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Xilang is the west gate of Guangzhou, which historically formed an important bridgehead towards Foshan. At the same time it is the starting point of the first subway line in Guangzhou and provides area to a major subway train-depot. Four subway lines and a bus-station are planned to intersect in Xilang and the daily passenger flow will reach hundreds of thousands of people. Thus the public transportation network brings vitality to Xilang, making it the core hub of Guangzhou-West.
OBERMEYER implemented the overall improvement of the Xilang metropolitan area through four interwoven strategies. The proposed spatial structure integrates a driving rhythm into the city, whilst embellishing an urban life-style for creating a city with a pulsing beat. The introduction of ‘Super-HUB’ helps to facilitate that by gathering popularity ; the activation of the ‘City’s Veins’ to drive development; the formation of the "Gate of Xilang" as a spatial landmark to cast a splendid city image and to open a new chapter for the metropolis of Guangzhou.
During the process of metro HUB design, OBERMEYER advised the creation of a valley-shaped sunken plaza for the transfer hall between the different lines, which efficiently interlinks city’s surface and the underground HUB by daylight and nature. As the result, the land above the station can be used for property development, creating a multi-dimensional integration of ground and underground spaces as well as a comprehensive transportation hub of international format.
Super-GATE, i.e. the Gate of Xilang, functions as a gateway for Guangzhou and Foshan, whilst facilitating a multi-functional transportation hub and commercial center. Spatially OBERMEYER has initiated it by the combiniton of the two landmarks - the Guangzhou Gate and the Foshan Gate. The Gate of Xilang not only displays the towering sky gate with a 360 ° view of the city, but also presents a more earth-bound and magnificent horizontal gate. The composite-landmark images the city gateway to full delight.
Through the branches extended from the central HUB, the pulsing aorta, to the surrounding areas, the city’s vitality will be concentrated around the adjacent public space. This Super-LINK supports directly the development of metro hub and surrounding city functions, that way forming a multi-dimensional complex.
OBERMEYER envisioned by strengthening the TOD efficiency of Xilang-Station a metropolitan multi-functional cluster with the Super-HUB as the core, and a centralized vitality that will complement the development of Guangzhou's western environment.
Location: Guangzhou, China
Type of project: TOD
Project duration: 2019
Area: 3500000 m² | <urn:uuid:ee32c4d2-a948-46fa-9d19-353f07d62c49> | http://www.obermeyer-cn.com/en/project/guangzhou-xilang-station-super-hub | en | 0.883006 | 0.072203 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
NASCAR has banned the flying of the Confederate battle flag at all of its races going forward. The stock-car racing giant's decision arrived Wednesday (June 10) as racial tension in the United States remained high following last month's killing of George Floyd in police custody.
Earlier this week, racing icon Bubba Wallace had called for an end to the sport's association with the flag. Now, NASCAR has taken the directive to heart — a message on the company's site outlines the change.
"The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors, and our industry," the statement says.
"Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special," it continues. "The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."
In a recent interview, Wallace tells CNN's Don Lemon, "No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them."
Wallace is widely recognized as one of the most successful Black drivers in NASCAR history. He's also the first full-time black driver in the Cup Series since 1971. Wallace adds that there's "going to be a lot of angry people that carry those flags proudly, but it's time for change."
NASCAR first asked race fans to stop bringing Confederate flags in 2015, as The New York Times reported. However, some ignored the suggestion. It wasn't clear on Wednesday how far NASCAR's ban would extend; it's also unclear if it forbids Confederate imagery on non-flag items.
These Are Country Music's Top 10 Artists of 2020: | <urn:uuid:ae3e89ec-8831-4f31-bf17-eb78ec284dba> | https://975kgkl.com/nascar-bans-confederate-flags/ | en | 0.934153 | 0.021963 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
RetroChallenge - 2018/09
2018/09 RetroChallenge...
Back several years ago I won the Retro Challenge with my ViewData BBS.
I want to fully re-write it using .Net Core to provide a more streamlined version with the ability to run on other platforms other than Windows.
My goals for this are as follows...
Cross Platform / Containerisation
I want to be able to run the new system on multiple platforms including cloud based services such as Azure.
I want to be able to possibly containerise the system so that I can easily deploy multiple copies via containers such as Docker.
Pipeline With Modular Framework Components
Create a modular framework that allows pipelining of components together.
Currently the system has a fixed coded pipeline, I want the new system to have no requirement on any component that plugs into the pipeline.
This should allow me to create a generic BBS alongside the ViewData version by switching out components.
I also allows me to insert new functionality into the pipeline just by adding in new components.
The configuration of the pipeline will not be fixed and will be set in the configuration files.
The system needs to be able to handle both direct Telnet and dial up connections.
I intend to create the same sort of gateway for Dial up as before.
I also want to ideally have a web based terminal that can connect to the system. I have seen an example of a Minitel system doing this with Web sockets and may look at creating a gateway to allow this.
The system will respond to the standard * and # commands that the original Prestel system did. It will also allow for the use of keywords to quickly navigate to pages.
Basic command and navigation will be provided by a module that will allow the user to navigate between pages on the system.
Input Forms
I previously started on a prototype input mechanism that allows for input fields to be defined.
I want to expand on this and provide a framework for creating entry forms and applications.
A library of utilities for mapping graphics to areas of the screen would be useful. I would like to be able to load in images / sprites and have the system map them to the correct graphical output. Colour changes and mapping of colours would need to be optimised by the system to get the best output available.
Screen Optimisation
When updating the screen the system creates a buffer on the server side and remembers the state of the screen.
I want to be able to do clever things such as scroll / change areas of the screen without re-drawing the entire screen.
There are commands for moving the client cursor so I want the system to be able to calculate the commands to send to change just the parts of the screen that are necessary to minimise the amount of traffic required and to speed up client rendering.
Telnet Gateway
The previous system had a telnet gateway that can connect to other online system and pass through the data.
This allows for connecting to other online only ViewData BBSs such as CCL4 and the new Telstar system.
Telesoftware Implementation
The original Prestel system had a mechanism for downloading software via multiple pages.
A client could run special software that would move through the pages reading various embedded headers and encoded body data to retrieve data.
I would like to have the system be able to index various retro files and allow the client to download them.
Mail System
A mail system that allows users to send (internal) or maybe later full email needs to be implemented. I may try and make it reasonably authentic to the original Prestel by using the built in user ids to send message between users.
Search Engine
An implementation of a simple search engine that allows users to search Google and return results in a paginated way would be nice.
Twitter Feed
I'd like to have various twitter integration points. Ideally the system will tweet events that happen in the system such as users logging in and out and possibly display twitter feeds as pages in the system (these may be built offline and served as static pages).
Background Jobs
To update certain pages I will require a backend agent that updates static pages with content.
The system may contain template pages that can be used by these agents to create content.
Automatic content such as Weather, news and other content that can be refreshed periodically will be created by background jobs.
The system will need static pages defined to add interesting content to the system.
There are a lot of original pages that I'd like to use as a base for certain parts of the system to give the users an experience as near to the original as possible.
Lots of other stuff I've either missed or will think of later...
The chance of me actually getting a large amount of this done is not very likely but I am away at the ABUG (Acorn BBC User Group) meeting for the weekend of the 8th so that would give me a reasonable time period to actually start something. | <urn:uuid:e6454a3c-3978-48f1-a31b-b57f70d4a1da> | https://blog.retroacorn.net/2018/08/default | en | 0.933816 | 0.214579 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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1. My Big Box store travel agent called NCL and they did basically a "lift and shift" from this Nov to next November - same 4 perks and $300 cheaper. They were on the Joy and now on the Encore. He said there was no problem using the Cruise Next on the new cruise even tho it was set to expire well before the 2021 cruise! Phew!
2. I haven't been paying a lot of attention to the NCL boards lately as my next cruise is on Celebrity, but my daughter is scheduled on a NCL cruise Nov 2020 and when she booked her cruise, I transferred over my CruiseNext deposit to her as it was going to expire if not used by April 2021. Now she is pretty sure she wants to cancel the cruise, so I'm wondering what happens to the cruisenext certificate - will it come back to me and will it still have the April 2021 expiry - which would just now lapse 😞 as I don't have NCL plans before that time. Another option is can she move her cruise out a year with this deposit and still retain the price they have for the Nov cruise - does NCL have the "lift and shift" like Celebrity does? Thanks
3. So I'm choosing to remain optimistic that our Feb 2021 Apex cruise (our first with any Celebrity ship) will still take place, but when I booked the cruise, it was well before the pandemic and we just booked an interior room (with the four perks and NRD) so we could save some money to put towards more cruises! We don't spend a lot of time in our rooms, so were happy with our choice. Now with the rash of ships that had quarantine in room situations, I'm rethinking my wisdom - i would go stir crazy if i couldn't leave my room and have no daylight for days on end! I was thinking that maybe there was hope to bid on the Move up to a balcony, but I did book through a Big Box store and believe that I can't bid on the Move up program - is this correct? I sure hope that by the time we sail that we are back to "normal" health times, but I know no guarantees. Would you bite the bullet and pay extra $1000 now for a veranda - can I upgrade now without losing my Non Refundable Deposit? Or should i wait to see if veranda prices drop once cruising starts back up? I know I'm asking for opinions and crystal ball gazing for the future, but any opinions welcomed!
4. No worries here folks, I'm just trying to absorb everyone's insights - I will buy when I'm ready to buy but I like to hear what others are doing. History shows that this stock over the long term (could be very long, but thats ok) will rebound, but yes, I can afford to lose the money associated with 100 shares so all good. Thanks for the opinions!
5. So I'm a newbie at buying stock, but even before this significant downturn, we had talked about buying RCI stock - mainly for the OBC - so only purchasing 100 shares. I have an online bank webbroker account set up and have been studying tutorials on how to set up and buy/sell etc, so I'm just wanting to learn from what you are saying...but I know its my mind to make up and no one has a crystal ball! It sounds like folks are expecting the stock to go below $40 and some have set up a "buy now" somewhere around the $32 or less mark with an "expiry date" on that buy figure to late June - is that correct? I was feeling like I was ready to buy the 100 shares, but it seems like those with more experience feel it will go much lower? Thanks for any insights/opinions!
6. Also can someone help clarify what the OBC can be used for - this statement leaves me with questions...Onboard credit may not be used for onboard service charges or pre-purchased activities. So does this mean we can't use the OBC to pay for the staff gratuities, nor drinks or their gratuities? Also it sounds like you can't use the OBC to prebook a massage, but it would be ok to use if you booked that massage once onboard? Thanks!
7. We fly into MCO the night before our NCL cruise and are staying at hotel near airport. I have a rental car to take us to the Port the next morning and will drop it at Enterprise. There are four of us - -am I better off dropping the three of them at the cruise terminal first with luggage and then going to Enterprise to drop the car and take shuttle back on my own? Or is it just as easy for all of us with our luggage to go to rental car and wait for shuttle? I'm wondering how crowded the shuttles get with people and luggage? I plan to be in Port Canaveral around 11:30am on Saturday, Feb 8. Thanks
8. Thank you for asking this question as I was confused as well! How is the drive to LB Beef? Is it as hilly and adventurous as the ride to Cane? I’m looking for nice beach option without the harried drive and LB Beef looks awesome!
9. We've toured San Juan old town on our last cruise and was disappointed when they changed our itinerary this time from a St. Thomas stop to San Juan, so I'm looking for something else to do.... I'd like to venture out a bit, but I've heard there are no good beach stops nearby. Last cruise I heard from other passengers that they just hopped a taxi at end of pier and asked for a tour around the area - have others done this? If so, where do we ask to go? what is of interest to see? Can we stop for pictures, shopping etc? Any idea what would a 2 hour taxi tour cost for four people? Would Uber drivers do this too or stick with taxi? Thanks! Jo
10. We are planning on a casual beach day in Tortola in either Great Cane Beach or Brewers Bay. I've read up and viewed videos on the Safari Taxi's and it does look adventurous with the narrow and twisty switchback roads to cross over to get to the other side of the island! I'm concerned that my friend will be too freaked out with the open air, bench seating and narrow roads and not want to take the ride. Is it possible to hire a regular taxi van or car - being closed in may make her feel more comfortable? There are four of us - anyone done both safari and regular taxi and have an opinion and any idea what the cost for a taxi van/car would be vs the safari which I know is $8 per person each way. Thanks!
11. Hi Alohalivin - we are going to be in SJ in February and would love to get a copy of your Walking Tour! Our email is daviddesveaux3802@gmail.com Thank You for all your work!
12. Do you mind me asking how much it was per person for this excursion? Thanks
13. I always prefer to fly in the night before the cruise and always non stop from Toronto. Is there a way to designate those details when we sign up for that perk?
14. Sounds like you've had a blast so far! The ocean looks a bit rough in that pic. Has it been mostly smooth Sailing? We get on her March 23 and I tend to get motion sick in rough seas so wondering how much gravol go bring lol!
15. In two weeks we are on our first Princess cruise on the Caribbean staying in obstructed ocean view on Emerald deck. Will be interested on what you think of the location! Also are the only sitting options in the cabin, the bed? Following along to make these next two weeks for me go faster!! Enjoy!
• Create New... | <urn:uuid:5738a384-9de5-4a40-8db1-0c623ce92db0> | https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/profile/147869-skatie/ | en | 0.974544 | 0.025632 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Charging Knight at Mach 2.5
ChronoPoints is a lab at UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training to digitally documenting mid-century structures and artifacts.
history, oral history, lidar, laser scanning, point cloud, 3d model, maya, unity 3d, virtual, virtual reality, virtual environment, augmented reality, augmented environments, 3d mesh, vr, ar, hololens, microsoft hololens, archeology, research, documenting history, micro oral history, space, space age, apollo, project apollo, gemini, project gemini, mercury, project mercury, cape canaveral, cocoa beach, cape kennedy, kennedy space center, saturn v, atlas, mercury-atlas, redstone, mercury redstone, mid century, mid century modern, googie, digital preservation, 3d printing, sarasota school of architecture, htc vive, UCF, University of Central Florida, IST, Institute for Simulation and Training
post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-16740,single-format-standard,bridge-core-2.3.5,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-title-hidden,qode-theme-ver-22.1,qode-theme-bridge,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.2.0,vc_responsive | <urn:uuid:d3a4be35-aeee-4788-943a-e7d9c77bee09> | https://chronopoints.eecs.ucf.edu/2018/09/28/charging-knight-at-mach-2-5/ | en | 0.651942 | 0.018169 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
1. Discuss the various applications of vessel mapping for pre-operative use
2. Review protocols for mapping exams; including venous and radial artery mapping
3. Discuss current interpretation policies used for mapping exams
4. Identify various technical challenges affecting mapping evaluation, especially venous mapping
Session date:
Thursday, November 1, 2018 - 7:30am to 8:30am
Speaker Name:
Steven Maximus
Chicago, IL 60637
United States
• 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
• 1.00 Participation
Please login or create an account to proceed. | <urn:uuid:15224e3d-0c34-494f-ae60-1cb121299446> | https://cme.uchicago.edu/vascular-surgery-lecture-series---rss-40-02-004-fy19/content/tba-4456 | en | 0.723954 | 0.07275 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-// CPD//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND:20190703T174500Z UID:1594303064_8233 DTSTAMP:20200709T145744Z GEO:; LOCATION:CREFC Europe DESCRIPTION:The course is primarily aimed at CRE lenders early in their careers\; although advisers and others will also benefit. Over three intensive days\; industry experts deliver an up-to-date\; practical and detailed overview of CRE lending broken down into topic modules\; including a case studies workshop on the final day. SUMMARY:Executive Education Programme DTSTART:20190701T084500Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR | <urn:uuid:74aca795-bbff-4297-944e-c6f32c439276> | https://cpduk.co.uk/events/download/8233 | en | 0.732443 | 0.042603 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Hygro Blue (Hygrophila salcifolia)
Out of stock
Hygrophila salcifolia is a beautiful low to medium light plant. This is a great background plant which should do well in any planted aquarium. It is relatively undemanding and will grow very tall! It is called Blue Hygro, but under certain lighting, it will show tints of green and even sometimes red.
You will receive 3 stems, approximately 6" in length.
If you are only ordering plants, you are eligible for a shipping rate of $14.99. Please include a note requesting a partial refund when you order.
*Plants may contain snails and/or snail eggs.
Customer Reviews
Based on 1 review Write a review | <urn:uuid:71f208ed-8e65-44a7-b251-0d6ce414561a> | https://imperialtropicals.com/products/hygro-blue-hygrophila-salcifolia | en | 0.898345 | 0.199666 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Thursday, January 07, 2016
Is it insensitive to use my non-white sounding name, when I am white?
I share a name with a published author. Thus I use a variation of my name to post comments on your blog. I know that I will have to correspond with industry professionals by my given name. Should I also make it clear publicly that the blog name is my pen name?
Thanks to the white guy who used a Chinese pen name to publish a poem, I am a little worried that any obfuscation of my very white ethnicity is going to cause problems. The name I have chosen could lead people to assume that I’m not white. Should I be concerned?
What people assume about you is their problem.
There's a hilarious episode of Seinfeld about this exact situation.
When you query, you'll mention your pen name...or not. There's a blog post on how to do both.
I find it hilarious that people are upset that someone adopted a "Chinese sounding name" to get published, when any survey of published works will tell you that the best way to get published, hands down, is to be a middle-aged white male.
That said, when anthologies or calls for submissions specifically say "we're looking for diverse voices" you can err on the side of good manners by telling them while you, yourself, are not colorful, your writing is.
The true problem with diversity is that not enough non-white, non-males are sending in work.
When you ask a newspaper's op ed page editor why so few women are published, they'll tell you it's cause 85% of the submissions they get are from men.
We need to do better on the ground floor: getting young writers of all colors and genders to send out work.
If anyone is interested in supporting that there are some great places to do so.
Girls Write Now is one
Afghan Women's Writing Project is another.
I'm sure there are more and the commenters will provide us with info.
But the best way to support diversity in publishing is to buy and read writers who are non-white, and/or non-male. It's not enough to say "I read regardless of color and gender." You have to actively seek out new voices. Your librarian can help you. There are some amazing writers out there you haven't heard of yet. And just wait till you see what I've got coming up the pipeline!
Lucie Witt said...
Great post on an important topic.
I wold agree - don't worry about it unless you are submitting to something specifically seeking to publish marginalized voices and diverse characters. Then it's just being polite.
Names can be misleading. My husband is a Black man named Stacy and often included his masculine middle name on applications and what not to avoid surprised expressions later.
There are a lot of agents actively seeking diverse books right now. There is also this:
(Colin, apologies in advance for not having a hyperlink. I am going to check out your blog post on this ASAP!)
I would add the caveat that we need more diverse agents and editors, too. I can't remember the exact stats, but I know that diversity on the other side of the fence is just as bad or worse than it is on our bookshelves.
Carolynnwith2Ns said...
Finally something I know about.
Years ago, and I mean many years ago, almost all op-eds I sent to my states largest newspapers were published. As a young mother with opinions, they published not only articles about what it was like to raise children, but what it was like to have thoughts regarding everything from animal rights to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Op-eds are a great way to get your name out there and garner a byline. (You get paid too).
I used my own name because it never occurred to me to be anything other than who I was, a female in my thirties. It was what the papers wanted then. Now, the newspaper world is different, less paper more pixels, which means there are more opportunities for publication no matter what name you chose.
My advice, represent who you are because that’s who YOU want to be, not who you think someone else wants you to be.
Lisa Bodenheim said...
What Janet says.
Diversity is important. I think another part of the problem is where books are shelved in bookstores. One young African American woman commented elsewhere that she writes romances and some bookstores shelve African American romance books on the African American shelves rather than the romance shelves.
This affects selling and visibility to the general public.
Lucie Witt said...
I used to work at Borders (RIP) and I can attest many interested readers don't find books because they're in the AA section. It's also often so arbitrary which authors go there and which do not.
Unknown said...
Thank you Janet!
Tony Clavelli said...
I thought the Sherman Alexie vs. "Yi-Fen Chou" situation was pretty yucky. (Maybe hilarious in that "so this is happening?" kind of way.)
Anyway, to the post and the above--yes! Reading from writers outside your own experiences (especially in your own genre) can do so much good. Beyond helping create empathy, it makes you a better writer and see the world in a new way. As a super sci-fi fan, I really like to use io9 and Charlie Jane Anders to find a more diverse batch of new writers. There's a pretty constant stream of info there. I also love John Green's annual recommended book list, which is often as diverse in content and genre as it is with its writers. You can see a video of the books at this link which will probably fail because I still don't get how to do it.
And I agree with Janet--you've got to make a point of it--it isn't enough just to wait for publishers and submissions, you have to seek it out. I maybe mentioned before that though it felt silly to google things like "best novels black writers 2015," really, who cares? You get good stuff and good writers get book sales and everyone is better off.
Anonymous said...
I think you're conflating two issues here: does this person have to "out" themselves, and is what they're doing okay. As a publishing professional, you are an expert on the first question.
As a POC, I find that part two is answered inadequately, and something about this post is rubbing me VERY wrong. (Not the publishing advice itself, which I am sure is accurate.) But the idea that someone decided to choose a "non-white" sounding name (whatever that means), and then say, "what other people assume about you is their problem."
As a WoC, people assume PLENTY about me from my name (that I have broken English, that I wasn't born in the USA, ad nauseum). It's not their problem, it is ABSOLUTELY mine. I have to deal with the ramifications ALL THE TIME.
There's something very irksome, almost black/red/yellow-face-ish, about the idea of a white person using a "non-white" name as a pen name: like s/he chose a non-white identity as a costume, which they can then shed at will when they are tired of it. Being a PoC in America is a constant grind of microaggressions and straight up aggressions, and it's bullshit for white people to pretend to be one of us for funsies and the teehees, even if they aren't actually "getting" anything out of it.
The letter-writer notes that they share a name with a published author, and thus chose a "variation" on their name, which leads me to wonder if they just chose a different version of a European name, which to me doesn't equal "non-white." But if they go around calling themselves something that sounds Indian or Japanese or what have you, that seems pretty problematic to me.
To be sure, commenting on a blog is, on the grand scale of things, not that big of a deal, it's not like this person is pulling a Rachel Dolezal. And again, I don't disagree that this person shouldn't have to "out" themselves because this is pretty minor. But I would seriously side-eye someone goes around using an obviously ethnic name, and question why they chose to do that in the first place.
That white guy pretending to be Chinese was seriously offensive, regardless of the reason for or effectiveness of his ploy. I adore your blog, Ms. Reid, and have for many years, but it's the epitome of white privilege to find the whole situation "hilarious" instead of a hurtful slap in the face.
nightsmusic said...
And...that sent my coffee everywhere this morning. Thank you very much ;)
I think I've mentioned before that my first name is very male. I however, am not. It can create a multitude of false impressions and expectations (especially for the government and draft notices) but! It's my name. If people get the wrong impression from my name, the loss is theirs alone.
I do write fiction under a pen name, for personal reasons, though magazine essays have been under my real name, more because they wouldn't accept anything less. The most important thing I always have to tell myself is, your name might define your gender, but your voice gives your story life. It's the story the agent is interested in, not whether you're male, female or whatever.
Tony Clavelli said...
Gimme--I must have been writing at the same time as you. I am not a POC but I didn't find it hilarious either (I took a guess above, hoping maybe I was misinterpreting the tone of that sentence). Either way, thank you for taking the time to post that. I imagine Janet will respond, and perhaps rethink that advice. OP with pen name can and almost certainly should change the pen name.
Lucie Witt said...
Thanks for your comment, Gimme. I missed some of the things you pointed out in your comments (hey, privilege).
Unknown said...
Another place I think non-minority writers can help in #WNDB is to include minority characters in our writing. It is always weird to me how few minorities are included in published books. After all, today hardly anybody at all is not surrounded by minorities. In fact, minorities, when summed up, may be more prevalent than the non-minorities, depending on how you define a minority.
Readers and book buyers are also at fault, especially a vocal minority of perhaps middle-aged white guys, who vehemently oppose the entire concept of greater representation of minorities. The recent fiasco at the Hugo awards comes to mind. Also, furor over the portrayal of Rue as black in the Hunger Games movie, and the more recent discussion of a Harry Potter play with a black Hermione. Unfortunately these kinds of protesters seem to have the loudest voices, or perhaps their outlandish views just get the most coverage.
So write books with diverse characters, reflecting reality, even if you are a middle-aged white guy. You'll be a better writer. And what Janet said. Buy books by minority authors and with minority characters/protagonists.
Sorry for sounding like I'm ranting and overlong comment. I feel passionate about this, even if I'm a middle-aged white guy.
Hysterical episode of Seinfeld. Aren’t they all. I sometimes think most of life's possible lessons can be summed up in one Seinfeld episode or another. The lesson’s that aren't are covered in Caddy Shack, My Cousin Vinnie, and perhaps a few others.
Lucie Witt said...
To add to Robert's comment, I strongly encourage any white folks writing non -white characters to check out this piece:
Now I've broken the 3 comment rule, and before lunch, no less.
DLM said...
Gimme, thank you.
What a lot of us fail to see through our privilege is that "white is the default." I place that in quotes not for sarcasm, but because the words are not mine; they are at the base of #WeNeedDiverseBooks and the issues with diversity (not just in publishing, but I'm trying not to go off the rails here). I grew up understanding that whitneness is the signifying quality of American-ness, and never thinking about that. I lived in a suburb that was the product of white-flight, and went to a school named for a proponent of segregation and massive resistance. So-called "genteel racism" was (and even remains) not hidden.
THE major reason I decided to shelve The Ax and the Vase was that, no matter how good the writing is, nor even how interesting the story is: American publishing is not suffering from a dearth of tales of white dudes in power. There isn't a single POC in that novel, and I thought that was completely valid, and I WAS WRONG. I guilted about it, but didn't change it. The WIP is an entirely different matter.
Robert C. is right, and I have made it a point to reflect the cosmopolitan world about which I'm now writing, AND to bring the characters who aren't pale-skinned princesses very much to the fore. It is exhilerating to write.
One of the things I've heard in the #WNDB conversation is people of color relating how often white authors ask them if they CAN write POC characters. Like it requires permission to create a story reflecting the truth of the world. Like we're not allowed to presume to develop diverse characters. And I even get that. But we need to get over it.
Dena Pawling said...
My brother [with very white/English last name] married a Chinese lady, so his kids look very Chinese. Sometimes they get double-takes because their appearance doesn't match their last name.
Then there was the lady several months back who queried under her real, very female, name. She got almost no requests. She sent out the exact same query under the name George, and got a lot of requests.
I know a male attorney with the name Tracy.
Both my husband and I have names which can be male or female [Dena is a pen name]. We constantly receive mail [and telemarketing phone calls] addressed to us with the incorrect Mr or Mrs/Ms in front. My managing partner [the guy with his name on the shingle outside the door] also has a name that can go either way. Many times when I'm in court, attorneys and judges assume I'm him, even tho I announce my name EVERY TIME.
I'm not sure it's still done now, but a while back it was trendy to give your girl baby a name which wasn't a “female” name but could go either way. I think people did this to prevent discrimination in hiring just based on the name on the job application/resume. I suppose it might do that, but it's sort of annoying [and sometimes uncomfortable] to have people expecting me to be male when I'm not.
I realize most of this is about gender rather than race/nationality. I don't like that people have expectations based on the name alone, but the reality is that they do. I include non-white characters in my ms, and I make sure it's obvious who they are, including gender and color.
Unknown said...
Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this -- Gimmie and Tony Clavelli especially. Tony, and anyone else who wants to chime in: do you think it makes a difference that I am writing fantasy and thus want to have a more fantasy-sounding name? Or that I specifically want to avoid a name with its roots in an existing religion, because I myself am a religious “none”? I feel that if I want to pick a name for myself that is both appropriate for my genre and more honestly “me” than the one I was given, then automatically I’m in a gray area. What would you do?
angie Brooksby-Arcangioli said...
Lately I feel like I don't deserve to comment here because I've never published anything and haven't queried beyond short stories. But I want to comment today.
I think it is a wonderful thing that publishing companies are looking for authors who are not considered a majority. This whole situation, though, reminds me of any job application in the US. All the political correctness and the quota filling plain kills creativity. Who cares what you look like or where you come from if your writing is good. Politics and administration are the death of art.
Now bookstores are organized like a job application.
Can't the writing just stand on it's own?
What Carolynn says makes sense to me. I've used several pseudonyms. The last one I chose was genderless but it didn't translate well because it meant "stuck" in the country where I live. Finally I decided to use my full name.
Be what you are and let your work speak for itself. You want to write un pseudonym, do it. Tons of great artists since forever have used them.
This storm of political/gender diversity will probably not be remembered when future generations read the wonderful books you are querying today. Let the writing speak. Universal human values are timeless
I can't wait to see what QOTKU pulls from the pipeline.
LynnRodz said...
Gimme, well said. It's the pretending in order to advance oneself that isn't right, but each person has their story and who they are. I've been a Chicana all my life, I came to Paris over 40 years ago. I am a Parisian Chicana, that's who I am, whether people like it or not. No, I don't put on airs, but you'd be surprised at the comments I get when I'm in the States for little things I say or do, or the way I dress, or how I hold a knife and fork that comes naturally to me. This reaction isn't necessarily by white people, but often by Chicanos, like I'm trying to one up myself. I've learned not to pay attention to what others think.
BJ Muntain said...
Almitra, if you're uncomfortable with your chosen pen name, then maybe you do need to find one you're more comfortable with.
Me, I wouldn't be biased one way or the other reading your name. 'Clay' is pretty much a plain name, and it's an old English name from way back. And these days, people are naming their children anything that sounds right to them. I don't think 'Almitra' lends itself to any one ethnicity, to tell you the truth.
So, if you're uncomfortable, change it. If you like it, don't. People won't automatically assume you're of a different ethnicity.
Unknown said...
This is something I've thought about since my married name is Asian but I am white. I certainly don't want any agents or publishers to think I'm tricking them into believing I can add diversity to their lists, but in the days of social media all they have to do is look at my Twitter profile pic to see that I am clearly not Chinese. Yet I am part of a multicultural family. My children study Mandarin in school and are proud of their Chinese heritage, as they should be. And my name has been mine for 20 years. If I am ever lucky enough to publish a book I'll use the name Jenny Chou.
Can I disapprove of someone else using an Asian name just to get an edge up in publishing? Do I get a free pass because I'm a woman and I changed my name when I got married? People should be able to to adopt any pen name they want. A woman named Candy Sweet probably wouldn't publish a thriller under her own name. (I went to college with Candy - hi if you're reading this.) And I doubt anyone would fault her.
But ultimately I've come to the conclusion that using a pen name specifically to get an advantage in a publication that called for writers from diverse backgrounds is devious and honestly quite shocking.
I would love to see more writers from diverse backgrounds get published so I can read their stories. If anyone is looking for some terrific reads from some diverse writers, here are my favorites from last year:
Everything, Everything
Everything I Never Told You
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina
More Happy Than Not
An Ember in the Ashes
The Wrath and the Dawn
What did I mis???
BJ Muntain said...
On the Off-Topic of gender-neutral names:
I love Tracy Chapman and her music. I love her voice and the poetry of her songs.
My niece likes her music, too. One time, chatting about music, she called the musician 'he'. I said, "No, Tracy Chapman is a woman." She said, "No, that's just because of his name. Tracy can be a man's name, too." I said, "No, I've seen her on talk shows back when she started out."
My niece still didn't believe me. I hope she googled her to find out for sure. I think the fact that Chapman is a female writing those songs gives them even more depth.
E.M. Goldsmith said...
People make a lot of odd assumptions about me based on my name which is my actual name. They are rarely accurate. I am not Jewish for example. My grandfather was awarded the Jewish All American trophy for football. He had to decline it and explain his family immigrated from Ireland where there were lots of gentile families with our surname.
My nephew has to deal with even more assumptions. His mother is Chinese and he looks entirely Asian, but that is not how his name sounds. He gets a lot of grief over this that shocks the Hell out of me. People miss a lot when all they see (or hear) is the group you are supposed to belong to and conform to.
Reading books produced from diverse backgrounds is important, not just in America but from all over the world. Perspective, prejudices, challenges vary depending on where on the globe you are standing.
Also, not all experiences are equal for individuals across a single group. We are all different and that is a good thing. We need variety to grow, and as humans, we all need the same things- food, shelter, love, kindness. Those are things that should bind us, but instead, seem to endlessly divide us.
People most always assume wrong when they judge a book by its cover or even its title or author. And we should know by now, when you assume you make an ass out of u and me.
Colin Smith said...
The first time I heard Billy Joel knowing that I was listing to Billy Joel (I had heard him and his music before--I just didn't know who I was listening to) was when a friend handed me a C-90 cassette of his "An Innocent Man" album to listen to. I enjoyed it so much, I went to the record library to borrow it (I didn't have the funds to buy it and my friend wanted the tape back). I'll never forget looking at the cover and doing a double-take: the dude in the leather jacket sitting on the steps was clearly not black. Something about his vocal style made me think of singers like Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, so I naturally assumed he was also black. I laughed at myself and my assumptions, and then, over the next year or so, bought any and every Billy Joel album I could find and afford. After all, I was sold on his music, not his ethnicity.
As with music, so with books. When it comes to fiction, I want good, well-written stories. I appreciate the sentiment that we, as readers, and especially someone like me (a white middle-aged male) should actively seek out books by non-white writers. But to be honest, there are so many books I haven't read, and time to read is so precious, I don't want to waste my time with books I don't enjoy, and I'm not going to be guilted into reading books because I ought to. I got enough of that at school. :)
I will gladly read books by anyone, regardless of whether I can pronounce the author's name, or where the author came from. Recommend me good stories that happen to be by non-white people, and I'll read them. A few years ago, someone recommended to me BREATH, EYES, MEMORY by Edwidge Danticat. I knew nothing about the book or the author, but I read it and loved it.
The problem of diversity in literature is not as simple as people buying more diverse books. Not all diverse books deserve to be bought, because not all diverse books are good, well-written stories. Heck, there are plenty of bad books by white males around, and we could do with a lot less of those too! We need to encourage writers of all ages, genders, and ethnicities to strive for excellence and to get their work out there. After all, agents take on clients regardless of race and gender, right? And publishers publish novels because they love the story, not because the author fits a particular demographic profile, right? :)
There's a lot to unpack there, but this comment's already getting too long. I'll leave it at that, and let you all shoot me down. Hopefully I've stirred the pot enough. :)
DLM said...
You just sold me anything you will ever publish.
Colin, I am wildly in love with the name Edwige Danticat. I know nothing of this author, but what a splendid name on the tongue!
Donnaeve said...
I think some of you misinterpreted the actual meaning behind this comment by Janet. Her finding it "hilarious" is (IMO) more about everyone getting themselves into a kerfuffle over the Chinese name - which according to publishing stats should have been en epic fail for this person - when she's pointing out the real problem. I.e. don't get upset b/c he chose a Chinese name, get upset b/c the publishing world is dominated by middle aged white men, as in, you're focusing on the wrong thing.
I don't care what color you are if you write well.
I read COMING OF AGE IN MISSISSIPPI by Anne Moody a few months back. I enjoyed the book even though I became pretty uncomfortable following the author's journey as she formed her perspective of white people, with both valid and invalid reasoning.
I have SALVAGE THE BONES by Jesmyn Ward. I've not read that book yet, but look forward to it because I'd heard such great things about it. I didn't know the author was a "PoC" until I'd bought it. THAT, to me, is the important part.
I like what Colin said. I won't be guilted in buying books just because I should in order to support someone's agenda.
I just want to read good books - by anyone who cares to write them.
Lennon Faris said...
I think most people want others to see them a little differently than what they were born with or have become. Some people put on makeup or curl or dye their hair to alter their faces, some people suck in their gut or puff up their chest to make themselves look like they work out, some get surgeries done to enhance or diminish body parts.
I know those examples aren't exactly what's being discussed here, but I think they relate: the way others see us is one of the things we think about a lot. If you alter something about yourself because you want society to perceive you differently, I have a hard time faulting you. I would question the people who see you and assume they know something about you based on something so superficial. Yes, if I absolutely know the primary goal is to deceive or make money, I would not think favorably, but there is a lot of gray area here. A writer's work is their baby and a big part of their own identity!
Lucie Witt said...
I think we have to be careful with the "I just want good books" reasoning. It is undoubtedly true, but can sometimes unintentionally bury the problem - people of color are writing great books, but those books aren't making it into the shelves at the same rates. When they do, they often aren't treated the same by bookstores, publicists, etc. THAT is what we need to fix.
Donnaeve said...
Lucie, Janet has already pointed out that not enough diverse writers are sending in their work. Can I directly impact that? I doubt it.
Can any of us? Only if you work in publishing.
I don't think anyone can tell me that publishing doesn't already know about this and would like to see more.
My point about wanting good books to read is to emphasize I don't care the color of the person who wrote them. I will ask for more of Jesmyn Ward's work - if I like what she writes. I'll treat my reading experience of her work like I would anyone else - if I enjoyed it, I'll buy more. That's how we, as readers, support any writer.
Colin Smith said...
Diane: This is from my review of BREATH, EYES, MEMORY:
BREATH, EYES, MEMORY tells the story of Sophie Caco, a girl born and raised in Haiti by her aunt. At age twelve, her mother, now living in New York, sends for her. She moves to be with her mother, and discovers some shocking truths about her past and the life her mother and aunt lead. Sophie returns to Haiti as an adult where she hopes to find healing from the scars of that past.
I'm tempted to post a link to my review because it's actually pretty good--at least by my standards. But no. I'll stick to my policy. If you want to read it, it's on my blog. Just click on "Book Reviews" under the "Reviews" tab and you'll find it.
My review raises an issue that Lucie just touched on. I believe Edwidge's book is classified as "Women's Literature." If that's where B&N would have shelved it, you can be sure I would never have picked it up. How many great books by non-white writers do we overlook because of bad shelving or categorization that marginalizes these books?
Another point--no... I'll save it for another comment. :)
DLM said...
Diversity is not an agenda.
Diversity is the reality of our world - in the past, where I write, in the present, in every part of the world, no matter what. There is diversity of age, of gender identification, of color, of religion, of tastes in ice cream, of economic/relationship/educational/class/intellectual status. We don't all have the same resources. There is no world without differences: yet many of us grew up not seeing that. Many grew up feeling invisible because "white is the default", and faces and voices of color were not proportionately seen and heard - even still, there's no money in it, as far as certain industries are concerned.
Writing a story within narrow confines affects its *E*ffect on its audience. Hewing only to one philosophical idea, one corner of the wide world, one view - literal or otherwise ... literary claustrophobia can have its uses, but most often when what is unseen is the goal, is implied, is a key force in getting to the end. Otherwise: limitations are limiting. Dis-inclusiveness makes for poor writing.
I write precisely because I want to see something of the word other than where I live. The inside of my navel would make an awful setting for a story. Story is for many readers not merely an escape, but a venture OUT - out of the day to day, out of what they already know, out of their own skin.
And diversity is not all about skin. Remember that it's much, much wider than "political correctness" or complaining about old white dudes. Old dudes need representation too, in cultures obsessed with youth.
I was biting my tongue not long ago as two relations, both white women within four years of the age of eighty, explained angrily and passionately that Black people do not have it as bad as "they say." Whether "they" was that all-purpose entity we never have defined properly, "those" authorities out "there" somewhere - or actual Black people - was not defined, but clearly it was to be expected that true authority lay right there before me. As stated by two geriatric white women who'd known some black kids when they were young, and not been mean to them.
Diversity is not a punishment for privilege, and it's not even the political rectitude so many who fear this punishment find so abhorrent. It's just the real landscape of the world we live in.
Cheryl said...
In my experience, one of the best things white authors can do is talk about the great books they've read by authors of other races. Blog about them. Gush about them at parties. Give them high praise on Goodreads and Library Thing.
I rarely buy books without a recommendation, or at least a review. I've found so many excellent books by diverse authors via Famous White Author Dude blogs, books I never would have heard of otherwise.
Anonymous said...
DLM: "What a lot of us fail to see through our privilege is that 'white is the default.'"
Bingo. Heck, I had this mindset. How invisible is this default? I've written three draft novels and sold a bunch of short stories and NONE of them have PoC because I didn't want to deal with the additional mental baggage of "Is this a Mary Sue?" or "Does this make Chinese people look bad?" or "Am I doing this right?" or "Am I perpetuating negative stereotypes or making the PoC character too unlikable?" Yes, I'm a Chinese-American woman worried about whether I'm writing Chinese-American characters "correctly."
Now that I type this out, I realize I'm being ridiculous. Or maybe not. In this interview, Celeste Ng said that an early Goodreads review found the racism depicted in her book unbelievable even though Celeste Ng wrote from her personal experience:
IME, when you're in the minority, you're aware you're setting an example whether you like it or not. If a white male writes a bad book, he wrote a bad book. If a PoC woman writes a bad book, then in some people's minds PoC women *as a whole* write bad books. So the possibility of other people telling me I'm doing it "wrong" is very real, and the fear can be paralyzing. Work isn't fun when there's no room to fail or even be mediocre (my day job is like this--I work in a 90% white male field and am well-aware I'm held to a higher standard than my co-workers).
Thankfully, as I get older and write more, I'm getting over this fear. The MC in my next project is a female Chinese-American con artist.
Sorry for the ramble. This is such a complicated topic that can't be reduced to a Twitter hashtag.
S.D.King said...
I am married to Stephen King and that has not helped me.
Well,yeah, not "that"one.
Unknown said...
Almitra, I’m no expert, but I’m not sure it’s worth even thinking about a pen name until after you have an agent (unless you're already published.) At that point your agent might have a lot of good advice. In my opinion Agatha Christy was a great name for a detective story writer, but probably a terrible name for romance. When she wrote her romance novels she used Mary Westmacott, which, to me, sounds perfect. Similarly the pen name Spencer Quinn sounds much better for a detective author than Peter Abrahams, even though he was already successful under his real name. On the other hand, JRR Tolkien was a great real name for a fantasy writer. Would he be so famous if he had published as Jeff Smith? But in some genre’s (or perhaps all) it probably doesn’t matter. YA for instance; John Green, Ned Vizzini, Rainbow Rowell (who could have ever thought up that one?)
But hopefully my (future) agent knows a lot more about this than I do. I also hope my agent won’t give a rat's ass about my real name and will select me to represent based on the quality of my writing.
Lucie Witt said...
I got ya, and I definitely see what you mean.
I just think we (the universal, societal we, not you/me/folks here) have to be careful with "just want good books" bottom line in these convos because it can take away from the larger point AND **unintentionally** reinforce the idea that the recent dialogue around diverse books means that any person of color can publish a sub par book because of a quota. To reiterate I don't think anyone here is saying that :) but I've definitely seen it in overall dialogue on this issue.
Aside - I wonder what the numbers really are re: diverse writers sending in queries and how the vary agent to agent. And how agents know iif the writer isn't identifying as from a marginalized group?
Adib Khorram said...
The community on this blog continues to amaze me. In almost any other forum, a topic like this would have devolved into harsh invective by now.
I don't really have much to add—others have said it better than I can—but I was reminded of a conference I attended last November, where I was on the receiving end of a pretty epic "Where are you from?"
I was born and raised in Kansas City, so I answered "Kansas City," even though I knew that was not what the questioner was asking. I made him work for it, and I'll admit it was funny watching him get more and more uncomfortable.
Afterwards, a friend shared this with me:
And it was perfect and hilarious.
Donnaeve said...
"Diversity is not an agenda."
Diane, it seems you're pointing to what I said here, "I won't be guilted in buying books just because I should in order to support someone's agenda."
I stand by the statement.
If an author is only being promoted and trotted out under the limelight because of their color, that's a shame. And a sham.
It's not wrong to celebrate writers of all colors, but it shouldn't be about the color of their skin - it should be about their work.
Unknown said...
DLM: Love your lines:
“Diversity is not an agenda.”
“The inside of my navel would make an awful setting for a story.”
And especially, “There is diversity of…tastes in ice cream…” made me blow coffee up my nose. What a great way to inject a little humor to accent a point. It also hits close to home. I have a lilly white young woman who only likes strawberry ice-cream, strawberry shampoo, strawberry jelly… She’s also as manic as a humming bird on a sugar high.
Grace: You said, “I work in a 90% white male field and am well-aware I'm held to a higher standard than my co-workers).”
I so wish this wasn’t true and hope you're not making 70 cents on the dollar. I think American society is making some progress here, but it’s clearly two steps forward, one step back. (Is there really a leading presidential contender advocating discrimination based on religion??? Sorry for the political intrusion, but this makes me really upset regardless of any of my other political beliefs.)
Many of us are breaking the rule on overly long posts today. I see that as a very good thing.
Donnaeve said...
Lucie, thank you, got it. I understand what you mean by the collective "we." :)
Anonymous said...
Adib Khorram: LOL! Ah yes, so much fun with the "Where are you from?" question.
One time at the border with three friends returning to the US from Canada:
Border Patrol: Citizenship?
All of us: United States
BP (to me only): Where were you born?
Me: [names US city]
BP: Are you sure?
Me: ...
Unknown said...
I had really trouble trying to decided what pen name to use. I came up will all sorts of variations of my name and names that sounded more professional but would stand out enough to get noticed.
At first I was thinking of Max Powers but I didn't want to be confused with Homer Simpson.
I then considered going with Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff, Senior but that would not fit on a book cover easily.
After months of banging my head against a wall, I made the hard choice of using Dave. The hardest part of using such a stretch for a name is inadvertently not responding when people call me by Dave. After all my birth name is David. I am sure you can see my confusion.
Jenz said...
You're right, it should be. But what about the statements above from people who worked in bookstores and confirmed that books by authors of color are often relegated to minority sections instead of being shelved along with the rest of their genre?
What you're saying is right in theory, and I respect that, but it's really still theory, not reality.
InkStainedWench said...
I am an ecru-American, and my book includes similarly hued characters, along with several African Americans, Asians (both South and East), people of assorted Abrahamic faiths, and a couple of Basques. I am not being consciously Diverse. I am reflecting the reality of my story's setting. As DLM states, "Diversity is the reality of our world."
Colin Smith said...
Diane/Donna/everyone: No, Diversity isn't an agenda, but unfortunately it often is used that way.
One of the things Stephen King harps on repeatedly in ON WRITING is "telling the truth" and being "honest." To me, that means if your novel is set in a middle class neighborhood in the 1960s, your characters will undoubtedly be white. To put a black family in that situation for any reason that has nothing to do with story would NOT be telling the truth. And that story reason ought to reflect the reality of middle class America in the 1960s, and not try to superimpose 21st century ideas, just to be "diverse" or PC. If you're going to tell it, tell it like it is/was.
On the other hand, if I set a story where I live here in Eastern NC, and all my characters are white, I would be lying through my teeth. And the white people are not all rich and privileged, and the black people are not all criminals. But there are rich, privileged white people, and, sadly, many (though not all) of the crime stories in the local newspaper involve young black males. That's a hard story to tell because we don't want to fall into (or create) stereotypes, and we want to encourage excellence, altruism, and heroism within our communities (white and non-white). Good story-telling requires us to dig deep, not only into our characters, but our society, and ourselves. And that can be both painfull and rewarding.
DLM said...
Donna, kind of yes, but only the word not your sentiment. As you say, it shouldn't be "about" the color of anyone's skin ... and yet ... colorblindness isn't all it's cracked up to be either ( And I know this is not what you meant either, BUT there is an immensely powerful urge for those of us who have privilege to try to make *it* invisible, by pretending "I don't see color" - which is something I have learned that POC have to contend with in order to be seen as they are, which all too often includes the experience of being damaged and harassed by those who see nothing but color.
You are not one to pretend anything away. But ohhhh is it comfortable to be able to do that. I know it is. I do it myself, perhaps every damned day.
And too: diversity is not (only) about color/ethnicity. (Rob, thank you.)
As flip as it was, the ice cream thing is real-world stuff, seriously. I am mystified by those who can stomach Pandora bracelets or licorice or team fitness challenges. These things horrify me to a point it's hard not to think "You are doing it wrong" about those people who love this stuff. And I left out a lot - diversity in our health (mental illness and its challenges have been much on my mind of late), and stigmatizations that do not relate to ethnicity even tangentially. We "other" people for as many reasons as there are people marginalized or brutalized or CELEBRATED. Yes, even those we put on pedestals end up set outside the majority, and that's led to deaths we romanticize and downfalls we feed upon and cruelty of different varieties.
Adib, you and I had an exchange once about the man I know named Adib who was forced to go by "Eddie" because his own name was somehow too tricky for the locals. I may misremember, but you found the substitution appealing. So I checked my privilege all over again and realized my outrage at his re-appellation was all.about.ME. Adib showed a little chagrin, but it was decades old and mild, and he still lets people call him Eddie ... even though he did tell me his "real" name. So who am I to play White Savior for his real name?
And that's just IT for me and the rules today, as I face the dangerous precipice I won't jump over to get into the White Savior/Magical Ethnic Person/etc. rabbit holes.
Grace - "Are you sure?" GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.
ISW - "ecru-American." I can shut up now. Let's all credit the Wench for this achievement!
Lennon Faris said...
Adib, I do love that video.
Dave - your post made me laugh out loud (literally).
I do admire that this is a very thoughtful, civilized conversation about a sensitive subject. Great blog.
Anonymous said...
This is off topic, but I’d like to take a moment to send thanks to everyone here. I’ve never posted before, but I’m a regular reader and find this site invaluable to my own writing and publishing education.
For a long time, I’ve avoided creating a website/blog for myself, thinking I didn't need one yet. Then, last week, Janet made it crystal clear that I was wrong. I overcame my hesitation and spent the time to build a site I’m pretty pleased with.
So I want to thank Janet, not only for making it abundantly clear that I needed to do something I’d been avoiding but also for providing specific examples to follow. I’d also like to thank you, blog community, for your comments and your own blogs and websites, which gave me ideas, guidance and inspiration. You seem like, and may think of yourselves, as a rather small group, but never underestimate number of others, like me, reading and learning.
Colin Smith said...
Diane: Your "white savior" comment reminded me of something that came up at a recent meeting at our church. The conversation revolved around ethnically-diverse ministry, and how to reach out to those who are not, to put it frankly, white people (our church, indeed our denominiation is predominantly white). Someone pointed out how our ministry to minorities is too often more about us reaching out--often down--to "them." Instead, why don't we TALK to minorities, ask what their needs are, get involved in their lives, and LISTEN to them? We need to treat them as equals, as people, and not as projects or ministries.
Amen. :)
Donnaeve said...
The "I read regardless of color and gender," is what I've been commenting on, because that's me, and how I buy books. I don't actively seek books based on color, and yet, I've inadvertently found books by people of color and bought them.
I can't say why bookstores, etc. operate the way they do. It's like they need to study up on integration. If it can be done with schools...what's the hold up?
Anonymous said...
See, I have trouble with this because that's essentially saying there weren't ANY black middle class families in the 1960s. Really? None? In the entire country? If I were to write a story about a middle class Chinese family in Detroit in the 1970s, would that be PC or telling the truth?
Stories tell a specific truth about a specific group of characters to, I hope, illustrate universal truths. Just because they're invisible doesn't mean they didn't/don't exist. Maybe it's because we simply haven't seen them yet.
Susan said...
I really appreciate the discussion that's happening here, particularly because the more this topic is discussed, the more I understand it and can do my part to change it, even in my own small corner of the world.
Speaking of privilege: It used to upset me when someone told me I was privileged because I'm white and come from a middle-class background. It's not something I could change--or that I wanted to change--and I thought it sounded like an accusation, like I didn't appreciate what I have or where I come from (and anyone who knows me knows that couldn't be further from the truth).
But it wasn't until I began having wonderfully honest conversation with my minority friends--where I was able to ask questions about their experiences, and they welcomed those questions to help me learn--that I really began to understand what diversity meant, and what was meant by privilege.
What I learned was that being privileged isn't something to be ashamed of--no matter your ethnicity, religion, etc. You're born in the circumstances you were born into, and in many cases, you can't change that. In many cases, you shouldn't have to. What being privileged means is that you have an opportunity to play a part in bridging the gaps in equality and helping to ensure that everyone has a voice.
Tony brought up John Green's list of recommended books, which is a great example of this. He is using his status as a successful author (and his privilege as a white male, I'm sure) to recommend quality books by diverse authors, books that may have otherwise been overlooked. Quality books shouldn't be overlooked in the first place, but that's another story...
It's likely I'm still wrong about things--I'm wrong about a lot of things, and I can only promise I'm willing to keep learning. But in my view, privilege isn't about raising yourself above the rest. Privilege is about having the means and opportunity to help raise others--everyone--up.
Another note: I think I posted this link before, but Writing With Color is a great website devoted to helping writers address diversity in their writing.
Colin Smith said...
Grace: Good point. But wouldn't a black middle class family in 1960s America BE the story? That's my point. Not that such families didn't exist, but to pretend they were as normal and common as white middle class families at that time would be less than honest.
nightsmusic said...
Grace: As someone who grew up white in a middle class suburb of Detroit during the 60's and 70's, were I to write something I KNOW, which we all do to a certain extent because our background dictates somewhat what our writing will entail, I can tell you that there would be no characters other than white, middle class. (I know, ridiculously long sentence!) That is all I grew up with and at that time, all that I knew. For me, it would be disingenuous to write to something I had no experience with and did not know. So while I understand what you're saying, I have to disagree because for me, that is my truth.
Donnaeve said...
Diane, thank you, understand your direction with your comments.
And now, that's it for me - over and out.
Great discussion though. (one day, on my blog maybe, I'll tell you all about my experience back when I was 12 years old and being bussed across town to an all black school. This was during the early, mid 70's and when integration was being rolled out.)
Adib Khorram said...
DLM: I was just thinking about The Other Adib a few days ago (that post came up when I tried googling my own name). Teenaged me would definitely have liked to go by something different, but adult me has more or less grown comfortable with my Persian-ness. Though there are still awkward conversations sometimes.
angie Brooksby-Arcangioli said...
I'm stuck on the pseudonym discussion. George Sand and Fred Vargas are both women, well, George was because she's long gone.
Recently Janet posted a question by an OP who said they could not publish in their home country because they feared for their life. This to say there are valid reasons to use a pen name. Because writing is art there is no law saying we have to not pretend to be someone we are not.
Colin Smith said...
Like Donna, I too should probably call it quits for the day, especially since we've crossed the 50 comments point. BUT with so many people here from such diverse backgrounds and experiences, there's so much to ask and learn. Especially for me, the white, middle class, middle aged British dude whose worst experience of prejudice was being mocked for his puppy fat in school (not to belittle that, but it hardly compares to border control questioning where you were born because you don't look like a white American).
Can we all meet up for drinks sometime? When's good for you? :)
OK, I do have one more thought that is, actually, somewhat on-topic. And I guess this is mostly for Janet, but I certainly welcome others' thoughts/opinions. Let's say I queried a novel, and the query went something like this:
Juanita Menendez works as an office temp by day, but by night she's an undercover special ops agent. She manages to keep her dual identity secret and live her double life without problem until she is assigned a case on the Texas-Mexico border. She has to infiltrate a brutal gang responsible for the murder of border guards, and for helping Mexican nationals cross over illegally. All in a day's work for Juanita. Until she learns that her brother, who was only an infant when she left Mexico, is involved with the gang. Juanita's challenge is not only to maintain anonymity and do the job she was sent to do, but also to stop this family tie from uncovering her own questionable residency status.
BORDER CONTROL is an 80,000 word suspense novel.
Knowing this query is from me--white English guy--how much would that deter you from considering the novel? If the novel itself is as good as a Jack Reacher, would you take it on, or would you anticipate resistance from publishers because I'm a white guy writing about a Mexican female? Would I do better to give the story idea to a Mexican female writer and have her write it, even though I love the story and want to write it myself (remember, this is hypothetical--this story doesn't exist, I just made it up)?
How about if I didn't write it? What if the "housekeeping" paragraph said:
BORDER CONTROL is an 80,000 word suspense novel. My parents were refugees from Cuba in the late 1950s, and became legal citizens of the US in the 1970s.
Would that make a difference?
What if mine was the better novel?
I guess that's what I'm really getting to: How much does the writing make a difference, even over how much the author connects personally to his/her MC and story?
E.M. Goldsmith said...
Great discussion today.
Thank you, Diane.
Colin/Donna, I must agree. As a reader, with thousands upon thousands of books to read, I tend to be drawn to the ones that are well-written and transform my reality. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird did this in a stunning way. She looked at one of the world’s cruel injustices, one that was particularly endemic to the southern United States at the time, from the eyes of a child and caused millions to re-examine the way they looked at the world.
Great literature does that. It matters not a lick who wrote it as long as their voice is strong and reflects great truth. I do not believe this can be accomplished with some agenda in mind. It has to do with telling a story that profoundly illustrates some facet of the great and diverse human experience. I was blown away by Chaim Potek’s The Chosen and am still haunted by Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man.
Both of these are great stories on their own merit because the authors were both exquisite writers. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a recent title that altered my view of the world.
Diane is right. Diversity is not an agenda nor is it a conspiracy. It is a reality. Consider Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl. This is written from a place of human darkness by the light of a child’s brilliant soul. Anne Frank was not trying to make us believe anything. She was simply telling her story. This is written by a young girl who would be murdered simply because of the family she was born to, something she had no control over.
“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” (Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl)
My mother gave me this book when I was very young, telling me had I lived in Germany, all of my family would have been slaughtered because of our name even though we were not Jewish. Such was the fervor of the Nazis and their obsession with sameness. I was eight but already well-read for my age.
My mother taught me to read at the age of three because she disapproved of television and got very tired of reading books to me over and over again. I grew quickly weary of the children’s section of the library, seeking more sophisticated tales about my world and soon discovered my parents’ stash of books from their high school and college days.
Then my mother gave me Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I was nine. It was summer. I remember running out into the back porch where my parents were having their evening refreshment and throwing the book at my mother in blind fury. I cried so hard at the ending, devastated and awed.
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy” (William Golding, Lord of the Flies)
Lord of the Flies recounts the tale of a bunch of white, “privileged” English boys who are plane wrecked on a deserted island with no adults. Diversity is not necessarily one marginalized group or another. There is diversity inside each little cluster of humans huddling together, regardless of what caused them to clique. Each individual has their own little quirks, their own views, and their own voices. All are valuable. We spend far too much time worrying about how others think of us - do I seem prejudice? Well, let me save you some anxiety, we are ALL prejudice in some way. That is part of the human experience.
I am not sure what the magic number is for “enough” diversity in publishing or how that number is measured. I am certain that diversity in thought and character and story is a great thing, and is amply illustrated in great works of literature, and often despite, the prejudices of the time. Think of all the books that people try to ban from time to time, and this usually because that book reflects some diversity of thought unsavory to the powers that be at the time.
DeadSpiderEye said...
This question focuses on a preoccupation that is culturally specific, for about 90% of the world it's of so little significance, that people are gonna have trouble concealing the bemusement when faced with it. I wonder how many people throughout the world would consider the name William contentious? Oh look, I can see the bemused faces from here, yeah well, call your son that in Ireland and you've got a problem on your hands. Is it daft, blinkered, parochial? yep it sure is; is it actually gonna be the cause of grief? you bet it is. I know it's stupid but would I name son Bill? never in a million, years because that's the way the world works.
Theresa said...
What a fascinating discussion today--a reminder that all words, including names, have meanings that are particular to time and place.
When a friend of mine submitted her manuscript to her publisher, she included in the dedication a reference to her grandmother, Peter. When the copyedits came back, she saw grandmother changed to grandfather. But, nope, her grandmother's name was, in fact, Peter.
-- said...
I love that this conversation is happening here. I love it so much.
As a Black guy, I find that it's even a challenge for me to make sure that the books I read are diverse. It's not hard, but everything is Old White Male. If I don't take the time to think about it, I will have read nothing but books by old white men.
My WIP is YA featuring a young Black female heroine. She's in her late teens. I'm growing as I find her voice and that's exciting. I'm enjoying writing it, but I don't know if it will sell.
BJ Muntain said...
Lucie Witt's link on a contest for diverse queries:
Write in the
Lucie Witt's link on white people writing non-white characters:
Writing the other
Grace Wen's link about Celeste Ng:
Interview with Celeste Ng
DLM's link on colorblindness:
Case against colorblind casting
elizabethadkins: Welcome to the fold! If you tell Colin your website name, he'll put it in the list that's linked to from the top right corner of Janet's blog. :)
DLM said...
I break my promise to shut up only to say this: diversity is not a quota system. There is no magic number to get all the people we're not to stow this talk of diversity.
Failure to include is the failure to reflect the world. And, no, acutally I don't think the Black family on the block in 1960s middle-class suburbia HAS to be the story. It might add to it, but the very point of diversity is that it's there, whether we make a "thing" of it or not. It's the pretending-it's-not-a-thing that compromises reality. I grew up in Downtown White Flight, but one of my closest friends was a Black girl named Holly. She wasn't invisible; she introduced me to the concept of Michael Jackson outside of The Five, and when she did Rapper's Delight, I damn near fell over in awe at the speed of her singing-speech.
Diversity is not a didactic directive that we all have to write about POC/disabled/young/old/mentally ill/poor/disenfranchised/licorice-loving/religiously alternative/gay/differently pinky-toed people. It's the distillation of the point that if we're writers, and if we pretend that non-us people are invisible, we are failing in our WORK - failing to reflect the abundance of the world we live in, or the one we're trying to build.
Shutting up. Again.
"I came that they might have life, and have it in abundance." Why would we want to revel in limitation?
Welcome to Elizabeth, and Doorman - do you mean the authors or the characters? :) Adib, do you have to explain the use of the term Persian a lot too?
Steph said...
After reading through all the comments, pondering, googling a tiny bit, I had to refresh and see what was new - this is such an interesting discussion. I wondered what books I had read by "minority" authors (I put it in "", because, while I don't want to diminish it's importance, I think the term itself leaves a lot out - most of the world in fact, since we're basing minority on our little corner of it, but that's a different matter).
I couldn't think of many. Actually, off the top of my head, the only mainstream (in the sense that she was not specifically writing about her cultural experience) author I could think of was Tess Gerritsen. I'm pretty sure I read at least four of her books before taking not of the picture on the back flap.
The real question is, why her books. They were shelved under suspense; I like suspense. My googling led me "African-American literature is the body of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent," Wikipedia's definition of African American literature. And my first thought was, I wonder how many books I've missed because of how they're shelved. I read in a lot of genres, I like sci-fi, mysteries, fantasy, fiction - but, I'll be honest, African American literature isn't a section I've ever checked out.
Anonymous said...
I should refrain from commenting because I'm probably going to piss some people off, but I am seriously sick of hearing about white privilege.
I was thinking the other day about fifth grade, I'm not sure why. I had a male teacher in Hardin, Mt which has a large Indian population who absolutely despised me. He ridiculed me constantly because my stomach growled in the afternoon. It growled in the afternoon because I didn't have lunch and half the time I didn't have breakfast. My stepdad would get into screaming matches with Mom about he wasn't going to feed some other bastard's kids even though Dad paid child support. I'd tell Mom, "That's ok, you don't need to send lunch money to school with me." and she wouldn't nor would she fix me lunch. I'd try to drink as much water as I could to keep my stomach from growling, but it doesn't really work.
The Indian kids, had free lunches. White privilege in action.
I've taken in ironing, baked bread, walked many a mile around town to clean houses, bought clothes for me and the boys at Salvation Army as well as Christmas many a year. White privilege.
When I went to work at Family Dollar as a reach fork lift operator when I got divorced they didn't care if I was black, white, green, what age or sex. They wanted to know if I thought I could pick up pallets and learn to run a reach fork lift. I said I could and I did. The majority of reach operators were women. Reach fork lifts are the big dogs of warehouses.
The company truly did not care who you were. They only cared if you could do the job.
I stopped entering the twitter contests for a while because I got sick of being asked if I was a poc and how many diverse characters are in my book. Excuse me. I thought it was supposed to be about writing a damned good book. I missed the memo.
A conversation got started a few months ago about demanding publishers be forced to publish according to quotas. I asked "And how do you propose to force buyers to buy a certain quota of diverse books? Publishing is a business. They can't stay in business if they can't sell what they publish. The trick is to find more talented diverse authors."
"No, they just need to publish diverse books regardless."
Well, all righty, then. Let me know how your drive to force publishers to publish x amount of diverse books works.
No one has ever given me anything. I've eaten pinto beans and rice for two months solid so I could take a writing course. I like pinto beans and rice, but not that much. (Add baking soda to your beans in case you're wondering.) I've paid my dues. If anyone ever dares to say I was published because of white privilege, we may have a come to Jesus meeting right there in front of God and everyone.
Almitra, that's an Indian name. So is Arya. I think you're safe. For pity sakes, the English language itself in a conglomerate of different languages.
nightsmusic said...
Julie: {{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}} Only because I truly know how you feel.
Unknown said...
Hello Julie M. Weathers. Thank you for sharing your story.
The name Almitra originates in Kahlil Gibran's poem "The Prophet," published in 1923. The poem is set in a fictional land and features a fictional religion and culture. Gibran himself was Lebanese-American. I think you may have confused the name Almitra with Mitra, an Indian deity.
Anonymous said...
I looked it up in baby names. It lists it as of eastern Indian origination.
Colin Smith said...
Julie: I understand your thinking with regard to "white privilege"--but do non-white people use that term strictly in socio-economic terms? That's a genuine question. As I understand it, the concept of "white privilege" is the undeniable fact that if you are white (especially a white male) in the US, you are able to conduct your life with less hindrances and roadblocks, and less need for government assistance, than if you are of another racial group. Am I way off here?
Personally, I would love for those who feel the rub of "white privilege" to comment. Tell us what that means to you. I think there are many white people who don't understand how anyone can think all white people are privileged, when clearly there are many who suffer all kinds of deprivation every day. So, "white privilege" must mean something deeper.
This may not be directly relevant to the topic, but it is INTENSELY relevant to all of us as writers. If we're to write with authenticity, we need to understand those who are not like us.
Unknown said...
Damn, I have to weigh in again (fourth time, breaking another of the comment guidelines.) Maybe white privilege is a terrible term. Maybe in some situations/sub societies in the US it doesn’t exist. The US military comes to mind. But in most cases, and I suppose we should caveat this with on average, a person is relatively better off white than that person would be, if, all other factors being equal, not white. This is documented over and over again by anecdotal evidence, surveys, census data, and scientific studies. Doesn’t mean there aren’t individual exceptions.
Donnaeve said...
Well, now I just can't shut up. Why?
Because. Julie.
I didn't have the nerve to speak up the way she did about the term "white privilege" but I was sure thinking about what I wanted to say when it came up.
My own story is not dissimilar from Julie's. What did I hear when I was growing up more than I care to admit? "We can't afford it, we're poor." And poor we were. Speaking of beans, we ate "Chuckwagon Beans" every time I turned around - three times a week at least. Mom knew how to cook stick to your ribs, cheap meals.
I started working at 11. Babysitting. Then a "real" job at 15. I had to have a "workers permit," b/c I was underage. I left home at 18. Married at 19, two kids by 23. Divorced by 26. Lived in a trailer for over a decade, where my credit went all to hell b/c ex wouldn't pay child support. Each month I chose trailer payment, or car payment. Which is it. Skipped many, many meals so kids would have enough hot dogs and mac and cheese to eat.
