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War Horse Themes
War Horse Themes
The Bond Between Horse and Human
From the outset of the novel, the deep and enduring bond between a horse and his rider or owner is both emphasized and revered. From the moment Joey arrives in the stable he and his human friend Albert are emotionally bonded, finding ways in which to communicate that allow them to get to know each other in a profound and genuine way. Albert has a special whistle noise that he makes to call Joey to him and it is this whistle that proves to his superior officers that the horse they have brought in years later is indeed his horse; the fact that Joey recognizes it is an illustration of this bond. Although Joey does bond with subsequent riders the love he and Albert share is lifelong and genuine. The bond between human and equine characters is also illustrated in a more general sense when Joey describes the intense relationship between his fellow artillery horses and their soldiers.
The Futility Of War
At the start of the novel the futile nature of war is dealt with in an abstract sense, with people in the farming community talking about news from the front and of young men they are acquainted with who have gone off to war. They also still carry hope that the war will solve problems and be a short lived route to victory. Later as the young men do not come home and more sons are sent to the front the futility of the battle starts to resonate with those still at home.
When Joey is riding with the German artillery he is surprised by the bond he forges with his rider and admires his character and strength; he tells the reader that he believes the soldiers in both armies are essentially the same and they are killing each other for reasons that they do not understand or believe in. This is reinforced after Joey escapes the battlefield and becomes trapped in "no man's land"; soldiers from both sides work together to free him safely, getting to know each other and finding much common ground as they do so. The fact that these men who work together so effectively and who have a great deal in common then return to their trenches and resume shooting at each other is a perfect example of the futility of their situation - they are not true enemies but given orders to kill as if they are.
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| <urn:uuid:bf55fe15-28a8-4f53-a537-f12d41621c74> | http://www.gradesaver.com/war-horse/study-guide/themes | en | 0.977841 | 0.072479 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Trailer Park Friday: It's Up Front Week Which Means NEW TELEVISION SHOWS!
If you stop by regularly, you will have noticed that I've been really off schedule. I blame home improvement project bleeding into the work week and a weird sort of eye infection thing that made extra time on a computer uncomfortable, but things are winding down so hopefully I'll be around more regularly.
This week was Up Front Week. For those of you not obsessed with television like me, it means this was the week when all the networks previewed their new shows for the fall and midseason. Now I can obsessively plan the ridiculous amount of television I will watch in the near future. Here are some of the shows I'm most eagerly anticipating.
First up is the show I am most excited about watching and I can't imagine the trailer not being at Comic Con. That would be, of course, ABC's Agents of SHIELD and it has lots of Coulson awesomeness to go around.
Continuing with ABC, there is Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, which has an awful title that made me incredibly leery of this Once Upon a Time spin off. Then I watched the trailer and it actually looks really entertaining despite it's Suckerpunch-esque conceit. Plus Alice looks like she might be able to handle herself when in trouble, which is always nice to see.
Resurrection looks like a movie, not a series. I don't know how you expand this into a long running series, but it may be worth a viewing.
Now to Fox. They really only have one show that I'm excited about, but I'm REALLY excited about it. Karl Urban + android sidekick = HELL YES! Unfortunately it won't come on until mid-season. It's called Almost Human and makes me very happy.
The CW is packing their schedule with more sci-fi and urban fantasy shows since that's what keeps the lights on over there. Here is a scene from The Tomorrow People for all of you who needs more Arnell in your life beyond Arrow as it stars that Arnell's cousin, Robbie Arnell. It doesn't look like anything new, but it does look kind of cool for second tier network television.
Another CW show, this one is called Star Crossed and is essentially about insanely attractive aliens with facial tattoos getting integrated into a high school. Enevitably the hottest alien boy will fall for the most attractive human female and it'll be some badly veiled metaphor for acceptance. I just hope it's better than the movie version of I Am Number Four.
The CW has a couple of other new shows that sound interesting. Unfortunately the clip for The 100 - about a ship of 100 deliquents being returned to a post-apocalyptic world after 100 years - looks pretty bland. The others are midseason shows and don't have clips available yet (or at least that I've been able to find).
I'm not exactly CBS' target audience and I find most of the shows that have some sort of trigger that may appeal to me eventually become boring and flat. But there is one show coming up in midseason that looks pretty cool and not just because Josh Holloway is going to star in it. He is some sort of spy with uber crazy robot intelligence and of course he's a badass. This show is uncreatively called Intelligence.
And finally there is NBC, which is filling it's slate with cop dramas and horribly generic comedies. They do, however, have Dracula, which looks like it would be much better on pay cable and probably won't last on network television, but I will most likely enjoy the hell out of it while it's around.
There are a bajillion other new shows coming out in the fall. EW has great coverage and all the new trailers and clips. What new show are you most excited about seeing in the fall? | <urn:uuid:057fb5d4-e66a-430f-8bf8-e93551806947> | http://www.workingforthemandroid.com/main/2013/5/17/trailer-park-friday-its-up-front-week-which-means-new-televi.html | en | 0.976398 | 0.188173 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Assistant City Attorney II
City of Alameda, East Bay
For more info contact:
[email protected]
(510) 747-4900
Close Date: Jan 13, 2014
Salary: $131,479.00 - $159,814.00 Annually
Under general direction assists the City Attorney as legal counsel for the City, and in administering all phases of City legal work; performs specialized and complex legal work in connection with significant legal issues or critical specialty areas; performs other related work as requiredThis classification is established above other attorney classification series, providing for an elevated level of decision making associated with complex and specialized legal services, requiring expertise and in-depth knowledge of human resources, real estate, public utilities, redevelopment, development of former military bases, risk management, public works, public safety, planning and building, finance, and/or parks and recreation. Work may involve assigning, supervising and reviewing the work of subordinate attorneys.
1. Acts as principal counsel in specialized legal matters such as those pertaining to human resources, real estate, public utilities, redevelopment, development of former military bases, risk management, public works, public safety, planning and building, finance and or parks and recreation.
2. Directs specified program area activities of the City Attorney’s Office.
3. Represents the City and its officers and employees in litigation as necessary, including preparation of pleadings, briefs, motions and other documents; appears before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.
4. Negotiates and drafts and/or approves complex and routine ordinances, resolutions, contracts, deeds, leases and other legal documents and instruments.
5. Performs legal research and prepares complex and routine opinions considering the actions, powers, duties, functions and obligations of the City Council, City officials, City departments and various agencies, boards and commissions.
6. Provides legal assistance to various agencies or boards.
7. Confers with and renders assistance to department heads in establishing departmental policies by applying legal points and procedures; recommends changes in policies and procedures to meet legal requirements.
8. Assists in or prepares cases for administrative and judicial hearings and represents the City in such hearings.
9. Coordinates and supervises the work of outside counsel engaged by the City for special legal issues and litigation matters.
10. Represents the City Attorney at various City Council, board and commissions meetings and in court as assigned.
11. Responds to citizen complaints and requests for information.
12. Serves as Acting City Attorney as required.
13. Assists in budget preparation and administration as assigned.
14. Supervises, trains and evaluates assigned staff attorneys and support staff.
Possession of the employment standards does not assure advancement to the Examination or placement on the Eligible List. This is a competitive examination where a candidate’s performance in the Examination will be judged in comparison with the performance of other candidates. To be considered, applicants must possess the following:
1. A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
2. Member in good standing with the State Bar of California.
1. Five years of progressively responsible governmental law experience as a practicing attorney in California, including substantial experience in a lead capacity.
Knowledge of legal principles and practices including civil, criminal and administrative laws and procedures; judicial procedures and rules of evidence; methods of administrative laws and procedures; judicial procedures and rules of evidence; methods of legal research; law and practices related to municipal government; principles and practices of public administration; specialized knowledge in areas such as to human resources, real estate, public utilities, redevelopment, development of former military bases, risk management, public works, public safety, planning and building, finance and or parks and recreation.
Ability to effectively perform and administer all phases of City legal work including those requiring specialized knowledge; analyze, appraise, and apply legal principles and precedents to difficult legal problems; conduct legal research, prepare sound legal opinions and a variety of legal documents; demonstrate effective leadership; develop and implement goals, objectives, policies, procedures, work standards and internal controls; review and analyze complex and technical information; draw valid conclusions and project consequences of decisions and recommendations; set priorities and meet deadlines; interpret, apply and explain rules, laws, regulations, policies and procedures; issue instructions, directions and orders; analyze situations and make quick decisions requiring sound judgment; maintain level of knowledge required for satisfactory job performance; establish and maintain accurate records; prepare concise, comprehensive reports; communicate effectively; act with resourcefulness, courtesy and initiative; exercise independent judgment; establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, public officials, community organizations and the general public; assist in budget preparation and administration; supervise, train and evaluate assigned staff.
PART I: A review of all application materials, including the City Application form, Supplemental Questionnaire, and a current resume, to identify those applicants who meet the minimum requirements for acceptance into the exam. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed City Application forms. FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE OR RESUME WILL REMOVE AN APPLICANT FROM CONSIDERATION.
PART II: A Job Related Qualifications Appraisal Interview (weighted 100%). A comprehensive review of each candidate’s technical knowledge and overall suitability for the position will be conducted. Candidates receiving a score of 70% or more will have their names placed on an Eligible List. Placement on the Eligible List does not guarantee employment. The City Attorney shall make an appointment from the Eligible List. Prior to appointment, a reference check will be conducted. Federal law requires that, prior to employment, you must furnish proof of your identify and eligibility for employment in the United States, such as driver’s license, original Social Security card, US passport, or appropriate INS forms, etc.
1. Apply ONLINE at or
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| <urn:uuid:29d015cd-bfad-4c25-afe2-5245d1adb803> | https://calopps.org/ViewAgencyJob.cfm?ID=15995 | en | 0.883629 | 0.030092 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
On SharedAwarenessSystem, AlexSchroeder and BayleShanks wonder aloud why it seems so much fun to program for free, yet not so much fun to program for money.
What prevents programmers from having fun and getting paid for it ?
(1) could eventually be dealt with by commoditized financial derivatives designed to smooth earnings (a form of “job insurance”).
(2) could be helped by more organizations/corporations devoted to taking care of things like matching programmers up with jobs, and doing billing, helping with legal issues, etc (like; but they closed).
I’ve collected some other ideas for organizations, and a few similar organizations, at .
Should I move that list here ?
DavidCary 2004-02-27 02:09 UTC
(see SoftwareBazaar for more replies to this thread)
Programming for work doesn’t suck because you’re getting paid for it. You’re getting paid for it because it sucks.
People only pay you to do things that you wouldn’t otherwise do. That’s why they pay you. It’s incentive. It tips your personal cost-benefit analysis in favor of doing the task they need done. If you were doing it anyways, they wouldn’t give you money for it. They’d save that money and buy ice cream with it.
I don’t think there’s a way to find work that’s enjoyable like play is. I think it’s a pernicious myth: there’s a job out there for you that’s fulfilling, fun, and well-paid, and you just need to find it. The corollary being that if you are working in a job that is not your personal dream position, then it’s nobody’s fault but your own.
That dream job, in fact, does not exist. The trick instead is to find jobs that give you the most buck for your bang, and apply your energy to non-work activities that are enjoyable and fulfilling. Yeah, it’s kind of depressing to realize, but at the same time it’s kind of freeing. You’re under no obligation to find fulfillment in the labor market, just like you’re under no obligation to find fulfillment in paying your taxes or taking out the trash or any of the other tasks that you have to do even if you don’t like them.
That’s certainly true for many jobs. Nobody wants to do them without some kind of compensation, yet lots of people want them to be done, and are willing to pay cash for the benefit of avoiding doing those jobs themselves.
But there are at least 2 exceptions that I know about:
• Some jobs I cannot do. I don’t have the right tools, I don’t have the right training, I don’t understand the language, or there is some other reason I cannot do that particular job, at least not this year. These jobs may be fun for the people who put in the time and effort required to collect the right tools, get the necessary training, learn the lingo, etc.
• Some jobs are fun for other people. Some appear to genuinely enjoy the great outdoors, bright sunlight, flowers, birds, that sort of thing. Some people enjoy working with horses. Some people appear to enjoy standing in front of a group of people and making them laugh. Some people enjoy floating around in the sort of micro-gravity that makes other people nauseous. Some people enjoy using expensive military hardware to blow things up.
• (any other exceptions ?)
In other words, rather than paying these people to do something no sane person would do for free, I pay them to tip their cost-benefit analysis into doing my fun job rather than someone else's fun job.
:Above all, find ways to have more fun. There’s no evidence that people produce more when they hate work. …
:Ignore anyone who says you’re paid to be miserable or that having fun at work is tatamount to ripping off the company. … Just keep in mind the difference between pleasure in work and the joys of sabotage or revenge. … add a little zest, fun, or humor to your work …
:For example, there are Southwest Airlines flight attendants who lace preflight safety announcements with large doses of stand-up comedy. It’s more fun for employees, and more likely to get passenger’s attention … Or the young worker at a tool and die company whose design for a new riveting machine made it almost as much fun as a video game: “…. could you load the rivets fast enough to keep up with the machine? …”
:– Escape from Cluelessness book (c) 2000 by Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal
(Is this excerpt short enough for FairUse ? – DavidCary)
You came up with some great examples (although the programming example is the best) of the false syllogism of “enjoying your work”. Here’s the rough outline:
#I enjoy being in the outdoors. #A job as a park ranger requires being in the outdoors. #THEREFORE, I would enjoy being a park ranger.
The fallacy here is not realizing that a job that requires situation X also require situations W, Y, and Z. Being a park ranger isn’t just about nature hikes and sniffing flowers: there’s paper work, there’s road clearing, there’s hours in the office, there’s getting pushed around by bureaucrats and politicos and logging companies and such. There’s shooting sick bears. There’s picking up trash. There’s isolation and loneliness.
If you’re a park ranger, you don’t look out at all the visitors to your park and think, “Man, those SUCKERS! I get to do the exact same thing as them, and I get paid for it!” Park rangers don’t get paid for enjoying the outdoors; they get paid for all the other crap they wouldn’t do otherwise.
Another example is being a prostitute. If you like sex, why wouldn’t you become a prostitute, right? But you don’t get paid as a prostitute to have sex with people who you care about or who you find sexy. You get paid to have sex with someone you don’t know and you wouldn’t have sex with otherwise.
Now, a more realistic way to put it is this: if you have to put up with situations W, Y, and Z anyways, why not get situation X out of it? Like, if you’re going to have to sit in a fluorescent-lit office for 8 hours a day, shuffling papers and dealing with meetings, why not do a job like that where you also get to do some programming? The enjoyment is a condiment in the otherwise bland and ucky soup of work life. It may make it better, but, hey: it’s still work.
Some people seem to have more fun at some programming jobs than others.
I sort of hoped someone had figured out why that is. Or otherwise figured out ideas for making below-average jobs a little more fun, even if there is some minimum amount of ickyness common to all paying jobs.
(accidental ickyness and essential ickyness – analogy with Wiki:NoSilverBullet)
(A link to studies on why programmers in some environments are more productive than programmers in other environments would be good.)
How can we encourage people to hire programmers ?
Some ideas seem to require quite a few programmers to work together to implement:
Other ideas only require 2 programmers to cooperate:
I want everyone to BrainStorm? up a few dozen crazy ideas, then test out a few of the most promising-sounding ones.
I want everyone to help collect and share a list of proven-to-work ideas.
Wellll, I guess I question your premise: that there are programmers having fun at their jobs. I was a programmer for 15 years, and I never met one.
Programming is fun. Programming for money is not. And it’s inherent in the reasons people would pay you to program.
But, y’know, I’ve done enough of my Jacob Marley imitation, I guess. If you really think programming for money can be as fun as programming for pleasure, more power to you. I hope it works out, although I know it won’t.
Lastly: why would this be on-topic for CommunityWiki?
I guess organizing groups of people so that they can both earn money and have fun at the same time would be on topic, don’t you think? The particular programming focus is just due to our professional background-bias. :) I’ve been talking a lot about having fun and still earning money with other people such as my girlfriend who teaches bellydancing, for example. I also talk about it at work a lot, where I’m one of the “old hats” and I’m trying to teach the newcomers something about how to organize their lives around their working life instead of beeing eaten alive by the company. There are management issues, organisation of teams, organisation of your own time, separating family life and hobbies from work (or not!), etc. From this point of view, the messages above are just unorganized shots in the dark, rambling and full of programming-bias, but it could eventually expand into an interesting section of the wiki.
“If they have to bribe me to do it,” a person might figure, “it must be something I don’t want to do.” -- Alfie Kohn (found on Wiki:ForBestResultForgetTheBonus )
I’m so happy I found the Creating Passionate Users blog In particular, the Never Underestimate the Power of Fun post. It makes me suspect that I can adjust the “fun slider”.
So what’s this about ?
Alan Watts's Work as Play video talks about this. His solution is to treat your job as a game. He uses a bus driver as an example. He has to remember all the traffic rules, avoid other vehicles, and maneuver a cumbersome vehicle around corners. However, he can look at it another way: as a very subtle game, or as dancing. Getting from point A to B is no longer something to hate, but something to enjoy.
From the The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell:
But how about the second part of Santayana’s definition: “done for its own sake”? By this he seems to mean “we play because we like to.” As trivial as it sounds, this is an important characteristic of play. If we don’t like to do it, it probably isn’t play. That is, an activity itself cannot be classified as a “work activity” or “play activity.” Instead, what matters is one’s attitude about the activity. As Mary Poppins tells us in the Sherman brothers’ wonderful song, Spoonful of Sugar:
In ev’ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun.
You find the fun and snap!
The job’s a game.
But how do we find the fun? Consider the story that psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “Chick sent me high”) relates about how factory worker Rico Medellin turns his job into a game:
approaches his event: How can I beat my record?
This shift in attitude turned Rico’s job from work into play. How has it affected his job performance? “After five years, his best average for a day has been twenty- eight seconds per unit.” And he still loves doing it: “‘It’s better than anything else,’ Rico says. ‘It’s a whole lot better than watching TV.’”
What is going on here? How does simple goal setting suddenly redefine an activity we would normally classify as work into an activity that is clearly a kind of play? The answer seems to be a change in the reason he is doing the activity. He is no longer doing it for someone else, he is now doing it for his own personal reasons. Santayana actually elaborates on his definition, stating that upon further examination:
Work and play ... become equivalent to servitude and freedom.
When we work, we do it because we are obligated to. We work for food because we are slaves to our bellies. We work to pay the rent because we are slaves to our safety and comfort. Some of this servitude is willing servitude, such as willingness to earn money to care for our families, but it is servitude nonetheless. We are doing it because we have to, not because “we feel like it.” The more obligated you are to do something, the more it feels like work. The less obligated you are to do some- thing, the more it feels like play. Stated differently, “It is an invariable principle of all play … that whoever plays, plays freely. Whoever must play cannot play.”
Interesting, musicians play, even if they do it as a job. I did it as a musician for long. No matter how bad the payment is, the moment the maestro lifts the stick you “play”. And you do it the best you can. Always. It’s that work - play transformation you’ve got to learn to be a musician / a wiki person.
See also
Define external redirect: BrainStorm
EditNearLinks: FairUse | <urn:uuid:4a5fd183-3c2f-44bc-a157-e3b65e98599c> | https://communitywiki.org/wiki/ProgrammingAtWorkIsLessFun | en | 0.962546 | 0.056023 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Through a Glass Darkly
Event | Reviews | Comments
© Courtesy of the Artist and Mihai Nicodim Gallery
Lara (twice), 2011 Oil on Masonite 46 X 56 Cm Each © Courtesy of the Artist and Mihai Nicodim Gallery
Hand, 2011 Mixed Media on Canvas 67 X 56 In. © Courtesy of the Artist and Mihai Nicodim Gallery
Through a Glass Darkly
Curated by: Jane Neal
571 South Anderson Street
Suite 2
Los Angeles, CA 90033
June 25th, 2011 - August 6th, 2011
Opening: June 25th, 2011 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
downtown/east la
Tue-Sat 11-6
film, sculpture
Mihai Nicodim Galleryis delighted to present “Through a Glass Darkly. Curated by the British art critic and curator, Jane Neal, the exhibition brings together four of the most dynamic and intriguing young artists working in Europe today: Tim Braden, Daniel Pitin, Ciprian Muresan and Hugo Wilson. The title of the show is taken from a verse in the Bible (1 Corinthians 13). It references the blurry confusion of life in light of the future clarity of heavenly perspective. The phrase also served as the title for Ingmar Bergman's 1961 film involving four characters, each of whom offers an insight into the mind and actions of the others, thus serving as a kind of “mirror”. Taking place on a bleak Swedish island over an intense, 24 hour period, the film charts the descent into madness of Karin, the main protagonist, and witnesses the often desperate actions of the remaining three characters: Karin's husband (and psychiatrist), her absentee father and her highly-strung brother. Karin's obsessive watching of the wallpaper in her room, and her “fate” at the hands of the men in her life has prompted comparisons to be drawn with Charlotte Perkins Gilman's chilling short story: The Yellow Wallpaper (first published 1892).
The artists in this exhibition were all aware of both the Biblical verse and the film. The intention behind the show was not to call the artists to respond directly to either verse or film, but for them to have in mind something of the atmosphere or motivation of each. The four artists work in distinctly different ways: Braden in paint, Pitin in paint and film, Muresan in drawings, film and sculpture and Wilson in paint, drawing and sculpture; yet each is concerned with something of the sensibilities outlined above.
Tim Braden has always interpreted the phrase "through a glass darkly" as referring to both the fog of memory and the haze of experience. For him it is closer to the notion illustrated by the analogy of Plato's cave (where shadows seem more real than the people). What Baudrillard would later call the simulacra; where objects become more real than their referents. In cinematic terms this is interesting in the case of actors playing famous real life people (as opposed to fictional characters), whose identities they sometimes take over. Braden had been looking at director Peter Watkins' epic film of the life of Edvard Munch (which coincidentally happened to be one of Bergman's favourite films). Braden made a portrait of the actress playing Lara, Munch's sister. The painting is one of a number of works made by Braden where actors stand in for artists (or their friends or family), based on their physical similarity to their painted portrait “doppelganger”. Braden “borrowed” Lara Munch to illustrate and act as Karin in Bergman's film (which Braden himself has not actually seen, though he has experienced a stage version of the film at the Almeida theatre in London). As he explains, 'After a while it all starts to become a little “foggy''. Yet the layers of representation involved in the depiction of someone playing the role of a person known only from paintings, become more intriguing through these complexities.
Daniel Pitin remembers “Through a Glass Darkly” as a film where the characters are trying to face something hidden and potentially dark. As he says, “the struggle of the actors in the film is one we all have at times. Everyone is confronted with unpleasant or unhappy feelings or situations. In the film itself there is kind of melancholy. All the actors have to spend time on the island, and this could be interpreted as a metaphor for artists closed in their studios and facing their memories and life experiences. Something hidden that wants to be discovered and seen, publicly recovered.” Yet Pitin is wary of interpreting art solely through psychology, finding it boring when art is explained away in a narrative manner as a kind of Freudian theory. For Pitin, art more closely resembles a theatre play where the viewer can participate in the experience; knowing it to be an illusion but one that can fully engage the emotions, summoning fascination, disappointment and the reflection on personal experience. He likes his work to be open to interpretation, close to his and others' memories, yet mixed up with crime films and documentaries; mise en scenes that draw together the fictional, the virtual and the real. Pitin is particularly interested in crime films because of the role of the detective. For Pitin, the detective is someone who has access to all levels of society while not belonging to any of them. He has the power to subvert the social strata and to unearth secrets, guilt and longings. Of late Pitin has come to realize that when he incorporates imagery from film he is actively seeking to break down and through the “still” in order to deconstruct the space or the image itself. He does this in various ways: sometimes by ripping or burning paper and canvas, sometimes by adding to the surface in order to disrupt it. In Pitin's words: “it is a strange process”. The image is destroyed and forgotten then it re-emerges on the canvas, transformed - with all the marks and history of the journey. It is, says Pitin : “As if the motion picture is trying to defend its fixed position on the canvas and so fights with the painter. Once the painter starts the break down the image it is as if it wants to disappear, leaving only a trace of its original essence behind like a clue in a crime scene”. This tantalizing glimpse of 'evidence' is enough to enroll the “audience” in the game of playing detective, prompting them to question what is happening in the work and what has taken place. The situation is heightened by Pitin's attraction to situations where, he says: “you are neither here nor there”. Like the desert, the stage or a boat it is somewhere in the between, in common with Foucault's heterotopia of the mirror, a strange land beyond knowable boundaries. Recently Pitin has begun to work in film, producing experimental narratives such as “Dinner with Malevich” which obliquely references the creeping influence of dark matter as it infiltrates the heart of a family and spreads beyond into society. A vein of brooding trouble pulses through much of Pitin's new work with paintings such as “Blue Angel” (inspired by Joseph von Sternberg's film that charts the demise of a school teacher after he falls for a dancer) capturing an overwhelming sense of the inevitability of fate.
Ciprian Muresan blends humour with dark and knowing poignancy. His work often involves the translation of literary models into imagery, sometimes into the form of drawings, and at other times into film, or both. Muresan's researches into communist and post communist culture have resulted in classic films and animations adapted and mediated through current popular culture, and sculptural works that cleverly but subtlely engage with a pertinent past or present issue. One of Muresan's recent sources of inspiration is the Tale of the Troika (Сказка о Тройке). A 1968 satirical science fiction novel written by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, the book pokes fun at both Soviet bureaucracy and over-emphasis on science as a means for the evaluation of almost everything. Although the novel itself was not directed against the state per se - and it is fair to say a number of the points it picks up on also resonate with global bureaucracy today and the field of contemporary scientific research - it was not “approved” under Soviet rule. The Strugatsky brothers' story sees the world divided into innumerable floors, connected by elevators that are permanently broken down. No one seems to know much about anything above floor thirteen, then one day, two scientists are sent up to the 76th floor, to “The Colony of Unexplained Phenomena”. Here they find the Troika, a ruling triumvirate not of three, but of four men, has seized power. The Troika seeks to rationalize away unexplained phenomena - even such strange things as Gabby the talking bedbug who proposes a new era of peaceful “coexistence between man and bug”, or Old Man Edelweiss, the visitor from Outer Space who has 77 parents of 7 distinctly different sexes. In Muresan's version, the story becomes a series of drawings adapted from the tale. These drawings are in turn subjected to a bizarre “scientific experiment”. Muresan “arranges” for them to be run over, so that, we assume, any evidence of 'unexplained phenomena' can be removed. In an added twist the artist keeps the remains, literally “framing the evidence”: which, though mangled, nevertheless provides a window into a strange and bizarre world.
For Hugo Wilson, the Corinthians passage: “Through a Glass Darkly” is a concept that resonates with much of his work. Wilson feels that the very human need to categorize and explain what is around us; the desire to try and work out “the plan” is particularly fascinating in the context of history. Most especially he is interested in the period when no scientific “facts” were readily available, yet nonetheless, attempts were always made, (often driven by systems of belief) to organize and create hypotheses. Of late, Wilson has been investigating “the Doctrine of the Signatures” (a philosophy shared by herbalists from the time of Dioscurides (6th Century) that states that herbs which resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that body part.One example is the snakeroot, believed to antidote snake bite, others are lungwort and wormwood which were understood to cure intestinal parasites). As Wilson explains, this philosophy really took hold thanks to the support of theological justification. It was reasoned that God must have set His sign upon the cures that He provided. So the common names of many plants whose shapes and colors reminded herbalists of the parts of the body they were believed to heal, have been retained. The concept was developed further by Paracelsus (1491-1541) and published in his writings.
The doctrine of signatures was spread by the writings of Jakob Bohme (1875-1624), who suggested that God marked objects with a sign for their purpose.
For Wilson, the theory (which was taken as medical fact for over one hundred years in Europe), is a clear example of how human nature is willing to put “blind faith” in “facts” that might not, in the end provide answers. It prompted the artist to wonder whether modern theories or facts such as the human genome project will in the end turn out to provide the answers it is believed to contain. Wilson's new work involves taking specific examples from the doctrine and placing them into a context of either religious or scientific illustration. Combining the context of 16th Century religious painting with the kind of imagery more usually associated with scientific illustration, Wilson evokes the spirit of 16th Century Catholic painting (when demonstrations and Biblical illustrations often had to be imparted to largely illiterate congregations).
Marrying his interest in science past through delicate depictions of “Eyebright” and “Snakeroot” with painterly allegory, Wilson has recently configured a homage to Hieronymus Bosch by re-working his allegorical table of the seven deadly sins. Wilson's version is a table of lunacy. It demonstrates the phases of the lunar cycle and its possible affects on everyday life in terms of fertility, sanity, tidal systems and even alcohol intake. Interestingly, as Wilson observes, in today's increasingly secular world, people are more likely to trust in the possible effects of the lunar cycle on their lives, than in the will of God. Yet even this suggests an in-built human need to be governed by greater forces, as despite contemporary man's faith in science, the desire to believe we are not entirely responsible for our fate is both a reassuring and seductive one. | <urn:uuid:1cfb41fe-f215-4696-b885-f907b7035bd0> | https://www.artslant.com/la/events/show/167103-through-a-glass-darkly?tab=EVENT | en | 0.954858 | 0.041584 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Mega Car Playmat £9.98 @ B&Q
14 May 2010
carmat If you have boys then these playmats are almost compulsory purchases
My family has a lot of history in motorsport and as soon as any of us were old enough to hold or push anything, we've been driving toy cars around carpet race tracks (we used my mum's clothes pegs to line out a course) and parking our prized sports cars in garages (old shoe or cereal boxes!).
The one day my mum bought my oldest son one of these playmats (not this exact one obviously, he's more into driving full-sized cars now) and the days of homemade carpet race tracks were changed forever!
We've had loads of them over the years and I can safely say that it's worth paying a bit more than just a couple of quid for them. This one's nice and long at just a smidge under two metres and it's a metre wide so there's plenty of room for lots of cars, lorries, tractors and all of the other associated car 'stuff'.
There's no delivery to pay as you can only collect it instore but with a B&Q on almost every corner this is hardly going to be a chore!
Thanks to victoria12345 over at HUKD
What do you think?
Your comment | <urn:uuid:e9b26bc2-ce38-4eb6-b22b-80d36e4651cc> | https://www.playpennies.com/deals/mega-car-playmat-998-bq-10901 | en | 0.978731 | 0.042503 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Pot Odds
• gchain
Joined: 09.05.2010 Posts: 10
When we use the ratio method, it appears to me that we are wasting important data in our approximations.
For example, in the strategy tutorial for pot odds, the question is:
- Do we make a lucrative call on our draw?
. We hold 54 clubs suited.
. The board is: Qs 7h 6h
The pot is 8$ and the opponent bets 2$.
Q: The answer given to this question is that Calling and Folding hold the same value, based on pot odds.
We need pot odds better than 5-1.
We have 8 outs out of 47 cards, that is roughly 5-1.
So the odds are the same.
However, I don't believe in this explanation based on these stats:
8/47 = approx 0,17%
10/2 = 5 --> 1/5 = 0,20% --> We pay 20% of the total to get 10$
In order to be lucrative or at least break even we should be paying only (in the minimum for break even) 0,17% of the total.
• 14 replies | <urn:uuid:e90e4560-0498-481c-a24b-9f75dbebfacd> | https://www.pokerstrategy.com/forum/thread.php?threadid=339449 | en | 0.927003 | 0.966123 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Great Deal
The ladies of Busy Bee’s have done it again! This table and set of 4 chairs are a fantastic price so they can move it FAST!
011811 001
$70 for the table AND all 4 chairs! Can’t beat that deal!
011811 002
See you downtown!
1. are you kidding me?!?!? how do they do that? i will not buy them, i will not buy them . . . oh i don't believe me either!
2. Good thing you didn't believe yourself! This itm is sold to Paige! | <urn:uuid:a0287a2f-32ab-4372-8bb0-27dc8c00eee0> | http://artifactsemporium.blogspot.com/2011/01/great-deal.html | en | 0.920273 | 0.035474 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Anti-Americana: Enemy of Humanity
From 1983, a poster from the Cuban "Anti-Imperialist Tribunal of Our America." Bearing completely still-relevant text, it reads:
Charge: Enemy of Humanity
Reward: Peace, Sovereignty, Freedom
In a country where the media narrative routinely suggests down is up and up is down, it's worth remembering how warped American perspective is. Things look different from outside our borders. U.S. foreign policy isn't quite the gift to world progress it's made out to be.
In compiling the beginnings of a reading list on the Occupy movement, I ran across this brilliant passage:
"The American population, the 1% of the world, is wrapped in a skin filled with memory we must shed. Memory of false historical narratives, of manipulations we knowingly uphold, of dreams about “making it” and of an existence that seems to have stopped evolving. These false memories require our collective insomnia. We are not at the end of history, as some would have us believe. Our current society does not represent the best we can do. There is nothing inherent to human beings that allow some to achieve financial success by their own volition and others to remain stagnant in reaching an acceptable quality of life."
That's by Sandra Mae Nurse, from the article "On Losing Fear and Complacency" in issue 2 of the Occupy Wall Street theoretical journal Tidal, downloadable here.
"Anti-Americana" is a series featuring Anti-American propaganda art here at The Cahokian.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
The Benghazi Circus: Is There Anything There?
Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi! (to the tune of "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia"). Meme floating around Facebook.
Question: Why has there never been a coup d'etat in Washington, D.C.?
Answer: Because there is no U.S. embassy there.
Not a new joke, but appropriate in the light of this week's congressional hearings into the "terrorist" attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last September 11. Republicans are up in arms, trying to implicate President Obama and now former Secretary of State and presumed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in something resembling a scandal. Increasingly shrill, Republican politicians and conservative pundits are claiming that there's something here worse than Watergate, the actual scandal back in the early 1970s that revealed illegal activities in President Nixon's reelection campaign.
It's obvious the primary Republican motivation is "gotcha," a continuation of their base, and often deeply racist, campaign against the country's first black president. We're all used to seeing how when Obama says "yea," they say "nay." It's a tiresome spectacle, especially because Obama's underlying positions are often much closer to those of the Republicans than anyone cares to acknowledge. But it seems to me clear that the Obama administration is indeed engaged in a fairly clumsy attempt to muddy the waters over the Benghazi incident. There's some leaked e-mails showing an attempt to get the administration talking points just so, and an effort to explain the odd spectacle of Obama's sleazy U.N. diplomat Susan Rice being shuttled around the talk show circuit to soft-peddle what was, from their perspective, a minor diplomatic disaster.
Of course there's the standard Republican hypocrisy. One need only recall the unheeded message "Osama Bin Laden determined to strike inside the U.S." from a presidential briefing in August 2001, that George W. Bush was never seriously held responsible for; or the hundreds of large and small attacks on American diplomatic properties that have taken place in the last couple decades. And there's little discussion of Republicans cutting back on the budget for diplomatic protection. So in one sense, scandal, schmandal. This is a routine Washington sideshow. These are all sleazebag politicians, Republicans and Democrats alike, looking not for truth but looking to make — or cover up — hay.
But I think it's a fair question to ask why the Obama administration stuck to a trivially unimportant talking point, that the Benghazi consulate was spontaneously attacked during a protest against a crude anti-Islamic American film rather than attacked as part of a planned action by enemies of the United States.
Iranian revolutionaries display captured evidence of CIA spying at the occupied US embassy in Tehran
Question: What do you call the destruction and burning of a U.S. embassy?
Answer: A good start.
I think two things happened in Benghazi that the administration would not care to admit. First, that post-NATO regime change Libya was full of people not so apparently grateful for U.S. intervention; and secondly that the so-called U.S. Benghazi Consulate was something more than just a diplomatic installation. Indeed it seems that one of the objectives of the Benghazi attackers was to liberate prisoners who were being held at the consulate. The question must be asked: Was the Benghazi Consulate actually a CIA black site?
As the exposure of the nest of spies in Tehran back in 1979 by heroic Iranian students revealed, so-called American diplomatic installations are actually and commonly hotbeds of espionage and subversion. For decades and decades all over the world, U.S. embassies were hosts to coup plotters and schemers to manipulate foreign governments to the will and interests of the United States. In the post-911 era of the so-called war on terror, it would surprise noone to learn that the web of CIA black sites — off-the-public-grid facilities where suspected "terrorists" could be held, interrogated, tortured, or worse, often with the assistance of local repressive secret police agencies — would include American facilities in hotspot countries like Libya. There's already a public record of the CIA working with repressive governments, ironically including Libya's Gaddafi who it eventually helped overthrow, and Syria's Assad, to interrogate suspected terrorists. It would seem to me shocking and counter-intuitive to think the Benghazi consulate was NOT such a blood-soaked station of international repression.
The new Libyan government was embarrassed by the attack on Benghazi (the state-department socialists of the North Star blog, big supporters of the NATO intervention, even ran an embarrasing apologia for the attack.) With the establishment of a U.S. drone base in neighboring Niger, one suspects that spying eyes will be quick to foil any future "terrorist" attack against U.S. interests in Libya.
The real lesson of Benghazi is that U.S. imperialism has a proven record of covert and open manipulation of foreign governments. As far as I'm concerned, the destruction of the consulate there was another case of chickens coming home to roost. To me the real outrage is that other U.S. diplomatic facilities elsewhere all over the world are engaged at this very minute in acts of subversion, control and exploitation. That's what imperialism does, and that's not a truth one should expect to come out of the congressional Benghazi circus.
Perhaps there's some perverse pleasure to be taken in watching corrupt, war-mongering politicians in Washington bloody each other: I for one have no interest in choosing between creepy racist Republicans and Hillary Clinton/Susan Rice/Barack Obama. But ultimately scandals like this one are ugly spectacles that demoralize and depoliticize people. One day we'll put all those buildings in Washington, built by forced labor of black slaves, to good use.
Friday, May 03, 2013
Hands (and Drones) Off Assata Shakur!
Crossposted from Kasama. Since I wrote this last night, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement has already reported that a giant "wanted" billboard has gone up in Newark, New Jersey. What an obscenity! Assata has been living peacefully in Cuba for THIRTY YEARS. What does it mean that she has now been labeled a "terrorist"?
Today the Obama administration's FBI added black liberation fighter Assata Shakur to its list of "Most Wanted Terrorists." They doubled the million-dollar price on her head; and she becomes the first woman on the list. Fortunately Assata Shakur is living free in Cuba after being liberated from a federal penitentiary in 1979, but it's clear her life is in mortal danger. Labeling Shakur a "terrorist" is a declaration of war against all dissenters and revolutionaries, and sets her up for murder at the hands of the state with complete impunity. It's also evidence of the continued bullying relationship between the United States and its anti-imperialist Caribbean neighbor, Cuba.
If Assata Shakur can be labelled a terrorist, so can anyone who has raised their fist against the empire.
Assata Shakur is a survivor of the vicious COINTELPRO campaign that attempted to smash the Black Panther Party and its offshoots in the 1960s and 1970s. Dozens of heroic black liberation fighters were murdered outright or sent away to prison for long sentences: the U.S. government was determined at any cost to smash a movement that refused to play by liberal rules. She was repeatedly framed with apolitical crimes she had nothing to do with; she went underground but was arrested in 1973 when the car she was a passenger in was attacked by New Jersey State police; and was very seriously wounded while trying to surrender.Democracy Now quotes a letter Shakur wrote to the Pope on the occasion of his visit to Cuba in 1998:
"At this point, I think that it is important to make one thing very clear. I have advocated and still advocate revolutionary changes in the structure and in the principles that govern the U.S. I advocate an end to capitalist exploitation, the abolition of racist policies, the eradication of sexism, and the elimination of political repression. If that is a crime, then I am totally guilty."
But what Shakur is not guilty of is terrorism. Indicted ten times by the government for supposed crimes ranging from bank robbery to murder and kidnapping, Shakur's only conviction was her final one, by an all-white jury, stacked with family members of cops, who ignored the copious medical evidence that showed she was shot while she had her hands held up high. This accusation of "terrorism" reflects the new reality of U.S. imperialism under Bush and Obama: with drone technology it's a license to kill.
In Occupy/Ocupemos Sunset Park, we closed each of our General Assemblies by linking hands and reciting Assata's words from her 1973 statement, "To My People":
"It is our duty to fight for our freedom.
It is our duty to win.
We must love each other and support each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains."
Assata is our hero. We must be vigilant, and protect her and the freedom-fighter legacy she represents.
Check out Common's "Song for Assata" on youtube:
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Happy May Day, 2013!
In honor of May Day, known as International Workers Day, here are the words of Jiang Qing, last wife of Mao Zedong, at her trial as a member of the "gang of four" in 1980: "Making revolution is no crime! It's right to rebel!"
This is appropriate for us in the U.S.A. where, in full Orwellian fashion, even though this country is the birthplace of May Day via the Haymarket martyrs, it's referred to as "Law Day," or even more grotesquely, "Loyalty Day."
Fuck loyalty. Fuck the law. Celebrate revolution!
In the words of two great revolutionaries, "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win." - Karl Marx and Frederick Engels | <urn:uuid:07cde1a4-6c6c-45d5-9927-95d8e1083ec6> | http://thecahokian.blogspot.com/2013_05_01_archive.html | en | 0.960913 | 0.044791 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
What is the true measure of supplier quality? Is it the number of defective parts that elude inspection and make it all the way to customer plants?
Or is it the total number of defective parts the supplier generates? Many in the industry are talking about scrapping the measurement of defects -- commonly known as ppm, or parts per million -- altogether.
Consider also that parts that appear to be defect-free can still fail in the field, and automakers argue that that also should be part of the quality equation.
As industry sages wrestle with the next method of measurement, the automakers' dream of 100% perfect supplier quality is locking horns with their other goal of low-cost components and systems.
Suppliers, on the other hand, are starting to understand the extent to which defects have an adverse effect on the bottom line.
Harold R. Kutner, General Motors Corp. vice president of worldwide purchasing, is among the most vocal advocates for change. "Ppm is not an acceptable measurement," he says, pounding his first on a conference table for emphasis. "Defects are not acceptable anymore. We contract for perfect parts."
In media interviews and on the banquet speaker circuit, Mr. Kutner proclaims the need for a "pharmaceutical mentality" in the supply base. "When you buy a bottle of aspirin, you expect every pill in the bottle to work," he says. "It doesn't cost more to give us perfect parts."
Mr. Kutner's counterpart at Chrysler Corp., Thomas T. Stallkamp, agrees and says his organization is currently working on ways to measure supplier quality, other than the ppm scale. Other quality experts and supplier analysts concur that a "pharmaceutical mentality" would be helpful, but that it's almost like comparing apples to oranges.
"The high-quality, high-technology, semi-conductor-like equipment used in the pharmaceutical industry can't compare with a 6,000-pound stamping press," says Marc Santucci, a supplier analyst with ELM International Inc. "Having the mentality of the pharmaceutical industry is great, but the reality is that there are other competing forces that prevent you from reaching these goals."
Mr. Santucci notes that continuing pressure on costs often deter suppliers from using the highest-quality raw materials and the most precise manufacturing processes.
Yet there are a few companies delivering parts with zero or near-zero defects. One, Magna International Corp.'s Decoma Exterior Group, has several zero-ppm facilities and has won GM's top Supplier of the Year award for the last two years.
"Companies that have low ppms today are either very, very diligent or have a robust design that is easy to make and a manufacturing process that is consistent," says Ivan Chambers, a quality expert with Monro & Associates Inc., a consulting company.
If suppliers are diligent in confining defective parts, says Mr. Chambers, they "need a test behind a test behind a test." Not to mention a repair facility in the plant that he refers to as "the hidden factory."
"It gets very, very frustrating doing it that way," he continues. "Companies are putting their best and brightest on defect containment and they're burning out and having nervous breakdowns. They should be using the best and the brightest to drive out the root causes of defects."
Mr. Chambers says a company delivering 6,000 ppm (what he calls a Four Sigma condition) wastes 25% of each sales dollar on extra labor, inspections, tests, equipment, repair, excessive cycle time, floor-space and inventory.
"Most organizations aren't even aware of all of these costs," he explains. "They haven't begun to recognize all of the non-value-added containment activity resulting from defects in design and manufacturing. These represent a huge bank account that can be used to invest in design and process improvements and win back lost markets, profits and jobs."
The statistical equivalent to zero defects, says Mr. Chambers, is a Six Sigma condition, which is equal to 3 or 4 ppm. And even if a company delivers near-zero defects to its customers but still actually produces defects, there is a lot of waste in containment that directly effects the bottom line.
Mr. Chambers lists four basic steps that lead to Six Sigma. The first is to get the customer to define the part's absolute functional requirements. Step two is determining the true manufacturing capability of the company's manufacturing processes. The third step is teamwork and negotiation between the supplier's own manufacturing and design departments and the customer. Step four is coming up with new thinking on how to accomplish the functionality required by the customer. "When you get the customer involved in the activity, it's easier to produce zero defects," he says.
ELM International's Mr. Santucci agrees that designing parts to overcome the weaknesses of less-costly raw materials and manufacturing processes is critical, but stresses that inspection also is vital to improved quality.
"You have to inspect," says Mr. Santucci. "You start losing tolerances when tools start to wear out -- not when they wear out.
"Yes, you can operate with the pharmaceutical mentality," concludes Mr. Santucci, "understanding the real-world situation and the prices the industry is willing to pay." | <urn:uuid:b03a3d81-2a81-4495-82c4-d0728743a5a0> | http://wardsauto.com/news-analysis/quality-questions-industry-looking-new-ways-evaluate-suppliers | en | 0.961469 | 0.053409 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
10 best states to retire
• It's a study that will warm Joe Namath's heart. The erstwhile football star has been pitching a Tennessee real estate development, emphasizing the state's affordability for retirees. Now a financial planning website called BankRate.com has released a ranking that puts Tennessee at the top of their list of best states for retirees.
BankRate's analysis aimed to look at all the economic questions that the site's readers would be most interested in, from the cost of living to taxes, says Chris Kahn, the site's statistics and research analyst. But it also evaluated crime rates and health care access. The results are surprising -- far from the Sunbelt states that lure millions of retirees a year.
The thing to remember, he adds, is that there are a lot of non-economic factors -- like where your friends and family live -- that will also have a big impact on where you'll be happiest in retirement. "Go where your heart desires, but prepare," he says. "A lot of the popular places to retire like California, Florida and New York are going to require a lot more financial preparation than the places on this list."
Here are the 10 best states to retire, according to BankRate. | <urn:uuid:d8eb81a2-b9c6-47a1-90b0-074448b3804b> | http://www.cbsnews.com/media/10-best-states-to-retire-57582820/1/ | en | 0.951141 | 0.050398 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Lumbar puncture sitting up - image description
This illustration shows a person having a lumbar puncture. They are sitting up and leaning over a table, with their back towards us. Their elbows are resting on the table. It also shows the hands of a doctor holding a syringe. The needle of the syringe is positioned over the middle of the lower part of the persons back (where the spine is). | <urn:uuid:db61f872-b4e6-42f3-afff-b9063424262c> | http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/images-long-descriptions/lumbar-puncture-sitting-up.html | en | 0.923984 | 0.08218 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Call in leaders with iron in their souls, for democracy has failed in Africa
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Posted Saturday, November 10 2012 at 16:54
There is a saying that most things, including war and illness, begin in the mind. The idea is often invoked in connection with why some people are successful in life while others fail or achieve below their potential. Barack Obama’s recent successful bid for a second term at the White House got me thinking. Whatever the broad thrust of the story each of them weaves, books about President Obama tend to have a common thread running through them: From very early in his life, he never considered failure to be an option.
As a blanket claim, though, the idea that people who fail generally do so as a result of their own fecklessness and that those who succeed do so exclusively because of their own individual efforts, would be a bit of a caricature. Things are never that simple. It is, nonetheless, true that the pursuit of success, whichever way it is measured for each individual, demands of those who seek to go all the way to have that extra strength of character, that extra nerve, that “iron in the soul.”
The iron imagery is quite apt, as it conveys a sense of the robust and unbendable. Which is why it is not for nothing that people who succeed or at least those who have the nerve to pursue their visions, especially in politics, often end up with such epithets as “strong man,” “iron lady,” or “iron man”. And this is where one should not get carried away with the idea that stubborn pursuit of political visions is necessarily a good thing. We know about the monumental disasters some of the world’s iron men have visited on their own countries and humanity in general.
There are, however, some that, personal foibles aside, have left a mark because of the great, often transformative achievements they have made in their lives. To mention a few, think of Otto von Bismark of Germany, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Park Chung-hee of South Korea, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, Deng Xiaoping of China and Margaret Thatcher.
A key factor in the success these iron people achieved was the space they had in setting themselves goals and pursuing them with single-minded focus, or the capacity they had, for whatever reason, to resist external and internal pressure to change course.
Which brings me to two questions that, if it was up to me, I would have Africans spend more time debating and thinking about critically, while taking care to neither ignore nor parrot standard, mainly imported, views. Why has Africa been such a failure over the past half century of independence? How can it be helped? About three decades ago the blanket answer was that the problem was over-centralisation of power by governing elites, and lack of elections, seen at the time as what defined democracy. The cure, it was argued, was reform by way of decentralisation that gave ordinary Africans a say in how they were governed, within competitive, adversarial political systems where election winners took everything and the losers nothing.
It is the kind of politics, for example, that has just returned Obama to the White House and sent Mitt Romney back to his businesses. With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that the advice and pressure behind those reforms was based on wrong-headed notions that paid no attention to local conditions and assumed that all societies could be governed on the basis of supposedly infallible universal theories.
Three decades on, some countries have successfully held elections, albeit amid acrimony that has left thousands dead or maimed. Others, however, have exploded into violence, leaving ordinary people yearning for the “good old days without elections” or when elections, though not the type recommended by “good governance” experts, would end peacefully, allowing normal life to go on afterwards.
Equally significant is that Africa’s new democracies have been almost universally incompetent at providing ordinary people with the public goods or services they need to live dignified lives. Democracy in Africa, more accurately described as “competition for power without responsibility,” has only allowed poverty to become more entrenched, even as experts and those who love mimicking them continue claiming that it has empowered ordinary citizens and placed them at the centre of decision making.
It is probably too hasty to claim that democracy as such has failed in Africa and call for leaders with “iron in the soul.” Perhaps the starting point should be to try and come to some understanding about what democracy means or should mean, whether definitions should be context-specific and therefore differ from one country or geographical context to the next. Also, given Africa’s experience over the last 30 years, does it make sense to continue believing or claiming that there is one universal answer to the question of how it can achieve success? | <urn:uuid:8f7e40af-dc2c-4944-927f-fad7742ff759> | http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/Call+in+leaders+with+iron+in+their+souls/-/434750/1616976/-/s8xqipz/-/index.html | en | 0.973599 | 0.210846 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Neal Stephenson on Emacs
News: Neal Stephenson on Emacs
1. Neal Stephenson on Emacs (19 messages)
Someone on twitter pointed out Neal Stephenson's statement on emacs this morning. He had high praise for it. It's ridiculous. Emacs and vi are great for... what?
Here's the statement quoted:
He lost me at "I use emacs," had me back at "thermonuclear word processor," lost me at "created by Richard Stallman." (Thought Bill Joy had something to do with it, though.)
Look, I get that emacs doesn't do everything Word does, and probably 90% of Word focuses on features nobody uses; I turn off some of the things that annoy me like that damned autocorrcet stuff. And the ribbon, don't get me started.
Actually, yeah, get me started. Look: emacs and vi might make you feel like you've nine inches in your pants, but in the real world, we have these common user interface things, where we know that the "File" menu has a "Save" menu option in it. Sit a monkey in front of a computer and ask him to crank up Word and Emacs. In Word, he'll have Hamlet long before he even figures out how to exit Emacs. Same for vi. Sure, all they do is edit text... and require you to learn a wired set of commands that make no mnemonic sense.
Sure, you bring up XEmacs. But the Emacs purists see XEmacs as being less good than Emacs. So what that tells me is that Emacs people like having a cathedral they can live in. You can't come in unless you memorize the secret codes, right? ^X ^S, or ^K ^Y, or meta-m 412 meta-c c c 7. Then comes the secret handshake and you're in, unless you get caught by the dogs in the yard.
Vi isn't any better.
Look, if you're using one of these editors, more power to you. But have the courtesy to save your praise: it only means you're waving your superiority flag as hard as you can, because otherwise you'd have wasted the time you took to learn how to, like, SAVE FILES.
