tom for his 22 cents per mile until he's finally called. I don't know if he was just blowing off steam, but I wonder why he had to be called up for today when the Mateel will be calling its witnesses for the next couple of days.
Addendum: Nothing on KMUD news tonight! What's up?
But the first 5 minutes of Politically Correct Week in Review was, very spontaneous and... postmodern? It's listed as "Monday Night Talk."
I'm pretty sure that they are going to finish Taunya's deposition, cut short due to illness. The other board members remain unclear. Bob Stern was accused of being evasive, turned out to be mostly about his activist past.
Since most of Tom's attorney's opening argument was regularly interrupted as being redundant due to future testimony I think B. Bragg's decision to forego it was wise.
Don't know what finally happened with Boots. His subpeona said today but they said he was informed Wednesday would be fine. Some compromise was reached on mileage, etc...
I've now spoken with three people who were present. Accounts of how it went today varies according to sympathies. In other words, both sides think they did well today.
Not uncommon, particularly on a first day.
There were only about three people at the hearing representing TD/PP.
a couple of quick notes:
First, Margaret misunderstood what I said about attending the hearing. I was there all day yesterday and will attend today, but I'm leaving Wednesday morning for an alt. newsy convention in S.F. I'll miss three days. At the rate things are going, I'm guessing it won't be over until next week.
Second, re: her comment "Tom's lawyer gave a very long and tedious opening statement..."
What he did was lay out his case. I wish Bragg had done the same, but as was explained, he did not see the need because he'd told the story to the judge at a prior hearing. I don't have time right now to relate exactly what Knowles said, but it appears someone on the Mateel board turned over all e-mail communications among board members and Taunya. Knowles will attempt to show that the board was working on removing Carol much earlier than anyone has let on. Timing seems to be the key issue on both sides - who wrote what to whom when?
I've always said that Carol had so many moles inside Mateel that it was an unfair fight.
There is no need to give an opening statement to a judge that has been given detailed trial briefs. Tom's lawyer gave that spiel for the audience, not for the judge and you can be sure the judge knew it and was annoyed.
I find Tom's lawyers opening statement funny. If mateel was really just wanting to get rid of Carol and di not believe she really quit, then why didn't it just say ok when she quit at the meeting? That Mateel tried to work with her so long suggests that Tom's lawyer is just aspousing wishful thinking. Besides, Mateel may well have wanted to get rid of an albotross like carol. Its wants and desires are its business. The issue is did Carol repudiate and, of course, we all know she did. Take Tom's letter to Mateel. what carol said at the Mateel and what paul said while she stood there and said nothing, as well as the Mateel's letter to her asking about Tom's letter to which she offered no assurances, and it is undeniable that she repudiated. Tom's lawyer is living in fantasy land.
Oh no. Bob Doran is attending the hearing. That will ensure that Carol and Tom get a nice NCJ article twisting everything possible in their favor. Bob Doran is a lap dog for Carol and Tom.
North Coast Journal November 16,2006.
Mattila says she's looking at this as her last Reggae as People Productions CFO maybe."lets just say I'm retiring if I have to work with the Mateel again" she concluded "If I don't have to work with them, I might stick around."
"And I think that pretty much goes for the entire staff here " Bruno said.
Mr. Doran were you lead to believe that Carol Bruno and staff were not going to work for the Mateel on Reggae On The River event at the time/date that you printed this interview? What date did the November 16, 2006 interview actually occur?
Do you find any significance with your quoting Carol Bruno and staff and their intentions of not willing to work with the Mateel and the fact that your interview was conducted and published prior to the Mateel general meeting where Carol quit and had PB reinterait Carol Bruno's intent?
After your interview did you have any doubt's that Carol Bruno, Suzy Mattila and the entire staff at People Productions were Not going to work with the Mateel Community Center?
Oh no. What if the judge reads the NCJ and sees what Bob writes. We will be sunk. Oh me. Oh my. Bob is a legend in his own mind. That is it!
Let's see...3 deals in one day between Tom and the Mateel, Between Tom and PP, and between the Mateel and PP. These facts were all brought out at the hearing yesterday. Leaving one to surmise that everyone was trying to cover their own backsides in this convoluted deal. Mr. Bragg stated that in fact PP had signed a deal with the Mateel that seemed to make it ok for Carol to assign her interest to whomever she wished with out any input from Tom.
Tom looks pretty pained up there trying to justify his belief that ONLY PP was able to pull off this festival due to some special conditions that occur in Cooks Valley and no where else in the world.
I found the document scrambling bothersome. As one who has supported the Mateel throughout this mess it caused me to question the motives of such a move. In the end all the other side got was reimbursement for the time it took to put the papers back in order.
I am not a lawyer but after yesterdays testimony I would be inclined to think Tom may want to settle this sooner rather than later.
All of this talk and all the left out aspects can create a picture that is distorted. Doesn't anyone recall the statements about the made up BOD meeting that didn't occur at all, with the made up minutes and the emails between Taunya and Bob Stern and Erin Snodgrass? What about the facts? Don't they get equal billing with the spin? When will you hear what is actually being said instead of rewriting what you don't like and presenting your version as accurate? See you in the Oak Room.
I do recall those comments in the opening statement. As a Mateel supporter I am of course concerned about them. But that side of the case has not had any testimony yet. When there is I will relate it.
To MR.Doran;
Did Suzy Mattila, Carol Bruno, or any one interviewed in the November 16, 2006 Reggae story ever contact you about the quotes that were attributed to each individual?
Has any one of the interviewees ever formally told you that you misquoted them and/or asked you for a retraction of their quotes?
Do you use recording devices when interviewing persons so that there is no inaccuracies in what is quoted? If so do you retain the copies of those recordings?
If your interviewees have been identified, is there any legal reason that you cannot be subpoenaed to testify as to your impressions and quotes attributed to identified individuals?
Hey Bob!
Well, they both presented briefs which laid out the case. Knowles may have had material to add, or simply wanted to set the stage for the judge one last time. But if the judge has done his job, he's familiar with the case now and probably didn't need another summary. Of course, it could have been for the public's benefit.
I do have a copy of the Mateel's brief and when I have some time I'll read it an post excerpts and commentary - if there's anything we don't already know.
In order for it to be an issue, TD will have to establish that he knew about this intent and pulled out on the basis of anticipatory breach. Otherwise it's immaterial until the Mateel does something materially in breach. And again, it's ultimately about the motivations of the parties at the point of repudiation. Still, it can be useful to establish a pattern which impacted negotiations and to shed light on actions which might constitute by themselves a breach.
Thing is, I don't remember any of this being referenced in the TD or PP press statements at the time of the repudiation.
I can tell you that there has always been discussion of replacing PP. Months before I was on the Board PP had threatened to quit. Not all the Board members saw it as an empty threat and there were discussions about what to do in case it really happened. Those discussions preceded me, but I do know that when they got back to PP it created an uproar.
But planning a contingency is also a bit different from simply planning to replace somebody. So it could be material. The judge will have the details and decide whether these plans had been made, what the Mateel had done to implement them, what Tom knew about them, and whether that was the basis for his decision to pull out of the agreement.
If the subpoenaing party can get around the hearsay rule, sure. But his impressions may not be material. And first the witnesses would have to deny the accuracy of the comments, which could elude the hearsay rule if they are prior statements against interest, prior inconsistent statements, or statements which go to their state of mind rather than the truth of the matter declared. There are about 70 other exceptions to hearsay, and I could do a whole thread on the hearsay rule and whether the exceptions are overwhelming the rule itself.
That by itself would certainly undermine his case, though I have to wonder if there isn't more to it.
Anybody who has done business with Td knows that he does NOT do "that was an over-sight on my part". He even says he had 2 lawyers before finally settling on PB.And PB has told many, many, many, people that he is an EXPERT in contract entertainment law.Anything td signs is checked about a million times before hand.
I think it is somewhat ironic that it is snowing on this, the initial week of the court room snow job
Does the hearsay exception work here Eric? I KNOW this poster must have scads of experience in dealing with Tom Dimmick, right? I bet the poster has never met Tom nor done any business with him ever. The smear paint brush wielded by an anon poster.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
My family has done business with td and his father. So I am talking with some personal knowledge. And I will remain anon,thank you.
I didn’t threaten anyone…. I thought it was fair questions. So, the blogging and bloggers are totally not real. As instead of answering real questions… if it offends someone…. Boom you are deleted.
To me that means, censorship of speech. No free speech in Eric’s Blog.
bummer eric...
thought things were different here..
or else i am to be honored to be in the deleted club???
i don't know...
It was a personal attack extraneous to the issues. There was no need to bring up ankle bracelets, and I saw it as a cheap shot. If you want to repost the questions without that reference, I'll let them stand.
thanks eric...
what i meant to say was the Mateel helped said person so long ago.
and when did said person take entertainment Law classes and becomes an expert at said entertainment contracts.?
of course the person who wrote:
"And PB has told many, many, many, people that he is an EXPERT in contract entertainment law."
this is hearsay? right.
thanks again...
I've heard PB say he is an expert in entertainment law. I'm not a friend of his and have hear him say this. It's still hearsay...I suppose. Who cares? I hear a lot of people claim to be experts in things they obviously don't know everything about...
Let's see if I have this right. The alledged "Expert" contract writer is so good that all of us mateelies out here are too dumb to understand the fine points of contract law. It's such a great contract that all three parties have expensive attorneys battling it out in court, so us uneducated members can figure out the truth. Wow! Did he learn to write such good contracts while working off his community service at the Mateel? Good work!
Who cares where he learned about writing contracts? I think your better point is that if it so good why are three high priced attorneys battling it out in court.. although isn't the issue whether or not the contract was breached-which may not be a problem with the contract itself but rather with the behaviour of the individuals involved?
Please stay focused. Bringing in irrelvant issues isn't going to shed light on any of this.
I'd like to stay focused on the issues of the contracts. Unfortunately, they are so complicated and confusing, I'm too dumb to understand them. Perhaps if the three parties were not operating in such secrecy, we could all get educated and stay focused.
Boy, some people are uptight and a little pissed. Lighten up, folks, this is NOT life and death. It's only a little three million a year festival control battle. Must be good for a few laughts, eh? Bring on the humor and clarity, I'm waiting.
I'm all for humor but there may be major repercussions for some parties. Quite a bit is at stake. If Tom loses, isn't he liable for the Mateels's loses of money for last year? And for the Mateel's equipment use? I wouldn't want to be in his shoes if he loses.
losses were right the first time. loses, i know it looks weird..
anyway, the source of PB's training is not irrrelavant or extraneous.
It highlights the common nature of this supposed expert, and debunks the theory that only certain people are capable of carrying out the duties associated with the event.
A regular con off the street makes good in the entertainment business. ANYONE could do this gig. NO one is indespensible.
And regarding definition of cheap shot: If someone might be offended by others bringing up the truth of their past, they should think about these things before they are caught redhanded with gobs of cash and illicit drugs.
Public scrutiny is natural fallout to any crime. So, don't want people to stare at you? Don't wear no clown nose.
One could focus on the contract if they weren't so secret.
How come a public non-profit oranizaton has signed contracts that are allegedly secret?
Will said contracts be available to read once they are presented in court?
Can one read all said alleged contracts dealing with all entities from the Mateel Community Center Office that are with a public non-profit in regards to Reggae on the River? If one can, where does one go to find and read?
Yes, I know, it is about allegedly breaking some point of said contract.
I am not asking to read secret contracts between for-profit businesses.
Are contracts filed in the court house and become available for anyone to read from these hearings?
There is so much to try and figure out. Hope everyone is ok traveling. We are still snowed in and can't get out yet.
"ANYONE could do this gig."
Sure anyone could do this gig if they started producing one day concerts for a few locals for several years and through trial and error, over the course of a few decades grew it to what it is today. There are very few production companies who would even want to attempt doing a festival like this, and the ones that do have started small. The only people who keep saying anyone can do it are the people who don't know the least about what it takes.
Okay 12:33 I can see your point about where the contract expert got his training. It was clear before... So I can see that it may not be so irrelvant. ;-)
opps, I meant it wasn't clear before
wow, 22 cents a mile is cheap for a mileage fee. The state reimburses nearly 50cents a mile now... Tom is getting a bargain for yanking Boots around.
Does anybody know who is testifying tomorrow and Thurs.?
like this one
oh really? Egos gettin' a little big are 10 pages of very few doing a festival like...
Alright 4:04
This argument has been beat to death, and your list of 10 pages of festivals does nothing to bolster your position. Have you been to any of the festivals listed? Well I have been to many of them and none of them compare like Reggae. Very few are overnight festivals, even fewer are in remote areas with limited or no access to municipal water, power, sewage, medical, etc. and ALL of those started smaller as single day events and grew into the camping festivals they are today. Why is it so hard for people to recognize that it is a very difficult job to do well that nobody would pull off successfully without years of trial and error. It has nothing to do with ego. It is a fact.
I once told a girl I had a twelve inch penis, could I get in trouble for heresay, or maybe some girls would think it was a threat. either way, what a person says about themselves is often overly optimistic about their true capabilities or endowments,
Eric or ALP,
I'm curious about contract law. Last year I took the California Real Estate Principals course.
There was a whole chapter on contracts. It advises the real estate licensee not to practice law and to only stick to the contracts approved by the the California Department of Real Estate. It also states that no one can act as an Real Estate agent for another (for compensation) without a law degree, a brokers licence or licensee working under a licensed broker. An agent is described as "one who represents another from who he or she has derived authority". It also states that it is against the law to receive commissions from transactions that involves Real Estate without a Real Estate license or a Law Degree.