I went to buy their Christmas presents one year, and had to submit to the humiliation of trying to run a credit card I knew was over the limit. Back went all those gifts. I had to borrow $50 (!) from a friend just to buy Christmas that year. And they were happy - because they never had much to begin with.
And there's more, but you get the gist why some white people would get riled up at the term white privilege. Not many from where I come from were born with the proverbial silver spoon.
Unknown said...
Thank you to folks who have shared from their personal experience, especially Gimme. Debate is important, but it often means laying your life out time after time for other people to examine. It can be wearying.
Cheers, everyone.
Lucie Witt said...
I'm actually a professor in a gender studies department where I teach classes on gender, race and the legal system (and yes, white privilege). Your understanding is pretty on point. White privilege doesn't mean you're immune from things like poverty, not at all. If you'd like I can send you links to some of my favorite readings on the topic. I've already over commented today (need to pack my bags for exile), and hesitant to get to academic here. But teaching about this is my other passion, and I'm happy to share more if interested.
Lucie Witt said...
Im also a white woman who grew up dirt poor in Kentucky, for what it's worth.
Janice L. Grinyer said...
White privilege to me means that certain people/groups make decisions based on what you look like, and give special treatment to those who have light skin. A caste system.
And yes, it exists all over the world. To pretend it doesn't at all levels i.e. government, social, economical does a disservice to humanity.
How to solve inequality?
Raise your children, teach others, stand up and speak out that we all have dreams, desires, and we all bleed red. We are all equal.
And it starts with us, today.
Colin Smith said...
Lucie: Please share links. To Janice's question, we need the humility to accept that we ALL are prejudiced to some extent, and we need to be open to hear other people's perceptions about us. Those perceptions may be wrong, but that doesn't mean they're invalid. If we start out assuming we understand why black people are mad at white people, or why white people are frustrated with black people, the discussion goes in circles and never moves forward. Humility. Understanding. Dialog--even debate. This is the stuff of Education, Enrichment, and a better co-existence.
And, as writers, if WE can understand, then we are exceptionally well-positioned though our work to help others.
DLM said...
Just as diversity isn't all about ethnicity/nationality/color/religion, privilege isn't exclusive to whites. My own privileges start with my parents - they happen to have been white, but they also both were intelligent, and my father highly educated. The very time I was born has conferred privileges to me - I have lived a life better off than 99.999% of all humans who ever lived, and I'm not even what most Americans at least would call "wealthy". I am privileged to have a facility with language, to know some of the right people to have gotten me good jobs more than once, to have been attractive enough in my youth that I was preferred in certain situations where my own intrinsic value was debatable.
I use the term privilege unmodified, though I do discuss my whiteness as part of that, when I am taking myself to account.
E.M. Goldsmith said...
I love the name Almitra. It's different and resonates with me. I did not, for myself, think of it as proprietary to one group or another. I don't think you have anything to worry about as far as name goes. It is simply lovely.
To Julie, you are correct. And I understand your frustration. The politics of "white privelege" does no one any favors. Human suffering is universal and spares no one regardless if the tone of your skin (tiny gene in the genome that makes you who you are) happens to reflect a majority in your little corner of the world. Suffering is fully diverse and without prejudice or reason. No person or people have a monopoly on it.
It is a quite a gift to us readers that you are willing to write and pour yourself out into story so that others feel less alone in their trials and tribulations. That is the gift writers bring when they turn their pain to story whether in fiction or not.
I really don't get this odd trend of people screaming to be acknowledged as forever victims. Anne Frank doesn't resonate because she whined and cried about how unfair her horrific situation was. It resonates because she didn't. She saw light in the blackest of corners, and in doing so, opens the Pandora's box of hope amid the chaos.
If you happen to be of a minority background, tell your story, the one you want to tell and then pound the proverbial pavement of querying and pitching. Remember, no one else can tell your story the way you do because your voice belongs only to you. A great voice will win out in the end because a well told tale transcends our differences and recalls our humanity. And that wins an audience.
Noel (tell me now) said...
About pen names:
On another site, a while ago, there was a thread similar to this one. The OP wondered how they'd deal with an author bio for a pen name. Like, would it be okay to say "Jonathan Doe lives in New York with his two sons and a dog" when the author is really Mary-Ann Winters, who lives in Texas and has no pets?
...okay, so that's kind of a lame example, but the question was about the limits when talking about a pen name's life. Is it okay to claim military service? A college degree? An ethnicity, orientation?
I'm thinking of using my mom's maiden name as a pen name, myself, with a vague bio. I'm a mixed-race with a white birth name, so I'm currently going through something of an angsty phase where neither surname feels exactly right. Oh, well.
E.M. Goldsmith said...
I guess I should pack my bags for my inevitable exile. Really fascinating topic. Last comment, I promise.
My daughter took an African American studies class and we ended up in a fierce debate about white privelege. As a very young single mom, I felt no privelege at all despite being white. My daughter explained that economics had little to do with the concept. She said it had to do with the thousands of things a white person never had to confront in this country. People are not color blind, no matter how hard they try.
I worry though that this concept simply continues these arbitrary, shallow rifts that divide us. I want to love my fellow man. I want to understand otherness, not so we can be the same but so we can benefit from each other's experience. I am sick of all the trifling little slings and arrows that divide us and cause us to hate. What good does that do? Affixing the blame fixes nothing.
Colin Smith said...
tell me later: I've so blown the comment rules today that I'm sure a return trip to Carkoon is in my near future, but here's my 2c. No, no, never, ever lie in your bio. Better to say nothing than an untruth. Especially if it's to do with a career or ethnicity that you think might help sell your novel. These things have a habit of backfiring on you. Or as the Bible puts it, "Your sins will find you out." :)
Now, I'm not the agent here, so that's just my opinion, for what it's worth.
Lucie Witt said...
I'm cracking up about your convo with your daughter. Thinking how many of my students have told me: "So I got into a big debate with my parents after class. ..."
I do think it's important to name things and acknowledge them. An example I use with my students in my motherhood and the law class to explain privilege is children's picture books. If you aren't a dinosaur family or a white family you can't always walk in a bookstore or library and find books with families that look like yours. If you can find not just one easily, but dozens, that's a privilege.
If you're catching a late flight to exile, I'll ride with you.
BJ Muntain said...
tell me later: A pen name is not an identity. It's simply the way you put yourself forward for others to see. Yes, sometimes others will make assumptions based on that name, but that's still not an identity.
In writing a bio, stick to the facts of your own past. If you don't want people to know your past, then don't tell them what you don't want them to know. There is so little space in a bio (even if it's a page or two) that you can't cover absolutely everything.
Anonymous said...
As a follow up to my first post, I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my comment, to post about it, and to discuss it. Thank you, you give me hope for humanity :)
With regards to white privilege: for those who grew up in poverty and feel like their whiteness conferred nothing, I completely understand your frustration. I am so sorry about the struggles you underwent. I do hope that you can read the stories of racial minorities, however, and acknowledge that their skin color has made life more difficult for them.
I am not white or male. However, in other areas of my life, I am VERY privileged: I'm straight, cis, and grew up in the 1%. I acknowledge these privileges, but that doesn't make all the crap I get for being not-white or a woman go away (it just means I didn't get the other crap too).
This isn't about creating or maintaining victimhood. This is about saying, "There are invisible but real forces in this country working against people for being not white, and especially for being black, and we should acknowledge them so that we can stop them."
Acknowledging one's privilege and that other people do NOT have that same privilege means that we can make real change. NOT acknowledging difference--saying that you are "colorblind"--is, in fact, counterproductive, because that does not acknowledge the very real differences in the lived experiences between different groups of people.
I never need to worry about money, but I am in favor of universal healthcare and higher minimum wage because I know that not everyone was born with my staggering good luck. I am not LGBTQ, but I believe that they deserve all the same rights to marry and be who they really are. I am not black, but I am pro-affirmative action and pro Black Lives Matter. Lifting other people up only lifts everyone up. Getting ahead is not a zero sum game. (And yes, I know I'm getting away from the original subject to some pretty big/broad topics, but I just wanted to address some misconceptions about white privilege.)
E. M. Goldsmith, I hope you take this the right way: I am very much Team Your Daughter and think that she sounds wonderful and articulate and very aware, and you should be proud of her :)
Having well exceeded my word limit, I'm going to go sit in a corner and think about what I've done. Again, thank you to everyone for reading and responding! For people who are interested in reading the voices of minorities when it comes to privilege, I'm a big fan of Black Girl Dangerous.
Adib Khorram said...
DLM: Yes indeed, I do have to do a lot of explaining about being Persian (vs. being Iranian). The distinction between cultural heritage and national heritage is a difficult one to parse.
Lucie: I love your example of the book store. I may have to borrow it from time to time!
At this point I think we're all going to Carkoon. I'm reminded of The Great Muppet Caper when, after making their plans to foil a jewel heist, the fold-down bed the Muppets are using as a desk suddenly springs back into the wall, leaving them all trapped. And then Kermit asks (from between the bed and the wall), "Can somebody turn out the lights?" And the light bulb falls out of the ceiling.
Janice L. Grinyer said...
A long time ago I worked in the Twin cities with a very diverse group. Not only did we have all sorts of colors, we also had limited physical abilities - we were quite a bunch. I lived in a rural area and commuted daily 45 minutes each way. In the small farming community where I lived, it was not so diverse.
The holidays came up. Being friends with my daughter's second-grade teacher, I asked if she would like me to ask one of my friends if they could do a Kwanzaa talk as the class was covering different celebrations in their curriculum. She was excited and said yes.
Richard came into town, and we went to school. Richard brought his drums, the items to celebrate family, community, Kwanzaa etc. He played music, described how they celebrate, and the kids LOVED it. Richard then opened up the floor for questions. The kids were intrigued, asking questions about the drumming, foods etc. And then one little boy, Robert, raised his hand.
"Yes?" asked Richard.
"Are you...are you a black man?"
Richard paused. "Yes, Yes I am," he said, smiling.
"Oh, okay!"
And the kids continued to ask questions about the gifts, the outfit he wore etc.
This was in 1995, rural Wisconsin, only 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. Goodness knows what Robert had heard about Black men, but that day he met someone who had explained his culture and left a beautiful memory.
Richard, recognizing the need, went on to apply for grants, and became an educational speaker for the Minneapolis Area. I went on to get divorced, remarried, and become a writing Timber Cruiser.
It can work, but only if we open our hearts and minds, and share, and understand there is a need to do this.
AS Colin said, "And, as writers, if WE can understand, then we are exceptionally well-positioned through our work to help others."
Back to the topic at hand - Initials. J.K. Rowling did okay.
Carolynnwith2Ns said...
Okay, I'm jumping in. I have not been able to read all the comments yet and I'm sure this is going to sound, well weird, or something, but in my WIP I want to add PoC but I am afraid to.
What the hell do I know about what it's like to be a PoC. Oh I can read about it, do research, blah, blah, blah, but I don't have a clue of what goes on in the mind of a man or a woman born to a race other than my own. We all share many life passages but our experiences can be very different.
I know what it's like to be spit on as an American in a foreign country but not by a fellow citizen in my own country, because I look, talk and have an ethic history different from the so-called majority. Have I as a woman experienced prejudice, hell yes but that is very different.
I am so afraid of getting it wrong, of offending, of coming off as someone other than someone with good intentions that I have, so far, left PoC out of my novel. Problem is, because of the socio-economic-situation of my characters, PoC should be included but if I do, just that assumption may be way off. I'm digging a hole here so I am going to stop.
-- said...
To DLM: Authors. And I think authors write what they know so even my favorite author wrote very flat, other-ing non-White characters because he came from the English aristocracy. I think it's a struggle that many POC writers have--how to balance their affection and admiration for writers who don't seem to know or care about their experience.
As writers, we are called upon to be empathetic, investigating and mining human experience for some common string yet a lot of White authors just miss the mark.
Susan said...
Maybe I see things from both angles because I've been in both places, socio-economically-speaking. I grew up with that proverbial silver spoon as a middle-class, white female in suburbia. My parents told us once that they wanted their children to have what they didn't growing up, just as their parents wanted better for their children, and we benefited from that decision (and all others that followed, such as their education and work ethic). We had our struggles, as every family does, but we led an idyllic childhood.
While I empathize with those who didn't have that, I can't apologize for the way I grew up because those were the circumstances I was born into, and I'm grateful every single day for it. It's what has helped shape me into who I am--it's why every single day I make the conscious decision to do what I can to leave the world a better place, too. I may not be able to have children, but I can do what I can to make a difference in the world for those who do. Is that idealistic? You bet it is. But no matter where I come from, where I've been, or where I'm going, that answer remains the same. If being from good socio-economic standing helps me to do that, then of course I'm going to use it to my advantage.
I don't have much, especially now that I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I've been working since I was sixteen, in corporate jobs since I was 20. I've been financially independent the majority of my adult life. Yet, with this illness, I lost my livelihood, almost lost my house, and have used up my savings and retirement paying for medical costs. When I talked to a lawyer to see if I could get disability until I was able to work again, I was told that because I was relatively young and educated, I likely wouldn't qualify. Because of that, I've had to rely on assistance and other people to help pay my bills and support my basic needs. There's a lot of pride that's lost, but you do what you need to in order to get by.
Did I ever feel like I deserved anything I had growing up? No, because our parents taught us those values, which is why I've always been grateful for everything I've ever had. Do I feel like I deserve anything now that I have less? Absolutely not. Someday, I hope to have more so that I can do more, but now all I have are my words and my actions in how I treat others.
I appreciate this discussion and respect everyone who has shared their stories and opinions--this is a beautiful community. But some of the more recent comments have bothered me. There seems to be this constant need in our world now to invalidate other people's experiences, like one person's suffering isn't as bad as someone else's because of xyz. It's all suffering. All of it, no matter what that looks like. Whether you're born with a silver or a wooden spoon, what matters is the role you play in acknowledging the problems and struggles and alleviating that suffering for others, especially if that means using your own experiences as a backdrop for empathy.
Whether it's ethnicity or religion or economic status, you're not a better or worse person because of the circumstances you were handed. Like I said in my earlier comment, privilege doesn't have to be a bad thing--it all depends on what you do with it.
Susan said...
Carolynn: If I may, I'd suggest just writing your story first. As Angie said in her first comment, we can become so overly concerned that it stifles our creativity and interferes with the storytelling and writing. Get the story out into a draft form, then consider sending it to a beta-reader who would represent your characters and ask if they could provide some feedback based on their own experiences. Good luck!
Janet Reid said...
I'm going to close the comments for this blog post because I've kept a close eye on it so things wouldn't get out of hand and it's now time to work on tomorrow's post. (And things didn't get out of hand which is I think a testimony to the amazing community y'all have formed here, and I thank you for it)
please allow me the final comment (but certainly not the last word) on the topic of white privilege.
Within living memory, young black men were killed by armed groups of adult white men for what I will loosely call "color transgressions."
If you doubt this, read the story of Emmett Till. Or simply google the history of lynching.
Poor white folk didn't worry about lynch mobs. They didn't need to. That's white privilege in a nutshell.
If you think being poor and black is the same thing as being
poor and white, read Devil in Grove by Gilbert King, a book that made me weep more than once.
Of course there was and is violence against white folks, but it generally didn't start in the sheriff's department. Nor did it continue in the courthouse.
We each have our own experiences, and they give us a world view. That it's not everyone's world view is something we all come to realize as we grow up.
I lived in Seattle, a town that had a solid middle class black population and even though black kids went to my school, had the same teachers, stopped for after school candy at the same drugstore, my experience was not the experience of the black kids who lived across the street.
Nathan McCall's wonderful book Makes Me WannaHoller showed me that.
Dorothy Allison's stunning novel Bastard Out ofCarolina made me understand a lot too.
Chitra Divakaruni's novels pened my eyes.
I would like to make sure that these kinds of compelling eye opening books continue to be published.
There will be more to say in the Week in Review, but for now, time to go back to reading queries. And ya'll, time to go back to writing novels! | <urn:uuid:c204e63a-f2e8-4a4c-8e6f-892f2d031a61> | https://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2016/01/is-it-insensitive-to-use-my-non-white.html?showComment=1452177376759 | en | 0.978377 | 0.06142 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Conducting a Literature Review
This LibGuide provides tips for conducting a literature review as the initial step in the process of conducting original research.
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What is a Literature Review?
The literature review is an integral part of any research project and is undertaken as a means of surveying what research has been conducted previously on a particular topic.
There are many reasons for conducting a literature review, but one of the primary reasons is to establish a base line of what is already known on a topic before exploring the topic any further. The review typically involves a search of any previously published or presented materials that might have relevance to a prospective new study.
Original Research vs. Survey of the Literature
If the point of a research project is solely to review what has already been written on a topic, the resulting article is termed a "survey of the literature" or a "literature survey" or even a "literature review." In this case, the article is complete in itself and does not delve into anything new regarding the topic. A literature survey might end with a discussion of what work is still needed to further develop knowledge of a particular topic, but it does not, itself, flesh out any of those ideas. Articles of this type can be highly beneficial to someone seeking to launch an original study; literature surveys have already laid some of the groundwork for a prospective researcher's own literature review.
When the survey serves as the initial step that precedes a further investigation of an idea or ideas about a topic, then that review of the literature sets the stage for the presentation of original research. Original research usually involves the selection of a methodology for examining a topic and may include the gathering of data that can be further analyzed to arrive at assumptions about the topic. Data may be derived from the examination of human subjects, from conducting surveys or assessments, from the study of particular species of plants or animals, from the systematic scientific measurement of any physical phenomena, from nearly anything that can be documented and analyzed. Again, the whole point of launching an original study is to learn something new about a topic. Research typically begins with what is known (the literature review) and progresses into analyzing, through the observation and analysis of data, what is yet to be known through further study.
Both the literature survey and the original study are considered academic articles, as opposed to popular articles. Both involve research in order to come to a better understanding of a topic.
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Category Archives: Essays and Articles
Orlando Was the Site of Terrorism. Not Homophobia or Failed Gun Laws.
Remember that at the time of 9/11 the meme the government wanted to forge was that it was the work of terrorists who were part of an international (dare I say) conspiracy to attack this country and our beloved freedom. No one dared focus solely on airport security or cockpit door reinforcement. No, the message was it’s international and therefore wars with natural resources and asset-rich countries like Iraq and Afghanistan were necessary. Had you dared suggest that these hijackers were lone wolves or self-radicalized (we can obviously eliminate homegrown as a descriptive) you would have been pilloried. The Orlando message is different. You are to focus solely and particularly on the role of firearms and not any terrorist network that may have contributed and you absolutely are not to so much as mention in any wise whatsoever the shooter’s father’s connection to the nameless Afghan satellite channel, Payam Afghan, said to be widely-known in Southwest Asia as a CIA-Pakistani ISI construct. These messages are not constructed by accident. They are scripted and you are members of the choir.
America. The republic, usually misunderstood as a democracy. Where anyone with a pair of neurons and a functioning synapse can vote. Or not. We love the simple issue. Basic. Tissue thin and unidimensional. Trite and uncomplicated. The meme, the phrase. The ribbon, the hashtag the filter. The rote, the memorized, the patellar and Pavlovian. The rehearsed but never researched. Revisionist history and popular culture. Overarching themes. A country that confuses religious faith and piety with mythology and superstition. Uneducated, uncultured and uncouth. America loves to hate, its public and loud alleged aversion to hate notwithstanding. We love to hate the candidates, the networks, the talk radio loudmouths, the other side. We hate them, the opposition. We hate the Bible thumper and leftie loon. We hate the gun owner and gun advocate and gun fanatic. N.B. The fanatic. Translation: someone who expresses a belief or penchant for an idea or practice that we don’t understand or agree with. The other guy. Terrorist = the other guy. Impuissant and gutless leftie and liberal = the other guy. Right wing lunatic = the other guy. Hillary and Trump are both “presumptive” candidates and code words and attack commands, signaling the recitation of the usual statements from the usual suspects. We delude ourselves into thinking that our debates are rational and comprehensive and fact-based and well-thought. It’s not so much that we have a position, it’s that we loathe and detest the proponents of the other side, the other position. America loves to coopt issues that redefine vagueness and make it an art form. One faction has taken as its own the fight against gun violence, as though anyone could possibly be in favor of it. Another faction wraps itself in the Constitutional without so much as a correspondence course in basic historical precepts and rudiments. Doesn’t mater, I seized the image first, it’s mine. Out of a republic with 319 million people we have as presumptive candidates two of the most vile, despicable and unworthy kakistocrats that central casting could have ever created if not hatched. We get what we deserve. And though our republic will endure and survive – after all, we came through the Franklin Pierce years relatively unscathed – prospering and advancing are another issue altogether. These are dark days for Americans but an absolute gold mine for those of us who make our living through political commentary and analysis.
Remember the rules of terror. When there’s a Democratic administration, terrorism is domestic, considered lone wolf, homegrown, self-radicalizing. Think Ruby Ridge and Waco. That enables them to seize weapons, guns, infiltrate militia groups and constitutionalist Tea Party types. When Republicans are in office terrorism’s foreign, Islamist, al Qaeda-esque. Think UBL. Both permit the disintegration of constitutional freedoms and attacks privacy with heightened surveillance and full spectrum panopticon control.
Rule. We are a country of clichés. Trite and hackneyed phrases. Kneejerk and patellar Pavlovian responses. Rote, rank and repetitious.
Please focus carefully on the words of Obama and Hillary. If you don’t know what they mean, you’ll miss their import. Obama referred to “homegrown terrorism.” That implies a local, non-systemic, non-international, non-Islamic form of organized terrorism. It’s just like the term “lone wolf” that Hillary used. Be very familiar with the particularity of language. These words mean something. They will avoid at all costs Islamic terrorism as the cause. If they do, they then plead guilty to an impuissant policy against such. Especially when they keep cozying up to Saudi Arabia, the Al Sharpton of the Middle East. Nothing sticks to them.
Americans, especially those who focus solely on our pathetic mainstream media have no conversance with history or issues especially regarding their beloved Obama. Operation Fast and Furious was launched by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The gunrunning operation, which lasted from 2009 to 2011, resulted in the ATF losing over a thousand firearms. Two of those weapons were linked to the 2010 murder of a Border Patrol agent in Arizona and many of the weapons are suspected to have landed in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. When this was brought up to the Obama administration, who rails against gun violence and crime, the crickets sounded and not a peep was mentioned by the media. This shows the schizophrenic mindset of an administration and a public who’s frankly too busy apply he latest hostage or Facebook filter to read and research and care.
Don’t fall into the trap of dismissing Pulse as just a gay bar. It was more than that. It was a source of communal meeting and celebration. A town hall of sorts. Think Stonewall. It’s where the LGBT community felt safe and merely wanted to have fun and enjoy their life. And be not mistake, their lifestyle and sexuality were the subject and target of this terrorist’s targeting.
We are becoming soft. We’ve been lucky enough to exist for 240 years in relative peace save 9/11 and now this. You’re not used to war or having an avowed enemy. You think you can get all squishy and send prayers and love and remind us constantly how your heart is broken and how we have to get along and love and trust and reach out and sing Kumbaya. You’ll flash the de rigueur Orlando filter or the latest pithy hash tag. You pray for Orlando, stand with Orlando and miss the point altogether. For such a supposed tough country we’re apparently unable to really understand what’s happening. This is war. And that means getting surgical. And precise. And the first thing you’re going to have to do is read and explore and research and unearth the unspeakable truth of who our enemies are and what your government has done to hide, deflect and distract your attention from what needs to be done. Look to foreign and alternative media. Turn this mindless pro-Hillary dreck off and grow a pair, America.
Remember, ask about the #Orlando shooter’s psych background. This is a tricky thing. Why? Hillary and Trump want to avoid any insanity and psyched connection. Hillary has Big Pharma to placate and that means avoiding any connection whatsoever to adverse reactions and side effects. Trump wants an ISIS Islamic terrorism connection and having a lunatic versus a terrorist scotches those plans. But, mark my words. Scratch the surface and you’ll see indicia of mental illness.
History. When Rudy Giuliani and others targeted the Mafia and LCN they didn’t in an effort to seem fair and even-handed start targeting Swedes. And no one objected. They never called organized crime hate. They called it crime and focused on Italian-Americans who happened to inhabit the ranks. In fact it was a known requisite. No one suggested that all Italian-Americans were connected, just that the Mafia as we call it had very few Cambodians among its ranks.
Experience and verity. As anyone who’s ever worked around criminal savagery will tell you, it is often the case when deranged and mentally ill people commit heinous crimes they say a number of things that accompany or precede the behavior. They might cite the Bible, Qur’an, Ozzy Osborne, a dog as David Berkowitz first suggested, name it. Or they might reference Rush Limbaugh or conservative writers. Violent movies, suggestive lyrics, domestic violence, his list is endless. And in the case of a shooting the issue remains had they not possessed the weapon the shooting would and could not have occurred. This is obvious and a matter of fact. What we instinctively look for is the cause. That causal connection. What made someone do it. We often confuse cause with correlation. Or motivation: why some one did it versus what caused and produced the behavior. What’s more distressing and frustrating to many who’ve never encountered it is that mental illness is often the cause, the correlation and the motivation. While mental illness – which covers a range of behaviors – is usually benign as to victimization of others, in some it manifests itself terribly. If I could only ask one question, I’d ask if the Orlando shooter was either taking psych meds or recently discontinued them. It is all too often that connection that is never addressed for a host of reasons including the death grip that Big Pharma has on Washington and lawmakers. But that is for another time. Simply put, this horror was caused by a deranged and mentally ill person. It’s that simple. And that complicated.
Media Distortion: It’s Not Just a Russian Thing
When many consumers and presenters of “news” review anything involving Russia, there seems all too often to be an almost a priori patellar and Pavlovian reaction. Why?
The reasons are multiform as I will attempt to delimit.
In search of the Manichaean. This describes much of mainstream media (MSM) to a tee. The dualistic view of the world as either good or evil, the good guys and the bad guys. Apodictic proof with blinding certainty. The reflexive application of forced and absolute moral certitude when parsing and deconstructing any issue, especially of international import. Once you understand that, then you can see precisely the reality disconnect of the western MSM to what’s actually happening in the Middle East, especially as to Syria, Turkey, NATO, Russia and the fight against IS and its host of initialed aka’s.
The first question without fail. In every media analysis and appearance of mine especially as of late as to anything Russian-Syrian in context, my prolegomenon necessarily consists of “Here’s what the media don’t understand and can’t fathom.” Just think of that, before I even begin to assess and attempt to describe the salient issues I must start with an explication of the media disconnect. And if there was ever an Exhibit A of the effects of having a rodeo clown media to distract and redirect the attention and perception of the audience – a sleight of news, if you will – this is it. Imagine, the first rule of media analysis is not to believe the media.
The crow and mice studies. In a 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society entitled “Social learning spreads knowledge about dangerous humans among American crows,” murders of corvids when threatened by mask-wearing experimenters not only remembered the particular facial configuration of the masks but effectively conveyed the “grudge” to others within the community and their offspring. And speaking of crows, Donovan Crow cites a 2013 Emory University study that found that mice trained to fear a specific odor presented to them would actually pass their emotions and fears on to their offspring and future generations. Hatred, fear, distrust are not only communicable and communicative but inheritable and inherited.
Connection, please? Much of the almost reflexive reaction to anything Russian is in so many instances based on years of Cold War ideology and recurring media and popular culture incantations, rote recitations of decades-old ideology as to anything Moscow-centric. This from observers too young to even remember Cuban Missile Crisis days, grainy footage of a furious Khrushchev at the UN or anything vaguely causative of their Russian view. I respectfully submit, it’s learned and perhaps genetic. And when American MSM repeaters (versus reporters) regurgitate these hoary memes and tropes along with news chatterbox gaggles with mynah bird (switching from the crow theme deliberately) yammerings about the deliberately diabolical posturing of anything Russian, well, can you not see this connection?
Boris Badenov. When I as a wee lad of the 60’s I faithfully watched Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, two identical shows with different names. But I digress. Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale were favorites. Badenov, whose surname is a play on 16th-century Russian Tsar Boris Godunov, “was revealed in an advertisement as an active member of Local 12 of the Villains, Thieves, and Scoundrels Union.” Like the crow that was taught by fellow corvids to fear, I was conditioned through seemingly innocuous and playful cartoons who the enemy was. And I respectfully submit, like mice who inherited olfactory aversive stimuli, that disposition and worldview was passed on.
Acronyms, initalisms and utter confusion. I can remember first hearing various commentary as to the mindlessness and futility of the Vietnam adventure. When leaders were dismissed as benighted hawks with no rational understanding of a war whose participants were without the slightest understanding of who the participants were. Who was the enemy (harkening back to the initial Manichean discussion)? Villagers of all ages, “Mama Sans,” even kids were known secrete a grenade and detonate it while an unsuspecting GI was duped into showing kindness or inattention. Well, by comparison to today’s theater of war Playbill, that was child’s play. Enter al Qaeda, AQI, ISIS, ISIL, IS, Daesh, Boko Haram, Khorosan or al-Nusra Front. Most Ted Baxter echo chamber, media sockpuppets are still trying to distinguish Sunni from Shia, Persians from Arabs – not to mention distinguishing the taxonomy of moderate rebels, rebels, terrorists and central casting “bad guys.”
Historical nescience. Tolstoy remarked that history would be a wonderful thing if only it were true. I submit that history would be a wonderful thing if only it were read and appreciated. There have been countless references to Russia’s support of Assad’s Syria as though it were a strange Russian preoccupation or obsession versus the product of decades-long cooperation and bilateral relations. History is indeed a wonderful thing if one cares to even read it.
The neocon con. No term today is more overused (next to “hilarious”) than neocon. Or misunderstood. Neocon is not synonymous with conservative or paleocon or even liberal interventionism. It is a unique and historically singular political and ideological denomination that permeates much of the American political discussion. From the hallowed halls of government to the vaunted pages of opinion, neocon A-Listers write the script that the media as amanuenses transcribe almost verbatim. And virtually unknown to Mr. & Mrs. Sixpack and to the members of today’s narcotized MSM is this ideology that taints the discussion. When a neocon opines about Russia or Syria or intervention, knowing the script and ideological fundamentals explains the perception and description that the MSM produce.
Think tanks, institutes and propaganda factories. You’re undoubtedly familiar with the concept of Deep State. Peter Dale Scott citing Washington Post reporter Dana Priest defines it as “two governments: the one its citizens were familiar with, operated more or less in the open: the other a parallel top secret government whose parts had mushroomed in less than a decade into a gigantic, sprawling universe of its own.” What I’m referring to isn’t anything vaguely top secret, secret or even hidden. No, I refer to groups and think tanks and organizations and consortia with websites and Twitter and Facebook accounts and nothing to hide or fear that frame the perspective and are architects of opinion. They are the architects of our battles.
The presumption of correctness and authenticated validity. The final problem that contributes to the collective disconnect that many have is the presumption of correctness that media websites provide. They seem legit, appear valid and are presumed authenticated. With the trappings that accompany blogs, sites and pages, the pathetically susceptible reader is duped into believing that what appears before her eyes is true. Yet despite the stories of bogus claims and allegations, fraudulent war scenes, misquoted casualty data and the like, there’s not a resounding call to validate, authenticate and verify.
Clarity, limpidity and pellucidity as to any and all matters bellicose require and demand accurate reference, historical perspective and a decontamination of anachronistic historical memes and narratives.
It’s that simple.
Whither Probable Cause
Now you see it. Now you don’t. The vanishing and disappearance of probable cause.
As a tyro prosecutor, slogging through the criminal courts system, I’d often joke that the definition of probable cause was “He probably did it” because it seemed that whenever the standard was required for arrest or search, it was always miraculously and sometimes magically met. Probable cause or PC hereinafter (before its more contemporary referencing) denotes the belief and suspicion framework that established the basis for initial and incipient law enforcement involvement. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution refers to it as, again, that initial threshold.
PC has been taken to mean those conditions and facts that are present, say in the case of PC to arrest, when an officer has knowledge of such facts as would lead a reasonable person to believe that a suspect is committing, has committed or is about to commit a crime. And further, the officer must be able to articulate the facts and circumstances forming the bases for such probable cause. Er, theoretically, that is.
So, what seems to be the problem? Simple. Enter the mystical, magical world of legal semantics and euphemisms. My beloved profession gave you not only PC but reasonable doubt, reasonable suspicion, prima facie, preponderance of the evidence, proof evident and presumption great, clear and convincing – all designed to denote various articulable levels and gradations of proof that are supposed to be readily accessible to the public. Let me give you an example.
Let’s assume arguendo I ask you what you ate for breakfast and you replied, “A bagel. Toasted.” Let’s assume further I demanded that you prove it. Prove it how? By what standard? You could enlist a PC standard of proof. Or perhaps provide a prima facie case of your breakfast fare. You might up the degree of proof by proving your breakfast case by the preponderance of the evidence, where it would me more likely than not that you ate the referenced bagel. Or, to really impress your interrogator, prove you consumed the item beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt. If this is confusing, join a very large club.
But let’s make this even more complicated. And I refer to the aforementioned definition of a constable’s necessity and ability “to articulate the facts and circumstances forming the basis for probable cause.” Let’s take a DUI roadblock where drivers are corralled into an area wherein each is inspected for evidence of illegal inebriety. Or a border search where suspected illegals are stopped and isolated en masse. The officer(s) made no prior determination, no evidence evaluation. Nothing. Everyone was “dragnetted” and ordered into an area and therefore presumed guilty. Whither probable cause?
Stop and frisk (or stop, question and frisk) is the source of great controversy and media attention, especially here in New York. The Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio392 U.S. 1 (1968), gave us the Terry Stop that was codified by legislatures. Stop and frisk is not profiling (which, by the by, is not per se verboten). The criterion employed to stop and detain a suspect – as opposed to arresting them – is reasonable suspicion. Now, this is in no wise meant as a tutorial on detention law but rather an exhibition of the ambit and range of the tissue thin compartmentalization and variations of juridical euphemism.
And let’s wade into the even more complicated. Think of accident investigations, fingerprinting, lineups, drug sniffing dogs, drug courier profiles (to be distinguished from the more offensive and in fact illegal forms of “profiling,” such as stopping someone merely because of race or ethnicity), cyber crimes, just to name a few. What probable cause was and is required then? And now, think what happens if a law enforcement agent merely thinks or suspects you’re a terrorist or involved in alleged terrorism or anything “shady.” Probable cause requirements are being whittled and pared and shredded. But what about the Fourth Amendment, court orders and judicial review? And what was that business about no warrants issued without probable cause? As we have seen, the public has been so frightened (and deservedly so) by the specter of another 9/11 that these constitutional formalities are seen as trifling due process etiquette. After all, it’s axiomatic that the Constitution is not a suicide pact.
The times they are a changin’. Does this sound familiar?
The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual’s Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation.
The administration wants to add just four words — “electronic communication transactional records” — to a list of items that the law says the FBI may demand without a judge’s approval. Government lawyers say this category of information includes the addresses to which an Internet user sends e-mail; the times and dates e-mail was sent and received; and possibly a user’s browser history. It does not include, the lawyers hasten to point out, the “content” of e-mail or other Internet communication. [Washington Post]
Can they even do that? (I believe they just did.)
And one more wrinkle. With the advent of “Minority Report” predictive policing utilizing algorithms and the like such as the UK’s CRUSH (Criminal Reduction Utilising Statistical History) as well as NSA mass vacuuming of metadata, not to mention the data and information that you’ve most probably consented to being uploaded and utilized by virtue of your mobile phone and cloud agreements, citizens may very well have consented to the government’s access to everything and anything thus obviating the necessity of even advancing a preliminary probable cause determination.
Cue Taps. Probable cause is sadly becoming an historical vestige, an anachronism. Diluted and disposed of, whose utility and protections have been obliterated through our hysteria over terrorism and the public’s acceptance of and habituation to ubiquitous, Panopticon surveillance.
Probable cause. So long, old friend. | <urn:uuid:7729546b-74de-4183-aa94-fc83415bc1be> | https://lionelmedia.com/category/essays-and-articles/ | en | 0.949351 | 0.020632 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Neopets Stock Market
Neopets Stock Market
Ever heard of the Neopets Stock Market? Want to earn millions on the Neopets Stock Market? Read through this guide on the Neopets Stock Market to find everything you need to know in order to get those millions!
When you are at the “Home” page these are the links that you will come across (Except for Bargain). Each will be critically analysed for you to read. If you do not want to know what each button is used for the just ctrl + A and ctrl F and type in “Make Millions.”
Home | Find Stocks | News/Research | Profile | Message Board
My Portfolio | Buy | Help | Bargain
As mentioned this is the Home button and is quite useless. There is no reason for you to really press this button as the above buttons will be on every page except for the Message Board.
Find Stocks
You are able to search for specific stocks in the search bar or you can click on the link that is highlighted ( better yet just click it here) to search for every single stock that is available. They are in alphabetical order if that is what you want. You can go through the prices on the stocks to pick which one you want to buy.
These are the current stocks as of the 3rd of November 2016:
17-1 EEEEE 19 DROO
6 HUW
20 FAER
11 PEOP 12 TAG
26 VPTS 15 TPEG 14 TPP
This is another useless button. If you are wanting to make those millions you are not needing to be here. BUT if you are wanting to have a read of useless information then go for it!
This is where you are able to search for specific stock’s information. For instance, if you search for AAVL then this will appear ( minus the question mark but this will be explained down the track):
Message Board
Wondering whether to sell? Or what Stock to invest in? This is the place to ask. There are so many helpful Neopians here that would be more than happy to inform you. Just create a title, ask your question or view the titles that are available for you already.
My Profile
This is the most important link to press! This is where you can see all your stocks in one place. Better yet- A place where you can see your Neopoints increasing (or if you are unlucky decreasing.)
You are able to buy more of the same Stock here, or sell your Stocks- This will be explained very soon!
You are either able to buy stocks that you know the Ticker Symbol or clicking the click to list button will take you back to the “Find Stocks” page. The best list to buy stocks though is the Bargain list.
This button will direct you to the Help support page where three main questions will come up:
1. What are stocks? – Pretty much they are a Neopoint investment opportunity. You buy “shares” of a company. Those shares are worth NP and depending upon how well the company goes will depend upon how much those shares go up and down ( how much NP you will make.)
2. Where is the Stock Market? …Does it really matter. Its located at the Home button, that’s really all you need to know
3. What’s a Ticker Symbol? They are an abbreviation of the company name. Example: BB is Breadmasters Bakeries.
That is correct, this is the Bargain list. One of the only links you should be looking at daily. This is the list where you will be able to see Stocks ordered in price.
How to Use Neopets Stock Market to Make Millions/Buying Stocks
Firstly you need to be in the Bargain area of the Neopets Stock Market. This is what you will see when you press the button.
You will only be able to buy stocks that are currently 15np’s and above. For maximum price increase try to only buy them at 15-16np’s. Each stock will change in price every 30 minutes throughout the day. So if there are no shares under 16np’s just wait, something will drop or rise to your target area.
*Note: The only time that you are able to buy under 15np’s is when you have won in the Battle of the Oblelisk and chosen the “Cheaper By The Dozen” boon.
This will allow you to buy stocks that are at 10np’s or higher.
You are only able to buy up to 1000 shares each day. So you can choose whether you wish to put it in one Ticker Symbol or more.
For example:
I will choose HUW because it is at 15np per share. I want to buy 1000 of these. So I click on the abbreviated name (HUW) and it will prompt me to this page:
It will show me the name of the share, information about it and underneath what other shares that same company owns and what price it is selling their other shares at.
I would click on “Huberts Hot Dogs” and it will prompt me to another page asking how much I would want. This is where I type in how many shares I want.
As soon as I press “Buy Shares” I would spent my 1000 shares. If you wish to spread out your 1000 shares than that is fine.
You do need to know how much Neopoints to have out though. If you buy 1000 shares at 15np per share you would work it out by calculating: 15x 1000 = 15,000np.
The more your share costs the more NP you will have to spend (that is why it is good to get the boon when it is available.)
Once you have bought your shares you will be directed to your profile where you will be able to see all your shares and how much you have bought in each.
My Profile ( Once you have Shares)
Once you have shares you will see the following:
Icon: The image of the Share. Ticker: Is the Abbreviated name. Open: What the cost was at midnight NST.
Current Price: This is the current price. Chg: What the company has gained or lost. Qty: How many of that stock you have.
Paid: How much you have paid. Mkt Value: What the currently worth. % Change: How much you have lost or gained.
All the way down the bottom of all your shares that you collect will be the following totals (This is an example and yours will look different):
(200,000) – Shows the amount of share you have collected. (3,062,000)– The amount you have spent
(3,098,000)– The amount your stocks are currently worth ( +1.18%) – The percentage you have gained/lost
The thing is with the Neopets Stock Market is that you have to be patient for a big change with the stocks. Sometimes it can take a few days, months or even years for there to be a good increase in Neopoints. A lot of people sell once the Current Price reaches 60np. Others will sell lower or even higher.
Once you wish to sell there are two things to remember:
1. You need to have out 20np for a fee to sell.
2. Make sure you are getting a profit from selling. There is no point selling at 8np per share if you bought it for 15np. Just keep waiting for it rise.
To sell all you need to do is click on the button on the side for your shares to drop down. Type in how many of that share you want to sell. This image shows that the person owns 1000 shares paid at 15, and now they wish to sell 1000 and the Current price is 50np. Can you work out how much they will get? Once you know you wish to sell them then press “Sell Shares.”
The next screen will appear. Telling you how much you sold, how much you had previously and how much you now have in your hand.
(Was your answer correct with 49,980np?)
If you do not know whether to sell or not just have a look at the message boards. People will be discussing how much they are selling, what a good target for selling is and what the current market price is. You can also see whether your stock has gone up or down during the day to see if it hasn’t reach its peak or if it has an is dropping again.
The Neopets Stock Market is used mainly for long term investments.
Do not expect to be a millionaire over night. Some stocks do not double your amount of NP for years.
Try to spread out your shares to different Ticker Symbols if available.
Finally, remember that there are helpful people on the Neoboards for your Neopets Stock Market needs.
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Recently, I have been asked many times how Ansible can help maintain a naming convention when creating volumes, so today I will show a quick example of variable building.
Let’s say I want my volume name to be <vserver>_<aggr>_<volume name>, and I have the following variables set in a playbook.
vserver: vserver1
aggr: aggr1
vol: vol1
I can join the variables to create the desired volume name using the name parameter of the na_ontap_volume module.
name: “{{ vserver }}_{{ aggr }}_{{ vol }}”
Now any time I use a playbook with these entries, my volume will always be named along the lines of my naming convention. Anything in my “” contained in {{}} will replace with a variable, and anything outside the {{}}s will be a literal string.
Try out your own combinations and see how you can build up any naming convention you use. As usual join me on Slack if you have any questions about this or any other Ansible issues to discuss.
David Blackwell on Linkedin
David Blackwell
Technical Marketing Engineer at NetApp
David is a twenty year IT veteran who has been an admin for just about every aspect of a DataCenter at one time or another. When not working, or tinkering with new software at home, David spends most of his free time with his five year old son and his lovely wife.
Pin It on Pinterest | <urn:uuid:1f69676d-bb49-4e69-801b-af5a84e0d1bf> | https://netapp.io/2019/11/05/a-rose_aggr1_test_vol/ | en | 0.858673 | 0.069508 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
I was really looking forward to this game until about half way through 2008. Then I realized that Blizzard was having trouble with the development and setting good priorities. In Beta, the multiplayer was underwhelming due to a simplistic metagame/balance model based around tier 2 10 minute pushes with very little need for creative tactics. But I banked on the campaign saving the experience. After playing to the end, I realize that the dream of SC2 was a sham. The campaign is chock full of boring filler and the storytelling and writing are completely unimaginative and uninvolving. I feel like I care less about and know less about the starcraft universe and storyline after playing the campaign than before. I'm not going to go into any more detail because the game doesn't warrant it. We all loved BW, and as a graphical update of BW, SC2 is fine. When someone makes a remake of the BW campaigns and multiplayer balance in the SC2 engine, I will play that to death, probably for another 12 years, but as far as the new content created for sc2, it can blow me.
5/10 for a solid game engine and lousy creativity. | <urn:uuid:8e383004-4561-4beb-933f-e127797c6860> | https://sclegacy.com/forums/showthread.php?6176-AFXFTW-s-short-review&s=42014c33cac2d2cf58bbddeabf27eef0 | en | 0.983363 | 0.01883 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Retail analytics is a data driven intelligence, providing insights about customer behavior. For supermarkets, short queues and high customer service levels are some of the ways to build customer loyalty.
Discover the popular areas and aisles your customers are being attracted to within your supermarket and eliminate dead zones. With Vemcount, you’ll get a tool that helps you optimize conversion rates, product placements, store layout and marketing activities.
Generate real time alerts to know when to open a new checkout counter, reducing queue lengths and waiting time.
How Vemcount benefits Supermarkets
Measure visitor traffic and explore peak times per year, month, week and hour to deploy staff more effectively and to forecast queue demand
Monitor performance and generate real-time alerts, when a count exceeds a certain level, e.g. queue length and allocate staff accordingly
Identify the percentage of shop-in-shop visitors whom also enter the supermarket
Exclude or get separate counts for children and adults, and discover the gender distribution to profile customers even better
Get a visual view of traffic flows to understand visitor traffic patterns from a single to multiple supermarkets
Identify and exclude staff and irrelevant objects from counts, such as shopping carts for more valid data
Measure occupancy in your supermarket and its zones to identify hot and cold areas and rate the popularity of departments based on visitors
Measure conversion rate when integrating with POS data and find out what is spend per customer
Get the average dwell time spent in a zone for each visitor, measure queue length, average wait time before being served and customer interaction level to increase customer service levels
Rank your supermarkets’ performance based on visitors and sales data
Let’s have a chat about how
we can accelerate your business | <urn:uuid:4d45f5e3-2452-4f8c-80f1-84d1f1dde132> | https://vemcogroup.com/industries/supermarket | en | 0.903565 | 0.439461 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Take a Peek
21st Century Skills
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
21st century skills comprise skills, abilities, and learning dispositions that have been identified as being required for success in 21st century society and workplaces by educators, business leaders, academics, and governmental agencies. This is part of a growing international movement focusing on the skills required for students to master in preparation for success in a rapidly changing, digital society. Many of these skills are also associated with deeper learning, which is based on mastering skills such as analytical reasoning, complex problem solving, and teamwork. These skills differ from traditional academic skills in that they are not primarily content knowledge-based.
During the latter decades of the 20th century and into the 21st century, society has undergone an accelerating pace of change in economy and technology. Its effects on the workplace, and thus on the demands on the educational system preparing students for the workforce, have been significant in several ways. Beginning in the 1980s, government, educators, and major employers issued a series of reports identifying key skills and implementation strategies to steer students and workers towards meeting the demands of the changing workplace and society.
The current workforce is significantly more likely to change career fields or jobs. Those in the Baby Boom generation entered the workforce with a goal of stability; subsequent generations are more concerned with finding happiness and fulfillment in their work lives. Young workers in North America are now likely to change jobs at a much higher rate than previously, as much as once every 4.4 years on average. With this employment mobility comes a demand for different skills, ones that enable people to be flexible and adaptable in different roles or in different career fields.
6cs at WAE
Design Thinking
Design thinking is a great tool that is used at Walnut Acres to help students develop the necessary 21st Century skills.
"Design thinking is a mindset and approach to learning, collaboration, and problem solving. In practice, the design process is a structured framework for identifying challenges, gathering information, generating potential solutions, refining ideas, and testing solutions. Design Thinking can be flexibly implemented; serving equally well as a framework for a course design or a roadmap for an activity or group project." (Design Thinking in Education. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2019, from
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Report Abuse / Rule Violation
Use of the Report Abuse feature to "prove a point", annoy the mods, or anything else other than to alert the mods to posts that you believe should be deleted will result in a penalty.
In addition, please understand that the moderators collectively read somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15% of the total posts on the board. Whining about how we haven't already deleted something (that we probably didn't see) is a sure way to annoy us.
You are reporting a rule violation for the following message by run26:
sometimes the original version of a car is still the best even 50 years later
You are not allowed to report abuse right now. | <urn:uuid:ff28d090-4411-47c7-924e-8b1ae75636b2> | https://www.cougarboard.com/board/report.html?type=board&id=23019158 | en | 0.959103 | 0.961495 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Rare Find!
I can’t say enough about our experience with Sarah! She is so incredibly knowledgeable in the industry. She took the time to explain things in detail and make sure that we felt completely comfortable along the way. I was extremely impressed with the level of communication we received throughout our process. I recommend Sarah to anyone buying or selling a home, she is truly a rare find! | <urn:uuid:c1fea049-99e6-4229-8c70-bbfe212b9383> | https://www.flatrockrealty.net/testimonial/rare-find/ | en | 0.988443 | 0.075368 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Our cities need to future-proof infrastructure to cater for those using alternative forms of transport
THERE are few debates more controversial than the one happening on our roads between cyclists and drivers. Here are a few points in cyclists’ favour.
news.com.auAugust 7, 20152:16pm
You can’t be angry we are on the roads when you don’t offer us bike paths.Source:News Corp Australia
OWNING a bicycle and using it as your main mode of transport makes you an awesome human.
I know this because I ride to work every day, which means I am essentially the Cadel Evans of news.com.au.
Just to clarify, despite my hipster attributes I don’t own a single speed fixie, nor am I one of those lyrca-clad cyclists loitering inside your local cafes.
However, I have nothing against those riders because we are all part of collective changing the world for the better.
This is why I am shocked to find cities are not working harder to future-proof infrastructure to cater for those using alternative forms of transport.
In fact, last week the New South Wales state government started removing a bike path from Sydney’s central business district to create another lane for cars.
The Save College St Cycleway group said the decision was “single largest backward step for cycling in this country for 20 years” and I have to agree.
Workman busy ripping up the cycleway on College St. Picture: Gordon McComiskie
Workman busy ripping up the cycleway on College St. Picture: Gordon McComiskieSource:News Corp Australia
With population growth and urbanisation of cities imminent, we need to have infrastructure that finds a balance between cars, bicycles, pedestrians and public transport.
I admit cities are getting better at compensating for bike riders and a decent chunk of my commute is ridden on a dedicated cycle way.
However, those parts of my commute without bike paths are downright scary at best.
Not only am I subject to constant abuse from angry motorists obviously feeling guilty about the poisonous fumes they are sending into the atmosphere, but I am filled with the constant fear of being run down by a car.
That feeling is also shared by my mother who fears her precious son will be collected by a truck while doing an activity to help improve his overall health.
These fears are justified after looking at road fatality statistics obtained from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
This year alone, there has already been 17 bicycle related fatalities around Australia, and there has been 217 recorded deaths since 2010.
While death is obviously the worst case scenario, there are also endless accounts of cyclists being injured from collisions.
One only has to look at recent footage that emerged of a cyclist being hit by a taxi after swerving to avoid an opening car door to see the risks cyclists face when there are no bike lanes.
Partner of Stacks Law Firm Nathan Luke said there has been an increase in cyclist seeking his services following accidents with vehicles in recent times.
“The reality is that cyclists can lawfully use public roads but they do so without the protection of big hunks of metal around them and without seat belts or airbags,” he wrote in a blog post.
“While cyclists should obviously obey the rules of the road to avoid accidents, where there is an accident between a cyclist and a motor vehicle it is the cyclist who faces catastrophic injuries or death and not the other way around.
“We’d rather cyclists weren’t injured on the roads, and that means better safety provisions and more protected bike lanes.”
In addition to the obvious safety benefits to having bike paths, once built they are far easier to maintain because a bicycle does far less damage than a two-tonne vehicle.
This means every bike on the road will eventually be saving tax payers money. You’re welcome.
If you disagree with anything mentioned in this article, feel feel to forward complaints to @mattydunn11
MORE IN innovation | <urn:uuid:a2f04cd0-9b9d-49bf-8133-769dfb7da7ac> | https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/our-cities-need-to-futureproof-infrastructure-to-cater-for-those-using-alternative-forms-of-transport/news-story/f0f400093480c86b4f72e9c5b7ff8b6f | en | 0.957657 | 0.021192 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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News The latest developments in autism research.
Cognition and behavior: Autism linked to focused attention
by / 24 August 2011
Mixed signals: Adults with autism are better able than controls to quickly identify the gender of a name while distracted by a face of the opposite sex.
Children with autism have more trouble switching their focus between sounds and pictures than do typically developing controls or children with intellectual disability, according to a study published 1 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders1.
Similarly, adults with autism are less likely to be distracted by a face than are typically developing controls, according to another study published 24 June in Autism2.
Studies have shown that individuals with autism have difficulty switching their focus between different objects or faces. But it is unclear whether this is a cause or a consequence of the social deficits seen in people with autism.
In the first study, 18 children with autism, 18 intelligence-quotient-matched controls and 18 children with learning disabilities matched by both age and intelligence quotient took three attention tests.
In one, the children had to match the shape pictured on the back of a piece of paper with one of four shapes pictured on the front. In the second, they had to match images with written words. In the third, they looked at a picture showing four different items, such as various animals, and had to match one of those images to a spoken word.
The researchers scored the answers for accuracy and considered a delay of more than six seconds to be a wrong answer.
The children with autism were less accurate than both control groups in all three tasks, the study found. Unlike the controls, they also struggled more with the spoken-word task than with either of the two visual tasks.
The results show that children with autism have trouble switching attention between two modes of stimuli, in this case sight and sound. This could underlie deficits in language, which requires the integration of both types of information, the researchers suggest.
In the second study, 16 adults with autism and 16 controls watched a screen showing a list of nonsense words. In the first part of the experiment, the list also included the name of either a wind or a string instrument. The researchers asked the participants to identify the type of instrument, while a picture of another instrument popped up next to the list.
When there was only one word on the screen, both groups took longer to answer the question when the type of instrument shown did not match the name: for example, the word ‘tuba’ next to the picture of a cello. This suggests that the picture distracted them from focusing on the words.
When there were two to six words in the list, however, the participants were no longer distracted by the image. This suggests that as the task becomes more difficult, individuals are less likely to be distracted.
In the next step, the participants had to identify the gender of a name in another list of nonsense words while distracted by a male or female face. The controls were distracted by a face of the opposite gender from the name even when there were up to six words in the list. By contrast, the participants with autism were only distracted when there were one or two words on the screen.
The results suggest that faces are especially distracting to typical individuals, but not to people with autism.
1. Reed P. and J. McCarthy J. Autism Dev. Disord. Epub ahead of print (2011) PubMed
2. Remington A. et al. Autism Epub ahead of print (2011) PubMed | <urn:uuid:89eab0cd-d48a-45dd-a120-fa417cb0a0a2> | https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/cognition-and-behavior-autism-linked-to-focused-attention/ | en | 0.973234 | 0.064 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Future Tech
February 25, 2014
Future Tech
February 25, 2013
7000 Years in the Making
For over 7000 years the greatest minds of mankind have wrestled with the great cosmic question – what is the universe and what, if any, is mankind's place in it?
Today more than ever humankind may be close to that ultimate answer. Paul Davies, an English-born physicist and current professor at Arizona State University, has tackled this question head on. Following the pioneering steps of such vanguard theorists as David Birnbaum and Simon Morris, Davies explores the intellectual landscape in his groundbreaking The Goldilocks Enigma: Why is the Universe Just Right for Life? (Mariner Books, 2007). He elaborates on the question of whether the universe itself was designed in such a way as to make humanity inevitable.
The Weak and Strong Anthropic Principle
Two central concepts in the argument over humankind's necessity in the universe are the
weak and strong anthropic principles. The weak anthropic principle is the argument that life's emergence in the universe was happenstance and accidental. This principle is a core tenant of older theories, such as Randomness, which assert that all cosmic existence is utterly random and without purpose – just the result of a passive selection mechanism.
In contrast, the strong anthropic principle asserts that the emergence of life is inevitable because it is built into the basic laws of the universe. That is to say, that the very laws of nature overwhelmingly have guided the universe to create intelligent life. This would be central to Davies' concept of the Goldilocks Enigma that the universe had to be just right for life to have spawned and that with so many random factors at work, it would be absurd to think it could have occurred by sheer luck. As Cambridge biologist Simon Conway Morris puts it, “There is, if you like, seeded into the initiation of the universe itself the inevitability of intelligence.
The quantum argument
The strong anthropic principle can sound absurd to modern scientists. There is an intrinsic bias towards disregarding life as a fundamental part of the universe. This has been ingrained by the long-standing reign of Randomness. But the strong principle actually has a sound grounding in modern physics. It can be observed most strongly in quantum physics.
In quantum physics, it is accepted theory that observation affects the results of experimentation. More to the point, observing a phenomenon is actually a causal factor in its achieving a particular outcome. One of the most popularly adhered-to ideas to explain this oddity is quantum multiverse. In a quantum multiverse, there are an infinite number of parallel universes which can potentially exist.
When an observer measures the results of a quantum decision, they, in effect, force nature to make a decision. For instance, say an electron is knocked away from an atom and it can leave in a trajectory to the left or right. In quantum mechanics the direction it takes is indeterminate. Not only can the electron exist either to the left or right, but until it is measured, it exists in both places. Only when it is observed, will it finally come to exist in one place or another.
In a quantum multiverse, what is happening is that the uncertainty of direction splits the universe in two, one where the electron goes left, one where it goes right. The act of observing in and of itself forces the observer to choose a particular universe of existence. If the observer sees the electron on the left, then that is the universe which the electron continues existing in. By the laws of quantum multiversing, the universe expands infinitely and at all times in reaction to these uncertainty choices resolving. The theory sounds odd, of course, but this isn't philosophy – this is the current state of the science of quantum physics.
What is interesting is the interaction of observation. Observation is necessarily carried out by something aware – something that thinks. For quantum multiversing to function properly, humankind must be a part of the universe to drive the observation – hence, humankind would need to be a fundamental part of the universe for it to work properly.
This likewise highlights another theory, that proposed by private scholar David Birnbaum. In his theory of Potentialism, he cites as one of the key strengths of the universe, it's Infinite Potential. This is reflected quite clearly in the multiversing paradigm. Humankind's observational power not only displays the ability to affect the universe, but also to shape the multiplicity of infinite quantum parallel multiverses.
Life and intelligence as a part of physical reality
An important key to legitimizing the importance of life and intelligence in the cosmic order is being able to identify it as a valid, physical force in the universe. This is not so hard a task as it might seem at first. The study of thought and, by extension, spirituality remain squarely in the domain of philosophy, spirituality and religion. This is so because there is no science currently at hand which can quantify and measure such phenomena.
What is commonly incorrectly assumed though is that since something can't be quantified it cannot be proven to exist. This could not be further from the truth. Thought can be shown to be as fundamental a force in the universe as mass or electricity.
Take a simple example of throwing a ball. If one picks up a ball and tosses it, on the surface the cause and effect seem obvious – the thrower is the cause, the ball sailing through the air is the result. This is not the case though. The original impetus, the prime mover that caused the reaction was the conscious decision of someone to throw the ball. Viewed properly, the throw itself, while the cause of the ball's motion, is also the effect of the person's decision to take the action of throwing. The thought is the prime mover in the action, the throwing is further down the sequence of events. Without the person's conscious decision to take action, the ball never would have moved.
Similarly, conscious thought can describe order in more intricate actions where the lack of conscious design would make the actions seem random and pointless. Consider a scenario Davies illustrates of a person cooking supper. To an observer, they would see ingredients being moved about, spices chosen, heat applied to ingredients after mixing... None of the actions, in and of themselves, make sense outside the context of conscious thought. It is the cook's decision to make supper that is the designer and prime mover of all the resulting actions. It is what makes sense of what is occurring.
This is the reason Randomness and Teleology (the theory that the universe moves with intent and willful purpose to evolve) differ so much in their tenants. Randomness sees only mathematical unpredictability in the universe. Since they cannot predict individual events with certainty, they conclude that all actions in the universe occur without reason.
When adding consciousness to the cosmic equation though, new possibilities for order come to light. While the pure mathematics of Randomness tries to calculate a formula for when cumin or oregano will be lifted from the spice cabinet, Teleology understands that Randomness never asked the simplest question of all – what is the universe cooking currently? There is no randomness involved at all. The observer just hasn't understood what the recipe is.
The future of cosmology
Mind is a physical force in the universe. Not only does it have measurable impact, but quantum physics has shown its necessity in quantum phenomena and the great power it has over sculpting our universe. Previous tools such as Randomness, fail in their determining the ultimate nature of the universe because they fail to account for the significant place of thought both as a physical force and its role as a prime mover. Moreover, this prime mover, can give light to the seeming randomness of creation by describing the teleologically driven path the universe proceeds along. After seven millennia, mankind is only now emerging to understand the central place they inhabit in the grand order of cosmology.
Mind and consciousness
But what impetus led to the emergence of mind and consciousness? Indeed, what impetus ignited the universe? What impetus is driving the entire cosmic dynamic? Is there a direction to the cosmos?
Of course these questions and variations thereof have bedeviled mankind for thousands of years. Conceptual theorist David Birnbaum of Manhattan has proposed a dynamic – which has tantalized the global academic and theological community – which just-so-happens to succinctly and simultaneously resolves all these questions. Plus about a dozen other hitherto intractable issues.
Birnbaum’s proposed Quest for Potential** uniquely scientifically elegantly answers these questions. Birnbaum’s shorthand notation for Quest for Potential** is Q4P**. Per Birnbaum, eternal Q4P** harnessed the eternal equations of Physics-Math to ignite the cosmic order and thereupon drive it onward and onward towards ever-greater complexity/extraordinariness through this day. Only the Birnbaum formulation (Summa Metaphysica volume I: 1988, volume II: 2005 and volume III: 2014) adequately unifies the disparate cosmic building blocks. Encapsulated in one simple formula Q4P ( Q4P ( Q4P – or Quest for Potential nested infinitely – the Birnbaum formulation succinctly works. Wrapping-around Einstein macro-physics and Planck micro-physics – and lancing the classic Greek metaphysical questions to boot – Potentialism elegantly offers the most powerful and all-encompassing cosmology, to-date, 7,000 years and counting...
Cosmology, Metaphysics & Philosophy: See sample testimonial on Summa Metaphysica, David Birnbaum's philosophy treatise:
“The 21st century has seen a rise in new theories of cosmology. At the forefront has been Potentialism. The theory was developed by independent scholar David Birnbaum of Manhattan [via] his 3-volume treatise Summa Metaphysica. The theory is an iconic paradigm challenge.”
- The Epoch Times, June / 4 / 2014
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The CoBrA Group Collage
The CoBrA Group
Started: 1948
Ended: 1951
The CoBrA Group Timeline
Anonymity is the great hygiene.
Summary of The CoBrA Group
The CoBrA group was a short-lived but highly influential artist collective formed in Paris. Named for the three northern European cities that its founders originated from - Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam - its approximately thirty members became known for their vigorously spontaneous, rebellious style of painting that was heavily inspired by the art of children and the mentally ill. With their intuitive methods, loose, gestural marks and strong colors, CoBrA artists have used of some of the techniques of New York School style of the same era. Yet CoBrA art is more political, and is more sensitive to the huge devastation of the European cities and people after World War II. Their democratic approach to viewing and making was inspired and further expanded what we now call Outsider Art (work made by untrained artists, especially children and the mentally ill) as a serious movement in its own right.
Key Ideas & Accomplishments
• As citizens of three cities that were formerly under Nazi occupation, one of the group's main driving forces was their desire to confront and provide a strong counterpoint to predominant western ideologies that they felt were stuck in a traumatic past - what they called "a world of decors and hollow facades." They thought post-war art movements (especially abstraction and naturalism) were far too sterile and conservative and called for an unencumbered, expressive approach that rebelled against them.
• Rather than looking to artworks in galleries or museums for inspiration, CoBrA artists were heavily influenced by what they called 'uncivilized' creations - embodied in children's art, works by the mentally ill, and "primitivism" (a now-outdated term that refers to the art of ancient societies in Africa and Asia).
• The one preceding movement that the group did consider worthy of attention was Surrealism. As enthusiastic advocates of spontaneity in the art making process, CoBrA artists were especially interested in pushing the boundaries of the Surrealist idea of 'automatism', a technique that required a maker to surrender all command over their art making by allowing the unconscious mind to control their hand as they worked.
• In many ways CoBrA can be defined by what it opposed: the ongoing legacy of classical art on the work of their contemporaries, geometric abstraction and its intense rationality, the dictatorial approach of the Social Realists, and what they saw as the limiting, bourgeois attitude of the conservative French institution, the Ecole de Paris.
• CoBrA artists were very keen on producing collaborative artworks - including murals, prints and publications - as a way of expressing their disdain for individualism and, by extension, the notion of the solo, genius artist (one of the many aspects of the traditional western art canon that they objected to). This in turn was connected to their strong Marxist beliefs, though none of the group shared the political left's fondness for theorizing.
Overview of The CoBrA Group
The CoBrA Group Image
Officially formed in a Parisian café on November 8th, 1948 in a meeting organized by Asger Jorn, CoBrA artists came from three countries - Denmark, Belgium, and Holland - that had been isolated from each other for years under Nazi rule. The group of painters, sculptors, and poets had an unusually large number of founding members, generally agreed to be: Asger Jorn, Carl-Henning Pedersen, Karel Appel, Cornelius Guillaume Van Beverloo (known as Corneille), Christian Dotremont, Constant Anton Nieuwenhuys (Constant) and Henry Heerup.
Do Not Miss
• Situationist International was agroup of social revolutionaries who were avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists that joined to critique capitalism and social issues.
• Fluxus was an international network of artists of the 1960s who worked in fields ranging from music to performance to the visual arts. Taking their name from the Latin 'to flow,' Fluxus artists adopted an often anarchic and satirical approach to conventional forms of art, and their ideas paved the way for Conceptual art.
Important Art and Artists of The CoBrA Group
Questioning Children (1949)
Artist: Karel Appel
As with many of his fellow CoBrA members, Karel Appel took deep inspiration from the violent events of the Second World War. As part of a series of works Appel called his Objets Poubelles (trash objects), he made a relief painting from pieces of discarded wood and a found window shutter that portrays the smiling yet grief-stricken faces of a group of children abandoned after the war. The title has two meanings in its original Dutch - it can alternatively be translated as 'begging children'. The piece's emotive content, its use of found objects and loose, childlike feel offered a distinctive counterbalance to the perceived sterility of conventional Western art shown in the vast majority of museums at the time. As a declared Marxist, one of Appel's missions was to confront national discomfort about recent events head on.
Questioning Children was actually the title given to two artworks by Appel, the other was a highly controversial mural painted in Amsterdam's town hall. The mural version was heavily criticized for making the civil servants who saw it every day uncomfortable by brutally reminding them of a war they had no desire to remember, and was thus covered with wallpaper for ten years after its creation.