Threaded Messages (19)
2. Neal Stephenson on Emacs[ Go to top ]
Seems like a heavy handed statement on your part. Neal is excited about Emacs and the functionality that it provides to him. What's wrong with him tweeting that? Your post amounts to telling him "So what, Emacs is complicated, shut up about it." That could be said for almost any editor worth using.
It's simply his preference. Let him sing it to the world if he so chooses. Nothing wrong with that. You're post makes it look like you have a grudge. Maybe you're jealous that he figured out Emacs and the power it has and you haven't?
3. lowest common denominator[ Go to top ]
What you are saying is that you like the "lowest common denominator" editors... the ones that have been dumbed down so that anybody can use them. That's fair enough, nothing wrong with that, but if you had seen a true emacs power user in action, you would understand why it's special.
I can't stand emacs myself, I use vi (and I'm certainly no power user), but I can appreciate a truly powerful tool when I see it.
4. submitter is clueless[ Go to top ]
Emacs is an operating system pretending to be an editor.
You youngsters have no clue what you are talking about, if you are actually comparing Word with Emacs.
And if you can't remember shortcuts: Every modern version of Emacs has a file menu.
And all the commands are self-describable and can be found using a single shorcut: M-x
You even get completion.
And now get off my lawn, newb.
PS: VI fans, this time we are on the same side in this eternal struggle :)
5. Mayhew on Emacs[ Go to top ]
You sound like a kid trying to rake up a fight in the school yard. Halfway through your post I'm wondering what point it has. Then, at the end you say, basically: "Use emacs, good for you, but don't tell anyone why you find it useful." Huh? What kind of childishness is that?
6. Mayhew on Emacs[ Go to top ]
Man. And you also neglect to mention that Stephenson wrote those words in 1999, a world away from the current tools that are available. I'm not taking anything away from emacs and vi, but what is your motivation to put up an argument against these words that were written 11 years ago?
7. Why?[ Go to top ]
Someone found it relevant on Twitter, brought it back to my attention. Plus, I know emacs and vi supporters who'll be glad to scream at you about what a dumbass you are for not liking vi or emacs over Eclipse. (real men use emacs, except they're schoolgirls compared to vi users, etc.)
emacs is a sacred cow. So is vi. Neat thing about sacred cows? when you grill them, they taste good.
I've used emacs. I used to like it. But one commenter had a good point: "you can look up every thing it does with ^M or whatever." See, with the whole GUI thing, I don't have to look any thing up. I don't mind doing something I need to do, but right now, emacs and vi have no point besides supporting their little cliques, the people who get off on using them.
Nano's just as functional when it comes to doing what you want to use emacs for - editing files. And it's easier. My goal in using a computer, and programming, isn't to impress myself with how cool it is that i know how to use emacs witht he other Ashleys. My goal is to get stuff done. and I'm tired of people praising emacs to the stars.
Its ironic though - in java-land, people use jedit to edit files, and it's got the same 'eighty megs and constantly swapping' thing going on, a vm just to edit stuff. but jedit doesn't have the same set of worshippers emacs does, does it?
8. Why?[ Go to top ]
Ever had to log in to a remote host without X/Windows/whatever? Then you might know why some basic knowledge for non-GUI editiors might be useful...
9. Why?[ Go to top ]
Sure, it's useful. nano. pico. joe. (And yes, I do actually know my way around emacs and vi. I don't consider myself an expert or god or anything, but I can do what I need to do.)
10. Why?[ Go to top ]
It cuts both ways, of course. I invested my time in emacs 25 years ago and I still find it useful many times. About two years ago, one of my colleagues responded like I was nuts for having it in my toolbox at all. "Emacs? E-macs?!" He made me feel like an alien.
He didn't know what he was doing. He is entitled to his opinion, no matter how poorly he expressed it. He make progress. I make progress. I let it go. Its not an insult that my colleague does not like my tool. It does not hurt you that Stephenson really likes his. I'm grateful there is such diversity in developer's value assessment, and tools to match.
Stephenson found a tool that matches his use cases beautifully. Isn't this what we are all striving for? I think the twitter you received (or the web page you referenced) was expressing joy in that acheivement, not in the specifics of emacs itself.
11. steve[ Go to top ]
Bill Joy wrote the first version of vi..James Gosling also worked on emacs and didn't use an IDE until he wrote NetBeans..
This uneducated incorrect and ignorant non-sense convinces me the server-side is a site for idiots.. vi is the most consise keyboard tool for editing text and was what i was reared on beofre they even had windows.. today my son is at Berkeley double majoring in astro-physics and computer science.. they insist on emacs and lisp in the computer science dept.. also, anyone who would use eclipse when intellij is now open-source is a msachist.. enough siad, moron..
12. steve[ Go to top ]
See, this is the drivel that annoys me about emacs.
Thanks for pointing out why Bill Joy kept popping up in my head, BTW. Gosling worked on emacs, sure, but even he moved on.
As far as "the most concise keyboard tool", well, that's a subjective opinion - and you are surely smart enough to know that subjective opinions aren't necessarily right. They're subjective. For you, emacs might be the most concise tool. For me, not so much. It's fine for you; it's fine for me if I need it, but I don't ever seem to need it any more.
Lastly, IntelliJ isn't the only editor out there. Eclipse perspectives can help you get a lot sdone, and the eclipse plugins are better than intellij's, in my opinion. you of course have a right to a different opinion.
but why are you saying "intellij" when you said that emacs is the most concise tool? I'm a little lost there.
13. steve[ Go to top ]
@Steve. Your comment is self-proving: "Server-side is a site for idiots". You had a chance to show otherwise, and blew it.
14. steve[ Go to top ]
I love the smell of geek rage in the morning.
15. Neal Stephenson on Emacs[ Go to top ]
Years ago we almost had to get rid of a guy because he was insisting that he use vi to write Java code. He wasn't some Java guru either. I knew that he would be much more productive in a real IDE, and it turned out he was.
I don't write code in vim very much, but my IDEs have vi keybindings. I use vim as an awesome text editor, not as a development environment.
One of the appeals of Emacs for some is the ability to write a minimal amount of Elisp code to get an environment up and working. Compare that to writing plugins for Eclipse.
But I guess some people didn't get the memo. Emacs and Vi no longer add to geek machismo. It's Unix Ed and straight notepad for the hardcore crowd ;)
16. I can see it[ Go to top ]
I used to be a heavy Emacs/XEmacs user going back to when I was writing code on Vax machines using VT100 terminals. I stopped using it on a regular basis not long after the first version of IntelliJ was released in 2001. Today, I would have serious reservations about anyone who claimed to be more productive working on a Java project using Emacs (or vi) as opposed to a good IDE.
Now I don't imagine Neal Stephenson is out there writing EJBs. For heavy duty word processing (e.g. lengthy documents with advanced typesetting requirements), I think there's an argument to be made for using something like LaTex with Emacs. On the other hand, Emacs/XEmacs didn't fit very well with X Windows back in the day. I haven't used it in years so maybe that has improved.
17. How did the author of this post miss this? I use Emacs for my text processing needs - writing notes and answering emails and keeping track of my tasks in org-mode. And I use a Java IDE for writing and testing Java code.
18. Neal Stephenson on Emacs[ Go to top ]
LOL! I know Java developers use vi rather than an IDE!
19. Neal Stephenson on Emacs[ Go to top ]
Oops. Meant to say that I know Java developers who still use vi.
20. Emacs is awesome![ Go to top ]
A good power text editor is better than a word processor for any technical minded person.
Among power text editors: I love the official Mac OS emacs and the GUI emacs on Linux. But vim, and things like Atom and Sublime and JEdit and UltraEdit are good too. Emacs really isn't that cryptic once you get passed the initial learning curve.
I'd argue with Neal Stephenson, that especially when you want formatting, you should use some markup language like Markdown, RST, or even LaTeX over a point-and-click GUI word processor.
And for programming, I prefer a super fancy JetBrains IDE when it's available for Python/Java/Scala/Ruby/HTML/JavaScript. But most programmers use a power text editor in addition to their IDE. Also for say, Haskell programming, there are no really amazing IDEs and emacs is the best choice. And LaTeX editing, emacs is my favorite. | <urn:uuid:dd474c88-5d2f-4b91-84a1-bc591ce79c0a> | http://www.theserverside.com/discussions/thread.tss?thread_id=61651 | en | 0.959877 | 0.298167 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Check @genius for updates. We'll have things fixed soon.
Otis Lyrics
What up Yeezy and Hov
My name is Devon and
I'm bout to take em to a place they ain't never been
I'm ready for lights, I'm ready to blow so go and tell a friend
So ready or not, we makin' knock, somebody let me in
All these rappers really that much better than me?
Naa dawg, I do this shit effortlessly
Hip-Hop lives in the North, yea I'm reppin' the T
And now a young nigga, everything I said out to be uh
Okay they love me then they hate me like an ex-wife
Old folks playin me tryna improve their sex life
Little kids sayin' "He the best,he the best" right?
My girl callin' up my phone, she even text twice
And I fail math but me and music had chemistry
So I took it and made history on my enemys
The next day I'm on the next flight
The worst days are the best night
What's with the freestyle?
Why don't you drop some originals
Maybe when you'll stop the subliminals
They watchin' me like cops watchin' the criminals
But why it always gotta be so political
Far from traditional so they can go and gossip
But I'mma keep their head bumpin' like a moshpit
I spit first, ask question later
Couldn't find with a adress to adress my haters
And I don't really care about the set you claim and
I'm focus on the checks I'm makin'
See my album goin' sales like broads at the stop light
Invest my green, F what my watch like
I'd rather buy my fam' a mansion and a big yacht
And now they all so gassed, piss out
Uh, oh no he ain't come again ?
I ain't even made it and they actin' like I'm one of them
We done it again, lost and gain other friends
Cuz to many two face, boy none of them
Never keep it real like them Hollywood chicks
F the Hollywood shit, I'm gettin' Hollywood rich yea
Who woulda thought I'm just a kid from the Dot uh
Workin' hard tryna make it to the top uh
Another song they waiting for it to drop uh
And them dudes still hatin' on the block, yea
Can you see me and my team way over you
Bumpin' Devon Tracy, he better than all them older dude
K I'm killin' , Flow I'm spillin'
Pipe dreams everyday, I'm feelin em
You know what ? They know I'm probably insane
Shittin on em I need to be potty trained
Talkin' to Flame, he sayin the game ain't the same
But go ahead and clap for the reason it's gonn change
"Otis" Track Info
Recorded At | <urn:uuid:5285774c-fd18-4c5e-ae71-24685189cd00> | https://genius.com/Devon-tracy-otis-lyrics | en | 0.927945 | 0.47296 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Five service men killed in southern Russia
Two border guards have been killed in Russia’s Southern Republic of Ingushetia. Three more died in a car crash earlier in the day.
Two border guards came under fire as they approached the city of Nazran in the West of the republic.
The gunmen fled the scene following the attack. All roads in the area have been blocked as the search for the attackers continues.
Earlier in the day, three people were killed and another injured after a vehicle collided with an armoured carrier it was traveling with.
The Interior Ministry’s military convoy was heading from Vladikavkaz to Nazran.
On the approach to Nazran, a car that was accompanying the convoy attempted to overtake it by going on the wrong side of the road. To avoid a head-on collision with an approaching car it neared the armoured carrier.
As a result of the ensuing collision the vehicle overturned and caught fire.
Three servicemen inside the car were killed and one injured. | <urn:uuid:1ddf33e7-715a-4286-bab8-4e29413f5c17> | https://www.rt.com/news/five-service-men-killed-in-southern-russia/ | en | 0.978956 | 0.035945 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Why Australia Needs an Airborne Early Warning Capability
Australian Aviation, September, 1983
by Carlo Kopp
© 1983, 2005 Carlo Kopp
Editor's Note 2005:
This article was the first major public discussion paper to be produced in Australia analysing the case for an AEW&C capability. At that time DoD internal advocates of acquiring the E-2C put a case to the Editor of Australian Aviation & Defence Review that an E-2C buy was imminent. This proved not to be case, and Australia did not embark on its AEW&C program until more than a decade after this document was produced. This document was recovered from a typewritten manuscript and some copy editing has been performed.
In retrospect, 1982 was not a year of major wars. The two more significant conflicts which did occur essentially highlighted some of the most important, yet least publicised aspects of modern warfare - Electronic Warfare (EW) and above all, Airborne Early Warning (AEW).
The presence or absence of modern AEW platforms would have radically altered the flow of events - both in the Falklands and during the invasion of Lebanon, respectively.
The Royal Navy need not have lost any vessels, whereas Israel could have suffered substantial losses in interdiction aircraft. In the light of these events, Australia's expected purchase of the E-2C appears more sensible than ever before, as AEW is the one capability which Australia lacks and yet sorely needs, even in peacetime.
A closer look at both the Falklands conflict and the Lebanese war will serve to illustrate exactly why AEW is such a pressing need in a modern war. The conclusions one may draw are very convincing.
Left - FAA IAI Dagger (Mirage) flies a low pass over the RFA Sir Bevidere. Right - Type 22 Frigate HMS Broadsword through the gunsight of an FAA fighter - the ship was damaged by gunfire (UK MoD images).
Operation Corporate - Britain's Recapture of the Falkland Islands
When Argentine troops set foot on the British Falkland Islands in April, 1982, Britain was anything but prepared. Britain's last conventional, catapult equipped fixed wing carrier the Ark Royal was long gone, it's complement of supersonic F-4K Phantom air superiority/strike fighters and subsonic Buccaneer S.2 strike/recce fighters, together with the obsolete yet functional Gannet AEW.3 aircraft having been transferred to the RAF.
The Phantoms and Buccaneers, modified, continued in their respective roles, but the Gannets met a sad fate having been cannibalised to supply the APS-20F surveillance radars for the RAF Shackleton AEW.2 fleet. As Britain's economic situation declined into the early eighties further cuts were suggested. The number of active warships serving in the Royal Navy was to be reduced, to pay for the upgrading of the RN's seaborne nuclear deterrent. First on the chopping block was Britain's newest major combat vessel, the light STOVL (short take-off vertical landing) carrier HMS Invincible, offered to the RAN for a dirt cheap A$430 million.
At this stage in early 1982 the RN had only one other platform capable of embarking fixed wing aircraft, STOVL only, that being the former conventional carrier HMS Hermes. As the RN's envisaged role was anti-submarine / anti-shipping warfare in the North Atlantic operating in conjunction with US Navy Carrier Battle Groups, little attention was paid to in-depth anti-aircraft defence, whether by SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles) or fixed wing fighter.
Pitted against aircraft of the Aviatsia Voenno-Morskovo Flota or Dal'naya Aviatsia VVS, the RN would contend with the massive Tu-20 Bear, the Tu-16 Badger and the Mya-4 Bison, hardly capable of evading shipboard surveillance radars and nimble Sea Harrier FRS.1 fighters. Nastier elements of Soviet air power, such as the Tu-26 Backfire, were to be left to the AEW E-2Cs and F-14 fighters of the screening US CBG.
With the RN in such a sadly neglected shape and the nearest British base being Wideawake Field in the Ascensions, 6000 kms away, it is obvious that the temptation would have to be too great for the Argentine junta to resist.
Confident of their capabilities, having bullied all their smaller neighbours and internal opposition, the Argentine armed forces decided to put on a massive display of power, humiliating one of the greatest colonial powers of all times, Great Britain.
At the beginning of April, 1982, Argentine troops overpowered the small British garrison and raised their flag over the disputed islands.
Britain's response was immediate, within days the bulk of the Royal Navy was despatched, determined to recapture the islands. So the war escalated, with the arrival of the Task Force in the South Atlantic, we all had the opportunity to watch it develop on television, day after day.
The gutting of the Sheffield, the graphic demise of the Antelope, the daily air raids on the San Carlos beachhead, and the devastating strikes on the Sir Galahad and Tristram.
British tactics were straightforward - isolate the Falklands with an air sea blockade to prevent resupply and reinforcement of the Argentine garrison, after some shelling and bombing to soften the defences, carry out an amphibious landing and recapture the islands.
The naval blockade was easy to enforce as the Argentine navy wisely avoided the conflict after the surprise sinking of the cruiser Belgrano by a nuclear attack sub.
The big battles were thus left to Fuerza Aerea Argentina or the Argentine Air Force (AAF). The AAF's inventory was typical of a better Third World country - a handful of supersonic Mirage IIIEAs, complemented by some 26 Israeli built Neshers (much like a Mirage V). Strike aircraft were abundant, the A-4P/Q Skyhawk numbering 80, and the local turboprop Pucara, over 60 of which were in service.
All of these aircraft lacked all weather avionics for first pass attacks, all ground attack was day VFR only. The AAF did not have any Precision Guided Munitions in it's inventory, it's primary weapon being free fall iron bombs and unguided rockets, though the radio command Bullpup missile was apparently used. The only sophisticated equipment in use were a few newly delivered Super Etendard strike fighters equipped with the 40nm Exocet sea skimming anti-ship missile. Though the Etendard was no match for a Harrier in air-air combat, the Exocet was difficult to contend with.
Maintaining the aerial blockade were the subsonic Sea Harriers of the RN, backed up by Type 42 destroyers equipped with the Sea Dart area defence SAM. The Sea Dart with a range of 45nm was an effective weapon, the radar picket destroyers equipped with the system deployed to the edge of the fleet, later also covering the San Carlos beachhead. The AAF knew of the Sea Dart's capabilities, the missile was ineffective at low altitudes below the horizon of the shipboard radar which provided illumination for the missile's guidance.
Argentine tactics were simple - fly very low below radar while approaching the islands, at closer range the A-4s and Mirages exploited the cover provided by the land mass of West Falkland to sneak in close and surprise the British vessels.
The destroyer Coventry was caught in this fashion and sunk, as were the frigates hit on air defence duty in San Carlos Bay. As it appears, the tracking radar for the Seawolf missiles was confused by close land masses, this further degrading the capability of the RN's missile screen.
The Harriers were disadvantaged as their radar had little range or lookdown capability, they had to rely on vectors from the picket ships or visual acquisition. In this sense, the AAF succeeded in repeatedly surprising the RN, the most shocking incident being the raid on the two landing ships in Bluff Cove, unprotected even by SAMs.
At sea the RN had to contend with the Exocet, a radar guided sea skimming missile. The gutting of the Sheffield was a rather rude awakening to the absence of close-in defence weapons on the majority of RN vessels, but the fact that a radar picket itself was a prime target was in itself more serious.
This meant that pickets were not allowed to stray beyond the cover of Harriers on CAP (Combat Air Patrol), ie they were denied positions to the West of West Falkland, reducing what radar warning time was available. That allowed the AAF to reach the coast of West Falkland undetected in many instances.
In flight refuelled Exocet armed Etendards had the range to strike at the fleet, providing they chose their approach wisely, they had enough time to launch their missile and escape scrambled Harriers. Two decoyed Exocets thus missed their intended target, HMS Invincible, and hit the hapless Atlantic Conveyor.
As much as the RN had tried, their aerial blockade of the islands had only limited success. AAF aircraft repeatedly accessed Port Stanley under the cover of darkness, penetrating below the radar of the destroyers shelling coastal positions and avoiding the feared Harriers, which lacked the ability to detect low flying intruders at night.
In spite of these setbacks, the RN decimated the AAF, 31 aircraft falling victim to the Harriers and 21 to shipboard SAMs. The following humiliation of Argentine ground forces by advancing British ground forces concluded the conflict, with the surrender of the Port Stanley garrison and HQ.
As one may observe, virtually all of the vessels which were lost throughout the the conflict need not have been destroyed, had the Task Force had adequate warning of an impending attack. Radar pickets on open seas, just as vessels tasked with air defence at the beachhead, could have benefited from knowing where and when the enemy would appear. The effectiveness of the Harrier could have been increased many times, as little time would be wasted on CAP or searching for incoming targets.
Surprising incoming strike aircraft would force them to jettison stores and take evasive action, disrupting AAF strikes. No differently the total number of kills could have been increased, as enemy aircraft which escaped detection would have been otherwise destroyed. The aerial blockade could have been airtight, had there been AEW to detect intruders at night and vector Harriers into kill positions.
Britain had paid a great price for ignoring the need for AEW even if that price was less than expected - apparently the loss of a carrier was budgeted for. The speed with which an AEW Sea King helo was developed and fitted with an EMI Searchwater radar modified from a Nimrod MR.2 illustrates just how seriously the RN takes the matter of AEW after the Falklands. The AEW Sea King is a lash-up, though it may perform adequately, it's limited transit speed, endurance and radar range would enable it to cope only with a low density, low ECM threat level environment.
Were Argentina to have possessed modern frontline first pass strike platforms, such as the RAAF's F-111C, it is doubtful the RN would have even considered Operation Corporate, as it would most likely have lost the best of it's vessels, fire control radars jammed, at night, in miserable weather, being hit with 2000 lb free fall or laser guided bombs. Aircraft in this class can only be stopped with capable AEW to direct fighters. The effectiveness of virtually every defensive or offensive operation the British carried out in the Falklands could have been increased by the use of a modern AEW aircraft. [Click for more ...]
How effective AEW can be, particularly in conjunction with Elint (ELectronic INTelligence gathering), was well demonstrated by the Israelis' remarkably successful operation in Lebanon, in June, 1982. In the process of evicting the PLO from Lebanon, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) mounted an exquisitely planned and precisely executed strike on Syria's SAM belt, crippling one of the world's most dense air defence systems within hours.
Four IAF F-4E Phantoms (MDC image).
Operation Peace for Galilee - Israel's Invasion of Lebanon
Wars between Israel and her Arab neighbours have been taking place since 1948. Typically each flare up is followed by several years of quiet as both sides ponder their mistakes and prepare for the next round. Israel had suffered heavy losses in the 1973 Yom Kippur war, when Egyptian SAMs and AAA accounted for 150 aircraft in a mere 3 days.
To that effect, Israel had purchased the Grumman E-2C, not only providing AEW but also an Elint ability, built upon the aircraft's PDS (Passive Detection System) - a computerised surveillance system which monitors and identifies radar emitters up to 500nm away).
It also appears that the IAF had refitted two Boeing 707 transports as Elint and jamming platforms. Aside from these specialised EW platforms, strike fighters such as the F-4E Phantom were fitted with AGM-45 Shrike (some sources indicate also AGM-78 Standard) anti radiation missiles, which home on radar transmitters. Israel's good experience during the Yom Kippur war in the use of Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs) led to the development and deployment of the Scout and Mastiff RPVs, small enough to be invisible to both radar and the naked eye at several thousand feet of altitude.
Further effort was focussed on the development of a new anti radiation missile, the ground launched New Zeev (Wolf). As always the IAF had effectively prepared for combat. In this instance the new F-15s and F-16s complemented the established F-4E and Kfir, the former types specialising in predominantly air-air combat, the latter focussing on air-ground strike.
This array of weaponry was pitted against Syria's MiGs and SAMs. When Syria entered Lebanon in the mid-seventies, it sought to consolidate it's position against Israel. Lebanon provided a convenient forward base for advancing on Northern Israel, not to speak of a useful place to dump off the Palestine Liberation Organisation - it seems Syria's commitment to the PLO was as deep as her love for Israeli air strikes at Damascus.
Syria established a massive air defence system in Lebanon, built around SAM systems stationed in the Bekaa valley. Mobile SA-6 missiles were deployed, apparently also supported by ZSU-23/4P mobile radar directed AAA (guns). This first line of defence was backed up with large ground based radars in Syria, operating in conjunction with MiG-21 Fishbed and MiG-23 Flogger fighters. Protected by Syria from any Israeli raids, the PLO had sought to attack Northern Israel. Deploying mobile Katyusha rocket launchers and heavy artillery, they sporadically shelled and rocketed Israeli settlements in the North. The Israelis did mount some air strikes against the PLO, but these had limited effect. It appears they also lost some aircraft to SAMs in the process. But the Israelis were not as idle as everyone may have thought.
Site locations were identified and cataloged and extensive Elint was carried out to establish operating frequencies used for GCI (ground controlled intercept).
In early June, 1982, Israel launched a massed armour attack into Southern Lebanon supported by scores of strike aircraft, the objective being the permanent removal of the PLO from Lebanon. Syria rapidly reinforced it's SAM belt, finally deploying 19 batteries of the SA-6 Gainful. The 9th, 10th and 11th of June saw the destruction of these SAMs, together with a large number of Floggers and Fishbeds.
Israel executed a precise and deadly accurate attack on the Bekaa valley.
Initially, RPVs were flown into radar range, these being fitted with deceptive electronic countermeasures. Using textbook EW tactics, the RPVs appeared on Syrian radar scopes as fast, low flying fighters, out on a strike mission.
All SAM guidance and tracking radars were powered up, to lock on to the non-existent attackers. At this stage, several E-2C Hawkeyes were orbiting off the coast of Lebanon, these aircraft instantly detected the SAM radar systems with PDS and relayed their positions to waiting strike squadrons.
Meanwhile Wolf missiles were launched at the radars, sited at the detected SAM positions. Once in range, each Wolf's seeker locked onto an emitter and the missile destroyed it.
It appears as this was going on, the EW Boeing 707s were actively jamming all Syrian communications.
Once the majority of the radars was crippled, the fighters moved into action. Presumably, the first wave carried Shrike ARMs, to knock out the remaining transmitters, these aircraft were backed up with cluster bomb and iron bomb armed fighters, which attacked the actual SAM launchers.
The fighters flew in below Syrian ground based radar, presumably under the direction of the E-2Cs and surprised the SAM crews. Once hit by cluster bombs, the systems were disabled, iron bombs were then used to finish off the job.
It appears that the IAF destroyed 19 SAM batteries and supporting 23mm, 37mm and 57mm AAA systems within an hour or so.
It could be assumed that a lot of chaff was released in the initial stages to confuse the gunlaying radars on the AAA systems, as it is likely these would have escaped the ARMs in the initial attack, as the AAA would serve to defend the SAMs systems.
Looking at the prospect of losing their SAMs the Syrian air force did not stand by idly. Floggers and Fishbeds were despatched to deal with the attacking Phantoms and Kfirs. But, unknown to the Syrian pilots, the E-2Cs were tracking them as they taxied along their runways. Amidst severe jamming, they were vectored into the Bekaa valley, to be ambushed by waiting F-15s and F-16s [Editor's Note 2005: the geography of region served the Israelis as the elevated terrain along the border between Lebanon and Syria created a deep blind zone for the Syrian GCI radars over the Bekaa Valley].
Of the 60 aircraft flown into Lebanon, 36 were destroyed. Israel continued with it's destruction of whatever Syrian equipment it could find in the region, mainly armour, being attacked by Phantoms and Kfirs armed with bombs, rockets and presumably Maverick missiles. Some sources indicate the use of a terminally guided antitank submunition, which blows holes through the dorsal armour of the tanks.
Once again, Syria attempted to stop the carnage. Fifty MiGs flew into the Bekaa valley and Israel claims every one was shot down, ambushed by fighters directed by the E-2Cs.
F-4Es, Kfirs, F-15s and F-16s participated, it appears they used all weapons from guns to radar guided Sparrows, including stocks of older Sidewinders. Having sustained such losses, the Syrians ceased their massed air attacks, leaving their ground forces at the mercy of the IAF. The Israelis surged up through Lebanon, entered Beirut and the rest is really something most of us observed on television broadcasts.
Some MiGs were flown into Lebanon later, eg two Floggers were downed, followed by a recce MiG-25 Foxbat. It is fair to assume these fell victim to Sparrow firing F-15s.
In a matter of two days Israel had destroyed 19 SAM batteries, their supporting AAA systems and shot down over eighty aircraft, losing only a single A-4 close support aircraft to a shoulder launched SAM.
Though these results may seem incredible at a first glance, they are quite feasible. The SAM systems are easy targets once deprived of their radar, they are blind and helpless. Though it was not publicised it is fair to assume that a lot of Israeli fighters carried dedicated jammers to foil the operation of the Gun Dish, Straight Flush, Low Blow and Fan Song radars associated with the AAA, SA-6, SA-3 and SA-2 systems deployed. Combined with the disruption caused by communications jamming, chaff spreading and ARM attacks, the SAMs with their locations exposed by the E-2Cs, were defenceless targets, surprised by very low flying IAF jets.
The Syrian MiGs were in an equally hopeless situation. Communications jamming deprived them of contact with their ground based surveillance radar and in the jammed and cluttered low altitude environment, their limited radars had little hope in sorting out friend from foe. The Israelis on other hand had an excellent idea of what was happening, as the E-2Cs effectively tracked all air traffic in the region, the IFF (Identification Friend Foe) systems instantly tagging the Syrians as hostiles.
Thus the IAF fighters could be vectored into favourable positions to attack the Syrians without warning, while the MiGs, forced to rely on visual target detection only, were at a disadvantage.
The key to Israel's stunning success in this preemptive strike lies in the use of Elint and AEW aircraft. Without the Elint capability offered by the E-2C's PDS, Israel would have found it difficult to rapidly sort out all the data gathered on the SAM radars, once baited by the drones into exposing themselves. Any delay would give the launchers time to move.
The ability to track low flying aircraft allowed the E-2C to coordinate the low level strikes directed against the SAM batteries. The role AEW played in the annihilation of the MiG force was paramount. The MiGs could be lured into traps, if following GCI instructions to attack IAF jets at medium altitudes once detected by ground based radar, the MiGs could be attacked from six o'clock by low flying IAF fighters, concealed from the Syrian GCI radars.
The E-2C could monitor all of this and set such traps (this could account for the high success rate of the Phantoms and Kfirs, supposedly dedicated to the ground attack phase of the operation - once having released their ordnance they could loiter at low level, awaiting a vector from the E-2C).
It must be rather humiliating for the Russians to see their SAMs destroyed by cheap free fall bombs and watch new MiG-23 Floggers fall to gunfire from ageing F-4E Phantoms, but the the decisive edge in this war was provided by AEW and E-2C.
Any weapon system is defenceless if it isn't aware of it's enemy's location. The combination of AEW and jamming provided Israel with all the information it needed, and denied Syria as much as was available.
The results speak for themselves - an air-air kill ratio better than 80:0 against front line aircraft operated by the Warpac, ie the Soviet Frontovaya Aviatsia (Tactical Aviation).
The Soviets will be seriously rethinking their air defence strategy after observing the two days of carnage that decimated (rather exterminated) an air defence system modelled on that of the Red Army and the FA. It will further accelerate their efforts to deploy AEW systems in the European theatre, backing up the AWG-9ski equipped Super Foxbats serving with the PVOS and presumably attached to units of the FA VVS [Editor's Note 2005: this expectation was optimistic in terms of Soviet capacity to adapt. The Desert Storm campaign produced a similar effect and only then did the Soviets react, by which time it was too late].
As the two wars of 1982 graphically illustrated, life without AEW in the last quarter of the twentieth century is inviting disaster. Whether one looks at offensive or defensive operations, AEW is a must for survival.
Israel exploited most of what the E-2C has to offer and demonstrated enviable results in what must be a propaganda coup comparable only the Six Day War strike against Egypt. The total annihilation within hours of a front line air defence system, with losses not worth mentioning.
Britain on the other hand suffered disproportionate losses when battling an unsophisticated opponent, oblivious of EW and other refinements of late twentieth century technology. Britain's success in the campaign may be attributed to a high level of professionalism, courage and the Argentines' sheer ignorance of modern warfare, combined with WW II tactics.
The implications this has for Australia are numerous, but they all point to the necessity of acquiring AEW, the sooner the better. Both the RAAF and the RAN should not be denied AEW aircraft, whether fixed or rotary winged, the advantages offered could vastly outweigh the cost, even in peacetime.
US Navy image
E-2C operator console (Northrop-Grumman image)
AEW and Australia
The case for AEW platforms in Australian service probably need not be discussed, it should be self-evident.
Australia is in the unique position of being an isolated continent, with vast areas of sparsely or non populated territory. Though this may appeal to followers of 'Brisbane Line' defence philosophies, it creates a large number of problems which make life very difficult for small defensive forces.
Logistics is one of the biggest, as one must cover a lot of distance to deploy forces and just as much distance to resupply them. Establishing for instance a chain of ground based surveillance radars and SAM systems along the Northern coastline would involve ridiculous expenses, not to speak of the dubious combat value of such a system. No differently, concentrating fixed defences around military and resource centres makes little sense, as the enemy could exploit gaps to penetrate behind the defensive screen. And good defences will be needed. The oil and gas rich North of WA would be a prime target in any war of attrition, the Barrow Island and North West Shelf installations being ideal targets for weapons such as Exocet, currently being ordered by our immediate neighbour to the North [Editor's Note 2005: since then we have seen vastly more potent cruise missiles proliferate across the region, in much greater numbers. Prophetic words?].
Airbases and harbours would also be likely targets, even if less attractive for propaganda oriented strikes - Australia would need a lot of SAMs to cover the multitude of targets. On the other hand, that is not to say that an enemy could not parachute or otherwise land commandos anywhere along the coastline, to deal with such installations.
Clearly, mobile defences are essential, with the ability to deploy rapidly anywhere along the coast, anytime.
The next major self-evident problem is surveillance. There is only one way of policing such a vast area as the North, in wartime or peacetime, that being via the use of AEW.
It is in fact surprising that neither the RAAF nor RAN had ever focussed on AEW in the past, as the need has always been there. The way things are at this time, any aircraft from the Tu-20s of Soviet Long Range Aviation forces to low flying Cessnas, flown by drug traffickers, can cross the coast without being detected, let alone challenged.
It is a sad state of affairs when the DoD apparently suggests that contrails, sighted over the Kimberley, 'probably came from a Russian Tu-20 Bear'. The fact that anyone can usually fish in Australian territorial waters, as long as they avoid the occasional chartered surveillance aircraft or perhaps Orion (the P-3C force has enough of a task policing the Indian) is rather disappointing.
It would be difficult to defend the North without precise information on the enemy's location and composition - one should not expect miracles from four RF-111Cs - particularly when dealing with low flying intruders. Ground based radar would be ineffective against such aircraft, as they could cross the coast out of radar range and approach the target at low level overland.
One could of course argue that such situations could be dealt with by use of the Jindalee OTH-B (Over The Horizon Backscatter) radar system, but OTH-B is a long range surveillance system and could hardly be expected to match a proven AEW system, at close range.
Furthermore, exposing the capabilities of such a system in peacetime would hardly be wise. As it appears, AEW is an unavoidable necessity and one can only applaud the RAAF's efforts to acquire such aircraft. Of the three possible contenders for the role, the Boeing E-3A Sentry, the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye and the BAC Nimrod AEW.3, the E-2C wins with little difficulty.
Boeing image.
The E-3A was optimised for the European theatre of operations, a high density overland environment in the presence of heavy jamming, it's Boeing 707 airframe demanding airfields capable of handling such aircraft. It is too big and too expensive for the role, also lacking a PDS system and the ability to operate with limited ground support.
The Nimrod AEW.3 does possess a passive surveillance system, a Loral ESM, however it is a large aircraft like the E-3A and is an immature system, still under development and being deployed this year (one could expect a lot of modifications, if only software, before the aircraft becomes a stable design) [Editor's Note 2005: shortly thereafter the Nimrod AEW.3 was axed after protracted development problems resulting from poor system engineering].
The E-2C offers a lot of advantages which are easy to observe. It has powerplant commonality with the P-3 Orion and the C-130 Hercules, both major types in the RAAF inventory, all employing versions of the T56.
Built for USN carrier operation the E-2C has a rugged undercarriage and airframe, allowing for rough field operation, this capability is enhanced by full prop pitch reversal. As E-2Cs operated by the USN are usually parked on carrier flight decks, exposed to the elements, the aircraft was designed to cope with prolonged exposure to a hostile environment, which will enhance it's lifetime in a less demanding land based role.
The E-2C is a mid seventies development of the earlier E-2B and as such offers a proven and mature airframe, as considerable experience has been gained in maintaining the type, availability may be high. Grumman suggest an operational readiness of 80%. Maintainability is enhanced by an Inflight Performance Monitor (IFPM) BIT system, which is claimed to isolate 8O% of all faults down to a Line Replaceable Unit. As the aircraft may be maintained with minimal resources, deployment at smaller airstrips in the NT or WA is feasible. The wing folding system is very convenient, as the aircraft may be parked under hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) or in recessed revetments, to minimise the likelihood of destruction in a surprise attack.
As the E-2C is the key element in the USN's air defence system, both the F-14 and F-18 have compatible datalinks, as part of the Airborne Tactical Data System. This means that F-18A fighters can be automatically vectored via datalink onto unsuspecting targets. Conversely the X-band AN/APG-65 multimode radar of the F-18A may relay target information to the E-2C, effectively increasing the 250nm range of the E-2C's AN/APS-125 radar.
As the RAAF will deploy F-18As in the North, the E-2C would perfectly fit into the future air defence system, most likely operating out of the same bases as the F-18A.
In a purely defensive scenario, E-2Cs would patrol critical areas of the Timor Sea and the areas North of the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York.
F-18As operating from the NT would standby on CAP, being supported by the 707 tankers, or wait to be scrambled from any strip of suitable length. Upon detection of hostile aircraft, the F-18As would be vectored via datalink into intercept positions, hitting targets with Beyond Visual Range missiles as the Sparrow, or by then, perhaps AMRAAM.
The 250nm radar horizon of an E-2C orbiting at 30,000ft (9,000m) could provide up to twenty minutes of warning against a fast jet intruder, ample time for an F-18A on CAP to intercept. The APS-125 is claimed to have the ability pick up a low flying, fighter sized target at it's radar horizon, and detect low flying cruise missiles in high sea states, an important factor in the cyclone prone North.
The system's surface surveillance capability is also very good, apparently the UHF band end-fire antenna mounted in the rotodome will allow the resolution of slow moving surface targets - patrol boat size vessels have been tracked beyond 100nm. Hostile surface vessels can thus be detected and intercepted by naval vessels or attacked by the RAAF's fighters. This feature alone is an important aspect of peacetime operations, as all surface traffic may be monitored throughout the North.
The Tu-20 Bears and Tu-26 Backfires operating out of Cam Ranh Bay would also find the presence of E-2C surveillance less than desirable, as the USSR is hardly interested in arousing publicity over it's Elint/reconnaissance operations in the region.
As for unauthorised civilian traffic, such as drug traffickers, USN E-2Cs have demonstrated the type's ability to cope with this type of target, in the South of the US.
In some respects the capabilities of the APS-125 and it's Advanced Radar Processing System (ARPS) exceed immediate needs. The system automatically tracks 250 airborne targets, and employing inputs from the PDS and datalink sources, can track 600 targets. Employing IFF, it can differentiate between friendly and hostile tracks. Interceptors are automatically paired up with targets, depending on interceptor fuel state, type, armament, position. The central processor, a Litton L-304, then calculates the optimum flight path for intercept and relays it to the fighter, via datalink or voice link, in this fashion 40 intercepts may be controlled, alternately, ground attack missions may be directed.
Grumman claim the E-2C could enhance the air defence capability of the Mirage IIIO 2.5 times, also interfacing with the existing Hubcap installations in use with the RAAF (Hubcap is an ageing GCI system acquired in the sixties).
It is conceivable that the E-2C would also acquire a HF datalink, as the F-18A is expected to, to interface with the Jindalee OTH-B system.
The ARPS is also credited with a very good anti-jam performance, though no figures have been released.
The aircraft's ALR-59 Passive Detection System is a further asset, as demonstrated by the Israelis. PDS is credited iwth a range of 500nm, it will acquire bearing information and identify radar emitters from a computer intelligence file. The use of PDS can assist in war and peacetime operations.
In peacetime, it allows undetected surveillance of enemy radar activity, combined with a bit of baiting by a low flying F-111C, any belligerent regional powers would be likely to reveal the location and composition of their radar and SAM systems, aside from any naval activity. In a wartime situation, this Elint capability would be very useful for obvious reasons. It is unlikely the RAAF will be able to afford the luxury of dedicated Elint aircraft, the E-2C would thus fill an existing gap.
In an offensive scenario the E-2C has as much to offer. Preemptive strikes on hostile opponents are possible, combined with adequate preparation and EW, the E-2Cs could direct air superiority operations, air to ground strike and close support for ground forces.
That does mean deterrence. Any opponent will think twice about starting a war, if it knows it is being watched continuously and that it's supposed victim can strike at will.
Medium range Elint missions are feasible, as the E-2C does have 6 hrs of endurance or 9.3 hrs in the extended range version.
At a current unit cost advertised as US$33.6 million the E-2C is a very good buy. It can offer the RAAF a whole new dimension in air to air operations, bolstering the capabilities of the ageing Mirage IIIO, until the F-18A reaches full operational readiness. From there, it could assume it's role in a tightly integrated air defence system which should keep intruders away from Australian shores.
The F-18A's effectiveness in the air defence role hinges on the E-2C as it was designed to interface with it from the outset. If the USN regards the E-2C/F-18A combination as adequate to defend it's naval forces from aerial and surface threats, in high density environments, it is fair to assume these types can tackle any regional threat which may appear in the nearer future.
The USN will rely on the E-2C as it's front line AEW platform until 1994, when it's projected and yet non-existent replacement is to begin entering service. With it's flexible, software configured systems the E-2C would remain an effective system, in RAAF service, well beyond 2000.
| <urn:uuid:fcb3e483-4dbf-4924-99be-1fa874f0b1c1> | http://ausairpower.net/AADR-E-2C-AEW.html | en | 0.963713 | 0.044407 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The Difference Between Options, Futures & Forwards
Understanding how futures, options and forward contracts work will help make sense of financial markets.
Futures, options and forward contracts belong to a group of financial securities known as derivatives. The profit or loss resulting from trading such securities is directly related to, or derived from, another asset, such as a stock. There are, however, crucial differences between these three derivative securities, which you should understand before investing in them.
An option gives the holder the right -- but not the obligation -- to buy or sell an asset at a specific price on a specific date. A call option represents the right to buy, while a put option represents the right to sell. A call option on 1,000 shares with a strike price of $100 and an expiration date of Aug. 27 allows the option holder to buy 1,000 shares at $100 each on Aug. 27. If the market price of the stock is $110 per share, it makes sense to exercise this privilege, because you can then sell the same shares at $110 for an immediate profit. If the stock can otherwise be purchased for $90, however, the holder would not exercise the call -- hence the name "option."
Forward contracts are binding agreements to buy or sell an asset at a specific price on a specific date. For example, two parties may agree to trade 1,000 ounces of gold at $1,200 per ounce on Sept. 1. One party to such an agreement will have an obligation to buy, and the other will have an obligation to sell. Such contracts can involve practically anything of value, including stocks, bonds, foreign currencies, agricultural commodities such as corn or soybeans, and valuable metals, including gold and silver. The asset that changes hands is referred to as the underlying asset, or simply "the underlying." Forwards are traded over the counter.
A futures contract is simply a standardized forward agreement. If you are a cereal manufacturer and buy a lot of corn, it would be time-consuming to negotiate a different forward contract with every corn farmer. To streamline the process, large commodities exchanges offer standardized agreements through which corn, for example, is traded in increments of 1,000 bushels on specific dates. The specifications of corn to be delivered are also set. That way, the buyer and seller can select one of the standard contracts, changing only the quantity as suits their needs.
Key Differences
The major difference between an option and forwards or futures is that the option holder has no obligation to trade, whereas both futures and forwards are legally binding agreements. Also, futures differ from forwards in that they are standardized and the parties meet through an open public exchange, while futures are private agreements between two parties and their terms are therefore not public. Options can be standardized and traded through an exchange or they can be privately bought or sold, with terms crafted to suit the needs of the parties involved. Another key difference is that you must always pay money to buy an option because having the choice to exercise the option is a privilege. When entering a forward or futures agreement, however, you pay nothing at the time of the agreement. You place yourself under an obligation to either buy or sell on the expiration date.
Photo Credits
• Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images | <urn:uuid:976143cc-daef-4fa6-87d8-02de6bf6b26b> | http://budgeting.thenest.com/difference-between-options-futures-forwards-24972.html | en | 0.944607 | 0.414085 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Pronunciation of Sad
English Meaning
1. Affected or characterized by sorrow or unhappiness.
2. Expressive of sorrow or unhappiness.
5. Dark-hued; somber.
Arabic Meaning
Sorry, Meaning for Sad in Arabic is not found! Please try below options
1. Get Arabic Meaning of Sad
2. Get Arabic Meaning of Sad | <urn:uuid:571cbf2f-91d1-4ba7-9256-8eaa672a5630> | http://jenson.in/dicts/?lang=ar&word=Sad | en | 0.665338 | 0.125802 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Living in your home after a death
Nine months ago I was sitting at this very laptop, surrounded by every other laptop we had in the flat (all of which were logged into different Facebook accounts), plus address books, and lists of names, and my mobile phone had never seen so much use in its life.
My fiancé had passed away early that morning and we'd just finished letting everyone know. | <urn:uuid:9359225f-ce1d-4b33-a974-fcd3e2597a26> | http://offbeathome.com/tag/utilities/page/2/ | en | 0.992677 | 0.025943 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Low-Cost Launch Technology
Jerome Pearson has provided technology innovations in methods for low-cost launch of space payloads since he conceived of the space elevator in 1975. The space elevator concept is still the lowest-cost space launcher, but until carbon nanotubes are a practical building material, it may be decades away from construction.
On more near-term efforts, Jerome Pearson collaborated with Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation on a contract with the Air Force and DARPA to evaluate low-cost launch techniques for the DARPA Orbital Express concept. Using innovative approaches to cost analysis, Pearson examined conventional launch vehicle systems, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) systems, and revolutionary launch techniques. The study found that current launch vehicle technology cannot reduce launch prices below about $1000 per kilogram to LEO, and that even reusable launch vehicles would only halve that. Pearson’s concept for a combination gun launch and orbiting tether catch could conceivably lower the cost of space launch to about $300 per kilogram, but to get below $100 per kilogram would require the space elevator. STAR, Inc. has developed a concept for a LEO maneuvering vehicle that could be a testbed for the orbiting tether part of a low-cost launch system. | <urn:uuid:a33035ca-9b4a-49ac-a623-1d99691233bd> | http://star-tech-inc.com/id78.html | en | 0.901503 | 0.173589 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Insights on the future of tech from Qualcomm’s Dr Paul E Jacobs
Funny this week that driving home from a startup event at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View I should stumble on to an NPR broadcast from the very same location, but this time featuring an interview with the very smart, very well-spoken Dr Paul E Jacobs from Qualcomm.
On the subject of being well-spoken, Dr Jacobs points out that he is essentially an engineer at heart and being confident on large stages or in front of TV cameras didn’t exactly come naturally: it’s something he’s worked at. Now isn’t that heartening?
Talking through his history, Dr Jacobs offers a clear direction on how exactly he became so prescient in understanding that the telecom industry would require mobile computing chips that would support a lot more than just speach. He explains how in the early 90’s (ie. around the time where the internet was just a networking experiment linking a bunch of colleges) he was working on speech optimization and speech compression algorithms. This planted the fundamental idea that speech was just one potential form of data that can flow through the pipes of a telecom network. It took the better part of 20 years for the smartphone to arrive and finally relegate speech to just another app on the phone we keep in our pocket. Dr Jacobs’ vision has helped ensure that the Qualcomm is a major provider of the chips needed to support this revolution.
So, what happens when you ask someone this prescient about the future?
Interesting Dr Jacobs concentrates a lot on healthcare. For instance, he talks about a sensor so small it can sit in your bloodstream and notice the indicators for a heart attack which typically show up two weeks before the event. Then what does it do? Give you a call on your smartphone and tell you to watch out!
He talks about advances in artificial intelligence and cognitive computing (with a fleeting reference to IBM Watson). Robots that learn by being physically guided rather than being programmed. He talks about just how close we are to producing computer systems that can mirror and reproduce human thought and potentially finally conquer the Turing Machine.
I’d strongly encourage you to take the time to listen to the whole fascinating interview:
More info on KQED
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Friday, October 17, 2008
Shaw Brothers & Kung Fu Cinema Part Two
Raymond Chow would produce his own version of both THE CHINESE BOXER (1969) and THE ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967). This film was called THE ONE ARMED BOXER (1971) and starred Wang Yu. This production probably annoyed his former boss to no end. Shaw's would counter attack with both a law suit and with NEW ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN in 1971 starring David Chiang and again directed by Chang Cheh. Wang Yu gained a great deal of animosity towards his former employer as many of his films mirrored a number of Shaw Brothers productions. Often these were blatant copies in what would seem an effort to steal some of the box office pie from the enterprising Shaw's. Because he jumped ship to the competition before his contract had expired, Wang Yu was not allowed to shoot movies in Hong Kong until his Shaw contract expired in early 1973.
Before going to Golden Harvest, (and subsequently, out on his own) Wang Yu would act in several Chang classics such as GOLDEN SWALLOW (1968), RETURN OF THE ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1968), THE ASSASSIN (1967) and TRAIL OF THE BROKEN BLADE, also 1967. Jimmy eventually went the independent route starring in such films as FURIOUS SLAUGHTER (1972), a film that was meant to steal the thunder of Chang Cheh's BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (1972). Jimmy also starred in KNIGHT ERRANT (1973), a movie that more or less mirrored Wang Yu's off screen personality; that of a man with a short fuse and a penchant for fighting. Wang Yu would eventually have very powerful ties with the Triads (Chinese mafia). Near the close of the 1970's, Wang Yu would be called upon to help Jackie Chan out of a life-threatening situation when it was reported that filmmaker Lo Wei had taken a contract out on the young rising star.
In 1969, Shaw's personally financed the beginning of a new genre--the Guo Shu Pian, or the "New Hero Genre". The film was VENGEANCE! starring David Chiang and Ti Lung with direction by Chang Cheh. The film won Best Actor for David Chiang and Best Director for Chang Cheh. It was a new style of action film foregoing the tired swordplay genre replacing it with a more modern setting. The result is one of the most respected action thrillers ever to come out of Hong Kong. It was also very instrumental on the career of a young John Woo, who was Chang Cheh's assistant at the time.
David Chiang and Ti Lung, along with director Cheh were called 'The Iron Triangle' in Hong Kong because their films were so successful. VENGEANCE! (filmed in 1969 and released in 1970) and THE CHINESE BOXER (1969) ushered in a new era of screen fighting and action thriller that would take hold of the HK box office. By decades end, this style would morph into an amalgamation of styles producing new innovations for audiences to enjoy.
Shaw Brothers also collaborated on a number of US and international productions. Wishing to increase the quality of their homegrown product, filmmakers and technicians from Korea (and most notably from Japan) were brought over to improve Hong Kong's cinematic output. This joining of different filmmaking techniques was a mutual exchange with both sides learning a great deal from the collaboration. A fair number of Shaw Brothers movies were co-productions with Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
Often times these cooperative deals would have differences in release versions for there respected territories. Shaw's movies were patterned after old Hollywood style productions. The bulk of their films were shot on studio sets with little or no location shots. This gave the films an otherworldly, operatic quality. The set design and attention to detail was impeccable and couldn't be matched from any other studio at the time. The Shaw's also followed the old Hollywood method of keeping their talent under tight contracts.
For years, it has been said actors were paid very little money but since then, it has become known that if an actors films were popular, then they would receive a bonus that was often enough for a house. However, it isn't known if this bonus system applied to everybody. Whatever the case may be, judging from pictures from magazine articles of the time, all the big names were not lacking for anything. Despite Shaw's iron fisted ways, the brothers were known for regularly contributing to the public by holding charity events for the needy; giving back to the people in a similar fashion the way their father had done decades earlier.
Because of Sir Run Run Shaw's refusal to relent to prima donna demands, the studio would miss out on one actor who could have cemented their dominance forever. It ultimately proved that they, too, could be beaten at the box office. If they had been able to have acquired this actor, the future landscape of the HK film industry might have become a very different place. Upon his return to Hong Kong, Bruce Lee (who admired the Shaw style of filmmaking) went to Shaw's first, the studio being the biggest, and most dominant in Asia at the time. Offered one of their standard contracts, Lee rejected it in contempt.