When the person who Tom Dimmick identifies as his agent in drafting/writing the lease agreement is not licensed by the California State Bar Association or the California Department of Real Estate, is that person in violation of California State Laws? I ask this especially when that person is receiving compensation/commissions from the Corperate Sponsers that used to belong to the MCC.
It was also mentioned that this person makes claims that he is an expert in Entertainment Law and contracts. Considering that TD identifies that person as acting in his behalf, isn't that person practicing Contract Law without a licence or law degree?
Home from the wars with no desire to be tonight's thread. Both Cristina and Bob were there and have promised to send something. All very depressing and lengthy. Hopefully Tom will do better with his own lawyer and things will pick up at least a little. Then we can move on to Susie and Carol. I don't have the timeline down but it appears from today's testimony that RR was in the works long before most of us imagined. It's also true that Tom informed the MCC that Carol was quitting and that would cause a lease breach on their part. Basically if Carol didn't get whatever she wanted he was terminating the lease. He went on to say that he kept the $33,000 because he'd spent more than he expected to on the infrastructure and he felt 'entitled'. There was a lovely quote from a CB email telling him not to be depressed because how much would the MCC be willing to spend fighting her "the mother of both". And her advice to him to demand the rent advance with a 24 hour deadline when they knew we were broke. I know this is only one side but it's pretty sick-making and one might begin to feel that nearly anything the MCC did, short of violence, was at least understandable.
It is a fact.
Fact check! Fact check! Who's got the facts?
You got it right Margaret. Any sympathy I had for Tom and Carol evaporated today. Tom basically admitted that he and Carol knew the community center was in dire financial straits and that he and Carol were trying to force it to give up Reggae on the River. He sounded like he thought he could take advantage and had Mateel over a barrell because he thought that if Carol quit that he could just cancel the lease.
Margaret, I'm sure you're tired but would you clarify who was in breach of the contract if "Carol was quitting and that would cause a breach on their part". Whose part? Carol and Tom's?
About the lease contract;
Do not forget what the judge said in the summary judgment ruling. Eric posted it here. One thing the judge said was; “Third, and perhaps most significant in the context of this motion, MCC argues that its letter to Bruno/PP of November 4, 2007 constituted the required notice of breach and notice to cure. If this is so, MCC urges, then the 30 (sic) "cure" period pass without Bruno/PP providing any assurances that it would live up to its contractual obligations.”
I liked this comment by Eric; “The Referee suggests that Tom is going to have to bolster his case prior to trial, but you'd think he threw everything he had into the motion.”
And Bob had the whole judgment posted here. It is not very long and it is interesting.
5:27 PM
You keep saying that it took years to learn how to do ROTR. What you fail to mention is that these people learned how to put this show together on the Mateel’s dime. The Mateel paid for PP and PB to learn their craft and now these same “people” want to throw the Mateel out of the equation like the Mateel are nothing and do not deserve the festival because these jokers (PP, PB and even TD) are the only ones who know how to do it. That is one of the reasons this community are so pissed off at these scoundrels.
6:02 PM
OH MY GOD!!!!!! I am so glad this has gone to trial!
The hubris. The hubris!!!
Margaret, if you are clarifying the above statement for 06:43:00 PM.. help me get this one too: Hopefully Tom will do better with his own lawyer and things will pick up at least a little.
And what about Carol's "Mother of Both" ?? WTF! ...that i get. No explanation needed.
Take your blinders off folks. Look at the big picture. Don't always pick and choose what you absorb in order to justify your own vision.
Margaret's little teaser today is once again inaccurate. Having been there both days I wonder if she and I were in the same room.
What did YOU hear? Do tell.
7:11 I have thought that exact thought two days in a row. How is what I hear so different than that she recounts?
none of them compare like Reggae
u r trying to say what?
Because anon 7:11 and 7:18 you must have your heads up Tom's rear because I was there and Margaret has it dead right.
So, what is your story that is so different from Margaret's?
okay 7:11 and 7:18... instead of merely saying what Margaret reports is not what you heard, please give your version... otherwise, shut up.
nothing compares to reggae on the river?then this person must have gone around the world.there are festivals all over..get off of the ego trip
As to Rex White saying he liked the sound of reggae rising way back when??Does anybody remember on a Thank Jah program when people first started saying that pp and pb had the name rr bought for a few years, and pb said no, it was a domain name that was given up, that they then took over. And then many months later, the name thing came up again, and a woman called Thank Jah again, with a story of a coordinators "circle" where someone told of a dream they had, and the name rr came from that?? so which is it pp/pb/td??
Tue Jan 29, 07:49:00 PM I think you are on drugs, my dear.
07:58:00 PM Don't call me dear. I will never be your dear.
Anonymous said...
Tue Jan 29, 07:59:00 PM
Okay, I'll call you dumb ass instead.
You can do a simple "whois" search, and learn the history of any domain name.
Reggae Rising previously belonged to someone else, and that "owner" let the name lapse. That is the only reason PP could obtain that domain name.
Does that make you happy?
Who was that "someone else" buddyboy? That is the question. Did PP/PB tell "somebody else" that the name sucked so "sombody else" let the name lapse and then PP/PB/TD swooped.
Interesting, very interesting indeed.
Can somebody please help me. With so much spin, I can not get a "wrrd" in edgewise.
for crying out loud...
when the heck did Rex say he liked the name RR? I never heard him say that he liked the name until around the time of last years show.
this states People Productions owns this domain.
TD owns trademark.
i don't get it. very interesting site... though i couldn't seem to get some things to open.
thanks for info. every bit helps us dummies out here.
Tue Jan 29, 08:19:00 PM you are even dumber than the dumb ass.
Tue Jan 29, 08:26:00 PM when you said:
for crying out loud...
you are right on. Someone is grasping for straws here.
A gentle person points out the admirable qualities of all and does not point out bad qualities. A petty one does just the opposite.
Margaret's version is right on. In fact she was too nice. TD got caught lying twice. His testimony was impeached. He squirmed in his chair like any good liar. He took at least a half a minute per question because he had to remember what lie he hold told them before. Never any "yes" and "no" answers. I think the judge is hip to what came down. The crime scene is ugly and bloody and these people are not honest.
Okay. The letter from Tom to the Mateel said that Carol was going to quit, that was Oct. 17, 2005. Paragraph 2 said that if Carol quit the Mateel was in breach of their lease with him. Therefore we were obligated to get rid of Taunya, unnamed cranky board members, and anything else making Carol's life unbearably frustrating.
Second clarification. At least half of the last 2 days was spent listening to Tom think about the answers to questions,even the one's he had already answered. It was tedious and painful. Most of the time the questions were harmless. I'm hoping with his own lawyer he'll be well rehearsed and it will go faster. I understand establishing foundation but this really drags.
Rex said in an email to Carol on or around the day her contract was terminated that he liked RR.
Ok anon 7:52. You said "A gentle person points out the admirable qualities of all and does not point out bad qualities. A petty one does just the opposite."
I think it is admirable that Tom is a lousy liar. I would think even less of him if he were good at it.
Thanks for the advice.
I've known PB for years and have NEVER once heard him claim himself to be an expert of entertainment law contracts....
If watching Tom was tedious and painful, go one asked you to come and you certainly don't have to be there...
Why don't you all just stop speculating and spewing your own emotional uniformed crap and listen to what is being said...Are you even capable.
Does Anyone, ANYONE of you Tanya, Bob and Garth supporters, find it at all shady that Bragg hired Stapp and had her on his payroll to deal with getting paperwork and important information to the other side a bit shaddy...Talk about snow job!!!! She is the wait, let me capitalize that, THE key witness in this case and she is preparing the discovery documents for the other side while on payroll and purposely scrambling the documents that are required by law to be delivered in good order to the other side....We're not talking eggs and cheese, we're talking scrambled documents, missing pages, retracted statements.....I assume though from most of your point of view, this is all ok....because it was your side...I can only imagine the outcry if it were the other side doing something like that...Where is the common sense...It's time you all put your emotions aside, get totally informed by listening to whats being said and not speculating about issues that haven't even been discussed yet.
And for those pointing their finger at Bob Doran for leaning towards Carol and TD, please...It's amazing at what hypocrites you all are....If he was saying what you wanted him to say, like the redwood times and the independent do (talk about being in someones back pocket) he would be totally acceptable. At least he listens to the information and tries to present it in an unbiased way. Not something either southern humboldt paper can claim.
Back to Bragg and Stapp....I am real interested as to what you Bob Garth and Tanya supporters think of that...Notice I am not referring to you as mateel supporters because we have all lost sight of the fact that we all support the mateel....It's as tom apparently put it, the cranky miserable board members.......Tanya, Garth, Bob...Go away.........
The truth is coming and when it does, then what...will you go away???
"Does Anyone...find it at all shady that Bragg hired Stapp and had her on his payroll to deal with getting paperwork and important information to the other side a bit shaddy"
Lame and a little stupid, yes; but illegal like violating contract law, no.
I'm sure the MCC will not come out of this untarnished. But I know all the board members and they are good people doing the best they can. Taunya may be a little unstable, or not, but she has also taken a lot of hits for this community with almost no support. Most of us have long standing friendships to see us through this.I can deal with the truth about the MCC. Just because I support them doesn't mean I always agree with them. Just ask them. You can't support something only as long as it does what you want and try to destroy it if it doesn't.
The reason the board members were a bit "cranky" may have been because the Mateel hadn't been paid for two years? Tom was caught with lying in his testimony. That cannot be spun any way but bad.
In answer to the questions in this thread, I went down to Redway to interview Carol and Taunya the week before the story came out, maybe Nov. 8 or 9, I'm not totally sure.
"Do you use recording devices when interviewing persons so that there is no inaccuracies in what is quoted?"
I tape-recorded my conversation with Carol -- Suzie and Katy came in the room during the interview so they were on tape too. I did not misquote anyone, so no, no one has called me to retract their quotes. I also recorded a long interview with Taunya that same day.
"If so do you retain the copies of those recordings?"
I still have them somewhere, but I'd be hard-pressed to find them. I have done hundreds of interviews since and my filing system is not great.
I don't really know the law around that issue. Eric? At any rate, no one subpoenaed me and I'm not on the witness list. I might point out that I've also published interviews on the marijuana trade with folks who laid out their criminal activities, and no one asked for those either.
Did I think what they said was significant? Yes. That's why I put it in the story.
To those who are suggesting that I'm working on some spun version of events, I'd say go back and read what I've written. Do you really see the Nov. 16, Reggae Clash story as spin for one camp or the other? I just reported the facts as I heard them. That's my job as a reporter. Take a look at the blog I've maintained for over a year specific to this topic. You'll find documents and opinions from both sides of the issue. As it's been said many times, don't shoot the messenger.
I have a couple of legal pads full of notes on the testimony from yesterday and today and I was going to try and type some of them up tonight, but you know what, after reading this thread, I'm thinking, why bother. Anything that does not fit the narrow confines of "the truth" as seen by trolls on this blog would just make me the subject of insults since I'm a real person, not anon identified only by the time of their post. At any rate, it's late, I'm tired and I have a long drive to make tomorrow so it'll have to wait...
- the "legendary" Bob Doran
Is there any merit in
5:58 pm's questions?
Mr. Doran,
Thank you for your response.
I'm sure that you understood what I was trying to establish.
I hope you were not insulted, for that was not my intent.
Your honest answers were appreciated.
Once again Thank You and safe travels.
10:03 PM
THE key witness???? Now that is funny. It’s looking like Tom and then Carol and maybe PB will be THE witness’.
So you got rid of Taunya after months and months of insults and lies. You said if she was gone everything would be rosy. But wait!!! Now Garth and Bob must go. Then you say “we all support the Mateel”. No we all do not seem to support the Mateel. From testimony it appears that some of you don’t support the Mateel at all, Mr. Spin doctor.
Mr. Doran,
Do not worry. Nobody would shoot you as a messenger. Maybe kick you in the knee (Should it be “on” the knee?) but not shoot you.
Keep messenging.
The last time Carol negotiated a contract for ROTR we also lost 3 board members and an ED. So those of us supporting this Mateel board also are supporting Kathryn, John, Michael, and Eric. Or maybe we just don't think any one person should be allowed to rearrange the board to get what they want.
I notice that no one has come forward to describe how Margaret's analysis of yesterday was wrong, in detail. Oh yes, people say it was spin, but still no one tells us what happened that was different.
What did Tom lie about?
For months it has been said that Dim Dimmick as not paid the Mateel the $33,000 that I think he owes because of a technicality in the lease contract. On the KMUD news last night and this morning the reporter said that Dimmick SAID IN COURT UNDER OATH that he did not return the money because he thought he deserved it because the infrastructure was a little more expensive than projected. This guy is getting on my nerves. The word “scum” comes to mind when I hear his name.
the infrastructure was a little more expensive than projected.
NOT only that..he attributed those increased costs to; are you ready? are you sitting down because you will fall over when you hear this; HURRICANE KATRINA, WAR IN IRAQ and of course RISING FUEL COSTS!!
i am LMAO.
Remeber that the only evidence you are recounting is the Bill Bragg side if it. Will the word scum still come to mind when the evidence which points to gross misconduct on the part of certain members of the MCC BOD and ED is brought out by Knowles?
I am with Bob Doran. This blog will attack anyone who doesn't agree with the interprative spin put out by rabid MCC supporters. I support the Mateel. I do not support the actions of the BOD, now, or as we will have shown to us, then. Keep your minds open because as the evidence is introduced you will be shocked.
Jesus H. Christ in a pickup truck. Katrina? War in Iraq? Fuel prices? Who is this guy? Is this some kind of farce? No wonder……
Should have read Remember and side of it.