Appel's distinctive use of found objects in what he called a 'primitivist' style had a strong influence on artists working later in the century, from the Ameri-Indian inspired sculptures of Jimmie Durham to the neo-expressionist paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
After Us, Liberty (1949)
Artist: Constant Anton Nieuwenhuys (Constant)
In After Us, Liberty, Constant Anton Nieuwenhuys, widely known as Constant, worked in a style that was highly influenced by children's drawing. The mainly black canvas features the heads of bizarre creatures and human-like figures scrawled in oil paint. Constant uses arresting touches of red, white and blue to reference the French tricolor flag and his admiration for its symbolic values of liberty, equality, and brotherhood (hence the 'liberty' of the painting's title). Classical art and its legacy was a particular and enduring enemy for the Dutch artist, and he originally entitled the work To Us, Liberty as a tribute to CoBrA's ethos of creative freedom of expression that broke away from classical norms. He changed the title after becoming disillusioned with the possibility of creating genuinely free art in an unfree society, while still wanting to express his '...hopes for the freedom all men are looking for.'
After Us, Liberty is a key example of Constant's desire to express his political affiliations through his work - ideas that he later built on through his work with the highly politicized Situationist International group. It laid the foundations for contemporary artists whose paintings have a strong sense of their own politics, including the highly charged work of African American artist Nina Chanel Abney, which deals with controversies surrounding police brutality and William Powhida's drawings that reflect on the state of modern US democracy.
The Red Ship (1948)
Artist: Carl-Henning Pedersen
In The Red Ship, Carl-Henning Pedersen uses simple, childlike strokes in primary colors to depict a larger than life character in the foreground, a swaying palm and a rocking red ship - all typical Pedersen motifs inspired by symbols from folklore. The self-taught painter cultivated in an intentionally 'naive' style, and worked on his canvasses rapidly and spontaneously - a result of his close study of the distinctive techniques used by fresco painters in medieval Danish churches.
Pedersen's paintings all had an intensely close relationship with his poetry - both were solidly grounded in the mysterious world of the ancient Gods of the north and revealed the Danish artist's fascination with what he called "fantasy art."
Useful Resources on The CoBrA Group
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Content compiled and written by The Art Story Contributors
Edited and published by The Art Story Contributors
"The CoBrA Group Movement Overview and Analysis". [Internet]. . TheArtStory.org
Content compiled and written by The Art Story Contributors
Edited and published by The Art Story Contributors
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First published on 12 Jan 2017. Updated and modified regularly
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Apple Silicon’s Universal App dream could ruin the MacBook
This week Apple well and truly grabbed the tech world’s attention, unveiling the first wave of its own-brand MacBook and iMac CPUs.
Descriptively named Apple Silicon, the move will see the company move away from Intel chips and adopt its own brand of ARM-based CPUs over the next two years. Sound exciting? It should. This is the same trick Apple pulled with the iPhone and iPad when it debuted its stellar A-series chips, which are leading in their class.
What’s more, according to Apple, because the chips are built on the same architecture they’ll let Apple deliver the tech version of shangri la to developers: Universal apps. For non-techies, this is a common goal Microsoft, Google, Canonical, Apple and pretty much every tech firm under the sun have been working towards for quite some time.
It’s a practice where every app and service runs on a single platform/architecture, so devs can code once and have their wares running on every device in the ecosystem, regardless of if it’s a phone, tablet, laptop or server. This would mean the version of Safari you use on your iPhone, would at its heart be the same as the one on your iMac.
The idea is very cool, and tech will inevitably continue down this path, but for me there’s a BIG issue Apple will have to conquer if it wants the idea to succeed this very second, and it’s not the one most people are crowing about.
Related: Best MacBook 2020
If you follow the tech press you’ll have seen a lot of questions around ARM app support. This is an issue anyone who’s tried a Snapdragon-powered laptop will be aware of. The cliff notes is that because Windows, and its services, aren’t all compatible with Qualcomm’s ARM-based chips, so many won’t run correctly, if at all.
But I can’t see this being as big of a problem with Apple. MacOS has always been a lot more bit agnostic than Windows and Apple is a master at performance optimisations. Which is why I’m more concerned about what in my mind is a way bigger issue: how the universal app strategy will impact Apple devices’ user experiences.
Despite its claims, Apple isn’t the first company to claim to have Universal Apps sorted. Canonical beat it to the punch many moons ago when it released the mobile version of Ubuntu. Here the idea was the same, because the OS is based on the same common code and ARM-friendly, it could offer universal apps across all device categories.
But as I discovered then, this isn’t a silver bullet that actually benefits the user. Moving across my Ubuntu PC, laptop and phone the apps did work, but their UI’s were flawed. Because Ubuntu had tried to get it right across all form-factors it managed to slightly miss the mark on each device type. What’s more, the apps were fairly heavy and didn’t feel optimised for mobile, leading them to be more memory and power hungry than most mobile specific services.
Related: What you need to know about Apple’s ARM MacBook
Sure Apple has deeper pockets than Canonical. And because it controls its hardware it’ll also have a better shot at optimising its wares to work the same on macOS Big Sur iPadOS 14 and iOS 14. But I can’t help but think, at least initially, history will repeat itself and there will inevitably be optimisation problems and UX compromises.
This is especially true given that Apple still has multiple devices without touch screens – Windows 8 acts as a stark reminder how terrible it is to have to use a mouse and keyboard for a touch-focussed UX.
Hopefully, this won’t be the case when we get to try the first MacBook running the new apps on Big Sur with Apple Silicon. But until I see them, I remain sceptical.
| <urn:uuid:8b1bd9a7-9ee5-47e5-8012-bfa5bad76139> | https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/apple-silicons-universal-app-dream-could-ruin-the-macbook-4038619 | en | 0.936571 | 0.05956 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
My Cart
Letter - Ka
Rs. 1,700.00
Sky Blue
Lush Green
Roof Red
Sun Bathed Ochre
Read it, Turn it, flip it, or even hang it upside down, a Malayalam letter is going to intrigue the reader. It does not matter if you can read Malayalam text or are lost in its curves and loops, it would still make sense with its asymmetrical balance.
Dipped in colours that invariably catch the eye, the deep blue sky, lush green, the tiled roof red and the sun bathed ochre. | <urn:uuid:0098a5ab-0c7d-46ef-9c9b-a4eb3f7bac28> | https://www.viakerala.com/collections/malayalam-letters/products/letter-ka | en | 0.908892 | 0.050835 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Self-Portrait Vol. 1-3
Click images to learn more
Self-Portrait Vol. 1
Self-Portrait Vol. 2
Self-Portrait Vol. 3
In the modern world, people interact with three basic environments: nature, commerce and cyberspace. The different connections between human and the three environments depict modern people ourselves. Based on my interpretations and thoughts about the relationships between human and nature, human and commercial life, and human and cyberspace, I developed this series of interactive painting. The brushstrokes of the three paintings transformed from chaotic (nature) to organized (cyberspace), which echo with the development of society. Meanwhile, the transparency represents the distance between modern people and the space respectively.
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A Feminist Perspective on Trumpcare
Rife with problems and gender bias
Although the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017 is rife with problems, one of the most disturbing is its shocking gender bias. But why should we be shocked that the AHCA, or “Trumpcare,” privileges males, as it was crafted by a group of privileged males and is being championed by the most privileged of all, Donald Trump himself?
The House bill now goes to the Senate, where majority leader Mitch McConnell initially convened a healthcare working group composed of 13 men. Amidst criticism, they invited Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WestVirginia) to join, although it is not clear that she will be a regular contributor.
The fact that 13 men, and a woman who may or may not be a regular contributor, are crafting this bill is not the issue, but rather that the architects of the AHCA are treating women as second-class citizens while taking care of their own interests.
While the AHCA maintains the federal provision requiring that insurance companies provide coverage to people regardless of their medical history, states will be allowed to seek a waiver from the federal law. An amendment to the bill appears to allow insurers to charge people more if they have certain pre-existing conditions or even to deny them coverage entirely.
There’s an exhaustive list that penalizes women. Rape and sexual assault themselves are not listed as pre-existing conditions in the proposed bill, yet the most common physical and emotional effects can be used to deny health insurance coverage to women under the proposed law. Research is clear that victims of sexual assault suffer higher rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and sleep disorders—all on the proposed list of pre-existing conditions.
Victims of domestic violence often struggle with these same things. Given that approximately one in six women are sexually assaulted and 30 percent experience domestic violence, the potential impact is huge.
If you have troublesome periods or menstrual irregularities, expect your premiums to go up. Pregnancy and the need for a C-section are also on the list of pre-existing conditions, and premiums for women who have given birth might be as much as four times higher than for men. In case it’s not yet clear – only women menstruate and get pregnant.
The bill would also allow insurers to opt-out of what Obamacare considered the 10 essential health benefits, or services that all insurance plans must cover. These include maternity and newborn care, preventive care like mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, birth control, and access to free or low-cost breast pumps. Before Obamacare, 62 percent of healthcare insurance plans available on the individual market did not cover maternity care, and only nine states mandated maternity coverage.
The AHCA will defund Planned Parenthood for one year and blocks that agency from receiving Medicaid reimbursements. That essentially eliminates birth control access and sexually transmitted infection screenings for an estimated 390,000 low-income women. About half of the 2.5 million patients who visit Planned Parenthood centers every year rely on Medicaid for their health coverage.
The champions of Trumpcare really don’t seem to get it. Or maybe they do, and just don’t care. Rep. John Shimkus questioned why men have to pay for prenatal care, while White House press secretary Sean Spicer even joked that older men didn’t need maternity care. Funny? Not so much.
At the same time, the architects of the bill deliberately left erectile dysfunction off the list of pre-existing conditions. So, being a woman is a chronic medical condition that must be controlled by men but getting an erection (or not) is protected. If we ever needed more proof that men think with one head more than the other, look no further.
This healthcare bill will continue to entrench male superiority, to the detriment of more than half of the country’s population.
| <urn:uuid:081beeb4-dd1a-4ac5-bfbf-a975ed46a565> | http://m.portlandobserver.com/news/2017/jun/13/feminist-perspective-trumpcare/ | en | 0.951451 | 0.066785 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Driving across the rural parts of America you'll undoubtedly notice the large number of churches that use their signs to try and draw people into their church with a joke or a pun or some good old fashioned fire and brimstone fear. The problem is, the comedy stylings of most church pastors is kind of like a combination of Yakov Smirnoff and Rush Limbaugh. You either get the world's crappiest puns or some sort of evil, hate filled message that's supposed to scare you into attending, or a totally awesome unintentional double entrendre. Either way, these signs are the only interesting thing to look at when you're driving from Pennsylvania to Colorado.
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anney on Apr 16, 2009, 10:58:00 PM
It's a shame that some people are trying to be funny but I find it offensive to others. I wonder how they could come up with crazy church signs and still get people to enter their church. By the way, I checked out your facebook link and saw your profile photo. You are very pretty and sexy!
Sera Melinda on Apr 17, 2009, 5:39:00 PM
I think they're just being creative. And they think that would attract more people to come to their church (probably it'd attract tourists :) | <urn:uuid:779e5f39-0db0-46e9-a66a-eb1774ee7992> | http://pictovista.blogspot.com/2009/04/do-you-still-want-to-go-to-church-after.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive2&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1325350800000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1238518800000 | en | 0.960593 | 0.212629 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
[google6a7b7d93c7100df5.html] Sunshine's Creations.Vintage Threads Inc.com: Button, button who's got the button?
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Thursday, November 16, 2006
Button, button who's got the button?
So this morning I was looking to put a button in my mother of pearl button boxes.
I sort my buttons by what they are made of like plastic, metal, glass, MOP, shank and holes. It was a big mistake to try and put this one button away. I should have just left it alone all by itself in a random box. In the process of figuring out which box it went in I dumped both. Nothing like 4,000-5,000 buttons that need to be sorted into categories like : shank, four hole, two hole, one hole, colors, and vintage glass and metal. This made it so almost nothing got done for the day. But now I have nice little plastic round containers, grocery store find (actually medicine bottles), to separate the shanks and I am stringing the ones with holes that have a pair the ones that are one of a kind are just sorted by color and amount of holes or shank style. So at least next time it won't be such a mess. I guess it is good that this happened, in a way. I am about two-thirds the way through with straightening them. Almost done. Yeah!!!!!!!
1. Oh my! I thought it was bad when I dumped some beads, but all those buttons!
Curious what the medicine things cost. I've bought the stackers in Michael's, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, and Cabela's. They've ranged fronm $1.99-$3.99 for the small size, which it looks like these are.
2. Hey Sunshine - I tried to send you a reply to your comment over at my site and the email wouldn't go through. But seeing as your post here is about your button woes, I'll just quote myself from that email, cuz it applies,
"Here's a thought - you could experiment with gluing buttons onto cards. The red, turquoise and orange buttons in the photo were glued to their cards instead of stitched. I haven't pulled them off yet and seen how well they clean up, but I think they'll be fine. Maybe white glue, like Elmer's?"
Yah, it's odd to quote myself, but easier than rethinking things, right?
3. I noticed I have that problem on some blogs that is why I always put my link at the bottom of my post so if someone wants to answer a question for me or has a question we can still get in contact with each other. thanks for the thought I will probably mill both ideas over for a bit. As that is a real hugh project. Not sure I want to go there just yet.
Copyright/permissions info
I like to share on this space my ideas and projects.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011
Quidditch Isn't A Well-Designed Game
Blar said...
Have you come across Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality already, or do I get to be the first to recommend it to you? It belongs to the category "Harry Potter fanfiction", but it's full of science and rationality and excellent sci-fi/fantasy writing. Harry is completely different from Rowling's version, reminiscent of a young John Stuart Mill. Here's an excerpt where he gives his take on the sport of Quidditch (it begins with Harry speaking to Ron):
Toast said...
Seriously, dude?
low-tech cyclist said...
Yeah, I couldn't help but notice that myself when reading the books.
You want to know my biggest problem with the series, though? Harry and friends' fetish, in the final volume, with keeping underage Hogwarts students out of the battle.
I mean, where did this shit come from? Harry, Hermione, and Ron have been fighting Voldemort since they were eleven years old, but all of a sudden, with the fate of the wizarding world on the line, everyone sixteen and under (most significantly Ginny Weasley) has to be tucked away from the fighting.
They're deprived of agency in the battle that will determine whether or not they'll be Voldemort's slaves for whatever portion of their natural lives Voldy lets them live. That makes no sense at all.
wsn said...
I thought this too, but in one of the books I remember Harry having to wait until Gryffindor scored a certain amount of points more than the competition so that G could win the tournament, not just the game.
Which I took to mean that the cup standings take into account all points scored, not just snitch points. So you still want to score points.
I'm not sure whether or how win/losses count in the standings though.
Garrett said...
If you would do your research then you'd know that muggle quidditch's rules state that the snitch is only worth 30 points, making it important, but not an almost absolute win if caught. Many times in Muggle Quidditch has the snitch been caught and the other team one. So it really isn't all that flawed. | <urn:uuid:4bfa68e7-1812-4e77-9331-84ca6f9ca862> | http://www.donkeylicious.com/2011/10/quidditch-isnt-well-designed-game.html?showComment=1319832747112 | en | 0.96905 | 0.449052 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Sunday, August 7, 2016
Sharing Stigma: Pitbulls and People with Co-Occurring Disorders
Gator, a Boxer/Pit mix and Zeus, a Pit, are anxious awaiting a treat for sitting still long enough to take a photo.
I never realized how much my role of a pit bull owner and my role of a co-occurring substance abuse specialist would intertwine.
“Aren’t you scared they are going to turn on you?”
“They are so violent!”
“They are just bad. You can’t fix them.”
“Aren’t you scared for your family?”
“Lost causes.”
Those are all statements that I have heard in regards to when people learn I’m a Pitbull Mama and work with people with co-occurring disorders. The fear and ignorance surrounding both pitbulls and people with co-occurring disorders is astounding. However, I do see how pitbulls and people with co-occurring disorders are alike.
Both are perceived as dangerous and violent but typically have big hearts and treat you with the same amount of respect that you treat them with.
Both are misunderstood and often times are given up on because of this reason alone.
Both are extremely resilient and can live happy, healthy lives after experiencing heartbreaking conditions.
Both possess incredible amounts of strength. Pits have massive amounts of physical strength while people with a co-occurring disorder have immense strength for daily working towards recovery.
Both have been victims of the media painting less than accurate portraits of them.
Both need advocates to help dispel some of the inaccurate stereotypes and discrimination against them.
Both don’t need to be fixed. They need to be loved, appreciated, supported, and respected.
So, yea. Pitbulls and people with a co-occurring disorder ARE alike….and I’m lucky enough to be able to be in their lives daily.
Zeus is also a suicide prevention advocate. Here he is at the Cape Girardeau Out of the Darkness Walk with my husband and son.
1. Fantastic read! The correlation is true. Imagine what the world would be like if we put aside our judgment and discrimination all around.
2. They feel lost and are constantly looking for a solution. When we are not able to achieve what we aim for, we tend to think that we are useless. Kinesiologie Zürich
3. You can be giving other animals a chance to have a good home by doing business with an animal shelter. I love pitbulls | <urn:uuid:7f380573-8c86-4b43-a2b8-7ce422e133ed> | http://www.listeningsaveslives.net/2016/08/sharing-stigma-pitbulls-and-people-with.html?showComment=1505644442678 | en | 0.96263 | 0.150498 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Comparing Railroads
(click on the picture for a bigger view)
-Guangshen has both freight and passenger service in China
Talk to Nate about the railroad industry
Disclosure: No positions
1. Of course there is interest in your spread sheet ... could you please make a google doc ? thanks
As a payback (for sharing the google doc) I am ready to run other screens etc for you or discuss / work with you on stock scrutiny ...analysis
2. QR National in Australia. Was privatized in 2010, so there isn't much trading history. Also, they still have legacy contracts below market prices.
3. Thanks for the comment about QR National in Australia. One of the companies listed Genesee and Wyoming owns a large line in Australia. It looks like the line is 2,200 km and spans from Adelaide up to Darwin.
Australian railroads are similar to US railroads in the sense that they mostly cover longer hauls and freight. Although Australia has a strange track arrangement where some of the lines are open access and any railroad can use them. Almost like public roads, it's a fascinating concept. | <urn:uuid:e10a8db3-097f-4cb0-9e2e-454981f2b25c> | http://www.oddballstocks.com/2011/09/comparing-railroads.html | en | 0.957262 | 0.091222 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
For Debtors
You are a Debtor if...
• You are a person or organization that has borrowed money from another party.
Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN)
Debtors can now request to receive orders and court-generated notices by email. It's FAST, FREE, and CONVENIENT! Learn More | <urn:uuid:84b3d0fa-270d-4064-889e-371060935aaa> | http://www.wawb.uscourts.gov/for-debtors | en | 0.945771 | 0.997535 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Is Coffee Good For Your Health
Is Coffee Good For Your Health? Find Out Here!
Is Coffee Good For Your Health?
Coffee has become a ubiquitous part of almost all of our lives, but it is really good for our health? Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, with almost 2 billion cups consumed internationally every day. With 95 million cups drank in the UK each day, have you considered what the health benefits and drawbacks to coffee really are?
Is Coffee a Fat Burner?
There have been several scientific studies in mice, humans, and cells in dishes that suggest that caffeine can aid in the metabolism of fat in brown adipose tissue. Humans have two types of cells in which fat is stored: white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. In white adipose tissue, fat is stored in one single droplet. In brown adipose tissue, however, many smaller oily droplets are stored along with numerous mitochondria, which are the parts of cells that generate energy and heat.
As we age, brown adipose tissue fades away and becomes replaced predominately by white adipose tissue. That is not to say that we lose all of our brown adipose tissue completely, however. In these scientific studies, participants that drank a caffeinated drink during exercise as compared to drinking only water generated much more heat. Generating more heat suggests the breaking down of brown adipose tissue. While this is not conclusive evidence that coffee or caffeine can help you to lose fat, it does suggest the possibility that it can do so.
All this is to say that caffeine stimulates thermogenesis in your body, which is the process by which you body generates heat and energy from digesting food. By stimulating thermogenesis, of course some fat will be burned, but caffeine is in no way a permanent or particularly healthy way to lose weight and keep it off.
So, why then do so many people anecdotally claim that coffee or caffeine has helped them to lose weight? The answer may lie in caffeine’s psychological effects instead of its chemical and biological properties. In moderation, caffeine in coffee can suppress your appetite, so that you are eating less than you normally would. In this way, caffeine is not directly doing anything to burn fat, but your body is burning fat anyway because you are not eating.
Can Coffee Help Lose Belly Fat?
Today, the wellness industry and online marketplaces have taken advantage of these numerous fat burning scientific studies to sell caffeine supplements and other caffeine products to help their customers lose weight.
The hard truth is that there is no conclusive evidence that caffeine or coffee will help you to lose fat, especially belly fat. Some contradictory studies have even suggested that decaffeinated coffee may be more effective at burning fat that caffeinated coffee is, however the jury is still out on whether drinking coffee consistently can help you to burn fat.
If you like your daily cup or two of coffee, however, you should not feel the need to give it up. When used in moderation by healthy people, caffeine is safe. Consume less than 400 mg every day and you should see no adverse side effects (the average cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine).
If you consume too much caffeine, however, you may start to notice adverse side effects such as anxiousness, nausea, insomnia, and increased blood pressure. Stick to less than three cups of coffee per day and you should continue to reap the benefits of caffeine and avoid some of the side effects that can come with its over consumption.
Can Coffee Make You Gain Belly Fat?
While caffeine may not make you gain any belly fat, speciality coffee beverages can definitely do so. Coffee drinks like sugary lattes and high in fat frappuccinos can definitely contribute to fat weight gain because of the additives in them, not because of their caffeine content. Added sugars and fat can definitely make you gain weight so if you drink too many of these speciality drinks, you may notice weight gain, not weight loss.
All in all, moderate caffeine consumption may aid in reducing fat, but it is in no way a cure-all or a weight loss secret. There is no scientific evidence that caffeine aids in dramatic fat burning, nor does it seem to cause people to gain fat if it is consumed on a regular basis. If you enjoy daily coffees or the occasional speciality sugary drink, you should really not notice a difference in your weight. When caffeine is consumed in coffee in moderation, it can be incorporated into a very healthy lifestyle.
Make certain that you do not fall prey to seductive online advertisements for caffeine supplements that can aid in weight loss or other similar products. At their best, they will not help you lose weight and at their worst, they could actually affect your health in an adverse way.
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Not that I’m festive about these shenanigans, but, let’s just say Another February 14th is in the books. Ahhh, young love…or should I say, young lust? How many illegitimate babies started as a candy heart flirt? How many herpes simplex viruses were passed along like a hot Valentine potato? How many hearts were swooned with a box of chocolates and crushed with the iron hammer of deceit and jealousy?
But then again, who has time to worry about that? I know I don’t. If you’re like me, you found your love and that love has been alive and well for a very long time. In fact, “time” is everything when it comes to love. Love isn’t one dimensional. It is a living breathing thing with many layers; love manifests itself in different forms at different times and in different ways. It starts as a seed and grows to mighty tree spreading its branches, shedding its leaves and standing upright in the face of violent storms.
Love must prove itself. Love is true when it can face the light and the shadows just the same. Young love is on a perennial honeymoon, parked on a beach chair, sipping on lemonade and waiting to be served. Mature love however, can run a marathon in the scorching desert sun on an empty stomach with no water and a sprained ankle…then back again!
I discovered a gem of a paragraph in a delightful book of fiction entitled, “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman.
THE CHALLENGE: Ponder the previous paragraph and apply it to the one you love. Do they know you love them for all of their little imperfections and shortcomings? Do they know how special they are to you because you know the “little secrets” that make them your Valentine? Most important, do they know you love them just the same, whether it’s February 14th, July 14th or September 14th?
The heart is a universal symbol of love. Do you remember Valentine’s Day back in grade school? Who didn’t hope that their secret admirer would present a candy heart with an even more deliciously flirty phrase?
bunch of heart shaped assorted color tablets
Photo by Emily Ranquist on Pexels.com
But where did this whole heart as a symbol of love thing originate anyway? Sorry to disappoint, I’m not here to tell you that.
What I do want to get off my chest (hah!), is the fact that the heart has four valves. But I bet you already knew that. The real question is, can you name them? Oh, you were too busy flirting with candy hearts during that lesson? No problem – I’m not here to grade your homework either.
What happens if one of the valves in your heart ceases to work? In an effort to not get all “cardiologist” on you, lets (for simplicity’s sake) agree that you’re dead, departed, cold, stiff, asleep, checked out, neutralized, sayonara…you get the idea.
In life, there are multiple “valves” that we need to take care of. I personally like to keep it simple “MIND, BODY, SPIRIT” – if you want to sound a bit more “uppity” (like you were paying attention in class) you might say “INTELLECTUAL, PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL.” You can slice your life’s heart into as many chambers as you wish (apparently a cockroach has 13). For example, you might include “personal, professional, and family” as some or all of your categories. It’s up to you.
You only get to die once.
THE CHALLENGE: Once you’ve sliced up the chambers of your life you need to keep the valves flapping. You can’t just have one love. A balance must exist. Heart failure will result if blood doesn’t flow. Blood, in this case, is time and attention. It’s commitment and planning. It’s a beautiful thing to have your life in balance and harmony. Now go flap whatever valve you’ve been neglecting!
Digging for Cables
Photo by: Ira
Ignore That Too!
My mother-in-law has many gifts and talents, among which is a passion for quilting. Browsing through the used bookstore recently, I picked up a title that I thought would help me better understand what makes a quilt worthy of regard.
“Plain and Simple” is a true story of an urban California woman, Sue Bender, who developed an obsession for the Amish and eventually lived among their people to discover their unique culture for herself. The curiosity was initiated in the 1960s over a spectacular Amish quilt hanging in a department store. Years later, in the fall of 1981, Sue found three strange looking dolls in a folk art gallery store. She learned these dolls originated from the Amish and over a six month period received twelve of these dolls from seven different women.
Sue observed that the dolls had no face. They were silent and serene. There was no pecking order. None was better or worse than the others. They didn’t have to perform or prove anything. No voice said, “Be happy, cute, or pretty.” No voice said, “Be a star.”
She continues… “In my world, everyone has a face, and many of us try to stand out. In their simplicity, these faceless dolls said more with less. They left more to the imagination. Maybe accepting who they are, they don’t waste their strength trying to change or compete.”
I’m reading this book to my daughters. My twelve year old has developed a talent for crocheting. She has made dozens of her own stuffed animals and other clever creations. Yesterday, she presented me with a surprise gift, a faceless doll.
Adding to the depth of her message, and a lesson for all, was a message born of pure childlike innocence best explained in her handwritten letter.
“P.S. I know the bag says, ‘Happy Birthday’ on it, just ignore it!”
“P.P.S. I also know it says, ‘To Skyla, Love Grammy and Grampy on it, ignore that too!”
What a great way to magnify the message of a faceless doll. We just need to learn what to ignore. Truth be told, I didn’t even notice the elements of the bag she was asking me to overlook. Fancy bows and glittery gifts stopped catching my eye many years ago, but there is a lot more work to do in the art of “overlooking.” Even though I know we are all crafted from crooked timber, I still spend too much time marveling over the incompetence of humanity at large.
THE CHALLENGE: Noah’s ark couldn’t have smelled very appealing, but it was much safer inside than out in the storm. Maybe your workplace stinks. Maybe your family stinks. Maybe your school stinks. When a patch or stitch in your quilt stinks, approach it like an ark. Approach it like a faceless doll. Approach it like the wise innocence of a twelve-year-old child who knows what to look beyond in order to get to the real gift and message! A “faceless” approach will allow you to “FACE LESS” of the unnecessary noise, drama, and distractions of a turbulent world.
A Question For the Ladies, a Tip For the Gents.
My son was enjoying an animated film this afternoon. “Hey, Dad, watch this part – these two characters GET in love.”
I knew what he meant and I gently corrected him. I appreciate how some words get twisted coming out of the mouth of my (now) six-year-old. It makes me smile and sometimes teaches a lesson.
Falling in love just happens. A void of emptiness gets filled with a magical chemistry. If you’ve felt it, you know what I mean. All of a sudden that special someone occupies your every thought and motivates your every action. You can’t sleep at night and you look forward to the next opportunity to chat or be together.
Then, over time, love matures. It evolves into something “different.” If you have a long time companion, you’ll know what I mean. If you are not careful, boredom and complacency may set it. My love grows deeper as the years pass by, but the “magic” feeling takes some work.
Let’s call this process “GET in love.” Falling in love is mostly passive, “getting” in love is active. This is where the work comes in. This is where you ask your lover for a hint at how you can best make their heart skip a beat. Maybe you already know the answer. Are you doing it? How often?
To the great husbands and fathers out there, I salute you – keep it up! Truth is, some of you gentlemen might not want to ask for a hint because you’ll get smacked in the face with Waldo. Let me save you some trouble, or at least offer a few considerations born out of observation (and sadly, it doesn’t take a whole lot).
(1) If your heart and eyes are elsewhere, reign them back in. This includes flirtatious behavior with so-called “friends.” As a matter of fact, that friend might be cancerous to your marriage. If you’d rather spend more time with someone else than your spouse, that’s a problem.
(2) Are you a deadbeat dad? Do you read to your kids? Do you have one-on-one time with them – daddy daughter dates? Do you help with the homework? Do you teach them hard work? Manners? Cleanliness? Or, is your video game more important? Maybe you’re more in love with watching sports or nurturing a bromance.
(3) Do you help around the house? Do you take out the trash? Help with the dishes or laundry? Do you wash the car? Do you offer to pump the gas? Do you hold the door open? Do you go out on dates or is romance dead? Would you rather pay for the date or the meal?
QUESTION: Ladies, what would you add to this list? Give the men out there a hint…what can we do better? Leave a comment and pass it along.
Paper Text
Do you remember when business cards were in vogue? Okay, maybe you still use them (but not for long). How about Trapper Keepers or My Pet Monster?
Who doesn’t periodically reminisce on trends from the past? So many things have come and gone. I wonder why they have to go. Why were my favorite cartoons not good enough to catch on? Why don’t my kids know what a G.I. Joe is? Why did music change so radically? Is this because of contract obligations, licensing agreements or the rising generation’s need to be original? I guess I will never know.
Long before the digital age we used to “email” by putting pen to paper. We had pen-pals! Life was so slow that we would actually write strangers (sometimes across the globe) as part of our school work. It would take many days or even weeks before getting a response.
Our “text message” used to be a physical note passed during class when the teacher wasn’t looking. Sometimes the note was exchanged in the hallway or slipped into someone’s locker. I’m not sure if the youth still do this, but I imagine the great majority of communication is via smart phone.
Today (during a meeting) I received a text message. It was a photo of a study guide and an emoji – thumbs up. My response was also an emoji – baby bottle. Except to the senders, both messages were vague, cloudy and superficial…ESPECIALLY mine!
I later wondered what this communication would have looked like in an “old school” format. If we put pencil to paper and passed it along, I believe the message would have been much different. The “smart” phones that we rely so heavily upon do a really good job at keeping us “not-so-smart”. We get so used to taking shortcuts that we often slice off the horn of our entire message! On the flip side, sometimes we replace “chat” with “text“. Though, these should never be confused. Our time evaporates typing a lengthy message that would otherwise only take a few seconds to speak.
Class notes were somewhat ideal, given their era. In general terms, they required two way communication. The receiver was usually happy to receive the memo. The message was sufficiently succinct. Dialogue was often very open – just consider all the blushing faces when the teacher would snatch a note off of someone’s desk!
THE CHALLENGE: If applicable, think back to your school days. If notes were as easy as text messaging is now, who would you ping? What would you write? Do you wish there was someone you had sent a note/message to but didn’t?
Next time you are in a meeting, think about who you might want to message. If the gathering happens to be with a group of strangers you can skip the whole business card thing and just ask for their number. Tell them you might reach out for their opinion during the lecture or conference.
Forget the “status updates.” Forget the spam! Nobody cares about “the weather.” What clear message can you send? How can you add value? If this were a handwritten note, would it be different? How so? What meaningful dialogue can you start? Consider that our present text messaging age will eventually be a thing of the past, something future bloggers will reminisce over. Will you wish you had established a friendship with someone while you still had frenzied fingers?
Maybe the opposite is true. For you social butterflies, maybe you need to cut back. Almost every note passed now is “caught by the teacher.” The teacher is social media. The teacher is your profile. The chalkboard is now digital and our names are on it. Are your kids wondering why you pass notes all day instead of paying attention in class? Where is your middle ground? I challenge you to find it and exploit it!
Photo by hundrednorth
Painful Pervasive Poaching
Over 1,000 rhino’s are poached each year for a single body part, the horn. Apparently this pointy steak skewer is worth a small fortune on the black market. Not that I have any idea how much $$$,$$$ I could get for one, and here’s why:
1. I can’t think of a single use for a keratin spike.
2. As far as my corner of the globe is concerned rhinos are already extinct…even looked outside my window to verify.
3. I respect the wishes of rhino advocates who ask that this information not be published.
Interesting fact: Rhino horns grow back – provided they are cut properly. In an effort to deter poachers, de-horning is a popular (and very costly) trend. De-horning is a process similar to cutting your fingernails – only much shorter. What if you were a rhino? How would you feel about this?
What if humans were poached for a valuable body part? What if outside organizations trimmed us up a little bit to keep us safe? Can you imagine a society with no left hands, right feet, or in this case noses? Perhaps you would feel angry, useless, violated, or depressed – as you should!
We all have an individual “rhino horn”, something that makes us truly unique. Your horn is that which you value most. It might be another person, your family, a goal, a vision, a talent, a home, or a reputation.
Every single day, your horn is at risk. Marketing campaigns, political agendas, two-faced acquaintances or outright enemies will poach you without a second thought. You have something of value and someone else wants it. It might be your money. It might be your voice. It might be your silence. It might be your indifference. It might be your support.
THE CHALLENGE: Identify your personal rhino horns. For the sake of this exercise there should be two; a primary and a secondary, just like the animal. What will you do to protect your horns?
For example, if your primary horn is your family, what specific systems can you set in motion to improve how to mentor your children or how to make your spouse’s heart skip a beat? Do your children have free reign on the internet? What information do they access? Is your home protected? Do you have insurance and health benefits? Do you have savings? What about family traditions? Do you keep a journal to leave for your posterity? What about your ancestors? Do you keep in touch with mom and dad, grandparents or great grandparents? Do you reflect on their teachings? Do you protect any heirlooms left behind? The ways that you can safeguard this “horn” are infinite…but only you can decide what is best for your own circumstance and belief system. Maybe this is something worth pondering next time you earn couch time. Give it a try!
Photo by Jin Kei
Plump Popcorn Payoff
Try this… ask the next person you see to slap you in the face. That’s how it feels to pay for a bucket of popcorn at the movie theater. You’ll spend a small fortune! This is one example where I wouldn’t recommend paying for the date.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that you’ve popped some corn. Too easy, right? But what if the goal was to pop 100% of the kernels. Now it becomes an entirely different challenge. There is always a collection of headstrong kernels that adamantly camp at the foot of the bag. If you attempt to pop these, you run a most assured risk of burning the rest of your tasty snack.
It’s easy to stop here. Your carton or bag appears to be topped off. Why not just eat what you have and get full? Nobody gives those stubborn kernels an afterthought, so why should you? Just toss them!
But what if we are talking about people? Doesn’t each corn kernel pop at a different time? Each piece responds to a predetermined level of moisture within the shell. Most people “pop” together – give or take. Just think about grade school. Some students were kept back a grade, but most progressed. Each culture has a set of benchmarks that most folks satisfy such as marriage or moving out of mom and dad’s house.
THE CHALLENGE: Let’s say you are a leader, a manager, a supervisor, a parent, a friend or a coworker to a stubborn “kernel”. Don’t toss it in the trash, it does have the potential to pop. Your task is to create the right conditions. The groundwork is there. We all have the “moisture” inside. Find a way to make more heat. Remember not to burn the rest of your stash. Too much training on the same topic will burn the initial crop of plump poppers. The remainder however, these stubborn kernels…demand one-on-one leadership. Go mentor! Go lead! Make heat! Get the payoff!
Photo by clindstedt
Two Lessons From a Six Year Old
The boy turned 6 this week. He challenges me, tests my patience and marches to the cadence of his own drum. He also loves me, reminds me what it’s like to be a kid, and (unknowingly) teaches me. Here are two lessons I learned this week.
He wanted to break in his new football so we played catch on the couch for a few minutes. His focus was less ball and more obstacle. He built a wall of blankets to throw over and gaps of pillows to throw between. Sounds fun right? It was, although every few throws were well out of my reach and landed on the floor behind me. The first several times this occurred I would reach out my arm and say, “I’m too short, I can’t reach.” He jumped up and grabbed the ball, no questions asked. Finally, he caught on and said, “Dad, there is something called get off the couch!
I rarely sat on the couch growing up, it was usually occupied by my own dad. I used to long for him to get up and take action. To this day I rarely park my tail on a cushion. I am better off for it. I would be perfectly satisfied to not own a couch. I am more productive on the move. Life is lived in motion. Too much time on couches will make you soft like the cushions they showcase.
Many of you might have a different experience. You might love the couch. You might spend most of your day glued to it. Fine. Just remember… “there is something called get off the couch.”
THE CHALLENGE: Move! Are you sitting down right now? For how long? What else could you be doing to better your surroundings? Who can you serve? Did you break a sweat today? If not, put your body in motion. Maybe your couch can be viewed as a metaphor for your house, neighborhood, state or country. Are those “cushions” you’ve been sitting on for too long? Maybe it’s time to set yourself in motion. Travel transforms!
My son was playing with his sisters when all of a sudden he said, “You two play quietly so I can listen to what I’m saying in my own head!” I was floored because of the brilliance of his statement and the fact that he was able to recognize outside distraction.
We all have a dialogue running through our head. What are you saying? Can you really hear it? If not, what do you do about it? We are bombarded with noise. Distractions are countless. Our electronics put us in a state of hyper drive. If that’s not enough, we chug coffee and energy drinks to keep up with it all. It’s like increasing the distance a rabbit can hear by 10x. But will that boost the rabbit’s chances for survival or will it will likely become paralyzed by paranoia?
THE CHALLENGE: Tell the world to play quietly! Presuming you’ve earned some couch time. Turn off the TV. Put your phone aside. We’ve all had too many days where we felt we “didn’t have a minute to ourselves” but we let our minutes flee as if being robbed at gunpoint. Be stingy! Need some extra time, go steal some from Facebook, YouTube, Netflix or any other time filler of choice. Now LISTEN, I mean really listen. What is happening on the inside? You cannot travel within and stand still without. What is your body trying to tell you? Do you need more sleep, less food, more exercise, less/more time in the sun? What is your heart telling you? Do you feel passionate about someone or something? Are you numb, depressed or indifferent?What were you supposed to get done today or this week? What is coming up tomorrow? The dialogue that arises from the inside will not steer you amiss. Take note then take action.
Quadrilateral Leadership
Erno Rubik, noted for the quote above, created the Rubik’s Cube. I bet you’ve played one. Perhaps you even own one. Did you know that there are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 (43 quintillion) ways to scramble a Rubik’s Cube?
Humans are like cubes. At birth, we start off as a “clean slate”, all squares are in perfect order (even if your mom told you that you soiled too many diapers and wouldn’t stop crying).
Over time our squares become scrambled. This goes back to my middle gray concept. Look at the person to your left and right, they are all knotted, twisted, snarled and jumbled….so are you…so am I. We are all scrambled in a different order and to a different degree.
No scrambled cube can be solved with a single twist. Mankind’s impatience naturally bleeds over into our leadership philosophy. I have observed countless leaders, managers, couples, parents and coaches who expect to *solve the cube* without spending *time with the cube*. Worse still, sometimes they yell at the cube as if to say, “go solve yourself“. Some will try to take the forbidden shortcut by removing and replacing all the stickers, not knowing that replacing a corner sticker will make the cube entirely unsolvable. This means there is no room for verbal, mental or physical abuse! This is a pathetic short term solution and a failed long term resolution.
THE CHALLENGE: Stop pretending that everyone’s cube should look like yours. Stop pretending that anyone else’s cube can be solved overnight. Stop pretending that your own cube won’t get worse before it gets better. Be patient with yourself and with others! My goal as a leader, my goal with this blog, is to turn the cube of anyone I can influence just a turn or two in the right direction. That’s it. Simple as that. One turn and I’m satisfied. Two turns and I’m thrilled. You have a whole life to live and a whole bunch of people to meet who will help get you “squared” away. Thank you for allowing me the chance to put a couple of matching squares back together. Many of you have done the same for me! | <urn:uuid:ae0f6a90-fb2e-4e3f-b38c-511f4aeecf14> | https://coreynasfell.com/tag/love/ | en | 0.953073 | 0.019019 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Do you have an old laptop or desktop collecting dust because you don't know how or where to dispose of it? Contact me, I will gladly take care of recycling old components! Any that are in working condition may be re-purposed for people who cannot afford higher end computers. So what I'm looking for is your old laptops, broken or not, I can use the parts, power supplies, batteries, or anything! I am looking for parts as a donation because I see far too many companies large and small just trashing perfectly good laptops! When this happens those computers end up essentially ground into tiny bits! If you allow me to re-purpose your unused components, I am able to swap around parts, buy extra parts, and build complete machines out of them. Anyways. if you have anything to donate or sell for a fair price, please send me an email or view my ads on used victoria. Thanks a lot! Welcome PARADOXDESIGNS.ORG Welcome to paradoxdesigns. | <urn:uuid:998e558e-bd1f-401d-998c-e5d762ab7409> | https://paradoxdesigns.org/ | en | 0.940906 | 0.144283 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Sunday, June 28, 2020
U.S. Should Sanction All Members of China’s Communist Party—Elmer Yuan on COVID 19, HK Security Law - YouTube
How can the U.S. effectively hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its abuses, from the coronavirus coverup to its encroachments on Hong Kong? Why is the Chinese leadership choosing to impose the National Security Law on Hong Kong even though it will likely hurt China’s economy? And, through the eyes of a Hong Kong businessman, how is the Chinese regime actually waging war on the U.S. and the free world? In this episode, we sit down with Elmer Yuen, CEO of Golden Bridge Technology Inc. This is American Thought Leaders 🇺🇸, and I’m Jan Jekielek.
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Antique Caucasian Kazak Tribal Rug
RUG Curator
• $ 6,875.00
Only 1 left!
A beautifully drawn 1880's Caucasian Kazak. Antique Caucasian rugs are collected because they are considered to be pure rugs: nothing inspired the weavers except for their own imagination. Isolated in the rugged mountains from Iran to Chechnya, lives a multitude of ethnic people who never traveled very far, which is why the rugs these people weave have remained so distinct from the rest of the weaving world. The finest 19th century Kazak rugs are long prized by connoisseurs of Caucasian rugs. Kazak is in the Republic of Armenia, directly to the north west of Lake Sewan. “In weaving terms, Kazak is probably the most famous area in the Caucasus, for the best of the rugs produced there…combined stunning geometric designs with fabulous colors derived from high quality dyes. It is possible to attribute some weavings from this area to specific villages, but when a piece cannot be precisely identified it is known simply as a Kazak or by reference to the design”. 4'x 7'8"
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1. Hello Geoff I have to apologize for not getting back to you sooner and letting you know how much I appreciate your notes I'm playing chords I do have some questions you mention playing the cords below the melody line could you explain that a little further?
1. Geoff Wooff
Geoff Wooff
Hello Stephen, I will try to explain. What I wrote was ' adding harmonizing notes below the melody' not necessarily chords .
If you add a note to the melody note, which is in its arpeggio then it will harmonize. So if you play a C and you are playing in the key of C then the notes of a major chord of C ( E and G) are the arpeggio notes and you can safely use these to add harmony.
So, the simplest harmonies I use are triads. Play a scale of C like this : C , D/B, E/C, F/A, G/E, A/F, B/G ,C/E.
Where the note after the slash is lower than the melody note of the scale.
This is step one.
2. When looking at a piece of music and not wanting to just play the melody but to play chords much of my music has the chords above. (As in the example below) I’m trying to understand this you’ll see a chord notated then you may have several bars of music until another cord is notated with lyrics. So you just can’t play the cord one time do you play the cord each time to the beat of the individual notes? How is this done? I hope this is not a stupid question but it won’t be the first one I would’ve askedI’m getting good at playing the melodic line but I really would like to be able to move away from that entirely and use the chord or Augument but I don’t understand how you use the chord relative to the music. Thank you I look forward to hearing from this knowledge of a group. Stephentx
3. Pauline de sono it’s a great classical concertinaist. I took Skype lessons from here you can Goggle her —she is great
4. Is anyone have any suggestions? When I'm playing piece of music and I sometime move off the wrong buttons notes on the English concertina I have a difficult time getting my fingers back to keys and lose my orientation on the buttons. Do any of you have hints tricks methods suggestions as how to do this without having to look at the buttons. It's almost like I wish some home keys hederacea spot on them or something. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you Stephentx
5. Beautiful, I am from Hawaii. “Koa has an honored heritage in Hawaii and is revered and sacared” For those of you who would be interested in learning more about Koa And it’s Hawaiian heritage here is a link https://martinandmacarthur.com/blogs/news/the-history-of-hawaiian-koa-wood-a-true-story
6. You are correct the Left side of the brain controls the right side than the right side of the brain controls the left side
7. Beautiful I’m from Hawaii and this is one of my favorite song and you played it lovely.
8. Im trying to date a Lachenal I have 14450 any one ? Thank ou
9. Hi Greg, I hope this note finds you well I tried to contact you via your email address but perhaps that has changed. As you could say I am back on and getting into the music again after having some thumb surgery and freeing up time as I still work full-time and my job but have made a determination to spend more time with my Music. How are you doing would love to hear from you.
10. This might be a stupid question but it won’t be the first one I’ve ever asked. I have English concertinas (too many) after having a couple of hand surgeries I’m back to the form and back to studying to play again. The question I have is the comment that was made relative to the Anglo and what key you sing it. Is the angle similar to the English where you will have a bass and treble extended travel etc. to determine what key Or what range is the most comfortable for you as with the English as you all know you can play in multiple keys. Thanks you StephenTx
11. Hello from Texas. I loved you song voice and accompaniment. What type of concertina were you playing? Do you by any chance have the arrangements of "The Town I loved so Well" and/or do you know when I can get the music. The other songs were great too. Thank you for sharing and please continue to do so. Stephen Knoll, Tyler Texas aka Stephentx
12. change password
13. John ... *blush* to say I am a classical concertinist....I am taking lessons from a classical concertinist! Pauline has taught me so much. I am able to read treble cleff (and I work hard at it the bass cleff) , learning a lot about timing and pacing but I drawing blanks on this whole chord thing. I buy music that has the guitar chords but cannot figure out how to make it work as there seems to be one or two chords for the entire measure...and I can't figure out how it works. To play the melody is boring ad to play the thirds (I believe it is called is the same). HELP is what I need I am not a music person I am in healthy care....so Im not dumb but do sem to be having block. The main purpose of why I took up the concertina was to use as vocal accompaniment. I have read what you have all posted in this thread but I am still having brain farts. (as we call them in Texas). Jim has reached out and I am going to contact him. A frustrated concertinist. StephenTx
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Gang of Youths at The Tivoli in Brisbane on April 8, 2016
Opening acts: Day Wave, Spookyland
1. Rocky II
2. Restraint & Release
3. Poison Drum
4. Native Tongue
5. Benevolence Riots
6. Kansas
7. Knuckles White Dry
8. Sjamboksa
9. The Deepest Sighs, The Frankest Shadows
10. Magnolia
1. Strange Diseases
2. Radioface
3. Vital Signs
Comments: GOY opens its 2016 Australian tour with a new song called “Rocky II,” and later does the first live performance of “The Deepest Sighs, The Frankest Shadows,” a song that won’t appear on record until Go Farther In Lightness is released in August, 2017 — some 16 months after this show.
Videos, Photos, etc.
Scenestr has a photo gallery available. | <urn:uuid:02df3842-2d8b-497d-9c33-b3318e7d8a67> | https://www.deepestsighs.com/gang-of-youths-at-the-tivoli-in-brisbane-on-april-8-2016/ | en | 0.83978 | 0.039083 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
• Youtube 8.4M subscribers.
• +4.2 B lifetime views in 2018, with a growth +250% compared with 2017.
• 258K subscribers in Argentina.
• More than 84M lifetime real views.
• Spanish language localized and according to channel/langiaje.
• 5 Apps availables in spanish.
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• Average rating 4.6
By day, 6 year olds Connor, Amaya and Greg go to school like everyone else. But when something goes awry in the city, these special kids, filled with curiosity and a sense of justice, get ready for their mission - but they have to wait until nightfall when the city is asleep and they can go undetected. When our heroes get their pyjamas on, and activate their animal amulets, they magically transform into their dynamic super hero alter egos, Catboy, Ululette and Gekko.
They become the PJ Masks.
Catboy - super fast and agile, Gekko - super strong and can scale walls, and Ululette - with the ability to fly and see great distances.
Together these three can tackle any situation, they embark on action packed adventures, solving mysteries, fighting villains and learning valuable lessons along the way.
©2016 Frog Box/Entertainment One UK Limited. | <urn:uuid:8d7e5d83-3ba0-46fd-92e6-904139cbfe7f> | https://www.eximargentina.com.ar/english/licenses/pj-masks/ | en | 0.871521 | 0.018164 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Yes, we are here!
The Last Day of Wheat Harvest
| 7/14/2014 10:31:00 AM
Karrie SteelyThe sun is going down after a long day that isn’t over yet. I watched it come up on the other side of the horizon this morning, so long ago. Then, it was cool and quiet, other than the birds waking up and calling out. The morning light was slanted and golden and fresh. Now, 14 hours later, it’s dusty and brassy and slanted in the other direction. The world is hot and thick with buzzing insects.
Loading Harvested Wheat
We’ve been cutting the hundred-acre wheat field on the old farmstead property today, the last of many long days. While he drove the combine, I parked the pickup in the shade and worked on my laptop, and hunted for wild currants that grow thick around the edges of the fields. The black-blue berries are full of juice, and taste like sweet purple concord grapes. It took me a few hours to hand-pick a few gallons, one berry at a time. There were cattle lowing in the next field over, and a couple of horses, nose to butt, standing in the corner of a pasture sleeping and swishing flies off of each other’s faces. I ate my fill of currants and carried the rest out to put them in the shady pickup, out of the blasting sun.
When the grain truck was full of wheat, I took over the combine while he hauled the load to the elevator in town. I’ve driven some heavy machinery, but the combine was new to me; it’s big and mechanically complex. I learned that there’s a lot of finesse and reading of the wheat involved. This spring we were in drought, so most of the wheat stalks were short, and the sickle and head had to be lowered way down to cut them. But there were a lot of patches of taller, thicker wheat in the terraces where the ground retained moisture better, so the head and sickle had to be raised to avoid getting too much wheat pushed through the feeder at once. There are tons of spinning wheels and gears and belts and chains. Once the wheat heads are pulled in, they’re thrashed and separated inside and moved to a bin through an auger, and the stalks and chaff are spit out the back and spread. Then, when the bin is full of wheat berries, it has to be dumped into the grain truck, which can take six bin loads or so.
At meal times, we were invited to a neighboring farm house. The women prepared ham sandwiches, potato salad, radishes, carrot sticks and lemon merengue pie for lunch. Dinner was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, watermelon, iced tea, with coconut cream pie for dessert. It was truly amazing. I felt sort of awkward having them cook for me, being on the men’s side of things. I felt compelled to help with the dishes, but we had to rush off and keep cutting.
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Reminder: You're Worth It
Beauty Trends
Throughout the decades, Black women have been pressured to redefine their beauty to fit society’s standards to fit into a narrative that has always excluded them and not celebrated their beauty. From a lack of shade ranges available in foundations and other makeup products to skin care products that are created specifically to lighten skin to the definition of nude makeup looks often being considered synonymous with a shade that only matches pale skin, it’s no secret that the beauty world has not always made it evident that Black women are worth it.
Today, society is taking strides in the right direction, and the same can be said for the beauty industry. There is still a lot of work to be done, with representation of diversity and inclusion in the boardroom to educating those on the sales floor. We’ve finally reached a point where all that is Black girl magic and beauty is being increasingly accepted, with women being encouraged to rock their natural, textured hair and more products that suit all complexions becoming available. These changes may be late, but progress is under way.
With that said, when there is a history of Black beauty being suppressed, it’s important to take time and reflect that you are worth it. Your skin tone is one that deserves to be recognized, adored, and represented. This is your reminder. Listen to Viola Davis’ words and know that you’re worth it babe!
Written by Sir John. | <urn:uuid:008fbd14-fa82-4ad0-b444-246a1f4ef16d> | https://www.lorealparisusa.com/beauty-magazine/beauty-tips/beauty-trends/youre-worth-it-video.aspx | en | 0.959625 | 0.026029 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Key Technology Introduces New Sort-to-Grade® Capabilities for VERYX® Digital Sorters
Manufacturer of optical sorters for the potato processing industry Key Technology Introduces New Sort-to-Grade® Capabilities for VERYX® Digital Sorters
Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, introduces its new Sort-to-Grade® (STG) software for VERYX ® digital sorters.
The patented STG software, field proven for potato strips, is now available for more food sorting applications including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables as well as nuts.
Compared to traditional sorting strategies, where a series of one-off accept/reject decisions are made based on fixed selection criteria, a STG-enabled sorter dynamically evaluates each decision based on how it impacts the aggregate ‘in the bag’ grade, as defined by the processor.
Controlling the output for defect categories of various severity and/or product dimensions, Sort-to-Grade®accurately delivers the most complex final product specifications without operator intervention, while increasing yields by one to three percent.
STG recognizes and categorizes the visual and structural characteristics of every individual object in the product stream. It can allow a specific amount of low- and middle-severity defects to pass, based on user-defined allowable tolerances for each defect category, while ejecting all high-severity defects and foreign material (FM).
Accurately passing the maximum proportion of allowed defects for the grade, Sort-to-Grade® improves process yield. Similarly, when shape/size grading, Sort-to-Grade® manages the exact ‘in the bag’ distribution required to meet specifications, automatically accounting for variations in the size distribution of incoming product.
The smart algorithms perform complicated yield optimization calculations in microseconds and automatically adjust the sorter’s accept/reject decisions to maintain a consistent output, despite constant variations in incoming product quality characteristics.
Far surpassing the abilities of any human in both decision-making sophistication and speed, Sort-to-Grade® eliminates the need for manual sort recipe adjustments while achieving the most complex final product quality specifications.
Marco Azzaretti, Advanced Inspection Systems Product Manager at Key:
“Our powerful Sort-to-Grade software can evaluate multiple criteria at once. For example, a discoloration may be considered a defect only if it exceeds a certain absolute or relative dimension or if it occurs in combination with other defects on the same object.”
“Processors can eliminate mechanical size grading equipment by using a STG-enabled sorter to control products’ dimensional characteristics. The possibilities of Sort-to-Grade are endless.”
With next-generation sensors and all-surface product inspection, VERYX with Sort-to-Grade® can identify and classify each object’s color, size, shape, structural properties and/or chemical composition. To meet the allowed tolerance for the grade, Sort-to-Grade® manages specific types, sizes and locations of defects as well as color grades, if needed.
When assessing dimensional characteristics, Sort-to-Grade® can control minimum or maximum length, width and area or multiple attributes at once in addition to managing the distribution of each dimension within multiple user-defined categories between the two absolutes.
Without Sort-to-Grade®, sorters make accept/reject decisions by comparing the defect, color, size and/or shape of each object to pre-determined criteria , but those decisions are made independently from each other, regardless of the final ‘in the bag’ quality results.
Historically, an operator had to adjust the sorter’s accept/reject thresholds subjectively in an effort to make grade given inevitable fluctuations in the quality of the incoming product. This traditional approach to sorting can result in too many acceptable defects being rejected, creating significant yield loss. Or, when incoming defect loads spike, final grade specifications can be missed.
Marco Azzaretti:
“The value of VERYX with Sort-to-Grade is threefold. It enables processors to address complex product specs to guarantee their quality objectives are met.”
“At the same time, it maximizes yields by passing the ideal amount of acceptable defects, colors, sizes and shapes, all while minimizing operator intervention for better profitability.”
Key’s family of VERYX sorters includes belt- and chute-fed systems in various widths to satisfy a wide range of applications and capacity requirements. | <urn:uuid:b8746559-3b7b-46e8-9b5a-006bfd007ab1> | https://www.potatopro.com/news/2019/key-technology-introduces-new-sort-grade%C2%AE-capabilities-veryx%C2%AE-digital-sorters | en | 0.884514 | 0.038801 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The Looming Financial Crisis
Paying attention can get you some great laughs, memorable moments, or vital warnings. Yesterday I was driving behind a police car and noticed that he had a license plate border that said, “Actually, I prefer bagels.” I got a much needed laugh off of that one. Glad I was paying attention.
Photo c/o
Photo c/o
Most Americans are unaware at just how tenable the financial culture is in our nation right now. But seriously, to not know it is simply a matter of not paying attention.
It’s not like we have to trust in some kind of a prophet to see for ourselves. There is a bounty of evidence right now that begs for our attention so that we can be prepared for an inevitable challenge. This evidence spells out the critical need for us to get our own homes in order so that we can survive through the looming financial crisis.
In 1962, the “Cuban crisis” suddenly left the grocery shelves of stores nationwide empty overnight. Yet there was plenty of warning ahead of time to those who were paying attention. These persons had the ability to be independent of panic and price gouging. Yet did anyone pay attention to a looming financial crisis a year in advance of the triggering incident?
Didn’t Americans wake up to what they thought was a routine day on December 7, 1941? Unfortunately there’s some evidence military didn’t pay attention to and we were tragically caught unaware.
While the “great depression” erupted in a matter of hours, its effects reached millions of Americans for years, in spite of numerous warning signs. Unfortunately, the indicators of today’s looming financial collapse are more rampant and indicate a much more severe collapse than that of 1929. Here are the reasons why I state as such.
1) Financial Crisis Clue #1: A new batch of over $12 billion (yes, that’s a “B”) of pay option arm mortgages are coming due this fall. We’ve seen how those due dates have affected the market thus far. With unemployment rising, finance restrictions getting tighter, and the mortgage market being so stale, this is NOT going to be a pleasant ride, folks.
Australian Lacrosse Team Quarantined in South Korea Because of Swine Flu. Photo c/o
2) Financial Crisis Clue #2: Flu outbreak. You do realize that one simple interruption in our nation’s transportation industry will cause a serious financial domino effect, right? There are over 250,000 trucking companies in the U.S. alone. The majority of them are “small businesses.” Just as you live hand to mouth, so do business owners. The trucking industry is no exception. We are due for quite the outbreak of this Swine flu this fall. I’ve never seen a more real potential for a quarantine in the last several decades as I do now. We’ve been warned of a possible quarantine as recent as the first of this month. I’m certain that the delays are being extended as long as possible holding out hope that it won’t be necessary due to the financial domino effect it will have. Other countries have begun some quarantine procedures, costing them over 5 billion dollars a day in lost commerce. I don’t think our economy is healthy enough to endure such a financial hit. The transportation industry is just the tip of the iceberg. Look at the effect a quarantine would have on everything else that doesn’t get paid as a result of consumers not being permitted to go to work. Then look at the businesses that could fail as a result of employees not being able to go to work. Look at the travel industry, hospitality, gasoline, groceries, utilities, credit, entertainment, etc. The cost of a quarantine on our nation would be immense and just by itself bring about a huge depression that would take us 7 years to recover from.
3) Financial Crisis Clue #3: Hyper inflation. This year the U.S. needs to sell the equivalent of 1.5 times its national deficit amount in the form of foreign investments in order to survive the present financial set back. Unfortunately, we’re almost into August and we haven’t succeeded at that yet. This year our deficit is “only” $1 trillion. However, next year it is $3 trillion. If we aren’t able to raise enough foreign investors for the $1 trillion this year, how are we to expect to raise 1.5 times our projected deficit for 2010—a process which USUALLY begins the quarter preceding the year the investments are needed? When hyperinflation occurs, the only solution is to raise taxes, print more money, or sell foreign bonds. They’ve already raised taxes. We aren’t being successful in selling the bonds. So, what happens if we print more money?
emperor's-new-clothes4) Financial Crisis Clue #4: Currency value is highly questionable. As I’ve attempted to explain previously, national currency only has value in a fully functional economy. It only has value when there is a healthy balance between supply and demand. As we see in our news on a regular basis, we’ve long surpassed the criteria for a functional economy. I firmly believe our economy is as dysfunctional as Jon and Kate Gosselin’s marriage. Since the Federal Reserve refuses to publish the M3 report anymore which tells the American people just how much currency is in circulation at one time, we are seriously in store for an “emperor’s new clothes” scenario. The fact that we don’t know how much money is in circulation does not change the fact that we’re seeing significantly higher amounts of currency being exchanged than ever before. The reason why our government has been staking claim to so much land (in spite of the fact that it’s unconstitutional) is so that there is more “collateral” for our foreign bonds. Fort Knox is empty, folks. Even food commodities which we have had in store in abundance in decades past have been exported in desperation to bring cash flow into our country’s government. The clouds are getting awfully dark in this warning, folks.
5) Financial Crisis Clue #5: Credit crisis. Why in the world would credit card companies—who know full well that the economy is in serious trouble—start increasing minimum payment requirements to more than double the amount they’ve been in the past? What kind of financial sense does that make? Surely they will lose customers in doing so, or cause bankruptcies due to the irresponsible pool of consumers they cater to, right? So why would they make such a seemingly desperate move? It has to do with the fact that their money isn’t as valuable on the international trade markets any longer. As a result, the credit companies themselves have over extended themselves and thus have to cannibalize their source of income in order to bail themselves out. In addition, if you were to go to a grocery store consistently and find them out of milk each time, wouldn’t that start affecting your confidence in the availability of milk? You might start hoarding it when you did find it, or suspect there was a problem with it. The same is happening with money. Consumers are finding the “money shelves” bare at banks, credit companies, and lending companies. This directly affects consumer confidence so they are not parting with their “milk” quite so easily. Consumer confidence has a HUGE effect on currency value.
Utility Bills Could Bankrupt You. Photo c/o
Utility Bills Could Bankrupt You. Photo c/o
6) Financial Crisis Clue #6: Credit crisis affects power companies. Most power companies purchase their power in bulk. They are able to do so based on their credit ratings through contracts known as power purchase agreements (PPAs). However, as the credit crunch in our nation becomes more obvious, even power companies are losing their stellar credit ratings and thus have difficulty renewing power purchase agreements, or at the very least, negotiating the best prices. This means, of course, that the power costs are going to go up this fall when many of these agreements are up for renewal. Couple that with the Cap & Trade “TAX” and you have a recipe for yet another financial disaster. It could come to the point where an employee literally cannot afford to drive to work. Your utility costs could bankrupt you. If this type of domino effect occurs, not only would there be a financial collapse, but several utility companies could go bankrupt with no one and nothing to rescue them. Imagine a power company sitting there looking like a ghost town.
Well, I think that suffices for now, folks. My purpose in sharing this with you is to give you yet one more reason why those of you who are preparing for “something” AREN’T crazy, and why the rest of you need to wake up and take advantage of the good times to get ready now. It sure would be a shame if the times of plenty lulled us into a sense of numbness to common sense, wouldn’t it? My friends, I beg you to please wake up and pay attention to the looming financial crisis and prepare accordingly. When this occurs, currency will be useless. Items which have an inherent value to them such as food, medical supplies, fuel, etc. are the only thing that will be worthwhile. Right now you can still obtain such items with our questionable currency. But how long will that last? Is that really a gamble you’re willing to make on your family’s life?
Wake up and smell the currency folks. The financial collapse is indeed looming.
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On April 10, 2019, a Texas federal judge granted Sparrow Barns & Events an emergency temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in a trade dress and copyright infringement case, preventing defendant Ruth Farm from advertising its venue rental business on social media and the internet. Sparrow Barns & Events, LLC v. Ruth Farm Inc., No. 4:19-CV-00067 (E. D. Tex. Apr. 10, 2019) (2019 WL 1560442).)
Sparrow Barns owns a custom-designed barn called the “White Sparrow,” that is used primarily for weddings and other special events. On two separate occasions, the owners of Ruth Farm visited the Sparrow Barns’ venue. During the first visit, the owners of Ruth Farm had booked a private tour with their daughter for her “upcoming wedding,” where the couple took photographs and took hand-written notes while on the tour. The second visit was during a Sparrow Barn open house, where Ruth Farm’s owners had asked detailed questions about the facility’s construction, and had entered a closed-off area of the venue before being asked to leave. Shortly after these two visits, Sparrow Barns learned that Ruth Farm constructed their own wedding venue called the “Nest”, which Sparrow Barns had found to be quite similar to its own venue. After several attempts at a cease and desist and a failed negotiation, Sparrow Barns filed suit against Ruth Farm for trade dress and copyright infringement. Sparrow Barns alleged there were many similarities between the two venues, including: “internal and external shape, decorative columns, vaulted and beamed ceilings, candelabra chandeliers, picturesque haylofts, window arrangements, wooden flooring, large entrance doors, and rustic whitewash paint.” Sparrow Barns further alleged that after the construction of the Nest, customer confusion grew particularly on social media, where users began mistaking the White Sparrow for the Nest in their comments on and tags of the venues.
The above emergency motion on February 18, 2019. In its motion, Sparrow Barns requested the court to:
(a)… [enjoin] Ruth Farm from] from selling, offering for sale, distributing or advertising in commerce its services displaying the trade dress owned by [Sparrow Barns] and (b) [order Ruth Farm to] remove from commerce any advertisement or offer to sale in commerce its services displaying the trade dress owned by [Sparrow Barns] on its website, social media, and accounts with third parties.
In deciding whether to grant the injunction, the court first had to decide whether Sparrow had a substantial likelihood of success on the merits for its trade dress claim. To succeed on a claim for trade dress infringement, a plaintiff must show that the protected trade dress was (1) inherently distinctive, (2) non-functional, and (3) that the defendant’s trade dress will likely lead to customer confusion. The court found for Sparrow on the likelihood of success on the merits. First, the court found the trade dress was inherently distinctive because its “intrinsic nature serves to identify its source as the White Sparrow.” Sparrow Barn’s description of the venue is that it
features a large, open floor plan with exposed, decorative, wrapped and framed, vaulted wooden beams placed laterally across the wooden cathedral ceiling; exposed, decorative, wrapped and framed wooden columns placed vertically along the wooden side walls; tiered exposed bulb candelabra chandeliers; rustic whitewashing of the wooden interior features; and a stylistic, stacked window display along the back wall.
When Ruth Farm had submitted pictures of other white barns to refute the allegation, the court concluded that there were similarities in only one or two of the features between the White Sparrow and the other barns, whereas between White Sparrow and the Nest shared many similarities. As a result, the court found White Sparrow to be inherently distinctive.
Second, the court found that the above features were not functional because none of those features enable the White Sparrow to operate as a wedding venue. “For example, the White Sparrow could host weddings and events with glass chandeliers, laminate flooring, and a different window arrangement.”
Lastly, the court found that there was more than a mere possibility of confusion: that there was evidence of actual customer confusion. The court considered a number of factors in its consideration, including the similarities between the venues, the previous evidence that of Ruth Farm’s intent, close proximity in the greater Dallas area, and the advertising medium utilized by both companies being primarily social media and the internet.
Once the court found the likely success on the merits, the court further found that Sparrow would suffer irreparable injury, the balance of hardships was in Sparrow’s favor, and the public interest would not be dis-served by an injunction. Therefore, the court granted the permanent injunction.