Lee wanted an exorbitant amount of money (by HK standards) plus a percentage of the gross. No doubt his time in Hollywood had rubbed off on him as the days of the contract player had ceased to exist in America. If Shaw gave in to Lee's demands, he would have had to do likewise for his other contracted talent. Chow saw opportunity and a chance to pull his company out of the financial mire it had been placed in. Chow made Lee an offer he couldn't refuse. He was willing to give Lee everything Shaw would not and the gamble paid off. Shaw Brothers loss became an incredible gain for their former executive. Shaw would also lose another great talent to Raymond Chow's attractive financial offers and benefits-- famous comedian, Michael Hui.
Bruce was the first Asian actor to get some kind of exposure in the US with the GREEN HORNET tv show as well as several other television programs. He was already a proven commodity when he came back to HK to make movies. His popularity with the Chinese audience had greatly increased because of his tenacity and his ability to break into the theatrical cognoscenti in America. Before Bruce Lee, Asian roles in Hollywood were always portrayed by Occidental actors made up to look Asian. This racist thinking (not just the industry itself, but the audience as well) would remain for some years.
DVD Availability: Celestial Pictures has released over 500 of the Shaw Brothers movies on DVD through the Hong Kong based, IVL label-- IVL (R3); Dragon Dynasty (R1); Image Entertainment (R1); Well Go USA (R1); BCI/Ronin Entertainment (R1)
Shaw Brothers & Kung Fu Cinema Part One
***WARNING: Some nudity below***
The Shaw Brothers began film distribution and production in the early 1920's against their father's wishes. Their father, Shaw Yuh Hsuen, became wealthy running a dye factory in Shanghai. He was an extremely charitable man. He donated liberally to the public including distributing money and grain to those in need. He was disapproving of his sons pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. In the beginning, the Shaw's were like a traveling cinematic circus setting up tents from town to town and showing films and attracting the curiosity of the populace. Wherever they went, if movie showings proved profitable, they built a cinema there. The brothers methods were crude and rudimentary but their drive and devotion would pay off in the long run. One particularly ingenious idea was that when the Shaw's bought property to build a cinema, they would purchase more land than necessary. The thought being that a prosperous theater would benefit surrounding businesses increasing adjacent property value. They continued to utilize the mobile cinemas for use in rural areas far from the cities.
The Shaw's had experimented with "talking pictures" as early as 1931. Their first "talkie", NORMAL DRAGON would see release in 1933. Costing US$1,500 to make, the film grossed US$85,000. Its theatrical run in Hong Kong ran for over a year. In addition to their theaters, the Shaw's were also successful in running amusement parks, another prosperous business venture that would last into the 1980's. Trouble struck when the Japanese entered Singapore and seized all of Shaw Brothers assets. Interrogated, the Shaw's were forced to show Japanese propaganda films. Hollywood films were banned by the Japanese oppressors in late 1943. The cinemas and amusement parks were given Japanese names and were forced to display Japanese flags.
After the war was over, Shaw Brothers began the arduous task of taking back their place as the leading film distributors in Asia. During the early 1940's prior to the Japanese takeover, American productions accounted for 70% of films shown in Shaw cinemas with only a meager 13% being home grown product. However, by the mid 1960's, Chinese films shown in Shaw theaters in Hong Kong had slowly began to overtake American films in popularity for the first time. Live stage shows such as beauty pageants, live bands and magic acts were implemented into the Shaw scheme to keep crowds interested and coming back. The aggressive tactic of buying out their competition as well as overtaking independent outfits allowing only the showings of Shaw distributed movies led to a monopolization the likes of which would never fly in America.
By 1965, Shaw Brothers Limited had 35 companies under its banner. The company owned 130 cinemas throughout South East Asia including Singapore and Malaysia, nine amusement parks and three production studios in Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. It was also around this time that Shaw's began circulating their own movie magazines-- Southern Screen Magazine went to press in 1957 and was distributed all around the world. A second Shaw publication, Hong Kong Movie News surfaced in 1966. Both magazines ran until Shaw's closed up their film distribution arm in the mid 1980's.
With all the constant cash flow running under the Shaw banner, competition was always present. Shaw's faced opposition from Malay companies MFP and Cathay Organization. Even still, Shaw Brothers garnered most of the attention cleaning house at film festivals and welcoming a bevy of foreign stars to the fabled studios. Famous personalities such as James Mason, William Holden, Curt Jurgens, Mylene Demongeot, Yul Brynner, Ingrid Bergman, Robert Wise, Cliff Robertson, Rex Harrison, John Derek, Ursula Andress, Alfred Hitchcock, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, The Beatles and British comedian Norman Wisdom were just some that made the jaunt to Hong Kong to visit the thriving studio. MFP studios would dissolve in 1967 but Cathay would survive well into the 80's.
By the end of the 1960's, Shaw studios occupied 850,000 sq ft of ground (At the time, the largest privately owned studio in the world). It had five blocks of administrative buildings, an editing and sound recording studio, four staff dormitories that housed 1,500 workers and twelve sound stages which could be used to shoot twelve different indoor sequences at the same time. In addition, sixteen permanent outdoor sets with palaces, gardens and complete streets were erected for filming purposes. There was even a reproduction of China's Great Wall among the many elaborate and ornate Shaw sets.
By 1966, Shaw Brothers cinematic output had reached 40 films (sometimes more) a year, up from 26 films the previous year. The Shaw films of the era cost five times the budget of an average Chinese film, which, before Shaw Studios was officially opened, was HK$200,000. As many as twelve movies would be in production at the same time and the average production time was between 40 and 60 days.
By this time, the Shaw's had switched over to filming silent, dubbing the soundtrack in afterwards. The films were then dubbed into all the various Chinese dialects (most predominantly Mandarin and Cantonese) as well as foreign languages for the films deemed worthy enough for release in Western markets. Different versions of films were also made-- strong versions for the US, Japanese and European markets and a slightly less graphic version for Hong Kong. The prints seen in Asian territories such as Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan were stripped clean of any offensive acts.
In the beginning, the actors/actresses and behind the scenes technicians were paid well. Everybody lived on the Shaw lot. It was like a world unto itself. The Shaw's treated their filmmaking empire much like a factory and the functions and activities of the studios operations were handled in that fashion. The Shaw Brothers performers were all treated like family and were encouraged to participate in events sponsored by Shaw such as sporting events and other extra-curricular activities. The fun and excitement would come to an end in the mid 80's when the Shaw's were unable to adjust to rapidly changing audience tastes as well as change from within the industry itself.
A combination of new and hungry filmmakers adapting to a New Wave style of movie-making as well as a new type of action film replacing the "old fashioned" type produced for years by the Shaw's. The few inspired attempts at the new style were not enough to save the studio whose decline in quality had reached a major low point from the exuberance of a decade earlier. Considering so much similar programming was being shown on television for free, Shaw Brothers Movietown was closed as a film production facility and leased out to other studios both local and abroad. This was not a sad end for Shaw's however, as Sir Run Run Shaw owned TVB, a television arm he launched in 1973. TVB has since become the leading producer of Chinese television programming in the world.
Prior to the Shaw era of action filmmaking, action films featured magical flying swordsmen that could shoot laser beams from their weapons as well as their hands. These films were popular for a number of years. These fantasy swordplay movies were of a genre called Wuxia Pian, or Martial Chivalry films. Swordplay movies would get an upgrade with the releases of King Hu's COME DRINK WITH ME (1966) and Chang Cheh's ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967). The genre would soon be replaced by a more modern and brutal style of fight film.
The Wuxia Pian would enjoy a popular resurgence in 1976 with the release of Chu Yuan's KILLER CLANS. In the early 70's, the swordplay films were phased out for films featuring predominantly empty handed combat sequences. Such films had aleady been done in years past. Early examples of kung fu films featured Kwan Tak Hing as real life Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung(also played most recently by Jet Li in the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA films of which he starred in 4 of the six)in over 100 b/w movies and a couple of later color ones such as THE SKYHAWK (1974) and DREADNAUGHT (1981).
During the early days of Chinese cinema women were the star attractions. It was also not uncommon to see a woman playing a male character in some of the movies. This would change in 1967 when director Chang Cheh would alter HK cinema forever with the release of ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN; the first action film to break a million dollars at the HK box office. The film also had a more realistic approach to the swordplay scenes that films before it didn't have.
The films star was Jimmy Wang Yu, a former swimming champion turned actor who would later make a career out of playing one armed heroes. Wang Yu would also star and direct the first film to feature actual kung fu training and stylings in the 1969 production, THE CHINESE BOXER. Wang ultimately left Shaws to make films for recent upstart studio, Golden Harvest, run by former Shaw executive Raymond Chow. Founded in 1970, the studio was on shaky ground till Chow was able to secure the talent that was Bruce Lee.
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Not Even in Disneyland
Post by Kylie Bellard for the Love for Love series.
photo by Kylie
Not Even in Disneyland
If you’ve been queer and living in New York for a year or more, you’ve probably heard someone say that NYC is just like Gay Disneyland. I think what people are trying to convey with that statement is this: New York sometimes feels like a place where LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) folks get to be ourselves without feeling afraid.
To an extent, it’s true. This jam-packed cosmopolis can seem far more accepting of us than other places. It’s hard to describe the euphoria of marching in the massive NYC Pride parade that takes over the city for one day each June. People walk around loving whomever they love, being whoever they are. You can’t help but smile, giggle, and dance a little when you see so many people feeling so free. (The copious amounts of glitter, feathers, and hairspray don’t hurt, either.)
But New York isn’t always a safe place to be. I remember that when my wife and I get yelled at by random people on the street. (We’re very lucky to live in a state where we’re legally married, which means that we benefit from a host of protections that queer couples elsewhere do not.) We’re emotionally sensitive people, and it hurts every time. We try not to let it, but those comments always put a damper on our day, whether they’re petty and laughable or violent and scary.
During the last couple of months, there’s been a huge upswing in violence against queer folks here. The recent violence seems to have been mostly directed at men who are perceived as gay or effeminate. Most of the New Yorkers I know have been shocked, outraged, and shaken by the spate of violence. Because this is our safe haven. And if we’re not safe here, then where are we safe?
. . .
I remember going to Disneyland as a kid with my choir. I’d been to Disneyland before, but this was the first time I stepped behind its walls, into the places that most park visitors never see.
It turns out that Disneyland is like an enormous, living movie set. You exit the park area, and you’re suddenly backstage. The people who play pristine fictional characters all day become real, live, flawed humans. Humans who remove their synthetic wigs, eat their lunches, and smoke their cigarettes.
As a twelve-year-old who grew up surrounded by anti-smoking rhetoric, that was the most jarring image for me: the smoking. I had learned that smoking was a bad thing to do. Seeing the people who played these immaculate fantasy characters, sitting on overturned crates and smoking cigarettes? That meant that all was not as I thought it was in the world.
It meant these actors were human, and all humans do things that are bad for themselves sometimes. All of us take off the costume, or some part of it, at some point in the day. Siblings fight. Parents get cranky. Kids scrape their knees, get lost, get kidnapped. Even in Disneyland.
. . .
And in New York, even though it can sometimes feel like this is the one, special place where people get to love who they love and be who they are without fear, it isn’t. Which stinks. There isn’t any one place in the world where anyone can be completely, totally safe. Because this is life. Life is imperfect, and painful as well as joyful, and as much as we wish it weren’t the case, people sometimes hurt each other.
In case you’re starting to think otherwise, I’m actually not a cynic. I’m nothing if not hopeful for the future of humanity. I’m sharing this because I used to be convinced that there was a utopia where I (and you, and everyone else) wouldn’t be vulnerable to discrimination. And so I was always looking for it. The minute something negative happened wherever I was, my mind would shoot off to imagining another time or place, one where my wife and I would finally be able to walk around holding hands without feeling afraid.
That tendency to flee robbed me of the chance to see the deep, deep goodness that surrounded us at the same time. Even while there were people getting hurt for being who they were, there were (many more) people being wholeheartedly accepted, queerness and all.
There were people making easeful transitions between gender identities, with the full support of their communities. There were parents in small Midwestern towns, accepting their gay kids not despite their sexuality, but because of it. There were grownups raising their kids as whatever gender felt best for them, and proactively advocating on their behalf.
None of this meant that these places were necessarily more goodness-filled than anywhere else. The world was and is profoundly multifaceted. There is kindness and meanness, compassion and hatred, and it’s everywhere.
Nobody’s safe. Not even in Disneyland. And in a way that doesn’t quite make sense to me, I feel safer knowing that than mistakenly believing a utopia exists. It feels like a whole lot less pressure this way. I don’t have to find the holy grail of accepting, progressive cities in which to live. I just have to do my best to love myself, and have compassion for those who don’t yet know how to love, wherever I am.
Kylie Bellard is an uber-compassionate empowerment coach and photographer who teaches people to like themselves and care for themselves. You can read her weekly musings on self-esteem, compassion, and doing nothing at
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Gender-Specific Therapy for Women Prisoners Research Question Research Proposal
• Length: 8 pages
• Sources: 1
• Subject: Criminal Justice
• Type: Research Proposal
• Paper: #52728944
Excerpt from Research Proposal :
Gender-Specific Therapy for Women Prisoners
On average, women make up about 7% of the total federal and state incarcerated population in the United States. This has increased since the 1980s due to stricter and more severe laws that focus on recreational drug use, a lack of community programs, and fewer treatment centers available for outpatients (Zaitow and Thomas, eds., 2003). According to the National Women's Law Centers, women prisoners report a higher than statistically normal history of domestic violence in their immediate past, and the fastest growing prison population with a disproportionate number of non-Whites forming over 60% of the population. In fact, over 30% of women in prison are serving sentences for murder involving a spouse or partner. The incarceration of women presents far different cultural and sociological issues than those of men -- issues with children, family, sexual politics and more (NWLC, 2012).
The rapid increase of female prisoners in a male-dominated system has left fewer adequate resources available for women. In addition, most research shows that women's prison experiences differ drastically from those of men because their relationships inside and outside prison tend to shape the culture then enter into in prison.
Women tend to form differing structures than men, finding roles similar to that which they would undertake outside prison. In addition, over 60% of women in prison were the primary guardians for their children, causing women to experience a higher degree of trauma and separation anxiety as well as a differing view of the judicial system and their own roles (Women in the Criminal Justice System, 2012). What is true, however, is that there is a clear disconnect in being able to handle the issues surrounding criminal justice in the U.S. For example, while the total U.S. population rose about 25% from 1980 to 2006, roughly 25 years, the prison population rose almost 400%. Nearly one in four of all prisoners globally are in American prisons; one in nine African-Americans, and now our prison system and local jails have almost 2.5 million prisoners causing an extreme burden on the criminal justice system, public health and safety and the taxpayer (Gonnerman, 2008).
Because of these divergent issues, our research will ask: are women offenders more likely to be successful if they participate in a gender-response program vs. A traditional, non-gender specific program?
There is general consensus in both the academic and governmental fields that the American prison system is broken. At best, we might look at our prison system as a massive warehouse for humans -- but conditions likened to our meat industry; overcrowded conditions with understaffed personnel. Additionally, the public continues to criticize the high recidivism rate usually associated with the modern prison population. Due to these sociological issues, it is the exception rather than the rule for inmates to meld back into productive society. However, the more unhappy members of society become, and the more conservative politicians vote for harsher penalties, the problem exacerbates. Crowding increases, services decline, and even the most liberal minded criminologists realize there is almost no chance for rehabilitation. As late as 2009, in fact, the United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the entire world (West, 2010). It is important to note, though, that the United States does report all of its prisoners, and it is likely some countries do not. Still, there is an unbelievably high incarceration rate of 748/100,000 inmates in the U.S., or .75%, causing many global organizations to remark that the United States has 1% of its population in jail, and another 3% on parole, with another half a percent as juveniles, making it the wealthiest country in the world with 5% of its population tied up in the penal system (Total U.S. Correctional Population, 2010).
The actual number of women in the U.S. prison system is increasing nearly twice that of men. About 33% of these women are incarcerated due to drug offenses. More than 60% have histories of physical and sexual abuse, high rates of HIV infection, and substance issues. In addition to the sociological problems faced by incarcerating more women, there has been a clear increase in the number of children suffering from loss of family ties and stability (Women in the Justice System, 2012).
Because female incarceration is different, there are several rehabilitative programs and theories that may have special use for women: gender-responsive and/or cognitive based. We know that males and females develop cognitively in different ways, react to certain stimuli in divergent ways, and even communicate in slightly different fashions. It therefore stands to reason that any therapeutic or rehabilitative approach would also take into consideration gender as part of its paradigm. Correctional programs, in the past, have been based almost exclusively on research focused on male inmates. It is clear that gender-responsive programs, designed specifically for women of all ages, provide a better basis for success regardless of the underlying theoretical bias (Van Gundy).
Gender-Responsive Services -- address the needs of a gender group by allowing gender to affect and guide the types of services offered, creating a social and cultural environment in which content, staff, and material are more responsive to the gender at hand. These types of programs are designed to make the individual gender, in our case women, feel safe, sustain consistent and supportive relationships, and opportunities to heal from specific trauma and have some degree of success in moving from incarceration back into society. This is particularly valuable because females within corrections have differences in type and associated symptoms than males (four times the rate of depression and a higher incidence of severe mental health disorders) (Van Gundy-Yoder, 2010).
Cognitive based theory assumes that the reason for any disorder or dysfunction is based on cognitive reasons and seeks to use metacognitive strategies to help the client become more aware of problem solving skills, and learning how to monitor and control anger or other negative behaviors. This tends not to make any distinction between gender, but is based on the individual's own ability to understand and mitigate their particular situation (Seabrook and Brokett, 2010).
Which approach does one take? It certainly depends on whether one believes that the basic psychological make-up between genders differs. If we take the prison population of women, however, we do see that there are fundamental differences in race, education, and acculturation than that of the overall female population of the United States. Thus, it would make more sense to focus any therapy or rehabilitation philosophy specifically on the manner in which women approach incarceration, how we might engender more success and community, and ways that women can feel safer and adapt better to uncomfortable situations. Most scholars agree that women who are in the criminal justice system have different needs than their male counterparts (racism, sexism, economic oppression). When dealing with these larger issues, then, it is more desirable to use a framework in which the chance of success by focusing on specific issues is paramount (Bloom, 2001).
During the last two decades, there has been a rather profound change in the way in which women are treated within the criminal justice system. Thankfully, the system has listened to what sociologists have said, but more expansive law enforcement efforts, increased drug-related penalties, and post-conviction barriers to reentry into society sometimes uniquely affect women (Women in the Criminal Justice System, 2007). In general, when female prisoners are released, they have high rearrests rates, low employment, and almost no social service outlets. Much of this stems from not having appropriate services while incarcerated. It is interesting that overall drug use and criminal activity diminish the first year after release, but then grow if no opportunities for advancement present themselves. Post release employment and health insurance were significantly associated with lower rearrests rates and drug use. Housing, counseling, and other treatments will improve successful reentry into society, which suggests that new public policies are needed to improve issues regarding women and incarceration (Freudenberg,, 2005).
Hypothesis -- Gender-based psychological and rehabilitative programs are more effective for females who have been incarcerated that those that are more generic or based on total population data.
Basis - To define and analyze our research question, we will survey the literature as well as develop a qualitative instrument to administer to a sampling of prison psychologists and/or criminologists. Our primary theoretic base will focus on appropriate gender-response theory and programs that allow for gender differences within their structure. If there is time and permission can be gleaned, we will also submit a sample survey to a portion of a female prison population, as well as attempt to conduct at least a few face-to-face interviews.
We will attempt a "mixed" method research paradigm. This is a way to combine the best of both the qualitative approach and the quantitative paradigm so that both sides of the argument are adequately covered. In the case of the research, the qualitative defined strategies, while the quantitative measured actual results. If there…
Cite This Research Proposal:
"Gender-Specific Therapy For Women Prisoners Research Question" (2012, September 30) Retrieved February 7, 2017, from
"Gender-Specific Therapy For Women Prisoners Research Question" 30 September 2012. Web.7 February. 2017. <>
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Buy 16 (Sixteen) Year Old Whisky online
16 Year Old Whisky
The age statement on a whisky label tells you the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. What does this mean? Put simply, a bottle of whisky may contain whiskies matured in a number of different casks for different periods of time. If the label says that the whisky is 16 Years Old (or Sixteen Years Old) then, although it may contain older whiskies, you can be certain that none of components are any younger than 16 years.
Once a whisky is bottled it ceases its maturation, unlike wine which continues to age in the bottle, so Sixteen year old whisky is frozen in time and will be considered 16 forever. | <urn:uuid:f1d72947-de4b-419b-b5ba-c22c36fcbe25> | http://www.whiskymarketplace.co.uk/16-year-old-whisky | en | 0.915933 | 0.019695 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Scientific Method —
Ancient Greek oral traditions got geology right
Athenian historians correctly identified that the city's port, Piraeus, had …
In the first century AD, a Greek geographer and historian named Strabo noted that a peninsula just south of Athens called Piraeus had, at one time in the past, been an island. It's unusual for landforms to change so quickly that humans can take notice, even over generations, so that's a pretty interesting claim. The idea pops up elsewhere in Athenian oral tradition, as well as in the etymology of the name itself ("peran" means "beyond" or "on the other side"), so a group of French and Greek geologists and archaeologists decided to put it to the test.
The group collected sediment cores near Piraeus to infer its paleogeography, and used carbon dating to put the events on a timeline. In the end, Strabo's story checks out. Around 8,000 years ago, Piraeus was a peninsula resembling its current configuration. By 6,000 years ago, continued sea level rise from the end of the last ice age had drowned Piraeus' connection to the mainland, making it a proper island.
Around 4,000 years ago, sediment deposited by the Cephissus and Korydallos rivers had made the region between Piraeus and the mainland into a shallow lagoon separated from the Mediterranean by sandy beach ridges. By the time the Athenian city-state was blossoming, all that sediment had built up a large freshwater marsh, and the Athenian leaders constructed walls to fortify the connection between Athens and Piraeus, which was the location of the city's harbors. The evidence shows that the lagoon was not filled in as part of the construction—the freshwater marsh provided a sufficient land connection.
This all means that Strabo got it right, which is doubly impressive, considering that Piraeus couldn't properly have been called an island more recently than at least a couple thousand years earlier. The researchers provide a couple hypotheses to explain how he did it: either the Athenian oral tradition was simply so good that the knowledge had reliably been passed down all that time, or Strabo was such a skilled geographer that he deduced the fact himself by examining the topography and marshland around Piraeus (assisted, perhaps, by the meaning of the name).
Geology, 2011. DOI: 10.1130/G31818.1 (About DOIs).
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End of Life Symantec Safe Site
General Information ID: INFO2823 Updated: 12/01/2015
What is happening?
As part of a long-term effort to simplify our product range and ensure our offerings are relevant to the latest security needs, we are discontinuing (End of Life) our Symantec Safe Site product as of March 2016.
Symantec Safe Site (formally the VeriSign Trust Seal) is the stand-alone seal product which allows a user to display the seal without having to purchase an SSL cert.
Note: There will be no impact on the Norton Secured Seal included in our SSL products.
What should I do?
In order to continue displaying the Norton Secured Seal on their website, you will need to purchase one of our SSL products. Any Symantec Safe Site customer who chooses not to upgrade will lose their existing Symantec Safe Site at the end of their current product's current term.
Why is Symantec discontinuing Symantec Safe Site?
We want to simplify our product range, so we plan to eliminate smaller products that essentially have become redundant. Symantec Safe Site has been marked as a product that is not essential in our range and can be discontinued. Symantec SSL offers the same Norton Secured Seal, plus additional features that more comprehensively protect websites and simultaneously project trust.
Does this affect the seal on any other products?
No, the seal for all other products will still be available. No changes will be made.
What will happen if I don't want another product?
Customers will not be able to renew their Symantec Safe Site product once their term is complete, so at that time they will no longer have access to the Norton Secured Seal nor Malware Scanning.
We suggest you upgrade to Symantec SSL to continue reaping the benefits you clearly value from the Norton Secured Seal, in addition to the added website security that comes with an SSL certificate.
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Difference between Entrances and Sessions
Learn why the number of entrances can be different from the number of sessions in your reports.
At a glance
Analytics calculates Entrances in a different way than Sessions. Although you might expect the number of entrances to be the same as the number of sessions, you may see different values for these metrics in your reports.
Entrances is incremented on the first pageview or screenview hit of a session. In contrast, Sessions is incremented on the first hit of a session, regardless of hit type. Thus, there may be a discrepancy between Entrances and Pageviews or Screenviews for properties where the first hit of a session can be an event hit.
Discrepancies occur when you directly compare Entrances to Sessions, or when you use the Date dimension in some reports.
In depth
Enter → PageA → PageB → Exit
You would see the following data for each page:
• PageA: 1 Entrance, 1 Session, 1 Pageview
• PageB: 0 Entrances, 0 Sessions, 1 Pageview
The user entered on PageA (which also gets counted as a pageview). The user then moved to PageB before leaving the site and ending the session.
If the first hit of the session is an event hit instead of a page hit, the session might look like this:
Enter → Event 1 (associated with PageB via page parameter) → PageA → PageB → Exit
You would see the following data associated with each page in your reports:
• PageA: 1 Entrance, 0 Sessions, 1 Pageview
• PageB: 0 Entrances, 1 Session, 1 Pageview
In this example, the user entered the site and immediately triggered an Analytics event that was hosted on PageB (as defined by the site developer using the dl page parameter). Although the event was hosted on PageB, it’s still an event hit and not a page hit, so Analytics can’t attribute the entrance to PageB. The entrance still gets attributed to PageA, because the first page hit in the session is sent to Analytics when the user moves to PageA as the next step after triggering the event.
Now let’s take a look at another situation to contrast what happened in the previous example. In the following example, you might see an equal number of entrances and page or screen views if both an Event and the first page hit of the session happened on the same page:
Enter → Event (associated with PageA via page parameter) → PageA → PageB → Exit
You would see the following data in your reports:
• PageA: 1 Entrance, 1 Session, 1 Pageview
• PageB: 0 Entrances, 0 Sessions, 1 Pageview
Here, the event hit was sent from PageA. PageA was also the first page to send a page hit. The entrance and the session are attributed to the same page in that session.
If you have a session with zero page or screen hits, you might see more sessions than entrances. If no page or screen hits are sent, Analytics can’t count any entrances in your reports.
In this example, there are only two hits in the session, and both are event hits:
Enter → Event 1 → Event 2 → Exit
Therefore, there are zero entrances and zero pageviews in your reports:
• 0 Entrances, 1 Session, 0 Pageviews
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What are common causes of air pollution?
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Some common causes of air pollution are second-hand tobacco smoke, agricultural fertilizer application, fuel combustion from transportation, and industrial processes such as mining, fuel refinery and chemical manufacturing. Other sources of air pollution include livestock waste, solvent application for degreasing purposes, commercial cooking and naturally occurring events such as wildfires.
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What are common causes of air pollution?
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Six common pollutants compose the majority of air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and lead. Air pollution resulting from a variety of sources is responsible for 1.3 million deaths per year worldwide, as of 2015, and creates a major risk factor for various acute and chronic respiratory diseases.
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Holy frak. Holy frak. HOLYROLLERBLADINGFRAK! Movie producers paid two Sukhoi Su-35 pilots to fly without a canopy at Mach 2.0, and have one of them eject in what probably is one of the most dangerous stunts ever filmed. (UPDATED)
That's what the pilot who remained in the cabin said he did after his crazy comrade ejected, landing safely on the ground. I don't know what this movie is, but I definitely want to see it.
To add even more awesome details, the actual airplane is the SU-35UB prototype, identified by its tail number 801. This is the most advanced Sukhoi fighter ever built. Crazy Ivans indeed. [The Dew Line]
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Musings on Sex and Love
Good Lord, Another Sex Article?
It's hard to find a focus when it comes to sexuality, relationships, intimacy, gender orientation, and romance. A lot of this spawned from late-night discussions between the love of my life and I. The information not only came from our experiences and observations, but so much of it was said in better words by other resources (namely Scarleteen).
This isn't a do or don't or a how-to article on love and sex. This isn't an etiquette courtesy of a professional psychologist. What you're about to read here are just guidelines and common sense. This is an open-minded thought process that came from not just me, but conversational dialogues between me and others. This is shared to get you thinking.
So a lot of this is a compilation of advise we have given in the past, lessons we have learned, and resources we have read. This hub is going to share the basics so far, as I have been touching on basics as of late anyway, such as this: The Ethics of Non-Monogamy. I consider 'Musings on Sex and Love' to be a good prequel to the 'Ethics of Non-Monogamy'.
I hope you will find this of some use. :)
There are a lot of false assumptions and myths floating around. There are even more harsh, unnecessary judgments. One of the main things that come to mind is: If two people are in love, then things should fall in place. Huh? What? In that scenario, those two people are going to be absolutely different in many ways, like communication methods, interests, family and societal background, and libido. Heck, they may even disagree on parenting methods, how to take care of a dog, or how to clean dishes.
Alright. That settles it. What really makes a relationship? What's so special about sex, anyways? Why is it so important to be in love if it doesn't fix everything? Sounds like very simple questions, and yet it's still so easy to assume silly things. Go ahead, take the risk, see what I've dissected below.
When people equate sex with love...
• One of the most risky thing in the world of love, sex, and relationships you can do is to believe that if the person isn't having sex with you, that person doesn't love you or desire you.
• It's time for a mental and emotional overhaul if you think that if you love someone, you must have sex with them.
• Sex and sexuality is such a complex thing. There are myriads of reasons a person just doesn't want sex now or all the time, same as there are myriads of reasons a person wants sex all the time. Love isn't always one of them.
When people believe sex should be reciprocated or demanded....
• You should know what you and your lover(s) expect out of a sexual encounter before it happens. Sex should be a mutual thing between all partners that comes in time, not expected right away.
• People are pleasured in many different ways when it comes to sex. Expecting reciprocation strictly in the terms of “I gave you blowjob, now you need to eat me out” is ridiculous. Perhaps one person is thrilled with simply giving intercouse while the other person is great with giving blowjobs.
• Just because you ate someone else out doesn't mean it's required for that person to give you something in return. That person needs to be comfortable with what they can or can not give or do within any given situation.
• Guilting, demanding, or whining about sex gets you nowhere. It's a complete buzzkill. Saying, “You never have sex with me anymore” is disrespectful. Everyone has their own sex drive peaks and downtime, everyone has different reasons for arousal triggers or lack there of. It doesn't (always) mean you aren't desirable, etc.
• Sex is not a commodity.
Why condemn sexual behavior and relationships in regards to age?
• “It's so disgraceful to see 12 year olds having relationships, they don't know what they're doing”
• “You're 18, too young to even be considering polyamory”
• “Why are 13 year olds to 16 year olds having sex? It's disgusting.”
I hear this everywhere. This is basically our society's message.
People are dating from the age of 12, so I wouldn't quite be so quick to say people can't even have healthy relationships at such a young age. A lot of people also can't have healthy relationships at age 50. It depends on the people themselves. It's good to experiment. It's good to find what really makes relationships work for you and what kind of relationships work for you.
More importantly, when I talk about pre-adolescence and teenagers dating, I mean dating within age-appropriate group. Consent can only stretch so far. There are age consensual laws within many states and countries. This is where safe and consensual comes into play. It is safer when you hit 18 that you can consider older people.
As for sex, many pre-teens and teenagers are aware of sex. Rather than taking resources from them, or not providing them information, I think it's best to convey that sex is normal for everyone. I would give them information, let them know I support what they choose to do, and make sure they are aware of protection – emotionally and physically.
Anyone of any age should check with themselves how *ready* they are to even discuss sex before they are prepared to dive into the sex pool. Every age is going to be curious about sex at all, like dry humping a pillow or wondering what female anatomy looks like. These are natural steps towards sexuality as they grow and mature and question everything.
What makes experimentation and experience so important?
This question takes a lot of consideration. It's a given that you should gain experience through experimentation to learn and discover something. But why is that so important?
If a person is ready to explore their own sexuality, with themselves or with a partner, they are prepared to gain sexual experiences and to experiment on what is right for them. In exploring yourself or another partner, you find out what makes you and/or them comfortable or uncomfortable, what turns you and/or them on or off, what triggers an orgasm, what doesn't, and what attracts you or doesn't.
When is it okay to associate sex with love?
Love does get augmented by sex or sex can get augmented by love. I believe sex is just a bonus when love is in the equation. I don't believe that you have to have sex for love or love for sex, but that you can have sex in a loving manner and for loving reasons. When I say loving reasons, I mean when you love someone so much that you don't just enjoy having sex with them, you find things you love about having sex with them.
Sex can be a casual thing between people who are attracted to each other and respect each other. However, it is much nicer when sex happens between two people in love. I believe that's the only time you should (hopefully cautiously) associate sex with love.
What are important factors when it comes to considering sex and relationships?
Self-confidence. The confidence that you can handle relationships and consequences. It's important that you decide to partake in anything for yourself, rather than to get pressured or guilt-tripped into anything.
Self-respect. That respect that says I deserve better than to be taken advantaged of, I deserve better than to be treated like crap, I deserve my own independence, I deserve to say no when I want to say no.
Respect for partners. How can there be relationships when the partners don't respect each other? There has to be a respect by not taking away their ability to make decisions, by respecting the kind of person you like being around.
Trust. You trust this person enough to have sex with them, to consider this person the significant other in your life, etc. This person should trust you the same way.
Honesty. Honesty goes a long way and truly opens things up more. Being honest in itself shows that you trust and respect the partners you are with or having sex with. Saying something like, “I'd really rather we didn't do this, but I'm okay with doing something else because of this or that” - good. You're being honest. You're drawing your own boundaries and the person involved should be able to respect that.
Communication, compromising, negotiation. Taking the honesty example and using it here: It's good to communicate what your needs are and what you're not comfortable with. It shouldn't be scary to say “Hmm, I don't like it when you put your tongue there. Could you move it up a little more?” As for relationships, it actually takes time and effort to maintain it. Help it to survive by meeting on a solid ground and going from there. Compromise a little bit, have a bit of mutualness going on.
Consensual and safe. Two important keywords to anything sexual and romantic. Your partner don't want sex? Fine. You want oral but not intercourse? Fantastic. Consensual in any relationship or sexual activity means when both partners consent to a given situation. Safe is kind of optional, considering the BDSM world. There should still be a safeword for any situation, when a person decides to stop at any point.
These are often the words I'll use. These are the words that matter when it comes down to interactions with other humans, sex or not. They become even more important when your emotional aspects are on the line.
It seems simpler when said, it seems very obvious when you look at it. However, a lot of relationships and marriages are incredibly unhealthy or in shambles because of the lack of the things I listed above.
Picture from
Picture from
What makes sex or relationships exclusive to specific groups; monogamy, straight, etc?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing makes sex or relationships exclusive to specific groups. Sex is not a property to religion or government where you must be married in order to have it. Sex is not a property of heterosexuals where no one else should have it; homosexuals have been having sex for years before people decided to make it an issue.
It does not harm me or anyone else when two men want to have sex with each other; that's their private lives that I am not part of. It does not infringe on my rights or anyone else's when someone has two or three consensual partners in a safe manner appropriate to that person.
Sex and relationships are only exclusive to 'safe and consensual', in my mind. So this means I do have a problem with rape. I have a problem with underage non-consensual sex, or non-consensual sex at all. I have a problem with molestation because it harms the children involved. I have a problem with people who lie about having STDs in order to have sex with someone. I have a problem with someone refusing protective barriers like condoms because they feel they're the special case even if condoms would ease that partner their state of mind. I have a problem with a person guilt-tripping someone into sex because they think they're better than that person and they deserve sex from that person.
So What Does All This Do For You?
So, what do you want out of relationships? What do you want out of sex? By this point, you're probably wondering how anything could be sacred. Most people question the value of sexuality if they must consider that monogamy, virginity, or anything else for that matter, is no longer sacred. What I consider to be sacred could very well be different from what you consider sacred.
When you know something is right for you, you've drawn up boundaries for yourself, and you're doing it not to make someone else feel better about themselves; that's pretty sacred. Human relationships are sacred in itself that there is a beautiful chemistry between the people involved. There is honesty and respect rather than focusing on what is right or wrong in other people's eyes.
As for sex? I believe we have sex because it's a drive that any creature with sexual organs have. It's not as important as food or water, but we do have an instinct that tells us it is - basically, this means a drive for reproduction.
Moreover, we have sex because it is a bonding experience, it provides cardio exercise, it relieves stress, it eases sexual tension, the orgasm causes endorphins (chemical for happiness and a natural pain-reliever) to set off, and it is used to resolve arguments (Bonobo Sex and Society).
Possibly, in considering all of this, you could go forth and look at things a little more differently. Question yourself on what sex and love means to you.
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Comments 7 comments
Actionelly 7 years ago
I just think at 12, kids are still playing with toys and some girls haven't even started their period yet. I don't think they are ready at that age to start contemplating complexities of sex. However, I do know that some have already experimented with their own parts out of curiosity, though there is no drive to procreate and if anything, the reason they go beyound that is because of how much it is talked about and focused on today. So they are out there acting like little pimps and sluts they see as their role models. Sorry for those terms, lol. Getting drunk and not knowing what else to do with their time. I would say 14 and older on their terms and of their own age, if they are curious would be normal. Girls were married off at around that age and are at least a little more inclined to think for themselves.
I am one of those that wished sex was something special still. Why don't we have any mating rituals or anything... besides getting drunk and hitting parties. If people are so okay with sex and its openness. Why does it take getting shit faced before you hit on a person? I know this isn't always the case, but it really is the only method available to find potential mates, besides matchmaking agencies. Isn't that weird and yes that is what we are doing. Finding mates regardless of sexuality.
Anyway off topic there, I think for most of us we go through stages and after experience upon experience we make expectations of what we want and expect. Also again off topic a bit here... but think of how much girls and boys are different when it comes to sex and why? I think it has alot to do with how we are taught. From a young age girls watch and hear about the guy that is going to sweep them off their feet. Daddies little princess. We watch all these movies and cartoons that shows us that is how it is. Girls porn is romance novels...which again gives us a false reality on how things are going to work. I believe the same is true of boys.. they get into the porn movies and magazines and think that is how it is going to work. That a girl is gonna want to give it to them night and day. What alot of them don't know is how the girls in the porn business actually hate it... it is an act. It isn't the real world... Of course it isn't always the case. Not saying some girls don't like that and some boys don't like romance. I do think this causes alot of problems in our perceptions. This isn't black and white though. There are people that get sexually abused at a young age and raped, that also is the basis of perceptions. Sorry I went off on a tagent there.
As for what I want out of a relationship. I want someone completely and utterly all about me of course. Someone devoted but yet not clingy. Really though, I try not to make lists. Because I believe that love just happens so fast that if it is real love between two people. You both know it and your work your ass off to make it work. You communicate from the beginning your expectations on sex. What you do and don't like and then you respect that. I understand that he really wants to have sex and if I don't really feel like it I might say no, but having the understanding on how it feels to want to make love and be rejected sucks.. I try not to often. I have been in this relationship a long ass time though. So respect goes both ways. We have talked so much over the years and know each other very well. Which is exactly what I want. I don't give it up to just anyone. I feel like in giving that up so does apart of my spirit. It is something I only wish to give to those I feel a very big connection with. That is why I don't fully understand having sex with tons of different people. Although I do not knock it at all. I just have never been able to do that. For me, If I love someone that much to see them with another person would fucking kill me. I just couldn't because again how I percieve it.
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ralwus 7 years ago
I think you are now the Love Doctor on HP. good stuff
Sunny Robinson profile image
Sunny Robinson 7 years ago from Tennessee Author
Bahaha. The word 'blowjob' sucks? Sorry, leftover humor from reading FrogDropping stuffs. Aww, CabinGirl. Thank you. :)
Ralwus - Ooh. Love Doctor. I think I like that. Thank you.
Elly - Yes, younger than 12 is typically curiousity about anatomy and what have ya. I personally don't believe that it's because it's so talked about, but because it really is natural. What gets so talked about and focused on is actually not healthy for those kids - like body image and such.
I totally agree with you for the most part, though. This part here: "Because I believe that love just happens so fast that if it is real love between two people. You both know it and your work your ass off to make it work." - Veddy true.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Jewels profile image
Jewels 7 years ago from Australia
Very comprehensive hub. Even 30 and 40 year olds are still working it all out, and some never do. Can take a really good partner to totaly relax into sexual confidence and thoroughly enjoy the experience.
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Sunny Robinson 7 years ago from Tennessee Author
Jewels, oh yes. I can go with that. For me to totally relax to sexual experience, it took a very patient man who never tried to pressure me into anything and had plenty of passion and respect to open my eyes and body.
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ralwus 7 years ago
I have always been very comfortable with sex and my own sexuality. Don't do bi or other men, only my Wee One will do now. I am comfortable with that too now.
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Cheeky Girl 7 years ago from UK and Nerujenia
Some good interesting subjects discussed here. I am impressed.
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Monday, July 23, 2007
Americans Get The Government They Deserve
Democracy really isn't a spectator sport, no matter what CNN, MSNBC and Faux Noise would have us believe, with their nightly yell-a-thons, loaded questions from so-called Journalists like Tucker Carlson and Billo and nauseating cheerleading for the most corrupt administration in American history.
It's really no wonder that Americans don't pay attention to what's going on, but they had damned well better start.
A good first step? Shoot your TeeVee, or use it for video viewing only.
The Assault on Due Process and Civil Liberties
By Ian Welsh
Saturday 21 July 2007
One event that caused a lot of discussion and concern this week (with Paul Craig Roberts going so far as to say it was the last necessary piece being put in place before a possible coup) was the release of a Presidential order giving the administration the power to freeze assets of any person or entity considered to be "undermining" efforts to stabilize Iraq. The order is very broad, but according to a couple of lawyers I consulted, probably not illegal, and may not be unconstitutional (unless you really do read the Constitution with strict attention to original intent, which despite their claims, few Supreme Court judges do.)
To me what was interesting about the order, aside from the apocalyptic possibilities (which I don't, frankly, rule out as "unthinkable") was both that it's probably legal and that it's really nothing very extraordinary.
No, not extraordinary. The US has been allowing assets to be frozen and to be seized; has been allowing punishments to be inflicted for decades. This is just taking the refusal to follow due process to its logical extreme.
Now I'm neither a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, and the last time I took a course in the law was over 20 years ago. But here's my layman's understanding of what's supposed to happen before someone can be punished severely in countries with due process protections.
• Be charged with a crime;
• Have their day in court;
• Have competent counsel of their choicel
• Being able to face their accuser and see the evidence against them; and,
• Have the judge able to take into consideration the circumstances of the crime in sentencing after a Jury (for serious crimes) has determined guilt
Let's run through those one at a time:
Being Charged With a Crime
The joke about the "War on Terror" is that it's the "War on Drugs ... on crack". As with most good jokes, it hurts and it's funny, because it's true - the "War on Drugs" is where America lost a lot of its civil liberties and due process. Under a series of laws passed starting in 1970 with the "Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention Act" and codifying horrible incentives in the "1984 Comprehensive Crime Control Act" law enforcement received the ability to seize goods under civil forfeiture procedures. Unlike criminal forfeiture in civil there is no need that the owner of the property ever be convicted of the crime, only that the piece of property itself be convicted, under the less civil burden of proof of "probable cause" rather than "beyond a reasonable doubt". Since the property is seized, then the owner has to go to court and in effect "prove" it wasn't used in a drug crime, and since court time is expensive, one study (Blumenson and Nilsen 1998) found that 90% are uncontested More damningly, another (Schneider and Flaherty 1991), found that in 80% of cases the owner was never convicted of a crime.(pdf)
But the worst thing about these forfeiture laws is that the majority of the money (usually 80%) stays with the law enforcement agency that performed the seizure. I trust I don't have to go into great detail about the perverse incentives this creates.
The freezing of "terrorist" assets done at the beginning of the "war on terror" was in this tradition - where "war" against an ill-defined enemy (drugs, terror) is used to justify taking people's possessions away without every proving they've committed a crime. So is this week's order.
The no-fly list is another case of "punishment without being charged or convicted". You get on it, you don't know why, you can't find out why, and you can't appeal to a court to get yourself off. Not being able to fly is a pretty significant penalty, and with talk of extended the no-fly list to ships; with the extension of a no-fly list to Canada, it's bordering on becoming an exit visa requirement. Pretty soon you'll have to drive to Mexico and take a flight from there if you want to leave the US. Refusal to allow citizens to leave the state is practically the definition of an un-free nation, and while the US isn't there yet, step by step, it's walking the path.
Having Their Day in Court
Ninety percent of all court cases are settled through a plea bargain. Plea bargaining is relatively recent - it didn't exist at the time of the founders, and didn't really start occurring until the very late 19th century, though even then it appears to have been less common than today. The poorer you are the more likely you are to take a plea bargain. If your black, or Latino, odds are you'll get a worse bargain for the exact same crime. According to the sentencing project:
In the United States, more than 90 percent of all cases in the justice system are settled by plea bargaining rather than exercising the right to trial. The rate of felony convictions of nonviolent crimes in communities of color is over-whelming: African Americans constitute 13 percent of all drug users, yet they represent 35 percent of arrests, 55 percent of convictions and 74 percent of prison sentences, according to a 2000 study by the Sentencing Project.
Incarceration Rates by Country
The assumption in the system as it stands today is that you won't have a trial. In fact, as the chart to the side here shows, the US system probably couldn't function if everyone got their day in court - there aren't enough courts, prosecutors, judges and so on to handle the flood. If pleading out was made illegal, the majority of cases would have to be thrown out (since they couldn't be tried quickly enough to meet requirements for a speedy trial.) One might argue that pleading is necessary, but one might equally note that not all countries use it (it's illegal in Scandinavian countries, for example).
Again, the War on (some) Drugs bears a lot of responsibility for this.
... increased incarceration of drug offenders has done little to decrease the number of people participating in illicit drug activities. 80 percent of the increase in the federal prison population from 1985 to 1995 can be attributed to drug convictions (USDOJ 1997). At the state level, the number of inmates incarcerated for drug offenses showed an almost three-fold increase from 1986 to 1995 (9% to 23%) (Haney and Zimbardo 1998).
All of this might be considered "worth it", except for the fact that there's little evidence that the "War on Drugs" has done anything to decrease the amount of drugs on the market or reduce the number of addicts. It has, however, acted nicely as a price support for drugs, supported many rural communities through the construction of prisons (where rural whites lock up urban blacks, pretty much) and increased the budgets of many law enforcement agents greatly (and as any ex-bureaucrat knows, all organizations exist to grow, if not kept carefully under control.)
All of this is before you even get to Padilla, the case against whom should simply have been thrown out because of gross due process concerns.
It's also before you get to government spying on its own citizens, which operates in the sweet catch-22 of "it's a secret who we're spying on and because you can't prove we're spying on you in particular, you have no standing to sue, so the courts can't overturn it." Maybe, maybe not - it still hasn't made its way to the Supremes, but I think it's safe to say that the court as currently constituted can't be counted on not to adopt such reasoning.
How many people a nation locks up is largely a policy choice. America locks up a ton of people because America chooses to do so. Locking up too many people is a direct assault on justice, because it requires an assembly line process for dealing with those accused of crimes. Justice requires taking individual circumstances into account and dies when people are treated as just backlogs to be cleared.
There is a march towards making as much law as possible administrative - towards restricting the right to use the courts. The most recent (and thankfully unsuccessful) was in the late Immigration bill. One of the nastier provisions, which few commented on, was that everyone in the country, to get a job, had to be checked against a national database. If the database said you weren't legal - no job. But Congress, in writing it up, restricted the right of appeal to the courts. Restricting people's ability to use the courts to get redress again concentrates power in the executive and makes bureaucrats unaccountable.
Competent Counsel of the Accused's Choice
This isn't a modern problem, this is as old as our system. The rich get good counsel, the poor, if they're lucky, get an overworked public defender who, even if he gives a damn, simply doesn't have the time and resources to give them the best defense. And so the richer you are, for the same crime, the more likely you are to get off. If you're white you're more likely to get off than Latinos or blacks; if your Latino, more likely to get off than a black.
Under Bush, as usually, this has reached ludicrous levels - with counsel to prisoners denied both denied access and spied on regularly (violating client-lawyer confidentiality). To be fair, in Guantanmo the American legal community has had perhaps its finest hour - with lawyers from the most prestigious white shoe firms taking on case after case, while the firms eat its cost. It's things like this - the willingness of lawyers to see the bright line has been crossed that gives me hope for America. But it's the steady creep of individuals like Roberts and Scalia, vetted by the Federalist Society, who make me worry that even this right will continue to be chipped away.
Being Able to Face Their Accuser and See the Evidence Against Them
We've been faced with a barrage of assaults on this since Bush took charge. The torture act made it legal to use coerced testimony (read - what will you say to make the pain stop?) and to use secret evidence in trials. If you can't see the evidence against you, if you can't be told where it was received from, how can you possibly defend yourself? The answer is simple - you can't. There's no need to write a long discourse on this - any nation which does this sort of thing no longer has a justice system, it only has a legal system. But it should be understood that this sort of thing follows logically from laws which allow the seizure of property first, determination of guilt later - it follows logically from the sort of reasoning that says its okay to take away a person's rights or their property, without ever letting them have a day in court, or face their accuser, or see the evidence. This stuff didn't come out of nowhere, it came out of a legal tradition, a way of doing things, set up for the War on Drugs, to make law "efficient" and "effective" and to hell with the accused's rights. I mean, seriously, they're almost all guilty anyway, right?
A long ways from Blackstone's "better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer."
Have the Judge Able to Take into Consideration the Circumstances of the Crime in Sentencing After a Jury (for serious crimes) Has Determined Guilt
Now since 90% of all cases are plead out, we already know that most people never get a jury trial. The important thing about jury trials is mostly the right (which they are not informed of ) to "jury nullification". In jury nullification, a jury refused to convict an obviously guilty person, because they believe the penalty is too harsh, or the law is wrong. Quite a number of capital crimes in England, for example, were overturned for this reason. (Stealing a chicken shouldn't be a capital crime.) Because juries routinely refused to convict, the laws had to be revised.
In the US because most cases are plead out, most people don't have to serve on juries as much as they would otherwise have to do. People hate jury duty, but that's the point - people hate it, but they should be forced to see how the legal system operates. If people were called up more often they would be forced to take responsibility in a personal way for locking someone up under 3 strikes laws, when their third strike was, say, stealing a bike. When government functions as important as justice are performed too much by civil servants (police, prosecutors and judges) and not enough by the public itself the full consequences of what is being done in their name is not made apparent to them. Perhaps, indeed, citizens would still approve. Good enough - but perhaps they wouldn't. In either case, the responsibility for locking people up under draconian 3 strikes laws, mandatory sentencing laws and so on needs to be put directly in the hands of citizens and they need to be given the ability to nullify such laws if they choose. (Trivia: Canada's last abortion law was repealed after repeated jury nullification. Juries knew the abortionist was guilty and refused to return guilty verdicts.)
Which leads us to mandatory sentencing laws and three strike laws. Yes, there will always be cases where judges use their discretion in ways we don't like. But for every outrage of a judge "letting someone off light" there's a case where, indeed, someone's third strike is stealing a bike, and for that he's going away for 20 years.
The War on Terror Is Just the War on Drugs, on Crack
Civil liberties and due process have been under relentless assault for nearly 40 years now in the US. The War on Terror, for all that it has had horrible human rights and civil liberties abuses enacted in its name, would not have been possible without the preceding War on Drugs. What many seem to not realize is that the rights lost by one person are lost by everyone When some "terrorist" or "trafficker" loses his or her rights, so do you.
Asset forfeiture didn't begin under Bush. The No Fly list didn't begin under Bush. Punishing people for crimes they had never been convicted of, didn't begin under Bush.
Of course, many things did start under Bush - torture, repeal of habeas corpus and so on. But it's worth remembering, at the end of the day, that what has happened in the last 6 years did not happen in a vacuum - it was an acceleration of a trend that already existed towards the land of liberty becoming a land where due process was only something that some people, the right sort of people, had access to.
....And The Truth Shall Set Us Free
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The Sims FreePlay
The Sims FreePlay
Total votes: 652
Game Cheats:
Make your Sims Sick:
Sims Freeplay Cheat iPhone iPod iPad summer update:
This cheat will give you 10000 Simoleons every time you do it
1.go to settings then go to date and time and change the date on all things down two besides the year do change hour minute month and day down two or more
2. Go back onto the game and you should have an extra 10000 Simoleons
I did this cheat so many times that I eventually got 100000 Simoleons I am the only one who figured out this cheat hope it helps!