Shouldn't the title of the thread be
Red Lyin' in Winter?
What did Dimmick lie about?
i just want to thank everyone for taking this to court.
we have a big mess.
the people who blog still defending someone who stole money for a lease because of Katrina, etc costs, vs someone mistyped, filed a piece of paper...
you will be so defending of your position you can't see anything else.
yes, let all the witnesses speak before judging ... only we aren't judging... the Judge will make those decisions.... that is what this is all about.
you who say you are a member... and cut down the bod of any organizaition must have lost something while growing up that has to do with voting and honoring your votes. one doesn't just bounce the bod or ed on whatever whim or plan for taking over said organization.
when you say we don't get it...
i am getting it.
yes, there are errors here and there. keep wearing your blinders. keep spinning whatever bad thoughts... or just let the trial proceed. let the judge do what he was hired for.
those of you out there that keep saying we don't know what we are talking about... well, we have been here a long time and saw this coming from one direction didn't expect two or three or 62 directions. that is what is so complicated about this. too many cooks ruin the dinner or something like that.
everyone... except MCC... took a piece of the pie.
MCC is not just the bod and ed..
it is us. there are thousands of volunteers who worked for nothing in total support of MCC until the takeover years ago of pp or rr or td or pb. we are watching. we told you it was happening and now... here it is. it is not uncommon. i have seen it happen over and over again. the founder of an organization... gets kicked out and starts over.
the MCC.,. the people here we built MCC and Reggae on the River.
not Mother Carol... or Sister Carol.. because she is NOT my Mother or Sister..
the Mateel existed before Carol.
we all built the Mateel, we all built Reggae on the River.
we all will get over this. it is sad it had to go to trial. Yet I think it is good.
and boots was doing shows in sf b4 carol was even thinking about rotr, talk about learning from experience/compitencey
north beach photographic art fair
family fog
tribal stomp
family dog
cinco de mayo
i think that means more experience right?
Let's not forget that the MCC burned Boots. So much so that in his deposition he stated he would never work with the MCC again.
What Boots experienced was the fallout from getting hired by the MCC, on the hush hush behind the scenes. He is the victim of bad faith negotiations on the part of some of the MCC BOD and maybe even of his own greed. He may be the best at what he does. I have no idea. He jumped at the opportunity to be able to produce the show. He jumped in with his money. Let me ask a question. If Boots wasn't in the wings with his $300,000 would the Mateel have gotten into any agreements with him?
Anon 11;51 Mateel did not burn Boots and he has not said he would not work for Mateel. Quit lying!
So, there are at least two producers who have stated that they would never work with the MCC again. Wonderful track record. I am actually surprised that PP tolerated working with MCC as long as they did. Few have had the patience necessary to have dealt with their incompetence for so long.
From what I recall, Tom changed his testimony at the trial from the testimony he gave at his Dec. 17th deposition. His testimony was then impeached. I believe, but I am not certain, that this has happened twice so far with him. Not a good thing from what I hear. A body language expert would have a field day with him on the witness stand. Heck, anybody with common sense can see he is not being honest up there. And when Ton said he was "entitled" to keep the Mateel's $33,000 deposit, you can see the judge was a little taken back by his response. Just my opinion.
I can see that working with a non-profit might be frustrating, and Carol didn't have to work with the Mateel. She could have refused to sign the last contract, gotten her own permits and used her own money to start Reggae Rising.That would have been the right way to do it. She chose the wrong way.
12:16 In his deposition that is exactly what Boots Hughston said. Do your homwork. Take off your Margaret colored glasses.
boots has never stated he will not work with mateel.
please stop lying,
dusty hughston
2b1 multimedia, inc
12:46 here Dusty. Yes, he did.
I feel another MFOC moment comming on.
Maybe there is another "WRRD" for it.
Anon 12:46 and 56 if you are so sure of your " facts" then why don't you sign your name . Where did you read a copy of the depositions? I'd like to see them too.
What is an MFOC moment?
Dusty I guess you're not that close with your dad because both attorney's: Bill Bragg and John Vriez have said just that.
That in Boot's deposition when asked if he would ever produce Reggae on the River or work with the MCC he clearly and emphatically said No
A MFOC moment is;
Much to doo doo about nothing.
If I were Mr. Hughston I'd be pissed too.
But just like the MFOC issue, Boots' feelings have much to do about nothing in the alleged conspericy issues that TD, PB, & CB have perpetrated upon this whole community, not just the MCC members.
There is a time line relating to the relevant issues, you know.
Please come up with something relevant to the issues of alleged breach of contract and alleged conspericy.
Or go .......
Let's remember that before the board you mentioned, Margaret, there were other boards back to '95 that had the same insulting experience and quit because working with PP was impossible back then as well. Many good folks are strewn in the wake of the PP drive for control. Many of them responsible for starting RoR with Carol. It takes a team to build something like RoR and ,sadly, we're seeing the results of attempted empire building.
Let's learn how to spell conspiracy, and then we can move on to reiterate.
Here's a tip to everybody, use Mozilla Firefox for a browser, it has a built in spell checker that is sorely needed on this blog, unless y'all's proud o' spellin' like bumpkinz...
"Bill Bragg and John Vriez have said just that."
First of all it's John Vrieze and secondly if both attorneys "have said just that" it would be hearsay.
I think the "WRRDs" you should be looking for should be related to the "relevance" of the alleged breach of contract and alleged acts of conspericy and not some sentiments of late by a producer that has been financially put out by the alleged acts perpetrated by TD, PB,& CB.
The MCC members want to make sure that Boots and family know that their efforts and investment in the MCC were and still are sincerly appreciated. Please do not give up on The MCC. If there is such a thing as Karma, your efforts will be rewarded tenfold.
Thank You BOOTS!!!!!!
Eye knead sum thin to help mi spell two. Kin ewe dew me a favor and si if they're is any weigh too help? Eye wood sheer lick that.
I'm sure that they need volunteer teachers at the High School. Typos are what makes you important. You should be happy that you are needed as the person of wisdom. I think you have found your calling.
Them spilling ades our grate!
You are such a legal whizz-hard who need schooling.
Both attorneys quoted from Boots' deposition. That is not hearsay.
Wasn't the MFOC about $20,000 being invested and subsequently lost producing the event that was supposed to now be the "intellectual property of the Mateel" which could be moved anywhere the Mateel wanted it to be moved as told to the membership by Ms. Director? Hardly a "nothing" but plenty of doodoo. This is the same person who told Tom Dimmick the MCC was moving the SAF to the community park and the MCC was considering replacing PP and moving the ROTR festival to the same community park. She wanted the MCC staff to produce the event in-house. This conversation happened in early October at Debs Restaurant in Redway. This was presented in evidence at the Red Lion. Remember the power point financial presentation? Sounds like a lot of papers getting shuffles to me. Wait! That is what the judge just fined the MCC for having done for it again by you guessed it, the same ex MS.Director. When will people realize that the poor leadership really can be attributed to some one person? The ex ED just did something the membership has to pay for. The MFOC event did the same thing. You choose to see it as nothing. Some of us don't, but it is over. The MCC needs to focus on its current situation. I see that the Mateel is now a for hire production company. At tip for the MCC. Work with someone else's money. The music production business is filled with snakes and scoundrels. Big fish who eat little fish. My advice is don't get into the aquarium with the membership monies. My advice to the person who keeps bringing up the MCC failure MFOC is to give it a rest.
Cookie, I used the Google spell check. I tried it five times. Three times it allowed my spelling and twice it corrected my spelling. Then I looked it up in Webster's. You were obviously right. I think my computer and Google are "conspiring" against me. Thank you for the heads up and lesson.
Let's see, 20 grand plus what? 5 grand? then what else? lets just tack on a couple more for drill. Maybe 30 grand down the toilet, compared with 180,000 X 2 ...or 3??
Too bad, the MCC can't measure up in the failure department either.
Let me ask all of you a question you'll be able to relate too:
You plant your crop. It looks really good. You estimate you're going to get at least 8lbs, maybe more, from your 4 lights. You harvest, clean, dry and to your amazement and disappointment there's only 4.75lbs. How could this be??? It looked like our best crop yet.
You get a new strain from your friend. They swear by it. Best producer they ever grew. You plant only it. When finished and done you got less than half of what you're used to getting.
2:57 PM
Wt least the Mateel didn’t use the price of gas or Hurricane Katrina or the Iraq war as an excuse. And if you think about it the MFOC could have worked out IF the Mateel was not ripped off by a production company using the Mateel’s money. And maybe, just maybe the ED was talking to TD at Deb’s about moving TOTR because TD was telling the ED that the Mateel had to come up with the $33,000 in 24 hours or lose the lease.
The Spin Doctor is about as competent as the Entertainment Contract Expert guy.
03:07:00 PM
What does all that mean? Lights, pounds, crop????? What am I missing?
That is a statement not a question. Did you mean analogy?
That was a question. See the "?" at the end? See, another question. They are sometimes hard to recognize.
If those 2 conversations didn't happen on documented different days I might entertain your line of thinkng. But you are wrong 2:57.
It seems to be a habit of yours. MFOC was produced using money Ms. Director borrowed against the building. Make that leveraged against the building.
That last was addressed to 3:57 not 2:57 as the typo says.
Boots did something Carol and PB stopped doing a long time ago - put up the $$. The building is paid off again thanks to him! TS was human. Can we accept that sometimes people screw up? There was no malicious intent in the aquisition (?) of the FOC, or in its ultimate money losing outcome. Unlike some other People who... grumble.. flame.. rename BS.. grumble .. flame..
FYI Boots is my hero and his assistance in creating and developing ROTR in the first place has not been forgotten.So there.
The building is paid off and we owe him $150,000. The building is not really paid off then is it?
I am sure everybody at the Mateel and everybody who REALLY cares about the Mateel give thanks and praise to Boots every time they hear his name. I can understand how he could feel bad about how things turned out but I know he knows the Mateel is more, much more than grateful. I’m sure the Mateel will do everything they can to pay him back. Thank you boots, THANK YOU! You will not be forgotten.
I don’t know that Taunya and the BOD borrowed money against the building to acquire MFOC but if they did borrow the money for that reason it was because they were assured that the Mateel would be receiving more than $200,000 for the 2006 Reggae on the River®. In fact the Mateel were told over and over again that the money would be there. All the way up to the day they were told that it was all a flim flam. “Here is your $1.98. Be happy or we will take the event away from you.”
I'm taking your advice. Can you say "ELEVEN THOUSAND" missing wristbands that the audit clearly shows are missing. Where is X,XXX,XXX amount of missing dollars that must have just plain old disappeared and can not be found. Must have been in one of those shoe boxes full of cash that there are pictures of floating about. Guess who's faces are in them?
At least no one has hidden the "Fact" that without the additional missing monies, the Mateel has been forced to abandon some of the future projects that could have brought more independence to the Mateel membership.
I think TD's excuse for using the Mateel's
$33,000.00 deposit is what you meant by using someone else's money. Right?
11,000 wristbands X $100.00,a low ball ticket value, comes to $1,100,000.00. I bet that would have paid off The Mateel's debts.
Lincoln? Washington? Jefferson?
I bet that would have paid off The Mateel's debts.
It would have paid them off nearly 10x's. We are talking about a lot of money here. Money that failed to flow to the rightful recipient.
Sad, it is all just very sad.
anonymous said...
the infrastructure was a little more expensive than projected.
i am LMAO.
Wed Jan 30, 09:34:00 AM
What I think is so funny about this is that he figured he should keep the Mateel's money even though it wasn't them in charge of the site prep and the cost overruns...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nope Franklin.
The best thing to come of all this for the Mateel is getting out from under Carol's control. A very close second best thing to come of all this is getting rid of Taunya.
Personally I think they both made enormously arrogant mistakes that have created this giant mess.
Eric, post 5:05 is a pile of blogsnot and must be wiped away.
Sheesh. Please pay attention 5:05, Charity Green, yes, another of the co-creaters of the event known as Reggae on the River, addressed these oft misrepresented and hurtful allegations months ago. Charity closed her post which explained this whole BS saga, by saying something like, 'is this the best you've got? ' Think you better try again. Maybe rub your lami for good luck.
Get your "Facts" straight.
That issue has long ago been asked and answered.
And she signed her name.....
What a chicken shit way to accuse someone, ANONMOYSLY.
It just confirms what type of person you really are.
You are a JOKE, except you are not funny.
LMAO Charity Green co-creator of ROTR? With Boots Hughston and Doug Green. She will not be forgotten. The weather must be getting to you.
ROTR or whatever has always had too large an influence on our community.
When I gave my $$ towards buying the community park, I did so only after being assured that the property would NEVER be used for ROTR.
YEAH YEAH the non profits. Did I forget love and unity---please. ROTR was and is a corrupting influence on life in this place.
Keep the park safe.
If you would like to witness some of the corruption, go to the Red Lion.
We are all disappointed, but this is no surprise.
i will never foget those origial soldiers that were the 1st to stand up to the PP machine
and have much respect for all the og staff
people like
plus the 10 or so others that were there b4 rotr
can anyone say rock n reggae on the river
i have the 1st poster with boots' rock band on it
Enough with the mean posts. Thank you Eric, for deleting the BS post about Charity.
How about some new posts from people who were actually at the hearing today?
That thing in your hands is computer, with built in word processing capabilities that will correct your spelling errors so you don't seem so stupid.
The first concert held at French's Camp was not ROTR. Boots did play at the first concert held by Family Dog at that site. Once again I have to say check your facts.
The first ROTR poster was created by Shelby and it certainly doesn't have Boots listed as a performer.