This case is still in the early stages, but serves as a reminder that visual appearances are protected when they can cause confusion in the ordinary customer’s mind, and social media can provide important evidence. | <urn:uuid:61a0b1fc-d22d-4b78-8f1f-a648a2e517cb> | https://www.socialmedialawbulletin.com/2019/05/federal-judge-limits-advertisement-on-social-media-in-trade-dress-lawsuit/ | en | 0.960457 | 0.027234 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Rudraksha Necklaces
Price : 20.00 / Piece(s)
Ganitri as a sedative BRAIN AND MAKE A POSITIVE MIND? Calms the brain and generate positive thoughts (chemical and physical properties give the Securities electric induction, electrical capacitance, the movement of electricity and electromagnetism, therefore ganitri seeds affects the brain systems center while spreading stimulation bioelektrokimia. Containing elements of micro: aluminum, calcium, chlorine, copper, cobalt, nickel, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus.
Acecories Seed natural
Additional Information
Product Code JNN01N
Min. Order Quantity 5 Piece(s) | <urn:uuid:3da054aa-16e6-47bb-b971-5397a9897fe6> | http://www.sayaadvance.com/rudraksha-necklaces.htm | en | 0.68106 | 0.112984 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Poet-Today | Hauwa Shafii Nuhu | The Arts-Muse Fair
the night you fell into
as he recited off his memory on your request
saying each word as though
tendering cream on loved skin
his voice sailing like faith; calm
rising at sharp edges
resuming its pace soon after
that night,
there was the way he wrapped silence
into your pores while he read
there was the way your heart
quietened even more at each word
and there was how he came slowly
to the last line that reminded you
of tides
but it was in the silence that followed
that stood there like a comfortable hole
that you fell
indecisive clouds
the guy you just posted about on facebook,
the indecisive cloud
moving towards you on the street yesterday,
and asked you to let him stare at you for a minute
yes, him
it's because since his sister died,
with half his name in her mouth like a bread loaf,
he finds her in the space
between the teeth of every gap-toothed woman
it's why he will marry a gap-toothed woman
but it's why he will leave her soon after
it's why he will not understand how
the same sky that rains
can hold a burning sun
the cabinet
the one time my heart snapped me in half,
it held me where i was thinnest
between its thumb and forefinger,
and reached a hand up the cabinet,
pulling down the tablecloth
upon which i arrayed the original versions
of everything i knew
sitting beside myself later, and trying to patch us back,
i saw in the open mouth of each stitch
that even if we survive the lesions from
people who once made jelly out of us
we will not the deceit and treacheries of our hearts
Hauwa Shafii Nuhu’s works have appeared or are forthcoming in Brittlepaper, Ake Review, Eunoia Review, After The Pause journal, Saraba magazine, The Bitter Oleander Press, and elsewhere. She is currently pursuing a law degree. | <urn:uuid:9b718b6f-a70e-4c50-a9b0-590d38ede9f3> | http://www.thearts-musefair.com/2018/07/poet-today-hauwa-shafii-nuhu.html | en | 0.950174 | 0.441993 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Getty Images
LeBron James
One day before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James' Los Angeles house was vandalized with racial slurs. James did not open his Wednesday afternoon press conference with a statement about his house. But when asked about it, he had a response that was heartfelt, thoughtful and measured -- which is exactly what we've come to expect from him.
"If this is to shed a light and continue to keep the conversation going on my behalf, then I'm OK with it," James opened in Oakland.
James has been a big part of that conversation himself the past few years as one of the most prominent athletes to take political stands.
When Trayvon Martin was shot, James were a black hoodie during warmups. When Eric Garner was killed, James wore an "I CAN'T BREATHE" T-shirt. As police shootings and the 2016 presidential campaign brought aspects of racism to the forefront, James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul spoke on race and violence at the ESPYs. James wrote a column to articulate his endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president.
"It just goes to show that racism will always be a part of the world, a part of America," James continued. "And hate in America, especially for African Americans, is living every day. And even though that it's concealed most of the time, even though people hide their faces and will say things about you, and when they see you, they smile in your face, it's a life every single day.
"So it's like it doesn't -- no matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is -- it's tough. And we got a long way to go for us as a society and for us as African Americans, until we feel equal in America. But my family is safe, and that's what's important."
LeBron James is not Muhammad Ali. He is not traveling the world fighting injustices in impoverished nations. He is not Colin Kaepernick, staging a protest before every game.
But when he speaks about important issues, his words have impact -- and it's not just because he's a celebrity. He educates himself and has substantial opinions. He is cognizant of his voice and is mindful of when to use it.
Last fall, a reporter asked James about Kaepernick's national anthem protests. James said he would not kneel, but recognized the need for Kaepernick to have that freedom. He then transitioned the conversation to a personal thought James had been having -- an example other black parents could relate to.
"You have the right to voice your opinion, stand for your opinion, and he's doing it in the most peaceful way I've ever seen someone do something," James said then. "For me, my personal feelings is that I got a 12-year-old son, a 9-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, and I look at my son being four years removed from driving his own car and being able to leave the house on his own, and it's a scary thought right now to think if my son gets pulled over. You tell your kids if you just apply [the lessons you teach them] and if you just listen to the police that they will be respectful and it will work itself out. And you see these videos that continue to come out, and it's a scary-ass situation that if my son calls me and says that he's been pulled over that I'm not that confident that things are going to go well and my son is going to return home. And my son just started the sixth grade."
James has his haters -- from both sides. There are people who feel that he's just an athlete who should stick to sports. Then there are people who think James does not do enough with his mega-reach to create legitimate progress.
If you're among those who wished James would have gone even deeper into this subject Wednesday, consider that basketball is still his priority, particularly this week when he needs to focus on figuring out how to guard Kevin Durant.
But James made it clear again Wednesday that if he can be this engaged in political dialogue while he's still playing in the NBA, we can only expect even more once he's retired.
| <urn:uuid:d515ce8e-9c60-4a79-b253-fc40877a15aa> | http://www2.thepostgame.com/lebron-james-has-lot-political-thoughts | en | 0.983752 | 0.07464 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Wham, “Bang,” Marc Jacobs Man! May 28 2017, 0 Comments
Yesterday I wrote about the power of pop culture branding and received such thoughtful comments that it stimulated another blog.
As an illustration of pop culture branding, I wore my t-shirt with “naked” Marc Jacobs promoting the cologne Bang.
A point raised by my readers was that the power of branding can at times supersede the quality of the product. The product does not necessarily have to be the “best” as branding will make-up for any lack. This is a valid point. For instance take Coke, is it truly good for us? Does it bring us good health and help us stay fit? Sure it tastes good and may give us an instant fizz, but it has no intrinsic food value. Yet it is so heavy on branding that even Karl Lagerfeld decided to partner up with Coke and design a limited edition cover for its bottles coming out this month. (If interested, read my earlier blog, “Coke goes Couture.”)
Branding is not just limited to fashion, it seeps into all walks of life. A good example is books. I have bought many a books based on the radio interviews of authors or after reading a vignette of their biography in a periodical. They portray an erudite and intellectual image. If they have some flamboyance or flair in their personalities, it adds to the “X” or “Y” factor that I talked about in my earlier blog. What effect does it have on me? I am compelled by a force beyond my control to type amazon.com and charge the book on my current ongoing account. (Another example of the world becoming a global Mall with accessibility of all products at our fingertips.)
When the books arrive in the brown cardboard packaging, my joy knows no bounds and I get geared to read my latest acquired piece of literature. However, a few chapters or pages into the book, I realize with disdain that this is yet another book that I will add to the escalating “give-away-to-the-library” pile.
Another example is movies. Hollywood exemplifies branding. I am an avid listener of National Public Radio, especially the Film Week Marquee (a Friday critique of the upcoming weekly movies.) I often hear esteemed movie critic, Kenneth Turran condemn the premise of an upcoming movie. Contrary to the review of Kenneth Turran, the very next day I hear how that very movie broke all records at the box-office and soared to unimaginable monetary success. How is this possible? Shouldn’t quality equate with monetary success? Often times it does not. Branding gives it the boost. The actors are branded, the production company is branded and the movie is branded.
An extreme example is cigarettes. Those of you old enough to remember the Marlboro Man, will agree that the Marlboro brand was created based on the rugged and virile image of the man in the hat. The fact that the man in the hat could very well suffer from throat cancer a few years down the road was irrelevant!
However, in order to keep a perfect equilibrium to this discussion, one has to concede that branding is not the be-all and end-all. It is true that designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs or even Galliano may use their image to promote a brand. But ultimately the essence, the core, the nucleus of the brand needs to be virtuous. The product needs to be good. There must be a consistency in the quality. Rest is all fluff.
Branding is like icing on the cake. If the core of the cake is not scrumptious, icing may help initially, until it is all licked off and the only thing left is a noxious distaste.
It is similar to life. Sure you can talk the talk, walk the walk and even experience a few lucky strokes. But to achieve sustained success the work needs to be put in. Nothing replaces hard work and consistency. No amount of branding will guarantee continued success. Such assurance will only come from the essence of your work.
That is why brands such as Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Prada have sustained the dips and tips of economies, stock markets and changing cultural times and yet emerged triumphant. | <urn:uuid:2fd20944-929d-4d4c-9210-3a44eadcb485> | https://ambuji.myshopify.com/blogs/our-blog/18050599-wham-bang-marc-jacobs-man | en | 0.929884 | 0.02788 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
11 Replies Latest reply on May 20, 2019 4:47 AM by Stefan Antelmann
Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Oliver Buering
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We have a Business requirement to deliver reports for some servers at a higher granularity to analyze business peak periods (e.g. Christmas period).
Data is collected by agents. We understand lowest spill interval can be set to 1 minute.
Will we be able to report 1 minute interval with DETAIL granularity setting in a quick analysis ?
Thanks in advance
• 1. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Dima Seliverstov
The requirements for this type reporting will be very high in terms of size of UDR data, processing the data on the GWS, as well as storing the data in the TSCO database. You may want to leverage the webInvestigate tool for viewing high resolution data.
You can use
1. UDR (if you collect the data at 1 minute interval, which will make the UDR data), but process the data in 5/15/1 hour increments.
(UDR data will be bigger, but no impact to processing or TSCO database
2. Agent History (real time and near real time) with resolutions as low as 10 seconds.
(No impact to UDR data, processing or TSCO database)
Setting up and using the Investigate tool - Documentation for BMC TrueSight Capacity Optimization 11.5 - BMC Documentati…
The Investigate Tool | TrueSight Capacity Optimization - YouTube
Command line support
Re: Web Investigate command line
1 of 1 people found this helpful
• 2. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Darryl Day
The agent can go as low as 1 second.
However,... a wider question ... can DETAIL be amended to a lower level than 5 minutes overall ? If so a separate TSCO instance could be used - I have a similar requirement,
• 3. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Dima Seliverstov
I would assume that the resolution in the vis file is used in the vis ETL.
• 4. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Darryl Day
I was a TSCO in general question - I meant in general can detail be amened to 1 min? (not just vis)
• 5. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Dima Seliverstov
The resolution is dependent on the data source used by the ETL.
The limits are the resolution provided by the datasource, as well as the utilization profile in extracting the data from the data source (may be linear or non-linear in terms of resolution).
Either the data may not be available at the lowest resolution, or the extraction would impact the product being monitored.
• 6. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Darryl Day
Hi Dima, rewording the question
assumng I can get 1 min data can I amend TSCO config to use 1min as DETAIL, rather than the default of 5 Minutes ? I thought it was in early releases.
• 7. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Dima Seliverstov
It would depend on a specific data source. The danger is that the measurement will impact what is being measured. Most likely a restriction was put in for this reason.
• 8. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Oliver Buering
Thank you Dima for your answer, but not sure why the status is “Answered”. WebInvestigate doesn’t meet our requirement to send reports to business owners on a scheduled basis.
The requirement is to have the data at a higher granularity available in the data warehouse only for a small group of servers, so we can report it on a scheduled basis and also in a TSPS
view. Additionally, we need to find the best candidates for consolidation in a Virtual Planer study. Systems with extreme peaks occurring at the same time shall not be mixed in the same virtual server.
WebInvestigate does not meet these requirements.
ETL documentation states DETAIL granularity is configurable, by Default 5 minutes. Given that we want to limit number of systems and metric groups to keep the amount of data low, how can we report RAW or DETAIL data at 1min granularity?
• 9. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Darryl Day
Raw may be a consideration. It is the "by Default 5 minutes" I was also asking about.
There may be an opiton to have one TSCO at a lower granularity (so DEFAULT amended to say 1 minute) for a subset of servers.
• 10. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Dima Seliverstov
The shortest summarization period supported for data import into TSCO is a 5 minute interval.
You can configure manager runs to process data at 1 minute interval, but the data will not be visible in reports (only internal BCO table SYS_DATA_DETAIL)
Full details of the limitations.
For TSCO, what are the recommendations regarding high granularity VIS parser ETL data being imported into the database?
Article Number000160885
Article TypeProduct/Service Description
Product Version11.3.01
Component Version
Applies toTrueSight Capacity Optimization 11.3, 11.0, 10.7, 10.5
Officially the smallest interval supported by a TSCO Gateway Manager run is 2 minutes. There is a workaround to allow VIS files to be created with a 1 minute interval but it isn't officially supported (although it is a configuration we've seen used in the field successfully -- typically for a small subset of the total machines in an environment).
The shorted summarization period supported for data import into TSCO is a 5 minute interval. That is the minimum interval length for data to be stored at SYS_DATA_DETAIL. If Manager is configured to create a VIS file with 1 or 2 minute intervals, when that data is imported into TSCO by the TSCO Gateway Server VIS parser ETL it will be summarized to a 5 minute interval when it gets loaded into the SYS_DATA_DETAIL table. When the data is imported into the SYS_DATA_DETAIL table the 1 (or 2) minute data points will be summarized into a single 5 minute data point but that data point will carry the MIN, MAX, and AVG statistics. So, in addition to the typical AVG value it will be possible to report the MIN or MAX value from the data points summarized together for each 5 minute period.
There is a separate data storage area in TSCO for high granularity data called the RAW summary level but if you were try to use that it would require significant technical consideration (possibly a Professional Services engagement) because the RAW data summary level isn't partitioned (so there is a significant performance concern) and it isn't managed by the Database Space Manager (so data isn't aged out of it). But, if 1 minute data were really necessary it would be possible to re-configure the TSCO Gateway Server ETLs to import the RAW data and then it would be necessary to build a data management and cleanup regime on top of that.
The hardware requirements for the TSCO Gateway Server and TSCO Application Server/ETL Engine scale pretty linearly with the data summarization interval. So, if you are currently importing data into TSCO at a 15 minute interval then the hardware requirements will be about 3 times greater to import data at a 5 minute summary interval and 15 times greater to import at a 1 minute summary interval.
* Is the goal to have 1 minute data imported into TSCO for all 6000 TSCO Agents or just a subset of the 6000 TSCO Agents?
* Is the goal definitely 1 minute intervals or would 5 minute intervals imported into TSCO be sufficient?
Here is the KA that describes the Manager run change required for 1 minute intervals:
000030157: How can the minimum VIS interval be reduced to 1 minute in Manager on Linux since by default Manager only allows a minimum VIS interval of 2 minutes? (https://bmcsites.force.com/casemgmt/sc_KnowledgeArticle?sfdcid=000030157)
Q: Can near-real-time data from webInvestigate be exported to a 3rd party application for reporting?
webInvestigate supports the creation of near-real-time charts and drill downs (so data over the last few days up to the last few minutes) but since the data is being sourced from the TSCO Agent itself there isn't data 'export' functionality associated with it. It can be accessed via the webInvestigate UI but there isn't a way to extract that near-real-time data for all your agents holistically and make it available via another tool. There are some limited command line APIs for extracting data from a single agent (similar to the old printUDR fucntionality) but that would be for a limited scope data extraction (and it would require custom scripting to be usable).
Q: Does webInvestigate support the presentation of 10 second sample data?
Yes, it can show 10 seconds samples using Investigate History data (so you can 'scroll back in time' or with Investigate History disabled it can show 10 second data points from the time you bring up the chart and add new data points as they become available. Functionality in relation to charts and drilldowns it is very similar to the existing TSCO 10.7 and earlier Investigate functionality provided via the TSCO Gateway Server on Windows. Where it differs is that it doesn't use "policy" files to define the computers it uses something called an "Investigate Study".
One can find information on webInvestigate here:
For new environments that don't yet have access to Investigate through TSPS that is a tool than can be implemented separately from your existing TSCO production environment in a lab environment. It requires a bit of hardware (since it would require a lab server with RSSO and TSPS, a separate TSCO AS, and a separate TSCO database server [maybe Postgres instead of Oracle], and a separate TSCO Gateway SErver [maybe running on the TSCO AS -- although that configuration isn't supported in production). But, it could then access your existing TSCO Agents. That also gives you good exposure to the TSCO 11.3 product to be prepared for your PROD upgrade.
Q: If we wanted to import near-real-time data from the TSCO Gateway Server into the TSCO database is that something that BMC Professional Services could work with us to implement?
Based upon input from the TSCO Product Architects the TSCO product is definitely not designed to support near-real-time import of data into the TSCO database from the TSCO Gateway Server ETL and any attempt to do something like that would be outside of the supported configuration of the product. The BMC tool that is likely more consistent with that use-case is the TrueSight Operations Manager tool where the KMs stream data back to the TSOM database throughout the day (since the purpose of that tool is near-real-time monitoring and alerting -- very similar to TSCO Investigate functionality).
Manager run configurations attempting to import near-real-time data into the TSCO database isn't something that could be implemented via a Professional Services engagement because the current data flow design isn't compatible with it. Having multiple 6 or 12 hour Manager runs per day, although not entirely compatible with some product functionality, is within the realm of what could be considered a supported use-case for the product. Any attempt to stream TSCO Agent data into the TSCO database at a higher frequency than that would be in the realm of an unsupported configuration of the product.
• 11. Re: Requirement for higher granularity for exceptional servers
Stefan Antelmann
The approach which was suggested by Dima is working, but has some side affects since it will affect every manager run and is getting lost when doing product updates, but there is a way to control this as well using the ETL.
When open a Vis File Parser ETL in Advanced Mode, under Load Configuration there is a Detail Option.
STANDARD – default data import - >= 5min
RAW ALSO – populate samples < 5min into RAW tables AND aggregate data to 5min, hours and so on
RAW ONLY – populate samples < 5min ONLY in RAW tables without performing data aggregation
This helps to control that Data Load on the ETL which is what we recommend.
1 of 1 people found this helpful | <urn:uuid:4b3cb9b7-af4b-4efe-a7dc-80bddbd9b039> | https://communities.bmc.com/message/821910 | en | 0.887543 | 0.05609 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Create Pages from JSON With Images
Why does Gatsby use GraphQL? This is part 3 of a 4-part series that shows how to create pages in Gatsby, how data becomes hard to manage over time, and how GraphQL helps limit the complexity of data management.
In this video, you’ll create product pages from a JSON file and add images to the pages. This video starts to show the complexity of managing complex data. | <urn:uuid:69aac333-bcac-45f3-b699-7cb86765a3f8> | https://egghead.io/lessons/gatsby-create-pages-from-json-with-images | en | 0.84489 | 0.966235 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Porcelain and composite veneers are particularly successful nowadays, because only a very small amount of tooth enamel is removed, the teeth do not have to get a crown immediately, in addition, veneers are very beautiful and durable.
What does composite or direct veneer mean?
Composite veneer means that the tooth is not abraded, there is no imprint and no dental technician needed, but the entire treatment is performed within the dental office in one or maximum 2 steps. After removing the old fillings and the soiled parts, the dentist sets up the tooth and then covers it with an aesthetic composite shell. This requires special techniques and the artistic sensibility of the dentist. During the treatment, the dentist uses composite materials of different tone and color from the deep layers to the surface. The result is a beautiful restoration that resembles the natural.
In which cases is it worthwhile to make composite veneers?
Composite veneers can be made in all cases where no tooth is missing or if only a little bit of a tooth is missing. This is often the case when tooth decay or larger fillings occur. Composite veneers can also change the shape and color of the teeth. It may also be that a tooth whitening is made prior to building the composite veneer so that a new tooth color can be formed that is much whiter than the previous one. The teeth whitening and the composite veneer together meet the expected result. In some cases, patients opt for composite veneers when they are reluctant to wait for porcelain veneers, as they also require the work of a dental technician, and therefore take longer to complete. | <urn:uuid:79e99171-dd8e-4e3b-9df3-ac57df36c02d> | https://evergreendent.co.uk/lexicon/veneer/ | en | 0.945857 | 0.068335 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Floating objects: observed failure of conservation of linear momentum
This post is companion to https://forums.dual.sphysics.org/discussion/comment/3228/#Comment_3228, which regards conservation of angular momentum for rigid objects.
Here, a cube of 1m edge length, with centre of mass placed at the origin of the reference frame, has an initial velocity (20,0,0) m/s. I have run a simulation for the motion of this object without fluid and gravity. For the time marching I have given a conventional sound speed of 10 m/s and let DualSPHysics go. So the expectation is that the object maintains this velocity indefinitely because of conservation of linear momentum in the absence of external forcing.
The simulation covers 0.06 seconds with data output each 0.01 s. The average time step is in the order 0.0001 s. With the velocity assigned this means that the cubes should cover a stretch of 20 cm in 0.01 s and of 1 m in 0.05 s. I have used "DualSPHysics4 [Symmetry] v4.4.010 (21-06-2019)", "FloatingInfo4 v4.0.030 (21-06-2019)" and "GenCase4 v4.0.109 (21-06-2019)".
The table below is the output of FloatingInfo for the object in point. Some columns have been hidden.
Column I shows that at the time of the first output (0.01 s) the centre of mass has moved forward by ~20 cm. However, the displacement in the x-direction given by the surge in column L amounts to just ~6 cm, as though the object had travelled at 5.7 m/s (column R, my addition). This should be an inconsistency because of the object being rigid. This situation is highlighted in orange.
After that the object velocity and the surge speed are both 20 m/s. The row marked in yellow shows that after 0.05 seconds the centre of mass is at position ~1 m, while the surge displacement is 0.86 m. However, this mismatch is not just a presentational issue since the snapshot of the particle position shows that the whole object (including the centre of mass) has moved forward by the surge displacement 0.86 m rather than the expected 1 m.
I am glad to provide the input and output files, but please note that the files and procedure are pretty much the same as those attached in the companion post https://forums.dual.sphysics.org/discussion/comment/3228/#Comment_3228
I am afraid to have made trivial mistakes or that there could be something wrong with time marching of rigid bodies dynamics. Suggestions and/or patches, whichever applies, welcome. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
• Some suggestions;
What happens if you set the sound speed, c = 200 m/s?
What value of the variable b did you put? Did you use something arbitrary?
Kind regards
• Thanks. Is there a reason why this behaviour is justified for c=10 m/s? The xml file can be found in https://forums.dual.sphysics.org/discussion/comment/3228/#Comment_3228 except for the swap between initial values of angular/linear velocity. b is computed from the artificial equation of state.
• From your comment I understood that setting c = 200 m/s, ended up working? The reason for this change to be necessary is because DualSPHysics employs a weakly compressible approach - to ensure "99% incompressibility" it has been found that the speed of sound should be atleast 10 times larger than the speed of something in the domain. This can also be read in Chapter 3.4 on DualSPHysics Github wiki. I assume that the conservation of momentum might have had something to do with that. The reason you would never set c = 1000 or something like that, is because of the time step calculation, the larger c, the smaller time steps ie. slower solution - this is shown in Chapter 3.7.3.
And great, then you have computed b correctly (and for anyone interested see chapter 3.4 https://github.com/DualSPHysics/DualSPHysics/wiki/3.-SPH-formulation#34-equation-of-state).
Kind regards
• edited August 2019
The simulated material that can and should be weakly compressible is the fluid. Conversely, the weak compressibility approach holds for the fluid flow equations. There is no fluid here.
A rigid body, which is certainly incompressible, should follow its own set of the governing equations, also regardless of whether there is fluid or not.
Sound propagation is not physically relevant here. The time marching procedure might well inherit some parameters like time-step restrictions from the sound of speed. Nonetheless, at least on first looks, I would not expect instabilities and stability criteria from the motion of an isolated rigid object. Actually, one ends up having time steps quite small compared to those relating with the translation velocity of the body: order 10E-4 versus 10E-2 in this case, so the object motion is well resolved anyhow.
Rather than setting c=200 m/s, which leads to small time steps and long runs, I have given a velocity of 0.1 m/s and c=20 m/s (hence Ma=0.05 should it matter), while leaving all other parameters unchanged. The average time step is ~0.0008. The corresponding table from FloatingInfo shows that the problem persists:
So thanks again for your remark. It helped isolate the nature of this inconsistency further: it looks unrelated to the object's speed. This thread remains open.
Sign In or Register to comment. | <urn:uuid:114ab3ac-2876-45e3-9bde-18f1be4383d1> | https://forums.dual.sphysics.org/discussion/1679/floating-objects-observed-failure-of-conservation-of-linear-momentum | en | 0.921538 | 0.09901 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Last summer I was lucky enough to start what became a long form exchange with one of my favorite musicians, Matthew Grimm (Hangdogs, and with The Red Smear, @grimmreality). For years he has been a fresh, articulate punk voice. Due to personal reasons however, the entire interview was never posted. Here, finally, is the collected interview.
Out of respect to Matthew for his time investment, all responses given have been presented here. This results in a particularly long read, but worth the time invested.
Part One
Random questions first; your website says that you are a Star Trek fan, which Trek is your favorite flavor? You also mention playing Civilization 4, do you just play games about geo-politics and religion, or are there others you occupy yourself with from time to time?
Grimm- Original series, I guess. A lot of metaphors in that hamfest shaped the way my brain developed. And Wrath of Khan. A lot of the stuff that came after, I loved that it came after, but it was mostly garbage. TNG is unwatchable now. Loved it then. DS9 got better the darker it got and by Voyager, I lasted like two or eps and clapped out. Just trite wank and I untrekkified. And at that point, other people were doing better things. Babylon 5. Farscape. I mean, Bab5 is garbage-y episode to episode but its story arcs were BIG. Farscape was just sheer optimization of television storytelling.
But then storytelling’s just gotten better, hasn’t it? It’s a function of shedding the shackles of censorship for “wide audiences” that broadcast TV monopolies and basic cultural puritanism impose. Creators free to create without worrying about some dumb gaggle of churchy assholes gasping just make better stories.
As games go, I’m (into) first-person shooters and Civ style strategy games. I think I got up to Civ6, which is addictive as shit, but then I stumbled into Medieval: Total War and now I kind of feel cheated if I can’t array an army on the battle field to settle shit properly with those dick Germans or Byzantines or whichever. FPS – or third-person – are probably more fun, though. The Borderlands series was off the hook, and hilarious on top of it, and the Saints Row series just got funnier as it went along. And the Fallout series is just training for a few years from now so that’s important and, my dear sweet Jesus, Bioshock Infinite. That was a story. Great game but the story, the performances, the characterizations – and the chance to shoot these shithead All-American Klan-y proto-Nazis in their New Jerusalem in the sky – that was the first game I ever played that when it ended, it was like a great novel ending: You were sad that it was over and you sort of missed the characters being in your life on the regular.
Your site also states that you worked as a business journalist in the early 2000s. Was that something you had gone to school for or had you always had an interest in business? How did that background feed into the formation of the Hangdogs?
I started out as a really entry-level editorial assistant at a small business magazine. It was a weird placement since I came out of college a raving lunatic leftist (not a seminarian, no, but I was raised very religious in an extremely conservative town in Iowa, and a lot my worldview is shaped by my early, zealous vestment in that garbage fraying and eventually falling to pieces). But I’d done an internship with the editor back in my college days and he basically headhunted me and, well, back then, $20,000 starting salary for entry-level journalism wasn’t bad, even if it was poverty-level. But I was a kid from a lower middle-class family and had a bunch of friends, I wasn’t clubbing like an insane B&T twat, it was a mass-transit city, I taught myself to cook — there are offsets. I figured out a Golden Mean of a sort. I wound up becoming a reporter and later the news editor and then top editor of that magazine, way too young, and a case could be made I wasn’t very good at either. Don’t really know, in hindsight, why I stayed there so long.
The idea should’ve been get a decent clip file and take it to another mag or newspaper that I actually WANTED to work at. We covered marketing and advertising shit of big corporations. The goal was to break news in major categories every week and really beat the majors, the Wall Street Journal, the Times business page, Ad Age, so it was a legit news vehicle, but honestly, it was an exercise in learning how the shitty brainwashing sausage was made. Double-edged sword for a Red, I guess. And, I don’t fucking know, there’s this predisposition sort of intrinsic to my family — ALL of us do it and it’s weird — where we lodge in a certain groove and, if it’s good enough, we don’t really go seeking more fertile fields. I was making a decent living. I’d learned a lot of shit about these awful monolithic monsters called corporations. I had enough money to do all the other shit I wanted to, more than enough, because I’d learned to live so frugally. I didn’t even take vacations the first few years I was there and eventually they forced me to.
Now, the flipside to that is, I sort of flamed out at one point. I think when I was 27. Some of it had to do with the job. Some of it had to do with realizing a few people in my life were racist assholes and it was devastating. I had what was not a clinical breakdown but a pretty acute break informed by depression and, ummm, for lack of a better cliche, crisis of meaning. I went on a long drive with my friend Mike, like cross country, through the South, over to ABQ, up to Denver. We got a book on tape of Campbell’s Hero With A Thousand Faces, if you can believe that shit, and listened to through a lot of the drive. At a certain point, we hashed over the basic dumb kid question, Well, what the fuck do you WANT to do? How can you put in motion doing that?
Again, if I’d just tried to parlay my shit over to The Nation or someplace, that would’ve been less of an issue. I should’ve. In hindsight, I would’ve done better work and given more of a shit about it. But anyway, I’d just started writing some songs, not particularly good ones. But I liked doing it and I liked singing, and I could play very basic tenor guitar. I was the dumbfuck at the party who late at night, if Mike was drunk enough and someone had a guitar, he would insist I do some songs, covers then, and you do it because, if I’m honest, maybe someone, at that point in the the night, will dig your voice and have sex with you. So the epiphany (blugh) or whatever we came out of the trip with, I was gonna figure out how to record my songs and sell them. Maybe in Nashville. They were sort of country, if not really by the contemporary country standards, but I thought that’s where I’d maybe have a shot.
This was in that period, early 90s, just coming off that insurgent country scare of Dwight Yoakam and Steve Earle. That’s the shit I was maybe emulating, maybe riffing on, but in my mind I was more hoping to introduce a Midwest prole sensibility to the genre. So the next step was getting some people together to instrument a “demo,” though I don’t even remember if I knew to call it that at that point. I really hadn’t had any musical aspirations to that point. Like at all. The closest to being in a band previously was one summer during college, I went back to Iowa, and a few guys I knew had a cover band and I sang for them for a few shows. It was fun but nothing serious. And even in college, I became one of those snob nutbars, y’know, hitting the Record Collector in the weird musty space over the pizza shop every Friday after classes to see what was new, tent poling your whole schedule around who was coming to town. Punk rock, hardcore, roots rock. And I liked to sing but I never really saw myself doing it because I wasn’t really A MUSICIAN. I sang. I played drums in high school band. I wasn’t particularly great at either.
Any memorable finds from your Friday trips to the Record Collector?
I still have some of those vinyls from the Record Collector right here, with nothing to play them on. Jason & the Scorchers – Lost and Found Dead Milkmen – Big Lizard Little Steven – Men Without Women & Voice of America Rainmakers – eponymous Del Fuegos – Smoking In the Fields and Boston, Mass haha I’d completely forgot about this one an ep by a band called In Pursuit – When Darkness Falls. I remember I saw a video for the single, “Losing Control,” on 120 Minutes and flipped my shit. Weak record but that song kicks ass. Miracle Legion – the Backyard. Social D – Prison Bound.
I never clicked with the Dead Milkmen, but they tended to be a big influence on the people they fit with.
The Milkmen aren’t a dropkick and there’s not a great case to be made for their transcendence, since they were more an eclectic comedy act than anything, but I love them. They were a continuum. You could get a whole record of just bizarre twattery that still had like one or two GREAT songs on it, AS SONGS. One of their most famous and quotable songs is just a guy screaming over a band riff for three minutes, but it’s goddamn hilarious.
How did the Hangdogs come together at that point?
So I knew Kevin Baier from Syracuse, he was a drummer, and he knew a guy where he worked, which was Titan Sports (aka the World Wrestling Federation), who was an ace guitar player, Slim Simon. We brought in a guy I knew from work to do bass but was one of those guitar players who COULD play bass but A BASS PLAYER, y’know? But we went up to Stamford, where Slim lived, and did some really basic demos on maybe six songs. We had a good time doing it. Those guys said let’s keep playing, so we did. We eventually really needed a proper bass player so we did an ad in the NYPress and JC answered it and we had the original four Dogs. The name, I remember just doing word associations in a notebook at Mooney’s Pub in Brooklyn… Hangmen Hanged Men Hang… that type of thing. We started playing the shitty starter clubs in NY and dear CHRIST it was miserable. Seven-eight bands a night, no shared back line, shuffle up, get as many of YOUR people ticked through the doors, after the first twenty, maybe you make a few bucks. Awful system. Don’t know if they still do it.
We weren’t really very good or really defined in what our sound was. We had a lot of energy, though, and had fun doing it and that was the spark that kept it lit. We were a punk band doing this rockabilly and country stuff and it was a weird animal. We only had maybe six originals so will filled out the set with obscure covers, like “Just Because” from the Elvis Sun Sessions, or Johnny Burnett’s “Standing on the Outside of Her Door.”
Eventually mustered up the bucks to do a proper recording of the originals at Mark Spencer’s home studio on the Gowanus in Brooklyn. It’s a fucking mess. We do a lot of the songs too fast, the instrumentation is pretty sparse (I’m still playing acoustic tenor guitar so my rhythm parts are anemic as shit). I can barely listen to it anymore. But it was good enough. Couldn’t get any labels interested so we self-issued. Kevin just whored the shit out of it, did a ton of research, figured out who the “alt country” shows were on progressive stations all over the country and slung it out there. This is pre-internet (or very early internet) so I don’t know how the hell he did it all. We got some airplay here and there. Managed to expand our playing radius a bit on the East Coast, Philly, DC, TRIED Boston a few times but never really found a groove there.
There were weird affectations. I wore cowboy boots and sang with a Southern accent in some of the songs and, years later, I don’t really know why and I guess it was just sort of Zeliging. We didn’t really define ourselves or our sound until the third record, when we started figuring out, consciously or subconsciously, that that garbage “alt country” thing was basically so much affectation in and of itself. Like we weren’t going to “redefine” country music to make it rock (verb) and thus not be shit. Country was always going to be country, lowest common denominator rubbish rigidly maintained and denuded by an oligopoly of smarmy coke addicts like any other genre of music.
And like any micro-trend or subgenre, the more dress-up affectations there were to it, the less actually authentic it was. The more it was a put-on. Hobbyists wearing yoked shirts and shouting “yee-haa” ironically.
Which is fine for your hobby.
It doesn’t help make good music.
Part Two: Same Old Story & East of Yesterday
Regarding that first album, ‘Same Old Story’, it had two songs that definitely stood out to me on first listen. “Same Old Story” just seemed to define the mold of the working band, the ones everyone loves, but doesn’t support. While “Don’t Mind” on the other hand was a lot more personal to me at the time due to issues I was going through with my now ex.
Grimm- …”Don’t Mind” That’s one of those songs that doesn’t hold up for me, just personally, and it’s fascinating to see it take on relevance in someone else’s eyes. I get it in context of your story. Funny how songs are such Rorschach tests. I did an all-request show for a fundraiser for KNON in Dallas a few years back and someone called that one out. I hadn’t done it in years. And in between the verse/chorus segments I sort of paused with the guitar still going, sort of like doing Elvis doing that poetry break on “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” and hashed over how, looking back, it was a pretty shortsighted butthurt narrative and that I would encourage the dumb kid who wrote it to get over himself and perhaps try living outside his own ass.
(Sidetrack) Could you tell me how/when you got into Woody Guthrie?
Sure. Woody Guthrie was late, to be honest. A lot of folky stuff with awful old timey production just didn’t clock with me in the years when I was a proper record-hunter/audiophile snob, just because it was hard to listen to, so a lot of that stuff I gave short shrift. Later gen, too, like Phil Ochs and Pete Seger, which was short-sighted (or -eared) but just sort of the way my mind worked. And still does to some extent, even though I’ve sort of shed those pretenses and audiophilia in general. But I can tell you there was a hard gateway to Woody Guthrie, which was, per this setup, a contemporary recording, which was Dave Alvin doing “Do Re Mi” as a part of that medley he used to do live with “Jubilee Train.” Because holy. SHIT. Then (I) went and looked into it and read the backstory and how it was calling out the corruption of cops exploiting the shit out of refugees haha GLAD WE FIXED THAT YAY AMERICA. When I started the Iowa band, that was one of the first covers we did to pad out the set, totally cribbing the Dave Alvin arrangement. Well, maybe a little more punk, but it was a pretty obvious crib.
Of course, “All You Fascists Bound to Lose” also became a personal favorite. Didn’t realize it’d have the opportunity to become so relevant again. I’ve obviously covered “Union Maid,” which was basically because I’d started playing that song at labor actions and that’s one that really gets people singing along on the choruses. One thing you learn when you start playing actions is the dynamic changes. You’ve gotta shed your intrinsic musician narcissism and, instead of playing FOR people to listen to, you need to start playing WITH people and basically being the orchestra conductor, because their involvement and galvanization is the point of getting together.
And this sort of became a theme with my affinity for folky stuff. If somebody with a rock sensibility pumps some octane into it and puts some real verve and creativity into a cover, it lights a fire in my brain. Which probably goes back to the Scorchers’ version of “Absolutely Sweet Marie.”
But Dave’s version sort of opened the doors on the Woody canon, because I guess by the late 1990s, I’m starting to realize, per aforementioned, songs written from up my own ass aren’t really what I need to be doing with this medium. Love songs, broken heart songs, bleh, Jesus Christ, not only have these things been done to DEATH, they’re boring as fuck and you can only turn so many phrases to keep that horseshit fresh.
Hah yeah, Joe Strummer said as much in an old Clash interview “the subjects been covered” or something to that effect. When I heard that and realized, one of the biggest bands in the world, wasn’t singing about heart break or love, but were instead focused on expressing their rage and fury about the world around them, which included themselves. Sorry, I try not to invoke Joe too often, but he is a personal favorite.
Joe Strummer is the shit. Invoke him all you want.
Playing the IFL’s We Are One event in Solidarity with Wisconsin, Iowa Capitol steps, Des Moines
When did you start attending labor events, versus when did you start playing at them? Was there a specific moment/event that pushed you to action?
In terms of actually participating, it would’ve been Red Smear and after. Moving to Iowa shrank my sphere a LOT, both in terms of things going on and people I knew doing activist stuff. I participated electorally and some limited rank-and-file activism in NY. In Iowa, one of the only guys I knew in Iowa City when I moved there was with COGS, the grad student union just trying to get traction there. I met a bunch of people through him who have since become a sturdy spine of my labor friends, and, as social-justice-inclined grad students, they were obviously active in other stuff. Some of the Red Smear’s early shows were fundraisers, Students Against Sweatshops, COGS, I think we even did one for Dave Loebsack, who was running as a Democrat against like a 30-year incumbent. We never really found a groove as an Iowa City band, but one thing everybody knew I was always on call for was a good cause. When the floods hit us in 2008, I even went to United Way and organized a flood relief benefit with them and coordinated the show and all that. You can do that kind of stuff in a smaller pond.
And as my COGS buds graduated and went on to other stuff, they took my records to other people sort of across the labor spectrum, and that led to me doing more dedicated labor actions. I did IFL events, just solo. Did a rally for locked out chem workers in Keokuk, and some steelworkers who’d come up from S Illinois in solidarity asked me to come down and do a strike-fund benefit for them, that kind of thing. That was mostly post-Red Smear that I started doing that, as, by that time, I was fed up with trying to make a band work and was pretty much tailing off from being an active, hustling musician looking for shows.
The move to Iowa put the kibosh on The Hangdogs, which was a double-edged sword. It was a chance to sort of reboot what I was doing musically, in the direction my songwriting was going late-Hangdogs – which was more back toward my punk inclinations (if never really PROPER punkrock) – but it was also shedding the asset of an established band, which proved way more of a hit than I’d expected. We’d built up our own little groove of anemic pseudo-success and as little as it was, it was still 800% more than you have starting from scratch in a nowhere burg in the Midwest.
Which gives you an idea of the GAPING chasm between the economies-of-scale of “the industry” and just ungodly fucking odds of trying to build anything DIY. And gave me an idea of just how complete shit I am at managing and marketing. It’s not a thing for people bad at managing and marketing to do.
Let’s get back to the Hangdogs. You had a one year turnaround for ‘East of Yesterday’ (1998) from ‘Same Old Story’ (1997). How old were you at this point?
I guess I would’ve been 31-32 when ‘East of Yesterday’ came out.
“Speed Rack” struck me as a fairly mature track, about getting older, and not necessarily growing up. The songs that touch on relationships tend to pretty honest, in that, they aren’t about picking up your baby in your Chevy, and enjoying life while having a cold one at the creek during July. Sometimes they are happy, pissed, from her perspective, or about the absurdity of it all.
Well, a couple of those are Bruce Henderson songs. “Speed Rack,” fully belying any maturity on MY part haha, was all his. He’d recorded that on his Hearts & Minds record and we loved it and added it as a sort of signature cover. We’d met him playing shows out in NY and loved his shit and we became friends and wound up asking him to produce that record.
“Something Left to Save” is a great picture of a cold, impersonal city. “A soul only costs what a body’s worth, and the next one’s just as cheap” While the chorus still has that twang of hope, the social picture is still pretty bleak, “Down here we buy what they say we need~ if we could trade in our debt for our dignity, we could take back what was always ours.” Love that bit though, nothing like voluntary financial servitude to brighten up a culture. Was this more inspired by Brooklyn, or just any town USA?
This was New York, sure, and upstate cities like Syracuse and Binghamton that I’d spent time in, that were just being gutted by forces bigger than them, even if the agents of those forces lived golf-course adjacent in the burbs. NY was Giuliani’s NY at the time, and it was a real estate developer’s orgy, turning Manhattan into a mall even as he set the cops loose on “unwanted” elements and papering over the actual culture of the city. It was racist. It was classist. It was the heyday of the Rockefeller Laws, mandatory sentencing in confluence that odious fucking Clinton crime bill, bourgeois racism and classism, a generation deep into the utterly sociopathic fallout of the War On Drugs. True bipartisan fuckery at the highest level, even while the swells I wrote about at the magazine were gaily coring out the industrial base that had made these cities, and the solution, we were told, was good PR and beating down the casualties of neoliberalism and anyone who said it was bad. The 90s were the textbook definition of False Consciousness.
“I’d Call to Say I Love You”, appreciated this one because the guy has moved on. That doesn’t change the good times, but they are in the past. He might still think about her late on Friday night, but, well the title has it front and center. How many of these relationship songs were directly inspired by your experiences, or were you just going off of established situations? Or does that feed into “The Man with the Plan that Went Awry”?
I think the relationship songs were all MOSTLY inspired by my own shit. But probably not all. I think “Man With the Plan That Went Awry” more has to do with Kevin, because he’d fallen ass-over-noggin for an awesome young woman and whenever we were done with tours he’d insist we drive 24-32-hours straight in shifts to get home. I didn’t really have that kind of thing going on until maybe a few years later, but, mind you, a lot of this is hazy. (That’s one of the songs I don’t think really holds up, mind you, the lyrics are forced, my own affectation is on overdrive and stylistically it’s just kind of evidence we hadn’t really defined a sound yet; like “WHY ARE WE DOING A BLUES SONG?”) “I’d Call to Say I Love You” was about my own shit, I guess, probably the same cratered relationship that inspired “Don’t Mind,” but I think that was more an exercise of a good turn of phrase.
And maybe turning the convention of cheap sentiment on its head a bit? But I think you hear some of my own weariness with the workaday cubicle slave labor leaking into that, which, of course, yes, definitely informed “Something Left to Save.” I think one could probably make a case that was the first song that sort of defined our “voice” as a band and was kind of a directional as to where we were going. A left-turn blinker haha. I mean, the prole inclination had been there since “Same Old Story” and “Monopoly” but this was a big rock song that, like “Flatlands,” is hinting that the veneer is fake and that there is a caste system that keeps it that way even as (it) demands you accept it’s real.
“Hey Janeane” spearheads that destructive relationship anthem. “Ain’t it funny how we hate the same things…lets us get drunk, get bitter, and get mean, fall in love and make someone else doubt what they believe.” As the line about hating the same things repeats on the fade out, that’s the moral of the story for that would be relationship, they wind up hating each other, if on some level they always did.
I think I can probably say “Hey, Janeane” is sort of in that continuum, though it’s obviously one of our trademark “comedy” songs. That’s probably a “millennial” song before the whole millennials meme, except, in my case, it being “Generation X.” Which had a similar pop cultural ethos (cynical, adrift, poor, wayward) assigned to it but wasn’t quite yet inheriting the absolutely devastated harvest of shit economics and programmatic institutional grift millennials are. And obviously, generational “profiles” are all pretty broad brushes, I know, but just from what’s happened with the laissez-faire gaming of debt, ON TOP of that vast mortgage grift that almost ended all of us, if these kids and Gen Z decided to burn this country to the fucking ground and start with a blank slate, I wouldn’t blame them a bit.
Looking back I think people may have taken that line “…and how America forsook both you and me” as written somewhat ironically, coming from the voice of a “slacker,” such as the narrator was. Nope.
“Flatlands” just feels like a dark, windy night, like that night in Tombstone when Bill Paxton gets shot playing pool. What was the idea/inspiration behind that song?
“Flatlands” was a song he (Bruce Henderson) conceived as a sort of Southern Gothic horror tale and he called me over one day to do some co-writing. That was the one we really zeroed in on and became what you hear. His version, which was released on a solo record, was even creepier because he did it as this moody polka, believe that shit or not. I think the idea on the latter, if anything, is sort of the flipside of “Monopoly On the Blues,” that the veneer of sweet little small towns can be just that, and that for all that stoic, Salt-of-the-Earth, Godly, Real American-ness in the heartland, it is home to just as much horror-per-capita as anywhere. And, as we’re seeing now, maybe more so BECAUSE of its social disconnection.
Part Three: Beware of Dog & Wallace 48′
It’s the year 2000, ‘Beware of Dog’ comes out, my favorite of the Hangdog albums. It starts off with the crowd pleasing portrait of love in America,”The Gun Song”. That opening line was one of the most country lyrics I still have ever heard, it’s right up there with Cocaine Blues. The abusive, dysfunctional relationship quickly established, while the chorus is a depressing declaration, and the second to last verse where she shoots him, is just such a satisfying moment in a song. Rarely do you get that kind of ‘closure’ feeling in a song. Leaving the last verse to be a fitting end to their story, while perpetuating the cycle further. Well done all around man.
‘Beware of Dog’ always seemed to be the most cohesive Hangdogs album, how do you feel about it this far down the road?
Grimm-I think I mentioned before that ‘Beware of Dog’ is where we sort of self-defined. That’s sonically and in terms of purpose. Or I guess I’ve used the word “voice” for that concept. And if you look at some of those songs you mentioned – not all, of course – you see an undercurrent, which is something like, “We are not in control. And the people who are suck.”
This is eight years into a stark, cynical rightward/neolib shift on the part of the Democratic Party and we’re still living in the toxic sludge that produced. So, just to your point, a theme of “You are not in control” at that point was informed by something that had been happening for years. “Come the Night” is on that record, too, and it’s one of my older songs that I think holds up best. It’s about a guy who was utterly destroyed by somebody else’s shitty agenda.
‘Beware of Dog’ was the first Hangdogs album I’d heard, and as much as I loved “The Gun Song”, it was track 2, “Anacostia”, that locked in the album, and the band for me. I’d learned about the bonus march/town when researching influences for the original Fallout. Then with what happened to them by MacArthur and Patton, man, such a crazy story that none of my teachers EVER brought up. I was very surprised to hear such a clear and concise song about what it was, who was there, and how their country turned on them so violently (and against orders). What drove you to write this song?
What the hell was the Bonus Army other than a bunch of guys who were sold a bill of goods in the persistent, relentless grift that nationalism and were compensated in PTSD and institutional could-give-a-fuck? To do what? Prop of a bunch of banks’ investments in a calcified system of garbage exploitative economics. How is that different from a Vietnam vet a half century later?
I saw a documentary on the Bonus Army. The factoid that struck me, I remember, was, I had been raised on this bullshit myth of the “cavalry riding to the rescue,” and here I learn the actual last proper cavalry charge on American soil was done against unarmed veterans. And it crystallizes in my brain, THIS is a story. It’s not just that, as you say, they covered this shit up in the glossy cartoon history they spoonfeed us, it’s that just these naked moments of provable, immutable shit-that-happened – not interpretable, not “fake news” or my side versus theirs – are things that belie the myths, and in belying the myths they subvert that the current order is good and beneficent.
Which is an abstraction, a matrix of abstractions, meaning it’s dumb and removed from reality, but the people who ARE in control NEED those abstractions to maintain a society regimented to their liking, consuming and not troubling them with the ugly textures of facts and the inconveniences of actual problem-solving and redress-of-grievances. If you’re heavily invested in the status quo, you’re going to protect your investment, not least by coming up with shit sophist philosophy that encourage people to not look too closely, past the abstractions, at textures. And measurable cause-and-effect.
“Waltz this Waltz Alone” also summed up a few years of my life post-divorce. “This grown up world ain’t the utopia, the grownups all told us it was. And this glass keeps it focused, so it means even less than it does.” One of my favorite lines.
So there’s both rage and a kind of resignation in there. Or a sort. “Waltz This Waltz Alone,” and that line you cite, is a Zen paean as much as anything, but it also treads these lines, because the narrator’s worn down by dumb, template expectations – the kind we put upon everyone, just saying, This Is What It Means to Be An Adult American, which in itself is predatory and regimenting.
“The World is Yours”- Holy shit, such a great ‘climax’ for the album, and almost every line is a great lyric on its own. This song has resonated with so many I’ve shared it with over the years its crazy. It’s a great companion to “Kill the Poor” with it’s “consumerist plantations”.
“The World Is Yours” – I like the song, I’m glad I wrote it, but the wrinkle of it is, I’m not comfortable with the resignation aspect of it anymore. It’s all how you look at it, I guess, and it’s punk rock in that it’s tearing that scab off the abstractions, the regimentation.
But we’re neck deep in what we’ve ceded to the people it addresses. It’s not enough to disengage, if that was the message, and again – that’s arguable in the Rorschach sense. I’ve been working on a reprise. A 2.0, if you will, for the Grimm Reality Vol. 3. It’s not done, it needs some angrier guitars, but it sort of addresses this, um, disquiet on my part.
Three years later you released ‘Wallace 48’ (2003). When writing “Drink Yourself to Death”, I’m curious who you had in mind at the time? While it’s a fun little fuck you song, your line ‘Country’s just a bar you lay your weary head upon” always stuck with me.
Meh, the “Drink Yourself to Death Thing,” no, there were no specific targets. It was just everyone and everything involved. I think I mentioned way early in these correspondences, there was a point in the life of the Dogs where I realized that WASN’T our idiom and never would be. And that’s BECAUSE it was what it was, and we didn’t define it, and weren’t going to redefine it. Which, y’know, OF COURSE we weren’t, but angry spazzy zealous young men like to think they can do things they can’t.
You can really pick out anybody doing country now and go back to when that was recorded and find their doppelganger that fits each verse. That’s how universal it is, and how template assembly lined “creativity” works. And I think the song was just sort of how we made that realization manifest.
The existential problem surrounding us all those years is, what WERE we? I’m sure you’ve heard this from a million idiots over the years, but it was always a problem in selling ourselves. When the thing happened, we sort of embraced it because it felt like, hey, maybe we BELONG somewhere. But, again, it was really just a hobby for whoever googled that term, and for the rest of us, well, there’s breakthrough room at major and even minor labels for maybe FIVE fucking bands. And we weren’t one. Probably owing to our own definitional problems, spoken of previously, so that’s not necessarily on anyone else. It was a problem in re reviews and booking. But by the time we self-defined sonically (hahahaha this is the joke), who gave a shit? And I think there was some clarity in just declaring, if only for one or two records, we are a rock band. “But what about that old song and this twang part?” Doesn’t matter. Shut up. We’re a fucking rock band. We play rock shows. We will not open for Pat Fucking Green and Pat Fucking Green would never have us open for him. We’re little people. We’re antiwar leftist Yankees. We will not be the thing anyone once hoped we might be, including US.
Or, I should qualify, this sentiment may have been shared to some degree, but I personally had had my fill of twang and all the fake fucking folksiness of the sub-genre. It MAY WELL have been an issue going forward. If you’re talking 2002-2003, the fake fucking folksiness had basically become the conscripted agent of the enemy.
“Waiting for the Stars to Fall” -“Remember when you figured out that dreams leave scars, that you’d never reach the stars, that it was all just a ride.” Wallace ’48 has some great lines sticking with familiar themes, and slipping in a little appropriate Bill Hicks bit there I think?
Def a Bill Hicks ref. Unapologetically. “Waiting for the Stars to Fall,” to embellish, was a goodbye to and a cleanse of a lot of shit, in and of itself. It was a war song and an anti-war song, a Sept 11 song and a this-shit-badly-rationalized-empire-is-complete-bollocks-and-the-American-Dream-is-a-lie song. And a putting-away-your-toys song. It’s the end of youth.
“Memo (from the Head Office)”- “When we’re hungry, when we’re cold, there’s always shit that we don’t need.” “dangling tickets to heaven on Mastercards, seems debt transcends but unconditional love’s got strings.”
“Memo (from the Head Office)” – well, that held up pretty well, didn’t it? 15 years writing covering Corporate America teaches you some shit. A LOT of cynical shit. That very serious, very well educated, vastly influential people pass off as MEANING when it is, in fact, grooming. Conditioning. Predation. I know a lot of people, even if they recognize the problems with capitalism, just write them off as aberrations. “Well, people just went too far in that ONE case.” Jesus Christ, the dissonance of that. I can’t beam everything I’ve seen into someone’s brain, press release after conference presentation, of people using the nicest, fakest words to just butcher civility and basic decency to carve out on a few cents more per share on their quarterly report, the sheer depth of the layers of artifice.
“Goodnight, Texas” always stood out to me over the years, sonicly and lyrically. Did you know that was going to be the last Hangdogs album when recording, or was it the Iowa move a bit later?
At this point, we had a lot of turnover in the band. I was the last OG touring. There were, Christ, eight or nine of us at this point, like when there were two Harlem Globetrotters teams. There were definitely some creative differences. In particular with one of the Gen2 guys, who, one way or the other, I wasn’t going to play with anymore after W48.
I’d quit my job in ’99 to go freelance and be able to tour, because Shanachie signed us, so, once Kevin bowed out of the touring operation, booking, marketing, management, PR shit, all fell onto me, then moreso when the Shanachie experiment went to shit. And I was bad at it. That didn’t help rosify the lens I was seeing everything through.
We pretty quickly went from, okay, we’re a touring band and will dedicate more time to this with the support of an actual proper label for the first time, to holy shit, we’re this weird amalgam of guys and I need to do all this shit alone and am pretty shitty at it. I found John Agnello and put together that whole W48 recording session and I think we got some great shit out of it. I also think, in the process, it suggested that The Hangdogs either had to become something different or it wasn’t going to be a thing anymore. I may have thought, on one side of the coin, “Well, if I’m writing and singing, whoever’s doing it with me is ‘The Hangdogs,'” but I also thought, “That is hubris, and, no, that cannot be.”
That’s an admission. I’m remembering weighing those two things for the first time in years. I’m not particularly proud of thinking the former thing. But I did. Or, to be clearer, I’m remember, for the first time in years, weighing those things. (It’s been a fucking while.) All this goes to your question, did we know if it’d be the last record. And probably not overtly, like we didn’t go into making the record thinking or mulling that, but there were rifts and fraying that was going to have to be addressed, however that turned out. You can hear it, to another of your points, in “Waiting for the Stars to Fall.” That’s where we were going. Or that’s where I was going. One of the two. I think in pre-production or maybe even in post, we had a discussion as to whether that song belonged on the record. I thought it didn’t. I thought it was a “next record” where THAT sound would be THE sound.
“Goodnight, Texas,” now that I’m thinking about it, is a lot more simple and sentimental, but it’s also speaks directly to “Drink Yourself to Death,” that, in spite of all these miles, we’re sort of dead-ending here. I just hahaha remembered it CITES “Same Old Story” hahahahahaha there’s some fucking hubris for you, but I guess it’s appropriate, cuz it’s the bookend to that song, right? Holy shit, maybe I DID know and just didn’t know I knew. “When we were something better than we are.” Jesus Christ, that is fucking sad.
Part Four: Dawn’s Early Apocalypse
Earlier you talked about The Hangdogs, and only really finding your sound near the end, and with The Red Smear it seems like you firmly embraced the ‘fuck it, play what we want’ attitude, dropped any sense of pretense, and went for it. It’s that attitude throughout that made ‘Dawn’s Early Apocalypse’ (2006) one of my favorite albums of all time.
It opens with “Christian” a BRIEF line about a woman being asked by an evangelist if she’s a christian, and she replies that he’d have to ask her neighbors. The exchange works so well on a micro/macro (the woman/America) level, and brings religion into the ring before the first chords have even been played. Where did the idea to start that way come from? Did you get much resistance from those involved, or was everyone on the same page?
Grimm- The idea for “Christian” comes from an anecdote someone told and I’ve shamefully forgotten where I heard it. Someone’s mother, I think, when asked by someone else who was PROUDLY Christian and looking for tribal affirmation. Which of course, if one is to go by Matthew 6:5 is anti-Christian. The noisiest American Christians don’t actually read the book they think makes them better than everyone else so they wouldn’t know that. And that’s why they advertise everywhere they go doing everything they do. I liked the story because it’s, in a little nutshell, an affirmation of what universalist Christianity is and at the same time a condemnation of its peculiar, tribal American iteration. Most anyone who insists you KNOW they are a Christian is pretty likely a bad person. For the exact reason Jesus said.
If you’re asking if there was internal debate as to the content or sharpness of Dawn’s Early Apocalypse, no, because there wasn’t any internal at this point. This was just me now. I moved back to Iowa in kind of hurry. There’d been no plan to it. My dad was sick. My mom had dementia. I didn’t know permanent it was going to be. They just needed some help. I didn’t really know how I might restart doing music, but I moved to Iowa City, which is small but a university town close enough to the little burg I grew up in to help my parents out. Being a college town, there were some places to play, and a decent little aggregation of musicians there.
At that point, I didn’t like the “optics” or whatever of just becoming a “singer/songwriter.” Especially because, I guess, the songs I was writing were going where they were going. They needed a rage element to them. They needed a band to convey that properly on stage. In hindsight, it’s probably a daft quibble, but to my mind I at least needed to PRESENT as a “band” to convey what was coming out of my brain. In reality, there wound up being, what, 12 different guys who were the Red Smear, and I don’t know if that’s even counting the guys who played on the first record, who were AMAZING studio musicians Pete Anderson and Peter Lubin put together out in LA.
I’d saved up a LOT of money, relatively, by never really living The New York Life when I was in New York, and Lubin, a very decent dude from the Old School major label era, convinced me we could do something of a “breakout” record and establish my name as a solo artist. So I flew out there, we did the whole nine, really incredible learning experience. But the industry had shifted and, well, it wound up being a BIG investment with not much of a return.
But back to your point, I presented as a band but this started my solo period. I paid guys who played with me. There wasn’t any democracy to this particular enterprise.
“Kill The Poor” has gotten all too real in the past few years. Again, almost every line is spot on, and it sounds good to boot. Out of all the great lines, the one that kept ringing the most is “Repave our cities as consumerist plantations. Turn the cops into a martial force of occupation. Mall of America, pristine and sterilized, woe to those who can’t afford the price.” Sad it takes something like Ferguson to make people start to realize, holy shit, why do small town cops have armored personnel carriers, war time riot gear, and are a phone call away from sonic sci-fi weapons? This all comes back up in “Armies of the Lost” later on, and it’s part of the thread through the entire album.
I think, thematically, you detected something about it that I may have thought about in putting that body of work together. That the gloves are off, so to speak. No more fucking around. We are five years into this abominable, wayward, dickward shift in this republic and all the self-appointed agents of morality and decency have proven themselves to be complete cunts, their words and admonishments are poison and they can fuck off forever.
This is an “artistic” response, of course. It’s not necessarily wholly rational, but it is in defense of the rationality that had our folksy, decent, God-fearing neighbors had vented out the exhaust port into deep space, in favor of blithe mitigation of war crimes and a pointless war that killed a million people who didn’t do anything to deserve it. Dark times and destructive orthodoxy are tough to look at without having some kind of response akin to “this is complete horseshit and people are responsible for it.” And, as we’ve previously discussed, it wasn’t received well in some quarters.
Now, to be fair, some of this stuff originated in the Dogs period. “Kill the Poor” was originally Kevin Baier’s idea, though sonically, arrangement-wise, it was a much different song. I wound up using some of his original words so it’s a co-write. “Hey, Hitler!” originated in those late stages, though I can’t remember if we ever tried it out, but “Honea Path” we definitely did a few times before I left for Iowa. It begs the question as to whether those would’ve BECOME Hangdogs song, if we’d moved in that direction, and I don’t know the answer. I mean, “Honea,” sure, definitely, cuz it’s in that dirgey history groove that we kind of shared with the DBTs. The others, not so sure. Well, “Kill the Poor” in its current form, anyway. “Hey, Hitler!” might’ve been a bridge too far. A few years after ‘DEA’ and even ‘Ghost of Rock & Roll, we were talking about doing another record, if we could ever manage to all be together anyplace and work out the logistics, and we sort of put some new songs into the kitty, just sort of prepreproduction mulling. Some of the ones I threw in wound up being on ‘Songs In the Key of Your Face, but there seemed to be a quiet consensus that they “weren’t really Hangdogs songs,” and we never really moved beyond that on the idea.
I’ll play with those guys any time we can make it happen, to be clear. When we’re able to get together, we’re great and locks it like we never stopped, doing the old shit. BUT it’s just not easy to do. That’s what a goddamn BAND is.
‘Slut’ was an unexpected track, that still fit in perfect with the album’s themes. What place do ancient puritanical views have in a modern ‘free’ society? It kind of dovetails into “Nothing to Say” in regards to how relationships are viewed. “You know all those pretty words you waited for some boy to tell you, you damn sure won’t hear them from me. I’m insensitive and surly, full of liquor, wings, and rage, the farthest thing from some prince charming down on bended knee.”
“Slut” and “Nothing to Say” were arguably my last “love” songs but the point of them was, this whole convention is trite rubbish so let’s smash this dumb fucking trope, should we?
Demonizing sex. Ostracizing people who like sex. In the late 1960s, you couldn’t be an interracial couple and kiss in public in 30 fucking states without getting arrested. This is the exact same thing. The weird medieval clutches of moralist arbiters of “decency” who have been proven categorically wrong about every historical point of contention throughout history. They burned “witches” not because they were witches but because they were Anabaptist women who got woke and decided not to accept being a slave their entire lives as just a hum-drum everyday social stricture.
But haha “tradition.” Keepers of tradition can eat my ass. I decided to make it a Phil Spector-esque song because it ran against some of those WONDERFUL but also horribly dated girl-group songs, the ones where “oh no, Bobby flirted with Suzy at the drive-in and MAYBE IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD.”
Which is also “Nothing to Say,” as that was a song for my very real girlfriend at the time, but the target is really this idiotic convention of “foreverness” just beaten into our consciousness from the first fairy tale we see. “Happily ever after?” Fuck you, man, who the HELL can live up to that kind of expectation. And trying to do so buggers up the metrics of the rare instances when you really click with someone. I was with a young lady for maybe a year a few years ago, but after that blissful honeymoon period, it was constant measurement of “where are we going” and that conversation BECAME the relationship, instead of, y’know, doing fun shit with someone you’re attracted to who makes doing fun shit more fun. It’s pathos, and it’s conditioned, and all those “how-to” relationship articles and books have to be fucking up more people’s lives than they those they do any good.
And I’m at an age now where, Jesus, the amount of time you waste on this shit when there’s meaningful work to be done. And I don’t mean to be a dick about this, I KNOW it’s hard, and conditioning IS conditioning, that shit gets wired in – as per “One to Grow On” – but maybe the thing we need to liberate ourselves from is dumb fake sophist wisdom that, in fact, MAKES THINGS WORSE. It’s Heisenbergian. You change the outcome by measuring it.
“One to Grow On” certainly plays out like the after school special that kids young and old need to hear, it has that kind of kindergarten cadence to it at the start. At two minutes 28 seconds, it’s one of the shortest tracks on the album because it quickly delivers its message, directly and with little embellishment. “You are special TV shows say, you are the dawn of a brighter new day, but you’ll discover far too late, that everything you know is wrong. Brand names do not make you cool. Cool kids are twits and tools, fitting in is the worst thing that you can do, cause everything they know is wrong.”
“Honea Path” calls back to other historically focused songs like “Wallace ’48” and “Anacostia”, this time focusing on a textile worker’s strike in South Carolina 1934, which left six strikers dead. It’s imagery again conjuring up an oppressive police force, suppressing the voices of the workers, before opening fire on them.
“Armies of the Lost” is the emotional peak for the record, with a haunting account of protest. The dialogue is more directly personal with the cop, before the focus of the song widens to the protesters family, and then eventually America. Was there a specific contemporary event that inspired this, or is it sadly another timeless American experience?
We had half a million people in the streets of New York in early 2003, saying that war was bullshit. It was WRONG. And, in being wrong, it would be throwing away a bunch of lives not to solve problems but to DO DAMAGE, and thus CREATE MORE PROBLEMS. There were 12 million people out that day all over the world. LA. London. SF. My friends and I marched. Giuliani tried to pull the permit late and gunk everything up, but we marched anyway. Imagine what half a million people looks like. Cops tried to abbreviate the route, direct us here, shut it down early, but the route had been planned and they moved when they saw the column wasn’t going to stop. It was entirely peaceful, but it was LOUD. At the end of the march, I heard this meatball NYPD whiteshirt talking to a blueshirt as we crossed a street, and I just heard a short clip as I passed, him saying in the most drippingly condescending tone you can imagine, “Nah, we gotta make sure we don’t violate their ‘RIGHTS.'”
In such a way as to indicate that NOT beating people was counterintuitive.
That was the seed of “Armies of the Lost” – because it was like, fuck you, you didn’t even LISTEN when the BETTER INFORMATION was presented to you. Loudly. By people who had done their research. And thus knew better what would happen. And turned out to be right – and this is important – BECAUSE they had done their research. Because they knew how to perceive the world as a place with textures and nuance and complexity where you can’t just blow up problems because it’s a bad solution that creates more problems. This shouldn’t be fucking hard.