Sims freeplay cheat!!
Easy XP and MONEY!!!!!!!!
MONEY CHEAT! Pool update: sims
2.exit sims and go to settings
3.change date to December 26
4.exit settings and double tap home button
5. Minus sims freeplay
6.go into sims freeplay
7. Money
The amount of money you get will depend on your xp level every five levels it increases by five thousand.
Easy level up/experience, Lifestyle Points, and 1000 or more money:
1.Make the time be automatic.
2.Get into the game and make them do a long time thing like hibernating or making a birthday cake.
3.Get out of the game, double tap home button, hold on to simsfreeplay app until it wiggles, then press the red minus sign in the corner.
4.Set time to December 31, 2013 at 12:00 AM
5.Get back into the game and money will see your action is finished, money is added you could've leveled up and got 1 Lp.
Works every time!I actually found this out myself when I was doing the 10 lp and finishing jobs earlier cheat.
Gain 10 LP instantly and finish jobs early:
Money, xp, inspire and instant action finish:
1. Exit sims freeplay and go to settings.
2. Switch on aeroplane mode and set a year back.
5. Go back to sims freeplay it shouldn't say retry go to the town map.
Add new comment
To all you cheaters out there
Lol well first you should have read the comments and seen that none of these cheats have worked since like 10 updates ago i mean really dont waste your time on cheats .period. I mean its not even real its a game .Lol if you really need money make your sims inspired then make onions every 7hrs if you have 10 sims you will get at least 12000 simoleons a day and if you do it twice a day you'll have 24000 if you do it every 7 hours in like a week you'll have more than 100000
Heya i'm intended for the
Heya i'm intended for the primary time period in this article. When i came across that mother board in addition to When i find The item truly useful & the item served everyone available a lot. I hope to give something back in addition to help some others like you helped everyone.
OMG!!!! The same thing happened to me! It's so stupid that expect you to have a face book!!! Face book is dumb and most kids aren't 13 so they can't be on it!!!
Shut UP!!
YOU ARE A WEIRDO FLABU-HATEVER!!! AT LEAST I HAVE HEARD OF WINNIFRED, BUT NOT FLABULAR!!! THE PLANET SHOULD GET RID OF YOU! He's just trying to help, okay? Cut him some slack, yes, you should have some patience, but if cheats don't work, they don't work! (except the puke one) END OF STORY!
Shut UP!!
I feel like a complete mug
What the hell is with these cruddy cheats? I feel like a complete mug. Why are you so freakishly optimistic you weirdo Winnifret? And what kind of a creepy crappy name is that? God my life is a bleeding lie.
I have a rubbish cheat if u want to hear it!
Well, you need 1 NBR and you fill your house with the free social warship game and the town value goes up! You can then repeat this and store the games in the inventory, you find that for no simoleons, you can earn LP for reaching a milestone! X Hope this helped a bit! Wynnefrett
Guys, the person has tried really hard
Thank you so much for posting this, it was so funny seing my sims puke! People shouldn't swear at you because you obviously tried really hard to help! It's just that everyone has different updates and differe t devices and things dont always work!
This seriously doesn't work!
No offence but you must have made these up because the only one that works Is the sick one! Im not sure if because i have the weather update that makes a difference or not but they certainly don't work on my ipad 4. So sorry! X
All these cheats used to work
All these cheats used to work but now since all the updates they don't work because the creators or whatever you call them fix the glitches that allow you to cheat and they clearly pointed out in this article which updates it worked on like like pool update summer update etc.. These are just old cheats
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Abbott’s Islam critique ‘unhelpful’, ‘divisive’, Indonesia says
“If Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, why would insulting Islam invite more terror?” -Jonah Goldberg
I know of no reason why we should be “helpful” to Indonesia (or any other Muslim nation) that calls criticism of Islam “divisive”.
Nutroots need to take their med’s and grow a spine. The truth is not negotiable.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott draws criticism from regional neighbour Indonesia over his call for change within Islam.
Too late. Allah divided the world in believers and unbelievers, nothing Abbott or any of us can do about it.
And meanwhile the Indonesians keep on their merry way with their genocide in West Papua.
Indonesia has MURDERED over 500,000 people in West Papua since they annexed it 57 years ago for not converting to Islam or agreeing to be slaves. Clerics that organised the Bali bombings only got a smack on the wrist. Clerics in Jakarta call Australia South Indonesia. Because West Papua has mines that earn big dollars for western countries & Indonesia nothing is said in the media, largely because Indonesia BANS them from going there but mainly not to upset Indonesia.
“Islam is a religion of decency & highest moral standards…”–Islamo-spokesturd Kuranda Seyit
“Abbott’s comments on Islam are dangerous”
Dangerous” to whom? Is Seyit threatening the elected PM Tony Abbott?
“He is doing us no favours…”
As Australians we should ensure that no gov’t or PM favours Mohammedans or Mohammedanism.
Islamic Council of Victoria spokesturd Kuranda Seyit said the comments had caused offence, particularly the suggestion that Islam was culturally inferior.
Kuranda Seyit
… Islam is caught up in a whirlwind of controversy not of its own making but as a result of a deliberate campaign to demonise and marginalise Islam (and Muslims), so much so, that it becomes alien and antithetical to Western values.
To illustrate the absurdity of Abbott’s assumptions let’s look at the Golden Age of Islam ….It’s easy to scapegoat Islam as a whole but the reality is that it has been hijacked by a radical minority who have no legitimacy. The worst thing that we can do as global citizens is to divide the world, as ‘Us and Them’, and play into the hands of IS, who want a return to the medieval times of the Crusades.--Blah blah, Kuranda Seyit is so full of shiite it makes you think he’s made of it.
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Tony Abbott: Turnbull warns against blanket statements after former PM calls for Islam to change
7 thoughts on “Abbott’s Islam critique ‘unhelpful’, ‘divisive’, Indonesia says”
1. Tony Abbott absolutely nailed it with his statement that Western civilisation is superior to all others. Our civilisation is cracking because we have not taught our children to be proud of it. Leftists with a cultural death wish have taken over the education system and indoctrinate students with cultural self-loathing, magnifying the real or imagined crimes of our forebears, belittling our incredible achievements and downplaying the serious defects with other cultures. Civilisations can be ranked in terms of the amount of freedom, prosperity and technology they provide their members. Western civilisation is by far the best form of social organisation that has ever existed on the planet. It is far from perfect, and we can improve it, but we only do that based on a proper appreciation of its strengths and weaknesses. We will never defeat the threat of radical Islam, or any other challenge, until we regain our cultural self-confidence.
2. You know you have hit the right nerve when the Indonesians come out of their hole and start going you! Tony Abbott’s no nonsense, straight to the point and accurate appraisal of the whole Islamic issue just scares the preverbal burkas right of the Islamobuffonery brigade. The bozo that de-throned him is just cheap Obama copy mouthpiece in leftist appeasement. Come back Tony before its too late!
3. I think we’ve seen enough of what them Indo bastards have done to their Christian neighbours.
In the mid 90’s Indonesia cut a swathe throughout Aceh, desecrating Churches, graveyards, raping and murdering.
Bloody arseholes have no right to lecture ‘us’ on what Islam is about. Bloody Nazis.
4. “Islam is a religion of decency and has, equally to any other religion in the world, the highest moral standards which we uphold,” —Kuranda Seyit
This guy from the Islamic Council of Victoria is not a Muslim and has not read The Book.If he was a Muslim and read The Book he would say:
“Islam is superior to other religions in the world.”
If it was “equal to any other religion” it (The Book) would not:
5 The Book promotes religious enmity, hatred and ill-will between different religious communities in India.
(see the many examples given in paragraph 5)
6 The Book insults other religions or religious beliefs of other communities in India.
(see the many examples given in paragraph 6)
5. Abbott said islamic culture is inferior to Western culture.
But how can “THOU SHALT NOT KILL!” be seen by any sane person as being somehow superior to “THOU SHALT KILL!”?
Comments are closed. | <urn:uuid:dbc203a8-a8fe-4a47-856c-fc7e95fc8959> | http://sheikyermami.com/2015/12/abbotts-islam-critique-unhelpful-divisive-indonesia-says/ | en | 0.930007 | 0.038491 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Writing a Performance Plan for a Restaurant Manager
by Victoria Duff Google
The restaurant business can be fragile. Success depends on word-of-mouth from customers and reviews. If the food is good, prices reasonable, and ambiance inviting, you might have lots of customers but still lose money. The right restaurant manager is key to your success. Your manager monitors the pace of service, the quality of the food, and manages costs so the restaurant makes a profit. To determine whether your manager is performing as needed, set performance goals.
Establish a Base
Expect your restaurant manager to grow the business and revenues. To know whether this is happening, establish a base figure representing current average daily revenues, average meals served for each category of food and beverage, and the daily average customer count. These numbers will also reveal useful facts like whether people are occupying tables for hours after ordering only a cup of coffee, and whether your higher-priced menu offerings are selling. Give your manager a list of such problems to solve and track the manager's performance monthly or quarterly in eliminating them.
Revenue Goals
Many restaurants have primarily a lunch or dinner crowd, but not both. Increase revenues by attracting more customers during your slow periods. Increasing customers and revenues during these periods is a good performance goal for your manager. However, costly promotions can cut into any benefits received by increasing business during off-hours, so measuring revenues and profits is a practical way of gauging performance. More business increases your cost of operations if you hire more wait staff, cooks and incur greater utilities expense. Promoting the restaurant through lower lunch prices, for example, could end up costing you money even though your business increases.
Standard goals for a performance plan are increased revenues and lower costs; however, stipulate how those goals should be met operationally, in keeping with the brand image you wish to present in your restaurant. Adding scantily clad waitresses might increase business and revenues, but it might not fit your long-term plans. Include detailed policies in your performance plan to give your restaurant manager the ability to be creative and still remain consistent with your enterprise vision. Costs can be managed by limiting hours of operation to only peak periods, paring wait staff, and changing the menu offerings, so indicate how willing you are to accept such changes.
Bringing in new customers involves creative marketing, improving the menu to suit your customers' tastes, improving the efficiency of the service, and creating a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. These are all part of the restaurant manager's job and should be reflected in the performance plan. Sit down with your manager and discuss the plan before you make it final. A good restaurant manager should have ideas to add, and a discussion can reveal to you how your current manager is failing to meet your needs as a restaurant owner.
About the Author
Photo Credits
• Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
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type in long division in algebra and get answer | <urn:uuid:0fd60c7c-ba2a-4848-b45b-d314026f47dc> | http://softmath.com/math-com-calculator/inverse-matrices/finding-the-equation-of-a.html | en | 0.760239 | 0.437849 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
By Amrithavarshini Venkatesh
Edited by Nidhi Singh, Junior Editor, The Indian Economist
“When ladies in bikinis swim on public beaches, do you think that the men are looking at the sea? No, they are only ogling the ladies. Our daughters and sisters should not do this. We cannot sell our daughters and sisters for the sake of tourism.”
And so the Public Works Department minister in Goa argues that women should not be allowed to wear bikinis in Goa. He also calls for a ban on alcohol, which in his opinion especially spoils girls. He is also opposed to massage parlors and casinos. Of course, apart from the usual problems of the fact that people have the right to drink and socialize as long as it doesn’t infringe other human rights, this highlights a specific problem of a disregard for the agency of women.
With yet another sexist minister, one wonders what lies ahead for women in India. In the past month, we have seen exposed to a wave of sexism from ministers that make decisions, all of whom seem to want moral policing to protect Indian Culture, and women, who are expected to represent and bear this culture with care. And so ministers from Uttar Pradesh are rape apologists, a minister from the health department would rather the spread of AIDS than publicize condoms that ‘promote pre-marital and extra-marital relationships, and now Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar would go out of his way to ensure that women don’t fall prey to influences that corrupt her modesty.
The problem with this logic is manifold. And there is a need to speak out against such logic and highlight the issues with it:
1. Why is it that people claim that pub culture affects society, ‘especially women’? How is it that women are a separate category, and why are different expectations placed on them than men? Why does alcohol especially affect women? If he were talking about third party harms and domestic abuse, that would be understandable because of the disproportionate harms on women, but he only seems to be talking about alcohol’s corrupting influence that enables girls drink alcohol and dance until early morning. So, really he just doesn’t like the fact that women dress a certain way and dance for long.
2. Assuming they do ‘especially’ affect women, why exactly does this minister have to be the knight in shining armour that protects her? Why does she not have independence in her own private sphere? If her decisions do not affect anybody or even herself, why is there a need to intervene except if she asks for it? Using the language of ‘daughters and sisters’ with the connotation of protection gives women as much agency of as a potato has. They are no lesser than anybody else and can make their own legitimate decisions, and do not need to be protected from those decisions. Note here, that only when the intervention is asked for, does the law enforcement promptly fail women. They are in cahoots with perpetrators, or they are more than willing to judge the woman first.
3. Why are we placing somebody else’s cultural rights over the human rights of women? Why is their body constantly policed? Why do they not have the freedom to express? Consistently cementing ideas of how a woman should conduct herself and her body in a public space sexualizes the woman’s body further. Treats it as different, unattainable, having an elusive quality to it, and further creates rhetoric to take it away from public purview. To question a woman’s character based on her clothing is akin to blaming her body or the fact that she takes pride in her body. You don’t see the minister making a spectacle of topless men, really.
4. What do they mean when they say ‘Indian Culture’? How is it possible to claim that they want to preserve pristine Indian Culture? Would that mean it doesn’t matter if it disproportionately affects women? Do they not realize that the beauty of a Globalized world is the amalgamation of cultures? It’s also high time the minister explains why his rights of belief in a certain culture is more paramount than their choices not to follow the same culture.
It is also notable that the minister’s comment came as a response to the Sriram Sena’s public proclamation that they would set up a centre to weed out such unethical cultures. It is sad to see that ministers are getting pulled into this slug fest. As opposed to defending rights, they seem more than willing to push themselves to the extreme. More alarming however, are some of the responses to these comments:
1. Our way of living has been influenced by the Portuguese for 450 years. This influence is definitely there and cannot be removed easily. Dhavalikar may have commented on bikinis with some good intention, but we do not support Mutalik. — N Shivdas, Sahitya Akademi award-winning Konkani writer.
Why is this the primary problem? Why would the destination and the culture it is influenced by determine the rights of the woman in a space? Irrespective of all considerations, whether or not a believed culture reflects something, shouldn’t the women make their choices?
1. Goan women have their parents, brothers and husbands to guide and protect them. May be Dhavalikar can tell his wife and daughter not to wear bikinis or go to pubs. – Pratima Coutinho, spokesperson, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee
Do women necessarily need someone to protect and guide them? They have their own minds. It would do well not to make public statements that only entrench paternalistic sentiments in the name of speaking against sexism.
1. It will only affect Goa’s tourism industry if we begin to project Goa as a fanatic state. – Nandan Kudchadkar, businessman/nightclub owner
This statement makes it more about tourism rather than the larger issue at hand, trivializing the debate on the rights of women.
However, there is a silver lining we see through other comments that have been raised by Human Rights Activists who have defended the rights of women to choose their lifestyles without being judged for them.
So where really does this take us? The problem with the law makers themselves having and entrenching such opinions is that it strengthens taboos and pushes away progressive legislation. The problem with making cultural arguments, especially by people in legislative power that you expect unbiased decision making is the fact that human rights takes a backseat. Worse still, is that such elements in the legislation often hijack rational debate and discourse. For example, to claim that women wearing short skirts is amoral is difficult to prove or disprove. We can ask however, why there is a different morality applied to a woman. Answering this with culture or God stops the debate because it stops culture from evolving and respecting human dignity.
Culture is desirable because it is a powerful cohesive force and can offer people comfort. However, the benefits of creating a culture can only be recognized fully by everybody when the culture is inclusive in its conception. This is why it becomes paramount to let cultures grow and reflect perspectives of the people that are contained by it. To crush half the population in the name of culture is systematic abuse, and should not be condoned. So let us be politically aware, and speak out against such acts before it becomes too late, and these comments become the law.
Amrithavarshini is a 19 year old with a passion for debate and theater and immense hatred for bugs of all shapes and colours. Sharp in her thoughts and loud in both words and actions, when she is not lambasting anti feminist rhetoric, calling out hypocrisy or eating Malai Kofta, she can be found on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras where she is pursuing an Integrated Masters in Developmental Economics in the Humanities Department.
Posted by The Indian Economist | For the Curious Mind
Leave a reply
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Sunday, May 3, 2009
Smart Condi
Former Secretary of State Condi Rice is hell of a smart woman. No one can deny that she's a very talented, intelligent and strong individual. However I've had my issues with her especially over how she damaged President Bush's 2nd term vis a vis Iran, North Korea and other trouble makers. President Bush's 2nd term was not like his first term at all. Bush had a great start and he had huge political capital that could be used in getting rid of the idiots of the world post 9/11 and I'm not happy how Condi Rice changed the course of the American foreign policy and slowed George Bush's freedom agenda. I might be wrong but this is my personal sentiment shared by so many other observers and this theory was also intensified by talking to those in Washington DC who definitely know better than I do. Some believed Condi Rice had Bush's ears and Bush did not do anything without her approval. So it is just fair to say that many of the previous administration's foreign policy shortcomings caused by her.
Any ways, just watch this awesome video below. See how she sticks it to the dingbat liberal student at the Standford University. Had the Bush administration taken this approach early on and vehemently defended their just actions, they would not have left the office with less than 35% popularity ratings (even though that was unfair and irrelevant to me) but you have to keep the clueless public on your side somehow if one wants to run a policy. Unfortunately, Pres Bush was unsuccessful in defending his correct policies. History will be a better judge, hopefully!
h/t British Daily Telegraph blog
Haa-meed said...
These liberal students will honestly believe everything they see on the internet.
Gitmo itself was horribly run, from what I've heard and read in a book call "Inside the Wire", but even if that was the case were still TONS of al-Qaeida detainees that were kept on lock down.
In regards to torture. I don't know about most people, but a female interrogator for example, rubbing her breasts against a Muslim terrorist to get information isn't torture.
Caroline said...
Wow, that college kid just doesn't know when to stop digging does he? As the ever generous and witty Ronald Reagan would say, "You see, the trouble with our Liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; they just know so much that isn't so." :)
Potkin Azarmehr said...
I dont know what it is with the US state dept, but it seems whoever becomes the Secretary of State all of a sudden is crumbled by the huge machinery of pencil pushing bureacrats there. | <urn:uuid:135d5abe-7a5c-4641-970f-762f8c2e7988> | http://thespiritofman.blogspot.com/2009/05/smart-condi.html | en | 0.984184 | 0.095739 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
UNICEF - Belgique
UNICEF Belgium represents UNICEF in Belgium.
It is a driving force that helps build a world
where the rights of every child are realised. In
Belgium, UNICEF also coordinates the "What
Do You Think?" project for children which
encourages children's right to participation.
Key information
Operation level:
Works with age groups:
Organisation type:
United Nations agency
Organisation mandate
, Children 0 - 18 | <urn:uuid:7717fd92-3240-4341-a42b-72659ad0968e> | http://www.crin.org/en/library/organisations/unicef-belgique | en | 0.779041 | 0.024931 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Remote (Wireless) setup of WRT54G
Discussion in 'Networking Issues' started by TheDarkSide, Jun 12, 2005.
1. TheDarkSide
TheDarkSide Network Guru Member
Hi All, I'm not a techie so please forgive me!!
My friend has just had ADSL installed into his old house, he has had to move his PC downstairs and connect it directly into the telephony Point of Entry (PoE) as the telephony extention wires up the stairs are of a poor quality. He wants to use the PC upstairs and eventaully generate a wireless network within the house for another PC and a laptop.
Is it possible to leave the modem downstairs connected to the PoE, attach a WRT54G to the modem and then wireless network his PC from upstairs (with a PCI wireless card), eventaully wireless networking both PCs and the laptop (also with PCI cards).
This will entail setting up the router over the wireless network, no physical connection.
Is this possible and what are the pitfalls?
Many thanks for your help.
Dave Mac
2. Guyfromhe
Guyfromhe Network Guru Member
Yes this is easy, the WLAN and LAN ports are bridged by default and theres no encryption or anything setup on initial startup so you can just put a wireless network card in the pc, plug in the AP and connect up to the Linksys wlan then follow the instructions to configure the router, the only downside to this is you'll have to send your WEP / WPA key in plaintext the first time you turn it on, however this is a very very small risk as someone would have to be activly sniffing your network at the exact moment you set this setting...
you could also bring the modem upstairs, plug it in via cat-5, set it up then move it downstairs and connect it to the internet.
3. TheDarkSide
TheDarkSide Network Guru Member
Many thanks for your prompt reply. Will now go ahead and purchase.
Dave Mac
4. somms
somms Network Guru Member
5. TheDarkSide
TheDarkSide Network Guru Member
Great price if I was in the US (add another $35 for postage, insurance and import tax)!!
Cheapest I can find over here in the UK is about £37 (on EBay) , which I have ordered.
But thanks for the thought.
Dave Mac
Share This Page | <urn:uuid:d3c9d57a-8ae9-452b-bc92-92c3e54c4368> | http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?threads/remote-wireless-setup-of-wrt54g.5615/ | en | 0.944789 | 0.069411 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Top Chef: All Stars Top Chef: All Stars
Top Chef's Jamie: I Got a Bad Edit
"It seemed like she was dodging bullets constantly: She cut her finger, she never cooked, she went to the hospital to get stitches, she undercooked her garbanzo beans, had two bad dishes for dim sum and she didn't get eliminated," Vigneron said. "And it seems all she cooks is scallops. I was like, 'How is she still there?'"
Ultimately, he blames the judges' panel.
"I don't think that they always make the right decision," Vigneron said. "I think [she's] a perfect example of that. Why did they send all these other people home before her? I really don't understand their decision-making processes. Every time I'm in the stew room, I never know. To be honest with you, the food from all the chefs is amazing and it's very close. We don't make the judges' job easy. They're splitting hairs to figure out who's going and who's staying."
Bravo Renews Top Chef, Bethenny and Five More
Vigneron is no stranger to controversy or criticism for his own performance on the show. On Wednesday's episode, he's seen haranguing Dale Talde on the rooftop of their New York apartment.
"What prompted that was he told me, 'Oh Marcel, I only made eight good dishes during that challenge and I served them to the judges and that was it,'" he revealed. "I was like, 'Really? And you're bragging to me about that?' I was like, man, I was running up the stairs, carrying all of my food, did 200 portions. I thought maybe that would count for something. If I only made eight portions, I could make my food amazing too, but that wasn't really the challenge."
Throughout the episode, Talde was seen in interviews mocking Vigneron, and at one point, he even compared him to the catch of the day because of his big head and little body. "It's funny. I didn't even know that Dale had all this beef with me," Vigneron said. "He didn't say anything to my face; he only says them in those interviews."
Catch up on today's news
Despite the obvious enmity on screen, Vigneron explained that the show leaves out the more positive relationships he's made on Top Chef.
"Carla [Hall] and I are good friends. She loves me," he said. "We were cooking together at WD-50, and I was helping her with nitrogen or something, and she just broke down and started crying. 'Oh my God, Marcel, you're not anything like I thought you were going to be. I was so wrong about you. You're the nicest, sweetest person.' So Carla and I are pretty tight. Spike [Mendelsohn] and I, we're pretty much homies. Tre [Wilcox] and I get along great."
In fact, he and Wilcox share a hobby: rapping.
"Me and Tre were freestyling for a while up on that rooftop. I wasn't sure if they were going to show it in last night's episode, but apparently they didn't." | <urn:uuid:c5323b1e-da21-41be-911e-3b535d3c8d0f> | http://www.tvguide.com/news/top-chef-marcel-1027667/ | en | 0.992887 | 0.0278 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The Philippines Needs Internal Cleansing and Rehabilitation More than International Exposure Today
The Philippines Needs Internal Cleansing and Rehabilitation
More than International Exposure Today
Ni Apolinario Villalobos
The Philippines is overexposed. No question about that. The internet is flooded with information about the Philippines. Browse for international singers and Filipino names will be flashed. Browse for exotic islands and white sand beaches of the Philippines will be flashed. Browse for Filipino international beauty title holders and the screen will flash a list. Browse for exotic birds and the Philippines will be shown on screen. Also, as regards politics, even before the 2016 election, the face of the new president Duterte has “graced” the cyber screen because of his intriguing personality. What else do we need to promote tourism for? There are hundreds of Filipino and international bloggers who write about the Philippines – for free. These are the people who are helping the country in their own unselfish way and driven by their unsolicited and first-hand fascination. Why pay agencies with copywriters whose ideas are copied from what they have browsed in the internet?
In this regard, the plan to host the next Ms. Universe pageant is untimely as the country is undergoing some sort of “internal cleansing and rehabilitation”. Whatever expense that may go to the beauty pageant hosting should go to projects with the aforementioned objectives. Due to the very obvious situation, the country is unprepared to host any international event. The direction should be toward what the new president is taking. Why not wait until “cleaning” is done before flaunting a “better” country to the world so that the desired image can be impressed on the mind of inbound-travelers?
The Department of Tourism (DOT) should instead, spearhead a concerted effort among travel and tour-related agencies in putting life to the dying and crumbling cultural landmarks. The effort would be like cultivating a garden to be planted with various vegetables which can be sold later. Along this line, it is important to check if the gateways leading to the interiors are just right. Corruption at the airport underlined by the “tanim-bala” scandal should be checked if already eradicated; if facilities of the four airport terminals in Manila are properly functioning; if airports in the provinces are at least presentably clean; if taxi drivers in Manila are no longer hustling passengers; if the traffic around Manila and other prime cities such as Cebu and Davao is minimized; etc.
It should be noted that despite the lack of impressive modernistic structures, neighboring Southeast Asian Nations are continually overwhelmed with tourists. Unfortunately, the Philippines is way behind them. The trade secret of these neighboring nations is in the maintenance of their historic and cultural landmarks… which are what their tourism is all about. While the Philippines is no different from them, as she belongs to their category – third world, the difference is in the country’s negligence of its landmarks, even allowing a photo bummer to rise in what was the former site of the Jai-alai fronton at Taft Avenue, so that every time a visitor takes a photo of the Rizal monument at Luneta, the condo hotel of a well-known developer also gets prominent space behind the statue’s image like a sore thumb.
A lesson or two could be learned from the wise administration of our neighboring countries on how ecology and tourism could co-exist, especially, because the Philippines is pinned down with an “exotic” tag, and not as a flourishing ultra-modern destination with the likes of China, Australia, America, and many others that the we are desperately and shamelessly trying to mimic.
I think the new secretary of Tourism should also check on why the previous administration chose the Makati area as the site of the agency’s headquarters, instead of one where the industry is bustling, thereby, where it is appropriately needed most. The Tourist Belt refers to Malate and Ermita areas where the agency should be, and where there are also buildings that could accommodate all its offices. On the other hand, the new location of the DOT at Buendia Avenue in Makati is far from the airport, port areas, tourism-related venues such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts Center, Philippine International Convention Center, Luneta, Ocean Park and Intramuros. Worst, the new location of the DOT is prone to flooding, aside from being hampered with limited parking space, and going there, a traveler has to muster the practically, crawling traffic along EDSA and main Buendia Avenue from Roxas Boulevard.
Another concern that comes to my mind is the Philippine Village Hotel right beside the airport terminal 2 with the sprawling vacated area that used to be the Nayong Pilipino. Why not consider the rehabilitation of the hotel so that it can be used as the permanent DOT headquarters? For big events, moveable facilities can be put up in the sprawling area, instead of just being left at the mercy of tall grasses. | <urn:uuid:9feffac0-8e7f-4e2d-b930-debf9822aa22> | https://penpowersong.wordpress.com/the-philippines-needs-internal-cleansing-and-rehabilitation-more-than-international-exposure-today/ | en | 0.943406 | 0.029188 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Windows 7 How to create a 'smart view' with symbolic links
Discussion in 'Programming and Scripting' started by xen111, Nov 10, 2013.
1. xen111
xen111 New Member
Nov 10, 2013
Likes Received:
I haven't done any programming for a long time, and virtually haven't done any Windows scripting since the days of MS-DOS.
For my digital audio needs I am planning to separate my music collection into 3 folder trees:
- lossless albums
- lossy albums inclusive
- lossy albums exclusive.
The lossless (FLAC) albums and the lossy (MP3) inclusive albums will be combined into a single library for every kind of jukebox software I use, ie. currently Winamp and Squeezebox. These two collections are disjunctive, they do not overlap. The combined view won't have duplicates.
The exclusive lossy albums are albums of which I have a FLAC version as well. This means "lossless + inclusive = all albums I have", "inclusive + exclusive = all lossy albums I have" and "lossless + exclusive = identical set".
In particular for this to work, I need a way to combine the inclusive and exclusive trees so I can at least copy albums from it to mobile players or other uses that require small file size.
In linux, I would simply create a 'virtual' tree consisting just of symbolic links to all the directories in all of the two trees. I would write a shell script that would create, update and delete these symbolic links. I'm not sure however if this would allow me to copy the actual directories (and not just the symlinks).
I'm looking to achieve the same thing in Windows. What kind of scripting would you use for this? What is easiest to achieve? I know that it is possible to create a kind of symbolic links.
I tried to use Cygwin some time ago for something unrelated, but either I was doing it all wrong, or it didn't work at all - especially ran into problems with files that had spaces and trying to escape these spaces. All that fun.
Can you point me in the right direction?
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• Follow up? What would you do?
I am seething, and I could use some advice about how to handle a dog attack I witnessed this evening. I was walking on a beach in Gloucester, MA, with my daughters, and I saw some commotion in the water near the marshy area.
A woman was standing on the edge of the creek, watching her dog as he attacked a seagull or a heron in the shallow water. She was pretty far away from us, but when I realized what was happening, and that she was doing nothing, not even calling her dog, my daughter and I started running down the beach toward her, shouting, "Call your dog!"
The dog kept barking and pouncing on the bird in the shallow water, and she turned and just walked away. I screamed, 'Call your dog!" again and she called back, "I tried," which was obviously not true. As she saw us getting closer, she finally called the dog off and ran for the parking lot with him before we could get there. He was a huge standard poodle, and this was happening only ten feet away from her in shallow water but she did nothing!
The bird didn't resurface and was carried away by the current before we could get there. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach until September 15, so she was violating the rules just being there. I am a dog lover, and I really enjoy all the dogs on the beach, but this was horrific. What would you have done? Should I call animal control in the morning? Honestly, it's probably a good thing that woman ran for it and got away because my blood was boiling, just witnessing that scene.
It seems to me that bringing a dog to the beach is a privilege, and there is no place for a dog that will attack and kill the wildlife there, and definitely no place for a dog owner who witnessed their dog attacking something and does absolutely nothing. What if it's another small dog next time? It seems so futile, now that the poor bird is dead and she got away, but it was just so wrong.
• #2
hmmmm, this is kind of tough in a odd way.
Yes, I'd call the ACO, describe the dog and the woman, if for no other reason that if someone else sees this woman, they have a record...or already know her.
As far as why I have mixed feelings. As you know, its difficult to be able to bring your dog to the beach, so by reporting it, you kind of make dog owners, or some dog owners look bad.
But all in all, yes, I would report it, and probably even write a letter to the local newspaper.
I am sorry you witnessed that.
save lives...spay/neuter/geld
• #3
I think that unless you have some way to identify her (license plate), there's not much anyone can do.
I would call the people in charge of the beach, whoever that may be, and just let them know what you saw. That way if anything happens, at least it was reported and there's a bit of a "paper trail."
I'm infuriated right along with you, glad you at least tried to step in and do something.
• #4
I don't think you can make the leap between a dog going after a bird and a dog attacking another dog.
If you got the woman's license plate you could report that a dog was on the beach to whoever patrols the beach.
What happened was sick but I don't think animal control can fine someone for watching their dog kill a bird unless the bird was a protected animal.
• #5
I have no advice about what to do about it, but I felt strongly enough to post and say I'm horrified. I'm horrified it happened, that the woman did nothing, and that you had to see it. Her running for it leads me to believe that she really didn't give a #$&^ about what her dog was doing until she got caught. I know if I were in her position and people came running I'd be glad for the help, because I WOULD give a HUGE ^%$*.
Even if there is nothing you can do really, hopefully this woman spends a few days scared silly that there IS something you can do and can track her. And hopefully it will be enough for her to think twice before taking that dog out off a leash.
You mentioned it might have been a heron. Are they protected in your area?
Just all around, it's very sad, she sounds like a not great addition to humanity, and I'm sorry it happened.
"Aye God, Woodrow..."
• #6
I once had an old grizzled pomeranian (not by choice), that I would take to the beach. He was a swimmer, loved going in the water. The beach ventures stopped after he caught up with a mallard duck and tried to mount it in the water. Clearly, the duck didnt mind as it didnt even try to swim away, however for the childrens sake I never brought him back. He was a horny little dog, but usually for legs/dogs/cats, I guess willing ducks are no different....
As for the standard poodle, yes...I think you did all you could. She should not have brought the dog to the beach if they arent allowed during this time. Her dogs recall should have been better, but lets face it, most dog owners do not have even 50% recall abilities. If my old JRT caught up with a squirrel, although he had 99% recall, that would have been a 1% time he would have ignored me.
• #7
Depending on the type of bird, what happened could be a federal wildlife crime. I know migratory birds are protected, and I bet a lot of egrets and herons are also. And I bet this has happened before, and from the owner's reaction probably this wasn't out of the ordinary with this owner and animal. I would report it to whoever supervises the beach, and tell them if you see her again you'll try to get a license number.
You can't fix stupid-Ron White
• #8
From a practical standpoint, if the dog was able to attack the bird, it was probably sick or injured. A healthy bird would have flown away when the dog approached. The exception might be a bird sitting on eggs or protecting its nest but its pretty late in the year for that. Also, in my experience once a dog or any predator for that matter, grabs a bird or other prey animal, its very difficult to save it. Even if it survives the attack, the stress or trauma from the injuries usually kills it. So, if my dog catches a rabbit, bird, etc. I just let nature take its course. Now, there is the question of whether the dog should have been unleashed at the beach. Personally, my dogs are always leashed in public places and they dang sure would be leashed at a beach. I remember the scene from Jaws where the shark ate the lab.
• #9
I am with wireweiners here. I actually called my vet once when one of my dogs killed a bird (in my yard). I was concerned about my dog catching something from the bird. I was told that while that was unlikely, the bird could have been sick or injured because healthy adult birds are pretty hard for most dogs to catch. Practically speaking, most pet owners aren't able to call their dog off a prey animal. Calling the dog may not have done much good, and once the dog has bitten into the prey, it is probably quicker for the dog to finish it off.
Off leash may be legal there, but the privilege will probably be taken away if other visitors have to watch dogs eat the wildlife. However, I am not sure how I feel about saying that the dog attacked the bird. The dog is a predator. He did what his instincts told him to do. The owner should train him to leave it or leave the leash on.
• #10
Firstly, the beach was not open to dogs yet anyway, probably due to nesting or migratory habits of certain birds (like the one killed most likely and just for that reason). I'm sorry but I couldn't be as casual as some of you are suggesting the poster should be. I would report it. For all you know, that parking lot, like many beach parking lots, has a camera trained on it. I would also be tempted to put up a flyer asking if anyone knew the dog and it's owner. If anything came of the flyers, I would turn it over the authorities.
The whole, well, the bird was probably sick and going to die anyway is ridiculous. You're going to eventually die as well, but that doesn't mean that I get to hunt you down and kill you any sooner than would occur naturally.
I'm so sick of this whole MYOB movement that is going on in America. It's no wonder that football teams are gang-raping girls and posting photos on Twitter while doing it and no one reports it.
Rhode Islands are red;
North Hollands are blue.
Sorry my thoroughbreds
Stomped on your roo. Originally Posted by pAin't_Misbehavin' :
• #11
Originally posted by SquishTheBunny View Post
That's hysterical!!!!!
• #12
There isn't anything wrong with reporting it. I agree that she shouldn't be bringing her dog to the beach if it isnt allowed. And perhaps if there is a special date, then the birds are nesting and that is why the dog caught it.
Personally, though, I hate the Disney movies that imply that animals don't eat each other.
• #13
I don't think anyone said or implied that animals don't eat each other. Even more reason for people to be responsible and in control of their animals, and not bring their animals to the area when they are not allowed. I'm pretty sure the fed govt doesn't give a hinney if your dog is an animal that eats other animals. If you let him eat a flattened musk turtle/red-headed cockaded woodpecker/pick your endangered species of choice, while you stood there watching it, you would be looking at a fine.
Rhode Islands are red;
North Hollands are blue.
Sorry my thoroughbreds
Stomped on your roo. Originally Posted by pAin't_Misbehavin' :
• #14
Please report it. Might prevent more carnage. I want you to know that your concern about it happening and the possibility (certainty) that it will happen again is admirable. Our dogs aren't wolves that have to kill for a living. It's our responsibility to effectively manage and control their prey drive. If that's a problem, they need to stay in our large, well fenced yards and when out of that environment, be on a leash. You are terrific for caring about this as much as you do. Kudos.
• Original Poster
Follow up
Thank you for all the input. Squishthebunny, thank you for the laugh. It sounds like you had quite the Glen Campbell of the dog world! I only wish what I saw was an amorous romp, but unfortunately, this was a huge dog out for the kill.
I thought about this all last night. While it is over and done with, I am just not one to sit by and watch something so horrible happen and walk away. Going over it, and talking to my daughters about it, it was the woman's cavalier attitude that really made us angry. She just stood there, allowing the killing less then ten feet away from her in full view of vacationers, parents and kids across the creek from her. She truly didn't care, or even worse, she was into it, because when she saw me running down the beach toward her, shouting at her to call her dog, she shouted back, 'I tried,' but when she saw me keep on coming, she called her dog pretty darn quick and he bounded out of the water behind her as she hot footed it to the parking lot and got away.
I'm not Rambo. I'm more like Mrs. Weasley, but it was just so awful to see something so gruesome, and the owner just standing there doing Absolutely Nothing.
Most dog owners who walk that beach with their dogs love the beach, appreciate the natural beauty and are very conscientious about their dogs. Her behavior with her dog could jeopardize that, because there is an element who don't like the dogs on the beach even in the off season. She was there before dogs are allowed on the beach, and she let her dog go off leash and kill a shore bird, possibly an endangered one. I think other dog owners would not be happy to think she could be jeopardizing their privilege with her behavior.
So, this morning I called animal control and reported what we witnessed. I asked him to please call me back, and hopefully he will. It won't undo what's been done, but I am at that beach fairly often, and if she is there with her dog off leash again, allowing it to chase down and kill wildlife, I want to know what I can do and who I can call to stop it.
Thanks again, everyone. I appreciate all the input. Even Mrs. Weasley could kick some serious behind when she had to....
• #16
You could try visiting the beach around the same time and see if you see her again. People are so pattern oriented that she may go there around the same time of day if not every day maybe a few times a week...you might be able to get her plates.
• #17
Have your cell phone at the ready.
take a pic of her and the dog, take a pic of her vehicle, etc
Good for you that you reported it.
Living here in New england, I know how hard it is for us to even have beach rights for our dogs in the off season...but we have to police ourselves, so I am glad you reported it.
And, although I agree with the others about the bird being attacked and not intervening since that means the bird dies a slower death...I can get that, and thought of that too.
But, I always disapprove of any violence, even if it is at the expense of one bird or whatever. If my dogs do something wrong(injuring another animal), I am all over them...
my only rule is...you must get along with each other, if not, you deal with me.
I agree, this woman sounds kind of sicko or incompetent.
She ran, because she knew she did wrong.
I hope you 'meet' her again, and silently get her license number.
save lives...spay/neuter/geld
• #18
Originally posted by JanM View Post
Yes, I know there are Leech's Storm Petrels in Gloucester, because a birdy coworker was very excited to have seen one. Here's the list for Mass, there are a number of sea birds on it:
I'd give the beach management folks a heads up, they may not be able to do anything right now, but they'd be aware that there is an issue.
• #19
Thank you for making the call. As a dog lover and beach lover, I love combining the 2 and people like this make me so, so angry. My beach is dog friendly during the season before and after lifeguard hours, and after Labor Day all the time. But we clean up after ourselves, and he's learning not to go near the line marking the piping plover nesting area. I don't even like him chasing the seagulls. The idea of allowing him to kill wildlife...that is horrifying to me and that lady is clearly not right.
• Original Poster
Cnaqua, thank you for such an interesting link. I bookmarked it because I love bird watching, especially at Good Harbor. Mr. Chai and I were both happy to see the Piping Plovers making a comeback this year. We haven't seen that many since we were kids.
Just came back from a September 11 swim...water is beautiful, so crystal clear and warm for this time of year. No sign of the killer dog or the owner, but I'm on the lookout. | <urn:uuid:d19f939d-2941-4d13-8523-8f612d96a157> | https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/off-topic/the-menagerie/205112-follow-up-what-would-you-do?367590-Follow-up-What-would-you-do= | en | 0.975347 | 0.024548 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Cell phone causes plane terrorist scare
A Delta Air Lines flight that was bound for the United States had to make an emergency landing in Dublin on Monday because a passenger left an old cell phone plugged into a socket in a restroom on the aircraft, according to police and aviation authorities.
The Boeing 767-300, which had traveled from Istanbul, Turkey, was eventually cleared by Dublin Airport to continue on to the John F Kennedy airport in New York after it was determined that the suspected bomb was, in fact, just an unattended cell phone and charger. The pilot had requested an emergency landing and it arrived without incident in Dublin Airport, where it was diverted to an isolated corner on the runway, Lillian Cassin, a spokeswoman for the Irish Aviation Authority, says.
The Garda Siochana, the national police force of Ireland, boarded the plane and talked to the pilot about the suspected bomb, before asking any passenger who was missing a cell phone to come forward. It was revealed that the passenger had elected to use the restroom’s sockets for shavers to recharge the phone and then left it there, wrapping it up in its charging cord. No one was arrested or hurt, and no other flights were affected by the incident.
There were as many as 208 passengers on the plane, as well as 11 members of the airplane crew, according to Delta spokesman Anthony Black. | <urn:uuid:73fd8015-7d25-433b-8813-fb8e99eef70e> | https://www.sellcell.com/blog/cell-phone-causes-plane-terrorist-scare/ | en | 0.981835 | 0.048522 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Hitscans are fired by all bullet-firing weapons in the Call of Duty series, apart from the PTRS-41 anti-material rifle in Call of Duty, the Barrett .50cal in "One Shot One Kill" in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the Barrett .50 Cal with a Thermal Scope in "Of Their Own Accord" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the RSASS in "Blood Brothers" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, certain pistols in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and some machine gun turrets. They travel in perfectly straight lines at infinite velocities and are infinitely thin. They disappear once all damage is lost due to wall penetration or when they hit a level's boundary. In the interest of balance, shotgun hitscans disappear after passing a certain distance, making it impossible to hit a target that is beyond a certain distance from the shooter.
Because the hitscans travel at infinite velocity and in perfectly straight lines, bullet drop and the target's movement does not need to be compensated for. This means that aiming above/in front of a target does not need to be done to hit a moving target or a target at long range (except in certain cases where lag may also be a factor).
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, every few hitscans fired will be a tracer round, it will show up as a bright yellow flash zig-zagging towards whatever is being shot at. This effect is much more noticeable with a Silencer, which eliminates muzzle flash, and FMJ, which actually increases the frequency at which these tracer rounds are generated. Note that tracer rounds in this sense refers to a purely aesthetic effect, and not an actual in-game entity.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops, all hitscans are possible to see unlike the previous Call of Duty games (except for shotguns and certain weapons involved in previous games). This is easily seen comparing the sniper rifle shots from Black Ops to sniper rifles shots from the previous games.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II introduces bullet trails exclusively for the sniper rifles. When a sniper rifle round is shot, all other players will see a distinct smokey trail coming from where the hitscan was shot, all the way to its final destination. The trail will slowly rise up and disappear a while after it appears.
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Side Effects Of Butter
hale.and.hearty's picture
Butter side effectsMost of us are aware of the side effects of butter but we generally overlook them as they get prominent in long timeframe. We use butter in cooking and baking several dishes and enjoy it in different forms. Although this milk product is a good source of energy but certain side effects are also associated with it’s over consumption. Those ill effects if not treated on time can cause serious health hazards, so let’s have a look on the butter side effects.
Common Side Effects Of Butter
Cardiovascular Disorders
Butter is a rich source of saturated fats which are known to adversely affect the heart. Deposition of saturated fats in the arteries is a very serious health disorder. Cardiac arrest is one of the major side effects of butter which often results due to prolonged intake of butter in excess amount.
Certain cancers are related to the deposition of cholesterol in the body. Butter being one of the rich sources of saturated fats gets deposited in the body in the form of bad cholesterol that may increase the risk of certain cancers.
Excessive consumption of butter also results into obesity, so it is not good for people on diet. Furthermore, obesity in itself is a major health disorder giving rise to several body ailments. So, one should restrict the consumption of butter or include it in a healthy way to avoid unnecessary weight gain.
Individuals who have milk allergies should avoid butter because it is a dairy product and has enough allergy causing proteins which can cause reactions in persons sensitive to milk.
Tongue Sores
There are several factors behind tongue sores and it also depends on individuals’ lifestyle but butter is also associated with it to a certain extent. It has been found that excessive eating of fatty foods like butter plays a major role in tongue sores.
These were some of the side effects of butter which can turn serious and even fatal if not treated on time. So, one should not overlook them and restrict the consumption of butter in judicious amount to avoid the occurrence of such ill effects.
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Monday, February 20, 2006
The Muslim Cartoon War: Moderate Muslims?
An unspoken (and sometimes spoken) assumption in the analysis of the Muslim Cartoon protests is that vast majority of Muslims are in fact moderates and do not agree with the escalating violence. Yet the term "moderate" is rarely defined. The implication is that "moderates" eschew violence, but this explanation only addresses symptoms rather than causes. Is "moderation" simply a description of rhetoric and actions or does it describe actual belief?
This poll in the Telegraph should give pause to those who believe most Muslims are "moderate". According to this poll, 40% of Muslims in the UK want sharia law introduced into the country. This of course would include the stoning of adulterers and the amputation of hands for thieves. Is this moderate Islam?
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One-Year Dating Anniversary Suggestions & Ideas
by Crystal Huskey
The one-year dating anniversary can be tricky. You want your significant other to know how much you care about them, but you may not want to come off too strong. Whether you are contemplating marriage or simply looking to further your dating relationship, there are some creative, memorable and romantic things you can do. Your one-year dating anniversary may dictate the tone of your second year of dating.
The Obvious: A Night Out
Focus on each other during your night out.
Every couple needs to take a break and have a night out that is just about them. There is no better time than your anniversary to go out and celebrate your relationship. Have dinner at a nice restaurant or go to the same place where you and your partner shared your first date. Make sure that the night is focused on one thing -- your relationship. As you enjoy your night out, talk about what your thoughts and feelings were when you first started dating. Chat about your favorite memories and your dreams for the future. If you are not looking toward marriage, simply dream up some vacation plans or new places to go on dates. Remind each other of why you enjoy each other's company.
The Memorable: Personalized Gifts
Create a scrapbook of your time together.
Nothing is as special as a gift that was created just for you. Create a personalized photo book for your partner. You can make a scrapbook yourself or create one online. There are several websites like and that allow you to upload your pictures, edit, add special text, and organize any way that you see fit. This type of personal gift will make sure that your significant other knows how much you mean to them.
The Adventurous: Take a Trip
Do something adventurous together.
Take a journey on the wild side. Do something the two of you have never done before. It could be ice skating, rock climbing, scuba diving, renting a plane and have someone fly you over your city or anything else that is different and exciting. Doing something that is out of the ordinary will help you and your partner experience new things together and help you grow closer.
The Tastefully Simple: Take a Walk
Take a walk together and reminisce.
Sometimes, less is more. By unplugging from the hustle and bustle of life, you get to leave all the distractions aside and focus simply on your partner. Pack up a bag and take a nice walk with the one you are with. Enjoy a picnic at sunset. You can go to your local park or even a national park. Make sure that you get away from the routine and all the distractions and simply enjoy spending time with someone you care about.
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Monday, March 07, 2011
Crazy Charlie
Is Charlie Sheen crazy or is he putting together a carefully crafted plan?
Or is it a little bit of both.
I can't help but view everything and anything that has to do with Charlie Sheen. Like everyone out there is saying, "it's like moths to a fire," or is it light? I've never been good at remembering those sayings - ask the hubby.
I now follow him on twitter on (@charliesheen) and while some of his tweets are interesting, they're mostly something to skim through. Rumor goes that he's getting paid something decent for his tweets, but I don't see too much product placement besides his own endeavors.
His interviews are starting to sound alike and no new information is really coming out of his mouth except for some new vocabulary words that will look great on t-shirts and bumper stickers. He has thousands of viewers on his U-stream channel and those thousands are hanging on his every word/move. You do have to hang it to the guy, he knows how to keep everyone salivating, waiting for his next move.
With Charlie now officially receiving his "pink slip" from CBS, we should see some sort of a response that mentions trolls or some galaxy far, far away.
There are people badmouthing Charlie, saying Charlie needs help or rooting him along. I'm enjoying this media circus and I like Charlie Sheen a lot more now then I did before. I barely watched Two and a Half Men, so I can't reallly comment on that, but I do hope Charlie gets another show and that he comes out of this relatively unscathed.
He says what he wants to say and what he believes.
I'd like him around in the future.
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Apocalypse Later Empire
Also announcing the 2nd annual Apocalypse Later International Fantastic Film Festival!
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
The Great Bank Hoax (1978)
Director: Joseph Jacoby
Stars: Richard Basehart, Ned Beatty, Charlene Dallas, Burgess Meredith, Michael Murphy and Paul Sand
Ostensibly a comedy, this one doesn't actually have a lot of laughs and plays a little better as an intellectual exercise. Imagine Richard Basehart and Burgess Meredith riding a tandem together but crashing into a bush. Oh, and that's post-Rocky Meredith, not Batman-era Meredith. If that's the sort of thing you find humorous you're probably going to love this film, otherwise just forget that it's supposed to be a comedy. Meredith rocks, as he always did, and people like Ned Beatty are never difficult to watch, but this is hardly their best work.
We're at the Pewter Bank and Trust, where most of the cast work. Ned Beatty is the accountant, Julius Taggart, and he discovers that just over $100,000 has gone missing, embezzled from the bank. It's been done, rather cleverly, by the nerdy chief clerk, Richard Smedley, played by Paul Sand, who was never planning to keep the money. He was acting as the seventies equivalent of a white hat hacker, devising a system to embezzle money and putting it to the test, only to then expose the flaw and return the money. Unfortunately for him, Taggart has already found out and raised it to the people who run the bank.
Burgess Meredith is the sleazy bank chairman, Jack Stutz, and this knowledge sparks his imagination. Announcing that the bank has been embezzled would be a public relations disaster that could cause a run on the bank and even bring the place down. It would be far better for the bank's reputation that it be robbed in a more traditional manner, so he sets up a fake robbery. He, along with Taggart and the honest Emanuel Benchley, the president of the bank, turn up one dark night to rob the place of the money that isn't there because it's already been embezzled.
It's an intriguing concept but it doesn't just stop there, even though Taggart has fixed the books and the whole thing is done and dusted. When Smedley finds out about the robbery he fesses up and puts the bank officials in a whole new mess. They can't put the embezzled money back in the bank, so they're stuck with a choice between letting Smedley keep it, even though he doesn't want it, or take it themselves, even though two of the three of them are fundamentally honest. And it gets progressively more complex from there with a few more twists to take care of.
Yes, this works as an intellectual exercise far better than a comedy. It also works better as a script than a performed piece because the characters aren't really characters, merely chess pieces in a chess game. It was written for the screen, by Joseph Jacoby, who also directed, but it could have worked as a stand alone novel with more characterisation built in. Meredith is the only actor who really gets a part to sink his teeth into; Beatty is wasted; Basehart and Sand are both annoying; and the other actors don't get even screen time to make much of their parts.
Mamma Roma (1962)
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Star: Anna Magnani
To say that Pier Paolo Pasolini was a controversial figure is an understatement. I first saw his name in the horror magazines and fanzines of the eighties, where people talked about video nasties, and his film Salo, or 100 Days in Sodom came up often. I haven't seen this yet, though I have now seen the trailer, and it looks completely out there. Yet Pasolini was not an exploitation film maker, however much his material might suggest it. He was an Italian neo-Realist who chose to make films about the underbelly of society.