Whoever you are, you are WRONG. We're not getting paid to say what anyone wants us to say, and I profoundly resent that implication.
We do our job, as best we can, in the time allotted to us... which is in between all the other meetings, stories, community events, etc. that we write about.
Someone, somewhere, tears my head off every time I file a report. If it's not one side, it's the other. And I'm pretty sure at least some of the other reporters have had the same experience.
Give it a rest with the media conspiracy crap.
Hi Cristina, Thank you for your excellent reporting. You didn't happen to be at the trial today?
You're welcome!
No, I wasn't there again. I'm out of town on a trip that was planned MONTHS ago. Yesterday was the only day I was able to attend. I'll be making phone calls & sending e-mail to the principals in the next couple of days.
Cristina I happen to think you are by far the best of our local lot. Your reports are always accurate. You don't embellish them with your opinions or views. For me reading your stories, especially if I was there, is like reliving the event. I love your reporting. I wish I could sign my name but, it would probably only cause you problems. Next time I see you I'll be sure to tell you, again, how valued you are.
Thank you for the advice. I guess in your world you are perfect.
I'm sure that you take great pride in impressing yourself.
I am happy for you.
Thank you very much. It does mean a lot to me.
Christina I whole heartedly agree. Your reports are accurate and unbiased like a relay of the actual event you are reporting. I suggest you crack open a bottle of Daveau and toast your integrity.
Yes Cristina! You are a true gem. Always a delight to read, or listen to on the MUD.
Can we get past the love fest and get some more nuts and bolts?
By the way, I like your reporting too, Cristina.
Cristina, you are a very good journalist. We are lucky to have you in our community.
Cristina's a good reporter, but can she type?
Nevermind. Bad joke. I should go to bed.
old joke too...yeah get some sleep...
I miss Estelle. She was always good for the people productions view of things. You could kind of get an insight into their thinking by listening to Estelle's reporting. Estelle for supervisor is just code for Carol for supervisor.
Before Estelle starts shopping for new nauga to replace 8 years of Roger's fart stains on the superchair, I hope somebody asks her directly how many untaxable and untracable comp wristbands she received over the years for her undying loyalty to PP.
It's a simple question.
What those wristbands were untraceable and untaxable? I feel so silly for reporting it to the IRS. GOD you are and idiot 07:49:00 AM. I hope you realize that, because everyone else now does.
I forgot. All the minimum wage Mother Teresa's of the world have banded together at People Production. But is it because they love Carol or the community more?
Tough choice.
4:20 here. Let's not forget all the DJs, producers, fans and radio shows in the San Francisco area that created the seeds and supplied most of the Reggae On The River massive.
Bring back Doug Wendt.
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Portland's Christmas Music Station
19-year-old DUII driver crashes pickup into trooper's patrol car
Thursday, December 6, 2012
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Driver had blood alcohol concentration of .18-percent.
It's illegal for 19-year-olds to consume alcohol. It's also illegal to drink and drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08-percent or more. Seth Russell is accused of doing both and losing control of his small pickup truck on Highway 101 near Brookings, crashing into a guard rail and a Oregon State Police trooper's patrol car.
Russell was not injured in the collision but the officer, Senior Trooper Jeff Johnson, was treated for minor injuries and back pain. He was released from a local hospital Thursday morning.
Russell, who had a blood alcohol concentration of .18-percent at the time of the collision, was arrested and lodged in the Curry County Jail on multiple charges.
*Photos courtesy of the Oregon State Police.
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Eating Out
Chefs/owners in NYC who are also in (or were formerly in) LA?
I need your help!
I'm trying to pull together a list of chefs/owners who either have places in both NYC and LA or recently left LA for NYC (if you want to know what this is for you can send me an email...too complicated to go into here).
Here's what I've come up with so far - any additions would be oh so much appreciated
Mario Batali
Joe Bastianich
Thomas Keller (don't think his LA restaurant is open yet though)
Todd English
Laurent Tourondel
*Gordon Ramsay - he's out at the London NYC so he doesn't count
*Govind Armstrong - he just got the boot at the Cooper Square Hotel so he also doesn't count.
Thanks in advance - you guys always have all the answers :)
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Hackers Claim They Messed With BofA Website & NYSE Because Of Anti-Islam Movie
Like most of you, we’ve never seen — nor have any intention of ever seeing — this Innocence of Muslims movie. (Gawker claims to have the full-length script, if you’re more interested than we are.) Regardless, the short film that apparently mocks Islam is upsetting people around the world, some of whom claim to have launched denial of service attacks against Bank of America and the New York Stock Exchange.
Calling themselves the Cyber fighters of Izz ad-din Al qassam, someone posted on Pastebin that the group “will attack the Bank of America and New York Stock Exchange for the first step. These Targets are properties of American-Zionist Capitalists. This attack will be started today at 2 pm. GMT. This attack will continue till the Erasing of that nasty movie. Beware this attack can vary in type.”
The letter claims that the “United States of America with the help of Zionist Regime made a Sacrilegious movie insulting all the religions not only Islam. All the Muslims worldwide must unify and Stand against the action, Muslims must do whatever is necessary to stop spreading this movie. We will attack them for this insult with all we have.”
The BofA website experienced a slowdown and intermittent outages, which we assume was only exacerbated by every journalist in the world suddenly checking to see if the site was being affected.
“We are working to ensure full availability,” a bank rep told Reuters, while the NYSE wouldn’t comment.
Of course, the note doesn’t actually mention Innocence of Muslims by name, so perhaps they are talking about Bruce Almighty.
Edit Your Comment
1. LEDZEPPELIN24 says:
My mother and father got bofa emails in there inbox, but we aren’t people that go to bofa. The first was from bankofamerica.com, but the next was from bofa35.com, so I wonder if that was hackers?
2. Speedstr says:
I haven’t had any plans to see this film either. So as I understand it, instead of trying to hack the site that refuses to take it down (Youtube, who is owned by Google) They are going to hack companies unrelated to the movie. (I never thought I’d be defending BoA)
• Upthewazzu says:
They see “America” in the name of the company and don’t know any better. There was an interview in a Seattle paper the other day and I think this interview sums it up nicely:
“I got this answer from a Coptic Eritrean who is a marine biologist by training but makes a living as a taxi driver:
Before coming to America I lived in Saudi Arabia and other countries in North Africa. And what I can tell you is this: The people in these countries, and also countries in East Africa, cannot believe that people in America actually speak for themselves and not for the government. Why? Because what they have seen all their lives is only the government speaking. When something is on TV, it is the government speaking. When something is in the newspapers, it is the government speaking. You see what I mean? Something on the internet, it is the government speaking again. The government never allows anyone else to speak. So, they think it is the same in America. That video about their prophet doing very bad, very evil things? That has to be the government speaking. So they go to the American embassy and try to burn it to the ground. They just can’t believe a person can actually speak for themselves and not be in trouble with the government. This is what is going on.”
3. cactus jack says:
Shit, if they go after American Apparel we’re gonna be nekkid for a while. Hope they don’t figure out their mistake and go after US Bank too.
4. BurtReynolds says:
Apparently with the awful green screen work, and terribly dubbed dialogue, the fact anyone thinks Americans would watch this movie and take it seriously is also offensive.
• wade says:
I agree. We should probably attack an embassy so that others will know we’re offended.
• Difdi says:
Then again, if it’s of equal or greater quality to the movies produced in whatever third world country the rioters live in, how would they know it’s crap?
5. YouDidWhatNow? says:
Religion is as religion does.
While it is tragic to see people so disconnected from reality that they cling to religion, it’s also shockingly revelatory to see that people who live in these theocratic and/or dictatorial countries are so conditioned to the idea that nothing can be created without the express approval of the government that they honestly believe that the US government has sanctioned this anti-Islam movie.
They actually can’t get their heads around freedom of expression. Probably doesn’t help that their religion also bans freedom of expression…insult the “prophet” and get murdered for it, etc.
• luxosaucer13 says:
“While it is tragic to see people so disconnected from reality that they cling to religion……”
The problem I have with that statement, although you seem to qualify it in the very next phrase, is that it appears that you’re attempting to lump ALL religious people into the same category: People who are living an illusion, which couldn’t be further than the truth.
Your statement is no different, in my mind, from the Nazi philosophy that all Jews were the cause of the German people’s problems, that ALL Israelis hate Palestinians (or vice-versa), that ALL Catholics agreed with the Inquisition, or any number of other generalisations that one could or would care to make.
Just because a person is religious or not does not automatically mean that they’ve been subjected to some sort of reality distortion field, and, therefore are unable to think for themselves or engage in any kind of intelligent thought.
I’m a very religious individual, but accept certain universal scientific truths, such as, according to the evidence so far amassed, that it appears that natural selection guided life on earth, and that because of the evidence uncovered by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, the Big Bang is the mechanism that created the universe as we know it.
IOW just because someone is religious doesn’t automatically mean that they’re ignorant or stupid.
Or, should I remind you about the well-known axiom about pointing fingers at other people………..
• chiieddy says:
Godwin has been invoked. Long live Godwin’s Law.
• Difdi says:
Exactly. You can’t prove a negative, and an absence of evidence doesn’t invalidate a viewpoint (if it did, no scientific theories would exist, they’d never have gotten that far).
For that matter, since you cannot prove a divine being doesn’t exist, atheism itself requires faith. Believing in nothing is itself a form of belief. And has about as much foundation in fact as any other religious belief.
• TuxthePenguin says:
When was the last time Christians or Jews rioted over a movie? I mean, those NY riots when they burned all those buildings and cars over Piss Christ. Horrible, dark time in Christian history.
6. jayphat says:
10 people, TEN, in total have seen this film. Little bits are available on YouTube. So for anyone to claim this movie is the cause of problems is stupid.
Years ago the KKK said they were going to march in Toledo. A large group of black activists said stop or we’ll riot. At the last minute the KKK backed out. Guess what happened? Riots over the KKK marching that NEVER happened.
My point is people will use any excuse to do whatever they want regardless of if it holds merit.
• Difdi says:
The proper response to a threat of domestic terrorism involves the SWAT team, armored cars and possibly the National Guard.
A riot is a freak occurrence of mob psychology. A deliberate riot is insurrection.
7. MarkFL says:
What’s more, I heard (whatever that’s worth) that the guy who made this movie is a Copt — that is, a Christian from Egypt — so it doesn’t even have Jewish or Zionist ties.
8. The Cosmic Avenger says:
After they take down BoA and the NYSE, maybe they can go after American Airlines next. Unfortunately, once they realize they’re only doing us a favor they’ll probably stop.
9. TheUncleBob says:
Guh. The press is feeding us all so much bull on this.
The killings, the riots and the violence have a lot less to do with some stupid “movie” and a lot more to do with the fact that our government is sending drone attacks into their sovereign countries (against both our laws and international standards), killing their friends, families and neighbors.
Sure, it’s easier to pass it off as “crazy people mad over some movie.” It’s harder to have to accept them as real people with a real issue.
• LEDZEPPELIN24 says:
Thank you. Nobody wants to admit anything about our government being bad when we are talking about things like this.
• euph_22 says:
You mean playing petty, short Sighted games with installing and overthrowing governments at will, that literally determine whether people live or die, for over a century, might one day come back to bite us?
• Vegetius says:
By “petty, short sighted games”, do you mean the 70 year proxy war of containment fought against a coalition of nations ideologically committed to our destruction, WITHOUT setting off a nuclear exchange that would have killed more people in one hour than malaria and bad whiskey combined? If so, that’s a use of the terms ‘petty’ and ‘short-sighted’ I’ve never seen before.
Lets see. Some nut case in the US makes a very poor quality low budget anti Muslim video and posts it on youtube causing an international uproar, rioting, many deaths, and these types of things.
A professional film made by Iranians called Saturday Hunter, aired at an Iranian film festival and on Iranian state TV, Memri TV, depicts Jews as massacring everyone that is not a Jew, trying to achieve God-like powers, shows target practice of shooting at cutouts of women and children, etc. Harsh words are spoken, but no international outrage, no deaths, no rioting.
People wonder why Israel is so worried about Iran getting nuclear weapons.
And, yes, I did watch the whole “trailer” of Innocence of Muslims. Barely Junior High School quality and designed to be nothing but offensive.. Think of it as Jr High boys making a movie and trying to make it as offensive as possible and that gives you a good idea of it.
11. longfeltwant says:
I heard a program on NPR which mentioned a detail of context which I found enlightening. Somebody said that when you interview all those angry protestors, they tell you that they believe the United States government produced the film! I went to YouTube and watched it, and it was nothing more than a very poorly produced racist screed. (Emphasis: VERY poorly produced.)
To us Americans, the low quality of the film and its availability on YouTube immediately tells us what it is: something made over the weekend by some racist loser who has a beef with Muslims.
To the Muslims, apparently, that context is not at all clear. Also, the film was probably nothing more than stand-in bait for a preconceived campaign to whip up sentiment and violence on 9/11.
• pecan 3.14159265 says:
It’s a no-win cultural mishap. They think the U.S. government produced the film, but since they also think individuals in the U.S. speak for the government (and some think that the government speaks for them), no matter what anyone says about it being the work of one person, not representing the government, they won’t believe it. There is very little understanding of individuality in relation to the government.
• wade says:
I didn’t know Islam is a race.
12. TheCorporateGeek Says Common Sense Is The Key says:
What a bunch of douchebags, seriously the Muslim community needs to sit down and shut the f*ck up and stop being jealous of the freedoms we have. Enough is enough.