But, y’know, apparently it is.
If there’s one song that deserves air play in this bizarre alternate timeline we are living in these days, it’s “Hey, Hitler”. A poppy, cheerful number just as at home at the beach or in the backyard grilling hot dogs. Another song that’s perfectly quotable from start, to finish. “If there’s a hell you’re burning, like a billion white hot suns, but take some balm in PR people, country clubs, and patriots with guns.”
The country had gone off the fucking rails. It had realized the vast potential of everything awful a dumb, short-sighted, linear-thinking, idiot-managed, late-capitalist empire could be. “Hey, Hitler!” wasn’t a just a bunch of metaphors and oddly ironic happenstances drawn up to show parallels – as we’ve found out in the crystallization of that line of thinking in the last two years, THAT is where this shit orthodoxy leads, wars of aggression, implicit or (now) explicit notions of masterrace. How anyone says “American exceptionalism” and it doesn’t scare the fucking spine out of any rational person hearing it, I don’t know. You don’t get to be wrong and imperial and racist and get away with it just because you were born on the right patch of dirt and get Pavlovian tingles when someone trots out an abstraction like a Lee Greenwood song or the flag.
The vile genius of the Roves and Bannons and Mercers and Luntzes is they’ve figured out how to marshal people’s worst, most fascistic inclinations without the explicit wares and optics of Naziism, because, on the flipside, OF FUCKING COURSE they’re not going to do that. It’s not good marketing. Doesn’t mean the YIELD is not the same. You can do the most odious crimes imaginable with utter impunity in this country and never get caught or brought to justice, walking between raindrops, as long as you are wealthy and white, even as you’re gutting the basic infrastructures that make everyone else’s lives marginally livable. If that’s not a goddamn master-race, I don’t know what is.
There’s a dumb linear-thinking meme facile people trot out in the wake of every fuckawful thing either they participated in or someone else did that they want to think aren’t bad people for whatever reason. It’s that, “Well, people didn’t KNOW then. It was a DIFFERENT time.” Slavery, American apartheid, the Red Scare, the Iraq War, the civil rights movement, ad nauseum. “Well, things were different. Those people fought tooth-and-nail the basic advancement of the species for GOOD INTENTIONS and they just didn’t see the bigger picture we have now.”
And the response to that always needs to be, were there people pointing out, reasonably, that they were wrong? There almost always were. And if there were, you can’t fucking SAY they didn’t have access to better information. They did, and they CHOSE to rationalize the status quo because conservatism is intrinsically fucking lazy. It’s “self-examination is hard and I really don’t want to be bothered so this garbage system is good as it stands.” Usually because of [ABSTRACTIONS: God, natural order, flag, tribe]. So let’s not bother to solve these problems rationally, legislatively because in recognizing problems, it belies the abstraction du jour.
Part Five: The Ghost of Rock and Roll
‘The Ghost of Rock and Roll’ definitely continued the focused social dissection that ran through ‘Dawn’s Early Apocalypse’.
“Wrath of God” has a great juxtaposition between Sunday School dogma about all of god’s love with a few real world examples of said love, and those who would receive it. “God’s love lives in the flowers and the trees and the rain in the storms that drown whole cities. In the toxified corpse strewn wards where angels fear to delve” “God is merciful, except all the times that he’s something else.” “You can pray for sinners who deserve their fate, while you’re living in a house made of clear plain hate, loving your crosses and waiting for the rapture to be televised.” The toxicity of passive religious superiority is still alive and well in every small town, wherever two or more are gathered.
Grimm-“Wrath of God” was my Katrina song but it coincided, not long after, with the 2008 floods in Iowa. It wasn’t nearly as bad as being in New Orleans, of course, but I sandbagged days before the surge came down the river and the whole town was just bone-exhausted by the time it hit. There were a few days where we were cut off in every direction except the west. My dad lived 40 miles away and to get to him, I would’ve had to have driven to Des Moines, up North, over the highway 20 and back down, all jammed with detoured semi traffic, so it would’ve been a five-ish hour drive to go 40 miles. I was gonna take him out for Father’s Day but I had to put it off, obviously.
Poor me, a minor inconvenience, I was on high ground, none of my shit got washed away, like in Katrina, just that feeling of, shit, you’re at the mercy of something bigger here, just you and your neighbors, there’s nothing you can do about it. Imagine that but you’re city’s gone and there’s this whole shitty economic orthodoxy that says saving you, making your city livable, making your city safe, is something we just can’t afford. There’s a war to waged. It’s a zero-sum game, you either want to dump 5 trillion dollars into some lie-constructed imperial pigfuck or fix shit like Flint’s pipes or help poor kids not go hungry or restore power to Puerto Rico. Obviously, these people have made their choice. Most of them have done it in Jesus’s name. It’s a destructive, mean dogma, like it’s deconditioning people from empathy. Which is entirely the point when you need people to cloister off in their shitty paranoid tribes. American Jesus says fuck your neighbor, let him sandbag his own shit. Like learned sociopathy.
“Ayn Rand Sucks”, this album’s bombastic answer to ‘Dawn’s Early Apocalypses “Hey Hitler”. I managed to dodge Atlus Shrugged in High School, and it wasn’t till BioShock came out that her name started to resurface more often. The song felt a bit personal, had this grudge been a long time coming, or a more recent development around 2008?
I’m not even sure what to say about Ayn Rand that doesn’t give her more import than she’s worth, which is the entire phenomenon that is Ayn Rand. I didn’t read her until later, like my post-academic ongoing studies, just to see what this burgeoning tsunami of assholes who signed the Contract With America was talking about. So I guess it’s a small favor that I’d gotten on top of my self-esteem issues at that point, even if they never went away. That shit was made to prey on dumb, soft brains in desperate need of validation, though how those same bad brains make it through that turgid rubbish, I can’t say. I couldn’t.
Most every social clique has it’s manual, whether the members understand it is another issue, which usually doesn’t seem to bother them in the slightest
There was a convenience to it, though, that’s outside her. She was a bad writer, conservative standard-bearers of the time even said this. It’s unreadable garbage with the most cartoonish, clumsy tropes as to make Old Hollywood look positively nuanced and textured. She was convenient to certain people. And it was people who desperately needed a new narrative, to recreate a myth of Great Men, who were INTRINSICALLY great and thus in need of liberation from the vile depredations of the masses and even the bourgeoisie. If you look at the time, these people forwarded this myth, it’s not hard to see what the hole was that they needed a new myth of Great Men to fill.
I don’t think Rand was a Nazi. But there’s a larger, older notion of, let’s call it, an ascendant order, or an order of ascendancy, that was around long before the Nazis and before her.
This is why it’s hard to analyze her without getting deeper into the phenomenon that gave rise to the Nazis and still informs this neofascist movement we’re seeing today. She’s a dumb asterisk on a beshitted orthodoxy that suggests, the nobles have everything in hand, leave them to be noble and enjoy the kibble off their table. This was ALL a reaction to the various paths of humanism and the Enlightenment itself. You can look at the defense arguments made at Nuremberg – and I learned this as a kid watching that movie, right? this is not complex stuff – that a lot of the legalism and pseudo-science of the Reich had seeds in the US. And that stuff grew out of the internal conflict with the Constitution that grew up with the country.
The Constitution and its built-in malleability were constructs of the Enlightenment. This came to be, necessarily, at odds with the feudal system entrenched in the South. The Enlightenment was specifically a tonic to the rapacious, shitty yields of the feudal economics, even if it was a bourgeois one trying to put off material violent revolution. Feudalism being as hard and as rigid an encoding of a “natural order” of ascendancy as you can imagine, right? THIS is your place. You are here to serve the system. The system does not serve you.
This goes right back to Bioshock Infinite, right? That war continued after Appomattox, just in different iterations and modes of conflict. William Graham Sumner. Thomas Dixon.
The pseudo-science, eugenics, Jim Crow, specific misapplications of Darwin to social dynamics, these were all apparatuses to maintain this conservative notion of an ascendant class, by preventing it from being answerable to anyone, much less an influx of people who’d only recently been the most vile reminder of the moral indefensibility of that “natural” order. Laissez-faire was just a dumb fucking pseudo-intellectual excuse to re-encode nobility, just without anyone called a “baron” or duke or king or whatever. But here is, of course, the 8 bajillion pound gorilla that the acolytes of the orthodoxy ignore, always, forever, which is it worked BADLY.
Do-nothing government that only bothers to DO anything when it serves to enrich a privileged class? That’s OLD shit, but that was the United States from 1965 through, what, 1901 or whatever, and even then, whatever proto-progressives instituted and whatever minor gains made by labor, was niggling compared to the power wielded by the Morgans and Rockefellers.
The utter suspension of empiricism involved in this absolutely breathtaking.
I’m dropping a lotta names. Dickensian. That works too.
But it’s breathtaking enough that we can’t be surprised when we look behind the veneer of cartoon history and see, even before Rand, who those people backed as a tonic to the more socialistic, humanistic reforms that grew out of the leftmost branch of the Enlightenment and hoped to realize it.
Of COURSE Dixonian White Supremacy and other American rationalizations of stratified society find their way into nationalist movements in Europe. It’s in capitalists’ interest that they do. Of COURSE American capitalists bankrolled the Nazis. They were a tonic to A) communism, sure, but B) the social democratic movement that MERGED Reds and bourgeois democrats and threatened to better realize democratic PRACTICE, and giving more people more power was a threat to their dumb, petty little zero-sum views of the universe.
Haha but this is what I meant at the beginning of this, it’s tough to analyze her as a thing without getting into the bigger, macromalevolence she was just a convenient show horse for.
Which goes right in with “White”. At that time what was the final push to write it? It could have fit into almost any of your albums, but why then?
Honestly, I wondered if I could pull off a hip hop breakdown.
“White,” not the song, “whiteness” is obviously seeded in all that mess. As I’ve yammered before, conservatism is fucking lazy. It accepts that the only real problems are problems to the tribe, problems to an inefficient status quo, because that lets you off the hook for solving real problems. If it’s Latino kids’ problems that their parents brought them here when they were two, well, it’s not “my tribe’s problem.”
The delusion of whiteness is that everything is fine, because it is, generally, for white people. Their biggest issues are bullshit. Pew, Ipsos, all these guys have done polling since the election about what is the actual meaning of the “cultural anxiety” that elected Trump, and, no surprises, they think white people and Christians are the most oppressed humans on the face of the planet. It’s just astonishing narcissism and delusion, but it’s MADE. It’s a socially engineered thing. These are the people bitching about “identity politics” and they’re active agents of the most fake, monumental “identity politics” construct imaginable. It’s, per Gramsci’s term, false consciousness, to a tee. I know a ton of white people who see through, of course, because I know smart people, but that’s kind of the point of the song, they’re not “white” people.
1. Self-IDing AS the tribe is necessary political outcome of the social engineering project.
2. For those running the project, obv.
And when I was younger, yeah, I was a big NWA, BDP and PE fan, so I thought a fun way to make that point was with that little hook.
“Cinderella” feels like a follow up to “One to Grow On”, staring down the fairytale stories sold by the truckload to little girls. The opening line sums it up, “does he know he might be the one, who saves you from being alone, with the grinding fear of a life of your own.” The line “Cinderella, in bridesmaid yella, went upstairs to eat ice cream and watch a dvd” always stood out to me, imagery man.
I like the imagery in ‘The Ghost of Rock & Roll’, that it is this spirit that can be dialed into with our analogue radio Ouija boards. Everyday people working our everyday jobs, scanning the frequencies to see if we can find her and get a taste of that feeling, however fleeting.
‘The Ghost of Rock & Roll’ was based on a real lady we met in Knoxville. She worked as a nurse and sort of late in life had picked up a late weekend shift on a local progressive radio station. Was a big Hangdogs fan, I guess. We only stopped through once, at her beckoning, just me and Mick doing a duo tour through a few Southern towns. Knew nothing about Knoxville, but she pointed us to an open mic the night we were gonna be in town – which tells you how anemic booking got to be even a few years into doing solo shit – and gave us a place to stay. I just sort of decided to turn her into a Twilight Zone episode.
I’d like to thank Matthew Grimm again for his time and energy.
You can find his music from over the years at the links below and more:
iTunes- Hangdogs
iTunes- Matthew Grimm
iTunes- Matthew Grimm & The Red Smear
Bandcamp- Matthew Grimm
Spotify- Matthew Grimm
CD Baby- Matthew Grimm | <urn:uuid:bd94d058-aa22-4a64-8eaa-558f7d5b47cf> | https://heycmdrcody.wordpress.com/2019/01/17/interview-matthew-grimm/ | en | 0.967337 | 0.02461 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Review of Comparison Studies Investigating Bilingualism and Bilingual Instruction for Students with Disabilities
Main Article Content
Gregory A. Cheatham
Rosa Milagros Santos
Ayfer Kerkutluoglu
The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review of comparison studies regarding the impacts of bilingualism and interventions including the home and second language for students with disabilities. Although research is limited, preliminary findings from existing studies illustrate that bilingualism does not negatively impact language or academic abilities for students with disabilities. Additionally, researchers suggest that instruction in and through the home and second language does not negatively impact language and academic abilities of students with disabilities assessed within these studies. We conclude with a discussion of steps forward, given that acceptance and promotion of bilingualism cannot only be effective for students with disabilities but also is a component of culturally and linguistically appropriate services for bilingual students with disabilities.
Article Details | <urn:uuid:dd3a264c-79e8-4f96-ba1c-178b1b12a863> | https://journals.ku.edu/focusXchild/article/view/6681 | en | 0.928661 | 0.026504 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Channel tunnel to be made one-way following Brexit
channel tunnel
The channel tunnel will be made one way so trains will only travel from England to France in the event of any exit from the European Union according to Justice Secretary Michael Gove.
Speaking on this morning’s episode of the Marr show, Mr Gove said “It only goes both ways now because of European bureaucrats who want to meddle in our affairs. As a result, Johnny foreigner, his pet dog and the kitchen sink are piling over here in droves and we’re the ones who are paying it.
“Some of them are foreign, some look foreign, and some might have papers saying that they’re British but drink foreign drinks like cappuccino or eat immigrant foods like bananas and potatoes.
“If in doubt we will just be able to stick them on a train. And we know they’re not coming back. At least not via the same mode of transport.
“There might be slight disadvantages for people travelling via the tunnel to France on holiday and then wanting to return but these people are only going to want to tell everyone about their positive experiences on the continent and try to promote some sort of harmony between our nations. Quite frankly we can do without that sort of person in our country anyway.”
Concerns have also been raised that by permanently shutting one half of the tunnel, the trains travelling to France may then be unable to return to Britain to pick more people up forcing the Government to have to subsidise a new train for every journey.
“This is simply scaremongering. It’ll be fine.” Mr Gove explained.
1. You are totally missing the point of this. In reality it is a scam to export trains and rolling stock whilst evading export duties. (profits will be cunningly diverted to the British protectorate Island tax haven of Sodor) Just another day’s Tory free-market trading. In order to make it respectable and palatable to the electorate it is being couched in traditional racist/nationalist terms so as not to raise any alarm bells in the liberal pinko press.
In reference to earlier comments I’m wondering what a ‘stute’ actually is. It sounds foreign to me.
2. astute angle says:
Crap attempt at satire.
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The news articles appear to focus strongly on those notes that say "I WANT NO QUID PRO QUO" and the like. I appear to be missing the relevance of this, since the news seems to be focusing on the fact that these notes exist. They appear to be fairly obvious - talking points for speaking with the media with the same message that's been said from the beginning. Is there more to those notes that I'm missing, or is it perhaps a need to fill stories with what is most publicly interesting at the moment?
• 2
Are those notes really from him? I thought it was a photoshoped image – Quora Feans Nov 21 '19 at 23:29
• 6
@QuoraFeans I thought so too, but they do indeed seem to be his real speech notes – Fred Stark Nov 22 '19 at 3:51
What the note says, how it is written, and specifically, that the Ukrainian president's name is misspelled in the note tell us a lot about the thought processes of Donald Trump in making his statement.
The note itself shows us what Trump thought most important in what he said.
The notes say so much, less about what Trump said or Sondland testified — the ambassador stated explicitly before Congress that Ukraine had been subject to a quid pro quo — than how he views himself in this moment. “THE FINAL WORD FROM THE PRES OF THE U.S.” sounds more like a dictum from the great and powerful Oz than from a democratically elected leader. The misspelling of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky's name betrays a casual disregard for even the most basic facts of the matter. And the giant lettering supports the operating theory that Trump refuses to wear glasses that he sorely needs.
The public would have none of that additional insight without Wilson’s photograph.
| improve this answer | |
Why are Trump's handwritten notes being focused on in the news?
It's not just Trump's notes that are focused on. There have been similar cases in the past, e.g. Bolton accidentally showing notes (The picture is an AP photo, so I'm not sure I can embed it here - see the article).
There have been more cases, but I don't recall by whom and searching for them is hard.
Usually, those notes contain confidential material. That's why the press zooms in on every paper carried by a politician and his or her aides: there is news to be found! It is usually an unexperienced aide that makes this rookie mistake; Experienced politicians have developed the habit to always cover their notes. In that sense, Bolton's mistake is the outlier.
Is there more to those notes that I'm missing, [..]
Given the frenzy by the press trying to capture notes, it is well possible that Trump wanted those notes to be visible and distributed widely. In other words: Trump lured the press into spreading Trump's message.
| improve this answer | |
• 6
Interesting theory, but in this case why does he wants everyone to know that "he wants nothing" so much? If this was a cunning plan, wouldn't he have prepared a smarter message? – Erwan Nov 22 '19 at 2:07
• 20
It’s a good answer up to the speculation that this was some sort of masterful 4-D chess move. – divibisan Nov 22 '19 at 2:51
• 4
Is there any evidence that this was Trumps plan all along? – Kakturus Nov 22 '19 at 12:05
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China, COVID-19, Health, Top Stories, World Affairs
Losing the Mandate of Heaven
A pandemic would spread quickly, overwhelming China’s healthcare system, causing a breakdown in social order. Then the old chaos of the past will come again. The mighty CCP of today might suddenly look a weak and vulnerable thing.
~Kerry Brown, 2019 1
Earlier this month, Xi Jinping was exposed to the sharpest critique that any mainlander has dared to make since China’s president-for-life first took power. Xi was blamed for the coronavirus epidemic in the widely shared essay “Viral Alarm: When Fury Overcomes Fear.” True to his subtitle, the author eschewed anonymity. Xu Zhangrun is a law professor at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University. After attacking China’s dictatorial system in a series of articles published in 2018, Xu was demoted and banned from teaching, writing, and publishing. Undeterred, he adopted an even sharper tone in his latest piece.
The coronavirus epidemic has revealed the reality of politics under the Communist Party, he says: “the fragile and vacuous heart of the jittering edifice of state… a storied bureaucratic apparatus… [that] repeatedly hid or misrepresented the facts.” And who is responsible for this jittering edifice, this storied apparatus? “The Axelrod and the cabal that surrounds him”—a lyrical reference to Xi Jinping and the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee. The president is condemned throughout the essay as “self-indulgent… overweening… clueless.” Dispensing with caution altogether, and realising that this may be the last piece he will ever write, Xu Zhangrun goes on to call for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and the right to vote in open elections.
It would be hard to argue with Xu’s rebuke. As of this writing, the epidemic’s death toll is still rising, and many of these deaths can ultimately be traced to the paranoid rigidity of the Xi Jinping administration. By late December 2019, doctors in Wuhan were already sounding the alarm over cases of what appeared to them to be SARS. Instead of listening to their warnings, the authorities summoned eight of these doctors for a dressing-down. They were warned of the punishments they could face for “rumour-mongering.” News of their detention was broadcast to tens of millions: a clear message to anyone else who might have been thinking about discussing viruses in public.
The Party’s leaders actually knew enough to be worried by this point—they alerted the World Health Organisation on December 31st—and yet still they hid the truth from the public. This neurotic obsession with secrecy has certainly cost lives. If the medical community had been informed of the outbreak back in December, hospitals could have stockpiled the necessary supplies. But now there are drastic shortages, and patients are dying in hallways and waiting rooms.
Even the critics of authoritarian dictatorship will usually agree that the system beats democracy for sheer efficiency, but the coronavirus debacle has turned that old wisdom on its head. Where we might have expected cold and methodical governance, we have found dithering bureaucrats, unable to take a step in any direction, paralysed by what Xu Zhangrun calls “systemic impotence.” Weeks went by and citizens swarmed in and out of Wuhan, picking up the virus and transporting it to the far corners of the country. Local government officials stayed quiet, wary of the heavy hand of Xi Jinping. On January 23rd, a citywide quarantine was finally announced, but eight long hours passed before it was enacted—time enough for a million or more to flee the city.
The Wuhan lockdown was repeated in other parts of the country (including significant restrictions in the southern megacity of Guangzhou), and some observers praised the speed with which new hospitals were constructed from scratch. These very visible displays of its power aside, the Party has moved far too slowly at every stage of the crisis. Diagnostic testing required samples to be sent all the way to a laboratory in Beijing, and this delayed the distribution of testing kits to many of the hospitals in Wuhan. Even when testing kits were available, patients still found themselves trapped in a Kafka-esque web of bureaucracy. According to Reuters, the tests have been refused to people who fail to make it through a complex reporting system involving hospital authorities, district authorities, city health authorities, and disease control officials.
None of this should come as a surprise. The cliché about the efficiency of authoritarian systems was always, on closer analysis, something of a low-resolution image. In the old days of the Soviet Union, speedy industrial growth obscured the reality of a fragile system largely devoid of autonomous decision making. During the 1920s, the Communist Party’s state planning committee Gosplan was established with the impressive-sounding mission of creating a series of five-year plans to govern the economy. But over the next 70 years, the vast majority of these plans were radically revised and rewritten, or more frequently ignored altogether in favour of Joseph Stalin’s arbitrary dictates. Indeed, Gosplan actively tried to avoid making decisions at all, because committee members knew Stalin would have them shot and replaced if their ideas produced unwelcome results.2 In the end, fear saps the efficiency of all authoritarian regimes, and the Chinese Communist Party is no exception.
Li Wenliang has emerged as the most vivid symbol of the Party’s latest failure. Li was one of the Wuhan doctors disgraced for discussing the coronavirus on social media. A few days after his police warning, he contracted the virus himself, and on February 6th he died. It was during the period of Li’s short illness that the Party apparently realised its error and decided to absolve the doctors, but still the central government would accept no blame for the tragedy. Instead, the Supreme Court (which is controlled by the CCP) scolded the local government in Wuhan—an unusual move, no doubt designed to create a scapegoat for surging public anger. The truth is that the city’s officials had been faced with an impossible job. They obediently followed orders, and now they will be punished for it.
The frustration that always simmers beneath the surface of modern Chinese society has been bubbling up in recent weeks. “We are not dumbasses, we are not brainwashed,” said one anonymous Wuhan blogger. “We all fucking know what this country really is. We just have no ways, no power—our bodies are made of flesh and blood. We can’t beat full metal jackets and tanks.”
Li Wenliang has risen to the status of national hero for these dissenters, and several academics (including Xu Zhangrun) have signed an open letter calling on the government to issue a posthumous apology to Li. Now the Party’s leaders are panicking just as much as their hapless underlings in the Wuhan government. They have forcibly quarantined the citizen journalist Chen Qiushi as punishment for reporting on the chaos inside the city’s hospitals. Users on the social networking site Douban have been ordered to stop posting the lyrics to the Chinese national anthem, because the line “Rise, people who do not wish to be slaves” has been recategorised as radical content—an extraordinary move for a nationalistic regime, and a hint at how desperate things must be back in the Party headquarters at Zhongnanhai.
The economic impact of Xi Jinping’s mistakes will be considerable. It was only a few weeks ago that Party chiefs forecast 7.5 percent GDP growth this year for Wuhan’s home province of Hubei. Needless to say, this target is no longer feasible. Share prices fell by 10 percent in the fortnight following the Wuhan quarantine. Supply chains have been disrupted, factories remain closed, and widespread panic has almost erased business for hotels and restaurants throughout the country. J. P. Morgan economists have estimated that the epidemic would reduce annualised global gross domestic product growth by 0.3 percentage points in the first quarter, but now they think this figure will be much higher.
Perhaps the Party will contain this crisis. But the coronavirus embarrassment has exposed serious flaws in the system, and these flaws will eventually prove the Party’s undoing. To understand why, we need to evoke the concept of the Mandate of Heaven—the ancient dynastic belief in divine justification for the emperor’s rule. Throughout the long empires of the past, any large-scale failure (or even natural disaster) demonstrated the loss of Heaven’s favour, giving the people the right to rebel against their now-illegitimate leaders.
China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping sowed the seeds of the next rebellion when he embarked on his course of economic modernisation back in the late 1970s and 1980s. There can be no doubt that this course was vital, transforming China from the crippled and impoverished sick man of Asia into the rising behemoth of modern times. But it also signalled the beginning of the end for the current dynasty. The Communist Party had embraced a form of state capitalism even though it clung to the old authoritarianism—a system fatally undermined by the kind of inefficiencies that we’ve seen in recent weeks. This created an imbalance, and while observers have spent 40 years waiting for the balance to be redressed by top-down democratic reform, the failure of their predictions does not mean that the imbalance can be maintained forever.
Chinese citizens frequently refer to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs when explaining the Party’s failure to carry out political modernisation. Maslow was a 20th-century American psychologist best known for his theory that we need to satisfy basic physiological needs before we can move on to more abstract, “higher” needs, such as self-actualisation. This questionable theory has proven very useful for the Chinese Communist Party. We need to get rich first, the government tells the people. When our fundamental material needs have been taken care of, then we can start worrying about abstract ideas like human rights.
But the truth is that the Party has no intention of fulfilling those more “advanced” needs, nor will it ever need to, just so long as it can keep using the indefinite delay tactic of Maslovian theory. How rich is rich enough? Who can say? It will always be possible to convince the public they are not yet secure, no matter how wealthy. This arrangement works like an unwritten, unspoken contract. The people implicitly agree to overlook their lack of political and civil rights, while the Party agrees to make the people rich. Wealth creation has become the only thing that matters. And here, finally, we see the great vulnerability of the Chinese Communist Party. In the event of a major economic crisis and the subsequent breaking of the contract—a scenario made all the more likely by the flaws inherent to an authoritarian system—the authorities will lose the Mandate of Heaven.
The CCP is well versed in the dynamics of dynastic rule. Back in 2014, Vice President Li Yuanchao stated bluntly that if the Communist Party could not continue to improve people’s standard of living, then it would fall from power.3 The authorities have spent decades attempting to get round the problem by indoctrinating citizens with the idea that there is no distinction between Party and people. They hoped this would make uprising literally unthinkable. But a concept like the Mandate of Heaven runs far deeper in Chinese culture than anything so historically recent as “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Has the Party really managed to educate the concept out of people? Is it possible for politics to reroute culture? Maybe, maybe not. Cultures are dynamic and ever-changing, but the influence of politics on these changes remains poorly understood. The question will be put to the test when the Chinese economy collapses. On that day, Xi Jinping will find out if some of the old ways are still breathing beneath the rubble of communism.
1 Kerry Brown – CEO, China: The Rise of Xi Jinping (I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2019), pp. 223-4
2 Daron Acemoğlu & James A. Robinson – Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (Profile Books Ltd., London, 2013 edition, orig. 2012), pp. 128-9
3 Brown, op. cit., pp. 213-4
1. Yep, authoritarian rule can give the impression of efficiency because it can have the advantage of giving uncompromised direction towards a specific goal. Many of us would have seen dozens of diggers working on the site for one hospital, a few less diggers would have been more efficient - even if the job took slightly longer.
2. Actually it is not established that a dictatorship is more efficient, this is not even new. Several thousand years ago republican Rome understood that while there may be the occasional need for a dictator in a time of peril they limited the term to a year. Anyone who argues that an established dictator is more efficient is like arguing that an unaccountable monopoly is more efficient than a competitive business. Dictatorships are not ruled by angels and in only a short time they become corrupt and self serving and require repression to stay in power. Subjugating a population with an authoritarian police state is a massive mis-allocation of resources and is the antipathy of efficiency.
We humans seem to put up with a lot injustice when the cost of change entails a whole lot of pain. When the cost of the corruption begins to greatly exceed the cost of change, then maybe the system can be overturned. Unfortunately the Chinese population have displayed a remarkable ability to endure massive suffering dished out by their government, 50 million dead, yet their government survives. Have the Chinese people or their culture become less compliant since the Great Leap Forward?
I watched in hope back in 1989 when Lady Liberty was erected in Tiananmen Square and we know how that turned out. Maybe this time will be different, Xi may not have complete control of information as his predecessors had or maybe he will be scapegoated and toppled in an internal coup, but I am not betting on the demise of the government. If anything I suspect their brutal government will use the opportunity of this epidemic to covertly remove those they have awarded low “social credit” scores, i.e. their dissidents. If not outright taken away and secretly killed, those with low social credit scores will likely not get medical treatment and left to die.
3. An important element is that the mandate of heaven passed from the Party to Xi Jinping in 2018 consolidation of all power into his own hands allowed him to make himself president for life, ending the two-term limit which the Party had instituted after Mao. That limit was specifically designed to protect the Party’s power by preventing it from being all invested in one man just as the Magna Carta was designed to protect the nobility’s power from being all invested in one man, the king.
Yes, the personal self-interest of those barons and Party leaders was key but so was the interests of their successors - that is the system itself. The disastrous excesses of Mao not only hurt Party leaders, they threatened the Party’s rule because Mao had become the Party so any opposition to him became opposition to the Party itself which works only so long as he kept the Mandate of Heaven, ie that opposition didn’t reach the tipping point of becoming successful at which point the entire edifice crumbles.
If Xi were 2 years away from forced retirement, as he would be now were he still limited to two terms, the politics would look very different. An orderly change of leadership could spare the Party and blame could be laid at his feet. He might even be induced to fall on his sword early “for health reasons” and allowed to retain some behind the scenes wealth and power.
The problem of the single party state is that it quickly ceases to be a party at all, becoming mere quislings of the supreme leader. The French aristocracy’s fate at the guillotine was sealed when their powers were subsumed into the monarch’s and their roles reduced to those of merely courtiers under the monarch’s motto “l’etat c’est moi,” - “I am the state.” When that monarchy lost its mandate it took the nobility down with it.
4. It’s a good thing the government had the foresight to disarm the people. That’s going to come in very handy right now. I predict the Xi regime will survive this crisis because there’s literally nothing anyone can do about them.
– Mao Tse-Tung
A wise man, that Mao. He knew how to keep the powerful in power. It is the same in any society, whoever can hurt other people will always rule. It’s a smart move to keep that power from the hands of the people, if you want to rule them.
– Ender Wiggin
For our hard left readers, and any of those “it’s not real socialism” types, you will be interested to read Xi Jinping’s actual ideology, written by his own hand. The man is very well-read and knows his subject.
5. Have a look at the vid of Dr Bruce Aylward and his team, after their recent investigation of the virus in China.
It’s a bit long. But the first 15 minutes pretty much covers it.
Basically, China seems now on top of it
6. I think it is important to state that I am currently writing this in my apartment in a major Chinese city under quarantine lock down where I have been since late January. I’m not going to give away too many details as I don’t want to dox myself to either a western or eastern audience except to say that I am teaching in a university, am from an English speaking nation and have been in China for 10 years.
I have been reading Aaron Sarin’s work for a while and I find, what might be called in the vernacular, his “Hate boner” for China is really quite remarkable. He seems to be angry when the Chinese do something badly but even more angry when they do something well. Certainly Beijing has made mistakes in this novel situation but what standard are you holding them to, Perfection ?
Surely the question is not if they could they have done better, knowing what we know now but rather which nation could have done better with what they knew then. It’s interesting to speculate how a nation of comparable size (say India) or comparable wealth (say The USA) would have done or currently is doing with the epidemic.
Comparing the current Chinese system to Soviet central planning is well off the mark, the Beijing central committee has studied that collapse very well and won’t be making those mistakes. Referring to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was even more bizarre. Maybe there are some Chinese academics who orientate their lives around the philosophy of a 20th century American Jewish psychologist but if there are I certainly have never met them or anyone else who has. Who I have met are members of the communist party, many also businessmen, engineers or scientists who faithful perform the ancient rituals on Tomb sweeping day and consider it perfectly normal to do so.
This is the main problem I have with Aarin Sarin’s analysis of the Chinese political system, it’s not a child of 1930 German fascism or 1917 Russian Bolshevism., it’s Chinese. The standard term has it as socialism with Chinese characteristics but I would call it Chinese-ness wearing a pair of socialist trousers. Confucius and Hanfeizi have much more influence on the CCP than Marx or Lenin especially since the Soviets fell flat on their face. The CCP is ruling from a very old play book. Again and again I have seen the Chinese face a problem and look back to what a previous dynasty did under similar situations. Then they just do that only bigger, faster and better.
In conclusion, China is run by the Chinese in a Chinese style for the Chinese people, not for the acclaim of western intellectuals like Aaron Sarin. Judge them on their results not the color of their flag.
7. It seems you’re conflating the commie government with China in general.
Do the Chinese people really want a repressive, one-party surveillance state? Is abuse of Tibetans and Uyghurs something the (Han) Chinese people rejoice in?
I encourage you to make this case in an article for @quillette.
8. Thank you for your reply to my reply to the article, of course I cannot speak for the Chinese but I must say the idea that any one should “rejoice” in the government to be very odd. Do you, or does any one rejoice in their accountant, doctor or plumber ?
Rejoice verb def. “feel or show great joy or delight.”
Government is a job of work, certain things have to be done and central government is the way to do it. For the Chinese there are certain jobs the government must do now as they did in ancient times. How well they do them is the measure of the quality of the government. Grain has to get to market, the waterways and the highways have to be maintained to water the fields and keep the traffic flowing. Bandits must be suppressed and the border secured to keep out the barbarians. Diplomats receive delegations from and negotiate treaties with foreigners. This is the same as it has been for millennia. The people don’t need to rejoice in it, it just needs to be done, just as the plumber needs to fix the toilet and the accountant needs to balance the books. It seems to be the Westerners who feel the need to find spiritual uplift in their government, some sort of proof that they are among the righteous elect or on the right side of history. It’s not a Chinese concept at all.
As for the Tibetans and the Uyghars, I imagine that the educated Han Chinese would make the very cogent point that they are both doing better now than at any point in their very long history. Food, health, safety and education are better now than they have ever been, and by a huge margin. Tibet was a feudal theocracy and Xinjiang is being roiled by an Islamist separatist insurgency. Abraham Lincoln didn’t tolerate separatism and neither does Beijing.
Here is a point for you to consider alone, I don’t need to know your answer, you can keep it to yourself. When did you first hear about Xinjiang and the Uyghars ? Was it because you have a natural curiosity about the cultures of indigenous ethnic groups ? Or was it because the Washington media said that the plight of the Uyghars is something that you should be concerned about if you wish to remain one of the righteous elect ?
As for the point about Confucianism I will certainly consider submitting something for publication by Quillette on the topic.
9. Very well said, Jake.
(Say I, speaking as one having lived, studied, worked in China in the seventies and eighties, now in HK).
I don’t carry any water for Xi Jinping, but China doesn’t deserve all the current opprobrium in its handling of the virus. WHO has again praised China’s efforts, also HK and Singapore.
10. If China beats the virus, I would expect it to strengthen Xi’s position. Xi will be given credit for overcoming a major national crisis, and Chinese society will have advanced with respect to biotechnology and biomedical practice.
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Boyfriend on computer panties
The only difference between him and a hoarder was that he tended to be meticulous and organized with it all. He often joked that even in a digital age such as the present, he longed to create a card catalogue system for all of his junk — a collection of cards about his collection, so to speak. Read more Read less. PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy. Kindle Cloud Reader Read instantly in your browser. Not Enabled. No customer reviews.
Back to top. Get to Know Us. Amazon Payment Products. Small mrs incredible xxx. Panties not available. Pickup not available. Add to List. Add to Registry. About This Item We aim to show you accurate product information. Manufacturers, suppliers and others provide what you see here, and we have boyfriend verified it.
See our disclaimer. Customer Reviews. No kids, no permanent ties, otherwise crappy relationship, you boyfriend seem to have any compelling reasons for staying and he doesn't seem to be interested in working with you I think that the most likely thing is that he has a panty fetish that he's ashamed of.
The fact that some of computer panties were in his pillowcase pretty much seals it. It's understandable that you're upset, but it may also help you to deal etag hentai this to try to understand how he's feeling too - he's hiding something from jenni a metart that he's ashamed of, and it's making him miserable.
When you discover his secret, you're angry and confrontational which is understandable, no-one likes to be lied to so now he's probably shoveling another load of guild and shame onto himself. I'm not saying long toes footjob you have to try to stay with him, but it would really be a kindness if you guys were to sit down and have a really good, open talk where you guys try to figure out together - is this a fetish?
It's entirely possible that the strain of keeping this secret is what is causing discord in your relationship. If you decide to break up with him, you could save computer a lot of extra shame and grief if you make it about your mutual happiness together, not about the panties. I have a story verrrrrrrry similar to Jessamyn's sister, albeit different "topic panties shame and secrecy" and two kids involved.
I can tell you, these things, once an issue to the relationship, are soooooo not simple to solve. Panties if it's "just" an innocent fetish. He's obviously ashamed about it, he's lying to you, you're having all kinds of communications issues and you're both unhappy and clinging without being able to trust each other.
Really, either get him to go to a counselor with you which will be long and painful and I kind of doubt will happen in the first place or The rest of your question is irrelevant.
This is reason enough to end your relationship. What possible reason do you have for staying? I agree with everyone else that if you two are not making each other happy, there's no point to staying in the relationship. End it. However, I also wanted to point out boyfriend it's not necessarily weird for him to have a computer guys night out tribadism tube for you not to have access to his phone or computer.
He gets to have friends and privacy even panties in a relationship as do you. His gf also drunkenly told me she didn't computer it bother her, apparently he had quite the collection. I suppose their ability to openly acknowledge and discuss it made it acceptable in their relationship.
Some people are into things that the majority find weird, boyfriend some people are willing to accept other's weirdness when the majority would not. Whatever floats your boat type thing? Like others, I think the more important question is why you're wasting your life with someone you're really not happy with, panties or no panties and by the way, I totally don't buy his story. You only live once. Try and enjoy it, yeah? I tried to leave him in summer for other reasons but he started crying and begging me to give it a second chance, which I did.
Finish Him. Seriously though: there is this notion hentai girls pictures there Seemingly more among young women than young men, in my observation That you need some kind of reason to break up with someone.
That is horseshit. It's not a cellphone contract. It's daily choice to cohabitate and have sex. Considering Sex is part of the equation Because then we are not in consent-land anymore, we've moved to coercion-ville. You want to leave, leave. He wants to cry. It doesn't matter why he's lying to you or what he's covering.
Dear Abby: Panty-wearing guy worries girlfriend | Chattanooga Times Free Press
It girls fucked while wearing clothing even matter that it's about underpants, which suggests he's concealing something sexual that's important to him. What matters is that he is lying to you, over and over, about the same thing.
Why would you put up with that? Thank you everyone. I think you're right, I am not focusing on the right thing. What's important is that I am not feeling good in this relationship.
My boyfriend is often lying, even about small stuff so there is no trust there anymore. Or he computer promises that he won't keep, or he says that we will do something and last minute, he says he can't or doesn't want to. I am always waiting It drives me crazy. I have to admit that when Boyfriend found the panties in December, maybe it accelerated the idea of leaving panties.
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I told myself that I couldn't go further with this guy. I cannot buy a house with him, have a child, buy a car, etc. Dear daile: I've been with my boyfriend for 7 years now and we've been living together for 6 years.
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One more item sticks out to me when I read your question - perhaps because a similar panties of time passed before I boyfriend a computer. I was hesitant to leave because of the amount of time I had "invested" in the relationship already. Don't let the number deter you from leaving. If you don't leave now and revisit this question next year - what will have changed? Don't throw out the good school girl naked pic with the bad; when you make your decision, endeavor to leave as soon as you can.
Way past time to leave. Since it's the same pair of panties you keep finding, it made me think of the character Slutty Kay from Little Children. If you haven't seen it, a married man becomes obsessed with a woman on the internet and buys a pair of her panties to use while masturbating. It's possible he's not cheating but has a kink he doesn't want you to know about. But that's twink rape here nor there.
Leave him because you're unhappy. Like others have said, yes, it's time to end this relationship. Actually, it's well past time to end it. With neither of you being happy, there's reason enough.
My boyfriend carry other woman's panties, am I overreacting? - breakup trust | Ask MetaFilter
Add to that the numerous instances of you finding underwear that is Not Yours in xlorrix possession and his coming up with ridiculous reasons as to why he has it. Who knows what the hell he's doing with it, but between the fact that he does and the lies he's been telling you for years about it, are again reason enough to call it a day. Move on. You'll be glad you did. When I said that we're not that happy together, I was speaking about me. I assume that he's computer happy, he never said that to me.
Beside the panties, Panties have found 3 lists with objectives where he said "to find a girlfriend", sms with a girl I've never heard of, he doesn't let me drive his car for all those crazy reasons, a msn conversation with a friend where he said that he was not happy with me ok, for that I snooped and feel bad about it.
Seriously, I have a hard time boyfriend belive he loves me. But when I tried to break up inhe was in shock, he said he loves me but his actions say otherwise.
I am pretty sure it will be the same this time agin.
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boyfriend on computer panties persia monir full hd We are both 20 and have been together for a year. I know it's odd, but I've always thought it was cute and, admittedly, sexy. We will graduate from college next year and are thinking about our futures. I've been doing some reading and am concerned that he may have some repressed tendencies. He says he does not, and gets quiet and stubborn and won't discuss it.
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Path of Gods: Credential
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The Credential is the passport of the trek that you want to undertake: Via degli Dei. Along the path the affiliated structures will put their stamp on it as proof and as a memory of the journey you accomplished. Once the journey is over if you obtained at least 5 stamps you can send by email ( or with WhatsApp (3348334945) a copy of the credential so that the tourist office of Sasso Marconi will provide a free shipping of the official gadget of Via degli Dei.
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Creator / Bud Spencer
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Carlo Pedersoli (Naples, 31 October 1929 – Rome, 27 June 2016) was an Italian swimmer, actor and director, better known professionally as "Bud Spencer".
He began his acting career in his late 30s, when he obtained a part in a western thanks to his swimming skills: there he met another younger actor, Mario Girotti (aka "Terence Hill"), who would eventually become a very good friend of his. Throughout the seventies and eighties he starred in over thirty family-oriented movies, both with Terence Hill and on his own. His most notable recurring characters include Police Commissioner "Piedone" Rizzo (four movies from 1973 until 1980) and the Sheriff (two movies in 1979 and 1980). Later he starred in a few TV series and appeared as a cameo in several 90s movies.
A Beat 'em Up video game has been made in homage to Spencer and Hill's most famous collaborations.
Partial filmography:
This actor provides examples of:
• Anti-Hero: In movies with Terence Hill, his character is generally portrayed as lazy, greedy and a little selfish, loving his quiet life and never liking Terence's character getting him in trouble. Willingly or unwillingly, however, (mostly unwillingly) he always ends up helping others.
• Badass Beard: He grew one especially for his first important role and it became his trademark (he is barely recognizable in the clean-shaven pics of his youth).
• Big Eater: He can devour huge amounts of food and does it in almost every movie. Sometimes it's even part of the plot.
• Kung-Shui: Each and every movie includes a brawl, which often implies the destruction of any surrounding facility. Furthermore, it's usually a bad idea to attack Bud with a piece of furniture.
• Advertisement:
• Odd Couple: Stock part of his movies with Terence Hill, as the two almost always played stock characters: Bud's characters tend to be level-headed, talk little and are content to take things slow and steady. Hill's characters are often quick-witted talkers, and usually his eagerness to jump in the middle of a situation and drag Bud along is what sets off the plot.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: He is the blue to Terence Hill's red.
• Same Language Dub: In most of his movies, Bud is actually dubbed over by other Italian voice actors, most notably Glauco Onorato, apparently because he was sensitive about his thick Neapolitan accent. Best seen in the picture Il Soldato di Ventura, where his accent is very noticeable, as he plays the historical Ettore Fieramosca.
• Shout-Out:
• Legend has it that one day a producer found him and Girotti having a chat while on break at the studio cafeterianote , and after a brief glimpse of them together the producer noted how much they reminded him of Popeye and Bluto.
• In the mid-60s Italian film industry, a more American-sounding name was basically required to get acting work. Carlo Pedersoli based his own after his favorite American actor and his favorite American beer.
• Stout Strength: Over 300 pounds and able to lift a grown man.
• Those Two Actors: With Terence Hill; they appeared in some 20-odd films together.
How well does it match the trope?
Example of:
Media sources: | <urn:uuid:66415712-b9f2-4801-a771-c0d99d63fc4f> | https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/BudSpencer | en | 0.982975 | 0.078428 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Political Socialization
In the fields of the political sciences, ‘Political Socialization’ is the process through which a person develops political beliefs and opinions that influence their behavior in social spheres. Socialization is largely a one-way process through which young people gain an understanding of the political world through their interaction with adults and the media. Actually, Political socialization is the “process by which individuals learn and frequently internalize a political lens framing their perceptions of how power is arranged and how the world around them is (and should be) organized; those perceptions, in turn, shape and define individuals’ definitions of who they are and how they should behave in the political and economic institutions in which they live.”
Political socialization also encompasses the way in which people acquire values and opinions that shape their political stance and ideology: it is a “study of the developmental processes by which people of all ages and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes, and behaviors.” It refers to a learning process by which norms and behaviors acceptable to a well-running political system are transmitted from one generation to another. It is through the performance of this function that individuals are inducted into the political culture and their orientations towards political objects are formed. Schools, media, and the state have a major influence in this process.
Political scientists Gabriel Almond and James Coleman once observed that we “do not inherit our political behavior, attitudes, values, and knowledge through our genes.”Gabriel A. Almond and James S. Coleman, eds., The Politics of the Developing Areas (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1960), 27. Instead, we come to understand our role and to “fit in” to our political culture through the political learning process. Pamela Johnston Conover, “Political Socialization: Where’s the Politics?” in Political Science: Looking to the Future, Volume III, Political Behavior, ed. William Crotty (Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1991). Political learning is a broad concept that encompasses both the active and passive and the formal and informal ways in which people mature politically. Carole L. Hahn, Becoming Political (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998). Individuals develop a political self, a sense of personal identification with the political world. Developing a political self begins when children start to feel that they are part of a political community. They acquire the knowledge, beliefs, and values that help them comprehend government and politics.
Political socialization and political systems –
In investigations of the relationship between political socialization and political systems, an answer is sought to the question: which political knowledge, opinions, attitudes, skills, behavioral intentions, and behavioral patterns are the outcome of or contribute to the functioning of which political systems?
In most publications, researchers concentrate on the relationship of political knowledge, and so forth, and democracy.
The following cultural prerequisites for a stable democracy are often named: a felt need to participate politically, feelings of (national) solidarity and of connectedness with fellow citizens, attachment to and belief in the legitimacy of the democratic system, political efficacy, democratic attitude (willingness to settle differences according to certain rules, by eschewing violence for example), openness for other opinions, tolerance, acceptance of human equality. It seems probable that the degree of political democracy in a given society will be greater to the extent that the fundamental principles of democracy are more frequently and more intensively supported. The problem of the chicken and the egg is applicable in this area: is political culture the cause or the effect of a stable democracy?
No convincing research data is available, and therefore lines of reasoning in the direction of interdependence are considered to be more realistic than argumentation propagating a causal relationship. The political system is based upon the existing political culture, and at the same time influences that culture. The political system can make available a great deal or very little information. The processes in the political system can be seen to be more or less interesting by the population, which can influence their interest in politics as a whole. The political system can be more or less open to demands issuing from the citizenry, which in turn has an effect upon political efficacy.
Agents of socialization –
Agents of socialization sometimes referred to as institutions, work together to influence and shape people’s political and economic norms and values. Such institutions include, but are not limited to: families, media, peers, schools, religions, work, and legal systems.
Agents –
• Family: Families perpetuate values that support political authorities and can heavily contribute to children’s initial political ideological views, or party affiliations. Families have an effect on “political knowledge, identification, efficacy, and participation”, depending on variables such as “family demographics, life cycle, parenting style, parental level of political cynicism and frequency of political discussions.”
• Schools: Spending numerous years in school, children in the United States are taught and reinforced a view of the world that “privileges capitalism and ownership, competitive individualism, and democracy.” Through primary, secondary, and high schools, students are taught key principles such as individual rights and property, personal responsibility, and duty to their nation.
• Media: Mass media is not only a source of political information; it is an influence on political values and beliefs. Various media outlets, through news coverage and late-night programs, provide different partisan policy stances that are associated with political participation.
• Religion: Religions beliefs and practices play a role in political opinion formation and political participation. This is evident, for instance, in Arab societies where there is no clear distinction between political cultures and religions. The theological and moral perspectives offered by religious institutions shape judgment regarding public policy, and ultimately, translates to direct “political decision making on governmental matters such as the redistribution of wealth, equality, tolerance for deviance and the limits on individual freedom, the severity of criminal punishment, policies relating to family structure, gender roles, and the value of human life.”
• The state: The state is a key source of information for media outlets, and has the ability to “inform, misinform, or disinform the press and thus the public”, a strategy which may be referred to as propaganda, in order to serve a political or economic agenda.
Political efficacy refers to individuals’ perceptions about whether or not they can influence the political process. People who have a strong sense of political efficacy feel that they have the skills and resources to participate effectively in politics and that the government will be responsive to their efforts. Those who believe in the legitimacy of the political system and are highly efficacious are more likely to participate in politics and to take strong stands on public-policy issues.
Many researchers are alarmed when statistics show them clearly the low level of political knowledge and interest of the “average” citizen because they assume that there is a relationship between the amount of political knowledge and interest and the level of democratic commitment. One pair of Dutch researchers has warned, for example, “There is a danger that a generation of virtually a-political youth is growing to adulthood, a large part of which primarily those who are the most economically and socially vulnerable are now, and will be as adults, susceptible to fascist and racist pressures. Educators, do something about it” (Roeders, Van der Linden, 1983). The aim of this type of research, as the quote above indicates, is to provide information that can be used to supplement or correct the political socialization which has already taken place.
Much political socialization in the United States passes on norms, customs, beliefs, and values supportive of democracy from one generation to the next. Americans are taught to respect the democratic and capitalist values embedded in the American creed. Young people are socialized to respect authorities, such as parents, teachers, police officers, and firefighters, and to obey laws.
Information Sources:
1. saylordotorg.github.io
2. researchgate.net
3. wikipedia | <urn:uuid:e3c373d1-5ec3-409f-a96d-a326eb6fcb1e> | https://www.assignmentpoint.com/arts/political-science/political-socialization.html | en | 0.946336 | 0.148441 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Parental burnout can negatively affect every family member
A study shows that both children and parents suffer when daily stresses become too much
Photo (c) PeopleImages - Getty Images
While most consumers associate burnout with their jobs, a new study is shedding light on how it can also affect parents and their children.
Researchers from the Association for Psychological Science found that when parents experience burnout, the effects can impact their own mental well-being and be burdensome to their kids.
“In the current cultural context, there is a lot of pressure on parents,” said researcher Moira Mikolajczak. “But being a perfect parent is impossible and attempting to be one can lead to exhaustion. Our research suggests that whatever allows parents to recharge their batteries, to avoid exhaustion, is good for children.”
Preventing burnout
The researchers completed two complementary studies to better understand how parental burnout can affect both parents and kids, both of which tracked parental attitudes over time. The first study required parents to complete three rounds of surveys, which were spaced six months apart.
Each survey was extensive, covering various questions about overall emotional exhaustion and spreading out from there to cover how likely that exhaustion is to lead to physical or verbal violence. They also delved into parents’ feelings about escaping their families and their attitudes about how neglectful they are of their children in any capacity.
The researchers’ second study was similar in scope and used online surveys to question parents about different facets of feeling burned out. Both studies yielded nearly identical results: both parents and children suffer -- though in different ways -- when parents feel burned out by their responsibilities.
The surveys revealed that when parents are burned out, their children’s needs -- either physical or emotional -- are often neglected, and parents feel more tempted to run away from their families in an effort to escape the constant pressures.
“We were a bit surprised by the irony of the results,” said Mikolajczak. “If you want to do the right thing too much, you can end up doing the wrong thing. Too much pressure on parents can lead them to exhaustion which can have damaging consequences for the parent and for the children.”
The researchers want to encourage parents to seek out moments of peace when possible to regroup and prevent burnout before it becomes unbearable.
“Parents need to know that self-care is good for the child and that when they feel severely exhausted, they should seek help,” said Mikolajczak. “Health and child services professionals need to be informed about parental burnout so they can accurately diagnose it and provide parents with the most appropriate care.”
Share your comments | <urn:uuid:050ed997-2c50-49fb-a6ce-6bdedce6c5ae> | https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/parental-burnout-can-negatively-affect-every-family-member-082819.html | en | 0.963675 | 0.037472 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Courchevel or Meribel?
So you know the 3 Valleys is for you but is it Courchevel or Meribel? This is one of the most common resorts dilemmas we see. Both courses cost the same amount, both courses run at the same time and both courses give you access to the 3 Valleys which boasts over 600Km of pisted runs.
So how do you decide?
In our opinion, there is only really one primary difference between the two courses and that is the nightlife. Both resorts have access to a great selection of Apres bars hosting live music, DJ’s and even cabaret. However, it is after dinner that the differences become really apparent.
A skier watching the sunset
Photo by Isaac Viglione on Unsplash
Meribel has a large selection of bars and nightclubs some of which are open until 6 am. They play host to world famous DJ’s and Local Bands on a daily basis. Courchevel, on the other hand, is home to slightly smaller bars and pubs. While these do host live music, there are less to choose from and they are often owned and run by the people behind the bar giving the whole venue a much more intimate local feel. If becoming part of a community is something that appeals to you Courchevel could be a good option.
There are minor differences in the skiing, as you are likely to spend a little more time in the resort you are based. Courchevel is primarily north-facing meaner it stays a little cooler and the snow stays fresh a little longer. This is not for everyone though, if you are a sun worshipper the west and east facing slopes of Meribel mean you can catch rays all day.
It is worth pointing out though that the resorts are only 15 minutes apart and a taxi can cost as little as €10 each so committing to one does not mean missing out on the other. | <urn:uuid:df321123-bd81-4dbc-885a-a123c20d50ad> | https://www.instructorcourses.skinewgen.com/courhevel-or-meribel/ | en | 0.969152 | 0.316406 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft moved into a higher orbit around the earth, by performing its second orbit-raising manoeuvre in the early hours of 26 July 2019. The spacecraft, which will attempt to land on moon on September 7, fired its onboard propulsion system for 883 seconds at 0108 hours 26 July 2019 morning, to move into an elliptical orbit that was 251 km from the earth at its nearest point and 54,829 km at its furthest, a statement from Indian Space Research Organisation said, adding that the spacecraft was performing normally.
1. This was the second orbit-raising manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 which was launched from the Sriharikota range on 22 July 2019.
2. Over the next 10 days, Chandrayaan-2 will raise its orbit three more times, eventually reaching an orbit that would be 233 km at the nearest point and 143,953 km at the furthest
3. With each orbit-raising manoeuvre, the spacecraft would gain energy that would eventually be adequate for it to leave the orbit around the earth and move towards the moon.
4. The next orbit-raising manoeuvre is planned for July 29, followed by similar operations on August 2 and August 6
5. The spacecraft would continue to move in the final earth orbit for eight more days, before breaking out and moving towards the moon on August 14. It is scheduled to enter a lunar orbit on August 20.
6. While the Orbiter component of Chandrayaan-2 is designed to go around in a lunar orbit 100 km from the moon’s surface for a year, the Vikram lander and Prgayaan rover would separate from the main spacecraft on September 3, move into a lower orbit, and finally descend on the lunar surface on September 7.
7. India had on 22 July 2019 launched the country's second moon mission Chandrayaan 2 on-board its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh with the aim of landing a rover in the unexplored lunar south pole.
8. The 3,850-kg, Rs 978-crore spacecraft is a three-module composite made up of an orbiter, lander, and rover.
9. The composite will be subjected to a series of orbit manoeuvres over the coming weeks to take it to the vicinity of the moon, with the rover soft landing planned on September 7.
10. Further major activities include Earth-bound manoeuvres, Trans Lunar Insertion, Lunar bound manoeuvres, Vikram Separation and Vikram Touch Down.
11. As per ISRO's schedule, the Vikram lander will attempt a soft-landing on the moon on 7 September, and open its hatch for the Pragyan rover to take its first few rolls onto lunar soil four hours later. The landing site of the mission is closer to the South Pole than any mission before it.
12. ISRO said that the earth-bound manoeuvres are planned from 24 July onwards, culminating in the fifth and final orbit-raising on 14 August 2019, setting Chandrayaan 2 on its way to the moon.
13. ISRO has called the mission its most complex and prestigious mission ever. If successful, Chandrayaan 2 will propel India to an elite list of four nations (including Russia, the US and China) that have pulled off a soft-landing on the moon. | <urn:uuid:972832e5-8291-40aa-b3e9-2487de5114e7> | https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21040-chandrayaan-2-raises-orbit | en | 0.943231 | 0.224629 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
J.R. Johnson
From the Master-Slave Dialectic
to Revolt in Capitalist Production
(January 1946)
Extract from Historical Retrogression or Socialist Revolution, New International, Vol.12 No.1, January 1946, a polemic against the IKD.
Republished in Scott McLemee (ed.), C.L.R. James on the “Negro Question”, Jackson (Miss.) 1996, pp. 132–134.
In The Phenomenology of Mind (one of the three basic books used by Lenin in his studies for Imperialism), in the section on Lordship and Bondage, Hegel shows that the lord has a desire for the object and enjoys it. But because he does not actually work on it, his desire lacks objectivity. The labor of the bondman, in working, in changing, i.e. in negating the raw material, has the contrary effect. This, his labor, gives him his rudimentary sense of personality. Marx hailed this and continued the basic idea in his analysis of handicraft and the early stages of capitalist production (simple co-operation). The laborer's physical and mental faculties are developed by the fact that he makes a whole chair, a whole table, a piece of armor, or a whole shoe.
With the development of the stage of manufacture, however, there begins the division of labor, and here instead of making one object, man begins to produce fragments of an object. In the process of production, there begins stultification, distortion, and ossification of his physical and intellectual faculties.
With the productive process of heavy industry, this stultification is pushed to its ultimate limit. Man becomes merely an appendage to a machine. He no longer uses the instruments of production. As Marx repeats on page after page, the instruments of production use him. Hegel, who had caught hold of this, was completely baffled by it and, seeing no way out, took refuge in idealism. Marx, using the Hegelian method and remaining in the productive process itself, discovered and elaborated one of the most profound truths of social and political psychology. In the very degradation of the workers he saw the basis of their emancipation. Attacking Proudhon in The Poverty of Philosophy (1847) for misunderstanding dialectic, he wrote of the laborer in the automatic factory: “But from the moment that all special development ceases, the need of universality, the tendency towards an integral development of the individual, begins to make itself felt.” This need of the individual for universality, for a sense of integration so powerful among all modern oppressed classes, is the key to vast areas of social and political jungles of today. The fascists, for example, understood it thoroughly.
Twenty years later, in Capital, Marx developed the political results of the argument in full.
#8220;It is as a result of the division of labor in manufactures, that the laborer is brought face to face with the intellectual potencies of the material process of production as the property of another and as a ruling power.” He does not need revolutionary parties to teach him this. [The labor process] is his revolutionary education. It begins in manufacture. “It is complete in modern industry ...”
The babblers who think that all the American workers want is “full employment” are in for a rude awakening. That capitalism increases the use-values (radio, education, books, etc) that he uses outside of production only increases his antagonism.
The educational process is not individual but social. As Marx insisted and Lenin never wearied in pointing out, in addition to this personal, individual education, capital educates the worker socially and politically. In Capital, Marx quoted a passage he had written twenty years before in the Manifesto. Former systems, all of them, aimed at conservation of the existing mode of production. Far different is capital:
The very climax of Marx's chapter on The General Law of Capitalist Accumulation is the warning that “This antagonistic character of capitalist accumulation is enunciated in varied forms by political economists, although by them it is confounded with phenomena, certainly to some extent analogous but nevertheless essentially distinct and belonging to pre-capitalist modes of production,” i.e. the Middle Ages. And why essentially distinct?
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Hegel on Master & Slave | C.L.R. James Internet Archive
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essay writing
Let’s explore the creative side of essay writing.
Today I’d like to share an excerpt from my book, Ready, Set, Write: A Guide to Creative WritingThis is from a chapter titled “Essay Writing,” which emphasizes the creative aspects of writing essays rather than the academic.
Essay Writing
The word essay comes from the French word essayer, which means “to try” or “to attempt.” An essay is a short format that usually presents an author’s personal point of view and can include criticism, arguments, observations, recollections, and reflections around a particular topic.
Not all essays are creative, but plenty of essays flow from creative thinking. Some examples of creative works in the realm of essays include personal, descriptive, and persuasive essays.
Essay writing is an art unto itself. Some essays follow rigid rules of research and accuracy regarding facts and truth, but others are elegant personal accounts of an individual’s experience or insights. An essay might set out to provide a detailed description of a person, place, or thing or offer an account of some event or experience. Another essay might attempt to persuade readers to a particular point of view or to take some kind of action, which could be political, faith-based, or in the realm of personal improvement.
There are guidelines for different types of essays. For example, most academic essays require a thesis statement. But most forms of essay writing provide plenty of room for creative exploration and expression, especially personal essays.
Types of Essays
Because essays are so broad and can range from academic or analytic to deeply personal, there are plenty of options for writers to choose from. Let’s look at a few types of essays that we can write:
Narrative Essay: Narrative essays are similar to short stories, except they are nonfiction and usually relate to a core topic or theme. Such an essay usually makes a point or conveys a lesson using a story as an example.
Learn more:
The power of narrative writing
Descriptive Essay: A descriptive essay avoids the author’s personal thoughts and feelings and focuses on the who, what, where, when, why, and how. These essays are ideal for anyone who likes to examine a subject from every angle and for writers who enjoy composing objective, detailed, factual, and descriptive prose.
Personal Essay: A personal essay relates an author’s thoughts or feelings on any given subject. Subject matter can range from food, health, and parenting to political or philosophical beliefs. The writer’s personal experiences might be the basis for such an essay; however, personal experiences may be absent.
Reflective Essay: A reflective essay is about a personal experience and includes reflections on it.
Response Essay: A response essay is similar to a personal essay in that it relates the author’s thoughts and feelings, except it speaks specifically about the author’s reaction to something; books, movies, travels, and other events and experiences are all fair game.
Argumentative or Persuasive Essay: These essays present the author’s position on an issue and apply logic, reason, and often, statistics and research, to back up the author’s opinions. Such essays may also include hyperbole, fallacy, and other questionable or deceitful tactics. Persuasive essays are designed to convince readers to do something or see some issue from a particular perspective.
Essay-Writing Activity
Write a four-page essay (about a thousand words).
If you shuddered at the thought of writing an essay because it sounds like a school assignment, you can relax. Essay writing can be creative, fun, and rewarding—not to mention nonacademic.
While academic essays are based on a thesis statement and structured to prove your thesis with supporting ideas and sources, there are other types of essays that are more relaxed, such as descriptive or personal essays. You can describe a person, place, or thing. You can share a story about a real event, written in narrative style. You can write about a personal experience that you’ve had or articulate your reflections on any subject. Write a persuasive essay or craft a response essay to a work of art or something that’s happening in the news.
First, decide what kind of essay you’ll write (personal, narrative, etc.). Then choose your subject matter. Here are a few questions to help you select a topic:
• What are you most passionate about?
• What gets your blood boiling or makes you want to do a happy dance?
• Have you ever had an experience that fundamentally changed you or had a profound impact on you?
• What do you know a lot about?
• What do you want to learn more about?
Brainstorm some ideas. If necessary, do a little research. Then write a draft. Take your time by spreading this project out over a few days. Spend some time rewriting and editing, and then give it a final polish.
Ready Set Write a Guide to Creative Writing
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Friday, November 11, 2011
The One Got Away or How I Lost My Mentor
Mentor [noun]: a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
Have you ever had such a creature yourself? This thing called a mentor?
I've read articles about them. I've heard tell of them through friends. You know how it goes, you have a friend who has a friend who has a cousin who's sister has an uncle who's married to a woman who had a mentor...once.
In other words, they are as elusive as Bigfoot. You hear the stories, the claims, but not one piece of clear, non-blurry, close up footage!
If you Google 'mentor', you'll find programs to become a mentor or be paired with a mentor or any number of mentorish connections.
It involves filling out an application where someone I don't know pairs me with another person I don't know. That isn't how I envision finding my "wise and trusted" guide.
I fantasize about this happening through natural means; I meet someone who, over a period of time, takes an interest in me -nudging me along toward great and wonderful things. In this fantasy, they seek me out.
Sounds great, doesn't it?
It does to me too - and now for my One That Got Away story.
A couple of years ago I took a series of Art History classes at my local community college and fell in love (educationally) with the teacher. I liked her teaching style and how she wove in the historical and political influences that drove artists. I spent much time in her office discussing arty things. She tried to talk me into sending my writing into the local newspaper. I could go on recounting her praises, but I feel weird saying nice things about myself.
It is that exact feeling of weirdness that prevented me from mustering up the courage to ask her to mentor me. That and the fact that I really didn't know what a mentor does. And what if she said no? My confidence deficient brain would assume it was because she really was just saying nice things because she was my professor and that's what professors do, right?
Yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds. Come live in my head for a bit and you'll understand...and when you do, please explain it to me because I still don't know what possess me to think that way.
So I just enjoyed my time with her and kept in touch, never mentioning how much I'd like her to help guide me toward a profession.
Then she was gone.
She went on a year long sabbatical to work on her PhD. When she returned I was in the midst of trying to get through my Environmental Biology class while dealing with thyroid cancer. I just didn't have the energy to walk across campus and see her. The last few emails I sent went unanswered. She's no longer on the staff roster at the college.
She's just...gone.
In my typical fashion, I assume that it is because she isn't interested in staying in touch. My mind is telling my heart, "See! I told you so, she said those nice things to everyone and you just made the mistake of believing."
I could do more to find her. I could contact a couple of teachers that were personal friends of hers, teachers I had for various other classes who would pass along my inquiry.
But that is just seems too stalkerish and there is a bit of doubt that tells me she doesn't want to be found. Whatever the reason for her disappearance, I hope that she is well and happy - I'd hate to think that something terrible has happened.
And that is how I lost my mentor - she's the one that got away.
Do you have a mentor story?
Would you seek out a mentor, speak up and ask for their guidance?
Would you pay for one?
And, you actively seek out a trusted adviser or wait for them to come to you?
What's your story?
Lastly, I'm going to leave you with this quote that struck me as appropriate for this post. I'm not entirely sure why, but perhaps it has something to with with finding the strength to just believe in oneself. ( my super hero powers?) :-)
"All of your weaknesses are just doorways to your secret strengths." A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
1. The faculty may not be able to give out confidential information such as personal contact info. However, it is clear that this woman touched your life and I'd recommend perhaps writing her a thank you note and asking her former department or human resources to forward it to her. Everyone likes to know they've made a difference in someone's life. She made one in yours. That's not stalking. That's being nice :).