This was his second film and Salo was still a long way into the future. However it's still a little out there from moment one, as an earthy and raucous Anna Magnani drives bonneted pigs into a wedding feast, each one representing one of the wedding party. She's the Mamma Roma of the title, a middle aged whore in the other Mamma Roma, the capital of Italy, but this wedding is her opportunity to quit: the bridegroom is her pimp, who's getting out of the business himself. So she collects up her sixteen year old son Ettore, who she has not brought up, and becomes a market fruit seller.
She's up against it in her new life, not because of any stigma tied to her former line of work because nobody seems to care, but because of who her son is becoming. While she's building a future, he seems to completely ignore the possibility of one. He hangs out with a bunch of juvenile delinquents who at least for now aren't bringing him too far into their world, and he falls for a local tramp who will apparently sleep with anyone. She uses all the power a mother can bring to bear to get him on the right track, from asking a priest to get him a job to having one of her former colleagues work on him to forget the tramp.
There are some fascinating scenes here, almost entirely driven by a wonderful performance by Anna Magnani, though Ettore Garofolo, playing a character of the same name, is effective in his film debut and is definitely a rough naturalistic actor. My favourite scenes are the ones where Mamma Roma walks through the streets, the camera backing up to keep her in frame. She carries on long conversations as she walks with a number of people, the wonderful thing being that it's always the same conversation while the people she talks to change as she walks.
The use of the church is interesting too, and no doubt the main reason for the controversy that the film generated, albeit it not a patch on the controversy that Salo would stir up. Mamma Roma goes to church regularly, seemingly ignoring what she's done for the last thirty years, and plans some highly immoral actions right there in the pew. Yet she's very clearly the heroine here, albeit a flawed and human one, and while we may not agree with all her approaches to life she's the only character in the film that garners our sympathy. She cares for her son but it's difficult for us to follow suit. Yet we feel her pain as he resists the paths she tries to walk him down, all the while knowing that as much as she cares, she's hardly been the best mother.
The amazing Anna Magnani is definitely the main reason to watch this film, but it has a resonance to it that can only be attributed to Pasolini as writer and director. This is my first experience of his work but I'm mightily impressed. I have problems with a lot of realist films, as I sometimes struggle to fin a reason to care about them, but the ones that I've become fond of are the ones that resonate and make me feel that instead of just watching a slice of life, they make me feel I've lived it along with the characters.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Wings (1927)
Director: William A Wellman
Stars: Clara Bow, Charles Rogers, Richard Arlen and Jobyna Ralston
It's about time I saw this film, which holds a couple of unique places in motion picture history. It was the first film to win an Oscar for Best Picture, though technically there were two winners in the 1929 awards: Wings won 'Best Picture, Production', while Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans won 'Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production'. These two films are also the only silent winners, leaving Wings the only silent on the standard lists you're likely to see of Oscar winners. It's also an aviation picture, the granddaddy of all the aviation pictures that for a while during the thirties appeared to be everywhere. It was a genre all to itself in those days, as made very clear by the number of aviation pulps there were on the stands.
We're quickly introduced to our main characters, who all live in the same small but unnamed town. It's 1917 and we watch what the title card tell us is 'youth and the dreams of youth'. What this boils down to is that a couple of young men are in love with the same woman, who surprisingly, given that this is a Clara Bow film, is not played by Clara Bow. She's Sylvia Lewis, played by another very capable young actress, Jobyna Ralston, best known for replacing Mildred Davis as the on screen Mrs Harold Lloyd after Davis left the screen to become the real thing.
This pair of young men are from different backgrounds: David Armstrong is the son of the richest family in town, while Jack Powell is middle class, rich enough to be able to tinker around with his own car but not in the same league as his rival. David is played by Richard Arlen, who won out in real life because Ralston married him the year this film was made. Jack is played by Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, and he wins her photo instead through persistence, even though Sylvia has inscribed it on the back with her love to David to take with him to the war. Naturally he doesn't even notice the inscription.
He doesn't notice Mary Preston either, though she's his next door neighbour, she's played by the It Girl herself, Clara Bow, and she's head over heels in love with him. When Jack and David sign up as airmen and travel off to the war in Europe to become fast friends and flying colleagues in the 39th Squadron, he almost forgets to even say goodbye to her, so much does he take her for granted. He does leave her in charge of the Shooting Star, his highly customised car, though and she puts that driving skill to use by following them to Europe as an ambulance driver in the Women's Motor Corps of America.
They almost cross paths a few times, the most obvious being at Mervale when the action kicks in big time. There's a huge German Gotha plane flying over to bomb the town into pieces, given that it's full of Allied servicemen, and Jack and David go up to take him on. The air scenes throughout the film are decent, especially given that this is 1927, but the destruction of Mervale is awe inspiring. Mary arrives in town in her ambulance right after everyone has vacated the streets only to find once the battle is over that Jack was in one of the planes above her.
They don't meet until Paris though, with Jack and David on leave and getting incredibly drunk at the Folies Bergeres. In fact Jack gets so drunk he doesn't even recognise her and a misunderstanding of circumstances sees her sent back home in disgrace. The way this scene is set up is very clever indeed, with Jack high on special effects bubbles and Mary trying to win her man from a local rival by virtue of a sparkly dancer's dress, but it's all really calculated to achieve one thing above all others: to get Clara Bow as close to naked as could be in 1927. She has a surprisingly small role all things considered but it's bigger than Ralston's and she makes her presence known.
The romantic melodrama is really there to draw in a particular audience and while it does find resolution, it's hardly an emphatic one. Similarly there's a comedic element, but it's mostly restricted to one character, a Dutchman called Herman Schwimpf, who has 'Stars and Stripes Forever' tattooed onto his arm with an American flag that waves as he jiggles his muscles. These are all very much extras, as this is an action film first and foremost and we have plenty of action to experience on the battlefields of Europe as the film reaches its finale.
The American airmen have long battled German ace Count von Kellerman and his flying circus, who was the adversary on Jack and David's first dawn patrol, and he's there too for the grand reckoning as the Allies make their big push. Director William Wellman did pull out all the stops when it came to the action, which is plentiful and exciting, but it would soon be trumped by succeeding aviation films of the thirties, which also benefitted from being less melodramatic while continuing to be based on stories by John Monk Saunders, who won his only Oscar for possibly the most consistent of them, 1930's The Dawn Patrol.
Buddy Rogers is the most obvious of the actors and he's the most effective on the ground, reminding very much of Ramon Novarro. However Richard Arlen is far more effective in the cockpit, though how much of that is because he was actually a pilot during the war is up for debate as he apparently never saw action. While this is an epic film, running over two hours in length, there's very little opportunity for any of the supporting actors to get much of a look in, though a young Gary Cooper steals a scene early on as the first cadet at aviation school that Jack and David run across. He was far from a star at this point in time, having to settle for the third credit in the 'and' category, which itself came after the four leads. In many ways though, this scene is the one that set his real career into motion.
Shack Out on 101 (1955)
Director: Edward Dein
Stars: Terry Moore, Frank Lovejoy, Lee Marvin and Keenan Wynn
Shack Out on 101 (originally Shack Up on 101) is a film written and directed by Edward Dein and starring Terry Moore and Frank Lovejoy. I'm watching for the supporting cast though: Lee Marvin and Keenan Wynn and they're wonderful to watch from moment one, bouncing off each other joyously with insults done exactly as they should have been done. The shack is a greasy spoon on the California coast where most of the characters work: Wynn is the owner, a man named George; Moore is Kotty, the waitress that everyone lusts after; and Marvin is Leo, the cook and cleaner, who everyone calls Slob. Lovejoy is the other key character, Prof Sam Bastion, Kotty's boyfriend who works at some sort of top secret nuclear laboratory nearby.
And here's where the real story kicks in. This is 1955 and all the unspoken words have to do with cold war, nuclear secrets and Russian spies. Life in this greasy spoon appears on the surface to be the standard sort of thing: beyond everyone lusting after Kotty, they talk about what they did in the war, argue about their muscles and try on scuba diving gear for a trip to Acapulco. Yet there's something sinister going on underneath the surface and there's a lot of people involved. It doesn't take long for us to discover that Slob and Sam and others are tied up together in some mysterious subterfuge and there's an even more mysterious man called Mr Gregory behind it all.
The film isn't as coherent as it could be, but it's made with passion and drive and it's hard to ignore it. The cast are excellent, especially Marvin and Wynn, who may well have improvised some of their scenes together. I may be wrong but get the impression that they knew each very well and knew precisely how to generate sparks off each other. Frank Lovejoy knew the territory well having played the lead a few years earlier in I Was a Communist for the FBI, but Terry Moore outshines him without too much trouble. While she can't compete with Marvin and Wynn in the acting stakes, she's a fine and capable lead and she's really the point of the film.
Kotty isn't perfect but she's a good girl who believes in her country and does nothing but try to live her own life, but she finds herself in the middle of something big that she doesn't understand. She serves very well as Everyman, whoever the female version of Joe Q Public is, and if a mere greasy spoon waitress can unwittingly be right at the heart of a attempt to bring down the nation, then so can you and me and any other one of us. Such was the paranoia spun in the fifties, and this is a great example of how it was propagated.
Some of it is done well, some not so well, some wonderfully. In its way it's the same sort of out of control mess as the situation that Kotty finds herself in: it's fun to watch but it would suck to be in. Writing in 2009 from the perspective of a whole new world, it's easy to see but hard to feel the fear, uncertainty and doubt bleeding out of the screen that a real Kotty would have felt back then in the Cold War. I wonder how close it hit in the paranoid cold war world of 1955. It would seem to have hit pretty close.
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Three Faces West (1940)
Director: Bernard Vorhaus
Stars: John Wayne, Sigrid Gurie and Charles Coburn
The title may suggest a western, which would be hardly surprising given that the lead is John Wayne. However this is 1940, wartime for much of Europe and not far from it for the United States, and the Duke was working for Republic Pictures. We see his fellow stars first, at a radio broadcast called We the People, our first hint that this is a propaganda picture, albeit a subtle one. We the People is introducing a number of refugee doctors forced out of Europe who need somewhere to go. They're prize catches, given that they are often high powered names willing to work for nothing but the cost of living and a place to stay.
One of them is Dr Karl Braun of Vienna, a world renowned specialist, and he and his daughter Leni are quickly requested by telegram to head clear across the continent to a small dustbowl town in North Dakota called Ashville Forks. Naturally it's the Duke doing the requesting, naturally Leni is a beautiful young lady and naturally it doesn't take long for the romance to kick in. Leni was gay when Vienna was gay and she plays Brahms like a kiss, so it can't be too surprising to find that the dustbowl is hardly what she expected. They're tired enough to stay the night, especially after doing the rounds of the emergency patients before they even see their new home, but they want out first thing in the morning.
John Wayne is John Phillips, a good all-American man and the unofficial leader of his community. He's a good part of the reason that the Brauns stay in Ashville Forks, though Dr Braun's inner drive to heal people isn't to be discounted either. Still, the town is in terrible shape, not just because of their lack of a resident doctor but because Mother Nature has it in form them too. The wind howls, the dust flies every which where and the tumbleweeds bounce around like there's no tomorrow. The townsfolk are good people and they're hard workers; Phillips's knowledge and leadership has helped the farmers to survive as long as they have. Yet there's precious little rain, the storms get worse and the government has effectively written off their land.
So off they go to Oregon where they're promised good land that they can own and farm. Of course, Phillips gets to lead the trek, which is a long 1,500 miles of rough terrain, through mountains and through desert. Now the folks from Ashville Forks are refugees themselves and the Brauns becomes the experts who can offer their own advice and direction. By this time John Phillips and Leni Braun are engaged to be married, but the romantic subplot isn't as straight forward as it might seem. In Leni's heart is a former fiancé called Eric, a man who enabled the Braun's escape from the Nazis and saved their lives in the process, but who is supposedly dead. A letter proves otherwise and we find a love triangle, but anyone who doesn't expect the Duke to win all these battles is nuts.
Wayne is pretty good here though he falters a little on the long speeches. This is early in his A list career, a year after Stagecoach made his career, and he was very much on the rise. He's believable as the leader of his community, as the romantic lead and as the role he treasured most: as the epitome of the hard working American, the image of his country. There's not a heck of a lot for him to do though and the film runs through its short length without much passion. Sigrid Gurie is a capable love interest and Trevor Bardette is a capable naysayer. It's the doctors who shine brightest though: Charles Coburn is excellent as Dr Braun, the humble refugee living well below the standards he's used to, but he's outshone by Spencer Charters as the irascible vet who is effectively Wayne's sidekick in the way that Walter Brennan so often was. It's a routine film but a decent enough one.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Things to Come (1936)
Director: William Cameron Menzies
Star: Raymond Massey
A London film from the Korda brothers, Alexander produced and Victor designed the sets, as always. It's more surprising that the film was directed by famed cinematographer William Cameron Menzies, who would stamp his authority onto the history of film three years later when he photographed Gone with the Wind. Ned Mann is the man behind the special effects, always a fascinating field so early as this. Charles Crichton is an editor, eight full years before he became a director himself.
The big name though is H G Wells, not merely the author of the source novel of the same name but an active consultant and the author of the screenplay. Given his unparalleled importance in the science fiction world, this is something not to be ignored. Every science fiction fan worth his salt, who doesn't just watch Star Trek and the Sci-Fi Channel but actually reads classic science fiction, will eventually come to the knowledge that all but the most modern cutting edge science fiction owes its existence to two men: H G Wells and Jules Verne. Their importance cannot be underestimated and Things to Come is a valuable link between this literary giant and the world of cinema.
The film was made in 1936 but we begin four years into the future of the initial audience, in Everytown in 1940, which is at once nowhere and everywhere in England. It's Christmas and everyone is doing what you'd expect: singing carols, buying turkeys or going to pantomimes. The front pages tell another story though: there's a war storm brewing. Some want to ignore it, after all it's all happening over the channel in Europe. Others don't think it can be ignored, and that if we don't end war, war will end us. There's talk about progress, how the toys are so much more complex than in grandpa's day and how war actually stimulates technical advancement rather than hindering it.
And of course war arrives, and it comes quickly and powerfully, with great devastation. It's a human story though, where war is the enemy. That's made very clear through a few passionate outbursts before it begins, but even more obvious soon after the start. Raymond Massey, playing an English pilot called John Cabal, shoots down one of the enemy who has been spreading poison gas. He saves him from the wreckage of the plane, only for him to give his gas mask to a little girl about to succumb. He's aware of the joke: he's probably killed her parents but now he dies to save her. The suggestion of course is that war is the villain, not the people fighting it.
In reality, war started in 1939 and was over by 1945. In Things to Come, it's not so quick a process: it begins in 1940 and continues on and on. By 1966, there's not a lot left. Civilisation has regressed into barbarism and decades of war have brought the world to barbarism. The war continues, though the original reasons are forgotten, and now there's a new enemy: the wandering sickness which turns its victims into what we would now consider zombies. First they're fevered and non-responsive, then they wander around slowly with their arms outstretched. I hadn't realised Wells had pioneered zombies along with everything else. The wandering sickness is everywhere by 1966, and is finally ended only by 1970 when all the wanderers have been shot before they can spread their disease any further.
And without internal disease to fight, the war can continue in earnest. Everytown now has a charismatic chief played by Ralph Richardson, who is fighting the hill people for supremacy in a world much shrunk from the previous one. This world is small and regressed, both socially and technologically, with no education and no real hope. There are doctors and scientists but they lack tools and equipment. There are mechanics who have vehicles in abundance but the lack of petrol means that they can't use them. We're in a precursor of Mad Max: in an effectively agrarian culture, people ride around on horseback or walk on foot, with only a few petrol hoarders able to do more. It's well realised and carefully thought out though the teeth are too good and the accents too cultured.
The fliers despair of ever being able to fly again, but then into Everytown flies John Cabal in a neat little flying machine, far more sophisticated than the biplanes the heathens can't even get into the air any more. He's a much older John Cabal and an even wiser one, with much more control even than his younger self. He's a representative of something called Wings Across the World, an organisation of engineers and mechanics who have pledged to save the world from itself. They abhor independent sovereign states and see them as obsolete concepts to be done away with. They've developed the technology to be able to do it too.
Victory is quickly and peacefully theirs, as you might expect from the utopian portion of this vision, and we watch the building of a new world until we see a whole new Everytown in 2036, a full century into the future of the audience watching on original release. It's a marvel of efficiency, huge in scale and impressive in technology. It's also generally peaceful, even though there is dissent and disagreement and neo-luddites who want an end to progress. In 2036, John Cabal's grandson Oswald runs the place, as forward looking as his grandfather, and these neo-luddites want to destroy the space gun that will fire a couple of daring souls around the moon.
They're not even going to attempt to land, highlighting how much futurism is an imperfect science. Wells got so much right but he envisaged world peace before anyone could leave its surface and think about our nearest neighbour in space. I'm writing in 2009, mere months away from the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon, yet world peace is as much a dream now as it was in 1936. The conquest of the moon is only one thing that Wells got wrong. Even in this future world of 2036 when the roads roll and children don't even know what sneezing is, nobody has invented digital technology.
All this is easy to forgive because it's extrapolation and guesswork, however educated it might be and however accurate it might get. Wells consistently worked out how the future would happen better than almost anybody else, so I ain't gonna bitch. However there are flaws here that aren't ignorable. There's a lot of enthusiastic acting and preachy dialogue that has dated considerably, more so than the modelwork which is primitive compared to modern equivalents but wonderful for the time. The double exposure photography is excellent and stands up today. I'm very quickly annoyed by bad rear projection and filmmakers of the calibre of Alfred Hitchcock are prime offenders. This work, decades earlier is superb.
While most of the film comes directly from Wells, it was obviously influenced by Fritz Lang's Metropolis: the angles, the contrasts, the movements, even the typefaces. Certainly the passage of time, depicted by marching men and their shadows or the shadows of years, rings a lot of bells, as does the scale of the post-war scenes. I've seen Metropolis once, in a TCM broadcast that swapped the footage lost to time for production photographs. Now that much of that missing footage has miraculously resurfaced in Brazil, hopefully we won't have to wait too much longer to see this massively influential film as it was originally meant to be seen, instead of experiencing it second hand through films like this one that constituted its first generation of influences.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Lured (1947)
Director: Douglas Sirk
Zotz! (1962)
Director: William Castle
Star: Tom Poston
'Zotz!' says William Castle to the Columbia lady who holds her torch aloft as always before we begin. 'What's Zotz?' she replies. Well, unlike many of his gimmick movies, Mr Castle doesn't tell us and we have to find out for ourselves. There's no Vincent Price to be seen, so we have to settle for Tom Poston instead. He's a typical absent-minded professor, Prof Jonathan Jones by name, and we meet him at home in Saracen Valley, CA, doing his morning exercises, drinking his straight sauerkraut juice and picking up his etymological journal from the mailman. He's a character, for sure.
His niece Cynthia gets a letter in the same delivery, from her boyfriend Eddie Prentiss, who is on an archaeological dig in Ukrenistan or some similarly pronounced imaginary country. His party has apparently found the ruins they were looking for and he's sent her a present from the site: a charm bracelet, and the charm is an ancient coin that was attached to the right hand of a giant stone idol. It has an inscription and of course we wouldn't have a story if Prof Jones wasn't one of the ten men in the world who can recognise the ancient dead language it's written in. He can translate it too, which he soon does and as I'm sure you'll be stunned to discover, this triggers our plot.
It isn't very big and there aren't too many symbols on it but they must be in some sort of five thousand year old shorthand because they translate to a whole slew of instructions. They talk of the dreaded threefold power that will be granted to whoever reads the inscription. It also gives details of the three strands of the power: the power of the pointing finger which instils the sudden pain, the power of retarded movement invoked by merely uttering the name of the god Zotz, and finally the mixing of the two which invokes a silent death. It even provides the caveats: the powers are only retained when the coin is physically present, and they transfer for a brief time to whoever takes possession of the coin.
Naturally comedic mayhem ensues, especially when his niece goes out on a date with the son of his rival for promotion at the university and takes the coin with her. Luckily he has an accomplice to help him, the gorgeous new professor of modern languages, Prof Virginia Fenster, who he met under bizarre circumstances as he acquired the power of Zotz. Uttering the name of that god while translating the coin caused a sudden storm, and as she was passing his house was struck by lightning, which stripped her naked and left her knocking on his door for help. This would appear to me to be a completely new power which would be even better to have than the other three, but apparently it's just coincidence.
This gorgeous young lady was completely new to me. She's Julia Meade and I'm stunned that she only made four films, three from 1959 to 1962 and another in 1990, with this the highest credited role she had on screen. She's an utter feast for the eyes when naked in the rain, not that we actually see anything untoward because this is 1962, but is later unfortunately encumbered by a some terrible sixties hairdos, presumably wigs stuck on top of her own far more appropriate and becoming short hair. She acquits herself very elegantly otherwise in talented company, even though these later scenes only hint at her initial and much younger looking presence.
Tom Poston is the lead, who reminds a lot of Ray Milland, which is a compliment even though he's not in the same class. I've seen him before but didn't recognise him; my better half knew him well though as the neighbour from Mork and Mindy. I've seen Jim Backus many times but somehow never seem to remember him. Best known probably as the voice of Mr Magoo, he was a versatile and prolific actor, who here plays Jones's competition for promotion, Prof Horatio Kellgore. He's agreeably disagreeable. Most recognisable to my eyes are the dean and his wife. Dean Updike is Cecil Kellaway and his wife is Margaret Dumont, more than a couple of decades after playing foil to Groucho Marx.
This was a change of pace for William Castle after a string of horror pictures, one of which is included here as a drive in movie. That's Homicidal, made a year earlier, which fits well with House on Haunted Hill, 13 Ghosts and Mr Sardonicus but less well with this one. That said, this works better for me as a kooky American fantasy comedy than much better known films like The AbsentMinded Professor and The Shaggy Dog. It's hardly the most intelligent fantasy out there but it didn't seem dumbed down for kids the way those did. Maybe I'm more tuned into William Castle's (or screenwriter Ray Russell's) twisted sense of humour than the more conventional humour of the others. Maybe it's that there are no kids here, Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran being an able pair but one that inevitably lowers the intellectual level of the film. It's fun and that's what William Castle always provided.
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Too Many Crooks (1959)
Director: Mario Zampi
Stars: Terry-Thomas, George Cole, Brenda de Banzie and Bernard Bresslaw
I was surprised to find the opening scene of a 1959 comedy involves a ramraid on a high street store. I thought that was an invention of the 1980s. Anyway it's yet another botched attempt by Fingers and his gang. They're comprised of yet another stunning batch of British talent, which seems to have been everywhere all at once in the sixties. Fingers himself is a young George Cole, channelling Peter Sellers, full of great ideas that never seem to seem to work yet remaining as optimistic as ever, even in the face of a foil as sharp as he is inept.
And as fun as Cole and his gang are, which is pretty fun given that they're made up of people like Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw, that foil utterly steals the show. He's Terry-Thomas and for a change he isn't playing his usual rich idiot that everyone can take for a ride. He's still rich, as a tricky and very shady businessman called Billy Gordon, but he's far from stupid. He's successfully hoodwinked his wife into thinking that he hasn't had money for years, leaving her to live frugally while he pampers his secretary with jewellery and furs. He's successfully deterred Fingers and his gang from robbing him a number of times.
And when Fingers kidnaps his wife instead of his daughter to hold for ransom, he's over the moon. He's wanted her gone for years and is utterly unwilling to pay anything at all to get her back. In fact when they threaten to cut her up and scatter her all over the Great North Road, he actively encourages them to do so, calling it a bachelor's dream. And when Mrs Gordon overhears all of this from the room she's being kept in, she decides to throw her lot in with the crooks. She takes over the gang to get her revenge on her husband by fleecing him dry.
Once again there's a host of talent on show here: not just Terry-Thomas, in one of the best roles I've seen him play, but Sid James, Bernard Bresslaw, George Cole, John Le Mesurier, Nicholas Parsons and Terry Scott, among others. He spends half the film utterly in charge and the other half utterly floundering. I hadn't heard of Brenda De Banzie, who plays Lucy Gordon, Billy's wife, but she acquits herself wonderfully in such esteemed company. It turns out she had a few high career spots including a Tony nomination for The Entertainer on Broadway.
This is as frenetic and lunatic as The Naked Truth and fits very well with it as a double bill. Both were also directed by Mario Zampi, who made a number of British comedies during the forties and fifties. It's also as willing to play loose with reality and run on pantomime logic. If you can forgive that, it's a gem. If you can't, well it's still a gem because Terry-Thomas is a sheer delight, whatever else you think about the film. Bernard Bresslaw is a little too dumb ('£10,000? How much is that?'), Sid James a little too willing to stay with George Cole, Nicholas Parsons and Vera Day too underused.
But Too Many Crooks remains yet another great example of how comedies can be made to sparkle without swearing, violence and nudity. I'm no Mormon reactionary and thoroughly enjoy all these things in their place (as a fan of exploitation cinema, I could hardly think otherwise), but there's a part of me that's overjoyed that I can still turn to the classic British comedies of the sixties for riotous humour that I could watch with my wife, my mother and my granddaughter, even all at once.
The Naked Truth (1957)
Director: Mario Zampi
Stars: Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers, Peggy Mount, Shirley Eaton and Dennis Price
You know this has to be a very dark British comedy when it opens with a whole slew of people committing or attempting suicide immediately after Dennis Price leaves their homes with a knowing shake of the head and a subtle smile. We soon see the details on the front page of the paper: 'Brilliant Scientist Found Shot', 'Minister Collapses in Commons', 'Famous Authoress in Miracle Escape', 'Explosion Rocks Model's Flat'. Price is Nigel Dennis, the publisher of a scandal sheet called The Naked Truth, also the British title of the film (in the States, it was bowdlerised into Your Past is Showing).
Then we see his business model in action. He goes to see his prospective celebrity clients and explains just how much he knows about things they'd rather not have made public knowledge. He even has copies of the magazine printed up and ready to go so they can see it all in black and white. He makes it clear that there's no need to appeal to his better nature because he doesn't have one and explains the way it works. The price (no pun intended) for silence is $10,000: 'pay up in a fortnight or I'll publish in a month'.
Unfortunately for Nigel Dennis, this is a business model full of risk and sooner or later his clients are going to fight back. We soon meet a bunch of them, all played by faces well known to me and who soon find numerous comedic ways to interact. There's Flora Ransom, played by the great stage actress Peggy Mount, who is an award-winning writer of murder mysteries, even though she seems a little inept. She has a hidden past, and one failed suicide attempt later finds herself eager to test out the plot to The Great Trunk Murders on Mr Dennis.
She ends up in cahoots with three others. There's Shirley Eaton as Melissa Right, a model with a string of boyfriends even though she's engaged to a Texan millionaire. There's Wee Sonny MacGregor, the star of an embarrassing TV variety show called Here's to You, though he's also secretly the landlord of a lot of dubious slum property. When you discover that he's a master of disguise, quick to realise that he can happily bump off Mr Dennis in one of his many other personas, you won't be surprised to find that he's played by Peter Sellers, who ended up in disguises in most of his films. Finally there's the philandering Lord Mayley, played by no less a great comedic aristocrat than Terry-Thomas.
The concept is hilarious and the film lives up to the concept, raising laughs throughout. It's notably clumsy compared to the best Ealing comedies but it wins out through sheer riotous lunatic joy and the fact that the cast is impeccable: pulling Peggy Mount off the stage was a coup and adding in names of the calibre of Sellers, Price and Terry-Thomas can't help but ensure success. Backing them up are other names like Shirley Eaton, Joan Sims, Miles Malleson, Georgina Cookson and more. I couldn't put names to everyone in the cast but I recognised many of them.
The lunacy wins out, however lunatic it gets and however much the truncheons flop and the filing cabinets seem to be lighter than air. Beyond a couple of poor rear projection shots that are still better in black and white than later Hitchcock shots would be in colour, the only real downside is Bill Edwards as a Texan millionaire. I'm used to American actors making bad attempts at English accents; well, here's the reverse. Bill Edwards was Canadian born and unfortunately can't quite manage a Texan accent. This one's for fans of Arsenic and Old Lace more than those Ealing greats with Alec Guinness, but it can't help but raise the day.
Friday, 20 March 2009
He Did and He Didn't (1916)
Director: Roscoe Arbuckle
Stars: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and Mabel Normand
Another Fatty Arbuckle/Mabel Normand Keystone short, this one sees them as a married couple yet again, one a bit richer than usual with a butler and maid to push around. They start the evening, 'their usual evening' we're told, with them having difficulty getting dressed, such are the perils of being I rich, I suppose. Here a collar, there a bow tie, here a lost collar stud, there a difficult fastening. They manage it just in time for Jack to arrive. Jack is an old schoolfriend of Mabel's, it would seem, and he arrives complete with an old photo of her, from 'his sweetheart'. They're all touchy feely and Fatty is more than a little suspicious of both their motives.
He's a doctor (the sign outside their door reads 'EJ Watson, MD'), and one well enough to be seen as a target by crooks. He throws one out of his house early on, as he discovers him in his fraud: he had pretended to be lame just to get into the house but was really interested in Fatty's safe. So after an evening of suspicion and lobsters (the working title was Love and Lobsters, because they're the two lynchpins of the story), we're all set for whatever night time shenanigans the Keystone folks can cook up for us.
I'm not as fond of the Fatty Arbuckle shorts as some. Most of the time he got by being the big guy who acted like a little kid and while the novelty is amusing, for me it didn't last very long. This two reeler is thankfully a lot more accomplished. Here he's a professional man in lavish surroundings and he actually gets a chance to act. There are a number of scenes here where he impresses just with facial movements. While there's plenty of slapstick here with getting thrown out of windows and the traditional silent gun that never runs out of bullets, it's really a pretty subtle piece with a lot of clever acting and a surprisingly mature plot setup. There' no simple chronological plot progression here.
Beyond Fatty and Mabel, Jack is played by William Jefferson and Al St John is credited as 'acrobatic burglar', something that very much describes what his part called for and which anyone who's ever seen him knows he's perfect for. I've seen a lot of Fatty Arbuckle movies and this is probably my new favourite, one which he didn't just act in, he also wrote and directed.
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Nightmare Honeymoon (1973)
Director: Elliot Silverstein
Stars: Dack Rambo and Rebecca Dianna Smith
The sun is shining through the Spanish moss and Dack Rambo, the man with the single most awesome action movie name in Hollywood history (though he was born Norman), ought to be pretty happy for himself. He's back Stateside after two years in Vietnam, and he's marrying a beautiful woman at a mansion in the Louisiana bayou. Life ought to be fine for David and Jill Webb as they head off for their first night together as a married couple, but with a movie title like Nightmare Honeymoon you can be pretty sure that happiness isn't going to last too long.
Initially the threat comes from Jill's family. Apparently there's a centuries old tradition that has the happy couple trying to escape from the rest of the family, who chase them and camp outside their room to sing all night. It doesn't help that he's a yankee and they're a good old Cajun family, but through various carefully orchestrated shenanigans and a lucky turn off the road they manage to become the first couple in the history of the tradition to actually get away from their pursuers.
Then the threat switches to a couple of nutjob hitmen who come into town to kill the Big Lebowski himself, David Huddleston, who owns the place they're temporarily hiding out at. His name is Mr Carroll and he dies pretty quickly but he's completely overshadowed by Lee the wild eyed hitman, overplayed with relish by John Beck, Moonpie from the original Rollerball. He seems totally caught up in the lack of justice in the world and the fact that nobody cares any more, but he's still a nutjob hitman shouting 'Do you want to live forever?' at his victims.
Now David is a Vietnam vet but he doesn't seem to be too great in the action stakes. Unlike the other Rambo who would probably just roar at the sky and kill the hitmen with a handy bazooka someone left lying around, this Rambo's character gets noticed by the bad guys when he tries to look inconspicuous, gets caught when he tries to escape and then gets knocked unconscious when he tries to save his bride. Admittedly he has that bride to protect as well as himself and there are two of these crazy hitmen pointing guns at them but he doesn't seem to have much of a clue. He's no mental giant either as he completely fails to notice that Jill is so far into shock that she's almost catatonic, because she was raped during the twenty minutes he was out like a light. He even tries to get it on with her in the car and when she recoils, runs away and finally tells him what happened, he gets to emote 'My God!' as effectively as William Shatner.
By the time they get to their hotel in New Orleans, it's storming out and no different in. As you can imagine Jill is in a precarious mental condition, though she does seem to have a good deal of inner strength and she refuses to go to either a doctor or the cops. David is a man of action but finds himself utterly inconsequential in this situation. He can't protect his wife because the deed is done and so he flounders around blaming himself until he falls asleep next to her. When he wakes up Jill has wandered off into the French Quarter on her own, making him feel about useless as tits on a boar.
So he hatches a plan to get all macho and demonstrative and make a difference, like that's ever going to happen, especially given that Jill is obviously wondering how the heck he managed to get back from Vietnam in one piece. The hitmen had let slip a few convenient clues about who the victim was and why he was being targetted, so David looks up the man who hired them in the Yellow Pages and attempts to convince him that he's Carroll's nephew. He wants to find Lee and Sandy, those wacky hitmen, and hit them in return. With them dead he can feel a whole lot better and he blindly expects his wife to feel a whole lot better too.
Of course nothing quite works out how he expects, mostly because he's a moron. His story is shot from moment one because Carroll didn't have any siblings. When it becomes obvious that the bad guys know precisely who, what and where he is, he gets them to define his next steps so that he can walk straight into a trap of their choosing. He even does so at night in a white suit and I actually looked to see if there was a target painted on his chest too. There might as well have been. Anyway he may be out there in the dark with a gun, but Jill walks straight into the hands of Lee the wild eyed hitman to trigger that trap before even David can.
No, this is not intelligent stuff and I'm not even sure why it's sitting there in TCM's cult programming tier, TCM Underground. Maybe it's because Elliot Silverstein, a director more prolific on TV than cinema screens, also made such cult favourites as Cat Ballou, A Man Called Horse and The Car. This one is just a pretty dumb seventies programmer full of actors you'll recognise and wonder where you know them from best. After seeing one name on the opening credits, I looked up the cast list on IMDb and then watched out for the sheriff and his deputy.
Unfortunately the sheriff turned out to be played by Richard O'Brien (II) rather than Richard O'Brien (I), the one who would fit happily in any cult programming tier; and I couldn't find the deputy, who was apparently played by the original Star Trek's Chekov, Walter Koenig. Perhaps the IMDb credits are just wrong, especially as they are out of order from how the film presents them, Koenig isn't credited on the print I saw and at least one character's name is definitely incorrect: Roy Jenson plays Sandy not Bandy.
John Beck is the best reason to watch this film, even though he could easily have won the Best Overactor award that year with his bug eyes and twitches. He's just plain old fun to watch and by the time we get to the finale, I half expected Jill to run to him instead of her idiot husband, whether he's a psycho nutjob rapist hitman or not. She's not a bad character either, as contradictory as such a victim should be and with hidden depths that remain believable. The actress is Rebecca Dianna Smith, who didn't do much else, it seems: IMDb only lists her in an episode of Laverne and Shirley and one more film, Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York, released two years after this with her playing opposite Roy Scheider. He went straight on to Jaws. I wonder where she went.
Monday, 9 March 2009
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
Director: Elia Kazan
Stars: Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan, James Gleason, Ted Donaldson and Peggy Ann Garner
Elia Kazan was a massively important director and it surprised to find that he only ever directed twenty features. This was the first and while I've heard about it often as a memorable drama that people fall in love with, it opens like a textbook of how to generate nostalgia. We're in Brooklyn, as you might expect from the title, in a poor neighbourhood and anyone who really lived there at the time would be sucked into these details. Of course, as we're set in the early 1900s, that's now likely to be their kids or grandkids that may have heard the stories.
I don't know if this is remotely accurate but it feels like it is. We open on a Saturday and the street is packed and the windows are all open. The kids have plenty of clever little tricks and they use them too, to acquire all sorts of trash to hawk at Carney's Junk Yard for pennies. There are games going on, using whatever props might be to hand, even if that's as simple as just cracks on the pavement. There's music everywhere and it's surprising how many of the tunes are still recognisable. There's all sorts of merriment and drama and work too, and wherever it's going on people crowd around filling an 'all human life is here' type scenario. It's only half that picture though: the poor half.
We're focused on the Nolans, who seem to be getting by somehow even though they're living off pennies, literally, but it's a hard struggle. There are four of them living in a small apartment and they're a memorable bunch, defined superbly as characters. Katie Nolan rules the roost: a proud mother who never has a dull moment. If she's not cooking, she's making the beds or darning socks, or washing the stairs to bring in extra money to help her kids get the sort of opportunities she never had. She never stops moving because she's driven and she's perfectly played by Dorothy McGuire, who gets the depth here that she never got as the mom in all those many Disney movies. Those roles didn't need the acting that this one did but she more than met the challenge.
Her husband is Johnny Nolan, who's close to being a professional pipe dreamer and he knows it, always promising things that he couldn't ever deliver. He's a singer and a waiter, or both at once, and while he brings his wages home to his wife he has an unfortunate habit of spending all his tip money on drink. He has a good heart though and a way about him that lifts everyone around him. As it's mentioned at one point, he says hello to everyone like he's giving away something. Because he keeps coming in and out of the story, he's really a supporting actor but in the hands of James Dunn, he won a well deserved Oscar, partly because it would appear that he was playing himself.
The kids are Francie and Neeley and they're well adjusted good kids, even if they're still only partway through the process of growing up and don't understand everything that goes on around them. They're not perfect but they're the sort of kids anyone would want to have for their own, free range kids too that aren't protected from the world by well meaning do gooders but by common sense and guts. Neeley is capable and good hearted and always hungry, well played by twelve year old Ted Donaldson. He doesn't get half the screen time his sister gets though.
Francie is superbly brought to life by Peggy Ann Garner who was thirteen at the time and she won a special Oscar for being the outstanding child actress of 1945. She has a brain in her head and a heart in her chest and both are powerful and full of promise. She's her father's daughter, full of imagination but far more grounded. Much of the film here is in seeing how she grows up, keeping the best of her father but acquiring the best of her mother. There are scenes here where the world just rushes in on Francie, she flounders under the weight of it but comes out on top. It's a deep role to play but she succeeds so much better than most lauded child actors ever did in their signature films. She's what the title is really talking about, though the film is only part of Betty Smith's source novel, which has more literal and metaphorical trees over a much longer timeframe.
There's able support from established actors. Beyond McGuire and Dunn, there are some very talented named lending a hand, not least Joan Blondell as Katie's sister Sissy, who is a very different character but just as capable in her own ways. This comes a decade or more after her heyday in the thirties but she's even more striking here, turning everyone's eye. James Gleason is his usual excellent self as a good hearted bar owner and Lloyd Nolan is a politely hesitant good New York City cop.
It's the story though that shines brightest, providing a solid framework for all these actors to fully develop all these characters and giving them plenty of opportunity to do so. It also gave Elia Kazan the opportunity to start off his directorial career in no uncertain terms. It's a very sentimental story, in fact there's almost no let up from the sentimentality, but unlike most movies it's appropriate and handled appropriately.
So much of the story is set up in the scene itself and then explored on the faces of the characters and their simple ad often innocent words. Katie and Johnny are troubled but there are no violent outbursts and stormy arguments full of pointless vitriol. Nobody throws anything or tries to deflect the issues away by causing a disturbance; Johnny isn't even a violent drunk. These are people trying to make the most of what they have given the limitations of who, what and where they are. That simplicity and honesty gives it power. I can understand why so many people fall in love with the film: it teaches so much without ever preaching, and it draws in its audience because there's likely to be something for most to relate to. This is my first time through, but it would appear to be a film to grow with. Kids should certainly still watch it today, sixty some years on.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures (1976)
Director: Marcelo Motta
Star: José Mojica Marins
There's some sort of bizarre ritual going on. The drums are beating in some sort of voodoo rhythm, a host of scantily clad skanks in too much makeup are gyrating like Christina Aguilera's backing dancers had been zombiefied and some other folks in distorted masks and body suits grunt and cringe. Yes, this is a Coffin Joe movie and it would appear that this ritual is to bring him back from mere ashes to his more familiar self, cape and black hat and long fingernails.
It all goes on too long, and then following an artistic opening credit sequence, Joe pontificates about life and death and the cosmos and that all goes on too long too. Very much the creative force behind his films, regardless what other names might ever appear (Marcelo Motta is the credited director here), I don't think anyone ever told him no so he got to leave in everything he felt like, whether it should have remained in or not. Long and rambling pontifications laid over a backdrop of strangely shaped revolving balls on strings really doesn't cut it.
Eventually we begin an actual story though, not before time, and we find that he's running a strange inn called Hospedaria dos Prazeres. The help are all new, in fact he's busy hiring them when we first see the place, no experience necessary. All the customers are new too and are a little surprised to find that their rooms are already reserved and he doesn't need to see their IDs. Some of them don't even have to speak. Their names just appear in his guestbook and he just gives them keys. Some he turns away, telling them that there are no rooms, yet more arrive And throughout all of it, there's a rainstorm going on with bad fake lightning and Joe's eyes are everywhere watching everything that's going on.
They're an interesting bunch: gamblers, crooks, businessmen, drunk drivers, loving couples, not so loving couples arguing about how to get rid of their unwanted product of their affair, mysterious folks travelling alone, even a biker gang that seems full of hippies rather than bikers. They all get a single room to share, all thirty or so of them, which makes it a happy place for the characters who just want a drunken orgy but a dangerous one for the actors to film in. Just moving too quickly in such a crowded space could cause injury, as they must have been wrapped around the lights.
Anyway, the film progresses on and on with precisely no variance. The gamblers keep gambling, the lovers keep loving, the partiers keep partying, the businessmen keep signing things. And in the lobby, Joe stands there and looks sinister and passes out cryptic comment after cryptic comment like 'There is no redemption for those who want to be blinder than the blind one having his sight to see.' Perhaps this suffers in translation but I have a feeling not. Eventually he teleports into everyone's room, apparently simultaneously, to stare at everyone and show us and them both what's really going on.
It would appear that this is an inn for the recently departed. I wondered that as we progressed: was this place Hell itself, somewhere where people go to die or somewhere that they go after that's already happened. The use of a wavery and warped Auld Lang Syne gives us that answer. The whole soundtrack is strange and exotic but this recognisable tune in and amongst the unrecognisable experimental electronic warbles is somehow the strangest. And it's the strangeness that is the only saving grace here: a beating heart superimposed over a clock, the burning cloth hanging in front of the camera, the continual repetition of scenes, Joe himself and the various critters that die when he looks at them, all the way up to the bleeding skull.
This is definitely old school cult film: a twisted and exploitative Brazilian take on a old story (previously filmed decades earlier as Outward Bound and Between Two Worlds, though this is no straight remake and the story itself is much older than that), with precisely nothing worth speaking of beyond the cumulative effect of the whole piece. By any conventional standards it's truly awful, whether you're looking at the acting, the direction, the editing, the writing, the effects, the soundtrack. Yet it's somehow hypnotic, never boring even though it really should be, and definitely something that you know you've seen. You may not know what but you're probably going to remember it, talk about it to others and try to find it to watch again. As strange and exploitative as the title suggests.
Friday, 6 March 2009
Dragon Seed (1944)
Directors: Jack Conway and Harold S Bucquet
Stars: Katharine Hepburn, Walter Huston, Aline McMahon, Akim Tamiroff and Turhan Bey
Oh dear, I didn't want to watch this one. I have huge respect for Katharine Hepburn as an actress, but there are points in her career where she played parts that she shouldn't have played. I still shudder at the memory of her playing Mary, Queen of Scots in Mary of Scotland or mountain girl Trigger Hicks in Spitfire. This would appear to be another such example and while we're happily saved from the experience for at least ten minutes it inevitably arrives and we get Katharine Hepburn as Jade Tan, wife of a Chinese village farmer. Yeah, you can imagine. The filmmakers tried, I'll give them that, so her yellowface makeup is actually much better than that of the rest of the cast, but she's as much a Chinese woman as I am.
We're in the valley of Ling in the summer of 1937, a peaceful place in rural China where what seems like half the MGM roster are attempting and failing dismally to be Chinese. Henry Travers and Walter Huston and Agnes Moorehead, all superb actors, are as out of place as Jackie Chan would be playing James Bond. It isn't just how they look and how they sound but what they say. This is based on a novel by Pearl S Buck and attempts to portray the simple language of simple farmers but instead makes them sound too often like idiots. There are some real oriental actors in the film, don't get me wrong, but they don't have any of the major parts, thus putting us into some utterly bizarre situations as viewers.
Here's how the first utter gem arises. The Second World War hasn't yet started but the Japanese are already attacking and burning Chinese cities. So Chinese students present slideshows to the peasants so that they might understand what is going on. Of course nobody pays any attention because these peasants are simple folk who haven't ever travelled beyond the hills. They have no real conception of most things because they've never seen them and they believe that what they've been shown on film is all make believe. The only ones who have a clue what's going on are the students who are fighting a losing battle to pass on their knowledge.
And so we find ourselves watching these Chinese students raid a store owned by a Chinese merchant called Wu Lien, because he sells Japanese goods, and burn these goods in the street. They call him traitor and collaborator and a disgrace to the Chinese people. Yet the Chinese students seem to be played by Japanese actors and the Chinese merchant is played by Akim Tamiroff, another fine actor but unmistakably Russian. And on it goes, as the Japanese invade and the horrors of war are brought home to the valley of Ling: Americans and Russians and Mexicans playing the Chinese. We even have Japanese actors pretending to be Chinese and talking about the evil dwarves coming from over the sea; and Chinese actors pretending to be sadistic Japanese rapists and murderers.
It's all insane and the only way anyone can enjoy this movie is to look past this insanity and I can't. For those who can, the actors do try and they have plenty of opportunity to do so in a story that has a lot of angles to it, all about change. Everyone's view of life has to change for a number of reasons and in a number of ways. As we begin, the valley of Ling is a male chauvinist dream where women are there to walk behind the men and do precisely what they're told. They aren't allowed to read or have their own opinions. Men feel it beneath them to even talk to their daughters in law. The old are revered and the young are nothing. With war in their village they have to re-evaluate what women can do just as they have to re-evaluate what the rest of the world is.
Beyond that it's a unsubtle propaganda piece as much as it attempts to frame such a story in a more artistic and literate way than the norm. The Chinese are all wonderful people, the Japanese are all evil monsters. It's not all bad. It's an MGM film so there was serious money thrown at it, meaning excellent sets. There are some well written and well directed scenes, such as the buildup to the rape of Orchid Tan. There's some good cinematography and use of shadows and silhouettes and reflections.
There are also plenty of opportunities for powerful acting and the names involved are certainly able; Agnes Moorehead and Akim Tamiroff in particular acquit themselves well, especially in scenes after the destruction comes, but some of the best acting is on the faces of some of the Chinese children. Mostly though the good stuff is only there if you're really willing to search for it and forgive much in the search. Mostly it's an endurance test. Towards the end I found that I could look past the insane casting and be drawn into the story, which is stirring and emotional. I just couldn't do that and see this as Chinese too. By this point I watched it as a universal story. On those grounds it isn't too bad.
The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)
Directors: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Stars: Moira Shearer, Robert Rounseville and Robert Helpmann
Hallelujah! (1929)
Director: King Vidor
Stars: Daniel L Haynes and Nina Mae McKinney
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
White Shadows in the South Seas (1928)
Director: W S Van Dyke
Stars: Monte Blue and Raquel Torres
Sounding like a pulp adventure, this is really an indictment of western exploitation of the natives in the South Seas, wrapped up in a highly melodramatic storyline. It's a film from the end of the silent era that won an Oscar in 1928 for cinematography, and which unlike some of its competitors (such as F W Murnau's 4 Devils) has fortunately survived to this day. Based on a novel by Frederick O'Brien, it claims to be filmed in 'the natural locations', the coral atolls of Polynesia, but was really shot in Tahiti. It has a couple of firsts to its name though: it's the first MGM film to be introduced by a roaring lion and it counts as MGM's first sound picture, though it's really a silent. Douglas Shearer synchronised music and sound effects. I didn't catch any speech though.
Our lead is Monte Blue, a leading man in the silents whose long career continued into the serials and westerns of the forties and fifties. He's Dr Matthew Lloyd and when we first meet him he seems to be a bitter drunk willing to stoop as low as a bad joke to get a free drink, but that's only partly true. He still cares enough to leap out of the bar when one of the local pearl divers is brought to shore with a collapsed lung and spend all night trying to save the man. He's certainly bitter and cynical, but it would seem with good reason: the local trader, named Sebastian, is exploiting these locals to a large degree: he has them diving too often and pays for their pearls with trinkets.
We're shown the dangers of pearl diving: not just the obvious perils of the deep like sharks, octopi and razor sharp clams, but the unseen ones too, the burst veins and collapsed lungs caused by the frequent dives and great and sudden changes in pressure. We soon see plenty of other dangers, because Sebastian has it in for Dr Lloyd, especially after he belts him one and knocks him into the sea. Soon a boat arrives, all its men dead of the bubonic plague and Sebastian has him lashed to the wheel and set adrift. He frees himself but only once out at sea and one typhoon later he's shipwrecked on the island of the Mehevi tribe who have never seen a white man before.
Of course they see him as a god and celebrate his arrival with a great feast. Here's where we get to see some footage more akin to a documentary, which is shot very effectively indeed. We see the natives walking or leaping up palm trees to harvest coconuts, catching giant turtles and octopi from the sea and putting the feast together. There's some clever use of editing to speed up time, used to great effect when the natives generate fire or peel breadfruit. We even see a little native dancing, which isn't plentiful but lively, especially in the form of Kekelafaufaupaopao, which apparently translates as 'Man with legs like exploding eggs'. Is this 1928 humour or a real translation? Who knows.
With the Mehevi tribe, Dr Lloyd finds himself again, which is hardly surprising given that it's an island paradise and the natives think he's a god, though he almost loses himself to greed when he realises the cheap and plentiful supply of pearls. Of course he falls for one of the beautiful dancers, Fayaway, who is naturally the daughter of the chief and while she's initially tapau, or a virgin bride of the temple, Lloyd saves the life of her little brother, and is allowed to look upon her with love. In the bizarre logic of early Hollywood, she's also beautiful but not Polynesian in the slightest. She's Raquel Torres, born in Sonora, Mexico, and this was the first film in a brief but successful career. I've seen her before in the early Boris Karloff film, The Sea Bat, and with the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup.
The South Seas were notably exotic in 1928 and so the setting for no end of pulp adventure stories. Hollywood paid attention and so early American cinema is full of such films. It was a time when any story could be believable if it was set in such a location, up to and including King Kong. This isn't quite as fantastic but it's certainly outrageous melodrama. It looks great and it plays out nicely to anyone of a pulp mindset, with Blue and Torres fine in their roles and with a very neat villainous performance in the silent style by Robert Anderson as the trader Sebastian.
Monday, 2 March 2009
The Cooler (2003)
Director: Wayne Kramer
Star: William H Macy
I was a William H Macy fan long before I ever saw Fargo or Mystery Men: they just cemented my opinion of how great an actor he is. Then I saw Edmond and was stunned. He isn't just a great actor, he's one of the best we have today. Now every time I see one of his films I record it and find another side to his versatility. He doesn't look like a star in the slightest but he seems to be able to carry the lead, whatever it might happen to be. I wonder a lot whether these films were specifically written for him or not. He has a habit of making us think that.
Here he's Bernie Lootz, the cooler of the title. He works at the Golden Shangri La, a Las Vegas casino run by Shelly Kaplow, turning winners into losers, and he's very good at what he does. He does that simply by being himself, a jinx who brings bad luck to himself and everyone around him. In fact, the reason he works there is because he's into Kaplow for $100,000 of gambling debts and he's now five days away from his five year stint of jinxing the customers. That's what's left of his debt recovery plan after Kaplow takes a baseball bat to his right leg. Unfortunately he falls in love and his powers as a jinx vanish.