• MrMongerty says:
You are an idiot if you think they are “jealous” of our freedoms. It is more like they don’t understand our freedoms, and lump all of us together as “Americans”, sort of like how you just lumped all Muslims together.
13. Press1forDialTone says:
After what B of A and Wall St have and continue to perpetrate on us, they deserve to
get their websites hacked -daily-.
14. kataisa says:
The hackers wouldn’t be Anonymous because they are notorious for hacking radical Islamic sites that encourage violent acts against western free speech.
15. Difdi says:
Not to be unsympathetic to the evil, soulless corporations, but…
Is taking down BofA really a bad thing?
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Today In Alternate History
November 26
In 1980, on this day Soviet Premier and world Communist leader Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria passed away at the age of eight-one. The Soviet Union lost in Beria one of its strongest and most controversial leaders.
Secretary Beria passes awayBeria was born on March 29, 1899 in Merkheuli, in the present-day Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. He joined the Bolsheviks in 1917, gaining fame for leading the repression of Georgian nationalists that was said to have cost the lives of 10,000 people. It is said that he met his predecessor, Josef Stalin, while saving the then-Soviet dictator from a man playing a gunman during a staged assassination attempt. Whether or not the story is accurate, Beria quickly became one of Stalin's top lieutenants. Moving swiftly up the ranks as a proven leader of security forces, Beria replaced Nikolai Yezhov as head of the NKVD during the Great Purge, which Yezhov had administered until even he was swallowed-up in it.
During the Second World War, Beria oversaw a vast expansion of the security forces, as well as of the Gulag Archipelago system for political prisoners. The NKVD took on a life of its own under his tutelage, forming fighting divisions with sophisticated weaponry that was the envy of the regular military. Beria enforced Stalin's strict military disciplinary rules with impunity, ordering army units to fire on troops that retreated during battle. Even troops that fought heroically until their ammunition was spent before they fled a battle were shipped-off to hard labor camps in Siberia. Beria later became First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
In later years, despite enjoying his status at the high table of Soviet Power, Beria grew to loath his boss. Stalin was an impulsive leader, ordering the deaths of anyone who crossed him in the slightest way or that he suspected of being a threat. Perhaps the only thing that saved Beria from a purge was the he was so dependable at carrying them out. He grew worried in 1952, however, upon learning that Stalin was planning to have trusted Party comrade Vyachislav Molotov purged in the following year.
In the early days of March, 1953, Josef Stalin suffered a massive stroke. Beria was the first person to arrive at Stalin's private dacha outside of Moscow. As other party leaders arrived to find out why they had not heard from their General Secretary, Beria forbade them from entering the house. "No one is to disturb Comrade Stalin!" said Beria, and none of the others were of a mind to disagree. Later, as they finally decided as a group to go in, they discovered Stalin lying on the floor, paralyzed. The doctor that arrived soon after said the condition was caused by age and poor health, though Beria was overheard saying that he had "done him in" perhaps meaning that he had initiated the stroke. As the men surrounded the dying Stalin's bed, Beria began cursing the leader he had so fervently served. When Stalin's eyes opened in a glare at his head of security, Beria pitifully fell to his knees and kissed Stalin's hands. once Stalin's eyes closed again, Beria rose to his feet and spat on the floor before returning to the cursing of his boss.
Stalin died on March 5, 1953, surrounded by his ministers in the Soviet government. A jubilant Beria immediately ran outside, calling for his driver. Politburo member Anastas Mikoyan leaned to Nikita Khrushchev and said: "There goes Beria, off to seize power". He had little idea how correct he was. The next day, four divisions of troops from Beria's NKVD had surrounded the city, armed with tanks and multiple rocket launch trucks. Khrushchev, Bulganin, Kaganovich and Mikoyan were arrested and relieved of their positions. They were executed in the cellars of the NKVD headquarters in Moscow.
Beria instituted a power-sharing deal with Molotov and Malenkov, forming what was known as the "Jewish Triumvirate" because of the partial Jewish heritage that each of the men shared. Despite this arrangement, Beria assumed the top leadership role of General Secretary, as announced on July 11, 1953, while retaining control over security. Malenkov was made Prime Minister and Molotov, famed for his role as Foreign Minister, became the President of the Politburo. This new leadership ushered the Soviet Union into an age known as the "Beria Thaw," which saw a institutional relaxation of Stalin's stringent economic and foreign affairs policies.
Beria promised to end the Cold War peacefully, while making certain that the Soviet Union was prepared militarily if things heated up. While the Army was strengthened and the Navy increased, Beria decided not to institute a massive buildup of nuclear weapons. They money for the development of both the warheads and their delivery systems, he argued, would be better spent on conventional forces and the rebuilding of Soviet Eastern Europe to its pre-war industrial strength. He said that it was no use trying to "out-nuke" the West if the result was the total annihilation of the world? Beria divided the military into division-sized military districts, which were scattered throughout the Soviet Bloc. The logic behind this was that in the even of a massive nuclear strike, at least some part of the military would survive to defend the USSR and perhaps take Western Europe as a consolation prize.
While the military was being revamped, Beria made surprising peace overtures to the West. East Germany was allowed to reunify with the rest of Germany. Beria and American President Dwight Eisenhower agreed that the US and the USSR should become the "parents" of a new, peaceful Germany. Both sides contributed to the rebuilding of the country, while agreeing that it would become a demilitarized zone.
Moreover, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia became independent, though they remained under the control of their respective Communist parties and were no more free than say Poland or Czechoslovakia. Beria justified this surprising move by saying that the Baltic states had not been part of "the revolutionary experiment of Bolshevism". When Ukrainian protestors took to the street of Kiev and Odessa to demand their own autonomy, the Red Army reacted swiftly and brutally to suppress them. It was clear that no other nationalities would be allowed to escape from under Moscow's thumb.
Beria denounced the harshness of Stalin's rule, while doing little to change the relationship between the Soviet government and the people. The political prisoners were not released, and hard labor was used to "tame Siberia". The failure of his "Managed Partial-Privatization" program, coupled with high defense spending and the enormous amounts of money spent on strengthening China and Cuba, led to economic stagnation in the Soviet Union that lasted throughout the 1960s and into the '70s. The decision not to invade Afghanistan in 1979 to support the Communist government there is seen as one of the reasons that the USSR remained intact into the Twenty-first Century, as Beria said that "it would become our own 'Vietnam,' and perhaps destroy our great nation".
Lavrenti Beria died of a heart attack on November 26, 1980 at the age of 77. The last decade of his rule was marked by seclusion and the slow relaxation of his grip on power. He was replaced by his head of security, and the only man he trusted both for that post and to be his successor, Yuri Andropov. Beria's body has been preserved and put on permanent display next to the body of Lenin in Red Square in Moscow.
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Comments on: Big heads wobbling on wee necks?.... Comments on MetaFilter post Big heads wobbling on wee necks?.... Fri, 05 Mar 2004 10:52:34 -0800 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 10:52:34 -0800 en-us 60 Big heads wobbling on wee necks?.... <a href="">Nootropics ("smart" drugs)</a> - all wish to be smarter, correct ? And - while exercise, nutrition, learning, travel, and social interaction (the last 3 via release of <a href="">neurotrophins</a>) effectively do this, Nootropic drugs have been researched since the 1950's and have been shown to cause at least short term cognitive function enhancement. Piracetam, the first of this drugs, <a href="">shows promise</a> in the treatment of Alzheimer's and Attention deficit Disorder. Alas, as with poor little <a href="">Algernon</a>, the effect seems <a href="">temporary</a>. Nootropics can be a little <a href="">difficult to acquire</a> in the US.<small><small><small> Beer is not a nootropic, but sex on the other hand.....</small></small></small>,2004:site.31594 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 10:11:01 -0800 troutfishing nootropics smartdrugs drugs medication pharmaceuticals brain intelligence cognition cognitive Alzheimers ADD health science neuroscience medicine By: troutfishing For extra credit, Which of the following relations is more correct ? : Metafilter/nootropic Metafilter/beer Metafilter/procrastination Metafilter/sex Metafilter/yawning existential chasm of non-being,2004:site.31594-634105 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 10:52:34 -0800 troutfishing By: torquemaniac "Beer is not a nootropic, but sex on the other hand....." Sex on the other hand is highly over rated. It's clumsy and unfulfilling.,2004:site.31594-634114 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 11:10:23 -0800 torquemaniac By: ewkpates I don't want to be any smarter. I'm plenty smart. I would like have perfect pitch though. It would also be nice to have a natural aptitude for languages. But smarter? Nah. What's that get you? More chicks? More cash? Better times at the Sci-fi convention? Or just a deeper sense of the futility of human desire and the fathomless emptiness of existence? I mean, you take a smart drug, pretty soon your gonna need some other ones to get through the day. And I'm pretty sure I don't want anyone else getting their hands on a drug like that. Theodore Sturgeon has a story about a futuristic drug from an alien plant that makes you faster, stronger, smarter, amoral, and is addictive like heroin. The best thing about beer is that clearly disadvantages those who consume it... unlike, ah, sex.,2004:site.31594-634132 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 11:26:06 -0800 ewkpates By: geoff. You know, I did some research on this to find out if there was anything worth buying. Most of what I found (non-prescription) were expensive placebos. Even with prescription drugs, there's very little benefit (and I'd avoid the risks of frying your brains). I do hope (kind of) they have nootropics in the future. They have drugs to improve our athletic ability, why not our mental? Of course if you think there's a gap in performance between upper-echelon children and the lower side of the economic scale... we'll see it widen when $100 a month drugs come into play. Plus, I saw kids go crazy over SATs and ACTs, doping would become common place for such tests. If you want to see what'll really improve your mental performance, ask any college student. No one's taking nootropics but Adderall and other light amphetamines are being abused all over the place. And college students will be the first to get their hands on any successful nootropic.,2004:site.31594-634136 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 11:30:30 -0800 geoff. By: stbalbach I use <a href="">this</a> for short periods of increased brain activity and it works and is based in solid science from a Harvard peer reviewed published doctor. It also helps my mood when feeling depressed. However, it is costly and you have to take it at low levels for a few months to build up reserves of the Omega-3 fats in the brain then when you want a boost take large quantities. It also helps with eye site, colors are more vibrant and sharp. The same thing can be done with natural food but is harder to get the right ratio of fats, eating lots of sushi seems to be similar for me, but is costly and has some other problems like toxins.,2004:site.31594-634151 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 11:43:57 -0800 stbalbach By: moonbird I've been on the hunt for decent nootropic for some time now, doing everything from gingko to L-theanine. I had a shot of vitamin B12 yesterday, long touted as a brain booster. And lemme tell ya, I feel amazing. Sex, on the other hand, only works as a nootropic if it involves another person.,2004:site.31594-634160 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 11:52:52 -0800 moonbird By: troutfishing geoff - here's a decent sized collection of <a href="">Piracetam research</a> assembled by a woman who was investigating it as a treatment for Down's Syndrome. It was ineffective for that but proved effective in enhancing cognitive function in many other cases. In any case, I defer to the good Stephen Harris, M.D. (from my "temporary" link) whose nutshell summation was (I thought) superb : <i>" There are quite a number of nootropic drugs in which there are well-constructed studies showing a significant mental performance increase for a short time in healthy people (for a review, see the Smart Drugs books by Ward Dean and John Morgenthaler). None of these positive studies, however, are very long-term ones. There is much better evidence for nootropics as short term aids for special occasions (eg., final exams). Don't expect to take them every day and get the same benefit.... In short, nootropics are all pretty much either "uppers" or "cholinergic-activating memory drugs". Each class has characteristic side effects. All of the uppers-- purinergics like caffeine and theophylline, herbs like ginkgo and ephedra and coca, adrenergics like amphetamines, and functional ones like Gerovital, deprenyl, and thyroid, all make people naturally feel wired and high strung and irritable. If you're an anxious type, they may do more harm than good, and if you tell your boss one day to get lost, you may later decide that increasing your on- paper job performance wasn't worth the social price. By contrast, the more purely "cholinergic" or sympathetic type drugs (choline itself, DMAE, Lucidril, pantothenate, vinpocetine, vincamine, piracetam and derivatives, vasopressin, etc) all improve memory, but can give you the typical cholinergic side effects also: stuffy nose, GI upset or bowel looseness, stiff muscles, increased joint and tooth pain or sensitivity if you have any pre-existing problems, and general fatigue. All the nootropics of both classes can cause insomnia, since in general autonomic activation is not conducive to sleep (as an organism, you're supposed to be paying attention if your autonomics are firing-- that's what they're THERE for). FINALLY, ALL THESE EFFECTS OF NOOTROPICS ARE SHORT-LIVED, since the brain is an adaptive organ, and is not meant to be goosed by the autonomics in a big way all the time. Thus, if you use these drugs every day, like caffeine or like amphetamine, pretty soon you develop tolerance and need the drug to get back to normal. If you don't have the drug after that, you actually function subnormally until you "kick the habit." If it's a short-lived drug, you use it in rapid cycles. That's not much good for you, so be wise. Perhaps you've been there with caffeine, a very typical nootropic. Note also that nicotine is a powerful nootropic-- this one a cholinergic (people wouldn't use the stuff if it didn't do SOMETHING for them). Aside from smoking and coffee, I've seen nootropic enthusiasts who spent the whole day popping pills just to function. Just like smoking, this was all legal, but it didn't look like much fun. And of course, the pill thing is expensive as hell, even if it has no adverse long term health effects (which I cannot swear to, in the case of all these drugs, either) At least coffee and tea look pretty safe, epidemiologically. Hydergine has been well-studied long term, as well, and at least does no harm. If you have to start somewhere, start with these. But don't overdo it."