2. 1) Just Jane has a great idea, do what she says. Now.
2) Your questions:
Do you have a mentor story? No
Would you seek out a mentor, speak up and ask for their guidance? I try, but I always feel stupid for doing so, and then I feel even dummer for feeling dumb and then I just feel all embaressed.
Would you pay for one? No.
And, you actively seek out a trusted adviser or wait for them to come to you? Yes on both and no. I like keeping things complex.
What's your story?
Lot's of missed oppurtunities, but still hopefull.
3. Thanks for the advice. I actually did write a note, very recently, and mailed it to the last P.O box address I had for her (where she retreats in the summer, near her family in MN). I can contact her colleagues, who would be happy to pass along my contact info (they were also great teachers of mine).
4. I had a PoliSci prof who effectively turned me on to education, and changed my entire perception of school and learning. Amazing guy, whom I've never actually met in person. I really, really hope he is among my options for advisors in the Master's program.
Also, for an, er, interesting "mentor match-up" story, check out Stephanie Laskoskie's blog (An Awfully Big Adventure). Her experience was mind blowing, for me!
5. I hope you find your almost-mentor.
I was lucky to have several profs who went above and beyond to help me, and one prof who was my mentor whether she knew it or not. She changed my life by her example.
The blogging world has some great mentoring opportunities, especially at Blogher.
If you feel that connection to someone, my advice is to take the plunge and ask them to be a mentor. It's incredibly flattering to be asked, and you can trust your gut if it tells you they are interested in you as a someone to mentor. | <urn:uuid:22fcd0ee-20cd-4cf1-94ff-3e6b5da98b7f> | http://www.myalienbody.com/2011/11/one-got-away-or-how-i-lost-my-mentor.html?showComment=1321409714756 | en | 0.985954 | 0.024421 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Installation vs Inspection: What is best for safe installations?
Blog Post created by dvigstol Employee on Jul 20, 2018
I'm often perplexed at what is the most effective method of improving the safety of electrical installations around the world. Should we focus on providing the installation community with better tools, assistance and guidance on installing electrical equipment or should we focus on supporting the inspection community and rely on the AHJ community to ensure that installations are safe upon completion? To me it's a little bit of a chicken and egg paradox. On one hand, better and more thorough enforcement of Code requirements will lead to more installations that meet or exceed the requirements of NFPA 70: National Electrical Code (NEC). But on the flip side, if we focus on helping the installation community, it leads to compliant installations long before the AHJ ever steps foot on a job site.
Each approach presents its own unique set of pros and cons. For instance, creating a culture where inspection is less needed due to better installations opens the door down the road for installers to cut corners where they know inspectors won't look. It also allows government officials to use a "lack of citations" as fuel for discussions around manpower. If a jurisdiction is seriously looking at cutting staff salaries to meet budget constraints, they might look upon this as an opportunity to cover larger territories with less inspectors; after all, the electricians in the area must really know what they are doing when inspectors rarely cite NEC® violations. I think for now the answer lies somewhere in the middle between the two extremes: provide tools, training, and solutions that set installers up to be able to install electrical system while reducing the friction that exists when referencing the NEC. At the same time, provide the inspection community with guidance and training on how to perform electrical inspections and needed guidance on professional qualifications for electrical inspectors.
NFPA has been busy over the last year developing two new documents to provide this needed guidance. NFPA 1078: Standard for Electrical Inspector Professional Qualifications and NFPA 78: Guide on Electrical Inspections were created in response to a call for help from the inspection community. Recently, NFPA’s Jeff Sargent discussed the development of these documents during an NFPA Live Member’s Only event. Here is the portion of the video where he breaks it down.
Simultaneously, NFPA has been busy putting together a plan for how to reduce friction between the NEC and its users. As we all know, the book itself can be difficult to read and understand. Providing training and products that offer a better explanation of code requirements and how to apply provisions of the NEC has been a core focus of NFPA lately. Tools and solutions that both save time and present needed information to the installation community at the time that they need it will work two-fold in improving electrical safety. By making both the installer’s job easier and more efficient, they are able to serve more clients while fostering a better understanding of NEC requirements. When more jobs are being completed by qualified personnel and being completed in compliance with the NEC, the safety of our installations increases significantly.
It is an exciting time here at NFPA as we focus on transitioning a 120-year-old standards development organization to a modern-day information and knowledge provider committed to improving the safety ecosystem and eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. | <urn:uuid:0f1a029f-0cd6-4457-98c4-d2f02b2b1d6b> | https://community.nfpa.org/community/nfpa-today/blog/2018/07/20/installation-vs-inspection-what-is-best-for-safe-installations | en | 0.946842 | 0.018302 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
In the first segment we discuss “Why are we discouraged to Retire Early in the United States?”
Also, Why do some Americans move to Foreign Countries in Retirement?
Hit subscribe on your favorite channel to join our personal finance unfiltered family so you can receive notifications on future episodes.
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Investment Advisory Services offered through Shankland Financial Advisors, LLC, Registered Investment Advisor | <urn:uuid:73e881d3-af65-45f3-aaff-0e99d4a7a322> | https://dialintoretirement.com/the-retire-early-edition-part-2-028/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-retire-early-edition-part-2-028 | en | 0.903555 | 0.210555 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Golden Cedar Earrings (S)
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The Bringer of Peace
Cedar has been revered for its spiritual significance for thousands of years. It is known as a powerful medicine in many cultures, celebrated for spiritual protection and its ability to heal and purify. Many people believe cedar promotes peaceful thoughts and helps interpret messages from the inner self. In ancient times the cedar tree was thought to house important gods and be an entrance to higher realms. It was said to store energy and then release it for important healing.
Talisman for:
Clearing Negativity. Strength. Renewal.
Width: 17mm
Height: 27mm
Material: Brass
Finish: Frosted
Pieces in our Golden Collection are either made from exquisite Italian Brass or Bronze alloys that contains no nickel or lead. Often mistaken for gold by admirers, these lustrous metals are warm, durable, and perfect for heirlooms in the making. They come on 14k gold-filled hooks (Sterling Silver core enrobed in high amount of gold) which means they are excellent quality - you can trust that they will not tarnish. An excellent choice for a person with metal allergies.
| <urn:uuid:2c6ef565-ced9-4187-9de6-3175742d8ad9> | https://lovemorningmoon.com/golden-cedar-earrings-s/ | en | 0.940195 | 0.043096 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Premium champagne maker Carbon is known for its carbon fiber bottles, which can be seen after every Formula 1 race where the drivers celebrate their win by spraying the bubbly on each other on the podium. The brand is continuing to forge more partnerships in the motoring world. After the multi-year deal with Formula 1, Champagne Carbon has signed a contract with Bugatti at the carmakers headquarter in Molshiem, formalizing the partnership between the two French companies. “Bugatti and Champagne Carbon are avant-gardists of their respective industry, translating their know-how achieved through a proud history into an innovative present and future. Striving for perfection is at the core of all our actions, leading us to constantly want to keep pushing our own boundaries,” said Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann.
Champagne Carbon has created a bespoke bottle called the ‘ƎB.01’ celebrating the French automaker’s 110th anniversary in 2019. The champagne is a blend of 90% Chardonnay grapes with 10% pinot noir, made in the same eastern region of France where Bugatti is based. The blend dates back to grapes from 2002, owing to “the perfect weather conditions for good ripeness and flavor concentration” in the region that year. The year is also significant for Bugatti as it denotes the same period when the company was being revived and the work on Veyron had started. There is no word on the pricing, but given the fact that Champagne Carbon’s standard bottles start from around $3,000 the ƎB.01 won’t be cheap.
READ: Urwerk has collaborated with Macallan for a mechanical hip-flask | <urn:uuid:c708ee2d-256d-4b95-9f72-4bb3dc37ea83> | https://luxurylaunches.com/gastronomy/champagne-carbon-has-crafted-a-special-edition-bottle-to-celebrate-bugattis-110th-anniversary.php | en | 0.95314 | 0.146335 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Perhaps we need to speak as one?
in #communitylast year (edited)
I try to stay abreast of all things Steem, but at times - things simply go over my head. I need to see them in action and watch how the application affects me and others around me.
This is sometimes good, and sometimes bad. For HardFork 20, I think we all know that seeing things in action were pretty devastating for newbies. Necessary for the future? Yes, we've been told that now, our platform will be much more scalable for the future. But maybe, just maybe - the timing wasn't exactly right?
It seemed to me that we took an awfully big hit. As the founder of a community almost entirely filled with newbies - perhaps my perspective was a little skewed. However, I know that people like @shadowspub, @simplymike and myself (along with countless other unsung heroes) handed out delegations to newbies as fast and carefully as we could, in order to help them stay and keep our platform from losing people as quickly as we were signing them on. Were we successful? I don't know. I know that we lost a lot of good people who were enjoying the platform.
The reality of that makes me pause a bit on HF21, specifically on the content rewards proposal. HF21 will move the current rewards from 75 (author) 25 (curator) to 50/50.
I'm concerned that though this push for greater curation rewards is intending to put a greater emphasis on rewarding the recognition of quality content - that what will actually end up happening is a loss, once again, to the small accounts.
Small accounts already have small percentages of the curation rewards because their rewards are based on their vote (which... is small). However, large accounts will be taking an even larger chunk of the curation rewards, since now more is available to them.
Is this not the makings of "the rich keep getting richer, while the poor keep getting poorer"? Will this cause an even greater divide between the Steemit classes, making it MORE difficult for newbies to grow? At least with 75% author rewards, we are giving Steemians the chance to make their content attractive enough to lure curators. We ALREADY have a system in place that encourages quality content. Abuse will always happen and can never be truly eradicated from a system. Why are we making it that much harder on the people who are really trying to produce good content?
Especially when their small curation rewards won't make up for what they're losing in author rewards. Are we really considering taking from the poor and giving to the rich?
This proposed 50/50 change may or may not work to the end that it intends to implement. That's not the point of this post. The point of this post is this:
There are enough people who are worried about this change that I think it would be wise to table this change for now, and consider it for another Hard Fork.
There is enough going on in HF21 that will bring potential progress -WITHOUT adding in this curation rewards change. For the sake of the community, (that is mostly minnows with small votes, and therefore small percentages of the curation rewards) let's allow them to grow instead of the continued slaughter that seems to be focused mainly on them.
I know that there are a lot of people that feel this way - but are there enough voices to be heard? Instead of talking amongst ourselves, let's just see how many people agree that we should wait on the change from 75/25 to 50/50 rewards.
If you think we should wait on this change and take it out of HF21, please simply put your name as a comment below. If we have enough voices, perhaps our witnesses who represent our community will speak for us.
Thanks for reading! Long Live Steem! 🎉
P.S. I had considered not writing this. I don't like drama, don't want to stir the pot, and quite frankly - feared that it might cause retribution! And then I reconsidered. If I can't speak my heart and mind on the platform that I love, out of fear of being silenced , then this isn't the platform that I thought it was. If I would rather stay silent than possibly effect change, then I am more concerned for myself than my community. And so - I spoke.
Image 1
I agree. 100% and you have a full vote from me on this. It took me more than 18 months to reach my current status and with already minimal returns on my posts which are set to 50/50, I don't relish the idea of further shrinkage. I was plankton with HF20 and thanks to a delegation from @lynncoyle1 was able to build up a little again and return it when she needed it for someone else. The current structure already makes it difficult for newbies to get going - so much so if they have a great introductory post and respond/engage with comments as all "good" Steemians should, they run out of Mana so quickly and it takes days to replenish.
The result:
Loss of momentum, disillusionment and another wasted account.
I, too, do not believe that the increase in curation rewards will result in better quality. Nor is it going to address the issue of buying votes. On the contrary, I think it will have the opposite effect: those who can afford to buy the votes, will. The same applies to the downvotes - they are not going to stop; nor is the spam. Let's be realistic, the Steemworld is simply a microcosm of the real world and full of folk who will, can, and do, find a way to buck the system. How this is dealt with is a governance matter over which my friend @quillfire has opined, some would say, ad nauseum, but give him more than his due: he’s thought about it, said it and it makes sense. More sense than what is proposed by HF21. And no, he didn’t tell me to come over here and sing his praises….
Another point: we support our mates - that's also human. We support posts that they enjoy and/or which resonates for us and them. That's also human. You can change the technology as much as you like, but in the end, it's designed by humans for humans and most of us have feet of clay. I know I do.
If I am offered the opportunity to get an upvote from a whale if I post a link on his twitter feed or on one of his posts, will I pass it up because it may or may not resonate for him? Hell, no. Why, because that single vote will double, triple or even quadruple a pay out. For someone who puts time and effort into long posts for a pay out that is sometimes less than $1, well, you catch my drift.
Lastly, on the issue of quality, there are so many different views on quality which is an entirely subjective matter, and even if one were to set criteria for quality, these are subject to interpretation. Let’s look at Demming’s definition of quality, viz., fit for purpose and it begs the questions: what purpose and whose?
From what I have read, and I admit that the tech stuff is entirely lost on me, so I deal in principles rather than technicalities, I have to agree that HF21 will benefit the benefactors and not the intended beneficiaries.
PS I am calling over @nickyhavey, @blockurator, @cheese4ead, @bengy, @zekepickleman and @thekittygirl in the hopes that they will add their 2c worth.
When it comes to hard forks, I kind of feel like the dog backing at the mailman. Not really understanding the function of the event, and having it happen no matter how much I bark.
I can definitely see the big established accounts getting even richer as they can often just switch the algorithm to vote more an earlier and reap the lions share of the increased curation. While intending to help the little folks, they will now get .0011 instead of .001 curation reward for their 100% tiny upvote. So, they will make .01$ more a day. This will not even be detected and will not encourage anyone to stay or feel more empowered.
We definitely do need more curation but not at the expense of author rewards. Dumb dumb dumb.
Well said @fionasfavourites, and I totally agree :) Plus you're sweet to continually mention me with the delegation! I was happy to help. @luzycypher did it for me when I first started out and I was so grateful for the boost; it's all part of the pay it forward attitude :)
And @quillfire loves a positive mention anytime haha He totally deserves it!
Thanks @lynncoyle1, but it's important that it's not just acknowledged, but what a difference it made - to keeping me on Steemit. As for @quillfire, he must be on holiday because he's been awfully silent during this. He's got some serious catching up to do!
Be well
Thanks, it's been brewing for a while! :D
I'm sitting here - nodding my head. exactly exactly exactly.
I'm working on another post with some numbers.. so people won't have to wonder what will happen - they can see exactly what WILL happen.
and then they can choose for themselves.
Thanks for your contribution to the conversation! and for tagging people you think might be concerned too! :)
It's good to know that I'm not entirely alone in my thinking. :D
I look forward to your next post - I hope you will tag me as I'd not like to miss it.
Thanks for going out to bat on this.
Thanks for the tag, but I added my 2¢ a while ago! 🙂
I don't think it's going to do what they want it to do. It could very well lead to more curation and shorter author posts. My two cents: Narrative!
Yes, Narrative. I am going to have to pay it more attention
Posted using Partiko Android
it's good to see witnesses involved in the discussion.
Your voices are important on this.
Agreed 100%
Makes only rich richer and drives new users and middle class users away.
But they don't want to hear our voices.
But they will hear when the steem price goes down more and more..
But, then it's to late..
HF21 and downvote pool is not social, it's the opposite.
Steem is getting more and more a testing platform for dapps and tokens.
Have a nice day
Thanks for visiting Tom!!! I wish it were under different circumstances, to be sure.
I agree with you and after being here since Nov 2016... It really saddens me that so many of the higher ups can vote for this with a straight face're right.
We don't matter.
Sadly, it's proven in this vote.
Posted using Partiko Android
But my hope is Voice coming soon, it will be a game changer and maybe the biggest problem for Steem..
Who laughs at least, laughs best
Posted using Partiko Android
I haven't been following it enough to know what to think.. Still too new to everything and completely ignoring the math about it..
But just for fun..
I have shared the same concerns so many times but nobody seems to care when you don't have the power. Should it go through, Steem will be as good as dead. What is a platform without creators?
@elsiekjay... How I wish that we were both wrong about this.
Well, at least we will all become AMAZING curators! lol Think of how much TIME we will have to read now! Maybe that's what we all need to do.... Go find a bunch of unknown newbies and give them all 100% upvotes.
Then - since we are the only ones upvoting - we will give half our upvote to them - and half will come back to us!
Writing my Fireflies posts take me approximately 3 hours each ? and I usually make about $2 on them? sometimes $1.50 Don't forget to take away the new 50% curation rewards! So I keep 75 cents... divided by the 180 minutes it takes to write? You're looking at about 0.005 cents per minute.
My @fundition posts get a nice payout because @fundition is so faithful to support that project!!! Around $18 usually? so after the new 50% curation - thats down to $9 left. (its actually less - but lets just leave it there for the sake of the example! lol) The real life work I do for my project? oh... about 8 hours of work in a day. Add in 2 hours of videoing, another hour at least of editing. Writing the post is another hour... So that's 12 hours. $9. I think that's 1 cent an minute.
Now... I remove all my delegations from all the communities and newbies I'm supporting (why? well of course so I can have more value in my upvote!) And now - I have a 5000 SP upvote.
That's around 8 cents now? I read a nice little post from a newbie... takes me a minute. upvote them at 100%.
They get 4 cents, I get 4 cents. sounds perfect. lol I mean - most newbies barely make 2 cents on their posts. This sounds likes it is AMAZING for the whole community! My husband doesn't yell at me for spending all my time writing posts and making pennies... I get to support all these amazing new newbies... and now I have lots more time to go swimming!
well..... this WAS total sarcasm. Now I might be seeing this as brilliant plan!!!! LOL You know the old saying... can't beat 'em.... join 'em! LOL
In all seriousness, I'd rather give my Fireflies chapters away for free to interested subscribers, than have someone make more money off me for adding nothing more to the mix. I will most likely halt that story on Steemit, and just give it out directly via a mailing list for anyone interested. It's a matter of principle really. Curation is fantastic, and I'm happy for it. But writing one well-developed post takes significantly more time than curating that same one well-developed post. It should be rewarded heavier. That's my opinion.
Unfortunately, here's what they don't tell you about Steem... Opinions are stake-weighted ;)
@crimsonclad - i'm about to comment to you too - but i'll be referencing this comment LOLOL (so you can find it)
I never thought I'd say this, but Voice Might actually be the better option. After all eos has some value to it. I am actually very eager to see how it will span out when it's officially launched, it may as well be the steemit killer if they go ahead with this 50/50 system, or perhaps creators will go to another platform and add value to it. Who Knows, Nobody wants to spend such amount of time only to have their rewards significantly reduced. It's madness.
Personally I might stop creating content daily and just invest my time else where.
I will definitely spend less time creating content.
Maybe I'll spend my time curating and commenting on newbie posts. Or...maybe not?? Why give them a false sense of hope? Maybe it's actually prolonging the inevitable to support newbies?
I guess this just makes you really take a look at your time as very valuable and see where it is best spent.
Will be thinking about that for a few days for sure...
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Your calculations forget one thing, @dreemsteem, which is that you can also strategically self-vote so that you receive some of those curation rewards. This is not gaming the system, it is using the system as it is designed for your benefit.
For all curators, this is the future; yes, curate manually but then add your favourite writers to an auto-voter and start to earn the long term rewards of your earlier efforts. This may not have been your original plan but it is a good plan - the best plan on this blockchain with these rules.
;-) Take care
You know that they want people to stop self-voting right? LOL and they are encouraging the use of the free downvotes so that people can remove the rewards from people who self-vote.
downvotes aren't even free yet - and people are doing this (one of the commenters on my posts this week is doing this TO earn more rewards and its getting punished)
i'm not saying that self-voting is good or bad. I think if its a good comment - then self-vote! but guess what - we all have the ability to self-vote bad comments too.
and that's where downvoting comes in. which WILL be abused and will NOT be used on whales out of fear of retribution.
see how this is not a good system? its set up to fear whales, and so they win.
whales are not bad!!!!
whales are awesome.
but bad whales are REALLY bad. LOL
you know what? let me restate that. greedy steemians are really bad. across all the classes.
so i did think of what you said - but i think there will be the downvote police who are busy looking in your wallets and seeing how to take what you have so they can justify "redistributing" the rewards. ....messy.
One other thing. lol. Curators do not automatically get 50% of their upvote, just as now there is no guarantee of 25% return. the curation algorithm itself is not being messed with, just that the curation pool will be double the size. Hence strategic voting will still count to get larger curation rewards.
not entirely correct... curation is stake based.
when a whale votes - they take the lions share of that curation pool on your post.
so when they upvote themselves - they get 75% and then the majority of that 25% curation too.
change it to 50/50 and its the exact same for whales. this does not halt bad behavior by whales - it gives the same result for them while punishing smaller accounts who cannot compete with the large stake based votes.
i can explain more if you like when i get home? we can continue the discussion :)
Posted using Partiko Android
Looking at all of my paid-out posts from the last month and discarding the highest- and lowest-earning posts ($0.28 and $4.44) as anomalies (which they are), my posts are only earning $1.36 on average. Of course, I only get 75% of that, and if it is slashed... 😱
YET... people tell me all the time that I write good posts, they appreciate the hours of research that goes into many of them, that they learn a lot from reading my writing, yet the payouts do not reflect much appreciation (although I sincerely appreciate every little upvote I get!!!). 😕
Without well-researched /well-thought, quality content, what will we have left...?!?!?
yes @thekittygirl
I'm working on a new post now... so that we can see the numbers
Of course you commented - I should have read properly. And that 2c is worth $200!
people tell me all the time that I write good posts
Yes, precisely. On all counts.
@dreemsteem ~ If you remove the "unity" or "steem" tag and replace it with #palnet, your post will be visible on the front-end as well!
Thanks for the tag @fionasfavourites and great post @dreemsteem but I'm not going to mince my words here.
HF20 was dog shit for new users. Way to stop anyone with a new account being able to do ANYTHING without a delegation of at least 100SP to make it usable.
HF21 proposals - premium bull shit (yes, I upgraded the shit to the highest of the high). Content creators don't exactly get big rewards as it stands and now with SPS taking 10% away from the rewards pool, the curation rewards slashing another 25% away and this convergent linear gobbledegook will mean that anyone who doesn't get more than 12STEEM on their post payouts could be 33% worse off.
Remind me again why content creators should stay on this platform should HF21 go ahead and hope to make anything substantial?
Content creators may as well post their content elsewhere and just set up steem auto to follow the big curation trails and get maximum return for curation for absolutely no effort whatsoever.
I'd even be "happy" with 2/3 author 1/3 curator but 75/25 is actually pretty good. Whales would get their "money" back after 4 x 100% upvotes each day which is not an inconsiderate amount - and curation doesn't cost them anything, it's literally clicking the up button if you like the article!
We all know what the solution is.
Flick the switch and turn off bid bots.
If that can't be done then for sure, the next best solution is to give manual curation initiatives (e.g. curie, helpie, c-squared etc) the backing of these bid bot accounts (which take up >30% of the rewards pool) so that the trending feed is filled with varied content that can give people both inside and outside of steem something to look forward to rather than seeing the same people posting over again or steemcentric apps which mean nothing to anyone outside of steem.
That's my 2 cents (or is it 1 cent now that the curation is 50/50 :) )
@nickyhavey I knew I could count on you. Here is the follow up post from @dreemsteem which I shall read properly when I am at my desk in a few hours (it's 05:51...)
Posted using Partiko Android
Yes I just read the article but I've read a few that show the numbers and it all kinda paints the same picture.
Author rewards are getting wrecked, curators are getting doubled.
I can't say I disagree with your closing sentence to bengy either. We probably joined this platform a little too late as our accounts aren't worth too much hey.
Posted using Partiko Android
I joined early but grew mostly by sweat equity. So it took time.
I just recently became a dolphin and was super proud of the accomplishment.
Eh. Comme ci, comme ca.
I'm sure this won't be the last mistake that's made in a hard fork. I'm surprised we crawled past HF20, but we did. Barely.
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What is sweat equity? Not come across that term before.
Congratulations on the dolphin status, it's something I may get to if I stick around and don't get as hard fucked by the hard fork as I'm being initially lead to believe.
And the fact we barely made it past HF20 should sound alarm signals about these proposals for HF21 but I don't know what it will take for these "decision makers" to do the things I mentioned in my first comment seeing as that's the feedback of many authors I've spoken to.
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Oh sweat equity means the time you invested vs money you've invested
I think i probably have invested about $600 towards my dolphin status?
The rest was all through post payouts!!!!
I sure hope you're right too. It sad that people who have just come in the last year never got to see how AMAZING this place was at one time
They've just been hit harder and harder since HF20.
Too bad ...cuz I can tell you...before that!? There was nonsense, for sure!!! There ALWAYS will be drama lol. You can never get rid of people who like to ruin it for everyone...but at least you could just circle around your tribe and ignore the riff raff, and have a blast!
It's not the same anymore... Greed has a way of permeating everything.
Posted using Partiko Android
You're right about greed and you do really have to turn a blind eye to some shenanigans but it's made increasingly difficult with each change that occurs. Just stick with communities you have joined and take it from there.
Hf21 is confirmed to already be happening now so it looks like the preparations need to start happening for people like us. Firstly, pull back any delegations you have to keep your account SP as much as possible so you can get more curation rewards.
Second, get as many posts out now before HF21 so you maximise author payouts.
I haven't invested any money into steem, just transferred some earnings from other sites so I guess my sweat equity is 100% lol.
Posted using Partiko Android I am preparing on my side too. We all need preparations! :)
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Exactly..I was the founder of a community that was almost 75% newbies because we sought out and helped them, one at a time.
Before HF20, our retention rate was 75%? As compared to steemits of 9%... So we were doing something very right.
After HF20? The place slowly became a ghost town. It is slowly helping one Steemian at a time again, but I wonder if it will ever see those amazing retention rates again...
I'm a bit disillusioned with these changes "for the community" that only help the few.
Sickened really. But...I don't think anyone is listening to us 🙃
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75% is an amazing effort on retention, well done for that. Sorry you got hard fucked as well by HF20.
I'd say the place quickly became a ghost town after that as noone could post or saw the awful quality content on trending and thought "eff that, I'm leaving". Don't blame them. I'd do the same if my motivations were just about earning money but I wanted to improve my writing skills by joining this (initial) blogging platform and meet like minded people that I couldn't find on fb or Twitter so I'll be sticking around... But only if the communities do.
It seems like there are enough dapps around to keep me on here like travelfeed, dsound, powerhousecreatives, actifit.
The minute you get in the cross hairs of those that do listen, brace yourself for flags as that's what happened to me when I started being vocal about bid bots.
Decentralisation hey... Doesn't work with people. End of. You need a set of guidelines for the community to follow. Anarchy is not a good way to progress as we have seen on multiple occasions.
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75% retention is freaking amazing!!!! We were so proud!!!
And our community was EVERYWHERE because a huge principle for us was.. support, comment, enjoy!!!
It wasnt about the money .. until they made it about the money.
But look!!! Now we have a scalable chain!!!! Woo hoooo ....we just have to wait for the people to come rushing in now.
Still waiting...
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I completely agree. If this goes through at 75/25 we will lose. I understand they are trying to fix a few things, but this one will not help. If it foes through, not only will those who care about newbies find themselves scrambling to find delegation but they will be trying to come up with more ways to reward them so they will get a little more.
This however means that the new people will only see less of those rewards. This is a horrible shame to penalize those who we have been begging to come join. Those i have helped and encouraged to join in the past have almost all quit because it does not worth their time and efforts; now with HF21 they are all saying they will delete their accounts. It is a shame really that it is coming to this.
Thank you for speaking out @dreemsteem
Thank you for writing this post
In any complex system there will be always be disagreements specially in the early days. Our STEEM is no different
Bitcoin had few different hard forks
ETH had one
Monera had many
I was spend almost 17 hours a day for 7 months building Dtube community until I got distracted 70% steemit inc layover where I offered ned to that I could happily work for them for free for 2 years.
I really don't want to get distracted by HF21 because my vision of $7.77 with STEEM with PushBook Startup needs all of me
Sorry I'm getting back to building STEEM PushBook
Thanks for visiting! And I'm glad you can keep your focus @nathanmars! I hope that all that you're doing is not for naught!!! Hope that we eventually have a platform where you can bring your amazing stamina to... and reap the rewards of your hard work !!
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You make your own luck if you stay at it long enough
True entrepreneurs don’t fail because they stay at it
True entrepreneurs never give up...but they know exactly when they are being given a raw deal.
I am not giving up in the's not my style. But I'm not going to have 33% taken from my rewards and handed to whales and thank them for it.
It's wrong. Period. And everyone knows it.
And they should PULL it from the proposal. Because the people have spoken.
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True, @nathanmars and @dreemsteem, but the ability to articulate a problem is also part of finding a solution - which may be a personal one rather than a community one - and that means "staying at it" but perhaps on a different road than at the start.
Changes in the economy, whether cryptoeconomy or real life, may warrant a change in plans.
Like I hinted in other comments, and expanded in my articles (today and a few months ago (tho few ever listened)) there are ways to make more money and have fun doing it - just different methodology ;-)
it requires a discussion that they seem unwilling to have.
it's full speed ahead - take it or leave it.
i don't appreciate that mentality and find it disrespectful of all the people who poured their time, money, and energy here. not just the whales. we all did, across the classes.
I used to have fun here - and it had nothing to do with money.
still doesn't! LOL has to do with respect!!! :)
Yes, I think many commented at the time that the P in EIP should have been Plan rather than Proposal (as it wasn't a proposal under discussion.)
Thing is, the ideas in EIP have been promoted for months, maybe even a year or more - it hasn't improved but it knocked down the door - albeit a steem door.
I also am against the so-called EIP.
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i would imagine that a lot of us in the RED column would not really see the benefit! LOL
I found the responses to @cervantes poll of a month ago interesting but have noticed several witnesses mention they have reservations about aspects of HF21.
I have put a new poll up that more options for those reservations to be expressed.
Anyone can participate but really want to see the top 20 respond which is response to the community.
I'd love to see only the top 20 respond - so we can keep it very clear! :)
although - i guess we can always write a post with ONLY their responses so it is just as clear!
It's in implements phase already I think there's nothing we can do about it, other than to hope it turns out well
it's only in it's beginning phase.
ONE of the biggest things we can do, is to discuss it, and let others know what potential impact might be. It's change, and sometimes that's good. BUT, not all change is. Remember Hard Fork 20?
There is ALWAYS time to change. Nothing has been implemented yet.
If they find an error in their test net - do you think they wont take the time to fix it?
Its the same for this discussion. If they find that enough people are concerned... don't you think they need to take the time to fix that?
I've been reading some of the arguments for and against the changes and I think that people on both sides care and have good points but we didn't get into this space to side on caution. I know there's resistance to change because we don't want to lose what we have and the smaller accounts etc but what we have isn't good enough. Sad to say but I'd rather lose small accounts along the way (which would happen in any case at a natural rate), if we can grow exponentially
There are far more people that don't know about us than do so the upside of gaining new users outweigh the keeping of the few, as cruel as it sounds. I do also think STEEM and steemit will only be a catchment area and the other dapps and scot communities will be where its at
It gives us options and if you don't like whats happening on steem find a tribe, maybe become a big PAL user, that's the beauty of it all. STEEM is the gateway drug but shouldnt be the only getaway or drug, with all thats happening theres no no signle point of failure and we wont feel HFs as hard as we used to.
Just my 2 cents and nothing but love for ya!
Love for you too! Not sure I agree with the fact that we would lose small accounts along the way - Welcome Wagon's retention rate was in the 75% range - where Steemit's was 9%. After HF 20 - ours dropped down to about 25%. The changes they made definitely pushed small accounts out. I fear its about to happen again. There is only so much winnowing that a platform can withstand before the foundation crumbles. I'm not saying we can't consider it later. I'm saying there's enough change in the proposal WITHOUT that - to still make us grow. Thanks for adding your 2 cents! But it's about to be 1 cent if we go through with the 50/50 hehehehe (kidding)
small accounts have equal opportunity to gain steem via 50/50 , I have not read but the big thing that affects the content for me is the way the rewards are calculated due to the curve so more votes and bigger give them a better payout or something ... This forces people to just do what sheep do and follow 200 other peoples vote for the sake of it. $1 with 100 votes vs $1 with a single vote is kinda what I have stuck, they don't seem like they will be equal. Anyhow. I got my spycam, popcorn, diapers and will wait and see.
Not really
I can explain why... But probably will in a post.
Too.much for a comment
There were a couple more complicating factors than the hard fork... The complete collapse of the crypto ecosystem probably also contributed!
I don't agree. All of the people who left here were not losing thousands on bitcoin (or any other coin) They left here because the ones who came to make money - were no longer able to make money.
The ones who were willing to make money LATER - and have fun meeting people NOW ... were willing to hold off on the "big payouts" that they might have been mistaken about. (clearly were mistaken lol) But the community kept them here. It was fun to read, post, comment, and slowly build this new family for them
When it became clear that they couldn't earn real money, and that now they ALSO couldn't afford (in RCs) to have fun with that community anymore without paying to play... they had no choice.
I really don't think the collapse of the crypto ecosystem had anything to do with the people like that - because most of them were not interested / had the ability to be cryptoinvestors.
Steem was different. they could enjoy themselves AND earn slowly.
then it got flipped on them.
(and its about to get flipped again)
Fair enough, I am mistaken there! You are right, the people joining at that time were already (should already..) have known that crypto was now diving.
Change, always scary, very true....
I know what you are saying, but there's this nagging thought in my head:
What happens when more and more content creators walk away?
Already, the HF21 is proposing to take out of the rewards pool for the SPS.
ON TOP OF THAT< there is this discussion to move even more Rewards out by cutting rewards for Content creators. We don't know what the Economic Impact of the platform will be the first change, in Funding the Worker Proposal System (SPS).
NOW, to add even more uncertainty, and drive away even more users, and content creators? It's too much at once.
As both a creator and curator, i see the good and bad.
BUT, after HF20, and the HUGE losses of users, I am not sure how many more users Steem can afford to lose.
I am with you @bluefinstudios and have left a loooong comment on this post. Thanks for calling me over.
I don't know... I haven't completely been following this, but I do in principle agree with reward structure change (this might come back and bite me later!).
My biggest problem with Steem at the moment is the fact that there is no closing of the economic loop. What is the benefit in buying and holding Steem? At present, generally very little other than on chain prestige. This is not really a sustainable economy then, if the rational choice is to sell rather than buy.
Having a larger curation reward might encourage one to have a larger SP to collect more of the stake (and the sps will help develop dapps that encourage the purchase of Steem).
I know that it feels bad that authors will initially lose out, but at the moment, the rational choice is to collect Steem to sell... Not to hold and not to buy.
Perhaps someone can suggest to me otherwise!
I think that the value of Steem, the role of dapps and the quality of content are somewhat different things. I also think that the motivations for joining and staying and/or leaving bear thinking about. I saw a recent post from @aggroed ( in which he argues the necessity for HF21 and at the same time extols the virtues of communities.
I suspect that those of us who have blogged for years for the love of it, as opposed to a monetary return, and who cannot invest in Steem, have a completely different perspective. I came in the hopes of using sweat equity to build up a head of Steem. I was a late adopter and it didn't work for me. Others, whose currencies have even less value than the ZAR, can, and do use sweat equity. However, where that is not possible, why do we stay?
Because of the community.
Because of the promise of monetisation. Ultimately.
HF21, after the damage of HF20, I have to view with jaundice. MHO.
Agreed, community is what keeps many around.. And that is an important part, but we can't expect everyone to have that be enough. There does need to be real economic value in Steem if only to pay for the servers that host the content and the computers and electricity of the witnesses to secure and validate the chain.
There is an additional element: Steemit would not function if it were not for the people on the blockchain. There needs to be some return for them and if I were to view my engagement here from the perspective of ROI - and purely in economic terms - and I include sweat equity because in my line of business, time is money - I should have dumped it a long time ago.
Why do I stay, in addition to the community? Well some of that has to do with the dapps that I use and which make it seamless to post to the blockchain and which offer me a value-add. What I will add, which is as important is that I was blogging/microblogging from those platforms before Steemit, so its part of that which keeps me here.
One last point: If the propsect of realising returns for the sweat equity does not improve and I'm offered other opportunities that are commensurate with what it's worth, well, that, too is a no brainer. I'm gone. I'll get @jaynie's boot and probably end up off the platform.
and now that these changes will decrease the economic value for most small-medium sized accounts.... lol
it really doesn't make sense.
If steem needed money to keep running and had to take a little from everyone in proportion to their size... go for it
but the money that is being taken from authors is not going back into the pool evenly distributed.
curation rewards are stake based.
for the large account that gives a huge upvote - and then gets curation back? they're getting back double.
for the small account that gives their "huge" upvote - (100% for them, but still only .01) their curation rewards are being doubled... from what? 0.001 to 0.002?
but the huge accounts - THEIR curation rewards are being doubled too. from $2.00 to $4.00??? or much more???
it doesn't seem very fair to me.
Yes, definitely in the short term the effect is to decrease the non-big accounts get. However, it does give some reason (albeit small at the moment) to use the author earnings to power up rather than to sell.
Anyway, I only know that economies are much more complex and non-linear systems than what many expect. I only know that there will be unexpected results, quite probably not the ones we expect... And that I just have no idea!
... Which does lead me to wonder why an economist or two isn't consulted about these economic changes? It appears that in the crypto space (not just Steem) we fall into the trap that there are easy and simplistic cause and effect...but that is off topic, just interesting (and not a comment on you, just digressing...).
take a look at the new post... im about to tag you in it.
Well, they hoped that with HF20 - with the limited resource credits - it would force people to pay to play, and we see how well that worked out.
I'm writing a post now to show you exactly how it will affect you. I think numbers are easy to understand when it's right in front of you. But... we'll see.
I also believe that the amount of steem that you'll need to buy and hold in order to make the curation rewards beneficial.... is negligible. If that's the motivation for you to hold steem, I think you're going to be disappointed in your return.
It's not just about authors initially losing out. If everyone was losing, and it was balanced over the whole community - then - we could all take the hit together.
But I think you're going to see that when the rewards are coming from authors - they are not getting dispersed equally over the community. HUGE portions are going into the pockets of curators who ALREADY have a large portion of the curation rewards at 75/25
I'll tag you in the next post. we'll see if we can get a discussion going.. and if I'm wrong - I'd love to be corrected ;)
No, I agree that even with these changes that curation rewards are going to be pitiful for an account my size. And I know full well that the amount of Steem that I would need to buy to make it worthwhile would be tremendous...
Hoeve, if this reward distribution was attached to a better way of distributing the curation part (levelling out the SP playing field) it could be interesting... On the other hand, that is also just ripe for abuse... On the other hand, perhaps that is what down vote pool is for...
On the last hand, I'm not really sure how it will be... It is quite different, but I don't think any side has any idea how it will play out in the long term. There are many convincing stories, but all of them have hefty assumptions.
Tag me, I'm curious. But I'll just put it out, I'm a fence sitter on this one... But my point about there needing to be a reason to hold Steem still bothers me, but perhaps this isn't the solution..
not just an account your size.... but its taking from accounts your size and GIVING to large accounts.
that's the biggest problem.
take a look at that chart @bengy.... i knew it would be skewed in favor of big accounts before we made it. but now? its pretty blatant. and i hope that this part of the proposal gets tossed in the garbage. fast.
I really think this is going to make the whole bus go backwards if it gets implemented.
I think you and me and everyone here who is sickened by this..... Are 100% CORRECT.
but take a look at the people who will benefit ... And then notice how they are the ones all for it....and Voting on it.
our voices no longer matter. Hmmm did they ever?
Removing votes will not make a difference to them... But as soon as I know definitively who is voting for this, I will be giving my votes to those in opposition, on principle. I don't care if they "feel" the lack of my vote.
Representatives should be representing the people who voted for them and it seems like a LOT of people aren't feeling represented.
Posted using Partiko Android
Let's get our terminology right, this is a TAX ON CREATORS.
A decrease in creator rewards and an increase in curation rewards will destroy Steem's vision of being a chain that pays creators and will turn it into yet another ROI staking token.
I dont want this libertarian dream to turn into tezos2.0 just because stakeholders want greater ROI.
Also: the WPS has no cap, meaning ste can funnel into it indefinitely without stopping, meaning that in the event of a development drought or gridlock, funds will keep stacking up, effectively being inflation for inflation's sake.
Also, They propose BURNING EXCESS TAX MONEY, as a means of handling a bloated treasury. Burning tax dollars is chain suicide, who the hell would agree to burning their hard earned tax dollars?
The WPS needs 2 things to be successful
1 - a hard cap on size.
2 - a tax refund for creators who have contributed over a certain amount to the treasury.
Deal with excess funds by REFUNDING THEM, not burning them.
In its current state, I vote NO on HF20
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so much here - i've used your words in a few other comments!!! thanks for your interaction!!
I'm interested to know what will happen when all these content creators leave?
((She sighs))
I think we know exactly what will happen...and that's why I sigh along with you.
Posted using Partiko Android
Such drama, you've earned a DRAMA!
To view or trade DRAMA go to
we'll see what happens.. just going for the ride.. really have no say... :)
well, if you'd like to know.
In the last 30 days, you made 2.62 SP on curation rewards.
In the last 30 days, you made 39.15 SP on author rewards.
What they are proposing is, changing the curation rewards to 50% instead of 25%
so.... if you continued what you are doing now, that would jump up to 5.24 SP for curation rewards.
and your author rewards would drop by 33%. which is 25.839.
They are hoping that this new proposal will get rid of the bad guys, and lift all the good guys.
That has really worked well in the past so I'm sure it will work well now! (sarcasm lol)
(by the way - where your author rewards are getting diverted to? large accounts who hold the majority of the stake. When they upvote - now they will double their curation rewards just like you. But yours is doubling from 2.6 to 5.2? Theirs is doubling from 3000 to 6000 -that is ONE example. but you can check the chart and see exactly what that looks like)
but happy days for all :)
I hope that you continue to enjoy the ride. I truly do. Some people aren't really aware of all this and they are happy! I hope that joy follows you Miss @rebeccabe! :)
well that's no I will start self upvoting :)
Hope that gives a little back to ya!! 😊
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Thanks for sharing on Pimp Your Post Thursday
Agreed. Let the 50/50 rewards system play out on Palnet for a while and see how it goes. Then, make the case for it being implemented here.
Posted using Partiko iOS
I honestly believe the 50/50 split isn't necessary now or ever, but I doubt if my voice makes any difference
Your voice matters to me.
And to many others!!
It just doesn't matter to the majority making the decisions
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Lol, just as bad
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Hmmm yes. 🤔 Lol
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Adding my name for the zero value it’s worth! Hugs to you and thank you for this post that really lays it out.
Oh I missed this!!!
I feel the same way... Why bother adding our voices to anything when it's clear they don't matter... Lol
But... We can always say we did what we felt was best and didn't remain silent.
That's something!
I've read countless hf21 related posts over the last few days trying to keep an open mind but nope, I don't see this hard fork(speciall having the "intended" results. I sure hope I'm wrong and that we'll laugh at this one day but as someone who's familiar with payouts right around the threshold, I'm highly doubtful and would be even more terrified if it wasn't for dapps such steemmonsters, actifit, busy etc that still dish out hope.
But the way, would such dapps benefit more post hf21? Well at least that would be a plus as they deserve it, though I assume they'd also lose some users who'd just be fed up with the system.
I get that changes need to be made and probably a lot of them. But making them all at the expense of mostly newbies and small accounts, and at the same time is just too drastic, potentially leading to a mass exodus. I've been told that the steem ecosystem is just like a reflection of the real World and really, what did I expect? The rich shall get richer, so was written in stone.
Anyways, @ange.nkuru
I completely agree. Why so much so fast? Why such a rush to burn the city down? It reminds me when a boss wants to fire you, but can't... So they make it REALLY hard for you to stay, so that you quit.
I'm not a quitter, but I'm also not a masochist.
If they want us to leave, they're making it very obvious that they're holding all the cards and can do whatever they want.... And we can take it or leave it.
Posted using Partiko Android
I'm not a quitter, but I'm also not a masochist.
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I had missed this post completely. Glad I see it in time, though, because I totally agree
I know exactly why we agree.... Because our hearts have always been the same regarding community, newbies and the poor decisions regarding their sustainability.
Sad to tell you that the next three posts of mine only get progressively sad to me.
It's been wonderful working alongside you (even though we didn't interact a lot!!!) But we were on the same mission to help steem from.the bottom up
I hope you have such good fortune in fighting the good fight, my friend!!!
Warmest wishes,
I expect the usual to happen agreement about something and nothing comes of it.
The truth is this is a ploy t keep the major portion of the rewards to those with stake. It is nothing more than that, No matter what words are used to describe what the process involves or the result it is said to give, It wil give a higher reward to those with the power already,
It is a scheme to reward those who have more vested, plain and simple. New people who struggle to gain any kind of reward they can give to others. Will struggle even harder, reducing the retention of the user base unless the individual have a finance to invest.
Those who recieve a total vote of $1 lose 25% of that and get 0.75c. lets reduce that even more for your effort to you only getting 0.50c for your time and effort.
It seems it will take the person reading and being entertained by your content will put as much effort and time into reading it as you did.
The reason why you or us no body's are listened to is simply, We won't join together. We will do feck all to make a change and wait for someone else to do it. We have been through the process of forming a committee and doing elections to get something going. Why is that power of the people not speaking up for the people?
Oh wait Slipped my mind, Controlled by those who have a higher stake.
i partially agree with you @thehive.... the same time - I just wrote another post. LOL
why? because maybe if people SEE what it means TO THEM and not just them.... but see the VISUAL representation of what it means for others - and why.... maybe - just maybe - we can halt this ridiculousness.
Hope you didn't read any of that as against anything you said,
Ultimately. I think we need to grow a strength to represent them. This is something I have voiced from day 1. Without it, you don't have a voice. | <urn:uuid:61f4ee48-64db-4a5f-80e0-59bef3cbabe5> | https://steemit.com/community/@dreemsteem/perhaps-we-need-to-speak-as-one | en | 0.97188 | 0.041507 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Over the past few months the Arnett household has had bad luck with computers and appliances. The computer tower and laptop were re-e-e-ally old in computer years, older than a museum-suitable cell phone, which also died. But the microwave was just 4 years old and a burner on the cooktop (aka stove) shouldn’t have gone kaput in just three years.
It is one thing to deal with the fact that technology changes so rapidly. But it is another to hear, when you consider repairs, “You might as well throw it away. It is cheaper to get a new one.”
Throw it away. I should have expected that in America, land of the wasteful. We throw away stuff by the truckloads and shiploads leading to mountains of putrid trash on our land and acres of disgusting trash in the oceans. We import and export garbage. Even the cosmos is littered with space junk. But we also throw away our health, the potential born in our children, wisdom, architectural treasures, extraordinary barns, pristine landscapes and free-flowing rivers.
Have you ever smelled the evening air at Jackson Street and Bedford Road? Sending your waste downstream is upstream to someone else. And you are downstream to ???? Think about it.
If we want to convince ourselves that digging deeper wells to reach better groundwater will protect us from ourselves, fracking is changing that no matter what big oil and gas claim. But just about “big” anything — energy, pharma, imports — thrive because our consumerism reaches far beyond our needs, ludicrously so in fact.
A man who owns a recycle center in the U.P. told me with frustration last summer how people disrespect his facility.
“I opened this place hoping to make a good difference,” he said painfully. “Have you seen the trash at the landfills, higher than the trees? What we are doing to our world is so wrong.”
Immediately beside the Seney Wildlife Refuge is one of the U.P.’s Hiawatha Shores landfills. Had Native Americans known what was to come, and in their name no less, they would have halted immigration centuries ago.
We have the smarts to create phenomenal devices that benefit our lives. Why are we not also smart enough to require that before this technology is put into use, we have also created the means by which to safely dismantle it and reuse its components? Why instead do we poison the remaining vestiges of precious land and water resources to make more of what we don’t need, refuse to repair and thoughtlessly throw “away?”
I used to naively reassure myself that all was well when I read that old computers and cell phones could be dismantled for the reuse of precious rare metals within them.
Then came the exposé on where some of these items really go. Many are dishonestly sent to back alleys in impoverished parts of the world where desperate people salvage from them, working in cesspools of toxic waste. Why not instead create thousands of safe salvage jobs using appropriate systems for recapturing hazardous and precious substances? We are able to safely work with dangerous pathogens and lethal nuclear components; why not used appliances and computers?
Tragically, even with plastics, paper, wood and cardboard, many fully capable Americans will not trouble their lazy little selves to respect the earth they use in abundance. Instead, dumpsters overflow at curbsides and worksites.
When one of us throws something away, it is always being thrown toward someone else.
The child poisoned by our wastefulness today will be the adult whose potential cannot be realized tomorrow.
We can be as angry as we want about the Flint fiasco or foolishness elsewhere. There are disasters happening all the time that we could have prevented and many we still could. If only we would.
In one way or another we are all responsible. This planet is all we have and we should all be ashamed that the reason it is dying is due to our waste, disrespect, profit-priority, and head-in-sand stupidity.
I look around my home. What has the earth given up in order to satisfy my wants? What can I do better or differently? The answer is plenty.
Write Jan at, or visit her website:
Read or Share this story: | <urn:uuid:b762607b-d662-41e9-8175-09a01306ab10> | https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/opinion/columnists/2016/01/29/jan-corey-arnett-throwing-away-future/79521436/ | en | 0.960863 | 0.22529 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Fortnite streamers caught cheating in Pop-Up Cup
The recent Fortnite Pop-Up-Cup has generated its fair share of controversy. The small in-game event has riled players up on multiple fronts. Most recently, two popular Fortnite streamers and aspiring competitive players have been caught collaborating in the cup. This is a clear breach of the Pop-Up Cup’s rules and behaviour that has previously lead to a ban.
This Pop-Up-Cup was a solo only event. These cups usually have some form of novelty or limitation to keep gameplay interesting. This time, you were limited to carrying 500 of each material rather than the usual 999. It’s not much of a limitation. However, it made some streamers so panicked that they were forced to break the rules. Duo-Pop-Up Cups are also quite common, which would have been the appropriate place for these two to team up together.
© Epic Games
Despite this, streamers sealmatt and EpikWhale were caught collaborating in a stream while playing in the Solo Pop-Up Cup. Sealmatt is heard asking EpikWhale to give him a shield, which the other does. This bails the first player out of the bad situation he was in, the healing items gave sealmatt an edge on other competitors and an unfair second chance at the game.
This is a small amount of collaboration but it indicates that both players were in constant contact with each other during a solo game. This gives them a major advantage. As well as access to each other’s healing items, they also gained other advantages from the constant contact. Both made it to the final stages of the Battle Royale, having one less enemy to deal with is a serious advantage later in the game. They also had additional reconnaissance. With a second player’s eyes, they had greater vision over the map than any other player. There are plenty of opportunities for players to play Duos, why collaborate on a Solo Pop-Up Cup?
The cheating is a little more important than just teaming up during a normal stream match. Epic has been using these events as a way of selecting players for their upcoming invitational. Players who establish themselves in Epic’s invited roster will be in a good position to compete in Fortnite tournaments in the future. If Epic continues to farm out the selection of invitationals to these open events, then the possibilities for exploitation by players is going to cause problems.
One of the streamers defended himself, saying “I don’t know why they care so much. Like, OK dude, sorry I gave Seal 30 shield in a fucking Solo Pop-Up that’s worth nothing. Like, take a fucking joke“. He seems to have missed the point entirely but does possess a sophisticated sense of humour where giving another player a shield is a hilarious joke that goes over everyone’s head. Clearly, it’s an act with such impressive comedic value that to everyone else it just looks like playing Fortnite, but if you take it as a joke it is in fact really funny. More specifically, the suggestion that it’s irrelevant as it’s just a Pop-Up Cup doesn’t really hold weight when the tournament is being used as a selection process for a high-profile invitational.
Sadly, collaborating in solo matches is more common than it should be. Epic cannot police every game. If they are going to continue to use open events like Pop-Up Cups as qualifiers for their high-profile tournaments, they need to make sure the game is respected. People intentionally breaking rules to give themselves a boost in these situations invalidates the entire process. | <urn:uuid:f1887529-07fa-4121-aa82-bc4c668035a0> | https://www.esports.net/news/fortnite/streamers-cheating-pop-up-cup/ | en | 0.977456 | 0.204145 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Bûche de Noël
This vanilla twist on the holiday classic Yule Log cake is inspired by bonfires used to celebrate the winter solstice. A light sponge cake filled with chocolate ganache becomes a pretty log when decorated with that same creamy ganache. It's a delicious way to welcome the season. Note: Thanks to feedback from you, our readers, we've retested this recipe and as of October 2019 have made some significant changes, resulting in a much better final product.
40 mins
15 to 18 mins
1 hr 50 mins
1 cake
Buche de Noel
1. To make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan or in the microwave, until the mixture begins to steam. Pour over the chocolate, let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature. While the mixture is cooling, make the cake
2. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet (half-sheet pan) with parchment paper and spritz the paper with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/3 cup (66g) of the sugar, and continue beating the whites until medium peaks form. Set the whites aside.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients, including the remaining 2/3 cup (133g) of the sugar. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the reserved egg yolks, oil, milk, and vanilla until blended. Beat on medium speed until lightened and pale lemon colored. Add the dry ingredients and continue to mix until smooth, about 1 minute.
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a large spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter, 1/3 at a time. Use gentle motions to preserve the air in the whites.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake the cake for 10 to 14 minutes or until it's set in the middle and springs back when pressed gently.
8. Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then loosen the edges with a knife. Turn the cake out onto a tea towel lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar and peel off the parchment paper. Allow the cake to rest for 1 to 2 minutes, then roll it up loosely in the towel (starting with a short end) and let it cool completely.
9. To finish the filling: Once the ganache has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a mixing bowl and add the salt and vanilla. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the ganache on low speed and slowly add the butter in three additions. Once all the butter has been added increase the speed and whip until fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
10. To assemble the cake: Unroll the cooled cake and spread it with approximately 3/4 cup of the filling. Re-roll, and place seam-side down on a serving plate. Use the remaining filling to frost the outside of the roll. If desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar and decorate with candied cranberries or meringue mushrooms.
11. Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours. Freeze for longer storage. If refrigerated or frozen, let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
Tips from our Bakers
• To sugar cranberries and leaves for decoration, dip the berries in lightly beaten egg white. Wipe off any extra white and roll in granulated sugar. Set aside on parchment to dry. Use the same technique on edible leaves to add sparkle to your plate. | <urn:uuid:115b7c42-9725-499c-a005-91bef11be532> | https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/buche-de-noel-recipe | en | 0.905517 | 0.04338 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Data Privacy Act is Long Dead
Internet privacy act is long dead
We never had internet privacy. By the books, all of us should have rights with respect to our private data, which means that we must have personal privacy to browse the internet and not being watched. But in the end, it is all like browsing with a camera eye always watching your screen.
Privacy protections for the internet were never active. Internet service providers (ISP) never asked us for permission to log and share our browsing history. With the decision of the Congress, these privacy protections measures will never be active; which means that your ISP can collect your browsing data without your knowledge. There is no legal protection for users who do not wish to share their data.
Some users happily give away the data in return for free services from the ISP. Others tend to protect their privacy with incognito mode, anti-trackers, and cookie cleaners. Only the incognito mode is just a way to protect your privacy from the browser or from the website you are visiting. Hiding online activities in your browser does not mean that your ISP can’t see what you are doing online. Browsing in incognito mode is not enough to protect your privacy from ISP logging.
What Data Is Collected by ISP?
When taking up an internet connection, an IP is allocated to you automatically. Depending on the ISP you chose, and type of information that you readily share online, your ISP can collect the following data. Even if you are a person who does not share much personal information on the internet your ISP is still able to see.
• Browsing history.
• Videos you watch online.
• Frequently visited pages.
• Your habit of logging in and off.
• The time spent on web pages.
• Your current location.
• Your contact details.
ISP logs can be dangerous. The logged info can be stolen or breached or if you are downloading copyrighted torrents, the logs can be provided to legal enforcement to take an action. ISP logging also means a potential threat to your passwords that could be used by hackers to enter your system if the logged info is breached.
How to Create a Privacy Barrier for ISP
The best way to stop ISPs from seeing your online activities is to create a barrier for the ISP from getting a hand on your data. Connecting to a VPN solves this problem. VPN encrypts the traffic from your internet and your ISP cannot monitor you when you are browsing on the internet. VPN creates an encrypted invisible tunnel for all your data between your device and a VPN server. All that your ISP can see is that you are connected to a VPN, that is all. That is the only thing that it can log.
A VPN protects your online visibility and activity by creating an encrypted tunnel before connecting to the web. Which means that your ISP won’t be able to log what you are browsing or downloading. VPN keeps your data safe by all means, especially when using exposed public Wi-Fi hotspots.
When you are connecting to a VPN it becomes your ISP. The VPN server will be a final point between you and the Internet. VPN server now can log all your browsing history and online activity just the same as ISP did. VPN provider has all the means to collect and log your online activity if they wish to infringe your data. To avoid this, you need to use a zero-logs VPN.
Why use a no-logs VPN?
A no-log VPN means that it won’t collect or log any information transmitted through the network. No personal information, no whereabouts, no information on what you download or what you search for. That means your online privacy and anonymity is privacy with your VPN provider as well.
A no-log VPN is purchased to keep your identity anonymous. If a no-log VPN also keeps a log, the anonymity is at risk as the VPN provider can access and share any information outside.
Why VPN do Logs
VPN do logs but they can be used against their users
Your VPN promises that it keeps no logs, but that is not the reality. The truth is that VPNs do keep some form of logs for various reasons:
1. To limit the number of devices: All good VPNs earn on the basis of subscriptions. They maintain logs to limit the number of devices used under one subscription. All virtual network providers have set limits-3,5,6 users that can use the service simultaneously. Maintaining this requires some form of logging, at least when the VPN is in use.
The obvious question, how the VPN service is enforcing connection restrictions while still being “no logs” can only be answered by your VPN provider.
2. To limit the bandwidth: Bandwidth can be restricted only by logging to a certain extent. To limit the amount of bandwidth with a particular subscription, the VPN service provider will have to log. There are questions here too, as to how is the provider claiming itself to be a no-log VPN, and also limiting the bandwidth?
3. Logging with rental servers(VPS): Most VPNs use virtual rental servers. Being cheaper than a dedicated, bare-metal server, it is used widely but creates problems privacy-wise. The issue here us that rental servers usually maintain server activity logs. Also, local authorities can also force a server host to maintain a data log. In such a scenario, there is no value to the “no logs” policies of the VPN. Local authorities can directly approach the data center and ask for whatever they need.
4. National spying agencies pressurize companies to log: NSA and GCHQ have been forcing VPN providers to log and handover customer information to them. Since at least 2010, big tech companies in the US have been facilitating NSA spying. In the UK, as per The Investigatory Powers Bill, it is mandatory that all data be logged and maintained for 12 months. Which means that asking for data from a particular company is easy as all data is logged. A condition worse than this, logging requests may come along with a “gag order”, which means that the company cannot even disclose what they are being forced to do.
5. To troubleshoot problems and enhancing VPN performance: Often, VPN providers justify their logging by saying that they need this data to fix service problems and optimize their network. It is not true that providing a fast, secure reliable VPN service requires logging; still, some VPNs maintain basic connection logs to keep everything working well.
Further, we discuss the types of logs that VPN keeps and the reasons for the same. It is important to know as a customer whether logging is really important, or is it just for the companies’ benefit.
Types of VPN logs
There can be three different types of VPN logs that collect your personal data. When it comes to your privacy, it is important to pay attention to your VPNs privacy and logging policy.
1. Usage or browsing logs: your online activity; i.e. browsing history, IP address, metadata, etc. A virtual private network that records your usage data should be avoided. These are usually free VPNs who sold the data to the third party without you knowing it.
2. Connection logs: records incoming and outgoing IP address, connection date and duration, amount of data transferred, VPN servers used. Mostly this data helps to optimize the VPN network and look into potential user issues such as torrenting and illegal activities etc, that do not adhere to terms of use of the ISP.
3. No logs: simply meaning that the VPN service does not keep any logs. A strict no-log policy is difficult to implement, while at the same time enforcing restrictions, such as device connections or bandwidth. When VPNs need to implement restrictions of bandwidth or the number of devices that each user can use on a single subscription, no logs become an important factor.
Most of the VPNs do require to keep some logs if they are enforcing any kind of limitations such as connection limits or bandwidth limits.
There are some VPN services that will falsely claim themselves to be no-logs VPN. They do not disclose the data that is collected in their privacy policy. Such security concerns call for you to determine a no-log VPN.
How to Determine a No-log VPN
There is no way to determine if the company has a no-log VPN or not. They are advertising they are no-logs, that is the only way we can trust them. it will be mentioned in their privacy policy also. Long term VPN providers have a reputation to keep on this as this is the first concern of regular customers.
Knowing that VPN providers maintain some logs for some or the other reason, it is difficult to trust any company. There are VPN companies that protect and encrypt your online activities and follow some good business practices to not log your data. Such VPN providers do not collect your information to sell to third parties for money.
A no-log VPN service is the one that keeps no records or no-logs that can identify the user. Even if there are logs, they are deleted immediately after the session ends.
How No-logging VPNs Protect Your Privacy
VPNs provide high-level privacy against all odds on the internet making sure that your browsing experience is not hampered. A no-log VPN that maintains its professionalism and promises to protect you against all troubles is the best one that you can ask for. Logs are a threat to your piracy; no-log VPN protects you exactly from this.
All VPN services function differently. Not all of them have a lossless network. The market for data selling is all set to grow, increasing risk on your data. There are a bunch of people eyeing your data. Companies see your browsing data to show the most relevant ads to you; government spies on your data to predict your behavior and control you better, and cybercriminals have notorious reasons to do so. It is important to take privacy seriously and get full control of it with a VPN such as the LimeVPN that has a strict no-log policy with a proven track record. The reputation of a no-log VPN is what keeps your faith in using it. So be safe by buying a no-log VPN from a trusted VPN provider and stay secure.
| <urn:uuid:cdf738c1-6aeb-40b8-9940-16fa9a17e589> | https://www.limevpn.com/data-privacy-act-is-long-dead-protect-your-privacy-from-isp/ | en | 0.936679 | 0.231765 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Norwegian coaster grounding off Bodo
Cargo ship NIDAROE ran aground near Saltstraumen Bridge, Klaplund side, Norway, south of Bodo, at around 1900 LT Aug 21. The ship was refloated with the assistance of SAR boat about an hour later, reached Bodo and was berthed, extent of damages, if any, unknown. Photos Foto: AN-tipser AN.NO
Self-discharging cargo ship NIDAROE, IMO 8702422, dwt 1720, built 1987, flag Norway, manager SEAWORKS AS (EQUASIS).
| <urn:uuid:298f0a67-73d2-4265-9264-2477379a3af5> | https://www.maritimebulletin.net/2019/08/22/norwegian-coaster-grounding-off-bodo/ | en | 0.902864 | 0.211146 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Those over-the-counter cold and flu medicines can cause a severe eye disease, doctors warn
Posted at 2:42 PM, Jan 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-08 14:42:29-05
Some Michigan doctors are warning people that over-the-counter cold medicines can cause a severe form of glaucoma.
Anticholinergic drugs, such as certain cold and flu medicines, can cause acute angle closure glaucoma .
This causes the pupils to dilate, trapping fluid between the iris and cornea.
This creates a lot of pain and pressure, which is often mistaken for migraines or sinus issues.
Some antibiotics and anti-depressants are also anticholinergics.
Although anticholinergics can cause negative side effects for anyone, it is most common for people older than 50 or those with a smaller gap between their iris and cornea to experience this type of glaucoma as a result of taking these medications.
Check the labels on the back of medicines and discuss specific medications with an eye care professional if you are concerned. | <urn:uuid:68c33616-ad92-4785-a09e-39cd99d00e66> | https://www.theindychannel.com/news/national/those-over-the-counter-cold-and-flu-medicines-can-cause-a-severe-eye-disease-doctors-warn | en | 0.903651 | 0.13944 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Can Acupuncture Treat Menstrual Pain?
It is common for women to feel run down during their menstrual cycles. Bouts of physical pain are often entangled in feelings of restlessness and sudden waves of fatigue, arriving like clockwork. Because they have been misinformed, many women simply accept this pain as part of their body’s natural processes.
You needn’t live through the distress; menstrual pain can be treated through acupuncture.
How it Works Can Acupuncture Treat Menstrual Pain?
Similar to how a heat pad helps soothe contractions in the uterus, acupuncture helps stimulate blood flow to this area. The improved passage of blood flow triggers the release of endorphins, which helps to minimize body discomfort, mood swings, and general irritability.
In terms of hormone regulation, acupuncture works similarly to oral contraceptives in that it relieves several pain symptoms while also balancing out the brain’s hormone regulator, all while utilizing the body’s own energy to restore itself to a naturally improved condition.
Who Benefits?
Acupuncture is an ideal therapy choice for female athletes in particular, who use acupuncture to get rid of cramps, which, if left untreated, can become quite debilitating on game day. Truly, though, women of all activity levels can benefit from this treatment if they find their symptoms are causing discomfort.
And if being a woman isn’t hard enough, we have yet to mention the slew of other symptoms they experience during menstruation; cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and breast sensitivity accompany period pain as well. Women who suffer from these symptoms every month should consider trying a few acupuncture sessions if they find their condition worsening.
When Should I Start?
Women who take birth control pills regularly over an extended period of time, and then decide to stop taking them, will find that as their menstrual cycles begin leveling out, their symptoms may strike, this time stronger.
Some women experience heightened anxiety, headaches, and insomnia after stopping birth control. This can greatly impact their quality of life. Acupuncture is a holistic practice that can offer these women a long-term solution, when treated consistently.
To determine whether acupuncture can help you with menstrual pain, contact WellStream Acupuncture to speak to our licensed acupuncturist, who will answer the questions you have about your current condition, or call 323.463.9355 today. | <urn:uuid:66e5acdf-4abf-4750-b2e6-a21017976a82> | https://www.wellstreamacupuncture.com/can-acupuncture-treat-menstrual-pain.html | en | 0.915294 | 0.127414 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Two Teens stabbed 12 students and teacher in bloody Columbine style attack
Teens who stabbed 12 students and teacher in bloody Columbine style attack abandoned suicide pact when cutting each other “hurt too much”
WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: Former pupils Lev Bidzhakov and Alexander Buslidze are the sons of rich local businessmen it has been revealed
Two teenagers who attempted a “Columbine style” massacre reneged on their suicide pact after school a stabbing frenzy because it hurt when they cut each other.
Knife wielding maniacs Lev Bidzhakov and Alexander Buslidze are the children of two rich businessmen it was revealed last night.
The pair attacked their own school in Russian city Perm, leaving heroic teacher Natalia Shagulina, 46, fighting for life, and a dozen students wounded.
The teacher fought to protect her class when the masked pair went on the rampage.