Macy is excellent as Bernie, because he can play the various levels of this part. He begins as a man who knows that he brings everything down and is fully resigned to living in that world. He doesn't know what good luck is because it disappears the moment he appears. Yet the good luck finally finds its way to him in the form of Natalie Belisario, a waitress at the Shangri La and it rocks his safe little world of loss. He begins to believe that there's something in his future except being a cooler, he begins to believe that he can win at something. There's a light that literally grows in his eyes as he finds that belief.
Yet there's another level. Bernie, on the way up from way down, runs into his son in a diner. His son is a conman and an ass, together with a pregnant girlfriend who isn't pregnant, and through his inadvised con tricks proceeds to knock Bernie back down again. Worse still, Kaplow isn't going to let his prize cooler get switched around just because he's fallen in love. He's old school in every way. After all, he believes in luck which is why he hires coolers. At heart this film is all about luck and Bernie is its personification. Lady Luck and whatever her opposite is called are characters in this film, whether we see them or not. So Bernie is forever down yet going up but going down while he's going up: he's like a whole batch of sine waves running in tandem.
It's another amazing Macy performance, but he's not the only one here to watch. I'm no huge Adam Alec Baldwin fan but he's spot on as the tough and sleazy Shelly Kaplow, who does what he does because it's how his philosophy tells him it has to be done, even though he doesn't always feel great doing it. He has plenty of scruples but he ignores them absolutely. I didn't know Maria Bello at all before this film, as she's best known for a recurring role on TV's ER, but she pulls off a difficult role as the woman who turns Bernie around. She's luminous here and would be an illumination in anyone's life. She could be a huge star and I'd be surprised to find that the coming years don't make that happen.
The Rains Came (1939)
Director: Clarence Brown
Stars: Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power and George Brent
And still the films from 1939 keep coming and this one's yet another Oscar winner too. Sometimes it seems that every film released in 1939 either won an Oscar, was only nominated for Oscar or was absolutely cheated out of both nomination and win because it was Hollywood's greatest year, yaddah yaddah yaddah. This fits the first two categories: it garnered one win and five nominations, but none of them were in the major categories. It won for special effects and was nominated for art direction, editing, cinematography, music and sound. That would appear to be surprising, given the cast involved here.
We meet George Brent first. He's a painter called Tom Ransome, though a languid one who's spent seven years sitting on his porch in the Indian state of Ranchipur instead of finishing his painting of the Maharajah he's been commissioned to complete. He's a real person though, grounded and decent, however much his reputation talks of women and drink. He's also the link between the many other people that we meet in the story. He knows everyone, it seems, even those who arrive as guests.
We meet a whole host of characters, of the varied sort you might expect to meet in 1938 India if you keep away from most of the locals, which is what most foreigners somehow managed to do. A young Tyrone Power is an Sikh major and dedicated surgeon called Rama Safti. Marjorie Rambeau plays an inveterate snob of a missionary trying to hang out with the important people, utterly ignore the lesser people and palm her daughter off on Ransome. Brenda Joyce is that minx of a daughter, who just wants out to see the world and falls for him, possibly just to achieve that end. To Henry Travers and Jane Darwell are a down to earth priest and his wife who run the missionary school.
Before long we end up at the Sish Mahal palace which some of these characters would die to get into and to which others just get invited. However those wannabees would be shocked at how free of snobbery the place is. Here's where we (and Tom Ransome) meet Lord and Lady Esketh, a fascinating pairing of Myrna Loy with Nigel Bruce. Lord Esketh is an unpleasant coward and his Lady is happy to sleep with anyone she can find as long as it isn't him. Best of all are the Maharajah and Maharani, who are joyous characters, as you might expect given the actors playing them: H B Warner and Maria Ouspenskaya. Her potent Russian accent is utterly out of place in an Indian palace but other than that she's a joy.
And around these characters weaves a melodramatic story that isn't worth a heck of a lot. While Fern Simon throws herself at Tom Ransome, his old flame, now Lady Esketh, throws herself at Major Safti. His Lordship is ill, but still keeping a track of who she may be sleeping with. And none of this matters at all. Luckily there's that Oscar win for special effects, which we wonder about for a while and then realise it was utterly earned. We don't just have plenty of rain, once it arrives, but an earthquake to boot, one that takes out the dam that sits conveniently just above the town, thus causing a major flood. Plague isn't far behind and fire too. The destruction is massive and the loss of life great and Mother Nature quickly and ably shows us how small all the people are in this film. The question of course is whether those small people realise it too, which generally they do.
The story isn't far off being a waste of time but somehow it draws us in. Mostly I think it's because the acting is solid if not spectacular. After all the spectacle here belongs to the work of Nature and the special effects team and there's not much room left for scene stealing. Myrna Loy is the biggest name and she does an excellent job in a role that is notably unlike her usual parts. She's a good person, but one who doesn't find her true self until circumstances force her into it. This is my fiftieth Myrna Loy and I don't recall ever seeing her act with her body as much as she does here.
Tyrone Power is a decent Rama Safti but he fades into the background a little too easily. George Brent, as the glue between everything here, is superb. He was always great at flouting convention without offering disrespect and that's a fine line to walk. He walks it well throughout this film. Brenda Joyce is as doe eyed as she's supposed to be and it's the character that's frequently annoying rather than the actress. Nigel Bruce could always bluster with the best of them but does so with a notably nasty streak here. I think it's Maria Ouspenkaya who will stay with me most though, even though her accent is utterly wrong. She plays an intelligent and principled woman with power, concern and decency. She wields her authority wonderfully.
Dangerous (1935)
Director: Alfred E Green
Stars: Bette Davis and Franchot Tone
| <urn:uuid:69e261ef-fbf2-4386-aabd-5456e38a2983> | http://www.apocalypselaterfilm.com/2009_03_01_archive.html | en | 0.981973 | 0.125721 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Gene Sarazen (1902 - 1999)
Born Eugene Saraceni, New York, USA of Italian Gene Sarazenstock, Sarazen is remembered as one of the most accomplished golfers of the pre-war period. He won 7 Major titles including the Open and US Open in the same year (1932).
Sarazen came from very a humble background with his family existing just above the poverty line. To supplement his father's income from carpentry, the young Sarazen picked fruit, sold newspapers and did whatever casual labour available. While apprenticed to his father at the age of 15, he took ill and was advised by a doctor that the dusty environment of a workshop would prove detrimental to his health. He therefore decided on an outdoor job and became assistant professional at a nearby golf club. Sarazen's association with golf dates back to his 9th birthday when he was given a present of a hickory shafted club. In 1920, he turned professional.
Initially, Sarazen's life as a pro was a desperately hard one. However by the age of 21, three years after turning pro, he had won 3 major titles. During the 1930s, he seemed to be more interested in making money rather than winning prestigious tournaments. He played exhibition matches all over the globe and indeed, became the highest paid sportsman in the world.
Sarazen was a member of the American Ryder Cup team on six occasions. He regretted that he never captained the team; the authorities preferring Walter Hagen instead. As the twilight fell on his career in later years, he became a radio commentator. However he continued to play golf all his life and recorded very good scores into his 70s.
While Sarazen is remembered for his many victories including winning the Open and US Open in the same year, we should pay tribute to him for having the courage and determination to overcome his background to become so successful. | <urn:uuid:cbf9184c-65ae-4915-a209-916dac44f4e3> | http://www.golfeurope.com/almanac/players/sarazen.htm | en | 0.991829 | 0.775522 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The Garden Community for Garden Lovers
By Guest
Who is guest?
Dorset, United Kingdom Gb
Can you please help me to get rid of a species of mining bee.I have what can only be described as a plague and it is making life in the garden very uncomfortable Thanks in anticipation M Tooley
Where are they mining? Lawn? Rockery? house walls?
28 Sep, 2010
Please don't get rid of the bees. British wild bees have a hard enough time of it anyway!
28 Sep, 2010
these are some of the smallest solitary bees, are they causing you damage in any way ? Please give us some background info as to your situation. We have mining bees & leaf cutter bees etc in the garden, to me they fascinate but I fully understand some folk may be unduly worried but really you need'nt be.
28 Sep, 2010
Mining bees like sandy soil so if yours are in the soil you could enrich it by adding compost after these youngsters have flown and so deter them next year.
If in the lawn they are will most likely aerate it for you anyway.
The majority of the species of miner bees don't sting and those which do it is quite feeble.
The main problem you may encounter is if the nest has been overtaken by 'cuckoo' bees which steal the nectar and kill the larvae of the mining bee.As you are describing it as a 'plague' this could be likely as mining bees are solitary females which occasionally allow another female to share the burrow.
Please try to identify the ones you have,if you joined us and included a photo of them there are several members interested in bee conservation who could help, or look them up on the internet before you think of destroying them.
28 Sep, 2010
How do I say thanks?
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The Independent Culture
The BBC has a very bad case of the jitters at the moment - almost beside itself with anxiety that no part of the output should be deemed insensitive. Gloomy thrillers have been pulled from the schedules, the opening episode of Holding On, one of the new autumn dramas, has been re-edited to remove a reference to Prince William, and a car-crash has reportedly been excised from the repeat of Our Friends in the North. Given the fierce spasm of sentiment which has seized the country they perhaps can't be blamed for being so careful, but you can't help wondering whether things have gone a bit too far when even funeral directors become unmentionable. Last night's edition of The Grafters (BBC2) - a series of observational documentaries about young people at work - was to have included someone from the funeral trade, but was replaced by an episode which detailed work in a frozen-food factory and advertising sales.
If you expected a vibrant sense of optimism from the programmes you will have been disappointed. So far, the most common phrase has been "I never thought I'd be..." - a regular chime of disillusion which has introduced a range of occupations, from telesales to sorting mixed packs of frozen vegetables into their individual components. The disenchantment was probably cruellest in the case of the girl who had graduated in drama from Manchester University to take up a job playing Edward the Fox in a Yorkshire theme- park (shown on Tuesday night). "I'm a bit of a method actor," she explained, which made you wonder how she might apply herself to her new role. Arrange to have herself chased by beagles? Eat raw chickens? You saw her nervously preparing for the first performance in the theme-park theatre, a debut that was somewhat undermined by the total absence of an audience.
She wasn't as sad as Nick, though - living proof that Beavis and Butthead is a work of sociological precision. He even had the laugh: "I did it once so fast that, like, three people were sick at once," he said, explaining the operation of a fairground ride, "Hur, hur, hur". Nick got the prize for the most redundant remark of the week (in a week, let's face it, when redundancy was all that stood between many broadcasters and blank silence). "I don't put 100 per cent in everyday," he said in a mildly aggrieved tone, clearly feeling that management had been picking on him. In fact, he was obviously having great difficulties getting into double figures, being too busy picking up girls or dreaming of a life as a skateboard professional. The gloomiest omen for his future was the look of dazed surprise he wore when he was eventually sacked.
Behind the Lines (BBC2) is yet another of the BBC's stealth repeats - an old programme specially treated with up-to-date inserts so that it doesn't appear on the grievance radar of belligerent licence-payers. Ian Wooldridge's programme about the training of an elite force of Marine commandos is also an object lesson in a peculiar kind of strenuous masculinity. Oddly enough, it bears a distinct resemblance to gay culture - as the camera panned across a line of hopefuls, you suddenly noticed that everyone was wearing an identical clone moustache - put them in checked shirts and they would have been able to infiltrate any gay disco in the western world. When they went for a run, stripped to their combat trousers, it looked like the opening sequence for a gay-porn remake of Chariots of Fire. The intense bonds created by eating worm omelettes and climbing cliffs in the dark does not always transfer well to civilian life. One old alumni had done seven years for armed robbery since the programme was first broadcast, while another admitted that he'd "become a bit of a loner" after leaving the army. He also confessed to a continuing addiction to adrenalin, a remark that raised an echo undetected by the taste police. A lot of ex-servicemen take up jobs as security advisers or bodyguards, where this carefully inculcated machismo has to find new outlets - such as racing paparazzi through the streets of Paris. | <urn:uuid:76275807-2007-498b-a513-92ffecf11b73> | http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/last-night-5551952.html | en | 0.980141 | 0.02762 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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The X Factor Season 2: Exclusive Interview With Tate Stevens
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Tate Stevens from The X Factor Season 2
by Todd Betzold
There was not a country singer on The X Factor during Season 1, but we may just have a country singer win it all during Season 2. Tate Stevens came out and blew the judges away with his voice and his talent. Britney Spears said he was her favorite so far and she loves him. He is strong and confident and at 37 years old, he is ready to make his dreams happen. Today, he talked with RealityWanted in an exclusive interview about his audition song, auditioning without Simon Cowell there and much more.
A. Tate: It wasn't my idea. It was my wife's and my kids' idea. I normally wouldn't do that thing, the reality show kind of thing, but since it was in Kansas City, my wife was like you gotta try and see what happens. So, we went down and so far so good.
Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What made you choose "Anything Goes" as your audition song?
A. Tate: It's just a great song. I'm a big Randy Houser fan and it fits me. It fits what I do and when I'm doing my own shows and I really like his style and it just kind of fit.
A. Tate: It was a little weird just watching myself. I don't know a lot of people that like looking at themselves in pictures or listening to themselves on tape, but it was weird. It was pretty cool, but at the same time it was kind of weird too. It was kind of awesome and kind of strange (laughs).
Q. Todd, RealityWanted: You seemed very confident on stage and you were cracking jokes. What was going through your mind when you were up there?
A. Tate: Just be myself. Just do what I do and they like it, they like it and if they don't , we'll go to work tomorrow and keep on, keeping on.
Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Simon was out sick for your audition day. Did that relieve some stress for you not having him there?
A. Tate: No, not really. I was actually looking forward to him being there. Honestly, if they didn't like it, I just wanted him to absolutely beat me up with those cool British things: it's rubbish, but just give it to me and let me have it. If you don't like it, don't be nice. Let ‘er rip.
Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What was your strategy heading into Boot Camp?
A. Tate: Just to continue to be myself and working hard and trying to get the yeses to keep going. The whole goal is to win $5 million and that's what I'm going to try and do.
A. Tate: That is a toss-up between Simon and L.A. Reid. Simon because he has such a big outlook. He kind of sees things that maybe other people don't see and he can kind of make things happen in that way. L.A. Reid for the fact that his list of accolades is longer than anyone probably in music history.
Q. Todd, RealityWanted: You are getting a lot of love from everyone out there. What has this whole experience meant to you so far?
A. Tate: It's just been amazing. The outpour of people who have said such great things and wonderful things, that means a lot. I've done this a long time and it's kind of all been validated. It's awesome and I can't thank people enough for being nice.
Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Anything to say to those fans?
A. Tate: From everything that is me, thank you so much and keep it going. Let's keep this ride going. If I get voted off tomorrow, let's just keep going and look for me out there touring because I'm coming.
Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Is there anywhere they can find you?
A. Tate: I have a Facebook page and there is an official fan page now and Twitter. I'm just learning the Twitter thing. It's kind of weird. Wednesday after the show, my son, he is 15, so he is all up on the social media thing. He was on Twitter and he told me I was trending five and I had no idea what that meant. He said you're the fifth most popular thing talked about on Twitter. So, I thought maybe I should learn how to do this (laughs). Like I said, it's been a cool experience so far and I hope it continues, so follow me on Twitter and Facebook and join the Fan Page.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Follow Todd on Twitter @tbetzold
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'Collateral': The Meter Keeps Running
By Stephen Hunter
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 6, 2004
The not-so-funny thing is that Tom Cruise is a better samurai in "Collateral" than he was in his last movie, in which he actually played a samurai. Cruise is the gray-hued symbol of the universe's mayhem in the new Michael Mann film, a killer with an ironic sense of self, a knowledge of jazz, clothes cool enough to get him into GQ and a remorseless will.
It's really his movie all the way: His Vincent, frosty of hair and beard, feral and fierce, with glittery rat eyes, lives by the code and will die by it. Cruise's savage beauty, that prominent blade of a nose, his tiny, perfect darkness, his athleticism, just a whisper of vanity -- all come into play in what is certainly his best performance since "Magnolia."
The movie that sustains this conceit is terrific, a fever-dream of urban violence, set in a neon nightmare. In this world, Vincent is king. Vincent, from nowhere, no back story, no bio, no parents or family or culture, Vincent the consummate professional, is in to kill five witnesses in a single night and catch the 6:30 a.m. out of LAX for parts unknown. He dresses Italian, shoots German (suits by Versace, pistol by Heckler & Koch), talks like Norman Mailer's White Negro and improvises brilliantly. He will get the job done, no matter the opposition. That's what he does. That's all he does.
He needs a cab, however, and he picks Max's.
You might say: Hmm, wouldn't his employers have provided him with a driver? They are professionals themselves, and they would understand that reliable mobility is the key to Vincent's run. However, while you might say it before the movie and you might still be saying it after the movie, you won't say it during the movie; it's that gripping.
Vincent leaves the airport terminal, picks up a briefcase full of firepower and a laptop with addresses and names on the hard drive, and gets into the cab, which just happens to be Max's, after Max has dallied over an encounter with the perfect fare (Jada Pinkett Smith). Vincent, meet Max (Jamie Foxx).
Vincent, Max is everything you're not, everything you should hold in contempt. He's almost your opposite: a dreamy kind of fellow who's only driving a cab temporarily, although the "temporary" has now lasted 12 years. He imagines owning Mercedes S-Class limos, but he seems to have made no progress. He lacks not only your laser focus, your ease at expressing yourself through murder, your professional joy in doing the job well, your love of the challenge, but he's dressed like a kid in a mall. He's one of those schnooks who'll wake up from his nap to discover he died three years ago.
Yet the crux of the movie is that in the strange way Vincent's mind works, he comes to rather like Max. He loves Max's eagerness to please, his unwillingness to challenge, his perfect obedience. He may even be a little lonely and having Max along is amusing, given the high-stress nature of the job.
Together, the two begin an odyssey across the nightscape, from one kill to another, while the camera studies Vince's sharp suit and black, pointy-toed shoes and Max frets his way through acts of rebellion, quashed easily by Vincent. If this sounds not so much dicey as vicey -- that is, "Miami Vicey" -- it should; the director, Mann, brought this form of jazz cool to crime stories many years ago on "Miami Vice" and other television work. He expanded it with "Heat," that great bank-job epic, then gave it up with two dim misfires ("The Insider" and "Ali"). Nice to have him back in the 'hood.
Here's the wrinkle: Under the slick stylings, the neon-through-windshield blur, the sense of fog in the night air, the prevalence of lots of men wearing sunglasses in the dark (kids, don't try that at home), the movie has something of a therapeutic subtext. Vincent and Max don't end up holding hands, singing "Kumbaya" and fire-walking together, but it's clear that in some old-fashioned John Wayne way, the frosty Vincent is serving as a mentor to Max. He forces him to do and be things the laid-back underachiever could never have done or been. In the end, Max becomes that which seemed utterly impossible in the early going: a hero.
The movie goes a little wobbly when Mann leaves the intensity of the Max-Vincent pas de deux. For storytelling purposes -- Mann needs a chase structure -- he cuts away frequently to a team of cops who begin to piece together (the corpses are helpful) the nature of Vincent's mission and thereby work out ways to intercept him. These sequences, headlined by the fine actor Mark Ruffalo, really don't come to much, but they effectively modulate Cruise's intensity.
And each of the hits has a visual freshness to it: We look away at a key moment, or a gun comes from nowhere at a key moment ending a jazz riff, or the movie goes momentarily John Woo with a Hong Kong-style shootout in a Korean nightclub, or two street punks don't know how overmatched they are when they draw on Vincent and he handles them with the samurai's utter speed and style.
"Collateral" is the best kind of genre filmmaking: It plays by the rules, obeys the traditions and is both familiar and fresh at once.
Collateral (105 minutes, at area theaters) is rated R for extreme violence.
© 2004 The Washington Post Company | <urn:uuid:c132e3e0-e94e-458f-9ad7-e97325f55415> | http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/08/06/AR2005033114826_pf.html | en | 0.964265 | 0.031581 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
What's Worse Than Missing A Cool Text? How About Involuntary Manslaughter?
Pull over if you’re driving and need to respond to or send a text message. Otherwise, that witty reply can wait. Because death won’t.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council have partnered up to create a series of safe driving PSAs that point out the dangers of texting while driving. Two of the ones so far start out with a re-enactment of a video you might see go viral on YouTube. One of them shows a girl texting while walking and falling up a flight of stairs. The other shows a guy texting while walking and falling into a mall fountain, which was a real thing that happened at the beginning of this year.
Looking at a text while driving takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds. A lot can happen in 5 seconds when you’re driving, and you need to be able to react to it. Otherwise you can end up paying the ultimate Early Termination Fee.
[via Adfreak] | <urn:uuid:b8780ca2-fef8-4707-a55c-f6cbd8b1287c> | https://consumerist.com/2011/11/02/whats-worse-than-missing-a-cool-text-how-about-involuntary-manslaughter/ | en | 0.908613 | 0.170749 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Getting to Know Your Matzah
Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz
Matzah, at the same time the simplest and most complex of kosher products, consists of just two basic ingredients – flour and water. On Passover we avoid all wheat based products save one – the matzah which is eaten at the Seder in fulfillment of a biblical obligation, and that which we eat throughout the holiday. How is the wheat kernel transformed into matzah while avoiding becoming forbidden chametz?
The Basic Ingredients
For most of the year, flour mixed with water is considered a kosher-friendly combination. But special production requirements come into play when blending the two for Passover. The merging of these ingredients to make Passover matzah necessitates a meticulously monitored environment, one that prevents the product from becoming chametz, which is defined by our rabbis as fermented grain.
Levels of Shmurah Flour
All wheat flour used in matzah production must be continually supervised. While kosher supervision of Passover flour used in for “regular” matzah begins prior to its milling, the flour used in “shmurah” (watched) matzah is supervised from the time that the wheat is harvested in the field. Wheat can only be used to make matzah flour if it has been inspected against any signs of moisture. The flour mill, bins, and transport vessels must be koshered for Passover; and any equipment used for chametz-milling which cannot be adequately cleaned, must be effectively sequestered.
Mayim Shelanu
Water to be used in matzah baking must be left to stand overnight (to ensure that it is allowed to cool). This water is then referred to as mayim shelanu (water which has “slept”).
Therefore, the mashgichim supervising the matzah bakery must take care that:
1. the water tanks are filled immediately prior to
2. there is sufficient mayim shelanu for the next day’s matzah production;
3. no additional water is added to the mayim shelanu tank during the day’s production.
Safeguarding Against Insect Infestation
The potential of insect infestation must be addressed when dealing with any grain product.
Matzah bakeries should safeguard against infestation in these ways:
1. quick turnaround of flour which allows the least amount of time between grinding and baking;
2. regular cleaning of flour bins and receptacles;
3. maximum cooling of all flour silos and production areas;
4. rigid sifting protocol of flour prior to baking.
Flour-Dust Control
The flour and water that make matzah must be mixed and kneaded into dough in a rabbinically-supervised, controlled environment. Any flour- dust generated by the mixing process must be contained to ensure that it does not drift into other areas of production, thereby contaminating the dough being rolled into matzah. So it is essential that the flour be restricted to a mixing-process station. As an additional safeguard, the mixing (flour and water) and rolling (dough) should best take place in two completely separated areas.
Heat and Fermentation
The heat generated by the oven and the machinery running in an industrial setting often cause bakery temperatures to rise. But excessive heat, which is a primary factor connected with fermentation, must be avoided in a matzah bakery. Therefore, special precautions should be instituted to maintain temperatures around the oven door (pi hatanur).
18-Minute Matzah/Cleanup of the Matzah Bakery
The phrase “special 18-minute matzah” is actually a misnomer since all matzah bakeries, producing either hand or machine matzot, are equipped with the proper supervision to ensure that less than 18 minutes elapses from the time the flour touches the water until the matzah enters the oven. (There are those who set the 18-minute standard to include complete baking time as well.)
In current matzah parlance, “18-minute matzah” means that the entire matzah line is cleaned every 18 minutes; this includes mixing utensils, table or conveyor lines, matzah cutters and scorers (dockers) and every other surface that comes in contact with the dough. The result is a product that has not just been baked in less than 18 minutes, but one that has also not come in contact with any dough older than 18 minutes. However, this special time-sensitive cleaning process can be challenging, particularly when dealing with older matzah-making equipment that is pitted or has cracks and crannies.
Cleaning the matzah line every 18 minutes produces a mehudar (halachically superior) product, as long as each clean-up process is thorough, i.e., that every matzah crumb and all residue are removed. If, however, if any residual material remains after an imperfect clean-up, the matzah produced on that line is considered of an inferior kashrut standard. According to the principle of eisek (continual handling), as long as the equipment is operating, any residual pieces will not become chametz. Consequently, if there were no shutdown every 18 minutes, any residual material in continuous motion would not compromise the system. However, if the equipment is stopped without it being completely cleaned, the residual material will be rendered chametz and could adversely impact the “18 minute matzah”.
Unacceptable Matzot
In order for matzah to be properly and thoroughly baked, sustained levels of heat are required for a prescribed period of time; if the matzah is not thoroughly baked, it is considered chametz. Mashgichim must therefore continuously monitor ovens against any drop in baking temperatures.
Two other types of inadequately baked matzot are:
1. kefulot—matzot with folds;
2. nefuchot—if the scoring is insufficient, the matzah will swell (like a pita) indicating that the center of the matzah has not been adequately baked.
Articulated Intent
Jewish thought attributes to Passover, not just the freedom from physical servitude, but also our people’s emancipation of spirit. In addition to the multitude of material requirements in making matzah, there is one additional obligation — every batch of matzah is preceded by the baker’s declaration, “le-shem matzat mitzvah,” that it is being baked to provide matzah for all who would taste freedom in the fulfillment of the Divine command.
Remember to make an Eruv Tavshilin!
Thursday April 28th Chol Hamo’ed Pesach
Click here to sign up for an email reminder.
For more information on Eruv Tavshilin click here. | <urn:uuid:b81972a9-4ae3-4796-bbdc-cf3f94e113b6> | https://oukosher.org/passover/articles/getting-to-know-your-matzah/ | en | 0.931307 | 0.079749 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Kiribati. Does not the name seem to come from the farthest corners of the world? It meets your eyes with what appear to be four canonic syllables (consonant-vowel), the sounds bouncing velum–tip–lips–tip. Surely it must be some exotic Polynesian word!
Well, actually, Kiribati is in Micronesia, not Polynesia, though the local language and culture do have some Polynesian and Melanesian influences. But it is at the far corners of the world: it straddles the equator and the international date line. Or, well, it used to straddle the date line; the line was redrawn around it so that all parts of Kiribati could be on the same business day, even if two time zones apart. But it remains the only country that is in all four hemispheres.
In fact, Kiribati spreads across nearly 4000 kilometres of ocean. Its exclusive zone covers more than 3 million square kilometres… of ocean. Its total land area is 811 square kilometres, composed of 33 islands. To give you a comparison, the city of Toronto covers 630 square kilometres. Which is slightly more than the 609 square kilometres that just one of Kiribati’s islands, Kiritimati, covers. Yes, more than three-quarters of this country is one island (the largest atoll in the Pacific), and it’s not the main island; Kiritimati is 3300 miles east of Tarawa, the most populated island and the centre of government and commerce. It’s actually part of a different group of islands – Kiribati is made up of three groups of islands that were bundled together sort of like cable channels.
There are all sorts of interesting facts that Kiribati may lead one to. For instance, since the date line was moved to accommodate the east end of Kiribati, Kiribati sees each new day and each new year first, while places north and south of it are among the last to see each new day and new year, because, even though the same sun dawns on them at the same time, it is thought of as different; it is written down differently. So January 1 comes to eastern Kiribati, and then, 24 hours later, it comes to Hawai‘i and Tahiti (north and south of Kiritimati), and finally 2 hours after that it comes to the last place to see it (Baker Island, a U.S. territory); of course, the day still has 24 hours to go once it starts there. So each day starts for some places after it is done for others, and from when it is first January 1 (or any other day) in Kiribati to when that day ends on Baker Island, that day has existed for 50 hours.
That is just because of a couple of cultural impositions, of course: time zones and the post-colonial assemblage called Kiribati, which gained independence in 1979. In 1971 the Gilbert and Ellice Islands gained self-rule; in 1975 they divided, the Ellice Islands becoming Tuvalu (another country) and the Gilbert Islands, along with Banaba (the one island that is not an atoll but a rocky island with some elevation), the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands, became Kiribati.
You will detect a trend towards using the local language. And, indeed, the local language – commonly referred to in English as Gilbertese – is not endangered; it thrives, and nearly everyone in the country speaks it first, in spite of English being the official language. In fact, not everyone really speaks English there. So you would expect that they would call the new country what they call their group of islands in their own language: Tungaru.
Which they did not, because the country includes those other islands that are actually different groups. They went instead with the old term Gilberts, but rendered in Gilbertese phonology: Kiribati.
Don’t be so surprised. All sorts of things on that side of the world have European-derived names. Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia are all formed from Greek roots, meaning “many islands”, “small islands”, and “black islands”. All those hulas and mai tais and so on that you think of when you hear Polynesia? Now you can think of Greeks too.
So who was this Gilbert after whom the islands were named (by people other than those already there)? He was a captain of an East India Company ship. He and his fellow captain of a fellow ship, John Marshall, were on their way home from dumping convicts in Australia in 1788 when they happened on these islands and the ones subsequently called the Marshall Islands. To be fair, Gilbert didn’t name the islands after himself; they were named îles Gilbert (yes, in French) by an Estonian admiral of the Russian Czar, a man named von Krusenstern (yes, that’s a German name).
Meanwhile, of course, the folks on the islands were just going about their business. As they still are, though of course the modern world has its effects – notwithstanding which Kiribati is one of the world’s least developed countries. To give you some idea, Lonely Planet advises that “The ANZ/Bank of Kiribati, with three branches on Tarawa and one on Christmas Island, exchanges some foreign currencies and travellers cheques; rates are dire. There are ATMs in Bikenibeu, Bairiki and Betio on Tarawa but do not assume they will be working.”
But such things can keep life uncomplicated, ideally. Just as the Gilbertese language also seems uncomplicated. Gilbertese has just ten consonants and five vowels, with two lengths for each vowel. (By the way, if you would rather see it named in its own language, it’s te taetae ni Kiribati, “the language of Kiribati”. Nope, can’t escape Gilbert. Look, they’re not alone in having a European-influenced name for their language; the language of Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia. I trust you noticed the nesia in Indonesia. Yes, it’s from Greek too. But Bahasa Indonesia is really a variety of Malay.)
But things are not always so simple as they seem. Perhaps you remember what allophones are. What is thought of in a language as one sound – a phoneme – may have multiple variations – allophones – that are distinct enough that they could be separate phonemes. In Latin, /t/ before /i/ became [ts], for instance, and from that it softened further in borrowed words so that our Latin-derived -tion endings sound like “shun.” In Japanese, /t/ before /i/ or /u/ becomes a sound that we think of as “ch”. So a name that in Japanese would be thought of as Kawaguti sounds like Kawaguchi to us and we spell it that way; meanwhile, if a person named Kawaguchi goes and skates for Russia (as has happened), the Russians transliterate the sound to their t, and the w meanwhile can only be represented as their v, and when that’s transliterated into English it becomes Kavaguti… of Kavaguti and Smirnov, the Russian pairs skating team.
But where I’m going with this is that in Gilbertese, /t/ before /i/ becomes [s]: it’s like what happened in Latin, only it’s softened even further. And if it’s at the end of a word, the /i/ is dropped. It is thought of (in the language) as the same, and is written the same, but it’s different. So Kiribati is pronounced “Kiribas” (stress on the first syllable).
You may or may not have noticed that I mentioned a Kiritimati above, and that Lonely Planet mentioned a Christmas Island. Guess what.
Has the penny dropped? Say the ti in Kiritimati as “s”… Yes, Christmas. That’s the one. It’s sometimes called by its English name, sometimes by the Gilbertese respelling. So it’s written differently but said almost the same. It’s just a matter of how you see it.
Is there any other influence the First World could have on this developing country? Well, yes. Aside from Banaba, all of Kiribati is made up of low-lying atolls that rise a mere few metres above the sea. And sea levels are rising. Yes, yes they are. A couple of small islets have already gone under the waves. The complete disappearance of Kiribati under the waves in the next century is a considered possibility. In fact, the government of Kiribati is looking into buying land in Fiji for resettling its population. But will they be able to remain a nation without their own land?
Or, as some scientists have suggested on the basis of studies, will at least some of the islands have a dynamic response to the increase in sea levels that will see them persist and possibly even increase?
At this point, do you really want to make a guess?
3 responses to “Kiribati
1. I’ve met a few Fijian and I-Kiribati sailors before due to my work. They’d finished their contract and were flying on to Java and then back home and so far I think they’re probably from the most far-flung place I’ve met and had dealings with?
2. Pingback: pollex | Sesquiotica
3. Pingback: attacca | Sesquiotica
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Could anyone please show me how to display data in a datagrid when I log in as a user into my application??
The after a successful login a form opens. That form displays data and then there's an option where the user can open a form called "Time Management". In that form I want only the table in my "Logbookdatabase" that matches the name of the the logged in person to be displayed in my datagrid.
Note that my tables are named after every user, for example if the table's name is User1 then only User1's data will be shown in the datagrid.
Any help would be appreciated...
6 Years
Discussion Span
Last Post by TheDocterd
DataGrids use the DataSource property to assign a set of data to show in the actual grid. I do not use DataGrids too often any more, you may want to look into using gridviews, but the basic way that I used to do this was to create a DataTable, add the columns I wanted and set the the row values. Then bind the data. I generally use Linq to create a list of the data from the table desired. So,
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
List<objects> list1 = methodToGetList();//this is where you can use logic to decide
//what table to use to fill the list;
foreach(object o in list1)
datagrid1.DataSource = dt;
You can use the supplied log in information to decide what table to query to populate the list of data. Bear in mind, the columns in the datatable have to be names the same as the columns on the DataGrid in order for this to work.
Hope that helps some.
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Even if your loved one is in poor health, you still never think of it. No one plans for a sudden passing. I've just had a shocking awakening.
Our friend, colleague and I were emailing each other about a recent video product we created together. He had just done some edits and the video was great. Bruce was the best video producer I've ever met. He was an original founder of AgingParents.com, our business. We were on this project for weeks. Four hours after the email, he died of a sudden heart attack. He was my age.
In Memoriam: Bruce Tokars
We always think we have more time.
We need to prepare our "exit papers".
But that is not enough. They need minutiae: account numbers, passwords, access to a great deal of information and a list of all the managers and professionals upon whom we rely to keep our lives and finances in order. This is detailed stuff. It's complicated. These are part of the exit papers.
Is this risky, telling them all our business? Yes. If we give them all information, they could possibly take advantage of us if we become infirm and live to be 100. Of they could rip us off if we lost our minds. I'll take the chance. I am certainly not a perfect mother, but I've tried hard to raise kids with integrity and values and they've definitely got them. I am willing to trust them to do what is right and to never misuse the trust we place in them. I know my kids are both honorable human beings and I'm very proud of that.
What if you don't have kids or your kids don't happen to be so trustworthy? If they have a drug or alcohol problem or they're not good with money? In that case I'd give my exit papers to a licensed professional fiduciary or appointed successor trustee and be sure everything that person or institution would need is in the exit papers. I would teach them while I could.
This goes a lot farther than standard estate planning. It is about the minute details of daily life that our friend Bruce's widow must now deal with in the midst of her profound grief. Can she get into the email accounts? Can she transfer the projects he was working on to the next person in charge? When it's my turn to go, I don't want it to be any harder on my loved ones than it needs to be. I can at least give them information in advance so they will not struggle to take care of business.
So, my husband, Mikol and I embark upon the Exit Papers Project. It will take the next two weeks or so to get it done. It's a matter of copying contacts, things and numbers into a document with explanations about what and where and why. Then we sit down with the kids, both in their 20's, and show them what it all means.
And of course, we'll have to update it every year. | <urn:uuid:ec6adcd9-2ced-4c3b-acd5-bd7521cccc13> | https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolynrosenblatt/2013/04/09/we-always-think-we-have-more-time/?ss=personalfinance | en | 0.978654 | 0.030654 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
What is an open sentence?
Quick Answer
In mathematics, an open sentence is an algebraic expression without a definite truth value, which means that the statement's veracity or falsity is uncertain. Open sentences contain variables, which are denoted by letters to represent unknown values.
Continue Reading
Full Answer
Mathematical sentences can either be closed or open. A closed sentence is an expression whose truth value is known, either the sentence is always true or always false. An example of a closed sentence is, "The number 2 is the smallest prime number." This statement is always true under any condition.
An open sentence, meanwhile, can either be true or false depending on what value is supplied for the variable. For instance, the expression "X is a whole number" is only true if the value of the variable "X" is any positive integer or 0. Otherwise, the sentence is false.
Learn more about Algebra
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Why ?
Discussion in 'I Have a Question...' started by TearsDropBloodTrickles, Oct 18, 2006.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
1. TearsDropBloodTrickles
TearsDropBloodTrickles Well-Known Member
Why do we expect so much, why do we desire so much ? Is it the fairytales we are fed as a child...isnt that we are taught always to dream. I dont know about you, but no pain hurts like disappointment. Rejection...you dont like me...fine ill get over it...Loneliness..well my right hand was always my bestfriend...Inferiority...Oh well your better than boo hoo...but Dissapointment. It so so painful...because its me failing myself.. I was taught to dream of the unatainable and now i cry when i cant reach it. Now i realise fairytales came from the tip of a pen, and not from the hope that comes from within. Look at me once, again trying to blame everyone else, society, well my mums excuse for beating me was that shes a product of her parents. Well then i can blame society, for i am a product of society.. why why why why.. Forget why do i expect so much ? Why do i complain so much ? Some kids dont have running water or clothes on theirs backs... yet i complain because i dont have a car, great job & a million dollars..actually pounds (more money).. And there is my other method..turning everything into a joke..
It all sucks...dreams break your heart, hope leaves you tumbling down... Why do we expect so much...
2. Allo..
Allo.. Well-Known Member
Fairytales come from the tip or a pen, but it takes a person to think of them. We all need hope and dreams to keep going and often our dreams do come true. It might not be that we get $1 million or that we have a mansion or that we have a perfect family or have the whole world as our friends, but the little dreams come true. that we have love, we cam keep going thru the day. That we can make A friend, that we can have a computer to talk to people on and get support. Every dream counts. no matter how big or small it is.
Even tho disapointment hurts we dont ahve time for it. We cant be disapointed until we die because we still have the rest of our lives to achieve them. Dreams dont come to you if you just sit in the same place al day, you need to do things to achieve them, take that extra step.
Take care, id love to hear about your dreams x
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Download MySQL 5.5.30
MySQL 5.5.30
By MySQL AB (Open Source)
User Rating
# Functionality Added or Changed
* In RPM packages built for Unbreakable Linux Network, libmysqld.so now has a version number.
# Bugs Fixed
* InnoDB: The server could halt with an assertion error while creating an index: InnoDB: Assertion failure in thread thread_num in file row0merge.cc line 465 This issue affected tables with a combination of ROW_FORMAT=REDUNDANT off-page columns, and an index on a column prefix.
* Partitioning: Concurrent ALTER TABLE ... REBUILD PARTITION operations could interfere with one another, even when not running against the same table, because they both used global memory for storage. Now each partition rebuild operation stores intermediate data in memory that is local to that process.
* Replication: After dropping a column from the slave's version of a table, then altering the same column of this table on the master (so that a type conversion would have been required had the column not been droppped on the slave), inserts into this table caused replication to fail.
* Replication: When a binary log is replayed on a server (for example, by executing a command like mysqlbinlog binlog.000001 | mysql), it sets a pseudo-slave mode on the client connection used, so that the server can read binlog and apply binary log events correctly. However, the pseudo-slave mode was not disabled after the binary log dump was read, which caused unexpected filtering rules to be applied to SQL statements subsequently executed on the same connection.
* Replication: When using statement-based replication, and where the master and the slave used table schemas having different AUTO_INCREMENT columns, inserts generating AUTO_INCREMENT values logged for a given table on the master could be applied to the wrong table on the slave.
* Joins of exactly 32 tables and containing a HAVING clause returned an empty result.
* A buffer-handling problem in yaSSL was fixed.
* A mysys library string-formatting routine could mishandle width specifiers.
* Output generated with mysqldump --routines could produce syntax errors when reloaded.
* With the thread pool plugin installed, a workload consisting of concurrent KILL statements and ping queries caused the server to exit.
* The mysql client could mishandle the delimiter command if it occurred on a line during which mysql was looking for the end of a quoted string.
* mysqld_safe used the nonportable -e test construct.
* Configuring the server with performance_schema_events_waits_history_size=0 and performance_schema_events_waits_history_long_size=0 could cause a Performance Schema segmentation fault.
* DECIMAL multiplication operations could produce significant inaccuracy.
* For subqueries executing using a filesort, the optimizer could produce an incorrect result containing wrong rows.
What Is the FileHippo Safety Guarantee?
| <urn:uuid:bd2993f3-d0c3-43a7-8a82-fba40d708f30> | http://filehippo.com/download_mysql/changelog/14266/ | en | 0.902011 | 0.456258 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Friday, January 7, 2011
Dave Newman
Dave Newman is the author of the novel Please Don’t Shoot Anyone Tonight (World Parade Books) and four chapbooks, most recently Allen Ginsberg Comes to Pittsburgh.
Mark wants to get drunk
so he goes to Al’s Tavern.
There’s unemployment,
and after that, savings.
He likes the time off,
but he still wishes for his old job.
In 1983, he made sixteen
an hour as a machinist.
That was good money,
but there were Japanese cars.
The cars were red and blue
and their doors closed nicely
and they got 30 mpg around town
and Mark tried not to hate Japan,
the Japanese people,
which was easier than he imagined.
The bar is packed.
Two people wear Burger King uniforms.
After the mill shut down,
Mark worked at McDonalds for three days
then got fired because he wouldn’t mop
up the puke in the bathroom.
He went to school for a year,
then quit to paint houses.
During the summer, the hair on his legs
gets knotted with drips of paint.
It’s winter now. When a woman
asks to buy him a drink, he says, “Sure.”
No one has bought him a drink in five years.
“I’m Elizabeth,” she says.
She wants to shoot pool so they do.
She buys the next round, and the next.
Mark says, “Seriously, let me.”
She refuses. It’s her boyfriend’s credit card.
Ex-boyfriend. She doesn’t mention him
at all one way or the other. She hates him.
She’s wearing her denim skirt, short,
the sexiest thing she owns,
which sort of makes her sad.
In high school, she did slutty.
In college, she did not.
Now, showing a little cleavage feels bold.
Mark says, “Do you always
drink like this?”
She says, “Yes.”
If he wants to fuck
he has to make the move.
Otherwise, she goes home.
Her boyfriend, ex, is somewhere
on business. She thinks he’s gay.
Not in a mean way, but in a factual way.
She knows she can’t change him
but she’d like to. She’d like to
change all the gay men, to have that power.
Mark says, “I used to work at McDonalds.”
He doesn’t know why. He’s drunk.
“Me, too,” she says.
“I had pimples for three years.”
Elizabeth gets him to bum a cigarette
from another guy. She likes his ass
and his back, his neck,
the way it’s shaved clean and neat.
She likes neat men. Not gay men.
There is a difference.
“Take me home?” she says and smiles.
He goes for his jean jacket.
She wanted him to ask,
but so what. He’s hard in her hand.
The bedroom light is dim.
She has to pee, but it can wait.
Then it can’t.
“One second,” she says.
It takes more than a second.
When she comes back, he can’t get hard.
She blows him for a minute
and it’s like sucking a gummy worm.
He takes her head and says,
“Maybe we could sleep for a little bit.”
She says, “I have to be up for work.”
He says, “On Saturday?” He says, “Oh.”
She doesn’t have to be at work.
She needs to be alone and cry.
She knows it’s not her,
that if she didn’t have to pee
he would have stayed hard,
and she could have climbed on him
or he could have climbed on her,
and there would have been something there
after so many months of being empty.
When was this poem composed? How did it start?
I don’t remember exactly, but most of my poems start with language, not a narrative or a character or even an idea. I used to walk around the house singing the word Elizabeth, a fine if slightly sophisticated name, so I finally put it on paper. I had that, and the word mop. Later, in a bar, I heard a woman compare a man’s soft penis to a gummy worm, and she was very sad when she was making the comparison. So I had Elizabeth, mop, and a soft cock.
I don’t know how many revisions any of my poems go through because it’s more important to me to have time between revisions. Generally, I write a poem. The poem will be all images and fancy-pants language then I’ll try to imagine what those images and words mean to someone living in the world (either a character or a speaker). I’ll work until I find something. I’ll take that something and work on it for a couple months (while I work on other poems or some fiction). I’ll look at the poem, realize my own genius and set the poem aside for a year. When I come back the next year, I realize how lacking I am in genius and start working again. Eventually I get the poem to where I’m not ashamed.
That wasn’t the question, though. I saw a woman on your site say she revised her poems hundreds of times and I think my poems are better than hers, so I’ll say I revised this poem like ten million times, at least.
I’m not a big inspiration person. I believe in work. Work includes writing, but it also includes thinking and finding a place to think. I like to walk in old mill towns, places like Braddock and Wilmerding. I read as much as I can. Between the reading and the walking, I can usually find something to say.
I ended up using couplets, which gave me something to push against.
Maybe a year or so.
I don’t have any rules but the longer a poem sits, the better.
I read all creative books (fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction) as works of imagination. The idea of fact vs. fiction seems to belong either in the marketing world or the academic world. What’s important to me is what’s on the page. I grew up reading Black Sparrow books before the Internet era. John Martin, the publisher of Black Sparrow, didn’t put anything on his books but a title and the author’s name. No blurbs. No book description. If the books were good—John Fante and Wanda Coleman, Diane Wakoski and Charles Bukowski were always good—I believed what they wrote. So I guess I’m interested in believability. I hope my poem is believable.
Is this a narrative poem?
Uh huh.
I remember reading Nazim Hikmet’s Human Landscapes when I was in my very early 20s, and that was the first time I’d ever seen narrative poetry with strong, fully-developed characters, characters written in the 3rd person, and poetic insights. That had a huge impact on me. Stephen Dobyns was another poet who wrote great 3rd person character-driven narratives.
The guy who loves the Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street” and has the Robert Johnson box set but not the time to listen to it.
My wife, Lori Jakiela, reads everything I write. She’s a great writer and a great reader. I agree with everything she has to say about my poems until I don’t, then I get drunk and stomp around the house and mutter terrible things.
How does this poem differ from other poems of yours?
It’s set in Herminie, PA. Some of my novel is set in Herminie, PA but I’ve never set a poem there.
What is American about this poem?
Guys losing their jobs. Hard dicks, limp dicks. Women who believe cleavage is sometimes necessary. Working for McDonalds, and the inability to clean up puke for minimum wage. The sadness we all feel when we’re desperate to connect.
Was this poem finished or abandoned?
I’ll say abandoned. It’ll be finished when someone pays me a million bucks for the film rights.
1. Dave Newman has the most consistent voice of any poet I know. He always goes for the killer detail, and his characters are always vivid and heartbreakingly lovely.
2. Newman is the king of narrative. The reason why is his stuff slips so easily between reality using the sound and language and beauty of poetry: The stuff that lets us breathe as humans, those insights that are complely unique but always spot-on and ultimately common and shared.
Thanks for featuring him.
3. inspiring poem
and an interesting evening by itself
thank you
4. My introduction to Dave Newman. A little like shaking hands with a stevedore who has no idea how he's crushing your tender bones in his muscular paw. If I have the courage to face them, I'll be reading a lot more of Newman's poems. | <urn:uuid:8f121739-b05c-445e-b8d9-05970b17d2bd> | http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/2011/01/dave-newman.html?showComment=1294559763381 | en | 0.971788 | 0.093595 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Dec 22, 2008
Letters From Our World-Class Government
Monday • December 22, 2008
Letter from Lim Yuin Chien
Deputy Director (Corporate Communications),
Ministry of National Development
We thank Mr Ee for his feedback.
Anonymous said...
Don't forget that's why we pay our civil servants and politicians extravagant amounts so that they can go all broody when issues like these are raised and come up with answers that will tax the brain of Alice in Wonderland. It is therefore unfair and utterly wrong for us to criticize the administrators and politicians for doing nothing. "Nothing will come of nothing" and nothing is an art form that needs creativity, experience and a certain amount of low cunning. Ask Madoff, he knows all about it.
Anonymous said...
This is the standard of the current govt what. Meaningless replies from ministers at the top to lackeys and civil servants at the bottom. Don't expect any change soon.
Anonymous said...
it is the typical pontius pilate response...the banks should or ought to be doing this so we should not intervene....missing completely the point that the banks are doing it only from the bank's POV (sigh.. ) Maybe we should increase the salaries for the public servants ( ministers included ) as we are obviously not able to recruit the ones with real brains only those who are good at passing exams!
Anonymous said...
I think I am also capable of giving such replies and willing to do it for half or quarter of their pay.
After all, I think I gave more intelligent and well thought comments and replies for free to Mr Wang's and others blogs.
Anonymous said...
Dear Mr. Wang,
As you point out yourself, these are issues which given the complexities, can only be sorted out by individual borrowers themselves.
I wouldn't fault the Ministry's response to what I think to some extent is an inane request: I don't expect the Ministry, let alone the bank, to act as my financial nanny.
Besides, so long as the bank acts above board, they cannot be faulted for pursuing their self-interest. After all, they aren't charities.
Wouldn't we, as persons in our own right, act in the same way say, when we negotiate with our employers?
Mr Wang Says So said...
I didn't say that. In my previous post, what I said was that individual borrowers SHOULD do such things for themselves now, as things currently are, especially *because* there is there is no official process anywhere in place to help them with such things.
What Ee is suggesting is that there SHOULD be some official process put in place.
I can indeed envisage a wide variety of possible ways by which some kind of official process could be put in place. Some would be more detailed; some would be less detailed.
An example of a fairly simple process might be as follows:
(a) before granting a housing loan, the bank / HDB is required to alert the customer that he may wish to consult a financial adviser about his mortgage and its implications on his overall financial condition. The bank / HDB could then provide the customer with a list of independent financial advisory firms in Singapore which could provide sch services. It's left to the customer to decide whether he wants to consult such a firm or not.
Another example of a fairly simple process could be as follows:
(b) the bank / HDB is required to provide basic information to the would-be borrower, about the various factors that he should think about, before he takes a housing loan. Such information could come in the form of a standard, basic, pre-printed booklet. This booklet could even just be an expanded version of this publication by Case & ABS.
A more complicated process would be one where the bank itself is required to walk the customer through a questionaire about his financial lifestyle / goals etc, before granting the customer a loan. This questionaire would not be all that different from the ones that banks currently use, before selling their customers an investment product.
Anonymous said...
George says:
Mr Wang,
Have you considered that it is not in the interest of the HDB to'nanny' potential buyers of its flats since it would mean a long drawn out process and there is the very real possibility of the potential buyers ending up being pronounced as 'disqualified' by virtue of projected inadequacy in funding. Lot's of HDB flats would then be left vacant abegging for buyers. When this happens the govt would also then be left without a 'handle' to manipulate Singaporeans, since they would not be saddled with a mortgage to pay for the rest of their working lives!
Syl said...
We always criticise the Singapore for being an authoritarian nanny state, yet when problems arise, the first thing we do is go crying for nanny. No wonder the PAP continues to be condescending and authoritarian. We asked for it.
"Whether I can afford it" is the most basic question that anyone with half a brain would ask himself when buying something as expensive as a house. Factors like planned family size, expected future income, retirement age, etc will naturally be taken into account. Why should public funds be spent on mollycoddling everyone who wants to buy a house just because some people are too dumb to do basic financial planning?
Anonymous said...
Root of the problem : HDB too expensive.
Anonymous said...
Syl, if indeed the Ministry shared your view, then it should have just said so. Instead of giving an irrelevant, nonsensical reply that assumes Singaporeans to be stupid.
Anonymous said...
Hi Mr Wang
At the risk of pcking bones ...
The Mr Bean dude is a multimillionaire and has an IQ way above that of Lim Yuin Chien.
David Chappell said...
To be fair, Lim Yuin Chien's response is typical of what you might expect from any jobsworth bureaucrat anywhere in the world.
Anonymous said...
Regarding inanity
1-All ministries have KPIs.
2-KPIs must be met.
3-A probably KPI is that all enquiries must be answered (hence the Answer).