</i> _______________________________________________ moonbird - actually, the best one I know of is........exercise! ( <i>sexercise</i> too, but you're right - a partner is necessary to get that effect. See my link on Neurotropics (social activity promotes the release of these. Sex with a partner is a social activity ) stbalbach - I might give that a try. The stimulant nootropics tend to deplete nutrients - so they can have a backlash effect after a while. Nutriceuticals are more of a hoistic approach.,2004:site.31594-634188 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 12:17:06 -0800 troutfishing By: troutfishing Oops. "<i>holistic</i>".,2004:site.31594-634190 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 12:17:59 -0800 troutfishing By: shinnin <em>it works and is based in solid science from a Harvard peer reviewed published doctor. </em> Ok, let's clear that up right now. This is a referece to Andrew Stoll at Harvard Med. He has no peer reviewed published studies on the use of Omegabrite (TM) to make you smarter. The publications you refer to studied the use of omega-3 fatty acids in treating depression and bipolar disorder. You can search for "AL stoll omega" <a href="">here</a> to find a list of his abstracts. Note that two of them are about potential flaws in his own study designs.,2004:site.31594-634238 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 12:51:51 -0800 shinnin By: kablam I would agree with exercise, but not necessarily physical exercise. I am familiar with a form of meditation that deals with three mental states: focus, unfocus and transition. Most people are plagued with transition, bouncing back and forth between a focused and an unfocused state. It consumes a great deal of attention, and distracts you from your purpose at hand. If, however, you can train yourself to extend the time in a focused or unfocused mental state, you automatically increase your mental effectiveness. Imagine how much better you would do on a test if you could focus on it, to the exclusion of distracters, for an entire hour? Seemingly: instant intelligence! Conversely, if you wish to be intuitive, artistic or inspired, how much better would you be at it if you could just unfocus and not be distracted for an hour? Seemingly: instant creativity! So instead of trying to chemically alter your brain, your perform a simple exercise to condition your mind to stop bouncing back and forth. Saving a lot of energy in the process, too.,2004:site.31594-634436 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 18:09:11 -0800 kablam By: yangwar Don't leave us hanging kablam, what's this magical form of meditation called?,2004:site.31594-634472 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 19:32:18 -0800 yangwar By: troutfishing kablam - I would have mentioned meditation but for it's detractors (more rebuttal time would be involved in providing links to the relevant research). These techniques you mention have an ancient lineage....but their language has mostly fallen to disuse. _______________________________________________ yangwar - I don't know what kablam's school of meditattion involves, but there is considerable accepted empirical research which demonstrate meditation's overall benefits. I can illustrate this point of mine if necessary - this might even do me a service.,2004:site.31594-634515 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 20:41:18 -0800 troutfishing By: stbalbach shinnin, thats true he doesn't say it makes you smarter. I find it keeps me more alert and better able to concentrate. I have given it to friends and they all report being more productive. Take it as you will. Stoll is peer reviewed and is a Harvard associated doctor there is a lot of exciting research going on about Omega-3 in particular in certain ratios. His book is great reading. One theory is that early humans evolved in coastal areas of Africa with lots of seafood (Omega-3) when the brain was evolving to a larger size.,2004:site.31594-634524 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 21:04:52 -0800 stbalbach By: F Mackenzie <a href="">Memory drugs abuse brain in long term</a>.,2004:site.31594-634527 Fri, 05 Mar 2004 21:07:03 -0800 F Mackenzie By: troutfishing F Mackenzie - Hmmm......<i>interesting</i> Err, what was I saying? Oh yeah. Interesting, thanks for that tidbit. It reinforces the Harris "no free lunch" quote I posted above. The title of that story is misleading though - Kinease "A" suppresses prefrontal cortical activity but there wasn't any evidence of actual damage cited, though the article may just have been poorly written. Besides, they can counteract that problem by adding some amphetamines (which increase activity in the prefrontal cortex) to the mix. I'm sure long term amphetamine use (depending on the dose too, of course) is harmful. But in the long term, we're all dead. I attribute that comment above to my satanically influenced, anti-holistic evil twin MelGibsonFishing. I had nothing to do with it. Really. F Mackenzie - Hmmm......interesting Err, what was I saying? Weren't we talking about memory drugs?,2004:site.31594-634577 Sat, 06 Mar 2004 06:46:08 -0800 troutfishing By: Civil_Disobedient I honestly doubt that 200 some-odd years of "real" physiological science can possibly compare with the millions of years that evolution has brought us. The human body is a marvel, and there are still so many things we don't understand about it that I find it highly amusing when I read that scientists are trying to "unlock" that extra 90% of brain power, or increase physical strength with a pill. Don't you think that if the solution was so simple, we would already have evolved a process to do it? This reminds me of those people who "chip" their BMW's to get an additional 15 HP out of them. Great. 15 HP. At what cost? The delicate balance that the human body has achieved over millions of years is not going to be so easily improved upon with a few magic beans you can buy on the internet.,2004:site.31594-634587 Sat, 06 Mar 2004 07:45:24 -0800 Civil_Disobedient By: kablam To those who are curious, *most* forms of meditation involve to some extent what I detailed. "Clearing the mind", is trying to willfully overcome "transition". A deeper rationale involves the question: why do people *have* this annoying "bounce" between a state of focus and unfocus, that I call "transition", in the first place? The answer to that is simple: in a survival situation, most of the time for our ancestors, it is *not* a good idea to be either too focused or too unfocused. It will get you eaten by a tiger or something. You won't notice it until it gets you, being either hypnotized by a pretty flower (focus), or pondering the nature of the universe (unfocused), while kitty contemplates his lunch. So we, as a species, developed the technique to keep us bouncing back and forth, to maximize our survivability. The technique is talking to ourselves, chatter inside our heads, that keeps us from becoming too focused or too unfocused. It is a learned behavior, and adults spend a goodly amount of time teaching their children to talk to themselves. However, there no longer being a surfeit of tigers about, we now use lots of meditation techniques to get back the quiet in our heads that is needed to develop our states of mental focus and unfocus. What method you use to get this varies. Some prefer one, I prefer another. The end result is the same thing.,2004:site.31594-634592 Sat, 06 Mar 2004 08:09:48 -0800 kablam By: troutfishing "Don't you think that if the solution was so simple, we would already have evolved a process to do it? This reminds me of those people who "chip" their BMW's to get an additional 15 HP out of them. Great. 15 HP. At what cost?" - I don't disagree at all. I just posted the idea (nootropics) but that doesn't mean that I am advocating such tinkering....although, in fact, I AM one of those crazed tinkerers. In general I do think human biology is optimized....but for what, to what ends? And I agree that meddling will generally cause problems - but at the same time, if human civilization continues much longer (and that's a big "if") I suspect, we will be forced to meddle : at least for our own survival. There may be other ways to forestall disaster too. But we do so love our tinkering. As a species, more than anything, it's what we do. Me, you, all of our kind - but some more than others. I am both a tinkerer and also extremely sensitized to the perils of this. My tinkering is more of a compulsion....or an instinct. : an instinct which led us to this moment in time and which may also lead us away, though not by gentle means. _____________________________________________ kablam - (<i>" there no longer being a surfeit of tigers about..."</i>) we think along similar lines, you and I.,2004:site.31594-634721 Sat, 06 Mar 2004 19:35:48 -0800 troutfishing By: homunculus <a href=>Scientists decode a critical gene that may have led to the evolution of our big brains</a>,2004:site.31594-634726 Sat, 06 Mar 2004 20:04:32 -0800 homunculus By: troutfishing homunculus, OMG - It's "Flowers For Algernon" come to life! - <i>" future experiments, Lahn will insert the human ASPM gene into mice to see what affect it has on brain development. He hopes to reconstruct the detailed story of how the human brain grew and changed as the result of natural selection, thereby creating the thing that makes us each unique—the human mind"</i> Mice with huge cerebral cortices. Then, Charly or - first this, then experiments on apes. Next, " The Planet of The Apes"....,2004:site.31594-634746 Sat, 06 Mar 2004 21:23:05 -0800 troutfishing
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@techreport{Budria2009Risk, abstract = {We replicate Shaw (1996) who found that individual wage growth is higher for individuals with greater preference for risk taking. Expanding her dataset with more American observations and data for Germany, Spain and Italy, we find mixed support for the earlier results. We present and estimate a new model and find that in particular the wage level is sensitive to attitudes towards risk taking.}, address = {Bonn}, author = {Santiago Budr\'{\i}a and Luis Diaz-Serrano and Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell and Joop Hartog}, copyright = {http://www.econstor.eu/dspace/Nutzungsbedingungen}, keywords = {J24; J30; 330; Wage growth; risk; post-school investment; Lohnniveau; Risikopr\"{a}ferenz; Bildungsinvestition; Bildungsertrag; USA; Deutschland; Spanien; Italien}, language = {eng}, note = {urn:nbn:de:101:1-20090513215}, number = {4124}, publisher = {IZA}, title = {Risk attitude and wage growth: replication and reconstruction}, type = {IZA discussion papers}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10419/35459}, year = {2009} }
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Original URL: http://pregnancy.familyeducation.com/trying-to-conceive/ovulation-and-conception/57265.html
Conceiving a Baby: Timing Is Everything
There is a fairly narrow window of time each month during which the sperm can fertilize the egg. After the egg is released by the ovary and begins its journey down the fallopian tube toward the uterus, it will live for only about 24 hours. If it isn't fertilized by a sperm in that time, the opportunity for pregnancy is lost until the next month, when the process begins again. That's why knowing when your egg is released each month is so important if you want to become pregnant.
Of course, some women get pregnant the very first time they try without ever even thinking about their "fertile days." But others have a tougher time getting the egg and the sperm to make a match. If you don't conceive exactly when you want to, don't get discouraged. It often takes several months to a year for a perfectly fertile couple to conceive a child. But to help the process along, here are a few tips to boost the odds of conceiving sooner rather than later.
Because the egg will live for only 24 hours, you might think that you have to have intercourse on that exact day to conceive a child, but Nature gives you a little break here. Sperm can live in the reproductive tract of the woman for about 72 hours. This means that if you have sex on day 11 of your cycle and ovulate on day 14, that sperm still has a chance to fertilize that egg.
You can track your menstrual period each month to figure out when your body is ovulating—the time period when the ovary releases the egg for fertilization. Tracking your period is the best way to zero in on your most fertile days. You'll need a thermometer and a calendar or a chart like the one that follows, or you can buy a basal body temperature (BBT) thermometer at any pharmacy, which might come with a BBT calendar chart. Either way, put the thermometer and calendar right next to your bed where you can reach them. Starting on the first day of your monthly period, take your temperature daily before getting out of bed in the morning, and record the result on the calendar. Also record the days of menstruation and the days you have sex with your partner. Do this every day throughout the month. About 14 days after the first day of your period, you should begin ovulating (not all women are "regular," and ovulation can occur before or after this date). Shortly after this happens, the body-at-rest temperature rises one-half to one full degree and remains elevated until the end of that cycle.
During the first month of tracking you won't be able to identify your most fertile days because the rise in temperature occurs after ovulation—when conception is very unlikely or even impossible. But after you've charted the information you can look back on the month and pinpoint the day your temperature spiked. Intercourse for the purpose of conception should take place one or two days before the rise in temperature. (You might notice during this fertile time a slight drop in body temperature.)
Sample Basal Body Temperature (BBT) chart. Use this chart to track your body temperature for an entire month. A rise in temperature indicates ovulation. The most fertile period is one or two days before this spike.
If you don't notice any sustained temperature rise during your monthly cycle, you might not be ovulating (even though you get your period). This is something your doctor should know about; there are medications that can increase the likelihood of successful ovulation.
The BBT is not foolproof. It is influenced by many factors, including medication, alcohol, degree of physical activity, and illness. Try to keep track of these things on your BBT chart as well; after about three months, you should be able to identify general patterns.
Hey Mom!
An ovulation predictor kit, available in pharmacies, is an easier (but more expensive) option to tracking your basal body temperature.
To maximize your chances of conception, you should have intercourse before your anticipated rise in body temperature. After ovulation occurs and your temperature has risen, it is too late for a sperm to fertilize the egg. That's because after ovulation the mucus thickens to block the sperm, and the entrance to the cervix grows firmer, preventing sperm from entering.
Time intercourse for every other day for two to four days in this fertile period. Intercourse every other day is recommended rather than daily intercourse because ejaculating too often can lower the sperm count. One ejaculation from a fertile man releases more than 20 million sperm—this is plenty to do the job until the next group arrives 48 hours later.
After intercourse, relax and lie still. It takes sperm about 20 minutes to work their way through the cervical mucus and up to the fallopian tubes. Lying down during this time will reduce the risk of sperm leakage from the vagina.