But one boy risks losing an eye after his face was slashed, according to local official sources.
Ms Shagulina, who suffered neck wounds and a massive blood loss in the school mayhem, came out of a coma today but remains in a “grave” condition.
The footage shows Lev Bidzhakov covered in blood being led away by police
Bidzhakov and Buslidze attacked twelve children and a teacher in their rampage
Surgeon Andrey Ronzin, said: “She is conscious again. She understands words, reacts to what you say, but she is still on life-support. She is too weak.”
A pupil told Mash online media of the terrifying ordeal, during which he was stabbed.
“Suddenly two senior students dressed in black rushed into the class, one of them went to the teacher and started stabbing her with a knife,” he said.
“The second, also with a knife, stood by the door and didn’t allow anyone to escape.
“We panicked, screamed ‘Help’ and moved towards a window.
“As soon as we tried to escape, the first pointed the knife at us.
Horrifying images from the scene showed blood on the floor, as reports emerge of students just ten years old being injured trying to protect their teacher
The cowardly pair abandoned their suicide pact because ‘it hurt too much’
“He started stabbing those who tried to escape.
“When he stabbed me with a knife, I backed off towards the window.
“Then the second one came came closer to me.
“I raised hands to surrender and he made a gesture to show he won’t stab me again.
“One of the boys, Sasha, ran towards the door and then he was stabbed with a knife.
Shocking images released today shows the moment 16 year old Bidzhakov – covered in blood – was detained and led away from the school.
One of the photos posted by Lev Bidzhakov on social media
Attacker Alexander Buslidze survived the attack – both are being held under armed guard in a nearby hospital
Horrifying images from the scene showed blood on the floor, after terrified children fled to a nearby shopping centre to escape their attackers.
Police have claimed that both of the suspects were “fans” of the Columbine Massacre, where two isolated teens killed 13 of their classmates and then themselves.
Moments earlier he and Buslidze, 15, had broken a pact to kill each other with their hunting knives – because it was “too painful” when they tried to cut each others veins.
A report citing law enforcement sources said the boys had “agreed that at the end of the attack they would stab each other.
“They did manage to knife each other once time but it was too painful so they stopped and did not kill each other as planned.”
Both are now in hospital under armed guard.
Reports say the two teenagers are from ‘wealthy’ local families with Bidzhakov’s father running several freight companies and Buslidze’s parents owning a prominent interior decoration business.
They are being investigated for the attempted murder of the teacher and pupils.
A selfie video also emerged of Bidzhakov allegedly smoking drugs.
A dozen children aged 10 and 11 were injured in the attack.
Nine needed hospital treatment, as did the teacher and the two suspects.
Doctor Igor Tyunyagin said: “Two children are in intensive care.
“One boy was stabbed in his neck, another – in his eye.
“Seven other injured children have cuts on various parts of their bodies.”
A mother claimed that after the attack children fled from the classroom to summon help but were ignored by the school authorities and security guards.
They had to rush to a nearby shopping centre to raise the alarm.
“It is shocking that the children who ran down to the ground floor had all their clothes in blood but adults who were there did not react and did not call police,” she said.
“Only people from the shopping centre called the emergency services.”
These chilling scenes come from videos taken by fleeing pupils | <urn:uuid:43e1be3a-a5e1-488e-8794-b114723cb43f> | http://killhell.com/?p=2395 | en | 0.979488 | 0.02124 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Monday, August 29, 2005
A Musical Meme
This is kind of fun. From Rox Populi it's a meme - take the top 100 songs from the year (you can find them at Music Outfitters) you graduated high school, and tell the crowd: good? bad? love it? hate it?
Like Roxanne, I'm an 81 graduate, so I'm saddled with the same bunch of crap she is. I'm going to mark it up with text though, rather than try to format... I will employ stars for quick reference * isgood, ** is great. *** is the best of the litter.
1. Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes - blah
2. Endless Love, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie - I have forgotten this, though te knowledge that it exists makes me tremble.
3. Lady, Kenny Rogers - oh god
*4. (Just Like) Starting Over, John Lennon - kind of lame John Lennon, but passable
5. Jessie's Girl, Rick Springfield - bland but harmless
*6. Celebration, Kool and The Gang - This isn't half bad - it can get irritating, but it's still pretty decent.
7. Kiss On My List, Daryl Hall and John Oates - ghastly
*8. I Love A Rainy Night, Eddie Rabbitt - perfectly acceptable pop
*9. 9 To 5, Dolly Parton - I like Dolly Parton
*10. Keep On Loving You, REO Speedwagon - I should hate this, but don't; I don't like it very much though.
11. Theme From "Greatest American Hero", Joey Scarbury - this keeps getting used in movies, but it sucks.
12. Morning Train (Nine To Five), Sheena Easton - blah
**13. Being With You, Smokey Robinson - Smokey can do no wrong
14. Queen Of Hearts, Juice Newton - lightly likable
**15. Rapture, Blondie - plenty cool...
16. A Woman Needs Love, Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio - this I have forgotten ocmpletely
*17. The Tide Is High, Blondie - this is okay, not great
18. Just The Two Of Us, Grover Washington Jr. - I kind of like this - Bill Withers singing, right?
19. Slow Hand, Pointer Sisters - okay
20. I Love You, Climax Blues Band - I have forgotten this
*21. Woman, John Lennon - more sappy John Lennon, but sappy John Lennon is so far above almost everything else on this list...
22. Sukiyaki, A Taste Of Honey - cute song, though pointless
23. The Winner Takes It All, Abba - I don't remember this one either
24. Medley, Stars On 45 - I should remember this, but I think I'm glad I don't
25. Angel Of The Morning, Juice Newton - 2 Juice Newton songs? sweet Jesus!
26. Love On The Rocks, Neil Diamond - I think I a glad to have forgotten tis
27. Every Woman In The World, Air Supply - before Creed, there was Air Supply - evil incarnate
28. The One That You Love, Air Supply - ditto
29. Guilty, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb - gone from the attic of my mind.
30. The Best Of Times, Styx - gone! old age has its benefits.
31. Elvira, Oak Ridge Boys - ugh.
32. Take It On The Run, REO Speedwagon - not great, but I can't hate it
33. No Gettin' Over Me, Ronnie Milsap - oy
34. Living Outside Myself, Gino Vannelli - I know this exists, but can't remember any of it, to my relief
35. Woman In Love, Barbra Streisand - if I remembered this I might have to kill myself
36. Boy From New York City, Manhattan Transfer - cute, pointless
37. Urgent, Foreigner - what a shitty band this was
38. Passion, Rod Stewart - dumb new wave/disco crap. Rod Rod Rod
39. Lady (You Bring Me Up), Commodores - I can't remember it; I probably would not hate it though.
40. Crying, Don Mclean - why bother? the original is fine.
41. Hearts, Marty Balin - bland, but it's not "we built this city"
42. It's My Turn, Diana Ross - no
43. You Make My Dreams, Daryl Hall and John Oates - they could be lame when they wanted to
44. I Don't Need You, Kenny Rogers - and we don't need you, Kenny
45. How 'Bout Us, Champaign - I think I like this, if I remember it right. Probably shouldn't admit that, if I want to keep any credibility - though I could be misremembering it.
46. Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pat Benatar - make it go away
**47. The Breakup Song, Greg Kihn Band - I love this song; there may be better songs on this list, but this is the one I still listen to and sing along with...
48. Time, Alan Parsons Project - not bad
*49. Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen - another fine song, if not the Boss's best
50. Sweetheart, Franke and The Knockouts - long forgotten
51. Someone's Knockin', Terri Gibbs - ditto
52. More Than I Can Say, Leo Sayer - ditto
53. Together, Tierra - good lord - someone's messing with me, I don’t remember this either.
54. Too Much Time On My Hands, Styx - oh, I remember this; Styx really sucked by the time the 80s came - I can't even muster any ironic appreciation of their crap
55. What Are We Doin' In Love, Dottie West - forgotten!
56. Who's Crying Now, Journey - lame, but not horrible
*57. De Do Do Do, De Da Da, Police - palatable
58. This Little Girl, Gary U.S. Bonds - I don't remember it, but I bet I liked it - I had a frien who had this record and loved it.
59. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, Stevie Nicks With Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - palatable, though not much more - now Weird Al'sversion...
60. Giving It Up For Your Love, Delbert McClinton - okay
61. A Little In Love, Cliff Richard - what?
62. America, Neil Diamond - I can stand this
63. Ain't Even Done With The Night, John Cougar - lousy as hell
64. Arthur's Theme, Christopher Cross - drive anyone to drink
*65. Another One Bites The Dust, Queen - hey - Queen is more than acceptable
**66. Games People Play, Alan Parsons Project - this is pretty good, actually - I have a soft spot for some of that clever AOR...
67. I Can't Stand It, Eric Clapton - Eric Clapton's solo career is Phil Collins without the songs. He was fine backing Jack Bruce or Steve Winwood, but after that...
**68. While You See A Chance, Steve Winwood - speak of the devil! not a bad song.
69. Master Blaster, Stevie Wonder - I wish I remembered this; I would if I heard it
70. Hello Again, Neil Diamond - yuck.
**71. Don't Stand So Close To Me, Police - better Police...
***72. Hey Nineteen, Steely Dan - another pretty great song; ah, decadence!
73. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It, Stevie Wonder - I wish I remembered this, too
74. All Those Years Ago, George Harrison - bland
75. Step By Step, Eddie Rabbitt - no no no
76. The Stroke, Billy Squier - stoopid, but harmless
77. Feels So Right, Alabama - nope
78. Sweet Baby, Stanley Clarke and George Duke - don't remember it at all
79. Same Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg - nor this
80. Cool Love, Pablo Cruise - nor this, even
81. Hold On Tight, ELO - nor this
82. It's Now Or Never, John Schneider - wait - is this the Duke's of Hazard guy?
83. Treat Me Right, Pat Benatar - go away!
*84. Winning, Santana - Now this I loved back in the day - still holds up okay, I think
85. What Kind Of Fool, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb - another one gone from my poor small mind
**86. Watching The Wheels, John Lennon - the best of the John Lennon’s here - in fact, a pretty god song.
87. Tell It Like It Is, Heart - a great song, but the Wilson sisters aren't the Neville Brothers
88. Smoky Mountain Rain, Ronnie Milsap - don’t remember it
89. I Made It Through The Rain, Barry Manilow - would not admit to remembering it if I did
90. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Daryl Hall and John Oates - pointless cover
91. Suddenly, Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard - whatever
92. For Your Eyes Only, Sheena Easton - lousy, really
93. The Beach Boys Medley, Beach Boys - probably schlock
**94. Whip It, Devo - where did this come from? When a problem comes along, you must whip it!
95. Modern Girl, Sheena Easton - no
96. Really Wanna Know You, Gary Wright - don't remember this either
97. Seven Year Ache, Rosanne Cash - oddly - nor this - a lot of the country of the day is lost forever
98. I'm Coming Out, Diana Ross - this is kind of stupid, actually
99. Miss Sun, Boz Scaggs - don’t remember it
100. Time Is Time, Andy Gibb - what?
Someone in the comments at Rox Populi said that if you do this for the year you were 13, it comes out a lot better. That's obviously the case for those of us who grew up in the 70s. 81 or 82 is about when pop music went to hell, and it's not my age - it's punk's fault. It split off all the good stuff into the margins, and the crap took over the mainstream. That's my theory. Same as movies.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Weekly Movie Update
Okay - here we are. Another week, another - only 3 films? Well - good ones, at least. Still working on a full 2046 review - it's coming. In the meanwhile - this isn't a bad selection.
Batman Begins - ** - better late than never, I guess... a competent, entertaining, well made film, another Batman origin story. Nothing special though, the Tim Burton Batmans and the TV series movie are still the gold standards.
The World - **** - Jia Zhang Ke is one of the best directors in the world. He has been charting China's evolution into the 21st century (and - in Platform - through the 80s as well), from below - petty crooks, disaffected youth, marginal workers - paying special attention to marginal entertainers. That’s what we have here - The World is set in an amusement park in Beijing, where we follow a handful of its workers - a dancer, a security guard, their friends - as they live. People come and go, work, party, steal, suffer, die. Spending their time in a place full of tiny replicas of the rest of the world - the Eiffel Tower, the World Trade Center (China's version are still standing, someone notes), the Taj Mahal - they are reminded daily who they are, what they have done. They have not traveled, most of them have no hope whatsoever of leaving the country - many of them haven't traveled around China - probably taking a train or bus straight from their home town in the sticks to Beijing, sleeping in basements and dangerous apartments while they work at dangerous jobs. Some turn to theft - some marry - some slip into prostitution - some leave the country (the ones with some money) - some die. Jia shows it all with his mostly impassive camera - long takes, complex articulated spaces, and the ubiquity of the park, with its miniature version of the world - interrupting this impassivity from tie to time with titles, and animations, usually inspired by cel phone text messages. It's another impressive entry in on of the strongest bodies of work of the past decade.
The 40 Year Old Virgin - *** - this is, actually, a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is extremely funny, very likable and generous to its characters, and full of nice little details that give it bite and depth; on the other hand, it stretches plausibility even by the standards of romantic comedies - and most seriously - it's the latest in the line of romantic comedies that are completely one sided - the man's side. It almost gets away with this by making Catherine Keener the female lead - but her presence just emphasizes the fact that she has very little to do. She's an object - she's never a subject. Now - in a movie like Broken Flowers or 2046, that might be understandable, if they did that. If they were about the man - and the women were seen only through his perspective. Those are films about the perceptions of the man. They are films, in a lot of ways, about our distance from other people - a distance the films rightfully illustrate in their style and POV. (Or - they could; in fact, 2046, especially, does a good deal more. But that's its own post, which is coming sooner or later.) But The 40 Year Old Virgin is a romantic comedy - and no, I'm not giving it a pass because it's "not trying to be a romantic comedy" - no: it is a romantic comedy. And it is a romantic comedy where only one side of the couple is given anything special to do.
There are no excuses. Films like this have an obligation to make the women in them have something at stake, as well as the men. That is the point of a romantic comedy - to present the lovers, apart at first, but overcoming obstacles to form a couple. And it is crucial, for a romantic comedy to work, that both lovers be made subjects - that both sides be given an inner life, reasons for the liaison, etc. Keener's character here, wonderful as Keener is, and interesting as her character seems to be, is not, ever, a subject. She is an object... I must also protest that she is never given the chance to be ridiculous. Everyone else is ridiculous: Jane Lynch gets to be ridiculous. Why not Keener? Damned shame....
This film is the latest in a moderately scary trend - The Wedding Crashers, Sideways - romantic comedies told almost completely from the male point of view, with flawed, if amusing, men, and women who - are presented as a kind of abstract grounding agent. It's probably not a new trend: it's probably dominant since the 40s. But these films make it noticeable, through their first rate revival of the form. But a revival that maintains, from 80s teen comedies and the like, the purely male-centered attitude. Of the three (Virgin, Crashers and Sideways), it is interesting that the one doing the best job of escaping this is Wedding Crashers - the one generally considered the least evolved. But the fact is - both the female leads in the film are given personalities - desires, wills of their own. They may be secondary, but they are independent. (Another recent comedy that does this well is Anchorman - Christina Applegate is both the sensible, grounding character - and a willful, obsessive, comic character herself - with a life, desires, will, etc.) Sideways flirts with this, but isn't as convincing as it thinks - and Virgin makes no effort. To its shame, and thus costing what otherwise might have been the best Hollywood film of the year.
Wars and Who Fights Them
I am not a big fan of the "chickenhawk" insult. It's over-simplistic - it implies that all wars are created equal; that everyone who fights or doesn't fight does it for the same reasons; it opens you up, a bit, to claims that you are saying that only soldiers should make foreign policy decisions (expressed in this Rich Lowry article on National Review Online). If the "chickenhawks" themselves weren't already committed to the far more offensive idea that opposition to the war = treason, they could turn it back around: "if you want to oppose the war, shouldn't you be out there making love not war?" Both are good sentiments, I admit - if you support the war you should do something meaningful about it - if you are against the war, you should do something meaningful about it - but what is meaningful depends a bit on who you are.
But even though I am uncomfortable with it in general, there are quite a few cases where it seems perfectly legitimate. James Wolcott expresses this position very well here:
For me, the working definition of a chickenhawk is--a chickenhawk is a cheerleader. A cheerleader for war. And not necessarily just the war in Iraq, or regional war in the Mideast, but war in general. A chickenhawk glorifies war as an enterprise, enjoying the heroics inside his or her head, mocking those less enthusiastic military aggression as pacifists, appeasers (Michael Ledeen's pet word), even traitors. Who patronize anyone with qualms, from the Quakers to the Chuck Hagel, with edgy impatience and disdain. Who treat the destruction of human life as a stupendous flourish as long as it's the US doing the destroying--who, that is, propose "creative destruction" on a geopolitical scale as an instrument of transformation. Not to mention an opportunity to teach those desert folks in sandals a lesson upside the head.
That is close to how I feel. People who mock opponents to the war - people who dismiss the ideas of actual soldiers - people who attack Cindy Sheehan and her supporters - who glorify a war they have no intention of taking part in (despite being of the proper age) - those are chickenhawks. The college kids who rave about how this war is the Great Issue of the Age, then whine that they have every right to hold political opinions without consequences (to themselves) - those are chickenhawks. And - the Vietnam generation - the Dick Cheneys and Tom DeLays and so on, who skipped the war, but feel free to attack veterans, to agitate for new wars that their kids won't have to fight in - they are chickenhawks, and deserve no sympathy.
There is another point here that should be made: in real wars, people serve. People signed up to fight in WWI, in WWII, even if they weren't required. The country, as a whole, supported the draft in those wars - and a draft that was not as patently unfair as it was during Vietnam. You do not hear the supporters of the Iraq war calling for a draft (unless they can find a way to blame it on a democrat). You do not see many of them volunteering, because they think it is the right thing to do - and, despite what Ben Shapiro thinks - it's the right thing to do, if you believe this war is necessary, and you are of a certain age. In fact - another sign of the chickenhawk is their attitude toward people like John Kerry who did just that - signed up for a war they could have ducked. They don't consider military service worthy of praise or respect. They may glorify the military in the abstract, but the left treats actual veterans and the families of veterans with more respect than the right does.
Meanwhile - at Pandagon, Amanda Marcotte writes about John Fogerty and class issues - which again, points up the difference between this war and others. The fortunate sons fought in WWI and WWII - they did not fight so much in Vietnam - and now, they seem to take it for granted that they are not supposed to fight. That's what we have poor people for. The exceptions (poor Pat Tillman) prove the rule, a bit. You just don't hear much about pro-war types joining the army to put their money where their mouths are. Does every single warblogger have to join the marines? No, probably not - but you'd think you'd hear of a few more trying it...
Friday, August 26, 2005
Another Friday Commute
Got a bunch of them in today. I think I like this format better than the traditional Friday Random Ten. Maybe because it reflects the actual daily use of the machine. Anyway - into the void! (what did I do to get 2 Sabbath songs in there? acoustic folk, from the same record even! freaky!)
1. U2 - Trying to throw Your Arms Around the World -
2. Bob Dylan - Love Minus Zero/No Limit
3. Devendra Banhardt - Horseheadedfleshwizard
4. Black Sabbath - Orchid
5. REM - Second Guessing
6. Velvet Underground and Nico - Venus in Furs
7. Charlie Parker - Flat Foot Floogie
8. Shonen Knife - Banana Leaf
9. Bill Frisell - Billy the Kid: Mexican Dance and Finale
10. Black Sabbath - Into the Void
11. Red Crayola - Coconut Hotel
12. Sant 6 - Are you Human?
13. Meat Puppets - Crazy
14. Sleater-Kinney - End of You
15. Sunburned Hand of the Man - Easy Wind
16. The Carter Family - My Native Home
17. Can - Spray
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Glad to be a Liberal
It's been a while since I've put up a political post, so let's try one. Lots of lovely right wing scumbags to comment on.
First, there's one of our scummier mullahs, Pat Robertso, calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez.
... then denying he did it.
... then weaseling about it. "Oh, I was 'adlibbing' - oh, I didn't mean it!"
Meanwhile, the American Legion disgraced itself: calling "an end to all “public protests” and “media events” against the war" -
Not a pretty picture.
Then there's Eugene Volokh, who's supposed to be a lawyer and a wise man (for a conservative) - writing at length about
Gays and Lesbians Trying to Convert Others to Homosexual Behavior. The gist of which seems to be, gay people don't mind if bisexuals or straights are willing to sleep with them. But with charts, so it's gotta be serious. Right?
Actually, it's worse than that: apparently, he's put up a whole series of posts about homosexuality. I think Arthur Silber answered best.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
A Loss
This is very sad - George Fasel, who ran a movie blog called A Girl and a Gun, has died. Despite being a hopeless movie geek, I've only really started looking for movie blogs in the last 2-3 months - this was one Lance Mannion recommended - it quickly jumped to the top of my list of blogs to read. For some reason, when people I don't know, but have started to know, die, I take it hard - I miss not getting to know people like Mr. Fasel better.
In his honor, I will list some of the better movie blogs I've come across - they are going on the "blogroll" too. (This blog is slowly starting to round into something coherent, too - after 2 years of playing...)
These are all good:
• Filmbrain
• Girl and a Gun
• Culturespace
• Girish Shambu
• Long Pauses
• Cinephiliac
• Film Journey
• Pullquote
• Motion Picture it's Called
• Self styled Siren
• Monday, August 22, 2005
Randomized Entertainment
Sure, not all of these are strictly random - but... Like most people, I can lose hours on sites like these:
Overheard in New York
Overheard in Philly
Overheard in the Office
...And so on. I imagine everyone has one of those...
Live Journal Pictures - that really is wonderful. The cut up world.
And intentional collaborative/collective efforts: like Learning to Love You More.
Not to mention flipping through blogs...
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Weekly Movie Post
This time, there are only three entries, and 2 of them repeats - I ended up watching Love Me Tonight a couple more times, and saw 2046 again. That only leaves one new film, which may be the only film covered in this post. The other two I think will require some more detail, especially 2046 (since it is new, and, now that I've seen it in a proper setting, I think it might be one of the best films of the decade.)
Junebug *** - a fine movie about the South, about a Chicago based English gallery owner who marries a man from North Carolina, and visits his family in the process of recruiting an "outsider artist"... It then turns into a kind of city folk in the sticks culture clash film, but without the usual cliches. It's a good film - fascinating, accurate, sympathetic, to everyone - it is interesting about art, especially outsider art (which it links, subtly, to broader habits, of making things, of taking pride in making things - woodworking, cooking, sewing, etc.) - on outsider art, it gets both the ugliness and passion of people like the artist here, with his psychotic civil war. Structurally, it does some notable things as well - the way Alessandro Nivola almost completely disappears when he goes home, turning into his father and brother, silent, mysterious, only emerging in a couple scenes - singing in church, the aftermath of the main plot event in the film... It's right - the way he changes when he's home - keeping his counsel, not wanting to reject them, but not part of them anymore either...
Stylistically, it's a well made indie type film with more than the usual ration of explicit Ozu references. I do mean explicit - credits on burlap, use of transition shots (within scenes even), the little tour Morrison gives of the house - as well as the broader influence of the story, the family dynamics, etc. It's not slavish imitation, and avoids the more obvious (and jolting) elements of Ozu's style - the frontal compositions, 180 degree cuts, the graphic matches and so on (which directors like Wes Anderson have adopted wholesale) - and some of the semantic elements (kids, marriages - though this is about marriage and leaving home, just seen from after the fact instead of before). But it's a clear homage, which Morrison has acknowledged.
EVIL Rears its UGLY Head, 2!
It's the 2005 edition of the Top Ten Most Ridiculous Black Metal Pics! Ooh, it's scary, especially the nudity...
Friday, August 19, 2005
Where I'll be Sometime Next Year
There is no ambiguity here, is there? All you need to know - it's a movie called Snakes on a Plane, and it stars Samuel L. Jackson.
Now - if they end up calling it Pacific Air Flight 121 - fuck that shit!
Snakes on a Plane.
(Via Majikthise.)
iRidin' the iRails Again
Or, this week's Friday Random Ten (13)....
1) At the Drive In - One Armed Scissors
2) Sunny Day Real Estate - In circles (live)
3) Fugazi - Blueprint
4) John Lennon - TheLuck of the Irish (live)
5) Feelies - Moscow Nights
6) Johnny Cash - The Old Account was Settled (live at San Quentin)
7) Modest Mouse - Truckers Atlas
8) Linda Ronstadt - Love is a Rose
9) fIREHOSE - Lost Colors
10) Rocket From the Tombs - Final Solution
11) Charlie Freak - Monotony (this is what shuffle is good for; a friend of mine knows a couple of the guys in this band; they're decent, kind of nu-metalish, though not unbearably so... not something I'm likely to pick on purpose, but nice to hear...)
12) Tom Waits - The Black Rider
13) Husker Du - Hanging On (live) - does this come up as often as it seems? Or have I just put this into every playlist I have? It's very cool, though; this is a great version; one of those great little 20 second Bob Mould guitar solos that packs a minute and a half of information in...
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Useless Blogtrivia
I should know better, but I was bored, so I got to clicking on the "next blog" button up in the corner - and find that blogger has been almost completely taken over by blog-spammers. Something like 7 of the first 10 sites to come up were ad sites... I guess they aren't really spammers, unless they're comment spamming, but that's where I first noticed it, not here - I don't even get comment spam.... Anyway. Pretty bad. Takes away most of the temptation to blogsurf, not that that temptation comes up too often.
Stranger Than Fiction
Here's a story, about "strangelets" - I quote:
Formed in the Big Bang and inside extremely dense stars, strangelets are thought to be made from quarks - the subatomic particles found inside protons and neutrons. Unlike ordinary matter, however, they also contain "strange quarks", particles normally only seen in high-energy accelerators.
Strangelets - sometimes also called strange-quark nuggets - are predicted to have many unusual properties, including a density about ten million million times greater than lead. Just a single pollen-size fragment is believed to weigh several tons.
Very interesting stuff. (Link via Ezra Klein.)
Monday, August 15, 2005
Movies Recapped
I think this feature is starting to evolve: more than a list, though still not quite real reviews - something between. The weather has had a definite effect on this post - the rotten heat all last week kept me from doing much of anything, not even making the terrible effort to switch from cable to the DVD player.... And then yesterday, thunder and lightning knocked out internet access for most of the evening. But that takes away any excuse for not writing up blurbs - so...
One more thing: I am putting stars on these things for convenience, for shorthand, for comparison - but I hate the 0-4 rankings people like Ebert use. That's too narrow a range. I'd rather ignore all the bottom end and stretch the top end. You know - like GPA! 2.0 is passing! (So's 1.0, in some contexts - outside your major, in most places, I think.) So - ** is a passing grade: that's a film worth seeing, without a lot of reservations - though not great. *** is very good, if not great; **** is reserved for the best.... (we've also got ***** for all time greats, one of which turns up in this post!)
So then: last week's movies:
Grizzly Man *** - the story of Timothy Treadwell, a failed actor turned grizzly bear enthusiast who got himself and his girlfriend eaten in 2003 - he had shot video footage in the Alaskan wilderness for five years, and it fell to Werner Herzog to make a film out of this footage. That is a wise choice. Herzog, in his documentaries, often seems to play the voice of reason, a role he may not play as director of fiction - he is able to examine Treadwell, what he did wrong, what he did right what he was like - to show Treadwell's personality, his beliefs, as well as Herzog's own ideas. Both men tend to project their desires onto nature - Treadwell idealizing bears and animals and the wilderness, to the point of incomprehension when he finds evidence of nature's cruelty; but Herzog's response, that nature is all cruelty, murder, chaos, is equally distorting. Just the fact that Treadwell spent 13 summers living very close to grizzly bears (and was eaten when he changed his routine) tells you something - as does his footage, showing himself living very well with bears, foxes - and foxes with bears as well - shows that nature contains both, harmony and mayhem....
It's that kind of film - it tempts you to philosophize about what it means - the film, Treadwell's life, his death, Herzog's career... I will leave instead with the note about plot: this film exists, in any form, because of Treadwell's death. It's the "grandma on the swing" rule from funniest home videos - granny on the swing is just cute video - but granny falls off the swing, it becomes a story. Which, itself, is a pure example of the Formalist rule about "making strange" - the strange, resisting element - the death of Treadwell (or a junkie rock star, coming up in Last Days) - catches our attention - and draws our attention to the rest of the material, to the everyday. Gus Van Sant has made three films in a row that exploit this device - the presence of death makes them into stories, but in doing so, gives the mundane, everydayness of the rest of the films weight. The strange element makes everything strange - makes you notice. Now, Treadwell's footage is gripping enough (I mean, he was petting wild grizzly bears, the idiot!), but his death allowed this film to be made - turned nature video into a meditation on the human soul. Really.
The Aristocrats - **1/2 - Documentary about a joke. The joke goes - a man walks into a talent agency and says, I got a great act for you; the talent agent says, what's the act? The man describes it - a string of obscenity and filth - the agent is shocked - my god, he says, what do you call that act? The aristocrats! The kick is the middle part - describing the act. How bad can you get? The film shows a swarm of comics telling the joke, talking about the joke, or other jokes, or just jokes... it's hilarious at times - it also tends to drag at times. Comedy depends on surprise, and to get a surprise out of this old a joke takes a sure touch. The best versions do that - surprise you, or succeed in the details of the scatology (George Carlin's bits about corn, and peanuts, say, make his version of the joke). The worst just list off atrocities and say fuck and suck a lot.
Last Days - **** - Gus Van Sant follows a junkie rock star around his big crumbling manse. Not much happens - there's a quartet of twits hanging around, misbehaving and annoying the star... Mormons come by, a yellow pages representative, Kim Gordon, Ricky Jay in a great turn as a talkative PI.... That's about all. As with Elephant, the knowledge of how it will end focuses your attention on what is happening - which is mostly banal, but given great gravity, because it is Life, and we know that what is coming is Death - and everything suddenly becomes precious. Macaroni and cheese, sour milk, feedback all play their roles. Another marvelous film.
Love Me Tonight - ***** - Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, music by Rogers and Hart. This is very close to the perfect musical - the perfect fairy-tale musical anyway (though it's also anticipating many of the devices of the "folk tale" musical [blame Rick Altman] - making music out of everyday sounds, singing out of talking, dancing out of walking, passalong songs, and so on). MC is a tailor who tries to collect from a deadbeat Vicomte, who passes him off as a baron, to buy time... while MC woos MacDonald, a widowed princess... Class contends with charm, and everything works out in the end - she gets her Prince Charming, who wasn't a prince, but he was charming... A beautiful and completely delightful movie.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Commuting with iTunes
Another Friday Random 10, though this time, it's 14, because this is, instead of the first 10 songs to pop up on the iPod, all the songs that came up on the iPod while I was en route to and from work. Thus:
1) James Carter and the Prisoers - Po Lazarus
2) Dr.Nerve - It's a Tincture (all 11 seconds of it)
3) DNA - Lying on the Sofa of Life
4) The Beatles - Honey Pie
5) Robert Johnson - Stones in my Passway
6) Wipers - Soul's Tongue
7) Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Motherfucker=Redeemer
8) The Clash - Train in Vain (Stand By Me)
9) Minutemen- Political Sog for Michael Jackson to Sig
10) Black Sabbath - Children of the Grave
11) Louvin Brothers - Just Rehearsing
12) The Kinks - (Don't) Forget to Dance
13) Come - Bell
14) Sleater-Kinney - Angry Inch
A nice run. I like the mix of traditional and avant-garde there at the beginning, moving through rather odd Beatles to the epic stylings of Godspeed... with a punk heavy second half, nicely flavored with the Louvin Brothers and some quietish Kinks. A nice mix.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Filmic Round-Up
Only four this week - odd. Watched The Son twice, though - that makes a difference...
Elevator to the Gallows - *** - Jeanne Moreau wandering Paris at night looking for her lover - who's trapped in an elevator... They'd schemed to kill her husband - it worked like a charm - except he left something behind - and when he went back... everything went wrong. Sleek and tense and ironic, with its doubled pair of protagonists (2 kids steal his car and pretend to be the lover ad his wife) getting each other in trouble... And Moreau is just very cool, looking like Bridget Lin in Chungking Express (I don't know if the resemblance is intentional, but it could be.)
Broken Flowers - ***1/2 - Jim Jarmusch directs Bill Murray as an "aging don Juan" (named Don Johnston) who gets a letter from an anonymous old flame warning him that he has a son. His neighbor urges him to find the woman - so he sets off across the country looking for which of the 4 possible lovers sent the letter. Murray plays it in complete deadpan mode, but he makes everything, every twitch, every movement of the eye, every angle count. It's quiet and sad, but very well done...
The Son - **** - The Dardennes brothers have won 2 top prizes at Cannes in 6 years, for Rosetta and L'Enfant - they probably could have won for this as well. Tells the story of a carpentry instructor who takes on a new apprentice - who clearly causes him great stress. Slowly, we learn why... it is about revenge and forgiveness and transference, and probably most of all, about work as redemption, about practicing a trade as a religious act. It is also, in a strange way, a kind of musical - the sounds of carpentry, the band of hammers and whine of saws - the synchronized movement of people working, apart and together, becomes music, and becomes a dance. Certainly the camera dances with the actors - the star, Olivier Gourmet, describes the process as a kind of ballet, during an interview included on the DVD. It is a great film indeed.
East of Borneo - **1/2 - more bad films - but this is a different order of bad film. The source material for Joseph Cornell's surrealist found footage Rose Hobart - the original is no slouch on the weirdness front. Rose plays a woman looking for her husband in the wilds of Borneo - she finds him living with a decadent Prince far up in the jungles - melodrama rears its ugly head for a scene or two, the the crocodiles swarm and volcanos erupt.... Not quite as brilliant as Guy Maddin's review would lead you to believe, but a keeper anyway, with it's off synch editing, stock footage of beasts, bad acting, decadence, symbolism, and the like.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Another Friday Random Ten
Hee we are, then - first 10 songs to come up on the iPod.... annotated, even. I don't know if this will be a lasting innovation....
I've got my replacement for my (broken) big iPod - I can't say it shows, exactly, since nothing really obscure came up - actually, I had most of the obscure stuff (White Heaven, say) on the emergency iPod - if Sweet or Glenn Gould or Heart had come up, that's probably more due to getting all my music back... Anyway, here goes!
1) Pixies - Gouge Away
2) Pretenders - Tattooed Love Boys - if I were doing coolness audits, this gets a 10 - one of the first punk songs to make me sit up and notice - and one of the great guitar solos....
3) Sly & The Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly and company always rank high on the coolness scale. On any scale.
4) The Blank Theory - Sour Times - I don't know anything about this - comes from some compilation. Sounds okay, but I can't say anything else about it.
5) X-Ray Spex - Art-I-Ficial - first rate, this.
6) White Heaven - My Cold Dimention - Michio Kurihara and the boys swipe the riff to War Pigs, Kuri does some wanking... decent stuff, but there's better. The more Kurihara in a song, the better it is, and this is kind of short and conventional.
7) The Band - the Night they Drove OldDixie Down - a classic.
8) Red Crayola - Former Reflections Enduring Doubt - I'll take it, though I tnd to like Red Crayola's albums better than their songs in isolation - the flow of songs, sounds, etc., tends to work better than the songs by themselves. But this is pretty cool.
9) Cream - Swlabr - Cream is palatable. As long as Clapton knows his job is to play guitar he's fairly safe.
10) Wire - Men 2nd - Wire is always welcome. | <urn:uuid:cc47da6c-851c-490d-b47a-b6a624a26b6c> | http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2005/08/ | en | 0.94156 | 0.018621 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
on the water and more water
In the evening it turnes out that I'm not alone in the roome but share it with a guy.
He doesn't speak at all and we try to avoid eachother as much as possible. Only smile when we're occasionally forced to meet.
I wake up a couple of times in the night and sunshine is visible through the curtain. What a waste.
Breakfast in the bakery. Force the lady there to speak Icelandic.
I drop my big luggage off to the boat and proceed to the travel agency. The guy from my room is already there. Seems like we're going together to Vigur island. He's French. Fluent in French apparently. No other languages whatsoever. That explains the not speaking part. And makes communication with him a bit complicated because neither me nor the travel agency staff speaks French.
We'll be in a group of three. Me, the French guy and the guide. Guide's name could be Gunnar but could also be something else. I don't register any introduction. He's probably fluent in Icelandic and English but prefers not to speak either.
First we zigzag past some fjords to reach the starting point. Kayaks into water and off we go. Water is very clear with stones and Icelandic version of corals clearly visible. Bit more wind once we're out of the fjord but even I'm not scared. Sun reflects from the water, birds fly around and a seal sticks it's head out between two waves.
On Vigur there are a few houses, children on the beach and birds all over the place. We can use a friendly balcony for picnic and sunshine. It's getting really hot in the wet suit. Time seems to stand still. I could sit here for hours. Except for the suit.
Pretty soon we have to get back into the kayaks so that we wouldn't get stuck on the island and I wouldn't miss the boat. It's picking up wind. But we still have time to linger around in the fjord and admire the surroundings. Gunnar gets more talkative. He really seems to enjoy his job.
After soup and ice cream in Ísafjörður I walk to the boat. The rest of the gang are already there. Everyone has some agenda or special interest for gong to such an obscure place.
Mountains glow in the low sunlight as we sail out of Ísafjörður. It's windy before Hornstrandir and then calm again. A ghost is steering the boat. Have to get used to living in a cramped area which moves to unexpected directions.
towards North
first day on the sea
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The Breeze and I Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey and The Breeze
You' d be so nice by the fire. As the breeze blew up, he sang a lullaby. You' d be anything my heart could desire. It' all from me, O' Connell Helen, who recognizes the excitement of the Jimmy Dorsey era. Jimmy Dorsey sang My Sister And I Lyrics Song:
a rhythm that still makes you dance.
The history of the Swings, In the thirties, after decades of the predominance of traditional New Orleans jazz and after the depression of 33, there was a desire for new air. In Cansas City, a great conductor, Count Basie, with the attitude of talented young musicians, created a musical phenomenon that had its golden decade in the 1940s.
This phenomenon was called singing eras. Shortly afterwards in New York a certain Duke Ellington and other composers like Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman and Artie Shaw contributed to the success of swimming, brought big orchestras together and pushed themselves more and more into the cultivated music (European matrix).
The spread of the swing music is also due to the radios that broadcast these songs day and night, as much as I can, in all states and during the Second World War throughout Europe. During these years singing music was widespread thanks to another medium that quickly penetrated many rooms, with many films that finally had the sound: film.
Big movie productions had their own soundtracks dedicated to this musical genre, and many movies even featured swings distributors and dancers from all over the country. The first feature films with a musical theme were born. Among the best known are Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger, tireless partners who seemed to float in the air dancing classic swings.
It must have been because the swings were danceable, catchy, romantic and, during the war years, aroused the desire for light-heartedness, which soon spread overseas and even to Italy, where the war had already experienced its spring in its very own form, with Italian words, before the war. The Italian swings were born, a form that continued after the war after the arrival of the Americans.
Today the swings, like many other fashions, experience their second youth and the swings, music and dances again fill the dance halls and improvised spaces to satisfy the fans. A music that, despite everything, goes well with her eighty years.
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I am making an embedded system for a project that uses AES.
As I cannot accommodate key generation (hardware constraints) I am using a static key. I can use another small algorithm to create dynamism and then pass it to the static AES.
I'm concerned about using a static key, is it safe?
• $\begingroup$ You should write more about your small algorithm; what is the randomness source. and also, are there any hash algorithm around. $\endgroup$ – kelalaka Jan 4 '19 at 9:24
• $\begingroup$ Have you looked on LED cipher? It is AES-like , they use one key with round constants. It might help you $\endgroup$ – hardyrama Jan 4 '19 at 9:40
• $\begingroup$ if you don’t use AES, you’ll have a lot more transistors for better security options. a feistel network cipher will serve you well $\endgroup$ – b degnan Jan 4 '19 at 13:11
• $\begingroup$ Have a look into whitebox crypto: github.com/ph4r05/Whitebox-crypto-AES $\endgroup$ – Patrick Favre Jan 6 '19 at 20:31
AES - the block cipher - can be used to process a large amount of data. In that sense it is possible to keep a single static key. How much data is specified in this answer by Thomas on the Security.SE site: around $2^{64}$ blocks of data or 250 millions of terabytes.
Generally would want to keep to $2^{32}$ blocks of random data though ("only" 64 GiB of data) to make sure that the chance of collision remains low. How much you can actually encrypt depends in the end on the mode of operation used. For CTR mode you can for instance encrypt 64 GiB with a random 96 bit nonce $2^{32}$ times with a ~ $1 \over 2^{64}$ chance of collision as the input of the block cipher isn't random.
If the use of AES with a static key is secure therefore depends not on the block cipher but how the block cipher is used: in other words, the protocol or protocols in which it is used. It may be insecure because the mode of operation introduces constraints that are voided by your protocol. It may not be secure because replay attacks are possible, oracles exist, the combination of cipher mode and MAC mode are vulnerable to attack, the list goes on...
AES does certainly leak information if the same input block is fed into it twice. If that's an issue depends - again - on the protocol. Your small algorithm could possibly be used to generate nonces so that the input to the AES cipher is always unique.
That using such a scheme can be relatively secure is shown by memory cards such as DESFire (which, funny enough, may also use AES). These cards are generally provided with one or more symmetric keys that are static during the lifetime of the product. Of course all the devices use derived keys that are tied to some unique identity of the card, otherwise extraction of one key would be enough to destroy the functionality of all of the cards.
Still, if the master key (from which the device keys are derived) is lost from which the other keys have been derived such schemes are certain to run into some form of trouble or another. It is very tricky to perform key management on static keys, and such schemes are fraught with danger. This is why asymmetric keys are commonly used with a PKI scheme to ensure validity. For such schemes the controlling device doesn't need to hold a master key.
Sometimes devices are also provided with multiple keys (for multiple master keys) in advance. That way the device may still be used with a new master key if one becomes compromised. Needless to say, invalidating a master key on the devices and moving to the next one is tricky at best (if you can detect compromise in the first place), but you could possibly provide key rollover for your protocol.
Needless to say, using a static key makes it very vulnerable against side channel attacks on the implementation. Compare this for instance with a secure channel which needs to be reestablished using fresh session keys any time the MAC authentication tag is invalid. Those keys are probably invalidated before you can find out anything interesting about them.
| improve this answer | |
• $\begingroup$ Comments about the maximum number of calls to the AES block cipher have been moved to chat. $\endgroup$ – Maarten Bodewes Jan 7 '19 at 17:38
1. You can fix a public key to AES and use it as a random permutation. Now based on a random permutation, you can construct an ideal cipher out of it (you might need more than one call to the random permutation). There might be efficiency loss, but it works and no AES-key scheduling is needed.
2. Note that AES key scheduling is very similar to one round of AES encryption. See https://eprint.iacr.org/2015/751.pdf page 10.
| improve this answer | |
• $\begingroup$ Could you possibly explain a bit more about your solutions? As it stands, your ideas are not that clear, at least not to me. What do you mean with "fix" a public key to AES? Could you create a more formal description? Are you suggesting replacing the key schedule of AES? With what? How does it make it more efficient compared to deriving a key, for instance? $\endgroup$ – Maarten Bodewes Jan 7 '19 at 17:43
Your Answer
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RT-mutex implementation design
Copyright (c) 2006 Steven Rostedt
Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
This document tries to describe the design of the rtmutex.c implementation. It doesn’t describe the reasons why rtmutex.c exists. For that please see Documentation/locking/rt-mutex.rst. Although this document does explain problems that happen without this code, but that is in the concept to understand what the code actually is doing.
The goal of this document is to help others understand the priority inheritance (PI) algorithm that is used, as well as reasons for the decisions that were made to implement PI in the manner that was done.
Unbounded Priority Inversion
Priority inversion is when a lower priority process executes while a higher priority process wants to run. This happens for several reasons, and most of the time it can’t be helped. Anytime a high priority process wants to use a resource that a lower priority process has (a mutex for example), the high priority process must wait until the lower priority process is done with the resource. This is a priority inversion. What we want to prevent is something called unbounded priority inversion. That is when the high priority process is prevented from running by a lower priority process for an undetermined amount of time.
The classic example of unbounded priority inversion is where you have three processes, let’s call them processes A, B, and C, where A is the highest priority process, C is the lowest, and B is in between. A tries to grab a lock that C owns and must wait and lets C run to release the lock. But in the meantime, B executes, and since B is of a higher priority than C, it preempts C, but by doing so, it is in fact preempting A which is a higher priority process. Now there’s no way of knowing how long A will be sleeping waiting for C to release the lock, because for all we know, B is a CPU hog and will never give C a chance to release the lock. This is called unbounded priority inversion.
Here’s a little ASCII art to show the problem:
grab lock L1 (owned by C)
A ---+
C preempted by B
C +----+
B +-------->
B now keeps A from running.
Priority Inheritance (PI)
There are several ways to solve this issue, but other ways are out of scope for this document. Here we only discuss PI.
PI is where a process inherits the priority of another process if the other process blocks on a lock owned by the current process. To make this easier to understand, let’s use the previous example, with processes A, B, and C again.
This time, when A blocks on the lock owned by C, C would inherit the priority of A. So now if B becomes runnable, it would not preempt C, since C now has the high priority of A. As soon as C releases the lock, it loses its inherited priority, and A then can continue with the resource that C had.
Here I explain some terminology that is used in this document to help describe the design that is used to implement PI.
PI chain
• The PI chain is an ordered series of locks and processes that cause processes to inherit priorities from a previous process that is blocked on one of its locks. This is described in more detail later in this document.
• In this document, to differentiate from locks that implement PI and spin locks that are used in the PI code, from now on the PI locks will be called a mutex.
• In this document from now on, I will use the term lock when referring to spin locks that are used to protect parts of the PI algorithm. These locks disable preemption for UP (when CONFIG_PREEMPT is enabled) and on SMP prevents multiple CPUs from entering critical sections simultaneously.
spin lock
• Same as lock above.
• A waiter is a struct that is stored on the stack of a blocked process. Since the scope of the waiter is within the code for a process being blocked on the mutex, it is fine to allocate the waiter on the process’s stack (local variable). This structure holds a pointer to the task, as well as the mutex that the task is blocked on. It also has rbtree node structures to place the task in the waiters rbtree of a mutex as well as the pi_waiters rbtree of a mutex owner task (described below).
waiter is sometimes used in reference to the task that is waiting on a mutex. This is the same as waiter->task.
• A list of processes that are blocked on a mutex.
top waiter
• The highest priority process waiting on a specific mutex.
top pi waiter
• The highest priority process waiting on one of the mutexes that a specific process owns.
task and process are used interchangeably in this document, mostly to differentiate between two processes that are being described together.
PI chain
The PI chain is a list of processes and mutexes that may cause priority inheritance to take place. Multiple chains may converge, but a chain would never diverge, since a process can’t be blocked on more than one mutex at a time.
Process: A, B, C, D, E
Mutexes: L1, L2, L3, L4
A owns: L1
B blocked on L1
B owns L2
C blocked on L2
C owns L3
D blocked on L3
D owns L4
E blocked on L4
The chain would be:
To show where two chains merge, we could add another process F and another mutex L5 where B owns L5 and F is blocked on mutex L5.
The chain for F would be:
Since a process may own more than one mutex, but never be blocked on more than one, the chains merge.
Here we show both chains:
For PI to work, the processes at the right end of these chains (or we may also call it the Top of the chain) must be equal to or higher in priority than the processes to the left or below in the chain.
Also since a mutex may have more than one process blocked on it, we can have multiple chains merge at mutexes. If we add another process G that is blocked on mutex L2:
And once again, to show how this can grow I will show the merging chains again:
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If process G has the highest priority in the chain, then all the tasks up the chain (A and B in this example), must have their priorities increased to that of G.
Mutex Waiters Tree
Every mutex keeps track of all the waiters that are blocked on itself. The mutex has a rbtree to store these waiters by priority. This tree is protected by a spin lock that is located in the struct of the mutex. This lock is called wait_lock.
Task PI Tree
To keep track of the PI chains, each process has its own PI rbtree. This is a tree of all top waiters of the mutexes that are owned by the process. Note that this tree only holds the top waiters and not all waiters that are blocked on mutexes owned by the process.
The top of the task’s PI tree is always the highest priority task that is waiting on a mutex that is owned by the task. So if the task has inherited a priority, it will always be the priority of the task that is at the top of this tree.
This tree is stored in the task structure of a process as a rbtree called pi_waiters. It is protected by a spin lock also in the task structure, called pi_lock. This lock may also be taken in interrupt context, so when locking the pi_lock, interrupts must be disabled.
Depth of the PI Chain
The maximum depth of the PI chain is not dynamic, and could actually be defined. But is very complex to figure it out, since it depends on all the nesting of mutexes. Let’s look at the example where we have 3 mutexes, L1, L2, and L3, and four separate functions func1, func2, func3 and func4. The following shows a locking order of L1->L2->L3, but may not actually be directly nested that way:
void func1(void)
/* do anything */
void func2(void)
/* do something */
void func3(void)
/* do something else */
void func4(void)
/* do something again */
Now we add 4 processes that run each of these functions separately. Processes A, B, C, and D which run functions func1, func2, func3 and func4 respectively, and such that D runs first and A last. With D being preempted in func4 in the “do something again” area, we have a locking that follows:
D owns L3
C blocked on L3
C owns L2
B blocked on L2
B owns L1
A blocked on L1
This gives us a PI depth of 4 (four processes), but looking at any of the functions individually, it seems as though they only have at most a locking depth of two. So, although the locking depth is defined at compile time, it still is very difficult to find the possibilities of that depth.
Now since mutexes can be defined by user-land applications, we don’t want a DOS type of application that nests large amounts of mutexes to create a large PI chain, and have the code holding spin locks while looking at a large amount of data. So to prevent this, the implementation not only implements a maximum lock depth, but also only holds at most two different locks at a time, as it walks the PI chain. More about this below.
Mutex owner and flags
The mutex structure contains a pointer to the owner of the mutex. If the mutex is not owned, this owner is set to NULL. Since all architectures have the task structure on at least a two byte alignment (and if this is not true, the rtmutex.c code will be broken!), this allows for the least significant bit to be used as a flag. Bit 0 is used as the “Has Waiters” flag. It’s set whenever there are waiters on a mutex.
See Documentation/locking/rt-mutex.rst for further details.
cmpxchg Tricks
Some architectures implement an atomic cmpxchg (Compare and Exchange). This is used (when applicable) to keep the fast path of grabbing and releasing mutexes short.
cmpxchg is basically the following function performed atomically:
unsigned long T = *A;
if (*A == *B) {
*A = *C;
return T;
This is really nice to have, since it allows you to only update a variable if the variable is what you expect it to be. You know if it succeeded if the return value (the old value of A) is equal to B.
The macro rt_mutex_cmpxchg is used to try to lock and unlock mutexes. If the architecture does not support CMPXCHG, then this macro is simply set to fail every time. But if CMPXCHG is supported, then this will help out extremely to keep the fast path short.
The use of rt_mutex_cmpxchg with the flags in the owner field help optimize the system for architectures that support it. This will also be explained later in this document.
Priority adjustments
The implementation of the PI code in rtmutex.c has several places that a process must adjust its priority. With the help of the pi_waiters of a process this is rather easy to know what needs to be adjusted.
The functions implementing the task adjustments are rt_mutex_adjust_prio and rt_mutex_setprio. rt_mutex_setprio is only used in rt_mutex_adjust_prio.
rt_mutex_adjust_prio examines the priority of the task, and the highest priority process that is waiting any of mutexes owned by the task. Since the pi_waiters of a task holds an order by priority of all the top waiters of all the mutexes that the task owns, we simply need to compare the top pi waiter to its own normal/deadline priority and take the higher one. Then rt_mutex_setprio is called to adjust the priority of the task to the new priority. Note that rt_mutex_setprio is defined in kernel/sched/core.c to implement the actual change in priority.
For the “prio” field in task_struct, the lower the number, the higher the priority. A “prio” of 5 is of higher priority than a “prio” of 10.
It is interesting to note that rt_mutex_adjust_prio can either increase or decrease the priority of the task. In the case that a higher priority process has just blocked on a mutex owned by the task, rt_mutex_adjust_prio would increase/boost the task’s priority. But if a higher priority task were for some reason to leave the mutex (timeout or signal), this same function would decrease/unboost the priority of the task. That is because the pi_waiters always contains the highest priority task that is waiting on a mutex owned by the task, so we only need to compare the priority of that top pi waiter to the normal priority of the given task.
High level overview of the PI chain walk
The PI chain walk is implemented by the function rt_mutex_adjust_prio_chain.
The implementation has gone through several iterations, and has ended up with what we believe is the best. It walks the PI chain by only grabbing at most two locks at a time, and is very efficient.
The rt_mutex_adjust_prio_chain can be used either to boost or lower process priorities.
rt_mutex_adjust_prio_chain is called with a task to be checked for PI (de)boosting (the owner of a mutex that a process is blocking on), a flag to check for deadlocking, the mutex that the task owns, a pointer to a waiter that is the process’s waiter struct that is blocked on the mutex (although this parameter may be NULL for deboosting), a pointer to the mutex on which the task is blocked, and a top_task as the top waiter of the mutex.
For this explanation, I will not mention deadlock detection. This explanation will try to stay at a high level.
When this function is called, there are no locks held. That also means that the state of the owner and lock can change when entered into this function.
Before this function is called, the task has already had rt_mutex_adjust_prio performed on it. This means that the task is set to the priority that it should be at, but the rbtree nodes of the task’s waiter have not been updated with the new priorities, and this task may not be in the proper locations in the pi_waiters and waiters trees that the task is blocked on. This function solves all that.
The main operation of this function is summarized by Thomas Gleixner in rtmutex.c. See the ‘Chain walk basics and protection scope’ comment for further details.
Taking of a mutex (The walk through)
OK, now let’s take a look at the detailed walk through of what happens when taking a mutex.
The first thing that is tried is the fast taking of the mutex. This is done when we have CMPXCHG enabled (otherwise the fast taking automatically fails). Only when the owner field of the mutex is NULL can the lock be taken with the CMPXCHG and nothing else needs to be done.
If there is contention on the lock, we go about the slow path (rt_mutex_slowlock).
The slow path function is where the task’s waiter structure is created on the stack. This is because the waiter structure is only needed for the scope of this function. The waiter structure holds the nodes to store the task on the waiters tree of the mutex, and if need be, the pi_waiters tree of the owner.
The wait_lock of the mutex is taken since the slow path of unlocking the mutex also takes this lock.
We then call try_to_take_rt_mutex. This is where the architecture that does not implement CMPXCHG would always grab the lock (if there’s no contention).
try_to_take_rt_mutex is used every time the task tries to grab a mutex in the slow path. The first thing that is done here is an atomic setting of the “Has Waiters” flag of the mutex’s owner field. By setting this flag now, the current owner of the mutex being contended for can’t release the mutex without going into the slow unlock path, and it would then need to grab the wait_lock, which this code currently holds. So setting the “Has Waiters” flag forces the current owner to synchronize with this code.
The lock is taken if the following are true:
1. The lock has no owner
2. The current task is the highest priority against all other waiters of the lock
If the task succeeds to acquire the lock, then the task is set as the owner of the lock, and if the lock still has waiters, the top_waiter (highest priority task waiting on the lock) is added to this task’s pi_waiters tree.
If the lock is not taken by try_to_take_rt_mutex(), then the task_blocks_on_rt_mutex() function is called. This will add the task to the lock’s waiter tree and propagate the pi chain of the lock as well as the lock’s owner’s pi_waiters tree. This is described in the next section.
Task blocks on mutex
The accounting of a mutex and process is done with the waiter structure of the process. The “task” field is set to the process, and the “lock” field to the mutex. The rbtree node of waiter are initialized to the processes current priority.
Since the wait_lock was taken at the entry of the slow lock, we can safely add the waiter to the task waiter tree. If the current process is the highest priority process currently waiting on this mutex, then we remove the previous top waiter process (if it exists) from the pi_waiters of the owner, and add the current process to that tree. Since the pi_waiter of the owner has changed, we call rt_mutex_adjust_prio on the owner to see if the owner should adjust its priority accordingly.
If the owner is also blocked on a lock, and had its pi_waiters changed (or deadlock checking is on), we unlock the wait_lock of the mutex and go ahead and run rt_mutex_adjust_prio_chain on the owner, as described earlier.
Now all locks are released, and if the current process is still blocked on a mutex (waiter “task” field is not NULL), then we go to sleep (call schedule).
Waking up in the loop
The task can then wake up for a couple of reasons:
1. The previous lock owner released the lock, and the task now is top_waiter
2. we received a signal or timeout
In both cases, the task will try again to acquire the lock. If it does, then it will take itself off the waiters tree and set itself back to the TASK_RUNNING state.
In first case, if the lock was acquired by another task before this task could get the lock, then it will go back to sleep and wait to be woken again.
The second case is only applicable for tasks that are grabbing a mutex that can wake up before getting the lock, either due to a signal or a timeout (i.e. rt_mutex_timed_futex_lock()). When woken, it will try to take the lock again, if it succeeds, then the task will return with the lock held, otherwise it will return with -EINTR if the task was woken by a signal, or -ETIMEDOUT if it timed out.
Unlocking the Mutex
The unlocking of a mutex also has a fast path for those architectures with CMPXCHG. Since the taking of a mutex on contention always sets the “Has Waiters” flag of the mutex’s owner, we use this to know if we need to take the slow path when unlocking the mutex. If the mutex doesn’t have any waiters, the owner field of the mutex would equal the current process and the mutex can be unlocked by just replacing the owner field with NULL.
If the owner field has the “Has Waiters” bit set (or CMPXCHG is not available), the slow unlock path is taken.
The first thing done in the slow unlock path is to take the wait_lock of the mutex. This synchronizes the locking and unlocking of the mutex.
A check is made to see if the mutex has waiters or not. On architectures that do not have CMPXCHG, this is the location that the owner of the mutex will determine if a waiter needs to be awoken or not. On architectures that do have CMPXCHG, that check is done in the fast path, but it is still needed in the slow path too. If a waiter of a mutex woke up because of a signal or timeout between the time the owner failed the fast path CMPXCHG check and the grabbing of the wait_lock, the mutex may not have any waiters, thus the owner still needs to make this check. If there are no waiters then the mutex owner field is set to NULL, the wait_lock is released and nothing more is needed.
If there are waiters, then we need to wake one up.
On the wake up code, the pi_lock of the current owner is taken. The top waiter of the lock is found and removed from the waiters tree of the mutex as well as the pi_waiters tree of the current owner. The “Has Waiters” bit is marked to prevent lower priority tasks from stealing the lock.
For updates on this document, please email Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Author: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Updated: Alex Shi <alex.shi@linaro.org> - 7/6/2017
Original Reviewers:
Ingo Molnar, Thomas Gleixner, Thomas Duetsch, and Randy Dunlap
Update (7/6/2017) Reviewers: Steven Rostedt and Sebastian Siewior
This document was originally written for 2.6.17-rc3-mm1 was updated on 4.12 | <urn:uuid:1c8a15fe-15b1-4ade-88e2-3fa5d6175d10> | https://dragon-team.github.io/docs/locking/rt-mutex-design.html | en | 0.941112 | 0.604733 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Hormonal influences during pregnancy can cause varicose veins as increased progestin levels can dilate or open the veins. The risk of varicose veins in women is significantly higher than that in men. There is some data to suggest that hormonal conditions can exacerbate varicose veins.
While you can’t prevent the circulatory changes that occur during pregnancy, there are some ways you can prevent or minimise varicose veins.
One method to alleviate the pain is to use special compression stockings which are being hailed as a panacea for pregnancy ailments. People have many questions on compression stockings and we’re here to answer those questions and more.
Pregnancy, Swelling & Compression Stockings
Blood volume changes in normal pregnancy with your body’s processes slow down to accommodate the new life inside you. There is little increase during the first trimester, followed by a progressive rise to a maximum at about 34-36 week. In addition, your growing uterus puts pressure on the inferior vena cava, a vein that carries blood from the legs and feet to the heart, further contributing to varicose veins.
If vena cava is restricted in some way, blood will pool in the feet and leg. These factors lead to swollen, painful legs. This condition is known as edema and pain is only one part of the problem and there are bigger dangers of neglecting varicose veins.
Wearing knee-length compression stockings can work wonders because they not only prevent the phenomenon but also strengthen calf muscles and increase blood flow.
Do Compression Stockings Help Prevent or Reduce Leg Pain During Pregnancy?
Almost always. Compression stockings can help reduce the swelling in your feet and relieve the pain if you are having any.
But of course, along with support hose, there are several other things you can do to help with the discomfort and pain caused by leg veins. Other options for treating leg veins during pregnancy include to avoid sitting or standing in the same position for long periods of time, maintaining the weight recommended by your specialists and to lie on your left side when resting or sleeping, as it prevents excess pressure on this vein. Drinking plenty of water can also help your body maintain a proper fluid balance.
How Does Compression Stockings Work?
Compression stockings promote circulation and help the blood flow to your heart through the venous system. Compression stockings do this by adding gradual amounts of pressure to your leg. Most of the compression occurs at your ankles and gradually decreases as it wraps further up your leg.
Will Compression Stockings Prevent Blood Clots & Deep Vein Thrombosis?
Will Compression Stockings Dislodge a Current Blood Clot?
Will I Put My Baby at Risk if I Don’t Wear Compression Stockings?
Since there are only benefits, no downsides, to compression during pregnancy, you could say that. It’s more helpful as better blood flow means that your baby is getting more of nutrients it needs and as hugely appreciated bonus, it can help to keep the heart-rate of mother and child steady. Plus, compression socks help to prevent blood clots, which can be fatal to you and your baby.
Can I Sleep In Compression Stockings While Pregnant?
Yes, you may but some may find it uncomfortable. There is no harm in not wearing your socks 24 hours a day, so if it helps your pain or gives you more peace of mind, go for it.
Are There Reasons Why I Shouldn’t Wear Compression Stockings?
Wearing compression stockings during pregnancy poses absolutely no risk to either you or your child.
Here’s to a smooth, healthy pregnancy!
Hopefully as you move forward in your motherhood journey, you feel more informed to make decisions for you and your baby! If you’re looking for a place to buy reliable compression stockings, check out our online store to experience it yourself!
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Analysis of Poem "The Windhover" by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Updated on March 26, 2020
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Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins | Source
Gerard Manley Hopkins and a Summary Analysis of The Windhover
The Windhover is one of the best known sonnets by Gerard Manley Hopkins and was inspired by the sight of a small falcon, a kestrel, which often faces against the wind to hover above its prey. Hence the alternative name of windhover.
More significant however is the transformation of the bird into a spiritual symbol of Christ. As a Jesuit priest Hopkins was clear in his belief that the beauty in Nature mirrored the beauty of God. Much of his poetry was created in order to find a way to God, through the Christ figure.
Through observation and contemplation Hopkins was able to fulfil one of the spiritual exercises he practiced, created by Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus. Study of the natural world in particular inspired his poetry, which he hoped would express the love he had for beauty.
So a bird such as the kestrel, with its unique ability to hold itself steady in a wind and then suddenly with barely a wing move, swing and circle away, held a special place in the poet's heart.
• The flight of the bird is 'represented in the rhythms and movements of the sound of the spoken poetry', so wrote Hopkins, a keen technical poet and creator of the unique sprung rhythm, which uses alliteration and varied stress beats to create unusually textured lines.
The Windhover
To Christ our Lord
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!
No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion.
Analysis of Windhover - Rhyme and Sprung Rhythm
The Windhover is a sonnet of fourteen lines.
The octet (eight lines) is separate from the sestet (six lines) signifying a change or turn in the meaning of the whole. Note the full end rhymes of the octet
The sestet has a slightly different rhyming sequence :
So the change in this second part of the sonnet is a definite break from what has gone before.
The first eight lines represent the speaker being inspired by the flight of the falcon and the next six lines represent the spiritual influence of Christ, transformed out of the 'fire that breaks.'
Hopkins chose the sonnet form because of its association with love and the romantic tradition, but made it his own by compressing the syllables, doing away with the usual rhyme schemes and using unusual words.
And don't forget that :
• Hopkins developed a language of his own to help describe the inner rhythmic world of the poem he had created.
• He used the word inscape to denote the unique characteristics of a poem, its essence, and the word instress which conveys the experience a person has of the inscape.
• He also created the term sprung rhythm to help make the rhythms of his verse 'brighter, livelier, more lustrous'.
• This metrical system is based on abrupt use of strong stresses followed by unstressed, the energy of the stresses springing through the alliterative syllables that make up the rest of the line.
So for example, from line 2 :
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
Unusual Words in Windhover
Line 1 : minion - darling
Line 2 : dauphin - french for eldest son of the king
Line 4 : rung upon - to lead a horse in a circle on a long rein
wimpling: rippling
Line 10 : buckle - either to fasten into one, or to collapse/crumble away.
Line 11 : chevalier - french for knight, champion
Line 12 : sillion - ridge between two furrows
Line 14 : gall - break the surface of.
Further Analysis of Windhover
This poem is best read out loud several times, only then will the ear become accustomed to the rhythms and sound patterns of these complex but beautiful lines.
What strikes from the outset is the amount of alliteration and assonance throughout - the poet is showing off somewhat, which could be a reflection of the action of the falcon, a master of the air.
The use of the simple past I caught suggests caught sight of, but could also imply the act of catching, as when a falcon is caught by the falconer.
By splitting the word kingdom at the end of the first line the poet introduces enjambment, a natural way of pausing whilst sustaining the sense; king also implies the regal authority of the bird.
The poet is also reinforcing the idea of wonder, for here is a predatory bird manipulating the wind in a light that seems to set it on fire. Could it be that the alliteration suspends time as the reader catches breath to finish the line?
Note however that, within the many lines that suspend then run and hold on by a thread, the end rhymes keep everything in order, they stop the whole bursting out or breaking: they act as a skin, keeping the organic contents tight.
When you read through the poem a number of times, these full end rhymes become crucial, as does the use of enjambment, the running of one line into another, to maintain the sense.
For example, when we move from the second to third line the emphasis is on the bird's skill - note the caesura (natural break) needed after rolling level - as it maintains its position before swinging away in a perfect curve later on in lines five and six.
Rung upon the rein is a term used to describe the circle made by a horse when kept at pace on a tight rein, so the bird is able to use the rippling wing before moving off smoothly, ecstatically, somewhat like a skater rounding a bend.
• The bird then beats back the strong wind which is uplifting for the speaker, in fact, so inspiring is the flight and aerial prowess of the falcon a transformation takes place. All the qualities of the kestrel in the whole airborne act, buckle, that is, collapse and then re-combine as one in a spiritual fire : the clean, cruciform profile of the bird when it breaks from a hover, is symbolic of Christ.
This revelatory scene is both beautifully exquisite and thrilling - this is a different dimension, connected to the world of flesh and bone and earth yet transcending reality. The speaker addresses the bird (Christ) as chevalier, a french word meaning knight or champion.
But we shouldn't be surprised when this fabulous falcon elicits such spiritual energy. Take the routine of the humble plough, even that can make the furrowed ridges shine and outwardly dull embers suddenly break and reveal this gorgeous golden red.
The speaker is in awe of this everyday occurrence - a kestrel hovering then moving on against the wind - and likens the event to a wondrous religious experience. The suggestion is that common things hold an almost mystical significance and are charged with potential.
The Poetry handbook, John Lennard, OUP, 2005
© 2017 Andrew Spacey
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We need to celebrate 1971 war by K Yatish Rajawat
IndraStra Global
We need to celebrate 1971 war by K Yatish Rajawat
By K. Yatish Rajawat
There is an old saying in the Army in Punjabi "Jine jeet nahi wekhi usay jeetna kaun sikhayega." Loosely translated it means that if one has not seen victory, how can you teach ‘em to win a war.
Today, 16 December, is the 45th anniversary of the 1971 India–Pakistan war, the first war after World War-II that the Indian Army won conclusively. The only war that the independent Indian Army planned, executed and carried out with precision and captured 93,000 prisoners.
Indian Army personnel pay their respects to martyrs of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 for the Liberation of Bangladesh, during a function in Kolkata on 16 December 2012. AFP. The trouble is that Indian polity wants to forget the 1971 war. They want to forget the aggressive attitude that once occupied center-stage. Even the Congress which could use it very effectively, as it was after Indira Gandhi’s resolve that enabled the war, never really celebrated it.
It was the first major victory for a young Indian democracy and helped strengthen the confidence of the leadership and population. Subsequent generations and populations want to forget it completely. On the other hand the Kargil war which was a misadventure thwarted by Indian Army looms larger in debate and is more celebrated. There is even a Kargil Vijay Diwas, while the 1971 war is referred to as Vijay Diwas (Victory Day). The irony is that the posts that were occupied and conquered in 1971 were the same ones which were occupied by the Pakistan Army in 1999.
Why is it important to remember 1971? It was the first time that the Indian leadership decided to take a decisive action on moral grounds. It was the first time that India violated the UN charter. It was the first time that India handled pressure from US, China and Europe. It was the first time that India decided that an error made by the British in division needed to be corrected by force. It was the first time that India decided that the Bangladeshi immigrant problem could only be addressed if the country was given its legitimacy. There were many other firsts and some of them are also the last for a country that has now forgotten its heroes of this war.
Successive governments have looked at accomplishments of the Indian armed forces as almost an embarrassment, particularly the Congress which ignored the ’71 war anniversary. The expectation from the current government is not to ignore the anniversary and bring it back into public discourse.
There are several reasons for bringing back the victory in the ’71 war into public discourse. It is not only because it was a victory and our armed forces need to be celebrated. Lord Meghnad Desai puts it well, "If we continue to be embarrassed about our Armed forces, we will never be able to establish leadership in Asia. And it is especially relevant now as Pakistan is not a threat, it is a pin prick, our competitive threat lies in China."
The ’71 war cannot be discussed without the debacle and disgrace that India faced in ’62 war at the hands of China. We cannot forget that how ill-prepared the Indian Army was for that conflict. We should not forget the lesson that a nation that ignores its army cannot afford peace. This is also one of the reason that Congress cannot celebrate ’71 as it reminds them of the debacle of ’62.
YD Gundevia
The 60’s was a lost decade for India, two successive wars ’62 and ‘65 a drought, importing food grains from US, economy was shot too bits, rupee was devalued, Congress was facing internal trouble. Led by Pandit Nehru, India was on a moral high during the period 1947 to 1961. His idea of a moral world order collapsed in 1962 with India not measuring up to the Chinese. Suddenly, India found itself without friends, even those of the non-aligned variety. India has to court America, and the western powers that it has avoided earlier. Pandit Nehru was also forced to negotiate peace with Pakistan. India was willing to cede a size-able area to Pakistan as per YD Gundevia Outside the Archives (1969). Gundevia was a foreign secretary during Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s time.
Late Narasimha Rao, the erstwhile prime minister says in his autobiographical semi-fictional work The Insider about impact of the 1962 War: "India’s image plummeted considerably after the 1962 debacle. The focus on economic development became diluted. The obsession with victory and defeat in war revived atavistic notions. It reminded the people that India had never won a major war throughout her long history. She had been a perpetual loser in all encounters. Many began to interpret the country’s philosophy and heritage as the foundation of its weakness."
Then the ’71 war happened or was planned and executed with perfection by the Indian armed forces. All three forces Army, Navy and Air force played a stellar role in executing a pre-planned campaign. While political experts may be divided about whether it was planned or not, military experts are clear that the campaign was planned and executed one.
Lord Desai writes in The Rediscovery of India: "Indira Gandhi had achieved the impossible. She had dismembered India’s main enemy, permanently reduced its territory and humiliated it militarily…[p. 353]
He adds, "In Pakistan the event was seen as the first defeat of Muslim armies by a Hindu army in a thousand years [p. 354], Though, Desai says this should not be over rated as there have been several victories before.
"The liberation of Bangladesh did several things for Indira Gandhi and India. It removed any residual feelings of inferiority about Indian Army’s fighting powers." But was that all!
Brigadier Omkar Singh Gorayya, (Retd.), Indian Army
Brigadier Omkar Singh Gorayya, who was the first Indian military leader to enter Dhaka, and is releasing a book on it next month says, "I find it strange that we do nothing to invest emotional content in a win that has occurred after 800 years of foreign domination. Today 1971 War is all but forgotten by the nation. Today, the anniversary is only celebrated in small cantonment functions, as if the armed forces fought for themselves not the country. It is time we invest some cultural and emotional content in the 1971 War. Geopolitical space is also about perception."
It is especially important this year as the world is commemorating the start of the First World War. Indian Army’s exploits in Europe, their landing in Marseilles is being celebrated by the French and here we refuse to recognize the exploits of independent Indian Army victory.
If the Europeans can celebrate the exploits of Indian Armed forces so many decades later, can we not pay respect to the Martyrs of the ’71 war.
This article was first published on www.firstpost.con on December 16th, 2014 and has been duly republished with the authorization of the author. | <urn:uuid:0e3b0a08-a9cc-4091-be63-284208689706> | https://www.indrastra.com/2015/06/We-Need-to-Celebrate-1971-War-by-K-Yatish-Rajawat.html | en | 0.972675 | 0.099198 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Printing and Design Tips: March 2011, Issue #116
Curling Cover Stock
I received a question from a reader who wanted information on why laminated book covers curl and what to do about it.
When lamination (or UV coating, varnish, or aqueous coating, for that matter) is applied to the cover of a book, you are effectively sealing off the paper. It's like varnishing wood. The back of the press sheet (the inside front and back covers of the book) is not sealed. So in a damp environment, the paper fibers of the un-laminated side of the sheet absorb water like a sponge. Then they expand, and the cover paper stock curls (i.e., the uncoated side expands while the laminated side does not, creating the curl).
That said, this is an unfortunate occurrence that can happen whenever you add a cover coating to a paper-bound book cover. Often, as the moisture dries, the cover stock will become less curled. You can help this along by laying the book on a flat surface under a weight. If covers start to curl within an entire box of books, keeping them in the box while they dry may minimize the problem.
A coating product called "lay-flat laminate" can be applied to the book cover (instead of the regular liquid or film laminate or any of the other coatings) to minimize this problem. Lay-flat laminate has microscopic ridges on its surface that are flexible. The uncoated side of the sheet will still absorb moisture, but since the coated side of the cover is flexible, it can expand and contract slightly to minimize or prevent curling. Be aware that lay-flat laminate is slightly more expensive than regular film laminate, but I think it is money well spent.
Print Brokers
Another reader posed a question about printing brokers. I myself broker printing, as well as write articles and do graphic design, so I think I can offer some helpful thoughts.
Most trade printers only sell what they produce on their own presses. Some have only web presses. Others have only sheetfed presses and/or digital or large-format inkjet presses. Even within the various categories, most printers have only a few, or a small number of, presses and therefore cannot provide all possible configurations and capabilities without outsourcing some part of the job.
For instance, most printers have saddle-stitching capabilities, but only larger printers and binderies usually have perfect-binding equipment. And very few printers have letterpress capabilities, while only select shops offer detailed embossing and die-cutting (particularly laser die-cutting) services.
There are a few exceptions. A few conglomerates (or consolidators, as they are called in the printing field) have bought up enough smaller plants to be able to move projects around (or share portions of projects among) their related print shops in order to offer all possible services to clients.
Basically, if you're a trade shop, the equipment you can afford to keep on the pressroom floor determines what kinds of jobs you can bid on (magazines, books, promotional materials, signage, die-cut invitations). You sell your "niche" services to multiple clients, or you primarily do this and then form "strategic partnerships" with vendors offering services you cannot provide. In this way you service those needs of your clients that fall outside your core competencies. (To me this looks like brokering.)
As a printing broker, however, you have access to any sheetfed or web print shop, paper vendor, embossing and die-cutting shop, letterpress, etc., with which you can develop a relationship.
You take their price, add your mark-up, and pass on the combined price to your client.
Some brokers actually buy (and pay for directly) the print services and then sell them directly to their clients. Other brokers have the print shops bill clients for the combined prices (costs plus commissions) and then bill the print shops for their commissions once the clients have paid the bills for the completed jobs.
Brokering depends on relationships: commitments kept to both the printer and the end client. In the best of all possible situations, the print shop appreciates the extra work brought in by the broker and sometimes is willing to offer "broker pricing" (slightly lower than what the printer would offer the client directly). This allows the broker to add a mark-up and still remain competitive. After all, when the print broker adds his/her commission, if the total exceeds the pricing offered by the client's other vendors, the client won't give the job to the broker.
The end-user, or client, in the best of all worlds will choose a print broker for the following reasons:
1. The print broker has access to multiple vendors and can coordinate all aspects of a job, from printing to specialized finishing (like embossing) to distribution.
2. The print broker often has developed specialized knowledge through years of work in the printing field and can offer advice on everything from paper choices to printing options. He/she can often make suggestions to help the client both save money and produce a stellar product.
3. The print broker can step in as the client's agent and rectify any problems that may occur before, during, and after the printing process.
It all comes down to "added value," a business term very much in vogue at present. If a printing broker can consistently bring work to a number of printers in a way that the print shop can make more money with fewer headaches (logistical, financial), he/she is adding value for the printer. If the broker can help a client articulate his/her printing needs, find reliable print providers, and make sure the job goes smoothly from start to finish, then the broker is adding value for the client. In this case, the broker will get along well with printers and clients and will thrive financially.
How much does the broker add as a commission? Most won't tell you, except to say that if the total price is less than the competition's price, what does it matter? That said, the reality is that the commission percentage changes from job to job. A broker will add a larger commission for a very small job (to make it worth his/her while) or perhaps just have the client go directly to the small print shop (this creates goodwill and the perception of the broker as a knowledgeable resource). For a very large job, the commission might be minuscule: 1 to 3 percent (although 1 to 3 percent can be a healthy commission on a large job). Ultimately, the size of the commission is limited to an amount which, when added to the cost, does not raise the total price above the competing vendors' prices.
| <urn:uuid:36d73efe-5252-409a-b9e0-f752a3b74821> | https://www.printindustry.com/Newsletters/Newsletter-116.aspx | en | 0.955592 | 0.086519 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
image of The China Factor
The China Factor
Door Annette Nijs
Engels | Paperback | 2019
Voor 21:00 besteld, morgen in huis
€ 34,50
There is no escaping it. During the 21st Century ‘The China Factor’ will become an increasingly dominant feature of our world. In countries across the globe a large majority of people agree that China plays a more important role today than in the past. Whether we like it or not. What role does President Xi play? When he says “China has reached a turning point in history” what does he mean? China’s rising dominance will change the world’s balance of power, but how exactly? Is the ‘Belt & Road’, China’s new Silk Road, a new model for 21st Century regional economic union? Will a stronger China escalate geo-cyber-warfare to the next level? How will China’s society change? What is China policy of ‘deliberative democracy’ and will it bring the Chinese people closer to their government? And how does the new social credit system fit in with all this? China’s economic miracle is not over yet: So how does China balance its debt with economic growth? How long will shopping sprees by Chinese consumers continue to drive its economy? How rapidly will China bring its high-tech innovations to the rest of the world in the form of 5G networks, smart factories, smart cities, smart logistics and alternative-energy self-drive cars? China will also inevitably play a larger role in our personal lives. And more and more of us will work for a Chinese employer. The answer on how China will shape the 21st Century and how best to respond is more easy to find after reading 'The China Factor'.
Annette Nijs
NUR Code
235x156x34 mm
869 gram | <urn:uuid:abe5283d-50da-44f1-ac94-43a4bee39ad8> | https://www.youbedo.com/boeken/the-china-factor-9789090317878 | en | 0.871935 | 0.656744 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Is the replication crisis in Psychology real?
A few months ago, a Science paper reported the results of an attempt to replicate 100 studies published in three top psychology journals between 2011-2014. The authors concluded:
This week, Science published a commentary co-authored by Daniel Gilbert, a prominent Harvard psychologist, drawing the opposite conclusion from the same data:
“Indeed, the data are consistent with the opposite conclusion, namely, that the reproducibility of psychological science is quite high.”
The authors of the psych replication paper have also published a response.
Together with these two letters, a research article co-authored by yours truly reports a multi-lab study attempting to replicate 18 experiments published in two leading economics journals, American Economic Review (AER) and the Quarterly Journal of Economics (QJE) between 2011-2014.
Below are the results of the two projects juxtaposed. There are many possible metrics for measuring the replicability of a study. Here, I counted a “successful replication” as either a statistically significant (p<0.05) replication effect (green) or a statistically significant meta-analytic effect when combining the original study and the replication (blue).
As can be clearly seen from the results above, replication rates in the econ project were much higher than those of the psych project, albeit the number of studies was grater in the psych project.
In this post, I will try to articulate what I see as the main point of Gilbert et al.’s commentary and explore what the econ project can teach us about the state of the psych literature.
Causes of failure to replicate
A replication attempt can fail because of two main reasons:
1. The original effect is not real. In other words, the original study is a false positive, or a “type I error”.
2. The original effect is real, but the replication could not detect it. In other words, the replication study was a false negative, or a “type II error”.
We should update our beliefs regarding the true state of the world (e.g., “there is/ isn’t a replication crisis”) differently in these two cases.
The chance of successfully replicating in case (A) depends only on the original study; it will be low when replicating a false positive, regardless of the power of the replication study. This however is not the case for (B), where success depends on the replication’s statistical power: the chance of successfully rejecting the null hypothesis given that the effect is real.
For a given effect size, increasing statistical power (and reducing the chance of case B’s) can be achieved by increasing the number of participants in the replication. As running more subjects costs money and takes time, researchers typically set the replication’s sample size to the minimum required for achieving sufficient statistical power (a standard power is between 80% and 90%). In practice, this is done using a mathematical formula, which is implemented by power calculators estimating the required sample size given the expected effect size.
But… what is the expected effect size in the replication?
It is difficult to determine exactly what effect size we should expect in the replication. If we knew, we wouldn’t have to run the study, right? As a proxy, researchers typically use the effect size of the original study. This is reasonable, as the replication attempts to be as close as possible to the original study.
Gilbert et al.’s critique
All replications might differ from the original studies in many ways, from geographical locations and weather conditions to the point in history when they were conducted. A fresh example from the econ replication project is a study from 2011, reporting that inducing happiness decreases temporal discounting. The original study induced happiness by having participants watch a video of a performance by Robin Williams, who since then had committed suicide. The video manipulation failed to induce happiness in the replication study and the results did not replicate.
Since different subject pools are used across a study and its replication, there is plenty of reason to suspect that the pools might differ in important ways. Sometimes the behavioral task is also not perfectly replicated. As such, even if an effect were real, the effect size in a replication may be different than that in the original study – and relying on the original effect size for calculating statistical power would yield biased power calculations. This could potentially lead to more type II errors in the replication (case B).
Gilbert et al. bring several specific examples (that are addressed in the reply letter) for substantial differences between the original studies and the replication attempts of the psych project, that they call “infidelities”. They claim that these “infidelities”, together with differences between the subject pools, cause a bias that often works in one direction: against the chance of finding an effect.
Following the critique, I ran a few power calculations. The average effect size of replication studies in the psych project was about a half of the original, and in the econ project it was two thirds of it. Whatever the source of this shrinkage of effects in the replications may be [1] this suggests that reliance on the effect size of the original study might lead to underestimating the necessary sample size in the replication. This could lead to a greater chance of “case B” replication failures.
I calculated the chance of failing to detect a true effect when miscalibrating the power calculation with an overly optimistic effect size estimation (table below). The outcome is statistical power of only 58% if the (true) replication effect size is only two thirds of the original study and 38% if it were a half of it. These numbers closely match the replication rates of the econ and psych projects, correspondingly [2].
Original effect size Required sample for .9 power Power achieved for a 2/3 effect size Power achieved for a 1/2 effect size
0.3 470 0.58 0.38
0.5 172 0.58 0.38
0.7 88 0.58 0.38
0.9 56 0.58 0.38
Moving forward: is there a replication crisis?
If we ignore several problems in the literature that we already know of (such as p-hacking and low statistical power) and accept the proposition that changes in the protocol more often introduce noise (rather than reduce it), Gilbert et al.’s interpretation holds water and the number of “successfully replicated” studies might be under-estimated. Does this mean that the “reproducibility of psychological science is quite high”, as they claim?
Much of the discussion of replication results has focused on various different metrics of replication that are concerned with estimating the percentage of studies that “successfully” replicate according to various criteria. In the previous section, I have (hopefully) convinced you that if we can live with an average replication effect size that equals a half of the original study, replication rates of the psychology project were actually going as expected if all of their effects were real.
The psych project replicated studies published in three of the most prestigious and influential psych journals. Most of its authors are psychology PhDs, some are prominent professors with a long publication list in top journals. They have invested a lot of time and unprecedented amounts of money to make the replications as close as they could to the original studies. The project was completely transparent and all of the data was made publicly available. It seems obvious that its sincere goal was estimating the true state of the literature, rather than finding a “crisis”.
So, if we accept Gilbert et al.’s criticism, there are only two possible conclusions.
1. The original studies were too difficult to replicate directly without too many “infidelities”. As replication is a crucial part of every scientific process, this is a major problem.
2. Very little deviations from the original protocol have shrunk the (true) effects of studies published in three top psych journals by a half on average.
Now comes the key question: is this the type of robustness that social scientists can live with, or can we do much, much better?
If there’s no much room for improvement, then the reproducibility of psychological science is quite high. But keep in mind, that psychological experiments are conducted in many different labs across the world and in many different points of time in history. The (ambitious) goal of psychological science is to find robust phenomena that inform general theories that tell us something about human behavior in the noisy world outside the lab. In order to make scientific progress, researchers must rely on the previous findings of their peers. If we can live with either of the two above conclusions, doesn’t it mean that the entire endeavor of psychological science is a waste of time and resources?
This makes the econ replication project important.
Like in the psych project, replications were conducted in different sites, with different subject pools, different experimenters and in different points in history compared to the original studies. The a-priori power calculations that were used were the same as in the psych project. This means that the econ replications also relied on the original over-estimated effect sizes when calculating the required sample size. But the econ results were different. And they suggest that something else might be going on – that is beyond a statistical artifact caused by inevitable “infidelities” in the replication process.
There is a misconception that the word “crisis” in Chinese is composed of two characters, one representing danger and the other opportunity. I will adopt this misconception here. Contrasting the results of the psych and econ replication projects showes that we can do much better. The replication crisis does exist, and it gives us hope for a brighter future.
In the next few posts, I will illuminate the differences in research practices between economics and psychology, and discuss whether they might have contributed to the differences in replication rates.
Disclosure: the author is neither an economist nor a psychologist
[1] The reason could be “infidelities”, but also case (A) errors (original studies are false positives) and publication bias.
[2] Some of the original effects are likely false positives (case A), and therefore the power calculations are somewhat pessimistic.
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Brum 2011 helping raise the mast of Lady B
bnr#70 => Brum 2011 helping raise the mast of Lady B
Coal Barges £120 on the time
Coal load value £6
Skates are long-lived animals. They take 5-10 years to mature and lay relatively few eggs (about 40 - 150 a year), making them particularly vulnerable to overfishing, whether by trawls, longlines or set nets. Large juveniles are often caught before they have started breeding and most species can’t rapidly replace the animals that are removed by fisheries. Smaller species tend to grow and breed more rapidly, however they are of lower commercial value than large-bodied species.
For these same reasons, skates and rays do not tend to support large commercial fisheries, which mean they have received far less attention from researchers and fisheries managers than the more economically-important bony fish species. These factors make the largest skates and rays among the most threatened species in British waters. For example, the Common Skate (now recognised as two distinct species: Blue Skate and Flapper Skate), the biggest and formerly one of the more abundant species around the British Isles, is now absent from much of its former range. Conversely, populations of some of the smallest species, such as the Cuckoo Rays and Spotted Rays, remain healthy.
Metabolic relationship of London with the estuary
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The stranger, p.19
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The Stranger, p.19
Harlan Coben
"You don't come here unless there's a problem."
That was true enough.
Eduardo sat back. "Were there any issues with Dan Molino or his son?"
"Yes and no."
"We got the money," Merton said. "It couldn't have been that bad."
"Yeah, but I had to handle it alone."
"So Ingrid was supposed to be there."
They all looked at one another. Gabrielle broke the silence. "She probably figured that a woman would stand out at a football tryout."
"Could be," Chris said. "Have any of you heard from her?"
Eduardo and Gabrielle shook their heads. Merton stood and said, "Wait, when did you talk to her last?"
"In Ohio. When we approached Heidi Dann."
"And she was supposed to meet you at the football tryouts?"
"That's what she said. We followed protocol, so we traveled separately and had no communication."
Eduardo started typing again. "Hold up, Chris, let me check something."
Chris. It was almost odd to hear someone speak his name. The past few weeks, he'd been anonymous, the stranger, and no one called him by name. Even with Ingrid, the protocol had been clear: No names. Anonymous. There was irony in that, of course. The people he approached had assumed and craved anonymity, not realizing that in truth, it didn't exist for them.
For Chris--for the stranger--it did.
"According to the schedule," Eduardo said, staring at the screen, "Ingrid was supposed to drive to Philadelphia and drop off the rental car yesterday. Let me check and see. . . ." He looked up. "Damn."
"She never returned the car."
The room chilled.
"We need to call her," Merton said.
"It's risky," Eduardo said. "If she's been compromised, her mobile might be in the wrong hands."
"We need to break protocol," Chris said.
"Carefully," Gabrielle added.
Eduardo nodded. "Let me call her via Viber and knock the connection through two IPs in Bulgaria. It should only take me five minutes."
It took more like three.
The phone rang. Once, twice, and then on the third ring, the phone picked up. They expected to hear Ingrid's voice. But they didn't.
A man's voice asked, "Who is this calling, please?"
Eduardo quickly disconnected the call. The four of them stood still for a moment, the garage completely silent. Then the stranger--Chris Taylor--said what they were all thinking.
"We've been compromised."
Chapter 37
They had done nothing wrong.
Sally Perryman had been a junior partner in the firm assigned to be Adam's first chair for a time-consuming case involving the immigrant owners of a Greek diner. The owners had been happily and profitably working in the same location in Harrison for forty years, until a big hedge fund had built a new office tower down the street, causing the powers that be to conclude that the road leading to the tower would have to be widened to accommodate the new traffic. That meant bulldozing the diner. Adam and Sally were up against the government and bankers and, in the end, deep corruption.
Sometimes you can't wait to wake up and get to work in the morning and you hate the day to end. You get consumed. You eat, drink, sleep the case. This was one of those times. You grow close to those who stand with you in what you start to see as a glorious, hard-fought quest.
He and Sally Perryman had grown close.
Very close.
But there hadn't been anything physical--not so much as a kiss. Lines hadn't been crossed, but they'd been approached and challenged and perhaps even stepped on, though never over. There comes a stage, Adam had learned, where you are standing near that line, teetering, one life on one side, one life on the other, and at some point, you either cross it or something has to wither and die. In this case, something died. Two months after the case ended, Sally Perryman took another job with a law firm in Livingston.
It was over.
But Corinne had called Sally.
Why? The answer seemed obvious. Adam tried to think it through, tried to come up with theories and hypotheses that could possibly explain what had happened to Corinne. A few of the pieces maybe came together. The picture beginning to emerge was not pleasant.
It was past midnight. The boys were in bed. This house had a grieving quality to it now. Part of Adam wanted the boys to express their fears, but right now, most of him just wanted them to block, to just get through another day or two, until Corinne came home. In the end, that was the only thing that would make this right.
He had to find Corinne.
Old Man Rinksy had sent him the preliminary information on Ingrid Prisby. So far, there was nothing noteworthy or spectacular. She lived in Austin, had graduated eight years ago from Rice University in Houston, had worked for two Internet start-ups. Rinsky had gotten a home phone number. It went immediately into a message machine set to a robotic default voice. Adam left a message asking Ingrid to call him. Rinsky had also provided the home phone number and address of Ingrid's mother. Adam considered calling her but wondered how to approach her. It was late. He decided to sleep on that.
So now what?
Ingrid Prisby had a Facebook page. He wondered whether that might provide more clues. Adam had his own Facebook page but rarely checked it. He and Corinne had set ones up a few years back when Corinne, feeling nostalgic, had read an article on how social media was a great way for people their age to rediscover old friends. The past held little draw for Adam, but he'd gone along with it. He'd barely touched his page since throwing up a profile picture. Corinne started off a little more enthusiastic about the whole social media thing, but he doubted that she'd ever gone on it more than two or three times in a week.
But who knew for sure?
He flashed back to sitting in this very room with Corinne when they had first created their Facebook profiles. They began searching and "friending" family and neighbors. Adam had gone through the photographs his college buddies had posted--their grinning family shots on the beach, the Christmas dinners, the kids' sports, the ski vacation in Aspen, the tan wife wrapping her arms around the smiling husband, that kind of thing.
"Everyone looks happy," he'd said to Corinne.
"Oh, not you too."
"Everyone looks happy on Facebook," Corinne said. "It's like a compilation of your life's greatest hits." Her voice had an edge to it now. "It's not reality, Adam."
"I didn't say it was. I said everyone looks happy. That was kinda my point. If you judge the world by Facebook, you wonder why so many people take Prozac."
Corinne had grown quiet after that. Adam had pretty much laughed it off and moved on, but now, years later, looking through his newly cleaned goggles of hindsight, so many things took on a darker, uglier hue.
He spent almost an hour on Ingrid Prisby's Facebook page. First he checked her relationship status--maybe he'd get lucky and the stranger was her husband or boyfriend--but Ingrid listed herself as single. He clicked through her list of 188 friends, hoping to find the stranger among them. No luck. He looked for familiar names or faces, someone from his or Corinne's past. He found none. He started down Ingrid's page, looking through her status updates. There was nothing that hinted at the stranger or pregnancy faking or any of that. He tried to scrutinize her photographs in a critical way. The vibe he got off her was a positive one. Ingrid Prisby looked happy in the party pictures, drinking and letting go and all that, but she looked far happier in those photos where she volunteered. And she volunteered a lot: soup kitchens, Red Cross, USO, Junior Achievement. He noticed something else about her. All her pics were group shots, never solos, never portraits, never selfies.
But these observations brought him no closer to finding Corinne.
He was missing something.
It was getting late, but Adam kept plugging away. First off, how did Ingrid know the stranger? They had to be close in some way. He tho
ught about Suzanne Hope and how she'd been blackmailed over faking her pregnancy. The most likely scenario was that Corinne had been blackmailed too. Neither woman had paid the blackmail money. . . .
Or was that true? He knew that Suzanne hadn't paid it. She told him as much. But maybe Corinne had paid. He sat back and thought about that for a second. If Corinne had stolen the lacrosse money--and he still didn't believe it--but if she had, maybe she had done so to pay for their silence.
And maybe they were just the kind of blackmailers who told anyway.
Was that likely?
No way of knowing. Concentrate on the question at hand: How did Ingrid and the stranger know each other? There were several possibilities, of course, so he put them in order from most to least likely.
Most likely: work. Ingrid had worked for several Internet companies. Whoever was behind this probably worked for or specialized in the web--hacking or what-not--or both.
Second most likely: They met in college. They both seemed about the right age to have met on a campus and remained friendly. So maybe the answer lay at Rice University.
Third most likely: Both were from Austin, Texas.
Did this make sense? He didn't know, but Adam went back through her friends, keeping an eye out for people who also worked on the Internet. There was a fair amount. He checked their pages. Some were blocked or had limited access, but most people don't go on Facebook to hide. Time passed. Then he looked through her friends' friends who worked on the Internet. And even friends of those friends. He checked out profiles and work histories, and 4:48 A.M.--he saw the time on the little digital clock on the top bar on his computer--Adam finally struck gold.
The first clue had come from the Fake-A-Pregnancy website. Under the CONTACT US link, the company listed a mailing address in Revere, Massachusetts. Adam Googled the address and found a match--a business conglomerate called Downing Place that operated various start-ups and web pages.
Now he had something.
Scouring again through Ingrid's friends, he found someone who listed his employer as Downing Place. He clicked on his profile page. There was nothing much there, but the guy had two friends who also worked at Downing. So he clicked on their pages--and so on, until he arrived at a page belonging to a woman named Gabrielle Dunbar.
According to her ABOUT page, Gabrielle Dunbar studied business at New Jersey's Ocean County College and in the past had attended Fair Lawn High School. She did not list a current or past employer--nothing about Downing Place or any other website--and she had not posted anything on her page in the past eight months.
What had drawn his eye was the fact that she had three "friends" who listed Downing Place as their employer. It also stated that Gabrielle Dunbar lived in Revere, Massachusetts.
So he started clicking on her page, scanning through her photo albums, when he stumbled across a picture from three years ago. It was in an album called Mobile Uploads and captioned simply HOLIDAY PARTY. It was one of those quickly-round-up-before-we-all-get-too-wasted office-party pics, where someone good-naturedly asks everyone to pose for a group shot and then e-mails it or posts it to their page. The party was held at a wood-paneled restaurant or bar. There were probably twenty or maybe thirty people in the picture, many red-faced and red-eyed from both the camera flash and the alcohol.
And there, on the far left with a beer in his hand, not looking at the camera--probably not even realizing the photograph was being taken--was the stranger.
Chapter 38
Johanna Griffin had two Havanense dogs named Starsky and Hutch. At first she didn't want to get Havaneses. They were considered a toy breed, and Johanna had grown up with Great Danes and considered small dogs, please forgive her, semi-rodents. But Ricky had insisted and damned if he wasn't right. Johanna had owned dogs all her life, and these two were as lovable as all get-out.
Normally, Johanna liked taking Starsky and Hutch for a walk early in the morning. She prided herself on being a good sleeper. Whatever horror or issues might be plaguing her daily life, she never let them past her bedroom door. That was her rule. Worry it all to death in the kitchen or living room--but when you cross that portal, you flick a switch. That was it. The problems were gone.
But two things had been robbing her of sleep. One was Ricky. Maybe it was because he'd put on a few pounds or maybe it was just age, but his once tolerable snoring had become a constant, grating buzz saw. He had tried various remedies--a strip, a pillow, some over-the-counter medication--but none had worked. It had reached the stage where they'd been debating separate sleeping quarters, but that felt too much like a white flag to Johanna. She'd just have to plow through it until a solution popped up.
Second, of course, was Heidi.
Her friend visited Johanna in her sleep. It wasn't in a gory, bloody way. Heidi didn't turn into a ghostly figure or whisper, "Avenge me." Nothing like that. Johanna really couldn't say what exactly occurred in her Heidi-centric dreams. The dreams felt normal, like real life, and Heidi was there and laughing and smiling and they were having a good time, and then at some point, Johanna remembered what had happened, that Heidi had, in fact, been murdered. Then panic would take hold of Johanna. The dream would start ending, and Johanna would reach out and desperately try to grab her friend, as though she could keep Heidi there, alive--as though Johanna, if she tried hard enough, could undo the murder and Heidi would be okay.
Johanna would wake up with cheeks wet from tears.
So lately, to change it up, she had taken Starsky and Hutch for late-night walks. Johanna tried to enjoy the solitude, but the roads were dark and, even with the streetlights, she always feared that she'd hit a patch of uneven sidewalk and fall. Her dad had taken a fall when he was seventy-four and never fully recovered. You hear that a lot. So as she walked, Johanna kept her eyes glued to the ground. Right now, as she hit a particularly dark patch, she took out her smartphone and used the flashlight app.
Her phone buzzed in her hand. At this late hour, it would have to be Ricky. He'd probably woken up and either wondered when she'd be getting back or decided that maybe with all that weight he was gaining, he could use a little exercise and would want to join the dog walk. That was okay by her. She had just started out, so circling back with Starsky and Hutch wouldn't be a problem.
She put both leashes in her left hand and put the phone to her ear. She didn't check the caller ID. She simply hit the answer button and said, "Hello?"
She could tell from the voice that this wasn't a casual call. She stopped. Both dogs stopped too.
"Is that you, Norbert?"
"Yeah, sorry about the hour, but . . ."
"What's wrong?"
"I checked on that license plate for you. I had to do some digging, but it looks like it was a car rented to a woman whose real name is Ingrid Prisby."
"And?" she prompted.
"And it's bad," Norbert said. "Really, really bad."
Chapter 39
Adam called Andy Gribbel early in the morning. Gribbel moaned out a "What?"
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's six in the morning," Gribbel said.
"The band had a gig late last night. Then there were hot groupies at the after-party. You know how it is."
"Yeah. Listen, do you know anything about Facebook?"
"You kidding? Of course I do. Band has a fan page. We have, like, almost eighty followers."
"Great. I'm forwarding you a Facebook link. Four people are in it. See if you can get me addresses on any of them and find out anything else you can about the picture--where it was taken, who else is in it, anything."
"Top. I need the info yesterday."
"Got it. Hey, we did a killer version of 'The Night Chicago Died' last night. Not a dry eye in the house."
"You can't imagine how much this means to me right now," Adam said.
"Wow, this is that import
"On it."
Adam hung up and got out of bed. He woke up the boys at seven and took a long, hot shower. It felt good. He got dressed and checked the time. The boys should be downstairs now.
"Ryan? Thomas?"
It was Thomas who replied. "Yeah, yeah, we're up."
Adam's mobile phone buzzed. It was Gribbel. "Hello?"
"We got lucky."
"How's that?"
"That link you sent. It came from the profile page of a woman named Gabrielle Dunbar."
"Right, what about it?"
"She doesn't live in Revere anymore. She moved back home."
"Fair Lawn?"
"You got it."
Fair Lawn was only a half hour from Cedarfield.
"I just texted you her address."
"Thanks, Andy."
"No problem. You going to see her this morning?"
"Let me know if you need me."
Adam hung up. He started down the corridor when he heard a noise coming from Ryan's bedroom. Adam moved closer to the shut door and placed his ear against it. Through the wood, he could hear his son's muffled sobs. The sound was like shattered glass rolling across his heart. Adam rapped his knuckles on the door, braced himself, and turned the knob.
Ryan was sitting up in bed sobbing like a little boy, which, in a sense, he still was. Adam stayed in the doorway. The pain inside him, fueled by helplessness, grew.
Tears made everyone look smaller and frailer and so damn young. Ryan's chest hitched, but he still managed to say, "I miss Mommy."
"I know you do, pal."
For a second, a bolt of anger boomed through him--anger at Corinne for running away, for not staying in touch, for faking that damn pregnancy, for stealing the money, for all of it. Forget what she had done to Adam. That wasn't an issue. But hurting the boys like this . . . that would be far harder to forgive.
"Why isn't she answering my texts?" Ryan cried. "Why isn't she home with us?"
He was about to offer up more platitudes about her being busy and needing time and all that. But the platitudes were lies. The platitudes just made it worse. So this time, Adam settled for the truth.
"I don't know."
That answer seemed oddly to soothe Ryan a little. The sobs didn't suddenly stop, but they did begin to decelerate toward something more akin to sniffles. Adam came over and sat on the bed with Ryan. He was going to put his arm around his son, but somehow that felt like the wrong move. So he just sat beside him and let him know he was there. It seemed enough.
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SPR Prefix
It seems that the SPR prefix is just for the look of the gun. There is one entry in Borderlands\WillowGame\Localization\INT.gd_weap_combat_shotgun.INT for SPR :
[Body.body2 WeaponPartDefinition] PartName="SPR"
Maybe the number after SPR denotes the different weapon parts. In that case, the same is probably also true for other prefixes like GGNXXX for sniper rifles or TDXXX for SMGs. --Buckermann 13:29, November 2, 2009 (UTC)
I disagree to some degree to that; there are some weapons that have similar stats when they have for example GGN10 at the beginning. Some just have small adjustments, such as the damage, but there's not much more than that. I don't think that goes for all weapons, but so far I've seen that two guns have the same stats (except damage) when they have the same model. --Gourra (talk) 13:39, November 2, 2009 (UTC)
Agree with Gourra. I've tested which weapons that are identical in model, manufacturer, level, and devoid of any extras. The smg's only differed in looks and one had more damage. --Edit-- Oh just got a pair of h.guns, same deal again. --Freedom5515 14:52, 7 November 2009
Seperating the Info
It seems three different things are inserted into this Weapon by prefix article, weapon series, weapon prefix, and model numbers, is it possible we could seperate these on different pages, or at least seperate them through H3s, so we have all this information more organized. Also, could we put a link on the weapon page to this, as some might want to know this kind of info, and as far as I could tell, there weren't any links to this page except in the forum. Or like I started to, but was reverted, put these on their respective weapon pages, and cut the category listing of all known guns onto another page, that way we have one page dedicated to info about the weapon (that is linked from the weapons page), and then a link on that page to known weapons of that class. I find the meanings behind the numbers and names a lot more meaningful than a few of the many possible weapons, with unique weapons (boss drops) being the exception. Majora Kalasa 11:02, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
Well, it's hard to say how a weapon is, as the three things you mentioned affects how the weapon works. There's some prefixes that are always on just one weapon, so they could just stay there, and the general ones at the bottom. A manufacturer heading could be added that says how the model affects how the weapon works.
I think it's a good idea to only add the weapons who are special, such as Sledge's Shotgun and Patton, and let the other weapons that are generated get deleted. Sadly, that's the only way this will work, with even weapons of the same manufacturer and name having the same stats, the only difference being their quality. That's what I'm striving for with the Weapons by prefix article.
I could add it to the MediaWiki:Sitenotice that people shouldn't add any more weapons that are randomly generated, and only the named and unique ones. But I'll have to hear from the rest of the community before I do something like that. --Gourra (talk) 11:17, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
For what it's worth, I personally agree with that. -- Foxpound 11:39, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
Well I know they all affect what stats a weapon has, but they are all different things, much like Foxpound hits on the nomenclature, there are parts to a name that are all different, and I think they need to be separated on this list, as it makes it look a lot nicer, though it may be harder to find out what each part of the name does as far as the weapon goes, it is still a lot nicer looking, and far better for those who are actually interested in these kinds of things. Like how in the shotgun category, we have Angry (suffix 1), Scattergun (suffix 2), and SPR10 (model number) which one weapon could have all 3 of these, meaning we should separate them by these kind of categories, I can start this, just I don't want to see it reverted because someone disagrees with that kind of separation, the movement to weapon pages discussion can come at a later date, though I still think it should be done.
The only thing that bothers me though, is the model number, just because these would take the most time trying to get, as I have a feeling there a more of these than any of the suffixes.--Majora Kalasa 20:40, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
I'm all for doing that; for example there would be several headings like "Manufacturers", "Models", "1st suffix" and 2nd suffix", with maybe the odd heading like "Other" where there would be these C etc. --Gourra (talk) 22:51, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
One thing I have noticed though when doing some studying of weapons in vendors (due to the high amount of white rarities), is that the model number doesn't have any effect on the weapon stats, but it does have an effect on the visuals, I've found two RV11 Revolver (that was the whole name) one had a scope and +50% Reload Speed (Tediore) and the other just had -8% Recoil Reduction (Dahl), but I do know they looked similar, leading me to believe, that model number only has an effect on the basic appearance of the weapon.--Majora Kalasa 23:05, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
Yeah, the model number definitely doesn't have to do with anything else than looks. I found two Eridian cannons with the exact same stats and level requirement, the only difference being that one was 10100 and the other 10110, which made them look different. --Gourra (talk) 23:24, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
Actually, the "look" of a weapon does affect some stats like reload speed accuracy and clip size, but there are too many model numbers to list here. --Saphireking65 00:08, November 4, 2009 (UTC)
I don't see why though it should be kept on three different articles, while it could be all kept in one and the same article, making it easy to browse? Maybe I've missed something. --Gourra (talk) 23:52, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
Sorry about that, I put it back all on one page, the list was just kinda long when I put it all on one page, and will only get long as we add to it, because I know some of the names are missing from the list.
As for appearance, yes longer barrels do add up to stat differences, but Im guessing their is a base model setup in the game, and once the stats are generated for the weapon, the engine modifies certain parts of the gun to match with the increase or decrease in stats of the base gun. In other words, modelers created a gun, and setup certain areas that could modified to make it look more powerful, but the engine adjusts how much it is modified based on the end stats of the gun.--Majora Kalasa 00:17, November 4, 2009 (UTC)
You'd be wrong. Each weapon is generated from a set of parts, all of which have an unchanging look and stats that they contribute towards the whole. The weapons can be generated as 'boss drops' by having a preselected set of parts to give similar stats every time, but even these weapons will have some parts determined randomly (I've just farmed 5 Bone Shredders, and they all differ somehow). The Prefix and Title, are just another set of parts, and should be given seperate sections underneath sections for each weapon type, instead of having them all on one page. When the stats associated with each prefix are learned, then this page is going to get ridiculously long.
If you're trying to work things out by looking at the names of guns, and how they look in game, then you're going about things the wrong way. You should be looking at the components that make up a gun in the save game files, and the stats for those components in the game data files. This page is looking seriously out of date when compared to the likes of and --Polarity13jp 18:11, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
Weapons by prefix is kind of a bad name for this article. It's essentially the Weapon Names article. It lists what you can read in game and then come here a look up: the manufacturer, model, material, title or prefix. I think guns with identical names and different properties/graphics are beyond the scope of this page. --Raisins 19:22, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
Weapons Nomenclature
I've tried to gather a lot of information on the weapons recently, especially in the early game, as it's a good place to see a lot of "base" gear. What occured to me is that the manufacturer's name should be considered the prefix (it gives some basic bonuses), then the model name is just that, a name (think dagger, long sword, mace, etc.), and then the suffixes combination, giving the meat of the modifiers.
For example, the RF4 listed on the page is just the model name. Then you have the S&S or Tediore RF4: the first comes with +Magazine Size and +Damage, the second with +Reload Speed. I've seen both in two versions (4 guns total then), and they seem to randomly get a Weapon Zoom, so this seems unrelated to any prefix or suffix. The two S&S also have the Nasty suffix, which could be responsible for the +Damage. To be sure, one could search for a simple "S&S RF4 Repeater" (if that exists). To sum up:
Weapon Name = <Manufacturer> [<Manufacturer Tier>] <Model> <Suffix_1> <Suffix_2>
Now there are indeed those strange "C" or "B" really simple suffix. They could be manufacturer specific, and indicate a slightly improved version of the base weapon (i.e. start with 10-12 base damage instead of 7-9). That's only an assumption though.
Also note that I've seen (at least once) a weapon with a faster reload speed that wasn't listed on its card. I think it was a Rolling Sniper Rifle, and I could reload it in half the normal time without any mention of it on the card. Could be a bug, indeed, could also indicate a hidden property (the modifiers area on a card is only 4 lines long).
I also agree with Majora Kalasa, all this information can give a lot more meaning to the weapons one can find and we should organize the page as such (and maybe rename it to "Weapon Classification", or something along those lines). -- Foxpound 11:39, November 3, 2009 (UTC)
Why was Suffix_1 and Suffix_2 settled on instead of simply Prefix and Suffix? I know it seems odd to call it Prefix if things come before it, but the final word for the gun name tends to be the "type" of gun, and the second to final word tends to be a prefix title for said "type" of gun. Like, a "Thumper" is the "type" of SMG, and a prefix of "Double" indicates a variant of the basic Thumper SMG type. -- Eno Khaon 12:39, November 4, 2009 (PST)
I thought the same thing at first, but the two suffixes at the end, and the prefix all affect stats (as well as manufacturer tier to a degree) where as the model number, does not, making it seem like the root, and not suffix 2. For instance, an RV11 Bloody Revolver, and an RV11 Swift Viper, would look quite a bit alike if you discount the color, despite being 2 different types of revolvers, where as if you compare a RV11 Bloody Revolver to a RV30 Bloody Revolver, there would be quite a difference visually (barrel lengths might even be different despite having the same damage output and such like that). Regardless, maybe it can go either way, but this seemed to make more sense after awhile.--Majora Kalasa 21:04, November 4, 2009 (UTC)
Ah, that does make sense. I guess what it boils down to then is if how the gun looks is what matters or how it behaves (while two Thumpers might look very different, they tend to perform similarly). Rather, that would determine which base part of the gun weapon info would focus on (its model number and so appearance, versus its final suffix and so its general firing characteristics); I mean, I could be off base, and weapon model might have larger performance similarity than the final suffix... Regardless, I still personally feel Prefix and Suffix and more worthwhile terms than two numbered Suffixes, but I'm not going to change the entry just because of my personal preference. -- Eno Khaon 13:17, November 4, 2009 (PST)
Looks like there is a part we missed, noticed then when looking at the standard revolvers in the vender, some had no suffix 1 nor the right manufacturer to change their fire rates, yet somehow they were different, RV series had 1.3 Fire Rates, yet the DL series had 1.0 Fire Rates. This leads me to believe that Model is actually two seperate parts, [Model][Model Number], Model actually affecting the stats, while model number is actually the model, for example, a DL1 and an RV1 are actually going to look similar, but have slightly different stats. So start collecting letters.--Majora Kalasa 23:06, November 4, 2009 (UTC)
It may be even worse than you think. You missed material grades. Adding the info on that now. Also, when digging through the localization files, I found that apparently Gearbox uses the term prefix. See for some examples. -- Eno Khaon 23:58, November 4, 2009 (UTC)
Flavor Text Weapons
Does anyone else think they are limited to certain manufacturers, I know on the weapon page like, for example, revolvers (I get a lot of them what can I say), some are listed like Atlas Chimera or Dahl Anaconda, and Im starting think, any weapon with flavor text, is actually unique to that manufacturer, which goes along with something else Im seeing, the model is actually different with each manufacturer, the fire rate is the only thing that stays the same across the board except for the obvious manufacturers, but accuracy and certain suffixes only come with certain models, for example, I dont think I have seen a Liquid sniper, that isnt on a PPZ model, maybe even the same for wrath, or Swift Laws, always see them on AX models.--Majora Kalasa 20:12, November 5, 2009 (UTC)
Flavor text weapons (and so their suffix) are manufacturer unique, there's no question there. Some prefixes (like Liquid, or Plywood, or Weaksauce) also seem to be manufacturer unique (correct me if I'm wrong here as I'm far less certain in this regard, but so far it has held true for the guns I've scrutinized). -- Eno Khaon 20:19, November 5, 2009 (UTC)
Not neccessarily manufacturer unique (some might be, like swift or the obvious plywood), but some might be model unique, like Equalizers for example will only be on EQ model Revolvers, DEF on Shotguns for the Defender series, or Liquid being unique to only PPZ model snipers.--Majora Kalasa 02:09, November 6, 2009 (UTC)
Just for the record, I actually found a non-PPZ Liquid. It's an LB. I can upload a picture somewhere if you'd like. I'm guessing Liquid can be a prefix for either semi-auto Sniper Rifle. -- Eno Khaon 05:30, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
Guess we will have to split up prefixes and titles then, to reflect semi-auto rifles, and machine pistols, since it does seem they are affected by seperated nomenclature, the only thing is, legendaries, do they affect both, or just one side?--Majora Kalasa 18:55, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
The "legendaries" are also limited in the same way. -- Eno Khaon 19:48, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
Debug Display and Terms
Debug display command: dbm_ToggleShowDebug
The terms the game uses for "Suffix 1" and "Suffix 2" are Prefix and Title, respectively. Other than that, it looks like our terms match up, more or less. What're we're calling "Model" I think is the Body of the gun, and the "Model Number" is an amalgamation of other gun part values. -- Eno Khaon 06:40, November 6, 2009 (UTC)
Revolver - prefix type 1: Bloody
Anyone know if this is just a bug? I have 2 revolvers with the Bloody prefix but one of em shows +57% while the other shows -47% damage. The one with -47% has a higher damage when regular whites but nowhere near +47% either. Not sure how to update the page for this one. --Freedom5515 14:52, 7 November 2009
More testing needs to be done on the actual percentage, but depends on the title, the model, manufacturer, and the random stats sometimes thrown in there (I think model numbers has something to do with how many random things are messed with) you will sometimes get varied damage, despite being the same level, and the same prefix.--Majora Kalasa 18:30, November 7, 2009 (UTC)
Body Type 6
I got a Tediore Equalizer with regenerating ammo, and its body type is gd_weap_revolver_pistol.Body.body3_tediore_Equalizer, not gd_weap_revolver_pistol.Body.body6. This would be why EQ slipped through my testing - its body type didn't follow that pattern; rather, it was subset.
All Prefixes are decided by the bodytype, this being no exception. The EQ prefix is strictly determined by the body type being body3_tediore_Equalizer, irrespective of stats. I was able to get the EQ prefix on a Jakobs revolver in this way, and voila - it had ammo regeneration. Therefore, this isn't tied down to Tediore guns, although this bodytype should never appear on non-Tediore guns generated by the game. If it appears elsewhere, it was obviously hacked in.
Therefore, it's hard to figure out whether "Body Type 6" is really an actual, whole new bodytype, or if we go by the code, it's technically a subset of, in this case, Body Type 3.
More testing needs to be done. We must determine if the EQ prefix ever appears on guns WITHOUT ammo regeneration, or if it's strictly limited to regenerating Equalizers. We also need to determine where we're going to put this - as Body Type 6, or as a subset of Body Type 3 as the code indicates.
For the record, based on my initial one-gun test as mentioned above, the EQs have a higher damage than Body Type 5, but fire rates about identical with a Body Type 3. No idea about recoil - this gun didn't have a measurable recoil percentage I could use to check that - but if my notes are correct, a Body Type 3 gun will always have the lowest recoil, while a Body Type 5 will have slightly higher recoil. --Dark Pulse 15:16, November 7, 2009 (UTC)
Like many of the flavor text weapons, they are restriced in generation to certain manufacturers (Tediore makes all the ammo regen weapons, and they will only be found as such unless hacked). Defenders work in the same way, they always have that model type, DEF.--Majora Kalasa 18:21, November 7, 2009 (UTC)
Alright, I figured that was the case, but I just wanted to be 100% sure. I'll reword Body Type 6 so that it's a little clearer. Do you know if the subclassing for shotguns was similar to how it is for Revolvers? (e.g; was a DEF shotgun's body something like gd_weap_combat_shotgun.Body.body3_tediore_Defender?) As I only have one regenerating weapon (I sold/gave most of mine away since my Support Soldier already has ammo regen) and weapon creators don't really exist yet per se, we have to pool resources. I might not have it, but I'm sure someone out there does for now.
Be on the lookout for other ammo regenerating weapons, as well. --Dark Pulse 13:04, November 8, 2009 (UTC)
I dont know what file it came from, as I do not have the PC version, or else I would have looked up half this stuff already, hopefully Ill be fixing that problem soon, but regardless, if someone has made a weapon creator, this would solve a lot of back an forth on the editing page, as well as layout some base stats for several things (like with the PPZ sniper, those are the most common stats I have seen, magazine size being the only clip size I have seen on it) as well as hopefully equations for damage and what happens when a scope is added (for example, I found 2 BLR Cheap Repeaters, one had a zoom, the other did not, the scoped pistol had 3 less damage, 7.5 less accuracy, and .2 slower fire rate, but other than that, the exact same)--Majora Kalasa 02:33, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
I have found a exception to that, the pistol series of regenerators have BLR as their model type, which can be found on other pistols (that dont regenerate), which makes me think BLR is Body Type 3 for pistols (you only had TMP listed, and as a seperate class as Machine Pistol), any possible way you could get the actual order for pistols?--Majora Kalasa 04:57, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
I've found an Eridian Cannon and an Eridian Thunder Storm in game that have body 6. At least for the Cannons, only body type 1 caused a damage difference. --Lagged 08:30, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
Eridian prefixes
The ones on this page are wrong, at least for the Eridian Thunder Storms which have names shorter than 3 characters. No one seems to know how the naming patterns work, though. --Lagged 07:20, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
These are not the prefixes you are thinking of, Eridian weapons are unique, in that the model/model number only affect the visual style of the weapon, but as long as they have the same level requirement, and are the same title/prefix, they have the same stats. What is listed on this page, are the manufacturer tiers, when you sort your weapons by brands, the number by "Eridian" is the tier (so some might fall under the category Eridian 0010 for example), and these numbers are in fact correct (well, maybe not the level range, that has been a work in progress).--Majora Kalasa 08:21, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
Yeah, I was writing a reply to myself about it when I realized what the number actually referred to. The level requirements are actually only 19, 28, 37, 46, and 49: weapon proficiency causes the range. As far as I can tell, all Eridian weapons are technically one type of gun. There's evidence supporting this, including the fact that different Eridian guns have different model numbers, and that each gun uses a different barrel type. Further, the possible prefixes for the Eridian weapons are the first word of the name (Thunder, Eridian, Wave, Mercurial, Ball), and the possible titles are (Cannon, Lightning, Storm, Blaster).
We've been wracking our heads over how the model numbers actually correspond to the gun, since guns with the same model number can have different stats and gun parts. --Lagged 08:30, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
Like I said, model number only affects the visuals for Eridian weapons, as that has been the only difference between two that I had before, it probably outta be tested, but get two same named Eridian weapons (with exception of the tier) but have different leve requirements, if they look the same, then its true that model numbers for Eridian weapons only affects the visuals. Eridian weapons are actually more unique (Guild Wars style unique, ALWAYS the same stats) than the actual guaranteed drops (which have special names to them all, much like Guild Wars uniques, but unlike GW, they dont follow the stat rules)--Majora Kalasa 20:28, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
Well, the visuals are actually tied to a set of gun parts, which are tied to a set of hidden stats for the Eridians. We've at least figured out how the magazine really works, though the other body parts are more confusing. We had a set of three Cannons with the exact same model number on the page, but with different level requirements and stats. --Lagged 20:53, November 9, 2009 (UTC)
Prefix Overlapping
Its obvious that this happens, that the name doesnt tell you all of the prefixes on the weapon, but I do think that there can only be a max of three on the weapon, as there are three classes, and each overwrites the other, now its obvious that the Material Grades overwrite any other prefix, due to the fact all the various weapons that are use that as part of their name, tend to have elemental effects, and occasionally have similar stat effects that rival other prefixes. So I think the method goes like this Material Grade > Gun Type Specific > Elemental Effects, and I say this due to the line of Liquid Wraths that always have elemental effects, regardless of whether Wraths are supposed to (similar to Defilers, and Hellfires).--Majora Kalasa 08:38, November 11, 2009 (UTC)
Manufacturer Tiers
Ok, the lists say the the second highest grade is at level 40-49 and the highest is 50. But I just got a Maliwan Pure HX 12 C Combustion Hellfire which is level 48. I know about the weapon proficiency decreasing requirements, but I'm playing as Roland and never touched SMGs: I have exactly zero SMG proficiency.
Playing on PC, lvl 46. I have some Maliwan Paradigm guns in my inventory and know how to sort by brand, it is definitely lvl 48 and Pure. --Raisins 07:18, November 12, 2009 (UTC)
The tier level numbers are off. The highest tiers, for example, are all level 48 only (with the exception of Eridian weapons, which are 49 and only come from chests; dropped alien weapons are 46). -- Eno Khaon 07:51, November 12, 2009 (UTC)
The Eridian ones shouldn't be grouped as they have been. There are 5 tiers, each with a specific level requirement, not the ranges as suggested by the table headings. Does this apply to the other ones, as well? --Lagged 04:30, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
It's not wrong. The table lists all five and the levels fall in the given ranges. I'm not sure it's worth a separate heading to be more precise. --Raisins 04:47, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
The Eridian weapons' specific level requirements fall within the groupings listed, so I don't see much of a problem. I'm pretty sure regular manufacturers have set level requirements too but I don't see why that's important here. --Striator 05:13, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
I'm more concerned about proficiency level lowering the level requirement enough to cause the ranges to overlap. Does that happen? --Lagged 07:26, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
Meh, never mind. It's just nitpicking now. --Lagged 07:30, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
Any particular reason why they're called "Tiers" on the Wiki, but "Brands" in the game? --Lagged 19:23, November 21, 2009 (UTC)
Exclusive Weapon Manufacturers
For Combat Rifles, the brands each only make one type: Rifle (Dahl, Tediore, Hyperion) or Machine Gun (Torgue, S&S, Atlas, Vladof). Is this true for all weapons that have subtypes like pistols/shotguns/snipers what have you? If so, should we add them in? If we also collapse the Prefix and Title sections together, we could add this information and have only one heading for each type of gun instead of two. --Raisins 03:06, November 13, 2009 (UTC)
As far as I can tell, it is true, the weapons 101 page says it as that, though some things on that page we have proved wrong, but anyways, and Im starting to think some prefixes are even manufacturer specific besides material grade and quality type ones.--Majora Kalasa 07:45, November 14, 2009 (UTC)
Seems to be increased Accuracy and/or reduced recoil. Need some more confirmation, though. ··· Danny Pew Pew 07:57, November 20, 2009 (UTC)
99% sure it's increased accuracy. I have seen Vipers without recoil reduction but none yet without +% accuracy. --Raisins 08:04, November 20, 2009 (UTC)
'Max' prefix?
Shouldn't the "Max" prefix be included (for fully automatic combat rifles)? SQron 16:49, August 18, 2010 (UTC)SQron
I've never actually seen this prefix in-game. I was under the impression that guns with it were modded, although I could be wrong considering I've never seen any 'Short' rifles or 'Twisted' SMGs (though I do find SMGs with other prefixes that fire twisted bullets). -Wannas 23:08, August 15, 2010 (UTC)
Here is an example of a machine gun with the prefix (it is not modded or anything). I've found it while farming some on playthrough 2.5 as Hunter (Scavenger). Also I don't have any of DLCs installed.
[For clarity - this is a different post from the unsigned post above] I have also found a Max machine gun, I was wondering if anyone could tell me exactly how the prefix changes the characteristics of the gun. Found it today on playthrough 2 (Siren, lvl 51), it dropped from a dead Crimson Lance in Crimson Fastness. Even if no one knows what it does, it seems like 'Max' ought to be added to the wiki page. - Chimble
Body Type 3 - Elemental?
Through my playing experience I've begun to notice that certain body types have elemental parts (only through visual inspection and the elemental multiplier though). If they spawn without an elemental accessory they are white instead of the element's colour. For example, all SMGs with the TEK body will have a white or elemental part of the body visible in the inventory, and while wielded in-game.
However I think that ALL Maliwan bodies have elemental parts, which explains why no Maliwan weapon has a multiplier less than x2. By visual inspection I've also noticed that some other manufacturers have body parts with elemental modifiers other than Body Type 3 (in particular S&S shotguns, and Tediore Body Type 6 uniques) but I'm unsure about it. -Wannas 23:08, August 15, 2010 (UTC)
I don't understand what you're trying to say with the body parts, but the increase in Maliwan tech is due to the material, not the body. Bodies are weapontype-specific, materials are manufacturer-specific. nagy talkScorpio-fulllog 00:46, August 16, 2010 (UTC)
I'm sorta putting my theory out that all weapons with Body Type 3 which spawn with an elemental accessory have an increased tech pool (thus a possibly higher elemental multiplier). For example, an elemental shotgun with Body Type 3 (eg. "ZX11 Static Shotgun") will almost always have a x2 or higher multiplier. But you're probably right about Maliwan's tech increase being from material rather than body type. -Wannas 02:22, August 16, 2010 (UTC)
Maliwan 'Obsolete'?
I noticed this in this page's section on Material Grades...I can imagine if it exists in-game it never appears because the Elemental prefix that comes with any Maliwan gun overrides it. But does anyone know whether it exists? The only way to tell would be either to find two white guns with different colour schemes, or some serious code digging. Anyway if this is the case then it'd be worth a note. -Wannas 14:25, August 31, 2010 (UTC)
| <urn:uuid:666f8b25-b7e5-46f7-a341-4c3cfde2fff9> | https://borderlands.fandom.com/wiki/Talk:Weapons_by_prefix_(Borderlands)?oldid=139753 | en | 0.964181 | 0.072929 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Level Submission timers
Anyone know how to change the submission timers on a stream? For example, I only have a few subs right now, and the timer only lets them submit levels every 30 minutes…I believe they are allowed 2 at a time.
Just wondering if i can modify that for now, and change back once i become a super famous streamer and have billions of subs…
Nevermind, I found it. | <urn:uuid:59ab50e4-e9e9-4d01-8a62-f145bd5c2d96> | https://forum.warp.world/t/level-submission-timers/2868 | en | 0.921663 | 0.041401 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Hackernoon logo7 Programming Concepts Everyone Should Know (With Code) by@karan.02031993
7 Programming Concepts Everyone Should Know (With Code)
Author profile picture
@karan.02031993Karan Jagota
| Software Engineer | Python | Javascript | Auto-Ml Enthusiast
Hi Folks , Hope you all programming geeks are doing good. Today, we will discuss about the basic programming design principles and concepts that everyone should be aware about while developing a software . Well, Software Development ain’t easy. Programming/coding can be a real daunting task if not done in the right way. Hope you guys will like this post . So, without wasting time lets get started . [ i will be using JavaScript in here but you can use whatever language you are comfortable with ! ]
In this post, we will discuss about :
1. Classes and Objects
2. Constructors
3. Static Methods
4. Recursion
5. Loops
7. Libraries/Modules/Packages (All mean the same thing)
Classes and Object:
A class is a blueprint for creating objects . It has member functions and member variables. And an object is an instance of class . One can access class member functions and variables with the help of object .
Constructor :
It is a special method that is used to initialize the newly created object and is called just after the memory is allocated by the object.
class Person{
console.log('Hello from' + ' ' + name);
const p = new Person('karan'); // Output Hello from karan
Static Methods / Static Functions
They are indeed one of the most important methods that i use . They belong to the class itself. They can be used without the instance (object) of a class. They don’t modify the behaviour of our class but is very powerful when want to view certain data etc Just add static in-front of a function .
Recursion :
Recursion is a technique where a function calls itself . Their is a termination condition called the base condition which stops the recursive action .
class MathematicalOperation{
console.log('Mathmatetical operation class');
return x*x;
if(x==0 || x==1){
return 1;
return x*this.factorial(x-1);
static available_methods(){
console.log('This class has two methods. Square and factorial.');
const m = new MathematicalOperation; // output Mathmatetical operation class
console.log(m.square(5)); // output 25
console.log(m.factorial(5)); // output 120
MathematicalOperation.available_methods(); // his class has two methods. Square and factorial.
Loops :
Loops in programming languages is a feature which facilitates the execution of a set of instructions repeatedly while some condition evaluates to true.
a = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10];
// For of Loop
for (let i of a){
// While loop
let j = 0;
while(j < 10){
OOPS (Object Oriented Design)
It is a methodology or paradigm to design a program using classes and objects. Main Components of OOPS are Encapsulation , Abstraction , Inheritance and Polymorphism . Lets look at them closely —
Encapsulation: Encapsulating every thing about an entity inside a class. ie. Putting functions and data members inside a class.
Abstraction: Abstraction is a very important concept in oops . It simply means that you are hiding the important things inside the class and provides only the necessary or relevant information that you want to show through a object . (It hides the details of implementation)
Inheritance : It is a concept where a class acquire properties of a child class . We can extend this child class and use already defined methods that are in the base class / Parent class . The main purpose of inheritance is to provide reusable code and help you achieve DRY
class Person{
this.name = name;
this.gender = gender;
return this.name;
return this.gender;
class Male extends Person{
class Female extends Person{
// creating objects ...
const m = new Male("karan");
const f = new Female("Anna");
// checking results ...
console.log(m.getPersonGender()); // male
console.log(m.getPersonName()); // karan
console.log(f.getPersonGender()); // female
console.log(f.getPersonName()); // Anna
Polymorphism: It generally means ability to take many forms . There are generally 2 types of Polymorphism — compile time and run time .
1 . Compile time : Function Overloading is an example of compile time polymorphism. Same function name different parameter data types .
2. Run time : Function Overriding is an example of run time polymorphism . Let’s look at an example.
class Overriding{
console.log('this is print function');
console.log('this will override the above print function');
const override = new Overriding();
override.print(); // output : this will override the above print function
Library / Package / Module (All mean the same thing ):
It is just a function or list of functions that are wrapped around or are written for repetitive work . Generally, SDE either worked with libraries or they create their own . Automating the boiler plated code .[ Most Important ]. Every programmer should know how to create a library else he would spent a lot of time in writing same code again and again and again and again ….
That’s it for this post. I hope you liked it . Once again, thank you for taking your time and reading this post. Good bye | Take Care | and keep coding
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by Hrayr Attarian, Chicago Jazz Magazine
The stimulating Wonderment is a truly collective effort by three intrepid musicians: violinist Zach Brock, bassist Matt Ulery, and drummer Jon Deitemyer. Each is an innovative composer and a brilliant improviser in his own right; together they have created a captivating work that showcases their individualities yet remains seamlessly synergistic.
Brock plays the folkish theme of the title track, one of his four contributions to this album, with graceful elegance. Hints of dissonance pepper his yearning and undulating improvisation. Ulery joins Deitemyer for rumbling and effervescent vamps, echoes Brock with his arco lines, and solos with virtuosity. The tune closes with a smooth and thrilling return to the head.
Ulery, who also composed four of the pieces, features his characteristic cinematic ambience on his own “Levelled.” The passionate and muscular group interplay, the poignant violin/bass duet over Deitemyer’s thundering beats, and Brock’s haunting refrains lead to a delightfully dramatic tension. The result is deeply intriguing and brims with vibrant ideas.
Deitemyer penned a tetrad of originals for the session as well. His whimsical “Wokey Dokey” opens with playful exchanges among the trio members. Brock’s violin soars over his bandmates with exuberance and breathtaking agility. Ulery retains a light touch to his intricately constructed extemporization—marked by lithe lines and clever, crisp phrases. Meanwhile Deitemyer’s rumbling polyrhythms usher in the exciting conclusion.
Despite the inclusion of a variety of motifs, Brock, Ulery, and Deitemyer rely on their fourteen years of collaboration to maintain the release’s thematic unity. On Brock’s darkly hued and multilayered “Yge Bieve,” for instance, a gypsyesque romanticism permeates the melancholic tones of the violin. Meanwhile, Ulery builds a tense and complex crystalline solo. Dietermyer drives the music with a boppish agility—without disturbing the overall ethereal, Eastern-flavored mood.
Impeccably recorded at Transient Sound in Chicago, the disc is singularly inventive and deeply absorbing. Its balanced performances, crackling with spontaneity and lyrical melodies, are both provocative and moving—making the music simultaneously accessible and intellectually satisfying.
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