4-A complete answer may pacify 95% and inadvertently ruffle 5%.
5-A partial answer may pacify 50% and inadvertently ruffle 50%.
6-An inane answer will ruffle no feathers and pacify no one.
So what will you settle for?
1-A complete answer that may result in being tarred and feathered?
2-A partial answer that may result in being tarred and feathered?
3-An inane answer will say nothing, do nothing, and yet satisfy a requirement to have said something.
Donald Rumsfeld
darth said...
there're independant financial advisers that can do just that. insurance, investments, housing loans, will-writing. Now you just need to meet a tactful one that knows how to tell u nicely:
"mr so-and-so, i understand your dream of owning a home with ur lovely wife. Given ur income, monthly committments, expenditure blah blah blah, it would be in your best interests to stay with ur parents for the time being"
LOL. Anyone, some of these advisers have blogs. Do check them out.
ArtBoon said...
If I go to supermarket to buy chicken, I want info on when the chicken is packed, place of import, etc.
I have to decide for myself whether or not the chicken is to my taste.
If I start asking government to tell me which dietitians can show me whether I should eat chicken or fish, then I am asking government to tax me more for that additional service.
On the other hand, I will ask them to do more if I think that they are already collecting too much "profit" out of me, I better get my money's worth and demand more service.
Anonymous said...
That response reflects the worldview of the Singaporean government - that the state of the state is already perfect, and to suggest an improvement not already thought of by the bureaucrats is to malign their perfect foresight. That does not mean that the bureaucrats / state does not introduce 'improvements' from time to time, but when they do that they hope that people would not identify it as a measure to correct a pre-existing fault...
Xtrocious said...
Actually, my main concern about Ee's letter is the ever-present need for a "nanny state"...
Everything also must or have to be "official"...cannot use cow sense (common is never common it seems) to decide or reason for oneself...sigh
As long as we have these sort of mentality, we can never grow...
And as long as people (sheep) expect such nannying, guess who will remain in power?
Anonymous said...
I am not sure whether I am right. But isn't HDB started out to provision affordable and "subsidized" housing to Singaporean. But recently, subsidized housing cost half-a-million. Personally, it is not quite affordable for me. I am just newly-wed and a new father. I am still staying with my parents because there is a complete shortage of housing. For example in the recent balloting exercise, there are 149 flats available for sale. and I was told the total queue number swells up to 1500. My queue number is 800++ I am not sure if HDB is aware and is doing anything about the situation.
When I approach my MP about my housing problem. I was told he has no authority over HDB. HDB advised me to go to open market for available housing. So yes, as a first timer, I do get my priorities, but priorities does not guarantee a flat.
Anonymous said...
I agreed with Syl. Singaporeans just want to be nanny but then complain on the most frivolous of things and bragged too much control. Isn’t it better to make your own decision (even if it may end up being a wrong decision) than being controlled and coerced?
Anonymous said...
shocking to see how irrelevant the ministry's reply was. If this was an exam, it would have scored an F for being so out of the point.
Anonymous said...
How else do you expect the Ministry to reply? That chap has asked/given an irrelevant question/suggestion to an irrelevant party.
It is his own obligation to determine how much he can afford/risk etc. The Ministry has no obligation to tell him how he should plan his finances, family etc.
I cannot imagine a grown adult actually expecting the government to make this kind of decisions for him.
Anonymous said...
It might be exactly why our HDB "subsidised" housing is so expensive, we need 30 years of our working lives to repay. Even for a graduate.
And they tell us that "standard" of living has been improving. Why then, is the loan period not correspondingly shorten due to better qualified citizens getting better wages?
The failings of the past 10 years of governing or direction is getting obvious for all now. I hope they ponder on it and start to really work on improving our lives instead of repeating same old lines, then grumbling the better educated, more dissening young are not voting for them. Time to sack a lot of old timers who screwed up and did creative statistics intepretation.
Mr Wang Says So said...
Actually 20-year or 30-year mortgages are common in many, many countries around the world.
Anonymous said...
20-30 year morgates are plenty in the world, but how many of them have the level of debt GDP as compared to Singapore?
Fitness Fabulous said...
We pay them top dollar, surely we cant expect them to spend so "much" time on "simple" stuff like this right? | <urn:uuid:421c9aac-83b4-4710-ac2b-0c036026d6ed> | http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/12/letters-from-our-world-class-government.html | en | 0.973031 | 0.07678 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Some Questions to Ask About Buying Plastic Pallets
Plastic pallets are a good alternative to standard wood pallets as they typically have a much longer lifespan and are more resistant to rot, mold, and the like. Investing in plastic pallets can mean not having to worry about splintered frames or boards and not having items damaged because of soft wood that allowed a pallet to actually topple. When you’re ready to buy plastic pallets, note a few questions to ask so you know you’re getting the right type for your needs.
1. Static load and dynamic capacity
When buying pallets, you want to know the static load versus the dynamic capacity. Static load refers to how much weight a pallet can manage when it’s static, meaning sitting on the ground or a shelf without being moved. However, when you lift a pallet, you need to know its dynamic capacity, or how much weight it can manage when being moved or lifted, as this is usually different than its static load capacity. If you need pallets to sit on a shelf and hold a certain load without the pallet itself ever being lifted, such as for when you will pick individual items off that pallet to fill orders, note its static load capacity. For lifting and moving, always note the dynamic capacity instead.
2. Ask about recycled material
Plastic pallets can typically be made with at least some recycled material. If you’re worried about how using plastic affects the environment because of it winding up in landfills, choose a company and type of pallet that incorporates recycled plastic. You might also note if the pallets you’re choosing can be easily recycled if they are ever damaged or you no longer need them for some reason.
3. Note if you need any antibacterial or other special plastics
Never assume that all plastic is the same, but ask about plastic types if you need something that is antibacterial, food grade, and the like. You also need to note if there are special types of plastics that are required for any international or interstate shipping you might be doing; different countries may have their own requirements for pallets that are holding certain materials, especially food, medicine, and other biological materials, so ask if the plastic would work for those requirements.
4. Consider how well they stack
If you need to stack your pallets and store them, ask how compact they become when stacked. Some plastic pallets are made with a perimeter frame or a bottom that resembles four picture frames rather than runners that go straight across, so they can nest inside one another for stacking. If you’re short on storage space for your pallets, ask about these options.
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Dear Bernie,
A call to ignore the pressures for you to surrender
Hear Lindorff and Green activist and former 2004 Ralph Nader presidential campaign press spokesman Kevin Zeese discuss the political implications of a possible Sanders general election campaign for president as the Green Party's candidate, To play this interview, which took place on Wednesday afternoon on the Progressive Radio Network's "This Can't Be Happening!" program, click HERE
You ran a great race, achieving something that most of us thought would be impossible, running as an "avowed" socialist in today's United States of America, against one of the most hardened and tested political machines in the country, the Clintons, and winning 22 primaries and caucuses with a total of over 12 million votes. And while Hillary and her minions threw everything they had at you, including voter suppression efforts, lies about your voting record in the Senate, unfair assistance from the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic officials, and manipulation of the media, you came excruciatingly close to knocking her off and winning the nomination.
Okay, you didn't make it to the finish line.
Now the pressure is on you, from the corporate media that originally ignored you, then attacked you and finally resorted to outright corruption the night before the June 7 primary by prematurely calling the race for Clinton in hopes of depressing your turnout in the last six primaries, and now to a meeting tomorrow with President Obama, who will try and convince you to give up, and to endorse Hillary Clinton.
But while it's true that way back at the start of your seemingly Quixotic campaign, you did promise to endorse her if you lost, that campaign has since evolved beyond even your imagination into a powerful movement for "political revolution," with millions of people behind it. Also over the intervening months, you have both seen how unprincipled your opponent can be, and have also done a masterful job of highlighting just how corrupted she has become as a person and politician. You've pointed out how she has been bought by the too-big-to-fail bankers, who have paid her legal bribes totaling millions of dollars, euphemistically calling them "speaking fees." You've denounced her acceptance of hundreds of millions of dollars of legal bribes in the form of campaign contributions from key industries like the drug companies, the military contractors, the oil giants and even the for-profit prison industry. While you graciously declined early on and waited, in my view, way too long to go after Hillary for her improper and illegal use, for years, of a private email server during her four-year tenure as Secretary of State, late in the primary battle you finally did point out that she was acting in an illegal way (one that now has her as the first presumptive presidential candidate in memory running while being actively investigated by the FBI). You also intimated -- correctly in my humble view as an investigative reporter -- that this move of hers to avoid the Freedom of Information Act was linked to her efforts to peddle influence to US corporate executives and foreign leaders in return for cash going into the Clinton Foundation coffers -- a sordid arrangement reeking of corruption and self-dealing.
story | by Dr. Radut | <urn:uuid:a1d5fb84-0519-47fd-bb7e-62728cf1a2f9> | http://thiscantbehappening.net/node/3190 | en | 0.968731 | 0.025452 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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“Poetry is like the glittering pink ocean. It sounds beautiful and delectable, but you really have no idea what is going on. I mean, glittering pink ocean? WTF?”
~ Lord Byron on poetry
“Roses are red,
violets are too.
In Soviet Russia,
poem writes YOU!”
~ Russian reversal on poetry
The wily and elusive poet in her natural environment.
Poetry is the art of writing incoherent phrases to suggest mystery and generally confuse people. It does this through diction, caesura, figurative language, and large amounts of illegal drugs. Unlike writing prose or anything else, writing poetry does not include forethought or revision. Poetry is often written with the intention of attracting girls.
Some notable poets are William Shakespeare (recently confirmed to have truly been a woman), Robert Frost, Homer, Oscar Wilde, John Milton, Lord Byron, Henswick Wallenfraüde, John Keats and the Pam Ayres. Livejournals and have become the mecca for contemporary poetry. Anything written about poetry is purely speculative since nobody ever reads it.
The first poetry
See also: Nobody cares
The origins of poetry are uncertain. The most likely origin is word-of-mouth oratory and song-speech. Storytelling was often made more interesting through things such as rhyme scheme and rhythm.
The emergence and growing popularity of heavy metal and grindcore music in Egypt paved the way for the first documented poetry. Many Egyptian slave laborers wrote these first poetic prototypes in between the daily activities of carrying stones and carrying heavier stones. They were often written into sand, and later, a more lasting medium, clay tablets. Few remaining clay tablets of Egyptian poetry exist, since the Egyptian overlords often confiscated any they found and destroyed them. A virulent and hilarious beating usually followed.
Types and Examples
Iambic Pentameter:
Iambic pentameter is all like. . .
Some examples here for you to see
Of contemporary poetry.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
All of my base,
Are belong to you.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Let's get some barbecue
and get busy.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Some poems rhyme
But this one doesn't.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue
Come hear so I can buck you,
In the place where you poo.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Make me a sandwich,
Or I will kill you.
Roses are grey,
Violets are grey,
I'm color blind.
Foreign language
Strange though it may seem, foreigners participate in poetry too. Beautiful French, Spanish, Chinese and yes, even German poetry has been recorded throughout the ages. Take this 19th Century Lament for a requiem by Georg Vilhelm Friedrich Hegel.
Es ist schwer, Sachen richtig zu übersetzen
wie wirklich schwer
Sie wahrscheinlich denken, dass Sie ein Kauderwelsch suchen
The part about his dying grandmother and house burning down are exceptionally funny and warming to the soul.
Haiku are too short
In which to describe poems
Of seventeen sounds
Yudo Nomi
Haiku is fun
but sometimes misunderstood
Fyuk Yoo
Modern poetry
Angst, one of the more common emotions of poetic verses.
Modern poetry is the poetry of our age. Much of it is unoriginal, generic, and easy to spot. It often consists of archaic language, very basic format, and often times a childish tone and message. A poem about a laptop or an iPod is likely to be modern poetry.
Stupid poetry
Generic poetry is perhaps one of the most common forms of modern poetry. Much of it consists of individuals with nothing to say wanting to seem like they’re saying something. It is also what happens when people learn big words, and want to show them off in a "sensitive" and "thoughtful" way. "Oh, oh, look at me! I have emotions! I want to comment on the world around me in order to change it! I think that the best way to do this is in the way that nobody can understand!"
Now to turn it into a poem.
Poette’s Lament
O, gaze upon me!
I feel
Yearning to remark
on the cage that is around me
in order: to amend it!
O, I shall reach my end through tongue incomprehensible!
Stupid poetry is not completely without point or logic, however. According to Frederico Lorca in Survival of the Dimmest, writing smart poetry carries great risk of death by lacerations, ingestion, poison, and concussions:
"But intelligence is often the enemy of poetry, because it limits too much, and it elevates the poet to a sharp-edged throne where he forgets that ants could eat him or that a great arsenic lobster could fall suddenly on his head."
Stream of consciousness
Stream of consciousness is an extreme form of stupid poetry which attempts to follow the normal flow of human thought. It fails miserably; if people really thought as some of this type of poetry suggest, we would have probably been eaten to extinction by sabre-toothed tigers. It is mostly created by lazy people, and those just trying to be weird.
A Stream of Consciousness
Wenbar wits bah ah
And the coyote man would NORTH SOUTH
ravage the beauty
apostrophe (NORTH)
- Anonymous
Making fun of Newfoundlanders poetry
Poetry addressed at Newfoundlanders is renowned for it hilariousness and wit. Below is a poem by B.F. Gardner, a classic example:
I'S DE B'Y at University of Toronto
I's de b'y dat feeds de grass
an' I's de b'y dat cuts 'er
an' I's de b'y whose brudder works
wit' de sand an' morter.
Well I been workin' here so long
dat I begun ta wonder
after all dees years o sluggin' me guts
how I still breaks wind like tunder?
Hows about a piece of ars
I'll stick ya wit' me pickle
an' pull yer dress up over yer face
all 'round Hart House Circle.
Oh I's de b'y dat drives de truck
an' dats jus' fer starters
I listen to all me Uncle says
an' carries out his orders.
Well de foreman works jus' lik' de men
an' de Unions gonna git him
fer I been keepin' notes ya see
an' if I were a fag I'd screw him.
Not wiggers
Photo taken of contemporary American poets (World Poet's Society, 2008).
Rap, otherwise known as "fast poetry uttered by gangstas", is the contemporary form of poetic expression. It is often spoken in a nonsensical dialect known as ebonics. Common themes in rap include bitches and hoes, wearing flashy and heavy jewelry, expensive cars, having to pay child support, and the typical thug life in the ghetto streets that the rapper no longer lives in because he resides in a mansion that his record company owns.
Rappers often adopt nome-de-plumes such as 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, or DMX because of the unappealing nature of their real names. Most rappers' real names are very casual and pleasant, such as Curtis, Dwayne, Earl, and Leroy.
Criticisms of rap music often label it as violent, misogynistic, and nonsensical. Others have defended rap music, and have argued that while it is violent and misogynistic, it is not nonsensical. They claim it to be the expression of the oppressed black man. In refutation, it has been argued that Jewish rap is far more pleasant.
Despite being the newest form of poetry, rappers often cite very prominent poets in history as their influences. Rapper Snoop Dogg cites Christopher Marlowe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and E.E. Cummings as his primary influences. In addition, his favorite piece of literature is Beowulf, particularly where, "He rips off Grendel's arm n' shit."
Below is an example of rap ("Weezy Baby" by Lil Wayne) with its adjacent translation.
Ebonics Normal English
Brim leaning, cup tilted, blunt flicking
Get money, fuck bitches
Young Weezy, young pimping, she love it
I keep going, she keep cumin, what you know bout it
No I am no Howard the duck duck
Lead showers, black flowers
Black dresses, two hours, closed casket
Ma dough tactics is so crafty
No laughter, I do that after I get the dough bastards
I regularly wear my hat to the side in an awkward manner because it is fashionable and aesthetically appealing. I am so inebriated from the copious amount of alcohol that I have been consuming this evening that I cannot hold properly the cup in my hand which is full of a beverage of a similar intoxicating nature. I am also presently smoking marijuana. I like to acquire money and have sexual relations with women. I regularly sell women for sex though I am surprisingly young. During sex, I am not a premature ejaculator, and the women appreciate that. I am like Master P, though I do not approve of his mannerisms and accomplishments. I am not like Howard the Duck, the comic book character, because he is a fictional. I possess and fire firearms whose projectiles are made of the heavy metal lead. Most of the time this results in a melancholic funeral which is almost always closed casket due to the horrible disfigurement of the individual in the coffin. The way in which I acquire money is quite clever. I frequently do this by mowing down those who have money and claim it for my own, a common method where I grow up.
Poetry takes on an entirely new face when one is under the influence of mind-altering substances. Much rap is of this.
For example:
An evil slug was talking to me after I smoked some weed yesterday and said:
Some times when boys smoke lots of dope
they get all ropable
like a rope
and once a boy
was as brawn as an ape
he smoked some weed
and a girl he did rape
And the next day I peed like I'd had a long night of sex!
weird huh!
Poetry's meaning
Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to understand a poem. It is too difficult. You are likely to hurt yourself. This is not your fault. It is the poet's. Sir Edmund Spenser's epic The Faerie Queene was, contrary to popular belief, not about Queen Elizabeth I, but was in fact a detailed poetic review of his favorite Subway restaurant. Such confusion is the result of poetry's inability to keep it simple.
Some people say that poetry is an embodiment of the finest, most noble thoughts human beings have ever had. These people lie. Poetry is an embodiment of the most ridiculous way to impress a woman. All poetry finds its origin in this motive. Even female poets such as Sappho were doing it to impress the girl in English class.
What is poetry for?
Edgar Allan Po, a well-known American poet and alcoholic.
The poet, obviously! You didn't think it was for your enjoyment, did you?
Here follows a list of common reasons to write poetry:
1. You're very depressed.
2. You somehow believe that
carriage returns
are under
used in this society.
1. You're under the illusion that the rest of the world cares what you think enough to decode your 300 page epic on 'the decomposing of compost in a field' which is in some other world somehow supposed to correspond with something like death or memory or computer science or something at least worth thinking about. Oh God please let it be something that isn't compost decomposing in a field.
2. You're terminally depressed. See: sticking your head in an oven.
3. You're under the influence of some type of drug (usually more than one).
See also
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
there's hope
For the second year in a row, I'm in agreement with Time magazine as far as their selection as the "Person of the Year". Last year, it was Bono and Bill and Melinda Gates (their two-page spread from the issue is hanging up in my office) and this year, my darlings, it's YOU.
(I just spent a few minutes poking around in my archives because I SWEAR there is something I have written in the past around these same lines, but I can't find it now. You'd be surprised how many results you get when you search for "you" — not one of the more effective search terms.)
It's a hopeful selection and a hopeful tale. For Time, the story of 2006 is
It's enough to bring tears to your eyes. But, thank G-d, Lev Grossman slaps the reader back to reality:
Congratulations, YOU deserve it. I know you've been the person of my year.
Update: I found what I was searching for. Business 2.0 published a list of the "50 People Who Matter Now" in their July 2006 issue and "You! the consumer as creator" was at the top of their list.
Needtsza said...
Couldn't agree less with this (I"ll just let the Bono one go), as I find this to be a cop-out.
I mean, aren't 'we' the most influencial, etc etc. every year?!
abf said...
Actually, no, I don't think we (the people) have been as influential as we could be, judging by the number of people who choose to tune out on from the democratic process. But I do think that technology, and how people are using it, is changing the role of our voice/our influence in unprecedented ways.
Now, what about Bono are you kvetching about?
Quite honestly and ironically, the "people of the year" for the past two years have been direct reflections of the dominant themes in my life/career. Maybe that's why I have agreed with them?
Anonymous said...
How about Bono relocating out of Ireland to avoid paying higher taxes for a starter? Yes he is a tireless advocate but he has also become tiresome. And I am a fan of U2
abf said...
And now he's been knighted by the British government . . . But I still adore him. Sorry, guys. | <urn:uuid:d7130fef-7a0b-4552-b96b-58d94f349472> | http://wellknowwhenwegetthere.blogspot.com/2006/12/theres-hope.html | en | 0.975205 | 0.019458 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Janet DaPirano talks about her career managing and consulting social media. You can find her on her website www.thesocialmediaqueen.com and on her Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a social media consultant, manager and WordPress web designer.
How would you describe what you do?
I help small business owners market their business using online and social media marketing so that they get more exposure and increase their sales.
What does your work entail?
I create custom WordPress websites using HTML and CSS and teach and my clients how market their products and services on line using social media. I also have training classes in person and over the phone to help small businesses learn more about marketing their businesses using social media.
What’s a typical work week like?
Crazy! Most of my work is reactionary, so every day is different. Some days are crazy busy because my clients all decide they need something done at the same time. I try to schedule things during my week so I have time for emergencies, but it is hard to predict what might happen each day. I usually have a training call during the week and meet with potential clients, so I fit those calls in as well. So as you can see there is never a dull moment in my business.
How did you get started?
Most of my career was spent in the computer software industry. I figured out pretty soon after getting hired with Symantec that I loved computers, software and marketing. When you work for a software company, it’s a whole different world. I loved the environment. I also found out that I had a gift for picking things up quickly when it came to technology and so social media and web design were a easy next step in my career. I was laid off several times because of the changes in the software industry, so I decided to start my own business using the skills I had.
What do you like about what you do?
I like meeting different people and creating new marketing plans and strategies for my clients. I also love keeping up with the ever-changing world of social media. The fact that I’m helping other people build successful businesses is a big bonus.
What do you dislike?
The reactionary stuff I deal with each day. It can throw me off track and projects get put on the back burner when a client needs something done right now.
How do you make money/or how are you compensated?
For my services, I charge per the hour or project. Most of my clients are not local to me, so I have set up a Paypal and merchant account so that my clients can pay me easily. I have clients who are on retainer, and those who just pay for one time services like a website.
How much money do Social Media Consultants make?
It depends on your experience. If you are just starting out in your own business, then you have to do some research to find out what other Social Media Consultants are charging to get a better feel for your competitors and their fees. Some are really expensive and some are not. Its best to start on the low end until you feel comfortable and confident about your skill set. I have seen people charge anywhere from $25o to $3000 per hour for consulting and for social media managers, they might charge a monthly maintenance fee of $300-$3000 depending on the size of the company that they are working for and the tasks needed to be performed.
If you are looking to work for a corporation, they are paying social media managers around $50,000 – $100,000 a year here in California. These salaries depend on experience and the size of the hiring company. I am seeing more companies hiring social media managers because they want to have a dedicated person working on their social sites every day. They usually want someone with marketing experience and someone who can help with new ideas for marketing promotions.
How much money did/do you make starting out as a Social Media Consultants?
I started out charging $20 an hour, and soon understood that was to low of a rate because I was working really hard with little pay. So, I quickly raised my rates to $45 hour, which helped. After I charged that for a while, I decided to create packages that would allow my clients to pre-pay for 5, 10, or 20 hours which gave them a cut in the hourly rate. My website packages, social media management packages, and social media consulting all have different fees, so it really depends on the business and what they need.
I would take marketing, business, and social media marketing classes so you understand exactly how to use social media marketing for businesses.
What is most challenging about what you do?
Marketing myself! Since I market for my clients, I have less time to work on marketing for my own business. The other challenge is managing my time so I’m not working long hours. When I first started I worked night and day. Now, I try to close my office door by 6PM in the evening so I can relax and spend time with my family.
What is most rewarding?
Watching my clients businesses grow. When you see that they are growing their client base and increasing their income, its exciting for me. When my clients tell me how much I have helped them and how happy they are, that’s my greatest reward!
What advice would you offer someone considering this career?
I would recommend that you learn all you can about social media, marketing, and off line marketing. I would also decide what you want to offer and what you don’t. If you want to be a consultant, then you might not want to offer social media management. Social media management is a full time job and if you have a full client base, you will have little time for anything else.
There are classes available online and locally that can help you learn a great deal about social media. Also, if you are not someone who likes change, this would not be the career for you. Social media is constantly changing and there are new sites being launched all the time.
How much time off do you get/take?
I try to take a week or two off each year. Since this is my own business, I have to make that happen!
What is a common misconception people have about what you do?
That it’s easy. People think that its just posting on social sites, but there is a strategy and a marketing plan that goes behind each step you take. You also have to learn all about your clients business, including their target market and what their goals are. In most cases you are also managing your clients business reputation so you want to be able to handle anything that comes your way and correct it quickly.
What are your goals/dreams for the future?
My dream is to grow my business locally so I can help the local business owners get more customers, hire more people and grow the local economy. I would like to also hire more team members for my own business and be able to contribute more money to the charities I like to support.
Being in business is much like a rollercoaster. Sometimes you have lots of business and sometimes it can be slow. I think the best advice I can give to you if this interest you is to know that being in your own business means you have to constantly market. If you stop marketing, you don’t have clients. So you have willing and confident in yourself to market and sell your products and services to keep income flowing in.
Helped or inspired? Leave a comment!
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This article covers the Firefox OS application security model in detail.
The key Web app security controls introduced by Firefox OS are:
• Web apps are explicitly installed and launched, rather than being casually navigated to in a browser. Apps must be installed prior to use, and security controls govern the update and removal of apps to protect the user.
• Access to new web APIs is controlled by a permissions system, where an app must declare the permissions it intends to use prior to installation. In order to gain access to more powerful APIs, the apps meet certain requirements, and be reviewed, approved, and signed by a Marketplace.
• Web apps are sandboxed so they can only see their own resources (cookies, offline storage IndexedDB databases, and so on). Even if two apps happen to both load a page with the same URL, these two pages are not considered same-origin as they are running inside separate apps.
App Types
FirefoxOS supports three types of web apps: "web", "privileged" and internal ("certified"). An app's type is declared in its manifest, and determines the list of permissions it may request.
• Web Apps: Most third-party apps will be "web" apps, which is the default type, and doesn't grant the app any additional permissions besides those already exposed to the Web. Web apps can be installed from any website, without any further verification. They can also be packaged but this does not allow any additional permissions.
• Privileged Apps: These apps are allowed to request increased permissions, and as such privileged apps must be verified and signed by a Marketplace.
• Internal/Certified Apps: Such apps can currently only be pre-installed on the device, as chosen by the OEM.
You also might occasionally see reference to Installed Apps: This isn't really a separate app type as such, but this refers to APIs that require an app to be installed on the device to work.
Note: For further details of the three types, see the App Manifest documentation.
App Delivery
Apps can be delivered by two different mechanisms in Firefox OS: hosted or packaged. Regular web apps can be delivered via either mechanism, whereas privileged and certified apps must be packaged.
Hosted apps
A hosted app consists solely of an application manifest file on the developer's web server, which contains a launch_path for what page should be shown when the app is launched. From a security point of view, hosted apps work very much like normal web sites. When a hosted app is loaded, the URL of the loaded pages are the normal URLs that those pages have on their web server, or loaded from the device if they have be previously stored in an appcache.
Packaged apps
A packaged app is an Open Web App that has all of its resources (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, app manifest, and so on) contained in a zip file, instead of having its resources on a web server. For details of this format, see Packaged apps
App Origin
For hosted apps, the origin of the app is the origin where the application manifest is located.
For packaged apps, the origin is unique application identified assigned upon installation. Privileged & Internal apps can also request a specific origin by specifying the origin parameter in the applications manifest.
App Installation
Apps are installed via the Apps JavaScript API:
• Hosted Apps: Hosted apps are installed by calling navigator.mozApps.install(manifestURL), where manifestURL is a URL which specifies the location of the app. For further details, see Installing Apps.
• Packaged Apps: Packaged apps are installed by calling navigator.mozApps.installPackage(packageURL). For the Packaged apps, the main application manifest is stored inside the package itself, so that it is signed. There is a second "mini-manifest", which is used to start the install process. See Installing Packaged Apps and Packaged apps for more information.
In order to secure that an app really wants to be installed as a web app we have to ensure that it's not possible to trick a web site into hosting an application manifest. This is done by requiring that the manifest is served with a specific MIME type, application/x-web-app-manifest+json. This restriction is relaxed when the manifest app, and thus the app manifest, is same-origin with the page that requested the app to be installed.
The update process for apps is described at Updating apps.
Apps can be granted additional privileges on top of the ones granted to normal web sites. By default an app has the same permissions as normal web pages. In order to get additional permissions, the first step is for the app to enumerate the additional permissions it wants in the application manifest.
Manifest Declaration
For each additional permission that an app wants, the manifest must enumerate that permission in their manifest along with a human-readable description of why the app wants access to that permission. For example, if an app wants to use the navigator.geolocation API, it must include the following in its manifest:
"permissions": {
This allows the app to then prompt for the geolocation permission, in the same way that a web page normally would. For further detail on manifests, see App manifest.
Note: Currently permissions usage intentions are not exposed to the user — see bug 823385.
Granting Permissions
When permissions are requested in the manifest, the permission is either set to allow or prompt, depending on the permissions. Allow permissions are granted by virtue of being declared in the manifest with no further approval needed. For prompt permissions, the user is prompted the first time the user accesses the related API, and has to make a choice prior to the API being granted. In general, Firefox OS only prompts users for permissions that have a privacy impact, and it is reasonable for the user to understand what they are being asked. For example, access to contacts is prompted, but access to make a raw TCP connection is implicitly granted since it is not reasonable for a user to understand the security implications of allowing this permission. Use of allow permissions is reviewed as part of Marketplace security review processes to ensure users are protected.
Revoking Permissions
Users are allowed to change their mind about prompt permissions at any time, and can revoke these permissions via the Firefox OS settings app. Allow permissions are not user configurable, however.
Web App Sandbox
Data stored per app
Each app runs in as a separate sandbox, meaning that all data stored by an app is separate from all data stored by another app. This includes things like cookie data, localStorage data, indexedDB data, and site permissions.
A diagram showing three Firefox OS apps all open is separate sandboxes, so none of them can affect each other.
This means that if the user has two apps installed, App A and App B, these apps will have a completely different set of cookies, different local data, and different permissions. This even applies if both of these apps open an <iframe> that points to the same origin. i.e. if both App A and App B open an <iframe> pointing to "", they will both render the website, however the website will be fetched and rendered with different cookies in the two apps.
A result of this is that if the user logs in to, for example, Facebook while using App A, this in no way affects App B's ability to interact with the user's account on Facebook. The login cookie that Facebook sets when the user logs in using App A is only available in App A. If App B opens an <iframe> to Facebook, the cookie wouldn't be there and so when App B opens Facebook, it receives the Facebook login page rather than the user's account.
Apps can't open each other
This means that apps can't open other apps by using iframes. If App A creates an <iframe> with the src set to the URL of App B, this won't actually open App B in the <iframe>. It will simply open the website located at that URL. It will not use any of App B's cookies and so it will behave no differently than if App B wasn't installed on the user's device.
This applies even for packaged apps (more about them below). If App A tries to open the packaged App B using an <iframe> pointing to the app:// URL of App B, this will simply fail to load. If this results in a 404 or some other type of error is still to be determined, but it will definitely fail to load. And it will fail in the same way no matter if App B is installed on the user's device or not, as to make it impossible for App A to determine if App B is installed.
The same thing happens if the top-level frame of App A is navigated to a URL for App B. We always know for a given frame which app is opened in it, therefore when attempting to load the App B URL in the App A frame, this will behave exactly like the two situations described above, i.e. in no way will App B's resources, like cookies or other local data, be used.
There are both benefits and downsides to this approach. The downside is that if the user interacts with the same web site through several apps, he/she will have to log in to every app. Likewise, if a web site wants to store data locally, and the user interacts with this web site in several apps, the data will end up getting duplicated in each app, which could be a problem if it's a large amount of data.
The main benefit of this approach is that it's a more stable model. There is no way that several apps could interact with each other through a third-party website in unexpected ways such that installing an app causes another app to stop working. When an app is uninstalled there is no way that data for another app could be lost, or that another app will stop working due to functional dependence on the uninstalled app.
There are also large security benefits. A user can safely use his AwesomeSocial app to log in to Facebook without having to worry that the SketchGame app can mount any type of attack for getting at the user's Facebook data by exploiting bugs or other shortcomings in the Facebook web site.
There are also good privacy benefits. The user can safely install the PoliticalPartyPlus app without having to worry that MegaCorpEmployeeApp will be able to detect that the app was installed or what data it has created.
Sandboxed Permissions
In the same way that web site data is sandboxed per app, so is permission data. If App A loads a page from and that page requests to use geolocation and the user says "yes, and remember this decision for all times", this only means that has access to geolocation within App A. If App B then opens, that page won't have access to geolocation unless the user grants that permission again.
And just like in the normal browser, permissions are separated by origin. If App A is granted permission to use Geolocation, this does not mean that all origins running in App A have the permission to use Geolocation. If App A opens an <iframe> to, then still has to ask the user for permission before geolocation access is granted.
Browser API Sandbox
To additionally secure applications that open a large set of URLs, such as browsers, we have added a browserContent flag. The browserContent flag allows each app to have not one, but two sandboxes: one for the app itself, and one for any "web content" that it opens. For example:
Say that the MyBrowser app is loaded from the domain. This is the domain the scripts and resources are loaded within. The scripts and resourcesbelong to this domain.
Now, if a page in this app creates an <iframe mozbrowser>, a different sandbox is created and used for this <iframe>, which is different from the sandbox used by the app. So for example if this <iframe> is navigated to, it will result in different cookies being used inside the <iframe mozbrowser>. Likewise, the contents inside the <iframe mozbrowser> will see different IndexedDB and localStorage databases from the ones opened by the app.
This also applies if the MyBrowser app wants to create integration with, for example, Google Maps to implement location-based browsing. If the app opens an <iframe> to, it will receive a set of cookies for the website. If the user then navigates inside the <iframe mozbrowser> containing, this will use different cookies and different permissions to the top level app.
Another example where this is useful is in a Yelp-like app. Yelp has the ability to visit a restaurant's website directly in the app. By using <iframe mozbrowser> to open the restaurant website, the Yelp app ensures that the restaurant website can't contain an <iframe> pointing back to Yelp's app (which points to If it does, the website will only receive the Yelp website, rather than the Yelp app. So there is no way that the restaurant website can mount an attack against the app since the contained Yelp website won't share any permissions or data with the Yelp app.
App Security Summary
The table below summarizes the different types of Firefox OS apps, and describes the format, installation, and update processes for open web apps running on Firefox OS.
Web App Types
Type Delivery Permission Model Installation Updates
Web Hosted or Packaged Less sensitive permissions, which are not dangerous to expose to unvalidated web content. Installed from anywhere Can be updated transparently to user or explicitly via a marketplace, depending on where the app was installed from, and the delivery mechanism.
Privileged Packaged & Signed Privileged APIs requiring validation and authentication of the app. Installed from a trusted marketplace Updated via a trusted marketplace, user prompted to approve download and installation of updates.
Internal Packaged Powerful and dangerous APIs not available to third-party apps. Pre-installed on the device Updated only as part of system level updates.
Note: For version 1.0 of Firefox OS, although web apps can be installed from any website/marketplace, privileged apps can only be installed from the Mozilla Marketplace, as support for multiple trusted marketplaces is not yet complete.
Document Tags and Contributors
Last updated by: teoli, | <urn:uuid:f1cc5705-fd15-48be-9fbe-8d2afa2e2284> | https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/B2G_OS/Security/Application_security | en | 0.926001 | 0.089761 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
You've got family at Ancestry.
Find more Omundsen relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 17 more people named Omundsen in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you.
Start a tree and connect with your family.
Create, build, and explore your family tree.
What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 43 people named Omundsen in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 40% more people named Omundsen in the United States. What was life like for them?
Picture the past for your ancestors.
In 1940, 60 people named Omundsen were living in the United States. In a snapshot:
• 24% of adults were unmarried
• They typically took 8 weeks of vacation a year
• 3 owned their homes, valued on average at $5,867
Learn where they came from and where they went.
As Omundsen families continued to grow, they left more tracks on the map:
• Most fathers originated from Norway
• Most immigrants originated from Norway
• 44% were first-generation Americans
• 16 were born in foreign countries | <urn:uuid:3ab11543-e9ba-40b1-8e44-5d5f4ea3d87d> | https://www.ancestry.com/family-trees/omundsen | en | 0.988783 | 0.709116 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
talk about quick
Discussion in 'Join the Army - Regular Soldier Recruitment' started by hoof, May 2, 2008.
Welcome to the Army Rumour Service, ARRSE
The UK's largest and busiest UNofficial military website.
The heart of the site is the forum area, including:
1. hi guys, had my interview yesterday and was given my date for adsc., being 8th of may. Just one week Just recived a phone call from my recruiter saying if i pass adsc on 8th, im going in on
Im just hoping my fitness is going to be up to scratch... anyway, just thought id share that. Talk about cacking my pants
2. well done geeze youll be fine.
3. I hpoe so, my fitness is my only worry, my 1.5 time is 11mins, press ups 63 in 2 min sit ups 67 in 2 min. oh well, if its not up to scratch im going to get a
4. Fecking hell lad. Basic 1 week after selection.. you better seriously get into a real fitness routine NOW! Intense! Shame ;)
5. remember you could knock anything from between 30 secs and a minute off your time on the day, because you will be "well up for it". knowing this run decides your career will get you going mate.
6. Im confident about passing adsc, just worried about the fitness requiment for basic training, not going to make huge improvments in about ten days from adsc. Where as many other recruits would have been training for months.
7. just ask to have put put back a month or so to work on your fitness. they wont mind, if anything it shows that you really want this
8. No-one is superman when they start Basic. No matter what you're always going to be slightly doubtfull of yourself before you start. What i'd suggest is you provide us with as much information as possible towards your fitness regime/ programme, what you do, how many reps and how long you've been doing it (IN ALL HONESTY), and maybe some ARRSERs will be able to assist you with some sound judgement on that, bearing in mind some people's excercise consists of eating an apple a day and walking the dog.
9. Nice one hoof, Yeah if you don't feel confident on your fitness do what private---pile said and ask for a later date. The ca don't mind, infact they suggest it sometimes. What trade you going for anyways?
10. Im going in to Royal Artillery as a uav operator. My fitness regime consists of running 3 times a week, one for about 45 mins ,one 3 miler and some sprint work. I do this with circuits every other day, pressups 4 x25, sit ups same squats and lunges etc. My 1.5mile is 11mins at moment, not to bothererd about strenght side of things, just the running. Maybe i,ll be fine. thanks for all the encouragement.
11. Sounds like you're well motivated and know what you want.
Good luck with selection and basic!
By the way, can you shed some light on what the interviews were like? (what they consisted of, etc)
12. Sounds alright, but what you'll have to do is step it up a bit before you start. The press ups might not always be what you expect, the Up Downers are the ones that get you. Good luck mate and i'm sure you'll be just fine. As long as you aren't going all out to get a run time like that, you'll definately see an improvement
13. Thanks again lads, to shed light on my interview, it basically consisted of you home life eg; partner, parents if they support your application. Fitness regime, previous employment, what your job choice is, and why you want to do that job. Also they ask you if you know what to expext at basic, pt,drill,fieldcraft etc. And where your phase 2 will be held. Think that covered it really, hope it helps.
14. I just got asked about family and fitness. Should have adsc in a couple of weeks. Good luck fella.
15. I just got asked how my fitness was and about my family, as ive been in before. | <urn:uuid:5f6a7746-3b75-4d9d-989f-76869addbb39> | https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/talk-about-quick.84705/ | en | 0.963552 | 0.058323 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Small-Business Loan Forecast: A Brighter Second Half for 2011
A KeyBank executive offers her predictions for small-business lending.
• ---Shares
Small-business lending is clawing its way back.
In the first quarter of 2011, the number of small-business loan requests that won approval from small and large banks rose to 1,294, up more than 50 percent from the 852 requests landing approval in first quarter of 2010, according to the New York-based small-business lending and credit service Biz2Credit. The company defines small businesses as those with fewer than 500 employees and $6 million in revenue.
Maria Coyne
Maria Coyne
"It's coming back," says Maria Coyne, executive vice president of business banking for the Cleveland-based KeyBank, which is the small-business and consumer banking arm of financial services firm KeyCorp. "The people who've been on the sidelines are now starting to think about expanding, adding employees and adding equipment."
And they're getting a friendlier reception from banks. Not only have some banks relaxed their credit standards for small businesses since 2010, demand for loans is beginning to recover. About 10 percent of banks reported stronger demand for loans among firms with less than $50 million in annual revenues in the first quarter of the year, according to the Federal Reserve's April Senior Loan Officer Survey. In the previous survey from January, only about 5 percent of banks reported strengthened loan demand from small firms.
What's more, certain banks are upping their small-business ante. Last month, JP Morgan Chase announced it would increase its commitment to lend $12 billion to U.S. small businesses in 2011 -- a 20 percent increase over 2010.
Despite the rosier loan picture, outside economic shocks caused by everything from Mother Nature's continuing pummeling, higher gas prices and the billowing national debt could certainly throw off any kind of small-business recovery. Here are three lending predictions from Coyne that just may come to fruition during the second half of 2011, barring another national catastrophe.
1. Demand for loans will pick up.
"Through 2008 and 2009, you saw a lot of companies deleveraging. We also saw a lot of companies failing. The survivors got smart about managing expenses through the crisis. And they figured out where they're making money and where they're not. But now they know the only way up is through revenue growth. People are actually borrowing to add employees and boost their sales staffs.
"They're also taking advantage of existing opportunities. Perhaps they've explored other ways to sell their products or services or expand into new markets and now they need to borrow to bolster their inventories. Maybe they're taking advantage of existing tax credits to purchase heavy equipment that can help a company be more efficient. Or they're buying the building where they used to rent to cash in on lower interest rates. Some businesses are even snapping up other businesses for a song."
2. The secondary market for small-business loans will continue to recover.
"So far, the secondary market -- that is, the aftermarket where small-business loans are resold to investors -- appears to be moving freely again. Small Business Administration-backed loans, which come with a guarantee of 75 percent to 85 percent, for example, have come back pretty robustly. The market for re-selling small-business loans was almost nonexistent during the downturn when investors ceased buying for fear of defaults. Having a free flowing secondary market, however, bodes well for small businesses because as banks sell-off the loans on their books, they tend have more cash to make added loans."
3. Reduced credit scores will continue to cause problems. "During the downturn, many business owners' personal credit scores suffered, as did the value of their collateral. And since business sales likely also fell off, their cash flow got pinched. So, virtually everything that goes into an underwriting decision had changed. That's what made it harder for people to qualify for loans. People's lingering credit-score problems may continue to make it difficult for them to get loans. But the thing for borrowers to be aware of is what caused the drop in their scores and to be able to explain how the situation's been remedied. Over time, a score will correct itself." | <urn:uuid:faaa501a-d34b-4398-b9fa-fbb7f753722b> | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219713 | en | 0.972646 | 0.021258 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
HMRC internal manual
Double Taxation Relief Manual
DT: Tuvalu and Kiribati: double taxation agreement, Article 1: Taxes covered
(1) The taxes which are the subject of this Arrangement are-
(a) In the United Kingdom:
The income tax {including surtax) and the profits tax (hereinafter referred to as`United Kingdom tax`).
(b) In the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony:
The normal tax and the surtax (hereinafter referred to as `Colonial tax`),
(2) This Arrangement shall also apply to any other taxes of a substantially similar character imposed in the United Kingdom or the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony after this Arrangement has come into force. | <urn:uuid:8db71988-c061-43e9-84dc-477976266585> | https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/double-taxation-relief/dt19350 | en | 0.908814 | 0.060106 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
• Private Tutoring $40.00
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Rolling Forecasts Webinar - New Ways of Looking into the Future
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Rolling Forecasts WebinarFor businesses, rolling forecasts built on driver-based and project-based planning create a framework that supports better decision making across the enterprise. The rolling forecasts webinar content focuses on how to define your company's objectives in creating a rolling forecast, best practices in analyzing the dynamics of revenues and expenses in your business, and how to access how external conditions impact your company's performance.
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This video is from the Proformative webinar "New Ways of Looking into the Future - Rolling Forecasts" webinar held on December 4, 2012. The webinar features presentations by Bryan Dehmler-Buckley, Host Analytics and Rick Odom, Welch Allyn.
Rolling Forecasts Webinar
Okay, great. Getting started, Today in this Rolling Forecasts webinar I'm going to be talking about a little bit of the theory that John referenced in his intro to this session, and then we'll transition to Rick where he'll talk about a more empirical example. At Host Analytics, we've had the privilege of working with thousands of finance professionals over the last decade as we've evolved our solution. In this time, we've had a chance to hear from a large number of CFOs and they've basically told that they focus on getting three pillars of success right.
Starting out in the bottom left-hand corner with accountability, they really focus on driving accountability throughout their organization. What this means is that every manager takes ownership of the budget in their area. This means a shift from kind of the old stage, centralized planning process where you have a lot of accountants sitting in the backroom plugging away on the numbers to more of a decentralized process where manager input, line level individuals that have accountability and responsibility for the data are involved as a key step in the process.
They've also focused on growth and putting systems into place that allow them to adapt to situations like merger and acquisitions, the globalization of the economy, to be able to really scale the organization and provide the results that not only their internal stakeholders but also external shareholders have come to expect. Lastly, they're looking to deliver the right data at the right time. The finance organization is enabling the better decision-making that are based upon facts, not just gut intuition.
There's more data that's out there. Everybody has heard of the concepts of big data, and capturing a lot of the information that traditionally just was not available because systems weren't able to capture that information. Now that is put at the fingertips of users, and as such folks have an opportunity to make much better decisions.
However, there are still challenges for the finance organization. Because of this, we've seen the traditional role of finance is of the accountant sitting in the backroom crunching the numbers and always looking backwards to figure out, "What were the trends? What happened in the past? Let's use those to apply to the future." They really were focused on financial metrics, not operational metrics.
Because all of this information was kind of captured in the backrooms, it really wasn't a buy-in across the organization. Folks didn't take ownership of the data that was being either given to them or reported out. Over the past couple years we've seen that finance organizations have really evolved to be more of a business partner. They're involved in the strategic discussions. They have a seat at the table with the other C-level executives, and really driving the performance of the company.
The reasons why they're able to do that is because they have data that is not just backwards looking, but is also forward-looking. There's a lot of predictive analytics that are happening within systems today. We've been able to combine operational data with financial data to help inform that much more significantly so that the decisions that are being made are much more holistic in nature.
Lastly, it's information that is at everybody's fingertips. It's not just in a select few, but it's distributed throughout the organization. There's that single version of the truth that is being utilized to allow folks to make those much more strategic decisions and also be accountable for those decisions moving forward.
As I've touched on in a few of those examples, technology is certainly a piece of this. It's not the only piece, but it's certainly the key enabler. As we put together processes such as rolling forecasts, you can leverage technology to make the processes much more efficient and effective.
Let's see how CFOs have responded to this evolution. The information that you'll see on this slide comes from a research study that was done of approximately 540 CFOs. As you can see, over the past five years, CFOs are really starting to get that seat at the table. They're much more involved in those strategy discussions because they have such incredible information at their fingertips.
Of course, that was born out in a second finding on the survey which is that almost 60% of their work really is around strategy and planning, looking forward. "Where are we going to take this company? How are we going to get there? What do we have to do as a company to really facilitate that?"
Because they're in such a central position in terms of defining the strategy, they need to have fantastic communication skills. CFOs maybe in the past were somewhat perceived as being kind of in the background and in the back office, and working through the information. Now they're out there espousing the benefits not only of technology and the systems that they're putting into place, but also the decisions that the company is making as a whole.
Ironically enough, only 10% site financial reporting and 4% site accounting as their most important skill. Kind of the main skill set that you would have expected to see in the CFO several years ago, those are certainly being replaced by much more of a business partner that has the skills to communicate vision across the organization.
Editor's Note; You may be interested in a wide variety of the many other recorded webinars Proformative offers, such as Corporate Finance Strategy Webinar, Coporate Financial Forecasting Webinar, Host Analytics Demo Webinar, Corporate Finance Productivity Technology Webinar and Recurring Revenue Webinar.
Now, with all of this, (inaudible 00:05:52) the evolution, we're also seeing that there are abilities in financial planning which are definitely noticed as being ways to have a competitive advantage and really take a stronger hold in the marketplace, but unfortunately they're not being widely adopted. Only a quarter of folks are actually doing kind of scenario modeling. That would be what-if modeling, Black Cloud scenarios.
Running those through and seeing what the results are so that they can make better decisions. Disaster planning and recovery, opportunity planning, so M&A activity, attacking competitors, taking additional market share, and really running those through the different analyses. Those are not being widely embraced. The question is why is this not happening?
This study gives us a bit of a background for where finance organizations are today. Now we're going to begin to talk about where they want to be and what helps them get past some of these lower percentage items that they haven't had a chance to focus on.
One we're going to talk about today is rolling forecasts. If you consider this, everybody would love to have a crystal ball to really be able to peer into the future. For businesses, that desire becomes a necessity because having a vision of the future not only allows them for better and more strategic decision-making, but allows them to do that in the present.
Rolling forecasts are built on driver-based and project-based planning, and they allow for the creation of a framework that supports better decision-making. A rolling forecast simply means that, just kind of in its basic terms that each quarter a month, a company projects four to six quarters, or possibly 12 to 18 months ahead.
They're rolling actuals in as new periods close and chopping off those forecast periods that are then obsolete, and then re-forecasting the remaining periods within that forecasting cycle. Now, we'll get into a few more details in the best practices here shortly, which talk about specifically what the process is associated with a rolling forecast and how to most effectively go about doing that.
A little bit about the why before we jump into the how to, and the why companies use rolling forecasts is really about allowing finance executives and key decision makers to see not only a financial view, but also an operational vision into the future. It also helps them to assess next steps in their execution of the plan, understanding critical pivot points in the plan, and better judging the impact that the changing economy or competition may have on their plan.
What all of this really leads to is greater budget accuracy. There are fewer variances to explain and justify. There's less preparation time. We have users that are focused on actual analysis versus the data collection because we have these systems that are providing information in a much more streamlined, efficient manner.
Then, lastly, we have increased profitability because we're making better decisions. If we have better information going into the system, we're going to have better information coming out of the system. All of that leads to better decision-making and ultimately better performance for the company.
Let's look at a few examples of Host Analytics customers who have embraced the new planning practices as the finance world has evolved their role within the organization, and some of the successes that they've achieved. Now, we're going to talk specifically about rolling forecasts here shortly, but some of these are actual enhancements just to the budgeting process.
Let's look at the first one. Hours to run a what-if analysis. Before this company, (inaudible 00:09:56) Companies was taking eight hours.
End partial Rolling Forecasts Webinar
Clear the field above and enter the number as indicated | <urn:uuid:4da4819a-c416-4238-9df5-0b261abf1e50> | https://www.proformative.com/resources/webinar-video-new-ways-looking-future-rolling-forecasts | en | 0.974963 | 0.248244 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Reports today that Bank of America and GMAC are reopening tens of thousands of halted foreclosures, saying that they have found no major problems with their foreclosure process. Bank of America described this as "an important first step in debunking speculation that the mortgage market is severely flawed."
This is like listening to someone claim that he can't stop drinking, because people might think he's a drunk. It's possible that there really is no problem with the mortgages at GMAC and Bank of America. But after all the lurid stories that have splashed across the press, most of us would probably like something a little more compelling than BofA's heartfelt assurance that this is the case.
Already, the legal system is pushing back--the Cook County sheriff is saying that he won't enforce foreclosures for some of the biggest banks until they prove that the foreclosures were "handled properly".
This sounds laudable but: how do they bell the cat? The normal way that a bank overcomes these sorts of paperwork problems is to submit an affidavit--just the sort of affidavit that the foreclosure mills are suspected of forging. The same caveat applies to judges. There's been a lot of talk of making banks prove that they own the right to foreclose, but no one has been very clear as to what, exactly, they would accept as proof. Unless we follow Thoreau's plan of simply giving people the house in the case of contested mortgages, the burden of proof is going to end up on the homeowner--and if we follow Thoreau's plan, the number of contested mortgages will end up roughly equalling the number of mortgages.
I don't know what the answer is. But simply going on as if nothing has happened is definitely not it. | <urn:uuid:4c7530ef-f764-4eaa-b150-efc2093de345> | https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/10/major-banks-to-resume-foreclosures/64833/ | en | 0.973839 | 0.362408 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
MP sparks needed discussion
Re: Tory MP backtracks on niqab comments, March 18
Tory MP backtracks on niqab comments, March 18
Recent comments by Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Larry Miller have propped up debate over whether or not women of muslim faith should have the right to wear the niqab during their citizenship ceremony. A recent Forum poll suggests that the majority of Canadians support the idea of a ban. Proponents of the ban on covering one’s face suggest that it is an issue of validity, that even though they would have been identified prior to partaking in the ceremony that it takes away its legitimacy.