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Anchors set too shallow or too close to the edge of a slab or tube will cause the concrete to crack and pop loose, rendering the anchor useless. One solution is Ankr-Tite's Power-Sert drop-in anchor, which works in combination with the company's Inject-Tite epoxy adhesive to form a high-strength bond in relatively shallow holes and tight spacing patterns. Small overbore tolerances allow predrilling through base plate or machinery mounting holes without moving the piece to be attached. And because the anchors hold by friction until the epoxy sets, attachments can be made immediately. According to the manufacturer, Power-Serts display higher resistance to seismic loading and vibration than most drop-in anchors. The anchors are threaded at the top to accept
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February 16, 2005
Dr. Matthew Neurock
Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
University of Virginia
"Computational Elucidation and Design of Reactive Nanoscale Systems"
Abstract. The atomic scale dimensions of nanoscale systems impart unique electronic properties that ultimately dictate unique chemical, physical and mechanical properties from those derived from mesoscale or bulk systems. An understanding of how these features influence the fundamental properties and the macroscopic behavior of these systems may aid in the design of optimal nanoscale systems. Ab initio methods and atomistic simulations have reached the stage where they can be can simulate the properties of nanoscale systems and establish the influence of their local environment. As such, in-silico strategies can be developed to begin to design the atomic scale structure, composition and local environment of these nanoscale systems in order to specifically tailor their performance. The unique properties of various nanoscale systems, including metal clusters, hybrid organic/inorganic polysilsesquioxanes, heteropolyacid metal oxide structures, molecular charge carriers, and supported nanometer-sized bimetallic catalysts along with their potential applications will be described in this talk. In addition to controlling the unique electronic properties, one can begin to selectively pattern the surface of nanoscale reaction systems in order regulate the self assembly of reactant molecules in an effort to drive specific surface reactions while inhibiting others. This provides a framework for the atomic scale control of active catalytic surfaces. The approach is used herein to demonstrate the unique catalytic reactivity of PdAu nanoparticles for the synthesis of functionalized olefins. In addition to understanding and controlling the atomic structure of active sites in supported nanoparticles, the reaction environment can be just as important. Many systems are assembled in solution media whereby the media greatly impacts the resultant properties of the nanoscale system. Herein we examine the influence of an applied electrochemical potential along with the presence of an aqueous media on electrocatalytic properties of supported Pt surfaces.
Vanderbilt University
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Indonesia sentences UK woman to death over drugs
(AP) Indonesia sentences UK woman to death over drugs
BALI, Indonesia
An Indonesian court has sentenced a British woman to death for smuggling cocaine worth $2.5 million into the resort island of Bali.
Lindsay June Sandiford, 56, was found guilty Tuesday by the Denpasar District Court of violating the country's extremely strict drug laws.
In its verdict, a judge panel headed by Amser Simanjuntak concluded that Sandiford has damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's program of drug annihilation.
Earlier, state prosecutors just sought a 15-year prison sentence for Sandiford, who was arrested in May when customs officers at Bali's airport discovered 3.8 kilograms (8.4 pounds) of cocaine in her luggage.
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ET, Your Boss Called. He Wants His Spaceship Back!
Trip Start Sep 20, 2007
Trip End May 16, 2008
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Flag of United States , New Mexico
Thursday, February 28, 2008
I am going to make my big announcement and hopefully not too many of you will die laughing before reading my explanation.
I am a Prophet, a Philosopher, a Buddha, a Shaman, a Sage and mostly a Mystic. I am one of them! I am all of them! I am none of them!
"Consider the lines from what is considered the Bishop of Hippo's (Saint Augustine) best book: "But, what do I love, when I love Thee? Not the prettiness of a body, not the gracefulness rhythm, not the brightness of light (that friend of these eyes), not the sweet melodies of songs in every style, not the fragrance of flowers and ointments and spices, not manna and honey, not limbs which can be grasped in fleshly embraces-these I do not love, when I love my God. Yet I do love something like a light, a voice, an odour, food, embrace of my inner man, wherein for my soul a light shines, and place does not encompass it, where there is a sound which times does not sweep away, where there is a fragrance which the breeze does not disperse, where there is a flavour which eating does not diminish, and where there is a clinging which satiety does not disentwine. This is what I love, when I love my God." Taken from the 10th book of the Confessions."
If someone told me this I would ask what they've been smoking and if they answered, nothing, I would strongly recommend to them that they check into a psych ward at the nearest hospital. I don't really believe it (logically) but all indications point in this direction. The signs, the messages, the coincidences, the paths, and the reinforcements when I doubt that they are true continue to baffle me.
It has been extremely difficult to write this because my conscious self cannot or doesn't want to believe this. It is literally draining my mental capacity and energy trying to fight off this reality and what I am writing. Why me? How come I was chosen and not someone more pious, knowledgeable, important, famous,...the list is endless. No, it can't be true. Pick someone else. But no! This is the way it has to be. It's still not clear in my mind what I really have to do, but the reality is that all that has happened throughout this Journey to get me to where I am, and, pretty well all that has happened in my life has occurred to get me to where I am.
Honestly, would you want to be chosen for a task such as this? Imagine the burdens on the shoulders of the person selected to have man-kind leap frog their spiritual knowledge to enable them to fulfil their destiny.
The Faylasufs (religious philosophers of the 13th century) believed that the idea of God should keep abreast of the times and not be relegated to an archaic ghetto. That means that at some point in time a new Prophet, Philosopher, Buddha, or Mystic would need to enlighten the masses when the time was right. The time is right!
God, or Spirit, or whatever you want to call the mysterious presence that encompasses this Universe speaks to all of us and then some end up with additional "responsibilities". I will say that it is God that has spoken to me, but my definition of God may be different than yours and you may call him something else. I will call this Mysterious presence God for simplicity sake.
Some may ask how I know that it is God that has spoken to me and how? I do see him, in no specific way, in all that surrounds me. How does he speak to me? You are all aware of some of the ways that have been mentioned in my blog. There are the people I meet, the books I read, the movies I watch, the thoughts that come to me, mostly when I cannot sleep, but also when I drive. Thoughts that make no sense to me in the reality of life. It's also an indescribable feeling deep inside of my essence.
The big question that I ask myself is this. Maybe everything that has gotten me to where I am has been one coincidence after another? Am I inferring meaning into events, places, what I'm reading, and comments made by people I meet, where none are meant to be? Am I delusional? Should I be committed?
How were all the great Prophets, Philosophers, Buddha's, Shamans, Sage, Saints, and Mystics in history, such as Moses, Muhammad, Siddhartha Gautama, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Augustine, Kokopelli, Plato, perceived when they lived?
Now why would I have arrived at such an astounding conclusion?
I cannot go into detail but more will be revealed as my Journey continues. That is, if it should.
I'm going to go backwards from tomorrow listing events that have happened to support my revelation.
I've been delaying writing this all day, 2 days from now. That's what happens when I originally planned on writing a simpler blog and events don't happen as I had envisioned. Things happened tomorrow and the day after to confirm what I have told you. You be the judge if it's all coincidence or there is more to it than any of us can comprehend.
I finally started writing this after much procrastination. First I must back up to last week when I was having lunch at the Thirsty Goat Saloon at the Ultimate Hide-Out Resort in Lajitas, Texas. I finally figured out what my Movie Star and Baby dream meant. I must thank my friend Monique because her interpretation gave me the link to the real interpretation. Now this goes back to when I was in Montreal visiting her. Everything links at some point in time so it might be very difficult to make sense of any of this. The dream interpretation was that the book I will be writing is not a book at all. I will be making a movie about the Meaning of Life. Monique had brought up the making a movie idea when I was in Montreal as that is something she wants to do for her business. As I was having lunch at the Thirsty Goat Saloon I thought about the success of the DVD, The Secret. Then the light bulb came on really bright that that was the best way to get a message out to the present day masses.
Now I knew my purpose in heading to California. Find film industry people to produce, direct, write scripts and the rest of it. I also knew that I would require financial backing, investors. Jump to the morning 2 days from now. I had to go back to the VLA to visit the gift shop as it was closed today, the day I'm writing this entry for, when I got there to do my tour. As I'm driving there I get the bright idea that another of the reasons I had to stop at the campground I'm at is because the owner of the property, sold last year, his 27,000 acre ranch holdings and held on to the campground part. I knew about this owner from the camp host, Art, whom I will talk about more some other day. I had no idea if he had kids or much else. Just that he might have some money to invest in a project like mine. So I'm at the trailer and thinking that I should ask Art a few more questions about B. W. Cox, the owner, before deciding if I should approach him.
So I'm typing this away when I notice that Art's truck is at his trailer and that it's starting to get dark. So it would be the time to go talk to him. I step outside and guess who's parked off to the side of my trailer by the kitchen? The man himself, B.W. Cox. His wife is in her truck and is leaving. I walk over and introduce myself. Art had told B. W. a few things about me. You'll understand more about that later when I talk about Art. After some small talk I broach the subject about investing in a movie. B.W.'s answer boggles my mind. His son passed away last year. His other son is handicapped. He has no heirs. His business partner passed away last year. The only reason he has anything is because it was this business partner that financed the ranch and made him a 50% partner. At that time he had nothing. B.W. is a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. His dying partner told him to sell the ranch. The whole 27,000 acres has a conservation easement that says that it can never be sub-divided. A gift to the people of tomorrow from B.W. Land holdings like this with legal restrictions like this should take a while to sell. B.W. had an agreement with "God" that if it sold quickly he would build a Chapel on the property in memory of his son and partner for non-denominational worship. The property sold within 2 months.
B.W. didn't promise anything as they are in the middle of building the chapel and his funds are tied up, but I would say that it looks very promising. Coincidence, or what?
Art, the campground host told me tomorrow, (I know this would be easier if I wrote in the present or past but I think this has some kind of significance) about a rock shop in town. They sell a lot of locally made jewellery made from stones from the area and other places. They also have a wide assortment of collectible rocks. A local mine that closed in 1952 had various veins of a rock called Smithsonite that is extremely rare. This mine had the only known quantity of jeweller's grade stones. So tomorrow I took a drive into town to check it out and stopped in at the Rock Shop. Stella, the owner, was very talkative and she showed me the various display cases with the collectible rocks and the various jewellery. They have all this Smithsonite because her father-in-law worked in the mine until it closed and the mine was owned by her father-in-law's Uncle. I'm checking out the jewellery cases and a pendant catches my eye. I really don't want or need to buy anything here. After looking at a bunch of stuff and talking a while I finally ask to see that pendant. Stella pulls it out and says that the rock has a Kokopelli on it. I haven't the faintest idea what a Kokopelli is. She shows me something else that better shows me what it is. She gives a brief description of it as a Flute Playing Navajo Indian legend. Yes, I can see it in this emerald stone markings. Forces of nature created this marking millions of years ago. I buy the pendant.
I get back to the trailer and do some research on Kokopelli. I find this: "There is, in fact, considerable evidence that he was an important deity to Southwestern Indians. His images are among the most widely distributed of any in the prehistoric and historic Indian sites of the Southwest. Kokopelli may have been as important to the Southwestern Indians as Abraham is to Jews or Paul, to Christians." There's more and you can read it at
Ok. Why was I directed to this Rock Shop and why did this particular pendant catch my eye? Remember this is additional proof to a revelation I told all of you I was going to make a few days ago.
Next! The campground, and the Very Large Array are situated on the Plains of San Agusta (Saint Augustine). Remember that I visited Saint Augustine in Florida in mid December. This "coincidence" came to me tomorrow. More research. What would the significance be? See the link on Saint Augustine There are two, though some of you might consider them a stretch as proof that it means anything. Saint Augustine lived a sinful life. Ok, not much of a link there, I haven't been that sinful in my life. But his Mother, Saint Monica spent her life praying for his salvation. My Mom's been doing that for years. None of her emails end without her telling me she's praying for me. Saint Augustine is generally regarded as the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity and Western intellectual thought. His influence and religious order that he founded has spread to 52 nations. Maybe that is God's will, that I need to believe, myself, that the message I have for the 3rd millennium is in fact something that needs to be dispersed to the masses on earth.
I find this more coincidental then proof. Only the future will provide proof of what this meant.
The nearest town to the campground is called Magdalena, after Mary Magdalene. There is much written about her but there is no consensus about three Mary's who may be different people or all the same, this Mary Magdalene. The one that may be significant is the one that she was at Christ's tomb at his resurrection. "Mary Magdalene is honoured as one of the first witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus, and received a special commission from him to tell the Apostles of his resurrection (John 20:11-18). Because of this, and because of her subsequent missionary activity in spreading the Gospel, she is known by the title, "Equal of the Apostles.""
Am I to be considered an "Equal to the Apostles" because of what I have to say? Or am I tasked, or have I received a "special commission" to announce the return of Christ to earth? Hey, I don't get this anymore than the rest of you until the time is right.
I have been reading "A History of God" for 2 months now, I think. I don't know when I started it. I'm just over half done. The "coincidences" that I find are that I read part of a chapter or a few pages at a time and then don't read any more for a few days or for a week. Tomorrow night, after realizing that there's some reason that I'm camped out at the Plains of St. Augustin, the first page I read has references to Saint Augustine and his teachings. It's been like this since I started reading the book. There is no consistency in how it happens. Either I will see or think of something and then I decide to read the book and that very thought or scene comes up in the book. Or I read something and the very next day it plays out some way in my day. Then there's something about what I am reading that seems to reconcile to my innermost thoughts and feelings. The evolution of Religion as written in this book ties in to what "I knew" to be the truth. My theistic studies have been nominal. How would I "know" all this information without ever having studied it.
So why did I originally stop here? The Very Large Array Radio Telescope. I knew about the Array from watching the movie Contact, with Jodie Foster. This movie "follows the relentless efforts of the film's main protagonist, Dr. Arroway, or "Ellie," to advance research with the SETI project and search for evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence by listening for contact via radio astronomy, something which she feels would be the greatest possible human achievement "for the history of history". The film explores what might happen if such contact indeed was made, and the enormous difficulties the human race might encounter in coming to understand that contact, with significant internal conflict occurring in differences over culture, religion, politics, and human perception as the story plays out. The story, written by Carl Sagan also explores what kind of message a much older alien civilization might hold for humanity in its fledging steps to join an interstellar community of sentient beings."
The movie starts off with Ellie as a child, contacting someone in Pensacola on her shortwave radio. She draws a picture of what Pensacola must look like. At the end of the movie, the picture she drew is realized when she comes into contact with the Aliens. To get the message from the extraterrestrials, she used the VLA here in New Mexico. For some reason this movie has fascinated me since I first saw it and I have watched it numerous times. The other link with the VLA is the book I read, Einstein's Dream. The VLA is more of a time machine then real time "camera" of what the Universe looks like. What they are seeing in space is measured in light-years. The stars shining above come from "lights" emanating millions and billions of light years ago. The VLA is extremely interesting, as is what they do. Check out their website at The VLA is being used to support/confirm a lot of Einstein's Theories.
It is very difficult to try and describe the feelings that I have about this. I am realizing that when things matter, as I have often mentioned, the various signposts, items that jump out at you, and now I see that the "meeting people twice' had some significance. It's not just the people, but places, events, and seeing things. As I was doing more reading yesterday on the Roswell incident, I came upon something that mentioned a UFO crash on the Plains of St Augustin in the 1940's. What is the significance of this and the VLA being situated here and then having a movie about extraterrestrials made using the same local? Just something to think about. There's the "coincidence" that my travel plans changed in Florida where I spent some time in Pensacola and that is an important link in the movie Contact.
When I talk about Art in tomorrow's entry you will see that there is a link between him and my visit to the ETWN Network and Mother Angelica. In my entry when I visited the Shrine I jokingly stated that I may be the New Prophet sent from above. Is that prophetic? I thought I was trying to be funny.
I've also mentioned to you Hannah, the young Christian. I had asked her how God speaks to her and how she knew she had to serve him. I'm hoping she doesn't mind that I post what she wrote me, but this is exactly where I am now in trying to describe why I am, where I am. "I think there are many different ways God speaks. Sometimes it's a very strong feeling that you can't really explain. Sometimes I have words come to my head that I know aren't my own thoughts, but God speaking. I've never heard an audible voice, but I know some people have. Sometimes God speaks through other people. Two days after I felt like God wanted me to go into full time ministry (it was just a strong feeling), a man in my church that I didn't even know told me God had spoken to him the same thing."
I never replied to a comment my sister, Elaine, made last week about the content of my blog being more interesting and with more profound thoughts when I was situated in more "natural" settings. This might be the answer to that. Where would God more likely be talking to you? Somewhere natural that he created or in downtown Manhattan that man created?
Then I received a comment to yesterday's blog asking me what I believe exactly when it comes to extraterrestrials? I purposely left out what I feel because I wanted each of you to come to your own conclusions. Does what I think really matter? Here I'll state that I believe that there was no Alien spacecraft crash in Roswell in 1947 and that it was just some secret military test gone wrong. I haven't researched this enough to make a conclusive statement on that one. I don't think that the military could keep something like a real spacecraft crash from public knowledge this many years after the event. Too many leaks occur on other stuff where a sensational story like Aliens wouldn't make someone do the same.
What happened to the Mayan Civilization? I don't know much, but was it a revelation from God or Extraterrestrials? Crop circles? I won't commit to a straight answer here. I need more information. Research and/or enlightenment before commitment.
When I started working on my What? Is! Inc. website before Christmas I had to write an "About" page. In it I wrote, "What? Is! Inc is the key to unlocking the mysteries of life." Then I asked a few people to comment about the page. One comment I recieved stated, "Change "is" to "is ONE of the keys ..." Sorry, but many great philosophers over the centuries have been attempting to unlock those mysteries. Though I respect your intelligence I highly doubt you'll find THE key." When I wrote that, was I being devinely influenced?
I stated when I left that this would be a Journey of Discovery. I guess it's more than I ever imagined. Logically, none of this makes sense at this time. The future will either prove or disprove what I have written here. Which way will it be? And how will all of you react to this revelation? This has been a very physical and mentally exhaustive entry. I plan on being back on the road two days after tomorrow, the morning after I have actually written this.
Think It! Feel It! Live It!
Slideshow Report as Spam
etrudel on
ET's boss can have his spaceship back ...
Paul - I recently read an interesting book which I think may shed some further light on what you are trying to comprehend regarding what God has in mind for you - the title is 'Secrets of The Vine' by Bruce Wilkinson. It's a very small book, with only 126 pages, easily read in a day or two. I think you'd find it enlightening - I found it in our church library but I believe you could find it in the spiritual section of a book store.
Love you,
P.S. - The title to this comment is an inside joke, since, as you can see, my initials are ET ...
mpambrun on
Ah, you get it!
Yes, of course you are a prophet and all those other things. Next step is to figure out what you are here to do...what is your divine task? What do you need to say to the world that the world needs to hear?
The movie business is moving along nicely...oh, and check out is an article in the latest monthly on-line magazine that talks about Betsy Chaase creating a distribution company for films like the ones we are talking about making...
Too bad you are so far should stop in again and we could chat...
Buck24Earlene on
Make your life time easier take the loans and everything you want.
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Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
We Shall Sing
Sprout has taken to singing.
She doesn't have much of a repertoire, but what she lacks in scope she makes up for with volume and enthusiasm.
She likes her brother to sing along.
Her lyrics are not terribly sophisticated, but there's something to be said for simplicity, and since they're never in the same order twice, the song is always fresh.
We have dubbed it The Family Song, and it goes a little something like this, in a sing-songy fashion: Mama, mama, mama, mama, papa, buddy, buddy, buddy, papa, papa, mama, buddy!
Buddy is what she calls her brother. It sounds more like "buh-eeeee".
She likes to sing along to the music on the radio, and The Family Song is what she sings. she also sings it in the car, in the tub, lying in her bed, dancing around the living room, and when we're holding her.
It utterly ruins us. Turns someone and I into puddles, melts us all over the floor. Good grief.
If I can manage to transfer from phone to computer, I will share a video clip some day.
Did your kids sing? How 'bout you?
1 comment:
Holly said...
I used to sing a lot but now that you've asked, I realize I don't sing very much lately. Hmmm....
I think I understand how this must make you feel. Years ago I was a a movie theatre watching Disney's Beauty and The Beast on a BIGGGGG screen. Behind me, dressed in her best party dress sat a little girl, maybe about three or so. At any rate, when the theme song came along, very quietly in her warbly little voice, she started singing along. I turned around to see her, hands clasped together chest high, eyes glued to the screen. It brought tears for me. I will never, ever forget that moment.
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If You Will, I Will?
Marcy Sheiner asked a question about an English expression “if you will” several weeks ago. So Marcy, this post is for you.
Here’s Marcy’s comment/question/pet peeve.
Marcy Sheiner says:
July 14, 2010 at 12:09 pm
This is a pet peeve rather than a question, but maybe you can tell me if there is ever a sane reason to use the phrase “if you will.” I’ve noticed it’s beoming most trendy, in speech more than writing, but sill. And what on earth does it mean?????
I have been hearing – and reading – this phrase used for as long as I can remember and didn’t really think much about it. Since Marcy brought it up, though, I thought about it a little bit and did some research as well.
From what I understand of the phrase, it is a way of making a concession. Using “if you will” (usually at the end of your statement) is akin to saying “if you wish to do so” or “if you want”.
Several forums provide the same explanation. Take a look at these examples:
He wasn’t a very honest person, a liar if you will. – Idioms
Think, if you will, about …. – Yahoo Answers
Basically, the phrase is used when you want to state something but are not totally committing yourself to a position. It seems that the phrase is an informally accepted, but it does make some people cringe.
Personally, I don’t mind reading/hearing/using it, as long as it’s not excessive. How about you? What do you think about this phrase?
1. Thank you for answering my question, and for the explanation. Now I’ll cringe even more when I hear it, knowing it means the speaker is not “totally committed” to whatever they’re saying! But seriously, what an awful phrase to use, what an awful way to speak. I must’ve sensed this was the meaning, because it sounded to me so wishy-washy. And it IS wishy-washy.
Once again, thank you for investigating!
2. I think in speech “if you will” has taken on a sarcastic connotation as if the speaker conveys his thoughts with a raised eyebrow. For example, if I were describing an obese cat without actually saying, “That cat is so fat!” I could say, “That cat is well-fed, a snacking expert, if you will.” That’s not a great example, but I hear that usage a lot in conversation, and it comes off as having an amusing tone. However, when the phrase is used in an effort to sound more intelligent or formal, it misses the mark and is passed its time.
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Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Did nominal interest rates fail to spike during the run on the Franc?
Paul Krugman has a new paper investigating the role of currency regimes on the nature of sudden stops, where he argues that a sudden stop would not be contractionary for a country that has a floating exchange rate. The big chunk of the paper is theoretical, but towards the end of the paper, Krugman digs out an interesting case study – France in the 1920s – that helps put his argument into historical perspective.
“The closest one can come to historical situations at all resembling the situation of today’s floating-rate debtors is that of France in the 1920s, which emerged from World War I with a large debt burden that it had great political difficulty dealing with, and did in fact experience a run on the franc.”
“The basic insight is that France grew quite strongly as the franc slid due to loss of confidence […] What actually happened was a sharp fall in the franc, substantial inflation, but no interest rate spike and a quite good performance in terms of real output. Nothing in that story validates the conventional wisdom [about the vulnerability of the United States and other nations to a loss of capital inflows].”
I happened to be particularly interested in that part of the paper, as I’ve recently been trying to understand why nominal interest rates did not spike following the election of the Popular Front in 1936 and the country’s departure from the Gold Standard a few months after. Krugman seemed to point to a similar situation: despite the Franc losing two thirds of its value between 1922 and 1926, he notes that there was “no spike in interest rates”.
Source: Paul Krugman
In fact, Krugman’s diagram shows that “rates actually fell during the first leg of franc depreciation”, which is even more puzzling. After a bit of research, I figured out that Krugman is using the average yield for a portfolio of 180 securities of varying returns from the NBER macro history database (series 13027). One would have to turn to the original sources to understand exactly how that series was constructed, but it strikes me as a choice that would warrant a bit of discussion.
As I show below, the more standard measure of nominal interest rates for that period – the rates of returns calculated on the French consols or rentes – gives a different picture. According to this series, nominal interest rates did increase over this time period. The spike, although seemingly not huge, is an understatement of the increase in nominal interest rates as these returns “are averages of the rates during these troubled times and of the rates that were expected to prevail afterwards, once stability was reached again” (Hautcoeur and Sicsic (1999)). Assuming a long-term interest rate of 3.75 per cent, Hautcoeur and Sicsic (1999) show that the 2 percentage point spike in the nominal interest rates of the consols that I document in the diagram below correspond to an increase in medium-term nominal interest rates of about 8 percentage points.
Note: Note: The first vertical line indicates the start of the depreciation according to NBER series 14004b. The second vertical line indicates the Poincare stabilization
So nominal interest rates did spike, although clearly not enough to make real interest rates increase. Overall, the Krugman story holds, since he only needs a decrease in real interest rates for the sudden stop to be expansionary. But unless I missed something, that small part of his paper on nominal interest rates needs to be revised.
Jeremie Cohen-Setton (@JCSBruegel) is a PhD candidate in economics at UC Berkeley and an Affiliate Fellow at Bruegel. He specializes in Macroeconomic Policies and Macroeconomic History and worked previously as an economist at HM Treasury and at Goldman Sachs. Jeremie blogs at ecbwatchers.org and is the main author of the blogs review at bruegel.org.
1. Anonymous10:39 AM
Good catch, Krugman should revise his paper and either justify his choice or use the more commonly used benchmark.
2. Would the consol be influenced by the inflation Krugman mentioned?
According to Michael Bordo's dataset nominal GDP increased at an average annual rate of 19.3% from 1921 to 1926. According to Angus Maddison's dataset real GDP increased at an average annual rate of 7.6%. Thus the GDP implicit price deflator rose at an average annual rate of 11.0%.
It seems to me that Krugman is right. Any increase in nominal interest rates is too trivial to be considered a "spike" given the steep rise in prices.
4. France suffered 6 million dead and wounded in World War One. That's more than one male out of three. Or more than one male of working age, out of two.
To use a country that has suffered such a trauma and economic shock in any general theory is fraught with a massive, intrinsic error. This is exactly the sort of outlier that ought to be eliminated from general consideration.
5. Anonymous2:46 PM
Krugman is revising his paper.
6. And notice how Krugman reacted instantly to this suggested correction and is not, like Alan Greensoan and various other VSPs insisting that he got it perfectly right from the get go.
This little incident, almost as much as anything else, tells you who is your real Daddy when it comes to Econ.
And kudos to Cohen-Setton for setting up the chain of events that made it happen.
7. John S1:59 AM
Well, if Krugman is so amenable to correct his errors, will he correct the misleading impression he gave that it was the gold standard, rather than restrictive US banking regulations, which was the cause of the 19th century US banking panics?
Krugman wrote:
"Now, the gold bugs will no doubt reply that under a gold standard... there wouldn’t be major financial crises. And it’s true: under the gold standard America had no major financial panics other than in 1873, 1884, 1890, 1893, 1907, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933. Oh, wait."
Steve Horwitz's reply:
8. The French economic system at the time was a sleepy backwater. Most Frenchmen kept their francs in their mattress. Americans were amazed to find that the French still crossed their checks. I had to look it up in a 19th century business reference book. It was dying out in the US in the 1880s as best I can tell. Crossing a check was writing a sort of endorsement across the front at a right angle to the main body of the check (with the "pay to the order of") that stated that the payment would only be made at a particular bank branch. Yup, not every Frenchman accepted new fangled ideas like having a check clearinghouse.
If you think finance and the economy are two different animals today, you haven't studied early 20th century France.
9. And that is how scholars correct their work and modify their conclusions when presented with new information. Thank you, gentlemen, for a brilliant example of economics as a not-so-dismal science.
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