They argue that it is disrespectful to Canadian culture, as if we supported the notion of forcing a cookie-cutter culture on all our citizens. They argue that it grants validity to a symbol of a repressive culture abroad, legitimizing the acts it symbolizes. They state that women who choose to wear it don’t really have a choice because they are forced by their family and culture, and we should free them from it by banning the niqab in official acts such as the citizenship ceremony.
Therein lies the problem. The niqab has become a symbol for foreign oppressive cultures, and there is a fear in Canada that truly accepting it would be a slippery slope leading to that culture abroad becoming our culture at home. Proponents of the ban point to the many immigrant women who face abuse at home but are unable to escape due to the private manner their families would deal with whatever shames they view. Women here in Canada, in this day and age, should not have to fear for their personal safety in making choices about how they dress and act, so why are we so caught up on a piece of fabric, instead of dealing with the real hardships women face?
Article Continued Below
Why is it that we can talk endlessly about how we think new Canadians ought to look, while we remain silent to the plight that some still face, even after immigrating here? Instead of talking about the symbol, why don’t we deal with the real thing?
Leadership is sorely needed from all levels, and instead of conjuring up fear and division, our government should be working to bring the true Canadian values to our recently arrived members. Let’s work to make sure that no matter where you come from, you can be free to be who you are.
Let’s bring support and education to all women to let them know that they don’t have to fear abuse, that there is help right around the corner, no matter their situation, that in the real Canada, nobody is going to hurt you for being yourself, not the government nor your family at home.
This is the conversation we need to be having.
Mathieu Labonté, Sudbury
MP Larry Miller, like his prime minister, doesn’t want anyone to take the citizenship oath with a partly covered head. It wasn’t that generous thought that got him in trouble. Rather it was his intemperate suggestion that people who don’t want to do what the rest of us do should go back to where they came.
Had Canada’s aboriginal population taken that same tack and insisted that white settlers wear native dress and adopt native customs — or bugger off back home — Mr. Miller might not even be here to complain about immigrants not doing what he thinks they should do.
Geoff Rytell, Toronto
When in Rome do as the Romans do. I do not believe that a certain segment of population should be getting their own way. I am tired of their demands. MP Larry Miller was right on, even so some people make excuses. Canadians are a bunch of pussy cats, and let everyone walk over them.
Elaine Grande, Saskatoon, Sask. | <urn:uuid:4f8f978d-c8a7-4619-9358-47bf815a09ab> | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2015/03/20/mp-sparks-needed-discussion.html | en | 0.9709 | 0.019334 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Fanon Review: One Small Step for Amon (One-shot) by HammerOfThor
Omashu Rocks here for another installment of FRS:The Omashu Scoop! Today's fanon is One Small Step for Amon (One-shot) by HammerOfThor
Authors' Plot: This fanon is something I've been writing over the past two days, as a parody of some of the theories and controversies that have been circulating about Amon. It isn't intended to be insulting, or start any flame wars; it's just a bit of fun, and should be taken as such. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.
Plot/Storyline: The plot follows the events of The Legend of Korra, from Amon's view, as a satire. Truly great. 9.5
Creativity: I believe this was the first Amon parody written on this wiki, and it had some great original humor, even taking a couple of shots at the wiki itself. Has character/narrator conversation been done before? Yes, it has… 9.3
Humor: Probably one of the funniest one-shot's I've read on this site, if not the funniest. 9.6
Interest Level: I really hope the author makes another one for the next set of episodes. 9.5
Believability: I don't need to believe all the crazy theories HammerOfThor made fun of, we've seen them. 9.5
General Writing: I didn't notice any grammatical errors, and no the vocabulary was exceptional, but nobody should expect literary genius from a comedy, as the author notes himself in a comical way. The, in my view, poetic, part on "A Leaf in the Wind" was great. I also liked how it poked fun at writers' sometimes weird way of including episode titles. 9.5
Average Score: 9.5
Note: All Scores Are Out Of Ten
What HammerOfThor does right:
You'll notice I didn't include "Character Development" as a category. That's because I didn't feel it was possible to properly judge what is typically a serious subject for a comedy. If I could attempt to give this fanon some kind of grade in CD, it would be high given reoccurring jokes among the characters, a funny less-serious take on Amon's personality, and his comical relationship with Lieutenant. It's really all that kind of stuff that makes a comedy great.
What HammerOfThor could improve on:
If he does make another, and I hope that is the case, I would suggest he tone down the jokes about characters understanding their in an episode. Maybe one character/narrator conversation is okay, but there were just a tad too many, "well the writers…" jokes.
Who does One Small Step for Amon appeal to? Everyone who has even a slight sense of humor and is sick of Amon speculation.
Ad blocker interference detected!
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Lemon Tones for Unique Guitar Melody
GuitarBlog: Lemon Tones for Unique Guitar Melody...
Learn to resolve phrases into 'off-color' tones for generating unique melodic guitar lines...
This episode of the GuitarBlog works toward helping players resolve their phrases into off-color tones that are not a part of the more common chord tone resolutions.
These "non chord tones" end up being the chord-tone extensions of the scale, (9, 11, 13). While these intervals do tend to come across as sounding, "off-key," they can be made to work as resolutions with practice.
YouTube- PART 1: Tonal distance is the first step to learning how to use these, "Lemon Tones." The reason why these tones come across as 'off-color' is due to their distance from the tonic and from the more common Root, 3rd, and 5th chord tones, (1, 3, 5). Chord progressions and example melodies in "D Major," and "D Minor," are used to help demonstrate the distance and arrival of these tones.
Members - PART 2: Off-color tones of the 4th and 11th in minor keys are very popular off-color "Lemon Tones," and need to be developed as a part of the learning process. In example three, we apply a chord progression and melody line in "C Minor," that targets the use of these tones specifically. Example four, wraps up the lesson plan by applying different combinations of the lemon tones into a phrase that resolves in the key of "C Minor."
Enjoy the lesson!
Lemon Tones for Unique Guitar Melody
Related Videos:
RELATED VIDEOS for: "Lemon Tones for Unique Guitar Melody"
Arranging Modal Arpeggios
Interval Soloing Patterns
1. Thanks so much for sharing! Lots of thanks for this post. I think it is a very good post. It helps us many away. So many many thanks for this article. | <urn:uuid:14c5bb98-893e-47a7-93dd-d9cb5d882467> | http://creativeguitarstudio.blogspot.com/2016/07/lemon-tones-for-unique-guitar-melody.html | en | 0.951786 | 0.127697 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
THE PETTING ZOO - sara f. murphy
sara f. murphy
In the evenings Ruby sits with the lights off and the windows open. A raw breeze shoves through the curtains. She's nine stories up, but she can still hear the animals crashing through the undergrowth. When she moved to this apartment, the proximity to the petting zoo was a selling point. A year later Ruby's nostrils are eternally enlarged from the animal shit. She suspects that the ponies and geese and potbelly pigs escape their cages at night and root through the dumpsters like alley cats. Ruby can hear them below her window. Soldierly hooves. Soft, worn-out pelts rubbing against the pavement. Purposeful whinnies and bleats. By the wee hours, all the noises have stopped. The animals must willingly return to their cages, a concept that upsets Ruby. It doesn't make a lick of sense. By now she thinks maybe the petting zoo animals are plotting a raid on the city, stockpiling their weapons and supplies, and at night she dreams of vengeful marsupials running their tiny furred fingers up her thighs. She dreams of pitiless flop-eared rabbits butting at her breasts.
In the mornings Ruby wakes up panting, safe, and very much alone.
Sara F. Murphy
Bad Behavior
Mary Gaitskill | <urn:uuid:815f512b-1e06-41a4-a2db-45da0d257c44> | http://dogzplot.blogspot.com/2008/08/petting-zoo-sara-f-murphy.html | en | 0.947119 | 0.571284 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
October 14, 2007
Dennis Prager Happiness Hour
I 've had my RIO mp3 player for almost 3 yrs and I use it just about everyday. It's a great way for me to keep up with my favorite talk shows.
Dennis Prager (DP) has a Happiness Hour which is his 2nd hour every Friday. If you're able to listen live it would be at 1 pm EST.
This week DP talked about the Destructive Nature of Envy. You cannot be happy if you envy people. Envy is one of our most human of frailities. But we must fight it. He equates envy to the "missing tile" syndrome. Which is like having a thousand tiles on the ceiling and one is missing, we tend to focus on that missing tile. Failing to see that the other 999 tiles are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing and are what we wanted.
There is always something someone has that we don't. But we forget that we also have things that others will envy us for.
A lady, Juanita called up and said that when she was younger she was often jealous and envious of others. Girls that had nicer clothes, pretty barrettes, etc. Then in her 20's she realized that the pain of feeling envy was much worse than not having that material "something" that she wanted. So, she made a conscious effort to stop being envious. It just wasn't worth it.
I love Dennis Pragers' wisdom and insight. I get a real kick out of him. I don't agree with everything he has to say, but 95% of what he does say is just right on with me.
You can download his shows from the following website: http://www.patriotunderground.com/
Mandy said...
Yes, best to be thankful for the blessings we do have and who God made us then to focus so hard on trying to become someone else. It's true that the feeling of envy wears heavy. I've carried it enough on my shoulders to know. But it seems to creep in so subtly that I don't even realize it is happening. I think the more I "call it out" though, the less it can sneak up on me.
Eden said...
That's so true, because once we shed light on it, then we can understand our behaviour and thoughts much more! There's so much talent out there, that's for sure. But God isn't done with me yet, too!
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Puig's performance this spring too good to dismiss
Puig's performance this spring too good to dismiss
Puig has only 95 professional plate appearances after sitting out the 2011 season, but in his first Spring Training, he's set the Cactus League on fire with a .500 batting average and .804 slugging percentage.
It continued in Tuesday's 7-1 win, when he outdid fellow Cuban left fielder Yoenis Cespedes of the A's by going 4-for-4 with a homer, and he would have had a cycle if he hustled out of the box in the fifth inning, when Cespedes instead threw him out trying for a double.
Management won't say what chance Puig has of making the Opening Day roster, but when a rookie gets four at-bats in a game 12 days before the season starts, somebody will take a serious look.
Puig has a huge hurdle to clear, as the outfield is being manned by former All-Stars Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, but he has been too good to ignore or dismiss.
"It's rare in a Spring Training game that everybody will stop what they're doing to see someone hit," said general manager Ned Colletti, comparing Puig's buzz with that created when Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco arrived with Oakland. "That's what happens. The crowd, scouts, the front office, they drop whatever they're doing."
The club spent $42 million on the unproven Puig off workouts last summer, even though other clubs laughed, so somebody apparently knew what they were doing.
"He hasn't disappointed anybody," Colletti said.
Yet after watching Crawford participate in cutoff and relay drills on Tuesday, Colletti is convinced Crawford's elbow will allow him to be the starting left fielder on Opening Day. Bringing up Puig, 22, to sit on the bench is not an option.
Puig realizes what he's doing isn't normal, and he thanked God for making it possible. He also said, through an interpreter, that he will understand if he is sent down.
"If it's Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, I'll continue to play hard," Puig said. "Wherever God sends me, I'm going to [play] really hard."
Manager Don Mattingly, who only days ago said that Puig needs to play every day in the Minor Leagues, backpedaled only slightly after Puig's latest display, but he explained why he's reluctant to rush Puig to the Major Leagues.
"At this point he's creating expectations he can't live up to," Mattingly said. "Nobody can."
Mattingly said there isn't a whole lot not to like about Puig, except for the lack of hustle on his second single on Tuesday, which Puig admitted to Mattingly was a mistake. It cost Puig a double, and in the process a cycle, as he also homered, tripled, singled and stole a base.
Those are the mistakes that have old-timers believing Puig should start the season in the Minors. Colletti adds the reminder that no matter what Puig is doing, he's doing it in Spring Training.
"We've all seen it. Opening Day hits, and everything's different," Colletti said. "It's faster. It's real. It's the big leagues. You can't replicate that here."
| <urn:uuid:30cf2847-2746-4981-a1df-c0093e69568a> | http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/43002642/yasiel-puigs-performance-for-dodgers-this-spring-too-good-to-dismiss/ | en | 0.976186 | 0.033369 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
IPS LogoIPS Film "Loops"
DVD or VHS Format
loops4For teachers who are not familiar with the "Loops," a few words of explanation may be in order. When the IPS "Super-8" film loops were first produced about 40 years ago, the four-minute time constraint challenged the ingenuity of the IPS Group. In four minutes all the essential parts of every demonstration had to be shown, data had to be collected, and, in some cases, graphed to arrive at conclusions. The equipment had to be simple to encourage teachers and students to do the demonstrations themselves.
The result was a collection of film loops unsurpassed in clarity and conciseness even in this age of computer-interfaced demonstrations. Far from being a disadvantage, the absence of sound lets teachers add their own comments or questions as they see fit.
1. Radioactive Substances I Shows how Figure 7.2 in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Editions is produced from Figure 7.1. It also checks the same six substances with a Geiger counter.
2. Radioactive Substances II Shows the construction and operation of a diffusion cloud chamber, as depicted in Chapter 7 in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Editions.
3. Motion of Electric Charges in Vacuum Takes apart a diode and demonstrates under what conditions a current will flow through the diode for Chapter 12 in the 6th Edition.
4. Molecular Motion and Diffusion A most convincing demonstration of how differently a drop of bromine evaporates in the presence of air and in a vacuum as illustrated in the 9th Edition Figures 9.1 and 9.2.
5. A Sphere-Gas Machine Shows qualitatively the relation between volume and pressure, and between volume and temperature for a "gas" made of small steel spheres. The sphere gas machine was used for several figures in the 9th Edition.
6. How Does the Thermal Expansion of Gases Compare? The thermal expansion of equal volumes of three gases is simultaneously observed over the same temperature range. The readings for all three gases are shown to lie on the same curve as illustrated in Figure 9.18 in the 9th Edition.
7. How Does the Thermal Expansion of Liquids Compare? The thermal expansion of equal volumes of three liquids is simultaneously observed over the same temperature range. The readings for the three liquids are shown to lie on different curves. This experiment is from the 5th Edition but is a nice enrichment for the 9th Edition when compared to Loop #6.
8. Loops 8-10 are from the 5th Edition, but will enrich any course addressing the kinetic molecular theory of gases.
9. A Disk Gas (An Analog) Introduces the operation of a unique "puck table" on which the floating pucks are kept in motion by vibrating pucks on the boundary, providing a much better analog than other puck tables to a real gas in a container.
10. The Distribution of Speeds in a Mixture of Disk Gases Measures the distribution of speeds of a mixture of pucks representing two gases of different molecular mass at the same "temperature." The lighter pucks are shown to have a higher average speed.
11. How does the Effusion Time of Gases Compare? Compares the effusion time of equal volumes of carbon dioxide and hydrogen and raises the question of the relation between these times and the molecular masses of the two gases.
Price and Ordering Information
SCI Summer Workshops
Available: Now
IPS 9th Edition
| <urn:uuid:6b771f75-9fcd-4026-bff5-6ca150251aac> | http://sci-ips.com/p_ips_film.htm | en | 0.931121 | 0.07447 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Congress Tourism
Assists with events organisation
Abraxas Congress Tourism assists with realizing and managing festivals, conferences, seminars, symposia, and congresses.
It does a lot of work you would normally need to do manually. Tasks in connection with receiving applications end event managing will be done faster and your clients will be more satisfied.
Congress tourism
Congress TourismMore about Congress Tourism
How can Abraxas Congress Tourism help you…
…before the event
Before the event invitations can be easily and quickly sent to your clients with the help of built-in tools for sending e-mail or regular mail. CRM assists you with collecting their responses and wishes.
If you organized a contest within the event, e.g. for best advertiser, you can create groups and categories in Congress Tourism in which the participants declare the works they are competing with.
…to collect applications
The participants apply through a special registration application on your website. The information is stored into the database of your company. With the enclosed application, which is a part of the festival office, you can review, control, and correct them. You can also receive the applications through telephone or e-mail.
Online or telephone applications enable charge card and credit card payments.
…with registration
The registrations at the registration desk can be made quickly as the program updates the list of participants, which can be registered with only one click. It shows you which materials and presents belong to someone and where someone should be directed.
…during the event
Collect and fulfil the wishes and demands of the participants. You can register participants that did not register before the event on the spot.
…after the event
After the event you can send thank you notes to the participants through e-mail or regular mail using the program.
You can create a detailed analysis of how successful the event was.
With the built-in CRM tool you can send notifications and invitations to new events to your clients and thus stay in touch. | <urn:uuid:3073a299-927a-4461-b3e2-21f144e53bf7> | http://www.abraxas.si/eng/eng-solutions/eng-abraxas-tourism/eng-congress-tourism/ | en | 0.921029 | 0.028603 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
'Cheap' Mourinho has 'let himself down as a manager and a man' - Parker
Former England full-back Paul Parker has launched a scathing attack on Jose Mourinho after the Chelsea manager issued a veiled criticism of Graeme Le Saux on Monday.
Mourinho insisted that, despite increased security fears, all of his players had been happy to travel to Israel for the Champions League clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
Le Saux, who was critical of Mourinho's treatment of club doctor Eva Carneiro earlier this season, refused to travel to face Hapoel Tel Aviv a month after the September 11 terror attacks in 2001, and Mourinho this week claimed he "didn't have a Graeme Le Saux" to contend with.
Parker, who briefly played for Chelsea in 1997, wrote in his Eurosport column: "Jose Mourinho just can't help himself, can he? Graeme Le Saux makes some valid criticisms of Chelsea after their worst start to a season in 20 years, and Mourinho just has to respond.
"The fact that he does so with a cheap jibe about Le Saux being fearful of an away match in Israel a decade ago says it all. It's horrible to see.
"Mourinho had actually gone out of the spotlight a little bit in the last few weeks, and there was a part of me that wondered if he'd finally realised that silence is golden, and that a manager can act with dignity and respect. Obviously, that was a pipe dream."
Referencing an incident in which, during his time in charge at Real Madrid, Mourinho poked then Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye during a Clasico match in 2011, Parker added: "But what else would you expect of Mourinho? What else would you expect of a man who stayed safely behind one of his colleagues during a touchline row, but reached around and poked opposition coach Tito Vilanova in the eye ... and later tried to justify it?
"That incident has always summed him up, to me; he's like the kid at school who watches a playground fight from a safe distance, then sidles up quickly to kick one of the fighters in the stomach when he's sprawled on the floor.
"Here he is again with these Le Saux comments, going backwards, digging up nonsense.
"He's let himself down as a manager, and as a man.
"Top managers aren't petty, they're magnanimous, and if he ever wants to be regarded as a true giant of the game he needs to change.
"Apart from anything else it actually hurts the club. Chelsea fans love them, but they're hated by everyone else - they're never anybody's second team, and that will restrict their growth around the world until things change. And that means until Mourinho changes his ways or leaves." | <urn:uuid:740e66f8-c704-484e-846d-798ba0fe340e> | http://www.aol.co.uk/2015/11/24/cheap-mourinho-has-let-himself-down-as-a-manager-and-a-man--parker-1/ | en | 0.982299 | 0.03994 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Welcome to the Forum. I'm really looking forward to reading you posts and threads on various topics on Martial Arts etc
Sandan is third Level, Nidan is Second Level
In Knockdown Karate Circles A karateka is known as Sempai (Senior) upto Sandan whereas from there the Karateka is known as Sensei.
Regards to Karate and what it means personally
From the Mudansha/Yudansha grades right through to Nidan one is going through the motions learning kata etc concetrating on The Grading Syllabus etc. But when one reaches Sandan it is like a breath of fresh air, one no longer needs to worry about gradings (many styles only grade to Sandan), one can concetrate on the Ryu, ones Karate itself, there are no longer any timescales, no pressure on getting to a certain level by such a date etc. one can concetrate on a particular technique for as long as it takes to feel this as a natural being.
By Sandan one must be nearing the Ri part of "ShuHaRi" of you and your Karate becoming one. A Kata is not just a "dance" but a way of life. One appreciates ALL Budo and humility of others higher and lower than oneself are instilled into this Level.
I always say that a Mudansha needs to be advised what to do, but a Yudansha already knows what to do.
This can be used for all Dan Grades but I'll expand as to what I need to see before I put Student forward for Shodan (1st Dan)and above is I'm looking for mental attitude as the physical is only part of it.
Seven virtues of Bushido
The Bushido code is typified by seven virtues:
Associated virtues
Filial piety
Care for the aged
You can teach a monkey to perform karate (you can find this on You tube), does that mean it is worthy of a black belt. To me and many Yudansha (blackbelts) the above Virtues are what makes a Yudansha not the physical side.
| <urn:uuid:a882606b-053c-4d8b-8bba-b55e65477b3b> | http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showthreaded&Number=435437&an= | en | 0.952916 | 0.0704 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Toss? Keep? Toss? Keep?
Buried in Paper
Dear Juli,
Which files and records do I really need to keep? And for how long? ~ Buried in paper that I probably don’t need
Dear Buried in Paper,
This is a great question, especially as tax season is upon us. I will answer with the caveat that if you have something you are uncertain about, it is advisable to ask your tax preparer or attorney. Particular situations may warrant keeping items for different lengths of time and for very real reasons.
My general thought is to rid your life of as much paper as you can. The majority of the items on the following list of paper to keep would fill a single average-sized file drawer, so it’s not as much as it sounds for most people.
Juli Shulem
I have encountered clients who err on the side of keeping every single receipt they have every received. This can lead to many chaotic issues. I haven’t yet come across a situation in life where you would need to prove that you ate a hamburger from the local drive-thru, so those types or receipts can simply go away.
Some items you can also scan and retain on your computer, which saves space and still makes the data accessible. There are many items which the IRS will accept in electronic form, so nowadays you can keep many records online and in your digital files. Be sure to have a good back-up system in place, however.
There are several important papers that should be kept permanently. Here is a list of the most common ones. You can put them into a file labeled “Important Data.”
Birth, marriage, and death certificates
Adoption, custody, and divorce papers
Citizenship and naturalization papers
Social Security, employment, and military documents
Insurance policies and records
Inventory and audit records
Tax returns and supporting documentation
Real estate records
Keep the following only while the document is still valid, in effect, useful::
Will, passports, burial-lot deed, auto insurance card, auto registration, motor vehicle titles and purchase receipts, licenses, and repair records
The following should be kept up to 6 years after they are no longer relevant for tax purposes:
Stocks, bonds, and other securities
Bank account statements
Cancelled checks
Savings certificates
Credit contracts, records of credit payments, and credit account statements
Deductable expense receipts and records, income and tax payments
You are probably wondering what you can possibly toss out!
Basically any receipt that you don’t need for tax or warranty purposes can go. Duplicates of papers you have a good copy of can generally go. Anything expired, with no tax ramification, can be tossed too. Be careful to properly shred papers with any identifying information that could be used against you (Social Security number, credit card or bank numbers, passwords, etc.).
Don’t be like some people who stuff drawers with every receipt they ever received from the grocery store or fast food restaurant – those need not even come home with you unless you are recording the information into an expense account. And then the receipt should be tossed.
Ask a question relating to anything that has you ‘stuck’ and I will address it at the appropriate time. Email questions to Coach Juli at and put “question for column” in the subject line, and they will be answered right here. Post a comment too!
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event calendar sponsored by: | <urn:uuid:ff35a480-ac25-490d-8d56-a6f4464d1e05> | http://www.independent.com/news/2013/mar/16/toss-keep-toss-keep/ | en | 0.94638 | 0.054375 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Pastafarian Atheist Allowed Pasta Strainer Headgear on Driver’s License
Ya gotta love these atheists!
Niko Alm, an Austrian atheist, received permission to wear a pasta strainer on his head for his driver’s license. Headgear is only allowed on Austrian licenses for religious reasons. Alm used the argument that the sieve was required by his religion of Pastafarianism. Now he wants to have his single-member church recognized as a religion.
Austrian authorities made him get a doctor’s letter stating he was mentally fit to drive.
BBC New reported that Mr. Alm, a self-confessed atheist, says
A medical interview established the self-styled “pastafarian” was mentally fit to drive
The group’s website states that “the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma”… | <urn:uuid:0361bbca-60a6-45d9-a1dc-97d81af54863> | http://www.independentsentinel.com/pastarafian-atheist-allowed-pasta-strainer-headgear-drivers-license/ | en | 0.963636 | 0.066709 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Stanford scientists aboard an icebreaker in the Arctic's remote Chukchi Sea have discovered a massive bloom of the microscopic marine plants called phytoplankton beneath the sea ice - a discovery that could affect the life of every seagoing creature in the Arctic, they reported Thursday.
The abundant plankton, they say, will force scientists to rethink long-held assumptions about the Arctic's ecology, and could open up a major new food source for humans.
Kevin Arrigo, a biologist and oceanographer at Stanford's School of Earth Sciences, together with Donald K. Perovich of Dartmouth University and a large team of colleagues, reported their discovery in the online journal Science Express.
Arrigo was leading a research cruise aboard a Coast Guard icebreaker two summers ago, intending to study phytoplankton in the open ocean, about 200 miles west of the Alaskan coast.
At the edge of the sea ice, the scientists aboard saw a massive bloom of plankton where they never had before. The bloom continued for at least 60 miles underneath the ice.
Instruments showed the tiny plants doubled in number every day, turning the otherwise clear water "a thick, pea soup green," Arrigo said.
The plants are thriving in part because the Arctic sea ice has been thinning for years, a result of global climate change, Arrigo said. Melted ice water that pools atop the thin ice sheet makes it easier for sunlight to penetrate into the water, stimulating the growth of the phytoplankton.
In the Chukchi Sea, essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphates and trace elements are abundant for the rapidly multiplying plants, Arrigo said.
Various species of phytoplankton form the crucial diet for many marine organisms and some whales. They make up the base of the entire Arctic food chain, supporting fish, walrus, seabirds and more.
The thriving plankton bloom could eventually give rise to a vibrant fishery, providing a new food resource for humans, the scientists believe.
The ice itself was between 2 1/2 and 4 feet thick where the phytoplankton cells were growing, Arrigo said - and to their astonishment they found the plankton bloom was at least four times greater than in the open water.
"The mass of phytoplankton we found was truly astounding," Arrigo said. "It was the most intense I've ever seen in my 25 years of research in the Arctic. It was a complete surprise."
"It's a pure discovery," Perovich added, "and now we have an entirely new ocean."
David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicle science editor. E-mail: | <urn:uuid:a019d41d-a6d7-41e5-96db-2de39f55b99a> | http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Tiny-undersea-plants-may-affect-Arctic-ocean-life-3619409.php | en | 0.939992 | 0.176909 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Show Review: Carl Cox at NYC’s Output
Carl Cox shocked the dance music community when the kingpin DJ/producer announced he would be playing a very rare, open-to-close set just a few hours before new Brooklyn haunt, Output was scheduled to open. The DJ booth at Output is located only a few feet away from the floor, but the focus is no way LED wall’s or pyro. Music is top priority here. Just a simple array of colored pin-spots and wash’s greet the crowd’s eyes.
Come performance night, Cox exercised the club’s state-of-the-art Funktion-One sound system. The veteran was as enthusiastic as the crowd, and played the beautiful six hour set while dancing alongside his party disciples. Boisterous winds swept NYC last week, giving the Big Apple an extra air of exhilaration and fervor. The line wrapped around the building, filled with people dancing to keep warm. Partygoers buzzed of past sets and experiences had with the techno legend, as newcomers eagerly anticipated what to expect.
Cox took to the decks, like a king to his throne, opening with a groovy downtempo, melodic track that instantly established complete control of his dance floor. As the night progressed he took his fans on a wild ride fueled with non-stop rhythmic bass lines and mesmerizing melodies. Armed with 4 CDJ’s and his RMX1000 for a plethora of effects and on the fly loops, Cox created build ups out of (seemingly) nowhere, morphed sounds into melodies and at times dropped entirely new song from scratch, or so he’d have one think.
Six hours later and still, nobody wanted to leave. The mass of people inside Output lingered, making it clear that the Carl Cox experience is one not to be missed.
Catch him on our list: 20 Acts You Must See at Ultra Music Festival 2013.
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Home > Departments > Treasury
Property Tax Calculation
Calcuation of Property Taxes
Property taxes: How are they figured?
The basic rule is value is multiplied by the levy. The result is the tax to be paid.
In Kansas, taxes are levied based on a mill rate, which can be calculated as Budget divided by Value.
Each taxing entity in Kansas must adopt a budget no later than August 25. This budget will indicate the total amount of tax dollars required to pay the costs associated with each of the entity’s funds. For example, if a City General Fund will spend $10 million in 2002 and will receive revenues, including cash remaining from 2001, in the total amount of $4 million, that fund will need to raise $6 million in taxes.
All entities adopting budgets that levy taxes must publish their budgets and hold a public hearing before the August 25 deadline. The budget published then becomes the maximum budget for each published fund. The public hearing may lead the elected representatives of the entity to vote to lower the budget but they cannot increase it without first publishing and holding another hearing. The adopted budget is turned over to the County Clerk (in our case, the Unified Government Clerk).
As described previously, the Office of the Appraiser calculates value on all property in the County. This value is separated into the various taxing entities to enable the calculation of a levy.
As an example, if the County has a total assessed valuation of $1 billion, that number is used to calculate the levy for the County, the State, and the Community College. Since the entire County is covered by four school districts, each of those districts will have an individual value, the sum of which will be the same $1 billion. The county is made up of four cities and some unincorporated area. Those five entities’ value would also total $1 billion. Finally, there are several entities, which do not cover the entire County. The three drainage districts cover a part of the county so the sum of their value is less than the county total of $1 billion. The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library is supported by USD 500. The rest of the County, outside of USD 500 and outside of Bonner Springs, pays a separate levy to support the Library.
In September, the Appraiser will give the Clerk a report which indicates what the Assessed Valuation is (as of that date) in each of the taxing entity districts.
Also in September, the State will provide the Clerk with the total Assessed value, by district, of all property assessed by them. This includes railroads, utilities, and pipelines. The state appraises these properties to provide consistency across the state on these unique properties.
At this point, the Clerk has accumulated the budget for each entity and the assessed valuation for each entity.
Calculating the rate is a mathematical exercise. As an example, let us say that the County budget indicates a need of $30 million with an assessed valuation of $1 billion. The formula of 30 million divided by 1 billion results in a value of 0.03. This means the rate is 3 cents per dollar of assessed valuation. For simplicity, Kansas requires a mill levy rate be stated in terms of dollars per thousand dollars of valuation. Therefore, the official levy rate, in the above example, is 30. That is a levy of $30 for every $1000 of assessed valuation.
Three levy rates are fixed by the State without regard to valuation. The state levies 1 mill for educational buildings and one-half mill for correctional buildings. They also levy 20 mills for schools. These three levies are the same in every county in the state. The first two were set by the legislature quite some time ago and are seldom discussed. The 20 mills school levy is discussed annually by the legislature.
See chart for levy rates for last three years
Once the above numbers are finalized, the taxes due on a particular piece of property can easily be calculated.
If the property is not a personal residence, simply multiply the assessed valuation for the property by the total levy rate for all districts in which that property is located.
If the property is a personal residence, multiply the assessed valuation by the total levy reduced by the 20 mills school general fund levy. Then add to that number, the result of multiplying the total assessed valuation reduced by $2,300 (but not below zero) by the school levy of 20 mills.
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Treasury Office Hours Annex Location Phone Numbers
WyCo Courthouse 8:00 am to 5:00 pm WyCo Annex Building P: (913) 573-2821
710 N 7th Street Monday - Friday 8200 State Avenue P: (913) 573-2823
Suite 240 Kansas City KS 66112
Kansas City, KS 66101
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56 terms
Chapter 15
an extremely high fever.
The force of blood against the walls of the arteries (blood pressure) is measured using what?
listening for sounds within the body and is usually performed through a stethoscope.
an abnormal rattle or crackle like respiratory sound during inspiration (breathing in).
an abnormal sound heard while listening to the chest during inspiration, expiration or both.
an abnormal high-pitched harsh sound heard during inhalation. is the result of a partial blockage of the pharynx, larynx, and trachea.
an abnormal sound heard during ascultation of an artery. These sounds are usually due to a partially blocked, narrowed, or diseased artery. These sounds also produced by the blood flowing through a graft, fistula, or shunt.
an examination technique in which the examiner's hands are used to feel the texture, size, consistency, and location of certain body parts.
a diagnostic procedure designed to determine the density of a body part by the sound produced by tapping the surface with the fingers.
an instrument used to examine the interior of the eye.
an instrument used to visually examine the external ear canal and tympanic membrane.
an instrument used to enlarge the opening of any canal or cavity to facilitate inspection of its interior.
Prone Position
the patient is lying on the belly with face down. The arms may be placed under the head for comfort. The position is used for the examination and treatment of the back and buttocks.
Horizontal Recumbent Position
the patient is lying on the back with the face up. This position is used for examination and treatment of the anterior surface of the body and for x-rays.
Dorsal Recumbent Position
the patient is lying on the back with knees bent. This position is used for th examination and treatment of the abdominal area and for vaginal or rectal examinations.
Sims' Position
the patient is lying on the left side with the right knee and thigh drawn up with the left arm placed along the back. This position is used in the examination and treatment of the rectal area.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
a test based on the speed at which the red blood cells seperate from the plasma and settle to the bottom of the container. An elevated sed rate indicates the presence of inflammation in the body.
describes the percentage, by volume, of a blood sample occupied by red cells. This test is used to diagnose abnormal states of hydration, polycythemia, and anemia.
Platelet Count
measures the number of platelets in a specified amount of blood and is a screening test to evaluate platelet function. It is also used to monitor changes in the blood associated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These changes include thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia.
Red Blood Cell Count
a determination of the number of erythrocytes in the blood. A depressed count can indicate anemia or a hemorrhage lating more than 24 hours.
Total Hemoglobin Test
usually part of a complete blood count. Elevated Hg levels indicate a higher than normal hemoglobin concentration in the plasma due to polycythemia or dehydration. Low Hg levels indicates lower than normal hemoglobin concentration due to anemia, recent hemorrhage, or fluid retention.
Blood Urea Nitrogen Test
measures the amount of nitrogen in the blood due to waste product urea. This test is performed to obtain an indication of kidney function.
Specific Gravity
reflects the amount of wastes, minerals, and solids that are present in urine.
has a sweet, fruity odor, is found in small quantities in normal urine and in larger amounts in the urine of a diabetic.
the presence of the protein albumin in the urine and is a sign of impaired kidney function.
the presence of calcium in the urine. Abnormally high levels can be diagnostic for hyperparathyroidism. Lower than normal levels can indicate osteomalacia.
is the presence of glucose in the urine, is most commonly caused by diabetes.
the presence of blood in the urine. This condition can be caused by kidney stones, infection, damage to the kidney, or bladder cancer.
the surgical puncture of the abdominal cavity to remove fluid.
the puncture of a chamber of the heart for diagnosis or therapy.
the puncture of the pericardial sac for the purpose of removing fluid.
the surgical puncture of the tympanic membrane with a needle to remove fluid or pus from an infected the middle ear.
Radiopaque Contrast Medium
the substance does not allow x-rays to pass through and appears white or light gray on the resulting film.
Radiolucent Contrast Medium
the substance such as air or nitrogen gas does allow x-rays to pass through and appears black or dark gray on the resulting film.
Anteroposterior Projection
the patient positioned with the back parallel to the film. The x-ray beam travels from anterior to posterior.
Posteroanterior Projection
the patient positioned facing the film and parellel to it. The x-ray beam travels through the body from posterior to anterior.
Lateral Projection
the patient positioned at right angles to the film. This veiw is named for the side of the body nearest the film.
Oblique Projection
the patient positioned so the body is slanted sideways to the film. This is halfway between a parallel and a right angle position.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
uses a combination of radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create signals that are sent to a computer and converted into images of any plane through the body.
Magnetic Resonance Anigography (MRA)
combines MRI with the use of a contrast medium to located problems within blood vessels throughout the body.
Nuclear Medicine
radioactive substances known as radiopharmaceuticals are administered for either diagnostic or treatment purposes.
are administered for either diagnositc or treatment purposes.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET imaging)
Adverse Drug Reaction
an undesirable reaction that accompanies the principal response for which the drug was taken.
Idiosyncratic Reaction
an unexpected reaction to a drug that is peculiar to the individual.
a substance that eases the pain or severity of the symptoms of a disease, but does not cure it.
Paradoxical Reaction
the result of medical treatment that yields the exact opposite of normally expected results.
an inactive substance, such as a sugar pill or liquid, that is administered only for its suggestive effects. In medical research, a placebo is administered to one group and the drug being studied is administered to another group.
refers to the class of drugs that relieves pain without affecting consciousness. These include such drugs as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen.
an analgesic that reduces pain and fever, but does not relieve inflammation; however it does not have the negative side effects of NSAIDS.
an nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medicine that is sold over the counter under the brand names of Advil and Motrin. This medication acts as an analgesic to relieve pain of the arthritis.
Rectal Suppository
medication in a semisolid form that is introduced into the rectum. The suppository melts at body tempurature, and the medication is absorbed through the surrounding tissues.
Sublingual Administration
the placement of medication under the tongue where it is allowed to dissolve slowly.
Topical Application
a liquid or ointment that is rubbed into the skin on the area to be treated.
Transdermal Medication
administered form a patch that is applied to unbroken skin.
Hypodermic Syringe
the most common use of parental administration by injection. | <urn:uuid:96ee47a4-4c7c-4667-8296-e994045af496> | https://quizlet.com/3608682/chapter-15-flash-cards/ | en | 0.897884 | 0.229513 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Numb Foot...HELP! (Read 2594 times)
Hi everyone,
I am in desperate need of a 2nd opinion. I have been running off and on since high school so I have run the gamit of running injuries. During my 1st Marathon training in 2009 for the 1st time my left foot started going numb during training runs longer than 6 miles. Since then I have had a multitude of more injuries and have overcome most of them. I started up again recently and everything is pretty good except my foot.
After 3 miles my left foot will go completely numb. I'm talking after 3.5 miles it a hunk of meat hanging on the bottom of my leg! I went to a Dr. who said it was a nerve issue and he would have to give me an injection that would block the nerve but it would only last for about 1 month before the numbness would begin again. Getting a monthly injection is not something I would even consider. There has to be an alternative remedy to this issue.
Has anyone dealt with this before or anything like it? How did you overcome this, what did you do? Some things I have already ruled out are:
1. I'm not tying my shoelaces to tight
2. It's not a circulation issue because it only happens when i run
3. there is no pain involved at all
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or recommendations. I'm ready to try almost anything except a monthly injection.
Maybe try metatarsal pads? If it's the ball of your foot, you might try those.
I have a neuroma in my left foot that causes the ball of that foot to go numb after about 5-6 miles, then it starts burning at around 10-11. Both my PT and a podiatrist both recommended a metatarsal pad. These go into your shoes (and if you get the right ones, they'll stick right onto your existing inserts) and they get placed NOT on the ball of your foot, but just behind them. The purpose is to lift the metatarsal bones so they dont hit as hart .. (or something like that). I've only been wearing mine a few days but I am seeing some improvement. Not 100%, but it does seem a bit better.
I had read about these pads and got over the counter ones, but they moved all over the place in my shoes. The podiatrist I saw gave me medical grade ones. I've run in them 3-4 times now, and they have not budged.
Here's the website where you can get them. They're much cheaper than one's you'd buy at like Walgreens or CVS and they stay put much better too.
(now granted, this is all assuming you have a neuroma too.....)
Consistently Slow
Do you wear compression socks or sleeves? My compression sleeves were too small and my hand would go numb.
Run until the trail runs out.
SCHEDULE 2016--
unsolicited chatter
This has happened to me off and on over the years.
It seems like it comes and goes and, but as a general rule, I have noticed that I will get numbness (foot going to sleep) around the 3rd mile under two circumstances.......1) I haven't been running much or consistently enough.....2) I get a new pair of running shoes.......
Normally some consistent running over a couple of weeks and the problem magically has gone away for me.....
Champions are made when no one is watching
I had the same problem two years ago. It was my shoes. The shoes fit by the pros worked beautifully but the Ascis that I bought because they felt wonderful - numb foot at mile 6. Before you go to the shot route, maybe look at a new pair of shoes from a good running store. Hope it helps.
In the off-chance that it's something shoe-related ... you might also look at Lydiard lacing or switching to elastic laces (I like the iBungee by Easy Laces, but Lock Laces and Yankz are out there, too). You can relieve a lace-induced pressure point by alternative lacing patterns, or distributing the lace pressure via stretch laces (the latter is working really well for me).
As the comments in your log say, ease up! A quicker cadence doesn't have to mean speeding up -- try running at ~9min/mi pace, then take shorter strides ... but more of them per mile. You'll still be moving at 9min/mi pace, but with a cadence nearer to what you've been chasing. And you'll put less strain on your lower legs, which may be the numbness culprit.
Good luck!
-- Dick LeBeau
WOW! Thanks so much everyone! I will chew on all of that and try to incorporate all of your suggestions and hope something works! I do wear compression socks but I just started when I got a new pair of shoes fit by a running store (Newton's) and I was hopeful they would help with the issue so i don't think it's shoe or sock related. I will definitely try the Ibungee laces! I have read about neuroma and I don't think it is that because I never have the pain associated with it and the numbness eventually goes away after a mile or so. I am hopeful that after i have run more consistently and have improved my form this will go away. Thanks again for all of your responses!! I knew I could count on my RA buddies!
YES I agree --- I forgot to mention (or completely forgot) that I did start using Lydiard lacing and that also made a big difference for me........you ought to consider trying that too....
Champions are made when no one is watching
Loves the outdoors
I have this issue on and off. For me it generally coincides with when my calf muscles are particularly tight. I stop and stretch lots and after a week or so of doing more calf stretches it mostly has gone away.
I just saw our local shoe guru/gait analysis expert (my running club buddies all call her the "Shoe Whisperer"). I have Morton's Neuroma, which causes your foot to go numb initially then turns to burning pain or other worse pain for some.
She recommended 3 things (assuming you have a neuroma)
1. ProKinetics inserts. These come with an optional additional lift that goes under your big toes that increases the lift to 6.0mm. Use it. Most neuromas seem to be caused by a longer 2nd metatarsal bone, so you're pushing off with your smaller toes, versus your big toes like you're supposed to. The ProKinetics inserts shifts things around to encourage your foot to push off with your big toe. (I'll warn you though, using this causes your body alignment to change -- which ultimately is good, but it makes you a bit sore for a while. I also have gotten some blisters)
2. Get Yoga Toes and use them 3--4 times per day while icing your foot. The Yoga Toes spreads your toes out and exposes the nerves, giving them a chance to heal, especially when you ice them.
3. Make sure you're wearing shoes with a wide toe box. Wendi advised me to never again wear Nikes or Asics, as they have air and gel and tend to form to the foot and can compress nerves that are more surface in some people.
I'm only a few days into using all of the above. But ... I did my first 12 mile run in them on Sunday, and I actually got through all 12 miles without screaming pain. My foot did start to go numb in the latr miles, as before -- but the more I focused on pushing off using my big toe instead of middle toes, the better it got. And in the last 1/2 mile, it did start to hurt a bit -- but again, I focused on pushing off my big toe and the pain became more manageable. I didnt expect or get a miracle cure, but it was definitely encouraging.
According to Wendi, Dr Dudley Morton (I'm guessing this is where the "Morton" of "Morton's Neuroma" came from) solved for the problem by using a pad the size of a stick of gum under the big toe, and people were actually healed from the issue. But after he died, orthotics came along -- but these are only temporary fixes and dont heal the problem, like the pad under the big toe does. She also says metatarsal pads can help manage the pain, but that's all ... it does not heal the problem. The inserts are the primary key to healing.
Very interesting ---- Hope it works for you..
Champions are made when no one is watching
Just an update ... since getting the shoes, Prokinetic inserts and using yoga toes, I've been able to do my long runs with very little issues at all. I have an occasional flash of numbness -- but only lasts a minute or so at most. No pain at all. And this was all with a full blown, fully podiatrist-diagnosed case of Morton's Neuroma in both feet. (I hobbled my last 3 miles of a half marathon in May from it!).
The inserts in particular were quite hard to get used to. I had a lot of miscellaneous aches and pains in my back and hips, given the inserts essentially changed the way I was carrying myself and running ... but the "shoe whisperer" warned me of this.
Since getting the inserts, shoes, etc -- I've done numerous long runs, including several 14, 16, 18 and 20 milers. Again, minimal numbness and no pain.
Needs more cowbell!
I've had the numb (totally numb, like it had been injected with anesthesia) foot thing in the past. It almost always comes on about 3 miles into a run, then dissipates slowly for the next few miles. I always chalked it up to chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Fortunately I never had it last more than a few runs in a row, here and there. I never did figure out what I was doing differently on these runs to bring it on, either. It was rarely during speed-work or higher effort, never in new or tight shoes. Just totally out of the blue.
Sometimes it would also feel like I had a rock under my shoe, but when I'd look there was no rock or anything else to cause the sensation of having a numb lump under my foot.
'17 Goals:
• Keep doing stuff.
Dear Pete,
I have experienced occasional numbness, pain and swelling in my feet for years and I think I have finally pinpointed the main reason.
I recently discovered that I have a genetic condition called Morton's Foot and you may have it also (as does 20-25% of the population). It is a condition where the second metatarsal in the foot is longer than the first (big toe) which causes the weight to be improperly distributed when you walk/stand, leading to pain in the foot, weak ankles, leg, hip, back, neck and head pain. You can read more about this and also see how to determine if you have inherited it through this link: http://www.triggerpointbook.com/mortons.htm. It also explains what you can do to ease the condition. You may find that this explains a lot about why, no matter what we try to do, we have chronic pain and dysfunction in these areas. If the foundation is weak, the house begins to crumble!
You can try to create your own corrective pads or insoles or purchase the ProKinetic Natural Body Balance ones from www.mortonsfoot.com. Their website also has a lot of information about various conditions relating to the feet and legs, their causes and solutions.
I first learned about Morton's Foot in the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, which I highly recommend, as it illustrates all points on the body that can be massaged to relieve localized and referred pain. Trigger points in the muscles of your feet and calves, activated by overwork or undue stress from misalignment, could also be a factor in the onset of numbnes in your feet that you have experienced. The workbook is available at Amazon for $14.97. A lot of information is also available online through the above link (see their side menu).
Best Wishes,
Hey Pete,
I've had the same problem in the past (when i used to run xc in college) and i used to just keep running and be careful that i didnt step wrong and roll my ankle. Graduated 5 yrs ago, stopped running for a few years and recently got back into running (running the last month or so but i've been working out/getting in shape for about 15 months). Everything was going fine until yesterday, numb foot came back! Ran 4 miles, after mile 3 i had to stop a few times to shake the numb out of my foot. No pain associated, shoes weren't laced tight. Same exact problem as you... Has anything helped yet? I'm curious if any of the suggestions have worked out for you. I never checked with a doctor because i think they're going to feed me a line of guesses. I did get new brooks about a week ago, but I ran 5 miles in them last week and it was fine. Also ran a 5k in them already.. so idk if they could be the cause. I might try going back to my old ones for my next above 3 miles run... | <urn:uuid:4b84e871-2821-4ad2-8798-d6bccc7c4514> | https://www.runningahead.com/forums/post/f63738514add4ca5823579d8e8d45bca | en | 0.967812 | 0.025715 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsOscars
Gold Standard
Enough with the 'Argo': Let's talk Oscar 2014
February 27, 2013|By Glenn Whipp
• Expect to see Baz Luhrmann's summer film "The Great Gatsby," starring Tobey Maguire, left, and Leonardo DiCaprio, receive some awards talk this year.
Expect to see Baz Luhrmann's summer film "The Great Gatsby,"… (Warner Bros. )
Now that Ben Affleck has shaved his good-luck Oscar beard, we believe it's safe to officially close the book on the 2012-13 awards season so we can cast a small peek at the treasures that await. What will the coming best picture race look like? Here are 10 candidates:
"The Great Gatsby" (May 10): Director, Baz Luhrmann; cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire. Delayed from last year and, like all of Luhrmann's high-style, high-wire movies, guaranteed to be divisive, "Gatsby" could well be this year's "Les Miserables" (without the singing) -- a lavish, emotionally over-the-top, sweeping spectacle that aims to hold a mirror to modern times. Its schedule bump might prompt some doubts, but "Titanic" moved back its release date too, and it made out OK.
"Monuments Men" (Dec. 18): Director, George Clooney; cast, Daniel Craig, Clooney, Cate Blanchett. It's a WWII action-thriller about a special platoon charged with saving art from the Nazis. Tension + higher purpose + Clooney = best picture? That equation worked this year with "Argo," didn't it?
Oscars 2013: Nominee list | Red carpet | Highlights
"The Wolf of Wall Street" (Late 2013): Director, Martin Scorsese; cast, Leonardo DiCaprio. The fifth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio has sex, drugs and securities fraud, not to mention mob elements, along with a script from Terence Winter, who, judging from his work on "The Sopranos" and "Boardwalk Empire," knows his way around the subject at hand.
"Nebraska" (Late 2013): Director, Alexander Payne; cast, Bruce Dern, Will Forte. Payne's road trips ("About Schmidt," "Sideways") never disappoint. This one follows a son (Forte) reluctantly taking his irascible dad (Dern) from Billings, Mont., to Lincoln, Neb., to claim a magazine sweepstakes prize. Likely to be low-key, but that could work in its favor.
"Captain Phillips" (Oct. 11): Director, Paul Greengrass; cast, Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener. Hanks plays a cargo ship captain taken hostage by Somali pirates. Greengrass ("United 93," "Bloody Sunday") knows how to craft compelling cinema from true stories, and it's about time the academy recognizes him for something. Hanks' presence should help pave the way.
"Foxcatcher" (Late 2013): Director, Bennett Miller; cast, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo. Bennett follows his Oscar-nominated "Moneyball" with an altogether different true story -- the relationship between paranoid chemical fortune heir John du Pont and an Olympic gold-medal wrestler who was his longtime friend. For Carell, in particular, this has the potential to be a career-changer.
"Labor Day" (Late 2013): Director, Jason Reitman; cast, Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin. While out shopping for back-to-school clothes, a mother and her 13-year-old son come across a bleeding man in need of help. They bring him home and ... it gets complicated from there. Reitman adapted the story from Joyce Maynard's poignant, coming-of-age novel.
Oscars 2013: Quotes | Backstage | Fashion | Timeline
"August: Osage County" (Fall): Director, John Wells; cast, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis. The movie has the pedigree -- Tracy Letts adapted his Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play about a dysfunctional family coming together after a crisis. And it's being released by the Weinstein Co., so there's that. But Wells is primarily a TV director and dramas centered on family conflict often turn into tonal train wrecks. An iffy proposition, but, with this year's Oscar-winning producers Clooney and Grant Heslov on board, it's one that cannot be discounted.
"Gravity" (Oct. 4): Director, Alfonso Cuaron; cast, Clooney, Sandra Bullock. Clooney (he's everywhere!) and Bullock play astronauts dealing with a mission gone bad. Cuaron ("Children of Men") is one of our most gifted directors and this will need critical raves to break through the academy's tendency to short-sheet sci-fi.
"Fruitvale" (TBD): Director, Ryan Coogler; cast, Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer. Indie drama about the last day in the life of Oscar Grant, the 22-year-old Bay Area man shot dead by a transit officer. Like "Beasts of the Southern Wild" last year, "Fruitvale" took Sundance by storm, winning the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. Weinstein Co. bought the devastating drama at the festival, and based on the buzz and reviews, it probably will become a fixture in the upcoming award season.
Oscars producers bask in their golden glow
Oscars 2013: Five things we learned from the awards season
Oscars: Lena Dunham supports Anne Hathaway, boos Seth MacFarlane
Los Angeles Times Articles | <urn:uuid:b6c4ab8e-7328-4152-bd23-08bec672235f> | http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/27/entertainment/la-et-mn-oscar-best-picture-2014-20130227 | en | 0.928063 | 0.052871 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |